November 27, 2021 Dairy Star - 1st section - Zone 2 by Dairy Star

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DAIRY ST R

November 27, 2021

“All dairy, all the time”™

Volume 23, No. 19

A place to farm Flannery perseveres through wild journey to keep milking cows By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com

HOLLANDALE, Wis. – After four chaotic moves in ve years, Casey Flannery has nally settled. “It’s been a challenge,” Flannery said. “There’s days I really question it, but I’m just glad to be doing what I’m doing.” Flannery milks 76 cows on a 310-acre farm he and his wife, Kary, purchased in November 2019 near Hollandale. The couple and their children, 6-yearold twins, Jannick and Jase, and Gracie Jo, 3, began milking at the site Jan. 2, 2020. Cows are milked twice a day in a 63-stall barn. Flannery feeds

half of his total mixed ration in the barn and the other half in bunks outside. Reaching this point in Flannery’s dairy farming career was not easy. He grew up on his family’s dairy farm near Argyle, the same place where Flannery’s own journey in the industry began after his parents sold the cows in 2014. In January 2015, Flannery gutted his dad’s barn, cleaning it out one wheelbarrow at a time, to accommodate a 45-cow herd. At the same time, Flannery was preparing to buy a farm nearby for additional land and housing. “It was going to work out great. We would be on a contract for feed and eventually buy the rest of the land,” Flannery said.

Unfortunately, that deal fell through, leaving Flannery in a scramble to nd another farm. His dad had already rented out the crop land in anticipation of Flannery purchasing the other farm. In desperation, Flannery would nish chores, hop in the truck and drive around looking for a place to go. “I stopped at random farms,” Flannery said. “I did not know these people. I went from down by Illinois all the way west and north of Dodgeville, just asking people if they would rent their barn out.” Eventually, he took his cows to a farm in Iowa where his friend was herdsman. Flannery rented a house for his family in Dodgeville. For a month, Flannery lived in Iowa near his cows in a camper with no water Turn to FLANNERY | Page 6

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Kary and Casey Flannery stand together on their farm near Hollandale, Wisconsin. They milk 76 cows in a newly renovated barn.

SchwiƩays’ barn doubles in size A focus on colored breeds, maternity area drives project By Stacey Smart

stacey.s@dairystar.com

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

The SchwiƩays – (from leŌ) Jeremy, Monica and Jason – milk 380 cows near PeshƟgo, Wisconsin. They recently added on to their freestall barn to reduce overcrowding and create devoted space for their Ayrshire and Jersey breeds.

PESHTIGO, Wis. – When the Schwittays outgrew their barn to the point that cows outnumbered stalls more than 2-to-1, they knew it was time to expand. Adding 156 feet and 133 stalls to the building, the Schwittays doubled the size of their barn in the fall of 2020. Highlights include a dedicated maternity pen and a pen for the farm’s colored breeds of dairy cattle. Built with cow comfort in mind, the barn offers more space and exibility in caring for the diverse herd of Holsteins, Red and White Holsteins, Ayrshires and Jerseys. “The goal of the addition was twofold,” said Monica Schwittay. “We wanted to reduce overcrowding and do a better job with our colored breeds which make up 37% of the herd.” Schwittay Farms is owned and operated by brothers Jeremy and Jason Schwittay and Jeremy’s wife, Monica. The Schwittays milk 380 cows near Peshtigo and also run a custom heifer facility, farming 1,800 acres between the two operations.

“We have a very low cull rate, which is part of the reason we needed more space,” Monica said. “We focus on the cows – everything revolves around them. Our priorities lie in cow comfort, cow health and having quality feed in front of the cows 24/7. Consistency in everything we do is the key to success.” The addition affords more room all around. The pens in the barn now include dry, pre-fresh, post-fresh, breeding and pregnant for Holsteins and large Ayrshires, colored breed and maternity. Creating a separate pen for Ayrshire and Jersey cattle allows for more specialized care of each breed, including the ability to offer custom diets. Tailoring diets according to breed helps the Schwittays maximize production, feed efciencies and decrease overall feed costs. “Our Ayrshires and Jerseys always carried extra condition because the diet wasn’t right for them,” Monica said. “They would put on a lot of back fat instead of using the energy to produce milk in the tank. Now, they don’t put the excess weight, and their peaks are higher and their persistency is greater.” In the past, the Schwittays faced a challenge in feeding enough forage to these breeds. “Now their diet is up to 66% forage, and we focus on utilizing amino acid balancing to optimize milk production and compo-

Turn to SCHWITTAY | Page 7

Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 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 (ofce) 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 Ofce: 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 (ofce) 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 Hoeer (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 ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.

North America dealers. Dairy supply chain challenges heard in White House roundtable

Dairy Prole brought to you by your

The National Milk Producers Federation and United States Dairy Export Council met with the Biden Administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force in a virtual meeting to discuss the impact on exports. “These issues warrant the focus of the entire federal government in order to address the negative economic effects on both businesses and consumers,” said Jaime Castaneda, executive vice president of policy for NMPF and USDEC. A meeting is being sought for food and ag industry CEOs to discuss ways the federal government can take immediate action to resolve the supply chain crisis.

Vander Woude emphasized the need for market access. “Despite all the growth and success the dairy industry has enjoyed on the export front over the past two decades, we could be doing even better with a level playing eld,” said Vander Woude. The California dairy farmer said the U.S. needs a proactive trade policy.

International shenanigans hurt trade Former USDA Undersecretary of Trade Ted McKinney says international trade for U.S. agriculture is alive and well. The pandemic disrupted export activity. McKinney said trade is inuenced by what he calls international shenanigans. An example is the empty containers leaving U.S. ports. “It’s almost a crime against humanity,” said McKinney. McKinney was the rst undersecretary that focused exclusively on trade. The Biden Administration has not yet lled that position. “They’ve got to get going because it is a role that is critically important. If you’re not present (in international markets), you’re forgotten.” McKinney said. He currently serves as the CEO for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Competition issues to garner more attention By Don Wick The White House has Columnist announced its intention to nominate Jonathan Kanter as the assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division at the Justice Department. Kanter is a partner in a law rm that focuses on antitrust issues. Kanter has promised to enforce antitrust provisions within many sectors, including agriculture.

Market access needed During a House Agriculture subcommittee hearing, National Milk Producers Federation First Vice President and U.S. Dairy Export Council board member Simon

Ag Insider

Ag banker survey shows protable year Compared to one year ago, 70% of ag bankers said overall farm protability was higher in 2021. This is the rst time since the survey began in 2016 that it found a majority of ag lenders reported in increase in overall protability. The annual survey conducted by the American Bankers Association and Farmer Mac found 38% of net farm Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5

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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 3

It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider

Pages 2, 8 First Section

Eau Claire

Third Section: Pages 10 - 11

First Section: Pages 18, 20

Taylor Dunn

Chippewa

Shawano

Wood

Jackson

La Crosse

Hollandale

Juneau

Vernon

Richland

go ba Calumet

Waushara

e inn

Green Lake Fond Du Lac

Columbia Dodge

Sauk

for

shi

Flannery perseveres through wild journey to keep milking cows

Adams

Monroe

e mi Brown

a tag

tte

Second Section: Pages 6 - 7

Portage Waupaca

Buffalo

Mullikin Meadows transition cows to grass-fed

Oconto

Clark

Eau Claire

Wauzeka

Dane

Iowa

Grant

Lafayette Green

Jefferson Waukesha

Walworth

Jo Daviess

First Section: Pages 37 - 38

ens

h tep

Carroll

ago

neb

Win

Bo on e

Orth relies on family traditions, values

Kenosha

Kane

Lee

Rock Island

n ders o

Wegmuellers make dairy operation profitable by welcoming visitors

Hen

For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com

ren

War

First Section: Page 39

Ogle

Whiteside

Mercer

Dairy Profile: Michael Ronnfeldt,

McHenry

DeKalb

Zone 2

Arpin

Racine

Rock

Lancaster

Monroe

Menominee

Marathon

First Section: Pages 1, 6

Zone 1

Langlade

Pepin

Pages 8 - 9 Second Section

ng ton S he O bo Milwaukee zauk M yg ee an anito wo c

St. Croix Pierce

The “Mielke” Market Weekly

Rusk

Barron

Lincoln

Page 32 First Section

Page 33 First Section

Forest

Menominee

First Section: Page 36

Polk

ren

Oneida

un ee

Women in Dairy: Katie Pfeiffer

Flo

Sawyer Price

Delta

Dickinson

Vilas

New Lisbon

Just Thinking Out Loud

Dairy Good Life

Ashland

Trempealeau

Page 31 First Section

Burnett

First Section: Pages 1, 7

First Section: Pages 34 - 35

Iron

Wa sh b

Something to Ruminate On

Schwittays’ barn doubles in size

Bayfield

Douglas

Ramblings from the Ridge Page 30 First Section

Peshtigo

Wussow wins National Jersey Youth Achievement

Second Section: Pages 8- 9

Cecil

High quality feed keeps intake, cow health high

Page 27 First Section

Gilman

Earnest offers suggestions at PDPW Calf Care Connection

Farmer and Columnist

Hammanns dairy, raise turkeys

Barron

Fond Du Lac

Sensitivities inspire Averbeck to make A2 cheese First Section: Pages 8 - 9

FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What are you thankful for this year? First Section: Pages 15 - 16

First Section: Pages 10 - 11

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ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 2 income came from government support. There was less demand for farm loans this past year, but lenders expect that to change in 2022. Ag assistance payment should be paid out Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin and North Dakota Senator John Hoeven spoke with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, seeking information on the USDA timeline for distribution of $10 billion in disaster relief. “I also pressed the Secretary to work with OMB to get the rule out for the Dairy Margin Coverage program,” said Baldwin. “Our dairy farmers continue to face major challenges and they need certainty as they plan for next year’s production season.”

between the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Research and the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association, and works with regional collaborators in ve Midwestern states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.

Milk production declines in November supply, demand report In the November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, USDA forecast 2021 milk production at 226.4 billion pounds. That’s down 600 million pounds from last month due to a reduction in the projections for cow numbers and slower growth in milk per cow volumes. The 2022 milk production outlook is for 228.1 billion pounds, down 1.6 billion from the last report.

Ways sought for reducing cattle methane emissions Elanco Animal Health is a founding member of a research consortium called the Greener Cattle Initiative. This group plans to award $5 million over ve years to support research to potentially reduce methane emissions from cattle. The initiative said the dairy and beef industries represent 2.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions and the goal is to move the cattle sector to net zero emissions. Elanco joins the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, ADM, the Council on Dairy Breeding, Genus PLC and the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre in this effort.

Dairy consumption data released Compared to the previous year, U.S. per capita dairy consumption increased 3 pounds to 655 pounds per person. Per capita dairy production consumption is up 27 pounds over the past ve years. After record high cheese consumption in 2019, a total of 38.5 pounds of cheese was enjoyed in 2020. That’s a decline of four ounces. American cheese consumption was up slightly, but less Swiss, blue, brick and Muenster cheeses were eaten this past year. For the fourth straight year, U.S. butter consumption is up with per capita usage at 6.3 pounds. There was a small increase in yogurt consumption in 2020, totaling 13.8 pounds per person. U.S. uid milk consumption totaled 141 pounds on a per capita basis. That’s unchanged from 2019 and the rst time per capita milk consumption did not decline since 2008. The pandemic is credited with stopping the trend downward in milk consumption.

Leahy will not seek reelection Former Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy has announced he will not seek reelection next year. The Vermont lawmaker was elected in 1974 and is the longest serving member in the Senate. Leahy, 81, has been a leading advocate for nutrition programs, dairy policy and organic agriculture. Regional extension dairy specialist named University of Wisconsin Extension is moving to a system with more regional educators. Ryan Sterry, who has been the agriculture agent in Polk and St. Croix counties, will be the new regional dairy educator for northwest Wisconsin. Beyond Meat posts poor third quarter Beyond Meat had a net loss of $54.8 million in the third quarter. U.S. retail sales for the plant-based protein maker were down 16% and foodservices declined 7%. That follows record revenue in the second quarter.

Dairy innovation grants awarded USDA is investing over $20 million in grants for Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives. These grants provide technical assistance and sub-grants to dairy farmers and businesses to assist them with business planning, marketing and branding. A total of $18.4 million will go to current efforts at the University of Wisconsin, University of Tennessee and the Vermont Agency for Food and Marketing. California State UniversityFresno received $1.8 million. The Wisconsin project is a partnership

Trivia challenge Vitamin D comes from the sun and is available in milk. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what is the most popular item on the Dairy Queen menu? We’ll 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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or electricity. He made the two-hour trip home on Sunday afternoons, his only time off from milking. By 2:30 a.m. Monday, he was back on the road to Iowa to do chores. All the while, he continued to search for a more permanent situation. “I just needed somewhere to go so I wouldn’t have to sell my cows,” Flannery said. After a month, Flannery had a stroke of luck and entered into a partnership with the owner of the house in which Flannery’s family was living. He was able to bring his cattle to Dodgeville and join his family. They bought 40 additional cows and started milking at the new location in November 2017. The herd grew and eventually they were milking 117 cows in a 40-stall barn. “We milked and did chores from 4 a.m. until 8 p.m.,” Flannery said. As exhausting as it was, the arrangement was working until the morning of March 3, 2018, when a skid loader started on re in the upper level of the barn, burning down the whole barn. It was a Saturday morning at about 7 a.m., and the milking was done. Flannery’s wife was continuing barn chores while he went to start the skid loader to clean out the freestall barn. As he was walking away, Flannery smelled smoke. “I thought it was the landlord’s wood stove at rst, until I turned around and saw the whole skid loader on re,” Flannery said. “There was no moving it. I felt like I stood there forever looking at that, but then I turned and ran, and screamed to get the cows out of the barn.” Together, the Flannerys were able to get all the animals out. Before long, the re departments showed up; however, the seven departments were unable to extinguish the re, and the barn was a total loss. “We had to watch it burn to the ground,” Flannery said. Word of the tragedy spread as quickly as the re itself, and before long, there were 20 cattle trailers lined up. People were everywhere, eager to help. Flannery found himself in search of a barn again. Fortunately, this time his search was quick and successful. “My best friend and I drove to the neighbor’s 5 miles south and asked if we could use his barn,” Flannery said. “He had been through a barn re in 2005 and had since rebuilt. He said he had already decided with his wife that it was his turn to return the favor.” With the help of the community, the abandoned barn was cleaned up, the cattle were moved, and the milkhouse was up and running by evening chores the same day. “It was amazing. I’ve always joked about the small farming community, but I’m not kidding you, a small farming

community sticks together when you need them,” Flannery said. “Ninety-ve percent of those people were farmers with their own work to do, but they were there helping me.” Flannery was able to use that barn for more than a year until his current barn came up for sale in November 2019. He was able to negotiate a deal, and it looked as though he would nally be able to settle with his family and cattle in one location. However, life threw another curveball. The morning after he signed the deal for the new farm, his son, Jannick, was injured in the barn. Flannery said Jannick was sitting on the curb next to a big Brown Swiss cow when somehow the cow laid on top of him. “All I saw was the top of his head, one hand and his little boots sticking out from under that cow,” Flannery said. He quickly got the cow up and pulled his purple, lifeless son out from under the cow. Flannery had never performed CPR before. But his instincts kicked in, and he was able to revive him. With help from community members again, a medical ight was able to land in the hay eld and transport the boy to Madison, where he ultimately fully recovered. “He’s still alive, not a fear in the world, and he is all farm,” Flannery said. For many months, Flannery did chores at his latest rented farm and worked on renovating the barn he was purchasing in order to make the stalls bigger. The stalls and barn cleaner were removed and the concrete was cut 27 inches in front of the stalls on both sides. Flannery put up I-beams and moved all the poles, and a new barn cleaner was installed. The bulk tank was replaced this year as well. The barn now has 63 stalls. There are 41 sand-bedded stalls that measure 52 inches by 6 feet. Flannery left 22 of the stalls with mattresses on which he trains his 2-year-old cows. Two Harvestore silos were also removed and sold. Flannery plans to put up a fence, pour concrete on the dry cow lot and put free stalls in a back shed. For now, he is preparing for winter and for the springing heifers and dry cows to join his herd. By spring, Flannery will be milking nearly 90 cows. Flannery’s journey in the industry has been far from what he imagined, but it is one he feels is heading in the right direction in his plan to continue milking cows. “A wise farmer once told me that Rome wasn’t built in a year,” Flannery said. “Now I just try to take it year by year, month by month or day by day, whatever I can do.”

