March 11, 2023 Dairy Star - 2nd section

Lucky Linda ages to the top

Redhead Creamery wins with natural rind cheddar

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

BROOTEN, Minn. – Alise Sjostrom was expecting the results of the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest to be announced Feb. 23. Her anticipation was growing the day before, wondering if either of the two cheeses she had entered in the category of natural rind cheddar would fare well.

“I was purposely trying to forget about it,” Sjostrom said.

Then, her mom told her somebody had posted online that Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese had won rst place in a different category.

“I thought, ‘Wait a minute. How do you know that?’” Sjostrom said.

She decided right then to peek at the contest’s website.

Sjostrom is master cheesemaker for Redhead Creamery in Brooten, a business she owns with her husband, Lucas Sjostrom, and her parents, Jerry and Linda Jennissen. The creamery is located on the Jennissen farm where Sjostrom grew up. It produces 60,000 pounds of cheese every year.

When Sjostrom looked at the contest website, she said she could not contain her excitement.

“I gasped and started jumping up and down,” Sjostrom said.

Redhead Creamery’s Lucky Linda clothbound cheddar had taken rst place in its class. And, that was not all. Out of 2,249 entries of cheese in all categories, Lucky Linda was picked as one of the top 20. The judges had

place in its category at this year’s U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.

scored it 98.6 out of 100.

The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is held every other year, and Sjostrom entered cheese before. She said the contest organizers have a lot of cheese to sort and organize for the judges to taste because each entry must use a numbering system that removes all the branding from the product so the judging remains unbiased.

Lucky Linda cheddar had been through the process several times.

“I’ve sent the Lucky Linda to this competition every year (since rst making it),” Sjostrom said. “These contests have a technical aspect and an aesthetic aspect. On the technical side, I haven’t always done as well, but with the Lucky Linda, I always do well. So, I always send that cheese,

and it has continued to improve every year in the competition.”

The cheese has earned as high as fourth place in previous contests.

“The particular batch this year was about 8 months old; we always want something that’s a little more Turn to REDHEAD CREAMERY | Page 4

TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR

Alise Sjostrom holds a round of cheese in October 2022 outside of Redhead Creamery near Brooten, Minnesota. The creamery’s Lucky Linda clothbound cheddar won rst

aged because they tend to taste better,” Sjostrom said. “We just always send it and cross our ngers. I didn’t think this year was better than any other year necessarily, but the judges did.”

Besides entering Lucky Linda again, this was the rst year Sjostrom entered Redhead Creamery’s Margie clothbound cheddar. It took fth place for its maiden entry.

“We just started doing Margie as a clothbound cheddar,” Sjostrom said. “We have been nding through the process of making our cheddars that we like how they taste when they are clothed, and they are a little bit more easily maintained when they are aging.”

Although both Lucky Linda and Margie are clothbound cheddars, they are styled differently.

“Margie is a little sweeter, sharper cheddar than the Lucky Linda and more tailored to the American palate,” Sjostrom said. “Lucky Linda is based off of the more traditional English style.”

The win means a lot for the creamery, Sjostrom said.

“Some people know who we are, but in my mind, this makes us look a lot more legit, that we are making something good,” Sjostrom said. “It’s really exciting and shows that we are able to make good, quality cheeses in

the middle of nowhere in Minnesota.” Sjostrom’s staff is excited too.

“It’s been a unique year for us in that I’ve had a few health issues in the last year and some of our staff have had some family things that have gone on,” Sjostrom said. “We’re a very close group, and this year has been very hard, so this win is really exciting and fun for us to motivate us and get us going again.”

The excitement and motivation will benet the many new plans on the horizon at Redhead Creamery.

“We’re working on our whey spirits project and planning to break ground this spring and get that rolling,” Sjostrom said.

The building of the distillery onsite will also involve expansions of the existing tasting room and cheeseaging space.

“(The distillery) will provide an additional opportunity for people to taste spirits that are made out of milk and whey,” Sjostrom said. “We’re excited for that.”

With all the facility changes, Redhead Creamery will still hold its annual Curd Fest June 17 at the creamery. The event includes live music, food trucks, other food makers and vendors, all for what Sjostrom said is a celebration of agriculture and cheese curds.

Redhead Creamery’s Lucky Linda cheddar is fashioned in the tradi onal English style. The cheese is clothbound for aging, which Alise Sjostrom, owner and master cheesemaker at the creamery, said adds avor and makes the cheese more easily maintained while it ages.

For Sjostrom herself, the announcement of Lucky Linda’s win was followed by something even greater.

“I always look up to other cheese companies and other cheese makers,”

Sjostrom said. “Getting all of the text messages and social media messages from fellow cheesemakers was actually more rewarding to me because they have all been helping me so much in the last 10 to 12 years.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED

“It’s really exciting and shows that we are able to make good, quality cheeses in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota.”

ALISE SJOSTROM

Caprine Farming

Colostrum management for the dairy goat kid

By Jennifer Bentley Dairy field specialist, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Feeding kids the correct amount of high-quality colostrum immediately after birth is one of the most important management practices in kid management. Colostrum is so important that sometimes it is called liquid gold.

The importance of colostrum

All mammals produce colostrum. It is the thick, yellowish, rst milk produced by the female after she gives birth. Colostrum is rich in energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Most importantly, it contains maternal antibodies that help protect the newborn from disease pathogens during the early part of its life. Immediately after birth, kids are exposed to a variety of infectious agents present in the environment, the doe and other goats. Without any protection from these infectious organisms, the kids may become diseased and die.

At birth, the kid does not carry any antibodies against these organisms because antibodies in the doe’s bloodstream do not cross the placenta. However, these antibodies are concentrated in the colostrum and provide a natural

and efcient source of protection against many intestinal, respiratory and other diseases.

Vaccinating for diseases such as enterotoxemia and tetanus prior to kidding is important, because antibodies against these diseases will then be contained in the colostrum. Additionally, colostrum provides the energy needed to stay warm and acts as a laxative to ensure excretion of meconium.

Three keys to colostrum feeding

To achieve the desired effects of colostrum, kid managers should focus on three factors: timing of feeding, the quantity fed and colostrum quality.

– Feed colostrum as soon as possible.

The immunoglobulins found in colostrum are large proteins. Kids have openings in the small intestines to accommodate the protein’s absorption, but these openings close shortly after birth. Absorption of these antibodies is most efcient the rst few hours after birth. Ideally, kids should receive half of their colostrum within the rst four hours of birth and the total colostrum amount within 24 hours. After 24 hours, the kid’s ability to absorb antibodies has di-

Turn to COLOSTRUM | Page 7

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Feeding kids the correct amount of high-quality colostrum immediately a er birth is one of the most important management prac ces in kid management.

minished.

– Feed colostrum at a minimum of 10% of the kid’s bodyweight.

This means that a 10-pound kid should receive 16 ounces of colostrum within 24 hours of birth. Try to feed 50% of the total colostrum needed as soon as possible and the other 50% within 24 hours, 2-3 ounces at 3-4 hour intervals. Hand milking the doe and bottle feeding the kid is the most certain method of insuring a known intake.

Colostrum should be fed at body temperature (102-103 degrees). Kids that are too weak to bottle feed can be fed using a stomach tube. However, it is not recommended to tube kids with a subnormal temperature or kids that are unable to at least lay upright on their own. These animals need more intensive therapy. A small catheter (exible, rubber like tube), obtainable from a veterinarian or farm supply, attached to a 60 cc syringe (holds 2 ounces) makes an ideal stomach tube. Measure and mark how far the tube needs to go in by starting from the kid’s nose to center of the ear and back down to the kid’s last rib.

To insert the tube, hold the kid between your knees in the upright position. Gently advance the tube toward the back of animal’s mouth. The animal should swallow as the tube is advanced. Feel the tube on the left side of the animal’s neck. Fill the syringe with warm milk and let uid trickle in via gravity. When pulling the tube out, pull slowly, squeezing or pinching the end of the tube so any remaining liquid does not come out while removing the tube.

– Use high-quality colostrum.

