SARTELL, Minn. — Meadowbrook Dairy Inc has been experimenting with and learning about regenerative agriculture practices for the past eight years, and now they have hosted their own workshop to highlight what they have learned.
Meadowbrook Dairy hosted Cultivating Conservation Field Day July 15 with the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Meadowbrook Dairy is run by John and Mary Lou Udermann and their sons, Jake and Alex, and Alex’s wife, Kirsten. Together they milk 80 cows in a tiestall barn, raise replacements and feeder steers, and grow 1,000 acres of crops near Sartell.
Alex Udermann shared on their farm’s transition from conventional practices to regenerative practices.
“We were conventional tillage, working the soil a lot
Diving into soil health
and tired of seeing the soil blow away,” Alex said. “I started going to meetings and conferences trying to learn as much as I could about regenerative practices.”
From 2016 to 2020 the Udermanns experimented with no-till and cover crops. They upgraded their equipment and saw the same yields as conventional farming so they continued to incorporate more regenerative practices.
“We got rid of our fourwheel drive tractors and tillage equipment,” Alex said. “We could see that our soil was changing, it was getting darker in color and had more worms in it. Our lives on the farm got easier too because there was less stress and less nancial burden.”
The Udermanns have been using 100% no-till farming practices for three years. They mainly use rye as a cover crop as well as oats and radishes and would like to add a multi-species legume mix to replenish nitrogen.
“If you can create a system of healthy soils where the soil provides everything that crops need to grow without the use of additional fertilizers that is the goal,” Alex said. “That is going to be cleaner air, cleaner water, healthier feed which gets fed to your cows and then creates
healthier cows who produce better milk.”
Alex said there is no universal plan for all farmers to follow. Instead, farmers will need to nd what works for them and their operation.
“The biggest thing is if you want to build up soil health you need to understand what the
soil principles are,” Alex said. Alex mentioned ve principles. Farmers can reduce soil disturbance by reducing tillage or doing no-till; maintain a living roof by planting cover crops or inter-seeding; keep the soil covered by leaving the previous year’s residue on top of
the soil; integrate animals with grazing or manure spreading; and bring diversity by planting a varied rotation of crops.
TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Alex Udermann (le ) talks with Mark Skroch July 15 at Meadowbrook Dairy near Sartell, Minnesota. Meadowbrook Dairy hosted Cul va ng Conserva on Field Day to showcase regenera ve prac ces.
Not only were the Udermanns able to get rid of their tillage equipment, but they also stopped using potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Meadowbrook Dairy worked with their local SWCD and NRCS and became certied with the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certication Program. They became the rst farm in Minnesota to achieve all ve endorsements through the MAWQCP.
Stephanie McLain, a soil health specialist with the NRCS, presented on soil health as part of the day.
“Plants play a really important role in soil health,” McLain said. “One of the most important things that they do is put their roots in the soil. That holds the soil together and puts liquid carbon into the soil to feed the microbes.”
to no residue left come time to harvest the beans.”
Another indicator of high-functioning soil is to have 50% pore space and 50% soil. Pore space is created from the roots of plants and worms.
“We want those pore spaces to be preserved,” McLain said. “On years like this year with so much rain, the soils can soak up all that moisture because it has so much pore space. It is better for the plants too because it is easier for them to grow deeper into the soil where they build up better resistance to extreme weather conditions.”
McLain said everyone can have high-functioning soils. These results cannot be achieved overnight, but are the result of year after year building back the soil.
She said cover crops are critical for soil health as they help provide these benets year-round for the soil. Plants constantly pump carbon into the soil.
“If the soil only has plants growing on it for four months out of the year, the soil suffers,” McLain said. “Even in the winter, the microbes are hard at work just at a much slower rate. Would you be willing to put duct tape over your mouth from November to April and not eat anything? That’s what happens to the soil when there are no plants growing.”
“Everyone’s operation is a little bit different and everyone’s soil is a little bit different,” McLain said.
Alex agreed.
“You can do whatever you want for your farm,” he said. “You want to reduce your tillage, or cut back on your fertilizer, that’s great. It doesn’t matter your age, farm size, or if you have livestock, there is something on any size operation to add regenerative practices that cost zero dollars to implement.”
According to McLain, one teaspoon of healthy soil can have up to a billion benecial bacteria and fungi. The top two inches of soil will have the highest number of bacteria and fungi. She said this is especially helpful in decomposing organic matter such as residue from last year’s crops.
“Soil is alive,” McLain said. “If the residue gets pushed six or eight inches into the soil it will never decompose. Decomposition is much faster at the top of the soil; all the biological activity is in the top 2-4 inches. I hesitate on even incorporating the residue because once we disrupt the soil, we destroy the fungi that live in the top of the soil.”
John Udermann also shared the Meadowbrook Dairy’s experience with residue and no-till.
“We were skeptical at rst but there is very little residue left,” John said. “We can hardly see any residue when we plant beans in standing corn. We don’t have a chopping corn head. We plant right into the standing corn after it has been combined. There is very little
TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
The Udermann family — Kirsten holding Aubrey, Kallie, Alex holding Zoey, Mary Lou, John, Jake and Sam — gather in their hayshed July 15 at their farm, Meadowbrook Dairy Inc., near Sartell, Minnesota. The Udermanns milk 80 cows in a estall barn.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Meadowbrook Dairy farm sign shows July 15 the various awards received by the Udermanns near Sartell, Minnesota. Meadowbrook Dairy is the
farm in Minnesota to receive
Stephanie McLain Soil health specialist, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Travis Welle of Melrose, MN
John & Beverly Hanson of Clitherall, MN
Eldred Klaphake of Paynesville, MN
Eli Shetler of Taylor, WI
Henry Dykstra of Orange City, IA
The winners found 149 logos in the June 22nd Dairy Star.
Each winner receives eight pounds of cheese and 2 pounds of butter.
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Class III futures remain solid
The farm benchmark milk price took a temporary step backward in July on a slightly lower cheese price. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the July Federal Order Class III price at $19.79 per hundredweight, down 8 cents from June, but $6.02 above July 2023. The seven-month average stands at $17.33, up from $16.95 this time a year ago and $22.89 in 2022.
