December 9, 2023 Dairy Star - 1st section - Zone 1 by Dairy Star

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DAIRY ST R 25

“All dairy, all the time”™

Volume 25, No. 20

December 9, 2023

Tri-Cross Dairy’s plan for success Farm implements strategic crossbreeding program By Jerry Nelson

jerry.n@dairystar.com

VIBORG, S.D. — Dairy farmers have to take many factors into consideration when choosing their herd sires. Among the foremost of these factors is the level of inbreeding that will result from any particular mating. One way to get around the inbreeding issue is to mate cows with sires that are of a different breed. The practice of crossbreeding may have downsides, but these can be mitigated by the built-in advantages. Steve Broersma is the manager of Tri-Cross Dairy, a 5,000-cow operation that was established in 2017 near Viborg. Turn to TRI-CROSS | Page 2

JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR

Steve Broersma and Jenner Menezes stand in one of the feed alleys at Tri-Cross Dairy Dec. 1 near Viborg, South Dakota. Broersma is the manager at Tri-Cross Dairy, and Menezes is the operaƟon’s herd manager.

Away in a manger Ahlgrens host live Nativity scene

“It’s like you are stepping back in time,” she said. “Guests will be taken on a tour of Bethlehem.” The couple, along with Rick’s mother, Mary, worked By Tiﬀany Klaphake with Sandy Burt of Highland tiﬀany.k@dairystar.com Community Church to host the live walk-through Nativity production. Together they DARWIN, Minn. — High decided to hold the event at in the hayloft of the barn, an Ahlgren Dairy on the evenings angel will appear and bring of Dec. 15 and Dec. 16 from good tidings to all 5:30-7:30 p.m. who visit the live Na“I wanted the tivity production at event to take place Ahlgren Dairy. on a farm, and the Rick Ahlgren and Ahlgrens are such his wife, Sarah, own wonderful people,” and operate Ahlgren Burt said. “This farm Dairy near Darwin, is gorgeous. It is the where they milk 160 perfect place to host cows with three rothis event since (the botic milking sysSandy Burt Nativity) happened tems. outside in an agricul“It’s unique how our live tural setting with livestock.” Nativity (scene) set up,” Rick said. “It is a guided tour.” Sarah agreed. Turn to AHLGRENS | Page 6

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Guests take pictures of characters during the live NaƟvity producƟon in 2020 held at Ahlgren Dairy near Darwin, Minnesota. Ahlgren Dairy will host the live NaƟvity again this year Dec. 1516.

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

DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com

ISSN Print: 2834-619X • Online: 2834-6203

522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Published by Star Publications LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition - 320-352-6303 Nancy Powell • nancy.p@dairystar.com Karen Knoblach • karen.k@star-pub.com Annika Gunderson • annika@star-pub.com Editorial Staff Jan Lefebvre - Assistant Editor 320-290-5980 • jan.l@star-pub.com Maria Bichler - Assistant Editor maria.b@dairystar.com • 320-352-6303 Stacey Smart - Assistant Editor 262-442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman - Staff Writer 608-487-1101 • danielle.n@dairystar.com Abby Wiedmeyer - Staff Writer 608-487-4812 • abby.w@dairystar.com Tiffany Klaphake - Staff Writer 320-352-6303 • tiffany.k@dairystar.com Amy Kyllo - Staff Writer amy.k@star-pub.com Emily Breth - Staff Writer emily.b@star-pub.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com National Sales Manager - Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 • fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 • jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 • mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa, Southwest Wisconsin) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com Julia Mullenbach (Southeast MN and Northeast IA) 507-438-7739 • julia.m@star-pub.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) • 320-248-3196 (cell) Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $40.00, outside the U.S. $200.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star / Star Publications LLC.

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ConƟnued from TRI-CROSS | Page 1 “Every cow that is being milked at Tri-Cross Dairy is a crossbred,” Broersma said. “Our herd started out with Holstein cows. The Holsteins were bred to Montbéliarde sires, and the resulting heifers were bred to Norwegian Red bulls. We then start the cycle all over by breeding the three-way heifers to Holstein sires.” Tri-Cross Dairy has a deep history of crossbreeding. One of its co-founders, Wes Bylsma, has been experimenting with crossbreeding on his California dairy operation for nearly 25 years. “One of the biggest challenges was guring out the best breeds to use in our crossbreeding system,” Broersma said. “The Holstein and Montbéliarde breeds are both large cattle. Wes eventually settled on using Norwegian Red sires to bring the size down a little. And adding that third breed to the rotation increased the heterosis of our cattle.” The 5,000 cows at Tri-Cross Dairy are producing an average of 79 pounds of milk per day with 4.4% butterfat and 3.5% protein. “There is nothing special about the ration that we feed our cows,” Broersma said. “It includes corn silage, alfalfa haylage, soybean meal, distillers grains, cottonseed and a vitamin pack.” The cows consume 54 pounds of dry matter per head per day. “The herd is very efcient,” Broersma said. “Our cows are producing an average of 1.5 pounds of milk for every pound of dry matter that they consume.” Ease of breeding and increased lon-

JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR

The three cows at the center illustrate the inuence of the crossbreeding rotaƟon at Tri-Cross Dairy. The operaƟon uses a rotaƟon of Holstein, Montbéliarde and Norwegian Red sires. gevity are additional benets of crossbreeding, according to Jenner Menezes, herd manager at Tri-Cross Dairy. The dairy has a 50.9% conception rate and a pregnancy rate of 40%. “We are currently averaging 100 days open with a 60-day voluntary waiting period,” Menezes said. “Most of our

breeding is done when the cows naturally come into heat, but we will use ovsynch when it’s needed.” Crossbred dairy cows have a reputation for being healthier and more vigorous than their straight-bred sisters. Turn to TRI-CORSS | Page 5

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

Viborg, SD

Ahlgrens host live Nativity scene First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7

Lester Prairie, MN

St. Martin, MN

Chokio, MN

Lonsdale, MN

Top Performers: Prairie Dairy First Section: Pages 18, 20

Golombieckis named farm family of the year for Stevens County First Section: Pages 32 - 33

Cannon Falls, MN

Darwin, MN

Tri-Cross Dairy’s plan for success First Section: Pages 1 - 2, 5

Orbeck receives leadership award Frist Section: Page 23

Rural entrepreneurs look to change world through ice cream Third Section: Pages 14 - 15

FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What is your favorite technology you’ve implemented on your farm? First Section: Pages 15 -16

Cannon Falls Area Schools get bulk milk dispensers First Section: Pages 8 - 9

Little Falls, MN

Plante builds farm, never deters from a problem First Section: Pages 26 - 27

Harmony, MN

One-on-One with Stephanie Tienter Third Section: Page 13

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

Zone 1

Zone 2

Columnists Ag Insider Page 10 F Section First

Dea County Dear Agent Guy Ag P Page 36 First Firs Section

From the F Zwe Zweber Farm P Page 38 Firs Section First

Vet Veterinary V W Wisdom P Pa Page 37 Fir F irs Section n First

The NexGen Page 39 First Section

The “Mielke” Market Weekly Pages 8 - 9 Second Section

Country C C Cooking P Page 30 Second Section

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The 5,000 crossbred cows at Tri-Cross Dairy are currently averaging 79 pounds of milk per head per day with 4.4% buƩerfat and 3.5% protein near Viborg, South Dakota. The herd has a 50.9% concepƟon rate and a 40% pregnancy rate. “I can’t remember the last time we had a displaced abomasum,” Menezes said. “We hardly ever have to treat milk fever. Our cows have very little trouble with mastitis. Our hospital pen typically has only eight to 10 head on any given day.” All of the heifers at Tri-Cross Dairy are synchronized and bred with sexed semen. Cows that fail to conceive after two services are bred to Angus sires. Any cow that does not settle after four services is culled. “We will vary the number of cows that we breed to Angus bulls depending on how many heifers we have in the pipeline,” Broersma said. “If we need more replacements, we will get m ore aggressive with our use of ovsynch and keep those animals in their normal crossbreeding rotation.” Longevity is another advantage that can be part of a crossbreeding program. “Right now, we are averaging 3.6 lactations per animal,” Broersma said. “That number is a bit low at present due, in part, to the large number of rst-calf heifers that we recently introduced to the herd.”

The residual value of a crossbred cow is higher than that of a straight-bred animal. “Our cull cows tend to look beefy and fetch good prices,” Broersma said. “The bull calves are worth somewhere between what a Holstein calf and what a beef calf would bring.” Tri-Cross Dairy is constantly striving to become more efcient. This means choosing sires that can help boost milk production. “The No. 1 factor that we look at when choosing our sires is milk production,” Broersma said. “We can focus on production because our cattle don’t have many of the issues that traditional breeds might have, such as feet and leg problems or udder conformity. We already get the best traits from all three of the breeds that we use in our rotation.” Broersma and Menezes agreed that using a crossbreeding program for a dairy herd involves many more benets than downsides. “If you want healthy cows that last a long time, crossbreeding is the way to go,” Broersma said.

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Guests watch as the Inn Keeper explains why there was no room at the Inn during the live NaƟvity producƟon in 2020 at Ahlgren Dairy near Darwin, Minnesota. For this year’s producƟon, there will be 32 people in character to portray the story of the NaƟvity. The guided walk-through play has eight stations at which guests will stop to watch a short scene. It will take groups about 30 minutes to walk through the production. Group leaders, who will be in costume to match the time period, will take groups of 20 to 25 through the stations and explain what is happening in each scene. “It will give some background as to what was happening at that time — why there were Roman soldiers around, why Mary and Joseph were going to Bethlehem, why there was no room for them at the inn — then nally ending with Jesus’ birth,” Burt said. Guests will visit the census bureau, a blacksmith shop, shepherds in the eld, an angel scene, the inn, the stable, and nally a marketplace and bakery where refreshments will be served. There will also be Roman soldiers walking around to demonstrate the civil unrest at that time.

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Burt said there will be 32 people in costume, including all six of the Ahlgren children, and most of the characters will have lines to say. Two groups of people will be serving the refreshments at the end and another crew will handle parking. Visitors can park on-site, and the Ahlgrens designated a section of eld directly across the road from the dairy for additional parking. The tour will take place outside but will end inside the heated utility room of the robot barn. There, guests will have a chance to warm up with coffee, hot chocolate, cookies and milk. Princess Kay of the Milky Way and Meeker County dairy royalty will be on-site, along with live music. Rick and Sarah will be in the robot barn to answer questions about their dairy and the robots.

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ConƟnued from AHLGRENS | Page 6 The Ahlgrens already have the cattle and horses at their farm, and another family will bring in sheep. Besides Burt, various volunteers through Highland Community Church are making the costumes, props and backgrounds for each scene. “God has really blest us with talented people in our community,” Burt said. The Ahlgrens received comments of support for hosting the event. “When people give us praises, it’s not us,” Mary said. “We like to say, ‘For thine is the kingdom, the power and glory.’ All the credit belongs to God.” This is the second time the Ahlgrens will host the live Nativity production. The rst was in 2020, six months after completing their robot barn. Because of the capacity limits during that year due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was not feasible to host a live Nativity event inside a church. “Sandy approached us about hosting the event in TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR 2020, and she did most of the coordinating to put the event The Ahlgren family — Norah (front, from leŌ), Olivia and Henry; (back, from leŌ) MaƩhew, Phillip, Rick, Sarah and Jacob — stand together,” Rick said. “Almost in their freestall barn Nov. 29 at Ahlgren Dairy near Darwin, Minnesota. The Ahlgrens milk 130 cows with three roboƟc milking every year since, we have had systems. people ask us if we are doing it again, and we haven’t until break,” Rick said. “But then had over 400 people attend, ex- visitors such an experience,” of the tour and First District Rick said. “It’s a real produc- Association has donated milk. this year.” when Sandy asked earlier this ceeding their expectations. “We encourage people When the Ahlgrens rst year, we agreed that we were “The rst time we did this, tion, and it’s been a joy to be a to dress warmly and come part of it.” put in the robotic milking sys- ready to host it again.” we were blown away by the This year, the Ahlgrens anytime during the time wintems, they hosted an array of In 2020, Burt and the Ahl- turnout and were so impressed tour groups and events on their grens only expected a couple with the unique way that Sandy and Highland Community dow,” Rick said. “We will have farm. hundred people to show up and her team put this produc- Church are prepared for a larg- groups going through every “After a year, we kind of since they advertised through tion together to tell the story er audience. Form-A-Feed has ve minutes.” got burnt out, so we wanted a word of mouth. However, they in such a unique way and give donated the cookies for the end

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

Creating fresh consumers

Cannon Falls Area Schools get bulk milk dispensers By Amy Kyllo

amy.k@star-pub.com

CANNON FALLS, Minn. — Students at Cannon Falls Area Schools can now enjoy fresh, cold milk from bulk milk dispensers, thanks in part to two local dairy farmers. On Sept. 18, the Cannon Falls High School and Middle School, as well as the elementary school, had their rst day serving milk from two bulk milk dispensers in each building. These dispensers were purchased through a combination of two Midwest Dairy grants, a Minnesota Department of Health Statewide Health Improvement Partnership grant and donations from the local community. Roxanne Sauter, a local dairy farmer, member of the Goodhue County American Dairy Association board and former teacher at Cannon Falls for 36 years, was a key player in bringing the milk dispensers to the schools.

AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR

Kitchen staﬀ and others involved in the bulk milk dispenser project — Roxanne Sauter (from le�), Rhonda Johnson, Jessica Anderson, Lori Hanson, Julie Murphy, Corrine Jablonski, Melissa Robinson and Dillon Sorenson — pause for a photo Nov. 20 by the new bulk milk dispensers at Cannon Falls High School and Middle School in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. The district uses three, 5-gallon bags of white milk and four bags of chocolate milk each day both in the elementary building and in the high school and middle school building.

