November 12, 2022 Dairy Star - 1st section - Zone 2

DAIRY ST R

Volume 24, No. 18

“All dairy, all the time”™

November 12, 2022

Bittersweet change leads to opportunity

Talberg leaves Minnesota home to farm in Wisconsin

By Grace Jeurissen grace.j@star-pub.com

ATHENS, Wis. –

Opportunities can arrive at unexpected moments, but for Ryan Talberg, a young farmer from Minnesota, the opportunity to grow his herd and acquire more land has come after a long search for the perfect place to call home.

Throughout the morning of Oct. 28, the entire Talberg family showed their emotions with the wiping of tears as they all kept busy nishing up the last chores before two cattle pots arrived to take their cattle to their new home in Athens.

After several trips back and forth leading up to the move, the day became surreal

for Talberg as he nished morning milking.

“This has been my home for almost my entire life; this has been my herd’s home for the last seven years,” Talberg said. “I wish I had an opportunity to stay, but with being landlocked, high land prices and neighbors with far deeper pocketbooks, this was my only option to grow and make my dream work. Out there I have room to grow not only my herd but maybe someday raise a family on the farm too.”

For the last seven years, Talberg has lived in Freeport, Minnesota, with his parents, Dan and Stephanie

Talberg, to pursue his dream of running a dairy farm. Talberg said they have been more than supportive since

the

having

farmed themselves until 2001 when they dispersed the herd.

“I’ve been looking for a

Making a miraculous comeback

Schmaling

accident

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

DELAVAN, Wis. – Tanner

Schmaling was told he would spend the majority of his life in a wheelchair after breaking his neck in a swimming accident in January. At best, he would be able to walk short distances. But that was not a diagnosis this dairy farmer was willing to live with.

“I wasn’t content with being in a wheelchair for the rest of my life,” Tanner said. “I thought, how am I going to do the things I still want to accomplish in life if I’m in a wheelchair?”

Tanner and his wife, Maddie, own and operate Maple-

Tanner

Oberweis Dairy lets go of its farmer patrons

Nine farms forced to move on as of Oct. 1

Maddie

ebrating Tanner’s parents’ 40th wedding anniversary when the accident took place.

“It was the second to the last day of our vacation,” Tanner said. “We had a great time before that.”

On Jan. 7, Tanner was swimming 20 yards offshore when he dove into a wave and was pulled underneath by the undercurrent.

“The wave ipped my whole body, and I heard and felt my neck crack on the ocean oor,” Tanner said. “I went limp and passed out face

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

NORTH AURORA, Ill. –

After more than 25 years of shipping his milk to Oberweis Dairy, Phil Diedrich received notice in September that starting Oct. 1, his product would be going elsewhere. The move meant a signicant price cut for the dairy farmer who milks 130 cows near Twin Lakes, Wisconsin.

“We’ve taken a pretty big hit nancially,” Diedrich said. “We’ve probably lost over $2.50 per hundredweight. It’s like a 10% pay cut. You can only adjust your bottom line so much.

Oberweis Dairy announced it is no longer buying its milk direct

GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR

Ryan Talberg milks cows for the last me Oct. 28 in Freeport, Minnesota. Talberg’s next milking was in a 67-stall estall barn in Athens, Wisconsin, that he purchased in September.

beginning,

dairy

few years for a site to purchase because I’m landlocked here

dees odds, walks again after life-threatening

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Tanner Schmaling and his wife, Maddie, own and operate Maple-Leigh Futures where they board donors and show ca le near Delavan, Wisconsin. Tanner broke his neck in a swimming accident in January while vaca oning with his family in Hawaii and has since learned to walk again.

Leigh Futures near Delavan –a certied in vitro fertilization facility and boarding business for donors and show cattle.

Maple-Leigh Futures houses around 90 donors and 25 hightype animals for customers around the country. Maddie also works full time at Land O’Lakes. Tanner farms alongside his parents, John and Jill, on their 120-cow commercial dairy, where the Schmalings farm 1,000 acres.

and

were on vacation in Maui, Hawaii, with other family members cel-

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Dairy Prole brought to you by your North America dealers.Rabobank: High prices test demand

In its quarterly Agribusiness Review, Rabobank is forecasting Class III milk prices to trend lower through the rest of the year and into 2023. RaboResearch forecasts fourth quarter Class III prices to average $20.90 per hundredweight. U.S. milk production is expected to increase 1.4% year over year. Impressive dairy product exports are anticipated to prevent domestic supplies to become too burdensome.

Ag lender survey released

Diesel inventory at 40-year low

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Volatile interest rates are the top concern for ag lenders going into 2023. According to the annual agricultural lender survey from the American Bankers Association and Farmer Mac, most ag lenders said farm protability was up this year. However, more than half of the lenders believe conditions will deteriorate next year. Eighty percent of those surveyed said land prices went up this past year, and 60% believe that trend will begin to slow down. Ination, liquidity and farm income were the top three producer concerns cited by the lenders.

Interest rate bumped another .75 basis points

The U.S. supply of distillates, which includes diesel and heating oil, totaled 106.8 million barrels for the week ending Oct. 28. That’s nearly 20% below the veyear average and the lowest on record for this time of the year. “These really high summer prices limited the ability to accumulate inventories, and now we’re coming into the winter months hoping it’s not going to be a cold winter,” said Altin Kalo, chief economist, Steiner Consulting.

Federal order reform endorsed

The National Milk Producers Federation leadership has unanimously endorsed a proposal to modernize Federal Milk Marketing Orders. NMPF has led more than 100 meetings over the past year to develop these recommendations.

Unity sought

The National Milk Producers Federation wants the dairy industry to be united on milk marketing order reform. “U.S. Department of Agriculture is not going to be interested in having a federal order hearing unless they feel like they’ve got the industry gured out on this,

Turn

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and they’re not walking into a hornet’s nest,” said Alan Bjerga, vice president of communications. Bjerga said NMPF has been talking with groups, like the American Farm Bureau Federation, to

IDFA speaks out for dairy exporters

The International Dairy Foods Association has submitted comments to the Federal Maritime Commission in response to the rulemaking process for the Ocean Shipping Reform Act. During the pandemic and supply chain disruptions, foreign-owned ocean carriers would often leave U.S. ports empty and refused to negotiate shipping space to exporters. IDFA described this practice as “unacceptable” and asked for stronger rules.

Keep the railroads moving

More than 300 trade organizations signed off on a letter to President Joe Biden, asking the federal government to intervene in the dispute between railroads and its workers. The letter said the U.S. economy would see a major economic loss if a rail shutdown happens. The leadership of 12 rail unions approved a tentative agreement, but two of those unions refused to ratify the deal.

Boozman seeks details on COVID relief

Congress allocated $11 billion in COVID-related support for agriculture in 2021. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman now wants to see how that money was spent. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Boozman said he is satised with the way U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented most of the programs. However, Boozman believes USDA is using the remaining funds for projects unrelated to the pandemic.

DMI looks to the future

Dairy Management Inc. CEO Barbara O’Brien outlined a new three-year strategy for the dairy checkoff program. This plan includes doing more with less, by making programs simpler and more focused. The emphasis will be on projects that can deliver the biggest impact for the dairy industry. The dairy checkoff plan also included a “doubling down” on research with a

renewed investment in health and wellness.

HSUS to participate in COP27 Climate Change Conference

For the rst time, the United Nations Climate Change Conference will consider food systems and the impact on the climate. The Humane Society of the United States is hosting three events during the conference in Egypt, promoting a transition away from animal proteins. The animal rights activist group claims a shift to plant-based diets can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the food system by nearly 50%.

MMPA contracts with Edge Co-op

The Minnesota Milk Producers Association has contracted with Wisconsin-based Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative for administrative and program services. Previously, Midwest Dairy handled the administrative duties for MMPA. Lucas Sjostrom will remain as the MMPA executive director as part of the Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative staff.

Kraft launches NotCheese

A non-dairy version of the familiar Kraft cheese singles will be rolled out in 2023. Kraft NotCheese is made from coconut oil, modied starch, water and chickpea protein and is available in American, cheddar and provolone avors. Kraft ofcials claim the plantbased product tastes, smells and melts like real dairy cheese.

Trivia challenge

October Co-op Month has been recognized nationally since 1964. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what is the name of the youth wellness program created by dairy checkoff and the National Football League? We will have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star.

Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.

Con nued from OBERWEIS | Page 1 from the family farm. Closing that chapter in its history, the milk processor in North Aurora is instead purchasing milk from the cooperative that took on Oberweis Dairy’s long-standing patrons.

“It was a very painful decision,” said Joe Oberweis, CEO of Oberweis Dairy. “We loved having direct farm relationships. My great-grandfather was a dairy farmer. But when looking at the business, we had to identify the things we’re really good at along with the things that are taking us away from what we’re good at.”

Oberweis Dairy’s remaining patrons included nine farms in southern Wisconsin owned by eight dairy producers who were informed of the decision via an online Zoom call Sept. 9.

Through the years, Diedrich said Oberweis Dairy treated its farmers well.

“Oberweis was a good company that focused on quality and paid farmers for that quality,” Diedrich said. “That’s why we were with them. They produced a good product, and all of us farmers worked real hard to produce high-quality milk to meet their standards.”

John Ransom, who milks 32 cows near Avalon, Wisconsin, was a patron of Oberweis Dairy for 20 years. Ransom said he refused to attend the Zoom meeting.

“Doing this over a Zoom call was spineless and gutless,” he said. “There are only eight of us, and we’re all within about 20 miles of each other. They could’ve drove around to each farm, shook our hand and said, times change. It would’ve taken about half a day.”

Diedrich agreed.

“Instead of a Zoom meeting, they should’ve come out and personally told us,” he said.

Oberweis said the company desired the personal nature of a face-to-face conversation but wanted to get the information to farmers as quickly as possible.

Oberweis said their business is complicated, and the company was looking for ways to simplify.

“We’re a very small processor in scale to other processors, and it adds tremendous complexity to have direct farm relationships,” Oberweis said.

Oberweis, who became president of Oberweis Dairy in 2007, said times have changed and so has his staff.

“In the past, we had members of our team who had deep knowledge of running a dairy farm,” he said. “That’s an important component of buying milk directly from farms, but we don’t have that skillset anymore.”

Before letting them go, Oberweis said the company set its patrons up with another cooperative that would offer resources to these family farms that Oberweis Dairy no longer could.

Ransom said he noticed Oberweis Dairy’s service receding.

“They had a lot of turnover,” he said. “We had people who didn’t know anything about farming coming out here.”

Therefore, Ransom said he was not shocked when he heard that Oberweis Dairy was dropping him and the other farms.

“I knew this was going to happen eventually,” he said. “They used to give us free ice cream and awards for our milk. But they stopped giving us ice cream, and we had no eld man anymore. Instead, the milk man came out to take our water sample. There were 39 farms when I signed up, and they kept whittling down over the years.”

Ransom said he made an extra $1,000 per month, or $1.30 cwt, with Oberweis

Dairy for his herd’s high components.

“It was a good incentive,” Ransom said. “It made you want to do a good job. Shipping your milk with Oberweis was big money. They offered $5 or $6 more per hundredweight than my previous co-op. They were the Cadillac, the top dog. It was a status thing, and I was proud to have that Oberweis sign by the road.”

The Oberweis Dairy story began in 1927 when Peter J. Oberweis, a dairy farmer in Aurora, began selling extra milk to his neighbors from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. He became co-owner of Big Woods Dairy that same year, and in 1930, he purchased the remaining interest in the dairy and renamed it Oberweis Dairy.

The Oberweis family built an elusive brand that was attractive to farmers. The dairy offered perks too good to pass up, including paying 100% of the trucking fees at one point and offering premiums that awarded their patrons for quality milk.

Shane Koehl milks 56 cows near Darien, Wisconsin, and has been a patron of Oberweis Dairy since 2000. The farm enjoyed a premium for low somatic cell count of nearly $2 cwt.

“The nice thing was (Oberweis) had a market set up for us,” Koehl said. “But having another co-op pick up our milk and drive it straight to Oberweis (Dairy) rubbed me the wrong way.”

Koehl said the announcement made him question if he wants to keep trying to make it as a family farm.

“Farming is stressful to begin with, and then they took more joy out of it,” he said. “We’re struggling with input costs, and the co-op Oberweis set us up with announced a price cut as soon as we signed up.”

Dave Funk, who milks 140 cows near Janesville, Wisconsin, was a patron of Oberweis Dairy for 22 years.

“The premiums Oberweis paid were just crazy good,” Funk said. “The price difference between them and our former milk plant was amazing. The eld man we had when we started at Oberweis was very particular about milk quality and took good care of us. He always had our back. When he left, things kind of fell apart. Other eld people didn’t have that same initiative to take care of us.”

