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25
2 DAIRY ST 5R C E L E B R A T I N G
Y E A R S
October 14, 2023
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 25, No. 16
Klingsporns have challenging adjustment to robotic milking system
2 5
A slow transition
By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
PINE ISLAND, Minn. — When the Klingsporn family transitioned their farm to robotic milking systems, 3-year-old Dylan Klingsporn’s favorite reason to come up to the new barn was to eat the cake brought in for the extra help. For the rest of the family, the transition was anything but a piece of cake. David and Linda Klingsporn and Kevin and Melisa Klingsporn milk 195 cows on their dairy farm near Pine Island. The Klingsporns began
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
The Klingsporns — David (from leŌ), Linda, Kevin, Dylan and Melisa holding Lydia — walk through their new freestall barn and robot facility Sept. 19 on their farm near Pine Island, Minnesota. The Klingsporns began transiƟoning to roboƟc milking systems in December 2021 and said their farm is currently 75% adjusted.
building in the summer of 2021 and started their rst day with robots in December
2021. Now, almost two years later, they said their farm is 75% adjusted. Kevin said the
rst year they were not satised with their decision to install robots, but as the tran-
sition has continued, they are happy with their decision. The Klingsporns installed three Lely Astronaut A5 units and a Juno robotic feed pusher and built a 164-stall freestall barn and a 4.6-million-gallon lagoon manure storage area on the top of a hill about a quarter of a mile from their existing building site. The transition was quite challenging for the Klingsporns. In the weeks prior to the transition — and the expansion of space that came with it — the Klingsporns said their dry cows and regular cows were overcrowded. This all led to tired cows that just wanted to sleep. “That whole rst year, we were training every single one of those cows to milk on the robot,” Melisa said. Even cows that had gone through the initial transition, which were subsequently Turn to KLINGSPORN | Page 7
Farming in silence Deafness not a deterrent for Rickert By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
ELDORADO, Wis. — When meeting Andrew Rickert for the rst time, it can be hard to tell he is deaf. Born with normal hearing, Andrew’s world did not turn silent until around 20 months of age after he contracted spinal meningitis. Exposed to a year and a half of sounds would provide him with audible speech later in life. “Andrew’s speech is so good because he heard for 1.5 years compared to a person born deaf,” said his dad, Jim. “The memory of speech makes a difference.” Andrew is good at reading
lips and can understand much of what people say. He can then respond verbally. “People know they have to face me so I can read their lips,” Andrew said. Andrew and his wife, Shannon, and their kids — Miles, Emma, Jonah and Micah — farm with Andrew’s parents, Jim and Kelly; his grandfather, Don; Jim’s brother, Greg; and Greg’s son-in-law, Andy DeVries. The Rickerts milk about 1,000 cows and farm nearly 2,800 acres at Rickland Dairy near Eldorado. Cows are milked three times a day in a double-16 parallel parlor with a rolling herd average of 30,000 pounds of milk, 3.8% butterfat and 3.1% protein. The Rickerts are passionate about registered Holsteins, and this year, the family received a special honor when they were named Wisconsin’s 2023 Distinguished Holstein Breeder.
Turn to RICKERT | Page 6
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Rickert family — Micah (front, from leŌ) and Jonah; (back, from leŌ) Jim, Kelly, Emma, Miles, Shannon and Andrew — milk about 1,000 cows and farm nearly 2,800 acres at Rickland Dairy near Eldorado, Wisconsin. Andrew has been deaf since around 20 months of age aŌer contracƟng spinal meningiƟs.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN Print: 2834-619X • Online: 2834-6203
522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Published by Star Publications LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition - 320-352-6303 Nancy Powell • nancy.p@dairystar.com Karen Knoblach • karen.k@star-pub.com Annika Gunderson • annika@star-pub.com Editorial Staff Jan Lefebvre - Assistant Editor 320-290-5980 • jan.l@star-pub.com Maria Bichler - Assistant Editor maria.b@dairystar.com • 320-352-6303 Stacey Smart - Assistant Editor 262-442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman - Staff Writer 608-487-1101 • danielle.n@dairystar.com Abby Wiedmeyer - Staff Writer 608-487-4812 • abby.w@dairystar.com Tiffany Klaphake - Staff Writer 320-352-6303 • tiffany.k@dairystar.com Amy Kyllo - Staff Writer amy.k@star-pub.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 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 Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 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 Hoeer (Eastern Iowa, Southwest Wisconsin) 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 Julia Mullenbach (Southeast MN and Northeast IA) 507-438-7739 • julia.m@star-pub.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.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 ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. © 2023 Star Publications LLC
Congress in limbo
Dairy Prole brought to you by your Policy Solutions President Jay Truitt doesn’t see a quick solution to the changeover in the House speakership and the resulting chaos. “Someone inside the GOP strategy circle has to feel like the people that made the marketing decisions at Bud Lite right now,” Truitt said. “They pulled off a coup and got something done that nobody else could do, but what did they get? All you did was make yourself look silly.” Truitt describes himself as a “hard-core conservative political analyst” and understands the frustration but believes the Freedom Caucus “shot themselves in the foot with this move.” The current uncertainty in Congress will not help the farm bill process. “Everything is on hold from the farm bill to defense spending to anything else the House thought they would get done,” Truitt said. Dairy policy discussed at World Dairy Expo Dairy Margin Coverage is a voluntary risk management program that was established in the 2018 farm bill. Associated Milk Producers Inc. Vice President of Marketing Sarah Schmidt said DMC works, but changes are needed. “Right now, dairy farmers can only insure the pounds of milk that their farm produced back in 2011, 2012 and 2013; that’s dated production information and we’d love to see that brought up to date,” Schmidt said. On the sidelines of World Dairy Expo, Schmidt said AMPI would also like the volume levels for DMC program to be increased. Plant-based option promoted for school lunch program A bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced the ADD SOY Act to provide a “nutritionally equivalent” plant-based beverage option in the National School Lunch Program. The ADD SOY Act stands for Addressing Digestive Distress in Stomachs of Our Youth Act. The activist groups behind this measure claim “half of the 30 million kids participating in the NSLP are lactose intolerant.” This
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proposal would require schools to offer a plant-based option and allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reimburse schools for those purchases Ag Insider as it does for dairy milk. Animal rights groups are supporting this measure. “The federal government is overreaching by subsidizing and promoting milk beyond its natural appeal to consumers,” said Wayne Pacelle, president, Animal Wellness Action. Previously, Pacelle was the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. He resigned in 2018 after allegations of By Don Wick sexual harassment in the workplace surfaced. Columnist Historic $122M settlement over defective robotic milkers A class-action lawsuit has been settled with Lely for allegedly manufacturing defective robotic milkers. Class members have the option to replace their existing Lely A4 robot with the newer A5 model or receive a cash payment. There are nearly 400 farmers in the class action, and the settlement is worth $122 million. This agreement came after three years in the courts. This follows a $55 million settlement with DeLaval last year for a similar issue. Another case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota with DeLaval facing allegations of similar defects in the VMS V300 robotic milking system.
Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 3
Sauk Centre, MN
West Union, IA
Forage Prole: Vogt Dairy First Section: Page 18, 20
Madison, WI
National 4-H dairy cattle judging title goes to Minnesota First Section: Page 27
Kellogg, MN
Nabholz pens second book, recollecting people, cows, experiences First Section: Pages 23, 25
Perham, MN
Seedorf wins championship title two years in a row First Section: Page 26
Rice, MN
St. Charles, MN
Vergin hosts pasture walk on his St. Charles farm Second Section: Pages 3 - 4
A day in the life of the Schyma family Second Section: Pages 14 - 16
Eden Valley, MN
Caledonia, MN
FFA: Inside the Emblem Third Section: Pages 10 - 11
The day that went awry Third Section: Pages 6 - 7, 9
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: Gardeners: Why do you enjoy growing and preserving your own produce? First Section: Pages 15 -16
Kids Corner: The Meyers Third Section: Pages 12 - 13
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Zone 1
Zone 2
Columnists Ag Insider Pages 2, 5 F Section First
Dea County Dear Ag Agent Guy P Page 36 Firs Section First
From the F Zwe Zweber Farm P Page 38 Firs Section First
Vet Veterinary V W Wisdom P Pa a 37 Page Fir F irs Section n First
The NexGen Page 39 First Section
The “Mielke” Market Weekly Pages 7 - 8 Second Section
Country C Cooking C P Page 26 Second Section
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 5
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 2
Hastings Creamery sued Valley Acres Dairy, which is located in Lewiston, Minnesota, has led a lawsuit against Hastings Creamery. Hastings Creamery, which closed and was destroyed by re, allegedly failed to pay Valley Acres Dairy more than $800,000 for milk it received.
A sustainability partnership John Deere and DeLaval have formed a strategic partnership to create a digital system to help dairy farmers improve the efciency and sustainability of their businesses. The Milk Sustainability Center will monitor nutrient use efciency and carbon dioxide equivalent for the farm or specic elds. The partnership will be launched at the AGRITECHNICA trade show next month in Germany and released in North America next summer. The cloud-based system is available for mobile or desktop platforms. USDA provides oversight to dairy checkoff program USDA has completed an analysis of the mandatory dairy promotion and research program. The evaluation covered the period from 1995 to 2020. It found per capita consumption of uid milk, cheese and butter rose by 8%, 4% and just over 5%, respectively. The benet-cost ratio for every checkoff dollar invested was $1.91 for uid milk, $3.27 for cheese and $24.11 for butter. Checkoff programs included in ag appropriations debate During the House debate on the agriculture appropriations bill, numerous hot-button issues surfaced. Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz introduced an amendment demanding more transparency in the mandatory commodity checkoff programs. Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie said the checkoff programs may have begun with good intentions, “but, it is pretty well known in Washington, D.C., that this program has gone rotten and no longer services farmers.” House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson is opposed to the amendment. Thompson said this issue should not be addressed in the appropriations process. “I’m a strong supporter of research and promotion programs and will wholeheartedly advocate for their continued existence,” Thompson said. “I believe any debate surrounding the integrity of these programs should be reserved for farm bill deliberations.”
Addressing workforce challenges USDA has launched a pilot program to address workforce issues in agriculture. It supports the expansion of lawful migration opportunities for workers through the H-2A visa program. Workers from Northern Central America were referenced in the announcement. Up to $65 million in grant money is available. Applications must be received by Nov. 28. Dairy-beef cross demands fresh thinking A different mindset is required for dairy farmers who want to feed dairybeef crossbred calves. Purina Animal Nutrition Director of Nutrition Services Tom Earleywine said these calves need to be handled differently from purebred dairy calves. “There’s been years and years of history on the dairy side of the business where the Holstein bull calf was not a high-value calf, and as a result, we’ve built systems to raise a low-cost calf,” Earleywine said. The dairy-beef cross is now more valuable and deserves more investment. “If you don’t take advantage of that hybrid vigor because you don’t provide enough nutrition, you’re not going to get much of a gain out of that feed efciency, but if you provide enough nutrition to allow them to efciently gain, you can actually reduce your cost per pound by feeding them more,” he said. A traditional dairy calf may be fed 2 quarts of milk replacer twice a day, while the young dairy-beef cross would require 3 quarts. Earleywine was part of World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.