Late Friday morning Class III futures portended an August price at $20.34; September, $20.51; October, $20.61; November, $20.20; and December, $19.45.
The July Class IV price is $21.31, up 23 cents from June, $3.05 above a year ago, and the highest since October 2023. The seven-month average at $20.33, is up from $18.55 a year ago and compares to $24.83 in 2022.
Cash cheese prices weakened as traders awaited the August 5 June dairy products report. StoneX’s “Early Morning Update” pointed out “Slightly weaker milk production along with a small slowdown in fat content and the better cheese production limit the amount of fat left for butter production. It adds that Class I demand is starting to pick up as schools get closer to resuming.
After gaining 6.5 cents the previous week, Cheddar block cheese climbed to $1.95 per pound Monday but closed Friday at $1.85, down 8 cents on the week, 5 cents below where they were July 1, and 11.5 cents below a year ago.
The barrels got to $1.9875 Tuesday, the highest since June 17, but closed at $1.93, 4 cents lower on the week, 7.75 cents above their July 1 price, 15.50 cents above a year ago, and 8 cents above the blocks. Sales totaled four cars of blocks on the week and 58 for the month of July, down from 71 in June. Barrel sales totaled four for the week and 80 for the month, up from 55 in June.
Central region contacts tell Dairy Market News that retail demand for cheese is steady but food service purchasing is soft. Export demand is steady. Cheese inventories are somewhat tight in the Central region and cheesemakers are running active schedules, though some note tightening milk availability is contributing to lighter output. Class III milk prices in the Central region ranged at to $2.00-over Class, compared to $6-under to at Class III a year ago.
Cheese production is seasonally weakening in the West. Class III milk demand is strong from cheese manufacturers. However, milk availability is tighter throughout the region. Domestic cheese demand varies from steady to lighter, according to DMN.
Butter continues to impress, closing at $3.1050 per pound, up 1.5 cents on the week, 3.25 cents below its July 1 post, but 48.5 cents above a year ago. Sales totaled 39 for the week and 137 for the month,
up from 44 in June.
The Central region reports that butter demand from retail purchasers is steady, though food service sales are softening. Week-to-week butter sales are steady, however retail butter purchasers have been ordering more butter compared to a year ago. Cream volumes continue to tighten in the Central region as milk production is declining. Butter makers are utilizing cream to run busy schedules, and some say they continue to source cream from the West.
Butter production is generally weakening in the West. Some manufacturers indicate bulk production is especially light while others convey production is within anticipated seasonal trends and comfortable. Some butter producers continue to build inventory to cover anticipated fourth-quarter demand. Cream is tight in the region, but demand is mixed. Stocks are comfortable. Domestic demand varies from somewhat stronger to slightly weaker, according to DMN.
Grade A nonfat dry milk saw its highest Chicago Mercantile Exchange price since Feb. 13, 2023, on Thursday, hitting $1.2475 per pound, but closed Friday at $1.24, still 0.75 cents higher on the week, 6 cents above its July 1 perch, and 11.5 cents above a year ago. Sales for the week totaled 25, and 76 for the month, down from 84 in June.
Dry whey hit 62.5 cents per pound Thursday, the highest CME price since April 22, 2022, but closed Friday at 61 cents, up 4 cents on the week, 12 cents higher on the month, and 33.75 cents above a year ago. There were ve sales for the week and 11 for the month of July, down from 13 in June.
StoneX stated in its July 31 “Early Morning Update;” “There is continued demand for whey protein concentrates and isolates, which in turn has concentrated efforts on better production of those products. But the key to the story here at the end of July is an aggressive bid for more base proteins as well. While there are reports of some constraints on the supply side for dry whey, the recent rally seems driven in large part by demand. Demand for spot loads, but also for futures. Open interest on futures contracts, the amount of positions which traders/hedgers, etc. have open in the market, is down 28% from this time last year. It may not be a huge leap to suggest that some participants are in the midst of a scramble for coverage as concerns over supply underpin.”
Meanwhile, a higher all-milk price and lower corn, soybean, and hay prices gave another lift to the milk-feed price ratio. The latest Ag Prices report shows the June ratio at 2.36, up from 2.24 in May, and compares to 1.35 in June 2023.
The index is based on the current milk price in relationship to feed prices for a ration consisting of 51% corn, 8% soybeans and 41% alfalfa hay. One pound of milk would purchase 2.36 pounds of dairy feed of that blend.
The all-milk price averaged $22.80 per cwt, with a 4.10% butterfat test, up 80 cents from May, and $5 above June 2023, which had a 4.01% test.
California’s average, at $21.80 per cwt, was up $1.10 from May and $4.30 above a year ago. Wisconsin’s, at $22.10, was up 80 cents from May and $5.70 above a year ago.
The national corn price averaged $4.48 per bushel, down 3 cents from May, after jumping 12 cents the previous month, and was $2.01 below a year ago.
Soybeans averaged $11.80 per bushel, down a dime from May and $2.40 per bushel below a year ago.
Alfalfa hay averaged $195 per ton, down $7 from May and $68 per ton below a year ago.
Looking at the cow side of the ledger; the June average cull price for beef and dairy combined climbed to $138 per cwt, up $6 from May, $31 above June 2023, and $66.40 above the 2011 base average.
Milk production margins moved to the highest level since April 2022 at $13.15 per cwt. and were 98 cents per cwt. above May, according to dairy economist Bill Brooks, of Stoneheart Consulting in Dearborn, Missouri.
“Income over feed costs in June were above the $8 per cwt level needed for steady to higher milk production for the 10th month in a row,” says Brooks. “Input prices were lower in June with all three input commodities remaining in the top nine for June alltime. Feed costs were the ninth highest ever for the month of June and the 78th highest of all time. The all-milk price moved into the top 25 all-time at the 25th highest recorded.”
“Dairy producer protability for 2023 in the form of milk income over feed costs, was $8.01 per cwt. The protability was $3.90 below 2022 and $1.71 lower than the 2018-22 average. In 2023, the decrease in milk income over feed costs was a result of the milk price decreasing more than feed prices dropped. Income over feed in 2023 was around the level needed to maintain or grow milk production.”
