Country Acres - June 18, 2021

ountry C Friday, June 18, 2021

cres A Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment

Volume 8, Edition 26

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

The multi-generation Schneider family farm includes (front, from left) Brockdan and Camran; Back: Mike, Sara, Hailey, Olivia, Larry, Julie, Landan, Stacie and Dan Schneider.

Building a

generational farm

Sixth generation of Schneiders learning the way of the land

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

KIMBALL – Larry Schneider grew up knowing he’d one day take over the family farm; it was the expectation as he was the only boy, and it’s always what he envisioned for himself.

Now, decades later on the five-generation LJS Farms, his grandkids, the sixth generation, are learning the ways of the land – and their fathers are beginning to envision their own children perhaps showing interest in taking over the farm – including the young women.

“A farm is not built in one generation – it starts in one, but it doesn’t end in one,” Larry said. “If you want it to continue, you’ve got to continually build it.”

He and his wife, Julie, are building it with their sons, Mike and Dan Schneider. Their third son, Dave, helps on the farm in

the fall and assists with combining and big projects, but he works as an assistant principal and activities director at Eden Valley-Watkins Schools.

Since Mike and Dan were old enough to remember, they’ve always talked about the day they would take over the farm together. Starting around the age of 10 or 12, the kids were responsible for doing chores before and after school.

As they grew, so did their level of responsibility.

N o w ,

they’re doing the same with their own children. Once the kids hit double digits the farm takes them on as an employee.

They begin with simple tasks like cutting the grass and they get more complex as they grow older, cutting hay, raking hay, moving bales, running cattle through the chute and hauling bales down the road when they get their license.

“We kind of see where their interests lie, it’s not being forced on anybody,” Mike said. “We want to keep them involved, so if they want to get into (farming), they know.”

All the grandkids assist when there’s a big project going on, like planting or harvest.

Julie said her older granddaughters have purchased their own cattle, raised them and sold them.

“For me, it’s fun to watch them get involved and want to help in some way, shape or form,” she said.

For the Schneiders, the farm is a source of pride. Dan said he enjoys watching the kids grow up on the farm and mature, the way he and his brothers did.

“It’s been in the family for so long, you hope to keep it going,” he said.

Working with fam-

Dan (from left), Larry and Mike Schneider work together operating LJS Farms. Each owner is tasked with spear-heading a different part of the farm.

ST R COUNTRY: Publications bli ti This month in the

The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.

Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on July 16!

ily, he said, also teaches the importance of life skills such as communication.

“Families often assume somebody is going to do something,” he said. “They need to communicate.”

For that reason, the Schneider brothers and their dad have divided up the big sections of farm responsibility; each man is tasked with specific duties.

Larry is in charge of the cattle; Mike is in charge of agronomy and Dan oversees the mechanical and project engineering.

They all help one another, but dividing up the responsibility gives them focus.

“There’s a little pressure when it’s the fifth generation,” Dan said.

All the men juggle off-thefarm jobs as well as farm management. It’s the reason Larry, who worked full time for the United States Postal Service until he retired in 2013, changed over the farm from its original dairy status.

His father operated the land as a dairy and when his dad didn’t want to expand or upgrade the dairy, the cows were sold in 1987. Larry opted into hogs from 1988 to 2007 knowing dairy would be too time-intensive with his

Schneiders page 2 4

Open door policy Bowlus

14 The women of Karen Raymond

23 The cows are coming to town Litchfield

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Farmers from everywhere Diane Leukam column

18 Farm advocacy thanks to a robot Albany

25 What’s this?

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Something new to study Cold Spring

21 Country cooking

27 FFA student

Page 2 • Country Acres | Friday, June 18, 2021

Country Acres

Published by Star Publications Copyright 2014 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6577 Fax: 320-352-5647 NEWS STAFF

Diane Leukam, Editor diane@saukherald.com Ben Sonnek, Writer ben.s@saukherald.com Herman Lensing, Writer herman@melrosebeacon.com Jennifer Coyne, Writer jenn@dairystar.com Evan Michealson, Writer evan.m@star-pub.com Carol Moorman, Writer carol@melrosebeacon.com Natasha Barber, Writer natasha@saukherald.com Sarah Colburn Freelance Writer

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Schneiders from front

job at the postal service. Later, he dedicated his time to steers.

Over the years, Larry has converted the four hoop barns he had into younger steer facilities and two years ago, built a pit barn that holds 500 steers.

