“All dairy, all the time”™
Dairy farmers become inuencers
Kahl Dairy takes on
social media
By Sarah Middendorf sarah.m@star-pub.com
BUCKMAN, Minn. — Each day Travis Kahl walks out of the house with a GoPro in hand to video anything and everything he may be doing that day.
Travis and his wife, Sarah, have been making YouTube and TikTok videos since February 2023 to show the public what a typical dairy farm looks like.
“I think it’s cool to be able to show people what day to day really looks like around here,” Sarah said. “People don’t realize dairy farming isn’t just milking cows.”
The Kahls milk 170 cows in a double-8 parlor near Buckman.
The family does not watch any television.
“All we do watch is farming videos on YouTube,” Travis said.
The Kahls thought they could maybe do something like that on their farm.
Since the Kahls have started creating TikTok videos, they are quickly gaining popularity on the platform.
“One of our TikTok’s had 740,000 views,” Sarah said.
Sarah said her dad had a hobby of videography. After he passed, they were able to watch the videos he had made. Travis and Sarah decided they wanted to have something like that for their kids.
“We take pictures with our phones all the time, but we miss those quirky little interactions between them and their little voices,” Sarah said.
They currently post one to two videos a week. Some are longer and some are shorter.
“I shoot for a TikTok a day” Sarah said.
Open the door and they will come 125 years of processing
By Tiffany Klaphake
WRENSHALL,
Minn. — Despite the wet weather June has brought, the sun shone brightly on the morning of June 29 for the Carlton County Breakfast on the Farm.
Duane and Doreen Laveau hosted once again at their 52-cow dairy farm near Wrenshall. Duane and Doreen’s son, Paul, farms full time with them and Paul’s wife, Shelia, helps with evening milkings in addition
to an off-farm job. Together, they farm 280 acres of corn, soybeans, oats and alfalfa.
“There were hundreds of little kids here that aren’t going to see the inside a barn unless we do this,” Duane said. “They are just amazed by it all. That is what makes the whole day worth it.”
Doreen agreed.
“I love seeing the little kids come in and be amazed by everything,” she said.
According to Duane, 800 people were fed the pancake and sausage breakfast and about 1,000 people attended the event in all.
By Amy Kyllo amy.k@star-pub.com
PLAINVIEW, Minn. — Plainview Milk Products Cooperative is celebrating 125 years as a creamery.
Becky Pearson, the Plainview-based cooperative’s general manager/controller, said she is grateful for their patrons.
“They are some of the most loyal patrons and I just am incredibly thankful for their dedication and the incredible quality milk that they produce,” Pearson
said. “We have very good milk. ... It takes a lot of work from the farm. .... I can’t thank them enough.”
SARAH MIDDENDORF/DAIRY STAR
The Kahl family — Tucker (front, from le ) and Palmer; (back, from le ) Travis, Sayler and Sarah — stand in the freestall barn July 1 on their farm near Buckman, Minnesota. The Kahls have been lming farm videos since February 2023.
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Becky Pearson holds a commemora ve bu er crock June 25 at Plainview Milk Products Coopera ve in Plainview, Minnesota. Pearson is the general manager/ controller at the coopera ve.
Doreen Laveau gives a milking demonstra on June 29 during the breakfast on the farm event at the Laveau farm near Wrenshall, Minnesota. The Laveaus milk 52 cows.
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Travis and Sarah have three kids, Tucker, Palmer, and Sayler. Their fourth baby is expected later this fall. The kids have also started to help lm videos throughout the day.
Sarah said her favorite part about making videos is having the kids involved.
“Our rst video ever, I was walking across the yard and (Sayler) was in a baby carrier and she was 6 months old,” Sarah said. “Now she’s running around taking interviews of herself.”
Travis said his favorite part to show is the animals.
“I like showing the cattle,” Travis said. “When you show the cows or tractors, (the kids) enjoy it and I feel like other people probably enjoy that too.”
The Kahls work as a team to get the videos edited. Travis condenses the video and cuts out large chunks of time. Then Sarah will add nal details such as music.
“It’s a creative mentality,” Sarah said.
Depending on length, every YouTube video will take about 3-4 hours of editing, they said.
“We divide and conquer,” Sarah said.
Starting out, the Kahls had old computers and quickly realized they needed to upgrade their equipment.
“We would upload our footage and we would have to wait 24 hours,”
Sarah said. “We did nally buy a new computer and it makes editing so much easier.”
All the kids have shown interest in videotaping and do their own interviews throughout the day.
order.
Letters
They also all have their favorite chores or tasks on the farm.
Tucker and Palmer like riding along with their dad in any farm equipment.
“They are raised by the same parents but their personalities are so different,” Sarah said.
Travis Kahl lms while milking cows during evening chores July 9 at Kahl Dairy
Ventilation Expertise
SARAH MIDDENDORF/ DAIRY STAR
Sayler Kahl holds a bo le July 1 at Kahl Dairy near Buckman, Minnesota. Kahl helps feed calves every night.
Sayler’s favorite part of farming is feeding calves every night. Sarah said she knows exactly what to do. Sayler will head to the milk house, grab a bottle and make her way to the calf barn. She will often have to wait for someone to open the door for her, but she is ready to feed the calves.
Through this journey the Kahls have learned many things from videoing to editing. Sarah said they also have learned to have a lot of patience.
When Travis is videotaping, his days go slower since he has to make sure to reposition the camera as he is going about his tasks.
Another learning curve is trying to gure out the best equipment to use to achieve higher quality videos.
“I am always researching what can make this a little better or a little more efcient, but also better to watch,” Sarah said.
The Kahls want to purchase a good drone to get aerial footage. They have tried different brands but have not found one that lasts.
“That’s kind of next on the list of things I would like to do in the world of our social media journey,” Sarah said.
Sometimes when Travis and Sarah are out and about, they are randomly stopped and questioned about what they are doing.
“Someone that you wouldn’t expect to watch your videos watches them,” Travis said.
The Kahls are getting recognized in communities outside of their hometown. Travis said one of his uncles had an appointment in St. Cloud and the nurse recognized his last name. She asked him if he knew the people that did the videos since she watches them.
They are unsure what the future of their videos looks like. Sarah said they hope to set aside two days a week to post videos but with kids and a farming schedule, they are not sure what is realistic.
“They (the videos) are slowly starting to pick up, which is fun,” Sarah said. “Hopefully it goes somewhere in time.”
Doreen said there was interest from parents and children alike about where milk comes from.
“They were curious about how long it takes to milk a cow; do we milk them 365 days a year; do they (the cows) get a two-week break here and there,” Doreen said.
Throughout the day, there were live milking demonstrations, a water simulator from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and a veterinarian in the barn to answer questions.
“We blocked the milkhouse door open so everyone could walk through and could get in there and see everything,” Duane said.
Duane’s brother, Matt, was on lo-
cation near the 132 new solar panels installed on the Laveau farm to talk about how farmers are doing their part to protect the environment.
“We put solar in and we wanted to show the public that we are trying to reduce our carbon foot print,” Duane said.
The machine shed was lled with informational booths from the local soil and water conservation district, Minnesota Farmers Union and the Carlton County Dairy Association.
The Laveaus hosted breakfast on the farm for their county several times before the pandemic. This year was the rst since 2019.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Paul (from le ), Shelia, Doreen and Duane Laveau gather June 29 at their farm near Wrenshall, Minnesota. The Laveau family once again hosted the Carlton County Breakfast on the Farm.
Planning for this years’ event started in late 2023 with most of the work happening in the two weeks leading up the event.
“It helps we have done this a few times now,” Duane said. “We know what to expect and where to get everything from.”
Duane’s children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren helped the family prepare and implement the breakfast on the farm. From washing tractors to cleaning out sheds and giving hay rides during the event, it was a family affair.
“I wouldn’t have done it without my family and friends,” Duane said. “Working with my nieces and nephews, they made this enjoyable.”
The extended family members helped give hay rides and shuttle back and forth from the hay eld where guests parked.
Being only 15 miles from the city limits of Duluth, the Laveaus experience urban sprawl and are doing what they can to highlight the dairy industry.
“I want them to come and get a good impression when they come here,” Duane said. “I have had people come here and say that they were against farming, but, after
visiting my farm, they aren’t against it anymore. That makes me feel good.”
There are also challenges that come with farming near urban areas.
“There are four new
houses going up on my road this year alone,” Duane said. “Land is so hard to come by out here.”
As one of only a handful of dairy farms left in
the county, the Laveaus understand the importance of events such as breakfast of the farm for the community. The feedback has been positive.
“We can’t keep our heads in the sand, we need to share about what we do,” Duane said. “Everybody’s already asking if we will do it again next year.”
Guests eat breakfast June 29 at the Laveau farm near Wrenshall, Minnesota. The event featured milking demonstra ons, a water simulator, solar panels and an on-site veterinarian to answer ques ons.
The cooperative has rich history, and is moving towards a strong future with goals for expansion and current improvement projects underway.
Plainview Milk Products
Cooperative processes 1.21.4 million pounds of milk each day from 103 patrons.
They produce sweet cream, condensed skim milk, nonfat dry milk powder, bulk butter and one-pound blocks of butter.
“The various products we produce I think has been one of our strong suits for all these years and (has) helped us to continue to grow,” Pearson said.
As Pearson looks to the future, she envisions increasing their daily processing to 2.1-2.2 million pounds of milk.
“(We want) to help provide a home for the farmers (and) for the new farmers coming up,” Pearson said. “We’re just really proud of what we do here. ... I’m looking forward to watching us grow.”
New this year are a second separator and a new cream plate. They will also be installing a new truck scale. The separator and cream plate allow them to bring in outside cream and to increase the volume of milk processed.
Pearson said that their current building has space for
them to meet their goal of almost doubling their processing capacity.
“Making the improvements with the addition of equipment, improving our efciencies, and allowing us the opportunities to grow I think has been a huge piece of management (for success),”
Pearson said. “(Also) working together to look at where we want to go and what we
need to do to get there, and we’re well on our way of doing that.”
Expanding their processing capacity will increase how the cooperative can serve the dairy community.
“We have some young(er) farmers that are starting to come up and are interested (in farming,” Pearson said. “I love to see that, especially when it’s a multi-generational
family (farm) to keep that going.”
The diversity and the shelf stability of some of the cooperative’s products have allowed them to capitalize on product prices. This give the cooperative more stability and enables it to give back more to their patrons, Pearson said. The diversity also helped them survive the COVID pandemic.
“We’re lucky that we were able to put up the bulk butter and the powder during those times,” Pearson said.
For the 125-year anniversary, Pearson has been exploring the cooperative’s story.
“Looking back from how we started to now, it’s just been (very interesting and) so much fun,” Pearson said.
Plainview Milk Products Cooperative started in 1899 on the west end of Plainview. In 1923, they spent $21,000 to build a creamery at the cooperative’s current location. According to a Plainview News article dated Nov. 23, 1923, the plant operated with 33.25 horsepower. Some of the original building is still used today.