“Milk income over feed costs for 2024 (using July 31 CME settling futures prices for Class III milk, corn, and soybeans plus the Stoneheart forecast for alfalfa hay) are expected to be $13.55 per cwt, a gain of 53 cents per cwt versus last month’s estimate. Income over feed would be above the level needed to maintain or grow milk production, and up $5.54 per cwt from 2023.”
Milk income over feed costs for 2025 are expected to be $13.38 per cwt, says Brooks, a loss of 17 cents per cwt versus 2024 and income over feed would be above the level needed to maintain or grow milk production, and up 52 cents per cwt from last month’s estimate, he said.
The latest Margin Watch from Chicago-based Commodity and Ingredient Hedging LLC said; “Dairy margins improved over the last half of July with higher milk prices as feed costs held steady. CME Class III milk futures have been supported recently by strength in the whey market, with USDA reporting that China’s June whey imports were up 6.2% from 2023 and shipments from the U.S. up 33.9% from last year.”
“CME cash whey nished the month at a new 15-year high for this point in the calendar year at 62 cents per pound, which is up 2.25 cents or 57% from the end of May,” according to the MW. “Each penny increase in the price of whey adds about 6 cents to the Class III milk price, so whey has been a signicant contributor to recent strength in the market.”
The MW also reported highlights from the June milk production report, citing “Signicant revisions to the dairy herd, estimated at 9.335 million head at the end of June, down 62,000 from last year and 9,000 lower than May. Due to limited availability, heifer replacement calves are fetching over $3,000 so dairy producers are holding onto their cows longer which is impacting yields.”
“USDA reported milk yield at or below a year ago in two-thirds of the largest 24 dairy states, including states that did not suffer from a heat wave or avian inuenza during June.” The MW concluded, reporting on the June cold storage report, and said; “Our clients have continued extending coverage in deferred marketing periods with new positions to take advantage of historically strong margins.”
In more evidence of producers holding onto their cows longer, dairy cow slaughter for the week ending July 20 totaled 52,200 head, down 300 from the previous week, and 9,000 or 14.7% below a year ago. Year to date, 1,793,000 dairy cows have been culled, down 259,400 or 14.5% from 2023.
USDA’s latest crop production report showed 77% of U.S. corn was silking as of the week ending July 28, up from 61% the previous week, 2% behind a year ago, and 1% ahead of the ve-year average. Thirty percent was at the dough stage, 5% ahead of a year ago, and 8% ahead of the ve year average. Sixty-eight percent was rated good to excellent, up 1% from the previous week and compares to 55% a year ago.
Seventy-seven percent of the soybeans are blooming, up from 65% the previous week, 2% behind a year ago, but 3% ahead of the ve year average. Forty-four percent were setting pods, down 2% from a year ago but 4% ahead of the average. Sixty-seven percent were rated good to excellent, down 1% from the previous week, but up from 52% a year ago.
There’s been a lot of frustration in the global dairy market over China’s lack of purchases and a big part of the reason is China’s increased domestic milk production. Rabobank Global Sector Strategist, Mary Ledman addressed the topic in a recent report entitled “The Dairy Dominoes, How China’s Increased Self Sufciency is Reshaping Global Trade.”
Speaking in the August 5 “Dairy Radio Now” broadcast, Ledman said it’s been a work in progress since 2018 when China released its ve-year agricultural plan, which she likened to a U.S. farm bill.
They established a goal of increasing milk output by nearly 11 million metric tons, she said, or about 25 billion pounds, equivalent to Idaho, Washington State, and maybe even Oregon. “And they did it ahead of schedule,” she said.
They added a million head to their herd, and they were high-producing dairy cows on farms of 5,00010,000 cows, comparable to U.S. herds of that size. She reported that China imported about a million head of replacement heifers from New Zealand and Australia, in the time period of 2018-2023.
“To continue on this path,” Ledman said, “They need to increase their animal husbandry of replacement heifers, but that’s yet to be determined. There are feed constraints, water constraints and land constraints,” Ledman said. However, “The last ve years
shows us that, with China, where there’s a will, there is a way.”
Can other countries make up for China’s smaller purchases? Ledman answered, “Yes. We have a growing world population and while China’s absence is large, as they are the world’s largest dairy importer, it has particularly impacted whole milk and skim milk powder. The whey market is still very important to the United States and China has not developed its domestic cheese industry that would produce that whey. The powder decits are being absorbed by Algeria, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and others,” she said.
Speaking of trade; Tuesday’s Global Dairy Trade Pulse again saw just under 3.86 million pounds of product sold, the same as the week before, and the price of skim milk powder was slightly lower while whole milk powder was up slightly. About 2.8 million pounds of regular whole milk powder was sold, along with 1.1 million pounds of skim milk powder.
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Miracle of Birth Center will not include lactating dairy this year
By Meghan Kropp Contributing writer
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — A walk through the Miracle of Birth Center at the Minnesota State Fair may be a bit different this year. Visitors may notice the absence of lactating dairy cows in the center due to the highly pathogenic avian inuenza A virus.
According to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, H5N1 was conrmed in a dairy herd in June this year.
“Visitors should still continue to expect an educational experience ... about the animal culture and about veterinary medicine and how that looks in the state of Minnesota,” said Michelle Butler, the education manager for the Minnesota State Fair.
Butler said the virus adds challenges to the fair this year and understands exhibitors being cautious about attending with their animals.
“We have to make the best decision for the unique situation,” she said. “We understand that coming to the fair this year might cause some concern. We know that showing at the fair is a big decision and a big commitment and with H5N1, there is some risk involved as well.”
Signs will be posted, Butler said, and visitors are highly encouraged to wash their hands before entering and leaving the center. Hand-washing stations will be provided. Guests will also be discouraged from bringing food into the center.
The decision to not include lactating dairy cows in the Miracle of Birth Center this year included the safety of guests and animals and the guidelines set by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health Butler said.
The state is requiring lactating dairy cattle that are attending an exhibition to have a negative H5N1 test no more than seven days prior to coming to the fair. Dry cows which come to the fair are not lactating yet, but once the cow calve, that cow is then lactating and is subject to testing. Butler said since the cow would be on site already this does not follow the guidelines.
“Our priority is keeping the livestock safe and our fair-goers safe, so there was just no possible way to do it,” Butler said.
To help meet these guidelines, Butler noted that every lactating cow attending this year’s fair, set Aug, 22 to Sept. 2, will need to have verication of a negative H5N1 test. Additional testing will be available for cattle staying throughout the fair.
“We have three sections of the fair in the cattle area,” Butler said. “For those animals that may need to be here longer than 10 days, we will have tests on site as well. They will be free of charge. They will be pulled by University of Minnesota veterinary students under the advisory of our state fair veterinarian to continue to follow those protocols.”
Butler said there will be other opportunities to see the miracle of birth with sheep, pigs and poultry at the center, along with some dairy calves and non-lactating cows.
“We will have other species so we can continue to have the conversations we would have in a traditional year,” she said.
This is not the rst year of the Miracle of Birth Center did not include certain births. Butler said in 2021, when the fair was opening again after COVID-19, the center was met with limitations.
“We were trying to gure out how we were going to navigate that, so we didn’t have births that year,” she said. “This isn’t our rst time not having it, but we are always able to pivot and add additional educational experiences.”
According to the Minnesota State Fair website, the Miracle of Birth Center is an educational opportunity that houses baby animals during the 12 days of the fair. Visitors can also learn about different egg production systems, veterinary sciences and more.
While a normal year the Miracle of Birth Center may host an average of 12 lactating cows as well as their calves, this year’s fair will have slightly older calves in the building. Butler said calves will be a few weeks old when the gates open.
Butler wants to prioritize safety while still enabling fair goers educational experiences at the Miracle of Birth Center.
“It is a tradition for families to be here,” Butler said. “We are happy that we are able to follow these parameters and protocols.”
Area Hay Auction Results
Atkinson Acres continue parade tradition
By Tiffany Klaphake tiffany.k@dairystar.com
FREEPORT, Minn. — Chicken wire, cardboard, paper-mâché, wood and cattails are just some of the materials the Atkinson family used to decorate their family oat entry for the annual Sacred Heart Parish Festival Parade.
Dan Atkinson, owns a 90-cow dairy farm, Atkinson Acres, near Freeport. Dan, his mother, Betty, and their extended family work together each year to design, create and build a oat for their annual church festival parade. Dan typically drives the oat with a tractor or truck.
“It’s great to see the kids work on it,” Dan said. “People have told us they look forward to seeing our oat every year. We need people to be active and support these small-town events.”
Betty Atkinson, who is 87, rst had the idea to enter a oat in the parade in 1995 on behalf of their family farm. Betty, a lifetime member of Sacred Heart Parish, wanted to support the event.
Family farm oat
“It’s about community,” Betty said. “It’s important to be a part of things that go (on) in a small town.”
Today, Betty and her daughter, Barb (Atkinson) Hellermann, coordinate with four generations to plan and implement a themed oat for the parade. Betty has six children, 16 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
“It is so fun seeing the grandchildren work so hard on it and present it to everyone during the parade,” Betty said. “It’s their excitement and their energy that makes it all so worthwhile.”
This year, the Atkinson family used the theme of “Little House on the Prairie” for their oat to go with the parade theme of old tube TV shows.
The Hellermanns built a tree and painted the front of a house on a large piece of cardboard for a backdrop. Some of Betty’s grandchildren and greatgrandchildren dressed up as the characters from the show and performed a short skit to its theme song throughout the parade.
“Back in the day, the whole family was involved — Mom and all my brothers and sisters and their kids,” Hellermann said. “Now, we are at the point that the great-grandkids are helping out.”
According to Hellermann, the Sacred Heart Parish Festi-
val, which celebrated its 43rd event this year, has changed.
“When I was growing up, the church did not have a parade as part of the festival,” Hellermann said. “It wasn’t until I had kids of my own that they started having the parade.”
That year, the Atkinson family’s oat was decorated as Puff the Magic Dragon.
“We didn’t even realize there was a theme (that rst year) we just did our own thing,” Hellermann said. “We made 200 tissue paper owers to cover the dragon’s body and I made all the costumes.”
After that, the Atkinsons realized there was a theme and cash prizes awarded to the top three parade entries.
“We have won a handful
of times over the years,” Betty said. “But that is not why we do it each year.”
They participated in the parade for 11 consecutive years beginning in 1995 and then took a break. By then, the grandchildren were growing up, attending college and starting their own careers.
Turn to ATKINSON | Page 11
TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Be y and her son, Dan Atkinson, stand next to their parade oat for the Sacred Heart Parish Fes val Parade July 21 in Freeport, Minnesota. Dan milks 90 cows at his farm near Freeport.
Atkinson (le ), Molly Atkinson, Ellie Hellermann, Natalie Arnzen, Be y Hellermann and Evelyn Hellermann prac ce their skit for their family’s parade oat July 21 in Freeport, Minnesota. The theme for the Atkinson’s oat this year was “Li le House on the Prairie.”
In 2016, a new generation of Atkinsons were old enough to once again participate on a oat for the local parade. Every year since then, Atkinson Acres has entered the parade.
“We always try to nd something that has a song to it so we can have music playing,” Hellermann said. “We make it so the kids do a little skit while on the oat to some music each year. I always think it’s good to have the kids doing something while on the oat instead of just throwing candy.”
Depending on the parade’s theme, the Atkinsons have designed their oat around themes such as “The Lion King,” “Ants in the Pants” baseball, “The Flintstones” and a jungle.
“We went all out last year with ‘The Flintstones’,” Hellermann said. “We made the Flintstone house and a Flintstone car. I made the costumes and the kids came up with the routine themselves.”
The Atkinsons have used hay racks, atbed trailers and wagons for their oat. Hellermann’s husband even purchased a trailer from a business to become the ofcial parade trailer with clips from which to hang fringe.
“It’s a fun family thing,” Hellermann said. “My granddaughters really got into it last year, and as soon as it was over, they said they can’t wait to do it again next year.”
Betty has passed the torch of coordinating to Hellermann but still looks forward to the event every summer.
