LUANA, Iowa — Fifthgeneration farmer Mark Lamborn has found a way to balance his desire to milk cows with wanting to have more freedom. While penciling in costs, he discovered it was the same price to hire the employees needed as to take the next step in farm technology and install robotic milking units.
Lamborn and Tim Phipps work side by side on Lamborn Farms. They have been business partners for eight years. Phipps also works as a tter.
Though twice-a-day milking was beginning to wear on the pair, with the addition of the robots, they have seen an inux in freedom, allowing them to be more efcient in other areas.
“It’s nice that when you’re chopping or combining, you can keep going with what you’re doing,” Lamborn said. “You don’t have to stop at 4 to go milk. We can send one guy back to fetch cows and scrape, and he’s only
Old farm, new tech
gone for an hour and a half. When we were in the parlor, it would take them four or ve hours to get everything nished up.
Lamborn had an opportunity to get chores done with additional labor instead of robots.
“A friend of mine was getting out (of farming) and he had some workers who were going to be looking for a place,” Lamborn said. “I did the math on it, and with the cost of wages, benets and everything, I realized that bringing in two laborers would be the same as a robot payment.”
The decision came in early March 2020, and by the end of the month, Lamborn had signed on for the robot project. The project included three robotic milking units, two robot rooms, and an additional room for the new ofce area.
Lamborn had several options when it came to robotic units and said he discovered there were pros and cons with each.
“I checked on a couple of different models and decided to put in DeLavals,” Lamborn said. “I like the DeLavals because they have individual teat cups.”
Another deciding factor was that United Dairy Sys-
Mark Lamborn stands outside his old parlor which is now a calf-raising barn Oct. 22
near Luana, Iowa. Lamborn installed robo c milking units in January 2021 and found a new use for his old milking barn.
tems Inc. out of West Union, who installed Lamborn’s DeLaval double-8 parlor 20 years ago, would be the same company he would work with for his robots.
“I like working with United Dairy because if there’s a problem that comes up, I can open up the cabinet and have
some familiarity with (DeLaval),” Lamborn said. “I have enough background knowledge that I can work on some things.”
With the addition of the robots, Lamborn and Phipps reduced their herd size to 168.
“Initially, production dropped a bit, but it came
back quickly,” Lamborn said. “We’re actually averaging more per day now with about 30 fewer cows than when we were milking in the parlor. They’re averaging 2.7 milkings per day with the robots.”
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
on his farm
“I miss milking cows. My body doesn’t, but I do. Tim is the same way. We both enjoyed milking, but our shoulders, our lower backs, this just helps.”
MARK LAMBORN, DAIRY FARMER
The robots record expected pounds of milk per session by quarter.
“It’s crazy to see how these cows can give 20 pounds off of one quarter, and just six off of another,” Lamborn said. “It’s really cool to have that data and know the why of it. … Production isn’t just a uke, but its something that you can expect.”
As far as the daily interaction with the cows, Lamborn said the herd has become more mellow since the installation of the robotic units.
“It’s turned every cow into a fair calf,” Lamborn said. “They’re just so much more used to you being in there with them. It used to be you go into the holding pen, you milk them, you scrape while they’re gone. Now you’re in there with them more often. We have a little compact
tractor that we scrape with and once they got used to it, they’ve been great.”
Installing the robotic milking units led to a change in the day-to-day operations.
“I miss milking cows,” Lamborn said. “My body doesn’t, but I do. Tim is the same way. We both enjoyed milking, but our shoulders, our lower backs, this just helps.”
While robots are the newest addition of technology to Lamborn Farms, Lamborn remembers milking in a round barn with 32 stanchions before his family installed a parlor.
“It was oor pails, no gutter cleaner; it was labor intensive,” Lamborn said. “Your whole body hurt. When we installed the parlor, it was shoulders and lower back. Yeah, it’s easier on our knees,
Lamborn explains how each robo c milking unit works Oct.
Iowa. With the robo c milking units, Lamborn is shipping the same amount of
though he milks 30 fewer cows.
but you’re still doing enough of the same consistent motion that your body can wear down.”
The robots give Lamborn
the freedom he said to adjust his schedule as needed for the day or time of year. Working in conjunction with
Phipps, Lamborn has brought a modern approach to a farm that has been in his family for more than 175 years.
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
Mark
22 on his farm near Luana,
milk even
Land Improvements
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Prices head lower
The October Federal Order Class III milk price headed down. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the benchmark price at $22.85 per hundredweight, down 49 cents from September but $6.01 above October 2023. The 10-month average is $18.82, up from $17.10 a year ago, but compares to $22.20 in 2022.
Late Friday morning Class III futures portended a November Class III of $20.25; December, $19.62; and January 2025 at $19.68 per cwt.
The October Class IV price is $20.90, down $1.39 from September, 59 cents below a year ago, and the lowest Class IV in ve months. Its average stands at $20.71, up from $18.93 a year ago, and compares to $24.82 in 2022.
Butter and cheese stocks fell in September. The USDA’s latest cold storage report had Sept. 30 butter holdings at just under 303 million pounds, down 21.4 million or 6.6% from the August count, which was revised up 1.1 million pounds. But, stocks were up 36.4 million pounds or 13.6% from September 2023.
HighGround Dairy points out that this month’s data is the eighth consecutive year-over-year gain in butter inventories and the largest since May 2023.
American-type cheese stocks slipped to 782.8 million pounds, down 10.8 million or 1.4% from the August level, which was revised 6.3 million pounds lower, and was down 68.4 million pounds or 8.0% from a year ago.
The “other” cheese category, at 570.4 million pounds, was down 7.2 million pounds or 1.2% from the August count, which was revised 300,000 pounds lower, and was down 40.2 million pounds or 6.6% from a year ago.
The total Sept. 30 cheese inventory slipped to 1.38 billion pounds, down 18.3 million or 1.3% from August, and 108.2 million pounds or 7.3% below a year ago.
The Oct. 25 Daily Dairy Report points out that cheese inventories have declined for seven consecutive months and September’s drop represents the largest year-over-year decline since mid-2014 and implies demand outpaced supply. Domestic demand has been lackluster, according to the DDR, but exports have soared to record-high levels this year and are playing a critical role in keeping cheese inventories in check.
Cash Cheddar block cheese closed Friday, Nov. 1, at $1.8375 per pound, down 6.25 cents on the week, lowest since May 31, 24.25 cents below where it stood Oct. 1, but still 17.25 cents above a year ago.
