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DAIRY ST R
Volume 24, No. 11
July 23, 2022
“All dairy, all the time”™
Their turn to dairy Three cousins continue the family farm By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
BANGOR, Wis. – When the Manke brothers – Kenneth, David and Paul – were ready to step down from managing their family dairy farm, they approached their niece and two nephews about taking over. The three cousins – Melissa Manke, Matthew Manke and Bryant LeJeune – stepped up to the task and, after a couple years of preparation, took the farm over in 2017. “We sat down and talked a lot when we rst started,” Melissa Manke said. “We all had our certain skill sets that we came with.” The cousins milk 200 cows in an auto-ow parlor on the farm near Bangor. Manke and LeJeune handle most of the milking while Matthew takes care of the heifers and calves. Manke does all
the administrative work for the farm, and LeJeune is in charge of managing crops and ordering breeding supplies. The cousins all work together to harvest hay. Every year, they manage 250 acres of hay ground in addition to 320 acres of corn. “We meet every winter to discuss what eld is going to be what so we have a plan,” Manke said. Prior to the transition, Matthew and Melissa were working full time on the farm, and LeJeune was milking on his own. The farm expanded the freestall barn, slurry system, and feed storage area to accommodate LeJeune’s 60-cow herd. “My wife and I had been trying to purchase our own farm for years but couldn’t seal the deal,” LeJeune said. “We realized that without the help from someone along the way, I couldn’t live out my dream of being a dairy farmer. We are very grateful to the last generation alABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR lowing us to keep their legacy alive.” MaƩ hew Manke (from leŌ ), Bryant LeJeune and Melissa Manke take a break The previous generation helped the June 20 at their farm near Bangor, Wisconsin. The cousins are the fourth generaTurn to MANKES | Page 7 Ɵon to dairy on their family farm.
Wisconsin Brown Swiss sets naƟonal fat, protein records Sue earns titles for 6.8 fat, 3.6 protein By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Ron Keml is pictured with Cuƫng Edge Stratus Sue, owned by Kelm, who recently claimed the breed’s naƟonal fat and protein record Ɵtles. Kelm milks 50 cows near Markesan, Wisconsin, where he breeds registered Brown Swiss.
MARKESAN, Wis. – A cow who milks and looks good doing it is how Ron Kelm describes Cutting Edge Stratus Sue 3E-94/95MS, a cow he calls a dairyman’s dream. Sue claimed the top national fat and protein records for the Brown Swiss breed. Kelm owns Power Line Brown Swiss and milks 50 registered Brown Swiss on his family’s Green Lake County farm near Markesan. Sue completed a 365-day lactation that earned her the two national titles, making 4,097 pounds of butterfat and 2,208 pounds of protein. She was milked twice a day and made 60,546 pounds of milk. She averaged a 6.8% butterfat and 3.6% protein test. The lactation was her sixth and commenced at 9 years and 6
months of age. The previous national fat record was for 3,613 pounds of butterfat, while the previous national protein record was 2,031 pounds of protein. While her latest lactation is in the books, Sue is still milking on that lactation and has garnered a lifetime production of 266,870 pounds of milk, 14,869 pounds of butterfat and 9,938 pounds of protein. “Sue is so smart, so intelligent, and she is so very tough,” Kelm said of his favorite cow. “She has come through some adversity in her life, having two big sets of twins, getting very sick each time.” Kelm purchased Sue at the 2016 National Brown Swiss Convention Sale in Owatonna, Minnesota. She was consigned by her breeders, Ken Main and Peter Vail of Elite Dairy in Copake Falls, New York. She was the second high seller in the sale, with Kelm placing the nal bid of $15,500 to bring Sue Turn to KELM | 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
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.
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.
Ag Insider
Access to capital, credit Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Vice President Nathan Kauffman testied in the House Agriculture Committee farm bill hearing. By Don Wick “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.
New food safety agency proposed A bill has been introduced in Congress to create a new food safety agency within the Health and Human
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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Kellnersville, WI
Kohlbecks take life one day at a time in dealing with son’s disability
Newton, WI Pine River a leader in cheese spread First Section: Pages 10 - 11
First Section: Pages 8 - 9
Sauk City, WI
Tomah, WI
Sprecher wins Star in Agricultural Placement
Forage quality essential for Hall’s herd health
First Section: Page 26
First Section: Pages 18, 20
Wausau, WI
Jefferson, WI
Women in Dairy: Maureen Keinbaum
Lundy shares love for showing with local youth
First Section: Page 29
First Section: Pages 32 - 33
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What forages do you graze? First Section: Pages 15-16
Antigo, WI
Smith nds alternative path to farm ownership First Section: Pages 12 - 13
Shawano, WI
Champions named at Wisconsin State Brown Swiss Show First Section: Pages 27 - 28
Westby, WI
Von Rudens undergo smooth transition with long preparation Second Section: Pages 6 - 7
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Zone 1
Zone 2
Columnists Ag Insider Pa Pages 2, 5 Fi s Section Fir First
Farmer and Columnist Page 35 First Section
Ram Ramblings fro from the Ridge R Page Pa 36 First Section
Hull, IA Watertown, SD
Something So to Ruminate R On Page P 37 First Firs Section
Ju Thinking Just O Out Loud Page 38 F First 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
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. Hope for immigration bill The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is gaining traction in the Senate. This bill would allow dairy farmers and others to hire temporary workers on a year-round basis. Lawmakers said this legislation could help reduce food prices by easing the labor shortage. 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 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.” Grand opening for Menomonie plant Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery hosted a grand opening celebration for its new creamery and store in Menomonie. The new 60,000-square-foot specialty cheesemaking facility began production in February, and the retail store opened in April. The $261 million facility replaces the co-op’s Comstock location. 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. Be-
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fore 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. Dairy policy specialist named Leonard Polzin is the new dairy markets and policy outreach specialist for the University of Wisconsin Extension. Polzin received his bachelor’s degree at UW-River Falls and his master’s degree at Michigan State University and is based at Cadott. Organic Valley appoints new CFO Stephen Famolaro has joined Organic Valley as its chief nancial ofcer. Famolaro previously served in a similar capacity for Naked Juice and Century Snacks. He also spent time with Dean Foods. Co-op trade group adds Hummell to staff Cooperative Network has hired Rick Hummell as its communications specialist. Most recently, Hummell was a public information ofcer for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Previously, Hummel was an editor for a newspaper group. Global Dairy Symposium scheduled The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection will host a Global Dairy Symposium Oct. 6 during World Dairy Expo. Speakers include U.S. Dairy Export Council CEO Krysta Harden, AMPI President and CEO Sheryl Meshke and International Farm Comparison Network President Torsten Hemme. 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 KELM | Page 1
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Tom Cull leads Cuƫng Edge Stratus Sue in rst place of the aged cow class at the 2019 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. She was later named Reserve Grand Champion of the show. home to Wisconsin. “I was in the market for a cow like Sue, and she had been a young cow I admired at the time,” Kelm said. Kelm recalled calling Main and asking about Sue. “He told me they couldn’t keep all of the good ones,” Kelm said. “I learned she was one of Ken’s favorites, from what he considered one of their best transmitting families at the time. He didn’t seem real anxious to let her go. That made me want her that much more.” Sue already had two All-American nominations under her belt. As a senior 2-year-old, Sue received honorable mention recognition following a win at the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and a third-place nish at World Dairy Expo in Madison. “I saw Sue at Tammy Voegeli’s farm on her way to the sale in Minnesota,” Kelm said. “Tammy called me and told me there was a cow I needed to come look at not knowing I was already interested in Sue. I went to Tammy’s farm and saw Sue, and I just fell in love.” Sue was due to calve in July, less than a month after the sale. Kelm took her home to calve and began paving the way for Sue to make her third appearance on the colored shavings at WDE as a 4-year-old. The sailing for Kelm and Sue was not smooth. “She had a big set of mixed twins, and she went down and got terribly sick,” Kelm said of a summer six years ago. “I really thought I was going to lose her. I babied her all summer long. I wasn’t sure if I should take her to Madison, but another breeder convinced me to take her and at least give her the chance to make the ring.”
While he had learned of her toughness in July, Kelm learned of Sue’s determination in October. “She is the kind of cow who really knows it is game on when she gets to the show,” Kelm said. “She did remarkable things to get ready that week and placed fourth.” That fourth-place WDE nish earned Sue her third All-American nomination. With her health problems, Kelm gave Sue her 5-year-old year off and instead focused on ushing the cow. “I learned she had chicken-like tendencies,” Kelm said. “She ushes very well.” Sue was bred back to calve as an aged cow to head back to Madison for another crack at the colored shavings. Kelm made the decision to board the cow at nearby Budjon Farms in Lomira to prepare her for WDE. Sue was the choice of judge Steve Wagner of Richeld, Vermont, to win the aged cow class, and she was named the reserve grand champion of the show. That year she was named the unanimous All-American aged cow with her fourth nomination in the contest. Sue will celebrate her 11th birthday in September, and Kelm does not plan to breed her back to calve again. Instead, he plans to put Sue on a regular ushing program. To date, Kelm said Sue has 13 daughters on the ground, including her oldest daughter, Power Line Thunder Storm-ET EX90/92MS, who is also in the herd. “We’re going to focus on making some babies,” Kelm said. “Sue has nothing left to prove, and with her age and tendency to have twins, there is no reason to take the risk.”
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ConƟnued from MANKES | Page 1 cousins by continuing to work on the farm through the transition. David has since passed away, but Paul feeds every day and Kenny helps where he can, usually in the elds or running errands. The brothers also helped the younger generation by oating the loan so the cousins would not have to go through a bank. The cousins are paying their predecessors back on a 30-year note. They calculated what the payments would be in pounds of milk based on $16 per hundredweight. The retiring generation gets paid for that amount of milk regardless of where the current milk price is. “They ride the wave with us,” Manke said. “When milk price is good, they get more money, and when it’s bad, they’re taking a hit just like we are.” So far, it has afforded the cousins to stay ahead. In the ve years of ownership, they have come out ahead on payments every year except one, which they have already made up for. The payment design helps them pay down debt when times are good and offers a cushion when times are tougher. “The goal is to pay ahead,” LeJeune said. “We’re looking at paying over 20 years instead of 30.” Shortly after making the transition, the cousins were presented with an opportunity to buy an additional farm site adjacent to the existing property. Again, they had support from their uncles to do so. “We had another farm that was 7 miles away which we sold to buy this closer farm,” Manke said. “It was the missing link.” The cousins agreed communication has made the transition work. While they do not have regular meetings besides their crop meeting in the winter, they make sure to talk every day in the barn. They also welcome opinions from the older generation, even though the cousins have the nal say in management deci-
sions. “We can’t go by the, ‘That’s the way we’ve always done it,’ rhetoric because that’s the way they did it, not us,” Manke said. “Nobody wants anyone to fail, but there has to be some failures for everybody to learn and move on.” Manke said farming with family is easier with good communication among her cousins too. “Yelling doesn’t get you anywhere,” she said. “The best way to work things out as a team is to come to the table with a clear head and explain why you want it done a certain way. It gets you 10 steps further.” LeJeune agreed. “You have to be willing to give and take,” he said. “It’s a balancing act.” The cousins progressed the dairy operation by installing a solid separator as part of the expansion when bringing LeJeune’s cows in. They lter enough manure through the separator to provide bedding for the free stalls, while the rest of the manure goes in the storage pit. The cousins toured farms before deciding on the design. So far, the setup has proved worthwhile. “I am not going to argue that sand is the best bedding, but it is so hard on things,” LeJeune said. “Our pumps have been in for seven years, and they look brand new. We take a little hit on somatic cell count, but we gain it back with maintenance and not having to buy bedding.” LeJeune has also been experimenting with a highly-digestible hybrid corn. They have planted it for the last three years and have had an increase in milk production since making the switch. “It’s a softer, more digestible kernel,” LeJeune said. In years past, they have always combined corn, but they are planning to combine and chop this year. Future plans for the cousins include
upgrading their double-4 parlor, which was built in 1994. Parts and service are obsolete for the parlor, and the cousins will be looking into something more efcient. They also plan to build a different heifer facility. However, while there are plans for remodeling and facility improvements, there are no plans to expand. “We want to keep it so we can do most of the work and don’t have several employees,” LeJeune said. “Maybe
one who can do the night milking sometimes.” With the workload balanced for now and a vision for the future, the cousins are taking their turn at carrying on the legacy of their family’s farm. “We’re continuing the vision our great-grandparents started back in 1912,” Manke said. “We never got to meet them or even our grandfather, so the fact that we’re able to do this is pretty cool.”
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Finding joy in simple things
Kohlbecks take life one day at a time in dealing with son’s disability By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
KELLNERSVILLE, Wis. – Life is anything but ordinary for Ron and Shirley Kohlbeck. As parents of a 19-year-old disabled son who requires constant care, each day for these dairy farmers is lled with challenges above and beyond those typical of farming. “Mitchel is completely dependent on us,” Shirley said. “We have to feed him, change his diaper, change his clothes, change the TV channel for him. That’s the hard part; he can’t do anything on his own. His life has been so limited because he is seriously disabled, but I don’t think in those terms.” The Kohlbecks milk about 100 cows and farm 625 acres near Kellnersville with the help of one full-time employee, Kendall Grimm. Ron and Shirley also have a 33-year-old daughter, Kelly, who lives in Winnipeg, Canada. Shirley’s cousin, Richard Resch, is Mitchel’s caregiver, watching him for several hours each morning and night while Shirley and Ron do chores. Richard also helps feed calves, and even though he is 74, he and Mitchel are the best of friends. “Having a disabled son affects a lot of things in your life,” Ron said. “For example, it’s hard being at an auction and seeing another farmer there with his son. There are many places I won’t go because it’s depressing. We have a big extended family
with lots of kids and that can be hard to be around too.” Mitchel is suspected to suffer from mitochondrial disease, a rare disorder in which cells in the body do not receive proper oxygen. At 6 days old, he started having seizures but was never ofcially diagnosed with the disease. Mitchel saw many neurologists, but none could provide the Kohlbecks with a diagnosis of their son’s condition. “We were told there are so many things about the brain we don’t understand, and nothing could be done for him,” Shirley said. “A lot of people are scared of Mitchel’s handicap. They won’t approach him, and that makes a handicapped person sad. It depresses Mitchel when people don’t talk to him. As a result, he withdraws from the world. Mitchel won’t look at people because he is always ignored.” Mitchel has never walked and only once said the word da-da. At one point, he was able to sit and had some motor control, but his condition has deteriorated over time. “He used to be better, but he gradually lost abilities,” Shirley said. “Mitchel used to sit and play in the soybeans, but he can’t do that anymore. He doesn’t have any balance.” Showering Mitchel with love and compassion, the Kohlbecks pour their hearts and souls into caring for their son. Mitchel is the center of their world, and including him in their work day is part of Ron’s and Shirley’s regular routine. “Mitchel can’t play sports, so we don’t get to go to baseball games or other kids’ sporting events,” Ron said. “Therefore, we try to nd joy wherever we can in the simple things.”
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STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Shirley and Ron Kohlbeck and their son, Mitchel, milk 100 cows and farm 625 acres near Kellnersville, Wisconsin. Mitchel, 19, has been disabled since he was an infant with mitochondrial disease.
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ConƟnued from KOHLBECKS | Page 8 The farm provides an outlet of stimulation and happiness for Mitchel, who enjoys being around the animals and going for rides. He likes cutting hay with his dad and riding in the truck with his mom while she hauls wagons. Mitchel also spends time with Shirley in the barn in the afternoons. “Mitchel could ride in the tractor for 10 hours straight; he loves it so much,” Ron said. “He never sleeps the whole time he’s in there. He has stamina. I’m not that great of a singer, but Mitchel loves it when I sing too. He laughs and smiles. ‘Take me out to the ballgame’ is his favorite song.”” To communicate, Mitchel says yes or no with his hands. In the past, yes was signaled by putting his hands down. Because he lost the ability to lift his arm, Shirley now lifts Mitchel’s hand up, and he applies downward pressure if the answer is yes. If the answer is no, then no pressure is applied. “I can read his yes or no well,” Shirley said. “I can also tell a lot from his face. Mitchel has good days and bad days. Mitchell has a very soft heart, and he’s intellectual too. He likes the game channel on TV. He also likes rhymes and cartoons.” Shirley struggles with depression as a result of the stress caused by Mitchel’s condition. “I’ve learned to work through it,” she said. “I let myself cry and be sad for a little while, but you can’t feel sorry for yourself. You shouldn’t be afraid to cry, but you don’t want it to turn into self-pity because that’s going to drag you down.”