Funk began shipping to an alternative co-op from the one Oberweis Dairy arranged Oct. 1, which is the same co-op Ransom and Koehl joined.

Oberweis Dairy’s website continues to say its milk comes from small family farms, and Oberweis said it is a claim he can rightfully make.

“The overwhelming majority of farms in Wisconsin are still small family farms,” he said. “We buy from small organic farms for our organic line, and the majority of our nonorganic milk we’re receiving today is coming from the exact same farms as before.”

But this claim does not sit well with Oberweis Dairy’s former patrons, including Koehl.

“Oberweis’ family farm image is hard to swallow now that they’re buying milk on the open market,” Koehl said.

Oberweis said he does not feel the arrangement contradicts the company’s brand in any way.

“We’re still getting quality milk,” he said.

Shane Koehl Dairy farmer

at my parents’ place, and I don’t have enough acreage to accommodate my herd,” Talberg said.

Talberg began farming at the age of 17 and had a longing to raise his own registered Holsteins.

“I found a picture of my dad’s cows when I was in the fourth grade, and I knew immediately that I wanted to raise dairy cattle,” he said. “I keep that photo in the milkhouse as a reminder to myself of how far I’ve

come.”

That photo sparked a passion in Talberg that gave him the drive to pursue dairy in any way possible, from participating in dairy knowledge bowl, attending the National 4-H Dairy Conference and purchasing his own herd.

Talberg also made connections with industry professionals for guidance. He credits Jim Salfer from the University of Minnesota for keeping his hopes high in times of volatile milk prices and providing insight on grants and advice on nancing through the Minnesota Dairy Initiative.

In 2013, Talberg purchased his rst three cows from Art Stumpf of Pierz, Minnesota. Then in 2015, Talberg’s parents purchased 15 head from Mark and Natalie Schmitt of Rice, Minnesota. Talberg bought his parents out a few years later.

Talberg said the Schmitts have been close friends and mentors for him from the beginning, even arriving at the farm the evening of Oct. 26 to say goodbye and toast Talberg’s future in the dairy industry.

Once Talberg established his herd, the next step was to slowly grow. In Minnesota, he milked in a 35-stall tiestall barn on his parents’ farm and had 15 tillable acres to use toward feeding his herd.

As he looked for a possible farm to purchase, Talberg said he wanted a turnkey operation and something that was beautiful to look at. For him, the farm needed to have the ability to invite technology as he hopes to implement a robotic milking system.

On Sept. 16, Talberg visited the farm in Athens and felt a connection with the farm and the previous owners. Talberg’s offer was accepted, and by Oct. 13, he closed on the farm.

The site includes a calf barn, 67-stall tiestall barn, heifer barn, machine shed, enough storage for feed and double the tillable acreage he had in Minnesota.

“I have more acreage to feed my cows,” Talberg said. “With the additional acreage and current feed prices, I won’t have to purchase as much feed, which will help lower my costs now that I have a mortgage to pay for.”

Talberg said he will miss the companionship he has in Freeport. Having made friends with neighbors and area farm families, he is leaving most of his dairy connections in Minnesota.

“It’s scary to basically be starting new, but like I’ve been telling everyone, I’m only a phone call away,” he said.

Though Talberg smiled as he talked about the future of his herd,

WHY IS IT BETTER?

he said he had few hours of sleep during the week leading up to the move because he had nerves that echoed fear of the unknown. Talberg said the change is scary, but he knows this was the right choice for his herd and himself. When he stepped foot on his new place in Athens, a sense of peace and home welcomed him into his next chapter. His milk will now be sent to Mullins Cheese in Mosinee.

“I’m slightly elevated on my new site,” Talberg said. “I wanted a site that, when you drive by, it’s picturesque. I drive down the road and think, ‘Wow, this is mine.’”

For Talberg, turning on the vacuum pump in the barn for the last time in Minnesota made him reect on the many memories and growing pains he has had on the farm. Remembering the rst time milking 10 Holsteins he purchased to start his herd, he laughed.

“The rst time I turned on the pump in the barn, the power went out,” Talberg said. “I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’ve always found a way to make it work.”

As the rst truck left with a portion of the herd, the family watched as the future approached. Talberg, though grateful for his dairy career in Minnesota, is ready to take the next step.

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Ryan Talberg’s new farm site offers him opportunity to grow and improve his herd near Athens, Wisconsin. Though nervous for this change, his rst milkings went well.

Tanner’s world went dark before the water carried him back to shore. His family was there, as well as a doctor who immediately tended to Tanner until paramedics arrived. Tanner lay helpless, unable to move. He was 90% paralyzed.

“It was the scariest feeling waking up and not having the ability to move or feel anything,” he said. “The only thing I could move were the ngertips on my right hand.”

Tanner’s long journey of recovery began two days later when surgeons fused the C4 through C6 vertebrate in his neck during an eight-hour surgery. This involved putting in two metal plates and four screws that will stay with Tanner permanently. He wore a neck brace for 12 weeks following the operation.

Tanner began making small movements with his right hand and tried standing up with the help of a machine. Hospital staff used a sling to move him from the bed to the wheelchair and back again.

“I told myself, this is not going to be how it is; this is not going to be it for me,” Tanner said. “It was not acceptable in my mind to say this is who I am now.”

No family was allowed to visit Tanner during his twoweek hospital stay in Hawaii due to coronavirus restrictions. When the ambulance took him away that dreaded day on the beach, Maddie did not see her

husband again until he was transferred closer to home.

“That was traumatizing,” Maddie said. “I got very little sleep. I had occasional FaceTime with Tanner, and all doctor updates were done over the phone. We had no face-to-face contact with anyone.”

The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, Illinois, was where Tanner spent the next six weeks – a rehabilitation hospital specializing in neurological injuries. When a doctor told Tanner he would probably be conned to a wheelchair for longer distances, he and Maddie were devastated. But, they soon shook off the news with a determined spirit.

“It was a tough thing to swallow, but it didn’t take long for Maddie and I to decide this isn’t it,” Tanner said. “We said that’s not an option. The doctor only knew me for a few hours when she made that prediction. I wasn’t going to let her dene my future.”

A will to walk again powered Tanner’s ambitious goal to rid himself of the wheelchair as he faced the most challenging year of his life. Fighting his way back home, Tanner was relentless in inching toward a life of independent mobility.

“There were a lot of hard moments,” he said. “But, we had many people supporting us, and I had way too much to come home to that I couldn’t afford to give up. Family was the No. 1 driving force, and the farm was a very close second.”

Tanner longed to be home with his family and his cows. His absence from the farm left a hole that employees, friends and neighbors worked tirelessly to ll. Tanner felt comforted

by the fact his farm was in capable hands.

“The farming community all around us stepped up and helped too,” he said. “Everybody came together when I got

hurt. That’s what farmers do. If somebody goes down, we make sure the job gets done until people are back on their feet.”

Countless cards, phone calls, text messages and prayers ooded in to Tanner and Maddie.

“The dairy community is amazing,” Tanner said. “People we didn’t even know sent stuff. The people in this industry are top-notch.”

Maddie agreed.

“The local community has been great too,” she said. “We had meals dropped off every day for a month to keep people going around here.”

Tanner’s desktop computer was brought to the hospital so he could work on billing and sending emails.

“I liked doing little things like that to still have my foot in the door,” he said. “I wanted to feel like I was contributing. It was my way of saying I’m still here.”

Patience was essential as Tanner learned how to do the things people often take for granted.

“It took forever to put my sock on or tie my shoe,” he said. “It was very frustrating. I had to retrain every muscle. Walking is huge, but the little things add up too – like combing my hair, putting on deodorant or brushing my teeth.”

Toward the end of February, Tanner took his rst steps

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Tanner Schmaling visits the cows March 6, the day he was discharged from the hospital. Schmaling had been away from the farm for over two months a�er suffering an accident that le� him 90% paralyzed.

“I walked out of the hospital,” he said. “I did not get wheeled out.”

Tanner was sized for a wheelchair and sent home with one, but he stuck it in the closet and never used it. A week later, the wheelchair was picked up and taken away. When Tanner came home March 6, the barn was where he wanted to go rst.

“After stepping back in the barn for the rst time in over two months, my heart was full, and it felt so good to be back in there where I belonged,” Tanner said.

He wasted no time getting back to work and proceeded to take insulation off of a water line the next day. He walked with the assistance of braces on his left side. The functioning of his left hand was limited, and his strength was minimal. For eight weeks, Tanner and Maddie drove three times a week to the Shirley Ryan outpatient facility in Arlington Heights, Illinois, for physical therapy.

“Neurological injuries are so unpredictable, and you wonder, how much are you going to get back?” Tanner said. “I wasn’t supposed to be able to drive, but I’m doing that too. I was a healthy, active person beforehand, and that helps a lot.”

Tanner can also operate machinery and did all the planting this past spring. In addition, he is driving truck and trailer and the grain semi.

“Farming is its own exercise” Tanner said. “People undergoing therapy might not have a job to come back to. I do physical therapy in the morning and come back to the farm to do a full day’s

work.”

Every week gets better as Tanner is able to do more and more of the everyday tasks he did before the accident.

“I’m happy with the progress I’ve made, but I’m not to the point yet where I’m satised,” he said.

In regards to strengthening, Tan-

ner said he has a long way to go. He is limited on his left side when it comes to moving his hand and foot and being able to walk with a good gait. He also endures limited feeling in his ngers and cannot feel anything in his right thigh.

“I had quite a bit of pain and still

do,” Tanner said. “But I weaned myself off of pain meds right after I got out of the hospital. It feels like a constant frostbite in some of my extremities, like a tingling all over my body.”

According to Tanner who continues to do physical therapy three times a week locally, the mental part is just as challenging as the physical part.

“You have to get yourself to go to therapy and not settle for where you’re at,” he said. “I’m trying to get back to fast walking and am also learning how to run again.”

The barn at Maple-Leigh Futures is full. The business Tanner created continues to click along smoothly, almost as if he were never gone.

“Things are going extremely well,” Tanner said. “We picked up new clients and also had a great year in the show ring as well as on the genomic side. I’m looking forward to hitting the show season with full steam next year. I would also like to do another sale in the future.”

With much to live for, he and Maddie are grateful for the blessings received. The couple is looking forward to another special gift as they are expecting their rst child in April 2023.

“That’s extra motivation for me to get as close to 100% as I can,” Tanner said.

Tanner has deed expectations, gaining the freedom to walk on his own and resume living the life he knows and loves.

“This was quite an ordeal, but it makes you a stronger person and enables you to look at things in life a little differently,” Tanner said. “It’s not impossible, and I want to thank everyone who helped in one fashion or another. Prayers were answered, and we have so much to be thankful for.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED Tanner Schmaling does physical therapy Feb. 28 at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, Illinois. Schmaling can now walk without assistance.

Passing the farm onto the next generation

By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com

Editor’s note: This is part two of a two-part feature regarding farm transitions. In the previous issue of Dairy Star, we gave examples of challenges that occur during farm transitions. Here we present information for success.

Today’s farm families have more resources and places to turn for advice when planning a transition to the next generation. The help that is available, through extension services, colleges and universities, private rms and more, is often more personalized and leads families through the process.

Shawn Meyer is a farm business management instructor at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Hutchinson, Minnesota. He has more than 17 years of experience in farm nance and working with farm families as they plan for transitions.

Meyer said walking families through the process, beginning to end, is better than tossing information at families and expecting them to apply it.

“Then the family leaves more confused than when they walked in because all we did was throw a bunch of options at them and didn’t help them through it,” he said.

Meyer said the process should include all family members and help the family establish clear goals.

“What should always drive the transition are your goals,” he said. “You also need to involve the off-farm siblings to the extent that they feel like they are included. It’s fair that they have part of that initial conversation. They might not get exactly what they want, but at least they had a chance to be part of the process.”

Meyer said farm transitions are more complex than most business transitions because they involve family members’ rooted emotions.

“We need to work through all the emotional and family dynamics before we ever worry about if it’s a (limited liability company),” Meyer said.

Helping farm families successfully transition is important to Jim Molenaar as well. For the past 41 years, Molenaar has worked as an instructor in farm business management, the past eight years at St. Cloud Technical and Community College. A specialist in farm succession planning, Molenaar also went through a farm transition himself and is a farm advocate for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

After looking for programs that could best help, Molenaar attended courses offered by Dave Goeller at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who had developed a successful program to guide farmers through transitions. With Goeller’s design in mind, Molenaar now partners with Megan Roberts from

the Southern Minnesota Center of Agriculture to offer free seminars.

“We team teach what I call a marriage encounter for farm families,” Molenaar said. “We’ve been doing this for farm succession for ve or six years.”

The seminars begin on a Friday night and then continue on Saturday.