High-quality colostrum contains 50 mg or more of immunoglobulin G. The concentration of IgGs decreases rapidly after parturition. The sooner colostrum is harvested from the doe, the better. Once colostrum is collected, it should be fed within 1-2 hours of collection or refrigerated immediately. If refrigerated, it should be fed within 24-48 hours to limit bacterial growth. If not fed within that time period, freeze in small quantities.

Colostrum sources

Colostrum from fresh females in your own herd is the best source of colostrum because it will have custommade antibodies. If this is not possible, frozen colostrum from the herd is the next best source. If you have the opportunity to harvest extra colostrum from a healthy, older doe, this is good colostrum to freeze and have on hand. It is best to freeze colostrum in small quantities which can be stored up to one year. Ice-cube trays work well to freeze small quantities; the cubes can then be stored in bags. Colostrum must be thawed carefully so the antibodies are not destroyed. A warm water bath less than 120 degrees will prevent antibodies from being destroyed.

Cow colostrum can serve as a substitute for goat colostrum, but because cow’s milk is not as nutritious as goat’s milk, more volume (about one-third) must be fed to kids. Although Johne’s disease is not as common in goats as it is in cattle, it is still advised to get cow colostrum from a herd that has tested negative for Johne’s. Colostrum supplements are nutritious and can be used to increase the amount of IgG fed when no other source of colostrum is available, but they cannot replace high-quality colostrum. They do not contain sufcient quantities of antibodies.

Colostrum replacer is labeled for any product able to raise IgG concentration above 10 mg/ml. These products are bovine serum-based and contain at least 100 g of IgG per liter, plus fat, protein, vitamins and minerals needed by the newborn. In dairy calf trials, calves fed colostrum replacers have performed as well as calves fed maternal colostrum.

Milk replacer should never be a substitute for colostrum and should not be fed until kids are over 24 hours old.

Precautions

Producers who are attempting to develop a Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis free herd must be concerned with the source of colostrum used, because CAE can be transmitted from infected does to their offspring via colostrum. The surest way to prevent this transmission is by isolating all newborns at birth and not allowing them to nurse the mother.

Colostrum can be harvested and heat-treated to eliminate the CAE virus as well as other pathogens transmitted through colostrum (Mycoplasma, Caseous lymphadenitis, Johne’s, etc.). Colostrum from any doe may be heated to between 133-139 degrees and held at that temperature for one hour to inactivate the virus. An accurate thermometer is important. It is recommended to use a water bath or double boiler to regulate the temperature more closely. A large batch may be heat-treated and frozen in small feeding-size portions for later use (about 1 pint per kid). If heated higher than 140 degrees, the usefulness of the colostrum will be greatly reduced due to denaturing of proteins, including benecial antibodies to other infectious microorganisms. Additionally, colostrum heated to 140 degrees or over turns into a pudding-like consistency that is not conducive to feeding kids.

Colostrum is vital for kid viability and survival. Timing, volume and quality are the three important factors when considering a colostrum management program. Passive immunity against several infectious diseases can be transmitted from the doe to the kid via colostrum. Producers should evaluate their genetic, nutritional and health management programs to develop a well-managed colostrum program.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Colostrum is vital for kid viability and survival. Timing, volume and quality are the three important factors when considering a colostrum management program.

The “Mielke” Market Weekly By

Lee Mielke

Fluid milk sales continue to drop

The February federal order Class III benchmark milk price was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at $17.78 per hundredweight, down $1.65 from January, $3.13 below February 2022 and the lowest it has been since September 2021.

Late Friday morning Class III futures had the March price at $17.79; April, $17.61; May, $17.88; and June at $18.37, with a peak of $19.80 in November.

The February Class IV price is $18.86, down $1.15 from January, $5.14 below a year ago and the lowest Class IV since November 2021.

As reported last week, U.S. uid milk sales continue to ounder, down 3.7% in December and down 2.4% for all of 2022. Some of the blame is put on plant-based beverages, and the dairy industry has been calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to stop such products from using dairy terms like milk; however, the FDA’s recent draft guidance does not stop such usage.

HighGround Dairy President Eric Meyer, speaking in the March 6 “Dairy Radio Now” broadcast, said the dairy industry seems to have lost the term milk and probably should have done more earlier to head that off. He said the FDA directive is a “doubleedged sword,” that forces plant-based manufacturers to publish data on nutrition, concluding it is confusing for consumers that nutrition differs under the term milk. “There’s no explanation about use of the term,” Meyer said.

There are some state legislators who are upset over this, according to Meyer, so previous legislation from 2017 that would address this may be reintroduced. “The ght remains,” he said, “but the government seems to have allowed for this use of the term milk, and that’s almost not up for debate anymore and needs to go through the congressional process to try and get that back.”

Meyer does not believe the dairy industry should give up on trying to turn around uid milk sales and said certain innovations have returned value to the farmer. “It may not be a volume play,” he said, “but more of a margin play for the consumer of uid milk versus the others. I’ll drink to that.”

Shelves are fattening up. USDA’s January cold storage report puts Jan. 31 butter stocks at 262.7 million pounds, up 46.4 million pounds, or 21.4%, from December, and 43.3 million pounds, or 19.7%, more than January 2022.

Butter stocks had trailed year ago levels for 16 consecutive months until December. January is the second month to reverse that.

American cheese stocks fell to 818.8 million pounds, down 6.5 million pounds, or 0.8%, from December, and 18.8 million, or 2.2%, below a year ago.

The other cheese category crept up to 598.9 million pounds, up 3.3 million pounds, or 0.5%, from December, and up 15 million, or 2.6%, above a year ago.

The total cheese inventory slipped to 1.441 billion pounds, down 4.1 million pounds, or 0.3%, from December, and 4.1 million, or 0.3%, above a year ago.

Exports likely kept cheese inventories in check. It remains to be seen if that will be the case in 2023.

USDA’s 2022 cold storage summary shows that June had the biggest inventory of butter on hand at 330.8 million pounds. That compares to a peak of 414.7 million pounds in June 2021.

The biggest month for total cheese storage was July at 1.521 billion pounds, up from 1.469 billion in March 2021.

Cash dairy prices saw little reaction to the January cold storage data, though the cheddar blocks jumped 3 cents the following Monday, hitting $1.91 per pound. They closed the rst Friday of March at $1.95, up 7 cents on the week but 20 cents below a year ago when they jumped 20.50 cents.

The cheddar barrels gained a nickel Monday, hitting $1.59, then headed lower, falling to $1.53 Thursday, lowest since Nov. 24, 2021, but nished Friday at $1.5750, up 3.50 cents on the week, 39.50 cents below a year ago and 37.50 cents below the blocks.

Sales totaled nine cars of block for the week and 26 for the month of February, down from 27 in January. There were 25 carloads of barrel sold on the week, 20 on Friday and 127 for the month, up from 89 in January.

Midwest cheese processors tell Dairy Market

News demand is steady to strong. Cheddar and Italian cheesemakers say demand is being met, and production is busy with ample milk. As has been the case since the early days of the pandemic, plant managers are seeing extra downtime sporadically during the workweek, but production remains fairly busy. Barrel producers are nding some balance in inventories. Customer needs are being met, and any buildups of cheese are usually alleviated within two weeks of production. Spot milk is widely available at similar prices to previous weeks. Market tones are “more neutral than bullish or bearish,” said DMN, due to the large block-barrel price gap.

Looking west, domestic cheese demand is steady from retail and food service purchasers; however, some pizza producers report lightened demand and below forecast sales. Contract sales remain at a steady pace nishing second quarter bookings with some sold out inventories through May. Export demand is mixed. Asian market demand is strong according to some. Barrel inventories are staying ahead of blocks. Cheese output remains strong to steady with plentiful to ample milk available, according to DMN.

Cash butter gained 2 cents Monday but suffered a 7-cent relapse Wednesday and headed lower from there to a Friday nish at $2.3450 per pound, down 8.50 cents on the week, lowest in ve weeks, and 34 cents below a year ago. There were six cars sold on the week and 41 for February, up from 30 in January.

