THE GREAT
See pages 24 and 25 of this section for details!
2 DAIRY ST 5R C E L E B R A T I N G
2 5
Y E A R S
November 11, 2023
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 25, No. 18
Fully immersed in dairy Vine family contributes to the industry By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
NEILLSVILLE, Wis. — When Brian Vine completes his milk route and delivers the load to Grassland Dairy, he often has his youngest daughter Laura with him. While at the plant, he usually sees his 21-yearold daughter, Emma, who is there around the same time unloading her milk truck. Behind the scenes at that same dairy plant are Brian’s two older daughters, McKenzie and Samantha, who work in the processing department. The Vine family has been immersed in the dairy in-
dustry for a long time. They used to produce milk as dairy farmers, and now they are on the other side of the industry as haulers and processors. Brian said he enjoys relating to the farmers he hauls for. “I understand the happy times and the hard times and when things go wrong how stressful it can be,” Brian said. “I try to be compassionate with the farmers because we’ve been there and in the same situations.” Brian has been operating Vine Trucking, of Neillsville, since 2019. Brian started hauling milk when he needed a change from farming. When his employer wanted to sell his business, Brian took over the routes and bought a truck. At the time, Emma was in school and Brian operated the business as the only driver. Turn to VINE | Page 7
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Emma (from le�), Laura and Brian Vine wait for milk to unload Oct. 13 at the Grassland Dairy Products plant in Greenwood, Wisconsin. Emma and Brian both run separate milk routes, and Laura rides with and helps with mechanics. Brian’s other two daughters, Samantha and McKenzie, work in the processing plant
Efficiently caring for the future Calves on swift track at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Shawn Miller, calf manager at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, pauses for a photo Oct. 18 following a tour of the farm’s calf facility held as part of Professional Dairy Producer’s Calf Care Connec�on workshop near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. The calf facility houses 3,650 heifers from 1 day old to 11.5 months in 23 calf barns, ve bed-pack barns and two freestall barns.
KEWAUNEE, Wis. — Located 3 miles from Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy is the facility where all of the farm’s youngstock are raised. At this specialized site, heifers spend their rst year of life. These animals are the future of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, which milks 6,000 cows on three sites near Kewaunee. “We’ve grown a lot in the last 15 years,” said Shawn Miller, calf manager. The calf facility houses 3,650 heifers — from 1 day old to 11.5 months — in 23 calf barns, ve bed-pack barns and two freestall barns.
There are 900 calves on milk. “Everything is pail trained here; there are no bottles,” Miller said. “With pails, there is more refusal the rst day or two, but calves catch on pretty quick.” Waste milk is transferred from the dairy twice a day then pasteurized and mixed with a fortier blend. After pasteurization, milk is sent to a holding tank before being distributed into carts for delivery. For the rst two days, calves receive 2 quarts of milk. Day three through 13, calves are fed 2.5 quarts, and day 14 to 42, they receive 3.5 quarts. In wintertime, the oldest calves are bumped up by an extra pint in both the morning and evening feedings to provide additional energy. By day 43, calves are fed once a day, and by day 50, they are on water only and paired with
another calf. Between days 60 and 70, calves move into a bed-pack barn. Calves are weighed before moving on to each new barn. “We don’t promote as much milk as some people, and we move calves along pretty quickly,” Miller said. “We also look for good starter intake.” Grain is fed twice a day. For the rst 21 days, it is done by hand, and after day 21, grain is distributed by a cart. Calves are also given fresh water. “We only give them what they can drink — we don’t ll the pail full,” Miller said. “We try to do everything as needed.” Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy is a Holstein-Jersey crossbred herd, and the average daily gain for calves on milk is 1.6 to 2 pounds. Turn to PAGELS | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN Print: 2834-619X • Online: 2834-6203
522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Published by Star Publications LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition - 320-352-6303 Nancy Powell • nancy.p@dairystar.com Karen Knoblach • karen.k@star-pub.com Annika Gunderson • annika@star-pub.com Editorial Staff Jan Lefebvre - Assistant Editor 320-290-5980 • jan.l@star-pub.com Maria Bichler - Assistant Editor maria.b@dairystar.com • 320-352-6303 Stacey Smart - Assistant Editor 262-442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman - Staff Writer 608-487-1101 • danielle.n@dairystar.com Abby Wiedmeyer - Staff Writer 608-487-4812 • abby.w@dairystar.com Tiffany Klaphake - Staff Writer 320-352-6303 • tiffany.k@dairystar.com Amy Kyllo - Staff Writer amy.k@star-pub.com Emily Breth - Staff Writer emily.b@star-pub.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com National Sales Manager - Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 • fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 • jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 • mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa, Southwest Wisconsin) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com Julia Mullenbach (Southeast MN and Northeast IA) 507-438-7739 • julia.m@star-pub.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) • 320-248-3196 (cell) Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $40.00, outside the U.S. $200.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star / Star Publications LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Star Publications LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. © 2023 Star Publications LLC
Volatility in butter markets
Dairy Prole brought to you by your Butter prices have moderated after reaching record highs. DairyVisor President Joe Spader said holiday demand has been the biggest support for the market. “There may be a shift in consumer buying patterns for butter, but it has denitely created some volatility,” Spader said. He also said he is somewhat disappointed in the recent activity. “Given the fact that we are in that pre-Thanksgiving window, you’d like to see the front end of the market performing better than it is,” Spader said. “We also have expectations of that milk (production) surge coming back, and that’s also having a negative impact.”
Johnson calls for December farm bill action In a letter to his fellow Republicans, House Speaker Mike Johnson said his plan is to pass a new farm bill in December. Before that, Johnson wants Congress to pass all 12 appropriations bills, including the ag spending bill, during the week of Nov. 13. The Agriculture, Rural Development and Food and Drug Administration appropriations bill was on the oor a month ago and voted down in a dispute over budget cuts and language dealing with the availability of an abortion pill. Johnson plans to appoint a new working group to address those concerns. Johnson has a connection to agriculture Combest Sell and Associates Managing Partner Tom Sell is excited to see Congress get back to work with Louisiana Congressman Johnson on the job as speaker. “After 20-some odd days of not having a speaker, we’re back to the way the Constitution designed it,” Sell said. Sell is optimistic about what Johnson will do for agriculture. “Even in his initial rollout of priorities, the farm bill was among the six, and that’s a great sign,” Sell said. Johnson
North America dealers.
represents many rural Louisianans. Sell said Johnson is also well connected to Republican lawmakers from other agricultural districts.
Stabenow calls for farm bill extension Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow is now calling for an extension of the 2018 farm bill. In comments made on the Senate oor, Stabenow said the delays in the House made it impossible to pass the farm bill on a timely basis. In January, the farm program reverts to permanent law, and Stabenow said that would be “irresponsible.”
Ag Insider
By Don Wick Columnist
Help for organic dairies A bill has been introduced in the Senate that would extend disaster assistance to organic farmers who had net income decline of at least 10% due to organic feed shortages and increased input costs. This proposal would also call on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to collect more information about organic dairy production, such as what is available for convention production. Virginia Sen. Peter Welch introduced this bill with support from Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Baldwin said this bill recognizes the headwinds faced by the dairy Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5
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Thorp, WI
Birnamwood, WI
Compost develops biodiversity in soil First Section: Pages 12 - 13
Breyers provide Red & White Holstein for Great Christmas Giveaway First Section: Page 23
Dodgeville, WI
Toay family upholds dairy tradition for more than a century First Section: Pages 26 - 27
Milwaukee, WI
Cheese at center of Palermo’s frozen market success Second Section: Pages 20, 22 - 23
Waldo, WI
Top Performers: Ever-Green-View Dairy First Section: Pages 18, 20
Prairie du Chien, WI
Byron, WI
Women in Dairy: Suzie Menzer First Section: Page 29
Dairy Prole: The Flansburghs First Section: Page 33
Auburndale, WI
Becker missed second World Dairy Expo in 28 years Second Section: Pages 28 - 29
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What was the biggest challenge with the growing season in your area? First Section: Pages 15 -16
Madison, WI
Inside the emblem: Whitehall FFA Third Section: Pages 10 - 11
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Zone 1
Zone 2
Columnists Ag Insider Pages 2, 5 Pa First Fi s Section Fir
R Ramblings ffrom the Ridge Page 36 First Fi Section
Vet Veterinary V W Wisdom Pa Page 37 Firs Fir s Section First
Farmer and Columnist Page 35 First Section
The NexGen Page 39 First Section
The “Mielke” Market Weeklyy Pages 8 - 9 Second Sectionn
Country C C Cooking P Page 30 Second Section
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 5
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 2 industry, especially the organic dairy sector. “I’m ghting to make sure those organic dairy farms have the tools and support they need to continue to be the backbone of our rural communities,” Baldwin said. Animal welfare standards included in USDA organic rule USDA’s new standards for organic livestock and poultry production include strong language dealing with animal welfare. To qualify for the organic label, poultry must have access to the outdoors and pigs must have adequate space to move freely. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this is a big step forward, supporting “an industry that is incredibly important to American agriculture.” While these standards only cover animals raised in the National Organic Program, Humane Society of the United States President and CEO Kitty Block said this is the rst time farmers will be required to honor animal welfare standards in the care, treatment and handling of animals within a government program. Biden highlights his rural agenda on a MN farm Dutch Creek Farms, south of the Twin Cities, hosted President Joe Biden as he kicked off his focus on rural issues. Biden said the economics of agriculture told farmers they had to get big or get out. “Over the past four decades, we lost over 400,000 farms in America and over 141 million acres of farmland,” Biden said. “That’s roughly equal to the size of Minnesota, North and South Dakota combined.” Faced with higher costs, Biden said family farms have struggled to make the math work, “and the promise of keeping the farm in the family is slipping out of reach for so many across America.” To support farmers and rural communities, the White House announced over $5 billion for rural infrastructure and climate-smart agriculture projects. More time sought for feedback on H-2A reform A bipartisan group of senators is asking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Labor for a 60-day extension for public comment on reforms to the H-2A ag worker program. There is concern the DHS and DOL will nalize rules before
they can fully determine the impact on agricultural employers. Suputo to close Lancaster plant Suputo plans to close its Lancaster, Wisconsin, dairy manufacturing plant in early 2024. The Canada-based company recently converted a facility in Reedsburg which will take on the production that has been done at Lancaster. Suputo previously announced its plant in Belmont, Wisconsin, will close in 2024. Nelson promoted at Organic Valley Organic Valley has named Shawna Nelson as its new executive vice president for membership. Nelson has been with Organic Valley since 2005, most recently as vice president of the dairy pool. Jorgensen joins Edge Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative has hired Emma Jorgensen as its assistant project manager. Jorgensen will work on the $50 million USDA ClimateSmart grant, helping members reduce their carbon footprint and implement sustainability projects. Jorgensen is a Wisconsin native and has been working as an auditor for USDA and the Federal Milk Marketing Order.
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WFBF leader passes Wisconsin Farm Bureau past president Jim Holte has passed away. Holte served seven years as WFBF president, retiring in 2019. He spent 24 years on the WFBF board of directors. Holte, who farmed near Elk Mound, Wisconsin, is also a past president of the Wisconsin Beef Council. Trivia challenge The National FFA Convention has been held in Kansas City, Louisville and Indianapolis, Indiana. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what country is the largest producer of butter? We will have the answer in our next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
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ConƟnued from PAGELS | Page 1
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This is one of the newer calf barns at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy’s calf facility near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. The barn contains 60 pens and features a split-curtain design and venƟlaƟon tubes above both rows of calf pens that provide a 4-mph wind.
Each calf barn contains 60 pens. Workers use a chlorine dioxide solution to clean their boots every time before entering a hutch in the barns that hold the youngest calves. They also wear single-use gloves for each calf. Ear tags are used to record all details about the calf’s care and any events in its life. All calves are weighed at birth, fed colostrum and tagged before coming to the calf facility. Calves are fed one feeding of colostrum, receiving 1 gallon at birth. Miller said they are considering adding a second feeding to increase immunoglobulin and serum protein levels. “We make sure all calves get a quality colostrum and not a supplement,” Miller said. “ However, if we don’t have adequate colostrum or a colostrum with a Brix score of over 22, we will use a supplement. We are going to start pasteurizing colostrum soon to ensure it is clean going to the calves.” Calves are picked up from the dairy twice a day by two staff members, and the people picking up switch daily. Miller said this ensures interaction between everybody and saves on possible injuries. “There is constant communication between my staff and the maternity staff,” Miller said. “The herd manager and I and other managers at the dairy have a weekly meeting so everyone knows what’s going on.” The calf facility has a warming room that is typically used for only
the smallest members of the herd. “When we get some really small calves in the winter with not a lot of fat on them, we put them in here for a few days,” Miller said. “Or if a calf is a little sick, we’ll bring them in here too.” Starting at the end of November, calves wear jackets for added warmth. Newer calf barns feature a split-curtain design that Miller said provides opportunities to change the ventilation. Ventilation tubes located above both rows of calf pens provide a 4-mph wind to keep calves cool and reduce ies. All calf barn interiors are disassembled before moving in a group of calves. Pens are washed with a pressure washer and sanitized with chlorine dioxide. The barn oor is also sanitized. When it is time to leave the calf barn, calves are moved to bed-pack barns where they are housed in groups of 11. The newest bed-pack barn features a split-curtain design and insulated roof. “When building a new barn, we always want to ask what things can we do to make it a little better than what we currently have,” Miller said. “The lighting in here is substantially better than in the rest of our barns.” Calves in bed-pack barns receive the same starter as wet calves for one week before transitioning to a total mixed ration that is top-dressed for two weeks. By the third week, calves are fed only a TMR. Turn to PAGELS | Page 7
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 7
ConƟnued from VINE | Page 1
ConƟnued from PAGELS | Page 6
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Calves are moved to bed-pack barns like this one and housed in groups of 11 after weaning at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy calf facility near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. This barn features a split-curtain design and insulated roof.
