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C E L E B R A T I N G
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Y E A R S
DAIRY ST R 25
February 10, 2024
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 25, No. 24
SDSU to close dairy production facility, disperse herd Change will not affect degree offerings By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com
BROOKINGS, S.D. — After three years of looking for a way to plan, budget and build a new dairy production facility at South Dakota State University in Brookings, the effort has been deemed unfeasible. The university will instead close the facility and disperse its dairy herd by the end of June. Dr. Joe Cassady, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences for SDSU, said the decision was difcult. “People’s reactions to that are what you should expect when hard decisions get made about programs that matter,” Cassady said. However, the closing of the facility will not affect degree offerings. “We are not getting rid of any majors,” Cassady said. “We have three majors in the department — food science, dairy manufacturing and dairy production, with dairy production being the on-farm pro-
duction of milk. Food science and dairy manufacturing are functionally not impacted by the closing of the farm.” Only the dairy production facility will close. “We are not closing the Davis Dairy Manufacturing Plant; people have been confused about that,” Cassady said. “The making of the cheese and the ice cream and all of those things will continue as normal. The only change for (the plant) is that they will source their milk commercially because we will not be producing milk at our own university-owned farm.” Since the Davis Dairy Manufacturing Plant was paying the university’s farm for milk at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s milk price, Cassady said the university is not anticipating there being a nancial impact to the plant. For SDSU’s dairy production major, the university plans to partner with nearby dairy farms as sites to offer student experiences, education and research opportunities. “We want to continue to pro-
PHOTO SUBMITTED
A student milks cows in the double-8 parallel parlor at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. The parlor and dairy produc�on facili�es at the school are slated to close by the end of June, but all majors offered in dairy science will con�nue. vide a quality educational experi- What we’re going to do is look at ence to the students in that major, the teaching outcomes that we have and that can best be done at this for dairy production and then work point by partnering with local dair- with our friends and local dairies to ies, several of which we’ve had nd strategies to most effectively long-term working relationships meet those teaching outcomes. We with in support of our research and feel condent that we can get our our teaching,” Cassady said. “It will students out on those farms.” absolutely be different. We’re not This school year, 23 students going to try to replace what we had. are in the dairy production program
at SDSU. The announcement that the dairy production facility would close drew concerns and questions from them as well as students with related majors. After the announcement was made, Cassady set up a meeting with students. “When I sat down with them, I said that I would not leave my chair until I’d heard every comment and every question,’” Cassady said. “I was there for two hours and 40 minutes.” Over 50 students attended the town hall, with eight remaining until the end, Cassady said. “I did the best I could to be there and listen and share and respond to the extent that I am able,” Cassady said. “They are hurt, they are upset, and they are disappointed — and that’s not surprising. Honestly, if they weren’t hurt, upset and disappointed, it would mean that this wasn’t important and our program didn’t matter, but our program is important, and it does matter.”
Turn to SDSU | Page 2
Green energy proposal being considered in west central Minnesota Pipeline planned for transporting natural gas from Riverview digesters By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This map shows the loca�ons of a natural gas pipeline system proposed by Dooley’s Natural Gas. The pipeline would connect renewable natural gas from manure biodigesters at four Riverview LLP sites in west central Minnesota to a planned compression sta�on near Murdock, Minnesota, where it would be injected into the exis�ng Alliance Transmission Pipeline.
BENSON, Minn. — Dooley’s Natural Gas of Willmar has led an application with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission as part of a plan to construct a 28-mile, renewable natural gas pipeline system. The pipeline would run in Swift, Chippewa and Kandiyohi counties in west central Minnesota and transport gas from manure biodigesters at four Riverview LLP dairies in the area. The application for the project, slated to cost $13.9 million, has been accepted by the PUC and is now being considered. Martha Koehl, a communications representative for Riverview,
said the manure biodigesters are being constructed at the farm sites by Amp Americas, a company based in Illinois. “We are excited about the prospect of continued economic development in western Minnesota and the opportunities that a pipeline project brings,” Koehl said. The Minnesota PUC has been asked to permit a part of the plan that involves a compression station to be constructed on a parcel of land near Murdock owned by Dooley Natural Gas. The gas would be compressed there and injected through a roughly 100-foot high-pressure pipeline into the already existing Alliance Transmission Pipeline that runs through the area.
The Alliance Transmission Pipeline would be responsible for tapping its existing line and installing the needed gas measurement equipment at the compression station. The Alliance Transmission Pipeline system runs from western Canada to Chicago. The rest of the planned Dooley’s Natural Gas pipeline would be low-pressure and transport natural gas produced from the manure biodigesters at the Riverview sites to the compressor station. The low-pressure pipeline must pass approval at the county and township levels, which is dictated by the county that maintains jurisdiction over the road right of way in which the pipeline will run. Approval of the pipeline plan also involves other entities, including the Department of Natural Re-
Turn to PIPELINE | Page 5
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
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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 (ofce) 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 Maria Bichler - Assistant Editor maria.b@dairystar.com 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 Jan Lefebvre - Staff Writer jan.l@star-pub.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
ConƟnued from SDSU | Page 1
Dairy leuniversity brought to pending you upon by usyour dealers. nding matching funds.” North were goingAmerica to discontinue the production of CassadyPro said the is deterThe university would then have a total milk and liquidate the cow herd at the dairy, mined to give students the top-notch educaand the goal is to have that all done by the end tion in the dairy production major that it al- budget of $15 million for a facility. “We were working on trying to raise of June,” Cassady said. “I’ve never, ever said ways has. “I’m hopeful that people will give us a those funds while at the same time working that I don’t want us to have a dairy farm. I’ve chance to demonstrate that we can provide to put together a plan for the new dairy,” Cas- said it is not practicable to continue to operate a high-quality education, give our students sady said. “Initially, what was proposed was the current farm in its present condition, and even more exposure to modern, well-run building a 500-cow dairy from the ground up, those are two very different things.” If the right donors with a feasible plan dairy facilities, and, in doing so, better enable but it became apparent very early on in the our students and contribute in a positive way process that we could not build a 500-cow appear, Cassady said, the university would be to workforce needs in the dairy industry in university dairy with everything that entails open to reconsidering. “At no point have I ever rejected the for $15 million.” South Dakota,” he said. After signicantly reducing the scope of idea that somebody will come forward with The decision to close the dairy production facility was made after it became the project, they could not make any viable a functional plan and the funding to support a new dairy,” Cassady said. “If someone does clear to stakeholders that the current facility plan work for $15 million. “As a point of reference, it’s my under- that, I will be delighted to talk with them.” could no longer viably be used. At the same Plans for what to do with the dairy protime, funds could not be raised in sufcient standing that Michigan State University is amounts to build a facility to meet current replacing their dairy that was also built in the duction facility once it is closed are being 1960s and building a 680-cow dairy, and they decided and will take time. Because the faand future needs. The dairy houses approximately 135 lac- are going to spend $75 million,” Cassady cility is a public site, Cassady said, costs for tating cows. Cassady said about two-thirds said. “I don’t know what kind of bells and tearing it down would need to be determined of the facility’s footprint — all of the heifer whistles are in that dairy — and we do not and funds identied for a teardown before the development space, dry cow space, ofces, need 680 cows, and we do not need $75 mil- legislature would approve such a plan. Also, locker rooms, classrooms, shop, feeding sup- lion — but it’s a long way from $15 million it has not yet been ascertained by the university whether the facility or parts of it could be port facilities — was built in the early 1960s. to $75 million.” At the same time, SDSU was nding it useful in some other way. The double-8 parallel parlor and freestall challenging to raise the $7.5 million needed In the meantime, SDSU is working to barn opened new in 1994. create approaches to ensure its dairy produc“Obviously, the 60-year-old facilities are to match the state. Donors did contribute. For instance, tion students’ needs are met and that the unifar beyond their intended life for use, and the 30-year-old facilities are certainly in need of South Dakota Dairy Producers committed versity remains a hub for dairy education. $500,000, and others committed large dol“The dairy industry is very important to some signicant renovation,” Cassady said. In 2019, the university applied for avail- lar amounts as well. However, enough big- South Dakota — the I-29 corridor has perdonor support could not be located. Without centage-wise been the fastest growing dairy able funds to build a facility. “An effort was put together to build a cornerstone donor or donors, Cassady said, area in the U.S.,” Cassady said. “We’re aware a new dairy,” Cassady said. “Some of our the university could not raise the full amount of that and very proud of that, and we intend to continue to support the dairy industry here stakeholders, with the best of intentions, needed. “We believed it was no longer respon- in South Dakota. We’re condent we can do went to the legislature and were able to get an appropriation for $7.5 million out of CO- sible to continue the current dairy in its pres- that with or without an operating dairy farm.” VID funds. That appropriation was approved ent state, so the decision was made that we
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 3
Brookings, SD
SDSU to close dairy production facility, disperse herd First Section: Pages 1 - 2
Winona, MN
A job well done: SCC leaders First Section: Pages 7 - 8
Sioux Center, IA
Dairy Days educates producers across Iowa First Section: Pages 11 - 12
Farley, IA
Kasson, MN
Little Falls, MN
O’Brien credits family for his longevity First Section: Page 32
Midwest Dairy CEO announces retirement First Section: Page 26
Dornbusch, Beaver document farm life First Section: Pages 9, 13
Hawley, MN
Top Performers: Blumenfeld Holsteins First Section: Pages 20, 23
St. Paul, MN
Perham, MN
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
How long have you been dairy farming, and why is it the career for you? First Section: Pages 15 -16, 18
Beringers continue traditions of family farm First Section: Pages 25, 27
Kids Corner: The Leys Third Section: Pages 8 - 9
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Zone 1
Zone 2
Columnists Ag Insider Page 10 First F Section
Dea County Dear Agent Guy Ag P Page 36 First Firs Section
Vet Veterinary V W Wisdom P Pa Page 37 F Fir irss Section n First
From the F Zwe Zweber Farm P Page 38 Firs Section First
The NexGen Page 39 First Section
The “Mielke” Market Weekly Pages 5 - 6 Second Section
Country C C Cooking Page 18 P Second Section
Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 5
ConƟnued from PIPELINE | Page 1 sources, the Minnesota Ofce of Pipeline Safety Construction and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, among others. The four Riverview sites for the digesters are Meadow Star Dairy near Pennock in Kandiyohi County, East Dublin Dairy near Murdock in Swift County, Swenoda Dairy near Montevideo in Swift County and Louriston Dairy near Murdock in Chippewa County. Dooley Natural Gas stated in its application that the project will reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the four Riverview sites by 907,064 tons per year. The company is aiming to have the pipeline in service by August. A series of public information sessions about the project have been offered in Swift, Chippewa and Kandiyohi counties. The Swift County Board of Commissioners and the Minnesota PUC hosted a joint meeting at McKinney’s on Southside bar and restaurant Jan. 30 in Benson. About 40 citizens gathered to hear from the staff of the Minnesota PUC and representatives from Dooley’s Natural Gas. Randy Dooley was one of four representatives of Dooley’s Natural Gas who spoke at the meeting. “We’ve been working on this project for the better part of three or four years now, and it’s nally getting some traction,” Dooley said. “We’re hoping to get (construction) up and running by the spring of this year.” Dooley’s Natural Gas owns and operates over 300 miles of natural gas pipeline, Dooley said. Two of their pipeline systems in west central Minnesota — one commissioned in 2012 and the other in 2014 — cover ve counties, nine communities and over 2,000 customers. At the Jan. 30 meeting, Nathan Runke spoke on behalf of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49, which is a construction union of workers who take part in energy infrastructure projects in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. “After our conversations with Dooley representatives about their contracting and workforce plans, we are very condent that their plan will ensure the project is well-built by workers from our area who will be paid family-sustaining wages and benets,” Runke said. Local resident Elaine Mitteness asked about the existing and potential odors from the Riverview sites where the digesters are being located. “Is this going to improve the stench that we get on these dairies or is it going to make it worse?” she said. Dooley said that the manure biodigesters at the farm sites would be handled by Amp Americas and Riverview. Amp Americas is a customer of Dooley’s Natural Gas. Marcus Raines, a member of the audience, identied himself as a millwright who has constructed digesters for Excel, wastewater treatment facilities and other sites. He responded to the question about odor. “The smell is going to get a lot better because the methane will be captured in the
digester,” Raines said. “I’m not speaking on behalf of Amp Americas. I’m just speaking as a millwright who has constructed these facilities before.” Swift County Commissioner Larry Mahoney asked for conrmation that transporting the gas produced will not involve trucking at any point in the plan. Dooley said that no trucks will be involved and that all gas produced will be transported by the pipeline. Area resident Brent Jaenisch asked about property values. “Since there will be a pipeline going essentially through my front yard, what is that going to do to the value of my property?” he said. Dooley said he believed the project would not hurt property values and could possibly increase them. “I would look at (the project) as a positive because there is a possibility of (properties) hooking up to natural gas,” Dooley said. “It’s all about how close you are to the current system because you can’t justify running 2 or 3 miles of pipe for a small user or a limited amount of throughput, so if there is any impact to your property, it would be positive.” However, Dooley and others on the panel said that gas hookups to homes would have to come later because the gas running through the proposed system would not be rened enough for home use. Gas that runs through the pipeline, like that running through the Alliance Transmission Pipeline, will be rated as hot gas and will need more rening before it can be used in homes. It can be used for agricultural purposes such as in grain dryers, however. Gas in the Alliance Transmission Pipeline passes through three plants where it is used in the production of ethanol. “We remain hopeful that someday we can (rene it for home use),” Dooley said. According to an article by KMRS/KKOK Radio in Morris from May 7, 2021, Amp Americas has digesters at three Riverview sites in Stevens County. The digesters capture around 700,000 gallons of manure each day for converting into renewable methane which is puried into renewable natural gas. The proposal by Dooley’s Natural Gas has some groups in opposition, namely Clean Up the River Environment of Montevideo and Land Stewardship Project, both of which asked for public information meetings to be offered. However, no identied members of these groups asked questions or spoke during the Jan. 30 session. Public comments on the proposed project will be accepted through Feb. 16 and can be made at mn.gov/puc by selecting “Get Involved.” All parts of the PUC application by Dooley’s Natural Gas can be viewed at mn.gov/puc/ edockets/. Cesar Panait, of the Minnesota PUC, who is the lead for the application’s process, said a nal decision about the permit is planned in April.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 7
A job well done with somatic cell count
Roger Aldinger Winona, Minnesota Winona County | 110 cows
Richard and Kirsten Huth Gehl Acres Farm Cameron, Wisconsin Barron County | 140 cows
Barb and Brian Kimm Pelican Rapids, Minnesota Otter Tail County | 85 cows
Ryan Knisley Eden Valley, Minnesota Stearns County | 59 cows
What is your somatic cell count? Aldinger: Our cell count averaged 82,000 for 2O23. Huth: Our last seven-day average was 52,000. Kimm: Our December 2023 bulk tank average was 40,000. Knisley: My somatic cell is running around 60,000.
teat is sprayed with a 1% iodine dip. The next two cows are prepped in this same manner. Then, the rst cow is wiped clean and dry with an individual paper towel followed by the next two cows. Milking units are attached to the cows in the same order. They are post dipped with the same dip when milking is completed. Huth: We start with removing debris from the udder with a gloved hand. Next, we predip with a hydrogen peroxide dip. After one minute, we wipe with paper towel until teats are clean. Milkers are attached 60-90 seconds after wiping. After units come off with automatic takeoffs, teats are dipped with an iodine-based postdip. Kimm: We rst forestrip, then we predip with a hydrogen peroxide/lac-
tic acid based dip. Then we wipe with a paper towel prior to attachment. We have DeLaval automatic takeoffs on a rail system. We postdip with an iodine/chlorohexidine post dip. Knisley: I strip my cows out, about three squirts per teat, and wipe them with a dry paper towel. Then, about a minute or two later, I put the milking unit on.
toring of the bulk tank SCC from our creamery to see changes. If we notice an increase of more than 20,000, we start checking sub-groups of cows with a California mastitis test. This is used until the monthly Dairy Herd Improvement Association individual SCC testing can be done. Our goal is to have 50,000 or less for herd SCC. Kimm: We get bulk tank reports via text. We receive monthly Dairy Herd Improvement Association tests. We also use a California mastitis test on any cows showing any abnormal milk, swollen quarters or those that are off feed.
