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DAIRY ST R
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“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 18, No. 13
Harren survives bull attack By Jennifer Coyne
August 27, 2016
Hinrichs crowned 63rd Princess Kay
jenn@dairystar.com
FREEPORT, Minn. – On a dreary evening in August, Jim Harren sits around the kitchen table with his wife, Cheryl, and daughter, Kaitlin, 20. Together, they recount the horric event that ensued nearly two months ago. “It was the day after Father’s Day,” said Jim, staring through the raindrops on the window. “I remember that.” In the midst of morning chores June 22, the herd bull on the Harrens’ 60-cow Holstein dairy near Freeport, Minn., attacked Jim. That Monday morning began like any other. Jim and Kaitlin had nished milking and were letting the cows out of the barn in order to bed the tiestalls. At the same time, the herd bull was released from his pen at the back corner of the barn. Time had passed and the cows were ready to come back inside. Kaitlin watched the herd come in as Jim moved around the cow yard directing them towards the barn door. Being cautious of the risk outside, Jim always carried an aluminum bat in case the bull would become dangerous. “We A.I. everything, but we’ve always had a bull on the farm, too,” Jim said. “Bulls are threatening, though, and we have to respect that.” Standing in the barn waiting for the remainder of the herd, Kaitlin noticed that it was taking more time than usual to bring the cows inside. “I yelled [for Dad] and saw the bat lying there, and I thought ‘Oh, my gosh,’” Kaitlin said. As Kaitlin peered around the corner of the barn, Jim sat up on the other side of the now busted four-board fence; the electric wire atop was still intact. “His face was all bloody, but he told me to get the skidloader and our hired help to open the gate,” Kaitlin said. “I was worried when I saw the blood, but my instincts kicked in and I wasn’t thinking. I just knew what I had to do.” Using the skidloader, the crew chased the bull into the barn, where Jim swayed behind and pinned the bull in his pen. Turn to HARREN | Page 5
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Jim Harren is recovering from an on-farm bull a�ack with the support of his family, including wife, Cheryl, and daughter, Kaitlin. The Harrens milk 60 cows near Freeport, Minn.
MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR
Haley Hinrichs of Goodhue, Minn. (le�) reacts to being crowned the 63rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way on Aug. 24 at the Minnesota State Fair Bandshell in Falcon Heights, Minn. Morgan Krause of Buffalo, Minn. (center) and Meghan Skiba of Cambridge, Minn. (right) rounded out the top three.
Goodhue County claims title for rst time By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. – Haley Hinrichs’ dad predicted she would be Princess Kay of the Milky Way long before she stood on the stage at this year’s coronation the night before the opening of the Minnesota State Fair. “I remember coming to the state fair when I was younger to watch my brother show cattle. My dad was eating an ice cream cone, points to the butterheads and said, ‘You can do that some day … because you live on a dairy farm you can do that someday and I bet you will,’” Hinrichs said. Someday has arrived. Hinrichs was crowned the 63rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way on Aug. 24 during a coronation at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in Falcon Heights, Minn. The 19-year-
old daughter of Tim Hinrichs block of butter. is from Goodhue, Minn., and “I’m very excited,” Hinrepresents Goodhue County. richs said. “It’s denitely “I saw my dad shoot up something you only get to exin the air and all of a sudden perience once. If it’s hot out I everything became really real. get to be in a nice cold coolThe tingles in my hands went er and at the end of it I get a away,” Hinrichs said of the bunch of butter to take home to crowning moment when out- donate it, have a party with it going 62nd Princess Kay Kyla or give it to friends and famMauk placed the crown on her ily.” With his daughter sitting head. Meghan Skiba of Cam- in the butter booth the rst day bridge, Minn., representing of the fair, Tim is making sure Isanti County and Morgan chores get done in time to see it Krause of Buffalo, Minn., rep- all happen. “My son is doing the milkresenting Wright County were selected as runners-up. Skiba ing tonight. I told him that if was also named Miss Con- by any chance she would win, geniality and earned one of be prepared to get up early bethree scholarships along with cause we’re going to have to Krause and Sabrina Portner of milk and get back up here,” Sleepy Eye, Minn., represent- Tim said. “I’ll probably be going on little sleep, but that’s the ing Brown County. One of Hinrichs’ rst du- way it is.” Along with having a butties as Princess Kay will be to sit in the rotating cooler to have terhead, Hinrichs is excited her head carved in a 90-pound for the next 12 days where she Turn to PRINCESS KAY | Page 7
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
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North America dealers. A glance at what’s inside
Dairy Prole brought to you by your
As summer winds down and harvest nears, the eld days and crop seminars pick up. In this issue, we attended several eld days to cover topics such as cover crops, rotational grazing and organic production. The Patnodes are in the process of expanding their herd. They needed to nd more feed so this year they introduced winter rye as a cover crop after corn silage. They milk 85 cows near Corocoran, Minn. Read about their demonstration eld day on cover crops on pages 2-3 in third section. For the past three months, sisters, Arica, 14, and JenBy Mark Klaphake na, 13, Caughey have been milking their own 28-cow herd with help from their parents on their farm near Brainerd, Editor Minn. Read about the Caugheys’ journey into dairy farming and how the teens manage the day-to-day jobs on their farm on page 10 in rst section. Late summer time brings state fair time for many communities across the Midwest. The dairy industry plays an important role at these events – it’s an opportunity to reach many consumers. We reached out to the Midwest Dairy Association and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board to see how promotional events at state fairs have evolved through the years. This article can be read on pages 12-13 in rst section. In our organic section on pages 6-7 in second section, read about the Fonder family from Milbank, S.D. They switched their dairy to organic 10 years ago. Read what changes they have seen in their crops and animals since the change from conventional farming. On Aug. 22, our reporter, Cassie Olson, followed the Wegner family from Ettrick, Wis., for the day to document our feature, A Day in the Life. The Wegners milk 500 cows and are in the midst of building a new freestall barn. It was business as usual for the Wegners. Read how the entire family pitches in to make the dairy operate smoothly every day. The Wielenberg family was named Todd County Farm Family of the Year on Aug. 4 at Farmfest, Redwood Falls, Minn. The Wielenbergs milk 85 cows near Long Prairie, Minn. Read how they felt about receiving the award on pages 35, 37 in rst section. Finally, dairy made a big appearance at the Nicollet County Fair for their dairy show. We have several photos of dairy exhibitors competing at the dairy show on Aug. 12 in St. Peter, Minn. Look for these photos on page 25 in rst section.
Favorite quotes from this issue: “People have to be thinking of the other one before themselves. It’s not about you, it’s about doing the best you can for somebody else.” - Kevin Siewert, Second
Section, Pages 3-4
“Our goal is to ght poverty through milk production. Time and distance has been our enemy.” - Michael Juragila, Second Section, Pages 14-15
80:
By the Numbers Heifers in the top 80 percent are bred to sexed semen bulls. First Section, Pages 18, 20
amount of solar power 40 KW: The that powers the Thickes’
dairy farm and house. The Crowleys use 20 kilowatts to power their home and heifer barn. Third Section, Pages 6, 8
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 3
It’s all inside... FIRST SECTION
or n
Kingsbury
n nso
Brookings
Lake
Moody
McCook Minnehaha
Hubbard Wadena
Anoka Kandiyohi
Meeker
ey
Chippewa
Hennepin McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine
Wright
Carver Scott
Redwood
Nicollet Brown
Murray
Rock
Nobles
First Section: Pages 22 - 23
Hutchinson
Rice
Pages 10, 12 - 13
Goodhue Wabasha
Jackson
Martin
Faribault
Freeborn
Page 20
Dairy Calendar
Pages 21 - 30 Classieds
Houston
Lincoln Clay
Union
Lyon
Osceola Dickinson Emmet
Sioux
O’Brien
Clay
Palo Alto
Kossuth
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What was your favorite Olympic moment? Page 16
Plymouth
Paddocks mean prot for Pearsons
Beukema wins St. Croix County dairy heritage calf contest
Winona
Fillimore
Mower
Pages 14 - 15
Some Udder Stuff
Third Section: Pages 4 - 5
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted
Turner
Bon Yankton Homme
Organic production focus of Otter Creek eld day
Page 17
Spencer
Joneses recognized at Iowa State Fair
Dakota
r
Sibley
ms
Swift
Lyon
Isanti
Washinton
Sherburne
Kanabec
Benton
Stearns
Cannon Falls
Teachers visit Mahoney Holsteins as part of MAITC tour
Ha
Da
vis
on
Sa nb
Miner
Deuel
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Pope
Third Section: Pages 2 - 3
Pine
Douglas
Stevens
Lincoln
Hamlin
Carlton
Crow Wing
Ra
Grant
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Aitkin
Todd
Grant Clark
Clearwater
Ottertail
Patnodes try cover crop through Sustainable Ag Demonstration Grant Program
go
Dairy Calendar
Pages 8 - 9
Roberts
Day
Big Sto Stone
Cass
eu
Marshall
Corcoran
Su
rse
Second Section: Pages 6 - 7
Itasca
Le
Saving small farms
Charles Mix
Koochiching
isa
THIRD SECTION Page 5
Becker
Wilkin
Milbank
en
nom
Mah
Clay
Douglas
Third Section: Pages 18 - 19
Kids Corner: The Enters
St. Louis
Polk Norman
Pages 16, 18 - 19 A day in the life of the Wegner family
Pages 22 - 24 Salzls put up barn, start milking 21-cow herd Pages 26 - 27 Crop & Weather Report Pages 28 - 29 Sunshine produces crops, electricity Pages 30 - 31 Dairy Recipes
First Section: Page 15
Beltrami
Red Lake
First Section: Pages 18, 20
Pages 20 - 21 Iowa couple raising a family, building equity
First Section: Pages 1, 5
Pennington
Timed A.I., synch programs prove benecial for Stelter herd
Pages 14 - 15 Dairying Around the World
Nicollet
Caughey teen sisters operate dairy farm
Lake of the Woods
Marshall
Wood Lake
Brainerd
Ch
Pages 3, 4 Siewerts, Youngs form partnership to harvest forages Page 8 Goldsmith crowned Iowa Dairy Princess Pages 10 - 11 The “Mielke” Market Weekly Page 12 Dairy markets Page 13 Area hay auction results
First Section: Pages 35, 37 Kittson Roseau
Freeport
Harren survives attack by herd bull
Wielenbergs receive Todd County Farm Family of the Year award
Pipestone
SECOND SECTION
Long Prairie
Tra ve
Page 9 Ag Insider Page 10 May-June MPP margin of $5.76 triggers pay outs Page 11 A comprehensive pricing proposal that will protect family farming Pages 12 - 13 State fairs: A place where dairy takes the spotlight Page 25 Dairy makes an appearance at Nicollet County Fair Page 26 FSA News & Notes Page 27 Dairy in the Suburbs Page 28 Forage quality of alternative grasses Page 29 Back to school Page 30 Dear County Agent Guy Page 31 Management vs. leadership: What’s the difference? Page 32 Just Thinking Out loud Page 33 Dairy Good Life Page 34 Thin dry cows: Should they be fed extra energy? Page 36 Women in Jeans: Shannon Mueller
Kasson, Minn.
Zone 1
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Dairy Prole: Adam Whiteaker Page 39
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 5
ConƟnued from HARREN | Page 1
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Harrens – (from leŌ) Bradley, Joshua, Kaitlin, Jim and Cheryl – have all been supporƟve of Jim’s slow recovery, helping with chores on the farm. “I put the skidloader away and ran into the barn,” Kaitlin said. “By that point, Dad was pretty tired and had to sit down. I didn’t realize how badly he was bleeding.” Kaitlin hastily grabbed milking towels to clean the blood off her father’s body, and saw the large cut on the back of his head. The cows still needed to be tied in their stalls, but Kaitlin knew she was running out of time. “We had to hurry, but I didn’t want Mom to know because she’d worry,” Kaitlin said. As the cows made their way to their appropriate stalls, Cheryl walked into the barn before heading off to work, unaware of what the morning had brought for her husband and daughter. “I always stop and say goodbye to Jim when he’s in the skidloader,” Cheryl said. “But that morning, he wasn’t outside.” Instincts told Cheryl something was wrong, and they were right as she walked into the barn and saw her husband covered in blood. After assisting Jim back into the home for a quick shower – a shower he insisted on taking – Cheryl drove her husband to the nearest hospital. “I was panicked and trying to keep it together,” Cheryl said, shakiness in her voice. “I just kept making him talk so that he wouldn’t go into shock, and drove fast.” Kaitlin stayed on the farm and beckoned her grandpa, boyfriend and brother, Bradley, 25, for help loading the bull onto a trailer to take to a livestock auction. “It all didn’t take very long,” Kaitlin said. “The bull still had blood on his nose and was bellowing after they got him on the trailer.” Miraculously, Jim only suffered a concussion, a cut to his head and external bruising. However, two months
after the accident, he is still slow to recover with dizzy spells periodically occurring and the possibility of a torn meniscus. While only supposed to be home for Father’s Day weekend, the Harrens’ sons – Bradley, 25, and Joshua, 21 – remained on the farm until their father was seeing improvements. The Harren children, their hired hand and a neighbor, Sam Koetter, assisted with daily responsibilities on the farm, including putting hay up and cutting oats. “Everyone really stepped up to help with chores,” Cheryl said. “We’re really thankful and proud they could help.” In the weeks that followed the accident, Jim tried recalling what happened, but was unable to. “I only slightly remember being on top of his head,” Jim said, rubbing his head where the laceration was. “I still wake up and all I see is the bull’s head.” While Jim’s joints remain stiff and a numbing ache continues to pass through his body, he is back in the barn and slowly returning to a regular routine, careful not to injure himself further. “We could use bubble wrap, and lots of it,” Jim said. Cheryl added, “He’s going through physical therapy for his knees, and wasn’t making sense for a long time. Now, his head’s getting much better.” The Harrens are counting their blessings as life slowly returns to normal, with a young bull replacing the harmful one. Jim’s experience is one they hope to never encounter again. “There’s something to be said about that,” Cheryl said, explaining her gut-reaction to check the barn. “You never know, and that morning it just made sense. I could’ve buried him that week.”