Butter plants report that demand tones have yet to shift in either direction but continue to edge on “the slower side,” said DMN. Buyers are approaching with caution as market prices have slipped. Butter availability has grown in the early months of 2023, and bulk butter interests have slowed. Cream is widely available, and some Midwestern producers are full. Contacts expect a seasonal demand push in the upcoming weeks, however, as the spring holidays approach.

Cream is plentiful in the West and demand for it remains steady to light. Churns are running steady to strong, working through cream volumes. Retail demand is light. Some stakeholders report heavy in-

ventories due to below forecasted retail sales. Export demand has lessened, according to DMN.

Grade A nonfat dry milk was not helped by Tuesday’s Pulse and closed Friday at $1.1775 per pound, down 3.75 cents on the week, lowest CME price since March 29, 2021, and 69.50 cents below a year ago. There were eight sales for the week and 42 for the month, down from 50 in January.

Cash dry whey closed the week at 44.50 cents per pound, down 2 cents on the week and 31.25 cents below a year ago. Sales totaled nine for the week and nine for the month, down from 66 in January.

Dairy producers know rst-hand that protability is taking a dive. One more conrmation of that is in USDA’s latest ag prices report. The January milk feed price ratio fell to 1.73, down from 1.84 in December, lowest since August 2022, and compares to 2.16 in January 2022.

The index is based on the current milk price in relationship to feed prices for a ration consisting of 51% corn, 8% soybeans and 41% alfalfa hay. In other words, 1 pound of milk would only purchase 1.73 pounds of dairy feed of that blend.

The All Milk price average fell for the third month in a row, hitting $23.10 per hundredweight, down $1.60 from December, after losing 90 cents the month before, and is $1.10 below January 2021.

California’s price averaged $23.90 per cwt, down $1.60 from December, and 50 cents below a year ago. Wisconsin’s, at $22, was down $1.30 from December, and $1.40 below a year ago.

The national corn price averaged $6.64 per bushel, up 6 cents from December after jumping 9 cents the month before, and is $1.06 above January 2022.

Soybeans climbed to $14.50 per bushel, up a dime, after jumping 40 cents the previous month, and are $1.60 per bushel above January 2022.

Alfalfa hay averaged $263 per ton, down $6 from December, but is $48 per ton above a year ago.

Looking at the cow side of the ledger, the January cull price for beef and dairy combined averaged $81.70 per cwt, up $4.80 from December, $10.10 above January 2022 and $10.10 above the 2011 base average.

As for the income over feed calculation, dairy economist Bill Brooks, of Stoneheart Consulting in Dearborn, Missouri, sayid, “The drop in feed costs offset the third highest January All Milk price and dropped the income over feed from the previous month and to the lowest level since October 2021.”

Income over feed costs in January were above the $8 per cwt level needed for steady to increasing milk production for the 16th month running, he said. Soybeans and alfalfa hay set new all-time record high prices in January, and all three commodities were in the top two for January all time. Feed costs were the highest ever for the month of January and the ninth highest all time. The All Milk price dropped out of the top 20 at the 23rd highest recorded. The ratio was below the ve-year average for the eighth month running, Brooks said, as the average ratio for January is 2.17.

For 2022, milk income over feed costs were $12.21 per cwt, according to Brooks, and 2022 income over feed was above the level needed to maintain or grow milk production and $4.42 per cwt above the 2021 level and $2.80 higher than the 201721 average.

“Looking at 2023, milk income over feed costs (using Feb. 28 CME futures prices for Class III milk, corn and soybeans plus the Stoneheart forecast for alfalfa hay) are expected to be $8.27 per cwt, a gain of 64 cents per cwt versus last month’s estimate. 2023 income over feed would be close to the level needed to maintain or grow milk production, but down $3.94 per cwt from 2022’s level,” Brooks said.

Meanwhile the latest Margin Watch from Chicago-based Commodity and Ingredient Hedging LLC said, “Dairy margins increased modestly over the second half of February as declining milk prices and projected feed costs were mostly offsetting. An increase in monthly milk production weighed on Class III futures in the past week.”

The MW detailed the January milk production and cold storage reports, which I previously reported, and looked at the USDA’s annual Outlook Forum.

The MW said, “The forum projects a return to trendline yields in the upcoming season for both corn and soybeans which is expected to increase production and ending stocks for the 2023-24 marketing year. The 620-million-bushel projected increase for corn ending stocks likely pressured the corn market relative to soybean meal.”

The Feb. 28 Global Dairy Trade Pulse saw 2.2 million pounds of Fonterra whole milk powder sold, unchanged from the Feb. 14 Pulse, at $3,285 per metric ton.

HighGround Dairy stated, “Despite indication from SGX traders that March WMP settlements should tick higher, last settling at $3,350 per metric ton overnight, the GDT Pulse reected a $30 drop from the prior February auction and was a $58 per MT drop, or down 1.8%, from the SGX February 2023 futures settlement of $3,268 per MT.”

In politics, the Consortium for Common Food Names and Agri-Pulse joined congressional leaders on Capitol Hill this week to discuss efforts by certain trading partners to monopolize common food and beverage names under the guise of deeming them geographical indications.

The event highlighted the need for more focused and assertive U.S. government actions to counter these growing trade barriers and protect the rights of American producers, the CCFN said.

The International Dairy Foods Association said it is working to prevent the USDA from making drastic cuts in benets to the 6 million mothers and children participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC.

55” Panel Fans

An IDFA press release stated, “As part of ongoing efforts to preserve WIC dairy benets, IDFA spoke with Brittany Oxley, a WIC participant from Charleston, West Virginia, who also works as a medical assistant helping mothers and children in the WIC program. A mother of two, Brittany said, ‘Most mothers I work with are just in the program for the milk. They rely on this every month. That would be hard to explain to a mother why they cut the milk. I work with WIC moms and children every single day, and to do something like this makes no sense.’”

Cooperatives Working Together member cooperatives accepted ve offers of export assistance this week that helped capture sales of 456,000 pounds of American-type cheese and 84,000 pounds of cream cheese.

The product is going to customers in Asia and Middle East-North Africa through July and raise CWT’s 2023 exports to 10.7 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 50,000 pounds of butter, 17.8 million pounds of whole milk powder and 1.3 million pounds of cream cheese. The products are going to 15 countries and are the equivalent of 239.7 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

OBERHOLTZER AUCTIONS

Special Dairy Sale

THURSDAY March 16th 11 a.m.

EARLY CONSIGNMENTS

2 fresh 3yr old cows milking 95 and 115. AI breeding, nice! 6 Holstein tiestall cows in various stages of lactation, some are bred back. 6 springing Holstein heifers due April 17th to 25th. AI breeding and fully vaccinated. Quality heifers from a reputation seller!

PENDING: 63 Holstein tiestall cows. 73 lbs, 185 scc.

ADVANCE NOTICE

March 23rd Auction

150 tie tall cows complete dispersal. 120 milking, 30 dry. Holstein with a few Jerseys and crosses. Also 2 Red and White Holsteins. Tank average is 74 lbs milk with 23,500 RHA on high forage ration. Herd is on official test, vaccinated and regular hoof trimming. Ai breeding and closed herd for 20 plus years. Cows are out every day for exercise. There are some absolute top shelf fresh heifers and mature cows in this herd!! Also some cows for every budget. Glasbrenner Farms, Boscobel

ADVANCE NOTICE

Lawn & Garden Auction

Saturday April 8th at our Thorp location

We are looking for consignments of Lawn Mowers, Tillers, ATV’s and small engine items in working condition. Auction will be broadcast live on Hibid and Equipment Facts. To consign call Phillip at 715-937-5106

OBERHOLTZER AUCTIONS - THORP

Formerly Turenne Livestock

SALE EVERY MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY 5:00 PM

Selling Baby Calves, Hogs, Sheep, Goats, Feeder Cattle, Fat Cattle, Market Cows and Bulls

VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET PRICES

Call 712-432-5500 for daily market report

• The highest air ow in a circulation fan - 33,900 CFM.

