By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
Reiman-Duden honored as Farmfest Woman Farmer of the Year
Ihrkes explain calf barn, feeder
PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIP GERLACH OF MINNESOTA FARMFEST
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
The Ihrke family (front, from le ) – Jenna and Jackie Ihrke and Hailey Schultz; (back, from le ): Kevin, Braeden and Pat Ihrke and Roger Henry – milks 350 cows near St. Charles, Minnesota. Not pictured is Fran Henry. Turn to IHRKES | Page 7
The Ihrke family has used an automatic calf feeder for 15 years, and have no regrets for updating the way their calves are fed and“Wemanaged.started up at my mom and dad’s,” Jackie Ihrke said. “The barn was kind of a makeshift barn as it went from a tiestall, a parlor and then to a calf feeding facility. In 2007, we had a ood and decided to build this new Jackiebarn.”and her husband, Pat, and their children Hailey Schultz, Jenna and Braeden milk 350 cows near St. Charles. Pat’s brother, Kevin, and Jackie’s parents, Fran and Roger Henry, are also involved. The Ihrke family began
DAIRY ST R August 13, 2022Volume 24, No. 12 “All dairy, all the time”™
PRINCETON, Minn. – Kristin Reiman-Duden stood among ve distinguished women in Minnesota’s agriculture scene, and her family watched from the audience waiting for the selection of the 2022 Farmfest Woman Farmer of the Year. The family experienced many lows in their lives this year, and an honor recognizing ReimanDuden’s efforts was the bright spot they were“Iseeking.wasup there with four other women who I admire, and all I thought was there was no way I could compete against them,” Reiman-Duden said. “I was just lucky to be a nalist with them. All these ladies are phenomenal, and they all do a tremendous job.” Reiman-Duden was bestowed the honor during Farmfest Aug. 4 in Morgan; she was notied of her nomination for the recognition earlier in the year. By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
ST. CHARLES, Minn.
using the new calf barn in January 2012. On July 19, the family hosted a forage eld day put on by the Midwest Forage Association. Attendees toured the calf barn, saw the DeLaval calf feeder and learned about the Ihrkes’ calf management. “It is nice,” Jackie said of the calf feeder. “The biggest thing about automated calf feeders is that it is a management tool. You still have to go out, look at your calves and take their temperatures if needed. This is just whisking and feeding them for you.”The calves are fed milk replacer.“We just don’t have enough whole milk to feed the calves,” JackieMinniesaid. Ward agreed. “If you are going to feed whole milk, you need a cooling tank there to maintain that milk,” she said. “The feeder has a boiler that warms the milk up on demand so when a calf comes in, it reads their ID and doses them on whatever ration you have them on.” Ward represents Calf-Star and was present during the eld day. The feeder holds around a bag and a half of milk replacer. It runs through a cleaning cycle
Automation as a management tool
Award welcomed as a bright spot for family
Turn to REIMAN-DUDEN | Page 6 A day in the life of dairy farmersA in the life of farmers Turn to Second Section, pages 13 - 18!
Kris n Reiman-Duden celebrates with her family – (from le ) Cordell and Thomas Duden holding Marilyn – a er being named the 2022 Woman Farmer of the Year at Farmfest Aug. 4 in Morgan, Minnesota. Reiman-Duden dairy farms near Princeton, Minnesota.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 Dairy Prole brought to you by your North America dealers.Senate passes Ination Reduction Act By Don WickColumnistAgInsider Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5 DAIRY ST R ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320)
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Walz, Jensen clash at Farmfest forum
Ag funding included in reconciliation bill Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig is encouraged by the ag-related provisions in the new reconciliation bill. Craig cites the one-time $20 billion conservation funding. “This is one of the items we heard at our farm bill listening session,” Craig said. “The Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program are always oversubscribed. This will be a one-time sort of injection of funding, but I think it’s going to make a big difference.”
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The Senate budget reconciliation bill includes $40 billion for agriculture programs. That includes nearly $8.5 billion for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, $7 billion for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program and $3.25 billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program. The United States Department of Agriculture also receives $300 million to quantify carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions from farmland. There’s money for farmers with prevented plant land to grow cover crops. This bill extends the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit from 2022 to 2024 and invests in the infrastructure needed for blender pumps. Rural electric cooperatives will receive nearly $10 billion for renewable energy projects, carbon capture and energy efciency. The Farm Service Agency will also receive $1 billion to help farmers and ranchers with “limited resources.” FSA will pay up to 100% of “at risk” loans, up to $150,000. There’s another $750 million for farmers who faced discrimination from USDA before 2021.
NMPF praises climate provisions National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern welcomed the inclusion of $20 billion in new funding for conservation programs in the Ination Reduction Act. “The funding increases in this package will better position dairy farmers to effectively implement the dairy sector’s Net Zero Initiative and fulll its 2050 environmental stewardship goals,” Mulhern said. “With the Net Zero Initiative, NMPF is committed to becoming greenhouse gas neutral or better by 2050.”
MN agriculture offers farm bill feedback Crop insurance, disaster aid and the Dairy Margin Coverage program are on the minds of Minnesota farmers as work begins on the 2023 farm bill. During a House Agriculture Committee eld hearing in Northeld, Minnesota, Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said Congress should build on the 2018 farm bill and make improvements. “I’d like to thank you for the support for mental health for farmers in the last farm bill,” Petersen said. “The drought last year also really highlighted things we need to change and update in the bill. Some of the programs don’t work as well.”
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The crowd for the 2022 Farmfest gubernatorial forum was reminiscent to 1998 when Jesse Ventura, Norm Coleman and Skip Humphrey were the candidates. The topics ranged from biofuels to broadband and from COVID-19 to the economy. There was a populist approach from both sides. “It’s relatively simple; let farmers farm, let miners mine, let teachers teach and have government get the hell out of the way,” touted Republican challenger Dr. Scott Jensen. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was quick to defend his record, saying, “This job entails more than admiring a problem and second guessing.” It was a heated exchange between the two contenders with plenty of red meat for the crowd. As an example, Jensen received thunderous applause when he said, “Over my dead body will Minnesota ever sell farmland to foreign corporations.” Walz supporters
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Virginia Tech agricultural economics professor David Kohl was a speaker at Bell Bank’s AgView Live event. Kohl recommended producers take strong ownership of their nancials in preparation for an economic downturn. “There’s a good possibility of a U.S. and global recession,” Kohl said. “This is going to have an impact on both input and output prices.” Kohl said there’s no doubt we’re heading toward a recession. “What’s keeping the economy going? We’ve got low unemployment and high consumer spending,” Kohl said. “It’s basically people spending stimulus checks, and as soon as that runs out, you’re going to start seeing issues.”
nued from AG INSIDER| Page 2
DFA announces new hire Dairy Farmers of America appointed Kevin O’Donnell as its new senior vice president of sustainability. Most recently, O’Donnell was with an early-stage investment rm that focused on agriculture and food technology startups.
Minnesotan selected to USDA FAS Role Ellen Lugar has been appointed Minister Counselor of Agriculture in Rome for the Foreign Agricultural Service. Lugar joins USDA from the General Mills Foundation.
Preparing for economic downturn
During Farmfest, AgCountry President and CEO Marc Knisely said farmers and ranchers are generally optimistic. “There’s concern about volatility with commodity prices and the availability of inputs, but the attitude has been positive,” Knisely said. Interest rates have increased but are still at manageable levels. “Even if you go with a oating rate or variable interest rate to start with, you’ll have an opportunity to get a good xed rate again I think on a lot of these termed purchases.”
Captain to guide DMI sustainability effort Dairy Management Inc. has hired Lori Captain as executive vice president of global Con sustainability strategy, science and industry affairs. Captain joins DMI after service more than 20 years at Corteva Agriscience and its predecessor DuPont.
Optimism despite volatile markets
Starling takes role with research rm Aimpoint Research has hired Ray Starling as an executive advisor with a focus on public policies impacting agriculture and food. Starling was chief of staff for former Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. 40 Square hires executive director 40 Square Cooperative Solutions named Amanda Beavens as its new executive director. Beavens has more than 20 years of experience managing senior care facilities throughout south central Minnesota. Trivia challenge Michael Regan is the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what U.S. president had a cow as a pet? We will have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
SPANISH CORNER SPONSORED BY: Jorge Delgado Talent Development Expert jdelgado@alltech.com www.alltech.com/dairy-on-farm-support Have a phrase you want to learn? Submit your request to Jorge. ¿Como se dice? Have you ever wondered ‘How do I say that in Spanish?’. Below are a few common phrases heard around the dairy, along with how to say them in Spanish. › Do you have a saving account? ¿Tiene una cuenta de ahorro? ¿Tyeh-neh oo-nah kwehn-tah deh ah-oh-rroh? › Do you want to open a checking account?¿Quiereabrir una cuenta corriente en el banco? ¿kyeh-reh ah-breer oo-nah kwehn-tah koh-rryehn-teh ehn ehl bahng-koh? › We can’t give you a loan No le podemos dar un préstamo Noh leh poh-deh-mohs dahr oon prehs-tah-moh SAVE!ANDCUT
Con nued from REIMAN-DUDEN | Page 1
Every year, Farmfest honors one woman who exemplies Minnesota women in agriculture. The award recognizes an individual who gives their time to raising livestock and growing crops, and the commitment farming demands.The farmer, wife and mother to three milks 40 cows and runs 320 acres of land on her family’s dairy farm near Princeton, where she grew up. ReimanDuden dairy farms alongside her parents – Richard and Margaret Reiman –husband Thomas Duden and children –stepdaughter Maddie, 9; son Cordell, 4 and daughter Marilyn, 2. She also works part-time at an area ower shop, is a part-time FFA advisor for the local chapter and substitute teaches when her time allows. Duden nominated his wife for her commitment to the family’s dairy farm as well as her involvement and leadership in theShecommunity.paidlittle attention to the nomination process, only having to sign a letter accepting the nomination which was discretely provided to her. But, it was the notication of being a nalist that really surprised Reiman-Duden. “Thomas wanted me to sign something and I caught a glimpse of the title on the sheet of the paper, but I honestly didn’t expect anything from it and really forgot about it,” she said. “Then, we got the call and I felt like I was a Princess Kay nalist 20 years ago. It meant a lot then and it means a lot now.”The committee reviewed ReimanDuden’s nomination and felt that as a farmer and community member she embodied the state’s agriculture sector. In addition to farming and her time volunteering with youth in FFA, ReimanDuden also works with children in the local 4-H organization, leasing heifers for them to show at the county fair. She has mentored children of all ages and now is able to facilitate the farm’s leasing program with older children serving as mentors for the younger ones. “The nomination and someone seeing what I do and that I’m proud of what I do is everything,” Reiman-Duden said. “It resonates with me that this is my purpose, and it makes me feel better that what I do, or we do as women, is not done without appreciation.” When Reiman-Duden’s named was announced as the winner of the award, she held back tears of gratitude. “It was all very emotional,” ReimanDuden said. “It’s felt like as much as what’s been thrown at us, it was good to have a moment that is just awesome. I took a deep breath; this is a time to rejoice and be happy.” In May, the family was hit with two devastating events. As spring weather made its way through Minnesota, the farm was caught in a storm that knocked down trees and caused damage to many buildings and Reiman-Duden’s home. Then, less than a few weeks later, Marilyn was in a farm accident where she ingested pipeline disinfectant. The toddler spent time at Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis and recently had her feeding tube removed as part of her healing journey. “May was a long and very tiring and troublesome month with all that we were facing,” Reiman-Duden said. “Now this is a nice energizer to say we can still do this. We can still get through hard things. It makes you want to continue on and look forward to the future.”
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To celebrate Reiman-Duden’s accomplishments, the family received tickets to Farmfest for the announcement. They did chores together in the morning so they could all attend the recognition ceremony.“My dad really likes to go and it’s been a few years since he’s been to Farmfest,” Reiman-Duden said. “It was a great time to also reconnect with people we know.” As a mother to two daughters, Reiman-Duden hopes her award as Woman Farmer of the Year sets an example for what any female is capable of. “We’re in an industry that has always seemed male-dominated, and I hope this resonates that women do a great job of farming, not just because of an award but as part of daily life,” Reiman-Duden said. “There are many hats that women wear, and they have always been the backbone of the family and the farm.” “We’re in an industry that has always seemed dominated,male-and I hope this resonates that women do a great job of farming, not just because of an award but as part of daily life.”
KRISTIN REIMAN DUDEN, DAIRY FARMER PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIP GERLACH OF MINNESOTA FARMFEST
Finalist for the 2022 Farmfest Woman Farmer of the Year award – (from le ) Nancy Hinricher, Emily Ponwith, Kris n Reiman-Duden, Dawn Breitkreutz and Karen Kasper – gather during Minnesota Farmfest Aug. 4 near Morgan, Minnesota. Reiman-Duden was bestowed the honor this year.
The calves are on the automatic calf feeder for around 50 days, and then the Ihrkes start weaning calves at 4 to 6 weeks of age. “It depends on the calf,” Jackie said. “If they have struggled a little bit, we keep them on a little bit longer.” Pat agreed. “It will show on the computer, and we can change it on the feeder,” he said. Two to three weeks after weaning, the calves are moved to the next side of the barn where they are housed until they are 6 months. Then, calves are moved to the heifer shed at the Henrys’ place. For the most part, the Ihrkes have dealt with little to no issues in regards to sucking and have had only a few issues with weather and breakdowns. “There are times when you are going to have breakdowns, and we have had them,” Jackie said. “I call up the repair company, they come, and then I feed all the calves quickly so I can get something into Ifthem.”acalf is sick, the Ihrkes will seclude the calf and feed them individually. “You never know if they are going to get up and drink or not,” Jackie said. “We’ve had some go down, and we just do what we can because we have to keep them on that milk as they need those calories.”For y control, the Ihrkes use parasitic wasps and replace them once a week.“You could also keep the weeds down and push the manure away from the barn,” Ward said. “It’s the little things that add up to the big equation.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 7 You Know Farming, AND SO DO WE. 400 Brickl Road | West Salem, WI 54669-0125 Toll Free: (800) 658-9030 | Web: BricklBros.com Specializing in Custom-Designed Agricultural Facilities Since 1970. Big or Small, We Design/Build Them All. Designers | Construction Managers | Builders three times a “Wheneverday.it gets down there, we ll it up,” Jackie said. “We also run an extra cleaning cycle if needed.” When doing calf chores, the rst thing Jackie does is look at the computer which has color code identication for all the calves. Jackie said the system makes calf management easier. “The red and green ones don’t need to drink right now, but the blue ones are available,” Jackie said. “The calves can drink up to six times a day. If they want to come in more than six times, they can still come in; they just don’t get fed.” After birth, the calves go into one of 15 individual pens for ve to seven days. “It depends on how busy we get,” Jackie said. “And occasionally, if we get a set of twins, we will stick them together.”
