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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 18, No. 12
Supporting the red, white and moo Krauses’ cow, Ditto, featured in Kemps Olympic commercial By Missy Mussman missy@dairystar.com
BUFFALO, Minn. – Krause Holsteins is now home to an honorary member of Team USA. The Krauses’ 8-year-old cow, Ditto, was featured in the new Kemps commercial for the 2016 summer Olympics. Charles and Robyn Krause and their children, Andrew and Morgan, milk 200 cows on their dairy in Wright County near Buffalo, Minn. “This was a really unique opportunity for us,” Morgan said. “I was and still am very excited about it.” Rachel Kyllo, the vice president of marketing with Kemps, contacted Charles in early June about the Olympic commercial they were putting together. “They had already lmed a commercial for it, but the resolution wasn’t good enough,” Charles said. Kyllo told Charles they were looking for two or three cows and a pasture for the
commercial. “I told her we only had one cow we could use and no pasture,” Charles said. “I thought they were going to pass us over since we didn’t have everything they wanted.” But Charles sent the ad agency photos of the farm and Ditto anyway. “In the commercial they had shown us, the cow was just standing there,” Charles said. “Ditto is really calm. That’s why we sent photos of her.” Morgan agreed. “She is so relaxed. If you want a cow to stand there and eat, she’s your girl,” she said. Thinking they were not going to be chosen, the Krauses were surprised to hear back from the agency. “They called and told me they loved Ditto and wanted to come see her and the farm,” Charles said. “I was in the middle of second crop hay, but we got her on a halter and took her on the front lawn, which was next to a corn eld, for them.” During the visit, the agency had a few questions for Charles including if there was any way to make Ditto’s back straighter. “I told them I could if I held Turn to KEMPS | Page 5
PHOTO PROVIDED
The Kemps Olympic commercial shows United States gymnast Marvin Kimble comple�ng his pommel horse rou�ne on top of Di�o, owned by Charles and Robyn Krause, and their children, Morgan and Andrew, of Buffalo, Minn.
August 13, 2016
“It’s fantastic to see him doing this. I love coming to help. It’s in our blood.” – Cliff Duske
Continuing the family livelihood
MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR
Garret Duske (right) is ren�ng a 96-stall �estall barn from his dad, Cliff (le�), and his uncle, Keith, to milk his herd of 80 cows near Waverly, Minn.
Duske brothers transition dairy to next generation By Missy Mussman missy@dairystar.com
WAVERLY, Minn. – After Garret Duske, 33, spent 11 years working for his dad and uncle, the roles have been reversed. “We work for him now,” said Garret’s dad, Cliff. Since November, Garret, his wife, Amber, and their children, Emmit, 8, Hazel, 6, and Colton, 2, have been milking 96 cows in a tiestall barn they rent from Garret’s parents, Cliff and Wendy, and his aunt and uncle, Kathy and Keith, near Waverly, Minn. “It’s fantastic to see him doing this,” Cliff said. “I love coming to help. It’s in our blood.” But, getting to this point was 12 years in the making. In 2004, Garret started working full-time on the farm with Cliff and Keith, earning a percentage of the milk check Turn to DUSKE | Page 6
MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR
Garret Duske looks at which bulls to use on his heifers on Aug. 2.