“All
A state-wide path of destruction
Members of the community help assess the damage May 15 a�er a tornado destroyed the freestall barn at Elsinger Farms near Lomira, Wisconsin. An EF1 tornado with winds up to 95 mph touched down just a�er 6 p.m.
Communities rally to help Wisconsin dairies affected by 14-tornado outbreak
By Stacey Smart and Danielle Nauman
Staff Writers
LOMIRA, Wis. — On the evening of May 15, Brenda Elsinger came up from the basement to nd her farm’s freestall barn destroyed. The tornado that hit Lomira just after 6 p.m. was rated EF1 with winds up to 95 mph.
“We’ve been here 36 years, and this dairy is my life,” Elsinger said. “We started with a stanchion barn and worked our tails off to get this herd built up and this facility humming. I just stood there, and it was all gone. … I was in shock. I lost something that was part of me.”
Elsinger and her husband, Jeff, farm with their son, Mike, near Lomira.
“Our whole lives basically were disrupted, but we just have to gure it out,” Elsinger said. “Challenge is part of life, and well, we got ourselves a challenge.”
The storm system that swept across Wisconsin May 15 left a trail of destruc-
tion, wreaking havoc on several Wisconsin dairy farms. In total, 14 tornadoes were conrmed by the National Weather Service as of May 20, in Clark, Dodge, St. Croix, Portage, Sauk, Marathon and Columbia Counties. In addition, hail that measured as much as 4 inches in diameter was documented in Eau Claire County. Signicant straight-line wind damage was also reported across the state.
Eight people and two dogs sought shelter in the basement of Elsinger’s house when the tornado warning was issued. The farm’s protocol during a tornado warning is to shut everything down and head to the basement. Three employees in the parlor and another cleaning the barn took cover with Elsinger and her family.
“You can never assume it’s not going to be you,” Elsinger said. “I’m very glad we followed the protocol and got there before the storm moved in.”
Turn
Growing for greater efficiency
Meissners
add second
site to dairy operation
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
CHILI, Wis. — When an opportunity that t their business model presented itself to the Meissner family last year, they leaped. The Meissners added a second location to the family dairy farm to lay the groundwork for the next generation to join the operation.
“Jim Kusilek emailed me out of the blue the rst of last year, asking if we were looking for an opportunity to acquire another dairy,” Josh Meissner said. “It wasn’t something we were actively pursuing too much, but the stars aligned and it all t — what he was doing, what we were doing and cow numbers.”
Josh and his son, Emmett,
represent the third and fourth generations of the Meissner family to operate Norm-ELane Farm, established by Josh’s grandfather in the late 1940s near Chili, in Clark County. Neither questioned coming home to join the family farm.
“I graduated from college in 1998 and as soon as my dad and uncles knew for certain I was serious about coming back, expansion talks started,” Josh said. “This was built in 2000.”
Emmett’s plans mirrored his dad’s.
“I always wanted to join the farm; there was never any question for me,” Emmett said.
to MEISSNERS | Page 6
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Josh (le�) and Emme� Meissner take a moment May 5 in the parlor of their family’s dairy farm near Chili, Wisconsin. The Meissners milk 1,900 cows in Chili and another 1,700 cows at a second farm they recently purchased near Hillsdale.
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The farm did lose cattle in the wreckage, but Elsinger said it was minimal compared to what it could have been.
“Every loss of an animal is a hard loss; (it) is heartbreaking,” she said. “Out of the devastation, there were a lot of things that also went right to save what we had.”
Two calf hutches were blown into a nearby marsh. However, the two calves inside came walking out of the marsh — alive and well, Elsinger said.
As soon as the storm passed, hundreds of people swooped in to help the family pick up the pieces.
“The outpouring of support from the community and beyond was second to none,” Elsinger said. “To me, what happened here in the little town of Lomira that night was an absolute miracle. It was like something I could never explain. It’s all the little things. … what an amazing place to be.”
Cattle trailers lined their driveway, waiting to move animals, and a local bar came and served food all night to everyone who was helping.
“We had an amazing group of people,” Elsinger said. “It gives me goosebumps
to talk about.”
The ferocious weather did not quench Elsinger’s spirit as she began thinking about how they could rebuild while moving cattle that evening.
“With every disaster, every problem, comes an opportunity,” Elsinger said. “We’ve been talking for months about
improvements, doing things differently as far as cattle movement and efciency. Well, here’s the opportunity to do all that. You have to look for a silver lining. You have to look at the positives and not just focus on the negatives.”
One-third of the Elsingers’ barn is still standing.
“There’s some damage to that part, but it’s usable,” Elsinger said. “We’re still milking every day.”
The family sent their 2-year-old cows offsite to three farms and have continued shufing animals since the disaster.
Co. New Richmond, WI Osceola, WI Jansen
Carlyle, IL
PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM PETERSEN
A Clark County dairy farm owned by James Weaver sits in ruins May 16, a er being hit by an EF2 tornado May 15 near Colby, Wisconsin. The tornado was one of 14 conrmed to have hit areas of the state that day.
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A Harvestore lies on top of Robert Schwandt Jr.’s estall barn May 16, a er being hit by an EF2 tornado May 15 in Dodge County, near Juneau, Wisconsin. The storm reached wind speeds over 120 mph.
The Schwandt Family Farm, located southwest of the Dodge County city of Juneau, was also struck May 15 by an EF2 tornado, with wind speeds reaching 120 mph. One of the Schwandts’ two farms suffered signicant damage. Bob Schwandt was caught in the barn’s feed room but survived as the tornado went across his farm, causing a Harvestore silo to fall on top of the barn.
Schwandt’s nephew, Jeremy Nehls, is the farm’s assistant manager and was at the family’s other farm when the tornado arrived. From there, he witnessed the devastation occur to the farm where his uncle was.
“The wind was really blowing,” Nehls said. “I heard glass break, I shut the door, and the lights went on and off once, and then just went dark. I started running down the barn and all I heard was the crunching, everything just went over as I looked at one end of the barn as it went down. It was one scary moment right there.”
The farm’s heifer shed is also gone, the machine shed incurred damage, and the roof of the farm’s home and the garage were damaged. All 110 animals on the farm survived and have been moved to the family’s other farm and several nearby farms.
“We are still trying to get through this and hopefully, eventually, we’ll gure something out within the coming week or so,” Nehls said.
The farming community in Dodge County also rallied around the Schwandt family, providing assistance and support shortly after the storm cleared.
When asked how people can support them, Nehls said, “Pray for us.”
In Columbia County, near Randolph, Frank Behling and Mara Budde dealt with the wrath of
A tornado travels across the ground in St. Croix County May 15 near New Richmond, Wisconsin. The tornado was conrmed as an EF2, with top wind speeds of 120 mph.
straight-line winds that swept across their farm. Their dry cow barn went down, trapping nine cows underneath.
With the help of family, neighbors and friends, Behling and Budde were able to free their cows.
“We are so grateful, all the cows were ne and are doing OK,” Budde said. “So many others had so much more damage. Ours was pretty minor in comparison.”
Another farmer was facing a similar situation 170 miles to the northwest, just outside Colby, in Clark County. There, an EF2 tornado, also with winds of 120 mph, decimated the farm of James Weaver.
Like the scenarios in Dodge County, the farming community rushed to help the Weaver family in the storm’s aftermath. Within a few hours, the cows were removed from Weaver’s farm and relocated to a nearby facility.
Elsinger said it is still hard to wrap her head around the events of May 15.
“We lost a building, but no human lives were lost, and that is the main thing,” she said. “Yes, we have a mess here, but we will rise from the rubble and be better than ever.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF RIKKI VAN DYK
PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM ELLIOTT, WMTV 15
Barron County Dairy Breakfast
in July 2022
Meissner family farms 5,800 acres in Clark County to provide feed for their herd at that loca on.
“I did a 2-year ag tech program at Western Technical College in La Crosse and then went to Texas A&M’s U.S. Dairy Education and Training Consortium in Clovis, New Mexico. I then worked on a beef and buffalo ranch in Bismark, North Dakota, for a year, before coming home to the farm.”
The second site, previously Kusilek’s Four Mile Creek Dairy, is located near Hillsdale, in Barron County and became part of Norm-E-Lane July 1, 2024.
The Meissners approached the addition as a way to increase efciencies and better utilize resources. The cows in both facilities are milked three times a day in similar double-25 parlors. Milk from the Clark County facility is shipped to Nasonville Dairy Inc., while the milk from the Barron County facility continues to go to Burnett Dairy Cooperative.
“Part of it is scale — size helps us to make the best use of people and resources.”
The Meissners’ goal is to keep things simple at the Hillsdale facility, allowing them to conserve labor needs. The Barron County farm is home to nearly 1,700 head of milking cows, along with another 800 head of heifers. The remainder of the farm’s heifers are raised in northwestern Iowa.
To keep the facilities balanced for maximized efciency, the Meissners transport cattle between the two sites every week.
“The numbers work out just about perfectly,” Emmett said. “We’re sending 33-35 animals a week each way, a pot load both ways.”
Both farms are self-sufcient in terms of raising the feed needed to support the herds. The Meissners do their own cropping on 5,800 acres near Chili, raising corn silage and haylage, soybeans and some wheat that is fall-seeded with alfalfa. The 2,000 acres at the Hillsdale location are custom cropped, with Kusilek continuing to manage the cropping operation for the near future.
The Meissners utilize the Alta COW WATCH monitoring system to help keep track of their cows in both locations. Using that system, they can monitor how cows handle the transitions between the farms. They continually evaluate the data to make those transitions easier. The collars can store data for up to 24 hours, allowing the Meissners to closely look at how their cows react during travel between the two farms.
The home facility remains the hub of the Meissners’ operations, housing approximately 2,500 head, including 1,900 milking cows. The Meissners are utilizing the facilities there to house all the dry cows and pre-fresh animals, calving everything there.
“The increased efciency has been the biggest benet so far,” Josh said.
Cows are bred using double ovsynch protocols, and heat detection is done using the activity monitoring collars. The Meissners target for 135 heifer calves to be born each month to meet their replacement needs. All heifers are bred to sexed semen, then using that number, the Meissners determine what percentage of their top cows are
Turn to MEISSNERS | Page 7
PHOTO COURTESY OF EMMETT MEISSNER
Haylage is harvested
at Norm-E-Lane Farm near Chili, Wisconsin. The
Con nued from MEISSNERS | Page 6 bred using sexed semen. The remainder of their herd is bred to beef, capitalizing on the value-added calves produced.
The cows are mated by Alta, using milk production and longevity as their priority traits.
“We focus on high-quality genetics for the heifer calves we need,” Josh said. “We want a medium stature, strong animal that is going to last a long time.”
As they navigate their recent expansion, the Meissners plan to continue ne-tuning the two farms into a cohesive operation.
“We have been working on meshing the two teams, with different protocols and cultures,” Josh said. “It’s taken time, but we have great staff in both locations.”
There have been some positive surprises that the Meissners did not anticipate.
“One benet has been an increased ability to compare and contrast different things,” Emmett said. “We have a control group to compare what is working up there, compared to what is working here. We can use that to make both sites better.”
The near future does not include expansion, Josh said, as the Chili facility is working at full capacity.
“This facility is 25 years old, so we have a pretty aggressive maintenance plan,” Josh said. “Our parlor is 25 years old. We’re looking at our best
options to continue to improve and conserve this site into the future, as best we can.”
As they have increased their footprint into other areas, the Meissners remain cognizant of connecting with consumers, an area that Emmett has embraced, develop-
ing a website and increasing the farm’s presence on social media.
“If you don’t tell your own story, someone else will — and their version isn’t likely to be accurate,” Emmett said. “People love seeing it, there are lots of positive reactions. I show
them what we do, keeping it light-hearted and informative, with cool, cinematic-looking videos and content.”
Keeping their eyes on the future, the father-son team works to continue building on what previous generations of their family laid the foundation for.
“For us, it’s about the long game,” Josh said. “In general, this has been a good move for us. It was kind of scary at rst, but change usually is. Everything has worked out as planned so far.”
The Industry Leader In Agriculture Curtains
PHOTO COURTESY
EMMETT MEISSNER
Cows eat total mixed ra on in February 2025 at Norm-E-Lane Farm near Chili, Wisconsin. With the purchase of a second farm, the Meissner family has concentrated their transi on and maternity cows at their home farm in Clark County.
Celebrating in silver
Fond du Lac County Futurity marks 25th anniversary
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
FOND DU LAC, Wis. — Entering a dairy animal into a futurity is like rolling the dice as one speculates about how that animal will look in the future. A person hopes the calf they select will turn into a cow that is showable two years down the road.
“To make it in is the luck of the draw,” said Rick Julka, Fond du Lac County Futurity committee member and founding board member.
This summer, the Fond du Lac County Futurity will celebrate its 25th anniversary. With more than 4,000 entries of Holstein cattle since its in-
ception in 2001, the futurity is a longstanding feature event at the Fond du Lac County Fair and one that has drawn thousands of loyal spectators.
More than 50 family farms have paraded animals through the ring, and nearly 500 2-year-olds have been shown in the Fond du Lac Futurity. The event has paid out almost $110,000 in prizes and been supported by 35 sponsors.
