You may notice a difference in this issue of Dairy Star. You will nd all our regular columnists, classieds, crop and weather reports, and calendar of events, but our coverage of the region has been replaced by photos. These photos illuminate the activities dairy producers carry out on and off their farms. We hope you enjoy this issue.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIELLE BURKLE
Abby Fairbanks bo le feeds a newborn calf a er morning milking July 19 at her family’s farm near Anamosa, Iowa. Abby has been working full me with her parents, Doug and Jodi Fairbanks, on the family farm, Wapsi-Ana Dairy, since May 2023. The Fairbanks farm 600 acres and milk 380 Brown Swiss, Holstein and Jersey cows in a double-12 parlor. The family also sells registered breeding bulls. Doug and Jodi’s nephew, Josh Fairbanks, also works full me at the dairy.
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Oklahoma is the 13th state to conrm the presence of H5N1 in dairy cattle. This dairy farm collected a positive sample in April, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not receive it until early July. The herd is fully recovered.
Work the biosecurity plan
Biosecurity is top of mind for dairy and beef producers with the discovery of avian u in dairy herds. Boehringer Ingelheim veterinarian Dr. Joe Gillespie said that can be as simple as a quarantine period before introducing new animals to the herd. “A written plan is the absolute best but have a plan about how you want to trafc livestock in and out of the facility.” These protocols also include how feed is delivered to the farm. “With the possibility of some sort of pathogen being carried on a truck, if we have a designated way that we move feed and/or livestock in and out of the facility is going to drastically reduce the risk of any pathogen coming in.”
more.” The farm bill passed out of the committee at the end of May. Scott said the clock is running out on this farm bill. “The August recess is right around the corner, we come back here in September and a week is gone there and then the new appropriations year starts three weeks later Oct. 1.” The chairman and ranking member were sitting side by side during Scott’s opening comments. Thompson did not respond to his colleague’s criticism. “There’s a lot I could say, but I’m not going to say anything,” Thompson said. “We’re going to move ahead with this hearing and stay grounded in reality.”
By Don Wick Columnist
Ranking member criticizes ag committee chair and House GOP
The House Agriculture Committee gathered to review the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory impact on American agriculture, but the hearing began with criticism from Ranking member David Scott. Scott accused Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson and the Republican leadership of playing politics with the farm bill. “Speaker (Mike) Johnson will not bring the bill to the oor for a vote because it was not written as a serious bill. It was written to be used as a campaign slogan, nothing
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A cheesy experience at the Republican National Convention
Delegates to the RNC in Milwaukee were able to enjoy a taste of Wisconsin while in the state. Fried cheese curds and grilled cheese sandwiches were among the food items sold at Convention Fest, which featured numerous RNC vendors.
Congressional staffers pessimistic about farm bill passage
A survey commissioned by Punchbowl News found 68% of senior Congressional staffers do not think the House Agriculture Committee farm bill will pass this year. The survey was conducted June 3-21. Seventy-ve percent of Democratic staff members and 62% of Republican staff members believe it is unlikely the farm bill will pass in this Congress.
Taking care of those before us— Conrad Gruber mows the lawn July 11 at the cemetery of St. Michael’s Church in Spring Hill, Minnesota. Gruber and another 30 volunteers take turns mowing the lawn and trimming at the cemetery and around the church. Gruber milks 60 cows and farms 480 acres with his wife, Sandra, and their four children, Bryce, Savannah, Paige and Shantel. Conrad has been on the farm his en re life and is the third genera on of Grubers to farm there.
Breeding dairy cows to beef bulls has become increasingly popular. To optimize the production of these beef-ondairy animals, Purina Animal Nutrition Senior Technical Innovation Manager Dr. Olivia Genther-Schroeder believes it requires a new mindset. “A lot of the things we’ve been doing in dairy for a long time are positive; increasing sanitation, making sure we have adequate colostrum, etcetera,” GentherSchroeder said. “These (beef-on-dairy) calves are generally more efcient and tend to be a bit healthier than a straightbred Holstein. There is a misconception that we may not need to feed them as much or with lower-quality ingredients, but our research determined it is better to provide high-quality ingredients, higher protein. They will really thrive under those conditions.”
Beef checkoff unveils return on investment study
Over the past ve years, each dollar invested in the beef checkoff program delivered a return of $13.41 to the producer. An independent economic analysis was commissioned by the beef checkoff and conducted by Cornell University. The ROI analysis simulated market conditions without the beef checkoff investment. The research found domestic beef demand would have been 8.5% lower each year. The steer price would be 8% lower than the actual results and U.S. beef export demand would have been 11.5% lower.
Kohl makes the connection between ag and health
The agriculture world continues to evolve more rapidly than ever. Virginia Tech Agriculture Economics Professor Emeritus David Kohl expects that trend to include an unexpected twist. “One of the things that you’re going to nd is that agriculture is going to be tied to the medical eld because it relates to soil health,” Kohl said. “If you help the soil and water, you’ll have a healthy plant, animal, human being and environment. What we’re seeing is that linkage is coming through.” Speaking at the Bell Bank AgViews Live event in Wisconsin Dells, Kohl said consumers will adopt more proactive health prac-
tices. “In other words, where was the plant or the animal grown? What went into it? How is it impacting short-term and long-term health? That is going to be a very important growth area in agriculture between now and 2045.”
Difcult to put up dry hay this summer
For many locations across Wisconsin, it seemed to rain every third day in June and early July. Jerry Clark, with the University of Wisconsin Extension Service, said keeping the alfalfa crop dry has been difcult. “We’ve seen a lot of farmers shift to trying to chop, maybe getting silage bags or baleage because they can’t get dry hay,” Clark said. “If you don’t have the equipment or the facility to do that, you’re relying on dry hay and that becomes a challenge.”