Over the years, Shirley has come up with several ways to effectively deal with her depression. First and foremost, she offers prayers of praise, thanksgiving and petition to God. “It’s about more than just having faith; instead, I focus on Jesus’ suffering,” she said. “Jesus gives us grace when we contemplate on his sufferings before he died on the cross. But sometimes I’m angry at God and wonder, why does Mitchell have to be this way?” Thinking about the positive things in her life like healthy calves, an ambitious husband and the beauty of nature also helps Shirley cope. “Talk to someone who understands your situation,” she said. “One cannot expect family or friends to understand what you’re going through. In my case, I vent with my husband, but only briey because I know he also has subjects that he wants to converse about. Sometimes, a calf, dog or cat listen well too. To verbalize is healing.” Shirley said she likes talking to her cat, Dirty Paws, who then comforts Shirley by patting her on the shoulder. Another factor Shirley does not take for granted is the importance of eating healthy. “Diet is everything in combatting depression,” she said. “I try to limit sugar and bread in my diet and eat a green salad every day with onions, garlic and celery. I take a lot of antifungals like apple cider vinegar, garlic, olive leaf and black seed oil.” Shirley nds it therapeutic to work outside whether in sunshine or rain. She also nds satisfaction
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Shirley Kohlbeck waves goodbye as Ron and Mitchel head out to cut hay July 5 near Kellnersville, Wisconsin. Riding in the tractor is one of Mitchel’s favorite things to do. in starting or accomplishing a job she has been putting off. Shirley has learned that when little things bother her, it is best to say something. “Don’t let it all build up, or you could blow up,” she said. “Share your pain with someone else, and they, in turn, can share their pain with you. Sharing your misfortunes is part of life.” Shirley hopes by sharing her experience with depression, she might be able to help someone else who is also dealing with illness. As a devoted mother and wife, she always nds the
strength to keep going. “Positive self-talk is important,” Shirley said. “Also, try to put happy thoughts in your head.” Ron can relate to the feelings of dismay Shirley faces. “As the parent of a disabled child, you never really get to see the sun,” he said. “There are always clouds between you and it. You see a bit of sunshine sometimes, but then the sun pulls back in and the clouds cover it once again.” The Kohlbecks refuse to see only the negative in their hard-
ships and view their circumstances as opportunities as well. “There is knowledge in pain and suffering,” Shirley said. “You gain knowledge and discipline by suffering, at least I do. Some days are better than others. But over time, I’ve gotten smarter and stronger.” Ron and Shirley accept Mitchel exactly as he is. Despite their heartbreaking situation, the Kohlbecks remain positive and optimistic, taking each day as it comes and nding happiness in the smallest of things.
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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
Chasing the dream
Smith nds alternative path to farm ownership By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
ANTIGO, Wis. – Sometimes life does not proceed on the planned path, and that is a lesson 24-year-old Corrin Smith of Antigo has been learning. “I have always been invested in my family’s dairy farm,” Smith said. “I have always been out here working with my dad, learning from him. I have always known I wanted to dairy farm.” Smith’s plan had been to take over her family’s 50-cow Langlade County dairy farm near Antigo this year. The current state of the economy and commodity markets have given Smith cause to look at other ways to pursue her dream. Rising input costs, ination and market volatility have all worked together to create an atmosphere of uncertainty for Smith and her parents. “We decided to take anoth-
er course,” Smith said. “That for the time being I would continue as an employee of my parents, working to earn capital and equity, rather than taking on a large amount of debt to purchase the farm from my parents.” Smith said that while her parents are supportive of her ambitions, they required her to leave the farm for a while following high school graduation. “I worked as a herdsman on a large dairy farm for over two years,” Smith said. “I learned a lot doing that, and I learned that I denitely wanted to dairy farm on my own.” Smith has also held nonagricultural jobs, which have all further cemented her desire to dairy farm. “I have worked as a certied nursing assistant, and I have worked in a factory,” Smith said. “I was miserable. I love the cows. The animals are what really make me want to farm. I love caring for them; they are just my thing.” Smith said her factory job was what made her decide to pursue ownership of the farm. “I worked in the factory for six months,” Smith said.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Corrin Smith milks 50 cows with her father on her family’s farm near AnƟgo, Wisconsin. Smith’s plans to purchase the family farm have been put on hold because of the current economic crisis facing the country. “I was on my feet in one spot eight hours a day. You couldn’t listen to music; the days just drug on. I love that no two days are the same on a dairy farm. You are always doing something new and different each
day.” Throughout her life, Smith has been building her own herd of cattle; she now owns 23 total head, including ve milking-aged cows. “I work weekends on
another farm to earn extra money, and I have been buying excess heifer calves from them,” Smith said. “I am able Turn to SMITH | Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 13
ConƟnued from SMITH | Page 12
BENEFITS OF USING DIRECTIONAL DRILLING INSTALLATION INCLUDE: DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Cows on the Smiths’ farm return to pasture aŌer an aŌernoon water break near AnƟgo, Wisconsin. to be building up my own herd slowly rather than having to make a big capital investment buying cows when the time comes for me to nally take over.” Smith and her parents are planning for her to begin renting the farm in January 2023 and purchasing the cattle she needs from her father. Despite the setbacks she has faced to becoming the fth generation of her family to own and run the farm, Smith continues to look toward the future. “One of the rst things I want to do is move away from using bulls and begin using more A.I.,” Smith said. “It is really a safety thing, since I am the one doing most of the work with the cattle.” Smith also plans to incorporate high-moisture corn into the ration, planting enough corn to meet the herd’s projected needs. She also hopes to invest in total mixed ration equipment to change the way the herd is currently fed. Smith said that within a year or so of taking over the farm, she hopes to be milking closer to 100 cows in the existing 78-stall tiestall barn. “My goal is that if I am still dairy
farming in ve years, I would like to get a robot or two,” Smith said. “That is a way that I can milk enough cows to be protable without having the increased labor needs and costs. Having robots would free up my time to focus on other jobs that need my attention rather than spending so much time milking each day.” Smith credits her open-mindedness with keeping her positivity up during these times when her future might seem rather uncertain. “I am open to change; things don’t always stay the same,” Smith said. “I like to read and research, to learn how others do things, because maybe I will learn something from them that will benet me.” Smith hopes that with a few pivots in her original plan to own her family’s farm, she can eventually achieve her goal. “Sometimes it gets difcult to hold out hope, but I am never going to give up,” Smith said. “I will continue to ght for my dream rather than give up when I am halfway there.”
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Dairyy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 15
From Our Side Of The Fence
Andrew Mullikin Wauzeka, Wisconsin 40 cows
Tell us about your grazing practices. We intensively graze approximately 45 acres of 60 paddocks. Our milk cows graze on them and are moved twice a day. We are in the planning stages of building heifer paddocks. What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? Our paddocks are grazed in 30-day intervals. I am not sure how many pounds per acre, but we are happy with the residual material and we go by that. We plan for a six-month grazing season. How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing, and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? I take beginning and end height measurements to keep track of grass growth and regrowth but don’t calculate how much is in the pasture. We pretty much go by the amount of residual material left as an indicator of overall health and density of the paddock. We also look at the cows’ milk urea nitrogen number as to the quality of the pasture. What forages do you graze? There is a small amount of alfalfa, red clover, white clover, orchard grass, meadow fescue and birdsfoot trefoil. I believe there are a couple more as well that I cannot readily name. How do you manage your pastures? For the beginning of the season, we made hay on the rst 33% of pastures. That allows me to use the other 30 acres for the cows to graze. By the time I got done with the rst rotation of paddocks, I was able to go back to the ground we made hay on and we ended up grazing half of it and made a second crop on the rest. If I can manage with the cows, that’s the objective because it is the most cost effective. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned with grazing management? I’m learning a lot of things with grazing, having only been at it for about a year. I have learned patience and exibility. You have to constantly be prepared to change and do things a little differently. It’s as much of an art as it is a science. You can do it by the numbers, or you can do it by feel. I watch my cows and pay attention to the ground, grass and soil. Tell us about your farm. We grew up farming conventionally with Holsteins, and I always wanted to graze Jerseys. After renting the farm for 20 years, my sister, Heather, and I formed a partnership with my parents and started milking again. We call our farm Mullikin Meadows. This is our chance, and, in the years to come, the landscape is going to change to grass as far as we can see. It’s simpler and better for the animals and the land.
Jeremy Nennig Ogdensburg, Wisconsin 45 cows Tell us about your grazing practices. My dairy cows are rotated on 60 acres split into four paddocks, each about 300 feet wide and the length of the farm. Each paddock is about 15 acres. I use a gateless system where the cows walk under the raised wire, and I use two poly wires on reels to create a temporary paddock. I usually move the front wire once every 24 hours and the back wire once every 12 hours. I also have a rented pasture that is 25 acres where I continuously graze some of my heifers. The grazing system we have in place was installed in 2016 through the Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program. What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? As mentioned, I use the front and back wires to continually move animals so they generally aren’t in the same area for more than 24 hours. I keep 42 cows with an average weight of 1,300 pounds (estimated) and a couple springing heifers and a couple steers with the cows. We usually start grazing in mid-May and continue through October; usually sometime in early November we are out of grass.
Andy Jaworski Green Bay, Wisconsin 60 cows Tell us about your grazing practices. I practice managed intensive grazing. Cows graze on paddocks that range in size from 5-20 acres. These paddocks are then subdivided with polywire fencing that is moved twice per day. I have a total of 130 acres available for grazing or making hay. Usually in the spring, less acres are needed for grazing due to quick forage growth but by fall almost all acres are used for grazing.