Every July 2-year-old and 5-yearold cows that were entered as calves come to the fair to compete in a show bursting with pageantry and glamour. Exhibitors are dressed to impress, wearing suits, ties, tuxedos, top hats and formal-length gowns. In addition to prizes awarded to the top animals, awards are given to the best-dressed male and female.
Committee member Rae Nell
Halbur said the prestigious event kicks off with the singing of “The
Ray Halbur shows 2-year-old Burledge Alexander Phantom in 2014 during the Fond du Lac County Futurity in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Exhibitors had to wear green in 2014 to be considered for a best dressed award in honor of the 100th birthday of 4-H. Turn to FUTURITY | Page 12
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SUPER SPECIALS
A contentious markup for the ag committee
I really like their records. The pounds, fat and protein are really important to me. I also like the action sheets. They tell me when cows are going dry, when they are going to freshen, who needs to be bred and the low cows in our herd.
Which is your favorite and why? I really like all of them. I use all that information.
How does testing with DHIA bene t your dairy operation? DHIA helps me keep track of the cows records. The information tells me who is going to dry up, who has been vaccinated, who is going to freshen, there is so much and I use all of it. It just really helps our operation.
Tell us about your farm. I own the farm with my husband, Paul. Our son, Ben, also farms with us. Ben and I are the herdspersons, and Paul takes care all of the crops. He also takes care of the beef herd. We breed our lower end cows to beef bulls. We milk 260 cows in a double-eight parallel parlor. This is Paul’s home farm. Ben is the fourth generation of Glende’s on this farm. We have registered Holsteins.
Jackie Glende
260 cows • Altura, Minnesota
Testing with DHIA at least 40 years
In the markup of its budget reconciliation bill, the biggest point of contention is a $300 billion whack to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson made two points: SNAP is not working, and the farm safety net needs to be strengthened. “I assume my colleagues need reminding of contemporary farm bills, where farmers were stripped of billions in exchange for additional funds in nutrition or where nutrition saw a 1% decrease in the decit reduction exercise of 2014, yet farmers had to face an astonishing 25% cut.” In her opening statement, Ranking Member Angie Craig said the Republicans on the committee should be ashamed. “The instruction to this committee was to nd $230 billion in cuts to SNAP, but that wasn’t good enough for the extremists in your party, so tonight, you’re cutting more,” said the Minnesota lawmaker. “You know a traditional farm bill is not a priority for your leadership. If it were, we would’ve seen it on the House oor in the last session of Congress. The cut you are proposing to SNAP tonight would be the largest rollback of an anti-hunger program in our nation’s history.” The bill passed on a party-line 29-25 vote in the committee.
more than 100 farmers in Washington, D.C. to seek action on the farm bill. “We are so deeply indebted to over 100 farm families who have taken time from what is the busiest time of year for many farmers and ranchers to travel here, deliver the news themselves and tell their stories about why action is so necessary right now,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “NFU members strongly pushed for a farm bill that strengthens the farm safety net, builds upon voluntary conservation programs and fosters fairness in the marketplace.”
By Don Wick Columnist Ag Insider
Wisconsin Congressman proposes H-2A reform Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden is drafting legislation that would reform the H-2A visa program. Van Orden said it would include a provision requiring undocumented farmworkers to leave the country and return through an expedited legal process; however, both the workers and their employers would “pay a penalty.” Van Orden said he would expand the H-2A program to non-seasonal industries like dairy farming and require renewal every three years, instead of the current 1-year process.
Labeling proposal criticized
NMPF recognizes House action
The National Milk Producers Federation is praising the House Agriculture Committee’s reconciliation proposal for including key support for the dairy industry. NMPF President Gregg Doud says the bill provides critical investments that will create opportunities for dairy and offer long-term certainty for farmers. The package extends the Dairy Margin Coverage program through 2031, updates production history calculations and funds U.S. Department of Agriculture dairy plant cost surveys every two years. It also supports trade promotion, conservation, research and animal health efforts. NMPF also backs a provision in the broader package to make the Section 199A tax deduction permanent for dairy cooperatives.
A week of action
The National Farmers Union wrapped up its Week of Action with
The American Dairy Coalition has submitted comments to the Federal Register on the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed Healthy Labeling Rule. That rule calls for frontof-package labeling for saturated fat, sodium and added sugar. The dairy coalition said the rule discriminates against nutrient-dense natural foods, like real dairy products. The ADC said the front-of-package label will only confuse consumers and reduce consumption of nutritious products, like cheese and yogurt.
Leveling the playing eld
The U.S. and United Kingdom have the framework for a new trade deal. NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud said this is an important step in the right direction: “The U.K. is the world’s largest cheese importer
from global markets.” Krysta Harden, president and CEO, U.S. Dairy Export Council, said the U.K. already has open trade with the world’s largest dairy exporter, the European Union, and it will have fully open trade with two of the other largest exporters, New Zealand and Australia, within three years. “Duty-free, quota-free, certicate-free trade is what U.S. dairy exporters need to have a level playing eld in this key market,” Harden said.
Trump and Carney Meet
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had a face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington. This was the rst major diplomatic meeting for Canada’s newly elected leader. After the White House meeting, Carney said the relationship between the two neighbors will depend on how they can or cannot work together. “How can we build an economic and security relationship, built on mutual respect, that delivers transformational benets? We agreed to have further conversations in the coming weeks, and we are looking forward to meeting at the G7 summit in Kananaskis in Alberta.” Trump is expected to attend the G7 Summit, which Canada will host in mid-June.
Milk output forecast to increase in ‘26
According to the May USDA supply and demand report, milk production is expected to be up in 2026, driven by a larger milk cow herd and slightly higher milk production on a per-cow basis. Dairy product prices are forecast to be lower for butter, nonfat dry milk, cheese and whey. The Class III milk is projected to increase in 2025 and drop off again in 2026.
Cattle market vulnerable to sharp correction
Cattle prices continue to push into record territory, but Van Ahn and Company Marketing Specialist Steve Witt warns the market may be nearing a tipping point: “Labor shortages are keeping the packing plants running at limited capacity.” Witt cited recent days when cattle slaughter was under
100,000 head “and at times, at peak capacity, they’re around 125,000–126,000 head, so the limited supply is denitely affecting the cutouts.” Risk management strategies are advised. Witt added that the biggest question going forward is how long consumers will continue to pay elevated prices.
Endvick to lead Wisconsin Farmers Union
The Wisconsin Farmers Union has named Danielle Endvick as its new executive director. Endvick most recently served as the WFU director of development and farms with her husband in Chippewa County. Endvick succeeds Julie Keown-Bomar, who had been the executive director since 2017.
University honors Wuethrich
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls presented Dallas Wuethrich with its Outstanding Service Award. Wuethrich attended UWRF in the early 1960s and became the president of Grassland Dairy Products in 1975. More than one-third of all butter sold in the U.S. is produced by Grassland. Wuethrich has had leadership roles at the state and national levels. The Wuethrich Family Foundation provided a $1 million gift to the UWRF Foundation, which helped renovate the university’s dairy pilot plant. That facility is now known as the Wuethrich Family/ Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence.
Trivia challenge
The average American consumes 128 pounds of uid milk per year. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, when is National Cheeseburger Day? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star.
Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of 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 sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
Star-Spangled Banner.” Futurity dignitaries are driven into the ring in a car provided by Holiday Automotive and Summit Automotive. There is an emcee, and the county’s Fairest of the Fair, the Wisconsin Holstein princess, the Wisconsin Holstein princess attendant and Alice in Dairyland. Sometimes the Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs are also present.
Nationally renowned
judges, including those who have judged at World Dairy Expo, are called upon to place the cows.
“We have people asking to judge our show,” Halbur said. “The futurity draws people from surrounding counties who come just to see that person judge. I’ve always been amazed at the people who have it on their calendar.”
The standing-room-only
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The 2-year-old class lines up in 2018 during the Fond du Lac County Fair Futurity in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Two-year-old and 5-year-old cows entered as calves can compete in the futurity.
show draws fairgoers of all kinds with people coming early to claim a seat for the fancy affair.
“The thing that always impressed me is seeing people coming in every door to watch the show,” Halbur said.
“It’s a full house.”
Halbur and Julka said the competition at the futurity is stiff.
“That’s what makes this show unique,” Halbur said.
“We have good cattle in Fond du Lac County at a lot of facilities. They’re hard to weed out.”
Julka agreed.
“The quality is there, and it’s not just the top two or three animals in the class,” he said.
Between 130-160 calves are entered into the futurity each year. To qualify, the animal must be registered, and the owner must be a member
of the Fond du Lac County Holstein Association. In 2009, 34 head of 2-year-olds were exhibited — the biggest class to date.
“The class was so big that we had to split it,” Julka said.
The most 5-year-olds exhibited in a class were seven cows. The return rate for 5-year-olds is 25%.
“It’s interesting to see what animals are still around,” Julka said. “Getting a 5-yearold there is difcult. They have to calve at the right time and be looking right. Timing is a lot of it.”
Halbur agreed.
“Between 4 and 5 years old, there is a big change in the cow, if she’s still in the herd,” she said. “Just because she’s in the herd doesn’t mean she’s showable. From what I know, we are the only county that has a 5-year-old futurity. Most counties do 2and 3-year-olds.”
New this year, the futurity has changed from a Holstein futurity to an all-breeds futurity.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary, the futurity will feature a special anniversary class. Any animal entered in the futurity that is not a 2-year-old or a 5-year-old can be shown, making 3-year-
Turn to FUTURITY | Page 13
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Con nued from FUTURITY | Page 12 olds, 4-year-olds, and cows 6 years old and above, eligible for the ring.
“We have people looking to see if they ever entered an animal that would be one of these ages,” Halbur said. “It’s exciting.”
A world-renowned female judge is hired to judge this year’s futurity. The ring will sparkle for the 25th anniversary as exhibitors dress in silver — a prerequisite to be considered for the best dressed award. All past judges are invited to attend the 25th as well. In addition, the futurity “After Glow” party is being done up bigger and better this year. The futurity will take place Friday, July 18, at 6:45 p.m.
In the 2-yearold class, awards are given to the rst-place animal, rst-place juniorowned, best bred and owned and best udder. In the 5-year-old class, awards are given to the rst-placed animal, best bred and owned and best udder. A lifetime production award is also awarded in the 5-year-old class. This year’s anniversary class will award a rst-place animal as well as a production winner.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Judge Mandi Bue judges the Fond du Lac County Futurity in 2019 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Na onally renowned judges, including those who have judged at World Dairy Expo, are called upon to judge the futurity.
entering the ring to exhibitors wearing green the year that 4-H turned 100 years old, the futurity has been a place where memories are made amid the fanfare.
“It would be interesting to have a 6- or 7-year-old that still looks the part,” Julka said.
Cash prizes, blankets, chairs and more are awarded to winners. The production winner receives an engraved milk pitcher.
For 25 consecutive years, the Fond du Lac County Futurity has never missed a beat, even during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
“We did a dairy show when no one else did,” Julka said.
From a marriage proposal prior to
“There are people who have nothing to do with the dairy industry who want to come watch,” Julka said. “Anytime we can teach a consumer how we treat our animals, it’s worth it.”
Halbur echoed these sentiments.
“The futurity is a great way for the general public to come and see how animals are treated,” Halbur said. “The media likes to portray production agriculture negatively, but then people see these animals in the ring — how they’re fed, groomed, handled. It shows off a whole other aspect of the dairy industry.”
JUNE DAIRY MONTH 2025
ABBOTSFORD Sunday, June 1st 7am - 12pm
GRANTON Sunday, June 1st 7am - 12:30pm
NEILLSVILLE Sunday, June 8th 7am - 12pm
OWEN/WITHEE
June 14th 7am - 11am
LOYAL Sunday, June 15th 7am - 12:30pm
COLBY Sunday, June 22nd 7am - 12pm GREENWOOD Sunday, June 29th 7am - 1pm THORP Sunday, June 22nd 7am - 12:30pm
DeJong Dairy | 102218 Draper Rd., Dorchester, WI
Pancakes, maple syrup, sausages, variety of cheese, butter, applesauce, cookies, juice, coffee, milk & ice cream
Bussing to & from Abbotsford school. Handicap accessible
Schilling Farms | Luke & Stacy | W3514 Tree Rd., Granton, WI
Pancakes, sausage, special eggs, cheese curds, applesauce, juice, coffee, milk, ice cream, butter & maple syrup
Petting zoo, bussing to & from Granton High School, handicap parking available at the farm
Four Star Ag & Four Star Dairy | W4198 Pine Creek Rd., Neillsville, WI
Plain & blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, applesauce, cheese curds, ice cream, juice, milk & coffee
WCCN Broadcasting, antique tractor display, bounce house, meet & pet the animals, Neills FFA painting. Explore the farm & equipment
Carl Vater Memorial Pavillion | 514 Division St., Withee, WI
Pancakes, deluxe scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese, fruit, beverages & fresh maple syrup from the FFA school forest
Co-Ed softball tournament, inflatable games, fun run, evening music & bingo
Hornland Farm | N6952 County Rd. K, Loyal, WI
Pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, cheese curds, applesauce, orange juice, coffee, milk, ice cream, butter & maple syrup
Field & close handicap parking, petting zoo, raffles, antique tractors, new special needs barn open
Bill & Bridget Ciolkosz Dairy Farm | N16329 Koser Ave., Thorp, WI
Pancakes, eggs, sausage, cheese curds & ice cream
Tour the 300 cow parlor & amazing calf raising facility. Many guest speakers, FFA speeches,
Verhoef Family Farm | 225703 Pecan Rd., Colby, WI
Pancakes, maple syrup, sausage, applesauce, cheese, cookies, milk, coffee & Culver’s ice cream
Face painting, petting zoo and bouncy house for the kids!
