’s

Today’s Farm WINTER 2021

Tim Middagh/The Globe

Charles Worm holds one of the lambs born earlier this month. Worm and his sister, Louise, have been raising purebred Columbia sheep for decades.

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Taking a look at farmland rental rates

WORTHINGTON — At the end of last year, several Farmland Rental Rate workshops were offered virtually due to COVID-19. Several originally scheduled, in-person sessions were changed to virtual as well. If you would like to watch a DAVE recorded video from one of these BAU sessions, they can be found at U of M z.umn.edu/LandRentVideos Extension The materials presented at the  workshops can be found at http:// bit.ly/3nWd4FP. Here you can find a statewide map with rental rates, a spreadsheet by county of cropland rental rates and worksheets for landlords and farmers to fill out, to help determine what is a fair rental rate for 2021. Also listed are pasture rental rates. In the table here, you can see the average rent paid by farmers in the adult farm management programs within 14 counties of southwest Minnesota. The estimated rents for 2020 and 2021 are listed in the last two columns. The 2020 and 2021 estimated rental rates were determined using FINBIN actual rental data through 2019. Trends from FINBIN for rents from 2018 to 2019 changed by a negative .4%. Using a decline of .4% multiplied by the 2019 rental rates determined an estimate for 2020. The 2021 estimate used the estimated 0% change in rents from 2019 to 2020, based on USDA estimated rents. N

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Lambing creates busy time for sheep producers

Aries Acres starts new year with 32 lambs born in 36 hours BY JULIE BUNTJER jbuntjer@dglobe.com

LAKEFIELD — At Aries Acres near Lakefield, the first 36 hours of 2021 included the births of 32 new lambs. The bellering babes joined a burgeoning flock of purebred, registered Columbia sheep raised by siblings Louise and Charles Worm. It was the start of what was to be a busy month of lambing, followed by equally busy lambing spurts in February and March. The lambing season is spaced to ensure quality

show stock for the corresponding January, February and March lamb class competitions during the show season. While the global pandemic greatly impacted the 2020 show season, the Worms are hopeful to return to the circuit this year, promoting their purebred, registered Columbia sheep not only as show stock, but equally for their meat and wool production.

A family tradition The Worms were introduced to Columbia sheep at a young age. Back in 1952 and living in Chaska — at

that time still a rural area, though now a metropolitan suburb — their dad bought four Columbia ewes from a grower in South Dakota, and brought them home essentially as lawn mowers. “The sheep were always around, and we had a few cattle,” shared Louise. “One day, my mom took us to a 4-H meeting, and for a project we had Columbia sheep. It began as a 4-H project.” In 1969, when Louise was in high school, she became the first of three females to join the then-Future Farmers of America organization in

Minnesota. She’d done so primarily to show her family’s sheep in the FFA contest at the Minnesota State Fair. Though their dad wasn’t a fan of competition, Louise and Charles worked with their sheep and learned a lot, both in 4-H and the FFA. After college and first jobs, the loss of their mom in 1984, and their dad’s decision to sell the farm, the siblings took the sheep in hopes of building upon the genetics of their fledgling flock.

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THE GLOBE

Finding ways to be thankful in the era of COVID-19 WORTHINGTON — Happy New Year everyone! Reflecting back on 2020, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has to be the biggest news of the past year, maybe the new decade and possibly the whole century. It has caused untimely deaths worldwide and totally disrupted supply chains for toilet paper, meat, appliances MIKE and protective wear (just to DIERKS name a few). It also created and MN West developed personal attitudes in Farm Business most of us about political, religious Management and humanitarian needs (just to name a few). There are different views on how a person develops their own attitudes and personalities, but I think we could all agree that personal experiences play a role in the development of individual attitudes. I cannot think of anyone who has told me this past year, “Mike, I sure did enjoy the events that COVID has created.” I have had people tell me that COVID has devastated their family and created a bad attitude in them. I can also say I have been told by others that COVID was devastating to their family, but it also created a new thought process for them to appreciate things more. Both of these examples are real. They have a