The barrels fell to $1.86 Thursday, lowest since Oct. 14, but nished Friday at $1.8675, down a quartercent on the week, down 27.75 cents from Oct. 1, 22.75 cents above a year ago, and 3 cents above the blocks. Sales totaled 12 lots of block on the week and 57 for October, up from 34 in September. Barrels totaled four on the week and 28 for the month, up from 21 in Sep-
tember.
Cheesemakers had mixed views on demand this week, according to Dairy Market News. Some Cheddar and/or Italian-style cheesemakers said customers were adding to orders, in fact a few may be oversold. Others said the bullish push over $2 per pound created hesitation, despite prices settling back since then. Barrel contacts say loads are moving briskly. Cheese inventories are balanced to tight. Milk availability mid-week was slightly tighter than previous weeks, with spot prices ranging 50 cents to $1.50 over Class III.
Western cheesemakers have a healthy demand for milk, however, milk is tighter in the Southwest as production is trending down. Domestic cheese demand is generally steady for most varieties, with Swiss demand stronger than a year ago. International demand is steady to stronger, with bookings for rst quarter 2025 taking place, according to DMN.
Butter saw some ups and downs on the week but closed Friday at $2.67 per pound, 2.50 cents lower, 8 cents lower on the month, and 43.75 cents below a year ago. There were nine sales on the week and a whopping 318 for the month, up from 102 in September.
Butter makers say demand is on par with recent weeks. Prices in the $2.60-$2.70 range have given the incentive to re-enter the market, says DMN, though food service demand has been sluggish, particularly in the national chain sector. Butter production is busy, despite some plant downtime. Cream availability is wide open and offers are abundant. The bulls point to the potential of a strong seasonal retail push, while the bears suggest the seasonally atypical amounts of cream availability and food service sluggishness will keep downward pressure on near- and mid-term pricing.
Butter production is generally strong in the West. Cream is widely available, with some being bought and delivered to more eastern regions. Planned downtime is approaching for some and contributing to busy production. Butter demand from domestic and international buyers is steady, says DMN.
The powder closed Friday at $1.3775 per pound, up a quarter-cent on the week, up 2 cents lower from its Oct. 1 perch, and 19.25 cents above a year ago. There were 34 sales on the week and 120 for the month, up from 118 in September.
Dry whey was unchanged all week, holding at 60.50 cents per pound, a quarter-cent higher than its Oct. 1 print, and 21.75 cents above a year ago. There were four sales on the week at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and 46 for the month, up from 38 in September.
A higher all-milk price and lower soybean prices nudged the September milk feed price ratio higher, advancing for the seventh time in the past eight months. The USDA’s latest ag prices report shows the September ratio at 3.00, up from 2.79 in August, and compares to 1.88 in September 2023.
The index is based on the current milk price in re-
lationship to feed prices for a ration consisting of 51% corn, 8% soybeans and 41% alfalfa hay. One pound of milk would purchase 3 pounds of dairy feed of that blend.
The all-milk price averaged $25.50 per cwt., with a 4.15% butterfat test, up $1.90 from August, which had a 4.09% test, and was $4.60 above September 2023, which had a 4.08% test. It is at its highest level since October 2022.
California’s average, at $23.80 per cwt., was up $1.10 from September and $3.10 above a year ago. Wisconsin’s, at $25.50, was up $2.50 from August and $5.40 above a year ago.
The national corn price averaged $3.98 per bushel, up 14 cents from August but $1.23 below a year ago. This is the rst time since May that feed costs were up. Soybeans averaged $10.20 per bushel, down a dime from August and $3.00 per bushel below a year ago. Alfalfa hay averaged $172 per ton, down $3 from August and $53 per ton below a year ago.
Looking at the cow side of the ledger, the September average cull price for beef and dairy combined was at $136 per cwt., down $6 from August, but $22 above September 2023, and $64.40 above the 2011 base average.
Milk production margins moved to the highest level since September 2014 at $16.99 per cwt. and were $1.85 per cwt. above August, according to dairy economist Bill Brooks of Stoneheart Consulting in Dearborn, Missouri.
“Income over feed costs in September was just short of the record high set in September 2014 at $17.03, and above the $8 per cwt. level needed for steady to higher milk production for the eleventh month in a row,” he said. “Input prices were mostly lower in September with all three remaining in the top 11 for September all-time. Feed costs were the ninth highest ever for the month of September and increased ve cents per cwt. from August.”
“Dairy producer protability for 2023 in the form of milk income over feed costs, was $8.00 per cwt.,” said Brooks. “Protability was $3.91 below 2022 and $1.72 lower than the 2018-22 average. In 2023, the decrease in milk income over feed costs was a result of the milk price decreasing more than feed prices. Income over feed was around the level needed to maintain or grow milk production.”
“Milk income over feed costs for 2024, (using Oct. 31 CME settling futures prices for Class III milk, corn, and soybeans plus the Stoneheart forecast for alfalfa hay) are expected to be $13.53 per cwt., a loss of 41 cents per cwt. versus last month’s estimate. Income over feed in 2024 would be above the level needed to maintain or grow milk output and up $5.53 from 2023’s level,” said Brooks.
Milk income over feed costs for 2025 are expected to be $14.41 per cwt., a gain of 88 cents per cwt. versus 2024, Brooks said. Income over feed would be above the level needed to maintain or grow milk production, and up 14 cents cwt. from last month’s estimate.
Meanwhile, the U.S. corn harvest was 81% completed, as of the week ending Oct. 27, according to the USDA’s latest crop progress report. That’s up from 65% the previous week and compares to 68% a year ago and 17% ahead of the ve-year average. Soybeans were 89% harvested, up from 81% the previous week, 7% ahead of a year ago, and 11% ahead of the ve-year average.
The Oct. 30 DDR said, “Beef prices have soared to record highs, and this dynamic will have a fundamental impact on the dairy industry for years. High beef prices have been underpinned by a shrinking national beef herd. As producers and ranchers faced persistent drought conditions and rising operating costs in recent years, many responded by reducing the size of their herd. As a result, the national herd is the smallest it has been in 73 years.”
Herd recovery will take years, said the DDR. “The higher prices have beneted dairy farmers who have bred at least a portion of their herd to beef bulls, resulting in a crossbred calf that can fetch a hefty price when sold to a feedlot.”
That has limited the number of dairy replacement heifers and will likely keep a lid on dairy expansion and U.S. milk production. Rabo Bank’s Lucas Fuess said the situation is unlike any before in the Nov. 4 Dairy Radio Now broadcast.
