The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
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See pages 24 and 25 of this section for details!
DAIRY ST R
November 13, 2021
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 23, No. 18
Serving proudly Minnesota dairyman back home after deployment in Middle East By Jerry Nelson
jerry.n@dairystar.com
JASPER, Minn. – Serving in our nation’s armed forces can be a life-changing experience. Few people know this better than Matt Raak. Matt and his parents, Philip and Theresa, milk 450 cows on their farm near Jasper. Matt is the eldest of ve brothers, which includes Andrew, Joshua, Jacob and Caleb. Matt joined the South Dakota Air National Guard in the fall of 2016, a few months after graduating from Ridgewater College, of Willmar, with a degree in dairy management. The SDANG 114th Fighter Wing is headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “I was sent to San Antonio, Texas, for basic training,” Matt said. “After that I attended maintenance school in Port Hueneme, California. I’ve always liked working with machinery and doing repairs.” Matt was continuing a family tradition when he joined the military. Philip served in the Coast Guard, Matt’s maternal grandfather served in Vietnam, and his
maternal great-grandfather served in the Korean conict. Matt also has a rst cousin who is serving in the Army National Guard. Following his advanced training, Matt was assigned to the 114th Fighter Wing’s Vehicle Mechanics unit. On Jan. 5, Matt was deployed to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. “I was 100 percent behind him when he joined,” Philip said. “I knew that serving would enable him to see new places and meet new people. We are proud of him, but it was still a kick in the gut when he left.” Before Matt left, he was promoted to staff sergeant. “I was responsible for managing people along with performing vehicle repairs,” Matt said. “While in Jordan, I mostly worked on pay loaders and skid loaders. It all felt pretty familiar.” The climate and the landscape in Jordan stood out in stark contrast to southwestern Minnesota. “The weather there was exactly the same every day: no clouds, the sun blasting down and a high of 105,” Matt said. “There was always a light breeze, but it dried you right out; you had to drink water nonstop. The temperature would drop to 85 at night, which felt cool enough to wear a jacket. It rained once during the seven months I was there, just a few hundredths of an inch.” His agricultural background made Matt a keen obTurn to RAAK | Page 8
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Ma�hew Raak is a South Dakota Air Na�onal Guard Staff Sergeant for the SDANG 114th Fighter Wing. Raak and his parents, Philip and Theresa, milk 450 cows near Jasper, Minnesota.
Nathes farm in present but reect on past Stearns County dairy commemorates over 150 years in operation By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
The Nathe family – (from le�) John, Payton, Ginny, Jeron and Brenda – look through framed farm photos Oct. 27 at the dairy near Melrose, Minnesota. The Nathes have dairy farmed in central Minnesota for 153 years.
MELROSE, Minn. – Over the course of six generations, there has been one common goal that the Nathe family has looked to in farming: to succeed in the current market conditions. And with forward-thinking minds, a willingness to learn and a strong support system, the Nathe Family Farm was recognized as a sesquicentennial farm by Catholic Charities and the Diocese of St. Cloud. “Us, my parents, my grandparents, we all have farmed with the goal of succeeding,” Jeron Nathe said. “There are things each generation has done to sustain the farm and be competitive in the industry.”
Jeron and his wife, Brenda, and their children – Payton, Kaylee, Tyler and Mya – milk 350 cows on their Stearns County dairy farm near Melrose. Jeron’s parents, John and Ginny, remain active on the farm, routinely helping with calves and eldwork. The farm has been a part of the Nathe family for 153 years with John’s ancestors emigrating from Germany and settling on 260 acres in central Minnesota in 1868. Like many farms in those earlier years, the Nathes’ was diversied with cattle, hogs and chickens, and vegetables were grown for the farm to sustain the family’s needs. As time went on, John’s parents developed the dairy Turn to NATHE | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Editorial Staff Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman - Staff Writer (608) 487-1101 • danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Abby Wiedmeyer - Staff Writer 608-487-4812 • abby.w@dairystar.com Kate Rechtzigel - Staff Writer kate.r@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
America dealers. Drought relief will likely wait untilNorth regular session
Dairy Prole brought to you by your Late season rains have improved eld conditions, but Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said 30% of Minnesota remains in severe drought. “It really lingered from St. Cloud north, and we’re still concerned about the availability of feed,” Petersen said. “And for farmers, the forage price is high.” Due to a political stalemate, a special legislative session to deal with drought relief is not likely. Petersen said the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will make the case for that assistance in the general session. “It would be February before anything would really get started, but the state has a surplus now,” Petersen said. “And, this help for farmers and ranchers would be really helpful.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz addressed the AgriGrowth meeting. Walz praised the agriculture sector for the resilience and innovation seen during the pandemic. Task force formed to tackle supply chain crisis To address the supply chain disruptions facing the dairy industry, the International Dairy Foods Association has created a Supply Chain Task Force. “Our supply chain is hurting, and it’s going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to x it,” said Michael Dykes, president and CEO of IDFA. “At any given time in recent weeks, between 70 to 90 cargo ships were anchored outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach waiting to unload thousands of containers.” Due to the supply chain bottleneck, Dykes said the U.S. is unable to fulll 22% of agriculture-related foreign sales. The IDFA Supply Chain Task Force will work with industry partners to nd solutions to this crisis. CoBank: Supply chain bottleneck to continue into 2022 In its quarterly agricultural outlook, CoBank said supply chain disruptions and labor shortages are increasing costs. The supply chain problems are expected to continue well into 2022. The export situation remains a question mark for the short term as the Gulf ports are beginning to reopen. After 11 months of expansion, CoBank said dairy cow numbers
declined due to high feed costs and rising construction costs.
Ag Insider USDA to help with supply chain issues The Biden administration is working on addressing supply chain disruptions, including agriculture. The Port of Los Angeles will be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the United States Department of Agriculture is focused on getting more people and work done at the ports. “We, of course, are also working in an effort to determine how to By Don Wick best use resources we’ve recently Columnist announced to provide assistance,” Vilsack said. Vilsack said U.S. infrastructure also needs an update. “It’s important to make sure we take this opportunity to modernize infrastructure so we’re in a position to have a much more resilient system than we have today,” he said. Ag transportation group offers recommendations to Buttigieg Fifty-two farm and food organizations, who are part of the Agricultural Transportation Working Group, sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with recommendations to address supply chain issues. The lack of available labor is the No. 1 issue. The coalition is seeking infrastructure improvements and voiced concerns about climate change policies that could idle cropland. The National Milk Producers Federation is included among the groups that make up the transportation working group.
Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5
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It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 2, 8 First Section
Gibbon
Hamlin Hand Beadle
Kingsbury
Miner
Lyman
Kanabec
Washington
ms ey
Freeborn
Faribault
Martin
Fillimore
Mower
Country Cooking
Clay
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Monona
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Dallas
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Minnesota dairyman is back home after a deployment in the Middle East First Section: Pages 1, 8
ry ome
Black Hawk
Tama
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Adams
Page
Taylor
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Union old
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Rin
Clarke
Decatur Wayne
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
When did you begin harvest? First Section: Pages 15 - 16
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Hull, IA Watertown, SD
Lucas
Benton
Monroe Wapello e
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pan
Ap
Davis
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e war Dubuque
a
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Bu
Dela
Jones
Linn
Jackson Clinton
n Cedar
Iowa
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Jo
Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk
Adair
Clayton
n na
Wa
Pottawattamie Cass
Guthrie
Boone
Fayette
Bremer
Wright Franklin Butler
Grundy un Webster Hamilton Hardin
Greene
as
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Ch
First Section: Page 10
e
Mitchell Howard
lho
Ca
Crawford Carroll
Harrison Shelby
Kossuth
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Worth
neb
Win
Palo Alto
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ago
Hancock Cerro Gordo
Dick
O’Brien
Sioux
Woodbury
Page 30 Second Section
n inso Emmet
Osceola
sh
Lyon
Un
Clay
ln
co
Lin
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Turner
Plymouth
Zone 1
Bennett receives BI Excellence in Preventative Medicine Dairy Award
Houston
H
Hutchinson
Bon Yankton Homme
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
Jackson
am
Charles Mix
Nobles
Plainview Winona
All
Gregory
Rock
Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted
in
Douglas
Tripp
n so McCook Minnehaha an
Murray
Goodhue
Rice
Louisa
n rso Henry Des
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Van Buren
Scott
Muscatine
ton
Mellette
Moody
Nicollet Brown
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Aurora
Lake
Redwood
Dakota
Scott
Sibley Lyon
W
Brule
Todd
Sanborn
Carver
sh
Jerauld
Hennepin McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine
sh iek
Buffalo
Brookings
Wright
Meeker
Po we
Hughes
Haakon
Bennett
Deuel
Lincoln
Hyde
Jackson
Kandiyohi
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Isanti
Anoka
Swift
Clark
Sully
Jones
Sherburne
Pipestone
Faulk
Stearns
Pope
Grant Spink
Stanley
Benton
Stevens
Big Stone
Day
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Douglas
First Section: Pages 12 - 13
Pine
Ra
Edmunds
Crow Wing
go
Walworth
Carlton
Todd Grant
Dicke maintains low somatic cell count
Aitkin
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Brown
Goodhue
Cass
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Roberts
Marshall
McPherson
Potter
The “Mielke” Market Shannon Fall River Weekly
Sargent
Lake
Su
Dickey
Otter Tail
Tra ver se
Campbell
Corson
Richland McIntosh
Sioux
Becker
Clay
Cook
Itasca
Le
Emmons
Ziebach
Custer
no
Mah
Ransom
LaMoure
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Grant
Page 32 Perkins First Section
Page 33 Pennington First Section
Cass
Morton
Dewey
Lawrence
Bames
Wilkin
Stutsman
men
Hubbard
Norman
From the Zweber Farm
Come Meade Full Dairy Circle
Polk
Trail
Steele
Oliver
Stark
Butte
Griggs
Wadena
Foster
Kidder
St. Louis
Red Lake
on
Wells
Sheridan
Koochiching
Pennington
Grand Forks
Eddy
Burleigh
Harding
Lake of the Woods Beltrami
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Page 31 First Section Bowman Adams
Roseau
Marshall Nelson
Veterinary Wisdom Hettinger Slope
First Section: Pages 22 - 23
Benson
McLean
Swensons provide animal for Dairy Star giveaway
Third Section: Pages 18 - 19
Walsh
Ramsey
McHenry
Ward
Kittson
n
Golden Valley
Pembina
Pierce
Dear County Agent Guy
Page Dunn 30 First Section Billings
Cavalier
Towner
io
McKenzie
Rolette
Nicollet
Kids Corner:The Happkes
First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7
Da vi so n
Williams
Page 28 Mountrail First Section
Bottineau
Pierz
Nathes farm in present but reflect on past
Second Section: Pages 8 - 9
On the Road Renville Burke with Princess Kay
Divide
Melrose
A no-brainer decision for Bodes
Page 27 First Section
Clearwater
From My Perspective
Moines
Lee
Mantorville
Whiteaker starts dairy with loads of experience to boot
Third Section: Pages 7 - 8
Illinois, Iowa FFA dairy teams win big in Indianapolis Second Section: Pages 22 - 23
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 5
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 2 New DMI CEO seeks a deliberate approach to dairy exports In a news brieng, Dairy Management Inc.’s new CEO, Barbara O’Brien said she wants to see a more measured approach to exports. “Rather than taking a pro forma approach annually, we’ve talked about putting together a three-year plan and being deliberate on how those dollars ow depending on where the business is and how the opportunities come forward,” O’Brien said. That includes a growing investment in the export arena. O’Brien said the promotion of dairy products is critically important. Partnerships are described as a way to expand those efforts. “We need to continue to look at milk and milk-based products that meet consumers’ changing lifestyles,” she said. O’Brien has been with the dairy checkoff program for 20 years, most recently as DMI’s president and the CEO of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. Record-breaking cheese stocks According to USDA’s cold storage report, total U.S. cheese stocks were at record levels in September. At 1.46 billion pounds, the total was up nearly 8% from one year ago. Butter stocks in cold storage were reported at 330 million pounds. That is down 4% from September 2020 and down 9% from August. Butter stocks seasonally decline as holiday purchases increase, but the August-to-September situation was the biggest drop since 2016. Tai hopes to stabilize trade relationship with China Speaking to an agricultural trade group, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said trade relationship with China is in a difcult place. Tai highlighted a recent call with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He where she spoke about the importance of working together. However, the Chinese ofcials want the U.S. to eliminate tariffs on their products. Tai said her goal is to bring the temperature down so the two sides can stabilize the trade relationship.
DFA board announces CEO transition At the end of 2022, Dennis Rodenbaugh will take over as the president and chief executive ofcer of Dairy Farmers of America. Rodenbaugh currently is DFA’s executive vice president and president of council operations and ingredients solutions. DFA’s current president and CEO, Rick Smith, plans to retire after serving in the role for 16 years. IDFA promotes Newman The International Dairy Foods Association has promoted Colin Newman to chief of staff. Most recently, Newman was IDFA’s director of industry relations and political affairs. Tracy Boyle has been promoted to chief of people strategy. Most recently, Boyle co-created the Women in Dairy community for IDFA. The Honorary American FFA Degree awarded to many Honorary American FFA Degree awards were awarded during the National FFA Convention. This award is the highest recognition available to individuals in the FFA. Those receiving the award contributed to local, state and national programs and have established legacies of leadership for agriculture. Minnesota nominated 10 individuals for the honor including Doris Mold, Natasha Mortenson, Sherry Newell-Optiz, Lavyne Rada, Amy Smith, Darcy Dahna, Stacy Fritz and Michael Miron.
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Trivia challenge It takes 20 pounds of whole milk to produce 1 pound of butter. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what nutrient that you get from the sun is also available in milk? 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
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Export growth U.S. dairy exports are on track to set a new volume record this year. The monthly dairy market report from the National Milk Producers Federation and the dairy checkoff program said dairy exports are up for all key products except dry whey. U.S. milk production in the June-through-August time period was up 2% from one year ago. That is down from growth of nearly 4% during the second quarter.
MDA funds farm stress, rural mental health projects The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and 11 project partners have been awarded $500,000 in federal support to address farm stress and rural mental health. The MDA Build, Don’t Break initiative includes support for mental health counseling, farm advocates, the farm and rural helpline, and the Red River Farm Network TransFARMation radio and podcast series.
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
ConƟnued from NATHE | Page 1
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JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
The Nathes – (from leŌ) Jeron, Brenda, Payton, Ginny and John – milk 350 cows in Stearns County near Melrose, Minnesota. Payton is the sixth generaƟon of Nathes to farm.
portion of the farm, milking in a brickframed tiestall barn that was built in 1948. When John and Ginny began farming in 1970, they focused solely on milking cows. “The chickens were the rst things to go, then the pigs,” Ginny said. Then, the couple slowly made improvements as they saw t. Among the changes were the installation of a pipeline and barn cleaner, the construction of a calf barn and building a manure pit. Today, few of the original structures remain at Nathe Family Farm. “To meet the needs of our farm, we’ve built accordingly,” John said. “Every change has had a purpose.” John and Ginny began dairy farming with 30 cows. As their own children expressed interest in farming, they built the herd and remodeled the housing facilities. Their rst large expansion came in 1994 with remodeling the tiestall barn into a at parlor and building a freestall barn. Five years later, the couple built another freestall barn and double-8 pit parlor, which is used today in addition to ve robots installed in 2019.
