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“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 21, No. 1
February F b 23, 2019
In the family Consistent quality 150 years
Brosigs celebrate Winona County award By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ALTURA, Minn. – When it comes to their dairy, the Brosig family follows a philosophy reinforced by a previous generation. “My dad, Frank, would always say, ‘I farm for a living, and I don’t live to farm,’” Mark Brosig said. While Mark and Kathy Brosig treat their 220-cow dairy as a business, it is one that has served well for their family life on their farm near Altura, Minn. So much so that they were named the 2018 Winona County Farm Family of the Year. “I think it’s a privilege to be recognized by your peers,” Mark said about receiving the award. Although their children – Hannah, Haley, Maggie, Leah and Greg – are grown and have jobs off the farm or are in college, Mark and Kathy are happy when they return to the farm to help on occasion; however, the couple does most of the farm work in addition to a few employees. The farm family award comes at a monumental year in the farm’s history. In 2019, the Brosigs will celebrate their family owning their current farm site for 150 years. While Mark now enjoys his farming career, dairying was not his profession of choice during high school. “At that time, dairy farming was the last thing I was going to do,” he said. After receiving degrees in environmental biology and criminal justice, Mark worked for the Army Corps before moving to Alaska to work on native and archeological sites. “But, I missed the essentials in life,” he said. So in the fall of 1985, Mark moved to southeast Minnesota and began farming with his dad. After meeting Kathy, the couple was married in 1989, and Kathy also started working on the farm. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” said Kathy, Turn to BROSIGS | Page 5
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Bruce BoeƩcher (leŌ) along with herdsman, Darryl Helmbrecht, kept the somaƟc cell count average for BoeƩcher’s herd to 49,000 in 2018. BoeƩcher milks 175 cows nears Mayer, Minn.
Boettcher’s dairy makes SCC a priority By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Kathy and Mark Brosig and their family are the 2018 Winona County Farm Family of the Year. In 2019, they are celebraƟng 150 years of the family owning the farmsite near Altura, Minn.
MAYER, Minn. – Bruce Boettcher takes milk quality seriously. After all, quality milk is the reason his dairy has had a consistently low somatic cell count. “It’s pretty simple,” Boettcher said about his management to achieve a low SCC. “It’s nothing fancy.” In 2018, the SCC averaged 49,000 for his 175-cow herd near Mayer, Minn. This placed the dairy third on Minnesota Turn to BOETTCHER | Page 7
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Bruce BoeƩcher sprinkles dehydrated lime on the back of the stalls in his freestall barn near Mayer, Minn.