Heifers move into a freestall barn between 4 to 5 months of age. At 11.5 months, they are sent to another Pagel’s Ponderosa facility in Coleman. Miller and his staff are diligent about monitoring calf health. As a result, the farm’s mortality rate averages between 0.5% to 1%. Treatment rates on the farm are at 20% for respiratory illness and 15% to 30% for scours. Oral electrolytes or IV uids are given to combat scours. One staff member walks the barns every morning to check calves from 1 day old to 21 days of age, looking for signs of dehydration and scours and deciding if they will give a calf electrolytes or milk. “We are very proactive with scours, and anywhere from three to 10 calves receive electrolytes every
day,” Miller said. “Rarely do we treat scours with antibiotics. Instead, we go heavy on electrolytes and will hold milk for one feeding.” The calf and heifer facility has 18 full-time employees. Staff training is ongoing, and Miller said they make sure to explain the reasoning behind what they do. “We really focus on the whys so that people understand why we’re doing the things that we’re doing,” Miller said. “We also share info with employees about what’s going on with calves as far as treatment rates, average daily gain and so on. That’s talked about on a weekly basis.” With help from a hands-on team, Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy is dedicated to producing robust calves that will one day be productive cows.
When another route became available, Brian bought another truck and hired a driver to run the route. In the meantime, Emma obtained her commercial driver’s license and decided to haul milk as well. She planned to relief haul for her dad when he needed her. After only three weeks, Brian’s hired driver quit. Emma went to work for her dad full time. She said she grew to love it more and more. “I went with Dad any chance I could get, and I just became a die hard for it,” Emma said. “It wasn’t just work. It became a career, something I could really get into. It ended up being something I really loved doing.” Laura has been learning the mechanics of the trucks. She changes shocks, tires, air bags, air lines and completes all the oil changes for both vehicles. She plans to get her CDL as soon as she is eligible. She said she learns something new every time she works on the trucks. “There’s so much involved with mechanics and so much to learn,” Laura said. “I will be able to take everything I’ve learned working on our trucks and put it toward my future. Once I get behind the wheel, I’ll know what to do and not be lost, which will make it easier.” Brian and Emma pick up milk at
30 farms between the two of them. They travel around the north central area of the state and haul around 250,000 pounds of milk per day. As the oldest, Samantha said she is proud of her family’s work. “I think it’s awesome how far and hard Dad and Emma are working with so many farms and only two trucks,” Samantha said. McKenzie agreed. “Farming and milk hauling are both jobs that are needed every day,” McKenzie said. “It’s a 365-day job; the cows don’t stop milking, so the truckers don’t stop trucking.” All the girls said it is important to support Brian in his milk hauling efforts. The weather has posed challenges, and Brian has had health issues in the past. His family has always helped him through tough times. Emma said working with her parents has been fun because their family’s easy dynamic makes the work fun. “It’s important to work with my dad because we are just two nice peas in a pod,” Emma said. “We know how to work with each other … I wanted to continue growing with the business and wanted to be there with him. Even with my mom, she became my best friend at work, and it all worked out very well.”
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
A dairy farmer Marine Grifn remembers service in 1970s Japan By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
ROCHESTER, Minn. — According to the Selective Service System, in 1971, 94,092 men were drafted into the military. That same year, a young dairy farm boy from Rochester, who had never been farther from home than South Dakota, enlisted with the United States Marine Corp. The dairy farmer was Dan Grifn, and he was ready to see the world. Newly graduated from high school, he knew he wanted to dairy farm, he said, but he told his dad he wanted to travel rst. “He understood that part of it,” Grifn said. “He went through eight years of school here at the schoolhouse — that was his entire (education) — and then he started farming as a 14-year-old with his dad.” Now, years later, Grifn said he wonders how his parents felt about his decision. Shortly before he enlisted, one of his cousins stepped on a land mine in Vietnam and almost died, not a positive endorsement for enlisting in the military. By October 1971, Grifn was whisked away to basic training in San Diego, California, alongside his friend Dennis O’Neill, who had enlisted with him. At basic training, the Marines determined Grifn was to become a Remington Raider, which was slang for an
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Dan Griffin holds the Marine ag May 11 on his farm near Rochester, Minnesota. Griffin dairy farmed for 35 years a�er his �me in the Marines. ofce clerk. After additional training at Camp Pendleton, also in California, Grifn was sent to a base in Iwakuni, Japan. Grifn said approximately 305 people were stationed at Iwakuni. He lived in Block 8, an old prison, where he shared a room with seven men. During the day, he worked as a les and mail clerk, served as driver for the colonel and did other administrative work. The Iwakuni base was an area originally purchased by the Japanese government in 1938 and became an air base for training and defense in 1940. The
base changed hands after World War II. During the Korean War, it served as a processing center for troops entering Korea. Jets stationed there supported frontline troops daily. It became a solely U.S. base in the early 1950s, and in 1956, the base was enlarged. Though Grifn was in the Marines during the Vietnam War, he did not face combat. His only contact with Vietnam was doing courier mail runs there in a C130 airplane and processing military members who were leaving. “You checked them back in and shifted them back home or whatever,”
Grifn said. “I saw a lot of messed up guys there.” Grifn was awarded several honors at Iwakuni. There, he qualied as an expert rie, the highest shooting and marksmanship level he could reach. He also was recognized as Marine of the Month twice during his stint, an honor he modestly attributes to the fact he was working directly with Colonel Donald J. “DJ” McCarthy, a man who would eventually command the entire Iwakuni base from 1983-86. As a reward for being named Marine of the Month, he received two rest and relaxation trips to Korea. Grifn was promoted to corporal in August of 1973, less than two years after going through basic training. In the town of Iwakuni, Grifn found his personal choice for the best BLT sandwiches in the world. On one of the narrow streets lled with the stench of the raw sewage which ran down the roadway, he found an unassuming little restaurant. Inside, the shop was dark, with seating for about 10. At the counter, he ordered a giant number of BLT take-out orders for him and his friends back at the base. From his years in Japan, he still craves fried rice and fried-rice omelets. The Iwakuni base was located approximately 25 miles southwest of Hiroshima, so Grifn had the opportunity to visit. It still looked war-torn, as less than 30 years had passed since the atomic bomb had been dropped there. Skeletons of buildings and destruction stood as a reminder of the world-changing event. Turn to GRIFFIN | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 9
Con�nued from GRIFFIN | Page 8
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Dan Griffin’s Marine of the Month le�ers of recogni�on rest May 11 at his home near Rochester, Minnesota. Griffin was named Marine of the Month twice and was awarded two rest and relaxa�on trips to Korea for those honors. “Even at the time I was there, I didn’t feel like it was comfortable to be an American in Japan,” Grifn said. On the base, the farm boy was always keeping himself busy above and beyond his full-time work. He served as a waiter in an on-base restaurant, and he often took a duty shift in exchange for cash from a Marine who wanted to have a night on the town. “I wish I would have gone a lot more places,” Grifn said. “Instead of taking somebody else’s duty, I wish I would have gone and done something myself.” After being honorably discharged in late 1973, Grifn began dairy farming again while also attending Rochester Community College — now Rochester Community and Technical College — for auto mechanics. He met his wife, Faye, through college, and they married in 1975. In the late 1970s into the 1980s, the couple began to establish themselves as they slowly developed and bought into the Grifn family farm. Being a young dairy farmer in the 1980s was not easy. “We were paying 22% interest on an operating note,” Grifn said. “How I did it, I’ll never know.” The Grifns did not go on vacation for about 10 years. For their 10th wedding anniversary, they spent 24 hours in the Twin Cities as their celebration. The Grifns prevailed over the hard times and kept dairy farming, carrying on the legacy of their family farm, which has been in existence since 1883.
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AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Dan Griffin enlisted in the Marines in 1971 and was sta�oned in Japan. His base was located approximately 25 miles southwest of Hiroshima, and Griffin visited the site less than 30 years a�er an atomic bomb had been dropped there. In 2007, their son Kevin joined the farm, and in 2019, they sold the milk cows and focused on other farming operations. Today, a Marine ag ies off of Grifn’s porch, and, together with Kevin, Grifn farms around 500 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Kevin has meat and dairy goats, chickens and grass-fed Red Angus. Grifn also owns several Red Angus and has one dairy heifer, a descendant of his dairy herd. As a veteran, Grifn has seen a switch over time in sentiment toward veterans. “There were an awful lot of people who never went in the military who weren’t happy with Vietnam-era veterans,” he said. Today, Grifn said, he sees all veterans being celebrated for their time in the military.
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Maximizing milk and her team are still going through the data to conProgram takes deep rm that thought. Luchterhand also shared data from a case study dive into uncovering done on a commercial dairy farm in Texas, examining the effects of lock-up time in early-lactation production opportunities animals.
“In this study, we wanted to know if we were making our healthy cows sick,” Luchterhand said. By Stacey Smart There were 200 cows per treatment — either stacey.s@dairystar.com a two-hour lockup for the rst 21 days in milk or zero hours of lockup. Cows that did not get locked MADISON, Wis. — Helping herds maximize up had greater milk yield, lower somatic cell count, their milk production through evaluation of cow 20% fewer cases of mastitis, a lower incidence of comfort indicators, facility design and manage- lameness, and a rst estrus of 10 days and were ment measures is the focus of the C.O.W.S. Pro- pregnant 45 days sooner. In a commercial dairy study done in Minnesota gram from Novus International Inc. “The purpose of our program is to help unlock in 2020, Luchterhand compared stocking density bottlenecks, identify opportunities for cow com- to milk yield and gross feed efciency. In pens fort and provide tips to help improve the produc- with a 100% stocking density, cows averaged 73.6 tion of your herd,” said Karen Luchterhand, Ph.D., pounds of milk and 1.62% feed efciency. In pens with 130% stocking density, cows averaged 72.7 C.O.W.S. Program lead. pounds, and feed efciency was the same as in Luchterhand shared data collectpens with 100% density. ed from on-farm assessments durThe bigger difference was ing a Knowledge Nook presentation seen at a stocking density of 153% titled “What are our top producing which had more than 900 cows in herds doing?” Oct. 4 at World Dairy one pen averaging 70.4 pounds Expo in Madison. and 1.59% feed efciency. “We’ve done over 1,600 assess“There was a very small difments in the U.S. inuencing over ference in milk yield between 1.6 million cows,” Luchterhand pens with 100% and 130% stocksaid. ing density and no difference in Cow-based measures assessed feed efciency,” Luchterhand said. include lying time, hock and knee “There is a threshold for every injuries, and lameness. Managefarm, and for this dairy, it looks ment and facility measures look at like it’s 130%.” things like stall design, time budget, When Luchterhand and her stocking density, bedding quality team conduct stall cleanliness and quantity, and water space. Karen evaluations on farms, they rank “What is the cow telling us?” Luchterhand up to 20 stalls on a scale of 1 to 3 Luchterhand said. “What can we Novus International Inc. where 1 equals dry, 2 equals wet learn from her environment?” C.O.W.S Program and 3 equals manure/soil. Luchterhand shared results “For each unit of increase, we from 476 assessments done on dairy farms in the Midwest and Northeast analyzing ma- nd that you expect to lose 5 pounds of milk,” ture, high-production Holsteins housed in freestall Luchterhand said. Luchterhand also shared data on what the barns. She said milking frequency dictated milk out- C.O.W.S. Program’s top 10 component herds look put signicantly with three-times-a-day milking like. The top herd came from Michigan and had a at a 9-pound advantage over twice-a-day milking. combined fat and protein of 8.13%. Cows at this Cows milked twice daily averaged 91.2 pounds of farm are deep bedded with reclaimed sand in a milk whereas cows milked three times a day pro- barn featuring tunnel ventilation and fans for pen duced 100.8 pounds. Cows milked four times a day cooling. Cows are fed twice a day and milked three times a day and spend 3.6 hours daily away from averaged 106.3 pounds. Ventilation options had a notable effect on milk their pen that has a stocking density of 144%. The No. 2 herd is located in Utah and had a yield. Cows averaged the most milk in cross-ventilated barns at 104 pounds. In tunnel-ventilated combined fat and protein of 8.10%. Cows at this barns, they averaged 92 pounds, and in naturally farm are deep bedded with dried manure solids in a barn featuring natural ventilation and sprinklers. ventilated buildings, cows averaged 88 pounds. Fresh cow management was another area ex- Cows are fed twice a day and milked three times amined. There was a signicant difference in milk per day and spend 3.8 hours daily away from their yield when fresh cows were located in a separate pen that has a stocking density of 127%. “All top 10 herds are either deep- or shallowpen compared to fresh cows sharing a pen with sick cows. On farms where separate pens were pro- bedded, primarily with sand,” Luchterhand said. vided, cows averaged 96.7 pounds of milk versus “Only one mattress herd made it into the top 13.” The top 10 herds had a combined fat and pro92.3 pounds for fresh cows housed with sick cows. Fresh cows housed in a lactating pen averaged 94.3 tein range from 7.28% to 8.13%. Six farms use natural ventilation, three use tunnel ventilation and pounds. Feed barrier design in high-lactating pens fa- one is cross-ventilated. Six of the farms use sprinvored headlocks over a post and rail system. Cows klers, and all farms milk three times per day. Time in a headlock system averaged 96.2 pounds of milk away from the pen ranged from 2.9 to 4.85 hours while cows in a post and rail system averaged 92.7 per day, and stocking density ranged from 98% to 144%. Most of the farms feed two to three times a pounds. “We’re not talking about lockup times as obvi- day. In closing, Luchterhand said feed availability ously that would be detrimental if you’re excessively locking up cows,” Luchterhand said. “Head- and feed delivery are two items farmers should relocks are protective. If you have a boss cow, it view on their dairy. “Consider more frequent pushups,” she said. takes a lot more work for her to pick out cows in a headlock versus a post and rail where she can just “Also, what are lockup times? I’ve been to dairies where I’ve seen the high pen locked up for ve bulldoze down the row.” Luchterhand said, in higher stocking densities, hours. Nobody was in the pen, and cows were done there may be a benet of using headlocks, but she eating. We need to avoid doing this.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 11
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
Building a better environment Compost develops biodiversity in soil By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Jeff Sauer stands by one of his family’s farm trucks Sept. 15, 2022, in Thorp, Wisconsin. Sauer operates Organic Waste Connec�ons, a compos�ng business that u�lizes organic agricultural refuse, including livestock mortali�es, to create a nu�ent-dense compost.
along with livestock mortalities, which are all composted together to create the soil-nourishing compost. “It really is the ultimate in upcycling,” Sauer said. “We are taking all of these things that are otherwise difcult to dispose of and turning it into something that is not only useful, but valuable for the environment.”