• Cast aluminum blades have a lifetime warranty.

• Totally enclosed maintenance free, high ef ciency motors have a full two year warranty.

Model VP CA: Belt Drive, 1 HP, 115/230 volt, 9.6/4.8 amps single phase one speed 587 rpm

JWO NOTES & MARKET REPORT:

Big enough to make a difference, small enough to care!

A company that cleans slaughter houses is getting a fine for hiring children. I thought they should get a medal and the youngsters a gold star for wanting to work.

Sold over 500 dairy cows on a mostly steady market. Many good cows $1,500-2,350. Top $2,650 Arlin High, Loyal. $2,400, $2,400 Breezy Hill Acres, Fennimore.

Sold 135 dairy heifers. Springers $1,450-1,900. Opens and short breds $1.05-1.30. Jersey heifers 90-1.01. Single birth Holstein heifer calves $40 - 105. Breeding Bulls $1,025-1,350. Market Bulls up to $108.50. Choice Holstein steers and Heifers $138-149. Beef cross up to $1.51. Holstein feeder steers $116-142.50. Beef cross feeders up to $180.

Holstein bull calves $110-200. Top $205 Harvey Kilmer, Thorp. Beef cross calves $220-325. 20% of Market cows sold $84-96. Individual $1.01. 50% sold $69-82.50. Only 5 cows under $55.

Hay market continues to trend higher. 3x3x8 Alfalfa $90-125. Rounds and squares grass mix $50-70. Alfalfa baleage $75-90. Rounds bean stubble $25-35. Once again had a successful Machinery sale with a large crowd in attendance. Over 400 bidding numbers. High selling item was a 2018 Kenworth dump truck at $125,000. As always, we really do appreciate your business!

Grain Markets

March 8, 2023

Other Oats Soybeans Corn

After the false start in mid-February where it looked like spring was just around the corner, mother nature reminded us that winter isn’t over yet. One of my clients was teasing me one day that my JD 5100 front wheel assist loader was just a toy of a tractor. I remember thinking my grandpa would probably been more than happy to have it over his 4020. But I have to admit, I could have used some more ponies under the hood the last few weeks when blowing snow with it.

Cheese markets have a mixed tone to them. Block cheddar continues to trade in the mid $1.90’s with barrels below $1.60. Not sure why, but the block/barrel spread continues to remain volatile and distorted. At current values, block cheddar provides $3.60/cwt more value to milk checks than barrels. High production costs need the block cheddar values to hold and barrel prices to move higher.

Butter prices are having a difficult time maintaining values near $2.40. Fundamentally, U.S. butter inventories are in good shape. The challenge with the butter market today is how to hold on to the export demand that the U.S. market recovered in 2021 and 2022. U.S. butter prices over $2.30/lb. does not compete well with $2.19

NZ and $2.29 EU butter. U.S. butter exports typically compete with EU inventories into the Middle East and North Africa regions. EU butter has freight advantages over U.S. sourced product. This forces U.S. prices to trade below EU values or buyers take their business back to EU sourced supplies.

U.S. powder markets may be in the least desirable market posture given the current world dairy demand situation. Inventories of U.S. whey products were up sharply in January. U.S. sweet whey is trading in the low 40 cent range today and looking like it could trade into the low 30’s if demand doesn’t start to come to life at these cheaper values.

The U.S. dollar index has moved back over 105 in recent trading sessions. This will continue to weigh on commodities. Historically, commodities traded in U.S. dollars see prices move in direct monetary correlations to adjustments in currencies. Note how energies have been moving lower as the U.S. dollar has firmed, even with the Russian war creating supply disruptions.

Joe Spader

Area Hay Auction Results

Fort

March

Rock

March

Dairying in the Sooner State

Chapmans enjoy success with family farm

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

PERKINS, Okla. – Oklahoma might not be the rst place that comes to mind when one pictures a dairy farm, but for the Chapman family, dairy farming in the north central part of the state suits them just ne.

“The weather can be a little temperamental, but we do it,” Brett Chapman said. “I would say the weather in our area would be like the midway point between farming in New Mexico and farming in Wisconsin. We get enough rain that it is really pretty good for growing a lot of different kinds of crops.”

Chapman Dairy was established at its current location near Perkins by Donny and Sherry Chapman in 1977. Chapman, a senior at the nearby Oklahoma State University, is in the process of deciding what direction his own future will take in terms of his family’s dairy farm. While attending college, he has worked on the university’s dairy farm while also remaining involved with the day-to-day operations on the family farm.

“I am in the process of deciding if I want to go out and work off the farm for a while or come back to the farm right away,” Chapman said. “I do think the experience working off the farm for a while would be a good one for me.”

In addition to family members, they have one employee working on the farm who has been with them for over 15 years.

The Chapmans milk about 130 head with approximately another 100 head of youngstock on the farm. The herd consists of Holsteins, Jerseys and Holstein-Jersey crossbreds with a smattering of Brown Swiss Chapman chose to bring to the farm for his dairy project. They also have a 45 cowcalf herd of registered Angus.

“My family owns registered Holsteins and has some exceptional ones, but I wanted to start something from scratch,” Chapman said. “I didn’t just want to show my parents’ cattle. I wanted to do my own thing.”

Chapman enjoys exhibiting Brown Swiss, and after some show ring success, he has utilized his small herd of Brown Swiss to help subsidize his college education, selling

some of his best animals to other breeders.

The cows at Chapman Dairy are housed outdoors on open pasture and are milked in a double-4 herringbone parlor. Dry hay is fed on pasture, and grain is fed in the barn. They do have a maternity barn for their close-up and fresh cows. Calves are raised in hutches.

“We don’t have the labor force or the facility to feed a (total mixed ration),” Chapman said. “Our cows do well enough for our setup. We sell some from time to time that go into herds with TMR and freestall barns, and the buyers are always very pleased with them.”

The farm consists of 120

acres that the Chapman family owns along with another 400 acres that are rented. They raise winter wheat and triticale, both of which are made into hay for their milking herd. While the weather is great for growing crops, it can present challenges when it comes to caring for a herd of dairy cattle.

“The cows usually do pretty well being housed outdoors, but the extremes of weather are tough for them,” Chapman said. “The wind in the winter and the humidity in the summer are the biggest challenges.”

Turn to CHAPMANS | Page 13

Leon Peplinski

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Chapman family – Bre Chapman (from le ), Brad Chapman, Brandi Meadors, Donny and Sherry Chapman, Breanne Gary, Brooke Cross, Bri any Chapman and Brian Chapman – milk 130 cows on their farm near Perkins, Oklahoma. Donny and Sherry raised their children on the farm, and Bre con nues to be involved in the farm today.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Cows graze on pasture at Chapman Dairy in Perkins, Oklahoma. The Chapmans’ herd consists of Holsteins, Jerseys, HolsteinJersey crossbreds and a few Brown Swiss.

Chapman said temperatures in the teens are considered cold for them but a 40 mph wind is not uncommon, making the wind chills difcult to deal with. Summers can see average temperatures in the 90s with high humidity.

“The extremes in weather takes a toll on both the cattle and the people,” Chapman said.

The extremes in weather are part of the reason the Chapmans have turned to crossbreeding in the fashion they have.

for moderate-sized cows with an emphasis placed on mobility and production. Health traits are important as well.

After four or ve services, cows are turned in with an Angus bull to produce beef-on-dairy calves. The volume of ranches in the area creates a good market for those calves.

Effective drainage

“If the Holsteins don’t get pregnant right away, we breed them to Jersey,” Chapman said. “I really like the Holstein-Jersey cross cows. They are very hardy, very trouble free with a lot of hybrid vigor. They handle the extremes better than the purebred cows seem to.”

When breeding their cattle, the Chapmans place a focus on breeding

Securing a milk market in their region is not too difcult, Chapman said. The family ships their milk through Dairy Farmers of America where it is then marketed to Hiland Dairy.

