October 26, 2024 Dairy Star - 1st section - Zone 2
Reaching the world through innovation
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
Editor’s Note: This article is part two of a two-part series covering the Global Dairy Summit that took place at this year’s World Dairy Expo.
MADISON, Wis. — A historic investment in milk processing is taking place in the U.S. to the tune of over $7 billion. This investment was the focus of discussion during the Global Dairy Summit Oct. 4 at World Dairy Expo in Madison.
At the summit hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, four industry leaders spoke about the global dairy industry following Wisconsin’s Secretary of Agriculture Randy Romanski’s welcome address.
Speakers included Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council; Heather Anfang, president of Dairy Foods and executive vice president of Land O’ Lakes Inc.; Mike McCully, president and owner of McCully Consulting; and Dave Lenzmeier, CEO of Milk Specialties Global.
Harden kicked off by talking about U.S. exports, which she said are on an incline, though there are dips. Exports are the future of U.S. dairy, Harden said, with 17% of U.S. milk production currently exported. Nearly one-fourth of U.S. cheese is exported.
“Demand is rising in many destinations,” she said.
Harden noted there is a tight milk supply currently, partly because of demands on the system as well as the heifer shortage.
“All dairy, all the time”™
Help from Wisconsin
Wohlk heads up Hurricane Helene relief
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
RICE LAKE, Wis.
In Kurt Wohlk’s mind, when fellow farmers are in need that call must be answered. Wohlk headed up an effort to collect hay and other supplies for those devastated by Hurricane Helene.
“It just feels very American,” Wohlk said. “It doesn’t matter what race, creed, color (or where) you come from. In a time like this, everyone is just an American, and everyone helps.”
Wohlk, who trucks part time and farms part time with his brother, Clayton, on their 65-cow, 500-acre dairy farm near Almena,
Kaitlin Esanbock (middle) and Kurt Wohlk talk to a television reporter
Helene dona on collec on Oct. 12 near Rice Lake, Wisconsin. The
trailers lled with hay, livestock feed, fencing equipment and
joined forces with fellow Barron County agriculturist
Kaitlin Esanbock to set up a collection day Oct. 12 at the Barron County Fairgrounds
for area residents to answer the call for help. The duo said they were shocked by the response.
“We had hoped to put together at least one atbed semi-trailer of hay and maybe some fencing supplies,” Wohlk said.
What they ended up with was ve semi-trailers
lled with hay, livestock feed, fencing equipment, food, bottled water, cleaning supplies and personal items the people of the southeastern U. S. needed in the wake of the historic hurricane.
This relief effort is not the rst time Wohlk has rallied his neighbors to help distressed fellow farmers. In 2017 he worked with a group of local farm enthusiasts, including Esanbock, to send three semi-loads of hay, fencing equipment and other supplies to Ashland,
Kansas, following wildres that ravaged the area that spring.
As car after car pulled in through the donation site, and trailer load after trailer load of hay was unloaded, from as far south as Mondovi and as far north as Superior, Wohlk said he was overwhelmed, but not completely surprised at the generosity of the people of northwestern Wisconsin. Dozens of volunteers were on hand at the fairgrounds helping to collect donations and reloading them onto the semi-trailers.
“We needed to nd another truck to haul for us,” Wohlk said. “The response has been amazing. In total, we had around 1,400 bales of hay, including almost 1,300 small squares.”
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DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
during the Hurricane
farmers send ve semi-
more.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Eric Nyhus (top) and Phil Limmex (bo om) secure straps on a load of hay Oct. 12 near Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Nyhus offered to help load during the collec on and Limmex was a volunteer driver.
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In addition to his own truck, operated as Hay River Hauling LLC out of Barron, Wohlk was joined by Phil Limmex, driving a truck donated by Limmex Trucking in Clyman; Bruce Heldt of Cameron, retired from Heldt Trucking drove a truck donated by Indianhead Renewable Forest Products in Barron; and Allison Wohlk of Almena driving a truck donated by Groeschl Ag Service in Hayward. Joining the convoy as the fth truck was Axel Survila, owner of AKS Trucking in Rice Lake.
The group of four trucks departed Barron early Oct. 14, meeting with Limmex in South Beloit, Illinois. They traveled nearly 700 miles before stopping for the day. They embarked early the next morning from the Dayton, Ohio, area, with just under 400 miles remaining to their nal destination of Chilhowie, Virginia.
“We didn’t have any detour issues, but you could see on Google Maps that not too much further there were detours for roads washed out,” Wohlk said. “Traveling you could see trees and all kinds of debris hung up along bridges.”
Wohlk said he learned that a 15-minute drive would bring them to the junction of the border of western Virginia, North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, where damage was immense.
“They told us just a few minutes down river, the town of Damascus, Virginia, was just about wiped away,” Wohlk said.
The group arrived at their destination, the yard of an excavating business, where they saw dump trucks that had been submerged in water up to their cabs.
Volunteers load small square bales of hay into a semi-trailer Oct. 12 near Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Over 1,300 small square bales were donated by northwestern Wisconsin farmers.
Spiegelberg
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HURRICANE RELIEF | Page 5
DANIELLE NAUMAN/ DAIRY STAR
While great effort is put into preparing milk the right way to feed calves, it is important that the sanitation of milk bottles is maintained to a high standard as well.
Westwaard introduces an optional lidded bottle washer unit that also incorporates a nipple washing basin in varying sizes from 30 to 90 bottle capacity.
They were greeted with meager help for the unloading process — a task that took nearly 11 hours to complete.
“It made for an incredibly long day, and we were all exhausted,” Wohlk said. “We were putting small squares up into a loft. They had a skid loader grapple attachment that could grab 10 bales at a time. We had two guys on the trucks throwing hay off; two on the ground arranging them in a pattern for the guy in the skid loader to pick up and two or three people stacking them up in the loft. It takes a long time to move 1,300 small squares, 10 bales at a time.”
Wohlk said that the local distribution of much of their donation took place over the following weekend. They planned to hand out supplies that were needed locally before sending the remaining supplies to Asheville, North Carolina.
“The locals told us that Asheville, was the epicenter of the damage and much of the relief was being directed there,” Wohlk said. “They told us, tearfully, that out in western Virginia they felt almost forgotten. They were crying tears of joy at the
Eric Nyhus (top) prepares to e a sign onto a load of hay while Andy Feidt (le ) and Phil Limmex assist on the ground, Oct. 12 near Rice Lake, Wisconsin. The convoy said they received much posi ve feedback while traveling to western Virginia with their loads.
sight of our trucks full of hay and supplies pulling in.”
Wohlk said the area where their donations were
dropped appeared to be mostly horse country. While he had hoped to impact more dairy farmers, he said people
in need are people in need.
He noted that the monetary donations that poured in for the relief effort outpaced the
fuel and travel costs for the ve truckers who made the journey. He has been made aware of several other loads of hay from farmers willing to donate to the hurricane victims and he has made connections with dairymen in other affected locales since embarking on the trip.
“I am going to see if I can nd a way to get more hay down there,” Wohlk said. “I just saw a Facebook post by a dairy farmer begging for alfalfa. He said they have lots of grass, but nothing with the nutritional value needed to support dairy cattle.”
The satisfaction he receives from helping his fellow Americans — complete strangers living over 1,000 miles away — is great, Wohlk said.
“The gentleman I was in contact with told me it felt like Sept. 12 all over again,” Wohlk said.
It was much like the united community spirit and patriotism that occurred after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“He was right,” Wohlk said. “I was pretty young at that time, but the feeling of being united as Americans is pretty amazing.”
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Geiger (from le ), Krysta Harden, Heather Anfang, Mike McCully and Dave Lenzmeier par cipate in a panel discussion Oct. 4 as part of the Global Dairy Summit at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Panelists spoke about the state of the global dairy industry and the historic investments being made in milk processing.
U.S. exports will likely remain mixed this year, Harden said, partly due to tight supply around the world, particularly in the European Union — one of the U.S.’s biggest competitors. However, Harden said restrictions in New Zealand and the EU prevent growth and expansion comparable to what the U.S. can do.
“The U.S. is the No. 3 exporter right now,” Harden said. “I want to be No. 1. I think we can be and will be.”
duction is growing. Domestic demand trends look positive. There are solid growth prospects for butter, cheese and whole milk, McCully said, with exports of cheese and whey products looking to have the highest growth potential.
“Companies are very bullish about the future of dairy,” McCully said.
He said most investment is from private companies, and in some cases, groups of large farms. Dairy cooperatives are making investments as well, such as Darigold, California Dairies Inc., Upstate Niagara Cooperative Inc. and Bongards.
McCully focused on investments in milk processing. Plants are going up across the country in Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin and New York. Much of the investment is in cheese as well as whey and extended shelf-life beverages.
“There’s a wave of investment like I’ve never seen,” he said. “It’s a great thing, but it does present some challenges. New plants are going into areas that had cheap surplus milk, and that’s going to be gone now.”
Plants are chasing milk, which is the opposite of what was seen in the past McCully said. He said a tighter milk supply, higher premiums and higher milk prices are probable.
“We’re going to see milk shifting around from plant to plant,” he said. “We already see that today, but we’re going to see more. … There will be plants that don’t have milk or not as much as they think they might get.”
The addition of new plants will trigger the closing of other plants. McCully said four cheese plants have closed this year and there will be more. Consolidation is likely to increase for farms and plants.
Over the last decade, U.S. milk production grew by 10%. The key growth areas occurred in Idaho, the panhandle of Texas, western Kansas, South Dakota, western Minnesota, eastern Wisconsin, Michigan, northwest Indiana and western New York.
The milk production growth forecast is limited over the next several years, affected by high beef prices, McCully said. However, milk solids pro-
McCully said the addition of new plants will create 50-60 million pounds of milk per day of new demand.
“Before the shovel went into the ground on these new facilities or expansions, they already had milk locked up,” McCully said. “The more relevant question is, who is not going to get the milk?”
McCully believes it will largely be milk powder plants that will lose out, particularly in the Northeast and Southwest. He said there will also be shifting of cream and fat with potential loss of butter production in a few areas.
Anfang spoke about the consumer side and opportunities that exist in innovation and telling dairy’s story.
“We have a terric story to tell in dairy and have to continue to tell that story,” Anfang said. “Consumers are open to it, and they want to hear it. We work hard at Land O’ Lakes to try to connect our products to our farmers.”
Anfang said the demand for butter remains strong as consumers continue to eat more butter. Butter balls are a recent innovation at Land O’Lakes. Each ball is a one-half tablespoon of butter.
“The balls are fun and interesting,” Anfang said. “Finding simple ways to meet what the consumer is looking for and bring dairy further into their repertoire are really easy, simple opportunities for us.”
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STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Corey
The natural cheese category continues to grow, with lots of innovation, forms and formats helping support that growth, Anfang said.
Lenzmeier shared the ways in which Milk Specialties Global is lling demand in the U.S. and abroad with its innovative use of dairy ingredients. Milk Specialties Global manufactures whey and milk proteins, caseins and caseinates, specialty proteins like lactoferrin, calf milk replacer, rumen bypass fats, rumen protected methionine and amino acid supplements. Their legacy business is animal nutrition, and in 2008, the company launched a human nutrition line.
They have experienced a lot of growth in human nutrition, which now covers 13 plants and about 1,400 employees. Milk Specialties Global is a top supplier to the sports nutrition market. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company’s original manufacturing plants for its calf milk replacer business are located in Wisconsin.
“We invest where the supply chain or milk production is,” Lenzmeier said. “For example, we recently opened a manufacturing plant in Idaho, and we also have a plant in Tulare County, California.”
Milk Specialties Global touches about 11% of the U.S. milk supply through whey and milk purchases and processes more than 1,100 truckloads of whey and milk per week.
“Everything we do is here in North America,” Lenzmeier said. “We have a global salesforce and export product to 42 countries. We’ve opened a lot of markets with the evolution of our human nutrition side that I don’t think anyone else would be reaching. About 30% of our total protein pounds leave the continent.”
Two years ago, Milk Specialties Global began production of casein and caseinates — a product often imported into North America — in their Nebraska facility, making calcium and sodium caseinate. Last year, they opened a plant in Jerome, Idaho, making acid and rennin casein.
