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DAIRY ST R
Volume 24, No. 6
May 14, 2022
“All dairy, all the time”™
Deerview Dairy builds for the future
Schuelers install rotary parlor with automation capabilities By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Chris Schueler and his family milk 625 cows with a 40-cow rotary parlor on their farm near Willmar, Minnesota. The Schuelers installed the parlor and renovated their freestall barn last fall.
WILLMAR, Minn. – Every decision Chris Schueler and his family make for their dairy is precisely made with the future of the farm and industry in mind. Their latest decision was no different. “We continue with a onestep-at-a-time approach, either by choice or necessity,” Schueler said. “Knowing we position our operation to be viable for the future is really important to us; for either the next generation or somebody else down the road.” Schueler and his parents, Don and Shirley, own Deerview Dairy LLLP in Kandiyohi County near Willmar. Schueler’s wife, Lisa, and children, Caden and Paige, are also involved on the farm. On Oct. 23, 2021, the family began milking their 625 cows in a 40-stall rotary parlor. In addition to the new milking system, the barn was expanded upon and
converted from natural to cross ventilation. The parlor’s capacity tops out at 1,420 cows. “There are many more steps to get to an ending point,” Schueler said,. “For me right now, I don’t want to add more cows but knowing the capability is available is important to us.” Cows are milked on a 3X schedule, while fresh cows are milked four times a day; a management protocol the Schuelers established two years ago. With this schedule, the parlor is operational for about 17 hours in a 24hour period with two employees pre and post dipping and attaching the units. Currently, each turn of the carousel is about eight minutes. “We don’t have to be highly efcient right now,” Schueler said. “But should we pursue automation, the picture of efciency comes in and we could literally milk 1,400 cows with two people.
Turn to SCHUELERS | Page 7
A dream accomplished
Lenzmeier purchases herd, farms by Shakopee By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
SHAKOPEE, Minn. – One of Joe Lenzmeier’s earliest memories on the farm was him as a young boy feeding the cows grain with a tin coffee can before milking. The now 25-year-old still feeds the cows, but his responsibilities are far greater. “I enjoy it 100%, agriculture but especially dairy farming,” Lenzmeier said. “I picture myself doing something with cows my whole life.” Lenzmeier is a fourth-generation dairy farmer in Scott County near Shakopee. In February 2019, he purchased the 50-cow herd from his uncle, Bill Lenzmeier. Today, he milks the herd on the property his grandparents own and purchases all his forages from his uncle who runs the land. Lenzmeier purchases all of his grain from his other uncle who owns the feed mill nearby. The herd is milked in a 44-stall tiestall barn and housed in a loang shed with a bedded pack. Lenzmeier’s heifers are all housed on site. After being weaned in the calf barn, the heifers are relocated to a pole shed with a cement lot and fence-line feeding. They move through the pens – young heifers, breeding age and con-
rmed pregnant – until pre-fresh when they go to the dry cow lot. “It works out pretty slick,” Lenzmeier said. “I just keep moving them up one pen and then bring them down to the barn after calving.” Lenzmeier always had aspirations to farm. After high school, he spent a semester at South Central College in Mankato before returning to the family farm to work full time for his uncle. A few years passed and Lenzmeier was given the opportunity to purchase the herd. But it was not without the insistence of his father, Steve Lenzmeier, that Lenzmeier went ahead with the agreement. “When my uncle rst wanted to stop milking, I shot him down because of the milk prices,” Lenzmeier said. “I told my dad that was my decision, but he said he would crunch some numbers and see what I thought. That really got the ball rolling.” Soon after, Lenzmeier dove into his career as a dairy farmer. “I handed that check to my uncle and then was talking to my dad that night and said, ‘How many 21-year-olds can say they have a herd of cows?’ Not many,” Lenzmeier said. “It was weird to think, it was exciting, and it took a while to sink in.” While Lenzmeier dairy farms on his own, it has not been without the support of his parents, Steve and Cheri, and siblings and cousin who help on the farm when needed.
Turn to LENZMEIER | Page 6
GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR
Joe Lenzmeier milks a cow May 2 at the farm his grandparents own near Shakopee, Minnesota. Lenzmeier rents the farm and owns the cows and some machinery.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 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 Dairy Star 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 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.
NorthSt. America dealers. Compromise scarce in Paul
Dairy Prole brought to you by your It is not a budget year, so Minnesota lawmakers are not required to deal with the $9 billion state surplus. With a few weeks left in the session, little compromise is happening. Minnesota Milk Producers Association Executive Director Lucas Sjostrom said the stalemate is understandable. This session is complicated by election year politics with a chance the House, Senate and Governor’s ofces could ip. “You just don’t know what can happen ve or six months from now,” Sjostrom said. “If you think you’re going to win, you’d have a shot to do it your way or more your way.” The Minnesota legislative session ends May 23.
reviews was streamlined. The Biden team said the restoration of these environmental safeguards will provide regulatory certainty. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member G.T. Thompson disagreed, saying the action will hurt farmers and their ability to do their jobs.
Ag Insider
US milk production up slightly, SD rockets higher Milk production in the 24 By Don Wick major dairy states declined four-tenths of 1% in March. Columnist South Dakota was an outlier, with milk production increasing 20% from year-to-year. South Dakota farmers added 30,000 cows to the state cow herd during that time. Minnesota milk output declined nearly 3% with cow numbers declining by 9,000 head.
House, Senate versions of omnibus ag bill differ The tax bill moving through the Minnesota Legislature seems to have broad support. Lathrop GPM Senior Government Relations Specialist Daryn McBeth is optimistic about the overlap between the House and Senate tax bills. “I’m just hopeful in reading the tea leaves that a tax bill could be a deal to get out at the end of the session,” McBeth said. Property tax reform and an expansion of the beginning farmer tax credit are on the table. In addition to taxes, the progress of the omnibus agriculture bill is being watched closely. Agriculture is tied to broadband and housing initiatives, which could be a hurdle. “The housing provisions combined within an omnibus with the agriculture provisions are one sticking point, but the House approach on the agriculture provisions alone is quite a bit different than the Senates approach,” McBeth said.
FAPRI adjusts ag outlook The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute has updated its baseline economic outlook to reect the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on markets. This report calls for higher commodity prices, higher production expenses and higher food costs than reported in the March report. FAPRI is forecasting 2022 net farm income to be on par with last year with higher crop and livestock prices offsetting the increase in expenses and the drop in gov-
Biden reverses Trump environmental regs The Biden administration is reinstating a series of environmental regulations that were changed during the Trump presidency. In 2020, the process for environmental
Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5
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Kuball, Alberts are Minnesota State FFA ofcers First Section: Pages 8 - 9
Larchwood, IA
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Women in Dairy: Mary Muehlenhardt
Stensland Family Farms nd success in retailing products
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First Section: Page 10
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MN Milk gathers at capitol to discuss legislative priorities
Sibling pairs take rst at FFA convention
Grimmuis, Czech share farm stories, beef-on-dairy programs
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First Section: Pages 26 - 27
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A day in the life of the Weir family Second Section: Pages 14, 16 - 17
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Stempe honored for accomplishments with breed
Kids Corner: The Donnay family
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FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Moms: How do you balance farm work and motherhood? First Section: Pages 15 - 16
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From My Perspective Page 34 First Section
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ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 2 ernment payments. Assuming a return to more normal conditions next year, FAPRI projects lower prices for many commodities and lower net farm income. More exibility, better protection The United States Department of Agriculture has updated three key crop insurance options for livestock producers. With Dairy Revenue Protection, dairy farmers can continue coverage even if they experience a disaster, such as a barn re. Livestock Gross Margin coverage for cattle, dairy and swine is now available nationwide. Regarding Livestock Risk Protection, insurance companies must pay indemnities within 30 days of receiving the claim form. The previous window for payment was 60 days. USTR calls out EU non-tariff trade barrier In its annual Special 301 Report, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Ofce has highlighted the importance of preserving market access. In particular, the report cited the European Union’s misuse of geographical indicators to create non-tariff trade barriers. The EU is trying to eliminate competition by restricting the use of common food and beverage terms, such as parmesan, asiago or feta. Mid-term elections may shake things up It is a mid-term election year. The 435 seats in the House and 34 of the 100 seats in the Senate are up for a vote. The outcome of these elections will impact the future of agricultural policy, including the upcoming farm bill. Cook Political Report Senior Editor Dave Wasserman said mid-term elections are typically a referendum on the party in power. With Democrats leading in the House and Senate, there is a greater chance for change. “President Biden’s approval rating, on average, is 41%,” he said. “The fancy, political science term for that is wipe-out territory. It’s not possible for the party in power in Congress to hold the majority when the approval rating is that low.” Wasserman anticipates as many as 100 new members of Congress in 2023. “That means there’s a lot of education for farm groups in advance of the 2023 farm bill,” Wasserman said.
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 5
Battling bovine belching Elanco Animal Health is getting the U.S. licensing rights to a feed additive developed by a Dutch company that is supposed to reduce cattle methane emissions. On-farm trials in 14 countries show the additive reduced the greenhouse gas emissions by 30% in dairy cows. The total is even higher in beef cows. Elanco still needs regulatory approval for this product. Investment made in Cargill Animal Nutrition Innovation Center Cargill has launched a $50 million expansion and renovation of its research and development facility in Elk River, Minnesota. The updates will include a new laboratory and upgrades to the location’s animal facility, dairy innovation unit, feed mill and visitor’s space. Former ag commissioner dies Jon Wefald died last month. Wefald, 84, served as agriculture commissioner in Minnesota Gov. Wendell Anderson’s administration from 1971-77. He later became president of Southwest State University in Marshall and was chancellor of the Minnesota university system. Wefald was president of Kansas State University for 23 years, beginning in 1986.
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Trivia challenge Bovine somatotropin may be better known as bST. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, when did June Dairy Month begin? 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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GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR
Joe Lenzmeier milks 50 cows in a Ɵestall barn near Shakopee, Minnesota. He bought the herd from his uncle in 2019. For the past 30 years, Steve has been the farm’s breeder. “My dad has been huge in helping me, giving me nancial advice and telling me what I should make payments on,” Lenzmeier said. “He’s been huge in keeping me motivated. He’s very passionate about it.” Lenzmeier lives near the dairy. He travels to the farm every morning to begin milking and other chores, then makes a quick trip home before returning to the farm for evening chores. Of all the tasks he completes in a day, Lenzmeier’s favorite is milking. “A lot of people like being in the eld and driving tractors,” Lenzmeier said. “That’s fun, but after three or four hours, I’m excited to get back to the barn and work with the cows. Being in the barn gives me time with my thoughts, or I listen to music or a podcast. It’s a peaceful time.” A majority of Lenzmeier’s herd is Holsteins. He also has incorporated Jersey genetics and some Norwegian Red for the breeds’ components, hardiness and good feet and legs. “We don’t focus on production because we can nd the milk with good quality feed,” Lenzmeier said. “I like to breed for an all-around good, hardy cow. It costs a lot to raise a heifer so she might as well be around for a while.” In the three years that Lenzmeier has farmed on his own, he has learned a lot about being consistent when it comes to his breeding protocol in order to produce the animals he strives to have in the herd. “You have to stay on top of everything,” Lenzmeier said. “You can’t let things slip through the cracks.” Lenzmeier’s breeding philosophy is for cows to be bred within the rst 70 days in milk, but nothing before 50 DIM. He is also adamant on providing adequate time in the
dry period. “If I don’t get them dried up on time, I’ve noticed that on the next lactation they don’t seem to produce as much,” Lenzmeier said. “I have to give them that vacation so they’re ready for the next lactation.” The importance of consistent farm management was heightened when Lenzmeier started farming because of the lower milk prices. In 2019, the average Class III milk price was $16.95 per hundredweight, according to the United State Department of Agriculture. Now, Lenzmeier is starting to feel relief. “I’ve kept working at it, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Lenzmeier said. “Soon, I’ll be making money instead of it all going to bills. The higher milk price helps with that too.” In addition to the herd, Lenzmeier owns a mixer wagon, manure spreader, tractor, skid loader and bale wrapper to make baleage. While Lenzmeier does not own any land, he works with his uncle in the elds. “We help each other out,” Lenzmeier said. “If he needs help getting it all put up, then it suits me too.” As Lenzmeier looks to his future in the industry, in another ve years he hopes to relocate to a more rural location that would further support his will to dairy farm. Whether a 5-year-old boy feeding grain or a 25-year-old dairy farmer, one thing is for certain. Lenzmeier has followed his dream. “I’ve been told I’m doing (a really good) job,” Lenzmeier said. “I don’t think anything of it, but it makes you feel good knowing other people think you’re doing a good job. This is where I’m supposed to be.”
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Deerview Dairy’s freestall barn is renovated from a naturally-venƟlated barn to a cross-venƟlated barn with a ceiling and fans along the south side at the farm near Willmar, Minnesota. When we think about the cost per hundredweight and how we’re using those labor dollars, this method of managing the milking side is probably the most efcient.” The Schuelers were previously milking in a double-8 parabone parlor that was rst built in 1999 as a swing parlor. In the early 2000s, the family put in a lowline pipeline and automatic takeoffs with the parlor designed to milk upward of 150 cows. In the nal days of milking last fall, 585 cows were pushed through the parlor. “We were about 20 cows away from not being able to keep up with milking the fresh cows four times a day,” Schueler said. “We knew the old parlor was past its working years anymore, and we needed to look very closely at robotics or a new parlor.” Schueler did not want to make the large capital investment of putting in up to eight robotic milking units and having to downsize his herd, and he felt his labor costs could not be maximized nor was the potential for automation readily available with a traditional parallel parlor. “A parallel parlor was by far the more affordable option,” Schueler said. “However, knowing technology is in its infancy and realizing I want to have a facility that can accommodate technology down the road, the rotary would facilitate that.” In the fall of 2019, Schueler began touring farms with different setups and making a plan that best suited the vision of Deerview Dairy. By December 2020, the family put down money on the new equipment and ground was broken April 15, 2021. Along with the parlor, the Schuelers added about 190 stalls to the freestall barn and converted the old holding pen into a maternity pen and bedded pack for cows. They also added a ceiling to the barn with 13 inches of insulation and 39 fans on the south side of the building and incorporated a ush system in the holding pen and an automatic footbath. “Building a parlor or a house, it’s a
nightmare right now,” Schueler said. “If I could have had my crystal ball and saw all the issues that would pop up … being sure that the economic timeframe was right and the availability of product was there. I’d be lying if I said the transition has been 100% smooth, but we’re getting there.” Both fans for the barn and the parlor’s crowd gate were delayed, either stuck at ports or parts were backordered, creating a domino effect in the project’s plan and management of the herd. Schueler has also struggled with the software of the parlor appropriately communicating with his other management software already in place on the dairy. “We’ve had quite the year,” Schueler said. “We really hope to see the fruits of the labor here this summer.” To the surprise of Schueler, one of the greatest successes of the project was how the cows transitioned to the new milking system. Schueler and his team began using the rotary parlor with one milking group at a time while still using the parabone parlor as the main milking system for the herd. “I was in awe with how quickly they learned,” Schueler said. “After they were put on two or three times, they became excited and pushed their way on. They’re content on the parlor, and it’s really a positive experience for them.” Schueler has noticed the excitement in his employees too. “Everyone is happy to be working in the new parlor,” he said. “We were really asking a lot of them before. They grew with us and through this whole management change, and we can tell the employee morale is higher.” In the coming months, Schueler plans to have the parabone parlor setup for treated or fresh animals, eliminating quarter milking on the rotary parlor. Then, it is back to planning for him and his dairy prot team as they look to the future of Deerview Dairy.
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Chris Schueler explains the rotary parlor May 5 at his farm near Willmar, Minnesota. Schueler began using the parlor in October 2021.
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
From dairy farms to leaders in agriculture Kuball, Alberts are Minnesota State FFA ofcers By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
MORRISTOWN, Minn. – April 26 was an emotional day for 18-year-old Emma Kuball and 17-year-old Makenzie Alberts. “I had no idea I was going to get the role of FFA state president,” Kuball said. “I was the last one called, and I actually looked my mom in the eyes and was shaking my head like I didn’t get anything and then they called my name.” Alberts agreed. “After I heard my name called, I ran to the current secretary, Nicole Koziolek, and she rushed me on stage. I was in shock,” she said. “There were a lot of tears from emotional exhaustion, relief and happiness. But on stage, all I could think about was that this was all worth it, every hardship and goal accomplished leading up to that moment made it worth it.” Kuball grew up on her family’s 240-cow dairy in Rice County near Morristown. As the sixth generation on the farm, she milks cows, cares for the calves, vaccinates animals, gives antibiotics and helps with feeding. She is the daughter of
Nate and Shannon and will be serving as the Minnesota State FFA President this year. “I just randomly started crying throughout the fth session when I was backstage,” Kuball said. “And then once my name was called, I didn’t shed a tear. I realized I had to say stuff now.” Alberts is the daughter of Eric and Angie and works on her family’s dairy, Pine Shelter Alberts Brothers Dairy, where they milk 500 cows and run 2,000 acres near Pine Island. As the seventh generation on the farm, she feeds calves every Sunday night, lls in with milking shifts, helps with herd management tasks and helps her dad and the harvest crew with haylage and corn silage and other tasks such as hauling high-moisture corn, bales or manure. Alberts is serving as the Minnesota State FFA Secretary this year. “I am a very goal-oriented person, and the biggest one I wrote was to receive a state ofce,” she said. “As the time came to submit my application, there were a lot of emotions and doubts about if I was ready to take on the challenge, but receiving a state ofce this year is a reminder that I can accomplish anything I set my
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The newly elected state FFA officers include – (front, from le�) secretary Makenzie Alberts, treasurer Brynn Lozinski and vice president Natalie Beckendorf; (back row, from le�) sen�nel Noah Erickson, president Emma Kuball and reporter Caidyn Johnson. Both Kuball and Alberts are from dairy farms. mind to.” Before being chosen as state ofcers, both Kuball and Alberts had to complete a general application with two essay questions and submit a twopage resume and three letters
of recommendation. “I pushed off running until I was a region president,” Kuball said. “We worked with the state ofcers and I decided I might as well try; I have nothing to lose. I want to be able
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 9
ConƟnued from FFA OFFICERS | Page 8 and I want it to be that for another per- except agricultural mechanics, soils, son.” livestock judging and dairy judging. Alberts agreed. She has also served as chapter and re“I ran to leave gion president. an impact on the “It’s given me experience in everylives of Minne- thing,” Kuball said. “This will allow sota FFA mem- me to encourage other members to try bers,” she said. things out even if they are not good at “My biggest something. Students really can do anyrole models are thing that they want to do or set their past state of- minds to.” cers. They have Kuball also started the kiddie worked to de- corduroy program at her elementary Emma Kuball velop me from a school in Waterville. She and two other FFA state president shy greenhand to FFA members went to ve elementary a condent and classes every week and taught about driven leader.” the FFA mission: premier leadership, They then were selected to com- personal growth and career success. pete in seven rounds of interviews. At “It’s really cool because we’ve gotten the end of the nal session, they were to teach seven lessons over the course lined up on the backside of Mariucci of the year and reach about 200 stuArena in Minneapolis with the other dents,” Kuball said. nine contestants. Kuball’s parents, her FFA chapter “They play at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown and this intense song her friends from the Gibbon-Fairfaxand then the past Winthrop Pioneer Express FFA Chapstate ofcers are ter were all at the convention to support there ready to her aspirations for a state ofce. run us on stage,” “They all cheered really loud when Kuball said. “It my name was called,” she said. “I peris a very exciting sonally don’t feel any different, but at moment but also school, they call me madam president Makenzie Alberts very stressful, and it’s a really weird feeling. I’m exFFA state secretary because as the cited because I never thought that I’d last one, I either be here, let alone the president.” got all or nothing. Throughout the year, she will atMy stomach was just turning, and I’m tend meetings with the association, standing there with all these friends I summer camps and conferences, and met during the interview process and I chapter and region visits. knew that only one of us was going to “I’m excited to meet a whole bunch get it.” of new people and attend agricultural Kuball rst joined FFA in fall 2018 events in the state,” Kuball said. “I will and has participated in every contest also be able to learn from, and listen to,
the other state ofcers because they are tasks, such as writing thank you notes. all really great leaders.” “I am looking forward to the connecAlberts joined FFA in the fall 2018 tions made with members throughout and has participated in showing dairy the state along with the lifelong friendcattle and goats at both the county and ships created as a team,” Alberts said. state fairs, and has participated and Both Kuball and Alberts believe planned both chapter and regional ac- the hard work, teamwork and drive tivities. She was also region secretary they learned growing up on the farm and vice president. “My family was very active in the organization and encouraged me to join an agriculture class with Mr. Erickson,” she said. “After interacting with members at the fairs and attending the rst chapter meeting, I was hooked.” One of her favorite projects was her chapter’s diaper drive, where they raised money for a baby closet in their local MAKENZIE ALBERTS, MINNESOTA STATE FFA OFFICER community to buy diawill aid them most in their roles as state pers. “We worked to raise enough mon- ofcers. “When I was little, my siblings and ey so that we could shave our advisor’s I did calf chores together,” Kuball said. head,” Alberts said. Alberts’ parents, her brother Trey, “Siblings don’t always get along, but her advisor Shawn Erickson and chap- we learned how to work together as a ter members attended the convention team. And, it has really helped me in to support Albert. Her extended family every other area that I’ve had to lead in.” live streamed the ceremony at home. Alberts agreed. “My supporters are my biggest “Some of the biggest skills I have motivators. They are the reason I have made it this far,” she said. “Without gained from the farm are a hard work their faith in my abilities, I would have ethic and drive to get things done,” she never had the guts to push myself to run said. “The work ethic from my time on the farm will set me up for success this for state ofce.” Throughout the year, she will keep year and has provided me with knowlminutes and take notes during the meet- edge about agriculture and experiences ings and assist in behind-the-scenes and stories to share with the public.”
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
From the cow to the consumer
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LARCHWOOD, Iowa – Two Iowa brothers made it their mission to revive their family’s dairy farm. The high school teens, spurred on by an FFA project, have re-opened Stensland Family JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR Farms. The Stensland family – (from leŌ ) Jason, Paige, Mona, Doug, Chelsea and JusƟn What began nearly two decades ago as a pair of – dairy farm near Larchwood, Iowa. The Stenslands have found considerable brothers milking 40 cows success in retailing the dairy products that are made in their on-farm creamery. as an FFA project has blossomed into an on-farm creamery that retails dairy products came from one of our employees. We experimented with across the region. the starter and tweaked it until we got it exactly the way we Doug Stensland and his father, Art, milked 30 head but want it.” exited the dairy in 1989. In their unending effort to control quality, the StensDoug and his wife, Mona, have four children: Leah, lands buy whole tomatoes and make their own marinara twins Jason and Justin, and Kyle. Shortly after they entered sauce. high school, Jason and Justin began to milk cows for neighThe marketing team at Stensland Family Farms Creambors. They decided re-starting the family’s dairy could be ery includes Jason’s wife, Paige, and Justin’s wife, Chelsea. their FFA project. “Chelsea and I are both graphic designers,” Paige said. After graduation, the brothers opted to stay in the dairy “We have designed all of our marketing materials, includbusiness and focus their efforts on organic farming and ex- ing our logos and signs.” panding their herd. The Stenslands haven’t purchased any commercial ad“The boys were soon milking 200 head in their at par- vertising. They have spread the word about their dairy prodlor,” Doug said. “Milking was taking 10 hours a day.” ucts via farm tours, social media and strategic partnerships To help with efciency, the Stenslands decided to in- with restauranteurs and retailers. stall a trio of robotic milkers. “We have been able to do a lot of natural marketing “The robots really lightened the workload for the through our farm tours,” Paige said. “Before COVID, we boys,” Doug said. “It gave them more time to look at what had as many as 10,000 people come out to our farm each it would take to build a creamery.” year. The tour numbers are slowly coming back.” On-farm processing had always been a dream of The family is cognizant of its partnerships, and Doug Doug’s. When the kids were younger, the family would said, as they add new retailers or restaurants, the family dedrive around looking at dairies that had their own creamer- cides if that particular venture is a good t for their brand. ies, and as the farm expanded, on-site production became a “A big way that we move milk is by educating the pubgoal. Jason and Justin’s brother Kyle had a farm of his own lic and telling the story of our farm,” Doug said. and had the equity to put back into the family’s dreams. A noteworthy promotional opportunity came to the After researching the marketing environment, the Stenslands when they were asked to create a signature ice Stensland family decided to take the plunge into on-farm cream to be served at the Sanford International, a PGA Tour processing. The Stenslands broke ground for their on-farm Champions event held each September in Sioux Falls. The processing facility in 2015. The next year, Stensland Family Stenslands created a lemon cheesecake ice cream that has Farms began to retail their products including bottled milk, blueberry swirls throughout. They named this frosty treat ice cream, butter, aged cheese and cheese curds. The Sanford Swirl. “We have learned to develop the market before introThe Avera Foundation has also asked the Stenslands ducing new products,” Doug said. “We’ve also discovered to craft an ice cream for them. Avera Encouragement conthat people can tell the difference in the quality of the food tains of a mixture of mint ice cream, homemade brownie they consume. We’re often asked why our ice cream tastes and cookie. so good. We tell folks that it’s because we don’t skimp on Another strategic partnership involves the venerable quality. All of our cows have the gene for producing A2 Twin Bing candy bar. milk. We think that this has made it possible for more peo“We made some Twin Bing ice cream, and it was a ple to be able to enjoy our milk and other dairy products.” big hit with our customers,” Doug said. “Jason got a meetStensland Family Farms has trucks that deliver their ing with members of the Palmer family, who created Twin products to retailers and restaurants within an 80-mile ra- Bing, and gave them a sample our ice cream. They really dius of their farm. Their dairy goods are retailed by numer- liked it. This led to a partnership with the Palmer Candy ous grocery and convenience stores, coffee shops, and ice Company and permission to use their Twin Bing logo. Our cream parlors. Twin Bing ice cream has instant name recognition.” The family keeps investing in strategies to further the Stensland Family Farms has three retail outlets in business and separate it from its competitors. Sioux Falls. They also operate the Falls Overlook Café and In 2019, the Stenslands constructed a commercial bak- run the concessions at the Midco Aquatic Center, both in ery in their on-farm store and visitor center. The bakery has Sioux Falls. Leah manages all of the family’s retail operaenabled them to experiment with new products. One of the tions. latest additions to their lineup is frozen pizza. In their quest to move more product, the Stenslands “There are a lot of pizzas out there, so we asked our- recently partnered with The Ritz, a bar and grill located at selves how to make ours unique,” Mona said. “That’s why Lake Okoboji, a tourist hot spot in northwestern Iowa. we decided to use a sourdough crust. Our sourdough starter “We are going to set our ice cream trailer in their parking lot and dip ice cream all summer long,” Doug said. “The boys are always coming up with new product ideas and new ways to promote our brand.” Jason said it is important for their business to remain exible. “You want to avoid having tunnel vision when you are running a business like ours,” Jason said. Justin agreed. He said they have learned the place to be consistent is with their products. “Retailing our dairy products has been a challenging experience, but it has also been immensely rewarding,” Justin said. Looking back at the past few years, Doug is humbled by the way things have unfolded for his family. “We have 20 employees,” Doug said. “This means that JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR we now have 20 families who are depending on us. Dad is Stensland Family Farms makes ice cream. The 92 and still lives here on the farm. He’s been able to watch Stenslands partnered with Palmer Candy Company his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren grow as they and received permission to use Palmer Candy Com- worked on our farm. It has been an amazing experience for pany’s Twin Bing logo. him and for our entire family.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 11