Milk production did turn positive in September, he said, and with the improved margins dairy farmers are seeing, Rabo Bank expects milk output to at least be at or moving higher than a year ago for the rest of the fourth quarter and into 2025.
He said, “Even if dairy farmers did want to expand their herd and grow cow numbers at a pretty quick rate to take advantage of those prots that have emerged, the cow situation is a little different than normal.” High prices for day old calves and for springer replacements are causing farmers to do some nancial calculations, he said, and he believes it will prevent a quick resurgence in cow numbers and recovery in milk production, thus keeping milk prices relatively high.
New avian u cases are being reported in California and Utah has joined the list of states dealing with it. StoneX said, “The larger sentiment seems concerned about demand as seasonal demand tends to decline heading into year-end.”
Dairy cow slaughter for the week ending Oct. 19 totaled 52,900 head, up 1,500 from the previous week, but 1,800 or 3.3% below a year ago. Year to date, 2,204,800 dairy cows had been culled, down 340,700 head or 13.4% from 2023.
In other news of interest, StoneX reported in its Oct. 30 Early Morning Update that the European Commission will impose countervailing duties on imports of electric vehicles from China. It seems likely that China will retaliate by conrming tariffs on EU agricultural imports under investigation (pork, in addition to cheese and cream). Earlier this month, the Ministry of Commerce decided to collect provisional anti-dumping duties on brandy in the form of security deposits.
“Only 18% of China’s cheese imports come from the EU,” said StoneX. “Some of that is high-end specialty product that they aren’t going to buy from the U.S., but it probably increases our ability to compete on mozzarella. From a longer-term perspective, the Chinese government is trying to encourage the Chinese industry to build cheese capacity,” said StoneX.
Tuesday’s Global Dairy Trade Pulse saw 4.8 million pounds of product sold, up from 4.7 million in the last Pulse. Pulse prices were higher with whole milk powder hitting $3,610, up 2.1% from the Pulse auction last week. This is the highest Fonterra C2 regular WMP price since September 2022.
“Skim milk powder was up 2% to $2,860 ($1.30 per pound), the highest level since May 2023. The strength
seems largely driven by the demand side (China) as supply in New Zealand (and the other major exporters) has been improving,” said StoneX.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service announced the launch of the Organic Dairy Product Promotion, allocating $15 million to expand access to organic dairy products in educational institutions and youth programs.
Michael Dykes, DVM, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, said, “IDFA applauds USDA on this new effort to increase consumption of organic dairy products among children and young adults. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans highlights that between 68% and 76.2% of school-age males and between 77.4% and 94.3% of school-age females are not consuming enough dairy.
Programs like the ODPP will work to improve access to nutritious dairy products for children and young Americans while building partnerships between dairy businesses and school districts. We encourage USDA to continue to focus on creative ways to increase consumption of nutritious dairy foods including conventional, organic, lactose-free, and value-added dairy, especially among communities that historically under consume nutritious dairy.”
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Filling the niche for global cheese
Scharfmans make paneer, queso fresco, Ackawi
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
REESEVILLE, Wis. — Paul and David Scharfman are accustomed to saying yes when asked if they can make a certain kind of cheese. This mindset has helped create a niche repertoire of international cheeses for Specialty Cheese Company Inc.
The Reeseville cheesemaker is known for making private-label, specialty ethnic cheeses for minority consumers in the U.S.
The company makes paneer, a traditional Indian cheese; queso fresco, a traditional Mexican cheese; and Ackawi, a cheese with origins in the Middle East.
“All of these ethnic groups have cheese from back home they want to eat in the U.S.,” David Scharfman said. “Most countries around the world see cheese as a protein source and avoring that is used in recipes. Sometimes, it’s also a table cheese.”
Specialty Cheese Company does not make more commonly known cheeses such as cheddar and mozzarella, instead making cheeses unique to many American palettes.
When Scharfman’s parents, Paul and Vicki, bought Heim Cheese from Fred Heim in 1991, they chose to move beyond the Muenster the company was known for.
“My parents quickly saw this was a competitive and fairly saturated market,” Scharfman said. “The (Hispanic com-
munity) has a cheese called queso quesadilla that’s basically the same, and there was way less of that in the market. They thought, why not brand label it queso quesadilla and sell it for a higher margin?”
The Scharfmans renamed the business Specialty Cheese Company, which included the original cheese plant that was a mile down the road from the current factory, as well as several cheese plants scattered around Dodge County.
Once the Scharfmans began selling one Hispanic cheese, customers asked if they could make other types of Hispanic cheese.
“Entrepreneurs say yes and then gure it out later,” Scharfman said. “My parents never heard of queso blanco, but they were still going to say yes. … You just listen, and the market will tell you what to do. Underpinning all of this is a lineage of incredibly talented cheesemakers at Specialty Cheese Company.”
Specialty Cheese Company has approximately 400 employees, including 11 cheesemakers on staff. Known for its authentic, premium cheeses, the company makes 70 avors, a dozen of which are core offerings.
“Paneer is our most popular cheese,” Scharfman said. “It’s used exclusively for cooking. You’re not going to slice it and eat it.”
The rm, white cheese does not melt and has a bland, milky taste.
Queso fresco is their next most popular cheese followed by Ackawi and tvarog.
“Our operations team makes it happen,” Scharfman said. “They make amazing cheese. All these great ideas or weird things we’re saying yes to doesn’t mean squat unless they make it.”
Turn to SPECIALTY CHEESE | Page 11
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Paul (le�) and David Scharfman take a break in their office Nov. 4 at Specialty Cheese Company Inc. in Reeseville, Wisconsin. The company is known for making private label, specialty ethnic cheeses for minority consumer demographics.
Queso fresco is primarily a table cheese with more avor than paneer. Scharfman said the cheese is stored in plastic containers with no vacuum seal.
On the other hand, queso cotija is primarily an ingredient noted for its strong avor, dryness and saltiness. Scharfman said it is typically crumbled on other foods.
“I tell customers, ‘My job isn’t to sell you the cheese we make; it’s to sell you the cheese you want,’” he said.
Specialty Cheese Company makes eight paneer recipes to create the cheeses their customers are looking for.
“Selling one thing is not what we do,” Scharfman said. “We have watched a lot of other paneer manufacturers get out of this space. … Some of our competitors have become our customers.”
From the custom shop to the big-box retailer, Specialty Cheese Company customers come in all sizes. Their cheeses are popular in traditional ethnic stores and groceries, and due to their short shelf life, are shipped only in the U.S.