“I take a look at protecting our home market and keeping our dairy solids here while keeping external dairy solids out,” Lenzmeier said.
Milk Specialties Global is focused on high-protein fortied products. Beyond protein, Lenzmeier said there is a great story in areas such as bioactives.
“We’re going to see more growth and value creation come along in that area,” he said.
Milk Specialties Global ventured into lactoferrin production several years ago, which has immune-supporting antimicrobial properties. They are also focusing on Alpha-Lactalbumin for natural sleep support and milk fat globule membrane supplementation to promote brain health in aging populations.
Lenzmeier said he is excited about the snack category and expects to see signicant growth in that category.
“I’m excited about overall general protein demand,” he said. “We’re going to need a lot more skim milk in our case specically, which is probably one of the categories we don’t talk about a lot. We need better homes for skim milk solids. We believe those opportunities exist in high-protein areas.”
Whether considering domestic dairy demand or global dairy demand, the future looks bright, McCully said.
“For companies that can’t or won’t invest, there are going to be challenges,” he said. “Overall, it’s a good story — one of growth, which is good for the industry.”
“Since installing the Westwaard 150-bottle washer and stand alone pasteurizer, we have found a huge benefit in labor savings and consistency. Prior we were only able to pasteurize enough milk for the younger calves and had to hand wash each bottle. The service from Fuller’s has been excellent.”
Ensuring their farms’ future
Dairy farmers Steve Ohlde (from le ), Hannah Lansing, Myron Czech and Ben Smith along with moderator Bruce Vande Steeg,
World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Each panelist spoke about their experience with farm
Four farmers
share transition experiences
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. — Transferring a farm from one generation to the next is a process that takes time, planning and commitment from both sides.
This was the topic of a panel Oct. 3 at World Dairy Expo in Madison entitled, “Securing the Future: Lessons in Dairy Farm Transitions.” Four dairy farmers shared experiences.
Moderated by Bruce Vande Steeg of Bridgeforth LLP, panelists included Ben Smith of Cool Lawn Farm in Virginia; Myron Czech of New Heights Dairy LLC in Minnesota; Hannah Lansing of J & K Dairy LLC in Washington; and Steve Ohlde of Ohlde Family Farms in Kansas.
Smith’s family milks 780 cows and farms 3,000 acres. The Ohlde family milks more than 4,000 cows on six sites in two states and farms 5,000 acres. The Czechs milk 550 cows and farm 1,200 acres.
Czech’s rst transition occurred 18 years ago when he brought his son into the operation. The two remain
partners and purchased another farm over the past 18 months.
Ohlde and his wife transitioned the farm to two of their sons in 2007 and to another son a few years later.
Both Czech and Ohlde once were transferees. Ohlde was in his early 20s when he went into partnership with his dad.
“My dad was really good about turning a lot of things over to me,” Ohlde said. “As I started bringing my boys in, I saw that as a benet. It made it easier to step away from some of those roles.”
Czech said he learned a good way to keep an employee is to let
them choose their specialty.
“That prepped me for when my son was ready to enter,” he said. “We let him navigate his way into what he liked to do.”
Czech stepped away from day-today management, and his workload changed a lot.
“I gave up the thing early on that I loved the most, which was the genetics,” Czech said. “I realized then I could probably give up other things too and still be happy.”
Czech does agronomy and accounting work for the farm.
When Smith took over, he and his father continued to make breeding decisions together.
“My dad was really into genetics and so am I,” Smith said. “He had a hard time stepping away from that. Instead of asking him to do that, he’s still making breeding decisions, and we’re picking bulls together.”
Lansing’s transition experience was not as positive. The transition plan for her family’s 1,200-cow farm in Iowa is now in a holding stage. She and her husband have relocated to Sunnyside, Washington, and reside on a 4,000-cow dairy where her husband is the main herdsman.
“When the transition process started, it started well,” Lansing said. “It wasn’t a negative thing the whole time.”
The farm is split 50/50 between Lansing’s dad and uncle. Lansing tried to have monthly meetings to discuss business opportunities and the state of the business but to no avail.
“That was a red ag for us,” she said. “Very difcult conversations were had. We constantly asked the state of nances but were never given those.”
The moderator asked Smith and Lansing about awkward conversations they had with family.
“The elephant in the room is that I have four sisters and one brother-inlaw actively involved in the farm,” Smith said. “Handling expectations from everybody was the awkward part.”
His younger sister is in charge of the farm’s creamery and ice cream shop, while his brother-in-law is involved on the agronomy side.
“To have to sit and talk about money is difcult or whether there are additional people involved in the farm who shouldn’t be,” Lansing said. “Those are some of the hardest conversations to have.”
The panelists shared how they worked out the next generation buying into the operation.
Ohldes’ boys grew up owning cows for FFA projects, and by the time they transitioned, each had equity in cows. One son also started renting ground and owned several pieces of equipment. Ohlde and his wife sold a 20% interest in the business to each son.
“We gured out what their equity was worth minus what the cost for them to buy in … and then they made payments,” Ohlde said. “Sweat equity is important, but in our situation, it was a little different because they had always been on the payroll. They also came in at the early ages of 22 and 24.”
Czech’s son takes a modest salary from the business.
“When I started farming, the barometer that I measured my business by was my net worth gain,” he said. “Being that my son is 50% owner of the business, his net gain is quite large.”
Czech and his son did not go into business together on the home farm. Instead, Czech provided the equity to borrow money to buy another dairy at 100% nancing.
“We started on that farm on an equal basis, and all the gain we make is split 50%,” he said. “That farm is
paying its own debt off.”
While working as an employee, Smith said he was fairly compensated.
“I always made it known that I aspired to own the dairy operation and keep it going, however, I never expected it, nor did I put my future in my dad’s hands,” Smith said.
Around 2015, Smith bought 167 acres of land, and in 2019, another 88.
“I wanted to farm, but I didn’t expect them to give it to me,” he said. “I was trying to get something going on my own with the idea that if it doesn’t work out, I have something to fall back on, and if it does work out, I’ve expanded my land base.”
Smith said he had to bring value to the farm, which he did by improving somatic cell count.
“That more than paid for my salary and added to the bottom line,” he said. “If someone is going to come back, they have to pay their salary and then some while also adding value.”
Tax credits played a part in Smith’s parents structuring a buy-in.
“My dad had a million dollars’ worth of tax credits that were going to expire in 2022,” Smith said. “We needed to get this transition done or he was going to owe a lot in taxes.”
Smith and his parents discussed forming a partnership and going to a corporation with shares, having Smith buy livestock and equipment and rent facilities and land.
“That was just kicking the can down the road,” Smith said. “For a few more thousand dollars, I could pay the mortgage. Yeah, that will make things tight, but in 20 years, I’ll be glad I did it.”
Lansing and her husband purchased 30 head of cattle as an investment in her family’s dairy. However, they never reached a point of purchasing or renting land from the farm or buying shares of the business.
“It was a very tough spot,” she said. “Every day, my dream was sitting within arm’s reach, but I never felt so far away from it. One of the hardest things I had to do was walk away.”
Ohlde started the transition process by working with his lender, an attorney and accountant. Smith’s go-to person was from Compeer Financial. Smith said he represented the farm, keeping the expectations of both Smith and his parents in check while determining what the farm could afford.
“He was that third party that took the emotion out of it and was a big help,” Smith said.
Czech said he had a great nancial advisor and banker.
“Those are two key things in any business, especially farming,” he said. Lansing worked with an attorney, and when buying cattle, she and her husband put it under the same lender as the farm to create a relationship with them. They also brought in several transition planners, but Lansing said there was never one that both her dad and uncle liked. Lansing hopes a transition will be possible in the future.
“You want to hear that your child wants to push their way into the business,” Czech said. “That’s encouraging. The farm is an active, living thing. There needs to be a generation entering the farm and a generation exiting the farm.”
Margins best in decade?
According to CoBank’s The Quarterly, 2024 will likely end up being one of the top three years in history for milk prices. Grain prices are also at a veyear low. Economist Corey Geiger said a window has opened for dairy farmers to consider locking in positive margins based on the futures market. U.S. milk production is on track to be down for two consecutive years. If that trend continues, it would be the rst time in 50 years that milk production has declined for back-to-back years. Beef-ondairy calf prices remain strong, cutting into the supply of replacement heifers.
Expansion curtailed by outside inuences
With avian inuenza expanding in California, milk production may eventually be impacted. Shawn Hackett of Hackett Financial Advisors said dairy buyers are front-end loading their purchases because they are concerned about the future milk supply. “However, USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), as of the last production report, said that production grew slightly so there’s a disconnect between the fear in the market from avian u and what USDA is reporting.” Hackett said it will also be difcult to grow the dairy industry due to the lack of dairy heifers. “What I see is probably one of the tightest, greatest shortages of dairy heifers we’ve ever seen, meaning that even if the dairyman decides he wants to go out and expand it doesn’t mean he can.”
International Dairy Foods Association advances trade position
The International Dairy Foods Association submitted comments on the National Trade Estimate Report, which highlights U.S. concerns about foreign barriers to trade. IDFA concerns include new barriers related to provisional tariffs on U.S. milk powder exports to Colombia and the ongoing trade dispute with Canadian milk class policies. “The U.S. dairy sector needs a proactive trade agenda to expand access to global markets and remain competitive,” said Becky Rasdall, senior vice president of trade and workforce policy, IDFA.
By Don Wick Columnist Ag Insider
National Cooperative Bank co-op 100 released
Lame-duck session may deliver for agriculture
Once the votes are counted and the election is over, lawmakers will return to Washington, D.C., for a lame-duck session. The plate will be full for Congress, but Pro Farmer consultant Jim Wiesemeyer expects help to be on the way for farmers and ranchers. “We’re going to get a hurricane disaster bill and maybe even a farm nancial transition payment,” Wiesemeyer told Red River Farm Network. “You’ll see nancial assistance for the ag sector because it is hurting right now.” According to Wiesemeyer, the odds are rising for passage of a new farm bill this year. “Either Trump or Harris wants to have as much done in the lameduck as it possibly can to hit the ground running in their new administration.”
Farm bill, nancial assistance on wish list
During a tour of Arkansas farms, Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman said two things need to happen in the lameduck session after the election. No. 1, Boozman said a new farm bill needs to be passed. Secondly, Boozman said farmers need an immediate nancial assistance package.
Farm bill optimism fades
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley does not expect a new farm bill to pass during the lame-duck session. During an event in Des Moines, Grassley said Congress will only be in session for two weeks in November and three weeks in December and he doesn’t think there is enough time to complete the farm bill.
CHS Inc. again leads the list of the 100 top cooperatives in the country. CHS had 2023 revenues of $45.6 billion. The National Cooperative Bank releases the Co-op 100 each year. Numerous dairy cooperatives are on the list, including Dairy Farmers of America at No. 2 with 2023 revenue of $21.7 billion. Land O’Lakes is ranked third. Illinois-based Prairie Farms Dairy is ranked 14th and California Dairies Inc. is 15th. The list also includes New Mexico-based Select Milk Producers Inc. at 18, Washington-based Darigold at 26, Foremost Farms at 37, Associated Milk Producers Incorporated at 43, Michigan Milk Producers Association at 58, Tillamook Creamery at 62, Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Association at 64, Organic Valley at 65, Agri-Mark Inc./Cabot Creamery at 70, National Farmers at 83, First District Association at 86 and Bongard’s Creameries at 96.
Cheesemakers and Occupational Safety and Health Administration work together
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have signed an agreement to share information on safety laws, standards and OSHA initiatives and develop dairy-specic resources.
Dairy farmer appointed to natural resource board
Governor Tony Evers on Friday appointed Waupaca County dairy farmer Rachel Bouressa to the board of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources — the policy-making body for the state department of natural resources. Bouressa is a dairy farmer who is a member of the board for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, a member of the Wisconsin Farmers Union and a project coordinator for GrassWorks.
Harden, Freeman inducted into 4-H Hall of Fame
Fifteen individuals were inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame this week. The honorees include Krysta Harden. Harden was the U.S. Department of Agriculture deputy secretary from 2013 to 2016 and now serves as the president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Freeman served as the Minnesota State 4-H director, retiring in 2018.