Phil & Eliza Ruzic Farm | N9031 Sidney Ave., Greenwood, WI
Potato & regular pancakes, eggs, sausage, cheese, cheese
applesauce, butter, juice, coffee, milk, water, soft
cream & maple syrup Kiddie train rides, raffles, local crafters,
from our side our side OF
What do you plant in your pastures?
Cheyenne Christianson
Chetek, Wisconsin
Barron County
70 milk cows, 10-12 nurse cows that feed all babies
What do you plant in your pastures? I like a diverse mix in the pastures. If we seed down a new stand, it will have red clover, orchard grass, timothy, perennial ryegrass and some alfalfa for drought tolerance. White clover and quack grass ll in on their own. The ryegrass doesn’t last long, but it is nice while it is there. We do not plant orchard grass in every pasture as it gets so far ahead in early spring and can be too dominant in our long rotations. We also grow some annuals. A few acres of Sorghum-sudangrass or Japanese millet can really help in a dry year. Fall oats planted in early August have given us super quality for late-fall grazing most years since 2000.
How many acres do you graze, and how many paddocks is that split into? We have about 165 acres we graze regularly for all livestock. We take the rst cut of hay off a bunch of that and add in more as needed. Some acres may get a second crop of hay before being added to the rotation. It depends a lot on the year and how much moisture we are getting. What kind of reel do you like? We have mostly single hot wire with T-posts on perimeters and use poly wire to break it down from there. We use Premier reels as they have a strap on and make it easier for children to wind up poly. We use a combination of pigtail posts and steel posts with insulators on top. Premier poly wire has worked well, with some of our original poly still in use. We have always had a John Deere Gator for hauling posts, reels and water tanks around. Most elds are between 8-12 acres, so it’s easier to clip or bale hay when we need to. I started with a lot of small permanent paddocks, but it wasn’t exible enough, so I tore most of them back out. The key to good grazing is exibility. What kind of watering system do you have? We have one-inch poly pipe over most of the farm so water can be available in every eld. There is a well across the road for water on that side. One-hundred fty-gallon water tanks work well, but we also have some 100- and 300-gallon tanks. We haul water in totes to one 40-acre pasture across another road we graze occasionally. It is mainly in hay, so we only graze it in a dry year or in the fall.
What are your management strategies for eliminating undesirable plants? We clip pastures that get too much ripe refusal, especially with orchard grass in late spring. Some of it always gets ahead and loses quality. If there is a lot of material after clipping, we will bale it up for bedding. We have some issues with Canada thistles on a few older stands, so we clip them once or twice a season to keep them from seeding out. Tilling some of those areas and planting annuals has also helped. We don’t have many other problems with undesirables.
How often do you rotate paddocks, and what are your pasture management practices? We rotate twice a day for all groups unless dry weather or cool temps in the fall slow growth. If pasture growth slows, we will supplement some hay to extend the rotation. We still move cows twice a day, but they get less pasture and a bale at night instead of all pasture. It is much better to let the grass grow more and feed some hay than blaze through and chew everything down. When and if we get more rain, it will regrow much faster if there is good residual left. Spring regrowth is faster if pastures are not grazed too hard in the previous fall.
Explain your pasture fertility program. We soil test every few years. I’m a big believer in balanced soil, so I have added calcium, sulfur, boron and traces such as copper, manganese and zinc. I want my cows to get their nutrition from the plant as much as possible. Bedding pack manure is our main source of fertility. We use several hundred round bales for bedding so we have a lot of organic material to feed soil biology and improve fertility. I use some rock phosphate and potassium sulfate on low elds. We have so many dry years in northern Wisconsin, it is hard to tell sometimes. Lack of water ends up being our biggest issue.
Why are pastures benecial for your farm? Grazing paid for our farm. We started intensive grazing in 1994, and it was the key to keeping our costs low and cows in great health. We were able to pay down debt fast because of that. It was a huge savings to not have to harvest all that feed and spread the manure for half the year. No vet bills or feed bills and cow longevity also help. We’ve had three cows get to 20 years old and a lot more to their teens. Grazing uses much less fuel, creates less wear on machinery and more. There is no comparison environmentally when it comes to grazing diverse pastures. Organic matter has improved immensely. Water soaks in, even in downpours. Soil tilth is incredible, and earthworms are everywhere. In extreme wet spells with multiple heavy rain events, if I see any water in a waterway, it’s clear. I do not want my farm contributing to the river pollution that ends up in the Gulf. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Katy, has always worked with me on our farm, as have our children. We have 10 children, ve still at home. All have been very helpful in daily chores around the farm, from lling water tanks when young to moving poly wire, milking and some machine operation
Cyndy Nafzger R-DREAM FARM
Mineral Point, Wisconsin Iowa County 35 cows
What do you plant in your pastures? I don’t plant anything. It is just pasture grass.
How many acres do you graze, and how many paddocks is that split into? We graze 85 acres of pasture on three separate paddocks: 40 for the milk cows, 40 for the heifers and dry cows and ve acres for the pre-fresh cows. I would like to divide each 40 acres into several different sections but don’t have the time and help to do so.
What kind of reel do you like? We use barbed wire fencing. We are four strands high to keep out and separate the paddocks.
What kind of watering system do you have? Mother Nature and there is a stream running through paddocks.
What are your management strategies for eliminating undesirable plants? My son, Jarvie, cuts the pasture in early spring, March-April and late fall. We also knock down or cut off thistles as they begin to grow. Around the rst part of July, a neighbor comes to cut, rake and bale the pasture grass. We use this grassy hay to feed the heifers and dry cows in the winter.
How often do you rotate paddocks, and what are your pasture management practices? We only have around 15 head in the dry cow paddocks. If we notice the 35 milk cows could use more, we switch the animals around. I would say, depending upon how much rain we get, it happens a couple of times per year.
Explain your pasture fertility program. In the late fall, after the cows are done grazing for the year, we spread cow manure on the pasture.
Why are pastures benecial for your farm? Pastures have many benets. I believe cows need to have space to roam, run and eat as much as they want to. I noticed a big improvement in my cows as far as milk production, health, breeding heats, cow comfort and happiness. They are so delighted to be released from the barn, especially after several days of being cooped up. The cows stay healthier on pasture. They are not getting bored in a stall and ending up hurting themselves. The cows are social. They like to be with their friends. When I go to get them before milking time, they are usually in three separate groups. They are near each other but separate. They can stretch out and get lots of exercise. They have a creek for cooling off and getting a drink of water. It is so beautiful to walk down to the pasture and see them all grazing in the big open pasture. An additional benet is that they eat less of the total mixed ration, and that is a cost savings on feed.
Tell us about your farm. We raise and milk a herd of registered Ayrshire, Guernsey and Holstein cows and house animals for other people. My kids are involved in showing. My husband and I live three miles away from the farm we lease, but everyone is involved in the farm one way or another. Milking starts at 4:30 at both ends of the day. My middle son, Jarvie, helps in the morning with calf, heifer and dry cow feedings and handles all the breeding, heavy lifting and pasture management. He’s my righthand man, and I found out I couldn’t do this without him. After morning chores, he either goes to work at another farm or attends college at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, and I go back home to work my full-time job remotely. At night, we let the springers and dry cows into the cow yard during milking time to clean up any leftover TMR. My daughter, Cyntanah, helps with evening chores unless she is involved in high school sports. If she is, Denny will help, or I will handle it on my own. Denny also handles the maintenance around our farm. Our weekends are spent at the farm, taking care of the extra things that need to be done like hauling manure, washing calf huts, cleaning sheds and feeding big bales of hay. Trapper, my oldest son, goes to school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and will help out when he is home. It is a group effort. We have a great partnership with Dan and Bruce Dannenberg for our feed. Matt Hateld is our nutritionist. Our milk goes to Rolling Hills Dairy Producers Cooperative and is hauled by 2 Doe Trucking. We are grateful and thankful for Greg and Kathy James for leasing us the farm for our dairy, and we have other family and friends who help us.
when older. I do most of the skid loader and tractor operations. Katy has raked virtually every acre of hay we have ever baled. Our older boys have done most of the pasture clipping with a 3-point disc mower. We have shipped our milk to Organic Valley since 1999 and got on the grass milk truck in 2014 when it started in our area. We stopped feeding grain in the late 1990s, so it was something I had been advocating for a long time. We milked in a tiestall barn most of these years but built two hoop barns for cow housing and feeding in 2007 and 2009. We remodeled the barn several years ago and put in a at parlor for milking.
Melissa Weyland Green Bay, Wisconsin Brown County 80 cows
What do you plant in your pastures? We use the GrassWorks Grazing Mix by Byron Seeds LLC for new pasture seedings. I’ve grown to really like that mix for dairy cows because they will always graze it to a fairly even residual, and overall, it performs consistently well with our soils. Throughout the season, it remains a nice, palatable grass and legume mix that makes milk. We are grazing with a robotic milking system, so consistent palatability throughout the season is a priority.
How many acres do you graze, and how many paddocks is that split into? We farm 120 acres total with around 100 in pasture at all times for cows, dry cows and springers. This season, we are custom grazing our young youngstock at an off-site location nearby on additional acreage. For the dairy herd, we have 15-20-acre elds that are long, narrow and mostly at. I move a break wire to fresh grass twice a day. Since I am managing grazing in conjunction with a robotic milking system, I need to be particular on how much dry matter the cows get each move. Not presetting paddocks or having permanent paddocks gives me the exibility I need.
What kind of fencing system do you have? The perimeter is a permanent high-tensile fence with four wires. We have semi-permanent, single hot wire divisions of each larger 15-20-acre eld. Within the eld, I use a single poly wire on a plastic electric cord reel to set my break wires each day with step-in posts. It takes me only a few minutes a day to make these moves. What kind of watering system do you have? We rent our farm, and our landlord, Andy Jaworski, had previously installed all permanent fencing and the waterlines. I am really a fan of this system. It’s a 1.25-inch poly waterline that runs along the long side of each eld with preinstalled water hydrant coupler valves. I move a 300-gallon poly tank with the cows several times a week down the eld. This helps keep water clean and lower hoof concentrations near the hydrant locations. I always stick with the larger tank sizes during the grazing season because several cows can visit at a time without bossier cows interfering. I don’t like to see cows having water ghts, so the extra tank space for 5-6 cows is worth me lugging around larger-sized tanks. What are your management strategies for eliminating undesirable plants? The farm’s soil fertility is No. 1 to all success in combating weeds. If I see undesirable plants in my pastures, I start to look at my own management decisions and see how I can help that eld or where I went wrong. The biggest culprit for undesirable plants in established grazing paddocks for me is usually from overgrazing. Sometimes, that overgrazing was intentional because we are pulling that eld out of forage or it was forced due to extreme weather events. In new seeding, we make hay from it until mid-season, if not the rst full growing season, so that it has time to establish a healthy root system before it ever sees cow hooves. The majority of undesirable plants in new stands will disappear with mowing/clipping. Other undesirable plants the cows will eat anyway and cause no harm to us or them. But lastly, we all deal with the occasional big thistle in the Midwest, so I keep the loppers in the grazing utility terrain vehicle and cut them off as soon as I see them. We also keep fence lines clipped with a brush mower or weed eater. I think undesirable plants are good teachers of what to work on. I have only ever been organic, so it’s never been a thought to spray and only a lesson to learn and adjust our management. How often do you rotate paddocks, and what are your pasture management practices? Milking with a robot while grazing is a delicate and somewhat complicated dance. We cannot lock our cows out on pasture since we milk 24/7, and cows will freely milk at all hours of the day and night. I generally offer fresh grass twice a day in the morning and evening. The quantity I’m offering depends on the time of year, the eld I’m passing over and how much DM I estimate. If I offer the cows too much fresh pasture, they will not come back to the barn to milk. If I offer too little, they will overgraze or back graze, risking not leaving enough residual for the plants to recover by my next pass in about 30 days. This can throw off my entire grazing wedge. I nd successfully grazing with a robot requires some managed grazing experience and intentionally taking time to observe and understand the cows’ psychology.