Con nued from IHRKES | Page 1
Calves relax in pens by the automated calf feeder July 19 at the Ihrkes’ dairy farm near St. Charles, Minnesota. The automated feeder and calf barn has allowed the Ihrkes to see an overview of their calves, look at calves individually and save on me and manual labor. little extra calories and more sugar.” For milk, the rst pen gets priority. “If there’s a calf that goes into the farther stations, it will cut them off, so the rst pen can get the portion that they need rst,” Jackie said. Pat “Theagreed.older ones that we are weaning, it will give water instead,” he said. After 10 days in the rst pen, calves are moved to the second and third pens. If the Ihrkes run out of space, they open up the second and third pens to create one larger“Then,pen. the calves just kind of oat between pens,” Jackie said. “We don’t weigh the calves; we just try to keep them together by age.”
Then, calves are moved onto the calf feeder which has three pens. Jackie has around 45 calves on milk replacer with 10 near“We’veweaning.been calving a lot in the last couple months so we are trying to get them moved in and going as soon as possible,” Jackie said. The rst pen houses around 12 calves.“We try not to crowd the rst pen too much because they are rst getting acclimated to the calf feeder,” Jackie said. After moving each calf, the Ihrkes also clean out each individual pen and put fresh lime and sawdust down. The calf barn is naturally ventilated, and pens are bedded with chopped cornstalks intermixed with sawdust in the summertime and bailed straw in the winter. The pens are cleaned every two months or more often if needed. “Usually, we get a pretty good breeze up here, but yesterday it was super hot so I gave the rst pen free-choice electrolytes,” Jackie said. “Sometimes I do that in the winter too when they need a
Overall, the calf barn and calf feeder have allowed the Ihrkes the ability to see an overview of their calves, look at calves individually and save on time and manual labor.“It allows the calves the ability to co-mingle, is easier for cleaning and lets the calves to drink whenever they want,” Jackie said. “I know I will never go back to feeding by hand.”
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
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“My family and I have a lot of good memories of the fair, and
in
especially with strong youth programs
By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com Nicollet County farmers lease for 4-H exhibits
NICOLLET, Minn. – The Nicollet County Fair has long been a community event rooted agriculture, like 4-H. As farm families raise their children in the program and experience the show ring, they have also provided the same opportunity for non-farming families.The Swenson, Annexstad and Herberg families are three area dairy farms that lease animals to youth for the 4-H dairy program. “The fair rst began as an agricultural thing, and in some respects, that’s not the focus anymore,” Cindy Swenson said. “For fairs like ours, it would be hard to survive without the animals there, and for us, it’s good to see these young kids and teach them a little bit about dairy farming.” Swenson and her husband, Paul, and their family dairy farm near Nicollet. Most years since 1940, the family has been represented at the county fair in the dairy barn. “4-H has always been a big thing on our farm,” Swenson said. “To lease, we don’t call it work. We
The Jaeger sisters (front, from le ) – Addy, Briea and Ella – gather with Megan Herberg (back, center) and their mom, Amanda Jaeger, during the Nicollet County Fair in 2021. The Jaegers lease dairy animals from Herberg and her family. Turn to NICOLLET COUNTY| Page 9 enjoy it so much.” This year, they are working with four young children who brought eight animals to the county fair – one cow and seven heifers. The oldest is a 10-year-old boy while the others are Cloverbuds in the program. Similarly, the Annexstad family is leasing to 11 individuals, one of which is also exhibiting in Le Sueur County. At the Nicollet County Fair, the Annexstads’ farm is represented with an assortment of heifers, from a spring calf to a spring yearling. “All these kids came to us and wanted to lease,” Jean Annexstad said. “Even when our kids were still in 4-H, there were other families leasing our Annexstadcattle.”and her husband, Rolf, brother-in-law, Mike, and family dairy farm near St. Peter. The family has long been involved in the county fair and state 4-H organization, but their involvement in the dairy sector of the youth program began when Annexstads’ children were old enough for the show ring. “Rolf and Mike grew up showing pigs, mostly, and I showed dairy from my family’s farm,” Annexstad said. “When our kids could, Rolf and I decided that as a couple dairy farming, it would be fun to have our kids show Megandairy.”Herberg’s family has leased dairy cattle to youth since 2008, when she and her siblings were still involved in the show ring, offering heifers from the family’s 50-cow dairy herd near St. Peter.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Dairy project expands beyond farm kids
While the Herbergs’ herd is a mix of grade and registered Holsteins, they lease registered cattle to those interested in the dairy project. This year, the Herbergs are leasing four heifers – two fall yearlings, a spring yearling and a spring calf – to four young children for the county fair.
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While leasing animals creates additional challenges for dairy farmers on top of the everyday obstacles to overcome on a farm, all three of these Nicollet County dairywomen agreed the work is worthwhile for the future of the industry.The adversity some have experienced in preparing for a county fair may lend itself useful in years to come, Herberg said. For example, one youth registered two animals to show from the Herbergs, but one heifer was not going to make it to the show ring because of an injury. Instead, the youth brought a yearling to the fair that she showed last year. “It’s the whole idea of working hard and planning for that work to pay off at the fair, but sometimes you don’t get the outcomes you want,” Herberg said. “These kids learn that. They learn about teamwork and become more condent in themselves.”Swenson agreed. “It’s fun watching them succeed just like our own kids, but we talk about succeeding and we also talk about when things don’t work out,” she said. “Showing dairy cattle is a life lesson that sometimes things don’t work out even if you try your hardest.”Nearly 28% of the state 4-H dairy program is comprised of leased participants. In 2021, 38% of the dairy animals exhibited at the state fair were leased. For the families that make up Nicollet County’s 4-H dairy project, they realize the importance of dairy farm families’ willingness to lease in order to keep a program strong and present an opportunity for youth to get involved in the dairy community. Annexstad, especially, is grateful for those who support the program both at the fair and at the farms. “It really takes a village,” she said. “I’m so proud of our program and all the kids who lease in our county.”As much as leasing brings opportunity to youth, it also provides a sense of joy to the Annexstad, Swenson and Herberg families. “We do it because we enjoy it,” Swenson said. “This relieves us from the everyday tasks of dairy farming, and sometimes, life is so busy that seeing it through children’s eyes is OK Herbergtoo.” agreed. “As farmers, it’s work, but it’s rewarding,” she said. “I’ve always found it surprising how much joy kids bring into our lives. It allows us to remember what life is all about, slowing down and taking time for others.”
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Small batch ice cream brings avor, smiles at Vesperman Farms
BECAUSE A FARM NEVER SLEEPS.
Kyle Vesperman peeks out of an ice cream truck July 25 at his farm near Lancaster, Wisconsin. Vesperman makes ice cream on his farm and sells in stores and from the truck. Turn to Besides selling scoops from the trucks, Vesperman Farms ice cream is also available in pint containers in 20 stores near the Lancaster area and a couple locations in Iowa. The farm received a Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grant which helped kick-start the wholesaleVespermanefforts.said he is grateful for dairy farmers’ efforts in the industry for providing the milk that makes ice cream possible. “If we didn’t have the farmers and the cows, we wouldn’t have anything to sell,” Vesperman said. “We take the product and add our next steps to it and bring a lot of happiness to a lot of people. It all starts with the cow and the farmer.” Vesperman is the fth generation to run his family’s farm but the rst to sell ice cream. The farm has been in the Vesperman family since the 1900s. Vesperman’s father and grandfather raised beef, hogs and crops. With four kids and a farm crisis in the mid-1980s, Vesperman’s parents diversied by growing vegetables on a small scale and selling at local farmers markets. Vesperman’s dad eventually got a job off the farm, and the farm did not produce much for a few years. As his siblings grew and gained employment in town, Vesperman decided to continue his parents’ model of direct marketing and started a pumpkin patch when he was in high school. He sold pumpkins at his grandma’s house which was on Main Street in Lancaster.Vesperman sold pumpkins all throughout high school, at which time agritourism was becoming popular.“The rst corn mazes were starting to pop up, and I started to see an agritourism thing happening,” Vesperman said. In 2003, Vesperman brought people to the farm to buy pumpkins instead of selling them off his grandmother’s porch. He also had his rst corn maze that year. The farm operated out of a small original building on the premises for a decade before building a lean-to and introducing food to the venue.
VESPERMAN | Page 11
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LANCASTER, Wis. – Vesperman Farms was already a destination for people looking to enjoy an agritourism activity in Iowa County when Kyle Vesperman decided to build on the business and start making ice cream. He is three years into the project. “Ice cream is a comfort food and an impulse buy,” Vesperman said. “When you’re feeling down in the dumps, you get ice cream to make yourself feel better, and when you want to celebrate, you celebrate with ice cream.”Vesperman owns 200 acres and utilizes 40 of them to operate Vesperman Farms, an agritourism destination in Lancaster where the fall season offers a corn maze, hay rides and pumpkin picking. When Vesperman rst started making ice cream, he decided to promote the product by giving away free samples. He traveled from Lancaster, where the product is made, to Dickeyvile, Fennimore and Prairie du Chien. When he discovered that people were following the free samples, he decided to change the business model to ice cream trucks. “There’s just a neat idea of an ice cream truck,” Vesperman said. The business model proved useful, because the onset of the coronavirus pandemic coincided with the startup of the ice cream truck. Vesperman said 2020 turned out to be a good year for the ice cream truck because it was always parked outside where people could safely distance themselves from each other. Additionally, when all the other events were canceled, there was no competition for Vesperman. “We were the only event, and ice cream is a nostalgic thing and a feel-good thing,” Vesperman said. In his second year in the ice cream industry, Vesperman added a second truck to ll the demand for his product.Theicecream is made at the farm in small batches. Vesperman uses an unavored, pasteurized ice cream base. The batch freezer is about the size of a refrigerator and is similar to a churn-style ice cream maker. The unavored base is put in the machine along with the rest of the ingredients like vanilla, chocolate and candy. The contents are churned, cooled and ready to go after about 10 minutes. A lower chute opens up so the nished product can be collected in a tub. Each batch yields about 2.5 gallons of ice cream. The 12 avors available from Vesperman Farms include chocolate, vanilla, butter pecan, brownie fudge, coconut, cookies and cream, cookie dough, cotton candy, maple nut, mint cookie, sea salt caramel and strawberry. Cookie dough is the top seller.
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
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By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
BUILT TO KEEP GOING.
“The fall season is great,” Vesperman said. “But, the plan when we built the kitchen was that we could make and create some sort of product that we could sell to people outside of the fall season.” A neighboring dairy farmer suggested ice cream. In 2019, Vesperman attended a three-day ice cream making course put on by the University of Wisconsin-
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“Between 2011 and 2014, the crowds just got bigger and bigger and bigger,” Vesperman said. “The food became about a third of our revenue during the fall season.”Vesperman realized he had a clientele built up, and in 2015, he decided to further invest in the farm by adding a building to allow more opportunities to serve his customers. The building is a barn-style structure and provides indoor seating, indoor bathrooms, a loading dock, storage space and a kitchen.
PEOPLE MOVING PRODUCT
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 11 oCowCleaner Du Rotating cow brush IMPROVE CLEANLINESSCOW&COWCOMFORTCOMFORT Cleaner cow hides help to maintain overall cow health and keep lice, mites and other parasites at bay. The two-brush configuration of the CowCleaner Duo helps to ensure that a larger area of the cow are brushed and cleaned. Call Jon today! CENTRE DAIRY EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY INC. Henning Area 218-849-0211 Jon Stein 320-352-5762 • 1-800-342-2697 40625 State Hwy. 28 • Just West of Hwy. 71 • Sauk Centre, MN Con nued from VESPERMAN| Page 10
Madison. There, Vesperman learned many things, such as the importance of good“Goingvanilla.to that class for three days saved me years and years of trial and error and experience,” Vesperman said. “It also made me willing to commit to the cost of high-quality vanilla.” Vesperman learned that the quality of vanilla makes a huge difference with a frozen product because the avors need to be intense enough to combat the cold temperature and still be enjoyed. He now spends around $400 for a gallon of vanilla. Vesperman said he uses around three tablespoons of the premium vanilla per batch of ice cream. With a quality product in demand, Vesperman is balancing growth with rising production costs. “It’s interesting right now with the price of everything going up, and we are selling a higher-end product,” Vesperman said. “I don’t have enough history with ice cream to know what a normal ow is; we don’t have a big enough dataInset.”the long term, Vesperman hopes to use more local ingredients. His neighbor runs a 1,000-cow dairy, and the pair often discuss the possibility of collaborating.“We’llsee where the next year takes us,” Vesperman said. For now, Vesperman continues to enjoy bringing avors and smiles to people young and old. “I’m not sure I’m in the most nancially lucrative business, but I don’t think that if I was selling insurance I would have as much fun,” Vesperman said. “We go everywhere from nursing homes to day cares, and that’s what’s fun about ice cream; it’s for everyone.” WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
“Boy it s hot out. I have a hard
is
Kyle Vesperman stands among pints of ice cream July 25 at his farm near Lancaster, Wisconsin. The ice cream made on the farm. drykeepingtimemymatterintakeup.”
ABBY
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Watch out for poison hemlock Renz, Welch talk identi managementcation, during forage eld day
Unlike some poisonous weeds, poison hemlock is only toxic if ingested.“Ican touch it,” Renz said. “It’s the ingestion of the alkaloids that is where the toxicity occurs.”
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
While the whole plant is toxic, the seeds and young leaves have the most toxicity, said Renz. “We have to watch out for this one,” he said. “There are several different alkaloids that cause the extreme issues, and lower doses can cause reductions in performance, bitter milk and others.”
Because of the plant’s extreme toxicity, there should be no tolerance for it in alfalfa elds.
Mark Renz holds up young poison hemlock plants July 19 at the Midwest Forage Associa on eld day near St. Charles, Minnesota. Renz said it is hard to iden fy young poison hemlock plants, but those are the ones that need to be managed. Turn to POISON HEMLOCK | Page 13 event to talk about poison hemlock were Mark Renz, a professor and extension weed specialist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Randy Welch, an alfalfa agronomist from CROPLAN. Renz talked about common characteristics of the plant, identication, biannual look-alikes, biology and control.
ST. CHARLES, Minn. Four years ago, the Ihrkes lost a couple cows and a goat to a disease caused by the weed, poison hemlock. “We didn’t know what was going on,” Jackie Ihrke said. “We lost them in a ghost-like state, and then one day, we had a pamphlet come in the mail with a picture of this weed. So, we started looking into it, and it’s actually pretty dangerous.”
Jackie and her husband, Pat, and their children Hailey Schultz, Jenna and Braeden milk 350 cows with Pat’s brother, Kevin, and Jackie’s parents, Fran and Roger Henry, near St. Charles. They also farm 280 acres of alfalfa, 120 of which is Roundup Ready due to the poisonThehemlock.family hosted a Midwest Forage Association eld day July 19 to educate others about poison hemlock.“We want people to be more aware of this weed because if it gets into your hay ground, it needs to be taken care of,” Jackie said. Among the speakers at the By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
“Poison hemlock is extremely toxic,” Renz said. “Usually, animals have to eat 5% to 10% of their body weight to really have an impact, but that is not the case with this weed. If an individual or animal were to eat 0.5% of their body weight, they would die within hours.”
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The problem, however, is that this plant is found in the Ihrkes’ alfalfa elds. “It is very unpalatable,” Renz said. “We can have it in a pasture and none of our animals will graze it unless there is no other food around. But the problem is when we are mixing it with the cows’ favorite food source, alfalfa.”
