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DAIRY ST R
March 26, 2022
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 24, No. 3
Moving toward progress Siemens relocate herd for better opportunities By Kati Kindschuh kati.k@dairystar.com
MERRILL, Wis. – Wanting to bring their son home to farm, Roy and Bridget Siemen were faced with a fork in the road. They were landlocked by neighboring farmers, and land prices were high near their farm in Cleveland. “At the time, the farm wasn’t big enough to nancially take on another full-time employee,” said Roy of his son, Tyler’s, return. “When Tyler graduated from tech school, we looked for a bigger place because it was cheaper to buy than it was to build.” In 2015, the Siemens loaded up their farm assets and moved to Merrill for a better opportunity for their future. Currently, the Siemens milk 280
cows and farm 1,100 acres of alfalfa, corn and soybean in Lincoln County. When Tyler was nishing his education at Fox Valley Technical College and had committed to farming full time with his family seven years ago, the decision was made to start looking for a different farm. Hoping to grow their herd size and add acreage, the Siemens found their currentday farm site with a 500-stall freestall barn, a double-8 herringbone parlor, calf barn and acreage. “Even though it was bigger than what we wanted, at that time there were not a lot of places available,” Roy said. Moving an entire herd was no simple feat and came with its fair share of challenges. “The biggest challenge was leaving a tiestall barn to a freestall barn and parlor,” Roy said. “It took some time for the cows to adjust. They adTurn to SIEMENS | Page 6
KATI KINDSCHUH/DAIRY STAR
Tyler, Bridget and Roy Siemen stand in their 250 cow freestall near Merrill, Wisconsin. The Siemens moved to the farm in 2017 in order to expand their farming business, allowing Tyler to farm full �me with his parents.
Promo�ng US dairy products in Dubai Levzow partakes in mission trip to help increase exports By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Levzow family – (from le�) Ken, Becky and Ralph – milk 150 registered Jerseys and Holsteins and farm 950 acres near Rio, Wisconsin. Becky went to Dubai last November with three other dairy farmers and staff from the U.S. Dairy Export Council to promote American dairy products.
RIO, Wis. – Becky Levzow had the experience of a lifetime in November 2021 when she visited the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. She was not there on vacation but traveled halfway around the world to help promote U.S. dairy products. The ve-day mission was packed with opportunities to shed light on the quality, diversity and abundance of American-made dairy foods. “It was an amazing and wonderful experience,” Levzow said. “Dubai is a place I never thought I’d see, and I was honored to go.” The trip was sponsored by Dairy Management Inc. and the United States Dairy Export Council. Levzow, three other dairy farmers – Larry Hancock, who milks 4,000 cows in Texas;
Marilyn Hershey, who milks 900 cows in Pennsylvania; and Alex Peterson, who milks 120 cows in Missouri – and USDEC staff made the 20-hour trip to Dubai. Local USDEC staff joined the group when they arrived. “We all come from family farms that practice sustainability, and this was a great opportunity for us to tell our story,” Levzow said. “It’s good for these countries to hear from farmers – who we are, what we are, what we do. We put a human face to our experience, and that goes far for our sales. I milk 150 cows, and Larry milks 4,000. But in the end, we all strive for quality and are devoted to animal care.” The trip’s goal was to increase dairy product exports into the Middle East by way of Dubai, a dynamic regional Turn to LEVZOW | Page 8
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 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 Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Editorial Staff Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman - Staff Writer (608) 487-1101 • danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Abby Wiedmeyer - Staff Writer 608-487-4812 • abby.w@dairystar.com Kate Rechtzigel - Staff Writer 507-696-9213 • kate.r@dairystar.com Grace Jeurissen - Staff Writer grace.j@star-pub.com • 320-352-6303 Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $40.00, outside the U.S. $200.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star / Star Publications LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Star Publications LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
North America dealers. NMPF board discusses modernization of federal orders
Dairy Prole brought to you by your
At its rst in-person meeting since March 2020, the National Milk Producers Federation board of directors focused on Federal Milk Marketing Order reform. “We may take the rest of the year to get this all done and get it right,” said Jim Mulhern, president and chief executive ofcer. If a collaborative attitude can be adopted, Mulhern said he is “condent that we’ll have a national federal order hearing proposal that reects the consensus of our membership and reects the needs of dairy producers across the country.” The federal orders have not been updated in over 20 years.
Thompson: House Ag Committee behind in farm bill review The current farm bill expires Sept. 30, 2023. “The 2018 farm bill was a pretty successful farm bill overall by all metrics, though we can’t seem to get the (United States Department of Agriculture) to come before the committee to share their perspective yet, but we’re pushing them hard,” said Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, ranking member, House Agriculture Committee. “We had more than 130 different eld hearings last time, and now, we’ve had two ofcial ones.” Thompson said while the committee is behind in oversight, there is optimism both sides can work together. “My travels show me Congress must support the farm safety net, coupled with reliable, timely disaster relief,” he said. Three factors inuence farm bill outcomes The Russell Group President Randy Russell said the farm bill is typically driven by three factors. It is the state
of the farm economy when the Ag Insider bill is written, the budget situation and political dynamics. Russell said the farm economy is in good shape, but there is no new money for the next farm bill. It is also an election this year, which could change leadership in the House. “House Democrats have a plus-ve seat advantage. If you look historically at what happens in the rst midterm election for the party in the White House, the By Don Wick vast majority of the time they Columnist lose seats in the rst midterm election,” Russell said. “Given there’s only six seats to overturn the House, there’s a good probability the House will ip and Republicans will be in control in January 2023. That would make Glenn “G.T.” Thompson House Agriculture Committee chairman.” USDA plans trade trips During a speech at Commodity Classic, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said USDA is planning four trade missions this year. The rst trip will be to the United Kingdom in June. The Philippines, Kenya and Spain are also planned trade mission destinations.
Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 3
Madison, WI
75th Alice in Dairyland top candidates announced First Section: Page 9
Eastman, WI
Wall milks 30 cows for three decades
Marion, WI
Rolling S Farms updates parlor, evolves with the times
First Section: Pages 12 - 13
First Section: Pages 23, 25
Sheboygan Falls, WI
Rothschild, WI
Women in Dairy: Nicole Barlass
First Section: Pages 26 - 27
Black River Falls, WI
Patch Grove, WI
Harbaughs win inaugural WHA Horizon Award
Grazing cover crops benets soil health
First Section: Page 29
First Section: Page 30
Oakeld, WI
Dairy Prole: Tom Olson
Black River Falls, WI
Floods enjoy more relaxed lifestyle as organic farmers
First Section: Page 31
A day in the life at Vaarendahl Dairy
Second Section: Pages 6 - 7
Second Section: Pages 14, 16 - 17
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
How are high input costs affecting your dairy? First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Zone 1
Zone 2
Columnists Ag Insider er Pages Pa 2, 5 First Fi s Section Fir on n
From My Perspective Page 34 First Section
Farmer and Columnist Page 35 First Section
Ram Ramblings gs fro from the e Ridge R Page Pa 366 First Section ion
Something So to R Ruminate On Page P 37 First Firs Section
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Ju Thinking Just Out Loud O Page 38 F First Section
Dairy Good Life Page 39 First Section
The “Mielke” Market Weekly Pages 8 - 9 Second Section
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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 5
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 2 Another stopgap spending bill On a 68-31 vote, the U.S. Senate passed the House version of a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package to keep the government funded through September. The bill provides $13.6 billion in supplemental appropriations to address the crisis in Ukraine. Dairy groups seek ocean shipping reform There is a bipartisan action in Congress to address the delays in shipping agricultural products. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act is being praised by both the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council. “At a time when ocean carriers have been enjoying record prots, U.S. dairy producers have been bearing the brunt of the export supply chain crisis,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden agreed, saying concentration among the foreign-owned shipping industry has given U.S. dairy exporters “very little option other than to accept unwarranted fees and delays.” Both dairy leaders are urging lawmakers to take action and quickly pass this bill. Farm organizations le complaint against John Deere The National Farmers Union, six state Farmers Union groups and FarmAction have led a complaint against John Deere with the Federal Trade Commission. This coalition is seeking an investigation into Deere’s restrictions on farm equipment repair. The right to repair complaint is described as a violation of antitrust and consumer protection laws. Fewer cows culled For the week ending Feb. 26, 65,200 dairy cows were culled. That is down 6,400 head, or nearly 9%, from one year ago. Since the start of 2022, over 596,000 dairy cows have been culled in the United States. That is down 20,400, or 3.5%, from the same period last year. Consumer dairy prices rise According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices for groceries rose 1.4% in February and nearly 9% over the past year. The year-over-year increase was the largest since 1981. The index for dairy and related products jumped 2%, the largest monthly increase since April 2011.
Moore announces retirement from AFBF American Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice President Dale Moore announced his intent to retire in 2022 after four decades serving as an agricultural leader in Washington, D.C. Before joining the Farm Bureau staff in 2011, Moore spent time as the chief of staff at USDA, executive director of legislative affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and as a legislative director for the House Agriculture Committee. AFBF President Zippy Duvall congratulated Moore on his work on behalf of farmers and ranchers throughout his career. Wisconsin dairy farmer reelected to checkoff board Connie Seefeldt, of Coleman, Wisconsin, will serve another term as vice chair of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. Seefeldt chaired the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board for ve years. Byrne joins NMPF board The National Milk Producers Federation has four new board members. This group includes Rob Byrne, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, who represents Dairy Farmers of America. Black ofcially takes over Wisconsin State Fair Shari Black has been hired as the permanent CEO of the Wisconsin State Fair Park. Black has been on the job on an interim basis for the past ve months. Former CEO Kathleen O’Leary retired last fall after 24 years with the fair. Trivia challenge Cold Stone Creamery is the Arizona-based company that customizes each order on a frozen granite slab. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what ice cream company is known for avors like Chunky Monkey, Phish Food and Cherry Garcia? We will have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
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to the eight young ladies crowned Stearns County Dairy Princesses. Eight girls (from left) Kalie Ritter, the daughter of Glen and Leslie Ritter of Avon, Sophia Schiffler, the daughter of John and Kristie Schiffler of Albany, Grace Woitalla, the daughter of Keith and Patty Woitalla of Holdingford, Kallie and Hailey Frericks the daughters of Steve and Tammy Frericks of Albany, Alex Christen, the daughter of Glen and Becky Christen of Sauk Centre, Makayla Breth, the daughter of Jerry and Tammy Breth of St. Anthony and Briana Maus, the daughter of Darrel and Lisa Maus of Freeport, were crowned Stearns County dairy princesses March 12 at the annual banquet which was held at the Freeport, Minn. Community Center. Christen was named Miss Congeniality during the contest and Kallie Frericks and Christen received scholarships. Ambassadors are Christina Fiedler, the daughter of James and Jennifer Holmberg of Upsala, Clara Pflueger, the daughter of Brian and Jessica Donabauer of Holdingford, Kera Pikula, the daughter of Josh and Lisa Pekula of Watkins, Bethany Gerads, the daughter of Tim and Karey Gerads of Albany, Marissa Hartung, the daughter of Mike and Nancy Hartung of Opole and Andreana Walz, the daughter of Greg and Sandy Walz of Richmond.
Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
ConƟnued from SIEMENS I | Page 1
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Bridget Siemen feeds her calves grain March 10 at her family’s farm near Merrill, Wisconsin. The farm allows all youngstock to be raised indoors.
justed really well to the freestall, but going into the milking parlor was a challenge for them.” Tyler agreed. “The rst few days were a struggle, just getting them to the parlor,” he said. “Once we settled in, they got used to it.” In addition to moving their cattle and machinery, they also had to move their home and personal belongings. “Our daughter, Tara, was in charge of helping pack and unpack the house so we could do chores and get everything else moved,” Bridget said. This was not the family’s rst time relocating farms. Roy and Bridget grew up in Michigan, where they got married, dairy farmed together and had their three children, Tessa, Tara and Tyler. In 1996, when Tyler was just 7 months old, the family moved to Wisconsin. “We were looking for a buy-in
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opportunity in Wisconsin wherever the map took us,” Roy said. They rented a farm and purchased a herd of cows in Brownsville. By 2008, the Siemens were prepared to purchase a farm. “When we got our herd paid for, we settled on a place in Cleveland,” Roy said. “When we moved from Cleveland to Merrill, we had a lot more machinery. When we moved from Brownsville to Cleveland, we basically had to move animals.” Each move was a step forward in the Siemens’ farming career. “There was improvement leaving Brownsville and going to Cleveland, and there was more improvement leaving and coming here to Merrill,” Roy said. “Each farm has been a stepping stone because we were able to take Tyler in on a full-time basis and grow.” Tyler agreed.
“We kept going,” he said. “If we stayed in Cleveland, we might not have been able to keep going. It wouldn’t have been (nancially) sustainable.” With better land availability, the Siemens were able to purchase and rent more acreage to grow enough feed for their herd in addition to growing cash crops. Over the last few years, the Siemens have made improvements to make their jobs more efcient. In 2019, they added variable rate fertilizer technology to their repertoire, and they are currently renovating the parlor to a double-12 parabone. Moving geographical locations pushed the Siemens to change as farmers and the way they work the land. “The land is easier to farm here with lighter soils, not sandy but not clay,” Roy said. Tyler agreed. “The soil here wants to erode a lot more,” he said. “The lighter soil wants to run a lot faster, so you really have to watch how you work your elds, especially in the fall, because with spring rains, it seems ridiculous how fast it wants to run.” The Siemens’ farm experiences cooler weather than their previous farm along Lake Michigan in Sheboygan County. The change in location required them to adapt to the climate difference. “Early-day corn is a must, because our springtime is about the same, but our fall gets colder faster,” Tyler said. When they get time away from the farm, the Siemens like to go to their campsite in Rhinelander. “You never know what your schedule is going to be like during the week, so if we get done haying and we have a day off, we can drive up and start grilling an hour after I leave home,” Roy said. “In the wintertime, Tyler and I snowmobile. It’s very important to get away sometimes.” Contrary to many farmers who pass down a farm from generation to generation, the Siemens have ipped the script and proven there is opportunity for improvement and farming at a location that is sought out.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 7
PULASKI WAREHOUSE, INC.
SEED DAYS March 28 - April 2
le Availab
IAL C E SP ICES PR
LIVE BROADCAST PGRIVIZEE WITH JAY CRUZ AWAYS
Your Complete Seed Dealer In Wisconsin
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Tues., March 29,11 am-1 pm
SEED REPS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME Brunner Seed Corn & Soy Bean Specialist on Hand Tues., March 29 and Wed., March 30 10-2
A rep from will be on hand from Tues. 29th, Thurs 31st 10 - 2 to answer your questions on milk replacer
Alforex Rep on Hand Mon., March 28 and Fri., April 1 10-2 Stop in for Special Deals
5 OFF
$
Expires 4/2/22 Pulaski Warehouse
ROUND-UP READY SWEET CORN NOW AVAILABLE Anthem II RR Sweet Corn - 2,500 Seeds.. $63.99
Need Seed Fast? Direct Overnight Delivery Available!
Round Up Ready Seed Corn $218/bag
Daikon Deep Tillage Radishes $89.95/50 lbs.
80,000 kernals
Hybrid Sorghum Sudangrass
Bio-Gene
Soybeans
Soybeans
Conventional
Round-Up Ready
50 lb. bag
$23.00
$50.00/bag
50 lb. bag
140,000 seeds
$36.95
ALFALFA SEED DAYS SPECIAL
Big Deals On Milk Replacer This Week!
In Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and parts of Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois Brunner
80,000 kernals Elite Single Cross
ONION SETS Yellow, 32 lbs. .............................................. $31.95 White, 32 lbs. ................................................ $32.95 Red, 32 lbs. ................................................... $33.95 Super Sweet, 10 lbs. .................................... $29.95
Monty’s Plant and Soil Products Rep on hand for all your Monty’s solutions MARCH 28, 29, 30, 31 MON.-THUS. 10-2
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Starting at $114.95/bag
SPE PRI CIAL CES
OPEN POLLINATED CORN
Krug, 90 Day, 56 lbs. .................................... $92.95 Reids Type, 100 Day, 56 lbs. ........................ $92.95 Henry Moore, 110 Day, 56 lbs. ..................... $92.95 Boone County White 120 Day, 56 lbs. .......... $92.95
GRASSES
Each 50 lb. bag of MAX-LH, MAX-DR, Dura-Leaf Plus, Super C-318 Alfalfa Alforex 405 Brand (Above varieties only)
Reg. Price
Alforex Hi-Gest 360 Brand Alfalfa ................ A$K ! ! Alforex 460 Brand, 50 lbs. ............................ A$K ! ! Alforex 405 Brand, 50 lbs. ......................... $184.95 MAX-LH, leaf hopper, 50 lbs. ..................... $209.95 MAX-DR, 50 lbs. ......................................... $199.95 Dura-Leaf Plus, 50 lbs. .............................. $189.95 Super C-318, 50 lbs. ................................... $179.95 Hardy Northern, 50 lbs. .............................. $169.95
CLOVER SEED DAYS SPECIAL
Each 50 lb. bag of $ Magna-Red Red Clover Expires 4/2/22 Pulaski Warehouse (Above variety only)
5 OFF
Magna Red, 50 lbs. .................................... $169.95 Medium Red, 50 lbs. .................................. $159.95 Alsike Clover, 50 lbs. .................................. $159.95 Yellow Blossom Sweet, 50 lbs. .................. $124.95 Crimson Clover, 50 lbs. ................................ $99.95 Berseem Clover, 50 lbs. ............................. $129.95 Ladino Clover, 50 lbs. ................................. $199.95 White Dutch Clover, 50 lbs. ........................ $209.95 Balansa White Clover 50 lbs. ..................... $129.95
MISCELLANEOUS Hybrid Sorghum-Sudangrass, 50 lbs. ......... $36.95 BMR Sorghum-Sudangrass, 50 lbs. ............ $57.95 Wild Game Food Sorghum, 50 lbs. .............. $45.95 Dwarf Essex Rape, 50 lbs. ........................... $62.95 Japanese Millet, 50 lbs. ............................... $51.95 Pearl Millet, 50 lbs. ...................................... $83.95 Sunflower Black Oil, 1 lb. .............................. $3.95 Sunflower, Grey Stripe, 1 lb. ........................ $11.99 Austrian Winter Peas, 50 lbs. ...................... $45.95 Diakon Radishes-Tillage, 50 lbs. ................. $89.95 Hairy Vetch, 50 lbs. .................................... $125.95 Flax, 50 lbs. .................................................. $65.95 Buckwheat, 50 lbs. ...................................... $55.95
PLEASE CALL FOR A QUOTE ON NATIVE GRASSES, FORBS OR CONSERVATION MIXES
SEED DAYS SPECIAL
Each 50 lb. bag of Mor-Leaf Timothy Expires 4/2/22 Pulaski Warehouse (Above variety only)
$
5 OFF
Mor-Leaf Timothy, 50 lbs. .......................... $159.95 Climax Timothy, 50 lbs. .............................. $149.95 Orchard Grass (late), 50 lbs. ...................... $159.95 Orchard Grass, 50 lbs. ............................... $139.95 Smooth Bromegrass, 50 lbs. ..................... $209.95 Italian Ryegrass (Annual), 50 lbs. ............... $56.95 Tetraploid Annual Ryegrass, 50 lbs. ............ $46.95 Tetraploid Perennial Ryegrass, 50 lbs. ...... $129.95 Festulolium Perennial Ryegrass, 50 lbs. ... $129.95 Meadow Fescue 50 lbs. ............................. $199.95 Tall Fescue, 50 lbs. ..................................... $139.95 Switchgrass Cave-In-Rock, 1 lb. pls. .......... $15.99 Reeds Canarygrass (low alkaloid) 50 lbs. .. A$K ! !
HAY & PASTURE MIXES SEED DAYS SPECIAL
10 OFF
$
Expires 4/2/22 Pulaski Warehouse
Each 50 lb. bag of Hay & Pasture Mix or $5 OFF each 25 lb. bag
Alfalfa Forage Mix, 50 lbs. ......................... $189.95 Alfalfa Base Mix, 50 lbs. ............................ $189.95 Clover Base Mix, 50 lbs. ............................ $189.95 Horse Pasture Mix, 25 lbs. ........................... $99.95 Max Forage Extender Mix, 25 lbs. ............... $69.95 Wild Life Clover Mix, 50 lbs. ...................... $219.95 All of the above mixes are made with Dura-Leaf Plus Alfalfa, Magna-Red Red Clover and Mor-Leaf Timothy
TREFOIL Birdsfoot, 50 lbs. ........................................ $289.95
SPRING WHEAT Cert. Prevail, 50 lbs. ..................................... $18.95
BARLEY Cert. Lacey, 50 lbs. ....................................... $17.95 Uncert. Robust, 50 lbs. ................................. $16.95
SPRING TRITICALE Triticale, Spring, 50 lbs. ............................... $24.95
INOCULANTS Alfalfa - Clover, Treats 50 lbs. ....................................$7.95 Trefoil, Treats 50 lbs. ..................................................$8.95 Soybean Terra Max Dry, Treats 500 lbs. - 10 unit....$17.95 Soybean Terra Max Dry, Treats 2000 lbs. - 40 unit..$47.95 Cell-Tech Liq. Soybean, Treats 50 units...................$83.95
Huge Selection of Bulk Garden Seeds
LAWN GRASSES SEED DAYS SPECIAL Each 50 lb. bag of $
10 OFF
Expires 4/2/22 Pulaski Warehouse
Athletic, Sunny or Shady Lawn Seed
Athletic Lawn Mix, 50 lbs. ......................... $179.95 Sunny Lawn Mix, 50 lbs. ........................... $199.45 Shady Lawn Mix, 50 lbs. ........................... $189.95 Annual Ryegrass, 50 lbs. ............................ $46.95 Perennial Ryegrass, 50 lbs. ...................... $159.95 Creeping Red Fescue, 50 lbs. ................... $239.95 Kentucky Bluegrass, 50 lbs. ..................... $199.95 Turf Type Tall Fescue, 50 lbs. .................... $139.95 White Dutch Clover, 50 lbs. ....................... $209.95
LAWN & GARDEN FERTILIZER 22-0-5 Weed & Feed (Trimec) Formula $28.99 / 50 lb. bag. Covers 12,500 sq. ft 19-0-6 With (Dimension) Crabgrass Preventer
$27.99 / 50 lb. bag. Covers 12,500 sq. ft Lawn & Garden Lime, 50 lbs. ......................... $2.69 Pelletized Lawn & Garden Lime, 40 lbs. ........ $5.99 Pelletized Gypsum, 40 lbs. ............................. $7.99
SEED OATS Cert. Antigo, bu. - early................................. $12.95 Cert. Rushmore bu. - mid ............................. $12.95 Cert. Esker 2020, bu. - mid ........................... $12.95 Cert. Hayden, bu-mid - late .......................... $12.95 Uncert. Ogle, bu. - mid.................................. $11.95 Uncert. Jerry, bu. - mid................................. $12.95
SWEET CORN
Catalyst XR, bi-color, 66 day...................... 3,000 Kernel/$34.99 Northern Xtra-Sweet, 67 day..................... 3,000 Kernel/$27.99 X-tra Tender XTH2171, bi-color, 71 day .... 3,000 Kernel/$31.99 X-tra Tender XTH20173, bi-color, 73 day .. 3,000 Kernel/$32.99 Anthem XR, bi-color, 73 day.......................3,000 Kernel/$34.99 X-tra Tender XTH2475, bi-color, 75 day .... 3,000 Kernel/$32.99 Honey’N Pearl, bi-color, 76 day ................. 3,000 Kernel/$27.99 Golden Bantem, 80 day.............................. 3,000 Kernel/$10.99 Illini X-tra Sweet, 85 day........................... 3,000 Kernel/$24.99 Kandy Korn, 89 day.................................... 3,000 Kernel/$23.99 MANY OTHER BULK GARDEN SEEDS TO CHOOSE FROM: Peas, Beans, Carrots, Cantaloupe, Beets, Squash, Pumpkins, Watermelon, Radishes, Gourds, Ornamental Corn, Etc.
WILDLIFE FOOD PLOT SEED SEED DAYS SPECIAL
10 OFF
$
Expires 4/2/22 Pulaski Warehouse
Each 50 lb. bag of Wildlife Clover Mix (Above variety only)
Wildlife Clover Mix, 50 lbs. ........................ $219.95 Impact Forage Collards, 3 lb. ...................... $11.99 Hunter Brassica, 3 lb. .................................. $13.49 Winfred Brassica, 3 lb. ................................. $13.49 Graza Radish, 3 lb. ....................................... $19.99 Small Burnett, 3 lb. ...................................... $13.99 Chicory, 1 lb. .................................................. $7.95 Sugar Beets, 1 lb. .......................................... $5.95 Tonic Plantain, 1 lb. ....................................... $5.99 Rutabaga, 3 lb. ............................................. $13.99 Bar Kant Turnips, 3 lb. ................................. $11.99 Kale, 1 lb. ........................................................ $4.99 Dwarf Essex Rape, 50 lbs. ........................... $62.95 Turnips-Purple Top, 50 lbs. .......................... $99.95 Turnips, Seven Top, 50 lbs. ........................ $129.95 Widow Maker, 25 lbs. ................................. $109.95 Brassica Brunch, 25 lbs. ............................ $109.95 Wild Game Food Sorghum, 50 lbs. .............. $45.95 Buck Buffet, 25 lbs. ..................................... $16.95 Buck Forage Oats, 50 lbs. ............................ $36.95 Switchgrass RC Big Rock, 1 lb. pls. ............ $16.49 Switchgrass Cave-In - Rock 1 lb. pls. ......... $15.99
ROUND-UP READY BIO-GENE SOYBEANS
GREAT SELECTION!
140,000 seeds per unit BG 9100 E3 1.5 Maturity ...................... unit/$50.00 BG 9150 E3 1.5 Maturity ....................... unit/$50.00 Forage Field Peas, 40-10, 50 lbs. ................ $25.95 BG 9180 E3 1.8 Maturity ....................... unit/$50.00 50% Pea - 50% Oat Mix, 50 lbs. .................. $25.95 50% Pea - 50% Barley Mix, 50 lbs. ............. $25.95 ROUND-UP READY PRO-HARVEST SOYBEANS 50% Pea - 50% Tritcale, 50 lbs. ................... $25.95
PEAS & MIXTURES
GREAT SELECTION!
GARDEN PEAS
140,000 seeds per unit RR2Y and E3 varieties ................ starting at $51.00
Sugar Ann, 56 day, 50 lbs. ........................... $93.95 Little Marvel, 63 Day, 50 lbs. ....................... $84.95 CONVENTIONAL SOYBEANS Sugar Snap, 64 day, 50 lbs. ......................... $93.95 MN1410, 1.4, 50 lbs. ..................................... $23.00 Green Arrow, 68 Day, 50 lbs. ........................ $84.95 Viking 1518N, 1.5, 140,000 seeds per unit... $32.00 Oregon Giant, 69 Day, 50 lbs. ....................... $86.95
Seed Days Specials Good March 28 thru April 2, 2022
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
ConƟnued from LEVZOW | Page 1
trade hub. The trip provided the Dubai market with direct dairy farmer contact and an opportunity to learn more about the people behind the products. “The markets want to know about sustainability, animal care and health, how we produce our products and what we do on our farms,” Levzow said. “USDEC is doing a lot to promote U.S. cheese, and this trip was a positive experience for the dairy industry. They’re not pushing just one product but all of the U.S.’s dairy export product potential.” Levzow and her husband, Ralph, and their son, Ken, milk 150 registered Jerseys and Holsteins and farm 950 acres on their fourth-generation farm near Rio. Their daughter and son-inlaw, Amanda and Ryan Seichter, who are full-time teachers, also help. In addition to her work on the farm, Levzow has been doing ultrasounds at a hospital in Madison for 40 years. The Levzows raise their steers for beef and run a cash grain business, selling corn and soybeans. “Our farm size was unique to the people in Dubai, as their farms are very large,” Levzow said. “For example, there’s a dairy outside of Dubai that milks 14,000 cows. We didn’t visit any farms on our trip, however, as that was not the focus of our mission.” USDEC works in Mexico, Central America, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South America, South Korea, the European Union, and the Middle East and North Africa region where Dubai is located. In 2020, the U.S. dairy export value grew to 20% in the MENA region, making it the seventh largest market for U.S. dairy exports. Mexico is No. 1 followed by Southeast Asia, Canada and China. Japan is also a growing market for the U.S.
“The United Arab Emirates imports 90% of its food, and Dubai is a concentrated area where we’ve made good inroads,” Levzow said. “It has a lot of buying power, and the MENA region is really receptive to dairy. They drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of ice cream and cheese, and use a lot of butter. Yogurt is also really big there with whole store sections devoted to yogurt of all kinds.” Highlights of the Dubai trip included a visit to the International Centre for Culinary Arts, an appearance at a cooking studio and stops at grocery stores carrying U.S. dairy products – specically the LuLu Hypermarket chain. The International Centre for Culinary Arts, a highly respected culinary school, is USDEC’s rst culinary partner. USDEC works with the ICCA to educate the next generation of chefs about U.S. cheese through a special program started in 2018. USDEC developed the curriculum in which students study the avors, versatility and history of U.S. cheeses. The USA Cheese Specialist Certication has 157 graduates thus far in the UAE and over 1,071 around the world. “The centre is putting graduating U.S. cheese ambassadors all over the world, giving this program a lot of reach,” Levzow said. “To me, this is a really good investment.” The young chefs come from wellknown restaurants and hotel chains worldwide and are handpicked to learn the culinary trade, Levzow said. She and her group sat in on a class, and the four farmers were part of a panel in which students asked them questions directly. “They were very hungry to learn and appreciative to have this experience,” Levzow said. “They asked us all kinds of questions, from what we feed our cows to which breed’s milk is best
for making cheese. It was a really nice dialogue.” The students also made various creations to be judged – from lavish cheese boards to fancy dairy-based desserts Levzow and the group tasted. Levzow’s favorite dish was a four-cheese Phyllo Dough appetizer with plum sauce. Her group also attended the graduation ceremony for the USA Cheese Specialists. Their time in Dubai also included a stop at a cooking studio to lm a segment that would be used on social media to share the U.S. dairy farming story. Levzow and Hancock starred in the show with TV personality Nicole Maftoum and master chef and dietitian Nikita Ghandi Patni from India. Levzow and Hancock talked about their farms while Ghandi Patni made a roasted pepper queso dip served over nachos. At the Lulu Hypermarket, Levzow witnessed Dubai’s passion for U.S. cheese, which could be found in six sections of the store. U.S. products account for 54% of the 300 items found in the dairy case and deli. The partnership between USDEC and LuLu began in 2018. Since then, the company’s usage has increased from 60 to 120 metric tons, for a $1 million jump in dairy product sales. “U.S. cheese is promoted heavily in the LuLu Hypermarket, and it’s amazing how many people are in this aisle every day trying and buying our cheese,” Levzow said. “The deli makes cheese boards, and there are tasting demos held throughout the store. The people in charge of demos are thoroughly educated on the cheeses before doing demos. We’re not just going in and dumping cheese and hoping people buy it.” Another Dubai customer is the Talabat online food delivery service.
“It’s a booming enterprise with 12,000 SKUs, and we’re talking with them about cheese options,” Levzow said. “They already carry Crystal Farms and Schreiber cheese.” The cost to get products to Dubai is a challenge, but USDEC staff have a marketing plan to facilitate trial and show value of importing U.S. dairy products. Products arrive primarily by air and must have between six and nine months of shelf life. An active candy making and dessert industry is a big consumer of dairy products like milk powder and butter. Butter exports to the region have increased 250%. Much of the cheese coming into the region is from New Zealand and Europe, but Levzow said the U.S. is making great strides. “We’re not going in to badmouth other cheeses,” she said. “We go in on our own merits and show them why they should buy our products. We offer quality and consistency, and we promote the versatility in U.S. cheese and the fact we can deliver.” The U.S. continues to work on penetrating the global market and moving more product internationally. Exports of U.S. dairy products are now 17% of U.S. sales, which Levzow said equates to 1 in 6 tankers of milk leaving the country. “Going on this mission really opened my eyes,” Levzow said. “We saw rsthand how our dairy promotion dollars are being spent to expand these markets, and I think it’s been spent very well the last few years. This is an investment we have to make if we’re going to continue with our level of milk production in this country. We can’t eat our way out of this. We have to nd markets that want our products to make more room on our shelves here.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 9
75th Alice in Dairyland top candidates announced Four nalists come from dairy farms By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. – On March 11, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced the top six candidates for this year’s Alice in Dairyland position. Amber Cafferty, Amelia Hayden, Courtney Moser, Taylor Schaefer, Samantha Schuessler and Charitee Seebecker were selected after completing an application and preliminary interview. Cafferty, Moser, Schuessler and Seebecker grew up on Wisconsin dairy farms. Amber Cafferty Cafferty grew up on a dairy and poultry farm in western Wisconsin where their family milked 62 cows in a tiestall barn. Growing broiler chickens gave her a whole new perspective on where food comes from. She was involved in FFA and 4-H and other leadership programs that helped stem her passion for agriculture. Cafferty attended the University of Minnesota-Twin Amber Cafferty Cities and graduated with bachelor’s degrees in agricultural communications and marketing and animal science. After graduation, she returned to her family’s farm before accepting a position with Professional Dairy Producers as a marketing and development coordinator. “Alice was a role model for me growing up, and I was really excited when I had the experience to run for this position,” Cafferty said. “I grew up in a small town and was the only girl in my grade from a dairy background. When Alice visited my elementary classroom, she became an inspiration for me to keep pursuing my dream in ag. I want to be that role model for young people wondering what their future role in ag could be. There are a lot of opportunities out there.” Cafferty said her father has been her biggest inspiration in the dairy industry. “He always let me be hands-on and listened to my ideas,” she said. “He let me run with things and see where it would take us. I helped with calves, vet checks and the nitty gritty on the farm which spurred my passion for ag and dairy.” If chosen as the 75th Alice in Dairyland, Cafferty is looking forward to getting out to farms and learning more about parts of the agricultural industry she is not as familiar with like ginseng and cranberries. She is also eager to attend dairy breakfasts and talk with consumers. “We have such a unique opportunity in this position to reach a wider audience,” Cafferty said. “I’d like to branch out and tell the stories of farmers across Wisconsin who are doing so much good, including sustainability practices for land and water. Those stories need to be told.” Courtney Moser Moser grew up on her family’s registered Holstein dairy farm where she did everything from milking to feeding calves to picking up hay bales. She was involved with 4-H, FFA and the Wisconsin Holstein Association. At the age of 12, she earned rst place in the WHA junior speaking contest. She spoke about her desire to be Alice in Dairyland one day. Moser was named after the 50th Alice in Dairyland, Courtney Booth. Courtney Moser “I know her on a personal level, and she is a tremendous person,” Moser said.