common thread, but a much different outcome. COVID will be the top story for the world in 2020. Farming has been no different than these examples for our whole community. COVID has disrupted and threatened farm businesses, their very livelihood and farm lifestyles. From a farm perspective, 2020 is still developing into a final copy. Most farmers began 2020 looking at their seventh year of depressed commodity prices and cash flows that simply did not work. That dismal outlook grew even darker as COVID disrupted the world. There was a short period of time where there was no place to haul milk, butcher a pig or sell your corn. Government officials elected to step in and stimulate the economy, which meant most everyone — including farms and businesses — were getting some funds in their bank accounts. Government assistance programs for producers became available when packing plants and ethanol plants shuttered and then closed with no advanced notice. Coronavirus care packages were released three separate times during the year to Main Street businesses and to farms. There were payments for wages, depressed grain prices, plummeting livestock prices and horrid milk prices. These payments saved farms and downtown businesses from immediate shutdowns. Since that time, many commodity prices have begun to increase, boosting final estimated farm

income levels. This improvement is welcomed, and land grant colleges are now reporting estimated farm incomes increasing in 2020. It makes sense that farming should look more optimistic for the first time in seven years. That is a good scenario for our local businesses and banks. Producers should be able to pay back some extra loans and purchase some well-needed items to continue farming. Those who are well-versed in the world of agriculture know things will be different tomorrow. They could keep improving, or they could start to revert backwards. Farm prices and weather change daily. Farmers don’t get to set their price for commodities, or the weather they would like for the day. Producing crops and livestock is hard work and has a risky, unpredictable future. The reward seldom equates to the risk of the investment. I sure am thankful someone out there wants to do the hard work and take that risk to feed us all. We all like to eat and all need to be thankful for the largest, safest and most abundant supply of quality food in the world. COVID disrupted, but could not break, the agricultural chain in American farm country. For that I am thankful. I suggest we let a farmer know that before we eat today! N

3ULYDWHSHVWLFLGHDSSOLFDWRUUHFHUWLĆFDWLRQZRUNVKRSVRIIHUHG WORTHINGTON — Individuals who plan to use a Restricted Use Pesticide on land or sites for the production of agricultural commodities, LIZABETH and their private STAHL pesticide certification U of M expires on March Extension 1, must renew  their certification. Individuals have four options to choose from for recertification, each costing $75. OPTION 1: Attend a live online workshop. These take the place of in-person workshops in 2021 due to COVID-19. Individuals must pre-register at least seven days in advance to attend a live online workshop due to limitations on participation. Attendance during

the entire workshop is required to receive recertification credit, and participants will be asked questions throughout the program to ensure they are present. This option requires a working computer camera, microphone and speaker. People may attend one of these workshops with another applicator, although each person attending will need to pre-register using their own email address. Have your certification card and number ready, as this will be needed for check-in. Workshops will be tailored to regions of the state and include a pest management update highlighting information pertinent to the region. Sessions for southwest Minnesota are offered Jan. 28 and 29 and Feb. 5, 8, 11, 17, 19 and 23. All run from noon to 4 p.m. except for Feb 17, which is from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To register, visit pat.umn.edu and

click on the “live online workshops” section. Payment will be collected only by credit card at registration. OPTION 2: New for 2021, you may take an online, self-paced canvas course. With this option, you work through educational modules at your own pace (meaning you do not have to finish the course in one sitting, your work will be saved in Canvas until you resume where you left off). This course must be finished by Feb. 28. Registration is at pat.umn.edu under the “Selfpaced course” section. Payment will be collected only by credit card at registration. OPTION 3: Take the exam online at pat.umn.edu and click on the “Exams” section. The fee must be paid by credit card online. The manual (19th edition), which helps you with the test, is available at no cost online. OPTION 4: Take the mail-in

written exam by picking up a test packet at your county Extension office or by contacting the Worthington Regional Extension Office at 372-3900, ext. 3901. Call ahead of time, as most offices have limited hours, access and staff availability due to COVID-19 regulations. You may also request a hard copy of the manual ($10 cost) to help with the test. Successful completion of any of these options will renew your certification for three years. For more details, visit pat.umn.edu. Note: if you are a new applicator or your certification has expired, you must take the test either online or by the mail-in option to receive your certification. Please contact me at 372-3900, ext. 3912, or stah0012@umn.edu if you have any questions or need further information. N

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021 | 5

Managing drought-stressed pastures ORANGE CITY, Iowa — Given two years of inclement weather, cattle producers should start evaluating pastures and consider how to prepare them for the 2021 grazing season.