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The family has bred or developed over 110 Excellent cows and sent 97 bulls to stud. Andrew is the fourth generation on his family’s farm that dates back to 1936. Over the last decade, he has been transitioning into an owner. Andrew currently works full time on the farm and also hauls the farm’s milk in addition to working full time at Saputo. Andrew is the farm’s feeder and also helps with eldwork, manure hauling and managing heifers and steers. When Andrew got his commercial driver’s license, he bought three tankers. He recently began hauling milk for another farm as well. Most days, he hauls two loads to Saputo and unloads his tanker while working there. He works 12-hour shifts from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. 15 nights per month. Starting in the cheese plant, Andrew now works in the intake department. “The job provides health insurance for my family,” Andrew said. Being a part of the deaf community is how Andrew met Shannon, who is an American Sign Language-certied interpreter. The couple met in Milwaukee in 2006 at a comedy show for deaf people and interpreters. Four months later, they were engaged. Shannon interprets in the community in all facets — from factories and hospitals to schools, theaters and retailers. She previously worked at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for 14 years and began freelancing in the community when Andrew started working at Saputo. Her work can take her all over Wisconsin. When he was 4 years old, Andrew received a cochlear implant which restored his hearing to about 75%. He was the youngest person in Wisconsin at the time to have the procedure, which was done in Indianapolis in 1987. “It was pretty scary,” Kelly said. Jim agreed. “The operation was considered experimental at the time, and there was no place around here that did it,” he said. Andrew’s response to the implant was instantaneous. “You could see it in his eyes when they hooked it up and he could hear again,” Kelly said. The following weeks were lled with Andrew trying to learn different sounds. “He could even hear a dog barking in the house next door,” Kelly said. “When we were in a store, he could hear people talking on the intercom and would ask, what did they say?” The Rickerts went back and forth to Indianapolis many times for checkups. “Rehab was an indescribable amount of work,” Jim said. “They tested sounds to set a map on the implant while determining which sounds were too loud and which were too quiet.” Andrew’s hearing is different from someone who is not deaf, Kelly said. He hears in tones, amps and frequency which have been adjusted as needed. He can hear 16 different tones. Electrodes were placed into the cochlea during the operation, and the internal piece implanted is the original. The external device is replaced every ve years. “This is the only thing I’ve ever known,” Andrew said. “Without the external device, I can’t hear anything.” He turns the device off when he is on the farm but will turn it on for meetings and other occasions. Andrew began signing as soon as his parents discovered he was deaf. “The whole family learned how to sign too,” Kelly said. “We all took a class.” Not only did Andrew’s parents and younger brother, David, learn how to sign, but so did grandparents, aunts and uncles. Andrew relied not only on sign-
ing to communicate, but he also read lips and talked. After learning sign language so she could communicate with her son, Kelly decided to make a career out of signing and became a licensed educational sign language interpreter. She has been interpreting in schools since 1994. Growing up, Andrew attended a grade school in Oshkosh that had a regional deaf program. From fth through eighth grade, he went to a local school that had an interpreter. His high school years were spent at a private Lutheran academy where his mom was his interpreter. She interpreted for Andrew for two years until he told her he wanted to be on his own. Andrew was the third generation in his family to attend the University of Wisconsin Farm and Industry Short Course where he also had an interpreter. Andrew’s two oldest kids know the basics of sign language, and Jonah would like to learn. When communicating with their dad, Andrew’s children use gestures when needed, but Andrew said he understands his family well because he is around them all the time. Texting is another form of communication that has been a great help to Andrew. “It puts him on the same level with other people,” Kelly said. Never content to settle for mediocre, Andrew was a go-getter who always pushed himself to achieve everything he was capable of. He was successful at showing cattle and consistently placed near the top or took rst place in showmanship. In 2001, he took reserve champion of the junior show at World Dairy Expo. “Tom Cull at Budjon Farms helped me get a cow ready,” Andrew said. “Showing allowed me to meet famous people in the industry.” Andrew was also active in Junior Holsteins, and in 2004, he was one of six youth in the nation to be named a Distinguished Junior Member by Holstein Association USA, the highest honor given to a Junior Holstein member. Andrew was also named Outstanding Holstein Boy that year. Andrew’s deafness impacted and inspired those around him. For example, one of his 4-H friends became an audiologist because of his friendship with Andrew. Involved in 4-H and Junior Holsteins, Andrew’s children are following in their father’s footsteps. They show dairy and beef cattle, and each one showed a steer they sold at the meat auction this summer at their county fair. Miles won the 3-yearold quality milk award, and Micah won reserve champion at little britches in the 6-year-old division. The kids also partake in the fair’s pedal tractor pull. Miles has participated in dairy bowl since age 8 and went to state for dairy judging. The kids are also involved in many sports, including basketball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, softball and ag football. Emma’s dream is to play volleyball at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and attend vet school there. Miles, Andrew’s oldest son, covers a lot of his dad’s work on the farm when Andrew is hauling milk or working at Saputo. This includes cleaning heifer barns, giving calves feed, hauling manure, running the footbath, bedding animals and checking post-fresh cattle. Andrew’s busy lifestyle is lled with his family and the farm and other facets of the dairy industry. Determined to excel, Andrew was never concerned with what he did not have, and instead, he fully utilized the gifts and talents he did have. “If I encountered a challenge while growing up, I always found a way to overcome it,” Andrew said. “I always felt like everyone else.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 7
ConƟnued from KLINGSPORN | Page 1
dried off and came back into the barn, had to be retrained. Now, however, the Klingsporns said, some cows only have to be fetched once after freshening to remember the robotic system. Exacerbating the challenges of the transition was the fact that Linda’s mother fell and broke her hip the day before they started with the robots. Linda fed calves during this time while caring for her ailing father during the afternoons and overnights. She did not return home to sleep in her own house until January 2022. Not only was Linda part of the operation, she also provided childcare for Kevin and Melisa’s two young children, Dylan and Lydia. With Linda gone, Melisa said she and Kevin ip-opped shifts of fetching cows and watching the kids, and, like the rest of the members of the operation, slept very little. Another labor challenge was that originally the new facilities had been built to be operated by three families. About a month after the transition started, the third family decided to pursue other opportunities, which compounded the labor shortage. The Klingsporns said it took about nine months to get out of the really challenging transition zone. However, though their operation today is adjusting, David said they
have a better understanding of the system. “When you get a call from a robot (today), you kind of have an idea if you need to race up and take care of it or if it’s going to be OK,” he said. The Klingsporns rst began considering building in 2017. In their old setup, they were short on freestall space, needed a better holding pen and had to haul two loads of manure each day. Initially, the family considered building on their existing site. However, this site had various limiting factors including a water ditch, power lines, two roads and ground that would have needed ll — all which made them decide to build elsewhere. Their breeding technician was the rst to suggest that they look into robots. They also incidentally toured a robot dairy because it had a manure system that they were interested in. Kevin and Melisa knew that robots would enable them to take an active part in their children’s school extracurriculars. Another key part of their decision to go with robots was that it was challenging to nd labor during that time. Today, with the robot installation, they have seen a signicant drop in labor needs. They do hire a handful of part-time employees, but,
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
The Klingsporns’ new barn stands Sept. 19 on their dairy farm near Pine Island, Minnesota. The Klingsporns considered building on their exisƟng building site, but space constricƟons led them to build about a quarter of a mile away.
if necessary, Kevin said they can survive without. “We’re happy with (the robots),” Kevin said. “Probably the two main things are exibility and efciency — and the fact that if hired help can’t make it, we can handle it on our own. It’s not the end of the world.” David is in charge of feeding, Linda feeds calves and does bookwork, Melisa works full time as a milk inspector with the state of Minnesota and helps when needed, and Kevin is in charge of herd health, breeding, management of the robot barn and overseeing of employees. In the future, the Klingsporns would also like to update their dry-cow facilities and their calf facilities and put them all on the same site as the robots.
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Melisa Klingsporn looks at the screen of a roboƟc milking system Sept. 19 on their farm near Pine Island, Minnesota. The Klingsporns said they needed extra labor at rst for the transiƟon to robots, which made the process more challenging for them.
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
University of Minnesota sweeps National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest Gophers secure top spot by 53 points By Sherry Newell Contributing writer
MADISON, Wis. — A 53-point margin brought the University of Minnesota another win in the 102nd National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest Oct. 1 at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The team built their win with four rstplace breed standings in Red and White, Ayrshires, Brown Swiss and Milking Shorthorn, along with the top collective score in reasons. Their coach, Dr. Les Hansen, said he was impressed by the team as they averaged just over 47 out of 50 possible points in the reasons category. The Gophers’ Ben Styer was the overall high individual by 11 points. He dropped only nine points across six sets of reasons, earning him the top individual reasons score as well. His teammate, Isaac Rott,
LAURA SELJAN/DAIRY STAR
The University of Minnesota’s judging team won the NaƟonal Intercollegiate Dairy CaƩle Judging Contest Oct. 1 at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The team included Dr. Les Hansen (from leŌ), Isaac RoƩ, Kelsey Biel, Haley Beukema, Ben Styer, Gabriella Houdek and Eric Houdek.
was close behind Styer, winning third overall and fourth in reasons. Team member Kelsey Biel nished as an All-American top 25 as 17th individual, while Haley Beukema completed the fourmember team. Elise Bleck, of the Uni-
versity of Wisconsin-Madison, was the second-place individual in reasons, just ve points behind Styer. Bleck was fourth overall as an individual, while her teammate, Gracie Krahn, placed eighth overall. Rott, Biel and Styer took
all three top individual spots in Brown Swiss judging. Styer said it took a fair amount of practice to achieve such high scores. “I’ve been judging since third grade with 4-H,” Styer said. “Managing time to be part of a full-time team along
with other obligations like a full course load can be challenging, but this is a special team, and there’s no one else we’d want to judge with.” Hansen said he believed his team’s winning margin is the third highest in history, calling the 2023 World Dairy Expo his best ever after the win. Hansen was also named National Dairy Shrine’s 2023 Guest of Honor and received the award Oct. 2 at WDE. Eric and Gabriella Houdek also coached the team; both are alumni of the university team. “The consistency was there,” said Eric, of the team. “After (a disappointing) Harrisburg, it was onward and upward.” His wife agreed. “This team is amazing — their attitudes especially,” Gabriella said. As the day’s scores were announced, the Minnesota group members held their breath. The Milking Shorthorn classes had them worried. Turn to INTERCOLLEGIATE JUDGING | Page 9
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ConƟnued from INTERCOLLEGIATE JUDGING | Page 8
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Ben Styer was both the high overall individual and high reasons individual Oct. 1 during the NaƟonal Intercollegiate Dairy CaƩle Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Styer said he has been judging since third grade in 4-H.
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Commitment to dairy, agriculture Sjostroms are Nicollet County’s Farm Family of the Year By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com
LAFAYETTE, Minn. — Getting up at 3:15 a.m. most mornings to catch up with mail and drink a little coffee before milking cows is the rst step of Steve Sjostrom’s daily routine as a dairy farmer. It’s all part of making sure his family’s farm keeps humming, a job he has had since 1980 when he was 19 years old PHOTO SUBMITTED and rst formed a partnership, SjosJacob Sjostrom (from leŌ ) holding his son, Chet, Jacob’s wife Lindtrom Farms, with his parents, Lowsay Sjostrom, Jacob’s nephew Conan Sjostrom and Deb and Steve ell and Adrianne, eventually taking Sjostrom holding Jacob’s son, Owen, accept their award as Nicollet over the farm near Lafayette. Steve and his wife, Deb, have County Farm Family of the Year Aug. 3 at Farmfest near Redwood earned special recognition this year Falls, Minnesota. The family milks 90 cows at Sjostrom Farms near for their commitment to farming LafayeƩe. and community. They have been named Nicollet County’s Farm Family of the Year gets to be challenging when we’re milking cows, but by the University of Minnesota. The award has spe- we have some great employees who step up to help cial meaning for the couple because their son Jacob with chores.” and his family have been given the award along with Steve and Deb have two older children besides them. Jacob is currently merging into partnership with Jacob. Megan and her husband, Karl, and their famSteve and Deb. ily reside in Champlin, and Lucas and his wife, Alise, “We were surprised and honored,” Deb said. “The and their family live in rural Brooten. award has been given to a lot of great farm families As Steve and Deb’s children were growing up, in the past, so it’s nice to be included in that group. the family was involved in 4-H and FFA. There’s also a lot of great, hard-working farm families Steve has served on the Nicollet County Holstein who haven’t been recognized yet.” board and the DHIA board. Jacob currently is on the The Sjostroms ofcially received their award in county’s DHIA board and American Dairy Associaa ceremony Aug. 3 at Minnesota Farmfest near Red- tion board, which means he does a lot of work for the wood Falls. county fair, especially with the milk stand. Both genSjostrom Farms has been the center of Sjostrom erations are members of the Nicollet/Sibley County family life for three generations with the fourth gen- Corn and Soybean Growers. Closer to home, both eration, Steve and Deb’s seven young grandchildren, Deb and Steve have served at different times as chairnow experiencing the farm. persons of their church council. “My parents bought the farm in 1962, and at that Through their years of dairy farming, Steve and time, the barn had just 11 stanchions,” Steve said. Deb have observed how their part of rural Nicollet “They built a freestall barn and would milk six in and County has changed. ve out in the stanchions. They did that for eight years “I can remember when there were 70 or 80 dairy until they built a double-4 herringbone parlor in 1970. farms in Nicollet County, and I know we’re below At that time, they had 40 cows.” 30 now, maybe closer to 20,” Steve said. “HowevSteve said both sets of his grandparents were er, there’s probably just as many cows in the county. farmers nearby and did some of their crop farming Not just in dairy, but the rural area has changed so with his dad, but they never lived on the Sjostrom much. When my mom and dad lived here, we knew Farms site. all the neighbors, kids would ride buses together, and Today, the Sjostroms milk 90 Holsteins in a dou- we were all in the same school district … Now, most ble-6 parabone parlor. neighbors are not in agriculture; they just live on a “In 2012, we remodeled the parlor,” Steve said. farm site.” “We shrunk the pit down and turned the cows a little Modernization, Steve said, has changed his daybit so that we could t a few more cows in and get to-day experience of dairy farming. done with milking a little quicker.” “You work smarter, not harder,” Steve said. Milk from the farm is sold through Bongards An example he gave was the use of herd-manageand currently goes to Litcheld. The Sjostroms farm ment ear tags. about 900 acres total of corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Ja“I used to have to watch the cows for heat,” Steve cob helps with putting up silage, hauling manure and said. “Now, I wake up in the morning, look at the other chores. Milking is done by Steve and one nearly computer to see which cows are in heat, and they are full-time employee, plus several part-time employ- the ones I have to breed.” ees. Deb works full time as postmaster at the WinHe credits Jacob with pushing some of the modthrop Post Ofce but steps in to help with chores and ernizing they have done. This year was the rst that eldwork when needed. She also handles employee Steve planted while using autosteer after Jacob purscheduling. chased a used one from a friend and put it in the trac84-year-old Lowell still comes to the farm daily tor. to help with feeding cows and making sure that things “It was so relaxing,” Steve said. “You don’t have are in order. He and Adrianne live nearby on the farm to be constantly thinking about going straight. Once site where Adrianne grew up. you set it, you can go along and you can pay attention Deb was raised on a hog and crop farm 10 miles to other things and listen to the radio or talk to somefrom Sjostrom Farms on the other side of Lafayette. body on the phone. It’s just one less thing you have to Today, that is where Jacob and his wife, Lindsay, and concentrate on, so you can do better on other tasks.” their children live. Jacob raises Sjostrom Farms’ dairy What hasn’t changed, Steve said, is a main reason steers over there along with steers from his brother he likes dairy farming. Lucas’ farm and a neighbor’s farm. In total, the steers “It’s being your own boss,” he said. “It’s not alnumber about 200. ways easy, but you have to own up to it.” Jacob and Steve also haul cattle and grain for Both Steve and Deb said raising their children on neighbors. Jacob does additional trucking as a full- the farm has brought the best gifts to them as dairy time job for a nearby farmer and Lindsay is a realtor. farmers. Sjostrom Farms does custom work in round baling, silage harvesting and grain harvesting. Turn to SJOSTROMS | Page 11 “We do a lot of custom work,” Steve said. “That
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 11
ConƟnued from SJOSTROMS | Page 10
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Steve Sjostrom stands with a few members of his herd Oct. 3 at Sjostrom Farms near LafayeƩe, Minnesota. The dairy farm was purchased by Steve’s parents, Lowell and Adrianne, in 1962. “There was always work that they could do,” Deb said. “… I’ve enjoyed watching them wanting to pitch in and watching them grow to be people with a good work ethic. Now it’s fun watching the grandkids enjoy the farm.” Steve agreed. “I hope if people want to milk cows as a family — like 100 cows — I hope
they can still make a living doing it, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” Steve said. The Sjostroms simply want others to have the same opportunity they have had and appreciate. “Our hope is that people can still have a feasible small family dairy farm,” Deb said.