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ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR

Casey Flannery surveys updates in his milk house on his farm near Hollandale, Wisconsin. This bulk tank was installed new in September aŌer his previous tank wore out.

Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 7

ConƟnued from SCHWITTAY| Page 1 nents,” said Monica, who is also a nutritionist. “We’re making a feed investment and know we’re getting our return out. Currently, we do not feed bypass fat to this group, unlike the Holsteins. It’s a heavy forage diet, which is why we’re focused on making good quality forage and feeding a lower starch diet to them.” The Schwittays measure success based on cheese yield, which is over 3,000 pounds. “We focus on componentdriven milk,” Monica said. “It’s all about marketing our milk, and our cheese yield has greatly improved over the last few years. We ship our milk to BelGioioso, so we’re quality-driven, and our focus point was to aim for higher components in that pen. It’s what we breed for and what nature intended.” The colored breed pen has smaller stall sizes and a neck rail that is pulled back slightly. The colored breeds include the farm’s registered show cattle, and the new setup also makes it easier to classify, as most of the registered cows now reside in the same pen. The pen for colored cattle lled quicker than expected, and as a result, the Schwittays house some of the larger-framed Ayrshires with the Holsteins. A dedicated calving area within the addition is designed to deliver the best in maternity housing. Expectant mothers lounge in comfort on a deep-bedded pack, making it an ideal setting for a cow to give birth. A room next to the maternity pen features heated oors where newborn calves receive three colostrum feedings. “The maternity pen is great,” Jason said. “It’s a better environ-

ment for calves as well as the cows, and it’s easier to keep clean and dry.” Previously, maternity and sick animals shared one small pen. “It created added obstacles to try to work around, and we didn’t do as good a job with sick and fresh cows,” Jeremy said. The barn addition also provids space for dividing far-off and close-up dry cows, and fresh cows are benetting from the special treatment they receive pre- and post-fresh. “Fresh-cow health is a lot better now that we have a dedicated maternity area and a close-up dry cow pen,” Jeremy said. “Cows also get more time to mellow out as they’re no longer bounced around to three pens in one day.” Cows are moved into the prefresh pen three weeks before calving. Cows can be moved into the maternity pen based off estimated due date or calving signals. “The closeup pen receives a steam-up diet which contains additional additives, vitamins and minerals,” Monica said. “Additionally, we feed a higher level of protein and energy to get these girls ready for their full-time job.” Located in the original part of the barn, the fresh pen more than doubled in size, growing from 24 stalls to 58. All ages and breeds are grouped here for about 30 days after calving. Special needs animals also have their own space to spread out, and a vet room was built next door to the pen to provide quick and easy access to medical supplies. Bundy Creek is south of the barn which meant the Schwittays had to work with the Wisconsin

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

The new addiƟon to the SchwiƩays’ freestall barn is 156 feet long and contains 133 stalls and a maternity pen. The dry cow pen is located on the leŌ and the colored breed pen is on the right. Department of Natural Resources to determine how close they could build. “We would’ve liked to add another 20-25 feet to allow for a bigger colored pen and a couple box stalls for show cattle, but we’re too close to Bundy Creek,” Monica said. As part of the expansion, the Schwittays also closed the open ridge in the roof and put in chimney fans, which Jeremy said makes the barn more manageable in the winter. “It’s not as cold, and the design keeps the air fresh,” he said. “There’s no stagnant air anymore – it’s constantly moving.” They also added more brushes

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and fans in the barn and made the dry cow stalls wider. In addition, The holding area was expanded by 12 feet and a drovers lane was put in to help with milking efciency. Jeremy said the next big-ticket item on the farm will likely be a milking parlor to replace their double-10 parallel along with additional cow housing. “Our old setup deed what typically works on most farms,” Monica said. “We were crowding hard and broke every rule, which was part of the reason for this project. But despite the overcrowded conditions, we were still successful. We had a 60,000 somatic cell count and were averaging over 80 pounds of milk across the Holstein

and colored breeds. We were able to maintain a 29% cull rate with a 34% pregnancy rate before the addition.” Jeremy agreed. “It never struck us as odd what we were doing, because we were still getting the job done,” he said. Focused on quality and efciency, the Schwittays are cow people who give everything they have to their animals. A new facility is helping the family offer a level of enhanced care to all cattle while catering to the unique needs of the farm’s different breeds as well as meshing their commercial and registered herds.

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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

Determined to eat dairy

Sensitivities inspire Averbeck to make A2 cheese By Stacey Smart

stacey.s@dairystar.com

FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Jenny Averbeck was disheartened when she developed a sensitivity to dairy products as an adult. This cheese lover longed to drink the milk her cows produced but doing so meant she would suffer later. Unfortunately, dairy did not agree with her body. “When a doctor told me I probably shouldn’t eat dairy, I couldn’t accept that,” Jenny said. “I wasn’t willing to give up milk and cheese. Also, I thought it was silly I was milking cows and selling a product I couldn’t enjoy. It made me wonder if others couldn’t consume (dairy) either.” Jenny and her husband, Louis, milk 160 cows at Clear View Dairy near Fond du Lac. The Averbecks purchased the cows from Louis’ parents in 2016. Louis is the sixth generation on his family’s farm which was founded in 1848, and the Averbecks’ son, Garen, 11, is the seventh generation. After doing some research and attending meetings, Jenny found a way to make dairy products work for her when she learned about A2 milk.

A1 and A2 beta caseins, or proteins, occur naturally in cows’ milk, but some people have issues digesting the A1 casein. A2 dairy products are free of the A1 casein, making them potentially easier to digest. “I bought some A2 milk and when I drank it, I thought, ‘Wow, I feel good,’” Jenny said. “Drinking milk without any issues made me start wondering about cheese. Pizza is my favorite, and I especially love cheese pizza, but I couldn’t nd any A2 cheese around here. So in 2019, I started looking into the processes and steps needed to make my own.” The Averbecks transitioned to breeding their cows to A2 bulls and over time developed an A1 beta casein-free herd whose milk is the key ingredient of the Averbecks’ aTwo Cheese brand. “Our cheese contains only the A2 protein,” Jenny said. “The A1 protein is not removed per se – it’s genetically not there because our cows produce milk that only carries the A2 gene.” Over 100 cows on the farm produce A2 milk. The herd is mostly Holstein along with a few registered Jerseys, and cows are grouped according to A2 status. In the main A2 group are 75 cows that produce the milk for aTwo

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Louis and Jenny Averbeck milk 160 cows near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The Averbecks began making A2 cheese in 2020 aŌer Jenny discovered she had a sensiƟvity to dairy products. Cheese. This group is milked rst, and on cheese day, their milk is separated for delivery to the cheese processor. “After three to four years of using A2 genetics, we tested a bunch of cows to see where we were at, and some cows had carried the A2 gene,” Louis said. “We’re going on six years now, and it won’t take us long to be 100% A2.” All virgin heifers receive sexed semen to accelerate the

process. The Averbecks test each animal for the A2 gene by sending a hair sample to the University of California-Davis. “There are a lot of options for good quality A2 bulls,” Louis said. “We don’t sacrice milk or genetics to do this.” aTwo Cheese is made locally in small batches. The first cheese production took place in early 2020 starting with cheddar. Now, the Averbecks make seven varieties: cheddar,

feta, mozzarella, pepper jack, Monterey Jack, Colby and Colby Jack. Each cheese has a special name with a story to back it up. For example, Dad’s Classic Cheddar is named after Jenny’s father who passed away in 2010. “He meant a lot to me,” Jenny said. “He’s the one who got me into farming, and he was Turn to AVERBECK | Page 9

Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 9

Con�nued from AVERBECK | Page 8 also with me the rst time I heard of A2.” Colby Jack Champ’s Delight is named after the Averbecks’ rst A2 cow, Champ, and Country Lane Colby was inspired by Jenny’s favorite cheese and her favorite thinking place. “I do my best thinking while milking and feeding calves, but when I need to do a little deeper contemplating, I walk our country lane,” she said. Every two weeks, Jenny delivers about 2,000 pounds of A2 milk to a small processor that makes it into cheese. The Averbecks label and box the cheese at the farm, where distributors pick it up. The Averbecks work with two

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

The Averbecks make seven varie�es of A2 cheese including cheddar, feta, mozzarella, pepper jack, Monterey Jack, Colby and Colby Jack. The aTwo Cheese brand is sold in 20 stores as well as on the Averbecks’ farm and online.

distributors and sell their cheese in 20 stores, including several Woodman’s Market locations as well as a variety of specialty shops like health food stores and co-ops. The Averbecks also do some direct cheese sales from the farm and move product through their online store. “With COVID, it was a struggle to get going,” Jenny said. “We just got started right before everything shut down. Now, there are distribution challenges and labor shortages in the marketplace, so it’s still affecting us. Some stores still won’t allow demos; therefore, it’s been a slow start. There is a lot to learn – more than I ever would’ve imagined. Cheesemaking is the easy part. Marketing is the hard part.” Jenny said there are both pros and cons to making a unique product like A2 cheese. “There’s not a lot of competition, but there’s also not enough awareness yet,” she said. “However, A2 has come a long way since we started, and I think demand will grow.” Since transforming the herd to A2, Jenny no longer has to purchase A2 milk at the store, but rather, can safely consume the milk her own cows produce. The switch to A2 has enabled Jenny to enjoy dairy once again. Not only that, she is also able to share her farm’s products with others in a similar predicament. “A lot of people assume they’re lactose intolerant, not realizing it could be something else,” Jenny said. “Digestive issues with dairy are usually a result of the proteins. I used to feel very uncomfortable drinking or eating dairy. But now that I’m consuming A2 products, I don’t have these symptoms. I can enjoy the simple things like a bowl of cereal, a homemade pizza or a snack of crackers and cheese.”

Thank you for letting us be a part of your dairy operation.

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Jenny Averbeck applies labels to aTwo Cheese products on the morning of Nov. 2. The cheese is made oﬀsite by a local processor from the Averbecks’ milk, then labeled and boxed on the farm. Jenny is optimistic her endeavor might help the dairy industry win back consumers choosing plant-based beverages out of a perceived necessity. “I often wonder why plant-based products are so popular,” she said. “It’s really hurting the dairy industry. Maybe people who can’t eat dairy are buying these products because they don’t know there are other options. Out of desperation, I tried almond milk as well but thought it was crazy to not support my own industry. A2 could light a spark and maybe help other farmers too.” The Averbecks strive to keep overhead low and product costs down to make a cheese people can afford.

“If you’re told you are lactose intolerant or have a dairy sensitivity, A2 could be an option for you,” Jenny said. “If someone needs our cheese, we want it to be affordable for them to eat. It’s full of avor and doesn’t taste any different than regular cheese.” With thoughts of bottling milk and perhaps making ice cream, the Averbecks have toyed with the idea of building a creamery on the farm. “I can’t eat ice cream,” Jenny said. “If I eat it, I pay for it. It’s another favorite treat that would be fun to have.”

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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

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STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

The Wegmuellers renovated this farmhouse where Dan grew up, turning it into an Airbnb rental in 2018. The four-bedroom, two-bath home sleeps up to 11 people.