Factors to consider The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor, which reports drought conditions for each state, can be viewed at https://droughtmonitor. unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx. On Jan. 14, drought conditions in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota ranged from abnormally dry to extreme drought. Subsoil measurements taken late fall at ISU sampling sites in northwest BETH Iowa ranged from one and a half DORAN inches to six inches of moisture in ISU the top five feet of soil — well below Extension average. A “full” moisture profile contains roughly 11 inches of plant available water. Consider what the grazing pressure was last year. Were pastures continuously grazed with supplementation, or rotationally grazed? When pastures are overgrazed, weeds have less competition and can establish. What forage species are in the pasture mix? Some species, such as smooth bromegrass and Kentucky bluegrass are more drought tolerant. Kentucky bluegrass goes dormant in drought, but comes back well once conditions are favorable. In drought, smooth bromegrass may have just gone dormant. Realize, however, that bromegrass regrows from carbohydrate reserves stored in the lower stem. So, cutting below four inches or grazing short does extreme harm to smooth bromegrass. Tall fescue and Orchardgrass are more susceptible to stand failure in extreme drought. A really rough rule of thumb for

Avoid overgrazing. Move the cattle to a new pasture when the forage height is no shorter than four inches and allow a minimum of 21 days for cool-season grasses to regrow in late spring/earlysummer. In mid-to-late summer, the number of days needed for regrowth may expand to six weeks or more.



many, but not all forages, is that the more winter hardy a species is, the better the drought survival for that species. Were the stands stressed? If so, plant health may be compromised, and spring regrowth will be delayed. “Stress delay” creates great conditions for no-till interseeding improved species because it reduces competition against new seeding development. But this assumes winter and spring precipitation will create favorable conditions for planting. Frost seeding could also be tried in pastures that look like they are worth keeping. But, it’s more hit and miss and never recommended if establishing a new pasture from scratch.

Going forward Continue to monitor drought conditions regularly. This will provide direction in how to proceed this

spring with turnout, seeding, fertilization and weed control. Check the forage stand for plant vigor and density. If drought conditions improve, consider frost seeding red clover or interseeding drought-tolerant species. If the plant stand is poor, it may be necessary to establish a new seeding. But, for any method of seeding to be successful, there must be sufficient and continuous moisture. Consider fertilization to help boost pasture grasses. Grasses respond well to 60 to 100 pounds of nitrogen (N) per acre, as long as soil pH, phosphorus and potassium levels are adequate. If drought conditions persist this winter, consider applying half of the N in early spring and the other half in August if moisture levels improve. Delay turnout until the forage is six to eight inches tall. If forage plants are grazed too soon, this will weaken existing plants, delay future growth and increase weed competition. Think about weed control. There are basically two ways to do this — provide competition with desirable species of pasture plants or use chemical or mechanical control. Avoid overgrazing. Move the cattle to a new pasture when the forage height is no shorter than four inches and allow a minimum of 21 days for cool-season grasses to regrow in late spring/early summer. In mid-to-late summer, the number of days needed for regrowth may expand to six weeks or more. Consider planting summer annuals to spare pastures. ISU Extension has a publication, “Selecting Forage Species,” that lists the characteristics (including drought tolerance) of various species. It is available at https://store.extension.iastate.edu/ product/5367. Realize there is no magic bullet. Regardless of what is considered or planned, success ultimately hinges on timely rains and growing degree days. If drought continues, forage insurance may be warranted. N

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Rock-Nobles Cattlemen prepare to host state tour Event slated for July 13 BY JULIE BUNTJER jbuntjer@dglobe.com

