July 22, 2023 Dairy Star - 1st section - Zone 1

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DAIRY ST R25

2023 Volume 25, No. 11

Deadline for FDA comment period closing July 31

Farmers still have chance to give feedback on agency’s labeling guidance

By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com

The extended deadline of July 31 is drawing near for the closing of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s comment period for its dairy labeling guidance. Many in the dairy industry are hoping that farmers who have not yet commented will nd time to do so.

The FDA’s “Labeling of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives and Voluntary Nutrient Statements; Draft Guidance for Industry” rst appeared in the Federal Register Feb. 23, drawing criticism by many as to the guidance not going far enough to stop the use of the term “milk” in marketing plant-based beverages. Those wishing to respond should submit comments to regulations. gov and identify those comments with the docket number FDA-2023-D-0451.

In its guidance language, the FDA recommended that plant-based beverage products labeled with the term “milk” in their names should “have a nutrient composition that is different than milk, include a vol-

July

Ready to listen, share

Gov. Walz, Commissioner of Agriculture

Petersen visit Le Sueur dairy farm

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

LE SUEUR, Minn. – The sun shone and clouds oated through a cornower sky as Karl Heldberg welcomed Gov. Tim Walz, the Commissioner of Agriculture Thom Petersen and a small swarm of media from across the area to his 70cow dairy farm near Le Sueur July 6.

The governor and Petersen were given a farm tour, visited with Heldberg about the challenges of dairy farming and shared about the legislative changes affecting the dairy in-

dustry from the spring session.

“We just want to take a little time ... for us to hear from

producers to hear the things that make life a little easier,” Walz said.

Giving his neighbor a second chance at life

Liner donates kidney to save a friend

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

VAN DYNE, Wis. – On April 6, Dan Liner gave a piece of himself to someone else. One neighbor saved another when Liner donated his kidney to Troy Stettbacher.

“It was no big deal,” Liner said. “I wanted to do it, and I would do it again.”

Liner farms with his parents, Tim and Kathy, and his brother, Mike, near Van Dyne where the family milks 250 cows and farms 700 acres. Liner barely skipped a beat at the farm following his procedure. He spent one night in the hospital and went back to work not long after, starting out with

lighter chores at rst.

“I feel no different today than I did before the surgery,” Liner said. “Other than the small scars I have, I wouldn’t

know any different. I have no restrictions. I’m living my life the same as before. It was a fast recovery, and everything turned out perfect.”

Stettbacher was a week or two away from needing dialysis when he received Liner’s kidney. Stettbacher’s health was deteriorating quickly from polycystic kidney disease – a genetic disorder that can cause serious complications, such as kidney failure. His dad and brothers also had kidney transplants.

“Within hours, the new kidney turned my life around,” Stettbacher said. “I could see better. Before, things were blurry.”

Even Stettbacher’s thinking had been unclear, he said, confusion brought on because of the disease poisoning his body.

“A lot of my blood levels were way out of whack,” Stettbacher said. “I was extremely low on red blood cells, and my skin was a bluish-yellow color. I didn’t have a lot of energy. I was sick and just trying to get by.”

“All dairy, all the time”™

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR Dairy farmers Troy Ste bacher (le ) and Dan Liner discuss haylage quality June 22 on Liner’s farm near Van Dyne, Wisconsin. Liner donated a kidney to Ste bacher.

AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR

Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture Thom Petersen (le ), Karl Heldberg and Gov. Tim Walz chat July 6 on Heldberg’s dairy farm near Le Sueur, Minnesota. This legisla ve session, the Legislature authorized $4 million to assist in paying the Dairy Margin Coverage program premiums should DMC be reauthorized this fall in the federal farm bill.

DAIRY ST R

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Nearly 20 members of Congress traveled to Schiefelbein Farms for the eld hearing on agricultural trade and the supply chain. After the three-hour hearing, Chairman Jason Smith said it is a priority for the Ways and Means Committee to get out of the Washington Beltway, “and there’s no better place than Kimball, Minnesota.” Opening new markets is seen as a must. “If we open up more markets for our farmers, it will improve the economy for Rural America, and Rural America is struggling,” Smith said.

Follow terms of the deal

Minnesota Rep. Michelle Fischbach hosted the Ways and Means Committee in her district. In addition to negotiating new trade agreements, Fischbach said U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai needs to enforce the existing trade deals. “The (U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement) has provisions for her to deal with those issues with corn and dairy, and she needs to be using those provisions; the countries sign an agreement, and they need to be following it,” Fischbach said. Canada’s restrictive dairy policy was repeatedly brought up during the hearing.

USMCA enforcement falls short

Glenwood, Minnesota, dairy farmer Brad Vold was one of the ve farm and rural leaders testifying before the Ways and Means Committee. Vold said it is important for the government to negotiate new trade agreements in key markets including Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam. “However, new agreements aren’t enough,” Vold said. “They need to work for farmers, and unfortunately, free trade agreements, such as the USMCA, have missed the mark in terms of providing the security that dairy producers, like

my family, need to stay in business.” Vold emphasized the importance of enforcing the current trade agreements. “Canada has continued to fall short of their commitments to the United States, failing to uphold its USMCA dairy tariff quota obligations by providing preferential treatment to their domestic producers,” Vold said.

Political airs

Schiefelbein Farms is the largest seedstock cattle operation in Minnesota and one of the largest in the country. The site that is home to an annual bull sale hosted lawmakers from across the country for the House Ways and Means Committee eld hearing. Minnesota Congressman Brad Finstad reminded his colleagues about this unique location. “Smell in this beautiful smell of farm country; it is the smell of money and the smell of opportunity,” Finstad said.

USDA adjusts dairy forecast

In the new U.S. Department of Agriculture supply and demand report, the milk production forecast for 2023 was left unchanged from last month. The outlook for 2024 declined due to lower dairy cow inventories and slower growth in milk per cow. Dairy exports were cut for this year, reecting lower butter, cheese and whey shipments.

MN 56378-1246.

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The weakness in butter exports is expected to carry over into next year. For 2023, prices for cheese, nonfat dry milk and whey are lower than the previous month’s forecast based on large supplies of cheese and competition in the NDM and whey markets. The Class III price forecast is reduced for this year and 2024.

Summertime blues

Even the most efcient dairy farmers are struggling with the current price situation. A quarterly report from the CoBank Knowledge Exchange said USDA’s estimated milk price to feedcost ratio is at its lowest level since 2012. Protability is expected to bottom out in July and August before improving considerably this fall when Class III prices are forecast to increase about $3 per hundredweight. This downturn in milk prices is due, in part, to poor exports. South Korea is the second largest U.S. cheese customer, and sales are down 20% for the rst four months of the year. Mexico is the No. 1 buyer of U.S. cheese, and they are trying to make up the difference with a 14% increase in export volumes this year.

Minnesota leaders visit Le Sueur dairy farm

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen visited a dairy farm in Le Sueur to hear directly from dairy farmers. “Right now, dairy farmers are really struggling,” Petersen said. “We have a lot of milk on the market, and prices are really low. There’s a lot of frustration.” Petersen said it is important to consider what the state can do to open markets and address high input costs.

Lt. Governor highlights support for dairy industry

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Petersen highlighted the state’s support for local farmers during a stop at a dairy farm in Norwood Young America, Minnesota. “Every day, Minnesota families rely on the milk our Minnesota dairy farmers produce,” Flanagan said. “We are investing in our local producers through the DAIRI program, a grain indemnity fund and expanded broadband access.” The agriculture bill passed during the Minnesota legislative session included $4 million for the Dairy Assistance, Investment, Relief Initiative.

FSA facing a staff shortage

The Farm Service Agency is facing a signicant stafng shortage. “The FSA and federal government can provide a lot of different benets in terms of healthcare, retirement plans and things like that, but we’re not super competitive on salaries,” said Whitney Place, state executive director, Minnesota FSA. “We’re doing what we can administratively to help retain and attract talent.” Place credits FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux for his efforts to address the compensation challenge.

US-China trade opportunities

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen spent four days in Beijing, meeting with Chinese leaders. During the trip, Yellen said there is “ample room” for the United States and China to enhance their trade relationship. Despite recent tension between the two superpowers, 2022 was a record year for bilateral trade. Yellen’s visit is the second trip to Beijing by a Biden administration cabinet member in less than a month.

WDE to remain in Madison

Madison, Wisconsin, will continue to host World Dairy Expo through 2028. A new ve-year contract was signed for the massive dairy event. Madison has hosted every World Dairy Expo since its inception in 1967.

Torres Small conrmed as No. 2 at USDA

Xochitl Torres Small has been conrmed by the Senate as the next deputy secretary of agriculture. Torres Small has served as an undersecretary at USDA since 2021 and was a member of Congress from New Mexico for one term. Torres Small was conrmed by the Senate on a vote of 79-8.

Trivia challenge

Dippin’ Dots is the ice cream company that bills itself as “the ice cream of the future.” That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, when is National Ice Cream Day? We will have the answer in our next edition of Dairy Star.

Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.

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Heldberg’s guests said one of the legislative successes was the state authorizing $4 million to assist in paying the Dairy Margin Coverage program premiums should DMC be reauthorized this fall in the federal farm bill.

Petersen recognizes that this can make a small positive difference for dairies.

“Farmers say it helps pay a bill or two,” Petersen said. “(It) puts a dent in the feed bill or (an) equipment bill or something.”

The state also passed new legislation regarding the Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation Program’s Livestock Investment Grants. Livestock Investment Grants, if awarded, pay 10% of the cost of the livestock for up to a $25,000 payment per grant.

This session, the lifetime cap of $50,000 per producer was removed, and instead, preference is given to new recipients of the grant. Also, expenses can only be reimbursed if they were incurred after the grant contract agreement was signed. The legislature also assigned $50 million to the Rural Finance Authority for loans.

Walz said he was grateful to be on a dairy farm interacting with those the legislative decisions affect.

“(It allows for) getting the feedback from the folks who live with this on, ‘Well, look, this is not going to help me that much,’ or, ‘This one will help you,’” Walz said.

With current milk prices far lower than in 2022, the governor wanted to use his visit to address the disconnect between consumers’ experiences of dairy prices versus the prices that dairy farmers receive.

“They see prices at the grocery store again for things went up,” he said. “The prices for farmers are not there and they’re down. ... This disconnect between the producers and the end user and the idea of dumping milk that has been produced, really, I think it bothers people and they’re wondering why.”

One way the state has been supporting the dairy industry is through giving grants to get bulk milk dispensers into schools. Also, this year the legislature put more money into the state’s purchase of milk which is sent to Second Harvest Heartland to distribute to foodbanks across the state. Per the legislation, Minnesota will spend $500,000

per year on milk in 2024 and 2025.

Petersen said the Legislature also voted to remove the loss leader clause on dairy products that had prevented them from being sold as a loss leader except in the month of June.

“The Legislature wanted to look and see and just make every month June dairy month,” Petersen said. During the visit, Heldberg shared challenges of input costs like diesel fuel and trying to replace equipment when milk prices are low. He started farming in 1997 and said that milk prices were $13-$14 dollars then, approximately the same price as they are now 26 years later.

Heldberg also shared about the tax challenges such as inheritance taxes and property taxes.

“We’ve become paper rich,” he said.

Walz acknowledged his concerns. “It doesn’t translate into the things you need to do,” Walz said.

Creating more dairy markets was a topic of discussion. Petersen said they see lots of potential for dairy exports. The governor will be leading a trade visit to Japan in September.

“(Current) commodity prices to our producers are at a pretty tragic low,” Walz said.

Walz also took time to recognize the reduction in the number of Minnesota dairy farms.

“For the rst time, we dropped below 2,000 dairy farms in Minnesota,” Walz said. “The vast majority of these are family farms.”

Heldberg said he was contacted about hosting less than a week before the visit. He said his goal for the visit was to both educate the public and the governor, and he hopes the visit was not just political.

“I think (Walz) understands ... things on his part he could maybe do better,” Heldberg said.

Walz and Petersen’s visit was one of several appearances by state ofcials to discuss the recent legislative session and learn from the dairy community. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan visited a dairy farm in Norwood Young America alongside Petersen July 12, and Petersen did a dairy-related listening session with Minnesota Farmers Union July 19 in Zumbrota.

It was through a Christmas card that Liner discovered how bad things had gotten for Stettbacher. He needed a kidney as soon as possible.

“I always knew Troy had this disease, but then I realized how serious it was,” Liner said. “I sympathized with him. How do you ask someone for a kidney?”

After reading the letter, Liner told his parents, “I could give him a kidney. I have two. I only need one.”

“It’s like a farmer coming over and asking for tractor parts – I have a lot of those to spare too,” Liner said. “It was a no-brainer. I was in the right situation in my life with no wife or kids to tell me no. Everything just lined up.”

Previously a dairy farmer as well, Stettbacher milked 150 cows up until 2020 where three generations of his family had farmed. Now, he does custom harvesting work, and the Liners are one of his customers. Five weeks after the transplant, Stettbacher was back on his tractor and able to do spring and summer eldwork.

“I feel great,” Stettbacher said. “All my vital numbers have ip opped.”

Liner and Stettbacher live 2 miles apart and have known each other for 20 years.

“We’ve become closer friends recently with everything that’s happened,” Liner said.

Stettbacher was in disbelief when he found out Liner wanted to donate his kidney.

“I thought, why?” Stettbacher said. “I asked him, ‘Are you sure you want to do it?’ Live donor transplants are not as popular as deceased donors. Not a lot of people are willing to get cut open for someone.”

Liner’s whole heart was into the endeavor. He wanted to be the one to save Stettbacher’s life. In early January,

Liner got a blood test and found out he had the same blood type as Stettbacher – O positive – even though matching blood types was not a requirement, Liner said. Liner then went through a litany of health tests.

Finding the perfect match for a kidney donor is a lot like playing the lottery. The odds of coming across the right candidate in a timely manner are anything but good. But, Stettbacher was far luckier than most, nding his ideal match within several months of sending out his Christmas card.

“It’s really hard to get a match the rst try,” Stettbacher said. “There are so many things that could be in your family’s history. We didn’t really celebrate until Dan passed all of his tests. We were nervously waiting.”

Stettbacher and his wife, Paula, have two children – Hayden and Shalome. Shalome, who is 22, also got tested as well as other family members.