“We just kept growing slowly,” John said. “We rst expanded to 100 cows and (Jeron) didn’t leave yet, so we decided to milk another 100 cows and take that next step to invest in the dairy.” Jeron worked for his parents before purchasing the dairy business in 2006. “We’re lucky, fortunate that we had a plan in place and were able to follow through on it,” Jeron said. Ginny agreed. “John and I never wanted the next generation to feel like they were forced to farm,” she said. “When we think about it, we’re really fortunate to have an operating dairy in its sixth generation.” Now, Jeron and Brenda’s oldest son, Payton, 18, is studying dairy management at Ridgewater College in Willmar. Payton has always enjoyed working with machinery and is often found doing maintenance work on the farm’s equipment. There are many years before the Turn to NATHE | Page 7
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JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
The Nathes – (from leŌ) Brenda, Payton and Jeron – walk through their freestall barn Oct. 27 at the dairy near Melrose, Minnesota. The family milks with robots and a parlor.
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 7
ConƟnued from NATHE | Page 6
sixth generation has the opportunity to own and operate the family farm, but with each passing year, the Nathes are reminded of the progress made in the past to allow them to farm today with the possibility of decades to come. “Look at Dad and the progress he made in his lifetime. He rst started by milking cows by hand when he was kid,” Jeron said. “I think part of the key to success is staying progressive
“We’re lucky, fortunate that we had a plan in place and were able to follow through on it.” JERON NATHE, DAIRY FARMER
and up to date with the industry, and putting in the hours when you need to. It’s important for us to do what’s best for us at the time but keeping in mind opportunities for the next generation.” Through the years, the Nathes have made it a priority to emphasize efciencies in their dairy business – efciency with feed, labor and time to create a protable dairy herd. They have also heavily relied on input from each other in making sound decisions
for the farm. “Everyone has always been easy to work with,” Ginny said. “We might think differently, but things change and we need to be able to consider someone’s ideas.” Brenda agreed. “We all get along, and we can’t take that for granted,” she said. Dairy farming has not always been easy for the Nathes. Each generation has lived through hardships within the industry, risking their livelihood in uncontrollable weather and market conditions. Yet, through it all, they are humbled for the work they do. “I think we’ve all had the right mindset and really enjoy farming,” Jeron said. Even the Nathes’ extended family nds satisfaction in knowing the legacy of the family farm. For many years, they have gathered at the farm for a Fourth of July celebration. “This farm brings whole generations back here,” Ginny said. “They take pride in what we have.” As the Nathes reflect on the farm’s 153 years in the industry and the recognition of such within their church community, it is a reminder of the farmers before them and the opportunities that lie ahead.
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ConƟnued from RAAK | Page 1 server of local farming practices. “The soil over there is a dry, dusty clay,” Matt said. “The dust would get into everything. When I went out into the country, I might see a guy riding a donkey and herding 20 goats. I knew that those goats were his living and everything he owned was on the back of that donkey. It made me appreciate everything we have here.” Matt worked in the base’s maintenance shop from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., six days a week. “Our shop wasn’t air conditioned, but we had lots of fans,” Matt said. “I felt sorry for the guys who had to work on the ight line all day. It was so hot out there that the asphalt would get soft. At the end of the days when I had walked across the ight line, I would have to scrape asphalt off the soles of my boots.” You can take a boy off the farm, but you cannot get the farm out of the boy. This was true for Matt, who was somewhat of an ambassador for agriculture. “None of the guys in my unit knew anything about farming,” Matt said. “They didn’t believe me when I told them how we sometimes have to reach inside of a cow when we’re helping her give birth. It blew their minds.” During his time in Jordan, Matt was able to get in a little sightseeing. “I went to the Jordan River and saw the spot where John the Baptist baptized Jesus,” Matt said. “I climbed Mount Nebo, where they think Moses is buried. I looked out from the mountaintop and could see the biblical
promised land and the city of Jericho. During another outing, I visited the Dead Sea. The water is so salty that you begin to oat when you get waist deep. Every little nick and crack in my skin stung because of the water’s high salt content.” At one point, Matt volunteered to help with K9 training. “I put on a heavily cushioned suit and a helmet and pretended that I was running away or resisting arrest and the dogs would pull me down,” Matt said. “Even though the padding was really thick, I could feel the tremendous pressure of the dog’s bite.” One of the biggest and most arduous projects Matt tackled involved replacing an engine on a John Deere bulldozer. “It took ve months from the PHOTO SUBMITTED day the operator ran the engine out of oil until I got the bulldozer MaƩ Raak (center) is surrounded by his brothers – (from leŌ) Andrew, Joshua, Caleb and Jacob – running again,” Matt said. “I at the Rock County Fair Aug. 3 in Luverne, Minnesota. This photo was taken the day he returned would go online to look up parts, from deployment to Jordan. but sometimes there were two part numbers listed. There’s an eight-hour time difference be- ice cream drumstick every day. arrived at the fairgrounds, the an- good friends.” tween Jordan and Minnesota, so The food was good, all things nouncer said that we had a special Matt missed his family and I would stay up late and call the considered.” visitor and played, ‘God Bless the his friends during his sojourn in parts man at our John Deere dealMatt stayed in touch with U.S.A.,’ over the PA system. All Jordan. But, that was not all. ership in Edgerton. We nally got family and friends through Snap- of the livestock barns emptied “I missed being my own boss it gured out, but requisitioning chat. He was also able to watch out as people rushed to welcome and doing what I wanted when I and shipping the parts took a lot via the internet when his broth- Matt home. There wasn’t a dry wanted,” he said. “I missed the of extra time.” ers played in their high school eye on the fairgrounds that day. sound of rain, and the way things The food that was served basketball games. A competi- We’re proud that he joined and smell after it rains. I missed our on the base was own in from tive basketball player himself, are glad that he’s home.” black soil. I missed the animals, the U.S. Matt would call his brothers to Matt had a number of memo- especially my pet cows. … Be“We couldn’t have beef or congratulate them and give them rable experiences during his time ing over there gave me a greater pork due to local religious con- pointers. overseas. appreciation for everything that siderations,” Matt said. “We ate a Matt returned home from his “I met people from a wide we have. It made me realize how lot of sh and chicken. Powdered deployment Aug. 3. variety of backgrounds,” he said. thankful I am for my family and milk was available, but I thought “He got back just in time for “I encountered a lot of different for the life that we have on our it tasted like calf milk replacer. I the last day of the Rock County attitudes toward life and toward dairy farm.” got my dairy x by eating a Nestle Fair,” Theresa said. “When he work. I also made some very
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 9
Protecting the transition cow Avoid losses from subclinical ketosis By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MARSHFIELD, Wis. – The early days of a dairy cow’s lactation, referred to as the transition period, are the most trying for both the cow and the caretaker. The transition period is full of changes in the cow’s body which can be metabolically challenging, putting a cow at risk of metabolic disorders such as ketosis. During the Professional Dairy Producers Herd Management Nov. 2 in Marsheld, Dr. Ryan Pralle, of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, addressed concerns about ketosis and fatty liver, and how to help the cow get off to a healthy start in his presentation titled “Protect Transition Cows.” During the dry period, a cow typically consumes more energy than the body needs, which puts a cow in a positive energy balance. As the cow nears the freshening date, the cow’s needs and intake will change, resulting in a negative energy balance. “We start to see a decline in the amount of energy she eats, a decline in the amount of dry matter she eats,” Pralle said. “It is a little slow to raise after she calves compared to the drastic increase in the amount of energy she needs after calving.” Pralle said as a cow’s production increases in the early days of lactation, the cow is putting out more energy in milk production and maintaining body tissues than what can be consumed. “But the cow still needs that energy, it doesn’t just come from nowhere,” Pralle said. “So she has to start moving energy reserves that are already in her body, mobilizing her body fat and using that to maintain her key functions.”
Pralle said the liver plays the primary role in converting stored body fat into available energy for the cow. “When we talk about ketosis and fatty liver, we focus on the liver,” Pralle said. “It is the organ that is responsible for a lot of the energy coordination in all mammals. Once the fat arrives in the liver, it has three simple fates: it can be used for energy as (adenosine triphosphate), or it can be stored as triglycerides, or it can be converted to a simple form of energy that other tissues can use called ketone bodies.” When a cow produces too many ketone bodies, it is said the cow has ketosis, which can be detected in blood, urine or milk. If the cow shifts to storing too much fat as triglycerides in the liver, the result is fatty liver, which Pralle said is a poorly understood metabolic issue in dairy cows. According to Pralle, studies that intensively sample BHBA suggest that ketosis occurs in 43 to 55% of lactations. The most likely time for cows to suffer from subclinical ketosis is during the rst 30 days in milk, with most cows experiencing subclinical ketosis in days three through nine, with 50% of cases lasting ve days or less. “Ketosis tends to be a silent problem,” Pralle said. “Symptoms might include excessive body weight loss, a fruity odor on the breath or inappetence; but really, most cows don’t have any clear visual symptoms that indicate she has a problem. But we still have a real impact nancially and in productivity even though we don’t see ketosis.” There are tools available for on-farm testing and monitoring of ketosis. One tool available is a digital hand-held BHBA meter with a test strip to test blood for the ketones present. A BHBA reading between 1.2 and 2.9 mmol/L indicates a case of subclinical ketosis. Cows that are subclinical will show no physical symptoms, but there will be a loss in protability. A BHBA reading over 3 mmol/L indicates clinical ketosis, which is a
more serious case of ketosis with symptoms presenting. Strips to test milk and urine are less precise but will offer an indicator of the level of ketones present. Pralle also said that data can be used through the program KetoMonitor to help monitor and identify prevalence of ketosis in a herd and it helps identify what cows need to be screened or tested for subclinical ketosis. Pralle detailed a study that looked at 174,690 cows in 335 herds to help determine the detrimental impact ketosis can have. Cows that suffer from subclinical ketosis are ve times more likely to experience a displaced abomasum and three times more likely to suffer from metritis. They are culled more frequently than cows that do not experience the disorder and they average 1,000 pounds less mature equivalent milk for their lactation. Cows that experience subclinical ketosis also have a calving interval that is 17 days longer than their non-affected herdmates. On average, a case of subclinical ketosis in a rst-lactation cow costs about $375 per
case and about $256 per case for cows in their second lactation and beyond. In a herd of 150 calvings per year, with a relatively low 20% incidence of subclinical ketosis, the annual cost is $8,670; a higher rate of incidence at 40% costs the producer $17,340. For treating cows with subclinical ketosis, Pralle recommends drenching the cow with 300 mL of propylene glycol once a day for three to ve days. “Propylene glycol is the best researched treatment tool we have for cows,” Pralle said. “It is really effective, especially for those subclinical cows He recommended limiting the use of intravenous dextrose to more serious cases of clinical ketosis with BHBA readings over 3 mmol/L. Pralle said overuse of dextrose can negatively impact the liver. “Most every herd can benet from some level of ketosis testing and treatment protocols,” Pralle said. “Metabolic disorders like subclinical ketosis and fatty liver are potentially silent killers of a dairy farm’s productivity and protability.”
The economic impact of ketosis is noted in the graph above.
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PLAINVIEW, Minn. – When it comes to providing excellence in preventative medicine on dairy farms, Dr. James Bennett knows his trade well. “Excellence in preventative medicine is not about just xing broken cows or preventing disease in herds,” Bennett said. “It’s really about trying to help herds do better, however better is dened by the farmer, whether that’s production or protability.” Bennett was awarded the Boehringer Ingelheim Excellence in Preventative Medicine Dairy Award Oct. 9 at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. “I’m really humbled to have gotten it because not many people get this,” Bennett said. “I feel thrilled, excited.” Sticking with AABP’s primary mission of continuing education, Bennett works hard to provide excellence to his clients as part of Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center, which has been renamed Northern Valley Livestock Systems, in Plainview. “We would like our clients to be better than everybody else’s clients,” Bennett said. “So, whatever we can do to help our clients be better in a competitive industry just means we all have to work harder toward that goal.” Bennett provides continuing education to his clients, including milking system consulting and parlor evaluations, calf consulting and evaluations, employee training, farm meetings and looking at the overall farm system. “It’s always easier to prevent something than it is to x something that is broken, and it’s generally a whole lot cheaper as well,” Bennett said. “Since dairy (farming) really is a competitive business, the cost of xing problems might be the difference between a farm making money in a year and not making money.” Bennett and his partner, the retired Dr. Kevin Nigon, started the practice as a branch of Northern Valley Animal Clinic shortly after graduating from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in the late 1990s. Like many others, Bennett’s practice has changed to adapt to industry standards, but he has always kept farmers at the forefront of his business. “You can’t prevent all diseases, cows from dying, cows from not giving much milk or it raining and ruining your hay crop, for example. The key is having reasonable goals that one can achieve so you don’t have to x all those problems at once,” Bennett said. “And, the net result generally is a more protable farm, and healthier and more productive animals.” With Bennett’s preventative medicine practices, herds can be more productive which allows for a more prosperous and bustling community. “If you look at the economic impact of a dairy cow on a community like here in Plainview, it’s something like $25,000 a year, so that might mean lower school taxes, more businesses, more tractor dealers and maybe a decent grocery store,” Bennett said. “So instead of
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Dr. Jim BenneƩ holds up the Boehringer Ingelheim Excellence in PreventaƟve Medicine award he won at this year’s AABP conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah.