“(Students) will develop a lifelong taste for milk,” Sauter said. Jessica Anderson, a member of the project, dairy farmer and Goodhue County ADA member, has heard positive feedback from students. “There’s been a lot of comments from kids (saying), ‘The milk is so good,’” Anderson said. “That’s ... not

just an everyday conversation you hear.” Besides being a dairy farmer, Anderson is also the nurse at the elementary school. “The kids are little,” Anderson said. “They’re still growing. ... (Milk is) an important product to put into their diet to help them grow strong.”

Before switching to the milk dispensers, the school district was using cartons of milk. Lori Hanson, who is the food service director for the district, said they were having problems with their cartons. “We really were looking for a fresher product,” Hanson said. The two school buildings in the district serve their lunch

program to approximately 500 students each. In those buildings, they serve three, 5-gallon bags of white milk and four bags of chocolate milk each day in each building. The students dispense the milk into washable cups to reduce waste. Students are allowed to go back for seconds on milk. Hanson said a student even asked if they could ll their thermos with milk. She said that they are also allowing students who brought their own lunch to get a glass of milk to go with it. Anderson said allowing all kids to have milk helps ensure quality nutrition. “At least (we) know they got one healthy thing,” Anderson said. Switching to the dispensers has meant there is reduced trash and less product is wasted, though both school buildings report having lost about 100 of their permanent cups each due to students accidentally throwing them in the garbage. Work began earlier this year to implement the dispensers. Turn to DISPENSER | Page 9

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

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Two elementary school students toast their glasses of milk at Cannon Falls Elementary School in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Jessica Anderson, who is the school nurse at the elementary, said she has heard students commenƟng on how good the milk tastes.

Sauter said the kitchen staff were quickly on board with the idea after going to Goodhue Public Schools and observing their bulk milk machines. “They came back ready to start the next day,” she said. Sauter said other staff was hesitant. She encourages other schools considering a similar project to communicate with staff members as well as administration. To help pay for the project, Sauter and Anderson each applied for a grant through Midwest Dairy. Midwest Dairy previously offered grants specically for milk dispensers, but when Sauter and Anderson applied, the available grants were focused on reaching Generation Z. The pair focused their grant applications on increasing dairy consumption among young consumers. This is not Sauter’s rst time helping bring milk into schools. When she was a teacher, she was known as “The Milk Lady.” She had a vending machine which she would stock with milk and sell at a dime over cost. Hanson applied for the SHIP grant after Sauter learned that the St. Charles Public Schools used this grant to pay for a similar project. Hanson did a lot of behind the scenes work from May through July. Sauter said she and Hanson talked

daily about the work. As the group was moving forward, they did not know whether they were going to be receiving grant money or not. The Goodhue County ADA had committed to pay the difference on the project for money they were not able to raise. In order to raise more money, the group sent out a letter requesting money from the community. “We knew there were plenty of people in ag that were very supportive of the whole thing,” Sauter said. Without prompting beyond the initial letter, Sauter said money began coming in. “There’s been even more people that said, ‘Well, if you ever need any more money, let us know,’” Sauter said. The Midwest Dairy grants were $3,000 each, the SHIP grant totaled $10,000 and the money raised via donations for the project beyond the grants totaled about $7,000, including the ADA’s donation and a Cannon Falls Education Foundation donation. The nal cost was just under $20,000 for the dispensers and a little less than $4,000 for cups, trays and carts. Cannon Falls Area Schools did not incur any expenses for the project.

AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR

Jessica Anderson (from leŌ), Lori Hanson and Roxanne Sauter hold glasses of milk Nov. 20 at Cannon Falls High School and Middle School in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. All three women wrote grant applicaƟons for the bulk milk dispenser project.

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

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The dispute panel established under the United Court ruled against the Environmental Protection States-Mexico-Canada Agreement ruled against the Agency. Twenty-four states have led an amended U.S. in a disagreement with Canada on dairy mar- complaint at the federal court in Fargo, North Daket access. Two of the three panelists ruled in favor kota, claiming the amended rule violates the Clean of Canada, while one agreed with the U.S. claims. Water Act. The states also allege the EPA removed Nearly a year ago, a different panel determined the signicant nexus text in making wetland deterCanada illegally restricted access to its minations without a public comment Ag Insider market for U.S. dairy products. As a reperiod. Two other states led a separate sult, Canada made changes to its dairy complaint in the U.S. District Court for tariff rate quota system. The U.S. govthe Southern District of Texas. These ernment believed the change did not states want the WOTUS rule vacated go far enough and that prompted the and sent back to the EPA. second case. As a result of the ruling, Canada will not have to make any adAnimal Ag Water Quality Subcomditional changes to its tariff rate quota mittee nominations open system. The EPA has announced the creation of an Animal Ag Water Quality Disappointment in dispute panel rulSubcommittee. EPA Agricultural Adviing sor Rob Snyder said this is in response By Don Wick In a statement, U.S. Trade Repto the denial of two petitions to overColumnist resentative Katherine Tai said she is haul the Clean Water Act permitting “very disappointed” in the dispute panel program. “We didn’t feel we had sufdecision. Tai plans to work with the Canadian gov- cient information to grant the petition and what ernment to address the ongoing market access con- the environmental groups were requesting,” Snycerns. National Milk Producers Federation Presi- der said. The subcommittee will include a diverse dent and CEO Jim Mulhern said the independent group of stakeholders including producers, univerpanel ruled “in favor of obstruction of trade rather sities, environmental groups and other industry repthan trade facilitation.” U.S. Dairy Export Council resentatives with the goal to improve water quality President and CEO Krysta Harden agreed, saying outcomes from animal agriculture. this ruling “set a dangerous and damaging precedent.” FARM Excellence Award presented to AMPI eldman CCC money cited as a farm bill solution The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vil- Management Program has announced the winners sack, the farm bill has been held up by a money of the third annual FARM Excellence Awards. Jim problem. “The reason we don’t have a farm bill now Kauffman, who is with Associated Milk Producers is in large part because they can’t gure out how Inc., was named the Evaluator of the Year. to pay for reference prices,” Vilsack said. During an appearance at the National Association of Farm MFU award winners recognized Broadcasting Convention, Vilsack said a farm bill The Minnesota Farmers Union honored Senate will not be nalized until the reference price issue Agriculture Committee Chair Aric Putnam and is resolved. In his view, there are no other places House Agriculture Committee Chair Samantha within the farm bill to tap for the $2 billion needed Vang with its Service to Agriculture Award. The each year for this update. The use of Commodity Distinguished County Leader Award went home Credit Corporation funds was suggested. “What with Mike Orbeck, Alan Teich and Nancy Dahdoes the CCC do today?” Vilsack said. “Well, gosh, lin-Teich. The Dedicated Service to Farmers Union it pays ARC payments; it pays PLC payments; it honor was given to Lee Johnson and the Jim Tunpays CRP payments, so what’s the reluctance in us- heim family. Kelsey Love Zaavedra was recoging that asset that’s available? Until they come to nized as the MFU’s Rising Star. that realization, I think we’re going to be waiting awhile for the farm bill.” Awards presented during MFBF convention During the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Net farm income down from record highs Annual Meeting, former Rep. Rod Hamilton and Net farm income is down more than 20% from former Randolph FFA Advisor Ed Terry were prelast year’s record high. The U.S. Department of sented with the Distinguished Service to AgriculAgriculture is forecasting farm prots at $151 bil- ture Award. The FFA Advisor of the Year is Stacy lion, down from $183 billion in 2022. Economic Fritz of Chateld, Minnesota, and former farm Research Service Administrator Spiro Stefano said business management instructor Kevin Dahlman farm debt is increasing, but the value of farm assets was recognized with the Post-Secondary Agriculis growing at a faster rate. Stefano feels the result ture Educator of the Year Award. Dr. Eric Mousel, is “a fairly healthy nancial situation for the farm from the University of Minnesota North Central sector.” Direct government payments are expected Research and Outreach Center, was named the Exto total just over $12 billion this year, down more tension Educator of the Year. than 22% from last year. For the individual commodities, the new report estimates cash receipts RRFN farm broadcaster named MFBF Ag Comfrom corn production will be down more than 10% municator of the Year from a year ago. Soybean receipts are forecast to During the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federadecline 6%. Cash receipts declined more than 18% tion Annual Meeting in the Twin Cities, Red River for milk. When adjusted for ination, the new Farm Network farm broadcaster Whitney Pittman USDA report says farm production expenses are in was honored as the MFBF Ag Communicator of line with 2022. Interest expenses had the most sig- the Year. Before joining RRFN last year, Pittman worked for MFBF and R & J Broadcasting. Pittman nicant increase, up nearly 43% from 2022. remains involved in the family cattle operation at Bagley, Minnesota. A small drop in October milk production Milk production in the 24 major dairy states totaled 17.9 billion pounds last month, down a frac- Trivia challenge New Zealand consumes the most butter on a per tion of 1% from October of last year. South Dakota milk production was up 6.6%. Over the past year, capita basis at almost 13 pounds per person. That South Dakota added 13,000 head to the state’s dairy answers our last trivia question. For this week’s cow herd. Minnesota milk output rose 0.3% with trivia, what is the term for butter with the milk solmilk cow numbers down 2,000 head from a year ids and water removed? We will have the answer in our next edition of Dairy Star. ago.

WOTUS is back in the courts The Waters of the United States rule is back in the courts. The Biden administration nalized its WOTUS rule in September after the Supreme

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

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

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Bottling milk for over a century Lamers Dairy supporting local family farms since 1913 By Stacey Smart

stacey.s@dairystar.com

APPLETON, Wis. — As one of the few remaining milk bottling plants in Wisconsin, Lamers Dairy is committed to quality and freshness as well as creating a product with a long shelf life. The company currently processes milk from ve local farms as it continues a family tradition started in 1913. “It’s all about keeping milk local, supporting family farms and putting out the best quality milk possible,” said Mark Lamers, president of Lamers Dairy. “We’re here to serve the community and our local family farmers and try to keep those farmers in business.” Lamers Dairy, near Appleton, was PHOTO SUBMITTED the second of three stops Oct. 26 on The Lamers family — Joe Lamers (front, from leŌ), Mark Lamers, the late Dick Lamers, Tom Lamers and Tim Lamers; the Professional Dairy Producers Dairy (back, from leŌ) Bryan Lamers and Eric McGuire — operate Lamers Dairy near Appleton, Wisconsin. Lamers Dairy has Processor Tours. Known for its nostal- boƩled milk since 1913 and currently boƩles milk from ve local family farms. gic glass bottles, the dairy promotes the fresh taste of its milk, which goes from cow to bottle within hours. The ve farms that Lamers Dairy our product be better than our competi- dairy from a sustainability standpoint. “Milk comes in and goes right back picks up milk from are located within tion.” The family purchases glass bottles from out,” Lamers said. “Milk bottled today 30 miles of the plant. Their largest farm Currently run by the fth genera- a company in Canada, and customers came in fresh yesterday. We are one of milks 200 cows. tion, this family-owned business has pay a $2 bottle deposit. only three uid milk processing plants “We expect a lot from our farm- grown in production capacity and “The bottle does not end up in a left in the state and represent one-half ers,” Lamers said. “We pay them for distribution strength. Lamers’ great- landll, and when we can reuse that of 1% of uid milk on the market. The the cleanest milk possible. The lower grandfather started the operation on bottle, we cut our costs in half,” Lamchallenge right now is servicing that their plate count and the cleaner their the family’s original farm. They bottled ers said. uid market because of the number of milk, the higher the premium they get milk in the basement of their home, and Lamers Dairy packages around plants that have closed.” paid. For what we do, it’s critical that the kids distributed it on their way to 10,000 gallons of milk per day. Lamers school. said their quality objectives start on the In the 1930s, the business moved farm. from the farm to a building in Kimberly “We do a lot of different things to where the family lived above the dairy ensure the quality of the milk coming plant. In 1998, they began construction into the plant,” Lamers said. “If it’s not on their current facility after outgrow- a good product coming in off the farm, ing that space. we can’t continue to produce a good “We got back into glass half-gallon product.” bottles when we moved here,” Lamers At the plant, milk enters one of two said. “We had gone away from that for silos. Milk then travels through a sepaquite some time.” rator to separate the cream. Afterward, Today, glass bottles make up 28% Lamers said, they combine some of the of the dairy’s volume. Lamers Dairy cream back in to provide the butterfat believes that glass bottled milk tastes percentage needed for the product they fresher, stays colder longer and is an are running. A solids concentration environmentally friendly option for consumers. Furthermore, selling milk Turn to LAMERS | Page 13 in a glass returnable bottle helps the

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Lamers Dairy is one of three uid milk processing plants remaining in Wisconsin and is located in Appleton. The dairy sources milk from local family farms and pays farmers a premium for high-quality milk.

