December 9, 2023 Dairy Star - 2nd section

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Page 2 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 3

THE DAY THAT WENT AWRY

Things that go bump in the night Sutliffs experience a basement visitor

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

BOYCEVILLE, Wis. — After an early morning and a busy day partaking in Wisconsin’s traditional opening day of gun deer season, Kyle and Casey Sutliff and their family headed to bed early to get a good night’s sleep.

Or so they thought.

Just before 10 p.m., the Sutliffs heard the all-too-familiar sound of cows meandering outside the house.

“Kyle heard the cows and was going to grab the spotlight to see what they were up to, and we heard a huge crash in the basement that woke everyone up,” Casey said. “We were trying to gure out what that noise was.”

Casey ran to the basement and saw a sight she could not have conjured up in her wildest dreams.

She came face-toface with Sweetheart, an 800-pound Guernsey-Holstein crossbred heifer who had fallen through a basement egress window into a downstairs

bedroom shared by two of their children.

The Sutliffs and their children — Borden, Barrett, Boston, Cullen, Eldon, Lucy and Kynlee — operate Taste & See Creamery LLC, a rstgeneration micro-dairy the couple established about two years ago in Boyceville. They milk nine cows and make a variety of cheeses and cheese curds on the farm, which they market at local farmers markets and retailers and through online sales.

Sweetheart found herself in the bedroom of 12-year-old Borden and 8-year-old Barrett, who could hardly believe their eyes.

“When I got down there, she was still sitting in the window well,” Casey said. “We were hoping we could just lift her up from there, but she got scared when the skid loader came, and in she came.”

Despite the initial humor in the situation, the Sutliffs feared what the heifer’s reaction might be after getting over her own initial shock.

“Our 8-year-old was in the bottom bunk,” Casey said.

“When I got there, (Sweetheart) was right there next to him. There was no way to process it. I kept telling him to get up or the cow was going to be in bed with him, and he

was like he couldn’t begin to understand what I was telling him because it’s not something Mom tells you every day.”

Kyle said he wished for a video of Barrett’s reaction.

“He was just lying there looking at her, trying to gure out if he was dreaming or what,” Kyle said.

Once Barrett was out of the way of any potential harm and Kyle had the rest of the cows put back in, the Sutliffs set about guring out how they were going to extract Sweetheart from their basement.

“I knew it wouldn’t work, but I rst tried walking her out up the stairs,” Kyle said.

“Then I started to brainstorm, and I got hung up on building a sled and hauling her up the stairs on a sled.”

Meanwhile, Casey began calling for reinforcements in the form of Kyle’s friend and her uncle.

“I called Kyle’s buddy and said, ‘Hey, I got a cow in the basement. Can you come help get her out?’ He didn’t think he heard me right,” Casey said. “My uncle said the same thing.”

With an assembled army of ve men, the work of freeing Sweetheart from the basement began in earnest. Kyle’s plan to build a sled was modi-

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Sweetheart destroyed the dresser she landed on when she fell through an egress window into the Sutliffs’ basement the night of Nov. 18 near Boyceville, Wisconsin. The Sutliffs milk nine cows and operate Taste & See Creamery LLC.

ed to screwing plywood onto the stairs to create a makeshift ramp. They removed a window near the top of the stairs. Using a combination of straps and chain, they got Sweetheart onto her side and began the process of pulling her up the ramp by using the

skid loader.

The stairwell to the basement is 4 feet wide, which made the job innitely trickier.

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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

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The Sutliff family — Eldon (front, from le�), Barre�, Boston and Cullen; (back, from le�) Borden, Casey, holding Kynlee, and Kyle, holding Lucy — operate Taste & See Creamery LLC in Boyceville, Wisconsin. They process the milk into cheese on the farm.

“We got her started up, and then her leg got caught and we had to lower her back down,” Kyle said. “She kicked the wall pretty good and knocked that loose, and it will all need to be rebuilt and replaced. The two guys at the bottom trying to guide her up were holding on for dear life.”

Once she was hoisted to the top of the stairs, Sweetheart’s perils were not yet over.

“The landing isn’t very big, so she was kind of just hanging there, and we had to get her unhooked from the skid loader,” Casey said.

Without enough room for her to lunge to get up, the rescuers needed to keep Sweetheart convinced to stay down while they manually pulled her toward the door.

“We got her out to the door, and she popped up and ran down the couple of steps from the house,” Kyle said.

“I had always thought cows couldn’t go down stairs. But from there, there wasn’t any more playing. She went right to the barn. She was done.”

For the calamity of her experience, Sweetheart is no worse off.

“She seemed just ne,” Kyle said.

“I was really worried about pneumonia because she was really hot here in the house, but it’s been a week and a half, and she’s doing well.”

While Sweetheart escaped without physical trauma, she left the Sutliffs quite the mess to clean up, but they admit it could have been much worse.

“We cleaned up what we could that night, but then it was a couple of more days of just scrubbing and scrubbing,” Casey said. “The dresser is gone. She ended up standing right on top of it and just crashed it. But at one point, she was standing next to like 300 jars of canned pickles and stuff. I was just holding my breath she wouldn’t knock those down.”

While Casey handled the cleaning, Kyle is in charge of xing the structural damage caused by Sweetheart’s escapades.

“The new window is supposed to

be here tomorrow (Nov. 30),” Kyle said. “Once I get that in, I’ll need to take the staircase wall down and replace that.”

In the end, the scenario has become one the Sutliffs said they can laugh about.

“We really couldn’t have asked for an animal with a better temperament to deal with,” Kyle said. “She stayed pretty calm and easy to work with.

Now we have quite the deer hunting story to tell: ‘Remember the year the cow fell in the basement?’”

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Kevin Clark (le�) and Jake Lake restrain Sweetheart as Kyle Sutliff prepares to pull her up a ramp with the skid loader, using straps run through an upstairs window, the night of Nov. 18 near Boyceville, Wisconsin.

Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 5

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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

Caprine

Farming

Restoring their dreams Cox family rebuilds dairy goat facility after barn re

By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com

THORP, Wis. — June 13, 2021, had been a normal day for the Cox family, who were doing chores on their dairy goat farm near Thorp.

Dave Cox had just bedded doe pens, and his wife, Shelby, was still in the pens with the goats. Suddenly, the barn fans quit running and all the goats spooked to the other side of the barn.

When Shelby noticed the goats looking up at the ceiling, she looked too and discovered smoke coming from the ceiling of the barn.

Shelby quickly moved the does and bucks out of the barn while Dave struggled to get the yearlings out of harm’s way. Within two minutes, the entire barn was engulfed in ames.

Even though they were not directly in the ames, Dave and the does were all on re by the time they were able to run out of the barn.

“It’s something you never want to see,” Shelby said. “It’ll scar you for the rest of your life.”

Dave suffered third-degree burns on his back and arms, and the Coxes lost 47 goats that day.

With the help of nearby family and community members, the surviving goats were relocated. Dave spent a month and a half in the hospital, but the barn was rebuilt, and the Coxes were milking again four months after the re.

Today, the family milks 120 goats in a 15-stall parlor three times a day.

Their herd consists of Saanens, Alpines and LaMancha crossbreds.

They were able to rebuild on the existing concrete and also add 100 feet to their barn. The new facility measures about 60 feet by 180 feet. All the does, bucks and kids are housed under one roof.

Before the re, the Coxes were milking in a barn they had built in 2015.

Although it had been sufcient, there were things that they upgraded when building new. Installing trusses from Starwood Rafters opened up space and allowed them to include a big fan in the new barn. They also added curtains on the sides of the barn, which allows more air ow and natural light.

“We really like the open concept,” Shelby said. “Our does are always comfortable even when it’s 90 and huTurn to COX | Page 7

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PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Cox family — Imogene (front, from leŌ) and Warren holding Esmee; (middle, from leŌ) Lucas, Elliot, Samantha and James; (back, from leŌ) Dave and Shelby — milks 120 goats near Thorp, Wisconsin. The family rebuilt their facility aŌer a barn re in 2021.

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 7

ConƟnued from COX | Page 6

CK

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mid, and it’s so nice and bright and fresh.”

An organized utility room was added to the new facility as well.

Vet supplies are kept on inventory, so when there is a sick animal, it can be taken care of easily and accurately. Shelby said it makes things easier when there are problems during inconvenient times.

Doing chores three times a day is important to the family for many reasons. Dave works off the farm at Thorp Equipment, and the couple has seven children, so it is important to them to balance the farm with their family.

Milking times are 4:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Dave milks in the morning while Shelby gets the children to school. The noon milking is done before they return from school, and the night milking is done after the children go to bed.

“I have that quality time with the kids after PHOTO SUBMITTED they get home,” Shelby Goats relax at Almost Forever Dairy near Thorp, Wissaid. “I feel like it ben- consin. The barn was rebuilt aŌer a re in 2021 and ets the does’ udder now includes a fan, trusses and curtains, which alhealth, and we are able low for natural light and fresh air. to catch things sooner because we are out there more.”

The goats are milked on extended use of Dairy Herd Improvement Assolactations with the does averaging 500 ciation records and an ultrasound tool. days in milk. There are 19 does milk- If a doe’s DHIA record indicates low ing over 1,000 days, two of which are production, it receives an ultrasound to over 2,000 days in their lactation. The conrm a pregnancy. There have been Coxes believe that if a goat is milking several instances of false pregnancies at least 15 pounds per day, there is no where the doe drops in milk but an reason to interrupt the lactation with a ultrasound reveals uid and no pregpregnancy and fresh period, which has nancy. potential for complications. Does are When this happens, the doe is givbred back when they drop below 10 en a round of hormone shots and she pounds of milk per day. They have not resumes milk production again. had any reproductive problems with “The ultrasound costs about $900, the extended lactations so far. and it has really paid for itself,” Shelby This management is aided with the said. “We’re not drying up does that are open, and we’re not shipping because of that false pregnancy.”