LaCount takes new Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation role
Dairy needs a strong safety net
While the year has been generally good for dairy producers, Associated Milk Producers Incorporated Chairman Dave Peterson stresses the importance of a farm bill, especially for the Dairy Margin Coverage plan. “We don’t want to forget that because of the year we’ve had. We might as well face it, two years ago, it kept a lot of farms in business.”
H-2A in the courts
Ag groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Potato Council, have led a lawsuit against the labor department and its new H-2A rule. The rule, which was imposed in April, prevents employers from retaliating against H-2A visa holders who try to form or join a union. A court ruled this provision was unconstitutional in August, but did not issue a national injunction.
Rachel LaCount is the new director of foundation and sustainability for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. She has been the WFBF director of sustainability communications and partnerships for the past three years.
Trivia challenge
Dairy Farmers of America is the largest dairy cooperative in the United States. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what blue cheese is named after a village in Italy where it was rst produced? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star.
Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
Advocating for the Upper Peninsula
Ed
reads a proposed bill with his son, Eddie, in 2019 at the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan. McBroom has been a state senator since 2018 represen ng the Upper Peninsula and also milks 120 cows and farms 500 acres with his family near Vulcan.
McBroom is senator, dairy farmer
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
VULCAN, Mich. — For the past six years, Ed McBroom has devoted time to helping dairy farmers and the population of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As a state senator, McBroom attends to issues large and small
in his jurisdiction while also running a dairy operation with help from his family.
“What I nd most rewarding about serving as senator is helping people across the district who are running into some foolish bureaucratic problem,” McBroom said.
When a farmer renting land from the state for decades was told the state needed it back to put solar panels on it, McBroom worked with the farmer and
“It gives me the information I need when I’m looking for it.”
How long have you been testing with DHIA? I have been testing with DHIA for 44 years.
What tests do you use and what do you like about those tests? We use the somatic cell count and pregnancy check test. I like the SCC test to gauge the cows history on SCC. We’ve been using the SCC test since the 1980’s. I like the pregnancy check test to get early results. It’s also less stress on the cows because you don’t have to catch and palpate the cows.
Which is your favorite and why? The SCC. We rank the cows according to SCC then we take care of the issues.
How does testing with DHIA bene t your dairy operation? It gives me the information I need when I’m looking for it.
Tell us about your farm. Our dairy cows are on a rented farm. We farm no land and purchase all of our feed. We are unconventional the way we feed our cows. We use balage, and beet pulp along with ground corn and a custom protein mix. We feed with a TMR in a free stall barn.
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Sen.
McBroom
October 26, 2024
Con nued from MCBROOM | Page 11 state to get that changed. McBroom also helped a logger who was inappropriately being charged hundreds of thousands of dollars of sales tax.
“Accomplishing those things for people is very meaningful and a big part of what motivated me to run and why I continue to serve,” McBroom said.
A strong support system back home makes McBroom’s work as senator possible. McBroom’s wife, Sarah, and their ve children — Helen, Eddie, Esther, Kenny Jack and Edith — help on the farm along with his niece and nephew, Melody and Carl, and his parents, Ken and Chris.
The McBroom family milks 120 registered Holsteins with two robotic milkers and farms 500 acres at Melodydell Dairy near Vulcan. The farm has a rolling herd average of 25,500 pounds of milk with cows averaging 90 pounds of milk per day.
“We worked hard to obtain that through breeding, better management and better feed,” McBroom said.
McBroom is the fourth generation to operate the farm his great-grandfather purchased in 1917. McBroom’s father married into the family in 1970 and took over the farm in 1974. McBroom’s older siblings moved on from the farm, but he and his younger brother, Carl, stayed on and continued to grow the dairy.
In 1998, the family switched from milking in a stanchion barn to milking in a parlor. In 2015, their farm became the second farm in the U.P. to put in a robotic milking system. With the new system, they reduced their herd from 140 cows to 120.
McBroom comes from a musically inclined family and majored in piano while studying music education at Northern Michigan University. After
family, including his parents, Ken and Chris, takes care of the farm while he is on the road doing work for the Michigan Senate.
graduating in 2005, he looked for a full-time music position with plans to also farm. However, his involvement in the Michigan Farm Bureau took him down a different path.
“That got me connected with
the more I discovered how much everyday impact the state of Michigan was having on my farm, my life and my teaching.”
In 2009, he was asked to consider running for the Michigan House of Representatives.
“We prayed about it for several months, and my wife felt that God was giving us the green light to try,” McBroom said. “My dad and brother were very supportive of that decision.”
He beat the incumbent and served six years in the House.
“My brother made my participation in legislature feasible,” McBroom said. “He and his wife, Susan, had seven children during those years, and we all lived and worked together on the farm.”
In 2016, McBroom termed out of the House and decided to run for Senate in 2018. In the middle of that campaign, his brother, Carl, was killed in a car accident.
“It was overwhelming,” McBroom said. “I thought I would be quitting the race and stay home. But with a lot of family support and what seemed to be clear direction from Christ, I stuck with the race and surprised everyone when I won.”
Making life better for people in the U.P. is his mission, McBroom said.
“I’m a guy who likes to focus on small, nuance-focused issues to make the government work a little better here,” he said.
politics and policy making in Lansing in a way I was unfamiliar with,” McBroom said. “Like a lot of people, I tended to focus on Washington and what Washington is doing. But the more I got involved at the state level,
McBroom represents all 15 counties of the U.P. He presently serves on the oversight, transportation and elections committees. In the past, he served on the natural resources and regulatory reform committees.
Turn to MCBROOM | Page 13
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The McBroom family — Edith (front); (middle, from le ) Esther, Sarah, Ed, Melody and Helen; (back, from le ) Kenny Jack, Carl and Eddie — gather in 2023 at Pamperin Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Ed’s
“I nd the oversight committee to be where my passions lie,” McBroom said. “It gives me the ability to bring in departments and bureaucrats and hold them to account for decisions, policies, rulings and misspending of funds.”
Generating legislative bills and doing appropriations are also part of his task list, while back in the district, he provides services to his constituents. He often drives a few thousand miles a week to meetings across the U.P. or downstate. A one-way trip to the state capitol in Lansing is over 400 miles for McBroom.
“I’m fortunate to be able to do work on the phone as well,” he said. “My constituents call me regularly, whether I’m on the road, at a meeting or on the tractor. I’ve talked to the governor and attorney general while chasing cows that got out.”
McBroom said Lansing is considered a year-round legislature, and he is in the capitol building 35-40 weeks of the year.
McBroom has worked to help pass agricultural legislation, such as putting in the statute for the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program. This is a voluntary program that certies farmers to do environmental stewardship work on their farm.
“This is probably the single biggest piece of agricultural legislation that has passed
in my tenure,” McBroom said.
“I’ve also fought against numerous bills that people tried to bring forward that would harm agriculture.”
McBroom got a bill passed regarding crop damage from bears and said he has also done work when it comes to farmland preservation, especially in forestry.
“I was able to reorganize the tax credit system for land kept in productive forestry and agriculture,” McBroom said.
Changing Michigan’s high school graduation requirements is what McBroom
considers to be his greatest accomplishment thus far in politics. He said Michigan had set up requirements that forced kids away from technical education.
“Through tremendous bipartisan partnership with legislators, ag groups, manufacturers and others, we were able to make serious changes to that,” McBroom said. “That was important for ag and rural communities all over the state and for people in general. We need students graduating with a diversity of skills and available career paths.”
McBroom has also worked on farm vehicle license plates, access to roads and motor carrier inspections. McBroom has two years left to serve in the Michigan Senate and said he is thankful for the help he has in balancing careers of dairy farmer and senator.
“There are many days where all I can do is thank God that He helps me ll in the gaps and hold things together,” McBroom said. “I just do everything I can and don’t sweat the stuff I can’t do. The kids have become an amazing part of the operation.”
The youth on the farm have taken on tasks of all types — from breeding and feeding cows to fetching cows for the robots and running tractors.
“They are a huge part of the success and why we can keep on going,” McBroom said. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without my dad who has continued to be an active part of the farm even though he is at a point where I think he’d like to retire. All the kids talk about staying on in some capacity in the future. That’s exciting and encouraging. We persevere.”
THE TANK BUILDER
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Silos rise in 2021 above Melodydell Dairy near Vulcan, Michigan. The farm was purchased by Ed McBroom’s great-grandfather in 1917, and in 2015, the farm became the second in the Upper Peninsula to put in a robo c milking system.
from our side our side OF THE FENCE
Ann Schulz Mayville, Wisconsin Dodge
County 90 cows
What issues are facing dairy farmers in your area and across the country? I would say labor. Not just farm labor, but also skilled labor for businesses that support farms — including mechanics, welders, parts counter personnel, truck drivers, veterinarians, milking equipment specialists, etc.
When voting, what qualities do you appreciate in a candidate? Conservative, Christian values. Also, someone for whom politics is not a career. Our founding fathers never wanted politics to be a career; it is designed for individuals to devote a few years of their lives to public service and then move on. Life-long politicians become inuenced by special interests and donors to support their careers.
What agriculture-related legislation would you like to see overturned? Honestly, all of it, but more specically, subsidies. If something can’t stand on its own then perhaps it should burn down, and a phoenix will rise from the ashes. Subsidies stie innovation and creativity. History teaches us real progress comes from privatesector innovation, not public-sector inuence.
In your lifetime, which president do you feel has beneted the country most? This is a tough one to answer. I would probably say Ronald Reagan was the most benecial for the country but maybe not necessarily for the ag sector. While he was able to drive ination down for the economy, the Farm Crisis was tough for many.
Tell us about your farm. Owned and operated by Glen and Tony Schulz, Whirling Winds Dairy consists of 90 milking cows and 250 acres. Milking takes place in a converted at parlor in an old tiestall/stanchion barn, and cows are housed in a 4-row freestall barn. Our milk is shipped to Family Dairies USA. My husband, Tony, and I have two young children who are primarily responsible for petting calves and taming cats, but we know their responsibilities will grow as they do. All livestock replacements and feed are raised on-farm, and most of the work is done with little outside labor. We do have two high school-age employees who help milk a few nights a week and family members who help with cropping, special projects and relief milking as needed. We are in the process of starting to transition ownership from my husband’s parents to us. Other current projects include improving our calf housing, implementing a cow data management system and installing a pit parlor. We have greatly improved our heifer reproduction in recent years and are seeing great results in the overall efciency and production of our herd as a result. All rst-calf heifers are bred to sexed semen along with the top 25% of the herd; everything else gets bred to beef. Every day, on the best days and on the worst days, we are thankful God has given us the responsibility to steward the land and livestock in our care.
Joe Bragger Independence, Wisconsin Buffalo County 400 cows
What issues are dairy farmers facing in your area and across the country? In the dairy industry, we seem to go from boom to bust quite often today. Matching supply with demand both domestically and globally can be a real challenge, often driving prices to very low levels. The supply chain issues that we are experiencing more often have a great impact on our bottom line. While we have risk management tools, they are not as effective when you have long-term price lows. The three-year price cycle is certainly not what it used to be. Fortunately, Wisconsin is not a proposition state where misleading ballot initiatives are passed into law disrupting interstate commerce and putting farmers at an unfair advantage to others while exorbitantly increasing prices to consumers. Knowing that I have a word limit I will add but not elaborate on regulations and consumer expectations.
When voting, what qualities do you appreciate in a candidate? When voting I look for a person who understands what it takes to run a business and has demonstrated scal responsibility. I look for someone who demonstrates that when regulations are put into place, they need to be: necessary, reasonable and achievable. I look for someone who can stand up against those who would harm our country and its citizens. And nally, while few people understand agriculture today, I feel it is not whether you understand us. What is important is that a candidate is willing to listen to the knowledge farmers have to share.
What agriculture-related legislation would you like to see overturned? The 30 by 30 or the America the Beautiful Act is an executive order by the current administration that seeks to take 30% of the land and 30% of the water out of production by 2030. This equates to two times the state of Texas or nine Nebraskas. This is while 40% of land in the U.S. is already owned by the government and we lose about 175 acres (175 football elds) of land per hour, or 1,533,000 acres to urban sprawl. Where will we farm and produce and manufacture real products in the future?
