January 29, 2022 - 1st section - Zone 1 by Dairy Star

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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™

Volume 23, No. 23

Increasing components in the tank Doherty explains how management techniques affect fat, protein By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com

WELCH, Minn. − Every dairy farmer has management techniques that work for their farm, from feeding strategies to stall upkeep and availability, but what do those differences mean for milk components? “There are things that are in your control as a dairy farmer and quite frankly out of our control as nutritionists that will have a dramatic impact on the components that your herd is able to produce,” Tim Doherty said. Doherty, a dairy business manager for Form-A-Feed, presented, “Boosting milk components with top-notch management,” on behalf of Rick Grant at Form-A-Feed’s Dairy Conference Jan. 13 in Welch. Grant works at the Miner Institute in Chazy, New York, studying the effects of management technique on milkfat and protein. Due to illness, Grant could not make the conference. “This is where we say don’t forget management,” Doherty said. “Feed bunk management, stall and water availability, resting or ruminating time; every one of these techniques you have under your control as dairy farmers. And, that has the ability to improve your milk component production.” The rst area of management to consider is stall availability and comfort. A wellrested cow eats and ruminates more, Doherty said. “Cows prefer to ruminate while lying down, and they will choose to lie down over eating when under stress,” Doherty said. “Anything you are doing that is hindering lying time will also reduce rumination and feeding.” Turn to COMPONENTS | Page 6

January 29, 2022

A farm’s progress focused on family Barfnechts embark on fth generation of dairying By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com

MAYER, Minn. – As the Barfnecht family thinks about their future in the dairy industry, they credit much of what has become of the farm to each other. “Dad once told me he was sorry he wasn’t a better dad and that we didn’t do more,” Daryl Barfnecht said. “But we got to work together every day of my life, and now I’m working with my children every day. And, we’ve accomplished all of this.” The Barfnechts – Betty and her two sons, Doug and Daryl; and Daryl’s wife, Michelle, and sons, Brett and Tyler – milk MARK KLAPHAKE /DAIRY STAR 460 cows and run 3,000 acres Daryl Barfnecht (from leŌ), his two sons, Tyler and BreƩ, and brother, Doug, visit as they walk in Carver County near Mayer. through their freestall barn Jan. 19 on their dairy near Mayer, Minnesota. The Barfnechts milk 460 cows. Turn to BARFNECHTS | Page 7

Minnesota conƟnues to see decline in dairy herds

Industry in midst of growing pains By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com

COLOGNE, Minn. – Last April was the nal milk pick up at Hollandale Farms. It was a bittersweet moment for the Hoens, who knew their chapter as dairy farmers was coming to a close. “We realized that selling the cows was in our best interest for both of us,” Richard Hoen said. “It’s realistic in that the dairy industry has changed signicantly from since when we started.” Hoen and his brother, Roger, milked 78 registered Holsteins in Carver County near Cologne. The family’s farm was one of nine herds in the county – 18% of the dairy makeup – that dispersed in 2021, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. In total, Minnesota lost 115 licensed grade A farms from January 2021 to January 2022, bringing the number of dairy herds in the state to a mere 2,210. “Unfortunately, this is a trend that has been going on for years,” said David Weinand with the MDA. “There are fewer farms today than last year or 10 years ago.

I don’t like it, but it’s a sign of the times.” Ten years ago, the state lost 242 farms (5.7%) for a year-end number of licensed grade A farms at 3,979; in 2017, there were 153 farms (4.7%) lost for a year-end total of 3,105. In the past decade, the most signicant loss was in 2019 with 268 herds (9.6%) leaving the state. “(The industry) is going through growing pains right now, and a part of that is fewer farms,” Weinand said. For the Hoens, the decision to sell the cows was an imminent one as both Hoen and his brother were aging and dealing with signicant health issues that limited their ability to milk cows. Additionally, the younger generation of Hoens have established careers off the farm. In 1957, the Hoens’ farm was established with a 44-cow tiestall barn. In 1971, Hoen’s dad expanded the facility to house 78 cows and formed a partnership with two of his sons. “At the time, we were one of the largest dairies in the area,” Hoen said. “Since then, we’ve always tried to stay at full capacity.” Over the years, Hoen has realized the efforts his father made to help his four sons dairy farm. Hoen and his brother operated Hollandale Farms while two other sons milked cows on their own. Both Hoen brothers brought a unique

Top 10 dairy counties by licensed herds 1. Stearns County, 446 2. Todd County, 165 3. Morrison County, 157 4. Otter Tail County, 117 5. Winona County, 111 6. Goodhue County, 84 7. Wabasha County, 81 8. Houston County, 62 9. Benton County, 62 10. Wright County, 58 skillset to the industry, and their varying interests only beneted the farm’s progress. “Roger really liked mechanics, and I’d been A.I.’ing cows since I was 16-yearsold,” Hoen said. “I am fascinated with good, high-quality cows.” When the Hoens retired, their herd boasted a breed age average of 106.7%. Their decision to hang up the milking Turn to DAIRY HERDS | Page 6

Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com

ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Editorial Staff Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman - Staff Writer (608) 487-1101 • danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Abby Wiedmeyer - Staff Writer 608-487-4812 • abby.w@dairystar.com Kate Rechtzigel - Staff Writer 507-696-9213 • kate.r@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $40.00, outside the U.S. $200.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star / Star Publications LLC.

The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Star Publications LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.

North America dealers. Farm Bureau delegates advance policy priorities

Dairy Prole brought to you by your American Farm Bureau Federation policy now calls for a bump in the reference price for all Title I commodities in the next farm bill. That same resolution also calls for increased commodity loan rates and adjustments in the farm program payment limitations. For dairy policy, farm bureau delegates sought more transparency in the federal milk pricing system. The biofuels policy now includes support for renewable diesel. Changes sought for dairy pricing American Farm Bureau Federation delegates are calling for a more consistent format for milk pricing and an audit of the producer price differential on Class III milk. “It’s all about trying to make a little better farm market for our producers,” said Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing. Glessing, who is a dairy farmer, said the H-2A worker visa program was also part of the policy discussion. “We’re trying to get a reliable workforce and an immigration system that works,” he said. Taking steps to ease supply chain disruptions Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed the current supply chain disruptions during his address to the American Farm Bureau Federation. “There’s a lot of reasons why we’re faced with the current dilemma, and in a strange way part of it is good news, in that there is tremendous demand,” Vilsack said. “That indicates that we’re beginning to expand and grow the economy, but when you have that demand it places a strain on the supply chain and after being dormant during the pandemic, the supply chain wasn’t prepared for that immediate uptick in demand.” Action has been taken to ease congestion at the ports and put more truckers on the road. The shortage of shipping containers is also a focus. “We have too

many empty containers leaving our ports without having agricultural products in them so we’re working on effforts to incent those containers to be lled with agricultural products.” Vilsack said. More announcements will be coming from United States Department of Agriculture in the near future. USDA makes no changes to production January’s USDA supply/ demand report left 2021 milk production unchanged at 226.2 billion pounds. The forecast for 2022 was also unchanged at 227.7 billion.

Ag Insider

By Don Wick Columnist

Hay stocks record low in Minnesota The amount of hay stored nationwide as of Dec. 1 was 79 million tons. That’s down six percent from December of 2020 and it is the third lowest Dec. 1 stocks number since 1977. Record low hay stocks were seen in Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Maine and Massachusetts. USDA says 1.46 million tons of hay was stored on Minnesota farms, down 35 percent from one year ago. Drought relief included in Walz’s budget plan Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz outlined a variety of agriculture funding requests for the upcoming legislative session. There’s $10 million to help farmers and livestock producers Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • Page 3

It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider

Pages 2, 5 First Section

Melrose

Mayer

Prior Lake

First Section: Pages 8 - 9

First Section: Pages 1, 7

First Section: Pages 12 - 13

Bennett

Mellette Tripp Todd

Douglas Gregory

Charles Mix

Miner n so

McCook Minnehaha

Hutchinson

Turner

Bon Yankton Homme

Clay

Murray

Rock

Nobles

oln

Lin

Lyon

Woodbury

First Section: Page 5

Ida

Monona

Palo Alto

Sac

Harrison Shelby

s ta

a oc

Pottawattamie Cass

Mitchell Howard

Hancock Cerro Gordo

Mon

Floyd

Greene

Bremer

Wright Franklin Butler

Guthrie

Dallas

Black Hawk

Polk

Story

rs Ma

Tama

Jasper

Altura

Houston

Fayette

Harvesting Quality Forages

First Section: Pages 18, 20

Clayton

e war Dubuque

Benton

Dela

Jones

Linn

Iowa

Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk

Adair

y mer Adams

Page

Boone

ick

Grundy un Webster Hamilton Hardin

tgo

Fre

Worth

n Win

t old

Winona

Fillimore

Mower

lho

Crawford Carroll

Mills

Zone 1

Clay

eba

Kossuth

I-29 Moo University Winter Workshops focus on milk quality

n inso Emmet

e ke Buena ero Vista Ch

Freeborn

Faribault

Martin

Dick

O’Brien

Plymouth

Brookings

Jackson

Osceola

Sioux

Wabasha

Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted

Shannon

Aurora

Goodhue

Rice

iek

Fall River

Brule

Moody

Nicollet

Brown

ake

Jackson

Lyman

Lake

Redwood

Custer

Jones

Sanborn

Da vi so n

Pennington

Jerauld

Brookings

Dakota

Scott

Sibley

Lyon

Kingsbury

Haakon

Hennepin Carver

Beadle

McLeod

Renville

Yellow Medicine

Anoka

Wright

Meeker

All

Hamlin

Hand

Buffalo

Deuel

Kandiyohi

Isanti

Clinton

Taylor

Union old

Rin

Clarke

Lucas

Decatur Wayne

Monroe Wapello e

oos

pan

Davis

son

fer

Jef

Van Buren

Jackson

n Cedar so

Muscatine

Hyde

Sherburne

Chippewa

Lac Qui Parle

Codington

Clark

Lincoln

Hughes

Spink

Benton

Stearns

Pope

Swift

Stanley

Stevens

Grant

Meade

Day

Sully

Lawrence

Faulk

Potter

Ziebach

Big Stone

gto

Third Section: Page 3 Edmunds Walworth Dewey

Roberts

Marshall

W in

Zimmermans lose barn Campbell McPherson in late-night re Brown

First Section: Page 29

Pages 10 - 11 Second Section

Butte

Corson

Pine

Mille Lacs

Morrison

Douglas

isa Ch

The “Mielke” Harding Perkins Market Weekly

Todd Grant

Tra ver se

Brooten

Women in Dairy: Shari Chamberlain

hin

Richland

Sargent

Pine Island

Carlton

Wa s

Dickey

McIntosh

Sioux

Otter Tail

Aitkin

Crow Wing

iek

Emmons

Cass

Grant

Ransom

LaMoure

Logan

Becker

Clay

Washington

Morton

Cass

Bames

Kanabec

Stutsman

ms ey

Kidder

Itasca

eu r

Burleigh

om ahn

Polk

Trail

Steele

Cook Lake

Page 39 FirstAdams Section

Griggs

Koochiching

Bowman

Foster

Norman

Oliver

Stark

Slope

Wells

Sheridan

First Section: Pages 23, 25

St. Louis

Red Lake

Eddy

McLean

Beltrami

Pennington

Grand Forks

Composting, cover cropping incentives are key for panelists

Lake of the Woods

Hubbard

Nelson

Roseau

Marshall

Benson

Mercer

Dairy Good Hettinger Life

Walsh

Ramsey

McHenry

Ward

Kittson

Wadena

Billings Golden Valley

Pembina

Pierce

Just Thinking Out Loud Page Dunn 38 First Section

Cavalier

Towner

McKenzie

Rolette

Page 37 Mountrail First Section

Williams

Bottineau

Divide

Clearwater

Something Renville Burke to Ruminate On

Wilkin

Page 36 First Section

Welch

Vierlings are full of history

Barfnechts embark on fth generation of dairying

Engelmeyers reect on decade of dairying

Pipestone

Dear County Agent Guy

Louisa

Henry Des

Moines

Lee

Scott

West Concord

Dairy’s Working Youth: Buck Oeltjenbruns Third Section: Page 7

Zone 2

FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com

How do you retain good employees?

Ames

Students take on herd management at ISU

First Section: Pages 15 - 16

Second Section: Pages 14, 16

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 5

ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 2 that suffered from the drought. That includes rapid response grants for livestock producers and specialty crop growers. There’s also money for the Rural Finance Authority’s Disaster Recovery Loan Program. Walz’s proposal also includes an investment in Minnesota’s livestock processing capacity and broadband access.

Department of Agriculture since 2012 and most recently served as an assistant commissioner. With this news, Minnesota Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen announced two new appointments within the department. Former MDA government relations director, Peder Kjeseth, replaces Place as assistant commissioner. Michelle Medina, who has been with the Caution advised over budget surplus Minnesota Farmers Union the past six State lawmakers will be working years, is the new government relations with a budget surplus in the upcoming director. session. “This is one-time money and when you factor in ination, the surplus A recap to the ‘21 Great Minnesota isn’t that big,” said Representative Paul Get-Together Anderson. Anderson is the ranking The Minnesota State Fair reported member on the House Ag Finance and an operating loss of $1.3 million this Policy Committee and urged caution. past year. That compares to a loss of “I’m going to look for targeted tax relief $16.5 million in 2020 when the fair was and there will be a limited budget bill canceled due to COVID. Joe Scapanski going forward,” he said. “When it comes of Sauk Rapids has been elected presito tax relief, farmland values are going dent of the Minnesota State Agricultural up and this will impact our property tax Society. Sara Donaldson of Minneapolis situation. We have to be mindful that this was reelected as the State Fair board vice money won’t be around forever.” president. One million acres Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made an appearance at the MN Ag Expo. Walz emphasized a goal of enrolling one million acres in the Minnesota Agriculture Water Quality Certication Program this year. With regard to the upcoming legislative session, Walz spoke about the importance of approving year-round E-15 in Minnesota. “I think this may be the year to get this done,” Walz said. “It’s not only the right thing to do environmentally, it’s a sound market for local growers.”