Today, the farm has around 1,000 to 1,100 head of cattle.

When they’re not at the farm, Mike works as general manager at Arnold’s in Kimball and Dan works for Central Hydraulics in sales and service, now going in only two days a week so he can devote more time to farm management.

The Schneiders are firm believers in partnering with farm financial management programs through universities and colleges.. Larry first joined a program in 1988 and has been involved ever since. The programs, he said, give farmers a broad overview of what other farmers are doing and they give them a comparison base for yields, fertilizer costs, animal deaths, cash-to-asset ratios and daily rates of gain on feed conversion.

“It enables you to look at your whole business and compare it to other farms like ours”

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Larry Schneider brings in a new calf at LJS Farms near Kimball, where the sixth generation is now helping on the farm.

Larry said.

He’s always been good with numbers, and was an early adopter of computers in farming. He went from computer programming friends helping him build programs and spreadsheets to track his information, to working on iPad to track the feed for the cattle, the planting of the crops and all the data that accumulates with working on a farm.

“You gotta know what your costs are and you gotta know what your rates of gain are for the year,” Larry Schneider said.

The numbers are especially important in the cattle industry. Farmers sell cattle a year in advance at their anticipated finished size and weight. All along the way, it’s important to track the expenses and know the end result, he said.

Julie said Larry has always been good with numbers and understanding commodity markets and knowing if a decision or change could be profitable.

For Larry, the tracking and technology come naturally and he said it’s at the heart of being able to carry on a family farm

legacy.

“Without that, you don’t know if it’s making money, you don’t know if it’s profitable,” he said. “A long time ago people didn’t do that. You worked the land, did your best and you got what you got.”

The farm is not only a business investment, it’s also a place all the Schneider kids have called home as adults.

They’ve all lived in the historic homes on the family farm land.

Larry and Julie bought the original family’s 1883

Schneiders page 3

PRODUCTION STAFF Pat Turner Amanda Thooft Nancy Powell Maddy Peterson Cheyenne Carlson

Deadlines: Country Acres will be published the first Fridays of April, May, June, September, October and November, and the third Friday of every month.

Deadline for news and advertising is the Thursday before publication.

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Landan Schneider takes a break on the gate at LJS Farms near Kimball.

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Camran (from left) and Brockdan Schneider help out with chores at LJS Farms.

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Page 4 • Country Acres | Friday, June 18, 2021 PHOTOS BY ANNA HAYNES

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BY ANNA HAYNES | STAFF WRITER

OWLUS – The fences aren’t tall on the Kedrowskis’ farm, but they don’t worry about their animals getting out because Maddie, their pet llama, watches over everything. Jay and Marcy Kedrowski have a slightly unusual farm. They raise lambs outside of Bowlus and open their home to anyone curious enough to stop by.

“I love our farm because it’s so interesting,” Noelle Kedrowski, their daughter, said. “Everyone grew up on a dairy farm; I grew up raising lambs.”

In the past, Noelle has taken care of the farm on her own over her college spring break so her parents could take a vacation.

Jay and Marcy both grew up in Central Minnesota on farms. Marcy’s parents owned a dairy farm and Jay’s parents had beef

cattle south of Bowlus. The couple started their own grass-fed lamb operation together in 2003.

“We were just gluttons for punishment,” Jay joked. “We started this from scratch when we were young. We wanted to work hard.”

They sold their electronics repair business in St Joseph to buy a piece of land from Jay’s parents and start a small farm.

“We bought a chicken barn and some of their original land, but we didn’t want to run cattle, so we thought let’s try some sheep,” Marcy said. “We decided to start a farm because we could always be there with the kids and be at home more.”

Jay works as a building maintenance technician for a local assisted living facility, and Marcy is a Certified Natural Health Profession-

al and works from their home. The lamb operation is a business and a hobby, but Marcy also calls it her addiction. Their youngest daughter, Noelle, agreed.

“We’re sheep people.

Sheep are a big part of our life,” Noelle said. “I remember being little and the ram would come and knock me over. There’s a learning curve to raising sheep.”

Noelle recently graduated from the University of Duluth with a Bachelor of Arts in biology and a minor in dance studies.

Noelle raised Maddie as a 4-H project. Maddie takes care of all the predators and watches over the sheep.

“She’ll stomp her foot and stare down stray dogs, or even a strange person,” Marcy said.