Spanish for dairy classes return
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Farm and Industry Short Course has another Spanish for dairy class coming up in August/September. The Level 1 program is for dairy farmers or anyone who works with dairy farms. It is an introductory course for those with little or no Spanish language experience. Program Manager Heather Gayton said the class teaches dairy-specic terminology to communicate in Spanish on the dairy farm or in the industry.
Trivia challenge
The largest cheeseburger ever made was 2,014 pounds. It was made in 2012 at Minnesota’s Black Bear Casino. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, when is National Cheeseburger Day? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
Elkhorn, WI WI
Dietary details — Rick Adams (le ) and his nutri onist, Steve Haldiman, from Complete Feed Service LLC, discuss palatability of forages and forage quality for heifers July 11 at Sugar Creek Dairy near Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Adams and his wife, Marleen, milk 560 cows and farm 250 acres. The Adamses have been a customer of Haldiman for more than 10 years and receive visits from their nutri onist a couple mes per week.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
FLY CONTROL
Mosinee, WI WI
Heading home for milking — Holstein cows on Gary Stankowski’s dairy farm head to the barn May 31 for the a ernoon milking near Mosinee, Wisconsin. Stankowski milks 65 cows and farms 300 acres, 150 of which are owned. Stankowski enjoys cra ing tools that make his job
unroll in his barn.
SUPER SPECIALS
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Peosta, IA IA
Epworth, IA IA PHOTO
with Ted and Ka e Wolf, Sco Wolf and Kim Wolf.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIELLE BURKLE
SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR
Ridin’ in style — Elinor Opitz-Hopfer brings a newborn calf home July 6 to her farm near Maple Lake, Minnesota. The farm is owned by Opitz-Hopfer and her husband, Mat. The heifer calf was one of seven calves born over two weeks — all bulls except this one. The couple milks 24 Ayrshires.
has accepted the role as General Manager at Minnesota DHIA, effective August 1, 2024.
Loeschke has had over 20 years of varied experience in leadership, research, education, and service to the dairy industry. She most recently has served as Director of Services and Support at Minnesota DHIA, where she has spearheaded a variety of projects that provide value for the organizations’ 1,000 plus members in the upper Midwest. Prior to that, Loeschke was a project leader and product consultant for an international dairy genetics organization.
Loeschke is a Minnesota native, having grown up on a dairy farm near Lanesboro. This was the foundation for her interest in dairy cattle and more specifically, dairy data and genetics. Amy brings with her to the position, PhD and Masters degrees in applied dairy breeding and a B.S. degree in Animal Science, all from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. During those years, she also led a one-ofa-kind genetic field study, allowing her to collaborate with commercial dairy farm owners and gain experience in navigating the dairy data stream both in the US and globally. Amy’s experiences have sparked her passion for innovative problem solving and knowledge transfer.
Loeschke is excited to expand the services and value that Minnesota DHIA offers to dairy producers while providing collaborative leadership to the organization’s dedicated field technicians and staff
Bea ng the heat — Lucy Voight (front, from le�) and Waylin Melcher; (back, from le
) Roland Melcher, John Melcher, Declan Melcher and Connor Buhl cool off with bubbles and water on a silo tarp July 4 at Tom and Jeni Melcher’s farm near Castalia, Iowa. Jen a�ached the blower they use for ca�le �ng to a 55-gallon barrel half lled with water and baby shampoo. It provided homemade fun un�l the rain began. The Melchers and their son, John, milk 80 cows.
Geddes, SD SD
Tools in hand — Charis Moody works in the freestall barn July 11 at her family farm near Geddes, South Dakota. Charis and her father, Steve Moody, and her ve siblings — Elise, Chesed, Selah, Salas and Kallen — work on the farm together. They milk 120 cows in a double-5 herringbone parlor and farm 320 acres of alfalfa, corn for silage and grass hay.
AMY KYLLO/
Bo ling dairy goodness
Jeane�e Kappers bottles cream July 9 on her dairy farm near Cha�ield, Minnesota. That day, the Kappers bo�led about 40 half gallons of cream in their dairy processing facility. They bo�le about 1,460 half gallons of milk per week. Their products include milk, cream, cheese curds and ice cream which can be purchased in their onfarm store or through select retail loca�ons. Their dairy products are made with milk from their 30cow herd. The Kappers moved to their current farm in 1985 and built the processing facility in 2004.
Waukesha, WI WI
Haying while the sun shines Tom Oberhaus makes small square bales July 12 at Cozy Nook Farm near Waukesha, Wisconsin. Oberhaus made about 400 bales of second-crop hay off the 7-acre eld to sell for horse hay. Cozy Nook Farm is owned and operated by Oberhaus and his wife, Joan, their son, Charlie, and Dan and Britanny Gerrits. The partners milk 75 cows and farm 250 acres.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
PHOTO COURTESY OF MOLLY JOHNSON
DAIRY STAR
Ensuring traceable, quality feed - Ben Klister records handadded ingredients usage for each batch of feed on the ingredient usage log to ensure the correct amount is used July 16 at Corne e Farm Supply near Greenleaf, Wisconsin. Accurate record keeping is crucial in helping ensure the traceability and quality of dairy and livestock feed. In addi on to working at the mill, Klister and his wife, Autumn, milk 44 cows on his grandparents’ farm near Greenleaf. Klister works Monday through Friday at the mill in between morning and evening chores. Greenleaf, WI WI
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Caledonia, MN MN
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
DeWitt, IA IA
A bo le in hand Brad Giese bo le feeds a calf July 16 at the farm he manages with his wife, Lisa, near DeWi , Iowa. The farm has been in Lisa’s family for 120 years. Their adult children, Caitlin and Clay, pitch in to help with the 44-cow mixed-breed herd. Clay and his wife, Bailey, are responsible for the sixth-genera on’s par cipa on as their son, Oakley, is becoming involved with the farm as well.