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
Dr. Jim BenneƩ is a veterinarian serving southeast Minnesota. BenneƩ recently received the Boehringer Ingelheim Excellence in PreventaƟve Medicine Dairy Award Oct. 9 in Salt Lake City, Utah. having a little town that’s maybe got a little co-op gas station, a bar and a couple other things, you have a thriving community. And to me, much of that is because of our dairy farmers.” One of Bennett’s most gratifying things about working in the dairy industry is seeing another generation join the farm. “I’ve seen three generations come into some farms,
“It’s always easier to prevent something than it is to x something that is broken, and it’s generally a whole lot cheaper as well.” DR. JAMES BENNETT, VETERINARIAN
probably more,” Bennett said. “And so, I see a farm that maybe now employs 20 to 50 people in a community, and they have two or three generations of kids. So that’s what I nd most satisfying is helping those folks have a sustainable enterprise that will impact their community positively.” The mindset Bennett has in his time practicing veterinary medicine aligns well with the purpose of the AABP award. Bennett believes he was nominated by Dr. Erin Royster on behalf of the dairy group at the University of Minnesota, who also organized a campaign to get people to write recommendation letters. “The funny part is everybody here knew that I had won the award because the people that nominated me had called here,” Bennett said. “So our whole clinic, in fact some of our clients, knew that I was going to get the award while I was gone and I had no idea.” Unfortunately, Bennett was unable to receive the award at the conference as he gave a presentation on Thursday and had to get back on Saturday for another commitment. He found out the following Monday afternoon in an email from Dr. Sandra Godden, a professor at the University of Minnesota. “It was more of a quiet reaction as I was actually in my car,” Bennett said. “I was really the last to know.” As for Bennett’s next steps in veterinary medicine, he looks forward to the future as he and Nigon sold the clinic in June to Drs. Megan Weisenbeck and Portia Seckerson. “It’s the rst time I’ve worked for anybody for 41 years so I’m a little rusty,” Bennett said. As for the award, Bennett said it is an afrmation of what he and Nigon have tried to do for 40 years. “What we’ve tried to do is help farms be successful and sustainable,” Bennett said. “Sometimes that is frustrating and it feels like pushing a string or climbing a mountain, if you will. But that has been our vision from the beginning. So for me, it’s really an afrmation that this matters. And, it is really gratifying.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 11
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
Cleanliness, consistency a focus for Dicke Goodhue farmer strives for low SCC By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
GOODHUE, Minn. – Trevor Dicke attributes his low somatic cell count to the knowledge of his cows and the cleanliness and well-bedded stalls of his barn, among other things. “I guess I just know my cows,” Dicke said. “If they come in acting kicky or something, I know there is something going on.” Dicke, his wife Lisa, and three boys, Caleb, 15, Carter, 12, and Logan, 8, milk 100 cows and run 120 acres of corn and hay on their farm, DickeDoo Dairy, in Goodhue. The herd’s yearly average is 73 pounds for milk, 4.1% for butterfat, 3.3% for protein and under 100,000 for SCC. Before moving to the current farm, Dicke worked for his neighbor, Larry Lexvold. “I started paying more attention when I worked for Larry about 15 years ago, and he always had a good somatic cell count,” Dicke said. “I didn’t know much about it when I was younger.” Today, Dicke, who has farmed at his current location for 11 years, sells to Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery where he gets a SCC premium. “It pays for the extra work it takes to keep (SCC) down,” Dicke said. Dicke said this year’s SCC average is closer to 120,000 rather than the traditional yearly average.
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
Trevor Dicke stands in his freestall barn which is bedded with sand and lime at DickeDoo Dairy near Goodhue, Minnesota. Dicke tries to keep his stalls as clean as possible to maximize cow comfort. “I had a rough summer,” Dicke said. “I started at 110,000 when I rst started milking, and I’ve gotten it down as low as 72,000. I’ve been progressively going down, and this year it went up for some reason. And, I can’t pinpoint it yet.” Dicke believes the increase in SCC is because of the cows spending more time on pasture. “I usually get more rain during the summer, so they stay in the barn a lot more and I can keep my SCC down,”
Dicke said. “This year, it was dry all summer, and they didn’t have a day off out in the pasture so that might be the reason.” Dicke milks in a double-9 parlor
and houses his cows in a freestall barn with sand and lime bedding. “I had mattresses when I started, and they were kind of worn out. So, I just cut the cement out and switched to sand for comfort,” Dicke said. Dicke said his biggest preventative measure for avoiding an elevated SCC is clean and well-bedded stalls. “I’m always cleaning the stalls, every morning when I get the cows up, after I’m done milking and at night twice,” Dicke said. “I try to keep the stalls as clean as possible.” Dicke uses a sand leveler twice a week in the winter in addition to bedding every four days. During the summer, the cows are on pasture. “I added chisel plow teeth (to the sand leveler) to dig up bacteria and that helps a lot,” Dicke said. Dicke beds the heifers with cornstalk bedding until they are pregnant. Then, the heifers go to his father-inlaw’s until they are one month from calving. To detect animals with a higher SCC, Dicke goes by sight and feel. He is in the barn twice a day, almost every day, and is condent in knowing how his cows act when they are feeling well or ill. Dicke treats sick cows with mastitis Turn to DICKE | Page 13
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Trevor Dicke runs a sand leveler through his stalls twice a week in the winterƟme. He recently added chisel plow teeth to dig up bacteria that helps lower his SCC. tubes and Uddermint and feeds the waste milk to calves. “I have a calf pasteurizer so it doesn’t bother me if some cows won’t adhere to the medicine,” Dicke said. “I just keep quarter milking because we need that to feed the calves so it’s not like we’re dumping it.” About 5%-10% of Dicke’s cows are on a quarter milker or bucket.
“As soon as those papers come back, I’m out there checking the high cows.” TREVOR DICKE, DAIRY FARMER
Dicke uses ber cloth towels, iodine pre- and post-dip, silicone inations and a winter dip. “I pre-dip, pre-wipe, put the milkers on and then post-dip afterward,” Dicke said. “I don’t know if there is a better (dip) out there or not as I’ve just used (iodine).” When Dicke cannot nd a high SCC cow, he uses Dairy Herd Improvement Association records as his base point. “As soon as those papers come back, I’m out there checking the high cows,”
Dicke said. Dicke culls open, hard breeder and low production cows. “Some of them I get pregnant with mastitis or a bad quarter and keep them until the next year, some clean up and some don’t,” Dicke said. “If I didn’t feed the milk, I would get rid of them faster, but because I need the milk for feed, I hold on to them longer than some people.” On the Dickes’ farm, inations are changed every six months, the vacuum pump is ushed every three months, and pulsation is checked once a year and serviced only if there is a problem. For cleaning the parlor, milkers and pipeline, Dicke uses a detergent and acid. “I put all the milkers in hard plastic trays now, not those rubber cups, and they get washed with detergent and acid,” Dicke said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever used sanitizer. I guess if the bacteria stays down, I don’t have to.” For future improvements, Dicke would like to get his help to clean teats a little better all in an effort to continually improve the herd’s milk quality. “If you are getting the premium for a low SCC, it’s sometimes worth the hassle to nd (the problem) and get rid of it,” Dicke said.
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Matt Thomas Lakeville, Minnesota Scott County 50 cows
What crops did you have to harvest and how many acres of each? We harvested 45 acres of spring wheat, 200 acres of corn and 140 acres of soybean.
Farmers:
When did you begin harvest? keep us fed and get parts. Milking is handled by a high school student. What was the biggest challenge you had with this year’s harvest? Finishing harvest while dealing with COVID-19. What will you remember most about this year’s harvest? Despite the lack of moisture, how well the yields actually were.
When did you begin harvest? How far along are you with fall harvest? Spring wheat was in August. Traditional fall What do you enjoy most about the fall harvest started Labor Day weekend with corn silage. I harvest? Seeing how the decisions you made at plantnished soybeans Nov. 5. ing time and throughout the year play out at harvest.
Brett Blackwelder Chokio, Minnesota Big Stone County 320 cows What crops did you have to harvest and how many acres of each? We had 1,180 acres of corn, 130 acres for silage, 55 acres for earlage, 1,140 acres of soybeans and 65 acres of wheat. When did you begin harvest? How far along are you with fall harvest? We started silage Aug. 31, soybeans Sept. 18 and nished corn Oct. 24. What was your average bushels per crop? How does this compare to other years? The wheat was 68 bushels per acre. The soybean was 55 bushels per acre. Corn was 190-200 bushels per acre. The yield was about average. Who all helps with fall harvest, and what are their responsibilities? Kent combines soybeans and trucks. Mark combines corn and runs grain cart. I drive truck and run the dryer. My grandpa, Earl, does tillage, and we have a few part-time employees who run grain cart. What was the biggest challenge you had with this year’s harvest? The weather. Late rains made corn harvest a challenge. What will you remember most about this year’s harvest? Good soybean yields and going from very dry to very wet fast. What do you enjoy most about the fall harvest? When you are close to nishing for the year and can reect on what you have accomplished. Tell us about your farm. We milk 320 cows and farm 2,750 acres along with a seed dealership for Peterson Farms Seed. I farm with my brother, Kent, and parents, Mark and Amy, and my grandpa, Earl, is still active on the farm as well.
What was your average bushels per crop? How does this compare to other years? Spring wheat did about 50 bushels, corn was around 140 bushels, and soybeans were around 50 bushels. Corn is down a lot due to the drought and our variable soils.
Tell us about your farm. I am the fourth generation on our farm. I farm with my wife, Jackie, son Calvin, 9, daughter Miranda, 6, and my parents, Clayton and Cheryl. We grow corn, soybean, spring wheat and hay on 500 acres. Our dairy herd consists of mostly Holsteins and a few Jerseys. My wife and I also raise meat and Who all helps with fall harvest, and what are their dairy goats. She has also started a goat milk soap and responsibilities? My father, son, uncle and step-cousin hand cream business. help with all aspects of eld work. My wife and mom
Brad Korver Alton, Iowa Sioux County 150 cows What crops did you have to harvest and how many acres of each? This year, we harvested 130 acres of corn for silage, 60 acres of corn for grain, 80 acres of soybeans and 40 acres of alfalfa.
Dad usually runs the combine, and my cousin hauls the grain to town. What was the biggest challenge you had with this year’s harvest? Untimely breakdowns with the combine. We had to put a new radiator in the combine and replace an engine head gasket. What will you remember most about this year’s harvest? The good yields despite the dry spring and start to the summer.
When did you begin harvest? How far along are you with fall harvest? We chopped our corn silage Sept. 10-11. Our soybeans were harvested at the end of September What do you enjoy most about the fall harvest? I and the rst part of October. The rest of the corn was like to see the loads come in from the eld. It is a good combined at the end of October. feeling to know the crop is being harvested and all of the equipment is working. What was your average bushels per crop? How does this compare to other years? Our corn silage averaged Tell us about your farm. I farm with my brother, Tim. almost 27 tons per acre. The soybeans averaged just We milk 150 cows and custom raise calves and heifers short of 75 bushels per acre, and the corn we harvested for a 400-cow dairy. We are the fourth generation of our as grain was about 225 bushels per acre. family to milk cows on this farm. My father, Don, does the eldwork, and Tim and I, along with our wives, run Who all helps with fall harvest, and what are their the dairy operation. responsibilities? We hire the silage custom chopped. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Brian (pictured) and Kevin Brabec Mayer, Minnesota Carver County 140 cows What crops did you have to harvest and how many acres of each? We had 375 acres of corn and 115 acres of soybeans.
Bob Terres (pictured with son, Brent and grandson, Noah) Spring Hill, Minnesota Stearns County What crops did you have to harvest and how many acres of each? My wife, Jane, and I had 350 acres of corn and 175 acres of soybeans to harvest. When did you begin harvest? How far along are you with fall harvest? We started harvesting corn Oct. 5 and the soybean harvest started Sept. 20. We nished fall harvest Nov. 10. What was your average bushels per crop? How does this compare to other years? The corn averaged 185 bushels an acre and the soybeans 60 were bushels an acre. It was a little lower than average but better than we thought we would get this year. Who all helps with fall harvest, and what are their responsibilities? Bob likes to combine and Jane likes driving the four-wheel-drive tractor to do tillage. We work together with our sons, Brent, Brad and Jason, who also crop farm. What was the biggest challenge you had with this year’s harvest? We had wet elds when we did fall harvest. What will you remember most about this year’s harvest? The thing we will remember most about this year’s harvest is how badly we needed rain and then how we had too much rain. What do you enjoy most about the fall harvest? Seeing the whole family work together and then getting everything washed up and put in the shed. It would make my dad smile to see three generations working together. Tell us about your farm. My wife and I milked 50 cows for almost 39 years. We sold the cows in June. We farm over 600 acres and we raise corn, soybeans, kidney beans and alfalfa.
What will you remember most about this year’s harvest? We had our combine start on re during our nal night of combining. We were down to the last When did you begin harvest? How 8 acres when a fuel line broke, dumping far along are you with fall harvest? fuel onto the hot engine which ignited We began corn Sept. 22, nishing Oct. the re. Luckily, Kevin happened to be 6, and then we began soybeans Oct. 15, chopping stalks next to me and called nishing Oct. 16. We have a small amount to alert me right away. If he had not been out there of fall tillage left to go. alongside of me at that moment, it would have been a What was your average bushels per crop? How does lot worse than it ended up being, which was bad enough. this compare to other years? Our corn was around 180 bushels to the acre, and soybeans were around 75 What do you enjoy most about the fall harvest? bushels to the acre. We are down from other years due Plowing. I nd it relaxing to do fall tillage. to the low amount of rain this year. Tell us about your farm. Our parents bought the farm Who all helps with fall harvest, and what are their in 1963 and started milking cows in 1965. Kevin and responsibilities? We are very blessed with having a few I formed a partnership and took over the business in great neighbors who know how to properly operate our January 1994. We milk cows and run about 650 acres of equipment and love to be in the eld doing whatever crops, consisting of corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and grass hay. We also raise steers and replacement heifers. they can to help. We have several people who help us with milking and eld work.
Rob Klinkner Viroqua, Wisconsin Vernon County 55 cows
Gail chopped, I hauled wagons, and the kids unloaded and kept up with regular chores.
What crops did you have to harvest and how many acres of each? We harvested 30 acres of corn, 10 acres of sorghum, 10 acres of oat and pea, and 20 acres of hay. We planted triticale and rye on the corn ground. When did you begin harvest? How far along are you with fall harvest? We began harvest Sept. 21, and we are done. What was your average bushels per crop? How does this compare to other years? We averaged around 187 bushels of corn. We thought this was good because the corn had just come off of being fallow. Who all helps with fall harvest, and what are their responsibilities? Our family worked together to harvest. We had half the corn done by a custom operator.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
Breeding Focus
Welsh-Edge Holsteins breed, feed for longevity Ralph Petersheim Welsh-Edge Farm Viroqua, Wisconsin 75 cows
Describe your facilities and list your breeding management team. We milk in a tiestall barn. We have been using sand bedding since 1998. Since putting sand in, approximately 70% of the cows that leave here are sold for dairy purposes. I do most of the A.I. work. My daughter, Heather, and son, David, help with heat detection and herd health checks.
What is your pregnancy rate? I’m not even sure. It’s not been something I focus on.
What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? How do you get your animals pregnant? We primarily A.I., though we do put in some embryos in heifers. We work closely with a great veterinarian twice a month for reproduction work. We are using ovsynch on problem breeders but prefer to breed cows on natural heats. Heather writes the cows’ names on
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Ralph Petersheim milks 75 cows at Welsh-Edge Holsteins near Viroqua, Wisconsin. Petersheim breeds for longevity.
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Heather Metzler and her children – (from leŌ) Connor, Caiden, Aimee and Lexi – milk with Metzler’s parents on their 75-cow dairy near Viroqua, Wisconsin.
the calendar 21 days from when they are bred as a reminder to watch for repeat heats. Describe your breeding philosophy. In the 1980s when we began, we were getting 90
pounds of milk, but our milk check went to the veterinarian and the feed mill. Now, we breed and feed for longevity. By focusing on type, deep cow families, nutrition from the soil up and milk components, we are far
more protable at our 75 pounds per day average than we ever were at the 90 pound average. Turn to PETERSHEIM | Page 20
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
ConƟnued from PETERSHEIM | Page 18 What guidelines do you follow to reach the goals for your breeding program? We believe aAa analysis is a valuable tool for breeding healthy and balanced animals, and strong cow families that have stood the test of time. This analysis is a breeding tool that analyzes the structural makeup of the cow in order to breed healthier and more balanced cows. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? When doing in vitro fertilization work, we use sexed semen. Otherwise, the herd is AI’d with conventional semen. We do not use beef semen as our heifers stay in the herd at least until calving (other than a few dairy sale consignments each year), and we have a great market for our breeding bulls.
