April 8, 2023 Dairy Star - 2nd Section

First time being dished to the top

Country View Dairy produces winning yogurt

By Sherry Newell Contributing writer

HAWKEYE, Iowa – It was a rst for Country View Dairy: a winning entry in the avored yogurt category at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in February.

The on-farm processor’s strawberry yogurt bested others in its class to earn the honor presented this week at CheeseCon, which hosted the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest awards banquet and auction in Madison, Wisconsin.

Country View Dairy processes a variety of dairy products roughly 50 feet from where the farm’s 330cow herd is stalled. Dave and Carolee Rapson began their processing venture in 2011, which now uses milk from about 70 of its cows to create a variety of consumer products. The remaining milk goes to Wapsie Valley Creamery in Independence.

Along with Dave and Carolee, the Rapson sons, Jesse and Seth, are involved in the two businesses of farm and creamery, and daughter Ellie also helps.

In 2017, Country View Dairy’s vanilla yogurt was third in the same contest, and their aronia blackberry Greek yogurt has placed as high as second in the American Cheese Society contest. Their products regularly win awards at the Iowa State Fair. But Bob Howard, Country View Dairy’s director of sales, said this is the creamery’s rst best of show in a national competition, at least one of which they enter each year.

“You’re just kind of in your own bubble every day here, and you get out of that a bit entering a contest,” Howard said. “And it’s not just how you place, but the feedback you get.”

Multiple judges evaluated Country View Dairy’s

Country View Dairy sales manager Bob Howard provides a look at their strawberry yogurt March 29 at the on-farm creamery located near Hawkeye, Iowa. The yogurt won rst place in the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in February.

yogurt, saying they liked the avor and texture.

Country View Dairy’s products are pasteurized but not homogenized, so the yogurt is packaged as a liquid product then placed in the incubation room to let the cream rise to the top.

“You notice the cream on top,” Howard said. “And there are not a lot of cream-top yogurts in the

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competition.”

Howard said the competition included creameries larger than Country View Dairy, although most are of an artisan nature.

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SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Con nued from COUNTRY VIEW DAIRY | Page 3

“To me, these are very large companies – not Chobani, but small and mid-sized, and we are very small in comparison,” he said.

It is not only the yogurt from Country View Dairy that remains non-homogenized. Its entire line – traditional Greek yogurt, soft-serve frozen yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream, barista milk, white and chocolate milk and pre-packaged

frozen yogurt – is marketed without homogenization to maintain a minimally processed attribute. The milk from the farm is pasteurized at the lowest approved temperature.

Howard said food service, schools and institutions comprise most of Country View Dairy’s business, but their products are also carried in area retail outlets. He said cof-

fee shops like the company’s non-homogenized barista milk because it froths better and lends itself to the microfoam artwork done by some outlets.

Their Greek yogurt is also non-traditional, because it is not strained to create a thicker, higher-protein texture. Instead, Country View Dairy adds milk protein concentrate to accomplish the same thing.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the creamery’s business was under pressure because of its dependence on outlets which closed. That led to the recent debut of pre-packed frozen yogurt for retail sale. Previously, they only produced frozen yogurt mix for use in soft-serve machines.

“We had a long three-year ride to gure out how to make it low-fat but still indulgent,” Howard said. “We worked really hard on the avor and texture.”

The new yogurt was featured in a Minty Moo avor at the 2022 Iowa State Fair and was named one of the top 10 new foods at the fair.

Even with a new accolade for its yogurt, Country View Dairy is focused on continuing to expand its use of the farm’s milk to help the farm prosper and continue for the Rapson family.

Tia Goosen packages individual containers of yogurt March 29 at Country View Dairy in Hawkeye, Iowa. Goosen is one of 20 employees who operate the creamery and farm owned by Dave and

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Carolee Rapson’s family.

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Sonia Schmidgal lls individual bo les of Country View Dairy’s chocolate milk March 29 at the on-farm plant in Hawkeye, Iowa. Each single-serve bo le is individually lled for distribuon across Iowa and the Midwest.

Custom farming rates show an increase for most farm practices

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Iowa

vey showed most custom rates increased 10%-15%. Custom

ranges from $12.50 to $45 per acre, depending on the type of

By

AMES, Iowa – Many Iowa farmers hire some custom machine work in their farm business or perform custom work for others. Others rent machinery or perform other services.

In order to help producers and custom operators examine the market, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach publishes the Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey.

This year’s survey, published in March, includes 94 responses and 2,621 custom rates for tasks related to tillage, planting and seeding, spraying, harvesting, farm labor and more. Additions to the survey for 2023 include ground (broadcast) spraying with a self-propelled, tall-crop sprayer and liquid fertilizer high clearance application with drop hose and Y-spray nozzle.

Most custom rates saw an increase of 10%-15%. Custom planting ranges from $12.50 to $45 per acre, depending on the type of planter and setup. Combining corn shows an average of $41.30 per acre and combining soybeans averages $39.90 per acre, an increase of 12.4% and 10.7%, respectively. Table 1

Does

Give

shows historical prices for select operations. This year’s publication as well as previous reports can be found on the Ag Decision Maker website.

The survey may lag increases in diesel prices and other inputs that change more frequently. This means that for custom farming practices that involve these inputs, the cost may be even higher. The current survey assumed diesel prices would be $3.39 a gallon in 2023, based on forecasts from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The information in the survey is meant to be a starting point for farmers and agribusiness to engage in conversations and negotiations. The survey is not meant to set the rate for a particular practice or operator. This is an opinion survey and represents the responses of participants.

This survey is only possible with the participation of Iowa farmers, custom operators and farm managers. To join the survey list for 2024, email the survey authors. For more information, Alejandro Plastina can be reached at 515-294-6160 or plastina@iastate.edu, and Ann Johanns can be reached at 515337-2766 or aholste@iastate.edu.

Alejandro Plastina and Ann Johanns

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Farm Custom Rate Sur-

plan ng

planter and setup.

The “Mielke” Market Weekly

By Lee Mielke

Exports continue to be major factor in US dairy industry

The last week of March did not have a lot for the markets to feed on with respect to the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports regularly monitored. One such report was Prospective Plantings.

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2023 was estimated at 92 million acres, up 4%, or 3.42 million acres, from 2022. Compared with last year, planted acreage is expected to be up or unchanged in 40 of the 48 estimating states.

Soybean plantings was estimated at 87.5 million acres, up slightly from last year. Planted acreage is up or unchanged in 15 of the 29 estimating states.

Checking dairy product prices, cheese is dropping. After hitting $2.10 per pound March 24, the 40-pound cheddar blocks closed the week and the month at $1.85, down 25 cents on the week, lowest CME price since March 13, 5 cents lower on the month and 44.50 cents below this week a year ago.

The 500-pound cheddar barrels, after peaking at $1.9625 March 24, nished the following Friday at $1.8075, down 15.50 cents on the week, also the lowest CME price since March 13, but is up 25.50 cents on the month, 44.50 cents below a year ago and 4.25 cents below the blocks.

Sales for the week totaled three loads of block and 41 for the month of March, up from 26 in February. Barrel sales totaled eight for the week and 138 for the month, up from 127 in February.

Cheese demand ranges across the spectrum, according to Dairy Market News. Some cheesemakers say ordering is active. Others are processing with expectations to store it, while some say orders are meeting weekly expectations. Milk remains readily accessible, and spot prices ticked higher on the top end of the range, but mid week reported prices remained below Class III. Milk availability depends on location. Cheese production is steadily active, with a number of cheesemakers saying production is six to seven days per week.