Reedsburg, WI WI
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR Making the rounds Janice Hill checks on her cows July 9 at her farm near Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Hill milks 48 cows with the help of one hired man. She has several breeds in the herd including Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorn, Linebacks, Holsteins and cross-breeds. Hill shares her passion for ca le with kids who enjoy sharing animals from her herd at the county fair during the summer. A er checking on the cows that day, Hill planned to run errands and then make hay.
SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR
“This is the one that works. We use the backpack every day to do the fresh cow group.”
- Brad Palmer
“We tried other products. This is the one that works. Udder ComfortTM is the best for fresh cows, any type of swelling, hard quarter, elevated SCC, mastitis, even an injured quarter,” says Brad Palmer, of Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania.
Three generations of the Palmer family - Brad and Linette and son Logan, daughter Hailey, and Brad’s parents Lonnie and Debra - operate Pigeon Cove Farms, milking 470 Holsteins and Jerseys, with a few Ayrshires They produce a combined herd average of 94 pounds of high component, high quality milk, with SCCs averaging 120,000. parents Lonnie and Debra.
“We got back onto the Udder Comfort 2 years ago because of its effectiveness. Then, a year ago, we began using the Udder Comfort Battery-Operated Backpack Sprayer. It really works well for doing groups. We use the backpack every day to do the fresh cow group. They get Udder Comfort after each milking for 5 days after calving,” Brad explains.
“This really helps with our milk quality. We use Udder
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Ge ng the job done Ben Clark unloads boxes of oatlage into a 10-foot bagger July 19 on Clark Family Farm near Kerkhoven, Minnesota. Clark farms with his dad, Kyle, sister, Ali, and uncle, Kim. Kyle and Kim were hauling the loads while Jake Holtkamp did custom chopping for the Clarks. The Clarks milk 120 cows with two robots and have 60 cow/calf pairs. They farm 1,000 acres, growing alfalfa, corn, soybeans and oats.
St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
Stratford, WI WI
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Ge ng to the core Dr. Gafur Gozukara, Ph.D., pulls the 18th of 150 soil samples July 18 from a eld at the University of Wisconsin - Madison Marsheld Research Sta on in Stra ord, Wisconsin. Each sample core bores about one meter into the soil. Gozukara is now working as a researcher at UW-Madison and is also an associate professor of soil sciences in Turkey.
Sobieski, MN MN
EMILY BRETH/DAIRY STAR
Hands-on learning A student from the veterinary school at the University of Minnesota-Twin Ci es collects a blood sample July 17 at Yorek Dairy Farm LLC. near Sobieski, Minnesota. In all, the students visit the farm three mes to collect informa on that will be used in a presenta on during the nal visit summarizing cow comfort, health and nutri on. At the Yorek farm, the total herd of 1,100 cows is milked in a double-16 parallel parlor.
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WISCONSIN
Peterson, MN MN
An A.I. rou ne — Trinity Johnson works on checking cows through his sort gates in the morning July 19 at Johnson’s Rolling Acres near Peterson, Minnesota. On Johnson’s list that morning as well was to breed cows. Johnson and his two herdsmen bred 54 animals that day. The Johnsons use collars on their cows and tags on their heifers to help catch heat. Their breeding system consists of ovsynch with their veterinarian on Tuesday and breeding on Friday. Their protocol is to breed heifers at 410 days of age and cows at 67 days post fresh. The Johnsons have a 30% pregnancy rate. Johnson’s Rolling Acres, which milks 1,285 cows, is owned by Richard, Bradley, Trinity, Lee and Zac Johnson.
All is well — Ben Julka scouts a soybean eld, inspec ng the owers and roots of a plant July 15 on his family’s farm near Rosendale, Wisconsin. The 22-acre eld of beans was planted April 21. The Julkas milk 380 cows and farm 1,800 acres, which includes 350 acres of soybeans. Upon spli ng open the plant, Julka found no root rot or white mold and said the eld looked to be ahead of schedule by 1-2 weeks. Julka plants variable rate soybeans to prevent disease.
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Brillion, WI WI
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Tidying up — Kortney Woldt refreshes store shelves July 16 at Woldt’s Farm Store near Brillion, Wisconsin. The store, which was the brainchild of Woldt, opened in 2022 and carries homegrown beef from Woldt Farms, locally grown pork, milk, cheese, produce, honey, maple syrup, soaps, candles, clothing and more. Woldt manages the store, which is open four days a week, on her family’s dairy farm owned by her parents, Daryl and Amy Woldt. Woldt and her sisters — Kelsey, Kayla, Kristen and Karly — are the h genera on on the farm. The Woldts milk 1,650 cows and farm 4,000 acres.
Pine Island, MN Pine MN
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Fusing two passions — Kalley Berg welds a gate July 17 on her family’s farm near Pine Island, Minnesota. Berg works part me at Hyland Systems as a welder. She also farms alongside her parents, Tom and Penny, on their dairy. The Bergs milk 115 cows and farm 180 acres. On the farm, Berg and the hired hand do all welding jobs. Berg learned the trade at Iowa Lakes Community College. Her passion for welding was sparked in high school when she took many shop classes. Her shop teacher encouraged her to pursue it as a career.
