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DAIRY ST R
Volume 23, No. 11
An opportunity to grow markets overseas U.S. dairy to benet in decient Asian region
“All dairy, all the time”™
July 24, 2021
Drought conditions stretch across Minnesota
By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
Exports have long helped the United States dairy industry grow, and despite the obvious challenges of 2020, it was a remarkable year for an untapped market. Last year, U.S. dairy exports exceeded $1 billion while the southeast Asia region rose in volume exported by 26% year over year. “That growth moved the region ahead of Mexico to become our top export destination,” said Anoo Pothen, director of consumer insights for southeast Asia with the United States Dairy Export Council. Pothen, based in Singapore, spoke of this selective market during a presentation, “Opportunities to Grow U.S. Dairy with Consumers Internationally,” at the virtual Dairy Experience Forum July 13. Historically, the southeast Asia region – which includes Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia – has been considered dairy decient with lofty goals to increase dairy consumption over the next decade. “The combined decit of these six Asian markets is the biggest in the world, but with urbanization and purchasing power, they are hoping to change that,” Pothen said. “Despite the pandemic, exports to Asia have grown and are expected to remain robust for uid milk and yogurt.” In 2020, 12.9 billion liters (28.4 billion pounds) of milk was consumed in some form with plans to grow dairy demand to 19 billion liters (41.8 billion pounds) by 2030, said Pothen. “The government is promoting dairy’s importance,” she said. In order for the United States to fully capture this market share, there are three points to understand about the southeast Asia region and the value of dairy for those consumers. While this six-country region only accounts for 14% of U.S. gross domestic product, it is also 1.5 times the population of the U.S. with annual Turn to EXPORTS | Page 5
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Greg Vold looks over a eld of corn at his family’s farm near Glenwood, Minnesota. Drought condiƟons in western Minnesota have the Volds concerned about feed availability for their 420-cow dairy.
Farmers consider feed availability while waiting for rain By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
GLENWOOD, Minn. – Following facility and management changes at Dorrich Dairy in 2019, the Vold family spent last year moderately feeding their forage supply with plans to rebuild inventories with the 2021 crop. That plan has crumbled in the face of a drought. “It hasn’t rained, and we’re worried,” Suzanne Vold said. “This year was supposed to be calmer after coming off the pandemic year.” Vold and her family milk 420 cows at Dorrich Dairy in Pope County near Glenwood. The herd is fed off 600 acres of owned and rented land, mostly unirrigated ground. In the Volds’ region of the state, rainfall has been about 50% less than normal precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Unfortunately, western Minnesota is not the only region of the state suffering from drought conditions. The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map released July 15 reported the entire state in some form of a drought. A
mere 1.8% of the state is abnormally dry, Department of Agriculture Rural Fiwhile the remainder is in one of three nance Authority made disaster recovery categories: moderate, severe or extreme. loans available to cover lost revenue or “This is the driest I’ve seen, and I expenses not covered by insurance for haven’t seen it this dry this early in the farmers in a severe drought or worse, as season,” Kevin Goeden said. “The year determined on the U.S. Drought Monitor is not over yet; this is comparable to map. 1976, 1988, 2007. We’re on track to be Additionally, Gov. Tim Walz sent a just like that.” letter to United States Department of AgGoeden milks 140 cows near Wade- riculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requestna in Otter Tail County. ing an implementation of emergency While about 200 acres of Gohaying and grazing on eligible Consereden’s total cropland vation Reserve Program land. Shortly is irrigated, his pasTurn to DROUGHT | Page 6 tures are not which is causing stress for his hybrid grazing system. “The pastures aren’t getting any water because we haven’t seen any rain,” said Goeden, who has received 1.25 inches of precipitation since May. “I have a lot of cattle on pasture, mostly youngstock. I might have to sell some if we can’t feed them.” Recently, both state and federal governGRAPHIC SUBMITTED ments took action to address the dry conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor for Minnesota depicts the Last week, the Minnesota enƟre state in some form of a drought as of July 15.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
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 Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Krista Kuzma - Editor/Wisconsin (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant 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 Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 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) 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
Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. 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 LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, 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.
A glance at what’s inside
A career furthered by ownership After spending his entire dairy career renting facilities, Trevor Lisson and his family have a farm site to call their own. The Lissons milk 52 cows in a tiestall barn in Todd County near Browerville, Minnesota. They purchased the farm site in June 2019, after learning of a couple who were looking to exit the industry. The farm’s updated facilities have allowed Lisson to keep up with his dairying goals of milking healthy, high producing cows. This opportunity provided Lisson the ability to continue dairying and pursue another goal of his – raising a family as caretakers of the land and animals. A new herd in town The Olmsted County American Dairy Association has made dairy and baseball a good t. This year, the organization teamed up once again with the Rochester Honkers amateur baseball team for the 28th dairy night during a home July 13 in Rochester, Minnesota. In addition to the always-popular cow milking contest after the fourth inning, this year also turned the team into the Honkers Herd with cow printed Jerseys. Read more about the dairy-lled evening on pages 23 and 25 in rst section. From the dairy case This issue’s “From our side of the fence” feature focuses on dairy cases in local grocery stores. Owners, store managers and dairy case managers told us about their popular dairy products and how that has changed over the years. They also shared about the most successful promotions they offer for their dairy products. Find more of their comments on pages 15-16 in rst section. A day in the life of the Miller family The Miller family sells their own product made on their 200-cow dairy near Theilman, Minnesota. They were the family featured in “A day in the life,” which can be found on pages 14-16 in second section. Alan and Emily Miller brought cheesemaking to their dairy in 2018 and created their on-farm processing, Little Red Dairy. Now the family juggles making, promoting, marketing and delivering their cheese in addition to daily farm chores and taking care of their young family. South Dakota’s dairy industry continues to grow More milk than ever is coming from The Mount Rushmore State. South Dakota’s dairy industry continues to grow in milk volume and number of dairy cattle. After the state’s herd dropped to 80,000 cows, it has now come back, doubling its size to 160,000 head. Processing in the state has also been on the rise in recent years as the state promotes its land as a great place for dairy farmers and businesses to grow.
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It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
Turner
Bon Yankton Homme
Clay
ln
co
Lin
Lyon
Osceola
Sioux
O’Brien
Plymouth
Glenwood
Drought conditions blanket Minnesota
Jackson
Woodbury
First Section: Pages 1, 6
Monona
son Emmet ickin
Clay
Palo Alto
e Buena Vista
Ida
Kossuth
n
lh Ca
Crawford Carroll
Zone 1
Greene Guthrie
Kanabec Worth
t
Floyd
Boone
Story
Bremer Black Hawk
Tama
Jasper
Fayette
Benton
Iowa
First Section: Pages 35 - 36
Clayton
an
e war Dubuque
an
ch
Bu
Johnson likes to share dairy’s sustainability story
Dela
Jones
Linn
Clinton on Cedar
s
hn
Jo
Jackson
Scott
Muscatine
Elkader
n
Polk
all
rsh
Ma
aw
as
ick
Ch
Wright Franklin Butler
Houston
La Crescent
Mitchell Howard
Hancock Cerro Gordo
Dallas
Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk
Adair
ry ome Adams ntg
Mills o Mdairy South Dakota’s nt mo Taylor Page industry continues e r F to grow
Union old
gg
Rin
Clarke
Lucas
Decatur Wayne
Monroe Wapello o
pan
Ap
ose
Davis
Louisa
on ers
Henry Des
f
Jef
Van Buren
Dairy’s Working Youth: Hunter Thompson
Moines
Third Section: Page 7
Lee
First Section: Pages 12 - 13
Zone 2
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Pottawattamie Cass
Mower
Webster Hamilton Hardin Grundy
Au
Baltic
n Win
old
mb
Hu
ou
Sac
Harrison Shelby
as
nt
ho
ca
Po
Freeborn
go eba
D
ke
ero
Ch
Faribault
Martin
e
Gregory
Hutchinson
Nobles
Winona
Fillimore
iek
Todd
Douglas Charles Mix
Rock
Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted
ake
Tripp
McCook Minnehaha
Murray
Goodhue
Rice
sh
Bennett
ns
Ha
Moody
Nicollet
Brown
ne
Shannon
Mellette
on
Lake
Redwood
am
Fall River
Brule
Aurora
Miner
Lyon
All
Jackson
Lyman
Sanborn
Da vi so n
Jones
Jerauld
Brookings
Dakota
Scott
Sibley
gto
Kingsbury
Carver
W in
Beadle
Hennepin
McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine
hin
Hand
Buffalo
Deuel
Hamlin
Wright
Meeker
Second Section: Pages 14 - 16
Wa s
Hughes
Clark
Anoka
iek
Stanley
Hyde
Spink
Kandiyohi
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Isanti
sh
Ziebach
Grant Codington
Sherburne
Swift
Washington
Faulk
Potter
Day
Po we
Dewey
Edmunds
Benton
Stearns
Pope
A day in the life of the Miller Family
go
Walworth
Stevens
Big Stone
Theilman
Pine
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Douglas
isa Ch
Brown
Haakon
Custer
Roberts
Marshall
McPherson
Todd Grant
ms ey
Sargent
Otter Tail
Carlton
Ra
Campbell
Corson
Dickey
McIntosh
Sioux
Richland
First Section: Page 34
Aitkin
Crow Wing
eu r
Emmons
Cass
Kuball enjoys long conversations about cows
Su
Grant
Ransom
LaMoure
Logan
Becker
Clay
Waterville
Lake
Le
Cass
Hubbard
Bames
Cook
Itasca
Wadena
Stutsman
Mah
Wilkin
Kidder
Tra ver se
Burleigh
Morton
Pennington
en nom
Lincoln
Oliver
Meade
Polk
Trail
Steele
n
Griggs
Norman
Sully
Lawrence
Foster
bo
Sheridan
Second Section: Pages 12 - 13
Koochiching St. Louis
Red Lake
Pipestone
Page 33 First Section Adams
Pages 8 - 9 Second Section
Butte
Wells
Beltrami
Pennington
Grand Forks
Eddy
McLean
Third Section: Pages 8 - 9
Lake of the Woods
du
Nelson
Roseau
Marshall
Benson
Mercer
Dairy Good Life Hettinger
Kittson
Walsh
Ramsey
McHenry
Ward
The “Mielke” Market Perkins Weekly
Harding
Pembina
High school friendship blossoms into dairy partnership
Kids Corner: The Zigans
Third Section: Pages 3 - 4
n
Bowman
Cavalier
Towner
Pierce
Stark
Slope
Rolette
Long Prairie
Long Prairie
Farm purchase solidies Lisson’s calling to milk cows
Clearwater
Bottineau
Just Thinking McKenzie Out Loud
Golden Valley
First Section: Pages 10, 11
Renville
Page 31 Williams First Section Mountrail
Billings
First Section: Page 39
Browerville
Rupprechts make headway with major barn renovation
io
Something to Ruminate Burke On
Page 32 Dunn First Section
Theif River Falls
Dairy Prole: Jerome and Rita Mosset
Page 30 First Section
Divide
Linton
Un
Dear County Agent Guy
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What is your top selling dairy product? First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Rochester
Rochester baseball team embraces dairy night
First Section: Pages 23, 25
Manchester
32 years later, convention includes a renewed Kunde Jerseys Second Section: Pages 17 - 18
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ConƟnued from EXPORTS | Page 1 spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages exceeding $500 million. This population has long put an emphasis on healthy living and maintaining a diet scarce of sugary and fatty treats. One study Pothen referred to stated that 79% of urban Vietnamese consumers are willing to pay more for healthier foods. In the same token, more than half want to continue healthy habits long after the coronavirus pandemic is dismissed. “Gaining the COVID 15 (pounds) is a reality many consumers are grappling with,” said Pothen, noting 45% of the global population is trying to lose weight. In Malaysia, consumers are searching for fewer sugary drinks as the government implemented a sugar tax to reduce obesity two years ago. “Fluid milk is driving consumers because of the less sugar content,” Pothen said. “We expect to see that increased demand as people look for healthier options.” Additionally, in Singapore, 1 in 5 individuals will be over the age of 60 by 2040. “It would be remiss to ignore the importance of healthy aging and the role proteins play as this consumer segment grows in Asia,” Pothen said. “All age groups represent a signicant opportunity for dairy.” Common dairy exports to this region include skim milk powder, whey powder and protein, and lactose for bakery and infant formulas. While fresh dairy like yogurt and uid milk are available, they are mostly ultra-hightemperature pasteurized to accommodate an extended shelf life. Pothen did note a 43% uptick in cheese consumption due to the pandemic. “That increased consumption is likely to stick,” Pothen said. “They see
Americans are consuming cheese as a healthy snack with low carbs and low sugars.” The potential of U.S. dairy products in southeast Asia is also driven by a growing middleclass. “As the middleclass grows, consumers normally work to elevate their nutrition,” Vikki Nicholson-West said. “They look at what to buy from what they’re seeing on the Food Network and online. In particular, cheesecake and U.S. cream cheese has grown because consumers have seen how to make it.” Nicholson-West is the senior vice president for export ingredient marketing at USDEC. She contributed to the presentation with Pothen during the Dairy Experience Forum. There is vast opportunity within the southeast Asia market for U.S. dairy. One important aspect of this region is that Indonesia is also the largest Muslim population in the world, making halal foods an utmost priority. USDEC has a regulatory advisory group that provides guidance on this form of food processing and ensures opportunity for exports. “It can seem daunting, but it’s really no different than exporting from one country to another and understanding unique elements between markets,” Nicholson-West said. “With every market, we’re competing on quality and meeting product specications.” Southeast Asia is a growing opportunity for U.S. dairy products without diminishing the importance of other key markets, such as Mexico and China which remain signicant in terms of U.S. market share. “The timing was right and this is a sweet spot in southeast Asia. They have an appreciation and afnity for dairy,” Nicholson-West said. “Ultimately, as an industry, we need to deep dive into dairy exports to help put money into pockets for American dairy farmers.”