“Ever since learning I was named after Courtney Booth, I’ve had a great admiration for the role of Alice and the women who’ve served in the position and knew that someday I wanted to apply. Each year, I’ve made it my goal to meet the woman serving as Alice.” Moser was the 2017 WHA princess and is serving as the 2021 Vernon County Fairest of the Fair. Moser attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communication, concentrating on multimedia journalism and organizational and public relations while also receiving a minor in leadership. She is the digital marketing strategist for Valley Fudge & Candy in Coon Valley, Wisconsin. “I’m really excited to be a candidate for the 75th Alice in Dairyland,” Moser said. “I have a passion and excitement for ag that I would like to share with others. If selected as Alice, it would be an honor to learn more about some of the other great commodities our state’s producers are known for and share that knowledge with people of all ages and backgrounds.” Moser said her parents were a big inspiration to her; her dad as the dairy farmer and her mom working off the farm while still maintaining farm bookwork. “Their hard work and dedication and the way they raised me and my brother was very inuential,” Moser said. From working on her family’s dairy farm to doing an internship with Progressive Dairy to promoting dairy products at her current job, Moser said the experiences she has had would make her a great t for Alice. “I want to build upon what previous Alices have done while also making the role my own,” she said. “I look forward to educating and building excitement for what ag is so well known for – its health benets, diversity and quality. From farmers to processors, there are many great people in agriculture working hard to raise wholesome products. Sharing their story is so important.” Samantha Schuessler Ever since she was a little girl, Schuessler wanted to run for Alice in Dairyland. “I always looked up to her and appreciated what she stood for and the knowledge she was able to share with consumers,” Schuessler said. Schuessler grew up on her family’s dairy farm near An- Samantha tigo. Schuessler “I grew up in a close ag community where everyone knew each other and were always willing to help one another,” she said. “Those are the kind of people I’d like to give back to. I want to share their stories and let consumers know this is where safe and nutritious food comes from.” Schuessler is the daughter of Rick and Connie Schuessler. Her family milks 480 Holsteins, and a few Jerseys could always be found in the herd for Schuessler and her sister to show. Schuessler has fond memories of feeding calves and tapping trees for maple syrup. She was active in 4-H and FFA and showed dairy, sheep, horses and pigs, and was active in dairy judging through college. “I’m a secret admirer of cattle judge, Molly Sloan,” Schuessler said. “She was out there doing a great job, and it was neat to watch a female judge dominating. You could see the passion in her eyes when she judged, and I always looked up to her.” Schuessler earned a bachelor’s degree in dairy science and a minor in agricultural communications from California Polytechnic State University. From her time spent on the farm to working in processing and production and ultimately sales, Schuessler is experienced in all aspects of the food chain.
“I’m familiar with every step from the farm all the way up to the person putting it on the shelf,” she said. “I have learned a lot about the entire process and understand the importance and value of producing food safely and to the best quality for consumers.” Schuessler worked for Sartori Cheese on the production line making wheels of cheese on the night shift and later did sales for Sartori across ve states. Now, as a retail sales representative for The Hershey Company, Schuessler spends time in grocery stores and sees consumers asking many questions on a daily basis. “They’re curious about ingredients and if the food is locally sourced,” Schuessler said. “I’d like to educate both consumers and people in ag about the diversity of Wisconsin agriculture. I would enjoy exposing them to hidden gems they haven’t seen before. If chosen as Alice, I look forward to doing events at the state fair, classroom visits and media interviews as these are great opportunities to dig in deeper and share the stories.” Charitee Seebecker Seebecker grew up on a registered Holstein farm near Mauston where she fed calves and cared for the farm’s hogs and horses. Seebecker held ofcer positions in both 4-H and FFA and was a three-sport athlete in addition to being active in school organizations. She also showed dairy cattle and hogs. Charitee Seebecker has Seebecker a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business with an emphasis in communications and marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. In 2016, she served as the Juneau County Fair-
est of the Fair. She works at the WHA as the director of sales and membership and as a news broadcaster at Hometown Life. When asked why she decided to run for Alice in Dairyland, Seebecker said, “Serving as the ofcial ambassador for farmers and processors would be a dream come true. I’ve looked up to Alice as a role model ever since I met her at the county fair as a kid. Agriculture affects everyone whether they realize it or not, and we need people to help educate those who do not know where their food comes from.” Sandy Madland, Seebecker’s county and state fair dairy advisor, is another person who inspired this aspiring Alice in Dairyland. “I’ve learned so much from Sandy,” Seebecker said. “Seeing her dairy operation and how she balances work and life while also welcoming schools and other people to her farm for tours made an impact on me.” Seebecker feels her ability to effectively communicate messages to people of all ages and backgrounds would make her a great Alice in Dairyland. “As an AmeriCorps farm-to-school member, I taught people about tracing their food back to the producer and have worked my way toward what Alice does every day,” she said. “I’m grateful for the opportunities I had, and now it’s my time to give back to the industry that helped shape me into who I am today.” The six nalists are preparing for the three-day Alice in Dairyland nals scheduled for May 19-21 in Dane County, which will include agribusiness tours, media interviews, an impromptu question and answer session, individual interviews and candidate presentations. The selection of the 75th Alice in Dairyland will be announced May 21 when the crown is passed from the current Alice in Dairyland, Julia Nunes, to the new Alice in Dairyland. The 75th Alice in Dairyland will begin her term July 5.
“It provides us with good records.” What are some of the DHIA tests you use?
We use the somatic cell count, and most recently the pregnancy test. Which is your favorite test and why? They are all very handy. We like the readouts for the SCC, cows to breed, cows to check and heifer inventories. The pregnancy test results are very easy as well. How does testing with DHIA beneÀt your dairy operation? It provides us with good records, helps keep days in milk low and cows productive, and SCC readouts helps with cull cow decisions. Tell us about your farm. We milk in a 66-cow barn and have a Jersey and Holstein herd. We milk with the help of our older children. We rent 80 acres that is used mostly for silage and we buy our hay and grain. We raise our own heifers and sell our bull calves when weaned.
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
PEOPLE MOVING PRODUCT
From grass to glass Daningers nd niche market with on-farm creamery By Grace Jeurissen grace.j@star-pub.com
FOREST LAKE, Minn. – At Autumnwood Farm, the milk travels 260-feet in an overhead pipe to get to its destination at the farm’s creamery. While dairy farming is nothing new to Pat and Sharlene Daninger, their on-farm processing plant for bottled milk has been moving product since Feb. 14, 2008. “That was a very stressful Valentine’s Day,” Pat said. “We stayed up all night bottling milk for our rst order, then I came in for a bowl of cereal. Once I nished eating, I went out to the barn to milk cows again.” The creamery now produces more than 2,500 bottles of milk in a day. The creamery provides milk to around 85 accounts. Sharlene said the connections they make with customers keep them coming back. “I think people really enjoy our milk, because it’s extra fresh,” she said. “They like to see the people behind our product.” Autumnwood Farm employs eight people from creamery bottling staff to delivery drivers. The employees at Autumnwood work hard to maintain a quality product and want to see the creamery succeed, said Pat. “We work with a lot of good people,” Pat said. “We become lifelong friends with our employees and partners. Many of them feel like family.” The glass milk bottles are reused. Each bottle is sanitized before being lled with milk again. The milk at Autumnwood Farm comes in several avors and variations. The Daningers said the most popular product sold off the Autumnwood Farm creamery is whole milk, which has a fat content of 3.5% or higher. Other variations of milk include skim, 1%, chocolate, strawberry, cappuccino, half and half and a whole non-homogenized cream line. They also produce the base mix for ice cream. The milk is collected in a holding tank. From there, milk goes through a separator and into the pasteurizer. In the pasteurizer, milk is pasteurized at 145 degrees. After 30 minutes in the pasteurizer, the milk is homogenized. From that point, milk runs through a two-stage plate cooler that brings the temperature to 35 degrees. Then, the milk is held before being bottled. “We have had customers come in and tell us how they used to not be milk drinkers,” Pat said. “Now, they drink our milk regularly.”
The Autumnwood Farm brand draws many consumers who are health conscious, Sharlene said. The Daningers said the businesses they sell to are supporters of quality products from local businesses. A partnership Autumnwood Farm has developed since starting is with Love Creamery, an ice cream shop from Duluth. To make sure the creamery could continue moving product and did not have to dump milk during the coronavirus pandemic, the owner of Love Creamery worked with the Daningers to get extra freezer space and increase the amount of ice cream mix purchased. Neighbors and the community were helpful when the Daningers rst started processing milk, Pat said. “We need our neighbors, and they need us,” Pat said. To get their name out into the community, Sharlene said they hosted Farm-City Day at their farm for six years straight. “After we rst started, we wanted to show the community what we were doing,” she said. “The night before the event we had a hailstorm go through the area, and we had a lot of clean-up work to do to get things ready.” Members of the Daningers’ church showed up the day of the event and pitched in to help get everything ready for Farm-City Day. Pat said the best advertisting they have is word of mouth. “People try the milk, enjoy it and tell their friends,” he said. Talk of the brand has gotten Autumnwood Farm milk into grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants and their own farm store. During the pandemic Sharlene said they offered curbside pickup and gained a lot of new followers. “New customers, like many other people during the pandemic, were looking for places to get products,” she said. After many years of working out the quirks in their
GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR
Pat and Sharlene Daninger dairy farm and operate an on-farm creamery near Forest Lake, Minnesota. Autumnwood Farm Creamery rst boƩled milk on ValenƟne’s Day in 2008. operation, the Daningers look at their business and smile. Pat said the change to bottling milk has been crucial to their success. “Initially, we needed to do something, because if we didn’t, we wouldn’t still be milking,” Pat said. The Daningers found the thought of quitting dairy farming unattractive, so the thought of on-farm processing was far more appealing and Sharlene said it has been gratifying. “(We took) something we knew nothing about, and now the option for the next generation is there,” she said. Now, Pat said, the Autumnwood Farm creamery is feeling growing pains as they need more cooler space to provide milk and ice cream mix to more businesses. “We want to continue serving our current customers while still being able to take on new ones,” he said.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Farmers care for our land and water As dairy farmers, caring for the natural resources is an inherent part of what my family and I do each day. Our aim is to bring benet to the whole community while preserving family farming as a way of life. This is why I’ve chosen to lead local farmers with a similar goal to use research, collaboration and nancial resources to promote best farming practices that keep soil healthy and water clean. Western Wisconsin Conservation Council is a farmer-led nonprot group of farmers dedicated to promoting water conservation, environmentally sound agricultural practices and community engagement. The group is composed of grain, dairy and livestock member farms in the Kinnickinnic, Rush and Willow River watersheds in Barron, Dunn, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix counties. Our community is starting to no-
tice there are fewer bare dirt elds year-round. This is because we are utilizing a conservation practice of planting cover crops through the winter months to help hold soil and nutrients in our elds. From 2019 to 2021, WWCC members increased cover crop acres from 28,259 to 43,401 acres. That equates to more than 57,000 football elds. Nearly three-quarters of the acres my farm manages is planted with cover crops, and we plan to increase that amount. We always have the goal of being good neighbors. It’s a shared commitment that’s evident in the farmers in our conservation group. On National Ag Day this month, and every day, we are committed to being stewards of the land and water in our care and look forward to bringing in more practices that allow us to do just that. – Todd Doornink, Baldwin, Wisconsin
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dairy Star Newspaper welcomes letters to the editor. Every letter for publication must be 400 words or less, contain the author’s signature, address and telephone number. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity. Letters can be mailed to Dairy Star, Letter to Editor, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378 or e-mail: mark.k@dairystar.com.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 11
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
The next best thing to dairy farming Harbaughs win inaugural WHA Horizon Award By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MARION, Wis. – Neither Lynn nor Sara Harbaugh can imagine what their lives might look like without their herd of registered Holsteins or their involvement in the dairy industry. “I know I would be bored out of my mind if I didn’t have the cattle or my involvement in the industry,” Lynn said. “Breeding registered Holsteins is a part of my very core.” Sara nodded in agreement with her husband. “It is something we both enjoy,” Sara said. “We both grew up on dairy farms, and we appreciate that we are able to give our kids that same kind of upbringing, learning the respect and the work ethic.” The Harbaughs were honored by the Wisconsin Holstein Association as the rst-ever recipients of the Horizon Award during the group’s annual convention Feb. 19 in Fort Atkinson. The Horizon Award recognizes those involved in breeding registered Holsteins although not currently milking cows. According to WHA Executive Director Laura Wackershauser, a growing number of WHA members – over 40% – are not currently milking cows, and it has become increas-
ingly important to the association to recognize the contributions of those members. Some may be retired, involved in raising heifers or be former junior members who have remained active or are involved in the dairy industry. “Lynn and Sara’s long-standing leadership, passion, integrity and performance as Wisconsin Holstein breeders is second to none,” Sherry Siemers-Peterman said at the convention as she made the award presentation. The Harbaughs had no knowledge of the pending award presentation and were taken by surprise when the presentation began. “We were really humbled and very surprised,” Lynn said. “When you receive any type of recognition like this, especially when you are the rst recipient, it is very special to be honored by your peers. We have been blessed to have a lot of support from some really great people.” Along with their children, Jacob, 16, Logan, 14, and Madison, 11, the Harbaughs operate Bella-View Holsteins. Their herd consists of over 60 registered Holsteins. The majority of their heifers are located on their farm in Marion while their milking females are housed within other herds. Both Lynn and Sara are employed within the dairy industry, Lynn as an area sales manager for Central Star Turn to HARBAUGHS | Page 13
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Sara and Lynn Harbaugh accept the Horizon Award during the Wisconsin Holstein AssociaƟon annual banquet Feb. 19 in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. The Harbaughs are the rst to receive the honor which recognizes those involved in breeding registered Holsteins although not currently milking cows.
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ConƟnued from HARBAUGHS | Page 12
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The Harbaughs – (from leŌ) Jacob, Lynn, Sara, Madison and Logan – gather during a dairy caƩle show at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Lynn judges dairy caƩle shows across North America.