In your lifetime, which president do you feel has beneted the country the most? Since Abraham Lincoln was not president during my lifetime I will have to say Ronald Reagan. Both presidents had a way of explaining difcult concepts or tuning down a heated situation with a story or joke. Both were very quick-witted and their stories were of a homespun folksy nature. Both brought our country through very difcult times, including the Civil War and the Cold War, with resolve and strong leadership. Both brought a sense of pride and destiny to our nation.
Tell us about your farm. Bragger Family Dairy is a multi-family farm consisting of Joe and Noel Bragger (Rosli, John, Tessa and Allison) and Dan and Mary Bragger (Gavin, Morgan and Anna). As well, the family
Jake Hoewisch
Fremont, Wisconsin
Waupaca County 150 cows
What issues are dairy farmers facing in your area and across the country? Labor shortages, including nding people who have the skillset and the motivation to work in the farm setting along with paying higher wages to compete with other industries. Milk price volatility is another issue. It’s hard to plan ahead when the milk market is so volatile. There is only so much you can do with milk marketing, and in the end, you are still left with really tight margins.
When voting, what qualities do you appreciate in a candidate? I appreciate a business-minded candidate who can make and maintain a budget to correct our nation’s decit. I also like a candidate who knows the importance of agriculture exports and the impact that it has on the U.S. economy. A candidate who knows that a human life starts at conception is another quality I look for.
What agriculture-related legislation would you like to see overturned? The Department of Natural Resources’ involvement in land drainage and nutrient management/manure storage should be removed and be fully governed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service only.
In your lifetime, which president do you feel has beneted the country the most? Donald Trump because he drilled for U.S. oil allowing our country to run on cheaper energy and be more self-sustaining, causing our cost of gas and oil to go down substantially, which also boosted our economy and created jobs for U.S. citizens. He also promoted U.S. businesses, not foreign businesses. He had over half a wall built to separate our country from allowing illegal immigrants in.
Tell us about your farm. I farm with my wife, Jennifer, and my father, Kevin. We milk 150 registered Holsteins and raise all our youngstock. We market our milk through FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative. We do custom manure draglines and custom round baling. We also have a farm-to-table meat business with a neighbor called H&S Tasty Acres.
matriarch, Hildegard Bragger, is still actively engaged at 88. The success of the farm is largely due to a team of dedicated employees. The farm consists of 400 dairy cows, contract poultry barns and 1,400 acres of crops. Bragger Family Dairy is in the driftless area of Wisconsin dened by steep hills and narrow valleys. Being involved in the Discovery Farms program from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the BuffaloTrempealeau Farmer Network has allowed our farm to participate in environmental discussions and help pave the way for necessary, reasonable and achievable outcomes.
Trine Spindler
Rozellville, Wisconsin
Marathon County 130 cows
What issues are facing dairy farmers in your area and across the country? According to the Farm Journal economist group, 2024 is looking to become the worst year for farmers since 2007 with the farm economy hovering close to a recession, as reported by RFD-TV. I agree that the past four years have been very hard with the extreme rise in ination and interest rates. It has been impossible to improve anything on the farm. Everything has become so expensive. It is stiing our industry and hurting the consumer. Yet, the current government insists on continuing to blow out even more money into our economy. As reported by Forbes’ Billy Bambrough, Bank of America analysts warn that the U.S. debt load is adding $1 trillion every 100 days. In the same article, Elon Musk reminds us that those trillions are our tax dollars being spent. Continuing this crazy spending frenzy will only continue to harm our industry, making it harder to grow your farm, transfer your farm to the next generation, or just keep up with current expenditures.
Farmers face the continuing addition of regulation. Just in the last session, Wisconsin added a new waterways act giving the Department of Natural Resources even more power. Another issue that Governor Evers is pushing on farmers is weather-dependent energy, which is sweeping onto our farmland and into our communities. Driven by major tax credits, we are seeing precious acres taken out of production, driving up land prices while our property values drop. All this leaves farmers with little to no protection from the consequences of living inside an industrial energy production site. Just ask Bryanna Handel whose farm happens to be located close to the new Alliant Energy substation providing the infrastructure for the weather-based energy projects. Handel presented to the Public Service Commission on how her cows are affected by the stray voltage, but the PSC denied her issue and has refused to change the 0.50-volt rule written in PSC128, which governs the weather-based energy production. The PCS128 also states that only concentrated animal feeding operations within two miles of a weather-based energy project have the right to be tested for stray voltage. There is no provision for farms smaller than that. I believe that weather-based energy is the main issue we face today, and stray voltage is only one side of that story.
When voting, what qualities do you appreciate in a candidate? In 2019, I was excited to receive my American citizenship, and I have voted in every election
Adam Faust (pictured with his wife, Cassandra)
Chilton, Wisconsin Calumet County
40 Cows
What issues are facing dairy farmers in your area and across the country? The main issue we are facing is ination. Ination hits us from two ways. First is the fact that it has driven the cost of production up considerably. Unfortunately, with our antiquated pricing system, we are the only industry with no ability to raise our prices to cover our costs. The second way ination affects us is that our customers are negatively affected and their buying power is diminished.
When voting, what qualities do you appreciate in a candidate? I look for a can-
since, exercising my right as an American and helping to uphold our democracy. As an outsider looking in, I can tell you how truly lucky you are to be born and raised in America, with all the inalienable rights that citizenship comes with.
I have found that many times good people shy away from entering the ofces that lead our towns, counties, states and country. These people display honesty, integrity and truly care for the communities they represent. I urge all of you, rst, to vote, and second, to participate in your local government. Go to your town board meetings and county board meetings. These are the people who decide your future. These are the people who spend your tax dollars.
Participate and vote for representatives who you believe will create the right direction for your community, who are willing to take on the bureaucratic mess that is our government, someone like you and me, with both feet on the ground and the humility to surround themselves with good counsel.
What agriculture-related legislation would you like to see overturned? There are several bills that I would like to see go through legislation. One of my main concerns is foreign ownership of American soil. I believe it should be illegal for foreigners to own American land. Currently, over 40 million acres are foreign owned. It is a disgrace. I would also like to see the sale of raw milk on the Wisconsin market become legal. Last session, a Wisconsin legislator tried to ensure that farmland preservation benets were not given to landowners who leased out their land to industrial wind and solar complexes. After approval by the assembly and senate, the bill was unfortunately vetoed by Governor Evers. There are some interesting discussions about health insurance targeted for farmers, and as always, rolling back regulation and freeing up competition would be helpful to the Wisconsin dairy industry.
In your lifetime, which president do you feel has beneted the country most? Trump. We have never had a safer country and a better economy.
Tell us about your farm. My husband, Kobey, and I own a small dairy farm in central Wisconsin. We are milking about 130 Jerseys with two Lely A5 Astronauts, which we installed after our barn re in December 2020. We have been farming since 2012 and operating the robots since October 25, 2021. We run 350 acres to feed all our ladies with a bit to spare. The road has not been easy, and we are still working hard every day moving forward from the re, but with grace, we are able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We ship our milk to Dairy State Cheese in Rudolph, with our fantastic milk haulers, the Richardsen family, who have been with us since the beginning. On the farm it is just my husband and me, our three great kids, Andreas (12), Annelise (10) and Johnathan (9), and now that Grandma and Grandpa Spindler have retired, we are enjoying the benets of having them right next door. We are the fourth generation on the farm and are proud to care for the land.
didate who has policies that are scally responsible and has a track record of running a business. Also, I look for someone with the security of our nation in mind.
What agriculture-related legislation would you like to see overturned? The legislation I would like to see overturned is the Ination Reduction Act. The reality of the legislation is that it did nothing for ination, but actually backdoored a bunch of insane climate policies, putting in place regulations and mechanisms that not only hurt agriculture but the economy as a whole.
In your lifetime, which president do you feel has beneted the country most? The president that helped agriculture the most is a tough one. Agriculture is such a small, under-represented industry that no president focuses on us. President Trump appointed a secretary of agriculture who really had the farmer’s well-being in mind.
Tell us about your farm. I farm with my wife, Cassandra. We have a 79-cow tiestall barn. We milk registered Holsteins and crop 160 acres in northeast Wisconsin. We ship our milk to Scenic Central Milk Producers.
How many times a day do you milk, and what is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? We milk twice a day. Our current average is 28,000 pounds of milk with tests of 4.2% fat and 3.2% protein.
Describe your housing and milking facility. Our cows are split into two groups — high production and low production. They are milked in a tie tall barn but housed in tie stalls and free stalls. They spend half of each day in each.
Who is part of your farm team, and what are their roles? My wife, Jenny, and I make up the farm team. Jenny does the majority of the feeding and calf care, while I do the milking and the remaining animal care. We both do eldwork as needed. I also watch for heats and take care of the breeding program.
What is your herd health program? The vaccinations include Bovilis Nasalgen 3-PMH, Bovi-Shield and Vira Shield. The pregnancy checks are done with Dairy Herd Improvement Association milk samples at 28 days
TOP PERFORMERS
and 120 days, so vet visits are as needed only.
What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? The cows are dry for 60 days and treated with ToMORROW dry tubes and a teat sealant. They are housed at the end of the freestall barn on a bed pack of corn stocks. The ration includes grass hay, corn silage, grain, protein and mineral mix. Cows enter the high group one day after calving.
What is the composition of your ration, and how has that changed in recent years? Our ration includes haylage, corn silage, high moisture corn, ear corn, protein and mineral mix. We make small changes based on dry matter. Otherwise, we keep the ratios the same.
Tell us about the forages you plant and detail your harvest strategies. Alfalfa is cut every 28 days and chopped at 60%-65% moisture. It is stored in 16-by72-foot silo or a 9-by-150foot bags. We chop our corn silage at 64-65% moisture and store it in a 20-by-80foot silo and 9-by-150-foot
bags. The high moisture corn is stored in a 14- by 65-foot silo. We also plant forage barley and fall seeded oats for young stock, which is stored in 9- by 150-foot bags.
What is your average somatic cell count and how does that affect your production? Somatic cell count has always been a priority. Our average SCC is 125,000150,000. We do use a quarter milker on high cows. The sawdust is big for us. Nothing dries a stall as fast as sawdust.
What change has created the biggest improvement in your herd average? In 2004-2005 we switched to mattresses, long day lighting and sawdust. We saw an instant rise in production. All of our stalls have mattresses bedded with sawdust.
What technology do you use to monitor your herd? We have been using DHIA since 1997.
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Ron Hemmesch kneels in a pasture Oct. 21 on the dairy he operates with his wife, Jenny, near Melrose, Minnesota. The Hemmesches milk 100 cows with a herd average over 28,000.
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The sun lightens the Hemmesch farmyard Oct. 21 near Melrose, Minnesota. The Hemmesches milk their 100 cows in a e stall barn. They are housed in either a e stall or free stall barn.
What is your breeding program, and what role does genetics play in your production level? We breed with Genex. The bulls are selected for select traits — net merit, feet and legs, and stature. Now we are breeding for smaller cows, since we are getting too big. Once we get what we want then they are mated off of their pedigree.
List three management strategies that have helped you attain your production and component level.
Genetics, proper forage moisture and particle size, and balancing amino acids and fats.
Tell us about your farm and your plans for the dairy in the next year. We purchased our farm in 1997. We are currently milking 100 cows in 40 stalls. We milk with six units and switch 2.5 times. We usually make some kind of improvement to be more efcient, but do not have anything planned at this point.
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Cows eat at the bunk Oct. 21 at Hemmesch dairy near Melrose, Minnesota. The Hemmesches said proper forage moisture and par cle size are important on their dairy. Their ra on includes haylage, corn silage, high moisture corn, ear corn, protein and a mineral mix.
COLBY, Wis. — When Jeremy Haas left the world of engineering to launch his dairy farming career, he was not certain what to expect. In the end, what he found was a way of life that suited him and his young family.
In 2009, Haas purchased the herd of cows, and eventually the farm, from his parents. Haas’s dairy career began by taking over milking 50 cows, three times a day in a tiestall barn.
