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DAIRY ST R
July 23, 2022
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 24, No. 11
NexGen effectively feeds calves in group housing Headlock system reduces labor, heightens calf health By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
EDEN VALLEY, Minn. – Since the establishment of NexGen Dairy in 2016, the families have worked to make their days as efcient and productive as possible, for themselves and the cows. One way to address that was constructing a barn that would house their pre-weaned calves in group pens. “After touring sites, we knew this is what we wanted,” Brandon Stenger said. “With this setup, it only takes us 45 minutes to feed all the calves on the farm, and it’s easy to lock up the calves for vaccinations.” Stenger and his wife, Ellen, are partners at NexGen Dairy near Eden Valley. Together, the Stengers and El-
len’s family – sister and brother-in-law, Megan and Tim Schrupp; and parents, Vern and Mary Kay Becker – milk 700 cows and raise their replacements on site or nearby. They are exclusively using sexed Jersey and beef semen to elevate the herd. The calf facility, built in 2018, was the focal point of a farmer-to-farmer tour of group calf facilities hosted by Minnesota Dairy Initiative July 7 near Eden Valley. The structure is a 27-foot-high monoslope barn with natural ventilation and equipped with individual headlocks and bottle holders for every animal. Each pen holds six calves, for a total of 120 youngstock – from 4 weeks of age to 16 weeks – housed in the barn. To facilitate socialization but not hinder performance, two pens are positioned alongside each other with gates JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR and then a solid panel separates those Calves – 4 to 16 weeks of age – are housed in group pens at NexGen Dairy near two pens from the following two. Eden Valley, Minnesota. The pens include headlocks and boƩle holders for evTurn to NEXGEN | Page 9 ery animal.
A humble way of life Czechs named Morrison County’s farm family By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
The Czechs – (from leŌ) David, Joe and ScoƩ – discuss plans for the day at their farm July 15 near LiƩle Falls, Minnesota. The family works together on their 240-cow dairy.
LITTLE FALLS, Minn. – Dairy farming comes second nature to David and Betty Czech and his family, so when they were recognized for their efforts on the farm and in the community, they were truly surprised. “We’ve heard of the award before but have no idea who nominated us or what the process was,” David said. “It’s a good feeling to know we’re thought of like that by our community. We can’t thank enough whoever put our names in.” David and his wife, Betty, and their family were recently named the 2022 Morrison County Farm Family by the University of Minnesota Extension. The couple will be recognized and receive the award at Minnesota Farmfest
Aug. 2-4 in Morgan. The Czechs milk 240 cows and farm 480 acres near Little Falls with their children – son Joe and his wife, Alyssa; son Josh and his wife, Krista, and their children, Addison, Clint and Evelyn; son Scott; and daughter Taylor Witt and her husband, Ben. Staying true to their purpose of family farming, every Czech is involved on the dairy. “At chore time, we all have a different job and do a little bit of everything,” David said. David feeds the calves with Taylor as Josh feeds the milking cows, dry cows and heifers; Josh is also the on-site mechanic. Joe and Scott serve as the farm’s herdsmen, and Scott is the primary breeder. Betty does all the dairy’s bookwork. “It’s really all hands on deck,” Scott said. “And it works well because we all know how everyone thinks, and we’re working with the same people all the time.” Turn to CZECHS | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Star Publications LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition - 320-352-6303 Nancy Powell • nancy.p@dairystar.com Karen Knoblach • karen.k@star-pub.com Annika Gunderson • annika@star-pub.com Editorial Staff Jennifer Coyne - Co-editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman - Staff Writer (608) 487-1101 • danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Abby Wiedmeyer - Staff Writer 608-487-4812 • abby.w@dairystar.com Kate Rechtzigel - Staff Writer 507-696-9213 • kate.r@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa, Southwest Wisconsin) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com Julia Mullenbach (Southeast MN and Northeast IA) 507-438-7739 • julia.m@star-pub.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $40.00, outside the U.S. $200.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star / Star Publications LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Star Publications LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
Northby America dealers. Milk check overshadowed farm operating costs
Dairy Prole brought to you by your
In March, the all-milk price reached an all-time high of $25.90 per hundredweight. That broke the previous record set in September 2014. Despite strong dairy prices, American Farm Bureau Federation economist Daniel Munch said the milk check has been “dwarfed by increases in production costs.” Feed costs take up the largest portion of expenses with West Coast dairies seeing the largest cost increases. Labor costs are up 12% since 2016 with Oregon, Maine and Vermont having the biggest increase due to stringent labor regulations. Munch believes the ongoing high costs are challenging the solvency of dairy farms. “These costs are further exacerbated by inationary pressures,” Munch said.
million pounds from the June report. The forecast for 2023 is 228.3 billion pounds, down one billion. The forecast for butter prices strengthened while the cheese price outlook softened.
Ag Insider
Access to capital, credit Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Vice President Nathan Kauffman testied in the House Agriculture By Don Wick Committee farm bill hearing. “Most lenders indicate that Columnist loan repayment rates continue to rise, problem loans have remained sparse, and credit is readily available to meet borrower’s needs,” Kauffman said. Credit conditions for young, beginning and underserved farmers and ranchers was the focus of the hearing. “Looking ahead, demand for farm loans in the Kansas City Fed district are expected to rise notably with capital spending expected to decline for the rst time since 2020,” he said.
No end in sight for supply chain headache The investment bank, Carl Marks Advisors, surveyed more than 100 U.S. supply chain executives. More than half of the people surveyed do not expect a return to a more normal supply chain until 2024 or beyond. Another 22% said these disruptions will likely continue until the second half of next year. Ocean shipping was cited as the biggest logistical breakdown. Eighty percent of the executives surveyed said supply chain costs have risen between 20%-60% between December 2020 and December 2021.
Farm bill listening sessions Dairy farmers have testied during a series of farm bill listening sessions in California and Arizona. Nation-
Milk production forecast declines According to the July United States Department of Agriculture supply demand report, the 2022 milk production forecast is 226 billion pounds. That’s down 400
Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5
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New Prague, MN
Belle Plain, MN
Albany, MN
Piepers add seven robots to improve labor efciencies
Custom work discussed during tour at Steinhagens’ dairy
Frericks shares about dairy beyond the sash, crown
First Section: Pages 12 - 13
First Section: Page 8
Kellogg, MN
Hutchinson, MN
Holst pursues life-long dream, nds community
Wright enjoys representing dairy with rsthand experience
First Section: Pages 23, 25
First Section: Pages 27 - 28
Montgomery, MN
A day in the life of the Ryndas Second Section: Pages 14, 16 - 18
First Section: Page 26
Parker, SD
Sioux Falls, SD
DaBru Dairy credits automated calf feeders
Shannon Dairy hosts Holstein tour
Third Section: Page 3
St. Charles, MN
Verthein family shows eight animals
Third Section: Page 4
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What forages do you graze? First Section: Pages 15-16
Third Section: Page 7
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Zone 1
Zone 2
Columnists Ag Insider Pages 2, 5 First F Section
Dea County Dear Ag Agent Guy P Page 36 First Firs Section
Hull, IA Watertown, SD
Something S to Ruminate On Page 37 First Fi Section
Jus Thinking Just O Out Loud Page 38 F First ir Section
Dairy Good Life Page 39 First Section
The “Mielke” Market Weekly Pages 8 - 9 Second Section
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 5
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 2
al Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern praised these dairy farmers for providing input. Topics ranged from water issues to trade to sustainability to provide an adequate safety net to producers of all sizes. Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig is hosting a farm bill listening session this month in her district. New food safety agency proposed A bill has been introduced in Congress to create a new food safety agency within the Health and Human Services Department. This proposal would transfer all of the Food and Drug Administration’s food responsibilities to this new agency. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro introduced the bill, saying more focus needs to be placed on food safety. MDA working through drought relief applications The application process for the Minnesota Agricultural Drought Relief Program has closed. Nearly 3,000 farmers and ranchers applied. “The average request is around $6,500,” said Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “We’re going through an approval request right now, but we’re hoping by the end of the month, there’ll be payments going out the door.” There was more demand for relief from the livestock sector. “I’d say about 70% applied under livestock and 30% under specialty crop,” he said. HOS regulations eased for truckers hauling fuel Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has issued an emergency executive order, easing hours-of-service regulations for truckers hauling fuel. Walz said the measure will make sure gas and diesel fuel is more accessible and affordable for people across the state. Used farm equipment values rocket higher “Machinery Pete” Greg Peterson said supply chain issues and the lack of available new machinery continues to keep used equipment prices moving higher. “I’ve never seen anything like in the 32.5 years I’ve been tracking auction prices,” Peterson said. “It went higher all of 2021 and now, in 2022. It’s like a rocket ship.” Due to the shortage of parts, Peterson is seeing used equipment being used as a hedge. “It’s coming off last fall when the parts and availability issue became problematic,” he said. “Even
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if you wanted to get that new tractor, planter or combine, you couldn’t get your hands on it. That spooked people. We’re seeing people buying that nice 300 horsepower tractor just to have it.” Titan announces strategic acquisition of Heartland Ag Systems West Fargo-based Titan Machinery has entered into a denitive agreement to acquire Heartland Ag Systems for $110 million. Heartland is based in Hutchinson, Minnesota, and is the largest Case IH Application Equipment distributor in North America. New president, CEO for DFA Dennis Rodenbaugh succeeds Richard Smith as president and CEO of Dairy Farmers of America. Smith was with DFA for 16 years. Most recently, Rodenbaugh was the DFA executive vice president of council operations and ingredient solutions. IDFA promotions announced The International Dairy Foods Association has promoted Robert Rosado and Andrew Jerome. Rosado is now the vice president of legislative affairs. Before joining IDFA, Rosado had worked on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Jerome moves up to the role of associate vice president of communications. Jerome’s previous experience was at Michael Torrey Associates and the National Farmers Union. An exit for VanDerWal at MSCA The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association has started to search for its new executive director. Allison VanDerWal has accepted a position with Form-A-Feed as a nutritional formulation specialist. VanDerWal was hired by the MSCA in February 2020. Trivia challenge USDA recommends three servings of dairy products per day. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, who is the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency? We will have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
ConƟnued from CZECHS | Page 1
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Breeding age and bred heifers are housed in a monoslope building at the Czechs’ dairy near LiƩle Falls, Minnesota. The new facility has eliminated about 45 minutes of chore Ɵme.
David agreed. “We do it all ourselves with the family,” he said. “I’m glad we’re able to make it work for everyone and don’t have to hire anyone.” David and Betty are the fourth generation of Czechs to farm the land. David returned to the farm after high school and then went into a partnership with his parents, Ray and Bernice, in
As we look ahead, I think we’ll keep maintaining the size of farm we have but look to be more efficient and more productive.” JOE CZECH, DAIRY FARMER
1991. For the following 10 years or so, they gradually transferred to full ownership of the farm. The couple was milking in a 67-stall tiestall barn and also ran a small hog nishing operation until 2008. At that time, there was interest from their sons to continue farming, and they placed a greater emphasis on the dairy sector of the family’s farming enterprises. Joe said it was a quick turnaround. “It really happened so fast,” Joe said. “We knew if we wanted to be involved, we had to build something.