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tiered cakes. Simma’s Bakery makes more than 30 kinds of bars, such as caramel oatmeal, chocolate chip brownie, lemon, turtle, pumpkin cheesecake, cookies and cream cheesecake,
and cherry almond cheesecake. “There are so many heavenly choices to choose from,” Carollo said. A signature offering available daily at the bakery is called Simma’s pastry – a sin-
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STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Simma’s Bakery owners Peggy and Mark Carollo hold a fall-themed cheesecake Oct. 4 while standing among all the desserts on display at Simma’s Bakery in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The bakery is known for its award-winning cheesecakes and convenƟonal cakes as well as specialty pastries, cupcakes, tortes, cookies and bars.
★★
WAUWATOSA, Wis. — From its award-winning cheesecakes and conventional cakes to specialty pastries, cupcakes, tortes, cookies and bars, Simma’s Bakery is paradise for the sweet tooth. Tempting desserts that resemble works of art line the bakery case of this Milwaukee-area icon where items are baked fresh day and night and decorated to perfection. “We strive to provide quality and supreme product at Simma’s Bakery, which is a landmark and destination in Wauwatosa,” said Peggy Carollo, owner. “We use the best ingredients and bake everything with love, which makes our products extra special.” The bakery’s classic cheesecake is a secret recipe covered in chocolate ganache that features a chocolate cake bottom and a thin layer of raspberry lling. Simma’s Bakery sells 25,000 cheesecakes and 20,000 conventional cakes annually. These gures include approximately 600 wedding or
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
pastry is a spice cake lled with pumpkin chai mousse and topped with French buttercream icing. “It’s a heavenly fall treat,” Carollo said. Mufns and other breakfast pastries, such as morning buns — which resemble a cinnamon roll — are very popular with the bakery’s clientele. Simma’s Bakery is open ve days a week Tuesday through Saturday, and Carollo said they have a lot of long-time, regular customers. Approximately 25 fulltime employees are a part of Simma’s Bakery. “We have an extraordinary team,” Carollo said. Simma’s Bakery packs homemade, baked-fromscratch goodness into every bite and is a signicant consumer of dairy products, such as cream cheese, heavy cream and butter. “Dairy is essential to our business,” Carollo said. In a year’s time, the bakery goes through 65,000 to 90,000 pounds of cream cheese, 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of heavy cream, and 75,000 to 100,000 pounds of butter. The name of the bakery comes from the young Russian immigrant woman named Turn to BAKERY | Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 13
ConƟnued from BAKERY | Page 12
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An employee frosts a cake Oct. 4 at Simma’s Bakery in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Items are baked fresh day and night and decorated to perfecƟon. Simma who, with her passion to spread love through her family traditions of ne cheesecakes and pastries, opened Simma’s Bakery in 1982. Carollo and her husband, Mark, purchased Simma’s Bakery in 2011. In addition, they own two wholesale bakeries. Croissant Etc. sells butter croissants to retail and foodservice distributors in the Midwest, and Melody Cookies sells cookies throughout the Midwest. “We felt that Simma’s Bakery and the wholesale bakeries were a good t together and complemented each other,” Carollo said. The Carollos use original recipes from Simma and have also added a few special ones of their own. They also stock a few purchased items, such as gluten-free baked goods from a local bakery and Babcock ice cream. Visitors to the bakery can also nd a large selection of specialty gift items and party wear accessories. “We try to be a one-stop shop, and I’m really price conscious,” Carollo said. Simma’s Bakery has all the qualities of an old-fashioned bakery swirled into a chic environment. The bakery’s bright and welcoming interior gives it a boutique vibe, creating an atmosphere that is nearly as delicious as the baked goods it sells. An expansion and remodel of Simma’s Bakery in 2016 allowed the Carollos to nearly quadruple
the site’s size. “I like old-school, but you have to keep up with the times,” Carollo said. “We still offer that small-town feel you don’t get anymore.” The portion that was the original shop has been transformed into an elegant wedding room perfect for cake tastings. Here, brides-to-be can sample cakes while sitting under a crystal chandelier. Beautiful, tiered cakes of various styles and sizes are on display, allowing customers to have a visual of what their wedding cake could look like. Simma’s Bakery is a winner of numerous awards. In 2017, the business was named the Bakery Operation of the Year by the Wisconsin Bakers Association, and it earned Best of Weddings in Wisconsin recognition from The Knot every year from 2008 through 2022. Simma’s Bakery has also been named one of America’s top 25 bakeries and was voted Best of Greater Milwaukee Cakes & Cheesecakes by Milwaukee Lifestyle. Celebrating 39 years in business, this neighborhood bakery lives on as a xture in the community at a time when standalone bakeries are becoming a thing of the past in some places. “There are fewer bakeries today, which is truly unfortunate, but we feel there will always be a need for a higherquality bakery,” Carollo said. “This is a labor of love.”
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 15
from our side OF THE FENCE Gardeners: Why do you enjoy growing and preserving your own produce?
Becky Bitzan Leaf Valley, Minnesota Douglas County 70 cows
Sandy Schilling Fort Ripley, Minnesota Morrison County 50 cows
What is the size of your garden and how is it set up? I garden with my father-inlaw. He is the tiller and corn and potatoes guy. We usually try to rotate the corn and potatoes around so that they aren’t planted in the same spot multiple years. My mother-in-law preserves the corn and beets, and I try to keep up with everything else.
What is the size of your garden and how is it set up? It’s a nice-sized garden, and we put three electric wires around it to keep the deer out.
What varieties of produce do you plant? We have corn, potatoes, green beans, beets, carrots, lettuce, spinach, watermelon, pumpkins, tomatoes and a few peas to snack on while we’re in the garden. What is your favorite produce to grow? Carrots are my favorite thing to grow. They are pretty low maintenance, and it’s fun to pull them out and see the weirdshaped ones. For preserving, I usually wash, peel, slice, blanch for 3 minutes, cool and freeze in quart bags. A quart bag is the perfect size to dump in the slow cooker with a roast and potatoes. When do you typically start processing produce and when do you nish? Usually, the rst thing I end up doing is green beans, and last is pumpkins. Where did you learn your technique for canning? I took an interest in water-bath canning ve years ago. I have only been pressure canning for two years. My mom bought me the Ball book of canning and preserving. I learned a lot from that. I also enjoy talking to people who have been canning for years. They have tips and tricks for newbies like me. Tell us about a challenging year you had in growing and preserving produce. I’m still pretty new at this, so whenever I try a new canning recipe, it can be hit or miss. My rst year, 2019, I made a nasty tomato soup recipe. We still have some of it left because no one wants to eat it. Why do you enjoy gardening and preserving the fruits of your labor? There is something really satisfying about opening a can of food and knowing that you grew and made that food — not to mention, garden-fresh produce is just yummy and keeps me out of trouble. Tell us about your farm and family. We milk 70 cows in a tiestall barn with my in-laws and raise our own replacements. We feed out about half of our steers and sell the other half. We grow corn, soybeans, alfalfa and oats on 350 acres. My husband and I are expecting our rst child in March.
Ryanne Hiner Loganville, Wisconsin Sauk County 250 cows
What varieties of produce do you plant? Tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, carrots, dill, beans and potatoes. What is your favorite produce to you grow? Tomatoes because they are so easy to pick. I can all of them and make tomato juice, and I use it for barbecue, hamburger, all the hotdishes and chili. I throw it in just about everything. It’s nice because you know where it came from, and it’s not store bought, which just doesn’t have the avor. When do you typically start processing produce and when do you nish? We just got done. I ran out of jars. I nished up the rst part of September; we started the end of July. I was doing the pickles in July and did 100 quarts of pickles and tomatoes, and we did around 25 quarts of beans. I also freeze peaches and cream corn from my sister, Cindy Welle. I do four batches of corn. We also do apples, and it was a great year for apples. We dehydrate four or ve batches, so the kids eat all these dry apples. I also freeze a bunch and use it for apple crisp or apple pie. Where did you learn your technique for canning? My mom, Wilma Keehr. There were 12 kids in the family, six boys and six girls, and the neighbors kept dropping off extra produce. They brought it to us; we were canning it all the time. We always had a basement full of canned food. Tell us about a challenging year you had in growing and preserving produce. The beginning of this year was hard because it was dry. We had dry rot on the tomatoes, and then it just cleared up. We didn’t think it would turn out, and then we had too many tomatoes. We gave some away because we had so many. Why do you enjoy gardening and preserving the fruits of your labor? I like it because I know it’s real food. You don’t have as many chemicals or preservatives. My son-in-law makes sure the garden looks good. The garden is at the home of my daughter and son-inlaw, Brian and Lisa Hoheisel. Tell us about your farm and family. I farm here with my husband, Joe, and my son, John. Our daughter, Lisa, and her husband, Brian Hoheisel, come and help when we do silage and haylage. We milk in a double-5 parlor. We raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa, rye, oats and grass hay for the beef cattle. We have 800 acres, and a little over 500 is tillable. We ship our milk to Bongards. We had three children. We were a century farm in 2011.
What is the size of your garden and how is it set up? About a quarter acre; 100 feet wide and 300 feet long. It’s just in the ground. If we have old hay or straw bales, I use them for mulch so that I don’t have to weed all the time. Then I go through the rows with the rototiller. What varieties of produce do you plant? I grow regular tomatoes that I can for chili. Then I grow Roma tomatoes, which are a little meatier, that I use for pasta sauce. I also do sweet corn, quite a few green beans and potatoes. What is your favorite produce to grow? I have fun doing the green beans with my kids just because a few plants produce a lot of green beans. My kids are young, and they like to snap and pick them. I pressure can those. When do you typically start processing produce and when do you nish? Starting in July is when most of my stuff starts getting ready. I just nished up tomatoes last weekend — so through September. Where did you learn your technique for canning? I’m a self-taught person, or I use the Ball canning book for reference. Tell us about a challenging year you had in growing and preserving produce. This was my hardest year probably because of the drought. I watered it a lot, and with the green beans, I started out in June with them and they weren’t coming up. I had a few come up eventually, but then just relied on last year’s crop. Another year I had problems was during the coronavirus pandemic; it seemed like the lids were not made to the standard quality. It seems like they’ve just now been working properly again. Why do you enjoy gardening and preserving the fruits of your labor? I believe it’s a lot healthier for us and it tastes way better. Especially canned corn from the store — it seems like it’s not ripe. When I do canned corn, you open it up and it’s like it was canned yesterday. Tomato sauce from the store typically gives us heartburn, and I don’t have that problem with our homemade tomato sauce. Tell us about your farm and family. We have 250 cows and milk in a double-12 parallel parlor. It’s my grandparents, my dad, my husband and I primarily. We grow hay and corn. My husband and I take care of the youngstock and manage the employees. We also work with the nutritionist and vet. Our two kids are 3 and 2 years old, so they are starting to feed calves. My grandparents are starting to phase out, but they were involved in mixing feed and hauling manure, which my dad is getting into now. My dad does all the paperwork. We ship our milk to Foremost Farms.