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USDA to purchase surplus cheese for food banks Department also will extend Margin Protection Program for Dairy enrollment deadline
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to purchase approximately 11 million pounds of cheese from private inventories to assist food banks and pantries across the nation, while reducing a cheese surplus that is at its highest level in 30 years. The purchase, valued at $20 million, will be provided to families in need across the country through USDA nutrition assistance programs, while assisting the stalled marketplace for dairy producers whose revenues have dropped 35 percent over the past two years. “We understand that the nation’s dairy producers are experiencing challenges due to market conditions and that food banks continue to see strong demand for assistance,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This commodity purchase is part of a robust, comprehensive safety net that will help reduce a cheese surplus that is at a 30-year high while, at the same time, moving a high-protein food to the tables of those most in need. USDA will continue to look for ways within its authorities to tackle food insecurity and provide for added stability in the marketplace.” USDA received requests from Congress, the National Farmers Union, the American Farm Bureau and the National Milk Producers Federation to make an immediate dairy purchase. Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935 authorizes USDA to utilize scal year 2016 funds to purchase surplus food to benet food banks and families in need through its nutrition assistance programs. USDA also announced that it will “This commodity extend the deadline for dairy proto enroll in the Margin Propurchase is part of a ducers tection Program (MPP) for Dairy 16, 2016, from the previrobust, comprehensive toousDec. deadline of Sept. 30. This voldairy safety net program, safety net that will help untary established by the 2014 Farm reduce a cheese surplus Bill, provides nancial assistance to participating dairy producers that is at a 30-year when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed high...” costs – falls below the coverage level selected by the producer. A TOM VILSACK, AGRICULTURE SECRETARY USDA web tool, available at www. fsa.usda.gov/mpptool, allows dairy producers to calculate levels of coverage available from MPP based on price projections. On Aug. 4, USDA announced approximately $11.2 million in nancial assistance to U.S. dairy producers enrolled in MPP-Dairy, the largest payment since the program began in 2014. “By supporting a strong farm safety net, expanding credit options and growing domestic and foreign markets, USDA is committed to helping America’s dairy operations remain successful,” said Vilsack. While USDA projects dairy prices to increase throughout the rest of the year, many factors including low world market prices, increased milk supplies and inventories, and slower demand have contributed to the sluggish marketplace for dairy producers. USDA will continue to monitor market conditions in the coming months and evaluate additional actions, if necessary, later this fall.
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ConĆ&#x;nued from PRINCESS KAY | Page 1 will do media interviews and talk to the public about Minnesota’s dairy industry. “The fair brings in so many different people who aren’t from a farm or don’t have an agriculture background so I’m really looking forward to engaging in conversation with them,â€? Hinrichs said. “I’m looking forward to being able to answer their questions.â€? In her upcoming year-long reign, Hinrichs said she is looking forward to telling others about the beneďƒžts of including three servings of dairy in their diet. “The nutrition of milk, and having milk and dairy foods in our diet does
impact us. It does help us be healthy, strong people. The nutrition of milk in dairy foods is very important and can affect all of us every day,â€? she said. “I want somebody to learn that milk does have nine essential nutrients ‌â€? Tim, is excited to watch his daughter share dairy messages in the year ahead. “She’s always been very well spoken in public. When she takes on a task like this she gives 100 percent, she is a high achiever and she loves the dairy industry,â€? he said. “I’m so proud I can hardly stand it right now.â€? And Hinrichs said she is honored to represent the farmers from her area,
MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR
Haley Hinrichs and her dad, Tim, embrace aĹŒer Haley was crowned the 63rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way on Aug. 24 at the Minnesota State Fair Bandshell in Falcon Heights, Minn. especially since she is the ďƒžrst Princess Kay from Goodhue County. “It makes me feel good inside to know I’m making history,â€? she said. But most of all, it’s an honor to be representing her dad and her family’s way of life. She cherishes the time she spent milking cows with her dad while in high school. “High school is hard sometimes and coming home to talk to your dad who you’re really close with helps so my best memories on the farm include hanging out with my dad because I love MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR Fans from Douglas County cheer on Kiersten Sabolik during the Princess Kay him and he’s my rock,â€? she said. Tim also holds those memories coronaĆ&#x;on on Aug. 24 at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, Minn. close to his heart. “I think there is a certain amount
of bonding that goes on when you’re in the parlor for a couple hours,� he said. “The country music would be playing and there was always a certain amount of dancing that would go on.� Looking to the year ahead, Hinrichs is most excited to share the stories of the 3,000 dairy farmers throughout Minnesota. “I want to be able to teach somebody something new. I want to be able to have them say, ‘Oh I never knew that and because I know that it will help me in my life somehow and make a positive impact.’ That’s the difference I’m hoping to make,� Hinrichs said. “I’m just really excited to be able to share these awesome messages because I’m so passionate about this.�
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Sharpen the pencil
During the years of 2007 to 2012, took dairy cattle out of production. The farmers were able to pay down some lawsuit claimed CWT manipulated the debt and replace machinery. With the milk supply to increase milk prices. current economic situation, South Dakota Farm Bureau PresiCanada considers new Ag Insider dent Scott VanderWal said pricing strategy farmers will have to sharpen A tentative agreement the pencil. VanderWal, who has been reached between is the vice president of the Canadian dairy procesAmerican Farm Bureau Fedsors and Canadian dairy eration, said farm income is farmers. With this deal, one of AFBF’s top issues. Canadian milk processors The dairy industry has asked can buy domestic ingreUSDA for assistance. “When dients at world market the economy is like it is right prices rather than at the now and everyone’s hurting, higher levels seen with that’s when you get the calls Canada’s supply manageBy Don Wick for increased government ment program. With this support,” said VanderWal. new pricing strategy, the Columnist “The program we’re on right United States will likely now is designed for low times and to lose access to the Canadian market for pay out in that case. In the case of the ultraltered milk. This deal still needs dairy industry, we’ve asked USDA to to be ratied by the Canadian dairy intake a look at things within the purview dustry and that is not expected to hapof the Secretary of Agriculture to see if pen until later this fall. he can help them out.” AFBF President Zippy Duvall, who also participated in Advice for farmers with forage crops Dakotafest, said regulatory reform is To encourage a healthy stand of ala priority. “We’re all supporting some falfa and better winter survival, farmers kind of regulation reform, whether it’s should be thinking about that last cutwith clean water, air or endangered spe- ting of hay. WinField alfalfa and forage cies,” Duvall said. specialist Jeff Jackson said the nal cutting should be done before Sept. 1. Milk production increase For corn, the Growing Degree Units The size of the U.S. dairy herd has seem to be seven to 10 days ahead of increased slightly from one year ago, the norm. That means the silage season resulting in a 1.4 percent increase in is coming fast. Rather than just making total milk production. In the 23 major a visual assessment of the crop, Jackson dairy states, the number of milk cows is advocates a whole plant moisture test. up 19,000 head from a year ago. South “It might look dry, but it could be over Dakota had 8,000 of those new cows 73 to 75 percent moisture yet and you’ll online and milk production in South have a truck that runs water down the Dakota rose nearly 6 percent. In July, highway and a pile that doesn’t ferment Minnesota’s milk output increased 1.5 very well.” percent. Wisconsin was up just over 2 percent. California milk production de- Alliance releases report on animal clined less than one percentage point. rights movement Nearly 2,000 people attended the Milk prices bottomed in 2Q Animal Rights National Conference Milk production continues to grow, last month in Los Angeles. The Animal but farm prices may be recovering. Agriculture Alliance was at the event to USDA chief economist Rob Johansson monitor the animal rights groups and is optimistic about a bump in the milk has released a new report highlighting check. “It looks like we found a bottom its observations. Alliance President and in the second quarter and we’re starting CEO Kay Johnson Smith said the acto see increases in expected dairy pric- tivists in the animal rights movement es for the third and fourth quarters of appear to be taking a more aggressive 2016 and carrying on into 2017.” Class approach with retailers, restaurants and III milk prices are expected to increase food service companies. “Because of by 4 percent in 2017. At the same time, the results of the many announcements margins should improve with low feed on gestation stalls or eliminating cages costs. for egg-laying hens, it has emboldened these groups to put more and more presS/D report increases milk production sure on the retail and restaurant comoutlook for ‘17 munity.” Activists have often targeted The latest USDA supply and de- large-scale modern operations, calling mand report has lowered the forecast them factory farms. Smith said speakfor 2016 milk production and increased ers at the animal rights conference went the prospects for 2017. Lower feed beyond a big is bad philosophy and costs and a bump in the milk check want to shut down all of animal agriculwill result in a modest expansion of the ture. “These groups are not concerned dairy herd next year. The Class III milk about improving animal welfare. They price outlook in 2017 is being helped are concerned with how they can elimiby stronger component prices, but those nate animal agriculture altogether. values are still in the mid-teens. De- They want to take away choices from mand remains good for cheese, nonfat the consumer.” dry milk and whey. Due to large stocks, butter prices are expected to decline. U.S.-Mexico dairy alliance formed The United States and Mexico have CWT lawsuit settled wrapped up a two-day trade summit on The National Milk Producers Fed- dairy issues. Dairy leaders signed a eration has settled a lawsuit with dairy memorandum of understanding, creatprocessors over a herd retirement pro- ing a U.S.-Mexico dairy alliance. This gram that was in place from 2003 to group will meet each year to review 2010. The NMPF board ofcers have industry trends and nd ways to reapproved the $52 million settlement. duce trade barriers. The memorandum The Cooperatives Working Together was signed by leaders of the National program was a voluntary program that Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 9
Export Council, Mexico Livestock Association and Mexico’s National Chamber of Industrial Milk. AgriBank releases 2Q results St. Paul-based AgriBank reports net second quarter income of $136 million. That’s a 15 percent improvement over the same quarter last year. The total loan portfolio credit quality is described as “solid.” Total loans increased $1.7 billion to $84.5 billion from the end of 2015. Credit quality declined slightly with much of that attributed to equipment nance loans purchased through AgriBank’s AgDirect program. For agriculture, AgriBank expects a drop in net farm income this year, due primarily to losses in the feed crop and dairy sectors. The lender said crop producers may benet from an increase in government payments and energyrelated cost savings.
Trivia challenge The U.S. record for milk production came from Gigi, a 9-year old Holstein from Brooklyn, Wis. This past year, Gigi produced 74,650 pounds of milk in a 365-day period. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, how many sticks of butter are in a typical pound package? We’ll have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is a partner and broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
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“It’s really simple to use.” When did you start using the Porta BHB ketosis test? How many years have you been testing with DHIA? Four years. How has testing with DHIA beneÀted your dairy? It’s important for me to know the somatic cell count of the cows and I really like the production reports, especially the monthly ones. The preg tests are valuable to me as well. When did you start using the Porta BHB ketosis test? I started six months ago. I did it for the convenience of checking for subclinical ketosis. What is the process of using the test? I use it 12 hours after a cows freshens if they don’t look like they are taking off. Then I will check one month into the lactation if they are not hitting their peaks properly or if they are losing body weight. What advantages are there to using the Porta BHB test? The convenience of it. It’s really simple to use. They have a diagram right there to show you how severe of case it is. Why is this test important to your dairy? It’s just another tool to keep the cows healthy. The speed of the test is terriÀc.
Trevor Lisson • Staples, Minn. Milking 40 cows Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement Association 307 Brighton Avenue South Buffalo, MN 55313 1.800.827.3442 www.mndhia.org
Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
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May-June MPP margin of $5.76 triggers payouts Last week the USDA published the milk margin for May/June 2016 and it was $5.76. The calculated USDA milk margin is used in the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP) to determine at what levels (and if) this program will make a payout. MPP is an insurance-like program for dairy producers that was a product of the 2014 Farm Bill. Dairy producers select a margin level that they’d like to protect on their milk sales. Farmers can choose to protect margins from $4-$8/cwt. The $4/cwt level costs $100 to cover adminBy Betty Berning istrative fees. From the $4/cwt U of M Extension level, coverage levels increase by $0.50 increment (e.g. $4.50/cwt, $5/cwt, etc.) to $8/cwt. As the margin levels increase premiums also increase. Table 1 shows the payout at each level for the May-June period. Everyone with $6/cwt or more coverage received a payout. This is the rst time the program has paid at a $7/cwt or lower level. There were a couple payments in 2015 at the $8/cwt level and a payout in March-April 2016 at both the $8 and $7.50 coverage levels. The May-June payout announcement last week is the largest in the programs two-year history. It is indicative of the tight margins many dairy producers are experiencing. Table 1: May-June MPP Payout at varying coverage levels Coverage Level per Payout for May-June per cwt cwt $4.00
$0.00
$4.50
$0.00
$5.00
$0.00
$5.50
$0.00
$6.00
$0.24
$6.50
$0.76
$7.00
$1.24
$7.50
$1.76
$8.00
$2.24
Some producers have questioned if MPP has been worth the cost of the premiums. An analysis of premiums paid and payouts received in 2016 illus-
trates that with the May/June payout, many producers have made up the cost of their annual premium. Table 2 shows the net gain or loss using a herd with a 1,000,000 pound production history (herd size of about 40-45 cows), signing up at the 90 percent coverage level and including the two annual production
Table 2: 2016 Net Gain (Loss) from MPP at varying coverage levels C o v e r a g e Premiums L evel per cwt
Payout Net Gain (Loss)
$4.00
$100
$0
(-$100)
$4.50
$193
$0
(-$193)
$5.00
$333
$0
(-$333)
$5.50
$473
$0
(-$473)
$6.00
$612
$0
(-$612)
$6.50
$938
$1,145
$207
$7.00
$2,121
$1,921
(-$200)
$7.50
$2,895
$3,243
$348
$8.00
$4,525
$4,795
$270
bumps. The far right column shows what this hypothetical farm would have netted out. Notice that some producers have made up the cost of their premium. Farms that opted for $6.50, $7.50 or $8/cwt coverage have come out ahead. Farms that elected a different coverage level have not made up the cost of premiums. What is important to note here is the amount of gains/ losses. Losses range from -$612 to gains of $348. This is not a very wide range when we put this into the big picture of this farm’s nances. A loss of $600, although not pleasant, is not insurmountable; nor does a gain of $350 make for a banner year. MPP is intended to be an insurance program. It is there for when times are economically very poor. Just like car insurance, a payment is only made when something terrible happens. A person does not hope that car insurance will provide a payment; that means an accident has happened. What this analysis reveals is that this program is a relatively inexpensive insurance (under 10 cents/cwt for $6.50 coverage, plus administrative fees for Tier 1 coverage). Without spending too much, a farm can ensure that if catastrophe strikes, it has some protection. In years when things are not catastrophic, but they are also not good, the program can provide enough of a payout to cover the cost of premiums. Because MPP is an insurance-like program, it should be used in conjunction with other risk management tools. In a bad year, MPP will not save a farm. It can provide some protection and income to help offset losses. It will not make up for all of the loss, though. That is where other risk management tools come in to play. Understanding your cost of production and utilizing forward contracts and future should be utilized to lock in margins that will ensure a farm’s protability. MPP has been controversial at times. We do not know what the next farm bill will bring. Perhaps changes will be made to MPP. Perhaps not. One thing that we do know is that careful risk management planning can help you stay ahead of the game.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 11
GUEST EDITORIAL
A comprehensive pricing proposal that will protect family farming
“OUR SOMATIC CELL COUNT DROPPED WITHIN TWO WEEKS. OUR STALLS ARE CLEANER AND THE MACHINE SAVES US TIME.”
By Bradley L. Rach National Dairy Director National Farmers Organization America’s dairy farmers are enduring a pricing crisis that is as serious as any I have seen. Milk is being sold at disastrously low prices. Even that tragedy is overshadowed by loads of milk not being processed because there is no market at any price for it. There will, no doubt, be calls for policy proposals to address the dairy price crisis. If history is any guide, those policy proposals will ignore a long-term problem with dairy farming in America. That problem is the disappearing family dairy farm.