Cooperative and Sara as a territory business manager for Zoetis. Lynn and Sara grew up on their respective family dairy farms, Lynn in Vernon County and Sara in Calumet County. Both were involved in 4-H dairy judging and other aspects of the dairy project. Lynn attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course, studying dairy herd management. Sara received a bachelor’s degree from UW in agricultural journalism and dairy science. The couple has continued their involvement in the WHA and 4-H. Lynn is a coach for the Shawano
Convention, Lynn co-chaired the national sale while Sara co-chaired the junior convention activities. Sara also serves as an area advisor for Holstein Association USA’s National Junior Advisory Committee. The Harbaughs can be found exhibiting at all levels of competition in the show ring in both the open and junior shows. As a family, they have garnered numerous all-American and junior all-American nominations and have exhibited several national junior and reserve junior champions in recent years with their partners. “We have certainly been blessed with some great successes, but none of what we have accomplished would be possible without our “When you receive any good friends and partners, Kurt Sarah Loehr and their daughtype of recognition like and ters,” Lynn said. An extension of the show ring this, especially when you completion, judging is a passion for Lynn. He has frequently been are the rst recipient, it is found in the center of show rings very special to be honoredthroughout the country as well as shows in Canada and Mexico. by your peers.” He has served as the lead judge at World Dairy Expo on seven LYNN HARBAUGH, occasions and has been in the asWHA HORIZON AWARD RECIPIENT sociate role once. The Harbaughs, along with County 4-H dairy judging teams friends and partners Chad and Amy while Sara spends time coaching the Ryan and their sons, have hosted the Shawano County Junior Holstein Quest for Success sales series ve dairy bowl teams. They also help times in the past nine years. organize Shawano County’s delega“This is the next best thing to tion of exhibitors to the Wisconsin actually farming,” Sara said of their Junior State Fair. show heifer operation and the famLynn has served on the WHA ily’s involvement with registered board of directors and is a past presiHolsteins. “Our kids are able to have dent of the organization, and the that experience growing up rooted in Harbaughs continue to serve on sevthe industry, and we are so grateful eral committees. When Wisconsin hosted the 2019 National Holstein for that.”
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
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Dairyy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 15
Dairy farmers:
How are high input costs affecting your dairy?
Josh and Sarah Moga Spencer, Wisconsin Marathon County 125 cows
How are high input costs affecting your dairy? We have to make sure we do a dang good job to raise a good crop. In years past, we got what we needed, but now, we really have to make sure it pencils out and that it doesn’t fail. What changes have you made or are you planning to make on your dairy to help offset high expenses? We are planning to haul more manure further away from the home farm. Usually we haul close to home. Soil tests have proven that it is an effective fertilizer, so we will try to use more of that to cut down on what we have to buy. What is the best advice you’ve been given to work through these times of high input costs? I have been told to book things sooner than later because you never know what is going to happen anymore. Two years ago, urea was half the price of what it is today. There is just so much uncertainty. Our agronomist told me that even though it is expensive, we should not cut back on the amount of corn we feed. We need to feed just as much corn as we have been. How have you coped during this period of farming? Right now, before we get too busy with eld work, I take time to help coach the high school track team. It’s a way to get off the farm and take a break. It’s something I enjoy. On the farm, we try to take it easy one day a week so everyone can get a break. Other than that, I take it one day at a time. I also have friends I can call who are going through similar things, and we can talk through things. How does this time compare to any others within your career? I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2018 and came back to the farm, so I have not seen anything like this yet in my career. My grandpa said it is like a change of guard, and if we don’t change, we will get left behind. Tell us about your farm. We milk 650 cows and raise our replacements. We own 520 acres and rent another 900 acres. We grow corn and alfalfa for feed. Grandpa Bob runs the combine and chopper; Grandma Connie is retired; my brother, Tanner, does most of the mechanics; and my sister, Zoey, helps with the calves and manages the milking barn. I feed the cows and kind of oversee the farm.
How are high input costs affecting your dairy? Due to us running out of corn early, feed has been the biggest input affecting our dairy margins. What changes have you made or are you planning to make on your dairy to help offset high expenses? We recently purchased more of last year’s corn silage and are feeding more corn silage to try and offset the cost of purchased corn. Due to the abundant amount of hay last year, we are taking some out and putting some soybeans in this year to utilize more manure and less fertilizer. This will also cut some costs on our forage production inputs. What is the best advice you’ve been given to work through these times of high input costs? The best advice we have been given is to plan crops that can utilize our manure as a replacement for fertilizer, such as oat and soybean. How have you coped during this period of farming? Talking to other farmers about it. Understanding Joshua Nett Fremont, Wisconsin Waushara County 250 cows How are high input costs affecting your dairy? You always have to watch your bottom line, and these are all things we need on the farm. They have to come from somewhere. Most fertilizers cost double of what they were last year. That’s a big one. Fuel is up substantially, not double but close. Feed costs are higher too. For chemicals and spray, there are some adjustments we’re going to have to make as we get closer, like using substitutes we never used before. That’s going to be a reality. We’re hoping to stick to our plan from last year, but it all depends on what happens moving forward. We haven’t had any shortages yet. We booked some of our inputs earlier, so hopefully we’ll be all right on that end. What changes have you made or are you planning to make on your dairy to help offset high expenses? Milk prices are up, so that helps quite a bit. As far as fertilizer goes, we are trying to keep it dialed in and not overapply. We also keep up to date on soil sampling and use variable rate application where and when we can. Last year was a really good forage year for us, which has allowed us to feed a higher forage
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they are in the same position helps us. How does this time compare to any others within your career? We were beginning farmers in 2008, and then in 2009, the milk price crashed, and commodity prices skyrocketed. At least for now, the milk price has gone up with the commodity prices. Tell us about your farm. We milk 100 Jersey cows through a double-6 parlor, and they are housed in a freestall barn. We raise our youngstock on the farm and run about 300 acres of land. diet this year, which helps a little too. We cull marginal cows sooner, and high cull prices make that easier to do. We’re also trying to manage our heifer inventory so we don’t have surplus heifers to feed. What is the best advice you’ve been given to work through these times of high input costs? Control the things you can control. The cows pay the bills, so we make sure cows come rst around here. It’s important to eliminate any waste and make sure everything is dialed in. Don’t pay for what you don’t need. How have you coped during this period of farming? For me, this business is never perfect on one end or the other. There’s always a hiccup somewhere. I’ve done it long enough to accept that things are never going to be perfect. There is always going to be something to deal with, whether that’s low milk prices or high inputs. How does this time compare to any others within your career? As far as inputs go, these are historic highs for me. I have never seen input costs this high. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
But it’s not just chemicals and fertilizers, it’s everything. From the cost of equipment and parts to parts availability, those are all big things too. The labor shortage we’re experiencing right now doesn’t help either. Tell us about your farm. We milk 250 cows twice a day and farm 400 acres. Our herd is threequarters Holstein and one-quarter registered
Jeff Olson Coon Valley, Wisconsin Vernon County 50 cows
Brown Swiss. I am a rst-generation farmer. I did not grow up on a dairy farm, but my grandparents farmed. I experienced that growing up and knew it was always something I wanted to do. I farm with my wife, Terri, on her parents’ farm which we bought from them in 2007. We have two sons. Lane is 20 and has a job off the farm as a welder; and Eli is 17 and is a junior in high school. Both boys have been active in FFA.
How are high input costs affecting your dairy? We bought our chemicals already. Just for the glyphosate for the burn down, it went from $15 per gallon last year to $49 per gallon this year. Luckily, we overbought last year because the price was reasonable, so we have carryover this year for the bulk of our needs. We may even have enough post spray for our corn to cover a good chunk of this year’s needs. All our spring inputs are kind of paid for already because we planned ahead for some of it. We tend to try to pay for a lot of our seed before the end of the year to get the bigger discount. Milk prices are pretty excellent right now, so it made covering the rest of it a little bit easier.
Mark Wenger (Center, pictured with children from left – Ben, Miranda, Bethany, Flora and Hans) Brodhead, Wisconsin Green County 390 cows How are high input costs affecting your dairy? We locked in some prices last fall so we’re not going to be as high as what they are this spring. However, last fall’s prices are going to be quite a bit higher than what we paid last spring. We’re going to have to work through it. The milk price is better so that’s helping. What changes have you made or are you planning to make on your dairy to help offset high expenses? We usually put fungicides on, but that might be one thing we cut out this year. Last year, we put it on most acres, but maybe we’ll cut back this year and put it on silage acres. We’re also trying to utilize manure better and cover every acre with manure if we can to save a little that way. There are a few acres of rented ground that we won’t be able to do that on. But no matter what, you have to feed your crop and care for it. If you don’t care for it, you’ll know it in the fall. We roasted our own soybeans this year to try to save a little expense with protein, but it has taken a few more soybeans than we were planning. We’re going to have to save more soybeans for next year or we’re going to run out. You have to spend money if you want to make money. If you pull the stops in too hard, then you cut your own throat.
What changes have you made or are you planning to make on your dairy to help offset high expenses? We will probably reduce fertilizer rates a little bit, maybe 25%. But, we have oodles of manure to haul too. Our crop rotation is playing into it for the corn end of things; we are following soybeans or sod ground for all of our corn this year so that helps on fertilizer rates too. What is the best advice you’ve been given to work through these times of high input costs? Everybody says plan ahead. Get it bought and on the farm the sooner the better this year. Just make sure you can get it. The price might be high, but make sure you get it. The sooner you get it and have it in your hand really helps.
help we do have is good help. They make things easier for all of us. How does this time compare to any others within your career? It’s been tougher to cope when all the prices were negative. For example, when the milk price was really low, it was tougher than now. We’re just coming into spring, and we haven’t had to spend much on inputs yet other than fuel which we buy year-round. I haven’t forked out the money for high input costs yet. That’s coming, and it’s not going to be easy. It’s maybe more money going through your hands, but so far, we’ve been able to work with it.
How have you coped during this period of farming? The biggest thing we’ve done in the past ve years is pay down debt. If you want to eliminate stress, eliminate debt. The fewer hands that are in your pocket every payday the better, and that can eliminate a lot of stress, which makes it easier to cope with high inputs. How does this time compare to any others within your career? In 2003 or 2004, when we got down to $9 and $10 milk, it was rough. But, everything else was a little cheaper too. I don’t know if it was much worse. The input prices are high, but at the same time, we got $26 for conventional milk last month. You can sell corn for $7, and you can sell soybeans for $16. So, I don’t know that it’s that much worse. There’s more money in and more money out. You’re handling more, but I don’t know if the ratios are much different.
Tell us about your farm. My wife, Kelly, and I farm in partnership with my brother, Mike, and his wife, Lois. We are the second generation on the farm. Their son, Zachary, and our oldest son, Sam, What is the best advice you’ve been given to are both in the business as well and are part of the work through these times of high input costs? LLC. We run about 1,600-1,700 acres of corn, You have to watch everything and do a better job. soybean, wheat and alfalfa, and we plant cover What else can you do? You have to try to do the crops. We hire out most of our milking. My son, best job you can on every avenue of your operation. Ben, milks for a neighbor but does a lot here too, and my other son, Hans, is a senior in high school. How have you coped during this period of farm- We also have three daughters. Flora and Miranda ing? We rely on each other – our family and our have jobs off the farm but help whenever they’re hired help. It’s not easy to nd good help, but the needed, and Bethany is a freshman in high school and helps feed calves.
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Tell us about your farm. We keep around 50 milk cows and about 60 head of youngstock. We crop a couple hundred acres and a couple hundred acres of soybeans each year for cash crop. We always say we operate on 1.5 people because my wife works full time off the farm and helps with evening chores. We have one son who helps with calf chores and whatnot in the evenings. I have milked every day since I was 13 years old, so I have been farming for the last 35 years.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
Harvesting Quality Forages
Alfalfa baleage, corn silage increase milk production for Beckman Jeff Beckman Dennison, Minnesota Goodhue County 140 cows Describe your farm and facilities. My wife Cheryl and I farm with four of our kids, three are still in school. Our cows are milked in a double-6 parlor and housed in a freestall barn that is bedded with sand. We raise our own livestock, except the bull calves which are sold the rst week. We raise a
mix of corn, corn silage, soybean, alfalfa and canning peas for a place to spread manure on in the summer. What forages do you harvest? We raise 125 acres of alfalfa and 120 acres of corn silage. This year, we are going back to seeding our alfalfa with a nurse crop of oat, which we will use for dry cow and heifer feed. How many acres of crops do you raise? 400 acres.
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Describe the rations for your livestock. Our close-up dry cows are fed a mix of grass hay, corn silage and a DCAD mix with minerals. The breeding heifers, pregnant heifers and far-off dry cows are all on the same diet, due to space, of a total mixed ration that includes corn silage, alfalfa baleage (lower relative feed value) and minerals. The lactating group is all treated as one batch, due to barn layout, and that again is a mix of alfalfa baleage, corn silage, dry corn, protein, dry hay and canola.
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What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? We try for 3,200 tons of corn silage with the goal of NDFD30 of 55% or greater. Protein between 7%-9%. For the alfalfa, last year, we harvested around 900 silage bales that are wrapped, and the hope is that we are able to get 160 relative feed quality plus and 20% protein. The hay that is lower is used for the dry cows and heifers.
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PHOTO SUBMITTED
Jeff Beckman milks 140 cows with his family near Dennison, Minnesota. A balanced diet of alfalfa baleage and corn silage allows him to achieve a higher milk produc�on.
Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. Our corn silage is harvested by a custom chopper and stacked in a pile. It is nished in a day, including covering with a Silostop plastic and second plastic on top of that. Then, it is covered with a green tarp to keep critters off and Turn to BECKMAN | Page 20
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
Con�nued from BECKMAN | Page 18
hold the plastic down. We cut the alfalfa with a steel roller Discbind, typically in a day or so and bale it with a silage baler. We aim to get a moisture at 48%-53% and wrap them inline in plastic the same day. What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? After baling the alfalfa as wet hay, we wrap it all as a baleage. Then, we will allow it to ferment for over four weeks, sample each row (eld) and make an inventory to decide which hay will be used for which group. Typically, we try to have enough corn silage for 14 months to allow it to ferment before starting to feed. The goal is to know what we have and work out a plan to make it to new crop, utilizing the best feed for the milking cows. By creating a plan, it makes it easier to plan feeding and make sure we have the inventory we need to make it to rst crop next year. Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. We struggled to get decent feed value and protein for years, but a friend told me that to make milk, you had to have great haylage. Yet, it’s a balancing act, because I don’t like to run over the eld and
not get much in quantity. So, we started being more particular about the seed we buy. We plant after peas. Before we plant, we lime the eld, cover it with manure and then till it under. We plant at 20 pounds per acre for a good stand, and after rst crop, we are on a 25-day harvest window. If it is too dry to plant after peas, we will plant in the spring with a nurse crop. How do quality forages play a part in the production goals for your herd? Both the alfalfa baleage and the corn silage are the key to milk production. The fact that we are able to grow our own alfalfa with a great feed value has allowed us to drop cottonseed from our mix and add less purchased protein. What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that have made a notable difference in forage quality? In addition to cutting every 25 days after rst crop, we added these two products in the sprayer when we spray for bugs. Typically, we spray all our alfalfa seven days after harvesting, unless we see no activity of leafhoppers, which is rare. When we do spray for potato leafhoppers we add AgZyme, which is a soil bio-stimulant that increases microbial activ-
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Jeff Beckman harvests alfalfa on his farm last summer in Goodhue County near Dennison, Minnesota. Beckman cuts his alfalfa on 25-day intervals and aims for a moisture content of 48% to 53%.