Today Haas and his wife, Katie, and their four children — Emma, Kaden, Landon and Korbin — milk 200 cows with four DeLaval VMS V300 robotic milking machines. The herd averages 96 pounds of milk, per cow, per day. The Haases crop 600 acres, raising nearly all the feed required for their herd, with the exibility of cash-cropping additional crops.
Haas credits much of his success to the integration of technology within his management system, and his willing-
ness to share his story with others. The Haases opened the doors of their Colby farm for a tour hosted by the Professional Dairy Producers Aug. 21.
“Labor is what pushed us to robots,” Jeremy said. “When we started looking at options, visiting different barns and setups, looking at our options, robotics penciled in right for us.”
The Haases began their robotic journey in 2016, building a new barn complete with two DeLaval VMS Classic robotic milking units, and growing their herd to 120 cows.
The cross-ventilation in their barn plays a large role in cow comfort, Haas said, aiding his ability to keep production maintained at high levels even during the summer heat.
“It’s pretty nice in here when it’s hot out,” Haas said. “We don’t see too much of a drop in production when it’s hot until we get hit with a week or so of really miserable weather.”
Since starting up their robotic barn, the Haases have embraced new technologies they believe suit their operation.
“I thought we were set up
that switch.”
A new set of eyes viewing his barn changed Haas’s thought process.
“Shortly after we switched to the V300s, a friend came through,” Haas said. “Looking at the barn, he said, ‘If I had this many empty stalls in my free stalls, I’d double my cows.’ That got me thinking.”
Haas began to research his herd, installing cameras to monitor stall usage. He said he was surprised at what he learned.
“Even at peak stall usage, we were still averaging 16 empty stalls,” Haas said. “That peak use was happening around 2 or 3 a.m.”
Armed with that information, the Haases added a third V300 in 2022, without adding on to the barn.
“We used the smallest footprint possible we could for that robot room and went up to 100 cows on that pen,” Haas said. “It worked and in 2023 we added a fourth unit and went to 200 head.”
The cows are housed in two groups: one for mature cows and one for rst-lactation cows, Jerseys and cows that do not adapt well to changing pens.
to add a third unit before expanding by ipping the barn,” Haas said. “In 2021, we traded those Classics for two V300s,
still with no plans to go beyond 75 cows per unit. Our goal had been to increase production by 15% and we got that making
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Jeremy Haas shares about his journey as a robo c dairy farmer Aug. 21 at his farm near Colby, Wisconsin. The Haases started with two DeLaval VMS Classics milking 120 cows in 2016 before growing to their current size of 200 cows milked with four DeLaval VMS V300s.
The cows in each pen are averaging 3.1 milkings per day. Haas said the conguration has basically eliminated fetch cows.
“With the guided ow and pens being overcrowded, somehow it gets the animals to move a lot better, more efciently,” Haas said. “If I have to touch an animal, other than a fresh heifer, something is wrong with her. Either she is sick, stuck in a stall somewhere or she’s got a bad foot.”
In 2022, Haas installed CowManager, a tool he calls very necessary.
“I was spending too much time checking (beta-hydroxybutyrate) on days seven and 12, taking temps on fresh cows and everything,” Haas said. “I wanted something that could kind of function as a herd manager and ag some of those animals for me. I think rumination is an absolute must for cow health and performance. It’s incredible what you see when rumination falls off.”
Haas keeps his post-fresh cows segregated for several days before allowing them to mingle with the herd.
“It’s a rumination-driven thing,” Haas said. “I allow them access to a regular pen during the daytime after a couple of days. You can get a (displaced abomasum) in a real hurry if you mess rumination up.”
Also in 2022, the Haas’s farm became a test farm for a progesterone monitoring
throughout the day using robo c reed pushers.
program being developed by DeLaval, for use with their robots.
By January 2023 Haas gave up the double ovsynch program he had relied on for years and eventually gave up doing regular herd health checks.
“I really fell in love with that, and I feel comfortable relying on it,” Haas said. “I’ve gotten spoiled by not doing
herd health, from a time standpoint. By the time you’ve given eight shots to a cow on a double ovsynch program, she knows you’re coming.”
With the progesterone monitoring system, Haas said his conception rate has been running around 42%, a gure that satises him. Haas’s cows are bred using A.I., with a focus on selecting for increased milk, fat and protein along
with correct feet and legs and a positive udder composite.
The top 75% of his rstlactation heifers are bred using sexed semen, along with another 20% of the top animals identied in the herd. The remainder are bred to beef bulls.
Overall, Haas said he has been happy with the decisions made in building and developing his robotic barn.
“If anything, I wish I’d
thought differently about expansion,” Haas said. “Ten years ago, when we were looking, there weren’t a lot of options out there. We traveled a fair distance to see setups that were successful and could get the kind of performance we expected. That has changed a lot in 10 years. There are so many options being created and new ways to increase results.”
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Cows eat a total mixed ra on Aug. 21 at Haas Dairy near Colby, Wisconsin. Feed is mixed and fed once a day and pushed up
Experience helps Roberts brothers launch herd
By Dan Wacker dan.w@dairystar.com
CATARACT, Wis. — Brothers Justin and Jared Roberts saw their dreams come to fruition this past April when they sold their rst tank of milk.
What started as a passion project milking four cows without a contract, and having enough milk to feed some of the neighbor’s calves, but discarding the rest has turned into Driftless Holsteins, owned and operated by the brothers and Justin’s wife, Rachel.
Justin and Jared grew up in the dairy industry working on the farm operated by their grandparents, Mark and Darlene Merow, in Cataract and helping their mom, Kelly Merow, who had taken over an uncle’s farm.
However, in 2017, part of their dairy farming world disappeared as Kelly made the decision to sell her herd.
“As unfortunate and miserable as it was, I think it’s
Starting from scratch
Rachel (from le ), Jus n and Jared Roberts stand in their 20-stall milking barn Oct. 19 on their farm, Dri less Holsteins, near Cataract, Wisconsin. To get their farm opera ng, the three put in a milking facility for their herd.
really worked out for the best now,” Jared said.
The brothers could have taken the dispersal as a sign to leave their dream behind.
“It was the worst thing we experienced in our life at the time,” Justin said. “Looking back at it, it opened us up to seeing things differently and trying things in a different way.”
herd management skills were deeper than what we were used to. He taught us a lot about breeding strategies and that’s really helped us.”
Working at another dairy, one that was bigger than what they were used to, helped set the pair up to learn even more about how they wanted to run their own herd.
“Jerry’s had 50 years of experience dairy farming, so we really learned a lot from him,” Justin said.
Four years ago, Jared and Justin got their dairying dream started. The brothers purchased ve heifers, two from Schmidt’s herd at Indies-View, where Schmidt housed them for two more years.
“We got started milking on our own in our great uncle’s old pig barn,” Jared said. “We milked that rst group with a show pump.”
Milking with the show pump worked for a while, but the cold temperatures of the Wisconsin winter forced the two to board their milking cows until the weather turned.
“We had good experience working on our farm when we were younger, but working for Jerry really brought in a whole new realm of knowledge,” Jared said. “His
Without the pull to go back to work on a herd at home, the two gained experience working for Jerry Schmidt at Indies-View Dairy in Melrose.
Around this same time Justin and his future bride, Rachel, were looking for a place to settle down.
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
They bought a house with an existing lean-to a few miles from his grandparents. It had the right bones for a milking barn but was not ready for a herd of cows, even a herd as small as what Jared and Justin had at the time.
“When we got the place, we had to rework a lot of it,” Justin said. “There wasn’t a milking facility, so we put one in. … Beams were breaking (so) we cleared out a tree from near the silo. The whole place just needed some work.”
Justin, who works at Preston Dairy Equipment Inc. in Sparta, had the background knowledge to construct a milking barn. The two put in a 20-stall tiestall barn, with four box stalls where they milk their 17 cows. Their herd average is 80 pounds of milk per cow with tests of 4.2% butterfat and 3.2% protein.
“We basically took the toughest route we could to get started,” Jared said. “Looking back, I don’t know if I’d do it a different way. We built ex-
actly what we wanted.”
To get their dream off the ground, both are currently working in other full-time positions, Justin with Preston Dairy Equipment and Jared as a tter with Jerry Schmidt’s oldest son, Garrett.
“Garrett has been tting for about 18 years, and that’s how I got started,” Jared said. “I’ve been working with him for three or four years now. That’s really helped us expedite our process. I get to see all these other dairies and how other people operate their herds.”
The brothers sell their milk to Grassland Dairy.
“We wanted to work with a smaller creamery, but we were either too far out of the way, or they couldn’t pick up any more,” Jared said.
Justin agreed.
“We’ve been really lucky with Grassland,” Justin said. “They’ve been nothing but great to us.”
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September climate summary
Ninth month of year delivers unusually mild temperatures
By Steve Vavrus, Bridgette Mason, and Ed Hopkins
Editor’s Note: The following climate summary was provided by the Wisconsin State Climatology Ofce.
September was remarkable, with extreme warmth and dryness placing it among Wisconsin’s 10th warmest and 10th driest Septembers on record.
Summer was in no hurry to leave this year, as August-like warmth prevailed in Wisconsin throughout September. The monthly average temperature was a mild 64.1 degrees, a hefty 5.6 degrees warmer than the 1991–2020 average and the state’s third warmest September since records began in 1895. This September was warmer statewide than 18 Augusts on record. The unusual warmth occurred throughout Wisconsin but was most pronounced in the northwest.
The dry air masses that controlled the September weather led to exceptional daytime heating and elevated daily high temperatures, which were more than 5 degrees above normal throughout most of Wisconsin and up to 10 degrees above in the far northwest.
However, the dry air also promoted enhanced nighttime cooling, which meant daily minimum temperatures exceeded normal much more modestly, and in some places, were even a below average. On the whole across Wisconsin in September, daily high temperatures were more impressive (6.4 degrees above normal) than were daily low temperatures (2.3 degrees above normal).
The most noticeable aspect of September’s near-record warmth was its consistency, especially during the middle of the month. From Sept. 9-21, unusually warm temperatures soared into the 70s and 80s with hardly a drop of rain. Records were tied
or set for the number of consecutive 80-degree days in many locations, including La Crosse (13 days), Madison (12 days), Green Bay (11 days) and Wausau (10 days).
Despite the persistent warmth in September, Wisconsin mostly escaped excessive heat. The highest temperature anywhere in the state was 92 degrees set at several locations (Beloit, Boscobel, Fort Atkinson, Lone Rock and Whitewater). At the other end of the spectrum, the state’s lowest temperature dipped slightly below freezing (30 degrees) Sept. 7 at Couderay and at Fort McCoy near Sparta.
September started and ended with signicant dryness, only to be interrupted by a downpour. For the rst three weeks of the month, dryness gripped the state, with only 25% of statewide average rainfall occurring by Sept. 20. But Sept. 21 brought a widespread 1- to 2-inch rainfall across southern Wisconsin.
A downburst occurred on the afternoon Sept. 21 between Arena and Mazomanie, damaging crops, trees and outbuildings. Additionally, Madison received nearly four inches of rain, making it the city’s wettest September day on record and the fth wettest day overall.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 21-22 storms, widespread dryness returned to most of the state, with the exception of southeastern Wisconsin, which averaged over an inch of precipitation the last week of the month.
Preliminary data from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center revealed the state averaged 1.35 inches of precipitation during September, a stark contrast to the normal 3.75 inches. Northern Wisconsin was the most hard-hit region, receiving 23% of its normal September precipitation.
Medford and Rhinelander topped out at their driest Septembers on record. Medford did not get any rain all month, while Rhinelander saw 0.35 inches. Central and southern Wisconsin also lacked rainfall, but not as severely, at 40% and 61% of normal, respectively. These decits placed September in one of the Top 10 driest Septembers on record, with just 36% of typical statewide rainfall.
Due to the precipitation shortfall, 13% of the state was designated as abnormally dry at the beginning of the month by the U.S. Drought Monitor (primarily in northern Wisconsin), which escalated to moderate drought conditions spanning 16% of the state (including northern and south-central Wisconsin) by the end of the month.
In addition to the ongoing warm, dry conditions raising re risk across the state, the hot and dry end of August and September contributed to a rapid drying of soybeans and corn.