What does your milking procedure consist of? Aldinger: Milking gloves are worn by those who milk. Sand is brushed off the teats. If a cow is dirtier than normal, teats are sprayed with dip and cleaned with paper towels before anything else is done. Milk is then stripped from each teat to check for mastitis or any abnormal milk. Each
Stand out from the herd.
How often do you check your SCC, and what ways do you monitor it? Aldinger: The bulk tank somatic cell tests are texted to my phone after each pickup has been sampled. We use monthly Dairy Herd Improvement Association testing to monitor individual cows. Huth: We use every other day moni-
Turn to SCC | Page 8
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
ConƟnued from SCC | Page 7
Knisley: I look at my Dairy Herd Improvement Association sheets and check the list of cows that were high on the last test. Sometimes I use a California mastitis test on the cows that tested high on the last test to see if they’re the problem. If one of your cows comes down with a high SCC, what is your protocol? Aldinger: lf we see a few akes of mastitis, we usually use the quarter milker to keep that milk out of the tank. lf she doesn’t improve in a few days or a cow has a more severe case, we normally treat with either Spectramast or Amoxi-Mast. Any cow that has consistently high cell counts are culled from the herd. Huth: Grade 1 mastitis cows are monitored but not treated. We use a quarter milker to isolate the infected quarter. Once Grade 2 cows are identied, we work with our veterinarian on culturing and treatment decisions. We do herd health checks twice a month, so it is good to have input from our veterinarian on Grade 2 treatment decisions. We send in DNA polymerase chain reaction samples when needed to identify pathogens. Grade 2 cows are identied with pink marking paint and a sign on the pipeline. Grade 2 mastitis cows in our herd have responded to Spectramast treatment (two doses for three days). We only use on-label treatment with the guidance of our vet, and milk is withheld for at least 72 hours. The cow must also test negative for antibiotics. When Grade 2 cows do not respond to one round of treatment, a decision is made whether we need to cull. If it is a chronically infected cow, she is culled. If a cow responds, we monitor her milk quality with DHIA test. Treatments are recorded in the Farmers Assuring Responsible Managment treatment record by Richard Huth. It is also communicated verbally to all employees who milk. Grade 3 cows are most urgent for treatment. We check for high temperature. We will use a CMT, but usually, we nd watery, abnormal milk. Critical care is oral uid drenching by Richard. Our vet prescribes Polyex on-label treatment. Treatment is recorded by Richard in the record book. When antibiotics are cleared from meat and milk, we often
end up culling these cows. If we have more than one of these cases a year, we revisit our mastitis vaccination protocol with our vet. Kimm: A cow with a high SCC on test day will be closely watched for abnormal milk or other symptoms of mastitis. Our treatment will depend on severity. Usually, the affected quarter will be treated with ToDAY or Spectramast. LA-200 is sometimes used for a cow with a high fever. Knisley: I sometimes just let it go and it clears up on its own. If that doesn’t work, I’ll use Spectramast to clear it up. If it’s really bad and doesn’t clear up, the cow is culled.
cows clean and comfortable. Good nutrition is also important to maintain a strong immune system. Kimm: Attention to details. You don’t have to do anything perfect to maintain a low SCC, but you have to do everything good enough. If there is one weak link in the chain, whatever else you do well will not compensate for that one weak link. Knisley: I use hydrated lime and sawdust for bedding to keep the cows dry, and I do all the milking. I like clean cows; that’s what helps with low somatic cell. I take good care of my cows. I have good oneon-one time with my herd, and I learn a lot about each animal.
Why is having a low SCC important to you? Aldinger: Getting a higher premium for our milk is a big benet for a low cell count. lt also means treating less cows and throwing away less milk. As dairy farmers, we should want healthy cows as one of our goals. Keeping the SCC low is a good start for having a healthy herd. Huth: It is important because we strive for healthy cows. When they are healthy, they have high-quality milk. We are proud of the milk we are providing to the consumer. Kimm: It is one of the best indicators we have of product quality and cow health. The quality bonus for milk with a low SCC is a signicant part of the prot margin of producing milk. Not getting all of the potential quality premiums leaves money on the table. Knisley: Low somatic cell keeps cows healthier. Not having cows get mastitis makes my job easier. It’s good bragging rights with my buddies.
Tell us about your farm. Aldinger: My wife, Teresa, and I have a 150-acre farm that has been in my family for over 100 years. We raise corn and alfalfa. Milking is done in a double-6 herringbone parlor. Our milk is sold to Plainview Milk Products Cooperative and is shipped 30 miles to the Kwik Trip plant in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Adam Stoehr and Sam Koeller provide part-time milking help. Our daughter and son-inlaw, Adriana and Josh Herricks, and their son, Lincoln, live on the farm and lend a hand when needed. We also have a daughter, Hannah, who lives in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Huth: We are a fth-generation family dairy farm (started in 1876) in Cameron, Wisconsin. Our milking herd consists of 140 registered Holstein cows. We raise our replacement heifers. Our crop acres consist of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and grass hay. We enjoy teaching youth about the dairy industry with farm visits and tours. Kimm: We have 575 acres of rolling hills. The herd is mostly registered Brown Swiss. Our cows are housed in a tiestall barn with rubber mats, and we use sunower hulls for bedding. Brian and Barb farm with our youngest son, Daniel. Another son, Benjamin, will be joining the operation this summer. Daniel and Benjamin are the fourth generation on this farm. Knisley: I rent a 53-cow tiestall barn and milk 59 cows. I raise my heifer calves and replacement heifers and sell my bull calves. I buy all my feed.
What do you credit your low SCC to? Aldinger: Sand bedding certainly plays a big role. Keeping cows clean, dry and comfortable is important for low cell counts and overall good health. Culling chronic mastitis cows also helps keep the SCC low. Huth: We credit our milk quality to being consistent, with good milking and hygiene practices on a daily basis. Cow health is important, and healthy teat ends are part of that. We try our best to keep
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 9
Preserving agriculture Dornbusch, Beaver document farm life By Emily Breth
emily.b@star-pub.com
PERHAM, Minn. — A camera and a farm is all Wendy Dornbusch and her daughter, Annalee Beaver, need to share the lifestyle of farming. Dornbusch and her husband, Randy, live on a farm that has been in his family for more than 100 years. Randy, a third-generation farmer, milks around 50 cows in a parlor and farms 260 acres of corn, alfalfa and soybeans near Perham. “Randy and I got married when I had two teenagers, Nathaniel and Annalee,” Wendy Dornbusch said. “He was pretty brave to do that, but I was, too, to marry a bachelor farmer.” Moving to the farm was an adjustment for the whole family. “I was excited, and I wanted to t in with the farming community,” Beaver said. “I helped milk in the stanchion barn and did a lot of the cleaning. I also helped feed calves. It’s surprising how strong they are when they are that little.” Dornbusch was a videographer but dropped the career when she married Randy and began helping with the farm. Her passion for the work returned when the school their daughter, Carolyn, attended contacted Dornbusch to do a project for career day. “I wanted to get back into video, and with farming, you have neither time nor money,” Dornbusch said. “Annalee
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNALEE GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY
Wendy Dornbusch (from leŌ), Annalee Beaver and Carolyn Dornbusch stand Jan. 1 at the Dornbusch farm near Perham, Minnesota. Carolyn helps with the markeƟng and graphic design when she has Ɵme between schooling. suggested we apply for a grant. When we applied, we had to identify places to display our work. So, we had a show booked in Fergus Falls. We didn’t get the grant, but we did the display.” To get the display ready, the whole family pitched in. While at the show, Dornbusch and Beaver were able to see the impact of their work on the community. They are looking for more venues to present farm stories to widen their outreach. “There was this group of homeschooled kids and parents that came through, and the children had so many questions,” Dornbusch said. “Later,
there was a grandpa with his grandchildren. After seeing the pictures, he was telling stories the kids never heard before, but those videos and images of the farm brought that alive for him.” Beaver agreed. “It really does help draw connections,” Beaver said. “It could help with the disconnection while growing connections within the farming community, communities as a whole, within families and generations, in a way that is meaningful, positive and strong.” Thus far, the Dornbusch family’s farm is the only farm they have documented, but even that held meaning.
“To capture my family in a way that was meaningful and authentic and is a valuable memory they have for the rest of their lives and can pass down, and feel connected through the image is amazing,” Beaver said. “The barn is good for that.” The two are hoping to document other farms. “The next step is to have farmers that would like a videographer and a photographer to document their farm, because each farm is so unique, and to celebrate the daily life, tasks, skills, knowledge and the experience farmers have,” Dornbusch said. “You get to see the real liveness of it. We want to tell their story and validate that it matters what they dedicated their life to.” The goal of documenting farms is to preserve the history of them. As more family farms disappear so do the stories of the family. Through photos and videos of the farm and the people there, Dornbusch and Beaver want to show the dedication of farmers, through good and bad, and have it in a form that families can keep. “So much can go wrong (in a day) and farmers can be picking that up for a long time,” Beaver said. “Part of the project is to show that in a good light and not in the way of, we need to change because this is too hard. It’s OK to work hard, to live this lifestyle. Not only is it OK, but it’s good for the health of the animals and land.” Coming from a farming background, the pair know the ins and outs of how a farm is constantly changing.
Turn to DORNBUSCH | Page 13
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More steps remain in federal order process After ve months and 12,000 pages of testimony, with South Dakota State University where students the National Federal Milk Marketing Order Pricing can begin their collegiate education before coming to Formula Hearing has ended. Forty proveterinary school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Ag Insider posals were submitted. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will now review the Podesta replaces Kerry transcripts, and there will be another opSenior White House advisor John portunity for amendments and closing Podesta will replace John Kerry as the statements from industry stakeholders. Biden administration’s climate diplomat. After the USDA issues a nal rule, dairy Podesta has been in his current role since farmers will vote in a referendum about late 2022. Previously, Podesta served as the federal orders. chief of staff for President Clinton and counselor to President Obama. NMPF defends its FMMO proposal The National Milk Producers FedA snirt-lled winter eration is touting its federal order reform Warm temperatures and limited snow plan as “the most comprehensive, cohercover are a big change from what was By Don Wick ent and compelling framework for modseen in the last two winters. University Columnist ernizing a system that’s badly in need of of Minnesota Extension state soil health improvement,” said Gregg Doud, presispecialist Anna Cates said this can imdent/CEO. The NMPF proposal seeks a return to the pact the amount of wind erosion seen. “If we can hold higher-of Class I mover, discontinuation of the use of soil in the eld, we hold nutrients,” Cates said. “But, barrel cheese in the protein component price formula the less snow cover might mean an earlier, warmer and updating component factors for protein, other spring which might be a great thing for farmers.” Soil solids and nonfat solids in the Class III and Class IV erosion research can be tricky. “One thing about wind skim milk price formulas. It also updates dairy prod- erosion is that soil can move a long way,” she said. uct manufacturing allowances. “Once it lifts off, it can move hundreds of miles.” Having residue in the eld in the form of wheat stubThere is no united voice ble, corn stalks or a living cover crop can help prevent With the FMMO hearings complete, Dairy Busi- wind erosion. ness Association/Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative CEO Tim Trotter said one thing is obvious. “There’s AGCO FarmerCore model requires a change in not a united voice, there’s not a consensus as we mindset thought there might be, but, again, it’s a very diverse AGCO Corporation has launched a new distriindustry,” Trotter said. bution model that it describes as “transformative.” FarmerCore will use tools that puts dealers in closer AFBF seeks emergency decision proximity to farmers, both on-site and online. The The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging one-size-ts-all outlet approach will be de-emphaU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to issue a sized and moves to a hub-and-spoke model. The nal decision on an emergency basis to speed up im- FarmerCore program includes mobile service eets; plementation of the higher-of Class I mover formula alternative formats, like a parts-only store; and new to lessen the impact of further losses. “Dairy farmers digital tools. This effort is beginning in select locaremain stuck with current pricing regulations until the tions and will expand throughout this year. USDA publishes a nal rule,” said Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy, AFBF. “The current Class New automation for hay production Case IH is bringing light detection and ranging I mover was a well-intentioned policy misstep that has reduced dairy farmers’ checks with little relief in technology to hay producers with a rst-of-its-kind in large square hay baler automation. With the automatic sight.” adjustments and hands-free baling, farmers can put Plainview Milk Products Cooperative ned for less experienced operators in the cab or spend their time in the cab focusing on other farm business. wastewater violations Plainview Milk Products Cooperative must pay a $20,000 civil penalty after allowing nearly 7,000 gal- AgriGrowth executive director announces retirelons of cream drain through its wastewater and sewer ment plans Minnesota AgriGrowth Council Executive Direcsystem. The incident happened in April 2022 when the product spilled within the plant and drained into tor Tamara Nelsen has announced her plans to retire the city storm sewer system and into a ditch south- this year. “On behalf of the AgriGrowth board, I want east of Plainview, Minnesota. According to the Min- to thank Tamara for her leadership and advocacy on nesota Pollution Control Agency, the company failed behalf of our members,” said Sheryl Meshke, chair. to report and immediately investigate these releases. “She helped strengthen the foundation of our trusted Plainview Milk Products Cooperative must also take organization.” Nelsen has been in this role for the past ve years and will continue to serve as the Agricorrective action to prevent future incidents. Growth board of directors seeks her replacement. Dairy beef providing a positive eating experience Tesch to chair MN FFA Foundation Board of for consumers With the popularity of the dairy-beef cross, Min- Trustees nesota Beef Council CEO Kelly Schmidt said beef Julie Tesch is the new chair of the Minnesota FFA checkoff research is looking at muscle cuts and con- Foundation Board of Trustees. Tesch is the president/ sistency. “We’ve seen the number of cattle that are CEO of the Center for Rural Policy and Development. dairy and beef cross increasing every year so with Tesch’s experience includes time as the executive dithat, we’re learning more about where they t in the rector of the National FFA Alumni Association and market,” Schmidt said. “Every year, we’re seeing executive director of the Minnesota Agricultural Edumore consistency and getting that good quality prod- cation Leadership Council. uct we’re striving for.” Trivia challenge DiGiorno is the best-selling frozen pizza brand in Veterinarian shortage continues to climb The demand for veterinary services within ag- the United States. That answers our last trivia quesriculture has long outpaced the supply. “It makes it tion. For this week’s trivia, what is the term for the harder for people to hire veterinarians, and it makes main bone in a cow’s hoof? We’ll have the answer in it harder for practice owners in certain areas to re- our next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River tire or sell their practices,” said Dr. Laura Molgaard, dean, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Farm Network of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick Medicine. Molgaard is working hard to increase the has been recognized as the National Farm Broadnumber of veterinarians within the state. “We start caster of the Year and served as president of the Nawith recruitment; we reach out to young people and tional Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and try to get them excited about veterinary medicine,” his wife, Kolleen, have two sons, Tony and Sam, and she said. “We have to be pretty selective because there ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora are so many applicants; this year we have over 1,500 and Sterling. candidates for 125 seats.” UMN has a partnership
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 11
Zoning in on heifer management
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Dr. Phillip Jardon and Dr. Jennifer Bentley demonstrate a device that checks for the presence of biolms on calf feeding equipment Jan. 30 during a Dairy Days workshop in Sioux Center, Iowa. They stressed that cleanliness should be the priority when it comes to storing and feeding colostrum.