The Kedrowskis also raise two goats on their

Kedrowski page 5

Marcy Kedrowski feeds Maddie the llama inside their sheep barn. Maddie lives with the ewes and scares away any potential predators. The llama is about 11 years old and was raised from a crias by their youngest daughter, Noelle Kedrowski.

Friday, June 18, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 7

Farmers from everywhere The beginning of summer 2021 and turn to a higher power for help in times has been interesting if nothing else, of need. and the weather has been one aspect One of those times of need occurred in of that. the 1870s and near Cold Spring, the “GrassIt’s been a while since we’ve exhopper Chapel,” reminds us of that event. perienced an early summer this hot, On June 12, 1873, grasshoppers moved and only recently did parts of our covinto the area in what was described as a erage area receive some much-needcloud or what “looked like a snowstorm.” ed rain. I spoke with people from the Within minutes after they arrived, the crops Alexandria area last week and they Random Reflections were devoured right down to the ground. It were happy to have gotten measuronly got worse each year from there, and

by Diane Leukam able, helpful amounts. a variety of efforts to eradicate them had Where we are here in Sauk Cencome up short. tre, there has been little to no rain since early April; Eventually, Minnesota’s Gov. John S. Pillsbury it almost seems like there is an invisible dome over – the third governor since the plague began – proand around us. Whenever the weather radar looks claimed a day of prayer for April 26, 1877. The promising, the clouds either split and go around us, grasshoppers remained … for a while. The people or dissipate altogether when they reaches us. Hope- were desperate and a local priest suggested that a fully, our day will come very soon. chapel be built where people could pray for an end We need rain. to the plague. By summertime, the grasshoppers When we have a hot, dry season, it often brings were gone. us to our knees. I was privileged to witness this I believe wholeheartedly in the power of prayer phenomenon last week. I saw a social media post and am more than happy to pray for rain for everya couple days earlier that there would be a Mass one who needs it. to pray for rain on Friday evening at our church. I I will say, though, it’s a very good thing we loved the idea, and my husband and I made plans to can’t control the weather. Imagine what would hapattend. As we drove up to the church, we looked at pen if we could! Rain clouds would have to take on each other; we couldn’t believe the number of cars entirely different shapes. Some would be squares parked for blocks, and how many people streaming the size of a section of land, or 640 acres; some into the church. would be squares the size of a quarter, or 160 acres.

The church was packed full of people, many Every uniquely shaped field could have its own who had come long distances to pray – farmers cloud. from everywhere. It actually made me choke up to Farmers could dictate the rains to come at cersee this outpouring of prayer and to hear the voices. tain times based on whether or not they have hay The voices filled the church with every prayer and down or field-work to do. They could dictate it response. One cool thing about it was there was based on soil types and what stage the crop is in. prayer for everyone’s crops, not just those who Maybe you like it cold and I like it hot. Maybe you were present. like clouds and I like sun; you like winter and I like Of course, when we turn to God in prayer for summer. Throw celebrations and events in there, rain, there is no guarantee it will fall from the skies and you really have a mess. The possible scenarios immediately. The point is more that farmers are are endless. well aware of their inability That’s all silly, I know, but you have to have a to control the weather sense of humor these days. (and other things) Seriously, I do hope and pray that it rains.

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Page 10 • Country Acres | Friday, June 18, 2021 PHOTO SUBMITTED

Aaron Willenbring (left) and his father, John Willenbring, add the Kernza seed into the small seed grain box so it can be planted.

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M. Together, they determined exactly what rate the seed needed to drop and how the seeds should be spaced to bring about the biggest yield and proper planting depth.

Once the crop matures, students will be able to pull soil samples and study the plant science of the crop. They’ll learn about how the crop can be used in food processing and how it can be used with livestock.

Jen Wagner-Lahr, the senior director of commercialization for AURI, has been helping Berger plan for a Kernza field day that’s open to the public in mid-July. Wagner-Lahr is a member of the ROCORI FFA alumni and said the test plot is an opportunity to think big.

“This is an interesting way to engage with a new group of stakeholders,” she said.

The event will be an opportunity for community members and local kids to learn about Kernza, sample Kernza-based foods and find out where the industry is heading.

“We’re giving people a chance to try it and think bigger and talk about what’s happening in agriculture that could directly impact things going on in their commu-

nity,” she said.

Dennis Fuchs serves as the administrator of the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District and has been overseeing a larger Kernza project in the county with funding provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The project at ROCORI sits adjacent to the county’s drinking water supply management area.