What is your conception rate? How does this differ with different types of semen? Again, it’s not something that I have tracked, and we only use conventional semen. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Sheila, and I have six children and seven grandchildren (with two more on the way). We farm 500 acres and raise everything the cows eat other than the minerals. We diversify our income by selling dry hay and dairy animals. Sheila does the bookwork, and every Sunday she makes lunch for the whole family. Heather milks every evening and brings her four kids. Our son, Derek, does the mechanic work, and his wife, Justine, and their two children take care of the calves. Every evening the grandkids are here running around during chores, and it’s all I could ever want.
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Heather Metzler enters data onto a calendar at Welsh Edge Holsteins, where she farms with her parents near Viroqua, Wisconsin.
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happenings in the dairy industry for a whole year.
Finding a way
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Her brother came up with abby.w@dairystar.com the idea to dig up some of the existing hay Àeld and plant corn CONRATH, Wis. – Lexi around the trees. She was imZunker and Pete Kaufmann-Luft mediately on board and thought were married at Lexi’s family it sounded amazing. Her dad farm Sept. 25. It was a fairy tale disagreed. The hay had only been ark Peter-M growing for two years, and he wedding for Lexi. was a will for couple was the Minn. – If there Lexi and her brother, Dallas, was hesitant to dig it up. MENAHGA,ckson’s children to farm, Jack Scho “One of my brother’s friends are the Àfth generation on the uwe n ing and Lynn Hendri a Įeld day iler explains hisJENNIFER COYNE/DAI built an additio a way. farm they own with their parents, ended up convincing my dad it RY STAR Sept. 9 grazing ty near Bran going to Ànd one year since the family g herd – and STAR near Conrath. would be OK,” Lexi said. Andy and Valerie, don, Minnat his farm in Dousystem durIt has been barn to accommodate a growinto the dairy. cows. KLAPHAKE/DAIRY return esota. Shou glas Coun Bradfarm In March, Lexi and her dad milk 250 They MARK and and have generation’s Markcows onto their tiestall weiler milk Peterthink we would builtand went out and spray painted off antly, the next of hay 1,000 acreswas around leŌ) Ryan, s 70 more import for these rascals, I don’twas our obligation to The addiƟon Ashl Jill; (back, fromMinnesota. and ey Hols felt it the area they wanted to leave in silage. corn g.” Lynn “If it wasn’t “We ga, farmin said. t Sarah, stands ark leŌ) dairy near Menah to try dairy Scho barnprod Preparations for the wed- hay. Her dad then dug it up and Ɵestall ucƟon andin the dairy barn done this,” Peter-Mif they really wantedcows with their four uweilericksons – (front, from to keep g. up 113 stalls on to their t in farmin on The Hendr foc the year. planted corn. 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The wedding uent Turn to HEND happy PHOTO COURTESY OF MAX LEE and phon ifer approximately 200 feet apart. e calls to ying jenn@dairy Coyne family The couple was married Sept. 25 at Zunknewlyweds. are “Since I was a little girl, I Lexi Zunker and Pete Kaufmann-LuŌ star.c om said I was going to get married er’s family’s 250-cow BRA dairy near Conrath, Wisconsin. Turn to ZUNKER | Page 13 thing but NDON, Minn. between those oak trees,” Lexi west. 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Coyne By Jennifer .com airystar jenn@d
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 21
LOW-RATE FINANCING AVAILABLE
Financing subject to pre-approval through JD Financial. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details.
JD S670, 2289 hrs.,1453 $ sep, #176660
JD 8370R 2019, 275 hrs. $ #184016
JD S680, 2014 2973 hrs., 2063 $ sep hrs., #182070
JD, S770, 2018, 2203 hrs., 1587 $ sep, #181147
Case IH 330, 2015, 34’ #178991
Kuhn Krause 6200-45, 2014, $ 45’, #180001
JD S670, 2016, 2295 hrs., 1453 $ sep hrs., #176660
JD S790, 2018, 1535 hrs., 1058 $ sep hrs., # 179097
199,500
42,900
$
349,000
45,900
144,900
199,500
245,000
315,400
Equipment and pictures added daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com 10 10 14 10 3 4 15 5 1 5 4 16 4 14 7 17 4 15 15 14 11 1 14 15 16 10 16 1 17 11
COMBINES
JD 6620, 1987, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, Chopper, #177388 ...............$12,500 JD 9500, 1993, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 5785 hrs., 3893 Sep Hrs., #189641 .....$19,900 JD 9500, 1991, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 6754 hrs., 5000 Sep Hours, #185458..$22,400 JD 9500, 1991, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 6266 hrs., 3872 Sep Hrs, #189946 .....$25,500 JD 9610, 1998, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 4300 hrs., 2873 Sep Hrs., #189672 ....$28,000 JD 9510, 1998, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 5225 hrs., 3475 Sep Hrs., #189676 ....$28,500 JD 9650 STS, 2000, Corn/Bean, 5443 hrs., 3860 Sep Hrs., #188938 .. $33,000 JD 9550, 2001, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 5054 hrs., 3424 Sep Hrs., #189036$42,500 JD 9870 STS, 2008, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 3243 hrs., 2500 Sep Hrs., #175945..............................................................................................$99,500 JD 9670 STS, 2011, Corn/Bean, 3669 hrs., 2503 Sep Hrs., #188158 .. $99,900 JD, 9670 STS, 2008, Corn/Bean, , 2246 hrs., 1488 Sep Hrs., #189622 .$103,500 JD 9770 STS, 2010, Corn/Bean, 2705 hrs., 1956 Sep Hrs., #189933 $109,900 JD 9670 STS, 2009, Corn/Bean, 2210 hrs., 1263 Sep Hrs., #185612 $110,400 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, , 2973 hrs., 2063 Sep Hrs., #182070 ......$144,900 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 2078 hrs., 1658 Sep Hrs., #172017$145,900 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 2372 hrs., 1703 Sep Hrs., #178114$147,900 JD S680, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2006 hrs., 1350 Sep Hrs., #174756$159,900 JD S680, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2015 hrs., 1446 Sep Hrs., #190055 $161,000 JD S690, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1983 hrs., 1530 Sep Hrs., #171923 $179,000 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2423 hrs., 1762 Sep Hrs., #190078 $191,000 JD S670, 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1664 hrs., 662 Sep Hrs., #181668 .. $197,500 JD S670, 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2370 hrs., 1453 Sep Hrs., #176660 $199,500 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1978 hrs., 1183 Sep Hrs., #189953 $202,000 JD S670, 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1612 hrs., 963 Sep Hrs., #181669 .. $237,500 JD S770, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2241 hrs., 1587 Sep Hrs., #181147 $245,000 JD S790, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1365 hrs., 1058 Sep Hrs., #179097 $315,400 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1360 hrs., 800 Sep Hrs., #175318 .. $319,500 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 755 Sep Hrs., #183533 ........ $355,000 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1077 hrs., 690 Sep Hrs., #177549 .. $364,400 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1059 hrs., 653 Sep Hrs., #171103 .. $385,000
14 2 16 16 16 16 16
JD S790, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1169 hrs, 683 Sep Hrs., #171378 ...$389,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 560 hrs., 331 Sep Hrs., #169509 ....$409,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 742 hrs., 307 Sep Hrs., #169507 .... $409,500 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 996 hrs., 556 Sep Hrs., #187111 ....#435,900 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 759 hrs., 235 Sep Hrs., #188459 ....$454,900 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 790 hrs., 281 Sep Hrs., #188309 ....$454,900 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 784 hrs., 247 Sep Hrs., #188458 ....$454,900
3 4 7 7 9 9 5
JD 650, 1997, 32 ft, 3-Section Folding, #185256 ....................................$18,000 Case IH RMX340, 2009, 35 ft, 3-Section Folding, Spacing: 9”, #181151$29,400 JD 637, 2011, 42 ft, 5-Section Folding, Spacing: 9”, #190223.................$35,000 Case IH 4300, 2001, 38 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #186653 $11,995 JD 985, 1998, 47 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #185899 .....................$12,000 JD 2200, 2002, 34 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #185898 ...................$19,000 Case IH Tigermate II, 2003, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #186586 ...................................................................................$19,000 Case IH TM14, 2005, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #187546..... $26,900 Case IH Tigermate II, 2004, 60.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #186585 ....................................................................................$28,000 JD 2210, 2006, 57 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #181942 ...................$32,500 Wil-Rich QX2, 2008, 60 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #187555 .........$36,000 Case IH Tigermate 200, 2014, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #184441 ....................................................................................$39,900 JD 2210, 2008, 46 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #189575 ...................$40,000 Case IH 330, 2015, #178991 .................................................................$42,900 Summers VRT3530, 2015, #189645 ...................................................$42,900 Mandako Twister, 2017, #188311 ......................................................$56,500 Kuhn Krause 8000 Excelerator, 2014, #181417 ..............................$59,900
2 5 1 15 5 15 2 15 7 2
TILLAGE
UTILITY TRACTORS
14 JD 5103, 2004, Syncro, 2WD, 540 pto, 500 hrs., #189624 .......................$16,900 12 JD 5055D, 2009, Syncro, 2WD, 540 pto, Loader, 668 hrs., #190224 ........$19,900
6 JD 5065E, 2011, Syncro, 2WD, 540 pto, 1825 hrs., #190085..................$22,000 10 JD 5055E, 2020, Cab, Power Reverser, MFWD, 540 pto, 100 hrs., #163199 ...................................................................................................$41,000 9 JD 5055E, 2018, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 1230 hrs., #188967 ........$41,500 10 JD 5075E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, 49 hrs., #175484.........................$46,000 12 JD 5055E, 2014, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 429 hrs., #188734 ..........$46,000 10 JD 5100E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 100 hrs., #165333 ..........$67,000 4 JD 5100E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #171435 ..........$68,000 4 JD 5100E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #165335 ..........$68,500 4 JD 5100E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #171433 ..........$69,000 4 JD 5100E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #166542 ..........$69,500 6 JD 5100E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 303 hrs., #166541 ..........$69,500 4 JD 6120E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, 200 hrs., #173851.......................$80,000 4 JD 5100M, 2021, Cab, Partial PS, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #166707 ....................................................................................$80,000 10 JD 6120E, 2020, Cab, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 100 hrs., #167015 .............$84,000 10 JD 6135E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 100 hrs., #166735 .$89,000 10 JD 6135E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 100 hrs., #166973 .$90,500 10 JD 6135E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 86 hrs., #166971 ...$90,500 4 JD 6135E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 250 hrs., #174302 ..........$93,000 4 JD 6135E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #173850 ..........$93,000 1 JD 6135E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 300 hrs., #174303...........$93,000 8 JD 6135E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #173467..........$93,000 4 JD 6110M, 2021, Cab, Partial PS, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 300 hrs., #174297 .................................................................................. $115,000 4 JD 6110M, 2021, Cab, Partial PS, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 250 hrs., #174296 .................................................................................. $115,000 8 JD 6110M, 2021, Cab, Partial PS, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #173464 .................................................................................. $115,000 4 JD 6130M, 2021, Cab, Partial PS, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, 200 hrs.,#173465................................................................................... $120,000 10 JD 6130M, 2020, Cab, Partial PS, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 149 hrs., #167014...................................................................... $131,000
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! CALL TODAY! (320)365-1653 (7) = ALEXANDRIA (9) = PRINCETON (12) = AITKIN (14) = ELBOW LAKE (16) = BENSON (4) = ST. CLOUD (1) = GLENCOE
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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
OVER 700 COWS PER HOUR*
*based on a 106-bail PR3100HD turning at 4.9 seconds per bail
Increase labor efficiencies by using DeLaval TSR
Over
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PR3100HDs installed in North America
A lucky calf for a kid
15° angled bail
DeLaval Parallel Rotary PR3100HD
RUTH KLOSSNER/DAIRY STAR
Forest Lawn Select 3777 is a September calf that the Swensons are providing for The Great Christmas Giveaway 2021, in the 17 and under category.
High capacity milking
The PR3100HD was designed with throughput in mind. Its unique features enable quick cow entry and exit, while our milking automation technology enhances work routine efficiency.
Swensons provide animal for Dairy Star giveaway Scan to view virtual tours now!
View the barns that use DeLaval rotary parlors to maximize the efficiency of their operation.
www.delaval.com
Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Kramer Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United Dairy Systems, Inc. West Union, IA 563-422-5355 WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713
DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI 866-335-2825 Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267 Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA Advanced Dairy of Mora Mora, MN 320-679-1029 Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Brookings, SD 800-636-5581 S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2021 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. All facts and figures are the result of data collected on test farms. Results may vary and are not guaranteed. Nothing in this document shall constitute a warranty or guaranty of performance. www.delaval.com
By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
NICOLLET, Minn. – As Paul Swenson passes through the calf barn, one little heifer with the ear tag No. 3777 is coined Lucky Seven. And for one child this Christmas season, she is sure to bring luck. “This is the fanciest calf in the pen,” Paul Swenson said. “We’re condent someone should have a really good calf for the show season.” Swenson and his family – wife Cindy, daughter Ashley and son-in-law David – are providing Forest Lawn Select 3777 as one of the grand prizes in The Great Christmas Giveaway 2021, in the 17 and under category. The Swensons milk 265 registered Holsteins at Forest-Lawn Holsteins near Nicollet. This calf is a September heifer out of Avant-Garde Unix Select-ET, a bull which is part of Select Sires’ Showcase sires, with her dam being a daughter out of Our-Favorite Undenied-ET, another Showcase sire. “We had some kids lease Undenied heifers the last couple of years and they did well,” Swenson said. When the dam was genomic tested as a calf, she became the highest test on the farm for type, said the Nicollet County dairyman. “We genomic test all of our calves, but we don’t have this test back yet (as of Nov. 3),” he said. “We also select for high type bulls, so genomic-wise, this calf should be as good as anything we have.” The calf is the result of a small portion of the Forest-Lawn herd that is bred specically for show. Within the herd, the Swensons follow two breeding programs; two that align with their ideals as registered dairy producers and dairy producers who want to develop the most productive, efcient milking herd as possible. The majority of the herd is bred with the high genomic net merit bulls, typically young sires, while a select 15% of the herd are bred to show-type bulls. “It doesn’t work to stick a high net merit bull with a high type animal,” Swenson said. “You’ll just get an average net merit with an average show type. We breed each group separately to get the best from both.” Following that breeding strategy has served the family well over the years. As of late, the Swensons have sold embryos from high net merits cows to Chinese dairy farmers. Those farmers are looking to purchase registered genetics, and in that market, embryos are more important than a calf on the ground. “That’s been working out good with Ashley in the embryo transfer business,” Swenson said. With the show cattle, the Swensons will have people Turn to SWENSONS | Page 23
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 23
ConƟnued from SWENSONS | Page 22 stop by the farm to view the animals before purchasing. Up until a decade ago, a signicant portion of the Swensons’ farm prots also came from selling breeding bulls. This practice has since subsided with the emphasis on articial insemination and other breeding technologies, and the changing size of dairy farms. “For a number of years, we would sell four to ve bulls at a time,” Swenson said. “But with the liability of working with bulls, it’s been better for the industry to move to A.I.” Forest-Lawn Holsteins has always been a registered herd, and the Swensons’ rich history in the industry dates
“We had some kids lease Undenied heifers the last couple of years and they did well.” PAUL SWENSON, DAIRY FARMER
back to 1883 when Swenson’s greatgreat-grandfather purchased the farm’s rst registered bull. Two years later, the farm acquired two registered cows that became the foundation of Forest-Lawn Holsteins. To date, the farm is the oldest registered herd in Minnesota and the oldest continuous registered herd across the United States. “It’s somewhat of a tradition for us,” Swenson said. Aside from a way of life for the family, breeding registered cattle has provided the Swensons with another
avenue for income in the dairy industry. It has also greatly progressed the herd. “It’s made us concentrate on the genetics of our herd,” Swenson said. “We’ve always followed the pedigrees and put genetics at a pretty high importance. Because of that, our herd’s productivity has been that much better.” The Swensons’ farm is structured as a partnership between Paul, Cindy and Ashley, with David being employed on the farm; David also farms with his family near Goodridge. The crew is milking 260 cows with four robots they installed eight years ago. They recently added an additional 50 stalls to the freestall barn, renovated all existing stalls from waterbeds to deep-bedded sand and replaced the lagoon with a concrete bottom. These upgrades, among others, will help maximize the productivity of the farm’s technology and help the herd become as efcient and protable as possible, as the sixth generation of Swensons makes themselves a larger part of the operation. “Ashley is 100 percent interested in taking over,” Swenson said. “We’re making (this farm) as efcient as possible because that’s what’s going to make it possible to milk cows going forward. That’s how we’re going to stay in the industry.” Just as the Swensons have created a legacy for themselves in the industry with the reputation of their herd, they hope this September heifer can do the same by providing a young dairy enthusiast with a calf that will prove itself for years to come. “I call her Lucky Seven for a reason,” Swenson said. “She should make a very nice calf and grow up to be a very nice cow.”