Goats are freshened seasonally to avoid winter kidding. Kids are raised on Vita Plus milk replacer, which Shelby said has eliminated bloating problems they were previously experiencing. Kids are fed with a group feeder and receive three feedings per day, in congruence with milking times.

Does are fed baleage in the manger and pellets in the parlor. They are hand fed in the parlor now, but the Coxes hope to upgrade to an automatic parlor feeder to improve efciency. They plan to expand their parlor to a double-20 as well.

Shelby said that the barn re opened their eyes to how many great people in their community cared about their family. They made new friends and started attending a church. Once the physical structures were rebuilt, however, Shelby said her mental wellbeing had to become a priority.

“Once things slowed down and all the chaos of rebuilding was over with, PHOTO SUBMITTED that’s when the PTSD really sank in,” A kid goat thrives in the nursery at Shelby said. “It would just replay over Almost Forever Dairy near Thorp, and over in my head again. If you go Wisconsin. Kids are fed milk replacer through something traumatic, try and three Ɵmes a day, and kidding is done get help right away; I did. Don’t put it seasonally to avoid kidding in the off.” winter.

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The “Mielke” Market Weekly By Lee Mielke

Page 8 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

Cheese demand holding steady

Financial relief is coming slowly to U.S. dairy farms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the November federal order Class III milk price at $17.15 per hundredweight, up just 31 cents from October but $3.86 below November 2022 and the lowest November Class III since 2018. That put the year’s average at $17.11, down from $22.09 in 2022 but compares to $16.96 in 2021.

Unfortunately, late Friday morning Class III futures portend a December price at $16.11, which would be down $1.04 from November. January was trading at $16.26; February, $16.69; and March at $17.39, with a peak of $18.61 in October.

The November Class IV price is $20.87, down 62 cents from October and $2.43 below a year ago. The year’s average is at $19.11, down from $24.68 a year ago but compares to $15.74 in 2021.

Class III milk prices in 2024 will be better than those we saw this summer, said HighGround Dairy’s market intelligence manager, Cara Murphy, in a “Dairy Radio Now” broadcast, but not to the levels we saw in 2022. Feed prices have come down, she said, and are more supportive of on farm margins.

Demand is one of the big factors in milk prices, and “China is always on our mind,” Murphy said.

China has backed off in its dairy purchases, and there’s a lot of uncertainty as to when they will come back. Murphy said the export market holds potential, for the U.S. European cheese prices have been low for most of 2023 but have since been on the rise on low inventories in Europe. That is opening opportunities for the U.S., she said, due to our low prices.

The other side of the coin is supply, and that means milk. HighGround Dairy sees limited growth in the U.S. in 2024, according to Murphy. She pointed to the large reduction in California particularly, though some of that has been countered by increases in the Midwest. The slaughter rate is telling, she said.

Rates popped in the summer months when the Class III plunged to $13.77 in July. Culling has since pulled back but is up 2.6% from a year ago. The October herd was down 42,000 from a year ago, and Murphy predicted that will play out in 2024.

Falling feed prices for the sixth month in a row and another boost in the all milk price nudged the milk feed price ratio higher for the fourth consecutive month. The USDA’s latest Ag Prices report put the October ratio at 2.03, up from 1.89 in September and 1.90 in October 2022, and the highest since March 2022.

The index is based on the current milk price in relationship to feed prices for a ration consisting of 51% corn, 8% soybeans and 41% alfalfa hay. One pound of milk would purchase 2.03 pounds of dairy feed of that blend.

The all milk price average increased for the third

month in a row, hitting $21.60, up 60 cents from September but $4 below October 2022.

California’s average at $21.60 per cwt was up 30 cents from September but $3.50 below a year ago.

Wisconsin’s, at $19.40, was down 40 cents from September and $5.20 below a year ago.

The national corn price averaged $4.93 per bushel, down 28 cents from September, after falling 52 cents the previous month, and is $1.56 per below October 2022.

Soybeans averaged $12.70 per bushel, down 50 cents, after dropping 90 cents the previous month, and were 80 cents per bushel below a year ago.

Alfalfa hay fell to $217 per ton, down $7 per ton from September and $64 below a year ago.

Looking at the cow side of the ledger, the October cull price for beef and dairy combined fell to an average $108 per cwt, down $6 from September but $23.90 above October 2022 and $36.40 above the 2011 base average.

“Milk production margins were the highest of 2023 by $1.07 over September,” according to dairy economist Bill Brooks, of Stoneheart Consulting in Dearborn, Missouri. “Income over feed costs were above the $8 per cwt level needed for steady to higher milk production for the second time since January. Input prices were lower, but all three commodities were in the top ve for October all time. Feed costs were the fth highest ever for the month of October and the 61st highest of all time. The ratio was below the ve-year average for the 17th month running, as the average ratio for October is 2.18.”

“2023 milk income over feed costs (using Nov. 30 CME settling futures prices for Class III milk, corn and soybeans plus the Stoneheart forecast for alfalfa hay) are expected to be $7.79 per cwt, a loss of 11 cents per cwt versus last month’s estimate,” Brooks said. “2023 income over feed would be below the level needed to maintain or grow milk production and down $4.12 per cwt from 2022’s level.”

Milk income over feed costs for 2024 are expected to be $11.86 per cwt, a gain of $4.07 versus the 2023 estimate. Income over feed is 57 cents per cwt lower than last month and would be above the level needed to maintain or grow milk production, Brooks said.

The 2023 crop harvest is all but complete. USDA’s Crop Progress report shows 96% of the corn was harvested, as of the week ending Nov. 26, up from 93% the previous week, 3% behind a year ago but 1% ahead of the average.

Dairy cow culling continues to slow, and the week ending Nov. 18 was the 11th consecutive one to be below a year ago. The week saw 55,300 cows go to slaughter, up 1,300 from the previous week but 5,000, or 8.3%, below a year ago. Year-to-date 2,701,600 have been culled, up 64,500, or 2.4%, from a year ago.

Cash dairy prices started December varied. The

cheddar blocks crept up 2 cents Monday but headed lower from there, closing Dec. 1 at $1.52 per pound, down 7 cents on the week, lowest since July 17, down 16.50 cents from its Nov. 1 print and 58 cents below a year ago.

The barrels also nished Friday at $1.52, up 8 cents on the week, 15.25 cents lower on the month and 37.75 cents below a year ago. There were 14 sales of block on the week and 51 for the month of November, down from 69 in October. Barrels totaled 16 for the week and 58 for the month, down from 66 in October.

Milk availability deed expectations the week following Thanksgiving, said Dairy Market News.

Spot milk prices reached $2.50-under Class III over the weekend but bounced back to $1-over with no sub-Class prices being reported at midweek. Last year, below-Class prices during the holiday week continued into the following week. Cheese demand is holding a steady pattern, said DMN, and any extra cheddar loads are generally spoken for among regional contacts.

Western retail and food service cheese demand remains steady while restaurant use remains lighter as higher menu prices take a toll. Cheese inventories are comfortable. Export demand is moderate, according to DMN. Butter shot up to a Friday nish at $2.6550 per pound, up 15.50 cents on the week, down 48.75 cents on the month and 24.50 cents below a year ago. Six loads were traded on the week and 65 for the month, up from 36 in October.

Some Midwestern butter makers had a busy holiday weekend while others took some downtime, but butter output is back and busy, DMN said. Churns were running full capacity in a few plants, as cream was priced as low as at market over the holiday week and weekend. Cream prices have since bounced back to pre-holiday levels, with multiples hovering around 1.20. Micro-xing remains stronger than it historically has been during a timeframe when cream is widely available for churning.

“Butter makers are taking a conservative stance on how much inventory to build due to the history making market climax in October, followed by a bearish denouement throughout this month,” DMN said.

Cream volumes have increased in the West, as fat component levels in milk also improved in some parts. This is contributing to increased bulk butter production. Bulk butter demand is outpacing production. Domestic butter demand is strong to steady, and demand from Canadian purchasers is steadier, DMN said.

Grade A nonfat dry milk climbed to $1.1950 per pound Wednesday but closed Friday at $1.18, a halfcent lower on the week, 0.75 cents lower on the month Turn to MIELKE | Page 9

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ConƟnued from MIELKE | Page 8 and 18 cents below a year ago. There were 18 sales reported on the week and 32 for November, down from 52 in October.

The powder is feeling pressure from global prices and anecdotal weaker Mexican demand, according to StoneX, which put pressure throughout 2024 futures.

Dry whey was unchanged until Friday when it inched up a quarter-cent to 40 cents per pound, 3.50 cents lower on the month and 5 cents below a year ago. Sales totaled six for the week and 54 for the month, down from 195 in October.

Tuesday’s GDT Pulse saw mixed results on sales of Fonterra skim milk powder and whole milk powder. HighGround Dairy’s analysis shows 2,217 metric tons, or 98.5% of the total 2,250 MT on offer, was sold. 460 MT less of instant WMP was sold and 61 MT more of regular WMP was sold versus the last Pulse. 24 MT less of SMP on offer was sold this auction, HGD said.

In politics, the U.S., Mexico, and Canada Free Trade Agreement negotiated by the Trump administration will not be as benecial as expected for the U.S dairy industry. A Nov. 24 ruling by a USMCA dispute panel allows Canada to continue to restrict dairy access that the U.S. negotiated for in the pact and “weakens the agreement’s value to the U.S. dairy industry,” according to the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council.

An earlier panel ruled in January 2022 that Canada had improperly restricted access to its market for U.S. dairy products. In response, Canada made insufcient changes to its dairy tariff rate quota system, resulting in an outcome that fell far short of the market access the U.S. expected to receive under USMCA. To address that shortcoming, the U.S. brought a second case to challenge the changes that Canada instituted. The panel announced Nov. 24 that Canada was not obligated to make further changes.