Trivia challenge Cotija is the Mexican cheese that is white in color, rm in texture and tastes salty. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, in what year did Kraft introduce Velveeta? We’ll have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Place named Minnesota FSA State Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult Executive Director sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Minnesota has new Farm Service Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and SterAgency executive director. Whitney ling. Place has been with the Minnesota

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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

ConƟnued from DAIRY HERDS | Page 1

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units is not a story unheard of. “Roger’s son picked up milk for a farm for the last time yesterday,” Hoen said. “Every farm next to us had dairy cattle in the 1960s. Now, we have to go more than 2 miles to nd dairy cattle.” Weinand agreed. “There are a lot of decisions that go into selling the herd,” he said. “Those are decisions farmers are making every year.” Stearns County – the state’s largest dairy county by herd numbers – lost the greatest number of farms (21) but retains 446 milking herds. The outlook is not all grim. In 2021, several counties either saw no change in herd numbers or a slight increase. Winona County, another large dairy area, added two farms. “We know there are some individuals who want to farm, and it’s all about making those connections with those who want to retire,” Weinand said. “I know of farm sites that have been moth balls for three or four years, then someone comes along and wants to start farming. That’s great.” Weinand works closely with MDA staff who oversee the Farm Link program, connecting retiring farmers with those wishing to join the industry.

“I know there are facilities in good, working condition that could get someone started,” Weinand said. “They can milk 50 cows and take that equity to invest in another location. Just being able to help someone get off the ground is huge.” In the year ahead, Weinand is hopeful the dairy industry will come out stronger than ever. “Yes, we’re going to continue to lose farms, but I’m cautiously optimistic the trend is slowing down,” Weinand said. “I’m condent the industry is going to be in the state for a long, long time.” And for those who no longer milk, their contributions to the industry simply look different. For the Hoens – Carver County’s farm family of the year last year – they continue to raise dairy heifers and crop farm. “We’ve certainly enjoyed our time in the dairy industry,” Hoen said. “Perhaps it’s time to start a new chapter with other things we also like doing.” Weinand agreed. “We all go through different chapters in our lives and (a dairying career) is one of those things,” he said. “As the number of farms decrease, a lot of those farmers are opening their doors to other options.”

ConƟnued from COMPONENTS | Page 1 A study in Spain evaluated cows from 47 farms. The animals were fed the exact same diet which was given to them by their local feed center. The results showed a 31-pound discrepancy in components from one farm to another. “Throw out genetics because the cows were all bred using a similar company,” Doherty said. “It really came down to management on the farm.” Of that difference, 56% was due to nondietary factors such as feeding for refusals, feed push ups, timeliness and stalls per cow, Doherty said. “The study showed that huge differences are possible strictly from a management perspective,” he said. “Look at how you are feeding your cows and what you are doing.” Another study which was done at the Miner Institute showed that cows have feeding locations. “Cows will only eat within a 10-headlock span on any given day, and they don’t like to move. They will stand there and wait for feed to become available,” Doherty said. “A big part of this is just feed availability. Is there feed in front of the cow when she wants it, and is she able to get at it without too much difculty?” Other research has determined a higher rumen pH boosts milkfat and protein, inuenced by management. Cattle overstocked are at an increased risk of subacute ruminal acidosis and the rumen pH dropping to 5.5 or less. “During this time, you are losing milk protein and milkfat,” Doherty said. “The more hours the cows are standing up, the lower rumen pH is going to be. When your cows lie down to ruminate, they will spend less time standing, consume more dry matter intake and produce more milk with greater milk fat and protein percent.” To improve a cow’s environment, Doherty encouraged farmers to observe where animals are ruminating. “You got to get out and walk your pens,” Doherty said. “Go out and look at the cows; where are they? Are they ruminating, lying down or standing up?” Doherty also recommended farmers pay attention to increased grain in the diet and heat levels as it affects rumen pH. “There’s a lot to manage, but when you start to look at it from your cows’ rumen pH standpoint, you can improve your milk fat and protein,” Doherty said. Three of the top ve most inuential factors to increase milkfat and protein components are directly related to management: stocking density of feed bunks and stalls, feeding frequency and feed push ups, according to a study done with 79 herds across Vermont and northern New York testing de novo fatty acids. “You manage those things right and you have a ghting chance for more milkfat and protein,” Doherty said. He also recommended feeding more often so that feed is available at most times during the day. “It doesn’t have to be exact with 50-50 feedings and at 12-hour intervals,” Doherty said. “But, cows eat the majority of their feed at the start of the day, so they are going to eat from sunup to the end of day, and it’s important to have feed there at those times.” Doherty also recommended farmers evaluate refusals. Cows should always have feed pushed up in front of them. But also, close-up cows should have 5% refusals, early lactation at 2%-5% refusals and late lactation at 1%-3% refusals. “It all depends on your ability to manage that,” Doherty said. “Don’t have your bunk empty for more than an hour and give those fresh calf heifers more room to eat.” The dairy business manager also recommended testing for de novo fatty acids. “We can take your milk to a creamery or lab and test it,” Doherty said. “This will determine how good of a job your cow is doing at making her own butterfat in the rumen.” While there are many ways to achieve high milkfat and protein content in the tank, proper on-farm management is key. “Determine what is happening on your farm, where to put your refusals and know what your goals are,” Doherty said. “As Mike Brouk said, ‘Don’t let what you can’t do get in the way of what you can do.’”

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 7

ConƟnued from BARFNECHTS | Page 1 Since the farm’s beginning in 1974, it has been family who have been the workhorses behind the operation. Even today, the Barfnechts are the farm’s only full-time employees. “We’ve had some part-time help or people who help out once in a while, but the day-to-day chores are always us,” Brett said. “Even when we’re milking.” Brett’s involvement in the farm is focused heavily on the grain operation. Outside of the planting and harvest seasons, he is responsible for mixing the total mixed ration and feeding the milking herd. His younger brother, Tyler, serves as the assistant herdsman on the farm, while Daryl is the acting herdsman. Doug is in charge of the youngstock, while Michelle does the farm’s bookwork. Since Michelle has taken on the bookwork, Betty has taken a small step back from the dairy and focuses much of her time keeping up the farm’s curb appeal. All four men are at the farm at 4:30 a.m. every day. “Just as milking is done, so is feeding and taking care of the calves,” Daryl said. “Then, we come in and all eat breakfast together before we’re off again.” Doug agreed. “I really enjoy it,” he said. “All of it. The time we spend together.” Doug and Daryl work in a LLC partnership on the dairy, while Daryl’s sons are employed by the farm. Both Daryl and Doug joined their parents following high school in 1988 and 1995, respectively. Up until 1995, the Barfnechts milked in a tiestall barn. Betty and her late husband, Dale, expanded over the years and were milking 120 cows in an L-shaped barn when a re took it all. They rebuilt with a 200-stall freestall barn and double-10 step-up parlor, which

they still use today. Over the years, the Barfnechts have made calculated decisions to expand the herd and add on to the farm with housing facilities, structures that aid in efciency and land. “With the cows, Dad only bought the best cows,” Daryl said. “We’ve built this herd for the best.” Betty agreed. “As we grew and made changes, everyone knew what we had to do to make it,” she said. “There was no leeway.” The Barfnechts continue to breed for high productivity and long-lasting animals. Tyler helps make those decisions, including the use of sexed semen on their top-end cows and virgin heifers, and Angus to the remainder of the herd. MARK KLAPHAKE /DAIRY STAR “We’re trying to speed up the genetThe Barfnechts – (from leŌ ) Tyler, BreƩ , Doug, Daryl and BeƩy – take a break ics,” Tyler said. “Heifers used to be a cash from farm work Jan. 19 on their dairy near Mayer, Minnesota. The three gencrop, but that’s not the case anymore.” eraƟ ons of Barfnecht complete most of the work on their dairy farm. For the younger generation of Barfnechts, not only do they value working with family and carrying on a family traUpdating the milking system with ask around. We know we can’t possibly dition, they are also eager to see how the farm will be shaped in the coming years. automation would help alleviate the know it all.” As the Barfnechts reect on the Tyler, particularly, has taken an inter- Barfnechts’ time at the dairy. Right now, the farm is functioning with one person farm’s development and the generations est in the dairy herd. before them, they have big plans for the “I like working with cattle and my per 100 cows. “We’ve made everything as fast- future. They want to make decisions for family,” he said. “I like to see where we paced as possible, but we don’t work the farm – both dairy herd and land – that can get to at the end of a day.” He has approached the idea of ro- fast enough that we wreck things,” Daryl will keep them viable for generations to come. botic milking systems as an avenue for said. “We’re fast and efcient.” Before the Barfnechts make any If their past is any indication, nothing the family to continue milking in a more decisions, whether that is with new tech- will deter the family. efcient manner. “We grew up pushing for being bet“It would be a step for their future,” nology, a breeding strategy or purchasing Daryl said. “Dad built the parlor, and now equipment, they ask for advice from fel- ter,” Daryl said. “Dad always said nothing we need to think about what their future low farmers. And that understanding and was free and that we had to work to get willingness to learn is what they feel has what we wanted.” will look like.” helped them over the years. Betty agreed. Tyler agreed. “We’ve had our fair share of trou“This is because of years of working “We all trust each other and our ability to make decisions,” he said. “It means bles,” said Daryl, mentioning signicant together,” she said. “It’s pretty amazing a lot to me that they’ll take my ideas in damaging storms. “And we’ve been what’s happened with hard work and able to make things work because we dedication.” to consideration.”

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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

A 10-YEAR UPDATE

High Point Dairy still shoots for the stars Engelmeyers reect on rst decade of dairying By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com

MELROSE, Minn. – Joe and Kim Engelmeyer longed to milk cows, so when the opportunity came about, despite starting a career later in life, there was no hesitation. In the last decade, the couple has built a lifestyle around dairy farming, and they have grand plans for High Point Dairy in the years ahead. “We’ve done alright in 10 years, and now we’re hoping to make it another 15 years before Derek can step up,” Joe said. “That all played into our decision to purchase this farm. Did we want to spend that much on a farm, a career change if no one would take it over? If we were to sell it, who would buy a farm?” On Sept. 1, 2011, and in their 40s, Joe and Kim became owners of a dairy farm in Stearns County near Melrose. Today, the couple milks 120 cows and run 265 acres with the help of their children – sons, Derek, Tyler, Brett and Connor, and daughter, Emily. The Engelmeyers purchased the farm from long-time dairy

MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR

Kim and Joe Engelmeyer stand in their double-10 parabone parlor Jan. 24 on their dairy farm near Melrose, Minnesota. The couple started farming 10 years ago and the parlor was one of the advancements the couple has made in the past decade. farmers, Sam and Jane Salzl, who were looking to exit the industry after a series of accidents that left Sam unable to continue farming. While the core of the farm

has remained the same, the Engelmeyers have made critical upgrades in the housing facilities and expanded the herd. “I never thought we’d change

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so much so quickly,” Kim said. “But we knew we wanted to milk more cows.” Joe agreed. “We have to keep up with the

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ConƟnued from ENGELMEYERS | Page 8 that, we wouldn’t get anywhere.” The Engelmeyers’ herd rst consisted of 81 milking cows. Not only have they grown in that capacity, but they have also added on to the original freestall barn and installed automatic scrapers and an automatic feed pusher, remodeled the parlor, put up a calf barn and other structural improvements to allow them to dairy more efciently. Their largest projects were completed this past year. On Aug. 5, 2021, Joe and Kim began using a 56-foot- by 56-foot calf barn equipped with two automatic feeding stations and seven individual pens for newborn calves. “We fed calves in hutches for so many winters,” said Kim, mentioning she usually has about 30 calves on milk at a time. “We were in ice storms and pulling a wagon, ve times over, to feed calves. It was a lot of work, and I was looking for something out of the elements.” Hardly three months later, the couple remodeled the double-4 side opening parlor to a double-10 parabone parlor. “It shaved an hour off of our milking,” Kim said. “Knowing that, it didn’t take much to talk us into doing it.” Joe agreed. “It’s hard to nd help, and when we started, we knew we wanted dairy to be a part of our lives but not our entire lives,” he said. “With this, we can still make it out of the barn by 6:30 p.m. and head to town for Connor’s or Brett’s basketball games.”