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The difference with poison hemlock is that it does not have a huge root system, has a distinct odor and has purple splotches on the stem.“You could take a shovel 4 inches deep below that root ground, pull it out and the plant will not be spreadable,” Renz said. “People also say it has a similar odor to mouse turd.”Some look-alikes are wild carrot and Japanese hedge parsley. “The best way to identify that these weeds are not poison hemlock is to pull them out, look at the roots and smell them,” Renz said. “They should smell like carrot.” Another hemlock that poison hemlock is often confused with is spotted water hemlock. “This one is even more toxic, too, so it’s even more important to get it identied,” Renz said. Poison hemlock spreads by seed and is easiest to control when it is a seedling and a rosette, said Renz. “What the Ihrkes are doing is not letting any of these plants go to seed,” Renz said. “If you do that for long enough, you deplete the seedbank and plants are going to disappear.”Theseeds last in the soil for up to ve years. Data from the University of Kentucky states that 90% of the seed germinates in the fall, while the other 10% germinates in the spring and summer of the following year. “In a month, this plant is going to be loaded full of seed,” Renz said. “But, what’s unique about this plant is that half of the seed is going to be viable immediately and the other half will be dormant to the soil.” Henry agreed. “You really don’t see it in the fall, but there is a lot of greening up in the spring,” he said. While there is not much poison hemlock in Minnesota and Wisconsin, it is coming in from the Con southern and western states, said Renz.“They really nd it spreading on vicariant areas and roadsides,” Renz said. “The Ihrkes saw it shortly after they brought some ll dirt in. So, if you have waterways, I would look very carefully in those, and if you are bringing in any dirt from offsite, that’s the rst place to look.” Management on roadsides can be done through repeat mowing or the use of growth regulator herbicides, like 2,4-D or dicamba. “We want to try and target it when it’s young, and these are really effective methods,” Renz said. For alfalfa elds, one can use residual products such as metribuzin or terbacil.“Those are applied early in spring, pre-green up,” Renz said. “They are going to give us residual control so those seedlings don’t ever show up. But talk to your local cooperative or other farmers and check your elds for seedlings.”
One can also use Roundup Ready alfalfa which makes the plant resistant to glyphosate. “We are repeatedly selecting under a certain chemistry for glyphosate resistant crops and letting them go to seed,” Welch said. “This way you can spray a lot of weeds that are basically susceptible to Roundup.”Oneofthe biggest challenges for alfalfa growers is awareness, Welch“Knowsaid. what is in your elds, know your weeds and where they might be coming from,” Welch said. “With Roundup, we have technology here that is really useful for the control of weeds like poison hemlock.”Weeds should be sprayed sooner rather than later, and producers should be vigilant in maintaining their elds, Welch said. “We want to spray Roundup Ready alfalfa when it’s 30 days or younger,” Welch said. “In most cases, the weeds germinate during this period of time, we get them out of there, and then, you have a great stand of “KeepRenzalfalfa.”agreed.aneye out for this plant, learn how to identify it and look for it on the edges of elds,” he said. “I would establish a good 1-mile perimeter around farms to make sure it’s free of poison hemlock.”
nued from POISON HEMLOCK | Page 12
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Scott Hinsch 600MinnesotaGoodhue,cows
How will this project benet the farm? We made a few changes in the new shop that will make things nicer for us. What guidance or advice did you seek before tackling the summer project? We talked to a number of people to get advice and ideas on how to set up the shop a little different than the old one, that will be nice. Tell us about a favorite summer project you have ever worked on. My favorite summer project was the summer we retrotted our stanchion barn into a double-10 herringbone parlor. A very hectic and crazy summer, but the best thing I’ve done. Tell us about your farm and your plans for the rest of the year. I have two of my boys working with me milking more than 300 cows and raising our replacements and feed.
John Miller 350WabashaMinnesotaPlainview,Countycows
What are projects you are working on around the farm this summer? Our project for the summer is moving a crossover for our 62-74 dry cows. The crossover is in the middle of the barn, and three times a day in the winter we must move cows from one side to the other to scrape manure. All the cows rarely cooperate and it turns into a timely event. To make things more efcient, we decided to move the crossover to the end of the pen to make things ow better. That end of the barn was built in 1995 and could use some free stalls replaced anyway. When do you t time in for these jobs? We hire contractors to do the work as we are busy caring for our cows. How will this project benet the farm? We gured it would be less stress on our employees and help them get the work done easier.
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Andrew Czech Watertown, South 1,000Dakotacows
What projects you are working on around the farm this summer? We tore our silos down in February, and our shop burned down in March. So, we have been busy cleaning up and rebuilding our shop.
Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
Feeding your animals like they’re our own y f T h e F e n c eOf The Fence
F r o m O u r S i d eFrom Our Side O
What are projects you are working on around the farm this summer? We are replacing a bunch of old free stalls that have seen better days. We are also working on general maintenance issues in our dairy facilities, xing things that the cows have broken, replacing worn out ventilation fans and so on. And, keeping the farmstead tidy is a never-ending project. When do you t time in for these jobs? We work on these things whenever we’re not busy with other stuff such as harvesting our wheat, planting and spraying our crops, or working with the cattle. How will this project benet the farm? We hope that the new free stalls will make the cows happier and feel more comfortable.
When do you t time in for these jobs? We’ve been working on it every chance we get between chores and making hay. We owe a lot of thanks to friends, family and neighbors for all their help and support too.
What projects on the farm are you doing this summer?
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 15
What guidance or advice did you seek before tackling the summer project? We did not seek any advice. Tell us about your favorite summer project you have ever worked on. We worked on a project to cool our cows a few years ago. Tell us about your farm and your plans for the rest of the year. I am in partnership with my brother, Chad. My son, Chase, has also joined us as an employee at the farm after he nished college this spring at South Dakota State University.
What guidance or advice did you seek before tackling the summer project? I talked things over with my dad to learn how to do it right. We also had to gure out the proper spacing for the new free stalls. Tell us about a favorite summer project you have ever worked on. I enjoy harvesting our small grain and baling the straw. We usually put up 600-700 bales of straw each summer. It feels good and gives you a real sense of accomplishment when you get the bales home and see that they are all properly stored away. Tell us about your farm and your plans for the rest of the year. I farm with my father, Jim, and my two older brothers, Theo and Sam. I have enrolled at South Dakota State University where I will begin taking classes this fall. I plan to study agricultural science, which is a two-year degree. I also want to take a few dairy classes as part of my coursework. After I graduate, I hope to join Dad and my brothers as part our family’s dairy operation. Star Blends has been helping Midwest farm families by providing, high-quality feed, dairy nutrition, and commodity contracting for more than 20 years. Our state of the art mill can accuratelyblend anything from a custom pre-mix to complete feed, in balancing diets, or work with your private nutritionist or dairy consultant. Contact Star Blends at: 800-462-4125 or StarBlends.com
Chuck and Weston Hill (not pictured) Lake Wilson, Minnesota 240 cows
Tell us about a favorite summer project you have worked on. Building our original robot barn in 2013 and expanding it in 2019 allowed us to grow and no longer live by the cows’ schedule. The cows are on our schedule now. We work just as hard as before, but it is physically easier. We can arrange our days as needed. The project was kind of a neighborhood event. There were days when there were as many as eight people helping. Tell us about your farm and your plans for the rest of the year. We own 270 acres, rent 65 and purchase the balance of our feed needs from our neighbors. We milk with four Lely A4 robots, raise our heifer stock and sell the bull calves to a neighbor. As time permits, we plan to repair fencing and catch up with long overdue maintenance.
What projects you are working on around the farm this summer? This summer we are expanding our parallel parlor to a double 32. This project will consist of Leedstone coming in to add four stalls to both sides on the parlor. When do you t time in for these jobs? We are completing the project at the end of August because that is when it ts into our schedule. It will take around two weeks to accomplish and we hope to do most of it in between milkings.
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 Con nued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
E-EDITION
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How will this project benet the farm? This project will benet the farm by making milking faster and more efcient. We will get more cows through the parlor, and it will allow us to add more cows to our herd. 712-722-3626
What guidance or advice did you seek before tackling the summer project? Weston researched university recommendations on square footage per cow, feeding room, ventilation and ideal location for the dry cow barn. Chuck looked at cost effectiveness and time savings. Both looked at different plans and ideas.
What projects are you working on around the farm this summer? We put up a new dry cow hoop barn with drive-thru indoor feeding. We also are spending a lot of time on repairs and maintenance to our existing buildings. When do you t time in for these jobs? Between hay crops and when neighbors are available to help. We put in a lot of long days. How will this project benet the farm? Cows will have more room, better ventilation, more bunk space, less feed damage and loss, and less time is required by us. The dry cows will also be closer to the main milking barn. Ashley Gruenes Richmond, Minnesota 3,000 cows
What guidance or advice did you seek before tackling the summer project? We built the original parlor with the intentions of adding on. We knew that having the exibility of expansion was necessary because my two brothers and I plan to go back to the farm. We mainly followed the original layout to add the additional stalls. Tell us about a favorite summer project you have worked on. My favorite project has been the addition of our second dairy in Perham. We completely gutted the abandoned dairy there, and rebuilt from the ground up. It is a double-24 parallel parlor. We started the project about two years ago and began milking last year. It was quite the adventure. Tell us about your farm and your plans for the rest of the year. My parents, Arnie and Chris, my brothers, Arnie Jr. and Andy, and I work together on our family farm. We milk about 3,000 cows and farm 3,800 acres on two farm sites. Our plans for the rest of the year are to nish the bunkhouse we are putting up for our hired employees. We hope to nish the build Sept. 15. Read the Dairy Stariry Star at www.dair ystar.comat www.dairystar.com
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Schuellers focus on smooth transitions for reproductive health, success
no lameness events or health events, along with cow comfort and a strict reproductive shot program is the recipe for success.
The Schuellers (from le ) – Ma hew holding Croix and Bri any holding Wren – operate Des ny Farms, LLC near Marsheld, Wisconsin. They milk 1,100 cows.
Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 Breeding Prole 717.354.5040 | New Holland, PA Discover daring KP Roll engineering with an edge. Impressive crop mat penetration with incredible wear resistance. Turn your kernels into TOUGHgold. TOOTHY&Llw1100inewrap bale wrapper WIDE BODY 8200 series Wide body forage boxes H7116I-capacity Rakes hsmfgco.com/dealer FIND A DEALER LEGACY FORWARD Matthew and Brittany Schueller Destiny Farms LLC Marsheld, Wisconsin 1,100 cows Describe your facilities and list your breeding management team. We have seven freestall pens with headlocks with 140-190 cows per pen. Cows are at a 120%-150% stocking density. We separate cows into certain pens depending on their age, mobility and volume of milk they make. Every day, we have an A.I. technician identify which cows are in heat from our activity monitoring system, and he will set the headlocks in that specic pen and breed those cows in heat. What is your current pregnancy rate? It is at 30%. What is your reproduction program?Do you use a synchronization program? How do you get animals pregnant? Every cow gets enrolled into a double ovsynch program. They rst get bred between 78 to 84 days in milk. We do not cherry-pick any cows before they go through our double ovsynch program, besides the evening before timed A.I. A week before the rst pregnancy check, they receive a GnRH shot in case they are open the following week. The idea is that if they are open, we save a week of getting their cycle ready for breeding again. However, if they are pregnant anyway, the GnRH shot does not affect them at all. If they are open at the 29- to 35-day pregnancy check, our veterinarian checks with an ultrasound to verify their corpus luteum is ready for Lutalyse and therefore will be ready to breed that week. We also monitor heats with a system. If someone comes into heat after the rst service, they will get bred again off our heat detection
What guidelines do you follow to reach the goals for your breeding program? Our breeding program starts before the cow even freshens. So, our rst goal is to make sure they transition correctly. After that, we want them to transfer out of our fresh pen – around 10 to 15 days for cows and 20 to 30 days for heifers – to go to their appropriate pen for the rest of their lactation. We schedule a maintenance hoof trim for each cow at least twice in their lactation but also send them through the hoof trimming chute whenever there is a lame event. If we can keep the cow calm, happy and milking well without a lame event or health event, then we start our reproductive program. The crucial part is shot compliance and completion. We have seen the most success on cows that are successful in all of the above.
What are certain traits you try to avoid? Straight legs are not ideal for cows walking long distances to the parlor and around the freestall. Turn to BREEDING | Page 20
Describe your breeding philosophy. We have learned that a proper transition into a cow’s lactation, with
What are the top traits you look for in breeding your dairy herd, and how has this changed since you started farming? Ron does a diligent job of searching for bulls from all different companies. He has 50 years of experience that helps him pick which characteristics work for our herd. We do enjoy using promising young bulls; however, we mostly choose proven bulls. We’ve found that correct feet and legs and high udders are the two main features that give cows longevity in our herd.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
systems. No cows are allowed to be bred more than two times in a row based off our monitoring system. We do a three-day shot schedule: Monday at 5 a.m., Lutalyse; Tuesday at 5 a.m., Lutalyse; Wednesday afternoon, GnRH; and Thursday morning, breed. We do all A.I.
“We started a trial with the Udder Comfort Battery-Operated Backpack Sprayer, using it for fresh cows in the robot barn. Right away, we noticed udders get softer faster, with much less edema. Swelling leaves the udders in half the time (5 days fresh vs. 10).”
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Eileen Hoefler Hoefler Dairy • New Vienna, IA Purchased December 2017 “Cleaning freestalls was a dreaded chore before, but now with the BOBMAN everyone wants to do them. It has helped us to save time, reduce labor, and have cleaner stalls. The support from Wille’s has been excellent as well.” FL SELF-LOADING for straw, sawdust etc. NELSON’S AGRI STRUCTURES Dean Nelson • Central and Northern Minnesota • Grove City, MN • 320-857-2633, Cell 320-699-3297 RIVERSIDE HOOP BARNS, INC. US Hwy. 75 At IA/MN Stateline • Steen, MN • 507-392-2870 • Fred A. Tilstra & Sons THE NO COMPROMISE FABRIC STRUCTURE DAIRY, MACHINERY & HAY STORAGE Commercial Agri Buildings Single and Truss Arch available from 20’-120’ wide Flo-Coat® Galvanized Steel Tubing Supplied by Allied Tube & Conduit Heaviest gauge steel in the Pre-engineeredindustry truss buildings ASK US ABOUT GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR HAY STORAGE WE ALSO SELL REPLACEMENT TARPS! LAKESIDE HOOP STRUCTURES, LLC Eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin • Harris, MN • 651-248-6302 • Craig Moline
Whether milking in a tiestall, parlor, or robot, Udder Comfort is... “the one”
Softer udders More comfort Better letdown Faster, more complete milking Better quality More milk “This is the one that does what it’s supposed to do. Using Udder ComfortTM on all fresh cows for 7 days after calving, we saw our quality keep getting better, and now we rarely have to treat for mastitis.” Parlor manager, PA, 500 cows
Robotic dairy owner, PA, 250 cows
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 19
Tiestall herd owner, NY, 100 cows Udders Make Of ce: 563-252-2034 24614 Great River Rd. Garnavillo IA 52049 www.wille-construction.com
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
sexed, 35% conventional and 30% beef. Cows: 10% sexed, 40% conventional and 50% beef. We have done just a few ushes in our herd but hope to do more in the future. What is your conception rate? How does this differ with different types of semen? We have successfully maintained a 45%-55% conception rate over the past year after working with consultants and making changes to our program. It’s great to see results from our hard work. We haven’t noticed that much of a difference between Holstein and Angus. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? Consistency is key. What is the age of your heifers at rst service? 14 months. How does your heifer inventory affect your breeding program? We have learned through the past few years that we need to have about 30 heifers coming in a month for replacements. We don’t raise more than that because raising heifers is costly. We have different managerial views; some believe heifers are the newer genetics and have more potential, and the others believe the older cows have proven themselves and have more potential. Tell us about your farm. Matthew and I farm with his parents, Ron and Lori, on our 1,100-cow dairy farm in central Wisconsin. Ron started the farm in 1970 with just nine cows, and with hard work and determination, he grew and expanded to the farm size we have today. We have around 15 employees plus ourselves who keep our operation running 24/7. We raise calves until they are 6 months old, and then we send them to Nebraska until they are two months out from calving. Then they return home before calving and enter the herd after calving. Once they enter the herd, they don’t leave until they have a career change. We work very closely with our veterinarians, nutritionist and other consultants to have the most effective protocols in place for our cows. We are fortunate to have great employees who continue to help us reach our goals time and time again. Matthew and I are so thankful to Ron and Lori for continuing to set us up for success with their experience and leadership.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR Ma hew and Bri any Schueller walk through the fresh cow pen at Des ny Farms LLC near Marsheld, Wisconsin.