ity to create a zone of better fertilizer efciency and uptake of nutrients to achieve a healthier soil prole along with a larger, healthier plant. And, we add Exceed, which are nano-sized brown sugar molecules that are immedi-
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and an extra half to threequarters ton per acre. At rst, I didn’t believe it, but each year we have used it, we see the difference to the point I don’t do trials any more.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 21
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Wil-Rich Quad 5, 47 ft, 5-Section Folding, #532076 ....................................$11,500 Case IH 4300, 2001, 38 ft, 3-Section Folding, #186653 ................................$11,995 JD 980, 1998, 44 ft, 3-Section Folding, #276171 ............................................$14,900 Wil-Rich Excel 42’, 1999, 42 ft, #276243 .....................................................$14,900 JD 2200, 2002, 34 ft, 3-Section Folding, #185898..........................................$19,000 Case IH TIGERMATE II, 2003, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, #186586..............$19,000 Wil-Rich QUAD 5, 1998, 42 ft, 5-Section Folding, #191850 .........................$19,500 Case tigermate 2, 60 ft, 5-Section Folding, #532083..................................$21,900 Case IH TM14, 2005, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, #187546 ............................$26,900 JD 2210, 2010, 65 ft, 5-Section Folding, #273967..........................................$32,900 Wil-Rich QUAD 5, 2012, 36 ft, 3-Section Folding, #531719 .........................$33,900 JD 2210, 2008, 42 ft, 5-Section Folding, #531703..........................................$39,900
PLANTERS
JD 7200, 1991, 16R30”, Vacuum, 1.6 Bushel Hopper, #275813.....................$12,900 Case IH 1200, 6R30”, Rigid, Vacuum, 1.6 Bushel Hopper, #531372 ...............$18,500 JD 7200, 1993, 12r30”, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 3.0 Bushel Hopper, #190107 ......$22,900 JD 1770, 1999, 16R30”, Flex Fold, Vacuum, 1.6 Bushel Hopper, #186432 .......$28,500 JD 1760, 2014, 12R30”, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 3.0 Bushel Hopper, #531820 .....$48,000
JD 1760, 2013, 12R30”, Rigid, Vacuum, 3.0 Bushel Hopper, #532115.............$49,500 JD 1765NT, 2017, 8R30”, Rigid, Vacuum, 3.0 Bushel Hopper, #186495 ..........$51,900 Case IH Early Riser 1240, 2011, 16R30”, Vacuum, Central Fill, #275290 ....$59,900 JD 1770NT, 2013, 24R30”, Flex Fold, Vacuum, 1.6 Bushel Hopper, #273978 ..$79,900 JD DB90, 2006, 36R30”, Flex Fold, Vacuum, Central Fill, #531337 ..................$89,900 JD DB60, 2009, 24R30”, Wing Fold, Vacuum, Central Fill, #532035 ................$95,500 JD 1790, 2012, 24R20”, Flex Fold, Vacuum, Central Fill, #532116 ............... $104,900 JD DB60, 2014, 24R30”, Flex Fold, Vacuum, Central Fill, #186455 ............... $185,900 JD 1775NT, 2015, 24R30”, Exact Emerge, Central Fill, #275625 ................. $224,900 JD 1775NT, 2020, 24R30”, Flex Fold, Vacuum, Central Fill, #186454 ........... $264,900 White 6700, 22”, Rigid, Vacuum, 1.6 Bushel Hopper, #186494 .....................$10,900 JD 1700, 2014, 4R30”, Rigid, Vacuum, Mini Hopper, #275821 ........................$17,900 JD 1720 CCS, 2010, 12R38”, Wing Fold, Vacuum, Central Fill, #276333..........$29,900 JD DR24, 2020, 24R30”, Exact Emerge, Central Fill, #274275 ...................... $319,900
SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTERS
JD 6950, 2000, PRWD, 4622, hrs., 3153 cut. hd. hrs., #272295 ......................$54,900 JD 6850, 1998, No PRWD, 3841 hrs., 2790 cut. hd. hrs., #531752 ..................$66,000 JD 7550, 2008, PRWD, 7320 hrs., 2789 cut. hd. hrs., #275592 .................... $104,900 JD 7750, 2011, No PRWD, 4900 hrs., 3200 cut. hd. hrs., #191547 ............... $129,000 JD 7480, 2013, PRWD, 4866 hrs., 3695 cut. hd. hrs., #191845 .................... $134,000 JD 7980, 2015, PRWD, 2455 hrs., 1720 cut. hd. hrs., #527149 .................... $170,000 JD 7980, 2013, PRWD, 2114 hrs., 1413 cut. hd. hrs., #527155 .................... $175,000 JD 7580, 2014, PRWD, 2941 hrs., 1764 cut. hd. hrs., #182276 .................... $185,900 Claas 960, 2014, PRWD, 2812 hrs., 2200 cut. hd. hrs., #271035 ................. $189,900 JD 7780, 2013, PRWD, 3234 hrs., 2109 cut. hd. hrs., #274502 .................... $189,900 JD 7780, 2014, PRWD, 3035 hrs., 1973 cut. hd. hrs., #180600 .................... $190,400 NH FR850, 2013, 1485 cut. hd. hrs., #188806 ............................................ $228,000 JD 8400, 2015, PRWD, 2103 hrs., 1158cut. hd. hrs., #186943 ..................... $238,750 JD 8600, 2015, PRWD, 2125 hrs., 1262 cut. hd. hrs., #166134..................... $262,500 JD 8600, 2016, PRWD, 2079 hrs., 1230 cut. hd. hrs., #187538 .................... $289,000 JD 8500, 2016, PRWD, 1452 hrs., 862 cut. hd. hrs., #151485 ...................... $295,000 JD 8600, 2016, PRWD, 1807 hrs., 1088 cut. hd. hrs., #187536 .................... $300,000 JD 8800, 2016, PRWD, 2579 hrs., 1679 cut. hd. hrs., #175182 .................... $304,900 JD 8600, 2016, PRWD, 1482 hrs., 995 cut. hd. hrs., #144025 ...................... $315,000
JD 8700, 2016, PRWD, 1591 hrs., 1103 cut. hd. hrs., #525709 .................... $324,000 JD 8700, 2017, PRWD, 2083 hrs., 1237 cut. hd. hrs., #186945 .................... $325,500 JD 8300, 2016, PRWD, 370 hrs., 187 cut. hd. hrs., #270227 ........................ $329,900 JD 8600, 2018, PRWD, 1473 hrs., 660 cut. hd. hrs., #188792 ...................... $342,000 JD 8800, 2017, PRWD, 1521 hrs., 862 cut. hd. hrs., #524820 ...................... $355,000 JD 8700, 2018, PRWD, 1728 hrs., 991 cut. hd. hrs., #187542 ...................... $373,000 JD 8600, 2018, PRWD, 775 hrs., 381 cut. hd. hrs., #270859 ........................ $379,900 JD 8300, 2021, PRWD, 52 hrs., #191810 .................................................... $409,000 JD 9600, 2019, PRWD, 1200 hrs., 811 cut. hd. hrs., #532049 ...................... $409,900 JD 9600, 2019, PRWD, 821 hrs., 507 cut. hd. hrs., #186948 ........................ $424,500 CLAAS 960, 2021, PRWD, 95 hrs., 69 cut. hd. hrs., #275198 ....................... $629,900
SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS
ROGATOR 1184, 2010, 120-Foot, Stainless, 4610 hrs., #191681 ..................$53,500 JD 4920, 2006, 120-Foot, Stainless, 3688 hrs., #187626................................$71,000 ROGATOR RG1100, 2013, 90-Foot, Stainless, 3250 hrs., #191700 ..............$97,000 HAGIE STS12, 2012, 90-Foot, 4100 hrs., #276184..................................... $149,900 CASE IH PATRIOT 4430, 2012, 120-Foot, 2770 hrs., #531726................. $159,000 JD 4630, 2013, 80-Foot, Poly, 1030 hrs., #275374 ...................................... $159,900 JD R4030, 2016, 120-Foot, Stainless, 1866 hrs., #531624 .......................... $179,900 JD 4830, 2013, Stainless, 1415 hrs., #532100 ............................................. $180,000 JD R4038, 2016, 90-Foot, Stainless, 2400 hrs., #274783 ............................ $194,900 JD R4038, 2016, 120-Foot, : Stainless, 3038 hrs., #275257 ........................ $199,900 JD R4038, 2016, 90-Foot, Stainless, 2200 hrs., #275266 ............................ $219,900 JD R4038, 2017, 90-Foot, Stainless, 2190 hrs., #275254 ............................ $219,900 JD R4045, 2017, 120-Foot, Stainless, 2950 hrs., #275252 .......................... $229,900 JD R4038, 2018, 120-Foot, Stainless, 2065 hrs., #531886 .......................... $272,900 JD R4038, 2020, 120-Foot, Stainless, 683 hrs., #275047 ............................ $359,900 JD R4045, 2018, 120-Foot, Stainless, 1175 hrs., #275627 .......................... $364,900 JD R4045, 2019, 120-Foot, Stainless, 1575 hrs., #421298 .......................... $399,500 JD R4045, 2020, 120-Foot, Stainless, 1332 hrs., #275782 .......................... $399,900 JD R4038, 2021, 120-Foot, Stainless, 200 hrs., #191080 ............................ $429,000 JD R4038, 2021, 132-Foot, Stainless, 380 hrs.,#191034 ............................. $450,000 JD R4044, 2021, 132-Foot, Stainless, 367 hrs., #191061 ............................ $459,900 JD R4044, 2021, 132-Foot, Stainless, 261 hrs., #191079 ............................ $479,000
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, March 26, 2022 Cleaning Drain Tiles, Manure Systems, Sewers and Frozen Lines
MATHER’S
MARCUS KRAHN
320-217-9607
Target Your Customers!
The Dairy Star is sent only to DAIRY FARMERS! If you would like to advertise in the DAIRY STAR, call 320-352-6303 for more information.
(Formerly Noah VanBeck)
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Do you have an upcoming auction? Advertise it in the Dairy Star - call 320-352-6303 for more information.
Self learning teat positions
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Indexing allows multi-breed herd
DeLaval VMS™ milking system V300
The right fit for any-size dairy We’re here for your herd, even the largest of them. DeLaval continues to meet the demands of your large-herd dairies with the DeLaval VMS™ milking system V300.
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Take a look inside the barns that rely on DeLaval robots in their growing operations.
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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 WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713 DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI 866-335-2825
Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267 Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA Advanced Dairy of Mora Mora, MN 320-679-1029 Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Brookings, SD 800-636-5581 S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2022 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. Nothing in this document shall constitute a warranty or guaranty of performance. www.delaval.com
My drive to thrive
At some point in our lives, we have all done something that has made us feel uncomfortable. We questioned it – even doubted ourselves – but in doing so, we knew it would make us a better person. For some, maybe that was signing the land rental agreement, forming a partnership with parents and siblings, or making the purchase on that heifer with an incredibly deep pedigree. For me, it was becoming a member of the Holstein Foundation’s Young Dairy Leaders Institute Class 12. Last month, I attended a three-day conference in By Jennifer Coyne Fort Worth, Texas, where nearly every minute of the Staff Writer day was consumed with personal growth and leadership training while being surrounded by some of the most driven, young dairy professionals in North America. It was refreshing, humbling and awe-inspiring. Those who represent Class 12 speak volumes for the industry and its future. The group, overwhelmingly made up of women, serve as producers, researchers, lawyers, students, technicians and communicators like myself; you name the profession and it is represented in this class. There are individuals from every corner of the United States, and Canada and Puerto Rico too. One woman applied for the program to be a voice for her family’s long-standing history of dairy farming and the role they play in sustainable food production in Puerto Rico. Another woman is an independent dairy nutritionist who was looking to expand her network. Her mother is a former YDLI participant and created life-long connections through the program. One man currently makes maple syrup on the East Coast. He joined YDLI to garner the skills to be a better leader in his rural community. Yet another member was looking for the condence to take on a greater role in her family’s dairy farm. Others attended with support from their employers, while some have long dreamed of participating in the foundation’s leadership program. For me, I joined because of you. Not having grown up on a dairy farm, my life in the industry has been built by supporting, advocating and communicating for dairy farmers. I started working on a neighboring dairy farm when I was a teenager, I’ve been involved in the Minnesota dairy princess program and have spent the last seven years here with Dairy Star. This was a logical step in my career to continue investing in myself so I can better serve the industry and take on valuable roles within my own community. Throughout the course of the conference, we learned from renowned individuals on how to take our own skillsets and personalities to thrive in our work and homes, and be a voice for the dairy industry. Before our nal evening in Cowtown and a private dinner at Billy Bob’s Texas, we heard from one last presenter. Paul Vitale came to us via Zoom after being diagnosed with lung cancer a few days prior and set to start radiation soon after the conference. Vitale’s endearing way of speaking to our class, making us feel valued and capable, was unlike anything I’ve experienced; there was not a dry eye in the room by the end of his hours-long presentation. His message was simple surrounding how we can effectively handle change and be pivotal in changing the lives around us. He very poignantly said our impact isn’t where we’ve been or what we’ve done, but where we’re going and the lives we’ll inuence by exceeding the expectations and needs of others; it is the most seless thing we can do. Isn’t that the truth? Every day is our day to improve, being mindful of who we are, why we are here, what matters most and, consequently, what matters least. In the coming months, I’ll be working with a smaller group of YDLI classmates to stay on task with goals I want to accomplish in the year ahead to become a better leader in the workplace and in my community. My mission is to create meaning in my personal and professional life, knowing my actions made a positive impact in my family, community and dairy industry. By this time next year, I want to be able to say enthusiastically, “Yes,” to the question, “Am I a trusted source for guidance and one people look to in meeting their needs or the needs of others?” I’m eager to watch the year unfold in my drive to thrive.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 23
Patterns of progress Rolling S Farms updates parlor, evolves with the times By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
PATCH GROVE, Wis. – The updated parlor at Rolling S Farms is part of an effort to keep abreast of the ever-changing dairy industry. “Dairy is always changing,” Jennifer Toberman said. “If you don’t update, everything is going to fall down right around you. We are always maintaining and updating.” Toberman is a partner at Rolling S Farms in Patch Grove. The 780-cow herd is milked three times a day in a double-14 parlor that was installed in fall 2020 when the previous parlor was worn beyond repair. “Our old parlor was pushing the 20-year mark,” Toberman said. “We have always kept it well maintained, but after a hydraulic motor failed to raise one of the exit boards up, we started running into major repairs from that point on.” The cows had pushed on the exit board, causing extreme resistance. The hydraulic motors started blowing capacitators which made it clear an update was needed. The new parlor is similar
to the farm’s previous setup. “The main difference is it runs on air pressure instead of running on hydraulics,” Toberman said. Installing the parlor took two days and proved to be a challenge. “The cows didn’t want to come in while they were welding, cutting and torching,” Toberman said. “We had to milk on one side at a time. We did milk nonstop, but there was still one day that the cows only got milked twice.” The updated parlor had the option of adding an activity monitoring system, something Toberman declined due to the cost. “At some point, I think we’re going to need to do that when I’m too old to keep up,” Toberman said. “Right now, we’ve got a really great A.I. company who provides heat detection. I’ve worked alongside our vet getting a better handle on sick cow detection, so I just couldn’t justify dropping that kind of money on something we are very good at doing ourselves.” Rolling S Farms was established in 1972 when Toberman’s father, Jim Steiger, ended a partnership with his two brothers and started dairy-
T S E B
S E U L VA
TRACTORS JD 4020 2WD Platform, Consigned, 16.9-38 Tires JD 970 2WD Platform MF 4710, cab FWA, 931X Loader, 7’ Bucket, 550 Hrs MF 150 2WD, Platform, Gas, Turf Tires ‘17 NH T4.75, cab FWA, Loader, w/550 Hrs. COMBINES & HEADS ‘12 Gleaner S77 Combine, Duals, 1,694 Sep, 2416 E. Hrs ‘08 Gleaner 3000 630R Corn Head ‘10 Gleaner 9250-35 Draper Head Gleaner 8200-35 Flex Head, w/Orbit Reel, 2009 Gleaner 8200-35 Flex Head with Crary Air Reel Gleaner 313 pick-up header ‘08 Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head, 8 row 30”, NH/Case IH mount SKIDS, TRACK LOADERS, & EXCAVATORS ‘00 Bobcat 341 Excavator, w/3’ Bucket, Cab With Heat ‘17 Bobcat T595 Track Loader, Cab, 15.7” Zig Zag susp. Tracks, 1,126 hrs. Bobcat Toolcat with 3,000 Hrs. ‘19 Mustang 608 Articulated Loader, 3-Spd., Power Attach, 3,125 Hrs. ‘16 Mustang 2600R Skid Steer, Cab w/Heat, 2-Speed, TILLAGE/FIELD CULTIVATORS DMI Tigermate 21.5’ Field Cultivator, with 5-bar spike tooth DMI Tigermate 32’ Field Cultivator with 3-bar coil tine Great Plains Turbo-Till 2400 with basket & harrow, New blades, approx 500 acres, ‘16 Sunflower 1436-29’ Disc, Like New Summers Superchisel 16-Shank with 3-Bar Coil Tine Wil-Rich 3400 Field Cultivator w/ 4-Bar WR Coil Tine, 28’6” ‘12 Wil-Rich 5800 Chisel Plow Wil-Rich 5800 Chisel Plow, 45’
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Jennifer Toberman stands in one of the freestall barns March 8 at her farm near Bagley, Wisconsin. Toberman is a partner at Rolling S Dairy where they milk 780 cows in a newly updated double-14 parlor. ing on his own with his family of six. The rst parlor was built in 1994 followed by a freestall barn in 1995. In 1999, Toberman’s father formed a limited liability company with two of his sons and lifelong employee Bob Bloom. With an addition to the freestall barn in 2003, the farm expanded the herd from 250 to
HAY & FORAGE, STALK CHOPPERS ‘15 Massey Ferguson 1363 9’10” Mower Conditioner, Side Pull, Consigned Massey Ferguson 1329 3-pt Disc Mower (9’2”) ‘17 Massey Ferguson 1383 13’ Mower Conditioner, Draw Bar Swivel New Holland BR7070 Round Baler, 10,000 Bales, Crop Cutter New Holland RB460 Round Baler, 10,300 Bales, Roto Cutter ‘17 New Holland RB560 Round Baler, 1,176 Bales, Like New Vermeer 504 Pro Round Baler With Cutter. 11,500 Bales Krone V180 XC T Crop Cutter, 5,764 Bales ‘12 Krone BP4X4XC, 4x4, Large Square Baler, w/19,000 Bales H&S HDX 14 Wheel Rake ‘04 H&S BF14HC Hi-Cap Rake ‘18 H&S 16-Wheel Hi-Cap Rake John Deere 1470 Mower Conditioner, Side Pull ROW CROP, DRILLS & SPRAYERS Hardi Nav 550M Sprayer with 45’ Boom, 3-Section Controler Consigned ‘12 Hardi Navigator 4000, 90’ Boom,120” Axle, 5500 Rate Controller ‘14 Hardi Navigator 4000, 80’ Boom, Sus. Axle, 5500 Rate Controller ‘04 Hardi Navigator 1100, 90’ Boom, Sus. Axle CIH 5100 Grain Drill 12’ w/6” Spacing IH 5100 Grain Drill, 10’, w/Small Seeds Great Plains YP1225-24 Twin Row 30” Planter, Finger Pick-Up. 400 Gal LF White 8516 16-Row 30” Planter Central Fill, 600 Gal. Lq Fert. White 9816 Planter 16r30, 750 G LF, Yetter Clean Sweep Row Cleaners GRAIN CARTS & WAGONS Brent 410 Grain Cart, 18.4-26 diamond tires MANURE SPREADERS H&S 5126 Topshot Manure Spreader, 19Lx16.1 Tires ‘11 H&S 5126 Topshot Manure Spreader, 19Lx16.1 Tires GRAIN EQUIPMENT Good Selection Of Used Augers MISCELLANEOUS ‘20 Virnig 96” Hydraulic Angle Broom, New Brushes ‘20 Bush Hog BH 217 3-pt Rotary Cutter, like new Bush Hog TD-1500 Tri-Deck Finish Mower 15’ ‘20 Bush Hog HTDH5 3-pt Finish Mower w/Anti Scalp Roller, 15 Hrs Use Bush Hog 14815 15’ Batwing Rotary Cutter Massey Ferguson 2320 ,54” Mid-Mount Mower Deck Meyer 80” Skid Steer Mount Snowpusher (Has Rubber Edge)
38241 County 6 Blvd. Goodhue, MN 55027
(651) 923-4441
500 cows. Toberman took over the role of owner from her father in 2005 and now runs the dairy with Bloom and their team of employees. Her dad and older family members are retired. Another freestall barn was added in 2015 and another addition was put on the rst large freestall barn shortly after.