MAKE YOUR SUMMER GREENER
Preparing for the image — Lea Jordan (right) prepares a cow for a professional photo while her nephew, Ma hew McCullough, steadies the cow July 9 at the Wisconsin Holstein Associa on District 4 Show in Wausau, Wisconsin. Jordan is involved on her family’s farm near Juda, where they milk 45 registered Holsteins. Wausau,
DANIELLE NAUMAN/ DAIRY STAR
June climate summary
Excess rainfall leads to considerable ooding, storm damage
By Bridgette Mason, Steve Vavrus and Ed Hopkins, Wisconsin State Climatology Office
A very wet June in Wisconsin completely extinguished the last remnants of drought across the entire state. The month was also slightly warmer than normal, continuing a long streak of above-normal monthly temperatures.
June precipitation picked right up from a waterlogged May. Virtually the entire state experienced wetter-thannormal conditions, in some places by large amounts. In fact, the month goes in the books as Wisconsin’s sixth wettest June on record (since 1895). Most locations got at least half a foot of rainfall, leading to a statewide average of 6.97 inches, which is a hearty 48% (2.27 inches) more than normal.
Even though June is usually Wisconsin’s wettest month, the excess rainfall this year led to considerable ooding and storm damage. The largest surpluses occurred in the northwest and south-central regions, where 4-6-inch departures from normal were common. In many counties across Wisconsin, these anomalies represented double the normal June rainfall totals.
Rain fell frequently and intensely during June. Across most of the state, measurable rainfall (at least 0.01 inch) occurred on more than half the days. La Crosse saw a record of 24 days with at least a trace of rain. The month also featured some impressive daily deluges around Wisconsin of more than 3 inches. A localized band of extremely heavy rainfall struck central Madison on the afternoon of June 19, producing 4.81 inches at the University of Wisconsin—Madison Arboretum.
The soaking month was a stark contrast to June 2023, when the state rapidly transitioned into major drought during the fth driest June on record. As a result, Wisconsin just experienced its largest one-year reversal (to sixth wettest) for this month. Following this year’s 10th-wettest May on record, the combined May-to-June rainfall set a new record for statewide sogginess at 12.51 inches. Compared with last year’s third driest May-to-June period on record, Wisconsin’s recent precipitation ping pong pattern shows no signs of abating.
With the abundance of rain stealing the thunder last month, temperatures got less attention. However, Wisconsin relished a pleasantly warm June, with an average temperature of 65.6°F. Most of the state experienced highs in the 70s, with the far southern counties seeing highs in the 80s. Lows averaged in the 50s for most, with 60s along the Wisconsin-Illinois border. The southern and eastern parts of the state had the biggest departures in daily averages: 1-3 degrees warmer than normal, compared to near-normal in northern and western Wisconsin. There was even a patch of 1-2 degrees below normal over Vilas, Oneida and Forest counties. Overall, June was a classic Wisconsin summer month, just 0.5 degrees above the historical norm of 65.1°F.
June marked 13 consecutive months of record-warm global temperatures and continued Wisconsin’s 18-month stretch of above-average temperatures, except July 2023, which was slightly cooler. January 2023 to June 2024 was the warmest January-through-June stretch in state history with an average of 45.1°F. This broke the previous record of 44.9°F from January 1998 to June 1999, and far exceeded the 1991–2020 average of 41.9°F.
Despite the mostly enjoyable temperatures last month, Wisconsin endured heat and humidity the third week of June. Daily temperatures reached the 80s and 90s, with dew points in the upper 60s and lower 70s making for muggy conditions. The highest recorded temperature in Wisconsin last month was 97°F at the Kenosha Regional Airport on June 17.
In addition to intense localized rainfall, last month’s series of severe weather events also included tornadoes, large hail and strong winds. Flooding overtook much of the state, most notably the weekend of June 21. Several rounds of rain hit much of Wisconsin from 3 a.m. on Friday, June 21, to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 22. Rainfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour led to two-day totals of 3-6 inches across many counties from Sauk to Sheboygan. This caused widespread ooding in elds, yards and basements, mud and rockslides, and damaged roads and culverts. River levels rose, too: the Mississippi River at La Crosse set a new June stage record of 14.18 feet June 28, surpassing the previous record of 14.10 feet set in June 1993.
June is historically Wisconsin’s most active month for tornado activity. While May had more tornadoes, June had its fair share with an estimated 14 tornadoes striking the state. June 22 was particularly intense with nine tornadoes forming amid heavy rain. A majority of the tornadoes took root over Clark County and Wisconsin’s southernmost counties. Fortunately, there were no deaths or injuries. However, there was damage to trees, homes, structures and farms. In total, there were ve EF0s, seven EF1s and two EF2s this June, bringing the year’s total to 38 tornadoes, compared to the annual average of 23.
There were also reports of hailstones of 1-1.5 inches in diameter and winds greater than 70 mph, with particularly intense storms the evening of June 24 into the early morning hours of June 25. These storms raced across much of northeast Wisconsin, uprooting trees and knocking down power lines, with the most damage from Lincoln City to Manitowoc County. Minor ooding was also
reported, with the worst in southern Door County where a road was partially washed out and power was out all day. The surplus precipitation kept Wisconsin out of drought throughout June, even eliminating the few small patches of abnormally dry conditions that have persisted in the Central Sands and Driftless areas since June 2023. Soil moisture was replenished as most of the state ranked in the 70th percentile or higher throughout the month. Though wet conditions are typically good for crops at this point in the growing season, the abundance of rainfall and soil moisture made eldwork challenging. Standing water in elds can erode soils, drown crops, enlarge hay (making it tougher to harvest) and limit the opportunity to spray for weeds and pests. Despite the trying growing conditions, Wisconsin’s crops continued to progress, with a majority remaining in good to excellent condition and hovering right around the ve-year average pace throughout the month.
Stratford, WI WI
A day made for cows — Mark Fisher (le ) evaluates cows while dairy farmer, Jim Briggs provides informa on about them July 17 at the Briggs farm near Stra ord, Wisconsin. Briggs milks 60 cows on his Marathon County dairy farm. Fisher has been working as a type appraiser for seven years and is also involved on his family’s northeast Iowa dairy farm.