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With no similar business model to learn from and emulate, Sauer said, navigating all of the changes and growth of the business has been a process of trial and error. “We are simply learning as we are going,” Sauer said. “This is a constantly changing business, and we take a great deal of pride in the role
Midwest Dairy Farm March
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Before Treatment
ES
M
THORP, Wis. — When composting began at the Organic Waste Connections site in Thorp in 2020, Jeff Sauer had no idea where the venture would take him or how the service would prove to be one so needed and valuable throughout the Upper Midwest. Since its inception, OWC has experienced exponential growth, Sauer said, and that growth has come with growing pains that Sauer and his team are working to remedy. “We had no clue the amazing need that is out there for this service,” Sauer said. “How do you plan for growth you don’t even know you’ll have?” OWC was the rst business of its kind in the U.S. and remains one of just a few commercial livestock composting sites in the country. Sauer uses a variety of organic materials to create a compost that he is starting to farmers as a soil amendment to help create and improve soil health and biodiversity. Compost is created at OWC using materials such as feed refusals, waste hay and manure from local farms and wood byproducts from area sawmills,
we play in maintaining, protecting and improving the environment.” With that rapid growth, Sauer said, his team is essentially building and creating a completely new and redesigned composting facility. “We are building a site where we can operate through all types of weather, such as with our challenges when it is muddy like this, with the rains we see in the spring and fall,” Sauer said. “All of this is to ensure that we are protecting the environment that we rely on.” Improvements being made to the OWC site include bringing electricity to the site and building an ofce facility as well as adding a retention pond and hard-surfacing much of the working area. “We are putting in a heat recovery system to recover the heat given off by the compost,” Sauer said. “The product in the nished piles will stay 120 to 140 degrees year-round. It will never cool off.” Continually updating and improving the compost site is only half of the work facing Sauer and his team. “The other big job we have facing us is conveying the message to farmers, the benets of the compost we are creating,” Sauer said. “We are seeing some pretty amazing crop results from the compost this year.” OWC compost has been approved for use by the Midwest Organic Services Association.
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Finished compost is screened and piled Oct. 27 at Organic Waste Connec�ons in Thorp, Wisconsin. The compost provides diverse microbiology for soil improvement.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
A pile of nished compost waits to be loaded for distribu�on to Upper Midwest farmers Oct. 27 at Organic Waste Connec�ons in Thorp, Wisconsin. The nished compost remains at 120 to 140 degrees year-round.
One of Sauer’s favorite examples of crop success is located near the OWC composting site. “This young guy has never been able to grow a crop of soybeans on this eld because the ground was just bad; he has just been doing corn, back-toback,” Sauer said. “I asked him to do
a trial, and he spread compost across part of the eld and planted beans. He was so excited; he harvested 56 bushels to the acre on that eld from which he’d never been able to get a crop of beans, after just one year of applying compost.” As great as the results have been in the trials Sauer’s team have been conducting on traditional agricultural crops, they have been equally as great for other crops. “My sister-in-law grew a 2-pound potato this year,” Sauer said. “We believe potato producers would benet from this, too, especially if they are what we call organic producers.” Compost produced at OWC is nutrient dense, with analysis reports coming in at over 15 pounds of total nitrogen per ton, 18 pounds of phosphorous and 53 pounds of potassium. “The nutrients are a plus, but where the real benet comes in is the organic matter and the diverse microbiology present in the compost,” Sauer said. “The real value of the compost comes in how it can impact and build the soil year after year, continually improving and growing it.” That point is where Sauer said he nds his satisfaction. “Some might have the misconception that what we are doing here at OWC is negatively impacting the environment, but it is quite the opposite,” Sauer said. “As farmers, everything about the environment — the water, the soil, the air — it is all vitally important to our livelihoods, and we are doing what we can to protect, improve and enhance that in any way possible.”
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 15
from our side OF THE FENCE What was the biggest challenge with the growing season in your area?
Mark Merow Sparta, Wisconsin Monroe County 50 cows
Mark Steffes Mount Calvary, Wisconsin Fond du Lac County 275 cows
What crops did you plant on your farm this year? Oats, corn, soybeans and winter wheat. How was the harvest of each and how does that compare to other years? The yield on corn was similar to other years, even though it was a drought. Oats were average because we kind of had a couple rainy spells through there. We had 45-50 bushels to the acre on the oats. Soybeans were combined already, and we had about a third less than usual. We had 20 bushels per acre on sand and 40 bushels per acre on clay. What was the biggest challenge with the growing season in your area? Weeds. Some of the chemicals did not do good for the weeds. I’ve found some of the weeds have gotten immune, especially giant ragweed. I sprayed and then resprayed some. In the cornelds, I had to just leave it because I don’t have a high sprayer. What is the most recent change you have made in how you harvest your crops that has proved to be benecial? I just combine corn and store it in the bin for high-energy shell corn. I chop corn silage and haylage and keep it in the silo for the cows to make feed. The rst year of farming, I picked corn, but I’ve been shelling corn for 30 years. Once you combine, you don’t want to go back to picking. What is your favorite aspect of harvest? In the fall of the year, you want to see a good crop for the simple reason that you want to think you’ve done good all summer. Shelling corn with the combine is my favorite crop to make because the wagon gets full faster. If you’ve got a pretty good crop, it’s coming out pretty good where you might make a dollar or two. I can sell any excess grain. Tell us about your farm and your plans for your dairy this winter. We milk 50 cows and raise our heifers and our steers. We don’t use sexed semen, so we just keep our bull calves. We usually nish out 20 per year. We ship to Foremost Farms. My wife, son and two grandsons farm with me through a limited liability company. I’ve been farming here for 47 years since we got married and purchased it from my dad.
Eric Heeg, (holding Oliver, and Emily) Marsheld, Wisconsin W o o d County 60 cows
What crops did you plant on your farm this year? We planted 300 acres of corn and 175 acres of alfalfa. How was the harvest of each and how does that compare to other years? The harvest was really good. For corn silage, we averaged 25 tons per acre, which was probably three to four tons more than last year. Hay yields were up too, but I’m not sure on the exact amount as we don’t usually weigh our hay. What was the biggest challenge with the growing season in your area? Getting the corn in the ground was our biggest challenge this year. It was pretty dry this spring, which made the ground pretty hard. However, we managed to get it planted within our typical time frame. What is the most recent change you have made in how you harvest your crops that has proved to be benecial? We did buy a new corn planter this year, but we haven’t changed anything with how we harvest our crops. Timing is the biggest thing. We harvest at the right time, approximately every 28 days, so that we don’t let our hay go too long, and we harvest corn silage when it’s greener rather than drier. Having good crops helps improve milk production. What is your favorite aspect of harvest? My favorite part is when it’s done. I’m a cow guy, not a tractor guy, so I am glad when harvest is over and I can focus on the cows. Tell us about your farm and your plans for your dairy this winter. I am the third generation on my farm. My son, Curtis, farms with me along with a lot of good workers. We milk twice a day in a double-10 parlor and ship our milk to Sartori. We farm about 500 acres. We just got done putting up a machine shed, so we can now store our machinery inside. Other than that, I can’t think of anything else we are doing this winter.
W h a t crops did you plant on your farm this year? We planted corn, hay, soybeans and oats. How was the harvest of each and how does that compare to other years? The hay yield was less than normal because of the dry weather. Corn and soybeans were average, which was better than I expected. The oats yielded very well for silage. What was the biggest challenge with the growing season in your area? The biggest challenge we faced was the lack of rain all summer, and now this fall we have had so much rain that it is making corn harvest difcult. What is the most recent change you have made in how you harvest your crops that has proved to be benecial? Planting an earlier-day variety of soybeans has helped us because it allows us to spread manure earlier. It helps beat the heavy fall rains. What is your favorite aspect of harvest? I enjoying combining. I like seeing all the crops coming in and knowing that the investment made was worth it. Tell us about your farm and your plans for your dairy this winter. My wife and I have a 60-cow dairy farm. We crop farm 100 acres. We help with my family’s other 300 acres. We hope to keep the herd average close to the same while we try to stretch out our haylage and hay supply. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
Robert Benisch Hillsboro, Wisconsin Vernon County 45 cows
up hay because we never had to dodge any rain. The thing that helped us the most was we had over 200 wrapped bales left over from last year. We started feeding that early this year, but we also haven’t tapped into the new hay yet.
What crops did you plant on your farm this year? We planted corn, peas and oats, and then alfalfa. How was the harvest of each and how does that compare to other years? The rst crop was fair. Second crop was a little less than fair, and the third crop was poor. We never took the fourth crop because it never grew back after the third crop. We were able to harvest the hay a lot sooner because of the lack of rain, so we ended up with better quality. Every year you get several days of wet weather which takes its toll on the maturity of the crop. Even though we got less, the quality is better. Corn went 160 bushels to the acre. It was about 30-40 bushels less than last year, which was still a lot better than I thought it would be. We got a couple little tiny showers that was apparently enough moisture to pollinate the corn. What was the biggest challenge with the growing season in your area? The dry weather. We just let it play out. We didn’t have any trouble putting
What is the most recent change you have made in how you harvest your crops that has proved to be benecial? We planted our corn in 30-inch rows this year which helped the corn canopy faster, due to the narrower rows. It kept the moisture where it needed it. We had 38-inch rows all my life, and we decided to try a different planter, which seemed to work very well for us. We got a few inches of rain right when the corn needed it the most, and that’s what saved the day with the corn crop. It was right when the corn canopied. What is your favorite aspect of harvest? My favorite aspect of harvest is watching the corn coming out of the augers. I love to see that. When the crop looks halfway decent and the gravity boxes are full all the time, that is an even bigger plus. Tell us about your farm and your plans for your dairy this winter. We farm 360 acres here and rent another 80. My son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Kristin, farm with me. They’ve got four children as well. We don’t have big plans for the winter. We will just try to keep the cattle healthy and fed. My wife and I could never do it ourselves anymore, and I’m glad my family is here to do the heavy lifting.
Ryan Klussendorf Medford, Wisconsin Taylor County 98 cows
What was the biggest challenge with the growing season in your area? The lack of moisture this year was a challenge for us. It pretty much quit in May, and then later in the summer, we had sporadic rains. We did get 1 inch, right about the time the corn tasseled, which made a big difference.
What crops did you plant on your farm this year? We pretty much plant the standards: corn, a grass/clover hay mix and winter rye after our corn silage as a cover. We will harvest some of that for heifer feed. This year we planted Yield Max, a summer annual mix of sorghum-sudan, Italian ryegrass, hairy vetch and clovers. That really saved us this summer. Without that in our pasture rotation, we would have been done grazing in July. That carried us through the summer.
What is the most recent change you have made in how you harvest your crops that has proved to be benecial? We haven’t made any recent changes. We started no tilling about eight years ago and that has been benecial. We seem like we get more extreme weather events recently, either a lot of rain or very dry. The no till helps us through those, especially the dry weather. The soil retains more of the moisture, and the water inltrates the soil rather than running off. This summer when other corn was curling, ours was still green and doing well.
How was the harvest of each and how does that compare to other years? The rst-crop hay was pretty good, but second was really poor. We got something like 70 round bales off of 200 acres. Third crop was a little better but not great. For the dry conditions this year, we were pleasantly surprised by our corn. The silage was comparable to other years.
What is your favorite aspect of harvest? I would say nishing the harvest each year is my favorite aspect, knowing what we have for feed stores going into the winter. Tell us about your farm and your plans for your dairy this winter. We rotationally graze, use cover crops and no till. As we enter winter, we plan to get into winter mode, getting all of the winter covers in and getting the manure hauled.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
TOP PERFORMERS Tom and Gin Kestell; Chris and Jennifer Kestell of Ever-Green-View Dairy Waldo, Wisconsin | Sheboygan County | 96 cows
other than maybe one displaced abomasum per year. First milk weights for heifers average 100 pounds, and cows average 140 to 150 pounds at rst test.