With the Kernza crop, which can be harvested in August, he said students can learn about reducing soil and wind erosion through the use of perennial crop sys-

tems. They can learn about how crops sequester carbon, pulling it out of the atmosphere and storing it in the soil, positively impacting climate change. They can study the habitats crops provide for pheasants and other animals and how crops, such as Kernza, that green earlier in the spring and are perennial, can reduce flooding associated with snow melt and spring rains.

He said the crops can be used strategically in areas like Cold Spring that are susceptible to nitrate leaching into groundwater due to the unique soils and geology. The crop, according to Fuchs, isn’t meant to displace corn

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Friday, June 18, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 11

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Aaron and John Willenbring plant an approximately 15-acre field of Kernza seed near ROCORI High School.

FFA

from page 10

or soybeans. Instead, it’s a plant that can be used strategically as part of the crop rotation in drinking water supply management areas.

“The important thing about perennial cropping is its deep root system uses nitrate, not allowing it to escape to our groundwater used for drinking water,” Fuchs said. “It does a fantastic job of scavenging up nitrates and using nitrates.”

Craig Willenbring just graduated from ROCORI High School and served as this year’s FFA

chapter president. He joined other FFA students in watching the planting of the Kernza test plot.

“It’s exposing us to things that aren’t even exposed to the general public yet,” he said.

“It allows us to see, and be in line with, the rest of modern agriculture.

We’re able to understand it and learn about it as researchers are learning about it as well.”

On July 17, the ROCORI FFA chapter will host a Kernza plot day at the site. The day will include a number of short presentations as well as booths and activities for kids. The FFA members are planning hands-on activities for kids to do

while their parents learn about the crop. Together, the students and kids will look at soil samples, edible soil profiles and plant growth and structure.

The goal of the test plot, Willenbring said, is not only to make money but to bring awareness of the importance of agriculture.

“It’s an opportunity to get the community out there to be educated and learn a little more about agriculture and what it does for the community and society in general,” he said. “There are farmers out there procuring food for us whether you eat meat or are vegan.

Agriculture feeds us all … it really is the backbone of America and America’s economy.”

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Aaron Willenbring gets ready to hop in the planter to help the ROCORI FFA chapter plant Kernza seed for a student test plot.

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Page 12 • Country Acres | Friday, June 18, 2021

ROCORI FFA Field Day

The ROCORI FFA, in partnership with the county and AURI, will host a Kernza test plot field day that’s open to the public.

The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 17 at the ROCORI test plot which is located north of ROCORI High School, 534 Fifth Ave. N., Cold Spring, and will include presentations from Kernza and project experts. The presentations will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 11:30 a.m. The format is casual and guests are welcome to come and go as they please. The agenda for the morning will be posted on the ROCORI FFA Facebook page.

Coffee and breakfast items will be available in the morning and activities for children will be available during the presentations. Kernza food product samples will also be available during the event.

FFA from m page 11 1

(Above) PHOTO COURTESY OURTESY DR DR. JAKE JUNGERS A field of Kernza grows in July 2020 near Cold Spring.

(Inset) PHOTO COURTESY CARMEN FERNHOLZ Harvested Kernza seed product samples will be available at the ROCORI field day.

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Page 14 • Country Acres | Friday, June 18, 2021

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

Karen

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Hser Moo (from left), April Paw, Tee Lae, Taw Taw Wah, Aye Pwit Pyu weed the fields in the fall at the Brouwer Berries farm in Raymond.

The women of

Solace found on strawberry farm

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RAYMOND – The Brouwer Berries farm has become a place of solace for the women of Karen (pronounced KahREN). The work they do at the farm in Raymond reminds them of their time planting rice on the mountainside back home, before the Burmese Army came and destroyed their crops and villages.

The strawberry farming is hard work but therapeutic work for these women who fled political turmoil in Karen but have left behind mothers and fathers, siblings and cousins. For weeks they’ve been without word on how their loved ones are doing; scant phone calls made from neighboring communities don’t give much reprieve from the worry, and they can hear shouting and weapons in the background.

They consider themselves blessed (they don’t believe in luck), chosen by God to be able to leave the refugee camps and come to America.

“We put our names in and people would interview them and by God’s grace they (my parents) were one of the families chosen to move to the U.S.,” said Taw Taw Wah, an 18-year-old who interprets for her parents, April Paw and Win Aye, and other members of the Karen community who

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Friday, June 18, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 15

Karen

from page 14 work on the berry farm, something she’s been doing since the age of 13.