“We have customers who sell in Costco, Albertsons, Kroger, etc.,” Scharfman said.
Specialty Cheese Company has taken on projects other cheese manufacturers were not interested in Scharfman said. When asked if they could make organic cheese in a 6-ounce square and package it in a sleeve, the Scharfmans said yes.
“It’s a packaging nightmare, and this guy had gotten turned down by basically every company,” Scharfman said. “We said, ‘Yeah we can do it. It will cost you, but we can do it.’ He has been our fastestgrowing customer for the past two years. He took this little, expensive organic product and got into Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, everywhere.”
Scharfman said if he says no, he loses out on opportunities.
A trend in the American food space Scharfman said is global avors, with Indian food dominating the current decade.
“We happen to make a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine,” he said. “It’s a cheese that contains milk and acid. There’s no salt, no culture. … The ingredient soaks up the strong spices and avors in Indian food.”
Specialty Cheese Company is located in the city’s former high school, which the Scharfmans bought in 2003. In 2011, they consolidated their remaining plants and brought all production to the Reeseville location.
They make 50 vats of cheese per day and have doubled production in four years.
Specialty Cheese Company uses approximately 200 million pounds of milk per year to make about 26 million pounds of cheese. They buy local milk from FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative.
“Everyone asks why our paneer is better,” Scharfman said. “We have better cheesemakers, and Wisconsin milk is better. There’s nothing to hide it. I can’t salt it or put culture in it. This milk better taste really good otherwise your cheese is going to taste bad.”
The Scharfmans have been approached about making paneer in other states, but Scharfman said he tells people it would not be the same.
“Paneer made in California, Texas, or New York does not taste as good as the paneer we make,” he said. “You have to tip the cap for the milk.”
Specialty Cheese Company won world champion for its paneer in 2018 at the World Championship Cheese Contest.
Similarities in their cheeses have made it easier to tweak existing recipes and gain new avor proles Scharfman said.
“Queso blanco and Ackawi are not that different,” Scharfman said. “Ackawi is brined, and queso blanco is hand salted. That’s the only difference. You could use them interchangeably.”
Since 2018, Specialty Cheese Company has grown from $35 million in revenue to more than $90 million. The business is in the middle of its second plant expansion in six years.
“This expansion will only get us to 62 vats per day, and I feel pretty good I’m going to use that pretty quick,” Scharfman said. “We are maxed out right now, and I’m turning away business.”
The Scharfmans and their team at Specialty Cheese Company continue to fulll opportunities and fuel growth in the ethnic cheese market.
“We are very proud to be where we are and do what we do,” Scharfman said.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Cheese made by Specialty Cheese Company Inc. is on display Oct. 31 in Reeseville, Wisconsin. The cheesemaker uses approximately 200 million pounds of milk per year to make its best-selling cheeses including paneer, queso fresco, Ackawi and tvarog.
New dairy byproduct facility to create ethanol
By Meghan Kropp Contributing writer
CONSTANTINE,
Mich.
Construction is coming along in southwest Michigan at the upcoming Dairy Distillery Alliance facility, where a milk byproduct known as permeate will be converted into ethanol.
The facility comes as a result of conversations between the Michigan Milk Producers Association and Dairy Distillery in Canada. Ground broke at the beginning of August and the project has an estimated completion date of summer 2025.
“It really started years ago when we were looking for a solution for permeate once we made some investments into the facility in the Constantine area,” said Joe Diglio, the CEO and president of MMPA.
MMPA had invested in ultraltration technology.
The Constantine-based plant handles roughly 2.5 million pounds of milk per day. The ultraltration process concentrates the proteins found in skim milk and lters out the milk sugar, or lactose, by passing the milk through a series of exible spiral lters. The concentrated solution of milk sugar, a byproduct of the ultraltration process, is known as milk permeate.
“Today, liquid permeate is hauled away from the facility and mixed in with some other additives to help feed livestock, which in turn didn’t necessarily generate signicant value back to our member-owners,” Diglio said.
While the MMPA team has been utilizing permeate in this
Focusing on sustainability
format, they began looking at other solutions, Diglio said.
The team considered different ways to use the permeate, which led to connecting with Dairy Distillery in the Canadian market, Diglio said.
Dairy Distillery takes the lactose-rich permeate and transforms it into vodka, marketed as Vodkow, and hand sanitizer, according to the Dairy Distillery website.
“(MMPA) reached out thinking about vodka as well and we said, ‘Well, that’ll make 47 million bottles of vodka, so let’s look at biofuel.’” said Dairy Distillery founder and CEO Omid McDonald. “They
have a big mission on sustainability and making low carbon fuel was something of interest.”
After conversations, exploratory research was completed and came back positive for the southwest Michigan site, Diglio said.
“Once the feasibility study came back that Constantine was going to be a good location for an ethanol plant, we jumped on it and have had nothing but really good support behind it, good momentum and certainly notoriety within the industry and even those outside the industry,” Diglio said. “It’s been very positive and it’s something we feel is a great example
of a commitment towards a solution that helps us in our sustainability efforts.”
McDonald said many entities, from farms to facilities like the one in Constantine, are involved in undertakings to reduce their carbon footprint.
“There’s a lot of really neat projects going on in dairy,” he said. “We can’t compete against corn ethanol, the volume of corn ethanol is so large, but in turning a waste product into ethanol we get very low carbon ethanol. When that is blended with transportation fuel, that creates a sizable carbon reduction for the fuel and that is what’s really interesting
about what we are doing.”
Diglio said part of the intrigue in creating ethanol is the company’s focus on being good stewards of the land, environment and community.
“This is just a great example of the commitment that the industry as a whole and certainly that our organizations have towards helping promote sustainability,” Diglio said. “We’re really proud of where we’re heading. We’re excited about getting this project up and going, and we look forward to seeing the results associated with that.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Company leaders, and local and state officials —
Omid McDonald (from le�), John Berge, Doug Chapin, Joe Diglio, Mark Honeyse�, Brenda Stewart, Nate Engle and Steve Carra — gather during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Dairy Dis�llery Alliance facility in Constan�ne, Michigan. The project has es�mated comple�on date of summer 2025.
Concrete Silos
DAIRY ST R25
A look back at 5, 10 and 20 years ago
5 years ago
A barn, dairy family strengthened Near Chateld, Minnesota, the Hoffman family was eager to start milking again after their barn collapsed Feb. 28, 2019. When the barn collapsed the family sold their herd while they constructed a new barn. Corey Hoffman, part owner of the dairy, said that was the rst time in 116 years that no cows were milked on the farm. However, it was short-lived because Oct. 8, 2019, the family was back up and running with 305 milking cows. The day the new cows came to the farm was an emotional one for the whole family because they had not known if they would ever milk again.