Wegmuellers make dairy operation profitable by welcoming visitors By Stacey Smart

stacey.s@dairystar.com

MONROE, Wis. – People seeking respite from fastpaced city life are nding a trip to Wegmueller Farm to be the ideal escape. Those looking for a peaceful and relaxing getaway are ocking to the farm’s Airbnb vacation rental not only to soak up the serenity of the countryside, but to immerse themselves in the farm experience. For many of the Wegmuellers’ guests, it is the only time they will step foot on a dairy farm. “Our goal is to connect consumers to agriculture,” said Dan Wegmueller. “We have the opportunity to teach people where their food comes from and it’s working exceptionally well.” Dan and his wife, Ashley, milk 40 Brown Swiss cows on their 350-acre farm near Monroe. The decision to transform his parents’ former farmhouse into an Airbnb was instrumental in saving Dan’s fourth-generation family farm. “We started hosting groups at a time when we thought we were going to go bankrupt and have to sell,” Wegmueller said. Not only did the Airbnb turn the farm around nancially, it created an opportunity to invite people on an educational adventure in agriculture. “The educational component is driving our business,” Dan said. “Having the opportunity to connect with someone who has never seen a cow up close or giving a little kid the chance to hand milk a cow has made it all worth it.” Guests of Wegmueller Farm love the experience so much that many come back time after time. The Wegmuellers have hosted some families a half-dozen times. For travelers looking for a quiet country retreat, the dairy becomes their home away from home. The Dairy at the Wegmueller Farm, as it is listed on Airbnb, features four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The family-friendly accommodations sleep up to 11 people. Cozy touches of the farm are sprinkled throughout the home that Dan said is perfect for large groups. People bring their own food and cook their own meals while taking advantage of the many amenities the house has to offer. People looking for a hands-on experience nd it at Wegmueller Farm. Opportunities to interact with the farm’s animals are plentiful. In addition to cows, the farm includes horses, chickens, potbelly pigs, donkeys and cats. “Guests have a lot of access to the farm,” Dan said. “The pigs are a huge hit, and we encourage people to feed them table scraps.” Sharing their farm with a new family each week, the Wegmuellers are enjoying their role as proprietors, showering guests with hospitality. A gift basket lled with products like cheese, chocolate and beer from local businesses is waiting when people arrive. Cow milking and calf feeding demonstrations are part of the fun, and guests have the opportunity to milk a cow by hand and bottle feed a baby calf. Some guests like helping with chores to the point they have milked cows alongside Dan. New at the Wegmueller Farm are equine experiences where people grab the reins and take a trail ride. “Two years ago, there wasn’t a single horse on

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Dan Wegmueller sits atop one of his favorite horses, Chazz, at Wegmueller Farm near Monroe, Wisconsin. Wegmueller and his wife, Ashley, milk 40 cows and run an Airbnb on the property. this farm,” Dan said. “Now we have 15, including two Shetland ponies. Many are rescue horses. Horseback riding is another experience we can give people and another offering we can prot from. It’s also one more opportunity for guests to connect with animals.” Beyond keeping the farm aoat through economic hardship, Dan has experienced personal tragedy as well. Within a three-year time frame, he lost both parents unexpectedly. When his father died in 2014, the family spent a couple years guring out transferring the farm from Dan’s mother to Ashley and him. “I believe ours is a success story of a generational transfer,” Dan said. “We did a farm buyout in 2016, and my mom received a payment that would compensate her for the rest of her life. I also bought out my three siblings who left the farm for non-ag careers. I’m really happy with the way we did it. I thought it was fair for everyone.” After the passing of his mom in 2017, Wegmeuller recognized the bottom was about to fall out of the agriculture economy. “This was especially true for small, multi-generational farms like ours,” he said. “I noticed on our milk check the price of milk was going down while input costs were going up. We knew our days were numbered unless we made signicant changes. The answer was not milking more cows; we needed to do something different.” The old farmhouse was sitting empty and Wegmueller saw it as an opportunity. He and Ashley made the decision to convert the house into a vacation rental, with the intent of targeting the Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee markets. Throughout 2017 and 2018, the Wegmuellers worked relentlessly to remodel the house. “It was very outdated, and we spent a lot of money we didn’t have to x it up,” Dan said. “We took a huge risk doing this. I owed people a lot of money in 2018 because I wasn’t able to pay my bills. We were losing cash and not even getting by, so Ashley took a full-time job off the farm. Her paycheck bought diesel fuel, vet supplies and feed.” But in September 2018, the Wegmuellers’ investment started to pay back as they hosted their rst groups. The rst guest came from New Jersey – an attorney doing international legal work who brought his family to attend Cheese Days in Monroe. Since then, the Wegmuellers have hosted people from all over the world, including Ecuador, Switzerland, Great Britain, Australia, Belgium, Poland, China, Japan, New York City, Washington, D.C., and California, as well from the cities Wegmueller originally set out to attract. “My favorite group was from Rwanda,” Wegmueller said. Like many businesses, the Wegmuellers took a hit from the coronavirus pandemic, and from February to June of 2020, they lost all their bookings. However, from July onward, the farmhouse was booked and had guests nearly every night this summer. “We spend no money on marketing,” Wegmueller said. “Everyone nds us on Airbnb.” Turn to WEGMUELLERS | Page 11

Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 11

ConƟnued from WEGMUELLERS | Page 10 From military veterans to college “They believed in what we were professors and other intellectuals, the doing,” Dan said. “Our success is directly Wegmuellers host people from all walks tied to the quality of our community. We of life. send people downtown to shop, eat, etc., “We’ve hosted vegetarians and vegans as there are a lot of great choices close by.” – the people you think would be antiThe Wegmuellers are bringing people ag – and we changed their perceptions,” together while representing agriculture Wegmueller said. “We haven’t had a bad – specically the dairy industry – at the experience yet, and we’ve never received same time. anything less than a 5-star review.” “Direct consumer relationships like A typical booking is two to three nights, these are what is going to save the family but a family from Belgium stayed for a farm,” Dan said. month. People appreciate that Wegmueller Providing more experience-based Farm is an authentic working dairy farm. offerings and onsite events are goals of “We talk openly about everything we the Wegmuellers. do – how we care for animals, haul manure, “Everyone needs a reason to get etc.,” Dan said. “I don’t hide anything. If I out of bed in the morning and find call the vet for a sick cow, I invite people accomplishment at the end of the day,” Dan to come out and see. Same with if a cow said. “This vacation rental broadened our is getting bred.” revenue stream, which was necessary to The Wegmuellers had the support from keep the farm going, and it made farming the community of Monroe from the start. fun again.”

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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

Fitting exibility into new facilities Sonnek Farms upgrades to double-10 parlor By Sherry Newell Contributing writer

FORESTON, Minn. – In the 12 years since Eric Sonnek returned to the family dairy farm near Foreston, a lot has changed. There is a new calf and heifer barn with automatic feeders. Forage is no longer made into small bales but is bagged after custom harvesting. Cows are fed a total mixed ration in a new compostbedded barn. While adding one more thing this year – a new milking parlor – reects Sonnek’s optimism about dairying, the 43-year-old also knows the entire dairy industry has changed and is sure to change even more in the future. “ We h a v e j u s t r e a l l y concentrated on keeping things exible,” said Sonnek, who took over managing Sonnek Farms from his parents, Norb (Junior) and Judy Sonnek. The couple are still part of the ownership; Judy does the farm’s bookwork with Junior serving in a role his son calls grounds crew. “The compost barn could easily become a beef barn. Even our parlor is built so garage doors could be installed on one end,” Sonnek said, noting how dairy

has been disappearing from the Mille Lacs County landscape surrounding the farm. But it would be a mistake to think Sonnek is not passionate about dairying. Since moving into the parlor six months ago, he has expanded from 70 to 100 cows and earned his rst Progressive Breeders Registry designation from Holstein Association USA. His partnership in Pit Crew Genetics with the Foss and Trapp families, focused on Brown Swiss cattle, has had multiple successes in show and sale rings across the country. Most of the Pit Crew milking cows are housed at the Sonnek farm. Sonnek, with partner Jon Hackett, also owns cows under the Uffda prex. The two have a small Hereford enterprise with Hackett’s father and brother, named SHHH Herefords. It was born from a desire to provide docile 4-H animals for Hackett’s nieces. Still, milking productive cows is what pays the bills, Sonnek said, and replacing the tie stall barn with a compost pack and parlor is helping move the herd in the right direction. Prioritizing cow comfort was one of the reasons he chose a bedded pack rather than free stalls. “We’ve always done what’s right for the cows,” Sonnek said. “Now they are more comfortable. They get more exercise; they are able to move. We also have a young person milking, and he can

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Eric Sonnek and his partner, Jon HackeƩ, stand in a new double-10 rapid-exit parlor on their farm near Foreston, Minnesota. Sonnek and HackeƩ work together caring for the 100-cow milking herd, heifers, crops and addiƟonal acƟviƟes such as geneƟcs and social media. manage everything better now. Foot health is better with the foot baths we added and CowManager is helping us with reproduction.” In addition, milking takes half the time. Decisions about how to create the new facilities came

more easily to Sonnek because of his 10 years as an extension educator after graduation from the University of Minnesota in dairy science and having his parents serving as supportive sounding boards. “I did my research, looking at

different aspects of a at barn or step-up parlor, or an Iowa style,” he said. He never considered robots. “Robots are not my style,” Sonnek said. “I like that when

Turn to SONNEK | Page 13

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ConƟnued from SONNEK | Page 12

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Jon HackeƩ feeds youngstock in the calf barn on their farm near Foreston, Minnesota. One side of the barn houses newborn-to-weaning animals with an automaƟc feeder. the pump shuts off, you have no milking milkhouse is being used but with a larger worries for the next eight or 10 hours. Plus, bulk tank extending into an existing area there was a price tag difference, and service of the old barn. Because Sonnek and Hackett like to was a long way from here.” Hackett watched how things took host tours, the parlor has what Sonnek calls shape. He has worked with Sonnek full some “pretty” features: confetti-covered time for 10 years, focused on eld work epoxy on pit walls and decorative front windows. The two men were part of a June and calf management. “Eric had a lot of ideas. It was a solid Dairy Month Facebook live for Coborn’s plan going in,” said Hackett, who also grocery stores, originating from the new came from a dairy, had an off-farm career facility. Hackett is known for his social media for 15 years and always hoped to return to the industry. “But there was also a lot efforts from the farm. A recent livestream of tape measuring, then stepping back and featured a tour of the calf barn. “It was overwhelmingly positive,” he thinking about things.” Sonnek said one of the hardest said. “It was fun to connect with people decisions was where to locate the parlor from previous lives; (social media) was a so the old tiestall area could remain useful, silver lining to the pandemic.” As he looks to the future, Sonnek may yet cows could easily reach it from the compost barn. The location also had to add a barn for show cattle and replace a allow for equipment movement in the shop destroyed in a re. He hopes to sell more embryos from top genetics, and a relatively small yard. In the end, the parlor was built so one hosting spring tag sale of show calves is end of the tiestall barn became part of the under consideration. And, other opportunities may appear. holding pen. Twenty cows are housed in “We’re 3 miles from Highway 169 and the other end’s tie stalls. Cows moving to the parlor from the compost barn travel 3 miles from Highway 23,” he said. “Who briey outside, using a dirt alley on which knows what that could mean for future on-farm ventures.” concrete will eventually be poured. Flexibility will continue to be part of Sonnek found a 5-year-old double-6 parallel parlor with only one year the plan. of use, then discovered the cost to upgrade to a double-10 was manageable. He chose a vertical rapid-exit parlor for I the open space it provides F for handling cows. It also More milk A less feed with serves as a wash rack uniform Àne-grind for show cows, many of Solid cast rolls All belt-electric drive which are leased to a dozen Single or double mills 4-H’ers. USA & International sales The new building has Replacement rolls available for most mills in-oor heat and mats for Used mills and tumble mixers on hand both cows and milkers. Hammer Mills An ofce and utility room Phone: (319) 634-3849 • Toll Free: (800) 426-0261 are also part of the new web: www.ifamill.com • email: ifamill@netins.net construction. The existing

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Dairyy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 15

What are you thankful for this year?

Sue Conard New Franken, Wisconsin Brown County 325-350 cows

What are you thankful for farm-wise and family-wise this year? I am thankful we had a good crop year and everyone has stayed healthy. That is the most important thing. Describe a moment this year that made you extremely grateful. I am grateful my husband got over COVID-19. He was fully vaccinated but got pretty sick and was in the hospital in intensive care. His recovery is what we are most grateful for this year.

Brad Zander Barneveld, Wisconsin Iowa County 200 cows What are you thankful for farm-wise and familywise this year? I am thankful my 3-month-old twins are home from the NICU and healthy, and we have a warm house. Farm-wise, things were more consistent in 2021 than they were in 2020. We had a brief quota in 2020 from our processor which was awful. Describe a moment this year that made you extremely grateful. The moment we paid off our four robots. We bought them in 2017. Who is someone in your life who you are thankful for? I farm with my dad, Jerry, and I can’t imagine farming without him. We have one employee, Carolyn, and there is no one else I’d rather have work for us. I am also grateful for my wife, of course. How do you show appreciation for the people you work with every day? Carolyn picks her own schedule and also has her birthday off. My wife gets time to go for coffee and thrifting, and Jerry gets vacation when he wants it. We try to make sure everyone gets their time. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving, and what is your favorite Thanksgiving Day tradition? We celebrate Thanksgiving with lots of food and family. We celebrate with our siblings and our inlaws. My favorite tradition is our cookie day. The day after Thanksgiving we make lots of Christmas cookies. They usually don’t last until Christmas. Tell us about your farm. I farm 700 acres with my dad and one employee. We raise our youngstock. We have been a closed herd for 50 years. We do almost everything ourselves including our own hoof trimming. The only job we hire out is manure hauling.

Who is someone in your life who you are thankful for? I am thankful for my three sons and their families. They are always here for us. We farm with one son and the other two live in the area, so they are always here when we need somebody. How do you show appreciation for the people you work with every day? We are good to them and offer to help them when they have trouble. And, they’re very good to us as well. Our employees show up and are always here when we need them.

Michelle Popp Unity, Wisconsin Clark County 30 cows What are you thankful for farm-wise and family-wise this year? Farm-wise, I am most thankful this year for Dairy Margin Coverage. This has provided a very signicant amount of money to help pay the bills and pay down debt. I am also so thankful for the technology advancements and labor-saving inventions that help us farm so much easier than our parents and grandparents. Family-wise, I am most thankful for our health and my beautiful family, and that we can continue to own our business in this free country. Describe a moment this year that made you extremely grateful. One of my most grateful moments this year was when I stood in the middle of stacks and rows of wrapped silage bales. We have very little silo storage so we have a large area with corn silage bags and lots of silage bales stacked by crop and type of hay. Without all that feed, our dairy would struggle to feed our cattle. Who is someone in your life who you are thankful for? The one person I am most thankful for is Jesus. He has never failed me and always forgiven me. I try to live by Psalm 37:5, “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it and he will.”

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How do you celebrate Thanksgiving, and what is your favorite Thanksgiving Day tradition? We always have a traditional family dinner and everyone comes. However, this year the grandkids are away at college, but they’ll be home for Christmas. We have seven grandchildren, most of whom are out of state working or going to college. They are spread between four different states, so we make the most of our time together when they do come home. Our sons have family out of state, so we have to share the time. On Thanksgiving, I always make the turkey and dressing, and everybody brings a dish to pass. We spend time visiting with each other that day. Just being together is my favorite tradition. Tell us about your farm. My husband, Ron, and our son, Paul, and I farm with Ron’s brother, Gary, and his wife, Helen, and their son, David. Paul and David are the third generation on the farm and do most of the work with the cattle. Ron and Gary take care of working the land and do all the harvesting and planting. We farm between 9001,000 acres. We milk three times a day in a double-10 parlor. Everyone does a good job, and we are very proud of our farm. It is a nice looking place, and we receive many compliments.