REGIONAL — Plans to bring the 2021 Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Tour to Rock and Nobles counties are ramping back up after the 2020 tour had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will take place July 13, with eight different tour stops across the two counties. The Rock-Nobles Cattlemen’s Association anticipates approximately 1,000 attendees, according to President Jay Bakken, a cattle producer from rural Garretson, South Dakota. “We’re pretty proud of what we have down here and we’re looking forward to showing it to the rest of the state,” said Bakken. “We’re looking forward to good attendance because I think people are ready to get back to something normal.” The tour’s location, in the southwestern most corner of Minnesota, is hoped to draw producers from Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska — locations where state tours typically aren’t offered. “It’s typically one of the larger tours as it moves around the state,” Bakken said of the event, which is being hosted by RNCA for the fourth time in the 40-year history of the state tour. Previous tours locally took place in 1989, 2000 and 2011. “We have a wide variety of production facilities,” Bakken shared. “We have everything from slatted confinement to open yards to cow-calf facilities that will be on the tour.” Julie Buntjer / The Globe

Brian and Garrett Penning stand inside one of the hog barns they converted into a calf barn, complete with calf crates.

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Keeping the Columbias

There was never a question that the Worms would continue with the Columbia breed after taking over the flock. The Special to The Globe Columbias are a large, dual-purpose breed known to be A purebred exceptionally good mothers and produce a large amount of wool. At the time, Charles Columbia ewe and “They’re great in crossbreeding programs for rate of gain and was working in feed efficiency,� said Charles, also noting the docile nature of the her lamb take a Madelia as an adult restful break at the breed. farm management With a flock that numbers 75 ewes, along with numerous rams Worm farm near instructor, and and a continually expanding lamb crop, the Worms have focused /DNHĆHOG Louise was teaching on genetics that create deeper-bodied, bigger-boned sheep. agriculture education “We’re raising them to be built right for show, but part of it in Truman. They these days is also wool quality,� said Louise. She and Charles rented barn space shear all of their own sheep, due from a local farmer. in part to the high cost of hiring a The arrangement shearer. seemed to work out “Shearers charge an arm and a leg well enough until, in because (our sheep) are heavier and February 1987, they bigger,� she said. “We started last lost some sheep to year shearing our own.� what was later determined Because their sheep are halterto be pseudorabies. Hogs in a broke and used to being handled, nearby barn on the same farm Tim Middagh shearing seems to go easier. They /The Globe were infected with the virus, do so in smaller batches, getting 49 Charles Worm grins and they learned the farmer’s sheared over the holidays with the as a favorite ewe, children had gone from the hog aid of their fitting stand. Goodie, looks at him barn into the sheep barn to see “Doing (the shearing) ourselves DGRULQJO\ the lambs. has been a great management tool,� “The kids rubbed the noses said Charles. “This way, you get a of the sheep and that’s how it chance to look at them, evaluate was spread,� said Louise. “(The their wool.� state veterinarians) prepared “And trim feet,� added Louise. us that we could lose up to 70% of “We can take a look at udders and our flock. We lost two ewes.� we do preg-checking, but we can tell They relocated their sheep to if they’re on track.� Tim Middagh facilities on four different farms for /The Globe Noting the importance of marketing, several months, and then Louise Louise said she is currently exploring This roughly was offered a teaching position in markets with small woolen mills across 400-pound yearling the Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield Columbia ram named the country who might be willing to school district. wash and card wool from a single Get After It is one “I said sure, but find us a farm sheep, allowing her to market the wool of several breeding place,� she recalled. “That’s how we accordingly. rams on the Worm got here. It was more sheep-related With a former student in a Twin Cities IDUPQHDU/DNHĆHOG than work-related at the time.� knitting club, Louise said consumers want Louise said having a farm site of that personal connection. their own west of Lakefield offered “If I can market skeins of yarn that the siblings an opportunity to focus came from a certain on their sheep operation. Still, they sheep, it’s a huge both maintained full-time jobs — she thing in marketing,� notching 20 years teaching at HL-O-L she added. and Southwest Star Concept, with Meanwhile, the her final three years at the Academy Worms also market for Food Science and Agriculture their sheep to others in Vadnais Heights before reaching specifically for the Rule of 90 and retiring. Special to The Globe the quality of the Meanwhile, Charles continued to wool. They recently Competing in sheep shows offers work in adult farm management, sold a ewe to a the Worms the opportunity to and from 2003 to 2012 also woman in Oregon answer an abundance of questions worked full-time as the controller who specializes in IURPIDLUYLVLWRUV+HUH&KDUOHV at then-Heron Lake Bioenergy. producing and selling Worm answers questions for Today, the two work as crop quality Columbia YLVLWRUVDWWKH,RZD6WDWH)DLU insurance specialists at EXTended wool fleece. Ag Services in Lakefield. From Page 3

