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September 14, 2013
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 15, No. 14
New facility leads to growth
Johnsons’ latest heifer barn drives new building projects BY RON JOHNSON Staff writer
JUDA, Wis. – Blame it on the heifers. They did so darned well in their new barn that in short order, a new building for the growing cow herd was needed. And since Roger and Cheri Johnson were building a freestall barn, they decided to construct a milking parlor, too. The Johnsons and their son, Greg, and his wife, Karie, milk 90 Holsteins and Holstein-Jersey crosses on their farm near Juda, Wis. The family recently ung open the barn doors to let folks catch a glimpse of their improvements, as part of the Green County Dairy Modernization Tour held every other year. “Getting that heifer facility going got us the stock to be able to build this,” Johnson said, while showing the farm’s swing-10 parabone milking parlor. “We weren’t gaining numbers before.” The Johnsons have farmed at their present location since 1987. Before their construction projects, they milked 70 cows. Four years ago, the Johnsons decided to bring their heifers home and no longer have them custom raised. They worked with their lender, crunched the numbers and opted to build a barn for heifers and dry cows. None of the four Johnsons works off the farm, so they had the labor to tend the heifers themselves. The family built a bedded-pack barn a short disTurn to JOHNSONS | Page 9
RON JOHNSON/ DAIRY STAR
Roger Johnson stands in his family’s swing-10 parabone milking parlor where they milk 90 cows near Juda, Wis. The parlor was open for viewing as part of the recent Green County Dairy Modernization Tour. The Johnson also built a freestall barn for the milking herd and a bedded-pack barn for heifers and dry cows.
Finding a new home
Otten family settles in Wisconsin from Holland BY BOB KLIEBENSTEIN Contributing writer
BOB KLIEBENSTEIN/ DAIRY STAR
The Otten family and Calla Ville Dairy have called Clark County home since 2007 after moving to Neillsville, Wis. from Holland. The family includes Menno and Kolinda Otten and their son, Ruard (14). Not pictured is daughter, Alysja (16).
NEILLSVILLE, Wis. – For Menno and Kolinda Otten, the decision to relocate from northeast Holland to west central Wisconsin to milk cows was based on two key numbers, 17 million versus 5.7 million. The rst is Holland’s population, a nation nearly ve times smaller in square acres than Wisconsin. In comparison, Wisconsin is home to approximately 5.7 million people and a much more favorable dairy climate, they both add. “We moved due to crowded conditions,” Menno said. “It was hard to nd places to spread manure and very expensive to buy land. The rules from the government change quite a bit so it was hard to make future plans.” The Dutch quota system for producers made future planning murky, Menno said, adding the quota system will be gone in 2015. “The money we spent on a quota will have no value anymore,” Menno said. “In 2007 we could make money to sell the quota.” Both say Wisconsin offers a positive climate for dairy producers and agriculture overall. “Here, you are proud to be a farmer. It is not like that in Holland,” said Kolinda. Turn to OTTENS | Page 8