“We try to get as many people of the farm family as we can into the room, and we go through a process that they can use to reach their own conclusions,” Molenaar said. “No two farms are the same. Each farm has its own unique challenges and ideas.”

The seminars are offered during the winter. During the sessions, Molenaar and Roberts ask questions that foster collaboration and goal setting. Legal and tax aspects of a transition are addressed as well.

“The very rst question we ask in our seminar is whether or not you want your farm to continue after your lifetime,” Molenaar said. “If the answer is no, then it’s pretty easy. All we need is a will, but if you do want it to continue, then the communication, expectations and what’s fair and what’s equal becomes more challenging.”

Molenaar said labor is the easiest portion of a transition. The most difcult is management. Families must discuss both, such as what would be fair compensation for the labor and when should the next generation become owners versus employees.

“The actual decision making of a farm is difcult to turn over,” Molenaar said. “Do I take off my manager hat and put on my mentor-teacher hat? If the older generation is able to let go of the reins and let the younger generation come in and implement things and get an operating interest, it’s huge.”

To bring the transitioning farm family to agreement, setting common goals is key.

“What does the family want their farm business to look like 30 years from now?” Molenaar said. “It’s a compromise like with anything else. It can work well if the older generation is willing to let go a little and there isn’t too much debt. Then, it’s really a matter of putting the puzzle together and deciding what the family wants to accomplish.”

Three of Molenaar and Robert’s seminars are already planned for winter 2023 in Minnesota: Feb. 4-5 in Mankato, March 10-11 in St. Cloud and March 31 through April 1 in Mahnomen.

Registration will soon be available at z.umn. edu/farmtransition. The website also offers tools and tips for planning a farm transition. Those with questions about the seminars can also email Molenaar at jmolenaar6@gmail.com.

“The seminars are really helpful if people take

ADOBE STOCK PHOTO

Transi oning a farm to the next genera on involves many conversa ons and detailed planning. It’s important for families to approach a transi on with open minds.

Shawn Meyer West Community & Technical College

Jim Molenaar St. Cloud Technical & Community College

the time to do it,” Molenaar said.

The University of WisconsinMadison also offers webinars and workbooks at farms.extension.wisc. edu.

Although each family has an individual situation and set of needs, when plans that were successful in the past are shared with families planning transitions today, the information can help those families create their own plans.

For example, one family of six children came up with their transition plan when the children were nearing adulthood. The farm was changed to a business corporation. Mom and Dad held almost all shares with each child receiving one share. Those who wanted to make the farm their profession received more and more shares from Mom and Dad’s shares through sweat equity and time. If the other children wanted to sell their shares back to the farm, they could, but the sale was nal. As time went on and the older generation neared retirement, the two children who farmed had worked their way up to being equal owners with their parents, thereby having an equal say in decisions.

Such a plan may not work for every family. But, knowing a variety of plans that have worked gives other families a place to start when brainstorming their own plans. Since specialists, such as Molenaar and Meyer, have discussed many farm-transition plans with families, getting advice from specialists means families have access to more ideas.

Attorney Shayna W. Borakove, of Borakove Osman LLC in Middleton, Wisconsin, has more than 14 years of experience as a farm continuation

practice leader at her rm.

She agreed getting advice is important.

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Borakove said. “The outcome of planning one’s own farm transition without the advice and counsel of their attorney, certied public accountant, nancial advisor and/or other farm transition advisor would be about as predictable as a game of Plinko. With the advice and counsel of (a specialist), the client can understand the potential consequences of a plan and make better, more objective decisions.”

Borakove also helps families clarify their vision and set goals.

“To prepare, rst the family should ask themselves, if there were no rules, no taxes, no restrictions or judgment of any kind, what would we want to happen with the farm if we couldn’t make the decision?” she said. “Second, having a sense of the time horizon as to when a transition could or should happen, from the farm owner’s perspective as well as the farm successor’s perspective, would be helpful.”

Advisors agreed that planning, inclusion and communication are key.

“Farms that do the planning are much more likely to have a successful farm transition than those that do not plan,” Molenaar said. “It doesn’t guarantee success, but it improves the odds.”

I have used the ADGA ITP 02 APCS. I have also used the same test day samples to test for pregnancy in my does, to save a step during breeding season. Which is your favorite and why? I have only ever used the one test type, but have always been very satis ed with it.

How does testing with DHIA bene t your dairy operation? It is a wonderful aid in the monitoring of the health of our herd. The original purpose of the DHIR testing was to be able to test for and treat mastitis and tracking susceptible cows/ goats. It is also excellent for tracking who your most productive goats are. ADGA and DHIA work hand-in-hand to compile an annual list of top 10 goats for each bred, top 10 in total production, top 10 in protein production and top 10 in butterfat production. We have been fortunate to have two does that have made it on the preliminary list this year from last year’s production.

Tell us about your farm. We are a small hobby farm that strives to breed high quality Nigerian Dwarves that are productive and have excellent longevity. We also aim to produce goats that have a wonderful base temperament. We are an ADGA Plus herd, which means we participate in Linear Appraisal, DHIR and DNA testing.

Linear Appraisal is the evaluation of the goats conformation. We DNA type our goats so parentage can be proven but also we hope to test all of our goats to see which type of Alpha Casein gene they carry. We use all of these programs to try to breed the best goats we possibly can.

Shayna W. Borakove Borakove Osman LLC.

“It is a wonderful aid in the

Eva Edwards

Handmade offers a special touch

Pearl Ice Cream Parlor continues its legacy

By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com

LA CROSSE, Wis.

– Just like Wisconsin is famous for its cheese, LaCrosse is famous for the Pearl Ice Cream Parlor’s homemade ice cream.

“Our business is based in Wisconsin, which is America’s Dairyland for a reason,” Azia Thelemann said.

Thelemann manages the ice cream parlor with her sister, Dani Peterslie. The two have been operating the shop since 2016 when they took it over from their parents, TJ and Michelle Peterslie.

Thelemann said the ice cream parlor is successful because of the work of local farmers.

“Our business would not be here without the dairy industry,” Thelemann said. “Once one begins evaluating how many products we use that

contain dairy, it becomes evident what a signicant part of our business it is.”

Pearl Ice Cream Parlor uses Wisconsin dairy in its homemade ice cream. They also use butter in their homemade fudge,

and the connecting coffee shop has many drinks on the menu featuring milk. As supplies became scarce, and shopping became a challenge during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic, Thelemann said

she realized even more the importance of what they are offering.

“This is true now more than ever, as the last couple of years have shown the difculty with sourcing particular food items for

many businesses countrywide,” she said.

That was not always the case.

Pearl Ice Cream Parlor did not always make its own ice cream, but after being open a few years, TJ’s father, Oscar, decided they should.

Oscar, took an ice creammaking course from the University of WisconsinMadison and ew to Texas for training and to purchase the business’s rst batch freezer. Since then, Pearl Ice Cream Parlor has been making its own ice cream on-site, and the business has been growing year by year.

Pearl Ice Cream Parlor uses an ice cream mix with weekly deliveries ranging from 300-400 gallons in the summer. A vintage, commercial ice cream machine is used to create more than 20 avors of ice cream that is hand-scooped.

“By September, production really drops off,” Thelemann said. “But, we are making the sweet stuff all year long.”

sin. Thelemann and her sister, Dani Peterslie, manage the ice cream shop.

The ice cream shop also uses butter in the homemade fudge that is sold in its adjacent confectionery. Each batch of fudge requires 2 pounds of butter. On a typical day of making fudge, the shop uses up to 16 pounds of butter.

Even with the adjoining coffee shop and confectionery, the bulk of the business is still making and selling ice cream to customers in the ice cream parlor. Ice cream is also sold by the pint and half-gallon for those who want to enjoy the treat from home. The mix is also frozen into hard ice cream without any avors or variegates that is later used to create hand-spun malts and shakes.

Pearl Ice Cream Parlor also bakes its wafe cones.

Thelemann said they are the topselling item.

“We roll cones daily,” Thelemann said. “They never stick around for very long.”

Thelemann said Pearl Ice Cream Parlor started as a way to attract families to Pearl Street. The parlor replaced a former bar and is located in one of the oldest historic commercial buildings in the city of La Crosse.

In keeping with the historic theme of the building, the interior emulates a 1930’s style ice cream parlor. They used items found from closed ice cream parlors across the Midwest and other antiques to create the ambiance in the space.

While the core avors are always on the menu, seasonal and never-before-seen avors do make an appearance.

“Any time we do a new avor drop, that sends folks in to try the latest usually in addition to their regular favorite that they always

have to get,” Thelemann said.

Except for 2020, the business has been growing each year and in turn increasing the amount of dairy products being used.

“Our current plans are to maximize the volume of ice cream that we can produce and sell from our location while still providing an old-fashioned ice cream parlor experience to each one of our customers,” Thelemann said.

Thelemann said there has not been a signicant change in customers’ purchasing trends since her ownership in 2016, although there is one popular dairy-free option on the menu.

“Customers are interested in new and interesting avors of ice cream, especially as the seasons change, but the classics are still in high demand as well,” she said. “From what we can tell, there will always be a spot in the freezer and room after dinner for an ice cream treat.”

ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR

Danielle Koch, an employee at the Pearl Ice Cream Parlor, makes a batch of ice cream Oct. 6. All of the ice cream made at the parlor uses Wisconsin dairy products.

O f T h e F e n c eOf The Fence

Steve Killian Blair, Wisconsin Trempealeau County 75 cows

Hunting whitetails is my favorite by far because there’s a challenge. I hunt with a bow and gun, and I get out for the muzzleloader season when I can.

What are some traditions you honor during hunting season? Growing up, we’d always get together for opening day and then have smoked venison bologna for Thanksgiving. Now, all of my kids enjoy hunting. For me, farming, nature and hunting brings you a lot closer to God and the circle of life. I don’t go there just to kill a deer. It’s good to go back and calm your mind and get closer to what we are.

How do you t hunting into your daily schedule on the farm? You go when you can. If you can’t go, you can’t go. I can always work later. It has to be a commitment and something you enjoy. We are lucky to have land right here, and my wife helps me milk so I can get out there.

How do you have your meat processed? What is your favorite wild game to eat and how do you prepare it? We love tenderloin. We process all of our own, and my wife does a lot of canning. It’s been a blessing that our second son, Christian, got right into skinning and cleaning the meat when he started hunting. He’s also a taxidermist. We do like to get hot dogs and bologna made. My wife also makes incredible turkey noodle soup. When it’s prepared right, I like any sort of wild game, but venison is my favorite.

Tell us about your most memorable hunt. One of the largest deer I ever shot was a few years back. It was around Thanksgiving, and I was frustrated because I didn't have a lot of time to hunt that year. I decided around 3 p.m. that day to go for a walk, and I ended up shooting my biggest buck I ever shot that night. We had been watching him on the trail cameras, and we had him named Crosby after the Packers football kicker. He was a big 10-pointer with about a 20-inch spread. I came up and told the kids to come help me get this doe out of the woods, and they went nuts when they saw I got Crosby.

Tell us about your farm. We own around 370 acres of which 270 is tillable with pasture. We raise almost all of our own crops of corn and hay and milk around 75 head. We raise close to 100 heifers. I farm with my wife, Amanda, and our kids, Sam, Christian, Olivia, Bo and Jack. Christian does a lot of food plots, and we also plan some of our crops around hunting. We make sure hay is cut in a timely manner so there's regrowth. Christian planted 1 acre of soybeans that’s saved for the deer and leaves some corn standing. He does all that work for all of us.

Jeremy Arceneau Elrosa, Minnesota Stearns County 44 cows

What hunting seasons do you participate in, and why do you enjoy these particular seasons? I just do the shotgun season for deer. I like the peace and quiet. Plus, you don’t have to worry about anything because the fall eldwork is done so, I am not as busy. I also do waterfowl for ducks and geese a couple times a year. I turkey hunt in the spring as well.

What are some traditions you honor during hunting season? I always go deer hunting with my brothers, Josh, Brent and Cole. We have a group text and gure out where we will all sit. If we get a deer, we cut it up ourselves and throw it in the freezer. We take it in later in the winter to a local meat shop. Our stands are usually a quarter to one-half mile apart. We usually work together to clean each deer. My cousin and brothers hunt geese with me as well. Usually, we do morning hunts for waterfowl, and after chores, we go turkey hunting. I enjoy turkey hunting in the spring. We usually breast them out and then smoke them.

How do you t hunting into your daily schedule on the farm? I usually milk early so I don’t have to adjust my schedule too much. I am at the farm at 3:30 a.m. My dad, Fred, does the evening chores for me. When he goes mule deer hunting in Montana with my brothers, I stay back and do all the chores. I try to get out about four days during the shotgun season. I plan to go out the rst Saturday and Sunday, do my work during the week and get back out for the second Saturday and Sunday.