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TODAY’S FARM

A market for lamb Just as marketing their wool is integral to their business, so too is marketing the meat. Approximately 75% of the Worms’ ram lamb crop is sold for meat consumption, with the remainder saved back for breeding stock. Most ewe lambs are also raised for breeding stock. The Worms have developed a lambing schedule that begins in October in order to fulfill demand for lamb meat. “Following the ethnic holidays is huge,� Louise said, adding that the lambs they market for meat production are sold in Zumbrota. The sale lures buyers from large metropolitan areas including Chicago, Illinois. “We were extremely lucky last spring to market sheep at Ramadan time,� Louise said. “There’s also a good market just before Easter,� added Charles. Special to The Globe While lamb isn’t a popular Louise and Charles staple in the Midwest — the Worm exhibited the land of beef and pork — Charles Supreme Champion said 90% of lamb is marketed on Ewe at the 2012 the east and west coasts and to Wisconsin State Fair. upscale Midwestern restaurants.

Building on success When Louise and Charles began showing their Columbia sheep in 4-H, little did they know how the experience would blossom into competitions at shows not only in the Midwest, but across the country. Charles, who currently serves as executive secretary for the Columbia Sheep Breeders Association of America, said getting to travel was an appealing aspect of being involved in the sheep industry.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021 | 9

“The people in the sheep world we’ve known forever and they’re still our friends,â€? he said. Their relationships began at small county fairs — Carver, Dakota, Scott, McLeod and Wright — when they were younger, and now span regional and state fairs in multiple states. “As we got better, we went to Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota and the Minnesota State Fair for decades,â€? shared Louise. “We go to Davenport, Iowa to the Quad City Fair and the (Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa) every year. That and the Minnesota State Fair are Special to The Globe our favorite shows.â€? Louise (left) and Charles Worm stand with The Worms also Rueben, their 2016 Champion Ram, at the compete at the North North American International Livestock American International Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky. Rueben Livestock Exposition in is a recognizable name among Columbia Louisville, Kentucky, as well as in the national sheep breeders. He changed the direction show strictly for the RIWKH:RUPVèćRFNZLWKPRUHERG\ĂŚ Columbia breed. GHSWKDQGJLUWKĂŚDQGKLVVRQVDUHSRSXODU “It’s another tool for choices among buyers. marketing,â€? said Louise, adding that she and Charles have hosted national Columbia shows in Jackson, Fairmont and Spencer. “We’re one of the very few breeds that run our own national show and sale in June,â€? shared Charles. This year, the National Columbia Show is in Ohio. It has been hosted as far west as Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. Their sheep have been sold from Massachusetts to Oregon. The Worms typically show around 18 sheep when they compete in state, regional and national shows, trying to have one animal per show class. “As the year goes, you lose rams because you sell them off,â€? Louise said. While COVID-19 canceled much of their show season in 2020, the Worms are hopeful they can be back in the show ring this summer and fall, showcasing their newest crop of Columbias. N

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Special to The Globe

An aerial view of the cattle barns on the Grant Binford farm east of Luverne.

TOUR From Page 6

In addition to the tour stops, a trade show will be set up at the Nobles County Fairgrounds in Worthington and include ag retail and vendors. On-site vendors such as ag businesses, retailers and lenders will also be at the tour stops to visit with attendees. While the show caters to cattle producers, Bakken said it’s open to anyone and everyone. “We encourage the general public to attend,” he said. “For those that want to learn about beef production, this is an excellent opportunity to see beef producers where they live and see how their beef is raised.” The day-long tour includes a noon meal at New Vision Cooperative’s Magnolia feed facility, with the evening meal in Worthington. “We’re excited to have the tour,” Bakken said, noting that 80% of the event will be outdoors. It’s hoped by July, precautions against the coronavirus will have eased as the vaccine becomes more readily available. “We’re going to work with any regulations in the state to make the event as safe as we can for anyone that attends,” Bakken said.