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RUTH KLOSSNER/DAIRY STAR
Ashley Swenson and her dad, Paul, stand with Forest Lawn Select 3777 at their farm near Nicollet, Minnesota. The Swenson milk 265 registered Holsteins, with a porƟon of that herd bred for high type.
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
+
DAIRY ST R
The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY 2021
Grand Prize Drawing Will Be Held Tuesday, December 14, 2021 THE WINNERS WILL BE POSTED ON WWW.DAIRYSTAR.COM, MILK BREAK NEWSLETTER AND ON FACEBOOK.
ADULT “GRAND” PRIZE
2) $1,000 CASH GIFTS! 17 & UNDER “GRAND” PRIZE
“Grand” Prize Heifer Calf: FOREST LAWN SELECT 3777 Born: September 6, 2021 Dam: Forest Lawn Undenied 3362 Sire: Avant-Garde Unix Select ET Grand P Calf come rize sF Forest-Lawrom n Holsteins, o w n e d by The Swens on family in Nicollet , Minn.
A Ashley and Paul Swenson are pictured with F Forest Lawn Select 3777, the heifer calf that will b be given away in the Great Christmas G Giveaway drawing.
REGISTER FREE AT ANY OF THE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 25
REGISTER AT THESE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES:
IOWA
ALLAMAKEE COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Waukon • 563-568-3455 • Waukon Veterinary Services Waukon • 563-568-2487 BREMER COUNTY • ViaÀeld Sumner • 563-578-3214 BUCHANAN COUNTY • ViaÀeld Winthrop • 319-935-3336 CLAYTON COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Elkader • 563-245-1230 Monona • 563-539-2001 DELAWARE COUNTY • Del-Clay Farm Equipment Edgewood • 563-928-6445 • Edgewood Feed Mill Edgewood • 563-928-6405
BROWN COUNTY • New Ulm Regional Vet Clinic New Ulm • 507-233-2500 CARVER COUNTY • Bongards’ Bongards • 952-466-5521 • Lano Equipment of Norwood Norwood/Young America 952-467-2181 • Storms Welding Cologne • 952-466-3343 DAKOTA COUNTY • Werner Implement Vermillion • 651-437-4435 DOUGLAS COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Alexandria • 320-763-4220 • Nelson Creamery Nelson • 320-762-0115 • Osakis Creamery Assn. 320-859-2146 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op GarÀeld • 320-834-2271
DUBUQUE COUNTY • Brunkan Equipment Worthington • 563-855-2434 • CJ Beeps Equipment Farley • 563-744-5010 • Eastern Iowa Dairy Epworth • 563-876-3087 • Helle Farm Equipment Dyersville • 563-875-7154 • Innovative Ag Services Cascade • 563-852-7245 Farley • 563-744-3337 • New Vienna Ag Automation New Vienna • 563-921-2896 • Skip Breitbach Feeds Balltown • 563-552-2393 • Scherrmann’s Implement Dyersville • 563-875-2426 • Ungs Shopping Center (IAS) Luxemburg • 563-853-2455
FILLMORE COUNTY • Farmers Win Coop Rushford • 507-864-2161 • Hammell Equipment Harmony • 507-886-2255 Rushford • 507-864-2845
FAYETTE COUNTY • ViaÀeld Arlington • 563-633-3415 Elgin • 563-426-5566 Maynard • 563-637-2285
HOUSTON COUNTY • Farmers Win Coop Caledonia • 507-725-3306 Houston • 507-896-3147 Spring Grove • 507-498-5321 • Hammell Equipment Eitzen • 507-495-3326
FLOYD COUNTY • Livestock Systems Charles City• 641-220-5257 HOWARD COUNTY • Farmers Win Coop Cresco West • 563-547-3660 JACKSON COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Andrew • 563-672-3228 SIOUX COUNTY • Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Rock Valley • 712-476-5608 • Tri-State Livestock Auction Sioux Center • 712-722-0681 WINNESHIEK COUNTY • Brynsaas Sales & Service Decorah • 563-382-4484 • Farmers Win Coop Ridgeway • 563-737-2244 • Fort Atkinson Hay Fort Atkinson • 563-534-7513 • Franzen Sales & Service Fort Atkinson • 563-534-2724 • Lang’s Dairy Service Decorah • 563-382-8722
MINNESOTA
BECKER COUNTY • Adkins Equipment Inc. Detroit Lakes • 218-847-3131 BENTON COUNTY • Arnold’s of St. Cloud Sauk Rapids • 320-251-2585 • Farm-Rite Equipment St. Cloud • 320 240 2085 • First National Bank of MilacaGilman OfÀce • 320-387-2233 • Gilman Co-op Creamery Gilman • 320-387-2770
GOODHUE COUNTY • Ag Partners - Grain Site Bellchester • 651-923-4453 Wanamingo-Grain Site • 507-824-2231 Wanamingo-Agronomy Location 507-824-2215 • Ag Partners Farm Store Cannon Falls • 507-263-4651 Goodhue • 800-732-1439 Pine Island • 507-356-8313 • GB Feed and Supply Bellchester • 651-923-4425 • Midwest Livestock Systems Zumbrota • 507-732-4673
KANABEC COUNTY • Fluegge’s Ag Mora • 320-679-2981 KANDIYOHI COUNTY • D&D Ag Supply & Construction Pennock • 320-599-4466 • Farm-Rite Equipment Willmar • 817-484-3211 LE SUEUR COUNTY • Ag Partners - Agronomy Le Center • 507-357-6868 MCLEOD COUNTY • Arnold’s of Glencoe Glencoe • 320-864-5531 • Leedstone Glencoe • 877-864-5575 • Midwest Machinery Glencoe • 320-864-5571 • Mueller Sales & Service Dairy Equipment Glencoe • 888-205-0974 MEEKER COUNTY • Farm-Rite Equipment Dassel • 320-275-2737 • Schlauderaff Implement Co. LitchÀeld • 320-693-7277 MILLE LACS COUNTY • First National Bank of Milaca Milaca • 320-983-3101 MORRISON COUNTY • Central MN Credit Union Little Falls • 888-330-8482 • Lash’s Auto Pierz • 320-232-0537 • Litke’s Veterinary Service Pierz • 320-468-6666
• Midwest Machinery Little Falls • 320-632-5469 • Modern Farm Equipment Pierz • 320-468-2161 • Pierz Co-op Pierz • 320-468-6655 • Sunrise Ag Cooperative Buckman • 320-468-6433 Lastrup • 320-468-2543 Little Rock • 320-584-5147 OLMSTED COUNTY • Ag Partners Stewartville • 507-533-4222 • Hammell Equipment ChatÀeld • 507-867-4910 OTTER TAIL COUNTY • Bongards’ Perham • 218-346-4680 • Farmers Elevator of Fergus Falls & Henning 218-736-3301 • PCCA-Country Store Perham • 218-346-7075 • Perham Stockyards Perham • 218-346-3415 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op in Henning 218-583-2947 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op in Urbank 218-267-2401 PIPESTONE COUNTY • Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment Pipestone • 507-825-3271 POPE COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Glenwood • 320-634-5151 RICE COUNTY • Ag Partners - Agronomy Morristown • 507-685-2700 SCOTT COUNTY • Ag Partners - Farm Store Belle Plaine • 952-873-3224 • Ag Partners - Coop Tire & Auto Belle Plaine • 952-873-3001 SHERBURNE COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Princeton • 763-389-3453 SIBLEY COUNTY • Gibbon Lumber Gibbon • 507-834-6366 STEARNS COUNTY • A&C Farm Service Paynesville • 320-243-3736 • Albany Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Albany • 320-845-2801 • Arnold’s of Kimball Kimball • 320-398-3800 • Arnold’s of St. Martin St. Martin • 320-548-3285 • Arnzen Construction/St. Rosa Lumber Freeport, In St. Rosa 320-836-2284 or 1-888-276-1751 • Central MN Credit Union Albany • 888-330-8482 Avon • 888-330-8482 Belgrade • 888-330-8482 Cold Spring • 888-330-8482 Freeport • 888-330-8482 Holdingford • 888-330-8482 Melrose • 888-330-8482 Paynesville • 888-330-8482 Sauk Centre • 888-330-8482 • Centre Dairy Equipment & Supply Inc. Sauk Centre • 320-352-5762 or 1-800-342-2697 • Cold Spring Co-op & Country Store Cold Spring • 320-685-8651 • Dairyland Supply Sauk Centre 320-352-3987 or 1-800-338-6455 • Ecker Feed Service, LLC New Munich • 320-837-5800 • Elrosa Grain & Feed Elrosa • 320-697-5515 • Elrosa Lumber Elrosa • 320-697-5591 • Farm Systems Melrose 1-800-636-5581 • 1-800-247-0012
• Feed Co. Paynesville • 320-243-3938 • Freeport State Bank Freeport • 1-800-252-9856 320-836-2126 Greenwald • 320-987-2265 New Munich • 320-837-5297 Melrose • 320-256-7208 • Hartung Sales & Service, Inc. Freeport • 320-836-2697 • Lake Henry Implement Lake Henry • 320-243-7411 • Leedstone Melrose • 800-996-3303 • Melrose Implement Inc. Melrose • 320-256-4253 • Midwest Machinery Paynesville • 320-243-7474 Sauk Centre • 320-352-6511 Sauk Rapids • 320-252-2010 • Modern Farm Equipment Sauk Centre • 320-352-6543 • Nutrien Ag Solutions 320-352-6564 STEELE COUNTY • Northland Farm Systems Owatonna • 800-385-3911 TODD COUNTY • Central MN Credit Union Grey Eagle • 888-330-8482 Long Prairie • 888-330-8482 • Farm-Rite Long Prairie • 320-732-3715 • Olson’s Custom Farm Service Staples • 800-477-7059 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Browerville Browerville • 320-594-2415 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Clarissa Clarissa • 218-756-2112 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Eagle Bend Eagle Bend • 218-738-2552 WABASHA COUNTY • Ag Partners Farm Store Lake City • 651-345-3328 Plainview • 507-534-2531 • Beck Implement Elgin • 507-876-2122 • Leedstone Plainview • 800-548-2540 • Wingert Sales & Service Plainview • 507-534-2285 WADENA COUNTY • Dairyland Equipment of Menahga Menahga • 218-564-4958 • Midwest Machinery Wadena • 218-631-2311 • Olson’s Custom Farm Service Verndale • 218-445-5500 Sebeka • 218-837-5749 WINONA COUNTY • Ag Partners Lewiston • 507-523-2188 • Elba Coop Elba • 507-796-6571 • S&S Dairy Systems St. Charles • 507-932-4288 WRIGHT COUNTY • Hobert Sales Inc. Cokato • 320-286-6284, 1-800-820-6455 • The Country Store/Munson Lakes Nutrition Howard Lake • 320-543-3517, 800-663-9177
SOUTH DAKOTA BROOKINGS COUNTY • W.W. Tire Brookings • 605-696-7400 CODINGTON COUNTY • Glacial Lakes Livestock Watertown • 605-886-5052 MINNEHAHA COUNTY • Central Valley Dairy Supply Brandon • 605-467-0812 • Midwest Livestock Systems Renner • 605-274-3656 ROBERTS COUNTY • Valley Dairy Supply Corona • 605-432-5224
To view a complete list of participating businesses, log on to www.dairystar.com
*Enter as often as you like. One entry per store visit, please. Winners must be 18 years or older and a Grade A or B dairy farmer for adult prize, or 17 years or younger and a son or daughter of a Grade A or B dairy farmer for heifer calf. Winners must also live in the Dairy Star circulation area to be eligible and are responsible for transport of animal.