How do you have your meat processed? What is your favorite wild game to eat and how do you prepare it? We cut up our deer ourselves. Last year, we made hotdogs, pepper and honey barbecue sticks, and sausage out of the deer. My favorite to eat is the sticks. Each year, we mix pork in as well. My brothers made turkey burgers out of some of their turkeys, and those were really good.

Tell us about your most memorable hunt. When we were younger, we always drove or did pushes, and the adrenaline rush of what is going to come is really exciting. I have been 10 yards away when a deer ran by. One year, when we were doing a drive, I stepped on a big tom wild turkey. It was so close I had scratches on my cheek from the feathers when it ew away.

Tell us about your farm. I farm with my dad, Fred. We milk 44 cows in a tiestall barn. We farm 500 acres of land. We plant corn, soybean, oat and alfalfa. We ship our milk to Bongards.

Tyler Mlsna Cashton, Wisconsin Monroe County 100 cows

What hunting seasons do you participate in, and why do you enjoy these particular seasons? I bow and gun hunt deer mostly. I enjoy turkey hunting, too, but do not have as much time to get out for it. I enjoy it because it is peaceful out there, and you can do your own thinking. Now that the kids are getting into it, it adds to the fun.

What are some traditions you honor during hunting season? We get up early for chores on opening day so we can get out to the woods early. Family and friends who visit come out to get the barn smell on them before going out. We usually get together at someone’s shop to eat and talk about how it is going. I hunt with my kids until they get their rst deer just because I want to be there for that.

How do you t hunting into your daily schedule on the farm? When we get caught up with crops, we have a little more time to get out. Once the time change happens, we can usually sneak out in the evening before chores. Sometimes we bend the chore schedule a little bit to give us more time in the woods.

How do you have your meat processed? What is your favorite wild game to eat and how do you prepare it? I take the deer to the butcher. In the past, I would get together with a group of guys who all had processing equipment, and we would make everything from sausage to brats and burgers. My favorite wild game to eat is actually sh. Ice shing is my jam if I can get the time to go.

Tell us about your most memorable hunt. My daughter’s rst deer. She was 9 years old and with me for the youth hunt. We made a plan of how it would go if we saw a deer. When the time came, she followed that plan exactly how I told her to. She pulled up, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. That deer just dropped.

Tell us about your farm. We raise dairy and beef. We fatten out all of our steers as well. Between my parents, Mark and Bridget, and my brothers, Eric and Charlie, we run about 500 acres and 500 head total. Eric has ve kids who are a great help along with my three kids as well.

What hunting seasons do you participate in, and why do you enjoy these particular seasons?

What are some traditions you honor during hunting season?

Matthew Ehlen Burlington, Wisconsin Walworth County 120 cows

What hunting seasons do you participate in and why do you enjoy these particular seasons? I participate in deer, turkey, goose, duck and coyote hunting. I spend most of my time hunting deer. I enjoy trying to outsmart a mature buck and watch them grow through the years, either seeing them while out hunting or having trail camera pictures of them. Over the winter, I try to coyote hunt as much as possible as we have a lot of them around. I usually get a few each year, and in the spring and early summer, it’s one less predator for fawns to worry about.

What are some traditions you honor during hunting season? I got married in 2019 to my wife, Britte. Her parents own a cabin and some land in Black River, Wisconsin. Since we’ve been together, we go up there for opening weekend of gun season. It’s always fun and enjoyable spending time with the family telling old hunting stories while making new memories.

How do you t hunting into your daily schedule on the farm? Trying to t hunting into my schedule on the farm is tough. As fall time comes around and hunting season starts so does harvest season. I am fortunate enough to have awesome parents who work with me so I can get out as much as possible. I usually can mix feed in the mornings and sneak away for a couple hours in the morning while they nish milking. I also get a night off every once in a while to sneak out into the woods as long as I return them the favor.

Mark Hoesly Ladysmith, Wisconsin Rusk County 40 cows

What hunting seasons do you participate in, and why do you enjoy these particular seasons? I have only hunted deer during the gun season for a number of years now. I used to also hunt rufed grouse, but between their uctuating populations and limited time to hunt, I haven’t bought a small game license in probably 10 years. A big part of the enjoyment of deer season comes from hunting with family and friends: the memories and the camaraderie. I started hunting at 13, and none of my family that lived near here hunted. Now, with cousins, uncles, an occasional aunt, my brother and now my kids, we sometimes have as many as 20 hunters. I often have corn to combine late in November, but deer season also gives me a chance to relax a bit. Sure, there is milking and feeding and manure to haul, but that leaves several hours each day to just sit and enjoy.

What are some traditions you honor during hunting season? Since Wisconsin’s deer season is always around Thanksgiving, we always have Thanksgiving dinner at my mom’s or at one of my aunt’s houses. Little things, like getting together a day or two before the season to decide who is sitting where and to get the stands and blinds in place, or helping the less experienced gut their rst, or rst few, deer could all be considered traditions too.

How do you t hunting into your daily schedule on the farm? Fitting hunting into the schedule means starting chores about an hour and a half early on opening morning and getting more help than I normally do. I make sure all the bale rings are full on Friday, so right after milking and cleanup, we can go. Manure gets hauled when we come in for lunch, and then it’s back to the stands until the end of hunting hours. The rst day is typically our most successful, and the deer move much less after that, so it is usually back to our normal schedule after opening day. That’s harder on my daughter, Grace, than her brothers, as they’ll both be old enough to hunt on their own this year, while Grace has to wait for me to get chores done before she can go hunting.

How do you have your meat processed? What is your favorite wild game to eat and how do you prepare it? I process my own meat. I usually have some friends or family who are willing to help, which is always nice. My favorite meal to make is venison tips. I cube up some steak meat or loin, throw it in a crock pot on low and add a can of cream of mushroom soup and ll the can back up with ginger ale and pour that in as well. Finally, I add a pack of Lipton onion soup mix and leave it to cook for eight hours while stirring it every once in a while. We put it over noodles once it’s done.

Tell us about your most memorable hunt. My most memorable hunt was in September 2016 when I shot my biggest deer to date. It was raining all day and stopped at about 3 p.m. I talked my dad into letting me go out, and I saw eight deer that night. A half hour before shooting light, a big buck stepped out of a tree line into the hay eld, and I shot him at 30 yards. He scored 161 1/8 inches.

Tell us about your farm. My grandpa bought the farm in 1958, and my dad bought it from him. My parents and I are in an LLC and have grown the herd to 120 milking cows with 20 beef cows. We run right around 300 acres that are used for feeding the cattle. My dad has done a lot to modernize the farm since taking it over. In 2010, we built a freestall barn with a bedding pack for the fresh cows. In 2015, we put in a swing-8 milking parlor in the stanchion barn. Over the last couple years, we’ve put up a few smaller sheds to house our heifers as we raise our replacements. I have to give credit to my parents for giving me the opportunity to continue the family farm. My dad always told me it’s a lot of work and it’s tough work, but in the end, it’s very rewarding. An example of this would be seeing your kids grow up on the farm and the enjoyment it brings them. I am nally realizing that with my own son who was born last September, and my wife and I are expecting another child in April.

How do you have your meat processed? What is your favorite wild game to eat and how do you prepare it? We sometimes cut up the deer ourselves but typically have it done for us by a family that processes deer. Last year, we started taking some of the deer to an Amish-run butcher shop. They can also make hot dogs, sausage, brats, etc. Grilled venison tenderloin or loin chops are hard to beat, but grouse breast is my favorite wild game to eat. One way I like it is wrapped in bacon, and another recipe uses cream of chicken soup. Venison is one of the few things I actually know how to cook. I use salt and pepper or some seasoning salt, and grill or broil it.

Tell us about your most memorable hunt. There are several: any of my kid’s rst hunts or my elk hunt with my father-in-law and brothers-in-law. My rst buck might also be my most memorable. My third year hunting, I had my rst hunter’s choice tag after buck-only the rst two years. I was in a stand built in a big maple tree. It was in a good spot on the edge of a small eld with bigger elds to the north and west, and woods and swamp to the east and south. Uncle Jerry and his dad were going to start working their way through the woods from the south. Five does came from the west, crossing right under the maple tree I was in. About that time, a buck came from the south along an old fence line until he hit the does’ trail. He made a right turn and headed toward me. I started shooting, but I had no idea where I was hitting. The gun held seven shells. I didn’t connect until the fth or sixth. He went down within 15 yards of the maple tree. My legs were like rubber, climbing down. It was a ve-pointer, not big in any respect but my rst buck and my rst deer.

Tell us about your farm. I’m the fth generation. My great-great-grandfather started the farm in 1901 on 80 acres bought from a logging company. Neighboring farms have been bought as opportunities came along, expanding to 600 acres with 235 being farmed. Fifty acres now belong to an aunt and uncle as well as 65 acres my parents own, which I still crop. With more wooded land, swamp and creek bottom than crop land, it makes for good hunting. I haven’t added any land, but I upgraded from Surge buckets and a step-saver to a Surge auto-ow parlor in 1997 and built a new house in 2005.

Breeding Prole

Kyles breed for long-lasting, high-component Jerseys, Holsteins

Dave and Hayden Kyle Kylecrest Holsteins and Jerseys Elkhorn, Wisconsin 150 cows total; 130 milking

Describe your facilities and list your breeding management team. Cows are housed in a sand-bedded freestall barn. Half of it is sized for Holsteins, and the other half is sized for Jerseys. Dave is in charge of breeding decisions for the Holsteins while Hayden oversees breeding decisions for the Jerseys. Cows are milked twice a day in a double-6 parallel parlor. Dry cows are housed in two barns – one for faroff cows and one for close-up cows that includes a calving area. Both dry cow barns feature a row of free stalls, a bedding pack and access to pasture. Calves are housed in the old dairy barn in individual pens. They leave the farm at 3 months to be custom raised and return as springing heifers. We used to raise all of our heifers when we just had Holsteins, but we never had enough of our own feed. Our breeding management team includes the two of us and our veterinarian, Dr. Dave Chapman, from Stateline Veterinary Services. Dave is a really good t for us. We also consult with friends in the industry on their thoughts about certain bulls and what certain farms are using instead of just looking at sire proofs. I’ll also ask the appraiser or classier what bulls I should stay away from or what bulls he

likes the 2-year-olds from. But on the ipside, those cows might not milk. We have a big consulting team and get a lot of input. We do feel like every mating is pretty important. It’s an investment both in that offspring and how it will affect future matings.

What is your current pregnancy rate? It is 26%. It has been as high as 37% and as low as 19% in the last year for the whole herd. Jerseys on average run 4% higher than Holsteins. We house Holsteins for a few people – show cows – and these cows are not bred back as quickly. They are either kept open longer for showing purposes or have difculty in getting bred back. These cows can skew our numbers lower, and we struggled a lot with that this past summer.

What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? How do you get animals pregnant? We do not use a synchronization program. We work with our vet and do a herd check every two weeks. We use Lutalyse on any cows over 65 days in milk who have not yet shown a heat. We’ll breed off the Lutalyse shot only if we see them in heat. We do most of the milking and know our cows well. If a cow comes in the parlor rst instead of last or looks at us funny, we know something’s up. Therefore, we might not breed off a standing visual heat and use other visual indicators instead.

In our last herd check, nine cows were checked, and seven were pregnant. That’s pretty standard. We have good luck getting cows pregnant and nd that the open ones are the kind that are always open. Our average days to rst service is 80 days, and average days to pregnancy is 122 days. Jerseys are so inquisitive and help with heat detection. They’re good at picking up cows in heat; whereas, we have Holsteins that never show heat.

Describe your breeding philosophy Dave: We try to breed for balanced cows, but our breeding philosophies are different. I want long-lasting, troublefree, healthy cows, but I never used to look at that until Hayden came back home. I always wanted super fancy show cows. I almost bred too much for extreme type, and in the long run, it probably hurt me some. You learn more from making mistakes. I had some great cows that didn’t live as long as they should. They were too big and did not breed back as easy. I wanted to get more milk too. It’s hard to nd a bull we like that’s polled. If we found one, we would use him a lot. But we’re not going to give up what we’re looking for in a bull in exchange for a polled animal.