“It is profoundly disappointing that the dispute settlement panel has ruled in favor of obstruction of trade rather than trade facilitation,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. Despite this independent panel’s adverse ruling, NMPF urged Ambassador Tai and Ag Secretary Vilsack to look at all available options to ensure that Canada respects what was negotiated.

The International Dairy Foods Association called the ruling “a glaring failure to safeguard the most fundamental rights outlined in the USMCA.” Meanwhile, the IDFA reported that the USDA released grant-approval to signicantly expand the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Projects, a program established by Congress in the 2018 farm bill and one of the department’s key nutrition incentive programs for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“HFMI projects provide SNAP beneciaries with a dollar-for-dollar match when they purchase healthy uid milk options,” IDFA said. “USDA’s award announcement utilizes $4 million in scal year 2023 congressional appropriations to Auburn University’s Hunger Solutions Institute to bring the program to an additional 575 retail outlets in 16 states, including locations in rural communities, counties with persistently high poverty rates, low-income and low access census tracts, and Tribal Nations and surrounding tribal communities.”

IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes lauded the expansion of the HFMI, noting the important role dairy incentives play in improving health outcomes for Americans experiencing increasing levels of food and nutrition insecurity.

Last but not least, IDFA said, “Americans are

Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 9

writing a new chapter in their love affair with dairy products, according to fresh data from the USDA which reports per capita consumption of all dairy products reached 653 pounds per person in 2022, 63 pounds above the historical average dating back to 1975 when USDA began tracking per capita dairy consumption.

“Cheese consumption set an all-time high in 2022 to reach nearly 42 pounds per person, a half-a-pound per-person increase over the previous year. For comparison, the average American consumed 32.2 pounds of cheese in 2000 and 21.9 pounds in 1980. Ice cream consumption in 2022 also edged out the previous year, while other dairy products including yogurt and butter remained consistent with recent year highs.

“Americans are turning to dairy like never before as part of their health regimen, to celebrate with family and friends, or to liven up their meal and snacking routines. The data from USDA demonstrate how consumers continue to choose dairy products even as they exercise cost-conscious shopping, illustrating how dairy remains affordable and accessible to all people. Dairy is more than a food or beverage, it has become an essential part of our lives, in more than 95% of U.S. households on any given day. The growth in dairy consumption is a testament to America’s dairy foods makers who offer wholesome, delicious, affordable products for people all ages, all year around.

“In the past decade alone, domestic per capita consumption of cheese is up 17.1%, and per capita butter consumption is up 9%. Overall, USDA data show American dairy per capita consumption across products consistently increasing each year, with 2022 up 0.4% over the past ve years, 7.5% over the past 15 years and 16.1% over the past 30 years.”

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OBERHOLTZER AUCTIONS

Special Dairy and Feeder Sale Thursday,

December 14th

Hay 10:00 a.m. • Cattle 11:00 a.m.

Early Consignments

11 Holstein dairy cows, several fresh 30-60 days, milking 75-95 lbs.

Balance bred back and milking well. 12 Holstein steers, vac 2x, corn & pellets, 750-800 lbs, nice! 8 Angus x Hol strs, vac 2x, 600 lbs, green.

PENDING: Complete dispersal 65 Holstein tiestall cows avg 68 lbs., 125 scc ADVANCE NOTICE

7th Annual Holiday Select Sale Thursday, December 28th

Now taking Consignments of high quality Dairy Cattle

Machinery Auction at Thorp Friday, December 29th • 9:30 a.m.

Now taking consignments of Farm Machinery, Industrial Equipment, Vehicles and higher value tools

Tractors Case IH 8950 tractor. 4WD, CAH, Duals front and rear. Nice tractor!; John Deere 8430 tractor. MFWD, CAH, 11k hours, new motor 1500 hours ago. ILS front suspension, front and rear duals; Combines & Heads John Deere S690 combine. 4WD, duals, 3000 engine hours, 2200 separator. Greenstar ready. 20k in updates and repairs done by John Deere; John Deere 640FD draper head. 40 ft. Excellent condition!!; John Deere 608C 8 row corn head w stalk choppers. Very nice!; Drago Series 1 12 row corn head, Flagship hookup; Skid loaders Bobcat S650 skid loader. CAH, hyd quik-tach, 3600 hours, 2 speed.

2018 model; Gehl V330 skid loader. CAH, 2 speed, hyd quik-tach, 2950 actual hours, big tires. Fresh gone through shop. Nice!!; Case 1840 skidsteer. 1500 original hours. Very nice!!

Tillage Equipment John Deere 230 disc. 24 ft working width; John Deere 235 disc. 24 ft working width; John Deere 980 field cultivator. 46 ft working width; Glenco SS 740 chisel plow, 11 shank; McFarland 4030 reel disc, 30’, good cond; Sunflower 5033 field cultivator, 33’, new shovels; Planting: Kinze 3600 12 row corn planter, 30”, liquid fert, very nice!; Kinze 2600 inter planter. 8 row, 36”, 15 row 18”; Spraying: Top Air TA 1600 sprayer. 80’ booms, 1600 gal, Raven Invisio Pro controls; Grain and Hay Equipment Field line FL440 forage blower. Large 1000 PTO. 2015 model. Good working condition; Miller Pro 1060 series 2 forage blower. 540 PTO; Roto Grind GG10 corn grinder mill. Hyd input auger. Large 1000 PTO. Used one season. Like new!!; H&S FB7418 18 foot front and rear unload cart. Hyd drive, 4th beater, side extension.

Vehicles: 2016 Peterbilt 389 semi. 18 speed, cummins, 336 rears, 72” bunk, 280” wheelbase, 972K miles, solid truck!; 1981 Peterbilt 359 day cab semi.

13 speed, 400 cummins, single line wet kit, fifth wheel, block heater, AC works good Trailers: 2015 Big Tex gooseneck trailer 32 ft, tandem duals; 2013 Featherlite 7.6 X 34 cattle trailer. Tri-axle, 2 divider gates, very nice!; 1990 Fontaine 38 ft step deck semi trailer; Manure Equipment: Knight 8040 Spreader w/8141 conversion; Attachments 6 ft tire scraper, good condition; Tree stump puller. New!

OBERHOLTZER AUCTIONS - THORP Formerly Turenne Livestock SALE EVERY MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY 5:00 PM Selling Baby Calves, Hogs, Sheep, Goats, Feeder Cattle, Fat Cattle, Market Cows and Bulls VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET PRICES Call 712-432-5500 for daily market report JWO NOTES & MARKET REPORT: Big enough to make a difference, small enough to care!

I don’t know what my butcher mixed in with our venison but these Hawaiian snack stix are really some kind of special good!

Registered milking Shorthorns topped the sale. $3,700, $2,950, $2,800, $2,600 Tom Mahoney, Glenwood City. Top Holsteins $2,550 Joel Beachy, Spencer. $2,300 Mark Oberholtzer, Loyal. Holstein sringing heifers sold higher, mostly $1,9002,350. Top $2,500. Opens $125-165. Single birth Holstein heifer calves $50-150.

Milking Shorthorn calves $550-800.

Breeding Bulls $1,550-1,800. Market bulls $108-119.

Choice Holstein steers $155-163. Crossbreds up to $171. Beef cross bull and heifer calves $400-650. Holstein bull calves $200-360.

20% of Market cows sold $90-106. Another 50% sold $74-89. Certified organic market cows $132-144.50.

11/30/23 hay sold strong. 3x4x8 western alfalfa $240-305/bale. 3x3x8 alfalfa $100-140. 3x3x8 grass up to $145. Rounds grass $70-115. Baleage $80-95. 3x4x8 western wheat straw $95. Oat straw $80.

SALEs SCHEDULE

Dairy & Hay sale EVERY Thursday starting with hay @ 10:00 followed by Dairy Cows @ 11:00 sharp, then bred heifers, open heifers and feeders followed by calves, market bulls, fat cattle and cull cows. Special feeder sale 2nd & 4th Thursday.

WATCH OUR SALE ONLINE AT WWW.CATTLEUSA.COM

Sale Location: W1461 State Hwy 98, Loyal, WI 54446 From Spencer, WI take Hwy 98 west 5 miles. From Loyal, 5 miles east on 98

SALE CONDUCTED BY:

Oberholtzer Dairy Cattle & Auction Co. Auctioneer: Mark Oberholtzer, WI license #2882-052 John Oberholtzer 715-216-1897 • Mark Oberholtzer 715-773-2240 John Ivan Oberholtzer 715-219-2781 • Office 715-255-9600 www.oberholtzerauctions.com

Page 10 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

Grain Markets 12.47

Almena, WI Synergy Cooperative

4.09

12.22

St. Cloud, MN ADM

4.39

12.30

Westby, WI Premier Co-op

4.35

12.17

Cadott, WI Cadott Grain Service

4.11

12.22

Pipestone, MN Cargill

4.25

12.42

Muscoda, WI Riverdale Ag Service

4.45

12.27

Wheat 5.13

GarÀeld Pro-Ag Farmer’s Co-op

4.25

12.14

Wheat 6.91

Monona, IA Innovative Ag

4.55

12.43

Watertown, SD Watertown Co-op Elevator Whitewater, WI Landmark Services Co-op

4.35 4.49

Dennison, MN Central Farm Service

12.27 12.11

3.31

Ot he

r

4.54

Oa ts

Soy b ea ns

Sanborn, MN Meadowlands Farmers Co-op

rn Co

December 6, 2023

S. Wheat 6.77 W. Wheat 6.02

Wheat 5.63

HELPING GOOD MANAGERS MAKE BETTER TRADING DECISIONS This morning, I was reading in the bible and came across the verse that said, “For false prophets will arise and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect if that were possible”. This verse is a warning to mature believers that they can be deceived by something that appears real but is a false sign that could cause them to ultimately lose their faith. Although this verse isn’t market related, that is what markets have felt like lately as fundamental and directional indicators that typically provide seasoned traders price direction signs have been giving a lot of head fakes.