What forages do you graze? How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing, and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? We aim for 50% dry matter through most of the grazing season but reduce later in the season slowly. What forages do you graze? I have mostly been using Grassworks Grazing Mix with a little added clover and a little alfalfa. The mix consists of meadow fescue, festulolium, orchard, ryegrass, and red and white clover. How do you manage your pastures? Most of my pastures have been seeded since 2014 or earlier, so I try to no till into them every couple of years. With the big paddocks and temporary cross wires it makes for long rectangle elds that are nice for harvesting extra forage early in the season. Each spring, I foliar spray a biological fertilizer to help breakdown and cycle nutrients. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned with grazing management? Grazing management is not easy; there are so many variables from one year to the next, or even one week to the next that you have to constantly be adjusting what you’re doing. Tell us about your farm. We have a small organic dairy where we keep 40 to 45 cows, raise replacements and a few steers for direct marketing. We also raise our own forage and grains as well as sell some.
per year. What forages do you graze? I have perennial pastures lled with red and white clover mixed with meadow fescue. Some elds have a little bit of alfalfa seeded in with the mix. Those are the elds where I make a little more hay. Alfalfa doesn’t withstand heavy foot trafc of cows, whereas clover does much better. How do you manage your pastures? I am moving cows every day with poly wire fencing. I clip once a year to help manage weeds. In June, there is a lot more clipping to do with tall stems and weeds sprouting. I try to clip before they seed out if possible. I don’t do any spraying because this is an organic farm. I spread a little fertilizer in the spring and also add manure for fertilizer throughout the year. If a pasture is getting beat up or weak, or doesn’t have a 50/50 mix of clover and grass, I’ll take it out of pasture for at least a year and grow corn silage. Then, I’ll try to get a cover crop of either winter rye or winter triticale on after corn silage comes off, and then I can use it as a grazing eld in early spring. Some years, I take it out of that crop and put in new seeding. Other years, I’ve tried seeding an annual not used for grazing, such as sorghum sudangrass, for a year before going back to pasture. The eld then gets seeded back down to a grazing mix, and the pasture is reestablished that way. One year after sorghum sudan grass, I no-tilled new seeding in. It works pretty well especially with being organic.
What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? April 20 is the earliest they go out. In the beginning, I do what I call ash grazing where I allow them to graze the whole piece for just one day or two. I put the cows on all 10 acres and let them nibble. There is not a lot of dry matter at that point, so it’s more to get their rumen used to taking on pasture again. Usually around the rst week of May, I can start MIG grazing and graze into November. I graze as much as I can for as long as I can. Cows spend about a week on one paddock, so between the four paddocks, each paddock gets about a threeto four-week rest period. I move fences twice a day, and each move is about 100 feet or about 1.5 acres, depending on forage availability. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned with grazing management? There are so many variables in grazing, and How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing, everything is always changing. The amount of grass I’m giving and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? to cows depends on how fast the grass is growing, moisture, etc. Dry matter intakes will range from 30-50% of their diet. The In a conventional system, when hay is ready, you cut it all down goal is to always maximize DMI from pasture. I estimate at once, and the feed is more consistent. When you graze, feed around 20 pounds of DMI from pasture per cow per day changes on a daily basis. It’s a tradeoff because the dry matter comes from grazing. The remainder of their diet is supple- you get off pasture is the cheapest feed you can put in your cow. mented with either corn silage, grain and hay fed in the barn. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16 I plan for pastures to produce around 4-5 tons of dry matter
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
I’m always trying to maximize the amount of DMI we get from pasture even if it’s not always optimal quality. If the pasture is old and has lower quality, you have to make the decision to advance to the next piece and make hay on it. Grazing is challenging and takes experience. It’s not perfect, but at the end of the day, I do think it is the most economical way to feed cows.
Tell us about your farm. I am running 265 acres between two farms. I milk 60 cows with a Lely robot and have a total of 120 head including youngstock. Cows are housed in a freestall barn. The rst piece of land on my dad’s farm became organic in 1996. The farm has been certied organic since 2000. I’ve been farming since 2011 and milking with the robots since 2014.
Corby Groen Amherst Junction, Wisconsin 115 milk cows
nual mix that included BMR sorguhm, pearl millet and cow peas that we hope to graze off in late August.
Tell us about your grazing practices. We are grazing about 160 acres of pasture with our milk cows, dry cows and bred heifers. About 20 of that we take a rst cutting of hay off of and then move it into the grazing rotation. An additional 20 acres is grazed down the road with youngstock. We have no permanent paddocks. We use Gallagher reels with poly wire to make temporary paddocks. This is our rst full grazing season on this farm as we moved from Washington state last September. What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? We move our milk cows every 12 hours; I prefer to move them after milking. I move all of them to the next pasture instead of sending them straight to fresh pasture after milking so they are trained to come to my voice. Moving the herd this way also gives me time to watch for heats or any potential health observations. We feed a small amount of total mixed ration right before milking, morning and night. My goal as far as grazing interval is 21 days, but it ranges from 10-30 days. Heifers and dry cows are moved every few days, and our youngstock are moved less often as we don’t always have the labor or time to graze them as well as we should. How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? On our old farm in the Pacic Northwest, we usually averaged closer to 6-7 dry matter tons. The last few years we have achieved over 60% of our dry matter intake from pasture during the grazing season. What forages do you graze? Our perennial pastures are mostly orchard grass and meadow fescue based with some perennial ryegrass, Italian ryegrass, chicory, red and white clovers and Kentucky Bluegrass. We seeded 15 acres of pasture in forage oats, peas, Italian ryegrass and red clover May 1 and grazed it off around June 17. We then applied manure and no-tilled in a summer an-
How do you manage your pastures? I like to clip pastures once a year. It is better to let the grass get its reproductive phase out of its system. I clip as the cows come off a pasture but I stagger it so I will take about a month to clip everything. I clip 20-40 acres a week. I like to let clipped pastures rest even longer, ideally 30 days. I also rarely will bale pasture clippings because the residue helps protect the soil from the sun and holds moisture to the ground and either gets eaten by the cows as dry hay on the next rotation or turns to a mulch that adds nutrients and organic matter to the soil. I do a combination of no-tilling new seed into sod and some tillage to renovate pastures. We have K-line irrigation on about 50 acres but our irrigation pump was seized up when we tried to start this year. We are still waiting on a new pump so we haven’t irrigated this year. We have above ground waterlines to the pasture so the cows have water out in the pasture. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned with grazing management? My dad had a day job as an agronomist when I was growing up and had me rotating pastures around 12 years old. I continue to learn every year. Grazing is an art, not a science. Some of the most important things I’ve learned is not to overgraze and to protect the soil from the sun, to continue to add new acreage into the rotation as the grazing season progresses, to think outside the box and don’t be afraid to try new things, and be willing to listen and learn from others. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Tania, and I have ve kids on the farm: Kenya, Everet, Jimena, Corby and Acre. Tania keeps us all fed and manages the household and lends a hand when needed, especially out in the pasture. The oldest three are very involved in the daily farm happenings and do a lot of the afternoon milking in our swing-14 parlor. I am a third-generation dairy farmer on both sides of my family, and my wife’s father works feeding cows on a large dairy in California. We moved to Wisconsin in September 2021 from Lynden, Washington, where we had rented my parents’ farm for 15 years. We are part of the Organic Valley Cooperative. We milk a mixed herd but prefer Jerseys.
Pat Ruzic Hixton, Wisconsin 40 cows Tell us about your grazing practices. The milk cows rotate over 25 acres. I used to set up lanes, but with the mud and washing out, I decided to just move the fence. What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? I move the fence every day, once or twice a day, depending on the pasture. How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing, and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? The cows have access to pasture for about 20 hours a day, whenever they are not milk-
Nate and Kayla Kringle Rice Lake, Wisconsin 9 cows Tell us about your grazing practices. We graze about 7 acres in a mob system. All animals older than about 9 months are moved in the same group. Calves about 3-9 months have access to a separate halfacre pasture with no rotation. What are your grazing intervals on each paddock? Animals are moved to new grass every evening. The pasture has a lane running down the center to give them access to water outside the milking barn, made of poly wire and T-posts, with a gate handle every 40 feet. Two poly tape reels with step-in posts are used to form a front and back fence between the lane and the perimeter fence. Paddocks are about 180 feet long and adjusted in width based on the amount of forage available and the utilization of the prior paddock, generally 20 to 60 feet wide. This gives us a rest period of about 30 to 40 days between rotations, with about 50,000 pounds of animals per acre. We start grazing in midMay and hope to go into October. Outside of the window, cows continue to be outside on lanes and sacrice areas when possible, whenever their body heat isn’t needed to keep the barn from freezing up.