Hayden: My breeding philosophy changed since rst getting into Jerseys. When I came home from college, I leaned more toward my dad’s philosophy of breeding for typier cows. I didn’t look at components or milk that much. I bred for very high udders and very good type as I gured you can feed for milk. Cows with a lot of type can also be longer lasting. Our Jerseys are larger than a lot of other Jerseys. Our breeding philosophy was always to breed for the bigger-framed cow. We bought our rst 20 to 50 Jerseys through the eyes of a Holstein breeder. We wanted them bigger and wider. Now, we’re going for a more average-sized cow. I was up to 50 Jerseys when I noticed my heifers weren’t getting pregnant. If an animal isn’t bred, we look at who the sire and dam are. We started paying attention

to daughter pregnancy rate, which was new at that time when we noticed heifers out of the same bull taking four or ve times to get pregnant. Now I look for bulls with a higher DPR. If an animal is hard to breed as a heifer, then she’s going to be like that as a cow. Cows that calve in more often and easier are the goal. I probably don’t put as much emphasis on type as my dad does. I try to use a handful of good bulls. We’ll go back and use a bull if we see success with him. We’ll use a bull a bunch and then stop and wait to see his daughters come up. If he produces a really good, consistent group of daughters, we’ll use him again.

What guidelines do you follow to reach the goals for your breeding program? Dave: We genomic test, which is probably as good of a report card as you can get. Of course environment and management inuence whether an animal is going to achieve her potential or not. Classifying is the other guideline I follow. It’s an opportunity to get an outside opinion on if we’re breeding the right kind. DHI testing is also a really good tool. You can nd reproduction numbers quick and know if you’re going in the right direction. When you have milking daughters out of certain bulls, you know if those sires are good or not. We also follow cow families.

Hayden: I was big into genomics in 2017 but have since backed off a little. I don’t care if it’s the best bull in the breed. If I can’t get cows pregnant, what good is that to me? I try to use all the tools on the table. I don’t lean just on proven bulls, production records or genomics. Instead, I take it all into consideration. Some cows are not the highest milkers, but they look so nice and are healthy and trouble-free. Health traits are so under appreciated. You might not get as much milk during the rst and second lactations, but I’d rather have a cow around three more lactations and get more daughters out of her. I try to

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Dave Kyle and his son, Hayden, milk 130 cows on their farm, Kylecrest Holsteins and Jerseys, near Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Dave manages the breeding of the Holsteins while Hayden manages the breeding of the Jerseys.

using anything but Udder Comfort. It works the best!”

Tim ‘Cooner’ Coon, Copake, NY. He is the 2022 recipient of the prestigious AC ‘Whitie’ Thomson Memorial Award.

“We use it on fresh cows and show cows, any swelling. We wouldn’t use it if it didn’t work. Steve Vail, herdsman, EdgeView Elite Dairy II, Copake, NY, owned by Ken Main and Kenny Joe Manion. Steve and Cooner work with great cows like 2-time

“We use a lot of Udder Comfort. We lay it on the fresh cows after every milking for a week after calving.”

Brandon and Kim Grewe, Cumberland, WI. Their homebred Valley Gem Atlas Malt is now 3-time WDE Grand Champion Guernsey (2019, 2021, 2022).

OtherselectedcommentsatWorldDairyExpo: “You bet we use Udder Comfort!”

“Thank you for a product that works!”

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use the highest genomic bulls out there, but I don’t want to give up what my dad and I have built just for a number.

What are the top traits you look for in breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? Hayden: I like cheese merit with an emphasis on type, components and health. Within those traits, I specically look at combined fat and protein, somatic cell count and udder. I place less emphasis on DPR now. I am 30% higher than the breed average for DPR at this point. Your breeding philosophy should change or adapt as your herd adapts. I can get away with not doing shots because I’m a big believer in good-settling bulls that match my cow. I don’t try to breed for super big cows. We are also big into udder composite.

Dave: I am focused on A2 genetics, and probably 85% of all our heifers (Holstein and Jersey) are A2. I don’t currently have a market for A2 milk, but I want to be in the position for it if the opportunity arises. You have to have your eyes down the road a bit. That’s why A2 is part of our breeding selection. I’m big into butterfat and concentrate on percentage fat, not pounds. I like cows with big butterfat records. I also look at health traits a lot now. My type traits are no longer too extreme. I want fancy, balanced cows, but I shoot for less extreme type. I had beautiful cows from the bull Atwood, but I couldn’t get his daughters pregnant because he had a negative 4 DPR. I’m a visual guy who likes to look at the linear on a bull. We treat our cows like individuals. I don’t want to make a problem worse.

What are certain traits you try to avoid? We avoid using bulls with a negative DPR and high somatic cell count. We also stay away from bulls

that are not positive for percentage fat and protein. We do not use bulls with negative components. We also will not use a bad-uddered bull, a low foot angle bull or a high-type bull with bad production numbers.

Describe the ideal cow for your herd. Our ideal cow is the invisible cow – one that is problem-free and low maintenance. She is a cow we can be proud of and enjoy seeing in the barn. You don’t have to think about her all the time because she does her job, comes into natural heat and breeds right back. You have to breed for type too. We want cows that are scored Very Good or Excellent. We have a whole herd of cows that we’re proud of, and people respect the job we do. We have consistency, and it’s hard to nd a bad cow in our herd. In breeding the ideal Jersey, we shoot for 90 to 100 pounds combined fat and protein. We want high components. It’s better to

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ship less water. We also feel that higher component cows are healthier than big milk cows.

What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? Genetics are pretty important to us. We use genomics, real production and conrmation in helping reach our goals. If we see a nice-looking heifer, we’ll place bets on who the sire is. We’re able to enjoy genetics and have fun with it. It’s almost like a contest. If you shoot for numbers, it’s not as much fun. The milking part is secondary. We both enjoy the genetics of the dairy farm more than anything. Figuring out how we can both breed the best cow that we both will like is a fun challenge.

What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? Sexed is 30%, conventional 10%, beef 50% and embryos 10%. Our top cows get sexed semen, and the bottom 50% are bred to beef. A select few problem breeders get conventional semen. Hayden: I don’t want Jersey bull calves. I also don’t want a daughter out of a hard breeder. Even my best cows are only bred twice to sexed semen, and after that, I’m switching over to beef semen.

What is your conception rate? How does this differ with different types of semen? We don’t have conception numbers for the individual types of semen. Overall, our Holsteins average 2.1 services per conception, and our Jerseys average 1.8 services per conception. We try to use high-conception bulls while also thinking about calf livability.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? Dave: I am a big believer in learning from mistakes and admitting if I am wrong. Perhaps we didn’t do enough research on a bull. You always have to evolve and change, be willing to admit you made a mistake and be willing to change. I like to go to shows and see the daughters of different bulls. That’s a good learning opportunity.

Hayden: It’s always a gamble with genetics, but I haven’t gone back on anything. You can’t focus on one thing too much when breeding cows. Even if you think it’s going to be a perfect cross, there’s always that chance it won’t. That’s how genetics are. I don’t get as anxious about bull selection as I used to. You have to look at the big picture and enjoy the victories. Don’t get too

tied up on specic numbers and benchmarks. Stick with your gut. Nothing’s guaranteed.

What is the age of your heifers at rst service? Our heifers are tail chalked every day. They are put in the breeding program at 12 months of age, and we hope to have them bred by 14 months. However, our custom raiser bases it more off size than actual age.

How does your heifer inventory affect your breeding program? You can’t keep all your heifers, so if we’re going to raise a heifer, she has to be a good one. If we’re low on replacements, we can easily go buy a cow. We need about 25 heifers a year of each breed and are raising about 35 of each breed for a total of 70 heifers. Our cull rate in the herd is 20%, so we do have a cushion with the number of replacements we are raising. We try not to calve our heifers from Christmas to the end of February because it is harder on the calves and the udders. We breed 100% of our heifers to conventional semen. For the Jerseys, we might switch to top genomics getting sexed semen and the rest getting beef. We’re going to breed fewer cows to sexed semen in the future and breed more heifers to sexed instead.

Tell us about your farm. We have shifted from Holsteins to Jerseys in recent years, and our herd is now about 75% Jersey and 25% Holstein. Hayden went to the University of WisconsinMadison Farm and Industry Short Course with plans of returning to the farm and milking Holsteins like his dad. A friend of Hayden’s milked Jerseys, and as Hayden learned they require less manure storage, have higher feed efciency, higher components and higher pregnancy rates, he decided to go with Jerseys instead. We started with two and bought adjustable free stalls from a farm that was selling out and continued to expand the portion of the Jersey herd from there. We also own a coffee shop and may consider going down the route of ag tourism in the future. Our coffee shop customers love when they hear we have a farm. We have hosted our county’s dairy breakfast three times and are involved in the community. We also do a lot of tours. We don’t want to grow bigger but instead get better and keep the labor inhouse. We don’t want to have a lot of employees. It’s not just about numbers to us, and the cows are not just cows to us. The cows are part of our family. It’s fun seeing them grow up.

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Jerseys are now the majority breed at Kylecrest Holsteins and Jerseys near Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Hayden Kyle introduced Jerseys to the farm when he returned home from college, and they now make up 75% of the herd.

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A Swiss miss up for grabs

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

MONTICELLO, Wis. – A former World Dairy Expo grand champion, several All-Americans and a Total Performance Award winner for the Brown Swiss breed are some of the cows that can be found within the pedigree of V B First Choice Zorah-TW – the grand prize in Dairy Star’s Great Christmas Giveaway. This Brown Swiss heifer calf is sure to make an unforgettable Christmas gift for one lucky youth.

“Zorah is a member of one of our oldest cow families,” Bryan Voegeli said. “There are a lot of good family members in this tree, including showquality cattle with high components. These are the kind of animals we like.”

Zorah comes from the elite herd of Brown Swiss found at Voegeli Farms near Monticello. Here, Voegeli and his son, Chris, and his brother, Jim, milk 135 registered cows and farm 1,300 acres. Bryan and Jim are the fth generation on Voegeli Farms while Chris is the sixth. Hailing from Switzerland, the Voegeli family tradition of breeding Brown Swiss began on this farm in 1895, and the herd has remained pure Swiss ever since.

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“I like the Brown Swiss breed,” Voegeli said. “That’s our niche. I think Brown Swiss have such a great temperament, and I certainly like their milk quality. We’ve had success over the years and like to create whatever opportunities we can – whether with genetics, genomics, type or simply producing a good, functional cow.”

Offering a complete package of type and production, generations of homebred favorites run deep in this Z family. Zorah is backed by cows that have done well in the rings of some of the largest shows and at home, including a winner of the Brown Swiss Total Performance Award, which Voegeli said was a great honor to earn.

“The Total Performance Award takes into consideration a cow’s production record and show

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

V B First Choice Zorah-TW, of Voegeli Farms near Mon cello, Wisconsin, is the grand prize in Dairy Star’s Christmas giveaway this year. Zorah was born Sept. 6, and cows in her pedigree include a former World Dairy Expo grand champion, several AllAmericans and a Total Performance Award winner for the Brown Swiss breed.

Voegeli Farms provides heifer for Christmas giveaway

Voegeli said. “It is one

Born Sept. 6 and sired by Brown Heaven C First ChoiceET, Zorah splits her genetics with a twin sister. The calves’ dam is V B Tequila Zah VG87. In her second lactation, Zah made 27,940 pounds of milk with 4.9% butterfat, 1,363 pounds, and 3.4% protein, 939 pounds, in 365 days.

“Zorah and her twin sister are really nice calves, and their mother is a really nice cow,” Voegeli said. “We’re hoping one day she’ll go Excellent.”

Zorah’s granddam is V B Braiden Zarinah VG-85. Zarinah’s best record was made in her second lactation when she produced 33,100 pounds of milk, 3.7% butterfat, 1,241 pounds, and 3.2% protein, 1,043 pounds, in 365 days.

The great-granddam is V B Bush Zarihah EX-90. Her best record came about as a 4-yearold when she produced 35,530 pounds of milk, 4.5% fat and 3.3% protein in 365 days.

“We’re trying to make a protable cow, but what I think sets us apart is that we try to breed cows that can show and also produce large quantities of milk for a long time,” Voegeli said. “Chris is focusing more on genomics these days. Now that we’re smaller, we have to be even more diversied. But, we still like to show and have an opportunity to make a show cow.”

The farm’s rolling herd

average is 23,000 pounds of milk, 4.4% butterfat and 3.4% protein. The Voegelis began milking with two robotic milking units in September after downsizing their herd from 220 cows to 135 cows.

“With the next generation securing a foothold in taking over, the robots are part of our succession plan and a reinvestment in the farm,”

Voegeli said. “There are certainly some advantages to robots. The technology and the info they provide are incredible. We’re excited about the labor savings and will hopefully get a boost in production as well.”

However, letting go of so many good cows has been challenging, Voegeli said.

“We’re virtually cutting the herd in half and still have

more cows to sell,” he said. “But I’m thrilled the next generation and the one behind that still have opportunities to be in the industry. We’ll see where the farm goes.”

Brown Swiss have always t with the Voegelis’ mission, and they are happy to share their genetics with a young person looking to make their own mark in the industry.