The unique value of family dairy farms As we look ahead to what tomorrow’s dairy farming might look like, we must also remember that we live in a world where consumers play an increasing role in determining the market for the milk we produce. Consumers envision milk production occurring on family farms. Much of the goodwill farmers have with consumers depends on this image. We also know that the family farm is a good t for the vitality of rural economies. There are more farms to buy supplies locally, more people to support schools and churches, and more opportunities for young people to stay in the community as future farmers. There can be little doubt that the environment, especially as it relates to water quality, will be an increasing problem facing our dairy industry. Here again, the family farm is the best t for strategies that preserve our rural environment and water sources. A comprehensive policy proposal No one denies that we need a policy to address our pricing crisis. But we need more, too. We need a dairy policy that recognizes the many advantages that family farms bring to our industry. We need a policy that specically encourages those types of farms, not just for their sake, but for the sake of our entire industry. Here at National Farmers, we have been developing a comprehensive approach to dairy policy. The essence of our policy proposal lies in what we call “Tier One Production Pricing” and “Tier Two Production Pricing.” Tier One production is the amount of milk a reasonably-sized family farm could and would produce. If a farm produced more milk, the remaining milk would be called Tier Two Production. A milk price would be established that covered both cost of production and a reasonable prot for a family farm producing at the Tier One level. Call this the “Tier One Price.” With our plan, a cooperative would continue to sell all of its milk to processors as it does now. What would change is the way the proceeds of those sales would be distributed to farmers. Every farm would receive the Tier One price for all Tier One milk produced on the farm. Then the cooperative would take all remaining money from milk sales and divide that by the total amount of Tier Two milk produced by all member farms. That would be the Tier Two price and it would be paid for all Tier Two milk produced by member farms. Balancing supply, demand without quotas All details aside, the intent of what National Farmers is proposing is to pay every dairy farmer enough to protably operate as a family farmer. In doing so, we preserve and enhance both opportunities for young people to get started in farming. At the same time, we preserve and enhance the family farm structure of dairy farming that is so important for our relationship with consumers, our support of rural economies, and minimizes the adverse impacts that over production has on rural environments. We also balance supply and demand in ways that are consistent with the national and global environment in which we must operate. Notice that what we are proposing is unlike most supply management programs in this important way: there are no quotas in this system. It simply provides an incentive for farmers to remain family sized and a disincentive for unrestricted growth among very large farms. Any dairy farmer is free to grow larger, but in doing so, that farmer must face the market on prices for additional milk produced. At times, those prices will justify increased production and at other times those prices will not do so. We can’t wait much longer I have learned that one of the young farmers we recently awarded as a one of our promising future leaders has decided to sell his cows. He simply can’t see any future in the way we are going. I’ve seen that before, and I probably will see it again, but this one really got to me. We must put family farms front-and-center in future policy discussions. If we don’t do so, family dairy farming will not be here.
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Family farmers: A new endangered species? In an article published in 2016, Hoard’s Dairyman asked the question, “Are farmers on the endangered species list?” At the rate we are losing dairy farmers in the United States, the question seems more relevant by the day. Our national herd of something like 9 million cows could be on 90,000 family farms with 100 cows each. Or, those same cows could be on 450 farms of 20,000 cows each. We have already fallen below 50,000 dairy farms and are clearly headed in the direction of 450 dairy farms, not 90,000 farms. As we move toward fewer, larger farms, we lose opportunities for the next generation of farmers to get started. There will only be room for a handful of very large, highly capitalized operations. As we travel down this road, we will have fewer young farmers. Many fresh new minds that could lead us in positive directions will nd opportunities outside of dairy farming. In the worst case, the remaining investor-owned dairies will become vertically integrated in ways we have already seen happen with pork and poultry production.
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
A closer look by Jennifer Coyne
As summer winds down and fall approaches, communities across the Midwest are participating in state fairs. Amidst the carnival rides, animal exhibits and outdoor concerts, the dairy industry plays a vital role at these age-old events. With each fair, consumers are given the opportunity to learn about the industry and importance of incorporating dairy into a healthy lifestyle. “We want to reach [consumers] in any way we can, and with the state fair, we have the opportunity to do that,” Becky Kronberg said. “And that’s so important.” Kronberg is a staff member on the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and also the president of the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board. Sherry Newell, communications specialist with Midwest Dairy Association (MDA), agreed. “Promotional booths demonstrate the importance of dairy for the vitality of a community,” she said. “Dairy plays a role within our families
Industry news addressed with help from your neighbors
State fairs: A place where dairy takes the spotlight
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Hosts from “Twin CiƟes Live” have a glass of milk at the All-You-Can-Drink Milk Stand at the Minnesota State Fair. State Fairs are an opportune Ɵme for dairy to be promoted amongst consumers. and economy, and we have to ucation and entertainment. Ac“Milwaukee is such an urshowcase that.” tivities, food vendors and dem- ban population, and it’s really onstrations put on by the state important for us to highlight Wisconsin State Fair fair promotion board helped Wisconsin’s $43.4 billion dairy From Aug. 4-14, Milwau- share Wisconsin’s deep dairy industry and share our prodkee, Wis., embraced the culture roots with more than 1 million ucts,” Kronberg said. of the state with 11 days of ed- consumers. Through the Real Wis-
consin Cheese Grill, House of Moo, cheese and butter competitions, and a youth recognition event, dairy is celebrated and promoted throughout the entire Wisconsin State Fair. One of the most popular sites on the fairgrounds includes the Wisconsin agriculture products building, where the dairy promotion board sells a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches and other dairy foods. “It’s the best deal of the fair,” Kronberg said. “From cheese to cranberry mufns, everyone can enjoy all the great foods of Wisconsin.” In a more interactive setting, consumers have the opportunity to watch live milking demonstrations and ask questions at the Wisconsin House of Moo, which is an educational center, located in one of the cattle barns. “This is a time for consumers to learn about the dairy industry,” Kronberg said. Iowa State Fair Through
educational
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 13
Con�nued from STATE FAIR | Page 12 booths and food venues, attendees of the Iowa State Fair, held Aug. 11-21 in Des Moines, Iowa, were immersed in dairy. From the Dairy Barn ice cream concessions to the cow butter sculpture to the Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center, with assistance from Midwest Dairy Association (MDA), Iowa dairy producers were given the opportunity to share their stories and lifestyle with countless fairgoers. “In any way we can, we make dairy available,” Newell said. The regional organization has two concession stands at the state fair that sell handdipped ice cream cones, malts and other dairy products. In addition to the food venues, dairy show participants are treated to milk and donuts from MDA. However, the most widely known dairy promotion is the butter cow sculpture, located in the Agriculture Building. During the 2016 state fair, a butter sculpture celebrating the 50th year of “Star Trek” accompanied the cow. “The butter sculpture is a cultural icon,” Newell said. “It’s a consumer’s natural connection to dairy.” Minnesota State Fair Butter plays a large role at the Minnesota State Fair, as well. The opening day of the state fair, Aug. 25, is commemorated with the newly crowned
Did you know? • The Real Wisconsin Cheese Grill sold 55,000 grilled cheese sandwiches during the 2016 Wisconsin State Fair. • Nearly 600 pounds of butter makes up the butter cow sculpture at the Iowa State Fair, a tradition that began in 1911. • South Dakota dairy producers have two opportunities to promote the industry at the South Dakota State Fair and Sioux Empire Fair. • The All-You-Can-Drink Milk Stand is the only food venue at the Minnesota State Fair that offers an unlimited item.
Princess Kay of the Milky Way getting her likeness carved in butter. Throughout the next 11 days, each Princess Kay nalist will spend time in the butter booth. “The butter booth is one of the iconic promotional events at the fair,” Newell said. “Princess Kay of the Milky Way and the nalists also make appearances throughout the fair and help with the educational booth.” This year, MDA is promoting the consumption of dairy with a #Dairy3ForMe pledge. Aside from the array of dairy princess appearances throughout the fairgrounds, the industry is also promoted through the Dairy Goodness Bar, All-You-Can-Drink Milk Stand, the Moo Booth and the
4-H Foundation, among many more. Social media and the consumers want and need to learn about the industry have helped guide promotions; and with each year, interacting with consumers at these different venues becomes easier. “There’s a huge amount of media outreach that we do on behalf of dairy farmers,” Newell said. South Dakota State Fair In a short time, the South Dakota State Fair will take place in Huron, S.D., Sept. 1-5. Through continued research, Newell and staff at MDA are prepared to educate consumers and promote the dairy industry. “We have to share our dairy information and research materials as often as we can,” Newell said. At the South Dakota State Fair, the dairy industry will be highlighted at the Dairy Goodness Bar and through dairy princess appearances. Milk is served at a 4-H BBQ and during the Century Farm recognition ceremony. The next step for dairy promotion Over the years, promotional events at the state fair have evolved. With the use of technology and social media, connecting with consumers has taken a global approach. “We used to just sell malts. Now, we’re talking about the malts on social media and how
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The All-You-Can-Drink Milk Stand is the only food venue at the Minnesota State Fair that offers an unlimited item. for 2017, the dairy industry will continue to be a dynamic piece in a community’s annual celebration. “Dairy plays a natural role,” Newell said. “Think about the fair without dairy involved. What’s a state fair without a malt or butter sculpture?”
they exist because of dairy,” Newell said. “People’s connection with food is now long lasting.” Kronberg agreed. “Telling our story is critical,” she said. “The fair is a large market where we can directly inuence consumers.” As regional state fairs get underway or begin planning
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“I didn’t even think we had stray voltage!” Roger Lange milks 100 head on his family dairy at Crofton, Nebraska. Until recently he was often forced to sell his fresh heifers because they wouldn t let down their milk. “We called Stray Voltage Consulting, and Jerry found the problem within half an hour.” Roger said. “I was very impressed with Jerry. He’s a former REA guy, so he understands both the farmer and the electric company. Being able to work with both sides is a key component to his success.” “I haven’t had a single problem with our fresh heifers since Jerry corrected our stray voltage problem. I would highly recommend Stray Voltage Consulting to anyone who thinks they might have stray voltage!”
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
SUP
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 15
Starting young Caughey teen sisters operate dairy farm By Missy Mussman missy@dairystar.com
BRAINERD, Minn. – Owning equity and running a business are not normal things most 14- and 13-year-olds worry about. But for Arica Caughey, 14, and her sister, Jenna, 13, that is their current reality. “A lot of kids our age don’t even have a job,” Jenna said. For the past three months, Arica and Jenna have been milking their own 28-cow herd with help from their parents, Aric and Jenny, and their brothers, Andrew, 12, Daric, 11, and Joseph, 10, on their farm in Crow Wing County near Brainerd, Minn. “They continue to amaze me,” Jenny said about her daughters starting their own dairy farm. Currently, the 28 cows are housed in a loang shed with access to a dry lot and outdoor feeding mangers, and are milked twice a day in the new swing-6 parlor. “All of the cows are registered in the girls’ names,” Jenny said. But it took ve years for Arica and Jenna to get to this point. Although they did not grow up with dairy cows on the farm, Arica and Jenna began working with them ve years ago when they started showing dairy cattle from Jenna’s godfather, Dan Caughey, for 4-H. “They used their allowance money to buy them,” Aric said. The sisters brought them home, raised them until they were springing heifers and sold them back to Dan. What started out as two heifers quickly turned into more. “We loved working with them,” Arica said. In the spring of 2015, the Caughey sisters and their family attended a Jersey sale in Rochester, Minn. “We learned about Jerseys in 4-H knowledge bowl and wanted to get a few,” Arica said. Aric and Jenny loaned the girls money to purchase four
Jersey heifers on the sale. “They’re paying us back when they’re able,” Aric said. But after four years of raising heifers, it was time for something more. “We didn’t want to get rid of the heifers anymore,” Arica said. “It was getting too expensive to do it. The cattle needed to start paying for themselves.” So, Arica and Jenna kept the springing heifers to make their milking dream a reality. “We learned how to milk at Dan’s farm,” Jenna said. “He taught us how to do it and let us milk his cows when he needed help.” The Caugheys purchased a milking unit and had an old facility they could milk the cows in once they calved. “We were pretty much ready, but we didn’t have a vacuum pump yet,” Aric said. Ready or not, their rst heifer calved in before the vacuum pump arrived. But the girls made it work. “We milked her by hand twice a day,” Jenna said. When the vacuum pump arrived the following week, they started milking their cows one at a time, twice a day. “At one point we were milking 18 cows,” Arica said. “We’d catch a cow with the halter, lead her into the building, milk her, let her back out and do the same thing over again until we were done. It took us two hours to milk 18 cows.” Thankfully, that set up was only temporary. The Caugheys started building the facility for the swing-6 parlor in October 2015. “The girls put up rafters, helped pour cement and put the siding up,” Aric said. “This was their project.” However, they received help from their parents and neighbors. “We pretty much built this ourselves with the exception
MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR
Arica (leŌ) and Jenna Caughey put a milking unit on one of their cows during morning milking on Aug. 11 in their swing-6 parlor near Brainerd, Minn. The sisters manage 28 cows with help from their family on their dairy near Brainerd, Minn. of the parlor equipment,” Aric said. “It may not look professional, but it works.” With everything under construction, it made keeping a consistent facility to milk the cows in difcult. “We milked the cows in four different buildings before everything was done,” Arica said. But to make things a little easier amidst all the moving, the sisters bought a second milking unit to use this past February. “That helped a lot,” Jenna said. During this process, the Caugheys pulled together to get the chores done and nish the barn. “It became a family project,” Arica said. With the barn nearing completion with only the parlor to install, Arica and Jenna met with a farm business management instructor this April and put together a business plan. “The nances part was confusing,” Arica said. Because they were enrolled in the farm business management class at Central Lakes Col-
lege, and met with the instructor a couple times a year, Arica earned credits for post secondary at the age of 14. “The cost of the program was covered by the college during the school year, but during the summer, we helped the girls pay for it,” Aric said. Once the business plan was nished, Arica and Jenna took out a loan for the dairy equipment – the parlor, milking units, bulk tank, vacuum pump and compressor. “It was hard because they weren’t 18,” Aric said. “We were co-signers on the loan with them.” Once the loan was approved, the sisters purchased and installed the dairy equipment. Before they could sell their milk, the girls were inspected. “The inspector walked around with us, told us what she was looking for and went through milking procedures with us,” Arica said. After passing inspection, the girls sold their rst tank of milk on May 1. “We went back to the bank and started a checking account,” Arica said. “Our milk check goes right in there.” Each month, the bank takes money out to pay for their loan, and the rest is left for Arica and Jenna to pay for other expenses. It didn’t take long for the girls to fall into a routine. “We have family meetings every Sunday afternoon to go over the schedule for the week,” Aric said. Arica and Jenna run the meeting and assign responsibilities to the family. “Jenna and I get three mornings we don’t have to be in the barn,” Arica said. “But we have to be in the barn during the evening.” On the mornings they are in the barn, the girls are up by 5 a.m., to start chores by 5:30 a.m. “I usually milk with Mom while Jenna feeds the cows and MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR calves,” Arica said. The Caughey teen sisters milk their 28 cows in this swing-6 parlor they helped build in October The sisters feed the cows 2015, twice a day.
corn silage, corn, dry hay and a protein mix. “They buy the feed,” Aric said. “We have 45 acres, so Jenny and I grow and harvest the corn for silage and the girls buy it from us.” Since milking only takes 45 minutes, unlike the two hours before, Arica and Jenna are back in the house by 6:30 to make the bus at 7 a.m. After school, the girls start chores at 5 p.m., so they still have time do their homework before bed. “They keep their grades up,” Aric said. “Arica kept her 4.0 this last year and Jenna has a 3.86. It’s impressive they’re able to do both.” Milking their own herd of cows also came with a new set of responsibilities. The sisters work with their veterinarian, receive the bulk tank reports from the creamery, and stay in contact with the nutritionist. “The girls have phones because of that,” Jenny said. However, things have not always been easy. “Our somatic cell count varies, so nding a way to keep it consistent is something we are working on,” Arica said. “We’re still learning.” Over the summer, they have settled in, but are looking ahead to the next project. “We’re starting to build a freestall barn,” Arica said. “We’re doing it ourselves like the parlor.” The girls plan to have 60 stalls and use sand bedding. “We’re excited to get it done,” Arica said. For Jenny and Aric, seeing their daughters take on something so big at such a young age has been eye opening. “They’ve worked hard for this,” Aric said. “I’m proud of them.” And the girls see dairy in their near future. “We don’t want to give up the animals and all the work we put in,” Arica said. “We’re going to keep going.”