A humbling new beginning
With the motto “God rst, family second, farm third,” Garret Duske made changes on the farm to continue to be involved in his kids’ lives. The Duske family milked 100 cows near Waverly, Minnesota. Before taking over the farm Duske had a dream of growing the farm and getting at least 300 cows. As time passed, his vision changed. Over the years Duske owned the farm he made many changes and improvements to make it more efcient. The goal behind every change was to give him more time to spend with his family.
Making the leap from stanchions to robots
James and Joni Grunnet from Brooklyn, Wisconsin, initially planned to upgrade their milking facilities with a new parlor because they thought robots were too expensive. But, when a pair of used robots fell in their lap, they pushed the pencil and discovered it was less expensive to purchase, rebuild and install the robots than to build a new parlor. They started milking with the robots Jan. 2, 2018. The rst week, family and friends helped the couple get the cows adjusted to being milked in the new system.
Deployment on a dairy farm
When Alan Hughes was deployed overseas in July 2019, his wife, Stephanie, and their kids, Bryce, Gavin and Derek, were left to care for their 60-cow dairy farm near Pittsville, Wisconsin. While Alan was overseas, Stephanie said she learned a lot about herself and what she could do. To ensure the family stayed close, they created a pair of activity lists, one for things the kids wanted to do with their dad before he left and the other for things they wanted to do with their mom while their dad was deployed. They were thankful for family and friends who helped them maintain both the farm and their family during Alan’s deployment.
10 years ago
Putting education, experience into practice
When Pete Beck returned to his family farm near Princeton, Minnesota, he brought with him a college degree in dairy science and three years of experience as a herdsman for a 3,600-cow dairy. He and his father, Jim, were milking 118 cows in a double-6 herringbone parlor. Both father and son wanted to ensure Pete’s knowledge would be put to good use, so he focused on the cows. The rst change was the management of dry cows, followed by herd health and reproduction.
First timeʼs a charm
John McClelland from Viroqua, Wisconsin, credits beginner’s luck to the champion title he received in the standard corn silage category of the World Forage Analysis Superbowl held during World Dairy Expo in 2014. Aside from being the rst time he was named champion, it was also his rst time entering the competition. That year McClelland placed rst among the 155 entries in the standard corn silage category with a score of 95.17 out of 100. McClelland’s corn silage sample was calculated to allow a cow to produce 3,732 pounds of milk from eating 2,000 pounds of dry matter.
20 years ago
Friends, family and fire
Near Eyota, Minnesota, Leslie Bierbaum and his family were faced with destruction Nov. 2, 2004, when a re took their calf barn. At the time of the re Bierbaum had been at his parents’ house half a mile away, his wife had gone to work and his sons were in school. It was a neighbor who called 911 and Bierbaum about the re. With all the helping hands that showed up, 27 of the 28 calves in the barn were saved before ames consumed the building. Bierbaum said a blessing was that the wind had calmed down after days of blowing harshly.
Burkharts eliminate middleman
Picket Fence Creamery was Jill and Jeff Burkhart’s solution to low prices. In October 2003 their creamery in Woodward, Iowa, became the third family-owned creamery in the state. They received their rst set of good news Dec. 2, 2002, when their loan was approved. The couple bottled milk on Mondays and Thursdays and shipped it on Tuesdays and Fridays. At the time, they were the only family creamery to make their own butter. A specialty at their creamery was two of their milk avors, Jenna’s Awesome Chocolate Milk named after their daughter, and Janet’s Tropical Orange named after Jill’s mom. They also had 14 avors of ice cream they sold as well.
push to complete harvest
LeRoy
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Caprine Farming
Roussel makes prots from popsicles
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
LAKE GENEVA, Wis.
With three ingredients, Stacey Roussel makes a treat consumers in southern Texas are eating up. Goat milk pops have replaced the cheese, butter and yogurt Roussel used to make. Finding a niche in the market has brought success to this former accountant.
“I needed to pick one thing, focus on that, and do it really well,” Roussel said. “My kids eat a lot of ice cream, and someone told me I should think about making that because our milk has high butterfat.”
At the suggestion of a friend, she put the product on a stick.
Located two hours from the nearest processor, Roussel has always focused on valueadded products on her farm near Needville, Texas, where she milks 35 Nubian and Lamancha goats. Roussel said she started All We Need Farm in 2007 with four acres and a dream.
Selling milk on a stick
She began by raising chickens, hogs, fruits and vegetables. Goats were introduced to her farm in 2008 as Christmas presents for her daughters. The two Nubians soon turned into 10 milking goats accompanied by four acres of produce.
“It’s easier to ll a need than it is to convince folks they have one,” Roussel said. “I sold vegetables for a long time, and it’s easier for me to sell ice cream than it was to sell carrots.”
Roussel spoke at the American Dairy Goat Association Convention and Annual Meeting Oct. 24 in Lake Geneva. During her presentation entitled, “Dairy Decisions: From Dreams to Protability,” Roussel explained how she got to where she is today and shared strategies for success.
Roussel uses all the milk from her herd to make awardwinning goat milk popsicles, which have won accolades such as Best Bites at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The artisanal pops are handmade on-farm, with Roussel and her husband, Jay, receiving help from two college interns and seven part-time staff.
Made from goat milk, real cane sugar and natural avor-
ing, the popsicles are available in 40 avors ranging from strawberry, chocolate and vanilla to cookies and cream, avocado and cajeta.
The popsicles are distributed through 31 freezers in retail locations across Texas. These include mom-and-pop shops, health food stores, local restaurants, parks, a chocolate shop and other farmers who agree to put Roussel’s freezer in their shop.
“I self-distribute to them every week,” she said. “I’m running popsicles all over south Texas — from La Grange, which is south of Austin, all the way to the south of Houston.”
Roussel also sells her product at a Houston, Texas, farmers market. She initially sold her popsicles for $4 each. Now, she charges $5.
“Twenty-ve percent of your customers should say your price is too high,” Roussel said. “If you don’t have at least one person walk away at the farmers market because your price is too high, then your price is too low. Not everyone is your customer.”
Roussel said access to market is critical to consider when starting a business.