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Employee Steve Czech (leŌ) and the Vold family – (second, from leŌ) Richard, Suzanne, Brad and Greg – milk 420 cows in Pope County near Glenwood, Minnesota. The crew is developing a plan for feed availability because of the drought that has limited crop growth at Dorrich Dairy. thereafter, the USDA released a map of the nation’s counties eligible for CRP emergency haying and grazing; much of Minnesota is included. Also at the federal level, the USDA Risk Management Authority approved the use of prevented planting acres for haying, grazing and to harvest cover crops without jeopardizing a farmer’s prevented planting payments. While nancial assistance and emergency forage use will certainly improve the outlook, both Vold and Goeden are also looking at other ways to weather this dry spell and its implications on their dairy herds. Earlier in the season, Goeden did not fertilize his corn or hay ground. “There was no point unless it was going to rain,” he said. The Wadena farmer is also waiting on a second crop from his unirrigated alfalfa elds. Typically, he tries to reap three cuttings on unirrigated elds and four off those with irrigation. “We’re on track with the irrigated land, and we’re counting on it,” Goeden said. “On our other ground, there’s no second cutting of hay, and the corn in that area, there’s nothing there either. If we don’t get rain in the next couple of weeks, it’s done for.” The irrigated land has helped carry Goeden’s feed availability. He grew oat under irrigation this year, and cut the small grain for forage in his ration rather than combining it for straw. “Pumps haven’t shut off in six weeks,” Goeden said. “The electrical bill is expensive but it’s cheaper than buying hay.” Goeden is planning to cut reed canary grass and hay along the water banks. He also has cover crops to work with. “I’ve been through this before,” Goeden said. “We’re used to being short, but now we have more cattle and need
more feed.” At Dorrich Dairy, a decision made earlier this year has turned out to be quite benecial. In the past, the Volds planted winter rye to harvest in the spring and then put in soybeans as a second crop. “We didn’t do that this year and it was one of the best decisions ever,” Vold said. “We couldn’t have put soybeans in mid-June.” The Volds are also working closely with their nutritionist and adjusting the rations as they are able with substitutes, keeping in mind cost per pound. The family is also considering their options for chopping more corn for silage. “We’ve talked about it,” Vold said. … “We don’t wish it on anyone, but if crop farmers have corn that is too damaged to have full growth and yield, maybe we could chop it.” The coming weeks will determine what measures the Volds will have to take. “We’ve slowly grown our herd, and now there’s less silage and haylage to go around. We’re staying on a stringent ration for the next two to three weeks, praying for rain,” Vold said. “If we don’t get any moisture in the next 21 days, we won’t even have the same amount of haylage we had last year. Our other option might be to purchase feed, but that is very expensive.” The looming question is how can the Volds get creative with their ration without sacricing a signicant drop in production or risking other health problems in the cattle. “Everyone is in the same situation, trying to gure out what to do for their dairy,” Vold said. “It’s frustrating. As moms and women, we’re the xers. We like to get in and help, and there’s nothing we can do right now.”
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
Trade ambassador gets a rst-person look at dairy industry U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met Crop insurance audits will not be automatically with dairy farmers during her visit to LaCrosse, triggered In the past, the Risk Management Agency conWisconsin, and Stoddard, Wisconsin. Tai said nothing compares to coming to a dairy farm and meet- ducted an automatic audit when a crop insurance ing with farmers and “seeing the human face of our claim reached $200,000. RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy said that was seen as economy.” In a statement, International Ag Insider a concern with the amount of droughtDairy Foods Association Vice President related claims this year. “Now, they’re of Trade Policy and International Affairs not automatically going to be audited,” Becky Rasdall said the priority issue for Flournoy said. “There’s a new process the U.S. dairy industry is the dispute setwhere we do what is called data-mining tlement case over Canada’s manipulation so it is very precise on who is selected, of dairy tariff rate quotas and the Euroand that will dramatically reduce the aupean Union’s use of non-science-based dits.” certication regulations. Tai was praised for “her open commitment to enforcing Supply, demand report drops 2021 U.S. trade agreements to their fullest and milk output maintaining a rules-based trading system The July USDA supply-demand refor U.S. dairy,” Rasdall said. port forecasts 2021 milk production at By Don Wick 228.2 billion pounds, down 300 million RFA approves disaster recovery loan Columnist pounds from last month. The 2022 milk program production forecast was put at 231.6 bilZero-interest loans are available for Minnesota farmers dealing with the dry conditions. lion pounds. The report lowered the price outlook for The Minnesota Department of Agriculture Rural Fi- cheese, butter, nonfat dry milk and whey due to highnance Authority Board voted unanimously to make er stocks and lower demand. the disaster recovery funds available. This program can be used to help cover lost revenue or expenses not Yogurt rule may inuence labeling of plant-based alternatives covered by insurance. The Food and Drug Administration has impleWalz requests emergency haying, grazing autho- mented a rule that amends the legal denition of yogurt. This rule is due to a petition from the National rization Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has requested help Yogurt Association in 2000 that reects the modern from the United States Department of Agriculture for ways yogurt is produced. While the response from the livestock producers hurt by the drought. Walz sup- FDA was slow, the National Milk Producers Federaports emergency haying and grazing on CRP ground. tion welcomed this decision and the opportunity for Meanwhile, Minnesota Sens. Klobuchar and Smith transparency in food labeling. The NMPF said the isand Reps. Fischbach, Craig, Stauber, Emmer and sue goes beyond yogurt with the FDA promising a Hagadorn have sent a separate letter to USDA seek- review of a much larger issue, the labeling of plantbased milk alternatives by next June. ing authorization for haying and grazing on CRP.
Year-round use of H-2A visas An amendment included in the Homeland Security Appropriations bill would allow farmers to use the H-2A visa program to hire foreign workers yearround. This language would allow dairy farmers to use the H-2A program to supplement its workforce needs. Similar language has passed in the House previously but stalled in the negotiations with the Senate. Kohl: Have a plan, execute the plan Agriculture today: A new era of prosperity or temporary opportunity? That was the question addressed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University agricultural economics professor emeritus Dr. David Kohl during the Bell Bank AgViews Live Conference. “These rollercoaster economics take both a nancial emotional toll on the agriculture sector,” Kohl said. “However, I don’t think this is a temporary opportunity. I personally think it is a permanent opportunity for farmers and ranchers with a high business and nancial IQ. You need to manage the controllable and manage around the uncontrollable.” Government payments for agriculture are expected to decline by nearly 40% in 2021. Kohl thinks this will have a tremendous impact on the sector. “Farmers and ranchers need to start developing a game plan and executing that plan,” he said. CoBank cites pandemic after effects A new quarterly report from CoBank said higher commodity prices have been benecial for farmers, but increases in raw material and transportation costs are resulting in higher costs to the consumer. Farm supply cooperatives had a strong spring agronomy season as farmers increased spending on crop inputs. The ethanol business outperformed trade expectations, but the regulatory environment remains volatile. Milk production is rising despite higher feed costs. Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 USDA updates cull cow numbers For the latest reporting week, 55,800 dairy cows were culled. That is up 4,100 head, or 8%, from the same week one year ago. Year-to-date, 1.6 million dairy cows have been culled nationwide. That is down nearly 17,000 head, or 1.1%, from the same period in 2020. CAFO ban proposed New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker has reintroduced a bill to ban large concentrated animal feeding operations. Booker has targeted CAFOs in the past but now has more inuence as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Herrick returns to IDFA Matt Herrick is the new senior vice president of public affairs and communications for the International Dairy Foods Association. Herrick worked for IDFA before taking over as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s communications director. In his new role, Herrick will also be the executive director of IDFA’s new foundation.
“Boy it·s hot out. I have a hard time keeping my dry matter intake up.”
MPCA commissioner resigns Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Laura Bishop has tendered her resignation. The decision was made after the Minnesota Senate refused to conrm Bishop’s appointment. The Senate retaliation against Gov. Tim Walz’s appointee is linked to MPCA’s role in adopting the California Clean Cars initiative. Bishop was appointed in January 2019.
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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Tell us about your farm. My wife and I, along with our 5 children, milk 33 cows on our 60 acre farm, and rent an additional 140 acres. We have a mixed herd of Jerseys, Holsteins, Ayrshires, Brown Swiss, and Registered Guernseys. We chronicle our adventures of our small Dairy on our YouTube channel, Trinity Dairy.
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
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Dale and Seth Rupprecht stand in their 23-stall stanchion barn at Sherdale Farm in Marshall County near Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The Rupprechts are in the process of retroƫng a double-6 step-up parlor into the barn for their 115-cow herd.
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THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. – In a few short months, the hustle of fall harvest will be in full swing for the Rupprechts, but their days will be easier. Dale and Sherri Rupprecht, and their son, Seth, are in the process of retrotting a double-6 Agromatic step-up parlor in their 23-stall stanchion barn. “I’ve spent my whole life in this barn, so this is exciting and scary,” Dale said. “This is the farm’s biggest project ever. It will be nothing fancy, but it doesn’t have to be fancy to work right.” Dale and Seth milk 115 registered cows at Sherdale Farm in Marshall County near Thief River Falls. The two have been farming together since 2014 when Seth, now 25, graduated high school. In the next decade, Seth plans to take the lead on the dairy business. “I’ve always been interested in the farm, and I knew I wanted to farm after high school,” Seth said. Dale agreed. “I didn’t stop him,” he said. “Seth loves the farm and is good at what he does.”
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Dale Rupprecht describes the dairy industry in northern Minnesota. The Rupprechts milk cows on the farm Dale grew up on.
When the barn renovation is complete, milking time will be cut nearly in half, and there will be more housing space for the registered herd. The south side of the original milking barn incorporates a new milkhouse, while the north side of the barn will lead to an 80-foot pole shed that will serve as a holding area and loose housing for the herd. This north addition replaces a former lean-to and creates additional housing to the farm’s established pole shed, coverall building and outdoor bedded packs. “I’ve never liked cows on cement,” said Dale of his housing preferences. “(Bedded packs) are one way to keep your costs down and make it through the tough times. We don’t have to push our cows so ungodly much. Plus, if there’s no wind in the winter, those cows lay on the straw pack outside.” This particular design will allow the Rupprechts to maintain much of the same ways of managing their herd while making their time milking more efcient. “With the exception of the rotary parlors, you will not beat (a step-up) for cows per hour,” Seth said. At the family’s current herd size, it takes more than four hours per milking shift with ve groups of cows running through the barn. “Right now, every group takes about 15 minutes to switch in and out,” Dale said. “We’re hoping the parlor will only take about two hours. That’s manageable without us having to downsize or grow our herd much.” The Rupprechts’ farm site is where Dale grew up. “This is home,” Dale said. “If you get to the Canadian border, turn around and go left. Sure, we’re far away from a lot of things, but I wouldn’t farm anywhere else.” His ancestors homesteaded the land in the early 1900s, and milked Milking Shorthorns until the end of the 1950s when the family transitioned the operation into beef and grain. It was Dale’s upbringing and exposure to the dairy industry at a neighbor’s farm that brought the Rupprechts back to milking. “We had two milk cows that we milked for our own use. Every chance I got, I would go over and help the neighbors during milking time,” Dale said. “I raised chickens for 4-H. I butchered those birds and bought my rst dairy calf for $50.” Dale’s purchase of a grade Holstein calf was the turning point in shaping his career. “The next year, I bought another grade calf, and then I bought a registered Ayrshire. I couldn’t afford registered Holsteins at the time,” Dale said. “That’s how it all started.” Following high school graduation in 1983, Dale Turn to RUPPRECHT | Page 11
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 11
ConƟnued from RUPPRECHT | Page 10 had 10 milking cows. He then spent the next several decades building the herd to 92 cows. Ten years ago, the Rupprechts were forced to downsize the herd to a mere 20 cows while Dale had back surgery. As Dale recovered, they needed to make a decision on the future of the dairy farm. “We had been gradually improving things over the last 10 years, but we got serious about it in 2018,” Seth said. “For the longest time, we sat at 60 cows and then grew to the point that 140 were on test.” When the Rupprechts’ milking parlor goes live in a couple months, they will be able to maximize the system’s efciency without adding more cows to the herd. Sherdale Farm’s average age of the herd is 5-7 years old and is home to one of the highest type herds in the state. Dale enjoys a cow with good feet and legs, strength and depth of rib. The parlor and additional housing should only aid in the animals reaching their full potential, Dale said. “This has all come about with determination and persistence,” he said. “When I’m milking, I’m always thinking about what bull is going to work best, when that calf is born and it’s a heifer calf. When we go to shows and the cows stand at the top of the class and have our prex, that means a lot.”
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ConstrucƟon is underway on the Rupprechts’ dairy barn at their farm near Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The family is retroƫng a parlor in the stanchion barn and adding addiƟonal housing to the north of the building. As Dale has thought of the potential in his herd, Seth has considered the time they will have for other farm tasks. “We always want to be better dairymen,” he said. “We want to be more efcient in the barn and in the elds. This should allow us to put up better hay and quicker.” The time gained will also be shared with Seth’s young family – his wife, Chantel, and newborn son, Clayton. For Dale, having this opportunity to improve the farm and create a bet-
ter environment for the cows and work place for him and his family is worth every penny the renovation costs. “Seth was out here when he was 4 years old with my dad and me in the
tractor,” Dale said. “I’m looking forward to seeing Clayton running around here. And, too, farming with Seth means everything.”
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Dale Rupprecht explains how cows will enter and exit the barn once the stepup parlor is funcƟoning. UnƟl the project is complete, the Rupprechts milk their 115 cows in ve shiŌs.
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
South Dakota’s dairy industry continues to grow By Jerry Nelson
jerry.n@dairystar.com
South Dakota’s dairy industry continues to grow, bucking trends currently seen in other states. In the early 1960s, there were as many as 250,000 dairy cows scattered across thousands of small dairy farms in The Mount Rushmore State. But by 2005, the state’s dairy herd had plummeted to 80,000 head. The next 15 years would see a remarkable turnaround in the state’s dairy industry, with the number of dairy cows doubling to its current size of 160,000 head. “When the state’s dairy industry was in decline, stakeholders realized that something had to be done and took action,” said Tom Peterson, executive director of South Dakota Dairy Producers. Some of these actions included recruiting dairy farmers from other states and countries to move to South Dakota. The state’s milk processors also began to add capacity. In 2014, Bel Brands opened a new plant in Brookings that produces 22 million pounds of Mini Babybel cheese rounds per year. The Bel Brands plant consumes the milk from 15,000 dairy cows. In 2018, Agropur announced an expansion of its Lake Norden cheese facility that would triple the plant’s processing capacity from 3 million to 9 million pounds of milk per day. This increase represents the milk production from 85,000 cows.