Both Joe and Kim are in the barn by 4:30 a.m. every day. As Kim milks the herd, Joe brings the cows into the parlor. By 7:15 a.m., they are done with milking; Kim heads in the house to get Emily ready for school and Joe begins feeding. Soon after, Kim feeds the calves and all the routine chores are completed by 10:30 a.m. Every Wednesday and Friday, the Engelmeyers’ eldest sons are available to work on the dairy. Derek, along with his wife, Amber, and Tyler, and his wife, Cortiney, are always willing to help when needed. “Our days are full,” Joe said. “Then, when you throw in crops, it gets to be long days.” Kim agreed. “Farming is not very exible, but it’s very exible compared to a 9-5 job,” she said. “You control your day. We’re working to give us a better income, not just to get a paycheck, and your boss is getting the benets of you doing a good job.” Plus, a dairying career has created memorable experiences for both the Engelmeyers’ children and now their grandchildren, Lexi, Gabi and Wyatt, and one on the way. “They are already exploring the farm and helping with the calves,” Kim said. “We can’t wait to watch them learn and grow in the farming environment.” This spring, Derek will join his parents full time. “Derek wants to farm,” Kim said. “It’ll be a big commitment for him, but he knows that. Since

MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR

Calves rest comfortably Jan. 24 in the calf barn the Engelmeyers built in August 2021. The facility has two automaƟc feeding staƟons. we started, he has been interested. He always had an inkling that he liked to take it over someday.” The Engelmeyers have accomplished a lot in their time in the industry, but it has not come without setbacks from turbulent milk prices and exceptional droughts. They are currently buying corn through this year’s harvest and have always relied on haylage purchases from neighboring farms. “We only have so many acres to work with,” Joe said. “We need a lot of feed, and we end up buying quite a bit.” Despite the challenges,

“The somatic cell count is the test I look at first.”

the couple has planned as best they could with three simple approaches. “I’d say it’s all because of good management, saving money when you have it and getting milk out of the cows, comfortable cows,” Joe said. Both Joe and Kim are quick to point out the people who work alongside them, and who have guided them in the past, to help them succeed in the dairy industry. “It’s important to work with our nutritionist and veterinarian,” Joe said. “We’ve also learned quite a bit over the years from

the neighbors. We listen because they’ve all been doing it longer than we have.” As the Engelmeyers embark on another decade for High Point Dairy, they go into it with the farm’s equipment and cows paid off and their sights set on another generation interested in farming. “That was nice to see and have something in our name,” said Kim on reducing their debt load. “Joe wanted to milk for a long time, since high school already. We’re glad we’ve made it 10 years.”

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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

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LA CROSSE, Wis. – The iconic Kwik Trip gas station stores are moving dairy products around the Midwest and beyond. What began as a single store in 1981 has grown to 800 locations and counting. John McHugh, direction of public relations at Kwik Trip, said the company’s growth was done with a family-oriented mindset. “We are a family-owned company that values the Midwestern roll-up-your-sleeves work ethic,” McHugh said. More than 80% of the products in the stores are produced in La Crosse through Kwik Trip’s own bakery, dairy and kitchens. The dairy intake bay accepts 20.98 million pounds of raw milk every month. PHOTO SUBMITTED Additionally, non-fat dry milk is used in Sam Ellingson (leŌ) and Dave Schoh are both quality control some of the products. laboratory technicians at the dairy plant in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. “Kwik Trip’s nished product list consists of seven types of milk plus their limited-time offers; whole, 2%, 1%, skim, low-fat chocolate, chocolate The holding silos can hold up to 220,000 gallons of raw milk. From the holding silos, the milk is pulled into the and strawberry,” said Jeremy Nickelotti, Kwik Trip dairy processing room and sent through a pasteurization system. director. The company also produces its own half-and-half, This removes the butterfat from the milk and incorporates ice cream, Italian ice and Greek yogurt. Of all the dairy the proper amount back into the milk. Depending on which products offered, the gas station’s top selling uid product products are being made, the product then goes through is 2% milk. Of the various ice cream avors, vanilla tops the homogenizer. Once the pasteurization process is complete, the milk the list as the most popular. The business has two plants on its campus; a uid milk is cooled. The milk is pumped into the pasteurized product plant that bottles all of the dairy items and another facility silos which can hold up to 98,000 gallons. From the silos, to package the ice cream. The bottling plant brings in the Turn to KWIK TRIP | Page 11 loads of raw milk and stores it in holding silos every day.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 11

ConƟnued from KWIK TRIP | Page 10

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Al Bollinger, a dairy supervisor, loads ice cream lids onto the lid dispenser at the dairy plant in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. the milk is pulled into one of four milk llers and put into a bottle or bag. “Kwik Trip is one of very few places left that does bagged milk,” Nickelotti said. “Another fun fact is that (the company) has a blow mold plant where they make their own half gallons and gallon jugs.” The bottling process is similar for the avored products; however, there are a few steps that include the addition of avoring powders. The ice cream process pulls raw milk in and blends the milk with cream and other ingredients to obtain the desired fat content. After the raw ice cream is blended, it is pasteurized and pumped into a pasteurizing aging silo where it is eventually brought back to a avoring tank. The mix is taken from 36 degrees Fahrenheit down to 20 degrees in the freezing process. The ice cream is then piped into a ller room where individual containers are lled, sealed and dated. From there, the ice cream travels into the spiral freezer, bringing the temperature below zero. Finally, the ice cream is bundled and stacked into the storage freezer before being shipped to stores. “(The company) sources all of their raw milk through cooperatives which all come from the tri-state area,” Nickelotti said. “Milk can go from the cow to the store in as little as 72 hours.” Purchasing trends have changed slightly in the last year and a half, with a swing in bottle preference. “There was an increase in larger container sales, gallons and half gallons during this last winter,” Nickelotti said. “Since then, over the summer and fall, we have noticed the trend of small bottle purchases returning.”

To keep up with consumer preference, the company is continually looking for new items and avors to produce. “Variety allows our guest to gain more variety and to continue our commitment of guest satisfaction,” Nickelotti said. Part of the company’s success is also being present in the community. They promote dairy products whenever possible. “Kwik Trip donates to many June Dairy Day events and helps with on-farm breakfast events in their area,” Nickelotti said. Further involvement in the dairy industry comes from the company having a seat on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association and being a member of the International Dairy Foods Association. They also compete in dairy product contests. The strawberry milk received rst place, of 1,400 entries, in the 2021 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest. Nickelotti said none of Kwik Trip’s success would be possible without the dairy industry. “The dairy industry is a vital part of our process,” Nickelotti said. “Without it, we would not have a plant.” McHugh agreed. “The dairy industry and farmers are extremely important to the business,” he said. “Without them, Kwik Trip would be unable to supply their guests with the items they are accustomed to acquiring at their locations. Kwik Trip counts on their co-ops and patrons to supply them with the highest quality milk possible so that they can supply their guests the best quality products possible. Without farmers doing what they do to care for their animals, Kwik Trip couldn’t supply the high-quality items they do.”

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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

Vierlings are full of history

Farm dons surge buckets, step saver, model T fence posts By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com

PRIOR LAKE, Minn. – Tucked within the metropolis of Prior Lake lies a dairy farm that has been there since 1861. “I still milk with the old surge buckets and a step saver,” Mike Vierling said. “It’s the old way of dairying, but I like it.” Mike and his wife, Becky, farm with their son, Bob, on

their sixth-generation dairy farm in Scott County. The Vierling family milks 50 cows, raise 30 beef cows and run about 750 acres of corn, soybean, alfalfa and a cover crop of winter rye. The farm was recognized as a century farm in 1976 and a sesquicentennial farm in 2019. Over the years, the farm has become the way of life for all of the Vierlings’ kids; David, Bob and Bethany. “I started feeding calves in grade school,” Mike said. Bob agreed. “We all started that way,”

KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR

The Vierlings – (from leŌ) Becky, Mike and Bob – operate a 50-cow dairy in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The farm has been there since 1861.

KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR

Mike Vierling holds up a surge bucket and a step saver that he uses to milk his cows near Prior Lake, Minnesota.

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he said. As Mike got older, he took on eldwork. He started running the farm full time with the help of his sisters, Lucy and Susie, after their dad passed away in 1995. “They helped milk until the boys were old enough,” Becky said.

The Vierlings’ ancestors came to the farm from Germany in 1861. “Back in those days, we used working horses. My dad said he bought the plow and the John Deere Model G with one milk check,” Mike said. “We also had pigs and 700 chickens.”

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Bob agreed. “We sold eggs to the grocery store back then,” he said. Currently, they own two farm sites about 1 mile apart. “We used to milk in a 20cow barn with cans when we rst Turn to VIERLINGS | Page 13

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 13

ComnƟnued from VIERLINGS | Page 12

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Mike Vierling stands in the original grainery which is sƟll used for storing ground feed at his farm near Prior Lake, Minnesota. The grainery was built in 1886. started,” Mike said. “Then in 1982, we was used for horses, calves and beef cows moved down to this farm site that had a over the years. 40-cow barn. We thought that was huge “It really started to lean so we had at the time.” to take it down,” Mike said. Today, the farm is also home to 20 The Vierlings have always treasured chickens, three peacocks and a pet turkey. their rich history in farming. Six years “He was walking back and forth in ago, Bob found and purchased one of the barn today watching me milk,” Mike the dairy’s original tractors, a John said of the turkey. Deere 620. The farm has expanded over the “We traded it off in 1978, and we years, going up to 70 cows in 1990 and knew where it went, so when the guy 100 cows in 2000. However, due to had an auction, I went and bought it,” government restrictions, the farm had Bob said. “People wondered why I bid to cut the herd in half. so high.” “That and the city has probably been Unlike 50 years ago when it was the our biggest challenge,” Mike said. “But farm’s main tractor, the John Deere 620 it’s also kind of fun living this close is now used for raking hay and running to people who have never seen a cow the auger. The farm also has the original before.” John Deere Model G which was used for On the farm, all the milking and cultivating. feeding is handled by Mike. Bob manages “My dad always said that stayed with all the crops and the farm,” Mike decision-maksaid. ing, and Becky They also handles the have the granary bookwork and which was built runs errands. in 1886 and is “She puts used for storing all the pieces ground feed. The together,” Mike original milksaid of his wife. house and barn Bob also frame with the MIKE VIERLING, DAIRY FARMER runs a custom silo is also standhay cutting and baling business. He also ing. The barn, which was built on the plows snow for residential and commer- second site in the 1940s, they still milk in. cial properties. And, the farm has the original windmill “This year, I went all the way from and pump house and fence posts that Webster up to New Germany. If it’s were made from Model T cars. enough acres, I go and cut it,” he said. “My dad said those fence posts “Plowing snow is a fun gig, and it helps would last longer than the wooden ones to cover the cost of equipment and feed and, well, they’re still here,” Mike said. we need to buy. It gives us money in The only upgrades have been the the bank.” milkers and a bigger bulk tank in addition Over their years of farming in the to some equipment. city, the Vierlings have many fond memo“It’s hard to upgrade when the city ries, including their time farming on Prior puts laws on it,” Mike said. “But we try Lake. The family has 55 acres of land to upgrade the worn-out stuff as needed.” surrounding the lake, where they take The farm has tried new cropping their herd to graze during the spring and techniques. bring them home around Thanksgiving. “We did a cover crop of winter rye This was always a fun experience the past couple years, do some no till and for the Vierlings because it also meant switched from 38-inch rows to 30-inch they had to walk the herd across the road. rows; it seemed to work really well for “They only got spooked one time by a us,” Bob said. school bus; otherwise, they knew exactly In the future, the Vierlings would where to go,” Mike said. “Now we use a like to buy a new farm where there is trailer to bring them home because trafc less trafc. has gotten so bad.” “Until then, we are going to use what Up until eight years ago, the Vier- we got and keep going until we’re not lings were using their original red barn here anymore,” Mike said. which was over 100 years old. The barn

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Dairyy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 15

How do you retain good employees?

Randy Pater pictured with his wife, Priscilla, and grandchildren, Eden (left) and Jonah Pipestone, Minnesota Pipestone County 1,600 cows

How many employees do you have, and what are their duties? We have around 12 employees at any given time. We have ve full-time employees whose work ranges from milking to herd health, feeding calves, bedding, hauling manure, repairs, cleaning, maintenance, seasonal eld work and special projects. We have six part-time employees for milking and other duties. We have one part-time calf feeder. We’ve been fortunate to have one employee that was been with us 30 plus years and three others 7-10 years. What are the shifts for your employees, and how do you handle time off for them? We milk three times a day. For some employees, they have consistent schedules, and others have uctuating schedules. Employees are encouraged to help each other out for time off. Normally all employees get at least one day off a week. What is the best method you use to nd quality employees? We have had success with word of mouth from employees, our vet, nutritionist, equipment dealer and fellow farmers. We have used the Communicating Agricultural Education Program. They are trainees from foreign countries who are looking to educate themselves in agriculture. The program has been very good for helping to nd people to learn as they gain hands-on experience. They tend to stay for a year. We’ve also placed ads in the newspaper and hired high school students. We have a modest amount of people that drive up looking for a job. What training process do they go through after they are hired, and what follow-up training or continuing education do you offer? We spend time with our current employees. We communicate often with our employees. Training tends to be constant with changes always happening on the farm. We have an on-farm milking school twice a year. We also have periodic informational meetings with our vet, milking equipment technician, nutritionist, farm equipment dealership and myself. How does your farm remain competitive in retaining good employees? It is always a struggle, but we give holiday pay, somatic cell count bonuses, paid time off, housing for the milking manager, and we try to help them nd housing if they want to live in the area. Tell us about your farm. We currently have 345 registered Holsteins that produce 29,000 pounds of milk per cow with 3.9% butterfat and 3.1% protein. The average somatic cell count for the year was approximately 90,000. We have 200 steers and 1,900 acres. Slower times of the year tend to be spent on improvements and building repair projects. We are nearing retirement and attempt to take more time off. Larry is trying to get time off to golf and sh. We take two vacations a year (one in winter and one in summer). Deb does part-time calf feeding, farm bookwork and has an off-farm, part-time job.