“We’re less than an hour from Houston, which is the fourth largest city in the U.S.,” Roussel said. “I also tell people to think about what they can make that their customer cannot buy at the local grocery store or
Turn to ROUSSEL | Page 17 from another vendor. What is worth them waking up early on a Saturday morning and driving to see you at a farmers’ market?”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Jay and Stacey Roussel stand by La e DA CA-KH Nirvana at the Browsin’ the Pines show Labor Day weekend in Meridian, Mississippi. The Roussels milk 35 Nubian and Lamancha goats on their farm near Needville, Texas.
Roussel lists her assets in what she calls an asset circle. Roussel said to think of assets in a broader sense, beyond a tractor or barn, and to take an inventory of assets.
“When you see all your assets in a circle it’s easier for you to get a roadmap in your head,” she said. “I try to go back every year and redo the circle. Put it in a place where you can see it every day. When I’m having a bad day, sometimes just looking at that circle helps. I might say, I should call so and so because they can help me with the problem I have.”
Examples of things Roussel considers assets include existing infrastructure, mentors, existing genetics, institutions like extension or universities, a wellstocked feed store, a trusted source for hay, a good vet, land, Wi-Fi and money in the bank.
“You probably have more assets than you think,” she said. “We often think in terms of what we’re missing, and it can be overwhelming.”
Roussel said sizing is a big factor when setting up a dairy.
“I’ve seen a lot of people mis-sized either on their herd size or their equipment size,” she said. “‘You gotta be big’ is an easy trap to fall into, but every goat you add is more feet to trim, more hay to put out, more work to do. Knowing your market and what it can sustain is important.”
Matching herd size and equipment size to the market is the key to success, Roussel said.
“If you go all in with equipment, and your herd matches the market, but your equipment doesn’t, that’s a recipe for failure,” she said. “You can either end up dumping milk or missing sales.”
Roussel said she started at a higher herd size than needed.
“I’m constantly trying to reduce my numbers so my costs are lower, and I can pay off more things,” she said. “Managing our herd to be smaller is the way I found I’m most successful.”
Roussel tries to keep her milking herd under 50 goats.
“I would rather miss sales every day than dump milk,” she said. “Missing sales creates demand — people want it more when they can’t get what you have. Dumping milk ruins your bank account.”
When discussing storage, Roussel said she went from having freezers plugged into every outlet on her dairy to now having a walk-in freezer. She said the $20,000 investment was a gamechanger.
“Popsicles are organized by avor, and it’s such a time saver,” Roussel said. “It was worth it to improve the productivity of our week, how my kitchen works and overall efciency.”
Roussel said increasing revenue without incurring signicant costs is a method for scaling a business.
“I have a friend who is making lemonade from the whey of their cheese,” she said. “That’s a good way to scale your business — taking a waste product and making a revenue stream.”
Roussel is 10 years into making goat milk popsicles and said she is happy she put her ambitions into this product.
“There are a lot of beautiful things we can do with our milk,” Roussel said. “You have to think outside the box. The key is being exible and not being too tied to your idea.”
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Cows/Fats 9:30 am • Calves 10:30 am • Cows/Fats 11:30 a.m. Sheep, Goats & Pigs 12:30 pm
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PHOTO SUBMITTED
Flavors of goat milk popsicles are displayed on a tray a er being made by Stacey Roussel of All We Need Farm near Needville, Texas. The popsicles are made from goat milk, cane sugar and natural avoring, and are available in 40 avors.
Crop & REPORTS
just cleaned up all of my fields a couple weeks ago and we are not doing any tillage. We probably haven’t done tillage for the last 25-30 years. The corn was really good. It was probably the best corn crop in four years. The bean crop was kind of poor since it got so dry at the end of the year. It was a great year for alfalfa hay. I think the neighbors got six cuttings and I only got two cuttings off my grass fields.
Everyone is wrapping up with harvest. Normally in the area we try to do fall tillage. I tried four rounds on one field with a chisel plow and it was pulling pretty tough. It was leaving some big clumps, so I decided to quit and now I am waiting for some rain, hopefully. It seems like everyone else is in the same boat waiting for the rain. I have seen some fertilizer being put on the fields and I did some on my alfalfa as well. Overall, I would say it’s been my best year for yield, for sure in the last five years. It was also my most difficult year for harvesting small grain and alfalfa with the humidity.
It has been a good fall. We did high moisture corn and finished Nov. 3. We are cleaning up the bottom of the pit and should finish in a couple days. There hasn’t been any drying days in the last week. We hope to do 300 corn stalk bales and have 20 acres of corn to combine. The corn has been pretty decent and averaging around 170 bushels per acre. We are trying to get everything wrapped up for winter. There is corn standing in the area, manure being hauled and tillage being done. It was a decent year. The spring was bad, but there was a lot of hay out there. The long fall helped turn around the corn.
In the last week we have been too wet to do much, so our rainy-day projects are starting to get done. I started getting some corn stock bales made and we are about half done with around 300 acres to go.
As for the rye, the acres that were irrigated started coming up really well and now with these rain showers the rest is starting to come up. Almost all of the crops in the area have been taken off, with the exception of a few corn fields. Very little fall tillage happens in my area, the most people do is go make a water way. We had a good year overall and are happy with our hay yields for the weather we were given.
We haven’t touched the fields since we had five inches of snow on Halloween. Our power company had a lot of power outages after the heavy snow. Most tillage is done around here. We have 800 acres left. We finished our corn Nov. 2 and got the corn stalk bales off the fields. We have to do the lagoon as well. Our crop year overall started out dry, then went to wettest on record, really dry and now wet again. We didn’t have rain from late Aug. until now. We damaged some hay fields when we drove while they were really wet. The corn struggled in this area and the soybeans would have been better if we had rain in Aug. and Sept.
Around 95% of the corn is out. We got a lot of manure hauled before it started to snow (Oct. 31). The moisture was welcomed by a lot of farmers to help with the tillage. Some people started tillage while others are waiting to see what the weather does. We are waiting to do our strip tillage until later this month when it is cooler. Our rye wasn’t really sprouting due to the dryness, but now we are hoping it will come up. Our year overall was good. The worst was when our pastures flood this summer. Today (Nov. 5) was the first day we didn’t let the cattle out to the pasture. Early November is pretty typical for when we stop letting them out. Some of our rain came as snow.
I have 50 acres of corn to do. I ran out of room, so I had to move some around. The elevators are making room every day to bring in a few loads. The manure has to get done as well. We did 300 bales of corn stalk bales. There are no wheels turning around here, it’s too wet. We haven’t done any tillage. Hopefully the rain gets the cover crop to germinate. The lawns even greened up. This was one of the better crop years in the 30 years I have been farming. It’s in the top three. We averaged 240-280 bushels per acre of corn and had five nice cuttings of alfalfa. Things look good going into winter.