The cooperative started out bringing in cream for butter, but in the early 1930s, they started buying milk as well. According to a Winona Daily News article dated Feb. 10, 1926, in 1925 the cooperative produced 482,128 pounds of butter and had 190 patrons. According to another article dated Dec. 11, 1969, butter production was 2.8 million pounds plus 10.5 million pounds of dry milk powder through September. Turn to PLAINVIEW | Page 9
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Donald Schultz leans on a tote of nonfat dry milk powder June 25 at Plainview Milk Products Coopera ve in Plainview, Minnesota. Schultz has worked at the coopera ve for 35 years.
Donald Schultz is a current worker in the production plant working with nonfat dry milk powder. Schultz has worked for 35 of the 125 years of the cooperative’s existence.
“It’s kind of great,” Schultz said. “(It does not) seem like it’s been there that long. It’s worth having a celebration for that.”
In 1945, Plainview Milk Products Cooperative shipped its rst carload of 50,000 pounds of dry milk powder according to a Winona Daily News article dated Jan. 20, 1945. It took 20 days to produce and was valued at $7,000.
Plainview Milk Products Cooperative is led by a board of dairy farmers, including Bill Miller who has served on the board for 15 years.
“What I think Plainview has done (well) is the quality of the milk,” Miller said. “They’ve always pushed for the best quality of milk.”
Miller milks 300 cows near Thei-
lman. He and his family have been selling their milk to the cooperative since the 1960s. Miller said the premium package for the quality milk has been good.
The board member said the cooperative’s milk haulers have been part of the reason his farm has remained loyal to the cooperative.
“(I) always liked the hauler I’ve had,” Miller said. “This creamery is the closest one to me. ... Why would you want to sell to a far-away one and pay the full cost of hauling?”
Knowing where their milk is shipped and what is used for is also important to Miller.
Pearson said she is proud to be part of the cooperative and to see how it has developed over the years.
“There have been some ups and downs,” Pearson said. “We’ve all just worked together to continue to believe in the coop and to help us continue to grow.”
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Light shines off the batch barrel churn June 25 at Plainview Milk Products Coopera�ve in Plainview, Minnesota. The coopera�ve makes many different products, but bu�er has been part of the coopera�ve from the beginning.
Good and bad in Federal Order reform proposal
Dairy Star!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued its draft decision of Federal Milk Marketing Orders. American Farm Bureau Federation chief economist Roger Cryan says important changes were made. “It increases the value returned to farmers for bottling milk through increases in the location values and some formula adjustments, but most importantly, it restores the higher of the cheese or butter powder values in the bottling milk price instead of the average plus price formula that was used since 2019,” Cryan said. “And there’s not-so-good stuff. The biggest issue is there are substantial reductions in all the class prices to allow for higher processing costs.” USDA’s FMMO plan does not include all of the Farm Bureau reform proposals. “We thought it was important to add 640-pound blocks of cheddar cheese to the product price list survey that sets the cheese milk price because in ve or 10 years, there won’t be enough 40-pound blocks to set a fair price and USDA disagreed with that.”
Bill seeks to reverse WIC milk limits
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in these animals.” Clinical signs include low appetite and reduced milk production. Hoefs urges farmers to take the virus seriously for the sake of more than just the dairy industry.
By Don Wick Columnist Ag Insider
Ag commissioner assesses damage Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen surveyed oodrelated damage in southern Minnesota one day after taking an aerial tour of the Mankato area with Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar. “Going from the Twin Cities to the Mankato, I didn’t see one good eld anywhere.” Petersen said it is important for farmers to report their acres and provide damage reports to the county FSA ofce. That information will be used for a possible disaster declaration. Petersen said local infrastructure is also facing ood-related losses. “You hear about loads of gravel, the bridge infrastructure, the shoulders of the roads; these are all problems that counties and townships will need to x. Townships sometimes get forgotten and I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
A bill has been introduced in Congress to increase the maximum monthly allowance of milk available through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children program to its previous levels. This proposal would reverse a WIC rule that went into effect in mid-June. This bill was introduced by Republicans Elise Stefanik of New York and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin and Democrat Josh Harder of California.
Moderna to produce H5N1 vaccine
The federal government has awarded Moderna Inc. $176 million to produce a vaccine to address the H5N1 avian inuenza. Moderna will be using the same messenger RNA technology used for its COVID vaccine. Since March, the H5N1 virus has affected 130 dairy herds in 12 states including Minnesota and South Dakota. This vaccine would potentially be used for farm workers and others at risk of exposure to the virus.
H5N1 relief available for affected dairy herds
Dairy farmers who suffer milk losses due to the H5N1 virus in their herds are being made eligible for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this assistance will offset a portion of the nancial losses for the reduced milk production when cows are removed from the herd. “When you’re dealing with roughly 120-130 herds out of 24,000 herds the impact on milk volume is relatively very, very small; that’s the good news,” Vilsack said. “Obviously, to the individual producer, it’s difcult and devastating. That’s the reason why we put the ELAP program together as an indication we want to be partners with them as they deal and cope with this disease.” To be eligible, milk cows must be conrmed positive for the virus and initially removed from milk production. Payments will be calculated based on the monthly all-milk price and a standard number of days with reduced or no production. The nal day to le a notice of loss with the Farm Service Agency is January 30, 2025.
Another human case of H5N1 conrmed
A dairy worker in Colorado is reporting mild symptoms, including pink eye. This is the fourth human case of bird u in the United States.
New case in Minnesota
H5N1 inuenza has been identied in Minnesota. This dairy herd was in Benton County. This is the seventh Minnesota cattle herd infected with the virus.
H5N1 remains a concern
Seven Minnesota dairy cattle herds have been conrmed with the H5N1 virus since it was rst identied in late March. While avian inuenza results in high mortality in poultry operations, state veterinarian Brian Hoefs said that is not the case for dairy herds. “That being said, the virus certainly affects production
Vilsack: farm bill needs a practical point of view
The farm bill seems to be in limbo. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said everyone wants to get the legislation wrapped up, but that will not happen until everyone involved adopts a practical point of view. “I think what we saw from the House Agriculture Committee is more of a political point of view.” The House Republican bill limits future increases to the so-called Thrifty Food Plan which calculates the amount of money SNAP recipients receive. Vilsack said that plan takes resources away from families in need and transfers a portion of the funding to increase farm reference prices that benet only 22 out of the 100 commodities grown in the U.S. “The top 10% of those receiving the benets receive 60% of the benet; it creates a serious issue in terms of the fairness and equity of what we’re talking about.”
Department of Justice ramps up its ag anti-trust division in the Midwest
The DOJ is working with USDA to boost competition in the livestock industry. Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Jonathan Kanter said it is time to enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act beyond poultry and focus on beef and other parts of the food supply chain. “That’s one reason why we are putting our money where our mouth is and hiring more lawyers and more experts related to agriculture,” Kanter said. “The lawyers I’m pleased to announce will be based in the Midwest and will focus on both civil and criminal ag enforcement at the anti-trust division.”
Second-crop alfalfa looks good
CROPLAN forage and alfalfa specialist Jeff Jackson says alfalfa weevils are starting to zzle out but scouting before cutting is recommended. “There are a few farmers that are getting really close or starting on a second crop of alfalfa. If they hit the window right, a lot of those guys that were on the front side are set up nicely for a second crop that looks good.” The quality of the rst cutting depended on the cutting timing. “The guys that got behind the curve trying to wait for dry weather or got cut late got less quality. The overall quality is better than expected with some of the eld conditions that we had.”
Trivia challenge
Hot fudge is the most popular ice cream topping. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what was the largest cheeseburger ever made? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star.
Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of 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 sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
Finding God in their work
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Nick Schmitz opens one of the bulk tanks June 24 at his farm near Lake Crystal, Minnesota. The Schmitzes’ cows produce about 22-23 gallons of milk per day.
Schmitzes direct market milk, promote human ourishing
By Amy Kyllo amy.k@star-pub.com
LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. — For Nick and Annie Schmitz of Straight Up Outside, dairy farming has combined
their desire to farm, a philosophy of human health and environmental sustainability, and a journey of deepening their Christian faith through everyday work.
“It’s fundamentally human to want to pursue a dignied employment that’s ordered towards God, ordered towards the fabric of the universe,” Nick said.
to SCHMITZ | Page 12
“We use these tests as an overall guide of how our herd is doing...”
long have you been testing with
Since we started milking in 2010.
What tests do you use and what do you like about those tests? So far we have only had the milk tested for somatic cell count, butterfat, and protein. We use these tests as an overall guide of how our herd is doing, and it helps us to see if our nutrition is in check. It helps us to decide if we need to make changes on our farm and assists us when making culling decisions. We have not utilized the pregnancy test yet but are considering it in the future.
Which is your favorite and why? We like all the tests we’ve used so far, but the somatic cell test helps to pinpoint the cows that are high in somatic cell.
How does testing with DHIA bene t your dairy operation? Overall, DHIA is a good tool to help manage our dairy.
Tell us about your farm. We have a registered dairy herd near Sebeka, Minnesota. We milk 170 cows. We raise our own replacements and grow our own alfalfa and corn for feed for our animals.
The Schmitz family own an eight-cow, six-acre, directmarketed raw milk dairy near Lake Crystal. Their daily herd average of 23.5 pounds of milk supports the couple and their young daughter, Adella.
“I had always had aspirations to be outside,” Nick said. “Farming is like that nexus of being in service to other humans and working with nature directly.”
The Schmitzes farm full time and sell milk out of their milk house farm shop three days a week.
All customers make a milk reservation. Customers bring their own containers and the milk is taken directly from the bulk tanks. The Schmitzes’ cows produce about 22-23 gallons of milk each day and their milk is regularly sold out.
The Schmitzes’ herd is fed a 100% forage diet which is mostly purchased. With limited acres, their pasture is used for husbandry purposes and not as a primary feed source. The choice to be forage based is for health reasons.
“There’s a lot of virtue signaling (out there),” Nick said. “We really don’t want to be seen that way. ... If we’re going to feed forage, it’s for milk quality for human nutrition, not because that somehow elevates us in some way.”
Nick said it has been a learning curve to buy quality grass hay in beef cattle country. Their products are not
organic or non-genetically modied organism nor do they intend for them to be. Their perspective on the environment is people focused.
“We believe that sustainability should be oriented towards human ourishing,” Nick said. Annie agreed.
“Not soil regeneration so the soil is better, but so that what the cows are eating is higher in nutrition, so that what I’m drinking from the cow is higher in nutrition,” Annie said.
The Schmitzes’ have made their farm a Catholic Worker Farm of St. Joseph.
“We seek to prolong the incarnation of Christ,” Nick said.
“We seek to participate with God in His creation in a way that is oriented towards human ourishing.”
He said a farm is an opportunity to grow in faith and come to know God through work.
Annie agreed.
“It’s an attitude of taking your spirituality, performing the works of mercy and combining that with manual labor,” she said.
In addition to the nutrition they offer through their milk, the Schmitzes want to further pursue this mission and potentially offer education or opportunities to work on the farm. Already, they advise families that want to milk cows as well.
“We want more dairies,” Nick said. “We don’t want to be alone in this, we don’t want to corner the market.”
The Schmitzes said their hope for the community is that anyone who wants to farm would be able to.
“I see hope that we can create a food economy that’s ... more local,” Nick said. “Not because local is a virtue that we have to uphold, but because we take the middlemen out, and we allow people to live a lifestyle that’s healthy.”
Annie agreed.
“You can eat fresher food that tastes better and has more nutrition because it hasn’t been picked in March and served to you in May,” she said.
Neither Nick or Annie grew up dairy farming. They both were teachers who were frustrated and who wanted to nd a way to be more present for their family.
Turn to SCHMITZ | Page 13
pinecountrybank.com
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
The Schmitz family — Annie (from le ), Adella and Nick — pet one of their Jersey cows June 24 on their dairy farm near Lake Crystal, Minnesota. The Schmitzes direct market the raw milk from their eight cows.
These buckets undergo a mul�-step process of cleaning which includes chlorinated pipeline detergent, acid and bleach.
“You don’t just start a farm in this economy, which is a tragedy,” Nick said. “Raw milk was really the only outlet that we saw for that. The margins are good enough. There’s no middleman.”
They started in the fall of 2021 with two cows. At rst, they were struggling to sell all their milk, but six months later they were selling out and had to purchase four more heifers.
“There’s no truck,” Nick said. “You get it out the door in a timely fashion or you’re not paid.”
The Schmitzes sell their milk within three days.
To promote their business, Annie worked on their website and learned search engine optimization, created social media pages and hung iers.
Nick said they quickly learned that they had to go to year-round calving to keep consistent levels of milk for sale.
“We just couldn’t have the ups and downs,” Nick said. “It just was too hard to bring on customers (and then) send them away.”
Nick and Annie milk their cows once a day in the morning. Their cows are milked two at a time in a at stanchion parlor with oor buckets.
The Schmitzes start their prep by dry wiping udders to remove debris.
Then the teats are dipped with iodine. Next, they clean the teats and the teat base. Then they scrutinize the cow’s undersides to double check for cleanliness. They milk all their cows with a kick stop. If a cow kicks off the milker, the milk is isolated.
The cows are post dipped and the milk is poured through a funnel lter into the bulk tank and cooled.
After milking is complete, they clean their equipment. They start with a warm water and bleach solution followed by chlorinated pipeline detergent, acid rinse and bleach sanitizer.
Before milking the next day, the clean equipment is re-sanitized.
In the future, the Schmitzes said they would like to grow, but not in herd size. They would like to purchase or rent more land so they could do more grazing.
“It’s hard in corn and bean country,” Nick said. “If you don’t buy the whole 80 (acres), you don’t buy anything.”
However, they said any growth they have would need to align with their Catholic Worker Farm philosophy.
“I don’t want to use Christ to sell milk, I want to use milk to sell Christ,” Nick said.
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Light gleams off oor buckets June 24 in the milk house at the Schmitzes’ farm near Lake Crystal, Minnesota.
from our side our side OF THE FENCE
How has your rst/second crop hay harvest been?
Rich Deruyter pictured with Clay (left) and Stephanie Ruthton, Minnesota Pipestone County 100 cows
Tell us about your rst-crop hay harvest. We actually didn’t cut our rst crop until June 13. We wrapped 25% of it wet and then round baled the rest dry June 16. We were lucky we had decent drying days at that time. The wet baled stuff was 35% moisture, and the dry stuff was 15% moisture. We put the dry hay in rows outside.
What are your hay making goals? We usually try for 28-30 days. This year we were a little later because of how wet it was and we didn’t want to rut the eld. Plus, it was an older stand, so I tried to get a little more tonnage.
Who is all involved with harvesting hay on your farm and what are their roles? All the work this year was done by my son, Clay, and I. I cut and I baled and Clay helped with raking and picking up bales. We took barley off at the same time we wrapped. We ended up with 300 bales of barley and we wet wrapped that as well. We double cropped and planted corn where we harvested the barley.
Have you started on second crop?If so, what was the yield on it? We are about a week away from the second crop. But we need heat. We have too much water and not enough heat.
What has been the biggest challenge with making hay this summer? The wet weather to start. Then 7-8 days after we put up rst-crop hay we got an additional 10 inches of rain. That gave us a lot of standing water and pooling in the eld. We haven’t had to spray yet for bugs, but I see some pressure out there.
What’s your favorite part of making hay? I would say the smell of fresh cut hay. It brings me back to when I was a kid when we baled a lot of small square bales. It was a lot of hard work and fun times. A lot of times during the summer we would put up 50-60,000 small square bales. We did custom work. The other thing I like about hay is you get four chances to put up good quality hay.
Tell us about your farm. I farm here with my wife, Steph, and we have six children. We have two at home yet, Clay and Sadie. Clay is 20 and he helps with the dairy, and Sadie is 13. Most of the dairy work is done by Clay, Steph and me. We also have a tree service business and run a sawmill with two full-time employees. We raise corn, alfalfa and barley. We have free housing and milk in a swing-8 parlor. Our milk goes to Bel Brands in Brookings, South Dakota.
Little Falls, Minnesota
Morrison County 80 cows
Tell us about your rst-crop hay harvest. It got cut 10 days too late because we got too much rain. We cut the second week in June. It was laid down from all the rain we’ve had but still yielded well. We chopped it and put it in the silo. It must have been about 50% moisture. We usually cut every 30 days but we had to wait this year because of all the rain. We had to wait for it to stop raining and then for the ground to rm up so we could get in the eld. This year we have 40 acres of alfalfa.
What are your hay-making goals? First crop we always put in the silo and second and third crop we put in 9- by 200-feet bags. Typically, we cut every 30 days. We like the moisture to be at 50% or 55%.
Who is all involved with harvesting hay on your farm and what are their roles? A retired farmer that is my neighbor, Kevin Plante, helps me make hay. He does the chopping. We use a 16-foot rotary head and I put two together so, we move right along. I got a couple of new 22-foot chopper boxes this year.
Have you started on second crop? If so, what was the yield on it? Not yet, but hopefully next week we will start. It’s knee high already.
What has been the biggest challenge with making hay this summer? All the rain. The end of May we had a short window to get into the eld. We nished planting corn but were not able to get the hay cut before it started raining again.
What’s your favorite part of making hay? I like cutting hay, I like the smell of fresh cut hay. I like cutting grass too. It’s very relaxing.
Tell us about your farm. I milk 80 cows in a 70-stall tiestall barn and farm 320 acres. I have a couple of kids that work for me part time to help with the milking. My milk gets shipped to First District Association.
Linda Betz Caledonia, Minnesota
Houston County 25 cows
Tell us about your rst-crop hay harvest. I cut hay on June 7 and it was round baled by my neighbor on the 10th. I put the bales in a pole shed. We cut 10 acres for 30 bales.
What are your hay-making goals? I like to cut every 28 days if I can and if the weather cooperates. I bale all my hay. I check the moisture with my hands. I check the stems. My dad told me not to worry about the leaves but to break the stems in half. I check the old-fashioned way.
Who is all involved with harvesting hay on your farm and what are their roles? I cut and I rake. Occasionally my older sister, Kathy, or nephew, Evan, are here to help. My neighbor does the round baling. If I do the baling, I do small squares.
Have you started on second crop?If so, what was the yield on it? Not yet. I’m going to cut my oats rst. I under seed alfalfa under oats with clover. I bought some oat hay last year at the hay sale in Waukon, Iowa, and my cows loved it.
What has been the biggest challenge with making hay this summer? The rain. I’m sure everybody is going to say that. We need a little bigger window.
What’s your favorite part of making hay? I don’t know if I like cutting or raking better. I love the smell when you rake. I guess that’s my favorite part. I like to see the bales all up in the shed. It is nice to see your supply.
Tell us about your farm. I’m the third generation. Evan will be here eventually. I only have 36 tillable acres. I have 65 acres of pasture. In the summer, everything, except really small calves, is on pasture. Kathy and Evan help me when they can. I sell my milk to Associated Milk Producers Inc. I have a tiestall barn.
Cory Hourscht pictured with Caiden Anez
Russ Brandt Postville, Iowa Clayton County 100 cows
Tell us about your rst-crop hay harvest. We took rst cutting the week of June 8-15. Most of it was chopped and put in an upright stave silo, but we did manage to get some dry enough to make 53 round bales. Despite the wet weather, the silage got ahead of us and was a little drier than we’d like. Tonnage was great and quality was decent for being two weeks late.
What are your hay making goals? We are using conventional alfalfa and aim for a 28-30-day cutting schedule. Most years we try to big square bale one cutting and chop the remainder of cuttings. If a cutting gets too mature or rained on, we will round bale that for heifer rations. Last year we were able to take ve cuttings, but we’ll be lucky to make four this year the way this season is going.
Nick Meyer
Sauk Centre, Minnesota
Todd County 70 cows
Tell us about your rst-crop hay harvest. First crop was one of our better harvests. We averaged around 4.2 dry tons an acre with moisture around 68%. All of rst cutting was chopped. I usually run the pack tractor. I hire out whenever I need to chop hay and they get it done within two days. The benet of how quickly it gets done is the feed is consistent and there is no change for the cows throughout the year. Then we store it in a bunker pile, packed and covered.
What are your hay-making goals? To get the best quality feed possible. I normally aim for four cuttings a year if there is enough moisture. We try to get it cut every 28 days in the summer. I also aim to have the bailage dry, but if not, I have a wrapper and just wrap it.
Who is all involved with harvesting hay on your farm and what are their roles? I hire Tim Woeste Custom Harvesting LLC for the cuttings we have to chop. Otherwise, I have a son, Tyeus, who is almost 15 and a cousin, Chris
Who is all involved with harvesting hay on your farm and what are their roles? My wife grew up in the city but has learned to mow and rake hay and enjoys helping with that. Most of the chopping and hauling is done by my brother and me, with occasional help from a neighbor.
Have you started on second crop? If so, what was the yield on it? We are still waiting on a better forecast to start on second cutting.
What has been the biggest challenge with making hay this summer? Like everyone else in the upper Midwest, it seems that a line of rain comes through every three or four days, which isn’t long enough if the ground needs one or two days before you can drive on it.
What’s your favorite part of making hay? Aside from weather challenges, I enjoy haying. The elds are picturesque between the corn strips, and, unlike corn, you get three, four or even ve chances a year to grow a great crop.
Tell us about your farm. My wife, Hannah, and I farm with my brother, Nathan, and our parents, Bob and Beth. The dairy herd is roughly 50% purebred Brown Swiss and 50% purebred Holsteins. The farm has been in the family for 132 years and we have had registered Brown Swiss for 95 years and Holsteins for 50 years. The cows are milked in a 50-stall tie-stall barn built in 1957. The remaining cows are housed in a pole shed on bedded pack. We farm 260 acres on contour strips and this year it is almost equally divided between alfalfa and corn, with 20 acres of oats.
Sunderman, who come out quite often. They help with everything; we work as a team and get it done.
Have you started second crop? If so, what was the yield on it? I have second crop all done. It was decent. I was not quite as heavy as rst crop but it was above average. I’m not exactly sure on tonnage but I would say it was around the 2.5 and three.
What has been the biggest challenge with making hay this summer? We don’t face that many with today’s technology, especially with hiring out for the chopping. Breakdowns and the weather are the biggest things. Breakdowns I would say are the biggest with time and the cattle.
What’s your favorite part of making hay? Everything about it. It is probably one of the better crops to harvest from the smell of it and getting the feed done. I generally get to harvest it four times so I am across that ground a bunch. Harvesting any crop is the best part of it.
Tell us about your farm. I have been here since 2008 and milk 70 cows in a tiestall barn. Our milk is shipped to First District Association. Tyeus and Chris help with the dairy side of things as well and I have a part-time employee who helps a couple nights a week with milking. Generally, we do everything ourselves from start to nish. We raise all of our steers to 300-350 pounds then sell them to a private guy. We raise all of our own replacement heifers. It’s a work in progress like every other dairy.
David, Angie,
and
Tauers value consistent, fresh feed with timely delivery
Describe your farm and facilities. We milk in a double-6 herringbone parlor. Our cows are housed in a freestall barn and our fresh cows are on a bedded pack. Fresh cows are milked four times a day for the rst three weeks. Our regular herd is milked twice a day. We raise all our own replacements. On the farm, our family is assisted by our herdsperson, Emily Ludewig, as well as three interns who do most of the milking. My brother and some neighbors help as needed on the farm.
What forages do you harvest? We do a lot of rye. We harvest that rst in the spring. This year we harvested it in mid-May. We usually harvest alfalfa as 50% haylage and 50% dry hay. All of our corn goes into silage. This year we are trying sorghum after rye. Usually, we would put corn after rye, but this year we have enough corn silage.
How many acres of crops do you raise? We have 450 acres that are all farmed for feed for the cows.
Describe the rations for your livestock. Our milk cows receive 10 pounds of ground dry corn, 8 pounds of protein, 3 pounds of soybean meal, 5 pounds of dry hay, 20 pounds
of haylage and 75 pounds of corn silage. Our dry cows receive 12 pounds of grass hay and 30 pounds of corn silage. Close-up dry cows also get 3 pounds of grain and 3 pounds
of protein mix. Heifers 8-20 months of age get 40 pounds of oatlage or ryelage, 4 pounds of dry hay and 10-15 pounds of corn silage.
What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop?
This year’s rye crop was exceptional. We harvested about 600 tons off 80 acres. The protein was 17%, which was almost as good as our alfalfa. We harvested 35 acres of rst crop alfalfa as haylage. We got about 110 feet of bag length on a 12-foot-diameter bag. We baled about 90 acres of dry hay and harvested just over ve big square bales per acre. That was an exceptional yield for dry hay; the average is about four bales an acre. I don’t shoot for the highest quality possible. First crop seems to feed exceptionally well. If it’s over 140 relative feed value and doesn’t get rained on, I am happy. It seems like the rst crop has better ber and the cows really milk well on it. A 140 RFV rst crop is as good as a 160 RVF second or third crop. Because of the rain, we cut about a week later than ideal on rst crop dry hay. The RFV was 125-135, so not quite what I wanted.
Ruby
Adam Tauer. Emily Ludewig Hanska, Minnesota | Brown County | 250 cows
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Emily Ludewig, Angie Tauer and David Tauer pause June 24 on the Tauer family’s dairy farm near Hanska, Minnesota. The Tauers milk 250 cows.
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“Soft, comfortable udders that milk out quickly and completely have a big impact on milk quality and performance,” says Erik Hagedoorn, managing one of two Bos Dairies locations near Lovington, N.M., milking 5400 Jersey cross cattle, calving over 30 a day.
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At Beer Cattle Co., Berne, Ind., 250 heifers calve-in monthly.
“We use Udder Comfort after each milking for 5 to 7 days after calving to remove swelling. This gets udders softer, faster, for more milk,” says Keith Beer. “We saw better first-lactation performance in our 2-year-olds with a 3 to 4 pound production increase at 14 DIM, and a reduced SCC for the group. We love how easy it is to do this in the parlor,” he adds.
Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. We use a selfpropelled chopper. We cut and windrow it and then merge two windrows together. We cut on day one and then chop late on day two or wait a full day between. For dry hay, we put it in windrows, rake it on day three and try to bale it on day four. Regardless of moisture, I add a preservative, even if it is 15% or less moisture. It just seems like it is good insurance. For corn silage, we like to harvest it at 66%-67% moisture with a 3/4 inch cut length, process it and put it in bags. All our forage is in bags. I love them, I think you can’t get better feed. We’re at the point where we almost need a bigger bagger, but the feed is always fresh.
What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? We have a 12foot bagger and a concrete pad for most of the bags. The bags that are not on the cement we usually put corn silage in instead of hay because they are easier to manage. We use them in the winter when it’s supposed to be frozen. We clean up the bag every other day. We cut off the plastic and keep it fresh that way. We use about 1.5 feet of haylage and 4-5 feet of corn silage per day. We use a total mixed ration mixer and use a nutritionist through Hubbard Feeds. We raise 100% our own feed except for some dry corn.
How do quality forages play in the production goals for your herd? My philosophy on forage quality is that the most important thing for getting milk out of cows is consistent, fresh feed delivered daily at the same time. I think that is more important than quality. Right now, our cows are averaging 85 pounds of milk per day and I’m happy with that. Once we get into the 90s, we see more mastitis are-ups and other health issues. I’ll take less milk with healthier cows than more milk with more issues. We don’t push our cows as hard as we could, but I’m OK with where they’re at.
What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that has made a notable difference in forage quality? The self-propelled forage harvester we bought two years ago. We are able to make things in a timely fashion, so on those days when it is drying really quickly, we can get ahead of it before it gets too dry. When you get better moisture, the feed sticks together better and isn’t as sortable.
Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. We do double cropping with the rye. We tried this about 20 years
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY
(Le ) Angie and David Tauer visit June 24 in the hay shed on their farm near Hanska, Minnesota. The Tauers harvest 50% of their alfalfa for dry hay.
(Below) David Tauer holds total mixed ra on June 24 on his farm near Hanska, Minnesota. Tauer said his philosophy on forage quality is that the most important thing for ge ng milk out of cows is consistent, fresh feed delivered daily at the same me.
ago, but I wasn’t satised with the crop after the rye. Getting a good seedbed was a big issue. Now, we have been doing
vertical tillage after the rye is harvested and roll it. It makes a much nicer seed bed and the crops do better afterwards.
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Sharing dairy’s journey from farm to table
Schroeder named top 10 nalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way
By Amy Kyllo amy.k@star-pub.com
CALEDONIA, Minn.
The same personality trait that makes Miranda Schroeder enjoy accounting also makes her enjoy the dairy community.
“I like to work with numbers and I like knowing when everything balances,” Schroeder said. “Being able to know the step by step, from farm to table, ... (and) getting that (information) out there is why I have a passion for the dairy community.”
Schroeder, who is the daughter of Daniel and Sheila, was named one of the top 10 nalists for Princess Kay of the Milky Way.
“I was so excited, I was so happy, (so) overjoyed for becoming a nalist,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder’s family operates a fth-generation dairy farm near Caledonia. The Schroeders milk 140 cows and farm 1,500 acres.
“A message that I am most adamant about is just saying that dairy is real,” Schroeder said. “It has 13 essential nutrients that help strengthen your bones, your mind and your body. It’s all natural. ... There’s nothing to hide.”
Schroeder said she wants to share this message with the entire state but especially with the next generation.
“They are the people who are going to be continuing on the legacy of dairy,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder helps on the weekends or as needed as she is attending college and has other responsibilities. She said her favorite job is bottle-feeding calves. Schroeder’s dad, uncle, Michael, sister, Rebeckah (Schroeder) Marschall, and cousin, Carsen Bullerman, all work full time on the farm.
“I look up to both my dad and my sister and seeing how hard they work and how much work goes into the food that we make,” Schroeder said. “It makes me very
proud to see that not only are they working for the farm and their family but also for the entire community.”
Schroeder said some of her favorite memories on the farm are milking cows with her sister.
“It’s our time to talk about our days and to catch up with each other,” Schroeder said.
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Miranda Schroeder pets a calf May 16 at her family’s dairy farm near Caledonia, Minnesota. Schroeder was named a top 10 nalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Turn to SCHROEDER
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Sharing the message of dairy
Moline vies for Princess Kay of the Milky Way
By Tiffany Klaphake tiffany.k@dairystar.com
ST.
PETER, Minn. —
When Mackenzie Moline started working at a local dairy farm, she did not realize the impact it would have on her life.
Moline’s older sister, Makayla, had been working and leasing animals at Annexstad Dairy Farms Inc. to show at the county fair for several years before Moline started working at the farm as well. Annexstad Dairy Farms Inc. is owned by Mike, Rolf and Jean Annexstad. The family milks 185 cows near St. Peter.
“I always watched Makayla and would go with her to the farm, where I got to see a lot of the behind-thescenes workings of the dairy farm,” Moline said. “I ended up working in the calf barn and fell in love with it.”
Moline goes to work at the calf barn a few mornings before school to feed and bed
the calves.
“The care that dairy farmers give to their animals is so special,” Moline said. “Walking into the calf barn, you can feel the love. It makes it fun
to go to work each morning.”
Throughout her reign as a nalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Moline’s main message will be the 13 essential vitamins and miner-
als found in dairy products.
“Even if you are lactose intolerant, there are dairy products out there for you,” Moline said. “I have been trying to spread the message of
what those products are and how you can still incorporate dairy into your diet.”
Moline will use her background of working on a dairy farm and her experience with an eating disorder to make an impact on people’s lives by sharing how nutritious dairy products are.
“I have learned how crucial dairy is in our diet and will use that knowledge with my career,” Moline said. “It goes with my love for the dairy industry.”
This fall, Moline will attend Minnesota State University to become a dietitian. During her battle with an eating disorder, Moline worked closely with a dietitian and focused on nutritious foods. She became inspired and is now speaking out and sharing her story with others.
“I decided after battling that, I want to help other people, too,” Moline said. “Dairy is extremely important for you.”
After encouragement from Makayla, the Moline sisters ran together for Nicollet County Dairy Princess.
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Mackenzie Moline smiles June 24 at the Annexstad family’s dairy farm near St. Peter, Minnesota. Moline will a end Minnesota State University, Mankato this fall to pursue a career in diete cs.
“Sometimes life can be really busy, and you run, run, run.”
Another favorite farm memory is of her dad waking the children early to see a calf being born or to enjoy other special aspects of farm life.
“We’d go over, and just being able to watch life be born is the most amazing thing ever,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder, who just nished her rst year of college at Minnesota State College Southeast-Winona Campus, is pursuing a degree in accounting. She plans to return to the greater Caledonia area and work for an agriculture-based company. She may also assist with the nancials for her family’s dairy farm and occasionally help with chores.
This is the second year that Schroeder has been an ofcial county dairy princess. She said she sees being a dairy princess as a way to give back to the dairy community.
“They’ve given me so much,” Schroeder said. “I’ve learned many skills from my family working on the farm and also all of the farms in our community. They grow our food, they make sure that everything’s running smoothly, and I feel like giving back to them and being able to promote what they do.”
Schroeder said she has learned versatility as a dairy princess from her background on the farm and now meeting people from other backgrounds at college.
Schroeder said a favorite Houston County dairy princess event she has attended was a dairy day camp in May.
The event, which was hosted by the Houston County American Dairy Association on a Houston County dairy farm, invited fth graders from across the county to tour a farm where they milked a cow, bottle fed a calf and saw a total mixed ration demonstration. They also participated in games and went through a dairy-themed escape trailer.
“All the fth graders left so happy ... I’m hoping next year we do it again,” Schroeder said. “It was a whirlwind of fun.”
Schroeder is the second woman in her family to be a Princess Kay nalist. Her older sister, Marschall, was a nalist in 2020.
“She really helped spark my joy for the dairy community,” Schroeder said. “She’s always proud of everything I do. ... She’s probably the best role model.”
Schroeder has plans for her 90-pound butter likeness. She will display it next year at her county’s dairy princess banquet. Schroeder and Marschall plan to get Marschall’s butter sculpture out of the freezer and do a photoshoot with their sculptures together. Then, Schroeder said she will enjoy the butter with family and friends during movie nights and in baking.
Schroeder said she is most excited about the people she will meet in her Princess Kay nalist journey.
“I love having conversations with people and just getting to know them,” Schroeder said.
Con nued from MOLINE | Page 25
Moline chose to continue by competing to be a Princess Kay of the Milky Way nalist.
“I have always looked up to Makayla,” Moline said. “This year, she asked if I would run with her. Leading up to May Event, I just wanted to do the best I could — and I did. It was a dream of mine to become a nalist.”
This summer, Moline is looking forward to getting to know the other nalists, attending the Minnesota State Fair and advocating for the dairy industry. So far, classroom and library visits have been her favorite appearances as a nalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way.
“I loved doing the classroom visits and explaining how sustainable farmers are and the care they take with their animals,” Moline said. “Sharing the positive message of dairy with today’s youth is huge, and when they hear these things from a young age, they have a stronger understanding of what we are talking about.”
An avid cheese-lover, Moline said she learns something new every day and looks forward to sharing her experiences with others.
“Dairy is such a huge part of daily nutrition, and I would love to keep sharing the message of dairy,” Moline said.
Silo
Pictured with optional guard rail post mounted on the inside of the bunk or can also be placed outside.
H5N1 marches on
States, local fairs, shows take precautions
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
In just over three months since it was rst conrmed March 25, highly pathogenic avian inuenza H5N1 has continued to impact the dairy industry, in both incidents and precautions to reduce its spread.
As of July 10, the virus has been conrmed on 145 different dairy farm premises in 12 states — Idaho (28), Colorado (30), Michigan (26), Texas (22), Iowa (12), New Mexico (8), Minnesota (7), South Dakota (5), Kansas (4), Ohio (1), North Carolina (1) and Wyoming (1).
In the past 30 days, 53 newlydetected cases have been conrmed. They are limited to six states — Minnesota (July 2), Colorado (July 8), Iowa (June 28), Idaho (June 20), Texas (July 8) and Michigan (July 8).
In a July 3 press release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that a farm worker, this time in Colorado, became the fourth conrmed human case associated with the ongoing H5N1 outbreak affecting dairy cattle, along with one dairy farm worker in Texas and two in Michigan. The worker, who had been exposed to infected cows, suffered from conjunctivitis symptoms, and according to the CDC has since recovered from his infection. Two of the three other affected workers also suffered symptoms of conjunctivitis, while the third presented with u-like respiratory symptoms.
While there have been four conrmed cases of cow-to-human transmission of H5N1, the CDC continues to rate the risk of infection to the general public as low. The CDC emphasizes that pasteurization of milk and cooking meat to proper recommended temperatures kills the virus, assuring the public that the food supply continues to be safe.
Based on the epidemiological data collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, transmission appears to be most common through contact with raw milk, prompting the
agency to caution dairy farmers to use care and caution in the milking parlor and when disposing of raw milk from infected animals, urging producers to heat-treat milk prior to discarding.
In addition to heat-treatment, ofcials encourage people exposed to infected animals to be vigilant in their use of appropriate personal protective equipment while taking care to practice good hygiene.
The USDA announced as of July 1, producers who have incurred milk losses due to a positive conrmation of H5N1 will be able to apply through their local Farm Service Agency ofce for Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish funds to help recover lost income.
To be eligible, dairy farmers will need to submit proof of a conrmed positive H5N1 based on the APHIS case denition, certifying the number of eligible adult dairy cows and the month those cows were removed from production.
The per-cow milk loss payment will be determined based on an expected 21-day period of no milk production, while the cow is removed from the milking herd, followed by seven additional days when the cow has returned to milk, but estimated to produce 50% of normal production. Payments will be calculated using the monthly all-milk price and national milk price. The deadline to apply will be January 30, 2025.
Since the USDA enacted a Federal Order April 29 requiring testing of all lactating dairy cows prior to crossing state lines, several states have taken action to require testing of those cows when moving within state, particularly when they will be exhibited at dairy cattle shows and other rules regarding livestock exhibitions.
To curb the spread of HPAI in Iowa, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship issued an order effective July 1 that will require testing for in-state movement for exhibition purposes and will prohibit dairy cattle originating in HPAI-affected herds from being exhibited.
According to the IDALS order,
any dairy cattle intended for exhibition must have a certicate of veterinary inspection issued within seven days of arrival at the exhibition. Included with the CVI, any dairy cattle must undergo individual and bulk tank testing prior to issuance of the CVI for exhibition.
Throughout the upper Midwest, as the summer fair and show season kicks into full gear, there are unanswered questions and uncertainties surrounding the potential ramications of exhibiting milking cows.
The Wisconsin Holstein Association had begun holding its series of nine district shows when the order was put in place. Two shows took place prior to the implementation of the order, while the remaining seven shows took place after testing was required.
Wisconsin Holstein breeders continued to support the activities of their association, despite the challenges presented by the testing requirements.
In total, 281 head of milking females were exhibited at the WHA district shows in 2024, down from 322 head exhibited in 2023 and 358 head exhibited in 2022.
In response to the testing orders and concern for reducing the spread of the disease, many local fairs across the upper Midwest are making the decision to exclude lactating dairy cattle from their shows this year.
Northwestern Wisconsin’s Barron County Fair traditionally has a large contingent of milking cows exhibited at their fair in both the junior and open divisions. The fair’s management made a decision to hold a virtual class for milking cows in response to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture,
Trade and Consumer Protection order put in place June 19 requiring testing prior to in-state movement for exhibition.
“We wanted to be proactive, so we had long discussions with all the dairymen in our county that show,” said Kevin Roske, the manager of the Barron County Fair. “There are so many unknowns in this equation that no one wanted to take the risk of testing or exposing themselves to a situation that might impact their livelihoods.”
Roske said, the ones who lose out on the decision are the junior exhibitors who take pride in exhibiting their projects, particularly the milking cows they have usually been working with for years. That led to the development of an alternative plan.
“Last Saturday, someone went around to the farms, took photos of all the milking cows that would have been exhibited at the fair,” Roske said. “We will have our judge place them in a Hoard’s Dairyman-style contest, so that our youth still have the opportunity to showcase the cows they have put so much effort into.”
The main objective for Roske and his fellow Barron County fair board members, 4-H leaders and FFA advisors is to try give the youth the best experience they can, despite the limitations.
“The county fairs are all about the kids and they are the ones that suffer,” Roske said. “A lot of these kids missed out on showing at the fair four years ago because of COVID, and now they are facing this. These are years and experiences these kids can never get back.”
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IN DAIRY women
Family: My parents, Daryl and Amy, own Woldt Farms. My sisters — Kayla, Kristen, Karly and Kortney — and I are the fth generation on the farm. Kortney manages our farm store and my other sisters help out during the harvest season.
Tell us about your farm. My parents took over Woldt Farms in 1990 from my dad’s parents, Hugo and Jeanette Woldt. At that time, they had 80 milking cows. As the years went on, they doubled the herd size about every ve years, and now we are at 1,650 milking cows. These girls get milked three times a day in our double-16 parallel parlor. We run 4,000 acres in which we primarily grow haylage, grass, corn silage, winter wheat, winter rye and triticale. Roughly 95 percent of our ground is no-till and cover cropped, which is something we are very proud of. Our farm employs 35 full-time people, and we also have a lot of part-time and seasonal help, which we are grateful for. During eld work times, my mom feeds all the employees. Sometimes, she serves dinner to 25 people in one evening. In 2022, we added Woldt’s Farm Store, where we sell our homegrown beef and other local Wisconsin products.
What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? There is no typical day for me on the farm. Every day brings something different. I do anything from herd checks with the dairy manager, billing for the trucking we do, ofce work and a variety of eld work. I cut hay, merge, ted, pack pile, run dump cart and help with manure irrigation, just to name a few things. Sometimes, I am only working 35 hours a week, and other times I am working 85 hours a week. Every week is a new challenge, which I really enjoy.
What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? This past year, we started mixing sawdust and sand in with our paper bedding. This has not only helped to create a more comfortable bed for the cows but has created more traction on the oors. Before we put the new bedding in, we dug the old bedding out, which was a project. Now, we are able to till the beds six inches deep. Since we have started doing this, we have seen an increase in milk produc-
Kelsey Woldt
Brillion, Wisconsin
Calumet County
1,650 cows milking
tion. I have also taken a more hands-on approach with our human resources and spent a lot of time this past winter making an employee handbook and a newhire onboarding folder. We have found this helps new hires be in a better mindset when they start here because they have a clearer idea of what our farm is all about. We have a really fun team that works well together, and it makes a huge difference. Instead of dreading going to work, we look forward to it.
Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Oh my, there are so many memories to choose from. I think my most memorable experience, while not too fun, is the fall of 2019. The elds were just drenched from September to November, but we still had to get our crops off. Dump carts were constantly getting stuck. Empty carts were having to push full carts, and we even had a bulldozer in the eld to help push tractors. We had to dump into semis on the road, so someone had to be in a skid steer full time cleaning mud off the roads. This made the corn silage season twice as long as it normally is. While it was not fun at all, it really made me realize how we all have to work together in order to make our farm successful. Whenever we are having a hard time in the elds, we can look back and think, at least it isn’t as bad as the fall of 2019.
For happier memories, I loved showing at the state and county fairs while growing up. I would spend all summer getting my animals ready, and it was such a reward when I actually got to show them. We also had a lot of pets, like a fainting goat, sheep, bunnies, a Shetland pony and dogs. It was so fun being able to play with our animals, and it taught us a lot about being responsible for a living creature. Getting to hang out with my grandparents on the farm is something I will always remember as well.
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? What I really enjoy about dairy farming is the sense of accomplishment it brings. I was in California this past spring for my friend’s wedding, and I visited Yosemite National Park. While there, I went into a convenience store and
saw Belgioioso Mozzarella, which is primarily what our milk is made into. It was such a cool feeling knowing that a product my family helped make has made it across the United States and is helping to feed other people. I also really enjoy getting to know the different cows and their personalities.
What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? My biggest accomplishment in my dairy career is working alongside my parents. I am in a position that most people don’t nd themselves in, and it has been very rewarding to work on my family’s farm. I would like to take over Woldt Farms and am working every day towards that goal. A few years ago, I was able to buy my own farmland. It was my great-uncle’s estate, and it has been a learning experience. It is so hard to get into owning land and starting a dairy farm these days, so I am grateful I had an opportunity to get my foot in the door and for parents who are very willing to help me out.
What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? We love giving tours to everyone of all ages. Whether it’s people who stop in just to visit the store, people from out of state who want to see a Wisconsin farm, or school kids — everyone is welcome. It’s fun answering everyone’s questions about where their food really comes from, and we feel that people get a lot out of the ex-
perience. We also have a good following on our Facebook page. We really try to explain what we are doing so not only our neighbors know, but hopefully we will help give ideas to other people as well by sharing what we do.
What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Advice I would give to other women in the dairy industry is don’t forget that you are important. Being a dairy farmer is hard, and it’s easy to forget how important we are when we are working endless hours. Not only do our animals rely on us, but friends and family do too, so it is vital that we take care of our bodies/minds and make time for ourselves. I try to take a small trip once a winter, and I always come back with a better mindset. It’s hard stepping away from the farm for a few days, but we need to do it to be our best selves. I have also found that having small weekly goals and making lists has really helped manage my stress level.
When you get a spare moment what do you do? When I have a spare moment, I love to check out new places to hike, go to local wineries with my friends, visit small shops and try out new recipes. Reading is also a passion of mine, and I try to make a little time for it each day. I have two mini donkeys (Momma and Jack) and a dog, Kash, that I really enjoy spending my free time with as well.
What’s in a genetic index?
There are more than 50 traits currently evaluated by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, the organization that is responsible for ofcial dairy cattle genetic evaluations in the United States. A fun fact: they also conduct genetic evaluations for dairy goats in the U.S. That is a lot of individual traits to consider, and these individual traits fall under categories such as yield, reproduction, conrmation, health and longevity.
there is very little weight on uid milk yield in Net Merit. This is because farms are paid for fat and protein yield, not water. Other indices are available and were developed to cater to different milk markets or production systems.
By Isaac Haagen University of Minnesota
To help producers make genetic selection decisions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which conducted ofcial genetic evaluations prior to the formation of CDCB, created Lifetime Net Merit Dollars. Net merit is an economic index. This means that individual traits are weighted by their expected economic value and combined into a single value of lifetime prot, in this case, Net Merit. A trait that has a high economic value to farms such as fat yield will receive more weight, or have more impact on the index value, than a trait with a relatively lower economic value, such as feet and leg composite. Contrary to what some might believe,
The CDCB publishes three other indices: Cheese Merit, Fluid Merit, and Grazing Merit. These indices recognize that different production systems have different needs and may have different cost structures. For instance, Grazing Merit was developed to cater to operations that graze animals. Compared to Net Merit, Grazing Merit places greater emphasis on fertility, recognizing that grazing operations are more likely to practice seasonal calving, with less emphasis on productive life, since grazing animals tend to have longer lifespans in the dairy herd. It is important to note that these indices are highly correlated with each other. The correlation between Net Merit, Cheese Merit, Fluid Merit and Grazing Merit are estimated wellabove 0.90. This means that only minor reranking will occur for bulls
Orange Spectacular®
when you compare one index to another.
Of course, there are other organizations and businesses that publish their own indices. For instance, breed associations in the U.S. have published indices which are meant to further breed goals. These indices often place slightly greater emphasis on conrmation traits compared to Net Merit. Examples include Type Production Index by Holstein Association USA or Jersey Performance Index by the American Jersey Cattle Association. Another popular index used in the U.S. is Dairy Wellness Prot Index by Zoetis which places greater emphasis on health or disease resistance traits when compared to Net Merit. In addition, there are many other indices published by bull studs. Importantly, all the index examples named combine economically relevant traits into a single number that can be used for genetic selection. An index that combines economi-
Dana Adams adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968
Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184
Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277
Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711
Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863
cally important traits is preferred over single trait selection. This allows us to make favorable progress in many traits relative to their value to the dairy producer. This is because traits can be negatively correlated with other traits, as is the case with yield and reproduction traits. When you only evaluate one of these traits, progress for the other can suffer substantially. The general recommendation is to choose the index that aligns most closely with the goals of your operation. It is important to consider all sources of income and expenses when considering which index is best for you.
In conclusion, you should consider utilizing a genetic selection index, such as Net Merit, when selecting bulls for your herd. Regardless of the index you choose, it should closely align with your goals and your unique sources of income and expenses.
Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109
Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435
Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357
Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093
Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205
Melissa Wilson mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
Isaac Haagen hagge041@umn.edu 612-624-7455
Michael Boland boland@umn.edu 612-625-3013
Sabrina Florentino slpore@umn.edu 507-441-1765
Biosecurity for cattle operations
Biosecurity practices and procedures reduce transmission of disease-causing organisms (pathogens) between and within farms. A biosecurity plan can protect your farm from external pathogens and minimize the transmission of diseases within your system.
External biosecurity refers to procedures and practices that reduce the transmission of pathogens from sources off your farm. This includes the management of routine visitors such as the milk truck, feed deliveries, custom harvesters, borrowed equipment, etc. External biosecurity also includes the management of bought or leased animals.
By Joe Armstrong University of Minnesota
Internal biosecurity refers to procedures and practices on the farm to prevent transmission of pathogens between areas of your farm. Most harmful diseases within a farm transfer from older animals to younger animals. An example of an internal biosecurity practice is to wash boots before entering the calf barn or to have an entirely different set of clothes for working with calves. Washing boots or having separate clothes helps prevent potentially harmful organisms from being transferred from the cowherd to the calf population.
Using biosecurity practices decreases the chance of harmful diseases affecting your animals. Protecting your farm from outside pathogens helps your business to continue unaffected with productive, healthy cows.
If a foreign animal disease outbreak occurred, having a day-to-day biosecurity plan could protect your farm from becoming infected before a disease is contained. Having an additional plan to increase biosecurity will help you acquire permits when animal movement is restricted and keep your business running as usual during an outbreak. Whether producing milk or meat, you are providing food. Having proper biosecurity will help to ensure you continue to produce food that is safe for the public.
To start biosecurity on your farm, determine the goal of your biosecurity. Is there a specic disease that you are looking to target that you already have? Is there a particular disease you are worried about acquiring? These are good questions to start with and can determine how rigorous your biosecurity protocols need to be. If you don’t have a specific goal, that is OK too. Talk with your veterinarian and get them involved. Your veterinarian is one of the only people you work with who can comment on your entire system and how everything works together. They have specic biosecurity training that can help you develop a plan that targets your most signicant transmission risks.
Writing down a specic protocol and set of practices is essential. You, your employees, and everyone else that visits your farm need to have something that can be referenced.
Even if the protocol is simple, write it down. Consider making materials that are visual reminders to you and your staff, such as signs and posters. Your plan should include a way to measure whether it is having an effect once put into place.
Biosecurity only works if everyone follows the protocols. One person that isn’t on board can derail the whole thing. Make sure everyone understands what to do and make sure everyone understands why it is important. When an employee knows why we are asking for something to be done and what impact it has, they are more likely to continue the practice.
When the plan is ready to go, do not procrastinate, put it into practice. The sooner it is in place, the sooner
you can rene the protocols and identify problem areas that need to be resolved. The only way to know the plan is being followed is to check. Often, actual practices tend to drift away from the original protocol. You need to continually check to make sure things are on track.
You should have a way to measure whether your plan is working or not. Do you see less of a specic disease than before the plan was put into place? Many times, when specic diseases are targeted, we can objectively measure how many animals are affected. If your plan has been given enough time to work, you can decide if you need to change your plan based on your evaluation. Ask your veterinarian for help with this step.
Showcasing dairy
Enthusiasts keep Minnesota’s June youth shows going
By Sherry Newell Staff writer
SAUK CENTRE, Minn.
Once upon a time, multiple regional youth dairy shows dotted the Minnesota landscape every June. Most happened in conjunction with the crowning of a regional dairy princess and other festivities labeled as Dairy Days.
While those regional Dairy Days are gone, youth dairy shows designed to give young dairy showman an early start to their season have evolved. Youth dairy shows in 2024 took place in Sauk Centre, Willmar, New Ulm and Caledonia.
A show in an area known as Region 7, moving between McLeod, Wright and Carver counties over the years, has been held annually but was canceled this year due to H5N1 challenges. Similarly, a youth show in Brainerd took 2024 off due to anticipated scheduling conicts.
For each show, enthusiasm from dairy farmers,
show alumni and community members kept the opportunities alive.
Mary Swart is a recently-retired dairy farmer from New London.
“We just had to keep this going for the youth,” Swart said.
Swart helps manage the Willmar show, which used to be part of a larger Dairy Days celebration.
“If you don’t keep it going for the kids, nothing (of dairy) is left,” Swart said.
Paul Fritsche, a New Ulm dairy farmer, agreed. He and his wife, Melanie, stepped in to continue what had been a regional Dairy Days event in the southwestern quadrant of the state. The New Ulm show has since been known as the Southern Minnesota Youth Dairy Show.
In part, history motivated them the Fritsches said to continue the show.
“(We do it) because somebody did it for us,” he said.
Fritsche showed at Region 9 Dairy Days shows as a kid. His wife showed at the
Thief River Falls Dairy Days show. Now, their grandchildren are the second generation participating in the New Ulm show the couple helped to start.
Rebecca Joerger of Palisade, who grew up on the Caughey family dairy near Brainerd, said she helps to organize the Brainerd show be-
cause of her own experience as a youth.
“When I was young, I remember not everyone could do a whole fair week, but we could take that one day (to show),” she said.
Joerger said that while the Brainerd show did not take place this June, she expects to have one in 2025.
The Crow Wing County American Dairy Association sponsors the show with assistance from several other area promotion groups and local sponsors.
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Joseph Achen (le ) leads a Milking Shorthorn heifer out of the ring June 21 during the Central Minnesota Dairy Day Youth Show in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. The event has been taking place for 69 years.
Several people from Fillmore, Winona, Olmsted and Houston counties work as a committee to organize the Southeast Minnesota All-Breeds Youth Dairy Show, held this summer in Caledonia but in St. Charles for the four previous years. Each county’s representatives take a turn assuming leadership for the event, raising local funds to add to the committee’s fundraising.
Linda Kruse, a dairy farmer from Caledonia, has helped with the show since it began in 2003.
“I think we just want to get the kids out for the rst time each year so they can see how their animals compare to others,” Kruse said.
A typical year at the southeast show brings in 100 competitors.
Several generations have moved through the youth show in central Minnesota, which was held in downtown St. Cloud on Lake George for years, with support from the Chamber of Commerce. Eventually, it moved to the Benton County Fairgrounds and nally to Sauk Centre. The show has 69 years of history.
The Thief River Falls show fell victim to changing numbers and priorities of dairy youth in 2021 after 71 years.
Ryan Grifn is a Thief River Falls dairyman who worked with a committee to put on the Thief River Falls show, long known as Northwest
Dairy Days. While the nal event had good participation and quality, managing the day’s events with minimal volunteers became difcult. Grifn said organizers also knew families in the northwest’s dairy industry might not continue supplying participants.
“Part of it was that kids had aged out and the next wave of kids aren’t old enough yet,” Grifn said. “We also had participants with leased animals from herds who had sold out.”
Mike Hanson, who dairies near Goodridge, showed in the Thief River Falls show for about 10 years beginning in 1962. He said he remembers how each showman received a prize based on their years of showing there, including a white showman’s jacket and a grooming kit.
“The whole thing took up several blocks of downtown,” Hanson said. “There was a parade of champions through town and I had to lead a notso-well-trained dairy heifer.”
Grifn and his committee have kept open the possibility that a show in the northwest could happen in the future. The committee voted to keep remaining funds in place for ve years in case someone pursues a youth show.
Meanwhile, the remaining shows have continued to give more than 200 dairy youth a head start on the county fair season, now in full swing across the state.
The rst column I ever wrote for Dairy Star described my journey of becoming a farmer. From watching a neighboring dairy farm make hay in the eld across the road when I was 12, to attending Short Course in Madison, to an internship learning to milk and then nally raising my family on a dairy farm.
Since that rst column, I’ve written about my family’s exit from milking cows. I have also shared some highlights from visiting farms and memories of my days in the barn. This is slated to be my last column for Dairy Star, since I will be moving on in my career to serve the dairy industry in a different way. For the last column, I wanted to say thank you to each farm who allowed me to tell their story in the past (almost) three years.
By Abby Wiedmeyer Staff Writer
Since that is over 600 interviews, I don’t have the space to thank you all individually. But rest assured, I remember you all.
The rst interview I ever conducted was a Dairy Prole in Tomah, just minutes from my home. The people were practically my neighbors, but my role as a journalist allowed me to connect with them. Since then, I have traveled from my home in Monroe County all the way up to Pierce County, as far east as Juneau County, and more recently expanded into Iowa.
I will denitely never forget the time the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, held a press conference at a farm in Pierce County and I got to attend and report on the event. When the media invite came through my email, I initially wanted to chicken out. I thought I was out of my league. A quick pep talk from a friend made me realize that I’m in this league and I better gure out how to act like it. I was grateful that some fellow media professionals were also in attendance and we could stick together.
There were several other times that the media credentials got me in to meet some inuential folks, but what really warms my heart is all the times I was welcomed into a farm kitchen or a milk house to hear the stories of the dairy farmers who were still making a go of this life.
After we sold our cows, sometimes it was hard to visit a farm that had multiple generations working together on a beautiful site. It felt like they were living my dream. I always hoped that they realized how lucky they were.
I was recently at such a farm. A lot of times I record the interviews to ensure accuracy and when I listened back to this particular interview, there was a point where the grandpa was talking about how his dad had helped him get started and now he was helping his son. The whole time he was talking, the youngest grandchild was making gurgly baby noises. It was a beautiful 75-degree sunny day as we sat on the picnic table in their yard. How could I be anything but happy for them as the sixth generation was successfully raising his family there?
There were also a lot of times when I felt like my path crossed with just the right person, at exactly the right time. Last year, when we were making the decision to sell our cows, I was at a farm whose family had been shipping milk for 118 years. After the interview we were casually chatting, and the farmer was asking me about my family and farm. I shared with him that we were rst generation and having a hard time, and strongly considering selling out.
I felt so vulnerable when I shared that, because here was this guy on a farm that was over a century into its success. Instead of judging me or pufng up his chest, however, he just told me that farming has changed a lot in the last 15 years and he wouldn’t blame us one bit if we were to quit milking. It felt like permission from the universe and I will never forget how impactful that was for me. It helped me work through the emotions of making the hard decision.
I have kept a list of everyone I interviewed in my time here at Dairy Star and when I look at it, I feel like I have a list of friends. I hope that if I’ve been to your farm in the last three years you feel the same. And I hope you never hesitate to keep in touch and tell me your stories.
A very busy national dairy month
I hope all of you had a wonderful National Dairy Month. I know that I did. Of course, since June is Dairy Month, it gives you a free pass to eat as much ice cream as you want. I hope you indulged.
During June I was able to visit so many new places and meet so many awesome people. I kicked off the month by visiting a farmers market at what had been the last working dairy farm in Ramsey County. Although it is no longer a dairy farm it still does a wonderful job sharing the story of dairy with the people who visit the farmers market. There were games for the kids, plenty of vendors set up, and I was honored to read a dairy book to the kids during story time. I had a great time with the people at Bruentrup Heritage Farmers Market.
The next weekend I visited two community celebrations. First, I was invited to attend the 50th Adams Dairy Days. I helped to crown the Dairy Days royalty and also went through the parade with the Mower County dairy princesses.
I had the honor of meeting Princess Kay number six, Betty Cole. She shared with me her experiences as Princess Kay and some of her favorite memories. The next day I attended one of my local celebrations, Bullhead Days. I visited with local royalty including the Waseca County dairy princess who I have been lucky to see many times. I participated in the parade as a way to thank the Waterville community for supporting me this year.
Next, I met several current and past dairy farmers at the Faribault Christian Women’s Connection luncheon. I spoke about my dairy farm and my experiences as Princess Kay this year. Afterward I was approached by several dairy farmers and I was honored because one of the women said that she made sure to nish chores early that morning so she could see me speak and meet me afterwards.
The following week I had six events all over the state. I started in Olivia, Minnesota, where I visited the BOLD summer preschool program. The students and I read a book, made and ate butter and played a game to help identify dairy products. We nished the visit by coloring thank you cards for dairy farmers. The next day I was in Faribault at the Compeer Picnic. I visited with several farmers including my neighbors, Saemrow Dairy, and Kasper’s, a dairy farm family from Medford, Minnesota. I loved getting to talk to some old friends and also making some new ones in the dairy world. Next, I attended Music in the Park in Benson, Minnesota, where I handed out cow hats to children at the event. The Benson community is making preparations to open an agriculture museum for children this fall. The next day I went to Dairy Night at the Rochester Honkers baseball game where I was joined by dairy princesses and ambassadors from several counties. It was so fun to make connections with the dairy farmers and dairy princesses that were there and also the people who had attended the game. The nal two events this week were in Little Falls, Minnesota. I visited the Pine Grove Zoo for the ice cream social. I handed out ice cream to the families and I was able to have so many great conversations. Lastly, I visited the Morrison County Fair. I spent my time in the Ag Learning Center where the kids play at different ag stations. I was able to speak with lots of Fairgoers, several of whom are dairy farmers in the county.
I rounded off June with two virtual events, rst with Big Stone County 4-H. I began with a virtual tour of my dairy farm and also shared some of my activities as Princess Kay. Next Iowa Dairy Princess Ashley Elsbernd and I met virtually with the Midwest Dairy staff. We gave an inside look at dairy farming in Minnesota and Iowa by sharing about our own dairy farms. We also talked about our experiences as Princess Kay and the Iowa Dairy Princess.
Finally, as promised I have a few more thank yous from students all over the state that I would love to share with you. One student wrote, “Thank
you for all you do. I love the milk and many other things you give me in my everyday life. So, thank you so much.” Next Katie wrote, “Thank you for all that you do for our community, from the countless hours spent in the elds or time spent taking care of animals. You do a lot and I appreciate it.” Finally, Klaudia wrote, “Thank you for the hard work you put into caring for the animals and taking no day off. I really appreciate everything you do.”
As seen by these thank you notes, what dairy farmers do is noticed and appreciated. So, let’s celebrate with another serving of ice cream. July is National Ice Cream month after all.
Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Emma Kuball, serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Kuball grew up in Waterville, Minnesota, working on her family’s sixth-generation dairy farm. She attends the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, studying agriculture education, and looks forward to becoming an FFA advisor. She enjoys reading, crocheting and baking. Her parents are Nate and Shannon Kuball. Princess Kay is active doing school visits, representing dairy farmers and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota.
Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of the author and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.
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70th Princess Kay of the Milky Way
On the Road with Princess Kay
A Sunday airshow
Like many Baby Boomers, I was raised on a steady diet of movies about the Second World War. I especially enjoyed lms that were airplane centric.
As a kid, I often pretended that I was an ace ghter pilot as I tore around the house with a toy airplane in my hand while making airplane noises with my mouth. It must have driven my parents nuts. I don’t recall whatever happened to my toy airplane, but its disappearance seems a lot less mysterious now that I think about it.
I grew up and became a dairy farmer, but my fondness for ight stayed with me. I have always kept an eye on the sky to see what’s ying over, always hoping that I might catch a glimpse of one of those classic WW II warbirds.
One summer Sunday, the cosmic tumblers
aligned in such a way that I found myself at home alone. What to do with this day, I wondered. There was always the “work” option; dairy farmers have an endless list of stuff that could or should be done. I concluded that all of that stuff would still be there on Monday.
I was taught in Sunday School that the Sabbath was a day to be set aside for rest and spiritual renewal. And what better way to renew one’s spirit than attending an airshow? I realized that this might be a bit of a stretch but decided to stick with that line of reasoning.
I hopped into my pickup and boogied up to the site of the airshow. The weather was perfect: mostly sunny and warm with a few plump cumulous clouds lazing around at mid-altitude.
Some extraordinary things can only be seen at
an airshow. Wing walking would be a good example. What is it that drives a guy to become a wingwalker? The love of wind in the hair and bugs in the teeth?
There were other things at the airshow that were obviously just for fun. For instance, I seriously doubt that any re calls were ever answered by that jet-propelled retruck that could do over 350 MPH, but I suppose it’s fun to consider the possibilities. And ying that little microjet must be a blast, although it didn’t appear to be all that much different than strapping a jet engine onto your back and lighting the afterburner.
By
As with most entertainment extravaganzas, the airshow’s producers saved the best for last. Finally, right at the end of the show, they trotted out the World War II warbirds.
Fullling moments washed over me in waves. When a 1939 vintage DC-3 ew over at a stately pace I half expected to see Humphrey Bogart stroll by in his rumpled trench coat and say to his companion, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!”
And then they brought out the really good stuff: an assortment of WW II ghter planes and a B-24 Liberator bomber. I don’t know why, but there’s something deliciously thrilling about the sight and the sound of a Mustang or a Thunderbolt opening its throttle and leaping up into the sky.