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
Income tax planning
It has surely been a most interesting year with many unusual situations. The coronavirus pandemic has affected many areas of our lives and businesses that we believed to be fairly stable. Weather, From My Perspective transportation, shipping and a reduced workforce has had a major impact on our farm operations. Commodity prices continue to be volatile and surely attractive on at least the crop side. Some livestock industries continue to struggle with the high-priced feed inputs. Crop input prices for 2022 look to be greatly affected By Tom Anderson by both the transportation Columnist issues and inuence of current crop pricing. So, what lies ahead for 2022, we can only predict. But, we can only assume volatility will continue. The one assured thing is taxes. As it is now November, I am in hopes you have begun to look at assembling a tax planning strategy. Now is the time to plan and likely review the plan again as you get closer to the end of the year. Dairy producers have many tools in their toolbox to implement. Below are just a few points to consider. Owing tax is a good thing. It means you are most likely protable. That is not to say you should pay more than you need to, so planning is critical. Plan for a longer term than just 2021. What are your capital plans for 2022? If you’re planning a growth strategy and capital investment in 2022, perhaps this is the year to implement prepay strategy or income deferment as next year you will likely have signicant depreciation. Use the 179 deduction. Using 179 expensing is generally not a bad thing, but in my opinion, using it in excess of the amount you paid as money down or cash can put you in a bind the following years. Depreciation is a great way to off-set principle payments on a loan, but if you expensed (179 deduction) the entire amount the rst year, yet have a loan the following years, you will nd that taxes will become more of an issue in the remaining years of the loan. You will have what is called debt in excess of basis. In other words, the tax basis in the new machine, for example, is zero due to using the 179 deduction while you still have debt on the machine. This may also cause some taxable issues if you plan to have a sale or implement a farm transition process. Prepaying expenses for the next year is permissible up to 50% of your typical annual expense and may be benecial. After all, if you prepay feed for $50,000 and you’re in a 20% tax bracket, you save $10,000 in tax (this year). Even if you borrow the money for a few months at 5%, the cost is only a little over $200 per month for interest. Generally, prepaying feed is a wise tax maneuver as you will use that prepay up in a few months. Instead of buying the feed each month, you apply an equal amount to the loan. Deferring income can also be a tax strategy. Deferring crop, milk or cattle sales into the next year may allow you to even out your income from year to year. This, however, requires some multi-year tax planning to have the best outcome in the long run. One point to remember, if you generally sell corn in both years and you decide to defer corn sales made in the current year to the next year, tax x law allows you to defer income to the next year or bring back into the current year. This may be a real benet if you nd that you could have had more income in the current year. However, you must treat the entire contract the same – defer all or use it all in the current year. Therefore, the use of small deferment contracts is a strong suggestion. This is a great tool for exibility right up to ling tax. One caution, if you defer income with a company, there is a risk of not getting this deferred income should the company go bankrupt in that time frame. Generally, this is a small risk with most agricultural companies. Remember to utilize the traditional IRA to help put funds into your retirement planning. The limit is $6,000 per person or $7,000 if over 55 years of age. In summary, plan early and revise as you progress through the balance of the year. Use your farm management person to provide some ideas, work closely with your tax accountant to create a long-range plan and utilize the tax tools for the best tax advantage for your operation. Leave the door open as much as possible for adjustments right up to ling your taxes. Tom Anderson is a Farm Business Management faculty member at Riverland Community College.
There is always something to be thankful for
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 27
With harvest coming to a near close for most of us, we are looking forward to Thanksgiving as an opportunity to spend time with loved ones after an especially unique year on the farm, and to bond over some of the very products we work On the Road with so hard to produce. Princess Kay Take time this holiday season, and beyond to think about what you are thankful for this year. You’ll nd yourself reecting on the moments you loved in the barn, eld or around the individuals who mean the very most to you. Even in difcult years, there is so much By Anna Euerle 68th Princess Kay of the to be thankful for that Milky Way we may overlook, like a safe harvest, your favorite tractor snacks or even the smallest of things like your favorite song coming on while you’re doing chores. Something I am thankful for this year is having the opportunity to help my family during harvest, even if it meant just having a hot meal ready when they came inside for the night. Over the course of this next month, or even at the table during Thanksgiving, take a moment to think about what you have been most thankful for over the year or harvest season. Sharing that moment with the people who mean the most to you is not only special for all involved but also calls for a warm slice of apple pie with a generous scoop of ice cream.
did the workout in the main rotunda of the Mall of America. There were interested bystanders who also had the opportunity to learn about the importance of taking care of your body with exercise and dairy products as well. Rounding out this month’s events, I traveled to the Orchard Path Nursing Home in Apple Valley to visit with residents over ice cream sundaes. With lots of questions in regards to my farm, the butter head and my role as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, we also found time to take fun pictures with dairyrelated props. As we start November, remember to take time and be thankful for the little things, whether it be piles of colorful leaves, spending time with your loved ones or bonding over a plate of turkey,
mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. There is always something we can be thankful for in our everyday lives. Princess Kay of the Milky Way Anna Euerle serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Princess Kay is very active doing school visits, representing dairy farmers at the Fuel Up To Play 60 activities in conjunction with the Minnesota Vikings, and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota. Euerle grew up in Litcheld, Minnesota, working on her family’s dairy farm. She will soon graduate from Ridgewater College in Agribusiness with a dairy emphasis. In her free time she enjoys cooking, baking and being outdoors.
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T k time Take i this hi h holiday lid season, and beyond to think about what you are thankful for this year. Aside from helping at home, I had a fun month of events. I kicked the month off at U.S. Bank Stadium at a Minnesota Vikings game visiting with educators and other individuals about the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. We got to know each other well established strong connections for the program going forward, and we got to celebrate a Vikings win. Next, I headed to Little Falls to attend the LAMP Kinship Chili Cookoff where I served ice cream and milk with some of the Crow Wing County dairy ambassadors. We tasted all 13 samples of soup and chili and cast our votes for some of our favorite ones in the competition. As I got to learn more about the Kinship program that evening, it was evident how impactful a mentor can truly be on a young person’s life. For my next event, I got to break out my workout gear and spend some time with radio station KS95, the YMCA and some dedicated individuals doing some kickboxing. I had never done a workout like this before, but it was fun to learn alongside everyone and talk about the importance of refueling with dairy products after a particularly difcult workout. What was most unique about the MOO-VE IT event was that we
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Survival, protability from the crossbreeding trial By Brad Heins
University of Minnesota
Decreased survival and increased death loss of Holstein cows has resulted in a renewed interest in crossbreeding of dairy cattle. The nal results from the Minnesota crossbreeding trial are showing promise that crossbred dairy cows have a higher rate of survival and higher prot compared to Holstein cows during their lifetimes. Previous published reports from the Minnesota crossbreeding study focused on the rst few lactations of cows; however, the nal analysis compared cows for fertility, somatic cell count, production, survival and protability throughout their lifetimes. The results for herd life and protability from rotational crossbreeding were published in the Journal of Dairy Science in 2020 and 2021. In a research study on seven Minnesota dairies, three-breed crossbred cows (composed of Holstein, Montbéliarde and Viking Red) calved for the rst time from November 2012 to April 2014 and were followed throughout their lifetimes. All cows had at least 1,370 days (45 months) of opportunity of herd life from rst calving to the end of data collection, which was Dec. 31, 2017. For the
analysis of lifetime production and protability, the data were restricted to three of the seven herds because they had at least 20 cows in each of the breed groups to provide a meaningful comparison of cows for lifetime performance within herds. Prot was dened to include revenues and expenses for milk, fat, protein and other solids production; somatic cell count; reproduction; feed intake; calf value; salvage value; dead cow disposal; xed cost; replacement cost and health cost. The three-breed crossbred cows were all consistently superior to the Holsteins for fertility across the rst three lactations (see accompanying table). Advantages for fertility of the crossbreds compared to Holsteins may have been partially due to the reduced stillbirths observed for the crossbreds. The differences were small for daily costs related to fertility. The costs for insemination, fertility hormones and pregnancy diagnosis only accounted for a $0.03 advantage for the crossbred cows. The advantage of fertility resulted in longer herd life of crossbred cows compared with Holstein cows. Crossbred cows had increased lifetime fat plus protein production compared to their Holstein herdmates, but the magnitude of the difference from Holstein cows was small for Viking Red × Montbéliarde × Holstein and
Montbéliarde × Viking Red × Holstein cows. The table also has survival rates for crossbred cows versus Holsteins, and all crossbred groups had higher percentages of cows that calved a second, third and fourth time than Holsteins. The three-breed crossbreds had 11% higher survival from rst to third calving compared with Holstein herdmates. Survival to fourth calving was 19% higher than Holstein herdmates. For protability, Viking Red × Montbéliarde × Holstein cows had 32% greater lifetime prot per cow and 4.3% more prot per day than Holstein cows. On the other hand, Montbéliarde × Viking Red × Holstein cows had 33% more lifetime prot per cow and 13.2% more prot per day than Holstein cows. The three-breed crossbred cows had more prot because of lower expenses. The largest difference was the crossbred cows had $0.21 lower replacement costs per day compared with Holstein herdmates. The advantages for prot per day of the crossbreds over Holsteins may seem modest. However, the daily prot margin must be multiplied by 365 days to estimate annual difference in prot. The prot advantage for the three-breed
Results for three-breed crossbred cows and Holstein cows Holstein
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crossbreds was $0.34 per cow per day or $124 per cow per year. The additional prot per day on an annual basis was $62 for Viking Red × Montbéliarde × Holstein and $190 for Montbéliarde × Viking Red × Holstein cows compared to Holstein cows, which, for a 250cow herd, would result in an additional annual prot of $15,500 for Viking Red × Montbéliarde × Holstein and $47,500 for Montbéliarde × Viking Red × Holstein cows compared to Holstein cows. Crossbreeding of dairy cattle is being explored mostly for its potential to improve the calving ease, fertility, health and survival of cows. Advantages for these functional traits will compensate substantially for any potential loss of production of crossbreds compared to Holsteins. Increasingly, dairy producers, consultants, extension educators and industry leaders should measure dairy cow performance in a more comprehensive way instead of by milk production alone. Unfortunately, health costs are often overlooked by dairy producers when assessing the protability of alternative breeds of dairy cattle. Data on replacement and health costs will be important for dairy producers to compare crossbred and Holstein cows.
Trait Days open – 1st lactation (d)
Viking Red × Montbéliarde Combined Montbéliarde × Viking Red crossbreds × Holstein × Holstein
(n = 250)
(n = 226)
(n = 109)
(n = 117)
126
111**
111*
110*
Days open – 2 lactation (d)
134
115**
114**
117**
Days open – 3rd lactation (d)
134
114**
119
109**
Fat + protein (lbs)
2,132
2,478**
2,517
2,439
Revenue from production ($)
12,588
14,564*
14,787
14,340
nd
Survival to 2nd calving (%)
84
86
88*
83
Survival to 3rd calving (%)
51
62**
65**
59* 37**
Survival to 4th calving (%)
22
41**
46**
Days of herd life (d)
850
997**
+1,026*
967
Lifetime prot ($)
2,823
3,743**
3,725*
3,761*
Prot per day ($)
3.95
4.29**
4.12**
4.47**
** P < 0.01 for contrast of difference from Holstein. * P < 0.05 for contrast of difference from Holstein. n = number cows
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Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968
Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711
Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610
Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108
Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863
Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620
Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109
Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277
Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435
Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357 Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 Emma Severns sever575@umn.edu 507-934-7828 Melissa Wison mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
Combining technology data, genetics to reduce lameness prevalence
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 29
By Gerard Cramer and João Dürr University of Minnesota
The seventh annual Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding industry meeting was held virtually Oct. 20, focusing on cow mobility and attracting 335 individuals from 26 countries. I, Cramer, was one of ve presenters at this event and stressed it is time for the industry to take more cohesive action on lameness. During this meeting, I described a new initiative to address lameness, which is a condition that affects approximately 50% of dairy cows during their productive life and results in economic losses and poor animal welfare. The University of Minnesota and the CDCB are leading a project that brings together dairy farms, hoof trimmers, technology developers and many others to objectively identify lame cows, develop a data pipeline and use the data to make onfarm decisions, document change and develop genetic evaluations. One of our main challenges is nding lame cows, and this project should help with this challenge. The idea is to involve all the stakeholders – hoof trimmers, veterinarians, genetic companies, CDCB and camera technology companies – to try to drive change and test theories out on the farm.
provide hoof trimming services to approximately 9.3 million dairy cows in the U.S. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 64% of these cows undergo 1.5 regular preventive trimmings per year. Based on these gures, there is an opportunity to collect hoof health records to result in higher heritability estimates to allow producers to genetically select for dairy cows that can better resist foot and mobility problems. With data, we can also do more detailed epidemiological research studies to answer questions such as what the best time and frequency for hoof trimming is.
This opportunity to work together with industry stakeholders to improve lameness is quite exciting and will improve dairy farm economics, cow health and animal welfare. With automation and new technologies, we can reduce the prevalence of lameness quite quickly by detecting early and reducing the duration of lameness. Combining that with genetic evaluations for lameness conditions, we have the potential to improve lameness in both the short and long term. If you are interested in participating in this study, contact umnhoofhealth@umn.edu.
O off our main One i challenges h ll iis finding lame cows, and this project should help with this challenge. One question CDCB geneticist Kristen Parker Gaddis receives frequently is about having a genetic evaluation for lameness. Especially since April 2018, CDCB introduced genetic evaluations for six health conditions – displaced abomasum, hypocalcemia, ketosis, mastitis, metritis and retained placenta. Hence, CDCB has been interested in genetic solutions for lameness for some time and looking for a way to develop them. However, when Gaddis and other geneticists assessed the lameness records in the current U.S. data system, the lameness data was inconsistently documented and resulted in very low heritability. To have an effective genetic evaluation for lameness, we need to have a more accurate way of recording lameness and then include this information in the national cooperator database of dairy phenotypes (performance records) and genotypes. During the meeting, I suggested the creation of an integrated framework where hoof health data resides on the farm and is pushed in different directions under control of the farm owner or herd manager. The lameness data can create action lists for farm personnel, hoof trimmers or veterinarians. Data could go to dairy cattle welfare auditors/evaluators or milk processors, as requested. It can also be added to other health data in the national database for genetic evaluations. This type of data structure already exists for records like production and somatic cell count. Currently, however, lameness or hoof lesion data are sitting outside this framework. This integrated framework should function as a two-way pipeline with data available in the farm management software to make farm-level decisions. In addition to farm management decisions and future genetic evaluations, we view the integrated data as key to providing transparency and increasing dairy sustainability. For example, the National Milk Producers Federation Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Animal Care program has set a standard of less than 5% severely lame cows as acceptable. I expect that in time those standards are going to change and probably get tighter. Therefore, we need to be ready, prepared and have data to support the setting of appropriate standards for the industry. The CDCB and the University of Minnesota will collect hoof health data recorded by hoof trimmers and farm managers. In a subset of farms, lameness data will also be captured on farms using a video analytic platform that analyzes digital locomotion images and assigns lameness scores. It is estimated that around 1,100 hoof trimmers
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The old Marine Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
About 20 years ago, a guy, named Roy, came to out, I knew I had to go.” our farm to measure our grain bins. Roy was a wiry A few months after joining the Marines, Roy man of 70-some years, with close-cropped gray hair walked down a gangplank into Pusan, a seaport on and intense blue eyes. A t southeastern tip of the the farmer most of his life, K Korean peninsula. An especially A i ll tough h situation i i Roy was still every inch a “The rst thing I Marine when he spoke of arose when Roy and 25 other noticed was the smell,” his service in Korea. Roy said. “Pusan had about Marines were trapped behind Roy joined the a million people at the time Marines in October 1950, enemy lines for six days. and no real sewage system. four months after the A series of open ditches carried untreated sewage North Korean People’s c to the harbor.” Army invaded South Korea. Roy and his platoon were transported, via cargo “Dad was a veteran of World War I,” Roy said. “He didn’t think much of people who got deferments plane and truck, to the front lines. “We were riding in the truck when we began to during World War II. When the Korean War broke
hear artillery. After going a little ways farther, we also began to hear small arms re. That’s when I began to get scared.” The bodies of dead American soldiers and destroyed military equipment littered the Dear County Agent Guy roadside. “We got to our unit and our truck driver said, ‘We call this Massacre Valley,’” Roy said. Assigned to an ammunition company, Roy became a Jack-ofall-trades. “My rst sergeant said, ‘I’m gonna make you my runner; you’ll By Jerry Nelson never sleep.’ Hell, I was Columnist too scared to sleep,” Roy said. Although he was never wounded, Roy had several close calls. “We were loading rock onto a truck when I heard a loud ‘ping’ about 30 feet away and felt a thump on my chest. A second later I heard the crack of a rie,” Roy said. A sniper’s bullet had ricocheted off a rock and hit Roy in the chest. When he opened his parka, a mangled bullet fell to the ground. “We were always getting sniped at,” Roy said. “But we never paid them much attention because they hardly ever hit anyone.” Death in a war zone is often random. When Roy was working on a road construction project, a demolition crew set off an explosive charge above him without any warning. A large piece of rock plummeted toward Roy, but he judged that it would miss him. A nearby Korean day laborer saw the falling rock and ran. “He should’ve stayed put,” Roy said. “The rock would’ve missed him.” The Korean man was struck in the head. A medic was summoned, but it was clear there was no hope. “I saw a lot of stuff in Korea but standing there and watching that poor man’s footprints lling with his own blood,” Roy paused for a long moment and wiped his eyes. “I didn’t know the guy, but that affected me as much as anything I saw over there.” And Roy saw a lot. At one point, he and his platoon were ordered to bury 33 Chinese troops who had been killed by artillery. “It was June,” Roy said. “You can imagine the stench. And the whole time we were digging, all I could think was, ‘Not one of their mothers is going to know where their boys are buried.’” Men often cracked under the strain of combat. “Some guys would cry like babies and some guys froze up,” he said. “I laugh when I get nervous, so the tougher things got, the more I laughed. They must have thought I was crazy. Maybe I was.” An especially tough situation arose when Roy and 25 other Marines were trapped behind enemy lines for six days. “We were guarding a hilltop ammo dump near Ch’unch’on,” Roy said. “As far as the eye could see there were Chinese troops streaming past us, heading south to try to surround the First Marine Division. The Chinese knew we were there but didn’t think we were worth the bother.” The 600 truckloads of ammunition that Roy helped guard were eventually brought out successfully. Asked to summarize his experience in Korea, Roy said, “It took 35 years before I could even talk about it. I was no hero; I just did my job. It was something I wouldn’t have missed for a million dollars. But I wouldn’t do it over for anything.” Roy earned four battle stars during the year he spent in Korea – medals he only received 50 years later, thanks to the persistence of one of his daughters. And in the end, a farm kid who became a Marine nally received his well-earned tribute. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@dairystar.com.