From Our Side Of The Fence
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
What was your favorite Olympic moment?
Bruce Brockshus Ocheyedan, Iowa Osceola County 500 cows What were your favorite sports to watch during this year’s Olympics? I liked the beach volleyball the best. I used to play volleyball in a rec league, and can’t imagine how two people can play with such intensity, especially in the sand. What was your favorite moment of this year’s summer games? My favorite moment was when Michael Phelps beat out a younger guy to win the gold. It was fun to see the older guy beat the younger one, especially since this was Mike’s last Olympics.
If you were an Olympic athlete what sport would you play? The only thing that might interest me would be volleyball because I played it when I was younger. If you could create an on-farm Olympic sport, what would it be and how would you play it? We could turn a bunch of 300-pound Holstein calves loose and let the competitors chase them down on foot. They would then have to bulldog their calf and hogtie it. A 300-pound calf matched against a 100-pound kid would be pretty entertaining. In your lifetime, what’s been your favorite Olympic moment and why? Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, the British ski jumper who competed in the Calgary Olympics in 1988. I just like the fact that he wasn’t up to the Olympic standard, but was still able to compete. And, his training efforts were totally self-funded. Who’s your all-time favorite Olympian? Roger Bannister, who was the rst man to run a mile in un-
der four minutes. He didn’t break the four minute barrier during an Olympic event, but he proved that it could be done and inspired generations of runners to do their best and cut the time even further. You get quite an adrenalin rush just watching him make that record-breaking run. Tell us about your farm. We milk three times a day with 12 units in our 23-cow step up parlor. My wife, Sue, does the bookkeeping and our daughter, Tami, takes care of the baby calves. Our sons, Jason and Travis, are integral to our operation. Andrew, Jason’s youngest son, takes care of much of the mechanical work around here. Last fall, we added a 170-cow, tunnel-ventilated freestall barn, a sand lane and another lagoon. Sue and I also moved to town last fall so that Travis and his wife and kids could live out here. Travis is now the one who gets to handle those 3 a.m. phone calls.
Marc Brinkman Grey Eagle, Minn. Todd County 40 cows What were your favorite sports to watch during this year’s Olympics? Gymnastics, Beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, swimming and track.
What was your favorite moment of this year’s summer games? When the U.S. Olympians win a gold medal and the national anthem is played and seeing the expressions, emotions and pride displayed by the athletes. If you were an Olympic athlete what sport would you play? Beach volleyball, because I really love to play volleyball. If you could create an on-farm Olympic sport, what would it be and how would you play it? A timed tractor driving contest that goes through a se-
ries of obstacles In your lifetime, what’s been your favorite Olympic moment and why? When Bruce Jenner won the decathlon. It was a huge accomplishment and was not expected, and it really stands out in my mind. Who’s your all-time favorite Olympian? Amanda Smock. She is our hometown girl. She was a great inspirations for my kids in triple jump. Tell us about your farm. I farm 320 acres on the east side of Little Birch Lake. I raise alfalfa, corn and soybeans. I milk 40 cows and raise my own heifers.
Andrew Sheehan Rochester, Minn. Olmsted County 300 cows What were your favorite sports to watch during this year’s Olympics? I like watching quite a few, but track and eld, swimming, basketball, tennis and rugby were my favorites. What was your favorite moment of this year’s summer games? I liked watching the two distance runners – Abbey D’Agostino from the United States and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand. They collided in
the 5,000-meter, but then they helped each other up in order to nish the race. I liked that moment because it was less about the winning and more about the Olympic spirit. If you were an Olympic athlete what sport would you play? I would play soccer or rugby. They would be fun to play because you don’t have to be an elite athlete to play them. If you could create an on-farm Olympic sport, what would it be and how would you play it? I would have a small square bale stacking competition. We don’t make our hay that way anymore, but I did it while growing up. It takes a lot of physical strength so it would make for a good competition. In your lifetime, what’s been your favorite Olympic moment and why? I liked watching the Dream
Team in 1992 because it was the rst NBA team to go to the games and it was fun to watch. I also liked watching the U.S. sprinter, Michael Johnson, in the 1996 games because he dominated the eld. Who’s your all-time favorite Olympian? Michael Johnson. I think he was such a great athlete especially because athletes and training weren’t as good 20 years ago as they are today. Also, I was younger so it was nostalgic. Tell us about your farm. I farm together with my parents, Robert and Jeannette; my aunts and uncles, Jerome and Karen, and Jim and Mary; along with my cousins, Steve and Ben. We milk 300 cows on two farmsites – a 55-cow tiestall barn and a double-12 parallel parlor with a freestall barn. I returned to the farm in 2012 after working in the industry a few years.
Kenny and Abbey Moenkedick Dent, Minn. Ottertail County 50 cows What were your favorite sports to watch during this year’s Olympics? Beach volleyball, soccer, gymnastics and wrestling. What was your favorite moment of this year’s summer games? Kenny:
Kyle Snyder winning gold, because it’s an amazing feat to accomplish at such a young age. Abbey: Simone Biles winning gold in the all around. If you were an Olympic athlete what sport would you play? Kenny: Wrestling, because it’s the greatest of all sports. Abbey: Soccer, because I’ve played soccer my whole life. If you could create an on-farm Olympic sport, what would it be and how would you play it? Cow manure volleyball. Simply replace the beach sand with cow pies. In your lifetime, what’s been your favorite Olympic moment and why? The moment that comes to
mind is when Rulon Gardner upset the Russian to win Gold in the 2000 Olympics. Because the Russian hadn’t been beaten in 13 years and I always like seeing Americans make history. Who’s your all-time favorite Olympian? Kenny: Andrew Bisek, because I’ve known him since high school, and it’s awesome to follow his journey to becoming a world class athlete. Abbey: Michael Phelps, because what he has done is incredible. Tell us about your farm. We milk 50 cows and farm around 400 acres. We grow alfalfa, corn, soybeans, edible beans and grain.
Wayne Lexvold Kenyon, Minn. Goodhue County 750 cows What were your favorite sports to watch during this year’s Olympics? I liked to watch the gymnastics. It was exciting to watch and the girls looked like they were having fun, too. They dominated. It’s incredible what they can do. I also watched volleyball, swimming and wrestling. What was your favorite moment of this year’s summer games? My favorite moment was watching Kyle Snyder from Ohio State win the gold in wrestling. We
know him personally from different wrestling camps. We were happy to see him win. It’s fun to watch these athletes because they put in a lot of time to get there. If you were an Olympic athlete what sport would you play? I would like to be in the outdoor track and eld events. We are always running around trying to get stuff done. If you could create an on-farm Olympic sport, what would it be and how would you play it? Anything on the farm can be made into a sport. Our boys have done it all while growing up. We’re competitive. Anything from throwing things with pitchforks and milking to going to get the mail and y swatting is turned into a race to see who can do it the fastest. We even have a rope on the silo the boys used as part of their wrestling training growing up. They see who can climb it the fastest.
In your lifetime, what’s been your favorite Olympic moment and why? Rulon Gardner, a Greco wrestler won the gold in 2000 against the Russian who had not lost for 13 years. This is also my favorite because he’s a dairy farmer. Who’s your all-time favorite Olympian? Dan Gable – he won a gold medal in 1972 in wrestling. He is the icon of wrestling. The whole sport of wrestling in the country revolves around him. There are books and videos about him and wrestling. While he wrestled in college he never lost a match. He’s just a great athlete. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Donna, and I milk cows on two separate farms. Lexy-Lane milks 50 registered cows and Bombay Dairy milks 700 cows. We have two sons, Nathan and Mitchel, who work with us.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
Repro Leaders
Timed A.I., synch programs prove benecial for Stelter herd Stelter Holstein Dairy David Stelter and family Wood Lake, Minn. Yellow Medicine County 300 cows What is your pregnancy rate average last year? Over 13 months, we had a rolling average of 23 percent with 25 percent on our 2 year olds. What is your rst service to conception rate? 48 percent.
What is your reproduction program? How do you get cows pregnant? We have a 70-day voluntary waiting period (VWP). Our 2 year olds are on a double ovsynch program. All the aged cows are on a presynch/ovsynch program. We use 21-day tail chalking and heat observation, but 95 percent of the cows are bred through timed A.I.
MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR
David Stelter and his daughter, Sadie, milk 300 cows with their family at Stelter Holstein Dairy in Yellow Medicine County near Wood Lake, Minn. The Stelters’ pregnancy rate average over 13 months was 23 percent with 25 percent on their 2-year-olds.
MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR
Sadie Stelter chalks one of the cows on Aug. 23. The Stelters use 21-day tail chalking and heat observaƟon along with Ɵmed A.I.
Do you use seasonal breeding or avoid certain months? It’s business as usual. We breed cows 24/7/365. We may breed more heifers during June, July and August heat if they are available or eligible to breed.
How often do you do pregnancy checks? We do them weekly. What is your breeding philosophy? How do you select bulls? What traits do you
focus on? Does fertility play a role in bull selection? I use the expertise from Byron Anderson of Alta Genetics and Neal Grotsun of Select Sires. Turn to STELTER | Page 20
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 19
“… earning substantial premiums for the first time.” — Scott Alderson
S & B ALDERSON DAIRY, HOLLAND, MINNESOTA Scott and Brody Alderson 140 cows, 72 lbs/cow/day, SCC 160 - 185,000 Scott Alderson with “Betty,” purchased a few years ago at the South Dakota State University sale after placing third at the Kansas State Fair as a calf. Today, she is a 5-year-old, milking 93 lbs at 220 days in milk.
“We had been using Udder Comfort™ some for fresh cows and mastitis, and were already reducing our need for treatments by one-third. But then we learned about the 7-day fresh cow routine at a neighbor’s dairy at the end of March. We went from covering the fresh udders with spray after each milking for the first 4 days to using less product per application, but keeping it up for the first 7 days after calving. This has brought us some great results,” says Scott Alderson, milking 140 cows at S&B Alderson Dairy, Holland, Minn. “Even though edema is gone in 4 days, we continue to spray the udder front to rear along the crease for 7 days after calving. This change from 4 days to 7 has driven our SCC down by 50,000.
“We are earning substantial premiums for the first time. We went from SCC of 220-240,000 down to 160-185,000, and we see fewer udder concerns or flareups in our fresh cows. I love what Udder Comfort does for our fresh cows, getting the edema out with no concern about withholding the milk.”
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
ConƟnued from STELTER | Page 18 Byron mates the cows to a group of around 10 genomic bulls quarterly, and Neal mates the cows to the top proven bulls in the breed that match our indexes. We emphasize moderate size, high dairy quality in udders, feet and legs, butter fat, protein and low somatic cell score as our most dominant indexes along with productive life and daughter pregnancy rate. All bulls used must fall within our set guidelines. Proven bulls and genomic bulls are alternated weekly or every two weeks. The average net merit of the proven bulls we use is 674 and the average index on the genomic bulls we use is 743.
Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? I have been doing the reproduction work here since 1979. Many changes have occurred over the years in the industry, especially in the last 15. The most signicant for me has been the implementation of timed A.I. and synchronization programs. Those two have proven to be very effective and timely ways of handling the reproduction of conned dairy animals. The goal here has always been to try to make every day the same for the cows. Dairy cows do very well when change is taken out or reduced in their routine.
What percentage of your herd is bred through A.I. or a bull? Our herd has been 100 percent A.I. since 1950. Do you have a different philosophy when breeding heifers versus cows? David does the breeding and repro work with assistance from his employee, Juan Cervantes, and his daughter, Sadie. Repro work is conducted ve days a week with breeding done on Thursdays. Synchronizing, implanting CIDRS and other repro work is done on the other four days of the week. Occasionally, some split heat cows need to be bred on Sundays. David takes care of that also. On the rare chances that David is gone, employees Juan, Scott Hall and neighbor, Paul Lund Jr., will do the A.I. work. We use calving ease bulls on our heifers. All heifers in the top 80 percent are bred to sexed semen bulls on the rst breeding. After that, we use conventional semen with all four timed service heifers being bred with Limousin semen. Limousin semen is also used on low indexing cows and heifers.
MISSY MUSSMAN/DAIRY STAR
Sadie and David Stelter pull a straw of semen to breed one of their cows. The Stelters have the A.I. company mate their cows to a select group of bulls. What do you do to settle hard breeders? After the third service open, the cows are bred to a Limousin bull and cows are identied as such for future lactations. Over time, we are hoping to eliminate less fertile lines of cows within the herd. How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? We usually breed them four to ve times but all cows are on a cow value program that gives them a dollar value at any point in their lactation. This also cows into play as far as times she may be serviced. All higher days in milk cows are not necessarily a bad risk for pregnancy, but the risks are there for the next lactation
problems. Very few cows are kept any more just because she was special at one point in her life. What is your target size/weight/ age for breeding heifers? All heifers are set up on a synch program at 13 months. As they get to the target at of 13 months, they are given a lutalyse shot and a K-Mar patch. Visual heat detection methods are followed at that point. In the following weeks, a heifer that does not come around will be given a second lutalyse shot and the following week, a CIDR and GnRH injection. Eighty percent of the heifers bred here come into heat on the rst lutalyse shot. The age of cows at rst calving is around 22.9 months.