How many employees do you have, and what are their duties? We have 14 full-time employees. There are nine milkers, one feeder, two maternity and calf care takers, and two cow and youngstock caretakers. What are the shifts for your employees, and how do you handle time off for them? We have three eight-hour shifts for our milking people, and the other jobs are usually nine to 10 hours a day. I try to accommodate a schedule that works best for them. Some want to work every day, some want one day a week off, and a few want two days off. There are usually a few employees who will pick up extra shifts to cover someone’s off day because that is overtime hours for them so we can almost always make it work. What is the best method you use to nd quality employees? A lot of times my employees will give me referrals to check into if I am looking to hire someone. I have gotten good employees in the past through contacts I have made within the dairy industry. What training process do they go through after they are hired, and what follow-up training or continuing education do you offer? I will always match up a new employee with an experienced person as a mentor for a few weeks so they learn the routine and process by watching.

Juan Rocha and Jeff Funk New Munich, Minnesota Stearns County 700 cows How many employees do you have, and what are their duties? We have 11 full-time employees (A couple of them have been here for 15 years.), three part-time employees and a hand full of people who are willing to help after their regular jobs are done or after school during our busy times. Their jobs vary from milking, feeding calves, maintaining free stalls, taking care of maternity cows, feeding cows, taking care of special needs cows, inseminating cows and hoof trimming. We do all our inseminating and our own hoof trimming. What are the shifts for your employees, and how do you handle time off for them? We milk three times a day. Our day shift runs from 5 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The night shift is from 4:45 p.m. to 4 a.m. Employees seem to prefer 11+ hour shifts over eight-hour shifts and like 95-105 hours every two weeks. We try to give them one shift off every weekend because we know family time is important to them. We are fortunate to have several employees who want to work the weekend shifts and take off during the week.

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I also use foundation livestock consulting people to provide bilingual training to milking staff, maternity care, feeders and cow herd people. How does your farm remain competitive in retaining good employees? The labor market is competitive right now, so it’s more important than ever to retain good employees. We strive to do that by showing condence in them by giving them responsibility and letting them make decisions, so they feel a part of the dairy operation. We give them feedback and offer them new things to learn to keep them engaged. We have three husband-wife pairs who work for us and that seems to work well. I have some housing available at the dairy but not enough for everybody. We try to pay a competitive wage. There are six holidays I pay overtime on. They get their birthday off, and they get one to three weeks paid vacation depending how long they have worked here. Probably the best method comes back to following the golden rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Priscilla, and I own Pater Dairy. We have milked cows here since 1988. We started small with 16 cows and slowly grew a little each year until 2007 when we built a cross-ventilated freestall barn and milking parlor and started hiring some help at that time. I feel blessed being able to do something for a living that I always wanted to do. We have three married daughters who have given us three grandchildren, and one son who is in college and helps on the farm in the summers. I enjoy raising quite a bit of the feed for our cows on land we own and rent in my spare time.

When someone wants off an extra day, someone has always has been willing to pick that shift up. What is the best method you use to nd quality employees? Word of mouth from our employees is how we nd all of our help. The employees do not recommend someone they think will be bad because then they have to work with that employee too. What training process do they go through after they are hired, and what follow-up training or continuing education do you offer? We stress the team approach when they get hired. They watch a video on cow handling. Our assistant herdsman, Juan, is bilingual. Juan tries to get them interacting with other employees on their rst shift. He works with them the rst shift to show them the protocols and explain the reasons we do things the way we do them. We have protocols for them to follow. The second day we try to schedule them with a seasoned employee because they can help watch and explain things while they work. The third and fourth shifts Juan or Jeff try to ne-tune their techniques. If they don’t speak English, Juan tries to teach them key English words so they can communicate. If we can make them feel

Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16

Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 important and part of the team, they will do a better job. The follow-up training never stops. We have time set aside in Juan’s schedule for him to work with employees and ne tune and retrain when needed. We try to keep employees motivated. It seems like as long as you compliment them when they do good, they take the criticism and try to get better when they aren’t doing something correct. How does your farm remain competitive in retaining good employees? We offer vacation pay, overtime pay and exible schedules. We pick employees up when winter weather doesn’t allow them to drive safely. Housing is available. We help them nd housing when needed. We give them time off when they request it and treat them like we would want to be treated. Tell us about your farm. The owners are John and Dorothy and three sons, Greg, Jeff and Karl. Between rented and owned land, we run about 1,800 acres. We raise corn for silage, haylage, high-moisture shelled corn, soybean and meadow hay. We harvest all the feed for the animals and drag hose all of our manure. We milk 560 cows three times a day in a double-12 parlor and are milking 140 cows in two Lely robots in a cross-ventilated barn. Our dry cows are housed in free stalls, and the prefresh cows are on sawdust bed pack. We raise our heifers on several farms. The calves are fed pasteurized milk. They go into free stalls around 5-to 6-months-old until they are 60-days pregnant. From there, they are moved to outside lots. David and Angie Tauer Hanska, Minnesota Brown County 250 cows How many employees do you have, and what are their duties? As a third-generation family farm, we have an amazing team of employees making up 10 total. Two of our full-time employees are interns from the University of Minnesota MAST International exchange program who focus primarily on milking and learning overall farm operations. Our herdswoman focuses on feeding, animal health and crop production. Our part-time employees assist with milking, calves, general farm maintenance, feeding and eldwork. What are the shifts for your employees, and how do you handle time off for them? Our shifts and time off vary based on farm position and season. In a typical week, our herdswoman works daily split shifts with weekends off. Our full-time milkers receive one day off per week with other off time on a rotating schedule. We work with our part-time employees on exibility and t them where available. We strive to be fair, accommodating and exible to the best of our ability with our scheduling. What is the best method you use to nd quality employees? The MAST program and word of mouth have historically been our best tools for lling open positions. However, we were no exception to the labor shortage created by the pandemic. Our best method is to focus on personality and work ethic before experience. Some of our best employees have come with limited agriculture knowledge but a great attitude. We continually participate in college programs, MAST and Penn State Center for Dairy Excellence, to place interns and high school students wanting experience. Being open to people seeking second jobs has also helped us ll gaps. What training process do they go through after they are hired, and what follow-up training or continuing education do you offer? After hiring, we work one-on-one to ensure proper protocol and safety. It’s important everyone knows the ins and outs of the role

and can perform duties safely and effectively. By nature, we draw employees who are here to learn. It’s integral everyone has the skills needed while feeling continually accepted and comfortable. Our farm mission is to strive for excellence. We can only do so when our employees are set up for success. With a farm our size, there are numerous opportunities for growth and development. Everyone has the chance to do everything if desired. As a business model, we work hard to ensure we do the same jobs as our employees. Working with them every day is the best way to teach skills and form open, honest work relationships conducive to valuable feedback. We pass along as many meeting and workshop opportunities as possible. One simple thing we do is post articles on the barn fridge that may be of value to our employees or spark thoughtful discussion. How does your farm remain competitive in retaining good employees? Our biggest goal as a farm is to foster a positive work environment with a family feel. We work together to get the job done and remember a bad ve minutes doesn’t make a bad day. We speak to employees with respect and kindness and be sure to tell them thank you. Because many of our employees are thousands of miles from friends and family, we include them in everything from Sunday breakfast, after-chore bonres, our kids’ activities and holidays. Not only our farm, but our home, is open to employees. A constant supply of barn snacks and a good meal on a busy day is also well received. We end our year of hard work with an employee Christmas party at a local steakhouse followed by bowling. From a nancial standpoint, we pay competitively with other local businesses, pay cash bonuses and ensure everyone receives adequate time off. We provide housing for our interns. As owners, we constantly evaluate what it takes to be a farm people want to work for. Tell us about your farm. We are third-generation, family-owned, 250-cow Holstein herd. We farm 450 acres of corn, alfalfa and various cover crops all used for feed for our animals. We focus on genetics, quality components, overall herd health and being good stewards of our resources.

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Matt and Emily Zabel Plainview, Minnesota Wabasha County 400 cows How many employees do you have, and what are their duties? We have seven fulltime employees; ve are milking, but they also have other duties. They also do some bedding, clean barns, groom stalls, watch calving pens and feed new calves colostrum. The night crew also feeds calves in between shifts. Two of our employees are feed mixers/general labor. They mix for the cows and also the heifers at another facility. When feeding is done, they typically work on hauling manure, bedding, xing things or whatever else needs to be done for the day. We also have two to three people who work seasonally or as needed. What are the shifts for your employees, and how do you handle time off for them? The milkers work 12-hour shifts. Each shift has two milkers, switching milkers in the middle of the afternoon milking. As far as time off for them, they work together and communicate with each other on any time off they need. The employees who mix feed work approximately 10-hour shifts. They work most of the day on the home farm and a few hours at the heifer facility. Whenever they need time off, it is discussed with me and Matt, and we work together on getting everything covered. What is the best method you use to nd quality employees? Our current employees have been great at nding replacements. We’ve also had success with word of mouth. Our dairy is located by a highway and near town, so we will occasionally have people stop in looking for work. What training process do they go through after they are hired, and what follow-up training or continuing education do you offer? Once hired, they shadow an employee for three days or so. We have employee meetings bi-monthly and have a translator present for our Spanish-speaking employees. During these meetings, milking procedures, scheduling and comments or concerns are discussed. We also work closely with our veterinarian and do milking procedure workshops and discuss protocols. We would like to improve on more follow-up instruction and demonstrations early in the training process so there is less room for establishing bad habits. How does your farm remain competitive in retaining good employees? It is an ongoing balancing act to keep employees happy, but we try to do so in a variety of ways. We give yearly raises, cash Christmas bonuses and housing if they are interested. Occasionally we do meals in the break room or food for holidays. We try to show our employees we value them by treating them with respect. We genuinely care about them, their interests and their views or suggestions. As an employer, we aren’t hesitant to pick up a shovel or pitch fork. We don’t expect them to do something we’re not willing to do. Tell us about your farm. We farm with Matt’s parents, Tim and Tammie, making us a fourth-generation farm. We milk 360 cows three times a day in a double-5 parlor. They are housed in sandbedded free stalls. We also run 750 acres of corn and alfalfa. We raise half of our replacement heifers, and the remainder are custom raised along with far-off dry cows.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 17

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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

Harvesting Quality Forages

Baling protocols key for Speltzes

Eric Speltz Altura, Minnesota Winona County 800 goats

Describe your farm and facilities. We milk 800 goats, nish 1,500 meat goats a year, raise 50 beef cows and run about 220 acres of hay. We also run a custom baling and wrapping business. What forages do you harvest? We harvest alfalfa, oat and winter rye. How many acres of crops do you raise? We have 220 acres in alfalfa, 90 acres in oat which is a nurse crop, 80 acres in corn for feed and 80 acres in winter rye. We haven’t done winter rye every year, but the last couple years we have. Describe the rations for your livestock. The milking goats get 2.5 to 3 pounds of a 15% mix of corn, a soyhull pellet, a protein pellet, which has all their vitamins and minerals, and we offer free choice baleage which is about 25%-45% in moisture. We feed the youngstock an 18% Turn to FORAGES| Page 20

KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR

Eric Speltz pushes in fresh alfalfa to a pen of goats Jan. 19 on his farm near Altura, Minnesota. Speltz harvests alfalfa between 170 and 200 RFQ and 10-13 bales per acre per year.

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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

ConƟnued from FORAGES| Page 18

protein, but it still has the same corn and soyhull pellet mixture. What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? For quality, we shoot for 170 to 200 relative forage quality, and we harvest 10-13 bales per acre per year. Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. We only harvest alfalfa. We harvest the corn as

dry corn to mix back into the ration. The alfalfa is cut at 25- to 28-day cutting intervals and baled into 4-by-4.5-foot bales with three Kuhn balers. My son, Gable; my friend, Brady Beyer; my brother-in-law, Terry Schultz; my dad, Ron Speltz; and Patrick Kalmes help me with harvest and help with the custom baling and wrapping business. My wife, Melissa, provides all the meals we need during harvest time. What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? Everything is in-line plastic wrapped with 1 mil in plastic. We feed about 2.5 to three bales a day to the milking goats. Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. Instead of cutting at 32 days, shortening the cutting to 28 days this year seemed to help improve our quality. The weather, and having our own equipment, also helps. We have the exibility of having our own equipment and enough people around to get it done. My brotherin-law cuts it with his Haybine, so he can cut 120 acres a day, and then we can harvest it fast with multiple balers.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Eric Speltz and his crew wrap their hay within 18 hours aŌer the hay is baled. This is important for their forage quality.

How do quality forages play a part in the production goals for your herd? They play a large part as having a highly-digestible

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Eric Speltz and his family milk 800 goats on their farm near Altura, Minnesota. They also run 220 acres of hay, 90 acres of oats, 80 acres of corn and 80 acres of winter rye. feed makes more milk. Goats are also good at wasting hay, so having a little bit of moisture on the stems prevents the leaves from all falling off when we’re handling it. What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that have

made a notable difference in forage quality? Putting plenty of plastic on and getting them wrapped within 18 hours after they’re baled. We don’t add an inoculant, so tight bale wrapping and wrapping with enough plastic helps to improve our forage quality.