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

ConƟnued from LAMERS | Page 12

$ Improving Your Bottom Line $ As a dairyman, are you looking to improve the way your fresh cows transiƟon, take oī, peak and breed back? Looking to improve rumen health, rumen funcƟon, overall health, digesƟon, feed eĸciency, and YOUR BOTTOM LINE??? If so, then…

RECALIBRATE WITH RECAL The RECAL line of probioƟcs is NOT just another probioƟc on the market. RECAL is a probioƟc heavily weighted towards beƩer digesƟon and uƟlizaƟon, primarily FIBER DIGESTION. There are a lot of nutrients in your forages that can be uƟlized by improving digesƟon. RECAL is also a probioƟc that produces more B-vitamins in the rumen of that cow, mainly vitamin B12. B-vitamins are well known to aide in sƟmulaƟng appeƟte, stress, immune system, reproducƟon and also very important in rumen digesƟon.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Milk is boƩled in glass jars at Lamers Dairy near Appleton, Wisconsin. Lamers Dairy packages around 10,000 gallons of milk per day, and glass boƩles make up 28% of the volume. monitor shines a beam of light through products to measure the density of milk. Milk then undergoes the maximum pasteurization allowed without destroying the avor or integrity of the product. “We can see exactly what’s happening to the milk as it goes through the pasteurizer, which allows us to control butterfat and make sure it’s at the proper level,” Lamers said. “We are a rm believer in that the fewer pumps you have, the better the product. The shearing action can break down product integrity. That’s why we’ve always had a gravity-feed system.” Lamers Dairy offers whole white, whole chocolate, 2% white, 1% chocolate, 1% white and skim milk. Milk is sold in one-gallon, half-gallon, quart and pint sizes in plastic; half-pints in paper; and half-gallons in glass. The dairy also lls institutional sized packs, ranging from 5-gallon bags up to 275-gallon totes. Lamers Dairy runs a single shift and employs 36 full-time and part-time employees. Lamers Dairy products are carried by more than 200 retailers in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. The dairy also bottles Kosher milk one day a week, which is sent to larger markets like Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis. In addition, Lamers Dairy sells its products at their on-site country store that visitors enter through the door of a blue Harvestore silo. A variety of Wis-

consin-made brands and products and soft-serve ice cream are also available at the store. During the tour, Lamers urged farmers to learn how their processor prices milk. “If you’re not getting the minimum blend price, you should be,” Lamers said. “I encourage you to get to know how your milk is being priced.” Lamers has compassion for the dairy farmer and wants to help them succeed. “I feel for farmers,” Lamers said. “I really do. With our premium structure, we try to help the farmer. We also have minimal hauling charges. We lose money on that, but we’re supporting the farmers. It’s part of our quality program.” To stay in business, Lamers said they rely on a good-quality product sourced locally and try to minimize costs the best they can. They also benet from capturing more margin on certain products, such as small, singleserve packages. A survivor in Wisconsin’s milk bottling world, Lamers credits a portion of the company’s success to its modest size. “We’re here to support the family farm,” he said. “We want to return a good living to the farmer and help them live a good life. Sometimes, when you’re real big, that’s hard to do.”

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

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from our side OF THE FENCE What is your favorite technology you’ve implemented on your farm?

Chad Wieneke Adrian, Minnesota Nobles County 300 cows What is your favorite technology you've implemented on your farm? My favorite technology is the auto-steer and mapping equipment on our tractors. I like having straight rows. We make good use of the data from the maps by tracking our crops from planting through harvest. When did you begin using this technology, and how did it improve your dairy? We began by installing an auto-steer on a tractor eight years ago. We are currently using the RTK system, so we are accurate down to within one-half inch. The auto shutoff on our planter saves us 40 units of seed each year on 1,300 acres. The mapping system has been a great help in keeping track of our inputs. What factors did you consider before deciding if this technology was a good t for your farm? After talking to our agronomist, we became convinced that this technology would help us cut costs. We now have a yield monitor on our silage chopper to track our forage yields. We recently added a feature that monitors moisture levels on the go so that we can put up the best quality forages. What technology has made the biggest impact on the dairy industry? Heat detection technology has been huge for the dairy industry. It has saved my brother, Kevin, and I countless manhours because we no longer have to be in the barn all the time to watch for heats. It has also helped us nd anestrous cows. What are some technologies you are currently researching for possible use on your dairy? Our son, Grant, and our nephew, Cameron, are both in college now and would like us to install milking robots. Robots would probably simplify our employee problems. Tell us about your farm and family. I farm with my wife, Teresa, and my brother, Kevin, and his wife, Julie. Our parents are ofcially retired, but they come around quite a bit to help on the farm. Teresa and I have three children: Alysha, Grant and Addison. Our nephew, Cameron, lives across the road from us and is here all the time. Cameron and Grant are the same age and are enrolled at Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota, where they are studying ag production. We farm about 1,300 acres and feed about 1,000 head of beef cattle each year. We sell our milk to Associated Milk Producers Inc.

Christine Sukalski Partner at Reiland Farms LLP Le Roy, Minnesota Mower County 500 cows

Bauer Dairy LLC Sullivan Bauer (front); (back, from left) Todd, Shaun and Butch Bauer Little Rock, Minnesota Morrison County 425 cows What is your favorite technology you’ve implemented on your farm? Activity collars for the dairy cows. It detects heats which improves breeding and picks out sick cows, which greatly improves herd health. It also helps with culling practices. When did you begin using this technology, and how did it improve your dairy? In March, we replaced our old collars. As the years of technology move forward, technology tends to be more user friendly, or we become more accustomed to it. What factors did you consider before deciding this technology was a good t for your farm? Of course, the main factor is payback. Also, we considered if the information is what we were looking for. We wanted good, solid, black and white information. Sometimes technology can have all kinds of information that doesn't meet our needs, or we just wouldn't use it. What technology has made the biggest impact in the dairy industry? The startup of the milking parlor opened the door to a whole new dairy industry. With that came an increase of cow numbers and more employees, and the list goes on. Also, the use of computers that hold all the information of each animal that goes through the milking line and each animal born on the farm. Now technology is moving onto robotic milking systems. What are some technologies you are currently researching for possible use on your dairy? We are thinking of maybe purchasing a feed pusher once when milk prices improve. Tell us about your farm and family. Our farm consists of Butch and Mary Jane along with our sons Todd, Kurt and Shaun. Our grandkids often help or come and spend time on the farm. We raise our own feed for the dairy and for the steers that we nish. We are just almost completed with transitioning our dairy operation to our sons. We farm around 980 acres, growing corn, alfalfa and soybeans. Our milk is shipped to Sunrise Ag Cooperative.

What is your favorite technology you’ve implemented on your farm? There have been many technologies adopted in 35 years of farming, but our newest is the active tags and collars from Datamars Livestock. When did you begin using this technology, and how did it improve your dairy? We started with it about 18 months ago. It has greatly improved our pregnancy rate by nding heats we were missing. It also alerts us to sick cows earlier than we might otherwise catch them. By improving our pregnancy rate, I am experimenting with lengthening our calving interval for our older cows with the goal being fewer net calvings and days dry on the total herd. What factors did you consider before deciding this technology was a good t for your farm? Cost, ease of installation and whether it would be user friendly. What technology has made the biggest impact in the dairy industry? I know it has been around a long time, but articial insemination was, and still is, largely responsible for the progress we enjoy today. My Holsteins are averaging 4.8% butterfat. That would not be possible without genetic progress. What are some technologies you are currently researching for possible use on your dairy? We really do not have anything on the drawing board right now. We need to gure out if there will be another generation on this farm. We have put together a nice setup and have a solid milk market but not necessarily another generation to dairy on this site. Tell us about your farm and family. I’m in partnership with my brother, Scott Reiland, who manages the agronomy. I manage the dairy. He is based 20 miles away near Spring Valley, Minnesota, where we also raise our heifers from 3 months to pre-calving and farm about 1,000 acres. In LeRoy, Minnesota, we milk in a double-8 parallel parlor and farm another 400 acres. My husband works for the Fillmore County Highway Department and is involved in our farm as well. We have three adult children. My family has sold milk to Land O’Lakes for three generations, and our milk goes about 60 miles to the Dairy Farmers of America plant in Zumbrota, Minnesota. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16

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ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15

Chris Gibbs Waterville, Iowa Allamakee County 500 cows

the trusses of the holding pen is when I decided we weren’t going to use a bull anymore. I decided to go with a monitoring system to avoid using excessive hormone shots and assist with fresh-cow monitoring. What technology has made the biggest impact in the dairy industry? Heat monitoring systems and sexed semen. It has increased reproduction and produced excessive heifer calves.

What is your favorite technology you've implemented on your farm? Heat detection/ health monitoring. It saves a lot of time. It’s like having another person there 24/7 monitoring heats and health. It monitors eating and rumination, activity and ear temperature. It can be tracked by an app on my phone so it can be checked any time. My oldest daughter and niece also have the app on their phones to assist in the management of fresh and sick cows and track heats.

What are some technologies you are currently researching for possible use on your dairy? I have looked into feeding software to make feeding more consistent and track feed inventories closer. I have also looked into manure solid separating and treatment for bedding.

When did you begin using this technology, and how did it improve your dairy? In 2007, we installed a pedometer system and used it until 2015 when we upgraded to the CowManager system. It has increased reproductive efciency and helps address metabolic disorders sooner. What factors did you consider before deciding this technology was a good t for your farm? We had a clean-up bull in the barn, and the day he put me in

Tell us about your farm and family. We milk about 500 Holsteins in a double-16 parlor. Cows are housed in a 6-row barn bedded with sawdust on top of mattresses. Dry cows and heifers are housed in a 6-row sand-bedded barn. Calves are fed with automatic feeders. Our milk is marketed through Foremost Farms and shipped to Kwik Trip in La Crosse, Wisconsin. My wife, Kerri, and I have three daughters: Kaylee, Kiersten and Kendra. Kerri is an x-ray technologist/mammographer for Gundersen Health System. We farm with my parents, Mike and Cindy, and my brother, Shawn, and his family.

Matthew Green Greenbush, Minnesota Roseau County 60 cows

didn’t even realize until after we installed them. The technology brought about the ability to be better informed. There was the choice of which brand to go with, but like anything, service and availability heavily inuenced that decision.

What is your favorite technology you’ve implemented on your farm? There have been many advancements that have taken place, especially on the grain side of the farm, from realtime kinematics guidance to AIM Command on the sprayer to precision planting on the planter, to name a few. But, one of the best things we’ve done on the dairy is the usage of automatic take offs. Now we’re able to make factual management decisions based on production numbers. Plus, it’s allowed us to have an earlier detection on animal health before there may even be physical signs. Whether it’s a fever or mastitis, we’re able to be proactive instead of reactive in taking care of that cow.

What technology has made the biggest impact in the dairy industry? With the development of so much automation, it allows a cow to do her own individual thing and take into consideration cow comfort. A cow gets to be her own self on her schedule, which should take out some of the stressors and mean more pounds in the tank. Some of the new technologies of activity tracking and reproductive management will be of great benet to producers as they help with pregnancy rates and catch those tough-to-breed cows sooner.

When did you begin using this technology, and how did it improve your dairy? We installed the automatic takeoffs in January 2013. With the implementation of it, we can make informed decisions on what to do with cows, whether it’s dry off or time to cull. It also presented animal health benets. What factors did you consider before deciding this technology was a good t for your farm? We looked at the benets we’d gain, some of which we

What are some technologies you are currently researching for possible use on your dairy? We’re looking at the usage of robotic milking. The options that come with robotic milkers give you that much more information about your cows. You can better care for them on an individual level, whether it’s physically, nutritionally or even behaviorally. Tell us about your farm and family. I’m married to my wife, Miranda, and have been blessed with two kids, Irene and Garret. I dairy with my family, parents, Doug and Corena, and brother, Michael. We milk Holsteins in a tiestall barn with a pipeline. Our milk goes to Bongards in Perham, Minnesota. Even though we’re a Land O’Lakes producer, that’s the closest creamery at 160 miles from our farm after the Thief River Falls plant closed. We also grain farm and manage a beef cow-calf operation.

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TOP PERFORMERS Kraig and Rachelle Krienke of Prairie Dairy | Lester Prairie, Minnesota | McLeod County | 635 cows How many times a day do you milk, and what is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? We milk three times per day with a current rolling herd average of 34,300 pounds with a butterfat of 4.35% and 3.23% protein.

heifers and cows are moved onto bedded packs. The packs are bedded daily with cornstalk bales and checked every hour around the clock for newborn calves. After calving, cows are moved into the fresh pen where they stay for approximately 20 days before moving into one of the big group pens based on lactation number.

Describe your housing and milking facility. Our cows are milked in a double-11 herringbone parlor retrotted into our original tiestall barn, and they are housed in a naturally ventilated, sand-bedded, head-tohead, 4-row freestall barn. Who is part of your farm team, and what are their roles? Kraig and Rachelle are the owners and daily operators of the dairy. Kraig lls the overall farm manager role. Rachelle’s titles include calf manager and CFO as well as overseeing the herd health and youngstock programs. Kraig’s dad, Roger, does the bulk of the feed mixing and delivering. Blake is learning to coordinate the agronomy aspect of the business. Elizabeth works at another dairy but pitches in with harvest and chores when available. Brodie lls in as support staff in multiple areas when not busy with high school and FFA. We’re supported by a team of nine fulltime and three part-time employees as well as a great team of advisors on our Minnesota

GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR

The Krienke family — Elizabeth (from leŌ), Kraig, Rachelle, Blake and Brodie — gather next to a tractor Dec. 3 on their farm near Lester Prairie, Minnesota. The Krienkes milk 635 cows three Ɵmes a day in a double-11 herringbone parlor. Dairy Initiative team and an awesome translator. What is your herd health program? Herd check is performed via ultrasound with the veterinarian every other week. Cows are checked for 30-day and 60-day pregnancies. The 180-day pregnancies are conrmed via milk sample during DHIA testing. Vaccinations

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are mainly administered during the dry period for cows or pre-calving window for heifers with the exception of a fall respiratory vaccine, Inforce at freshening and Bovi-Shield Gold during the fresh period. Our heifers have a complete vaccination program prior to reaching one year.