Milestone moments — Josh Christen and Abby (Sand) Christen pause together a er their wedding June 29 at Seven Dolors Church in Albany, Minnesota. Josh and his brother, Aaron, help to operate the family dairy owned by their parents, Joe and Janet Christen, near Albany. The family milks around 90 cows in a estall barn and grows all the feed for the herd. They farm around 270 acres, growing mainly corn and alfalfa, and some soybeans.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
DANIELLE
Serving up a cold treat — The Tetzner family — Kade (from le ), Pete and Beth — serves up ice cream June 30 at the Chequamegon Dairy Day in Mellen, Wisconsin. The Tetzners milk 60 cows with one robot on their farm near Washburn. On-farm processing in the Tetzner family dates to 1920. Today the Tetzners sell milk in bags and ice cream in a self-serve, on-farm store.
Land Improvements
Ferryville, WI WI
Dissemina ng exper se — Christopher Baird and Vance Haugen host a pasture walk June 25 at Baird’s farm near Ferryville, Wisconsin. Baird milks 56 Jerseys. They are fed a high forage diet with a grain supplement which he feeds in the parlor. The cows have access to paddocks on 80 acres of pasture, with an average rota on between paddocks of 18-30 days. Baird’s parents bought the farm in 1997 and Baird took over in 2013. The pasture walk was held in conjunc on with the Great River Graziers group which Haugen helps facilitate.
NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Agricultural Ventilation Systems
You deserve an ice cream treat
– Jose A.
By Barry Visser Nutritionist
Sunday, July 21, was National Ice Cream Day. Enjoying a couple of scoops of my favorite summer time treat offered me a chance to reect on some of the best aspects of this great industry.
Anyone connected to the dairy industry knows we face constant trials and tribulation. At this time in 2023, we begged for rain. This year, many farmers are wondering when we can string together a few days of favorable weather to harvest a hay crop. What will corn silage look like with some elds tasseling and others barely knee high? What is the long-term picture of our battle with Highly Pathogenic Avian Inuenza (bird u)? Milk price looks favorable, but how long will that last? I think you get my point; this is an industry lled with unpredictability.
Dairy farmers are incredibly efcient at producing a highly nutritional food that has stood the test of time as numerous alternatives are placed on grocery shelves. I doubt our parents and grandparents fathomed having to defend the denition of milk. Almonds were for chewing while driving tractor and oats were an energy source for cattle and horses. While uid milk consumption declines, the industry has innovated to bring other highly nutritional dairy foods to the dinner table.
What about farming practices? I grew up on a dairy farm in northern Minnesota near a town without a stoplight. My parents were focused on the milk the cows produced; they didn’t consider the methane emitted by our cows. Today, dairy farmers are innovating to meet new consumer demands. In some cases, they receive credit for management practices designed to reduce emissions. All this innovation happens while dairy farmers tighten margins and become more efcient.
As our industry evolves, dairy owners and managers continue to wear a lot of hats. The decisions on today’s dairy farms seem to carry greater magnitude and consequences than ever before. While many owners and managers are still “cow people” with innate skills in animal husbandry, their duties often require them to spend signicant time outside of the barn. One thing that has not changed is the passion and love dairy farmers have for their livestock. I recall my dad saying, “If we take care of the cows, they will take care of us.”
It is hard to think of a management task that hasn’t improved over the years. Cow comfort is better than ever. Cows are fed a balanced diet to meet their exact nutrient requirements for grams of amino acids, fatty acids and other essential nutrients. Improvements in genetics create a productive cow while maximizing health traits. Activity monitors log what the cows are doing and help us better understand how they feel. On some farms, cows seek out a robot to milk them when they are ready for it. Wow. Lots of changes…and many more to come.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared the third Sundy in July as National Ice Cream Day and designated July as National Ice Cream Month. In doing so, he recognized the invaluable contributions the dairy industry makes to local communities and our American economy. While a lot has changed in 40 years, we continue to recognize the hard work and care dairy farmers invest each day to produce wholesome and nutritious foods.
As this month comes to a close, allow me to say thank you to all the hard-working men and women of the dairy industry. Continue to hold your head high and be proud of what you do. Take a moment to pause and enjoy your favorite ice cream treat in celebration of your important work!
Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
An expert?
By Natalie Schmitt Columnist
What makes someone an expert? Education? Experiences? Distance? It is sometimes hard to be an exper in your own backyard despite your advanced degrees or life experiences. Some people still see you as the scrawny little kid playing in a dirt pile and fail to see you all grown up and in a new position.
Sons and daughters can struggle to recognize the life knowledge parents have accumulated over the years, too. That is until they move away from home or are parents themselves. I remember asking my mom how she knew Dad was the one. She said you just know. I rolled my eyes and thought she was nuts. That was too simple. After I met Mark, I called my mom to tell her she was right.
Dad always said an expert is someone at least 50 miles from home. Just because we operate a dairy farm in Minnesota, my friends back home in Henderson County think I qualify as a dairy judge for the county fair. This is one time where no amount of distance will make me an expert. However, with a show totaling two spring calves, I think I could at least fake it.
Last month, I slipped away from the farm for a college roommate reunion weekend in Indianapolis. It is hard to believe that it has been 40 years since we all lived in the same house, sharing books, stories, laughter and a few drinks. I was excited to reconnect but was very curious when Jane kept asking me about my writing for Dairy Star. Since I was coming in a day early for the reunion, she and her husband, Sam, arranged to include me in a special event as a VIP.