We got some rain, finally. It’s rained the last three days, totaling 2.6 inches. My corn yield ended up pretty good. I had one field at 103 bushels per acre, but one that wasn’t affected by the tar spot at all which was at 205 bushels. We averaged out at 155-160 bushels per acre, so it hung in there pretty well. Our corn silage averaged 29 or more ton per acre. Bean yields were exceptional at 64 bushels per acre.
We finished dry corn Oct. 26. The remaining fields yield averaged 180 bushel per acre on one field and 162 bushel per acre on another field. We averaged 197 bushel/acre over all acres, so that’s not bad. We got all our tillage done, and everything is put away in the sheds now. We had four cuttings of hay this year and cut new seeding three times. Our wheat averaged 120.8 bushel per acre, soybeans averaged 63.5 bushel per acre, and corn was 197 bushel per acre. Corn silage averaged 28.5 ton per acre. I’m surprised at the test weights of our corn, they were awesome.
We have about 160 acres of corn to combine, so we are getting close to complete. Everything yielded really well. It was kind of a surprise how much corn is out there. This is the best year for yield that I can remember. It was so different, weather-wise, with all the rain earlier and dry conditions later. Hay was exceptional too, just like the corn. It was unreal what was out there. There was more volume of hay than we have ever had before. The oats did the same, the grain and straw yield was exceptional.
I’ve lost track but we have had at least 5 inches of rain in the last week. We still have to haul solids out of the manure pit, but that is on hold with the rain. Three more dry days and it would have been done. In the mean time we have been working on cow stuff. Our yields on everything this year have been phenomenal, which is a good feeling after four really dry years. Some people around here were waiting to get their dry corn off. I’m glad we didn’t wait, even if some was still around 18%-20% moisture. We went hard pretty much from Sept. 1 until last Tuesday (Oct. 29), and I think we’re all just ready to be done with fieldwork for the year.
We have had 2.7 inches of rain in the last week. We are pretty much done with everything, and are mostly working on cleaning equipment and doing maintenance. We could do some more tillage if we really wanted to, but with all the rain this week we are just going to wrap it up. Crop wise we have had a good year, but not a great year. The hay yields were phenomenal. We just started feeding this year’s hay last week and it is testing okay. The corn and corn silage were average, and the soybeans in this area were terrible. We have great feed inventory on hand, so we won’t need to get into this year’s corn silage probably until Feb.
We put rye grass in all the fields with flooded areas. We’re experimenting with that to absorb extra water and loosen the soil. Daryl finished harvesting the last of his 80 acres of dry corn Oct. 28. I still have eight acres to finish. We’re working on tilling right now.
Last week, we ran out of hay field for green feeding, so we started using big square bales. This year, we did five cuttings on most of our hay fields, although some were 3 cuttings. The corn averaged 197 bushel per acre and soybeans averaged 43 bushel per acre. Our corn silage averaged 12 ton per acre.
RAIN 5.5”
Surveilling for HPAI key to reducing spread
Poulsen encourages data collection, biosecurity
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
PLOVER, Wis. — In the seven months that have passed since highly pathogenic avian inuenza was conrmed to be affecting dairy cattle in the U.S., there are still questions for dairy producers around the country.
Mitigating risks of HPAI on dairy farms was a topic at the Professional Dairy Producers Herdsperson Workshop Oct. 29 in Plover. Dr. Keith Poulsen presented. Poulsen is the director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which is a Level 1 National Animal Health Laboratory Network.
“Biosecurity and surveillance are the most important part for dairy farmers, especially for what is happening right now with the u,” Poulsen said.
As of Nov. 6, incidents of HPAI in dairy farms has been limited to three states, California, Idaho and Utah, having positive tests in the past 30 days. Poulsen said that statistic does not paint a clear picture of what is happening.
California has had 150 newly affected herds in the past 30 days, with 233 positive herds overall. Utah, which had previously been free of conrmed cases, had nine herd conrmed positive for the virus since Oct. 31.
“California is exploding right
now,” Poulsen said. “The same thing happened in Colorado when they started testing, but California is quite different.”
Poulsen explained that while the virus spread quickly in Colorado, geography played into that.
“Colorado has about 100 dairies,” Poulsen said. “Eighty-ve of those are in two counties in the state’s northeast corner. The rest are on the other side of the Rockies. In California, we have seen the virus start in the southern Tulare Valley and now it is moving up into the Modesto and Turlock areas.”
According to Poulsen, there is movement of cattle between California and Idaho, which might account for the two positive cases Idaho has experienced in the past 30 days.
Since the original conrmation of the disease in March, there have been 443 affected herds spread across 15 states: California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Texas, Iowa, New Mexico, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah.
The questions that remain about the virus show the crucial role of biosecurity and surveillance in mitigating risk, Poulsen said.
“We don’t know exactly how this virus is moving,” Poulsen said. “Movement of animals, shared equipment and movement of people seem to be the three most common things moving this virus. We shouldn’t be limiting our thinking to just this virus. What about (bovine viral diarrhea), salmonella or the next coronavirus?”
Poulsen chronicled studies that
Dr. Keith Poulsen speaks about the importance of biosecurity and surveillance in gh ng highly pathogenic avian inuenza Oct. 29 at the Professional Dairy Producers Herdsperson Workshop in Plover, Wisconsin. Poulsen is the director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnos c Laboratory, which is a Level 1 Na onal Animal Health Laboratory Network.
have debunked conventional logic about the transmission of the disease.
One study placed an affected and non-affected cow together in a pen. The same milker was used rst on the affected cow then moved to the nonaffected cow. The virus did not move to the second cow.
Another study placed the virus in the nose of a calf that was placed with other sentinel calves. It did not spread from calf to calf.
A milk truck was thoroughly swabbed on the outside, with no detec-
tion of virus, while the virus was detected on surfaces inside the milking parlors of the farms where the truck picked milk up.
“Our infection models aren’t accurate,” Poulsen said. “They don’t mimic what happens on a 5,000-cow dairy.”
Poulsen urges dairy producers to take part in surveillance as a method of controlling the disease and potentially changing management decisions relating to affected animals.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
“I have talked to farmers who have said they would like to help, but they fear losing their milk market. We have never once — not one farm — lost a milk market. That is because pasteurization is 100% effective.”