How do you show appreciation for the people you work with every day? I personally do not have any employee I work with on a regular basis, but when I do, I usually try to say please and thank you. I also make sure they get something for Christmas. Most of the time I work with my husband, and I hope he knows how much I appreciate his help before he leaves for his job or after a full day of work. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving, and what is your favorite Thanksgiving Day tradition? We usually have two Thanksgivings, one with my family and one with my husband’s family. Our favorite Thanksgiving tradition actually lasts for a full week. I love deer season, not necessarily for the deer we might get but for the family gatherings we have all week long. I enjoy cooking big meals and having everyone hang out here. Tell us about your farm. Our farm consists of 98 acres that we own, and we milk around 30 Jersey cows and have 70 heifers and steers. I also do the paperwork and crops for my husband’s Holstein farm down the road, where he milks 60 cows and has youngstock on 20 acres. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16

Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Aaron Barclay Seymour, Wisconsin Outagamie County 50 cows What are you thankful for farm-wise and family-wise this year? I am denitely thankful for the great weather and the bountiful crops we had. Family-wise, my wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary Nov. 14, and I’m very thankful for the interesting year we have had together. I am certainly grateful for my wife and our family, and their health and presence. Describe a moment this year that made you extremely grateful. The moment I am most grateful for this year occurred Sept. 22 – it was the rst morning I got to wake up here on the farm and walk to work. I’ve been commuting to my cows for over 15 years. When my mom and dad ofcially retired and moved to an apartment in town, my wife and I moved into the farmhouse. It was really wonderful to wake up here that rst morning. Who is someone in your life who you are thankful for? First and foremost, I am thankful for my wife, Ann, and for her help and support on the farm and in life. I am also thankful for my mom and dad, and for their help and patience in the transition of the farm.

How do you show appreciation for the people you work with every day? I try to be personally involved in all my relationships – from the neighbor who helps me occasionally to my family, the veterinarian and the nutritionist. I share my gratitude with people to let them know I care about them and their lives, not just what they do for me. That means different things to different people. My neighbor helps me with daily chores, and I help him with harvesting operations. Helping him get his crops off to make sure his cattle are fed is how I show appreciation for his help. To show appreciation to my vendors, I will send them a text to brighten their day. For my seed customers, I will give them a call or send them a message on their birthday and check in with them about events in their kids’ lives. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving, and what is your favorite Thanksgiving Day tradition? My favorite tradition is just gathering with family and looking to see who is going to fall asleep after dinner. We usually gather with some form of family (whoever is not hunting) and enjoy a traditional meal together. Tell us about your farm. We are the third generation milking at this location. We milk about 50 cows in a tiestall barn and crop about 80 acres. My older brother also runs about 80 acres of the family farm, which he cash crops. Our herd is mostly Holstein, and we do some rotational grazing. This is a traditional family farm, and the plan is to continue as is and hopefully make an option for another generation to take over here someday.

Aimee Schomburg Bangor, Wisconsin La Crosse County 120 cows What are you thankful for farm-wise and familywise this year? Farm-wise, that we were able to switch where we ship our milk, which has helped our protability this year. Family-wise, we are thankful that all of us remain healthy and get to farm together. Describe a moment this year that made you extremely grateful. This year we are grateful for the wonderful growing season; we have better feed quality and inventory than we have had in previous years. Who is someone in your life who you are thankful for? We are extremely grateful for lots of people in our lives. Troy’s parents help us out daily with the kids and some chores. We have two great employees who always show up with a smile, and all of our farm vendors are a huge part of our farm team and are always willing to work toward our farm goals with us. My mom also works with dairy farmers, and we talk on a daily basis about life, work and kids. My two younger sisters often visit, and our kids love them dearly. They both wear each other out. I also work as a farm business and production management instructor at Western Technical College, and all the

farm families I work with help me just as much as I try to help them. I joke with many of them that I should pay tuition to them for all the teachable moments. How do you show appreciation for the people you work with every day? I certainly don’t show enough appreciation for everyone we work with. I try to say thanks and take notice when someone goes above and beyond what is needed. Writing thank you notes, sending home baked goodies, a bouquet of owers from my garden or a gift card here or there are a few other things I enjoy doing to show appreciation. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving, and what is your favorite Thanksgiving Day tradition? We celebrate Thanksgiving much like many other farm families, with way too much food surrounded by friends and family. After the Thanksgiving meal, we get our blaze orange on and go deer hunting. Hunting for us is about enjoying the camaraderie and also lling the freezer. Tell us about your farm. My husband, Troy, and I bought the farm from his parents in 2017. We milk around 120 cows and have too many cats. We have two kids, ages 4 and 2, who enjoy helping and keeping us on our toes.

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Brenda Hartwig-Krueger Clintonville, Wisconsin Shawano County 78 cows What are you thankful for farmwise and family-wise this year? I am thankful being able to work side by side with my best friend. With dairy farming being our main income, we strive to make our family farm the best it can be. We both have our strengths, mine being in calf health management and accounting, and my husband’s is herd health and feed rationing and crop management. I am grateful for our adult children we have raised; though they are not in the dairy business with us, they are always willing to lend a hand when needed. From milking and feeding to picking stones, they all answer a call to serve if asked. Even our children’s spouses and signicant others nd ways they can help make a difference on the farm. Describe a moment this year that made you extremely grateful. This year for my side of the family, I found it challenging, with my father having been hospitalized for the past three months at a special hospital over three hours away from my closest sibling, which found us all taking time to be with my parents in ICU. With me stepping away from the farm for days on end, my children made sure to ll my boots so the farm kept moving without missing a beat, even when my kids had their own full-time jobs and families to raise. We couldn’t have been more proud and grateful for them in times of a family health crisis. Us stubborn farmers hate to ask for help, but when it comes to family, it gives us peace of mind knowing things are getting done while I was away. Who is someone in your life who you are thankful for? I am thankful for my dad. He raised seven children on our dairy farm. He was always a pillar of strength in the barn, around the table at supper time and sitting next to me in church when I needed a hand to hold, hankie to blow my nose in or a stern look to let me know I was getting out of line. I looked up to him as a child and still do, to this day, as a man I am proud of and thankful for. He is one person who people knew in the farming community as a great man, and we were honored to call him dad. How do you show appreciation for the people you work with every day? By going the extra mile, even when I wasn’t asked to. Just because I know the lengths he goes to, to make sure everything gets done to keep the farm going. I like to make a special meal, bring lunch out to the eld when days get long or catch extra chores in the barn when I know they need to be done. As I write this, after evening chores and at 9 p.m., he is out combining corn when I am by the toasty replace. It takes a tribe, as they say, and we take care of our own on the farm. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving, and what is your favorite Thanksgiving Day tradition? Thanksgiving is a day we celebrate with our family. From parents, spouses, children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, we all bring a dish to pass; watch football, of course; and eat until we are lethargic. And as Mom says, “If you go home hungry, you have no one to thank but yourself.” Tell us about your farm. We live on a three-generation dairy farm. Our farm has over 200 head, 78 milking as the moment. We have 400 tillable acres growing everything from corn to oats to alfalfa. We have our own sawmill on the home farm, which we have used to build up the farms and to build our log home in 2003. Our farm is on the Embarrass River, and we also have our own apple orchard, producing about 14 bushels of apples a year. Our farm is on Apple Road, which is very tting. We love the area we live in with so many great neighbors and friends any farm community would rally around.

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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

Harvesting Quality Forages

Dry hay key component in ration for Swartz

Tristan Swartz Gilman, Wisconsin Taylor County 50 cows

How many acres of crops do you raise? We cover about 600 acres for ourselves and custom run around 800 to 1,000 more.

Describe your farm and facilities. We farm in a swamp west of Gilman, Wisconsin, where we walk on water nine months a year. We milk cows and raise Berkshire hogs. The cows are milked in a tiestall barn. During the summer, we rotational graze a rye grass, meadow fescue, festolium, timothy, ladino clover and red clover pasture. We are able to raise 100% of our feed for both the cows and hogs.

Describe the rations for your livestock. Our dairy cows get pasture, rst crop balage, rst crop dry hay, corn silage and high-moisture cob corn in the summers. In the winter, they get third, fourth and fth crop balage; the soybean mix haylage; corn silage; highmoisture cob corn; and second, third and fourth crop dry bales. All corn and protein is top dressed according to the cow’s individual needs. We are big fans of feeding copious amounts of unprocessed dry hay for cow health. The dry cows get rst and second crop balage; rst and second crop dry hay; with corn silage. The youngstock get second crop balage; second crop dry hay; corn silage and ground cob corn. Fresh cows get all the high-quality dry hay they will eat and are gently brought in to the milk cow ration. If a cow is off in anyway, dry hay seems to be the cure all.

What forages do you harvest? We harvest a wide variety of crops so we can do what is best suited for each eld. Our hay consists of timothy, red clover and minimal alfalfa for dry baling; timothy, perennial rye grass, ladino and red clover and meadow fescue for balage and some dry hay; straight timothy for dry hay; open pollinated corn for silage; oat and clover for balage; and we make a mix of soybean, corn, oat, pea, timothy, Sudan and rape that we plant after the oats and chop for the silo.

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Tristan Swartz feeds dry hay to his milking cows at his dairy near Gilman, Wisconsin. The hay consists of Ɵmothy, red clover and minimal alfalfa.

What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? We put up, on average, around 1,800 large rounds of both dry

hay and balage, and more small square bales than anyone cares to admit and my back can take. We ll a 20-by-70 silo with corn silage and a large bunker. We are hoping to do away with the bunker and add two more silos next year.

Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. We cut our hay at 18- to 25-day schedules, depending on the weather, with a discbine in the evenings and at night when the dew is on to minimize ash from the mower lifting dust. We rake in the morning, right after the dew and bale in the late afternoon and evenings, and wrap in the middle of the night so the bales stay cool before they are wrapped. We run a set of rolabar double rakes for the dry hay and balage and, at times, a merger for the balage. For round bales, we use a silage special and crop cutter baler with net wrap and a small square baler with bale baskets. On our corn, we chop and kernel process the silage at around 65% and have made a cob saver sieve for the combine so we are able to retain around 75% to 85% of the cob Turn to FORAGES | Page 20

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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

ConƟnued from FORAGES | Page 18

at 35% moisture for the dairy cows and 18%-20% for the calves and hogs, all of which is either grinder-bagged or ground and blown up a silo. What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? We use wrapped wet and dry rounds; hay lofts for small squares; tarped stacks and lines for dry rounds; silos and bunkers for silage; and bags or silos for the high-moisture corn. We don’t have a TMR or mixer so we do not weigh our feed, but we are on the “feed more until they leave some” program. The silage, haylage and dry hay is fed in the barn, and we hand-ll H bunks in the lot for balage if weather allows in the winter. If it is bad weather, we hand feed the baleage in the barn.

Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. Our main challenge we overcame was input costs. By deciding to raise what our land raises best instead of trying to make it raise something else, like straight alfalfa, we are able to keep costs low while raising a more digestible crop. We also had quality issues with inclement weather so we keep up on our maintenance on our 40-year-old equipment so when it is t we can run 24 hours a day until it is done. It is amazing how cost-efcient and productive a person can be with simple, easy-to-work-on machines, parts machinery and no sleep until it rains. How does quality forages play a part in the production goals for your herd? Quality forages keep my concentrate and PHOTO SUBMITTED

Tristan Swartz cuts a eld near his dairy in Gilman, Wisconsin. Swartz raises 100% of his feed for the dairy’s needs.

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Tristan Swartz feeds dry hay to his 50-cow herd near Gilman, Wisconsin. The dry hay helps maintain animal health.

vet bills low, but high milk production does not always mean more prot. By putting up high-quality feed, the cows enjoy eating. We keep intakes high while retaining excellent cow heath and breeding. We feed a 2:1 mineral, selenium salt, bicarb, small amount of urea and around 4 pounds of a protein mix. The rest of the cows’ needs comes from highquality dry hay. Our cows are our family so we do not push them but instead, let them do their thing. Cows love highquality, young, dry hay so after they ll up with their other forages, we toss them as much of that square baled candy as they want. By feeding less processed feeds and additives, our cattle thrive. We do our own nutrition work simply by watching the manure and cows’ mannerisms and adjust what they consume by stage of lactation. By component feeding, we

are able to maximize a cow’s potential without sacricing health and breeding, or wasting feed. What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that have made a notable difference in forage quality? We have found by mowing in the evening and nights, the hay cures instead of being sun cooked. We also round bale with dew or cool night air to save leaves. Mowing the grasses and clovers at earlier intervals causes it to tiller more and to come back thicker and ner stemmed. We only use commercial fertilizer on rst-year seeding. After that, we use liquid manure spread after second cutting. We put bedding pack on land the fall before new seeding to increase organic material.