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What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? Dry cows and heifers are housed in sand-bedded free stalls for the far-off dry period, receive one ration during the dry period and are dry for an average of 58 days. The ration is a low-energy, high-ber ration with straw and added water for palatability. At approximately 30 days pre-fresh,

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What is the composition of your ration, and how has that changed in recent years? Our lactating ration is approximately 20 pounds dry matter corn silage and 7 pounds dry matter baleage. We also feed canola, whole cottonseed, a protein mix and ne-ground corn. Three years ago, we switched to making baleage instead of haylage as way to maximize our feed storage space. This has allowed us to pick and choose hay cuttings and quality on an ongoing basis to maximize the best quality for the lactating cows. We also went away from feeding high-moisture corn to feeding ne-ground dry corn year-round. This provides a more consistent feed quality and minimizes gut issues. Tell us about the forages you plant and detail your harvest strategies. We plant conventional Pioneer alfalfa and Turn to KRIENKES Page 20

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

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“They insisted, and they were right! SCC fell... Fresh cows feel better... They make more milk and higher quality milk.” - 6FRWW 6WHPSÁ H

67(03)/( +2/67(,16 0D\QDUG ,RZD 3DXO DQG -RG\ 6FRWW DQG $ODQQDK 6WHPSÁ H 750 Registered Holsteins, 95 lbs/cow/day 4.2F 3.2P, SCC 137,000 “If you don’t have cow comfort, nothing else seems to matter. We minimize stresses at calving on her feet and legs, making sure she has feed and water and a good place to rest, she’s clean and she’s dry. “That leaves the udder as the next thing to take care of, and with Udder ComfortTM they transition a lot more smoothly,” VD\V 6FRWW 6WHPSÁ H KHUG KHDOWK PDQDJHU DW 6WHPSÁ H +ROVWHLQV Maynard, Iowa, milking 750 5HJLVWHUHG +ROVWHLQV DYHUDJLQJ 95 pounds of 4.2 fat milk. “For 10 years we used Udder Comfort periodically. At the 2022 World Dairy Expo, they talked me into trying the Udder Comfort Battery-Operated Backpack Sprayer. I didn’t think it ZRXOG À W RXU RSHUDWLRQ EXW WKH\ insisted, and they were right! ,Q PRQWKV RI EHLQJ FRQVLVWHQW SCC fell from 165 to 137,000.

“We also notice any clinicals that do show up, clear faster, and don’t EHFRPH UHSHDW RIIHQGHUV µ KH VD\V “Now, we continue to use it 3x/day on all fresh cows for a week after calving. If we have a mastitis cow or high SCC, or anything not perfectly normal, we spray it on D FRXSOH WLPHV DQG LW VHHPV WR À [ DERXW DQ\WKLQJ µ 6FRWW REVHUYHV “With fresh cows, we see a lot more udder texture at 2 weeks in milk as edema is pulled out. You can VHH RXU IUHVK FRZV IHHO EHWWHU They’re up moving around more. They eat. They drink. They make more milk and higher quality milk. “The Udder Comfort Backpack made us more compliant on our IUHVK FRZ DSSOLFDWLRQV IRU EHWWHU udder health. It’s more user-friendly WKDQ , WKRXJKW LW ZRXOG EH ,W KROGV D ORW RI SURGXFW QR ERWWOHV WR UHÀ OO It charges fast and holds the charge, always ready for use in parlor, headlocks or freestalls.”

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

GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR

Kraig Krienke holds a lactating cow raƟon Dec. 3 at Prairie Dairy near Lester Prairie, Minnesota. High-quality forages are one of the key components to the farm’s success.

have utilized A.I. since 1973, and we are always working on advancing our genetics. Since 2018, we have been genomic testing our heifers and using that information to create individualized mating decisions. List three management strategies that have helped you attain your production and component level. Threetimes-a-day milking, producing and feeding top quality forages, and utilizing sand bedding.

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ConƟnued from KRIENKES | Page 18 aim to take our rst cutting in late May. Every 28 days after that, or when we see buds, we take an additional cutting. On average, we get four cuttings per season. For baleage, our window for baling is 45%55% moisture. The baleage is wrapped in long rows with an inline wrapper. Our corn silage is all Pioneer brown mid-rib varieties. Our target for moisture on corn silage at harvest is 67%-68% moisture. All of our silage is stored in bunkers, and we use an Agromatic packer behind the second pack tractor to improve packing density. We also line the sidewalls with plastic and use a vapor barrier lm as well as buchneri silage GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR inoculant. As the nal step, we Dry cows relax in sand-bedded stalls Dec. 3 at Prairie Dairy use cut off sidewall tires on the near Lester Prairie, Minnesota. Sand bedding has been a entire surface, tire touching key factor in cow comfort for the Krienke family’s herd. tire. We own all our own forage equipment which allows us to make optimal harvest decisions. generated combined with the What is your breeding proreduced incidents of mastitis gram, and what role does What is your average somatic were a big win for our dairy. genetics play in your procell count and how does that duction level? Our volunaffect your production? Our What technology do you use tary waiting period is 70 days, SCC is 70,000. If we can keep to monitor your herd? To and all cows are enrolled in a our SCC low and prevent mas- increase our level of manage- double ovsynch program with titis, it gives us the opportunity ment, we use multiple technol- timed A.I. for rst breeding. to make more culling decisions ogies every day. All the cows Pens are walked daily, and based on low production in- and heifers breeding age and CowManager is used to identistead of mastitis, therefore in- up have CowManager tags to fy standing heats following the creasing average herd produc- monitor health and heat events. initial timed A.I. Open cows tion. In the parlor, we utilize Bou- are conrmed via ultrasound Matic SmartDairy to record at herd check and either enWhat change has created the daily milk weights, and we tie rolled into a resynch program biggest improvement in your all that together with Dairy- or CIDR-synch program. Heifherd average? We saw the Comp 305 and DHIA testing ers are bred on standing heats biggest improvement when we to help us make informed deci- starting at 13.5 months of age. moved to milking three times sions. Genetics play an instrumena day. The additional pounds tal role in our production. We

Tell us about your farm and your plans for the dairy in the next year. Prairie Dairy has been operated by the Krienke family at this location since 1864, and the current family team consists of Kraig and Rachelle plus their kids Elizabeth, Blake and Brodie, as well as Kraig’s dad, Roger. In the next year, we plan to initiate the rst phase of a expansion by constructing additional dry cow facilities and a new calf barn.

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Case IH 2166 1997, 2WD, Duals, 5685 hrs., 3705 Sep. hrs., #573600 .......$23,500 Case IH 2188 1997, 2WD, Duals, 4064 hrs., 2716 Sep. hrs., #573599 .......$24,500 Case IH 8240 2016, PRWD, Duals, 1289 hrs., 920 Sep. hrs., #572343.....$243,900 Case IH 8250 2022, 2WD, Duals, 1300 hrs., 801 Sep. hrs., #572186 .......$394,900 Case IH 8250 2022, PRWD, Duals, 1716 hrs., 1291 Sep. hrs., #572189...$409,900 Case IH 8250 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 1100 hrs., 864 Sep. hrs., #572187 ....$489,900 JD 9550 2001, 2WD, Singles, 4976 hrs., 3145 Sep. hrs., #572170 .............$52,500 JD 9560 STS 2004, 2WD, Duals, 4638 hrs., 2982 Sep. hrs., #567094.........$52,500 JD 9570 STS 2008, PRWD, Duals, 3464 hrs., 2237 Sep. hrs., #568406 ......$99,500 JD 9570 STS 2009, 2WD, Duals, 2367 hrs., 1597 Sep. hrs., #556547.......$104,900 JD 9570 STS 2009, 2WD, Duals, 2560 hrs., 1630 Sep. hrs., #571894.......$105,900 JD 9650W 2000, 2WD, Duals, 3680 hrs., 2665 Sep. hrs., #568122 ............$45,000 JD 9660 STS 2005, PRWD, Duals, 4255 hrs., 3155 Sep. hrs., #573421 ......$53,000 JD 9660 STS 2006, 2WD, Duals, 2903 hrs., 2086 Sep. hrs., #571131 .......$57,500 JD 9670 STS 2010, 2WD, Duals, 3365 hrs., 2454 Sep. hrs., #572908.........$81,000 JD 9750 STS 2002, PRWD, Duals, 2834 hrs., 1727 Sep. hrs., #573419 ......$47,500 JD 9760 STS 2005, 2WD, Singles, 4300 hrs., 2575 Sep. hrs., #571176 ......$79,900 JD 9760 STS 2007, PRWD, Duals, 2969 hrs., 2277 Sep. hrs., #573293 ......$82,500 JD 9770 STS 2010, PRWD, Duals, 3399 hrs., 2549 Sep. hrs., #572968 ....$104,500 JD 9870 STS 2010, PRWD, Duals, 3558 hrs., 2425 Sep. hrs., #568308 ......$94,500 JD 9870 STS 2008, PRWD, Duals, 3385 hrs., 2494 Sep. hrs., #566621 ......$97,500 JD 9870 STS 2010, PRWD, Duals, 3400 hrs., 2350 Sep. hrs., #573531 ....$102,400 JD 9870 STS 2011, 2WD, Duals, 3809 hrs., 1747 Sep. hrs., #567383.......$109,900 JD S680 2014, PRWD, Duals, 2700 hrs., 1950 Sep. hrs., #572388............$129,000 JD S680 2013, PRWD, Duals, 3520 hrs., 2287 Sep. hrs., #572095............$129,900 JD S680 2013, PRWD, Duals, 2729 hrs., 2010 Sep. hrs., #563909............$139,000 JD S680 2013, 2WD, Duals, 2188 hrs., 1720 Sep. hrs., #571079..............$146,500 JD S680 2017, PRWD, Duals, 2788 hrs., 1850 Sep. hrs., #572100............$197,900 JD S680 2017, PRWD, Duals, 2024 hrs., 1350 Sep. hrs., #570488............$239,500

JD S690 2017, PRWD, Duals, 2514 hrs., 1605 Sep. hrs., #568113............$239,000 JD S760 2023, 2WD, Duals, 327 hrs., 245 Sep. hrs., #573154..................$499,900 JD S770 2022, PRWD, Floaters, 60 hrs., 20 Sep. hrs., #563704 ................$546,000 JD S770 2022, PRWD, Duals, 371 hrs., 148 Sep. hrs., #567222................$564,900 JD S770 2022, PRWD, Duals, 284 hrs., 91 Sep. hrs., #567225..................$574,900 JD S770 2023, PRWD, Duals, 250 hrs., 176 Sep. hrs., #573071................$581,900 JD S780 2018, PRWD, Duals, 2835 hrs., 1901 Sep. hrs., #567178............$234,900 JD S780 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1735 hrs., 1200 Sep. hrs., #571593............$283,500 JD S780 2018, 2WD, Duals, 1225 hrs., 826 Sep. hrs., #555412................$319,000 JD S780 2020, PRWD, Singles, 1640 hrs., 1204 Sep. hrs., #531610 .........$349,000 JD S780 2020, PRWD, Duals, 1241 hrs., 1007 Sep. hrs., #573595............$349,900 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 933 hrs., 737 Sep. hrs., #571615................$489,900 JD S780 2021, PRWD, Duals, 520 hrs., 300 Sep. hrs., #567515................$519,900 JD S780 2021, PRWD, Floaters, 723 hrs., 360 Sep. hrs., #567882 ............$524,900 JD S780 2021, PRWD, Duals, 388 hrs., 285 Sep. hrs., #572205................$529,000 JD S780 2021, PRWD, Duals, 401 hrs., 305 Sep. hrs., #572206................$529,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Singles, 578 hrs., 400 Sep. hrs., #571886 .............$529,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 897 hrs., 420 Sep. hrs., #569414................$529,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Singles, 694 hrs., 424 Sep. hrs., #571725 .............$533,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 530 hrs., 347 Sep. hrs., #563635................$549,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 789 hrs., 595 Sep. hrs., #563633................$549,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 610 hrs., 353 Sep. hrs., #552362................$549,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Floaters, 572 hrs., 323 Sep. hrs., #553546 ............$549,900 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 254 hrs., 183 Sep. hrs., #554094................$565,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Floaters, 446 hrs., 170 Sep. hrs., #554623 ............$569,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 433 hrs., 262 Sep. hrs., #568072................$569,900 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Duals, 466 hrs., 358 Sep. hrs., #572927................$584,900 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 366 hrs., 165 Sep. hrs., #567271................$585,000 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Duals, 400 hrs., 318 Sep. hrs., #573365................$594,900 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Duals, 277 hrs., 166 Sep. hrs., #545327................$599,900