“We are a milk decit state, so I think our markets balance out pretty well,” Chapman said. “I think there will always be enough dairies around to be able to process the milk produced here. But when milk prices go down, we feel it just like everyone else does.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Bre Chapman and Claire McDowell nish nal prepara ons on a Brown Swiss cow Oct. 29, 2022, at the Southwestern Na onal Brown Swiss Show in S llwater, Oklahoma. Chapman has had success exhibi ng Brown Swiss at various shows.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Young calves rest in the sunshine on a straw pack in the maternity barn at Chapman Dairy in Perkins, Oklahoma. Calves are raised in hutches on the farm.

Doing better by their heifers

Mefferts’ new barn provides clean, dry housing for youngstock

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

WAUNAKEE, Wis. –

Last October, heifers at the Meffert farm got a new roof over their heads. With capacity for up to 75 head, the new barn is proving to be the ideal place to raise heifers ages 3 months to 1 year old.

Replacing a three-sided building built in 1986, the new enclosed structure brings heifers out of the elements, resulting in cleaner, drier, healthier animals. Open on one side, the old barn featured a bed pack and fenceline feeding in a 40foot outdoor area.

“The main reason we built the new barn was because of cold, snowy days,” Jeff Meffert said. “Younger calves get cold and sick eating outside, and we wanted to protect our heifers from weather extremes. It wasn’t that the old building didn’t work, but we knew we could do better. We’re making higher quality heifers, and we want to take good care of them.”

His son, Luke, agreed.

“We had healthy heifers coming out of the calf barn and then bringing them to our old heifer barn was like going backward,” Luke said.

The Mefferts milk 150 cows and farm about 300 acres near Waunakee. Luke is the fourth generation on his family’s farm that was founded in 1929. This father-son duo also receives help from Jeff’s dad, Jack Meffert.

All youngstock are raised on-site. After calves are weaned, heifers move from a calf barn containing individual pens into the heifer barn. Measuring 75 feet by 80 feet, the barn features a pen progression built to accommodate various age groups with animals moving through a series of ve pens as they grow.

One side of the barn contains three large bedding pack pens for calves 3 months to 6 months old, while the other side contains two pens featuring 46 free stalls for heifers 6 to 12 months of age. All pens include automatic waterers.

“I’m quite happy with how heifers adjusted to the free stalls,” Jeff said. “We’ve never

had an issue with animals laying in the alleys. The new ones gure out what to do because they want to stay clean and dry.”

Weaned calves enter the rst pen, which holds up to six calves, and one month later, they graduate to the middle

pen. Between 4.5 months to 6 months of age, heifers move into the last pen on that side. They begin using headlocks in this pen which has space for about 16 calves.

From there, animals travel diagonally across the aisle to the pen designated for calves 6

to 9 months old. Here, heifers learn to use free stalls and will move over to the last pen for the nal duration of their stay when they are 9 to 12 months old before moving on to the breeding barn.

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Luke (le�) and Jeff Meffert take a break in their new heifer barn Feb. 9 that was completed in October 2022 on their farm near Waunakee, Wisconsin. The Mefferts milk 150 cows and farm about 300 acres.

Feeding and bedding are done quickly in an environment centered around comfort and convenience. The Mefferts cut their cornstalk bedding use more than in half, dropping from four bales a week down to one. The free stalls feature rubber mats that are top-dressed with sand once a week using a skid loader sand shooter bucket.

“The new barn saves a lot of time and bedding,” Luke said. “We were trying to eliminate some of the bedding and the work of making it, adding

it and cleaning it out.”

Pens are scraped once a day with a skid loader. Manure storage at the end of the barn measuring 30 feet by 36 feet provides six weeks of storage. Each pen is set up with gates to lock animals on one side of the pen if scraping the alley or on the other side if adding bedding.

“That makes it a oneperson job,” Jeff said. “The old building was not set up as nice. You could do it with one person, but it was better with two.”

Luke said labor factored into the decision to build the new barn.

“We’re fairly limited with help, and we wanted to make it so that one guy could do eldwork and another could handle these chores,” he said.

The new heifer barn is a time-efcient and labor-efcient solution to a building that was past its prime. Requiring a new roof and solar front, their old heifer barn needed an upgrade when the Mefferts decided it was time to do something different.

a three-sided building built in 1986 that had outdoor feeding.

Retaining only the foundation of one wall, the new barn ts in the same footprint as the old one but with space for more animals. Three-month-old to 6-month-old heifers were previously housed in super huts as the old barn only had room for animals 6 to 12 months old.

“This was our dream to someday get heifers under one roof,” Luke said. “We consolidated animals now and made things simpler.”

Automatic curtain sidewalls are set on a thermostat, which Jeff said removes the guesswork of deciding when to raise or lower curtains and keeps ahead of weather chang-

es. Four chimneys in the ridge of the roof provide natural ventilation.

“The chimneys help keep the air fresh, but when it’s windy and snowy, no snow blows in,” Jeff said.

In a setup that simplies heifer chores while offering plenty of space for animals to prosper, conditions in the new barn are conducive to helping heifers reach their full potential.

“The heifers are really content,” Jeff said. “They all have a space to lay and a space to eat. They are happy in their own little world.”

March 28–30, 2023 Oshkosh, WI VISIT THIS BUSINESS AT THE SHOW!

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

The Mefferts’ new barn for heifers ages 3 months to 12 months has capacity for up to 75 head. The barn replaced

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR Heifers begin using free stalls in this pen designed for calves 6 to 9 months old at the Mefferts’ farm near Waunakee, Wisconsin. Animals move through a series of ve pens as they grow.

MILLER N CO AUCTION UPDATES

Thursday,

N1931 County Road V, Denmark, WI

8630 4X4, JD 4450 MFWD, 4050 MFWD, 4430, 4320,4020, & 4000 Tractors. NH LS170 & L140 Skidsteer; Great Plains 13’ SS drill; H&S 3245 V-Max Spreader; Meyer 3518 & 4218 Combo Boxes & including a full line of Forage & Tillage Equipment, Plus TMR, Bins, Cattle & Barn Equipment, Tires, & lots, lots more! Sale includes a partial line of equip. for a local living estate. See the web at www.millernco.com for more!

Friday, March 31, 2023 11:00 a.m. MARK & RENEE UITENBROEK (920) 851-3221

N1658 County Road GG, Kaukauna, WI

Retirement from dairy, herd just sold private treaty. Owner-operated, small farm clean, & always shedded—it’s nice! Deutz 7120 MFWDsharp & clean, only 4180 hrs.; Shiny FNH 1431 Discbine & FP 240 Forage Chopper w/KP, HH, and sharp 3RN CH offered separate & in pkg. JD 9400 Combine, 216 Flexhead, 444 Low-Tin CH; 2-exceptional MP 16’ 5300 LH boxes; Knight Pro Twin 8024; MF 30 Utility rare 12 spd. JD 328 small square baler—as nice as they come in 2023 & lots more. Plus—1350 gal cooler; ATO milkers, Variable Spd. Vacuum Pump, other milking equipment, barn & feeding equipment, and much more!

BONUS—nice Forage Line & Spreader from neighbor who sold his cows! More on the web SOON!

Thursday, April 6, 2023 10:30 a.m.

MIKE KAUFMANN CUSTOM SERVICES, LLC (920) 374-0056 9724 Mill Lane, Manitowoc, WI

A Spring Special…Selling a Late Model Hay & Forage Line, JD Tractors, Full line of Manure Equip., Semi Tractors, Trailers, 2 JD Gators, Service Trucks, Parts, and Bonus Neighboring Diversified Equip. Line. It’s an EXCEPTIONAL LINE-UP!

“Twin”

Nova Cat 351/A10 Triple

one

Carts, & so much more. Neighbors—JD 4955 MFWD; JD 690E LC Excavator -nice! 2015 Witzco Challenger Low-Boy Detach Trailer; Bobcat T870 Skidsteer; Peterbilt 378 Dump Truck; Skid QT Flip Screen BL-65, like a demo; Esch 5612 12’ No-Till Drill—like new; (3) Gruett Super 6900 20’ LH Forage Boxes, big gears; CIH FHX 300 Forage Chopper & Heads, Hay Buddy Merger, & More! For Equipment Maintained with Pride & Operated with Care— don’t miss this fine line-up in April! Even more coming to www.millernco.com !