Dairy Days educates producers across Iowa By Jerry Nelson
jerry.n@dairystar.com
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team held a series of workshops that focused on raising dairy heifer calves. Dairy Days were held Jan. 16 in Elma, Jan. 18 in Elkader, Jan. 23 in Kalona, Jan. 25 in New Vienna and Jan. 30 in Sioux Center. “The ‘dairy best heifers’ project is a new program funded by ISU Extension,”
said Dr. Gail Carpenter. “The point of the project is that raising heifers is very expensive. Dairy operators need to collect data at different points in an animal’s life to help track growth and get a handle on expenses.” Heifers are often out of sight and out of mind on a dairy farm. “Heifers can be a black box,” Carpenter said. “You put them where you can t them. Dairy farmers’ focus is on their lactating cows, which have at least two touch points every day. Raising heifers as an afterthought is not a good way to set up those animals for success. If a heifer starts out behind, it’s impossible for her to catch up.”
Turn to DAIRY DAYS | Page 12
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
ConƟnued from DAIRY DAYS | Page 11 Greg Palas, manager of Dairy “Total costs for raising Records Management Systems heifers can range from $2,651 support services at ISU, gave a per head in a herd with a presentation about new manage- 26,000-pound average down to ment software called Heifer Hub. $2,000 for a grass-fed dairy herd “Heifer Hub is a web-based that has a 9,000-pound average,” program that is currently being Bentley said. beta tested,” Palas said. “It will Grazing growing heifers can integrate seamlessly with Dart help reduce costs. and can help dairy operators “You can cut costs by 12%project future heifer needs and 20% by using a grazing system make breeding decisions. You for your heifers,” Bentley said. may have to change your breed- “Grazing also results in healthier ing philosophy if it appears that animals and saves on labor. Heifyou will fall short on heifers. This ers that are raised on pasture procould include changing the num- duce more milk during their rst ber of breedings that are done lactation than animals raised in a with sexed semen or with beef feedlot. What’s not to like?” sires.” Fred Hall, ISU dairy specialPalas also spoke about the ist, echoed Bentley’s remarks. KeepOrBeef decision aid. “Pasturing heifers is a con“KeepOrBeef is a prediction cept that we aren’t using very model that calculates the eco- much here in northwest Iowa,” nomic value of each cow in the Hall said. “Grazing heifers isn’t herd,” Palas said. “It shows the for everyone, but we could be usrelative herd ranking of every ing it more. Labor costs are a big cow. It helps answer the question issue on many dairy farms, and of whether you should sell an there’s a lot of competition for laanimal, breed her to sexed semen bor in this part of the state. One of or breed her to a beef bull. One our wage competitors, a packing goal might be to maximize in- plant in Sioux City, is offering a come from dairy-beef crossbreds. starting salary of $22.75 per hour A highly productive herd might with a $4,000 signing bonus.” choose to use all sexed semen and Hall stressed the importance produce replacement animals that of tracking heifers’ growth in evcan be sold to other dairies.” ery stage of their lives. Dr. Jennifer Bentley gave a “I can’t think of a betpresentation regarding the costs ter investment than a livestock of raising dairy heifers. scale for farms that are grow“It costs more to raise heif- ing replacement heifers,” Hall ers now than it did 20 years ago,” said. “When a heifer calves, she Bentley said. “But, we are also should weigh 85% of your herd’s feeding our heifers better. Heifers average mature body weight. It’s need to meet certain goals such difcult to track those numbers as doubling their birth weight without a scale.” by weaning and calving at 22-23 Bentley and Dr. Phillip Jarmonths of age with an average don gave a joint talk about the daily gain of 1.8 pounds.” importance of colostrum manThe cost for raising a dairy agement. heifer can vary greatly. “There are ve Qs that are
JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Dr. Phillip Jardon holds a cow measuring tape while Dr. Gail Carpenter demonstrates how to safely grab it Jan. 30 during a Dairy Days workshop in Sioux Center, Iowa. Carpenter said it is essenƟal to monitor the weight of replacement animals throughout all stages of their lives. crucial to colostrum management,” Jardon said. “They include quality, quantity, quickness, squeaky clean and quantifying. A newborn calf needs to get 10% of her body weight in colostrum within the rst two hours of life. For a Holstein calf, that amounts to 3-4 liters. We have found no difference in the performance of calves that were fed colostrum with a bottle versus a stomach tube.” Bentley said colostrum quality can be affected by many things, including heat stress and the number of days in milk.
“This is why it’s important to measure colostrum quality with a brix meter or some other tool,” Bentley said. “Even though the calf can no longer absorb antibodies after its rst 24 hours, it has been shown that there is some benet to feeding colostrum for up to three days postpartum.” Every dairy farmer knows about the importance of cleanliness in milk production. The same is true for collecting and storing colostrum. “The presence of bacteria in colostrum can keep antibodies from being absorbed,” Jar-
don said. “Bacteria can also cause long-term diseases such as Johne’s and BLV (bovine leukosis virus). Don’t let bacteria sneak into colostrum. Harvest it as cleanly as possible and cool it quickly. Treat colostrum the same as you would milk for human consumption.” Bentley said all sources of potential bacterial contamination should be located. “How many surfaces does the colostrum touch on its way to the calf?” Bentley said. “How clean are they? You need to look at gaskets and cleaning brushes along with the usual suspects such as bottles and buckets.” One weapon in the war against bacterial contamination is an adenosine triphosphate meter, a device that uses light to check for the presence of bacteria on surfaces. Bentley and Jardon gave a demonstration regarding the proper use of an ATP meter. “We monitored how fast bottles of colostrum cooled in a typical dairy farm’s refrigerator and found that it took well over four hours to get the colostrum down to 40 degrees,” Jardon said. “That’s much too long. It gives bacteria too much of a window. One solution would be to use a dedicated freezer to chill colostrum as quickly as possible.” Even the highest quality colostrum needs to be warmed to the body temperature of a cow before it is fed to a newborn calf. “It’s important to warm the colostrum to the proper temperature at feeding,” Jardon said. “Colostrum should be warmed to close to 101 degrees before it’s offered to the calf.”
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ConƟnued from DORNBUSCH | Page 9
Keeping Families on the Farm™
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF YOUR FARM LOOK LIKE? PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNALEE GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY
Randy Dornbusch drives a tractor to feed the heifers Feb. 27, 2022, at the farm near Perham, Minnesota. Dornbusch runs the farm with the help of his wife, Wendy, and daughter, Carolyn. Wendy’s children, Annalee and Nathaniel, helped when they lived at the farm. “We have that connection,” Dornbusch said. “I’m not just walking in to document something I know nothing about. I have experience so I can document what is meaningful. Every farm has changed how they operate over the years, and the story of that and family life is what we are capturing.” Beaver agreed. “Some people say they do it every day, like brushing your teeth, but it’s
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 15
from our side OF THE FENCE How long have you been dairy farming, and why is it the career for you?
Ron and Ann Borash Bowlus, Minnesota Morrison county 50 cows
Dean Binder Gibbon, Minnesota Nicolet County 65 cows
Cindy and Les Bly Waubun, Minnesota Mahnomen County 240 cows
How long have you been dairy farming? We have been farming together for 40 years and both grew up farming.
How long have you been dairy farm? I have been farming for 42 years.
How long have you been dairy farming? This will be our 50th crop year. I farm with my wife, Cindy.
Tell us about your family and farm. Our century farm was established in 1889. We milk 50 Holsteins, have a small beef herd, sheep, horses and a variety of poultry. We own 300 acres and rent another 150. We have eight kids and 18 grandchildren all living within a reasonably close area. What do you love about dairy farming? Every day is different. That’s what makes farming unique. A variety of chores, working outside in all kinds of weather but mostly the sense of accomplishment. Tell us a fond memory of your career. Sharing the farm life by hosting our son’s wedding reception with guests who had never been on a dairy farm before. We’ve had many trail rides, barn dances, graduation parties and benets hosted on the farm. What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? One of the most difcult winters was when our dairy herd got sick for no apparent reason. We lost several cows and had to dry off a bunch before we got the problem gured out. We worked with our vet and nutritionist to get ahead of what was causing the problem. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? The best decision we made was to add on to the barn and herd the rst year after we got married. We’ve been able to add a heifer barn and machine shed. Who has been an inspiration to you? Ron: My dad and two neighboring farmers who were willing to share their advice and knowledge have been my inspiration throughout the years. Ann: My grandmother has been a role model for me for many years. She was a country school teacher before she married a farmer and raised a large family. She was a very strong, intelligent woman. What three characteristics do you have that help you excel at being a dairy farmer? Ron: Being a patient, optimistic and even-tempered person probably help make me a better farmer. Ann: My independent nature, think-outside-the-box attitude and leadership abilities are good qualities for farming. Why is dairy farming the career for you? Dairy farming allows us to make our own decisions and work together at home. Watching the kids grow and take an interest in agriculture has been so rewarding. Listening to them tell stories to their kids of adventures they have had on the farm makes us excited to see how the next generation will continue the dairy farm tradition.
Tell us about your family and farm. I’m a single guy, and both of my parents have passed away. I have two brothers who help once in a while. I milk 65 cows in a double-6 herringbone parlor. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1982 with a degree in animal science and came straight home to farm and have been here ever since. In 1985, we put in the parlor that I still use today. I farm 260 acres of owned and rented land, grow corn, alfalfa and sometimes some soybeans. I ship my milk to Bongards. What do you love about dairy farming? I like cattle, and I don’t want to work for someone else. I can set my own schedule. Tell us a fond memory of your career. Having triplets and having them all survive. What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? The help situation is an obstacle. Being on my own, I need to have people to help me, but it is getting so hard to nd someone to work on a regular basis. I can nd people to drive a tractor or skid loader, but nobody wants to milk cows. It would be nice to have someone to work on a regular basis, but since my last hired man quit, it has been difcult to nd hired help. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? To build our parlor and freestall barn. The old barn was built in 1919 and had little to no upgrades done to it when I came home. Having the parlor has allowed me to milk cows, and I don’t have any back, knee or hip pain. Physically, I am in excellent shape. I can walk around like I am still in my 20s. Who has been an inspiration to you? It would have to be my parents. They taught me hard work. They passed this tradition of dairy farming onto me, and I want to make it work as long as I can. What three characteristics do you have that help you excel at being a dairy farmer? I am driven, probably more than most. I am willing to put in the long hours needed to dairy farm. It is not an easy job, time or labor wise. Lastly, I would say that I like to keep busy. Why is dairy farming the career for you? I am a cow guy. Even when I was in high school, I would look at sire books and dream about the cows we could have. It’s a challenging yet rewarding career. It’s magical to see a calf being born and watch her grow to be a good producing cow.
Tell us about your family and farm. We have four children. Erin is a registered nurse. Travis and his son, Will, farm with us and manage the herd. Galen works in management in food processing. Matt lives near the farm and independently works in building construction. We grow corn and hay for forage on 450 acres. We raise our heifers and sell our bull calves. What do you love about dairy farming? All of it: Calves, cows, kittens, crops, the smell of hay and soil, the challenge of trying something new and the independence, and much more. Tell us a fond memory of your career. When the kids and grandkids were young and all little things that took place around the farm. What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? Getting started from nothing. We were short on experience, capital and resources. The 18% interest rate in the 1980s and drought scared me. We just stuck to it and became very conservative nancially for a long while. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Going from a 50-cow tiestall barn to a parlor and freestall barn. Who has been an inspiration to you? My dad and father-in-law knew a lot and were helpful. A dairyman who I worked for in high school once told me, “When everyone else is going west, go east.” In other words, think outside the conventional thinking. Ron Monson, a dairy consultant who is now deceased, taught us to be protable by “low buck” dairying. What three characteristics do you have that help you excel at being a dairy farmer? Being persistent, analytical and willing to try different things. As an example, we were one of the rst in our area to put calves in hutches. It was thought it was too cold this far north. Why is dairy farming the career for you? It was just what I always wanted to do, and I married a farm girl who was willing. We made a good team. We’ve been married 52 years, and we’re still involved in the farm. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Larry Kruse Dyersville, Iowa Delaware County 40 cows
to the price we get for milk. We are lucky that the cows produce more than they did years ago. We are also lucky to get paid for components too. The colored breeds have higher components, and that’s how we’ve been able to compete. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Stay small and improve in quality versus getting bigger. Making a living at it and being able to compete in the world where it’s all bigger, bigger, bigger. We were able to make it with a small herd. We’ve only ever had 40 cows.
How long have you been dairy farming? I’m 80 years old, and I’ve been farming all my life. I started milking by hand when I was 7 years old, and now, I help my son. Tell us about your family and farm. I’m proud of the fact that we made a living on an 80-acre farm. We raised seven kids. It was a family farm and still is today. We had registered Brown Swiss all of our lives. My son runs the farm now, and I am here almost every day helping him. I’ve had a good life in the dairy business. I really enjoy doing chores. What do you love about dairy farming? The biggest part is the fact that you can work with your family. We’re very family-oriented. We always enjoyed our fellow farmers in the dairy business and still do. Tell us a fond memory of your career. The fondest memory of my career was showing cattle through the years and judging overseas. I was always able to take my wife along when I judged in foreign countries and got to make friends all over. We still get calls from people in other countries and states. What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? Trying to make a decent living at it. All our expenses have gone up many folds. The farm, equipment and supplies have all gone up compared Dave Scheevel Preston, Minnesota Fillmore County 140 cows How long have you been dairy farming? I have been farming for 42 years. Tell us about your family and farm. My wife, Kathy, and I have two children and four grandchildren. Emily and her family live in Chateld, Minnesota. Andrew and his family live in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kathy and I farm in the hills of southeast Minnesota with 250 acres of owned land and a leased freestall and parlor facility. We have one full-time employee and two part-time employees. Kathy also works at a bank in Rochester. I started farming in 1982, after graduating from college. I worked for my dad and uncle’s farm for four years then became part owner in 1986. In 1993, my uncle, brother and I dissolved our partnership. My uncle is an earth moving contractor, and my brother works in the engineering department of our county highway department. What do you love about dairy farming? I love springtime and the birth of a newborn calf. To me, they both represent renewal and the miracle of something starting small and bare that has the potential to grow into what we all need to sustain our lives. The chance to work with nature suits me. Tell us a fond memory of your career. My fondest memories are of having my kids with me while they were growing up and teaching them the values of work and responsibility. I was on the board of Foremost Farms USA for 25 years, with 14 as chair. I was on the board of the National Milk Producers Federation for 15 years. I met a lot of great people from all over the U.S., but more importantly, I had a seat at the table for formulating dairy policy.