GRAPHIC SUBMITTED
Milk producƟon in South Dakota over the last decade is the third highest rate of increase in the naƟon. In 2020, South Dakota dairy farmers produced 3.12 billion pounds of milk, a 65.6% increase since 2010. Valley Queen Cheese Factory, located in Milbank, recently completed an expansion that boosted their plant’s capacity by 25%. Valley Queen processes over 5 million pounds of milk per day. As with many sectors of agriculture, the trend in the dairy industry has been toward fewer and larger operations. There are about 175 dairy farms in South Dakota. With 18,000 head, Brookings County has the most dairy cows. The city of Brookings is home to South Dakota State University, which has one of the nation’s premier dairy science pro-
grams. Dairy farmers often hire SDSU dairy science graduates who come to the table with a set of nely-honed dairy management skills. Some of the growth in the state’s dairy herd has been from the expansion of existing dairy operations. But a large portion of this growth has been the result of dairy farmers relocating to South Dakota from other states and countries. “South Dakota has a lot to offer dairy farmers who are interested in moving here,” Peterson said. “We have a pro-agriculture business environment, solid infrastructure and proximity to large amounts of feedstuffs. Dairy
operators have great relationships with their crop farmer neighbors. Crop farmers can sell feed to the dairies and fertilize their land with dairy cow manure. It’s a win-win for the dairymen and their neighbors. We need to do more to add value locally to our ag products. It’s better than shipping our raw ag products off to the coasts.” According to the International Dairy Foods Association, South Dakota’s dairy industry employed 12,511 people in 2019. The annual economic impact of a dairy cow has been pegged at $26,000 annually. This means the dairy industry is adding more than $4.1 billion to South Dakota’s economy. Danny Vander Dussen is a dairy farmer who relocated his family to South Dakota. He and his wife, Sophia, have six children: Willem, 20, Anje, 19, Nathaniel, 16, Elsje, 15, Benjamin, 12, and Danielle, 11. “In 2001, we started renting a dairy farm in the Chico, California, area,” Vander Dussen said. “We were eventually able to purchase the dairy and grew it to 3,600 head. But then a lot of the surrounding farm land began to be planted to nut trees, and it became unsustainable to operate our dairy farm.” Vander Dussen decided to rent a Colorado dairy located on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. “We tried to break into the Colorado milk market but found that it was closed to us,” Vander Dussen said. “Everyone wants to live on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, so land values and water costs were soaring. Dairying in ColoraTurn to SOUTH DAKOTA | Page 13
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ConƟnued from SOUTH DAKOTA | Page 12 do just wasn’t feasible. One day we got a call from Ron Krogstad, who said that he and his brother, Craig, were retiring from the dairy business. We came out here to Baltic, negotiated a deal and put a plan into place. Our goal was to build a viable business, one that would give our kids the opportunity to become part of the operation.” Vander Dussen razed the Krogstads’ aging 400-cow dairy barn and
every morning, go outside and walk to work. What could be better?” The amount of milk being produced by South Dakota’s dairy farmers will soon match the state’s processing capacity. But that does not mean the growth of the dairy industry will come to a halt. “We aren’t stopping now,” said Marv Post, a Volga area dairy farmer and chairman of South Dakota Dairy Producers. “We are going to see more good things happening. The dairy industry is going to continue to be an economic force for the state and continue to fuel the engine of producTOM PETERSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF tion agriculture.” SOUTH DAKOTA DAIRY PRODUCERS Increasing cow numbers is not the only factor constructed a new cross-ventilated fa- at play in South Dakota’s dairy induscility on the building site. On May 10, try. Production per cow has also seen a the Vander Dussens milked their rst steady march upward. cows in their 4,000-head dairy barn. “Herd averages have risen because The Vander Dussens have named their of better conditions in modern dairy farm Driftwood Dairy. facilities,” Post said. “The widespread “Opportunity is why we are here,” adoption of genomic testing and sexed Vander Dussen said. “Agropur wanted semen and other technology have also our milk, there are abundant feed sup- boosted herd averages. … South Daplies and obtaining permits wasn’t im- kota’s dairy industry is well poised to possible. And it feels friendly like the continue to grow. The processing side rural area where I grew up. There’s a of the industry sees that. As soon as very pro-business atmosphere; it feels processing capacity increases, we have like folks actually want us here. My dairymen waiting in the wings, ready to wife and our kids love it. We wake up build.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 15
Grocery stores: What is your top selling dairy product?
Eric Bennett is pictured with his wife, Brenda Bennett’s Food Center Plainview, Minnesota Owner, 36 years
Pam Grittner, dairy department manager, and Allen Dahmen, owner Pierz Foods Pierz, Minnesota
Sue Terwey, dairy manager (left) and Tarah Steele, assistant dairy manager Coborn’s Long Prairie, Minnesota
What is your top selling dairy product? How has this changed in the past 10 years? Shredded cheese is our top selling dairy product. It is convenient for people. They don’t have to take the block and shred it themselves. Milk used to be No. 1, but with more choices of what people can drink, that is no longer the case.
What is your top-selling dairy product? How has this changed in the past 10 years? Our top-selling dairy item is milk with sour cream and yogurts being a close second. Milk was our biggest seller 10 years ago and has been since I started. I order a lot of milk. We come from a really big dairy community and they support their dairy farmers.
What is your top-selling dairy product? How has this changed in the past 10 years? Milk is our topselling dairy product. 2% milk is our top seller, and now whole milk is making a comeback. Over the last 10 years, the price and varieties of milk have changed. There are a lot more options, including organic or Fairlife for example.
Tell us about your dairy case. We have eight doors of milk in the back corner of the store. We have 40 feet of cold case for our dairy section and a 4-foot section of dairy related products that don’t have to be refrigerated. For milk alone, we have three suppliers with four kinds and many sizes. Shredded cheese takes up a 16-foot section. We probably have 100s of products. I don’t know the exact number. The dairy section is in the back because it is refrigerated and can be close to the compressors and to the drop off so it can be refrigerated as soon as it gets off the truck.
Tell us about your dairy case. The new dairy cases really show off the products. We love to try out new products. Also, if there is something we don’t carry, customers should let us know. We will try our best to get it for them. Cheese probably lls half of our dairy case. Other prominent items include sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt and cream cheese. We have it all.
Tell us about your dairy case. We carry cheese, yogurts, cream cheese, butter, sour cream, spray cream, snack cheese, refrigerated puddings, and half and half.
Tell us about any new popular dairy products your store offers. Yogurt is popular. We have so many varieties, and we don’t even carry one-tenth of the avors out there because we don’t have the room. When we try new avors, if it sells well, we will keep it on the shelf. If it doesn’t sell well, we won’t restock it. People will also suggest new avors or kinds to us, and we try to get what they want. If it doesn’t sell well but certain people still want it, we will order it for them and they can pick it up from us without being put on the sale oor. How protable is the dairy case compared to other sections of the store? It is not as protable as other sections of the store. Milk has a very small margin. Just like the dairy farmers experience, the dairy price we pay goes up and down. Some months are good and some aren’t. What are the more successful promotions you do throughout the year that help move dairy products? We have a lot of promotions during June Dairy Month. We have the county dairy princesses here to hand out product, and multiple dairy items are on sale each week during June. The holiday season is also when we have a lot of dairy promotions. That’s when people do a lot of baking so butter is usually on sale.
Tell us about any new popular dairy products your store offers. We just recently got mozzarella pearl balls in per customer request. They are selling really well for us. How protable is the dairy case compared to other sections of the store? The dairy department is one of four primary parts of the store for sales and prots. What are the more successful promotions you do throughout the year that help move dairy products? We promote June Dairy Month with awesome specials for the customers. We usually run a milk, cheese or ice cream special in June. How did the coronavirus pandemic affect dairy sales in your store? The coronavirus pandemic had a very positive effect on the dairy sales. It also caused shortages of products. Eggs is one that we had to nd a local source for. How did the coronavirus pandemic affect dairy sales in your store? They have increased. More people were staying home, and kids were home from school too. People in rural areas also stayed in town and shopped here rather than going to larger cities around us.
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Tell us about any new popular dairy products your store offers. New products for us are Greek yogurt and organic milk. Greek yogurts have been out for a couple years and have been really popular. We also carry a Chobani Complete, which has more protein, that has been popular. How protable is the dairy case compared to other sections of the store? The dairy case is fth in the store as far as protability goes. What are the more successful promotions you do throughout the year that help move dairy products? We have June Dairy Month displays. We have special items in advertisements. We do a butter special, $1.99 per pound, which is a great seller. We also periodically do $2.99 per gallon or two for $6 for a gallon of milk. We also do drawings for free products. How did the coronavirus pandemic affect dairy sales in your store? We had a lot of products go out of stock. We weren’t getting enough milk for our store. The plants couldn’t keep up. We had a lot of problems getting some products in. The vendors that make the products were closed down for reasons like lack of workers. This was the same time our coffee creamers just started coming in. People bought more product at one time. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
Max Martin Willie’s Supervalu Morris, Minnesota Assistant store director What is your top selling dairy product? Our top selling dairy product remains to be plain white milk by both dollar sales and quantity sold. I’d say it has remained fairly steady over the last 10 years. We’ve done a few resets and remodels in that time frame and shrunk some sections and categories down to make new room, but we have not seen a huge decrease in milk sales. Tell us about your dairy case. Our dairy case has a good mixture of yogurts, eggs, milk, creamers, juices, cheeses, cultures, butters and authentic Hispanic products. Shopper trafc patterns have a lot to do with how our department is laid out, and it helps customers to be able to move around those shopping or trying to decide what to buy. Typically, when yogurts and cheeses go on sale, they tend to be a multiple sale, i.e., two for $3 or 10 for $5, so inventory swells up on sale items. We try to keep things as low as we are comfortable with to continue to keep fresh dates on our shelves. Tell us about any new popular dairy products your store offers. Our dairy case has seen increased varieties in two categories. The rst being in coffee creamers. Creamers have expanded not just because of package sizes but also avors. We carry three times the variety of coffee creamers we had ve years ago, and they all sell well. One of the other faster growing categories is items geared toward those with dietary restrictions. Whether those restrictions are because of a lifestyle choice or because of food allergies/ sensitivities, shoppers have changed their preferred products. These items can be a little challenging because there are so many companies trying to come up with the next best product, and not all shoppers know those new brands or try their products. We tell our customers if there are any new items they would like us to bring in and carry, we always are willing to try bringing that product in to see how it goes. Who knows, maybe it will be the next best thing. How protable is the dairy case compared to other sections of the store? Dairy case protability has remained steady. The dairy department margins are dependent on market uctuations that can cause shelf prices to uctuate quite a bit, but you just have to keep reviewing pricing to remain competitive. What are the more successful promotions you do throughout the year that help move dairy products? June Dairy Month is the best promotion we do in the dairy department. Producers and vendors provide great support for those sales, and it shows with great ad pricing and increased variety in our weekly ads. For the rest of the year, any promotions that are centered around the holidays or times when families and friends are getting together are also great sales. Everybody loves getting together and socializing, and there’s nothing better to do when we get together than eat. How did the coronavirus pandemic affect dairy sales in your store? The coronavirus pandemic has opened our eyes beyond what we thought was possible. The effects of what has happened are still presenting themselves as
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Ron Anderson Roy’s Market New Glarus, Wisconsin Store manager
What is your top selling dairy product? How has this changed in the past 10 years? Our top selling dairy product is 1% milk. Over the years, we have seen price become a larger driver of sales in our dairy department. People are more apt to stock up items that are on sale. Tell us about your dairy case. Our main dairy case, where we keep our milk, is in the center of the store’s back wall. We put it there because we want people to walk the store on their way back to the dairy case. Our second dairy case, where we have our cheeses, yogurts, butter and eggs, is located nearby in a side aisle. Tell us about any new popular dairy products your store offers. We have some new avors of coffee creamers that have proven to be very popular. We recently expanded our selection of sliced ready-to-eat cheeses, and they have also been popular. How protable is the dairy case compared to other sections of the store? Milk is a loss leader, but the dairy case is a draw for our store. Dairy sales are very competitive and are price driven. That being said, the dairy case is the second or third largest department in our store. Milk and dairy products are an important and integral part of our business. What are the more successful promotions you do throughout the year that help move dairy products? On Milk Mondays, we offer milk for $1.99 per gallon if you come to the store and use our digital app. We also feature monthly specials on cheese and yogurt. We promote our dairy products heavily. How did the coronavirus pandemic affect dairy sales in your store? At rst it seemed like everyone was focused on stocking up on milk and eggs. During the early days of the pandemic, we temporarily ran short of milk due to some supply issues. Once things began to settle down, we saw increases in the sales of other dairy products such as butter and cheese due to the fact that more people were preparing more of their meals at home. we continue to navigate through this pandemic. Production and labor shortages are continuing to rear their heads unfortunately. In some ways, they are worse than when the pandemic started causing increased product shortages on our shelves. Dairy sales during the pandemic have remained strong because of the fact so many restaurants and other eating establishments were closed with some of them still not completely open. That shift in customers dining habits has shown up as increased demand for the retail side with the decrease on the food service side for our vendors. We continue to adapt and roll with the punches as they are dealt to us. We hope and pray we get through this stronger than where we were at the beginning.
What is has this all kinds ing dairy
your top-selling dairy product? How changed in the past 10 years? Milk of – from whole to skim – is our top-sellproduct and has been for the past decade.
Tell us about your dairy case. We have a section of six glass doors, half of which carry milk from gallons to half gallons to quarts to pints. The other three doors are split up as follows – one door is for sour creams and dips, another door is for creamers, and the last door is for soy and almond beverages. We also have a 44-foot case featuring two 4-foot sections of orange juices; two 4-foot sections of shredded, specialty and sliced cheeses; a 4-foot section of cream cheeses; a 4-foot section of random whey cheeses; a 4-foot section of dough like Pillsbury biscuits and crescent rolls; an 8-foot section of yogurt; a 4-foot section of butters and spreads; and a 4-foot section of eggs. We don’t have a ton of backstock – what we order lls our shelves. Milk, butter and eggs are located in the farthest part of dairy placement, directing trafc to the back corner of the store for those items. Every grocery is set up similar. People shop for basics like milk, butter and eggs on a regular basis, and this setup is designed so they pass other things on their way. Tell us about any new popular dairy products your store offers. Yogurts are a big one. There are so many kinds of yogurts, and yogurt brands are always coming out with something new. They try different fruits, and some yogurts feature canned toppings mixed with granola. We carry a French-style yogurt by Yoplait called Oui that’s pretty popular. It’s packaged in a small glass jar. How protable is the dairy case compared to other sections of the store? That’s a tough one. The percentage we make on dairy initially is probably higher than dry grocery. Our prots start out a little higher in the dairy department, but at the end of the day, dairy is probably no more protable than dry grocery because we have to rotate product frequently making it labor-intensive, and we also have more waste in this department. What are the more successful promotions you do throughout the year that help move dairy products? Yogurt is featured in an ad almost every week because there is some type of yogurt on sale almost weekly at Roy’s Market. Milk is promoted on a monthly basis as well in the ad we run in the New Glarus newspaper. We also give away ads at the store. Sometimes, coupons are part of that ad. Companies also offer coupons we can hand out in the store. Certco out of Madison supplies a lot of stores, including us. We follow what they suggest to put in the ads. We receive yers from the warehouse showing what they’re promoting, and we follow suit. How did the coronavirus pandemic affect dairy sales in your store? When the pandemic rst started, there were increased sales across the board in all areas of the grocery industry. Roy’s Market never ran out of milk, cheese or butter, and our customers continued to buy those products. There might have been a tight supply but no empty shelves. Our warehouse and suppliers were running out of certain products though, and eggs and bread were the items we couldn’t get.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
Harvesting Quality Forages
Scissor clippings determine precise harvest time for Schaal
Brian Schaal Burlington, Wisconsin Racine County 350 cows
Describe your farm and facilities. I am the third generation at Schaal Dairy Farm. I farmed in partnership with my dad up until this year as he is getting out of owning cattle. Cows are housed in a freestall barn and milked twice a day in a double-12 parallel parlor. We started in a 42-stall tiestall barn and never added additional heifer facilities as we grew. Therefore, calves stay here until 7 months of age and are then sent to a heifer grower. They come back 45-60 days before calving. Before we built our parlor, we milked in a atbarn parlor that was added to the original dairy barn. What forages do you harvest? We harvest alfalfa as haylage (we don’t do any baling), and we also harvest corn silage. We also chop some wheat straw so it is sized appropriately, and we feed it to dry cows.