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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

Self learning teat positions

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Snow days as a kid

Growing up on a farm, whenever there was a snow day at school, there would be a fun day at home with a little work involved. My parents are full-time dairy farmers, so snow days as a kid meant they had extra help on the farm. But snow days also meant we didn’t have any homework, just a few extra chores and an entire day of fun. When school was canceled, we’d get up in the morning and help my mom milk cows while my dad would feed and plow snow. My parents have a 54-stall stanchion barn with a freestall barn where most of the cows spend their days By Kati Kindschuh in the winter, but we always Staff Writer kept a few cows in the barn. We’d nish milking, do all of the cleaning, bed everything down and give extra hay to the cows who stayed in. We would nish our chores and immediately head outside to play in the snow. When my dad plowed the driveway, he would always make a big pile of snow in front of the house, so we could build snow forts and tunnels together. My brother and I would take turns digging the tunnel, because we were smaller than our older sisters. Using shovels and empty ice cream pails, our imaginations would be in full effect as we built snow castles and secret tunnels, spending hours outside playing. Eventually, our bellies would get hungry, so we’d go in the house, noses and cheeks rosy from the cold winter air, and my mom would have something for us to eat. If we had some Nestle chocolate, we’d make hot chocolate before heading back outside to play. One winter, my dad got creative in the shop and made the ultimate toboggan. It was huge. He used an old piece of hard plastic that was smooth on the bottom for the base. Then he used some pipes and secured them on each side and the front to be like a frame for the sled. He had a safe way to secure it to the old John Deere snowmobile, and we were off. With all four of us kids on the sled, we’d y through the elds behind the barn. Like a snowy rollercoaster, we’d laugh and scream in excitement when my dad went down a big hill or over a snow drift. Even our border collie, Tippy, loved to run in the snow and follow us. My dad would pull us around. “But not on the hay elds,” he would say. The homemade toboggan was a great mode of transportation. My dad would take us back to the ultimate sledding hill, just north of our barn. We’d bring a few sleds and snow tubes. We would race down the hill, sprint back up and go down over and over again. Snow days as a farm kid were the best. When other kids were inside watching TV or playing video games, we were outside using our imagination and making memories with our siblings. Our snow pants and gloves were soaked from being out in the snow all day. We wished the next day school would be canceled so we could do it all over again. Those were the days. I’m sure my parents loved the extra help in the barn. I bet my mom loved to see us play all day and sleep like angels that night too. Snow days as adults are a little different. There are more responsibilities and a to-do list to accomplish, but treating snow days just like kids do isn’t so bad either. If nothing else, you’ll get a lot of fresh air, some exercise and maybe escape with your imagination for a brief while.

is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2022 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. Nothing in this document shall constitute a warranty or guaranty of performance. www.delaval.com

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 23

Sustainable dairying into the next generation Composting, cover cropping incentives are key for panelists By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com

WELCH, Minn. − Every dairy farmer milks cows and manages the land just a little bit differently than their neighbors. For three farmers, they found practices that not only help achieve their farming goals today but create a sustainable future for another generation. Three producers − Michael Jenson Jr., of Elk Mound, Wisconsin; Pat Troendle, of Lanesboro; and Cody Heller, of Alma Center, Wisconsin − shared ways they have made their dairy farms more sustainable for the next generation during the seminar, “Arming your dairy for the future,” at Form-A-Feed’s Dairy Conference Jan. 13 in Welch. “Sustainability is kind of a political keyword in a way, but if I was going to put a word on it, I would call it protability, and that matters to us,” Jenson said. “By implementing compost, we were able to save $8,000 and improve the quality

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Cody Heller (from leŌ), Pat Troendle and Michael Jenson, Jr. speak about composƟng, cover cropping strategies and green energy pracƟces they are using on their farms during Form-A-Feed’s producer panel Jan. 13 in Welch, Minnesota. The producers believe that by uƟlizing these pracƟces, their farms will become more sustainable for the next generaƟon. in our forages.” Jenson and his family − wife Jenny and kids, Michael III and Kylee; and his parents, Michael Sr. and Phyllis − milk 120 cows with two Lely robots and raise beef cows. Jenson beds with recycled solids from a neighboring farm and also composts.

“It’s kind of funny; I didn’t know much about compost when we started,” Jenson said. After several meetings with representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, composting soon became a part of the Jensons’ sustainable farming methods. Only one day following a consult to explain the method of composting, Jenson started his journey with the practice. “It’s been the best thing we’ve done,” Jenson said. To start a lane, he begins with a 6-inch base that is rich

Composting became a sustainable option When Jenson was looking for ways to improve the sustainability, and ultimately protability, of his dairy farm, composting was not an option he readily thought of.

in carbon, either pen pack manure or cornstalks. “They call this base an evaporation wagon,” Jenson said. Afterward, Jenson goes out daily and spreads liquid manure on top of the base. The manure comes from the barn or other pens. “The key is spreading it thin, that way we get natural evaporation,” Jenson said. “There’s no wrong way of doing it.” Typically, the family applies two or three months’ worth of manure before pushing the waste into a row.

“Once it’s in a row, that’s when the composting process actually begins,” Jenson said. To speed up the process, Jenson and his family have a company that turns the compost. “If you don’t have the equipment, that’s ne,” Jenson said. “We started with nothing. We had a manure spreader and a tanker, and that’s what we started with. It’s so simple to start, anybody could do it.” Under perfect conditions, the compost can be ready to spread on the elds within six Turn to PANEL | Page 25

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 25

ConƟnued from PANEL | Page 23 to eight weeks after the initial turn. “There’s really no wrong way to do it. It’s nature; it’s going to work,” Jenson said. “Anything you can do will help it along and increase the speed, but ultimately, the end product is going to be the same.” All in all, Jenson is proud of the success he has seen on his farm by utilizing compost. “During the consult, we gured it would cost us up to $12,000 to have a manure pumper come and move my manure, but if I spread it myself, I would save $8,000,” Jenson said. “That year, we ended up making $4,000 an acre on 2 acres. … My rst year after we starting using the compost product, I got rst in corn silage at the World Forage Analysis Superbowl and the second year I got third. I had some of the best corn silage in the world, and I contribute that all to the compost product.” Troendle cover crops to improve soil health Troendle has used cover crops to help conserve the soil and give the land a nitrogen boost on his family’s farm which sits in a valley in southern Minnesota. Troendle and his wife, Chris, and brother-in-law, Ben Taylor, milk 200 cows and run 600 acres, 40 of which are an organic cash crop. “One of things my family and I think about when we’re talking about sustainability is that we are blessed to have 6 inches of top soil when it rains,” Troendle said. “We want to make sure it stays there. So, we’ve really emphasized cover cropping, particularly in the past 10 years.” Much like Jenson, Troendle started with little equipment. They rst used a grain drill that was not meant to be used for no-till management of the soil. “We’d come in right after the day we would do corn silage so there was a little bit of moisture in the ground,” Troendle said. “We seeded in the cover crop and were able to get some decent cover crops.” However, in the last three years, they have upgraded to a high-speed disc with an air seeder. “Now, we can actually cover some acres at 8 to 10 mph, and we’ve been able to reduce our rates from 80 pounds an acre of a four-way blend to 50 pounds an acre of winter rye, turnips, radishes and Dwarf Essex Rapeseed,” Troendle said. “Next year, we are going to

reduce that blend down even more and add in oats.” According to Troendle, their biggest challenges have been with winter rye. “We want things to green up in the fall so it can hold that topsoil, and we want things to get green in the spring,” Troendle said. “But, when you’re working with rye, we found that you either want to get it killed or worked in before it gets 6 inches above ground.” Troendle said in his experience, it has taken a two-day rain event for the rye to go from 6 to 11 inches, making the cover crop difcult to work with. By reducing the amount of rye in the blend, they hope the cover crop will be easier to manage. Troendle also grows organic crops on a two-year rotation: a corn cash crop and an oat and pea blend, and a seven-way blend of forages. “Planting one thing in a cover crop is better than nothing,” Troendle said. “But our topography really drives what we feed our cows; we need to feed a 6040 diet of alfalfa and corn silage to the cows in order to keep nutritious topsoil.” Heller invests in renewable energy options After nearly four years of inactivity on the farm’s manure digester, Heller is ready to start the machine up again. Heller installed the digester in 2013 when the Wisconsin government had an energy program that allowed grant funding to support the installation and a contract with a power company. Now, under a new contract, Heller will be able to sell liquied natural gas to a Canadian-based company. “So, economics again have come back to the table and shown us that we can prot off our manure,” Heller said. Heller and his wife are the fourth generation on their farm in Jackson County, where they milk 1,500 cows, raise 2,000 hogs and run about 6,000 acres. Heller stopped using the manure digester when it was not a protable management option for his farm. “I have nally reached a point where I can view the numbers and monetize to make manure management through a digester economical, and that hasn’t been true in the past,” Heller said. “When the power purchase agreements were in place and that

green energy was paying us a subsidized dividend, it made sense. Today it makes sense again.” Heller is also adding solar energy to the farm. “It all revolves around the carbon footprint,”

“... we are going to take our least productive land, add solar and make a prot on it.” CODY HELLER, DAIRY FARMER

Heller said. “These developers are working with wind, solar, digesters and other green energies to net zero your farm and make it economical for that carbon credit to come into play.” Investing in renewable energy is a way Heller can be condent his children will have an opportunity to farm if they so choose. “I have to be worried about my children and what their future looks like, so staying ahead of the sustainability curve is my goal,” he said. Once the solar panels are installed, Heller estimates each one will bring in about $1,200 per acre of cropland. Between the panels, the Hellers are going to plant strips of alfalfa or other grass varieties. “These crops will grow low enough so they don’t block off the panels,” Heller said. “But we are going to take our least productive land, add solar and make a prot on it.” Heller is also looking forward to the opportunity to show consumers the sustainable efforts his farm is putting in place. “(The power company) is able to say which farm the energy is coming from and how much,” Heller said. For anyone looking to take their dairy’s sustainability practices to the next level, Heller encourages them to be curious. “Putting it together is a big challenge,” he said. “The more people you can ask questions to, the better.”

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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

Dairy farmers remembered for their contributions Harris, Jennissen, Krause, Schiller celebrated by family By Sarah Colburn Staﬀ Writer

The Minnesota dairy industry lost four leaders in December 2021 and January. Each represented dairy farmers and provided a voice to the industry across the Midwest. Peggy Harris, Gene Jennissen, Warren Krause and Mike Schiller leave behind a legacy built on their involvement in local, regional, state and national dairy associations and organizations. As farmers, they led by example and gave of their time to help guide the industry for generations to come whether that be through modernization, adapting to an ever-changing farm landscape, work ethic or their efforts toward bettering breeds. Peggy Harris (Nov. 16, 1948 – Jan. 5, 2022) Margaret “Peggy” Harris of Sandstone, Minnesota, spent a decade involved with the American Dairy Association’s Pine County chapter, serving as secretary and treasurer. She provided a public face for the organization in the community. She died Peggy Harris Jan. 5. Harris became involved in the ADA when her grandchildren became involved in the community. As they became interested in serving as dairy princesses, Harris stepped up her volunteering. Her son, Nick Harris, said Harris spent her whole summer each year volunteering with the organization, coordinating the parade oat and appearances by the princesses. “It was letting people know about the dairy industry,” Nick said. “We feed the people, and she wanted to make sure people understood that we were out there, that we’re an important part of this country.” Harris grew up in Finlayson, Minnesota, and moved to Sandstone to raise their family

and build a farm. She played an integral role on the farm where they milked 250 cows and ran 600 acres of corn and 1,000 acres of hay. Even when she was working with the association, she milked every morning and night. She also took care of the pigs, goats, calves and the many farm cats. She was known for her speed. At 5 feet, 1 inch, she could milk double the number of cows most people could in the same amount of time. Her work ethic was passed onto her family, Nick said, and she taught all of her grandchildren how to love animals and take care of them. “(She taught us) about hard work, and if you want something in life, you got to go for it and work for it,” Nick said. Nick describes Harris as a quiet lady who kept the family farm running, working side by side with her husband, keeping people fed and raising some of the largest pigs in Pine County. Gene Jennissen (July 17, 1931 – Jan. 5, 2022) Eugene “Gene” Jennissen of Sauk Centre, Minnesota, was active in the Minnesota Holstein Association, serving on several statewide committees. He was a board member of the former St. Cloud Area Holstein Club and exhibited dairy cattle at the Gene Jennissen local district shows and the Stearns County Fair. He also participated in many dairy promotion events. He died Jan. 5. Jennissen was raised on a dairy farm and began on his own in 1952 with about 20 registered Holsteins. He retired in 1997 when the herd had grown to 60 milking cows. He also sold about 20-25 registered Holstein bulls per year. Jennissen was a purebred Holstein breeder. His herd was on ofcial DHIA test from day No. 1 until retirement. Even after retirement, Jennissen stayed involved in the industry, taking a job picking up milk samples for Stearns County DHIA. Jennissen taught his family a lot about bull

proofs, and he encouraged and guided his son, Jerry Jennissen, from an early age when he showed an interest in farming. “He leaves behind a legacy of being a good and worthy caretaker of the most important animal on the planet, the dairy cow,” Jerry said. “He truly cared about his animals and did the very best he could with the tools he had available at the time to give them his best.” Warren Krause (July 6, 1937 – Jan. 4, 2022) Warren Krause of Buffalo, Minnesota, recognized the importance of dairy industry involvement early on, saying to his son, “The work you do away from the farm (on boards) is almost as important as the work you do at home on the farm.” He died Jan. 4. Krause became an Warren Krause ambassador for dairy farmers, opening his farm to visitors from more than a dozen countries and thousands of people of all ages through the years. He was always involved with agricultural cooperatives and served on the Centra Sota Cooperative board of directors in the late 1960s throughout the ‘70s. Krause was part of the group of men who founded Mid-America Dairymen (now Dairy Farmers of America), serving on the Corporate Board of Mid-America Dairymen. He served on the Carver/Wright/Hennepin Holstein Association Board as chairperson for six years. Krause also served on the Central Minnesota Forage Council for a number of years and hosted the Central Minnesota Forage Day in 2002. He helped charter the Buffalo FFA Alumni in the mid 1980s and was always supportive of the local dairy cattle judging team. Krause was inducted into the National Dairy Shrine at World Dairy Expo in 2011. DFA awarded Krause Holsteins with the 2013 Member of Distinction for the Central Area, and that same year, the family was honored as Turn to REMEMBERED | Page 27