Who has been an inspiration to you? My father. He was a very particular man, honest and straightforward. We always kept a beautiful farmstead. Things were always clean and neat. It is maybe not the biggest, but we’ve always maintained a very attractive farmstead. What three characteristics do you have that help you excel at being a dairy farmer? I had a great wife and seven wonderful kids. I had wonderful neighbors. We always kept religion and God in our farming operation and always made time to go to church. Our community has a lot of family-oriented farms, and that’s the greatest part of it. Why is dairy farming the career for you? I have loved cows from day one. I was in 4-H as early as I could be and showed cattle all those years. It was what I wanted to do for life, and I married a girl who came from a dairy farm and milked cows. We wanted to raise a good family, and we got that accomplished. It was the life we wanted. It was hard at times, but we were fortunate that we were quite successful in merchandising cattle. We showed cattle at World Dairy Expo, and I got the honor of getting the A.C. “Whitie” Thomson Memorial Award at Expo. It was probably one of the highlights of my life. We also had a national champion and reserve champion cows. What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? I started farming in a multi-family partnership where decisions were collaborated on and jobs parceled out to each individual. Going on our own, with little help initially, was a major adjustment. I had to get used to making decisions on my own and that I was the only one who was going to get everything done. I learned to concentrate on which tasks took priority, which ones I was good at and which ones I had time to do. I started to depend more on custom operators for cropping and heifer raising. On the decision side, I had to do both the pros and cons then move accordingly. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Using sand bedding. I started farming with my family in an old freestall facility that wasn’t at all conducive to cow comfort. We constantly battled mastitis and never got the production we should have. When we started at our current facility with sand, the mastitis issues mostly went away and production jumped 20 pounds per cow overnight. Who has been an inspiration to you? My mother was my biggest inspiration to me. She was sharp and could juggle many tasks. She had a quiet strength that showed when tested. She wasn’t loud or boisterous, but you knew she meant business. What three characteristics do you have that help you excel at being a dairy farmer? I am fairly mechanical. I am able to x quite a bit. I am patient; my wife says sometimes too much so. I try to gure things out before diving into an issue. I’m able to delegate to my employees without looking over their shoulders every step of their days. Why is dairy farming the career for you? Dairying was the right choice for me because I like being my own boss. I do love working with the cows, even when they drive me nuts. I get to see the results of my work every day, and it opened the door for involvement in the industry. One of my highlights was being at the White House in January 2020 for the signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and standing behind President Trump. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 18
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 16
Tony Clasemann Long Prairie, Minnesota Todd County 240 cows
Jeff and Jane Norling Beresford, South Dakota Lincoln County 100 cows
How long have you been dairy farming? I have been farming for 34 years.
How long have you been dairy farming? I started dairy farming on my own 43 years ago.
Tell us about your family and farm. We milk 240 cows with a robotic milking system that we put in last year. My son, Marc, farms full time with me. He takes care of feeding and bedding the youngstock as well as being in charge of eldwork. He helps me in the barn as needed. I am in charge of the milk cows, calves and breeding. My wife, Deb, takes care of the bookwork. We farm 750 owned and rented acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Sometimes we utilize rye as a cover crop. We ship our milk to Land O’Lakes. I am the fourth generation on our farm, and Marc is the fth generation.
Tell us about your family and farm. My wife, Jane, and I have been married for 42 years. Our sons, Ted and Tom, dairy farm with us. Ted likes genetics, so he is in charge of breeding. Tom enjoys working with precision farming, so he takes care of the crops. Our daughter, Katie, is a former South Dakota dairy princess and works for Bel Brands USA in Brookings, South Dakota. All three of our kids graduated from South Dakota State University. Ted and Tom hold degrees in dairy production, and Katie earned a degree in dairy manufacturing. Jane and I have eight grandchildren.
What do you love about dairy farming? I like seeing the calves when they are born and watching them mature into cows. We have always had good cattle, but the genetics are always improving. The genetics have come a long way in the last 30 years. Tell us a fond memory of your career. There are so many, but it is fun to see the technology on our farm change. We started in a stanchion barn, then we built a parlor, and now, we have robots. It’s awesome how the industry has utilized the technology available in today’s world. What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? The volatile milk market and drought. Dealing with the price of milk compared to the price of inputs. It is always tough going through a drought year like last year. When we started in 1988, that year was tough too. Without irrigation, we would be sitting in really rough shape. There are always challenges, but those are the toughest to get through. Starting out in 1988, a major drought year, we learned how to manage money. After that, every time we did an expansion project, we made sure that we would get a return on investment. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? For the cows, it would be going to a freestall barn and using sand bedding. Their feet and legs are in awesome shape, and it is wonderful for cow comfort. Who has been an inspiration to you? My folks taught me responsibility, how to take care of the animals and the land. What three characteristics do you have that help you excel at being a dairy farmer? Self-disciplined, hardworking and responsible. I just love being outside and being able to work outside. I couldn’t stand it if I had to sit inside all day. Why is dairy farming the career for you? It’s in my blood. I had a job off the farm for a short time when we were rst married and preferred to be self-employed. I can’t see myself doing anything else. I farm with my son and hope to pass the farm onto him someday. Hopefully, he has the opportunity to pass the farm onto his kids.
What do you love about dairy farming? We were able to raise our kids on the dairy farm and work with them every day. My dad and my uncle quit milking when I was 8 years old, but I always enjoyed working with the animals and spending time in the barn. Tell us a fond memory of your career. My sons and I built a tiestall barn in 2014. We did most of the work ourselves with a little help from a local contractor. We have become good friends with our milk truck drivers and will sometimes play practical jokes on them. For instance, one of us might hide behind the milk cooler and casually walk out when the driver is hooking up the hose. What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? Things have often been tight over the years, so we have learned how to cinch our belts. There were times when we simply paid the bills and lived on what was left, which was sometimes nothing. Jane and I had been married for 25 years before we took our rst vacation. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Letting our sons come home before we built the new barn. Our goal was for the farm to continue as a family operation, and we wanted to see how things would work. I also bought the place when it was affordable and formed a great relationship with our banker. Who has been an inspiration to you? My dad and my uncle have always been supportive of me and have been a great help. I also learned from certain neighbors. They would give me advice and let me see how they did things. I owe much to our neighbors and my dad. What three characteristics do you have that help you excel at being a dairy farmer? Perseverance and a strong work ethic would be the top item. Second is that I have never asked our sons to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself. Finally, I will never leave the farm until everything is done. We have our routine and stick to it. Why is dairy farming the career for you? I liked that I got to be my own boss and work with my dad and my uncle. I knew that dairy farming would provide a steady income for my family. We have learned how to survive, sometimes by doing things the hard way. One of the things I enjoy about dairy farming is the atmosphere in the barn. We talk about anything and everything while we are milking. A lot of things get hashed out in the dairy barn.
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“With the Udder ComfortTM Battery“Udder Comfort is something we Operated Backpack Sprayer, don’t cut. It gets swelling out faster. we do our prefresh groups in We see faster, better milkouts headlocks 1x/day for 7 to 10 days and higher quality milk. We do before calving. They come in with udders full of milk, every fresh cow for a week after calving. but so soft. Robot attachments are quicker, and milking We mark high-count cows on DHIA and do them too. is faster and more complete - cutting robot fetch days We tried other brands. They don’t work. - Josh Lingen, Lingen Dairy, Balaton, MN by more than half.” Udder Comfort is the one that works!” 340 cows, 90 lbs, 130,000 SCC
“Udder Comfort is the best tool for fresh cows. They transition into milk faster with healthier udders. We used it periodically for years. Then last year at World Dairy Expo, they talked me into the Udder Comfort Battery-Operated Backpack Sprayer. We now are getting our fresh cows sprayed consistently 3x/day for a week after calving. In just 3 months, our SCC came down from - Scott Stempfle, Stempfle Holsteins, Maynard, IA 165 to 137,000.”
750 cows, 95 lbs, 137,000 SCC
- Matt Nealy, Nealand Farms Newville, PA, 400 cows, 92 lbs, 100,000 SCC
For external application to the udder only, after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
TOP PERFORMERS Brian Waldner, of Blumenfeld Holsteins | Hawley, Minnesota | Clay County | 550 cows How many times a day do you milk, and what is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? We use a robotic milking system and average 2.7 visits per cow per day. We are producing 30,476 pounds of milk with 1,327 pounds of fat and 1,017 pounds of protein. Describe your housing and milking facility. We house the cows in a 6-row freestall facility retrotted with DeLaval robots. The barn has cross ventilation for the summer and natural/power ventilation during the winter. Who is part of your farm team, and what are their roles? John Jr. and John L. feed all groups of cattle. Joel and Isaiah manage calves and youngstock. Brian does a lot of the genetics and herd work. Michael is the maintenance manager on the robots, and Jesse assists with health and herd work. What is your herd health program? Ultrasound pregnancy checks are performed every two weeks with Dr. Sletten, and our vaccination protocol is set up with his recommendation. Fresh cows get Inforce at freshening; Pyramid 10 and Endovac Dairy at 20-30 days in milk; Endovac at 150
DIM, a vaccine for leptospirosis at 150 days carried calf; and Endovac Dairy and Vision 8 at dry off. What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? We use a 60-day dry period. Dry cows are housed in an open-sided pack barn. Three weeks before calving, cows are brought back to the main barn into free stalls where they are watched closely for calving and then moved to a calving pen when actively calving. Fresh cows have their udder clipped, are vaccinated and moved to a robot pen where they remain for the entire lactation. What is the composition of your ration, and how has that changed in recent years? Our ration consists of corn silage, haylage, dry hay, cottonseed and a grain/mineral mix. We maximize forage content to the top level cows and work closely with our nutritionist, Dan Schimek, from NutriQuest on our ration formulation. Tell us about the forages you plant and detail your harvest strategies. We plant brown mid-rib corn silage as it’s second to none in digestive ber. A high-stress growing season does have a larger impact on yields, though. We start to
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
John Jr. and Brian Waldner stand in their freestall barn Feb. 5 near Hawley, Minnesota. Blumenfeld Holsteins has a herd average of 30,476 pounds of milk with 1,327 pounds of fat and 1,017 pounds of protein. harvest when it hits 30% dry matter, expecting an average across the pile of 32%-35% DM when nished. Alfalfa hay is chopped on rst cutting and baled and wrapped on the subsequent cuttings. John believes
in balage you can put through the hay buster, so it is usually between 25%-30% moisture. What is your average somatic cell count and how does that affect your production? Our average SCC is usually around
+2,755 lbs
180,000, but will increase in the hotter months of the year.
Turn to TOP PERFORMERS | Page 23
2,755 LBS MORE MILK!
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 21
FLEXIBLE FINANCING OR CASH DISCOUNTS ON QUALIFIED 9R SERIES TRACTORS
359,900
2013 John Deere 9560R $ 2699 hrs., #574414
489,900
2021 John Deere 9620RX $ 1289 hrs., #549411
335,900
2018 John Deere 9470R $ 1002 hrs., #572947
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2019 John Deere 9620RX $ 2578 hrs., #570644
2016 John Deere 9420R $ 2235 hrs., #575074
2019 John Deere 9570RT $ 2350 hrs., #572619
Financing subject to pre-approval through JD Financial. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details.