And then, we started building all new facilities.” In 2008, two years after Joe and Josh graduated high school, the Czechs put up a 211-stall freestall barn and double-12 parlor. A year later, they stopped raising hogs to make room for the demand of a larger dairy herd. “The hogs were always a side thing,” David said. “We’ve always been short on land, but getting rid of the hogs gave us a little bit more for the cows.” Today, the Czechs raise about 80% of their feed needs. Scott returned to the dairy following graduation in 2010. “I think we all knew we wanted to farm after high school,” Scott said. “There wasn’t any question. Dairy farming was something I was used to and knew I liked.” In the time that the Czech brothers have worked alongside their parents, the family has seen the farm make great progress in terms of milk production, herd health and feed quality. “All aspects of the farm, there have been huge improvements from where it started to where we are now,” Scott said. Joe agreed. “As we look ahead, I think we’ll keep maintaining the size of farm we have but look to be more efcient and more productive,” he said. To reect the Czechs’ ideals of farming, they recently completed a monoslope building for breeding age Turn to CZECHS | Page 7
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 7
ConƟnued from CZECHS | Page 6
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The Czechs – (front, from leŌ) Addison and Clint; (middle, from leŌ) Taylor WiƩ, David, BeƩy and Krista; (back, from leŌ) ScoƩ, Ben WiƩ, Joe, Alyssa and Josh holding Evelyn – are this year’s Morrison County Farm Family of the Year. The family dairy farms near LiƩle Falls, Minnesota.
and bred heifers. David estimated that the addition of the new building to the farm eliminated about 45 minutes of time in daily chores. “Everything we do, we do in a way that makes sure the cattle are taken care of right and that our time is used well,” David said. Optimizing their time at the dairy allows the Czechs to be involved in their church and enjoy the Minnesota landscape with hunting, shing and camping trips. The Czechs’ farm was started by David’s great-grandfather, Frank, in 1875. Today, just three years shy of
a sesquicentennial celebration, the Czechs are proud of their farming heritage and humbled by the reputation their work has garnered within Morrison County. “I’m the fourth generation on this land,” David said. “When we started investing more into the dairy, I wasn’t sure where it was going to go, but I’m glad to see it’s strong.” Joe agreed and said he thinks of the farm’s legacy and future all the time. “We were raised to know that hard work will get us somewhere,” Joe said. “Our goal is to always be productive enough to keep going.”
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
A choice at harvest
Custom work discussed during tour at Steinhagens’ dairy By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
BELLE PLAINE, Minn. − The decision to have his elds custom harvested was an easy one for Gary Steinhagen. “We have one part-time employee who milks in the mornings and on the weekends, and my dad and brother come help; but some days, it’s two hours of hard labor and me, so that’s why we do custom harvesting,” Gary Steinhagen said. “It’s worked out really well for us.” Steinhagen grew up in town and rented a number of farms before he purchased the farm near Belle Plaine in Scott County in 1997. He and his wife, Lori, and children – David, Greta and Martha – milk 90 cows. They also farm 305 acres of corn for silage and shelled corn, hay, soybean and winter rye. “I used to milk more, but I also used to be a lot younger,” Steinhagen said. The Steinhagens implemented custom harvesting into their dairy and said it has aided in helping them run their farm at full force. Steinhagen shared his experience of custom harvesting during a farmerto-farmer tour hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension July 5 at the Steinhagens’ farm. Among the speakers at the event were Steinhagen’s custom harvesters,
Greg and Jeremy Otto of Lester Prairie who own Otto’s Custom Chopping and Pumping, and David Bau, an extension educator at the University of Minnesota specializing in agricultural business management. For ve years, Steinhagen has worked with Greg Otto and his family to manage the dairy’s harvest work. “Before that, I worked with someone else for 15 years, so I have been having my silage custom chopped for 20 years,” Steinhagen said. The Otto family got into custom harvesting as a way to fulll the needs of farmers. “We do basically anything custom that there is a need for,” Greg said. “It was also a way that my wife, Heidi, could stay home full time, watch the kids and still be a part of the operation.” The Ottos serve dairy farmers of all sizes, from 10 cows to 3,000 cows. Larry Dreier, who farms with his family near Norwood Young America, attended the tour and also has his elds custom harvested. “It used to take us a week to 10 days for harvesting, and we have more cows and more acres than we used to,” Dreier said. “Now, we’re usually out of there in 24 to 30 hours and that means that the bunker doesn’t sit open for rain to get in.” Some benets of custom harvesting for Steinhagen is that the job works around his schedule, and his family can help with harvest. “I have to rely on my son to help cut so it helps for us to cut on the weekends because then my son doesn’t have to take a day off work,” Steinhagen said. “So, then we chop on Monday,
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KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
The Steinhagen family – (from leŌ) Lori, Gary, Greta and Martha – stand in front of their barn at their dairy near Belle Plaine, Minnesota. The Steinhagens spoke about hiring out custom work during an on-farm tour July 5.
but other people don’t like chopping a lot of free time when eldwork gets involved in the dairy routine? It’s kind then.” of a hassle, isn’t it? So, you can do it Greg agreed. “You get to know your customer when you want, but can you do it when and know the guys who want to be ear- it should be done?” With leasing, Bau said there will be ly,” he said. Depending on the farm, each job lower payments compared to most conventional loans but the price is similar may look different. “We run trucks at certain farms, to ownership. “Lease companies are in business and choppers, trucks and push tractors at other farms,” Greg said. “We don’t to earn a return on their capital,” Bau necessarily do everything on the farm; said. “If you have enough money to we just do parts of it. It depends on purchase machinery outright, you will spend less in the long run by owning what the need is.” All of their trucks have scales, and it.” With sharing of equipment, Bau some of the farmers even run equipment alongside them. “We work with whatever the farmer wants,” Greg said. “We have some guys where we are doing everything from start to nish, and we don’t see them. And, then we have other guys who are running a push tractor alongside ours.” With new customers, the Ottos said they fall right into place with their busy schedule. “Everybody plants different varieties at different times and harvests in different ways,” Heidi DAVID BAU, said. “Usually, we can t a cusUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION tomer in and never skip a beat.” To watch the weather, the Otsaid to make written agreements on tos maintain communication with their who uses the equipment when. customers, monitor the sky and ip “Make sure you know who is going through a wide assortment of television to use it rst and last,” he said. “And, and radio channels. calculate your investment. Most farm“We never plan like it’s going to ers can combine their corn one week rain; we always plan to keep on going,” and soybeans one week. Is it really Heidi said. worth it to have that investment if you Greg agreed. only use it 10 days out of the year?” “I always have a saying that if you Lastly, Bau said custom hiring aldon’t cut hay, it won’t get dry,” he said. lows the farmer to gain a short-term Bau compared the options of own- control over harvesting without investing, leasing or sharing machinery to ing a large amount of capital. custom hiring at the event. “Custom work takes the burden off “With owning equipment, you can dairy farmers, but calculate out what do what you want when you want,” works for your farm and situations,” Bau said. “But, do dairy farmers have Bau said.
“If you have enough money to purchase machinery outright, you will spend less in the long run by owning it.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 9
ConƟnued from NEXGEN | Page 1 Calves receive a freechoice 18% starter feed and water throughout the day, and the older calves are also given dry hay. “With the Jerseys, we’ve seen feed intake in this barn go up,” Megan Schrupp said. “Our daily gain has been about 1.5 to 1.6 pounds per calf per day. They’re doing really well.” Overall calf wellbeing has improved too. The barn includes two tunnels and four exhaust fans along the peak of the structure to maximize airow and air quality at the calf level. Each pen provides 38 square feet per calf, and the tall design allows for optimum shading of the pens during the summer months and ample sunlight during the dead of winter. “Maybe the only thing I’d change in here is to make the pens wider,” Schrupp said. “It’s all about square feet per calf, and the more space, the better.” When calves are born, they are moved from the maternity area to individual calf pens alongside the hospital parlor and calf feeding room. There, the calves receive 1 gallon of pasteurized colostrum, dehorning paste is applied, and their vaccine program begins with an intranasal vaccine. The colostrum is tested on the Brix scale with NexGen aiming for a sugar content upward of 22%. Schrupp estimated 80% of colostrum collected meets their benchmark.
Milk less than that is fed to the calves for beef while the higher quality colostrum is given to the replacement heifers. “If we do need higher quality colostrum, we pull a bag that we pasteurized and stored earlier,” Schrupp said. Once in stable conditions, the calves are relocated to individual calf hutches on the northeast side of the farm. Those calves remain there for about one month then are moved to the group pens. “We move them as soon as we are able,” Stenger said. “The individual hutches give them a good start.” Schrupp agreed. “When the calf barn was rst ready, we put the calves in here right away instead of the hutches,” she said. “But we realized if we give them a little time by themselves, that two-week scouring period is in the clear, and those newborns don’t struggle as much with the bottles.” In the calf barn, calves are housed within the same group for the duration of their stay. Stenger feeds the youngstock twice a day; 2-quart bottles for the younger animals and 3-quart bottles for the older ones until they begin weaning at 8 weeks of age. Every calf is fed whole milk on the farm from fresh and hospital cows. “We rarely have to use milk replacer,” Schrupp said. “We want the calves on whole milk for the whole time until
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Brandon Stenger (right) explains the calf feeding process at NexGen Dairy during a tour of the farm July 8 near Eden Valley, Minnesota. The families of NexGen Dairy built a group housing facility to improve health and performance of their youngstock. weaning. That’s been key.” On average, post-fresh cows will be milked through the hospital pen for ve days and then moved in with the rest of the lactating herd. However, depending on the demand for whole milk to feed the calves, cows may stay longer in the maternity area of the farm. “I’m prejudice to feeding whole milk,” Vern Becker said. “It’s just so much better for the calves.” In the group pens, calves
are constrained to the headlocks during feeding and for about 10 minutes after to reduce sucking. It also allows further vaccinations to happen at that time. The pens are cleaned out once a week, and some soiled bedding is repurposed as bedding for older heifers in a dry lot. There is also a drain tile buried beneath the building that helps capture excess moisture.
Creating a calf facility such as this has always been top of mind for the partners of NexGen Dairy. “When my dad and uncle split the dairy, there was no calf area on this farm,” Schrupp said. “We knew we had to add that here.” Similar facilities are being constructed for older youngstock to accomplish the dairy’s goal of raising all their replacements on site.
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
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NEWTON, Wis. – For nearly 60 years, the Lindemann family has focused on making the best cheese spread possible. Starting with quality blocks of Grade A Wisconsin Cheddar aged to perfection, the experts at Pine River near Newton create spreads loved by cheese connoisseurs from coast to coast. “Our cheese is known for its smoothness, consistency and good avor,” said Mary Lindemann, Pine River Marketing Director. Made with ingredients from Wisconsin, Pine River’s award-winning cheese spreads are available in a variety of avors from traditional favorites like Sharp Cheddar and Port Wine to more exotic options like Chunky Bleu and Hot Habanero. “Making cheese spread is an art,” said Phil Lindemann, Pine River CEO. “The aging process and blending the different ages is where our skill comes in. We know what age of cheese to use to get the best avor and we always strive to make our cheese spreads taste as close to a traditional natural cut of cheese as possible.” Phil and Mary both agree that the company’s expertise in aging cheese to create the ideal avor and texture in a spread is what makes their product stand out. This expertise goes back ve generations, starting with dairy farming in the 1800s and moving to cheesemaking. Phil’s father, Phil Sr., started Pine River in 1963 as a cutting and wrapping business. The company cut large blocks of cheddar down to exact weights which produced a lot of extra trim. Not wanting any product to go to waste, Phil Sr. developed his own cheese spread recipe using the trim, real butter, whey and other avors. Pine River’s award-winning cheese spread was born. Today, four new partners have joined the Lindemanns, Ian R. Behm, Cory J. Meyer, Scott M. Caliebe and Chauncey N. Behm. Together, the team is modernizing the food safety systems and elevating the company’s national presence in order to grow the business. It seems to be working as the company’s expansions cannot keep up with the company’s explosive growth. The facility has been added onto numerous times. “We’re always growing, and automation is a huge part of our plan for the future,” Phil said. “We’ve always had automation, but we never automate people away. We’re just making their jobs easier.” The business employs 30 full-time people,
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Mary and Phil Lindemann Jr. stand outside the Pine River cheese factory located near Newton, Wisconsin. Pine River has been making cheese spread since 1964.
some of whom have been with the company for 30 years. The facility is capable of producing 50,000-plus cups per shift. The company has won many prestigious awards at the Wisconsin State Fair, World Champion Cheese Contest, the U.S. Champion Cheese Contest and World Dairy Expo. “Winning awards is so much fun because contests are a validation of everyone who works here – from the people who keep the plant clean to those who make the cheese,” Mary said. “We have a great team.” Pine River’s close connection to the dairy industry emanates through everything they do. “Without farmers, we don’t have a business,” Phil said. “The whole state has awesome milk, and there is great milk produced in this region between Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan.” Mary agreed. “Our cheese has received many accolades, and it all starts with our dairy farmers. If they didn’t make the milk, we couldn’t make the cheese. You have to have good milk and butter to start with,” she said. “We’re also grateful to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin which has given us wonderful opportunities for people to taste our product. It’s a tremendous organization, and they have really helped us grow.” Pine River purchases 40-pound blocks of Grade A cheddar made fresh from a local supplier, based on the specications they provide. The milk used to make that cheese comes from all over the state, but most is produced within a 75-mile radius of the plant. A local dairy, located right down the street, provides the Grade A butter used in every batch. Three types of cheese spread are offered – Cold Pack, Clean Label Cold Pack and Gourmet Cheese Snack Spread. The Cold Pack product is the traditional cheese spread available in 19 avors. The term cold pack signies that the cheese is made without the aid of heat and remains as similar as possible to natural cuts of cheese but in a convenient spreadable form. Port Wine is the most popular avor, followed by Sharp Cheddar and Swiss Almond. “Spicy Beer is inching its way up in popularity as well, on the heels of Swiss Almond as the No. 3 seller,” Mary said. “Toasted Onion, Aged Asiago and Garlic and Herb are popular too. We also have four hot avors – Jalapeno, Pepper Jack, Hot Habanero, and STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR Pine River cheese spreads are available in 19 avors and can be Ghost Pepper if people are really found in major grocery chains across the country. The award-win- crazy.” ning cheese is available in three varieƟes – tradiƟonal cold pack, Turn to PINE RIVER | Page 11 clean label cold pack and gourmet snack spread.