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producers of the year by the Minnesota Milk Producers Association. Krause retired from farming due to medical reasons in December 2020, at the time he had 280 Holstein cows, 320 Holstein heifers and was running 600 acres of cropland. Krause adapted quickly to new technology through the years, building a milking parlor and freestall barn in 1968. He started feeding a total mixed ration as soon as they started manufacturing feed wagons in the 1980s. “Warren felt it was a noble calling from God to be a steward of the land and animals, to help feed a hungry nation and world,” said Charles Krause, his son. “He also wanted to make sure the land was better for the next generation.” Mike Schiller (May 22, 1953 – Dec. 19, 2021) Michael Schiller of St. Francis, Minnesota, was a third-generation Schiller family farmer who purchased the home farm in 1980. He and his wife, Karen, owned and operated 380 acres, growing corn, alfalfa and soybeans. Schiller, who died Dec. 19, 2021, was considered a dairy enthusiast and focused on breeding good, registered Holsteins. Schiller focused on developing the prex Schillview in Holsteins. He farmed until the time of his death, working with Karen as well as his son, Charlie, milking Mike Schiller 100 registered Holsteins and raising replacements. Schiller was a Holstein member for the county, state and national associations. For nine years, he served on the Minnesota Holstein Association Board of Directors. He also served 12 years on the Associated Milk Producers Inc.’s corporate board and spent ve years on the World Dairy Expo Board of Directors. Schiller was involved in showing registered Holsteins at county, state and national competitions. Schillview Holsteins has hosted various events including barn meetings, Holstein classication seminars, dairy cattle judging contests, tting workshops and farm tours. The Schillview prex has also marketed embryos and A.I. bulls to several foreign countries. In 2007, the Schillers were inducted into the Minnesota Livestock Hall of Fame. Schiller was also honored as the Minnesota Distinguished Holstein Breeder in 2009. “Mike leaves behind a champion line of registered Holstein cows, fertile elds, a work ethic that lives on in his children and a love of all things dairy that he passed on to the next generation,” Charlie said.

Kolb Dairy, Inc. honored with Form-A-Feed Outstanding Dairy Award

Kolb Dairy, Inc. of Paynesville, Minnesota, was awarded the 2021 Form-A-Feed Outstanding Dairy of the Year Award at the Form-A-Feed Professional Dairy Conference Jan. 13 at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Welch. This is the 12th year the company has awarded an Outstanding Dairy of the Year Award. To qualify for this award, a Form-A-Feed representative must nominate a recipient for their commitment and involvement in the dairy industry, community and country. Kolb Dairy, Inc. is a century dairy farm established in 1861 and is in its fth and sixth generation currently owned by Theresa Kolb, Mike Kolb and Tanya Guck, David and Nicole Kolb, Leon Kolb and Jason Kolb. Several family members are actively involved on the farm in a unique role. They are currently milking 440 cows, farm about 2,000 tillable acres and manage ve farm sites with the help of family and six full-time employees. The Kolb family is active in community organizations such as 4-H, FFA, St. Martin Lions, dairy knowledge bowl and dairy judging. David Kolb is on the Irrigators Association of Minnesota board and Mike Kolb sits on the alumni board of directors of the University of Minnesota -Waseca. “The Kolb family is deserving of this award for their commitment to family, commitment to farming, raising cattle and positioning the farm for the next generation,” said Thomas Schoenfeld who is the Kolb Dairy’s nutrition and production specialist. “They are moving forward in today’s ever-changing and challenging industry.” Each year, the Form-A-Feed Outstanding Dairy Award winner selects a person or organization from their community to be awarded with the Wayne Quinn monetary award. This year, the Kolb’s chose the St. Martin Fire Department for the Wayne Quinn Award to help purchase more recovery equipment for bin rescues. The Wayne Quinn Award is not only a monetary award designed to give back to the community, but it is also an award to honor the memory of the late Waynn Quinn, a former Form-A-Feed employee who lost his life to cancer in August 2010.

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 27

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 29

Women In Dairy Shari Chamberlain Pine Island, Minnesota Goodhue County 80 cows Tell us about your farm and family. My husband, Mark, and I are fthgeneration farmers, and we are so thankful to each have a brother on the home farm where we were raised. Both the Frost and Chamberlain farms have been in the family since the 1850s. We have been dairy farming for almost 41 years, 36 of those years on our current farmstead. We have raised Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss cows as well as corn and alfalfa with the help of our three children, Michael, Cherise and Nick. Their families have expanded to include Amy, Nevin, Ashlyn, Caryn, Macy, Cassidy, Charlotte, Weston, Colton, Jason, Katie and Claire. Our family has been a vital part of the success of our dairy. What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? Usually, I am up before 6 to help with scraping the barns, pushing up feed and calf care. I have always enjoyed record keeping, so I keep DairyComp up to date as well as crop and feed management records. Accounting for the nancial aspect of the business, as well as employee data management, is a daily task. I am an enrolled agent, which means I am a tax preparer, so I do our farm taxes as well as for other clients. When 5 p.m. chore time rolls around, you will nd me out of the ofce and back in the barn.

What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? I have decided to prioritize my grandchildren by caring for them while their parents work or having the kids over for games and food. I am thankful to have others on the farm to take care of my responsibilities, so I can enjoy grandparenting. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. The most memorable experience is not a one-time experience but a daily strengthening of my faith in God and working on relationships with the people who have supported us and helped us for more than 40 years. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Dairy farmers are some of the most dedicated, perseverant people I know. Being a dairy farmer allows me be a part of the constant ow of seeding and harvest, working with the soil to produce feed for the cattle resulting in milk to market. I derive so much joy from being able to trace back the linage of a heifer to our favorite cow or to a cow in my dad’s herd from the late 1950s. What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? I hope that we have taken good care of our cattle and supplied them with a good environment to thrive.

What do you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? My husband and I are on the Goodhue County American Dairy Association board, and we hosted Cheeseburgers on the Farm in 2014. What advice would you give to another woman in the dairy industry? Even though dairy farming

can be hectic and stressful, try to keep your priorities straight. Put God rst, then your family and the farm. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I enjoy listening to music, singing and playing guitar. I also enjoy ower gardening and sharing my harvest with others.

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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 31

Dustin Melius (pictured with his ancée, Marlena Oechsner, and their children, Jedidiah (left) and Ezekiel) Slinger, Wisconsin Washington County 100 cows How did you get into farming? I have been involved in farming since I was a youngster. I was riding in the tractor with my dad as long as I can remember. I learned how to mow the lawn, and once I could reach the clutch, I was taught how to drive a tractor. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Is the milk price for real, and how long can it stay there? It would be great to see family farms be sustainable, but I’m afraid that larger dairies will expand with rising milk prices, ooding the market. What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? We have been breeding more with beef bulls. We have never had a shortage of heifers so it is nice to get cows pregnant sooner and receive four to ve times as much for a calf. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I have no quit in me. My ancée asks me, “How are you still going?” after numerous long days. The response she normally

gets is that I have to. We only have a few part-time employees who assist with the milking so the majority of the work falls on myself and my 71-year-old father. Whatever needs to get done will get done as long as my body is able.

What is the best decision you have made on your farm? We experimented with threetimes-a-day milking on a couple occasions, but I am condent that twice-a-day is where we will be staying. The cows are more comfortable; the employees, my dad and myself are less stressed; and it is more cost effective. We were rushing chores or eldwork in order to get back to the barn for the next milking. It was chaotic and exhausting. I don’t see us trying it again. What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? My morning bagel. Maybe not exactly, but my ancée, Marlena, makes me a bagel every day before she leaves for work. She is my rock and the foundation of my life. Without her help and support, the farm and I would be nothing. My employees are essential. It is so difcult to compete in today’s job market because either you can’t pay enough to keep good people, or there isn’t anyone who wants to do farm work anymore. I appreciate my team and try to show them that every day. Last, but not least, is my faith in God.

the media or activists might try to belittle what we do, I’m making a difference. I have a purpose, and until I feel that my purpose isn’t to farm, I will keep on. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? You are not alone. This industry is brutal. Sometimes you don’t see or talk to anyone off the farm for days, but it is important to socialize with someone. I take one night a week to bowl with my buddies. If I don’t get that, it puts a damper on my mood. Most people will listen, so vent if you need to. Mental health is important.

He is the one who has given me the abilities to keep doing this for this long and keep our family farm alive. He is always watching over my family and farm. We are blessed. What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? We have been more aware of beef prices and what our breakeven is on the cows so we don’t hang onto problem cows as long as we used to. We have enough replacement heifers so we have the exibility to keep good-uddered, young cows as the majority in the herd. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? How do you maintain family relationships

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while also working together? I treat my employees with the highest respect. Without them, we would not be the farm we are today. I treat them how I would want to be treated if I was an employee and make sure they know they are appreciated. As for family relationships, anyone who has worked in the dairy industry with family knows there are good days, and there’s everything else. Family is who get you through the roughest times so you can share a smile on the days where you accomplished the task. Sure, sometimes you get upset at your family, but tomorrow is a new day. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Pride. Seeing the fruits of my labor. Even though

What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? Our future is kind of hazy at the moment. With having two small children and a father who is at the age of retirement, I have to make a decision of which direction the farm and I will be going. I love farming, but I love my family more so we need to do what is best for us. We will be planting the crops in spring so as far as this year goes, we have to keep moving. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? My children are small so they love getting to do anything and everything around the farm as long as it’s with Daddy or Papa. As for me, I enjoy bowling on Thursday nights, and I have a passion for the game of Texas Hold’em.

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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

www.extension.umn.edu/dairy

What is in your calving kit? By Troy Salzer and Joe Armstrong University of Minnesota

Being prepared is essential for success when assisting cows and calves when they need help. Having everything together in a kit can save precious time and prevent frustration in a stressful situation. These lists include essential items to have on hand at your dairy. Individual managers, employees or owners may have different skills when it comes to IV administration of medications or epidural placement. A call to the veterinarian for advice on what to administer can go a long way in avoiding frustration and can give the opportunity to work out a plan of action for helping a cow experiencing dystocia. Items to include for pre-calving: – The farm veterinarian’s phone number. Don’t be afraid to use it if needed. – Warm clothing for winter calving. Bibs and a coat are recommended so you can take off the coat and have your arms free to assist with calving but still be warm. – Headlamp. A great light is often underappreciated. Don’t skimp on this one. A hands-free light is preferred. – A restraining device. This is for the cow’s safety and yours. A halter works well. Tie it down low so the cow can lie down. A chute is good for examinations but awkward if the cow goes down. Chutes or boxes made specically for calving are great investments for operations. – Disinfectant. Use udder wash diluted in warm water or a suitable iodine preparation to wash the plastic gloves and cow’s vulva. Cleanliness is critical to prevent post-calving complications for the cow and the calf. – Long plastic gloves. Wear these when examining the cow to protect you and the cow. If these are not available, be sure to wash your hands and arms thoroughly, keeping all materials as clean as possible. – A pail for warm water. Clean towels and paper towels. – Lubricant. Use a veterinary obstetrical lubricant. Don’t let it freeze. There are also dry types of lubricants. This might be the most important item in your kit. You will use this liberally when you need to, so keep plenty of it available. – Calf puller to assist with difcult births. This can be a dangerous tool if used incorrectly. Make sure to talk with your veterinarian about the best way to operate. – Obstetrical chains plus two handles. Put one loop

above the dewclaw and the other below the dewclaw. Use one chain for each leg. Put the large link on top of the foot, so the pull is on the topside. – Iodine (7%) and scissors for the navel cord. – Clean straw to tickle the calf’s nose. Items to include for post-calving: – The farm veterinarian’s phone number. – A clean calf warming box or coats. – Colostrum. Have a supply of fresh, frozen or commercial colostrum available for calves. You may need to give colostrum to calves from heifers, thin cows, cows with large teats, cows with twins, cows with premature calves, cows with uterine prolapses, or cows who have difcult or cesarean deliveries. – Nipple bottle and esophageal feeder to ensure the calf gets colostrum. You can try the nipple bottle rst, but make sure at least 4 quarts of colostrum are given to the calf within six hours after birth. – Syringes and needles: 3, 6 and 12 cc syringes; 18 gauge, 1-inch for calves; 16 gauge, 1.5 inches for cows. – Tags and marker, tag applicator, record book and pencil. – Castration bander or clean scalpels and a handle for knife castration of bull calves. Items to include in your medicine cabinet: – Thermometer. One of the best tools for diagnostics. If you call your veterinarian, their rst question likely will be, “What is the calf’s temperature?” – Oxytocin for milk let down and uterine involution*.

– Penicillin. Penicillin given at any dose other than the labeled dose of 1 ml/100 pounds requires a veterinary prescription*. – Long-acting systemic antibiotic*. – Medication to reduce inammation and pain (Meloxicam, unixin meglumine)*. – Sulfamethazine tablets for treating coccidia in calves at least 3 weeks old*. – Electrolytes. Dehydration is the biggest enemy for calf scours, and oral electrolyte products are the best defense. Make sure to mix them according to the package instructions. We recommend always mixing a whole pack. If you don’t need all of the electrolytes, extra can be stored in the fridge for up to one week. – Probiotics and vitamin B complex. Ideally, you would discuss these items with your veterinarian as some of these medications can be specic to certain regions or operations based on history and nutrition. These items are not necessary for all cattle operations: vitamin E and selenium*, iron, and vitamin A and D. The following items should be included for producers who are comfortable with IV administration of medications and epidural administration: 2% lidocaine*; 23% calcium gluconate solution for IV use*; 50% dextrose; hypertonic saline*; 0.9% sodium chloride or lactated ringers; IV setup including either 14 gauge, 2-inch needles or 14 gauge, 2-inch catheters, and an IV simplex. Items marked * require prescriptions from your veterinarian of record who holds your veterinary clientpatient relationship.

Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968

Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620

Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334

Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357

Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610

Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277

Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863

Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093

Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130

Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711

Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109

Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205

Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184

Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104

Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435

Emma Severns sever575@umn.edu 507-934-7828

Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391

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How do different generations of beginning farmers compare nancially? By Rebecca Weir and Joleen C. Hadrich

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 33

From Our Yard to Yours. AGRICULTURAL | RESIDENTIAL | LIGHT COMMERCIAL

University of Minnesota

According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Farm Activity Report, 115 dairy farms discontinued operation as of Nov. 20, 2021, with 21 of those farms residing in Stearns County. While some of these farms may have sold their cows to a neighboring dairy, we also know that beginning dairy farmers are entering the industry in different ways. There are two types of beginning farmers. First, there are beginning farmers who are starting a farm by purchasing or leasing dairy cows and/or a barn and associated facilities. The second type of beginning farmer is a second-generation beginning farmer. In this scenario, the beginning farmer is transitioning into the principal operator role on an existing dairy farm. In reality, they may be a third- or fourth-generation farmer, but for the purpose of our research, we have termed this group a second-generation beginning farmer. Specically, we want to know if second-generation beginning farmers have a different nancial performance trajectory compared to new beginning dairy farmers. We answer this question by using nancial data collected in FINBIN for Minnesota dairy farms from 1996-2020. FINBIN data include annual observations of farm level nancial data in addition to the number of years of experience for the principal operator of the farm. Since 2014, we also have a specic identier for beginning farmers receiving the Beginning Farmer Farm Business Management Scholarship available through MDA. Using this information, we place farmers into four groups: beginning, established, second-generation beginning and farmers that transition from beginning to established farmers (Beg-Est). A beginning farmer is dened as a rst-generation farmer with 10 years of experience or less, which is consistent with the United States Department of Agriculture denition. Established farmers are those with more than 10 years of experience. Second-generation beginning farmers are farmers who have taken over an existing operation. This includes farms labeled as receiving a beginning farmer scholarship while having more than 25 years of experience and farms where the year the farm began operating changed by more than 15 years. Beg-Est farmers are farmers who are in the dataset as a beginning farmer and have progressed into the established farmer classication over our study period. Herd size differs between these groups with beginning farmers having smaller herds (87 cows) compared to established (132), second-generation (162) and BegEst farmers (117). Beginning farmers fall behind the curve in terms of solvency, liquidity and protability, having the highest debt-to-asset ratio (64.4%) and lowest current ratio (2.2), gross revenue per cow ($3,767), prot per cow ($1,349), milk price received ($16.35 per hundredweight) and operating prot margin (7.8%). Interestingly, while beginning farmers had the poorest operating prot margin, Beg-Est farmers had the highest (14.7%), showing that over time these farmers are becoming highly protable, which is something we observe in most businesses. While rst- and second-generation beginning farmers are making decisions as principal operators for the rst time, their nancial ratios tell different stories. Second-generation beginning farmers take advantage of the already established farm’s nancial position and improve upon it. Their operating prot margin outpaces that of the rst-generation beginning farmers. Second-generation beginning farmers retained $0.10 as prot for every dollar of revenue generated on the farm while rst-generation beginning farmers kept $0.08. Established farms retained $0.12 while Beg-Est farmers kept $0.15 in prot for every $1 generated in revenue, again showing that as beginning farmers gain experience they will see improvements in their nancial performance. Despite the second-generation farmers having a better operating prot margin, beginning farmers are more efcient. Beginning farmers have the lowest cost of production ($13.55/cwt.) and hired labor expense ($80/cow). Second-generation beginning farmers report slightly higher COP ($14.72/cwt.) and hired labor expense ($190/cow), while also reporting higher average milk prices ($17.68/cwt.), gross revenue ($4,861/cow) and prot ($1,793/cow) than rst-generation beginning farmers ($16.35/cwt, $3,768/cow and $1,349/cow, respectively). First-generation beginning farmers are low input producers who may improve their efciency while second-generation beginning farmers have higher revenue generation. Established farmers and second-generation beginning farmers have similar liquidity with approximately three times the amount of current assets than current liabilities. On average, 50% of the assets owned by the farm are nanced through debt for established farms, while second-generation beginning farmers see a slightly lower debt-to-asset ratio of 47%. First-generation beginning farmers nance 64% and Beg-Est farmers nance 56% of their assets with debt. There are a number of ways that the transition to a second-generation operator can occur, which may result in some advantages to nancial ratios, as shown with the debt-to-asset ratios. These farms are able to take advantage of the previous farm operator’s nancial position without incurring the stress of starting an operation from scratch. Finding the next generation of dairy farmers is a priority to keep our dairy industry strong. This research shows that transitioning an existing dairy farm to the next generation sets that second-generation beginning farmer up for success. The question moving forward is how we continue to support the rst-generation dairy farmers to ensure their nancial success.

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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

Assistance available for adverse weather conditions By Steve Frericks Farm Service Agency

It is cold outside. The staff at Farm Service Agency commends all livestock producers for the true grit it takes to endure the harsh Minnesota environment. Keep in mind that FSA has programs available for livestock producers who suffer losses from qualifying events such as extreme cold or blizzards. Livestock operations are impacted by adverse weather conditions nearly every year. Tornadoes, oods, blizzards, extreme heat, extreme cold, straight-line winds, eligible winter storms and other types of damaging or unusual weather can directly result in injury or death of livestock. When operations experience livestock losses or injury due to these conditions, a call to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center can be the rst step in participating in the Livestock Indemnity Program. The LIP provides assistance for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. For disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management. “The Livestock Indemnity Program provides producers with a vital safety net to help them overcome the nancial impact of extreme or abnormal weather,” said Steve Frericks, Stearns County FSA executive director. “Weather events have had signicant impacts on some livestock producers, and we encourage them to reach out to our ofce as these losses occur.” For 2022 livestock losses, a notice must be led within 30 calendar days of when the loss is rst apparent. Supporting documentation must be provided to the FSA ofce no later than 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred. Livestock producers must provide evidence that the death of livestock was due to an eligible adverse weather event or loss condition. In addition, livestock producers should bring supporting evidence, including documentation of the number and kind of livestock that died, photographs or video records to document the loss, purchase records, veterinarian records, production records and other similar documents. Owners who sold injured livestock for a reduced price because the livestock was injured due to an adverse weather event must provide veriable evidence of the reduced sale of the livestock. USDA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock. For example, the normal mortality rate for an adult dairy cow is 1.5% and non-adult dairy cattle (less than 400 pounds) have a set normal mortality rate of 5%. These established percentages reect losses that are considered expected or typical under normal conditions. In addition to ling a notice of loss, an application for payment must be submitted by 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred. For more information on LIP, to submit a notice of loss or an application for payment, contact the USDA Service Center or visit https://www.farmers.gov/recover. Dairy producers are reminded to get 2019 production to the FSA. USDA announced the availability of the Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage. Dairy producers can purchase buy-up coverage for 75% of the difference between their actual 2019 production and established DMC production history (not to exceed a combined total of 5 million pounds). The enrollment period for SDMC and 2022 DMC coverage closes Feb. 18. The 2022 Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs are underway. Elections must be made on each farm for crop year 2022 by March 15. Failure to elect a program and enroll by March 15 will result in no price and/or yield protection under the ARC/PLC program for the 2022 crop. As a reminder, you can always change your election choice right up to the deadline date. Don’t delay your decision and miss out on this election process. Stay warm. Stay safe. Happy planning for 2022. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.

At-home cooking trend pulls positive for dairy

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 35

The end of one year and the beginning of the next is always an exciting time for the dairy industry as consumers ock to grocery stores to purchase holiday meal ingredients and then start the new year committed to a healthier version of themselves. Both scenarios create high demand for dairy products at retail. This time of year is full of end-of-year data and predictions for the year ahead. This is especially fascinating given the By Martha Kemper past few, unpredictable years we’ve seen when it comes to the way consumers shop. Progressive Grocer shared a report that provides insights and predictions on what behaviors changed during the coronavirus pandemic, which will stick, and what’s next when it comes to food. Many of these trends bode well for the dairy industry, including the continued trend of cooking at home. Throughout the past year, we have seen consumers continue to embrace online grocery shopping and increase their cooking condence by trying new recipes at home. The report showed more than 40% of meals are being made at home as consumers are nding reasons like these to enjoy a home cooked meal. – 55% of consumes continued to cook at home because they enjoy it, and 43% are also saving money this way. – 45% of responders believe food cooked at home is better than restaurant food. – Other concerns include foodservice at retail lacking in safe handling and preparation methods. We have all spent the last two years eagerly anticipating the end of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the future remains uncertain as variants of the virus continue to change the dynamic of the pandemic. As we think about what 2022 will look like, it is very possible to continue to not only see restaurants close but also lapses in service, quality and prices of food. What does this mean for the dairy industry? The past shows us consumers will continue utilizing their home kitchen and rely on dairy products to cook with. Paul Ziemnisky, executive vice president of global innovation partnerships for Dairy Management Inc., has shared some interesting data that showcased the impact dairy has had at retail in the past year as well as the signicant role dairy products continue to play in people’s diets. Case in point: Dairy is the largest edible retail category in the U.S. retail food

business and makes it into 96% of U.S. households, proving dairy products not only benet consumers but also retailers. When dairy is in the basket, consumers spend $38-$42 more on food purchases, showcasing those consumers are continuing to ll their cart with dairy for a variety of meal occasions in their own home. Even those who were not previously condent in the kitchen are being inuenced to at least try cooking. Social media trends including at-home meal hacks are taking over the internet, food blogs are becoming increasingly popular, and organizations, including Midwest Dairy partners, are working with grocery retailers to encourage a better at-home food experience. For example, Coborn’s Inc., a central Minnesota retailer, partnered with Midwest Dairy to kick off the new year with a “Fuel A Fresh Start”

campaign to show consumers how dairy can be a big part of a healthy New Year’s resolution. The campaign calls out dairy’s benets to help consumers be their best through both social media messaging and an e-mail that reaches 250,000 shoppers. Many of these messages include utilizing dairy products in an everyday meal plan to help consumers meet their dietary needs. Our retail partners are dealing with supply chain disruptions, including labor shortages and inventory challenges. However, they continue to understand the value they can bring their customers by offering meal solutions and dietary information. Midwest Dairy has found great success by working alongside these retail partners, helping them deliver the dairy message to encourage their customers to use dairy products to meet their goals.

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Wintertime woes Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

It looks like it’s going to be one of those winters. Think about it. Have you ever heard of vandals It’s the type of winter when divorce lawyers do chucking rocks from an overpass when the windchill a booming business as widespread domestic discord is 50 degrees below zero? How can there be any driveerupts after one party bby shootings when rolling accuses the other of hogging D your car window can Daily il I sat on the h ffrozen seat off ddown all the blankets. The kind of result in instant frostbite? season when you might see the M, whispering prayers and On the plus side, if you dogs frozen to re hydrants want to experience the joys and tow truck operators pay muttering imprecations as its of a frozen food headache, for their Florida condo in just starter growled and moaned. all you have to do is take off a few days’ time. A winter yyour cap and walk against so cold that a guy might be tthe wind. tempted to climb into his freezer to warm up. I understand there’s an exclusive group in It’s the sort of winter where my wife asks (almost Antarctica called The 300 Club. It seems that during daily) why we don’t live somewhere closer to the one particularly nasty austral winter, some bored equator, such as Hawaii, instead of here in the shadow scientists at a remote research station got a great of the North Pole. idea. There must have been large quantities of vodka I tell her this kind of weather keeps out the riffraff. involved because the idea went like this: Let’s wait

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until it’s really cold outside (our Midwestern winters are scorching compared to those in Antarctica) and go into the sauna. We’ll crank its thermostat up to parboil and take off all our clothes. Now comes the fun part. When we get nice and hot, we’ll go outside wearing nothing but our mukluks and have our picture taken next to the South Pole marker. You are now in the club, but only if the Dear County Agent Guy temperature difference between the sauna and the outdoors is at least 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Just thinking about it makes me want to dive under an electric blanket that’s been set to toaster oven. When I was young and starting out as a dairy farmer, we had a By Jerry Nelson winter that was so cold Columnist and nasty it makes our current one seem like a balmy June afternoon. My loader tractor at the time was a 1944 Farmall M. This meant I was dealing with World War II-era technology, and the tractor had no cab. The old M was all that stood between my cattle and starvation. Daily I sat on the frozen seat of the M, whispering prayers and muttering imprecations as its starter growled and moaned. Daily its engine would tease me with tentative coughs and sputters as each cylinder voted on whether or not it would re. And daily, after the engine caught, I would rejoice for my cows would get to eat, and I could resume my battle with the glacier-like snowdrift that was taking over my driveway. One morning it appeared as though the old M would let me down. The weather had turned beastly cold, and there was an icy wind blasting out of the northwest. The windchill sank perilously close to triple digits below zero. To say I dressed warmly that day would be an understatement. I put on almost every article of clothing I owned. I wore my thermal underwear, three pairs of socks, two pairs of jeans, and my bulletproof insulated coveralls. As I looked out the window of my farmhouse, I felt like an Arctic explorer who was considering a life-or-death trek across the desolate tundra. After fortifying myself with several cups of strong coffee, I ventured forth to start the M. I used every trick I knew to coax the old girl to life. I poured hot water over her carburetor; I hooked the charger to her battery and set it for 12 volts instead of six; I even gave her ether, the magic elixir purported to have the power to resurrect even the deadest of dead engines. All of these efforts were for naught. I stood beside the old M – frustration coursing through my veins, coffee racing through my kidneys – and was seized by the sudden and inexorable urge to answer the call of nature. As my numb ngers fumbled with the multitude of buttons and zippers, an old childhood memory echoed through my brain. “Are you sure you don’t need to go potty?” Mom asked as she zipped me into my little snowsuit. “Because getting you out of all these clothes will take half an hour.” Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@dairystar.com.