“Shalome really wanted to donate her kidney to her dad, but I didn’t want her to do it,” Liner said. “She’s too young. She has so much of her life ahead of her. I was the perfect person for it.”

Liner and Stettbacher were tested on eight categories and matched on six, resulting in a better match than Stettbacher’s daughter.

“I knew this is what I’m supposed to be doing, and I wanted it to be me all along,” Liner said. “I wasn’t getting tested just to get tested. I hoped I would be a match and be the one the doctors picked. I ended up being a very good match. The closer to the genetic match, the less chance of rejection.”

The transplant was done at Aurora St. Luke’s in Milwaukee. Originally planned for late June, both men pushed to get the procedure done sooner.

“We wanted to do it off season

since our incomes rely on summer,” Liner said. “Doing the procedure in June was not as good for our schedules. Not only that, I could see Troy getting sicker, and I wanted to do it sooner. If you have a sick cow, you call the vet and they come out today.”

Liner was frustrated with waiting but understood the doctors did not want two sick people on their hands.

“The doctors were worried about me, too, and they did a really good job,” Liner said.

Liner’s determination to be a donor sped up the process.

“Dan was so strong about giving,” Stettbacher said. “For some people, it takes longer to think about it. It took ve months from the time I met with the coordinator to the time of the transplant. For many people, waiting for a transplant can take an average of six to eight years while also being on dialysis. It’s a huge problem. In the future, they’re hoping to have technology to grow kidneys from stem cells.”

Stettbacher is grateful for the fresh start he was given and the fact he was spared from undergoing dialysis.

“Your body can only handle so much dialysis,” he said. “It takes years off your life.”

Stettbacher spent ve days in the hospital after the transplant and continues to have weekly blood tests. He will also need to take rejection drugs for the rest of his life.

“I will always be in jeopardy of rejection, but taking drugs is a small price to pay,” Stettbacher said. “How lucky am I to be here?”

After the procedure, his numbers drastically improved. Stettbacher’s glomerular ltration rate, which is used to measure kidney function on a scale from 1 to 100, went from a score of 13 (which is considered kidney failure) be-

fore the surgery to a score of 70 (which is considered normal) following the surgery.

“The doctor told me to go live life,” Stettbacher said. “I went from having so many restrictions in my diet to having no restrictions. Before, I couldn’t have any meat hardly. It was kind of a bland life for a while.”

Humble about his generosity, Liner is happy to have played a role in his friend’s recovery.

“I did it for Troy as well as for his family,” Liner said. “It was a tiny price to pay for a few weeks of discomfort and worth it 1,000% to see Troy like he is now and how he’ll be into the future.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED Troy Ste bacher (le ) and Dan Liner get together for a photo April 7 before Liner is discharged from the hospital. Liner donated his kidney to Ste bacher, and within hours, the new kidney turned Ste bacher’s life around.

Iowa brothers thrive through rst decade of dairying

Two herds, one effort keeps Putz siblings busy

By Sherry Newell Contributing writer

PETERSBURG, Iowa – When Brad and Jeremy Putz graduated from high school and went straight into dairy farming, some people questioned their decision, suggesting college rst.

“One teacher said, ‘Why do you want to start working now; you have your whole life to work,’” Brad said. “But if we would have gone to college, no milk company would have taken us on as new producers by the time we started our herd.”

The advice to attend college was given just over a decade ago, when the boys’ parents, Ed and Janet Putz of Petersburg, put in a new freestall barn and two robotic milking systems after Brad graduated from high school and Jeremy was about to do the same. The plan was for Brad and Jeremy to eventually have their own enterprise.

Those plans have come to fruition and then some. Today, the brothers manage their own herd of Jerseys down the road from their parents’ operation. They bought their neighbor’s double-8

herringbone parlor and freestall barn in 2021 along with 78 acres of land.

“We always wanted to add on (to our parents’ barn),” Brad said. “But this was a better investment since it included the land and milking facilities.”

Brad and Jeremy’s herd started with 36 Jerseys. Four months ago, they transitioned the herd, which had grown to 160 cows, to a robotic milking system. While the parents bought the lo-

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cal dealership’s last two Lely A3 Next units in 2012, the sons put in two Lely A5s. Brad said he nds the auto-align to work well and the A5s are quieter and better with teat dipping.

However, the parlor on the brothers’ farm is still used to milk 40 of the 160 cows being housed in their freestall barn. Their parents milk 145 cows.

They start all heifers from both herds in the parlor, milking them there

until there is room to put them on the robots. Then, they separate the Holsteins from the Jerseys and take them to join the rest of the corresponding herd.

At their parents’ farm, Brad and Jeremy are just as involved as they ever were. In fact, the entire farm is operated as if it were just one dairy, yet nancially the businesses are separate.

“The costs are split in half as well as the income from each herd,” Brad said. “That’s simpler than we used to do it, buying feed from our parents.”

Duties are spread among Ed, Janet, Brad and Jeremy. Ed mixes feed and manages eldwork. He milks with Brad in the parlor at night. Janet feeds calves, and Jeremy handles robot maintenance and fresh cows. He also scrapes and cleans stalls, occasionally with help from his wife of several weeks, Heidi, who is a teacher. Brad is the primary herd and calf manager.

Brad and Jeremy’s cousin, Nick Bagge, works on the farm each morning, milking with Brad in the parlor, working in the robot barn and taking care of the youngstock.

Calves from both herds are combined and housed in a calf barn in individual pens. Calves are fed using a Milk Taxi. All heifers are raised together until calving.

When the robots went into their barn this spring, Brad and Jeremy added lean-tos to house the robots and to expand the barn for the free-ow system.

“Since installing the Westwaard 150-bottle washer and stand alone pasteurizer, we have found a huge benefit in labor savings and consistency. Prior we were only able to pasteurize enough milk for the younger calves and had to hand wash each bottle. The service from Fuller’s has been excellent.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Putz family – Brad, Jeremy and his wife, Heidi; Ed and Janet; and Bri any and her boyfriend, Will Wolf – gather on their farm near Petersburg, Iowa. The two Putz dairies operate together and milk their herds with both a parlor and robo c milking systems.

Brad

June

Barns on both farmsteads have robots to push up feed, and there are automatic scrapers in Ed and Janet’s barn while a skid loader is used in the brothers’ barn.

Brad and Jeremy’s wish list includes headlocks for breeding heifers, which are raised on the farm, and a better dry cow facility.

The dairy operation owns 260 acres and rents 140.

“We need to make sure we have enough silage to feed everything,” Jeremy said.

They purchase their shell corn and dry hay.

The Putzes’ breeding program includes using sexed semen on heifers and some rst-calf cows while breeding the remaining animals to Angus. Some cows also serve as re-

Con nued from

LABELING | Page 1

untary nutrient statement that conveys how the product compares with milk based on USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service uid milk substitutes nutrient criteria.”

The FDA said that such nutrient statements “will help consumers make informed dietary choices when it comes to understanding certain nutritional differences between plant-based products that are labeled with ‘milk’ in their names and milk.”

If followed, the guidance would help in clarifying dietary differences, but many in the dairy industry say that is a big if.

In a press release Feb. 28, Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, addressed the FDA’s guidance, saying it was a step in the right direction but it did not go far enough.

“FDA has acknowledged the problem of nutritional confusion without providing a complete solution,” Mulhern said. … “(FDA guidance) ultimately doesn’t remedy the problem it seeks to solve, which is the proven confusion among consumers created when plant-based beverages steal dairy terms

cipients for embryos owned by another party.

At present, Brad and Jeremy said they have few regrets about the way the dairy is working.

“Although we run up and down the road, and every fresh cow has to be hauled to one barn or another, it works for the way we are set up,” Jeremy said.

In the past decade, Brad and Jeremy have learned plenty.

“With Jerseys, we learned how important components are in affecting the milk price we are paid,” Brad said. “And, we found out about a beginning farmer loan and how buying a farm can be a long process.”

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to make their products appear healthier than they really are.”

For a previous Dairy Star article of April 8, Mykel Bickham, director of government affairs for Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative & Dairy Business Association in Wisconsin, commented on the FDA’s position.

“We have consistently disagreed with the claim that milk is a common or usual name to be used for plant-based alternative product labeling,” Bickham said. “We have fought for years to have the agency correct this, and it is unfortunate that this guidance continues to disregard our concerns. Research has shown that consumers don’t understand the difference, especially the nutritional differences. Allowing the continued use of dairy terms accepts consumer confusion as tolerable instead of enforcing milk’s legal standard of identity.”

To make it easier for those wishing to comment but not having much spare time in which to do so, Dairy Farmers of America has created an action link that will help farmers submit comments in less than a minute. The link is available at https://p2a.co/B6hKTpQ.

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(le ) and Jeremy Putz review herd data from the robo c milking system

27 on their farm near Petersburg, Iowa. The system went into opera on four months ago.

“If we would have gone to college, no milk company would have taken us on as new producers by the me we started our herd.”

BRAD PUTZ, DAIRY FARMER

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Nostalgia at a 1-ton soda fountain

The Back Room Ice Cream Shoppe caters to memories

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

EDGAR, Wis. – Tucked away in the rear of her family’s oral shop is a hidden gem operated by Krystle Guerrero-Schmitt, which features an old-fashioned soda fountain and lots of local history.

The Back Room Ice Cream Shoppe, located in Edgar, was originally established in 1995 by Guerrero-Schmitt’s mother, Karen Schmitt.

“I grew up helping in my family’s businesses and have always loved the service industry, and I love making people happy,” Guerrero-Schmitt said. “Ice cream makes people happy. Taking the reins and running with this was a natural t for me.”

Guerrero-Schmitt began working in the ice cream shop when it opened and took over the business in 2005, while she was still in college.

“Mom had so much going on with her other businesses that I took this over to help her out,” GuerreroSchmitt said. “It’s been my baby ever since.”

The space had previously housed a video rental store and was sitting empty, waiting for its new purpose. That purpose came when the Edgar Drug Store closed. The old-fashioned soda fountain that had been operating there was looking for a new home. The two seemed a great t.

While the idea seemed great, it was not without obstacles. Moving a 12-foot long, 1-ton soda fountain was not an easy proposition, Guerrero-Schmitt said.

“It took eight men to move it,” she said. “They got it up onto pipes and rolled it down the main street of town. They kept moving pipes from the front to the back as they went down the street. They got it through the door and parked it there. It sat in that spot for the next 25 years until we took advantage of the pandemic and did some remodeling.”

In addition to the soda fountain, the service counter, stools and malt machine were purchased from the drug store, keeping the aesthetic of the ice cream shop whole. Continuing with that theme, The Back Room Ice Cream Shoppe is lled with nostalgic decor that celebrates the heyday of the traditional soda fountain and ice cream parlor.

Guerrero-Schmitt and her staff, which consists of three or four employees throughout the summer, serve up Cedar Crest ice cream. The store’s ice cream case holds 19 tubs for serving, so Guerrero-Schmitt rotates the avors offered between the tried-and-true customer favorites and the company’s seasonal specialty avors.

On a weekly basis, Guerrero-Schmitt said she orders between 15 and 25 3-gallon tubs of ice cream varieties. Her largest weekly order has been for 30 tubs.

“Some of our best sellers are Superman, Pirate’s Bounty and Caramel Collision,” Guerrero-Schmitt said. “This year, anything with mint in it seems to be selling really well too.”

As far as volume of a avor, Guerrero-Schmitt said she orders more vanilla ice cream than any other avor – typically four tubs per week – because it is the base in so many offerings.

Besides the ice cream, Guerrero-Schmitt offers various avors of a version of old-time phosphate sodas and a variety of other vintage-like ice creambased novelties including banana splits, oats and malts, all made the old-fashioned way.

“Our malts are traditional; they are made in our malt machine,” Guerrero-Schmitt said. “We get so many compliments on the malts, people telling us they are just like they remember from their childhood.”

That link to the past has helped solidify GuerreroSchmitt’s customer base of residents.

“People really like the nostalgia; they like that feeling they get when they come in and things are like they were when they were young,” Guerrero-Schmitt

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DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Krystle Guerrero-Schmi serves up a Cedar Crest ice cream cone July 7 at The Back Room Ice Cream Shoppe in Edgar, Wisconsin. The shop has been run by Guerrero-Schmi ’s family since 1995 and by her since 2005.

This 1-ton soda fountain, which has called The Back Room Ice Cream Shoppe home for 28 years, has been a familiar sight in the community for decades as a part of the Edgar Drug Store in Edgar, Wisconsin.

said. “Many of our customers grew up visiting or working in the Edgar Drug Store’s ice cream parlor.”

As her business has grown, Guerrero-Schmitt has added new items to her menu to help keep pace with the palate of a growing customer base, including other beverages that utilize the sparkling water needed to make the phosphate-type sodas and fruit-based smoothies. Guerrero-Schmitt and her sisters have a coffee roasting business, and she has integrated coffee-based treats into the menu

Guerrero-Schmitt opens The Back Room Ice Cream Shoppe from early May through mid-to-late September, depending on inventory. During the remainder of the year, she focuses on other business ventures.

Business is booming for GuerreroSchmitt throughout those months, she said, and she credits the small-town community atmosphere for that.

“We don’t do a lot of advertising, just in our local paper and shopper,” she

said. “We put signs around town. We just recently entered the world of social media. We rely a lot on word-of-mouth advertising and repeat customers.”

The local schools, day cares, churches and other organizations make The Back Room Ice Cream Shoppe a destination for their groups.

In her social media marketing, Guerrero-Schmitt tries to focus on interactive marketing to draw customers to the ice cream parlor, with giveaways and contests for followers.

For Guerrero-Schmitt, everything goes back to that 1-ton soda fountain that was rolled down the street 28 years ago.

“The fountain, and now The Back Room, have been a part of Edgar’s history for such a long time now,” she said. “It’s been a part of my whole life. I remember going to the drug store as a kid, and now I can provide that same experience for someone else. It’s a cool thing that they are both still here.”

What has been key to your longevity with DHIA? I was born and raised on a dairy farm and this was the rst position I was offered after leaving the farm. I guess you could say it has kept me close to the farming community. I may not be milking cows but am not too far away from the farm with this position. There are also very few dull days.

Every day you seem to learn something new.

What is your current title and some of the jobs you do? Manager of DHIA Laboratories in Sauk Centre. I manage the day to day operations of the lab and repair instruments to keep samples owing through the lab.

What do you like about your role for DHIA? Giving the DHIA members the accurate analysis they deserve. We know many decisions are based off of the different testing options we offer so we must give accurate results to all of the members and nonmembers that use our services.

How has DHIA continued to adapt to help dairy farmers?

We have added additional types of testing. When I started it was just fat, protein and SCC. You now have the option to have MUN, other solids, pregnancy, Johne’s, leukosis or fatty acids tested from the same DHIA sample. We have also added other testing like manure analysis. From test day to members having results in their hands has also drastically improved. We know everyone needs the info in their hands as soon as possible, so the DHIA staff does what can be done to make that happen. It doesn’t take 10 days for this to happen like it used to. DHIA eld techs also continue to adapt to all the different farm types and sizes including robots. DHIA continues to add additional reports for the members.

What message would you like to send to the dairy farmers you work with? Thank you for your continued support of Minnesota DHIA. Without you this organization, lab and eld staff wouldn’t exist. We also hope that milk prices improve for all of you.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I used to enjoy playing sports, but I am now too old for that. I have switched from sports to starting owers and vegetables from seed in the spring, and then plant them and take care of them the rest of the summer. I also like having a nice green lawn. In the fall I like to cut and split wood. Starting in November I start putting up the Christmas light display for the community to enjoy during the Christmas season.

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

“...giving

s hot

I have

hard time keeping my dry matter intake up.”

More than a number

Winscher attributes low SCC to quality animal care

By Alex Christen Staff Intern

BUCKMAN, Minn. – When Robin Winscher headed off to college to become a certied veterinarian technician, she had no idea she would later return to the dairy industry. Winscher worked in her chosen eld for over 16 years before deciding to farm full time in December 2022.

“If you would’ve told me 20 years ago that I would have been milking my own cows at this point in my life, I would’ve told you you’re full of it,” Winscher said. “You always hear that people have to get off the farm for a while to realize they want to go back, and that’s what happened.”

This year, with her 40-cow dairy herd near Buckman, Winscher has been recognized by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for having an average somatic cell count of 100,000 or lower for the previous year.

Winscher said she attributes her SCC to animal husbandry.

“Some of my cows are very spoiled,” Winscher said. “I like to joke that it has nothing to do with anything but the fact my girls just love me.”

Winscher prioritizes personal interactions and attention for each of the cows.

“It’s silly, but when I’m in with them and need them to move over, I’ll

Robin

say, ‘Annie, I need you to move over now, please … thank you,’” Winscher said. “They are not just a number to me. I know people are going to think I’m nuts, but to me, they are almost like people; that’s just the way I was raised.”

In addition to keeping her cows comfortable, Winscher has a thorough pre- and post-milking routine to help keep the SCC low. Winscher follows all label directions in relation to the preand post-dips she uses on the cows.

“With my pre-dip, it is a 30-second contact kill time,” Winscher said. “I make sure the dip is on for 30 seconds, and I cover the entire teat with both the pre-dip and the post-dip.”

Many times, Winscher takes special notice of the cows that come from the pasture a little dirtier than the rest. Winscher goes through with warm, soapy water and a rag to clean all of the dirt off. Then, she goes back once they are dried and does the normal prep routine.

“All of that combined is why I can consistently stay under 100,000 SCC,” Winscher said. Winscher milks in a at parlor, and the cows are housed in a hoop shed with access to the pasture. She began bedding the cattle with chopped corn stalks or chopped hay but made the switch to dry sawdust.

| Page 13

ALEX CHRISTEN/DAIRY STAR

Winscher stands with her ca le June 21 in the pasture on her farm near Buckman, Minnesota. Winscher priori zes animal husbandry and knows each of her cows by name.

“It made a world of difference,” Winscher said. “I dropped close to 200,000 SCC just with that.”

In addition, Winscher said although her milking setup is nothing fancy, that does not stop her from being committed to the end result.

“You don’t have to have the top-ofthe-line equipment to be able to achieve these results,” she said. “It’s just having the mindset of being committed to having a quality product, putting that product out there and having pride in what you do.”

Winscher grew up raising dairy and beef cattle a little over a mile from where she currently resides. She began her original herd by taking in her family’s dairy cattle that needed extra care, such as premature or injured cattle. Quite a few cows Winscher rehabilitated eventually went back to their original farm. Winscher started with one cow and eventually grew the herd to having 10-12 of her own.

“When I started milking, I didn’t have a pipeline or a bulk tank,” Winscher said. “I milked in a bucket, and I had a little plug-in vacuum pump that was on wheels that I drug around the barn to milk my cows.”

Winscher operates a seasonal dairy, where she milks from April through November. In November, she dries off all of the cows and does not milk through the winter. Any cows not ready to be dried off head to a neighbor’s farm to be milked.

“I am probably one of the very few

ALEX CHRISTEN/DAIRY STAR

Robin Winscher stands in her at parlor June 21 on her farm near Buckman, Minnesota.

Winscher and her ca le have been recognized by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for having an average soma c cell count of 100,000 or lower for the previous year.

out there who run a seasonal dairy,” Winscher said. “It’s nice to have a couple of months off of milking in the winter. I don’t like the cold.”

Certicates and plaques for low SCC are displayed in Winscher’s home.

“It’s nice to have the recognition,” she said. “Many people don’t realize how hard it is to keep those numbers low.”

Winscher said she knows her cows have the ability to maintain a low SCC; therefore, she carefully monitors them.

“If the numbers jump, I usually have an idea of which cow it is and I can test them,” Winscher said. “There have also been times I’ve had no idea why it’s high, so I’ll test everybody.”

After nding the cow with the high numbers, Winscher treats her to bring the numbers back down.

“For me, it’s important to have that quality product that we can produce and be proud of,” she said.

While the awards are special to her, Winscher also said they bring a smile to her dad’s face.

“My dad milked cows his entire life, and cows hold a special place in his heart,” she said. “I truly didn’t realize how important cows were to me as well until I went to college.”

Winscher plans to keep milking until her body cannot do so anymore. Currently, she does not know of any family members who want to take over her herd.

“At some point, I am expecting to have to sell them,” she said. “Will I want to sell them? No.”

When the time comes to sell, Winscher said, she will worry about whether they will be well taken care of.

“Every single one of my cows has a name and I know their backstory and personality,” Winscher said. “My cows are more than just a number.”

ALEX CHRISTEN/DAIRY STAR

Robin Winscher pours grain for the calves June 21 on her farm near Buckman, Minnesota. Winscher decided to farm full me a er working as a veterinarian technician for over 16 years.

from our side our side OF THE FENCE THE

How has showing dairy animals helped shape the person you are?

Caroline Schwantes

13 years old

Parents: Dave and Jennifer Schwantes Perham, Minnesota East Ottertail County

Tell us about your dairy 4-H projects and what you plan to show at the fair this year. My 4-H dairy projects this year are a 3-year-old cow, a 4-yearold cow, a yearling heifer and a spring calf. My yearling is out of my 4-year-old cow, and my calf is out of my 3-year-old cow. I have shown all of these since they were calves except my spring calf. This is my eighth year in the 4-H dairy project.

What does your schedule look like leading up to the fair? I start halter training usually in May. As it gets hot, I take them out in the mornings or evenings when it’s cooler out to walk and work on setting up legs. Our fair animals are fed with everyone else until June when we try to separate them out if need be. I try to wash at least once a week, more often as the fair gets closer, and do cold rinses in between. I start clipping a few days before the fair as it takes more than one day to get everyone done.

What are three things you must have with you at the fair? First, I need brushes, soap and a hose to wash animals every morning and after the show. This is to keep them clean at the fair as they are on display for the public and to get the hair sprays out after the show. Next, I need my clipper box that holds all of my clippers, blow dryer and nishing spray to make them look their best for the show. Finally, I need bedding for the cows to lie on and stay clean.

What do you enjoy doing at the fair when you are not showing? I enjoy showing meat goats at the fair. I am a County Little Miss Dairy Princess and enjoy working in the malt stand for that. Just hanging out with my friends all week is fun too.

Describe a challenge you faced in preparing for the fair or while showing and how you overcame it. My best cow came up lame three weeks before the fair. With a lot of pen rest and individual care, we were able to heal her up so she could still go to the fair.

How has showing dairy animals helped shape the person you are? Showing dairy has been my favorite since I was little because I love cows. It has taught me to work hard at my goals that I set each year.

What is your most memorable moment from the county fair? My most memorable moment is earning my rst trip to the Minnesota State Fair last year.

Tell us about your farm and family. My parents farm 300 acres of hay, corn and forage sorghum (all for livestock feed) and milk 72 cows (90 with dry cows). We milk in a swing-8 parlor and use a freestall barn that we built nine years ago. Our milk is shipped to Bongards Creamery in Perham, Minnesota, for cheese. I have two siblings, Jeffery and Amber, and we all help our parents on the farm.

Sawyer Rozeboom

18 years old

Parents: Brian and Nicole Rozeboom Rock Valley, Iowa Sioux County

Tell us about your dairy 4-H projects and what you plan to show at the fair this year. I showed a 2-year-old Holstein cow at the Sioux County Youth Fair this year, and she won honorable mention in her class. I have also been helping my little brother, Brody, and my girlfriend, Meagan Mulder, get their dairy cattle ready for the show ring.

What does your schedule look like leading up to the fair? I usually pick out a member of our milking herd to show. I will start by putting the halter on her a month or so before the show and lead her every day. I will wash her every other day, and she will get clipped a few days before the show.

What are three things you must have with you at the fair? I’ve got to have a good set of clippers and a brush. The third thing I have to do is to just have fun. The county fair is an event that I look forward to all year. I enjoy the community of family and friends at the fair.

What do you enjoy doing at the fair when you are not showing? Eating vanilla ice cream and talking to all of the friends that I have made over the years. I joined my 4-H club when I was 9. This is my last year in 4-H.

Describe a challenge you faced in preparing for the fair or while showing and how you overcame it. The halter breaking process can be very challenging. You just have to be patient, keep working at it and give it time. I have learned to not let myself become too stressed out during this process. Cattle can tell when you are feeling stressed.

How has showing dairy animals helped shape the person you are? Showing cattle has helped me become more of a leader. I have helped a lot of younger kids over the years. It’s fun to see them grow and progress and become more condent in the show ring.

What is your most memorable moment from the county fair? Totally failing in the super showmanship competition a couple of years ago. I did pretty good with the pig and the sheep but had no idea what to do when showing a rabbit or a chicken. It was a learning experience.

Tell us about your farm and family. My dad and I dairy farm with my uncle, Steve. We milk 600 head in a double-12 parallel parlor and bed our cows with sand. We farm about 500 acres and sell our milk to Agropur in Hull, Iowa. My grandfather, Glenn, started dairying here about 60 years ago. I graduated from high school this spring and have joined our family’s operation as a third-generation dairy farmer.

Sydney Deyle 11 years old

Parents: Nathan and Nikki Deyle

Browerville, Minnesota Todd County

Tell us about your dairy 4-H projects and what you plan to show at the fair this year. I have four Guernsey heifers this year – a baby calf, a fall calf, a spring yearling and a winter yearling. Their names are Oreo, Nacho, Milk and Moon. My mom helped me pick out which ones look the best.

What does your schedule look like leading up to the fair? I started working with them in May. My mom, dad and uncle Jakin helped me get everything ready. We worked with them every chance we could leading up to the fair. We washed and clipped them a couple of days before the fair.

What are three things you must have with you at the fair? Food, water and a show box. In our show box, we keep the washing stuff and show halters.

What do you enjoy doing at the fair when you are not showing? Looking after the cattle or playing with my friends. It’s nice to see my 4-H friends during the fair. Describe a challenge you faced in preparing for the fair or while showing and how you overcame it. Sometimes while clipping, the animals get wiggly and don’t like to stand still. Now I have someone help me hold the calf while I clip her.

How has showing dairy animals helped shape the person you are? It has helped me to like the animals more and helped me become a better farmer.

What is your most memorable moment from the county fair? Last year when I showed my heifer, I kept getting purple ribbons.

Tell us about your farm and family. We milk 40 registered Guernsey cows and farm 1,250 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and small grain. Our farm is 150 years old, and we have three generations working on our family farm. My grandpa helps drive tractor. Uncle Jakin is in charge of the crops and helps my mom milk cows. My three brothers and I help as needed with milking, feeding calves and tending to the fruit and vegetables. We ship our milk to First District Association. We also have 5 acres of fruit, vegetables and owers that we sell to area farmers markets.

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Paige Frenchick

17 years old

Parents: Josh and Melissa Frenchick Manannah, Minnesota Meeker County

Tell us about your dairy 4-H projects and what you plan to show at the fair this year. This is my 12th year showing dairy for 4-H. This year I’m showing two aged cows, a summer yearling, a spring yearling and a March calf. Our family is bringing 18 animals to the fair, including my ve.

What does your schedule look like leading up to the fair? We start working with our animals from the minute they’re born, such as making sure they are properly fed and have clean bedding and enough space in the pens. We socialize with them when they’re young. A typical day when working with fair animals is as simple as taking them out to wash them so they’re used to the wash rack come fair time, leading them until they’re dry and having grain in a pan as a reward for working. That all takes a minimum of an hour, depending on how the cattle react to being on a halter.

What are three things you must have with you at the fair? Denitely a change of pants after being on the wash rack all morning while having the heifers sandwich you between themselves when they’re soaking wet. Some type of energy drink because of all the early mornings and late nights. And my mom’s cheese and cracker tray to snack on throughout the show day because there is never time to rest.

What do you enjoy doing at the fair when you are not showing? My favorite thing to do when I’m not showing is to walk around with friends and check

Tyler Hoscheit

16 years old

Parents: Brad and Amy Hoscheit

Caledonia, Minnesota Houston County

Tell us about your dairy 4-H projects and what you plan to show at the fair this year. I have been involved in dairy projects for over 10 years, and this year at the Houston County Fair, I am going to be taking two cows – one Holstein and one Red and White – and also three heifers. They are all Holsteins raised on the farm of my grandparents, Devoine and Linda Kruse.

What does your schedule look like leading up to the fair? The couple months leading up to the fair are very busy months with leading cattle, washing them and getting them to like me and walk with me. Usually, we like to start halter breaking our cattle at the beginning of June and start walking them as soon as they like me. Then, we start washing them about one day every week. Feeding is always done both morning and night every day. The cows get a total mixed ration and most of the calves get pellets and hay, but the younger ones get crunch and hay. For clipping, we do it a couple days before the fair. That way, all we have to do at the fair is the topline of the animals. I usually spend one hour a day walking the heifers and calves and a half an hour walking the cows. Washing is around 15-25 minutes depending on the size of the animal.

What are three things you must have with you at the fair? The three things I usually need in between the shows and must have are rags for cleaning up cows, a smaller hair brush for touching up the toplines on the go and Show Shine.

out other livestock shows going on. It’s interesting seeing how other livestock is shown and cared for.

Describe a challenge you faced in preparing for the fair or while showing and how you overcame it. My biggest challenge I’ve faced preparing for the fair is nding the time. Trying to balance a busy schedule of working, being a dairy princess and cross-country training plus getting my animals ready for the fair makes it hard to get everything done in a day. The way I overcame this obstacle is instead of trying to do it all the same day, I work with cattle before or after a dairy princess event or go for a run after work instead of squeezing everything together.

How has showing dairy animals helped shape the person you are? Showing dairy has taught me patience and sportsmanship. It’s easy to become frustrated with how an animal behaved or how they did in the show ring. But, I have learned to take a step back and realize that your animal is just having a bad day. Also, it’s only one person’s opinion. Tomorrow they could walk absolutely perfect and place top in their class, and that reects in high school sports and in the classroom.

What is your most memorable moment from the county fair? The most memorable moment at the fair was last year when my younger brother was rst in the state fair lineup as a sixth grader and won senior champion. Then, the next day was the open show, and I showed all of our cows that we had. Our family won supreme champion and was named premier breeder and exhibitor.

Tell us about your farm and family. My family farm is located just outside of Manannah, Minnesota, where we raise, milk and show Jersey cattle. Our barn is a tiestall barn that holds 28 cows with six automatic takeoff milkers. Our milk is shipped to Associated Milk Producers Inc. in Paynesville, Minnesota. We have roughly 25 head of youngstock varying in ages. Everyone helps on the farm; that includes me, my older sister, younger brother and parents. We have our own jobs around the farm, but all of us know how to do everything for when someone is gone. We farm 160 acres of land.

What do you enjoy doing at the fair when you are not showing? When I am not showing, I am usually sitting at our tack area playing cards with friends or walking around with friends and talking to random people.

Describe a challenge you faced in preparing for the fair or while showing and how you overcame it. Two years ago at the Minnesota State Fair, my aged cow was misbehaving in the show and would not lead properly. During her class, I stayed calm and continued leading her the best I could.

How has showing dairy animals helped shape the person you are? Dairy cattle have shown me how to be patient and respect the animal as much as I can before they start to get on my nerves a little, but it also shows me how they act and reect on me sometimes. If I get mad, the cow will get mad and angry as well, but if I am in a good mood, usually the cow will also be in a better mood.

What is your most memorable moment from the county fair? My most memorable moment is when I was 12 years old and won reserve overall champion with my 3-year-old Holstein cow, Zippy. The reason it is so memorable is because I was so young with such a tall cow, and it was my rst big win in my showing career.

Tell us about your farm and family. My family has farmers on both sides, but my mom’s side is the side I show cattle with. The milking setup is a 16-cow milking parlor built within the last 10 years as well as an extension on the freestall barn. We milk around 205 cows, and the milk is shipped to Foremost Farms. The amount of acres farmed is around 550-600 acres of corn, alfalfa and soybeans.

Green chop fullls summer forage needs at Hageman Farms

Describe your farm and facilities. We farm with our dad, Clifford, at Hageman Farms, which has been in our family since 1962. We milk 120 cows twice a day in a stanchion barn. Cows go outside daily and spend time on pasture during the summer. We raise all of our youngstock in bedded pack barns and on pasture.

What forages do you harvest? We harvest haylage and corn silage. We also green chop daily during the growing season and feed this fresh forage to our milk cows.

How many acres of crops do you raise? We raise about 800 acres of crops. This includes 350 acres of corn, 300 acres of soybeans and 150 acres of an alfalfa grass mix.

What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? We ll a 20-by70 Harvestore silo with rst-crop haylage and also do 300 big square bales of rst-crop hay. We harvest 150 to 200 bales of second-crop hay and about 100 bales of third-crop hay. We mix fourthcrop hay with corn silage in one of our silos, and we feed that to cows when they are in the barn in the winter. We run two choppers and do every other load corn silage and haylage. We try to

acres.

do the best we can with our forages every time. We usually hit a protein level of 22%. Our nutritionist describes our corn silage as about as good as you can get it.

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Describe the rations for your livestock. We do not feed a total mixed ration to our milking herd. Instead, we green feed during the summer months or when we can – it could be spring, summer and fall. We bypass the silos and go out and cut it and feed it green.

We’ve been doing this since about 1983, and we bypass a lot of expense this way. There is labor involved in that one guy has to go out and chop it every day. The cows really like this feed. Milk production goes up, but butterfat and protein go down. In the barn, we run two Harvestores at once – one with corn silage and one with haylage – and mix feed that way for our milk cows. We also feed them shelled corn by hand with protein mix. Dry cows run with the milking herd and eat pretty much the same diet. Our breeding-age heifers clean up after the cows and also receive minerals. Younger heifers are fed our lower-quality hay – perhaps something that got rained on – as well as a grain mix.

Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. Daryl does most of the harvesting with help from Clayton. We mow our hay, putting two windrows together. We run it through a v-rake 12-foot Haybine, doing 24 feet together, and then run it through a John Deere 5830 chopper. Big squares are made with a Case IH LBX332 baler with inoculant on it. We’ve been using inoculant because we have better results and it’s cheaper to throw away.

Turn to FORAGE | Page 20

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Daryl (le�) and Clayton Hageman take a break in the shade July 13 on their farm near Fitchburg, Wisconsin. The brothers, along with their dad, Clifford, milk 120 cows and farm about 800

5 to 7 Ton Potential

BMR Dwarf Sorghum Sudan

“We tried other products, and we found out: Udder Comfort™ is the one that really works. It’s the best for fresh cows, and for any type of swelling, any cow with elevated SCC or a hard quarter, mastitis, even an injured quarter,” says Brad Palmer of Pigeon Cove Farms, Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania.

“We got back on the Udder Comfort last year for its effectiveness and ease of use. Spraying fresh udders with Udder Comfort after each milking for 5 days after calving really helps our milk quality,” he adds.

Three generations are involved in the operation: Brad and Linette and their son Logan and daughter Hailey and Brad’s parents Lonnie and Debra.

They milk 440 Holstein and Jersey cows, averaging 94 pounds with SCC 140,000.

“We like using Udder Comfort in the parlor. It delivers better coverage and better results,” adds Hailey. She does herd health and breeding while Logan is mostly involved in crops and feeding. Hailey also shows Ayrshires, a breed she loves that her mom grew up with.

Acid is more expensive, but it keeps better. Inoculant has to be thrown out after two days, but it’s machine friendly and doesn’t cause rusting like acid would. We’ve been pretty impressed with what you can do with inoculant. There are no burnt bales. We cut hay every 28 to 30 days. We try to get four cuttings or whatever Mother Nature will allow. We like to get alfalfa in the early bud stage. This year, we were unhappy with the amount from our rst cutting, so for second crop, we decided to let it grow for an extra week, and we ended up getting an extra half bale per acre. We’re letting it get more mature. With drought conditions, we have to nd a way to feed these animals, or we’ll have to buy expensive hay. We cut corn when it is as close to perfect as we can get it. We run it through a kernel processor on the chopper and throw it in the silo. We like to have 45% moisture for chopping corn.

What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? We have six Harvestore silos we use for storing haylage, silage and shell corn. Silos are an excellent feed keeper. You are not going to nd feed any better than that. It’s like a big refrigerator, but it’s not refrigerated. The biggest gripe people have about silos is the expense. Daryl does most of the work on

the Harvestores, which saves a lot of money. We only use our best-working unloader in the wintertime to avoid issues. We feed big square bales in the barn using a two-wheeled cart instead of carrying them. This way, cows can’t get to it as much while we’re moving it, which allows us to feed twice as fast. We started with big bales in 2013. For shelled corn, we make sure to stay above 22% moisture or else starch ends up in the air, and you’re breathing that in all the time. Corn is cleaner at 22% and softer for cows’ mouths. The drier it gets, the sharper it gets. This helps with ease of feeding.

Throughout your career, have you changed the forages you plant, and how has that decision helped your operation? Around 1995, we started planting soybeans to loosen the soil and put nitrogen back in the ground. It helps improve the soil itself as well as soil workability. We use soybeans for crop rotation and also as a cash crop. We also changed our corn silage variety for the silos. Cows can do better on different varieties. We might do something more resistant to tar, and we mix it up depending on what’s going on.

Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. We found out we really have to watch our

corn silage. You have to be aware of what can happen and stay on top of what’s new with things like blight, mold and bugs. We have also learned to hit the alfalfa as soon as we see it blooming to get the most out of it. Our dad was always looking for growth to get volume, but if it’s dry, it can get woody. You have to nd that perfect balance.

How do quality forages play a part in the production goals for your herd? It’s everything. We try to get as much out of the herd as we can. To do that, we have to get the best feed into them. That helps cut the costs of buying proteins.

What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that have made a notable difference in forage quality? Kernel processing.

This cracks the kernels and breaks them down so they are ready for cows to eat in the corn silage. As a result, cows digest the corn better. Also, when we rake hay, we rake early when it’s dewy, which helps keep the leaves on – that’s where the protein is. We have gotten better at that over time, but Mother Nature plays a part in our success every day.

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Cows eat freshly cut green chop feed July 13 at Hageman Farms near Fitchburg, Wisconsin. The Hagemans green chop daily during the growing season – a prac ce they have been doing since 1983.

hrs., #558869.............. $349,000

JD S660 2014, PRWD, Duals, 1732 hrs., 1317 Sep. hrs., #532082............ $189,500

JD S680 2014, PRWD, Duals, 2349 hrs., 1668 Sep. hrs., #531966............ $195,000

JD S780 2020, PRWD, Duals, 1030 hrs., 749 Sep. hrs., #188309.............. $409,000

JD 9870 STS 2009, PRWD, Duals, 3579 hrs., 2579 Sep. hrs., #563914 ...... $94,500

JD S780 2018, 2WD, Duals, 1215 hrs., 826 Sep. hrs., #555412 ................ $319,000

JD S690 2012, PRWD, Duals, 2312 hrs., 1645 Sep. hrs., #551148............ $149,000

JD 9770 STS 2011, PRWD, Duals, 3576 hrs., 2560 Sep. hrs., #555084 .... $116,900

JD S790 2020, PRWD, Tracks, 804 hrs., 584 Sep. hrs., #554727 ............... $509,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Floaters, 238 hrs., 170 Sep. hrs., #554623 ............ $569,000

JD S770 2022, PRWD, Floaters, 36 hrs., 20 Sep. hrs., #563704 ............... $546,000

JD S790 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1643 hrs., 1218 Sep. hrs., #549845............ $309,000

JD S790 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1852 hrs., 1407 Sep. hrs., #549847............ $295,000

JD S790 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1459 hrs., 1055 Sep. hrs., #549846............ $329,000

JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 25 hrs., 20 Sep. hrs., #560618 ................... $639,500

JD S790 2022, PRWD, Singles, 25 hrs., 20 Sep. hrs., #560619 ................. $639,500

JD 9870 STS 2010, PRWD, Duals, 3394 hrs., 2260 Sep. hrs., #554931 .... $118,900

JD S690 2016, PRWD, Duals, 2544 hrs., 1820 Sep. hrs., #547267............ $219,900

JD S780 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1622 hrs., 1131 Sep. hrs., #276170............ $305,000

JD S770 2021, 2WD, Duals, 718 hrs., 585 Sep. hrs., #560264 .................. $425,900

JD S780 2019, 2WD, 627 hrs., 460 Sep. hrs., #559821 ............................ $359,000

JD S790 2021, PRWD, Duals, 705 hrs., 526 Sep. hrs., #555189................ $499,500

JD S780 2019, PRWD, Floaters, 1289 hrs., 889 Sep. hrs., #275242 .......... $349,000

JD S680 2012, PRWD, Duals, 2500 hrs., 2000 Sep. hrs., #554973............ $129,900

JD 9750 STS 2003, 2WD, Duals, 4830 hrs., 3367 Sep. hrs., #565004 ......... $37,500

JD S680 2014, PRWD, Duals, 2321 hrs., 1575 Sep. hrs., #555096............ $169,900

JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 145 hrs., 90 Sep. hrs., #557140.................. $629,900

JD S790 2022, PRWD, Duals, 428 hrs., 302 Sep. hrs., #552839................ $579,500

JD S780 2020, PRWD, Duals, 932 hrs., 640 Sep. hrs., #557137................ $419,000

JD S780 2019, PRWD, Duals, 1562 hrs., 1131 Sep. hrs., #549680............ $319,000

JD S780 2021, PRWD, Duals, 654 hrs., 469 Sep. hrs., #191047................ $489,000

JD S780 2019, PRWD, Floaters, 1604 hrs., 1145 Sep. hrs., #549684 ........ $319,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 337 hrs., 251 Sep. hrs., #563618 ............... $619,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 426 hrs., 307 Sep. hrs., #563710................ $549,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 465 hrs., 374 Sep. hrs., #563633................ $549,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 316 hrs., 231 Sep. hrs., #563619 ............... $619,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 454 hrs., 347 Sep. hrs., #563635................ $549,000

JD S690 2017, PRWD, Duals, 1433 hrs., 1187 Sep. hrs., #549457............ $280,700

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 241 hrs., 183 Sep. hrs., #554094................ $565,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 243 hrs., 192 Sep. hrs., #563701 ............... $619,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 300 hrs., 280 Sep. hrs., #561020 ............... $623,000

JD S780 2019, PRWD, Duals, 1559 hrs., 1058 Sep. hrs., #549682............ $319,000

JD S770 2018, PRWD, Duals, 2261 hrs., 1652 Sep. hrs., #549678............ $259,900

JD S680 2017, PRWD, Duals, 1516 hrs., 1053 Sep. hrs., #273646............ $219,900 JD S680 2012, 2WD, Duals, 2756 hrs., 2032 Sep. hrs., #552659 .............. $119,900

............ $549,900

JD S790 2018, 2WD, Duals, 1579 hrs., 1128 Sep. hrs., #273973 .............. $289,000

JD 9770 STS 2011, 2WD, Duals, 3460 hrs., 2570 Sep. hrs., #555709 ......... $92,500

JD S790 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 38 hrs., 21 Sep. hrs., #553771 ................... $695,000

JD S770 2021, PRWD, Duals, 568 hrs., 486 Sep. hrs., #554050................ $405,000

JD S680 2013, PRWD, Duals, 2485 hrs., 1604 Sep. hrs., #551147............ $165,000

Case IH 2388 1998, 2WD, Singles, 3876 hrs., 2943 Sep. hrs., #549406 .... $34,900

JD S780 2020, PRWD, Duals, 955 hrs., 659 Sep. hrs., #188459................ $419,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 462 hrs., 345 Sep. hrs., #553598................ $549,000

JD S770 2022, PRWD, Duals, 270 hrs., 195 Sep. hrs., #554014................ $560,000

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Tracks, 299 hrs., 238 Sep. hrs., #554013 ............... $619,000

JD S780 2020, PRWD, Duals, 1545 hrs., 1204 Sep. hrs., #531610............ $349,000

JD S790 2021, PRWD, Tracks, 734 hrs., 530 Sep. hrs., #191075 ............... $549,500

JD S680 2015, PRWD, Duals, 2585 hrs., 1865 Sep. hrs., #190078............ $174,500

JD 9760 STS 2004, PRWD, Duals, 4389 hrs., 3109 Sep. hrs., #564023 ...... $53,500

JD S780 2020, PRWD, Duals, 964 hrs., 740 Sep. hrs., #564897................ $419,500

JD S780 2022, PRWD, Duals, 91 hrs., 56 Sep. hrs., #563620 ................... $579,000

JD S780 2020, PRWD, Duals, 1488 hrs., 1145 Sep. hrs., #191082............ $349,000

JD X9 1100 2021, PRWD, Tracks, 942 hrs., 735 Sep. hrs., #552917.......... $749,000

JD X9 1100 2021, PRWD, Tracks, 876 hrs., 715 Sep. hrs., #552921.......... $769,000

JD S790 2019, PRWD, Duals, 1772 hrs., 1426 Sep. hrs., #532032............ $299,000

JD S780 2020, PRWD, Duals, 1076 hrs., 784 Sep. hrs., #188458.............. $409,000

JD S790 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1315 hrs., 940 Sep. hrs., #554633.............. $329,000

JD S790 2021, PRWD, Singles, 937 hrs., 770 Sep. hrs., #557277 ............. $479,000

JD S790 2021, PRWD, Duals, 585 hrs., 449 Sep. hrs., #556669................ $499,500

JD S690 2017, PRWD, Duals, 2103 hrs., 1461 Sep. hrs., #552684............ $249,900

563-422-5355 Monticello, IA 319-465-5931

WISCONSIN

Advanced Dairy Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201

Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713

DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI 866-335-2825

Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321

Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106

Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0268

Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579

The

Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470 MINNESOTA

Melrose, MN 320-256-3276

Brookings, SD 800-636-5581

Advanced

Mora, MN 320-679-1029

Pierz, MN

320-468-2494

St. Charles, MN

507-932-4288

Wadena, MN 218-632-5416

A representative to the next generation

Ward focuses on nutrition, animal care

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

ST. CHARLES, Minn. – When Riley Ward was a little girl, she would not eat a meal if it did not include ice cream, usually chocolate avored.

“I ultimately ended up eating ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner growing up,” she said.

Now, the Winona County Dairy Princess is vying to represent the dairy products she loves at the highest level as one of the 10 nalists for Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

“I’ve always loved speaking opportunities and just advocating for things I believe strongly in, especially the dairy industry,” Ward said. “Through this opportunity, I just hope to give back.”

Ward is the daughter of Randy and Minnie Ward. She lives and works on her family’s custom heifer-raising facility near St. Charles where they work with 200 animals.

As a dairy princess, Ward is interested in connecting with college-aged consumers because they are beginning to make decisions for themselves and are the next generation of employees, parents and politicians. Ward said the 18- to 24-yearolds who vie for Princess Kay are well suited to connect with this demographic.

“That younger age group can represent and relate to the incoming generations where it’s very important to address the nutritional benets of dairy,” Ward said.

In keeping with the chocolate theme, though Ward still enjoys ice cream, she loves to share about a different dairy product, chocolate milk.

“It’s amazing for your (body), especially post workouts,” she said. “It gives you so many benets.”

Ward ran track in high school and was always encouraging her teammates to refuel with chocolate milk.

“Every single track practice, we (would) end up talking about chocolate milk,” she said.

As an athlete, nutrition is key for Ward. She sees a connection between

good nutrition, including dairy and mental health.

“Runners tend to have eating disorders as well as body dysmorphia, so it’s very important to me to maintain a healthy diet, especially when I’m active,” Ward said.

Another important message Ward plans to share as a dairy princess is the signicance of animal care to dairy farmers.

“It’s important that (cows) are in a stress-free and happy environment; that way, we can watch them grow and prosper,” she said.

Her own family’s farm models the animal care she is excited to share about.

“We actually have it really nicely set up right now so that there’s a stressfree environment for the heifers,” Ward said. “As they change their stages, ... we just keep pushing them through different gates. They just go right down the line until all of a sudden, they go right back to the farm.”

Ward and her family recently made an addition to their facilities. Their new

calf barn is equipped with multiple automatic calf feeders, automatic waterers, fan ventilation and ammonia detectors.

Ward appreciates the facility because its technology helps give the calves consistent feedings. Calves enter their facility once a week, ranging in age from a few days old to a week, from Prestrud Dairy in Wisconsin. Calves spend their time on the

Wards’ farm in cohorts of approximately 20 to 25. Calves move through the barn from pen to pen through gates for lowstress transitions alongside their cohort. The calves return to their owners at 5 months old.

On the farm, Ward is involved with whatever needs to be done. Her favorite task is bottle feeding calves.

Outside the farm and her athletic endeavors, Ward is also active in 4-H. She is a Minnesota 4-H state ambassador, serving as committee project manager. In this role, she makes sure the 4-H ambassadors feel connected and that the various 4-H committees are communicating with each other.

Ward, who graduated this spring from St. Charles High School, was also a peer helper at her school, working with students who need a listening ear but who might not feel comfortable speaking with a school counselor. Ward sees mental health as important in rural communities and beyond.

In the fall, Ward will attend the University of Minnesota-Duluth, majoring in business management and economics. Ward said she is looking forward to being part of a land-grant university and staying close to the people she knows.

For Ward, being connected to the dairy industry as a dairy princess is well worth the investment involved.

“I’ve never met a farmer who I wasn’t able to instantly connect with,” Ward said. “To me, it’s one big community (where) we share this common goal to sustain and feed our nation. It’s home, and I want to give back to all those people that have made it my home.”

AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR

Princess Kay of the Milky Way Finalist Riley Ward smiles May 22 next to a calf on her family’s custom heifer-raising opera on near St. Charles, Minnesota. Ward is an athlete who shares about the post-workout nutri on benets of chocolate milk with her teammates.

AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR

Randy (from le ), Riley and Minnie Ward gather together May 22 on their farm near St. Charles, Minnesota. The Wards have a custom heifer-raising opera on.

Passions collide

Ash connects youth with dairy

By Alex Christen Staff Intern

MILACA, Minn. –

Throughout her busy summer, Gracie Ash can be found either taking care of children as a nanny or her cows in the show ring. Her caring personality and passion for the dairy industry were two qualities that helped lead to her accomplishment of being named as a nalist for the 70th Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

Ash, the daughter of Mike and Shelly Ash, did not grow up on a dairy farm but instead found her passion for the dairy industry through 4-H dairy showmanship.

As a nanny, Ash’s love of children has led her to ensuring that the youth in her care learn about her passion for dairy. She wants those children to have positive rsthand experiences with farmers.

“I actually brought one of the kids back to my hometown to see the cows,” Ash said. “Now, she keeps asking to go back and convinces her mom to buy milk at the grocery store.”

While representing the dairy industry as a princess and now nalist, Ash hopes to bring awareness to mental health among members of the industry.

“Mental health is important and something we should talk about,” Ash said. “It is just as serious as our physical health.”

Ash said she wants people to know that there are resources available and that it is OK to reach out and ask for help when needed.

As a junior at the Univer-

sity of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Ash studies agricultural communication and leadership and marketing with minors in media information and leadership. Her career goal is to work in communications and marketing while staying within the eld of agriculture.

“I love being able to con-

nect with people,” Ash said. “I can see that right now there is a large gap between producers and consumers that I want to help address.”

Having not grown up on a dairy farm but still involved in the industry, Ash sees herself as somewhere in the middle of the two groups.

“I am able to understand both perspectives,” Ash said. “Having someone in the middle to bridge that gap is really important.”

As a dairy princess, Ash wants to provide her community with an approachable way to ask questions about the dairy industry and build trust through authentic relationships.

“Building trust during those one-on-one conversations is a little thing that can lead to so much more,” Ash said. “It is like planting wildowers, where one small seed can lead to a great garden.”

Ash sees dairy princesses as positive industry representatives in the public.

“We love the industry, the products and the cows, and we want to share that,” Ash said.

Ash grew up involved in a multitude of activities, including sports, clubs, church groups and 4-H. Alongside her brothers Dylan and Jaegar, Ash has shown beef, swine and dairy throughout her 4-H career.

“When my siblings and I reached the age of eligibility for 4-H, it was pretty obvious that we were going to be enrolled,” Ash said. “My parents actually met through 4-H, and they knew how rewarding it was to be involved in an organization like that.”

ALEX CHRISTEN/DAIRY STAR

Gracie Ash kneels in the pasture surrounded by cows July 17 at Sonnek Farms near Foreston, Minnesota. Ash grew up showing dairy, beef and swine.

Once Ash reached the end of her 4-H career, she began looking for different ways to give back to the dairy industry. She found the dairy princess program, and with some persuasion from family and friends, she decided to give it a go.

“This was something outside of my comfort zone and a role that I just hadn’t ever seen for myself,” Ash said. “I am very appreciative of those people who gave me that extra push, and I am excited for this opportunity.”

Promoting the dairy industry, Ash said, involves more than sharing the nutritional benets of dairy. Dairy products can also offer unique opportunities to make memories. Ash remembers eating ice cream with her grandpa every day after school, string cheese packed in her school lunches and frozen Greek yogurt bars for snacks in the summertime.

“There are memories that are attached to dairy products for me,” Ash said. “That could be the case for anyone, whether or not they are involved in the dairy industry.”

This year was Ash’s rst time attending the May Leadership and Promotional Event hosted by Midwest Dairy. She arrived there that Friday, excited to meet strong, talented, beautiful women who share in her passion for the dairy industry, she said. When she left on Saturday, she felt like she accomplished that goal.

“I wanted to have a great time and

be myself at the May event,” Ash said. “I didn’t want to stress about the judging because that weekend offers so much more than just the judging process.”

Ash wanted to be truly present while there, especially for the speakers and workshops that were offered.

“We were able to grow our leadership and social skills while getting to hear from industry professionals,” Ash said. “I put my best foot forward and soaked up all the information I could.”

Looking ahead to the coronation in August, Ash said she is excited, not only for the possibility of being crowned to represent Minnesota’s dairy farmers, but also because August is her favorite month of the year. During August, Ash has both her county fair and the state fair on her busy agenda.

“I am excited to be at my county fair in August although my role this year will be different,” Ash said. “I will be in the show ring but not in the way that I have been before.”

Ash has been showing dairy at both the county and state fairs for many years and often spends multiple days at the state fair tending to her cows.

“The state fair can be very exhausting after all the long days, but I truly love it and could do it every single day,” Ash said. “I can’t wait to meet a larger capacity of people this year and connect with them.”

ALEX CHRISTEN/DAIRY STAR

Gracie Ash stands with her parents, Mike and Shelly Ash, July 17 at Sonnek Farms near Foreston, Minnesota. Ash is represen ng Mille Lacs County as a Princess Kay of the Milky Way nalist.

DAIRY women

Tell us about your farm and family. I dairy farm with my parents, Kevin and Judy, and my ancé, John Butz. John and I are getting married in October. John grew up on his family’s 4,000cow dairy farm near Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He and I met when he decided to take a year of classes at South Dakota State University where I was majoring in dairy production. I am the fth generation of my family on this farm. We still have the claim shack that my great-great-grandfather built when he homesteaded here. My grandmother, Lela Hoffman, is 93 and lives on our farm in the house where she was born. My uncles, Steve and Jim, work with us on the cropping side of things.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? I do all of the milking. I get up at 5 a.m., go down to the barn and get things started. During the day, we will breed cows, do chores, feed the calves and take care of projects all around the farm.

What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? We purchased 35 registered Holsteins that were bred with sexed semen from Newalta Dairy at Pipestone, Minnesota. These cattle will provide our herd with higher quality genetics, better milk production and improved traits in our cows.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Just doing chores and milking cows with

Rebecka Hoffman Dolton, South Dakota McCook County

90 cows

Mom and Dad are some of my most cherished memories. I have always been with Mom and Dad in the milking parlor and while we do chores. I have done a lot of things with my parents and are very close to them.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I like going to fairs, showing dairy cattle, talking to people and promoting dairy. I will talk to anyone who stops by when we are showing cattle at the fair.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? The development of our herd as we are getting more and more into genetics. We used to milk whatever animals we had, but now we are focusing more on quality instead of quantity.

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? When I was in college, I served an internship with Ag United for South Dakota and worked with Midwest Dairy. I went to a lot of fairs and shows to help promote the dairy industry. That experience taught me how important it is to continue to engage with our consumers and tell them about the wholesome goodness of dairy products.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Women have become the predominant voice for dairy. Don’t be afraid to use your voice to advocate for the dairy industry.

What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? It has been a challenge to deal with low prices and nd ways to stay protable. We have been doing custom silage chopping, taking off-farm jobs and marketing the things that we produce on our farm in ways that make the best of current market conditions.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? In addition to dairy farming, I work 20 hours a week for QuickBooks. John and I like to go to fairs and attend dairy cattle shows whenever we can.

Draper Head....................... $37,000

Gleaner 8200-35 Flex Head w/Orbit Reel ...... $18,000 Gleaner 8200-35 Flex Head w/Crary Air Reel... Coming In

8200-30 Flex Head With Crary Air ReelComing In

Harvestec 4306C 6 Row 30” Cutter Corn Head,

Mounts .................................................. $17,500 ‘00 Geringhoff RD630 Corn Head,Consigned,

Mounts .................................................. $14,000

Gleaner 313 Pick-Up Header .................................. $3,500

SKIDS, TRACK LOADERS, TELE-HANDLERS, & EXCAVATORS

‘07 Bobcat S185, Cab, 5242 Hrs ...................... Coming In

‘14 Bobcat S570, Cab, w/5,100 hrs, H/F ctrl, 2 Sp ................................................................... Coming In

‘15 Bobcat S590, 2330 hrs, Single Speed ....... Coming In

‘16 Bobcat T770 Track Loader, Cab Hvac, 3,000 Hrs,

H/F Controls, Track Sus...................................... $45,000

Mustang 2032, 3000 hrs, 1-Owner, H/F Ctrls ..... $14,000

Mustang 2054 .................................................... Coming In

TILLAGE/FIELD CULTIVATORS

CIH 335 VT 25’ Vertical Tillage True Tandem ...... $51,000

Case IH 3900, 22.5’ Disc Front 20 7/8” Rear 21” $13,000

Wil-Rich 3400 Field Cultivator w/4-Bar WR Coil Tine, 28’6”....................................................................... $9,900

Salford 870 disc 25’ ............................................. $29,000

HAY & FORAGE, STALK CHOPPERS

‘14 Anderson Hybrid X Inline bale wrapper,

baler w/cutter,11,500 bales $27,500

Vermeer 21A, hyd. drive, 4-bar basket rake, 21’.... $2,500 JD 3950 Forage Harvestor w/7’ hay head, consigned .............................................................. $4,500

H&S GM170 Feed Mill, 2009 ............................... $18,500

H&S HDX 14 Wheel Rake .................................... $13,300

H&S Bi Fold 12 wheel hydraulic fold rake ........ Coming In Vermeer 554 XL round baler ............................ Coming In ROW CROP, DRILLS & SPRAYERS

Hardi NP1100 80’ boom, Foam, 463 pump, 2500 rate controller, ........................................... $12,900

Hardi Navigator 3500, 2013 60’ Boom, Foam, 463 Pump, 5500 Rate Controler........................ $21,500

CIH 5100 Grain Drill 12’ w/6” Spacing, no small seeds....................................................... $5,500

Great Plains YP1225-24 Twin Row 30” Planter, Finger Pick-Up. 400 Gal LF ................................ $69,000

‘22 MF VW12-30 planter, 12 row, 30” .............. Coming In White 5100 4R30” Planter, Dry Fert., Insecticide ...$4,500

GRAIN CARTS & WAGONS

Agrimaster RS150RA, 15 Ton Gear....................... Coming In

H&S 7+4 Forage Box Twin Auger, w/ Meyer 1800

tandem Gear, 14L-16.1 .............................................. $9,200

MANURE SPREADERS

New Idea 3632......................................................... $5,700

‘16 H&S HP550VB Hydra-Push Vertical Beater... $37,000

‘17 H&S 3143, Dual Beater, Hyd. Drive ............... $24,900

GRAIN EQUIPMENT

Good Selection Of Used Augers ................................... Call

MISCELLANEOUS

‘18 Bobcat Sweeperbucket 72” Model # 6707837, low usage............................................................... $4,900

Farm King Snowblower, single auger, hyd. chute 6’ . $900 Merry Mac TPH-12 3pt Wood Chipper .................. $1,200

Meyer 80” Skid Steer Mount

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SWOT: Now what?

A SWOT analysis tool is an effective business and decision-making tool that businesses should conduct periodically. A SWOT analysis stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Heinz Weihrich, University of San Francisco, improved the SWOT analysis by developing a process that businesses can use to develop an action matrix. The information is the same, but he changed the acronym and coined it a TOWS analysis.

A SWOT analysis typically starts with an internal analysis, and the TOWS matrix starts with an external analysis of the threats and opportunities followed by the strengths and weaknesses, but the real power is using the tool to create actionable items.

might include local and national regulations, a local housing development or decreasing processing capacity in your area.

– Opportunities: External to your business. What positive trends can open new opportunities for your business? Is there an opportunity to capitalize on the increased interest in local foods and how food is produced? Is your processor positioned to expand export opportunities or pay premiums based on new products? Opportunities arise from outside of your farm, such as industry changes or important changes in competitors’ environment.

By Jim Salfer University of Minnesota

Both tools can help identify the internal and external factors affecting a business. It is a great tool to assess the current position and future viability of a current business, help identify new opportunities and strategies, and identify potential future threats early.

You begin by conducting the TOWS analysis. It is best to get input from all business partners, along with trusted advisors, to get an outside opinion of the business. Below is the process, along with how to use the matrix.

– Threats: External to your business. Identify threats to your business that can potentially have a negative impact or even keep you from operating. Some examples

– Weaknesses: Internal to your business. What do your competitors do better than you? Do they have a lower cost of production? Are you lacking the land base to produce your own forage? How does your debt level compare to your competitors?

– Strengths: Internal to your business. These are your strengths compared to other farmers. What is your human or natural resource competitive advantage? Are you skilled at producing high pounds of solids per cow? Are you more labor efcient than your competitors? What is it that you do particularly well that others do not? Strengths represent areas of a clear advantage for your farm. After nishing your list, create a matrix that can be used to leverage the strengths and opportunities to improve your business in the future.

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Consider all strengths and opportunities listed in the TOWS analysis. Can you use any of your internal strengths to capitalize on external opportunities? In the example, would any of the children want to start a value enterprise to take advantage of their location and show off their excellent herd?

Continually monitor any external threats. Determine if it is possible for the internal strengths to minimize the risk of these threats. This farm’s high-quality milk and excellent cow care is providing product consumers are demanding. They could showcase their farm to regulators and others, showing off their excellent animal and environmental compliance.

Evaluate weaknesses listed in the TOWS analysis with the opportunities to

determine if weaknesses can be improved or minimized with external opportunities. This farm could use their good reputation with neighbors to foster long-term land or building leases. Building leases could leverage the limited capital to expand the cow herd. They could explore higher margin, lower capital enterprises such as tourism to take advantage of their location.

Consider all weaknesses and threats to determine if they can be eliminated or managed. This example farm might focus on building capital reserves that will allow them to adapt the business to potential threats.

Using proven business tools like a TOWS analysis can help farms develop strategies that will improve the long-term sustainability of their business.

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Drying off high-producing cows

With much genetic and management progress for greater milk yield, increased persistency of milk production through lactation and shorter calving intervals, there are now many more cows approaching preferred dry-off dates with higherthan-desired daily milk production.

In some ways, it is like the 100-yard dash that sprinters run during the indoor track season. Everything possible is done to create a maximum burst of speed out of the starting blocks and to maintain maximum speed right through the nish line. But once an athlete hits the indoor nish line, there is usually a wall coming up way too fast.

Most athletes (think cows) nd it OK to hit that wall (think dry-off) but surely appreciate when there is some padding (think slow down of milk production) between them and the wall. We think of the transition period being from three weeks prior to three weeks post-calving. However, a cow experiences many other transition periods, including going from lactating to dry, and this transition has its own share of changes, stressors and risks.

initially continuing milk secretion and preventing the formation of a keratin plug to seal the teat canal. Leaking milk obviously contributes to keeping the teat canal open, but it also reduces the effectiveness of dry-cow antibiotics in terminating mastitis infections. Engorged udders further result in animal discomfort, which typically interferes with immune response and reduces lying time.

The National Mastitis Council recommends daily milk yield of less than 33 pounds per day at dry-off, but that may be difcult to achieve for high-producing cows that breed back quickly.

Let’s look at some of the methods for dry-off.

By Mike Schultz University of Minnesota

This transition from lactating, perhaps at a still-high rate, to being a dry cow is a consequential time, and it stands to reason we want to keep cows healthy and comfortable. Goals during this time include nal suspension of milk secretion, proper sealing of the teat canal, termination of lingering mastitis infections and letting the cow begin the process of udder involution. All these aims are better achieved for a cow that does not have an udder engorged with milk. According to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture survey, about 82% of U.S. dairy cows are dried off abruptly, including cows with high milk yields. Udders with high internal pressure interfere with the dry-off goals by

– Abrupt cessation of milking. This must be considered the industry standard. Cows are simply dried off on a specic number of days before the expected calving date or in some cases when production drops below a specic level. This can have the impacts mentioned above for highproducing cows. Second and later lactation cows can be milked until 45 or even 30 days before next calving if that helps to reduce the output to make dry-off less stressful.

– Gradual milking. Research has shown the benets of reducing the number of milkings per day or incomplete milk removal to slow down yields when introduced over the last 10 days or so before dry-off. Both of these options can be set quite easily for automatic milking systems.

– Reducing calories. This is not the same as reducing feed intake. Reducing feed intake clearly slows milk secretion but comes at too great an impact on the cow’s health and future performance. Instead, reducing the energy density of the diet has proven to be somewhat effective in reducing milk yields prior to dry-off and achieving goals after dry-off. Reducing

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amount of concentrate offered to late-lactation, high-yield cows in AMS can reduce overall calorie intake and reduce motivation to visit the AMS as frequently.

– Inhibiting prolactin response. Drugs such as cabergoline and quinagolide are known to inhibit the prolactin response, which does indeed reduce milk secretion. However, there is not presently a prolactin inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. for this use, and some research in Europe found concerning results with more down cows and mortalities.

– Creating a slight, temporary acidosis. Administering a bolus of calcium chloride, calcium sulfate and ammonium chloride can create a slight and temporary acidosis that decreases blood pH and leads to decreased lactose synthesis and a modest decline in feed intake, both of which reduce milk secretion. Luciano Caixeta and his research group here at the University of

Minnesota found this strategy led to more rest after dry-off (a sign of better cow comfort) and reduced clinical and subclinical mastitis in the following lactation.

Researchers at the University of Florida compared costs and revenues of abrupt dry-off, gradual milking, gradual feeding and a prolactin inhibitor administered at dry-off in a partial budget and found gradual feeding provided the best advantage of revenue over cost compared to abrupt cessation, mainly because feed savings outpaced milk revenue loss. Gradual milking was halfway between. Benets and costs to the prolactin inhibitor were similar to those of abrupt cessation. While not part of the Florida study, the relative advantage of using a bolus to reduce pH should arise from the convenience in administration without need to manage the cow differently until its scheduled dry-off and success of meeting the dry-off goals.

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A family business since 1946 with the Lanos: Jack, Paul, Bob and Andy

County fairs have always been a reason to celebrate and showcase local agriculture. My grandmother was in 4-H, my mom was in 4-H, I was in 4-H, and I can’t wait until my children are old enough to join 4-H.

I was in 4-H for 11 years and loved every minute. My last year in 4-H, I had 22 non-livestock projects and six dairy animals. The year prior, when my older brother was still in 4-H as well, our family brought just over 20 dairy cattle to the fair, plus a few pigs and chickens, and my brothers showed beef cattle. We all looked forward to county fair week.

It was hands down the busiest, longest, craziest week of the entire year for our family. While it was an entire week of late nights nishing up projects or washing a load of our show white clothes at midnight, we looked forward to it every year. My home county fair had a good variety of almost every species of animal. It was common to have six, sometimes seven, different breeds of dairy cattle. I can remember that Friday morning was always the 4-H dairy show, and Saturday morning was the open class dairy show.

We would go home Friday night, help with chores and milk the cows, bring more feed for the show animals at the fair and drive the 22 miles back to the fair. We would feed and water the animals and milk the milking cows one more time and check on everything, oftentimes staying until 10:30 p.m. After watering the animals one more time, we would drive the 22 miles back home – only to wake up bright and early the next day to do it all over again. One would think that cattle surrounded by freshly uffed straw could manage to stay clean for 12 hours, but alas, this was never the case. Each morning we would have to start washing the animals right away to get them clean and dry by show time at 9 a.m. The next day was the open class show, and almost the exact same dance commenced. We were off and running all day long once again.

Our cattle did not have the top-of-theline genetics, the fancy show feed or the special hairsprays like some of the other kids, but come time to enter the show ring, we would smile and walk gracefully and proudly next to our animals as we all paraded around the ring.

As soon as one class was done, we would go back to our show string and start getting the next one ready. My mom would help us as we all worked together, getting the animals up and show ready and taking pictures of each other in the show

By Tiffany Klaphake Staff Writer

ring. Since there were four of us siblings and we each had multiple animals, we had an animal in most of the dairy classes for Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss and crossbreds. The only break we got was when it came time for the Guernsey, Ayrshire and Milking Shorthorn classes. Our enjoyment of 4-H and county fairs rubbed off on our extended family as well.

I have three cousins who grew up in the Twin Cities area, but my uncle would bring them to our farm almost every other weekend from the time they were 2 years old until they graduated from high school. By that time, they were driving to our farm themselves. They still come to our farm to visit and to help with chores now and then, even though they have jobs of their own.

For several years, my cousins joined our 4-H club, leased cattle from us and showed our animals. They too would practice every time they would come to our farm and would look forward to county fair week. They even went to the state fair a couple of times. They would share stories with their friends at school about showing cows, and their friends would be amazed that one could wash, clip and lead a cow around like it was in a beauty pageant. My cousins would sometimes have to show pictures as proof that this was indeed a real thing.

My brothers and I would continue to help show in the open class show. We all showed until the youngest cousin graduated from 4-H in 2021. By then, we had showed for more than 20 years at our county fair. A couple of us had gotten married by this point and were raising kids of our own.

While we take a couple of years off from washing and clipping cattle to raise our families, we look back fondly at those busy, long, crazy few days during the county fair.

So, to all of you 4-H’ers, FFA’ers and parents, good luck at your county fair and remember to have fun.

Brad

Krueger farms full time while promoting dairy

By Alex Christen Staff Intern

ARLINGTON, Minn.

– When the world went into lockdown in 2020, it provided Montana Krueger with the opportunity to spend more time doing what she loves – working on the farm. During this time, she decided dairy farming was something she wanted to make a lifetime commitment to.

“I plan to keep farming full time with my dad, and we have plans to expand in the near future,” Krueger said. “I have been training on the farm with my family, and I get rsthand experience without having to leave the farm.”

The love for the farm that Krueger has led her to her title as a Sibley County Dairy Prin-

Always advocating

cess, which she has held for the past three years. More recently, she has been named as one of the 2023 nalists for Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

Krueger is the daughter of Scott and Stephanie Krueger and has been active on her family’s dairy farm for as long as she can remember. The Krueger family milks 100 cows and farms 200 acres.