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JD 6620, 1979, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, 1557 hrs., #187694.................$7,900 JD 7720, 1986, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, #188736 .................................$8,500 JD 6620, 1983, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, 3800 hrs., #188350 .................$9,500 JD 6620, 1987, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, 3903 hrs., #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 hrs., #185458 .....$22,400 JD 9500, 1991, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 6266 hrs., 3872 Sep hrs., #189946 .....$25,500 JD 9610, 1998, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 4300 hrs., 2873 Sep hrs., #189672 ...................................................................................................$28,000 JD 9510, 1998, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 5225 hrs., 3475 Sep hrs.,#189676 ......$28,500 JD 9550, 2001, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 5054 hrs., 3424 Sep hrs., #189036 ............................................................................$42,500 JD 9660 STS, 2003, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 3044 hrs., 2063 Sep hrs., #190643 ............................................................................$64,500 JD 9770 STS, 2009, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 4548 hrs., 3172 Sep hrs., #190521 ............................................................................$81,000 JD 9670 STS, 2011, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 3669 hrs., 2503 Sep hrs., #188158 ............................................................................$99,900 JD 9670 STS, 2008, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2246 hrs., 1488 Sep hrs., #189622 ......................................................................... $103,500 JD 9770 STS, 2010, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2705 hrs., 1956 Sep hrs., #189933 ......................................................................... $109,900 JD 9670 STS, 2009, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2210 hrs., 1263 Sep hrs., #185612 ......................................................................... $110,400 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2973 hrs., 2063 Sep hrs., #182070 ......................................................................... $144,900 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2081 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, Duals, 2006 hrs., 1350 Sep hrs., #174756 ......................................................................... $159,900 JD S680, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2016 hrs., 1446 Sep hrs., #190055 ......................................................................... $161,000 JD S690, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1983 hrs., 1530 Sep hrs., #171923 ......................................................................... $179,000 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2424 hrs., 1762 Sep hrs., #190078 $191,000

3 JD S670, 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2429 hrs., 1453 Sep hrs., #176660 ......................................................................... $199,500 14 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1980 hrs., 1183 Sep hrs., #189953 ......................................................................... $202,000 15 JD S670, 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1614 hrs., 963 Sep hrs., #181669 ........................................................................... $237,500 16 JD S770, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2241 hrs., 1587 Sep hrs., #181147 ......................................................................... $245,000 10 JD S790, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1365 hrs., 1058 Sep hrs., #179097 ......................................................................... $315,400 16 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1375 hrs., 800 Sep hrs., #175318 ........................................................................... $319,500 1 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1331 hrs., 916 Sep hrs., #183533 ........................................................................... $355,000 17 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1077 hrs., 690 Sep hrs., #177549 ........................................................................... $364,400 11 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1066 hrs., 653 Sep hrs., #171103 .. $385,000 14 JD S790, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1180 hrs., 683 Sep hrs., #171378 ........................................................................... $389,500 2 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 571 hrs., 376 Sep hrs., #169509 ........................................................................... $409,500 8 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 744 hrs., 508 Sep hrs., #169507 ........................................................................... $409,500 16 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 996 hrs., 556 Sep hrs., #187111 ........................................................................... $435,900 16 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 759 hrs., 235 Sep hrs., #188459 ................................................................................................ $454,900 16 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 790 hrs., 281 Sep hrs. , #188309 .............................................................................................. $454,900 16 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 833 hrs., 247 Sep hrs., #188458 ................................................................................................ $454,900 2 3 4 14

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JD 630, 16 ft, #183751..............................................................................$9,900 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 Wishek 862NT, 2014, 22 ft, #190651 ...................................................$33,000

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JD 510, 1997, #185840 ............................................................................$9,750 JD 512, 2004, #190077 ..........................................................................$13,900 JD 512, 2008, #187681 ..........................................................................$22,900 Case IH 870, #190103 ..........................................................................$32,900 Case IH 870, 2013, #189644.................................................................$42,900 Case IH 875, 2014, #185837 .................................................................$49,900 Kuhn Krause 4855 Dominator, 2016, #181415 ..............................$54,900 JD 2730, 2014, #190066........................................................................$59,900 JD 2730, 2019, #190235 ........................................................................$71,900 JD 2730, 2020, #190207...................................................................... $111,500 JD 2730, 2019, #189743 ..................................................................... $113,500

10 13 5 14 6 10 9 12 9 4 4 10 10 10 10 4 4 1 8 4 4 4

IH Harvester Super M, 1953, Syncro, 2WD, 540 pto, Loader, #185983 .......$4,200 Belarus 800, Syncro, 2WD, 540 pto, Loader, #189359 ..................................$6,500 JD 4010, 1963, Syncro, 2WD, 540 pto, Loader, #190084 ................................$9,500 JD 5103, 2004, Syncro, 2WD, 540 pto, 500 hrs., #189624 ............................$16,900 JD 5065E, 2011, Syncro, 2WD, 540 pto, 1825 hrs., #190085 ........................$22,000 JD 5055E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, 113 hrs., #163199............................$41,000 JD 5055E, 2018, Cab, , MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 1230 hrs., #188967 ...........$41,500 JD 5055E, 2014, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 429 hrs., #188734 ...............$46,000 JD 6320, 2003, Cab, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 4406 hrs., #190056 ......$49,000 JD 5100E, 2020, Cab,, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #171435 ..............$68,000 JD 5100E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #165335 ...............$68,500 JD 6120E, 2020, Cab, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 90 hrs., #167015 ....................$84,000 JD 6135E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 241 hrs., #166735 .....$89,000 JD 6135E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 20 hrs., #166973 ........$90,500 JD 6135E, 2020, Cab, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, Loader, 89 hrs., #166971 ......... $90500 JD 6135E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 308 hrs., #174302 ...............$93,000 JD 6135E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #173850 ...............$93,000 JD 6135E, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 300 hrs., #174303 ...............$93,000 JD 6135E, 2021, Cab,, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 200 hrs., #173467 ..............$93,000 JD 6110M, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 300 hrs., #174297 ............$115,000 JD 6110M, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540 pto, Loader, 250 hrs., #174296 ............$115,000 JD 6130M, 2021, Cab, MFWD, 540/1000 pto, 200 hrs., #173465 ...............$120,000

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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

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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

Thankful in this season of life

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. The turkey, the pies, the stufng are just a few things that cannot be beat. It’s also the beginning of the holiday season that has me consumed with gratitude as we spend more time with family, reect on the year and our wishes for the time ahead. In the thick of motherhood, I am also reminded of our village who are helping raise our two rambunctious Coyne boys, including those who have exposed them to the core of the dairy industry. Like many of Bentley, 3, and Declan’s, 1, peers, by happenstance their daily exposure to farming is limited, yet the need to understand who produces their food and how is ever more important. We’ve been blessed with family, friends, neighbors and simply good farmers who have helped make this understanding fun and By Jennifer Coyne memorable. Assistant Editor Over the past 18 months, visiting my in-laws in Wisconsin has come with the usual goodness of spending time with family paired with the added importance of caring for animals. At some point during the spring of 2020, my father-in-law began milking cows. They have always raised a few heifers but typically nd more permanent housing for them once they come into milk. Two years ago, that was not the case and hasn’t been since. Now, every visit over the border has involved packing barn clothes and waking early so Bentley can milk cows with Grandpa Peter. Even the few sleepovers Bentley has had with them are consumed with prepping the cows, feeding the calves and making sure the animals are well bedded and fed using Grandpa Peter’s tractor. It’s fun to return home and have Bentley spot a dairy farm on our travels to and from daycare, only to ask if Grandpa Peter is up milking cows too. We attended a family wedding this past summer that allowed us a few minutes to catch up with good friends in western Wisconsin. As we visited at their home, Willie and the farmer took Bentley to see their dairy barn, equipped with robotic milking systems and other automation. While our then-2-year-old was silently in awe of the operation, he was quick to take note. To this day, if an advertisement of an automated feed pusher or milking robot is displayed in any print publication nearby Bentley’s potty-training chair, he is quick to point out that, “Those robots are on Matt’s farm.” More locally, we have had both neighbors and complete strangers offer to expose our little ones to farming. There was the Saturday morning when the boys and I brought farmers market donuts to a nearby dairy where Willie was trimming. For a few minutes, we watched the cows go through the chute. It was not long before a family member invited Bentley on a tractor ride around the farm. And still today, he will bring up that experience as we watch their cows on pasture when passing by. Early on in the fall, I wrote an article on the drought conditions in Minnesota and interviewed a farm family in the central part of the state. They live nearby, so when it came time to schedule photos to accompany the article, it was convenient to bring the kids with me prior to starting our day at daycare and the ofce. While I took photos of the elds, Bentley tagged along with Suzanne as she showed him their milking robots and the cows eating their morning helping of TMR. The farm stop concluded with Richard checking in on Declan who was waiting patiently in his car seat. And, I’d be failing myself not to mention the numerous neighbors who have offered the boys tractor rides as we watched them complete fall harvest while on our own stroller rides down the country roads. The interactions have been both brief and detailed, and planned and in passing, but nonetheless appreciated. While the boys might not let on to how these interactions inuence them, Willie and I know it is making a difference in how they understand the importance of agriculture and a dairy farmer’s purpose in our busy, busy world. Case in point, we took steers to the butcher shop and told Bentley the cows were giving us hamburger. He stoutly corrected us, “No, cows give milk.” We’ll tackle that conversation another day. There is nothing Bentley and Declan enjoy more than playing tractors and feeding their small herd of plastic Red and White cows a square bale of hay (Legos) or carpet farming white kidney beans with a combine. They nd amusement in driving through the countryside and pointing out who is in the eld with what tractor or whose cows are grazing the fence line. The boys are young and their interests may change as they grow older, but I hope their appreciation for the American dairy farmer never fades. And as for us parents, we are especially grateful for you amidst this season of life.

Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 23

University of Minnesota wins judging contest at NAILE Team reflects on culmination of hard work By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com

ST. PAUL, Minn. – When the University of Minnesota was announced as the winning dairy cattle judging team at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 7, all four team members were excited and proud. “There was excitement built up throughout the breeds,” Leif Annexstad said. “At that point, we kind of already knew how we would place.” Leif was part of the winning team that also placed rst in Brown Swiss, third in Ayrshire, Guernsey and Jersey judging, and fth in Holsteins. They won the contest by 28 points over Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The team also included Ashley Hagenow, Kjersten Veiseth and Leif’s brother, Matthias. Hagenow was high individual in reasons by an 8-point margin, and Veiseth and Matthias placed rst and seventh overall. The team is coached by Dr. Les Hansen and alumni Alicia (Thurk) Hiebert, and Eric and Gabriella (Sorg) Houdek. “This contest was our last contest as the culmination of our judging careers, between 4-H and FFA growing up, and then as collegiate judges as well,” said Hagenow, a junior studying agricultural communications and marketing from Poynette, Wisconsin. “So, we really were proud of ourselves and proud to represent the University, because to end on a high note was something we were all hoping to achieve.” Veiseth agreed. “We all wanted to go out having a really good last contest and last experience, and represent the University and ourselves well,” she said. “I think we were all just really happy and excited that we were able to do that.” Veiseth is a senior from Zumbrota studying animal science with a dairy production emphasis and agronomy. The four team members practiced every weekend since Labor Day and took part in other contests in anticipation of their chance to judge in Louisville. They traveled to three farms a day, judged three classes at each farm and gave reasons on one of those classes. During the second week of school, they attended the Vernon County Collegiate Contest in Viroqua,

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The University of Minnesota dairy caƩle judging team – (front from leŌ) Matthias Annexstad, Kjersten Veiseth, Ashley Hagenow and Leif Annexstad; (back) coach Dr. Les Hansen – are named the rst-place collegiate team in the dairy caƩle judging contest Nov. 7 at the North American InternaƟonal Livestock ExposiƟon in Louisville, Kentucky. Wisconsin, placing fourth. Later, they placed fth at the Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. There, athe Annexstad brothers and Veiseth placed within the top 25 individuals, with Hagenow just missing the cut. Five more farm stops were made in Iowa on their way to Louisville. “This is kind of a fun trip,” said Matthias, who is a senior studying animal science with a dairy production emphasis. “It’s more laid back and the pressure is off from (World Dairy) Expo, and we’ve historically done well at Louisville.” The team members said they are thankful for their support system – parents, 4-H and FFA coaches and advisors, collegiate coaches and mentors, and the farmers who hosted practices. “To see the pride that producers have for their operations on their farms and their cattle just boosts you up,” Hagenow said. “They are all so excited to welcome us and wish us well on the next contest or the next farm stop.” Veiseth agreed. “We get to see some of the top herds in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin,” she said. “It’s really cool to go and see those top herds and make connections with those dairy producers.” The team’s favorite travel stop, they said, was at Kunde Jersey Farm in Manchester, Iowa, where they enjoyed breakfast with the family. “All their kids were out with us eating breakfast and then they were watching us judge the cattle. They just wanted to be a

part of it,” Hagenow said. “That was the way at a lot of different farms and it is just really sweet to have that and think we can hopefully serve as role models too.” Leif, who is pusuing degrees in animal science with a dairy production emphasis, agriculture and food business management, and agronom, agreed. “There was denitely a lot of excited kids at the farm,” he said. “All of us were probably that way at one point, so it was just cool to see kids being excited for that stuff.” Among the lessons the four team

members learned over the years were making quick decisions, defending their opinions and improving their public speaking ability. “You probably don’t realize it when you’re young, but these are skills that you will use for the rest of your life,” Leif said. “It’s denitely worth doing.” After graduating next spring, Veiseth and Matthias are pursuing careers in animal nutrition, and Leif is planning to work in the industry for a few years before returning home to his family’s farm near St. Peter, where they milk about 180 cows. . Hagenow plans to work in marketing and communications in the dairy industry. “I think it’s pretty true to say that the dairy industry been our main focus for our entire lives so (the dairy industry) is something that we all care most about and it is a community that we all want to be a part of for the rest of our lives,” Matthias said. As the team reflects on their nal feat, Hagenow, Veiseth and the Annexstads are thankful to have been a part of dairy cattle judging at the University of Minnesota, treasuring the memories made, and looking forward to supporting future dairy cattle judges. “You feel a lot of pride for the organization that you are a part of and for the university, but also you feel accomplished because we’ve been judging since we were in third, fth and seventh grades,” Matthias said. “To judge collegiately is a cumulation of a lot of years of learning and hard work. It is rewarding to see it through all the way to the end and see how far we’ve come.”

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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 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: WOODMOHR VICTORIOUS GINNAY Born: September 23, 2021 Dam: Woodmohr Gentle Ginny-ET EX- 93 Sire: River Valley Victorious-ET Granddam: Budjon-Vail Jade Gianna-ET EX-94 Gr G Ganddam: Llolyn Jude Griffen-ET EX-95

Grand P Calf come rize sF Woodmohrom Jerseys, ow r by Wendy ned &J Schmidt o ohn Bloomer, Wf I

Wendy and Jon Schmidt of Woodmohr Jerseys are p pictured with Woodmohr Victorious Gennay, the heifer calf that will be given to a lucky youth in the Great Christmas Giveaway drawing.

Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 25

WISCONSIN

LAFAYETTE COUNTY

• Chippewa Farm Service, LLC Chippewa Falls • 715-382-5400 • Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply Stanley • 715-644-2350

MANITOWOC COUNTY

CHIPPEWA COUNTY

CLARK COUNTY

• Bill’s Tire & Service Inc. Colby • 715-223-4762 • Cloverdale Equipment Curtiss • 715-223-3361 • Premier Livestock Withee • 715-229-2500 • Silver Star Metals Withee • 715-229-4879

COLUMBIA COUNTY • Central Ag Supply Baraboo • 608-356-8384

DANE COUNTY

• Argall Dairy Systems, Inc Belleville • 608-424-6110

DODGE COUNTY

• Central Ag Supply Juneau • 920-386-2611

DUNN COUNTY

• Leedstone Menononie • 866-467-4717 • Midwest Livestock Systems Menomonie • 715-235-5144

FOND DU LAC COUNTY • Redeker Dairy Equipment Inc. Brandon • 920-346-5576

GRANT COUNTY

• Argall Dairy Systems, West Platteville • 608-348-3385 • Fuller’s Milker Center, LLC Lancaster • 608-723-4634 • Innovative Ag Services Cuba City • 608-744-2287 • J. Gile Dairy Equipment Inc. Cuba City • 608-744-2661 • Premier Co-op Lancaster • 608-723-7023 • Scott Implement Platteville • 608-348-6565

GREEN COUNTY

• Monroe WestfaliaSurge/Koehn, Inc. Monroe • 608-325-2772 • Top Notch Feed & Supply New Glarus • 608-527-3333

IOWA COUNTY

• Premier Co-op Mineral Point • 608-987-3100

JACKSON COUNTY • W.H. Lien, Inc.