Soybeans harvested in September came in smaller and moisture levels were 9%-11%, as opposed to the optimal 13%, which can lead to reduced yields.
Dry conditions also impacted winter wheat because without adequate moisture, the fall-planted crop may not germinate properly, potentially affecting quality and quantity come spring. Additionally, dry conditions have impacted forage, forcing ranchers to seek alternative feed sources for cattle and sparking concerns that dusty conditions could lead to respiratory problems in weaned calves.
However, moisture levels varied statewide, with corn for grain not dry enough to harvest by the end of September. Overall, while the dryness was convenient for getting equipment in the eld for harvest, it has been a challenging month and growing season for Wisconsin.
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Research roundup – pain management for calves
The American Association of Bovine Practitioners had its annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, from Sept 12-14. Cattle vets, veterinary students and researchers from around the U.S. and Canada met to share the newest research, recommendations and best practices to enhance cattle welfare and help producers improve the health of their cows and the protability of their operations. The rest of this article will describe three current studies presented by researchers from Kansas State University relevant to managing pain in calves.
evaluated for performance, like average daily gain, gain to feed ratio, clinical illness scoring and wound healing, and behavior, like wound licking or lying/standing. Researchers did note some behavioral differences between groups but found that calves banded with lidocaineloaded castration bands did not differ in performance as compared to calves banded with standard bands.
By Whitney Knauer, DVM University of Minnesota
The rst study evaluated a lidocaine-loaded castration band — Lidoband — and its impact on animal welfare and performance postcastration. Castration is a very common management procedure done on a variety of dairy and beef operations, and the Lidoband was introduced to the U.S. market in the fall of 2023. It provides local anesthesia to the banding site in a slow release. In this study, 26 male dairy beef crosses were either castrated with the lidocaine-loaded castration band (13 head) or banded with no pain control (13 head). Calves were followed for seven weeks and
The second study investigated the use of pain management in calves with neonatal calf diarrhea, or scours. Scours is one of the most common diseases affecting beef and dairy calves, and it is likely that it is painful, much like intestinal disorders can be painful for humans. Meloxicam is approved for use as an adjunctive therapy for calf scours in Canada and Europe. Thus, the objective of the presented study was to examine behavioral and physiological outcomes associated with the expression of pain in calves and to evaluate the impact of meloxicam administration on those outcomes. To do this, researchers enrolled 28 calves — 20 with scours and eight healthy controls. The calves with scours received either a meloxicam
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bolus at diagnosis and 24 hours later or a placebo bolus at those same times. They were otherwise treated with uid therapy. Healthy calves received placebo boluses as well. Outcomes related to pain and performance were evaluated. Results suggested that calves with scours were indeed in pain, as compared to healthy controls, but that oral meloxicam did not seem to impact measures of pain. The authors state that additional data analysis needs to be performed before a denite conclusion. The last study presented to evaluate pain management for use in calves evaluated the efcacy of a maternal bovine appeasing substance like MBAS or FerApease on pain outcomes after surgical castration and disbudding. Maternal bovine appeasing substance is naturally secreted by the mammary gland and alleviates stress in nursing calves. Thus, researchers wanted to investigate if MBAS, both alone or in combination with other local or systemic analgesics, could provide extended and additional pain and stress relief to calves undergoing disbudding and surgical castration. Research enrolled 49 young bull calves into six different treatment groups:
Dana Adams adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968
Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184
Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277
Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711
Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863
lidocaine local anesthesia; lidocaine and meloxicam; lidocaine and MBAS; lidocaine, meloxicam and MBAS; sham procedure; and no analgesia. Outcomes related to calf behavior and performance were evaluated. Results showed no difference between local and systemic analgesics like lidocaine and meloxicam versus MBAS, suggesting that the addition of MBAS to castration and disbudding protocols is not warranted at this time.
From an ethical and welfare perspective, it is important we consider management of pain for both common procedures and disease conditions in our dairy calf and dairy beef populations. While the new products and new applications of existing products tested by researchers did not add pain relief in the applications tested, pain-relieving drugs should be included in protocols for disbudding, castration and other painful conditions that calves experience during the preweaning period.
If you are interested in incorporating new or different products into your existing protocols for calves, reach out to your veterinarian or local extension educator for more information.
Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109
Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435
Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357
Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093
Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205
Melissa Wilson mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
Isaac Haagen hagge041@umn.edu 612-624-7455
Michael Boland boland@umn.edu 612-625-3013
Sabrina Florentino slpore@umn.edu 507-441-1765
Returning home
Growing up in Sparta, Wisconsin, there were always two constants in my life: sports and the farm. I grew up helping my dad farm just north of town. I’m the youngest of Mike and Kathy Wacker’s four kids, and that meant that Mom had to haul me along whenever one of my older siblings had a game or event to be at, at least until I was old enough to contribute on the farm.
My older brothers, David and Chris, each played sports throughout their high school years, and my sister, Jana, played softball and volleyball before turning her attention to music and theatre. I was my mom’s sidekick from before I could read until I started playing sports myself. I remember going to David’s football games at Memorial Field in Sparta and having to ask my mom what the part of the scoreboard with the letters G-U-ES-T spelled, and what the numbers underneath it meant. Eventually I started playing football and baseball in Sparta. I played throughout my high school career while working on the farm.
dad still were about sports and the farm. When talking with David, it was catching up with how his kids were doing and what he was doing on the farm.
By Dan Wacker Staff Writer
After a couple years in Greensboro, Codi and I eventually made the move to Richmond, Virginia, so I could take a new job at the University of Richmond. I always had a goal of working at the highest level of college athletics, and that dream was accelerated a little bit in 2019 with the arrival of our son, Brooks. To get him and Codi closer to family, I was looking for jobs at schools back in the Midwest and eventually landed at the University of Notre Dame.
David went to school at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for a couple of years before returning home to help my dad. Looking back now, I think of how special my senior year of high school was. I was a captain on the football team, a two-way starter for most of the season. I got to play baseball with my best friends. In one game I even got our team’s only hit against a pitcher who eventually went on to be drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies. I went to just about every home sporting event held at Sparta High and spent my weekends hanging out with my friends. I got to do all that while having a morning work release co-op where I got to farm with my dad and David.
After I graduated, going to the farm full time wasn’t in the cards for me. I went to UW-La Crosse where I majored in sports management and tried to nd my own career path.
After graduating from UW-La Crosse, I was looking for my next step, as all college graduates do. I went on to earn a graduate assistant position at Indiana State University. I was working in an NCAA Division I athletic department on their communications team. I was working and studying to get my master’s degree in sport and recreation management. This was also the rst real move away from home for me. I moved to a different state, seven hours away, with my dog, Louie. To that point, I had always lived with my friends in college, so there was always someone around and something to do. This was going to be a big adjustment.
So there I was, in a one-bedroom apartment in a sketchy side of town in Terre Haute, Indiana. With a busy work schedule and online classes, trips back to Wisconsin were hard to come by. But whenever I found time to call home, my dad and I would bond over sports and what was going on at the farm.
After my graduate assistant position, I took my rst full-time job in Greensboro, North Carolina. Thankfully, this time it was more than me and the pup moving. My girlfriend, whom I had met at UW-La Crosse, made the move down to Terre Haute for about six months before we decided a move to the East Coast would be our next stop. After six months of living in Greensboro, Codi agreed to marry me, and we wed in La Crosse, July 1, 2017. While we were living in North Carolina, talks with my
Like most 90s kids, I was familiar with the story of Rudy Ruettiger. Rudy was the epitome of grit and determination, so I was familiar with the golden dome and the lore that surrounded that place. And it is real. When I rst got there, I thought it was going to be just another job, but something about Notre Dame is just different. I had been working in college baseball for seven years before switching over to softball with the Irish and eventually took on a role with the football team. I went from being a kid who couldn’t read “GUESTS” on the scoreboard to being on the sideline for games of one of the most historic programs in college football history. I achieved a career goal of mine, working at the highest level in college athletics. But with that position, there were some long days spent on campus, and a ton of travel involved. Now it was fun to get to travel to Florida, California or Georgia, especially in late February or early March. But, I was starting to see how there wasn’t enough time in the day or week to be the person I wanted to be. My family had followed me around the country, and we were still six hours from home and the rest of our family. I was getting to live out my dream, but that came at a cost for everyone else. I knew that I needed to make a change; a change to help my wife, my kids and our families be more connected. I changed career paths, and that led me back to the dairy industry.
What I learned through it all is how much my dad sacriced for me. That senior year, when I got to have all those opportunities to go and hang out with friends, play sports and do any and all extra-curriculars that I wanted, was because my dad and David let me. I didn’t know it at the time, but the further I got away from it, the more I realized it. They could have easily asked me to stay back, and make their lives easier by taking more ownership on the farm, but they knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do. So, when I was looking to pivot my career, I wanted to do something to help give back to a community that taught me so much about being seless, about hard work, getting the job done and doing it at a high level, all the principles that helped me in my professional life. I’m thankful that Mark Klaphake and the team of wonderful people at the Dairy Star have given me that opportunity. I’m excited to start telling the stories of people like my dad and brother, those who sacrice for others, who put in the work to help others, and those who are too humble to boast about their own accomplishments. I hope that I can do your stories justice. I’m looking forward to meeting more of you, hearing your stories and helping tell the rest of the world just how truly awesome you all are.
Leuch tops World Dairy Expo youth showmanship
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. — Tyler Leuch fell for the art of exhibiting dairy cattle at a young age — the rst time he grabbed hold of a lead strap, heading into the peewee showmanship class at the Shawano County Fair, at the age of 3.
At World Dairy Expo, Leuch was named the Annette Ostrom Memorial Supreme Champion Showman after winning the senior division of the contest. For his winning efforts, he received $5,000 and a crystal trophy presented by the family of the late Annette Ostrom.
“This has been the best day of my life,” Leuch said. “I didn’t do as well as I had wanted to in the tting contest, so I told myself I’d redeem myself in showmanship. I came out here and did what I know how to do, and it turned out pretty well.”
The 17-year-old is a senior at Waunakee High School and the son of Matt
Something supreme
Sept. 28 at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. This year marked Leuch’s third year compe ng in the contest.
and Teresa Leuch.
Leuch’s appreciation for the show ring was inspired by his cousin, Trent Styczynski, and later Trent’s wife, Laura.
“Trent and Laura have taught me so much about the little details,” Leuch said.
“They’ve given me the tools I need to reach my goals, and they have fostered my love
for showing.”
Leuch has attended Expo regularly since he was in grade school. In recent years, he became a competitor in the show’s youth contests.
“I’ve always thought Expo is the best time of the year,” Leuch said. “It is so full of so many great memories and experiences — the
people you meet, the cows you see.”
This year marked Leuch’s third year competing in World Dairy Expo’s Youth Showmanship Contest and his rst time competing in the senior division. He placed 15th in the intermediate division in 2023 and eighth in 2022.
Besides competing in the
showmanship contest, Leuch said he enjoys participating in the youth tting contest. He has taken part in the latter twice, this year as a senior and last year winning the intermediate division.
From the time he entered the showmanship ring during his initial heat in the senior division, judge Carla Stetzer said Leuch caught her eye and continued to impress her as the competition progressed through the nal round.
“The young man in rst place, I never saw him misstep, I never saw his heifer not look perfect,” Stetzer said. “At the end of the day, that is what showmanship is about — the people that just blend right in with their heifers, moving together with symmetry. They are like one unit, just oating around the ring. This young man did that today.”
That magical presentation does not happen by accident, Leuch said.
“It takes a lot of work, a lot of time spent learning and practicing,” Leuch said. “If you’re willing to put the time and effort into learning and then developing those skills,
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAIRY AGENDA TODAY
Tyler Leuch (le ) is congratulated by Ka e Coyne as he is named the Anne e Ostrom Supreme Champion Showman
You’re never all the way — you can always get better.”
That attitude came through in Leuch’s showmanship performance, Stetzer said.
“All of these kids are fantastic, not only their showmanship skills, but their great attitudes,” Stetzer said. “They’re really fun to work with, they’re passionate about the business. It re-instills my faith in humanity, to see all these great kids out here, the future of our industry.”