Con nued from BREEDING | Page 18
Cows are grouped according to age, mobility and produc on at Des ny Farms, LLC near Marsheld, Wisconsin.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 WE HAVE YOUR MANURE HANDLING EQUIPMENT ON HAND! ‘22 GEA AGI-PUMP LAGOON PUMP 52’, Double Wheels, 1000 RPM, Hydraulic Controls, Heavy Duty Truss, 6” CALL FARMSTAR LOAD PIPES 8”&10” Lagoon Pump, portable loadstand, 35’ long CALL ‘22 GEA AGI-PUMP LAGOON PUMP 8” Discharge, 52’, Wall Walker, Double Wheels, Hydraulic Controls CALL ‘22 GEA 3-PT. SUPER PUMP 12’ Deep Pit, 6” Discharge, 1000 RPM, Hydraulic Controls, Single Nozzle CALL ‘22 GEA EL48 4300 TANKER Hydraulic steerable spreader, 1000 RPM, Galaxy Tires, Rooftop Beacon, Internal Agitator CALL ‘22 GEA 3-PT. ARTICULATED AGITATOR 27’ long, 540 RPM, articulated fixed screw, will agitate up to 16’ deep pit CALL FIELD’S Your Material Handling Source Trusted sales and service since 1966 Mt. Horeb, WI Sales \ Service \ Installation MORE INEQUIPMENTNEWCOMINGEARLYSEPTEMBER! goto elds.com608-437-5561 TOP PRICES PAID & CONTRACTING AVAILABLE Your Market For: Holstein Steers • Fed Dairy Cows • Lean Dairy Cows Your local area buyer for MN, IA and WI. Long BuyingPrairieStation Bruce Belter • 507-429-0359 Holstein Steers • Lean Cows • Bulls • Fed Cows Tyrel Lembke • 877-300-9298 Long Prairie, MN Lean Cows • Bulls Dean Derricks • 920-655-4730 Green Bay, WI Holstein Steers • Fed Cows • Lean Cows Chad McQuade • 605-668-4275 Yankton, SD Lean Cows • Bulls Mike Baczwaski • 800-445-0042 Gibbon, NE Fed Cows • Lean Cows • Bulls Cody Ritter • 320-293-5212 • 320-732-8358 Long Prairie, MN Green DressedBayBeef Describe the ideal cow for your herd. I would say we find our ideal cows in the older lactation pens. Cows that have correct feet and legs, good suspensory and udder cleft ligaments, wide and deep bodies and a moderate height. These seem to be the type that last the longest in our herd and therefore are the more protable.
What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? Genetics have a huge role in reaching our farm’s goals for the future because we are creating the future. We want to use new technology and traits to continue to better the cows we have. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? Heifers: 35%
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JD S660 2012, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 1700 hrs., 900 Sep. Hrs., #539380 ...................... $185,000 JD S670 2013, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2786 hrs., 1916 Sep. Hrs., #191646 $139,900 JD S670 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2229 hrs., 1622 Sep. Hrs., #531781 .................... $155,000 JD S670 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1372 hrs., 820 Sep. Hrs., #531783 .................... $259,995 JD S670 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Floaters, 1000 hrs., 750 Sep. Hrs., #531784 ................ $279,900 JD S670 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1931 hrs., 1270 Sep. Hrs., #543638 .................. $168,000 JD S680 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1987 hrs., 1420 Sep. Hrs., #189953 .................. $202,000
Hrs., #533168 ................... $535,000 JD S790 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 736 hrs., 584 Sep. Hrs., #536004 ...................... $459,500 JD S790 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1511 hrs., 1214 Sep. Hrs., #543163 .................. $352,900 JD S790 HILLCO 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 414 hrs., 299 Sep. Hrs., #275515 ......... $574,900 SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTERS Claas 900 2008, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 4648 hrs., 3609 CH Hrs., #533151................... $119,900 Claas 940 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 650 hrs., 480 CH Hrs., #532728....................... $399,900 JD 6810 1997, Kernel Processor, 4288 hrs., 2974 CH Hrs., #544057 ................................... $39,900 JD 6850 1998, Kernel Processor, 3841 hrs., 2790 CH Hrs., #531752 ................................... $66,000 JD 7500 2004, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2865 hrs., 2000 CH Hrs., #532727...................... $159,900 JD 7500 2007, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 4671 hrs., 3152 CH Hrs., #532807...................... $159,900 JD 7500 2007, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 5000 hrs., #535846 ............................................. $95,000 JD 7550 2011, PRWD, 2114 hrs., 1557 CH Hrs., #536003 ................................................. $187,500 JD 7550 2008, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2273 hrs., 1517 CH Hrs., #541362...................... $167,500 JD 7780 2014, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 3035 hrs., 1973 CH Hrs., #180600...................... $176,800 JD 7780 2013, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 3247 hrs., 2109 CH Hrs., #274502...................... $189,900 JD 7800 2006, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 4000 hrs., 2533 CH Hrs., #541361........................ $84,000 JD 7980 2013, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2122 hrs., 1413 CH Hrs., #527155...................... $175,000 JD 7980 2014, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 3400 hrs., 2366 CH Hrs., #532823...................... $157,000 JD 7980 2013, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 3204 hrs., 2022 CH Hrs., #532824...................... $152,000 JD 7980 2014, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2275 hrs., 1405 CH Hrs., #532826...................... $165,000 JD 8300 2021, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 53 hrs., #191810 ............................................... $409,000 JD 8300 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 370 hrs., 187 CH Hrs., #270227.......................... $329,900 JD 8400 2015, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2103 hrs., 1158 CH Hrs., #186943...................... $238,750 JD 8600 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1482 hrs., 995 CH Hrs., #144025........................ $275,000 JD 8600 2015, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2129 hrs., 1420 CH Hrs., #166134...................... $238,100 JD 8600 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1807 hrs., 1088 CH Hrs., #187536...................... $300,000 JD 8600 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2428 hrs., 1408 CH Hrs., #532553...................... $254,000 JD 8600 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1305 hrs., 815 CH Hrs., #539356........................ $309,000 JD 8700 2017, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2084 hrs., 1237 CH Hrs., #186945...................... $325,500 JD 8700 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1607 hrs., 1103 CH Hrs., #525709...................... $324,000 JD 8700 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1261 hrs., 933 CH Hrs., #532572........................ $393,000 JD 8800 2017, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1523 hrs., 862 CH Hrs., #524820........................ $355,000 JD 9700 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1025 hrs., 653 CH Hrs., #543646........................ $503,000 JD 9800 2019, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1882 hrs., 1300 CH Hrs., #543355...................... $390,000 $497,000 2019 John Deere 9600 1216 hrs., #532049 2016 John Deere 8800 2582 hrs., #175182 2017 John Deere 8800 1088 hrs., #541392 2018 John Deere 8700 1808 hrs., #187542 2018 John Deere 8600 1478 hrs., #188792 2021 John Deere 8400 30 hrs., #275280 320-365-1667#188806, 2461 hrs.
JD S770 2018, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 1421 hrs., 1051 Sep. Hrs., #421313 $277,000
JD S790 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1390 hrs., 1110 Sep. Hrs., #532032
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 21 Equipment and pictures added daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com Locations throughout minnesota & western wisconsin! CALL TODAY! (320)365-1653 SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com 2020 John Deere 9800 1199 hrs., #536344 2020 John Deere 9900 748 hrs., #532921 $342,000$373,000 $409,900 $304,900$532,800$564,000$386,000 Financing subject to pre-approval through JD Financial. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details. 1-YEAR INTEREST WAIVER ON SELECTON SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTERS COMBINES Case IH 7088 2010, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 3175 hrs., 2476 Sep. Hrs., #531665 ........... $99,000 JD 9560 STS 2005, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Singles, 3291 hrs., 2065 Sep. Hrs., #531329 .......... $82,900 JD 9650 STS 1999, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 5395 hrs., 3467 Sep. Hrs., #276232 ............... $34,900 JD 9670 STS 2011,Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 3677 hrs., 2503 Sep. Hrs., #188158 ................ $99,900 JD 9670 STS 2008, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 4233 hrs., 2830 Sep. Hrs., #276373 ............... $79,900 JD 9770 STS 2009, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 4550 hrs., 3172 Sep. Hrs., #190521 ............. $81,000 JD S660 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1555 hrs., 1181 Sep. Hrs., #532082 .................. $189,500
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JD S680 2012, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2300 hrs., 1600 Sep. Hrs., #532046 .................... $150,000 JD S680 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1842 hrs., 1250 Sep. Hrs., #532830 .................. $249,000 JD S680 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1541 hrs., 1084 Sep. Hrs., #541254 .................. $278,000 JD S680 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Floaters, 2096 hrs., 1546 Sep. Hrs., #543860 .............. $187,900 JD S690 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 3100 hrs., 1945 Sep. Hrs., #535149 $165,000
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JD S780 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 278 hrs., 161 Sep. Hrs., #191038 ...................... $529,000 JD S780 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 291 hrs., 217 Sep. Hrs., #191047 ...................... $504,900 JD S780 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 218 hrs., 168 Sep. Hrs., #191048 ...................... $507,900 JD S780 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Singles, 342 hrs., 281 Sep. Hrs., #191053 ................... $528,000 JD S780 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 117 hrs., 79 Sep. Hrs., #191064 ........................ $518,900 JD S780 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 391 hrs., 310 Sep. Hrs., #191065 ...................... $509,900 JD S780 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Floaters, 258 hrs., 189 Sep. Hrs., #191345 .................. $546,000 JD S780 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Floaters, 1274 hrs., 888 Sep. Hrs., #275242 ................ $369,900 JD S780 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1603 hrs., 1130 Sep. Hrs., #276170 .................. $329,900 JD S780 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1000 hrs., 772 Sep. Hrs., #523885 .................... $379,000 JD S780 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 880 hrs., 633 Sep.
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JD S790 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 450 hrs., 316 Sep. Hrs., #533167 $529,000 JD S790 2021, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Singles, 365 hrs., 276 Sep.
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In 2018, the Super Bowl came to Minnesota. To celebrate the state’s rich agriculture sector on a national stage, Land O’Lakes hosted the Farm Bowl, which brought together dairy farmers from across the United States to participate in an obstacle course with renowned footballBeforeathletes.andduring the event, I met these stars. They took the opportunity to use the newspaper as a way to share their own messages about farming. Former NFL center and current farmer, himself, Jason Brown said, “No matter your age or where you’re from, we can all get excited about agriculture.” I think that sentiment still rings true. My own small claim to fame came in the form of a ve-second clip from the All-You-Can-Drink Milk Stand at the Minnesota State Fair. I was serving milk with a group of central Minnesota dairy farmers when a local broadcasting station stopped by for footage. Lucky for them, my hand placement in delivering a cup of milk was square in front of the camera. It has always been a joy representing the dairy community on a larger scale and for the greater good. I hope my contributions were valuable. I attended Dairy Day at the Capitol and had the pleasure of serving on a committee for the Minnesota Milk Producers Association. Each time, a group of forward-thinking individuals came together with a vision that could better the industry. Throughout my time, I participated in many trade shows and industry events. When Dairy Star took on the responsibility of publishing the World Dairy Expo Daily Edition, not only was I tasked with overseeing that publication, but I also made connections with dairy farmers across the globe. Every experience has shown me a different facet of the industry. And in doing so, I formed relationships –many I am condent will be long lasting. As I look down my new path, this new opportunity, I am reective of all the opportunities that brought me here. When opportunity knocked for me to tell your farm story, you took it. Maybe you took it for yourself, but in doing so, you also took it for the entire dairy community. Thank you for taking that opportunity to share your stories and insight, for without it, Dairy Star would not be what it is today. By Jennifer Coyne Staff Writer
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Eight years ago, I was a ripe college graduate with my sights set to the sky of what I could accomplish as a storyteller in the dairy industry. Dairy Star presented an opportunity for me to tell your stories, for which I am eternally grateful. I arrived on many farms a complete stranger with a notebook and camera in tow, and you welcomed me. While another opportunity has me forging a new path in dairy communications, I’d be remiss to not take this space to reect on the most memorable times spent a part of this tight-knit dairy community.Myinterviews took me across the coverage area, and just a half mile shy of the Canadian border. I waited for rainstorms to pass inside milkhouses and interviewed many from a tractor cab. In a few instances, some saw me mere days before the birth of our children and have heard stories of the Coyne boys keeping us on our toes. I spoke with countless families who received notable awards in their communities, who welcomed younger generations home, and those who adapted their farms for the future of the industry. I cried at a kitchen table as a couple shared their terminal cancer diagnosis, and I gleamed with pride for you when your daughter was named Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Each and every one of these interactions was unforgettable. Some offered beverages, others lunch or snacks for the drive back to the ofce. One summer morning, Lawrence “Duke” Pennings, of Blomkest, Minnesota, was as hospitable as a man from the South. The then-86-year-old and his grandson, Wes, welcomed me to their farm with a platter of freshly-cooked bacon, eggs and pancakes; a true feast. Conversation was pleasant as we spoke of the Iowa native’s start in the industry and the utter happiness he had to continue farming alongside his grandson. After that article printed, Duke reached out and offered his thanks for the effort I put into portraying his life’s work. It was never me who deserved the recognition.
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MAGGIE MOLITOR/DAIRY STAR Alex Christen represents Stearns County as a nalist for the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Christen is the daughter of Glen and Becky of Sauk Centre, Minnesota. bodies.“Nutrition and dairy go hand in hand,” Christen said. “I try to lead by example. Showing others that consuming dairy is good for them is easier than trying to explain it.” In addition to sharing about the nutritional benets of dairy, Christen enjoys speaking about the locality of dairy and its positive impacts communities. “A lot of people know the dairy farmers in their community, especially here in Stearns County,” Christen said. “So, it’s good to know that when you go to the store and buy milk or cheese, it is probably produced by a farmer that you know. When you but local, you are helpto CHRISTEN
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SAUK CENTRE, Minn. – Alex Christen is a member of the University of Minnesota-Crookston crosscountry team and completed her rst marathon. As a runner, she has found that fueling her body properly after strenuous workouts is the key to her progress and success.“Training for a marathon is not just running but also watching what I eat,” Christen said. “Dairy is a huge part of my diet so I can refuel my body. I drink chocolate milk after every single run.”Christen is not only running races this summer; she is also running for the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. At the end of August, she will complete against nine other young women from across the state for the title of Minnesota’s ofcial goodwillChristenambassador.isthedaughter of Glen and Becky Christen. Her parents milk 35 cows in
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 23
Running to the butter booth
Christen advocates for nutrition as Princess Kay nalist By Maggie Molitor Staff Intern Stearns County near Sauk Centre.Growing up on a farm, Christen fell in love with dairy advocacy at an early age. She often taught classmates about her family’s farm and gave tours to her visiting cousins. “I loved showing them what a day as a dairy farmer looks like,” Christen said. “I realized that not everyone knows what dairy farming means so I shared what my family does. That’s how I found my passion to teach others about dairy.” After some encouragement from friends, Christen decided to run for Stearns County Dairy Princess and Princess Kay of the Milky Way to advocate for dairy on a largerChristenplatform.uses her knowledge of dairy nutrition and personal experiences consuming dairy foods as a way to connect with consumers. As an athlete herself, she is able to relate to consumers who are looking for nutritious ways of fueling their 5 or 6 either 2
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Christen’s 90-pound butter sculpture will fuel her for many more races to come.
require expensive machinery to make it this easy! Makes for a nice looking and solid fence!”
Alex Christen cleans the barn alley on her family’s farm near Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Christen’s family milks 35 cows.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 25 ing out your local economy.” Christen is going into her junior year of studying elementary education. At school, she is involved in Ag Arama, archery club, cross-country and dairy Christenclub.is excited to continue combining her passions of teaching and dairy advocacy in her career. Upon graduation, she hopes to insert dairy into her lesson plans as a teacher.“Iwant my students to understand where their food comes from,” Christen said. “It is important to teach it at a young age so they can become responsible consumers when they get older.” As the interviewing and judging for Princess Kay is getting closer, Con nued from CHRISTEN | Page 23 PO Box 160, Albany, MN • (320) 845-2184 • Fax (320) 845-2187tfn Catch the Dairy Star’s Mark Klaphake with Joe Gill at 6:45 a.m. the 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month on KASM! Joe Gill • Farm Director SERVING CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR OVER 50 YEARS FARM INFORMATION STATION Martin Ag Supply LLC 3128 Mitchell Line St. Orchard, IA 50460 641-982-4845 ESCH EQUIPMENTHAY4222 22’ working width, 10’11”540transport,PTO BOBCAT$11,2002020T76 476 Hours, Cab Heat/ Air, 2 Speed $72,500 2020 HOLLANDNEWL318 14 hrs., Cab, Heat/ Air Power latch EQUIPMENTESCH$43,500HAY6032 6 star tedder, 32’ working width, 540 PTO $25,500 FIBERGLASS FENCING • GATES • FREESTALLS • FEED RAIL • FEED LOTS Fiberglass freestalls offer a heightened level of comfort which can lead to an increase in milk production! NEW PRODUCTS: • All Solid Rail Fencing has a 20 year UV coating to prevent slivers, Colors available • Show Fencing & Pasture fencing • Cattle Panels & Continuous Fencing • 1’’ & 1-1/4 Electric Fence Post UV Protected •13% Chrome Post for Head Locks & Feed Rail • Guard Rail and Fiberglass posts. • Lifetime warranty on our fiberglass products from rusting and rotting additiveNewin our paint now prevents & protects againstthe growth ofmold & mildew. Ventilation for CalvesVentilation for Calves Hwy. 76 • Harpers Ferry, IA 563-586-2023 www.tjsfencingcompany.com Email: tjfence@acegroup.cc Hours: May 15 to Sept.15, M-F 7:30 to 3:30 FAMILY OWNED FOR OVER 30 YEARS!
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Christen is using an important piece of advice she received to help her prepare.“Iwas told to be yourself and be genuine, because that will get you further than anything else,” Christen said.Christen awaits the Minnesota State Fair not only because the selection of the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way will be revealed, but also because it will be her rst time at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Whether she is crowned or not, she will spend parts of the state fair advocating for dairy and getting her likeness carved out of butter.
fiberglass rods for putting up electric fences. Using the swivel connectors for bracing corners is fast, super easy, economical, and
Tying her dairy background into how she presents herself in a classroom of students is something she hopes to incorporate in her career down the road. Post intends on implementing aspects of farming in her lessons and bringing classes on farm tours. “Kids are so impactful, and they soak up most of the information you present them,” she said. “If I can have students who open their minds to learning about farming, that is a big step in the right direction for the future of our consumer base.”Because of the decreasing number of dairy farms, Post recognizes the separation people have from their food sources. As a dairy princess, she wants to build trust in farmers GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR
to POST | Page 27 PRINCESS KAY FINALIST
The honor of representing dairy families Post wants to build trust with consumers By Grace Jeurissen grace.j@star-pub.com
with“Peopleconsumers.don’t realize just how cautious farmers must be with their farming practices,” Post said. “We have come a long way in the last 100 years.”
When not in sash and crown or on the farm, she is a student at Northwestern College in Iowa as an elementary education major. “I don’t go to a major agriculture school, so my classmates are primarily from town,” Post said. “I get a lot of opportunity while at school to have open conversations with people about my farm and why consuming dairy is so important for a healthy mind and body.”Her favorite way to advocate for agriculture is through conversations with consumers. She believes posting on social media is great, but face-to-face conversations make a lasting impact.“Be real with consumers,” Post said. “You don’t have to be something for someone else; just be yourself.”
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Amber Post is represen ng Murray County as a nalist for the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. She majors in elementary educa on at Northwestern College in Iowa.
LAKE WILSON, Minn. – Becoming someone she used to look up to has been a crazy experience for 20-yearold Amber Post. As the clock ticks closer to the crowning of the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Post is looking to take her nalist experience one step at a “Thistime.has been a wild experience for me,” Post said. “I’ve accomplished something I have wanted since I was little.”For the Murray County representative, being able to advocate for dairy farmers like her family is what makes the role as a dairy princess worth all thePosteffort.is the daughter of Grant and April Post and has three younger brothers who are all active on the family farm. They milk 200 cows near Lake Wilson.Post is responsible for feeding most of the calves and assisting with a variety of miscellaneous chores.
Discussing the sustainability of modern farming is something she enjoys sharing with consumers. She shares how farms are implementing recycling practices, cows are more feed efcient, crop production has changed, and farmers pledge themselves to things Turn
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 27 0%Financing1 Cash Back Available2 Make more hay with reliable New Holland hay and forage equipment, featuring our full line of round and square balers, mower-conditioners, windrowers, rakes and more. They’re all ready to go for the season ahead—and most are available now with outstanding savings. Take our Roll-Belt™ round balers. Renowned for producing the industry’s densest bales, they deliver consistently high bale quality with features that speed you through fields when your crop is ready. Check out all the great deals going on now. Hurry, offers end soon3 Stop in today or visit nhoffers.com. DENSER BALES. A&C Farm Service, Inc. Jct. Hwys. 55 & 23 • Paynesville 320-243-3736 | www.acfarmservice.com For Commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Industrial Capital America LLC or CNH Industrial Capital Canada Ltd. See your participating New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Down payment may be required. Not all customers or applicants may qualify for this rate or term. CNH Industrial Capital America LLC and CNH Industrial Capital Canada Ltd. standard terms and conditions apply. Canada Example: The interest rate will be 0% for 12 months. Total contract term is 12 months. Based on a retail contract date of July 1, 2022, with a suggested retail price on a new Roll-Belt™ 560 of C$117,678 customer provides down payment of C$23,535 and finances the balance of C$94,143 at 0% per annum for 12 months. There will be 12 equal monthly payments of C$7,845.25.
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The total amount payable will be C$94,143, which includes finance charges of C$0. Taxes, freight, setup, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in suggested retail price. Offer is nontransferable. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. Cash back amounts vary and are applied at time of sale. Cash back offers are only available when financing purchase with CNH Industrial Capital America LLC or CNH Industrial Capital Canada Ltd. Offers end September 30, 2022; subject to change or cancellation without notice. © 2022 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. CNH Industrial Capital and New Holland are by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. DC 1125 Series Dump Carts DC-1125 Series DC-1125 Series $ 52,000 like the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management program to ensure they are held accountable for their farm and livestock.“Asfarmers, we work hard to practice sustainability and make sure our cows are properly cared for,” Post said. Growing up on her family’s farm gave Post a work ethic and determination. She feels condent she can overcome any challenge because of the resilience she has being a rst-hand witness to while working alongside her family.“The hard work farmers put into their dairy can be reected in the quality of product that we purchase in the store,” Post said. If she were to be selected as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Post said Con she would be honored to represent Minnesota dairy farmers. “I would love to be a voice for dairy farmers who work every day to maintain their cattle, land and quality of product,” she said. For her to be a representative of Minnesota dairy farmers as a nalist has been her greatest honor besides working alongside her family on their farm, she said. Her passion for the dairy community has stemmed from watching her dad work on the farm. Post said he shows dedication and level headedness that is prominent with the dairy farmers she has met. “To stand beside the other nine nalists and be proud of where we came from is truly the best part of this journey,” Post said. “I feel so blessed.”
now also comes standard with the fold down gate and ground level grease banks. hacoh
GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR Amber Post feeds a bo le calf at her family’s 200-dairy near Lake Wilson, Minnesota. She is the daughter of Grant and April Post.
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carts have high floatation tires that create less damaging impact on your fields and harvesting equipment.
nued from POST | Page 26
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 Now through August 31, 2022, qualified buyers can receive 0% interest for up to 60 months or cash back on the purchase of select new Vermeer forage equipment, including 604 R-series balers, 605N and 605N Cornstalk Special balers, and TM1210 and TM1410 trailed mowers, among other models, through Vermeer Credit Corporation (U.S.) or De Lage Landen Financial Services, Canada Inc. (Canada). See your local Vermeer dealer for additional details on this and other special offers from Vermeer. Maximum finance amount up to 100%, depending on payment plan and credit approval. Minimum transaction $2,500. Financing offer valid in U.S. and Canada only. U.S. rate listed, Canada may be different. All rates, terms and Canada only. U.S. rate listed, Canada may be different. All rates, terms and conditions are subject to change and credit approval. DAMBMAN SERVICE INC. Milledgeville, IL • www.dambmanservice.com FARMERS IMPLEMENT AND IRRIGATION Brookings, SD • www.farmersii.com FABER’S FARM EQUIPMENT Inwood, IA, Watertown, SD • www.fabersfarm.com GORTER’S CLAY & DAIRY EQUIPMENT Pipestone, MN • www.gortersclayanddairy.com BREEDEN SALES Maquoketa, IA • www.breedensales.com BRUNKAN EQUIPMENT Worthington, IA • www.brunkans.com MARK’S TRACTOR & IMPLEMENT Osage & Dumont, IA • www.markstractor.com METTLER IMPLEMENT Menno, SD • www.mettlerimplement.com ANIBAS SILO & EQUIPMENT, INC. Arkansaw, WI • www.anibassilo.com D & D FARM SUPPLY Arcadia, WI • www.dndfarmsupply.com YES EQUIPMENT & SERVICES, INC. Madison & Milwaukee, WI • www.yesjcb.com WOLLER EQUIPMENT Swanville, MN • www.wollerequipment.com A&C FARM SERVICE Paynesville, MN • www.acfarmservice.com HAMMELL EQUIPMENT Chatfield, Eitzen, Harmony, Rushford, MN www.hammellequipment.com TAKE ADVANTAGE TODAY Now through August 31, 2022, qualified buyers can receive 0% interest for up to 60 months or cash back on the purchase of select new Vermeer forage equipment, i ncluding balers and large trailed mowers. Good through August 31st, 2022. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY! OR CASH BACK ON SELECT MODELS 715-644-2350 Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply 6053 CTY. HWY. G • STANLEY, WI 54768 • Andrew Zimmerman We SpeeDeeshipandUPS! • 16”x16’ • Factory seconds • quantity discounts • J-trim • Inside and outside corner trim TRUSSCORE WHITE PVC WALL AND CEILING PANELS Use in dog kennels, milk houses, etc. m etc. GEARBOX DRIVEN THE MOST POWERFUL BLOWER ON THE MARKET! V59 1000 RPM • 1 In stock (availability may change) DAIRYSTARDAIRYSTAR.COMCOMKNOW WHERE TO GO FOR YOUR DAIRY NEWS Information at your ngertips- Easy, clean, fast. When you are looking for resources you’ll nd them on our site. Our clean, easyto-navigate site makes it simple to locate the information you’re searching for.
What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Spearheading the decision for switching to milking robots. I was the nal say in which robots we chose, the layout of the addition on to the barn for the project and even the robot room pit depth was based off my height.
What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I have a TikTok account where I have done some farm videos that have done well with viewings, but I know I need to do more to promote the dairy industry.
What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Something I learned after becoming a mom was it is OK to take time to spend with your kids if you can. Feeling like I am missing out on so much time with my son is probably the hardest part of dairy farming for me. There are a lot of days where I only get to see him for a short time before he goes to bed. So that’s why I selshly take my Thursdays and Fridays between chores to spend with him. I try to cram everything into the rst three days, or I come back down after he’s in bed to nish up loose ends. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? My spare moments are spent riding horses or reading books.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 29 Women In Dairy 2009 Apache AS1210 Sprayer auto steer, auto boom, pwm nozzle control, 120 ft booms, 2200 hours $95,500 2009 CLAAS 960 Jaguar 4x2 auto lube cutter head, updates, Fibertech processor, 1740/1062 hours, Field Ready! $149,0002017 Horsch Maestro 3215 Planter 8000 acres, hyd. down force coulters $195,000 Call for details! 641-985-2648 ALL REASONABLE OFFERS CONSIDERED 800-597-2394 or 605-338-6351 5301 West 12th St., Sioux Falls, SD www.pfeifersonline.com 5 Dairy St r Milk Break Sign up for ourup for our NewsletterNewsletter Sign up www.dairystar.comat Brad Herickhoff, 320-351-4872Owner Check out our Effwebsite!newective drainageective Professional design. Reasonable rates. Samantha Miller Lodi, ColumbiaWisconsinCounty230cows Family: My boyfriend, Scott, and I have one son, Cordell, who will be 2 in November. I co-own and operate the farm with my dad, John, and my brother, Tyler. My mom, Dawn, is retired and watches the grandkids during the week. My brother’s ancée, Andrea, works out of Madison but helps with chores on the weekends and at night when we are busy in the elds. Together, they have two kids, Sunny and Branch. Tell us about your farm. My brother and I are the fth generation to own and operate at this location. We own equal thirds of the entire operation along with our dad. We have one employee, Colton, who has been with us since he was in school. One of my uncles who retired once I came back still helps every other Sunday morning and, when we are in the elds. We are currently milking 230 Holsteins and a few Jerseys through four DeLaval robots since September 2015. We run 750 acres of alfalfa, corn, soybean and wheat. We also do a little custom harvesting for a few neighbors.