At breakfast I was given a notebook, a pen and other gift bag goodies to play my part as a reporter for a regional ag newspaper. The anticipation was killing Jane. She was giddy to tell me the secret event, but she resisted until we got to the hanger. Sam works for an agronomy coop, who was putting on a eld day with a very special attraction. Helicopter rides with the crop spraying crew.
As we pulled up to the ight deck, we could see the pilot putting the nal polish on his machine. The orange and blue helicopter sparkled in the morning light. Sam may have stretched my truth a bit, but I was willing to play the part if it meant I was going up for a ride.
With a smooth Mississippi accent, Cole greeted us. He was a pilot for VVM (Vertical Vegetative Management) who would be taking us along as he ew the chopper to a eld day site over 100 miles away. Since I was the VIP, I got to ride shotgun. All I could think was I need to get off the farm more often.
Here’s what I learned during our hour ight. Cole generally ies without any doors. The choppers are not air conditioned and get a bit stuffy. We were traveling at 105 mph, but when he has the booms and spray tanks his top speed is under 50 mph. He generally ies 12 hour days covering 2,000 acres. The propellers are 60 feet long and you don’t need to duck to leave at the end of the ight. (Think of the
opening of MASH as the medics hunch over to reach the patients). It takes 2 minutes to cool down before Cole can even begin to shut off the machine.
As we scooted across the countryside to our destination, Cole taught us the rules of the sky. Always look both ways before crossing a ight pathway near airports. Planes always have the right of way in the sky. They are also bigger than us. Now I’m starting to appreciate how shiny our chopper is. We look left, right, up and down. We spot a plane ying parallel with us off to our left and adjust our position.
As interstates across our country travel specic directions, so do planes. Odd numbered interstates travel north and south while even numbered are east to west. Altitude determines the ight direction for planes.
Grassy waterways, tree-lined creeks and roads separated large plots of farm land. The small grain harvest was just starting in the area. It was hard to tell how tall the corn was from our view up above but the rows appeared to be lled in. This was such a great way to see the sweeping countryside as our front windshield went from above our head to a few feet behind our feet on the oor.
On the horizon, we could see the fertilizer plant where the eld day was being held. As Cole attempted to put the chopper down in the designated area, the yellow crime scene tape marking the landing zone broke loose from the posts and starting whipping around the area. Quickly Cole pulled us
S MPLE
Why wait 12 hours to catch a cow for a second calcium bolus when a once-and-done solution is so SIMPLE!
Aprons on the clothesline
Colorful aprons on the line
Were someone else’s — but now they’re mine
I treasure them and the stains they show
I smile in the sunshine and watch them blow
I imagine the women who came before
Donning an apron as they came in the door
Working long hours over a hot stove
For cooking perfection, she likely strove
These aprons, I wear them you see
When I tie one on, I feel more ‘me’
Maybe I was born 40 years too late
But a well-tting apron is simply great
An apron to this day is a perfect place
By Jacqui Davison Columnist
To gather up and wipe a tear-streaked face
Or hide a shy child from an unexpected guest
An impromptu basket for eggs remains the best
A reach in the pocket nds a clothespin or two
A Lego perhaps, or a high-heeled Barbie shoe
Ripe cherry tomatoes t just right
A carrying pouch when you need a quick bite
When a towel is too far out of reach
An apron can wipe up juice from a peach
It holds enough apples to make a fresh pie
Certain to please many a farm-hungry guy
As I slip the apron over my head
I am lled with energy, not dread
I page through my favorite recipe books
Giving a few one or two good looks
Wearing an apron is just my way
Of saying I’m ready to serve your meals today
I’m ready to cook, ready to share
My aprons show how much I care
I pretend the women who came before
Are with me as I take the apron off the door
Their hands, their skills, guide me along
With them on my side, how can I go wrong?
Jacqui Davison and her family milk 800 cows and farm 1,200 acres in northeastern Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira, Dane, Henry and Cora, help on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos, and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
Grazing livestock operations wrap up assistance
By Steve Frericks Stearns County FSA executive director
Finally, some consistent dry weather has come to make some quality forages. Those corn tassels are popping out quickly. Soon, there will be sweet corn stands all over the place. This is a sure sign of a progressive summer.
As you are well aware, drought conditions signicantly impacted grazing operations last year. Due to an exception to the published rule, the Farm Service Agency would like to remind livestock operations that were impacted by the 2023 drought that there is still time to claim truckloads of feed that were hauled in 2024 in excess of normal through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish program. Loads of feed transported from January 1 up until the start of the grazing season which is now May 1 may be claimed this year in eligible counties.
ELAP provides nancial assistance to livestock producers who incur above normal expenses for transporting feed to livestock due to drought. The payment formula excludes the rst 25 miles and any mileage over 1,000 miles. The reimbursement rate is 60% of the cost above what would normally would have been incurred during the same time period in a normal (non-drought) year.
The payment rate to transport feed is $6.60 per loaded mile for expenses above what would have normally been incurred.
Policy clarication has been issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency which now requires applicants to provide the type
of feed hauled, average tons or pounds per load and the number of eligible grazing animals the feed was transported to. Please be prepared to provide this information along with the number of truckloads and number of miles that the feed was transported. The deadline for this wrap-up portion of feed transportation is January 30, 2025. FSA would like to provide you the assistance more timely while your information is more attainable for the data that will be needed to apply.
The USDA will begin accepting applications starting on July 1 through its updated ELAP program to provide nancial assistance to eligible dairy producers who incur milk losses due to highly pathogenic avian inuenza, also known as H5N1 infection in their dairy herds. FSA expanded ELAP through the rule-making process to assist with a portion of nancial losses resulting from reduced milk production when cattle are removed from commercial milking in dairy herds having a conrmed positive H5N1 test. Positive test results must be conrmed through the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Contact your local FSA ofce for additional details.