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Melendy Miller Plainview, Minnesota Wabasha County 75 cows
be a batch. I also pick a lot of jalapeno peppers. I love pickled jalapenos; they are my thing, and everybody in my family loves them. I nished this year with the garden at the end of September. I try to make enough that I can get us through a whole year, but I do not like to have a lot of extra.
What is the size of your garden and how is it set up? My garden on the farm is in rows in a 20- by 20-foot plot right next to my chickens. I have to have it fenced in with cattle panels around it. Right now, since I'm done with the garden for the year, I have it open. The chickens are in there cleaning up everything, like the broccoli leaves are skinned down to just veins, and the rotten tomatoes are nonexistent. I also have a garden at my house in town that has some of the plants I could not t in the garden on the farm.
Where did you learn your technique for canning? My mom taught me how to do canning. All the supplies we use are still my great-grandma's. Mom does not necessarily love the making of all of it, so I make the mess and she cleans it up. I'll get everything canned up, and then she will actually put it in the canner and do all the dishes. It is really a team effort.
What varieties of produce do you plant? I have three rows of tomatoes, and then I do broccoli, cauliower, cabbage and then a couple rows of peppers. I grow all my herbs in containers by the house. I grow garlic, basil, sage, cilantro and parsley. What is your favorite produce to you grow? Tomatoes are my favorite. When I was a kid, my sister and I would sit there and eat the seeds and skins out of the colander. We loved tomatoes. We would eat them like apples. I love the smell of tomatoes. After you work with the plants, your hands smell like tomatoes. When do you typically start processing produce and when do you nish? Whenever I have enough tomatoes to make a batch. This year, that was in middle of July. When you have 40 tomato plants, it only takes each one to have a couple of tomatoes on it for there to Sandy Van Eck Ruthton, Minnesota Murray County 55 cows What is the size of your garden and how is it set up? It is approximately 40 feet by 40 feet. It’s a typical row garden, and I plant things conventionally; I usually don’t experiment with the new fads. I have asparagus and rhubarb on the top end. Every year, I document on the computer where I plant everything and what varieties so that I can practice rotation. What varieties of produce do you plant? Everything from different lettuces, radishes, heirloom multiplier onions (these sets date back to my grandma’s supply, so probably more than 100 years old), regular onions, beets, Swiss chard, potatoes, peas, sweet peas in the pod, green and yellow beans, cucumbers, kohlrabi, carrots, a variety of peppers, a variety of tomatoes, rhubarb and asparagus. I don’t plant cabbage, cauliower or broccoli. What is your favorite produce to grow? Tomatoes are my favorite vegetable, but I’d have to say they are the most versatile because of the large variety of products I can make from them. I use them for canned tomatoes, tomato juice, vegetable juice, tomato soup, salsa, peach tomato salsa, Bing cherry tomato salsa, pasta sauce and chow chow from green tomatoes. I also use chunks of tomatoes in a vegetable soup mix that gets canned. When do you typically start processing produce and when do you nish? The rst things that I usually start with are strawberry and strawberry-rhubarb jam. The next items would be certain fruits that are in season, but I purchase them. I also preserve certain things by blanching and freezing. So, peas, podded and in the pod, and Dutch snijbonens (think French cut beans) are also earlier in the year but are frozen. I also can two types of meat, but that happens when we have an animal butchered, so the time of year varies for that. I typically wrap up canning season in October, with either the last of the tomatoes or with applesauce. Some years I have put washed and stemmed tomatoes in the freezer and nished my canning in the winter during a snowstorm. Where did you learn your technique for canning? I planted my rst garden the rst summer we were married. We lived on the same farm as my in-laws for the rst seven years, and
®
Tell us about a challenging year you had in growing and preserving produce. This year was honestly a really challenging year because of all the needed watering. At the farm, I was able to water the plants more often because I would have wash water or I would have extra water from the chickens or dirty water, and I would throw it in the garden. At home, I was just a bit more neglectful. If you did not stay on top of the watering this year, it was pretty tough. Why do you enjoy gardening and preserving the fruits of your labor? In the spring, I start my own seedlings in my own greenhouse. I started doing that with my dad, who has always been the gardener. He is the one who got me into gardening. It has become completely my thing, and I am proud that I get to do something that my dad enjoyed that he taught me how to do. A lot of people get their gardening background from their mom, but I like that my dad is the one who has always had the green thumb. We have always connected on that sort of level. Tell us about your farm and family. Right now, my mom, my dad and I are full time on the farm. Several of my siblings occasionally help when they can. We milk in a double-8 parallel parlor. In the summer, the cows are on pasture. We have 190 acres of crops. We don't have to buy any of our feed. my mother-in-law let me share her space, so one end was mine. I didn’t can the rst couple of years — that’s 38 years ago, so I can’t remember exactly when I started canning — but I froze veggies instead. Then, between my mom and my mother-in-law, they answered my questions, and I was on my way. I worked in a salon for 38 years (and retired this May) and talked with customers about gardening and canning. I picked up ideas and tricks from them. A few years into canning, I got brave enough to buy a pressure canner. From there, it was self-taught. Tell us about a challenging year you had growing and preserving produce. One year the pickle bugs were horrendous. I used so much Sevin insecticide that summer, but I was determined to win the ght. I didn’t have a big crop that year. As far as preserving, the pandemic summer, when there were supply issues, was a very frustrating summer. The name-brand canning lids were almost nonexistent, and the off-brand you could nd buckled during processing, so the jar couldn’t be trusted to be safe to eat. So, I’d put the contents of the jar into freezer bags and put them in the freezer instead of wasting the product. Why do you enjoy gardening and preserving the fruits of your labor? Gardening is in my genes. My grandma was an avid gardener, my 94-year-old mom still has a raised-bed garden, and my daughters also enjoy and appreciate gardening. Our oldest daughter, Kaitlin, out-cans me in amounts and varieties of products. Don calls her “Laura Ingalls.” Our youngest daughter, Kiley, has started to can more things every year. When all six of us kids were at home at the same time, Mom would put up over 600 quarts of goods in a summer/fall. At that time, it was a necessity to feed a large family. I do it more as a hobby although it certainly helps with the grocery bill. My shelves lined with my jars is absolutely beautiful. For me, there’s great satisfaction in growing and preserving my own food. Every year the world gets crazier, and supply issues are more numerous. By preserving my own food, I also know what’s in it and where it came from. God has graciously given us the fertile ground to use, and I love to use that gift. Gardening is also very therapeutic for me — a lot of problems get solved pulling weeds. Tell us about your farm and family. Our small 55-cow, one-man dairy is run by husband, Don. If we need extra help or a night away, our daughters, Kaitlin and Kiley, and our son, Cody, will come to do the milking and chores. We appreciate their help when it’s needed. We sell to Associated Milk Producers Inc. and grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa. We have three grown children and eight grandkids. Kaitlin and husband, Justin, have four kids. Cody and his wife, Jade, were blessed with identical twin boys in March. Kiley and husband, Eric, have two kids.
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
FORAGE PROFILE Ken, Aaron and Ethan Vogt, Vogt Dairy LLC
Sauk Centre, Minnesota | Stearns County | 300 cows
Describe your farm and facilities. Vogt Dairy LLC is a partnership between Ken, Aaron and Ethan Vogt. Cows are housed in a sand-bedded freestall barn and are milked in a double-10 parallel parlor retrotted in our old tie stall. All replacements are raised on-site. We have eight employees who work with us. We harvest all of our forages in partnership with Meyer Dairy and McAndrews Dairy. Each of us own pieces of forage equipment and trade hours. We started chopping together 10 years ago as a way of affording dependable equipment and the help to put up forages quickly. What forages do you harvest? We raise corn, alfalfa and occasionally double-crop rye and sorghum-sedan grass for heifers. How many acres of crops do you raise? We manage a total of 700 acres of tillable ground on which we raise 400 acres of corn, 300 of which is for silage, 180 acres of alfalfa, and the remainder is in soybeans, rye and sorghum-sedan grass. Describe the rations for your livestock. Lactating cows are fed a one-group total mixed ration. All ingredients are
based on dry matter pounds. Lactating cows receive 26.4 pounds of conventional silage, 11.6 pounds of haylage, 10.3 pounds of our custom mix and 6.5 pounds of corn. Dry cows get 2.8 pounds of straw, 7.2 pounds of canary grass, 18.6 pounds of silage, 3 pounds of soybean meal, and ve avors of vitamins and trace minerals. We feed heifers two rations consisting of the same ingredients of silage, haylage and sorghum-sedan grass at different rates to six months conrmed pregnant and springers. What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? Mother Nature usually gets to decide what quality feed you put up. We judge our quality not by nutrients but by how stable the feed is and how it feeds out. For haylage, we chop about 2,000 tons on four crops. For silage, we chop about 5,500 tons. For our rye and sorghum-sedan grass, we aim for as many tons as possible being that it is for heifer feed. Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. We make an honest effort to get our rst crop off in late May and early June to allow some exibility to get
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Ethan (leŌ) and Aaron Vogt stand in their freestall barn Oct. 9 on their dairy near Sauk Centre, Minnesota. The brothers, alongside their dad, Ken, milk 300 cows four crops off before Sept. 8. For alfalfa, we cut with two windrowers, merge ve 16foot rows together at wilt, and chop shortly after. For silage, we are after starch, so we chop when the cob is ready and not so much based on moisture.
Usually, we can get desired cob maturity and still hang around that 65% moisture, but this year, the cob was in survivor mode and held all the moisture, so silage was all chopped around 60%.
What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? All our forages get inoculant at the chopper Turn to FORAGE PROFILE | Page 20
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
Con�nued from FORAGE PROFILE | Page 18 and are packed to the best of our ability in drive-over piles. They are covered with Silostop barrier, 5 mil plastic, and weighed down generously with tire beads. Both haylage and silage piles run parallel with each other, so as we add new forages, we simply start feeding from the opposite end and continue piling new feed on the opposite end. Other than the three months between rst crop haylage and new crop silage, the faces of each pile are within 50 feet of each other, making for very efcient mixing. Both haylage and silage piles are too big for the amount of cows fed, so we have to manage our face. We do this by facing 12 inches deep on half of each pile, then 12 inches
deep on the other half the next day. The most dry matter loss comes in the rst 24 hours on the face, so this is how try to mitigate some of that. Another way we manage our face is not cutting plastic back before it needs to be. Nothing heats like rained-on forages, so we do our best to not let that happen. The nal technique we use, and by far the most unpopular with our kids, is continuously throwing beads back on the pile instead of taking off as we cut plastic. The amount of continuous down pressure on the top 12 inches of the pile once you get six beads deep is way more than what we can do with a tractor. And, our kids get countless core workouts throwing beads back. MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Abe and A�on Vogt toss beads back on their haylage pile Oct. 9 near Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Instead of taking the beads off the pile, the Vogts toss them back to keep con�nuous pressure on the top 12 inches of the pile.
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
The Vogts try to manage the quality of their silage and haylage piles by facing 12 inches at a �me. They harvest around 2,000 tons of haylage and 5,500 tons of silage.
How does quality forages play in the production goals for your herd? Quality forages play a part in our production goal. As mentioned earlier, we are more after quality feed at feed out and not so much on high relative feed value. Fresh feed that is free of molds and toxins entices higher intakes and contributes to overall cow health.
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What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that have made a notable difference in forage quality? Teaming up with the Meyer family 10 years ago and with the McAndrews family last year was a big help in putting up quality forages. Having three farms trying different techniques and seeing how they worked rsthand has accelerated our learning curve.
Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. Probably the biggest challenge was when we had half of our feed piled on dirt. It was not the end of the world but made feed management tough. Overall, there have not been many big challenges but hundreds of small challenges that we work through and learn from.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 21
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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 23
Counting his blessings, cherishing his luck
Nabholz pens second book, recollecting people, cows, experiences By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
WEST UNION, Iowa — If memories were made of diamonds and gold, then Norman Nabholz would be among the richest. He gladly shares his wealth by setting his stories down on paper, allowing others to live vicariously through his experiences. “I have been blessed,” Nabholz said. “I have been able to count so many of the greats in this business as mentors and as friends.” Nabholz grew up at Nabholz Farm near West Union where his family milked a herd of about 38 Jersey cows. He continues to reside at the farm today with his partner Gretchen Taylor, where they work with animals of top pedigrees. “I have known a lot of great cow people, but I am not sure I have ever known any as great as my dad,” Nabholz said. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but he was.” Nabholz recently completed his second book, “The Queens Caretakers.” The idea for this book rst came to Nabholz nearly six years ago. “I was doing a series of articles for Cowsmopolitan and began to think maybe I should put all of those stories together in book form,” Nabholz said. Since then, Nabholz has spent time researching, conducting interviews, creating content, organizing and sourcing historical photographs. While his rst book, “Millionaires in the Cornelds,” celebrated the history surrounding the National Cattle Congress held in Waterloo, “The Queens
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Norman Nabholz smiles as he looks over the proof copy of his latest book, “The Queens Caretakers,” Sept. 14 in his office at Nabholz Farm in West Union, Iowa. The book is the culmina�on of nearly 10 years of research and work for Nabholz. Caretakers” is a personal vantage point for Nabholz, featuring many people, places and cows that have played a role in his life. “It’s about the people who took care of the cows,”
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 25
Con�nued from NABHOLZ | Page 23
The people featured in the book are a mix of historical gures in the dairy show world combined with successful contemporary gures still involved in exhibiting dairy cattle today. Many were recipients of either the Klussendorf or Klussendorf-MacKenzie awards. “There are some stories about oldtimers who most people today might have never heard about,” Nabholz said. “Those men were some of the best cowmen to have ever lived.” Nabholz’s exposure to the world of showing came from his family’s participation in shows in their area including the Iowa State Fair, the all-Iowa show and the National Cattle Congress. From a young age, Nabholz enjoyed opportunities to work with top herds. His rst opportunity came at the age of 12, when he said his family was not able to exhibit at the National Cattle Congress. “My dad called up Max Gordon at Heaven Hill Farm and asked if I could stay with them and help them at Cattle Congress,” Nabholz said. “They said yes, and I’m still not sure why.” From there, Nabholz took any opportunity that presented itself to travel with the top show herds of the time. “Everyone was so kind to me; they answered every question I asked,” Nabholz said. “The professionalism of those men was something you don’t see so much anymore.” In 1976, Nabholz had the opportunity to join the show crew of Pinehurst Farms as they embarked on what would become a historical, storied show season that included over 10,000 miles of travel with cows, garnering a bevy of awards and winnings along the way.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Norman Nabholz displays his latest book, “The Queens Caretakers,” Sept. 19 in his office at Nabholz Farm in West Union, Iowa. The book shares stories about the people who have spent their lives caring for top show ca�le. Over the span of more than 60 years, Nabholz has attended a variety of shows across the U.S. and Canada. He said the quality of facilities could make or break a show. “My all-time favorite show was Cattle Congress, without question,” Nabholz said. “It was just made for cowmen, the way the barns were set up. Until the new barns, World Dairy Expo was actually one of my least favorite places because of the barns. They were cramped, and they lacked ventilation.”
The Ohio State Fair was a favorite show for Nabholz because of the immense competition, and he counted the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair and the Wisconsin State Fair as other venues at which he enjoyed caring for cattle. The art of the presentation is what Nabholz said he enjoys most about shows. “I really dislike the whole process of showing cows,” Nabholz said. “But, I love presenting them, having them all
lined up in the barn for people to see, with an attractive and neat display. There is nothing better than that.” Nabholz devoted an entire section of the book, the one he said is his favorite, to some of his favorite displays of dairy cattle, past and present-day, along with the recipe required to achieve that professional presentation he so admires. As much as the people, Nabholz loved the cows who were the reasons for the travels and displays. “There is no way I can pick one favorite,” Nabholz said. “(Gil-Bar Unique) Bonnie would have to be one of my all-time favorites. She was the most incredible cow with an incredible personality. I loved that cow.” Adding to his list, Nabholz included two more Jersey cows. “Responses Wonder was a great cow I loved even though we only owned her a couple of weeks,” Nabholz said. “(Gil-Bar Gem) Dreamy was one of my favorites. She had a beautiful personality.” A Jersey boy at heart, Nabholz expressed appreciation for great cows, regardless of their breed, and counts several Holsteins among his favorites, including Quality-Ridge Stormi Hazel, Taraley Astro Sherry and KHW Regiment Apple-Red; and all three come complete with entertaining stories as to how their destinies intertwined with Nabholz’s. “I cannot say it enough; I have been blessed in this life and have had a lot of luck along the way,” Nabholz said. “This is a business of cows, but more so, it is a business of people, and that is what keeps it going.”
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
Seedorf wins championship title two years in a row By Tiffany Klaphake tiffany.k@dairystar.com
PERHAM, Minn. — Caylee Seedorf has only shown cattle at the Minnesota State Fair for three years, but she has taken home the title of champion overall crossbred cow for the last two years in a row. Seedorf topped her class with her 4-year-old crossbred cow, Willow, who took home the same title last year as a 3-year-old. “I was shocked,” Seedorf said. “For a while, the judge had a cow placed over me, but in the nal drive, (the judge) pulled me ahead.” Willow is a cross of Holstein and Charolais. Seedorf said she will probably show Willow at the Otter Tail County Fair again, but she will not bring Willow back to the state fair. Seedorf, the 14-year-old daughter of Paul and Amanda Seedorf of Perham, is active on her parents’ dairy where she feeds calves, helps milk cows and pitches in where needed. She has two older brothers, Carter and Clayton,
Twice as nice
who also dabbled in showing dairy cattle but not to the extent of their sister. The Seedorfs milk 60 cows and farm 200 acres. Their herd is a mix of Holsteins, Jerseys, Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorn and crossbreds of those various breeds. Parading around the show ring has become a hobby for Seedorf as she spends her summers taking her beloved animals to her county fair and open shows around Minnesota. Showing dairy cattle is not a family tradition for the Seedorf family, but not having any prior background knowledge did not deter Seedorf from learning all she could about tting and showing dairy cattle. “Neither of my parents were in 4-H, so I had to learn from the ground up,” Seedorf said. “I went to a lot of camps, and some of my friends taught me a few things.” In fact, this past summer was the rst summer in seven years that Seedorf did not attend at least one summer camp on tting and showing. “To me, it is just really fun tting (cattle) and getting them ready,” Seedorf said. “Of course, the showing is a lot of fun too.” Seedorf has been showing at the county level for the past seven years, including attend-
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Caylee Seedorf and her cow, Willow, pose aŌer being named champion overall crossbred cow at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Willow was also named champion overall crossbred cow at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair.
ing several open shows in the area, such as the District Holstein Show in Perham. Achieving champion status in the crossbred category is just one of the goals Seedorf set out to achieve. “My next goal is to have
a really nice Red and WhiteShorthorn cross and a Brown Swiss to bring to state fair,” Seedorf said. “And, my nal goal is that I want to be in the top 12 for showmanship.” Seedorf admits winning is fun, but she also enjoys be-
ing at the state fair with other county 4-H members and meeting young people with similar interests. “It is basically everyone in the state who wants to show dairy,” Seedorf said. “It is fun meeting new people.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 27
National 4-H dairy cattle judging title goes to Minnesota
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Minnesota’s 4-H team won the Na�onal 4-H Dairy Ca�le Judging Contest Oct. 1 at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Team members and coaches include Maizie Scheffler (from le�), Tony Scheffler, Evelyn Scheffler, Calvin Benrud, Natalie Clemenson, Caryn Miklas and Emily Mollenhauer.
Miklas is from Zumbrota, MinGoodhue County team nesota, and is the daughter of Amy Bearbower and Mike Chamberlain. takes rst in Madison Benrud’s parents are Roger and Michelle Benrud of Goodhue, Minnesota. By Sherry Newell Contributing writer Schefer’s parents, Tony and Maizie, coached the Minnesota team, MADISON, Wis. — It was Min- along with Emily Mollenhauer. Schefnesota’s day at the National 4-H er’s brother, Owen, judged the same Dairy Cattle Judging Contest Oct. 1 classes as his sister, but as part of the at World Dairy Expo in Madison. intercollegiate contest and representFour youth from Goodhue Coun- ing South Dakota State University. ty, who advanced by winning at the He placed ninth overall. Minnesota State Fair’s state 4-H conIn the reasons category, Wiscontest in August, won the 101st event by sin’s Logan Harbaugh won top hona collective nine points. ors. His parents are Lynn and Sara What is more, team members Nat- Harbaugh of Marion. alie Clemenson and Evelyn Schefer “My favorite part about the conwere rst and third individuals over- test is the reasons because you can all. Calvin Benrud and Caryn Miklas separate yourself from the other,” rounded out the team, coached by Harbaugh said. “I’m so thankful for Tony and Maizie Schefer and Emily my four coaches and anyone through(Benrud) Mollenhauer. out Shawano County and Wisconsin Clemenson commented on receiv- who opened their barn doors and aling the award just after the awards lowed us to practice.” announcements were made at a joint Wisconsin’s team was third in banquet of competitors in 4-H, colle- reasons while Minnesota nished in giate and post-secondary judging. fourth. It was Minnesota’s placings “I’m overwhelmed,” Clemenson scores — 16 points higher than the said. “I’ve been judging since sixth next team — that catapulted them to grade. It was a lot of hard work and the overall win. The Wisconsin team it paid off.” came in sixth overall. The Wisconsin Schefer won the Jersey breed, team was coached by Jay Jauquet of boosting the group to a team win in Pulaski. that division, while Clemenson was By virtue of their individual placin the top three for Brown Swiss and ings, Clemenson, Schefer, Benrud Guernsey judging. and Harbaugh, along with Harbaugh’s Clemenson is the daughter of Bri- teammates Hailey Zernicke, daughter an and Tiffany Clemenson of Zum- of Derick and Amy Zernicke of Bonbrota, Minnesota. Both she and Mik- duel, and Jacob Harbaugh, Logan’s las had judged at the National FFA brother, were named All-Americans. Dairy Evaluation and Management The designation is awarded to the Contest last fall. The entire Goodhue top 25 overall judges. Ellie Nygren, County team had also competed at the daughter of Tammy and Joe Nygren All-American Dairy Show in Harris- of Seymour, was also a member of the burg, Pennsylvania, in 2021, placing Wisconsin team. second.
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
Warm-Up Calf Jackets by
PS Form 3526
Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only)
1. Publication Title STAR PUBLICATIONS, LLC/DAIRY STAR
2. Publication Number 20355
4. Issue Frequency SEMI-MONTHLY
5. Number of Issues Published Annually 6. Annual Subscription Price 24 $ 40.00
ISSN
7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication 522 SINCLAIR LEWIS AVE SAUK CENTRE, STEARNS, MN 56378-1246
• 3M Thinsulate™ lining traps and holds heat • Outer shell keeps calves dry • No-VELCRO® design • 2 year warranty
3. Filing Date 09/28/2023
Contact Person JOYCE FRERICKS Telephone (320) 352-6303
8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher 522 SINCLAIR LEWIS AVE SAUK CENTRE, MN 56378-1246
9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor Publisher (Name and complete mailing address) MARK KLAPHAKE 522 SINCLAIR LEWIS AVE SAUK CENTRE, MN 56378-1246 Editor (Name and complete mailing address) MARK KLAPHAKE 522 SINCLAIR LEWIS AVE SAUK CENTRE, MN 56378-1246 Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address) MARK KLAPHAKE 522 SINCLAIR LEWIS AVE SAUK CENTRE, MN 56378-1246
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Complete Mailing Address
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41835 COUNTY ROAD 184, SAUK CENTRE, MN 56378-8183
MELISSA TRAEGER
919 LAKE SHORE DR, SAUK CENTRE, MN 56378-1043
NATASHA BARBER
22 16TH AVE SW UNIT 122, RICE, MN 56367-4630
JOYCE FRERICKS
1208 PARK LN, SAUK CENTRE, MN 56378-1822
NANCY POWELL
701 10TH ST S, SAUK CENTRE, MN 56378-1736
TIMOTHY VOS
35704 STATE HIGHWAY 238, ALBANY, MN 56307-9679
AMANDA THOOFT 11162 251ST AVE, SAUK CENTRE, MN 56378-4826 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Hoding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds. Mortgages, or Other X None Securities. If none, check box Full Name Complete Mailing Address
13. Publication Title
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STAR PUBLICATIONS, LLC/DAIRY STAR 15. Extend and Nature of Circulation
08/26/2023 Average No. Copies Each Issue No. Copies of Single Issue During Preceding 12 Months Published Nearest to Filing Date
a. Total Numbers of Copies (Net press run)
15252
14928
9592
9268
0
0
0
0
0
0
9592
9268
4409
4545
0
0
0
0
936
836
e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), (4))
5345
5381
f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e)
14937
14649
Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet requests from (1) recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser's proof copies, and exchange copies.) b. Legitimate In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on Paid PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from and/or recipient, telemarketing and Internet requests from Requested (2) recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate Distribution subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser's proof (By Mail copies, and exchange copies.) and Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Outside (3) Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution the Mail) Outside USPS Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes (4) Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), (4)) Outside County Nonrequested Copies stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk (1) Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other soruces) d. NonreIn-County Nonrequested Copies stated on PS Form quested 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 Distribution years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk (2) (By Mail Sales and Requests including Association Requests, and Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, Outside the and other soruces) Mail) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS (3) by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (4) (include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources)
g. Copies not Distributed
315
279
h. Total (Sum of 15f and 15g)
15252
14928
64.22 %
63.27 %
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.00 %
0.00 %
i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation ((15c / 15f) times 100) 16. If total circulation includes electronic copies, report that circulation on lines below. a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies(Sum of 15c and 15e) b.