The international milk markets are once again seeing significant market forces at work that will create regional directional volatility as prices adjust to demand changing market dynamics. EU dairy product prices have been the bright spot as dairy product prices in most categories have been firmer. EU cheese prices are now trading over $2. This compares to NZ GDT $1.65 and U.S. low $1.50’s.

In the last Global Dairy Trade auction on November 21, cheddar auction prices dropped 9.7%. This was a very concerning price move as it now feels like the U.S. and NZ markets are having a race to the bottom to try and

*Futures and options trading involve significant risk of loss and may not be suitable for everyone. Therefore, carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. Past performance is not indicative of future results. DVi is an equal opportunity employer.

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hang on to international cheese demand. Most of the U.S. cheese exports can be treated as domestic demand due to their location to the U.S., but there is roughly 1/2—1% of the total U.S. milk supply still exposed to this price competitiveness. That is all it takes to destroy the U.S. dairy market if it is lost, as that milk has to find a new home.

Federal Reserves for countries outside the U.S. have been trying to manage their interest rates relative to U.S. moves. In recent months, that trend is starting to change as individual countries are starting to fight their own battles internally. This has been weakening the U.S. dollar against most major currencies since early November.

As with most traders, I don’t know what is going to happen in the macro side of the world financial systems.

With that said, the last several times that the world saw volatility in currency swings like we are starting to see, financial pain expanded. Will the world see more inflation, deflation, tightening monetary policy, and/or more international trade disruptions and distortions?

This may be a good time to tighten the belt and hang on to see what happens next.

Joe Spader

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DairyVisor Inc. is a private corporation based in Glenwood, MN. DVi provides a full range of commodity trading products and consulting services to large scale grain and dairy operations.

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 11

Area Hay Auction Results

CLIP AND SAVE

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Rock Valley Hay Auction Co.

THURSDAY, DEC. 21, 2023

Nov. 29, 27 loads

Dec. 12, 52 loads

November 16, 2023

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Large Squares $235/ton $270-275/ton $200-215/ton

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Rounds $125-205/ton $205-215/ton $180-210/ton $75-175/ton

6 loads 2 loads 5 loads 7 loads

Rock Valley, Iowa • 712-476-5541

1st crop 4th crop Straw

Large Squares $210/ton $240/ton $130/ton

1st crop 2nd crop 3rd crop 4th crop Grass Mixed Straw Corn stalks

Large Rounds $185-197.50/ton $192.50-200/ton $210/ton $217.50/ton $137.50-240/ton $175-195/ton $130-150/ton $57.50-67.50/ton

DAIRY SALE RESULTS FROM Top Springing Heifer - $2,850 OUR COMMISSION IS ONLY 2.5%!

SALE SCHEDULE EVERY TUESDAY: 9 a.m. Slaughter Hogs • 11 a.m. Hay - Straw 12 noon Slaughter Cattle 1ST & 3RD WEDNESDAYS: 1 p.m. all classes sheep & goats 2ND & 4TH THURSDAYS: 11 a.m. Stock cows Baby & Started calves • Feeder Cattle 3RD THURSDAY: 9 a.m. Dairy Sale • Springers, Bred & Open Heifers • Breeding Bulls • Herd Dispersals

Pipestone Livestock Auction Market, Inc. PIPESTONE, MN

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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE

Cook’s Farm Dairy stands alone in its county

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

ORTONVILLE, Mich.

— This year, Cook’s Farm Dairy in Ortonville is celebrating 90 years in business by offering a new ice cream avor — Bessie’s Birthday Cake.

Bessie is the name of one of the farm’s cows.

Quinton Cook, who now runs the farm and creamery with his parents, Clark and Lori, said the ice cream’s name is typical of their products.

“We try to make it fun by relating a lot of our ice cream avors’ names to the farm,” Cook said. “We have a Holy Cow avor and Cow Pie, which doesn’t sound appetizing, but it is delicious. We try to bring a lot of our product names back to the cows because that is where it all starts — and the public loves those cows.”

The Cooks milk about 55 Holsteins and raise their calves and heifers. Besides making ice cream, they bottle and sell their milk and operate an onfarm retail store. Their milk and ice cream are also distributed to family-run grocery

Celebrating a legacy stores, gas stations and specialty shops around Michigan.

Cook’s Farm Dairy employees 30 people, 20 of whom are high school students working part time selling ice cream in the farm’s store.

Through four generations, the family’s operation has thrived and is now the last remaining dairy farm in Oakland County. Started by Clark Miller on 100 acres in 1933, the farm was passed on to his son-in-law, John Cook, who gave the farm its name. From there, it went to Clark and then Quinton. Through the decades, the business diversied.

“The farm progressed from generation to generation,” Cook said. “My grandpa added on a few buildings — he was a builder himself — and then my dad came home from college in the 1980s and added the dairy processing plant. He started bottling the milk fresh right on the farm and started making the ice cream, which is really what we are known for today.”

When Cook joined his father in the business, the farm evolved again.

“When I got home from college about ve years ago, we added on a (robotic milking system) and a whole freestall barn to go with that,” Cook said. “It’s been going really well for us. … It’s been really

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Quinton Cook stands in his freestall barn near Ortonville, Michigan. The Cooks milk 55 cows and have a creamery where they sell thier milk and make ice cream. good for the cows to be able to go in there whenever they like.

It’s been really good for their milk quality, milk production and pregnancy rates.”

Before the upgrades, the Cooks milked in a tiestall barn with a vacuum pump.

“It would take about two and a half hours every morning and two and a half hours every night for milking, so the robot is saving us about ve hours a day and is really a benet to

the whole farm,” Cook said.

The freestall barn has waterbeds, and cattle are rotated out when weather permits to a 10-acre pasture adjacent to the barn. The farm is on 200 acres, and the Cooks rent another 150 acres. Most of the total acreage is used to raise hay and corn for feed. Ten acres is reserved for autumn festivities on the farm, where the Cooks operate a corn maze, pumpkin patch and hayrides, attracting many

visitors each year.

All milk from the farm goes directly to its creamery. The Cooks bottle milk on Mondays and Fridays, including whole, 2%, skim, chocolate and sometimes eggnog.

On Tuesdays, they make ice cream. During busy summer months, they often make 1,600 gallons a week.

Turn to COOKS | Page 13

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 13

ConƟnued from COOKS | Page 12

MIXERS IN STOCK

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Cook’s Farm Dairy process all of their own milk by boƩling or making ice cream on their farm near Ortonville, Michigan. In addiƟon to selling milk and ice cream in their on-farm store, the Cooks also sell meat from their cows and pigs.

“It’s a big draw for the community to come out and maybe pet a calf and have a fresh ice cream cone,” Cook said. “One of the things that makes our dairy farm unique is not only do we produce and handle all of our own dairy products … but people from the public can also come around and visit with the cows, see the few pigs we have here on the farm, maybe bottle feed a baby calf — so it becomes more of a destination for our local community.”

Having a community connection is important to the Cooks.

“Not a lot of people in this area are growing up in (the dairy farming) lifestyle, so families of all ages come in to enjoy the experience of the farm,” Cook said. “We are trying to represent the dairy industry well with our small herd and our delicious ice cream.”

The Cooks also sell meat at their store — hamburger from their cattle and pork from their group of 10 to 12 pigs.

“They basically act as our garbage disposal,” Cook said. “Instead of having a broken ice cream cone on the ground go into the trash, we send it over to the pigs, or if we are making vanilla ice cream but then need to switch over to chocolate, we’ll rinse out that last little bit of vanilla and give that rinseout to the pigs. None of our waste goes down the drain. That way we can feed more families sustainably.”

Cook’s Farm Dairy is situated in an area that is becoming crowded, which brings both challenges and benets for the business. The farm is located about 45 minutes northwest of Detroit.

“The area is being developed more and more every year,” Cook said.

“When I came home from college in 2017, there were 2,000 dairy farms left in the state of Michigan. Now there are 1,000.”

That equates to about 200 dairy farms closing completely or being sold to larger dairies every year, Cook said.

Also, land in the area is being developed for housing.

“We used to rent about 200 acres, but every year it seems a 10-acre plot over here or a 5-acre plot over there are sold off for houses and sub-divisions,” Cook said. “Now, I am only able to rent about 130 to 150 acres in my local area, and I imagine that is going to continue (to decrease) as time goes on. In ve to 10 years, there might be the challenge of having to buy more of our feed.”

However, the Cooks are choosing to see the increase in number of residents as an opportunity.

“One of the things about farming where we are is that many people aren’t accustomed to the lifestyle of farming, so when they come, they are very shellshocked by the experience in a good way, and we have the opportunity to educate them,” Cook said.

With community outreach and dairy promotion in mind, the Cooks are in the process of building a 5,000-square-foot retail store that they hope to complete by next spring or early summer.

“We believe it will drive us to be more of a destination for the people in Oakland County,” Cook said.

The future of the farm is especially important to Cook as he and his wife, Grace, are expecting their rst child.

“Our goal is to keep the business going for the next generation,” Cook said. “We’re a family of faith, and we try to do everything to the glory of God. … Whatever we’re doing, we’re trying to be honorable and do it with integrity.

We’re well known for producing quality products, and to do this dairy thing with excellence is something that I’m very proud of.”

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PHOTO SUBMITTED

A customer is handed an ice cream cone from the Cook’s Farm Dairy on-farm store near Ortonville, Michigan. Cook’s Farm Dairy is 90 years old this year.

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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

PEOPLE MOVING PRODUCT

Selling happiness Rural entrepreneurs look to change world through ice cream

By Amy Kyllo

amy.k@star-pub.com

LONSDALE, Minn. — One word comes out of the mouths of the pair of owners of Udder Buddies again and again: happiness.

“We want to do something to change the world, and we’re putting a smile on people’s faces,” said Jamieson Lindquist.

Lindquist and Kevin Korbel, who both grew up in generational farm families, own Udder Buddies, a new, premium ice cream brand in southern Minnesota. They specialize in vanilla, and their product is sold at four stores.

Udder Buddies sources its milk from the University of Minnesota dairy herd. In the future, the partners hope to use milk from the 40-cow herd operated by Korbel’s family. Eventually, they want to expand to purchase milk from other local herds as well.

Korbel said the low prices seen earlier this year were a tipping point for wanting to start the business.

“If it’s going be like this — prices comparable to the ‘80s — we have to make a change,” Korbel said.

Lindquist said their brand can be part of the solution.

“We want to help raise the prices of milk for dairy farmers,” he said. “We

can pay our dairy farmers more per hundredweight and offer more consistent prices.”

Lindquist is a sixth-generation farmer. His parents have had a vineyard for 20 years.

To make the ice cream, Lindquist said they use more vanilla, put in less air and have a high butterfat content.

“It’s a premium product,” Lindquist said. “We do one thing, and we do one thing really, really well: We make ice cream for ice cream lovers. ... There’s nothing happier than people eating ice cream.”

The pair’s business all began as Korbel, who had nished a job in the wine industry, was looking to work for himself. Korbel started talking to Lindquist, who he has known since they were in high school. Lindquist started asking Korbel questions about what he was looking to do.

The friends decided ice cream production could t the niche of Korbel’s mission to spread joy.

They rst attempted to make ice cream with Lindquist’s grandpa’s ice cream maker. For their rst trial batch, they made strawberry ice cream sweetened with honey.

“It was literally the worst ice cream we ever had in our entire lives,” Korbel said.

The pair, who are both under 30, went to YouTube to learn about ice cream. Their next batch was much more successful and used sugar as a sweetener to simplify the process.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KYLEE BRIMSEK

Kevin Korbel (leŌ) and Jamieson Lindquist hold pints of Udder Buddies ice cream in August at their rst event at Mousse Sparkling Wine Co. in Jordan, Minnesota. Udder Buddies is sold in stores in Lonsdale, New Prague, Montgomery and Northeld.

Turn to UDDER BUDDIES | Page 15

Wishing all of you

Happy Holidays

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 15

ConƟnued from UDDER BUDDIES | Page 14

Their next 10 batches were spent trying to perfect the recipe and make it producible on a large scale.

Lindquist and Korbel currently make their ice cream at the University of Minnesota Joseph J. Warthesen Food Processing Center. They stumbled onto the facility through a Google search for, “Best ice cream in Minnesota.”

At the pilot plant, staff helped Lindquist and Korbel perfect the recipe.

“We’re going to nd the people smarter than us,” Lindquist said. “That’s our superpower. ... (If) we don’t know something, we will talk to enough people until we nd somebody who knows the answer.”

The pair also went to other businesses to learn about the industry.

“If you’ll come and do work for free, people will teach you whatever you want,” Lindquist said.

In August, Udder Buddies made and sold its rst ofcial one-half batch. Each batch is about 100 gallons, depending on the butterfat level of the milk and air whipped in. They make ice cream every couple of months.

Their ice cream saw quick success. Korbel, who is in charge of marketing, told their story on Facebook. Their page jumped to 1,000 followers in two days. Their rst batch of ice cream sold out in one week.

The pair said that an owner of a gas station that carries their product as well as other local brands told them that their ice cream exhibited the fastest growth in sales they have had in a brand at their store.

In addition to stores, they also host events. They hosted a harvest party at Korbel’s farm with a grant from Midwest Dairy.

“I’ve had ice cream on great days, and I’ve had an ice cream on really bad days,” Korbel said. “We get to see people for that 10 minutes that they’re actually happy.”

The pair named their brand Udder Buddies in a nod to their friendship. Their logo is an ice cream cone topped with a cow’s udder. The design was Lindquist’s idea, but Korbel put together the nal design.

Both Lindquist and Korbel are engaged in other ventures outside of Udder Buddies. Lindquist owns a vineyard management company and is starting a winery with another partner. Korbel works on his family’s dairy farm alongside his siblings — who also have outside work — and his parents.

“Sometimes, I need to make it a whole ice cream day where it’s my sole focus,” Korbel said. “Other days, I had to table it for a little bit and drop everything and jump into a tractor.”

Next year, Korbel said they hope to be in more stores within a 100-mile radius. Currently, their product is available in Lonsdale, New Prague, Montgomery and Northeld.

Eventually, as they grow, they will look for a copacker where they can process their ice cream once they outgrow the university’s facility.

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Jamieson Lindquist (leŌ) and Kevin Korbel pour milk into the pasteurizer during their rst batch of ice cream in August at the University of Minnesota pilot plant in St. Paul, Minnesota. Udder Buddies sources their milk from the herd at the University of Minnesota, but in the future, they hope to use milk from Korbel’s family’s 40-cow herd.

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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

DAIRY ST25R C E L E B R A T I N G

2 5

Y E A R S

A look back at 5, 10 and 20 years ago 5 years ago A start up against the odds Dan and Nikki Wood and their family began dairy farming near Plainview, Minnesota, in the fall of 2018 despite the economy and the small size of their herd. They named their dairy operation Against the Odds Dairy as a nod to the risk they were taking. The Woods family moved a herd of 10 Guernsey cows, 21 youngstock and themselves to a rented farm with the hope of not only nancially breaking even with their dairy by keeping costs at a minimum, but also supplying their own dairy animals for showing.

Dan continued his career as a milk hauler and worked on the farm when time allowed. The couple’s children helped Nikki with chores. They employed a pitchfork for cleaning the gutter, and they blended feed using an ice auger turned feed mixer. One month after starting their dairy, the small herd had an average somatic cell count of 29,000 and produced 4.9% butterfat and 3.4% protein. Dan and Nikki said they were happy with how well their edgling dairy was succeeding and were enjoying family life on their farm.

From dairy novice to assistant herdsman In 2018, Carrissa Buttjer was celebrating her 10th year of working at Schanbacher Acres in Atkins, Iowa, where she had worked her way up to being the assistant herdsman on the 275-cow, 800-acre dairy farm. When she started working there in 2008, she had never so much as touched a cow. Participating in FFA leadership contests while in high school had led Buttjer to study ag business in college. It was there that she saw an advertisement for a milker needed at Schanbacher Acres. Buttjer didn’t get that job but was hired to help feed calves. J Schanbacher, who

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owned the farm with his father, Alan, was willing to teach Buttjer about other aspects of dairy farming. After nishing college, Buttjer joined the farm’s team and never left. By December of 2018, Schanbacher was working on a plan with Buttjer where he would move into the farm role of his father — mixing the ration and feeding and raising heifers — while Buttjer would take over Schanbacher’s role as herdsman.

From grains, to glasses, to gallons of milk Ben and Nicki Peterson added another business adventure to their already busy life of crop farming 2,000 acres and milking 900 cows with Ben’s parents, Gary and Cris, at Four Cubs Farm near Grantsburg, Wisconsin. In the autumn of 2018, the couple opened Brickeld Brewing in Grantsburg, providing customers a true eld-to-avor experience. They offered eight beers on tap with capacity in their tap line for 12. They planned to rotate beers seasonally and offer one new beer each week. The Petersons were set to begin growing their own grains and hops for their beers the following spring and were already feeding brewers’ grains to their cows. Aptly, the building they purchased and remodeled for Brickeld Brewing had originally been a creamery. The Petersons said they appreciated the public support they had received that fall for their venture.

Vetsches make gifts to give gifts Besides helping their parents, Loren and Liz Vetsch, with chores on their 200-cow, 200-acre dairy farm near Browerville, Minnesota, Mackenzie and Izaak Vetsch spent the weeks leading up to the holidays of 2018 raising money to buy gifts for a family in need. Loren and Liz had begun the tradition of giving back during the holidays after the loss of the rst of

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their four children nine years prior. Through Catholic Charities, the Vetsches were providing gifts for a family of seven. The previous year, Mackenzie made hot pads with her grandma which the Vetsches sold at a vendor fair. In 2018, Mackenzie, age 7 at the time, made fabric bookmarks, and Isaak, age 6, assisted, cutting the edges with decorative scissor and ironing bookmarks once complete. The family took leftover hot pads and their bookmarks to the vendor fair and did well, selling 150 of the $1 bookmarks and many $5 hot pads. The Vetsches were planning on specically helping a dairy farming family the next year. Liz said the family felt fortunate in how the rst 10 years of their dairy farming journey had gone and wanted to help other farmers who might not have been as fortunate.

10 years ago Pitching out the old, taking off in the new In the fall of 2013, LeRoy and Vernon Mickelson moved their 40 milking cows into their new 60-stall tiestall barn with automatic takeoffs on their farm near Cyrus, Minnesota. Prior, the Mickelsons had been milking in a 42-stall, 3-row tiestall barn that had been on their farm since 1874. In the old barn, handling manure was no easy task, requiring the brothers to clean one gutter by pitchfork because they couldn’t make the barn cleaner work in a 3-row barn. Construction of the barn began in June, and by August, they started milking cows in the completed front 30 stalls, switching cows in and out of the stalls, so that the old barn could be torn down. The new barn provided a wider alley for the feed cart and improvements in Turn to A LOOK BACK | Page 19

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 19

ConƟnued from A LOOK BACK | Page 18 cow comfort with tunnel ventilation and rubber mats.

Once the barn cleaner was up and running, the brothers no longer had to pitch any gutters, which LeRoy said was the best day of their lives.

Run to the dairy side For football players Daniel Stuewe and Aaron Kerkow, their sport required the same disciplines of hard work and dedication that they had learned growing up on dairy farms. In fall of 2013, both young men were sophomores at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minnesota, and playing on the school’s football team.

Stuewe, at 270 pounds and 6 feet, 3 inches tall, played offensive tackle. Kerkow, at 280 pounds and 6 feet, 5 inches tall, alternated at right or left guard. Both were in the school’s dairy program and intended to return to their family farms. Although Kerkow’s parents, Mark and Danette, and his grandpa, Loren, had sold the dairy herd on their farm near Jordan 10 years prior, Kerkow planned to x the stalls and pipeline in the barn and begin dairy farming on the home site again.

He had already purchased the heifers needed and had converted a few outbuildings to house heifers, dry cows and calves. Stuewe was unsure about immediate next steps but said either path would lead to his going home farm to work with his parents, Paul and Sue, who were milking 80 cows near Cologne, Minnesota.

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Fire levels Dassel barn On Nov. 30, 2003, re crews from both Dassel and Cokato, Minnesota, fought a barn re for more than eight hours at Greg and Sara Nelson’s farm near Dassel. Although around 35 youngstock outside the barn survived, 71 registered cows and a supply of hay were destroyed as was the barn itself. The call came in shortly after noon to the Dassel Fire Department.

Greg and his brother, Chuck, who were both Dassel volunteer reghters, arrived at the scene but were not able to get the cattle out of the barn. Greg’s parents, Orland and Mary Ellen, and some of the older of Greg’s nine siblings had moved to the farm in 1955 and had started a tradition of raising Jerseys and Holsteins. Many of Orland and Mary Ellen’s 25 grandchildren had continued showing Nelson dairy animals in recent years. After Greg and Sara had purchased the farm, Orland and Mary Ellen stayed involved, Orland still milking cows every day. Many of Greg’s siblings and their families arrived at the scene of the re, and many tears were shed as generations of Nelsons felt the loss of the barn and its precious cargo.

Hourschts apply detail for record-producing changes From 1999 to 2003, father and son duo, Cory and Ron Hourscht, of Little Falls, Minnesota, took steps to improve their 85-cow herd average by 4,000 pounds. They had recorded good numbers for over a decade, but the signicant jump in four short years ranked them 10th in the 2002 DHIA high herd honor roll. Their herd was recording a 90-pound per cow average with a rolling herd average of 27,000 pounds.

The Hourschts credited genetics, nutrition, cow comfort and using Posilac for their herd’s success. Rubber mats with sawdust bedding were added eight years prior, and the Hourschts employed an ABS breeding representative to aid in improving genetics as well as an agronomist to improve crops used for feed. In 2001, they added a nutritionist to help them devise a total mixed ration. In the 2002 DHIA records, the herd recorded 1,020 pounds of fat and 877 pounds of protein. Both Cory and Ron said what helped them turn their cows into great producers was consistency with a focus on cow comfort.

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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 21

All creatures no matter the size to keep them running, Schueller Schueller embraces donations said that is not at all the case.

“I wouldn’t even want to think how rescue work much money, out of pocket, I have put into

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

MARSHFIELD, Wis. — Brittany Schueller has always loved the animals in her life, whether they are the bovines on her family’s dairy farm or the dogs and cats that become the companions beloved by many.

“I have always been a huge animal person,” Schueller said. “With farming, you have to have a love for all things animal. I am also passionate about spaying and neutering and being a responsible pet owner.”

Schueller and her husband, Matthew, are partners with Matthew’s parents on their 1,000-cow Destiny Dairy near Marsheld.

In 2019, that long-time love of animals led Schueller to help become part of the solution to an overpopulation of dogs and cats.

“I got started with a local rescue, and from there, it just grew,” Schueller said.

“My personality type is a go-getter. I want to always do more.”

That personality type led Schueller to begin doing rescue work on her own. Since last February, Schueller said, over 60 dogs have come through her house as rescues.

“To me, that is a win,” Schueller said.

“Those 60 dogs are dogs that won’t reproduce. They are placed in appropriate homes where I know they will be well cared for.

That makes me, and I would think everyone, happy.”

While most might think of rescues as being charitable causes that collect enough

rescuing dogs,” Schueller said. “The adoption fees barely cover the vet work that is done and don’t begin to touch feeding them or any of the other expenses incurred.”

Despite the nancial constraints, Schueller said she continues to do what she can as a rescuer because it is the right thing to do.

Many circumstances can cause a dog to need intervention. Unwanted litters of puppies or older dogs being released from breeders are the ones that cross paths with a rescue most often. Schueller said that they also see a number of dogs surrendered because of changes in their owner’s life.

“We don’t turn dogs down,” Schueller said. “When we get the call, we take them and then gure out where to place them after. Anything older than puppy is really hard to place, especially some of the breeder releases.”

Being located in central Wisconsin, Schueller works with many members of the Amish community and works to bridge that culture gap.

“Usually the litters of puppies Amish have are from their family dogs,” she said. “These dogs are usually good working dogs who are valued by the family for those abilities and traits.”

Many of the puppies Schueller sees are ones the Amish families have tried selling themselves. Schueller said that for the Amish community, selling puppies has become much harder than it used to be because of the rampant overpopulation of dogs.

Once those puppies outgrow the cute puppy stage, they become increasingly

PHOTO SUBMITTED

BriƩany Schueller holds puppies from a liƩer she took in as rescues last March.

Schueller and her husband, MaƩhew, are partners in their family’s 1,000-cow dairy farm near Marsheld, Wisconsin.

Turn to SCHUELLER | Page 22

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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

ConƟnued from SCHUELLER | Page 21 more difcult to place, creating a sense of urgency in Schueller’s rescue efforts.

“When they haven’t been potty trained by 12 to 16 weeks, it’s nearly impossible to place them,” Schueller said.

The power of social media plays a large role in Schueller’s efforts to place the dogs that nd their way to her home.

She relies on her connection to the farming community to help place the dogs bred to be working dogs on farms where their skills and personality traits would be valued.

“Lots of these puppies would make great farm dogs,” Schueller said.

In her efforts to place the puppies, Schueller continually works to build her network of other rescues from across the state.

“Because of the wide network and reach we have, we oftentimes will get people making requests for a particular breed of dog, and we can keep a lookout for those

dogs,” Schueller said. “That’s always the best scenario — when there is an approved home waiting for a particular dog.”

That is not always the case, Schueller said, and dogs without those waiting homes either need to be placed in foster care or they stay with Schueller until a home is found through an application and approval process.

Some dogs require training and rehabilitation to set them up for success.

Schueller takes it upon herself to prepare the dog for whatever situation it might go into.

“I have an older male dog, not housebroken; that is one of the hardest situations to take on,” Schueller said. “I have a foster home that will take him eventually and maybe even adopt him, but I need to lay that groundwork so that he can be successful with the foster family. I need to housebreak him and to teach him not to mark. It takes a lot of time and a lot of patience.”

Schueller’s work is not limited to dog rescue. She gets involved in helping to deal with feral and farm cats, working with farmers to trap cats and get them spayed or neutered and vaccinated to help control disease.

“It’s the nature of the farm; there is going to be cats, and they do have a job,” she said. “Being a farmer, I understand that. So, when I work with farmers, my goal is to get cats xed and get them vaccinated. That controls the cat population for the farmer and keeps the cats healthier, and they are better able to do their job of hunt-

ing. And for the farmer, they know I have that understanding and background.”

Rescue work can be mentally taxing.

Schueller said she fears the day she simply reaches the point of burnout.

“Sometimes I feel like it is a ne line we walk in the rescue world between helping solve the problem and enabling people to continue to create the problem,” Schueller said. “All I want is for the animals to be healthy and happy and well cared for. That is the priority.”

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Australian shepherd puppies take a break from their water bowl Nov. 23 near Marsheld, Wisconsin. The puppies are members of one of three rescue liƩers that BriƩany Schueller is working to place in new homes.

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 23

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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

DAIRY CALENDAR

The I-29 Moo University dairy webinar series will host a discussion on mastitis resistance from older genetics from noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 19.

The speaker, Dr. Kaitlyn Sarlo Davila, is an animal scientist researching mastitis at the U.S. Department of Agriculture ARS National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa.

Her research focuses on understanding the role of genetics in mastitis susceptibility.

There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, registration is required at least one hour before the webinar.

Register at https://go.iastate.edu/GUQLR1.

For more information, contact: in Iowa, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230; in Minnesota, Jim Salfer, 320-203-6093; or in South Dakota, Patricia Villamediana, 605-688-4116.

The Minnesota Organic Conference will take place Jan. 11-12, 2024, at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The conference offers nationally known keynote speakers and more than 30 breakout sessions providing educational opportunities in areas like organic crop production, dairy, livestock, fruits and vegetables, marketing and business. The trade show provides space for interested parties to market products or services directly to farmers, agricultural service providers, food industry representatives and consumers.

Women at the forefront of Wisconsin’s diverse agriculture community should plan to attend the Wisconsin Women in Agriculture Conference Jan. 12-13, 2024, at the Three Bears Resort in Warrens, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Women in Agriculture Conference will provide research-based and practical educational opportunities for all women interested in any aspect of agriculture. Through workshops and presentations, attendees will learn how to better manage risk, improve their farms and become more successful farm owners, operators and professionals.

The conference will feature speakers involved in agriculture, evening entertainment and opportunities for networking with other agriculture organizations, sponsors and participants.

Extension farmland rental workshops help farmers, landlords and ag professionals determine a fair farmland rental rate for all parties. Presenters review historical rental rates throughout Minnesota and use data-driven decisions to help determine a fair value for land. Workshops cover local historic and projected farmland rental rate trends and current farmland values and sales. We also walk through a worksheet to help participants create a fair rental agreement.

— Dec. 13: 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Pipestone County EMS Building, Pipestone, Minn.

— Dec. 14: 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Sibley County Service Center, Gaylord, Minn.

— Dec. 14: 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the McLeod County Extension Ofce, Hutchinson, Minn.

— Dec. 21: 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Freeborn County Government Center, Albert Lea, Minn.

— Dec. 21: 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Ag Center Conference Room, Blue Earth, Minn.

Join UW-Madison Division of Extension farm succession outreach specialist Joy Kirkpatrick from noon to 12:45 p.m. Dec. 15 for the Getting Started on Your Farm Succession Plan webinar.

Register for this free webinar at https://go.wisc. edu/254z60. For more information, contact joy.kirkpatrick@ wisc.edu or 608-263-3485.

Join University Minnesota Extension of Stearns, Benton, Morrison and Sherburne counties at a two-day “Show Me the Money” grant writing workshop Jan. 6 and Jan. 20, 2024, at the Stearns County Service Center in Waite Park, Minnesota. The presenters will demystify the grant writing process, answer questions and guide you toward success.

Contact Anthony Adams at anthonya@umn.edu or 320-316-3339 for questions.

Form-A-Feed’s Professional Dairy Conference is an opportunity to learn from industry experts and bring home an abundance of knowledge to help you embrace change, take on challenges and discover opportunities.

You’re sure to go home with new results-driven ideas that you can implement on your dairy.

Join us Jan. 11-12, 2024, at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota, with included lodging at the attached Hotel Indigo.

Attend Dairy Strong Jan. 16-18, 2024, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to gain inspiration and discover the challenges and solutions experienced by other farmers when implementing sustainable practices. Gain practical knowledge and motivation to implement practices that will make a positive impact on the environment and farms.

Reunite with the agriculture community Jan. 17-18, 2024, during MN AG EXPO at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, Minnesota. Over the course of two days, Minnesota’s marquee winter agriculture gathering sets our sights on the future by offering networking opportunities; educational sessions; a full trade show oor; dynamic speakers; fundraising events and more.

Minnesota Dairy Initiative will be hosting two farm couple retreats that will be available to dairy farmers across the state of Minnesota. MDI will also be hosting a 2.0 Farm Couple Retreat for past retreat attendees. The 2.0 retreat is open to all past attendees (not just dairy farmers) thanks to sponsorship from AgCountry Credit Services. The purpose of the retreat is to have couples come together to enjoy a mini vacation away from the farm with each other.

The focuses of the retreat will include communication with your partner, communication with family, relationship building, handling stress, managing personalities, problem solving, action planning and learning about additional resources. The retreat will also include opportunities to network with other farming couples, short lectures, group activities and partner exercises.

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 25

Thank you for all you do Throughout my career, whether I was working on Capitol Hill or consulting for Fortune 500 companies, I found myself returning, in various ways, to dairy. And it was By Jim Mulhern always because of President & CEO, NMPF the people.

Those who produce our food literally make life possible for all of us. But there’s something special about this dairy community. I’ve long felt dairy’s uniqueness is in its daily harvest – the ability to see in real time the fruits of your labor reected in the health of your animals and the quality and quantity of milk they produce. It gives dairy a different character than other agricultural operations, producing people committed to nourishing our bodies with nutrientrich milk and dairy products harvested through work that is hard and honest, and never lacking in integrity.

That’s what I will miss after more than four decades working in and near dairy. And that’s why the most important words I’ve been saying as I approach my nal weeks at NMPF are “thank you” — to everyone from NMPF Chairman Randy Mooney and the many dairy-industry leaders who I’ve been fortunate to work with, to the farmers and staff who have supported and advanced our important work at NMPF. And I also need to say, “I’m proud of this industry” for all the successes we’ve seen, and for how that success will help position everyone who cares about dairy for further gains to come – from the farmers and cooperatives I have represented to the entire industry.

I’ve had the opportunity to be part of nearly every major dairy policy debate since the early 1980s – from the establishment of the national dairy checkoff program in 1983, the very rst dairy issue I worked on Capitol Hill, to the USDA Federal Milk Marketing Order modernization effort currently under way.

No achievements are ever static: The checkoff has become an incredibly vital instrument for our industry, and it continues to evolve, showing strong leadership in critical areas. Our Federal Order system is evolving as well – for the better, I predict, after our modernization proposal becomes the basis for a comprehensive USDA plan next year.

The changes we are advocating, if approved, will strengthen the program’s ability to aid producers and improve orderly marketing of milk. And that change will happen because of the leadership, engagement, and hard work of all of NMPF’s dairy cooperative members.

Other examples of which we should all be proud – and condent in our future success – includes our sustainability journey. We recognized the climate issue as a looming challenge more than 15 years ago. We knew that our opponents would try to position dairy as part of the problem. But we vowed to be part of the solution. I was fortunate to be involved in those early efforts as the checkoff program engaged key stakeholders, conducted a carbon Life Cycle Assessment of uid milk – the rst-ever on a U.S. agricultural product – and

helped develop the science to establish our industry’s baseline.

From there, we have identied numerous opportunities for dairy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to climate improvements. NMPF has focused on programs and policies that provide voluntary incentives to assist farmers in these improvements and prevent onerous, costly regulations. We are seeing the fruits of these efforts, as federal programs are beginning to provide funding to enable on-farm technologies to mitigate emissions and help facilitate our U.S. dairy industry goal to be Net Zero by 2050. There is much yet to be done, but with the right policies and approaches I am fully condent we will achieve our goal even before then.

I am also proud of our work in the economic policy arena to help producers of all sizes deal with the volatility inherent in commodity milk prices. The Dairy Margin Coverage program provides protection without stimulating increased milk production, and we have helped develop better and more effective risk management tools for larger farms through the USDA-supported Dairy Revenue Protection and LGMDairy programs. Collectively, these efforts provide the most comprehensive federal risk management suite our industry has ever There are so many other issues I could talk about where we’ve made great progress, and a few – like immigration reform to help address our ag labor problem – where success remains elusive.

Despite these challenges, I know that the future of this industry is very bright. And that’s because of what I may be most proud of – how our industry works together to advance common goals.

By proactively engaging with a host of stakeholders – policymakers, customers, proprietary processors, consumer and public health groups, other agricultural organizations and even potential critics – we endeavor to advance our collective interests. I’m proud of the countless times we have engaged critical debates from a position of unity and strength.

When I accepted the role of NMPF president and CEO, I told the organization’s Board that my goal was simple: to strengthen the dairy cooperative and dairy producer community and help build a brighter future. Any success I’ve had has been because of great people – on the farm, in our marketing and processing operations, and in the policy and promotion organizations.

We produce a great product with a demand that’s growing both domestically and internationally. We have the most efcient, productive, resilient and sustainable dairy industry in the world.

And it’s because of what you have done.

Our industry is stronger because of our work together – and, under the leadership of my successor, Gregg Doud, our work is poised for greater success, as U.S. dairy remains a critical part of the American diet, and increasingly, the world’s.

My career journey has exceeded the wildest dreams of what I thought might be accomplished when I started in it many years ago. I’m proud of what we have accomplished together and gratied by the opportunity I’ve had to work with so many great people.

Thank you again, and Godspeed.

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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

Testing the boundaries of grazing management

Dairy Innovation Hub research focuses on pasture fence options

Two approaches were taken when considering how to improve fencing options for grazing dairy farms, one being a physical barrier and the other being a virtual fencing model. The research for the project began in 2020,

By Abby Wiedmeyer and Evenson said the students had big abby.w@dairystar.com ideas to start with.

“Our goal was to come up with PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — Re- a cost-effective means to support rosearch to nd a better solution for tational grazing at the scale of Chris’ fencing managed grazing systems farm,” Evenson said.

The research team rst pursued a is underway through a collaborative effort between the Dairy Innovation way to improve the physical barriers Hub and Chris Wilson, an organic since the cows were already used to respecting a fence. The goal was to farmer from the Cuba City area.

The Dairy Innovation Hub is a save the Wilsons the two-plus hours per day that they spent state-funded research orphysically moving fencganization that encoming with their all-terrain passes resources from the vehicles.

University of Wisconsin The research team in Madison, Platteville and set out to design a way River Falls. This year’s for the physical fence to summit was hosted by be moved automatically. the UW-Platteville Nov. They worked through a 15 and featured research few prototypes and ended done on fencing options up with a motorized cart for dairy farms that utilize that could move the fencDr. Hal Evenson managed grazing. ing to a determined area Wilson and research professor Dr. Hal Evenson presented with the aid of GPS. The cart also had the potential to include sensors that the research ndings.

Wilson milks 500 cows and graz- would collect data on the herd as well es them over 250 acres. His farm was as weather and terrain conditions that used as a test point for the research the herd experienced. The idea was to achieve a semi-automated system due to its size and model.

ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR

Chris Wilson and Dr. Hal Evenson share updates Nov. 15 on research concerning improving fencing opƟons for grazing dairy operaƟons at the Dairy InnovaƟon Hub Summit held at the University of Wisconsin-PlaƩeville in PlaƩeville, Wisconsin. Wilson grazes 500 cows across 250 acres on his farm near Cuba City, Wisconsin.

where the cart could go through preprogrammed GPS points.

“You get students onto something and you show them what was done

before and they are bound and determined to do better,” Evenson said.

Turn to FENCING | Page 27

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 27

ConƟnued from FENCING | Page 26

“Especially industrial technology management students want to show that they can do better than the engineering students, so they built this one that looks like it could win a war.”

The team also researched virtual fencing possibilities. The idea was that the user could draw a map using a web browser interface and those coordinates could then be pushed to the herd by way of smart devices that would identify their location and dis-

sity campus and not pasture terrain.

The virtual fencing devices were not practical because the collars were too bulky, and having to charge 500 devices every day proved to be impractical. Durability also created a problem since cows tend not to understand the fragility of such devices.

“It’s challenging to combine all these things,” Evenson said. “Ultimately, we realized that we were trying to put too many features together

“As far as what we’re doing, we’re going with the standard tag design and kind of modularizing the system. I feel like now we’re on a good path, and if the technology is not there yet, we will be ready for it when it is.”

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suade them from traveling beyond the predetermined boundaries.

The obvious advantages for this idea were the labor savings from managing a physical fence and the lack of limitations from ravines or trees. There was also greater potential for data collection. The limitations included cost, complexity and power supply challenges.

The prototype included a GPS unit, battery pack and sound dissuasion to begin with, leaving the electric dissuasion option open. After two years of working on both the physical and virtual fencing possibilities, the prototypes were put to the test in the summer of 2022.

The automated cart prototype designed to improve the physical fencing was determined to be unt for practical conditions. The wheels were too low to travel through the tall pasture grass and the motors were better equipped to travel across the univer-

at once, and the truth was these things failed spectacularly.”

The team took a step back then and reevaluated what their goals and priorities were. They decided that data was paramount, implementation had to be easy, exibility to move within multiple paddocks per day was key, and, above all, the cows had to be kept happy.

Going forward, they plan to expand on an existing technology called Ultra-wide Band. The concept includes anchor points that help dene where a paddock is and then the cows each have a tag which communicates with those anchors so that they can gure out the relative position.

“As far as what we’re doing, we’re going with the standard tag design and kind of modularizing the system,” Evenson said. “I feel like now we’re on a good path, and if the technology is not there yet, we will be ready for it when it is.”

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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

Looking closer at fatty liver disease

Going ahead with their ndings, idea on what the consequences are or disease.

Research dives “For this blood biomarker panel, the research team is now investigating how common it is because it’s really instead of diagnosing hyperketonemia, things like value-added chemistry. In difcult to measure.” deeper into Pralle drew on previous research we’re predicting the actual liver triglyc- order to justify pulling blood samples he conducted with Dr. Heather erides,” Pralle said. “That’s the main on a regular basis, Pralle would like to subclinical challenges that White during his early years at the uni- difference. … We are trying to dis- syndicate with the monthly milk tests to

versity. They had used blood biomarker measurements to assess whether cows abby.w@dairystar.com had relatively normal, healthy livers or instead had what is called high liver triPLATTEVILLE, Wis. — While glyceride as a proxy for fatty liver synsome diseases in cattle have obvious drome.

Pralle and the team conducted two physical symptoms to help farmers diagnose them, fatty liver disease requires blood tests — one at seven days in milk a look inside the cow to be able to ac- and one at 14 days in milk. Both showed curately diagnose the syndrome. This 80% accuracy for diagnosing cows with high liver triglycercreates a challenge when ide, making it a practical researching how to prevent solution on farms where and treat fatty livers. cows could be surveyed as Ryan Pralle, research they calve in to determine professor at the University whether or not they have of Wisconsin-Platteville, high liver triglyceride levpartnered with Andy Butels/fatty liver syndrome. tles, of Stone Front Farm The project collected near Lancaster, to conduct data from 529 cows and research on fatty liver disfollowed them from their ease as part of a research dry period through most of project funded by the Dairy Ryan Pralle their lactation. The blood Innovation Hub. The pair research professor, samples pulled from cows presented their ndings at University of at seven and 14 days of the Dairy Innovation Hub Wisconsin-Platteville milk were compared to the Summit Nov. 15 at UWfarm’s internal production records to Platteville.

“Fatty liver syndrome is a common ensure accuracy. The biomarker panels subclinical metabolic disorder in early- were run to predict high triglyceride lactation dairy cows with the key part level status in these fresh cows.

Pralle said there turned out to be a there being subclinical,” Pralle said.

“We actually don’t have a very good contrast between ketosis and fatty liver

By Abby Wiedmeyer

sect out what higher liver triglycerides means for the cow, not just ketosis.”

Preliminary results revealed that cows with fatty livers produced less milk and showed other health concerns such as ketosis, high blood fatty acids, loss of body weight and hypocalcemia.

Pralle said he was surprised to nd that nobody had looked at all of the factors side by side comprehensively.

achieve more data collection than simply liver health. He hopes to take the research further with more understanding of the transition cow index and keto monitors.

Because there are not a lot of treatment options for fatty liver syndrome, Buttles said he focuses on prevention at his farm. He achieves this through nutrition.

“Cows that had cases of HTG generally had greater morbidity, more incidents of displaced abomasum, metritis and other illnesses than the healthy cows, so to speak, in this data set.”

RYAN PRALLE, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINǧPLATTEVILLE

“Cows that had cases of HTG generally had greater morbidity, more incidents of displaced abomasum, metritis and other illnesses than the healthy cows, so to speak, in this data set,” Pralle said. “We’re really pleased to see that it does seem that our blood panels are picking out cows that are going to have economically relevant adverse consequences that we want to manage against.”

“Our biggest strategy is the prefresh ration,” Buttles said. “In a perfect world, you don’t let them get too heavy, but in the real world, that happens sometimes.”

Buttles said that because fatty liver cows never reach their full potential, he believes it is important to conduct research like this to eventually nd a treatment.

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Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 29

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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

Decorating for Christmas Many of us have already pulled out our family’s favorite Christmas recipes in anticipation of holiday baking.

These recipes anchor family traditions through the generations and keep missing loved ones close by while creating memories and connections with the next generation. Many of my holiday recipe cards look like they were written with invisible ink, but I can still see my grandmother’s and mother’s handwriting passing on family favorite treats.

Ethan, Emma and Ava (our three grandkids) love to help in the kitchen. I will hoist up my aprons to t their little bodies as we try to at least keep their clothes clean. Their faces and hands are another story. They love dressing up to cook.

Jonathon is already teaching Ethan how to make our family’s swirl bread and holiday rolls. Emma and Ava were helping me make Thanksgiving dinner last week by mixing our and milk together and pretending to make gravy.

Jonathon thought they were just making a mess, but the smiles on their faces told a completely different story.

How about some recipes to capture these special moments and ages? I’ve pulled out recipes I used when our four children were a bit younger. Just seeing the splattered and tattered recipe cards brings a ood of warm memories to my mind and a smile across my face. They are old but timeless recipes for simple fun between the generations. Besides, it gives your cookie cutters an extra work out for the season. Enjoy!

reached. Cut dough into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Make a hole at the top of the ornament with a drinking straw or skewer. Place wax paper with ornaments on baking sheet.

Bake 2.5 hours. Cool ornaments on wire rack. Another option is to air dry ornaments at room temperature for one to two days on a wire rack until thoroughly dry, turning occasionally. Insert ribbon through holes and tie to hang.

Decorate with opaque paint markers if you want to add color.

Food columnist, Natalie Schmitt Cinnamon applesauce ornaments 3/4 cup applesauce Roughly 2/3 cup cinnamon Cookie cutters Drinking straw Colorful ribbon Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Mix applesauce and cinnamon in small bowl until a smooth ball of dough is formed.

You may need to use your hands to incorporate all of the cinnamon. Using about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thickness between two sheets of wax paper. Peel off top sheet when desired thickness is

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Christmas ornament recipe 4 cups our 1 cup table salt 1 1/2 cups warm water Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Whisk together our and salt in a mixing bowl until well combined. Gradually stir in water, about 1/2 cup at a time, until a dough forms. When it gets difcult to stir with a spoon, use your hands to nish mixing it. I use my mixer with dough hooks. Transfer dough to a oured work surface and knead until soft and pliable. Roll out to 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut desired shapes with cookie cutters or biscuit cutters. Transfer dough shapes to parchment-lined cookie sheets; use a toothpick, skewer or drinking straw to make a hole in each ornament for hanging. Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 1.5 hours, switching racks halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Decorate as desired with acrylic paint and craft

varnish to seal and preserve. Thread a string, yarn or ribbon through each hole to hang.

Other ideas: Use unfolded paper clips for hangers.

Add cake food coloring paste to dough for color instead of painting afterwards.

Store unused dough in bags for a few days and just add either water or our to freshen it up.

If you want to make thicker ornaments, use a cooler oven (200 degrees) for a longer time.

If you want to decorate Santa with a beard or a doll with hair, use a garlic press to create hair and beards.

Playdough 1 cup our 1 tablespoon oil 1 cup water 1/2 cup salt 2 teaspoons cream of tartar Food coloring Combine all ingredients in sauce pan. Cook over medium heat. Stir until it forms a ball. Knead until smooth.

Store in bags. For brighter colors, try using dry Kool-Aid. 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 • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 31

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Special Feeder Cattle, Bred Beef Cow and Beef Breeding Bull Auctions

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Coming from Lapp Land Dairy, Dorchester, WI REPUTATION CONSIGNMENTS 25 Holstein Dairy Cows, parlor/freestall, headlock adapted, milking 80-125# all stages of lactation, AI sired, bred to registered Holstein or registered Angus bulls, full vaccination program, regular hoof trimming, nice big framey cows!

Reputation consignor, 100% guaranteed sound! Coming from Jon-Mar Farms, Jackson County 25 Holstein Dairy Cows, all fresh 2-3 year olds, parlor/freestall, EXTREME FANCY, cows will sell on test, AI sired, extensive vaccination program, regular hoof trimming. Coming from Salonen Dairy, MN Weekly Highlights at Premier Scan the code Another busy week at Premier Livestock and for a direct link Auctions with over 3,500 sold. Tuesday we had to our website! our special monthly Dairy heifer auction, selling 375 heifers tremendous demand!!! Selling to Àve different states!!! Top Springers $2,250.

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On Wednesday we sold 185 dairy cattle.

Quality was second to none!!! onsignments coming from some of our very best consignors.

Top quality Holstein fresh cows lots of them from $2,800-3650. Good quality Holstein dairy cows mostley $2,300-2,775. Top quality Holstein springing heifers $1,750 -2,350.

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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, December 9, 2023

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