Brian Schaal milks 350 cows and farms 700 acres near Burlington, Wisconsin. Schaal harvests corn silage and alfalfa as haylage. He does moisture tesƟng on his corn silage and takes scissor clippings of alfalfa to help determine the precise Ɵme to harvest.
How many acres of crops do you raise? We raise 700 acres. We have 80-120 acres of alfalfa. We are always rotating crops and typically get three cutting years out of a eld before turning it over. Every year, we’re
planting something. We direct seed alfalfa. We don’t do cover crops or plant oats because we have no heifers to eat this lowerquality feed. About 300 acres is in corn and the rest is wheat and soybeans.
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Describe the rations for your livestock. We feed a one-group TMR as we try to keep feeding fairly simple. We feed a little differently because we don’t have a very large mixer. I mix three loads a day to feed the milk
cows. I stagger that throughout the day between three milking groups. On a hot, humid day, I will dump fresh feed at 7 p.m. so it’s not heating up all day. That helps maintain intakes and helps cows recover from heat stress quicker. It also saves a lot of feed refusals. I can gauge what’s there and determine how much I need to mix. If intakes are down, then I’ll cut back on the last feeding. In summer, I feed smaller batches early and at mid-morning and one large batch at the end of the day. The ration contains haylage and corn silage, and we also feed some high-moisture corn. We switch to dry corn in the summer when we run out. Wet brewers’ grain and a protein mix are also part of our milking cow ration. For dry cows, we have two rations. We have a larger group of far-off dry cows and springing heifers that receive haylage, corn silage, straw and brewers’ grain. We also have a smaller special needs group that contains cows calving for their third time or more. These cows receive corn silage, straw, brewers’ grain and a special protein/mineral/ vitamin mix in their ration. This has helped us clean up any milk fevers which in turn seems to clear up any retained placenta and displaced abomasum issues. Every year we make new feed
and have to adjust our rations. Younger heifers receive hay and 18% grain while older heifers get leftovers from the cows. What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? It would be nice if we could always make haylage that was 70180 relative feed value. For corn silage, moisture dictates harvest. I lean toward harvesting on the wetter side when it’s at 65%70% moisture. You may give up some yield because the kernels are less mature, but plant digestibility (NFD) numbers are so important, and they’re better when you harvest early. To determine quantity, I look at the cow herd and talk to my nutritionist and gure out the total forage use per head per day. If we have a lot of alfalfa, then we may back off on corn silage. If we’re short on alfalfa, then we’ll balance with corn silage to meet our total forage needs. Our ration is at least two-thirds corn silage.
Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. We hire a custom harvester, but they don’t do all of our operations. We cut all alfalfa, they merge and chop, and then we bag it all for storage. When
Turn to SCHAAL | Page 20
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 19
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
Con�nued from SCHAAL | Page 18
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Brian Schaal feeds a one-group TMR to his milking herd that includes haylage, corn silage, high-moisture or dry corn, wet brewers’ grain and a protein mix. Cows are fed three �mes a day. we cut, we try to lay it out as at as we can. In a perfect situation, I would cut all the hay in one day and harvest it the next. Corn silage is custom harvested and stored in bags. If we have a lower-quality haylage crop – either it rained or got too mature – it’s easy to segregate when using bags, and we can feed accordingly. For alfalfa, we do scissor clippings rather than following the calendar. We try to get to it 7-10 days before we think it’s ready. We look at the weather and guess how much it’s maturing every day to see when we need to cut. A lot of factors go into when we decide to cut. What else is going on around the farm? What is the custom harvester’s schedule? What’s the weather like?
is something we did not used to do; instead, we eyeballed it. We sometimes ended up with feed quality we didn’t want based on heat, moisture, precipitation and growing conditions. Every year, a crop grows differently. When you send a sample to the lab, it takes out the guesswork. For corn silage, we now take multiple tests to check for moisture, which eliminates guessing. I’m learning as a producer that when you depend on others (my dad, kids, hired help, custom harvester), you need to do a lot of communicating so no assumptions are made. One year, we waited until we thought the hay was ready and ended up with a week of rainy weather. We had all this feed, but it was not great quality. Now, we try to take a more proactive approach, which means we might have to cut before the perfect time to avoid those situations. How do quality forages play a part in the production goals for your herd? If
forage quality is decreased, it limits intake which limits milk production. Forage quality is huge. You have to make sure it doesn’t spoil when stored. Feed must be mixed properly, and the delivery method must be such that cows always have fresh feed in front of them – that’s important. What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that have made a notable difference in forage quality? Sending scissor clippings of alfalfa to the lab and testing moisture on our corn silage are two of the biggest techniques we’ve incorporated that have had a positive impact on forage quality. Also, we now feed chopped straw instead of baled straw to our dry cows. When it was baled, they left a mess behind because they would sort it. We learned to start chopping instead which prevents sorting. We learn from our mistakes. It’s a lot of trial and error. We also learn from others.
What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? We store all of our haylage and corn silage in bags. I do all the mixing, and I make sure to always monitor the bags. If there’s a cut or hole, I tape it immediately so there’s no spoilage. I pick up plastic every couple days, and it’s all recycled. Feed is the biggest cost on a farm. If we went through all this effort to grow, harvest and store a crop, I don’t want to waste it. I want the cows to eat it. Bags are nice in summer because I can take several feet off the face of the bag, and there’s never an issue of taking off enough to keep the face fresh. Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. Over the years, I had to learn things like how to take scissor clippings. This
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
All forages at Schaal Dairy Farm are stored in bags, and Schaal takes care to closely monitor bags for holes or cuts. This bag of corn silage is currently being fed to cows, and Schaal takes several feet off the face of the bag each day.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 21
Financing subject to pre-approval through JD Financial. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details.
Low-Rate Financing Available
KRONE Comprima $ V180XC T, 20 016 16,, #1 182 8 69 6944 2016, #182694
43,900
JD 569, 2016, #181002
Vermeer 504 Pro, $ 2013, #185154
JD S690, 2013, $ #175026
162,900
22,900
NH CR8090, $ 2012 #183218
136,500
JD 560M, 2018, #181057
31,400
$
JD S680 2013, $ #161858
149,500
41,500
$
JD S670, $ 2012, #172954
114,900
Equipment and pictures added daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com 10 2 14 8 10 1 9 5 4 1 17 5 11 5 2 15 3 5 7 17 3 15 7 6 1 14 10 2 14 15 15 3 1 3 9 3 3 16 16
COMBINES
JD 6620 1987, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, 3903hrs., #177388 .............................$15,900 JD 9500 1995, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 5392 hrs., 3503 Sep hrs., #171987 ......$14,900 JD 9500 1991, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 6500 hrs., 5000 Sep hrs., #185458.......$22,400 JD 9550 1999, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 4982 hrs., 3450 Sep hrs., #178638 ...$43,900 JD 9600 1996, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Singles, 4718 hrs., 3171 Sep hrs., #175562..$29,000 JD 9610 1998, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 6160 hrs., #179045.............................$29,900 JD 9610 1998, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 3535 hrs., 2241 Sep hrs., #185640 ......$34,500 JD 9650W 2001, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 4495 hrs., 3314 Sep hrs., #183897 $54,000 JD 9670 STS 2009, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2192 hrs., 1263 Sep hrs., #185612 ................................................................................................................$110,400 JD 9870 STS 2008, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 3105 hrs., 2500 Sep hrs., #175945 ................................................................................................................$109,000 NH CR8090 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2405 hrs., 1810 Sep hrs., #183218 ................................................................................................................$136,500 JD S660 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1564 hrs., 1154 Sep hrs., #185284 .$185,500 JD S670 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 3625 hrs., 2557 Sep hrs., #172954 ....$92,900 JD S670 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2005 hrs., 1379 Sep hrs., #182044 .$165,000 JD S670 2016,Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2289 hrs., 1453 Sep hrs., #176660 ..$199,500 JD S680 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2930 hrs., 2043 Sep hrs., #175550 .$112,900 JD S680 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2472 hrs., 1739 Sep hrs., #154637 $124,900 JD S680 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2907 hrs., 1904 Sep hrs., #161858 .$129,500 JD S680 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2959 hrs., 2063 Sep hrs., #182070 . $144,900 JD S680 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2354 hrs., 1703 Sep hrs., #178114....$147,900 JD S680 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2365 hrs., 1642 Sep hrs., #176788 .$149,500 JD S680 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Singles, 2506 hrs., 1900 Sep hrs., #183520$153,900 JD S680 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2061 hrs., 1658 Sep hrs., #172017....$159,500 JD S680 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2208 hrs., #169577 ..........................$169,500 JD S680 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2729 hrs., 1800 Sep hrs., #176089 . $169,900 JD S680 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1992 hrs., 1300 Sep hrs., #174756 .$174,900 JD S680 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2047 hrs., 1638 Sep hrs., #166363 $185,900 JD S680 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1793 hrs., 1233 Sep hrs., #167207 .$219,500 JD S680 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1725 hrs., 1392 Sep hrs., #185274 .$239,900 JD S680 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1608 hrs., 1107 Sep hrs., #184606 .$249,900 JD S690 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2237 hrs., 1588 Sep hrs., #177562 .$159,500 JD S690 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2203 hrs., 1400 Sep hrs., #179929 . $160,000 JD S690 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2101 hrs., 1505 Sep hrs., #175026 .$162,900 JD S690 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1983 hrs., 1530 Sep hrs., #171923 .$179,000 JD S690 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1648 hrs., 1161 Sep hrs., #167773 .$199,900 JD S690 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2113 hrs., #176735 ........................$219,500 JD S690 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1767 hrs., 1248 Sep hrs., #176733 .$250,000 JD S770 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2203 hrs., 1587 Sep hrs., #181147 .$245,000 JD S780 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1155 hrs., 800 Sep hrs., #175318....$319,500
5 5 11 17 14 15 1 16 14 4 14 16 3 14 14
JD S780 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1179 hrs., 850 Sep hrs., #183439....$337,500 JD S780 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1100 hrs., 755 Sep hrs., #183533....$355,000 JD S780 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 686 hrs., 475 Sep hrs., #154461......$359,000 JD S780 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1018 hrs., 690 Sep hrs., #177549....$364,400 JD S780 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 897 hrs., 653 Sep hrs., #171103......$385,000 JD S780 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 726 hrs., 557 Sep hrs., #185160......$397,000 JD S780 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 490 hrs., 294 Sep hrs., #169509......$409,500 JD S780 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 362 hrs., 234 Sep hrs., #171003......$419,500 JD S780 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 519 hrs., 397 Sep hrs., #183792......$425,400 JD S780 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 554 hrs., 373 Sep hrs., #181757......$429,900 JD S780 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 580 hrs., 315 Sep hrs., #179653......$435,900 JD S780 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Tracks, 315 hrs., 240 Sep hrs., #182067 ....$509,900 JD S790 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1535 hrs., 1058 Sep hrs., #179097 .$315,400 JD S790 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 965 hrs., 683 Sep hrs., #171378......$389,500 JD S790 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Tracks, 522 hrs., 392 Sep hrs., #181663 .....$514,900
ROUND BALERS
6 JD 568 2010, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, 5 ft Bale Width, 12,200 Bale Count, #181866 ...................................................................................$25,400 17 JD 569 2014, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 5 ft Bale Width, 15560 Bale Count, #179194 ....................................................................................$25,900 5 JD 569 2013, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 5 ft Bale Width, 18000 Bale Count, #172972 ....................................................................................$30,900 10 JD 569 2016, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 5 ft Bale Width, 9800 Bale Count, #181002 ......................................................................................$31,400 6 JD 569 2016, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 5 ft Bale Width, 5085 Bale Count, #180947 ......................................................................................$42,400 11 JD 458 Silage Special 2010, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 540, 4 ft Bale Width, 17700 Bale Count, #185382 ..........................................................$15,995 10 JD 460M 2018, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 4 ft Bale Width, 10000 Bale Count, #185644 ........................................................................$35,900 10 JD 469 Silage Special 2014, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 4 ft Bale Width, 6300 Bale Count, #184426 ............................................................$36,500 6 Claas 480RC 2017, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrapping, PTO: 540, 4 ft Bale Width, Precut Knives, 5165 Bale Count, #179187...............................................................$31,500 11 Vermeer 504 Pro 2013, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrapping, PTO: 540, 4 ft Bale Width, Precut Knives, 8500 Bale Count, #185154...................................................$22,900 10 JD 560M 2018, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 5 ft Bale Width, 7600 Bale Count, #181057 ......................................................................................$41,500 6 JD 569 Silage Special 2013, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 5 ft Bale Width, 9540 Bale Count, #177861 ............................................................$29,400 10 JD 569 Silage Special 2015, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 540, 5 ft Bale Width, 3300 Bale Count, #178210 ............................................................$41,500
10 JD 854 Silage Special 2013, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 5 ft Bale Width, Precut Knives, 6000 Bale Count, #181465.....................................$27,900 2 NH BR7060 2011, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrapping, PTO: 540, 4 ft Bale Width, Precut Knives, 7300 Bale Count, #169262...............................................................$23,900 6 Krone Comprima V180XC T 2016, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 4 ft Bale Width, Precut Knives, 7450 Bale Count, #182694 ..................$43,900 10 NH Rollbelt 460 2016, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrapping, PTO: 1000, 4 ft Bale Width, 12800 Bale Count, #185645 ..........................................................$26,500 3 1 4 7 6 10 3 14 6 3 1 2 7
DISKS
3 JD 650 1997, 32 ft, 3-Section Folding, #185256 ..................................................$18,000 10 JD 2620 2014, 26 ft, 3-Section Folding, 9” Spacing, #185638 .............................$31,500
MULCH TILLERS
4 JD 714 2004, 16 ft, Rigid, #183963 .......................................................................$11,400 7 JD 714 2003, 16 ft, Rigid, #185613 .......................................................................$15,900
MOWER CONDITIONERS
6 JD 956 2015, #180948 ...........................................................................................$35,900 10 NH H7230 2015, #176984 ....................................................................................$22,400
4561 Hwy. 212
1035 35th Ave. NE
(2) = HOWARD LAKE (5) = GLENWOOD 5845 Keats Ave. SW
1710 N. Franklin
(3) = STEWART
(6) = SAUK CENTRE
78412 Co. Rd. 20
1140 Centre St.
3708 Baptist Church Rd.
(8) = PAYNESVILLE
16069 Hwy. 27 E.
725 Lake Ave. S.
1120 2nd St. NW
(10) = LITTLE FALLS (13) = BAXTER (11) = WADENA 62505 US Hwy. 10
7045 Foley Rd.
WINDROWERS
8 JD R450 2013, Hay Head, 16ft Platform, Rubber/Urethane Conditioner, 802 hrs., #185157 ................................................................................................................$112,900 6 JD W235 2016, Hay Head, 16ft Platform, Rubber/Urethane Conditioner, 937 hrs., #185653 ................................................................................................................$123,400
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! CALL (7) = ALEXANDRIA (9) = PRINCETON (12) = AITKIN (4) = ST. CLOUD (1) = GLENCOE 320-763-4220 5005 Co. Rd. 82 SE
RIPPERS
Wil-Rich 513, 2018, #176831 .............................................................................$56,900 Case IH 690 2014, #181988 .................................................................................$17,000 JD 2700 2008, #167873 ........................................................................................$12,842 JD 2700 2003, #183667 ........................................................................................$12,900 JD 2700 2004, #172537 ........................................................................................$15,900 JD 2700 2009, #178024 ........................................................................................$21,500 JD 2730 2015, #167250 ........................................................................................$50,900 JD 2730 2015, #182531 ........................................................................................$74,000 JD 2730 2016, #176994 ........................................................................................$75,900 JD 2730 2019, #168106 ........................................................................................$89,500 JD 2730 2020, #180777 ........................................................................................$98,900 Kuhn Krause 4855 Dominator 2016, #181415.............................................$54,900 Wil-Rich SOILPRO 513 2013, #177784.............................................................$37,900
TODAY! (320)365-1653 (14) = ELBOW LAKE
(16) = BENSON
(15) = MORRIS
(17) = MADISON
110 2nd St. NE
23604 State Hwy. 9
380 Atlantic Ave. 516 1st St. E
SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
Could a retrofit be the right fit for you?