While the cows are the main focus of the farm, Krueger also owns a herd of Boer-Dapple crossbred goats as well as three llamas and one alpaca. She began acquiring these animals during her high school years and has grown her herds from there. These animals also play a large role in Krueger’s advocacy journey.

“They are adorable, and the community thinks so as well,” Krueger said “When the goats had their babies this spring, I let people come to the farm to see them.”

Krueger was able to use this to showcase not only the goats but the entirety of the dairy operation. She wants

consumers to see how much effort farmers put into everyday care for their animals and the dedication they have to producing a wholesome product.

“As a full-time farmer, I know how busy our schedules are,” Krueger said. “Allowing people to learn about dairy right on the farm is such a unique opportunity.”

On the farm, Krueger is responsible for the daily milking, feeding the cows throughout the day and watering them in the afternoon.

“I help out wherever I am needed, but milking cows is probably my favorite place to be,” Krueger said.

When Krueger was announced as a nalist via the Princess Kay Facebook page in May, she said she could not believe she was accomplishing one of her biggest dreams.

“When my bio was being read, my dad immediately started yelling that it was me,” Krueger said. “I didn’t believe him, and I was completely in denial even after my name was announced.”

The announcement was followed by happy tears throughout the Krueger household and even in her aunt’s house an hour away, where her grandparents received the news from Krueger over the phone.

“I called my grandma and she started to cry too,” Krueger said. “It was an exciting day.”

Now that she is spending the summer as a Princess Kay nalist, Krueger is looking for new ways to connect with consumers. She wants to be able to utilize social media in new ways to make those connections.

“Using social media to promote our livelihood and show exactly what goes on in the life of a dairy farmer is so benecial,” Krueger said. “I’ve

started a Facebook page for my goats and my llamas and I use that to talk about cows as well.”

Krueger wants to let consumers know it is important to choose dairy products as often as possible.

“There are so many dairy products to enjoy that are also good for you and your health,” Krueger said. “Trying as many as you can allows you to nd out what you like.”

Connecting with the next generation is also a large part of Krueger’s advocacy journey.

“I have day care visits lined up where I will be making butter with the kids and reading them a story,” Krueger said. “I’m really excited to educate them to help them under-

stand dairy.

In Krueger’s spare time, she continues to build connections and relationships with children through her role as a dance instructor. She said she enjoys connecting with those younger than she is as well as people of all ages that she encounters through her numerous events in the community throughout the summer.

After the coronation in August and time spent at the state fair, Krueger will return home to her cows. Crown or no crown, she will remain a dedicated advocate of the industry that raised her.

“I’m passionate about the dairy industry,” Krueger said. “It is what I do, and getting to promote it as both a princess and a farmer is so rewarding.”

ALEX CHRISTEN/DAIRY STAR

Montana Krueger kneels with her cows July 13 on her family’s farm near Arlington, Minnesota. Krueger is the third generaon on her farm.

ALEX CHRISTEN/DAIRY STAR

Montana Krueger stands with her parents, Sco and Stephanie Krueger, July 13 on their farm near Arlington, Minnesota. The Kruegers currently milk 100 cows and farm 200 acres.

Drought-stressed alfalfa

For some across the Midwest, recent rain has brought much-needed moisture. For others, the drought continues, combined with periods of aboveaverage heat. Key environmental factors like temperature and soil moisture status greatly impact alfalfa quality and yields. Thus, this year’s conditions have led to difcult harvesting decisions and generated conversations with forage advisory teams on several farms.

Because of its high stem density and dense canopy, alfalfa has a high rate of water use. University of Minnesota agronomy experts share that alfalfa uses 0.1 to 0.3 inches of water per day with a range of 4 to

7 inches per ton of forage, depending on the environment.

Daily water use is inuenced by plant growth stage and environmental factors like air temperature and wind speed. For example, on a windy, 90-degree day, alfalfa will likely use 0.3 inches of water. Water use is greatest when alfalfa has a full vegetative canopy before harvest and is greater during summer months when solar energy and air temperatures are greatest. Conversely, water use declines following harvests and in the spring and fall. If irrigating elds, these growth dynamics can be valuable when determining water application to minimize yield-reducing

Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of the author and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.

stress while optimizing economic yields.

Alfalfa has an extensive root system that enables it to extract water from deep in the soil. Alfalfa roots are mostly concentrated in the top 4 feet of the soil, but it is not uncommon for roots to reach depths of 15 feet in older stands. Alfalfa increases its root mass and length in response to soil moisture decits. Alfalfa survives severe drought by going dormant. In the Midwest, alfalfa plants can survive several months in dormancy. In some climates, dormant alfalfa can survive for years. During the onset of drought, alfalfa plants increase carbohydrates stored in the crown to allow the plant to survive dormancy. When water becomes available, alfalfa regrows rapidly from buds on the crown.

By Barry Visser Nutritionist

Drought stress will impact alfalfa plant growth in a variety of ways. Many changes are due to a dramatic reduction in photosynthesis. Plant cell enlargement is inhibited. The number of basal buds and number of stems are reduced when drought stress occurs in the rst two weeks after harvest. In addition, the stem internode length is condensed, resulting in owering at reduced plant height. Leaf size and growth is also reduced, although to a lesser degree than stem growth. Therefore, the leaf-to-stem ratio is higher under drought conditions.

From a nutrient standpoint, protein levels can see a slight reduction due to reduced biological nitrogen xation by the alfalfa plant largely through drought’s negative impacts on photosynthesis. Neutral detergent ber is generally decreased, though the effect varies with severity and timing of moisture stress.

The timing of the drought can be critical to yield reduction. Alfalfa root systems require good soil moisture in the early spring to regrow. Most of the Midwest experienced adequate snow melt and enough early moisture to allow a strong root system to develop this spring. As alfalfa plants broke dormancy, plant health was good, and growth was steady. Though not recordsetting, the result was respectable rst-cutting yields in many areas.

Dry conditions in June and July have resulted in reduced growth. Severe drought in some areas has affected entire elds while milder drought stress has created inconsistency across elds, impacted greatly by the water-holding capacity of the subsoils. Normal cutting windows are being evaluated and, in some cases, adjusted. Dr. Dan Undersander from the University of Wisconsin recommends harvesting as normal if a stand is over 10 inches tall and owering. There is no advantage to raising cutting height; alfalfa can regrow from axillary buds on the stubble, but these shoots are smaller and produce lower yield than stems growing from the crown buds. Plants will maintain quality better under drought conditions, so it may be valuable to go longer between cuttings and let stressed elds approach owering so the plant can build nonstructural carbohydrate reserves.

New-seeding alfalfa may have poorer stands if a dry period follows seeding. Upon emergence, drought-stressed plants may not develop as extensive of a root system as those in elds seeded under ideal moisture. This can impact current yields as well as future performance. Special caution should be taken in the fall to ensure these new-seeding elds have at least 8 to 10 inches of regrowth before the frost. Dry conditions going into the winter enhance alfalfa survival since dry soils insulate the crown better and result in less disease in alfalfa roots.

Drought-stressed alfalfa elds are often lower yielding but have higher forage quality. Keep in mind, this is not the same for grass elds. It is more important than ever to work with your agronomy team to ensure fertility and insect control are enhanced during periods of drought stress. Strategize with your advisors to optimize forage tonnage and quality in this challenging growing season.

Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.

Midwest Dairy, The Hatchery Chicago® partner for innovation

Advancing research in dairy is a key strategy of dairy checkoff. Midwest Dairy funds research by focusing efforts on solving industry challenges and partnering with those who take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace to drive demand for dairy. This includes a recent partnership, now in its second year, aimed at building a contest focused on supporting innovative food and beverage entrepreneurs.

In June 2022, Midwest Dairy partnered with one of North America’s largest food and beverage incubators, The Hatchery Chicago®. Together, they hosted a pitch contest offering the winner a six-month free rent to a commercial kitchen located in Chicago’s Gareld Park. Targeting local entrepreneurs, eligible entrants were fully launched or established brands that used at least 25% dairy in their ingredient base. The contest encouraged dairy innovation while also accelerating inclusive economic growth on Chicago’s West Side.

Midwest Dairy focused on this project because of its innovation and its many strategic elements. For example, the Chicago location was key. By doing a pitch contest in one of the most populated cities in our 10-state region, we exposed many consumers to these dairy products and are paving the way to bring this contest to other metropolitan areas. Including our processor partners was also a huge goal for Midwest Dairy in hopes we would create checkoff advocates by inviting them to become judges.

Due to its success, Midwest Dairy is proud to partner with The Hatchery Chicago® again to relaunch this contest in 2023.

By Sidney Herr Research and Innovation Manager, Midwest Dairy

The nalists included Twisted Eggroll, Bartleby’s Ice Cream Cakes, Zimt Cookies, Classic Cobbler and Milky Milky Ice Cream. The business owners pitched their products to a judging panel made up of farmers, processor partners and Midwest Dairy staff.

The winner, Twisted Eggroll, presented an innovative product that brings dairy to an unexpected product. From avors like southwestern veggie, Philly cheesesteak and buffalo chicken, the impressive dairy-inclusive menu showcased more than 46% of dairy in most ingredients.

Nikkita Randle, a Chicago native, owns Twisted Egg Roll and began to desire entrepreneurship, cooking and leaving an incredible legacy after a successful career in insurance. After fullling a request to make cheesesteak and cheesecake egg rolls, Randle then created a catering service that approached the thought of a traditional egg roll but with an infused spin.

Randle was curious about the Hatchery competition after receiving an email encouraging her to apply because of her robust use of dairy products. She was in the process of scaling her business to grow, and moving into a commercial kitchen was the next step. Randle was also eager to partner with Midwest Dairy as she saw the nancial and networking benets that came with it.

“Dairy is essential to our menu,” Randle said. “I am a fan of dairy because the taste and texture always enhance the avor of our dishes. The quality of the dairy product also makes a difference, and I appreciate the farmers that bring dairy products to the marketplace.”

Twisted Eggroll is grateful to have won this opportunity and truly saw the benets during their time in the kitchen. Randle admits the business was experiencing some growing pains, but this contest’s nancial support gave Twisted Eggroll the time to hire a consultant and allocate other funds to other business projects. They were also able to network and obtain more catering businesses.

Six months later, and after a successful time in the Hatchery kitchen, Twisted Eggroll is excited to make its way to a new home on the Southside of Chicago. As the 2022 fall recipients of the Neighborhood Opportunity Funds from the City of Chicago, they now own a facility in the Chatham, Chicago, area. Randle is excited to build her facility to service customers more efciently and mass produce egg rolls as they grow into a nationwide store brand.

The new contest will ofcially launch this fall and includes exciting enhancements: Two winners will be awarded access to commercial kitchens. As before, the contest is open to established businesses that use 30% of dairy in their ingredient base with no alterna-

tive dairy products. First place will receive one-year free rent to a commercial kitchen, while the secondplace winner will receive six months.

By having two winners, we encourage even more dairy innovation and sales. Our ultimate goal is to allow these food vendors to create a long-standing business that can garnish the funds to move out of The Hatchery kitchen once their time is complete and into their own space to continue selling and promoting dairy products. Midwest Dairy and The Hatchery Chicago® are eager to open this contest once more, encouraging dairy innovation and removing barriers for local food entrepreneurs. Prospective businesses and entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply at bit.ly/ midwestdairyhatchery2023.

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The old record book

Handwritten thank you notes are making a comeback, so I was rummaging through desk drawers in search of blank thank you cards. Mutters of “I know they’re around here somewhere” lled the house.

From the depths of a dusty drawer, I exhumed a drab-looking book that has “Record” embossed on its cover. Good grebe! I had forgotten about that thing.

The book contains all of the ofcial meeting records for the Brookings County Dairy Herd Improvement Association, from its humble beginnings in 1970 to its zzling out in 1997.

A couple of hours were lost while I nosed through the old book. To the untrained eye, its contents may have seemed as humdrum as its cover, but for me, the book was a saga of high drama.

The rst few pages catalog the association’s original incorporators. Perusing the list, I realized that I had known most of the dairymen. All have since gone the way of all esh.

The rst ofcial meeting of the Brookings County DHIA was held Sept. 30, 1970. A board was elected, and rates for testing cows was discussed. Key to

this discussion were the wages that George Bliss, the DHIA supervisor, would receive. It was decided that George would be paid $422 per month – minus $20.26 for Social Security.

I don’t recall much about prices in 1970 but can’t help but think that George was irting with poverty.

My association with the association began in 1979, when I started milking my herd of 30 Holsteins. George was still the supervisor. The record book indicates that he was receiving a much better wage by then.

George was an affable older guy and very procient at his job. My youth and cluelessness prompted him to share a story.

“I remember when I was a young farmer,” George said as he recorded milk weights. “I had a John Deere A and a three-bottom plow and thought I had the world by the tail.

“I was plowing one day and wondered, why not tie the lift rope to the clutch lever? That way, if I lost the plow, the tractor would stop automatically.

“I hit a rock and lost the plow, and the rope yanked

the clutch lever as planned. But, the lever also hit my knee. I had to get off the tractor and run in circles for a while!”

A casual ip through the pages of the record book reveals awards given for high milk production and the elections of new board members. The penmanship abruptly changes whenever a new person assumes the role of secretary.

Somewhere in the mid-1980s the word “computer” makes its rst appearance. George eventually retires, a new supervisor is hired, and the association nds itself on a twisting road.

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The new supervisor holds the job for a couple of years before abruptly quitting. About a year later, there’s an entry regarding a board meeting held at a lawyer’s ofce to discuss a lawsuit brought by the former supervisor. She claims to have been injured on the job and thinks that the association should pay.

The book mentions the lawsuit several times over the next two years. The matter is eventually settled for a sum that pretty much wipes out the association’s checking account.

Some startlingly familiar handwriting appears in 1993. Mine! It’s hard to believe that I was ever elected to a position of responsibility.

The association was like any small-town governing body: Show up at the meetings often enough and they’ll put you on the board.

I served a term as president but found that the secretary held the real power. This was because the secretary recorded all the goings-on, so his or her version of events became the ofcial last word.

For instance, I could have written something along these lines:

“Motion made by Johnson that Jersey herds be charged extra due to the annoying nature of that breed. Countermotion was made by Anderson, a Jersey herd owner, that Johnson go soak his head.