Tell us about your farm. We maintain 290 to 300 cows at Stelter Holstein Dairy with 250 to 275 heifers on two sites. My wife, Deanna, and I, along with our sons, Logan Stelter and Justin Torke, our daughter, Sadie Stelter, and my father, Dennis Stelter, work at the dairy and at the other farms. Deanna works off the farm. We sell our milk to AMPI and have maintained a milk quality award for a somatic cell count of less than 150,000 for the last ve years. We have four full-time employees. We operate 740 acres of land, which produces enough feed for our dairy, and sustained a 250-sow farrowing operation for many years. We raise corn, alfalfa, sorghum, rye and wheat and use many acres of cover crops, which also serve as an additional feed source. It has increased our land base without adding additional acres.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 21
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ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS Versatile 946,1991, 325 hp, #130975 ...... $32,500 JD 8450,1984, 225 hp., 12344 hrs., # 125922 ............................................................ $22,900 JD 8560,1989, 235 hp., 9900 hrs., #127263.............................................................. $26,500 JD 8760,1990, 300 hp., 8737 hrs., #121544.............................................................. $54,500 JD 8770,1995, 300 hp., 7638 hrs., #119125.............................................................. $64,500 JD 9300, 2000, 360 hp., 3045 hrs., #124837.............................................................. $92,500 JD 9400,1998, 425 hp., 3971hrs., #126204.............................................................. $84,900 JD 9520, 2006, 450 hp, 5016 hrs., #110315............................................................$141,500 JD 9530, 2008, 475 hp., 3260 hrs., #131676............................................................$150,000 JD 9630, 2010, 530 hp., 1746 hrs., #123341............................................................$235,000 JD 9460R, 2014, 460 hp., 529 hrs., #125963............................................................$265,000 JD 9460R, 2012, 460 hp., 869 hrs., #130519............................................................$245,000 JD 9460R, 2012, 460 hp.,1123 hrs. #129309............................................................$239,000 JD 9560R, 2013, 560 hp., 153 hrs., #123386............................................................$295,000 JD 9560R, 2013, 560 hp., 780 hrs., #127237............................................................$275,000 JD 9560R, 2013, 560 hp., 2000 hrs., #127913............................................................$235,000 JD 9560R, 2013, 560 hp., 2090 hrs., #127914............................................................$235,000 JD 9560R, 2013, 560 hp., 2188 hrs., #127912............................................................$235,000 JD 9620R, 2015, 620 hp., 402 hrs., #125913............................................................$399,000 NH TV6070, 2009, 155 hp., 2565 hrs., #124501.............................................................. $89,000 CHISEL PLOWS JD 2400, 2001, #128686 ............................... $17,500 JD 2410, 2012, #127039 .............................. $55,000 JD 2410, 2011, #113416 ............................... $43,000 JD 2410, 2013, #107071 ............................... $42,000 JD 2410, 2011, #118151 ............................... $40,000 COMBINE PLATFORMS JD 620F, 2010, #131510................................ $20,900 JD 630F, 2015, #130970................................ $35,000 JD 630F, 2012, #114693................................ $34,500 JD 630F, 2012, #126623................................ $29,900 JD 630F, 2011, #113753................................ $28,500 JD 630F, 2012, #130583................................ $27,500 JD 630F, 2006, #102082................................ $19,500 JD 630F, 2005, #124289................................ $17,500 JD 630F, 2008, #123222................................ $16,500 JD 630FD, 2015, #125238............................. $75,000 JD 635F, 2012, #118150................................ $38,900 JD 635F, 2013, #131792................................ $29,500 JD 635F, 2011, #103780................................ $29,000 JD 635F, 2011, #125267................................ $25,000 JD 635F, 2011, #125837................................ $25,000 JD 635F, 2009, #131606................................ $24,500 JD 635F, 2008, #124215................................ $15,995 JD 640FD, 2015, #125237............................. $86,000 JD 640FD, 2013, #125673............................. $75,000 JD 640FD, 2013, #127498............................. $64,000
260,000
$
$
55,000
‘12 JD 2410, #127039
39,900
‘12 JD 2700, #118104
$
$
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‘15 JD 2730, #117797
3 5 10 9 1 9 3 2 9 10 3 4 6 2 9 5 4 7 11 7 2 4 11 2 6 4 8 8 6 5 3 2 1 6 3 7 3 7
JD 640FD, 2013, #127499............................. $64,000 COMBINES Case 2388, 2001, 3975 hrs., 3240 sep., #125799.............................................................. $75,000 JD 6620, 1982, 4126 hrs., #130110............ $13,500 JD 9500, 1990, 4239 hrs., #126219............ $39,500 JD 9600, 1995, 4981 hrs., 3371 sep., #131022.............................................................. $42,900 JD 9610, 1998, 3505 hrs., 2125 sep., #129116.............................................................. $61,000 JD 9560 STS, 2005, 1395 hrs., 856 sep., #130053............................................................$125,000 JD 9570 STS, 2010, 831hrs., 637 sep., #122037............................................................$190,000 JD 9570 STS, 2008, 1563 hrs., 1084 sep., #115868............................................................$145,000 JD 9650 STS, 2001, 1894 hrs., 1894 sep., #128888.............................................................. $74,900 JD 9650 STS, 2000, 3293 hrs., 2189 sep., #126187.............................................................. $69,500 JD 9660 STS, 2005, 2011 hrs., #126966 . $135,000 JD 9760 STS, 2004, 2642 hrs., 1763 sep., #107702.............................................................. $98,900 JD 9770 STS, 2010, 1466 hrs., 1080 sep., #118492............................................................$180,000 JD 9770 STS, 2009, 1799 hrs.,1248 sep., #117362............................................................$165,000 JD 9770 STS, 2009, 2345 hrs., #131631 ..$139,000 JD 9770 STS, 2009, 2388 hrs., 1828 sep., #124372............................................................$130,000 JD 9870 STS, 2010, 1693 hrs., 1246 sep., #118149............................................................$198,500 JD 9870 STS, 2009, hrs., 1600 hrs., 1230 sep., #106732............................................................$170,000 JD 9870 STS, 2009, 2157 hrs., 1446 sep., #126038............................................................$150,000 JD S660, 2015, 197 hrs., 120 sep., #125946............................................................$315,000 JD S660, 2016, 35 hrs., #125540 ...............$315,000 JD S660, 2015, 310 hrs.,196 sep., #117457............................................................$295,000 JD S660, 2014, 158 hrs., 89 sep., #116531............................................................$285,000 JD S660, 2012, 421 hrs., 221 sep., #96947 ..............................................................$275,000 JD S660, 2014, 253 hrs., #107228 ............$260,000 JD S670, 2015, 221 hrs.,140 sep., #125750............................................................$325,000 JD S670, 2015, 331 hrs., 200 sep., # 124831 ..........................................................$305,000 JD S670, 2013, 1122 hrs., #129519 ..........$260,000 JD S670, 2012, 2154 hrs., 1350 sep., #119308............................................................$165,000 JD S670, 2012, 2239 hrs., 1628 sep., #128689............................................................$165,000 JD S680, 2015, 278 hrs., #125751 ............$385,000 JD S680, 2012, 548 hrs., 357 sep., #118623............................................................$305,000 JD S680, 2013, 806 hrs., 466 sep., #122092............................................................$275,000 JD S680, 2012, 1051hrs., 780 sep., #126840............................................................$245,000 JD S680, 2012, 1374 hrs., 918 sep., #120199............................................................$230,000 JD S690, 2014, 755 hrs., #127495 ............$319,000 JD S690, 2013, 970 hrs., 685 sep., #119306............................................................$265,000
275,000
‘13 JD S680 806 hrs.,$ 466 sep., #122092
3
10 11 6 4 4 4 9 5 4 6 6 8 2 2 8 4 5 6 5 8 6 2 5 1 4 6 10 6 1 5 4 4 8 3 5 8 8 1 3 4 7 11 6 5 7 4 6 3 1 5 6 10 5 2 6
4 4 7 5
JD S690, 2013, 1275 hrs., 1003 sep., #131692............................................................$240,000 CORN AND ROW CROP HEADERS JD 643, #124401 .............................................. $14,900 JD 693, 1996, #131820 ............................ $15,900 JD 693, 1996, #131478.................................. $13,750 JD 893, 2003, #131470.................................. $25,000 JD 893, 1996, #126995.................................. $21,500 JD 893, 1999, #124555.................................. $21,500 JD 893, 2001, #127232.................................. $19,500 JD 893, 2001, #131005.................................. $18,900 CIH 1083, #129345.......................................... $14,000 JD 1293, 2005, #116503 ............................... $26,500 JD 1293, 2004, #127779 ............................... $21,500 Harvestec 4112C, 2009, #127253 ............... $35,000 JD 606C, 2014, #116529 .......................... $65,500 JD 606C, 2014, #126181 ............................... $65,500 JD 606C, 2014, #125557 .......................... $64,900 JD 606C, 2013, #116470 ............................... $63,500 JD 606C, 2013, #105888 ............................... $61,500 JD 606C, 2013, #115136 ............................... $61,500 JD 606C, 2011, #127224 ............................... $46,900 JD 608C, 2015, #125752 ............................... $77,000 JD 608C, 2014, #118946 ............................... $76,000 JD 608C, 2012, #118668 ............................... $71,000 JD 608C, 2012, #125833 ............................... $68,000 JD 608C, 2012, #131793 ............................... $68,000 JD 608C, 2013, #126457 ............................... $68,000 JD 608C, 2012, #125869 ............................... $67,500 JD 608C, 2013, #125707 ............................... $67,500 JD 608C, 2011, #125836 ............................... $57,500 JD 608C, 2009, #115865 ............................... $55,000 JD 608C, 2009, #126756 ............................... $55,000 JD 608C, 2013, #104504 ............................... $55,000 JD 608C, 2014, #125126 ............................... $55,000 JD 612C, 2015, #126164 .............................$105,000 JD 612C, 2014, #126845 .............................$102,000 JD 612C, 2014, #125927 ............................... $98,500 JD 612C, 2014, #116928 ............................... $98,000 JD 612C, 2014, #126047 ............................... $98,000 JD 612C, 2013, #125221 ............................... $95,000 JD 612C, 2014, #125736 ............................... $95,000 JD 612C, 2012, #125992 ............................... $84,000 JD 612C, 2012, #106737 ............................... $83,000 JD 612C, 2012, #121335 ............................... $69,000 JD 612C, 2013, #122102 ............................... $65,000 JD 612C, 2010, #106243 ............................... $59,000 JD 612C, 2009, #103694 ............................... $58,000 JD 612C, 2009, #126839 ............................... $57,000 JD 612C, 2008, #127007 ............................... $55,000 JD 612C, 2009, #128688 ............................... $55,000 JD 612C, 2008, #125146 ............................... $50,000 JD 618C, 2013, #107764 .............................$139,000 NH 996 N6, 1998, #122331 .......................... $14,800 Geringhoff ROTA-DISC 1200B, #127038.............................................................. $24,500 GERINGHOFF ROTA-DISC 1222, 2007, #118082.............................................................. $48,900 GERINGHOFF ROTA-DISC 830B, 2009, #108516.............................................................. $34,000 GERINGHOFF ROTA-DISC 830B, 2006, #107701.............................................................. $27,500 DISKS CIH 370, 2012, #116240 ................................ $29,500 JD 635, 1995, #127264.................................. $16,800 JD 637, 2011, #96866 .................................... $65,000 JD 637, 2013, #116113.................................. $58,000
385,000
‘15 JD S680 $ 278 hrs., #125751
10 10 1 10 3 11 2 2 4 5 5 11 10 10 6 7 1 11 7 2 2 11
JD 637, 2010, #126287.................................. $33,500 JD 637, 2011, #129347.................................. $33,000 JD 637, 2005, #131583 .................................. $29,000 JD 637, 2000, #130806 .................................. $20,900 JD 650, 1999, #126844 .................................. $18,000 JD 2623, 2015, #118461................................ $92,900 JD 2623, 2013, #107046................................ $86,500 JD 2623, 2013, #110661................................ $63,000 JD 2623, 2013, #108855................................ $59,000 JD 2623, 2013, #111788................................ $58,500 JD 2623, 2014, #121336................................ $58,500 JD 2623, 2013, #108452................................ $52,900 JD 2623, 2014, #126286................................ $47,500 JD 2623, 2012, #126300................................ $41,500 JD 2623, 2013, #126778................................ $39,900 EZEE-ON 4600, 2009, #126167 ................... $34,900 KRAUSE 8200, 2013, #131061 .................... $36,000 SUNFLOWER 3211-24, #128647 .................. $12,900 SALFORD 570RTS, #131148.......................... $43,900 WISHEK 842T, #126451 .................................. $23,900 WISHEK 842T, #126450 .................................. $21,000 SUMMERS 9K4727, 2015, #129015 ........... $92,900 GRAIN CARTS 7 BRENT 672, 1995, #131584 .......................... $13,500 7 BRENT 780, 2008, #125589 .......................... $25,900 3 BRENT 780, 2005, #131806 .......................... $19,500 2 PARKER 838, #127074 ................................... $25,000 5 KINZE 1040, 2000, #124032 ........................ $39,500 6 BRENT 1194, 2010, #117174........................ $45,000 8 BRENT 1394, 2011, #97393 .......................... $78,000 3 BRENT 1394, 2012, #95315 .......................... $74,500 5 BRENT 1594, 2011, #125547........................ $62,900 MOLDBOARD PLOWS 1 JD 3710, 2009, #116642 ............................... $28,900 3 JD 3710, 1998, #126847 ............................... $27,500 10 JD 3710, 1990, #121339 ............................... $22,000 3 JD 3710, 2006, #123535 ............................... $21,000 7 JD 3710, 1998, #126627 ............................... $16,900 8 JD 3710, 1989, #126505 ............................... $14,900 1 JD 3710, 1997, #123791 ............................... $13,900 RIPPERS 6 JD 512, 2000, #116991.................................. $20,000 9 CIH 870, 2012, #118569................................ $60,000 6 CIH 870, 2011, #130393 ................................ $51,000 8 JD 2700, 2010, #116633 ............................... $39,900 6 JD 2700, 2012, #118104 ............................... $39,900 6 JD 2700, 2013, #118291 ............................... $39,500 7 JD 2700, 2012, #126875 ............................... $36,900 7 JD 2700, 2012, #126876 ............................... $36,900 8 JD 2700, 2011, #116015 ............................... $36,500 7 JD 2700, 2012, #105885 ............................... $36,500 6 JD 2700, 2009, #118932 ............................... $34,000 6 JD 2700, 2013, #116881 ............................... $34,000 1 JD 2700, 2008, #123762 ............................... $32,900 1 JD 2700, 2011, #131735 ............................... $31,900 5 JD 2700, 2008, #123790 ............................... $24,500 3 JD 2700, 2010, #127009 ............................... $24,000 3 JD 2700, 2005, #118476 ............................... $22,000 3 JD 2700, 2008, #126846 ............................... $22,000 2 JD 2700, 2006, #130972 ............................... $19,500 9 JD 2700, 2001, #126403 ............................... $15,500 11 JD 2730, 2015, #117797 ............................... $69,000 5 Case 9300, 2003, #126950 ........................... $29,500 5 Salford 9813, 2012, #108447....................... $49,000 9 Case 530B, #125613 ....................................... $18,900 1 DMI 730B, 2005, #127075 ............................ $12,500
‘12 JD S680
537 hrs., #118623
305,000
$
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
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Kay Mahoney talks with a teacher who visited the Mahoney family’s dairy farm during the Minnesota Ag in the Classroom Summer Teacher Tour July 25 near Cannon Falls, Minn.