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
The benets of individualized calf feeding
Steele discusses research ndings at DCHA conference
ample, butyrate is at a low concentration, and omega-3 fatty acids, n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fat acids (PUFA) are at high concentrations in colostrum and transition milk. As the milk matures, butyrate increases and omega-3 fatty acids, n-3 and n-6 PUFA decrease. “There are large differences in colostrum fatty acid composition due to the parity,” Steele said. “So, there is something different in colostrum and the transition period than what calves are being fed in the rst days of life.” To further research this, Steele did a study which involved feeding all calves the same colostrum at the rst meal and then transitioning them to either a whole milk, 50% milk and 50% colostrum or pure colostrum. At the end of day 3, he and his team dissected the calves. “We noticed that their intestinal development when offered the colostrum or transition was greater compared to whole milk,” he said. “This is an important thing around day 3, because you want to maximize the amount of absorption of nutrients, especially if you are feeding a lot of nutrients at this time.” Because the gut is not closed at this stage of life, Steele suggested two meals of high-quality colostrum should be fed to get a signicant boost in nutrient absorption. Steele conducted another research study on calves that had distinct diar-
By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. − Why are calves that are consuming large amounts of milk and starter not being weaned? Why are calves consuming less amounts of milk and less starter getting weaned? Those were the questions Michael Steele posed during his presentation, “Feeding management practices,” during the Dairy Calf and Heifer Conference April 13 in Bloomington. “We should be feeding calves differently based on their body weight and average daily gain,” Steele said. “A calf that is 35 kilos should not be fed the same way as a calf that is 55 kilos. They are different animals. Their physiology is different.” Steele is a professor in the department of animal biosciences at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. During his presentation, he talked about studies he and his research team have done looking at pre weaning, weaning, post weaning and precision management when it comes to improving individualized calf feedings on farms. Steele’s rst area of research was in the preweaning period of calves. “Our research was driven from this really quick transition from colostrum to milk,” Steele said. He said there is a unique prole of fatty acids within colostrum. For ex-
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
In a virtual presenta�on, Michael Steele, a professor at University of Guelph, discusses one of his studies April 13 at the Dairy Calf and Heifer Associa�on conference in Bloomington, Minnesota. He and his research team found that intes�nal development was greater when offered the colostrum or transi�on milk. rhea. The calves were fed with 50% colostrum and 50% milk at the onset of diarrhea for either two or four days. “We found that the portion of calves that was resolved was a lot faster, especially in the four days,” he said. They also found that when colostrum was fed, average daily gain increased, as well as when calves were fed a higher fat milk replacer. Steele’s experiment involved comparing a high fat milk replacer, of 40% lactose and 25% fat, with a high lactose milk replacer, 46% lactose and 18% fat. “We found that the high-lactose calves can consume more milk replacer and that there were average daily gains of 1.2 kilograms during the pre-
weaning period with the high-fat feeding,” Steele said. Steele said it is important to have a great weaning program, which was his second area of research. “There is so much happening in this short period of time,” he said. “The rumen can increase from 25% to 80% in a matter of weeks, the abomasum reduces from the size of 60% to 7% and the rumen papillae start to grow.” Steele experimented with a stress model where calves were weaned early at 6 weeks and fed 15% of their total body weight. He found that calves could not consume enough energy Turn to CALF FEEDING | Page 13
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ConƟnued from CALF FEEDING | Page 12
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KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
In a virtual presentaƟon, Michael Steele explains that when calves are fed more milk at weaning, they consume more starter feed April 13 during the Dairy Calf and Heifer AssociaƟon conference in Bloomington, Minnesota. Steele is a professor at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. when being weaned at 6 weeks, and it reduced average daily gain by 500 grams. “If you just wean them two weeks later from feeding higher levels of milk, they are going to do a lot better because they can consume enough starter at this point to grow,” he said. Steele also wanted to look at calves with abrupt weaning programs and why those calves are not doing well. He used piglet research to aid in his studies. “We looked at fecal starch and found that the fecal starch post weaning is really high at 7%,” he said. “That’s what you would classify as a risk for hind gut acidosis in a mature cow.” He also found that just like milk replacer composition is different so is starter composition. “You see these huge ranges in starch when you buy starter, 10% to 15% starch composition,” Steele said. “Starter is denitely not starter; there’s huge variations.” He and his team did a study where they fed high and low levels of milk and looked at a ake corn versus a whole corn starter. They found that the feeding of milk caused calves to eat more. “If you feed more milk you are going to get more average daily gain of
starter,” Steele said. Ultimately, Steele’s recommendation is to wean later and have a gradual step down if feeding more milk. Steele also looked at post weaning and said there needs to be more research done. “We really need to gure out what to do after weaning,” Steele said. “We have to start following these calves for as long as we can.” When looking at precision management, Steele said ultrasounds, scans, body condition scoring, temperature recording and average daily gain records should be used more in calf protocols. “We need good farm managers that can score and assess animals properly,” Steele said. “Not just in weaning but when a calf is sick, you are going to see a reduction in drinking speed before it shows the phenotype of that illness. That would be the optimum time to implement a nutritional strategy such as feeding colostrum or a probiotic and prebiotic combination.” In the future, Steele hopes dairy farmers will do more individualized feedings. “We need to think more about feeding during the preweaning and the weaning period; feeding different combinations based on the physiology and health of the animal,” he said.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 15
Moms: How do you balance farm work and motherhood?
a good work ethic and good family values. What are traits your mother has that you’ve tried to embrace? My mom is quite simply amazing. She has always been a hard worker. She was always there and still is when I need her. She was always at every event, got us ready for school and was always home after school with something right out of the oven ready for us. Many of the things she did for me as a kid I nd myself doing with my own kids. Sometimes she asks why I’m doing something and I tell her that’s what you did when we were kids. She truly is a great role model.
Tell us about your family and your farm. We farm with Josh’s parents, Joe and Sandy. We milk 900 cows twice a day in a double-16 parlor. We have a robotic calf barn. The calves are fed pasteurized milk. Josh and I have been married for 13 years and moved to the farm about 10 years ago. We have four kids, Jada, 11, Jake, 10, Luke, 8, and Lexi, 7. Jada started volleyball this year, the boys play baseball, and Lexi does gymnastics. How do you balance farm work and being a mother? It can be quite the challenge to balance. I always want to make sure I’m there when they need me, but at the same time, chores need to be done. I’m usually up by 4 a.m. so I can get most morning work done before I get in to get the kids up, dressed, fed and out the door on time. With the kids getting into sports, it gets tricky, but we plan ahead, get up early and everyone helps. I do my best to make all their events, which is important to me. I like when the kids come out to help me. That way they see what I’m doing, and they truly do make things go faster and easier when we all work together. What lessons on the farm are you instilling in your children? Work hard, play hard. We recently took them to a waterpark they’ve been begging to go to. We told them if they helped all winter we could go. We want them to have
Tell us about one of your fondest memories as a mother. My fondest memories are denitely the day they were born. There is nothing like holding a newborn for the rst time. Their touch, smell and absolute perfection is something I’ll never forget. What is most gratifying about your role as a farmer and mother? I love watching them grow and accomplish anything they want. They really can do anything they put their mind to. I love watching them want to be involved in the farm. I try to make chores fun. It’s great to see them laugh and play while working. It’s fun to watch them learn new things from either myself, Dad or Grandma and Grandpa. The boys are excited to start eldwork. They want to drive tractor and skid loaders and pick rocks. I’m so proud when they ask to be involved.
Janine Fonder Milbank, South Dakota Grant County 90 cows Tell us about your family and your farm. My husband, Bill, and I and our family operate a 90-cow organic dairy farm. We raise the corn, oat and alfalfa that feeds our dairy herd. Our children include Thomas, 26, Brian, 25, Joshua, 24, Andrea, 20, Ericka, 19, Marianna, 16, Nathan, 14, Kara, 12, and Gianna, 10. Thomas and his wife, Ashley, have two daughters and are expecting a third child. Andrea and her husband, Wyatt Artz, are also expecting a daughter. Brian recently became engaged to Lexy Gimbel. Thomas and Brian work with us and have become part of our dairy operation. How do you balance farm work and being a mother? Reliance on God is rst. I couldn’t do it without his help. The whole family pitches in to help with household chores. I assign chores by zones and taught our kids from a young age how to wash their own clothes. It’s hard to keep the house clean with all the people and dogs constantly going in and out.
What lessons on the farm are you instilling in your children? That respect and hard work are good habits to have. The farm is a great place to teach children about God and our faith. You need to have respect for the land and be good stewards. We have to feed our souls just as we feed and care for the land.
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What are traits your mother had that you’ve tried to embrace? She instilled in me how important it is to treat others the way you want to be treated. She also taught me that any job worth doing is worth doing
Tell us about one of your fondest memories as a mother? The birth of each child was memorable. When our three oldest boys were 5, 4 and 3, one of our Holstein cows had triplets. All of the calves lived, and we took a photo of the three boys with the triplets. What is most gratifying about your role as a farmer and mother? Watching my family grow into amazing young adults. Being a parent is the hardest job in the world, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
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Erin Sellner Sleepy Eye, Minnesota Brown County 130 cows Tell us about your family and your farm. My husband, Christopher, and I have three kids: Samantha, 8, Lucas, 6, and Hanna, 3. I work part time at our local vet ofce three days a week. Here at Autumn Breeze Dairy, we are in a partnership with David, Christopher’s dad. Together we own 365 acres of land planted to corn, alfalfa and grass hay, and 130 Holstein and Brown Swiss dairy cows. The calves and older heifers are taken care of by Angela, Christopher’s sister. The kids and I help when we are not busy with school events, 4-H and trips to my parents’ farm in Sobieski, Minnesota. How do you balance farm work and being a mother? On my days off from the vet clinic, Hanna and I help with milking, small jobs around the farm, parts runs, etc. Also, I try to t in house work and grocery shopping when the oldest two kids are in school. After school, we are busy with chores, homework, supper, and bath and bed time. On weekends, the kids and I help with projects that Christopher needs help with. It is hard to balance everyone’s schedules, but we take one day at a time and work through the day. What lessons on the farm are you instilling in your children? The lessons we keep teaching our family are keep trying, don’t give up, and help everyone even if you don’t like it. What are traits your mother has that you’ve tried to embrace? My mom taught me to help everyone when asked, treat other people the way you would like to be treated, and don’t take on more than what you can handle. Tell us about one of your fondest memories as a mother. My best memories are when our kids (especially Hanna) come up to the house covered in mud, sand and waterlled boots with a big grin on their faces, then I know they are having fun on the farm. What is most gratifying about your role as a farmer and mother? The most gratifying moment is watching Samantha, Lucas and Hanna learn new tasks and achieve each task, especially during milking.
Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Becky Friese Wanamingo, Minnesota Goodhue County 75 cows
Jessica Klimek Alexandria, Minnesota Douglas County 90 cows
have been given in life. I want to make sure my children carry that in their lives too.
Tell us about your family farm. I farm with my husband, David, and two of our sons, Josh and Marshall, on our farm, Rodash-View Holsteins. We have another son, Aaron, and his wife, Sara, and two daughters, Sally, and her husband, Mike, and Rachel, who is our veterinarian, and are blessed with seven grandchildren: Madison, Mason, Emma, Bristol, Mia, Gus and June. We milk 75 cows, mostly registered Holsteins with a few Jerseys in a tiestall barn that we built in 2006. We raise our replacement heifers, raise a few herd bulls, a horse, chickens, 85 Boer goats and 40 beef cattle. We raise corn, soybean and alfalfa on 287 acres. Our son, Josh, farms an additional 200 acres to help feed the cattle.
Tell us about your family and your farm. My husband, Alan, and I have three children: Lexi, 18, Hailey, 17, and Derek, 13. We have a registered Holstein herd of 90 cows and about 100 heifers. We milk together twice a day in a tiestall barn. We also raise corn, alfalfa and oat for feed.
How do you balance farm work and being a mother? I milk the cows morning and night, feed calves, tend to the chickens and do all the farm records, bookkeeping and registrations. I have a meal ready for lunch and supper and deliver many to the elds. I enjoy having the grandchildren over often, and they love to help with all the chores. Sleepovers are awesome. The best part is you can set your own schedule to balance everything from day to day. There are no two days alike.
What lessons on the farm are you instilling in your children? I hope my children learn the values of responsibility, honesty, hard work, compassion and faith in God. We have had them help with various chores since a young age, and they learn these as we work together as a family unit. There’s a lesson in everything. Having faith in God is so important, giving me a constant reminder to be thankful for the many blessings I
What lessons on the farm are you instilling in your children? I’ve tried to instill a hard work ethic, faith in Jesus, honesty, kindness, patience, humor and love for all of God’s creatures. They have all worked with cattle growing up and have learned all the ups and downs of farming. I am so proud of them all.
How do you balance farm work and being a mother? I do the best I can by putting things on need/want basis. Milking twice a day along with feeding calves and heifers and taking care of any other farming needs takes a lot of time, so doing housework comes in bits and pieces when I can squeeze it in during the day. Dinnertime in the summer is a nice family time, while during the school year, we try to sit down for supper as a family most of the time. Homework help happens as soon as I get done with evening milking. I also try to have at least a short conversation with the kids each day to see how things are going for them.
Emily Heeg Marsheld, Wisconsin Wood County 60 cows
What are traits your mother had that you’ve tried to embrace? Patience and humor when things don’t always go as planned. We all know how that happens on a farm. Also trying to keep family traditions going and that family always comes rst.
Tell us about your family and your farm. My husband Eric and I have been married 2.5 years. We both grew up in central Wisconsin on dairy farms. We purchased the herd from his parents in March 2021. We wanted to own the cows before starting a family. Our son was born eight weeks premature in January. He is now 4-months-old and doing well. We look forward to raising him on the farm.
Tell us about one of your fondest memories as a mother. Our yearly one and only vacation since the kids were little that we still do now with grandchildren added is camping for ve days at Yogi Bear Jellystone Campground in Warrens, Wisconsin. We all have such a fun time making special memories there as one big extended family with great-grandparents, uncles and aunts and cousins.
How do you balance farm work and being a mother? I’m still trying to gure out the whole farming and being a mom balance. It is so new to me yet. My in-laws have been a huge help. My mother-in-law had stepped up to help with more chores. She helped make it possible for me to visit our son in the NICU every day. This summer, I plan to put my son in a stroller while we milk in our stanchion barn and put him in a carrier to wear around the farm while I do my other chores.
What is most gratifying about your role as a farmer and mother? To be able to share my passion of dairy farming and all the advantages of being raised on a farm with my children and grandchildren. I am hoping and praying the farm will continue for more generations to fall in love with.
What lessons on the farm are you instilling in your children? I’m huge on safety. I want to teach our son to stay near a building while equipment is moving and to never approach a tractor until it is in park. I plan to have him wear a lot of high-visibility clothing to help him be seen easily. In the barn, we plan to keep our son in a play yard or swing until he fully understands the danger of cattle. The cows are adjusting to him as well. He makes different noises than they are used to.
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What are traits your mother has that you’ve tried to embrace? My mother has always been a hard worker and caring and compassionate to others. She is always there for others and helping out. Those things have carried on into my life working every day on the farm and being a mother. My kids and family are so important to me, and I want do all I can to help them. Tell us about one of your fondest memories as a mother. I have loved story time and snuggles when the kids were young. I remember so clearly watching the girls water calves when they were so little, and they pet their heads or let them suck on their ngers. Watching them snuggle new baby kitties, and I remember Derek walking to me in the hay eld when he was about 3 to bring me daisies. He was so proud to pick for me. Watching them show heifers for 4-H and seeing all three of our kids so proud of their animals just as we are so proud watching them. Watching them excel in school, sports and music. Summer has so many great memories of working together like piling onto the trailer to do the job most don’t like of picking rock or taking some time to have fun playing badminton. What is most gratifying about your role as a farmer and mother? I am grateful to be able to be at home raising our kids and for them being able to see the work my husband and I do together each and every day. What are traits your mother has that you’ve tried to embrace? Keeping a clean, organized and beautiful farm. By keeping the farm clean and organized, this can help with safety. I had a great uncle who rolled his tractor because he hit a cement block in some tall grass. Incidents can happen so fast. Tell us about one of your fondest memories as a mother. I’ve only been a mom for four months so I haven’t created a whole lot of memories with my son yet, but I loved being able to grow up and work sideby-side with my father. I have so many fun memories working with him from picking rock to driving together. I hope to be able to work side by side with our son like I did with my father. What is most gratifying about your role as a farmer and mother? I am looking forward to watching my son grow up on the farm and getting to be with him all the time. When I’ve worked off the farm at the local cheese plant, I can always tell the people who grew up with a farm background. I want my son to have that same work ethic and love for farming. Our son has the opportunity to grow up learning and working with his parents, both sets of grandparents and a set of great-grandparents on each side. We’ve been blessed to come from a hard-working family; my grandpa is 92 and still helping with eldwork.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
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Genomics, heat detection system help create repro success for Paulus Dairy Mike, Lori and Andy Paulus Paulus Dairy Fredonia, Wisconsin 1,700 cows Describe your facilities and list your breeding management team. We house our cows in two 4-row freestall barns with a double-20 milking parlor in the middle. Heifers are housed in a 6-row freestall barn. Most of our breeding is done inhouse by Armando Barrera. For ovsynch days and Armando’s day off, technicians from Central Star do the breeding. Casey Degnitz is our main technician with Central Star. We also work with Scott Hecker and Susie Martin from Central Star through their Select Reproductive Service and Select Mating Service. We work with Cedar Grove Veterinary Clinic, and our herd veterinarians are Dr. Lindley Reilly and Dr. Collin Wimmler. We started genomically testing and work with Katie Martin from Zoetis. Andy Paulus, Tiffany Schneider and herd manager Nicole Schommer are also part of the breeding team. What is your current pregnancy rate? 30%. What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? How do you get animals pregnant? We run a 14/12 presynch program that we start when the cows are 54-60 days in milk. For the 12 days after the
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The breeding management team at Paulus Dairy includes – (from le�) Andy Paulus, Casey Degnitz, Tiffany Schneider, Armando Barrera, Nicole Schommer and Dr. Lindley Reilly. The Pauluses maintain a 30% pregnancy rate on their dairy near Fredonia, Wisconsin. second prostaglandin shot, we breed the cows off of the CowManager heat detection system. If they go through those 12 days without a heat, they are enrolled in
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
ConƟnued from PAULUS | Page 18
Describe your breeding philosophy. We installed the CowManager system in 2018 and try to get the most out of that. We use less inputs as a result. We used to tail chalk daily, but we’ve gotten away from that practice. We also don’t give as many shots. We recently began using genomics to aid in mating cows. Our goal is to keep our herd size static but continue to grow our genetic prole.
have routine meetings with the members of our reproduction team to monitor our progress and make sure we are always heading in the right direction. We work as a team on the farm to execute those plans. There is no one thing that makes our reproduction what it is. It is a combination of things.
What guidelines do you follow to reach the goals for your breeding program? We have regular team meetings which include our veterinarian, Central Star reproductive team, Zoetis genomic consultant and farm employees. We try to stick to the plans that we lay out to keep our cow numbers consistent while growing our herd potential. We utilize sexed semen in our rstlactation cows and some high genetic second-lactation cows. Older cows and hard breeders are bred to Angus.
How does your heifer inventory affect your breeding program? Susie Martin from Central Star monitors our heifer inventory closely and mates the cows accordingly. We aim for 70 heifer calves born per month. This number allows us to continue to improve the genetics of the herd, while keeping our cow numbers stable.
What are the top traits you look for in breeding your dairy herd, and how has this changed since you started farming? We breed for a medium-sized cow with good feet and legs. We also put emphasis on productive life and net merit. With the addition of genomic testing, we also look at DWP$ when mating animals. Our cow size has changed over the years. We used to have bigger cows but have moved away from that. They don’t do as well in the freestall barn. They get banged up and don’t seem to last. Andy and Susie pick out the bulls we
What is the age of your heifers at rst service? 13 months.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Nicole Schommer and Armando Barrera go over the breeding list May 10 at Paulus Dairy near Fredonia, Wisconsin. The farm runs a 14/12 presynch program that is started when cows are 54-60 days in milk. use. We typically use four bulls at a time and tailor them to our needs. With genomics, we also focus on some health traits in calves. Everything starts with a healthy animal. What are certain traits you try to avoid? We are watching the straightness of leg. We don’t want them to get too posty, which may cause stress on the tendons and ligaments. Describe the ideal cow for your herd. She is a mediumsized, well-balanced, functional animal with good productive life and good net merit. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? All of our breeding de-
cisions are made based on genetics. If we have genomic information on the animal, that is what is used to mate her to get the best possible calf out of her. If we don’t have genomic information, we use net merit. With genomics, we are able to netune the bulls we are using and what cows are getting bred with what semen. We don’t plan on expanding, so this also helps to keep our heifer inventory in check. We can then make sure the heifer calves we get have the best genetic potential. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? Cows: sexed 20%, conventional 16% and beef 64%. Heifers: sexed 64% and beef 36%.
What is your conception rate? How does this differ with different types of semen? Our conception rate is 43%; conventional 46%, sexed 45% and beef 41%. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? Reproduction is very multifaceted. Over the years, we worked to netune the different parts of our program. We worked with our veterinarians to build a sound vaccination protocol and put an emphasis on cow comfort to get the healthiest cows possible for a good base. We have made changes to how we grow and harvest feed to get high-quality forage in front of them. We then work with our nutritionist, Paul Roden, to balance rations. We
Tell us about your farm. Paulus Dairy is owned by Mike and Lori Paulus and their son, Andy Paulus. Their daughter, Tiffany Schneider, a large-animal veterinarian, came back to the farm full time in 2015. Mike bought the farm from his mom’s uncle in 1975, starting with 33 cows and 160 acres. In 1977, he built the farm’s rst freestall barn and double-6 herringbone milking parlor. Mike and Lori married in 1978 and purchased 45 more cows. In 2017, they formed an LLC with Andy. The Paulus family’s herd now contains 1,700 cows milked three times a day in a double-20 parlor, and they farm 2,500 acres.
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JD 9450, 2000, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 3850 hrs., 2481 sep hrs., #532894...........$44,900 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1597 hrs., 1130 sep hrs., #276170.......$329,900 JD S680, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2808 hrs., 1765 sep hrs., #274579.......$134,900 JD S770, 2021, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 290 hrs., 200 sep hrs., #532535 .............$524,900 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 2350 hrs., 1713 sep hrs., #276314 .........$219,900 JD S780, 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 451 hrs., 345 sep hrs., #190866...........$492,000 Case IH 8240, 2017, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 1733 hrs., 1318 sep hrs., #191428$212,000 JD S680, 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1941 hrs., 1362 sep hrs., #191923.......$271,000 JD S780, 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 161 hrs., 109 sep hrs., #191479...........$535,900 JD S790, 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 413 hrs., 299 sep hrs., #275515...........$549,900 JD 9670 STS, 2008, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 4233 hrs., 2830 sep hrs., #276373 ....$79,900 JD S790, 2018, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 1237 hrs., 914 sep hrs., #273973 ...........$334,900 JD S680, 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2200 hrs., 1507 sep hrs., #276315.......$247,900 JD S790, 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 147 hrs., 94 sep hrs., #275856.............$554,900 JD S790, 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 516 hrs., 382 sep hrs., #276139...........$524,900 Case IH 1680, 1987, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 4125 hrs., #276343 ..........................$8,950 JD S770, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2242 hrs., 1587 sep hrs., #181147.......$245,000 JD 6620, 1979, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 1557 hrs., #187694 ...................................$7,900 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 763 hrs., 539 sep hrs., #188459...........$454,900 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 791 hrs., 596 sep hrs., #188309...........$454,900 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 836 hrs., 626 sep hrs., #188458...........$454,900 JD S780, 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 290 hrs., 217 sep hrs., #191047...........$504,900 JD S780, 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 216 hrs., 168 sep hrs., #191048...........$507,900 JD S780, 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 114 hrs., 79 sep hrs., #191064.............$518,900 JD 9600, 1997, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 4409 hrs., 3113 sep hrs., #532056...........$24,900 JD S680, 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1487 hrs., 1053 sep hrs., #273646.......$254,900 JD S790, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1088 hrs., 684 sep hrs., #274274.........$449,900 JD S680, 2012, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 2300 hrs., 1600 sep hrs., #532046 .........$150,000 JD S790, 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 322 hrs., 231 sep hrs., #275632...........$534,900 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 872 hrs., 633 sep hrs., #531647...........$439,900 JD 9650 STS, 1999, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 5395 hrs., 3467 sep hrs., #276232 ....$34,900
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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
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What dreams are made of
This morning I woke up in a home that I share with my husband and four children. I got the kids on the bus while sipping hot coffee, and then headed out to the barn to milk cows with the new puppy trailing me. After chores were done, I had breakfast with my husband before settling into my home ofce to work on things for the newspaper. I guess you could say I’m living the dream. My version of it, anyway. When I was younger, this is in fact what I thought of when I considered the dreams of my By Abby Wiedmeyer future. A red, hip-roofed barn full of cows, a family and an outlet as a writer. What I did not picture was everything it took to get here. There are a few moments that come to mind when I consider the last decade. How about the time we were moving from Viola to Muscoda. It was about a 40-minute drive. We had three kids at that point, ages 5, 3 and 9 months. Even though our family members, who were two hours away, helped as much as they could, there were many trips made with the kids, my husband and I in the pickup truck and a load of belongings in the back. There was one such trip where the baby screamed lustily unless the toy on her car seat was playing its music. This toy was a smiling ower that hung from the car seat and wailed a high-pitched tune. It bore no resemblance to any recognizable song and seemed to pierce right through the listener’s ear drums, leaving them cross-eyed and on the brink of insanity. Paired with complaints from the two older kids who were given the task of repeatedly activating the torture, it was enough to make me question some life choices. We made multiple trips that night and I remember saying to my husband, “Imagine hearing this tune 10 years from now?” To which he replied, “I think I’d instantly break into a cold sweat.” Or, how about once we were settled at that farm and happily milking our 40 cows in a tiestall barn. Our fourth child was born in the meantime. My husband got a job off the farm to make ends meet, and I took care of most of the chores while he was gone. Usually, the new baby would sleep in the stroller while the other three kept each other occupied. There was one time in particular that nothing was going well. The new baby was cranky, and the older three would not stay where I could see them. The cows picked up on my frustration and kept kicking milkers off while the baby cried and cried. Jason was not home from the off-farm job, and I had half the cows to milk. I nally had enough and let the milkers hang idle. I found a 5-gallon pail to sit on in the middle of the walk and nursed the baby while the other kids ran wild and the milkers clickclacked away. Not my most glamorous moment, for sure. When we moved to our current farm, I thought things would get easier. We had since doubled our herd and the simple fact that we no longer had to switch cows was encouraging. Less than a week after we moved there, however, Jason injured his knee while milking and was conned to the aid of crutches to get around. Our youngest was just under 1 year old, and the oldest was 6. Our roles changed, and he spent most of the time in the house with the kids while I took over chores. The rst time I tried to feed the heifers with the electric feed cart, I ran into trouble. The feed cart had to go up a slope which was wet and icy because it was the middle of winter. I put some barn lime down and started up the slope. The feed cart did not have enough power to go up the slope, and even though I was pushing as hard as I could, it slid off the side and smashed my nger into the gate. Some choice words were used, and life went on. Those are not the best or worst times we have endured. When I have a good day and think I am living the dream, I try to remember what it took to build. The struggles are what makes a dream. If it was easy, it would not be worth it. While there are many reasons why I don’t feel as though we have made it, I can recognize certain things are not quite as hard as they used to be. Next time you nd yourself in a less than ideal situation, think of what you are working toward and remember that someday you may laugh about it.
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 23
Minnesota Milk gathers at capitol to discuss legislative priorities Beginning tax credit, drought relief top of conversations By Jennifer Coyne
Staff Writer@dairystar.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. – In a year where a budget was not top of mind for lawmakers, Minnesota dairy farmers had one objective as they visited with legislators at the state’s capitol. “The bottom line is that here, at the state level, there’s little connection to the dairy industry,” Anthony Anderson said. “Our purpose is to get our message out there. We have to be here and be the voice.” Anderson and his family operate a 470-cow dairy near Henning, and he is also a board member for Minnesota Milk Producers Association. Anderson and other dairy farmers from across the state gathered for Dairy Day at the Capitol April 27 in St. Paul. The day looked a bit different than previous years as a smaller group of dairy farmers attended and spoke with a select number of lawmakers, including Commissioner of
Agriculture Thom Petersen, Speaker of the House Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. Jeremy Miller. They also had the opportunity to connect with their district lawmakers, including Rep. Paul Anderson, Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen and Rep. Ron Krescha, among others. Of the topics discussed, three were top of mind for the dairy group: continued support for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Livestock Investment Grant program, expanded eligibility for the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit and passing of a drought relief package. Lucas Sjostrom is the MMPA Executive Director and said it’s important to make connections with lawmakers. “Talk positively about things now, because when it comes time, they remember,” he said. “(We) get calls on various things all the time. You being here today as real people helps us get things done the rest of the year. (Lawmak-
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen speaks with dairy farmers April 27 at the state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota. A small group from the Minnesota Milk Producers AssociaƟon took part in Dairy Day at the Capitol to discuss legislaƟve prioriƟes with lawmakers. ers) appreciate it.” Petersen agreed. “Thank you for being here,” he said. “We have 5.7 million people in the state and 67,000 of those are farm families. Making these connec-
tions is so important in all the 26) April 25, and the Senate work we’re doing.” followed with its bill (70-62) Petersen also spoke of the at the end of the day April 27. overwhelming support for the Of the House’s $60 milomnibus agricultural bills in lion proposal, notable investboth the House and Senate. The House passed its bill (41- Turn to DAIRY DAY | Page 25
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ConƟnued from DAIRY DAY | Page 23 ments include $6.7 million in a new soil health grant program, $6 million to support Emerging Beginning Farmers which embraces funding for the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit and continued support for the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, as well as $4.5 million for disease preparedness. “I appreciate there’s work on the tax provision because the beginning tax credit is really good for Minnesota,” Petersen said. “Every year, we have 500 or so transactions, and I have people who write me letters on how the program has helped them. We want to expand it, and we have plenty of money to do that.” The Senate’s $5 million bill proposes $600,000 in funding for disease preparedness and $100,000 for cover crops and a soil health grant program. Petersen also expressed his gratitude in the continued support of the Livestock Investment Grant program, particularly by dairy applicants.
“It started 15 years ago as a dairy grant, a tax credit for dairy,” Petersen said. “We just closed the application for that grant this time around and have about $1 million to give out. That (Agriculture Growth, Research and Innovation Program) fund is really important, and the Livestock Investment Grant is a signature for it.” One pending legislative item is the much-needed drought relief package, which as of this writing, is in a conference committee between the House and Senate. The package, once nalized, would include up to $5,000 in grant funding to each livestock and crop farmers who faced increased costs during last summer’s drought. It is estimated that 80% of the state was affected by the dry conditions. “Gov. Walz was in the lead on this, and Petersen designed it on the heels of the intense 2021 drought,” said Daryn McBeth, MMPA’s lobbyist. “There is
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
RepresentaƟve Paul Anderson (second from leŌ) speaks with parƟcipants of the MMPA Dairy Day at the Capitol – (from leŌ) Lisa Groetsch, Aaron Vogt and Daryn McBeth – April 27 at the state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota.
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
Rep. Barb Haley (second from right) speaks with Emily Mollenhauer (from leŌ), David and Ann Buck and Maggie Stensaas April 27 at the state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota. Rep. Haley represents District 21A. universal support for it.” He and Sjostrom have worked to ensure this package includes $6 for hauling costs within the rst 25 miles. A similar federal relief package does not include hauling costs for that initial distance. “This rapid response bill is similar to what was developed as dairy relief last year,” Petersen said. “It won’t necessarily save everyone, but it will help pay a bill or two.” Dairy farmers and legislators also spoke on the need for broadband availability across rural Minnesota. Dairy Day at the Capitol came to an end with MMPA members gather-
ing for a light social hour and time to reect on their work of the day. While conversations with lawmakers were brief in this non-budget year, the connections made between farmers and legislators will be long lasting. For Anderson, it was a day to show how the industry continues to progress but family remains at its core. “Still today, most dairy farms are family owned,” Anderson said. “We have to do our part to make sure the public knows that and be the voice for our industry.” The legislative session will come to a close May 23.
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Sibling pairs takes rst at state FFA convention Miklases, Clemensons win dairy cattle evaluation CDE By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
ZUMBROTA, Minn. − Years of practice and dairy farming has helped the neighbors and sibling pairs from ZumbrotaMazeppa FFA chapter win the Dairy Cattle Evaluation contest at the Minnesota FFA Convention April 26 at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in St. Paul. “It was exciting but nervous at the same time because we knew we were in the top 5, but we still didn’t know who had placed where. And, four out of the top 5 teams were from Region VIII which tells you how tough the competition can be in this area,” Natalie Clemenson said. “It was also neat to be up on stage with our friends and fellow 4-H judging teammates, Calvin Benrud and Evelyn and Matt Schefer.” Even though the team placed rst at the regional contest, they were not sure how they would do a state. “I was denitely very proud of all of us and how far we’ve come from our 4-H county dairy judging days,” Ashlyn Miklas
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The Zumbrota-Mazeppa FFA dairy judging team members and their advisors – (from leŌ) Mrs. Heublein, Troy and Natalie Clemenson, Ashlyn and Caryn Miklas and Mrs. Siewert – gather aŌer the team received rst place in the Dairy CaƩle EvaluaƟon contest at the Minnesota FFA ConvenƟon April 26 at the University of Minnesota-Twin CiƟes. said. The Miklas sisters, Ashlyn and Caryn, grew up milking cows and feeding calves at their grandparents’, Mark and Shari Chamberlain, 40-cow dairy near Pine Island. Ashlyn has been in FFA for four years and Caryn has been for three. The Clemenson siblings, Natalie and Troy, grew up on their family’s 80-cow farm where they feed calves and heif-
ers, help with milking, records and some eldwork near Zumbrota in Goodhue County. Natalie has been judging in FFA for three years while this was Troy’s rst year. At the FFA contest, Ashlyn was third and Natalie was rst place as individuals. “I was pretty sure we would get rst because two of us were in the top 3, but I didn’t know for sure,” Troy said.
The group was asked to judge ve classes of Holstein dairy cows: aged, 2-year-olds, and December, January and October heifer calves. They also had to give two sets of reasons, complete a written test, multiple choice exam and look over pedigrees. “Our FFA advisors really helped us look over the pedigree and learn what to look for, which was really helpful as this was
my rst year in FFA,” Troy said. The team judges all summer in 4-H and then starts practicing for FFA in the middle of September. Their advisor, Andrea Siewert, worked with them until she went on maternity leave in February, then Mrs. Heublein worked with the team. The kids are thankful for all the advisors have done, including hours spent practicing, driving to the contests and registering for the contests. “We practiced once a week as a team and then mostly on our own or in sibling pairs,” Natalie said. “When I was doing chores, I would pick out cows on our farm that I thought looked the best and then ask Troy for his thoughts.” Caryn agreed. “It just became a habit,” she said. “I’d be doing calf chores, and then all of sudden, I was judging them.” Each member has their own strengths and weaknesses which have helped aid in the team’s overall success; Ashlyn is good with Guernseys, Caryn is good with Holsteins, Troy is good with Brown Swiss and Natalie is good with Holsteins. “I feel like where one of us is not very good at a certain breed, there’s another person who is,” Ashlyn said. They said their 4-H coaches, Maizie and Tony Schefer,
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 27
ConƟnued from EVALUATION | Page 26 and 4-H mentors, Emily Mollenhauer and Tess Hokanson, are a huge part of the reason why they have been so successful. “They really helped push us and show us the ropes of dairy judging,” Ashlyn said. “We are very thankful for their support.” Natalie and Caryn remember rst hearing Emily and Tess give their sets of reasons and were in complete awe of them. They did not think they could speak and memorize things like that, but years of practice and many contests with their mentors and coaches have shown them they can. “I think nothing of it now,” Caryn said. Ashlyn has been to two national 4-H dairy judging contests. Natalie and Caryn were also a part of the national 4-H dairy judging team from Goodhue County that went to Pennsylvania and took second place this past year; Caryn was rst place individual at the contest. “I was so excited to go to Pennsylvania because I had never own on a plane before,” Caryn said. After judging again this upcoming summer with their county 4-H program, the team will compete at the National FFA Convention Oct. 26-29 in Indianapolis, Indiana. “It’s such a big passion,” Caryn said. “Once you start doing good, you never get your mind off of it. It’s something you want to do every day.” Troy agreed. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to national convention at rst because this will be the only year I can go for dairy judging, but I decided there is no one I would rather go with and I might not ever get the chance again,” Troy said. “I can nd something else to judge in FFA.” Since winning the state contest, the Clemensons and Miklases have received support from their FFA chapter, 4-H mentors and their school. “Our FFA advisor, Andrea Siewert,
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was actually out on maternity leave, but she surprised us by coming up to the awards session,” Natalie said. Ashlyn agreed. “She even came backstage after we were announced as the rst place team and gave each of us a hug,” she said. “It was pretty cool to see her come back.” Troy agreed. “Our 4-H coaches also reached out and expressed that they were proud of us,” he said. “This meant a lot to us.” They also believe their experience judging dairy cattle has helped them pick out better calves to bring to the fair and be of more help on the farm. “I feel like I understand what the judges are looking for at the fair because now I just go out for chores and start looking,” Troy said. “I don’t even really think about it.” Natalie agreed. “The written part in FFA judging has really helped me read the DHIA reports better, and I can see how my cows rank within the herd for pounds or fat percentages,” she said. Both the Clemenson and the Miklas siblings plan to continue youth judging and plan to judge in college one day.
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Women In Dairy Mary Muehlenhardt Belle Plaine, Minnesota Carver County 450 cows Family: My husband, Lee; daughter, Shari, and her husband, Nate Gerdes, and their kids, Kailyn and Hunter; son, Scott, and his wife, Beth Muehlenhardt, and their kids, Miles and Oliver, all help on the farm. Tell us about your farm. It is a sixth-generation farm that is 135 years old. We milk 450 Holstein cows three times a day in a double-10 herringbone parlor built in 1992. We raise all of our heifer calves and most of our bull calves in a calf barn built in 2013, after our second barn re, with automatic calf feeders. We run 1,500 acres of corn, soybeans, barley, rye and alfalfa. What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? I arrive at work at 6 a.m. to the calf barn. If I arrive rst, I check for cows that have calved. I vaccinate any new calves. I’ll take out any calves that are 3 days old from the warming room to the automatic feeders and enter them into the system. I check the automatic feeding machines to make sure calves are eating and push in the ones that need to go in. I grain any pen that needs grain. If we have a lot of bottle calves in the warming room, I help feed them. Every other day, I clean the bulk tank and automatic machines. While I wait for the milk in the pasteurizer to nish, I go over to the dairy barn to help with taking temperatures on the fresh cows. We take the temperature on fresh cows for two weeks after calving. Mondays and Thursdays, we check fresh cows for ketosis. Every other Tuesday, I help with herd check with Lee, Shari and the vet. After temperature checks are done, I walk back to the calf barn and dump the milk into the bulk tank. Then I go home to do my horse chores at my place. At 5 p.m., I go back to the calf barn, check calves, make sure calves have grain, and check on pre-fresh cows to see if any need to be brought into the maternity pen. Then, I call it a day if there isn’t a new calf to take care of. Depending on what day of the month, I pay the bills also. When they are in the elds, I make dinner and supper and bring it to the eld for everyone.
through these times is a great accomplishment. What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I work in the dairy booth at our county fair and use a lot of dairy products. I also encourage people to use real dairy and pass on the fake stuff. We have preschool kids visit the farm every year, and we pass out cheese and yogurt sticks. What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Good communication is a must. Make sure you take time for yourself.
When you get a spare moment, what do you do? Ride and play with What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your my horses and take naps. farm? We bought a new feeder because the old one was wearing out and the new one mixes feed better. Also, we purchased all of our fertilizer and chemicals last year before the prices doubled. We are installing new waterbed mattresses this year to hopefully help with cow comfort. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Working side by side with my parents, and now I’m doing the same thing with my husband, children and grandchildren.
Let’s build a great team
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Being able to work side by side with my husband, children and grandchildren every day. What other career entitles you to that? What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Being able to survive these last 15 years in the dairy industry. Milk and crop prices have been up and down, mostly down, for us, but products we need to run the farm have doubled and tripled in price. To be able to hold on
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
A calf of higher value
Grimmuis, Czech share farm stories, beef on dairy programs By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. − Over the years, dairy producers have been conscious partners in the beef supply chain from culled dairy cows, animal health and antibiotic stewardship to building a value-added calf product to move into the beef chain. “It’s been a great opportunity for dairy and frankly the beef sector in innovating and developing value-added products and engaging in the value chain,” said Bob Weaber from Kansas State University. Weaber moderated the producer panel, “New paradigms for a new enterprise: Dairy producer and calf ranch perspectives,” with Brent Czech and Randall Grimmuis at
the Dairy Calf and Heifer Conference April 13 in Bloomington. Czech and Grimmuis shared their farm stories and explained how dairy producers, semen vendors, calf buyers and feeders coordinate and communicate to help build a dairy-beef crossbred calf and take advantage of the added genetic value. “At the calf ranch, I think it’s a very powerful place where there are a lot of animals and a lot of life,” Grimmuis said. “It’s a place where cattle are being grown into a new calf and shaped in their younger years to really prepare them for their next phases of their lives, wherever they may go either back to the dairy, off to feed yards or off to grass.” Grimmuis farms with his family on their calf ranch in Hanford, California. They have three ranches where they raise 8,000 custom-raised heifers, 110,000 dairy-beef crossbred calves and 10,000 grower cattle. “We try to do big things small, so we treat cattle individually but do it in a big way,” Grimmuis said. “This is a responsibility, and we touch a lot of lives, even if it’s just for
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four months of a year and a half life, we’re a part of that.” The Grimmuis family and their more than 700 employees bring in 1,400 newborn calves a day from 200-plus dairies with 30% to 40% being custom heifers and the rest dairy-beef crossbred calves. “I like raising calves, I like to watch them grow, and I enjoy watching cattle change with time,” he said. The family feeds over 1 million bottles a week and keeps their calves in hutches from 0-85 days of age. The farm also captures methane and turns it into gas, does animal handling training in-house and is audited by a third-party. Due to market prices, the Grimmuis family were incentivized using beef on dairy. Grimmuis was sending 40% of his Holstein calves and up to 45% of his Holstein bull calves to the Midwest. As the price for a fat steer increased, so did his business plan. “We had to adjust, and we started incentivizing our dairies to use beef sexed semen,” Grimmuis said. Over the last 18 to 24 months, more than 100,000 carcass records have been added to the dairy-beef crossbred genetic evaluation, said Weaber. Grimmuis breeds Angus to Holstein and Charolais to Jersey and does embryo work. He initially looked for phenotype and ribeye beef bulls and now looks for marbling, ribeye and growth traits. “It’s really got my program to where it is growing,” he said. Grimmuis purchases bulls he can either sell back to the seedstock farms or sell to dairy farms. “I go all around the countryside, I buy the top end of the Angus genetics,” he said. “It really gave me the opportunity to buy my genetics back that I would’ve never had a shot at before.” Overall, Grimmuis said he has healthier cattle, less cull rates, less death loss and more performance. “In life and in business, you are either growing or going backward; you never stay the same,” Grimmuis said. Czech is still learning about the beef-on-dairy program and how best to use the practice in his dairy herds. “I’m learning and listening to what the feedlots want, what the packers want and doing what I’m told everybody wants,” he said. Czech has farmed in partnership with his parents since graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2006. His partnership, New Heights Dairy, has four farm sites in Minnesota where they milk 5,000 cows in Benton and Morrison counties. They also manage a heifer lot in Cass County. “Piece by piece we are still adding on,” he said. Each facility has a specic function that they keep a certain segment of lactation cows at; high-lactating cows, mid-lactating cows and low-lactating cows. They are also building a central calving facility that is within 20 minutes of all the dairies. “The idea is to have one place for a stress event,” Czech said. Czech said one of his main reasons for implementing beef-on-dairy is because he wants an animal that is small, moderately sized, feed efcient, healthy and has more longevity. “The better female I make for my herd that ts my management strategy, the more I can participate in the beefon-dairy space,” he said. Czech breeds Holstein every other generation and uses Jersey and Montbéliarde too. He also puts in Charolaiscrossbred embryos. “We’re putting in these Charolais-cross embryos so that we can stand out and do our part in supply chain integrity,” Czech said. “I want to have a program that’s simple that somebody can be on the farm a couple times a week and take up to 60 calves every week.” In the future, Czech said there will be an opportunity for more sexed semen and beef embryos. “Once everybody learns what we are capable of doing with beef embryos on our dairies, I think we can put together a pot load of full siblings which would be very valuable in both the beef and dairy industries,” he said. Czech also advised farmers to make the right females for their herds. “You want to have all the best protocols in place, all the best animals in your herd because you need to take advantage of making more valuable pregnancies,” he said.
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Dairy prole Mitch Breunig Sauk City, Wisconsin Sauk County 470 cows
What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? I’ve tried to do more forward contracting. We use the Dairy Margin Coverage Program on the rst 5%. We have also been doing Dairy Revenue Protection, and then I have been using option strategy along with that to help pay for my premium. I have also started to work with our nutritionist to know what the real cost of production is and calculate our income over feed cost and understand how that affects our business.
How did you get into farming? I grew up farming. I went to college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for dairy science. I worked for a year at Land O’Lakes as a livestock production specialist. I came back to the farm after one year.
How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? I try to be fair. I also try to communicate well and communicate expectations and then provide them with information that shows them how they’re doing.
What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I think input costs are going to be a challenge. Risk management is also a big challenge. This will be the perfect time where the guys who do nothing will probably end up ahead, but over time, being able to control what you get paid and what you pay for things will be important no matter what size farm you are. What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? We went to raising our calves in pairs instead of in individual huts. A lot of the research is showing that there are a lot of benets to pair raising and not a lot of negatives. We’ve also been working on lung ultrasounds on baby calves. Every two weeks, calves between 7 and 35 days old get lung ultrasounds. We are nding some of the subclinical pneumonia before they show they are sick. We are discovering all the negative things that we do in our calves like not having enough straw for nesting in early winter and if other management is not good. If you have negatives in your calf program, it shows up there. I’m seeing gains in our post-weaned calves by using preventative maintenance strategies because of the ultrasound results. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I love to study data and look for changes in performance of the parlor, cows and crops. I love to study information, and I’m pretty good at computers for DairyComp and writing my own codes. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? To invest in genetics and breed for cows that work at our farm. It’s made our farm successful. We have a high producing herd, and I probably sell 120-150 replacement
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 31
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I love the cow part of it. Just having a new cow calve in that really looks good and has potential to have genetics not only for our farm. The genetics are my favorite. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Either you or someone in your operation needs to understand the nancial implications of decisions you make on your farm. Don’t be afraid to invest some time in further education. Try to get off your farm and get your employees off the farm to learn things about other farms that you can bring home and be successful with. animals to other farms per year. What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? Activity collars, my nutritionist and my employees. The activity collars help track heats, help manage our fresh cows and give us a good overview of how our diet is performing. We have had them since 2013, but we learn how to use them more every day. Our nutritionist challenges us to not be complacent; make better forages, do better with our housing and helps raise the overall level of our farm by not accepting things that are changeable. Our employees do a great job of allowing us to farm, have family time and be productive.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? Short term, we will be building better heifer housing to replace older buildings. One of the goals we have on our farm right now is to ship 8 pounds of solids per cow. We have been trying to do it through forages and then just feeding our cows well and encouraging our dry matter intake. We are close to reaching that goal. The next ve years are tough to say as I’m not sure what the next generation looks like. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? My kids are in sports, and we love going to watch. I started broadcasting my daughters soccer games on Facebook live this year which I love. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Bob Ueker. I love doing that. What’s really cool about it is the kids go back and watch the game afterward too.
Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Are all ketosis cases the same?
milk production during the rst week of lactation, played a role in the cow’s performance. Contrary to the common Ketosis is a metabolic disorder belief that a cow with ketosis would commonly diagnosed in the rst two always have worse performance than weeks of lactation. The elevated con- a cow without ketosis, we found that centration of ketone bodies in blood this rule only applies to low-producand urine characteristic of this disor- ing cows – cows in the 25th percender is a consequence of the mobiliza- tile for milk production. In fact, our tion of body reserves, in particular fat results showed that mid- and highdeposits, to support the high demands producing cows perform just as well of milk production. as the cows that did not have high Ketosis in early lactation has been blood ketone concentrations in early associated with decreased milk pro- lactation. duction, increased incidence of other In a separate study, we also indiseases, decreased reproductive per- vestigated the effect of the timing of ketosis k diagnosis – i.e., diagnosis n during the rst or secThere is Th i much h to b be ond week of lactation – on discovered and more research milk production, reproducperformance and herd is needed to determine which tive removal. In this study, we cows would benefit the most observed that cows that had ketosis diagnosed during – or at all – from ketosis their rst week of lactation treatments ... had lower milk yield, were less l likely to get pregnant and a were more likely to be formance and increased chance or risk removed from the herd during the enof being removed from the herd. For tire lactation. On the other hand, no these reasons, ketosis is considered to evidence of an association between be an early indicator of the quality of ketosis and impaired performance the transition period and continues to was observed when ketosis was dibe studied by research groups. agnosed during the second week of Recently, our research group at lactation. The differences found bethe University of Minnesota published tween cows diagnosed with ketosis our ndings of a large research trial in the rst week after calving versus carried out in several farms in Min- those diagnosed in the second week nesota. The main take-home message after calving are likely related to the from our study was that not all cows differences in how cows in these two who have high blood ketone concen- groups adapt to their new lactating trations in early lactation would inevi- state. For instance, cows diagnosed tably have a subpar lactation perfor- with ketosis during their rst week of mance. In our study, we demonstrated lactation are likely the ones with the that the cow’s overall health during greatest decrease in dry matter intake the transition period, especially their By Luciano Caixeta University of Minnesota
and excessive mobilization of body reserves around calving and consequently failing to adapt to the higher nutrient demands to support milk production. Meanwhile, dairy cows diagnosed with ketosis in the second week of lactation are those that adapted well to the lactation requirements and are ramping up their milk production, which, in turn, leads to mobilization of body reserves to support the increasing energy demands of this elevated milk production. In simple terms, the ketosis in the rst week could be considered as the reason for the impaired performance, whereas ketosis in the second week of lactation could be considered as the consequence of the cow’s higher performance. Combined, the results of our two studies challenge the conventional
thinking that all ketosis cases are the same. Our results indicate that considering the cow’s overall health, especially cows with adequate milk production and no signs of clinical illness, at the time of ketosis diagnosis can help us differentiate between ketosis cows that will and will not have negative downstream outcomes. In addition, the week when ketosis is diagnosed should also be considered when monitoring ketosis on dairy farms, as the association with performance outcomes differs depending when ketosis is diagnosed. There is much to be discovered and more research is needed to determine which cows would benet the most – or at all – from ketosis treatments, but we can certainly say not all ketosis cases are the same.
Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968
Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277
Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435
Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610
Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711
Erin Royster royster@umn.edu
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104
Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184
Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108
Erin Cortus ecortus@umn.edu 612-625-8288
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863
Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620
Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109
Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357 Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 Emma Severns sever575@umn.edu 507-934-7828 Melissa Wison mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
Considerations for SAME OR NEXT DAY SHIPPING! value-added opportunities We always carry a large inventory for YOU! Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 33
By Karen Johnson
University of Minnesota
The idea of creating value-added opportunities on the farm has become an interest of many in the last 10 years. Some farms are looking for a way to add value for the products or services they are already creating. Others are looking for opportunities to create additional income for the next generation to join the farm. Regardless of the reason, there are real opportunities in the marketplace to diversify the farm operation. Minnesota farms continued to see improved protability this past year, despite the drought conditions that affected much of the state during the production year. According to the FINBIN database, Minnesota dairy producers earned a median net farm income of $127,444 for 2021. This was the second year of improved protability after seven years of challenging nancials for Minnesota farms. Overall, the average Minnesota farm saw continued improvement in working capital, retained earnings and debt coverage in 2021. Although dairy farmers need to keep a close eye on feed, labbor and hauling costs, the positive change in Having the right people in the nancial position creplanning and improvement of your ates opportunities to these valuebusiness will be vital to avoiding explore added opportunities. costly mistakes. In January of 22022, the University oof Minnesota Extension, in collaboration with Minnesota Dairy Initiative, hosted an event featuring a panel of three operations that explored alternative business strategies outside of the traditional day-today dairy farming. From artisan cheese to direct market beef, panelists shared the story behind their businesses, how they got to where they are today, their vision to move their businesses forward and the lessons learned along the way. Here are some key takeaways to consider when starting a value-added business for a farm: Explore options you are passionate about. When you are looking to include value-added options to your business, rst determine what area of the farm you have the most passion about expanding. Due to the diversity of roles that dairy farmers manage on the farm, there are many options to consider. Some ideas include raising additional crops to sell, marketing dairy or meat products or customhire eldwork. Find your niche. In order to have a market for your product or service, you need to nd a way to differentiate yourself from someone doing something similar. What are you considering that will make you stand out and become the preferred choice for customers? Ask questions. Seek out others who have tried similar things and learn from them. What worked? What did not work? What would they have done differently? If you do not know who or what to ask, seek help from business professionals such as extension, Farm Business Management or your lender. Know your potential customers. Whether you are selling to another farmer or a person with little connection to agriculture, people want to know where their product comes from and who prepares it. One of the panelists mentioned they were inspired by an article in the Successful Farming magazine in 2016 with the title “Meet Your New Boss” that showed a mom with her son pushing a shopping cart. Create an open conversation with your customers so you can continue to improve your business and create return customers. Build your team. What professionals can be champions for your business? Having the right people in the planning and improvement of your business will be vital to avoiding costly mistakes. Your team can help you with business planning, source funding, determine necessary permits and requirements, and help break down other hurdles that deter progress. Consider adding people to your team who are practical and willing to provide constructive criticism about a business idea. Running a business is challenging. Having a support system is necessary for longterm success. If you have a dream to expand your business in a different way, go for it. Be patient and persistent, and be sure to leverage your support system.
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
Getting better
I missed writing an article for the month of April. Previous articles were centered around the concept of how we get better. Well, for me April was, “How do I get better?” You see, on March 24, I From My Perspective was driving home from two days of farm appointments. It was a cool day and a bit overcast and cloudy. I was traveling northbound and came over the top of a hill when I noticed a car traveling east to west, which was supposed to be slowing down for a stop sign at the intersection. However, in a split second, I noticed he was actually speeding up and apparently trying to beat me to the intersection. By Tom Anderson I didn’t have a stop sign, but Columnist he did. I knew I either needed to try and swerve to miss him (likely rolling my car) or take a hit. From the time I saw him until the massive crash to my passenger side was likely around two seconds or less. I have heard from people in the past that in those situations your life ashes before your eyes. It did in a way that I never understood before. It is amazing how many people you can think of in two seconds and what an impact this potential disaster may have on your family, friends, job and nancials. The other guy, driving a 2010 Mercury, plowed into my right side at a speed of about 70 mph (according to the county sheriff’s department). The bang of the metal against metal and the explosion of all the airbags in my car was deafening. I knew I had to keep the car on four wheels, if at all possible, and hopefully not let it roll. My car traveled through the ditch out into a eld and came to a stop on all four wheels. I remember thinking, “If I can see myself in the rearview mirror, I must be alive.” However, there was no mirror. Then I heard someone say, “Are you OK?” Hearing that voice made me realize I was alive. I eventually responded, “No, I am hurt, and I can’t get out.” Then suddenly the door opened and again he asked if I was OK but also said, “You blew the stop sign.” I asked, “And, who are you?” “The driver of the other car,” he said. I responded, “No, you blew the stop sign.” He looked over his left shoulder to the intersection and the replied back to me, “Well, maybe.” Shortly after, a lady passerby appeared at my door and called 911. It seemed within seconds that the county sheriffs, the ambulance and local re department were on the scene. One of the remen, Matt, is a farm management student of mine and a very good friend. He called my wife to let her know what had happened and that I was being taken to the emergency room, was alive and should be OK. What a blessing it was to see his friendly face and to have him comfort my wife. Blessed and grateful are about the only words to describe how I have felt since that day nearly seven weeks ago. Blessed to be alive. Grateful for all the rst responders who always graciously give of their time and talents to help those they don’t even know. Blessed to have a wife who provided marvelous care during a time I wasn’t able to get out of a chair alone. She is the best. Blessed and grateful for no life-long injury resulting from the accident. I will recover from a fractured sternum, bruised ribs and lungs. Lastly, I am surely blessed to have my church and so many others who have prayed for me and helped my family in so many ways. God is good. Why am I still alive after being hit at 70 mph? Why was I alone in the car as any passenger would have been crushed? Why am I so blessed? I am not sure how to respond to all of the questions that circulate in my mind, but I believe God must have plans for me yet. I can choose to be angry at the young 26-year-old driver or to pray for him as he hopefully reaches a more responsible time in his life. I would actually like to meet him someday and thank him for asking if I was OK. Accidents change our lives. They can change us physically but also mentally in how we look at life. I am now reecting back to how I cared for others when they needed help. Did I truly offer all I could? My accident will change the way I look at future situations and how I can be of support to others in times of need. It brings up a topic I shared in my last article on estate planning. I leave you with this question. Are you and your family ready for an unforeseen situation? Do you have a plan, documents prepared, and does your family know your wishes should the unlikely situation occur? Reach out to get help and support in making these most important decisions for your family. Tom Anderson is a Farm Business Management faculty member at Riverland Community College.
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 35
Innovating the use of byproducts Cottage cheese manufacturer makes equipment investment By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
WESTBY, Wis. – Westby Cooperative Creamery has made a $1 million equipment investment to process acid whey, the byproduct of cottage cheese production. The creamery has seen a demand for their product while simultaneously experiencing a change in the market for byproducts. “For several years, Westby had a client that directly purchased the acid whey for use as an ingredient in their operation,” Emily Bialkowski said. “The pandemic brought that business to a screeching halt, so we had a lot of acid whey on our hands with no place to sell it or put it.” Bialkowski is the sales and marketing manager for Westby Cooperative Creamery. The creamery initially disposed of the acid whey when they lost the market to sell it, said Bialkowski. “Proper disposal of this byproduct was costing as much as $50,000 every month, and that’s what drove us to invest in processing the acid whey ourselves,” Bialkowski said. The equipment has been in use since June 2021 and processes the acid whey into two saleable products; whey permeate and whey protein. The permeate is used as animal feed and the protein is sold to be used as an ingredient in human or animal nutritional supplements. “The process allows us to sell the ltered material in a more desirable form to a wider customer base,” Bialkowski said. During the cottage cheese making process, about 14% of skim milk is turned into dry curd, so 86% is turned into unprocessed acid whey. Every day, approximately 150,000 pounds of Westby’s production is untreated acid whey. The acid whey is sent through ultraltration membranes where the protein is pulled off which creates the rst saleable product, whey protein. The byproduct of the protein process is sent to a reverse osmosis system where the permeate is pulled out, creating the second saleable product of whey permeate. The remaining water is ltered one more time, leaving the cooperative with more than 12,000 gallons of plain water each day. “It is the goal of the creamery to eventually reuse the water consumed from ltering acid whey,” Bialkowski said. “We are hoping to use the water for cleaning purposes.” The cooperative produces approximately 17 million pounds of cottage cheese annually. Westby Cooperative is the only remaining cottage cheese manufacturer in Wisconsin. “We can only hypothesize that the time and attention needed to make cottage cheese became less appealing to other creameries,” Bialkowski said. “It is a specialty product requiring experienced cheesemakers diligently watching time and temperature in every batch.” Cottage cheese is the creamery’s stalwart product. They make more cottage cheese than any other product. Approximately 44% of the creamery’s revenue is from the sale of cottage cheese. Westby Cooperative Creamery, founded in 1903, has one manufacturing plant in Westby. There is also a distribution center and cheese store in the community. There are approximately 125 employees, and the operation is owned by 146 small family farms. “As a dairy cooperative with over 145 small family farms that make their living off the land, we have a responsibility to actively research and invest in practices that help better our environment and the communities we live in,” said Pete Kondrup, general manager. “Turning acid whey into a usable product is one way we can do this.”
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Wedding woes Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
Of all the fearsome creatures to inhabit the planet – and I am including such things as lions, tigers and IRS agents – none is more frightful to the average male than his wedding. I have crossed the equator of matrimony exactly once, so you pollywogs sit back and listen as an old shellback spins his yarn of woe. It all began like so many of these things do. Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. They start dating and before you know it, the topic of marriage is popping up. But as I recall, matrimony was discussed in purely academic terms. We would say things like, “Marriage is the cornerstone of our society,” or “I understand that married people can receive certain tax benets.” The Thanksgiving after the spring I met my wife, I heard the words that would change my life. We were at a family gathering when I overheard my then-girlfriend say to my sister, “We’ve been talking about marriage a lot lately. I’m going to kill him if I don’t get a ring for Christmas.”
So, I shortly found myself at a jewelry store (under the threat of death, mind you), trying to make sense of what I was seeing in the glass cases. I called the proprietor over. “Hey, pal,” I said. “Someone’s made a mistake on these prices. All of the decimal points are in the wrong places.” I was assured that there were no errors. “You’ve got to be kidding. That much for a tiny chip of crystalized carbon attached to a weenie loop of gold? The last time I wrote a check that big, I drove home in a used pickup.” My then-girlfriend shot me a withering glare, a tactic that’s still devastatingly effective after all these years. And so, under extreme duress, I was induced to sign up for an arrangement called low monthly installments, something that would remain a fact of life for the rest of my life. From that point on, I lost any semblance of control over the situation. My sisters, my ancée’s girlfriends
and innumerable other females became involved. Our wedding swiftly gained momentum and soon achieved critical mass. It became an entity unto itself, a force of nature that was beyond any mortal man’s comprehension. And, I was hopelessly trapped in its dizzying vortex. Flower arrangements were selected, formal wear was chosen, a cake the size of a Buick was com- Dear County Agent Guy missioned. I felt much like a condemned prisoner as I watched helplessly from the sidelines while plans for the demise of my bachelorhood were laid out in excruciating detail. I couldn’t shake a vague feeling of impending doom. Some type of disaster was lurking out there, but I couldn’t deBy Jerry Nelson termine what it might be. Columnist I tried to forestall this possible future calamity by suggesting we elope. “Think of how romantic it would be,” I pleaded to my ancée. “It would be like the days of yore. I could ride up on my white stallion and spirit you off to my castle where the bishop awaits to marry us.” “Yeah, right,” she replied. “Except that your white stallion is a beat-up old Chevy pickup, and your castle is a rundown farmhouse. Besides, your Uncle Sid hasn’t drawn a sober breath in over 20 years. Are you even sure that he’s a justice of the peace like he claims he is?” She had me there. Well, I gave it a shot. Despite my sense of foreboding, our wedding went pretty much as planned. There were no earthquakes or tornados or oods. Nor did I faint of embarrassment during the ceremony. I somehow managed to remain conscious as I stood in front of that packed church in that rented monkey suit and pledged my troth. Heck, I didn’t even know that I had troth. “Honey, have you seen my troth lately?” “Nope. Did you try looking in the junk drawer?” After the reception and the dance, we drove out to our humble little dairy farm to change clothes and grab our honeymoon luggage. As we turned onto the driveway, the headlight beams of the car swept the farmstead. Dozens of blue-green reectors bobbed around out in the darkness. The reectors were the eyes of cows. My cows on the wrong side of the fence. I knew what this meant. It meant I was about to ask my bride of six hours to chase Holsteins in the dark while wearing her wedding dress, and I was about to x the fence in a rented tux. And for some reason, that feeling of impending doom suddenly evaporated. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@dairystar.com.