Retail and food service demand in the West for varietal cheeses is steady. Inventories remain reportedly close to sold out by some. Barrel inventories remain ahead of blocks. Strong to steady demand from Asian markets continued this week, though export

demand elsewhere is moderate to light as domestic prices stayed uncompetitive with European and Oceania prices. Cheese output is strong with ample milk available, DMN said.

CME butter closed Friday at $2.3975 per pound, 5.25 cents higher on the week, 1.75 cents higher on the month, but 31.25 cents below a year ago. There were 18 sales on the week and 42 for the month, up one from February’s count.

Processors tell DMN that demand has softened following a more active run in late February/early March due to spring holiday ordering. Butter supply continues to tick up, as active churning continues due to steadily available cream. There were expectations of ice cream and cream cheese processing taking more cream and pushing multiples higher, but plant managers say cream remains in a similar price point to previous weeks. Butter market tones are holding steady, despite some bearish indicators such as increasing national stores, DMN said.

Cream is reported to be heavy to ample in the West compared to demand which is steady to light. Some cream cheese producers have cut back on demand, while some ice cream producers have increased demand. Butter production is strong to steady, with some reports of maxed out schedules, while others have decreased capacity due to uncompleted equipment repairs. Retail butter demand is strong to steady, though some say demand for the upcoming spring holiday has plateaued and they are seeing less active food service sales. Export demand is more active for Asian markets, compared to European markets, with more competitive prices.

Speaking in the April 3 Dairy Radio Now broadcast, StoneX broker, Dave Kurzawski, said there’s a lot of milk out there, even though the last milk production report showed a lot of states with output below that of a year ago. That’s indicative of the economics on the farm, he said, and “will provide that undercurrent to the market.”

“Typically, we average $1.65 to $1.70 in March,” he said. “So cheese in the $1.90s is reective of the inationary forces at play as demand appears to be strong and export demand has been strong in the three months of 2023.”

Butter has seen a “stable sideways market that

eventually will change and choose a direction,” he said. It came down from $3 in October to the $2.30s, because “buyers in board rooms in the U.S. do not want to pay $3. That is a one-way ticket out the door. You have people who have set budgets at around $2.30, $2.40 even $2.50. The market has adjusted down to that price, and everyone says we’re not going to outguess this. They’re doing what they should do. That’s what hedging is about,” he said. “You hedge, not because you know where the price is going, but because you don’t know where the price is going.” He concluded saying that butter “probably should be priced lower than it is right now, but as long as the buyers are there at the $2.30, that’s where we’re at.”

The March 30 StoneX Early Morning Update adds: “With California under water and a lot of snowmelt yet to come, there is a concern over how much butter will be available to come to market later in the year. California represents between 18%-19% of U.S. milk production, and there is a lot of butter and powder made there.”

Grade A nonfat dry milk fell to $1.1475 per pound Wednesday, lowest CME price since March 22, 2021, but closed Friday at $1.16, up a penny on the week,1.75 cents below its March 1 level and 69 cents below a year ago. CME sales totaled four for the week and 28 for the month, down from 42 in February.

CME dry whey closed the week and month at 44.75 cents per pound, up 0.25 cents on the week, dead even with its March 1 perch, but 16.25 cents below that week a year ago. Only one load was traded on the week and 20 for the month of March, up from nine in February.

Things are not improving much in California. HighGround Dairy reported in its Monday Morning Huddle that “Tulare County’s sheriff ordered evacuation notices to dairies in Alpaugh, due to breaches in levees. Tens of thousands of acres in California’s Central Valley are underwater, and the ooding will remain a concern for some time as the snowpack from the Sierra Nevada’s melts.”

The week ending March 18 saw 65,100 head of dairy cattle go to slaughter, down 2,200 from the previous week but 1,000 more than a year ago. Year to

date, 738,500 cows have been culled, up 25,000 head, or 3.5%, from the same period in 2022.

Prices globally remain depressed. Tuesday’s Global Dairy Trade Pulse saw 2.2 million pounds of Fonterra whole milk powder sold, up 100,000 pounds from the March 14 Pulse, but at $3,135 per metric ton, down $60 from the March 21 GDT.

HighGround Dairy stated, “Global demand remains stunted resulting in a further decline in WMP price to record the lowest GDT Pulse settlement since the auction began Aug. 9, 2022.”

The March 24 Daily Dairy Report drove home the importance of U.S. dairy exports, stating, “In a mere 20 years, the U.S. dairy industry has gone from exporting less than 3% of its milk production, all subsidized through the now-defunct Dairy Export Incentive Program, to commercially shipping the equivalent of 18% of its milk production to foreign markets.

“Without these exports, milk prices would have been dramatically lower over the past two decades and farm exits would likely have occurred at an even faster rate. Much of the dairy industry’s export success can be attributed to the efforts of the U.S. dairy industry as well as to two wildly successful, and underfunded, government programs.”

Cooperatives Working Together member cooperatives accepted six offers of export assistance this week that helped them capture sales contracts for 251,000 pounds of American-type cheese and 168,000 pounds of butter. The product is going to customers in Asia, Central America, the Caribbean and Middle East-North Africa, and will be delivered through July.

The sales bring CWT’s 2023 exports to 12.6 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 550,000 pounds of butter, 17.8 million pounds of whole milk powder and 2 million pounds of cream cheese. The products are going to 18 countries and are the equivalent of 274.8 million pounds of milk on a milk fat basis.

In politics, Uncle Sam announced that beginning in April the USDA will “provide about $123 million in additional, automatic nancial assistance for qualifying farm loan program borrowers who are facing nancial risk, as part of the $3.1 billion to help distressed farm loan borrowers that was provided through Section 22006 of the Ination Reduction Act. The announcement builds on nancial assistance offered to borrowers through the same program in October 2022. … The IRA directed USDA to expedite

Quality Alfalfa Hay & Straw

assistance to distressed borrowers of direct or guaranteed loans administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency whose operations face nancial risk.”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack admitted, “In too many cases, the rules surrounding our farm loan programs may actually be detrimental to helping a borrower get back to a nancially viable path. As a result, some are pushed out of farming and others stuck under a debt burden that prevents them from growing or reacting to opportunities. Loan programs for the newest and more vulnerable producers must be about providing opportunity and tailored to expect and manage stumbles and hurdles along the way. Through this assistance, USDA is focusing on generating longterm stability and success for distressed borrowers.”

Last but not least, the National Milk Producers Federation warns of another issue confronting the dairy industry. As I have written before, the dairy industry needs to take seriously the threat of plantbased beverages and food products.

NMPF stated in a press release this week, “Faced with demand that’s found its ceiling and with its sustainability and health claims coming increasingly under question, the plant-based imitation milk marketing machine is now coming for your children. Despite the critical importance of dairy nutrients to childhood development, nut-based beverage purveyors are pushing for their white-colored sugar water to have greater access to federal nutrition programs, all in the name of ‘equity,’ an emphasis on fairness and justice that’s become an important paradigm in policy debates.”

Equity in food requires a quality product and equality in access, argues NMPF.

“And for that, milk, a natural product offered with both regular and lactose-free options, remains by far the best solution,” NMPF said. “Equity in food policy means making sure that everyone has access to the nutrients they need to thrive. The federal school lunch and breakfast programs, the WIC Program, and other initiatives are meant to ensure nutrition for all.”

Lactose intolerance is being used by dairy’s opponents to tout their inferior nutrition as a solution to the problem lactose intolerance, NMPF said.

“The latest ploy among the vegan, animal rights and plant-based lobbies is to suddenly paint themselves as social justice crusaders, demanding that their nutritionally inferior (which, even when fortied, remain unequal to dairy’s unique nutritional package) products should now be treated as legitimate

milk substitutes in federal nutrition programs – all the while conveniently forgetting that a widely available alternative already exists that circumvents lactose intolerance and delivers the exact same nutritional prole as milk. Because that’s what it is.”