Taw Taw Wah was born in one of the refugee camps as were three of April Paw’s four children.

Taw Taw Wah works side-by-side with the women of the community, picking berries and translating, helping to create a schedule for the workers.

Over the years, she saved enough money doing the work to pay for her own braces and orthodontic work, correcting teeth that gave her physical pain.

This year, Taw Taw Wah graduated from high school and has simultaneously earned almost enough credit for her AA degree from Ridgewater College.

The reality of her family history, though, is ongoing. She hears the stories from the women about their homeland.

She understands the hurt and the worry and often, she translates it for others who ask.

“I feel very saddened by their stories; you hear their stories and there are a lot of things they had to go through,” Taw Taw Wah said. “Sometimes, you think your life is hard but compared to their life, you’re in awe. It makes

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

you feel a lot more thankful for where you’re at.”

Her parents lived in the refugee camps for 16 years, first the Mae Kaw Kha Refugee Camp in Thailand and then the Mae La Oon Refugee Camp.

“From what I remember, we lived in bamboo houses with bamboo flooring and leaves for roofing that needed to be replaced almost every year,” Taw Taw Wah said.

She went to school and though she said it was different from schools in America, and though they didn’t have all the materials she has now, they did have some basics.

She received a notebook and pencils and had to take care of her materials because she knew she’d only receive one or two a year.

Though her education wasn’t like an American education, her mother had

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(above) April Paw prepares pre-picked strawberries for sale. (right) Taw Taw Wah in the Brouwer Berries strawberry fields.

a very different story.

April Paw grew up in Wah Ka Duh village, tending to her family’s mountainside rice farm from the age of 7. Her brothers attended school

Karen page 16

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to get an education, but she was expected to tend the fields because she was a woman.

She watched over the fields each day, rain or shine, cutting down grass, monitoring animals coming through, planting rice and protecting it.

She relied on the monsoon season to water her crops, six months of rain and six months off. She spent her years praying the crops would take hold. The fate of the fields, and her family, rested with her.

“There was a lot of pressure, she was in charge of the field herself,” Taw Taw Wah said, translating for her mother.

As an adult, April Paw and her husband fled to the refugee camps after the Burmese Army began lighting fields on fire and destroying homes. Paw has vivid memories of running from the Army while people shot at her and her husband, but they

April Paw sits on a bamboo front porch in one of the refugee camps in 2008.

quickly cleared and began to garden. She grew eggplant, bananas, beans, chili, cucumbers and a traditional edible vine of Thailand.

She planted the food for her family and sold any extras to the other refugees, reserving the sale of larger vegetables to the nearby school boarding b rooms.

“She was happier e in the camp than the th villages,” Taw Taw T Wah said as her mother spoke. “Her m p parents in the village were really poor es aand relied on her to pplant everything; yyou depend on it for yyour life.”

Sarah Brouwer, oof Brouwer Berries in Raymond, first w welcomed the Karen w women to her farm as a they toured the c community to learn more m about Minnes sota.

The next sume Ma e mer, m she hired a th at h, Wa w daughter, Taw Ta w Taw Wah has h handful of women April Paw holds her mp; the numbe Ta r b Kaw Kha refugee ca the ninth family member, including to work alongside

CAJune18_1B_MT

made it to the relative safety of the camp, sheltered from the violence happening around them.

Inside the camp, her family was lucky enough to get an end spot, a spot next to a 100-meter by 30-meter open piece of land, a spot April Paw

represents that she’s s supposed to say No. “8”. her two uncles. It wa

Karen page 17

Page 18 • Country Acres | Friday, June 18, 2021

Farm advocacy thanks to a robot Schlangens on life mission to help small farmers

BY DIANE LEUKAM | STAFF WRITER

ALBANY – Robot milkers are becoming more common in the dairy industry, with numerous farmers choosing to go that route. Steve and Cheryl Schlangen have had theirs since 2010, and it has changed their lives – and possibly many others’ lives.

Because of the robot, Steve has been able to follow his life mission to serve other farmers through a multitude of organizations. He currently serves as the chairman of the board of the dairy farmer-owned Associated Milk Producers Inc.; he is on the board of National Milk Producers Federation and the Minnesota Milk Policy Committee and is involved in a return on investment project with Headwaters Agriculture Sustainability Partnership (HASP). After nine years, his term on the Stearns County Dairy Advisory Committee is finished, though he remains involved.

