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DAIRY ST R
October 10, 2020
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 22, No. 16
Adding value on the farm Blase family installs milk processing facility By Jerry Nelson
jerry.n@dairystar.com
ETHAN, S.D. – With years in the dairy business and two generations earning a living from the dairy, the Blase family needed to look for other ways to keep their small farm going. Adding value and diversication was their answer. Gary and Amy Blase and their son, Chad, constructed an on-farm milk processing plant on their 110-cow dairy where they milk registered Holsteins in a robotic dairy facility near Ethan. Chad worked as a salesman for C & B Operations in Mitchell for several years before he decided to join his parents’ dairy operation. “It has been a struggle to make a prot in dairy farming,” Chad said. “It’s tough to see your equity shrink. We got to the point where we knew that we had to do something. We had been kicking around the idea of adding value to our milk by processing it on the farm. About 2.5 years ago, Laura and I decided to take the plunge.” Chad and his partner, Laura Klock, investigated the options available to them. They got in touch with South Dakota Value Added Agriculture Development Center and learned of a farmstead cheesemaker who wanted to sell her cheesemaking equipment. “Kris Swanson had been making artisanal cheese on her Turn to FARM LIFE | Page 6
JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Partners Chad Blase and Laura Klock recently started an on-farm milk processing business called Farm Life Creamery near Ethan, South Dakota. They are currently producing 13 kinds of cheese and 40 avors of cheese curds with plans to expand into ice cream and boƩled milk.
Livestock grants help farmers propel projects forward $789,000 available through program, applications due Nov. 4 By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ELGIN, Minn. – Building or upgrading a dairy can cause stressors for many dairy farmers; however, the Fessendens and Reiters felt more at ease with their budget for their new dairy facility after receiving a Livestock Investment Grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. “Receiving the grant is making a big difference in our ability to move forward with our project timeline and continue to improve our overall farm,” Brenda Fessenden said. Fessenden received a grant for the 2019 and 2020 scal years to build a robotic milking facility with room for 120 cows. She farms together her husband, Sam, along with her parents,
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Brenda and Sam holding Hannah Fessenden (leŌ) along with Brenda’s parents, Craig and Cathy Reiter, stand in their new roboƟc milking facility their built on their dairy near Elgin, Minnesota. Brenda received Livestock Investment Grants from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to help with the new project.
Craig and Cathy Reiter, on the Reiters’ farmsite near Elgin. Minnesota livestock farmers are eligible to apply for a portion of the $789,000 available as part of the LIG program for the 2021 scal year. The MDA will reimburse 10% of the rst $250,000 of an eligible project with a $25,000 maximum each year and a lifetime maximum of $50,000. Projects eligible for the grant money include buildings or facilities for the production of livestock or livestock products; development of pasture for use by livestock; and equipment for livestock housing, connement, feeding and waste management. Applications for the grant must be received by 4 p.m. Nov. 4. “For Minnesota’s dairy industry, the progress that has been made really focuses on improving the operation to stay competitive in current markets and for future generations,” said Courtney VanderMey, livestock investment Turn to GRANTS | Page 5