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 245 hrs., 192 Sep. hrs., #563701 ...............$619,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 366 hrs., 238 Sep. hrs., #554013 ...............$619,000 JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 300 hrs., 280 Sep. hrs., #561020 ...............$623,000 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Duals, 89 hrs., 30 Sep. hrs., #545523 ...................$629,900 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Tracks, 399 hrs., 284 Sep. hrs., #572364 ...............$656,000 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Tracks, 330 hrs., 238 Sep. hrs., #573052 ...............$674,900 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Tracks, 314 hrs., 234 Sep. hrs., #573043 ...............$674,900 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Tracks, 347 hrs., 259 Sep. hrs., #573054 ...............$674,900 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Tracks, 267 hrs., 198 Sep. hrs., #573053 ...............$681,900 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Tracks, 174 hrs., 118 Sep. hrs., #573055 ...............$684,900 JD S780 2023, PRWD, Tracks, 208 hrs., 148 Sep. hrs., #573044 ...............$689,000 JD S790 2018, PRWD, Duals, 2110 hrs., 1585 Sep. hrs., #573418............$269,500 JD S790 2021, PRWD, Duals, 1760 hrs., 1500 Sep. hrs., #572086............$364,900 JD S790 2021, PRWD, Singles, 1031 hrs., 829 Sep. hrs., #557277 ...........$479,000 JD S790 2020, PRWD, Floaters, 734 hrs., 485 Sep. hrs., #568213 ............$497,000 JD S790 2021, PRWD, Duals, 930 hrs., 613 Sep. hrs., #565421................$499,900 JD S790 2020, PRWD, Singles, 776 hrs., 474 Sep. hrs., #568212 .............$501,000 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Singles, 655 hrs., 438 Sep. hrs., #563815 .............$579,500 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 491 hrs., 323 Sep. hrs., #552839................$579,500 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 627 hrs., 430 Sep. hrs., #566694................$579,900 JD S790 2023, PRWD, Duals, 495 hrs., 390 Sep. hrs., #573286................$585,900 JD S790 2023, PRWD, Duals, 395 hrs., 290 Sep. hrs., #573285................$599,900 JD S790 2023, PRWD, Duals, 473 hrs., 330 Sep. hrs., #573278................$599,900 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 299 hrs., 194 Sep. hrs., #563325................$599,900 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 497 hrs., 368 Sep. hrs., #566460................$624,900 JD S790 2022, PRWD, Singles, 266 hrs., 159 Sep. hrs., #557140 .............$629,900 JD X9 1000 2022, PRWD, Duals, 950 hrs., 680 Sep. hrs., #572277 ..........$659,900 JD X9 1100 2021, PRWD, Tracks, 1101 hrs., 735 Sep. hrs., #552917........$749,000 JD X9 1100 2021, PRWD, Tracks, 1082 hrs., 715 Sep. hrs., #552921........$769,000

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

Bongards’ Creameries

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

Going a step above Orbeck receives leadership award By Tiﬀany Klaphake tiﬀany.k@dairystar.com

ST. MARTIN, Minn. — Like many dairy farmers, Mike Orbeck does what he can to help his fellow farming community. Also like most dairy farmers, he never expected to be recognized for his efforts. “I want to give everybody a chance and help them explore other opportunities to help them better their farm and family life,” Orbeck said. Orbeck was named the Distinguished County Leader last month at the Minnesota Farmers Union State Convention in Bloomington. Orbeck, along with his brothers, Kevin and Bob, milk 80 cows in a stanchion barn near St. Martin and farms 750 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa, oats and rye. In the past two years, Orbeck led the effort in putting on two informational workshops for farmers. “I was nominated because I put on a couple of workshops at the GreenTIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR wald Pub,” Orbeck said. “I didn’t want Mike Orbeck holds his Minnesota Farmers Union award Nov. 29 at his farm near it to be a sales pitch but rather ground- Spring Hill, Minnesota. Orbeck was named the DisƟnguished County Leader at work information.” the Minnesota Farmers Union State ConvenƟon. The rst workshop held in 2022 was about solar energy, and the second enwald Pub, attracted more than 100 hopes to pass the family farm onto the was about county resources. A third people. This workshop featured the next generation. His two nephews both workshop, which will be about farm represented organizations and the re- help on the farm regularly. transfers, is already planned for 2024. sources they had to offer farmers. The workshop on solar energy “If there is something the farmers started with a 15-minute presenta- could benet from in this area and it tion by Clean Energy Resource Teams could help them achieve their goals, I followed by a two-hour question and want to know more about it,” Orbeck answer session with seven profession- said. als in the industry and the audience. The farming community may be There was a representative each from getting smaller, but it is a close-knit PATENT #7,588,203, #8,011,608, #8,336,795 the University of Minnesota-Morris, community, according to Orbeck. Clean En“ O u r ergy Rebiggest source problem Te a m s , nowadays Citizens is it’s getU t i l ting harder ity Board, to bounce Stearns ideas off Electric one another Associawith fewer tion, Great and fewer R i v e r farmers unMIKE ORBECK, DAIRY FARMER E n e r g y, less you can Minnesota bring them Dairy Iniall togethtiative and Stearns County Environ- er,” Orbeck said. “That’s also what mental Services. is so great about Farmers Union and “We didn’t bring in anyone that other farmer-led organizations. You sold solar,” Orbeck said. “Everybody can bring in a lot of different people that sells this stuff often doesn’t realize together.” that some of us know nothing about it. Orbeck will carry the same theme We need to learn the basics rst.” into the farm transfer workshop next Earlier this year, Orbeck worked year. with Stearns County Farm Bureau, “We don’t want to tell people how Minnesota Corn Growers Association to do it but what and who they can and MDI to host a workshop called reach out to for help and get the proNavigating County Resources 101. cess started,” Orbeck said. The workshop, also held at the GreLike many dairy farmers, Orbeck

“We don’t want to tell people how to do it but what and who they can reach out to for help and get the process started.”

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“I keep going for my nephews,” Orbeck said. “To make sure they have the opportunity to keep it going it they want to.” Orbeck has been a member of Minnesota Farmers Union since the early 1980s and has been the president of the Stearns County chapter for the past eight years. He said he will continue to be a part of the MFU because of the camaraderie that comes along with being part of a farmer-led organization. “You get to know and meet different people from all over the state,” Orbeck said. “They all want to do the same thing — to make a living and raise their family on the farm. They all do it differently but all have the same goal.” In addition to the MFU, Orbeck is a member of Irrigators Association of Minnesota and Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. Being involved in these organizations has given Orbeck opportunities he would not have otherwise had, such as last summer when Minnesota Sen. Aric Putnam visited his farm for a MFU function. “I visited with him for a few minutes that day and have run into him a couple of times since, and he always recognizes me and says hi to me,” Orbeck said. Orbeck said there are opportunities and support within farmer-led organizations. “You get to meet people that will have an effect on your life,” Orbeck said. “I love that I can call up any one of these organizations and ask honest questions and get honest answers.”

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

IOWA

ALLAMAKEE COUNTY • Waukon Veterinary Service Waukon • 563-534-7513 DELAWARE COUNTY • Del-Clay Farm Equipment Edgewood • 563-928-6445 • Edgewood Feed Mill Edgewood • 563-928-6405 DUBUQUE COUNTY • Brunkan Equipment Worthington • 563-855-2434 • CJ Beeps Equipment Farley • 563-744-5010 • Eastern Iowa Dairy Epworth • 563-876-3087 • Helle Farm Equipment Dyersville • 563-875-7154 • New Vienna Ag Automation New Vienna • 563-921-2896 • Rexco Equipment Farley • 563-744-3393 • Roeder Implement Dubuque • 563-557-1184 • Scherrmann’s Implement Dyersville • 563-875-2426 • Skip Breitbach Feeds Balltown • 563-552-2393 • Ungs Shopping Center (IAS) Luxemburg • 563-853-2455 CLAYTON COUNTY Windridge Implement Elkader • 563-245-2636 FAYETTE COUNTY • Baumler Implements Inc. West Union • 563-422-3835 • United Dairy Systems West Union • 563-422-5355 • ViaÀeld Elgin • 563-426-5566 FLOYD COUNTY • Livestock Systems Charles City • 641-220-5257 HOWARD COUNTY • Farmers Win Co-op Cresco West • 563-547-3660 • Windridge Implement Cresco • 563-547-3688 SIOUX COUNTY • Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Rock Valley • 712-476-5608 WINNESHIEK COUNTY • Brynsaas Sales & Service Decorah • 563-382-4484 • Franzen Sales & Service Fort Atkinson • 563-534-2724 • Lang’s Dairy Service Decorah • 563-382-8722 • Windridge Implement Decorah • 563-382-3614

DAKOTA COUNTY • Midwest Machinery NorthÀeld • 507-645-4886 • Werner Implement Vermillion • 651-437-4435 DODGE COUNTY • Concord Store and Locker West Concord • 507-527-2736 DOUGLAS COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Alexandria • 320-763-4220 • Osakis Creamery Assn. 320-859-2146 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op GarÀeld • 320-834-2271 FILLMORE COUNTY • Farmers Win Co-op Rushford • 507-864-2161 • Hammell Equipment Harmony • 507-886-2255 Rushford • 507-864-2845 • Northern Valley Livestock Service ChatÀeld • 507-534-4356 GOODHUE COUNTY • Ag Partners Farm Store Cannon Falls • 507-263-4651 Goodhue • 651-923-4496 Pine Island • 507-356-8313 • Central Livestock Zumbrota • 507-732-7305 • Midwest Livestock Systems, LLC Zumbrota • 507-732-4673 • Midwest Machinery Cannon Falls • 507-263-4238 Wanamingo • 507-824-2256 • Zumbrota Stockman’s Supply Zumbrota • 507-732-7860

OTTER TAIL COUNTY • Bongards’ Perham • 218-346-4680 • Farmers Elevator of Fergus Falls & Henning 218-736-3301 • PCCA-Country Store Perham • 218-346-7075 • Perham Stockyards Perham • 218-346-3415 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op in Henning 218-583-2947 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op in Urbank 218-267-2401 PIPESTONE COUNTY • Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment Pipestone • 507-825-3271 POPE COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Glenwood • 320-634-5151

HOUSTON COUNTY • Caledonia Implement Company Caledonia • 507-725-3386 • Farmers Win Co-op Caledonia • 507-725-3306 Houston • 507-896-3147 • Hammell Equipment Eitzen • 507-495-3326 • Midwest Machinery Caledonia • 507-725-7000

STEARNS COUNTY • A&C Farm Service Paynesville • 320-243-3736 • Albany Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Albany • 320-845-2801 • Arnold’s of Kimball Kimball • 320-398-3800 • Arnold’s of St. Martin St. Martin • 320-548-3285 • Arnzen Construction/St. Rosa Lumber Freeport, In St. Rosa 320-836-2284 or 1-888-276-1751 • Centre Dairy Equipment & Supply Inc. Sauk Centre • 320-352-5762 or 1-800-342-2697 • Dairyland Supply Sauk Centre 320-352-3987 or 1-800-338-6455 • Ecker Feed Service, LLC New Munich • 320-837-5800 • Elrosa Grain & Feed Elrosa • 320-697-5515 • Elrosa Lumber Elrosa • 320-697-5591 • Farm Systems Melrose 1-800-636-5581 • 1-800-247-0012 • Feed Co. Paynesville • 320-243-3938 • Freeport State Bank Freeport • 320-836-2126 Greenwald • 320-987-2265 Melrose • 320-256-7208 • Hartung Sales & Service, Inc. Freeport • 320-836-2697 • Leedstone Melrose • 800-996-3303 • MagniÀ Financial Albany • 888-330-8482 Avon • 888-330-8482 Belgrade • 888-330-8482 Cold Spring • 888-330-8482 Freeport • 888-330-8482 Melrose • 888-330-8482 Paynesville • 888-330-8482 Sauk Centre • 888-330-8482 • Melrose Implement Inc. Melrose • 320-256-4253

ISANTI COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Princeton • 763-263-6000 KANDIYOHI COUNTY • D&D Ag Supply & Construction Pennock • 320-599-4466 • Farm-Rite Equipment Willmar • 877-484-3211 • Midwest Machinery Stewart • 320-562-2630

BENTON COUNTY • Farm-Rite Equipment St. Cloud • 844-262-2281 • First National Bank of MilacaGilman OfÀce • 320-387-2233 • Gilman Co-op Creamery Gilman • 320-387-2770 • Midwest Machinery Sauk Rapids • 320-259-6222

MEEKER COUNTY • Farm-Rite Equipment Dassel • 888-679-4857 • Schlauderaff Implement Co. LitchÀeld • 320-693-7277

CARVER COUNTY • Bongards’ Cologne • 952-466-5521 • Lano Equipment of Norwood Norwood/Young America 952-467-2181

OLMSTED COUNTY • Ag Partners Stewartville • 507-533-4222 • Hammell Equipment ChatÀeld • 507-867-4910

RICE COUNTY • Ag Partners - Agronomy Le Center • 507-357-6868

MCLEOD COUNTY • Leedstone Glencoe • 877-864-5575 • Midwest Machinery Glencoe • 320-864-5571

BROWN COUNTY • New Ulm Regional Vet Clinic New Ulm • 507-233-2500

MOWER COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Grand Meadow • 507-754-1100

GRANT COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Elbow Lake • 218-685-4438

MINNESOTA

BECKER COUNTY • Adkins Equipment Inc. Detroit Lakes • 218-847-3131

• Modern Farm Equipment Pierz • 320-468-2161 • Pierz Co-op Pierz • 320-468-6655 • Sunrise Ag Cooperative Buckman • 320-468-6433 Lastrup • 320-468-2543 Little Rock • 320-584-5147

MILLE LACS COUNTY • First National Bank of Milaca Milaca • 320-983-3101 • Foreston Farmer’s Co-op Creamery Foreston • 320-294-5711 MORRISON COUNTY • Elmdale Creamery Association & Locker Bowlus • 320-573-2607 • Litke’s Veterinary Service Pierz • 320-468-6666 • MagniÀ Financial Little Falls • 888-330-8482 • Midwest Machinery Little Falls • 320-632-5469