Kestells achieve herd average over 41,000 through smart genetics, quality forages How many times a day do you milk, and what is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? We have milked three times a day for over 30 years. Our current herd average is 41,710 pounds of milk, 1,792 pounds of butterfat at 4.3% and 1,342 pounds of protein at 3.22%. Our combined butterfat and protein is 10.19 pounds per day (5.81 fat and 4.38 protein). We have a lot of young cows milking and are transitioning from an older herd to a younger herd. We have a cow that holds the 2-year-old world milk record at 58,000 pounds. Describe your housing and milking facility. Milk cows are housed in an 87-stall tiestall barn featuring waterbeds and tunnel ventilation. Cows go outside every day for exercise and heat detection. We milk in the barn with an around-the-barn pipeline and automatic takeoffs. We also use a portable teat scrubber. Who is part of your farm team, and what are their roles? My wife, Gin, does all the books, interacts with the bank, does a lot of the nancial planning, and took care of calves for over 30 years. Our son, Chris, is our partner and has been for the past 15 years. He handles maintenance
and crops. His wife, Jennifer, also helps on the farm. Dry ush cows are housed at their place. Celestino is our herdsman and has been with us for 18 years. He is like family and does all the hiring and has several employees who help him with the herd. Celestino’s girlfriend, Cristina, is the calf manager. Everyone on our team is equally important. If you have one bad area, nothing works well. What is your herd health program? We do a weekly herd health check every Monday. We were a very intense embryo transfer farm a few years ago, sending embryos to more than 30 countries. We focus on health and education in our embryo export program. We continue to export embryos and are planning to expand in this area once again. We follow a strict vaccination program for calves and adhere to colostrum specications. As a result, we treat very few calves. We are a closed herd, and cows are usually not vaccinated during pregnancy. What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? Dry cows and pregnant heifers are housed in a freestall barn and eat the same ration consisting mostly of haylage as well as
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Kestell family — Chris (front); (back, from leŌ) Gin, Jennifer and Tom — milk 96 cows and farm 800 acres near Waldo, Wisconsin. The Kestells’ current herd average is 41,710 pounds of milk, 1,792 pounds of buƩerfat at 4.3% and 1,342 pounds of protein at 3.22%. corn silage. They are not fed any concentrates or grains. Minerals, vitamins and salt are given free choice. Cows are dry for 50 to 60 days. When they are close to calving, they are put on a bedded pack. We basically do not have a transition program. When cows calve, they come in the barn and enter the milk-
ing herd. We feed a one-group total mixed ration and top dress fresh cows with dry baled hay for one week to buffer energy in the diet. Cows are coming from good feed as dry cows and going into good feed as milk cows. We have found it to be an easy transition for cows, and we have virtually no transition problems
What is the composition of your ration, and how has that changed in recent years? We try to feed a high-forage ration (over 60% forage) consisting of 50% corn silage on a dry matter basis and 50% haylage on a dry matter basis. We balance the ration with roasted soybeans, canola meal, minerals, vitamins, cottonseed and molasses. Our ration contains 38% concentrates and 16% proteins. It is a rather simple ration made up by our nutritionist. We’ve been feeding the same ration for a long time. One change we have made in the last ve to six years is that we started high chopping our corn silage at 30+ inches in height. It is 25% higher in starch; therefore, we feed a lot less highmoisture corn since the starch is in the corn silage. This practice has raised our milk production. Tell us about the forages you plant and detail your harvest strategies. We plant pure alfalfa stands that test 24% to 25% for protein. We do some grass elds for our dry and donor cows, but
Turn to TOP PERFORMER | Page 20
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 19
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
ConƟnued from TOP PERFORMER | Page 18 I prefer pure alfalfa. In the 2023 has been genetics. Certain bulls World Forage Superbowl at are tremendous production World Dairy Expo, we won rst bulls. It’s not necessarily what place in alfalfa haylage, third his paper says but how he works place in dairy hay and fourth in real life. Our highest producplace in baleage. We plant hy- tion cows have been our lowest brid alfalfa since they came out genomic tested animals. We dewith it and use all Dairyland termine which bulls work on our seed. Our BMR corn silage per- farm, and those are the ones we formed well this year. Our shell use. We have success if we use corn has a shorter maturity than proven bulls from proven cow some peoples’, and we harvest it families. One-hit wonders are early. Cutting corn silage at 30 to just that. We had the rst cow 34 inches high takes a few more to break 70,000 pounds of milk. acres, but not many — maybe We also have many generations 10% more at most. We don’t of Excellent-scored cows with feed a lot of it to heifers. They over 50,000 pounds of milk and get haylage instead because we a ton of butterfat. Short-term, don’t want them to get fat. We our high-chop corn silage and changed our cutting intervals for being selective about what cows heifers because we don’t want eat have created the biggest imextreme protein in their diet ei- provements in our herd average. ther. We allocate the feed that Feed intake is about 127 pounds each group needs. We do a 28- per cow per day (70 pounds of day cutting on hay for cows and dry matter intake). We try to be store all feed in upright silos. very consistent with our feeding. Baleage is stored in bags and fed to heifers and dry cows mainly. What technology do you use to monitor your herd? We don’t What is your average somatic use any technology to monitor cell count and how does that our herd. Rather, we are visual affect your production? Our in our monitoring. Eyes on cattle somatic cell count averages is the most important method. between 80,000 and 90,000. You develop a sense and have I attribute that to our milk- to be able to anticipate things. I ing practices. You have to train have nothing against technology milkers well and hope to main- in large herds. It’s important and tain them for a long time. Some is a benet to them. In smaller older cows are not as affected herds like ours, you have to be as young cows by SCC. Young in tune with the cattle. One techcows are tremendously affected nology we use is PCR mastitis by SCC. You don’t have a high monitoring through DHI to test SCC without having a problem. the DNA of a pathogen. There We never ignore SCC problems are certain pathogens you won’t on young cows. win against, and you have to recognize that. We use this tool What change has created the monthly on individual problem biggest improvement in your cows. herd average? Long term, it
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
This is a sample of the total mixed raƟon fed to cows at Ever-GreenView Dairy owned by the Kestell family near Waldo, Wisconsin. The Kestells feed a highforage raƟon consisƟng of 50% corn silage and 50% haylage balanced with roasted soybeans, canola meal, minerals, vitamins, coƩonseed and molasses.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Ever-Green-View My Gold-ET EX-93 is a previous world producƟon leader that set a 365-day record of 77,480 pounds of milk, 1,992 pounds of buƩerfat and 2,202 pounds of protein in 2016. Her dam, Ever-Green-View My 1326-ET EX-92, was the world milk producƟon leader from 2008 to 2015. What is your breeding program, and what role does genetics play in your production level? We use high genomic bulls, but we also use our own judgment in getting bulls from good cow families that have performed in the past. We have had recent success with bulls like Dante and Delta. We try to nd bulls that we think are going to work here, and then we use them quite heavily. List three management strategies that have helped you attain your production and component level. 1. Feed testing is critical. You need to know your
moisture levels and protein levels in your feed as well as ber, protein and starch levels. Knowing the whole breakdown of your feed is important. Test often because feeds change. Get the right feed to the right animals. For example, milk cows need different feed than dry cows and heifers. 2. BMR corn silage. This is a real asset to us. 3. Genomic testing to a degree when used as a tool only, not a be-all and endall solution. We do not use it to make culling decisions, etc.
farm in 1975, and today we farm with our son, Chris, and his wife, Jennifer. Genetics are important to us, and we strive to balance type with production. We have bred and owned a number of state, national and international production leaders. Our BAA is 110.7, making us fth in the U.S. for our herd size. We farm 800 acres and market 25 bulls per year and also sell a lot of cows. In the next year, we would like to get back into exporting more embryos.
Tell us about your farm and your plans for the dairy in the next year. Gin and I bought the
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 21
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Case IH 8250 2022, 2WD, Duals, 1300 hrs., 1000 Sep. hrs.,#572186......$394,900 Case IH 8250 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 1100 hrs., 800 Sep. hrs.,#572187 .....$489,900 Case IH 8250 2022, PRWD, Duals, 1300 hrs., 1000 Sep. hrs., #572189...$409,900 JD 7720 1982, 2WD, Singles, 4688 hrs., #572029 ....................................... $8,300 JD 8820 1980, PRWD, Duals, 3900 hrs., #570003 ....................................... $9,900 JD 9500 1990, 2WD, Duals, 5324 hrs., 3656 Sep. hrs.,#571037 ................$21,500 JD 9500 1990, 2WD, Singles, 5448 hrs., 3588 Sep. hrs., #571381 .............$21,000 JD 9500 1990, 2WD, Singles, 5602 hrs., 3908 Sep. hrs., #571471 .............$18,800 JD 9550 2002, PRWD, Singles, 5211 hrs., 3600 Sep. hrs., #570006 ...........$43,500 JD 9550 2001, 2WD, Singles, 4976 hrs., 3145 Sep. hrs., #572170 .............$52,500 JD 9600 1991, PRWD, Duals, 5313 hrs., 3614 Sep. hrs., #567724 .............$24,900 JD 9600 1995, 2WD, Singles, 4000 hrs., #568110 .....................................$28,900 JD 9560 STS 2004, 2WD, Duals, 4638 hrs., 2982 Sep. hrs., #567094 .......$52,500 JD 9570 STS 2009, 2WD, Duals, 2367 hrs., 1597 Sep. hrs., #556547.......$104,900 JD 9570 STS 2008, PRWD, Duals, 3464 hrs., 2237 Sep. hrs., #568406 ......$99,500 JD 9570 STS 2009, 2WD, Duals, 2450 hrs., 1600 Sep. hrs., #571894.......$105,900 JD 9650 STS 2003, 2WD, Duals, 3121 hrs., 1973 Sep. hrs., #571360.........$47,900 JD 9650W 2000, 2WD, Duals, 3680 hrs., 2665 Sep. hrs., #568122 ............$45,000 JD 9660W 2004, PRWD, Singles, 6542 hrs., 4267 Sep. hrs., #571552 .......$41,900 JD 9670 STS 2009, PRWD, Duals, 4102 hrs., 2958 Sep. hrs., #568814......$78,400 JD 9750 STS 2003, 2WD, Duals, 5105 hrs., 3367 Sep. hrs., #565004.........$37,500 JD 9750 STS 2001, PRWD, Duals, 5100 hrs., 4800 Sep. hrs., #571375 ......$38,500 JD 9760 STS 2005, 2WD, Singles, 4300 hrs., 2575 Sep. hrs., #571176 ......$79,900 JD 9770 STS 2008, PRWD, Singles, 3480 hrs., 2448 Sep. hrs., #569958 ....$99,900 JD 9770 STS 2011, PRWD, Duals, 2862 hrs., 1990 Sep. hrs., #571840 ....$114,500 JD 9870 STS 2008, PRWD, Duals, 3385 hrs., 2494 Sep. hrs., #566621 ......$97,500 JD 9870 STS 2011, 2WD, Duals, 3809 hrs., 1747 Sep. hrs., #567383.......$109,900 JD 9870 STS 2010, PRWD, Duals, 3558 hrs., 2425 Sep. hrs., #568308 ......$94,500 JD S660 2014, PRWD, Duals, 1824 hrs., 1317 Sep. hrs., #532082............$189,500
JD S670 2012, 2WD, Duals, 3021 hrs., 2019 Sep. hrs., #569358..............$122,500 JD S680 2017, PRWD, Duals, 1516 hrs., 1053 Sep. hrs., #273646............$219,900 JD S680 2014, PRWD, Duals, 2425 hrs., 1668 Sep. hrs., #531966............$195,000 JD S680 2012, 2WD, Duals, 2756 hrs., 2032 Sep. hrs., #552659..............$119,900 JD S680 2013, PRWD, Duals, 2592 hrs., 1906 Sep. hrs., #563909............$160,000 JD S680 2017, PRWD, Duals, 2017 hrs., 1350 Sep. hrs., #570488............$239,500 JD S680 2013, 2WD, Duals, 2186 hrs., 1720 Sep. hrs., #571079..............$146,500 JD S680 2012, PRWD, Duals, 2157 hrs., 1274 Sep. hrs., #572098............$172,500 JD S680 2017, PRWD, Duals, 2787 hrs., 1850 Sep. hrs., #572100............$197,900 JD S690 2017, PRWD, Duals, 2513 hrs., 1605 Sep. hrs., #568113............$239,000 JD S770 2018, PRWD, Duals, 2320 hrs., 1652 Sep. hrs., #549678............$259,900 JD S770 2021, PRWD, Duals, 579 hrs., 486 Sep. hrs., #554050................$405,000 JD S770 2022, PRWD, Floaters, 55 hrs., 20 Sep. hrs., #563704 ................$546,000 JD S770 2022, PRWD, Duals, 337 hrs., 148 Sep. hrs., #567222................$564,900 JD S770 2022, PRWD, Duals, 270 hrs., 91 Sep. hrs., #567225..................$574,900 JD S780 2020, PRWD, Singles, 1640 hrs., 1204 Sep. hrs., #531610 .........$349,000 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Duals, 254 hrs., #545327 .....................................$619,000 JD S780 2020, PRWD, Duals, 1341 hrs., 941 Sep. hrs., #550187..............$369,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 461 hrs., 353 Sep. hrs., #552362................$549,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Floaters, 544 hrs., 323 Sep. hrs., #553546 ............$549,900 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 361 hrs., 238 Sep. hrs., #554013 ...............$619,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 245 hrs., 183 Sep. hrs., #554094................$565,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Floaters, 359 hrs., 170 Sep. hrs., #554623 ............$569,000 JD S780 2018, 2WD, Duals, 1223 hrs., 826 Sep. hrs., #555412................$319,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 300 hrs., 280 Sep. hrs., #561020 ...............$623,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 362 hrs., 251 Sep. hrs., #563618 ...............$619,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 717 hrs., 374 Sep. hrs., #563633................$549,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 497 hrs., 347 Sep. hrs., #563635................$549,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 243 hrs., 192 Sep. hrs., #563701 ...............$619,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 497 hrs., 307 Sep. hrs., #563710................$549,000
JD S780 2018, PRWD, Duals, 2835 hrs., 1901 Sep. hrs., #567178............$234,900 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 298 hrs., 165 Sep. hrs., #567271................$585,000 JD S780 2021, PRWD, Duals, 519 hrs., 300 Sep. hrs., #567515................$519,900 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 433 hrs., 262 Sep. hrs., #568072................$569,900 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 792 hrs., 420 Sep. hrs., #569414................$529,000 JD S780 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1733 hrs., 1200 Sep. hrs., #571593............$283,500 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 888 hrs., 750 Sep. hrs., #571615................$489,900 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Singles, 676 hrs., 424 Sep. hrs., #571725 .............$533,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Singles, 576 hrs., 400 Sep. hrs., #571886 .............$529,000 JD S780 2021, PRWD, Duals, 388 hrs., 285 Sep. hrs., #572205................$529,000 JD S780 2021, PRWD, Duals, 400 hrs., 305 Sep. hrs., #572206................$529,000 JD S790 2021, PRWD, Tracks, 981 hrs., 530 Sep. hrs., #191075 ...............$549,500 JD S790 2019, PRWD, Duals, 1987 hrs., 1426 Sep. hrs., #532032............$299,000 JD S790 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1702 hrs., 1218 Sep. hrs., #549845............$309,000 JD S790 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1571 hrs., 1055 Sep. hrs., #549846............$329,000 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 487 hrs., 302 Sep. hrs., #552839................$579,500 JD S790 2020, PRWD, Duals, 1404 hrs., 1023 Sep. hrs., #557138............$399,000 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Singles, 264 hrs., 90 Sep. hrs., #557140 ...............$629,900 JD S790 2021, PRWD, Singles, 979 hrs., 770 Sep. hrs., #557277 .............$479,000 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 284 hrs., 155 Sep. hrs., #563325................$599,900 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Singles, 655 hrs., 314 Sep. hrs., #563815 .............$579,500 JD S790 2021, PRWD, Duals, 926 hrs., 551 Sep. hrs., #565421................$499,900 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 495 hrs., 368 Sep. hrs., #566460................$624,900 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 558 hrs., 316 Sep. hrs., #566694................$579,900 JD S790 2020, PRWD, Singles, 732 hrs., 425 Sep. hrs., #568212 .............$501,000 JD S790 2020, PRWD, Floaters, 734 hrs., 485 Sep. hrs., #568213 ............$497,000 JD S790 2021, PRWD, Duals, 1722 hrs., 1500 Sep. hrs., #572086............$364,900 JD X9 1100 2021, PRWD, Tracks, 1095 hrs., 735 Sep. hrs., #552917........$749,000 JD X9 1100 2021, PRWD, Tracks, 1029 hrs., 715 Sep. hrs., #552921........$769,000
Locations throughout minnesota & western wisconsin! CALL TODAY! (320)365-1653 SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 23
Rosalie comes wrapped in ribbons, bows Breyers provide Red & White Holstein for Great Christmas Giveaway By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
BIRNAMWOOD, Wis. — She will not be arriving in Santa’s sleigh, but the best Christmas gift one lucky young Wisconsinite will receive next month will instead ride in a cattle trailer. That fortunate youngster will become the owner of a Red & White Holstein heifer calf. Once again, Dairy Star is holding its Great Christmas Giveaway, with the most exciting prize being a registered Red & White heifer calf bred by the Breyer family — Doug, Cindy, Dillon and Derek — of Townline Acres Holsteins in Birnamwood. Townlineacres RosalieRed-P, a polled Red & White calf born Sept. 12, is sired by Aprilday Mcdonald-P-Red-ET. A potential 10th-generation Very Good or Excellent cow, Rosalie’s maternal pedigree is deep, tracing back to a perennial show ring favorite of the past, Stookey Elm Park Blackrose-ET EX-963E-GMD-DOM. Blackrose, Rosalie’s sixth dam, was the all-time All-American junior 2- and junior 3-year-
old, and was the 1995 reserve All-American aged cow. Rosalie’s dam, MS BoothHaven Risky-Red-ET VG-87, is an early daughter of Riverdown Unstopabull-Red, with a 3-yearold record of 36,520 pounds of milk, 1,447 pounds of butterfat and 1,057 pounds of protein, completed in 303 days. “We bought Risky as a bred heifer, from a friend,” Derek Breyer said. “We like buying animals like her — younger animals from good pedigrees that you can get for a reasonable price. That is how we have developed most of our cow families.” Breyer said he is condent that Risky will obtain an Excellent classication score the next time the Holstein Association USA classier visits their farm. Rosalie’s second dam is an EX-90-2E Scientic Demello from an EX-93 full sister, sired by Braedale Goldwyn, to Rosedale Lexington EX-95-2E, the 2013 All-American 5-year-old. The Breyers are excited to provide this year’s calf for the annual contest. “This is a great opportunity for us to give back to the dairy industry, a community that we have been fortunate to be a part of,” Breyer said. “There is nothing better than a kid with a calf. Both my brother and I had that experience, and we want to pay that forward.” The Breyers milk 120 head with two Lely robotic milking systems. They have been using the robotic milkers since 2019. Registered dairy cattle rst
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Derek Breyer holds Townlineacres Rosalie-Red-P Nov. 7 at his family’s farm near Birnamwood, Wisconsin. A lucky young Wisconsin dairyenthusiast will win Rosalie at the conclusion of the Dairy Star’s Great Christmas Giveaway in December. came to the farm in 2005, when Derek and Dillon were getting involved with showing at their county fair. “We both really wanted to show registered animals instead of grades, and that is how we ended up getting our rst registered animals,” Breyer said. “Slowly, we have built our herd and have shown you can build a pretty nice herd without spending a lot of money.”
The Breyers credit much of their success to the adults who served as mentors for them along the way. “Dan Cnossen played a big role in getting us started,” Breyer said. “He taught us a lot and has been a great mentor to us over time, and that has developed into a great friendship — and we are grateful for that.” The friendship with their mentor has developed into a
partnership, with the Breyers and Cnossen purchasing a Red & White heifer at the recent Our Favorite Holsteins Complete Dispersal Sale, allowing Cnossen, a former dairy farmer and Holstein Association USA classier, to continue to stay connected to the industry. “It’s a great opportunity for us, and we are able to help Dan stay involved in the breeding of registered Holsteins,” Breyer said. “It’s one way we can repay him for the kindness he has shown us over the years.” Helping a young person get a start in building their own herd, by providing a calf that can become that foundation animal for someone, is another way that the Breyers said they can repay the kindnesses that Cnossen and others have shown them throughout their nearly 20 years of involvement in registered Holsteins. Rosalie is a unique calf for someone to begin building a herd with, Breyer said, combining three aspects of breeding registered Holsteins: being naturally polled, being Red & White and coming from a high-type maternal family. “Helping a young person get started with a calf from a good pedigree, that’s important,” Breyer said. “We wouldn’t be where we are if people hadn’t helped us out too. That is what is great about this industry; it is a cycle of each generation helping the next, and when that happens, everyone benets.”
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
+
DAIRY ST R
THE GREAT
2023 Grand Prize Drawing Will Be Held Wednesday, December 13, 2023 ADULT
THE WINNERS WILL BE POSTED ON WWW.DAIRYSTAR.COM, MILK BREAK NEWSLETTER AND ON FACEBOOK.
“GRAND” PRIZE
2) $500 CASH GIFTS! 17 & UNDER “GRAND” PRIZE
2) HEIFER CALVES!
PLUS: 11 DAYS OF
GIVEAWAYS
FOR ADULTS LEADING UP TO GRAND PRIZE DRAWINGS
Gr Calf o and Prize “Grand” Prize Heifer Calf: Breye wned by the r fam ily co from T o wnlin mes Acres e Birna Holsteins mwo od, W in is.
TOWNLINEACRES ROSALIE-RED-P
Born: September 12, 2023
Sire: Aprilday Mcdonald-P-Red-ET Dam: MS Booth-Haven Risky-Red-ET VG-87 Derek Breyer is pictured with Townlineacres Rosalie-Red-P, the heifer calf that will be given away in the Great Christmas Giveaway drawing.
REGISTER FREE AT ANY OF THE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 25
REGISTER AT THESE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES: WISCONSIN CALUMET COUNTY • D&D Equipment Chilton • 920-849-9304
CHIPPEWA COUNTY
• Chippewa Farm Service, LLC Chippewa Falls • 715-382-5400 • Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply Stanley • 715-644-2350
CLARK COUNTY
• Cloverdale Equipment Curtiss • 715-223-3361 • Premier Livestock Withee • 715-229-2500 • Silver Star Metals Withee • 715-229-4879
DODGE COUNTY
• Central Ag Supply Juneau • 920-386-2611
DUNN COUNTY
• Leedstone Menomonie • 866-467-4717 • MAC Contractors Menomonie • 715-232-8228 • Midwest Livestock Systems Menomonie • 715-235-5144
GRANT COUNTY
• Dickeyville Feed Dickeyville • 608-568-7982 • Fuller’s Milker Center, LLC Lancaster • 608-723-4634 • J. Gile Dairy Equipment Inc. Cuba City • 608-744-2661 • Premier Co-op Lancaster • 608-723-7023 • Scott Implement Platteville • 608-348-6565
GREEN COUNTY
• Lely Center Monroe Monroe • 888-927-4450 • Monroe WestfaliaSurge/Koehn, Inc. Monroe • 608-325-2772 • Top Notch Feed & Supply New Glarus • 608-527-3333
IOWA COUNTY
• Farmer’s Implement Store Mineral Point • 608-987-3331 • Premier Co-op Mineral Point • 608-987-3100
JACKSON COUNTY • W.H. Lien, Inc. Hixton • 715-963-4211
LAFAYETTE COUNTY
• Center Hill Veterinary Clinic Darlington • 608-776-4083 • Darlington Feed LLC Darlington • 608-776-3862
MANITOWOC COUNTY • EIS Implement Two Rivers • 920-684-0301
MARATHON COUNTY
• Brubacker Ag Equipment, LLC Edgar • 715-613-7308
WINNESHIEK COUNTY
PEPIN COUNTY
• Brynsaas Sales & Service Decorah • 563-382-4484 • Franzen Sales & Service Fort Atkinson • 563-534-2724 • Lang’s Dairy Service Decorah • 563-382-8722 • Windridge Implement Decorah • 563-382-3614
PIERCE COUNTY
DAKOTA COUNTY
MONROE COUNTY
• Preston Dairy Equipment Sparta • 608-269-3830 • Anibas Silo & Repair Arkansaw • 715-285-5317 • Ag Partners Ellsworth • 715-273-5066
POLK COUNTY
• Midwest Machinery Osceola • 715-220-4256
RICHLAND COUNTY
• Fuller’s Milker Center, LLC Richland Center • 608-647-4488 • Premier Co-op Richland Center • 608-647-6171
SAUK COUNTY
• Central Ag Supply Baraboo • 608-356-8384
VERNON COUNTY
• Koon Kreek Feeds Coon Valley • 608-452-3838 • Premier Co-op Westby • 608-634-3184
IOWA
ALLAMAKEE COUNTY • Waukon Veterinary Service Waukon • 563-534-7513
DUBUQUE COUNTY
• Brunkan Equipment Worthington • 563-855-2434 • CJ Beeps Equipment Farley • 563-744-5010 • Eastern Iowa Dairy Epworth • 563-876-3087 • Helle Farm Equipment Dyersville • 563-875-7154 • New Vienna Ag Automation New Vienna • 563-921-2896 • Rexco Equipment Farley • 563-744-3393 • Roeder Implement Dubuque • 563-557-1184 • Scherrmann’s Implement Dyersville • 563-875-2426 • Skip Breitbach Feeds Balltown • 563-552-2393 • Ungs Shopping Center (IAS) Luxemburg • 563-853-2455
HOWARD COUNTY
• Farmers Win Co-op Cresco West • 563-547-3660 • Windridge Implement Cresco • 563-547-3688
MINNESOTA • Midwest Machinery
NorthÀeld • 507-645-4886 • Werner Implement Vermillion • 651-437-4435
HOUSTON COUNTY
• Caledonia Implement Company Caledonia • 507-725-3386 • Farmers Win Co-op Caledonia • 507-725-3306 Houston • 507-896-3147 • Hammell Equipment Eitzen • 507-495-3326 • Midwest Machinery Caledonia • 507-725-7000
GOODHUE COUNTY
• Ag Partners Farm Store Cannon Falls • 507-263-4651 Goodhue • 651-923-4496 Pine Island • 507-356-8313 • Central Livestock Zumbrota • 507-732-7305 • Midwest Livestock Systems, LLC Zumbrota • 507-732-4673 • Midwest Machinery Cannon Falls • 507-263-4238 Wanamingo • 507-824-2256 • Zumbrota Stockman’s Supply Zumbrota • 507-732-7860
WABASHA COUNTY
• Ag Partners Farm Store Plainview • 507-534-2531 • Beck Implement Elgin • 507-876-2122 • Leedstone Plainview • 800-548-2540 • Midwest Machinery Plainview • 507-534-3116 • Wingert Sales & Service Plainview • 507-534-2285
WINONA COUNTY
• Ag Partners Lewiston • 507-523-2188 • Ag Specialists St. Charles • 507-932-4800 • Elba Co-op Creamery Elba • 507-796-6571 • Kalmes Implement Altura • 507-796-6741 • Lang’s Dairy Equipment Lewiston • 507-452-5532 • Lewiston Rentals and Repairs Lewiston • 507-523-3564 • Midwest Machinery St. Charles • 507-932-4030
To view a complete list of participating businesses, log on to www.dairystar.com
*Enter as often as you like. One entry per store visit, please. Winners must be 18 years or older and a Grade A or B dairy farmer for adult prize, or 17 years or younger and a son or daughter of a Grade A or B dairy farmer for heifer calf. Winners must also live in the Dairy Star circulation area to be eligible and are responsible for transport of animal.
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
Toay family upholds dairy tradition for more than a century
A rm foundation
By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
DODGEVILLE, Wis. — In the barn at the Toay family’s farm near Dodgeville, there are 74 clean tie stalls waiting for cows to come in for night chores. A few scattered kernels of corn remain in front of the stalls from the morning. The clean center walkway and the white walls and ceiling are indicative of the consistent daily care that is put into keeping the barn up to par. While certain upgrades have been made with the progressing times, such as the addition of Wi-Fi and a camera system, much of the original features of the barn are still in place. One such feature is the four tree trunks holding up the entire structure. The barn was built in 1916, and the trunks have provided a rm foundation for the family to continue to dairy there ever since. “Things are changing so much, but (we) utilize the land the way that it has been to try to keep carrying on that tradition,” Dan Toay said. “It can be a way of life, but it’s what
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
The Toay family — Dan (from leŌ), Paige, Lisa and Ryan — stand in their 107-year-old barn near Dodgeville, Wisconsin. The farm was homesteaded by Dan’s ancestors in 1857, and today the family milks 85 cows there. you want to make of it.” Dairying has always been Dan’s path. The farm began when 80 acres were homesteaded by Dan’s ancestors in 1857. The original barn held
30 cows, but additional stalls were added in 1994 when the herd was doubled. The family has milked around 85 cows there ever since.
Dan and his wife, Lisa, bought the farm from Dan’s parents in 2004. Their youngest daughter, Paige, helps on the farm, and their nephew,
Ryan, is their only full-time employee. Dan’s two brothers both work in construction off the farm, but they always help with eldwork whenever they are needed. It was important to Dan to continue dairy farming in part because he did not want to see the dairy disperse but also because his dad was so easy to work with, he said. “He was open to new ideas all the time; he didn’t shoot me down or tell me I should’ve done it a different way,” Dan said. “We got along really well. It was really nice working with somebody like that.” Lisa has been in charge of the accounting since before she even lived on the farm. She said the transition process when she and Dan took over was so simple because the family all wanted to see their parents’ wishes honored. Later when Dan’s father passed away in 2019, his mother exited the partnership so no loose ends would be left untied. “All the siblings went and met with the accountant, and the paperwork amounted to one page,” Lisa said. “It was so nice. You don’t see that a lot.” Dan agreed. “It was an easy transition between myself and the siblings,” Dan said. “It was simple.” Turn to TOAY | Page 27
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ConƟnued from TOAY | Page 26 The farm has grown to 378 acres 13 years old. When he graduated from owned and 90 acres rented. Aside from high school two years ago, he decided pasture ground, their land base is most- to farm full time with Dan and Lisa. ly utilized for feed. One change that “He does everything; this kid is like Dan has implemented since his time in a jack of all trades,” Lisa said. “He’s a charge is moving great driver on evto custom harvest “We’ve had to go more ery piece of equipcrews. ment. We’re lucky to the custom hiring “We’ve had that he wants to be to go more to the here.” custom hiring and and the rapid harvesting Paige is in her the rapid harvestnal year of high process just in order to ing process just school and plans in order to make make a better forage to pursue an edua better forage for cation in agribusiour cows, with la- for our cows, with labor ness after gradubor being another ating. She helps being another issue. issue,” Dan said. take care of calves “Doing the crops Doing the crops faster and heifers and is faster has been the the relief milker if best thing that’s has been the best thing Ryan and Dan are allowed us to adunavailable. that’s allowed us to vance.” Dan said the Feed for the farm has been a advance.” cows consists of good way to teach corn silage and the younger genDAN TOAY, DAIRY FARMER haylage stored in eration about the upright silos, and importance of a additional corn silage is stored in a bag. good work ethic among all the changes Cows are fed haylage and corn silage in life. out of the silos by means of a single “I tell them whether it’s me or conveyor that both silos empty into somebody else you work for, you roll simultaneously. In the barn, cows get your sleeves up and you get to work,” high-moisture corn and high-moisture Dan said. “You try. An effort is better baleage. than an excuse — and that’s true in evRyan has been helping since he was erything.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 27
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 29
women
IN DAIRY
Tell us about your farm and family. My husband, Ryan, and I have four children: Sierra, Riley, Emma and Logan. Majerus Dairy Farms has been around for 60 years. My father, Phil, is an entrepreneur, and early on in his career, he invested his money into farming land and stanchion farms. He started by cash cropping, and after 18 years, he bought his rst milking barn. Over the years, he continued to buy more; we were milking in six stanchion barns before building our current double-20 herringbone parlor. Our hired hands at the barns were not getting any younger, so he decided it was time to build. He wanted to provide more time off and an easier milking process. We moved all of our milking animals to the new facility and milked our rst animal there in June of 2011. Our six other barns now house our remaining dry cows and youngstock. While we milk 440 animals at our original parlor, we purchased another milking parlor nearby and are milking an additional 160 animals there as well. What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? As someone who works on a farm, I often do not have a typical day. Other than herd health on Mondays, I could be doing anything from data entry, payroll or moving heifers. I also manage our milk-purchase relationship, various equipment needs, and employee relations and training. What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? I have organized and committed to quarterly meetings for our farm employees. I put together an agenda of expectations, protocols and discussion points. We then have a translator put the agenda into a presentable format in Spanish for the employees, and we attend the meeting. We aim to encourage communication between farm management and employees, as well as show the employees they are valued and have a voice on our farm. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. This is an easy one — Day on the Farm. We hosted Day on the Farm this year and were visited by 700 kindergarten and rst grade students from 12 schools. The majority of the kids had never been on a dairy farm before. It was incredibly memorable
Suzie Menzer
Byron, Wisconsin Fond du Lac County 600 cows
seeing the enthusiasm on the kids’ faces and the genuine presentation of farm life to them by our youth Day on the Farm workers. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I have enjoyed having the opportunity to meet such amazing people in this industry, with stories about their upbringing and what led them to life in dairy. They often have and continue to experience hardship, but they embody the values of commitment and hard work. I love being in an industry where you’re surrounded by so many people with an incredible level of integrity. What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? My current biggest accomplishment is completing our herd health plan. Many of us are now being evaluated by the FARM program. I decided to take all the doubt out of it and create my own manual, which is fully bilingual and personalized. It includes everything from employee training to all protocols, even how to handle down cows. For new personnel, it’s an easy resource to get them documented and trained quickly. It makes us more condent as a team and more efcient in getting employees on the right track, right away. What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I always try to push our farm to new levels of involvement in our community. Some of our favorites to support are local FFA chapters, 4-H clubs, schools and other farms. We also contribute to the county fair farm-related exhibits and enjoy having high school students on staff via the school-towork program. What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Keep a smile on your face. Even in the crappiest moments (sometimes literally), a smile will always make you feel better, and it often will make someone else feel better too. And always think the best of people … not the worst. Positivity is contagious. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I enjoy spending time with my family, being on the lake and cooking.
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’13CIH CIH4412 6130 2039/1411 hrs ..................$169,500 ‘15 .................................................. $49,500 ’97CIH CIH4412F 2144,chopping 3672/2792 hrs...................$49,500 ‘17 ............................... $99,500 ’97CIH CIH3406 2188 4503/3191 hrs....................$24,900 ‘13 ...................................................$29,500 ’10CIH CIH2162-40’ 7120 3259/2275 hrs....................$99,500 ‘07 .............................................$24,900 ’12CIH CIH8250,TRACKS 7120 3584/2398 hrs....................$94,500 ‘22 ................................. COMING 3’13 - ’15 CIH7230 4408F Corn Heads ...................IN STOCK CIH 3248/2213 hrs..................$104,500 ‘10 882 Cart, scale, green ...................$34,900 ’18Brent CIH 6140 1317/983 hrs....................$279,500 ‘19 Brent V1100 Cart, scale,&trap, red ..........$94,500 PLANTERS TILLAGE ‘13 J&M 620 Cart, Tarp, Red .........................$24,900 ’10 CIH 1240, 12/23, Bulk........................$49,500 NEW J&M Grain Carts ................................N STOCK NEW CIH 2150S 16/31................................ CALL FALL TILLAGE NEW 2023 CIH TM255 32.5’............... IN STOCK 1(: URZ SODQWHUV......... IN STOCK ‘12 Landoll 2130-17 Chisel plow...................$59,900 ¶ &,+ ,Q OLQH ULSSHU......................$16,900 NEW CIH 2500 5 shk ..................................IN STOCK ’12 Landoll 2130-17 Chisel ............$59,500 McFarlane Reel Disk 14’Disc .............................. $24,900 6XQÀRZHU ¶ )LQLVKHU ....................$9,950 NEW CIH TM255 32.5’ FC ..........................IN STOCK
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Is strategic hoof trimming an option for your dairy? There are two types of cows that quires weighing the benets and costs benet from hoof trimming: a lame of the procedure. Since hoof trimcow, and a cow that will not become ming involves removing the animal lame because she has been hoof from its usual environment, it leads to corresponding changes in behavior, trimmed. Clearly, any lame animal is an ap- such as alterations in lying time and activity levels. Notably, there propriate candidate for hoof are also changes in cortisol trimming and requires hoof levels and milk production trimming immediately. Howlikely attributable to disrupever, surprisingly, selecting tions in a cow’s daily routine. the right animal for prevenThese costs add to the labor tative hoof trimming is more and equipment expenses ascomplicated. sociated with the procedure. It is commonly recomGiven these considerations mended to trim every cow at least twice per lactation, but By Gerard Cramer, and the fact that the preventative benets of hoof trimthe evidence for this recomDVM ming are not universally apmendation is limited. When University of plicable, selecting the right in lactation hoof trimming Minnesota candidate becomes a strateshould occur is also less gic decision that may vary clear. As herds have grown for each farm. larger, doing whole herd trims is beStrategic hoof trimming involves coming less common. However, some farmers still use this approach. More recognizing that there are four popuherds have been moved to a more lations of animals on most farms that strategic program where all cows are require hoof trimming: never lame, trimmed every 100-180 days. The currently lame, recently lame and hisnext step in the strategic approach is torically lame. These groups are dyto adjust the trimming program based namic, with animals moving between them almost daily. The trimming on a cow’s lameness risk category. When the animal is not lame, program for these groups is likely to choosing the right candidate for hoof differ. For example, within the same trimming becomes a decision that re- herd, the group of never lame cows
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might only be trimmed prior to dryoff, while cows with a history of lameness might be trimmed every three to four months. Lame cows should be promptly trimmed in all herds, and recently lame cows with hoof horn lesions require a recheck at least a month after hoof trimming. A strategic approach to hoof trimming differs from the commonly recommended approach of trimming every cow twice a year and demands a strong focus on detecting lame cows and utilizing appropriate management software to track them. Farms that have successfully implemented this program have a dedicated person who is responsible for detecting
lame cows on a weekly basis. Additionally, these farms either have an in-house hoof trimmer or a hoof trimmer who comes on a weekly basis to ensure lame cows receive prompt care. Lastly, this approach relies on hoof-trimming data from individual cows; therefore, successful herds use software to record trimming data and integrate that with their management software to create the trim list automatically. In conclusion, strategic trimming might be something for a dairy if it does not have a lot of excessive horn growth and if the lameness team is very good at nding lame cows.
Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968
Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277
Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435
Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610
Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711
Erin Royster royster@umn.edu
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104
Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863
Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620
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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
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 31
Healthy cows, healthy hormones Lauber explains high-fertility cycle at PDPW workshop By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MARSHFIELD, Wis. — Getting cows pregnant is a primary focus on dairy farms, and getting cows into a high-fertility cycle is one way to achieve reproductive success. Megan Lauber, a University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Animal and Dairy Science Ph.D. candidate, spoke at the Professional Dairy Producers Herdsperson Workshop Oct. 12 in Marsheld. Lauber said that maintaining consistent body condition scores is one way to promote a high-fertility cycle. “What I like to call the high-fertility cycle is having cows be fertile, not gaining excess body condition, having them calve in their subsequent lactation, not having transition issues, not losing a lot of body condition and reinstating the cycle,” Lauber said. According to Lauber, cows that are calving with a body condition score of around 2.5 to 2.75 tend to lose less body condition early in lactation than their peers who calve with higher or lower scores. That leads to fewer health issues, which creates better fertility. These cows are more likely to be pregnant by 130 days in milk and tend to gain less body condition as they complete their lactation and enter their dry period, putting them at that optimum 2.5 to 2.75 body condition score to begin the next lactation.
“If we can minimize the amount of body condition score cows lose, we can have better fertility and keep our herds having better fertility,” Lauber said. Lauber referenced a study that looked at how an early postpartum change in body condition score affected fertility to a timed breeding, where all cows were bred to a timed double ovsynch. Cows in the study were body-condition scored at calving and again at 21 days in milk. Cows were then grouped by whether cows lost, maintained or gained condition. “You typically think that all cows lose condition during that time period,” Lauber said. “What is interesting in this study is that they didn’t. About 42% lost condition, 36% maintained and 22% gained. There was no real difference in production among those cows. So, cows that are gaining condition and still milking at the same level are eating more and getting energy that way, and having a full rumen in a ruminant is good.” Looking at pregnancy outcomes, the study found that the differences in fertility between the groups was dramatic. “The group that lost was 23%, while the group the gained was at 83%,” Lauber said. “It seems high, but it is so impressive to see how that condition loss, or lack of it, affects fertility. All of the protocols were the same, so the outcome was really driven by condition.” Lauber said that, along with monitoring body condition scores, using timed breeding programs play a role in increasing fertility by increasing the conception rate. “Research has found that, if we breed cows off a double ovsynch, we increase pregnancy per A.I. by about 10 percentage points,” Lauber said.
Developing an understanding of the cow’s hormonal cycle and how using hormonal protocols affects that goes hand in hand with getting cows into a high-fertility cycle, Lauber said. “We have both lactating cows and heifers on our farms, and it is kind of interesting to look at the differences in their repro cycles,” Lauber said. Lauber said that lactating cows typically have a shorter duration of estrus than heifers do. Conception rates for heifers are typically higher than those of lactating cows, and the occurrence of pregnancy loss is typically higher among lactating cows than among heifers. In addition, Lauber said that lactating cows are more likely to have multiple ovulations, which increases the incidence of twinning. “These differences are something we have to try and manage our way through and better understand,” Lauber said. Lauber also said that progesterone, produced in the corpus luteum, plays a role in these cycles. She noted a UW-Madison research study that set out to determine why these differences occurred. During the study, Lauber said, researchers looked at the size of the CL, relative to the amount of progesterone produced. In that study, they learned that cows tended to have larger CLs than heifers. Lauber said that one might think a larger CL would produce a greater amount of progesterone, but the study showed the opposite to be true. “Lactation really increases the metabolic demands on cows,” Lauber said. “It seems that milk production is really impacting steroid concentration in our cows.” As dairy farmers select for higher
milk production, Lauber said, that correlates with increased feed intake, which leads to increased blood ow throughout the gastrointestinal tract and visceral to absorb those increased nutrients. Along with that, liver blood ow is increased. “The liver is responsible for metabolizing steroids in the body, including these ovarian steroids,” Lauber said. “We have these high-producing cows with higher feed intake, more blood ow and greater metabolism of estrogen and progesterone, decreasing it in circulation.” The protocols that have been established by the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council have worked to address and compensate for these issues in lactating dairy cows, Lauber said. In the normal hormone cycle of a lactating cow, Lauber said, GnRH would be released by the hypothalamus. The GnRH would stimulate gonadotrophs to produce luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which play an important role in follicular development. As the follicle grows in size, it produces estrogen. When estrogen reaches the required threshold, the cow will be in estrus. The estrogen from the follicle will act on the brain, causing a GnRH surge which produces LH, causing the cow to ovulate. During a hormonal treatment such as an ovsynch protocol, the cycle is manipulated by administering GnRH from an external source, to initiate a follicular wave. “We have done a lot of management things over the years that have improved cow health and fertility in our herds,” Lauber said. “When we apply these management tools, we are taking what we understand about the cow, and her cycle, and using them to our benet.”