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2019 John Deere 9520XR$ 1755 hrs., #566764
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ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS
JD 9360R 2013, Power Shift, Duals, 6889 hrs., #567725 ........................$176,800 JD 9420R 2016, Power Shift, Duals, 2235 hrs., #575074 ........................$335,900 JD 9470R 2018, e18, Duals, 1002 hrs., #572947.....................................$359,900 JD 9520R 2021, e18, Duals, 358 hrs., #274698.......................................$515,500 JD 9560R 2013, Power Shift, Duals, 2699 hrs., #574414 ........................$283,500 JD 9570R 2021, e18, Duals, 658 hrs., #274704.......................................$541,900 JD 9620R 2018, e18, Duals, 2500 hrs., #576058.....................................$419,900 JD 9620R 2022, Power Shift, Duals, 1098 hrs., #557073 ........................$509,900 JD 9620R 2021, e18, Duals, 598 hrs., #542210.......................................$556,500 JD 9R 490 2023, e18, Duals, 200 hrs., #540248......................................$535,900 JD 9R 590 2022, Power Shift, Duals, 479 hrs., #574403..........................$548,900 JD 9R 590 2022, e18, Duals, 627 hrs., #570618......................................$548,900 JD 9R 590 2023, Power Shift, Singles, 1006 hrs., #575410 .....................$549,900 JD 9R 590 2023, e18, Singles, 895 hrs., #575412 ...................................$554,900 JD 9R 590 2022, e18, Duals, 323 hrs., #570619......................................$569,900 JD 9R 590 2023, e18, Duals, 300 hrs., #565783......................................$599,900 JD 9R 640 2022, Power Shift, Duals, 449 hrs., #574405..........................$569,900 JD 9R 640 2022, Power Shift, Duals, 894 hrs., #574417..........................$575,900 JD 9R 640 2023, e18, Duals, 800 hrs., #573312......................................$579,900 JD 9R 640 2023, e18, Duals, 777 hrs., #573307......................................$579,900 JD 9R 640 2022, e18, Duals, 510 hrs., #570615......................................$589,900 JD 9R 640 2022, e18, Duals, 374 hrs., #567239......................................$599,900
FIELD CULTIVATORS
Case IH 200 2013, 60 ft., 5-Section Folding, #563382 .............................$49,900 Case IH 255 2022, 60 ft., 5-Section Folding, #575440 ...........................$164,900 JD 980 1998, 44 ft., 5-Section Folding, #561358 ......................................$13,900 JD 980 2000, 38 ft., 3-Section Folding, #576013 ......................................$14,300 JD 980 2002, 41 ft., 3-Section Folding, #559043 ......................................$15,900 JD 2200 2002, 55.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #575710 .................................$19,500 JD 2200 2002, 54 ft., 5-Section Folding, #556959 ....................................$19,500 JD 2210 2005, 27 ft., 3-Section Folding, #576023 ....................................$30,500
JD 2210 2006, 50.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #562336 .................................$32,900 JD 2210 2004, 41 ft., 5-Section Folding, #575153 ....................................$37,500 JD 2210 2012, 45.5 ft., 3-Section Folding, #573269 .................................$42,900 JD 2210 2007, 44 ft., 3-Section Folding, #574413 ....................................$43,000 JD 2210 2012, 54 ft., 5-Section Folding, #561176 ....................................$44,900 JD 2210 2014, 55.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #568427 .................................$54,900 JD 2210 2014, 53 ft., 5-Section Folding, #575187 ....................................$55,100 JD 2210 2015, 58 ft., 5-Section Folding, #570873 ....................................$59,900 JD 2210 2017, 65 ft., 5-Section Folding, #574527 ....................................$84,300 JD 2230 2019, 60.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #555708 ...............................$114,900 JD 2230 2018, 60.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #570874 ...............................$114,900 JD 2230 2021, 56 ft., 5-Section Folding, #574134 ..................................$134,900 JD 2230 2023, 60.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #573361 ...............................$156,900 JD 2230 2023, 60.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #573362 ...............................$156,900 JD 2230FH 2023, 60.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #572282 ..........................$185,900 Wil-Rich QUAD 5 1999, 46 ft., 5-Section Folding, #564834 .....................$13,900 Wil-Rich QUAD X, 40.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #575373 ...........................$16,900 Case IH Tiger Mate 200 2012, 50.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #561242 ......$40,900 DMI Tiger-mate 2 , 50 ft., 5-Section Folding, #563708...........................$15,900 Case IH Tigermate 200 2008, 50.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #576132 .......$32,900 Case IH TigerMate II 1999, 55 ft., 5-Section Folding, #563481 ..............$17,900
TRACK TRACTORS
JD 9520RT 2020, 36 in., Narrow Spacing, 1903 hrs., #572783 ...............$425,900 JD 9520RX 2018, 760mm/30 in., Wide Spacing, 2316 hrs., #575706 .....$436,000 JD 9520RX 2019, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 2478 hrs., #572519 ...................$447,900 JD 9520RX 2019, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 2326 hrs., #575575 ...................$456,500 JD 9520RX 2019, 600mm/24 in., Wide Spacing, 1755 hrs., #566764 .....$469,900 JD 9520RX 2021, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 1693 hrs., #554064 ...................$535,000 JD 9560RT 2013, 36 in., 5031 hrs., #559761 ..........................................$180,000 JD 9570RT 2019, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 2350 hrs., #572619 ...................$394,900 JD 9570RT 2018, 36 in., 2742 hrs., #573772 ..........................................$409,900 JD 9570RT 2020, 760mm/30 in., Narrow Spacing, 867 hrs., #567505....$489,900
JD 9570RT 2021, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 972 hrs., #572962 .....................$529,900 JD 9570RX 2021, 36 in., Narrow Spacing, 842 hrs., #274716 .................$599,900 JD 9570RX 2021, 36 in., Narrow Spacing, 477 hrs., #274715 .................$609,900 JD 9620RX 2019, 760mm/30 in., Narrow Spacing, 2578 hrs., #570644..$489,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Narrow Spacing, 1800 hrs., #572279 ...............$509,900 JD 9620RX 2020, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 2158 hrs., #554426 ...................$509,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Narrow Spacing, 1289 hrs., #549411 ...............$519,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 1551 hrs., #554427 ...................$524,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Narrow Spacing, 1159 hrs., #555459 ...............$529,900 JD 9620RX 2020, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 1407 hrs., #572949 ...................$539,900 JD 9620RX 2020, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 1207 hrs., #573743 ...................$563,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 1450 hrs., #573980 ...................$579,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 1342 hrs., #576016 ...................$589,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Narrow Spacing, 820 hrs., #568970 .................$596,500 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Narrow Spacing, 644 hrs., #566745 .................$599,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 760mm/30 in., Narrow Spacing, 875 hrs., #554261....$619,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 785 hrs., #274708 .....................$624,900 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 541 hrs., #552760 .....................$632,500 JD 9620RX 2021, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 820 hrs., #567217 .....................$639,900 JD 9620T 2004, 36 in., 5242 hrs., #576067 ............................................$114,900 JD 9RT 570 2022, 36 in., Narrow Spacing, 670 hrs., #575546.................$584,000 JD 9RT 570 2023, 36 in., 515 hrs., #575884 ...........................................$584,900 JD 9RT 570 2023, 36 in., 475 hrs., #573448 ...........................................$599,900 JD 9RX 640 2022, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 1155 hrs., #566048 ..................$674,900 JD 9RX 640 2023, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 840 hrs., #572031 ....................$699,000 JD 9RX 640 2023, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 450 hrs., #569917 ....................$704,900 JD 9RX 640 2022, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 729 hrs., #572028 ....................$725,900 JD 9RX 640 2022, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 675 hrs., #567870 ....................$729,000 JD 9RX 640 2022, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 758 hrs., #557149 ....................$739,900 JD 9RX 640 2023, 36 in., Wide Spacing, 407 hrs., #568963 ....................$754,900 JD 9RX 640 2023, 760mm/30 in., Wide Spacing, 225 hrs., #574506 ......$758,500
Locations throughout minnesota & western wisconsin! CALL TODAY! (320)365-1653 SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
HVC12 HOOF VET CARE CHUTE
The chute provides comfort for the cow and easy use for the operator during trimming, breeding, palpitation, and other vet work.
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Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United Dairy Systems, Inc. West Union, IA 563-422-5355 Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Bob’s Dairy Supply Dorchester, WI 715-654-5252 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713 DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI 866-335-2825
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Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0268 Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
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is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2023 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. Dairy producer testimonials reflect their real-life experience using DeLaval products. Results in testimonials have not been independently verified and DeLaval does not claim the results are typical. Actual performance and improvement will depend on a number of factors, including prior milking practices, type of cows, farm and herd maintenance practices. Testimonials do not constitute warranties or guaranties of service or performance. www.delaval.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 23
ConƟnued from TOP PERFORMERS | Page 20 What change has created the cows. We’ve been happy with biggest improvement in your the performance of the system, herd average? There’s hardly and they’re always making it ever a single change that can more inclusive and upgrading drastically improve a herd, the platform. right? We credit genetics as laying the base foundation and What is your breeding promakeup of the cattle and then gram, and what role does having them in an environment genetics play in your prowhere they can perform to their duction level? We are heavy top genetic potential. That in- into genetics. It has major imcludes calves starting at 1 day pact on the performance of the of age. Feed, of course, has a herd. We routinely ush our major impact in performance top-genetic animals and have as that’s the fuel that drives the an extensive embryo transfer engine. The better your forage program where we use a large quality, the more milk you can portion of the herd as recipisqueeze out of a pound of feed. ents. The rst implant is set up using a double ovsync, and we What technology do you use resync pre herd check and also to monitor your herd? We watch for repeats using the use CowManager tags to moni- CowManager tags. tor the herd for heats and sick
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
The cows at Blumenfeld Holsteins are housed in a 6-row freestall facility near Hawley, Minnesota. They use natural/power venƟlaƟon during the winter and cross venƟlaƟon during the summer. List three management strategies that have helped you attain your production and component level. Genetics, environment, feed and ration formulation. Tell us about your farm and your plans for the dairy in the next year. Blumenfeld Holsteins has milked cows
at the current site since 1979. The original herd was 80 cows milked in a tiestall barn. We expanded to 120 cows in 1997 and added a parlor. We built the freestall/parlor to milk 300 cows in 2001. We expanded the barn and added robots in 2017. We always look for ways to economize and bring costs
down without hindering performance. In the year ahead, we hope to capitalize on the more reasonably priced feedstuffs and continue our quest to build a better Holstein cow.
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Cows eat a total mixed raƟon Feb. 5 in the freestall barn at Blumenfeld Holsteins near Hawley, Minnesota. The dairy uses brown mid-rib corn silage in their raƟon.
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
32nd Annual | Carver County
Dairy & Beef E X P O
Schedule of Events Registration - Trade Show beings and open until 3:00 pm BQA TRAINING 9:45 am Beef Quality Assurance Training 10:15 am Early Bird Drawing in Trade Show Arena Beef Quality 9:00 am
“Beef on dairy: Breed selection and management 10:30 am considerations”
COST:
$15/person $5/Student
Over 40 Vendors!
655 SW 7th St. • Norwood Young America, MN
Hosted by University of Minnesota Extension-Carver County and the Carver County Ag Initiatives
All registered participants are eligible for the grand prize. Must be present to win. Multiple prizes for completing and return ing the program evaluation. Must be present to win.
Online information available at https://z.umn.edu/24DairyBeefExpo and Facebook: @CarverScottExtension For Dairy Expo information, please call Carver County Extension (952) 466-5300.
Presented by
UMN Beef Team
Luiz Ferraretto
Keynote Address:
11:30 am
“2024 Dairy Markets and Policy Outlook” Chris Wolf - Cornell University Enjoy Lunch and the Trade Show
12:30 pm
Trade Show and Education for Dairy & Beef Producers. 3:15 p.m. Grand Prize & Evaluation Drawings
“Modulating cow performance and feeding behavior with high-quality corn silage”
Assurance Training
University of Wisconsin
Monday, February 19, 2024 9 AM-3:15 PM • CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
“Interpreting your milk check” Milk procurement and field service manager for Bongards Creamery
Greg Moes of MoDak Dairy, Larry Dreier of Dreier Farms and Ryan Starry of University of Wisconsin Extension
(Includes lunch, refreshments and program notes. Cash or Check only.)
Session C
Tom Beringer
Panel Discussion
(with ID)
Session B
Session A
2:00 pm
Session D
Session E
Session F
“Feeding and managing dairy beef cross cattle from 400 lbs to finish”
“Deeper dive into dairy market programs”
“Modulating cow performance and feeding behavior with high-quality corn silage”
Bill Halfman
Chris Wolf Cornell University
University of Wisconsin
3:15 pm
Door Prize Drawings - Trade Show Arena
Luiz Ferraretto
University of Wisconsin
In case of inclement weather, please call the Farm Information Line for event status: 1-800-232-9077
Visit these Businesses at the show! 1015 Highway 212 West Norwood Young America, MN 55368
952-467-2181 lanoequipofnorwood.com
WWW.BONGARDS.COM
FARMER-OWNED SINCE 1908
OUR FARM OUR STORY
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 25
Building on a lifetime of dairying Beringers continue traditions of family farm By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
FARLEY, Iowa — Tom Beringer remembers moving to the farm with his parents in 1952. He was just 5 years old at the time, and his parents had a myriad of animals: cattle, hogs, sheep and chickens. The farm buildings were barely usable, and the house had snow drifts in the living room in the winter. “This is my home, that is for sure,” Tom said. Today, Tom lives on the farm with his wife, Carol. The Beringers milk 180 cows near Farley in a double-12 parlor. The cows are housed in a sand-bedded freestall barn and fed a total mixed ration. Tom helps on the farm when needed, as his children and grandchildren manage the day-to-day operations. The Beringers’ daughter, Lisa, with the help of their son, Wayne, do the majority of the milking. Wayne custom raises heifers on his farm near Bernard. The Beringers’ son, Don, is involved as well
while their daughter, Lynn, and her husband live near Petersburg. The farm has seen a lot of changes since Tom was a young boy. The house was rebuilt in 1957. The original barn had a row of 16 stanchions on one side and horse stalls on the other and a dirt oor. Most of the farm buildings were torn down and rebuilt. “There was nothing here,” Tom said. “They had to dispose of most of it.” Hogs were a big part of the farming operation in its early years, so the family built a farrowing barn in 1961. They hired two local men for $2 an hour. All summer, they dug the footings for the building by hand, xed fences and made other repairs. “When we built that farrowing house, we thought we died and went to heaven,” Tom said. “We had heat, water and everything else.” Eventually, the family added a few machine sheds, multiple cattle barns and calf housing to the farmstead. The original barn was remodeled to remove the horse stalls and milk more cows. The family also pur-
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Carol and Tom Beringer take a break Jan. 29 at their farm near Farley, Iowa. The Beringers milk 180 cows with the help of their grown children Don, Lynn, Lisa and Wayne.
chased additional land as it became available. Today, they crop close to 1,000 acres. They have cattle on a few locations, with a lot of them being dairy-beef crossbreds. The family built the freestall barn and manure pit in 1999 and the parlor in 2001. Don clearly remembers its construction. “Back then, it was pay-
as-you-go,” Don said. “They didn’t borrow money to build, and it took us a whole summer to build.” As the farm progressed, a TMR was added, which led to updated feed storage. They now use three bunker silos and multiple bags to store feed. They chop around 100 acres of corn silage every year which is put into bunkers. Other bun-
ker silos store ear corn and ground corn. Cows are also fed a big square bale of hay on top of the TMR. A lot of hay is purchased. The family hauls feed to different locations to feed cattle and puts feed up at two locations. Turn to BERINGERS | Page 27
Visit these Businesses at the Carver County Dairy & Beef Expo!
UFC
507-228-8270
www.ufcmn.com
www.isaacsonsales.com
United Farmers Cooperative
71 9TH ST. LAFAYETTE, MN
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
Pelzer has 4 decades of advocacy
Midwest Dairy CEO announces retirement By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The CEO of Midwest Dairy, Molly Pelzer, has announced her retirement after nearly 40 years with the dairy checkoff. “Without the dairy farmers, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to have a great career,” Pelzer said. “I’m forever grateful, truly. ... I’ll be a dairy advocate forever.” Pelzer, who started with the dairy checkoff in June 1984, began her tenure as CEO in September 2019. Pelzer said a search rm has had a positive response in the pursuit to nd her replacement and a diverse, national pool of candidates from which to choose. She said Midwest Dairy tentatively plans to announce the CEO in late February. Pelzer will work with Midwest Dairy in March to assist in the transition. “Midwest Dairy staff isn’t going to drop a beat,” Pelzer said. “Everything’s going to happen, just as we would expect it to roll out.” Pelzer said one of her biggest accomplishments as CEO was the creation of a dairy checkoff scorecard for the Midwest Dairy Annual Report. This
infographic shows progress on foundational objectives and goals. “The whole goal was to communicate the impact of a dairy farmer’s checkoff investment,” Pelzer said. “I like to be able to communicate with transparency and meaning to dairy farmers.” The idea for creating a scorecard came from the board of the dairy farmer-led Midwest Dairy. “They were speaking on behalf of other dairy farmers, and that’s so meaningful,” Pelzer said. “We want dairy farmers to understand that their ngerprints are all over the work that we do.” Another accomplishment that came through guidance from the board of directors is the increased collaboration between Midwest Dairy and 15 state and regional organizations. “Rather than just thinking of the interaction between (Dairy Management Inc.) and the state and region, what if we went sideways?” Pelzer said. “What if we shared across states and regions more?” Pelzer said this sharing has meant Midwest Dairy has gained ideas from other regions, such as learning about gamers from Texas and other areas. Midwest Dairy has also shared its ideas, including the Dairy Experience
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The CEO of Midwest Dairy, Molly Pelzer, has announced her re�rement a�er nearly 40 years with the dairy checkoff. Pelzer, who started with the dairy checkoff in June 1984, began her tenure as CEO in September 2019. and Agricultural Leadership Program. “It was all done under the idea of, ‘Let’s be more effective and more efcient with the dairy farmer investment and checkoff,’” Pelzer said. Pelzer said a fun memory from her time with the dairy checkoff happened when Minneapolis hosted the Super Bowl in 2018. Pelzer said the event brought dairy farmers to unexpected places. In the days leading up to the game, Midwest Dairy provided virtual reality tours of a dairy farm and an NFL locker room through a program at the time
called Fuel Up to Play 60. While participants stood in line for the experience, dairy farmers visited with attendees and answered questions. “It was a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on how dairy farmers care for their community,” Pelzer said. “They had children’s health and wellness in mind. They were talking about physical activity and healthy eating.” Pelzer is a registered dietician who worked for two years at a hospital before coming to Midwest Dairy. “That passion for nutrition has led to a deeper passion
of getting to work for fantastic people,” Pelzer said. “Milk is just so integral in foods that we all enjoy eating.” Pelzer said consumers want to know where their food comes from. “Let’s be bolder and louder and prouder about dairy’s nutrition,” Pelzer said. “The other thing is helping consumers understand the choices dairy farmers make every day to take care of their cows and take care of the land.” Pelzer also said dairy product innovation is important for the future of dairy advocacy. “What are consumers looking for?” Pelzer said. “What would be helpful?” Pelzer said Midwest Dairy is in a good position. She said the biggest challenge to dairy advocacy is to maintain relevance with current consumers. Pelzer said the problem is not a new one. “That old saying is, ‘What we’ve always done will not get us where we need to go,’” Pelzer said. “While change is hard, we need to continue to evolve if we’re going to make a difference for dairy farmers.” In retirement, Pelzer said she will be spending more time with family and volunteering at her church and in her community. “I’m excited to shift my energies,” Pelzer said. “I really do believe the skills I’ve learned as a dairy checkoff employee can be put to use in other ways.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 27
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Carol and Don Beringer feed calves Jan. 29 at their farm near Farley, Iowa. The calf barn is one of many buildings that were added to the farm aŌer the Beringers moved to it in 1952.
Tom spent many years raising and marketing horses in addition to his dairy career. He and a friend partner in the purchase of colts. He said his dad was such a good horseman that he could drive a team of horses making hay by just talking to them, never laying a hand on them. “My dad is the reason I got into horses,” Tom said. “That served me well. I met a lot of people and made deals all over the country.” Tom’s dad passed away when they were building the parlor. He was 86 years old and had been cultivating corn all day. When he brought the cultivator home, he
asked Tom to take him to the hospital. He passed from a heart attack and never returned home. Tom said the dairy has made quite a transition from when he rst moved in with his parents. From picking corn by hand to milking in a parlor, the times just keep changing. Tom said he appreciates the blessings of good health for his wife and him, and that she was able to stay home on the farm with him the entire time. “We were able to bring this up from nothing and always had money to pay the bills,” Tom said. “We’re all proud of it.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 29
women
IN DAIRY
Tell us about your farm and family. I farm with my husband, Joe. We have three kids, Gabe, Gibson and Ellison. Our cows are housed in sand-bedded free stalls and milked in a stanchion barn with 13 units. Joe and I have been running the dairy since 2014. What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? We milk at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. I start chores in the morning and then get the kids to school by 8 a.m. Joe keeps chores going while I get the kids off to school. Then the calves get fed, cows get fed and manure gets scraped. I pick the kids up at 3 p.m. from school. We work on homework and dinner and then do chores again. What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? Within the last couple years, we made the decision to install a peroxide injector into the water supply. We discovered that we had high iron levels in the water; it was four times higher than it was supposed to be. We were experiencing low production issues, and once we xed the water supply, the production came back up. We can tell if we run out of peroxide because production will drop by 1,000 pounds. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Someone was on the run from the cops and stole our farm truck out of our driveway in the middle of the day. We are not far from town, so the person was on foot. The truck’s brakes did not work, and the person had to abandon it after driving at high speeds through town and narrowly missing houses. When the cops found him, he was in his underwear, and his clothes were near where the truck was abandoned and soaked in manure. We discovered that right before he stole the truck, he had run right through our manure pit. The top crust on the pit was broken up, and there were footprints on the ramp coming out of the pit. We got our truck back and still laugh about the justice he served himself by taking a swim in the pit and then stealing a truck that had faulty brakes.
Jennifer Jandt
West Salem, Wisconsin La Crosse County 160 cows
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Raising cows that we bred, seeing the genetics that we created grow up and realizing what we’ve accomplished. What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? We got the rst awards for somatic cell count on this farm. We got it twice. We were just diligent with the milking procedure and stayed consistent. It was rewarding to be the rst ones on the farm to achieve it. What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I give all the kids’ teachers cheese baskets for Christmas. We eat a lot of cheese and drink a lot of chocolate milk. We wear our promo T-shirts from Associated Milk Producers Inc., and I always educate when the opportunity arises. What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? You are worthy and enough just as you are with everything that you are doing. It can be hard to feel like we do enough sometimes, and we have to remember that we are worthy. I also feel that farm kids are not there to be your free help. If we choose to farm, we should do the work. The kids are not expected to do the parents’ work in any other job, and it should be no different on a farm. What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? Transitioning. There are people in the younger generation who want to work, but the older generation needs to allow it. The older generation needs to ask themselves what they want out of their farm. Do they want the younger generation to get in, or do they just want to be wealthy? It is something we are still working on. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? Spend time with our friends and our kids.
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ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Jennifer Jandt farms with her husband, Joe, and three kids, Gabe, Gibson and Ellison, near West Salem, Wisconsin. They milk 160 cows in a stanchion barn with 13 units. The herd is hosued in a sand-bedded freestall barn.
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The Fundamentals of On-farm Anaerobic Digestion WEBINAR
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Hear from a Minnesota dairy farmer and other experts on how anaerobic digestion can generate additional farm revenue, support the environment, serve as a solution to meet energy needs, and provide nutrients for crops.
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
A difference in personalities
What if I told you I could provide traits, communication styles and core you with a tool that may resolve poten- values. All of these pieces work togethtial conicts on your farm or in your er in the puzzle of understanding who family? I am sure intrigued you are and how to work best would likely be the answer. with other personality and All it takes is just ve minutes communication styles. of your time to gure out if Why would it be imporyou have a lion, otter, golden tant to know and understand retriever or beaver personality. the personalities of colleagues, Figuring out which personemployees, family members ality animal you most align or friends? Everyone operates with can help pave the way to differently; it is what makes smooth conversations and po- By Brenda Miller each of us unique. If we know tentially alleviate conict. what type of personality we University of We recently held two Minnesota are and those around us, then Planning Your Dairy Farm Fuwe can have conversations ture sessions in central Minnethat are more effective and sota where we talked about personality have more streamlined teamwork.
The GEA DairyRobot R9500
There are four personality styles: lion, otter, golden retriever and beaver. To determine a personality style, there is a short quiz with 10 questions. For each question, you have to rank four words/phrases from the one that is most like you down to the least. Plus, you have to be quick about it. There cannot be overthinking as there is no wrong answer. Once you have the questions answered, you tally up the points from the vertical columns. The column with the highest total is your personality animal. However, it may happen that you have two or even three animals that are close, or even tied in points, and that is OK. You just have a well-rounded personality. The lion is the leader type. They are good at making decisions and like challenges and tasks, but can sometimes come off as bossy or argumenta-
tive. Otters are people persons. They are social, positive and have lots of friends but can be chatty and have a hard time keeping on task or nishing jobs. Golden retrievers are very loyal, caring and good at making friends but can be indecisive and have trouble holding others accountable. The beaver is the workhorse. They are organized, have high standards and take their time to do the job right, but may not like sudden changes and have high expectations of themselves and others. Check out the chart for additional traits. Feel free to take this personality quiz. Print a copy at: z.umn. edu/5MinPersonality. Take the time to learn and understand about how other personalities operate. It can make for more effective and often more efcient communication.
Simply smarter milking technology
“Centre Dairy was very easy to work with, we had the robots installed about five months ago, and after a slight learning curve, the cows have adapted well and efficiency and production are up. We are finding it takes less labor and time for each milking.” - Marc Claseman
Automatic milking with less complexity The milking robot’s strong performance is achieved in combination with streamlined maintenance, and the ability for 24/7 operation with minimum use of consumables and energy. With the DairyRobot R9500, up to four boxes can be connected to one supply unit. This way they share one vacuum pump, compressor, milk and calf milk line, and tank connection – which means less equipment and reduced system complexity.
Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968
Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711
Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357
Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610
Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104
Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205
Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184
Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863
Melissa Wilson mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109
Isaac Haagen hagge041@umn.edu 612-624-7455
Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277
Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435
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Teat end condition, scoring
Milking of cows (or ewes or does) els at the teat end, pulsation rates, shape is perhaps the only activity that con- and elasticity of liners, proper time at nects machinery to animals in a food each milking phase (A: increasing vacproduction process. uum, B: maximum vacuum, C: decreasPresumably, the rst attempts at ing vacuum and D: minimum vacuum milking cows happened at or massage) and avoidance of the time of domestication of overmilking each play a role cows about 10,000 years ago in the effect of milking equipin the Fertile Crescent. Fortument in protecting or damagnately, calves and other young ing teat ends. gured this out long before. Failure of any of these However, always looking for settings can result in reduced ways to make life easier, it milking efciency, teat chaps took humans until about 150 and abrasions, effects of conyears ago (1870) to develop gestion and bruising, and By Mike Schutz the rst milking machine. reduced keratin and hyperAnna Baldwen, of New University of keratosis. At normal milking Jersey, patented the rst U.S. Minnesota vacuum levels, congestion at milking machine in 1879. The the teat end may begin in 0.1 early machines did not evolve much for to 0.3 seconds during phase B. Howsome time and had an important design ever, allowing air between the liner and aw. That is, they tried to remove milk shell collapses the liner and massages by vacuum and, much to the distress of the teat in phase D, which allows the cows subjected to them, vacuum only. recirculation of the blood and lymph. The constant vacuum at the teat end did Therefore, depending on vacuum levextract milk but not very efciently, be- els, 50 to 60 cycles per minute is the cause blood and lymph collected at the recommended pulsation rate. teat end and caused swelling that interA teat-end condition scoring system fered with milk ow. rst proposed by Mein and coworkers Much to the cow’s relief, the pul- in 2001 and adapted by the University sator was invented in 1895. It allowed of Minnesota assigns scores of 1 to 5 application of intermittent vacuum, (Figure 1). A typical recommendation giving the blood and lymph an oppor- is to begin further investigation of the tunity to escape the teat end and return milking machine and milking routine to circulation. The Surge bucket milk- if more than 20% of cows score 3 or er in 1922 became the rst to provide higher, or if 10% score 4 or higher. Of a milking system with a true massage course, the problem with increasing phase. While history may not be so im- scores is that teats become more difportant to us now, it does highlight the cult to clean, and this increases the risk complexity of mechanical milking and of clinical and subclinical mastitis. the ever-present work to match the meIt must be pointed out that there are chanical (ination) with the biological a number of factors that affect the risk (cow) system. for changes to teat-end condition and So, what does the miking system hyperkeratosis, namely: teat-end shape, have to do with teat-end condition? In milk yield, peak milk ow rate, stage of a word, much. The proper vacuum lev- lactation, parity and teat-skin condition.
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Bongards’ Creameries
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 31
But, perhaps the greatest risk factor for hyperkeratosis is at the intersection of the cow and machine factors, and that is overmilking. Hyperkeratosis, which is really what the teat-end scoring system measures, is abnormal overgrowth of keratin at or near the teat opening. Keratin formation in the teat canal orice is normal during the initiation of lactation. There is a layer of papillae that determines the direction of keratinization of the streak canal. Some level of keratinization of the canal at the teat end is normal, but when mechanical forces from milking over-stimulate the keratin, the growth continues outward and beyond the point at which it becomes pathological. Mechanical stress is known to play a role because the ke-
ratinization does not continue in the absence of mechanical forces. This means that overmilking, whether it happens at the end of milking from milking units not being detached soon enough or at the beginning of milking because of inadequate pre-milking stimulation or improper timing of the milking routine, just makes hyperkeratosis and resulting teat-end scores worse. The take home message is to pause periodically to assess teat-end condition. A lot can be learned from the scoring systems available, such as the UMN teat-end scorecard in Figure 1. If concerns arise, a thorough review of milking machine settings and milking procedures may be warranted.
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
47 years of dairy farming
O’Brien credits family for longevity
ter the cows are milked, teats are postdipped. O’Brien said having a mixer for a total mixed ration has been one of the most important decisions for the farm. He said it has helped with making sure they do not overfeed grain. He also said it has been an important part of his farm’s pursuit of good components. “You could measure what you were putting in there,” O’Brien said. “Feed more of this and less of that.” O’Brien’s cows are fed TMR twice a day along with free-choice hay. The cows are housed on a lot with a 150-stall freestall barn. This barn was built in 2005, expanding on and replacing the previous structure. O’Brien keeps his herd records on paper using a herd wheel. This large disc on his milkhouse wall allows him to record calving and breeding information. He said he had a relief breeder ask him where his computer was. “I said, ‘It’s hanging on the wall,’” O’Brien said. O’Brien is slowing down. He has bred his Holstein cows to beef bulls for the past 18 months and has now paused breeding in anticipation of selling the herd in late summer. O’Brien said that dairy farming has been tough recently, with few constants in the last 10 years or more. “It was a lot better before,” O’Brien said. “It should have gotten easier for us.” O’Brien said everyone does things differently and that he does not care what the neighbors are doing. “You can’t look back,” he said. “You have to look forward.”
By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
KASSON, Minn. — Patrick O’Brien is closing in on ve decades of milking cows on his family farm near Kasson. O’Brien milks 65 cows and tends 300 acres on the farm he has called home since he was about 5 years old. O’Brien said the things he looks back on as accomplishments are marrying and raising a family, surviving in the dairy industry and maintaining a well-kept farm. “I’m stubborn,” O’Brien said. “I’m not a quitter even though maybe sometimes I should be.” O’Brien said he credits his family for his longevity. He said he could not have done it without his wife, Emma, and children, Sarah, Elizabeth, Stephen, Morgan, Bradley and Matthew. “It was a good place to raise a family,” O’Brien said. “(It) teaches them dedication, how to work ... how to be a teammate.” O’Brien’s children were all part of the farm. “They can do it all,” O’Brien said. Most of O’Brien’s children live in the greater southeast Minnesota area. They work off the farm but some of those in the area help daily. At haying time, his children help him to put up 4,000-5,000 small square bales and
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Patrick O’Brien smiles by his herd wheel Jan. 26 on his dairy farm near Kasson, Minnesota. O’Brien uses the herd wheel on his milkhouse wall to record calving and breeding informaƟon. with lling silos. O’Brien said he also credits his parents, nine siblings, neighbors, friends, the animals on his farm and God for enabling him to continue dairy farming. O’Brien started his career farming with his siblings. He and his older brother took over the farm from their dad in 1977. Then, he farmed with two brothers until one was killed in a farm accident. “It seems like forever since you saw him, but it’s just like yesterday that it happened,” O’Brien said.