Hixton • 715-963-4211

KEWAUNEE COUNTY

• Luxemburg Motor Company

• Center Hill Veterinary Clinic Darlington • 608-776-4083 • EIS Implement Two Rivers • 920-684-0301

MARATHON COUNTY

• Brubacker Ag Equipment, LLC Edgar • 715-613-7308

MONROE COUNTY

• Preston Dairy Equipment Sparta • 608-269-3830

PEPIN COUNTY

• Anibas Silo & Repair Arkansaw • 715-285-5317 • Komro Sales & Service Inc. Durand • 715-672-4263

PIERCE COUNTY

• Ag Partners Grange Hall • 715-647-5002 • Western Wisconsin Farm Store Ellsworth • 715-273-5066

RICHLAND COUNTY

• Fuller’s Milker Center, LLC Richland Center • 608-647-4488 • Premier Co-op Richland Center • 608-647-6171

SAUK COUNTY

• Central Ag Supply Baraboo • 608-356-8384

TREMPEALEAU COUNTY • Komro Sales & Service Inc. Whitehall • 715-538-1495

VERNON COUNTY

• Koon Kreek Feeds Coon Valley • 608-452-3838 • Premier Co-op Westby • 608-634-3184

IOWA

ALLAMAKEE COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Waukon • 563-568-3455 • Waukon Veterinary Services Waukon • 563-568-2487

CLAYTON COUNTY

• Innovative Ag Services Elkader • 563-245-1230 Monona • 563-539-2001

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

JACKSON COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Andrew • 563-672-3228

MINNESOTA DAKOTA COUNTY

• Werner Implement Vermillion • 651-437-4435

HOUSTON COUNTY

• Farmers Win Coop Caledonia • 507-725-3306 Houston • 507-896-3147 Spring Grove • 507-498-5321 • Hammell Equipment Eitzen • 507-495-3326

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

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

WINONA COUNTY

• Ag Partners Lewiston • 507-523-2188 • Elba Coop Elba • 507-796-6571 • S&S Dairy Systems St. Charles • 507-932-4288

Luxemburg • 920-845-2011

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 27, 2021

Elections for the 2021 county committee By Steve Frericks Farm Service Agency

Voting is now open for the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Local County Committee. It is important every eligible producer participate in these elections because FSA county committees are a link between the agricultural community and the USDA. The 2021 election in your local county will be conducted for the representative for Local Administrative Area that is up for election this year. County committee members are a critical component of FSA operations. Committees should be comprised of members who reect the diversity of producers involved in production agriculture in the county. This means that producers representing underserved groups or communities should be on the committee to speak on behalf of their constituency. Underserved producers are beginning, women and other minority farmers and ranchers and landowners and/or operators who have limited resources. Other minority groups including Native American and Alaska Natives; persons under the poverty level and persons that have disabilities are also considered underserved. County committee election ballots were mailed to eligible voters Nov. 1. The last day to return completed ballots to your USDA Service Center is Dec. 6. For more information on eligibility to serve on FSA county committees, visit fsa.usda.gov/elections. 2022 ARC-PLC elections, enrollment Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-CO or PLC, which are both crop-by-crop, or ARC-IC, which is for the entire farm. Although election changes for 2022 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Also, if a producer has a multi-year contract on the farm and makes an election change for 2022, it will be necessary to sign a new contract. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2022. Farm owners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the crop. Signing up now assists the county ofce staff with expected heavy workloads closer to the deadline date. Producers are reminded they can change their election choice right up to the signup deadline without penalty. Call your local service center for details. Use this opportunity for the staff to explain all the other program choices you might be eligible for right now. USDA expands assistance to cover feed transportation costs for drought-impacted ranchers In response to the severe drought conditions in the West and Great Plains, the USDA announced its plans to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. USDA is updating the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program to immediately cover feed transportation costs for drought-impacted ranchers. FSA will provide more details and tools to help ranchers get ready to apply at their local USDA Service Center later this month at fsa.usda.gov/elap. ELAP provides nancial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised sh for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events or loss conditions as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. ELAP already covers the cost of hauling water during drought, and this change will expand the program beginning in 2021 to cover feed transportation costs where grazing and hay resources have been depleted. This includes places where: – Drought intensity is D2 for eight consecutive weeks as indicated by the U.S. Drought Monitor. – Drought intensity is D3 or greater. – USDA has determined a shortage of local or regional feed availability. Cost share assistance will also be made available to cover eligible cost of treating hay or feed to prevent the spread of invasive pests like re ants. Under the revised policy for feed transportation cost assistance, eligible ranchers will be reimbursed 60% of feed transportation costs above what would have been incurred in a normal year. Producers qualifying as underserved (socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning or military veteran) will be reimbursed for 90% of the feed transportation cost above what would have been incurred in a normal year. A national cost formula, as established by USDA, will be used to determine reimbursement costs which will not include the rst 25 miles and distances exceeding 1,000 transportation miles. The calculation will also exclude the normal cost to transport hay or feed if the producer normally purchases some feed. For 2021, the initial cost formula of $6.60 per mile will be used (before the percentage is applied), but may be adjusted on a state or regional basis. To be eligible for ELAP assistance, livestock must be intended for grazing and producers must have incurred feed transportation costs on or after Jan. 1, 2021. Although producers will self-certify losses and expenses to FSA, producers are encouraged to maintain good records and retain receipts and related documentation in the event these documents are requested for review by the local FSA County Committee. The deadline to le an application for payment for the 2021 program year is Jan. 31, 2022. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.

Milk prices on the rise Wow, what a week to hear someone talking about rising milk prices. No, not for dairy farmers, but the higher prices of milk and other groceries. A CNN segment Nov. 4 was focusing on ination taking place at local grocery stores. Krista Stotler, a mother from Texas, expressed concern about rising prices at the grocery store. She made a comment that she purchases 12 gallons of milk a week for her family. The story was supposed to be about ination, but the 12 gallons of milk she buys to feed her children was snapped up and went By Tina Hinchley Farmer & Columnist viral. I actually heard about this CNN segment while listening to the radio. The DJs were laughing, thinking it is a huge amount of milk for a family. Well, I disagree. Krista and Larry Stotler have 11 mouths to feed. Drinking 12 gallons is the perfect amount to have on hand for a week. The USDA dietary guidelines recommend 3 cups of milk a day, so this is well within a healthy range. These parents went out of their way to make sure their children have the most wholesome and nutritious drink. Milk is in their diets to ensure their kids are able to get the 13 essential minerals and vitamins milk provides to grow healthy and strong. I think Krista and Larry are super parents: eight children and a foster child raised with milk at every meal. I understand uid milk consumption has decreased in the last decade, but it took a turn as the pandemic kept families in isolation. Families are eating together, cooking together and enjoying dairy products as comfort food. Milk is often sold out at the grocery stores, along with toilet paper and other essential items. Milk is the go-to drink when a family eats cereal together. Milk is added to coffee when adults are on their way to work. Milk is used in many recipes to add taste and creamy goodness to homecooked meals. Milk is making a comeback. Cup for cup, milk versus any other nutritious drink is still the most affordable. Krista had been commenting that milk was $1.99 but now it was $2.79. Yes, it did go up in price; it went from 12 cents per cup to 17 cents, still making it the best buy for her family. I believe people in Wisconsin and the Midwest drink more milk. Twelve gallons a week doesn’t sound crazy to me at all. When my children were all home, we went through 2 gallons a day for a total of 14 gallons. We are a family of six. We love milk. Our kids easily polished off a whole gallon eating

Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 27

cereal before school. It gave my kids the nutrition and energy to head off to school and kept them going until lunch. The half pints of milk at school were not usually enough, and I often sent extra money for them to have milk on their snack break. Then my kids would reach for milk after getting off the bus, then have another glass or two with a snack to keep them going through chores and milking. Lastly, we all enjoyed another glass or two with our evening meal. I am condent milk has been a huge part of my children’s ability to perform well in school and sports, work hard on the farm and stay physically t. Milk is a whole food, providing 13 essential nutrients that play an important role in growth and development. Both adults and children benet from drinking milk and consuming dairy foods.

I am also a believer in the benets of chocolate milk to help recover after chores or a heavy workout. Chocolate milk as a recovery drink is sponsored in many athletic programs. It has the required ratio of 3-4 grams carbohydrate to 1 gram of protein, and it provides essential amino acids a body can’t make. Chocolate or white milk – both have health benets and are the most affordable, nutritious drinks to have on hand for the whole family, whether it is 12 gallons or more. Tina Hinchley, and her husband, Duane, daughter Anna, milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Hinchley’s have been hosting farm tour for over 25 years.

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Heading into 2022 with Great Results: • Increased tank average • Improved cow health U Ƃ Ã>Ì ÃvÞ } > ` yiÝ L i Ü À « >Vi v À ÕÀ VÀiÜ • Lifestyle and a career for children’s future (all currently working in >} Ài >Ìi` wi `Ãt®

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In recent years, the Groetsch family earned one of the Top 200 robot-producing `> ÀÞ iÀ`Ã Ì i Ü À `t ,> } Ì i Ì « Óää « >ViÃ Ì i Ì i Ì « £¯ v the Lely robotic milking farms. It’s a wonderful testament to all the hard work and dedication this family offers to the agricultural community. “Getting to our 10-year mark has reinforced the idea that we made the right choice by going robotic, and by going Lely & Leedstone. We continue to watch IOFC (income over feed costs) and SCC (somatic cell count); and by cross-breeding, we are keeping our barn at the optimal capacity.” - Lisa Groetsch

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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968 Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 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

www.extension.umn.edu/dairy

Can dairy cattle spend their winter outside? By Joe Armstrong, DVM Midwest Dairy

Dairy cattle are hardy animals. Dairy cattle are maybe not as hardy as beef cattle but certainly tough enough to spend their winter outside if given the correct resources. Dairy farmers looking to grow, or dairy farmers starting out, can take advantage of this toughness and cut the cost of a building if necessary. Stocking density is the most important factor for out wintering success. When cattle are stocked appropriately in their living space, they are more comfortable and more productive. Appropriate stocking density reduces stress; improves health and decreases illness; creates uniform body condition allowing for better nutritional decisions and control; decreases competition for resources among cattle; and increases productivity, including average daily gain, milk yield, reproduction efciency and feed efciency. What factors inuence cattle stocking density in an outdoor area? Especially in the winter, a windbreak is one of the most important things you can provide cattle to help them stay comfortable. Windbreaks can be naturally occurring (trees) or man-made (buildings, rows of stacked bales or other structures). The windbreak should ideally cover the bedded pack, feeding area and watering area. A bedded pack provides a comfortable place for cattle to relax and ruminate. A bedded pack also keeps cattle warm and dry, and should provide 100 square feet per cow. Adequate bunk space limits competition for resources, especially when there are mixed age groups in an area. Having sufcient bunk space will

also produce a group of cattle that have a similar body condition. Having uniform body condition within a group makes nutrition decisions more applicable and makes maintaining body condition goals more achievable. Correct body condition management can result in improved performance in all aspects of a cattle operation. Provide 2 linear feet of bunk space per cow for the best results. Water is often the forgotten nutrient despite it being the most important. Proper hydration is essential for proper immune function and overall health, and water drives dry matter intake, meaning it is also the most crucial nutrient for performance. One to 2 linear inches of water space per cow is the recommended water space. Appropriate stocking density is determined by three main factors: physical space, bunk space and water space. To provide the most comfortable and productive environment for cattle, producers have two options: build facilities to match their desired cattle numbers, or match the number of cattle to their most limiting factor. If you know how many cattle you have or want to have, you can use that number to determine what specications your facilities need to have for comfortable and productive cattle. E x a m p l e : I want to have 100 cows in my outdoor pen over winter. The bedded pack space should be 100 square feet per cow for 10,000 square feet of a bedded pack. You can congure the 10,000 square feet in whatever way best ts the space you have to work with. The area can be a 100-by-100 square or two 100-by-50 rectangles, whatever works best. The bunk space should be 2 linear feet per cow for 200 linear feet of bunk space. Like the bedded pack space, this bunk can be congured however works best for your space – one long bunk, two shorter bunks, four short bunks, etc. You can count both sides of the bunk if cows can access both sides.

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The water space should be 1 to 2 linear inches per cow for 100 to 200 linear inches of water. Like the bunks, you can count all sides of the waterer if the cows can access all the sides. Sometimes multiple water locations are preferred to prevent a boss cow from monopolizing the only water access. If you already have an area you would like to use for cattle, you can use the specications of the facility to determine how many comfortable, productive cattle the area can support. Producers should use the most limited resource to determine the appropriate cow numbers. Example: My facility has the following specications: – An area behind a windbreak where I can build a bedded pack that is 100-by-100. – One fence line bunk providing 150 linear feet of bunk space. – Two waterers, each with 80 linear inches of water space. Each of these specications, when considered alone, could provide for the following cow numbers: – 100-by-100 bedded pack is 10,000 square feet. If you allow 100 square feet per cow, you can have 100 cows. – 150 linear feet of bunk space. If you allow 2 linear feet per cow, you can have 75 cows – Two waterers providing 160 linear inches of water. If you allow 1 to 2 linear inches per cow, you can have 80 to 160 cows. In this example, my facility’s bedded pack space and water space can support 100 cows, but my bunk space can only accommodate 75 cows. To have comfortable, productive cows in this facility, we have to use the most limiting factor to determine our cow numbers, meaning the ideal number of cows for this area is 75 cows. If I wanted to have 100 cows in this area, I would need to add 50 feet of bunk space somehow.