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Winter ventilation in calf barns

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Page 37

Recent temperature uctuations have presented challenges for calf raisers across the Midwest and many farms have seen an uptick in respiratory issues. While calf hutches are often referred to the gold standard Something to Ruminate On as of calf housing, the need for intensied management during the most inclement winter weather has deterred many from this option. The result is more calves being raised in barns or other housing with greater protection By Barry Visser from the elements. Nutritionist Many of these structures rely on natural ventilation to provide clean, fresh air to the calves. This works well in the summertime; however, as doors, windows and curtains are closed in the winter, providing sufcient air exchanges to keep calves healthy can be challenging. Whether using mechanical or natural ventilation, the goal is to provide fresh air uniformly at the calf level throughout the housing facility so all calves receive an adequate quantity of draft-free, fresh air. The source of this fresh air is the ambient outside air. Therefore, proper ventilation means taking outside air and evenly distributing it throughout the barn. The goal of a ventilation system is to control heat and moisture within a shelter and remove other gases and pollutants. In the winter, the focus needs to be on controlling and removing excess moisture produced within the barn. Generally, cold temperatures within the barn do not affect calf health during the winter. However, damp and wet

air in the barn during the winter will negatively barn and the outdoor temperature. affect calf health. Proper nutrition needs to be provided to calves It is important to remember that calves are in the wintertime as additional calories are needed constantly producing water vapor as they breathe. for maintenance. Calf jackets will help calves Researchers at Penn State retain r the body heat they University estimate that, at Th produce. Good bedding use The goall ffor calf lf b barn 37 degrees, a calf produces and management is needed 1.25 ounces of water per ventilation in wintertime to provide insulation as hour. While this may not in the Midwest is to have calves burrow into the pack seem like much, it equates in cold temperatures. It also to almost 2 pounds of a minimum of four air helps the calf maintain a water per calf per day that exchanges dry and buoyant hair coat. g p per hour. needs to be removed from Frequent F cleaning and the barn. removal r of soiled bedding One issue with winter ventilation is the can be an efcient method to keep air fresh and physical property of cold air. Cooler air cannot reduce ammonia concentration, especially in hold nearly as much water vapor as warm air. older calves. If air within the barn is not constantly replaced Work with your calf team and advisors if with fresh outside air, this moisture can begin to you feel ventilation is not adequate in your barn condense on surfaces such as the oor, ceiling and regardless of the season. Focusing on ventilation pen dividers. This additional moisture can create in the winter months can result in improved health an ideal environment for pathogen growth and and performance of calves. lead to disease outbreaks and transmission. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus. The goal for calf barn ventilation in wintertime in the Midwest is to have a minimum of four air exchanges per hour. Good ventilation not only provides the needed air exchange, but it also provides good air distribution throughout the barn. This can be a struggle with the lower ventilation rates of winter, leading to areas of the barn with air that is stale and wet while other areas have good air quality. Proper air distribution can be provided by The Dairy Star a positive pressure ventilation system. A welldesigned positive pressure system will deliver is sent only to fresh air at the calf level without creating a draft. DAIRY FARMERS! For mechanically ventilated calf barns, work If you would like to advertise in the DAIRY STAR, with the consultant who designed the system call 320-352-6303 for more information. to stage the fans for adequate air exchanges depending on both the indoor temperature of the

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Groundhog Day Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

I ipped over my calendar the other day to 47% accuracy rate for an early spring. take a sneak peak of what to expect for upcoming I caught the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill February birthdays and events. There it was, Feb. 2, Murray last winter. I give it two thumbs up and hope 2022, Groundhog Day. Now, I’m not one who really to watch it again. It is a funny movie with a subtle follows the predictions of an overgrown rodent and message of how changing our daily routine can make his weather-forecasting abilities, but after these cold a world of difference in our lives and those around snaps, I’m looking forward to uus. The premise of the movie is some good news. that Murray’s character repeats Once O we make k a change, h For the past 120 years in the same day over and over and Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney as simple as a smile, only over again. The day happens to Phil has been predicting the end then can we expect a be Groundhog Day. He is stuck in of winter. On a clear day, when a rut of how he moves through a he can see his shadow, he retreats different outcome. day and the way he views people back into his burrow for another and events surrounding him, six weeks of winter weather. But which is not always in the nicest on a cloudy day, with no shadow, spring will make an way. Eventually, he starts to make simple changes and early arrival. How accurate is Phil? If you ipped a is amazed at the impact it has on the day and himself. coin, you would be more accurate than the groundhog. The movie illustrates the phrase, “If you keep Since 1969, Phil has correctly predicted a longer doing the same thing over and over, how can you winter 39% of the time when he saw his shadow. He expect a different outcome?” Once we make a change, has a much better success rate on cloudy days with a as simple as a smile, only then can we expect a different

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outcome. Another way to look at it is walking the same path day after day, year after year. Eventually we have walked over the same spot so many times that we didn’t realize we created a rut 6-feet-deep Just Thinking Out Loud and can’t see another way. We need to shift our thinking, change our perspective and take a new step on a different path. We started a new path on our farm. Mark has always admired the ability of other families to have weekly family meetings around the By Natalie Schmitt kitchen table to discuss jobs for the coming Columnist week and plans for the long-term future. Mark, Austin and I agreed that talking in the barn probably wasn’t the best atmosphere. We were all present, but it is difcult to truly focus on what someone is saying while trying to put on the milkers. So, we decided to take a step on a new path. We initiated 10 a.m.? Tuesdays. We picked Tuesdays because everything seems to go wrong on Mondays, or you’re trying to x everything that broke over the weekend. It has become a priority in our scheduling of events and projects. We’ve only missed one meeting because I was traveling with Katie over the holidays. I found myself in Nashville that Tuesday morning longing to be around the breakfast table with Austin and Mark to talk about the latest jobs or projects. I am already starting to see positive changes in how we interact with each other by taking this new step. Will spring come early, or will we continue to endure winter weather? One thing is for sure; spring will get here right on time regardless of what a groundhog sees or doesn’t see. Maybe we should ip a coin and start planning from there. As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.

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A cast for Christmas

Glen and I made it 14 years and 360 days into our parenthood journey before one of our children broke a bone. Dan joined the wrestling team this year and quickly fell in love with grappling. I’ve been very impressed with the sport too. Dan likes the focus on discipline and body control. I like the comprehensive approach to training, with physical work on strength, exibility, and coordination, and mental work on goal setting, toughness, and persistence. I could see Dan’s improvement in all of those areas almost immediately. Even better was the excitement that accompanied Dan home after every practice. Each night, he was eager to show me what he’d learned or practiced. One night included a demonstration of how to do a cradle – using me as his opponent. Never in a million years could I have imagined that our living room oor would be a wrestling mat or that I’d be folded into a cradle Dairy Good Life by my son, but it was a blast. A couple weeks into the season, Dan told me, “Mom, I like wrestling as much as I like shooting trap – and that’s a lot.” Unfortunately, his rookie season was limited to just two meets. A week before Christmas, Dan came home from a Friday night meet with his hand in an ice pack. He said he fell on his hand during one of his matches. His hand was swollen, but he could move all of his ngers. I gured it was just jammed and told him to keep icing it. Over the weekend, though, the swelling got worse and worse. By Sunday night, his normally lean By Sadie Frericks hand looked like a pudgy toddler mitt. I brought him Columnist in Monday to get it checked out. “Yep, it’s busted,” were his doctor’s words after the x-rays came back. The lms showed a neat spiral fracture of the middle metacarpal bone in his right hand. “We’ll put you in a splint today and then cast it next week.” I watched as they molded a berglass splint around Dan’s hand and wrapped it up with an ace bandage. “Um, don’t you have something a little more durable than an ace bandage?” I asked. In my head, something more durable meant something more barn-proof. After we got home, the more-durable solution occurred to me: vet wrap. I covered the ace bandage with royal blue vet wrap, leaving Dan with a much more waterproof, barn-proof splint. The next question that came up regarded showering. The doctor’s order was to wear the splint 24/7 with absolutely no removal. I knew the solution for showering the second Dan asked: A.I. sleeves. So there’s been an A.I. sleeve hanging from the shower curtain rod in our bathroom for the past month, and it’s kept Dan’s splint and cast perfectly dry. The harder challenges to overcome have been the emotional ones. One of Dan’s wrestling coaches encouraged the wrestlers to write their goals down and post them where they’d see them every day. When I saw Dan’s goals scribbled on a note and stuck to our refrigerator, I thought to myself, “This is exactly why extracurricular activities help kids develop into well-rounded, successful adults.” Dan took those goals to heart. And the disappointment on his face and in his voice when he told me – “Now I have to wait until next year to pin someone.” – were heartbreaking. But sports – and other extracurricular activities – also teach our kids valuable lessons in overcoming setbacks. We started listening to the book “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand on our Thanksgiving road trip; Dan nished listening to it during Christmas vacation. It’s a magnicent book about a World War II soldier in the Pacic Theater. The soldier’s stories about perseverance and resilience came at the best time. Especially with movement-limiting injuries, it’s easy to fall into thinking about everything we can’t do. Resiliency grows when we focus instead on thinking about everything we can do. The switch in Dan’s thinking was evident as he began listing off all the things he could do with one hand, both with the wrestling team and in the barn. Dan talked with me and his coaches about ways he could maintain his strength and tness while casted, and he’s been diligent in doing those activities. He’s looking forward to summer wrestling camps and becoming a better wrestler. And his goals for this season are still on our fridge where they’ll stay until he checks them off next year. Getting a cast for Christmas was denitely not what Dan wanted, but I believe one day he’ll see the lessons he learned during this time as gifts. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children – Dan, 15, Monika, 12, and Daphne, 9. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.

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PRODUCT INSTALLATION Ŷ Gas Lines Ŷ Power Wire/ Lines Ŷ Communication/ Fiber Optic Ŷ Water Lines/Water Mains Ŷ Drainage/ Tile Lines Ŷ Forced/ On Grade Sewer Ŷ Manure Transfer Lines

Land Improvements Drain Tile Design/ Installation Ditch Cleaning & Grading • Fenceline Clearing

Changing weather and higher inputs got you down? Using Drain Tile to manage excess moisture in the soil pro¿le is the foundation for increasing pro¿tability per acre. - Less compaction - Better soil Structure - Allows more days per year for ¿eld operations - More Yields with same or less inputs

Call Us to Discuss Your Project Now!

920-450-2844 Jon Lamers 920-378-5163 www.SevenOaksTeam.com Chad Van Asten

Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 29, 2022

Used Knight 3060, #4724

Used Knight 3300, #5288

Used Kuhn Knight 3130, #5066

Used JD 4955, #4846

Used JD 301A, #WM301

$52,900

$6,900

Used JD 4430

Used JD 4450

Used JD 4630, #5200

Used JD 7800, #5404

New Kuhn Knight SW 1114C, #5471

New Balzer 1500, #5649

Call

$28,900

$23,900

$7,200

$21,900

$44,900

$15,500

$16,400

$47,900

Used JD 4240, #4881

$29,700

New Kuhn Knight GA 3200 GT, #5424 - Call

New Kuhn Knight GF 5202 THA, #542

Call

Used Dryhill DH-300 Prop, #5689 - $9,800

Used N-Tech 42’ Lagoon pump, #5177 - $3,950

New Dryhill DH-300, #4452

Call

New Dryhill DH-400-6.42, #5681 - Call

New Dryhill DH-480, #4622

New Dryhill DH-480-8.42, #5683 - Call

New Dryhill DH-480-8.52, #5617 - Call

New Dryhill DH-480-8.52, #5682 - Call

Used Kuhn Knight 8114, #5676

Used Kuhn Knight 8118, #5327

Call

Used Kuhn Knight 8118, #5620

$18,900

Used Kuhn Knight SL 124, #5639

$35,900

Used Kuhn Knight SLC 132, #5320

$42,800

$15,400

Used Kuhn Knight SLC 132, #4759

$46,200

$21,500

Used NH 185, #5334

$8,400

Salesmen: Shawn Martin (608) 778-4554 or Joe Ryan (608) 778-2900

4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI

Ofﬁce: (608) 348-9401 or Toll Free: 1(888) BUY-Patz www.steinhartsfarmservice.com

4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI