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DAIRY ST R
Volume 23, No. 15
September 25, 2021
“All dairy, all the time”™
Ziemers measure growth through efciency, not size Activity monitoring, no tilling, breed diversification give family an edge By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
CEDARBURG, Wis. – Reproductive efciency and labor savings are big benets Paul Ziemer and his family are seeing from the cow monitoring system they installed nearly two years ago. Their wireless monitoring solution features an automatic sort gate that makes it easy to identify and separate cows for breeding, medical treatments and other tasks. “Our farm was only the second one in the country to install the SenseHub system in conjunction with an automated sorting gate,” Ziemer said. “The auto sort gate is not common for a farm this size.” The technology the family added called, SenseHub, is one way the Ziemers, who milk 120 cows and farm 250 acres near Cedarburg, are getting ahead. Switching to no-till farming is another. These dairy farmers have also experimented with other breeds to gain better components and hardier health traits. Growing more efcient, rather than larger, is how the Ziemers like to farm. “When suburbia is crouching in on you, there’s not a lot of land available,” Ziemer said. “That’s why we’re not expanding. Instead, we’re always looking to get more efcient.” Ziemer farms with his parents, James and Sharon. The Ziemers are fortunate to have two veterinarians in
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Ziemer family – (from leŌ) Paul, KaƟe holding Elijah, Sharon, James, Becky and Jenny – milks 120 cows and farms 250 acres near Cedarburg, Wisconsin. the family who also help out on the farm and offer medical advice when needed. Ziemer’s older sister, Becky, works at Country Vet in Rubicon, and his younger sister, Jenny, works at Mayville Animal Clinic in Mayville. “My sisters are denitely my consultants,” Ziemer
said. “They’re good at advising, and they’ve taught me a lot. If I’m wondering what I should I do about a certain cow or what antibiotics I should give, I ask them.” Ziemer’s wife, Katie, works for the Sand County Foundation as a soil conservationist and also helps with Turn to ZIEMER | Page 6
Sustainability is the end game for Rosenow Cowsmo Compost flourishes for over 20 years By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
WAUMANDEE, Wis. – Farming among the rolling hills and bluffs of western Wisconsin’s Buffalo County can create challenges for farmers striving to reach goals of both environmental and economic sustainability. John and Nettie Rosenow have spent the last 20 years working on doing precisely that. “We wanted to be in the business of milking cows, not crop farming,” said John Rosenow of the cow-centered focus of Rosenholm Dairy. “We have DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR John Rosenow explains how the composƟng process works at Rosenholm Dairy and Cowsmo tried to minimize our cropping Compost. Rosenow and his wife Neƫe milk 600 cows on their farm near Waumandee, Wiscon- experience and maximize our cow experience. We try to buy sin. as much of our commodities as
we can and then grow our forages on about 800 acres, using 100% no-till farming practices.” The Rosenows milk 600 cows in a double-9 parlor on their dairy farm near Waumandee. In addition to the dairy operation, the Rosenows have created a separate business, Cowsmo Compost, producing and marketing organic compost and potting soil. As the composting business has grown, Rosenow spends most of his time marketing and overseeing that endeavor, while Nettie has taken over the majority of the herd management tasks. The Rosenows hosted a Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Leaders of Turn to ROSENOW | Page 7