• Midwest Machinery Paynesville • 320-243-7474 Sauk Centre • 320-352-6511 • Modern Farm Equipment Sauk Centre • 320-352-6543 • Nutrien Ag Solutions 320-352-6564 STEELE COUNTY • Northland Farm Systems Owatonna • 507-451-3131 SWIFT COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Benson • 320-843-2610 Madison • 320-598-7575 Morris • 320-589-2011 TODD COUNTY • MagniÀ Financial Grey Eagle • 888-330-8482 Long Prairie • 888-330-8482 • Farm-Rite Long Prairie • 866-514-0982 • Olson’s Custom Farm Service Staples • 218-894-2474 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Browerville Browerville • 320-594-2711 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Clarissa Clarissa • 218-756-2112 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Eagle Bend Eagle Bend • 218-738-2552 WABASHA COUNTY • Ag Partners Farm Store Plainview • 507-534-2531 • Beck Implement Elgin • 507-876-2122 • Leedstone Plainview • 800-548-2540 • Midwest Machinery Plainview • 507-534-3116 • Wingert Sales & Service Plainview • 507-534-2285 WADENA COUNTY • Dairyland Equipment of Menahga Menahga • 218-564-4958 • Midwest Machinery Wadena • 218-631-2311 • Olson’s Custom Farm Service Verndale • 218-445-5500 Sebeka • 218-837-5749 WINONA COUNTY • Ag Partners Lewiston • 507-523-2188 • Ag Specialists St. Charles • 507-932-4800 • Elba Co-op Creamery Elba • 507-796-6571 • Kalmes Implement Altura • 507-796-6741 • Lang’s Dairy Equipment Lewiston • 507-452-5532 • Lewiston Rentals and Repairs Lewiston • 507-523-3564 • Midwest Machinery St. Charles • 507-932-4030 WRIGHT COUNTY • Hobert Sales Inc. Cokato • 320-286-6284, 1-800-820-6455 • Midwest Machinery Howard Lake • 320-543-2170

SOUTH DAKOTA BROOKINGS COUNTY • W.W. Tire Brookings • 605-696-7400 CODINGTON COUNTY • Glacial Lakes Livestock Watertown • 605-886-5052 MINNEHAHA COUNTY • Central Valley Dairy Supply Garretson • 605-467-0812 • Midwest Livestock Systems Renner • 605-274-3656

ROBERTS COUNTY • Valley Dairy Supply Corona • 605-432-5224

To view a complete list of participating businesses, log on to www.dairystar.com *Enter as often as you like. One entry per store visit, please. Winners must be 18 years or older and a Grade A or B dairy farmer for adult prize, or 17 years or younger and a son or daughter of a Grade A or B dairy farmer for heifer calf. Winners must also live in the Dairy Star circulation area to be eligible and are responsible for transport of animal.

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

Prospering from challenges

Plante builds farm, never deters from a problem By Emily Breth

emily.b@star-pub.com

LITTLE FALLS, Minn. — If there is one thing that never scared Patrick Plante, it was a challenge. Buying a farm site in 1989, prior to seeing it, Plante had his work cut out for him. A herd of 50 milking cows, which are mainly Holstein with a few HolsteinAngus crossbreds, can now be found in the tiestall barn on Plante’s farm near Little Falls. Plante’s ancée, Cathy, works off the farm, but Plante’s full-time employee tends to cow care and milking while Plante does all the eldwork. Plante did not always plan on buying a farm, and it was not until he needed a way to pay the bills that he considered starting his own dairy operation on a farm site that had been foreclosed and was up for auction. Plante was told the farm was in rough shape, which is probably why he won with a low bid. “Anything that would have discouraged me at the time would have made me

EMILY BRETH/DAIRY STAR

Patrick Plante stands in his Ɵestall barn with his dog Nov. 28 on his farm near LiƩle Falls, Minnesota. Plante milks 50 cows, and his herd consists of mainly Holsteins.

try to strive higher (because) I don’t turn away from a challenge,” Plante said. “When I rst came (to the farm site), I couldn’t turn around in the yard with a vehicle; it was

that full of junk.” Getting the yard and driveway drivable was the rst challenge Plante faced. After clearing the yard and hauling in 2,000-3,000 yards

of crushed tar, the path was nally a road. However, this was not the only place Plante needed to haul in ll. Before he could build a machine shed, 25,000 yards of ll was

needed. “There is 4-6 feet of ll on everything on one side of the driveway,” Plante said. After growing up on a dairy farm close to his current farm, Plante worked other jobs for about ve years and then bought a farm with his brother. Soon after, Plante decided to sell his share to his brother and buy a farm of his own. Since the foreclosed property was near his parents’ farm, he was able to use their equipment to get started. While Plante was busy making his farm look like a farm, he also helped with eldwork at his parents’ farm, which was how he paid them for the use of their machinery. By 1993, Plante was running the farm on his own without the use of his parents’ equipment. Plante also worked to improve his cropland. “At rst, I averaged 60-bushel corn, and now I average around 200 bushels,” Plante said. While getting his elds up and running, Plante also tackled another challenge: the farm’s unusable milking barn. Turn to PLANTE | Page 27

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Patrick Plante adds fuel to his combine before going in the eld Oct. 17 on his farm near LiƩle Falls, Minnesota. Plante has made many improvements on his farm since buying the property in 1989.

“The manure and other refuse was over the top of the tie stalls throughout the barn, from wall to wall, ” Plante said. “I was worried to put cattle in right away because of the risk to their health.” Getting to work to clean the barn and make it livable, Plante put off rebuilding the house. He said the barn being an early priority is the reason the original house is still standing. It was later remodeled, twice, and he still lives in it today. When he rst moved to the farm, the upstairs had almost no roof. However, the farm had bigger priorities. “The house didn’t make me money to pay bills,” Plante said. Once the barn was clean and safe for cattle, Plante moved his rst herd of 20 into the barn in 1991. Slowing growing the herd, Plante milked with buckets to keep costs down until he was able to buy and install a pipeline in 1999. “I was taught to pay for things as I go, so I was never in debt,” Plante said. “I did more manual labor with wheelbarrows and pitchforks. I never thought about who could do this for me.”

Plante said that his dad understood how challenges inspired his son and would say things to motivate Plante forward. “My dad knew me better than I did because he always told me, ‘You will never grow anything other than weeds (on your farm),’ which only pushed me harder,” Plante said. “He would never put me down though.” After creating the farm he has today from nothing, Plante said he now enjoys his life and never has a day he wakes up complaining about his job. He also said he likes to have bad days at times because it makes him appreciate when good days comes along. Plante now has a fully functional farm. Having to build everything besides the barn and house, and putting a lot of work into both of them as well, Plante built himself not only a home but a way of life. “This isn’t a trial run; your life is a one-time deal,” Plante said. “If you spend every day working a job you hate, what do you have to look forward to? Life itself isn’t easy; life is a mindset, and it’s what you make of it.”

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

women

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Trish Brown

Strum, Wisconsin Trempealeau County 30 cows

Tell us about your farm and family. My husband, Judson, and I have two children: Coltan and Eastan. Our farm is home to 30 registered Holsteins. April 18, 2011, was the rst day we shipped milk, and we shipped 152 pounds from our rst two fresh cows. We bought the farm in 2012 and had raised heifer calves to start with. The farm was gutted, so we had to put everything in. Judson works off the farm full time, and I manage the farm. We have over 70 head here including calves, dry cows and springing heifers. We ship our milk to Grassland Dairy Products Inc.

erything that we do. Nothing was handed to us. It’s also fun to watch the boys step up and watch the youngest one really embrace showing.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? My alarm goes off at 3:46 a.m. Sometimes I switch a load of laundry before I go to the barn, but I try to be out there by 4:15. I start by pushing up feed, scraping the walk and feeding calves, and then I milk. I get done by 6 a.m. so that I can get my boys on the bus at 6:30. Then I check the steer lot. We have 100 head on a rented farm. Then I feed cows and clean the barn. Jud helps mix feed if he is home, and then I start night chores at 2:30 p.m. We feed cows once a day, so that makes things a little easier.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Raising cattle that can compete at the national level with my own prex. I’ve had some stand in the top 10 at Louisville, and I’ve had other purchased animals do well at shows too. We had a heifer win rst in her class at the junior show at World Dairy Expo this year — Chakelburg Believe Possible.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Getting to know people through the show world. It has opened up so many opportunities to make connections with like-minded people. If I didn’t go to shows, I would be home farming all the time. I always heard people say they met their best friends through showing cattle, and that has held true for me.

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I would like to do more promotions, but for now I advertise our genetics. I also help kids who want to show by hosting tting classes and donating What decision have you made in animals for kids to show. the last year that has beneted your farm? Remodeling the old machine What advice would you give anshed to make it into a heifer shed. other woman in the dairy industry? Before, we only had two pens and su- You can do it. My favorite word is per huts. Now it is easier to sort the “no” because it makes me try harder. heifers by age. It also allows us to I would also tell women to listen to utilize articial insemination methods others but not always follow their whereas we always ran a bull before. footsteps; make your own mistakes Overall, the heifers are easier to man- and learn from them. It is important age, and it enables us to market our to get to know the businesses that you show calves more efciently. work with too — serve on the boards and learn how things actually work. Tell us about your most memorable Everybody will tell you a little bit, but experience working on the farm. no one tells you everything, so you Just being able to have built every- need to pay attention and learn things thing to what it is now and have ev- yourself.

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What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? As a woman, it can be hard to deal with people who still want to talk to a man. It is getting better, but the older generation still wants to deal with a man. Also, there are challenges in every aspect of the dairy industry, and I wish more people would see both sides of things when it comes to things like cull pric-

es for example. Everything is becoming monopolized, and we’re running out of different options to sell milk and buy feed, equipment and fuel, etc. We can’t shop around and price check as we could in the past. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I like to go shing or just relax with my boys and watch movies. We don’t go too far.

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

www.extension.umn.edu/dairy

Age at rst calving versus longevity Over the years, there have been days on feed, resulting in a high cost differences of opinion about what the to rear heifers. Older heifers also have ideal age at rst calving should be a decreased lifetime milk production and how that age may or may not af- and longevity. With this in mind, the fect the extended life of that cow in current recommendation is to have the herd. From a nutritional perspec- heifers calve at 22 to 24 months. tive, the goal is to be both To achieve this goal, efcient and cost effective farmers must optimize their when growing dairy replacefeeding and management ments to reach physical maprograms to grow heifers turity and puberty to enter to the desired height and the milking herd. From a weight for breeding. Heifveterinary perspective, some ers should reach 55% of mahave shared that just because ture body weight and 90% of an animal reaches puberty mature structural growth by earlier in life does not mean the breeding age of 13 to 15 that the animal is physically By Karen Johnson months. Note that accelerUniversity of mature enough to have a ated growth programs where Minnesota calf and be productive in her the heifers are allowed to get rst lactation. This begs the question: over-conditioned ahead of breeding What is the ideal age at rst calving? may have a negative impact on the How does this age affect the cow’s development of secretory tissue in the ability to be productive into the fol- udder, resulting in a decreased lifelowing lactations? time milk production. According to Numerous research studies have Penn State Extension research (Zanshown that the health, nutrition and ton and Heinrichs, 2005), the proper overall well-being of the heifer im- rate to grow heifers from 2 months pacts the age at rst calving. Young to puberty is 1.75 pounds per day heifers or heifers that calve too small (with an acceptable range of 1.6 to in size experience more difculties at 1.9 pounds). Farmers should set sepacalving and tend to produce less milk rate target body condition weights during their lifetime. Raising heifers for breeding and pre-calving as body that calve too late results in increased weight at calving has a strong effect

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herd, either by death or sale, based on age at calving. Holstein heifers that calved between 20 and 23 months of age had the lowest cull rates, ranging from 5.3% to 6%. Those heifers that calved at less than 20 months showed a sharp increase to 12% in cull rates. Finally, there was also a slight increase in cull rates as the age at rst calving increased to 30 months (6.1% at 24 months to 7% at 30 months). In conclusion, the discussion about age at rst calving will continue to be debated as there are numerous on-farm factors that play a role in the outcome. Consider what your breeding goals are for your herd. Evaluate the heifers that are calving in. Are they big enough? Do those heifers make enough milk in the rst lactation for your farm’s goals? If not, you may want to work with your nutritionist and veterinarian to ne tune your heifer feeding and management programs.