Total Requested and Paid Print Copies(Line 15c) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies
Total Requested Copy Distribution(Line 15f)+ Requested/Paid c. Electronic Copies Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both print and Electronic d. Percent Copies) I Certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (Electronic & Print) are legitimate requests.
17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the 10/14/2023 issue of this publication. 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner Title Joyce Frericks
Date Business Manager
09/28/2023 22:36:24 PM
I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 2)
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 29
women
IN DAIRY
Tell us about your farm and family. My husband, Tyler, and son, Carson. I work part time on my husband’s family farm, Brost Farms. We milk three times a day in a double-12 herringbone parlor. We farm about 1,800 acres each year. Mixed with the herd is a small herd of registered high-type Holsteins and Red and White cattle that came from my parents’ dairy farm when they retired in 2021. The herd is averaging about 92 pounds of milk per cow per day. What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? I work part time as relief help on the farm. I work in town as a customer service representative at AgCountry Farm Credit Services. After work and weekends, I help with calf care and the occasional milking. I help manage the registered herd, making breeding decisions for them. What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? Focusing on the genetics in the registered herd has allowed those cows to thrive in their transition from a tiestall herd to parlor life. They are competitive in herd health and milking with the other cattle. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Some of my favorite day-to-day moments include the occasional milking shift with my husband when we ll in for employees. It’s not that often that we get such opportunities to chat and enjoy the cows together. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? The cattle have been my favorite part about dairy farming. I love the challenge of picking out the right sires and seeing the calves develop into pretty and productive cows. Now I get to bring my son along for the ride, and seeing him begin to interact with the calves has been great.
Jade Pinter-Brost Medford, Wisconsin Taylor County 615 cows
What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? In 2022, we exhibited our rst cow at World Dairy Expo. Lonely-Mile CharismaRed placed 10th in a competitive junior 3-year-old class. It has been such a blast developing a strong cow family with consistent type. What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I keep a social media page for LonelyMile Holsteins that is updated with highlights from the farm. In the past, I have been active in the FFA Alumni. Attending local county fairs with my show string each year also gives me plenty of opportunities to interact with the public. What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? The dairy industry is a tough space to be a woman in some days. Keep your faith and determination and it will all pay off eventually. My favorite motto is, “Faith, family, farming.” This is something we all live by to keep going day by day. What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? I have had the unique opportunity of growing up on a smaller 77-cow farm, milking in a tiestall barn. I had to adjust to a larger milking facility. It has been interesting, changing my mindset and seeing what works for each type of facility. Getting the chance to milk and own cattle in both environments has made me a stronger person and given me the knowledge to develop better cows that excel in all types of herds. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I am a young millennial; when I have spare time, I binge watch the current show I am on and stare at my dozens of half-nished crafts in my craft room.
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Managing ies on the dairy Flies are a consistent issue on many face ies live up to their name, congregatdairy farms. Fly management is important ing around the eyes and nostrils. Horn ies to help minimize behaviors in cattle that are named somewhat counterintuitively; may affect yield such as bunching, tail they do not visit horns, but rather backs, switching or head throwing. Flies also have sides and bellies. the potential to transmit diseases. Winter is In the barn or feedlot, stable ies take a good time to think about your y preven- a blood meal from cattle, and their bites are tion and management plans. quite painful. Cattle often react Different species of ies to stable ies by spending energy bother cattle in different locations on behaviors like tail switching on the farm. The typical culprits and foot stomping. Stable ies in Minnesota are stable ies, may also cause cattle to bunch. houseies, face ies and horn Houseies do not bite but can be ies. Identifying the type of y found feeding on secretions from you are dealing with along with the nose and eyes. In general, understanding their life cycle is houseies are mostly a nuisance key to developing an effective y and cause minimal avoidance bemanagement plan. haviors. To determine which ies are By Claire LaCanne Face ies do not bite, but University of pestering your livestock, you can they do feed on secretions from Minnesota investigate a few factors. First, the nose, eyes and wounds. These think about what kind of housing/ ies actually scrape the eyeball grazing situation you have. Stable ies and to get uid from the surface of conjunctihouseies, sometimes collectively consid- va. This feeding can irritate cattle and can ered lth ies or premise ies, originate in spread pathogens; in fact, the major ecodebris such as spoiled or spilled feed, bed- nomic impact of face ies is the cost assoding, decaying organic matter and manure. ciated with the treatment of pink eye. You They are typically in conned areas such as may notice ear apping and head shaking if barns and feedlots. Face ies and horn ies cattle are being pestered by face ies. are associated with dung pats in pasture. Horn ies are considered the most ecoDifferent species of ies can be found nomically damaging insect pest affecting in different locations on the animal; some pastured cattle. Heavy horn y infestations species visit the face, some visit legs and so can result in substantially reduced weight on. As for the lth ies, stable ies tend to gain and signicant economic losses. visit the legs of cattle. Houseies are less After you have determined what kind of specic about where they visit, though they ies are causing issues, you can be strategic typically spend time around the face, visit- about how to manage them. To manage staing liquid secretions. For the pasture ies, ble ies and houseies, start with sanitation.
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Do your best to remove possible breeding sites, like rotting hay or grain, manure piles and other decaying matter. Premise sprays can help as well, but ear tags, back rubbers, dusters and pour-on insecticides are not particularly effective on these lth ies. Ear tags are effective for managing face ies. Dust bags and back rubbers can also be effective if they are placed low enough to contact the animal’s face. Horn ies should be managed when you see around 200 ies per head of cattle. Options for horn y management include pour-ons, sprays, dust bags, feed additives and insecticide ear tags. Feed additive products contain insecticides that pass through the animal’s digestive system and kill horn y larvae in the manure. These products are effective at reducing the number of larvae, but they do not necessarily mean you will have fewer adult ies because adult ies can easily move to and from neighboring herds. If you use ear tags, be sure to rotate the active ingredient of your tags to help minimize resistance issues. Some animals, even some other insects, are considered natural enemies of ies because they either feed on ies or their larvae (maggots) or parasitize them. Research is not conclusive as to whether predators or Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968
Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277
Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435
Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610
Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711
Erin Royster royster@umn.edu
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104
Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863
Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620
Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109
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parasitoids signicantly suppress y populations. Chickens around the farmyard may provide some amount of help with y management. Chickens could also potentially t in some pasture grazing systems, following cattle to prey on larvae in dung pats. There are predatory beetles that eat y larvae in dung pats on pasture. There are also species of parasitoid wasps that lay their eggs inside y pupae. This ends up killing y pupae and prevents adult ies from emerging. You can attempt to attract these benecial, parasitoid wasps to your farm naturally by providing biodiverse habitat. Some companies also sell these wasps, often named something like y predators or dairy y parasites. Generally, these wasps are most effective in conned areas. If you are hoping to use other insects to help manage your y populations, you will want to choose a more selective insecticide, carefully select the areas in which you use insecticides or forego insecticides to protect your benecial insect populations. You will want to determine what kind of y is pestering your animals to gure out the best way to manage that particular y. Identifying the type of ies that you are dealing with on the dairy is essential to developing an effective y management plan.
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Updates from the nutrition conference
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 31
The Minnesota Nutrition Confer- duction. ence was held Sept. 20-21 in Mankato, Dr. Isaac Haagen was the last of the Minnesota. The conference welcomed University of Minnesota presenters. an excellent dairy session program He discussed his current work on the covering a wide range of topics from development of genetic traits measurneonatal nutrition, improving protein ing the feed efciency of preweaned utilization of dairy cows and updates dairy calves. He showed promising on forage nutrition of cattle. data demonstrating that feed The session kicked off efciency of calves was modwith research updates from erately heritable, and he sugthe University of Minnesota. gested that selecting for more I presented work from my lab feed efcient calves could comparing cow performance reduce feed costs early in and behavior of cows fed life and potentially select for with conventional total mixed cows that are more efcient. ration mixers versus those Dr. Gail Carpenter, from fed with automated feeding By Isaac Salfer Iowa State University, disrobots. We observed that nucussed several nutritional University of trient composition of the feed strategies for cows during the Minnesota bunk is generally more contransition period and heifers sistent across the day when transitioning from the preautomated feeding robots are used, weaning to the post-weaning period. and cow activity is generally increased She discussed how inammation is a in herds with these feeding systems as natural phenomenon during the tranwell. sition period, but minimizing “bad Dr. Brad Heins also gave a Uni- inammation” is key to preventing versity of Minnesota research update. metabolic disease. She discussed reMuch of his presentation focused on search on treating cows with anti-inongoing and upcoming research cen- ammatory drugs after calving, which tered on genetic and nutritional ap- improves milk production during the proaches to reduce methane in dairy ensuing lactation. She also provided cows. He discussed a current project practical strategies for reducing stress where they are feeding seaweed to in cows and calves, including improvgrazing animals and measuring the ing cleanliness, reducing pen moves impact on methane emissions of cows. and providing access to enough fresh, This presentation led to a lively discus- high-quality feed. sion by the audience about the various Our fth presenter was Leticia opportunities and challenges of using Marra Campos who is a Ph.D. candifeed additives to reduce methane pro- date studying under Dr. Mark Hani-
gan at Virginia Tech. She discussed her novel and exciting research looking at ways to use the feeding systems within milking robots to provide targeted amino acids to animals based on their specic requirements. The majority of her research to this point has been through modeling the impact of including amino acids within a robot pellet. They found that this can reduce feed costs and increase income-overfeed costs. Dr. Jeff Firkins, from Ohio State University, was our sixth presenter. His talk focused on feeding iso-acids to improve microbial efciency. Isoacids are small organic acids that are generated during rumen fermentation. They are used as growth factors for ber-degrading rumen bacteria and also can be used to make other required nutrients for the cow such as branchedchain amino acids. Adding iso-acids to the diet consistently improves microbial growth efciency and ber degradation. Under the right dietary conditions, iso-acids also have a positive impact on milk protein production. Our seventh presenter was Dr. Paul Kononoff, from the University of Nebraska. He discussed the advantages of including high-quality alfalfa in lactating dairy cow diets. They showed data demonstrating that when cows were allowed to choose between three qualities (low, medium and high relative feed value) they were able to differentiate and prefer higher-quality alfalfa. Kononoff also discussed up-
dates on measurement of forage fragility within feeds. Forage fragility is the ability for feed particles to break down and become less buoyant within the rumen. Dr. Luis Ferraretto, from the University of Wisconsin, was our nal presenter. His presentation focused on corn silage, especially examining factors affecting the fatty acid composition of forages. As he discussed, high concentrations of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids can lead to reduced milk fat via diet-induced milk-fat depression. While not extremely dense in fatty acids, corn silage can have a major impact on the amount of unsaturated fatty acids in the diet because it typically makes up such a large percentage of the total diet and because the fatty acids present within corn silage are primarily polyunsaturated. Some of the factors that Ferraretto mentioned which can increase the polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration of corn silage include increased maturity, increased storage length, higher cut height and hybrid. Conventional corn silage is higher in fatty acids than brown midrib. All of these factors should be considered when formulating lactating cow diets. As evidenced by the diverse and relevant topics highlighted in the dairy program, the Minnesota Nutrition Conference was a great success. We hope to see as many of you as possible at the conference next year.