How much of your cows’ dry matter comes from grazing, and what yield do you expect your pastures to produce? During the grazing season, almost all the forage comes from pasture. Lactating cows also receive 5 to 10 pounds of grain (based on production and reproduction status) and free-choice dry hay in the barn during milking time. The hay is mostly available to keep them content during milking and is providing only a pound or so of dry matter per head. The entire group also has access to a lick tub for proand mineral supplementation. As pasOffering Offering quality quality tein ture growth slows in the fall, we will also WWW UDDERTECHIN WWW..for UDDERTECHI workwear the workwear for the allow the heifers and dry cows to come in the barn during milking to supplement dairy dairy industry industry their intake with dry hay. Eventually, for more more than than 25 25 we’d like to eliminate the grain suppleyears! ment, but at this point, our forages and years! cattle genetics aren’t quite ready for that.
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What forages do you graze? Our primary species are timothy, red clover and white clover, with smaller amounts of alfalfa and bluegrass. We broadcast seeded some perennial ryegrass and orchard grass, as well as some more red and Alsike clover this spring and are seeing fair-
ing. I supplement with a total mixed ration, but the grass is their main source of feed. What forages do you graze? Mostly grass and clover with a little bit of everything. We keep the thistles and sour dock to a minimum. How do you manage your pastures? The pastures get clipped at least a couple times. If a pasture gets long, I will bale it. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned with grazing management? Cows are happier out on dirt rather than in the barn on concrete. That’s pretty obvious. Tell us about your farm. We have 380 acres with about half of that being tillable. My wife, Carol, and I have two children, RaeAnn, 12, and Victor, 19. My parents bought the farm in 1971 and farmed the whole time. They still help.
ly good growth of those as well. How do you manage your pastures? We did some broadcast seeding this year, after spreading the winter’s manure and prior to dragging the pasture to smooth out the manure. We hoped to frost seed it instead, but the weather was not cooperative for that. Our weed control is only done manually through hand pulling, chopping or weed whacking of weeds such as bull thistle, curly dock and burdock, but we aren’t very aggressive on that. We’re hoping that in the long term, maintaining a healthier stand of desirable species through rotation will be more effective at controlling those weeds. Being able to adjust the size of the paddock to force trampling and utilization reduces the need for clipping and other weed control. The manure from the barn during the winter is roughly the right amount to give all of the pasture one additional dose of fertility in the spring. We’re planning to soil sample this fall to see if there are any nutrients we are lacking, but bringing nutrients in through buying grain and winter hay helps to replace the nutrients removed from the pastures through milk and meat. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned with grazing management? With both of us coming from connement dairy backgrounds, it has been a steep learning curve to adapt to grazing, but our exible rotation has helped us to learn from the cows and the grass on what they need, and adjust in real time. That’s the most important lesson we’ve learned; be exible and pay attention to what the cows are teaching you. There are plenty of other graziers who have helped us learn, but none of them are working with our cows and our grass on our land with our weather. With two consecutive drought years, we’ve learned how to pay attention to the amount of forage we leave behind for regrowth and have joked that we won’t know what to do with all our extra grass if we someday hit a normal year. Tell us about your farm. Merry Meadow Farm is in its second year of grazing. We milk nine cows; Guernsey and Guernsey crosses. We are working toward a goal of on-farm processing and direct marketing of our A2A2 milk. With Nate working full time as an A.I. technician and Kayla holding part-time off-farm jobs in addition to raising our four kids, we hold the cows to a low-input, low-overhead, lowlabor system. Besides letting the cows do most of the work half the year through grazing, this also involves milking only once a day and having a minimal amount of equipment.
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
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
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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
Building a passion through FFA Simone tops dairy production prociency
it is different than some other ones that are submitted. I have to show my growth through experience and involvement.” Simone’s SAE started long before her FFA years. By Danielle Nauman “My grandparents gifted danielle.n@dairystar.com me a show calf when they sold their cows when I was little,” Simone said. “That is MARSHFIELD, Wis. how my herd got started.” – A love for registered HolSimone’s current herd is steins was instilled in Rainna four milking cows and two Simone by her grandparents heifers, all descending from at a young age. That love that original calf. Her anicarried her throughout her mals are housed at the farm youth and earned her the of her cousin, Brandon Panwinning dairy production kratz. entrepreneurship prociency “I started out keeping at the Wisconsin State FFA my calves and heifers at Convention June 13-16 in my house,” Simone said. Madison. “I struggled a little with The award was based on that, having just one or two the application Simone sub- at a time. I never felt like I mitted to the state detailing could get them to grow well the growth of her Supervised enough, and sometimes beAgricultural Experience. ing by themselves, they did This year marked the fth not cycle well. Having them application Simone submit- all here on the farm has ted in the prociency cat- worked out much better.” egory. Previously, she had Simone, 19, will enter obtained both gold and sil- her sophomore year at the ver awards as well as rank- University of Wisconsining fourth in the state in last River Falls, studying dairy year’s contest. science with hopes of be“The purpose is to show coming a calf consultant or growth in your project,” nutritionist following graduSimone said. “Since my ation. At school, she is inproject doesn’t make a prot, volved in the dairy club and
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Rainna Simone – pictured with her cow, Bree – is the dairy producƟon entrepreneurship prociency winner of the Wisconsin State FFA ConvenƟon which took place in June in Madison, Wisconsin.
plays intramural sports. “During high school, I worked on a local dairy farm as part of my SAE, caring
for calves in their new autofeeder barn,” Simone said. “Working there, watching the calves learn and adapt to
the new auto-feeder sparked my interest in becoming a Turn to SIMONE | Page 25
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 25
ConƟnued from SIMONE | Page 23
calf specialist.” Simone works closely with her cousin to make the mating decisions for her animals. She said she feels gratied seeing the results of those mating decisions as calves are born
“Working there, watching the calves learn and adapt to the new auto-feeder sparked my interest in becoming a calf specialist.” RAINNA SIMONE, FFA WINNER
and develop. “I make each mating decision based on the individual animal, but the udder is a big factor in my decisions,” Simone said. A large part of the growth she can demonstrate in her prociency application comes from the results she has in the show ring. Simone exhibits her animals at the Central Wisconsin State Fair, the Wisconsin Junior State Fair and at the District 4 Holstein Show. “My cow, Bree, was reserve supreme champion at the Central Wis-
consin State Fair in Marsheld in 2019 as a 2-year-old,” Simone said. “That has been my greatest accomplishment in the show ring.” Simone took Bree to the District 4 Holstein Show in Neillsville with hopes of another win for the red cow. “Bree was being very difcult at the show,” Simone said. “She would put her head down and just run. I made the decision not to show her that day because of that. I am hoping she will be better behaved at the Central Wisconsin State Fair in August.” Simone said her involvement in the dairy industry and her successes in FFA have truly taken a village of mentors. From her grandparents planting the seed of interest; to her parents allowing her to grow and nurture that interest; to her cousin allowing her to build her herd within his own; to her FFA advisor for turning that interest into a career passion; to all the others who have helped her along the way, Simone expressed gratitude. “My family, friends and my teachers have all played such a role in who I have become by allowing me to build and grow my love of the dairy industry,” Simone said. “Their support will carry me a long way into the future.”
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Sprecher wins star in agricultural placement FFA member plans to continue dairy farming By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
SAUK CITY, Wis. – Luke Sprecher began his dairy farming career in seventh grade when his neighbor, Kevin Enge, asked him to milk every other weekend. Six years later, Sprecher continues to work on the Enges’ farm with improved skills and a state FFA award to his name. “It was kind of a surprise because it was my rst time applying for that award,” Sprecher said. “I was really happy with how I did in the end.” Sprecher was awarded the Wisconsin Star in Agricultural Placement during the Wisconsin State FFA Convention June 16 in Madison. The honor recognized Sprecher and his work on the Enges’ dairy farm. The dairy milks 145 cows near Sauk City. Sprecher’s responsibilities started small and grew as time allowed. “I started off just milking cows and feeding calves; pretty easy tasks,” Sprecher said. “Kevin would be right next to me helping me learn.” Sprecher milked cows every other weekend through his rst winter on the farm, and when spring came, he was asked to plant corn. Sprecher had experience driving tractors at his home farm but was excited at the prospect of
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Luke Sprecher takes a break from tractor maintenance June 22 at the Enges’ farm near Sauk City, Wisconsin. Sprecher was the recipient of the Wisconsin State FFA Star in Agricultural Placement which highlighted his work on the dairy farm. such an important task. “I was in seventh grade, so I thought that was a big deal,” Sprecher
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said. “I planted all the corn with a John Deere 6-row planter.” Progression continued. Once summer arrived, Sprecher then gained experience cutting and raking hay and later hauling silage wagons. When another hired member of the farm passed away unexpectedly, Sprecher stepped up to help ll his shoes. One of the tasks that needed to be taken over was spraying the elds with fertilizer and herbicides to maintain healthy crops, so Sprecher obtained an applicator’s license. “At 16 years old, I was the youngest one there,” Sprecher said. “I had never run a sprayer before so it was pretty much trial and error and asking neighbors for advice.” Sprecher also learned how to pack bunker silos that year. “It was a giant learning curve,” Sprecher said. “But, we were able to carry on since I gained those skills right away.” When Enge had health issues of his own in 2021, Sprecher and his brother, Logan, ran the farm along with two employees. The brothers saw an opportunity when cull cow prices were high to improve the genetics of the herd with Enge’s blessing. The brothers culled a portion of the herd and replaced them with cows of better genetics over the course of almost two years. “We are now milking less cows and shipping more pounds per day,” Sprecher said. “We also took the average cell count from 250,000 to around 70,000.” With improved genetics in the herd, breeding philosophies have started to shift as well. For the last eight years, Enge bred with an Angus bull and bought replacements. Since
the herd was rebuilt, the farm has switched to a Holstein bull. This has proved worthwhile as some heifers are starting to join the milking herd. “It’s pretty neat to watch them go from a hut all the way up to a cow when they walk through that parlor,” Sprecher said. The goal is to use A.I. with sexed semen to produce replacement heifers. The rest of the cows will continue to be bred to beef to increase the selling price of the calves. The team hopes to renovate a section of the freestall barn this fall to add more headlocks and make breeding easier. The farm is home to around 700 acres where they grow approximately 70 acres of soybean, 25 acres of wheat for straw, around 200 acres of alfalfa hay and corn in the remaining ground. The crew makes enough corn silage and high moisture corn to feed the cows and sells the rest to a nearby elevator. Sprecher graduated high school in June and is employed full time at the Enges’ farm. He would also like to attend the University of WisconsinMadison Farm and Industry Short Course. Along with working full time at the dairy, Sprecher helps with his beef and crop farm at home. His parents and two brothers all work off the home farm and raise around 70 feeder calves per year and crop 120 acres. The Sprechers buy dairy bull calves from nearby farms and sell them as steers. Sprecher would like to grow the operation at home as well as continue to dairy with the Enges. “I enjoy working here,” Sprecher said. “I like getting to do a variety of just about everything; cows, crops and equipment and the different challenges they all bring.”
Champions named at Wisconsin State Brown Swiss Show
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 27
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SERVICE AFTER THE SALE DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Shelburne Deegan Dell and Random Luck B Talented are selected as champions of the 2022 Wisconsin State Brown Swiss Show July 9 in Shawano, Wisconsin. Pictured (from leŌ) Kelvin Webster of St. Johns, Michigan; Joseph Opsal of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin; Hayleigh Geurink of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, holding Dell; MaƩhew Thompson of Darlington, Wisconsin, holding Talented; Wisconsin Brown Swiss Queen Quincee Johnson of Evansville, Wisconsin, and judge Darin Hill of CaƩaraugus, New York. By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
SHAWANO, Wis. – Brown Swiss breeders and enthusiasts ocked to Shawano July 9 to watch judge Darin Hill of Cattaraugus, New York, place 158 head at the Wisconsin State Brown Swiss Show. After all classes had been placed, the show came down to four cows standing in the center of the ring. Hill named Shelburne Deegan Dell as the grand champion and best uddered cow of the show. Dell was exhibited by Black Ridge Genetics of Blue Mounds. Reserve grand champion honors
went to the top-placing aged cow and reserve senior champion, Random Luck B Talented, exhibited by Matthew Thompson of Darlington. Talented was also selected to be the best bred and owned of the show. The honorable mention grand champion was the intermediate champion, Seths Carter Petra-ET, exhibited by Seth Nehls of Hustisford. Petra was the winning senior 3-year-old cow. Reserve intermediate champion honors went to the second-place senior 3-year-old CIE Double W Wizdom Kat exhibited by Knapp Genetics of Epworth, Iowa. Turn to BROWN SWISS SHOW | Page 30
The bulls that were bred to be cows
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 29
Women In Dairy Maureen Keinbaum Wausau, Wisconsin Marathon County 60 cows Family: Husband, Scott, and son, Waylon, 4. Tell us about your farm. We milk 60 grade and registered Holsteins on our 115-year-old farm. My husband is the fourth generation of his family to do so. We crop 200 acres and raise all our heifers. What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? A typical day for me starts with a 4:45 a.m. alarm, and then, it is go. We don’t have any hired help so we do everything ourselves. I feed cows, milk, take care of calves, do eldwork and book work, and anything else that needs to be done. What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? We have been focusing on better genetics and working to breed better cows. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. My most memorable experience is delivering a live calf out of a rst-calf heifer that had a lot of problems. It took two vets, myself and my husband, but we saved them both. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I love working with the animals. From calf to cow, it is amazing to watch them grow and see what they become. What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? My biggest accomplishment has been re-starting our dairy. A few years ago, we sold the cows and took off-farm jobs. We hated it. Within a year, we bought more cows and heifers and were milking again. It was a difcult process, but this is where we belong and what we love. What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I post about farming on Facebook: pictures, videos, explanations of what we do, etc. We host a farm day in the spring where we invite young kids and their parents out to see what we do, interact with the animals, go on a hayride, and make butter and ice cream. We support our local FFA and 4-H. I am constantly advocating for agriculture.
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When you get a spare moment, what do you do? In my spare time, I love to garden and hunt.
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
ConƟnued from BROWN SWISS SHOW | Page 27
Spots Pride Play It Again, the winning spring yearling, took home the junior champion banner for owner Tristen Ostrom of Kaukauna. The top-placing fall calf, Opsal-J Fuel My Fire, was named reserve junior champion for breeder and owner Joseph Opsal of Blue Mounds. Double W Dairy of Holyoke, Colorado, was named the premier breeder of the show while Knapp Genetics of Epworth, Iowa, collected the premier exhibitor banner. In the youth division, Random Luck B Talented earned the grand championship banner for Matthew Thompson, while Jenlar Seaman Tinsel was named the reserve senior and reserve grand champion for Brianna, Austin and Abby Meyer of Chilton. The intermediate champions of the youth show were the top-placing youth-owned senior 2-year-olds. P Hill Martini On The Rocks, exhibited by Ashlee Garbers of West Salem, was named the youth show intermediate champion while Red Brae Thunder Shine-ET was selected as the reserve intermediate champion for owner Elise Bleck of Glenbuelah.
Dairy Cattle Show & Sales
|
Trade Show
|
Hill selected the top spring yearling, Spots Pride Play It Again, as the youth show junior champion for Tristan Ostrom, while Hi-View Rampag Pixiestix, the winning summer yearling, was given the nod for reserve junior champion for brothers Dylan and Cameron Ryan of Fond du Lac. Spring calves (15) 1. Black-Ridge R Look My Way exhibited by Black Ridge Genetics 2. Rockview Daredevil Fireball exhibited by Matt and Abby Opland Winter calves (16) 1. Opsal-J Pop A Bottle exhibited by Joseph Opsal and Peter Vail 2. Myline DW Martinis Inxs exhibited by Jill Vail, Brad Kinney and Double W Dairy Fall calves (22) 1. Opsal-J Fuel My Fire exhibited by Joseph Opsal 2. Stef-N Famous Kelsi-ETV exhibited by Nikole Steffenhagen and Kelsi Riley
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Youth Contests
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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.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Brianna Meyer concentrates on showing her Brown Swiss winter yearling at the Wisconsin State Brown Swiss Show July 9 in Shawano, Wisconsin. Meyer is from Chilton, Wisconsin. Summer yearlings (20) 1. Hi-View Rampag Pixiestix exhibited by Dylan and Cameron Ryan 2. Knapp Wood Pamela exhibited by Barton and Vail Spring yearlings (16) 1. Spots Pride Play It Again exhibited by Tristen Ostrom 2. Acclaimed Secret Dreams exhibited by Black Ridge Genetics Winter yearlings (13) 1. Jenlar Famous Wafes exhibited by Brianna, Austin and Abby Meyer 2. Jenlar MKE Wins In Six-ETV exhibited by Brothers Three Brown Swiss Fall yearlings (9) 1. VB HJ CV Can-Due Barbie exhibited by Hilary Voegeli 2. R-Plaine Rampage Pentagon exhibited by RPlaine Swiss Junior best three females (5) 1. Jenlar Holsteins and Brown Swiss 2. Jenlar Holsteins and Brown Swiss Summer junior 2-year-olds (2) 1. Fosters Patrick Bambi exhibited by Knapp Genetics 2. Summerwynd Flash J Taime exhibited by Tyler Schroepfer Junior 2-year-olds (3) 1. Twinkle-Hill Dyn Dippy 1458 exhibited by Ron and Nicolle Wussow 2. Twinkle-Hill Dyn Oasis 1452 exhibited by John and Dee Winkelman Senior 2-year-olds (9) 1. Knapp Woody Look At Me exhibited by BlackRidge Genetics 2. Double W FF Tootsie exhibited by Jill Vail, Brad Kinney and Double W Dairy Junior 3-year-olds (2) 1. Red Brae DAA Jongleur Jerin exhibited by Calli and Wyatt Storms 2. Red Brae DAA Martini Jocleta exhibited by Elise Bleck Senior 3-year-olds (24) 1. Seths Carter Petra-ET exhibited by Seth Nehls 2. IE Double W Wizdom Kat exhibited by Knapp Genetics 4-year-olds (9) 1. Double W Lam Estera-OSC exhibited by Jill Vail and Brad Kinney 2. Double W DD Overdal exhibited by Knapp Genetics 5-year-olds (8) 1. Shelburne Deegan Dell exhibited by BlackRidge Genetics 2. Jade R Noty Hog exhibited by Hayden Hauschildt Aged cows (4) 1. Random Luck B Talented exhibited by Matthew Thompson 2. SS Debs 929 exhibited by Knapp Genetics Component merit cow (1) 1. IE Double W Finn Tracer exhibited by Knapp Genetics Senior best three females (2) 1. Double W Dairy 2. Red Brae Farm Produce of dam (1) 1. Tyler Schroepfer Dam and daughter (3) 1. Black-Ridge Genetics 2. Jenlar Holsteins and Brown Swiss
Dairy prole
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 31
Nick Heinen Kimball, Minnesota Stearns County 60 cows How did you get into farming? My parents raised me on the farm. I started helping at a young age, and my interest in farming stayed with me over the years. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? My concern is how the prices of everything will affect the bottom line for my farm.