Feet, feet, feet: How many feet do you meet? Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 31
How many lame cows are on your dairy? Do you know? If you have a small farm, the answers to these questions are probably, none or, very few, and, yes. If you have hundreds or Veterinary Wisdom thousands of cows, the answers are more likely to be that you don’t know and no. Lameness has a higher prevalence than mastitis on many wellmanaged dairy farms. Lameness is expensive. Lame cows produce signicantly less milk than they should. They are more likely to be culled. By Jim Bennett They are less likely to Columnist become pregnant. How can you reduce the number of lame cows in your herd? The simplest and most effective way, according to Dr. Gerard Cramer, an internationally recognized lameness expert at the University of Minnesota, is to do a better job nding lame cows. The number of lame cows on any given day is the total of newly lame cows that have not yet been effectively treated and the total number of chronically lame cows that do not get better. So, wouldn’t doing a better job nding lame cows be expected to increase, rather than decrease, the total number of lame cows? That could be true for a dairy that does a poor job of detecting lame cows, but for most farms, the key to reducing the number of lame cows is nding and effectively treating them. For example, if you only treat lame cows once a week, the total number of lame cows on any given day includes a whole week’s worth of newly lame cows. But, if you treat lame cows every day, that total will only include today’s newly lame cows plus any others that have been treated but have not yet recovered. Most lame cows, if treated early, show signicant improvement in just a few hours after treatment. So going from
treating once a week to twice a week should reduce caked manure. More commonly though, especially in the number of newly lame cows by almost 50%. clean, just-limed barns, the hooves were rock hard. There is another reason why better detection This made nding lesions difcult. Hoof knives were reduces the total number of lame cows. Dr. Cramer never sharp enough. Because of all of this, hardly any explains that lameness is a disease of inammation. dairy farmers or dairy veterinarians miss lifting feet. Inammation can cause a lot of changes in body However, as farms transitioned to freestall facilities, tissues, including bone. The longer the inammation detecting lameness became harder, and regular use of lasts, the more likely bony changes are to occur. This professional hoof trimmers became more common. happens with some hoof and sole lesions. Bone spurs Along with this came the practice of leaving lame develop on P3, or the pedal bone, which is the lowest cows for the hoof trimmer to x on hoof trimming bone in the leg and is located mostly within the hoof. day. As farm sizes grew, hoof trimmers started coming Once spurs develop, they typically do not go away, and to farms more frequently, and so leaving lame cows the cow is much more likely to for the hoof trimmer became be lame again, with a similar a more accepted practice. Every ffarm needs d lesion in the same place, in E However, that does not mean the future. Thus, delaying a way to deal with a severely is it right or the best practice. treatment can turn acutely Every farm needs a way to lame cows into chronically lame cow promptly, which deal with a severely lame lame cows. Nobody wants usually means today. cow promptly, which usually more chronically lame cows means today. For larger farms, on their dairy. Chronically this usually means having a lame cows are at extreme risk for culling and, on some hoof trimming chute on the dairy and a staff member farms, make up a large part of the cows that are trimmed trained to examine and treat lame cows, or having at every hoof trimming visit. Delaying detection and the hoof trimmer come for lame cows. For smaller treatment can thus increase both the number of newly farms, it might mean calling the veterinarian, calling lame cows and the number of chronically lame cows the hoof trimmer or treating them yourself. Not every on any day on your farm. Remember, too, that lame lame cow can be xed, but detecting lame cows and cows are lame because they have signicant pain. As treating them promptly can signicantly reduce the animal caretakers, we have a responsibility to reduce number of lame cows on most dairies. Doing this will that pain promptly when reasonably possible. mean the answer to the opening question is none or Forty years ago, a typical Minnesota dairy farm very few. had around 40 adult cows. They were most commonly Information for this article came from, “A housed in tiestall or stanchion barns. Farmers saw veterinarian’s role in creating more days with 0% them walk at least twice a day. Lame cows were hard lameness,” presented by Dr. Cramer at the 2021 to miss. Some farmers would lift affected feet and AABP Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. treat them themselves, but probably the most common Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at thing farmers did was to call their veterinarian. Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center Veterinarians used a variety of devices to restrain lame in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy cows, including clamps, beam hooks, straw bales, farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four straps, posts, ropes with a variety of clever knots and children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. strong farmers. Treating lame cows was almost never com with comments or questions. fun, especially if the cow was lame on a front foot. Sometimes feet were really dirty or covered with
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Knowledge is valuable
There are things to be said for knowing a small area of the world really well. As farmers, we tend to pride ourselves on knowing every spring and sand knoll in a eld and what conditions make it show up in the crops or pasture. We know where the tile lines and water lines are buried and From the Zweber Farm sometimes even how deep. Or, at least we think we know until we start digging and either tear into it early or spend a lot of time slowly digging toward something that was much deeper than we thought. There is also much to be gained by By Tim Zweber knowing about a broad Farmer & Columnist area of the world. Emily and I had quite a few opportunities growing up, through 4-H and in college, to travel and learn about the cultures and agricultural practices outside of our region and state. We have always felt that those experiences were important to bring new ideas to our farm and to understand how and why things are done elsewhere. We decided that our children would get to have even more opportunities than us to travel and learn about the world. An idea we stumbled into was taking our kids on a one-on-one trip of their choosing for their 7th, 14th and 21st birthdays. Emily had the opportunity to attend an agricultural meeting in Washington, D.C., around our oldest son’s, Erik’s, 7th birthday so she brought him with, and they stayed after the conference to see the sights which started a 7th birthday tradition. Jonnie came to California with me to visit my brother Steve for his 7th birthday and saw huge trees, valleys and cliffs. Hannah traveled to Oregon with Emily, and they stayed with our friends on their dairy farm which she found out was quite different from ours. They irrigated from a river that was alternately fresh and salty and had different seasons from us. The highlight of the trip was riding horses by the ocean. Erik turned 14 this year, and after hearing about how amazing Yosemite National Park was from his younger brother, he wanted to go rock climbing there and see the huge redwoods of Muir Woods. We planned the trip for November thinking we’d be done with all the eldwork and have cattle home from summer pastures. Turned out that fall stretched on and was nice for a bit longer than expected, and we were still doing the last crop of hay right up to the night before our ight and the cattle were still on pasture. Erik usually isn’t in a huge hurry to nish hay. The longer hay goes on, the more time in a tractor listening to music and sipping Dr. Pepper he gets, and the less school work he gets bothered to complete. This time he was in a rush to get done. I’m writing this on our way back to Minnesota. We had an amazing time seeing thousands of acres of trees, both agricultural and natural. Some were planted in neat rows and others were hundreds of years old and as many feet tall, growing however nature saw t along creeks and rivers. We drove by dairy farms, and Erik learned about why they don’t have the same types of facilities as us, thanks to the far more agreeable climate and year-round cropping. Once we got to Yosemite Valley, we climbed and hiked and took in the sights of the immense cliffs. We, of course, went a few rope lengths up to get even better views and a great experience in team work and climbing gear use. Our plane is about to board, so I better get my beef jerky shoved in my bag and headphones ready to sit for a few hours watching a movie or two. Until next time, keep living the dream and don’t forget to look at how others are living theirs. You might be able to borrow a few good ideas from them. Tim Zweber farms with his wife Emily, their three children and his parents Jon and Lisa by Elko, Minnesota.
Dairy food choices amaze, delight
My eyes were opened to all of the choices in the milk case of the dairy aisle about 10 years ago. I was in a local grocery store, invited by the store’s on-staff dietician to take part in local ag food day and was handing out samples of avored milk from a local uid milk supplier. With surprise, I watched for hours as people walked Come Full Dairy Circle around me to grab almond, oat, rice and other milk alternatives from the dairy case. Sometimes they put plastic jugs of both cow’s milk and milk alternatives in their carts and said, “I am lactose intolerant, but my kids like to drink whole milk.” Most kids were delighted with the avored milk I gave them, but many adults declined. There were some lessons I took away from that experience: kids typically enjoy whole milk and avors in their milk, many people consider themselves lactose intolerant, and the dairy milk offered was not By Jean Annexstad fullling their needs or desires and they had switched to alternatives. Columnist I don’t mean to accentuate the negative, but it was astounding to me, because I did not realize this transformation had taken place. Our family drinks pasteurized whole milk from our bulk tank, so I had paid little attention to what was offered in the milk case. Now when I shop in a grocery store or at a convenience store in the beverage section, I continue to be amazed at the vast array of choices for what a person can have to drink. As I have recently learned from listening to an I-29 Moo University podcast about national dairy checkoff strategies, only 9% of the milk produced in Minnesota goes to uid milk. The rest is going to plants where cheese, butter, cultured dairy products and byproducts, such as whey, dried lactose or skim milk powder are made. That is what Minnesota dairy farmer and DMI and Midwest Dairy board member Charles Krause said in the podcast. Krause went on to explain that the checkoff is there to help dairy companies use research, develop products including a supply chain, and assist people in selling that product. He explained that the checkoff dollars every dairy farmer contributes through milk sold helps to build partnerships with food companies, such as fairlife®, Taco Bell® or McDonald’s. The fastfood places are selling value-added milk products through their menus for us, Krause said in the podcast. Taco Bell®, for instance, has 90% of its menu items that include some dairy, such as cheese, sour cream or cheese sauce. Today, while generic milk ads no longer appear on T.V., an ad for fairlife® or another branded dairy food pops up every so often on T.V. or digital media. I have thought a lot about dairy foods in the past few decades. That is because when hosting tours at our farm, speaking to kids, adults or in the community, we try to inform people about dairy foods’ good value based on their nutrition and their importance in our diet, as well as how delicious cheese, yogurt, ice cream and (insert your favorite here) are! But I don’t talk very much about uid milk options. I have sat around our kitchen table with people who are typically selling us something and have them say, “I don’t drink milk. It doesn’t agree with me.” What can you say to that except, “Well, you can still enjoy yogurt and cheese.” Milk options in schools are problematic. I grew up drinking Polka Dot Dairy milk in little cartons in the Hastings Public Schools. I don’t recall ever having milk that did not taste good. I suppose the milk was very fresh since the Hastings Co-op Creamery was in our town. I’ll bet it was whole milk and kept cold and served that way. I wish that could be the case in every school today. I know that it is very difcult and complicated, involving layers of science, rules, regulations and bureaucracy. I know there are efforts to allow whole milk to be served again. I know chocolate milk is a winner for kids. I do not know how to pull those facts together to get things changed. I hope someday it will be. In the meantime, there are many bright spots in our stories we can tell about dairy goodness. People like cheese, yogurt, ice cream and so much more. A recent blog from a New York based millennial writer, Emily Sundberg, who was traveling around Europe this past summer proclaimed, “The real international delight, I realized, is pouring whole, full-dairy milk into your coffee; it is perhaps the most civilized activity in which a person can partake.” She conrmed her realization with coffee shop baristas back home in New York and found that people are ditching the milk alternatives and going back to basics. It is November and time to enjoy your Thanksgiving coffee and pie with real cream and a tall glass of milk. 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.