Checking the milk tanks at the farm gates, DMN said output is strong to steady, aside from areas of California having regionally steady to lighter milk production. “Flooding and overowing rivers are creating differences regionally in California and industry sources report some relocating of cows to drier dairies, causing decreased milkings per day,” DMN said.

Milk volumes are heavier to balanced across the country compared to current production needs. Class I demand is lighter in some areas as educational facilities cycle through spring break schedules.

“Ice cream, cream cheese and soft serve manufacturing have increased as spring holidays approach, making cream supplies regionally tighter in some parts of the country,” DMN said. “Stakeholders expect this tightness to loosen when spring ush conditions are reached. Overall, cream is plentiful to ample for production needs throughout the country.

“Condensed skim milk volumes are regionally tighter in parts of California due to some unplanned downtime at processing facilities. Elsewhere, condensed skim milk supplies are increasing to steady Milk is available for processing throughout the country. Contacts in the Northeast say regional dryer challenges have freed some milk volumes intended for nonfat dry milk production.”

OBERHOLTZER AUCTIONS

Special Dairy & Feeder Sale

Early Consignments

7 Holstein tiestall cows, 4 bred back cows and 3 fresh 30-40 days milking 85-110 lbs!! 85 strs and hfrs, backgrounded on TMR, vaccinated 2x and implanted. Some straight beef, some Holsteins and some beef x hol cross. 700-1050 lbs. Good quality cattle!; 19 Angus strs and hfrs, weaned Oct 15th, vaccinated & dewormed, 500-600 lbs. 8 Angus strs, 525 lbs, vac 2x, Fancy grass cattle! 5 hol strs, 450 lbs, vac 2x, on full feed. EXPECTING 500 HEAD.

ADVANCE NOTICE:

Special aAa Dairy Sale

Thursday, April 20th

This will be another sale featuring cows and Heifers from aAa mated herds. Cattle specifically bred for balance, longevity and profitability!! Call John Ivan @ 715-219-2781 to consign to this sale

Early Consignments

Another 6, young, high quality, non-GMO Holstein cows from Lamar Weaver, Unity. 4 profitable fresh cows milking up to 110 lbs with good test from Harlan Weaver, Colby; 12-month-old Purebred Brown Swiss jumper bull. Purebred, Polled and Fancy!

OBERHOLTZER AUCTIONS - THORP

Formerly Turenne Livestock

SALE EVERY MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY 5:00 PM

Selling Baby Calves, Hogs, Sheep, Goats, Feeder Cattle, Fat Cattle, Market Cows and Bulls VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET PRICES Call 712-432-5500 for daily market report

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Matt. 24:44

Not as many Supreme cows as sometimes. Top $2,950, Michael Martin, Colby. $2,300 Swiss, Adam Hovland, Colby. $2,250 Southwood Dairy Farm, New Holstein. Many good Holstein and crossbred cows $1,200 - 1,900. Plain Springing Holstein heifers $1,100-1,375. Opens $95-115. Single birth Holstein heifer calves $25-85.

gummy kernel processing for high-moisture corn is maddening. Leave those troubles behind with the amazing Horning shredder mill. Ridiculously fast. Consistently fine.

Breeding Bulls $850-1,750. Market Bulls up to $115. Choice Holstein steers $142-149. Beef cross up to $156NT. Holstein feeder steers $105- 125. Beef steers up to $2.50/lb. Holstein bull calves mostly $185-250. Top $255 Andrew Derks, Spencer. Beef cross bull and heifer calves $300-450. Top 2 head at $460 LaVerne Lepak, Custer.

55 to 95 lb goats $100-150/head. Butcher hogs $44-57. Sows $30-40. 20% of Market cows sold $93.50-98.50. 50% sold $75-90. 3x4x8 Alfalfa $200-220. 3x3x8 Alfalfa $90-95. Rounds and squares grass mix $50-80. First crop grass $40-50. Baleage $55. Small squares grass $2.50-4.50. 3x4x8 wheat straw $80-90. Rounds corn stalks $25-27.50. Once again we had over 100 consignors that chose to sell at our market and we appreciate that!

SALEs SCHEDULE

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

Caprine Farming

Bottling the benets of goat milk

Mounds Valley View Dairy provides products to pet market

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. – Selling raw goat milk as a pet food supplement is providing additional income to Bill Trainor and Ann Marie Paprocki. The partners began bottling a portion of their milk one year ago after enduring six years of at milk prices. Trainor sought to make up for the money his operation was losing and found his niche in a new market.

“It’s very depressing to wake up the rst day of January and know you’re going to lose nearly $50,000 again that year,” he said. “We had to do something different.”

Trainor and Paprocki milk 135 goats near Blue Mounds but will be milking 180 by the end of April. A total of 300 goats, including youngstock, reside on Trainor’s farm, which is tucked into a picturesque valley.

Saanen, LaMancha, Alpine and Toggenburg breeds make their home at Mounds Valley View Goat Dairy. Goats are milked twice a day in a double-12 swing parlor and collectively produce 500 quarts of milk daily. About 5% of

Green Bay

Dressed

Mike

Bill Trainor holds onto a four-pack of pint-sized goat milk March 28, which was bo led at his farm, Mounds Valley View Goat Dairy, near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. Trainor and his partner, Ann Marie Paprocki, milk 135 goats and began bo ling a por on of their milk for the pet market one year ago.

that milk is bottled on the farm, while the remaining is shipped to a local cheese factory.

“We want to be bottling up to 25% of our milk by the end of this year,” Trainor said.

Paprocki, who has a full-time job off the farm working as a scientist at STgenetics, handles vaccinations, bookkeeping and numerous other chores on the farm as time allows. Trainor and Paprocki also have two part-time employees, Mackenzie Gunther and Greg Wylesky, who live on the farm and are working toward becoming partners in the operation.

The idea of selling goat milk to the pet market came about when Paprocki brought home a ier from the store where she buys cat food. The ier contained information about why pet owners should feed goat milk to their animals. Trainor said raw goat milk is good for pets for a variety of reasons.

“Goat milk is loaded with natural probiotics and prebiotics and promotes overall general vitality and health in pets,” he said. “Goat milk contains very small fat molecules and does not have the casein protein. It is easily and quickly absorbable, making it more usable by the animal. It aids in digestion.”

Containing high levels of calcium, vitamins, minerals, iron, electrolytes, magnesium, zinc, selenium, phosphorous and protein, Trainor said goat milk is a supplement suitable for all types of pets at any stage of life. Cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets and more can benet from drinking goat milk.

Turn to MOUNDS VALLEY | Page 9

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

“I can’t guarantee it will x anything, but I can guarantee it’s good for everything,” Trainor said.

According to Trainor, goat milk can be useful during and after antibiotic treatments, for a pet with cancer, during times of stress, post therapy, post surgery, at weaning, and during training and transporting. Pets with allergies, diabetes, diarrhea, arthritis and inammation, urinary tract problems, gastrointestinal disease and liver disease can also benet from goat milk. The milk can be sprinkled on top of food or served on its own as a snack.

“Customers tell us if you have a dog with allergies, you can see a difference in a week when feeding goat milk,” Trainor said. “It goes to work pretty quick.”

The dairy’s customers can be found all over the country – from Massachusetts to California. The farm’s milk is available in pint, quart and 2 quarts sizes, and on average, sells for $8.99 per quart. That price can vary depending on location and what that market can bear, Trainor said.

The farm offers bundles which contain four bottles of pints or quarts and sells for $35.99 and $49.99, respectively, with shipping built into the prices. According to Trainor, the pet market is willing to pay a premium for goat milk.