In 2005, O’Brien started the process of buying the farm from his parents. O’Brien milks his cows in a sideopening, 6-stall, individual-release parlor. It was built in 1962 by his dad with four stalls. Later, the last two stalls were added. O’Brien has one employee who milks the cows at 2 a.m. and 2 p.m. O’Brien’s milking procedure starts with pre-dipping. Then, he strips the teats before pre-dipping again, wiping the udder and putting on the milker. Af-
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 33
Farmers face barriers to mental health By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MARSHFIELD, Wis. — Dairy farmers often face unique stressors that are not understood by those outside the agricultural community. This can make it difcult for some farmers to feel understood when they reach for help. In a presentation during the central Wisconsin Farm Stress Summit, “Cutting Through the Manure to Get to the Roots of the Stress,” University of Wisconsin-Extension Marathon County educator Heather Schlesser spoke to members of both the medical and agricultural communities Jan. 26 at the Marsheld Clinic in Marsheld about stressors farmers face. Research funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture was conducted in 2021 using a focus group to learn what farmers perceived as their greatest challenges and what prevented them from reaching out for help. Three focus groups were established. Ten participants from across the state, six females and four males which included eight who had been farming for more than 20 years, were included in the study. Five dairy farmers participated in the discussion. “The objectives we had were to ask the participants to explain their farming subculture,” Schlesser said. “We wanted to know if they felt they had a subculture different from the general population, and if so, what was it? We also asked them to discuss resources that were available to farmers for farm stress. What did they know about, and what did
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they feel was available to them? We also wanted to identify how they wanted to be communicated with, as farmers.” The focus groups were conducted via video calls, using the anonymous call-in feature. “We wanted to make sure that the people who participated in the focus groups felt like they really had the ability to share without being singled out,” Schlesser said. Schlesser said all the sessions were recorded, with transcripts being put into a data analysis program, allowing them to look for commonalities. Using literature, Schlesser identied common stressors throughout the global agricultural community to compare if Wisconsin farmers perceived similar or different stress to their counterparts. “We wanted to identify if our farmers felt the same way as farmers in California or Iowa or Europe,” Schlesser said. Stressors Schlesser identied through literature included nancial difculties; time and workload pressures; unpredictability of the agricultural industry; detrimental weather events; interpersonal conicts with family and non-family; isolation and the process of farm transition. “These were all stressors our farmers could all relate to,” Schlesser said. “It wasn’t just in literature. It was what we were seeing here in Wisconsin, but they identied some additional stressors.” During the discussions, the data analysis program coded 81 comments as stressors, Schlesser said. “We had additional stressors that had not been previously identied,” Sch-
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lesser said. “One of those was management of the farm. What they meant by that was the stress of, ‘Who will manage the farm if I’m unable to do the chores?’ No one else had said that. It was getting at why don’t they seek help. One of their stressors is they can’t, because who will manage the farm if they’re away?” Schlesser said the focus group delved deeper into the stresses related to nancial management than what had been found in the literature. “This was related more to the stress of making the right decision to make the farm work nancially,” Schlesser said. “‘If I make decision A, will it make the farm better, more protable? Or will it end up collapsing the farm, losing it for the next generation?’” The pressure to continually improve and expand weighed on the minds of the focus group, Schlesser said. “This referred to the pressure of becoming more efcient, consolidating, improving and increasing their acres and livestock numbers,” Schlesser said. “We’ve seen that trend in agriculture, to constantly get bigger and bigger, and they see that as a stressor, the pressure to do that in order to make ends meet.” Not all the stressors facing the group of farmers were connected to the farm. “We classied it as ‘just life’ — the stress of just being a human, a parent,” Schlesser said. “The everyday life of running your kids to sporting events or after-school activities. To me, it was kind of eye-opening. They don’t just have the pressure of running the business. They have the stress of being normal humans as well.” Schlesser said the next question was to determine what the panel saw as bar-
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riers to seeking help. “We know we have these stressors, we know we need help, so why are we not getting that help that we need?” Schlesser said. “The largest barrier they identied was time and timing. This referred to the farmers’ inability to get away from the farm due to the workload and the time pressure. They don’t take the time away to visit a healthcare provider.” Schlesser said self-reliance, disconnect and stigma were identied as other barriers to seeking care. “There was a feeling that healthcare providers didn’t understand agriculture enough to genuinely empathize with the farmers seeking help,” Schlesser said. “We need to build a common language to help break down that barrier of disconnect.” Schlesser said understanding how farmers think can be difcult for healthcare professionals. “They want you to meet them where they are, mentally,” Schlesser said. “They are constantly thinking about farm life, the next chore that has to get done, even if they are sitting in the doctor’s ofce. They feel healthcare providers do not understand that farming is a 24/7 occupation. They can’t turn it off. They can’t leave it.” That understanding plays into developing a level of trust that farmers need with their healthcare provider, Schlesser said. “A farmer sitting in your ofce is really a cry for help,” Schlesser said. “It’s really important to understand that even if the farmer downplays the situation, if they are sitting in your ofce, treat it as an emergency situation.”
Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
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Whirlwinds of farming
I’ve always enjoyed talking to farmers and sharing their stories. Seeing the passion they hold for what they do daily always keeps me smiling. Coming from a farm myself, I know the work it takes to keep it running, especially when something goes wrong. One of the hardest and most eye-opening parts of writing for Dairy Star is getting to talk to farmers about their worst day and how they pushed through it. My family and I have been fairly lucky, normally having smaller problems or the common problem of a stubborn cow that takes the fence down. The worst day I remember is Aug. 28, 2021, when an unpredicted storm hit. At the time, I was working for Freeport State Bank. My coworker and I just locked up and were By Emily Breth getting ready to leave when it Staff Writer hit. Sitting in the cafe next door to wait it out, I got a call from my mom. She told me to not even get into my car. As I sat in the cafe watching all the vehicles shake, all that was on my racing mind was the farm. After almost an hour, my mom called asking if it had calmed down in town and told me I could head home. She also warned me to watch for power lines. During the drive home, I didn’t see much damage besides crops lying down. That was until I hit the small town of St. Anthony where the power lines were down. After another four painful minutes of driving, scared of what damage would be on the farm, I got home. Parking behind the house, due to a fallen tree, I ran to the house attempting to calm my fears. When I got into the house, I couldn’t nd anyone. I called all of my family members’ phones with no answer. That’s when my heart began to race and the tears came with the added fear for my family. I watched out the window, looking at the damage I could see from there, which wasn’t much compared to the actual damage. After about ve minutes, I heard them walk through the door, and I jumped up to hug my mom. They had gone to the neighbors to get a bigger skid loader. Relieved by this, my heart lightened a bit knowing they were safe. In total, we had two trees laying on a shop, another tree on a detached garage, one almost on the house and a window shattered in the milkhouse. A spare calf hut was destroyed, and our camper rolled 360 degrees into a tree. The roof and side of the pole barn were wrecked, and over 50 trees were down on the farm. After going around and taking pictures of everything, we got to work right away, in the sunshine, to clean the farm with help of neighbors and friends. If I learned anything from this experience, it’s that there are people who are willing to lend a helping hand, and a situation is only as bad as you let it be. That day, we got the trees off the buildings along with the ones that would eventually fall on buildings, patched the shop and cleaned up most of the debris. The following day, we learned there was an F4 funnel cloud that passed over the farm. The days we spent cleaning up reminded me of the reason we fought for the farm. Farming isn’t a job; it’s a lifestyle to raise a family on. I am grateful my parents kept the farm going, giving me the opportunity to learn the true meaning of hard work and how to treat others. I wouldn’t be the person I am if it wasn’t for my parents’ farm.
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Sharing dairy’s story This past month was lled with activity. I made many classroom visits, met with local radio stations and saw my gopher friends from the Minnesota State Fair again. January started with a radio interview at KCHK of New Prague, Minnesota. At this interview, I shared some of the things that I have been doing as Princess Kay. I also reected on my coronation and state fair experience. January was lled with classroom visits. I visited nearly 800 students. I started at an elementary school in Minneapolis where I spent the day presenting to students from On the Road with rst to eighth grade. The highlight of this visit was Princess Kay when the students and I went on a virtual tour of a dairy farm from the Midwest Dairy website. It was fun to see how many questions the students had about dairy farming. They were excited to see all the cows, and just like any tour of a dairy farm, the calves were their favorite. By Emma Kuball 70th Princess Kay of the During the next two Milky Way days, I visited an elementary school in St. Paul, Minnesota, with the rst through fourth grade students. We read about the jobs we do on our dairy farms to make sure our cows are happy and healthy. We also played a game to help us dene and identify dairy products. With all the classes that I attended, we nished off the visit by making a postcard to review what we learned. On the front of the postcard, the students drew a picture of one thing they wanted to remember from the activity, and on the back, they wrote a sentence about what they learned. These postcards are a perfect opportunity to share the dairy presentation with their families when they get home. I visited Zion Lutheran School Jan. 29, in Mayer, Minnesota. I visited students from preschool to fourth grade. I read a book about how dairy products are made, and we talked about the importance of dairy for our health. Tippy the cow from the Carver County Fair also joined me during this visit, and we handed out cheese sticks to the students at lunch. One of my favorite experiences during this visit was in the fourth-grade class. There were two boys who both grew up on farms and loved farming. As I was reading the book, the boys raised their hands and asked questions, or they shared more information with their classmates. They were great dairy ambassadors, even at this age. On Jan. 27, I visited the St. Paul Winter Carnival where I joined Fairborne and Fairchild, our Minnesota State Fair mascots, in the King Boreas Grande Day Parade. It was great to see all the people who came to enjoy the abnormally warm weather we were having for the end of January. Being a brave Minnesotan, it was fun to wear a dress for the parade rather than bundling up in my snow pants and jacket. My favorite part of January was getting to see all the support the Princess Kay program has across
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Minnesota through my parade, radio and school appearances. I met three of Princess Kay’s biggest fans at the Zion Lutheran School visit. My visit was the idea of three daughters of a local dairy farmer. Their parents told me all about their love for the Princess Kay program and how the girls dressed up as Princess Kay for Halloween. I met the girls on my visit, and it reminded me of how lucky we are to grow up in the dairy community. We get to see our parents’ and grandparents’ love for the dairy community as we grow our own passion. Perhaps I met three future Princess Kays that day.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 35
Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Emma Kuball, serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Kuball grew up in Waterville, Minnesota, working on her family’s sixth-generation dairy farm. She attends the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, studying agriculture education, and looks forward to becoming an FFA advisor. She enjoys reading, crocheting and baking. Her parents are Nate and Shannon Kuball. Princess Kay is 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 reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.
Smelling the seasons Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
Weather permitting, our dog, Bella, and I take a walk every day. Her job is to run ahead and scout for strange scents while mine is to tag along behind and superintend. One might think that there wouldn’t be anything for the dog to sniff out at this time of year, when the snow is deep and the countryside seems as lifeless as the far side of the moon. But, Bella invariably catches the scent of something interesting to dig for in the drifts and often emerges from her snowy excavations with a eld mouse. So much for the mouse’s best-laid plans. No rodent redolence ever reaches my olfactory orice, so Bella’s scent-ability is obviously far superior to mine. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy all things fragrant during our perambulations. In the early spring, the breeze carries the aroma of warming soil as the land awakens from its long wintertime hibernation. The earthy essence of rotting
marsh weeds wafts up from the slough as redwing blackbirds warble from their perches on dead cattails. Planting season brings with it the wondrous perfume of freshly turned earth. Manure, Mother Nature’s organic and aromatic fertilizer, is also being hauled and spread upon the land. I don’t like to brag, but I can easily discern — blindfolded! — if a specic manure has been produced by hogs or cattle or chickens. Not that there’s a huge demand for this particular skill, mind you. Haying season soon arrives. There’s nothing that says summer like the heavenly aroma of freshly cut alfalfa curing beneath the smiling June sun. In my experience, cutting hay all but guarantees that rainclouds will soon begin to boil up on the horizon. The afternoon sun warms the land, creating thermals that loft gigatons of water vapor up into the atmosphere. Ginormous knobs of popcorn appear in the distance, clouds that can quickly mushroom into
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stratospheric thunderheads that nearly reach low earth orbit. A summer thunderstorm might surf in on a glowering, blue-black scud cloud. The swift passing of the scud is heralded by a sudden shift in the wind and a sharp drop in temperature. These forerunners herald the news that it’s about to rain. Incandescent pitch- Dear County Agent Guy forks of electricity leap from the clouds, producing thunder that’s loud enough to be felt in your teeth. The cool, sweet scent of rain lls the nostrils. Each raindrop whispers the promise of a lush growing season. The heat of summer is soon upon us. Bella begins to disappear durBy Jerry Nelson ing her forays into the Columnist cornelds; the emerald plants are now growing as fast as Fourth of July skyrockets. It’s been said that you can hear corn grow on hot summer nights. My auditory abilities have never been sensitive enough to detect this, but the aroma of rapidly growing corn is unmistakable. Its syrupy perfume hints at the astronomical amounts of sunlight and water that are being converted into sugar. Late summer brings the dusty scent of golden windrows of oat straw roasting beneath a blistering midday sun. The smell of new straw reminds me of hot, itchy, sweaty afternoons spent stacking bales in our barn’s stiing hayloft. Autumn slips in like a thief. During my dog walks, I begin to detect the sharp tang of mature smartweed wafting up from the lowlands. The ripening corn and soybeans each add their own particular fragrance to the olfactory palette. In the cool of a still autumn evening, the musty aroma of mushrooms and rotting wood might drift from our grove. The combined fragrances of ripening crops and old wood reminds me of how corn and oak can work together to form that pleasing product known as bourbon. As Bella races down the rows of amber corn — feverishly chasing a wily pheasant — the brittle stalks rattle as if an elephant were dashing headlong through the eld. Stealth is not Bella’s strong suit at this time of year. The days shorten and winter arrives, locking away my scent landscape underneath an icy white shroud. The only fragrance that reaches my nostrils during our walks is the tangy smoke from a neighbor’s woodstove. For some reason, I nd this aroma deeply comforting. Back in our house, I might opt to create my own smell-scape by baking a loaf of homemade bread. Few things are ner than the luxurious perfume of fresh bread coming out of a hot oven on a cold day. Warm bread and hot coffee can innitely improve even the gloomiest midwinter day. I’ll slice the bread and melt some butter on it and toss a piece to Bella. Together, we’ll enjoy this simple treat and daydream about catching our rst whiff of spring. Jerry Nelson is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry works for Dairy Star as a staff writer and ad salesman. Feel free to email him at jerry.n@dairystar.com.