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on rst-lactation milk production. For specic growth charts and optimum heifer growth rates, read the article titled “Monitoring dairy heifer growth” on the Penn State Extension website. To better understand the questions about longevity, Robert Fourdraine, from Dairy Records Management Systems, shared an article about how rst calving affects the bottom line. The article shows specic trends and graphs from over 8 million rstlactation cows’ data included in the DRMS. Data showed that heifers that calved earlier in life (21 months) produced less milk in the rst lactation in comparison to heifers that calved at 23 months. However, by the time heifers reach their third lactation, production levels are almost the same. Besides milk production, the other key factor to consider is the effects of calving on a younger animal resulting in a high cull rate. Data were evaluated for when the cows left the

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Managing cows for high peak milk production

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 31

A few weeks ago, I spoke at a cows. conference with Dr. Bill Weiss, a reEvaluate foot health in late lactacently retired dairy extension special- tion or early in the dry period. Mainist from Ohio State University. Below tenance trimming, dry cow foot baths are some points from his presentation and addressing hoof lesions will minion feeding to achieve high peak milk mize the risk of lame cows in early production. lactation. The following goals increase the Evaluate body condition score of likelihood of reaching high cows several months before milk peaks: drying off. Recent research — Cows should calve showed that cows calving healthy. between 3 and 3.25 peaked — Cows should calve in higher than cows outside proper body condition. of that range. The goal is to — Avoid metabolic dismaintain a body condition orders in early lactation. score of 2.75 to 3.25 during — Keep mobilization of the dry period. Ration adbody reserves acceptable in justments or grouping stratBy Jim Salfer early lactation. egies are better done during University of As is typically the case, late lactation than during the Minnesota these are easier said than dry period. done. Concentrating manDevelop feeding and agement efforts and allocating ad- management strategies to prevent equate resources to the period before metabolic diseases. The main conand after calving will help achieve cerns are hypocalcemia, retained plathese goals. centa, displaced abomasum and ketoManagement strategies to set dry sis. cows up for success Transition cow grouping strategies All cows should be assessed for Is it important to have sepasomatic cell count and treated appro- rate close-up and fresh cow groups? priately. Implement blanket or selec- How about separate heifer and cow tive dry cow therapy based on their groups? Before adding another group, dry-off status. For high producing consider whether the advantages outcows, consider intermittent milking weigh the potential drawbacks. The or moving them to a low energy diet biggest advantage of splitting groups before drying off to minimize the risk is the ability to target expensive addiof new dry cow infections. Teat seal- tives that can help prevent metabolic ants should be considered for all dry disorders but may only be economi-

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cally benecial during the transition period. These include products like rumen protected choline to improve liver function and minerals to balance the dietary cation-anion difference to minimize the risk of hypocalcemia. These groups also allow ne tuning of protein and carbohydrate levels that may increase milk in fresh cows. But is the labor, facilities and the ability to mix and feed diets to these small groups of cows available to execute this strategy successfully? Dry period feeding strategies Make sure dry cows have at least one stall per cow and 30 inches of bunk space. Dry cows have low energy requirements, so be careful to feed energy to meet but not exceed their nutrient requirements. Research does not support feeding a “steam up” higher starch diet. The goal is to feed and manage cows to minimize the drop in dry matter intake as calving approaches. Cows on a higher energy ration may drop in intake more than cows fed a diet to meet their energy needs. Feed adequate protein to dry cows. For cows, 12% to 13% crude protein is adequate. If heifers are in a separate group, 15% crude protein should be fed to them. For mixed heifer and cow groups, 14% to 15% crude protein should be fed. Feed adequate amounts of micronutrients, especially selenium, and vitamins A and E during the entire dry

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period. These will support improved immune function during the period around calving. Consider balancing the diet for DCAD or adding a calcium binder to minimize the risk of hypocalcemia. It is normal for blood calcium levels of high producing cows to drop for a day or two after calving, but we want cows to rapidly mobilize bone calcium and rapidly return to normal blood calcium levels. Fresh cow feeding strategies Just like dry cows, it is important to have one lying stall and 30 inches of bunk space per cow. Also, time in headlocks and holding areas should be minimized. The goal is to feed diets that support both high dry matter intake and milk production. Fresh cow diets should contain targeted feed additives that support liver and immune system function. Research has showed that diets with 12% metabolizable protein that are balanced for amino acids support high intake and high milk production. Moderate starch (25%) and neutral detergent ber from high quality forage also support high dry matter intake and minimize the risk of metabolic disorders. It is worth the effort to focus on managing transition cows to achieve high peak milk. Every 1-pound increase in peak milk production should result in about 200 pounds more milk for the lactation.

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

Generations working together Golombieckis named farm family of the year for Stevens County By Emily Breth

Emily.b@star-pub.com

CHOKIO, Minn. — Not far from the town of Chokio, four generations can be found working together to operate Golombiecki Family Farms LLC. Their hard work was rewarded when they were named the Stevens County Farm Family of the Year. “When I rst read the letter (announcing the selection), I was thinking, ‘There is no way we got it; there are other families who do way more in the county,’” Elizabeth Golombiecki said. “I was pretty surprised that we got it.” Golombiecki and her brother, Lester, run the dairy side of the farm, milking 50 cows in a double-8 parlor which was installed by their late father, Ron, in 2016. On their uncle Dennis’ site down the road stand the bins for the family’s grain storage. Dennis’ son, Brian, who is in the process of building a new feed lot, houses all of the bull calves born on the farm and has a beef herd. Brian’s son, Tony, and his wife, Abbie, and their children, Peter and Emma, live within the area as well. While everyone has specic responsi-

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Golombiecki family members — Brian (front, from leŌ) and Dennis; (back, from leŌ) Lester, Elizabeth, Tony, holding his daughter Emma, and Tony’s wife, Abby, holding their son Peter — gather July 24 for a photo at a relaƟve’s wedding. The family was named the Stevens County Farm Family of the Year.

bilities within the farming operations, all of the families pull together when it comes to harvesting and other eldwork. Getting to watch her young cousins take interest in the farm is one of the many things that Golombiecki said is a favorite part of her job. “Peter and Emma have been great

buddy-seat riders this year,” Golombiecki said. Sharing the farm with the younger generation, whether family or not, is a highlight of Golombiecki’s. One way the family gets children involved in the dairy industry is by hosting a Dairy Day Care Day in June where the Golombieckis bring a calf

and feed to a local park to meet with the day care children. There, children can pet a calf, learn what a cow eats, play with the feed and then make ice cream. In the future, the family hopes to have the children come to the farm. Golombiecki and Lester are also involved in the Dairy Farmers of America Young Cooperator program, and Golombiecki and Abbie are a part of the Chokio Community Club where they help organize community activities while trying to incorporate the dairy industry. “Through being a dairy farmer on the board (of the community club), I learned that an event (in town) used to be called Dairy Days,” Golombiecki said. “I am trying to think of ways we can bring dairy back into (events) more.” Because of their passion for dairy, the Golombieckis donate dairy products to their local food shelf every month, not only to help people in need but also to support dairy farmers. The family donates anything from yogurt and sour cream to cheese and cottage cheese, and there is always 10 gallons of milk included. “Being able to ensure families are going home with milk is huge for us, and I’m glad we get to work with (the organization),” Golombiecki said. “It’s also a cool way to make connections with the college students who volunteer there.” Turn to GOLOMEBIECKIS | Page 33

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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 33

ConƟnued from GOLOMBIECKIS | Page 32

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Toby Golombiecki unloads corn from the combine into a grain cart pulled by Elizabeth Golombiecki Nov. 20 at their farm near Chokio, Minnesota. The Golombieckis harvest about 800 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa.

Another community project Golombiecki was involved in was the All You Can Drink Milk Stand that the county 4-H organization manages at the Stevens County Fair. Farmers donate the milk so that all the money made on wristbands goes to 4-H. Golombiecki and her brother joined 4-H when they were young and showed cattle, which also led their parents to lease cattle so that others could start showing as well. “We love being around the cows, and I love that I got to grow up right alongside my parents,” Golombiecki said. “I’d get off the bus and go run into the barn, and I always knew they were both there.” Along with fond childhood memories, Golombiecki said she enjoys working with her family now and setting her own schedule for the day — if everything goes according to plan. Golombiecki said there are no dairy farms that are the same. “A neighbor said that they wished there was a cookie cutter for what makes a farm succeed, but there are

so many different ways, which is part of the excitement,” Golombiecki said. “We don’t have to look the same as the neighbor for it to work.” Golombiecki said their family is grateful to have more acres than what they need to feed their animals. “Being able to grow our own feed really saved our dairy,” Golombiecki said. “Having extra land also gives us the potential to grow without worrying about where our feed will come from.” While the family hopes to expand their dairy, they know that getting bigger is not necessarily the way to become more protable. They want to do so, Golombiecki said, because dairy farming is what they love. The dream of what the farm will look like in the future is constantly changing, but having dairy cattle is always a part of that image, even though the dairy industry is lled with challenges. “It’s worth it,” Golombiecki said. “I look forward to having my own kids on the farm.”

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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 9, 2023

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Memories in color

Having a smartphone has allowed me to take hundreds of photos of our experience raising kids on the farm over the past decade. The only problem is, I never did anything with the photos. I would capture the moment and then let it disappear into the cloud. Since the dispersal of our herd in June, my 10-yearold daughter has really been missing a few of her favorite cows. I decided to get a few photos ordered so that she could remember them. I navigated to Google Photos and immediately went down a rabbit hole of memories. I ended up spending a couple hours and a few dollars on ordering way By Abby Wiedmeyer more prints than I Staff Writer originally intended to. When I saw the total number of prints ordered, I thought perhaps I went a little overboard. When the box of about a thousand photos arrived in the mail, however, I had no regrets. The kids and I sat down and put all the photos in albums, laughing and crying at all that we have endured in the last decade or so and all the animals we were blessed to care for along the way. There are photos of everyday life: the kids lling water tanks, feeding bottle calves, my husband doing eldwork or hauling manure, seles with my favorite cows and kids riding bikes through the mangers. There are photos of momentous times, like remodeling from a tiestall barn to a step-up parlor and freestall setup. This included pulling out 480 feet of barn cleaner chain. Out with it came a lot of stress and grief it had caused us. It also included my brother taking a week to help us pour concrete. There is a photo of all the cows lying on their sand-bedded stalls after the sand shooter bucket failed and my husband spent an entire night pitching sand by hand to get the project done. There are so many photos of animals too. Dogs, cats, cows, chickens — and one of the time I came out to milk cows and found a huge owl perched in the holding area. I’m amazed that the kids can remember the names of all the cats that have come and gone as well as so many bull calves that were not even with us that long. Some times were not so great when they happened but are fun to reect on since we know we all survived. Like the time my oldest daughter took her bike down the biggest hill on the farm and ended up with a concussion while I was milking and her dad was working in the elds. The photo of that day includes her three younger siblings waiting in the emergency room, covered in dirt and manure and missing shirts and shoes. I’m still thankful for that understanding doctor who said she would rather see dirty kids playing outside than clean kids who sat around and watched TV all day. A decade worth of memories lled four big photo albums, and I can’t describe how therapeutic it has been to page through them. It has been almost six months since we closed the chapter on our dairy career, and every day I have conicting emotions about it. Sometimes I can’t believe we ever did all that work, and some days I can’t believe we quit. It is tempting to dwell on all the hard times that went with milking to justify why we chose to sell our cows. These photos reminded me of how many smiles we shared during our dairy days. It’s hard to realize that even if we brought cows back, it would never be the same because our kids will never be that little again. All we can do is be grateful for the time we had with our animals and be happy that our glory days included cows and children. There is something special about seeing the memories in colorful, tangible photos. I encourage you to take more photos and treat yourself to getting them printed. It was worth it for me, and it might be for you too.

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Working together, just like on Christmas morning Dairy Star • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 35

It is ofcially winter. A good marker of when it’s winter on a dairy farm is when you break out the heavy jacket for the rst time and when you start putting on the calf jackets. While I was home this weekend, I was able to put the rst calf jackets on. The holiday season has always been my favorite season on the farm with the star on top of the silo, the snow-covered hills and the Christmas lights everywhere. However, anyone who grew up on a dairy farm knows that Christmas morning looks a little different for us than for our friends who live in town. In my family, that meant that we didn’t open our gifts Christmas morning until Dad got in from On the Road with chores. In fact, when Princess Kay we were younger, Mom wouldn’t even let us upstairs in case we peeked into our stockings before Dad got in from the barn. My mom would have my siblings and I camp out in the basement to watch a holiday movie. As we grew older, we enjoyed waiting a little longer to open our gifts, and Mom By Emma Kuball even let us come up70th Princess Kay of the stairs for breakfast. We Milky Way now have made another change as my dad, my brother and I all do chores together on Christmas morning, which is special to me in a whole new way. There is something special about doing chores together as a family. At times it isn’t harmonious, but it’s a gift that not many people get to experience. In November, I had three appearances as Princess Kay. I was able to attend the Minnesota Farm Bureau’s annual meeting where I mingled with Farm Bureau members and politicians who were also attending. I was able to bring both of my parents along, and it was fun to see how many connections they have in the agriculture community. I was assigned to the dinner table with Minnesota Farm Bureau President Dan Glessing and his family as well as Sen. Amy Klobuchar. I had a great time visiting with the Glessings and Klobuchar. I also gave the greeting before the awards ceremony. All of these experiences were amazing, but my favorite part of any event is when dairy farmers come up to me and I get to hear about their experiences in dairy farming. It’s exciting to see their love for dairy farming and the impact that it has had on them. I had one particular farmer talk with me, telling me that even though he sold his cows a few years ago, he still has the last calves that were born on his farm. He also told me about how much his grandkids love the cattle that are still on his farm. The next day, I attended the Minnesota Farmers Union Convention. At this event, I had the special opportunity to visit the children who were in the childcare center while their parents attended the meeting. I was able to talk with them and read them books about dairy. It was exciting to see how much the kids knew about their own farms. I also brought coloring books, stickers, sunglasses and dget spinners to hand out after I read the books, and the kids loved them. I saw them at lunch, and some of them were still rocking the sunglasses. A few of the kids said they had already had some of the goodies, but they were excited to have another one or perhaps pass them on to friends. At lunch, I gave greetings and visited with the Farmers Union staff. I also helped Farmers Union President Gary Wertish draw door prizes. I was able to see some of the awards program, and I loved to hear about how much the

people at Farmers Union were helping farmers all over Minnesota. Both of these events showed me how much the agriculture industry is like a family — supporting each other and working together, just like my family on Christmas morning. My nal event in November will be visiting two high school history classes at White Bear Lake High School. I am excited to test out new activities with students there. The lesson will be about sustainability, animal care and dairy nutrition. Happy holidays to my dairy family! Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Emma Kuball,

serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Emma grew up in Waterville, Minnesota working on her family’s 6th generation dairy farm assisting with cow milking, cow care, and calf feeding. She attends University of Wisconsin-River Falls, studying agriculture education, and looks forward to also becoming an FFA advisor. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting and baking. Her parents are Nate and Shannon Kuball. Princess Kay is very active doing school visits, representing dairy farmers, and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota.