Forage Trailers ,

Thursday,-------------------------------------

April 13, 2023 Manitowoc, WI…Farm Equip. Estate Auction

ESTATE OF HAROLD NEY—SELLING FOR JEAN NEY

Clean Green—JD 4440; JD 3155; Past restore-JD 60 Standard & NF

JD A’s—one with a slant dash, Past Puller- JD B, G’s, H, and 730. A nice line of tillage;

270 Spreader-exc!, Hay Equipment, cattle equip., tools, & more items found at an estate auction. Plus-2nd Estate addition—IH 966 Hydro; IH 350, M, &

Thursday, May 11, 2023 Chilton, WI Dairy Retirement Dispersal

ME nearly 28,000 with 4.2-4.5 test, & 3.2-3.4 Protein yearly avg., 1500 gal cooler, feeding equipment—some farm equip. & more. Watch for more dates & updates as we release them! www.millernco.com

Making the right moves in a carbon market

Project developers help ease the burden for farmers

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

Editor’s note: This is part two of a three-part series on carbon credits and markets discussed during PDPW’s Carbon Conference Jan. 31.

MADISON, Wis. – Dairy farmers have much to consider before diving into a carbon market. Markets are a long-term commitment, and asking questions about everything from pricing to data collection to nancial responsibilities is a critical rst step.

Patrick Wood, founder of Ag Methane Advisors, explained the opportunities available to farmers during the PDPW Carbon Conference Jan. 31 in Madison. Digester projects creating renewable natural gas are one opportunity, but dairy farmers can also generate credits for the carbon market through projects involving enteric methane, alternative manure management and regenerative agriculture.

For any type of project, Wood recommends approaching it like a new business. The farm should consider the demand and value for credits in a specic carbon market and determine its reasons for pursuing the project.

Wood said before participating in a project, a farmer must understand what will be required of them and decide if they have the capacity to take it on. How the project will impact current operations and businesses should be considered. Knowing the cost, potential prot and risks is also important. Partnering with a project developer can make the process easier.

“For most farms to participate in carbon markets, there is going to be a project developer involved,” Wood said.

A project developer in the renewable natural gas market will be the one building, owning and provid-

ing capital for the digester. In other markets, the developer could be the person who develops the protocol and manages the project, such as a carbon project developer.

The capital costs of installing anaerobic digestion to produce RNG are high. A farm needs to consider if they want to nance the project themselves or if they prefer someone else to be the nancier.

Wood said there are a variety of ways to structure carbon market deals, and farmers considering a digester project should think about whether or not they want to get into another market that he considers as volatile as the milk market. A farmer considering markets needs to determine how much money they want to leave on the table as well as their level of risk and ability to manage those risks.

If nobody on the farm wants to champion the digester project and be involved with it on a daily basis, those responsibilities should be handed onto a project developer. This person will have knowledge on the nancial design as well as the physical design, operations and maintenance of the system. A farm considering the Low Carbon Fuel Standard market will need a way to get biomethane into a common carrier pipeline, and the developer can help with this as well.

“In order to produce RNG, the gas has to be cleaned up to pipeline quality specication that’s 99.99% pure,” Wood said. “That can be an expensive process and is part of why when doing an RNG project, it probably makes sense for most people to partner with gas experts rather than entering the gas business yourself.”

When evaluating a project developer, Wood said to research their history and track record. Find out what protocol, program or standard they are going to use. Wood said a developer should be following global standards and established programs.

Milestone payments along the way are not uncommon. It could take 18 to 36 months to get a project going, and there are places that will structure payments during that time period.

“Sometimes mixing payment streams based on minimum annual payments you know you’re going to

get if the upside of the market is going to do well is a good strategy,” Wood said.

Ensuring a good t between the farm and project developer is critical as these are long-term contracts. For example, a digester contract can last 10 or 20 years.

“If someone is building a digester at your farm and going to own or lease the land and have their staff there every single day right next to your barn, you want to make sure you have a good working relationship with them,” Wood said.

A lawyer should review the contract before a farmer signs on the dotted line.

When installing a digester, a farm needs enough animals to achieve economy of scale. For RNG, a minimum of 3,000 cows is recommended. In a digester project that makes electricity, Wood was able to help a 1,000-cow farm generate about $80,000 per year in prot.

Options for smaller farms include a centralized digester that collects manure from multiple farms or a centralized injection that moves biogas from multiple digesters. Every participating farm must have a high anerobic baseline to create enough reductions for economic viability based on carbon markets.

When assessing the nancial opportunity of the project, a farm must learn what the expected market value or price of the credits is as well as the desired strategy for selling credits. Possibilities include spot, xed rate per credit, percentage share of revenue or indexed.

“Your partner may not have those answers upfront but should be transparent in communicating their strategy for approaching the market and why they do it that way,” Wood said. “Flexibility is important. Markets are dynamic and can change fast.”

Wood said prices should be steady and increase over time. Sometimes, a ood of supply or a shortage of demand can occur if regulators do not do a good job managing the market. It can cause markets to uctuate substantially, he said. Similar to someone who

By Elrosa Lumber Company

manages retirement accounts, project developers manage a portfolio of assets and are the one primarily responsible for selling credits which leads to revenue.

“There are substantial benets to having trusted advisors like the project developer who are following the markets and managing sales so you can focus on farming,” Wood said. “You need someone who understands the markets and someone you can rely on for info on market prices.”

According to Wood, current pricing trends in voluntary markets is dependent on project type and ranges from $3 to $40 per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent. Charismatic project types, such as those that are nature based, are likely to earn a higher price because they boost the story the buyer of the credits wants to tell.

“Over the past ve to seven years, there has been a large trend toward nature-based solutions in the voluntary carbon market, such as storing carbon in soils and mangrove swamps that store carbon,” Wood said.

California Air Resources Board LCFS projects are currently $60 to $70 a piece, down from $190 to $200 in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

“A lot of people expect them to stay in the current range for several more years and then go back up but not to the point they once were,” Wood said.

The Oregon market, which is similar to the California market, is currently at around $120 per credit.

CARB offsets are currently priced at $18-$22 per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and are generated based on time period of potential invalidation. This can lead to different prices in the market. Offsets can be invalidated if they are double counted, if someone does the accounting wrong and volume is overstated by 5%, or if an environmental violation occurs.

“It’s complicated, and that’s why it’s hard to say exactly what the price is,” Wood said. “They are markets, and they change. Unless you really want to get deep into another new business, you want a trusted partner managing this for you.”

Transportation markets are only eligible for fuel used in those states. If a digester in Wisconsin produces RNG, the farm needs to have a contractual pathway with somebody in California

or Oregon who is going to take that gas off the grid and put it into a vehicle.

“Credits only get created when energy that’s produced actually gets used for transportation,” Wood said.

Dairy digesters for producing RNG are primarily in compliance carbon markets such as the CARB LCFS and the Environmental Protection Agency Renewable Fuel Standard and follow complicated regulations. Voluntary markets are growing, and that opens up new opportunities, Wood said.

“The ‘gold rush’ has probably passed, but there is still lots of value,” he said.

In addition to digester projects, there are other ag-related projects dairy farmers can consider. Alternative Manure Management projects reduce methane emissions by preventing a portion of manure volatile solids from entering the anaerobic storage system or lagoon. This may include using solids separation, vermicomposting or other dairy wastewater treatment methods.

Regenerative agriculture and nitrogen management protocols consist of practices that increase soil organic carbon or reduce nitrous oxide. Enteric methane protocols are mostly related to using feed additives that reduce the amount of methane cattle release into the air. Farms should understand the carbon credit value versus the feed additive cost. Data from the cows might also need to be collected to generate credits.

Economy of scale is a factor in carbon markets, and a large volume of credits is often needed to make a project worthwhile. An aggregated project where many people are doing the same practice can help achieve economies of scale.

In a regenerative agriculture project, a farm should think about how eligible management practices t into their cropping system. Wood said farmers need to consider whether there is a product the farm will have to use or practice it will have to adopt to create enough credits per acre.