CRP changes requires resubmission of offers By Steve Frericks
County Executive Director Stearns County FSA Office
Retrofitting a dairy barn with a new DeLaval parlor milking system P500 has been a popular choice to make upgrades more affordable compared to building new.
Find out today! SCAN HERE
Connect with a DeLaval representative today to see if a retrofit is the right fit for you.
www.delaval.com
Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Kramer Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United Dairy Systems, Inc. West Union, IA 563-422-5355 WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713
DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI 866-335-2825 Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267 Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029 Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, SD 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015 S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2021 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. Nothing in this document shall constitute a warranty or guaranty of performance. www.delaval.com
Haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program acres is authorized under certain conditions to provide emergency relief to livestock producers due to certain natural disasters. Drought conditions are tough for our livestock producers, but emergency haying and grazing use of CRP acres can provide temporary relief to these producers. Emergency haying and grazing of CRP acres may be authorized within a county to provide relief to livestock producers in areas affected by a severe drought or similar natural disaster. Emergency haying and grazing status is reviewed and authorized each Thursday using the U.S. Drought Monitor. Counties are eligible for emergency haying and grazing due to drought conditions on a county by county basis, when a county is designated as level D2 DroughtSevere according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. CRP contract holders who would like to use this option must contact the county Farm Service Agency ofce prior to conducting any haying or grazing activity and receive written approval. To date, 61 counties in Minnesota have triggered eligibility for emergency haying and grazing on CRP acres. A list by state and map of eligible counties are updated weekly and available on FSA’s website. Producers who don’t meet the drought monitor qualications but have a 40% loss of forage production may also be eligible for emergency haying and grazing outside of the primary nesting season. CRP participants requesting emergency or nonemergency haying and grazing must le a request with their county FSA ofce indicating the acres to be hayed or grazed before the activity begins. Emergency haying and grazing is authorized on all practices outside the primary nesting season. The primary nesting season in Minnesota goes through Aug. 1. Counties that trigger for Livestock Forage Disaster Program payments based on the U.S. Drought Monitor may hay only certain practices on less than 50% of eligible contract acres. Producers should contact their local FSA county ofce for eligible CRP practices. Before CRP acres are declared eligible for haying or grazing, a modied conservation plan developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service or a technical service provider must be obtained. The modied conservation plan must be site specic, include the authorized duration and reect local wildlife needs and concerns. The primary purpose must be to maintain vegetative cover, minimize soil erosion and protect water quality and wildlife habitat quality. These plans must ensure no long-term damage to the conservation cover is caused. Eligible practices for emergency haying and grazing include those implemented under State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement such as CP38E SAFEGrass when such activity is specically outlined in the SAFE agreement. Contact your local ofce for state specic restrictions related to SAFE. Acres ineligible for both emergency and nonemergency haying and grazing include acres devoted to useful life easements; land within 20 feet of a stream or other permanent water body; and any acres where haying and or grazing would cause long-term damage to the CRP cover. For more information on CRP haying and grazing visit fsa.usda.gov/crp or contact a FSA county ofce. To locate your FSA ofce, visit farmers.gov/servicelocator. 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 Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 23
A new herd in town
Rochester baseball team embraces dairy night By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ROCHESTER, Minn. – For one night, Rochester’s amateur baseball team took on a different name and look. On July 13, the Rochester Honkers became the Honkers Herd and donned cow printed jerseys for dairy night. This is the 28th year the team has partnered with the Olmsted County American Dairy Association to have one game during the season dedicated to all things dairy.
“I think the night went fantastic,” said Jeremy Aagard, general manager for the Rochester Honkers team. “I grew up in central Minnesota so a lot of my friends growing up were dairy farmers. It’s very familiar to me and it made me feel at home.” Although this event is not new, this is the rst year the team wore the Holstein-colored shirts. “The players thought they were amazing,” Aagard said about the jerseys. “It’s something different, and they
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Rochester Honkers baseball team members gather around and watch as their eld manager, Paul Weidner, milks a cow with the help of Wabasha County Dairy Princess Mia Dose and Dodge County Dairy Princess Kat Thoe July 13 during the 28th dairy night in Rochester, Minnesota.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Megan and Jacob Gochnauer hold their two cows prior to the cow milking contest at the 28th dairy night at the Rochester Honkers baseball game July 13 in Rochester, Minnesota. The Gochnauers milk eight cows in West Concord, Minnesota.
T BES UES VAL
TRACTORS Case IH 600 Quad Track Tractor, 2013, 1,200 Hours JD 2750, Cab, 4wd Tractor w/245 Ldr., Bucket, & Skid Steer Adap. Massey Ferguson 150 2WD, Platform, Gas, Turf Tires, Consign Massey Ferguson 1740M, Cab, Compact Tractor w/loader, 65 Hrs. New Holland TD95D, 4WD, Cab w/820TL Loader
COMBINES & HEADS
Gleaner S97 Combine, 2018, 20.8R42 Duals, 1001 Sep, Gleaner S77 Combine, 2012 Duals, 1,670 Sep, 2373 E. Hrs Gleaner R75 Combine, 2004 Duals, 1982 Sep, 2,719 E, Very Nice Combine Gleaner R52 Combine, 1998, 24.5-32, 2022 sep hrs., 3180 eng Gleaner R52 Combine, 1992, Singles, 2871 sep hrs. Gleaner 520 Flex Head, R mounts., SCH sickle Gleaner 500-20 Flex Head, R Mounts, Needs Work, Sold As Is Gleaner 3000 630R Corn Head, 2008 Gleaner 3000 630R Corn Head, 2012 Gleaner 3000 830R Corn Head, 2004 Gleaner 313 w/Renn 5 Belt Pickup Header, Will Fit Newer LTL Combines Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head, 8 Row 30” Gl Mounts Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head, 8 Row 30” JD Mount Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head, 8 Row 30” NH/Case IH Mount, ‘08
SKIDS, TRACK LOADERS, & EXCAVATORS
Bobcat T595 Track Loader, 2018, Cab, AC, 2-Speed, H/F Ctrls, 606 Hrs. Bobcat 341 Excavator, 2000 w/3’ Bucket, Cab w/Heat Bobcat V623 Telehandler, 2003 w/Pallet Forks & 90” Bucket, 1,180 Hrs. Bobcat 5600 Toolcat, 2005 Deere 320e Skid Steer, Cab, AC, 2-Speed, Power Attach, 4,400 Hrs. Mustang 2044 Skid Steer, 2002 w/Single Pin Attach, 3,195 Hrs Mustang 2700V Skid Steer, 2012, Cab, heat, 2 Spd., 2,000 Hrs.
thought it was unique. They looked nice. … We were asked about a dozen times about when we would be selling them.” Just under 1,000 people passed through the gates and had the opportunity to meet Dodge County and Olmsted County dairy princesses, along with Brenna Connelly, Princess Kay of the Milky Way, who felt at home in her home
Vermeer 504 Pro Cutter Round Baler, 2016 w/6,700 bales Krone BP4x4XC 4x4 Large Square Baler, 2012, 19,000 Bales Krone Swadro 810 Rotary Rake, 2-Point Mount H&S HDX 14 Wheel Rake H&S BF8H 8 Wheel Bi-Fold Hydraulic Fold H&S 12 wheel hi-Cap rake w/center kicker wheel John Deere 930 Mower Conditioner, 11’ w/Flails John Deere 946 Mower Conditioner, 2-Point Mount, 2013 Art’s Way 240c Stalk Chopper, 2015, 20’ Witdth, Low Acres United Farm Tools 210 Bale Grinder
county. This year’s game also had three stations for attendees: a calf to pet, a milk and cookies treat, and a cow hat. “It was good exposure for dairy farmers,” said DeeDee Hart, an Olmsted County ADA member and a dairy farmer from Byron. “It’s meant to be a fun night. It’s a way of promoting dairy products and getting the community involved. It gives an opportunity for inter-
action and conversation.” Between innings, the Rochester Honkers promotion team also had dairy-related games for select attendees. “We are putting a focused effort on building the entertainment value outside of just the baseball,” Aagard said. “I think that’s what a lot of people Turn to HONKERS | Page 25
Let’s build a great team
ROW CROP, DRILLS & SPRAYERS
Hardi Navigator 4000, 2012, 90’ Boom,120” axle, 5500 rate controller Hardi Navigator 4000, 2014 80’ Boom, sus. axle, 5500 rate controler Hardi Navigator 1000M w/60’ Boom, Foam, Flush N Rinse, Chem. Inductor Great Plains YP1225-24 Twin Row 30” Planter, Finger Pick-Up. 400 Gal LF John Deere 1535 Bean Drill, No-Till Coulters, Markers John Deere 1750 6r30 Planter, Vac Meter, LF, Trash Cleaners White 8516 16-Row 30” Planter Central Fill, 600 Gal. Lq Fert. White 9222VE 12R30” Planter, 400 Gal LF, Row Cleaner & No-Till Coulter
GRAIN CARTS & WAGONS
H&S 7+4 Twin Auger 16 Forage Box, 612 H&S Gear H&S 16’ Forage Box w/612 Gear, Model XL99 H&S 16’ Forage Box w/612 Gear, Model XL99 H&S 501 16’ Forage Box With 612 Gear Notch 10-Ton Running Gear & 9x16 Wood Flat Rack. 9.5L-15 Tires Brent 470 Grain Cart Brent 880 Grain Cart w/Diamond Tires, Roll Tarp, Scale Ready Mauer Head Trailer, narrow front, 30’
MANURE SPREADERS
New Idea 3632 Spreader, Tandem Axle w/Truck Tires H&S 2606 vertical beater spreader H&S 5126 Topshot Manure Spreader, 19Lx16.1 Tires, 2011 Knight Pro Twin Slinger 8040 Spreader, 28L-26 Tires
GRAIN EQUIPMENT
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ConƟnued from HONKERS | Page 23 are drawn to because not everyone’s a baseball fan, but there are a lot of people who like to have fun so that’s our focus.” The evening also included the always-popular cow milking contest after the third inning. Megan and Jacob Gochnauer, who milk eight cows near West Concord, brought two of their cows, Muskogee and Beatrice, to be the stars of the contest. “We had a blast bringing the cows to the Honkers game for dairy night,” Megan Gochnauer said. “Seeing community members who rarely see cattle
enjoying the cows and calves is so refreshing. It’s a huge reminder of why we do what we do with so much community outreach on our farm. There’s nothing better than seeing a child learn about food sources or a consumer make a positive connection of how much farmers truly appreciate their cattle.” Honkers eld manager Paul Weidner faced off against the eld manager of the opposing team from Waterloo, Iowa. After an intense minute of milking, Weidner was declared the winner. So far in dairy night history, the Honkers eld manager has gone undefeated
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Dodge County Dairy Princesses Kat Thoe (leŌ) and Gabriela Espinoza prepare to hand out cow hats to fans before the start of the Rochester Honkers baseball game July 13 in Rochester, Minnesota.
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How can we be more inclusive? Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
The United States is a melting pot, bringing together a diverse group of people working to achieve their American dream. And within our great nation, the dairy industry is the epitome of this movement. The dairy community is woven together with the most hard-working, vision-seeking individuals I have ever met. Whether a young, rst-generation dairyman or woman, or someone with the drive to carry on their family’s century farm through the niche of on-farm processing, the opportunities available to the people who have a desire to milk cows is limitless. The industry has evolved to meet consumers’ demand for dairy products both in the United States and for our international marketplaces. With this growth, more individuals than ever before are involved in the food supply chain – from farm workers, processing plant employees, distributors and everyone in between. As diverse and progressive as the industry as a whole is, I urge you to think of our missed opportuni-
ties, specically with the people who are arguably the unsung heroes of our community. How can we be more inclusive and accepting of their cultures, their goals and the value they bring to each aspect of getting dairy products on the dinner plates of American families? This spring, AgriSafe Network released a report from a think tank project that took place in November 2020. The objective of the virtual workshop was to recognize racism as a public health crisis and explore the impacts of racism on the agricultural workforce all in an effort to develop emerging themes for the network to address in various capacities moving forward. The network is a non-prot organization based in Iowa that represents health professionals and educators who strive to reduce health disparities in the agriculture community. Think tank participants were asked to identify themselves by gender, race and ethnicity, as well as a home state to which they were registered for the in-
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Dairy exports: The opportunity to feed the world Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 27
As an industry, we talk about our efforts to build trust and drive demand for dairy in our local communities, states and regions. While this is an essential part of what we do, it is just as important to discuss dairy’s opportunities outside of our borders, specically as it relates to exports. Why do exports matter to farmers in the Midwest? The simple answer: There are more people to feed throughout the world, and with growing dairy production in the United States, we can meet this rising need. Exports are essential for the entire dairy supply chain. 95% of the world’s population lives outside of the United States, most in areas that are seeking out dairy products and other ingredients that provide much needed By Bob Lefebvre protein. Many of these counVice president tries cannot meet the demands, of agricultural providing opportunity for U.S. affairs, Midwest dairy as we continue to see milk Dairy production grow year after year. According to the U.S. Dairy Export Council, over the last decades, U.S. milk production has increased 15%, or 1.4% per year on average since 2000. That increase is because dairy farmers are good at what they do. Not only has milk production per cow risen, but each hundredweight of milk contains more fat, protein and lactose than ever before. Due to these increases in production, we’ve been generating more milk at a rate faster than demand in our country, creating a surplus that needs to nd a home. Exports are the solution to the benet of the entire industry. Today, exports are at a record high, with 1 of 6 tankers leaving American farms ending up in dairy products and ingredients exported and sold overseas, including milk that is produced in the Midwest. Virtually every processor in our region is directly exporting or working through partners to export dairy, which means almost every farmer’s milk (or a component of it) is going overseas. And the market prospects are just beginning. With continued urbanization, a growing middle class and rising awareness of the health benets of dairy in places like Southeast Asia, the opportunities have just started to be tapped for America’s dairy farmers. That is why USDEC has invested specically in that region with the newly opened Center of Dairy Excellence in Singapore, which focuses on understanding the needs in that market and identifying new opportunities for U.S. dairy to meet those needs. With these efforts, U.S. dairy exports crossed the $1 billion mark to this market in 2020, exceeding China,
South Korea and Japan combined. Southeast Asia also rose in volume by 25% over 2019, moving ahead of Mexico as a top export destination in 2020, with a huge percentage of that market still untapped for U.S. dairy. There is also continued growth in the Middle East, North Africa and China where exports are up 12% over last May, showing that there is room for dairy products overseas as ports continue to open and supply chain issues are resolved coming out of the coronavirus pandemic. The other major growth driver for dairy internationally is due to dairy’s efforts toward equitable and sustainable food systems. Dairy not only plays a key role in nutrition but also environmental stewardship and is leading the way for agriculture. With dairy’s FARM initiative, 2050 sustainability goals, Net Zero
initiative, as well as the industry’s commitment to food insecurity, we are showcasing to the world how dairy is an environmental solution when it comes to healthy people, planet and communities. As farmers continue to nd new ways to be innovative in the areas of nutrition, animal care and sustainability, milk production will continue to grow, and the international market will be essential for the entire dairy supply chain. The good news is that the dairy checkoff is hard at work to not only increase demand and trust domestically, which will continue to be a top priority, but also to open markets across the globe. While the opportunities in exports will continue to drive dairy demand, what’s even more inspiring is that dairy farmers in the Midwest are working to feed and nourish the world. That is something that can make farmers extremely proud.