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
Rising from tragedy
Lundbergs return to dairy scene after battling stray voltage By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
OSSEO, Wis. – Allan Lundberg and his daughter, Erica, have spent the last 11 years reintroducing elite genetics to their herd after the farm nearly fell apart because of stray voltage issues. “I probably should have quit, but I knew I was not a bad farmer and that there was something else going on,” Allan said. For more than a decade, Allan has worked to rebuild the Bert-Mar Farms herd where he and Erica milk 120 cows near Osseo. While the resolution began in 2010, the tragedy persisted for 20 years before the problem was rendered and the family was able to focus on their passion for elite genetics. “We lost it all with stray voltage,” Allan said. “We had nothing left, no pedigrees. That’s why we bought the animals we did to start over.” Allan was in partnership with his dad for many years and nished buying the farm in 1993. They had success with a state record cow, class leaders, the top herd in the county and World Dairy Expo tours in the
1980s. They had contract cows and the rst embryo transfer cows in western Wisconsin, ying veterinarians in to do the work. One of the cows made 59 calves, with 29 of them being heifer calves. By the end of the stray voltage nightmare, there was not a single relative of that cow left. Problems began in the late 1980s when the power company replaced the original overhead service with an underground line. “At the time, I thought that was pretty neat because it got rid of all the poles,” Allan said. The underground cable they used was an insulated wire wrapped with bare ground wire which drew in current. For almost 10 years after that cable was installed, the Lundbergs had health problems with their cows. First, production started to suffer. Then breeding was a challenge, and herd health went south. Toward the end, there was a 20% death loss, a 1 million somatic cell count, and they could not keep the barn full. “Whatever they got, DA or anything, they could not recover from,” Allan said. “There were swollen hocks. It
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Members of Bert-Mar Farms – (from le�) Erica Lundberg’s ancé, Grahm Giese, Loveiisa Mackey, Erica Lundberg holding Aksel Mackey, Allan Lundberg, in-house breeder Ryan Nordahl and James Nordahl – pose with Josey LLC Duc Saber-Red EX94, one of their elite cows, on their farm near Osseo, Wisconsin. The Lundbergs are rebuilding their herd a�er suffering from years of stray voltage. The Mackeys are Allan Lundberg’s grandkids. was awful, just awful.” Trying to get answers seemed to be impossible. The blame was passed to Allan, who had to watch his life’s work disintegrate around him. In 1998, they determined
the root of the problem was electrical. The power company built a new overhead line, abandoning the underground cable, and installed an isolator with a ground rod. With renewed hope, Allan
bought a few good animals and was ready to enjoy farming again. Unfortunately, Turn to LUNDBERGS | Page 35
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Erica Lundberg and her father, Allan Lundberg, check on their show cows in the barn on their farm near Osseo, Wisconsin. The father-daughter duo is rebuilding their geneƟcs aŌer a long baƩle with stray voltage in their dairy barn. the isolator made things worse. That ground rod almost hit the abandoned cable, which tied them in tighter to the lines. The family continued to struggle until 2010. The Lundbergs heard about an independent contractor from Fort Atkinson who specialized in stray voltage problems. He came to assess the farm. “He worked in the barn all morning while we did chores,” Allan said. “After chores, he called a meeting and said, ‘You’re hotter than a pistol here, and I have no idea where it’s coming from.’” Allan told the specialist of his concerns about the underground cable. After further investigation, the specialist turned all the power to the farm off, and there was still enough voltage to run a few lights. The abandoned cable was indeed the culprit. “I told the power company they had to come dig it out, but they wouldn’t do it,” Allan said. “I asked them to at least mark the thing so I could dig it out myself, which they did.” During the rst night of digging, they brought 100 feet of abandoned cable up. The next morning, Allan was mixing feed while hired help milked the cows. They came to Allan and said something was going on in the barn and the cattle were acting different. “The cows were standing still,” Allan said. “We had gotten so used to them dancing around and being nervous, but suddenly everything was still. From then on, we went straight up.” Cows started looking better, herd health and breeding improved, and production went consistently up for 48
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months in a row. “It’s been fun again,” Allan said. “I’m proud of Erica.” Erica had always been discouraged by her dad to take part in the farm because of everything that went on. Once the stray voltage problems were resolved, she left her job as a teacher to come back to the farm with a goal to invest in elite genetics. Erica has since invested in Luck-E Advent Atlanta and Luck-E Advent Asia. Asia’s bull, Awesome, has been the No. 1 udder bull of the breed for the past few years. Last year, Asia was named Holstein International’s Red Impact Cow of the Year and People’s Choice Cow of the Year. Bert-Mar has gained over 120 calves from Atlanta and Asia alone. Bert-Mar Farms has since become home to Kandie, who was senior champion at World Dairy Expo in 2014. “Those are the big three of the Luck-E Herd,” Erica said. “It’s brought a lot of trafc here, and we have had Expo tours again.” They have sold a few offspring while continuing to focus on rebuilding the herd. With the economics of dairying being poor, the Lundbergs plan to diversify by merchandising genetics. The Lundbergs have been a resource to many people with electrical concerns. They are honest with their story and feel as though the struggles have made them stronger. “You hear too many stories where it’s all wine and roses, but it’s not,” Allan said. “Everybody goes through something. It’s how you come out of it that matters.”
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
Women In Dairy
Carrie Ritschard Monroe, Wisconsin Green County 60 cows Family: My ancé, Scotty Young, and I have a 1-year-old daughter, Emma. I also have two sons – Brett, 17, and Tyler, 10. Tell us about your farm. We own our dairy farm which consists of 7 acres. I’ve been here for 16 years, and we have no hired employees. We milk in a tiestall barn, and all the work is done by us as a family. Our herd is 90% Milking Shorthorns. What is the busiest time of day for you? The busiest time of day is 3:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. as those are the times we milk. Although, owning a dairy farm can require 24-hour days at times. Sometimes, those cows like to have babies in the middle of the night. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? When I have a spare moment, I like to spend time with my mom and dad. We love to play cards. I also love watching the local towns play sports. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. One of the most memorable experiences I have working on my dairy farm involves genetics. Breeding cattle to show all over the U.S. is one big accomplishment. We’ve had over 65 all-Americans since I have been farming. Another memorable experience occurred when our cow had triplet heifer calves – that was amazing. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? The thing I have enjoyed most about dairy farming is being able to show and breed quality cattle, and promote the agriculture industry. Teaching the public about agriculture is a role I love to do when I am at a cattle show. There are a lot of people who know nothing about agriculture and want to learn. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I stay connected with others in the industry by talking on social media or at agriculture events. Showing cattle is the biggest way I stay connected. Our family attends several shows a year throughout the U.S. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My parents are the people who have inspired me in the dairy industry. If it wasn’t for my parents being dairy farmers when I was growing up, I would not have the passion I do for farming. They taught me how to ght the battles and learn how to do everything on a dairy farm. I bought my parents’ herd the day I graduated from high school.
If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? It would be young, new moms to promote agriculture and dairy products they can raise their children on. Teaching new people about agriculture is a huge plus. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? Taking a vacation is hard to come by when dairy farming. It’s very hard to nd people who want to do farming jobs. When I leave the farm, it is usually to a cattle show. So honestly, I can say I have never been on a vacation. What are some words you like to live by? Never let your sparkle dull … show on. Don’t be afraid to smile. Keep up the hard work. Don’t let anyone let you down. Be strong.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 37
Calm cows are key
Reid describes ways to increase milkability, quality By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
The key to improving milkability and increasing milk quality lies in the hands of the milkers and the people bringing the cows in to the parlor or barn. “When you are in a parlor or a barn, go in there, open your eyes and really, really look,” Dr. David Reid said. Reid, who launched Rocky Ridge Dairy Consulting in Hazel Green, Wisconsin, was featured in a National Mastitis Council webinar, “Improving milkability without testing equipment,” Nov. 2. Reid is a graduate from Kansas State University and offers milk quality consulting services for individual dairies and dairy industry companies, and develops training programs for dairy employees, veterinarians and dairy companies’ eld representatives. The purpose of Reid’s presentation was to help farmers gain a better understanding of their milking system in an effort to improve milkability, which is dened as the milking unit’s expected ability to remove available milk from the quarter gently, quickly and completely. Reid also touched on the association of milkability and milk quality. “I guess one of my main points
would be to get people to look around a parlor or a barn without any equipment to really knowing what’s going on in there,” Reid said. “It’s extremely important.” To better understand what factors in the parlor effect milkability and milk quality, and ultimately improve protability, Reid, his team and his coresearcher, Dr. Andy Johnson, analyzed dairy farms and their milking systems. “The results were repeatable and you could compare farm to farm,” Reid said. “Probably at the time we didn’t realize what it was, but it really turned into something good.” The researchers handled all of the analysis on the farms, making sure nothing was changing, like the udder preparation and cow handling, for example, as they made changes to the equipment settings and vacuum levels. “We tried a lot of different things with takeoff settings and the adjustment of the milking equipment,” Reid said. “If you could measure these areas in the milking, then you could really have a good idea of what’s going on.” To measure milkability, Reid and his team assumed good udder preparation had occurred and that as soon as the last teat cup was placed on the teat, milk ow would ramp up quickly. It would then reach a peak to allow all four quarters an even milk out before milk ow stopped and the units came off. “And when that is happening, we want the cow to be standing reasonably still, not kicking at the operator, not
kicking at the unit and not inching,” said Reid of the time when milking is completed. Cows were then monitored for their behavior. Some inched, meaning they shifted their weight, not really picking up a foot but still moving; some stepped by picking up a foot and putting it back down; and some kicked at the operator, technician or unit during milking. “Virtually every fresh animal was kicking at these guys when they were milking them,” Reid said. Poor milkability lends itself to an increase in poor milk quality. “Whenever we see the milkability issue with a lot of kicking, we’re going to have signicantly more manure deposited on the unit itself, so on the claw, on the teat cup assemblies and milk hoses,” Reid said. “Things get dirty, and once things get dirty, it’s hard for people to think clean. You don’t need test equipment to go in there and say what kind of behavior are these cows showing.” Reid also noticed that milk hose length matters. Because of how some hoses are managed, shortening hoses are one of the best ways to improve milkability, said Reid. “When one of these silicone hoses tears, some technician goes back and cuts off a piece of hose and uses it,” Reid said. “Now, we have different lengths, and that makes a difference because upstairs there are tremendous amounts of kicking, stepping and cow-assisted takeoffs.”
Reid also said cow handling both to and from the parlor is a major factor in milkability. “If we have an adrenaline release within a half hour of milking, we’re going to impact milk letdown,” Reid said. “Calm cows are more willing to enter the parlor, and they’ll have better oxytocin letdown.” Calm cows also tend to move slower which means there is less manure splashing to help control new infection rates. Other points Reid talked about in his study consisted of liner and pulsator quality; obstruction of the milk hose, line or tank; teat end condition and the frequency; instance or location of rings on teats, among other things. “If we can improve the milkability on a dairy, we can actually do a couple of things. For one, we’re going to maximize the milk from individual cows,” Reid said. “We may not see it in the tank but we’re going to get it from those cows.” Understanding milkability and its role in creating quality milk is essential for dairy farms. And with knowing that, calm cows really are the key to increasing milkability on farms. Farmers should evaluate milking processes and those a part of those processes when striving for better milk quality. “Open your eyes, look and see,” Reid said.
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
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Passion turned career
Growing up, some of my favorite activities included writing, telling myself stories and hanging out in the barn with my two brothers. I felt like an odd ball because I found that telling myself stories while doing chores actually allowed me to have more fun and still be productive. I never thought this could actually make a good career. And then one day, my seventh grade English teacher took me aside and said, “Kate, you have a talent for writing. Don’t ever lose sight of that.” And from that day on, I participated in speech, plays and musicals, 4-H and FFA. All with one goal in mind: to grow up to work for either the Dairy Star or the Hoard’s Dairyman. I grew up on a small dairy farm southwest of Wanamingo, Minnesota, where my family milked 60 Holsteins, Jerseys and some Holstein/Jersey crossbreds in a tiestall barn, mostly because my By Kate Rechtzigel grandmother insisted my dad and grandpa Glen have some color in the herd. In addition to the cows, Staff Writer we also planted about 1,000 acres of corn, soybean, alfalfa and some sweet corn. Today, the farm manages about 500 acres and is home to about 200 meat goats, some beef cattle, a couple organic elds and lots of poultry (chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks, you name it). Surprisingly enough, my mother actually comes from a dairy farm background as well. Grandpa Leo milked around 150 cows and ran some acreage by Goodhue, Minnesota. Today, this farm runs mostly beef cattle as they sold the dairy a long time ago. On the farm, I did everything from scraping manure, bedding the barn, bringing cows in and tying them up, breeding cows, feeding the cows and calves, helping with morning and night milkings, gathering eggs and eld work. After graduating from Kenyon-Wanamingo High School in the spring of 2017, I attended the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where I studied animal science dairy production and food systems. While there, I participated in a bunch of activities such as being a Goodhue County Dairy Princess for three years, Beta of Clovia Sorority, Gopher Dairy Club, the Rural Student Association, Crops and Soils Club, Reformed University Fellowship and Anselm House; all of which allowed me to make connections with others in the agricultural industry and share my dairy story. Throughout my college years, I also participated in a host of jobs including scraping manure, bedding stalls, pushing up feed, bringing cows to the parlor, raking the compost and feeding calves the University of Minnesota dairy barn. I also helped a grad student with his research project on the viscosity and tenderness levels in steak for the beef team. I wrapped meat and helped with slaughter for the Andrew Boss Laboratory of Meat Science, ground and stuffed hamburger at Blondie’s Butcher Shop and interned for the Dairy Star in 2019. Branching out from that, I took a job working as an assistant cheesemaker for Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery in Comstock, Wisconsin, post-graduation. While there, I made some really great connections, learned everything about the cheesemaking process, which ingredients go into making cheese, and that factory life isn’t for me. However, I did get to pour a lot of cheese curds into forms with a huge hose, and I thought that was pretty awesome. My coworkers and I joked that it was almost like being a reghter because our shoulders hurt so much after the fact. In my downtime, I enjoy playing a competitive game of beanbags, going on walks, reading a good book, watching movies and hanging out with friends. In the spring, I hope to be milking my three cows and making my own cheeses and soaps as a side hobby to my career as a writer. While I’m new at Dairy Star, I look forward to serving as the writer in southeastern Minnesota, promoting dairy and meeting as many dairy farmers as possible.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021 • Page 39
Ryan Nordahl Osseo, Wisconsin Trempealeau County Three cows
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? The freedom and diversity that come along with it. It’s given me a life a lot of people wish they had.
How did you get into farming? I grew up on my grandparents’ farm. My grandpa sold his cows in 1986 and continued raising replacement heifers all through my high school years. I got into 4-H and showing at a young age. I slowly built a herd by buying heifers from my grandparents and started milking cows the day I graduated high school. In 2003, I bought a herd of 30 cows out of Quebec, Canada. I farmed with my brother for a number of years until we parted ways. I worked various hourly jobs until we moved back to this area in 2016. I was breeding cows when we moved here, and I did not want to continue that because it took me away for long days. I started working at Bert-Mar Farms for extra income and now have the opportunity to own a few show cows, which are housed at Bert-Mar Farms. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I worry about the rapid pace we are losing dairy farmers. Price volatility and cost of production are big concerns too. My biggest concern is that the middleman is getting all of the prots from milk. I also worry about the removal of society from the farm and all of the people who are so out of touch with reality. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? Social media has helped us make connections with people around the world.
detail. I bring a positive attitude, which is something I have worked hard on in my life.
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Follow your dreams and heart. Your heart knows what is best. Don’t worry about what other people think. What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? When I was at the home farm, the best purchase was El-Du Talent Mable.
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Ryan Nordahl and his son, James Nordahl, pose with Luck-E-Stronger Asuko on Bert-Mar Farms near Osseo, Wisconsin. Ryan is part of the breeding team at Bert-Mar Farms and owns a few show caƩle which are housed on the farm. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? Just getting to the farm earlier than I need to help make sure there is time to take care of things when something out of the ordinary happens. I try to keep things as nice,neat and swept up as best I can. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? The people I work for have asked my opinion, and that tells me I’m not just
an employee here. I do all the breeding which saves them the fee of calling the A.I. technician. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? We keep a good working relationship by communicating. It’s something we continue to work on. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. My ability to focus and my attention to
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? My personal accomplishment when I was at my home farm was increasing production from a 20,000-pound herd average to a 28,000-pound herd average, along with keeping a low somatic cell count. Just being able to tap into the world market by merchandising the genetics that we had. What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? One of my biggest goals is being part of a team that breeds the next 96- or 97-point Holstein. We have the potential to do it. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? My greatest passion in life is whitetail deer. I created a business out of habitat improvement for whitetails and whitetail hunting. My clients are private property owners that stretch from New England, Vermont, Wyoming, Louisiana and the Upper Midwest.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 13, 2021
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