The USDA announced the deadline for commodity and specialty crop producers to apply for the Emergency Relief Program for 2022 natural disaster losses is Aug. 14, 2024. FSA began accepting ERP 2022 applications in October 2023. All producers who receive ERP 2022 payments must purchase crop insurance, or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program coverage where crop insurance is not available, in the next two available crop years as determined by the secretary. Purchased coverage must be at the 60/100 coverage level or higher for
insured crops or at the catastrophic coverage level or higher for NAP crops.
County committee elections: The nomination period for county committee elections is June 17August 1. Contact your local service center to see if your township is eligible for election this year. If you, or someone you know, is interested in running for election, please ll out an FSA-669A to submit a nomination. Feel free to contact your ofce for a nomination form if you wish to be on the county committee.
Conservation Reserve Program primary nesting season: The CRP primary nesting season in Stearns County begins June 1 and runs through Aug. 1. Required CRP management and maintenance activities may not be conducted during this timeframe. CRP participants must refrain from mowing or spraying unless they have contacted FSA to receive permission to control weeds or spot spraying or mowing. We would also advise contract holders to take some time and explore their CRP acreage throughout the year to ensure they do not have volunteer trees, noxious weeds or ATV trails on CRP acreage. It is a CRP participant’s responsibility to maintain their CRP practice and failure to do so could result in penalties of noncompliance up to and including contract termination.
Please make safety your #1 priority this summer! Stay hydrated as you bale hay or spray crops. Be proud of what you have accomplished. The staff at FSA certainly is proud of you.
Farm Service Agency is an equal opportunity lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250. Visit www.fsa.usda.gov for application forms and updates on USDA programs
I have had the pleasure of hosting farm tours for nearly 27 years. All the tours are by reservation and often I am asked if rain cancels the tour. I don’t have a problem with sprinkles, and most children have a rain jacket and boots with their umbrella that they wish they could use more often. Parents and grandparents are the ones that usually cancel if they don’t want to get wet. Severe weather with lightening cancels all tours, even if a tour is already started. One loud thunderclap will send children and parents looking for cover. With open elds and high winds, lightning will get the little children and parents panicking, I don’t have to convince anyone to carefully head to their cars.
This summer has thrown us many severe storms, and it has created many ooded areas throughout Wisconsin and other
Midwestern states. I don’t ever remember so many tornado warnings and watches. I am startled when the alert comes blaring on my phone to take cover in the lowest place away from windows. It usually happens when we are feeding calves in the old barn. It has rock walls and concrete bricks. That is a safe place to hang out in until the storm passes. We wait quietly, holding the calf bottles and listening for the train sound that would mean we should run into the basement. I have seen barns, tobacco sheds and grain bins completely destroyed by tornados.
By Tina Hinchley Farmer & Columnist
This July, we have had so many families from Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas that have visited while getting away from the destruction of Hurricane Beryl that has left their homes and communities without power. Some have family to visit in Wis-
consin, but many just wanted to get someplace away from the threat of extreme weather. They did not realize that the storm came inland and added more tornadoes and ash ooding in many areas as it headed east into Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio according to the National Weather Service. Even though Wisconsin wasn’t on the list, we did have some severe thunderstorms that created apocalyptic lightening.
Having conversations with these families about their homes and what they left behind, they all seem comfortable and well versed in hurricanes. Looking forward to a mandatory vacation, they simply empty out the refrigerator and freezer, pack up clothes for hot days and cool nights, and head to Wisconsin. The hurricanes are watched and predicted so they can plan accordingly. Some of the kids actually look forward to these extra excursions that are often not planned until just days before.
Renting a house, staying with relatives or just heading to the waterparks is the most amazing getaway they said. Most of the parents would agree that they are more frightened of tornados versus hurricanes. They had no fear to venture up through tornado alley to get to some of the “best vacationing in all of the United States” as one family said.
While hanging out in Wisconsin and searching for things to do, they all really think a visit to a farm would be so much fun. The time spent here has made an impact on their ideas about Wisconsin dairy farms and the importance of making choices to put more dairy into the shopping cart every time they go to the grocery store. They learn the fact that they can make a difference and help keep Wisconsin dairy farm thrive by consuming and seeking out real dairy in restaurants, and, of course, eating Wisconsin cheese, ice cream and all of the delicious dairy products from our cows’ milk.
“Tornados are exciting to watch from far away, like on a YouTube video, not in real life.” I was told by twin sisters, who had seen the storm clouds rolling in as they buckled into their car seats and prepared to go back to the waterpark. They were chatting about what calf they were going to sneak into the back of their van. These families have enough photos and videos to remember the visit to our farm, but many of the parents have promised to return again, maybe during the next hurricane.
Tina Hinchley, her husband Duane and daughter Anna milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres near Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Hinchleys have been hosting farm tours for over 25 years.
Con nued from SCHMITT | Page 35
back up in the air until the ground crew could clear the landing zone. If that stuff got tangled up in the blades, it would not be a very pretty sight.
So, what do you do while you wait? You put the machine through her maneuvers. With the grace of a prima ballerina, Cole moved us across the sky to a grove of trees on the far side of the eld. Dangling above the treetops he executed a pirouette as he dropped us to within feet of the crop tops. Skimming across the eld we ew until he pulled up at a pivot point to go back for another round. He was so smooth at rising, twisting and dropping that he never spilled a drop of coffee from the mug sitting at his feet. At one point we just hung out above the tree tops, not going anywhere, just enjoying the view.
I don’t know who was having more fun,Jane and I for the sheer adventure or Cole for the chance to talk with someone and to share his knowledge and passion for ying.