What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? We have recently added automatic takeoffs. It makes it better for the cow and human.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. Welding is a skill of mine. It’s something I enjoy doing and is very helpful at times when something needs repairing or fabrication. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Getting married to my wife.
What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? The good ole 5-gallon feed pail, rubber overshoes and machinery to get the job done.
What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? I try to manage inputs wisely. How do you maintain family relationships while also working together? I work to try to understand others’ point of view. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I enjoy being able to produce a great product for a bunch of people who probably don’t know the work involved in the product they are consuming. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Bigger isn’t always better. What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? Keep on keeping on.
MAGGIE MOLITOR/DAIRY STAR
Nick Heinen feeds heifers hay June 19 on his farm near Kimball, Minnesota. Heinen raises his replacement youngstock and feeds out his bull calves as steers.
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? I like to do some of my hobbies like shing and hunting, or I like to simply just get away for an afternoon.
MAGGIE MOLITOR/DAIRY STAR
Nick Heinen milks 60 cows with his parents, Joe and Brenda Heinen, near Kimball, Minnesota.
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
Guiding kids to show ring success
Lundy shares love for showing with local youth By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
JEFFERSON, Wis. – For Deb Lundy, helping nonfarm kids learn how to show cattle is a treasured pastime. More than 20 years ago, she opened up her farm to area youth wishing to show dairy animals at the county fair. Not only does Lundy let them borrow the animal free of charge, she teaches them, step-bystep, the secrets of properly caring for and showing an animal. And as a result, every kid she has ever worked with has never earned less than a blue ribbon. “This is an opportunity for kids to be involved with 4-H and the dairy side of agriculture,” Lundy said Lundy. “While putting in the work to care for an animal, they get a different look at the dairy industry and farming in general and also get to have a little fun at the same time.” Lundy, who has assisted 25 kids, farms with her husband, Scott, and their daughter and son, Megan and Mark. The family milks 60 cows
near Jefferson. Megan and Mark are Lundy’s sidekicks, helping their mom train and work with kids who are interested in showing cattle. Megan started the Cream of the Crop 4-H club in 2000. “We knew kids who did not live on a farm but wanted to show animals at the fair, so they started out showing sheep and chickens for us,” Lundy said. “We no longer have sheep, but we still have the chickens.” Soon, 4-H kids and neighbor kids were asking to show cattle, and word of Lundy’s services spread. This year, Lundy worked with her largest group ever – six 16-yearold girls who attend Jefferson High School. Ali Werning, Emily Boucher, Rachel Simonson, Alexis Dobson and Libby Krause are on their second year of working with Lundy, while Keirah Sterwald is new to the group this year. None of the girls come from a farm. “I couldn’t ask for a better group,” Lundy said. “They all chip in and do their part, and they’re smart as whips.” All the girls are friends and learned about the opportunity from their agriculture teacher, Gary Olson, who also taught Megan and Mark during their rst year of high school. Boucher has plans to be-
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Cream of the Crop 4-H Club – (front) Melanie; (middle, from le�) Alexis Dobson, Libby Krause, Rachel Simonson and Emily Boucher; (back, from le�) Megan Lundy, Lydia Fink, Ali Werning, Keirah Sterwald and Deb Lundy – exhibit 20 head of ca�le at the Jefferson County Fair July 13-17. The Lundys’ farm had 18 animals at the fair from their 60-cow dairy near Jefferson, Wisconsin. come a large animal veterinarian. “I love animals, and that’s why I wanted to do this,” Boucher said. Dobson agreed. “I love cows,” she said. Sterwald views it as a fun experience and a chance to meet new people.
During the Jefferson County Fair July 13-17, the Cream of the Crop 4-H club exhibited 20 animals – 18 of which came from the Lundy farm – the most they have ever exhibited. A total of 160 animals competed in the dairy show at this year’s fair. Lundy’s club had 17 champions
and a quality milk award winner. Holstein, Red and White Holstein, Milking Shorthorn, Ayrshire, Guernsey and Brown Swiss breeds lled her show string. “We have a little bit of everything,” Lundy said. Turn to LUNDY | Page 33
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 33
Con�nued from LUNDY | Page 32
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STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Libby Krause brushes Lucky Seven at the Jefferson County Fair July 14. Boucher is on her second year of showing dairy ca�le and is one of six girls being mentored by dairy farmer Deb Lundy. The kids come once a week in the summer to learn how to lead and care for their animals. Their only cost is paying the fair entry fee for their animal. Lundy pays for everything else, including the cost of having the animals clipped. “We usually start in April, but this year, it was a little later because of the weather,” Lundy said. “The rst day they came out to the farm last year, I had a cow and a calf in the barn for them to lead. Each girl led a calf, but when it was time to lead the cow, they had this fear in their eyes. She was a big cow, but she’s also been shown before.” Each girl halter broke her own calf and learned how to wash and feed the animals along with other tasks that have to be done at the fair. “I tried to pick the right calf for the right kid,” Lundy said. “It took a while to get it straightened out and get everyone perfectly matched. (Dobson) is so tall, so I had to nd the right height animal for her. I tried to get everyone in a different class so they weren’t competing with each other. (Simonson) got the toughest one that no one else could lead, but she did real good with it.” Last year, each girl showed one animal except for Simonson who showed two. This year, each girl showed two or three animals, and Krause showed the Guernsey she showed last year. Two of the girls showed cows. “I told them what the judge looks for, and we practiced different scenarios,” Lundy said. “I also switched calves with them because that can happen during a show too.” In addition, Lundy took them to a show to watch other kids show so she could point out different things – both good and bad – and offer tips on what they could do to make their calf look better. “They caught on real fast,” Lundy said. Lundy has been showing cattle for 55 years. Originally from Illinois, she has shown at the Jefferson County Fair since 1987 and has also shown at the state fair and World Dairy Expo. In 2001, the Lundys had the Red and White champion at WDE. Lundy devotes countless hours to helping the kids both on the farm and at the fair. She is there to assist where needed and offer advice to the girls, who stay at the fair the entire time along with one of the Lundy family members.
“Megan or Mark are always here, and I go back and forth to do chores on the farm,” Lundy said. “But I would not be afraid to leave the girls here on their own. They know what they’re doing.” Last year, everyone got a blue ribbon with a couple earning top in their class and several walking away as champions. Simonson also won the Miss Q Quality milk award with her animal. Krause’s Guernsey won junior champion and reserve grand champion, while Werning took reserve junior champion. “I originally told these girls that I can get them the blue ribbon; they each have the animal to do it, but they have to lead her well,” Lundy said. “They also did good in showmanship last year for it being their rst year. They discovered that cows have personalities, and they got attached to their animals.” It was a learning experience for all who participated as the girls realized their expectations about showing were different than reality. “I didn’t realize how much work goes into it,” Boucher said. Krause agreed. “It was very eye opening,” she said. Involved in sports like volleyball, soccer, track, swimming, cross-country and basketball, these new showmen are used to competition but of a different kind. “You have to work with your animal,” Werning said. “They don’t just lead on their own.” Lundy has a knack for matching up the right animal to the right kid. “If an animal won’t hold her head up for a particular kid, then I have to switch,” she said. In addition to learning the basics of showing, Lundy also encourages those she mentors to embrace other aspects of the farm. Last year, she invited each girl to come to the farm to milk a cow. And this year, a couple of them had the opportunity to stick their hand inside of a cow ready to give birth so they could feel the calf. “I thought it was cool,” Krause said. Lundy is passionate about sharing her farm and her animals with local youth and is proud of her enthusiastic students who give 100 percent to their 4-H projects. Guiding kids to success in the show ring while teaching skills useful for all parts of life is a challenge Lundy looks forward to each year.