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
Still sassy at 17
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
EMERALD, Wis. — On Oct. 6, 2006, a calf was born on a small St. Croix County dairy farm. While all calves are born with the promise and hope of being destined for great things, no one who was there to feed her the rst bottle of colostrum could have known what the future would bring for that particular calf. “We bought four embryos at a Mayerlane sale, and we got two pregnancies,” Michelle McNamara said. “Aziza was the only heifer calf.” Seventeen years later, Mayerlane Throne Aziza-ET still lives in a tie stall as a member of the milking herd at Breezy Ridge Farm, and her lifetime production stands at over 382,000 pounds of milk, milking in her ninth heifer calf. Breezy Ridge Farm is owned by Mike McNamara, who operates the Emerald farm with his children Michelle, Jennifer, Mark and Julie. They milk 60 cows on the northwestern Wisconsin farm. Aziza was the rst cow on the McNamaras’ farm to reach the 300,000-pound lifetime milk benchmark. The McNamaras were excited for the future of the calf. As a Timlynn Throne-ET daughter from Sildahl Rudolph Allstar-ET EX-92 3E GMD DOM, the genetic potential of the calf was great. However, early in her life, Aziza’s story did not look promising. As a bred heifer, she aborted her rst calf, sired by the popular Braedale Goldwyn, six months into
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Michelle McNamara, with her niece and nephew Lydia and Roman McNamaraWeidling, poses for a photo with 17-year-old Aziza Oct. 1 in the pasture on their farm near Emerald, Wisconsin. the pregnancy. Not quite ready to write was gushing blood from that,” McNamara Aziza off because of her genetic potential, said. “The vet was able to stitch her up, the McNamaras brought her in to the barn and she bounced right back from that.” and started milking her. Not only did Aziza turn into high-pro“She had this tiny little udder, and ducing cow, she is pretty to look at, scorshe hardly gave any milk at all, but our ing EX-90 at 6 years of age. Eventually, at vet recommended bringing her in to milk the age of 13 years, she would be raised to so that she didn’t get old and fat,” McNa- a classication score of EX-91. mara said. “Her rst lactation was terrible; While she has not been a particularshe only made just over 14,000 pounds of ly prolic producer of daughters for the milk; but we got her bred back and were McNamaras, Aziza has been around long willing to give her a second chance.” enough to make her presence felt genetiThe second lactation went signicant- cally in their herd. There are four generaly better for Aziza, and she began to earn tions of Aziza’s family on the farm a place in the hearts of the McNamaras as “As she has gotten older, we have had she completed a 365-day record just shy more trouble getting her bred back,” Mcof 33,000 pounds of milk at the age of 2 Namara said. “I’ve had our ush vet check years, 7 months. her out, and she says everything looks She would continue making those good and healthy, so it is just her age afkinds of records, calving in at fairly reg- fecting her fertility.” ular intervals, but life was not always McNamara said that Aziza’s last calvsmooth sailing for Aziza. ing, at 14 years of age, was a difcult one. “When she was almost 6, she some“She had a huge bull calf, backward,” how nicked a vein in her udder, and she McNamara said. “It was a rough calving
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for her, and it took her a while to bounce back, but she did.” Although she is milking on an extended lactation, McNamara said Aziza continues to hold her own, production-wise. “She was doing pretty well, but the heat earlier this summer was pretty hard on her, and she dropped off after that,” McNamara said. “She’s still milking about 45 or 50 pounds on our last test.” The McNamaras are hoping to calve Aziza in one more time, for her to continue her march toward 400,000 pounds of lifetime milk production. “If she would calve in one more time, and everything went well, she could make it to 400,000,” McNamara said. “But we are fussy with when we breed her — we want her to calve when it is nice out so that she can calve out on the grass, but not when it is so hot that it will add to her stress.” Even with everything Aziza has accomplished in her lifetime and the special place she holds in the McNamaras’ hearts, Aziza has always lived her life as just one of the girls. “She doesn’t get special treatment, other than when she’s due to calve,” McNamara said. “She lives in her tie stall and goes out with all of the cows every day. She has never seen a hoof trimmer. She is just a no-fuss kind of cow. That’s not to say that once in a while she doesn’t get a special treat or a few extra scratches occasionally.” Regardless of whether or not Aziza hits the 400,000-pound lifetime mark, the McNamaras said they have been blessed to be a part of her story. “She might not be a World Dairy Expo kind of cow, but she is our queen bee,” McNamara said. “We’d love to get another calf from her, and we’d love to see her reach the 400,000-pound mark, but either way, we just love her in our barn.”
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DAIRY PROFILE
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 33
Doug Odet of Brandon, South Dakota | Minnehaha County | 480 cows
How did you get into farming? My brother, Gregg, and I are fth-generation dairy farmers. Our parents, Bob and Marilyn, moved the operation to our present location in 1955. Gregg and I grew up on the farm and joined our family’s operation after we each graduated from South Dakota State University. My nephew, Alex, is also part of our operation. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Low milk prices and increasing hauling costs are always a concern. The big dairies continue to get bigger. I’m concerned that milk processors are allowing large dairies to expand while telling smaller producers that they can’t grow. What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? We recently converted an old farrowing house, which we had been using for hay storage, into a calf barn. We did almost all of the construction work ourselves. The barn turned out really well and has been a great facility for our calves. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I really enjoy working with the cows; it’s a bug that bit me when I was a high school freshman. I would rather be working with the cattle than doing anything out in the eld. My knowledge of our herd’s genetics has been benecial for our operation. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Ten years ago, we went to three-times-a-day milkings. That has proven to be a very good decision. It has increased milk production, improved udder health, and made it easier to monitor what’s going on with the cows. What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? Number one is our good employ-
ees; we wouldn’t exist without them. Number two is a good wife who understands farming and animal agriculture. Number three would be my skid loader. It has made any number of things innitely easier. What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? We work with our nutritionist to keep our ration cheap as possible while maintaining good milk production. Beef on dairy crossbreeding has injected more cash ow into many dairy operations, including ours. The practice of crossbreeding dairy with beef is here to stay. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? We have always been willing to work with our employees regarding their needs. We recognize that they have families too and give them time off to attend their kids’ school or sports functions. We let our employees work out their schedules among themselves. We also give them a sense of ownership by asking them which projects they think we should tackle next and how we can do things better. We show them our appreciation by buying them pizza or giving them some beef. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Just seeing an animal develop from birth to being a heifer to becoming a good milk cow. I also enjoy the camaraderie of other dairy farmers when we attend an expo or a producer meeting. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Don’t get too dejected when milk prices are down. Talk to others and don’t bottle up your anxieties. We farmers are proud and don’t like to admit it when we are having struggles. Talk to someone and you will likely learn that they are dealing with similar problems.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? I see our genetics becoming more and more selective. Genetic advancements will result in many herd averages climbing to 35,000 pounds or more. We have started to breed the bottom end of our herd to SimAngus sires and have tried a few Wagyu sires. Our farm is close to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, so we are looking at developing our own brand of farm-raised Wagyu beef. The day will come when the dairy industry will be looked up to for the production of our superior beef. It’s an exciting time.
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? Gregg and I enjoy attending SDSU Jackrabbit football games in the fall. We have season tickets and really enjoy the games but recognize that we are just a phone call away from being summoned back to the farm. We like to give back to our community. Gregg serves on the Brandon Valley School Board, and I am a member of the Minnehaha Planning and Zoning Commission.
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
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Farming with family
As dairy farmers, the work is never done. There are always chores that can be done. Nonetheless, we typically try to take it easy on Sundays and dedicate time for family. Most Sundays, we either visit my family or my husband’s family or do something as a family at home. The annual exception to this tradition is harvest season. This past Sunday, we were combining corn. We only worked for a few hours, just to get enough to ll our dryer bin. We asked one hired helper to haul boxes along with my husband, Jason, while my brother-in-law, Dan, drove the combine. Dan had his 6-yearBy Tiffany Klaphake old boy with him, and Staff Writer Jason and I had our two kids with us. Dan’s son and my daughter are best friends and like playing with each other since they see each other often. I was playing with all the kids in the yard while the guys got everything set up and ready to go. It was such a beautiful day outside, after almost two full weeks of gloomy skies and off-and-on rain showers. We nally got a day lled with pure sunshine. We needed the rain, so I am not complaining, but when I don’t see the sun for over a week, I get restless. Dan’s son learned to ride a bicycle on two wheels this summer, and my daughter loves riding the tricycle she recently got for her third birthday. They were riding circles around each other while my 1-year-old played with a toy truck off to the side. Then Dan started up the combine. All eyes turned to watch the ginormous green machine slowly back out of the shed. It turned and went off to the eld directly behind our barn. The kids watched it go then resumed playing. I thought for sure one of them would ask to go with, but I gured the guys would want to try it for a couple rounds before having the kids join. Sure enough, a short time later, Dan came back into the yard to ask his son to go for a ride. A very short time later, my daughter missed Dan’s son and asked to be with him. Thankfully, combine cabs are roomy and have buddy seats, autosteer and row sensors. Now the yard was quiet, so I walked around with my son, and we headed to the other side of the barn to watch the action. We came across Jason, who was hooking up another tractor to boxes. Jason only needs to extend his arms and our son immediately does the same, indicating that yes, indeed, he would like to go with Daddy. After taking care of a couple of tasks in the house, I jumped on our side-by-side and went back out in case any kids or adults needed anything. I snapped a couple of pictures and thought to myself, “We are spending the day as a family together.” Whether we are in different tractors, we are all working together to get the job done. During one of Jason’s breaks in unloading, he and the kids jumped on the side-by-side with me, and we drove up and down the eld alongside the combine to watch it unload on the go with the other tractor and wagon. The task had been done countless times that day but was still considered cool according to the youngsters and the young at heart, like my husband. Jason has always told me some of his fondest memories growing up were riding alongside his dad in the combine. Now, some of his fondest memories are driving combine or tractor with his kids riding alongside. We hope our kids will cherish these memories as much as we do.
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Back to school with events too
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 35
This past month has been a whirlwind, but I have nally recovered from the busyness of the Minnesota State Fair. The day after the fair, my parents and I picked up the 90-pound block of butter and placed it in a chest freezer full of ice. The freezer was ratchet-strapped into the back of my dad’s pickup truck so that we could move me into college without having a deformed butter sculpture at the end of the day. However, this did prompt a few interesting comments and questions from my Wisconsinite friends, but the questions gave me an opportunity to share about this very fun opportunity that I have this year. In September, I atOn the Road with tended two events and Princess Kay also did a newspaper interview. The rst event after the state fair was the Defeat of Jesse James Days celebration in Northeld, Minnesota. This event was special to me because my family and I would work the malt stand every year with the Rice County American Dairy AssoBy Emma Kuball 70th Princess Kay of the ciation. My duty at Jesse Milky Way James Days was to share with the princesses and ambassadors my responsibilities as Princess Kay. The volunteers were kind enough to organize a horse-drawn carriage for me to ride in through the parade. But by far the highlight of the day was that I got to be with one of the Waseca County dairy princesses. The next event was Autumn Fest at Autumnwood Farm in Forest Lake, Minnesota. At this event, I was joined by one of the Isanti County dairy princesses and three Washington County junior dairy princesses. I had the opportunity to interact with lots of consumers and kids who attended the event. It was fun to see how excited everyone was to visit the farm and see the animals. I took a walk around the farm and saw the operation too. There were lots of opportunities for people to see the farm and talk with industry professionals. Another cool part of the event is that they have an onfarm creamery that was open for tours as well. I appreciated the authenticity of the family and their willingness to start the relationship of trust between the farmer and the consumers. They did an incredible job of being informational while also being conversational. This is denitely a balance that I will try to model throughout my year as Princess Kay. Now that the weather is getting a bit chillier, it is starting to feel like fall. Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons. Usually, it’s just cold enough to wear sweatshirts without it being too cold for it to be comfortable. I also found it was the best time to be milking in the barn, cold enough to be comfortable but not cold enough for my ngers to go numb. Some of my favorite memories also happened in the fall, like going apple picking in the pasture or riding in the combine with my dad and grandpa. I love watching the grain tank ll with corn.
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DairySt r Milk Break
When I was younger, it was so mesmerizing watching as the window slowly became a sheet of gold, not knowing that this was the corn that was going to feed our cows for the year to come. Harvest is one of the most stressful times in the life of a dairy farmer, but it’s also one of the most rewarding times too. It’s the time to see all of the work that dairy farmers put in all spring and summer pay off. Thank you to all of the farmers who are putting in the work to feed the world. Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Emma Kuball, serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill
Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of the author and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.
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ambassador. Emma grew up in Waterville, Minnesota working on her family’s 6th generation dairy farm assisting with cow milking, cow care, and calf feeding. She attends University of Wisconsin-River Falls, studying agriculture education, and looks forward to also becoming an FFA advisor. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting and baking. Her parents are Nate and Shannon Kuball. Princess Kay is very active doing school visits, representing dairy farmers, and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota.
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Autumn chores Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
It is now ofcially autumn, which means it’s time to quit putting off your summertime projects and start putting off your fall chores. Back in the days of yore — a historical period known for its heavy use of the word “yore” — one particularly loathsome fall task was putting up the storm windows. Kids these days are deprived of the joys of this job. It was one of autumn’s true delights, like that rst bite of a crisp apple or outrunning the school bully and avoiding one of his atomic wedgies. Hauling the storm windows up from the basement should have been classied as hazardous duty. My brothers and I were assigned this mission due to the vast tonnage of cobwebs that had been woven around the storm windows by cellar spiders. A 9-year-old boy could emerge from the basement with the hairdo of a 90-year-old.