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Why calf barns get damp during cold weather By Kevin Jani Midwest Dairy

Have you noticed your calf barn feels damp and humid when temperatures drop below 30 degrees Fahrenheit? Let me see if I can explain why unheated calf barns get so damp. Cold weather ventilation is supposed to provide plenty of fresh, draft-free air at animal level to remove moisture, gases and airborne pathogens. The amount of air exchange needed depends on the number, age and size of calves, and ambient weather dry-bulb temperatures and relative humidity levels. If you don’t exchange enough air, the barn becomes humid, stinky and has more airborne pathogens. Cold weather ventilation is a challenge because calf barns are rarely heated, and cold air cannot hold much moisture. This is important because ventilation air needs to remove the moisture from animal respiration, urine and feces from the barn. If ventilation air does not remove enough moisture, the barn air becomes humid and clammy, the bedding becomes wet, and condensation or frost can form on cold walls. One way to remove more moisture is to increase the ventilating rate through the barn, but as the temperature drops in cold weather, the air’s moisture-holding capacity decreases, which means you need to increase the ventilating rate even more. It is a vicious cycle as temperatures drop. It takes 7,230 ft.3 of air at 30 degrees and 50% relative humidity to hold 1 pound of water (approximately 1.9 cups) but only 1,510 ft.3 of air at 60 degrees and 80% RH to hold that same 1 pound of water. Air increases its water holding capacity as temperature and relative humidity increase. A 100-pound calf gives off roughly 0.07 pounds of water per hour through respiration and evaporation from the skin at about 37 degrees. To remove that moisture, you need to exchange 3,380 ft.3 of air per hour per calf, or 56 ft.3 per minute (CFM), if the outdoor air enters at 0 degrees and 50% RH, absorbs moisture, and leaves the barn at 0 degrees and 80% RH. At 60 degrees, you need 279 ft.3 of air per hour per calf (or 4.6 CFM) when the air goes from 50% to 80% RH to remove 0.07 pounds of water per hour. Figure 1 shows that it takes a lot more ventilation air exchange in cold weather to manage air relative humidity

levels in the barn when not adding heat. Moisture evaporating from urine and feces adds to the total moisture load. The amount of moisture to remove increases as calves grow. Using plenty of dry bedding helps manage the urine and feces moisture, but some will evaporate and need to be removed by ventilation. The commonly recommended cold weather ventilating rate is 15 to 20 CFM per calf (MWPS-7). This recommended ventilating rate is based on having the barn at 30 degrees. Winter in northern regions has temperatures below 30 degrees for many hours. So, if you are providing 15 CFM per calf and the temperature drops below 30 degrees, your barn will become wet and clammy (Figure 1). You probably will have condensation or frost on cold exterior walls, too, as indoor humidity increases and outdoor temperatures drop. Another common cold weather ventilation recommendation is to provide four air changes per hour (ACH). The cold weather ventilating rate in CFM can be found by dividing the room volume (cubic feet) by 15. The ACH method gives different ventilating rates for barns with different ceilings heights. Calves provided with 30 feet of bedded pack area per calf in a barn with an 8-foot ceiling would need to have 16 CFM per calf. If the ceiling height is 12 feet, four ACH corresponds to 24 CFM. These ventilating rates will have trouble removing the moisture from the calves and the bedded pack at temperatures below 20 degrees. What can you do? Remember, the goal of cold weather ventilation is to provide plenty of fresh, draft-free air at animal level to remove moisture, gases and airborne pathogens. Second, have a method to distribute fresh air uniformly in a draft-free way. A positive-pressure tube system works well. Third, try to have a way to increase the ventilating rate when it is cold for an extended period to remove more moisture and better manage the relative humidity level. Fourth, consider removing wet and dirty bedding and/or adding more fresh, dry bedding. Fresh, dry bedding will allow calves to nest and manage the cold temperatures better. Fifth, let conditions become humid temporarily, but remember damp conditions are supposed to be temporary, so increase ventilation to dry out the barn when temperatures rise again. Finally, you could add heat but doing so would be expensive.

Ventilating rate (CFM per calf)

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Figure 1. VenƟlaƟng rate per calf needed to remove 0.07 pounds of water per hour with no temperature rise and increasing the air relaƟve humidity from 50% to 80%.

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Squash, cranberries revamped Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

As you start to read this, your stomach has likely been lled to the max with a hearty Thanksgiving meal, and you are well into eating turkey and other xings for at least the second day. I’ll be honest: I love the fact that the leftovers last for days afterward; it’s like having a vacation from cooking. Two things that grace our Thanksgiving table, because it seems almost sacrilegious not to include them, are squash and cranberry sauce. According to my yearly notes, these are the two things I have the most leftover every year. However, if I put the cranberries in a cake or make a delicious drink, they quickly disappear. The squash has found its way into soft dinner rolls that have become the most requested item on the Thanksgiving menu (next to the pies). While your Thanksgiving meal may be past, give these recipes a try. They will warm the kitchen, and I bet make a few bellies happy.

Buttered cranberry punch 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves 2 cans jellied cranberry sauce 3 cups water 1 quart canned pineapple juice In a saucepan, combine sugar, 1 cup water, salt and spices and bring to a boil. In large kettle, crush the cranberry sauce with a fork and add 3 cups water. Use hand mixer and beat until smooth. Add pineapple juice and hot syrup mixture. Simmer about ve minutes. At party time, heat punch over low heat. Ladle into mugs and add dots of butter. Serve with cinnamon sticks for stirrers. Makes about 2 1/2 quarts of punch. So delicious on a cold day.

Rich cranberry coffee cake 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 4 eggs 2 1/4 cups our Ramblings from the Ridge (reserve 1/4 cup to coat cranberries) 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups cranberries (no need to chop, frozen is ne) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. By Jacqui Davison Add eggs, mixing well. Combine dry ingredients Columnist (2 cups our), gradually add to butter mixture. Mix remaining our with cranberries, fold into batter; it will be very thick. Spoon into a well-greased Bundt or 10inch uted tube pan. Bake for 65-70 minutes until cake tests done with a toothpick. Let stand 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar. Ira requested this cake for his birthday this year; it doesn’t last long around here. Harvest squash rolls 1 cup mashed, cooked butternut squash 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup warm milk (120-130 degrees) 1 package active dry yeast (1/4 ounce) 1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees) 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose our In a mixing bowl, combine squash, sugar, butter and salt; mix well. Stir in warm milk, cool slightly. I usually add hot milk to cold squash, cools easily. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add to squash mixture; mix well. Stir in enough our to form a soft dough. Turn onto a oured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about an hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto oured surface and divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to cool. These are a special treat around here. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira (14), Dane (12), Henry (7) and Cora (4), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 31

I’ll never forget milking cows structure dictates smaller pens, it may in a tiestall barn, feeding cows with reduce the capacity of the barn. You wheelbarrows and feed will likely need to clean carts on my family’s Something to Ruminate On pens more frequently to dairy farm in northwest reduce ammonia at the calf Minnesota. Many level. Some farms have producers have moved chosen to gut the internal out of these older barns components in these barns, and into freestall barns providing more exibility to expand the herd or for the layout. move to a new milking For calf health, system while enhancing ventilation and the factors cow comfort and labor that impact it should efciency. be carefully considered Abandoned tiestall before placing young dairy barns can look calves in an old dairy barn. very attractive for calves, These barns tend to have By Barry Visser especially this time of very little opportunity for Nutritionist year. They are warmer natural ventilation and than hutches and protect rely on tunnel ventilation calves and caretakers from the elements. or a similar negative-pressure system. Before you renovate, consider these key You may be able to use portions of factors to provide a good environment existing mechanical ventilation systems for your calves. as a savings, yet still effectively ventilate Stocking density in old dairy barns retrotted barns. is often the biggest challenge. Calves Positive-pressure tubes often work require a minimum of 28 square feet in retrotted barns but may present per animal in the rst 60 days. Evaluate some challenges. We try to make use the ebb and ow of past and projected of windows or old exhaust fan holes to calvings and determine how often the avoid cutting through outside walls. In monthly calvings vary from the average. barns with low ceilings, it can be difcult This will determine if the building space to install fans or tubes so they can’t be is adequate to accommodate the heavier reached by calves or skidloaders. calving pressures. Recommendations by the University Consider sloping your pens so of Wisconsin School of Veterinary leachate can drain into a removal system. Medicine and others include a minimum If the barn cleaner is functional, this of 600 to 1,000 cubic feet of air space or can be a good way to remove wet or four air exchanges per hour during winter, soiled bedding. When sloping is not 15 to 20 air exchanges per hour during an option, you may cut grooves in the transitional periods like spring and fall, concrete to move uid. More uid means and 40 or more air exchanges per hour in more ammonia accumulation in the the summer. When air space is limited, it bedding and a greater risk for respiratory reduces the number of animals you can challenges. house or requires increased ventilation For some tiestall or stanchion without drafting calves. Work with barns, the structure can be a challenge someone trained in air specications to getting 28 square feet per calf. If the before construction takes place. These

early discussions can potentially save you time and expense. A comprehensive cleaning and sanitation program is key to preventing disease in any calf facility. Pens should be designed for cleaning ease. It is generally not recommended to pressure wash or aerosolize water in an enclosed calf barn. Consider removable panels to sanitize between calves or have a system for cleaning in place. Foamers can be good options for disinfecting clean surfaces. With any age of calves or heifers, think about how you will feed and water animals in a retrotted barn. This is often one of the biggest pitfalls. Baby calves must reach the bottom of the pail, which may require adjusting pail heights as the calves grow. Weaned calves and older heifers need to easily reach through the bunk to access feed. Design the feeding space so you can push up feed and keep

it fresh. Adequate hot water availability can be a challenge in barns where an older water heater cannot keep up with demands of the feeding and cleaning processes. From a consumption standpoint, water pressure, access and quality are all additional considerations. Retrotting a tiestall barn for calves can be an efcient way to reallocate existing space and resources on a farm. Start with a checklist of needs and determine if that old facility can functionally ll those needs. If so, work with industry representatives who can advise you on making updates. The goal is a facility that allows your calf team to comfortably care for calves while achieving optimum health and performance. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.

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An extra hour Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

As November rolled in, we started to become giddy with excitement. What would we do with our extra hour on Sunday when the clocks fell back? Would we take a nap before church or even make it to an earlier service? Would we nd a quiet place to reconnect with a book neglected during the busy harvest season? Would we take the extra hour to celebrate, just because? Or, would we work an extra hour longer? I do not know what Mark was planning to do with his extra hour, but what happened denitely wasn’t on our radar. We have been slowly building up the milking herd. Right now, it is quicker to count the number of empty stalls than the number of cows standing in the barn. We’re knocking on the door of milking 70 head. On Sunday morning, as we switched back to Central Standard Time, we lled in a few more stalls. Once it became light enough to see outside, I

started to feed the calves in the domes. That is when we discovered a heifer had calved during the morning milking. No problem. We would get her milked, the calf fed and still make it to early church service. Or at least we could be early to the later service. But as Mark and I were bringing the new fresh heifer back from the milking barn, we noticed all the springers and youngstock were standing in the northwest corner of their lot back behind the shed. Something had their attention and it piqued our curiosity. Grabbing a pitchfork, we started walking across the lot. I was scanning the crowd trying to nd my favorite heifer: B-568. For some reason, she absolutely does not like me and is not afraid to show me how much. She has been head butting me since she was a baby calf. At rst, I could just push her away. Then I had to start climbing a fence to get out of her reach. Now she follows me up and down the fence line as I feed milk to the calves in

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the domes. She tries to nudge me between the cables if I stand too close, and it is not a love tap. I can only imagine how we will get her across the yard between the switch cow shed and the milking barn after she calves this spring. I hope it does not include using me Just Thinking Out Loud as bait to get her moving. As we walk across the lot, we start to hear something. It sounds like a bawling calf. As we work our way through the crowd of curious heifers, the sound gets louder. Just as Mark reaches the end of the shed and the outer edge of the concrete, he catches a glimpse of something black moving behind some By Natalie Schmitt brush trees on the other Columnist side of the fence. We have another calf? With the recent fall rains, the mud lot is like quicksand wrapping around your boots if you dare to venture from the concrete lot. Mark bounces from pile to pile to reach the calf. The calf sprints northward toward open elds. I high tail it out of the heifer lot to nd Austin to help wrangle this very agile calf. I grab Austin off the feed cart, and we jump on the four-wheeler. I am afraid we will have to bull dog from the bike, considering how quickly this calf scooted through the underbrush. Just as we round the edge of the machine shed, we see Mark. He has the calf wrapped in his arms as he brings her to the yard. Out of breath, he hands her off to Austin to nish the journey to the barn. I don’t know how Mark caught her, but he does have a way with the ladies. She was already dry and steady on her legs, so we gured she must have been born overnight and wandered out of the switch cow shed to mingle with the bred heifers. Regardless, we had to nd another fresh heifer to milk. Walking through the switch cow lot, we found a springer who had just a trace remnant of cleanings on her tail. Well at least she cleaned. Now to chase her across the yard to the milking barn. After the last fresh heifer was milked and her calf fed, we scrambled to get ready for late church service. We slid into a pew just as they started to sing the opening hymn. So much for an extra hour to do something fun, lazy or just be early. It turned out our extra hour was not much different than any other hour of the day. As we adjust to less daylight this month, I’m discovering I can never nd a working ashlight when I need one to help feed calves or to help repair silo unloaders in the dark. The ashlights haven’t been used since last winter, and the power in the batteries seems to have faded. I am constantly looking for new batteries. Which reminds me of something I saw on Grace and Mercy’s Facebook page: “When a ashlight grows dim or quits working, do you just throw it away? Of course not. You change the batteries. When a person messes up or nds themselves in a dark place, do you cast them aside? Of course not. You help them change their batteries. Some need: AA – attention and affection; AAA – attention, affection and acceptance; Some need C – compassion; Some need D – direction. And if they still don’t seem to shine, simply sit with them quietly and share your light.” As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 33

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. We have reached the end of a very good chapter in the story of our farm. This chapter started 15-some years ago when we met Ron while working as herdsmen at the Salzls’ farm. Ron did relief milking for them. After we bought our farm, we asked Ron if he would consider doing some relief milking for us. He agreed and began milking for us occasionally. I don’t think it was hard for Ron to say yes to Dairy Good Life milking. Ron grew up on a dairy farm and dairy farmed himself for several years before taking a job in town. Ron is one of those men who truly loves cows. He would tell us stories about the cow families in his herd. And he remembered the cow families in our herd – sometimes even better than us. Sometime around when Monika was born, we asked Ron to consider milking for us one night a week. We needed some time off on a regular basis, and Ron really seemed to enjoy milking. Again, Ron agreed. By Sadie Frericks And, so, began the Ron years – at least that’s how Columnist I will remember them. Every Wednesday night, Ron came to milk. Some of those nights we did things like family movie night or simply sat down to a non-rushed supper. Some of those nights we chopped corn or caught up on other chores. And if we needed a different night off for a Christmas program or a fatherdaughter ball or a softball game, Ron was always happy to switch unless he was refereeing a high school volleyball game. Ron also continued to milk for us when we went away for the weekend or took a business trip. Every dairy farmer knows it can be hard to leave the farm, but we never worried when we left the cows with Ron. Ron was so good with our cows and knew them so well. If Luna came in looking a little off, Ron noticed. If Athena was in heat, Ron caught it. And, because he also worked as a relief A.I. technician, he took care of that, too, when we were away. If the cows or heifers got out, Ron put them back in. But even better than being a great milker, Ron became a great friend. Just as Ron was one of the rst to know when our kids were born, because he was milking for us, we were some of the rst to know when he had a new grandchild arrive. We got to know Ron’s family through his stories, almost as well as he knows ours. He occasionally brought his family to see the cows. His wife, Jane, sent Easter baskets for the kids, and their house was a must-stop for trick-or-treating. And it wasn’t uncommon for Ron to show up on Wednesday night with a fresh

batch of the best monster cookies for us. This chapter came to an end last month for a reason many dairy farmers (and retired dairy farmers) will relate to: Ron’s knees have been bothering him, and his doctor recommended retiring from milking. When I told the kids Ron was retiring, there were sad, but understanding, faces and questions about what we were going to do without him. I told them we’d look for a new relief milker. Daphne immediately responded, “We’re never going to nd another Ron.” Daphne might be right. Ron leaves us with some very big shoes to ll, but I’m hoping there’s someone else out there who enjoys milking as much as Ron did. Ron, if you’re reading this, thank you for loving us and loving our cows as if they were your own. We are so grateful for all your help for all these years. Enjoy your retirement. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children – Dan, 13, Monika, 11, and Daphne, 7. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.