“I did not expect to still be having a oat in the parade all these years later,” Betty said. “I’m pretty proud of that.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Be y Atkinson holding Olive Stangler, (front, from le ) and Molly Atkinson; (back, from le ) Clayton Atkinson, Evelyn Hellerman and Ellie Hellermann stand on the Atkinson Acres oat July 16, 2023, in Freeport, Minnesota. The family used the theme of “The Flintstones.”
TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Clayton
A day in the life of the Ainger family
July 31 a busy day at McHenry County Fair
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
HARVARD, Ill. — There are few things the Ainger family looks forward to more than their county fair. The nearly week-long event is an opportunity to showcase their animals and have fun with old friends.
“The fair is the highlight of our summer,” Alan Ainger said.
Alan and his wife, Katie, and their children — Kyle, Jake and Ava — milk 300 cows and farm 1,100 acres near Harvard.
Show day started early for the Aingers who rose at 4 a.m. to start washing and feeding animals July 31. Their colorful string of 12 head lined onehalf of the main dairy barn at the McHenry County Fair.
“We have all the breeds
out here except Milking Shorthorn,” Alan said. “It’s fun. Having all the breeds on my farm is something I always wanted. Once my kids got in 4-H, I started building that up.”
Back home, Alan took care of chores with help from his mom, Carol, and several employees before heading to the fairgrounds.
“This is a good fair,” Alan said. “It’s small, but they’ve made improvements. They made a lot of enhancements in the barn with my dad’s memorial fund when he passed away.”
Alan said many families at the fair are on their second or third generation of showmen. Such is the case for Alan’s
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Jake Ainger prepares the topline of a Jersey heifer July 31 at the McHenry County Fair in Woodstock, Illinois. Jake and his siblings have been showing at the fair since 2014.
Ainger family’s
July 31
at the fair this year.
family, who have been a part of the fair since the 1950s. Alan showed as a kid and so did his dad, making his children the third generation to show.
“We’ve been around the fair a long time and have generations of friends here,” Alan said.
The Aingers’ farm is 20 minutes away, and Alan ar-
rived at the fair around 8 a.m. He drives back and forth to the fair each day after morning chores and then again at night after evening chores.
“I push a few things off until late afternoon,” Alan said. “I have pretty good help at home
Turn to DAY IN THE LIFE
| Page 14
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The
ca le stand in a bed of straw
at the McHenry County Fair in Woodstock, Illinois. Their string of 12 head lined one-half of the main dairy barn.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Ainger family — Jake (from le ), Kyle, Ava, Alan and Ka e — takes a break between classes July 31 at the McHenry County Fair in Woodstock, Illinois. The Aingers milk 300 cows near Harvard and exhibited 12 dairy animals
LOW-RATE FINANCING
right now, which makes it easier. I try to stay caught up with the normal grind instead of letting it go until next week.”
The show began at 9 a.m. with showmanship classes. Having won all three levels of showmanship in the past, Kyle and Jake qualied to participate in the overall showmanship class. Ava led an animal in intermediate showmanship and earned a ribbon for second place.
“I like having fun at the
fair and interacting with the animals,” Ava said. “It teaches you about responsibility. When it comes to showing, you never know what you’re going to get.”
Alan helped prep animals for the ring while also cleaning up behind cattle and watching over the herd during the show.
“The kids are getting old enough; I try to just help them out,” he said.
About 70 head of dairy cattle showed in the junior
show at the McHenry County Fair, and 100 head would be shown in the open show on Friday, Alan said.
“I think our dairy numbers are going to be strong for another ve years, and then we’ll have kids start to age out,” he said. “There are a few new ones coming in, but dairy is a year-round commitment, unlike some of the other project animals.”
Turn to DAY IN THE LIFE | Page 15
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Alan Ainger sprays show shine on a heifer while Ava Ainger holds the halter before heading into the ring July 31 at the McHenry County Fair in Woodstock, Illinois. Alan helps his kids at the fair in between morning and evening chores.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Kyle Ainger (le ) and Ava Ainger (third from le ) show their summer yearling heifers July 31 at the McHenry County Fair in Woodstock, Illinois. About 70 head of dairy ca le were shown in the junior show.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Carol Ainger gives water to calves a er the evening feeding July 31 on her son’s farm near Harvard, Illinois. Carol feeds calves every day in the new calf barn built last year.
The Aingers belong to the Hebron Helping Hands 4-H Club. In addition to the Ainger children, two neighbor kids — Jared and Addie Cunningham — also helped show their cattle.
Katie and the kids stay at the fair for the whole week, spending their nights in a camper that they rent from their neighbor.
“When I showed, we used to sleep in the barn,” Alan said. “That’s when all the fun happened.”
The dairy show concluded at noon. The Aingers had a few rst-place animals, including Kyle’s cow that was named grand champion Brown Swiss and reserve supreme champion of the show. The victory meant he would get to participate in the auction that Saturday in which ‘A Day’s Production of Milk’ gift basket would get auctioned off with Kyle receiving the proceeds.
Alan got back to the farm around 2 p.m.
He is the fourth generation on the family farm that dates back to 1946. Before moving to Harvard, the Ainger family farmed in Woodstock.
“We’ve been in the dairy industry a long time in this county,” Alan said.
Carol feeds calves every day, and the Aingers also receive help from four employees. The family built a shed this summer for their show heifers, and last year, they built a new calf barn to house calves from newborn to 3 months old.
“Prior to that, we raised calves in old barns and hutches,” Carol said. “This is so much nicer. The calves are happy.”
Currently, about 60 calves are on milk.
“We try to take a couple of weeks off with calving this time of year,” Alan said. “We’ll be full again in no time.”
He scraped and bedded pens, bred a cow and heifer, fed grain to the older calves and did other chores before returning to the fair that night around 6:30. Alan stayed until 9 p.m. and then headed home.
“We sit and talk with friends,” he said. “On the weekends, I stay longer.”
It was a team effort July 31, with each family member contributing to ensure a successful show.
“As soon as we get done at the fair, we start looking forward to next year,” Alan said.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Ava Ainger holds up the ribbon she won in showmanship July 31 at the McHenry County Fair in Woodstock, Illinois. Ava has been in 4-H for four years and showed four animals that day.
12O COWS, 120 HEIFERS coming from Brian Willie
This is an excellent high producing herd of 120 cows and 120 heifers sold by Brian Willie. There are 100 jerseys and 20 holsteins cows. There are also 30 heifers six months and under and 90 heifers six months and older. The herd is currently averaging 20,700M, 4.8 BF and 3.6 P. There are 35 first lactation, 30 second lactation and 55 third lactation. The cows are housed in a freestall robot barn and milked three times per day. The Willie’s have been doing AI for 45 years and currently use Boone-PP and Diner. The Willie’s feed with a TMR. Their vaccination protocol consists of youngstock cattle receive Bovilis Vision 8 and cattle receive Triangle 10HB, Endovac and Bovilis Vision 7 at dry off. The Willie’s have been milking for 45 years. They moved to their current location 26 years ago and milked in a freestall and parlor. They went to a freestall robot barn in 2014.
Caprine Farming
Family, friends, goats
Varners
start a new path for milking
By Emily Breth emily.b@star-pub.com
ALBANY, Minn. — After ve years of not milking cows, dairy goats were welcomed to Andy and Rachel Varner’s farm.
“We were talking to some people about dairy goats and I wanted to be able to use the barn and make an income from it,” Andy said. “We started putting some numbers together and thought goats would be a good t.”
The Varners’ milking herd consists of almost all the different breeds of dairy goats. They milk 60 goats and plan to milk year-round.
“I already leave the lights on until 9 p.m. to trick them into thinking it is still the middle of summer,” Andy said. “From what I’ve heard goats will keep milking, unlike cows, until the days get shorter.”
As fast as they can, the couple wants to increase their herd count to 150.
“We probably won’t get there by winter but we have 20 that are bred,” Andy said.
After getting settled in with 150 goats, Andy said if they can arrange the barn to t 200 they will consider increasing their herd size again.
They are milking in a single-10 parlor. If they increase to 200 the couple plans on putting in another single-10 to keep milking time under 90 minutes.
“We ended up waiting around three months for that parlor,” Andy said. “Besides the parlor, we just had to switch some pipelines and we were good to go.
Along with getting the parlor set up, the couple also had to transition the holding pen.
“We were already building pens for lambing and kidding with our meat goats,” Andy said. “In the holding pen, we were able to just pull out the mats and set up the feed alley.”
One other step was putting in a 600-gallon bulk tank. This size allows for herd expansion and the same route for the milk hauler.
“We get our milk picked up every ve days,” Andy said. “Then it gets shipped to Wisconsin.”
A positive the couple found with starting dairy goats was how it allows their daughter, Hailey, to get out and work with animals. Her connection with the goats is the reason they made the decision to join 4-H next year.
EMILY BRETH/DAIRY STAR
Hailey Varner stands with her parents, Rachel and Andy, Aug. 2 at their farm near Albany, Minnesota. The Varners started milking dairy goats a li le over a month ago.
“The goats are great with Hailey,” Andy said. “There is no better way for kids to learn.”
Hailey being able to be in the barn playing without bothering the goats, paired with her love of the goats is one of the main reasons they are going to stick with the dairy goats Andy said.
“Her helping is grabbing her goats and us grabbing the rest,” Rachel said. “At rst she couldn’t reach so we had to buy her a pink step stool.”
The family has also learned about the differences between goats and cows in this process.
“Goats are nice because the bedding pack and parlor stay a lot dryer,” Andy said. “There just needs to be a lot of airow for goats.”
The Varners are planning on utilizing pastureland with their meat goats and sheep. Currently, they rent all their land. But next year Andy plans on farming half of it. Even with farming Andy plans on continuing to buy grain mix to feed his goats.
*We accept cattle on Wednesday from 8am-4pm for Thursday’s sale
Dairy Cattle: 1st Thursday of each month at 12pm
Feeder Cattle: 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month at 12pm
Hay Auctions: Every Wednesday at 12pm
must be to
Sheep & Goat Auctions:
“They don’t eat a lot, so what they do eat better be good,” Andy said. “If the leaves fall off, they will just leave them lay, unlike cows. That’s why it’s important to have good hay.”
Another reason hay is important to goats is because it impacts milk production. With cows, Andy said, if you do not have a normal crop of hay, protein can just be supplemented in and they will not drop in production. Goats are different.
“Anyone who thinks they are going to milk goats really should have milked cows rst,” Andy said. “It’s a lot of the same processes but cows aren’t as touchy.”
One of the advantages the Varners have found with goats is their milking time can be adjusted. Also, they have a set milk price for a year. When it comes to milking every night, Hailey can be found in the barn helping her parents.
“We love that she is out here and wants to help,” Andy said. “There is no better way to raise a kid.”
EMILY BRETH/DAIRY STAR
Hailey Varner pets the milking goats Aug. 2 at her parents’ farm near Albany, Minnesota. The milking herd consists of 60 goats of varying breeds.
100 acres and put it in a bunker. We are cutting our sorghum sudangrass; it’s 8 feet tall. The neighbors are cutting fourth cutting alfalfa. The soybeans are 4 feet tall and have some yellow spots; nobody knows what it is. They look really good. The sunflowers planted after the wheat are 1 foot tall. We’ve cut some grass for a second time and are hoping to take a fall cutting as well. It’s really dusty and dry, the soybeans could use a boost of water.
Third-crop alfalfa came back really nice, once there is a good window of weather, we will start cutting it. All of the corn is tasseled, including the fields planted late. We gained some good height in the last two weeks. The soybeans are looking really good, they are no longer yellow from being too wet. We got our oats harvested, which averaged 80-bushels per acre. The straw averaged 2 bales per acre. People are still waiting for the wheat in the area to turn a little more. My millet is growing fairly well. I plan on chopping it about the same time as corn.
It’s been catchup on the farm right now. The thirdcrop alfalfa looks good and is coming; it should be ready in the next 7-10 days. There is a lot of hay out there. The corn is very uneven. In some fields the corn is tall and tasseled and in other areas it’s only waist high. It will be a long chopping season this year. A couple weeks ago we did the meadows. I think we are done with those for the year. They probably won’t dry out anymore because the days are getting too short. There is water everywhere and there isn’t much going on in the fields around here.
We got our third-crop of alfalfa put up around July 17 and are about two weeks from being able to do fourth-crop. Some of the pivot irrigators ended up running in the area to help the crops finish out nicely. We did have a chance of rain for the rest of the week, Aug. 7-10. Our corn is looking really good. I think we are about a month away from making silage. From the road, the neighbors’ beans are coming along nice. There are some people in the area that are crop dusting for insects and fungi.
We have harvested 1/3 of our oats and have 2/3 standing. We were swatting but we will probably try to straight cut the crop. Our wheat is ready as well, when the fields are ready we plan to do both. There looks to be a lot of straw. We are working on third -crop hay. We have 45 acres done and 100 left. It is purple and going down in spots. In our area the low spots have water standing in them 80% of the time. The corn is uneven, but the soybeans look really nice. We are hoping for drier weather this week.
ETHAN JOHNSON 72 cows, 255 acres
We finished our rye harvest July 23 averaging 3040 bushels an acre. We ended up getting really nice round bales of straw from it. It was a little hard to get baled because we had humid weather. We are hoping to start our third-crop of alfalfa the week of Aug. 11. The soybeans and corn are coming along really nicely. The soybeans could use another shot of rain, but the corn is starting to catch up from all of the rain earlier this year. Our pasture was under 4 feet of water, but we were now able to put the cattle out there.
We got our third-crop hay done. We finished Aug. 3. It was a nice crop. We got our new seeding cut and it’s laying down now. We should be able to dry bale it tomorrow (Aug. 6). The corn we planted in early June is fully tasseled. I ordered fungicide to be applied on the corn. There is some northern blight, rootworm and japenese beetles in the field. The soybeans are canopied and really look good. There is not a weedy field out there. Within the next 7-10 days we will be on our fourth-crop hay.
We have mainly been working on combining oats and baling straw. We have 65 acres left of the 130 acres of oats. The oats are yielding 100 bushels or more per acre. We had thought of doing 30 acres as oatlage, but with the rain, it was getting too old. We have started a little bit of third-crop. Our sweet corn is standing at a 45-degree angle from the rain we got the week of Aug. 5. It is tasseling, so I don’t know how it will do. From the road, all the neighboring crops look good. A lot of guys were spraying fungicides with helicopters and airplanes about a week ago.
HAUSCHILDT
Things are looking better and we have had some heat, but we could use more. It feels like there is some hope now. We were able to get our third-crop done, the yields were good and better than second-crop. There has been a lot of fungicide being sprayed aerially on corn and beans. The beans look much better and have nodulated. They are uneven in height, but they have a nice green color. The 30-inch beans have canopied. The corn is looking good. Everything except the low spots has tasseled completely and is setting on ears. The low and wet spots are just tasseling now. We are seeing a lot of compaction and tracks in the fields.
cows, 300 acres BEN JULKA 380 cows, 1,800 acres
We finished third-crop hay July 25. It was pretty light as there was not a whole lot out there. It will be a couple weeks until fourth-crop, which is coming back strong. The crowns look healthy. We chopped new seeding alfalfa for the second time July 31 and Aug. 1. Some of the lower fields have a lot of water damage so we’re going to have to go in and reseed some of that. All of the straw is baled and chopped. We made a couple hundred bales and chopped 45 acres for bedding the last week in July. I’m thinking corn silage is going to be ready by late August or early September.
We started cutting third-crop last week Monday July 29, but it was so foggy and had such a heavy dew we were having to quit by 7 p.m. There is a lot of thirdcrop, so we are running about two tons of dry matter per acre. We tested some and it came back between 170 and 180. Now we have standing water again in our alfalfa fields. We need to start on our sorghum sudangrass. We also need to get some manure hauled because our pit is about 6 inches from the top. The corn looks pretty good, it is fully tasseled and pollinated. The beans are waist-high, and talking with our seed rep, we are thinking 70-bushel beans are not out of the question.
We have had 3.4 inches in the last two weeks, 1.5 of that was last night (Aug. 5), so we are plenty wet again. We started our third-crop yesterday, it looks to be a bumper crop and the quality should be pretty good. We are 32 days on cutting it. The corn around here looks phenomenal, fully tasseled and the cobs are coming in. The beans in the area look great too. People are starting to combine wheat in the area as well.
Daryl baled a little third-crop Aug. 4, and we started mowing more Aug. 7. I cut some more second-crop hay on my land. I have a field that I cut four different times, and it got rained on every time I cut it. The corn we planted first is at the dough stage, and the kernels are getting ready to dent. That’s kind of a relief because we’re short on corn and now it’s going to be ready right on time when we’re going to run out. I thought we would have to buy some. We’ve been buying grain for our heifers all year. We usually have 2,000 bushels stored, but we’re buying it right from the co-op this year. Fitchburg, WI
EBJ Livestock
Mid-American Hay Auction results for Aug. 1
Fair-winning recipes
After a nine-year hiatus, the Langola Livewires 4-H Club is back. We’re “plugged in” and ready to roll. After Austin graduated, the club became inactive because we had no young families in the neighborhood. We were between generations. Finally, the area kids had kids, and we have a club again. Since no one has any 4-H experience, they asked if I would help them get started. I forgot how energizing it is to work with and encourage young people in discovering new passions and skills.
We just closed out our rst Benton County Fair, and I must say — the kids did great. Several blue ribbons and a few state fair trips were earned. We survived our rst shift in the 4-H Lunchstand, too. Many are already planning what they want to take for projects next year.
Our young neighbor boy, Jackson, buys our bull calves for his feeder steer business. At 12, he has a very good handle on calf care and economic returns. When he’s not out with the calves, he likes to bake. When he picked up the last set of bull calves, Mark teased that he wanted a taste of the cake he was baking for the fair. Sure enough, Monday night after judging, there were 3 pieces of cake waiting for us to taste. It is probably the best German chocolate cake I’ve eaten — even better than mine. He earned Reserve Champion for his efforts. He even agreed to share the family recipe with us.
German Sweet Chocolate Cake
Reserve Champion by Jackson Kasella, using his great grandmother Leona Kasella’s recipe.