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 11
ConƟnued from PINE RIVER | Page 12
Cranberry Cheddar and Mango Habanero are the newest avors. Pine River also makes chocolate cheese known as Dairy Fudge – a sweet treat made with Colby Cheese that Mary said is great for making smores or eating straight out of the container. Mary said the cheese spread is not only great on crackers but is also great for cooking and can liven up any recipe. Featuring ve avors, the Clean Label Cold Pack line contains no preservatives, no articial avors or colors and no added hormones. The Gourmet Snack Spread is a shelf-stable product line available in nine avors and is especially popular with retail locations with limited refrigeration. Pine River Cheese Spread can be
found in major grocery chains across the country, including local favorites Pick n’ Save, Metro Market, Woodman’s Market and Sendik’s Food Market, and available in 8-ounce and 16-ounce sizes as well as a new 2.5-ounce single-serve size. In addition, the company offers bulk sizing for foodservice customers as well as co-packing for private label customers. Bringing the nest quality cheese spreads to their customers’ doorsteps has been Pine River’s longtime mission. From the rst spreads made in the 1960s out of cheese trim to the rened artistry of today’s cheese spread making processes, creating a top-notch product remains the company’s goal.
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
A new way of life
Piepers add seven robots to improve labor efciencies By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
NEW PRAGUE, Minn. − For the Pieper siblings, the decision to add a robotic milking system to their farm was based on a decrease in labor and an increase in efciency. “It was the summer of 2019 and we were dealing with employees not showing up, people not showing up on time, labor wages and the increasing time commitment for chores,” Emily Pieper said. “We had to do something.” Pieper milks 450 cows with her parents, Ray and Bridget, and brothers, Nick, Brian, Dan and Tim, on their dairy farm near New Prague. The family added on to their existing freestall barn and put in six Lely A5 robots as
well as a seventh in another freestall barn for fresh cows. They started milking in the new setup June 8, 2021. Previously, the cows were milked in a double-10 herringbone parlor. “It’s still a lot of maintenance, and you still have your chore times,” Pieper said. “But there are fewer labor hours, and it’s more exible.” The Piepers are in the barn at 4:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to scrape the areas not reached by their automatic manure scraper, scrape the PHOTO SUBMITTED manure off the backs of stalls, wash the robots, fetch The Pieper siblings – (from leŌ) Tim, Brian, Nick, Dan and Emily – are pictured shortly aŌer they cows, feed the herd and take put in their new roboƟc milking system at their farm near New Prague, Minnesota. The Piepers milk 450 cows with six milking robots. care of the calves. “Chores take half the time now,” Pieper said. “We 1.7 times,” Pieper said. “The The fresh cow barn robot checked by the veterinarian can be done in three hours de- 1.7 cows are the ones we milks about 55 cows. or hoof trimmed. pending on how many calves are fetching, but it’s only 20 “This is due to size of the “That was a big thing that are born. And it only takes cows out of 450.” existing pen and to allow the we wanted to save on labor,” two people as compared to The main freestall barn is cows to get milked more of- Pieper said. “That way you six hours with three people.” split in half with the feed ally ten,” Pieper said. don’t have to go sort through Having used the new down the center. Each half The Piepers also have a all the cows every time you technology for a year, the houses about 200 cows. separate route pen with 15 need a couple cows.” Piepers have a good grasp on During the transition into “They all have access stalls on the end of their rotheir herd’s productivity with to three robots to choose to bot barn. This pen catches the new barn, which began the robots. milk from 24 hours a day, cows that are detected sick June 8, 2021, the Piepers “Some cows come in six roughly 67 cows per robot in or programmed to route betimes and some only come in that barn,” Pieper said. cause they need to be bred, Turn to PIEPERS | Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 13
ConƟnued from PIEPERS | Page 12
BENEFITS OF USING DIRECTIONAL DRILLING INSTALLATION INCLUDE:
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
Cows relax in the 15-stall route pen July 13 at the Piepers’ farm near New Prague, Minnesota. The route pen catches cows that are detected sick, or programmed to route because they need to be bred, vet checked or hoof trimmed.
also milked some of their cows in the parlor. They started with 45 cows per robot. “You can’t start full capacity because it takes time to push the cows through the robot, and the robot can only milk so fast,” Pieper said. “We wanted to shut down the parlor as fast as possible, so each week we brought more cows over and shut the parlor down within a month.” Exactly a month later, they were milking all the cows with the new system. The Piepers are thankful for their part-time employees, neighbors, friends and family who helped along the way with jobs like pouring concrete, setting trusses and tinning the roof. Others helped push and train the cows to use the robots. “We couldn’t have done it without them,” Pieper said. Planning for the robots was a one-year process, and the construction phase was another year. “We originally wanted to put in a carousel and began touring those
“It really is a whole new way of farming and new routines develop.” EMILY PIEPER, DAIRY FARMER
farms,” Pieper said. “When we did the numbers, it didn’t really make sense for us. … We started looking at robots and it made a lot more sense.” By fall 2019, they began touring robotic dairies within driving distance of the farm, both in Minnesota and Wisconsin. “We talked with farmers and saw what they liked or didn’t like about their setups,” Pieper said. “The setup can make or break a robotic herd de-
pending on how much labor you actually save.” The Piepers started the permitting process through the county in the spring of 2020, signed the contract to purchase the robots in May 2020, and started moving dirt and construction June 10, 2020. “We don’t like to drag our feet,” Pieper said. “You can talk about something forever, but if you don’t take action, it’s never going to happen.” The robot barn was designed and built by the Pieper family. The major dirt work, main electricity and installation of the robots was hired out. They also added a 3.5-milliongallon concrete solids manure pit at the same time. The pit drains into the existing liquid lagoon and allows for a year’s worth of manure storage. The robot barn has an insulated roof, temperature-controlled curtains, automatic manure scrapers, fans and sprinklers. Since the installation, the Piepers have experienced a number of learning moments while adjusting to the technology. “The robots increase our free time and quality of life,” Pieper said. “It really is a whole new way of farming and new routines develop. Yes, sometimes the robot calls in the middle of the night, but so far, we are very happy with the decision to install robots.” The Piepers are happy to have a better living environment for their cows and a better work environment for themselves. “We are working 65 hours a week compared to 80 hours before,” Pieper said. “That means we get to spend more time with our families, attend weddings and live some sort of life. It’s rewarding to walk down the barn and see it all be real.”
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
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Tell us about your grazing practices. We have the potential to graze 400 acres. The paddocks are determined by crop conditions and animal units. The perimeter of the farm is four high tensile wire, internal fencing is two high tensile wire. Polywire with berglass and step-in posts are used for temporary fencing for the paddock. What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? We graze about 80 cows. The pasture is changed every 12 hours and back fenced every three days. Heifers 700 pounds and over are grazed in the paddock for three days. We try to leave 3-6 inches of forage after grazing. How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? About 95% dry matter intake of the grazing cows come from grazing. They only eat some hay when they come for grain in the freestall barn before being milked. The heifers’ dry matter intake all comes from grazing. What forages do you graze? Forages grazed are meadow fescue, red clover, orchard grass and some alfalfa. Annual forages are sorghum sudangrass, Italian ryegrass, winter rye, winfred brassica, oats, peas and corn. How do you manage your pastures? We terminate what’s on the eld by spraying, then the rst two years will be annuals planted and manure applied. For the third year, we plant perennials, which are harvested for hay the rst year or two and then grazed as needed. Nothing is set in stone. The year and weather conditions determine what and how grazing goes. Tell us about your farm. We have a 200-cow dairy with a swing-16 New Zealand type parlor, with a sand-bedded freestall barn. The grazing cows have a windbreak and bedded pack in the winter. Our benet from grazing is the lower cost of milk production because the manure is in the pasture and the animals harvest their own feed. Our farm is baleage forage based. All hay is wrapped with an inline wrapper. We buy all our grain in semis and use a grinder mixer. Bales are unrolled in the freestall barn, and grain is fed three times a day. My wife, Patty, and I have been farming for 43 years and have three children, six grandchildren and another on the way.
Olaf Haugen (pictured with his daughter, Minnie) Canton, Minnesota 150 cows
Tell us about your grazing practices. We run 150 head of dairy cattle on 230 acres of pastured ground. The ground is in permanent strips with poly wire. We use the paddock method, and depending on the year and what we are grazing, we graze in one-half or 6-acre strips. What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? Cows are in each paddock around 12 hours or less. At night, we move every 12 hours, and during the day, we move every six hours. In the summertime, we move cattle twice a day or every six hours. The stocking density varies; we have around 50 head on one-half acre, and they graze 3,000-4,000 pounds an acre. We graze 365 days a year, but we don’t always have pasture grass. The grass is growing 8.5 to nine months out of the year. How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing, and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? During the grazing season, 60%70% of the cow’s dry matter comes from the pastures. The dry matter yield is around 3 tons an acre per year on the established ground, and for the annuals, as we
Donnie and Carolyn Middendorf (not pictured) Long Prairie, Minnesota 110 cows Tell us about your grazing practices. The milk cows get a new paddock every day. They get fed a total mixed ration in the freestall barn also but are free to come and go from the pasture as they want. The dry cows and heifers get a permanent pasture. Our breeding age heifers are pastured and raised by a custom grower. What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? We make paddocks big enough for a day’s worth of feed depending on how many cows we are milking at that time. They get a new paddock as needed; sometimes that is at every milking.
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What forages do you graze? run three different mixes, it’s around 7 tons an acre. What forages do you graze? The pasture mix is typically endophyte, epiphyte or metallophyte free mixed with red clover and alfalfa. Sometimes we also do a red canary or kura clover mix on our established ground. For the annuals, we do a cereal or winter rye with a hairy vetch in the winter, and during the season, we do a different mix depending on the needs. If it’s cool, we do an oat and pea mix with turnips or a forage corn or cocktail mix in the warm season. The forage corn mix contains a forage corn millet, sudangrass and cowpeas. How do you manage your pastures? We clip once before July 4 to address weeds and seedheads, and then we clip as needed for weed control. We typically reseed one to two annuals and then no till seed in a fall seeding of a pasture mix which has been successful. On the annuals, we occasionally do a glyphosate burndown. Tell us about your farm. We milk 150 cows seasonally. We calve in April or May and then dry them up mid-January. All of our acres are grazed, and we grow little for feed. Most of our winter feed is purchased.
How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing, and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? For about six to seven weeks of the summer, the cows get about 80% of their dry matter from the pastures. After that, it is about 40%-60% of their intake. The cows get out to pasture as early as possible in May and graze until late September or early October. The grazing period is determined by the weather in the fall. What forages do you graze? We have a variety of pastures that we rotationally graze. The cows can graze oat/alfalfa, winter rye, sorghum sudangrass, a pasture mix of grasses, clovers and alfalfa, and pearl millet. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
How do you manage your pastures? We clip the paddocks when the cows are done with them if there are any grasses that have headed out. We reseed elds as needed.