Stetzer, of Alma Center, was charged with sorting through the senior division while Kelli Cull of Lomira worked through the intermediate division. Brent Howe of Aylmer, Ontario, placed the junior division. Katie Coyne of Geneseo, New York, put the six top showmen through their paces during the selection of supreme. The evening ended with the three divisional judges casting unanimous ballots in favor of Leuch.
The time in the spotlight at Expo was special for Leuch because the calf he led in the contest — Stitchs-Ttt Patrona-ET — is the daughter of another project animal he has worked with alongside his cousins.
Leuch’s Expo excite-
ment did not end with the showmanship contest. His Holstein ve-year-old cow, SS-Maplecrest Tatoo Jasmine, placed second in her class before being named the honorable mention senior champion in the International Junior Holstein Show. Earlier in the summer, Jasmine had swept the junior show, earning senior and grand champion banners at the Wisconsin Summer Championship Show for Leuch.
Agriculture is near and dear to Leuch’s heart. He is active in 4-H and his school’s
FFA chapter. At this year’s Wisconsin State Fair he was awarded the James W. Crowley 4-H Dairy Leadership Award. At the Wisconsin FFA Convention, he landed a spot among the top 20 competitors in the extemporaneous speaking contest.
“I really just love everything agriculture,” Leuch said. “I’m denitely a Holstein boy at heart, but I really just love cows, all breeds, and everything about them. This is something I’ll never forget.”
Ma (from le ), Teresa and Tyler Leuch and Laura and Trent Styczynski pause Sept. 28 at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Tyler Leuch was named the Anne e Ostrom Memorial Supreme Showman.
(Below) Tyler Leuch leads his heifer, S tchs-T Patrona-ET, during the judge’s reasons for the senior division of the World Dairy Expo Youth Showmanship Contest Sept. 28 in Madison, Wisconsin. Patrona is the daughter of another project animal Leuch has worked with, alongside his cousins, Trent and Laura Styczynski.
Catch the Dairy Star’s Mark Klaphake with Joe Gill at 6:45 a.m. the 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month on KASM!
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Harvest in full swing
By Steve Frericks Stearns County FSA executive director
I am not sure if I have ever seen more ideal harvest conditions in my many years of farming than this year. The window of opportunity is wide open for all things harvest-related. Crop dry down has happened very quickly. Yield reports are all over the board, as expected in a year that started very wet and is ending very dry. Manure is being applied, and some tillage applications, while difcult, are happening. The opportunity to harvest fall forages has never been better. While you capitalize on these opportunities, please make sure safety is your main priority.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced assistance to eligible organic dairy producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program 2024 to help expand the market for organic dairy and increase the consumption of organic dairy. ODMAP helps mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic dairy industry. Specically, through ODMAP 2024, the Farm Service Agency is assisting organic dairy operations with projected marketing costs in 2024, calculated using their marketing costs in 2023. FSA will begin accepting ODMAP 2024 applications Sept. 30. Eligible producers include certied organic dairy operations that produce milk from cows, goats and sheep.
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Dairy producers who participate in ODMAP 2024 will benet from improvements to provisions outlined in the program. Specically, ODMAP 2024 provides for an increase in the payment rate to $1.68 per hundredweight compared to the previous $1.10 per cwt. Additionally, the production level eligible for marketing cost-share assistance has increased to 9 million pounds compared to the previous 5 million pounds.
How ODMAP 2024 works
ODMAP 2024 provides a one-time cost-share payment based on marketing costs on pounds of organic milk marketed in the 2023 calendar year or estimated 2024 marketing costs for organic dairy operations that have increased milk production or entered the organic dairy market. ODMAP 2024 provides nancial assistance that immediately supports certied organic dairy marketing during 2024, keeping the organic dairy market sustainable until markets return to more normal conditions.
How to apply
FSA is accepting applications from Sept. 30 to Nov. 29. To apply, producers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center. To complete the ODMAP 2024 application, producers must certify pounds of 2023 milk production, show documentation of their organic certication and submit a completed application form.
Organic dairy operations are required to provide their USDA certication of organic status conrming operation as an organic dairy in 2024 and 2023 along with the certication of 2023 milk production or estimated 2024 milk production in hundredweights. To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and view other farm records data and customer information by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you do not have an account, sign up today.
Farm stress
We know there is a lot of stress in the agriculture community right now. Cash ows are not working for several row crop applications as well as several segments of animal agriculture. If you recognize stress in your family or friends, do not hesitate to get them some help. The Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline is a free, condential service that provides support for people struggling with stress, anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts related to farming and rural life. The helpline is available 24/7 and can be reached by calling (833) 600-2670, texting FARMSTRESS to (898) 211, or emailing farmstress@state.mn.us. Farm Service Agency is an equal opportunity lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250. Visit www.fsa.usda.gov for application forms and updates on USDA programs
Everyone needs to slow down
By Tina Hinchley Farmer & Columnist
While harvest is going on, with combines, semitrailers and tractors with gravity boxes on the road, many people will put their lives, their passenger’s lives, and the farmers in the farm equipment in peril. Many of our farm tour guests don’t understand or know what a slow-moving vehicle sign means or that the law is the same for passing agricultural equipment as it is with a regular vehicle. They are unknowingly breaking the law, but also their lack of patience could be deadly. When looking at our farm equipment, we are sharing that 30 mph is the most these tractors pulling agricultural equipment can do. So slow down, be safe, and enjoy your time out in the country.
But then there are those drivers who are aware. They are knowingly passing in no-passing zones. Cars and trucks are passing us, people are whipping their ngers and beeping their horns, yelling at us to get off the road. Farmers are often the target of road rage. I think this attitude has increased more in the past few years. There seems to be a loss of respectful driving, being nice to each other on the road, and patience when getting on or off the exits.
I wonder if these people start off their day in a bad mood and just carry it with them as they head to their destination. I believe there is an overall change in some of these people’s frame of mind. They are isolated in their cars, feeling powerful, or maybe just angry. They feel the urge to push right up close to the car in front of them or stomp down on the gas pedal to roar past a car, tractor or combine, to feel dominant on the road. I think they feel exhilarated, casting fear over the drivers who have been rudely intimidated by their aggressive driving.
As farmers, we experience this rage every time we move equipment from eld to eld. We pull out onto the highway knowing that someone is going to try to pass us in a no-passing zone or pass us going up a hill. So often this happens with their kids in their car. They are fearless, thinking they are on the road and that farmers should not be driving so slowly, making them late to school to drop off their kids or heading to work. They would like to blame us for the start of their bad day, but time management is their issue.
From early spring throughout the growing season, we go to check our crops. We drive slowly, often pulling over to scout for weed and insect pressure to ensure our crop is healthy and will grow to its potential. Since there are not many farmers left in our communities, many others can’t understand the importance of driving slowly. I remember being a child and riding in the car with my grandparents going out for a Sunday drive. My grandpa drove slowly to the park, to get ice cream, or to visit other old people. Grandpa had a car with a big engine and used to comment about how many horses were underneath the hood. This image was very confusing to all of us kids. I am sure his car today in the hands of one of these aggressive drivers would be very intimidating to me, and most other drivers, too.
I drive a little over the speed limit, not more than 5-7 miles over fearing a speeding ticket. On the expressway, I keep up with trafc and respect the warnings of a speed trap. Recently, I was harassed by a driver who crept up so close behind my car I could not even see his headlights or his license plate. I was in the car with my daughter, Anna, and her baby, Piper. It was like he came up from behind and was pushing his rage forward, giving me an ill feeling. He didn’t pass in the passing zone, but stayed tight on my butt. Was he drunk or on drugs? He seemed to be angry, driving too close behind me. I was fearful to tap my brakes to give him a warning to back off and afraid to slow down because he was close enough to rear-end
me. Anna could feel my nervousness, as she began to look back in her sideview mirror, too. I put on my turn signal about a half mile ahead to pull into a driveway so he would get off my tail, but even then, he was just feet away from hitting our car.
As he drove by, Anna got the license plate number and called it in. She told the operator who answered the 911 call that it was not an emergency and reported the plate number, color and make of the car, and where we were driving. The operator said he would alert other ofcers in the area, and then asked if we were OK. At the end of the conversation, the operator also said that they were thankful we were safe from the raging driver.
There is a lot that has changed in the last few years.
Road rage is a common thing, Mental health is a topic we all know and sympathize with as long as we are not the target of anger. Someone being in a bad mental state is a hazard for others on the road. It is good to call in these aggressive drivers to help make the road safer for everyone. In the end, everyone needs to take a deep breath, be patient, forgiving and kind to one another. Have a safe harvest, and be careful out on the roads.
Tina Hinchley, her husband Duane and daughter Anna milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres near Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Hinchleys have been hosting farm tours for over 25 years.
Blue Hilltop, Inc.
This season of life
The chopper’s roar echoing across the ridges and the valleys has been replaced by the constant purr of the combine. The frequency of trucks rambling in and out of the yard has decreased, but the Jake Brakes are just as loud as they vibrate the earth when the guys pull in with a full load of corn. The bay in the shed is full of corn waiting to be ground and the plastic will go up on the bunker walls this morning. Peter will don his goggles, mask, hooded sweatshirt and ear protection — looking like a character from a horror movie. In reality, it keeps our grinder guru from getting corn dust in every bodily orice conceivable.
The leaves hit their peak a few weeks ago and we took full advantage of it. We did a “leaf walk” through the woods, collecting all the colors and shapes of leaves we could nd. We also lled a basket with nuts and seeds. The leaves are currently being pressed in the pages of a farm magazine, with a set of encyclopedias on top for pressure. We will make some “leaf men” this week with them. Read Lois Ehlert’s book Leaf Man if you and your little ones need some leaf art inspiration. Like a true Wisconsin author, she even made a leaf cow, duck, chicken, and turkey.
Ira had to suffer through taking some senior pictures under the canopy of some vibrant yellow leaves. He is not a fan of photos. Is any teenage boy? The photographer was great, the weather was cooperative, and we even managed to get a true Ira grin. I dried up 35 cows on a Monday a month ago, and every Monday since there has not been less than 14 joining them. The dent that was made in the pens is still felt by the cows. It scares me to think I will have that many freshening in a small window of time, but, at the moment, the cows love the extra space in the other pens. I do not even have to look at the pen count list on the computer to know the pens are down a few cows. All the cows seem to appreciate the cooler nights; lucky for them, they did not have to go in search of a cozy stocking cap last week. The calves have been coming steadily, keeping us creative on our naming, as usual. I did go a bit rogue, not following the rst letter of the mother’s name protocol. BeeGees daughter Barry Gibb had a lovely little heifer, so I named her Robin Gibb. Cheerio gave us a heifer as well, and seeing as how we have used every “C” cereal name (except the obvious: Cereal),
To avoid costly mastitis cases and save money, look for sires with the Mastitis ResistantPRO designation. This one-of-a-kind genetic tool leverages genomic evaluations for CDCB Mastitis Resistance, CDCB Somatic Cell Score (SCS) and Zoetis Mastitis Resistance to deliver genetic improvement.
I named the calf Honey Nut. We have lost a few young heifers to some unexpected happenings, so the incoming numbers need to make up for that.
Our cows seem to go through weird seasons of colostrum production. We try to have multiple bags in the freezer for when they hit a low production point, but we blew through all of it. Sometimes we are overowing, but the past couple weeks we could barely save enough to feed the new calves. When this happens, we feed colostrum replacer to as many of the bull and beef calves as we can. This allows us to save a little extra fresh colostrum for the heifer calves. It was a milk juggling act. At last count we were back up to three bags frozen and ve fresh in the fridge ready for new babies. We also feed our heifer calves a two-quart bottle of second colostrum, trying to get as much of that golden liquid into the girls as possible. This need puts a strain on the system as well when cows and heifers are lacking.
School is owing along. It is bizarre sometimes to realize I have children at so many different levels of school, life, and development.
Ira has a manageable case of Senioritis already, but, luckily, he has work study two and a half days a week. He works with our custom harvester, Raymond Liska (also known affectionately as Ray Baby), xing, overhauling, driving, and learning. Like how we ask newlyweds when the baby is coming, the world seems to be collectively asking him what he wants to do after high school. He is not sure, and much like his mother at that age, seems to not be fond of being pushed outside of his comfort zone. Ira will turn 18 this week and I marvel at how fast time really does y.