As the venerable warbirds performed their gutwrenching low altitude maneuvers, the show’s announcer proclaimed that these aircraft transform gasoline into music. Wrong, I thought. This is the sound of fury, the roar of a nation’s industrial and innovative might forged into tools of aerial warfare. I could imagine the pride that was felt when scores of these machines thundered into the sky all at once. Woe betide the enemy who was the recipient of their wrath.
As the airshow began to wind down, I espied a familiar face. Its owner was none other than Paul Knudson, an old friend and the erstwhile pastor of our church. (I wonder: if your former pastor is retired could you then say, “Our past pastor has been put out to pasture?”)
As I chatted with Paul about the airshow, an extremely rare Super Corsair thundered overhead. We gazed skyward in reverential silence as the mighty machine snarled by. Only at an airshow do people get sunburned on the undersides of their chins.
I took Pastor Paul’s presence at the airshow as a sign that attending this event was indeed a worthy way to renew myself on the Sabbath. As I drove home, happy and sunburned, I rolled down the window and let my arm hang out. The slipstream rushing over my hand created powerful amounts of lift.
And since nobody was around to tell me otherwise, I made airplane noises with my mouth.
Jerry Nelson is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Feel free to email him at jerry.n@dairystar.com.
Jerry Nelson Columnist
Well, that was fun
I was cleaning up while standing at the back of my SUV after my regular scheduled 7 a.m. Monday herd visit, when unknowingly I said, “Well, that was fun.”
By Jim Bennett
It was fun because I worked with great, goal minded people on the dairy. It was fun because the farm had beautiful, clean, well-cared for and productive Holsteins. That morning, I had performed my usual reproductive exams, while improving my Spanish speaking skills. While doing this I made observations about all sorts of seemingly small things that might affect the health and productivity of those beautiful animals: bedding ll in the stalls, cow cleanliness, manure consistency and quality, air quality, feed bunk management and more.
I polled the herdsman for information regarding adverse fresh cow events in the last seven days, including milk fever, metritis, retained placenta, and ketosis. After nishing palpating, we tallied up the results to see what percentage of animals examined for pregnancy were pregnant, the number of CIDRs used, and any abortions. Then I took a short walk through the calf area and spoke briey with Manuel, the calf manager.
Next, I sat down at the computer, and since it was at the beginning of a new month, I entered
monthly data into the herd spreadsheet containing important key performance indicators that I keep current on my iPad. I then created several lists based on somatic cell count data from the most recent Dairy Herd Improvement Association test. One list was of cows with multiple, consecutive high SCC tests. I coded those cows as “true chronics”, meaning that they should not be treated during this lactation should they develop clinical mastitis, unless they were systematically ill. Another list was of recently fresh animals that dried up clean, or were heifers that calved in with high SCCs. The animals on that list would receive a California Mastitis Test, and based on results, might have a sample taken for on-farm culture. Then I lled out a brief report of what I saw and what I did that day. Finally, before walking out to the car, I emailed the report, including the spreadsheet to multiple members of the farm management staff, the nutritionist, the AI technician, the hoof trimmer, and all our clinic’s veterinarians. This is why I caught myself telling nobody in particular how much fun the day had been. This is dairy veterinary medicine today. It was not that way when I started practice 43 years ago, but we worked hard to make it so, and now yes, it really is a lot of fun.
As of July rst, I am ofcially retired from active veterinary practice. I will miss it terribly, but I will still be available for any sort of consulting activity should the need arise. I love working with cows, and I love working with cow people even more, so I doubt I will be able to stay away from you all entirely.
After today, I will ofcially be retired from writing articles for this ne publication as well. By
my count, I have submitted over 200 articles since the rst one in January of 2008. In that article I wrote “These remarkable beasts produce tremendous amounts of quality milk, meat, cheese, and other foods for our tables. They pay for our Christmas presents and put our kids through school. Yet they rely on us for nearly all their needs… On every dairy, of any style, it is always about the cows… Like the Kemps sign says, “It’s the cows.” Whatever the topic of this monthly column will be, remember, it will always really be about the cows.” I believe I have accomplished that, though perhaps I sometimes wrote about cow people too. When Dairy Star Editor Mark Klaphake rst contacted me regarding writing for this publication back in 2007, I recall asking him about just what I should write. His response was, “Whatever you want.” He allowed me to do just that for the next 16 years. In addition, I saw very few edits made to my articles when they appeared in print compared to the copies I had submitted. While I do not know for sure, I suspect allowing this degree of latitude is not typical of all editors. Thank you, Mark, for all of that, and for the great opportunity to share my thoughts with all of you. I enjoyed the entire experience immensely. So, I think my writing career at the Dairy Star can be summed up as such: Well, that was fun. It really is about the cows. Thank you all so much for reading and may you all have a great future.
Jim Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minnesota. He consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail.com.
Rain rain go away
Three years of rain, then three years of drought, and now back to nonstop rain. If there is such a thing as a “normal” year, we haven’t even had anything close to the middle of the climate bell curve lately. Minnesota may be considered a land of extremes but this is getting a bit too extreme for my liking.
We got almost all our rst crop of hay put up with the exception of ve acres a neighbor lets us cut twice a year that never was dry enough to cut. It took from the 25th of May to mid-June to get it up with all the rain delays. There was also a record amount of hay out in the elds, which adds time to harvesting. The quality of the feed was not stellar. Had we been able to put it up when we wanted to, not over a week past its prime, I think the quality would have been pretty good based on how the cows were milking from what they were eating out in the pastures.
Every spring it’s so fun to watch the pounds of milk in the tank climb and climb as the pastures increase in quantity and quality. It’s not so much fun when the day arrives that the pastures have hit their peak and start to drop off in quality due to maturity. This year they really dropped off thanks to seeing so few days of sun and constantly saturated soils. We started cutting rst crop a few days after the pasture milk yield had hit the peak but only managed to get 25% or so done before an extended rain delay. The rest was put up as the milk in the tank was sliding quickly back down to the average and then below average.
Last week I temporarily fenced in part of a hay eld to graze because we are missing a number of days’ worth of pasture rotation thanks to ooding and stunted growth due to saturated soils even on sidehills. The cows responded well to grazing the
hay eld and went up a couple pounds per cow. I’m hopeful that means there will be some quality feed when we get a chance to cut second crop this week. There is the prediction of rain for the next three days but I think I’ll just take the chance and go knock down 30 acres today. The eld I plan to start with is on sandy ground by Lakeville so even if it does downpour again, we should be able to bale and wrap the hay shortly afterwards.
We’ll see if the opportunity presents itself to make some dry hay, but I won’t be surprised if that doesn’t happen. We usually try to put up a couple thousand small squares for feeding calves and it gets hard to do later in the year as the days get shorter.
By
Many of our neighbors have small horse farms and put up two crops of grassy dry hay per year. I don’t think any of them have gotten a chance to do even their rst cutting yet. There’s going to be some unhappy horses around our area this winter if it doesn’t quit raining for a bit so they can get that stuff put up.
I’m no longer concerned about how dry the subsoil is anymore. It can quit raining for a couple weeks. I don’t see that happening with the current weather pattern, but a person can dream, can’t they? Best of luck to everyone on getting second crop put away with the minimum number of times you have to break out chains or a strap because that spot that looked OK wasn’t. Until next time, keep living the dream and make sure you know when to stop spinning the tires before being a little stuck turns into really, really stuck.
Tim Zweber farms with his wife, Emily, their three children and his parents, Jon and Lisa, near Elko, Minnesota.
Tim Zweber Farmer & Columnist
From the Zweber Farm
More than just milk
In a few weeks from now, the 2024 Summer Olympic Games will commence in Paris, France. Among the delegates representing the United States is none other than Elle Purrier St. Pierre. A Vermont dairy farmer, mother, wife, and record-holder elite athlete, Elle inspires multitudes. Elle broke the 3,000-meter indoor race record in Glasgow, Scotland, just after breaking her own record for the U.S. women’s indoor mile several weeks prior. Throughout her running career, Elle said that milk has been a critical component of her training and racing regime, enabling her to refuel and maintain her elite performance level.
Refueling with milk, white or chocolate is no secret among athletes. There was even a promotional campaign launched years ago by MilkPEP called Team Chocolate Milk. The program aimed to increase awareness of milk’s benets when it comes to nutrition and health. Team Chocolate Milk has since been discontinued as the organization decided to pivot. They intend to now focus specically on women. Their campaigns, Gonna Need Milk and #TeamMilk, are now aiming to share dairy’s superiority in quality nutrition when it comes to balanced nutrition, strength, health and sleep.
As a former ultrarunner, chocolate milk and dairy protein are things that Megan is very familiar with and has utilized in her running. In the journey to running long distances, especially when the length extends to 26.2 miles and beyond, nutrition becomes extremely critical. An unbalanced plan of caloric and electrolyte intake throughout can quickly derail the best race. Electrolytes, lost in perspiration, exhalation, and urination, are critical for things such as nerve conduction, muscle contraction and proper uid balance. Milk’s natural ratios of calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium are perfect for facilitating hydration.
During races, glycogen (glucose that the body has previously stored) is called upon for energy for muscle contraction. The trained human body usually stores about two hours’ worth of energy during hard exercise. Beyond that, the body will switch to using fat for energy, just as a cow with ketosis will burn fat for energy. Chocolate milk has simple natural milk sugars, such as lactose, along with added sugars that can be used to replace these lost glycogen stores.
Unbalanced post-race nutrition and rehydration can wreak havoc on the body and extend recovery times. The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism noted that drinking chocolate milk within 30 minutes of intensive exercise was better at recovery and replacing glycogen storage levels than other “high-tech, expensive supplements.” Milk’s high-quality, complete protein (meaning it provides the amino acids that our bodies require) helps rebuild and repair muscles after intense exercise. During this exercise, microtears occur in muscles. Drinking milk protein regularly after these rigorous workouts has led to decreased muscle damage and soreness, according to the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism.
Yes, this is all great news for milk, which has been steadily decreasing in consumption over the past several decades. However, many of us may be thinking, “Why should we care?” Not all of us are athletes. Remember, though, that there is a lot of physical labor that occurs, often in the summer heat, on our farms or in our yards. At NexGen we now stock our fridge and coolers with FairLife Core Power Chocolate Milk rather than sugary drinks. These developments in regard to the benets of refueling with milk are no longer just for elite athletes. They’re for all of us, including our young athletes here in our communities. Many high school athletic programs are now also offering chocolate milk rather than sports drinks for post-athletic recovery programs. Midwest Dairy Association has funded grants across the state that aim to provide young student-athletes with chocolate milk. Dairy West, representing Idaho and Utah dairy farmers, is also funding a Replenish with Chocolate Milk Program for high school athletes this coming year. Students and our communities consuming quality nutrition in their daily lives, building strong bodies and habits, and learning about dairy is a win for us all.
Megan Schrupp and Ellen Stenger are sisters and co-owners of both NexGen Dairy and NexGen Market in Eden Valley, Minnesota. They can be reached at Nexgendairy@gmail.com.
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