Tell us about your farm. We milk around 110 cows on our organic dairy farm. We farm 600 organic acres. We raise corn, alfalfa, rye, barley, sorghum sudangrass, soybeans and millet.
Dave Kallemeyn Holland, Minnesota 120 cows
Dan Borgerding Belgrade, Minnesota 180 cows Tell us about your grazing practices. We graze all animals 6 months and older so we use pasture on four sites. The home farm has the milk cows and close-up dry cows and springer heifers on about 120 acres of pasture. We have the far-off dry cows on 30 acres, 6 months and yearlings on 80 acres we rent, and steers have 15 acres on another. We will group youngstock throughout the summer depending on the pastures to create larger groups for better grass utilization. We mainly do rotational or managed intentional grazing, but at times, we utilize mob grazing. We avoid continual grazing. All together, we have over 40 permanent paddocks, with 20 on the main farm for the cows. They range in size of 1.5 to 12 acres. The newest are bigger because we like to use poly wire and step-in posts to make small sections within the paddocks. This gives us more exibility, less permanent fence and lanes, and is easier to clip or amend the larger paddocks.
What forages do you graze? Our pastures include a mixture of timothy, blue stem, Tell us about your brome, white clover, grazing practices. We orchard grass, quack have about 300 acres grass, canary grass, of pasture that are dibirdsfoot trefoil and vided into paddocks alfalfa. We seeded of various sizes. Some some of our cropland paddocks are as big as to Japanese millet this 20 acres, but most are spring. We grazed the 7-10 acres. We graze millet once and expect the paddocks on a rotational basis. to harvest two crops of hay from it. Our milking herd, our dry cows and our replacement heifers are all on pas- How do you manage your pastures? ture. We clip the weeds when necessary. We let the cows interseed our pastures for What are your grazing intervals on us by putting a mixture of seven difeach paddock? We hope to graze this ferent grass seeds in their grain mix. year from April 22 through at least We also offer the cows a combination Oct. 22. We will graze each paddock of sea salt and kelp on a free-choice anywhere from four days to seven basis. We have found that the salt and days, depending on the animal num- kelp mixture helps make our pastures What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? The cows manage the bers and the size of the paddock. grow better. pastures if we get it right. That means How much of your cows’ dry mat- Tell us about your farm. I farm with the stocking density varies depending ter comes from grazing, and what my wife, Doreen, and our two sons, on the goals. In spring, we give them yield do you expect your pastures to Wade and Troy. Between all of us, we more space, but in mid- to late-summer, tighten then up into more of a mob produce? During the grazing season, operate about 900 acres. We have sold we so they trample more of the residue to almost all of our cows’ dry matter will organic milk to Organic Valley since the ground. If there is good trampling come from grazing. We will feed very 2006. Our herd includes a number of and not much for weeds or oxidized little dry hay. We expect our pastures breeds including Holstein, Milking grass, we leave it alone; otherwise, we to yield between 2.5 and 3 tons of dry Shorthorn and Jersey. We recently will clip the paddock behind the cows. matter per acre this year. Before we added some Fleckvieh genetics to our No doubt this makes for nice lookused rotational grazing, our pastures herd. Pasturing our cattle has helped ing pasture with even regrowth. We let yielded 1 to 1.5 tons of dry matter per improve our soils and kept our cows grass get tall for many reasons; it holds acre. Rotating the paddocks helps the healthy and happy. And for six months the dew all morning which cools the grass recover faster when the weather of the year, our cows haul out and cows. Later in summer, we see more turns dry. spread their manure for us. clover which will reseed itself if left to mature. Lately, we have been tilling and reseeding our 10- to 12-year-old paddocks one at a time.
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How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing, and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? For the cows, the ration is calculated for 30%-40% or 13-18 pounds of their dry matter to come from pas-
ture. This is an area we can improve on to receive the benets of lower costs, better cow health and better soil health. There is so much good information and wise people to learn from that we feel organic and regenerative is a good path to be on. What forages do you graze? Our permanent pastures are a blend of grasses, clover and alfalfa we get from Prairie Creek Seeds called Diverse Master. Often, we will graze old alfalfa stands near the dairy before tilling for next year’s crop. Other times, we have used cover crops, and we even tried a small plot of standing corn or native reed canary and quackgrass. How do you manage your pastures? The milk cows are the most intensely managed. They get new pasture each day, sometimes twice a day using poly wire and step-in posts. The rest typically will have three to seven days per paddock. However, at times, they get a small section each day. If we are really busy, I will give them a large paddock. We try not to overgraze. Then, the rest period will stretch to 40 or even 50 days, especially during summer slump when the cool season grasses go dormant. The cows get at least 120 days on pasture. The rest of the cattle get at least 150 days. Because the other cattle don’t need to come home for milking, they get over 50%, sometimes pushing 100% of their feed from pasture. Tell us about your farm. We are a multi-generation organic dairy and crop farm. My brother, Tommy, and I are the third generation on this farm. We have 180 cows and 200 head of youngstock and steers. We bought the cattle in 2019. My wife, Colleen, and I and our four kids moved to the farm in March 2021 so they could be more involved. Currently, we have one full-time and three parttime employees. Our parents, Joe and Toni, are involved with bookwork and own cropland and cropping equipment. They have a long-time employee who is instrumental, and our oldest brother is helping this summer. Together, we grow and harvest all the feed needed as well as selling some cash crops. It is nice having a competent crew that works together when the workload gets heavy.
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Harvesting Quality Forages
Forage quality essential for Hall’s herd health Cody Hall Tomah, Wisconsin Monroe County 200 cows Describe your farm and facilities. We milk twice a day in a double-12 parlor. I am the sixth generation. I farm with my dad, Don; my uncle, Dave; and my brother, Jacob. We crop 200 acres of haylage, make 150 big round bales of grassy, dry hay and 140 acres of corn silage. We also cash crop 400
acres of corn and 250 acres of soybeans.
How many acres of crops do you raise? Around 1,000.
roasted soybeans, canola meal, and a vitamin and protein mix. The fresh cows get a different protein than the milk cows, corn, haylage and corn silage. Dry cows get dry baled hay, a mineral and protein mix, and corn silage. Heifers get mostly corn silage with some oatlage, haylage and heifer mineral.
Describe the rations for your livestock. Our milk cows get high moisture shelled corn, protein, haylage, corn silage,
What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? We harvest around 20 bushels of high-moisture corn at
What forages do you harvest? Alfalfa, corn silage and grass which is mostly chopped. We cover crop with oats.
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Cody Hall milks 200 cows in Monroe County near Tomah, Wisconsin.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Cody Hall merges hay on his family’s farm near Tomah, Wisconsin. The Halls focus on puƫng up quality forages to maintain their herd’s health and producƟon.
20%-25% moisture. We try to harvest alfalfa around 60%65% moisture and corn silage at 65%-70% moisture. We ll seven bunkers of haylage and corn silage.
Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. My uncle, Dave, does all the chopping of alTurn to FORAGES | Page 20
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 19
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
ConƟnued from FORAGES | Page 18
falfa and corn silage with a pull-type New Holland chopper. My brother, Jacob, does the cutting, and I pack with my dad. We use a tractor and front-end loader to pack. I also sometimes haul or merge too. We make hay in four-week intervals and cut right before it buds. What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? We store haylage and corn silage in bunkers that measure 30 feet by 100 feet with 12-foot walls. We use a bunker facer and feed a total mixed ration. Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. With corn silage, the timing is always a challenge. It seems to dry down toward
the end. I don’t think we have overcome that challenge yet. How does quality forages play a part in the production goals for your herd? We have to put up good forages to get good health for the cows. Bad feed just causes mastitis and low production. What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that have made a notable difference in forage quality? We use an oxygen barrier which is like plastic wrap. It is a lot of extra work, but it’s worth it; because without that, the top 6 inches of feed was scum. We have been using that for about four years now.
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Summertime is county fair time
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Start planning for tomorrow, today. 3.69%
County fairs are in full swing, and each time I attend one of these fun-lled summer events, I am reminded of my youth. As a kid, the thing I most looked forward to every summer was showing cattle at the county fair. As soon as school let out, fair preparations kicked into high gear. Fair animals were separated into a special pen. We washed and led them every day. We fed them a special diet. They were brushed and clipped. We lled the show box will all of our supplies and eagerly awaited move-in day at the fair. I was fortunate to grow up showing at two county fairs, which meant twice as much fun. Portage County always held two fairs each summer – the Amherst Fair took place in mid-July, and the By Stacey Smart Rosholt Fair was the highStaff Writer light of Labor Day weekend. It was sheer delight when our cattle truck roared into the fairgrounds to drop off our animals. They were usually dirty from the ride, so the rst stop was the wash rack. One year I had my picture taken for the local newspaper while giving one of my heifers a bath. Once everyone was clean and looking presentable, we settled them into their deep beds of fresh wood shavings and straw, decorated our area and took turns caring for the string with other members of our 4-H club. I showed with my sisters as well as our friends and cousins who borrowed animals from us. It truly was the more the merrier, which made the experience all the more fun. My brother is 11 years older than I am, so he was out of 4-H by the time I started showing, but he always helped us get our animals ready for the show ring. He clipped them all before they left for the fair, and on the day of the show, he was there to help netune each one to make her look her best before entering the ring. In addition to our animals, we took other projects to the fair, such as photography and artwork. And while at the fair, we made sure to carve out time for going on rides, playing games and eating all the delicious fair food, like cotton candy, snow cones and elephant ears. But nothing matched the excitement of show day. I remember feeling nervous as I dressed in my show whites and got ready to take the halter. All the antici-
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I remember feeling nervous as I dressed in my show whites and got ready to take the halter. All the anticipation and hard work culminated in this moment. pation and hard work culminated in this moment. My dad was there with his camera, snapping pictures of us before, during and after the show. My second year showing was the year I took home the most hardware between the two fairs, winning showmanship, grand champion, reserve junior grand champion and best junior-owned – all with my heifer, Hopscotch. On the last day of the fair, when we packed up the cattle and headed home, a feeling of sadness swept over me and even tears were sometimes shed. My siblings and I would have the fair blues for a week. My mom, on the other hand, was always so relieved and happy when the fair was over, because it was a lot of work for her. Hauling all our projects to and fro, setting up our booth, and running kids back and forth between the farm and fairgrounds while also doing extra chores to pick up the slack from those who were at the fair left her exhausted. The memories I made at the county fair are some of the favorites from my childhood and will always hold a special place in my heart. The county fair was laughter and competition, hard work and reward, water ghts and other pranks. And, certainly, the best part of summer.