What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? My day in the barn starts at 5 a.m. My rst hour is spent pushing up what’s left of the feed, washing robots, checking the computer to see if there are any cows that appear to have had issues overnight, walking the pens to nd cows that are highlighted overdue since their last milking and lling foot baths in each group. By 6 a.m., I am scraping manure in all the pens in the freestall barn. That takes me to 7:30 or 8 a.m., when all head locks are set so I can administer any reproduction injections, do herd health, when it’s scheduled, and assist with breeding. My last hour is usually spent going through computer reports. Morning chores usually take us until 9 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. Then, we all head home for an hour-long breakfast break. Each day is different, but on Mondays, we put sand in all the free stalls, which could either take two hours or if I’m by myself, most of the afternoon. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I spend my time on robot maintenance, which is everything from changing inations and hoses regularly to assessing the attachment efciency and doing any improvement repairs. Evening chores start between 3:30 and 4 p.m., and I am the one in the skid loader scraping. If not in the elds, we are usually done between 5:30 and 6 p.m. My dad and I switch off who comes down at 9 p.m. to push up feed one more time, check fresh cow pens and clean up the robots. I handle all robot alarms. There are some nights I end up coming back down multiple times for a variety of reasons that might cause them to shut down. On Thursdays and Fridays, I start my barn tasks early so I can make it home by 6 a.m. to spend the day between chores with my son if we aren’t in the elds. I have every other Saturday afternoon and Sunday off. What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? This past year we decided to upgrade our mature cow group’s free stalls. We all worked together to gure out which stalls would work best and would be easy enough that we could do the installation ourselves. While we were putting them in, I made sure to doublecheck that they were going to be the correct size because our previous stalls were 25-years-old. Our cows’ type and size is much different from when the barn was built. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. When we milked in the parlor, it doubled as social time, and we would always have neighbors or extended family stop by just to chat. Another memory would be from when we named all the cows. There was a cow named after my mom, and she kicked a gate into my dad’s face and broke his nose. There was also a time that my dad and uncles were inventing new ways to do things, such as ways to stir the manure pit. They built their own oat stirrer, and my uncle volunteered to be its captain. It didn’t take long to learn they didn’t gure in steering, and wind turned it in just the right direction. Let’s just say it was a crappy day but still full of laughs.
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I enjoy working alongside my family every day. I like knowing I am part of the 1% of the population that is feeding this country and world. It’s not easy working in an industry that most people are disconnected from but still criticize under a microscope, but someone’s got to do it. I’m lucky enough to love what I do.
An often-overlooked group that is impacted by heat stress on farms are new hires. This includes new, temporary or even existing employees who change their working environments or increase their physical activity. In this group, more than 70% of heatrelated deaths occur during the worker’s rst week. Operations can take several steps to mitigate risk once they are aware of this susceptible group. One such step is initial education and reminding new hires of the symptoms of heat illness and what steps to take. It is strongly advised to use the buddy system and never allow new hires to work alone.
For
Joleen 612-625-3108kjanni@umn.eduKevin320-203-6104huli0013@umn.eduNathan320-589-1711hein0106@umn.eduBrad612-624-2277hanse009@umn.eduLes612-626-5620jhadrich@umn.eduHadrichHansenHeinsHulinskyJanni Karen royster@umn.eduErin320-732-4435nels4220@umn.eduBrenda507-332-6109lacanne@umn.eduClaire507-280-2863krek0033@umn.eduEmily320-484-4334ande9495@umn.eduJohnsonKrekelbergLaCanneMillerRoyster Isaac 612-625-4276mlw@umn.eduMelissa507-934-7828sever575@umn.eduEmma612-624-1205mschutz@umn.eduMike320-203-6093salfe001@umn.eduJim320-296-1357ijsalfer@umn.eduSalferSalferSchutzSevernsWison
Preventing heat illness in farm employees
By Dana Adams U of M humidity situations, prioritize regularly scheduled shade and water breaks to help lower high body temperatures. Using these practices together can maintain farm productivity and increase awareness of heat illnesses. One of the most impactful steps is teaching employees to recognize heat illnesses in themselves and others. This could be as simple as showing short videos that describe the difference between types of heat illnesses. Consider pairing the videos with an accessible poster detailing warning signs and what to do in appropriate languages. Using these tools together can lead to quick and decisive action in a medical emergency. Combining these components will create a safer environment for all those working on the farm.
New hires will be going through an acclimation period as their bodies adapt to tolerate higher levels of heat stress. Human bodies need time to adapt and produce more sweat for evaporative cooling, increase blood ow to the skin to efciently cool and maintain a lower heart rate when working. Operations can schedule new workers for shorter amounts of time working in the heat, separated with breaks for rehydrating. A strategy that can be used is the rule of 20%. For the rst day, 20% of an employee’s time should be in a heat stress environment with a water break. The rest of the day is working without heat stress. Each following day, increase the time in a heat stress environment by 20%. By using this rule, new workers will be working a full schedule by the end of their rst week. This strategy’s effectiveness varies from person to person and relies on an operations’ culture of acclimating to ensure everyone can adapt successfully and settle into a productive work schedule. Heat illness is a signicant issue for those working outdoors. This especially affects dairies, where, in the rush of summer eldwork and farm maintenance, it is easy to forget a water break. This article shared strategies that reduce risk around heat illness such as identifying high-risk farm employees, educating staff on the symptoms of heat illnesses, prioritizing water and shade breaks, and acclimating new hires. Incorporating these approaches can help farms to have a safe and productive summer season.
Dana 612-624-5391miendres@umn.eduMarcia612-625-8184gcramer@umn.eduGerard612-625-3130lcaixeta@umn.eduLuciano612.624.3610armst225@umn.eduJoe320-204-2968adam1744@umn.eduAdams,ArmstrongCaixetaCramerEndres
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Every producer in the Midwest gets excited for summer for a variety of reasons. many, warm weather means planting crops, baling hay or maybe even taking that camping trip with the family. However, high temperatures also can present challenges to dairy farmers. Heat stress in dairy cows can negatively affect their milk production, health and reproduction. Many producers have strategies for their dairy animals to navigate these situations. What about the farm employees who work all day in these environments which often exceed 80 degrees? That heat is quite simply stressful. Producers can create and use a plan for heat illness. This article will share information about heat illness, employees who are more at risk and steps to take to navigate this summer season. Heat illness is serious and is not something to push through. When left unaddressed, it can cause serious illness or even death. Heat illness is an overarching term that includes heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat syncope and heat stroke. Though no one can control the weather, what farms can do is create a standard operating procedure. This can help farms deal with temperature and humidity extremes and mitigate effects on employees. An easy place to start is understanding different people and their respective needs. Groups at high risk of heat-related illnesses include those with pre-existing health conditions, those older than 65 and those who are pregnant. One of the most benecial things that can be done is to make sure employees have access to water bottles and use them frequently. Next, make sure to schedule physically demanding tasks early in the day when it is cooler. These tasks should be accomplished with more people, reducing the load on each person due to the extreme environmental conditions. During those high heat and
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The pathogens that cause mastitis on dairies are different now than they were 30 years ago. When most mastitis tubes were approved for use, staph aureus and strep agalactiae were common cause for concern. While staph aureus continues to be a thorn in the side of some farmers, there are some pathogens, like mycoplasma, that we are seeing more and more frequently. There are even some new pathogens many have never have heard of, like lactococcus.Inaddition to the shift in pathogen prevalence over time, we now know that our classic categorization of environmental and contagious is not quite as clear-cut as we would like it to be. Some environmental pathogens can behave more like a contagious pathogen, causing chronic infections that can be spread from cow to cow even though the original source of infection on a dairy may have been the environment. Prototheca, some strep and strep-like species, and even possibly klebsiella, are among these. Let’s start with mycoplasma. This highly contagious pathogen causes a trio of diseases: mastitis, pneumonia and lameness with swollen joints. While many farmers may want to believe you can only get mycoplasma by purchasing infected cows, that’s just not true, unfortunately. Every herd is at risk for a mycoplasma outbreak, but purchasing replacements does increase your risk. There is no treatment for mycoplasma, and the likelihood of self-cure is so low as to be practically nonexistent. The only option for infected cows is culling. In this case, your best bet is to minimize your risk by screening purchased cows and by testing your bulk tank milk regularly for mycoplasma, even if you think your risk is low. Bulk tank cultures are a cheap insurance policy against a herd outbreak with mycoplasma. Your goal is to detect mycoplasma early before it becomes a full-blown outbreak. Mycoplasma may not be as common as some of the other difcult pathogens here, but the consequences of infection are so dire that it is at the top of my list for pathogens to avoid at all costs. Next on that list is prototheca. This is an unusual mastitis pathogen because it is an algae, and while the original source is certainly environmental, it behaves much more like a contagious pathogen. As an algae, there is no effective treatment for it, and like mycoplasma, the only
By Erin Royster, DVM option for cows infected with prototheca is culling. On one hand, prototheca is not quite as contagious as mycoplasma, making it No. 2 on this list. On the other hand, prototheca can be very sneaky, lurking in your herd undetected for months to years before you realize how many cows are infected. Many cows with prototheca may not show clinical signs or even an elevated somatic cell count until they have been infected for a long time. When it does become clinical, it could be anything from a relatively mild case to severely abnormal milk and a very inamed udder. As we have come to recognize the signicance of prototheca, more and more milk labs are routinely including it in their milk culture panel. Again, early detection is the goal with prototheca, so commit to monthly milk cultures and be sure your lab is testing for prototheca. Strep uberis and some of the other strep-like organisms are more common in that practically every dairy has them to some degree. But on some dairies, one or more of these pathogens will become the predominant cause of chronic, recurrent mastitis and high bulk tank SCC. In addition to strep uberis, we are talking about lactococcus and enterococcus. Until recently, we did not have a highly accurate way to differentiate these pathogens in the lab, and so many were misdiagnosed. Now that we do, we can pick up patterns in a herd that would indicate that these pathogens are behaving in more of a contagious manner. Once a certain threshold of infection is reached, infected cows become the main source of infection for other cows in the herd. And once we get to that point, we need to manage these infections like a contagious pathogen, primarily through excellent milking time hygiene, identication, segregation and culling of chronically infected cows. While some cows may be able to clear some of these infections, particularly if treated early, set the expectations low for overall treatment success rate. Last on the list is klebsiella. This gram-negative coliform bacteria has certainly been around for a while. We used to think of it as a problem primarily in herds that bed with green sawdust or shavings, but with the rising popularity of recycled bedding, we are seeing it emerge as a problem in those herds as well. Again, this is a classic environmental pathogen that in some herds causes a high rate of clinical mastitis, with some cases becoming chronic. Unlike the other common coliform, E. coli, cows have a harder time ghting this one off on their own, and klebsiella can cause more damage to the mammary gland resulting in a signicant loss of milk production. In herds where klebsiella is causing a signicant proportion of cases, there are three tiers of control. First, do what you can to reduce environmental exposure, lower stress and boost cows’ immunity (prevention). Second, detect clinical cases early and attempt treatment to reduce the number of cases that become chronic. A recent study showed improved treatment success with intramammary ceftiofur compared to no treatment, and a short duration (two-day) protocol was just as effective as ve or eight days of treatment. Lastly, we now have a commercially available vaccine with proven efcacy against klebsiella mastitis. This is not necessary in every herd but is a lifeline in some. To avert disaster caused by high rates of infection with any of these pathogens, the rst step is to know your enemy. Every herd should have a screening program in place to detect the presence of contagious pathogens. Regular bulk tank culture is one option, but there are others. If found in bulk tank milk, then you need to nd the infected cows in the herd. Additionally, every herd should monitor what pathogens are causing clinical mastitis and look for changes over time. Submit clean, pre-treatment quarter milk samples from cows with clinical mastitis at least once a year (10-30 cows depending on herd size and clinical mastitis rate). For more information on mastitis pathogens and how to utilize testing to protect your herd, visit https://vdl.umn.edu/udderhealth. Keep your cows on their feet! Smith’s of Wisconsin Serving the Midwest over 30 yrs. 715-613-8505 Scabbling makes grooves in your concrete 2” wide and 3/16” deep so your cows ALWAYS have traction. Get your concrete scabbled and prevent an accident!
Difcult mastitis pathogens
UPONREFERENCESAVAILABLEREQUEST
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MAGGIE MOLITOR/DAIRY STAR Rachel Rynda pushes up feed July 13 on her family’s 40-cow dairy near Montgomery, Minnesota. She studies Ag Business at the University of WisconsinRivers Falls.
MONTGOMERY, Minn. – On Sundays, Rachel Rynda and her family gather after evening chores to watch movies and eat popcorn. The tradition began with her grandfather and continues to take place nearly every week. After the Minnesota State Fair this summer, a new popcorn topping will be added to their family’s tasty tradition – butter from Rynda’s butter sculpture. “My family is incredibly important to me,” Rynda said. “Spending that time together allows us to stay close,” she said. “Dairy for my family is more than farming; it is a lifestyle we share, and I am glad I get to share it with others.” Rynda is excited to represent her family’s livelihood and the entirety of Minnesota’s dairy community as a nalist for the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Rynda will compete against nine other young women from across the state of Minnesota to be the state’s ofcial goodwill ambassador. The selection will take place the eve of the state fair Aug. 24. Following the coronation, Princess Kay and the nalists will have their likeness sculpted into a 90-pound block of Rynda,butter.the daughter of Francis and Theresa Rynda, grew up on her family’s 40-cow dairy in Le Sueur County near Montgomery. Additionally, Rynda’s family farms 400 acres and feeds out family’spassionsharesforherlivelihood
PRINCESS KAY FINALIST Tasty tradition Rynda
By Maggie Molitor Staff Intern 130 steers a year. The 19-year-old is active on her parent’s dairy. She milks cows, feeds calves and helps wherever needed when she is home from school and work. “We all kind of just work until the work is done,” Rynda said. “We go out to the barn together, work together and nish chores together. My family makes up a team and that is why I like to help out.”Since fth grade, Rynda has been advocating for dairy in her community. She grew up watching her dad be involved in the county’s dairy promotion and decided to take part in it herself. “My dad has been part of the Le Sueur County American Dairy Association for the past 30 years,” Rynda said. “I would go to the dairy banquets with him, and I knew I wanted to be a part of the program.”Shewasa milk maid for Le Sueur/ Scott County for the 2014 to 2015 year, a dairy ambassador from 2016 to 2019 and a dairy princess since 2020. Throughout her time as a dairy advocate, Rynda has found a favorite dairy message to share with consumers. “Dairy farmers are the backbones of our communities,” Rynda said. “Not only do they care for their cows and land to provide us with wholesome nutritious dairy products, but they are also active community members. Dairy farmers are part of church congregations, schools and support all types of local businesses.” In addition to holding the title of dairy princess, Rynda’s royalty experience includes being selected as the 2020-21 Kolacky Days Queen for the town of Rynda’sMontgomery.passion for representing what matters to her – community and dairy – allowed her to intertwine her roles as a town and dairy advocate. She worked to incorporate dairy education in her role as Kolacky Days Queen and promoted her community by sharing the buy local dairy message. She credits her experience as the Kolacky Days Queen in ne tuning her communication skills. This fall, Rynda will enter her second year at University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She is majoring in agriculture business and hopes to use the skills she has learned about connecting with consumers and farmers in her career.Atcollege, she is involved in intramural sports and the college’s dairy club. She enjoys staying active and said she always refuels her body with dairy. Rynda is spending her summer helping on her family’s farm, interning with Dakota County 4-H and advocating for the state’s dairy community. Her busy summer will end with the crowning of the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way and bringing home her butter sculpture. Whether she is selected or not, she will continue to take part in her favorite family tradition – Sunday movies and popcorn with her butter sculpture as the topping, a testament to her family and dairy roots.