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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.
Dairy makes our lives fullled
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022 • Page 35
All of us dairy farmers are living the dream. We have been carrying on traditions that have been passed down by generations. Each of us start every day off with heading out of the house to work with our cows, heifers and calves. We make sure our cattle are eating a healthy ration, that they are living in comfortable housing and that all of their needs are met. We focus on details. We can look at an animal and see it isn’t well. These skills are taught by others who have lived longer and were willing to share their knowledge. From the eye of someone who lives in the city or an urban area, our farms are big. We live surrounded by dark green alfalfa, corn standing tall and golden wheat waving as it begins to dry for harvest. Our cows in a barn or in the pasture are the image of prosperity. As these visitors travel around our rural roads and drive by farms that stand empty, they don’t understand why or how these farmers have lost their livelihood. When there are natural disasters such as a tornado, ooding, drought and re, By Tina Hinchley the city folk can see it; the Farmer & Columnist loss of the dream. But looking from the outside in, it all looks ne. These people, escaping from their city lives, have no idea about challenges that every dairy farmer faces. The uctuation in the prices that dictate whether this will be a good or bad year isn’t in their mind when they see a big tank of milk, tractors and the bunkers full with feed. I have been telling the farmers’ story for more than 25 years. I have been trying to explain why milk prices go up and down. I speak of how dairy farmers add more cows to their herd when the price of milk is low, so they can get enough in their milk check to cover the costs that it takes to feed the cows and also the bills that range from electricity to fuel, insurance, payroll, land and tractor payments. I also mention that when milk prices are high, dairy farmers also add cows to their herd to benet from the high price to pay bills but also make improvements, buy equipment and hopefully improve their income and get ahead of the next swing in the milk price. Adding more cows makes the supply of milk go up, and in the end, the milk price goes down. Volatility and the uctuation of the milk price controls our lives. It is the law of supply and demand. Too much milk equals low prices. Often the pressure of debt and challenges to keep farming overcome the farm family. The decision to sell the cows is the most difcult any dairy farm family has to make. It is emotionally stressful because every cow is a living creature on a dairy farm, and we are all attached to them for our livelihoods. They have brought us comfort and joy for many years. Every dairy farmer loves cows. In the United States, since 2018, there has been a loss of more than 7,500 dairy farms. The number of dairy herds has been in steady decline for decades. These are small, medium and even large dairy farms that have stopped milking. After the dairy farms close, there is a ripple effect on the communities. The school, churches, grocery and main street stores disappear. The local medical clinics move from the towns, requiring everyone to drive farther for healthcare. During the coronavirus pandemic, we all learned how valuable our farmers are to every neighborhood. We continue to see grocery store prices increase due to lack of supply. We are still witnessing empty shelves and sold out dairy and meat cases that were barren of the products that are needed to feed our families. As a farmer that grows food for consumers, we are less than 2% of the population. As dairy farmers, we have dropped down to below 1%. We need to come up with a solution to keep dairy farmers producing the milk and dairy products we all enjoy, and nutritionally need, to ensure our lives are healthy. This also includes the benets from knowing that the milk we drink and enjoy is from dairy farms in our communities. What can be done to keep more dairy farms from go-
ing out of business? Many milk cooperatives have started managing milk production by taking an average of one year’s production; that is called the base. We have the ability to grow, but we need to ask permission to add cows to our herd, so we don’t increase production that could create a surplus. This is a great plan, and Anna, as a beginning farmer, will have an opportunity to grow in the future if she needs to. Unfortunately, not all milk cooperatives and processors are united on this plan. Without a plan, it leaves the dairy farmers that want to grow by adding more cows the ability to create the overproduction that forces the price down that negatively affects all dairy farmers. This is historically when dairy farm families lose their dream. There is a buzz going on in dairy farm families that is uniting us together. Farm organizations are working to-
gether, talking about keeping the dairy farm families thriving in our communities. One plan that in the past was created by the Holstein Association, using a supply measure, was nearly passed in the 2014 farm bill. This new plan is basically a modied plan with research behind it. What the research showed was that if it had passed, there would have been an increase in the milk price and many family farms would have been saved. This new plan is called the Dairy Revitalization Plan. Keep an eye out for more conversations with farm organizations as we are hopeful in keeping the dream alive for more family dairy farms. Tina Hinchley, and her husband, Duane, daughter Anna, milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Hinchley’s have been hosting farm tour for over 25 years.
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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Progress and passion Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 23, 2022
About a month ago, we took a little jaunt across the state to Wisconsin Farm Technology Days. The event was known as Farm Progress Days, and though the name has changed, much of the main purpose remains. The newest of the new technologies in agriculture are on display, and the event is designed to educate and entice farmers of all kinds. Annually, 40,000 people enter the gates of this gigantic tent city, and this past week we were some of those humans. They had booths about construction, advancements in crops, livestock handling and machinery. Oh, the machinery. The questions from Henry and Finley were endless along with the lengthy and well-thought out reasons as to why we need this or that. Those kids nd machinery fascinating. Cora had spent every morning of the previous week uttering, “How many days until Farm Tech Days?” To say that all the children were looking forward to our
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annual trip was an understatement. Cora wanted to see the animals. Henry and Finley were discussing how much money they had and if they could buy any equipment. Oliver and Dane delight in the surplus of free pens and notebooks. Stacy and I enjoy watching the kids take it all in and the tent lled with home-crafted treasures. Beyond that, it always makes me feel a bit nostalgic. I would like to believe that all farmers are cut from the same apron-wearing, garden-growing, salt of the earth cloth of humans. That we are all products of the generations that paved the way before us – the preservers, the quilters, the milk can toters, the homemade butter makers. This is not to say there are not those among us who still partake in these activities; only to note that we are in the minority. Progress is inevitable as our world changes. Though I often long for the past and its seemingly simple ways as I look in my rear-view mir-
ror, I am not ignorant. I know it has to happen. There’s a level of comfort that is hard to match when one is in the presence of so many other humans who are in the same line of work, the same way of life. You don’t have to Ramblings from the Ridge talk about employee problems. Everyone has them. You don’t have to talk about supply chain issues. Everyone has dealt with them. You can hear whispers of, “Did you get your hay in before the rain?” “Boy, that rain came at just the right time.” There is a unique language spoken among those who are By Jacqui Davison kindred spirits. Columnist There are farmers trying to see the world through their newly-retired eyes. There are the ones trying to get a leg up on the ladder of agricultural success but struggling and hoping to nd someone to give them a hand. There are young families lled with hope and anticipation for the future. There are grandparents who have made attending this event a ritual for all of the almost 60 years it has been taking place. There are multi-generational families who seek out ways to keep their farm successful as it transitions into less-experienced hands. There are the lifelong learners who are in a constant state of curiosity about where our profession is going. There are the business people trying to make a sale. And, we were all there together, sweating in the sun, smiling because this somehow is a passion for all of us. As we drove the back roads home, I was struck by the landscape of Wisconsin. The cement silos stand empty against a brilliant blue sky that no Crayola crayon can come close to. There were endless miles of 8-foot tall corn with the occasional irrigation system snaking its way above it divided by haphazard rows of trees marking the elds’ edges. Out of commission windmills stand sentry to farms as progress has left many of them abandoned. There are country churches that undoubtedly once had pews lled with suntanned farm children, whose walls still echo with “How Great Thou Art” but perhaps now boast a more geriatric congregation. There is evidence of growth; sprawling freestall barns, bunker silos, glistening silver grain bins. I couldn’t help but send a wish to the universe that the farmers who worked with the upright silos and windmills still had someone farming in their family. The train of progress can have a vicious conductor, and sometimes people are left behind as it keeps moving forward. It is the passion we feel for our chosen path that keeps us heavy in the seats despite changing routes. I would liken the experience to being at a country music concert when the main artist stops singing mid-sentence and lets the crowd take over. It lls the arena with hundreds of voices singing along and has an incredible effect that has always made me feel like we really aren’t that different at the end of the day. At Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, it is that same level of camaraderie and heart-warming connection of, “We are all in this wild world of agriculture together.” Just like a concert, there are a few voices humming along, not quite sure of the words or where they t into the scheme of farming; but overall, we’re all singing at the top of our lungs. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira, 14, Dane, 12, Henry, 7, and Cora, 4, help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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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
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