Educators visit Mahoney Holsteins as part of MAITC tour By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
CANNON FALLS, Minn. – Although teachers are on their summer break, there was plenty of learning going on during the Minnesota Ag in the Classroom Summer Teacher Tour July 25-26. A group of teachers from across Minnesota gathered for the tour, which included a stop at Mahoney Holsteins. The Mahoney family – Keith and Kay along with their daughter, Shelby – shared with the group the day-to-day happenings on their 80-cow dairy near Cannon Falls, Minn. “I think it’s very important to educate kids about ag because they just don’t have the exposure they used to. We all grew up with aunts and uncles that milk cows or had farms but a lot of kids now don’t have that opportunity anymore,” Keith said. “It will be great to have the teachers take these messages back to the kids and give them some education on agriculture.” During the tour, the teachers were able to see the cows in the tiestall barn, view the calves in their pens and a heifer shed. Kelsey Thornton They also had the opportunity Teacher to ask questions. This included ones about using robots to milk cows, organic production, the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, why the family registers the cows and the process of the milk once it has left the farm. Kelsey Thornton, an English as a second language (ESL) teacher for third and fourth graders at Garlough Environmental Magnet School in West St. Paul, Minn., thought the tour was informative.
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“I think it’s very important to educate kids about ag because they just don’t have the exposure they used to.” KEITH MAHONEY, DAIRY FARMER
“I work for an environmental magnet school so I just want to increase my knowledge of the world – anything related to the environment. But I also feel like with our current climate I want to be more knowledgeable about where food is coming from so I can make better choices for myself and my family,” Thornton said. Turn to MAHONEYS | Page 23
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 23
ConƟnued from MAHONEYS | Page 22
She also wants to take what she learned from the tour and incorporate it into her classroom. “As an ESL teacher I’m often supporting with reading, writing or math but there are always ways to incorporate [agriculture] into whatever books we’re reading or writing about. A lot of the research
Although both of Thornton’s grandparents were farmers and remembers visiting her cousins’ family’s farm during the summer throughout her childhood, she no longer has those close farming connections. During this tour, she liked meeting the farmers face-to-face and hearing their story.
“It’s shocking how hard they work, and how dedicated and how passionate they are.” KELSEY THORNTON, TEACHER
says the more authentic learning that happens in school the more engaged students are so they make better growth, are more invested and they enjoy school better,” Thornton said.
“It’s shocking how hard they work, and how dedicated and how passionate they are. You could see it in their faces and how they talked about the work they’re doing how com-
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Keith and Kay Mahoney (leŌ) their daughter, Shelby, along with Keith’s mom, Marilyn, and employee, Josh Haberkorn (back, center) milk 80 cows on their dairy near Cannon Falls, Minn.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Keith Mahoney speaks to a group of teachers outside a heifer shed on July 25 during the MAITC Summer Teacher Tour on his family’s farm near Cannon Falls, Minn.
mitted they are to it. It gives me goosebumps,” she said. She was also surprised at the number of people involved in the production process – from the farm to the grocery store. “You buy a gallon of milk and you think, ‘How can it cost $7?’ But when you look at everything that’s involved, it takes a village,” Thornton said. Jessie Bester is the agriculture teacher at Ogilvie
High School. Even though she teaches agriculture and grew up on a dairy farm, she went on the tour to see different aspects of farming and how the dairy industry has changed since six years ago when her parents sold their herd. But overall she’s glad other non-agriculture teachers were able to learn a little more about her eld. “I believe that having teachers that don’t have an agriculture background attend
workshops and tours like this one help reach students at all levels, especially those that are at the primary level. It was great to see that the majority of the teachers didn’t have a strong agriculture background nor teach agriculture,” Bester said. “I hope they have gained the knowledge to help answer the questions students may have, as well as help them understand the importance of learning where their food comes from.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 25
Dairy shines at Nicollet County Fair
RUTH KLOSSNER/DAIRY STAR
Jacob Vogel receives a plaque and roseƩe from Nicollet County Dairy Princess Stacey Schugel for his leased crossbred, Lineback, during the 4-H dairy show on Aug. 12.
RUTH KLOSSNER/DAIRY STAR
Emily Annexstad, of St. Peter, Minn., holds her grade Holstein 2-year-old while receiving the senior showmanship roseƩe from Nicollet County Dairy Princess Stacey Schugel.
RUTH KLOSSNER/DAIRY STAR
Judge Nathan Donnay, of Glencoe, Minn., evaluates Megan Struss’ Brown Swiss heifer in the combined FFA/open class show.
It Makes “Cents” To Advertise In The Dairy Star • 320-352-6303
RUTH KLOSSNER/DAIRY STAR
The 4-H judge, Chad Bohn, of Litcheld, Minn., explains a showmanship technique to Tarik Gavranovic.
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MPP-Dairy premiums due For those dairy operations that elected higher than catastrophic coverage for the 2016 calendar year, the premium for MPP-Dairy is due Sept. 1, 2016. These payments must be made to ensure you can register for 2017 and receive any additional MPP-Dairy payments this year. Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) deadlines Do you plant a commodity that you are unable to insure through federal crop insurance? If so, at FSA we have NAP coverage for losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available. These include perennial grass forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, oriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass, ginseng, honey, syrup, bioenergy and industrial crops. The following crops have an NAP application deadline of Sept. 1, 2016: rye, aquaculture, Christmas trees, ginseng, turf grass, oriculture, mushrooms. The following crops have an NAP application deadline of Sept. 30, 2016: perennial forage crops, wild rice, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries. The following crops have an NAP application deadline of Nov. 20, 2016: apples, blueberries, cane berries, cranberries, sage. NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production. Higher levels of coverage are available, up to 65 percent of their expected production at 100 percent of the average market price available, including coverage for organics and crops marketed directly to consumers. Crops intended for grazing are not eligible for additional NAP coverage. For more information on NAP, service fees, premiums and sales deadlines, contact your local FSA ofce. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Website at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.
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It’s hard to believe that the Minnesota State Fair is underway. What an exciting time for our young farmers to share the animals and projects that they have been working diligently on this past year. At FSA, we are excited to assist in these eager farmers’ dreams. FSA makes loans available to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connec- FSA News & Notes tion with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufcient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum amount of the loan is $5,000. To be eligible for a youth loan, the applicant must be a citizen of the United States or a legal resident alien, must be 10 years to 20 years of age, comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements, be unable to get a loan from other sources, conduct a modest income-producBy Ryan Brunn ing project in a supervised program of work as outlined Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. above, and demonstrate capability of planning, managing and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision. With the excitement from the Minnesota State Fair and the upcoming school year, this may be a good time for our youth to think about this option to get the money needed to start a project for themselves. Please contact your local FSA ofce for more details.
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Our rst trip to the vet diagnostic lab
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 27
Our late June herd check wasn’t going well. Our We parked in the lab lot and thought it best to vet, Dave, had just given the bad news that we had al- leave our sample in the car until after we’d checkedready suspected: two cows that had prein. We were greeted by a receptionist in viously been conrmed pregnant were Dairy in the Suburbs a white lab coat. She handed us papernow open. work to ll out while we waited for the More bad news when Dave checked doctor who would handle our case. a cow who was two months out from I had expected to feel intimidated calving, but had been sticking to herself being a small-time farmer at the Uniin the pasture as though labor were imversity of Minnesota, but the vet who minent. She was aborting twins, which worked with us dispelled all of my conwere no longer alive. cerns. He was kind and courteous, took The twins were positioned poorly, down all of the information we could so it was a long and drawn out proceprovide, and then advised us of what dure for Dave to get her safely and suche would be testing and looking for. He cessfully delivered. She came through it walked us to our car and wasn’t one bit all right, and her milk was in the tank by phased by the sample in our bucket. By Susan Steinke the next day, so it wasn’t a total loss. We experienced no other pregnancy Columnist The abortions were concerning, problems as we waited for the lab rethough. It’s not uncommon for a cow to abort twins, so that could be a possible explanation. And, the other two were early in their pregnancies, so they could have absorbed their embryos, also not unheard of. We’d had some strings of hot days, and we sometimes have difculty settling cows in excessive heat. Still, three clustered together were worrisome. Dave asked us about the possibility of mold being present in our hay or feed (no), and if we were up to date on our vaccinations (yes). Our heifers had been acting very aggressive with the cows in the pasture. We asked Dave if this could be a contributing factor (no). Between the three of us, we decided to hold tight. If another cow aborted, that would be our signal that it was time to initiate testing. We hoped for the best, but within the week, No. 8 lost her calf after a six month pregnancy. We were able to preserve the fetus, and immediately called Dave on what our next steps should be. He advised us to take the sample to the Veterinary Diagnostic Labo-
W h We hoped d ffor the h b best, b but within the week, No. 8 lost her calf after a six month pregnancy. ratory at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. The lab would be able to run tests to possibly determine the cause of the abortion and if it was a widespread threat to the rest of our herd. We’d never had this type of testing done before, so I asked Dave for recommendations on the best way to transport the sample. He thought we could avoid refrigeration if we left fairly immediately, and that a garbage bag should be just ne. We opted for a little further protection by putting the garbage bag into a ve gallon bucket before putting it in the back of our car. One advantage of dairying in the suburbs: we were able to buzz down to the U of M lab in less than 40 minutes. It’s in a beautiful location, near Como Avenue and the State Fairgrounds. It would have been even lovelier if our outing wasn’t for such an anxietyridden reason.
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sults. When they arrived by email, we were very relieved. The fetus tested negative for anything that could suggest a herd-wide problem. There was evidence of a possible premature placental separation or a ruptured umbilical cord. This is more likely to happen with older cows, and No. 8 was one of the oldest in our herd. Our rst experience with the Vet Diagnostic Lab left me with the reassuring impression that the University of Minnesota is not just an institution of higher learning, but exists for the benet of all residents, including all farmers. Susan and her husband, Kurt, milk 40 cows in Greeneld, Minn. They have three little farmhands: Lily, 8, Tate, 4, and Gemma, 2. Just two miles east of their farm, on a clear day you can see the Minneapolis skyline. Susan can be reached at kurt.susan@ hotmail.com.
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
Karen Anderson ande9495@umn.edu (507) 444-7686 Betty Berning bberning@umn.edu (320) 203-6104
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Forage quality of alternative grasses BY BRAD HEINS & KATHRYN RUH Asst. Professor/Research Assistant
Hugh Chester-Jones chest001@umn.edu (507) 835-3622 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu (612) 625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu (612) 624-5391 Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu (612) 625-8177 Leslie Hansen hanse009@umn.edu (612) 624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu (320) 589-1711 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu (612) 625-3108 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu (320) 732-4435 Kota Minegishi kota@umn.edu (612) 624-7455 Jim Paulson jcp@umn.edu (320) 234-0438 Randy Pepin pepin019@umn.edu (320) 333-1369 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu (320) 203-6093 Riki Sorge sorge@umn.edu (612) 624-3428 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu (612) 625-3747 Emily Wilmes krek0033@umn.edu (320) 255-6169
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also no difference in body condition score, body weight or activity between systems. Cows in both systems followed similar trends in production including decreased production during times of high temperature and humidity. In 2015, cows in the warm system achieved higher production than cows in the cool system during July and August. During the rst year of the study, cows in the cool season system needed to be supplemented with stored feed in a TMR due to a shortage of forage biomass in pasture, while cows in the system incorporating warm season grasses were still able to graze. The following year there were no differences between pasture systems. Therefore, warm season annuals in grazing systems for dairy cattle may be benecial in certain years to compensate for weather that affects pasture production. Warm season grasses like BMR sorghum sudangrass and teff grass may be incorporated into a pasture system for grazing organic dairy cattle without sacricing forage quality. Milk quality and production can also be maintained when warm season grasses are incorporated in a grazing system for organic dairy cattle.