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Case TV450B, ‘21, 1k hrs, tracks................... $69,000 Case SV280, ’18, 1105 hrs ............................. $43,000 Case SV280, ’18, 1800 hrs ............................. $41,500 Case SV280, ’18, 2750 hrs ............................. $38,500 Case SV280, ’15, 3200 hrs ............................. $27,000
Case SR270, ’15, 395 hrs ............................... $42,500 Case SR210, ’19, 1900 hrs ............................. $38,500 Case SR210, ’17 2800 hrs .............................. $32,500 NH C227, ’17, 750 hrs, tracks ....................... $47,500
Case IH 875 ripper, 14’ ................................. $59,500 DMI 730B ripper ........................................... $12,500 JD 220 disk ...................................................... $4,500 Case IH 4800 24’ F.cult ................................... $5,500 DMI TMII 42.5’ Field cult w/ basket ............. $27,500 Sunflower 25’ field cult................................ $14,900 McFarlane 45’ harrow .................................. $13,000 Krause TL6200 45’ w/basket ........................ $45,000 Krause TL6200 42’ w/basket ........................ $65,000 Krause TL6200 27’ w/basket ........................ $49,000 CIH 1250 24row bulk planter, ’09 .............. $109,500 CIH 1255 12 row bulk, ’15 ............................ $95,000 CIH 1250 16 row bulk, ’12 ............................ $79,500 CIH 1200 16 row bulk, ’04 ............................ $36,500 CIH 1200 16 row box .................................... $32,900 CIH 900 6 row w/liquid................................... $8,500 White 6100 12R front fold ........................... $11,500 Demco 1250 gal. 90’ boom .......................... $17,500 Brent 1082 cart green w/tarp ...................... $39,500 Brent V1100 red w/tarp & scale ................... $97,000
Brent 1194 cart red tandems scale .............. $57,500 Brent 1394 cart red w/tarp .......................... $40,000 Brent 882 cart red w/tarp ............................ $33,500 Brent 880 cart red ........................................ $32,000 Brent 780 cart green scale ........................... $29,000 Brent 678 cart red ........................................ $23,000 Brent 670 green.............................................. $7,500 Brent 470 ........................................................ $6,500 M&W 10 wheel rake ...................................... $7,900 DC103 10ft disc mower cond. ...................... $35,000 NH 1411 discbine ............................................ $8,900 NH 560 baler net/twine 5500 bales ............. $44,500 Case IH 565 baler ’17 .................................... $33,000 Case IH 564 baler ......................................... $13,900 NH BR7090 10k bales .................................. $22,000 NH BR780 11k bales .................................... $12,000 Vermeer 605M net/twine ............................. $14,900 JD 566 19k bales net/twine ............................ $8,000 H&S 430 spreader top beater ........................ $8,500 NH FP230....................................................... $13,500
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 33
DAIRY PROFILE
Kathy, Devon and Alan Flansburgh, Green Valley Farm Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin | Crawford County | 120 cows
How did you get into farming? Alan’s grandparents, Robert and Anna, moved to the farm in 1942 and purchased the operation a few years later. It was passed on to the next generation, Paul and Matilda Flansburgh, in 1965. Alan and Kathy took over when they purchased the farm in 1998. Their ve sons, Derek, Dustin, Dylan, Devin and Dalton, all grew up helping on the farm and are involved today. Devin is on the farm full time and oversees the two Lely A4 robotic milking systems that were installed September 2022. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Alan: It’s always a concern whether milk price will cover the cost of production. We should be OK now that we have been able to purchase some quota from a neighbor who no longer milks cows. What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? Devin: We added robots last year. My parents were going to quit milking in two years because they had been milking since 1998 and Dad’s shoulder was getting worn out. I wanted to keep going and was interested in the robots, so we went that route to keep milking. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. Kathy: Between our ve boys, we have everything covered. Devin does a lot of vet work like IVs, cleaning cows and all the A.I. Dustin is a welder, Dylan is mechanically inclined, Derek does all the combining and is also a computer tech and helps with the robots, and Dalton was always helpful mixing feed. Devin is the only one on the farm full time, but the others are willing to help when they can. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Alan: To be progressive. My grandpa started out milking cows by hand in the 1940s. Eventually they upgraded to can milk and then a pipeline. When Kathy and I took over in 1998, we installed a parlor and thought that was the best decision ever.
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Kathy, Devon and Alan Flansburgh stand together Oct. 25 on their farm near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The Flansburghs milk 120 cows with two roboƟc milking systems, which they installed in September 2022. And now there are robots milking the cows. My dad passed away in January, and he saw all those changes in his lifetime. Additionally, we are using a total mixed ration and have added a combine to stay efcient in those areas as well. What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? The skid loader because it cleans the freestall barn twice a day, unloads feed from delivery trucks and basically does some of everything on the farm. The mixer because we have to feed the cows efciently, and the robots because the parlor is not useable anymore. What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? Kathy: We diversify between a lot of things to compensate for each other. We raise
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work, but it’s worth it. Devin: Just take it day by day.
How do you maintain family relationships while also working together? Kathy: We just work together easily because everyone wants what is best for the whole farm. The entire family works together to make the farm business a success.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? Devin: For the next year, we plan to just perfect the process with the new robots. Alan: In the next ve years, we will probably turn it over to the kids.
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Devin: Being able to do different things all the time and working with the cows. Kathy: I am thankful to have raised my kids on the farm and now have our grandson here as well. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Kathy: It’s a lot of
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? Kathy: I enjoy shing whenever I can. We take our boat on the Wisconsin River which is right next to our property. Devin: I enjoy spending time with my family. Alan: I like hunting and shing. I went shing in Canada this year, and it was great.
Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
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Hello readers. I am Emily Breth, What made those moments even daughter of Jerry and Tammy, and I just better was the younger calves that were recently signed on with Dairy Star as nearly too small for their jackets and a part-time reporter. Ever since I was looked like they were wearing capes young, I have always had a passion for since their jackets covered most of their farming, especially legs. dairy farming. Along While in high with my respect for school, I was active the dairy commuin FFA and served as nity, I also grew up chapter president my loving to write and senior year. I enjoyed always knew in the working with the new back of my mind that members and helping I wanted to write for them nd their calla living. Now working within the agriing at Dairy Star, I am cultural community, blessed to be able to or even in leadership. combine my two bigIt was rewarding to gest interests and call see a smile on their it my career. face when they talked By Emily Breth I grew up on a about how their comStaff Writer small family dairy petition went and said farm, Breth Country they were going to Acres, near Albany, Minnesota. My stick with it. family milks 44 Holstein cows with a I am currently a student at Anoka few Jerseys in the mix. The farm has Ramsey Community College, working been in the Breth name for exactly 100 toward my degree in creative writing years and has seen four generations with only a few credits to go. After I grow. graduate this upcoming May, I plan on I have three older siblings — Dil- working full time with Dairy Star. lon, Miranda and Makayla — who also Working for Dairy Star is a dream inherited a passion for the dairy com- come true for me. I get to talk to farmmunity through our parents and the ers about their farm and see the passion cattle themselves. As a kid, I loved to they have for farming. I am excited to go to the barn and play with the calves, grow my skills and am grateful that Jan watch my mom and dad milk the cows, and Tiffany are willing to help me with and see how everything worked. There every question I have. I am very glad wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t my dad agreed to let Mark Klaphake learn something new. take a picture of him harvesting corn Even as I got older, I still enjoyed because that was when we talked about going to the barn, even if it was to do a possible position for me with Dairy chores. My main chore on the farm, once my sister went off to college, was caring for the calves. I loved to watch them grow and see all of their different personalities. A core memory I have from the farm is walking out of the barn with milk for the calves and watching them get so excited that they would pop their heads out of their huts and then run back and forth from front to back. I would watch them do this at least three times before I got their milk poured. j Star andd set me on my new journey off It was funny to see how what one calf S sharing amazing stories from the dairy would do would turn into something that all of them did, despite their per- community. sonalities.
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Bits, pieces from 2023 As soon as the weather turns colder and the threats of snow are in the forecast, school tours end for the season. I have been thrilled to host farm tours for so many schools, families and international visitors over the past 25 years. We race all spring, summer and fall; then the tours slow down in November. When I have some moments free, I think back on all of the amazing things children have said and done throughout the season. This spring, we had chicks for the children to learn about. We had them sit in a circle and brought out chicks from a stock tank in the chicken coop. I usually put them in the front pocket of my sweatshirt to keep them warm and to surprise the kids. I explain that the chicks are little and they can run, so I have them make a fence with their legs and have them get By Tina Hinchley Farmer & Columnist ready to cup the chick with their hands when I set it in their pen. I strategically pull the chicks out of my pocket, looking for a child who will be able to demonstrate how to cup the chick, and then move down a few children and pull the next one out of my pocket, and so on. This particular day, there was a group of bilingual kindergarten students. The teacher was speaking in both English and Spanish. The rst chick was a brown chick, the second chick was a black chick, the third chick was yellow, and then others in my pocket were speckled. The teachers were asking the colors, and the kids were saying them in English or Spanish, chatting and giggling as they felt the fuzzy chicks. One little boy mentioned in Spanish that I was a magician. The teacher interpreted, and I smiled. He wanted me to put his yellow chick back in my pocket because he wanted a black chick. I laughed and tried to explain that I am not a magician, but I took his chick and put it back in my pocket and randomly took out a black chick. All of the children were watching and were amazed. From that point on, I was a magician and a farmer. The older children who come to the farm have passions for many things. Some kids know exactly what kind of combine we have. Some know about animals and dinosaurs. Some are fascinated with the whole farm experience. When we were in by the chickens one spring morning, we talked about chickens laying eggs as we gathered the eggs and put them into the egg basket. A second-grade girl had a shirt with dinosaurs on it. We all discussed other species that lay eggs. She went on to say that “all of the dinosaurs died when a huge comet hit the earth zillions of years ago.” Another child in her class quickly corrected her. “Not all dinosaurs died! Alligators are dinosaurs, turtles and even chickens.” Another child piped up to say, “Even we humans have eggs; that is how babies are made.” Talk about a conversation that spiraled into a worldly conversation, with children who are so knowledgeable and condent to share. Oftentimes, the weather does not cooperate when we host tours. This spring and fall, we managed to have the kids tour with their rain jackets and boots. One busload of children this fall got off the bus wearing little minion suits. Yellow waterproof outts on every single one of them. The teachers had applied for a grant and were able to order these amazing suits for the kids. They use them to play in the rain on recess. The suits worked out so well. The kids were warm and protected from the pelting rain, and their jackets underneath were clean. The yellow minions picking pumpkins was a happy, bright sight on an icky day at the farm. Another group had bug-loving children. These children will be the next agronomists and pest management scholars. These children noticed the worms in the driveway, coming up to get out of the moist ground. The driveway was quickly cleared of all worms that were released into my garden so they would not be stepped on or squished by the tractors or their bus. Saving the worms is a start for them, guring out more ways for all of us to save the planet. Many of these children are showing their abilities to problem solve and think through how things
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 35
work at a young age. Driving by the combine on the wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, we stopped to look at the head, explaining how the stalks of corn go in, the ears get chopped off and pulled in, and the kernels are rolled off of the cob. The little engineers are analyzing how it works. The boys in one group spotted a rock in the pumpkin patch. They didn’t want to spend any time looking for a pumpkin. They wanted to excavate this rock. All of us farmers know how this rock story goes. They used their hands to dig around the rock. It got bigger. They dug deeper and deeper and nally found the bottom of the rock. This rock was bigger than a basketball and had some areas for them to grab onto. The teacher, parents and I watched from the edge of the patch. They discussed the methods to lift the rock, cooperated and worked together to get that rock out. That was a big job for those boys, and they were so proud.
I have had many years of sharing our farm with others, but I truly feel that the teachers and families are sharing the children with us. They brighten my day, and I love to hear them chatter as we go about the farm. I enjoy hearing comments on how things smell and feel or thoughts that pop into their heads. They are excited to see animals, and then when all is done, I ask what their favorite part of the farm was. The comments are everything from milking the cow, seeing the chicks and the dogs, or even saving the worms in the driveway. For me, these are the special times. These bits and pieces enrich my life, to see farming through a child’s eye. Tina Hinchley, her husband Duane and daughter Anna milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Hinchleys have been hosting farm tours for over 25 years.
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Interview with myself Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
I spent the day being interviewed on camera a few weeks back. It was exhausting — thinking deeply about things, answering questions coherently and attempting to limit the number of “ums” I used. It was also wonderful to meet new people, share a meal with them and say our “thankfuls” around the table. The last question they asked me was the hardest to answer. “What do you want from the future?” the interviewer asked me as she knelt in the feed alley and I stood next to the headlocks, trying to ignore the camera aimed at me. Before I tell you how I chose to answer her, I thought I would conduct a mock interview with myself about the past. What advice would I give my 5-year-old self?
Eat more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because the peanut butter will cause you heartburn when you are older. Enjoy those crinkle-cut carrots; the effort that goes into cutting them makes them taste better. Watch more “Sesame Street” and “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood.” Try harder to memorize all the songs Mrs. Connie teaches you so that you have them led away for your own kids. Don’t argue about naptime; there will be far too many days in your life during which you will wish desperately for one. Be a good sibling; sending your 3-year-old sister down the hill on a sled by herself is not a great decision, and she will never let you forget. Soak up all of the mom-time you can get because there are more siblings to come.
Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of the author and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.
What advice would I give my 15-year-old self? Attempt to be friends with everyone. Sticking to cliques is overrated. Do not spend so much time and energy trying to t in with those who are fake — only put effort into genuine friendships. You may not understand what that truly means for years, so be patient with yourself. It might be all right to be more involved in school. I know you love your cows, but they will still be there for you. High school is a small chapter in your book of life, and it denitely will not be your favorite one, but just grin and bear it. Fighting with your parents is part of life, but listen more so that, when you have kids, you will know all the best lines. Ramblings from the Ridge Use your own brain. What advice would I give my 25-year-old self? You married a man who is your best friend — you are a lucky woman. Remember that. Be proud of being a farmer. It is a real career, a lifestyle, and you can own that and stand up straight. By Jacqui Davison Speaking of standing up Columnist straight, have good posture. You feel and look more condent when you stand up straight. Absorb all the mothering advice you can glean from your mom because where she’s headed in the next 10 years will have no cell service to reach her for answers. Appreciate your grandparents; they are pretty awesome. Listen to stories from people of all ages; everyone has a tale to tell, and we all love to know someone cares enough to listen. What advice would I give my 30-year-old self? Friends of all ages are the best; make more of them. The older the better. They are the most blunt, most wise and most hilarious. Embrace experiences; you are not too old yet — stop aging yourself. You will lose important people in your world in this decade; keep carrying that real camera around and driving your family crazy with the amount of pictures you snap. If you feel like hugging someone, do it. The world needs more hugs. Use your “teacher brain” to do amazing things. Don’t doubt yourself so much. Get your body in shape; it has to carry two more babies. Learn how to make homemade bread sooner than later because it is as therapeutic as it is delicious. Say “I love you” more to your close friends and your family, but only if you mean it. What advice would I give my 40-year-old self? Embrace your uniqueness, as cheesy as it sounds. Weed out the people in your world who make you feel guilty for being yourself. Be blunt. Be funny. Be honest. There is a shortage of real honesty in the world; be one of the people brave enough to share it. Get cozy in your skin. This is the suit you will have the rest of your life, minus a few parts in the next few years. Overall, it is a tough outt you were blessed with; appreciate its strength. Say yes when you feel it in your gut; say no when that inner voice so much as whispers it at you. Find a way to laugh at life’s inconvenient moments — before you yell and feel your blood boil. Patience is a virtue you do not possess a lot of; continue to do your best. The next years will test your strength and resolve in many ways. You get to choose how to write your life’s story — do not forget that. Keep moving. What exactly do I want for my future? I want to be me. It sounds cliché, perhaps, but I truly do. I want to simply be the girl who smiles when she cuts carrots into crinkles, knowing that all the kids love them as much as I do. I want to eat that occasional peanut butter and jelly sandwich while wishing I could sit and watch “Sesame Street.” I want to say yes to adventures without hesitation and no when it feels warranted. I want to be the me that all her life experiences have formed her into. I want to make the world a brighter place every day. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and farm 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira, Dane, Henry and Cora, help her 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.
Weaning transitions
Most dairy producers now do a great job feeding calves. Colostrum management has improved drastically, and almost everyone feeds some version of an accelerated milk-feeding program. As a result, calves grow much Veterinary Wisdom faster before weaning than in the past, and wet calf mortality is low on most farms. However, there is a dark side to accelerated growth. It is By Jim Bennett often harder Columnist for calves to make the weaning transition. Why is that? Dr. James Drackley presented on this topic at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners annual meeting. Drackley listed six reasons for poor weaning transition: weaning too early, weaning too abruptly, feeding too much forage, poor starter quality, poor water management and stacking stressors at weaning. First, weaning too early — for example, at 6 weeks instead of 8 weeks — can easily cause an energy decit of 50%. Early-weaned calves may experience severe energy decits because they are not eating enough starter when weaning starts. Two pounds of a typical starter will provide only enough energy to meet maintenance for a 180-pound calf. Thus, to maintain growth, calves
need to eat substantially more than 2 pounds per day. In fact, there is a strong relationship between starter intake before weaning and rate of gain after weaning. Indeed, poor starter intake is probably the most common reason for failure to successfully transition to the post-weaning period. Energy decits not only reduce growth but can result in a whole variety of health problems, including pneumonia and diarrhea. Weaning too abruptly can result in a similar energy decit because calves that are fed adequate or large amounts of milk may be reluctant to eat sufcient starter due to the insufcient amount of time for the calf to adjust starter intake. Many producers now do two- or three-step reductions in milk quantity for this reason. Poor starter quality may include too much starch, poor palatability or poor particle size. Textured starters are preferred to pelleted starters because calves tend to eat more of them. Poor starter quality can mean feeding errors, like not removing spoiled feed, for example. Starters with high starch levels, around 40% on a dry matter basis, may result in signicant rumen acidosis. Rumen acidosis can lead to increased intestinal permeability, which has been called leaky gut syndrome. This syndrome often leads to respiratory disease. Acidotic calves often have diarrhea and may also be more susceptible to parasitic and bacterial enteritis. New starter formulations tend to have lower starch, higher sugars, and higher digestible and soluble ber. Water is critical for proper growth after weaning. Milk and milk replac-
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 37
ers mostly bypass the rumen. Water is needed in the rumen, however, for microbial growth. For every 2.2 pounds of starter, calves need to consume about 1gallon of water. In fact, if one plots starter intake and water intake on a graph, the intake patterns of starter and water are almost identical. So, if your goal is for your calves to consume
fed to calves after weaning and alfalfa hay be limited up to at least 6 months of age. Stressors mean things we do to calves that may cause stress at weaning time. Stressors can be prevented by avoiding vaccinations or other procedures during roughly the week before and the week after weaning.
Feeding small amounts of forage can increase starter intake and feed efficiency. However, eating too much forage will decrease starter intake. 4.4 pounds of starter at weaning, for example, you need to provide at least 2 gallons of water daily. Limiting water intake will limit starter intake. Dirty water can also reduce intake. Drackley suggested keeping feed and water buckets separated so that calves must pull their heads back through a hole and insert it into a different hole or slot to help reduce feed contamination of the water. Feeding small amounts of forage can increase starter intake and feed efciency. However, eating too much forage will decrease starter intake. If calves are fed free-choice forage, the amount they will eat will depend on what kind of forage is fed. Calves fed free-choice alfalfa hay will eat signicantly more forage than calves fed straw or rye-grass hay, and such excess intake can signicantly reduce starter intake. Drackley recommended that small amounts of grass hay or straw be
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It also means avoiding mixing calves with other calves until after every calf has fully recovered from weaning and is eating starter well. Sometimes we might have to do one stressful procedure around weaning, but stacking just means doing more than one at, or nearly at, the same time. Try to avoid stressors if possible. Successful transitions through weaning are critically important to keep calves healthy and achieve adequate growth in the post-weaning phase. By avoiding these six reasons for failure, you can help your calves do well. Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail.com with comments or questions.
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Steers in the road Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023
“Better slow down a bit. There are cattle on both sides of the road,” I told my brother after we rumbled over a cattle guard and continued down a stretch of paved road in the desert while entering Indian Creek recreational area in Utah. By the time we got nearer the group of cattle, one of the beef steers decided it would be better if it ran across the road to sample the sagebrush or whatever it was munching on that side. We didn’t hit him or even have to tap the brakes, but I always nd it a different kind of concern when I have to watch out for not only deer crossing the road but cows as well in open range lands of the west. On our way out of the park later that weekend, we saw a steer had been hit by some careless driver. I felt bad for the steer and wondered how the rancher dealt with that. I doubt the sheriff in Moab 45 minutes away was made aware of the accident and collected insurance info from the driver.
I had promised our boys that we’d take a camping and rock-climbing trip as a thanks for them helping with putting up hay all summer. Somehow summer passed without any chances for the three of us to get away for a couple days locally. Those teens seem to have some activity or other scheduled every day, and if they weren’t busy, I was. We decided to nd cheap plane tickets and visit my brother in Colorado in the fall when things slowed down instead. You can get three people to and from Denver for less than it costs to take a trip to Duluth if you know how to pack light. Budget airlines charge extra for everything, but if all you need is a seat and spot to put a small backpack, they are cheap. It turned out the weather that ended our nice warm fall at home with 4 inches of snow in Minnesota stretched all the way to Colorado and Utah. We had to travel through the mountain passes to get to Utah, and there was a decent amount of snow blanketing the
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higher elevations. Thankfully, the roads were mostly dry. My brother’s wife had driven through the pass the night before while heading to her parents’ house for the weekend, and it had been nearly a white out. A ski resort was running snow-making equipment on the bunny hill, racing to be the rst to open for the season. It was not snowing in the desert when we got to the spot we planned From the Zweber Farm to camp for three days, but it did rain off and on and got rather windy. My brother had warned us that by the time we would leave the desert, there would be nothing that wasn’t covered in ne red dust. He wasn’t kidding. When we went to crawl in our sleeping bags that night, the wind By Tim Zweber had deposited a layer of sand both on and in our Farmer & Columnist bedding. The overnight rain turned the sandy dust into a crust that kept it from blowing around but was a bad deal for our plans to go climbing. We went hiking instead and enjoyed the beautiful views of Canyonlands National Park. The rock is a type of sandstone which becomes dangerous to climb when wet because it can break off. Sandstone is a sedimentary rock, aged mud, that used to be the bottom of a lake or ocean. Indian Creek is well known because the unique geology there caused the sandstone cliffs all along a wide basin to crack rather uniformly, making for hundreds of feet of rock wall that can be scaled by placing a hand or foot in the crack and torquing it until it sticks there and repeating over and over, occasionally placing a piece of climbing gear called a cam to clip your rope
The overnight rain turned the sandy dust into a crust that kept it from blowing around but was a bad deal g for our plans to ggo climbing. i iin case you ffall. ll W d a dday climbli b into We did get to spend ing the rock and watching the rancher that runs beef cows in the whole basin between the cliffs round up cattle using a horse and cattle dogs. I guess the place is nicknamed beef basin. Makes sense seeing how many cows were in that oddly lush basin for a desert. We are back in Minnesota, and the snow has melted. We can nish the last week or so of grazing we have grass for. Until next time, keep living the dream, and watch out for cows on the road. You never know when they might decide the grass is greener on the other side. Tim Zweber farms with his wife, Emily, their three children and his parents, Jon and Lisa, near Elko, Minnesota. CLIP AND SAVE
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Be dairy; we are in this together
Recently, the 120th World Dairy Summit, an annual global dairy meeting held by the International Dairy Federation, was held in Chicago for the rst time in decades. The IDF is an organization of representatives from 39 member countries, representing 74% of global milk production, that work together to promote and enhance the global dairy sector. Specically, the organization aims to facilitate global conversations on dairy’s mission to provide high-quality and safe nutrition through dairy products, be a united global voice of dairy to intergovernmental organizations, and provide science-based data and advice for dairy standards and reg-
The NexGen: Adventures of two dairy daughters
By Megan Schrupp & Ellen Stenger Columnists ulation settings. It has been 30 years since the summit was held in the United States, showcasing the U.S. dairy industry. Therefore, when an opportunity to attend this world-renowned meeting presented itself, Megan couldn’t pass on the chance to attend the four-day grand gathering of global dairy. The theme of this year’s summit was “Be Dairy. Boundless Potential. Endless Possibilities.” The topics of discussion focused heavily on advancements in innovation, sustainability and the common challenges dairy faces throughout the world. As a participant in the grand event, if there was one big takeaway from the gathering of more than 1,200 attendees that represented 55 countries, it was commonality. Visiting with dairy leaders, farmers and industry persons was fascinating in that it was clear that many of the issues we confront here on our farms in the Midwest are also found in all corners of the world. Even though our dairy farms may look and operate much differently, we seem to be challenged by many of the same issues. The most pressing are climate change and increases in weather extremes, increases in input costs, depressed milk prices and the availability of quality labor. In a current world environment that seems more divided than ever, it was refreshing to sit down with oth-
ers from around the globe and discover how much we truly have in common. Capitalizing on opportunities to have these in-person conversations builds not only personal relationships between dairy farmers and/or industry experts from different countries but also a deeper understanding of each other and an enhanced importance of presenting a united dairy front to the rest of the world. We must remember that as much as we are focused on dairy and the challenges that we are currently facing on our individual dairy farms and in our local communities, we are now also a part of a global community where decisions and events that affect dairy in one part of the world often topple down the line of dominoes to our barn doors. Policy decisions affecting dairy need to be science- and evidence-based. Organizations such as the IDF hope to provide information for these decisions as a united front. It is also critical that dairy farmers are in the room and involved where and when these policy decisions are being made. We are currently seeing the effects of policies developed without the input of the farmers they will ultimately impact play out in the EU’s green agenda. It was extremely interesting to learn directly from the EU producers themselves about the immense challenges that EU dairy farmers will now be faced with in the upcoming decade. It’s critical that we continue to develop these relationships that can allow us to connect directly with those that will be involved in future policy decisions. Taking time away from our farm, even in the busiest season of the year, is time well spent. Time is the most limited resource on our dairy farms, and we must be conscious of how we utilize it. Through these opportunities of listening, sharing information and building understanding by having face-to-face conversations with others across the globe, we not only build relationships and learn from one another, but we tend to return home with optimism and a renewed sense of purpose. This increased drive can enable us to be more prepared to take on challenges as they present themselves. Now more than ever, it is important to provide a common front as the world is rapidly changing, sharing our strengths and stories in regard to sustainability, animal welfare, innovation and high-quality nutrition. In our commonality, we can clearly see dairy’s critical role in enhanced global health and nutrition and being an advantageous climate solution, building a better and brighter future together. Megan Schrupp and Ellen Stenger are sisters and co-owners of both NexGen Dairy and NexGen Market in Eden Valley, Minnesota. They can be reached at Nexgendairy@gmail.com.
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 39
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