Except for it wasn’t all hair, and some of it was crawling. After grunting the bulky, yet fragile storm windows up the basement stairs, we then had to clean the windows’ glass. Nowadays, if you told a kid to clean the windows, he would download antivirus software. Modern conveniences often rob youngsters of some of life’s greatest pleasures. After all, what’s better than the sense of accomplishment one receives from looking through a sparkling pane of glass? A pane that you had painstakingly cleaned? It makes you feel like running out and cleaning some windows, doesn’t it? Hey, I’ve got an idea. You could experience just such a thing at my place at no charge. Just remember to bring along a bottle of Windex, some paper towels and a ladder. Another icky and inevitable fact of country liv-
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ing is mice, rascally rodents who covet your lifestyle and would like to take over your home. They just want to move in for the winter, they’ll say. And, oh, can they bring a few dozen of their closest friends? And turn your sock drawer into a condo? And party in your pantry? We catch mice with glue traps. If you’re Dear County Agent Guy a klutz like me, using glue traps involves the possibility of trapping yourself. You’ll be walking along when suddenly you’ll notice that one of your socks is permanently attached to a super-sticky plastic rectangle. This makes it difcult to put on your shoe. By Jerry Nelson Another downside Columnist is catching a mouse in the middle of the night. If you’re like my wife and are supersensitive to nighttime noises, you’ll be wide awake the instant a mouse gets stuck in a glue trap. She will wake me and alert me to the situation. And she’ll be right — somewhere in the inky darkness there’s a critter who is furiously squeaking, stuck in the tar-like glue trap. For some reason, it’s my job to dispose of the bothersome bugger. This usually involves tossing it outside, which is where the uninvited guest came from in the rst place. This task can be much more hazardous than it might seem. Mice can harbor the hantavirus, a germ that’s of little consequence to rodents but can have the unfortunate effect of being fatal to humans. This ts in nicely with the mouse’s plans for taking over your house. I don’t know what my wife would do if I weren’t around to dispose of glued mice. I suppose the house would become littered with plastic rectangles that have tiny fossilized skeletons stuck to them. Such duties are the bailiwick of us guys. We are sent to basements to evict squatter salamanders and battle armies of cellar spiders. But, we’re OK with this because it gives us an excuse to go around exuding an aroma that might charitably be described as “earthy.” The women in our lives, generally speaking, have much higher cleanliness standards than us guys. This is a good thing. If it were up to guys, bathing would be something that you would do once a month whether you needed it or not. Clothes would be washed only when you happened to get caught out in the rain. If it weren’t for the women in our lives, our houses would be much darker due to their extremely grungy windows. That is, if we had any windows at all. It would depend upon whether or not the cave we lived in had an opening that could qualify as a window. I could go on, but my wife is searching for me with a “honey do” list in her hand. No sense in putting it off; I’m going to start procrastinating right away. But rst I have to Google “yore” and gure out what it actually means. 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 works full time for Dairy Star as a staff writer and ad salesman. Feel free to email him at jerry.n@dairystar. com.
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How hot is too hot? The summer of 2023 was hot and dry. However, until the third week in August, most farmers in my area reported little, if any, drop in milk production. Cows did well because dairy producers have invested a lot of money in better cow housing and cooling systems. Another reason cows did well was Veterinary Wisdom the low relative humidity on most of the hot days, which happened because of prolonged, severe drought. It is easy to cool cows when humidity is low because evaporative cooling works so well. However, Aug. 22-24 was different. It was hot and humid. The ofcial high at the La Crosse, Wisconsin, ofce By Jim Bennett of the National Weather Columnist Service was 104 degrees the afternoon of Aug. 23, and the heat index peaked at 114 degrees. What does this mean to a cow? Cows produce a lot of heat from digestion. A cow producing 100 pounds of milk produces about 1300 watts of excess energy. She can get rid of that excess heat through conduction, convection or evaporation. However, when the temperature of the cow’s environment approaches the body temperature of the cow, convection and conduction are not effective. When the relative humidity is very high, evaporative cooling is also not effective. Thus, that short August heat wave was particularly difcult for our cows. Fortunately, it only lasted for about 48 hours. But, what if it hadn’t? Even one more day of that intense heat and humidity could have been devastating for cows on a lot of farms. Summers are getting hotter, more humid and longer. Thus, it is likely that we will see longer and more severe heat
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waves in the future. Combining this trend with the trend of increasing milk production over time, we should have concerns about how we are going to cool our cows in the near future. Temperature-humidity index is the parameter most used to measure conditions to predict heat stress in dairy cows. However, THI does not include a measure of time. Most of us know from farm observations that the duration of a heat wave matters. A recent study in the Journal of Dairy Science (Vitali, et. at., 2020) used a different parameter called heat load index that includes time. HLI can be used to calculate a measure of accumulated heat, or accumulated heat load, where a positive value means a period where a cow is accumulating heat. When the AHL is positive, cows are gaining heat. When it is negative, they lose heat. One way to lower the AHI during heat waves is to rapidly cool the cow as soon as the outside temperature and humidity will allow. Think of a magical barn where the entire structure disappears as soon as the sun goes down, giant fans turn on and cow soakers wet the cows. Removing the roof allows cows to cool by conduction to the cooler outside air. The fans cool cows by convection and evaporation, assuming the temperature and humidity are low enough. Now, think of your barns. You cannot remove the roof, but you can cool the barn by removing the warm and humid air if you have sufcient exhaust capability. Correctly designed, naturally ventilated barns will exhaust without fans. You can cool the cows by convection if you have sufcient air speed at the cow level. Another recent study looked at the difference between cooling cows just in the daytime versus daytime and nighttime in a dry-lot dairy in Australia (Gaughan, 2023). Ducted air blowing onto cows was provided over the resting area for the nighttime cooling groups. There were four heat waves during the study: the rst beginning Jan. 20 and the last ending March 26. Cows with nighttime cooling
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produced 4.5 pounds more milk over the course of the study. During the most severe heat wave, milk production of both groups was similar, but over the six days following the heat wave, the nighttimecooled group produced 8 pounds more milk. The cows cooled at night lost accumulated heat more rapidly than the other cows, and thus could spend a greater proportion of each 24-hour period with normal body temperatures than cows that had to cool off only by conductive cooling to the cool night sky. The trends of warmer summers and increasing production mean we have work to do regarding how we cool our cows. In the meantime, some things we can do are as follows: Make sure cooling systems are correctly designed. This requires adequate air exchanges per hour, airow at the cow level in free stalls in the parlor and the holding area, plus appropriate soaker systems in the barns, parlor and parlor exit. Many barns still have poorly designed systems today. Make sure cooling systems are maintained. A fan pointing at an area 5 feet above the back of the cows, for example, is useless. Broken fans, slow fans and plugged soaker nozzles are all summertime emergencies. Do not turn off your cooling systems until the cows have cooled down at night. This may mean running circulating fans all night. It is a real possibility we may need to perfect other cooling systems — stall surface cooling, for example — to protect our cows in the future, but right now, most farms have opportunities to help our cows on those long, hot spells. For help, talk with your veterinarian. Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. com with comments or questions.
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Not World Dairy Expo bound Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023
Emily and I used to go to World Dairy Expo every year to wander around, chatting with friends, looking at equipment and admiring beautiful dairy cattle. The road trip to Madison, Wisconsin, was also a fun part of the trip as Wisconsin is beautiful in the fall and there’s lots of harvest action to watch. The longing looks at large row cropping machinery were more my thing than Emily’s, but I’m sure she enjoyed the fall colors. I don’t grow any grain, but I enjoy watching everyone else bring in the harvest. We haven’t been to Expo in a number of years and didn’t make it this year either. Traditions come and go as life changes. I rst attended WDE while on the Minnesota 4-H dairy conference trip. I remember having a great time hanging out with other 4-H kids from dairy farms and, for the rst time, thinking maybe I’d like to
farm. Growing up working on a farm, I’d never really thought about doing it as a career. It was just a thing I did when my parents needed help and to make some money. I went on to become a cabinet maker and auto mechanic rst, but eventually I got there. During college at the University of Minnesota, I went to Expo every year with friends and with Emily if she wasn’t busy. After we were married and started having kids, we would just take them along. Going to Expo for at least a day or two became a tradition. After I accepted a part-time job as a sales representative for Udder Comfort, I worked a booth at Expo, talking to other farmers all day, which was so much fun. Emily would bring the kids to Expo, and we would have fun visiting with friends in the evening and playing in the hotel pool. Eventually, as our kids got older and our farm
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changed, we made the trip to Expo less and less often. We haven’t been to WDE for quite a few years now. Our kids are in a number of activities that take a fair bit of time, and we have more responsibilities on the farm as my parents work toward taking more time off. Perhaps next year we’ll make From the Zweber Farm it there, but we’ve said that a number of times and haven’t made it happen yet. Our oldest son is old enough to attend the 4-H dairy conference, so maybe next year at least one member of our family will be heading there. I wonder if we’d still bump into By Tim Zweber a lot of friends there, or if like us, many of them Farmer & Columnist have other things they need to be doing that week. I do still get to see a bit of Expo through pictures on Facebook. It looks like the same fun time it always was. This weekend we head to Iowa for a rock-climbing competition that has kind of taken the place of our Expo trip the last few years. Des Moines is just far enough away that a hotel stay is necessary because getting up at 3:30 a.m. to drive to a sporting event isn’t very conducive to doing well in that event. I hope we can leave to drive down there early enough in the evening so that I can watch everyone out in the elds combining corn and beans. Until next time, keep living the dream, and stay safe if you’re one of those combine-driving folks out providing the world with grains to eat and me with something interesting to look at on our road trips. Tim Zweber farms with his wife, Emily, their three children and his parents, Jon and Lisa, near Elko, Minnesota.
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Finding faith in the rhythms of farming Farmers’ lives revolve around nature’s rhythms. Planting, growing, harvesting and resting. In this rhythm, we are currently transitioning from a very busy summer season of growing and harvesting to a season of rest. Besides the dairy, our farm also hosts a large garden where we grow vegetables and fresh-cut owers for our small farm market, NexGen Market. This year marks our fourth year on an adventure to share our passion for farming and growing local food with those in our community. In this adventure of farming, there is one common thread that is increasingly
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By Megan Schrupp & Ellen Stenger Columnists important: pausing and appreciating the rhythms of life that farming affords. Farming takes hard work. The upbefore-dawn, back-breaking, sweating, ngers-freezing, still-workingafter-sunset type of work. It has a level of risk and unpredictability, and we mitigate that with our knowledge and what has occurred before. As farmers, we tie ourselves to nature’s rhythms, but it seems that each year it becomes harder and harder. Each summer, it’s hotter, wetter, drier, colder and busier. There is more and more to be done, and it is all less predictable than before. However, through it all, the cycle of the seasons keeps moving forward. This rhythm is a beautiful thing to remember and appreciate. We farmers are especially blessed to witness these rhythms rsthand. The feeling that we are connected to everything and that, through it all, whether we’re faced with immense challenges or small successes, the rhythm continues as it does. Each year, our farm market expands in both the size of our garden on the farm and the support from our customers. This past week marked the end of our season, with our stand closing after another successful year.
As such, we reect on a year of hard work, planting, weeding, harvesting, washing and packing, sharing our bounty each week in the market — a year that seemed to be busier than ever, each year busier than the previous. And so, in a year mocked with busyness, stress, unpredictability and low markets, we ask ourselves, will this year be our last? What did we accomplish? Were we successful? Was the hard work worth it? Earlier this year, in the last breaths of winter, we found excitement in the smell and feel of our hands, once again, in fresh black soil in the greenhouse, cultivating seeds, planning and dreaming of the warm days ahead while the snow swirled outside. In the late spring days, we appreciated the warm sun on our backs while we tended to the newly emerged seedlings, joy springing forth from the earth. In the summer, we gathered as a family around the table, thanking God for the bounty of the garden and pausing as a family with our hands gathered, reecting in gratitude. We watched as kids enthusiastically found and claimed a pumpkin on the vine, their faces in awe at a watermelon growing, hidden under large leaves, and their amazement at the sweetness of a ripe cherry tomato picked fresh from the vine. We read messages left in our cash box from customers about the deliciousness of freshly grown green beans, another inquiring to know more about the variety of one of our tomatoes, and the amazement and joy another received from a bouquet of fresh owers they purchased the week before. We paused in the evening after a hot and stressful summer day to cook with the bounty harvested from the garden in a kitchen adorned with vibrant colors of fresh owers, their fragrance lling our noses. We laughed together this fall as we worked alongside each other, picking and canning tomatoes with no end in sight. These are the moments that answer our questions and remind us of our heritage, our dedication, our work ethic, our faith and our connection to the earth. They remind us why we are farmers and why, through it all, we continue to work and live, moving along with Mother Nature through all seasons. Megan Schrupp and Ellen Stenger are sisters and co-owners of both NexGen Dairy and NexGen Market in Eden Valley, Minnesota. They can be reached at nexgendairy@gmail. com.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Page 39
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