Organic dairy farmers in Minnesota are beginning to incorporate BMR sorghum sudangrass and teff grass in their grazing programs and are interested in learning more about these grasses. We conducted a study to determine how the forage quality of annual warm season grasses compares to perennial cool season pasture mixtures, as well as how they inuence milk production and health parameters in grazing organic dairy cows. We used 90 organic dairy cows to compare two different pasture systems at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, Minn. The rst system (cool system, System 1) included a diverse mix of cool season perennial grasses and legumes, such as perennial ryegrass, white clover, red clover, chicory, meadow bromegrass, orchardgrass, meadow fescue and alfalfa. The second pasture system (warm system, System 2) was a combination of the cool season perennial mixtures and warm season annuals BMR sorghum sudangrass and teff grass. Perennial Table 1. Production of cows grazing cool season pasture and alternative pastures were established in 2012. Warm season annuals BMR sorghum sudangrass forages and teff grass were planted in individual paddocks during the third week of May of System 1 System 2 each year. Forage samples were collected daily Oats/ throughout the grazing seasons of 2013 to 2015. Dry matter was analyzed immediately after Cool Cool BMRSS Teff Turnips sample collection. Forage samples were tested 32.3abc 31.7a 34.0b 32.0ac 32.8abc at Rock River Labs in Watertown, Wis., for the Milk (kg/d) 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 forage quality characteristics neutral detergent Fat (%) ber (NDF), total tract NDF digestibility Protein (%) 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.2 (TTNDFD), crude protein (CP) and mineral a a b ab MUN 12.5 13.3 9.3 10.5 12.5ab content. Forage quality was similar between cool SCS 4.1 4 4.1 4.5 3.7 season perennial pasture grasses and the warm season species evaluated in this study (Figure Different superscripts denote signicant differences across row (P<0.05) 1). Cool season pasture had higher average CP (23 percent) than the warm season grasses, but BMR sorghum sudangrass and teff grass still had adequate concentration of protein for lactating cow diets (18.5 and 17.5 percent, respectively). Dry matter was higher in cool season pasture (23 percent) and teff grass (24 percent) than BMR sorghum sudangrass (20 percent). TTNDFD was similar between all types of forage. The mineral composition varied between the different grasses. There were no differences in milk production, components or somatic cell score (SCS) between cows grazing only cool season pastures and cows in a system that incorporated warm season annuals. Average daily milk production was 32.3 pounds for the cool system and 32.5 pounds for the warm system. Milk production increased by two pounds per cow per day when cows were switched from grazing cool season pasture to BMR sorghum Figure 1. Forage quality of cool-season and warm season grasses. sudangrass (Table 1). There was
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Back to school It is that time of year again when youth go back to school. For some it is the excitement of starting college; for others it might be the rst day of kindergarten or senior year of high school. However, continuing education does not stop at high school or college graduation. There are learning opportunities around every corner for every By Brenda Miller age and stage of U of M Extension career. Owners, operators and farm employees can all benet from a little continuing education. It is a great idea to attend seminars, conferences, workshops and eld days to keep up on what is happening in the dairy industry and seek ways to improve your farm. Many events like these are free to attend or at most have a small fee. Most workshops or eld days are an opportunity for hands-on learning. You get to see rst hand what is happening on a farm, ask questions, and see how other operations work on a daily basis. You get to ask the owner/ operator how and why they made the decision to build a new freestall barn or calf facility. Most eld days will have a speaker talk about a certain subject related to the farm, such as manure handling or dry and transition cows. Attending bigger events, such as seminars, conferences or expos, allows you to experience things on a broader level. At some events you can sit down for a virtual farm tour; others bring in speakers from across the country or the world to share their visions and research with you. Many of these bigger events have tradeshows with them. There, you can visit with company representatives from all aspects of the industry: nutrition, reproduction, herd health, milking equipment, farm equipment, hoof care and more. Although there may be products out there that you may not be able to implement on your farm, it is still fun to learn about them and see them in real life. Someday your operation may change, grow or
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 29
transition and some of those products may come into play at that time. For some farms, employees play a big role in their farm’s success. Continuing education for employees can go a long way in more ways than one. There are many options for employers to provide learning opportunities to their employees. Some of these may include: team meetings, bring in a local expert to talk about a certain topic such as farm safety, milking protocols, etc., take them with you to a workshop or conference, or send a couple of them to an industry event and have them report on what they learned and if anything can be used to better the operation. By doing this you are investing in your farm and it is a way of showing your employees that they are an integral and important part of your operation. Regardless of what kind of educational program you attend, they are all excellent opportunities for networking. You will meet other farmers, industry representatives and researchers who all play important roles in different sectors of the dairy industry. In a round-about way all of these people have an impact on your farm because at some point they are all interconnected and you implement techniques based upon what you learn from them or see in real life. This can be reversed as well. When you talk to company representatives on a farm or at a trade show they can learn what kinds of products you use and ideas you have for products to make your farm better. They may ask you what they can do to make life easier for you or to help your cows. The company representatives can then take that information back to the company where scientists can develop new products based upon the dairy farmer’s needs. So the next time you see a yer or press release for a workshop, eld day or conference, plan to attend for a few hours. You never know what you will learn or who you will meet. Continuing education is good for you, your family, your employees and your farm. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
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The El Niño theory Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
I’m really getting tired of all this El Niño stuff. Everywhere you turn these days, it seems like El Niño is getting blamed for one thing or another. Just this past weekend, I heard a sportscaster say, “Ooh, James misses another easy shot. I tell you Dave, LeBron’s game is really showing the effects of El Niño tonight.” This El Niño phenomenon has proven to be a boon to people who have a deep need for a scapegoat on which to blame things, that is to say, weather forecasters. This is because weather forecasters have a long and lurid history of shifting the blame for their inability to predict the weather. For instance, when it was discovered that there are high-altitude rivers of air (which the airlines now use to explain such miseries as turbulence and the airlines’ so-called snacks), the weather people instantly adopted these rivers as the cause of unpredictable
weather. The weather folks had wanted to call the rivers The Icky Weather Makers but the airlines had beat them to it. The climatologists were forced to follow suit and call them the Jet Stream. Then along came the electronic revolution and the advent of the modern computer. The weather people eagerly embraced this new technology, promising that huge, multi-million dollar computers would enable them to produce highly accurate forecasts in mere moments. They were partially right. Yes, they were able to produce weather forecasts extremely fast; the trouble was that these forecasts were often extremely wrong. The net result is that we taxpayers footed the bill for jillion-dollar computers that were about as accurate at predicting weather as a person who reads chicken’s entrails by candlelight. On the plus side, many climatologist became highly skilled at playing the video
game Pong. The weather folks were desperate for a new scapegoat, so they brewed up the Chaos Theory. It goes something like this: a buttery apping its wings over downtown Beijing could cause a tiny disturbance which could, in turn, cause a slightly Dear County Agent Guy larger disturbance and on and on until one by one, nation after nation falls under the iron st of Communist rule. Wait a minute; that’s the Domino Theory. The Chaos Theory posits that a buttery apping its wings over some distant land could cause an unBy Jerry Nelson predictable series of events that could evenColumnist tually spawn the gully washer that wipes out your corn crop. It also meant that TV weather persons could proclaim with a clear conscience, “Partly cloudy and warmer tomorrow, so go ahead and plan that picnic. But you might also want to pack your umbrella, because you never know what that dirty commie buttery might be up to.” But the Chaos Theory proved too complex for the average taxpayer to comprehend. The weather folks even went so far as to produce the movie “Jurassic Park” wherein the character named Ian Malcom (who, in reality, is an undercover weather guy) strives valiantly to explain the Chaos Theory to an attractive female scientist. But Ian gets sidetracked and winds up spending the bulk of the movie spouting nonsense about global warming. To his credit, though, he also performs good deeds such as showing a ravenous T. rex where a yummy lawyer is hiding. So now the weather folks have pooled their collective computing power and are touting El Niño (which, coincidentally, can be rearranged to spell online) as the latest cause of all unpredictable adverse weather. The El Niño Theory is supposed to work something like this: an unusually warm body of water forms off the west coast of South America. This creates a mass of hot air which rises and eventually disrupts our nely-tuned system which, in turn, makes life miserable for everyone, especially us farmers. And I bet you thought that such things only erupted from the vicinity of Washington, D.C. The weather people got a wee bit carried away with the selling of this theory, though. As a result, ordinary citizens are now blaming El Niño for every calamity that happens anywhere on the planet. This ranges from little things like bad hair days to such obviously awful developments as the Kardashians. As far as I’m concerned, the weather service can just keep their high falutin’ weather theories and their online, computer-enhanced Doppler Nexrad NORAD forecasts. I’ll continue to predict my weather the oldfashioned way, that is, by going outside and looking at the sky. Heck, I can even whip up a highly accurate longrange forecast. I hereby predict that next summer, my area will experience several weeks of unremittingly wet weather. And this damp spell will begin just as soon as I nish cutting my hay. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, S.D. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@ dairystar.com.
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Management vs. leadership: What’s the difference?
As farms have grown over the last couple of decades, and depended more and more on employees other than family members to carry out critical labor functions and responsibilities, quality of management has become a vital success factor. Larger employee pools have required a new set of skills. Effectively managing people and systems versus animals and crops has become much more important. This reality has caused me to spend more time watching and studying approaches to this important issue. I’ve found over the years that the term, management, means different things to different people. This is true whether you’re talking about managing a farm, a bank or a department of a Fortune 500 company. Early in my career, as I was attempting to learn how to become an effective manager, I enrolled in several management training courses and learned By Dave Coggins that many management experts dened management as the Executive VP/Chief functions of – planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Banking Officer People considered to be good managers tended to demonstrate that they had mastered these functions. And, while they are still important aspects of management today, I nd it interesting that the function of leading in that day and age was considered a function of management. There weren’t a lot of courses on leadership, as it was considered part of the management role we were expected to play. While it’s common now to see these two words used synonymously, it’s become clear to me that leadership and management are substantially different. You can read countless books and web-based articles on both and there seems a general agreement that while they’re linked, they are not the same. And, with millennials making up a larger percentage of the workforce these days, we must understand now, more than ever, the difference between these two approaches. They have a lot to do with the culture we create in our organizations and our ability to attract and retain a quality workforce. If you look up management in Webster’s Dictionary, it denes it as: the act or skill of controlling and making decisions about a business, department, sports team, etc. But, notice the word controlling. While enlightened managers use the concept of control carefully as it relates to their interactions with their staff, it can easily get misused. Managin past decades, especially LLeadership, d hi on the h other h h hand, d ers those who grew up under an is defined as, the power or autocratic style of management, believed that controlability to lead other people. ling was a crucial aspect of their job. The people working for these managers knew who was in charge and did their jobs without questioning authority. At times, intimidation and fear were present and often led to high employee turnover, especially in times of low unemployment. Leadership, on the other hand, is dened as, the power or ability to lead other people. This requires you to understand and inspire people. It involves motivation and encouragement toward high achievement. It means helping people accomplish more than they thought they could. It involves persuading instead of commanding. In short, it means creating and maintaining an environment that people want to work in. If you were raised in a command and control family environment, it probably means abandoning the approaches that worked for your dad and looking at this whole management thing a bit differently. While there’s room for differences of opinion on how we think of these terms in an organizational setting, it’s become clear to me that most employees, no matter what the industry, want to be led, not managed.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 31
The Best Value for the Money
Tired of feeding your calves with buckets?
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Keep your mouth closed Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
There are many times in life when we need to remember to keep our mouths closed, literally and guratively. It is obvious in the barn. With summer tails slapping in the sloppy gutter, there is a greater chance of moisture and other solids being ung around in the air. I’m always trying to breathe through my nose as I walk through the barn, just in case. Thank goodness I don’t have allergies and a stuffy nose. What really triggered my idea for this week’s article topic was when I was walking down the feed lane. As I took in a big breath to holler down the barn at Mark, a couple of ies were caught in the moving air current. Instead of words, the next sound was me trying to cough the ies out of my lungs. I realized the spider webs clinging to the corners of the ceiling weren’t doing a very good job at capturing the
ies. So, I made a mental note to myself…keep your mouth closed in the barn and run the broom along the ceiling and walls to capture the spider webs. That mental note has served me well in other ways. I have learned over the years there are times when it is just better that I keep my mouth closed, take a deep breath (or maybe ve really deep breaths) before I even start to say anything. Just because a question has been asked, doesn’t mean there has to be an immediate answer given. Sometimes time will answer the question even better than what I could have said in the moment. For years, my mother has joked that the mother of the groom wears beige, keeps her mouth shut and smiles. As funny as that sounds, there is great wisdom in her observation. As Jonathon’s wedding date neared, I realized it was best to keep my mouth shut,
listen and smile. We had our wedding 29 years ago, and now this was their wedding. The staging of the event has changed over the years, but the meaning of the day has not. The wedding came off without a hitch and they are starting their life together as man and wife. As parents, you pray your children Just Thinking Out Loud will nd the right one for them. Jonathon did in Libby. Now that all of our children are over 20, our role as parents has taken a new view. We are no longer in the driver seat of our children’s lives. We have moved to the backseat where we need to By Natalie Schmitt keep our mouths shut and Columnist enjoy the ride. Boy, it is hard not to be a backseat driver. Especially when you see the road and signs through your eyes of experiences. No, they won’t make the same trip in life that we did, but may they reach the same destination with someone they love sitting next to them. When the kids were little, we did all the talking and we hoped they were listening. We tried to provide a solid foundation for them to build a wonderful life. Over time, the roles have shifted as they grew. They do more of the talking and we do more of the listening. Times are constantly changing. This point was claried as we remembered this was the end of August. As we walked in the barn this morning, we were caught by the idea that we didn’t have any cattle heading to the 2016 Minnesota 4-H State Fair Dairy Show. This is the rst time since 2005 that we haven’t shipped cattle and kids out for the ve-day encamp-
W are no llonger iin the We h d driver i seat of our children’s lives. We have moved to the backseat... ment. In the middle of all the action, we struggled when all four kids were gone to the fair for their vacation and we were left behind to keep things going. But, we clung to the knowledge that they would be home again. It usually took a couple of days post-fair for them to catch up on lost sleep to get back to the regular routine, but things would eventually go back to normal for that moment in time. Now, no one will be coming home with state fair stories to share, dirty laundry to wash and extra help around the farm. So it’s time to take a deep breath (without ies), smile and move to the back seat as our children take control of their lives and keep on moving down the road of life. Natalie, Mark and his brother, Al, Schmitt farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA prex. Their four children are great help around the farm and are pushing Natalie out of several jobs. Therefore she is thankful to have something else to do. For questions or comments please e-mail Natalie at mnschmitt@jetup.net.
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Do you pay your kids?
By the time most of you read this, my kids will be back in school. I always approach the start of the school year with a mixture of dread and relief. Dread because I know I will miss my children. Relief because Dan and Monika are starting to get on each other’s nerves and the bickering drives me crazy. This year, my conicting thoughts are dwelling on another realization: We’re losing our helpers. Dairy Good Life This summer, we gave Dan and Monika their rst real farm chores. They’ve been helping with a variety of chores since they could walk, but this summer, we turned responsibility over to them for some of our daily barn chores. Their jobs were relatively small – scraping the walk, cleaning stalls and putting fresh shavings down – but their help was denitely noticed. And the responsibility did a lot to improve their work ethic. There were days when it would have been quicker to do the chores ourselves. But, we want By Sadie Frericks our kids to understand the importance of nishing Columnist the job and doing it well. We also want our kids to learn how to communicate and work together in a work environment. I was chatting with a couple of farmers recently about kids and chores when the topic of payment came up. “So, do you pay your kids?” one of the farmers asked. “We do not pay our kids,” I said. My parents didn’t pay me for working on our farm. I grew up with the understanding that farm kids worked on the farm, because that’s what farm kids do. Payment was never even discussed. I earned spending money by babysitting. Glen wasn’t paid either. He did chores on his farm and earned spending money by doing relief milking for other farmers in the area. When we rst talked with Dan and Monika about helping with chores this summer, we never even considered paying them. I basically extended our family rule for household chores to barn chores. When it comes to household chores, everyone pitches in because that’s what families do. When it comes to farm chores, everyone helps because that’s what farm families do. But after that conversation, I’ve denitely been giving the idea more thought. The other farmers in the conversation all pay their kids (or did when they were at home). Their explanations of why they chose to pay their children made sense to me. Their kids earned set amounts for different chores – not an hourly rate. They were expected to save a certain percentage of their earnings for the future and to tithe a certain percentage. The remaining earnings were theirs to spend. But they were expected to use their own money for everything from new clothes and school supplies to fun and recreation. All capital purchases required pre-approval by a parent. In theory, this sounds like a great way to help kids learn money management skills. Perhaps that’s why the idea appeals to me. I left for college with very little experience in money management, especially budgeting. However, it also sounds a little scary to let kids be in charge of their own nances. But, I guess it’s better for them to make mistakes and learn the hard way while we can still guide them, as opposed to letting them learn once they’re on I grew up with i h the h own. understanding that farm kids their And, I still wonder if paying kids affects their worked on the farm, because work ethic or changes the that’s what farm kids do. experience of growing up on a family farm. So, I’m going to extend my questions to you. I’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences. Do you pay your kids for farm chores? Why or why not? If you do pay your kids, how do you pay them? Hourly or by the job? How often? Are they on ofcial payroll, or do you pay them cash? How do you keep track of their hours or the work they’ve done? At what age did you start paying them? What stipulations do you enforce regarding spending, saving, and tithing? Were you paid for working on the farm when you were a kid? Either way, what effect did it have on you? Can paying kids for farm work help them develop good work ethic and become nancially savvy? Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 75 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 8, Monika, 6, and Daphne, 2. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at gsfrericks@meltel.net.
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Should thin dry cows be fed extra energy? Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
Over the last several years, it has been the overconditioned fat dry cow that has received most of the attention, and rightly so. Fat or high body conditioned score (BCS) cows have the highest risk of health disorders following calving. Almost all of the disorders or metabolic problems a person thinks of (ketosis, displaced abomasum, retained placentas, immune dysfunction, sub-acute acidosis, lameness, downer cows) can be associated with the rapid loss of body weight and condition within the rst three weeks after calving. Central to the problem is a low dry matter intake (DMI) and a negative energy balance leading to the rapid mobilization of body adipose tissue to meet energy requirements. Requirements for energy and metabolizable protein by healthy cows within the rst week after calving exceed DMI of these nutrients by 25 percent (Dr. Jim Drackley, U of Illinois). Furthermore, the mammary gland utilizes between 80 to 100 percent of the consumed energy and protein for milk production leaving very little energy and protein available for maintenance, immune function and restoration of tissues following calving. The reliance on body weight loss to meet some of the energy requirements following calving is normal, but as cows mobilize more By Jim Linn adipose tissue for energy, it also decreases DMI. This spirals into greater loss of lipids from adipose tissue, non Nutritionist esteried fatty acids (NEFA), and an increase in fat inltration in the liver. If the accumulation of fat in the liver becomes severe enough, this leads to the condition known as fatty liver and the development of other disorders. Because cows rely on some loss in body weight to meet energy and protein requirements the rst couple of weeks following calving, it is important to have some condition on cows at calving. The generally acceptable BCS for mature cows and heifers at calving is 3.0 to 3.5. Almost all dry cow feeding programs focus on controlled energy intake during the dry period to maintain BCS in this range and avoid over conditioning. However, losing BCS during the dry period should be avoided as this sets cows up for metabolic problems. Therefore, most all dry cow feeding programs now are a high ber (straw or low quality grass hay) and with controlled energy (corn silage) intake. In contrast to the overconditioned cow problem is one of underconditioned where BCS is 2.5 or lower before calving. High producing cows on pasture based dairy systems are more prone to undercondition at time of dry-off than overcondition. A recent study in the Journal of Dairy Science, which I review further below, reported 88 percent of the cows on 10 Northern Ireland grass based dairy farms had a BCS of 2.5 or lower at dry-off. In a study from New Zealand (Roche et al. 2015 – Journal of Dairy Science 98:7164) with pasture fed cows, it was reported BCS and feeding level precalving affect health and production of cows after calving and dry cow feeding programs should consider the BCS of cows. In this study, an energy restricted diet precalving reduced NEFA postcalving and increased serum calcium reducing the risk of milk fever irrespective of cow’s BCS. However, cows with high BCS (3.1) had the highest milk production after calving, but lost more BCS and had a higher liver fat
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Production item Prepartum DMI, lb/day Postpartum DMI, lb/day Milk, lb/day Milk fat, % Milk protein, % Somatic Cell Count (x 1000/ml)
Silage only 22.3 48.5 86.0 4.43 3.21 194
Silage + Concentrate 28.9 46.7 86.9 4.65 3.25 209
P value <0.01 0.21 0.83 0.07 0.48
Shown in Table 2 are the changes in BCS, body weight and blood metabolites associated with immune function of cows fed concentrate and no concentrate during the dry period. Feeding concentrate increased the energy intake of dry cows and added body weight and a small change in BCS. Supplementing concentrate prepartum had no effect on blood metabolites associated with immune function pre- or postpartum. Feeding concentrate prepartum increased NEFA and milk fat test. The only reported difference in metabolic problems was a slightly higher lameness score postpartum for cows fed silage and concentrate during the dry period. This may have resulted from the silage plus concentrate fed dry cows mobilizing slightly more tissue from the sole fat pad after calving than silage only fed cows.
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content than low BCS (2.8) cows postcalving. Low BCS cows had reduced immune competence postcalving and were probably at a greater risk for infectious disease than the high BCS cows. This study from New Zealand suggests dry cows with a high BCS (great than 3.0) benet from a short-term (2 to 3 week) moderate feed restriction prior to calving whereas, low BCS (less than 3.0) cows should be fed to requirements. With low BCS cows at dry-off, increasing the intake of energy and other nutrients over the traditional dry cow nutrition program seems logical to improve BCS at calving. However, questions remain as to whether this is a good strategy or not and if there is any real increase in BCS and benet with the higher energy feeding. The Northern Ireland research study (Little et al. 2016. Journal of Dairy Science 99:7102), mentioned above, evaluated the effects of feeding extra concentrate to low BCS cows during the entire dry period on health and performance in the subsequent lactation. Dry cows were divided into two groups based on BCS (either great than 2.5 or less than 2.5) at eight weeks precalving. Cows in the high BCS group were fed only grass silage and cows in the low BCS (less than 2.5) group were fed the same grass silage plus concentrate (75:25 DM ratio of silage to concentrate). Both diets were fed ad libitum. The diets provided approximately 100 percent (silage only) and 130 percent (silage plus concentrate) of the cow’s metabolizable energy (ME) requirement. All cows were fed the same grass silage and concentrate diet (60:40 DM ratio) after calving. The effects of supplementing concentrate during the dry period on production the rst 70 days after calving is shown in Table 1. Supplementing concentrate during the dry period signicantly increased DMI during the dry period, but had no effect on DMI after calving. Cows supplemented with concentrate during the dry period did not produce any more milk after calving, but tended to have a higher milk fat test than the dry cows fed only grass silage. Loss of body weight in early lactation helps support a higher milk fat test and it appears cows fed concentrate during the dry period may have increased body condition enough to support a higher fat test in early lactation.
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Prepartum, -56 days to calving Average body weight, lb Body weight change, lb Average BCS BCS change Lymphocite, % Neutrophil, % Postpartum, 1 – 70 days in milk Average body weight, lb Body weight change, lb Average BCS BCS change to day 70 Lymphocite, % Neutrophil, %
Silage only
Silage + Concentrate
P value
1426 +79 2.5 +0.1 73.0 23.0
1504 +190 2.6 +0.2 75.4 21.5
< 0.01 < 0.01 < 0.01 < 0.03 0.25 0.43
1299 +24 2.5 0.0 72.6 26.3
1374 -73 2.6 -0.1 74.4 24.5
< 0.01 < 0.01 < 0.02 < 0.02 0.33 0.31
Results from this study are similar to earlier studies in that feeding a high energy diet precalving to increase body weight and body condition did not enhance milk production or reproduction. While not shown in this study, except for a slight increase in lameness, there is a much greater risk for metabolic problems when feeding a high energy diet during the dry period. The recommendation to feed a diet that meets or just slightly exceeds the energy requirement of the cow whether she is over- or underconditioned is the best feeding strategy for dry cows.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 35
U OF M EXTENSION FARM FAMILY OF THE YEAR
Wielenbergs receive Todd County Farm Family of the Year award By Andrea Borgerding andrea.b@dairystar.com
LONG PRAIRIE, Minn. – Looking back at her life, Jane Wielenberg has many wonderful memories of dairying with her late husband, Melvin. “He and I milked a lot of years together,” Jane said. “We moved from Sauk Centre to this farm in 1983. We started out with 14 cows.” Thirty-three years later, the Wielenberg farm is thriving with the second generation now working on the dairy. This continued dedication to the farm and the Wielenbergs’ commitment to their church and community has led them to be nominated and ultimately receive the University of Minnesota Extension Farm Family of the Year award for Todd County. The award was unexpected for the Wielenbergs. “They approached us in March about being Farm Family,” Jane said. “Melvin was in remission at that time, he agreed to it, which surprised me. He wasn’t into publicity.” Melvin lost his ve-year battle with melanoma in May, leaving Jane and their oldest son, James, to operate the 85-cow dairy and run 300 acres of cropland. Two sons, Michael and Neil, continue to help on the farm when not at their full-time jobs. Michael has two children, Haylie, 10, and Preston, 7; Neil is married to Kristie. Wielenbergs also have one daughter, Amy, who has one child, Blake, with her husband, Na-
ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
Jane Wielenberg and her son, James, stand in the parlor where they milk their herd of 85 cows near Long Prairie, Minn. The Wielenbergs were named 2016 Todd County Farm Family of the Year. than. The award was unexpected, but greatly appreciated by the Wielenbergs who continue a busy farming schedule while being involved in their church and
community. Melvin served as an AMPI District Board member and was a supervisor for the Reynolds Township Board – a position James has now taken over. James
is also a member of AMPI’s Young Cooperator Program, is an usher at church and a member of the local FFA Alumni Chapter. Jane is active in Catholic United Financial, is a eucharistic minister at Turn to WIELENBERG | Page 37
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
Women In Jeans Shannon Mueller Melrose, Minn. Stearns County 170 cows Family: My husband is Jamie. We have four children: Justin, 21, Kaylyn, 19, Nathan, 12, and Mckenna 7. Tell us about your farm. We grow corn and alfalfa. We milk 170 cows two times a day in a double-12 parallel parlor. Most of our youngstock is raised off site. Our baby calves leave our farm at about 1 week old and return a couple months before calving. What’s the busiest time of day for you? Milking times seem to be my busiest times of the day. Between getting the kids ready for school in the morning, and in the evening there are after school activities, events, homework and supper along with milking. Sometimes I help with eld work. The rest of my day is for housework, errands and whatever else is going on that particular day.
How much time do you spend doing farmwork compared to housework? I would say I spend 2/3 of my day doing farm work.
What do you do in your free time and why? In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, bowling, watching softball/baseball, reading and scrapbooking. What’s the best thing about farming? The best thing about farming is being your own boss. Seeing all the things we can accomplish and being able to be home with our kids. When you look back on your life, what do you want to be remembered for? Looking back, I would like to be remembered as a hard worker, a good wife, mother and friend.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 37
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The Wielenbergs – (front, from leŌ) KrisƟe, Haylie and Preston; (back, from leŌ) Neil, Mike, Jane and James – receive their award at Farmfest Aug. 4 near Redwood Falls, Minn. church, and serves as election judge for the township. In the past few years, the Wielenbergs have also gotten involved in the local 4-H program. Haylie and Preston brought eight animals to the Todd County Fair last month. Jane said she enjoys seeing her grandchildren get involved in 4-H as well as help on the farm. “They are good helpers around the farm,” Jane said. Haylie especially enjoys helping milk cows. “She’s going to take over for Grandma,” Jane said. “She is tall enough to milk in the parlor now.” The Wielenbergs’ parlor was built three years ago. Until that point, the family milked in the original 34-stall stanchion barn. For 10 years, they switched cows in two groups. “We kept all our heifers and kept increasing our herd as we went,” Jane said. “We nally decided we had to get out of that barn, we were milking 68 cows.” James and Melvin purchased the parlor used and installed it in a new structure on their farm. The cows are housed in an open-sided loang shed. With Melvin’s passing, Jane and James have had to change their daily routine to get all the work done. Melvin enjoyed the farm – he liked working on equipment, welding and building things. “Melvin was not able to help much the last six months,” Jane said. “We had our routine but it’s different now that he’s not here anymore.” Both Jane and James work together to get chores done. James starts milking
cows while Jane feeds calves and young heifers. They nish milking together. Afterwards, Jane washes down the parlor before feeding hay to the calves and heifers. Between chores, James does eldwork. James returned to the family farm in 2004. He is a graduate of the Farm Operation Management program at Ridgewater College. He also worked at several farms before returning home. “Neil and Mike were at home to help yet,” Jane said. “When they went off to school, James came back.” James said he is happy with his decision to come back. “I always wanted to farm,” James said. The Wielenbergs’ challenge now is guring out a way to let Mike back into the family operation and to allow Jane to retire. “We would like to get to the point where we can put up a freestall barn,” James said. “When Mike comes back full time, he has to make a living too.” “And I’m ready to be done,” Jane said. “I’m 66 years old.” The Wielenbergs have faced similar challenges in their farming career but have managed to continue the family farming tradition. One reason they have received recognition for their hard work and dedication to their farm, church and community. Something Melvin could probably see before he passed on. “I don’t know why he agreed to it, but he did,” Jane said of receiving recognition.
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Large Selection of Used Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters 8600, 2015, 275 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $429,000 7980, 2015, 297 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $398,500 7780, 2014, 259 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $369,000 7780, 2014, 425 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $349,000 7780, 2014, 845 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $319,000 7950, 2012, 694 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $299,000 7580, 2013, 610 Cutter Hrs., RWA ........ $299,000 7780, 2013, 1126 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $299,000 8100, 2015, 150 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $279,000 7750, 2012, 1019 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $265,000 7580, 2013, 1009 Cutter Hrs, 2WD ........ $265,000 7550, 2010, 1344 Cutter Hrs.., RWA ...... $249,000 7550, 2008, 1359 Cutter Hrs, 2WD ........ $219,000 7350, 2010, 1100 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $219,000 7850, 2008, 1600 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $210,000 7350, 2009, 1025 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $209,000 7250, 2009, 560 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $196,500 7450, 2009, 1550 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $195,000 7700, 2007, 1570 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $185,000 7800, 2007, 1885 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $179,000 7500, 2003, 2406 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $149,000 7400, 2004, 2918 Cutter Hrs., RWA ....... $144,500
6950, 1999, 2328 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $98,500 6850, 1998, 3120 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $98,500 6850, 1998, 3100 Cutter Hrs., 2WD ......... $78,500 6710, 1995, 2908 Cutter Hrs., RWA ......... $78,500 5830, 1990, 4568 Hrs., RWA.................... $45,000 5730, 1986, 4980 Hrs., RWA.................... $43,900 Claas 970, 2008, 4000 Hrs., RWA ......... $199,000 Claas 960, 2013, 1312 Cutter Hrs., RWA ..$298,000
7980
2015, 297 cutter hours, 800HP, ProDrive, RWA, Kernel Processor, AutoLube ................. $398,500.00
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 STE ER, AND REC EIV E UP TO TRA DE YOU R CUR REN T SKI D
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016 • Page 39
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Adam Whiteaker Kasson, Minn. Dodge County 180 cows How did you get into farming? My dad grew up milking cows with my uncle. I started working for neighboring farms before going to college at Northeast Iowa Community College for dairy science. When I graduated in 2012, I heard Arlin and Bev Johnson needed a herdsman, so I came here. Since then, I bought cows to add to the herd. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I’m concerned about the milk price and being able to make money dairy farming. Right now it’s break even. Eventually it will straighten out. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I like milking. I like being with the cows and knowing what they’re doing. We milk our cows in a double-8 parallel parlor twice a day. I milk in the morning, wife. The best score I’ve gotten has been 280, but I usually bowl 170. I also like to go feed and scrape the barn in the evening. deer hunting and hang out with my family. What advice would you give other Every once in awhile, I take a shing trip potential dairy farmers in your similar with my dad to Canada. situation? Make sure you have a good working relationship with your farming What is your favorite technology? Why? I like the skidloader. You can do so many partner. things with it and it makes chores a lot What has been the best purchase you’ve easier. ever made on your farm? The disc bine we bought a couple years ago. We can cut Tell us about a skill you possess that makes hay faster and we have fewer breakdowns. dairy farming easier for you. Dedication. I’m always looking at and watching the What is your favorite dairy product? I like cows to make sure they are all right. an ice cold glass of milk and Colby jack If you could have a celebrity help you cheese. with chores for a day who would it be What is your favorite tool? I like the and why? I would have George Strait do welder. You can build and x a lot of stuff. chores with me because he can sing songs While I was in school, I built a cattle chute. while we do chores. It would be good Now on the farm, I x the freestalls when background music. they break. Tell us about your farm. I farm in How do you like to spend time when you partnership with Arlin and Bev Johnson. are not doing chores? I like going bowling. I own 40 cows after buying my rst cow I’m in a league in Hayeld from September three years ago. We farm 230 acres of corn to April with a friend, my brother and his and alfalfa. We chop everything.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 27, 2016
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