“Johnson replied with a statement that alluded to the marital status of Anderson’s parents. Anderson responded vociferously with an assertion regarding Johnson’s immediate ancestry. Johnson and Anderson then engaged in sticuffs. The heated discussion ended when Nelson moved that the meeting be adjourned to the Coachlight Lounge and that the association buy the rst round. Motion passed unanimously. Clamorous huzzahs erupted for Nelson as he was carried to the Coachlight on the shoulders of board members.”

The record book doesn’t say otherwise, so it would seem I’m still the secretary of Brookings County DHIA. As such, I move that the above be approved as read.

All in favor say, “Aye.” Motion passed.

Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry works full time for Dairy Star as a staff writer and ad salesman. Feel free to email him at jerry.n@ dairystar.com.

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Jerry Nelson Columnist

Dear County Agent Guy

Drought relief

By Steve Frericks Stearns County FSA executive director

For livestock producers, it is getting extremely dry in many areas. Concerns are surfacing regarding pasture program eligibility due to recent drought conditions. Contact your local service center for eligibility details about the programs Farm Service Agency offers and keep an eye on the U.S. Drought Monitor to see the impact of the drought in your area.

Dairy markets are tough right now. The Dairy Margin Coverage program is a risk-management tool used to assist producers during times like these. The June DMC margin will be announced around Aug. 1, and FSA staff will act upon any potential payment as soon as they become available.

The Livestock Forage Disaster Program provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses for covered livestock and who are also producers of grazed forage crop acreage of native and improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or acreage planted specically for grazing.

Grazing losses must occur on land physically located in a county experiencing a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county. LFP also provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have covered livestock and who are also producers of grazed forage crop acreage on rangeland managed by a federal agency if the eligible livestock producer is prohibited by the federal agency from grazing the normal permitted livestock on the manage rangeland due to a qualifying re.

The qualifying drought and qualifying grazing losses and/or notication of prohibition to graze federal land due to re must have occurred in the grazing period and crop year. For grazing losses on rangeland managed by a federal agency, an eligible livestock producer may elect to receive assistance for losses

due to drought conditions or re conditions, if applicable, but not both.

An eligible livestock producer who, as a grazed forage crop producer, owns or leases grazing land or pastureland physically located in a county rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a: D2 (severe drought) intensity in any area of the county for at least eight consecutive weeks during the normal grazing period is eligible to receive assistance in an amount equal to one monthly payment; D3 (extreme drought) intensity in any area of the county at any time during the normal grazing period is eligible to receive assistance in an amount equal to three monthly payments; D3 (extreme drought) intensity in any area of the county for at least four weeks during the normal grazing period or is rated a D4 (exceptional drought) intensity at any time during the normal grazing period is eligible to receive assistance in an amount equal to four monthly payments; or D4 (exceptional drought) in a county for four weeks (not necessarily four consecutive weeks) during the normal grazing period is eligible to receive assistance in an amount equal to ve monthly payments.

Eligible livestock are grazing animals that satisfy the majority of net energy requirement of nutrition via grazing of forage grasses or legumes and include such species as alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo/bison, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, ostrich, reindeer or sheep. Within those species, animals that are eligible include those that are or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland during the normal grazing period for the specic type of grazing land or pastureland for the county or when the federal agency prohibited the livestock producer from having livestock graze the normally permitted livestock on the managed rangeland due to re.

FSA will calculate LFP payments for an eligible livestock producer for grazing losses because of a qualifying drought equal to payment factors of one, three, four or ve times the LFP monthly payment

rate (see table for payment rates). The LFP monthly payment rate for drought is equal to 60% of the lesser of the monthly feed cost for all covered livestock owned or leased by the eligible livestock producer or calculated by using the normal carrying capacity of the eligible grazing land of the eligible livestock producer.

Total LFP payments to an eligible livestock producer in a calendar year for grazing losses will not exceed ve monthly payments for the same kind, type and weight range of livestock. In the case of an eligible livestock producer who sold or otherwise disposed of livestock because of drought conditions in one or both of the two previous production years immediately preceding the current production year, the payment rate will equal 80% of the monthly payment rate. FSA will calculate LFP payments for eligible livestock producers for losses suffered because of a qualifying re on federally managed rangeland for which the producer is prohibited from grazing the normally permitted livestock. The payment begins on the rst day the permitted livestock are prohibited from grazing the eligible rangeland and ends on the earlier of the last day of the federal lease of the eligible livestock producer or the day that would make the period a 180-calendar-day period. The payment rate is 50% of the monthly feed cost for the number of days the livestock producer is prohibited from having livestock graze the managed rangeland because of a qualifying re, not to exceed 180 calendar days.

To nd more information about FSA disaster assistance programs, visit farmers.gov or contact your local FSA ofce. To nd your local FSA ofce, visit farmers.gov/service-center-locator.

Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250. Visit www.fsa.usda.gov for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs

hrs., 778 CH hrs., #188792 ......... $342,000

JD 8600 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1607 hrs., 509 CH hrs., #555841 ......... $289,000

JD 8700 2018, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2349 hrs., 1849 CH hrs., #552442 ....... $284,000

JD 8700 2017, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2545 hrs., 1835 CH hrs., #546919 ....... $308,000

JD 8700 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1470 hrs., 1065 CH hrs., #532572 ....... $339,000

JD 8700 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1840 hrs., 1103 CH hrs., #525709 ....... $324,000

JD 8800 2017, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1559 hrs., 862 CH hrs., #524820 ......... $355,000

JD 8800 2017, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1728 hrs., 870 CH hrs., #544616 ......... $339,900

JD 8800 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2604 hrs., 1707 CH hrs., #175182 ....... $268,100

JD 9800 2021, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 573 hrs., 369 CH hrs., #552624 ........... $553,000

JD 9800 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1291 hrs., 833 CH hrs., #536344 ......... $497,000

JD 9800 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1470 hrs., 942 CH hrs., #554135 ......... $459,900

JD 9800 2019, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 899 hrs., 660 CH hrs., #550175 ........... $503,000

JD 9800 2019, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1893 hrs., 1368 CH hrs., #543355 ....... $390,000

JD 9900 2022, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 517 hrs., 330 CH hrs., #565395 ........... $595,000

JD 9900 2021, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 608 hrs., 401 CH hrs., #565397 ........... $574,000

JD 9900 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 784 hrs., 455 CH hrs., #561177 ........$523,000

JD 9900 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 849 hrs., 661 CH hrs., #553436 ........... $508,000

JD 9900 2019, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1224 hrs., 884 CH hrs., #550177 ......... $493,000

Claas 940 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 650 hrs., 480 CH hrs., #532728 ........ $399,900

hrs., #550106 ........... $518,000

Claas 970 2018, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2257 hrs., 1639 CH hrs., #533174 .... $299,000

The gift of rain

Every week we have watched the statewide drought report. The parameters have grown and shrunk over the months as rains moved across the state, but Benton County has consistently been in the center as one of the driest areas in the state. It is a year reminiscent of our rst year of farming during the drought of 1988. We survived that one, and we will survive this one as well because we know we can.

I don’t know if I can entirely blame climate change, greenhouse gas emissions or El Niño as the cause for our dry conditions. I can put a little bit of the blame on the German and Polish immigrants who settled in central Minnesota. They built these big, beautiful churches on the highest peak in the area. Then they nished off the buildings with the tallest steeples to “tickle God’s toes” so he wouldn’t forget them down on earth. Sometimes I blame those tall steeples for splitting apart the rain clouds heading our way, sending rains to the north and south of us.

We had only received .9 inch of rain since the rst seeds went in the ground in May. Seventy days later, we were able to double our total rainfall amount. I was feeding calves as I watched the clouds dip down and touch the Bowlus, Minnesota, area with much-needed rain. It appeared the church steeples were going to split the clouds again, but I realized I was starting to get wet. The clouds had slipped past the steeples, and the rains were starting to reach our farm.

I never had so much fun feeding calves as the soft gentle rain rolled off the calf domes. I didn’t even realize how wet I was getting because it just felt so fresh and clean as the rain cleared the smoky air. As I started back to the barn with a wagon full of empty bottles, the winds started to pick up. Suddenly the clouds opened up, and the rains came down in sheets with pea-sized hail. It was coming down so hard I couldn’t even see across the yard to the far end of the heifer shed. And as quickly as the winds came, they

stopped, and the rains were done. In 30 minutes, we doubled our rain total for the year.

Just Thinking Out Loud

I was wet from the tip of my ball cap to the bottom of my tennis shoes and everywhere in between, but I didn’t care. I splashed and giggled through every puddle on my way to the house. Mark just laughed and said the grandkids were missing out. The rains seemed to bring a sense of restoration and relief to our souls. We realized it could still rain. We just needed to be patient.

By Natalie Schmitt

Soon after, our crop insurance agent called to see if we had any damage. We were good. The crops were stretching out, trying to capture every last drop of moisture. The hail was too small to cause much damage. He was driving behind the storm on his way home, surveying damage left in the wake of the high winds and baseball-sized hail in the Albany area. Good thing the strawberry season had wrapped up at my favorite strawberry patch. The storm which brought us joy and comfort also brought destruction and dismay to many others.

Mark said the cornelds would be completely tasseled out after the rain. Even though we have been irrigating our crops since late May, they much prefer the fresh rain water. Sure enough, by Monday, all the elds were tasseled out. My yard is even starting to green up again. I may actually have to get the mower out for the third time this year.

Of course, the wildest thing about the timing of this storm has to do with a special heifer. Two years ago, we had a heifer calf get spooked out of her dome during a wild and wicked storm. She was only a few days old and ended up wandering lost in the corneld surrounding our yard. We nally found her the next day a mile north and on the opposite side of the road in Al’s yard. We named her Freebird.

I should have known it was going to storm because Freebird calved the morning of the rain with her own heifer calf. Luckily, this one hasn’t had the wandering gene like her mother and is content in her dome, even during a storm.

Mark has been through several dry years on the sands of central Minnesota in his lifetime. Before irrigation was installed, his family had to completely rely on their faith for the gift of rain. His mother taught him the rain prayer, and Mark has taught it to his children. Austin and Mark have been reciting this prayer several times a day as they travel between irrigation pivots providing water to the crops.

“Almighty God, we are in need of rain. We realize now, looking up into the clear, blue sky above, what a marvel even the least drop of rain really is. To think that so much water can fall out of the sky, which now is empty and clear. We place our trust in you. We are sure that you know our needs, but you want us to ask you anyway, to show you that we know we are dependent on you. Look on our dry hills and elds, dear God, and bless them with the living blessing of soft rain. Then the land will rejoice and the rivers will sing your praises and hearts of men will be glad. Amen.”

A gentle reminder that even though we pride ourselves on being independent and self-sufcient, we need to trust in God’s perfect timing for the gift of rain.

As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.

Columnist

Casa Verde de La Feria

Our little green sh house – which we affectionately refer to as Casa Verde

has a new purpose in life.

Last summer, Casa Verde became our county fair headquarters. With three full-edged 4-Hers and three shows during the fair, we decided we needed a space of our own on the fairgrounds. We reserved one of the camping lots close to the dairy barn, and Casa Verde became Casa Verde de La Feria.

By the end of our county fair, we found ourselves questioning why we hadn’t made the decision years earlier. (Isn’t that how all good decisions go?) Here’s why:

1. We had all of our stuff in one place. Showing dairy cattle requires so much gear. Some of it we keep in tack boxes by our cattle, but a good bit of it we don’t – white clothes, show halters, tting equipment and supplies, etc. In the past, our minivan was the backup storage space, which became problematic if I forgot to shufe gear around before leaving the fair. Having the kids’ gear in a stationary spot saved us a number of headaches.

2. We had our own changing room. On show days, there’s usually a line for the bathrooms because everyone is changing into their show whites. When our kids were little, they just changed in the back of the van. They’ve long since outgrown that option. Casa Verde was the perfect solution.

3. We had a kitchen (of sorts) away from home. Since we had more space at the fair, we lled a large cooler and a large tote with groceries for the week. We all enjoyed having non-fair fare available. I enjoyed not having to remember sandwiches and snacks every morning of the fair. And I’m pretty sure the money we saved by packing our own food more than paid for the camping fee.

4. We had a place to rest. I think every fair parent can agree that fair week is one of the longest weeks of the year. Days lled with non-stop activity, usually coupled with heat and humidity, make for exhausted kids – and parents! In the past, our only place to nap was at home, and nobody ever wanted to leave the excitement of the fair long enough to drive home for a nap. Last year, Casa Verde was used regularly for naps, and everyone nished the fair a little less exhausted.

I should add that we’re lucky to live close enough to our fairgrounds to drive home every night, which made for cool and comfortable sleeping, since Casa Verde is not air conditioned.

Two additional benets of designating Casa Verde for fair use that we didn’t anticipate were post-fair transport and off-season fair storage.

Like re-packing your suitcase at the end of a trip, it always seems there’s more gear to t into the vehicles and trailers at the end of the fair than there was going to the fair. Casa Verde doubled as an extra trailer for everything from tack boxes to feed pans.

Once we were home, we ended up using Casa Verde as a storage space for some of the smaller totes of fair gear and our stall decorations.

Our larger gear – feed tubs, drinking cups, footboards, etc. – goes in the Show House. Like Casa Verde, the Show House was repurposed last year to accommodate our kids’ show stuff. The Show House used to be their playhouse; then it became a catch-all storage shed. After several years of hunting for show gear the week before the fair, I decided all of the show stuff needed a place of its own. Now, instead of the tack box going in the garage and the wheelbarrow going in the granary and the tubs going in the playhouse, everything is in one place. Again, a change we should have made years ago.

Casa Verde will return to the fair again this year – but even better following some off-season improvements. We picked up a used cabinet for one wall that will serve as snack storage. The cabinet’s countertop will provide a much-needed surface for preparing food. We extended the tiny sleeping bench to accommodate a full-sized mattress. There’s enough room under the bed for each kid to store a clothesbasket with all of their fair clothes. And Glen’s mom made us new curtains, complete with Holstein-cow-print edging.

Knowing that we’ll literally have all of our stuff together makes me feel a little more together as we roll into county fair week.

Good luck to all of you entering exhibits in your own county fairs. May your smiles be many!

Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children – Dan, Monika, and Daphne. Sadie also writes a blog at www. dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.