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 23
PRINCESS KAY FINALIST
Connecting farm to table Holst pursues life-long dream, nds community By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
KELLOGG, Minn. − Ashley Holst has wanted to be a Princess Kay of the Milky Way nalist since she was 8 years old; her parents had taken her to the Minnesota State Fair for the rst time. “My oldest brother was showing so we went and watched him, and then at the end of the day, we went to the Dairy Building and I watched one of the nalists get their head carved in butter,” Holst said. “At that moment, I knew I wanted to end up in the butter booth one day. I nally understood why it’s so important to be a Princess Kay nalist.” Holst is the daughter of Jary and Celene Holst, who milk 150 cows near Kellogg. They also have beef cows and raise crops. Holst and her younger sister, Beth, work together to take care of 20 dairy and market goats. Holst was named a Princess Kay nalist May 15 as she sat alongside her sister, mother and boyfriend listening to the announcement on a Facebook live video. Immediately after nalists were named, Holst called her
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
Ashley Holst stands in front of wrapped bales that sit at the end of her driveway July 11 near Kellogg, Minnesota. Shortly aŌer Holst was announced a nalist, her immediate family, cousins and a high school classmate wrapped and decorated the bales. dad who was planting at the time. “It was a pretty amazing feeling,” Holst said of the announcement. “You prepare for that moment your entire life, and then when it hits you, you don’t know how to feel and it takes over your whole body.” Holst has long been involved on her family’s dairy. She was feeding calves with her grandpa, Kenneth, as soon as she could carry a pail or bottle. Her main responsibilities are in the milking parlor along
with doing herd health and overseeing matings and veterinarian checks. In the summer, Holst’s big job is cutting hay. “That’s one of my favorite things to do because you are kind of by yourself and you set the pace for everybody else,” Holst said. Holst has been involved in the dairy princess program for ve years. She said the community, 4-H program and her family have aided in helping her become a nalist this year. In fact, Holst’s immediate family, cous-
ins and a high school classmate wrapped and decorated a selection of bales for her shortly after the announcement. “They have been amazing,” Holst said. “Growing up, I’ve had so many huge mentors in my life who have kept me in agriculture but have also helped me focus on that dairy is what I love. They say that when you are crowned a nalist, your family is named a nalist. But really, this community has been named a nalist this year.” Over the course of her time
in the princess program, Holst has attended the Honkers Dairy Night baseball game in Rochester and the Olmsted County Breakfast on the Farm, handed out cheese at various parades and talked on a number of radio shows to share her story. “My favorite event will be the day I get to spend in the butter booth,” Holst said. “People will be able to come up and ask us questions as we are being carved. That’s going to be so fun
Turn to HOLST | Page 25
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 25
ConƟnued from HOLST | Page 23
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KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
Ashley Holst pushes up feed for the cows in the freestall barn July 11 near Kellogg, Minnesota. Holst and her family milk 150 cows. because they are going to be people that I don’t know, so I am really going to be able to reach that consumer base I have never dealt with before.” As a nalist, she plans to connect with both consumers and producers, answer questions and relay accurate information about dairy. “I love sharing my family’s story, how we got started, what we’re doing now, what we’re planning for the future and all the things we have done in between,” Holst said. “I have such a knowledgeable experience that I am always ready for new questions.” As a student at South Dakota State University, Holst works at the school’s dairy manufacturing plant. “Two falls ago, when I was a fresh-
man, I packaged my rst block of colby jack cheese that we had made earlier that day,” Holst said. “Now, it’s my favorite dairy product, and I can really connect consumers to that farm-to-table (story) because I have seen it all.” Since becoming a nalist, Holst has learned that her time spent on the farm gives her more of a drive to share her experience with consumers. “When I am at home, I learn so much about my cows and my family that I can’t wait to go share it with the next person that comes along,” Holst said. After college, Holst plans to become a large animal veterinarian and continue her advocacy for the dairy industry and the people who comprise it.
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
PRINCESS KAY FINALIST
For the love of family, farming Wright enjoys representing dairy with rsthand experience By Grace Jeurissen grace.j@star-pub.com
HUTCHINSON, Minn. – Grandma picked her of all her siblings to be the gentle care taker of the calves. Now at the age of 19, Allison Wright does just that and so much more. Wright, daughter of Paul and Heather Wright, is representing McLeod County as a Princess Kay of the Milky Way nalist. “I grew up working alongside my family,” Wright said. “I know just how much work farm families face every day, and I know exactly what goes into making a nutritious glass of milk.” Wright does a variety of chores such as eldwork, milking and calf chores. This summer, she is also doing an internship through the University of Minnesota Extension with Meeker and McLeod counties. Wright is going into her sophomore year at South Dakota State University for agricultural leadership and communications. She realized how much she enjoyed talking and advocating for agriculture through the county’s dairy royalty program, 4-H and FFA.
“One of my favorite projects to do with 4-H is the livestock demonstrations,” Wright said. “People, especially at the state fair, have great questions and are genuinely curious about the topics we talk about.” Connecting families to the farm is her goal as a dairy princess and college student. She enjoys having conversations with consumers and being a person people are comfortable to approach. Wright was in dairy knowledge bowl and dairy judging and participated in a variety of FFA events that have given her a surplus of information to share with consumers. “I’ve pursued a lot of opportunities to expand my knowledge about dairy,” Wright said. “It’s important for us as farmers and advocates to reach out and show them what life is like and the good things that come from dairy.” One of her favorite messages to share with consumers is that dairy is local. Wright said her family utilizes other local businesses’ services such as electricians and feed mills. She said part of the reason her family opened their own farm store was to give the area a place to learn about and purchase products that come from Minnesota Grown farmers. “I love using social media to promote agriculture,” Wright said. “We are working to get our farm store going, and I am the primary picture taker and video maker for our social sites.”
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Allison Wright is a McLeod County Dairy Princess and grew up on her parents dairy farm near Hutchinson, Minnesota. She is a Princess Kay of the Milky Way nalist.
Being an outlet for farm products and information is something Wright enjoys on her farm. The diversity of things they do entices people when she opens a conversation, Wright said. “I like to tell people we feed our calves purple milk because they get confused and immediately have to ask how,” Wright said. The Wright family milks 45 Holstein cows, raises steers and hogs, and grows Aronia berries. The family sells the berries at their farm store. Two years ago, Paul had the idea to put Aronia berry juice in the milk replacer. The thought was the high antioxidants would be good for the calves’ immune systems. Sure enough, Wright has seen a difference in the vigor of the calves as they grow. Now, every calf gets 2 ounces of Aronia berry juice in their milk. Wright said farmers are responsi-
ble, innovative, passionate and resilient and that her family is a testament to those qualities. “My passion for dairy started in the barn with my dad and grandma,” Wright said. “I enjoy our barn talks.” Wright said her grandma has taught her how to be an animal lover and good listener, and her dad has helped her grow her professional presence. As she soaks up the last moments of summer as a McLeod County Dairy Princess, she is looking forward to the Minnesota State Fair and experiencing, once again, the melting pot of people looking to talk about dairy. “Growing up on a dairy farm has given me something to talk about with people, and I smile seeing the difference farmers make in their communities,” Wright said.
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Allison Wright milks her cow, Opal, July 11 at her farm near Hutchinson, Minnesota. She is a sophomore at South Dakota State University majoring in agrcultural leadership and communicaƟons.
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 27
PRINCESS KAY FINALIST
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Kallie Frericks represents Stearns County as a nalist for the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Frericks is the daughter of Steve and Tammy Frericks of Albany, Minnesota.
Frericks shares about dairy beyond the sash, crown By Maggie Molitor Staff Intern
ALBANY Minn. – From show whites to a sash and crown, Kallie Frericks always looks for the opportunity to share her love for dairy by advocating for the farming community.
“I have found joy getting out and educating people on something they might not be familiar with,” Frericks said. “I love dairy, and I want to share it with as many people as possible even when I am not wearing my crown and sash.” Frericks, of Stearns County, is a nalist for the title of 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Among the nine women she is completing against to become the state’s ofcial goodwill dairy ambassador is her Turn to FRERICKS | Page 30
The bulls that were bred to be cows
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 29
Women In Dairy Annie Vannurden Royalton, Minnesota Morrison County Family: Husband, Eric; children, Dakota and Carter, 2 months Tell us about your farm. I am the general manager of Silverstreak Dairies LLC. We have three Minnesota sites and one site in South Dakota. Our farm’s motto is PACE – People, Animals, Community and Environment. At our farms, we specialize in different areas of animal care at each site. Our Silverstreak site is the mother farm where we calve in all our dry cows and focus on giving them a smooth transition back into the lactating herd. Bluestreak is home to all our older cows who pump out the milk and are bred to beef. The Greenstreak site receives second- and third-lactation cows. Warner Dairy in South Dakota cares for all the fresh heifers from Lakin Feedyard in Kansas. What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? I work mostly with cow health protocols, training and retraining employees, monitoring employee and farm performances, as well as working closely with our site managers to achieve our goals of milk production, reproduction and general farm repairs. I spend most of my time at the Silverstreak and Bluestreak locations as I am the site manager for those two and spend three to four days a month at Greenstreak and Warner. What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? In the last year, I have started to be more involved in contracting commodities for the sites and understanding where our margins lie. In the past year, watching the markets and understanding where our margins are at each farm has helped me secure commodities at competitive price points. We have a team of people who help me gure out what we need and how we are going to feed certain protein sources and during what times of the year. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Meeting my husband at Silverstreak the rst summer I was working there in 2017. He came to purchase Holstein bull calves for his family’s steer operation. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? What I enjoy most is building employees up from the ground level and seeing them take on the day’s work with condence and a positive mindset. What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Getting back the milk we lost after rBST. I am also very pleased with how our dairy farms are performing reproduction wise. What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I try to promote the dairy industry daily by showing up for the day’s work so in turn our communities have dairy products available to purchase. I also focus on making our farms an enjoyable and safe place to work. In turn, my team benets and takes pride in our industry too.
If that is done and things are consistent day to day, feed intake will increase, cows will be comfortable and milk production will follow. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? Spend time with my 2-month-old twins, Dakota and Carter. My husband and I also like to go shing, cheer on the Vikings and farm together at our home in Royalton.
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What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? The advice I would give is keep it simple and consistent on the farm. Women make great herdsmen, managers and leaders on the farm because we care. Don’t lose site of what women do best, caring for animals and caring for your employees.
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
ConƟnued from FRERICKS | Page 27
identical twin sister, Hailey. Frericks is the daughter of Steve and Tammy Frericks of Albany. The 19-year-old found her passion for dairy as a kindergartener leasing dairy cattle for 4-H. The young advocate’s newfound love blossomed as she began joining other dairy related activities including dairy project bowl and dairy cattle evaluation through 4-H and FFA and the Minnesota Junior Holstein Association. “The more I got involved, the more I wanted to do,” Frericks said. “Activities like MJHA opened the door for me to meet countless people in the dairy community and go to events to learn more about the industry. They have been really benecial.” In time, Frericks expressed her desire to become even more involved in dairy. To expand her knowledge on the production side of the industry,
she milked on a neighbor’s robotic dairy throughout high school. Now, she relief milks for her aunt and uncle as well as for some family friends. Frericks’ continuous exposure to dairy led her to run for Stearns County Dairy Princess and then further her advocacy in vying for Princess Kay of the Milky Way. “We always went to the Stearns County and Princess Kay coronations every year,” Frericks said. “I knew one day I was going to run in order to share my story and the stories of dairy farmers who work hard to produce food for others every day.” The young dairy enthusiast hopes to convey a special message with the consumers she meets. “Dairy farmers truly care,” Frericks said. “I want to make sure people know that it’s not just for the animals and land but for the people that they are producing food for.” PHOTO SUBMITTED
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Youth Contests
WORLD DAIRY EXPO SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2022
EDUCATION: TUESDAY - FRIDAY • Tanbark Talks at 9 a.m., Tuesday-Friday, featuring GoodSport® founder Michelle McBride, a live taping of the US Farm Report with Tyne Morgan, and Olympian Elle Purrier St. Pierre. • Virtual Farm Tours, Expo Seminars and Expo en Español at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, Tuesday - Friday in the Exhibition Hall. • Knowledge Nook Sessions, Tuesday-Friday, introducing the latest in dairy innovation, products, services and research. • Dairy Forage Seminars, Wednesday-Friday, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the Trade Center. • Public meetings and events hosted by industry organizations.
TRADE SHOW: TUESDAY - FRIDAY
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• Open Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Housed in the Coliseum, Exhibition Hall, Outdoor Trade Mall and Trade Center. • Searchable listing of 650 participating companies and interactive maps on Expo’s website.
WDE details!
YOUTH CONTESTS & EVENTS • Held on Sunday, the WDE Youth Fitting and Showmanship Contests are open to all youth ages 13 to 21 and 9 to 21, respectively, and are free to enter prior to the entry deadline. • National and international youth dairy cattle judging contests on Sunday. • Central National FFA contests and events on Tuesday, including a new FFA Advisor Appreciation event.
DAIRY CATTLE SHOW: MONDAY - FRIDAY • Competitions held in the Coliseum, MondayFriday, with a new breed show schedule. • 2,300 cattle housed in the New Holland Pavilions and Cattle Tent. • Sales hosted in the Sale Pavilion, Coliseum and The Tanbark.