“Zorah has a good pedigree that includes some nice show-winning cows, and we’re hoping for someone to continue with that,” Voegeli said. “We like deep pedigrees, and this family follows that. My dad always said, ‘The further back you can look in a pedigree, the further ahead into the future you can look.’ I like that statement; I think it’s true. We’re not breeding just a onegeneration wonder.”

Youth ages 17 and under are eligible to enter the drawing.

“Kids have so many opportunities these days, but I think winning a calf is a special opportunity in life,” Voegeli said. “I want the youth to be successful, and I want the calf to be successful and for the pair to be able to showcase their successes. This is a chance to experience the responsibilities of owning a calf and perhaps get involved in a different breed while having a calf to show.”

Excited about Zorah’s future, Voegeli said his greatest victory in showing is getting to experience the shows with his kids.

“People score victories differently, but when we came back from World Dairy Expo having done well, I was happy with that, but the interaction I experienced with my kids is what I enjoyed most,” Voegeli said. “I wish that for some other kid and their family.”

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Chris Voegeli and his dad, Bryan, milk 135 registered Brown Swiss cows and farm 1,300 acres at Voegeli Farms near Mon cello, Wisconsin. The Voegelis are providing the heifer calf for Dairy Star’s Great Christmas Giveaway.

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No regrets

Tri-G Farm reaps benets of six years with robotic milking

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

DORCHESTER, Wis

– Six years ago, Bruce and Jolene Gumz and Beth Kosik were thinking they needed to change how they were managing their 72-cow dairy herd at Tri-G Farm near Dorchester if they were going to continue dairy farming.

“We were wanting to make improvements in cow comfort,” Bruce said. “At the same time, we were all getting wore out; my knees were shot. We knew we needed to make some changes to make things more efcient and easier on us physically.”

The Gumzes and Kosik started to consider their options.

“We were strongly considering robots, but when we priced a new facility, we got hit with some pretty serious sticker shock,” Jolene said. “The idea of going that far into debt at this stage in the game was pretty scary.”

The Gumzes’ and Kosik’s children are young enough that they are uncertain if any will decide to pursue a career in dairy farming.

“We wanted to make it an option for them to come back if that is what they wanted,” Jolene said. “But, we didn’t want to make it so that it became an expectation.”

Not to be deterred from pursing a plan to make dairy farming feasible for them for the long haul, the trio started considering a robotic retrot for their tiestall barn.

After that initial research, they decided to restructure their existing tiestall barn to accommodate a DeLaval robotic milking system.

“We toured a lot of barns that had different brands of robots,” Bruce said. “In the end, it came down to service. We were condent in the service we could expect from Bob’s (Dairy of Dorchester).”

That expectation of good service has been met.

“Bob’s has been phenomenal,” Bruce said. “If we have a problem that we can’t gure out or x, one call or text to the repair guy is all it takes.”

Reconguring their barn took some careful planning. The existing barn measured 36 feet by 255 feet. A 20-by-40 addition was added to house the robot itself as well as an area for an ofce.

All of the old stanchions were moved, and they took the haymow oor out to raise the barn’s ceiling up to the level of the exterior eaves and installed a false ceiling to nish the barn.

Because of the 3-foot feed alley, a conveyor delivers the feed with the use of push-button feeding. The feed rail is a exible system. The barn is scraped using a chain-driven alley scraper.

Because of their land base, the Gumzes and Kosik were not interested in expanding Turn to TRI-G

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Jolene and Bruce Gumz and Beth Kosik operate Tri-G Farm where they milk 61 cows with one robo c milking system near Dorchester, Wisconsin. The Gumzes and Kosik retro ed their estall barn to install the robot six years ago.

their herd and instead opted to keep their herd size capped so the milking could be handled by one robot. With using one robot, the facility was designed as a guided ow.

Six years after they began their robotic journey, the Gumzes and Kosik are milking 61 cows with one robot, and they agreed there is nothing they would change.

“We are able to get more milk from fewer cows now,” Bruce said. “Our efciency has gotten so much better, and we now have so much more information on our cows.”

In addition to the data provided by the robots, the Gumzes and Kosik also began using CowManager tags.

“What we can learn from the robots and the activity monitors have made hormone shots obsolete here,” Bruce said. “We rarely ever give Lutalyse now. Everything is bred off of natural heats.”

The goal of increased cow comfort, one of the primary goals for the Gumzes and Kosik, is one they consider accomplished.

“The barn is a completely different atmosphere these days,” Bruce said. “The cows are so much calmer, and they have so much more personality now than they did back when we milked in the tie stalls.”

All three acknowledge they see their cows differently now and nd the barn a place they enjoy spending time.

“There is just a really good vibe in the barn,” Jolene said. “It is so peaceful. The ow of the barn is very natural.”

The other goal the Gumzes and Kosik had with their retrot was bettering their own lives, and they said they have had success.

“It has really freed up our time to get other things taken care of or to give us the opportunity to get away or have some time off,” Beth said. “One person can handle chores now. It has really made us much more exible.”

The team divides up the work with Bruce and Jolene handling things in the morning and any cows that need to be bred as well as other herd health duties. Beth takes care of the afternoon cleaning and feeds the cows. The three rotate being on call for any potential issues that might arise overnight.

The trio also employs automated calf feeders to raise their calves.

“We can all take some time away without feeling guilty or feeling like we are dumping everything on someone else,” Bruce said. “I like having that ability to get away and enjoy some time off a little bit.”

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Feed is delivered to the cows at Tri-G Farm via an overhead conveyor. This helps accommodate the narrow 3-foot feed alley.

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Cows in the Tri-G herd gather in the retro ed estall barn near Dorchester, Wisconsin. A guided ow system is used to coax the cows to the robot

Relationships matter most

Sabel recognized for 41-year agriculture education career

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

AUBURNDALE, Wis.

– After a career of 41 years in agricultural education, the proof of success for Mike Sabel is in the relationships he developed with his students throughout the years.

“I have always tried to follow the golden rule from the Bible,” Sabel said of his approach to education. “Do to others as you would have them do to you. Over the years, I have developed relationships with my students that have allowed them to feel comfortable with me; to talk and share things they have gone throu gh.”

Sabel retired in June 2020 after 31 years as an agricultural instructor at Mid-State Technical College in Marsheld. He spent 10 years prior to that leading the agriculture departments at Mayville and Auburndale high schools.

After those relationships, being recognized by his peers for his efforts is simply the icing on the cake for Sabel.

In June, Sabel was honored with an Agriculture Life-

time Achievement Award by the Wisconsin Association of Agriculture Educators for his lifetime of work and service in agriculture education and service. At the 95th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana, Sabel was presented with the Honorary American FFA Degree.

As a member of the Ripon FFA Chapter, Sabel earned a complete set of FFA degrees as an FFA member. As an agriculture instructor, Sabel has been presented with both the Honorary Chapter FFA Degree and the Honorary State FFA Degree.

Throughout his tenure at Mid-State Technical College, Sabel said his program and class offerings saw a great deal of change to reect what was happening throughout agriculture as a whole.

“There were really two different programs I worked with at Mid-State,” Sabel said. “During the day, I taught the farm operations program. Then at night, I worked with the farm business and produc-

tion management program.”

Sabel said he averaged about 14 students in his farm operations program. His main focus was the evening program, where he said he

worked with an average of 80 farmers each year to facilitate both classroom and on-farm instruction.

“Mid-State really covers a large geographical area

and covers Adams, Wood and Portage counties as well as parts of all of the neighboring Turn to SABEL

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Mike Sabel (center) stands with Auburndale FFA Chapter members – Bre Thiel (front, from le ) and Chuck Jewell; (middle, from le ) Sara Snortheim, Allis Teska and Coleman Becker; (back, from le ) Gabe Willfahrt, Ma Bohman, Nathan Nikolay and Abby Becker – at the 95th Na onal FFA Conven on and Expo in October in Indianapolis, Indiana. Sabel was awarded the Honorary American FFA Degree.

Fremstads exit the dairy industry

By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com

OSSEO, Wis. – Orlin and Eileen Fremstad have spent the last 47 years making the farm their top priority.

Throughout their career in the dairy industry, they have sold their cows and restarted with their heifers three times.

The Fremstads’ career in the dairy industry has allowed them to renovate their farm, raise two children, build a home and welcome six grandchildren. With almost ve decades of dairying to their name, they are selling their dairy cows for the last time.

“This is going to be it this time,” Orlin said. “I’m 66 years old now.”

Eileen said after surviving many years of high interest rates and low milk prices, they are ready to spend more time with their grandchildren and their growing beef herd.

“We can’t do another winter,” Eileen said. “We started a beef herd a couple years ago, so at least we’ll still have that and still have time to get away.”

The Fremstads milk 50 cows in a tiestall barn near Osseo.

Their history on the farm goes back to 1975 when Orlin purchased the property out of foreclosure after graduating from high school.

Orlin took possession of the farm with only three animals to his name, his 4-H calf that had grown to have two offspring and $5,000.

Orlin obtained a young farmer loan to get up and running. Shortly after, he was able to work with a local bank to continue farming.

The farm was in dire need of repairs when Orlin bought it, with the

barn doors hanging off their hinges and the tiestall barn packed so full of bedding and manure that the gutters were not visible. The house was also in poor shape.

“We found the chain for the barn

cleaner and just kept digging,” Orlin said. “We cleaned the house out with a scoop shovel and gunny sacks.”

ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR

Orlin and Eileen Fremstad take a break Oct. 26 on their farm near Osseo, Wisconsin. The couple is selling their herd of Holsteins a er 47 years of milking cows.

After getting married in 1977, the couple purchased an additional 80 acres of land with a good vein of fertile ground running through it. Shortly after, their lives were impacted with 18% interest rates and then a drought in the 1980s.

“We were highly leveraged on our personal property and paying 18% interest,” Eileen said. “Then the drought hit in ’88, and we had to buy four semi loads of hay that year. It was a lot of money.”

The couple had been hoping to build a house, but the plans were postponed due to the hard times they were facing nancially. To make matters worse, the milk price fell in the mid- 1980s as well. The couple switched to milking three times a day in an effort to combat the low income. They did so for two years without any hired help.

Once more heifers started freshening in, they went back to milking twice a day while increasing cow numbers. Before long, the couple was switching the entire barn and milking more than 100 cows.

In 1998, they were burned out and sold half the cows. The following year, the rest of the cows were sold, and the Fremstads were left with only their youngstock.

“That was going to be it for

farming,” Orlin said. “We were selling springing heifers 10 at a time to a cattle jockey.”

With no cows to milk, Eileen went to work as a certied nursing assistant for a nursing home, and Orlin started driving a semi. In 2001, less than a year into the job, he ended up purchasing the semi and joining a small company hauling fuel.

It did not take very long for Orlin to miss farming.

“I would sit in that semi and haul to a fuel terminal by Stevens Point,” Orlin said. “I’d come back through Clark County, and those barn lights were on. I’d rather be there than here. So, we got down to those last 50 heifers, and I said that’s it, the rest are staying.”

The couple spent the next few years balancing working off the farm, driving semi and milking cows. They built the herd up to 85 cows. Eileen had to be to the nursing home by 6 a.m., and many times, Orlin would get up with her, do chores and get in the semi four hours later. After driving all day, he would get home in time to help Eileen do chores before going on another route all night.

“The hardest part about driving that semi was you’d get done with your chores and get in that truck and just sit there,” Orlin said. “It got to the point where I had to get out of that truck.”

Orlin quit driving semi and con-

tinued farming. In 2009, they sold 35 cows, leaving them with a barn full. They slowly built the numbers up again by calving in their heifers. In 2008, when Orlin was 62 years old, they sold the entire herd with the intention of slowing down.

It was not long before Orlin missed his cows again.

“About two weeks after we sold our cows, I was walking around the farm like I was lost,” Orlin said. “So, I told her one more time. We started freshening in heifers and built the barn up again.”

Four years later, Orlin and Eileen are ready to sell their cows for the last time. After starting a beef herd a couple of years ago, the couple is looking forward to spending more time with their children and grandchildren. Their daughter and her husband live in Mineral Point with their children, while their son lives in Eau Claire with his wife and children.

When reecting on 47 years in the dairy industry, Eileen said she is grateful to have survived.

“Our generation went through a lot

of hard times with high interest rates and low milk prices,” Eileen said. “It was a lot of work. But, there were so many good years with the kids growing up and being in sports and snowmobiling on the weekends.”

Orlin said that although it was hard to spend so many hours in the semi while trying to keep the farm going, the money he earned allowed them to build a house in 1993 and put both their kids through college without any debt.

“Dairying is strange because the good times come so gradually,” Orlin said. “You don’t realize how good you’re doing until something happens and it’s not there anymore.”

The couple is already anticipating the growth of their beef herd.