Stalls were updated in 2019. The Rolling S team has also found ways to be innovative without updating facilities. Toberman said statistics were emerging that stalls needed to be bigger, and lunge space Turn to TOBERMAN | Page 25
PARLOR STALLS
WEAVER Equipment, LLC. has been dedicated to providing dairy stalls and crowd gate solutions since 1994. Our current lineup includes various stall systems, flexible cabinet designs, CIP drawers and cabinets as well as several crowd gate options. Our focus continues to be to provide solid craftsmanship, designs, and services combined with obvious cow comfort features so every farmer has maximum uptime and production.
(800) 887-4634 • Lancaster, WI (608) 647-4488 • Richland Center fullersmilkercenter.com
Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
NEW EQUIPMENT
#019135 LX Anderson RB200 Call For Price
#019598 LX Anderson IFX720 Call For Price
#017289 EY NH 560 Roll Belt Specialty Crop Baler Call For Price
#018990 EY NH 460 Roll Belt Round Baler Call For Price
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#018415 LX CIH Farmall 100C Call For Price
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USED EQUIPMENT
#020872 LX Case 2290 Tractor $7,500
#018321 LX ‘14 Kuhn Knight 8124 Spreader $11,900
#020153 NW ’12 H&S 430 Spreader $15,000
#022405 NW ‘98 Vermeer 605L Round Baler $8,950
#021047 LX ‘94 NH 565 Small Square Baler $8,985
#019279 RC ‘14 Roto Grind 760 Bale Grinder $16,900
#022348 LX ‘14 NH 313 Discbine $26,900
#021307 EY H&S V10 10 Wheel Rake $3,450
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#023174 NW ‘12 Hardi Ranger 2000 Sprayer $18,900
#021440 LX ‘15 Kuhn Krause 8210-30W Disc Call For Price
#019544 LX Glencoe FC3200 Field Cultivator $6,500
#016865 LX Landoll 20’ Stalk Chopper $3,500
#022529 LX ‘16 NH CR8.90 Combine $299,900
#021544 EY ‘99 JD9610 Combine $25,900
#021600 LX ‘97 CIH 1063 6 Row Corn Head $6,995
#018430 LX ‘13 MF 8200-30 Flex Head $19,985
#017407 LX ‘87 CIH 1020 Head $3,985
#019614 LX ‘15 Supreme 600T TMR $24,500
#019612 RC ‘09 Supreme 500S TMR $17,900
#018165 LX ’08 Supreme 500 TMR $17,900
#018535 LX ‘15 Kuhn Knight VT168 TMR $25,900
#021934 LX JCB 85Z Excavator $79,500
#016714 EY Kubota ZD326S Zero Turn Mower $8,900
#023172 LX ‘15 Fendt 933 Vario $189,000
#023173 LX ‘14 Fendt 828 Vario $169,000
#020515 LX ’13 CIH Magnum 315 $144,985
#018844 EY ‘12 NH FR9060 SP Chopper $125,000
#020655 RC H&S 770 16’ Chopper Box $5,985
#021176 RC ‘16 Kuhn RW1410 Wrapper $15,900
#021373 LX ‘15 NH 488 Haybine $13,500
#020156 EY ‘15 NH H7230 Discbine $17,900
#022053 LX ‘10 JD 956 MoCo $20,985
#019547 LX JD 2700 4 Bottom Plow $1,200
#018222 LX ‘90 J&M 350 Gravity Box $2,500
#021601 LX ‘09 CIH 3406 Corn Head $16,500
#018515 EY ‘15 Mack w/ Kuhn VTC1100 TMR $135,900
#018908 RC ‘16 CIH Optum 300 CVT $199,985
#016920 EY ‘18 Kubota BV5160R Round Baler $24,900
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WWW.STJOSEPHEQUIPMENT.COM
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 25
ConƟnued from TOBERMAN | Page 23 should be added for cow comfort. They brought in experts to determine the best way to accommodate the cows in the outdated barn from 1995. “We had people come in from (the University of Wisconsin)-Madison,” Toberman said. “They had a lot of big ideas, but it was not the most cost-effective solutions, so we gured why not buy a smaller cow that would t perfect in the outdated free stalls. And, they have worked great ever since.” The Jerseys are housed in the freestall barn with the smaller stalls separate from the Holsteins. Toberman is in charge of most of the herd health along with an assistant, Tony Hernandez, who has been a longtime employee of 20 years. The calves are custom
raised until they are 6 months old. Then, Toberman’s husband, Larry, takes over managing the calves. He also manages a beef herd of 270 cow-calf pairs, which Toberman helps with as well. “We are denitely a team,” Toberman said. “He is involved in a lot of the decision making, and in the afternoons, I help him at the beef farm. This leaves very little downtime, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.” Toberman plans to keep moving forward with updates at the dairy as needed. An additional 40 cows were added in December 2021 after Toberman moved her post-fresh pen to a smaller area to create more room for the rest of the herd. This was also an effort to keep pace with the dairy industry. Toberman said the goal
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
A group of Holstein cows rest between milkings March 8 at Rolling S Dairy near Bagley, Wisconsin.
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Two employees milk in the recently updated parlor March 8 at Rolling S Dairy near Bagley, Wisconsin. The double-14 parlor was installed in 2020. was to ll a tanker of milk each day. “We’ve surpassed that, and now we’re realizing our bulk tank isn’t big enough,” Toberman said. “The next thing we’re looking into is directly shipping our milk.” Right now, the farm’s milk is hauled by an owner-operator, who is quitting at the end of the month. To transition to direct shipments, Toberman said they will have to buy a chiller, get rid of the bulk tank, install three bays and add concrete for the tankers to park. While she
faces most updates with optimism, the costs are something Toberman is not looking forward to. “It’s a big investment,” Toberman said. “It would be cheaper for us to own a truck and trailer and hire a driver, but it’s impossible to nd a driver right now.” Toberman said one of her favorite things about the new parlor is the milk weights are recorded after each cow is milked. She also noted the benets of the cow scrub brushes
that were installed at the same time as the parlor. “The brushes are so consistent compared to each milker doing their own techniques,” Toberman said. “No more washing and drying eight loads of towels each shift.” Toberman has also seen cost savings with not having to maintain washers, dryers or hydraulic motors. “As we’ve grown, we just kept changing things,” Toberman said. “You can’t stand still on a dairy farm for very long.”
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
Dairying made simple
Wall milks 30 cows for three decades By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
EASTMAN, Wis. – In an industry that seems to constantly be changing, Arthur Wall enjoys keeping his dairy simple. “I’m glad I’m small,” Wall said. “I don’t want to milk 100 cows. Then, that’s all you’re ever doing is farming, farming, farming. To me, there’s more to life than being on the farm 24/7.” Wall milks 30 cows in a stanchion barn near Eastman in Crawford County. Wall took over the farm from his parents in 1990. He purchased the cattle and machinery then saved enough money to buy the farm which he purchased in 2005. Wall said starting out this way has allowed him to remain small. “I didn’t jump in with big expenses where I was looking at a $2,000 to $3,000 payment every month,” Wall said. “I don’t push my cows, and I have low feed cost.” Wall farmed conventionally until 2008 when he transitioned to organic. For Wall, the price is less volatile, and he saves on feed costs by grazing. “Once we start grazing in May, the cows are out all day and night,” Wall said. “They’re in the barn only to milk, and you only have to haul manure maybe every 10 days.”
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Arthur Wall stands outside his barn March 8 near Eastman, Wisconsin. Wall milks 30 organic cows and has no plans to expand. This management style also allows Wall time to pursue other interests off the farm such as shing and hunting. About ve years ago, Wall started taking a trip every year with two of his brothers. The rst year, they went shing with a charter boat on Lake Michigan, an opportunity that arose from the farm.
“We had guys who turkey hunted here who had a shing boat on Lake Michigan, so they took us out for nothing,” Wall said. “They’re the nicest people I’ve ever met. We caught about ve or six salmon and trout.” In past years, the brothers also went to Dubuque, Iowa, for a hockey
game and Milwaukee for a concert. Last month, they attended a University of Wisconsin Badger basketball game against Penn State. Before long, Wall and his son, Derek, are going to Missouri to sh for paddlesh. Wall’s wife, Carol, works off the farm and periodically takes weekends to visit with her sisters and their daughters, Felicia and Kelsey. As a farmer, Wall enjoys the simplicity of the small farm. He begins his day around 6 a.m. when he might take a walk to the road if the weather allows, and then, he goes to the barn with the dog. He starts milking by 7:30 a.m. or so. “We’re not in a big rush for anything unless we have somewhere to be early,” Wall said. “I used to start earlier, but I don’t do that now that I’m in my 50s.” Milking goes quickly with a small herd, but the time in the barn is time Wall enjoys. “I got my radio on down there,” Wall said. “I just love music. It gets me through the day. I get a lot of thinking done, and milking goes really fast. It’s relaxing to me.” Wall’s son, Nick, is a high school teacher, part-time chiropractor and also helps make hay when needed. Derek started helping on the farm in 2015 after studying dairy herd management at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. “He comes up with ideas on what to do for the cows,” Wall said. Turn to WALL | Page 27
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ConƟnued from WALL | Page 26
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Arthur Wall milks 30 cows near Eastman, Wisconsin. He has been milking in the same barn for over 30 years. Derek also runs a custom round baling and wrapping business. He mainly serves neighbors who do not own a round baler or others who have a breakdown and need help nishing a job. Wall said Derek might eventually take over the farm, but he is not ready to hang his hat up just yet. “I’d like to farm another 10-15 years if I can,” Wall said. “I’m healthy enough, and my knees are ne. And, I don’t have that many bills anymore.” Wall said one of the biggest differences he sees in his years of farming is all the people starting out with many cows and land. “Nowadays, you see a lot of young farmers get in after their parents milk 500 or 600 cows,” Wall said. … “But if you had to do everything yourself, all the chores and eldwork, it’s better to start small. If you don’t like it, it’s a lot
easier to sell out instead of having millions of dollars of machinery and cows and buildings to try and get somebody else to run.” Even though he prefers small-scale farming, Wall marvels at how diverse a dairy community can be. “You can have 10 guys on one ridge and they all farm differently,” Wall said. “They might sell to the same milk company, but they all have their own ideas and different sized herds. It’s amazing.” Regardless of what the rest of the dairy industry is doing, Wall plans to continue farming the way that works for him for as long as he can. After all, it is what he enjoys. “I love farming because it’s like everybody says, it’s something different every day besides the milking,” Wall said. “You’re outside doing something all the time. I like the difference.”
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Women In Dairy Nicole Barlass (pictured with children Lily and Brody) Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin Sheboygan County 130 cows
Family: My husband, Aaron, and I have two energetic children, Lily, 8, and Brody, 6. In addition to running our dairy with my family, Aaron and I work off the farm. I have a degree in agricultural education and a master’s degree in educational leadership. I worked as an agriculture teacher and am a part-time membership director for a statewide trade association, Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. Tell us about your farm. My family’s farm, Dusty Lane Farm LLC, was purchased by my grandparents, Henry and Pauline Franzen, in 1967. For many years, my grandparents ran the farm while also holding jobs in factories and raising four children. Eventually my dad, Henry Franzen Jr., took over the farm. Today, the farm is run by my parents, Henry and Laurie, my brother, Joe, and my family and me. We manage our 130-cow dairy, raise youngstock, crop 1,600 acres of land for feed and grain, and custom combine and chop for some neighboring farms. We don’t rely heavily on non-family labor other than a few assistant milkers. My dad feeds cows and is our cropping lead. My brother manages the herd. My mom handles nancials. My husband helps with maintenance. I manage the calves, help with relief milking and am increasing my ofce duties with more time at home. We also have a small trucking business that I work with my dad on growing and operating. Our trucking company, Franzen Trucking LLC, has been in business for almost 20 years. We have anywhere from seven to 10 semis on the road hauling product around the country. What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? I head over around 5 a.m. to feed calves. After that, I rush home to get my kids on the bus for school and then back to my farm ofce where I manage the trucking business, help with farm ofce support and my job with DBA and Edge. As you can imagine, I am busy during the day managing emails, visiting with sales representatives, discussing plans for the dairy, treating calves, helping load animals and more. Then after a day in the ofce, I head back out to take care of my calves and/or milk as needed. During summer months, like any farm, I add in a lot of eldwork. What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? Lessening my hours of work off the farm. As a family, we make decisions together, and it has been exciting to watch our dairy take major steps forward in the last few years. We moved from bull breeding to all A.I., started using herd management software and will be getting activity monitoring collars soon. Yes, many of these items are expenses we have to manage for the dairy, but the only way we can move forward and progress is by improving our management practices and using the data available to us. I am excited for us to be able to make better decisions based on data. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. When I was younger, my dad was truck driving, my brother was gone, and a cow calved unexpectedly. The calf was pulled by our manure scrapers into a narrow ume/pit. It was up to my 70-year-old Grandpa and my teenage self to save the calf. Grandpa grabbed my ankles and lowered me in to hoist the calf out. We were able to save the calf, but I was exhausted and covered from head to toe in manure. That smell stuck with me for a few days, and the story stuck for many years even as I traveled a section of Wisconsin and spoke as a state FFA vice president in 2002-03.
as our 59th Alice in Dairyland. It was a dream my grandpa and I always talked about growing up. Being able to represent Wisconsin dairy, and agriculture as a whole, was a dream come true for this Wisconsin farm girl. My biggest accomplishment is being back home to raise my kids on the farm. What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? Volunteering. I am president of the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board and have served on that board for many years. Our group invests time into promoting all things dairy at the Wisconsin State Fair along with supporting our dairy youth exhibitors. I have also been involved in Farm Bureau and the Sheboygan County Fairest of the Fair program. Now as a parent, I am also the crazy dairy lady donating dairy products to make sure they are available during all sporting events in the concession stands. What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Take time to think about what you’re grateful for. Times can be tough. Prices are low, expenses are high, and animals get sick. You’re often juggling way too many things. It’s during those times you need to look around, think about your amazing family, the farm you have, the life you live and the opportunity you have to work with your family. While our lives are tough, we are afforded special opportunities that we need to remember to appreciate. And most importantly, when your to-do list is overowing day after day, remember that you are only one person, and you can physically only do so much. There’s always another day, and we all need sleep. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? My 8-year-old daughter told me the other day that my hobby was napping because I always talk about wanting to take a nap. And while I love getting a nap in, if my life allows me the opportunity, I love cooking, yard work and gardening, and watching my kids play sports.
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? The life it has given me. It’s hard as heck, tiring and not always fun, but it has made me who I am. I work my butt off in everything I do in life because I was raised on the farm. It’s a special life that’s not afforded to many in today’s world. It’s also connected me to such wonderful people who are my dearest friends around the state. What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? I served Wisconsin
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
Livestock on the landscape
Grazing cover crops benets soil health By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
ROTHSCHILD, Wis. – Cover crops are becoming common in the landscape throughout the Upper Midwest. More and more producers are looking at ways to utilize cover crops not only as a measure to improve soil health but as a forage for their herds. Finding ways to utilize cover crops as forages was a topic of discussion at the Wisconsin Cover Crops Conference Feb. 24 in Rothschild.
“My whole path down this road started with a farmer I worked with in Waupaca County telling me about this crazy guy in the Dakotas and what he was doing with grazing covers,” said Adam Abel, Natural Resources Conservation Service grazing specialist. “We decided to see what we could do with it, and it has worked out really well. And, we have taken what we learned there and copied it.” Abel recommends to begin grazing cover crops on a small scale while being open to experimentation and learning. “Take 5 or 10 acres and start small,” Abel said. “Every single year that we’ve done this, especially with some of the real crazy diverse mixes, it has looked different. It expresses itself differently.” There are many reasons why Abel recommends grazing livestock on cover crops. He said one of the
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NRCS grazing specialist Adam Abel explains the benets using cover crops for livestock grazing can have for soil health at the Wisconsin Cover Crops Conference Feb. 24 in Rothschild, Wisconsin. main advantages is the manure that fertilizes the cover crops is spread in the elds by the livestock themselves. “One of the major opportunities that I have had working with larger dairies, using cover crops as a forage, is when you think about how much advantage you have just not having to haul that manure out of the pit,” Abel said. “One thing that is greatly underestimated is the amount of manure that you can get out onto your landscape by incorporating animals onto that landscape. It’s a really big deal when you start putting the math to it.” Biological acceleration, or improving soil health at faster rates, is another benet to having livestock grazing cover crops, said Abel. “There is some great research out there that shows that just putting animals out there on that crop eld speeds up the process of increasing the nutri-
“One thing that is greatly underestimated is the amount of manure that you can get out onto your landscape by incorporating animals onto that landscape.” ADAM ABEL, NRCS GRAZING SPECIALIST
ent cycle,” Abel said. “Iowa has some great research on corn and cattle eating the stover and other cover crops. What happens is they are breaking that ber down into something more usable for those plants that can get cycled through the system next year. … Some guys are talking 10% to 15% more yield.” Those benets in soil health can create a positive and long-lasting effect on improving both the physical and economic aspects of a farm, said Abel. “If you don’t think that soil health is something that can absolutely have an impact on your farm, you haven’t taken the time to really look at your soil,” Abel said. … “If you don’t have good soil health, you are probably going to have soils that are warming up slower in the spring and really hot in the summer time. That can have a real impact on your crops.” Grazing cover crops can represent a variety of increased economic opportunities as well, said Abel. Those opportunities can present a cost-savings by avoiding the costs associated with storing grain to feed to heifers or beef cows and a reduction in hauling and applying stored manure. Another option is to rent pasture to neighboring beef farmers for additional revenue. “It might not look perfect the rst year, but it starts to snowball and then things really start clicking,” Abel said. “The thing with covers is that you cannot be scared to fail. Each one of these plants has different attributes. For example, if you’re looking to increase organic matter, radishes probably aren’t your go-to choice, but they are good for compaction. Understand that when you choose your species and some of the different things that you can do to help move your farm along. Don’t underestimate those different opportunities.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 31
along with myself. When my son is here, we get along well because we both enjoy farming.
Tom Olson Black River Falls, Wisconsin Jackson County 30 cows
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I like the independence and being outdoors. I could never work in an ofce or a factory. I also like the day-to-day challenges and that every day is different.
How did you get into farming? This was my uncle’s farm, and I always spent time with him when I was younger. I grew up in town but preferred to be on the farm. This farm has been in my family for 112 years.
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? You need to gure out your skill set and what size operation you can manage. It’s also good to diversify and raise steers or market grain if your land and cattle base are matched.
What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I worry about the leaders in Washington, D.C., who do not see the farm crisis for what it is. The farms that we are losing today are bigger than the farms we were losing 40 years ago so we are losing more on a bigger scale.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? I don’t think too much is going to change in one year. Paul would like to eventually take over, and I hope he can. The question will be if stanchion barns will be allowed going forward. That will be a factor as well as dwindling milk markets.
What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? I built a 12-by-50 silo in 2016 for my high-moisture corn. I had used bags in the past. I learned the cost to dry, store and haul corn was too expensive. I paid for my silo in 13 months. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I am good at troubleshooting and guring out an economical solution for things. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Staying at the size I can manage on my own. My son, Paul, works at a welding shop and helps often, and that’s all the help I need.
What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? My loader tractor, the silo unloader and the barn cleaner. Without those things, I couldn’t do this, and I would need a good chiropractor. What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? I try to stay on top of everything. At this point in life, we have savings so we
don’t live hand-to-mouth anymore which is a blessing. This spring with high inputs, soil pH has always been key. Lime is the cheapest and helps make homemade fertilizer work. Dairy farmers are at an advantage that way. How do you maintain family relationships while also working together? I usually just have to get
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Milk fat tests above 4%: The new normal By Isaac J. Salfer
University of Minnesota
I can remember sitting in my dairy management class at the University of Minnesota in 2012 and learning that a good milk fat benchmark for a Holstein herd was 3.75%. This was backed up by historical milk market data, which saw average butterfat tests in the Upper Midwest hovering between 3.7% and 3.8% from 2000 to 2012. However, fast-forward 10 years and we have seen this number rapidly increase (see Figure 1), with 2021 recording an average milk fat of over 4% for the rst time. The trend is continuing into 2022 with an average bulk tank fat test of 4.25% in January, up 0.13% from last year’s January average. I fully expect that in a few years, I will be telling my class that a 4% milk fat test is on the low end of what a herd should expect. The improvement in average butterfat test coincided with increased consumer demand for high-fat dairy products, particularly butter, in recent years. One contributor to this is the changing public perception about saturated fat, particularly after the nowfamous book “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong,” by Nina Teicholz was published in 2014. This book was a critique of the previously long-held belief that saturated fats were the primary dietary risk factor for heart disease. The book showed how the science actually suggested that sugar intake was a much larger contributor. The increased demand for butter has been reected in increasing Class III milk prices over the past decade. I foresee this demand for butter continuing to rise as consumers gain further awareness of the health benets of butter compared to vegetable-based alternatives. While the strides we have made through the past decade have been amazing, it puts even more pressure on farmers to keep up the pace of improvement with the rapid improvement and capitalize on high premiums. To do this, we have to understand the factors that inuence milk fat production. Milk fat comes from two sources: either directly from fat present in the diet and body reserves (preformed fat), or from synthesis in the udder (de novo, meaning new, fat). Several milk testing and academic labs have the ability to use the composition of fat present within milk to determine the percentage of milk fat from each source. This information can be valuable to farmers and nutritionists when it comes to managing their nutrition program. Low concentrations of preformed fat (less than 30% of total fatty acids) indicate the dairy could benet from feeding supplemental fat, particularly saturated fat sources like palm fat, rumen-protected fat supplements or tallow. I do recognize that right now these sources are very expensive, with tallow prices being at an all-time high, so any supplemental fat feeding should be done in the context of income over feed costs. Several commercial products exist within feed mills that can provide excellent sources of rumen-protected fat. In particular, fatty acid products that are made up a blend of palmitic and stearic acid tend to be more digestible that products made up of a single fatty acid. De novo fatty acids should make up at least 23% of total fatty acids. Increasing the amount of de novo fatty acids is a cheaper approach to modifying milk fat because modication of de novo fat is heavily inuenced by rumen fermentation. The production of a specic fatty acid (trans-10, cis-12 C18:2) by rumen microbes leads to direct inhibition of milk fat synthesis in the udder. This fatty acid is increased in the rumen during times of low rumen pH and high rumen unsaturated fatty acid concentration. Factors such as high diet fermentability (through feeding highly digestible feeds), high unsaturated fatty acids, poor bunk management and poor feed consistency are all risk
factors for production of this fatty acid and therefore risk factors for decreased milk fat. Feeding management strategies that increase the number of visits a cow will make to the feed bunk can have major benets on de novo fat synthesis. Research has shown that increasing feeding frequency from one time to two times or more per day, pushing up feed seven to 12 times per day, reducing stocking density below 110%, and increasing bunk space to at least 24 inches per cow, and feeding at a consistent time each day all improve milk fat production substantially. Increasing the physically effective ber in a diet also increases milk fat, as long as feed intake isn’t reduced. I would suggest the incredible strides in milk fat are related to four main factors: – Improved forage quality and ber digestibility, which allows feeding higher ber diets without sacricing available energy for milk production. – Improved feed and bunk management to maximize cows’ time at the feed bunk. – Improved ration balancing, with a particular emphasis on feeding more forage. – Improved genetic selection for milk fat percentage, mainly due to utilization of the Net Merit $ selection index which puts heavy emphasis on milk fat and protein yield. In this current butter-loving market, it is important that we continue to focus on these strategies to continue to improve our herd’s butterfat test.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Figure 1. Average yearly bulk tank bu�erfat test for the Upper Midwest Federal Milk Marke�ng Order. The graph demonstrates a rapid increase in milk fat percentage from 2010 to present, a�er a period of rela�ve stability from 2000 to 2010. Note that the increased value for January 2022 (Jan-22) is par�ally due to a seasonal effect because bu�erfat is always greatest in January. The average bu�erfat test was 4.25% in January of 2022, compared to 4.11% in January of 2021.
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A woman at the heart of change
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 33
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Chris Sukalski is co-owner of Reiland Farms, LLC in Mower and Fillmore counƟes in Minnesota. Sukalski has been dairy farming for more than 30 years.
Sukalski reects on pursuing, promoting dairy By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
LE ROY, Minn. – Chris Sukalski is a dairy farmer through and through, having made it her life’s work to see that the industry – the people, the cows and the land – are well taken care of. “All of a sudden, it’s hit me. I’ve been farming for over 30 years,” Sukalski said. “When I rst came home in 1988, it was because my dad had decided to sell the cows and crop farm instead. My family would have been out of the dairy industry if I hadn’t made this my career.” Sukalski and her brother, Scott Reiland, are co-owners of Reiland Farms, LLC in Mower and Fillmore counties. Sukalski manages the 500-cow dairy on a farm she and her husband, Troy, bought in 2001 near Le Roy. Scott manages the agronomy and feeds the replacement heifers at the home farm near Spring Valley. After college, Sukalski worked in an ofce job at a dairy breed magazine for a couple years in Columbus, Ohio. “That really helped me appreciate the rewards of farming and being your own boss,” Sukalski said. “I’m thankful I had this opportunity.” After returning to the farm, Sukalski was quickly put in a leadership position, managing the herd and overseeing employees as the family grew the herd and Sukalski’s parents stepped back from dayto-day responsibilities. While there are certainly triumphs worth celebrating on the farm, some of Sukalski’s greatest achievements come from her involvement in her communities and the desire to promote her family’s livelihood. The need for such involvement was evident after Reiland Farms battled to expand in the late 1990s. “It was made painfully clear who was on your side and who were champions in that difcult time,” Sukalski said. “That experience made me realize we needed to be vocal and educate people if we were going to keep our industry healthy.” For nearly two decades, Sukalski has done just that. She has spent time on the Minnesota Dairy Promotion Council/ Midwest Dairy Association regional board and served at the national level on the Dairy Manage-
ment Inc. board. Sukalski actively supports her cooperative’s efforts in producing new dairy products and has been vocal about major industry partnerships to encourage dairy consumption. One of her greatest feats was being a part of the initiative to get milk on the children’s menus at McDonald’s. “I had little kids at the time, and I was frustrated with the pop being shoved down kids’ throats,” Sukalski said. “It became a project we pounced on, and we got staff from Dairy Checkoff (Program) working with the corporate kitchens to make changes that were dairy friendly.” The latest checkoff partnership with Mayo Clinic is one Sukalski is eager to see get underway. “There are a lot of good people involved,” she said. “I’ve had the chance to attend national meetings with nutritionists and to see the quality of staff dairy has, mostly women; what a great presence. They will have a great impact on our behalf.” Sukalski enjoys promoting the dairy industry locally too. “This past fall, our cooperative introduced cheese at retail,” Sukalski said. “I was so excited that I bought it and was giving it away for Christmas and at fundraisers, anywhere I could.” She is often the one providing dairy products as part of a donation or gift to the various events she attends throughout the year. Yet, this dairy farmer knows her ability to promote dairy off the farm would not be possible without the support of her husband, Troy, and their children as well as her brother and his family. In the many decades Sukalski has dairy farmed, she has watched the industry evolve. While it was frustrating at times, it has been for the better, especially for women, she said. “Initially, when I rst came back and was really young, people would assume there was someone else to talk to. Dad always sent them to me,” Sukalski said. “I can’t say enough about other dairy farmers, other women dairy farmers. I always get along with another farmer; they are the humblest people I’ve ever met.” While dairying certainly has its trials, Sukalski is grateful for the life she and her family have created on the farm, and the dairy that has become a sustainable footprint in the community of southern Minnesota for years to come. “When the time comes, I want to be remembered as hard working, a good mother, good employer, good member of the community, good Christian,” Sukalski said. “An honest, good farmer.”
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
Prepare for planting season By Steve Frericks and Jerry Hurrle Farm Service Agency
A long, hard winter always adds to the excitement of spring. You can almost feel the excitement in the demeanor and the tone of voice producers use when they enter the ofce in early spring. Farmers are the eternal optimists. They must be, to place seed in the ground year after year with the hope and expectation their efforts will pay off with a benecial harvest. The staff at the Farm Service Agency thank you for your dedication to American agriculture. We wish you a safe, timely and productive spring planting season. Be proud of what you do. We certainly are. Farm Storage Facility Loan program Do you need to replace or upgrade your bulk milk storage tank? Do you need a hay storage shed? Have you been considering purchasing a semi-tractor to haul your own hay or grain? Do I have your attention? This program can help you. The FSFL program provides low-interest nancing for farming operations to build or upgrade storage and drying facilities, purchase portable (new or used) structures or commodity handling equipment, or to purchase storage and handling trucks. A variety of structures, handling equipment and trucks are eligible under this loan, including dryers, augers, trucks (new and used), grain trailers (hopper, live bottom, end dump), baggers, bale wrappers, hay wagons, grain carts, skidloaders, bulk tanks, hay barns, facilities for cold storage and many more items. Loans up to $100,000 can be secured by a promissory note/security agreement while loans exceeding $100,000 require additional security. Loans in excess of $50,000 require a minimum down payment of 15%. FSA also provides a microloan option to nance loans up to $50,000 with a minimum down payment of 5%. Producers do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply. Interest rates currently range from 1.5% to 2% based upon the term of the loan. Loans may range from three to 12 years. If there is construction required, which would include ground disturbance such as site preparation, an environmental review must be completed before actions are approved. Contact the local FSA ofce early in the planning process to determine what level of environmental review is required for a program application in order to assure timely completion. To learn more about the FSFL program, contact the local FSA county ofce or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport. Applying for beginning farmer loans FSA assists beginning farmers to nance agricultural enterprises. Under these designated farm loan programs, FSA can provide nancing to eligible applicants through either direct or guaranteed loans. FSA denes a beginning farmer as a person who: – Has operated a farm for not more than 10 years. – Will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm. – Agrees to participate in a loan assessment, borrower training and nancial management program sponsored by FSA. – Does not own a farm in excess of 30% of the county’s average size farm. For more information, contact the local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov. Submit loan requests for nancing early The farm loan team members in all counties are intently working on operating loans for spring 2022 and ask potential borrowers to submit their requests early so they can be processed in a timely manner. The farm loan team can help determine which loan programs are best for applicants. FSA offers a wide range of low-interest loans that can meet the nancial needs of any farm operation for just about any purpose. The traditional farm operating and farm ownership loans can help large and small farm operations take advantage of early purchasing discounts for spring inputs as well as expenses throughout the year. Microloans are a simplied loan program that will provide up to $50,000 for both farm ownership and operating expenses to eligible applicants. These loans, targeted to smaller and non-traditional operations, can be used for operating expenses, starting a new operation, or purchasing equipment and other needs associated with a farming operation. Loans to beginning farmers and members of underserved groups are a priority. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.