THE TANBARK • Complimentary milk! • Food and bar service, Monday-Friday. • Sunset Celebration, featuring The Jimmy’s, on Thursday at 7 p.m. • Happy Hours from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with free beer and light refreshments.
Kallie Frericks boƩle feeds a calf July 15 at Glen and Sadie Frerick’s farm in Melrose, Minnesota. Frericks is a top 10 nalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way.
Frericks credits becoming a dairy princess in helping her with personal development skills such as public speaking, navigating difcult conversations, patience and connecting with consumers and farmers alike. She is excited to use these skills as she continues on as a dairy advocate and in her career. This summer, Frericks is not only spending her time advocating for dairy but also helping farmers secure loans as an agricultural lender with Citizens Bank Minnesota in Watkins. This internship has allowed Frericks to see the nancial side of the agriculture industry and learn additional ways to act in farmers’ best interests. Frericks plans to work in agricultural nance after she graduates from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She is studying agriculture business and marketing and works to continue her
“Having a whole community behind you says a lot. It’s a really good feeling.” KALLIE FRERICKS, PRINCESS KAY FINALIST
dairy involvement at school by being active in the university’s dairy club, Sigma Alpha and the Agriculture Business Marketing Society. As Frericks prepares for the Princess Kay coronation later this summer, she hopes to take it all in one day at a time. Frericks said she is immensely thankful for the support she and her sister have been shown. “I couldn’t believe how many people reached out congratulating us and offering help or support,” Frericks said. “Having a whole community behind you says a lot. It’s a really good feeling.” Frerick’s eventful summer will end with the Minnesota State Fair where she will not only nish her 4-H career showing dairy but also have her likeness sculpted out of a 90-pound block of butter and nd out if she is selected for the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. No matter how the summer ends, Frericks will continue advocating for dairy whether she wears the sash and crown or not.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 31
How do you maintain family relationships while also working together? We do not have employees; it is just my wife and I. We milk in two separate barns which helps maintain a good relationship. But really, we have gotten along great ever since I gured out who the boss was (her).
Leroy Baldwin Norwalk, Wisconsin Monroe County 80 cows How did you get into farming? I grew up in a house with no running water. I started working for Ron Clark until I bought his cows in 1990. I rented a farm until I was able to purchase my own farm in 1992. We were $12,000 per cow in debt. From 1992-2020, I have been able to purchase ve farms. When we bought our rst farm, we just about starved, but our last one was bought easily. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I am concerned about trying to hold the price of milk. If people would cut back 1 or 2 pounds per cow per day it would help hold the price. Farmers spend 99% of their time producing and 1% of their time marketing, and that’s why things never hold. What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? I am not making any changes because I am 57-years-old and trying to slide out the other side. It’s working so I’m not changing anything.
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I like that it is a forced savings plan. If you get up and work every day and pay attention, you will end up with a net worth.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I have studied the business side of farming a lot, and I farm within my checkbook. It has also made a big difference to have a good banker. I am very appreciative of that. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Marrying my wife Stephanie. It was also a good decision to put
a manure pit in, and I decided a long time ago not to monkey with junk. That has helped me be successful too.
years. It also makes for a good tness program because I feed all my cows with it. I can feed three cows per minute with the wheelbarrow.
What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? My total mixed ration because it feeds the cows. My loader tractor because it makes everything a lot easier. My wheel barrow because it only cost me $39, and it lasts for
What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? I put money away when the price is good. Self-discipline is so important.
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? If something can be xed with money then don’t worry about it. It’s not a real problem then. A real problem is something you can’t x with money like health issues. What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? I plan to retire and live off the rent in the next ve years. I’m not investing any more in machinery or anything like that. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We never do anything but farm. Now our kids do things besides farm because they are grown.
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Alfalfa insect pests By Adam Austin
University of Minnesota
When it comes to mid-summer alfalfa harvests, water availability generally has the largest effect on yield. However, there are several insects that can have their say in the matter as well. Because of our regular cutting schedules, we can sometimes deal with insect pests by just harvesting the crop. When that doesn’t work out, it is important to determine infestation levels and decide if an insecticide treatment is warranted. This growing season started off with unusually early infestations of alfalfa weevil in some parts of Minnesota. We are used to seeing alfalfa weevils early in the season, as this pest typically tapers away by mid-June. Both the larvae and adults damage the plant by chewing on leaves during feeding, but the larvae typically cause more damage. It is not likely you will see damaging weevil populations after the second cutting. Potato leafhopper is one of the more consistent alfalfa pests in Minnesota. This is due in part to its migration into the state from further south, and it does not deal with our tough winters that may affect populations. It is important to monitor for PLH after rst and second cuttings. As you approach your next harvest, concerns of PLH damage are reduced, as it causes little injury to more mature growth. Keep a close eye on your newly seeded alfalfa elds; these small seed-
lings are much more susceptible to severe damage from PLH. Potato leafhopper damages plants by piercing through the tissue and sucking out valuable nutrients while simultaneously damaging the plant. The damage is fairly easy to identify; look for yellow and/or brown tissue in a V shape on the tip of the alfalfa’s leaves. Although alfalfa is very tolerant of pea aphid populations, this is another pest to keep an eye on throughout the season. If aphids are extremely abundant on new seedlings or early regrowth, control measures may be necessary, especially under the dry, warm conditions they prefer. Pea aphid populations are usually held in check by natural enemies like parasitoid wasps. Of course, these are only a few of the insects that can damage alfalfa crops in Minnesota. I have not even mentioned plant bugs, variegated cutworms or grasshoppers. These insects all hold the potential to drastically reduce yield if infestations reach high levels. Blister beetles are important to keep an eye on as well, as they are toxic to horses. The best way to ensure your crop is safe from these pests is to scout your alfalfa stands at least once between every cutting. These populations can blow up fast, so just assuming that your next harvest will calm things down is not a safe bet. The best way to scout for alfalfa insects is to use a sweep net. These are typically 15 inches in diameter, and the net is actually more of a cloth basket. Simply
walk through your eld while sweeping the net back and forth in front of you several times and then observe what you have caught. Making decisions on whether or not to utilize insecticides in alfalfa can be tricky. There are several factors that play into the decision, such as level of infestation, age of stand, timing of previous and next cutting, local price of hay and haylage, weather conditions and more. Some of our most common insecticide treatments include pyrethroids and organophosphates. Thankfully, University of Minnesota Extension has a website to help you navigate through this process. It contains a
summary of common alfalfa insect pests and how to identify them, how and when to scout for insects, how to determine treatment thresholds and options for control of these pests. It can be accessed at extension.umn.edu/forage-pest-management/alfalfa-insects-what-look-and-howscout. Alfalfa is a resilient, productive and efcient crop for livestock farmers. The resiliency of alfalfa sometimes causes us to be passive when it comes to management and protection of our stands. Get out in the eld this summer, and make sure that no bugs are stealing the food meant for your cattle.
Dana Adams, Joleen Hadrich adam1744@umn.edu jhadrich@umn.edu 320-204-2968 612-626-5620
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357
Joe Armstrong Les Hansen armst225@umn.edu hanse009@umn.edu 612.624.3610 612-624-2277
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Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093
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Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109
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Genetic selection for milk quality works By Mike Schultz
University of Minnesota
The very term milk quality conjures up many denitions depending on the individual’s connection to the dairy industry. For consumers, it may be about shelf life and taste; for dairy farmers, it may be about the somatic cell count and fat test; while for processors, it may be about bacteria counts and cheese yield. Most everyone in the industry is aware that butterfat tests have been on the rise. Dr. Isaac Salfer did a great job in his March 26 Dairy Star article describing the recent increases in fat percentage. He reported that the four largest contributors to this increase may be improved: forage quality and effective ber; feed bunk management; improved ration balancing; and improved genetic selection. The trend Salfer recognized has continued and perhaps strengthened. The average fat percentage of milk sold in the Upper Midwest Federal Order hit a record of 4.25% in January and has remained above 4% through May. Let’s take a closer look at impacts of selection on milk components. Shown in Figure 1 are the monthly percentages of fat, protein and other solids (mainly lactose and minerals) for the Upper Midwest Order since 2000. Compared to protein, and especially fat, there is not much variation for other solids. In fact, the somewhat limited variability of other solids, arising from its constituents’ roles in maintaining osmotic balance during milk secretion, has restricted genetic selection. But there appears to be a modest increase in other solids percentage over time, possibly as an indirect result of selection for milk yield and/or fat and protein. An annual cycle is clearly present for fat percentage, with peak values in December and January and lowest values in July. The magnitude of those monthly changes has continued even with the marked increase in fat percentage over time. Apparently, the present annual lows are now higher than the peaks from 20 years ago. This represents amazing progress. Protein percentage has also increased over time but not at the same rate as fat percentage. Because the increase in component percentages, especially fat percentage, coincides nicely with the advent of genomic selection, it is easy to speculate that the resulting increase in component sales is due to genomic selection. Is it solely genomic selection? Is it only a coincidence? Or, is it a combination of factors? My bet is on a combination of factors such as genetics, feeding and cow cooling. Figures 2 and 3 depict the phenotypic (components in milk in the tank), genetic (brought about by genetic selection) and environmental (mainly improvements in management like feeding and cow cooling) trends for fat and protein yield, respectively. For comparison, the gures are both on the same scale. Three observations are readily noticed. Records for fat yield (1957) have been genetically evaluated longer than for protein (1970). Progress has been greater for fat. And, genetics and environment (manage-
ment) have contributed almost equally to improvement in fat yield, while genetics have contributed more than half the overall progress in protein yield. A nutritionist would probably conrm the difculty in feeding and managing for higher protein yields. While genetic trends for percentages are not routinely published by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, for fat percentage, some quick calculations reveal that if genetic improvement for fat yield was due only to genetic improvement for milk yield, the gain would be only 369 pounds at constant fat percentage, compared to the observed 699-pound genetic gain for fat yield. Increased emphasis on fat and protein in selection indexes such as Net Merit Dollars and Total Performance Index relative to milk yield and of fat relative to protein likely explain the genetic trends in Figures 2 and 3. Emphasis on fat percentage returned to favor after a time in the 1990s when most emphasis was on protein in response to expected dietary trends. The industry has clearly responded to butterfat returning to favor. Other genetic factors have also played a role. For one, genomic selection has resulted in quickened genetic progress for many traits because it allows identication of A.I. sires and cows at a much earlier age, thereby shortening the generation interval and speeding genetic progress. Further, rotational crossbreeding and growing popularity of Jerseys have also contributed to higher component percentages in marketed milk. Demand for fat and protein in milk remains strong, and presently available genetic tools are working to allow production of milk with higher levels of components to meet that demand.