Dane is a sophomore who likes to learn. This seems to be a struggle in many classes where his classmates do not have the same goals. He is the go-to guy for me on the farm for help in the kitchen or with the extra animals. His sow, Mrs. Rochester, just came back home after a month-long vacation with Mr. Chester White. Dane shot his rst deer with a bow last week on the farm. It was a beautiful sevenpoint buck with a wide rack and big body. He was elated and I started learning how to can venison.
Henry is a fth grader, “top dog of the elementary.” He is an operator child. Thankfully his teacher was a farmgirl, so when he didn’t do his reading for September and I mentioned that we were chopping corn a good part of the month, she got it. He loves to trail Ira and learn how to drive new things. Daily, he and Finley are either throwing a football or expanding their sandbox farm after school before chores. He shot a nine-point buck during the youth hunt weekend in October. There will be no shortage of venison in our freezers.
Second grader Cora keeps us all shaking our heads in amazement. From her outts to her outbursts, we are never sure what we will get. She is a voracious reader, which feeds her imagination and her play. She still farms with the boys. Her play has taken on new levels now. She has show cattle, is breeding her dairy cows to beef bulls, and even has to sell cows sometimes. Her spelling work at school has included the sentences, “Danae is Daylily’s dam. Sequence is Daylily’s sire.” If she isn’t playing Barbies, she is playing farm or working in the barn.
This season of my life has been lled with sights and happenings that make me pull out my phone to snap a picture or my paper to jot down words. There are so many moments I want to remember.
Jacqui Davison and her family milk 800 cows and farm 1,200 acres in northeastern Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira, Dane, Henry and Cora, help on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos, and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
By Jacqui Davison Columnist
Ramblings from the Ridge
Seasonal decline in colostrum yield
Providing adequate amounts of quality colostrum to dairy calves within the rst hours after birth improves calf health, growth and lifetime performance. In the fall, many herds are challenged with low colostrum production from fresh cows. This issue appears to be herd-dependent and cow-dependent and is likely affected by several factors.
Environmental factors
Seasonality plays a role in low or insufcient colostrum production.
period. Stalls need to be adequately sized with a comfortable lying surface. Group housing needs to be clean and dry with adequate square footage per cow. Always offer plenty of bunk space and provide heat abatement in the summer months.
Something to Ruminate On
Cows calving in the fall are exposed to long-day photoperiods during later gestation. Ideally, a dry cow would experience eight hours of daylight and 16 hours of darkness. In addition, these same cows are often exposed to heat stress during their dry period. Changes in hormonal pathways associated with colostrum synthesis occur as early as 40-50 days pre-calving.
By Barry Visser Nutritionist
Ambient temperatures are also cooler in the fall. Just as heat stress can be detrimental in the summer months, cold stress can present challenges to dry cows. Cold stress can reduce dry matter intake, reduce mammary blood ow and impair immune reactivity. Water intake can also be a greater challenge in cold weather. Lack of water availability (quality or quantity) will also contribute to lower DMI.
Management factors
Cow comfort plays a signicant role in adequate colostrum production and overall success of the transition
The length of the dry period affects colostrum quantity. A dry period that is less than 30 days signicantly reduces colostrum yield. This appears to be a bigger concern with animals coming into their rst or second lactations. A recent Cornell University study concluded that cows with a dry period shorter than 47 days had 2 pounds less colostrum than cows with a 47- to 67-day dry period.
The timing of colostrum harvest will impact the quality and quantity of colostrum. Make sure staff know the importance of timely colostrum harvest and sufcient milk-out. Excessive udder edema or the presence of mastitis can further complicate the success of the rst milk-out. Although not always practical, some farms have found success harvesting second-milking colostrum from cows with initial low yields while maintaining colostrum quality.
Nutritional factors
Sometimes cows calving in the fall are fed corn silage that was fermented for a year and then are switched to silage that has been fermented for less time. This impacts rumen microbial protein yield and rumen microbial turnover,
which can interrupt DMI.
Dry cow feeds are often lower in energy, but this should not mean lower quality. Remove any feeds from the dry cow ration that have a hint of mold. Certain mycotoxins may interfere with hormonal control of lactogenesis, and negatively impact DMI and immune status.
Nutritional strategies to improve DMI could have a positive impact on colostrum yields. This may require a slight increase in energy in colder weather conditions depending on housing and cow comfort. However, increasing energy appears to have little to do with colostrum yield if nutrient requirements are already met.
Ensure that dry cow rations have adequate concentrations of nutrients that impact immune function, such as
selenium, vitamins A, D, and E, manganese, and magnesium. In some cases, colostrum quantity has improved with the addition of a bypass protein source to increase rumen undegradable protein and improve microbial protein production.
While low colostrum yields are more prevalent in the fall, you may be able to minimize this challenge by focusing on the environmental, management and nutritional factors at play. Looking forward, consider how you might be able to accumulate surplus colostrum in the high-production months to ensure a reserve supply of high-quality colostrum when you need it.
Can it truly be the end of another growing season? It seems like just last month Austin was explaining his tillage and planting experiment on the back 40 as we walked through elds of reduced tillage, examining the progress of the emerging plants. Now the crops are in the bins and it is time to start sorting through the numbers to determine if goals were met. In other words, did it make money?
Sometimes we can get lost in the numbers and lose our focus on the real value of the numbers. The highest yields do not necessarily equate to the largest prot. Just like the highest bulk tank average does not always equal the largest return on investment. How much do those last extra bushels or pounds of milk really cost in the larger picture? I’m really excited to hear how Austin’s numbers worked out with his “green planting” project where he direct seeded corn in an alfalfa eld.
The dry conditions have made for a rapid harvest season this year. With such warm temperatures, low humidity and dry southerly winds, the corn moisture has been dropping faster than the New Year’s Eve ball in New York City. We jumped from corn silage to soybeans to high-moisture corn to dry corn harvest in a matter of days. My privacy fence surrounding the house disappeared through the snout of the combine in a few quick rounds. I forgot how busy our road is with feed trucks, livestock trailers and cars whizzing by in a hurry to get somewhere else.
While many people got out of town for the Minnesota Educators Association weekend, Mark and I settled for a Sunday country drive catching the last glimpse of fall colors. The scarlet sumac along the roadways framed the blazing orange sugar maple and vibrant yellow aspen trees tucked in a wooded area of red oak trees. It was stunning as the sunlight
danced off the waving leaves. The strong fall winds have tried their best to displace the beautiful view, but there were still areas of dazzling colors.
The natural decorations sure outshine the Halloween decorations in many yards. Giant skeletons stand guard over the driveway. Inated purple monsters stretch out their hands in the hope of grabbing an unsuspecting intruder. Ghosts dangle from low branches, uttering in the wind. I’m amazed at the lengths some people go to decorate for the season. I’m lucky if I have a few pumpkins lining the steps up to the house.
By Natalie Schmitt
I started thinking about Halloween decorations as I tried to sweep away the cobwebs collecting more dust than ies in the back corners of the barn. As some people purposefully put cobwebs up, I’m tearing them down. I have never seen so many large, fat spiders come to life as I disturbed their hibernation.
I’m trying to remove as many cobwebs as possible before we wash the barn for the year. The spiders have created these magnicent designs to withstand high winds and pelting rain, including the water pressure from a power washer. I am amazed at how much brighter the back of the barn appears once the cobwebs have been cleared. It also helps when the lights are working back there, too. Otherwise, it is like a deep, dark, creepy tunnel lined with tails waiting to swat at unsuspecting visitors. Barn version of a haunted house?
The record-warm temperatures are extending our fall season and hopefully shortening our winter season. The last few years it has felt like channel surng through the seasons, jumping between summer and winter with only a brief click through fall. It was only four years ago this week when we hosted our “Faith in Your Future Sale” where we sold all the milking cows and winter springers. We had over nine inches of snow the days before the sale. It was the earliest snowfall on record.
The barn is now full. The 2-year-olds are now 6. The barn is older, the machinery is wearing down and so are the farmers’ bodies. Future decisions and changes are staring us down like the front side of a double barrel shotgun. Once the dust of the harvest season settles and the fall decorations have been put away, it will be time to plan for next year and the next chapter of life on the farm.
As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark Schmitt started an adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.
Columnist
Is milk coming back?
First, butter made a comeback. Americans love butter’s clean label, minimal processing, and rich, distinctive avor. New research that shows the health benets – not health risks –of consuming dairy fat gave consumers permission to bring butter back into their lives. And they have done so with abandon. Domestic butter consumption has soared to over six pounds per person, up nearly two pounds since 2000.
a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the brain from age-related decline.
Dairy Good Life
Then cottage cheese followed. Protein is having a moment and cottage cheese might be the most versatile high-protein food ever. You can turn cottage cheese into everything from chocolate mousse to queso dip. Cottage cheese sales increased 16 percent year-over-year from May of 2023 to May of 2024. We certainly helped that increase. Five years ago, we bought a carton occasionally; now we regularly buy three-pound tubs and make sure there’s always an extra tub or two in the basement fridge.
Dan wrote a paper for school titled, “Why Milk is a Superfood.” Through the research he did for the paper, he taught his classmates about the benets of galactose on the brain development of children and the protections it offers adult brains.
By Sadie Frericks Columnist
Could uid milk be next? According to a USDA Agricultural Marketing Service report, uid milk sales for 2024 are up 1.1 percent year-to-date. One percent might not seem like much, but for a category that has dropped precipitously since 2009, any movement in the opposite direction is a big deal.
Milk is coming up in everyday conversations, too.
Dan and Monika’s FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation Team earned an opportunity to compete in the dairy judging contest at the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania last month. As their coach, I chaperoned the trip. We had dinner one night with the 4-H Dairy Judging Team from Minnesota. After taking our orders, the waitress asked, “Are you guys all dairy farmers or something?” How could you tell, we asked. We had practiced at a farm that afternoon and I was hoping we didn’t smell like cows. She said the giveaway was that we had all ordered milk with our meals. When we told her, yes, we are all connected to dairy farming, she said, “That’s really cool.”
A couple weeks later, on our drive home from World Dairy Expo, we stopped at a Chick-l-a for lunch. Monika asked if she could get a milk with her sandwich. With a big smile, the young lady taking orders said, “Yeah. Sure. I’m a milk girl, too. Some of my friends think I’m weird for ordering milk, but I don’t care.” Monika returned the smile.
New research on milk and human health is shining a positive light on dairy, as well.
Research from the University of Kansas Medical Center made headlines when it showed that consuming milk boosts the brain’s level of glutathione,
Research published last fall in the journal Nutrients veries what dairy farmers have intuitively known for years: Whole milk is best. This specic study showed that pentadecanoic acid, an essential saturated fatty acid found in milkfat, protects heart, metabolic, immune, and liver health.
And whole milk tastes so much better than skim or lowfat milk. The best foods really are the ones that taste great and help us be our healthiest selves.
The next step is getting whole milk back into schools. I believe we have lost a decade’s worth of milk drinkers by forcing schools to serve only skim and low-fat milk. And, as mounting scientic research shows, we have endangered children’s health by doing so. What a shame.
I had hoped that the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would pass and give schools the option to serve whole milk to students. Unfortunately, from what I heard when I was in Washington, D.C., this bill isn’t likely to pass through the Senate. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the chair of the Senate Ag Committee, told our group that senators are concerned that passing a bill like this would open the door for countless other attempts to legislate school lunch requirements.
Our next opportunity to get whole milk back into schools is through the new dietary guidelines. The nal meeting of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which will set the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2025-2030, is happening right now. Once nalized, the dietary guidelines will be used to set the School Nutrition Standards.
Dozens of comments were submitted to the committee extolling the benets of whole milk. Let’s hope that the committee members recognize the scientic evidence that so clearly shows why whole milk is essential to good health.
Including whole milk and wholefat dairy foods in the dietary guidelines would also give our dairy check-off organizations permission to include whole milk in promotions. Imagine what will happen when we can actually promote the health benets of whole milk. We’ve seen before that Americans embrace good-for-you foods that taste good. Fluid milk really could make a comeback.
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