Wood said entering a carbon market can open up revenue possibilities for a farm, but the benets need to outweigh the risks. Farmers have to do their homework and investigate which options are best for their business and which project developer would make the best partner.

Mid-American Hay Auction results for March 2

Hay sales starts at 12:30 p.m. and are the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the months of September through May.

March 16, 2023

April 6, 2023

For more information, contact Kevin Winter 320-352-3803, (c) 320-760-1593 or Al Wessel at 320-547-2206, (c) 320-760-2979

A look back DAIRY ST R25

Dairy Star brings you top stories from past issues

5 years ago

One last milk check

After nearly 40 years of dairy farming, Jerome Salzer, of St. Joseph, Minnesota, decided to sell his cows. It was not because he wanted to get out of the dairy industry, but rather because he was facing terminal cancer and cirrhosis. Salzer received the diagnosis in late December 2017 and had a partial dispersal auction in early March 2018. Even though Salzer was exiting the dairy industry, he helped another young dairyman get started. Derek Schmitz, who milked cows for Salzer as a high school student, purchased some of Salzer’s cows and planned to rent the facilities on the Salzer farm.

Doing the simple things right

Over a span of three years, Dan Krekelberg increased his 60-cow herd’s rolling herd average over 7,500 pounds according to Minnesota DHIA. He had been farming on his current site near Dundas, Minnesota, since 2014 and had been slowly building up his herd during that time. Krekelberg bred 99% of his herd with timed A.I. between 50 and 60 days. His herd had a 37% pregnancy rate and a 51% conception rate with the rst service. Besides breeding at the right time, Krekelberg said genetics played a big part in his herd’s success. He bred for net merit, high fertility and positive udder composite.

A fraternity of like-minded American farmers

Sam Zimmermann and his wife, Jenn, were chosen as one of the 2018 National Outstanding Young Farmer winners at the National Awards Congress in Sacramento, California. The Zimmermanns milked 190 cows near Ringle, Wisconsin. They raised all their own replacements and farmed 450 acres. Finalists for the award were judged on the progress of their agricultural career, their stewardship of the land, community involvement and leadership development. The Zimmermanns focused on developing the genetics of their herd using embryo transfer, IVF and genomic testing to help them determine the best genetics within their herd.

Doing what he was born to do

Joe Sarbacker was recognized at the Wisconsin Holstein Association’s annual convention as the Distinguished Young Breeder. Sarbacker, his wife, Sarah, and three kids milked 60 cows near Verona, Wisconsin, and had a BAA of almost 110%. Receiving awards, however, was not what drove Sarbacker. He said he had always been passionate about showing and breeding Holsteins since he was young and helping on his parents’ dairy farm. Sarbacker said he selected bulls that were plus milk and sired daughters with good components and good daughter pregnancy rates

10 years ago

Meyers honored with national award

Nick and Tara Meyer were named one of the winners for the National Outstanding Young Farmers Awards Congress in 2013. At the time, the Meyers milked 200 cows near Sauk Centre, Minnesota, and farmed 450 acres. Meyer Dairy made it a priority to focus on environmental stewardship and worked closely with the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District, enrolling in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to develop and implement management practices. The dairy installed a manure separating system, which allowed them to use the separated solids as a green bedding for their cows.

Growing the farm for their growing family

Ed and Mary Warmkagathje and their six kids milked 96 cows at their farm near St. Charles, Minnesota. The Warmkagathjes converted their 50-stall tiestall barn into a double-8 parallel parlor and built a sand-bedded freestall barn. Warmkagathjes made the switch because they felt it was safer to have their young kids moving inside a parlor versus a tiestall barn. Also, a physician had told Ed if he continued in the tiestall barn, he would not be able to walk in ve years because of damage to his ankles due to strain. The Warmkagathjes noticed a major drop in their somatic cell count after making the switch.

20 years ago

Herderings expand one step at a time

In the fall of 2002, Pam and Steve Herdering built a new freestall barn and expanded their herd of 50 to 102 cows. Building the freestall barn was just a rst step for the Herderings. They planned to build a new parlor in the future. In the meantime, they brought their 102 cows from the freestall barn to the old tiestall barn for milking. The Herderings found feeding in the freestall setup to be cleaner and less physically demanding. Also, Steve no longer had to haul manure out to the elds every day because it was piped out underground to a manure pit, which would be pumped once a year.

Schoper offers assistance to new Vietnamese dairy industry

Wayne Schoper, a regional extension agent for the University of Minnesota, used his knowledge of growing up on a dairy farm near Jeffers, Minnesota, to help other farmers. As part of a program sponsored by a subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Schoper went to Vietnam to teach citizens how to dairy farm. Two years before, the Vietnamese government had purchased 2,000 cows from Australia and dispersed them among farmers. Up until that point, there was no milk consumption in the country as there were no dairy farms. The new dairy farmers brought their cans of milk via mopeds to central collection points. Schoper worked with these farmers to educate them about cow nutrition, cleanliness in milking and other dairy farming matters.

KUHN Knight 2000 Series ProPush® hydraulic push-type spreaders are designed to haul and spread solid materials from dairies and feedlots, including gutter manure, yard scrapings, bedding pack and feedlot manure.

KUHN Knight 2000 Series ProPush® box spreaders are designed to haul and spread solid materials from dairies and feedlots, including gutter manure, yard scrapings, bedding pack and feedlot manure. The hydraulic pushtype design means no apron chains, fewer moving parts, fast unloading and dependable service life. Two trailer models are available with a choice of horizontal or vertical beaters. Both configurations feature an easily removable beater assembly for when it’s time to stockpile.

Cows who stay in the herd longer are generally more profitable, healthier and reproduce consistently. As a way to highlight long-life cows, we look at lifetime production. There are very high lifetime records listed. Congratulations to the good stewards who are doing such a great job taking care of these animals.

More treasures

It is amazing the new, old recipes I am discovering in my grandmother’s book. These women didn’t let anything go to waste, and the combinations of things they put together were so creative and delicious.

I found unique recipes for things we don’t even use today. Many recipes call for frying beef in beef suet for avor. Now, we put suet out for the birds over winter. I do save bacon grease to fry up potatoes or burgers or use as oil in bread recipes. I guess Grandma’s cooking philosophy rubbed off on me.

I very rarely make Jell-O salads. As a child, there was always a salad on the table for every meal. My favorite was a salad one of my great aunts always brought to the McConnell summer family picnic. I’m still searching for it in Grandma’s book. Here are some recipes I’m really looking forward to serving to my family in the next weeks.

I’ve always cooked the ham bone after Easter dinner to make a broth for ham and navy bean soup. I never thought to use the broth to make ham dumplings, but I found this recipe. Mark loves buttered dumplings or halusky (cooked cabbage with dumplings), so this will be a new favorite for him.

The best part about these old recipes is how these farm wives were just as busy as we are today and still wanted to put a hot meal on the table after a long day of working on the farm. I think the names of shipwreck casserole and potato burgers make them winners from the start.

It was pointed out that I forgot to say how much sugar goes in the eggless apple spice cake: 2 cups sugar!

Club salad

2 small boxes orange Jell-O

2 cups hot water

3 (9-ounce) cans crushed pineapple, drained

1 pound marshmallows, cut ne

2 packages cream cheese

1 cup Miracle Whip

1 pint cream, whipped

4 small boxes cherry Jell-O (or any avor)

8 cups hot water

Cook orange Jell-O and hot water until slightly thick. Let cool. Mash cream cheese with crushed pineapple. Blend in marshmallows, Miracle Whip and whipped cream. Mix into cooled orange JellO. Pour into serving dish. Let set. Mix cherry JellO and hot water until dissolved. Let cool until just

slightly thickened and pour over rst mixture. Chill in refrigerator until set. Serve.