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968 Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357 Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 Emma Severns sever575@umn.edu 507-934-7828 Melissa Wison mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Navigating nitrate toxicity in feedstuffs This summer is exceptional in the Upper Midwest. We are battling our way through a remarkable lack of rain early in the season for a prolonged period. Naturally, this has many producers taking off ball caps and kicking the dirt in frustration. Many livestock producers will look their animals in the eye and ponder, “What am I going to feed you?” Any producer can tell you not every bale of hay, pasture or bunker of corn silage is the same. This difference in small grains or forage quality becomes even more evident when feedstuffs withstand drought stress. Under normal conditions, plants uptake nitrogen from the soil as nitrate. However, little nitrate accumulates in the plant due to its conversion of nitrate into amino acids and proteins. Under drought stress, the plant takes up more nitrate than it converts to protein, resulting By Dana Adams in abnormally high nitrate levels. Crops caU of M pable of high levels of nitrate accumulation include corn, small grains, Sudangrass and sorghum. Concerning how we feed our cattle, excessive nitrates in the diet can have serious repercussions. Nitrogen is one of the base components of many organic materials. In the cow’s diet, nitrogen can be found in water, grain and forage, meaning there are many possible sources for excessive nitrates. Are the excessive nitrates coming from the water, the small grains or the forage component of the ration? Is it a combined effect from all of them? It can be somewhat of a puzzle. So, what does nitrate toxicity look like in a herd? Acute toxicity may result in serious illness or death due to a lack of oxygen in body tissues. Nitrate is reduced to nitrite in the rumen. When absorbed into the bloodstream, nitrite combines with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin, which cannot carry oxygen to tissues. Subclinical toxicity from nitrates manifests as reduced reproductive efciency and lower weight gains with or without decreased feed intake. When pouring over your records, you may see a pattern of services per conception and rst service conception rates noticeably affected, resulting in more repeat breedings. Previously, I spoke about methemoglobin formation and its inability to carry oxygen. What may be observable to the producer would be an increased respiration rate (i.e., panting). This panting also could happen with heat stress or cyanide toxicity. A lab test of forages could build a more detailed picture, even answering suspicions regarding nitrate toxicity. In many ways, farming revolves around learning and adapting to some extent. Nitrates primarily accumulate in the lower stems and leaves of corn, sorghum, small grains, grasses and
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weeds. If you anticipate nitrates will be a problem, avoid harvesting the stalk or stem portions of the plant. Regarding nitrate toxicity, many producers may be unaware that grazing heavily fertilized elds can increase their herd’s risk of nitrate toxicity. This detrimental increase in nitrate consumption can also appear when grazing small grain elds harvested early due to drought conditions and aborted grain ll. By not grazing that tempting small grains stubble and instead looking at other strategies, we can help our cattle weather these parched conditions. After all this solemn knowledge, producers may ask, “Well, what can I do?” To start, you can reach out to your nutritionist and veterinarian to come up with a plan. Work with these professionals to address your concerns. Consider practicing several of the suggestions listed below to manage the situation effectively. – Test suspected forages for nitrate levels, preferably before feeding them. Consider re-testing suspected and high nitrate forages periodically due to signicant variations that often occur in forages throughout a bag, bunker, silo or after ensiling. – Introduce suspected or high nitrate forages gradually into the ration over 2-3 weeks to allow for adaptation. Consider ensiling because it will allow conversion of nitrate to ammonia and may reduce nitrate levels by 30% to 50%. Haymaking does not reduce the nitrate level of the forage. – Feed another forage before feeding suspected or high nitrate forage to help limit meal size. – Limit dry matter intake per single meal if stored forage contains 1,100 ppm NO3-N (nitrate-nitro- In many ways, farming gen) or more on a dry mat- revolves around learning and ter basis. adapting to some extent. – Observe animals closely for symptoms of toxicity (i.e., breathing, staggering and signs of suffocation). Check the color of mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, etc.) two hours following the start of a meal consisting of a suspected or high nitrate forage (over 1,100 ppm NO3N). Mucous membranes will turn from pink to grayish-brown at a methemoglobin content of 20% or higher in the earliest stages of toxicity. Though droughts are difcult, we can navigate hurdles and work toward solutions. I encourage you to explore options, opportunities and solutions to allow your animals to continue toward maximizing their potential. Work with your farm team, create a plan and monitor the situation. By observing forages, animals and harvest conditions, producers can commit to a system that minimizes challenges and maximizes animal performance.
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Body condition scoring still a golden standard As we approach the Summer Olympics, gold is certainly on a lot of athletes’ minds. So, what does gold have to do with body condition scores for dairy cows? Yes, cows are often viewed as athletes for the amount of milk they produce and their metabolic rates. Yet, we don’t award a gold medal to one cow for having the perfect BCS because that changes a bit with age and stage of lactation; and besides, we hope all cows are scoring in a similar way at specic time points during lactation. No, gold is involved in two other ways. First, we can refer to a dairy cow’s BCS as a Goldilocks scenario. Cows should, of course, not be too thin or too fat, but just right. Second, when it comes to measuring a cow’s energy reserves and to evaluating whether her ration exceeds, meets or lags behind her energy needs, BCS remains the gold standard. The BCS system, developed and rened by Edmonson, By Mike Schutz Ferguson and others in 1994, is the primary system used U of M in the United States for dairy cattle. Briey, it allows the assessor to assign scores from 1 (extremely thin) to 5 (extremely fat) with one-quarter point intervals for a total of 17 possible scores. This system in the U.S. is a visual-only system, while several countries prefer to use scoring systems that combine visual appraisal with palpation. However, there is little research evidence that the palpation-based systems are more accurate. Besides, it has been shown that by using the owchart training system that has been developed, assessors can quickly become accurate and efcient at scoring cows. There are several excellent training resources available on the internet. Clearly, we are not trying to manage whether the cow looks fat or thin. What we are trying to manage are the energy reserves cows carry and that they can access as needed. The recommendations for BCS typically encourage producers to aim for scores of 3 to 3.5 at dry off, remaining stable during the entire dry period, and then falling no more than .75 points to 2.25 to 2.75 during peak milk production, and then recovering again to 3 to 3.5 as dry off approaches. Of course, there are some breed differences, with high genetic potential Holsteins usually toward the bottom of that range. This pattern follows the metabolic energy need of the cow that is not producing milk during the dry period, then quickly ramping up milk production, and then tapering off milk production with corresponding changes in energy needs. The BCS changes as the energy directed to milk production changes. In early lactation, cows generally expend more calories in milk than they can consume causing BCS to decrease. It is those changes in the cow’s energy reserves in the form of muscle and back fat thickness that change what she looks like – thinner when she is losing weight or BCS, and fatter when she is gaining weight or BCS. While it is true that the most readily available energy reserves are lipids stored as fat, muscle protein also can be tapped as an energy source during times of negative energy balance. Most often, we think of BCS as depicting changes in backfat, but BCS is also indicative of muscle loss as well. Think of this in a similar way to why livestock judges physically examine muscling when judging sheep. When you see a sheep from a distance, it is hard to know whether the sheep is rounder due to its frame or its wool coat. BCS is depicted of both the musculature and fat covering of the cow. A recent study in Greece by Siachos et al. (published in Animals) showed the importance of both backfat and muscle in transition dairy cows assigned a BCS and then ultrasonically scanned at several times from two months before to one month after calving. Across the range of BCS scores, each change of 1 BCS, ffor example from 2.5 to 3.5, resulted in an increase of What we are trying to manage 8.2 mm of backfat and 10.9 are the energy reserves cows mm of longissimus dorsi (rib eye) thickness. carry and that they can access muscle Given the relative thickness of each, they found that the as needed. rrate of change is nearly four ttimes greater for backfat than for muscle for a given change in BCS. However, they also found that for a given BCS score, the range of back fat thickness and muscle thickness was wide. Therefore, this study further supported that within normal ranges of BCS, the change in BCS is probably more important than the actual BCS, which has been suspected for some time. Interestingly, the authors of the Greek study pointed out that based on the thickness of backfat and longissimus dorsi muscle, it appears that rst lactation cows are typically assigned a higher BCS than older cows, which they attributed to smaller frame size. With the advent of image-based automatic BCS systems, it is encouraging that ongoing research around the world continues to establish the validity of BCS as a management tool on farms. These systems continue to use visual appraisal as the gold standard and extend the abilities to notice changes in BCS quickly by allowing BCS scores to be assigned to cows every day with no bias from assessors anticipating why the cow’s BCS may be changing. Given this increased frequency and ability to map the BCS of cows day to day, more data to support decisions is available. Timing of feeding group assignment, early detection of metabolic disorders or disease, and properly timed breeding and dry off are among the decisions that automatic BCS tracking can support in addition to general feed management to optimize milk production and energy balance.
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4-H softball disciples Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
In the beginning, there was just the game, and the game was very good. This was before the game was taken over by pampered millionaires, men who make headlines by shooting off their mouths or by being paparazzied with a beautiful young lady who is not their wife. For me and my neighborhood chums, the game became incarnate in the form of 4-H softball. But softball was more than a mere pastime for us. It was a higher calling to which we committed our entire beings, a theology we embraced with unbounded devotion. And we played for free with nary a thought of being paid. Simply playing the game was reward enough. A warm summer evening of softball followed by a post-game Dairy Queen strawberry malt were all we needed. It was a simpler time. Oh, sure, we did other 4-H stuff besides playing
softball. We held meetings, had horticultural and livestock projects and other sundry things. But these activities were a coverup, a bit of subterfuge employed to conceal the true purpose of 4-H, namely, to participate in epic games of softball. There were enough farm kids in our neighborhood to eld two softball teams. The Little Team, which was made up of grade schoolers, and the Big Team, comprised of high school boys along with a smattering of the more talented junior high boys. All of the little kids dreamed of someday making it onto the Big Team. We softball disciples practiced with fanatical devotion. We ate, drank and slept the game. We spent untold hours analyzing nuances and meditating on how we might attain a higher plane of play. In my humble estimation, I was the best right elder on our team. If only our coach could have somehow seen this.
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When I reached the seventh grade, I felt I was ready for the Big Team. I eventually got to play right eld on the Big Team a few times, but not because of my athletic abilities. It was more a matter of perseverance – I kept begging the coach to put Dear County Agent Guy me in – plus the fact that there were times when the Big Team didn’t have enough players. By the time I started high school, our team had changed and matured. But the most profound transguration was the advent of the windmill pitch. Softball was By Jerry Nelson traditionally pitched Columnist underhand. The pitcher generally cocks his arm back and lets the ball y. The ball generally moseys toward home plate as if it has all day. That all changed one post-game evening when a wise man – well, we thought he was pretty smart – stopped by the diamond and started preaching the gospel of windmill pitching. Windmill pitching works about like it sounds. Instead of lobbing the ball in a lazy arc, the pitcher rapidly whirls his arm a full revolution before releasing the ball. The throwing arm spins at such speeds that it appears it might y off and land some distance away. With practice, though, windmill pitching can yield a blistering fastball. And practice is what my cousin, Greg, must have done. When the next softball season arrived, he was throwing windmill pitches that smoked past the batter like little white cannon balls. The ball would thump into the catcher’s mitt with such force that the catcher would often skid backward several feet. Not everyone was happy with this new and radical pitching ideology. Opposing coaches would protest that windmill pitching was heresy, that Greg’s windup constituted a balk. Umpires would inch at Greg’s pitches and call them mostly on blind faith. Heretofore pious batters began to spout blasphemies following their futile efforts at hitting Greg’s scorching fastballs. Because no batter could connect with Greg’s pitches, playing the eld was a breeze. We outelders had ample time to practice our vociferous incantation which went: “Hey, batter, batter, swing, batter!” This chant worked so well that no balls ever made it out to me in right eld. Ah, ‘twas rapturous! The smell of the emerald grass, the aroma of cowhide, the grunt and the whiff as yet another batter furiously fanned the balmy air. Hooting from the safety of right eld that the batter should have started his swing yesterday. Such was the stuff that kept the faith alive and justied all of our sacrices. I doubt if Greg would have signed on had there been such a thing as a professional softball league back then. He, like me, believed you cannot put a price on something as sacred as the game that is known as 4-H softball. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@ dairystar.com.
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Managing drought-stressed corn silage
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 31
Some areas of the Upper Midwest have received ideal moisture this growing season. If that’s you, count your blessings. Spotty rain and near-record heat have led to severe or extreme drought in other areas. Harvesting and feeding drought-stressed corn silage can be a challenge, but, for many Something to Ruminate On producers, it will be necessary to feed cattle in the year ahead. The ideal temperatures for corn are 86 degrees during the day and 50 degrees at night. Drought and heat stress are most likely to negatively impact corn’s yield potential during pollination and grain ll. Drought impacts corn By Barry Visser pollination in two ways. Nutritionist Silking begins with the ovules at the butt end of the ear and moves up the ear as the process continues. Because silks are mainly composed of water, drought can reduce the growth rate and emergence from the ear tip. Silk emergence may be delayed and miss the pollen, or silks may shrivel to the point where they are not receptive to pollination, resulting in completely barren ears. If moisture alleviates drought conditions during pollination, some ears may partially ll. Drought stress can also accelerate pollen shed, leading to increased potential for a lack of synchronization. The leaves of water-stressed corn will usually curl, reducing photosynthesis and, subsequently, the amount of nutrients provided to developing kernels. Kernel abortion can occur when successful pollination is followed by drought or heat stress and is usually more frequent at the ear tip. Drought or heat stress is most likely to cause kernel abortion during the rst two weeks after pollination. Aborted or poorly lled kernels will be small, shrunken and an off-white color. Moisture is key in determining when to harvest drought-stressed corn for silage. A recommendation is 62% to 68% moisture. Corn harvested too wet will result in excessive seepage and very high acetic acid fermentations. Harvesting when too dry will compromise packing, restrict fermentation and lead to spoilage issues at feed out. If harvested at the correct moisture, droughtstressed corn silage will ferment well. Follow normal, good harvesting practices. Visual estimates of moisture content are generally misleading and inaccurate. The plant may look dry but contain signicant moisture in the stalk, and different soil conditions can cause signicant moisture variation across elds. Moisture should be monitored closely because it can drop quickly in drought-stressed corn. If it rains when harvest is close or happening, check moisture content again as the plant is likely to pull up moisture if it’s alive. Typically, drought stress affects corn silage yields more than quality. Drought-stressed corn will likely be higher in protein and some minerals and lower in starch (energy). Fiber content will be elevated in droughtstressed corn silage, but its digestibility is usually higher. Drought-stunted, low-grain corn silage tends to be less dense, so truck and silo capacities are often lower. Because of the lower grain content, drought-stressed corn will be less responsive to kernel processing. Get a forage test when feeding drought-stressed corn silage so rations can be effectively adjusted. Elevated nitrate concentrations are common in drought-stressed corn crops. The potential for high nitrate levels is greatest in young plants, especially their stalks, and in heavily manured elds receiving high nitrogen application. The potential is generally greatest for three to four days following a drought-ending rain but can be a problem at any time. Nitrate testing is cheap and should be used regularly on questionable feeds. Leaving a 12-inch stubble in the eld can reduce
nitrates, but it will also reduce yields and may not be desirable unless a forage test conrms the presence of high levels of nitrates. Ensiling can reduce nitrate concentrations by 30% to 60%; grazing and green-chopping drought-stressed corn is not recommended. High nitrates can contribute to animal feed problems and deadly silo gas, so be especially cautious when lling silos with drought-stressed crops. Silo gas is produced when nitrates are converted to nitrogen dioxide during the rst four to ve days after silo lling. Because it is heavier than air, silo gas can form in the silo and escape down the unloading chute into the barn. Silo gas is dangerous to both cattle and humans, causing severe lung injury or death due to the formation of nitric acid in the lungs. To avoid exposure to silo gases, close the door between the feed room and barn, ventilate the silo by running the blower for at least 30 minutes before entering the silo, and learn to recognize the bleach-like odor and
yellow-orange color as signals of silo gas. Never work alone. Be sure someone is around and able to quickly call 911 if exposure occurs. Caution should be taken in less conned spaces such as bags, bunkers and piles as silo gases can be present here as well. Harvesting corn silage from plants that produce little or no grain is a cost-effective way to source forages and may be an opportunity to procure acres intended for corn grain. Engage in proactive conversations with neighboring crop farms to seek out additional acres needed to fulll corn silage requirements. The varied conditions of this year’s corn crop will make pricing corn silage difcult. Consider harvesting and hauling costs as well as the moisture content when pricing corn silage. Work with your nutritionist to determine the maximum price you can afford to pay given the other forage and non-forage options available. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
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Everyone needs rest Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
God has a funny sense of humor, and his timing is perfect. As the priest started to deliver his Sunday homily, I closed my eyes to focus on the words. Mark thought I was asleep and elbowed me with glee. He couldn’t believe that I fell asleep rst. Because I wasn’t going back to a deep mediation after that jolt, I started to hear the words being preached. “Everyone needs rest.” It was all I could do to restrain myself from elbowing Mark to make sure he was hearing the same words. The priest talked about his favorite place to go where he could rest and recharge. Again, he said we all need rest even when we feel we are too busy. We all need to nd our place where we can rest. If I didn’t hear the message on Sunday, I heard it loud and clear when I was watching a movie trailer. “You’re working too hard, and rest isn’t about not being busy. Rest is knowing why you breathe.”
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Where is the space you can breathe deeply and exhale all the stress stored up in your body? Most people think they need to be on a vacation in order to rest and relax. A girlfriend told me you have to travel out of state for a trip to be called a vacation. I say we have to venture more than 30 miles from our driveway to call a getaway a vacation. Still, we can nd those peaceful, restful places as close as home. When we started back up with milking in March, the regular routine of how things had always been done was nally broken. Now we could start a new routine, and move in a different direction because we were starting with a clean slate. Because we could do things differently, I suggested to Mark that I would need to take a day or two off every month to recharge. (I wanted both of us to take time off, but I had to take baby steps with my request.) He looked at me like I said I would only work one or two days a month.
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Now I grew up with my dad preaching, “Work hard, then you can play hard.” So, working hard isn’t an issue. Getting to play sometimes is. I needed to have a carrot dangling in front of me with the promise of time off to get through the daily routine. Most normal years that wouldn’t be a Just Thinking Out Loud problem. This year, it is. Driving down our road to town is deceiving. The lush full rows of edible beans and potato elds, the tasseling corn and the regrowth of alfalfa elds give the impression we are having a year with timely rains. We are not. Irrigation pivots have been running non-stop By Natalie Schmitt since the beginning of Columnist June. Where the water from the pivots misses the corners of the elds, the reality of how dry it is slaps us in the face. The corn is twisted as tight as a calf’s switch. There is only a tinge of faded green left in the plants as the bottom leaves start to re. I’m afraid the plants will crumble beneath the slightest touch. The lack of rain weighs heavily on the farmers in our area. Mark has been kept busy switching pivots and starting traveling guns to provide enough feed for our growing herd. The barn is half full with 42 milking heifers. We could be up to 70 head by the end of the year. The pressure to keep things moving forward is constantly on Mark’s radar, blocking his chance to rest and breathe for any extended period of time. Mark says once it rains, then we can think about getting away for a vacation. Well, it hasn’t rained, and we haven’t had any time to get away. Michael had vacation days he had to use or lose this month, so he offered to use them by working on the farm. He works from home in front of computer screens, so the physical work on the farm would be a great vacation from his routine. He knew we could use a break from our routine as well. I said go as fast as Mark said no. Mark knew he couldn’t leave for a couple of days without any rain in sight. My next career is going to be negotiations. I suggested we take day trips to visit friends or explore new areas, allowing Mark the chance to keep things wet, Michael the chance to milk cows, and me the chance to get some play time in with Mark. Now to nd those places to breath and rest. On these hot, dry days, I dream about being in the middle of a lake with a lifejacket on, oating with the sh. Being on or near the water is where I nd rest and peace. Even without getting away, we can nd those moments around home. For us, it is riding the four-wheeler after a hot night in the barn to cool off. Parked up on the hill, we can surround ourself with a view of lush elds that takes our breath away as the sunset washes the sky in colors found on an artist’s pallet. The tree row silhouette dividing heaven and earth. The sound of silence and peace releases the stress and tensions of the day as we start to rest and breathe. The sweet smell of fresh water and corn tasseling lls our senses. A vacation doesn’t need to be long to be helpful. You just have to take the time to rest, enjoy and breathe. May you nd your place to rest where you can breath and recharge. It may be an exotic trip for several days or a few steps to a cool spot under an old maple tree for a few minutes. The point is, everybody needs rest. 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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Grow you
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 33
QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT
Dairy farmers talk a lot about growth: how our crops are growing (or not growing, as is the case this year); how our calves and heifers are growing; and, hopefully, how our balance sheets are growing. The one area of growth we neglect talking about, however, is our own personal growth. How are you growing? We spend much of our rst two decades – school, college, early career – in growth mode. We’re conDairy Good Life stantly learning and developing our skills. Then, once we’ve settled into farming and raising our families, we tend to settle into maintenance mode or survival mode, depending upon our circumstances. But growing you is just as important as growing everything else. Actually, I would argue that it’s more important. As humans, we benet mentally and emotionally from continuous learning and personal improvement. What are you doing right now to grow yourself? If the answer is, “I don’t know,” here are a few ideas. One of the most obvious options for fostering By Sadie Frericks personal growth is enrolling in a leadership developColumnist ment program. Despite what their titles imply, participating in a leadership development program does not require you to be in a leadership position, currently or in the future. The Young Dairy Leaders Institute, hosted by the Holstein Foundation, is the leadership development program that helped me grow the most. I applied for the yearlong program in 2014. At that time, Dan, Monika, and Daphne were 8, 6, and 2 years old; most days, I wasn’t thinking about personal growth – I was thinking about how I was going to make it through the day. But participating in YDLI was a goal I had been holding onto for a couple years. And, like many things, including starting a farm and starting a family, I gured that if I waited for the perfect time to apply for YDLI, that perfect time might never come. I was accepted into the program and committed to making the most of each phase. Long story, short, I nished the program and it was an incredible experience. I got to know dozens of amazing dairy professionals from across the country. I learned from outstanding speakers and experts. And, most importantly, I grew immensely. Personal development experts say that people can’t grow until they push themselves beyond what’s comfortable. The YDLI projects I completed pushed me outside my comfort zone and helped me see what I am capable of. For dairy farmers and other members of the dairy community, ages 22 to 45, interested in signicant personal growth, I highly recommend applying for YDLI. There are many other aagriculture-focused leaderBut growing B i you iis jjust ship programs available, as well, offered by Minnesota as important as growing Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL), our dairy everything else. cooperatives, and commodity oorganizations. IIf you’re not ready for a longer program, consider one of the countless conferences offered by various organizations. Almost every conference I’ve attended has had at least one speaker with a message focused on personal improvement. You can also grow where you are with books, audio books, and podcasts. I know dairy farmers who listen to podcasts while they do chores. I like my podcasts in the morning while I’m eating breakfast. Right now, I’m listening to a podcast by a life coach who teaches stress management through thought management. Wherever it works for you to listen or read, be intentional about the content you consume. Choose books and podcasts that move you toward your goals. Take your content intentionality one step further by curating your feeds on news apps and social media. Are you consuming whatever pops up or seeking out high quality content? Are you entertaining yourself or growing yourself? There’s nothing wrong with entertainment, but if you’re going to spend your time scrolling, adding in some meaningful content will at least help your screen time contribute to your growth. How? Choose experts over entertainers. Do a little searching within the topic in which you’re trying to improve and pick a couple experts whose messages resonate with you. One of my current favorites is a parenting coach who shares bite-size tips for becoming a better parent. Whether you prefer to learn and grow in leaps and bounds or baby steps, what’s most important is that you make moving forward a lifelong goal. “When you stop learning, you stop growing; when you stop growing, you stop living.” – Kenneth Blanchard Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children – Dan, 13, Monika, 11, and Daphne, 7. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
PRINCESS KAY FINALIST
Kuball enjoys long conversations about cows Princess Kay nalist shares upbringing with those around her By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
WATERVILLE, Minn. – Kelsey Kuball’s experience going to college in St. Paul is a lot different than the one she had while growing up in Waterville. Most people at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, where Kuball will be a sophomore this fall, have no connection to agriculture. “Every time I bring up cows, it’s about an hour-long conversation,” Kuball said. “I answer one question and it leads to another. It’s so mind blowing to people about what we do on the farm.” Kuball’s ability to communicate her dairy knowledge led her to earning a spot as one of the 10 Princess Kay of the Milky Way nalists. Her knowledge comes from growing up as the sixth generation on her family’s 240-cow dairy, now owned and
operated by her parents, Nate and Shannon Kuball. Kuball and her younger siblings, Emma and Keegan, were in charge of feeding calves during the summer and Saturdays during the school year while growing up. “We thought it was torture having to be up early in the summer,” Kuball said with a laugh. But all three Kuball children have grown to love and appreciate their farm life. Along with the calf chores, Kuball also milks cows and does eldwork when needed. Off the farm, Kuball works at a coffee shop. This is Kuball’s second year as a Rice County Dairy Princess, a role she admitted was expected of her to take on when she became eligible. “But I wanted to do it too,” she said. “I really care about the dairy industry, and I see how misrepresented it is in the media. I know being a dairy princess is the opportunity to be that face for dairy farmers who are always busy and don’t have the time they need to invest in education so we get to be that person.” Competing for a spot as a Princess Kay nalist was something Kuball did on her own ac-
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Kelsey Kuball feeds a calf on her family’s 240-cow dairy near Waterville, Minnesota.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Kelsey Kuball is represenƟng Rice County as one of the 10 nalists compeƟng for Princess Kay of the Milky. She is the daughter of Nate and Shannon Kuball, who milk 240 cows on their dairy near Waterville, Minnesota. cord. “It wasn’t as expected of me, and I really wanted to do it,” she said. “I had gone to the state fair every year since I was little. I had always seen the butterheads, and I always wanted a butterhead. That was something I thought was so cool.” In more recent years, Kuball has realized being a Princess Kay nalist is more than just having your likeness carved in butter. “Now that I’m older, I have seen what the program does and how benecial and necessary it is,” Kuball said. “It’s a big need, and I don’t think Princess Kay can fulll all of it, but I think the program and the nalists are trustworthy faces to the media.” When talking with people about dairy, Kuball likes to emphasize that milk is natural, fresh and real. “In this current climate, a big fad is natural and that’s what dairy is,” she said. “It’s natural and nutritious. We can call it a superfood.” While Kuball likes talking
to others about dairy, she said a challenge for dairy princesses is reaching an audience that is not already connected to agriculture. “I think social media is a really good way to do that,” she said. “Especially coming out of COVID-19, you can’t bring mass tours as much, and tours aren’t always feasible for people in certain areas.” Kuball said platforms like Instagram and TikTok are good for dairy princesses because they share posts with all users rather than those who are interested in the same topics. “For example, Facebook is only going to show stuff related to what you’re interested in so agriculture is only going to farmers,” Kuball said. “We need to actually nd the target audience.” One target audience Kuball likes to reach is college students. “Coming out of high school, that’s when you’re separated from your parents, the major inuences on forming your opinions, and now you’re forming
your own opinions and trying to gure out what you care about and what you believe,” Kuball said. “I think it’s a really key time and age group to reach.” If crowned as Princess Kay, Kuball said she would be excited to reach out to college students. She is also excited to nally reach her dream to have her head carved in butter. “That is the catalyst for Princess Kay, but it is not the main thing,” she said. Kuball plans to have a sweet corn dinner with her butterhead. In the future, Kuball will use her biblical and theological studies major and minor in ancient and classical languages to be in ministry or academic research; however, Kuball said whether wearing a crown or not, she will always promote dairy. “Everyone I meet likes to talk to me about dairy,” she said. “I feel like I have a great opportunity to be around people who are interested in dairy, and I have the knowledge and I can share it.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 35
PRINCESS KAY FINALIST
Johnson likes to share dairy’s sustainability story
Houston County princess to compete for title of Princess Kay By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
LA CRESCENT, Minn. – Daycare for Alaina Johnson meant going to her grandparents’ farm every day and helping with calf chores. “I loved it,” said Johnson, who is the daughter of Ryan and Tracy Johnson from Dakota, Minnesota. This is what started a snowball effect of interest in the dairy industry for Johnson, who is one of the 10 Princess Kay of the Milky Way nalists and vying for the state’s dairy princess title in August. The 19-year-old takes an active role milking cows every evening during the week and during both milking shifts on the weekends on the dairy near La Crescent. “My favorite part (about being on the farm) is working alongside family,” Johnson said. “I love milking cows with my uncle and getting that family aspect. My cousins love
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Alaina Johnson is one of the 10 nalists who will be compeƟng for the Ɵtle of Princess Kay of the Milky Way in August. Johnson is the 19-year-old daughter of Tracy and Ryan Johnson from Dakota, Minnesota. to come over and work with the calves with me and show calves at the fair. It’s a great family bonding experience.” While her grandparents, Richard and Linda, are still part
owners of the farm and still work on the 130-cow dairy, the farm is in succession with ownership being transferred to her two uncles, Paul and Luke, and her dad, Ryan. While Paul
is in charge of the daily management of the dairy, Ryan and Luke have full-time jobs off the farm and help when they are available. Being a part of her family’s
dairy is one reason she wanted to be a dairy princess. “I like to share that I’m a fourth-generation dairy farmer,” Johnson said. “This means a lot to my family to be dairy farming on our family farm.” It ts in well with telling people about the sustainability of dairy farms, she said. “I hope to continue helping out on my family farm. It is something I’m passionate about,” Johnson said. “In order to do that, we need to take care of our land and our cows in a sustainable way so we are caring for our farm the best way we can.” It is one of her favorite messages to share and one she feels is the most important for people to hear. “Dairy is responsibly produced and sustainable, and farmers are innovative and resilient,” Johnson said. “They will keep making changes to keep the environment safe and clean, and keep their farm going for generations.” On the Johnsons’ dairy farm, they reuse water up to ve times. Cover crops are also valuable to the sustainability of Turn to JOHNSON | Page 36
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
WHICH BARN IS BEST FOR YOUR HERD?