“They probably take up half of my mental

time, maybe more than that,” Schlangen said May 27 on the farm south of Albany.

The Schlangens milk 65 cows and raise corn, alfalfa, soybeans and barley on their 200-acre farm. On a normal year, it is enough to feed the cattle with some of the crop to sell. They began by renting the land in 1987 and eventually bought the farm in 1989. Over the years, they have put up nearly all of the buildings, including the freestall barn in 1992.

The Schlangens milked their cows in a double six herringbone parlor for many years.

Their four kids were getting older – daughters Krista and Jenna were away from home and twin sons, Michael and Matthew, were reaching high school age. Both were in three sports and Steve and Cheryl wanted to watch their games.

When they began hearing about robot milkers, they thought it seemed like a crazy idea,

PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Steve Schangen and his wife, Cheryl, farm near Albany where they milk 65 cows with the assistance of a robotic milker. The technology has allowed Steve the time needed to be involved in many farm organizations as an advocate for dairy farmers within Central Minnesota and the state, as well as nationally.

but it sparked their interest.

“Our vet, Dan Tomsche, took us to Greg Blaine’s farm near Little Falls to see his operation; we saw it work and felt it would change our lifestyle,” Schlangen said.

“We came back and said,

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Since then, they have never looked back. They had plenty of challenges and there is maintenance, but help is just a few miles down the road.

Even though it was a new idea at the time, they de-

cided to take a chance.

“I didn’t think we would lose money; it was a big investment – it’s like buying a combine or something except you use it every day,” he said.

“I don’t know what we would have done over the years if we wouldn’t have

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An addition was built onto the freestall barn to house the unit. Sitting at the desk in the small office, Schlangen explained the technology he once saw as intimidating but

Schlangens page 19

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Friday, June 18, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 19

Schlangens

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PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Cow No. 819 gets milked May 27 at the Steve and Cheryl Schlangen farm near Albany.

In 2010, the Schlangens invested in a robotic milker, which handles all of the milking for the herd.

number is entered into the computer. Her milk will be separated from the rest and the robot system will be automatically flushed and cleaned before any other cows are milked.

When cows come to the robot, they are cleaned and prepped with a brush system before the unit is attached. While they are being milked, they are able to eat pellets, a dietary supplement in a feeder in front of them, the amount based on their production.

Schlangen said the system is great for cows that are milking heavier earlier in their lactations, especially for heifers that

have less capacity for large amounts of milk.

Many of the heifers will go to the robot four to five times a day; the average for the herd is three times.

With today’s genetics, the Schlangens hope to see most of their cows at peak production giving 150 pounds of milk a day, with an average of 80-90 pounds per cow per day as a goal.

He doesn’t make that number a priority.

“You do what is the most productive and has the best return – the bottom line is what really matters and what pays the bills,” he said.

Out in the barn where

a cow was being milked at the robot, Schlangen pointed out the “X-link,” a monitor that displays a wealth of data about the cow being milked, in this case #819 who is currently producing 120-130 pounds a day.

“The cows get milked exactly the same whether I am here or not,” he said.

Often, he is not there.

With his farm advocacy involvement, he has generally gone 80-90 days out of the year, which has changed due to COVID. While he is away, the robot continues to milk

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“It took a long time to learn how to run everything and computers were probably the hardest,” he said. “When I graduated high school in 1979, they just came out with a PC.” Using a computer program interfaced with the robot, they can go into any number of reports and do so twice a day at a minimum. Transponders worn around each cow’s neck keep track of all her individual data. Reports show everything from the number of times she has come to the robot to be milked to pounds given, conductivity (indication of a possible infection), her temperature, weight, activity, lameness and rumination.

Any red flags are put on alert lists which can be checked easily. A list of “fetch cows” is generated morning and night.

These are cows that, for any number of reasons, may not have come to the robot to be milked. Then, Steve or Cheryl will check on those cows and bring them to the robot.

If a cow’s milk needs to be separated from the rest because she has been treated for an illness, or because she has just freshened and colostrum is needed for calves, her

Schlangens page 22

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Friday, JJune 18, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 23

The cows

are coming to town

Dairy cooperative thanks community with art project

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Members of the Litchfield Lions Club finish work on the cow they’re decorating for the First District Association’s Downtown Cowtown project that will ultimately raise money for local organizations.

statues were purchased through a gallery in New Jersey that sells just about everything known to mankind – but in statue form.