Frozen lemon dessert

3 egg yolks

3 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

5 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup cream, whipped

1/2 pound vanilla wafers, crushed Beat egg yolks. Cook yolks, sugar and lemon juice together in a heavy bottom pan or double boiler until thick. Beat egg whites until stiff and add 4 tablespoons sugar. Fold stify beaten egg whites into custard. Cool. Using the last tablespoon of sugar, whip 1 cup cream. Add to lemon mixture. Line

bottom of pan with crushed vanilla wafers, reserving 1/2 cup for topping. Pour in lling and top with reserved crumbs. Let stand in freezer overnight. Serve in squares or slices.

Ham dumplings

Boil ham shank until done. Remove from broth. Mix thoroughly 2 cups our and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Moisten with milk to make soft dough. Drop by spoonful into boiling broth. Cook 20 minutes in uncovered kettle.

Shipwreck casserole

Slice 1 onion into buttered casserole dish. Over onion, arrange thin slices of raw potatoes. Over this place thick layer of chopped beef. Cover meat with layer of uncooked rice. Next a layer of chopped celery, then 2 cups of drained kidney beans. Season each layer lightly with salt, pepper and paprika. Top all with 2 cups tomato sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for two hours. If necessary, add more water during cooking period. Serve with sliced pickles as garnish. Alternatively, you can layer in slow cooker and cook over low for the day.

Potato burgers

1 pound ground beef

2 cups coarsely grated potatoes

1/4 cup coarsely grated onion

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup shortening

Combine ground beef, potatoes, onions, salt and pepper. Shape into eight patties. Fry in hot fat until brown 3-5 minutes per side. Serve with buttered peas and glazed carrots.

As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.

kernel processing is the secret to a perfect dairy dinner. Experience KP Rolls with square-edged tooth engineering. They serve up the feast—fair and square.

Food columnist, Natalie Schmitt

Homemade mac and cheese

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni

1/4 cup salted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups milk, or more as needed

2 cups favorite shredded cheese (I love white cheddar black truffle)

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Bread crumb topping

2 tablespoons salted butter

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 pinch ground paprika

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Make the macaroni and cheese: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish. While the macaroni is cooking, melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium skillet over low heat. Whisk in flour and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually whisk 2 1/2 cups milk into the flour mixture, and bring to a simmer. Stir in shredded cheese; season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more milk if needed. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir until well combined. Make the bread crumb topping: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs; cook and stir until well coated and browned. Spread bread crumbs over macaroni and cheese, then sprinkle with paprika. Bake until topping is golden brown and macaroni and cheese is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Salted caramel chocolate chip cheesecake

Sauce:

1 package of caramels (like Werther’s)

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

Cake:

1 cup Oreo cookies, finely crushed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

14 ounces sweetened, condensed milk

3 large eggs, room temp

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips (plus more for topping)

Sea salt (optional, for topping)

Unwrap caramels and place them in a saucepan, and add 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Heat the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the caramels have melted and the cream is incorporated, add the salt to taste. Start with 1/2 teaspoon. Only add another 1/2 tea-spoon of salt if you need it. Store in a glass jar for ease of use, keep sauce in the fridge. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Thoroughly grease a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine Oreo’s and butter. Press mixture evenly into the springform pan. Prepare the filling: Place cream cheese in a stand mixer or mixing bowl to use an electric beater on in. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the condensed milk. Beat in the eggs, one by one, until thoroughly mixed. Mix in the vanilla. Add chocolate chips to the bowl, and fold in gently with a spatula. Pour filling into springform pan. Top with a handful of mini chocolate chips. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set and jiggles slightly in the center. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake (but leave it in the pan) and place on a cooling rack. Allow cheesecake to cool before chilling in the fridge in the springform pan overnight. Before serving, heat caramel sauce in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Pop springform pan off cheesecake. Pour enough cara-mel sauce over the top of the cheesecake to cover it. Top with more chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt, if desired.

ATTENTION FARMERS...

Are rocks, re-rod or holes showing in your bunker silo?

WE CAN RESTORE YOUR BUNKER TO LIKE NEW CONDITION!

BUNKER SILO RESTORATION/ REPAIR WITH JETCRETE

Approximately 1” of steel reinforced material added to bunker walls.

• High pressure water blasting of walls for excellent bonding.

• 6 gage heavy duty wire mesh installed

• Jetcrete -phnuematically applied concrete. GUARENTEED BEST PRICING

SILO RELINING WITH “JETCRETE” BARN WALL & BASEMENT

RESTORATION WITH “JETCRETE” (Limestone, rock, block & concrete wall)

SERVING IA, MN, WI, IL AND SD

CONTACT: 800-866-7327

FEEDER CATTLE AUCTION

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 11 am EXPECTING 200 HEAD

DAIRY CATTLE AUCTION

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 11:00 am

COMPLETE RETIREMENT HERD DISPERSAL

110 Holstein Dairy Cows and Dairy Heifers. Approx.(58) Dairy Cows. Tiestall milked, headlock adapted, outside daily, averaging 65# 4.2BF 3.2P, 35scc. Majority are 1st & 2nd lactation! Over 40 years AI through Central Star, registered bulls used for clean up. This farms has years and years of quality milk awards. Vaccination program. Heifer dispersal includes(16) short bred - springing (16)yearlings 600-900#(6)heifers 300-500# (12)newborn-250# Quality cows and quality milk! Coming from William & Jinny Shallow, Lena WI

SMALL HERD DISPERSAL

20 Registered Holstein Dairy Cows, several EX cows sell, freestall housed and milked in herringbone parlor! Majority fresh 2-3 months, milking 80-110, top cow 130# low low scc! Sires include Octoberfest, Delight, Doc, Cascade, Ronald, Rapid, Awesome, Hotline and more. Many are bred sexed to Dreambig, Heatwave, Pursuit, Handshake, Claynook, Analyst, Mitchell and more! Dispersal includes (5) registered Holstein heifers, due AprilJune. Coming from Friess Holsteins, KS

SPRINGING HEIFERS

10 Holstein Springing Heifers, bred Lineback. Coming from Paul Farms

Registered Holstein Springing Heifer, sired by Gold Chip, due 4-09 to Apple Crisp Coming from Stetzer Dairy, Alma Center Always a great selection of dairy heifers at Premier Livestock and Auctions! DRIVE-INS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! PLEASE HAVE IN BY 10:30 AM

ANNUAL SPRING FARM MACHINERY AUCTION

Friday, March 24, 2023

Of ine - smaller items - 9:00am • Online Auction - 9:30 am NOW ACCEPTING YOUR CONSIGNMENTS!

MACHINERY DEADLINES

Advertising deadline - Monday March 13th

Receiving Machinery until Friday March 17th, or till the machinery lot is full Strong Demand for your: Tractors, Excavating Equipment, Skid Loaders, Tillage/Planting Equipment, Manure Equipment, Hay/Forage Equipment, Semi/Semi Trailers, Trailers, Trucks, Recreational - ATVs & Campers, and more! Auction will be On site and Online at EquipmentFacts.com

2023 SPECIAL SPRING SHEEP AND GOAT AUCTION DATES

PREMIUM PRICES PAID FOR YOUR LAMBS AND KID GOATS!

Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 10:00 am

Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 10:00 am

Weekly Highlights at Premier 2,800 head sold this week! On Tuesday we sold over 400 dairy hfrs. Market very strong. Top Sprs, up to $1950. Top shortbreds, $1300 -1675. Good open hfrs, 120-175 per#. Top opens ready to breed, $1350. Wednesday we sold right at 300 dairy cattle. 120 cow herd. Quality was excellent. Top fresh cows, $18502800. Many other cows, $1350- 1825. Quality springing heifers, $1400-2000. Registered Red and White Holstein Bull - 2800. Quick recap of the week strong trade! Top Holstein fed steers, 148-153#. Beef fed steers, up to 159#. Top market cows, $90-111#. Top market bulls, $100-117#. Top Holstein bull calves, $175200 per head. Beef calves, $275-405 per head! Thank you for choosing us to sell and buy your cattle !

Scan the code for a direct link to our website!

From the kitchen of: Katie Reineking of Plymouth, Wisconsin

From the kitchen of: Katie Reineking of Plymouth, Wisconsin