MAGGIE MOLITOR/DAIRY STAR Rachel Rynda represents Le Sueur County as a nalist for the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Rynda is the daughter of Frances and Theresa Rynda of Montgomery, Minnesota.
What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Fuel, feed and fertilizer are my biggest concerns for the next year. Fuel is the main concern because when that price went up, it upped the feed price and the fertilizer price. Availability is going to be a concern too. Right now, you can get what you need if you can pay more for it, but I don’t know if that is going to last. What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? We went to direct shipping milk in December 2021. We thought we would see an improvement in butterfat, and we thought the trucking cost would go down. Neither of those things happened, but it has still been a good change overall. It is more convenient, and we also do not have to test each load of milk anymore because they do that at the dairy. It’s only our milk in that tank. We also bought a wheel loader to mix feed with out of the bunkers. That has saved a lot of time with having a bucket twice the size of the skid loader bucket. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I am good with the computer. This helps me because I do all the books for the farm. What is the best decision you have made on your farm? To build a parlor. We built our parlor in 1997, and we should have done it 20 years sooner. We went from 250 cows in three stall barns, two of which had switch cows. We are now milking 1,000 cows easier than we ever milked 250 cows. What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? Our Hispanic workers because they are reliable and do things the way we want. The side-by-side because it goes somewhere all the time. The automatic calf feeder because we are able to raise really good calves with it. What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? None. We have done risk management programs in the past, and we got tired of putting money into a program only to get nothing back. We do not use crop insurance either. We had an awful drought year in 2012 and received no payout. We realized if we didn’t get a payout that year, we never would. We did have good luck with the Dairy Margin Coverage program last year. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? We pay them well. We also provide housing which they would rather have than more money. We also acknowledge good work. Since we address when something is not done right, we want to make sure we also acknowledge when something is done right. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I like seeing the genetic progress we are making. We have been using good bulls for a lot of years, and it is fun to see a heifer come in and easily milk 100 pounds. We used to try for a cow to do that well, and now the heifers do it easily. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Nobody does things the same way so it’s hard to give advice, but learn from others and what worked and what didn’t. What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? For the next year, we will coast the way we are. We have been working to get to 1,000 cows for a while so we need to maintain that. In the next ve years, we will need heifer facilities. Right now, they are on multiple locations. There is a lot of labor spent moving cattle around.
How did you get into farming? I was born into it. My grandpa started the farm in 1888. My oldest brother, Gail, joined the operation rst. I went to school in Madison and started medical school to be a doctor. When I was growing up farming, I always wanted to get off the farm. Once I left, I missed it. I came back and formed a partnership with Gail in 1972. The farm is in a limited liability company now.
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We take very little time off. Luckily, our eight grandkids are all within a half an hour so we can spend an evening with them once in a while. We really enjoy that.
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Protecting your milk price
There is no one magic formula for every farm or every milk price scenario. Each farm needs to determine the risk they wish to take and how much risk to shift to the person on the other end of the contract. The key to a successful marketing plan is to create a plan and stick with the plan on a consistent month-to-month basis. If not, it seems you may always be on the wrong side at the wrong time. A farm management person or marketing company can assist in making a plan and executing the plan in a timely manner. Tom Anderson is a Farm Business Management faculty member at Riverland Community College.
Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022
Over the years, it seems that producers are reluctant to protect a milk price when it is higher. But, they end up wishing they had when the milk price drops and then tend to lock in a price lower than a cost of production. It is natural for all of us to want a higher price, especially when they are low. And, when in an upward trend, we tend to think it will just keep going. Remember, the best cure for high prices is high prices. Have we seen the high prices? Are we on the downside?So,the inevitable question is, “What should I do?” Well, there are as many choices as opinions, or so it appears. Let’s start with looking at some real choices.First, every farm should be enrolled in the Dairy Margin Coverage program. This will protect up to 95% of the actual production history, up to 5 million pounds, with a government subsidized premium. This is a no-brainer, as it provides a $9.50 margin, using government feed prices and a national milk price. I have tracked this for a number of farms, and it isn’t quite that good for everyone’s actual milk mailbox price received, but it’s the best alternative for that amount of milk. Other common choices, for additional milk over and above the DMC milk, may include: contacting with a local processor for a xed price, buying a put, using the Dairy Revenue Protection program, Livestock Gross Margin or futures – be careful. Contracting with a processor provides the advantage of low cost (usually around $.10 per hundredweight). It limits your upside but will protect your downside should the milk prices drop. Some producers feel like they got burned this spring in locking in a good price at the time, but the price ended up being much lower than they could have gotten had they not done anything. If looking at this option, remember to scale up and scale down contracts over time to allow for a more average price. Buying a put will give you a minimum price and allow an upside potential. The only issue on these is the potential cost. My recommendation is to limit the fee to $.35/cwt or less, which today may be difcult. Using DRP is a method to use as a quarterly average to protect your milk price. The government has a subsidy to help off-set the price, yet these too look to be a bit expensive for quarters two and three of 2023 at approximately $.58/cwt and $.65/cwt, respectively. Though DRP is a great tool in your toolbox, remember that the whole quarter must average above your price, and sometimes, one good month might negate the two struggling months when it comes to quarterly prices.
By Tom Anderson Columnist From My Perspective
LFM has been a tool used for years. The program has changed in the past couple of years to the benet of the dairy producer. The pricing can now be entered every Friday. Even though you need to contract two months at time, it settles out each month, thereby eliminating the quarterly average price to receive an indemnity. The premium cost is the same for LGM as the DRP, so it may have an advantage in the likelihood of an indemnity payment scenario. When it comes to futures, I would use caution, especially entry level marketers. The potential for margin calls can be difcult both on the farm’s cash ow as well as the mental health aspect of receiving ongoing calls to pay margins in the event of price increases. With the potential need for cash to pay margin calls, a farm may also need a signicant line of credit availability at their bank. Perhaps a question to be addressed with all the marketing ideas is how much, or what percentage of, milk should be protected. No one answer is the correct answer for all farms. Some producers may feel no protection is necessary and another may want 100% coverage. My recommendation is to assemble a marketing plan for the current year and the following year using a variety of tools.Example: DMC covering 25%, forward contracting at 25% and LGM at 25%. The DMC will be $.1125/cwt, the forward contract about $.10/cwt, and the LGM may be the variable premium of $.55/cwt. If this were the case, your average premium cost would be approximately $.25/cwt, with a 75% coverage for all your production.
Finally, thank you to my parents and family. They have been my biggest fan club this past year and have always kept up with my travels. Being able to share this year with them has been the best gift. I couldn’t have done any of this without them and the sacrices they make for me. To Minnesota’s dairy farmers, thank you. Thank you for supporting this program and always being so kind and welcoming to me throughout the year. Though my reign will soon be over, I will forever continue to advocate for the dairy community well into the future. Thank you for allowing me to represent the dairy community I love.
By Anna Euerle 68th Princess Kay of the Milky Way On the Road with Princess Kay Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of theauthor and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.
Princess Kay of the Milky Way Anna Euerle serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Princess Kay is very active doing school visits, representing dairy farmers at the Fuel Up To Play 60 activities in conjunction with the Minnesota Vikings, and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota. Euerle grew up in Litcheld, Minnesota, working on her family’s dairy farm. She will soon graduate from Ridgewater College in Agribusiness with a dairy emphasis. In her free time she enjoys cooking, baking and being outdoors.
Dana Berreau 507-879-3593 / 800-821-7092 Box 116, Lake Wilson, MN 56151 Your Mixer, Spreader, Hay Processor Headquarters We carry: Wow; I can’t believe I am so close to the end of my reign as the 68th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. It truly seems like it just started, as cliche as that may sound. This past year has been so much more than I could have ever expected, and it has truly changed my life for the better. To begin my reign with Linda Christensen’s nal butter sculpture being placed in my freezer certainly kicked off the year well. It was also special to welcome sculptor Gerry Kulzer into the butter booth. I know Litcheld is so proud of both of Theus.Minnesota State Fair was a dream. I spent time with the women I grew close to throughout judging, visited with fairgoers and, of course, made memories that will last a lifetime even if that means a long walk back to the Dairy Building in the rain.I spent time in classrooms across the state with some of the most inquisitive students following me through a 360-degree tour of a dairy farm in Minnesota. I’ll never forget their smiles and the resounding “Awe” each time we would see calves throughout the tour. Even though I was nervous about classroom visits at rst, the students always made it so easy to enjoy, and they always had a list of very detailed questions for me at the end of my presentation.Another item on the highlight reel from my year is the entire month of June. From beginning to end, it was hectic but phenomenal. In just that month alone, I traveled more than 3,000 miles and joined so many people at events centered around celebrating Minnesota’s dairy farmers. From a very humble second place in the Curd Fest milking contest to selecting the next polka song to be aired while cohosting a radio show, and then seeing some of the most outstanding dairy farms across Minnesota, I was constantly reminded of how blessed I am to be Princess Kay. We will soon be crowning the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, and while I’m sad to see this experience end, I am so excited for another young woman to have the opportunities I had. To all of the Princess Kay nalists, county dairy princesses and young girls aspiring to be a dairy princess one day: When you nd what you are passionate about, advocacy comes easily. Continue to be advocates for the dairy community, with or without your crown and sash. You never know when you’ll have the opportunity to share something life changing with the individuals around you. These experiences are truly like no other, and even if your journey is just starting, always soak up each moment. I wouldn’t be able to give such great advice without a strong network of people behind me as well, and I have so many to thank for helping get to where I am today and for supporting me over the last year. Being Meeker County’s rst Princess Kay is an honor, and everyone is always so excited to hear about my latest adventures. I have a wonderful county to call home. I had a variety of mentors throughout my judging process and throughout my reign. They have all helped guide me through not only my Princess Kay journey, but also my professional life. I’m always attered when I am pointed out as Princess Kay of the Milky Way in unsuspecting places, like a cow show, workplaces or even the grocery store. It means so much to me that everyone is so invested in my role.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 35
Blue Hilltop, Inc.
Preparing to give up the crown
Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@dairystar.com.
the latter catered to jittery amphibians or if frogs were the sole item on the menu. Illinois Scenic Route 3 is a delightful drive. Route 3 is a serene two-lane thoroughfare; the type of road William Least Heat-Moon wrote about in his book, “Blue Highways.”
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Having a powder room versus a bathroom or a toilet is a mark of elegance, according to my wife. Speaking of elegance, the rst thing we heard upon taking a seat was the café’s two waitresses belting out an a cappella version of “Where Oh Where Are You Tonight?”
The road snakes along the base of the limestone bluffs that form the superstructure of the Mississippi Valley. Turkey vultures with ebony wings the size of sheets of plywood circled lazily on afternoon thermals rising from the bluffs. We stopped at Chester, Illinois, hometown of Elzie Segar, creator of Popeye the Sailor Man. The town has erected a bronze statue of the spunky spinach-eater, his corncob pipe clamped rmly in his Bunyanesque jaw, within sight of the broad Mississippi. We drove past weathered tobacco barns and campgrounds with names like Devil›s Backbone and Rest In Peace. Kudzu snakes over anything that stands still, including an old silo that had been transformed into a monumental green tube. A roadside marquee supporting the local small-town team read, “Go Mud Divers!” We drove past Big Cyprus Creek Bayou, but I wasn’t able to see any of the bayou due to all of the trees and vines and the icky, brownish water. We avoid dining at fast food joints whenever possible, opting for the homey atmosphere of small-town eateries. One of our most memorable gustatorial experiences took place at the Courthouse Café in Waterloo, Illinois. My wife immediately got a good feeling about the Courthouse Café due to a sign that pointed to the restroom. The sign had an arrow on it along with quaint lettering that read, “Powder Room.”
I recognized that tune from the old “Hee Haw” television show.My instincts told me that this dining adventure would be much different than anything we might have had at a McDonald’s.Helenand Tammy, the waitresses, also seemed to be the owners of the establishment. I don’t know how else they could have gotten away with being so silly. At one point, Tammy discovered she had overlooked some minor detail. “Hold still,” ordered Helen, as she lifted Tammy’s hair and blew into her ear. “There,” Helen proclaimed. “Now you’ve got a rell.”
And that is why we like small towns. Because they are the kind of places where you can participate in random conversations that are both lighthearted and enlightening.
We listened to conversations in the café as we ate and soon felt very much at home. Helen and Tammy bantered with the regulars, one of whom was a grandmotherly lady sitting at the table next to ours. We struck up a conversation with the lady, and she told us that she has a son who looks just like Randy Travis. She pulled a photo from her purse, and we had to agree he certainly bore a strong resemblance. Helen and Tammy were the kind of waitresses who touch you on the shoulder when they ask if you want more coffee. When they called you hon, it felt honest and real. But above all, they had fun. As my wife and I paid our tab, Helen asked, “How was the food? Was it OK?” When we replied that it had been excellent, she replied, “Good. Now I don’t have to go kick the cook.”