“Cows are our lifeblood here, without the cow we wouldn’t be in business,” Gassman said.

The fiberglass cattle originated from the Philippines and the eight fullsize cows and 10 calves cost around $20,000. The cost was covered by the contractors working on First District Association’s expansion project;

each one donated a few thousand dollars to help with the project, which will ultimately benefit local community organizations.

Local non-profit organizations including the Lions Club, the Rotary Club and Meeker Area Partners in Prevention, among others, partnered with local artists to decorate their cows. In the case of the Early Childhood Family Education program, the artwork on the cow was created by 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds.

Amber Youngblom (left) and Meghan McClain pose with the Meeker Area Partners in Prevention cow that is part of the Downtown Cowtown project that celebrates the 100th anniversary of First District Association.

No matter how the cows are adorned, and exactly who created the artwork, they’ll all be used to raise money for the organizations they represent. In August, the cows will be auctioned off and the dollars raised will go to the non-profit who took ownership of the design.

So many organizations became interested in the cow project, First District Association had to authorize the purchase of more statues to support the community venture. They initially started by purchasing 10 or 12 and now there are 18 in total.

The Litchfield Downtown Council has been assisting with the project and coordinating the participating nonprofits as well as the locations, which are outlined on a map.

Darlene Kotelnicki is the secretary of the downtown council and helped launch the idea with First District Association as a celebration.

She said it’s something families can get out and see as they return to a new normal. She’s also excited to see how the cow project could bring tourism to the area as people come to see the cows, shop, eat, enjoy

the parks and the splash pad.

“It’s a promotion of our community,” she said.

Already, Gassman said, people and organizations are showing interest in buying the statues, including community organizations and milk haulers.

First District Association serves more than 720 family farms in Minnesota and a few in Wisconsin. They’re a cooperative, owned by the milk producers.

The expansion they’re currently bringing online includes three segments: a new lactose plant, a new milk receiving plant and a new cheese plant. First District Association currently processes 5.5 million pounds of milk per day and, with the expansion, will be able to process 7.5 million pounds of milk per day.

The expansion has been under discussion since 2014. The project was commissioned by the association’s board of directors, which is made up of association patrons, more specifically, dairy farmers.

Cows page 24

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LITCHFIELD – Cows will be popping up in locations throughout Litchfield this month.

The cows, each rendered life-size and crafted from fiberglass, will be uniquely designed and painted by artists associated with area nonprofits.

The cows serve not only to celebrate First District Association’s 100th anniversary, they’re a community-wide fundraising project that benefits the entire region.

“First District is smack dab in the middle of the community, landlocked all the way around,” said Troy Gassman, engineer project manager with First District Association. “(This is) a gesture back to thank the folks for their patience.”

First District Association, he said, often has trucks coming and going and that’s especially true these last few months as the member-owned cooperative finishes its two-year expansion project.

The cows are a way for the community to rally together around a cause.

“People were looking forward to doing something positive,” Gassman said.

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Page 24 • Country Acres | Friday, June 18, 2021

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

A flyer shows the locations around Litchfield that are part of Downtown Cowtow, where artistically painted fiberglass cows can be seen throughout the community and will eventually be auctioned off to raise money for local organizations.

Cows from page 23

ey

as sm a

l Ash

Troy Gassman is the engineer project manager with First District Association; Ashley Warren is the communications coordinator for First District Association.

yG Tro

“They’re the ones who produce the milk and they have a large voice in how we grow and what the plan is,” Gassman said. “The plan is to be one of the largest cheese producers in the Midwest.”

And, the expansion gets them there. Once the new sections come online, the plant will rival the size of one in Michigan, making it one of the largest grassroots, single-location campus plants in the Midwest.

Ashley Warren is the communications coordinator for First District Association. She said the ongoing presence in Litchfield is important. The association employs 185 people.

“This is where we started,” she said. “And this is where we are 100 years later.”

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Equipment & Truck

WE OFFER: • Farm/Home • Business • Auto • Life • Health • Rec Vehicle ... and more!

CAJune18-1-B-MT

June Dairy Month Thank you for everything you do!

“Customer Service Is Our Priority” Freeport • New Munich • Melrose • Greenwald

Proud to be recognized by Bauer Financial as one of the strongest financial institutions in the country.

