Past,Present, Future. Read our Past, Present Future feature startig on page 13 of the 2nd section!
DAIRY ST R
June 25, 2022
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 24, No. 9
Deer Run Dairy wins national sustainability award From cover crops to no till, Kewaunee County farm focused on conservation By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
KEWAUNEE, Wis. – Protecting water quality and improving soil health are priorities at Deer Run Dairy where conservation practices are integrated into the ber of the farm. From cover crops to no-till farming, partners Duane Ducat, Derek Ducat and Dale Bogart put the environment rst as they work in sync with the land which they hope to sustain for generations to come. Focused on land and animal stewardship, Deer Run Dairy nurtures cattle and crops to help both reach their full potential. As a result of their work, Deer Run Dairy is a recipient of the Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability award from the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. The operation was one of seven farms, businesses and partnerships recognized in 2022 for its socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound practices and technologies that
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The partners at Deer Run Dairy – (from le�) Dale Bogart, Derek Ducat and Duane Ducat – milk around 1,600 cows and farm 2,500 acres near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. The farm is a 2022 recipient of the Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability award from the Innova�on Center for U.S. Dairy. have a broad and positive impact. “I have always leaned towards the sustainable side of things,” Duane said. “Mother Nature knows what he’s doing, and we want to make sure we’re working with nature to control the things we can rather than working against it.” Duane bought the farm in 1983. The Ducats and Bogart milk around 1,600 cows and farm 2,500 acres near Kewaunee. Starting out with 80 cows,
Duane reached 130 milking in a tiestall barn before joining forces with Dale in 2000. The two farmers combined herds and built a facility at the same location in 2008. In addition to his career as a dairy farmer, Duane also worked full time at a nuclear power plant, recently retiring after 44 years of service. Deer Run Dairy also does custom eldwork for other farms and is a member of conservation-minded groups like
Peninsula Pride Farms, the Wisconsin Demo Farm Network and the Discovery Research program. The partners feel their involvement in these organizations has been a big help to conservation efforts at home, and thus, the farm is seeing tangible results in the soil. Duane’s son, Derek, is seeing the efforts in action. “Our soil structure is denitely changing with the use of cover crops and no till,” Derek said. “One eld soil test showed a half percentage increase in organic matter, which improves the soil’s water holding capacity and inltration. It’s pretty exciting to see results in a short timeframe.” Last fall, Deer Run Dairy achieved its goal of having no bare ground when they seeded 100% of their cropland with cover crops. Cereal rye is the main cover used. They also plant blends of turnip, radish, barley and rye after wheat or fourth crop hay. A big change for the farm in the last six years was bumping down their planting rate for rye, going from 5060 pounds per acre to 25-30 pounds. “A diverse cover crop ties everything together and helps improve the soil,” Duane said. “Cover crops also keep the ground moist and help with crusting issues. We’ve learned that you want to
Turn to DEER RUN| Page 6
Walking down memory lane
Mitchell, Brown testing milk for combined 102 years By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
SPARTA, Wis. – The walk down memory lane is a long one for Ron Mitchell and Richard Brown, who have been testing milk in Monroe County for 54 and 48 years, respectively. The pair has seen a lot of changes in the dairy industry throughout their combined experience of 102 years. “I think it’s a good profession because you get to know so many people,” Mitchell said. “And that’s what the world is, people.” Brown agreed. “Every day is different,”
he said. “It’s not like going to a factory and sitting at the same machine all day long.” When Mitchell took the job as manager for Monroe County Dairy Herd Improvement Association in June 1968, the milk testing process was very different from what farmers experience today. Milk was collected in buckets and weighed with a scale. Mitchell brought the scale, paper and pencil and a rack of test bottles. Each farm had their own barn sheet. Weights were recorded by hand, and samples were brought back to the DHIA Turn to DHIA | Page 7
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Ron Mitchell (le�) and Richard Brown stand outside the DHIA office June 10 near Sparta, Wisconsin. The pair has a collec�ve 102 years of experience tes�ng milk in Monroe County.