DR. KEITH POULSEN
Poulsen said a herd in Idaho began daily bulk tank surveillance as neighboring dairies were experiencing infection. The bulk tank polymerase chain reaction test was looking for nucleic acid, pieces of virus as opposed to live virus. Virus ribonucleic acid was found in the bulk tank PCR two weeks before animals in the herd began to exhibit clinical symptoms.
“When you have u, COVID or whatever is going through the school or day care, you’re going to be shedding virus long before you have clinical signs,” Poulsen said. “That’s what makes biosecurity important — it’s too late at the onset of clinical symptoms. When you see PCR in the bulk tank, you know in about 10 days you’re going to start seeing clinically affected cows. That’s key — it could change how you move animals on and off your farm, how you manage cattle in the parlor.”
Poulsen talked about the roadblocks that contribute to farmer resistance to surveilling for H5N1.
“I have talked to farmers who have said they would like to help, but they fear losing their milk market,” Poulsen said. “We have never once — not one farm — lost a milk market. That is because pasteurization is 100% effective. The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance is 100 years old. It was started to control (bovine tuberculosis) in milk. If a herd comes up with TB, and there are a couple every year, they still sell milk because it’s pasteurized. TB is 100 times stronger than u. Fear should not be a reason.”
It is challenging to put a national surveillance effort in place, Poulsen said.
“This is an animal problem, not a food problem,” Poulsen said. “That is why it is so difcult to get things moving and be effective, allowing us to have business continuity. It’s complicated.”
Ofcially, milk in the cow is considered an animal problem, and is under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s jurisdiction. Milk in the tank is a Grade A milk problem, which is under the Food and Drug Administration. The people that work on the farm, are under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States also differ in how they handle it.
“The American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners agree that this is a national consensus issue, and in order to eliminate this virus, we have to start with better surveillance,” Poulsen said.
Poulsen said there is little surveillance effort in Wisconsin, with only four herds — all managed by the University of Wisconsin — being surveilled.
“We know our industry is a national industry, not a Wisconsin industry,” Poulsen said. “National surveillance allows us to recognize and put resources where we need them. We need people on the ground, on the front lines, making decisions. Right now, those decisions are being made by people in Washington, and that is a big problem.”
Thanksgiving salads, surprises
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. There are the standard fares of turkey and pumpkin pie, but it is also a chance to incorporate cranberries into the menu. Once the cranberries arrive in the store, I start making a simple cranberry sauce. Mark will eat this by itself or on top of pancakes as a syrup substitute. I love to work them into different fresh salads with a combination of apples and nuts. These are some of the recipes I’ve collected over the years that have made it onto our holiday table. When our kids were little, I tried to make cute holiday treats just for them. Eventually they out grew them and focused more on the main table. I wish I had saved those recipes and ideas, but thanks to the internet, I was able to nd some fresh new ideas for kid treats to make together with the next generation while we wait for the turkey to nish roasting. Here’s to a bountiful table lled with laughter, love, family and, of course, good food. Enjoy.
Cranberry sauce
1 cup water or 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
4 cups cranberries
Add water and sugar to a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries. Return to boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries pop. Once cranberries have burst, you can add other avors.
Cranberry salad from Michelle Rosenberger (niece)
1 12-ounce bag cranberries
1 large Granny Smith apple
1 large orange
1 large Honeycrisp apple
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 6-ounce box raspberry gelatin
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
Zest orange then peel and liquefy in food processor. Chop all the other fruits in a food processor and add to large bowl with orange zest. Add nuts. Bring water and sugar to a boil until sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat, let cool just a bit and whisk in gelatin. Pour gelatin over fruit, giving a good stir. Refrigerate overnight.
Wild rice, cider, cranberry pilaf
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small cinnamon stick
2 large cloves garlic (1 smashed and 1 chopped)
2 cups wild rice blend
1/2 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
2 1/2 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium saucepan on medium heat. Add cinnamon and smashed garlic. Cook until fragrant (about one minute). Add rice and toss to coat. Add cider, water and ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender (15-17 minutes). Add cranberries during last 10 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile, heat remaining two tablespoons olive oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add onions and ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper each. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are tender and begin to brown (18- 20 minutes). Add chopped garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Stir in vin-
egar and parsley. Add scallions and onion mixture to rice and toss to combine.
Pilgrim hats
24 striped cookies
24 miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped
24 M&M candies
1 cup white chocolate chips or melting wafers
In a small bowl, add the chocolate chips and melt in the microwave in 30-second increments until melted. Place in a baggie and push to corner of bag. Clip off the tip and squeeze some melted chocolate around the inner circle on the back side of the cookie. Add the peanut butter cup. Squeeze a line of chocolate around the cup and add a dot to one side. Place the M&M on. Set aside and let dry.
Turkey cookies
24 Nutter Butter cookies
24 striped cookies
144 candy corn pieces
24 yellow or orange M&M candies
48 candy eyes
1 cup white chocolate chips or melting wafers
1 cup red melting wafers
In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments until creamy. Add a dot of chocolate on the bottom of the striped cookie and stick the Nutter Butter on. Add six strips of melted chocolate on the top of the wafer and press on the candy corn to make the tail feathers. Add a dot of melted chocolate on the front of the Nutter Butter and stick on the eyes. Add another dot under the eyes and press on an M&M to make a beak. In another small bowl, add the red wafers and melt in the microwave. Place in a baggie and push to corner of bag. Clip off the tip and squeeze a bit of red chocolate on the side of the M&M for the wattle.
Acorn cookies
32 vanilla wafers
32 chocolate kisses, unwrapped 1 cup mini chocolate chips or melting wafers
Add a dot of melted chocolate to the vanilla wafer. Place the chocolate kiss on top. Flip the cookie over and place a tiny dot of chocolate on the top of the vanilla wafer, then place a mini chocolate chip on top for the stem. As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark Schmitt started an adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.
Food columnist, Natalie Schmitt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter, sugars, pudding, eggs and vanilla together. Slowly mix in our and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes.
Add sifted our, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda to an ungreased 9- by 13-inch pan. Make three wells into the dry ingredients and add oil, vinegar and vanilla. Pour water over all of the ingredients and blend thoroughly with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Once cake is fully cooled, make peanut butter frosting by mixing powdered sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and milk together until smooth.
1 pound ground beef
3 cups spaghetti sauce
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
6 cans water
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
In a 9- by 13-inch pan, spread 1 1/2 cups sauce, then layer with three uncooked lasagna noodles and ground beef. Top with more sauce and some of each type of cheese. Repeat, making sure noodles are immersed in sauce. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes and enjoy.
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