800-252-9856

Thank you

to all the area dairy farmers and their families for their dedication to the dairy industry!

GET A FREE PAIL OF ICE CREAM

June Dairy Month Specials on Cheese & Butter

When you buy 2 Crystalyx tubs or 5 bags of Calf Beginner Milk Replacer

PIERZ REPAIR SHOP Stihl equipment, Troy-Built mowers, Ariens and Gravely zero turns.

Congrats!

to our scholarship winners

Repair all makes and models of lawn care equipment, ATV’s, side-by-sides and more!

Electric motor repair Full -time technician on site Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm

• MOBILE/PRIME POWER DIESEL • EMERGENCY STANDBYS

Maintain cooler, fresher feed in the summer heat!

• PTO • 2-BEARING • VEHICLE MOUNTED

CALL CALL We are here for you! TODAY!

TODAY!

AMPS,, Inc. 105 105County CountyRoad Road10, 10,Albany, Albany,MN MN 320-845-4690 • www.ampsrs.com 320-845-4690 • www.ampsrs.com

CA-May5-1B-TV

• INDUSTRIAL PORTABLES

Kloe Kapsner

Tori Wagner

Valerie Gall

TMR Stabilizer

GENERATORS OFFERING

Emily Herold

CA-June18-1B-TV

WE HAVE ALL YOUR FLY CONTROL NEEDS LITTLE ROCK, MN 320-584-5147

PIERZ, MN 320-468-2168

BUCKMAN, MN 320-468-6433

LASTRUP, MN 320-468-2543

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK! CAJune18-1B-BL

www.sunriseagcoop.com

Page 28 • Country Acres | Friday, June 18, 2021

SUMMER DISCOUNTS New Products P r ts

Early Order Program for Qualifying Orders: 4% Discount With Free Shipping

Buy 1 product, get $50 per row rebate

Starting June 1st, receive 4% off Startin and drop dro 1% per month after that

(vDrive, DeltaForce, and Speedtube)

Buy 2 products, get $150 per row rebate (vDrive, DeltaForce, and SpeedTube)

Buy 3 products, get $200 per row rebate

Discounted financing for up to 60 months is available from June 1 - September 30, 2021 on orders of $10,000 or more through our partners at AGCO Finance and Diversified.

New Reveal Row Cleaner

Beginning June 1, 2021, growers can choose one of the following options: • 0.0% Financing for 12 months • 0.99% Financing for 36 months • 2.25% Financing for 60 months Rates will be updated monthly during this period.

Furrow Force Closing System

(vDrive, DeltaForce, and SpeedTube) Until supplies last.

BELGRADE Nick Hanson 320-979-6820

LAKE LILLIAN 4041 180th Ave SE, Peter Johnson Lake Lillian 320-212-8551

616 Parkway Drive Belgrade, MN

CA-June18-1B-JO

Get ready for

Fair season

Weaver Leather

Any pet, equine or livestock items

10% off - in stock only

PINE PRODUCTS

Fine Pine Shavings FINEPINE

$4.37

Medium Pine Shavings

$4.97 Miller MFG

MEDPINE

P8 Full Back Buckets, various colors........P8FB............ $4.47 Black 2 QT Feed Pan ................................HP1 ............. $4.77 Black 4 QT Feed Pan ................................HP2 ............. $5.77 Black 3 Gallon Feed Pan .........................HP3 ............. $7.77 Black 8 QT Hog Pan ..................................HP8 ............. $6.67

1050 Centre Street • Ph. 320-352-5261 STORE HOURS

Hwy. 28 & 55 • Ph. 320-634-5209 STORE HOURS

GLENWOOD

LONG PRAIRIE

Monday-Friday 8:00am-7:00pm Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

PAYNESVILLE

LITTLE FALLS Hwy. 27 • Ph. 320-632-9240 STORE HOURS

3105 10th St. • Ph. 320-864-4304 STORE HOURS

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

SAUK CENTRE

Hunting & Fishing LicensAesll Available At Locations!

YOUR COMPLETE FARM & HOME STORE

Valid June 18-30, 2021

Hwy. 55 West • Ph. 320-243-3556 STORE HOURS

Hwy. 71 S. • Ph. 320-732-6195 STORE HOURS

GLENCOE

FARIBAULT

80 Western Ave. • Ph. 507-334-3232 STORE HOURS

No Cash...No Problem. Charge It!

Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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