The tour stops The eight farms included in the 2021 State Cattlemen’s Tour include operations near Hills, Steen and Luverne in Rock County, and Adrian, Rushmore and Wilmont in Nobles County. What

them on feed for about 180 days before they go to follows are brief descriptions of each operation. Binford Farms, Luverne: Brothers Grant market. and Eric Binford of rural Luverne raise Holstein, G&A Farms Inc., Steen: Comprised of adjoining Holstein-cross and western (native) breeds in farms — Glen and Ann Boeve’s to the west and several monoslope bedding barns. Matt and Kayla Boeve’s to the east — this operation Four years ago the brothers incorporated an has a capacity for up to 2,500 head of cattle and electronic ID tagging system (Performance Beef 8,000 hogs, with Matt and Glen farming about Analytics) on their farm, and tag most of the cattle 2,700 acres of tillable land. that come into their operation. The farm’s most recent expansion was five During the course of an animal’s time at the years ago, when the Boeves went to complete Binford farm (approximately 400 days), their tag containment — a requirement to be able to expand may be read up to five or six times. Each reading the number of animal units. All runoff is collected in gives the Binfords valuable information about the lagoons — one on each farm — with underground animal’s rate of gain, and can also be used as a tool pipes connecting the two lagoons to manage water to manage health. levels. Van De Berg Farms, Hills: Brad Van De Berg built two new barns in the summer of 2016 — a 900-head capacity slat barn and a 95-head capacity shipping/ receiving and bed pack barn with sick pens. He also added concrete to existing cattle yards to Minnesota Soybean Processors create feed storage. “(The farm) is set up so I can handle it,” Van De Berg said. “All I own here is the acreage, and I wanted to have enough livestock to make a living on the farm.” Van De Berg buys cattle at between 850 to 950 pounds, and has

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Mente Cattle Company, Adrian: Owners Dave and Stacy Mente, along with sons Dylan, Trevor and Justin, have spent the past two decades improving the genetics of their Maine-Anjou cattle with a focus on creating quality show and breeding stock. Today, they raise a mix of Maine Anjou, Simmental and Angus cattle, while moving toward three-quarter and hybrid Maine. The Mentes converted their tillable farmland into rotational grazing paddocks, receiving help through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to seed the grazing land. 3B Farms, Adrian: Jeff, Steve and Ted Bullerman transitioned their farming operation from dairy to beef, and now buy 200- to 300-pound Holstein calves for finishing. They built their first cattle barn in 2003 and, by 2005, construction began on their first slatted floor finishing barn. Four more slatted finishing barns were constructed

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021 | 11

in the next five years. “Calves go from the starter to grower barn, and at 600 pounds they go to the finisher barn,” Jeff said. “Today we’re at about 4,000 head and finish out a little over 3,000 head a year.” Brake Feedyards, Wilmont: This operation now supports the third generation of the Brake family. At this stop, visitors will tour the double-wide slat barn constructed on the farm site nine years ago. The 2,400-head capacity barn houses cattle from 1,000 pounds to market weight. “Most slat barns are only a single wide,” Jesse Brake shared. “We built a double wide, where you feed on each side. Part of the reason we did it is we saved a lot of money with the way this barn was designed with the (underground manure) pit.” Summit Lake Livestock, Wilmont: Brothers Russ and Brian Penning started Summit Lake Livestock about 15 years ago. They purchase

day-old Holstein-Angus cross bottle calves, though a majority come in at 200 pounds, as well as 600-pounders to finish out. On the tour, they will showcase the hog barns they converted for cattle production. They gutted the buildings, installed new electrical components and custom beams in the floors and replaced the slats. R&R Thier Feedlots, Rushmore: Ryan Thier and his dad, Richard, are the R&R in the farm’s name and, after significant expansion efforts during the past decade, now have pen space for up to 15,000 head of cattle. Included on the tour will be a view of their two 3,000-head capacity monoslope barns, a pair of 1,500-head capacity monoslope barns and a dozen outside lots. While Holsteins have been their breed of choice, the Thiers are in the process of converting to native cattle because of the greater access to markets. N

Julie Buntjer / The Globe

Ryan Thier stands next to some of the cattle in one of the farm’s monoslope buildings.

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