Storm damage On March 5, we were watching television as storms ripped through Iowa. Three of these supercells produced several tornadoes. Two supercells in southern Iowa produced three tornadoes. Meanwhile, a single long-track supercell produced multiple tornadoes from the southwest corner of Iowa all the way through central Iowa and into east central Iowa. With the damage and destruction, seven people died, By Tina Hinchley two of them children. Farmer & Columnist Later that evening, in Wisconsin, severe thunderstorms were on the radar. It was very windy, and there was a lot of lightning. A house on the other side of Cambridge was struck, and the re department raced over to put the re out, but they couldn’t save it. We heard sirens from police cars zipping past our farm heading to downed power lines. It was hard to fall asleep that night with the wind howling and cracks of thunder. Bright ashes of lightning were repetitive. The next morning, I received an announcement on my phone about a dairy farm in Stoughton that had been hit when a tornado touched down. It was the Amera farm. Buildings, the silo and the milking barn were destroyed. I was nishing up chores when Duane came rushing up to me in the truck and told me I needed to see what had happened at Anna and Kevin’s farm just down the road. It was pretty obvious a tornado must have hit their farm too. The machinery shed was blown all over the yard, in the eld and even across the road. There were two-by-fours stuck in the roof of the old dairy barn, obviously blasted into the steel roof. Anna and Kevin were out of town for a young
Wh our agent arrived, When i dh he looked at all of the debris, checked over the machinery in the shed and took a lot of photos. He led the discussion about the insurance policy we had; we didn’t have enough coverage. ffarmer event. A ll d them, h h As soon as we called they left to come home. We are very thankful they were not home during the storm; I can’t imagine watching steel siding and wood beams ying through the air. There was steel siding laying in their driveway. Pieces of splintered wood were scattered everywhere. And, there were nails scattered around that must have popped out when sheets of roong were blown off. Duane called our insurance agent, who arrived within a few hours. While we were waiting, we drove around the neighborhood to see if there was more damage to other farms and homes. The end of a barn was blown off, a tobacco shed was
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 35
attened, and many other roofs had shingles or steel missing. It was as if the tornado bopped up and down, twisting trees and blasting what it could pick up and whip around. When our agent arrived, he looked at all of the debris, checked over the machinery in the shed and took a lot of photos. He led the discussion about the insurance policy we had; we didn’t have enough coverage. With every improvement we made, we added more insurance. We put steel on the side of the barn and added insurance. But because this wasn’t a building we used daily, we didn’t have enough coverage to rebuild it, especially with the increasing costs of building supplies. I would like to encourage everyone to look over their insurance policies and estimate what
the cost would be to build new. Whether it is a barn or your home, if something were to happen, would your policy cover the cost to rebuild? Our insurance agent mentioned he will contact many of his clients, farmers and homeowners, to reevaluate what houses, machinery and buildings are really worth. We all tend to be underinsured, and unfortunately, it is too late to add more coverage when the barn is in pieces scattered among the elds. Tina Hinchley, and her husband, Duane, daughter Anna, milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Hinchley’s have been hosting farm tour for over 25 years.
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Thank you
Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
Thank you. Depending on the tone inected when those two precious little words exit your mouth, it can become a sarcastic phrase or one lled with love and appreciation for the human being at the receiving end. If you have ever had to remind your child to say thank you to one of their siblings, you can likely hear the sarcasm I am referring to. The begrudging tone a parent can have when they have repeatedly asked a child to follow through on a job that has at long last been nished makes the words feel heavy as they exit your mouth. There are all those times we pry a child off of our legs and attempt to force them to utter a thank you to someone. When at last they do it without parental prodding, it puts a feather in our cap. We sigh inside; at last, they get it. All those years of cajoling two words out of them have paid off. Yet, there are all the ways to say thank you that aren’t verbal. These may be subtle ways you have to
watch for and have a good understanding of someone else to catch. I was raised to write thank you cards. My grandma and mom instilled the importance in me at a very young age. I’m sure I wasn’t always thrilled at the prospect of sitting and writing a card for every birthday gift when I was little, but when we found Gramma Ike’s scrapbook and saw how she had treasured each and every card that was ever scratched out in child handwriting, I was never more certain of the importance of sending a card. A handwritten thank you card is something tangible you stuff in a drawer, nding at the oddest of moments; and, those cards give you a sudden boost of love that you weren’t expecting. These days, a thank you sent by text message seems more common, more instantaneous and less touchable. They aren’t necessarily a bad thing but a different way of communicating. Thank you has a language of its own. Everyone
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needs thank you said (or shown) in a different way. Similar to the love languages we each speak, we have thank you languages as well. I am a feeder of people, and oftentimes, my thank you includes food. Pie is something that never fails Ramblings from the Ridge to convey a hefty meaning of, “I appreciate you and am lucky to have you in my life.” Many of the people around here speak a dialect of that very same thank you language. Thank you may come in the form of cookies, a pan of bars or a loaf of bread. There’s also the acBy Jacqui Davison tion of thank you. Speaking from experience, there Columnist are moments when our emotions are running a bit high, and we nd it impossible to utter two words that even sound remotely genuine. However, give us a few hours to cool off. After having a conversation in our own head, we realize the other person may deserve a thank you. We may be unable to say the words, so we choose the show route instead. Perhaps we wash their clothes or do a job for them before they get to it. We grab them in a wordless hug or pick them some owers. We rely on the fact that the person on the receiving end knows us well enough to be able to translate our action into words. What about the creatures in our world who can’t verbalize a thank you for what we do for them? I daresay Peanut says thank you in his own fuzzy way every time I sit down and he lies on my feet. I interpret that as a big thank you and a fair amount of I love you. The sheep bleat for hay from the moment they hear my voice, hungry or not. They give a silent thank you. The chickens give me eggs as a thank you for feed they like. I have picky birds. They prefer crumbles over mash. The cows, oh those cows. I nd myself scolding cows for not behaving after I have pulled their calves, telling them they should thank me in a better way than kicking me like crazy. As if a cow truly cares? Our animals thank us in small ways. Much like small children who can’t say thank you, we must watch for actions large and small to get our thank you x. Happy, appreciative cows give us rich, creamy milk. They also give their lives at the end of the line. Peter is always conscious of thanking a cow for giving us years of service before he euthanizes her. She has given us her all, rst in the bulk tank then by heading to the freezer to sustain us. It feels appropriate to thank her for that, and when Peter looks into those big eyes and whispers those words, cows understand him and appreciate him too. Thanking someone for what they do is a big deal. What if it is the only nice thing said to someone over the course of a day? Never underestimate the power of those two words. You saying those words to a person may have a bigger impact than you know. In closing, thank you for reading my column. It continues to surprise me that people will comment on something they read, and little notes I have received over the years are shoved in drawers to nd accidentally and remind me that people enjoy it. Also, thank you to Peter, who had the idea for this column because all my ideas are hiding in my head at the moment. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira (14), Dane (12), Henry (7) and Cora (4), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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Developing a champion show heifer
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022 • Page 37
For many youth and adults alike, spring and summer mean an occasional break from the daily routine to head to cattle shows and exhibit their best animals. It takes a well-grown, well-balanced heifer with a deep, open rib to stand near the top at most heifer shows. While pedigrees and genetics matter, most heifers aren’t just born to be champions. They are developed through months of hard work. While this column is specic to raising and feeding show animals, some of the same principles apply to all heifers.
Success starts at birth Sound management practices need to be implemented on day No. 1 to allow the animal to achieve its genetic potential. Maternity pens need to be clean and dry. One gallon of high-quality colostrum should be given as soon as possible after birth. Navels should be dipped with 7% tincture iodine. Accelerated milk or milk-replacer programs work well to maximize growth during the rst few months of age. A high-quality starter is offered free choice until 3 months of age. No hay is typically fed during this starter period as it will impede starter intake and rumen development. The volatile fatty acids produced from consuming calf starter are essential to rumen papillae development for maximum growth and performance. Clean, fresh water should be offered by 5 days of age to maximize starter digestion and intake. Continue development after weaning The goal in the post-weaning period is to continue building bone and lean muscle mass. Some equate this to training a well-conditioned athlete. Grain needs should be monitored based on body condition and individual heifer metabolism. To meet amino acid requirements, top dress with high-quality protein sources, which can include soybean meal, canola meal, blood meal and a variety of bypass soybean-based products.
In most cases, little or no silage will be fed to show heifers as it can limit rib development. Lots of hay is the key to the expression of the show heifer’s deep, open rib. The type of hay is as important as the ingredients in the grain mix. Hay must be clean and free of mold. Grass hay typically works best, although some mixtures with alfalfa may benet younger heifers. Keep in mind, high-quality grass can be highly digestible and increase body condition. Feeding straw as a primary forage source can work for weight loss situations. It is important to ensure proper mineral and vitamin fortication through this period. The best solution is to prevent the animal from getting too heavy by monitoring body condition and watching carbohydrate intakes and forage quality. Management considerations Keep all heifers clean and dry. Proper ventilation is critical throughout all stages of life. Fans to move air can yield better hair quality, but be mindful of drafts on younger animals. Keep pen group
Feeding straw as a primary forage source can work for weight loss situations. It is important to ensure proper mineral and vitamin fortification through this period. sizes small with less competition. Keeping heifers of similar age together will also help. Provide clean, accessible water continuously. Throughout the life of the calf and heifer, separating stress events, such as pen moves, weaning,
It is time to get started It’s not too early to pick out those show heifers and start to develop them to their genetic potential. Start clipping the long winter hair coats in March or April. For many, this has already happened as there have been a few days above 60 degrees. In season, keep body hair short and work with topline hair often. Wash heifers frequently to improve hair quality and increase the animal’s comfort level. Soap should only be used a couple times per week, and make sure it is completely rinsed out each time. No silver bullets will create the perfect show heifer. It takes sound management and a keen eye to customize the best feeding strategy for each heifer. While this will take some time and effort, it may result in a purple ribbon hanging above that heifer. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
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vaccinations and dehorning, will prevent setbacks in performance. Work with a veterinarian to develop a sound vaccination program for benets Something to Ruminate On at home as well as potential exposures at the shows. Exercise is critical for yearling heifers to develop lean muscle. It is also important for blood ow supplying nutrients to cells. Grass pastures are typically not ideal. If this is the only option, it is imBy Barry Visser portant to keep grass mowed short, and limit Nutritionist the amount of time a heifer can eat grass each day. Dirt lots offer an ideal exercise area with little chance to gain weight from grass intake.
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Checking all the boxes Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 26, 2022
I am discovering as I get older that I need to write things down. I need a list of groceries and notes on which store has the sales. I need to write a list of projects to get done, phone calls to make and cards to send out. It seems we are even developing lists to check off for the farm, reminders of steps that must be completed before we can move forward. It is a good start to the day when you can check off all of the boxes for a new arrival. We look forward to the arrival of every calf, but this one is very special. It is a legacy calf. Ever since her mother went over her heat date, we have been waiting through heartbreak for this anticipated joy as we start to check off the boxes. As a 4-H dairy family, each of the kids claimed a cow family as their own. Jonathon had
Baxter Flute, whose offspring funded his college education. Michael showed Crystal to three state fair championships, igniting a passion for developing amazing type and production cows. Katie babied all the Sugar Cookie calves as her own, which made them impossible to chase. Austin has developed a family line from his rst show heifer, Fluff, which still stand in the barn today. It only seemed appropriate that our daughters-inlaw would each adopt a cow as their very own. Libby claimed Cola, who is also a Baxter daughter. Cola stood in the corner stall of the cross walk and would always try to lick Libby as she walked by in search of sweet treats. For Christmas one year, Libby made an ornament out of a sele she took of herself and Cola in the barn, which we hang on the tree every year. Jonathan
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and Libby’s children giggle as they try to nd the ornament of their mom on our tree. Sara fell in love with Twix, who would Just Thinking Out Loud become only the second Ralma cow to score 94 points. Crystal was the rst. When Michael and Sara took their engagement photos at the farm, she had a picture taken of Twix in the dry lot. She printed an 8-by-10 laminated photo that hung above Twix’s stall By Natalie Schmitt when she came back Columnist in the barn. Twix had a heifer calf after her photo shoot, which Sara named Tic Tac. Every time they were back at the farm, Sara made a beeline to see her favorite cow and heifer. When it came time to breed Tic Tac, Michael and Sara decided to use a hot bull named Tropic. We scrambled to nd a unit to breed her on time for a spring show calf. We nally found a unit of sexed semen next door in Stearns County. Now we crossed our ngers and started counting days. As we walked Tic Tac through the show ring at the Stearns County Fair and District Holstein Show, we knew she had gone over on her heat days. She was pregnant, and Sara already had a name picked out for the calf. Five days later, Sara died.
As we walked Tic Tac through the show ring at the Stearns County Fair and District Holstein Show, we knew she had gone over on her heat days. She was pregnant. We have kept a close and special eye out for Tic Tac during her pregnancy. When the temperatures dropped in early March, we moved her into the maternity pen in the back of the barn as her time for calving closed in. As if on cue, just as Austin and Mark nished the evening milking and a couple of days past Michael’s birthday, Tic Tac delivered her calf. Mark came into the house with a huge smile on his face that night. He was able to check off all the boxes on his list. A live calf, check. A heifer calf, check. Cleaned, check. Milk in all four quarters, check. Calf drank, check. Named Tic Tok, check. Another step forward, check.
As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.
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What is the true value of your farm? If your farm is like ours, you probably spent some time this winter analyzing the business of your farm. Where did you make money? Where did you spend money? How much of that money did you keep or reinvest? At the end of the day, what’s the value of your farm? And, again, if your farm is anything like ours, a rather large percentage of the dollars that came in went right back out – to your feed mill, your employees, your mechanic, your veterinarian, your lender Dairy Good Life and all of the others you do business with. This passing of money has a huge impact on our economy – especially our local economy, because most of us do our business close to home. According to calculations by the University of Minnesota Extension, a 200-cow dairy in Minnesota generates $1.6 million in economic activity each year. Remember, farming is one of the only businesses that creates new wealth. All other businesses are merely recycling those dollars. This economic impact was part of the discussion at a recent workshop I attended. The UniBy Sadie Frericks versity of Minnesota Extension held a series of Columnist Ag Horizons workshops in a half-dozen counties around the state. Farmers from all types of farms were invited to engage along with folks who work in lending, regulation and other ag businesses. I participated in the workshop in Stearns County. The economic impact numbers didn’t surprise me much. I’ve been sharing those numbers with anyone who will listen for several years now. What I did take home with me was the discussion our workshop group had about the non-monetary impact of livestock farms. Basically, the true value of dairy farms goes way beyond dollars. Our small towns need dairy farms, but so do our soils and our society. Animal agriculture benets our soils is multiple ways. The rst and most obvious – because we’re all trying to spread it right now – is manure. Manure helps us meet our crop nutrient needs without synthetic fertilizer. And adding manure to soil increases soil organic matter, which reduces soil density and compaction and increases soil aggregate stability, water inltration and water retention. Livestock farms help the soil because of their increased use of perennial crops – grass hay, alfalfa and pasture. Research data on perennial crop benets is somewhat lacking, but trials that incorporated perennial prairie strips into row cropping show perennial plants reduce soil erosion by 95% and reduce nutrient loss by 85%. It’s reasonable to assume that alfalfa, grasses and pasture do the same. We don’t always need science to prove what we have known for generations. Perennial forages are good for our land. Our society also needs livestock. An adage farmers like to toss around is, “Our most important crop is our kids.” There’s no better place to learn the importance of hard work, responsibility, and entrepreneurship than on a livestock farm. And wherever our farm kids’ futures take them, their contributions to their work will make the world better. The work ethic and skills they develop on our farms can’t be taught in schools. Livestock kids also learn the importance of community. They connect with each other through 4-H, FFA and breed associations. Those connections around cattle and livestock help create a culture of interdependence that continues throughout life. I’m preaching to the choir, writing this column for dairy farmers. What I, and you, and all other dairy farmers, really need to do is take this story to our fellow small business owners in town, to our elected leaders, and to our regulatory agencies. We need to share it with our kids. Do you talk with your kids about the economic, environmental and social importance of the work you do on your farm? And, we need to take it to heart. Livestock farmers play a critical role in weaving the fabric of rural communities. Our small towns will disappear without us. The work you and I do is essential. The true value of your farm is immeasurable. I recently heard a communications director speak about the importance of repetition when it comes to messaging. “Repeat, repeat, repeat,” she said. Each time we share the story of the value of animal agriculture, we’re planting a seed. You never know which of those seeds will sprout into understanding and belief. So, keep repeating to all who need to hear it: We need livestock farmers. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children – Dan, 15, Monika, 12, and Daphne, 9. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.
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