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 By Jerry Nelson Columnist Dear County Agent Guy Melrose, MN Brockbzierden@Leedstone.comZierden—320.293.6192 Glencoe, MN Paulpbecker@Leedstone.comBecker—320.510.0200 Plainview, MN Gregggluebke@Leedstone.comLuebke—507.696.5518 Menomonie, WI) Markmjurgenson@Leedstone.comJurgenson—507.259.8047 CONTACT YOUR LEEDSTONE REP TODAY! FOR ANIMAL WELLBEING & COMFORT Rest and comfort are important factors in a cow’s stress levels & productivity. offering relief from heat stress & maximum comfort preservation & seamless padding Your Leedstone Team is Here to Help You Find the Right Products Your Barn YOUR EQUIPMENT DEALERSHIP Now Offering Leedstone.com/your-dairy-equipment-center • • Family & veterinarian owned since 1994 for the lastest news on Lely and more, with Leedstone! We BUY, SELL, TRADE used dairy equipment and milk tanks WE SPECIALIZE IN USED DAIRY EQUIPMENT. Milking machine equipment, bulk milk tanks and cooling equipment. Give us a call, we will be glad to help you with any of your milking machine or bulk tank needs. We also BUY your used equipment and milk tanks. SALVAGE HOUSE 424 Third Street, Fullerton, NE 68638 • 800-844-5427 My wife and I have discovered during our forays into big cities that we don’t especially like big cities. There’s just something about driving on a 12-lane superhighway crammed with cars – each of them striving to go faster than the rest, each of them piloted by a foolish person – that rubs us the wrong way. The St. Louis metro area has a population of about 3 million. We might have thought twice about venturing into that area some years back had we known that this gure referred to the number of cars on its roads. We’re much more at ease on quiet country byways and the hamlets that dot these roads. One such small town where we stopped was Hannibal, Missouri. Hannibal is extremely proud that it’s the boyhood home of Samuel L. Clemens, aka, Mark Twain. Numerous businesses ride on Twain›s coattails, including Pudd’nhead’s Antiques and Collectables, Becky Thatcher›s Five and Dime, and The Jumping Frog Cafe. I wondered if Small-town travels
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 13, 2022 • Page 37
VeterinaryColumnistWisdom
The best way to determine if your cooling systems are working properly is to get into the barns on a hot day and observe. Just because fans are operating, and the electric meter is spinning, does not mean that cows are being sufciently cooled. Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. com with comments or questions. 715-579-0531
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Adults - $20 ($17 Advance) Children $9 ($7 Advance) 3 & under Free Advance Tickets Sold at Heidelberger s Rock Creek Café, Rock Creek Livestock Market, Frandsen Bank & Trust -Braham & Pine City, Larry’s LP Webster WI, Voyageur Bottle Shop Pine City, MN Equipment -Isanti Are your cows cool? Are your cooling systems working properly? Designs for dairy cow cooling systems are much improved than in the past, but many cows still become hot. One reason is that cooling systems often do not perform as well in practice as expected. Most commonly this is just because the systems are not being operated or maintained correctly.Ventilation systems accomplish multiple things, removing moisture and noxious gasses, and providing airow to cool cows. Different types of ventilation systems use different methods to accomplish these goals. Negative pressure systems such as cross-ventilated or tunnel-ventilated barns create airow by exhausting air from the barn to create a vacuum inside. Understanding this concept is critical to operating cooling systems in negative pressure barns. There should always be noticeable airow almost everywhere inside at the cow level. Summer airow should be higher to provide cooling. In winter, airow is only necessary to the degree needed to exhaust noxious gasses and moisture. If airow is insufcient in summer, the problem may be either insufcient exhaust, insufcient inlet size, too much inlet size or incorrect location of inlets and/ or exhaust. For negative pressure systems to work as designed, it is critical that no other openings are available for air to enter other than the designed inlets; otherwise, air will enter at the point of least resistance, and the barn may lose the negative pressure. In these cases, there may be little or no airow. It is particularly important not to let air into the barn near the exhaust fans, because air will simply enter through the opening and then exhaust through the neighboring fans. Gasses will not be removed from the barn, and airow will be reduced, perhaps even to zero if the inlet is large enough. This means that every time someone enters the barn, they must shut the door, especially if they are opening a large garage door. This also means that if an exhaust fan is not working and it is removed so there is now a large hole in the wall, the hole needs to be closed as soon as possible. Bafes are also important in cross-ventilated barns to direct the air ow down to the cows’ level. However, bafes only keep airow low for a few feet away from the bafe, so ideally there should be bafes at least over every section of free stalls. Tunnel-ventilated barns can work with bafes, too, but bafes can get in the way of equipment, so most tunnel-ventilated barns use low ceilings to achieve air ow at the cow level.
Cool cows
Tunnel-ventilated barns can work with no ceiling and circulating fans, typically located above the free stalls, to provide airow at the cow level, but it can be difcult to achieve sufcient airow at all areas in these types of tunnel barns. Tunnel-ventilated barns sometimes may need strategically placed positive pressure inlets to draw more air into the barn, especially if the barns are veryNaturally-ventilatedlong. barns allow air to ow in naturally though open side and end walls. Air typically leaves through an open ridge or through a powerventilated open ridge. As hot air rises and exits the ridge, there is very slight negative pressure which allows outside air to enter, but the effect of even a slight breeze can be much greater than this. Fans in naturallyventilated barns are used to create air movement in cow living areas, not to move air down the barn and exhaust out the end. Fans over free stalls are meant to cool cows by providing signicant air movement in the free stalls. Thus, air movement above the stalls is of little or no value. This means fans need to be angled down to the cow level and preferable to the level of a cow lying down. It also means that the old idea of placing fans about 10-feet times the fan diameter in inches is wrong, because few fans are capable of providing sufcient airow at that distance. The best way to evaluate airow in stalls is just to get in there and feel it. Count the number and note the location of stalls ventilated by each fan. In some barns, only a few stalls below each fan have noticeable airow because fans are too far apart, are not angled downward sufciently or have migrated in position so that they blow air somewhere else rather than where the cows are. What about water? Cows do not sweat much, so they need water applied to the skin to create evaporative cooling. This includes in the holding pen. There needs to be air movement to aid in evaporating the water from the skin. Typically, at least one-half gallon of water should be applied per nozzle each time the nozzle turns on for feed line sprinklers. Nozzles plug easily, and it is very common to nd sprinkler systems with many plugged nozzles. Like fans, nozzles often get out of adjustment and shoot water somewhere other than the backs of cows. Sprinkler system settings also seem to change over time, until someone notices they are not on for a long enough period of time or do not come on frequently enough.
I’m not sure how it works at other people’s farms, but around here, I start a little project like replacing a rotted door in the milking parlor and it tends to snowball into xing everything in that area. It’s just not very efcient to get out a bunch of tools and get all set up then only repair one thing and go put everything back away in the shop. If I have the tools out and I’m set up, I might as well repair all those things that have been annoying me for a while. My wife, Emily, likes to compare my way of working to the children’s book, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” It’s an accurate description.Weneeded to repaint the walls of the pit in the parlor as the paint was aking off. It is just so much brighter with nice, new paint in there. Emily started painting the pit. Then, it turned into giving our new employee a dust mask and a grinder to prep the metal in the parlor. We’ve been repainting all the steel one section at a time. It’s hard to put paint on and get it dry between milkings in an area that’s always wet, so to keep ourselves and the cows from looking like we all got assaulted by a crew of painters, we paint what can be done in an hour so it has plenty of time to dry before the next milking. The parlor looks nice with all that shiny new paint. We better wash the milk lines and receiver jar extra well or they’ll look dirty even if they would have looked pretty good previously.
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I told Emily that it won’t take me long to replace a door in the parlor that goes to the heifer shed area behind our barn. I was wrong, like usual. What should have been simply prying off some old rotted trim boards and a door and replacing it with a nice nail on door and frame turned into a six-hour project quickly. I found the post on one side of the door was completely rotted off from the ground to 12 inches up. I had to pull some of the steel off the wall and cut the post off then jack the wall up a bit to put a new section in. That accomplished, it was time to install the door. But because they don’t make door frames sized for pole barn walls, I had to frame it in and mount it in a nontypical way if I wanted it ush with the inside wall of the parlor. I got that all done and trimmed it out with some broken and dented cedar boards we’d stashed in the hayloft leftover from house projects. It pays to save stuff like that. Now if I can just get the garage door company here to replace a broken sliding door the cows like to run into with an overhead door, the milk inspector will have no more doors to worry about because they’ll pretty much all be new.Today, we are loading up the kids’ 4-H calves and hauling them to the fair so I’ll nish this up by wishing you all the best of luck in whatever you’re being judged on whether it’s the quality of your 4-H cattle or cleanliness of your stainless steel in the milkhouse. Until next time, keep living the dream and add 50% to the expected time to complete a project when someone asks if you want to be honest. Tim Zweber farms with his wife Emily, their three children and his parents Jon and Lisa by Elko, Minnesota.
Looking at the date on our last inspection sheet in the milkhouse, it’s time for our state milk inspector to show up again and remind us of things we probably should have xed before he got here. We also got a note that we’re most likely going to be seeing the federal milk inspectors this year too. It seems I always have the intention of doing the little repairs he points out in the barn, but unless they directly affect milk quality, they never seem to make it to the top of the list until around six months later when he’s due back again to check I actually got them done. He won’t be disappointed as we’ve all been busy xing and cleaning above and beyond what he mentioned in February.
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In January of 2021 I was seeing something that I didn’t like in my cows. The cows were performing well, 80# of milk 4.20% BF 3.20% Pro but I was seeing a fair amount of corn in the manure. My HMC was drier than I like it and a bit too coarse. I had been watching the adver sements from RECAL Microbials for some me and thought I’d call them. So, I called and talked to Jamie and he didn’t push anything, he just simply told me about their products and o ered me a thirty-day free trial. But Jamie said he wanted to come to my farm and take a look at my diet, not that he wanted to change my diet, just so he knew what kind of diet we are working with, take a look at my forages, cows and manure. So, I said when can you come.
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We are in the thick of the summer crop season with all of the usual drama. My position on our farm doesn’t include any kind of a starring role for the crop decisions or management nor planting, tending and harvesting. My qualications to write about the crops and all of the details are more limited than they should be, so please excuse my ignorance. But, making good feed for the cows is really important, and I am invested in that. The measure of our crop year is the key to the quality of what the cows eat for the year. The protability of a dairy farm’s balance sheet can be linked closely to how our crops fare, the feed quality and whether everything went smoothly, or if other less desirable outcomes were more the norm for the growingThat’syear.what I’ve learned in nearly 30 years of being involved in our farm’s crop production. Like almost every year, this year has already had its high and low points in the 700 or so acres we are farming. Here’s my take on it so far. This year, the 40 acres of peas we planted on contract for a local canning company yielded well. There was no rain right before harvest, so the pea combines did not tear up the eld or get mud on the roadways as sometimes has happened because the company’s harvest schedule is carefully timed. We were told our eld was one of the best yielding elds of all they harvested this season. Some other years, our pea eld has yielded poorly. A shot of rain just a few days before harvest this July helped the peas ll their pods out well. Our pea eld is harvested just at the time when we usually need some open land for manure hauling, so we were glad when the harvest was nished and we could get started on that. We didn’t have time this year to grab some of our peas to clean and freeze. Luckily our neighbors were thoughtful enough to bring us several bags they had frozen from our eld to enjoy. Like many dairy farmers in this region, our summer revolves around the cutting schedule, bunker silo management and preparation, getting the hauling and bunker packing crew lined up, merging and chopping the haylage and then covering the bunker silo when it’s sufciently packed. Mike, Rolf, Dave and Will take the lead on all of these tasks, with our children lling in through the years, mostly on the silo prep and covering. I’m there, too, holding down the plastic during the critical times when the wind threatens to blow it away. The others do the important work. Every time the bunker is ready to go, the haylage gets chopped, hauled and packed, and then I’m there again along with whomever we can nd to cover the pile with plastic and tires. It all seems to go like clockwork for rst, second, third and fourth crops. Not this year. Not the third crop. The alfalfa was cut and merged. The hauling and packing crew were in place, and we were all set. Rolf drove our chopper to the eld across the road to start. He started the engine to chop. Something was wrong; didn’t sound right. He turned it off and lifted the engine cover to investigate. He saw a broken fan blade and, sadly, cat parts. Not good for the cat nor the chopper. No chopping happened that day. Luckily a custom chopping crew was just nishing up in the area in alfalfa elds for a large dairy’s third crop. Arrangements were made for them to start in our elds at 6 a.m. the next day. They were done by the time we had nished milking, and we were able to cover the bunker and call it a successful third crop. The fan needs replacement and whether the right blade is available is still a question mark. So, the dilemma may linger into the fourth crop but hopefully, not corn silage. The rye straw is our next task. The weather is perfect right now to merge or rake the 40 acres of straw into windrows so Randy, our friendly custom baler, can get the job done. The only problem is that this year, our cousin Peter’s rye crop had bigger windrows from other years when we harvested his rye straw. Yesterday, Mike spent a frustrating few hours of trying to get the rows turned with the rake getting plugged. In the end, the decision was to let the straw dry some more. After a few more moisture tests to check, and drier air than we’ve had lately, the straw was t to bale. As I nish up this column, I watch the atbed loaded with large straw bales going past the window where I type. The bales will be unloaded and tucked back into the commodity shed where the rain can’t get them tomorrow if it indeed does rain as Hooray;predicted.onemore crop performance taking a curtain call for 2022. Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, Minnesota, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@ gmail.com. By Jean Annexstad Columnist
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A few days later Jamie came to the farm. He did a very thorough evaluaon. He no ced that I was mixing feed for more cows than I was milking. He checked the dry ma ers on my forages and no ced that they were o a fair amount and corrected them for me. We were walking the cows and Jamie was poin ng things out in the manure. He looks at the manure very close. He no ced that there was some inconsistency from pile to pile, a fair amount of undigested ber and corn. Jamie then went on to tell me about the RECAL and the di erence between the three di erent products and how the free thirty-day trial works. At that point I decided I wanted to try the RECAL PLUS SS, what did I have to lose with the thirty-day free trial???? But Jamie told me that he wouldn’t start me on the RECAL at that me because of my dry ma ers being o . What we needed to do was give the cows a week or two and see how they adjusted to the change in dry ma er and then start the RECAL. Never do two things at once. So, we made the dry ma er adjustments and waited two weeks to start to RECAL PLUS SS. In those two weeks I gained two pounds of milk, BF dipped a li le and I was mixing for the correct number of cows and all we did was adjust the dry ma ers on the forages, but the manure didn’t change. Then we started on the RECAL PLUS SS. Within three days I was seeing a di erence in the manure, it was more consistent and creamier with less undigested ber and corn. Within seven days I saw a lot less corn and ber. Intakes stayed the same but milk was up three pounds while BF & PRO stayed the same but MUNS went to 13 and I pulled some protein out. I was seeing stronger heats too. Milk con nued to climb as me went on and was able to hold 90#-92# with 4.00% BF and 3.00%-3.20% PRO most of 2021. I had been feeding a toxin binder and yeast prior to feeding the RECAL but pulled them out a er seeing the results of the RECAL PLUS SS. I also started feeding the RECAL PLUS to my dry cows and I must say that the cows do transi on be er at freshening. They take o be er, less issues, milk be er, peak higher, hold their peak longer and breed back be er. I also started feeding the RECAL CALF POWDER to my calves and I just don’t get sick calves anymore and the calves are so much livelier. I told Jamie I wish I would have started feeding the RECAL ten years sooner. Jamie will tell you that not every farm is the same and doesn’t see the same results. But with the deal he o ers what do you have to lose??? I for one am glad I called Jamie to nd out more about the RECAL. My family and I milk about 120 cows near Sheridan, MI.
RECAL is also a probio c that produces more B-vitamins in the rumen of that cow, mainly vitamin B12. B-vitamins are well known to aide in s mula ng appe te, stress, immune system, reproduc on and also very important in rumen diges on.
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