Explain your pasture fertility program. We take soil samples, but I think our crop rotation for our soil type and farm is what really allows us to maximize the acreage between pasture and crops while keeping healthy soil. A pasture will generally be seeded down and stay in pasture for ve or so years. We pull one pasture/hay eld out of grazing — the poorest stand — each spring for corn silage. After silage harvest, the eld is seeded down with rye, which is then harvested the following summer. From there, the eld is fall seeded with the grazing mix. The following spring, there is voluntary rye that helps that eld get some cover earlier than the new seeding, keeping weeds down. This is made into baleage, or if conditions are just right, can actually be ash grazed about two weeks earlier than the regular pastures are ready for season extension. There are variations in this rotation, but this is an example of one that I see has created and maintains a thriving soil fertility and structure on this farm. Why are pastures benecial for your farm? It is all about happy cows and the enjoyment of grazing for me as a farmer. What is good for the farmer, good for the cows, and good for the soil is going to be good for your bottom line one way or another. We started farming on our own in March 2022, so we don’t own a lot of equipment yet. We are currently working with a limited crop land base and own no cropping equipment. Grazing has been a great system to help keep
Steven Beachy Denmark, Wisconsin Brown County 60 cows
What do you plant in your pastures? I try to get a pretty good mix of about 10 varieties. This includes clovers like yellow blossom clover, Alice White clover, cyclone red clover, and freedom red clover; alfalfa, Sorghum-Sudangrass, timothy, annual rye grass, Koga annual rye grass, Italian rye grass, hairy vetch and sunowers. I had been doing heavy clover but am adding Creeping Root alfalfa to get a little more potential. Normal alfalfa is good for heavy grazing, but this should do more when it turns hot and dry. I like to keep a lot of variety, and I can go and no-till into the pasture or plow it down and put corn in if it looks like it’s getting weak. Almost all my seed is from Byron Seeds LLC. They are very good with grazing mixes.
How many acres do you graze, and how many paddocks is that split into? I have 75 acres under fence for milking cows and dry cows. There is a neighbor who grazes some of my heifers with 15 acres under fence, and I just put in another 25 acres of fence with another neighbor. I make my paddocks by the day, depending on the time of year. I have 75 acres split up with permanent fence in only two sections. Beyond that, I use T-stakes with one poly wire and divide each side into about four or ve paddocks. Inside there, cattle get a new break every 12 hours. It’s a little intensive for fencing every day, but I can easily take up T-stakes and turn the eld under or work with it.
What kind of fencing system do you have? The external fence is a permanent, high-tensile 4-wire fence with two hot wires. I divide 35-acre chunks into ve paddocks with lanes using T-stakes and single strand poly wire. Those paddocks are large enough for a number of days of grazing. I use reels for daily fence making and moving. I use Gallagher Fence reels (and some cheaper ones) for temporary fencing with step-in pigtail fence posts and poly wire for daily pasture sizing.
What kind of watering system do you have? I use a steel wagon bed with a 1,100-gallon tank and a valve in the back that goes down to a smaller tank with a oat that cows drink from. It lasts a day or two, depending on how hot it is, and I can pull it to any pasture.
What are your management strategies for eliminating undesirable plants? The biggest thing is clipping pastures once or twice a year. If there is too much out there going to seed that I don’t like, I will clip it with a discbine hay mower.
How often do you rotate paddocks, and what are your pasture management practices? I rotate every 12 hours on the interior. I try to give a break of 25-30 days from one grazing to the next. I also like to take a crop off. If I clip the pasture once and crop it once, it just breaks it up. If the cows are grazing it over and over, it gets too much of their nitrogen from urine, and they start refusing too much of it. If I take one crop off in different paddocks, the next time it grows up, they go for it like candy again. I’ll also reseed if the pasture is light. If the whole eld is weak, I’ll transition it out. There are times when I will take half out for corn.
Explain your pasture fertility program. I take soil samples every three years. I rent this land and am required to sample, but I am glad to do it. Pasture denitely builds the soil up. When I took this farm on, I could rent it with the demand that I take soil samples to know that the nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium levels did not drop. I put very little fertilizer on. I use liquid manure from the pit and pen pack manure. I try to watch calcium levels and put gypsum on to help with sulfur and calcium. Calcium levels in the soil have been going up, and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are holding everywhere we have pasture.
Why are pastures benecial for your farm? My farm is a low-input farm. I’m not pushing hard for milk. Therefore, pastures are extremely benecial. I freshen somewhat seasonally from March to October. In the summertime, when pastures are growing good, that’s when money is made on the farm.The more my cows can do, the less fuel we need to purchase.
Tell us about your farm. We started here in 2017 when we bought the buildings, just before our two youngest children were born. My wife and I have 12 children. It is involved, but we love it. We milk in a tiestall barn and ship our milk to Saputo Inc. for use at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. We consume 1.5-2 gallons of raw milk a day. My wife and daughters make yogurt and cheese for the family and have dreams of branching out with that someday. We are in the process of transitioning to organic, and it looks like we will be certied in November.
equipment dependency and costs down because the cows harvest their own feed and spread a lot of their own manure for half of the year. Grazing has allowed me to be strategic and methodical with our equipment purchases. Grazing has been a great tool from the nancial standpoint, but is also ultimately a way to enjoy farming.
Tell us about your farm. In March 2022, I bought 61 organic cows at an auction and rented an organic, grazing dairy with a small parlor. Today, my partner, Roy, and I farm full time together with 80 Holsteins and Holstein crosses. We rent our farm, including the land, a hoop barn freestall with deep sand beds and a robotic milking system. We are currently buying the robotic system from our landlord and expanding our herd size this summer with our heifers and adding a second Lely A5 robot. We ship our milk to Organic Valley.
The Delaval OptiDuo™ has the unique ability to adapt to di erent feed types and quantities. It can adjust it’s speed and change track where necessary to ensure your cows are always presented with the best feed.
Reaching 7 pounds of components
Hutjens shares about raising per-cow fat, protein production
By Amy Kyllo amy.k@star-pub.com
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.
Milk component yields reect genetics, feeding and management of the herd said Michael Hutjens, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. They are also the basis of the dairy farm’s income.
Hutjens presented “To 7 Pounds and Beyond — Maximizing Milk Components for Protability,” at Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls. He focused on how farmers can get per cow production to 7 pounds of components each day, regardless of overall milk yield. Hutjens focused on feeding and management knowledge.
“It is feasible,” Hutjens said. “You can do this with a 40-cow herd, you could do a 400-cow herd, and probably even a 4,000-cow herd.”
Hutjens said it is challenging to get 7 pounds of components per day if a herd is only milked twice a day. He
said once a herd starts reaching 75-80 pounds of milk, there are issues with leakage, cow comfort and somatic cell counts.
Using April prices, fat is worth $2.64 a pound, protein is $2.17 per pound and other solids are $0.31 per pound.
“All you dairy farmers, unless you’re from Southeastern states, are being paid for pounds of fat, pounds of protein,” Hutjens said. “That’s what writes the check.”
Hutjens said a farm can reach 7 pounds of solids several ways. They can do it if they have 100 pounds of milk with tests of 4% fat and 3% protein. They also can reach 7 pounds with 90 pounds of milk and tests of 4.5% fat and 3.2% protein. Or a herd with a 70 pounds per day average could also reach 7 pounds with tests of 5.6% fat and 4.3% protein.
“One hundred pounds of milk is going to get you there a lot faster than if you’re at 70,” Hutjens said.
Overall dry matter intake sustains milk yield. One way
to boost DMI is through feeding sugar. Sugar increases feed palatability and reduces sorting. It increases neutral detergent ber digestibility, leading to lower ll factors and an increased rate of passage. It also shortens the lag in rumen microbial growth compared to starch and pectin. Hutjens recommends 7% total sugar in a diet.
Feed efciency is important for components, Hutjens said. This connects milk yield with DMI. Other factors contributing to milk yield are body condition scores and transition management.
“There’s no question a fresh cow program is going to do some really neat things for you in terms of milk components,” Hutjens said.
Ventilation
A cow’s lactation curve and peak milk are set early in the lactation. Hutjens said farmers should look at the changes in milk that occur between the 2-week lactation mark and the 4-week lactation mark. Mature cows should peak in milk around 4-6 weeks.
“Milk yield sets the lactation curve,” Hutjens said. “(There are) additives that you really only have to feed for the rst 40 or 50 days, and then you aren’t going to need them anymore.”
He said this sets the milk curve high and it stays there over the lactation period.
Hutjens said it is important to optimize DMI early in lactation. A cow with high butterfat in the rst few weeks after calving is in a bad situation because she is using body reserves to produce that milk fat.
“You’re challenging the cow,” Hutjens said. “The last thing you might want her to do is take that extra energy and put it in the pail because she needs that energy to avoid ketosis and other energy needs.”
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Michael Hutjens presents March 26 at Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Hutjens spoke about how producers can get their herds to produce 7 pounds of components per cow per day.
“I only use Udder Comfort!™ It works so well, I don’t have to look for anything else. I use it right after cows freshen, all over the udder and also on the belly. I can already tell it’s working when they come in for that second milking,” says Donna Honer of M&D Livestock, Kenyon, Minn., and herdsperson at the family farm. She has also used it on other dairies as an employee.
Visiting our booth at Central Plains Dairy Expo, we wondered: What does she like best about dairy? “The people! And the cows! It’s exciting to see new technology and be around people who care about making a good product and keeping healthy cows.” What does she like best about Udder Comfort? “The smell! And the way it alleviates discomfort after calving, especially in fresh heifers.”
She says she also “used Udder Comfort religiously” on the 350-cow organic dairy she worked on. “Being super diligent on mastitis detection, this is the big tool for that swelling in the udder.”
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Factors affecting milk butterfat levels include genetics, the season, stage of production, forage quality, the level of fat fed and rumen efciency, Hutjens said.
High oleic soybeans can be a good source of fat for cows, Hutjens said. These soybeans are rumenfriendly and, if raised on the farm, can reduce the amount of protein purchased in the diet. He said oleic soybeans can comprise as high as 10%15% of DMI.
“If you raise soybeans (already) and the (high oleic) seed is about the same price, no yield drag, that’s almost a no-brainer,” Hutjens said.
He said roasting soybeans increases rumen-ungradable protein compared to raw soybeans.
Hutjens said the milk protein to milk butterfat ratio should be at least 0.80. If the ratio is over 0.9, producers are losing out on fat potential. If it is below 0.75, producers are missing protein potential.
“These ratios, to me, are helpful to see if I’m missing (components),” Hutjens said.
Hutjens said producers should look at their milk records and circle any cows where butterfat is a full point lower than the herd average.
Looking towards the future, Hutjens expects protein to be more important than fat, he said.
“The world is wanting animal protein, beef, pork, turkey and dairy products,” Hutjens said.
Two-thirds of amino acids need-
ed for milk protein can be produced by rumen microbes, Hutjens said.
“Those rumen bacteria are your friends,” he said.
The rumen bacteria are economical protein sources with optimal levels of sugars, starches and protein compared to purchased protein sources, Hutjens said.
Hutjens said cows do not have a protein requirement, but they do have an amino acid intake requirement. He said farmers should ask their nutritionist whether their ration is being balanced using a rumen model, which considers all sources of amino acids.
The advantage of feeding rumenprotected amino acids such as lysine and methionine includes milk protein increase, milk yield increase and/ or milk butterfat increase, Hutjens said. Rumen-protected amino acids are amino acids that are protected in the rumen and go to the small intestine, where they can be used for milk production and other requirements. Hutjens recommends feeding a lysine to methionine ratio of 2.65:1.
Hutjens also encouraged producers to look at their energy efciency, component efciency, protein efciency, and milk yield to nd their way to 7 pounds of components.
“Look at your records of lactation, days in milk, and see if you (nd opportunities),” Hutjens said. “(Go home) and say, ‘We better get our nutritionist out and try and gure out what’s going on.’”
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United Dairy Systems, Inc. West Union, IA 563-422-5355 Monticello, IA 319-465-5931
Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713
Finding right partners, projects in renewable energy
It is no secret that the dairy industry is facing increasing pressure to reduce our collective environmental footprint. Rather than ignoring the trends or waiting for regulations, we should learn, make changes and nd solutions that can benet our environment as well as our farms, communities, team members and bottom lines.
There is an ever-increasing number of opportunities for dairy producers to participate in renewable energy and renewable fuels projects. Just like any other business investment, each requires a careful review of how it will t into your operation, business plan and community before making a commitment.
in 2008 when we installed a methane digester at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. In 2010, we also installed a digester system at our Dairy Dreams farm site near Casco, Wisconsin.
By JJ Pagel
In addition to being a part of Professional Dairy Producers’ Your Farm-Your Footprint sustainability initiative to learn how we can better manage our farm’s environmental footprint score, Pagel’s Ponderosa has a long history of working to do our best for our cows, land and people — including our neighbors. We began our journey with renewable energy
We’ve learned a number of lessons in the planning and management of projects, as well as how to communicate the benets with community members. One key outcome of installing the digesters was the reduction of odors. At our Pagel’s Ponderosa site, we also started collecting and drying the solids using the system so we could utilize the resulting product as bedding. These are just a couple of positive examples we share with the 7,500-10,000 people who tour our facilities each year.
Initially, the digesters at Pagel’s Ponderosa and Dairy’s Dreams used a genset to produce electricity that was sold to local utilities. By 2017, the electricity payments weren’t covering the costs to run the system, and there were signicant expenses to update equipment, so we switched to producing renewable natural gas. We now
partner with DTE Energy to clean and compress the gas, which is fed into a pipeline to enter the low-carbon fuel standard market.
At the Dairy Dreams site, we’ve installed a nutrient-recovery system that separates manure into three products: phosphorus-rich solids, nitrogen-heavy liquid and clean water. We’re able to apply a more nutrientdense fertilizer while hauling and applying less water. We are also re-using the clean water on the dairy to ush tanks, sprinklers and more.
When considering adopting new projects or practices on your dairy, understanding the nancial and facility investments is the rst step. There are other considerations as well:
— How will it affect our team? Will we need to hire more people to run the system? Will it require new skillsets and training?
— Will it make our operation more efcient? Or will it add to existing workloads?
— How will it impact the environment (water, air and soil quality)?
— How will it impact the cows? Will it improve cow comfort?
— How will it be viewed by our community members?
On-farm investors such as private equity rms and corporations are growing more interested in farmbased renewable energy ventures, and that behooves producers to undertake their due diligence. As farmers, we typically look for the best in everyone, so we need to proceed into new endeavors with a healthy skepticism. Knowing who is behind the proposed idea and their end game for the investment is critical. We’ve turned down opportunities for projects that promised annual lease agreements with payments over 20 years after realizing the project developer was putting together a portfolio of small projects they could package and later sell to private equity investors. That quick return would benet the developer but
May 27-29
June 3-5, 10-12, 17-19, 24-26
The Dairy Signal ® Online, noon - 1 p.m.
Visit www.pdpw.org to participate in live-streamed event. Audio/video recordings also available free.
June 18
Annual PDP® Community Blood Drive 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Professional Dairy Producers office 820 N. Main Street, Juneau, WI 53039
Visit www.pdpw.org to sign up for a time slot and for information about additional donor benefits.
could leave farmers with an uncertain future.
There are a number of resources available for those considering new opportunities. Start with a good law rm and take advantage of programming from organizations such as PDP, Farm Bureau, extension and more. Also, investing in civil engineers and professional grant writers early on in a project can pay off in expertise, time savings and efciency. Developing a good relationship with local and state regulatory agencies and keeping communications open is also important. Finally, talk to someone who has done it before. Tap into your networks to nd others in your state or around the country who have done something similar.
JJ Pagel of Kewaunee, Wisconsin, is a third-generation farmer who owns and operates Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy with his sister, Jamie, and brother, Bryan. JJ attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course and Cornell Dairy Executive Program. Today, the Pagel family milks just over 12,500 cows at ve sites and farms 15,000 acres. They have on-site processing for farmstead cheeses that are sold at Ron’s Wisconsin Cheese. For more information on PDP’s Your Farm-Your Footprint sustainability initiative, go to www.pdpw.org.
The Modern Ag Alliance unites farmers with a common goal: protect the future of American agriculture.
That means fighting for American farmers’ access to essential crop protection tools, like glyphosate, so they can continue running thriving, competitive farms.
When farmers face fewer weeds, lower costs, and higher yields, every American benefits from lower grocery bills.
Seizing opportunities, creating a future
Verhoefs share farm for Colby Dairy Breakfast
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
COLBY, Wis. — Determination, resilience and a willingness to seize opportunities that arose from difcult circumstances are all qualities that helped J.C. and Alsha Verhoef lay the foundation for the dairy farm dream they began creating in 2011.
The Verhoefs, with their children, Nicole and Pieter, milk 500 cows in a double-8 parlor on their Colby dairy farm, averaging nearly 100 pounds of milk per cow per day. They farm 1,200 acres on which they raise the crops to feed their herd. They will welcome their community to their farm June 22, when they host the Colby Dairy Breakfast.
“We need to educate the people a little more,” J.C. said. “We need to promote our industry more than just feed people pancakes and cheese curds. We need to teach them about the technology we have today, how we care for the
land and for our cows.”
The family is honored to be asked to take on that task, Alsha said.
“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, dairy farming — they just go out and milk the cows,’” Alsha said. “The world has changed — the technology we use in the elds, in the barn — it’s amazing to see.”
The Verhoefs are proud of what they have built, from their purchase of what they saw as a farm for the future, where they could build their dream.
J.C. rst came to America in 2007, when he was hired to manage a large dairy farm in southwestern Kansas. A chance meeting at the baggage claim carousel at the
ROOTED IN THE HEART OF
Denver International Airport brought the couple — both natives of the Netherlands, with dairy farm backgrounds — together.
“You never know what you might nd at baggage claim,” Alsha said. “We went to have a coffee and the rest is history.”
Alsha left her job as a registered nurse in Regina, Saskatchewan, and joined J.C. in Kansas. The couple shared the dream of starting their own farm.
“In 2009, the whole dairy industry and the world kind of collapsed,” J.C. said. “We saw it as maybe an opportunity to start.”
With their savings in hand, a young child in tow and a second on the way, the Verhoefs began searching for a farm to call their own.
“We started looking in Missouri rst, but it wasn’t our place,” J.C. said. “I knew from being in western Kansas, I wanted my water to come from above, not from the ground, I wanted to stay away from irrigation. Somebody suggested we look at Wisconsin, where all the dairy industry started.”
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The Verhoef family — Nicole (le ), J.C., Alsha and Pieter — stands May 10 at their dairy farm near Colby, Wisconsin. The Verhoefs will host the Colby Dairy Breakfast on their farm June 22.
A curious calf inves gates her surroundings May 10 at Verhoef
Colby, Wisconsin. The Verhoefs began their Marathon County dairy farm in 2011 with 20 milking cows and 230 springing heifers.
The Verhoefs began researching farms and regions of the Badger State, looking at dozens of potential sites before nding the place they now call home, in central Wisconsin.
“Everything just clicked into place, smoothly,” Alsha said. “We like it here; we have wonderful neighbors. We like Colby and Wisconsin — we like the four seasons we have here.”
Starting out with an empty farm and Alsha seven months pregnant, the Verhoefs secured a milk market with Grassland Dairy Products Inc., and began stocking their farm, purchasing 230 springing heifers and 20 milking cows.
“You cannot start with just one cow in the tank,” J.C. said. “We planned to start off milking 250 cows, three times a day, right away.”
In 2012, the Verhoefs again found opportunity from less-than-ideal circumstances.
“It was so dry, they were selling heifers for less than $1,000 a piece, so we bought another 50 springers,” J.C. said. “We had the feed inventory. Another thing we did in the second year, with mostly all second-lactation cows, was to begin milking the fresh cows six times a day. They brought us a 108-pound average, No. 2 in the state. We had good milk prices after the drought, and we had a lot of milk
because of those cows. That was nice, it really started us growing, with almost no labor costs.”
The early years of their career came with challenges for the young family.
“It was just the two of us here, with two young children,” Alsha said. “We didn’t go out, we didn’t see anyone else. It’s only been in the last ve or six years we’ve started to socialize more, to get involved with the school and community.”
The Verhoefs continued to capitalize when opportunities presented themselves, purchasing a neighboring farm to grow their land base. That led to building a new freestall barn to grow their herd to its current size. A commodity shed was added in 2023, which will serve as the venue for the breakfast.
The Verhoefs are excited to share their livelihood with the community, highlighting the technological advancements that are part of every day on the farm.
“We have CowManager and a representative will be here to show people how it works,” J.C. said. “We want to share how we care for our cows.”
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Dairy LLC near
The Verhoefs are passionate about being good stewards of the land, another message they want to share. They utilize GPS technology for precision planting, fertilizing and yield monitoring during harvest; drag hoses to inject manure; no-till cropping; and cover crops.
“Injecting the manure lets us use it more wisely; it decreases the fertilizer we need to buy,” J.C. said. “We test the soils and keep watching. Some elds might need a little, but most elds are good with the manure. It’s better for the environment and for our checkbook at the end of the day.”
The Verhoef’s custom crop operator will be on-hand with equipment to share the measures taken for environmental sustainability.
“With the technology, we’re able to be more frugal and more sensible in using chemicals and fertilizers — we don’t just randomly spray entire elds,” Alsha said. “We can use it where it needs to be. Each plant gets its individual portion of what it needs.”
Providing a backdrop for community building while educating the public about agriculture is a remarkable opportunity, the Verhoefs said.
“Isn’t it great that families come and talk, they socialize and spend time together,” Alsha said. “You don’t see people on their phones at the breakfast. There are old-timers and youth, lots of families — it’s a good mix of our community.”
Contact
Your Local
Abts Equipment LLC
Wisconsin:
New Franken (920) 866-2485
Gillett (920) 866-2485
Argall Dairy Systems, Inc.
Belleville (608) 424-6110
Platteville (608) 348-3385
Fuller’s Milker Center LLC
Lancaster (608) 723-4634
Richland Center (608) 723-4634
Gehring Sales & Service, Inc.
Rubicon (262) 673-4920
Joe’s Refrigeration, Inc.
Withee (715) 229-2321
Leedstone, Inc.
Menomonie (866) 467-4717
Kesler Farms LLC
“Happy calves and less headaches. Thanks Calf Star!”
“Out with the old and in with the new, updated the milk taxi this week. The old one was used when we bought it and was giving us enough grief with electrical issues plunge on a new one.”
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Minnesota:
Midwest Livestock Systems
Menomonie (715) 235-5144
Redeker Dairy Equipment
Brandon (920) 960-9260
The Scharine Group Inc.
Whitewater (608) 883-2880
Tri-County Dairy Supply Inc.
Janesville (608) 757-2697
Iowa:
Langs Dairy Equipment
Decorah (563) 382-8722
Precision Dairy Equipment
Elkader (563) 245-2560
Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment, Inc.
Pipestone (507) 825-3271
Leedstone, Inc.
Melrose (888) 267-2697
Glencoe (877) 864-5575
Plainview (800) 548-5240
Midwest Livestock Systems
Zumbrota (507) 732-4673
South Dakota:
Midwest Livestock Systems
Renner (605) 274-3656
Grabbing the gold medal
Baldwin-Woodville FFA tops state dairy cattle evaluation contest
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
BALDWIN, Wis. — Donning the bright pink blazers that have become the trademark of their county’s dairy judging program, four FFA members from Baldwin-Woodville High School joined forces to come out as champions of the Wisconsin FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation Career Development event last month.
Senior Stella Kamm, juniors Lilly Peterson and Makayla Weyer, and freshman Macy Weyer, under FFA advisor Michelle Kamm, topped the contest — two points ahead of the secondplace team from Cambridge. Stella placed fourth overall as an individual.
For their efforts, the team earned a berth to compete in the national contest at the National FFA Convention in October in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“We are all excited to travel to the convention, to meet new people, see new cows and judge in a different environment,” Lilly said. “It will be the rst time any of us has gotten to go to the convention.”
The teammates are relatively new to the CDE contest. This year marked the second year Stella and Lilly competed, and the rst time for Makayla and Macy. As a group, they are seasoned competitors in dairy judging, though. They have all been involved in the county’s successful 4-H dairy judging program, dating back to their early grade school years.
“The judging portion of the CDE contest was almost easy for us,” Makayla said. “The state contest was only four classes, with two sets of reasons — that’s like a normal practice for us.”
Macy is just beginning her transition into the senior division of the 4-H contest, beginning the process of learning to give oral reasons competitively.
“This is my rst year giving reasons, so that is more challenging for me,” Macy said. “I’m working to become more condent and more descrip-
the opportunity
tive. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.”
The other three girls have experienced success in high levels of 4-H competition, along with Stella’s sister, Phia Kamm. They were the state 4-H champions in 2024, earning them a spot to compete at the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest held last fall at World Dairy Expo. There, they placed third as a team, which presented them with the opportunity to travel to Scotland in June to compete at the International Dairy Judging Contest at the Royal Highland Show.
While placing classes, type analysis questions and presenting oral reasons have become established skills for the girls. The CDE contest offered some new challenges, including two classes placed on pedigree, evaluation of a Dairy Herd Improvement Association herd report and a 50-question writ-
ten exam on general dairy knowledge.
“We’ve all been judging a long time in 4-H, and our ag instructor asked us if we would be interested in contributing to the FFA team,” Stella said. “The written parts of the contest were a new
area we needed to prepare for, familiarizing ourselves with where information is located on DHIA reports and things like that.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Stella Kamm (le ), Makayla Weyer, Macy Weyer and Lilly Peterson top the Wisconsin FFA Dairy Ca le Evalua on Career Development Event Contest, represen ng the Baldwin-Woodville FFA chapter, April 25 in Madison, Wisconsin. The team earned
to represent Wisconsin at the na onal contest this fall in Indianapolis, Indiana.
May 30-31
Wisconsin June dairy events
Marsheld Dairyfest: The Mayor’s Breakfast will be served May 30 from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m at the Marsheld Fairgrounds. The event includes evening events, a craft show, family activities and the Dairyfest Parade May 31, beginning at 11 a.m.
May 31
Green County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted by Josh and Liz Steiner at Heaven View Dairy, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Heaven View Dairy is located at N303 County Rd. HK, Monroe, Wisconsin. Limited on-site parking will be available, weather permitting. Busing will be provided from the Walmart Supercenter in Monroe.
June 1
Abbotsford Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by DeJong Dairy, the annual breakfast is from 7 a.m. to noon. DeJong Dairy is located at 102218 Draper Rd. Dorchester, Wisconsin. There will be busing to and from the Abbotsford School District’s south parking lot starting at 7 a.m. and ending at noon.
Brown County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted by Wayside Dairy, beginning with a church service at 7 a.m., serving a delicious breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon. Wayside Dairy is located at 7937 Stone Rd., Greenleaf, Wisconsin.
Dodge County Dairy Brunch: Hosted by Plum Creek Dairy, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Plum Creek Dairy is located at W8998 Laurel Hill Rd., Fox Lake, Wisconsin.
Granton Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Schilling Farms, from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Schilling Farms is located at W3514 Tree Road, Granton, Wisconsin. Handicap parking is available at the farm, with busing provided from Granton High School at 217 North Main St., Granton.
Stratford FFA Alumni Dairy Breakfast: hosted at Country Aire Ballroom, from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Country Aire Ballroom is located at 118600 CTH-P, Stratford, Wisconsin.
June 7
Barron County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Hillsdale Dairy, the 50th annual breakfast will be served from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Hillsdale Dairy is located at 815 14 ½ St., Barron, Wisconsin.
Benoit Cheese June Dairy Customer Appreciation Day: Hosted by Benoit Cheese Haus, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy the day learning about and sampling Wisconsin cheese. Benoit Cheese Haus is located at 23920 County Highway F, Ashland, Wisconsin.
Cows on the Concourse: Hosted at Capitol Square, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees can enjoy Wisconsin dairy products while meeting and greeting cows from local dairy farms and learning about Wisconsin’s dairy industry. The event is held on the southeast corner of the Capitol Square at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Madison, Wisconsin.
Crawford County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Achenbach’s Hy-View Farms, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Achenbach’s HyView Farms is located at 29245 State Highway 27, Eastman, Wisconsin.
Eau Claire County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted by Messerschmidt Dairy. The breakfast will be served from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Parking will be at Fall Creek High School, 336 E. Hoover Ave., Fall Creek, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Dells FFA Alumni Farm to Fork Breakfast: Hosted by the Wisconsin
2006 S-185, Glass Cab with A/C, 4750
2018 N-H C-237, Glass Cab with A/C, 2 Speed, 920 Hours ...............................................................$47,500.00 USED TILLAGE
2013 W-R 513 Soil Pro, 7 Shank, Harrow ...........$29,500.00 USED PLANTERS
White 6700, 12x30, Verticle Fold ...........................$5,500.00 USED HAY EQUIPMENT
2022 N-H 313 Discbine, 13’ Cut ................................$36,500.00
2005 N-H 1431 Discbine, 13’ Cut ..............................$14,200.00
2020 N-H 210 Discbine, 10’ Cut ................................$24,900.00
Dells FFA Alumni at the Wisconsin Dells High School, from 8 a.m. to noon. The Wisconsin Dells High School is located at 1501 Brew Farm Rd., Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Please use the activities entrance.
Iowa County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by the Handel family of B. Kurt Dairy, from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Parking is at Vortex Optics, 1 Vortex Dr., Barneveld, Wisconsin, with a bus shuttle to and from the farm.
Monroe County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Chapman Farms, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Chapman Farms is located at 21509 Gladeview Ave., Tomah, Wisconsin. Parking will be available at the fairgrounds in Tomah, with a bus shuttle available.
Rock County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Templeton Farms, from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Templeton Farms is located at 9743 Evansville Brooklyn Rd., Evansville, Wisconsin.
Sauk County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by the Nolden family at Narrows Dairy, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Narrows Dairy is located at S4197A Buckeye Rd., Rock Springs, Wisconsin.
June 8
Edgar FFA Alumni June Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Cropping Central LLC from 7 a.m. to noon. Cropping Central is located at 118464 County Rd. N, Edgar, Wisconsin.
Grant County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Schilling Brothers LLC from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Schilling Brothers is located at 1345 Ebenezer Rd., Fennimore, Wisconsin.
Lincoln County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted at the Smith Center at the Merrill Area Recreation Complex from 8 a.m. to noon. The Smith Center at the MARC is located at 1100 MARC Dr., Merrill, Wisconsin.
Manitowoc County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted by Twin Elm Family Farm LLC from 8 a.m. to noon. Twin Elm Family Farm is located at 9429 US Highway 151, Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Marquette County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Slowey Farms, beginning at 7 a.m. to noon. Following breakfast, enjoy a farm tour, music, bingo, children’s games and a petting zoo. Slowey Farms is located at W8106 Evergreen Ave., Westeld, Wisconsin.
Neillsville Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Four Star Ag and Dairy, from 7 a.m. to noon. Four Star Ag and Dairy is located at W4198 Pine Creek Rd., Neillsville, Wisconsin.
Oconto County Breakfast on the Farm: hosted by Hodkiewicz Harvesting and Trucking, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m, serving until noon, with a Catholic Mass at 7 a.m. Hodkiewicz Harvesting and Trucking is located at 5634 McCarthy Rd., Lena, Wisconsin.
Outagamie County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted by J-Springs Dairy, beginning at 8 a.m. J-Springs Dairy is located at N4182 County Rd. EE, Appleton, Wisconsin.
Richland County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Schmidt Family Farm, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Schmidt Family Farm is located at 29281 Fairview Rd., Lone Rock, Wisconsin.
Taylor County Town and Country Dairy Breakfast: Held at the Taylor County Fairgrounds from 6:30 a.m. to noon. Taylor County Fairgrounds is located in Medford, Wisconsin, at the corner of highways 13 and 64.
June 13
Spencer Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by the Spencer Area Chamber of Commerce at the Spencer Lions Shelter from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Spencer Lions Shelter is located at 105 South Park St., Spencer, Wisconsin.
June 14
Dairy Day at the MOOseum: Hosted by Hoard Historical Museum, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with cow parade at 1:30 p.m. Hoard Historical Museum is located at 405 Merchants Ave., Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
Dane County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted by Hinchley’s Dairy Farm, from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Hinchley’s Dairy Farm is located at 2844 State Rd. 73, Cambridge, Wisconsin.
Speed, 1575 Hours
(2) T-770, Glass Cab with A/C, 2 Speed, 1000 Hours and up ....................................................Starting at $43,900.00
T-590, Glass Cab with A/C, 4600
(3) S-76, Glass Cab with A/C, 2 Speed, 161 Hours and up ..................................Starting at $36,400.00 2020 S-66, Glass Cab with A/C, 2 Speed, 2700 Hours .............................................................$41,500.00
Glass Cab with A/C, 2 Speed, 239 Hours ...............................................................$39,500.00 2009 S-250, Glass Cab & Heater, 2 Speed, 2500 Hours .............................................................$25,900.00
2000 N-H 1465, 9’ Haybine .........................................$8,950.00
Case IH 8312, 12’ Discbine .........................................$8,950.00
2023 N-H 108M Discmower, 7’10” cut .......................$11,600.00
(2) 2013 N-H H-6740 Discmower, 7’10” cutStarting at $7,250.00
2002 N-H 616 Discmower, 7’10” Cut ...........................$5,250.00 (4) 2020 N-H 107M Discmower, 6’8” cut ....Starting at $8,750.00 J-D 350 6’ Sickle Mower ..............................................$1,500.00
2009 N-H FP-230, Crop Proc, 824 Cornhead, 27P hayhead...........................................................$19,900.00
2020 N-H 560 Rd Baler, Specialty Crop, 4000 Bales $46,500.00 1994 N-H 640 Rd Baler, Twine Only .........................$10,900.00
2022 N-H 3223 Rake .................................................$31,900.00
2005 H&S BC12HC, 12 Wheel Hi Cap Rake...............$8,950.00
2002 H&S V-10 Rake ..................................................$2,950.00
USED MISC
2010 W-R 20’ Stalk Chopper, Nice Shape ................$10,900.00 E-Z Flow 510 Grain Cart, Tarp, Lights .......................$11,900.00
Kenosha County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Mighty Grand Dairy from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Mighty Grand Dairy is located at 22811 18th St., Union Grove, Wisconsin. Parking is available at the farm, but alternative parking with a shuttle will be provided in case of rain.
La Crosse County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by the St. Joseph’s Ridge Lions. The event will take place from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event will be held at La Crosse Interstate Fairgrounds, N4985 Co. Rd. M, West Salem, Wisconsin.
Lafayette County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Holmesville Dairy, from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Holmesville Dairy is located at 6074 Everson Rd., Argyle, Wisconsin.
Owen-Withee Dairy Breakfast: Hosted at the Carl Vater Memorial Pavilion, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Carl Vater Memorial Pavilion is located at 514 Division St., Withee, Wisconsin.
Pittsville FFA June Dairy Breakfast:
Hosted by Grass Ridge Farm, at their heifer facility, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Grass Ridge Farm Heifer Facility is located at 7916 Apple Rd., Pittsville, Wisconsin.
Pierce County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Peterson Family Dairy, from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Peterson Family Dairy is located at W10322 State Rd. 29, River Falls, Wisconsin.
Portage County June Dairy Day: Hosted by Feltz Family Farm Dairy Store, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feltz’s Dairy Store is located at 5796 Porter Dr., Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
Trempealeau County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by the Kruger family of Kruger Inc., the breakfast will be served from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. On-farm parking is available. The farm is located at N49494 County Rd. Y, Eleva, Wisconsin.
Walworth County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by JC-Kow Farms from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. JC-Kow Farms is located at W7522 Bluff Rd., Whitewater, Wisconsin.
Washington County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted by Maple Woods Dairy Farm LLC. Parking and breakfast will be at the Washington County Fairgrounds, but activities and ice cream will be held on the farm. Buses will be provided to shuttle to the farm and fair fairgrounds. Washington County Fairgrounds is located at 3000 County Highway PV, West Bend, Wisconsin.
Vernon County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Lepke Family Farm. Breakfast will be served from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Lepke Family Farm is located at S3839 U.S. Highway 14, Viroqua, Wisconsin.
June 14-15
Watertown Agri-Business Club Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Gudenkauf Farm from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m, both days. Gudenkauf Farm is located at N8232 Little Coffee Rd., Watertown, Wisconsin. A free shuttle will be available from the Watertown Walmart parking lot.
June 15
Kewaunee County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted by El-Na Farms LLC, serving from 8 a.m. to noon, with a church service at 7 a.m. El-Na Farms is located at E4029 Pheasant Rd., Algoma, Wisconsin.
Loyal FFA Alumni Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Hornland Farm from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Hornland Farm is located at N6942 County Rd. K, Loyal, Wisconsin.
Marsheld FFA Alumni June Dairy
Breakfast: Hosted by Bauer’s Breezy Acres from 7 a.m. to noon. Bauer’s Breezy Acres is located at 10695 Mill Creek Dr., Marsheld, Wisconsin.
Ripon FFA Alumni Country Breakfast: Hosted by Badtke Dairy from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Badtke Dairy is located at N7511 State Rd. 44-49, Ripon, Wisconsin.
Waupaca County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted at the Waupaca County Fairgrounds, from 8 a.m. to noon. The Waupaca County Fairgrounds is located at 602 South St., Weyauwega, Wisconsin.
June 21
Auburndale FFA Alumni June Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by the Auburndale FFA Alumni at Auburndale High School, from 8 a.m. to noon. Auburndale High School is located at 10629 North Rd., Auburndale, Wisconsin.
Columbia County Moo-Day Brunch: Hosted by Endres Jazzy Jerseys, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Endres Jazzy Jerseys is located at W9402 County Rd. K, Lodi, Wisconsin.
Four Cubs Farm Annual Dairy Breakfast: Hosted by Four Cubs Farm, from 7 a.m. to noon. Four Cubs Farm is located at 23250 South Williams Rd., Grantsburg, Wisconsin.
Pepin County Town and Country Dairy
Breakfast: Hosted by Brunner’s Hillside Dairy, serving from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Brunner’s Hillside Dairy is located at N6037 County Rd. V, Durand, Wisconsin.
Sawyer County Dairy Breakfast: Hosted at the Sawyer County Agricultural Center from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Sawyer County Agricultural Center is located at 10172 Bender Rd., Hayward, Wisconsin.
Sheboygan County Breakfast on the Farm: Hosted by Double Dutch Dairy, from 7 a.m. until noon, with breakfast served until 11 a.m. Double Dutch Dairy is located at W3653 Hoitink Rd., Cedar Grove, Wisconsin.
Sun Prairie Farmers Market Dairy Days: Hosted by The Sun Prairie Farmers Market, from 7 a.m. to noon. The Sun Prairie Farmers Market is located at 300 E. Main St., Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
Winnebago County Grilled Cheese Day: Hosted by Silver-Shea Holstein Farm, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Silver-Shea Holstein Farm is located at 4843 Ginnow Rd., Omro, Wisconsin. Parking will be at the Omro Elementary School, with bus transportation to and from the farm.
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Educating future consumers
Schroepfers host Antigo FFA Day on the Farm
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
BRYANT, Wis. — Sharing the story of agriculture with future generations of consumers is important to Terry Schroepfer, so much so that he welcomed the Antigo FFA Chapter to use his farm for their Day on the Farm event four times.
“Getting these kids out here, showing them where their food comes from, that’s really important,” Schroepfer said. “Too many people don’t have any idea what goes into feeding them. It’s amazing, the questions these kids ask.”
Schroepfer and his family milked 75 cows and raised crops on their Langlade County farm near the town of Bryant before dispersing their herd May 14 at Premier Livestock in Withee. They partnered with the FFA chapter to host their nal Day on the Farm event May 8-9, bringing area students together to learn about agriculture.
The FFA students hosted over 250 youth, including fourth graders from Antigo public and parochial schools, as well as fourth graders from Crandon and students in fourth, fth and sixth grades in the White Lake School District, said Antigo FFA Chapter advisor Shalynn Domke.
farm sign May 8 near Bryant, Wisconsin. The Schroepfers hosted An go’s FFA Day on the Farm. They milked 75 cows before dispersing their herd May 14.
Like many programs, the Day on the Farm event was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the chapter rotated among farms in the area, spending two years hosting the event at each farm. The rst event held at the Schroepfer farm took place in 2019.
“When we started the program back up three years ago, we came back here,” Domke said. “It was all planned;
it’s close to the schools and we have the ability to have all the stations undercover in the event of rain.”
When the event was resurrected post-pandemic, Domke said her ofcer team raised the question of opening the event up to other schools outside their own district.
“The kids asked right away if we could add Crandon,” Domke said. “I told them we’d have to go to having the
event over two days. Our fourth graders take a full day, and Crandon brings anywhere from 50-80 kids each year.”
Sharing the agricultural experience with other area students lls a void, Domke said.
“We’re in Section 8, we’re the northern-most chapter on the east side of the state,” Domke said. “It’s all state
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The Schroepfer family — Terry (le ), Sharon, Ela, Ida, Mia, Sara and Korbin — stands near their
Con nued from SCHROEPFERS | Page 32
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
(Right) Mia Schroepfer explains to fourth graders how fences are used to allow animals access to pasture during An go FFA’s Day on the Farm event May 8 at her family’s dairy farm near Bryant, Wisconsin. This was the fourth year the Schroepfers hosted the event.
(Below) Korbin Schroepfer shows total mixed ra on to fourth graders during An go FFA’s Day on the Farm event May 8 at his family’s dairy farm near Bryant, Wisconsin. Korbin is the chapter’s vice president of program ac vies.
and national forest north of us. There aren’t really any farms, so these kids don’t have access to many opportunities to experience a farm rst-hand.”
When students arrive at the farm, they are separated into groups and travel among stations that include tours of the barn and milkhouse, dairy product tasting and presentations about feed and mixing, maple syrup production and crops and eldwork. Stations were also set up to focus on small animals and other large animals, other than cows.
“This is a working farm,” Domke said. “You might see a tractor come through the yard. Your friends this morning got
animals, he raised heifers and housed a few cows for other local farmers.
“Years ago, everything was full,” he said. “We had over 300 cattle on the farm.”
The Schroepfers farm 500 acres and will continue running some of the crop ground, growing corn silage for a nearby large dairy.
“I spend a lot of time in this barn,” Korbin said. “I do chores in here every day, before and after school. These heifers all know me; they’re all pretty friendly.”
Schroepfer was philosophical and a bit sentimental, watching fourth graders swarm his farm that sunny May afternoon, just days before he would hang up his last milker.
to see the milk truck come in to pick up the milk. There is always lots going on at a farm.”
Schroepfer expressed pride that his grandchildren, Mia and Korbin, were both instrumental in hosting the event, as ofcers of the chapter. Mia serves as the president and Korbin is the vice president of program activities.
“I like that every day is different,” Mia said. “I like doing this, sharing everything with these kids, to be an advocate for smaller family farms like ours.”
As he has gotten older, Schroepfer said he has slowly been downsizing to the current herd size. Besides their own
“I’ve done this my entire life,” he said. “My mom and dad bought the farm in 1951. I’ve been doing this full time ever since I graduated from high school in 1972 — 53 years.”
Raising his family on the farm and watching his grandchildren have the same experiences he had as a child has been rewarding, Schroepfer said.
Mia said her upbringing shaped her view of the world.
“I feel like I’m going into college knowing things I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t grown up on the farm,” she said. “If you didn’t grow up like this, you might not understand a lot of the things I have learned here.”
Spring has sprung
By Steve Frericks Stearns County FSA executive director
Ideal planting conditions kicked spring into high gear. Forages and pastures show visible growth daily. Fruit trees are blooming. Crop conditions are good. It is easy to be optimistic right now for good reason. Remember to record all your planting dates; this will help simplify the crop reporting process with the Farm Service Agency. We challenge you to attempt to accomplish the crop reporting process before the rst cutting of hay. History has proven we see a lot fewer mistakes from producers when it is fresh on their minds. This will also keep your crop insurance agent much happier. Call your local ofce for an appointment.
Tidbits from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ announcement May 7, 2025:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is putting farmers rst and reprioritizing customer service. USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program was the quickest, most effective rollout of emergency payments in the history of the program. To date, 487,177 farmers across 49 states have received over $7.3 billion in payments. To ensure total transpar-
ency, USDA updates the portal every Monday so the American people can track payment totals. President Trump and Secretary Rollins understand how important customer service is to the American people. That is why, in direct contrast to the Biden Administration, USDA stood up the ECAP program in three months as opposed to an average of 13 months, and in one case, 19 months it took to release ad hoc assistance programs under Secretary (Thomas) Vilsack. These unnecessary delays cause real harm on the farm.
Following several natural disasters that deeply impacted farms and ranches across the country, Secretary Rollins announced plans to expedite $21 billion in disaster assistance. Farmers receiving livestock relief for drought and wildre can expect to receive payments as early as the end of this month. While we aim to move all payments out expeditiously and cut timelines where possible, it is important to note that some elements of the Congressionally appropriated assistance are more specic and labor intensive and were also not statutorily required; therefore, they will take a bit more time.
Disaster assistance program timeline
Emergency livestock relief pro-
gram – drought/wildre
May 23 – Release to Federal Register for publication.
May 28 – Final rule on public display.
May 29 – Payment processing on Thursday night.
May 30 – County ofces sign and certify payments.
Supplemental Disaster Relief Program – previously indemnied loss
June 30 – Release to Federal Register for publication.
July 3 – Final rule on public display.
July 7 – SDRP signup begins.
Emergency Livestock Relief Program – ooding includes Commodity Loss Assistance program, Milk Loss Program – combined nal rule
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August 13 – Sent to Federal Register for publication.
August 15 – Final Rule on public display.
August 18 – ELRP ooding, CLA and MLP signup begins.
SDRP – uncovered loss
September 10 – Sent to Federal Register for publication.
September 12 – Final Rule on public display.
September 15 – SDRP signup targeted.
Farm Service Agency is an equal opportunity lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250. Visit www.fsa. usda.gov for application forms and updates on USDA programs
Transition milk
Dairy producers have long understood that providing calves with 3-5 quarts of high-quality colostrum as soon as possible after birth is critical for ensuring passive transfer of immunity and giving calves a strong start. After the rst 24 hours, many producers begin feeding milk replacer or whole milk.
Something to Ruminate On
However, research suggests there may be some benets of feeding colostrum or transition milk for a longer period — even after the critical 24-hour window has passed. While calves do not absorb additional antibodies after 24 hours of age, feeding transition milk can have localized benets within the gut, potentially reducing the incidence of illness, especially diarrhea, in calves.
By Barry Visser Nutritionist
What is transition milk?
Transition milk is commonly dened as the milk collected during the second through the fth post-calving milkings. This milk is an intermediate between colostrum and whole milk. The composition of transition milk can be highly variable; in general, it contains more solids relative to whole milk. According to researchers at the University of Minnesota, milk from the second milking can contain 30% more fat, 170% more protein, 15% more calcium, 458% more vitamin A and 406% more vitamin E than whole milk.
In addition to greater nutrient content, colostrum and transition milk contain bioactive compounds, growth factors and hormones that aid in the development of the gut microbiome. For example, levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 are greatly increased in milk from the second and third milkings as compared to whole milk. These hormones play key roles in stimulating villi, mucosal and submucosal development in the small intestine, leading to better nutrient absorption in young calves.
Performance results
Recent work conducted at Michigan State University showed that feeding transition milk to calves days 2 through 4 can increase preweaning daily gains in calves. Calves were provided with colostrum and then fed 2 quarts of transition milk three times per day for nine feedings prior to receiving milk replacer on day 5 of life. These heifer calves were compared to peers fed 2 quarts of milk replacer at each feeding after the colostrum feeding. Heifers fed transition milk achieved greater weaning weights (plus 6.6 pounds on average). Additionally, both this published study as well as a follow-up study found improvements in observational health scores and blood health markers when calves were fed transition milk.
The follow-up study also showed that transition
milk stimulates the development of the digestive tract through cell proliferation (increasing cell numbers), which ultimately increases small intestinal surface area and potential nutrient absorption. Calves not receiving transition milk may miss out on the opportunity for increased gut development and improved health.
Implementation strategies
If a producer is interested in feeding transition milk, they will need to weigh the benets, feasibility and economics of implementation. The farm will need a protocol to collect the milk during the second through fth post-calving milkings and to keep it separated from the other fresh or treated milk. The key to successful implementation will lie in how easily milkers can identify cows producing transition milk and in having an extra storage space specically for that milk. Colored leg bands may be an effective tool to differentiate cows producing transition milk from other cows in the group. Transition milk should ide-
ally be pasteurized to manage bacterial loads. When collecting transition milk is not feasible, an alternative option is supplementing milk replacer with colostrum replacer. In another MSU-published study, feeding a 50:50 blend of colostrum replacer and milk replacer achieved growth and health responses like those observed when feeding transition milk. Although this approach could be more appealing from a labor standpoint, it may be difcult to justify feeding 150 grams of relatively expensive colostrum replacer per feeding on top of the milk replacer cost for three days.
Feeding an adequate amount of clean, quality colostrum within the rst 24 hours of a calf’s life is the foundation for giving calves the best possible start. If it is logistically feasible to feed transition milk or supplement with colostrum replacer, producers have an opportunity to take their calves’ performance to the next level.
Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
Another dairy day in Italy
Continuing the saga of my Italy trip, one day, our dairy group was transported to a Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plant, a few miles from Milan in the Po River Valley. This cheese has been made for over 1,000 years and was originally created by the Benedictine monks in the Middle Ages as a way to preserve milk without any additives. Surprisingly, the cheese maker allowed our group to take as many pictures as we wanted to as we watched the cheesemaking.
The process of making ParmigianoReggiano requires a lot of hand labor. The milk is put in copper cauldrons the night before from the evening milking. In the morning, the cream, which has risen to the top, is siphoned off and used for other things, such as ice cream or butter. When the morning milk is delivered from the farms, it is added to the evening milk, and the process of making ParmigianoReggiano is started. Natural calf rennet and whey culture, derived from the previous day’s cheese production, are added to the combination of night and morning milk. Once the curds begin to form, there’s a careful, controlled heating process. The curd granules eventually form a large mass in the bottom of the cauldron. The cauldrons are shaped like large funnels with the narrow end below the oor level. The master cheese maker will use his ngers to determine when the curd can be removed. Two big paddles are placed into the cauldron and the curd is oated to the surface. Next, the curd is divided into two pieces. Two men then take cheese cloths and put them under each piece of curd. The cheese is then wrapped and suspended and whey is allowed to drain out of it for a few minutes.
tion, which causes the outside of the wheel of cheese to dry out and harden. After the wheels are removed from the brine, they are transported to an aging room in which they are stored for many months. The minimum aging time for Parmigiano-Reggiano is 12 months before it is allowed to be sold. All cheeses are inspected by a consortium that regulates the sale of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Inspectors will tap on the wheels to detect air pockets in the cheese. If air pockets are found, those wheels are discarded.
By Jim Mlsna
The curing room we observed had approximately 30,000 wheels in storage. The wheels are turned over each month – sometimes more often when the cheese is younger. The wheels of cheese in that particular storage room are valued at approximately $600 per wheel. This room was full because aging cheese gives it a more distinctive avor and, therefore, a higher value.
and a computer-controlled automatic feeding system. This farm did not have any quota on its milk production. They are currently averaging about 110 pounds per cow per day in the new facilities, but less than that in their old facilities. It is common practice in Italy to build a new barn directly adjacent to an old facility. This farm found that leaving a space between the buildings caused their production to increase.
They use an automated Lely feeding system with three kitchens. Each kitchen has a crane which picks up feedstuffs and puts them in the total mixed ration. The TMR then follows a metal pathway to the barns where the feed is given to the cows. They like that there is no waste, no labor and that feed is always in front of the cows. The robotic car travels six times a day. There was some chatter about how well it would work in an environment with freezing temperatures and snow.
The curd is then put into circular plastic molds and transported to another room. There, the future wheels of cheese are turned every hour during the rst day to allow some of the moisture to leave the cheese. The plastic collar around each wheel of cheese is imprinted with the date, time and location of the production of that particular wheel of cheese. Each wheel weighs 100 pounds. In the next stage, each wheel is immersed in a solution of natural salt water. The wheels stay in the salt solu-
Our next stop in a nearby small town was a Parma ham production facility. Parma hams come from pigs that are approximately 9 months old and weigh about 300 pounds. In this particular facility, they would slaughter about 300 pigs per hour. Legs from approved pigs are selected for making Parma hams, which eventually become what most Americans call prosciutto. The legs are cleaned and salted with the hide on them. They are then kept in a room with 80% humidity so that the salt is absorbed into the meat. After ve days, the hams are massaged and salted again. The next step involves spending about four months at 2 degrees Celsius, which is just above freezing, and adding more salt. The hams then hang for 14 months. They are ready when they smell done, with the main butcher’s nose being the detection device. This part of Italy processes about 21 million pounds per year. The only preservative put on a Parma ham is sea salt. One leg is valued at approximately $280. Sixty percent of the hams are sold in Italy; the rest go to foreign countries.