4 ounces Baker’s sweet chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups sifted our
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
4 egg whites, stify beaten
Melt chocolate in boiling water and cool. Cream butter and sugar until uffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. Blend in vanilla and chocolate. Sift our with baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to the chocolate mixture, beating after each addition until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into 3 – 9 inch layer round pans lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool and frost tops only with coconut-pecan frosting
Coconut-Pecan Frosting for German
Sweet Chocolate Cake
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 slightly beaten eggs 1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Cook milk, sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla over medium heat until thickened (about 12 minutes). Add coconut and pecans. Cool until thick enough to spread, beating occasion-
ally. Spread on tops of cakes and stack.
If you’re talking ribbon winning recipes, you can’t forget the pickle competition. My mom makes the best dill pickles, but I can’t seem to make them as good as hers. I think I’m missing a few tricks she’s not sharing because they’re just things you should already know. My niece, Jamie, is big into making Cinnamon Pickles these days. She shared the recipe she found online, plus a few tricks.
Here are a few things I will have to try this year. Jamie strongly suggests soaking any cucumbers in a lime solution overnight. The calcium in lime will help rm pickles. However, lime also lowers the acidity, so you must soak cucumbers in water multiple times following the soaking in the lime to remove the excess lime for safety. I always used to use alum, but according to Penn State Extension, that really doesn’t work.
If you’re not canning right away, leave them in an ice bath or in your refrigerator to maintain rmness. Doing this before you start canning will give you the crunchiest pickles ever. Don’t forget to cut off the blossom end at least 1/16th inch from the end. The blossom end contains enzymes that can cause softening. This is why some old recipes add a grape leaf to each jar of pickles. The leaves contain tannins that inhibit the enzyme that makes pickles soft. If you remove the end, you don’t need the grape leaf, according to Penn State.
Cinnamon Pickles by Jamie Dowell
8 pounds cucumbers
1 cup pickling lime
1 gallon water (well water is best)
1 gallon pomegranate juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
a few grape leaves
1 cup simple syrup infused with cinnamon and a bit of ginger
1/2 tablespoon pickling salt
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
4 cups sugar
3 sticks cinnamon
QUALITY that lasts for the LONG RUN
Peel cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds just as you would make a cucumber boat. Slice into chunks. Soak the cucumbers in pickling lime overnight (12 hours). This is what helps make the crunch.
Strain, rinse and soak in a fresh batch of water for a half hour or so. Rinse again. Now rinse a third time to be sure you get all the lime off. If the lime isn’t rinsed off, it can neutralize the vinegar, causing an improper pH for canning.
Next, soak the cucumbers in a mixture of pomegranate juice, the rst amount of vinegar and the grape leaves. The leaves will turn gray looking after all the pickling. There is no amount of water given for this soaking phase, as it’s just whatever amount it takes to submerge the cucumbers. Let them sit in the colored water for a few hours, just enough to turn to the color you want. Drain.
In a saucepan, mix the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer until all the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the cucumbers and let sit for 24 hours. This will give them the avor they need. Drain and save this liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil again.
Place cucumbers in sterilized jars. Pour the hot liquid over them. Leave 1/2 inch head space. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, let cool in water bath, then pull the jars out.
If any jars didn’t seal, no problem — just put in the refrigerator and enjoy now.
Simple Syrup for Cinnamon Pickles
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Cook till thickened. Put in jar and store in refrigerator until ready to use in drinks or recipes. Can infuse avors in the syrup by placing mint leaves, cinnamon sticks or bits of freshly chopped ginger in the jars while storing.
Food columnist, Natalie Schmitt
Target Your Customers!
The Dairy Star is sent only to DAIRY FARMERS! If you would like to advertise in the DAIRY STAR, call 320-352-6303 for more information.
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
Custard pie
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 unbaked pie shell
Sprinkle of nutmeg
Combine eggs, sugar and salt. Mix milk and cornstarch; bring to scalding. Slowly add to egg mixture. Add vanilla. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 325 degrees until mixture does not adhere to a knife, approximately 30 minutes.
Old-fashioned buttermilk cake
1 cup buttermilk*
3 tablespoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup shortening
Preheat oven to 325. Pour buttermilk, vanilla and baking soda in a glass and set aside. Place shortening in a large bowl and cream until smooth. Add sugar slowly and continue to cream until mixture is uffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. When mixture is uffy, stir in buttermilk mixture and gradually add our and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir well after each addition. Fold in nuts. Pour into sprayed, oured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 12 to 16. *To make buttermilk, mix 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and let milk stand for about 10 minutes.
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 cups our
4 eggs
School boy jumbles
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and water. Add our. Add avoring. Sift in our and baking powder. Roll out dough and press with desired cookie cutters. Roll in white sugar. Decorate as desired. Place on ungreased cookie tins. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown.
SOCIAL MEDIA!
FEEDER CATTLE AUCTION!
Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at 10:00am. Expecting 400-500 head!
DAIRY CATTLE AUCTION
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 11:00 am
HERD DISPERSAL – 325 HEAD!!! 325 Holstein Dairy Cows and Springing Heifers. After 50 years of successful farming Matt & sister Loni have chosen Premier Livestock and Auctions to disperse there high quality dairy herd. Pictures coming soon. Coming from Matt & Loni Wingert, Blue Valley Holsteins, Fountain MN HERD DETAILS:
• 90# herd!! 27,000# RHA 4.1BF 3.2P 200scc
herd is polled
HERD INCLUDES:
• 205-milking cows 81-2 year olds & 70-3 year olds
• 42 Dry cows and 78 close springing heifers
• Young fancy herd!
• Large framy cows, nice feet legs and udders, with lots of milk!
• Herd will be tested for the HPA1/H5N1 Avain In uenza
THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT MACHINERY AUCTION! Now accepting your farm and construction equipment for the August 23rd Auction! Consignment deadline Saturday, August 10, 2024 at noon!
MONTHLY
HEIFER AUCTION Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 11:00 am Expecting 350 dairy heifers! PLEASE have dairy cattle in by 9:00am for vet check! No charge for dairy heifers dropped off on Monday for Tuesdays auction.
A BETTER WAY TO FEED THE WORLD
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