Birds just love this barn. The webs in these trusses are easy nest areas for birds. They also restrict air flow which leads to poor ventilation and moisture buildup in the building.
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The arched rafters create a more open barn allowing better ventilation. Also since there are no open webs in the trusses, there are no places for birds to nest.
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KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Alaina Johnson feeds a calf on her family’s 130-cow dairy near La Crescent, Minnesota. the Johnsons’ farm. “Cover crops are a great way to keep our land nutrient rich,” Johnson said. Another reason Johnson wanted to become a dairy princess is the ability to inform consumers about her dairy story and the good parts about dairy products. Johnson did this a lot before becoming a dairy princess while in high school. The large majority of students at La Crescent High School did not have an agricultural background. “I really loved teaching them about the dairy industry and seeing their faces light up when they realize what we actually do and how we care for our animals,” Johnson said. This is often surprising to people, Johnson said. “I say that our cows have a nutritionist, a hoof trimmer and a vet that visit our farm every other week,” Johnson said. “They are so surprised by that. They think the farmer is doing everything, working with the cows every day, which he is, but we also have professionals working alongside him to make sure our cows are receiving the best care.” In the future, Johnson wants to be one of the veterinarians working alongside farmers to care for their animals. Currently, Johnson will be a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls studying pre-vet and animal sci-
ence. In addition to being a vet in the future, Johnson wants to buy her dad’s share of her family’s dairy. In August, Johnson will compete in the Princess Kay of the Milky Way contest. As a Princess Kay nalist, Johnson will have her head carved in a 90-pound block of butter. “I am very sentimental so I’m going to keep it in the freezer as long as I can,” she said. “I will take a lot of pictures with it.” Johnson follows in the footsteps of her aunts, four of which were former Houston County dairy princess and three who went on to be Princess Kay nalists. In her current role as dairy princess, Johnson has used her skills plus what she learned while watching her aunts in the role. “My goal if I became Princess Kay would be to connect with the consumers and not only listen to what they are saying but really take in and realize we have shared values and communicate that way,” Johnson said. “Instead of thinking of it as education, think of it as a conversation with consumers. That is what I would try to do most.” Johnson said having those conversations in person are important. “I would try to get out in public,” Johnson said. “I know social media is a great tool, but face to face is so realistic and a great way to connect and actually express your shared values.”
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Women In Dairy
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 37
Stephanie Abts New Franken, Wisconsin Brown and Kewaunee counties 130 cows Family: My husband, Keith, and I run our dairy farm’s daily operations since our marriage in March 2019. Both Keith and I come from dairy farms. His parents, Dean and Mary Abts, ran the farm we are on prior to us taking over, and my parents, Paul and Tammie Nagel, run their farm near Newton, Wisconsin. Both Keith and I have three siblings each. Tell us about your farm. Our farm consists of 130 registered Holsteins, Guernseys and a few Brown Swiss-Holstein cows. We raise our youngstock including heifers and steers. We have roughly 350 head on the farm. Our cows are milked twice a day. We average 26,600 pounds of milk with a 3.7% butterfat and 2.9% protein. The cows are housed and milked in a stanchion barn with youngstock housed on bedded backs, pasture and hutches. Our steers are housed on a different farm on a bedded pack, and 90% of the steers we have are privately marketed under our Abts Champion Beef brand. Our cows are fed a partial mixed ration with the majority of the ingredients going in the mix with a small amount of grain dressed on top of the feed. This allows us to feed to each cow’s potential. We also do the eld work for 410 rented and owned acres where we grow alfalfa, corn for silage, oats, sorghum sudangrass, soybeans and grain corn. These acres provide most of our forage and grain needs. What is the busiest time of day for you? The afternoons. We start chores at 2:30 in the morning, so our evening chores start at that time as well. I work some hours off the farm doing nutrition and consulting work for Rio Creek Feed Mill, so it’s always a rush to get home for chores. Evening chores also carry the majority of our other tasks such as herd work, mixing feed, record keeping and breeding. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I enjoy gardening, showing cattle at our county fair and baking. In the summer, I also enjoy planting owers and tending to them. It is nice to always see the fruits of your harvest when you go to pick fresh vegetables or when you have the chance to can them. I also enjoy being a Farm Bureau member, going snowmobiling and being a member of the Wisconsin Holstein Association. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. At the age of 10, I purchased a young calf from my father to show at the fair. The calf wasn’t picked for its looks or pedigree, but on the basis that she was white. I have always had a soft spot for white cattle, so naturally she t my criteria. I exhibited Stephie at the Manitowoc County Fair. As a young exhibitor, I worked hard to train, tame and wash the animal just to receive a pink ribbon at the fair. This failure propelled me to do even better. I went on to win our competitive showmanship classes and developed a love for the Holstein cow and showing. Stephie lived to be 8 years old and went on to score Very Good 85. I have offspring from my rst purchase and her trophy on our desk shelf. A very memorable second experience was when we had our rst Excellent cow in our barn as a married couple. RanRose Goldsun Apache scored E90-2E last winter. It’s a privilege to work with such nice cattle on a daily basis. It fuels the passion and keeps us going. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I enjoy the people and resources that surround us. The farming industry is a close-knit community with people always willing to lend a helping hand. I have gotten to know producers and industry professionals. I enjoy networking with them and learning ideas. I approach farming in a manner as we can always improve and do better, and these resources fuel that growth. Also notable is the schedule farming allows us to set. We are not bound to a desk or an ofce. Farming requires us to be present consistently but on a schedule we choose to set. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I enjoy reading publications and magazines with my morning breakfast. It allows me to explore topics and learn more about topics in the industry. I also enjoy listening to the PDPW podcasts while I feed calves. There is a lot of good information shared weekly. Lastly, I also learn ideas and management practices from my nutrition clients. It has allowed me to step foot in many barns and situations. Many of these ideas help to better our farm. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? Two come to my mind. First would be my father, Paul. My father has been a dairy farmer his whole life. He has taught me how to take care of and treat dairy cows, market replacement cattle and how to run a successful operation. He instilled in me a hard work ethic that is carried with me today. Another individual who has touched my career is the late Randy Geiger. Randy and his wife, Rosalie, ran a successful dairy operation near Reedsville, Wisconsin. I had the pleasure to not only know Randy well but to work with him as a nutrition client and a fellow Farm Bureau member. Randy drove my involvement in Farm Bureau and always pushed me to grow the YFA program in the county. Giving back to the community was one of his many passions. I hope to learn further from that passion and mentor other youth in the industry for years to come. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? I would like to host a tour to the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin board. Every month, money is taken off our milk check to support the checkoff efforts. I would love to show them how much work and passion is put into the products we produce. I would also share with them some new marketing ideas to help everyone in the industry. Promotion is everyone’s job in agriculture, and the milk checkoff is a great way to showcase that.
What is the best vacation you have ever taken? We haven’t been on a lot of vacations, but when my husband and I took our three-day honeymoon, we enjoyed taking in various sights. We started out driving to Superior to visit some state parks and Lake Superior. From there, we traveled to Stillwater, Minnesota, where we visited a few shops and did a winery tour. Lastly, we ended our trip in Chippewa Falls where we toured Leinenkugel’s brewery and Marieke Gouda. Keith and I made a lot of memories on that trip that we will cherish for a lifetime. What are some words you like to live by? Work hard, put others rst and always give more than you take. I also enjoy this little segment from W.D. Hoard that was published a while back in Hoard’s Dairyman titled, “We are your cows.” “We have to eat what you provide; drink what you give us; live where you put us. We may be good cows or not. We may be healthy or we may not. We may be comfortable or we may not. So much depends on you, the dairyman. The rst requisite of a protable dairy business is a good dairyman.”
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
EVERY JOB IS IN YOUR REACH Financing for up to 48 months 0% or up to $5,000 Cash Rebates on a VersaHANDLER V723 Telehandler AUTHORIZED BOBCAT DEALERS
IOWA
JP Scherrman, Inc. Farley • 563-744-3393
Reiser Implement, Inc. Waukon • 563-568-4526
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Bobcat of Brookings, Inc. Brookings • 605-697-5544 Bobcat of Watertown Watertown • 605-886-5844
Bobcat of Otter Tail County Fergus Falls • 218-739-4505
Pfeifer’s Implement Co. Sioux Falls • 605-338-6351
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Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Dassel • 320-275-2737 Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Long Prairie • 320-732-3715 Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. St. Cloud • 320-240-2085 Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Willmar • 320-235-3672 Ironhide Equipment Bemidji • 800-794-4660
Lano Equipment of Norwood Norwood Young America • 952-467-2181 Miller Sellner Slayton, LLC Slayton • 507-836-8571 Tri-State Bobcat Burnsville • 952-894-0894
Tri-State Bobcat Little Canada • 651-407-3727
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Carter & Gruenewald Co., Inc. Brooklyn • 608-455-2411 Carter & Gruenewald Co., Inc. Juda • 608-934-5201
Visit Bobcat.com/Offers or stop by today for details. *Offer ends 9/30/2021. Available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer’s current inventory. Must take delivery from dealer stock by 9/30/2021. Offers available on new equipment in US and Canada only. Some restrictions apply. Length of contract may vary. Prior purchases not eligible. See dealer for details. Financing provided on approval of credit by authorized Bobcat finance providers to well-qualified buyers. Not all customers will qualify for delayed payment promotion. Administrative fees may apply. Offer not available to government accounts, national accounts and municipal/utility bid customers. Non-commercial customers may not be eligible for low rate financing. Bobcat Company reserves the right to extend or discontinue any of these programs at any time without prior notice. Bobcat®, the Bobcat logo and the colors of the Bobcat machine are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries.
K&L Bobcat, Inc Darlington • 608-776-4044 Komro Sales & Service Durand • 715-672-4263 Komro Sales & Service Whitehall • 715-538-1495
Miller Implement Co., Inc. St. Nazianz • 920-773-2800
Miller Implement Co., Inc. & Motorsports of Fond du Lac Fond du Lac • 920-922-8521 Tri-State Bobcat Hudson • 715-531-0801
Dairy prole
Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021 • Page 39
Jerome and Rita Mosset (not pictured) Linton, North Dakota Emmons County 65 cows How did you get into farming? I started farming with my parents, Herman and Lorraine, in 1980. At that time, I had 160 acres of my own land and helped Dad in return. Rita and I married in 1982, and we bought the farm from my parents that same year. We were milking about 95 cows in a double-6 herringbone parlor. I planted mostly wheat and corn. Over the 40 years of farming together, we have produced soybeans, barley and sunower. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? The dairy industry is hurting because not enough people are drinking milk anymore, and they are hearing such negative things about our product which they don’t have the facts on. It is a hard market to follow. Milk is a tough product to produce because it’s a 365 days, two times a day job with no time off. People are not staying home and drinking milk like they used to.
What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We went to no-till cropping in 2010. Our soil holds moisture longer, and there has been more drought resistance. There has also been an increase in yield. We have been able to decrease cow numbers and feed more efciently, and along with better genetics, we milk less cows but produce more milk. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We cut back on feed. We worked with our nutritionist to cut back on rations to make feeding more efcient. We switched to less expensive supplements like using distillers grain instead of soybean meal. We have been using a total mixed ration since 1996. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? We are family-operated. Rita and I and the kids have always done all the work. Sometimes, we hired help on weekends to get away. We always hired someone we knew, someone who understood the cows and we could rely on.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I know the cows well and know the cows by name. I can always tell if one of my cows isn’t themselves or not feeling well. I am with them every day. I know how they act. I can take care of them myself if they aren’t feeling well, and if they need more help, I call the veterinarian for assistance. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I enjoy milking the cows and being with the cows. I have always enjoyed milking. When my sons were home, they would be in the eld, but I would be home milking my cows. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Dairy is a hard job. You have to be committed to it if you want it to work. Dairy farming is something you need to take seriously and be committed to full time to make it work for you and your cows.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? In the next year, we plan to slowly get out of dairy. We have been reducing our dairy herd slowly by breeding our cows to Simmental, Angus and Red Angus bulls. We hope to be done dairying in less than a year. We plan to focus on grain production and stock cows to use the pasture we have. In the next ve
years, we plan to transition crop acres to our son, Justin, and his wife, Janel, to incorporate the next generation. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? Relaxing and visiting with grandkids, and visiting family members who are far away.
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What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? Our mixer wagon. It improved the whole health of the herd and made feeding cows a lot easier. It brought up our milk production. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Owning our land and getting the farm paid off.
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What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We put in all automatic take-offs in 1998. We wanted to be more efcient with milking so we did not over milk our cows. We noticed less mastitis problems, lower somatic cell counts in our cows and a higher production per cow.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, July 24, 2021
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