Our next stop was Bandioli Dairy near Piubega. This dairy was milking approximately 760 cows with 14 Lely robots. This is quite a state-of-the-art dairy. Besides the robotic milkers they also have two digesters
The dairy had nine employees, with very little human interaction in the milking pens. The milking robots were positioned in the center of the barn with automatic manure alley scrapers. There were no foot baths; instead, they spray the feet once a week to prevent warts. Cows were visiting the robots 3.2-3.4 times per day. One big expense they have is the use of pelleted straw, which costs them over $2.30 per day per cow. They are using reproductive protocols similar to those in the U.S., but are concerned about the EU restricting hormone use in the future.
Bandioli Dairy sells manure solids from their digesters to keep their phosphorus levels lower. They use the liquid manure to fertilize their grass and alfalfa. Their land prices have doubled in the last four years to about $31,820 per acre. The cost to build their last freestall barn was over 10,000 euros per stall.
We were treated to different ages of ParmigianoReggiano cheese at this dairy. When a person can eat as much cheese as he wants, he nds that four-year-old Parmigiano-Reggiano does not require a lot to be satised.
Thanks for reading during this hectic, busy and challenging time of year. I’m glad to be home and in the thick of all the decisions being made every few minutes of every day. Like most, I love the satisfaction of putting natural fertilizer, seed and sweat into the ground with the hope it brings us rewards.
Lilly, Makayla and Macy all compete on the county junior Holstein club’s dairy bowl team, where they say they were familiar with many of the things that appeared on the written exam.
The four agree that the time they put into practicing judging is the secret to their success.
“The more exposure you have to seeing good cows, good herds, the better you start to see them,” Stella said. “You get a feel for what the typical cookie-cutter cow would be and how different cows t into that mold.”
The team agreed the more cows they see of a breed builds their condence.
“Each breed has its own characteristics,” Makayla said. “The breeds we aren’t as familiar with can be challenging. We don’t see a lot of Ayrshires or Milking Shorthorns, typically.”
Following the same process for evaluating each class helps keep nerves at bay, Macy said.
“I do a rst glance, it’s more of a gut feeling, what I think just looking at them,” Macy said. “Then I break each one down, evaluating and comparing udders, frames, dairy character, feet and legs.”
Dairy judging is an activity that continues to draw the attention of the quartet.
“Judging is a social event for us,” Stella said. “We have all built friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime.”
The nature of the competition pushes each of them to perform at a high level.
“Judging is both an individual and a team sport,” Lilly said. “We practice so
much as a team, we’re all very much on the same page; we see cows in a similar way. But at the contest, you’re out there as an individual, your performance is all on you. You have the ability to control it, to see the cows and give the best reasons you can. Then they tabulate the scores.”
Dairy judging is more than just evaluating animals, Makayla said.
“Judging makes you think, you learn how to make decisions,” she said. “Then you learn to explain your thinking, defend your placings in your reasons. No matter what the ofcial placing was, you can justify why you made the choices you did.”
An element of superstition does enter into the equation, in the form of the team’s signature pink blazers.
“We wanted to look professional for the contest and ended up with the pink blazers,” Macy said. “Now they’re our good luck charm.”
The four all credit the strength of their county’s dairy program for creating the solid foundation on which their judging expertise has been built, with mentorship from many dairy enthusiasts, including current coaches Hayden Hauschildt and Ellis Frank; former coaches Bob Zwald and Chuck Kruschke; dairy committee president Lance Kamm and junior Holstein leader Paul Grulke.
“We have a great dairy family here in St. Croix County,” Lilly said. “We have been blessed with some terric mentors who have taught us so much, not just about judging and the dairy industry, but about being strong leaders and communicators, and making our own positive impacts on those around us.”
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What a planting season
This has been a spring planting season for the books. So many changes. New directions. New ideas. New-used equipment. New crops. My head is spinning at the fact that we were able to get everything in the ground in a timely manner — maybe not on the perfect timetable, but we got it done.
It all started with handing off the baton in this farming relay race. After 50 spring planting seasons, Mark has handed the job to Austin. Over the past few springs, Austin has demonstrated how he would implement new growing strategies with reduced tillage and no-till options. Of course, he had to practice on the back 40 where no one would be able to see what he was up to, just in case things didn’t work out. His actions proved his commitment and allowed Mark the space to step aside, knowing the planter will keep moving back and forth across the elds.
Austin grabbed this chance and is running full speed ahead. He ended up buying a used 12-row
planter online from Iowa. While the snow was melting, Austin would slip over to the other place to work on his new “toys.” He was like a kid in the candy shop, going over every inch of the planter, inspecting, replacing and repairing. He would spend all his time between milkings working on prepping his corn planter and grain drill.
Due to our dry and very hot April and May, some of the large farmers were already done planting before we made it to the elds. This sense of being “behind” did create some nervousness and stress, but we had to keep reminding ourselves, “It’s still early on the calendar.”
Mark is used to prepping all the elds with a few rounds of tillage to work in the manure and disk down the corn stalks to create a perfect growing bed. Austin’s vision is to pull back on the tillage, to preserve the moisture in the ground and leave ground cover to suppress the weeds. Two different philosophies, but
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they have one common ground: to grow a protable crop using the latest research combined with the success of past practices. In other words, compromise. They agreed on which elds Mark should work just ahead of Austin’s planter. It was a choreographed dance across the elds, working the land just ahead of the planter to preserve moisture.
Following Austin’s lead of having the equipment eld ready ahead of the need, Mark started to prep the irrigation pivots. The elds have been terribly dry, and it was just a matter of time before they needed to start watering the alfalfa elds to generate a decent rst crop. Mark grabbed my aluminum ladder from the garage and headed off to the elds.
By Natalie Schmitt
He climbed the ladder to check out the end guns and drain plugs. Al was hauling the air compressor around in his gator to ll all the pivot tires with air. Things were shaping up to be ready when they needed to ip the switch.
After milking one night, Mark threw the ladder on the back of the 4-wheeler and scooted off to nish up his pivot project. He climbed the steps for his last inspection. Things were looking good. He just needed to pop over to the pivot point to check out the box, but he didn’t want to bump along the eld road, hanging on to the ladder. So, Mark set the ladder down on our eld road and took off for the middle of the eld to check the power box. By the time he got back to the road, he couldn’t nd the ladder. In a matter of minutes, someone driving down the road spotted the ladder and decided they really needed one, and ours was just what they wanted.
Austin wasn’t only changing the way things went into the ground. He was also changing what was going in the ground.
On Thursday, a semi-truck backed up to our machine shed to drop off a delivery. Using our Bobcat with a pallet fork and long ropes, we pulled six pallets of blueberry plants off the trailer and stored them out of the blazing sun. The weather forecast was calling for temperatures to soar to the 90s in the next few days. With no rain in the forecast and sandy soils underfoot, it was creating harsh growing conditions for any seed or plant. We also knew we had only ve days to get these 3,000 blueberry plants in the ground, regardless of the forecast.
Austin put the word out to anyone who would like a new experience and time outside. Families, friends and neighbors showed up for the next three days helping to plant the blueberry patch. From 3 years old to 70, there was a job for everyone, from digging holes to carrying potted plants to hauling water to every hole. In three days, every plant had its new growing space. Austin is taking the eld south of the driveway out of commodity production and introducing a new source of revenue. He had already explored how to siphon water off the main irrigation line to drip irrigation lines for his blueberry plants. Now we had to lay out the drip lines and install the emitters for each plant. On hands and knees, we crawled along the 3-acre patch, punching holes and attaching the emitters. That night, by the light of a full moon, Joelle and I nished installing the drip lines while the guys worked on the valves to move water to the new system.
Just after midnight, Austin threw the switch to start watering his new crop overnight. Luckily, everything worked. There were no kinks in the line, and only 80 plants needed to be watered by hand due to the wrong placement of emitters. It will be 2027 before the families who helped will be able to reap their reward of fresh blueberries, but they are still giddy from the excitement of doing something new and different as a community.
There are only a few acres of soybeans and cover crops to nish planting before we can close out Austin’s rst full planting season. I think this handoff has been pretty smooth, and the next leg is off and running in the right direction.
As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark Schmitt started an adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.
Columnist
Just Thinking Out Loud
Three little dots
Two years ago, I was asked to coach the local FFA chapter’s dairy cattle evaluation and management team. I quickly agreed. Of all the activities I’ve coached and continue to coach, dairy judging ranks quite high.
The goal: Help them win the state contest and earn a trip to the National FFA Convention & Expo. Due to chapter policies, this would likely be the only way they could go to the national convention. The team had just placed sixth at the state convention and the students believed they could do better.
When I was a student, my school didn’t have an ag program, so I came into this role with zero knowledge of FFA and its contests. The kids helped me understand how the Career Development Event works. I helped the kids with placings strategies and oral reasons.
ity score would give them 20 more points — enough to place rst by three points. Correcting the individual Scantron error would give the team enough points to place rst by 43 points.
Updated scores were posted the next day. The missing team points were added, but the individual Scantron error points were not.
As the kids deduced, our team was now in rst place by three points. But the day after that, it was reported that another error had been found — this one on the answer key for the team activity. Once this new error was corrected, our team score dropped by two points and the now-second place team saw their score increase by two points. The placings switched again, putting our team back in second place.
Last year, they improved to second place. That nish earned them an opportunity to compete at a national FFA dairy judging contest in Pennsylvania last fall. They placed second there, too. They continued to improve this year, which led to team wins at the state fair, fall invitational and region contest. They entered the state contest last month with condence — and a healthy respect for the subjective nature of dairy judging contests.
By Sadie Frericks Columnist Dairy Good Life
At this point, we asked again about using the ofcial back-up placings form that each student lls out during the contest to correct the individual Scantron error. We were told again that the Scantron error would not be corrected.
When the contest was all said and done, the kids compared their placings. Three of the team members placed the classes almost the same; the fourth team member placed one class very differently. The only scores we didn’t have were reasons. But I wasn’t worried; this is the team that won the reasons portion of the Pennsylvania contest.
The kids took the stage for awards with their ngers crossed. Two of the team members placed rst and third individually in the contest. We all let our hopes soar, knowing that one of the other team member’s placings were nearly identical to the two who placed.
But then our chapter’s name was called for second place. We were stunned. The kids even forgot to step forward to receive their plaque. But then my brain resumed thinking and I told the kids, “Just hold tight. This doesn’t make sense. Maybe there was an error with the scoring.”
Sure enough. As soon as the scores were released at the end of the convention, the kids immediately found not one, but two errors with the scoring. The rst error was the omission of part of their team activity score. This error affected every team in the contest.
The second error was a Scantron bubbling error by the team member we had expected to score similarly to the two who had placed. And, unfortunately, the bubbling error was on the three-part class that requires placing by type, ranking by genetic merit and production records, and then combining type and records for an overall placing. Those three little dots on the wrong line of the Scantron were worth 65 points – enough for that student’s score to be dropped.
One of the kids on the team took action, got contact information for contest staff, and reported both errors within the hour.
The kids also quickly crunched the numbers. Adding the missing team activ-
The kids asked to appeal that decision on the grounds that (1) the published dairy cattle evaluation and management rules state that, “Computer scan sheets will be used for this CDE,” but do not specify that only scan sheets can be used to determine a student’s score. (2) The back-up placings form, which was turned in with the Scantron, shows the student’s intended placings. And (3), most of all, they felt that, since there had been so many other errors in the contest, it would be fair to reconcile Scantron scores with the placings forms.
Unfortunately, we were told that students cannot appeal decisions — only FFA advisers are allowed to appeal. I was shocked. Every other youth development organization that I’m familiar with — our independent school districts, the state high school league and 4-H — gives students the right to appeal. Can FFA honestly call itself a student-led organization if students have no ability to request a review of their situation or appeal a decision?
I can’t say that an appeal would change the outcome of the contest. I’m not even 100% clear what the appeal process is. Are student leaders asked to weigh in? Or is this another area where only advisors have a voice? I feel it’s wrong that these kids didn’t even get to have their situation reviewed.
There are times in organizations and societies when rules and their enforcement need to be interpreted. That’s why our country has separate rule-making, ruleexecuting and rule-interpreting branches. When one branch makes the rules, executes the rules and interprets the rules, there is no true justice, only the illusion of order.
I hesitated to share this story. Despite this situation, I do believe FFA provides incredible opportunities for youth. And I don’t want the kids I coach to be retaliated against. But if everyone succumbed to their fear of retaliation, no one would speak up. And if no one speaks up, nothing changes.
Ultimately, these kids did what they set out to do: become the best dairy cattle evaluation team in the state. I am incredibly proud of their commitment to improving and all that they accomplished.
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