Trainor grew up with cows and got into goats nine years ago on the farm that has been in his father’s family since 1921. Trainor purchased it in 1979 from his aunt after he got out of the Marine Corps. A Vietnam War-era veteran, Trainor was involved in the nal evacuation of Saigon.

Trainor milked cows for 20 years before a re destroyed his barn in 1992. The devastating event convinced this farmer to sell the cows and seek a new career path.

“The re was followed up by a horrible crop year, and I thought, I have to do something different or I’m going to lose this farm,” he said.

Trainor went into the insurance business – a career he enjoyed and found interesting for many years. To this day, Trainor continues to do insurance work on a small scale.

Trainor started his goat operation by buying from good herds and continues to improve on genetics. Producing quality milk is their No. 1 goal, and Trainor and Paprocki take great pride in making sure all of their goats are well taken care of.

“If we’re raising 100 does, we might have 40 targeted to sell for breeding,” Trainor said. “The production and type is there. Our doelings this year are

some of the best goats we’ve ever had.”

Trainor said he needs about 50 replacements per year and has sold 170 kids so far in 2023.

Trainor produces forage for his goats on about 70 acres, growing alfalfa, grass and clover mixes.

“We feed high-energy grasses like meadow fescue,” Trainor said. “I currently have 22 acres of alfalfa, meadow fescue and orchardgrass planted and will seed 19 more, as I’m working toward getting all 70 acres in that mix. Meadow fescue can replace corn because of how much energy it provides. Dairy goats are super efcient with young-cut grass, alfalfa or legumes, and we get good milk with a minimum amount of grain.”

Trainor feeds mostly dry hay, which he makes with help from his grandson.

Mounds Valley View Goat Dairy ships milk anywhere in the continental U.S. but focuses mainly on the Midwest, with many customers residing in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Indiana. Milk is bottled in the milkhouse, and Trainor’s shipping ofce is located in his house. Trainor bottles milk twice a week or as needed.

“Goat milk freezes well, and we ship it frozen,” Trainor said. “We have the capacity to store 500 to 600 quarts in the freezer. I like to be within three days of shipping so the milk is as fresh as it can possibly be. Quarts and pints move quick; that’s why I like to make a lot.”

Currently, the majority of sales are conducted through the dairy’s website. Mounds Valley View Goat Dairy also has several distributors but is looking to set up more. Local pet stores and doggie day cares would make for ideal distributors, Trainor said. He prefers to set up new distributors that are located within a couple-hour drive from his farm.

“I would like to get it to where our sales are split 50/50 between internet and distributor,” Trainor said.

Pursuing the pet market has the potential to be a lucrative business move for Trainor and Paprocki. As they look forward to growing the bottling part of their operation, the duo also has plans to launch additional products in the future, including ker and powdered goat milk.

Currently, the farm sells 150 quarts of milk per week to the pet market.

“Our goal by the end of this summer is to have 400 quarts per week leaving this farm in a bottle with our label on it,” Trainor said. “That’s very achievable.”

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Milking goats are housed in this hoop building as well as in the farm’s old dairy barn. Saanen, LaMancha, Alpine and Toggenburg breeds make their home at Mounds Valley View Goat Dairy.

Grain Markets

April 5, 2023

Other Oats Soybeans Corn

HELPING GOOD MANAGERS MAKE BETTER TRADING DECISIONS

Dairy margins took another left hook this week after USDA released its Quarterly Stocks and Prospective Planting reports. USDA acre estimates came in near DVI guesses with survey results showing U.S. farmers intending to plant 91.9 million acres of corn and 87.5 million acres of soybeans. The bullish story came from USDA’s Quarterly Stocks surveys which showed corn and soybean stocks near the lower end of the prereport range of guesses. Based on USDA’s current corn and soybean stock estimate, supply availability will remain tight for feed buyers and processors through the summer. This will keep prices supported and require a big response in new crop production to improve the situation.

CME Group spot cheese prices softened 25 cents in the blocks and 15 cents in the barrels this past week settling near $1.85 and 1.80, respectively. Traders are wondering why the sharp runup and a follow up sell off in spot cheese prices. Personally, I don’t know of anyone that has a good answer for that question. My guess is fresh cheese demand responded to the sharp price sell off in mid-March which in turn tightened up the fresh cheese market temporarily.

Cheese markets look like they are in good shape going into the summer and fall. Inventories are not overly burdensome at the moment. The main risk to price is how well U.S. cheese export demand can hold its current volumes. U.S. price competitiveness continues to get squeezed, with EU, NZ, and U.S. cheese prices trading at similar values in U.S. dollar equivalents.

Seasonally, milk markets typically go through an adjustment as schools wind down for the summer. Fluid demand tends to soften while other dairy product production increases, such as ice cream for the summer. Sometimes this process can go smooth with no significant damage to milk prices, while some years the transition doesn’t go as smooth causing disruptions in various dairy product categories as demand shifts.

Butter prices continue to hold up well in the $2.40 range. Nonfat dry milk is trading near $1.15 and whey in the mid 40’s. International dairy markets appear to be struggling. Prices continue to fade in the EU with NZ product values softening under more significant price pressure. The price ceiling keeps getting lowered.

Milk, Feed & Grain Market Support

Joe Spader

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Dairy product consumption on the rise

Yogurt, cheese biggest contributors to largest growth spurt in 5 years

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

Editor’s note: Dairy Star aims to provide our readers with a closer look into relevant topics to today’s dairy industry. Through this series, we intend to examine and educate on a variety of topics. If you have an idea for a topic to explore in a future issue, send Stacey an email.

The dairy case may have its share of competition in the grocery store, but numbers show it is a food category people continue to gravitate toward. U.S. per capita consumption of dairy products is up about 1.5% – realizing its greatest jump in ve years.

According to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service Sept. 30, 2022, the U.S. per capita consumption for all dairy products on a milkfat basis in 2021 was 661 pounds, up from 651 pounds in 2020. This number was 9% higher than 10 years prior in 2011 and up 18.5% from 1975 – the rst year the USDA began tabulating annual consumption of milk, cheese, butter and other dairy

products.

“Dairy continues to compete very well and is elevated in its area of the market,” said Scott A. Rankin, professor and chair in the department of food science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Dairy is a positive nutritional component of the diet, and it checks a lot of boxes when it comes to avor, nutrition and functionality. Dairy products t well into the interests of weight management and a protein-rich diet.”

Dairy product leaders include yogurt, which was up 0.7 pounds per person or 5%, and American-type cheese, which added 0.6 pounds to its per capita consumption for a 4% increase. Cheese consumption is up 19% compared to 10 years prior. Butter consumption rose by 0.2 pounds, or 3%, and is up 17% compared to a decade earlier. Per capita consumption of frozen yogurt jumped 33%.

“Yogurt gures prominently into intestinal and digestive health, and there is a lot of diversity in the dairy case for yogurt,” Rankin said. “Consumers have access to an enormous selection of yogurt avors and designs that t well into a busy lifestyle.”

The U.S. per capita consumption of uid milk is not as positive,

however – down 5% between 2021 and 2020. In 2021, milk consumption equaled 134 pounds per person –down from 141 pounds in 2020.

“The beverage category is highly competitive,” Rankin said. “Milk is one beverage of many, but I think the uid milk market is still a good value. Milk is nutritionally rich and valuable, offering functional properties to those who drink it. However, the presence of lactose can make it compete less as people who can’t digest milk may avoid it. Milk also has a shorter shelf life than other beverages.”

Fluid beverage milk sales in 2021 totaled 44.5 billion pounds, down from 46.4 billion pounds in 2020 – a 4% drop. Milk sales are 18% below one decade ago.

“With the proliferation of beverages, there are now more options on shelves than ever before,” said Chad Vincent, CEO of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. “As a result, competition for beverage occasions and water consumption are primary contributors to the decline of milk sales. But nationally, the growth in consumption of cheese, yogurt and butter are more than offsetting uid milk.”

In a June 2022 Amber Waves

newsletter produced by USDA’s Economic Research Service, it was noted that individuals are drinking less milk on average. U.S. per capita uid milk consumption has been trending downward for more than 70 years and fell at a faster rate during the 2010s than each of the previous six decades. Between 1990 and 2000, milk consumption per person fell from 0.78 cup per day to 0.69 cup per day, an 11.5% decline. By 2010, it was down to 0.62 cup (10.1% lower than in 2000). In 2019, it was 0.49 cup (20.7% lower than in 2010).

The newsletter went on to say that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-25, recommend individuals consume 2- to 3 cup-equivalents of dairy products per day depending on a person’s age, gender and level of physical activity. However, approximately 90% of the U.S. population does not meet these guidelines.

Vincent said he has observed promising trends in the industry, including the growing popularity of value-added milks – such as lactosefree milk – along with growth from shelf-stable milk and whole fat milk. According to Vincent, these trends prove growth can be driven in the category through innovations that meet the evolving needs of the modern consumer.

Chad Vincent

Scott Rankin

“As we have seen in other dairy categories like yogurt, cheese and ice cream, offering variety and keeping up with consumer trends is essential to remain relevant and attract customers – many of whom are often willing to pay more for premiumization,” Vincent said.

According to the March Dairy Market Report by Dairy Management Inc. and the National Milk Producers Federation, total domestic use of milk in all dairy categories is falling below levels a year ago at this time, as retail price ination continues to affect sales. There is a notable drop for milk fat, reecting ination’s impact on butter and other consumer dairy products, the report said.

Retail price ination remained in the double-digit range for almost all dairy products during the second half of 2022. Those rates began to drop last fall and were back into the single digits by February for uid milk and cheese. Butter price ination peaked at 31.4% last December but was down to 20.7% in February.

“Milk remains a terric value,” Rankin said. “When comparing the cost of getting one gram of protein from another beverage or food, consumers can look at milk, cheese, yogurt, etc., and know they are still a good value during difcult economic times.”

During a Dairy Download podcast entitled, “What’s trending in grocery sales?” sponsored by the International Dairy Foods Association, Darren Seifer – executive director and industry analyst for The NPD Group, talked about ination and how that is affecting dairy purchases.

“Last year, dairy saw some of the most extreme ination in grocery stores – about ve points higher compared to the next category, which is bakery,” Seifer said.

According to Seifer, consumers will prioritize groceries over other types of purchases because it deals with sustenance, but they will also make choices when grocery shopping. As a result, private label and value brands have been growing at the expense of mainstream and premium brands. Private labels have outpaced brands in 13 of the top 15 dairy categories, Seifer said.

When looking at how Wisconsin compares to the rest of the country in terms of dairy sales at retail/grocery stores, Vincent said it is clear Wisconsinites love dairy products.

“In general, Wisconsinites slightly over-index versus the national average on purchasing products like

cheese, uid milk and yogurt, but where we see a bigger difference is in butter, cottage cheese and sour cream, with Wisconsinites buying 20% to 30% more than the average American on a per capita basis,” Vincent said.

“And we love our chocolate milk. With an index of 180, Wisconsin households buy almost twice as much avored milk as households in the rest of the country.”

U.S. dairy products continue to be in demand in other parts of the world as well. U.S. dairy exports had another record-breaking year in 2022 of $9.6 billion. According to NMPF, a record percentage of U.S. milk production was exported overseas last year.

Looking to where U.S. dairy product consumption might be headed, Vincent is optimistic.

“We are bullish on the future of dairy,” he said. “The growth we saw in dairy consumption last year is a continuation of a long-term trend with Americans consuming 22% more dairy than they were 40 years ago. Very few food categories show the decades-long increases in use and consumption. We expect dairy consumption to keep climbing, driven in large part – though not entirely – by cheese.”

According to Vincent, consumer lifestyles are constantly changing, and the industry needs to keep innovating to make sure it offers products that provide not only the nutrition consumers are looking for but also checks boxes around value, convenience, portability, sustainability, indulgence and experience.

“Consumers still value the nutrition that uid milk provides, and we believe continual innovation will be vital,” Vincent said. “Cheese offers the potential for endless reinvention. Portable formats like individually wrapped string cheese, cheese spread portions packaged with dippable items like pretzels, or snack-size portions of specialty cheeses allow consumers to enjoy cheese away from home.”

Rankin shares Vincent’s outlook on dairy having a promising future.

“We continue to make terric discoveries about milk and are uncovering benets we never knew before,” Rankin said. “That engine will keep revealing how positive dairy products are and the health benets they contribute to a broad range of people. Furthermore, the dairy industry is really rich in positive stories. Sharing that message more thoughtfully and on a broader scale will be an important part of our future.”

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“As we have seen in other dairy categories like yogurt, cheese and ice cream, offering variety and keeping up with consumer trends is essential to remain relevant and attract customers – many of whom are often willing to pay more for premiumization.”

CHAD VINCENT, CEO DAIRY FARMERS OF WISCONSIN

Rolling herd averages above DHIA average dollar value for 2022

This list of herds by county includes dairies who have production above state average based on dollar value. They also have given permission to publish their data. Thank you to all DHIA dairies who choose to submit data to the Genetic Evaluation System that has served the industry so well over the years, beginning with sire summaries and cow genetic evaluations, and then resulting in the development and continuing calibration of genomics.

Houston County

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A nine-year lactation

Andersons’ cow’s 3,351 continuous days in milk

By Amy Kyllo amy.k@star-pub.com

SPRING GROVE, Minn. –

Nearly a decade after birthing her last calf, Walnut-Row Jobert Sandy is still milking.

Sandy, who last had a calf Feb. 3, 2014, is owned by father and son duo Kenneth and Kevin Anderson. Born in 2007, the 15-year-old cow is the matriarch of four generations of cows milking in their barn today.

Kenneth and Kevin operate Walnut Row Farm where they milk 26 registered Holsteins in a tiestall barn. They raise their own feed on their 160-acre farm located in the rolling hills of southeast Minnesota.

Kenneth has been keeping close track of Sandy’s production and estimates she has milked approximately 263,000 pounds of milk over her lifetime with 160,000 pounds in her current lactation.

Kevin

The Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement Association named Sandy to its lifetime high cows by lifetime dollar value list in 2022. Kenneth said that while she is on the list, her statistics are inaccurate because of a change to the calculation formula in 2021, which is not able to account for a nine-year lactation. He said his personal statistics were very close to DHIA’s up until 2021.

Walnut-Row Jobert Sandy stands in the barn March 27 on the Anderson farm near Spring Grove, Minnesota. Sandy has been milking on her current lacta on for nine years.

able,” Kenneth said.

They deep bed their free stalls with sand.

Kenneth has been dairying for his entire life minus a brief stint for college. He has been farming full time for over 50 years.

The Andersons never intended or expected Sandy’s lactation to last nine years. Back in 2014 when she did not breed back, they decided to keep her until her milk dropped off.

“It’s just like OK, you’re hanging on,” Kenneth said. “We weren’t crowded on space.”

Sandy was milking 112 pounds of milk per day at the peak of her lactation. She did not drop below 50 pounds of milk per day until over four years later in April 2018.

The Andersons’ culling point is 35-40 pounds of milk per day which is their protability tipping point. Today, Sandy is slowly drying off. The last two years she has been milking approximately 20 pounds of milk per day.

Sandy comes from long line of beauty and longevity. She is the seventh generation to score 84 or higher. Sandy is classied at VG-88. Her granddam and great-granddam both milked for nine lactations. Sandy’s daughter is currently at a little over 700 days in milk.

The family focuses on several management areas with their cows. First, they do not push their cows for high production. The Andersons said pushing for pinnacle production burns the cows out.

“That’s the most expensive part of it,” Kenneth said. “The highest point is where it’s most expensive to get.”

The Andersons harvest their alfalfa at late bud or early bloom to manage the level of protein in the alfalfa. They generally do not feed any corn silage either. Kevin said they also give their cows long stem hay separate from the total mixed ration.

Cow comfort is another area of focus. The Andersons bed the tie stalls with straw on top of rubber mats.

“I can go down on my knee and not be uncomfort-

“I’ve never had anything but this location as a permanent address,” Kenneth said.

He and his son have complimenting interests. Kevin loves to work with the cows while Kenneth enjoys eldwork.

Kenneth sees farming as more than a job and gets emotional when talking about it.

“We’re all called by God to do something,” he said. “At least for me, it is taking care of this farm.”

The Anderson farm has focused on quality cows since the beginning. Their cows all reach back to a few registered cow bloodlines that Kenneth’s father purchased in the late 1930s or early ‘40s.

The family has utilized AI since its conception. Kenneth has only used a bull once.

The farm has also been using DHIA since the ‘40s and have always been a registered Holstein herd. Their DHIA number for Houston County is one of the very rst with the last three digits being 015.

The Andersons look for their cows to have medium stature like Sandy does and have a good frame and good feet and leg scores. Kenneth said he likes cows that do well on pasture since their farm utilizes pasture during the summer as a living area for the cows.

Sandy herself has a medium stature with a strong body. Her udder has held up over the years and is still above her hocks.

Though the Andersons do not know how much longer Sandy will milk, her future is secure. As the years have gone by, she has found a special place in their hearts. Kevin said that when she quits milking, she will be retired to the dry cows.

AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR

Anderson and his dad, Kenneth, stand by their barn March 27 on the Anderson farm near Spring Grove, Minnesota. Kevin and Kenneth milk 26 cows on their dairy farm.

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New England, ND Hettinger County

ARIANN DOE

250 cows, 5,530 acres

I farm with my parents, Warren and Gail. We milk 250 cows in a double-8 parlor and a single-12 parlor. We raise 640 acres of alfalfa, 640 acres of mixed grass, 240 acres of oats, 160 acres of barley, 2,100 acres of durum, 600 acres of silage corn and 150 acres of corn for grain. We also have 1,000 acres of pasture. I am the third generation on this farm. We have been here since 1952. We had a nice thaw over the weekend and a few fields have standing water, but otherwise everything is white. We have had a lot of snow this winter.

Frazee, MN Becker County

ANDREW INGVALSON

175 cows, 600 acres

I farm here with my wife, Jolie, and we have three daughters. We milk 175 cows in a double-10 parlor. I am the second generation on the farm. We have 600 acres of crops –300 acres of corn and 300 acres of alfalfa. We do cover crops, either peas or oats, on the 60 acres of new seeding alfalfa we will plant this year. We are getting a big snow storm now (April 4). We have quite a bit of snow. The last three summers have been on the dry side; hopefully, we get a change in that pattern this year.

Rice, MN Benton County

ALAN VANNURDEN

600 cows, 1,400 acres

I farm here in a partnership with my son, Eric, brother, Dale, and his son, Shawn. We milk 600 cows in a double-12 parlor. We have 1,400 acres. We plant 1,000 acres of corn of which three-fourths is used for silage and the rest for grain. We also have 400 acres of alfalfa. We usually direct seed our alfalfa, some in the spring and some in the fall. We feed out all our bull calves as well. We are covered with snow.

Sleepy Eye, MN Brown County

BENJAMIN SEIFERT

350 cows, 450 acres

I farm with my dad, Steve, and brother, Jonathan. We milk 350 cows three times a day in a double-12 parabone parlor. We farm 450 acres. We have 300 acres of corn which goes for corn silage and 150 acres of alfalfa. I am the third generation to farm here. Right now, we have quite a bit of snow pack. We are having a sleet mix today (April 4).

Salem, SD McCook County

DENISE KURTH

40 cows, 250 acres

I milk our 40 Holsteins, with the help of a friend, in my double-4 milking parlor. I sell my milk to Land O’Lakes. Our operation includes 100 acres of pasture. We also have 28 head of stock cows that we calve in the spring. This year, we will be planting 60 acres of soybeans, 60 acres of corn, 30 acres of alfalfa and 60 acres of a pasture mix. I am the caretaker for my father, BeDean, who is 91 and lives at home and likes to tell me what to do and how to do it.

Goodhue, MN Goodhue County

CHARLIE DICKE

200 cows, 850 acres

I farm full time with my parents, Lyle and Shannon. My brother, Jay, helps when he can around college commitments. I do 50%-60% of the milking in our double-9 parallel parlor as well as the breeding, vaccinations and decision making for the cows. We mainly raise corn, 100 acres of alfalfa, sweet corn and peas. We do no-till and cover crops. We try to always have something growing on the ground. We have good moisture going into the spring. Currently, the snow cover is restricted to ditches and low spots in the field.

DAIRY STAR COUNTRY

Orange City, IA Sioux County

LANE HETTINGA

130 cows, 75 acres

I am a secondyear student at South Dakota State University and work with my parents, Jason and Mary. My parents moved here right after college in the late 1990s and started milking in 2003. We will grow about 75 acres of corn this year and will fill our forage needs by purchasing crops from our neighbors. It has been a cold and snowy winter. Much of our snow is gone, and we have been able to haul some of the manure from our heifer lots in the mornings when things are still frozen.

Elroy, WI Juneau County

RICH HOUZNER

54 cows, 600 acres

We grow corn and hay. We make around 350 acres of hay with 5060 of that being new seeding and grow about 200 acres of corn every year. We chop 120 acres of corn and combine the rest for high-moisture corn and high-moisture ground ear corn. For the steers, we put cob shavers in the combine so we get 70% of the cob, and it gets put in the cement silo. Half of our hay gets chopped as haylage, and the other half will be dry bales or wrapped round bales, depending on Mother Nature. We have 450 head of cattle. We have 175 head of dairy cattle and 275 head of beef cattle. I farm with my wife, Mary, my son, Lance, and his girlfriend, Mikayla Newlun.

Anamosa, IA Jones County

DOUG FAIRBANKS

380 cows, 600 acres

I farm alongside my wife, Jodi, and children: Pierce, Caylee, Luke and Abby, who is returning to farm full time this summer. We have several fulltime employees, including my nephew, Josh Fairbanks. I focus on our cows. Our herd is 100% registered with Jerseys, Brown Swiss and Holsteins. We sell 100 breeding bulls each year. We raise mostly corn, alfalfa and soybeans. We also plant 200 acres of cover crops. We hire out our planting, chopping and harvesting work. Our area currently has adequate moisture and all the snow is melted.

Chilton, WI Calumet County

MITCHELL SCHAEFER

230 cows, 400 acres

I am planting 175 acres of corn silage and 50 acres of new alfalfa seeding this year. The remaining acres are established wheat/ alfalfa/grass. We have silt loam soil and stony ground. We don’t really have any red clay besides one field. We have nice land that dries fast –almost too fast when it gets dry in the summer. It’s been pretty wet here, way wetter than normal. We have standing water in the fields right now with more rain headed our way. But things can turn around pretty fast, especially when it gets warmer. The new alfalfa seeding will be on one of our highest and driest fields, so we’ll probably be one of the first in the neighborhood to get going. I hope to get out there by April 15 or April 20.

MATT REDETZKE

250 cows, 450 acres

My family milks 250 Jersey cows near Stratford, Wisconsin, in Marathon County. We farm 450 acres, most of which are rented. We have a heavy clay soil, and currently (March 26), it is still snow covered. We are planning to plant 200 acres of Brevant BMR for corn silage, 45 acres of Beck’s corn for high-moisture shell corn, 90 acres of Beck’s soybeans and 75 acres of Barenbrug Green Spirit Italian ryegrass. We would like to plant the ryegrass the last week of April if the conditions will allow. We also have 40 acres of established grass/clover. We aren’t really planning to try anything new this year in the fields; last year, we added a 2x2x2 on our corn planter at 20 gallons per acre, of 28%, and had good results with that.

Cuba City, WI Grant County

TIM VOSBERG

140 cows, 380 acres

We plant more than 100 acres each of corn and hay and usually around 70 acres of soybeans. The remainder is put in seeding and small grains for cover crops. We sold some soybeans this year, but that was rare. Normally, we keep everything for feed. We make about three 9by 300-foot bags of corn silage, and the rest of the corn is shelled. We chop almost all of our hay and do a little bit of dry hay for heifers. I farm with my wife and six children.

Cecil, WI Shawano County

RON & COLIN WUSSOW

100 cows. 1,400 acres

We are farming 1,400 acres total, 760 acres of which we own. Our soil is more of a sandy loam along with tilled muck. We have winter wheat that we planted last fall and is currently in the growing stage. This year, we will be doing 600 acres of corn, 250 acres of soybeans, 45 acres of wheat, 260 acres of alfalfa, 125 acres of grass and 85 acres of oats that will be grown for Byron Seeds to use for seed. We use a variety of seed from DeKalb, Dairyland and Brevant. This year, we are going away from a majority of heavy tillage and trying to switch to more vertical tillage along with no-till applications and integrating the use of cover crops. Right now, with the goal of running a custom harvesting business, our goal is to be in the fields by the third week of April. We plant within a 50-mile radius of our main location. We plant 6,000 acres of alfalfa, soybeans and corn. The custom operation is a group effort between three families. Within that business, we get to interact with different types of soil from the tiled muck, clay, sand and sandy loam.

Harvard, IL

ALAN AINGER

300 cows, 1,100 acres

This year, we are planting 590 acres of corn, 275 acres of soybeans and 115 acres of wheat. The remaining acres are alfalfa. I would describe our land as gently rolling – some areas are flat while others are hillier. We have clay-based soils. There is adequate moisture in the ground, and we are just waiting for the weather to warm up. We hope to get out in the fields in about a week to plant 50 acres of new alfalfa seeding with oats and peas as a cover crop. We’ll also work the ground where we hauled manure all winter.

Stratford, WI Marathon County

McHenry County

When a day skids away

Loader trouble leaves Sachs with challenges

By Amy Kyllo amy.k@star-pub.com

VIOLA, Minn. – By the time CJ Sachs nished his bad day, there was not a machine on his farm that could load the mixer or clean the barn.

Sachs farms full time alongside his dad, Charlie, on their 120-cow, 400-acre farm near Viola.

The asco day began in 2020 on a day in late March or early April.

On the dairy farm, all seemed normal as Sachs and his dad nished up morning chores. The cows were milked and fed, and there was a fresh batch of total mixed ration ready for the next day. All that was left was cleaning barns. As Sachs watched his dad back up their largest skid loader, the unpropitious day began as he realized the wheel was tilted at an unhealthy angle.

Sure enough, their skid loader needed an entire new hub assembly. When they called for parts, their local dealer did not have any.

Meanwhile, the barn had not cleaned itself, so Sachs decided to try to retrot together their small 1970s-era skid loader to the large scraper to get the barn cleaned.

This skid loader is much smaller than their other skid loader that usually has the scraper attached. To account for this, Sachs had to add weights to balance the heavy scraper. He placed two 75-pound weights on the small skid loader plus a tractor wheel weight hanging off the back, and even with those additions, it still was not balanced.

Sachs had used this skid loader and scraper to clean the barn before. In spite of the challenges, he managed to get the barn partially cleared out before

the next setback. The bolt he had substituted for a pin broke, and within a few moments, the entire scraper fell off upside down. As he tried to drive the skid loader forward, the skid loader started to spin in a circle. Sachs realized its drive clutch had gone out. He still had the ability to go in reverse, so he backed the skid loader out of the barn. The manure scraper was

still in the barn so he dragged it out with a log chain. The barn was not fully cleaned yet, so he grabbed a scraper and nished cleaning the 104-stall freestall barn by hand.

The KUHN Primor can process a wide variety of materials that can be used in a multitude of ways. Both round and square bales of a wide range of sizes can be processed for both bedding materials or feed ingredients. Materials from corn stalks to wheat straw, and even to grassy hay can be processed using the multi-function rotor. Processed materials can then be dropped into a feed bunk, blown into a pile, or evenly spread throughout a pen.

AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR

CJ Sachs sits on a skid loader March 30 on his family’s farm near Viola, Minnesota. This was the rst skid loader to break on his farm on his bad day.

By this time, it was nearly time for evening chores. Sachs found someone about 20 miles away who was parting out skid loaders similar to his skid loader that needed a drive clutch and he planned to get parts in the morning.

The next day, Sachs and his dad went off to get parts for the two skid loaders. By now, they had fed the feed that had been mixed before the skid loaders broke and the barn was dirty, so making sure they got the skid loaders in working order was a priority.

The smaller skid loader was relatively easy to x although all the wheels had to be taken off. The larger skid loader was more difcult. Its design required them to loosen a bolt that was behind the fuel tank in order to take it apart. With the help of extensions, and a U-joint on their ratchet, they got it apart.

“That skid loader is what took longer with trying to weasel your way in there to get at that bolt,” Sachs said.

Luckily, both skid loaders were ready by evening chores.

“I had all kinds of other things I wanted to do and didn’t even get there because I was xing all day,” Sachs said.

Sachs said he does not remember the specics of what the dramatic day and a half cost them. While the necessary repairs were expensive, farming without their skid loaders was not an option.

“You can’t do all your chores by hand,” Sachs said. “How do you load a 500-cubic-foot mixer with a pitchfork?”

Sachs said he was blessed with good neighbors, so, if necessary, he could have borrowed a skid loader from them.

To add to Sachs’ bad day, their farm owned another skid loader, but it had a blown turbo at the time, and they also had one loader tractor at the implement and another loader tractor that was broken at home.

Sachs does not plan to be in the same situation again.

“I’ve decided that I like to have other options around to be able to do the chores,” Sachs said.

The Sachs family now owns two small skid loaders, two large skid loaders and a loader tractor that could be used in an emergency.

DAIRY

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AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR

The small skid loader stands in the barn March 30 on the CJ Sachs’ family farm near Viola, Minnesota. The drive clutch on this 1970s-era skid loader went out so Sachs could only drive in reverse.

Spring rush treats

While I still have some down time before the spring rush hits, I took advantage of the lull to clean out my recipe collections. I have snippets and clips of recipes from newspapers, magazines and friends in a box. It is amazing the “lost” treasures you can nd when you aren’t rushed to the next job. These are recipes I wanted to make or have already incorporated into my routine. The common thread between all of them is simplicity. These are all recipes you can whip up in less than 30 minutes. Or better yet, you can prep in the morning and bake later when you want a fresh, hot meal in the evening.

One of Mark’s favorite candies is peanut butter Easter eggs. Since I forget to pick them up when I’m in town and I have all the ingredients in the cupboard, I decided to give this recipe a try. Just don’t make the eggs too big. I’m thinking the peanut butter raisin balls will be a big hit this spring for a snack to grab and go. With family popping in and out this Easter season, these two desserts can be whipped up in a moment’s notice. There are so simple and easy that even Mark could make them.

Of course, we can’t forget the main dishes. Shanghai beef is one of my favorites that I found on a Minute Rice box years ago. I will even add other vegetables like sliced carrots, celery and mushrooms to give it a different look. I am looking forward to cooking dinners in

foil packets. I haven’t done that since 4-H camping days. This chicken dinner in a foil packet ts my schedule of prep in the morning and throw in the oven at the end of the day. Enjoy!

Peanut butter eggs

1 1/2 boxes powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix well. Form into egg shapes and dip in melted chocolate.

Peanut butter raisin balls

1 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup nonfat dry milk

1 cup raisins

1 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup nuts, chopped

Crushed graham crackers Mix all together except

for graham crackers. Roll into balls. Roll balls in graham cracker crumbs. Store in airtight container.

Cookie crumble dessert

1 cup buttermilk

1 package instant vanilla pudding

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

2 cups whipped cream (or 8 ounces Cool Whip)

1/2 package crumbed fudge striped cookies

Mix together milk and pudding. Add fruit and whipped cream. Fold in cookies. Refrigerate for an hour.

Black forest pie

3 1/2 cups whipped cream (or Cool Whip)

1 graham cracker pie crust

1 cup cold milk

1 package instant chocolate pudding

1 cup cherry pie lling

Combine milk and pudding with wire whisk for 1 minute. Fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped cream (or Cool Whip). Spread

1 cup whipped cream (or Cool Whip) on bottom of pie crust. Spread pudding mixture over this layer. Spread remaining 1 cup whipped cream (or Cool Whip) over top leaving a 1-inch border and forming a depression in the center of topping. Spoon cherry pie lling in the center of topping. Chill at least 2 hours. Garnish with melted chocolate.

Shanghai beef

1 pound round steak, cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups beef broth

8 ounces sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 medium red pepper, coarsely chopped

5 scallions, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces or 1 onion thinly sliced

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cup dry Minute Rice

Sauté beef in oil in large skillet until browned, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch and blend well. Add broth, water chestnuts, red pepper, scallions, soy sauce and pepper. Bring to a full boil, stirring frequently. Stir in rice. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Chicken baked in foil from Cook’s Country Collection

5 tablespoons olive oil

6 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon red pepper akes

12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2-inch lengths

1/2 red onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Spray center of four 20-by12-inch sheets of aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray. Com-bine oil, garlic, thyme and pepper akes in small bowl. Microwave until garlic begins to brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Combine potatoes, carrots, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and garlic oil in large bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper on each side of chicken breast. Position one piece of prepared foil with long side parallel to counter edge. In center of foil, ar-range one quarter of potatoes in two rows. Lay chicken breast on top of potatoes. Place a quarter of vegetables around chicken. Repeat with remaining foil, potatoes, chicken and vegetables. Drizzle any remaining oil mixture from bowl over chicken. Bring short sides of foil together and crimp to seal tightly. Crimp remaining open ends of packets, leaving as much headroom as possible inside packets. Place packets on large plate and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 24 hours. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Arrange packets on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees (about 18-23 minutes). Let chicken rest in packets for three minutes. Transfer packets to individual plates, carefully open (steam will escape) and slide contents onto plates. Drizzle lemon juice over chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with chives.

Food columnist, Natalie Schmitt

Buttermilk blueberry puff

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon for the baking dish

12 cups cubed croissants (6 to 8 large)

3 cups blueberries or blackberries

1 cup granulated sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon coarse raw (turbinado) sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-by-3 baking dish with the 1 tablespoon butter. Spread the croissant cubes evenly in the dish. Top with berries. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 12 tablespoons butter with the granulated sugar on medium speed until creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cream, buttermilk, vanilla and salt. The mixture may appear curdled. Pour over the croissants and berries in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Bake until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Serve warm. The puff is best eaten warm, soon after baking, but leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Caramel crunch:

4 cups corn flakes

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

1/4 cup heavy cream

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

French toast:

8 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 slices brioche

Unsalted butter, for the griddle

Powdered sugar, for serving Maple syrup, for serving Sliced strawberries, optional Whipped cream, optional

To make the caramel crunch: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Evenly spread the corn flakes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until the edges have lightly browned. Take out of the oven and allow the corn flakes to cool while the caramel is being cooked. To make the caramel: Place a heavy medium saucepan on the stove and add the sugar, cream of tartar and water. Gently stir the sugar mixture until the sugar is wet. Turn the heat to medium high and slowly stir until the sugar dissolves using a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula. The mixture should become an amber color. Immediately take the mixture off the heat and stir in the butter. Once the butter melts, slowly stir in the heavy cream and salt. Grease a sheet pan and set aside. Add the corn flakes to a large mixing bowl. Gently stir in the caramel sauce and cinnamon. Toss until the corn flakes are coated, then spread into a single layer on the greased sheet pan. Allow to cool for about an hour. Set a small amount (about 2 cups) of the caramel crunch to the side for garnish. Take the remaining mixture and set it in a plastic bag, leaving a small gap for air so the bag doesn’t break. Crush the mixture in the bag until it’s at a consistency you prefer. Pour the crushed caramel crunch into a shallow medium bowl and set aside. To make the French toast: In another medium shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth. Dip each side of a slice of brioche into the egg mixture, allow any excess to drip off, then dip each side of that same slice into the crushed caramel crunch, making sure to fully coat each side. Set on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining slices of brioche. Place a large cast-iron griddle over medium heat and melt about 1 tablespoon butter. Once the butter is melted, place two brioche slices on the griddle and allow each side to cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve as desired.

FEEDER CATTLE

Tuesday,

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 11 a.m. EXPECTING 800-1,000 HEAD!!!

DAIRY CATTLE AUCTION

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 11:00 am

HERD DISPERSAL

100 Holstein Dairy Cows. Parlor/freestall, cows will sell on test., averaging 80# 4.9BF 3.1P 175scc. All 2 and 3 yr olds, majority just fresh, some bred back and milking heavy! Many many years of TOP sires used from ABS, majority AI bred Angus. Extensive vaccination program. Very nice gentle cows. *Note* Owner will be selling a big portion of his very large dairy herd, spread out over the next several months. Coming from Bonestroo Dairy

REPUTATION CONSIGNMENTS

12 FANCY Registered Holstein Dairy Cows. Parlor/freestall, all fresh 2 & 3 year olds averaging over 100# and scc under 50! Cows sell on test, out of a 33,844# RHA, 122 avg. scc, extensive vaccination program. From one of the most elite herds in MN! Coming from Stelling Farms, Millville MN

Always a great selection of dairy heifers at Premier Livestock and Auctions! DRIVE-INS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! PLEASE HAVE IN BY 10:30 AM

Weekly Highlights at Premier

Busy, busy week at Premier, selling over 3,700 head of livestock. Sold over 800 dairy cattle this week!!! Tuesday at our Special Monthly Heifer Auction we sold over 600 dairy heifers, most Holstein opens 125-175#. Registered Swiss heifer dispersal, 135 head sold, averaging 2.55#. Heifers sold up to 13 dollars per #. Top sellers 125# $1,700, 520# $3,200, 710# $3,500. Heifers selling to seven different

Wednesday 227 dairy sold, cattle 3 herds. 75 cow tiestall herd averaging $1,750. One organic herd averaging $1,950. Top fresh cows $2,000-2,700. Many other good cows $1,400-1,975. Top springing heifers $1,550-2,200. We certainly appreciate all of your business. Thanks so much!!!

Crunch French toast

From the kitchen of: Katie Noth of Wilton, Wisconsin

From the kitchen of: Katie Noth of Wilton, Wisconsin