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Assessing a herd for hyperkeratosis
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 37
Recently, a farmer called me because a consultant had recommended changing pulsation settings in her parlor. This consultant thought that fewer of their cows might suffer from teat-end hyperkeratosis if the settings were changed. When I asked the farmer if her herd had a high Veterinary Wisdom incidence of hyperkeratosis, she said, “I don’t know.” “Well, if that is the case, it seems the rst thing we should do to answer the question is score teats on at least 80 cows on your dairy,” I said. She agreed, and I scored 320 teats on 80 high-producing cows the next day. 16% of cows By Jim Bennett had at least one teat that Columnist scored rough or very rough, with 10% of the 320 teats scoring rough or very rough. National Mastitis Council standards say that when either 20% of cows or 20% of teats score rough or very rough, there is likely to be a problem. However, I seldom nd more than 5% of teats and 8% of cows with rough or very rough teat ends on high-producing farms, so I felt that hyperkeratosis was somewhat of a problem on this dairy. My client’s farm is an elite dairy: extremely high production, beautiful cows, great animal health, etc., so the prevalence of rough teat ends stuck out as too high for this farm, and the farmer agreed. Plus, there were more teats that scored very rough, and more of those cows had long, pointy teats than I expected. Hyperkeratosis can be problematic because rough teat ends are more likely to lead to mastitis, and rough teat ends may increase milking time. Long, pointy teats may be genetic, but they also
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may develop from milking with improper design or operation of milking systems. Hyperkeratosis is usually caused by excessive time in low milk ow. Teat-end vacuum level is inversely related to milk ow, so low ows result in higher teat-end vacuum, and higher teat-end vacuum results in hyperkeratosis. In a perfect milking system, line vacuum and teat-end vacuum would be the same throughout the entire milking period. While this is theoretically possible in a low line system, it does not happen in high-producing cows at peak milk ow, because high milk ows reduce vacuum. Thus, line vacuum needs to be adjusted higher to achieve adequate peak ow vacuum. Any restriction between the teat end and the line means that line vacuum will need to be raised more to achieve adequate claw vacuum, which means more potential for teat exposure to high vacuum levels. There are two periods during milking where low ow, and thus high teat end vacuum, may be present: at the beginning and at the end. High vacuum may occur at the beginning of milking if udder stimulation or prep-lag time to attachment are not correct. High vacuum happens at the end of milking when milk ow declines and units are not promptly removed. Neither of these appeared to be a problem on this farm. However, line vacuum measured surprisingly high, even though the farm did have milk meters. The farm had a type of vacuum shut-off valves that, according to noted milking equipment expert Dr. David Reid, can cause signicant restriction to milk ow. Indeed, I was able to measure up to nearly 1 inch of vacuum difference between the inlet and the outlet of the shutoff valve. This means that the teat end vacuum is nearly 1 inch higher at the beginning and end of milking than it would need to be if not for the design of this valve. Besides causing hyperkeratosis, signicant differences between line vacuum and claw vacuum usually result in
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lower peak ow claw vacuum on the highest-producing cows. This results in longer milking unit on time, which can also cause more hyperkeratosis and potentially the harvest of less milk at every milking on the farm’s very best cows. So, anything that causes a restriction, such as this shut-off valve, for example, could result in more mastitis, longer milking times and less milk harvested. All of a sudden, those valves look very expensive. Milking systems should be designed and maintained to eliminate unnecessary restrictions to air and milk ow. High line systems need to have higher line vacuum to move milk, but if udder stimulation is good, prep-lag times are correct and units are taken off promptly when milk ow declines, adequate claw vacuum and rapid milk out can be achieved without causing signicant hyperkeratosis, even in high line systems. Milking cows correctly, safely and rapidly are keys to harvesting more milk and maintaining great udder health. Jim Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minnesota. He consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail.com.
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The beauty of redundancy Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
The beauty of redundancy lies well in line with how I prefer to labor. Given the choice, that means I labor as little and as leisurely as possible to achieve my goal. To be able to carry on and say, “I’ll take care of that tomorrow,” when something goes bad with an essential piece of equipment after all the part stores are closed for the day is golden. While it’s hard to justify having two of everything, it sure pays to have doubles of things that can’t break down without bringing the dairy to a halt. For us, one of those pieces of equipment that has to be functional is the skid loader. We have come to rely on skid loaders so much at our farm for manure handling, feeding cows and snow removal (on the years it’s not 50 degrees with green grass in January). If we don’t have at least one functional skid loader, we can’t do many of the
chores. I suppose I could grab a fork and a wheelbarrow and get scooping, but that doesn’t really appeal to my working-little-and-leisurely philosophy nor any version of reality. Moving 10,000 pounds of haylage a couple hundred yards and 1,800-pound bales seems a bit difcult to do by hand; although, with a large, properly motivated crew of guys, it could be done in a couple hours, and there would still be time for beers and a midday nap. We don’t happen to have a crew like that just hanging around ready to do so. Thankfully, we do have a second skid loader to ll in for what we lack in a mob of people with pitchforks at the ready. A couple weeks ago our Bobcat S650 couldn’t nd its joystick to control the driving part of operation. It caused kind of an issue, because at that moment, it was parked running with the arms in the
Today’s Consumption Tomorrow’s Production
air while I cut the strings off a large square bale of alfalfa to dump in the feeder wagons for evening feeding. When I got back in the skid loader, it just beeped at me and claimed it couldn’t locate the joystick I was holding in my left hand. I shut it off and turned it on again as you do with all electronic things that are being obstinate, but it still insist- From the Zweber Farm ed it couldn’t locate the left joystick. I turned it on and off a few more times to no avail. I unplugged and plugged in all available connectors. No good. I got frustrated and tried the last thing you should always try before giving up, which is hit it hard By Tim Zweber and see if that xes it. Farmer & Columnist Sometimes that works. Just yesterday, the bulk tank control box was making a humming noise. I bumped it, and the noise went away. It didn’t x the joystick, unfortunately, so Dad grabbed a tractor. We drug it off the yard out of the cows’ way. Apparently, joysticks do not commonly fail and are accordingly expensive and take a week to get without paying an absurd price to ship it in two days. I got the new joystick and installed it only to have the skid loader complain about three more electronic related issues, which I doubted existed so I loaded it on the trailer and dropped it off at the dealer to gure out why it was being so whiny. At least I could drive it on the trailer with the new joystick, because short of hiring a atbed with a winch to haul it, I have never gured out how to move a disabled skid loader other than dragging it. They found a bad wiring connection and xed a few other things I’d been putting off because I didn’t feel like folding myself into a pretzel under the cab until absolutely necessary. I hope you’re enjoying the April weather we are having in February. Until next time, keep living the dream. May all your mechanical problems be solved simply by a well-placed tap. Tim Zweber farms with his wife, Emily, their three children and his parents, Jon and Lisa, near Elko, Minnesota.
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The power of passion, purpose, pairs Recently, we have been discussing goals, one of which is to focus on calf health, specically pneumonia, in our calves during the rst 100 days of age. Anyone who has ever worked with dairy farms that raise replacements understands the challenges that arise during the rst few months of life, more specically, respiratory challenges. It is especially frustrating because the lungs, once affected, are never the same. Numerous research
The NexGen: Adventures of two dairy daughters
By Megan Schrupp & Ellen Stenger Columnists trials have demonstrated the costs of a case of pneumonia as it relates to the cost of decreased milk production during lactation, increased age at rst calving, increased risk of leaving the herd and subsequent risk for additional cases of disease. With tight margins and the increased expense of heiferrearing programs, mitigating respiratory disease and ensuring high-quality springers enter the milking herd are paramount. If you are unfamiliar with our dairy farm, our calf housing system is slightly different than most. We background our Jersey calves in huts for the rst few weeks of age, then they move into a group-housed, but individually fed monoslope calf barn. The groups in this building consist of six calves fed in headlocks with a bottle holder attached. Our calf huts are a conglomeration of all brands that have been acquired over the years, with cattle panels attached to the fronts, bent in a “U” shape to allow for free outdoor access. Historically, our calves were raised through weaning in calf huts, as they are on many dairies, for the perceived health benets and ease of identication of illness. However, our industry is changing, and there are new considerations to take into effect, such as calf socialization, labor costs, the effects of stress on immunity and growth, and also consumer perceptions of individual calf housing. The stress on calves is often overlooked. Two common stress points in calf programs are weaning and commingling. Our calves are moved into group pens weeks before weaning, and that transition occurs smoothly for us in our calf barn. However, our pinch point was when calves entered our calf barn, moving from individual huts to their rst small group of six. When everything else in a management program seems to be right where it needs to be, creative ideas and potential solutions need to be
developed to remove bottlenecks to success. Calves are extremely social creatures, and commingling can be stressful. Therefore, we decided to experiment with pair housing in calf huts before commingling. Calves would then no longer face the stress of commingling alone. The effect on reducing stress and, therefore, our incidence of pneumonia that this one change has made to our calf program is incredible. If you have ever considered the pairing process, it is extremely simple. We pair at about 14 days, ensuring that both calves are healthy, drinking at a similar rate and about the same age. It is also best to try to pair calves earlier in life than later, within a few weeks of age, ensuring that they each have 35 square feet of space. To pair them, we open our two calf panels, each on the nearest side to the subsequent hut, and use a snap to clip the panels together, creating a larger “U” shape. We then place a poly door from our calf huts across the gap between the two huts. A major observation is that paired calves always lay together in the same hut; however, they will return to their separate huts when bottles are placed for feeding without any guidance from calf feeders. Calves also consume starters much earlier and in larger quantities when paired versus when they were raised individually. Cattle are social eaters. Eating calf starter is critical for rumen development and a successful transition through the weaning period, not to mention the increases in average daily gains. To minimize cross-sucking, calves need to be fed at a higher rate than 2 quarts. We feed our Jerseys 3 quarts of pasteurized waste milk, but higher levels could be fed for larger calves. Bottle rather than pail feeding is another recommendation, including the length of time bottles remain in holders. We leave all our bottles in holders until all the calves have emptied them. This allows dominant calves to continue sucking on nipples after milk has been consumed, allowing time for feelings of satiety and fatigue. Now, more than ever, our dairy industry is being challenged with nancial efciency, sustainability and animal care. All areas of the dairy are being considered, especially heiferrearing programs. Heifers are expensive to raise, and returning healthy springers to the dairy is critical to success in the milking herd. Also, now more than ever, we are faced with increasing consumer pressures to ensure our cattle can socialize with each other and express natural behaviors. The addition of pair raising to our calf program is a key management strategy that we now use on our dairy that has almost zero cost, minimizes a critical stress pinch point and is preparing our dairy to move into the next generation of dairy farming. 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.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Page 39
BENEFITS OF USING DIRECTIONAL DRILLING INSTALLATION INCLUDE:
Ŷ Continuation of Normal Operation Ŷ Avoidance of identi¿ed Infrastructure Installation Ŷ Maintain Integrity of Driveway, Roadways, Buildings, and Natural Features Ŷ Little to No Disturbance to Wetlands or Other Sensitives Areas Ŷ Many Unique Installation Capabilities Vs. Open Cutting/Digging (Entering underBuildings or Tanks) Ŷ Minimal Site Restoration
PRODUCT INSTALLATION
Ŷ Water Lines/Water Mains Ŷ Drainage/ Tile Lines Ŷ Forced/ On Grade Sewer Ŷ Manure Transfer Lines
Ŷ Gas Lines Ŷ Power Wire/ Lines Ŷ Communication/ Fiber Optic
Land Improvements
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2024
“The biggest benefit I see with GEA’s DairyRotor is our ability to milk 60 cows in 8 minutes. And we’re seeing complete milkouts in 3 minutes, 15 seconds with 60% of milk harvested in the first 2 minutes.” MIGUEL GARCIA | PARLOR MANAGER, DOUBLE P DAIRY
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Double P Dairy in Marathon City, Wisconsin, is redefining efficiency with a parlor system that delivers consistent milking performance and record-breaking returns. Think you can beat that? Take your herd for a lap around GEA’s DairyRotor. Contact Your Local GEA Milking Equipment Dealer: Central Ag Supply, Inc. ĉ΄˷ɤǸ΄ռڒLjÅڒգڒԚԑԏ՟ԓԙԗ՟ԑԗԐԐ AǸͅǸȿ̇̇ռڒLjÅڒգڒԗԏԙ՟ԓԕԗ՟ԙԓԙԔ Centre Dairy Equipment and Supply Inc. Sauk Centre, MN ԓԑԏ՟ԓԕԑ՟ԕԘԗԑڒգڒԙԏԏ՟ԓԔԑ՟ԑԗԚԘ Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems _̻ῼ̇͵ʔռڒÅ ڒգڒԕԗԓ՟ԙԘԗ՟ԓԏԙԘ Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. ĘǸ˷ɆǸͣ͵ɤͅռڒLjÅڒգڒԙԏԏ՟ԙԙԘ՟ԔԗԓԔ žʧɆʔ˓Ǹ˷ɒڒIɤ˷͵ɤͅռڒLjÅڒգڒԗԏԙ՟ԗԔԘ՟ԔԔԙԙ J Gile Dairy Equipment, Inc. I΄ȿǸڒIʧ͵ηռڒLjÅڒգڒԗԏԙ՟ԘԔԔ՟ԑԗԗԐ
Leedstone, Inc. ģɤ˓̇ͣͅɤռڒģīڒգڒԙԏԏ՟ԚԚԗ՟ԓԓԏԓ ˓ɤ˷Ɇ̇ɤռڒģīڒգڒԙԘԘ՟ԙԗԔ՟ԕԕԘԕ Ŷ˓Ǹʧ˷ΥʧɤΩռڒģīڒգڒԙԏԏ՟ԕԔԙ՟ԕԑԔԏ Midwest Livestock Systems ģɤ˷̇˰̇˷ʧɤռڒLjÅڒգڒԘԐԕ՟ԑԓԕ՟ԕԐԔԔ ǭ΄˰ȿ̇ͅ͵ǸռڒģīڒգڒԕԏԘ՟Ԙԓԑ՟ԔԗԘԓ žɤ˷˷ɤͅռڒƋTڒգڒԗԏԕ՟ԑԘԔ՟ԓԗԕԗ Midwest Livestock Systems Kozlovsky Dairy Equipment ĎǸ΄ˋǸ΄˷ǸռڒLjÅڒգڒԚԑԏ՟ԘԕԚ՟Ԛԑԑԓ Ljɤͣ͵̇˷ռڒLjÅڒգڒԘԐԕ՟ԑԚԙ՟ԗԑԕԗ Monroe Westfalia Surge ģ̇˷̇ͅɤռڒLjÅڒգڒԗԏԙ՟ԓԑԕ՟ԑԘԘԑ
Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Rock Valley, IA ԘԐԑ՟ԔԘԗ՟ԕԗԏԙڒգڒԙԏԏ՟Ԛԗԑ՟ԔԓԔԗ İ˓͵̇˷ռڒƋTڒգڒƋɤͅΥʧɆɤڒڒԙԏԏ՟ԚԔԔ՟ԐԑԐԘ _ɒʊɤͅ͵̇˷ռڒģīցڒIʔɤ˰ʧɆǸ˓ڒƋǸ˓ɤͣڒڒ ԕԏԘ՟Ԛԑԏ՟ԙԗԑԗ Stanley Schmitz, Inc. Iʔʧ˓͵̇˷ռڒLjÅڒգڒԚԑԏ՟ԙԔԚ՟ԔԑԏԚ Tri-County Dairy Supply ĉǸ˷ɤͣΥʧ˓˓ɤռڒLjÅڒգڒԗԏԙ՟ԘԕԘ՟ԑԗԚԘ Preston Dairy Equipment Ƌ̻Ǹͅ͵ǸռڒLjÅڒգڒԗԏԙ՟ԑԗԚ՟ԓԙԓԏ