Once we were on the ground, it was just like any other farm eld day. There were new hats and t-shirts for the farmers to add to their collection, tables set up in empty loading bays of the fertilizer plant, and fans blowing warm summer air in an attempt to keep the farmers cool and attentive to the crop experts as they reported on the latest crop and insect situations. My instincts as a reporter kicked in as I started to ask questions of the experts. This charade conrmed my position...crops are not my specialty or interest. Thank goodness for the experts.
What really makes someone an expert? A combination of education, experiences and distance but mostly what makes someone an expert is a passion and enthusiasm for a subject. Our county 4-Hers will become the experts in their projects as they teach the judges what they have learned through research and practice with their 4-H projects. We’re all an expert in one way or another.
As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark Schmitt started an adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.
Wily Wagyu
After several years’ worth of experience with beef-on-dairy calves, I’m beginning to think that beef-cross calves aren’t suitable for calving on pasture. I absolutely love beef-cross calves’ vigor, but sometimes that vigor is too much for our system. Our rst Wagyu-cross calves were born this month and proved the Angus- and Limousin-cross calves are amateurs in comparison.
By Sadie Frericks
The rst Wagyu calf was a wanderer. We found her trotting around with the far-off dry cows – two paddocks away from the close-up dry cows.
The second Wagyu calf was a hider.
While bringing Monika to town for drivers’ training that morning, I spotted a newborn calf in the pasture next to Eve, one of our young Jerseys. I sent a message to our family group chat: “New beef calf.” That’s code for “someone needs to drop what they’re doing and fetch the calf before it becomes too mobile”. By contrast, a “new dairy calf” message means: “As soon as you nish the task you’re working on, please get the calf.”
Glen went to get the calf. Our newer 4-wheeler, the one with a little box on the back that’s perfect for securely transporting calves, is still at the repair shop in town waiting for a part to arrive. Our older 4-wheeler has no such box, so the calf collector must hold the calf on his or her lap while driving. Being that this calf was half-Jersey, this method should have worked just ne.
But it didn’t. Glen had to set the calf down in the grass to close the gate between the pasture and the path to our yard. When he did, the little troublemaker jumped up and bolted into the corneld adjacent to the path. The neighbor’s corn eld, mind you.
Glen sent an S.O.S. message, so Dan and I went to help. We looked and looked and looked. But nding a calf that’s the color of a shadow in the middle of 8-foot tall corn proved unsuccessful.
We needed to get back to our other chores, so we decided to wait until evening to resume the search. We were also hoping that the calf would get hungry and/or Eve would call for the calf and it would wander out of the corn. Or, at the least, make enough noise for us to hear it in the corn.
Neither happened. The calf stayed in the corn and that night Eve went looking for her calf. She looked so intently that she went through two electric fences and ended up in the neighbor’s front yard. (It also stormed that night, which might have contributed to Eve’s errant mission.)
Thankfully, Eve is halter trained, so getting her home was not the rodeo it could have been at 6:00 a.m.
Later that morning, while bringing the second group of cows in from the pasture, I noticed that Ella – Eve’s mother – was lowing into the corneld about 20 rows down from where Glen last saw the calf.
After getting Ella and the other cows into the barn, I circled back around to the spot where Ella had presumably been calling for her grand-calf. Shortly
after I slid between the stalks in the rst row, I heard the little bugger running through the corn. The good news was that she was between me and the barn, not me and the remaining 80 acres of the eld; the bad news was that I couldn’t see her at all, regardless of how low I stooped or how carefully I tried to peer through the stalks.
I moved in her direction and quickly found a trail of her little hoof prints in the storm-softened soil. She stayed in between the same two rows all the way down the eld and around the corner. I called Monika and asked her to go watch the end of the row, in the event the calf kept running.
It’s been a long time since I’ve tracked an animal, but hers were easy to follow. Which helped relieve my frustration at losing an eight hundred dollar calf and at being soaked by the intermittent rain that had continued that morning.
The tracks showed that half way up the eld the calf snuck between two stalks of corn and turned into our lawn. After that, there were no more tracks. We couldn’t nd her anywhere in the yard and couldn’t nd any tracks going back into the corneld.
Completely stumped as to where she could have gone and admitting that this was one wily calf, we came up with a Plan C. That evening, we would tether Eve and Ella to the trees next to the corneld and lure the calf out with their maternal moos.
That afternoon, while working on Daphne’s new chicken coop, Daphne called me over to her pullet coop to show me a burrow in the ground next to the coop.
The kids and I were inspecting the hole when Murky started barking over by the house. When his bark took on his varmint tone, I went to investigate. He was looking into the shrubs that surround a large spruce tree. I crouched down to his level and spotted something dark in the shrubs.
“Crud!” I said. “There’s something in there.”
I crept around the shrubs to get a better look. The girls kept back, knowing that it’s usually never good when a wild critter is in your yard in the middle of the day. Through a small clearing on the other side of the shrubs, I was nally able to identify Murky’s varmint: the missing Wagyu calf, curled up in a tiny ball for an afternoon snooze.
“It’s the calf,” I laughed. At that same moment, Dan came running back out of the house with his 12-gauge and three shells, ready to dispatch whatever varmint was hiding in the shrubs. He had run for the reinforcement the second I spotted something.
We all had a good laugh. Dan returned the gun to the safe and we surrounded the shrubs before moving in to capture the calf, wary that it might bolt again. It didn’t. Dan grabbed the calf and carried it to the barn. I thanked Murky for nding the calf. And we shook our heads at the crazy conclusion to the story of the missing Wagyu. When the calf ran out of the corneld that morning, it must have run straight into our front yard and found its new hiding spot in the shrubs.
Thankfully, that’s the last Wagyu calf due to arrive this summer. This fall, we’ll think twice before deciding on more for next summer.
Sadie Frericks and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children: Dan, Monika, and Daphne. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.