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

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Tractor nostalgia Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 9, 2023

The pleasant autumn that we’ve had so far has caused me to recall the truism, “No nice weather goes unpunished.” This, in turn, made me think of the coming winter and the unpleasant task of snow removal. Prior to my exit from dairy farming some years ago, I had a loader and a tractor, so snow removal wasn’t a big deal. It was just another annoying chore. I have been feeling quite nostalgic lately. I might drive past a machinery lot and happen to espy a moldering Farmall M sitting in a far corner and think, “Ah, yes, the trusty old M! We had one of those when I was a kid. Maybe I should buy an M and a loader. It wouldn’t cost all that much.” But then I’ll recall that the M didn’t have power steering, or power brakes or power anything, as far as that goes. It would thus make more sense to set my sights on something a bit more modern, perhaps a John

Deere 3010. When I farmed, we owned a 3010 that had a narrow front. I really enjoyed that tractor’s maneuverability. You could park its front wheels between the slats of a picket fence. Plus, a 3010 would have a three-point hitch. I could purchase tillage equipment and use it to work up my garden. Perhaps I could even buy a sickle mower and clip the road ditches. I could then rake the hay and have my neighbor, Ziggy, come over and bale it. There certainly must be some value in that. But then it occurred to me that very few 3010 tractors had cabs. I thought about what it would be like to push snow while sitting on that open platform when the temperature is 20 degrees below zero and the northwest wind is howling at 30 mph. Been there; done that … didn’t especially enjoy it. So, the logical thing to do would be to get a tractor with a cab, and a heater, and air conditioning

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and a radio. And while I’m at it, why not get something that has front wheel assist? The price tag for my nostalgic fantasy suddenly jumped from perhaps a few thousand bucks to many tens of thousands. All for what? To push a little snow and till my little garden and put up perhaps three big round bales of ditch hay? How Dear County Agent Guy would that work out in terms of cost per bale? Dollars per tomato? Climbing back onto a tractor would be akin to jumping onto a slippery slope. I would soon own a lineup of rickety old farm equipment, the kind of stuff that I cursed as a kid. It would make much By Jerry Nelson more sense, from an Columnist economic standpoint, to pay someone to remove snow. The issue was all but settled in my mind until I happened to catch an old rock tune on the radio. Hearing the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” suddenly thrust me back into my youth. I am perhaps 17 years old and have just started spring eldwork on the land north of our family’s farmstead. I am driving our John Deere 60, pulling a rickety old tandem disc back and forth across the dry, crackling cornstalks. Gulls hover low overhead and call out to one another. Every so often, one will swoop gracefully down and land on the black earth behind the disc to gobble bugs or grubs. A brisk spring breeze cools my face while the sun warms my back. The aroma of moist, freshly turned soil is as intoxicating and as thrilling as a stolen kiss. “Bohemian Rhapsody” was blasting out of the AM tractor radio I had installed the 60. The chug-

All I know for sure is that my wife would be well advised to hide the checkbook until this tractor nostalgia g fever breaks. ging “Johnny Popper” kept fairly good time to the music except for when the pulling got tough and it got be a long time between the pops. Recalling that spring and those feelings caused me to yearn for a tractor more than ever. But am I just trying to recapture that long-ago morning when spring, summer and all the heady possibilities of youth stretched out before me like the innite and shining prairie horizon? So what if I am? Is it a crime to indulge in one’s sense of nostalgia? Does everything we do have to make hardnosed economic sense? If that were the case, none of us would ever go shing or have kids. These issues are something I will likely grapple with for a long time. All I know for sure is that my wife would be well advised to hide the checkbook until this tractor nostalgia fever breaks. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry works full time for Dairy Star as a staff writer and ad salesman. Feel free to email him at jerry.n@dairystar.com.

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One more colostrum study There have been a lot of studies regarding colostrum in dairy calves. By now, everyone knows that quantity, quality and timeliness of delivery are critically important for proper absorption of immunoglobulins into the calf’s bloodstream and that adequate transfer is needed for optimal calf health growth. Veterinary Wisdom and Until recently, most experts described the level of IgG or total protein in the calf’s blood as adequate or as a failure of passive transfer. For example, a total protein value of somewhere between 5 and 5.5 was considered adequate, depending on whose standard one was following. In 2020, the By Jim Bennett recommendations were Columnist changed and categories of excellent, good, fair and poor were created. Excellent means a total protein value of greater or equal to 6.2, good means 5.86.1, fair means 5.1-5.7 and poor is below 5.1. In addition, a herd standard was created. We now expect more than 40% of calves in a herd to test excellent, 30% to test good, no more than 20% to test fair and less than 10% to test poor. It turns out that, with calf antibodies, more is better. However, do we know that calves with excellent passive transfer do better than good, or that good do better than fair and fair better than poor?

A recent study (Sutter, et. al. JDS 2023) looked at exactly these questions. For the study, researchers assessed 3,434 Holstein calves from a farm in Germany. Total-protein assessment found 4.8% of the calves in the poor category, 29.5% in the fair category, 28.3% in the good category and 37.4% excellent category. Calf health was evaluated for the rst 90 days of life and showed 28% percent of the calves had at least one case of pneumonia, 6.3% had diarrhea and 0.9% had a naval infection. Overall, 32.6% of calves had one disease and 2.5% had multiple diseases. Combining the health data with the total protein results showed that the level of antibody did affect the incidence of disease and death. For example, calves with a poor level of total protein had a greater hazard risk for pneumonia (2), overall morbidity (1.99) and mortality (2.47) than calves in the excellent category. The hazard risk is just the relative risk of developing a disease compared to another animal. For example, a hazard risk of 2 means that the animal is twice as likely to be affected as the other animal. Calves with good and fair total protein levels had signicantly greater hazard risk for pneumonia (good 1.35, fair 1.41) and for overall morbidity (good 1.26, fair 1.32) compared to calves with excellent total protein levels. Calves born with calving assistance had lower total proteins than unassisted calves. Calves from cows with three or more lactations had lower total protein levels than calves from heifers or lactationtwo cows. The employee providing calving assis-

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 37

tance and neonatal care also signicantly affected the total protein levels. There was also a relationship between average daily gain during the rst 60 days of life and total protein status. Calves with excellent and good levels had an ADG of .90 kilograms per day and .92 kilograms per day, respectively. The ADG of calves with fair levels was .89 kilograms per day and of calves with poor levels was .86 kilograms per day. The study did not show a strong relationship between incidence of diarrhea and total proteins. However, this may have been due to a relatively low number of cases of diarrhea reported. This study supports the validity of the new passive immunity classication scheme based on four categories. It shows that total protein testing should not be a pass-fail test but instead should have categories of success. Higher levels of antibodies in blood of baby calves means less disease, especially pneumonia in the rst 90 days, less overall morbidity and reduced death rates. Thus, farmers can be condent that achieving the standards for levels in those four categories will reduce the levels of disease and death on their farms. Excellent really is better than good when it comes to passive transfer in dairy calves. Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@ gmail.com with comments or questions.

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End-of-year planning Every December, it’s time to send the books off to our accountant and nd out whether we need to make some investments in feed, facilities or equipment to avoid giving the government more money than necessary. She’s still working on guring that out, but I doubt we’ll be looking at many fun endof-year purchases after buying large quantities of hay at prices higher than I’d prefer thanks to a third year in a row of drought. More and more often, though, we nd ourselves having to make investments to take on a job we’d previously hired out, and this year is another one of those years. We’ve been renting baggers for as long as I can remember. I vaguely remember lling the Harvestore, but it was deemed not worth repairing around the time I was only old enough to watch wagons unload and shut the PTO off on the tractor if anything went wrong while Dad went to get the next

wagon from the eld. At rst, we rented from a guy who, if I remember right, had the awesome name of “Dan The Bagger Man.” I learned how to set up bags and unload silage boxes into the bagger. Other than lling the stave silo occasionally, we’ve exclusively stored chopped feeds in bags since then. The bagger man got out of renting baggers, and we found a new guy to rent from, who has probably been renting us baggers for 20 years. We used to have a neighbor do our chopping custom for us, and Dad and I unloaded chopper boxes. My boys now have that job, leaving me to cut hay and keep everything moving by repairing whatever isn’t working at that moment. Dad does the chopping after we invested in a tractor and chopper a number of years back when it got hard to nd people to chop for us. Taking over chopping was a good move, as it allowed us to put hay up in a more relaxed manner.

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It did, however, result in a whole bunch more equipment needing maintenance and updating, which didn’t seem like a big deal when I was 20. But, at 40, with a lot more and bigger equipment, I’ve come to realize that owning the tools to do everything is a bit of a double-edged sword. Keeping all those things working is almost as big of a headache as nding someone else From the Zweber Farm to bring their stuff over and do the job. Depending how expensive the broken parts are, we either save a pretty decent amount of money doing it ourselves or break even. The amount of large repair bills always keeps me from wanting to invest in yet another piece of equipment that By Tim Zweber currently someone else Farmer & Columnist drops off. Repairs are their problem when they pick it back up. This year, though, our bagger rental guy let me know he was retiring soon, and his baggers were up for sale to his customers. We make enough bags each year to justify owning a bagger, but just enough. It would take a good while to pay off that investment, but we’ve come to rely on a bagger being here pretty much all summer. Finding a rental guy willing to drop off a bagger and not pick it up until silage season didn’t seem like a realistic ask. We decided to buy one of the baggers that we’ve been using the last couple seasons. Here’s hoping it appreciates regular maintenance and an easy life of making ve to seven bags a year in the form of not breaking in any costly ways, stretching out that return on investment window.

At first, we rented from a guy who, if I remember right, had the awesome name of “Dan The Bagger Man.” Until next time, keep living the dream, and don’t forget to get that pile of receipts and invoices sorted through. It’s awfully hard to make sound purchase decisions or round up extra money needed to cover taxes if you don’t start until Christmas time. I’m sure the sales guys at the local implement dealer will be happy to sell you something last minute, but it probably won’t be ideal. There’s always prepaying feed, I guess. I’ve never encountered a time that wasn’t a wise investment. Tim Zweber farms with his wife, Emily, their three children and his parents, Jon and Lisa, near Elko, Minnesota.

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Pursuing the presence of the season Busy, busy, busy. This seems to be the current theme on our dairy and in our lives as of late. Looking around, it also seems to be the current theme in our society. There is more to do, more gifts to buy, presents to wrap, chores to complete, cards to send, food to prepare and places to go. The older we become, the faster time seems to move, and before we know it, another year has come and gone. Another holiday season will have ashed before our eyes, and we will be off and onto the next season. This past week, we found ourselves very busy trying to capitalize

The NexGen: Adventures of two dairy daughters

By Megan Schrupp & Ellen Stenger Columnists on the warm December weather. One of the tasks on our long todo list was moving heifers. If you are a dairy farmer or grew up on a dairy farm, you will understand the signicance of moving heifers. For the few unseasoned participants that may be reading, moving heifers is the job of routinely moving our heifers to different pens as they grow and outgrow the size a specic pen has been designed for. It’s usually a task we all want to just get done so we can move on to other, more important things. A task that is often the least favorite or dreaded task to do as it requires all hands on deck, oftentimes makeshift gates, (This can include things like machinery, kids with arms stretched wide or any ol’ piece of wood lying conveniently close.) loading heifers onto a trailer or just running the heifers across an open space. We remember helping with this task with our grandfather and uncle, then uncle, dad, and cousins, and now with dad. This year, however, while moving one of the groups, we were hit with a moment, a ash of a memory of moving heifers all those years, and a subsequent feeling of an urge to pause in that spe-

cic moment with our dad. Instead of wishing for the project to be done so we could move on to all the other things that needed to be completed, we should instead enjoy the time that we were spending with our dad. The time that we were spending working together as a family. It’s moments like this where we allow the ordinary to become the extraordinary that add richness to life on the farm. It is tempting to think there is always something better coming around the corner or constantly thinking of all the things that we need to do that day, or that week or before the cold weather arrives. We are guilty of that on our farm and in our lives, especially during the Christmas season. We can’t wait to do all the things, check all the items off our to-do lists, and before we know it, the season is over. Our grandparents and parents are a year older. Our children are grown and then soon gone to build their own lives. Time is precious. Therefore, this season we are focusing on being intentional about the moments we are spending this Christmas season. This isn’t about adding more to your list or actively trying to make more memories. It’s about allowing the little things to capture our attention and pausing in those moments, rather than just brushing them aside. The most important gifts aren’t found under the tree. Time, the here and now, is our most precious gift. It’s presence, not presents. It’s appreciating moments spent with loved ones milking cows, a conversation with friends at church, helping a newborn calf drink its rst bottle, frosting Christmas cookies with kids and grandparents, a few minutes of gratitude and observation while waiting for the mixer to process a batch of feed or fully partaking in a beautiful Nativity service at church. Immersing ourselves in these moments rather than being worried about the next allows us to live a fruitful and rich life on our family farm. Some may be sad that the year is coming to a close, while others can’t wait for it to be over. Either way, for today, let us focus on today. Today is a gift. This moment is a gift. Let us be present for the beauty and treasure it holds. Megan Schrupp and Ellen Stenger are sisters and co-owners of both NexGen Dairy and NexGen Market in Eden Valley, Minnesota. They can be reached at Nexgendairy@gmail. com.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 9, 2023 • Page 39

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GEA.com/DairyFarming

Midwest Livestock Systems, LLC Zumbrota, MN • 800-233-8937 Menomonie, WI • 715-235-5144 Renner, SD • 800-705-1447 Monroe WestfaliaSurge Monroe, WI • 608-325-2772

Preston Dairy Equipment Sparta, WI • 608-269-3830 Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Colton, SD Service • 800-944-1217 Edgerton, MN Chemical Sales 507-920-8626 Stanley Schmitz, Inc. Chilton, WI • 920-849-4209 Tri-County Dairy Supply Janesville, WI • -608-757-2697