“Who knows how long we’ll do beef,” Eileen said. “But once the cows are gone, we can really concentrate on the beef.”

Orlin said the beef cows will help to keep him busy.

“This farm wouldn’t be a farm without animals,” Orlin said. “It’s how we’ve paid for it.”

ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR

Orlin Fremstad checks his beef herd Oct. 26 on his farm near Osseo, Wisconsin. Orlin and his wife, Eileen, are exi ng the dairy industry with plans to focus on their beef herd and spend more me with their grandchildren.

“The hardest part about driving that semi was you’d get done with your chores and get in that truck and just sit there. It got to the point where I had to get out of that truck.”

ORLIN FREMSTAD, DAIRY FARMER

Con nued from SABEL | Page 29

counties,” Sabel said. “The types of farms I worked with were just as varied and included more traditional-type dairy, beef and crop farms as well as more specialized vegetable crop farms; larger farms and smaller farms, organic and grazing farms and everything in between.”

Throughout his time at MidState, Sabel said he worked with nearly 1,000 farms throughout the area covered by the school.

“The number of farmers I have been able to help and develop relationships with over the years is really quite amazing,” Sabel said. “I have been blessed to be put in a position to have an impact on their businesses and their careers. There were 25 farmers that stayed with my program for more than 25 years.”

the (coronavirus) pandemic, I jumped right in, helping area farmers apply for the funds that were available through the (Coronavirus Food Assistance Program),” Sabel said. “There was so much information coming so quickly, and with all of the shut downs and unknowns, it was a very confusing time. I’m glad I was in a position to be of help to farmers in this area through that.”

MIKE SABEL

That ability to network and make those connections is part of the job that Sabel recalls fondly.

In response to the interest of his farm business program students, Sabel started a grazing group, with a condentiality agreement, that was a wellreceived addition to the program.

“It was really more of a peer group with about six to eight members,” Sabel said. “We toured each of the farms of the participants, one a month. Before the tour, I would meet with the farm family. The group shared everything, which is why we had the condentiality clause; they shared their nancials, their goals ... the good and the bad. Other members of the group could learn from each farm and offer suggestions and constructive critiques.”

Sabel said that program lasted about 10 years, with some uctuation of membership.

While Sabel has been retired for the past two years, he has yet to master the traditional denition of retirement.

“When I retired at the beginning of

Sabel’s efforts were instrumental in allowing central Wisconsin farmers to avail themselves of more than $5 million in stimulus-related funds.

“The more you show you care about people, the more you earn their trust and their respect,” Sabel said. “It goes back to that golden rule, treating others as you want to be treated.”

Sabel continues to keep up to date with many of his former students through emails and phone calls.

“One of my former students suffered a re on their dairy operation,” Sabel said. “They knew they could call me and I would help them nd a place to relocate their herd and navigate their way through everything. That is one of the most satisfying things, to know I have earned that trust and respect from my students.”

Like many educators, continuing his own education is important to Sabel.

“I continue to try and stay abreast of changes in the industry and keeping up with my own network of connections that I have built over the years,” Sabel said. “There are always new ideas coming down the road and new ways of doing things. If you quit learning and expanding your horizons, you lose the ability to grow, change and adapt.”

“I continue to try and stay abreast of changes in the industry and keeping up with my own network of connections that I have built over the years.”

Robert Benisch Hillsboro, Wisconsin Vernon County 50 cows

How did you get into farming? I was born here. The farm has been in my family since 1887. I did other jobs like carpentry, hauling milk and cattle while farming, but farming comes rst.

What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I hope things get better with crops as far as inputs and everything. The milk price sounds like it will be better than it has been.

What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? My son has started rotationally grazing on some of the steep hills. For the last two years, we have been using fenced paddocks. It has been working well with increased production and healthier cows. It was pasture for years, and after attending some grazing conferences, he decided to manage it with paddocks.

Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I am a decent mechanic and am also good with carpentry. That saves a lot of cost.

What is the best decision you have made on your farm? We used to put up 10,000 small square bales of hay in the barn. We changed to large round bales that we wrap for baleage when the help was no longer available. We wrap 700800 large round bales per year now. We still do 3,000 small squares for the calves and youngstock.

What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? My large bale grinder because we use it to chop bedding and grind baleage. My tractors with loaders and blades because they work good for scraping the yard, plowing the driveway and moving bales. I also could not live without my wife, Joan, who supports what is going on and always pitches in.

What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? We check with the local cooperative to see if we can do the ration differently but keep production the same. We are our own mechanics so that helps keep costs down. We run older equipment which is easier for me to work on.

How do you maintain family relationships while also working together? Keep the communication lines open and keep talking.

What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I am my own boss and can kind of make our own hours. It’s not a 9-to-5 job. There is nobody looking over my back all the time although the regulations are getting more strict.

What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Talk to other farmers to get ideas. You don’t always have to try them but if you have problems, talk to people. It also helps to read magazines.

What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? I am at the point in my life where I am phasing out. My wife and I own the land, and my son, Kevin, and his wife, Kristen,

own the cows and machinery. There are no expansions or anything in my future.

How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We like to visit our daughter, Kimberly, in Madison, Wisconsin. Sometimes Joan and I go for a drive to

someplace we have never been before. We also like to go to the DeSoto area in the fall. I also enjoy hunting deer and sometimes squirrels.

Inspiring little learners

I live on dairy farm with my husband and our two kids; Allison is 2, and Carson is 10 months. My husband, Jason, farms with his brother, Dan, and together, they milk 80 cows. I help out when I can, but our two kids keep me busy after I get off work at Dairy Star. Jason and I agreed the farm is a great place to raise a family. We live on his home farm.

I grew up on small dairy farm in central Minnesota, so I was familiar with the dairy farm lifestyle. I knew what I was getting myself into when I married a dairy farmer. I was your average farm girl with all the 4-H dairy cattle showing, FFA dairy cattle judging and dairy princess waving. Before we met, I knew I wanted to stay involved in the dairy industry but wasn’t sure if the dairy farm life was for me. There had to be something out there for me to stay connected with the industry. I wanted to broaden my horizons and nd something that best suited me.

By Tiffany Klaphake Assistant Editor

I started to travel internationally and went on two exchange programs. One was through my high school German exchange program, and the other exchange program was right after I graduated college. The latter was an agricultural youth exchange program, International Farm Youth Exchange. The biggest thing I learned while abroad is though we may speak a different language, all farmers have the same mentality. Farmers take the utmost care of their animals, are good stewards of the land and, most importantly, raise a loving family.

During my travels, I read books on the plane and in the trains, and I also started to journal. I have always loved to read, but it was my high school German teacher who encouraged us to journal while we were abroad, sparking my enjoyment of writing. I even started a blog when I went on my three-month trip with the IFYE program.

Now, I don’t get to travel as much because we have two young ones at home, but I get to write for Dairy Star and am excited to see where this next chapter takes our family.

My daughter loves when I read stories to her. Every night, after supper, she proceeds to scour the living room to nd books and brings them over to Jason or myself. Once she has buried us in all the books within eyesight, she crawls onto the couch or recliner onto the lap of the chosen parent, adjusts her blankie and selects the rst book from the pile. This pile is usually anywhere from six to 10 books, and she will not let us get her ready for bed until all of the books have been read. If Carson is awake at this point in the evening, I scoop him up and put him on the other leg of Jason or myself. As I start to read the rst book, Carson turns his focus to putting the books in his mouth. It may be a struggle to hold the book in my hands, a toddler on one leg and an infant on the other as I sit in the recliner, but I still do it as often as I can.

I may not get to read books for my indulgence anymore. Now, I get to read books for my kids’ indulgence, which is even more important not only for their developmental learning needs but also for the memories. I hope my kids enjoy reading, writing and growing up on a dairy farm as much as I do.

The hunt

It seems there are more white tail deer in our area than ever before. I don’t remember the deer versus car collisions being so intense as this past fall. On the roads, highway and even in town, the dead deer litter the roadsides. Many lay with their heads removed, obviously signifying that it was a buck with nice antlers.

We put out our wildlife cameras in early spring and have enjoyed watching all the critters that are trekking around the woods, visiting the stream and tasting all stages of corn and soybeans as they have grown throughout the summer. Raccoon, opossum, wild turkey, coyote and many deer are viewed when the chime comes to the phone, signaling there is some action in front of the camera.

have their bodies rubbed as they are full of wrinkles and drool. Their oppy ears ap as they run around to sniff the cats, chickens and also our other dogs, Bonnie the border collie and Bebe the Jack Russell terrier. Whenever we have a mishap on the farm, the boys seem to nd it wherever it is. The boys, like most farm dogs, love to eat the afterbirth of the cow. We try to nd the placenta in the uffy straw, but the boys can sniff it out. They are usually good at sticking around the farm. Usually means most of the time. Every once in a while, they will get on a scent, and off they go. They now have training collars if we go for long walks. They are nose to the ground, snifng and running to the tree line, most likely after a coyote. So, we know they are good sniffers, but are they good enough to nd a deer?

Anna and I nished up chores as quickly as

possible and put the boys into the back of the truck and went to the site. We put on their collars and leads, and let them sniff the deer fur. Off they went. They were slowly snifng back and forth, going right over the trail that Anna and Kevin had seen. Where the trail went dead for the hunters, the boys took the next turn and continued on, nding more scent and trailed us right to the buck in the thicket. All in all, 20 minutes to walk and the boys proved themselves as bloodhounds.

It turned out to be a nice but smaller 10-point for Anna. It was a great hunting experience but also an opportunity for the boys to show us their potential.

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.

While these activities show us the best places to put out tree stands, it is also a good time to watch throughout the spring and summer as these animals grow through the seasons. Families of raccoons search for bugs in the soil, washing their paws in the creek. Turkeys y down from their roost, and the hens bring out their chicks from the tall grass where they were hatched to kick around and scratch the ground to show their little ones how to nd something to eat.

By Tina Hinchley Farmer & Columnist

We have watched deer and their fawns nibbling on tree buds and also tender shoots of corn and beans, watching them move in and out of areas. As the young grow out of their spots, and prance away with the ash of the red light on the camera, we wait to see the big bucks that will be the targets of the fall hunting season.

This was a good bow hunting season for my daughter, Anna, and her husband, Kevin. The cameras and the time investing in scouting for the best spot to put up tree stands paid off when Kevin got a big buck the second time in the tree stand. It was a nice 10-point buck that fell just a few feet from the site where it was hit.

Photos were sent around to all of the family members and posted on social media. Everyone wants to know where this beast was living and the story behind it all. Because many of the family members are older, they too have not seen all of the deer feasting in our corn elds. Cheers and congratulations came rolling in on the posts, and then it was Anna’s turn to get something.

She works in the barn with me in the morning so her time to hunt is in the afternoon. The weather could not be better to sit and watch nature while up high in a stand. She had plenty of time to absorb the sun and feel the warmth. It might have been a different outcome if it was bitter cold and raining, but it was the perfect evening when the doe came over by her stand to nibble the grass and ick its tail around. From the side, she saw a buck coming in to check out this doe. She waited but became too excited and took the shot.

The buck darted away, but there was a lot of blood. She called Kevin to help nd the buck, but searching the woods as the sun was going down was not easy. They had on headlights and were able to track it for a while but gave up when the blood could no longer be found.

This was stressful for Anna and Kevin, knowing an injured deer could be alive in the woods. The plan was to head out in the morning to see if it would be able to be found. Hopefully, Smokey and Roy, our bloodhounds, could help nd them.

Smokey and Roy are 15 months old and have been the most gentle and friendly pups. We refer to them as the boys. They are brothers and have different personalities and eating habits. They love to

Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of theauthor and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.

Books will save you

“After a few moments, I set aside the quilt and picked up the poetry book Miss Foster had given me, losing myself in the pages. Books’ll save you, my troubled heart knew.”

I recently reread a favorite book so that I could reconnect with the characters before I read the sequel to it. I had read “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” a few years ago and had forgotten how much I adored this book until I picked it up again.

Cussy Mary is the last of her kind that lives in the hills of Kentucky; one of the blue-skinned people known simply as a blue. She also happens to be a pack horse librarian, delivering books to the people who live in the hills and hollers of Appalachia. Both of these things present her with a series of challenges: rough terrain, rougher people who are against her kind, trying to sneak books to those who want them within a family when others may not allow such things. The characters are well-formed. The history is researched and lived, as the author, Kim Michele Richardson, grew up in Kentucky. It is a heart-wrenching story of how lovely and cruel humans can be to one another over such simple things. Cussy’s passion for delivering books to everyone and anyone to show them how opening up the pages of a book can open up their minds and their world denitely resonates with me.

Reading a book about the pack horse librarians was fascinating; I had heard of them but never fully understood their dedication or the roadblocks that met them.

