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DAIRY ST R
October 10, 2020
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 22, No. 16
Growing with the next generation Riemer family on expansion, improvement track By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Riemer family – (from leŌ) Rob, Tammy holding Chloe, 1, Rachel, and Jordan holding Vanessa, 2 – milk 190 cows and farm 500 acres near Brodhead, Wisconsin. The Riemers have been growing and improving the farm since teaming up Jan. 1, 2016.
BRODHEAD, Wis. – When Rob and Tammy Riemer began farming with their son, Jordan, and his wife, Rachel, in 2016, it was full steam ahead in growing and progressing the farm. To accommodate the return of the next generation and sustain two families, the Riemers increased herd size, acquired more land, added buildings, invested in technology, updated management practices and made improvements to propel the farm forward. “We’ve been taking really big bites the last few years,” Rob said. The Riemers’ most recent addition included a 64-stall freestall barn with calving pen, sick pen and holding area, a 2.2-million-gallon manure pit, stacking pad and feed pad. Cows moved into the new freestall barn in February. “The new barn is really nice for fresh cows,” Rob said. “We lost a lot of cows from late summer ketosis the last two years, but the new calving pen has been excellent. We freshened a lot of heifers this year, and the barn is lling back up. We’re really happy with the new facility.” Completed in July, the manure pit replaced Turn to RIEMER | Page 5
A passion for pumpkins Sippel enjoys growing the giants By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
ST. CLOUD, Wis. – For Derek Sippel, bigger is better when it comes to pumpkins. This giant pumpkin grower does not concern himself with color or shape – size is what he values most. Growing the monster pumpkin is what this dairy farmer sets out to do every spring. “Six years ago, I got a seed from a friend who grows giant pumpkins,” Sippel said. “I planted it, and once I saw how fast it grew, I was hooked.” The giants average 1,500 pounds and are big enough to cover a pallet. The biggest pumpkin Sippel ever grew weighed over a ton at 2,047 pounds. Sippel is a member of the Wisconsin Giant Pumpkin Growers organization and participates in weigh-offs during
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Derek and Nicole Sippel and their 3-year-old daughter, Mae, sit next to giant pumpkins grown by Derek and his brother, Cole, near St. Cloud, Wisconsin. Derek farms with his parents, Earl and Yvonne, and they milk just over 100 cows and run 1,000 acres.
September and October. At these competitions, pumpkins are weighed to see whose is the biggest. Winners receive prize money, but that is not why Sippel continues to grow the pumpkins. “It’s more for bragging rights and just having fun,” he said. Sippel also takes his giant pumpkins on tour, traveling to schools and businesses. He and his wife, Nicole, shared the pumpkins with students at the school their 3-year-old daughter, Mae, attends. “The pumpkins only last a little while, so we show them off while we can,” Sippel said. “When I see the little kids’ faces light up, I know it was worth the drive.” Sippel is a fth-generation dairy farmer who farms with his parents, Earl and Yvonne, near St. Cloud. The Sippels milk just over 100 cows at Airy Point Dairy and run 1,000 acres. In his spare time, Sippel can be found working in his pumpkin patch down the road at his home known as Airy Point Farms. Turn to SIPPEL | Page 7