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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

Jerseys from the get-go

Wussow wins National Jersey Youth Achievement By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

CECIL, Wis. – For as long as he can remember, the Jersey cow has been a factor in shaping Colin Wussow’s life. From people he has met to places he has traveled and everything in between, the Jersey cow has been right there with him. Wussow, 21, topped the 2020 National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest earlier this year and was honored at the All-American Jersey Show during the North American International Livestock Exposition earlier this month in Louisville, Kentucky. He placed sixth in the 2019 contest, which honors the top 10 Jersey youth in the nation annually. This year, he was also recognized as the recipient of the V.L. Peterson Scholarship. “I am denitely the person I am today because of the Jersey cow,” Wussow said. “She has impacted my life in so many ways, and I am better for that.” Wussow, along with his parents, Ron and Nicolle, and sister and brother-in-law, Kaila and Joey Tauchen, and

their daughter, Amelia, operate Milk-N-More Farms and Harvesting LLC, where they milk 100 cows and operate a custom cropping business. The herd is comprised of about 70% Jerseys and 30% Holsteins. Wussow owns a small herd within his family’s herd that consists of about 45 Jerseys and six Holsteins. Wussow is in his senior year at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. At school, Wussow is involved in the Dairy Club, Agriculture Business and Marketing Society, the Alpha Gamma Rho-Alpha Psi fraternity and held a spot on the school’s World Dairy Expo judging team. He will graduate in May with a major in agribusiness and minors in dairy and crop sciences. Following his graduation, Wussow plans to work in the agricultural sector for several years before returning home to the family farm full time. “There are lots of possibilities for the future of our farm,” Wussow said. “Things like robotic technologies, onfarm processing and a variety of other things that are rolling

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAILA TAUCHEN

Colin Wussow is a winner of the American Jersey CaƩle AssociaƟon’s NaƟonal Youth Achievement Contest. Wussow and his family milk 100 cows near Cecil, Wisconsin. around in my mind. I would also like to work with my sister and her husband to rely on the strengths of each other to be successful in the dairy industry.

Throughout his junior career, Wussow has been involved in many junior activities within both the American Jersey Cattle

Association and the Wisconsin Junior Jersey Breeders. He has held a variety of leadership Turn to WUSSOW | Page 35

Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 35

Turn to WUSSOW | Page 34

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Colin Wussow (center) is pictured with his family – (from leŌ) Joey Tauchen holding Amelia, Kaila Tauchen, and Nicolle and Ron Wussow. Wussow is the winner of the American Jersey CaƩle AssociaƟon’s NaƟonal Youth Achievement Contest. ofces in the state organization and for the past year has been a member of the junior activities committee with the national organization. “On the junior activities committee, we plan the junior show at the allAmerican and all of the other junior activities that happen there,” Wussow said. “Even though my junior career is done, I would like to continue on this committee because I think I have a lot to bring to the table, having just nished my years as a junior.” One of the highlights of Wussow’s time as an AJCA junior member was attending the sixth Jersey Youth Academy in 2019, an educational leadership program held at the national ofce in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, for youth interested in both the Jersey breed and the dairy industry. “Jersey Youth Academy was a great experience and is something I would encourage any young person interested in Jerseys to apply for,” Wussow said. “We learned so much about the Jersey breed, about the national association, genomics and so many other things.” One of the highlights for Wussow were the farm tours the participants attended, which visited a variety of Jersey dairy farms and featured many forms of diversication from on-farm processing to agri-tourism. Wussow found the experience to be valuable and lled with potential ideas for his family’s farm. “Seeing ways we can change and grow our farm to be better prepared for the future was really enlightening,” Wussow said. Besides all of the knowledge gained during the week-long program, Wussow enjoyed creating a new level to his network of other Jersey enthusiasts like himself.

“I met so many different kids from all over the country with similar future interests,” Wussow said. “And we made connections with so many great adult mentors too.” Wussow’s youth accomplishments are not limited to his Jersey experiences. In 2018, he was named the Star Farmer at the Wisconsin FFA Convention. In 2019, he represented Wisconsin as a nalist for the national FFA dairy entrepreneurship prociency and received his American FFA Degree in 2020. He is also a member of the Shawano County and Wisconsin junior Holstein associations. Wussow acknowledges no junior accomplishes what he has without a strong foundation of mentors and supporters. Outside of the support of his family, Wussow said he has had many mentors in not only the Jersey breed but in life in general. “I owe a lot of gratitude to a lot of people who have helped me along the way,” Wussow said. “Jay and Heather Jauquet, Lynn and Sara Harbaugh, Rodney Hodgson, Walter and Joyce Owens, Lloyd Heinz, Trent Styczynski, Jon and Katie Holewinski, Ross and Amber Fischer, and Steve and Jill Tauchen and their families have all supported me for a long time. The U.S. Jersey staff has proved to be great mentors and supporters as well. They really want young Jersey breeders to succeed.” As his junior career has wrapped up, Wussow hopes to continue his involvement in the state and national junior programs, being a mentor to youth. “I have gotten so much from the Jersey cow and from all the people who love her as much as I do,” Wussow said. “I would like nothing more than to become that person for another kid.”

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Women In Dairy Katie Pfeiffer New Lisbon, Wisconsin Juneau County 120 cows Family: My mom is a professor at Purdue University in Indiana, and my sister is in medical school in Madison. They come and help me during the holidays. Tell us about the farm. My farm is called Blue B Dairy, and I milk 120 Jerseys and Jersey crosses twice a day. There are 30 acres on the farm that I use for pasture, and I purchase my feed. I also purchase my replacements, so there are no youngstock on the farm. When I dry my cows off, they go to a dry cow farm and freshen there. They come back here a week fresh. It is very efcient by design because I am only one person, and labor can be challenging. I use activity monitors for the cows, and I breed my own cows. What is the busiest time of day for you? Mornings are my busiest time. I start at 4:30 a.m. by pushing up feed and bringing cows in from pasture. Once I set up the parlor, a guy comes with the feed and starts milking. I scrape stalls and bed cows and nish milking. Then I feed cows and feed everyone else on the farm, too. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I like hiking. I have three dogs, so I try to do outdoor activities with them. In the summer, I like to go to the river. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Overall, it’s been an interesting time. I started in 2019. I started milking for the rst time right before Christmas. On Christmas Day, I ended up in the hospital because I threw out my back and left my mom in charge who had never milked a cow before. Everything turned out ne, but it was memorable for my mom as well. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I enjoy the cows. I like working with them every day. I get to set my own schedule for the most part and be active. It’s always challenging, which I like. I like being on the farm. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? Just by doing business with the people I work with, like the vet and the nutritionist. I used to be a reproduction consultant and had to be traveling, and now I like to stay home and work with cows.

What is the best vacation you have ever taken? Before farming, when I graduated from college, my family and friends went to Dalton Island off the coast of Alabama. We rented a house and had amazing food and time with friends and family. We didn’t even have to leave the house. I like a good beach vacation. What are some words you like to live by? On the farm, I like to say if you take care of the cows, the cows will take care of you. Focus on what you’re good at and learn what you’re not good at. Try to control what you can, and try not to worry about what you can’t control.

Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? No one specic, but I admire farmers who are progressive and try to adapt to what we are doing now. It’s hard trying to be competitive as possible to stay relevant. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? People who are not exposed to agriculture and have a platform. I would eventually like to be able to promote dairy on social media more.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 37

Generational traditions, changes Orth relies on family traditions, values By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com

LANCASTER, Wis.- Farming with a trail of children behind her is nOrthing new to Laura Orth. “I am a farm wife and a mom and a grandma rst,” Orth said. Orth runs a 250-cow dairy, Orthridge Jerseys, with her husband, Randy, and their son, Derek, near Lancaster. Derek’s wife, Charisse, is the county’s 4-H program coordinator. Together with a couple employees, the Orths milk twice a day in a double-12 swing parlor. Orth manages the calves with the help of her daughter, Julie Inghram; the grandchildren help too. Orth and her husband moved to the farm March 1, 1993, and Derek joined the operation in 2005. The family has seen a lot of changes in the last 29 years, and Orth believes the reason they have lasted this long is because of the strong family values she keeps alive. “The grandkids are always with us, just like our kids were always with us when they were young,” Orth said. When the grandchildren are not helping outside, they are in the house baking and cooking with their grandmOrther. “When I was graduating high school, I wanted to be a home economist but they told me I was too smart,” Orth

ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR

The Orth family – (front) Jaylee; (back, from leŌ) Derek, Charisse, Callum, Randy and Laura – stand in their yard Nov. 15 near Lancaster, Wisconsin. The family milks 250 Jerseys. said. “It was around the time they were (encouraging girls to learn more) in math and science.” At the time, Orth took the encouragement of her school advisors and went on to study to be a medical technologist. Even still, the passion for

cooking never left her mind. “I so wish I would have thought about the food science. How you can take the our and the moisture and the baking powder and it becomes this little cookie,” Orth said. “I love the science behind it.”

When Orth’s grandchildren visit, she makes sure to share with them values she learned growing up and instilled in her children. “When Derek’s kids are here it’s Turn to ORTH | Page 38

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Calves are housed in individual hutches at Orthridge Farms near Lancaster, Wisconsin. Laura Orth is in charge of the youngstock. so different than a traditional daycare because they help me to wash clOrthes, make food and they learn to be a family,” Orth said. Orth’s family values stem from growing up on her family’s farm. She and Randy bOrth grew up on dairy farms. They married in 1983 and rented a farm near bOrth of their parents. “We started out with 13 cows, milking in buckets, and I was working at the hospital,” Orth said. The couple moved several times and had a baby each time they moved. They ended up with four children. “Everybody was renting back then,” Orth said. “There were a lot of farms that were pretty much known as rental farms.” The Orths settled in the area for many reasons, with the local industry being a big selling point. “We moved here because of the dairy infrastructure and the availability of the large animal veterinarians, the feed salesmen and the feed,” Orth said. “It was just so much more dairy, and now we are almost one of the last dairy farms in Grant County.” In the family’s early years, they were ahead of their time in terms of diversication. In addition to working off the farm, Laura ran a direct marketing business. The family raised and butchered 1,000 chickens every year and sold them out of their garage. “We always had a little something extra going on,” Orth said. The farm grew naturally as their children became older. Between 2005

and 2008, the herd grew internally from 60 cows to 120 cows. In 2004, Derek went to college for a year. “That was a hard year for us,” Orth said. “It was only a year, but it was tough.” When Derek came back from college in 2005, he ofcially joined the dairy. The family built a freestall barn and parlor, and in 2008, expanded their herd to 250 cows. Randy and Derek take turns mixing feed on the weekends and have hired help do 90% of the milking. The family saw changes that turned out to be benecial during the pandemic. They were milking three times a day until the colleges shut down and two of their employees who attended local colleges moved back home. Instead of trying to ll the labor gap, the Orths cut back to two milkings a day. There was also talk of having to dump milk, so they thought the twicea-day milking would curb production in case it happened. However, in a few weeks until the cows were back up to their previous production average. The family also found their somatic cell count was cut in half. Orth said that with all the stress of the pandemic and everyone working all the time, she encourages people to remember the old values and the importance of cooking and sharing a meal. “I think part of the coolness of farming is how immersed in it we are,” Orth said. “Yes, we are feeding the world, but it starts at home.”

Dairy prole

Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021 • Page 39

Michael Ronnfeldt, Ambelcrest Holsteins Arpin, Wisconsin Wood County 40 cows How did you get into farming? I grew up on a farm, and even after my dad sold out, my passion continued to grow. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? With today’s economy and fast-growing ination, I am afraid the markets will be unstable for a while. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We purchased a newer Bobcat to clean the freestalls. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We have been following stricter culling practices. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We have been carrying a smaller heifer inventory. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employee(s)? Good communication is primary. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I work for Central Star as an A.I. technician and my wife is a veterinarian.

What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I enjoy working with the cows and making matings that will hopefully produce better offspring each generation. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? You always need to be willing to think outside of the box.

USED EQUIPMENT ON HAND E

‘12 JCB 3230-65 Xtra Fastrac 4WD

$84,500

$78,500

4091 hrs., #19160

4500 hrs., #21360

‘14 JCB TM320 Telescopic Wheel Ldr 6800 hrs., #22238

$78,000

4546 hrs., #22031

$75,000

What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? We would like to expand by buying a bigger dairy.

What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Having my rst homebred and home-raised Excellent cow.

How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We love spending time at parks and zoos, just spending time together. We also love to travel.

FOOT BATHS

keep your cattle clean and your labor costs low.

‘20 JCB 270T Compact Track Ldr 403 hrs., #21404

$64,500 D

‘11 JCB 541-70 Agri TeleHandler 7306 hrs., #15222

$59,995

‘17 JCB 541-70 Agri Super TeleHandler

Also Available:

4899 hrs., #21279

‘15 JCB 541-70 Agri Extra TeleHandler

What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? Putting in freestalls and focusing on increased cow comfort.

‘19 JCB 541-70 Agri Plus TeleHandler 3004 hrs., #20582

$89,900

‘13 JCB 541-70 Agri Plus TeleHandler 3388 hrs., #14658

$89,500

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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 27, 2021

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