Richardson’s sequel, “The Book Woman’s Daughter,” is equally as informative and wonderful to read. It follows Cussy’s daughter, Honey, as she learns how to not just survive but thrive in a world built by men for men. The years have passed and the pack horse project has been revived after years of inaction. Honey delivers books with the same zest her mother did along the Troublesome Creek in Kentucky. Without giving away too much from the plots of either book, Honey is a blue as well, and even though years have passed, some still harbor the same ignorance toward her kind. Honey befriends a coal miner, frontier nurse and re watcher – all strong women who keep encouraging her toward her goal of emancipation. Once again, the author did a fantastic job of creating incredible characters.

The quote I began the column with is from this book. After I read that passage, I had to write it down, because it meant so much to me. Reading is my goto after a long and stressful day, and many times this summer, I turned to old favorites because I knew that despite my current situation, I could lose myself com-

pletely in a good book. It always worked. I would forget everything and be drawn into the pages and the lives of the characters in them.

Ramblings from the Ridge

Upon re-reading “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek,” I was inspired to return to doing things I love with books – teaching story time at the library, planning events that revolve around reading and talking about books wherever I go. Cussy Mary helped so many in those hills learn to love books, to use books to take them away from the starvation and sadness in their little worlds, and dream of things beyond Appalachia.

By Jacqui Davison Columnist

Talking about books and helping others – young or old – to see the wonder they can bring, lls me with pure joy. I sent some hunting books to my little cousins to get them geared up for the season ahead. If you have hunters in your family, I highly recommend checking out the books by Lane Walker or Kevin Lovegreen. They are a great gift for a child who may be hesitant about reading but skilled with a rearm.

I got back into doing Stories for Sprouts at our public library; I love the chaos of a room lled with little ones trying to sit on carpet squares and listen. I pop into Henry and Cora’s classrooms when it works and read them a book; kids are always excited to have a guest reader. I no longer care if my voices sound ridiculous when I read aloud for them. I am as animated and goofy as possible. I managed to volunteer myself to help coach the Battle of the Books team from the middle school, which means reading 20 young adult books along with the kids to prepare for competition. I heard from my cousins that their boys wanted to ask, “What was that title again?” after we had talked about books; it made my book-loving heart so very happy. I feel alive when I’m talking about books. Feeling energized and alive is an incredible thing. The books are saving me in some ways once again.

I leave you with one last quote from “The Book Woman’s Daughter.” It comes as a note from a fellow pack horse librarian to Honey.

“Honey, faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark. As long as you have the books, you’ll always have that light,” Oren Taft. Start reading. Keep reading. Share the love of reading as the holidays approach. Books. What a light to shine on the world.

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.

‘Doc, remind me why I want more old cows’

Mr. S, a great client of ours, said those exact words to me not long ago while one of his cows was dying. She was a dry cow, due to calve soon, and she was down and making the awful groaning and wailing noise cows of-

Veterinary Wisdom

common in older cows. The overall rate per lactation was 2.7%, but the odds of clinical milk fever were 3.5, 8.6 and 20.2 times greater for parity 3, 4 and 5 and up versus parity 1, respectively. Over 12% of parity 5 and up cows had clinical milk fever. Most likely this is due to decreased capacity to mobilize calcium from bone with age. This may involve impaired vitamin D metabolism or reduced ability to absorb calcium from the gut as well.

probably no surprise to anyone who has worked with dairy cows. However, there is no obvious explanation for this greater risk, except that older cows have more cumulative exposure to concrete and other hard surfaces than younger cows.

Clinical ketosis risk was similar, with relative risks of 1.5, 3.9, 3.7 and 4.9 by parity compared to parity 1. The biggest risk for clinical ketosis is likely the presence of another disease.

By Jim Bennett Columnist

ten make when dying. He said those words because a lot of advisors have been telling him to reduce culling by keeping more older cows. The idea is to reduce herd replacement costs and increase milk production and, in the end, increase protability. This all makes sense and is probably still a good idea for most dairy producers, but there can be a downside, as Mr. S was seeing that day.

A recent paper in the Journal of Dairy Science, by Lean, et. al., discusses the differences in rates of health disorders in young and old cows. The authors collected information from studies in Australia, Canada and the United States accounting for 28,230 Holstein cows. As one would expect, clinical milk fever was much more

Clinical mastitis also increased more with parity, though the increase was not as dramatic. The overall rate of mastitis per lactation was 17.4%. The odds of clinical mastitis were 1.2, 1.7, 1.9 and 2.5 times greater for parity 2, 3, 4 and 5 and up rather than parity 1, respectively. In our practice, we do not monitor clinical mastitis by lactation, but we do monitor somatic cell count by lactation group. In our dataset, the mean SCC in thousands was 120, 129 and 251 for lactation one, two and three and up, respectively. However, there are a few herds where the SCC did not change by lactation. These herds all have herd average SCCs below 100,000, so most cows in these herds probably never get infected at all. The reason older cows seem to be more susceptible to mastitis is probably just that every infection increases the chance of another, so older cows may not be inherently more susceptible if we can keep them clean.

The odds of a case of lameness by parity compared to lactation one were 1.6, 3.1, 4.3 and 5.6 for parity 2, 3, 4, and 5 and up, respectively. This is

The average rate of dystocia was much greater for parity 1 than others, with parity 2, 3, 4 and 5 and up cows having odds of dystocia of 0.55, 0.49, 0.50 and 0.70, compared to lactation one. This is also unsurprising since heifers are not fully mature at rst calving. The increase in dystocia for cows in lactation 5 and up may be due to the much higher risk of clinical milk fever, because clinical milk fever can often result in dystocia.

The relative risk factors for metritis by parity showed a similar pattern as for dystocia, with parity 2, 3, 4 and 5 and up having odds of .57, .55, .52 and .59 compared to lactation one. This could be due to the increased risk for dystocia in parity one.

For displaced abomasum, the relative risks were 1.5 ,4.0, 3.7 and 2.9 by parity, so rst lactation animals were signicantly less likely to get a DA than older cows. It is curious that the highest risk is for parity 3 and not older cows, because hypocalcemia has been postulated to be one of the causes. More likely, the greatest risk factor is excessive fat mobilization before or after calving. The mechanism in those animals may involve inappetence or inammation resulting from fat mobilization, though it is unclear why older cows would have less fat mobilization.

This paper did not assess risk of poor reproductive performance, but our practice’s data set showed average pregnancy rates of 35%, 31% and 27% for parity 1, 2 and 3 and up. However, there were a number of herds with rates that did not signicantly differ by lactation group, so it is possible to achieve similar performance in older cows, and older cows may not be inherently at more risk.

So, if Mr. S has a greater proportion of older cows, he can expect higher milk production, fewer cases of dystocia and metritis but more cases of milk fever and lameness. He may or may not see more cases of mastitis and impaired reproductive performance. The question for all of us is how we manage old cows to not have greater incidence of these conditions. Our clients have shown that this is possible, except maybe for milk fever, but I am betting they will get that gured out as well. For the most part, old cows do not necessarily need to have more problems.

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.

It’s that time of year

It’s an election year, which means I am forced to dislike people I’ve never met for bothering me with their nonsense while I’m trying to work or relax. I should start by saying I’m not a naturally ornery person. I’m even happy to chat with the people when they stop by the farm looking for converts to their respective beliefs, but political ads get me all sorts of annoyed.

Instead, we hear about how our representative isn’t doing the sheriff’s job and how our senator isn’t doing the job private businesses are doing. It’s very impressive how many logical fallacies one political action committee can t into an ad, but that’s where my interest in their nonsense ends.

I know we could pay extra to skip the ads on many entertainment services; although, I’m sure that respite would be short lived as it seems there is almost no way to escape the political campaign machine. Turning on the radio in the tractor when my headphones ran low on battery was a mistake. After hearing about where I could nd jewelry like usual, the ominous music started, and I heard about how terrible some political candidate is. I don’t think they ever got around to playing an actual song before I shut the radio off and decided the tractor exhaust noise and my thoughts were good enough for entertainment.

from the barn the other week when two guys drove in the driveway. One man jumped out of the car and literally ran up to me with a card then ran back to the car shouting something about candidates over his shoulder before they drove back out the driveway without another word. Turns out it was a ier with all the candidates for one party printed on it in case I wanted to just vote for everyone in one party without any actual regard to whether they represent my interests. Unsurprisingly, there was no information about what they would or wouldn’t do if elected on the card.

I don’t think we’ve seen local network television in our house since shortly after our old TVs couldn’t make sense of the new digital signals. We were supposed to buy a separate device to help our elderly electronics cope with the change. Turned out, we enjoyed whatever we could nd on the internet to watch instead and didn’t really miss all the advertisements plaguing network television, especially political ads. Unfortunately, those dirty political advertising folks caught up to us, and I can no longer watch YouTube videos about motorcycles, botany or rock climbing in peace while we clean up dinner and wash dishes.

It’s not even possible to avoid being assaulted while walking around our farm. I was walking up

As annoying as I nd all the lead up to elections, I denitely am not in favor of the alternative to elections and the surrounding circus that accompanies them.

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Voting for who represents our interests in local and all the way up to national government is what makes our country great. I’d argue folks need to quit treating it like a football game and cheering on their chosen team regardless of who’s on the roster. In this, and every, election, the candidates should be scrutinized as thoroughly as we do bulls and seed varieties in the dairy farming world. Brand loyalty is ne, but we don’t breed our best cows to some bull without looking carefully over his proofs just because the company selling it gave us a nice hat last Christmas. Let’s all do the same diligence in our voting selections.

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Until next time, keep living the dream, and maybe take up listening to the classical music station while milking for a few months. It’s nice, calming music most of the time, and I don’t recall ever hearing a political ad on there.

Tim Zweber farms with his wife, Emily, their three children and his parents, Jon and Lisa, near Elko, Minnesota.

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Getting comfortable with communication

Communication skills have been on my mind lately. Farm meetings, texting to get bull calves sold and interacting with people as we go about our daily farm routines are some examples of how we use interpersonal skills to give and receive information.

mation. She pointed out that meetings can sometimes be a “complete disconnect.”

To help to keep that from happening, we need to think of communication styles. She outlined four types of people and how the way each type processes and communicates information is different.

– Action-oriented: These people are action or task-oriented and want the outcome of the discussion to be bullet points which outline the tasks to do. They are bottom-line oriented.

– Process oriented: These people listen and want to think things through. They take time and ask, “How will it work or play out over time?”

By Jean Annexstad Columnist

The number of texts it takes to contact a buyer for our bull calves, arrange the day and time, let them know how many there are, the price and so on can be a lot. Sometimes, I run out of patience to make the connections via texts. I wish I could call, discuss the arrangements and be nished. But it usually takes the back-and-forth texting over a few days to get a plan for the calves and then more conrmation the day of.

A logical place to talk about the plans of the day is around the farmhouse table at meal time. Yet it is also a time to relax and spend time enjoying the food being served for the meal. We sit around a kitchen island on stools, and in close proximity to one another, so it is easy to hear and understand what is being said. Family mealtime is good for connecting with each other, but not all of our team members are at the meals for farmrelated discussions.

Ease of getting a clear message sent and received is often not the case in the milking parlor or on other areas of our farm. Parlor talks seem like a good place to touch base with farm team members, because we spend so many hours there. Honestly, it is not the best environment to communicate. After all, it is best to concentrate on milking and not visiting.

Farm meetings are held on our farm when there is new information to go over with everyone who is involved in the decision making in attendance. We have been having a lot of these discussions to go over plans for a barn addition. They are held around a large table where everyone can see and hear. Yet more skills are needed to communicate effectively.

I attended a conference where Monica McConkey, a Rural Mental Health Specialist, explained the way we process and communicate infor-

– People oriented: These folks think about how each change we are considering could affect our entire team of people on our farm. How does it impact the ow of work on our people? They are geared toward relationships and teamwork.

– Idea people: They are strategic thinkers and want to examine how it will change the long-term outlook of the operation. They can see the big picture and the future. These people are enthusiastic and might say, “Let’s implement this and it will be great.” They are not so concerned with smaller details.

McConkey also said a mix of communication styles of people involved in a farm operation is a gift. It is important to realize each person may not see it the same way when discussing an idea, change or future goal.

So, with that in mind, I plan to keep working on my own communication skills. I enjoy learning about the topic and implementing what I have learned as I go about the tasks on the farm each day and as I communicate with others.

Thanksgiving happens this month. The holiday helps us to remember to give thanks for our many material blessings and for our meaningful relationships with family, friends, partners and employees. It is also good to thank all of those around us each day and give people positive feedback for the job they are doing.

Maybe you will enjoy the restful time of a family gathering to have a positive conversation with family and friends in the next few months ahead.

Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, Minnesota, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@gmail.com.