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Milk per stall
I am just going to say it right here. Milk per stall is not an appropriate measure of efciency to use on a dairy farm. There seems to be a trend to use milk per stall this way, and I do not like it. Why not? For one, increasing milk per stall by increasing stocking density as in Veterinary Wisdom “High stocking density is a solution for more prots”, Dairy Star, 2022, 24:4, p. 1, is based on a fallacy. The fallacy is this: I added more cows to my barn. I made more money. So therefore, diluting the cost of a stall makes me more money. The problem is that you did not just dilute the xed cost of a stall. You diluted the xed cost of By Jim Bennett everything, including your Columnist tractors, skid loaders and the big one: the parlor. So yes, diluting xed costs on a dairy with more milk from more cows often is a solution for more prots, and dairy farmers have known this for generations. The plant needs to be full. But, that does not mean the prot came from diluting the cost of a stall. In fact, on most farms with high stocking densities, adding cows and adding stalls will make more money than just adding cows. Isn’t it OK to look at individual costs, like the cost of a stall, in a nancial analysis? Sure, of course. But, why not calculate prot based on the cost of all the tractors on the farm and then design a prot-increasing metric like milk per horsepower? Or, maybe milk per number of skid loaders? Using metrics like this lead one to try to improve in isolation, which can have negative consequences. This is particularly true with the use of milk per stall. There are several problems specic to using milk per stall. The rst one is that most negative changes that occur following an increase in stocking density are long term not short term. This means you do not see the results right away; so yes, you made more money this year, but what about next year, or three
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 37
years down the road? The Dairyland Initiative does a great job explaining this: https://thedairylandinitiative.vetmed.wisc.edu/home/housing-module/adultcow-housing/stocking-density/. Negative effects include reduced lying time, increased lameness, sorting feed, decrease in milk fat and protein percentage, decreased milk production per cow, reduced rumination, decreased conception rates and pregnancy rates, elevated somatic cell counts, more manure contamination of legs and udders, reduced water consumption, less fresh air volume per cow, longer milking times and strains on other facilities on the farm. The effects of these changes are mostly not seen for some time after they happen. Furthermore, overstocking negatively affects ve of the big six drivers of protability as dened by Compeer and Zoetis: somatic cell count, milk per cow, cow death rate, pregnancy rate and herd replacement cost. But, maybe you did increase stocking density a while ago and made more money, and your pregnancy rate did not really drop. And, your somatic cell count did not really increase, and your milk per cow stayed about the same. So, how can this be true? What about your neighbor? How is your neighbor doing? Your neighbor probably gets more milk per cow, has a higher pregnancy rate and a lower somatic cell count than he did ve years ago. In other words, even though you did not see big changes, you are in a poorer competitive position than you were before. There is also the problem of losing labor efciency. Crowed pens means a lot more labor every time someone needs to nd a cow or group of cows. Often there are two or even three people looking for cows. This is expensive. The real problem with milk per stall is that almost all the negative effects result from, or directly harm, animal welfare and animal well-being. Ouch. Putting more cows through the parlor every day typically does not decrease animal well-being. Having manure from more cows in that million-dollar manure pit does not decrease animal welfare. But, putting more cows in a stall does. Farmers know this. One of my associates told me she asked one of our successful dairy farm-
ers why he did not crowd his cows more and he said, “Because it is the right thing to do.” She told me, “I wanted to hug him.” Putting more cows in a bed is not the right thing to do. This leads to the nal reason for not using milk per stall as a measure of efciency: public opinion. Imagine the bad press if a company running a forprot prison started measuring the numbers of prisoners per bed. There would be a public outcry because everyone knows sleeping is a fundamental need of humans. Everyone also knows that lying down is a fundamental need of cows. The animal care agreement of the FARM program says, “I conrm my commitment to the highest standards of animal care by hereby agreeing that proper animal care is the responsibility of every individual who is around animals, including me.” Chasing milk per stall shows consumers we do not mean what we say. Saying one thing and doing another creates cognitive dissonance for our consumers, and they may respond by eating less dairy. Who wins here? Not cows, not dairy farmers and not consumers. We do not have to treat cows like people. The goal of any business, including dairies, is to make money. And yes, some compromises can be made, but they need to be made in ways that do not grossly compromise animal well-being. In fact, my observation from more than 40 years of veterinary practice is that farms that signicantly compromise animal well-being tend not to stay in business while the ones that concentrate on excellent animal care tend to do very well. Milk per stall is not somewhere we should go. It should not be on anyone’s goal sheet. We can do better. Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. com with comments or questions.
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The shoe cobbler’s children Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022
There’s a saying I’ve heard from time to time that the shoe cobbler’s children are the worst shod. I don’t personally know any cobbler’s children to verify whether that’s a saying based on any truth, but I can say that this dairy farmer’s kids are often without milk for their cereal. This morning I grabbed milk for my coffee and realized that, once again, there was barely enough milk for the kids’ cereal. A portion of what little was left went into my multiple cups of coffee consumed while writing this and listening to the birds who, like me, are overjoyed with the sunny and warm weather after a month of rain and gloom. The fact that there are only about four hours every other day where there is no milk to be had on the farm without going out and throwing a halter on one of the show cows and hand milking her means there’s not much incentive to grab the milk jug and run to the barn for a rell. I can grab it out of the tank after I nish chores. No one will miss
it for another couple hours. This usually leads to me forgetting to ll the milk jug still sitting on the step of the bulk tank an hour or two later when I head up to the house after nishing those chores. No worries though, I can ll it after breakfast. At this point, someone usually calls me, and I’m distracted from what I was going to do immediately when I got back to the barn. That thing being lling the milk jug and bringing it back up to the house. By the time I remember again that the milk jug is waiting to be lled, I walk into the milkhouse just in time to greet Erik, the milk hauler, and hear the sound of the hose sucking air because the last few drops of milk just exited the tank and headed to the milk truck’s stainless steel tank. Not all that interested in going out and hand milking one of the kids’ show cows, I vow to remember to grab milk after evening milking and sometimes I do. Sometimes I wake up the next morning and nd there’s still no milk in the fridge. I hope I’m not the only person this happens to. I won-
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der if chicken farmers ever have to forgo wafes for a lack of eggs in the refrigerator to make them with. Probably so. It’s sometimes easy to forget when you live on a farm surrounded by food just how expensive eating well can be, especially with a couple teen boys eating seemingly everything in sight all day long. If we didn’t have freezers full of meat and all the eggs and milk a person could From the Zweber Farm ever want to consume, our grocery bill would be astronomical. Teenage children’s appetites are a great incentive to have a diversied farm that sells meat and eggs. I’ve never kept track of how many pigs and chickens we eat personally each year as a lot of our meals consist of the By Tim Zweber weird sized or shaped packages, or something Farmer & Columnist that got dropped on the oor, or was mislabeled, or a chicken missing a wing, or countless other defects that cause me to toss something in our personal freezer instead of selling it to a customer. Sometimes I accidentally drop a steak just in time for breakfast on Saturdays when Emily and the kids are gone to rock climbing and ballet practice and I’m in the mood to cook myself some steak and eggs. Time to get down to the barn and take care of all those chickens, pigs and cows while enjoying the sun. Hopefully things will start to dry out and some planting can get done in the near future. Until next time, keep living the dream, and don’t forget about the milk jug. Morning coffee just isn’t as good without a splash of milk. Tim Zweber farms with his wife Emily, their three children and his parents Jon and Lisa by Elko, Minnesota.
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Milk’s new look
Not surprisingly, I sometimes feel I am obsessed with milk on our farm and household. I haul it, pour it, feed it to calves from a bottle, watch it stream from our cows’ udders into the milking system and listen to it get pumped into a tanker every other day. Then, I haul it in 2-gallon pails to our home pasteurCome Full Dairy Circle izer, cool it, pour it into containers for two homes, place it on the table and put it back into the refrigerator, time and again. Our milk is delicious because it is fresh and pure with a nice amount of fat and protein from our cows. People compliment the milk served in our house, and then we realize we take it for granted. Lots of us grew up drinking milk at every meal and pouring it on top of our breakfast cereal. Now that doesn’t happen in many households for a variety of reasons. Yet most grocery shoppers still put cow’s milk in their carts along with butter, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and even more dairy. People now enjoy eating more of By Jean Annexstad their dairy rather than drinking it. Still, I believe uid Columnist milk innovations will lead people to drink their milk beyond the traditional ways. People look to dairy for different reasons, but this is the main one: “Dairy foods are a delicious, wholesome source of protein. Whether you choose white milk, chocolate milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt or greek-style yogurt, all contain high-quality protein to help fuel us through the day.” That’s the banner statement on the Midwest Dairy website. The challenge is how to tap into this when creating and marketing new milks. People now eat on the go. They seek healthy options for muscle rebuilding and hydration before or after workouts. They want ways to fuel their bodies during their busy days, even seeking attributes such as improving gut health in their drinks. They also like coffee drinks or cool smoothies for a treat. So, if we think about the transformation in eating habits people have made, does drinking cow’s milk still have a place? If you check for new beverages on the market that contain milk, whey, cream, no lactose, added protein, various avors, A2 milk, and a boost of prebiotics or probiotics, it certainly seems that transformed milk is becoming suited to what people are seeking. Peering into the beverage cases at a grocery or in convenience stores gives you instant insight into the variety of appealing new products. To focus on the positive story of milk that we all work hard to produce every day, I thought it would be fun to highlight a few of those options that are redening uid milk that we in the barn might not know about. Good Sport is a new sports drink containing milk components that is naturally sourced and has three times the electrolytes and one-third of the sugar of traditional sports drinks. It is described as “scientically-proven to provide rapid and long-lasting hydration by harnessing the electrolytes and carbohydrates found in milk.” It has B vitamins, glucose and galactose to improve uid absorption and calcium for stronger bones and powerful muscle function. I will provide it in a cooler for the hot, humid days of preparing and covering the bunker silos this summer to see how it works in that situation. More intriguing new milk-based options are found at Taco Bell. This spring, that chain unveiled a shelf-stable creamer to use in their coffee drinks, Pineapple Whip Freeze and Island Berry Freeze beverages, developed with support from national dairy checkoff food scientists. The freezes sound like a refreshing summer treat to sip while enjoying their other offerings containing lots of cheese. Taco Bell’s new Cinnabonavored iced or hot coffee using the milk base sounds delicious to me. Another new milk option is called siips, a Dairy Farmers of America product. It is sold as an 8-ounce can of avored lowfat milk. The online marketing calls out its appeal: “Protein for power. Calcium for bones. And ridiculously indulgent avors just for fun. It’s smooth and sweet. Nourishing you at your best.” It comes in chocolate, caramel and mocha avors. A favorite offering that I enjoy while watching my fat intake is Chobani coffee THE AFFORDABLE GPS creamer. I use it sparingly to make special coffee at GUIDANCE home and will try it in my SOLUTION iced coffee this summer. It has only 1.5 grams of fat and 30 calories per serving and comes in several enticing avors. There is evidence, however, that younger folks are looking more toward full-fat natural milk and Add a level of precision to your operation this season with cream, so that is yet another the Outback® S-Lite GPS Guidance System. A few of the key uid market to tap. features include. Though everyone s !FFORDABILITY n It’s now affordable to add GPS seems to enjoy good, oldto your operation. fashioned, ice-cold chocos 'UIDANCE -ODES n Perform both straight and contour late milk as an appealing modes. Includes perimeter acre feature. treat, some of these new ops 3UB -ETER !CCURACY n Utilizes WAAS without the need tions sound delicious. They for a subscription. are made with milk, so let’s s -ULTIPLE !PPLICATIONS n Utilize the S-Lite for everything drink up. from spraying to tillage applications. Jean dairy farms with s 1UICK 2ETURN ON )NVESTMENT n Quick one season payback. her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, Minnesota, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. Order online at: i They milk 200 cows and www.RuralMfg.com farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@ Toll Free 1-800-477-7135 gmail.com. Rural Mfg. Co. Inc. • Freeman, SD 57029
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 14, 2022 • Page 39
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