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 33
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Applications accepted for organic farming By Steve Frericks
Stearns County FSA Executive Director
The summer is ying past just as fast as the corn is growing right now. Producers coming into the ofce have a much more optimistic opinion of this year’s crop than they did a month ago. We are still hearing concerns about bugs in forage crops. Let’s hope this is short lived. Thank you all for your efforts to get your crops reported in a timely fashion in the ofce. Late led crop certications cost $46 per farm and require a eld spot check. Keep yourself acclimated to United States Department of Agriculture news releases, bulletins and messages to know when the second phase of the Emergency Relief Program is released and the eligibility specics are outlined. August at the Farm Service Agency means preparation for county committee elections. Contact your local ofce to see if your local administrative area is on this year’s ballot. October at USDA starts many payment cycles. Contact your local service center if you have changed banking or routing numbers that might be affected by payment eligibility. Remember to make safety your No. 1 priority. Our hearts go out to those who have experienced recent losses from farmrelated incidents. USDA accepting applications to help cover costs of organic, transitioning producers in Minnesota Agricultural producers and handlers who are certied organic, along with producers and handlers who are transitioning to organic production, can now apply for the USDA Organic and Transitional Education Certication Program and Organic Certication Cost Share Program, which help producers and handlers cover the cost of organic certication along with other related expenses. Applications for OTECP and OCCSP are due Oct. 31. “By helping with organic certication costs – long identied as a barrier to certication – USDA has helped producers participate in new markets while investing in the long-term health of their operations,” said FSA State Executive Director Whitney Place. “We launched the Organic and Transitional Education Certication Program to build on the support offered through the Organic Certication Cost Share Program and provide additional assistance to organic and transitioning producers weathering the continued market impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, in response to stakeholder feedback, we have aligned the signup dates for these two organic programs and encourage Minnesota producers to work with the local USDA service centers and state agencies to complete the applications. We’re committed to making sure our nation’s organic producers and handlers have the tools they need to continue positively shaping our local and regional food systems.” OTECP covers certication costs for organic producers and handlers (25% up to $250 per category); eligible expenses for transitional producers, including fees for pre-certication inspections and development of an organic system plan (75% up to $750); registration fees for educational events (75% up to $200); and soil testing (75% up to $100). Meanwhile, OCCSP covers 50%, or up to $500 per category, of certication costs in 2022. This cost share for certication is available for each of these categories: crops, wild crops, livestock, processing and handling, and state organic program fees. Producers can receive cost share through both OTECP and OCCSP. Both OTECP and OCCSP cover costs incurred from Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30. Producers have until Oct. 31 to le applications, and FSA will make payments as applications are received. To apply, producers and handlers should contact the FSA at their local USDA service center. As part of completing the OCCSP applications, producers and handlers will need to provide documentation of their organic certication and eligible expenses. Organic producers and handlers may also apply for OCCSP through participating state agencies. OTECP builds upon OCCSP, providing additional relief to help producers during the pandemic. OTECP uses funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; OCCSP is funded through the farm bill. USDA has made other strides to assist organic producers. In 2022, USDA’s Risk Management Agency increased expansion limits for organic producers with coverage through Whole-Farm Revenue Protection. RMA also updated the insurance option to allow producers to report acreage as certied organic or transitioning, as long as organic certication was requested by the acreage reporting date. Also, this year, RMA introduced a new option – micro farm – through WFRP designed for producers with small-scale operations that sell locally, which includes organic producers. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.
Congratulations to US Dairy Sustainability awardees from the Midwest
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 35
The 2022 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards program recognized several outstanding farms, businesses and partnerships. Awardees were recognized for their socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound practices and technologies that broadly and positively impact the community around them. Hosted by the farmer-founded Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, these awards have recognized more than 80 winners since the beginning of this prestigious award in 2012. Award applications are judged by an independent panel of dairy and conservation experts who consider By Lucas Sjostrom innovation, scalability and Midwest Dairy replicability when evaluating Association nominations. Among the criteria to apply for the awards are the participation and good standing in the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management animal care program and agreement to participate in the FARM Environmental Stewardship online tool for determining their greenhouse gas (GHG) and energy footprint. Both initiatives are part of the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment, U.S. dairy’s social responsibility pledge to consumers, customers and other stakeholders. Awards like these allow the dairy industry to showcase forward-thinking farmers and regenerative efforts leading to positive results across the entire supply chain. It is so important we celebrate those who have committed to going the extra mile to be an environmental solution. This year’s winners excelled in areas like methane and other GHG-reduction practices as well as water use efciencies that support the industry-wide 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals. Midwest Dairy is proud to celebrate three Midwest region farmers’ awards. Congratulations to the Midwest region 2022 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award winners. Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability: Steve and Cheryl Schlangen Dairy Farm of Albany, Minnesota Steve and Cheryl Schlangen’s continuous improvement mindset is a way of life on their 60-cow, 200-acre farm in Stearns County. They count more than 30 conservation practices, from LED lighting and cover crops to a manure-stacking slab that prevents nutrients from leaching into the water, and a manure injection system that uses less time, less fuel and has virtually eliminated the need for commercial fertilizer on their crops. Their enthusiasm for sharing ideas and results with others has earned them a national reputation as leaders in regenerative agriculture. Schlangen Dairy provides a blueprint for beginning farmers and generational farms to follow.
one change can deliver sustainability benets across the supply chain. To meet surging demand for dairy protein in foods and beverages, MSG acquired a plant in Monroe, Wisconsin, to collect and process whey, a by-product of cheesemaking, into whey proteins. However, the whey supply from local cheesemakers far outweighed its processing capacity. Instead of trucking the whey to a larger plant, MSG found a way to double capacity at the plant without increasing the facility’s footprint. Artisanal cheesemakers saw a waste product turn into a revenue stream. The local community benetted too. Truck miles decreased by 237,232 miles, saving 47,446
gallons of diesel fuel and reducing GHG emissions by 486 metric tons; 2.9 million gallons of water are now reclaimed and returned to the local watershed; and more than 53,000 pounds of whey protein are produced annually to fuel athletes and animals around the globe. Congratulations to all awardees but especially those from our Midwest Dairy 10-state region. I agree with Barbara O’Brien, CEO of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, who said, “Considered collectively, these stories of success serve as examples of all the good things U.S. dairy is doing for planetary health and why the aggressive goals we have set are within reach.”
Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of the author and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.
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Outstanding Supply Chain Sustainability: Bel Brands, Land O’Lakes Inc. and Boadwine Dairy This multi-year program is designed to demonstrate the value of feed production practices that improve soil health and reduce GHG emissions. It also supports Bel Brands’ and Land O’Lakes’ shared ambitions to improve sustainable farming practices and reduce dairy’s environmental footprint. The project provides cost incentives, access to resources and expertise, and the use of the Truterra Insights Engine to participating farms. The rst pilot took place on Boadwine Dairy, a memberowner of Land O’Lakes, where efforts to improve soil health have been ongoing for more than 10 years and are being expanded to dairy farms ranging in size from 450 to 2,000 cows in two regions.
Rick & Sarah Ahlgren from Darwin, MN, started Vector feeding in June of 2020 (180 cows & dry cows): “The Lely Vector Feeding System has become a great asset to our farm. We really like how it mixes and delivers fresh feed to our cows—in small batches, many times a day. It saves time and fuel for our dairy every day. We are so impressed with the system!”
Tim & Derek Rolf (Golden Sunrise Dairy Inc.) from McIntosh, MN, started Vector feeding in late 2019 (180 cows & 180 dry cows & heifers):
Outstanding Dairy Processing Sustainability: Milk Specialties Global of Monroe, Wisconsin A whey processing project at Minnesota-headquartered Milk Specialties Global demonstrates how making
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The ‘53 Chevy Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Seeing her there at the roadside nearly caused me to lose control. It was high summer, and she was decked out in a stunning sapphire blue. She wore an expression that seemed to say, “Take me home.” Which I could have for a price. The sum was stated explicitly on a hand-lettered sign. But it would have been difcult to explain to my wife why I brought home a 1953 Chevrolet. It’s because that particular model was my rst, and a guy never forgets his rst. Today’s youth nd it difcult to form strong automobile-associated memories. Modern cars are forgettable, computer-designed conglomerations that contain only trace amounts of steel. There once was a time when carmakers put tremendous effort into design. Cars changed radically from year to year, with vertical tailns one year,
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horizontal tailns the next. This made it possible to discern a car’s make and model from great distances, perhaps as far as low earth orbit. Automakers knew how to build cars back then. This was shortly after World War II, and there was plenty of steel available. Car manufacturers would buy surplus battle tanks and stamp fenders directly from their armor. I don’t know when our parents acquired our mouse-brown 1953 Chevrolet. They already had it by the time they had me. Thanks to her generous rear deck, the ‘53 was a wonderful car for small children. A kid could nap in the back window or simply lie there to watch the world glide by. Nowadays, a child dozing in the rear deck would elicit a visit from the authorities. So would the simple act of riding in a car like the ‘53, with its unpadded,
bulletproof steel dashboard and passenger windows that could be opened without a writ from the Supreme Court. Our family grew, and the ‘53 could no longer accommodate us all. It might have been possible to stuff two adults and eight kids into the ‘53, but this would have made us look like we were a clown car act. Dear County Agent Guy Dad purchased a station wagon, and the ‘53 was relegated to eld car status. She thus initiated me into the world of driving. This was an era when it was acceptable to put a 12-year-old boy behind the wheel and send him off to the eld with a trunk full of 5-gallon cans of gasoline By Jerry Nelson for the tractors. Columnist But rst I had to prove myself worthy of the ‘53 by mastering the mysteries of her transmission, a setup called three on the tree. The hardest part of driving a manual tranny is getting going without stalling the engine. This isn’t an issue in modern cars with their super-duty batteries that have the same electrical output as a nuclear power plant. Not so with the ‘53, who had a feeble 6-volt system and a battery that couldn’t power a cell phone. Her battery was good for maybe one sweaty-palmed attempt at restarting. After that, you’d better have a plan B. Plan B usually involved a hill. Using every last ounce of oomph, one might get the ’53 rolling downhill until she attained sufcient speed. You then leaped into the car, jabbed the clutch pedal, yanked the transmission into gear and popped the clutch. If the ‘53 was feeling charitable, she would lurch and chug and sputter to life. But I would often forget to leave the ignition in the on position, squandering my only chance at redemption. A more reliable plan B was to bring along friends or younger siblings. If the engine stalled and the battery died, your passengers had no choice but to get out and push. Being the driver, my job was to sit behind the wheel and shout helpful instructions such as, “Faster! Faster! Oops! Try again. I’ll turn the ignition on this time.” That old ‘53 was an unforgiving mistress. But as with many rsts, I soon left her for newer, more exciting prospects. The ‘53 was consigned to a secluded spot in our farmstead’s shelterbelt. She remained there, forgotten, until the spring day that we had a barn re. Hurricane-force winds pushed the roaring blaze through our grove. The ‘53, unable to dodge the conagration, was reduced to a cinder. I later viewed her remains. Her paint was charred; her interior reduced to a twisted mass of melted metal. The rear window where I once napped lay in a million shards. Rest in peace, old girl. Besides explaining it to my wife, there’s another, deeper, reason why I didn’t buy that blue ’53 Chevy I saw at the roadside. Because even though she may have been similar, there was no way she could have ever been the same. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@ dairystar.com.
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Six management priorities for a farm’s nancial success
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 37
High milk prices have been overshadowed by skyrocketing costs for nearly all inputs on dairy operations, including feed, labor, fertilizer and fuel. Accounting rms often set benchmarks for dairies, highlighting opportunities for farms to improve. But what these numbers really Something to Ruminate On do mean? What management steps make a difference? Which numbers have the biggest impact? In 2019, Compeer Financial and Zoetis released results from 11 years of herd data across nearly 500 dairy operations. They examined year-end nancial and production record sumBy Barry Visser maries to distinguish the Nutritionist most protable dairies from others. The study attempted to dene what drives protability year after year on dairies over a wide range of size and scope. The following six nancial drivers are key areas where money is made and lost, and they separate dairies with top nancial performance from others.
Somatic cell count Topping the list as the biggest impact on protability was somatic cell count. As SCC rose on farms, protability dropped because SCC affects energy-corrected milk, death loss, days open, pregnancy rates and herd turnover. The top third of herds in the study had an average bulk tank SCC of 132,000 cells per milliliter, while the bottom third of herds averaged 284,000 cells per milliliter. The study also showed that, for every 100,000 cells per milliliter increase in bulk tank SCC, milk yield declines 5.5 pounds. ECM According to the study, the difference between the top- and bottom-third herds was about 20 pounds of ECM per day or $0.76 net farm income per hundredweight. What is a reasonable goal for milk production on your farm? Do you achieve 6 pounds of combined
fat and protein yield per cow for Holsteins or 5.25 pounds for Jerseys? Pounds of milk are still important, but pounds of fat and protein represent more than 80% of your milk check. Work with your nutritionist to strategically formulate lactating cow rations to foster more butterfat and protein yield. Herds with higher ECM also show an improved pregnancy rate, lower feed costs per cwt, fewer days open, lower death loss and reduced SCC. Herd dynamics such as a high percentage of 2-year-old cows (more than 40%) or high days in milk (greater than 180) can negatively impact production. Net herd turnover cost The study showed a $1.08 per cwt difference in net herd turnover cost when comparing the most protable and least protable dairy herds. Are you culling older cows prematurely because you have too many replacement heifers in the pipeline? What strategies can help you manage your heifer needs without causing a hole in supply? Overproduction of heifers can cause a cash ow crunch. Raising the right number of heifers is important, but raising the right kind of heifers is important too. Genomics and/or parentage can identify heifers with lower potential. Many semen suppliers have mating programs to help you manage this. They can help you determine which animals should receive beef semen, sexed semen or conventional semen.
Death loss Death loss, as can be expected, negatively affects protability. The best third of farms in the study had a death loss of 4.3% compared to the worst third with a death loss of 10%, a difference in protability of $138 more per cow per year (or 7 more pounds of milk per cow per day). Most death losses occur during the rst 60 DIM. If death loss is too high in this period, evaluate transition and fresh cow programs. Consistent records of the reasons cows die on your dairy allow you to identify and mitigate the causes more quickly. Pregnancy rate The most protable herds had an average pregnancy rate of 27.4%. More protable dairies have higher
breeding costs but achieve a higher pregnancy rate. Factors such as voluntary waiting period, heat detection, program compliance and conception rates are key areas to examine and monitor. A higher pregnancy rate helps ensure your herd is in the optimal range of DIM. For every 10-day reduction in DIM, herd milk production will increase an average of 1.5 pounds per cow per day.
Heifer survival rate The best third of the farms achieved a 97.5% heifer survival while the bottom third was at 91%. If you are not approaching a goal of 95% heifer survival rate, work to identify bottlenecks in the system. Set benchmarks and evaluate your heifer rearing operation to improve heifer survival rates. Key considerations should be on monitoring quality and timing of colostrum feeding, recording heifer health events and tracking growth rates over time. A goal is for a heifer to freshen at 85% of mature bodyweight at 22 to 24 months of age. According to this study, these six dairy nancial drivers account for 85% of the variation in farm profitability. Maximum protability on dairies starts with excellent animal husbandry. With record-high expenses, we also need to focus on monitoring performance parameters to maximize earnings on the dairy. Track and organize data in a way that is easiest for you and your management team to review and make decisions accordingly. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
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Say yes
Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Over the years, it feels like I am always saying no to this and no to that because of farm responsibilities. We can’t go out for an evening summer drive because we’re too exhausted from putting hay up all day. We don’t drop a line in a nearby lake because there are too many unnished jobs. We stay home from a party because a cow is calving. It seems we’re sitting on just one side of the farm life teeter-totter. So, I am trying to nd a new balance and have started to say yes. Yes to new adventures and new discoveries involving the farm. I am even dragging Mark along on this new ride. The Crow Wing County Dairy Days has asked almost everyone in our family to judge their show. All three boys have judged it when they were done with college. They even asked me to judge one year. When I nally quit laughing at the thought, I asked them why. They said I would be good with the kids. I agreed I would love to work with the kids, but the cattle side of the event would be a total bust. I suggested they ask Mark; he is the best judge in our family and knows how to talk with young exhibitors. After many years of nding different excuses, he nally said yes.
Mark has a natural eye for judging cattle. He can envision their potential and notice the faults which could hamper their production. He had never given a set of reasons but has heard many styles and types while our kids were in the ring. He did take a dairy evaluation class under Ev Stransky at the University of Minnesota-Waseca and learned a few things from her. We have even hosted dairy judging workouts for 4-H, FFA and college judging teams so something had to sink in over the years. The week of the show everything was going bust on the farm and judging seemed to be out of the question. The irrigation system kept breaking down. The silo unloader motor was blowing fuses. To top it off, second crop hay was ready to cut. Austin and I assured Mark he needed a fun day off to talk cows with excited young kids. We weren’t going to let him use the farm as an excuse to say no. Besides, we had an extra set of hands on the farm because I had said yes to a new family adventure. In late May, I saw a posting asking for International Farm Youth Exchange host families in Minnesota. IFYE is operated through the 4-H program when I was growing
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up. I had always wanted to travel and live with families in a different country through IFYE but never said yes to the opportunity. I wasn’t going to let this chance pass me by again. I applied for us to host an exchangee for three weeks. They would live in our home and become a part of the family. There wasn’t much time Just Thinking Out Loud between when I volunteered and when the IFYE would arrive. There was an application to ll out, background checks to run and a home visit to complete before Julia arrived from Germany. The application was easy until I reached the bottom of the page where I was asked to provide three references. At my age, who do I use as a reference that is By Natalie Schmitt relevant? I am generally the Columnist one writing a reference for 4-H’ers or neighbor kids as they apply for scholarships or rst jobs. Who would the IFYE program trust as an expert on our ability to host an exchangee? This sounds like the start of a bad joke where three people walk into a bar, but I asked a former boss, a lifelong mom friend and a current dairy farmer who is an extension youth agent. I wasn’t too worried about what they would write. They are all articulate and could provide testimony to our family life. It was interesting to hear their observations about our family. Most of what they wrote was how I would describe us. But, there was one question that left me feeling a bit exposed. “What distractions or limitations would there be for us as a host family?” All three said work on the farm would be our limiting factor. This observation just reafrmed my decision of why we needed to start saying yes. I may have gone a bit overboard on saying yes, but I can blame it all on Julia, our IFYE family member. I wanted to provide her with a broad view of life not just in central Minnesota but in the Midwest. I picked her up on a Monday morning, and our rst stop was a thrift store to buy some farm clothes and shoes. She wasn’t quite sure why, but at the end of three weeks, she completely understood. To be a member of this family means we all work together on the farm. Everyone has their jobs. Julia quickly learned how to feed and bed calves with me. I didn’t realize how nice an extra set of hands could lighten a workload. She willingly pulled the wagon lled with bottles around to each of the domes. She even weeded the whole sweet corn patch while I did other jobs before we started off on an adventure. Wednesday we jumped in the car and started our journey celebrating life in the Midwest. Sherry Newell traveled with us as her family dairy farm is on the way to my family beef farm. With two former farm broadcasters traveling together, Julia just had to sit back, listen and take in the scenery. We were heading to Illinois for a weekend of family events. There was the cousin’s lunch complete with blue plate specials, a family reunion with Midwest cooking including lots of desserts and a baby shower with the games people play. On Monday, we jumped back in the car, picked up Sherry and started traveling westward across Iowa. We were heading to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the National Holstein Convention. Sherry and I were two of the public speaking judges for the youth contest. By the time we returned home on Tuesday evening, we had traveled 1,550 miles through four states. This was just Julia’s rst week as a member of our family. Her next experience was a dairy show. With her help, we were able to complete our morning chores and get Mark to the show on time. As we sat in the stands, I explained what he was doing and why. I don’t know who was having more fun in the ring, Mark or the kids. I think my farm life teeter-totter may be shifting as I start to say yes to new opportunities and adventures. 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.
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Fifteen years
Anniversaries have a way of making us pause for a moment and reect upon the passage of time and all we’ve experienced. July 7, 2007, was the day we bought our farm, which makes this year the 15th anniversary. Fifteen years! Sometimes I feel like we’ve lived an entire lifetime in that decade and a half; sometimes, I feel like these years have own right by. Certainly, these past 15 years have been full. We became parents and bought our farm within about six months of each Dairy Good Life other. And it wasn’t long before we became involved in our cooperative, our county’s breakfast on the farm, and writing for this newspaper. As I look back, some things remain the same: we’re still parents, and we’re still engaged in the greater dairy community. Our farm itself and the way we manage it, however, have changed considerably. Fifteen years ago, we grew the majority of our cows’ feed on the acres adjacent to our farm. Today, we buy the majority of our feed from neighbors and a network of forage growers who have By Sadie Frericks become friends and valued partners. Fifteen years ago, we did almost all of the Columnist planting and harvesting ourselves. Today, we custom hire our neighbors to do all of our cropping. Fifteen years ago, we had 2 acres of pasture. Today, we have nearly 100. Fifteen years ago, we spent countless hours hauling manure. Today, we sell the majority of our manure to other farmers. Fifteen years ago, our farm had a manure stacking slab that drained into the pond. Today, we have a lagoon that collects both manure and all of the yard runoff. The pond is beautiful, and we hire a local company to inject the manure into our cropland. Last year, we experimented with a new way to inject the liquid manure into an existing alfalfa stand. The result, with the help of timely rain, was an excellent rst crop and a second crop that exceeded rst in both tonnage and quality, despite weevil pressure. Fifteen years ago, we used a reduced tillage cropping system. Today, all of our corn ground is protected with fall cover crops, and we no till everything. Fifteen years ago, we had a lot of mud. Today, we have a lot more concrete. Fifteen years ago, we drug hoses around the farm to water all the groups of heifers. Today, we have automatic waterers. I try to impress upon the kids at least once a year how easy they have it. Fifteen years ago, our cows had only concrete to rest upon. Today, they have acres of pasture, foam-lled mats, and sand-bedded free stalls. Fifteen years ago, our barn was dark and dim. Today, LED lights over both the aisle and mangers make our working environment bright and provide the cows with long-day light. Fifteen years ago, we fed and bred our cows for milk production. Today, we feed and breed for a balance of milk and components. Back then, our butterfat percentage hovered around 3%, with summertime dips that started with a two. Today, our butterfat holds steady well above 4%, even in the summer. Protein production has done the same. Fifteen years ago, we bred cows and heifers off standing heats. Today, we have an activity monitor, and our phones moo at us whenever there’s a cow or heifer in heat. Fifteen years ago, all of o herd records were docour Buying B i our own ffarm gave us umented on calendars and paper breeding logs. Today, a blank canvas upon which I can nd Daisy’s last serto create a dairy farm that’s vice date in an app on my phone instead of walking to uniquely ours. the barn ofce and ipping t through pages. We still use a paper calendar for some lactation events; there’s a sense of security that comes with having certain records in writing. Fifteen years ago, we didn’t have cell phones. Today, we have Wi-Fi in the barn. A dairy farmer friend helped us gure out how to bridge the Wi-Fi from our house to the barn, which makes the aforementioned herd management technologies possible. I could list dozens more comparisons. I’m sure in the years to come there will be dozens more. All of these changes have been made with the overarching goal of continuous improvement. How do we make our farm better for our cows, better for us, and better for our land? Buying our own farm 15 years ago gave us more than just a place to live and milk our cows. It gave us a home for our family and a home for our dreams. Buying our own farm gave us a blank canvas upon which to create a dairy farm that’s uniquely ours. Each improvement is like a brush stroke that adds more detail to the painting. Hopefully, when we nally decide our masterpiece is nished, we can look back and agree it was perfect for us. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children – Dan, 15, Monika, 12, and Daphne, 9. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@ gmail.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 39
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Used Jay Lor 3650 #3754 - $19,900
Used Patz 300
#5738 -
$20,900
Used Patz 500
#5428 -
$16,900
Used Patz 615
#3356 -
$29,900
Used Kuhn Knight VT 144 Used Kuhn Knight VT180 Used Kuhn Knight VT180 #5717 -
$24,900
Used Patz 350
#5767 -
$21,900
Used Patz 500
#5377 -
$28,900
Used Patz 615
#5599 -
$24,900
#4096 -
$35,900
Used Patz 350
#5747 -
$19,900
Used Patz 500
#5737 -
$28,500
Used Patz 950
#5610 -
$54,900
#4775 -
$33,900
Used Patz 420
#5707 -
$21,900
Used Patz 500
#5794 -
$29,900
Used LuckNow 2420 #5365 - $16,500
Used Patz 420
#5680 -
$21,900
Used Patz 500
#5435 -
$24,800
Used Patz V420
Used PENTA 3010
#4900 -
$15,900
#4382 -
$15,800
Used Rotomix 475
Used Valmetal V-MIX 575, #3750 - $16,900
Used Kuhn MM300
Used Kuhn MM300
New Kelly Ryan 4X10
New Kelly Ryan 5X12
New Vermeer BF230
New Vermeer BF250
New Vermeer BF230
New Vermeer BF250
#4614 -
$14,900
#5701 -
Call
#5786 -
Call
#5898 -
$25,900
#5787 -
Call
#5919 -
$31,500
#5896 -
Call
#5702 -
#5897 -
Call
Call
Salesmen: Shawn Martin (608) 778-4554 or Joe Ryan (608) 778-2900
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI
Office: (608) 348-9401 or Toll Free: 1(888) BUY-Patz www.steinhartsfarmservice.com
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI