Sign up for our Newsletter
Dairy St r Milk Break
Email maria.b@dairystar.com to sign up.
DAIRY ST R
August 28, 2021
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 23, No. 13
Euerle crowned 68th Princess Kay Litchfield woman is first from Meeker County to claim title By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota State Fair has always been special for Anna Euerle. This year, it will be even more so. “The state fair is one of my favorite events of the year, so to be here for all 12 days as Princess Kay of the Milky Way just gives me goosebumps,” said the 19-year-old. Euerle, who represents Meeker County, was crowned the 68th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Aug. 25 during a coronation at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul. Her parents, Vaughn and Joan Euerle, milk 80 cows near Litcheld, Minnesota. “It’s a dream come true,” Euerle said about the moment outgoing Princess Kay Brenna Connelly placed the crown on her head. “I have dreamed of this since I was a little girl coming to coronation. It’s really surreal.”
LAURA HINTZEN/DAIRY STAR
Anna Euerle is crowned the 68th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Aug. 25 at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Minnesota. Euerle grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Meeker County near Litcheld, Minnesota. The other two nalists named in the top three were Isabelle Lindahl, representing Chisago County, and Megan Meyer, representing Winona County.
Kelsey Erf from Washington County, Emily Leonard from Carver County and Lindahl were named scholarship winners. Katrina Thoe from Dodge County
was named Miss Congeniality. Euerle is the rst woman from Meeker County to be crowned Princess Kay. Euerle is looking forward to her reign in her new royalty role. “It means I’ll have the opportunity to impact the lives of so many people even if it’s just a small conversation about the cows I have at home,” she said. “It just really gives me the platform and ability to share my story about what it’s like to grow up on a dairy farm. I’m really excited for that.” Plus, she wants others to know about the people in the industry. “Dairy is a community,” Euerle said. “It’s more than just the dairy farmers. It’s the nutritionists, the veterinarians and everybody I call the support staff of dairy farmers.” Her parents are part of that dairy community and have watched her grow in both her love of working with the animals and sharing the life on the farm with others. “It’s so much fun to watch her,” Joan said. “She says things just right. I don’t know how she does it. I’ll ask her a question, and she’ll word it just the way you want to hear. This has always
Turn to PRINCESS KAY | Page 8
Robots or nothing Fessendens, Reiters build new facility on former dairy site By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ELGIN, Minn. – When Craig and Cathy Reiter sold their milking herd in 2011, they thought the dairy chapter of their life had ended. After a nine-year hiatus, the couple is back in the dairy business. This time with a renewed enthusiasm as they partner with their daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Sam Fessenden, milking 120 cows with two robots on their farm near Elgin. The families built a new facility with two Lely robots and a three-row barn with 110 stalls. Both robots are situated on the north side of the barn with cows entering from the east and exit-
ing straight to the west. “We liked the straight-in-aline design for cow ow purposes,” Sam said. “It also reduced the foot print of the building and helped save costs.” They sacriced a few stalls to create a larger area around the milking units. “We wanted a lot of space around our robots so timid cows would come up, and they do,” Sam said. The stalls are bedded with sand and the barn is naturally ventilated with fans and sprinklers for optimum comfort in the warmer months. Having bought cows from three farms, the Reiter and Fessendens’ herd is now milking
Turn to REITER | Page 6
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Cathy and Craig Reiter (leŌ) and their son-in-law and daughter, Sam and Brenda Fessenden, stand in the new 120-cow dairy facility they built on their farm near Elgin, Minnesota.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Krista Kuzma - Editor/Wisconsin (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com
Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
North America dealers. Dairy farmers eligible for COVID assistance
Dairy Prole brought to you by your Dairy farmers will receive $350 million in COVID-19 relief through the United States Department of Agriculture Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program. The USDA will reimburse qualied dairy farmers for 80% of the revenue difference per month based on an annual production of up to 5 million pounds of milk marketed and on uid milk sales from July through December 2020. Payment rates will vary by region. This is one of several announcements the USDA is expected to make regarding COVID-19 relief for dairy farmers. Size should not matter The National Milk Producers Federation said the government’s Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program will be helpful, but it falls short of reimbursing meaningful losses for all U.S. dairy farms. At issue are the payment limitations of 5 million pounds per producer. “We appreciate the USDA for taking the initial step, doing what they could. We’re going with Congress to get additional money to ll the loss. We want to do so in a way that doesn’t cause distortion to reimburse for losses based on size,” said Paul Bleiberg, senior vice president for government relations with NMPF. “This is a disaster situation. In the case of disasters, we don’t think there should be these kind of limitations.”
alfalfa. The change will be retroactive to January 2020. This is expected to provide additional retroactive payments of $100 million for 2020 and 2021. It is unclear when supplemental payments for the feed cost adjustment and DMC production history adjustment will be distributed.
Ag Insider
DMC payments to continue By Don Wick Class III milk futures are generally in the $17 per hunColumnist dredweight range. USDA Ag Outlook Board chairman Mark Jekanowski said that is below previous expectations. “What we’ve been observing lately is a relatively weak demand for dairy products, high stocks for cheese and butter, and that’s hanging over the markets,” Jekanowski said. Due to the price of feed, USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage program has paid dairy farmers for seven straight months. Jekanowski said that will likely continue.
Waiting for changes to DMC formula Dairy farmers in the Upper Midwest may get only Vilsack visits Minnesota limited relief from the latest pandemic relief. This new Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to Minprogram focuses more on Class I uid milk sales, and nesota in mid-July. During the two-day visit, Vilsack production in the region primarily goes to cheese. How- heard from farmers and ranchers about the drought. ever, additional assistance is possible. The USDA said it will update the DMC feed cost formula to better reect Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5 the actual costs dairy farmers will pay for high quality
HP 160 PROPUSH
®
Hydraulic Push Box Spreader
600 cu. ft. capacity
•
trailer model
FAST EFFICIENT UNLOADING NOW WITH GREATER CAPACITY!
Increased capacity of simple push-off design with no chains
3RO\ ĠRRU DQG VLGHV SURPRWH VHOI VertiSpread vertical beaters provide Increased clearance between implement cleaning and prevent material buildup and tractor for greater maneuverability wide, consistent spread pattern ®
Lindell Sales & Service Cannon Falls, MN
Fluegge’s Ag Mora, MN
Werner Implement Vermillion, MN
Pfeifer Implement Sioux Falls, SD
J. P. Scherrman, Inc. Farley, IA
Hammell Equipment &KDWŵHOG 01 Eitzen, MN
Northland Farm Systems Owatonna, MN
Anderson Bros. Edgeley, ND
Burco Sales Independence, IA
Lake Henry Implement Paynesville, MN
Duppong's, Inc. Glen Ullin, ND
Mark's Machinery Wagner, SD Yankton, SD
Minnesota Ag Group Plainview, MN
Enerbase Cooperative Minot, ND
Diaryland Supply Sauk Centre, MN
Scott Supply Mitchell, SD
Woller Equipment Swanville, MN
Grossenburg Implement Philip, SD Winner, SD
Adkins Equipment Detroit Lakes, MN Isaacson Sales & Service Lafayette, MN Blue Hilltop Lake Wilson, MN Schlauderaff Implement /LWFKŵHOG 01
INVEST IN QUALITY www.kuhn.com
Roeder Bros. Bellevue, IA Maquoketa, IA Kunau Implement DeWitt, IA Bodensteiner Implement Elkader, IA
Visit your local KUHN livestock dealer today! ®
Kromminga Motors Monticello, IA Vinton, IA Kunau Implement Preston, IA Engel Agri-Sales Sac City, IA Dee Implement of Waukon Waukon, IA INVEST IN QUALITY ® www.kuhn.com
KuhnNorthAmerica.com KuhnNorthAmeric
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 2, 8 First Section
Tripp Bennett
Todd
Gregory
Charles Mix
McCook Minnehaha
Hutchinson
Turner
Clay
Jackson
ln
co
Lin
Lyon
Osceola
Sioux
O’Brien
Plymouth
ro he
Un
Bon Yankton Homme
Nobles
Woodbury
Lester
Dairy Profile: Rodney Metzger
n inso Emmet
Dick
Clay
Po
n
lh Ca
Crawford Carroll
Au d
Worth
ldt
Mitchell Howard
k hic
C
Guthrie
Dallas
all
Story
Polk
h ars
Fayette
Black Hawk
Tama
an
Benton
Mills nt
mo
Zone 1
Fre
Mo
Page
Taylor
Union old
gg
Rin
Clarke
e war Dubuque
Jones
Jackson Clinton
M
Jasper
Iowa
Lucas
Decatur Wayne
Monroe Wapello e
oos
pan
Ap
Davis
on Cedar
on ers
f
Jef
Van Buren
Scott
s
hn
Jo
Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk
Adair
ry ome Adams ntg
First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7
Dela
Linn
Wa
Pottawattamie Cass
Fessendens, Reiters build new facility on former dairy site
Clayton
an
ch
Bu
Elgin
Houston
Bremer
Wright Franklin Butler
Boone
aw
as
Floyd
Webster Hamilton Hardin Grundy
Greene
Winona
Fillimore
Mower
Hancock Cerro Gordo
bo
m Hu
ou
Sac
Harrison Shelby
Kossuth
s
ta
on
h ca
ago
neb
Win
Palo Alto
e Buena Vista
Ida
Monona
First Section: Page 39
Martin
ke
C
Faribault
Freeborn
e
Douglas
ns
Ha
Rock
iek
Mellette
on
Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted
Murray
ake
Brule
Aurora
Moody
Goodhue
Rice
sh
Lyman
Lake
Nicollet Brown
ne
Shannon
Miner
Redwood
am
Jackson
Sanborn
Da vi so n
Custer
Jones
Jerauld
Lyon
All
Buffalo
Pennington
Brookings
Dakota
Scott
Sibley
in
Kingsbury
n
Beadle
Hughes
Haakon
Carver
Muscatine
ton
Hand
Hennepin McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine
io
Hyde
Deuel
Hamlin
Wright
Meeker
ing
Clark
Sully Stanley
Anoka Kandiyohi
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Spink
Isanti
W
Faulk
Potter Ziebach
Lawrence
Sherburne
Swift Grant
Dewey
Meade
Stearns
Pope
Big Stone
Day
sh
Brown
First Section: Page 10
iek
Edmunds
Benton
Stevens
sh
Walworth
Roberts
Marshall
go
McPherson
Pine
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Douglas
Flom walks cow down Main Street during Dennison Days
Carlton
Todd Grant
Dennison
Aitkin Crow Wing
isa Ch
Campbell
Otter Tail
Lincoln
Corson
Sargent
First Section: Page 37 Cass
Washington
McIntosh
Sioux
The “Mielke” Market Perkins Weekly
Richland Dickey
Christensen retires after 50 years of sculpting
Lake
Po
Emmons
St. Paul
Cook
Itasca
Becker
Clay
Pipestone
Grant
St. Louis
we
Cass
Ransom
LaMoure
Logan
Adams
Butte
Bames
Tra ver se
Hettinger
Page 33 First Section
Stutsman
en
nom
Mah
Wilkin
Kidder
Morton
Third Section: Pages 8 - 9
Kanabec
Norman Oliver
Pages 8 - 9 Second Section
Fall River
Polk
Trail
Steele
ms ey
Griggs
Ra
Foster
eu r
Sheridan
Burleigh
Harding
Red Lake
Hubbard
Wells
Third Section: Page 7
Kids Corner: The Roerick Family
Koochiching
Pennington
Eddy
McLean
Page 32 FirstDunn Section Mercer Stark Good Dairy Life
Bowman
Beltrami
Benson Grand Forks
Burtrum
Dairy’s Working Youth: Matthew Middendorf
Lake of the Woods
Marshall Nelson
Sauk Centre
Roseau
Wadena
Just Thinking Out Loud
Kittson
Walsh
Ramsey
McHenry
Ward
Billings
Slope
Pembina
Pierce
Mountrail
Golden Valley
Cavalier
Towner
on
Rolette
Page 31 First Section
Williams
McKenzie
Bottineau
First Section: Pages 12 - 13
ub
Renville
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
Goellers rely on MDI team for strategic improvement
Clearwater
Something to Ruminate Burke On
Divide
Sebeka
Gruenes couple expands dairy business with Twin Spruce Farm North
First Section: Page 36
Page 30 First Section
Perham
Su
Women in Dairy: Ashley Hoheisel
Le
Pipestone
Dear County Agent Guy
Louisa
Henry Des
Moines
Lee
Fillmore
Mulhern Dairy changes up corn, alfalfa forage mix First Section: Pages 18, 20
Des Moines
Zone 2
Burken wins Iowa Dairy Princess title as Iowa State Fair begins Second Section: Pages 3 - 4
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
What impacts has the heat had on your herd this year? First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Hull, IA Watertown, SD
Rochester
Dyersville
Third Section: Pages 3- 4
First Section: Pages 9 - 11
Borsts create event to welcome consumers to the farm
Iowa dairy farmer attends Field of Dreams baseball game
(712) 439-2081 (605) 753-0300
www.automatedwastesystems.com
Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
The TORENNA Advantage ®
- Cow Comfort Without the Hang Ups!
Build Your Farm Team Today!
MDI is available to help existing and potential dairy producers succeed through team-based on-farm education, resources, and networking. Your Team Can Assist With…
BeneÞts: • Provides maximum comfort and safety • Encourages increased resting periods • Possible higher milk production per cow • Flexibility to easily rise and settle • Reduced kicking - less bedding is kicked out of the stall • Prevents painful cow injuries
• Estate planning/farm transfer • Milk production/quality • Calf & heifer performance/growth • Feed management/nutrition • Reproduction • Herd health • Financials • Grant opportunities • Farm/family communication • Expansion/facility improvements • Forage production • Transitioning to Organic
Floating Neck Rail Bracket
“The MDI program has been essential to the growth and development of our dairy farm over the years. The team meetings, resources and ideas we get from agriculture professionals help us to ensure that we’re making the right choices for our farm!” -Dairy Producer, McLeod County
The Minnesota Dairy Initiative Program is available to all dairy producers regardless of size or production and is custom fit to the farm’s needs.
To enroll, please contact Leah Bischof at 320-429-0611 or leahbischof@gmail.com or visit www.mn-dairy-initiative.org.
S. S.
IMPULSE Vented Mouth Piece Liners
ONE SHOT
Get your cows’ teat ends in TOP CONDITION!
TEAT END ISSUES? BEFORE Exfoliation
AFTER
Exfoliation
• Dual Germicide: Primary: Chlorine Dioxide promotes a quick kill. Secondary: LAS promotes a long-lasting kill. • Effective against ALL Mastitis-Causing Organisms • Contains Lactic Acid to promote Teat Exfoliation • Teat skin conditioning – 12.4% skin conditioning package • Green coloring for easy identification Advanced Dairy Systems
1 of 3 cows in the US are milked with IMPULSE AIR Liners - 3 out of 3 Cows PREFER IMPULSE AIR Liners!
High Performance Single-Cycle CIP Acid Detergent
BENEFITS
Reduces equipment wear & $ • replacement costs. • Reduces water, energy and
chemical use.
• Decreases cleaning time. • Increases production capability.
Compare and Save!
LET OUR TEAM DO A COMPLETE WASH ANALYSIS
INTRODUCING THE
New!
IMPULSE 400 CLAW BIGGER CAPACITY! BIGGER OUTLET Ask us about our Farm Services EXCHANGE Programs…
Liner, Claw, Pulsator and Activity Exchanges. Economical ways to keep your equipment updated and running optimally!
FOR MORE INFO - CONTACT ONE OF THESE DEALERS...
9 State Rd. 29 • Spring Valley, WI 54767 (715) 772-3201 East Central Dairy Supply Athman Dairy Inc. 913 W. Main St. • Mondovi, WI 54755 2195 Hwy. 23 • Mora, MN 55051 238 Main Street North • Pierz, MN 56364 (715) 926-5777 (320) 679-1029 (320) 468-2494 967 West Ave. N • West Salem, WI 54669 Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems (608) 633-6690 Bob’s Dairy Supply 105 3rd Ave. NW • Epworth, IA 52045 540 E. County Rd. A • Dorchester, WI 54425 Advanced Dairy Solutions (563) 876-3087 (715) 654-5252 278 W. Court St. • Richland Center, WI 53581 Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. (608) 647-4488 Professional Dairy Systems 423 U.S. 61 • Lancaster, WI 53813 (608) 723-4634 Anderson Dairy Systems, Inc. 1449 Homecrest Ave. • Wadena, MN 56482 (218) 632-5416 1312 13 1/2 Ave. • Barron, WI 54812 (715) 537-3300
Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment 1400- 7th St. SE • Pipestone, MN 56164 (507) 825-3271
Tri-County Dairy Supply, Inc.
4107 N US HWY 51 • Janesville. WI 53545 608-757-2697
Precision Dairy Equipment 24548 IA-13 • Elkader, IA 52043 (563) 245-2560
Lang’s Dairy Equipment, Inc.
2337 Millennium Rd. • Decorah, IA 52101 (563) 382-8722 1467 West 5th Street • Winona, MN 55987 (507) 452-5532
Leedstone
222 E Co Rd 173, Melrose, MN 56352 (320) 256-3303 24260 Cty. Rd. 27 • Plainview, MN 55964 (507) 534-3161
Leedstone
1720 Freitag Dr. • Menomonie, WI 54751 (715) 231-8090
United Dairy Systems
210 N. Industrial Pkwy • West Union, IA 52175 (563) 422-5355
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 5
ConƟnued from INSIDER | Page 2 “Farmers and ranchers need as much assistance and exibility as possible, whether it’s the Livestock Forage Program, haying Conservation Reserve Program acres or hauling water,” Vilsack said. “This is likely something we’ll have to confront on a more frequent basis, making sure our support programs can do what they can to provide assistance.” Sooner rather than later American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall would like farmers and ranchers to get drought related help quickly. “I know the federal government is going to help. Let’s not make it two years down the road after farmers have to sell their cattle. It’s not just the drought, it’s the availability of forage, whether you can even nd it,” Duvall said.
TRUST THE EXPERTS At Famo Feeds, we strive to provide the best support for your operation and work to accommodate your specific needs.
Kind will not run in 2022 Wisconsin’s longest serving current member of Congress, Rep. Ron Kind, is not seeking reelection. The Cook Political Report House editor David Wasserman said Kind’s decision is a setback for the Democrats as they try to keep their majority in the House. “He’s one of just seven Democrats remaining from a district Donald Trump carried in 2020 and had proven appeal in rural western Wisconsin,” Wasserman said.
From calf to cow and everything in between!
SNAP benets increase USDA has increased SNAP benets by $36.24 per person, per month. USDA said this plan should help food stamp recipients have greater access to healthy foods. In a statement, International Dairy Foods Association president and CEO Michael Dykes praised these changes. In addition, Dykes said IDFA fully supports the expansion of the government’s Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive program.
FEED THEM FAMO!
US, EU compromise on dairy imports USDA has come to terms with the European Union and its new import requirements for U.S. dairy products. Europe’s new animal health monitoring requirements conict with international trade standards. The U.S. Dairy Export Council praised USDA’s action to prevent further trade disruptions. South Dakota sees dramatic jump in milk production In the 24 major dairy states, more than 18 billion pounds of milk was produced in July. That is up more than 2% from July 2020. South Dakota added 21,000 dairy cows to the state herd and increased milk production by 17%. Minnesota milk output rose 4.2%. Fewer bankruptcies In a new American Farm Bureau Federation Market Intel report, there was a 24% year-over-year decline in bankruptcy lings. AFBF said higher commodity prices and well-timed government payments has farm bankruptcy lings at the lowest level since 2015. Idaho dairy co-op expands Idaho-based High Desert Milk is investing $50 million in the expansion of its Burley, Idaho, plant. Butter production will increase from 45 million pounds to 85 million pounds per year. A new 70% milk protein concentrate is also being added. Hagerty passes Former Minnesota state veterinarian Dr. Tom Hagerty passed away Aug. 14. The Waseca, Minnesota-native was 85 years old. Hagerty practiced large and small animal health in St. Michael, Minnesota, for 25 years. Hagerty was the executive director of the Minnesota State Board of Animal Heath from 1984 until he retired as state veterinarian in 2001. He then served as the lead Minnesota State Fair veterinarian for 15 years.
• Milk Replacers • Starter Feeds • Protein Concentrates • Premixes • Minerals • Animal Health Products • Lick Tubs
320-836-2145 or 800-450-2145
Check out our newly redesigned website to ½nd a Famo Feeds dealer near you!
www.famofeeds.com
MAXIMUM MIXING EFFICIENCY
Trivia challenge Scott Bentley manages World Dairy Expo. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what is the theme for this year’s World Dairy Expo? 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.
KUHN Knight VT 200 Series twin-auger Vertical Maxx® mixers
Les Kuehl Tell the advertisers you saw their ad in the Dairy Star!
Repair Service
30+ Years Experience
YOUR CENTRAL MINNESOTA GOLIATH REPAIR SERVICE! • Sealed silo parts & service • All parts needed to service your • Best chains on the market Goliath Unloaders • Used and rebuilt unloaders Not afÀliated with the Harvestore brand • Stainless steel roofs • Stainless steel conveyor chains Call for early maintenance specials
Blue Hilltop, Inc.
320-760-2909
Eve. 320-762-1827 No Emergency Charges--Ever!
are ideal for small to medium dairy and beef producers looking to put a quality ration in front of their animals. The VT 200 Series features multiple improvements that will provide enhanced performance and longer, more reliable service. These improvements include updated front conveyors, better door-to-floor sealing, heavier high-wear auger flighting and EZ-mate scale system. The VT 200 Series mixers range in capacity from 320 – 760 ft3, and are available in trailer and truck configurations. Multiple configurations, single- or 2-speed drive options, along with multiple discharge options, allow machines to be tailored to every feeding operation’s needs.
507-879-3593 – 800-821-7092
tfn
Box Box 116, 116, Lake Lake Wilson, Wilson, MN MN 56151 56151 –– www.bluehilltop.com www.bluehilltop.com
Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
ConƟnued from REITER | Page 1
Willmar, MN • 320.231.1470
EXPANDING OR REMODELING YOUR LIVESTOCK OPERATION? LANGE AG SYSTEMS SPECIALIZES IN:
Ŷ NEW FACILITIES
_
NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL
Ŷ RETROFITTING & REMODELING Ŷ TURNKEY PROJECTS Ŷ BARN DESIGN Ŷ INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS
ƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ tĞ KīĞƌ͗ ͻ sĞŶƟůĂƟŽŶ &ĂŶƐ ͻ sĞŶƟůĂƟŽŶ ŽŶƚƌŽůƐ ͻ WŽƐŝƟǀĞ WƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ dƵďĞƐ ͻ ƵƌƚĂŝŶ ^LJƐƚĞŵƐ ͻ DĂƩƌĞƐƐĞƐ ͻ tĂƚĞƌĞƌƐ ͻ ^ƚĂůů ƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ ͻ ,ĞĂĚůŽĐŬƐ ͻ DŝƐƟŶŐ ^LJƐƚĞŵƐ
Lange Ag Systems is proud to offer Grain Bags, Silage Bags & Bunker Covers from Up North Plastics and Feed Fresh Silage Covers & Custom Size Bunker Covers from Raven!
t ^ >> E t Θ h^ 'ͳ ' Θ < >>z Zz E '' Z^
www.LangeAgSystems.com “JETCRETE”
(pnuematically applied concrete)
www.panningbrothers.com
Used Parts • Replacement Parts
FREE NATIONWIDE PARTS LOCATING We Buy Salvage Tractors 25060 651 Ave., Gibbon, MN Toll Free: 1-800-635-0993
• Reline your silo w/Jetcrete • Basement and Barnwall Resurfacing w/Jetcrete • Repair Concrete Storage Vats, Bunker Silos, Buildings, etc., w/Jetcrete
800-866-7327
T H E P E R F E C T F O O T B AT H
STARTS HERE.
Suggested for use with HEALMAX®,
DURAHOOF or Ultra 2n1 products IMPROVE IMPROVE FOOTBATH ACCURACY AND REDUCE COSTS AND FOOTBATH ACCURACY
The AgroChem Footbath Dosing System delivers the results you’re looking for in a high-quality footbath program. EASY
System can be programmed to run automatically, just set it and forget it!
SAVES MONEY
Drastically cuts costs with continuous p replenish feature.
ACCURATE
Fills bath with the correct amount of water and footbath concentrate every time.
SAFE
Reduces employee interaction with chemicals.
CONSISTENT
Automation ensures that footbaths are filled on a routine schedule.
(518) 226-4850 • agrocheminc.com Stratford, WI • Tulare, CA • Amarillo, TX • Saratoga Springs, NY
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
A cow is milked by one of the two robots in the facility the Reiters and Fessendens started using in September 2020. about 87 pounds of milk per day on an average of three milkings. Fresh cows and high producers are visiting the milking units up to six times per day. “I liked when we had steers, but it is a lot of fun to have the dairy back,” Brenda said about her home farm. Brenda and Sam, who met while at graduate school at the University of Minnesota, are the ones who brought up the idea of milking cows. Both had completed their education – Brenda with a master’s in animal science and Sam with a doctorate in dairy nutrition – and were working out-of-state for companies in the industry; however, they each felt a pull to have their own dairy. “I probably wouldn’t have sought out dairying on my own, but a farm is the best place to raise kids, and in life you have to do what you like,” said Sam, who grew up on a dairy farm in central New York. When the two couples rst talked about the possibility of starting the milking pump again, Craig and Cathy were raising steers and crop farming. Craig jokingly asked, “Are you nuts?” However, Craig and Cathy knew they wanted to help the next generation get started in the dairy business. “There’s money in milking cows if you manage it right and do it right,” he said. “They helped with the bull calves for two years before we started milking again so we knew we worked well together. They did a good job and knew cattle so we gured, what is the downside?” All four individuals were clear on their milking facility preference. “It was robots or nothing for both families,” Brenda said. “We wanted to do it this way or not at all.” Not having to dedicate set hours of the day for milking allows them to have exibility in their lifestyles. For Craig
and Cathy, they did not want to go back to the twice-a-day milking schedule they had in their earlier dairying days while in their tiestall facility. And they wanted the next generation to have exibility, too. “They have (a 1-year-old daughter) Hannah so they like to eat at 6:30-7 p.m.,” Craig said. “So they’re done and gone before that, and I can be done if I wanted to be too.” Plus, it allows for focus on other areas of the farm outside of milking. “When everything is running well and I’m putting in minimal time of actually doing chores in the robot barn, there’s more time to do other projects or pay a little more attention to calves or another area,” Sam said. Brenda agreed. “When Sam and Dad are doing eldwork, I can come in and do robot chores and it’s easy,” Brenda said. “If we had a parlor, we wouldn’t be able to shift our people around. We would have to stop more projects to come in to the barn and milk.” Along with exibility, the families wanted reliable labor. “If we wanted a break, then we would have to have milkers and help,” Craig said. “We hear from people with parlors a lot that they can’t nd help. The robots might break down but other than that they’re here 24/7. Any smaller amount of trouble we’ve had with them in the rst year is minimal compared to trying to keep milkers here at this size.” The Fessendens and Reiters took time to research what they wanted in their new facility, and toured about 10 other robotic dairies before completing their own in September 2020. For the rst week, about 20 family members and friends helped get cows through the ro-
Turn to REITER | Page 7
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 7
ConƟnued from REITER | Page 6 bots in three scheduled shifts. In their opinion, the startup was not as bad as a few of the stories other farmers shared with them. “I got more sleep in that rst week than I thought I would,” Sam said. Craig was happy robots were attaching milking units and not him. “When you bring in a new heifer (to be milked), she’s stomping on an arm out there and it’s not my arm,” he said about one benet of having robots. After three days, a large number of cows were coming into the robots on their own. At three weeks, their fetch list was less than 15% of the herd. “That’s when I felt like the cows were content, and we got KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR into a routine where we could Sam Fessenden points out informaƟon on one of their dairy’s robots as Craig Reiter looks on at get extra things done outside of their 120-cow dairy near Elgin, Minnesota. the barn,” Sam said. At three months, all cows tion started increasing. the day-to-day on-farm chores bookwork. Sam is also the nuhad calved in and milk producSam and Craig take care of while Cathy takes care of the tritionist for their farm and still does nutrition and technical consulting work in the industry. Brenda continues working off the farm for a dairy company, but does chores when needed. “It’s been really exciting and a little scary,” Brenda said about becoming a dairy farmer. “This is where I grew up so I was a kid on this farm. The pressure is different because I’m an adult here making decisions. It’s been good but a big shift.” Over the past year, the Fessendens and Reiters have KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR all leaned on each other’s Stalls are bedded with sand bedding in the Fessendens and Reiters’ new three-row facility at strengths. Cathy has been training with Brenda for bookwork, their dairy near Elgin, Minnesota.
and Craig has shared his cow knowledge and mechanical expertise. “Most things on the robots we are able to x ourselves,” Sam said. “That helps a lot in keeping cost to a minimal level. It’s just been learning how they work, and Craig is a good mechanic so he helps think through what the system has to do.” Both Brenda and Sam have led the team with their technology knowledge. “I’m not a big computer guy but Sam made a protocol for me to follow,” Craig said. “It didn’t take me too long to gure it out. I know enough to be dangerous.” Sam and Brenda had seen many robotic milking units while in college and working their jobs. Several of their dairy farming friends have also installed automated milking systems. “We have technology knowledge and the willingness to learn,” Sam said. They also work closely with a farm business management instructor. In the future, the families hope to use the exibility to allow each couple to take a day off each week. They will also continue improving their herd and work on the project list of converting spaces t for steers back to dairy cows – something Craig and Cathy thought they would not see on their farm. “It’s been fun and exciting,” Craig said. “I’ve always liked cows and always had cattle around so it’s been a good thing.”
The prebiotic and probiotic technology your cows need to support healthy rumen function. Say hello to Dairyman’s Edge. >ÐăĴìř īķĉÐĊ åķĊÆĴðďĊ ðĮ ŒðĴă Ĵď ðĉĨīďŒÐ ĊķĴīðÐĊĴ ÅĮďīĨĴðďĊ ĊÌ åÐÐÌ ÐŨÆðÐĊÆř ðĊ řďķī ìÐīÌȘ ĊÌ åďī over 35 years, the Dairyman’s Edge® line has helped support dairy cow health, feed digestibility and milk ĨīďÌķÆĴðďĊȘ >ÐăĨ řďķī ìÐīÌ ťĊÌ ðĴĮ ÐÌæÐ Ĵď ĉŘðĉðšÐ ĴìÐ īÐĴķīĊ ďĊ řďķī ðĊŒÐĮĴĉÐĊĴĮȘ Visit DairymansEdgeBoost.com to see how much you can boost your bottom line with Dairyman’s Edge.
WHERE THERE’S A SHIELD, THERE’S A WAY. ©2021 Papillon. Dairyman’s Edge is a registered trademark and Papillon and its logo are trademarks of Papillon Agricultural Company.
Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
ConƟnued from PRINCESS KAY | Page 1 been her dream, so just seeing your child fulll their dream and passion brings tears to our eyes.” Vaughn agreed. “I knew she was going to do it,” he said. Along with her parents, Euerle has had three older siblings who have supported her, including sister, Melissa, who was a Princess Kay nalist 17 years ago. Like her sister, Euerle had her head carved in butter by sculptor Linda Christensen, who will make Euerle the last butterhead she will sculpt at the Minnesota State Fair before
handing the duties over to Gerry Kulzer. “I’m honored to be her last,” Euerle said. Along with the excitement of interviews at the state fair, Euerle is also looking forward to her year-long reign to talk to consumers, and have genuine conversations about dairy farms and the products produced there. “I’m really excited to get to connect with people on the dairy farm – doing breakfast on the farms, events on the farms,” Euerle said. “That feels like home to me even if it’s not my
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Anna Euerle is pictured with her parents, Vaugh and Joan, aŌer Euerle was crowned the 68th Princess Kay of the Milky Way Aug. 25 during a coronaƟon at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Euerles milk 80 cows on their dairy near Litcheld, Minnesota.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
RelaƟves and friends of Emily Leonard – (from leŌ) Clara Leonard, ChrisƟne Leonard, Brielle Leonard, Lizzy Manseld, Laura Davis, Mikayla Peper and Suzanna Viay – show support for the Princess Kay nalist Aug. 25 at the coronaƟon in St. Paul, Minnesota.
EXCELERATOR® XT 8010
home farm. So, to do that and connect over cows is cool.” The Ridgewater College student is used to talking about a variety of dairy farm types. This summer, she worked with three farms – her family’s 80cow dairy, the 30-cow dairy from which she leases her animals and a 600-cow farm where she had an internship. “I’ve done a little bit of everything but I think my favorite thing is taking care of the
calves,” Euerle said. “I really nd a lot of pride in helping the calves get off to the best start of their lives.” While farm life is comfortable for Euerle, so is being in front of a crowd. Since her elementary school days, Euerle was involved in theater, and has gained opportunities through 4-H and FFA. Last year, she served as a state FFA ofcer. All those roles along with many mentors and teachers have help
her reach this point, Euerle said. “This is the culmination of everything I’ve been working towards,” she said. “I’ve held leadership role after leadership role, and there’s nothing truly quite like Princess Kay of the Milky Way. So to be able to be in that position and be able to impact the lives of so many on and off the farm is such a unique experience I’m excited to embark on.”
Vertical Tillage
11’6’’ - 40’3’’ working width
Heavy Duty Poly Hay feeder
Adjustable gang angle: provides more aggressive tillage
IN STOCK
Goat and Sheep Feeders
Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply
6053 CTY. HWY. G • STANLEY, WI 54768 • Andrew Zimmerman
B
R
N FL O O R A
24/7® soil conditioning reel: ğQLVKHV WKH VHHGEHG
60240 US HWY 12, Litchfield, MN 55355
INVEST IN QUALITY www.kuhn.com
®
CAJuly16-1-B-WS
AND Monday- Friday: 7:30am - 5:30pm 8 Saturday: 7:30am - 12:00pm www.schlauderaffimplement.com • (320) 693-7277
Tarter Gates IN STOCK
715-644-2350 715-644-
Ask about the CCX 9000 Cover Crop Seeder for your Excelerator XT 8010! Available for 11’ to 34’ models.
Mid-mounted HD tines: redistribute residue, level seedbed & reduce clods
Cattle Master Series 3 Squeeze Chute
HD Hay Saver
XTEND YOUR VERTICAL TILLAGE
Excalibur ® VT blades: capture and slice tough residue
Fence Line Feeders
G
RO
G N OVI
Appleton, WI
608-225-3595 Servicing Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinios and Upper Michigan! Grooving America’s dairies since 1992! www.Pa www.PandDBarnFloorGrooving.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 9
They built it, so Gaul went Iowa dairy farmer, son attend Field of Dreams baseball game By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
DYERSVILLE, Iowa – The famous quote, “If you build it, they will come,” from the movie “Field of Dreams” became reality Aug. 12. Major League Baseball built a stadium on the Dyersville farm where the 1989 movie was lmed, and hosted a game between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. Pete Gaul, a dairy farmer near Petersburg, was able to attend the game with his 18-yearold son, Owen. “Seeing the players come out of the corn eld at the start of the game was really cool,” said Gaul, who lives about 15 miles away from the newly-built facility. “It was really cool literally playing out in the corn eld.” The stadium was built around the premise of the movie. The main character, Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, is a crop farmer who continues to hear a voice telling him, “If you build it, they will come.” So, Kinsella plows under his corn and creates a baseball eld on his Iowa farm. After it is built, the spirits of legendary baseball players arrive for a game on the ball diamond by walking through the corn sur-
rounding it. The players for the Aug. 12 game recreated that vision. The Gaul family has always liked baseball, with the kids playing in little league and watching MLB games on TV here and there whenever they had downtime from chores. “I would describe myself as a casual fan,” Gaul said. “I’m not a die-hard fan of any one team, but I like to watch a game.” Owen applied for the lottery used to purchase tickets for the game. “I didn’t even know he applied,” Gaul said. “But then he got an email that he was selected for a chance to buy tickets. He went online and got a pair. It was a surprise he asked me. I thought maybe he would ask one of his friends so I was really happy to go with him.” Leading up to the game, the community was buzzing with excitement, Gaul said. The day of the game, Gaul handed over milking the 75-cow herd and farm chore responsibilities to his wife, Kim, and another son, Ryan. “A big thank you to them to allow me to be able to go,” Gaul said. Especially because this was only the second MLB game Gaul had ever attended. The rst
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Pete Gaul (right) and his son, Owen, stand in the corn surrounding the Field of Dreams stadium near Dyersville, Iowa. The duo aƩended the Major League Baseball game at the iconic site Aug. 12. was as a kid when his parents took him to a Minnesota Twins game. While Gaul admits he has
DHIA: Now MORE than ever
never seen the movie in its entirety, he knows the plot of the lm. “It’s still a big deal to me,”
Gaul said about MLB creating an experience to replicate the movie. “It was still a really cool experience.” Because of trafc, it took the duo over an hour to drive 3 miles from the town of Dyersville to the farm where the stadium is located. They parked in a hay eld across the road and walked to the original ball eld created for the movie. “Owen and I brought along a ball and gloves, and played catch on the Field of Dreams before the game,” Gaul said. “That was a cool experience just to say we did it.” Then they went through a corn maze next to the stadium. “The farmer in me was looking at the corn thinking, ‘Wow, those are big ears and that’s tall corn,’” he said. He felt right at home in the eld of forages, which was not the case for others who traveled to the game. “People came from a long way to come to this game,” Gaul said. “I talked to a family of four that was there from Phoenix. They couldn’t believe how close I lived.” Then the father and son walked the path through the corn to get to the stadium and their seats on the third baseline in the 47th row out of 48. “We were quite a ways Turn to FIELD OF DREAMS | Page 11
“Big decrease in freestall injuries”
CONCERNED ABOUT NITRATE TOXICITY TOXICITY?? Nitrate testing is only $12 per sample. We charge an additional $5 per sample to prep whole plant samples.
Call us at the lab in Sauk Centre today to get your FREE sample bags and pre-paid mailing envelopes.
763-231-6768 825 12th Street South PO Box 227 Sauk Centre, MN 56378-0227 www.mndhia.org
Ross Leix
Montfort ,WI Installed Fall 2020
“We replaced our old worn-out steel freestall loops with the Torrena stalls and noticed a big decrease in freestall injuries. The Torrena stalls were also easy to install. We really like them and plan to add more in our barn!”
Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
Wood
Shavings BULK
OR
BAG
S&S Wood Products
35335 Green Street | Independence, WI 54747
800-234-5893 | 715-985-3122
The star of the parade Flom walks cow down Main Street during Dennison Days By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
Concrete
Silos “Thank you for sponsoring my trophy. This is my ²rst time winning a trophy. I really appreciate it. It meant a lot to me.” - Emily Isherwood
With over 40 years experience, Wisconsin Silos is the most complete builder of concrete silos in the United States. From pouring the footing, to fixing the accessories, unloaders, feeders, conveyors, silo pipes, silo distributors & silo chutes.
WE DO IT ALL!
3700 Post Rd., Plover, WI
1-800-472-9202 • 715-570-0069 • wisilos@gmail.com www.wisconsinsilos.com
Hoof trimming since 2003 WE OFFER COMPLIMENTARY:
UDDER SINGEING X TAIL TRIMMING Keep your cows cleaner, healthier & save time!
MILLING FOR THIN SOLE PREVENTION Help keep your cows safe.
We install concrete grooves that go with the direction of your cows traffic.
MINI GROOVER Grooves concrete that has been already grooved.
Concrete Barn Floor Grooving Repairs
We offer various repairs to existing concrete. Not all dairy barn floors are the same, therefore there are different ways that can be used to provide the best results and the least wear on the cows’ hooves.
320-200-1221
Drink Milk
Avon, MN Covering MN, SD, IA, & WI
Graduate of the Dairyland Hoof Care Institute
Visit us at www.justinaddy.com
Proud member of
DENNISON, Minn. – Nearly 20 years ago after David Flom bought a registered Holstein cow named, Fancy, he took her down to the local bar to show his friends. “She was a nicelooking cow and scored Excellent,” Flom said. “I had paid quite a bit of money for her and wanted to show her off.” After showing her off to his friends, Flom thought more people needed to see and appreciate Fancy. He decided to walk her through the parade during the town festival, Dennison Days. From there, an annual tradition began. Every year since then – aside from last year when the event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic – Flom has walked a cow from his 29-cow herd during the Dennison Days parade down Main Street of Dennison, a town with a population of 202. About 12 years ago, Flom also added a cow milking contest. “It’s my thing,” David said. “I like nice cows, and I like showing them off.” This year, Flom brought his cow Minnie to town for the annual event. The fourth lactation Jersey is used to the excitement of the event and being around a large group of people. “She’s my Dennison cow,” Flom said. “This is the third year I’ve used her there. She has gotten used to doing it. She doesn’t lift a foot so she’s nice and tame and will let anyone touch her. It works really good.” On Aug. 7, the day of the event, Flom and his girlfriend, Mary Sue Clemenson, prepared Minnie for the big day. Clemenson washed Minnie, brushed her down and put a show shine oil on her before loading her on the trailer for the ride to town. This year, the couple also brought a 4-dayold bull calf for people to see and pet. “I got down there before David and as soon as he turned the corner with the trailer, all I could hear was, ‘The cow is here. Here comes the cow,’” Clemenson said. “A lot of the crowd came over and stood there waiting
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Mary Sue Clemenson and David Flom walk down Main Street with Flom’s cow, Minnie, Aug. 7 during the Dennison Days parade in Dennison, Minnesota for David to open the door.” The milking contest is done before the parade, so each year, Flom sets up two gates where he ties the cow. In 2019, the Goodhue County Sheriffs competed for the champion cow hand milker title. They were going to compete again this year but were called to an emergency at last minute. Flom had the Goodhue County Dairy Princesses and a few neighbors compete instead. After the contest, Flom and Clemenson invite anyone to try their hand at milking a cow the old-fashioned way. “It’s amazing how some people have never touched a cow before so when they go down to touch a teat, they barely touch it,” Flom said.
Clemenson had free milk, cheese and cookies available for people to eat while watching the cow milking. After cow milking, the parade starts. “The cow is the main part of the whole parade,” Clemenson said. “The announcer made it really fun this year. He said, ‘Only in a small farm town community would you see a dairy cow walk down the main street and be the star of the show.’” This year, Clemenson threw Cow Tales candy to the crowd while walking alongside Flom and Minnie. “I just like walking through because it’s something different for the people,” Flom said. “The rst years I did it, it’s amazing the number of people who came
PHOTO SUBMITTED
David Flom helps a Dennison Days aƩendee milk his cow, Minnie, aŌer the hand milking contest Aug. 7 in Dennison, Minnesota.
up and asked to pet the cow.” While most entries circle the one-block-long parade route twice, Flom only makes it around once. “By the time we had gone around, people came wanting to pet the cow and take a picture,” Clemenson said. “It can be an hour or two before we make it back to the trailer. But that’s what it’s all about. That’s what the day is. It’s just so much fun to see how people get so excited. People love Minnie.” Minnie is the third cow from Flom’s herd to be designated as the Dennison cow. “Fancy got used to being carted around, but she didn’t last too long,” Flom said of his rst cow to be the star of the event. “I couldn’t get her bred back. She only lasted me three years.” After Fancy could no longer perform the Dennison Days duty, a Holstein named Linda took over. “It was fun doing it with her because she was a three-quartered cow,” Flom said. “If I wanted to have fun with people while they tried milking her, I would say, ‘Pull on that back teat awhile. Nobody has milked on that one.’ They couldn’t get nothing out and would say, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with that one.’” When Linda became too old for the job, Flom promoted Minnie. “Then I got Jerseys in my herd,” he said. “They are so easy to work with.” Overall, Flom and Clemenson like to show off a small part of their dairy life. “It’s just fun to show the cows off to people who have never touched a cow,” Flom said.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 11
ConƟnued from FIELD OF DREAMS | Page 9
VERTICAL MIXERS
Mobile and stationary models
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees players walk through the corn and onto the eld during the Field of Dreams baseball game Aug. 12 near Dyersville, Iowa. away, but it was still a good seat,” Gaul said. “I don’t think there was a bad seat in the place. We could still see very well from where we were at.” The majority of the fans in attendance, including their section, was White Sox fans. “That rubbed off on me so I found myself pulling for the White Sox a bit,” he said. “The Yankees have been so successful over their history. You kind of root for the underdog I guess.” They cheered all the way to the end when Chicago hit a walk-off home run to nish the game 9-8. “Just the fact that it was a dramatic nish of the game made it that much more memorable,” Gaul said.
Now that Gaul has experienced a game at the Field of Dreams, he said he was going to sit down and watch the movie along with watching the game, which he recorded, again from the comfort of his home. “For the most part, for one night I was thinking about baseball rather than farming,” Gaul said. For other spectators, he hopes they thought about a little bit of both. “People probably got a chance to see how scenic, pretty and peaceful it is out here away from the big city,” Gaul said. “I guess my hope is that maybe some people realized that and appreciate that – the simple beauty of things out in the country.”
You want it your way... Have it your way
It’s not a mixer; it’s a professional blender of quality feed ingredients.
Competitive Pricing
Available Single Phase motors or up to 75HP tri-phase motors
VALMETAL will customize your mixer. Pick any size from 215 cu. ft. to 1300 cu. ft., then start adding options. Automatic 2 speed transmissions, magnets, different scale UNIQUE DESIGN configurations, HD augers, stainless steel REQUIRES LESS liners. Buy Valmetal - your cows demand it. HORSEPOWER!
FEEDING & MANURE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
ON FARM
SERVICE
BRUBACKER
Curtiss Edgar
Ag Equipment, LLC
Bagley
CURTISS 715-613-7308 EDGAR 715-352-2011 BAGLEY 715-937-5190
LOYAL FARM EQUIPMENT “I feel our calf program has been highlighted as one of the best in the country BECAUSE of our Agri-Plastics hutches! We raise a healthier calf that thrives in both individual and group hutches.”
.HOOL &XOO %XGMRQ )DUPV
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Field of Dreams game aƩendees walk through the corn to access the newlybuilt stadium for a game at the iconic movie site near Dyersville, Iowa.
“I feel good my investment will last a long time. I particularly like the bedding doors on the back of the group hutches.”
What is on your checklist for roasted soybeans? Energy Protein Amino acids Bypass protein
SERVICE Easy accessibility Quick loading times Quality and consistency
Raise healthier calves in heavier, better ventilated calf hutches! Call or visit us online today to learn more!
CHECK US OUT THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ROASTED SOYBEANS.
KLC Farms Roasting, Inc.
Preferred By Bovines Everywhere
1-877-738-2326 Visit www.roastedbeans.com
Quality
Consistency
P.O. Box 40 Loyal, WI 54446
FREE 9 -Page Printed Catalog
1-800-472-2341
E-mail: info@loyal-roth.com Website: www.loyal-roth.com
Rugged Equipment ... Priced Right ... Since 1956! Rug
Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
Offering integral insight
Goellers rely on MDI team for strategic improvement By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
SEBEKA, Minn. – After a decade in the business and two farm sites later, the Goellers are certain of one constant that has been an integral part in their dairying career. “To be successful, you have to surround yourself with successful people, and we’ve picked those who can help us meet our goals,” Kyle Goeller said. “Our team keeps us motivated and accountable.” Those successful people are a part of the Goeller family’s Minnesota Dairy Initiative team; a group of individuals who all play different roles on the couple’s 165-cow dairy in Otter Tail County near Sebeka. “We rst started with MDI when they helped my uncle and us transition the farm,” said Stephanie, Kyle’s wife. “We saw the benets of meeting with everybody so we could all stay on the same page.” In the past 11 years, those individuals have since changed with the Goellers relocating their dairy farm from the southwest corner of the state and
developing a team to their liking, but the areas of expertise remain the same. The couple’s team includes their banker, nutritionist, farm business management instructor, veterinarian, an extension specialist and MDI coordinator. The couple engages with their banker almost weekly and then meets with the rest of the team as a whole every couple months. “Keeping our banker in the loop helps them understand our operation,” Kyle said. “When we have all of our heads working together, there’s reassurance from the other teammates.” Stephanie agreed. “As individuals, we might each have our own tunnel vision of how things should get done or what steps we should take,” she said. “But when we’re together, we feed off each other to make the best decisions for our farm.” With every decision, whether adjusting a ration or incorporating a new breeding strategy, purchasing equipment or making renovations to the housing facilities, the
JENNIFER COYNE /DAIRY STAR
The Goellers – (from leŌ) Kyle, holding Brady, and Stephanie, holding Alaina, milk 165 cows on their dairy farm in OƩer Tail County near Sebeka, Minnesota. The family has relied on their Minnesota Dairy IniƟaƟve team to make strategic decisions for their farm business. Not pictured is the Goellers’ oldest son, Zachary. Goellers and their team follow the same protocol in coming to the right action to take for the farm. It all begins with an idea. Kyle and Stephanie develop strategies they believe will
Maximize Your Harvest Nutrition
help contribute to their goals as dairy farmers. After vetting the ideas through themselves and possibly a small network of other farmers, the Goellers approach their banker and the rest of the MDI team.
ALEXANDRIA
2016 Bobcat S550
Call today for your custom bunker plan designed to fit your needs and budget!
x Manure Storage x Feed bunks x Grain Storage x Water Tanks x Cattle Guards x Foot Baths
1-800-325-8456 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
Visit us on the web: www.wieserconcrete.com
2020 Kubota LX Series LX3310HSDC
104 Hours, 2 Speed, Cab, Heat, ISO Controls, Bucket, Block Heater, Great Tires, Very Clean $
VERSATILE MOVABLE, RELIABLE VERSATILE, PRECAST BUNKER SILO WALLS!
Also Available:
Turn to GOELLERS | Page 13
QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT
ALEXANDRIA
5 Heights to choose from: 6’ to 16’
“Before we come to the table, we have to do our homework on what we’d like to do, why and how we’re going to pay for it,” Kyle said.
24 Hours, Cab, Heat, Radio, A/C, 4WD, 60” Mower Deck, Quick Attach Loader, Turf Tires, 3 Point Hitch, 540 Rear PTO, exc. cond.
37,900
$
38,900
ALEXANDRIA
2012 Case SV250
1,768 Hours, bkt, cab, heat, A/C, radio, air seat, 2 spd, block heater, weight kit, good tires, ISO Controls, Clean Machine $
29,900
ALEXANDRIA
2016 Kubota SSV75
1,455 Hours, Cab, Heat, A/C, 2 Speed, air seat, aux. hyd. $
32,900
ALEXANDRIA
2018 Kubota U35-4
102 Hours, Bucket, Cab, Heat, A/C, Radio Ready, Rubber Tracks $
49,900
(218)-297-0991
www.qualityforklift.com
www.qualityequipmentmn.com
(952)-895-9918
(507) 338-7080
(320) 763-4994
www.alexpowerequipment.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 13
Con�nued from GOELLERS | Page 12
JENNIFER COYNE /DAIRY STAR
Stephanie Goeller explains how breeding is more efficient using headlocks the couple recently installed on their farm near Sebeka, Minnesota. The Minnesota Dairy Ini�a�ve team helped the Goellers nd three grants to help cover the cost of purchasing the headlocks. Stephanie agreed. “When we’re all together as a group, we can get a feel if they’re leery about the idea,” she said. “We can tell if they think we shouldn’t make the jump and wait, or do it now before something changes in the industry.” The Goellers appreciate the insight their team provides, knowing a lack of support for an idea does not mean a lack of support for the end goal. “Our banker has told us many times that no doesn’t mean no forever,” Kyle said. “A no just gets us thinking of other ways we can get to our destination.” Stephanie agreed. “In some cases, we might just have to do more looking,” she said. “We enjoy doing that and learning. Usually, we’re able to see the good and the bad and incorporate what we need.” For example, the Goellers could not get traditional nancing for a straw shed as their banker could not nance the building at a lower interest rate, so the couple looked to the Farm Service Agency to provide funding. “I always give our banker the rst chance, even if there’s a better deal elsewhere,” Kyle said. “That’s just the relationship we have.” In addition to the farm transition at the start of the Goellers’ career, the MDI team has also assisted with the purchase of their current farm site in 2017, and completely gutting and renovating the 80-cow tiestall barn, locking in feed costs, as well as purchasing on-farm equipment such as fans for the pack barn and, mostly recently, a set of headlocks for the breeding-age heifers. The team helped Kyle and Stephanie nd three grants that helped cover the cost of headlocks, resulting in the
couple paying a slim $2,000 out of pocket. Stephanie oversees the farm’s breeding program, which has seen an increase in embryo transfer and incorporating a synchronization schedule. “The headlocks make it a one-person job,” Stephanie said. When projects are complete, the family enjoys showing their MDI team the results. “It’s fun to show them what all came together,” Stephanie said. “We have a really good team to work with.” The Goellers are currently working through plans to build a manure lagoon. “We’re moving in the right direction and that’s a big deal,” Kyle said. Other discussions the team is having are how can the farm internally improve genetics; what are the concerns and options over feed availability this fall; and when will be the right moment to purchase more land. “Those are all conversations we’re having or will be having down the road,” Kyle said. “The key to tackling those are working with the best people. As individuals, we don’t know everything, but as a group, we can piece it together.” The Goellers are an opportunistic couple who have great plans for themselves and their young children – Zachary, 6, Brady, 2, and Alaina, 7 months – in the dairy industry. With the assistance of an MDI team, they are able to achieve goals and make new ones. “What we’re doing today is never going to be enough for what we need tomorrow,” Kyle said. “It’s good to have these relationships with people who can see our vision and help us get after it.”
Agron. Petro. Feed Feed: 320-468-6655 Toll Free: 877-468-6655 Agron./Petro: 320-468-2509 Toll Free: 877-438-3378
712-722-3626
SERVICE AFTER THE SALE
SAWDUST FOR LIVESTOCK BEDDING Green or Dried • Consistent Quality • Year Round Supply
Dried & Screened through our triple bypass dryer system for low dust content. Our sawdust was tested at the University of Minnesota for Udder Health and has been found to be very clean with “incredibly low” bacterial counts.
Sold by Semi loads or pick up in yard. JENNIFER COYNE /DAIRY STAR
Kyle and Stephanie Goeller talk about their plans for the future of their farm near Sebeka, Minnesota. The Goellers began dairy farming 11 years ago and have used Minnesota Dairy Ini�a�ve as a sounding board for business decisions.
L & M Custom Drying A & C Sawdust 1-866-854-7196 Email: Management@acsawdust.com www.acsawdust.com
Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
NEW OR USED, WE HAVE IT FOR YOU! OPTIONAL SILAGE EXTENSIONS
SAVE TIME & MONEY!
SUPERCART
YOUR #1 DEALER! Can be used for haylage too! RESERVE YOURS TODAY!
BEDDING CHOPPER
CONVEYORS
VS420 Vermeer vertical mixers are built to enhance feeding routines for producers looking to optimize ration costs and help reduce feed waste. These mixers create a consistent and thorough ration with a variety of feedstuffs due to a proven mixer tub and screw design. Available in a range of capacities, these vertical mixers can handle a wide assortment of feedstuffs.
MANURE ALLEY SCRAPERS
HYDRA-SPREAD
Manufactured by
Penta 4430
Sizes Range From 285-550 Bu.
Available In Sizes From 350 Cu. Ft. To 1,660 Cu Ft.
‘20 Schuler 5020
2018 Rotomix CFB32
2013 Penta 1120HD
Kuhn Knight 8141
$35,500
$99,900
$44,900
$36,500
500 Cu. Ft., #2136
1,520 Cu. Ft., #2145
1300 Cu. Ft., #2049
2019 Nuhn MOD-0737 2018 Kuhn Knight RA142 2013 New Holland 195 12” Discharge, 58’ Long
• Universal skid steer mount • Tube steel construction • 5’-10’ widths available • Replacement tires, back drags ad parts available
Patz 360
2018 Supreme Intl. 700T
$15,900
$57,900
649 Cu. Ft., #2115
4,064 Gal., # 1926
360 Cu. Ft., #20102
Kuhn Knight 1150
Chandler 22CLPT
2015 Supreme Intl. 800T
$17,000
$16,900
$53,500
420 Cu. Ft., #2166
444 Cu. Ft., #2139
2015 Penta 1120HD
Kuhn Knight SLC141
Patz 1200 Series 615
2013 Penta 6720HD
2014 Penta 8020HD
2007 Penta 1120HD
$43,900
$48,900
$28,900
$39,900
$49,900
$35,900
#2178
$43,900
1300 Cu. Ft., #2017
$30,900
4,100 Gal., #2096
$17,500
690 Cu. Ft., # 20123
500 Bushel, #2069
750 Cu. Ft., #2151
22’, #2162
900 Cu. Ft., #1981
750 Cu. Ft., #2129
1300 Cu. Ft., # 1946
Knight 3450
390 Cu. Ft., #20112
$10,900
2019 Nuhn 0168
8’ - 12’ Extendable Vert. #2086 -
$25,900
2012 Richlger R950MX 2014 Supreme Intl. 900T 9’ Crimper & Bagger, #2011 -
$35,900
841 Cu. Ft., #2120
$54,900
ou
ion .
ar g
Minnesota’s L If y
h
ing Dealer nd l Ha
ng and Ma eedi nu F t re s e
l
ut
so wwave a a e w.d barn, we hav y.com airylandsuppl
2003 NEW IDEA 3739
Highline CFR650
2010 Penta 6720HD
$12,900
$12,500
$43,900
390 Bu., #2103
tub grinder, #2075
670 Cu. Ft., # 2125
Meyers M425
400 Cu. Ft. Cap., #2110
$16,000
SAUK CENTRE, OFF I-94 ON THE CORNER OF HWY. 28 & 71 SOUTH SAU
From Our Side Of The Fence Daryl and Brett Barfnecht Barfnecht Farm LLC Mayer, Minnesota • Carver County 480 cows Describe the facilities you have for all dairy animals on your farm. We have two freestall barns for lactating cows, one is a 50 by 150 and the other is 110 by 280. A monoslope barn is for youngstock and dry cows. What impacts has the heat had on your herd this year? We have been fortunate. We have taken a few days down on milk, but they have come right back up. Breeding has been pretty good too.
Dairy y Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 15
Dairy farmers: What do you do for heat abatement? Chanse Buddenberg Decorah, Iowa Winneshiek County 320 cows
put in a lot of fans to keep air moving. What are heat abatement strategies you are exploring to implement on your farm in the future? We are putting in sprinklers in the big barn and holding area for these really hot and calm days. The sprinklers will cool the cows off in a different way, and then the fans will dry the cows them off.
What was the hottest summer during your dairying career, and how did it affect your herd and your management on heat abatement? It seems like this is one of the hottest sumWhat do you do for heat abatement? We replaced mers. Our production was down some. a couple 48-inch fans with 52-inch fans for better air ow and are in the process of putting in sprinklers. Tell us about your farm. We are a family farm But, unfortunately, they are not getting in in time for with dairy cows and crops. It’s my family with my this summer. two boys, Brett and Tyler. My wife, Michelle, makes meals and does bookwork. I have one brother, Doug, In your dairy career, what has been the best man- and my mom, Betty, still helps some too. We farm agement practice you have incorporated on your 3,000 acres of corn soybeans and alfalfa. Cows are farm to help animals with heat stress? We have milked in a double-10 at parlor.
Mark Fedders Doon, Iowa • Sioux County 230 cows
some of the heat stress and have made our cows a lot more comfortable during the hot summer months.
Describe the facilities you have for all dairy animals on your farm. Our milking herd is housed in freestall barns that are bedded with sand. Our dry cows are kept in a pasture during the growing season. Our replacement heifers are kept on a bedded pack.
What are heat abatement strategies you are exploring to implement on your farm in the future? It would be nice if we could convert our cow barns to tunnel ventilation.
What was the hottest summer during your dairying career, and how did it What impacts has the heat had on affect your herd and your manageyour herd this year? We have lost ment on heat abatement? The summer some milk production and have seen fewer animals of 2012 was one of the hottest summers I can rein heat. Our somatic cell count has also gone up. member. That was the year we decided to add stir fans and install our sprinkler system. What do you do for heat abatement? We use exhaust fans to ventilate our barns, and stir fans and Tell us about your farm. My wife, Teresa, and I sprinklers to help cool the cows. We also use a feed have four children, Emily, 17, Abby, 15, Ashley, 13, additive to help the cows cope with heat stress. and Logan, 11. This dairy operation was started 50 years ago, in 1971, by my parents, Robert and DonIn your dairy career, what has been the best man- na. My parents help around the farm. We dairy farm, agement practice you have incorporated on your feed some hogs and fatten our Holstein steers. We farm to help animals with heat stress? Installing also raise our replacement animals. Our farm has rethe stir fans and our sprinkler system have been ceived some timely rains this summer, and the corn, the best heat management tools we have added to soybeans and alfalfa we raise are all looking good. our dairy farm. Those two items have helped abate Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
Describe the facilities you have for all dairy animals on your farm. Calves are in individual stalls in the calf barn and some huts. Heifers are in open-front buildings and dry lots. All cows are in free stalls. Dry cows have deep-bedded sand, and transition cows are on mattresses with sand on top in our newest barn. The old barn has mattresses with ground rice or oat hull bedding. What impacts has the heat had on your herd this year? Impacts from heat have been fairly minimal this year. With the surplus of heifers, if older cows show signs of stress, we can choose to cull them before they get really bad; we have culled around a half-dozen this year for that reason. There are days milk production is down when the heat sticks around through the night, but rolling herd average has not gone down. What do you do for heat abatement? We rely mainly on fans. All freestall barns here have fans over the stalls. Two barns have fans over the feed row, one does not. Our transition barn is open on all four sides and stays much cooler than the other two that are more closed off to air ow. There are also fans in the holding pen. In your dairy career, what has been the best management practice you have incorporated on your farm to help animals with heat stress? The open ends on the transition barn and fans over the feed row have made a big difference in that building. It seems to me that once an animal shows signs she struggles in oppressive weather, she will have problems in the future. Our best way to manage cow problems has been to try to keep calves as healthy as possible to prevent lung damage that shows up down the line. What are heat abatement strategies you are exploring to implement on your farm in the future? We will be installing ridge fans on the freestall barns to pull hot air out the top; this should help keep things more regulated in the winter as well. We have also considered installing sprinklers in the holding pen. What was the hottest summer during your dairying career, and how did it affect your herd and your management on heat abatement? I have never been good at remembering specic conditions year to year. I know when it gets hot for extended periods of time, we discuss adding sprinklers to the feed rows but have not convinced ourselves that won’t cause more problems than it solves with limited manure storage and ground hull bedding. Tell us about your farm. The farm is owned by my parents, Bruce and Julie Buddenberg. I manage most things on the livestock side while my father handles more of the crop side. My youngest sister has taken the role of the main calf person. We are milking 270 cows three times a day in a double-9 parallel parlor with a 31,800 rolling herd average.
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 accurately blend anything from a custom pre-mix to complete feed, VSHFL¿F WR \RXU IDUP¶V QHHGV 2XU H[SHULHQFHG VWDႇ DUH UHDG\ WR GHOLYHU WKH KLJKHVW TXDOLW\ IHHG DW DQ HFRQRPLFDO SULFH DVVLVW in balancing diets, or work with your private nutritionist or dairy consultant.
Feeding your animals like they’re our own Contact Star Blends at:
800-462-4125 or StarBlends.com
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Corey Hoffman Chateld, Minnesota • Olmsted County 500 cows
away (pun intended). What are heat abatement strategies you are exploring to implement on your farm in the future? We are planning on building a heifer shed and will be exploring options with ventilation and cooling for that. Currently, we wouldn’t change anything in our main freestall barn.
Describe the facilities you have for all dairy animals on your farm. Adult cows are housed in one main freestall barn. Heifers are scattered all over in buildings and pastures.
What was the hottest summer during your dairying career, and how did it affect your herd and your management on heat abatement? This summer has been one of the hottest and most humid in quite a while. I remember in the past when we had hot spells and the cows would drop 20 to 30 pounds What do you do for heat abatement? We have VES fans over the in milk. We are better prepared now. stalls and sprinklers over the headlocks. Tell us about your farm. North Creek Dairy has been in the In your dairy career, what has been the best management Hoffman family since 1903. The fth generation is being raised practice you have incorporated on your farm to help animals here. We milk three times a day and raise our heifers. We are exwith heat stress? We are huge fans of the VES fans. Seth and Erin cited about our fans, and we also installed an activity system last Anderson from Ettrick, Wisconsin, were the rst people to intro- month and have high hopes for that. We work with a great team of duce us to them, and the rst time we saw them we were blown people and are excited about our possibilities for the future. What impacts has the heat had on your herd this year? Cows have milked well. Reproduction and hoof health have been awesome. We have had an outbreak of Klebsiella, and that has been our biggest challenge this year.
Travis Bly Bly Dairy Farm Waubun, Minnesota Mahnomen County 295 cows Describe the facilities you have for all dairy animals on your farm. Cows are housed in a 5-row freestall barn with drive-thru feeding and curtain sides. We milk in a swing-over double-14 PBI rapid exit parlor. Calves and heifers are in curtain barns. What impacts has the heat had on your herd this year? Production held up well through the heat, but we had a little more health problems. We aren’t sure if these extra problems were heat related. What do you do for heat abatement? We have 11 52-inch fans hanging vertically over the cows near the feed bunk. We soak the cows’ backs with water as they leave the parlor. The cows tolerated the heat well. The lower humidity during this summer helped a lot. In your dairy career, what has been the best management practice you have incorporated on your farm to help animals with heat stress? The big fans. What are heat abatement strategies you are exploring to implement on your farm in the future? We wonder if bigger fans would be compatible with other fans. What was the hottest summer during your dairying career, and how did it affect your herd and your management on heat abatement? This year’s the hottest, but there were years with higher humidity which were more difcult. Tell us about your farm. We have been here since 1975, starting with 32 cows. We grow our forages and buy concentrates. We sell bull calves at 1 week of age and raise all heifers. We have been breeding for the A2 gene and believe it is the future. The farm owners consist of Les and Cindy, son Travis and Travis’ son, Will.
Tom Dwyer West Bend, Wisconsin • Washington County 95 cows
What are heat abatement strategies you are exploring to implement on your farm in the future? We do not have any plans at this time for implementing any other heat abatement strategies on our farm in the near future.
Describe the facilities you have for all dairy animals on your farm. Our facilities include a 102-stall freestall barn for milking cows, a recently constructed calf barn, and a new 60-by-140 heifer barn.
What was the hottest summer during your dairying career, and how did it affect your herd and your management on heat abatement? The memory of 1988 lingers with us, along with 2012. A loss of milk production prompted us to make changes.
What impacts has the heat had on your herd this year? The heat has had minimal effect on our animals this year.
Tell us about your farm. Our farm has been in the What do you do for heat abatement? We have addfamily since 1869. My wife, Mary, and I purchased ed large wall fans and fans over the stalls to crossthe farm from her parents. Mary has been involved ventilate our older freestall barn and also added more waterers. Our at the farm since graduating from high school. We are focused on calf and heifer barns have curtains front and back that are always neatness, our cows and growing quality feed. Mary and our daughopen in warm weather to provide airow unless we have storms. ter, Shannon, share most of the responsibility for cows. I work a job off the farm in addition to being at the farm to do maintenance, In your dairy career, what has been the best management eld work, feeding, etc. We run 280 acres of alfalfa, corn, winter practice you have incorporated on your farm to help animals wheat and soybeans. We grow and harvest most of our own feed. with heat stress? Adding cross-ventilation fans for our milk cows We are fortunate to have family and friends to help at key times. was the best thing we did. This resulted in little change in milk production during hot spells. Wayne Giese Edgar, Wisconsin • Marathon County 55 Cows
ence. We also opened up the north end of the barn to get more air movement through the barn. What are heat abatement strategies you are exploring to implement on your farm in the future? We have started looking into putting air conditioning in the barn but do not feel like we have enough information about how it will affect the cows seeing as we let the cows out at night. We are concerned the temperature change every 12 hours might cause respiratory problems. We have also considered looking into a swamp cooler and/or adding more fans above the cows. We will be tunnel ventilating the heifer shed before next summer.
Describe the facilities you have for all dairy animals on your farm. Young calves are housed in individual crates with positive ventilation tubes above them. The rest of the heifers are housed in one shed. The heifers from weaning up to 1 year old are in pens with a pack. After that, they move into a freestall setup until they are two weeks from calving. Most of the cows (milking and dry) are housed in a tunnel ventilated tiestall barn. A select few cows are housed in individual pens. What impacts has the heat had on your herd this year? Milk production went down during the really hot periods this year, and we’re still not sure if we will get it all back yet. Conception rates haven’t really been affected because when it gets hot out, we usually switch to putting more embryos in both cows and heifers versus breeding them. We’ll go back to doing more breeding in late September.
What was the hottest summer during your dairying career, and how did it affect your herd and your management on heat abatement? This summer was probably the hottest summer we can remember. Not only was it hot but it was also very humid much of the summer. It really made us aware that we need to do more to keep the herd comfortable.
Tell us about your farm. Sam-Way Dairy is owned by my wife, What do you do for heat abatement? We run a couple more fans Samantha and I, along with our son, Justin, who is 15. We have 55 in front of the cows throughout the summer. On those hot and hu- cows and usually have around 75 heifers on our farm. We focus mid days, we spray the cows down a couple times per day. mainly on high-type genetics, and do a large amount of ushing and in vitro fertilization each year. We also crop 208 acres, all of In your dairy career, what has been the best management which we own. We do not hire any help although my dad, Russ, practice you have incorporated on your farm to help animals helps us put the crops in. with heat stress? Tunnel ventilating the barn made a big differ-
We BUY, SELL, TRADE used dairy equipment and milk tanks
Blue Hilltop, Inc.
WE SPECIALIZE IN USED DAIRY EQUIPMENT.
Your Mixer, Spreader, Hay Processor Headquarters
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
We carry:
+ 16.00 R20 Michelin XZL $300 + We stock military HD wheels + 14.00 R20 Goodyear AT/2 $325 + 40 + sizes of Aircraft tires + Great quality tires with 75% + tread in stock
Farm Landings LLC
Dell Rapids, SD 57022 • (605) 838-5362 sales@farmlandingsllc.com
www.rotomix.com LLC
Dana Berreau
507-879-3593 / 800-821-7092 Box 116, Lake Wilson, MN 56151
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 17
$
$
$
$
for your chance to win a $100 Gift CertiÄcate or Farm Systems Apparel! $
Scheduled Service Cooling
Parlors
Automation
Jamesway
Delpro
FAN
Robotics/VMS
Rotary
DeLaval VMS™ V300 A SYSTEM APPROACH
Three Locations to Serve You!
Now is the time to look at your complete operation and set up a scheduled preventative care and repair.
Not only do you get peace of mind knowing that your equipment will be ready to work when you need it, but you also get an extra set of eyes monitoring your equipment looking to maximize eѝciencies. With programs for all your manure & milking equipment, we have something to oќer everybody.
Call to schedule your service.
• Contributes to Improved Farm Profitability • Contributes to More Milk per Labor Hour • Contributes to Healthier Cows • Contributes to Highest Milk Quality
NOW H IRING!
Service Technician & Service Technician II WILLING TO TRAIN! BeneÄts include: Medical, Dental & 401K Match
“I like the customer service, product lines, and product eτciency of Farm Systems. “They’re close and someone always answers their phone no matter what time of day it is. I chose Farm Systems because they sell the V300 and they worked with me to make sure I was happy with the design and didn’t push me into something I wasn’t sure would work. Also, my past business experience with them was always good. The technology has enabled me to learn things I never thought I would. I know more about the cows now than I ever did before, even though I am spending less time with them. I am extremely satisðed and it has made my life a lot more ñexible and easier. It has allowed BRIAN WEYER my dad to slow down and has saved us countless hours of labor. I would recommend Farm Systems to anyone that is interested in DeLaval products, because the robot is doing exactly what they said it would do.”
Swinging Cow Brush & Mini Swinging Brush MSB
Designed to improve cow health, comfort and welfare – and delivers even more!
Find this cow!
16 of 24
$
$
$
for your chance to win a $ 100 Gift CertiÄcate or Farm Systems Apparel!
**One entry per customer** • Winner will be notiÄed Cow must be identical to cow on this form (size may vary).
Q. On which product is the cow located?
A.
Name: Phone: Address:
Drop oɈ/mail/email your entries to: 58 Interstate Drive N.W. Melrose, MN 56352 or hand oќ to your service tech melrose.farmsystems1@gmail.com
DAIRY ST R
Let us know you saw our ad in the Dairy Star! Proudly serving you from Brookings, SD; St. Peter, MN; and Melrose, MN. 58 Interstate Drive N.W., Melrose, MN 56352 | 800-636-5581
Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
Harvesting Quality Forages
Mulhern Dairy changes up corn, alfalfa forage mix
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Cory Mulhern (back row, leŌ) stands with his children – (from leŌ) Miles Tweten, Brynn Tweten, Riley Mulhern and Emma Mulhern – in one of the freestall barns at Mulhern Dairy, where the Mulherns milk 960 cows near Fountain, Minnesota.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Cory Mulhern inspects a eld of grasses on his 960cow dairy near Fountain, Minnesota.
Mulhern Dairy Cory Mulhern, pictured with his children, Riley Mulhern, 19, Emma Mulhern, 16, Brynn Tweten, 12, and Miles Tweten, 14 Fountain, Minnesota Fillmore County 960 cows Describe your farm and facilities. We have two farm sites. Our original site has a double-14 parallel parlor and the newer site has a double-6 herringbone parlor. Both sites have freestall barns with sand bedding.
What forages do you harvest? We have 550 acres of corn we chop for silage. Then we have 70 acres of alfalfa, 130 acres of alfalfa interseeded with Italian rye grass, 100 acres of forage sorghum, 100 acres of winter tritcale and 100 acres of winter rye. We have 180 acres of Yield Max, a summer cocktail mix consisting of BMR sorghum/Sudangrass, Italian rye grass, medium red clover, Berseem clover and hairy vetch; along with 80 acres of Dairy Max, which is the same mix as Yield Max without the sorghum/Sudangrass. Yield Max is double cropped with winter rye Turn to MULHERN | Page 20
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 19
THE NO COMPROMISE FABRIC STRUCTURE DAIRY, MACHINERY & HAY STORAGE
Commercial Agri Buildings
WE ALSO SELL REPLACEMENTTARPS!
Single and Truss Arch available from 20’-120’ wide Flo-Coat® Galvanized Steel Tubing Supplied by Allied Tube & Conduit Heaviest gauge steel in the industry Pre-engineered truss buildings
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
LANGE CONSTRUCTION & CONCRETE Duke Lange • Swanville, MN • 320-290-0859
LAKESIDE HOOP STRUCTURES, LLC
Eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin • Harris, MN • 651-248-6302 • Craig Moline ASK US ABOUT GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR HAY STORAGE
“... udders spot-on, all the way ready, fast.” — Joe Engel
LUCK-E HOLSTEINS, The Engel Family, HAMPSHIRE, IL Milking 185 Holsteins, Bred over 400 EX, RHA 25,464M 4.5F 1151 3.3P 829, SCC 160,000 2020 State Show Premier Breeder and Exhibitor, including winners in the group of recently fresh 2-year-old King Doc daughters (above). Two are VG88 full sisters to Luck-E Dr Antidote RC EX90 54H902 “Udder Comfort™ does an awesome job softening udders and is gentle to skin. Results set it apart from everything else. For silky udders that are ready fast, we use Udder Comfort on every fresh cow 2x/day for a week after calving. We also apply it prefresh for first-calf heifers, and get it between the leg and the udder to prevent irritation,” says Joe Engel, Luck-E Holsteins, Hampshire, Ill. The Engels have bred over 400 EX cows, including impact cows Asia, Atlanta, Kandie-Red, and a string of impact sires, including Red and Polled. Joe and Matt and parents Dennis and Beth milk 185 Holsteins. They focus on balanced cows from consistent families, wide from muzzle to pins, efficient and long-lasting in a freestall setup where good udders and high components rule.
“We like to be proactive. It’s good for cows and milk quality. Since Udder Comfort came out, it’s the only one we use. We want fresh, crisp, perfect udders by 10 days to 3 weeks fresh. Over and over, Udder Comfort delivers. It gets udders spot-on, all the way ready, fast.” https://wp.me/pb1wH7-e6
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk
Maximum Results Minimal Cost To locate a distributor 1.888.773.7153 uddercomfort.com For external application to the udder only, after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
ConƟnued from MULHERN | Page 18 and forage sorghum is double cropped with winter triticale.
are chopped in one day so we cover piles in the same day. It helps with quality. The chopping crew knows this is standard procedure so we all work hard to get through the day efciently.
How many acres of crops do you raise? We raise about 1,400 acres. Describe the rations for your livestock. For our milking cows, we feed a ration of corn silage, dry corn, a custom mix and winter triticale or an alfalfa blend, and Dairy Max or Yield Max, depending on the season and what is available. We feed the dry cows corn silage, wheat straw and winter rye. The heifers are fed winter rye and corn silage. Forage sorghum replaces the winter rye after we harvest it. What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? For alfalfa, we usually get 6 tons of dry matter at 22% protein with 160 relative feed quality. For the Yield Max, we get about 4.5 tons of dry matter with 15% protein and 170 RFQ on the rst and second cutting, and 18% protein with 180-190 RFQ and 10 undigested Neutral Detergent Fiber for the second and third cutting. For Dairy Max, we get about 4.5 tons of dry matter with 18% protein and 190 RFQ. Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. We have our own custom harvest business so we harvest on a regular basis. It consists of a mix of family and hired employees doing
What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? All our forages are stored in piles. The piles sit for about one month before we start feeding them. Our main feeder defaces the piles and keeps them clean with minimal waste. Cows are fed once a day.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Riley Mulhern holds a handful of the total mixed raƟon that is fed to the milking cows at Mulhern Dairy near Fountain, Minnesota. the job. The chopping job can range from eight to 16 guys depending on the need. We will do what we need to get everything cut and chopped in a timely manner. If we need two 230-foot mowers, we will hire them. If we need two mergers to get the job done, we will get
them. We always make sure to have plenty of weight on the pile when packing. We also use CHR Hansen inoculant and spray the top with another inoculant called SiloSolve OS before covering the pile with a vaper barrier followed by plastic. All hay-type forages
Rock Valley Hay Auction Co.
Your source for dairy quality hay! For more info and to view hay for sale go to:
www.rockvalleyhay.com
OfÀce: 712-476-5541
Cell: 712-470-1274 • Fax: 712-476-9937 Rock Valley, IA • Paul Mc Gill, Owner
Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. We know how important timing and competing with Mother Nature is when putting up a quality forage, so we have had to buy bigger equipment in order to get everything done more quickly. About four years ago, we starting spraying the second inoculant on the pile along with adding a vaper barrier as a second cover. It has signicantly reduced our waste at the pile and is the reason for far less spoilage. How does quality forages play a part in the production goals for your herd? Better quality forages keep us at the production level we want. Currently, our cows milk 90 pounds of milk per day with 4.3% butterfat and 3.2% protein. Having better forages also
Ag Bags Bunker Covers Forage Inoculant Twine Net Wrap in stock!
means having fewer byproducts to purchase, and a higher forage diet reduces the need to buy forages off the farm. Both of these things help reduce costs. What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that have made a notable difference in forage quality? Two years ago, we switched from using an alfalfa and corn rotation to the current forages. We were trying to make all acres available for manure every year and reduce tillage. The grasses require more nitrogen, which helps us use more of our manure. We are also able to have the quality crop production of rst-year rotation corn every other year rather than once every four years like we had in our previous rotation. The grasses have improved digestibility. While pounds of milk are the same, we have better components. Rumination has also increased by 20-30 minutes per day. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Billie, and I farm together with my aunt and uncle, Greg and Barb, and my grandparents, Gene and Beth. I am the third generation in my family to farm and started about 25 years ago. All our cattle are raised on our own farmsites. In addition to the dairy we also have a custom harvesting and manure pumping business.
8’•9’•10’ AG-BAG RENTALS 7 units Available RESERVE EARLY!
Forage Inoculants In Stock!
What is more important than fresh water?
ATTACHMENTS
s Check uore f e b t ou ! you buy
LITTLE ROCK, MN 320-584-5147
PIERZ, MN 320-468-2168
LASTRUP, MN 320-468-2543
BUCKMAN, MN 320-468-6433
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 21
2-YEAR INTEREST WAIVER
Financing subject to pre-approval through JD Financial. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details.
PLUS up to $20,000 trade-up bonus when you trade up a series and/or class size combine
JD S670, 2289 hrs.,1453 $ sep, #176660
199,500
JD S680, 2015, 2208 hrs. $ #169577
169,500
JD S680, 2016, 1608 hrs., 1107 $ sep, #184606
249,900
JD S780, 2020, 740 hrs., 556 sep. $ hrs., #179653
435,900
JD S690, 2016, 1767 hrs.,1248 $ sep, #176733
250,000
JD S780, 2019, 897 hrs., 653 sep., $ #171103
385,000
JD, S770, 2018, 2203 hrs., 1587 $ sep, #181147
245,000
JD S790, 2018, $ 1535 hrs., 1058 sep hrs., # 179097
315,400
Equipment and pictures added daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com
COMBINES
14 JD 9500, 1991, 2WD, Duals, 6736 hrs., 5000 Sep Hrs., #185458 ............... $22,400 8 JD 9550, 1999, PRWD, Duals, Chopper, 4982 hrs., 3450 Sep Hrs., #178638 ................................................................................ $43,900 10 JD 9600, 1996, PRWD, Singles, Chopper, 4718 hrs., 3171 Sep hrs., #175562................................................................................. $29,000 9 JD 9610, 1998, 2WD, Duals, Chopper, 3535 hrs., 2241 sep hrs., #185640 $34,500 10 JD 9560W, 2005, 2WD, Singles, Chopper, 3101 hrs., 1983 sep hrs., #186424 ................................................................................. $61,900 6 JD 9650 STS, 2001, 2WD, Duals, 3455 hrs., 2388 sep hrs., #186401......... $49,500 4 JD 9670 STS, 2009, 2WD, Duals, 2192 hrs., 1263 sep hrs., #185612....... $110,400 1 JD 9870 STS, 2008, PRWD, Duals, 3105 hrs., 2500 sep hrs., #175945 ...... $99,900 17 NH CR8090, 2012, PRWD, Duals, 2405 hrs., 1810 sep hrs., #183218...... $136,500 11 JD S670, 2012, PRWD, Duals, 3625 hrs., 2557 sep hrs., #172954 .............. $92,900 2 JD S670, 2016, PRWD, Duals, 2289 hrs., 1453 sep hrs., #176660 ............ $199,500 15 JD S680, 2012, PRWD, Duals, 2930 hrs., 2043 sep hrs., #175550 ............ $112,900 3 JD S680, 2012, PRWD, Duals, 2472 hrs., 1739 sep hrs., #154637 ............ $124,900 5 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Duals, 2907 hrs., 1904 sep hrs., #161858 ............ $129,500 7 JD S680, 2014, PRWD, Duals, 2959 hrs., 2063 sep hrs., #182070 ............ $144,900 17 JD S680, 2014, 2WD, Duals, 2355 hrs., 1703 sep hrs., #178114 .............. $147,900 3 JD S680, 2012, PRWD, Duals, 2365 hrs., 1642 sep hrs., #176788 ............ $149,500 7 JD S680, 2014, 2WD, Duals, 2061 hrs., 1658 sep hrs., #172017 .............. $159,500 1 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Duals, 2729 hrs., 1800 sep hrs., #176089 ............ $169,900 14 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Duals, 1992 hrs., 1300 sep hrs., #174756 ............ $174,900 2 JD S680, 2015, PRWD, Duals, 1796 hrs., 1233 sep hrs., #167207 ............ $219,500 15 JD S680, 2016, PRWD, Duals, 1615 hrs., 1107 sep hrs., #184606 ............ $249,900 15 JD S690, 2013, PRWD, Duals, 2237 hrs., 1588 sep hrs., #177562 ............ $159,500 3 JD S690, 2012, PRWD, Duals, 2203 hrs., 1400 sep hrs., #179929 ............ $160,000 3 JD S690, 2012, PRWD, Duals, 1983 hrs., 1530 sep hrs., #171923 ............ $179,000 9 JD S690, 2013, PRWD, Duals, 1648 hrs., 1161 sep hrs., #167773 ............ $199,900 3 JD S690, 2016, PRWD, Duals, 2113 hrs., #176735 ................................... $219,500 3 JD S690, 2016, PRWD, Duals, 1767 hrs., 1248 sep hrs., #176733 ............ $250,000 16 JD S770, 2018, PRWD, Duals, 2203 hrs., 1587 sep hrs., #181147 ............ $245,000 16 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1157 hrs., 800 sep hrs., #175318 .............. $319,500 5 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1100 hrs., 755 sep hrs., #183533 .............. $355,000
11 17 14 15 16 16 14 4 14 16 3 14
JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Duals, 688 hrs., 475 sep hrs., #154461 ................ $359,000 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1020 hrs., 690 sep hrs., #177549 .............. $364,400 JD S780, 2019, PRWD, Duals, 897 hrs., 653 sep hrs., #171103 ................ $385,000 JD S780, 2019, PRWD, Duals, 726 hrs., 557 sep hrs., #185160 ................ $397,000 JD S780, 2019, PRWD, Duals, 484 hrs., 307 sep hrs., #169507 ................ $409,500 JD S780, 2019, PRWD, Duals, 362 hrs., 234 sep hrs., #171003 ................ $419,500 JD S780, 2020, PRWD, Duals, 521 hrs., 397 sep hrs., #183792 ................ $425,400 JD S780, 2020, PRWD, Duals, 557 hrs., 373 sep hrs., #181757 ................ $429,900 JD S780, 2020, PRWD, Duals, 740 hrs., 556 sep hrs., #179653 ................ $435,900 JD S780, 2020, PRWD, Tracks, 315 hrs., 240 sep hrs., #182067................ $509,900 JD S790, 2018, PRWD, Duals, 1535 hrs., 1058 sep hrs., #179097 ............ $315,400 JD S790, 2019, PRWD, Duals, 683 hrs., #171378 ...................................... $389,500
6 3 3 2 5 7 8 17 16 9 3 7 14 7 16 5 8 15 15 10 16
Geringhoff 830, 1998, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186402 ..................................$12,400 Geringhoff 16R22”, 2011, StalkMaster, #176736 .......................................$42,900 Geringhoff 16R22”, 2012, StalkMaster, #176737 .......................................$49,000 Harvestec 5308C, 2012, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #173992 ...............................$27,900 JD 608C, 2012, 8R 30”, StalkMaster, #185999 ..............................................$41,500 JD 608C, 2013, 8R30”30, StalkMaster, #186296 ..........................................$52,500 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2010, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186589.........................$28,400 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2010, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186312 ........................$29,900 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2009, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186922.........................$31,900 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2011, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #182813.........................$33,900 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2011, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #169171.........................$37,500 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2011, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186294.........................$41,500 JD 612C, 2012, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #186773 .............................................$49,900 JD 612C, 2012, 12R22”, StalkMaster, #186293 .............................................$52,500 JD 612C, 2013, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #177777 .............................................$57,500 JD 612C, 2013, 12R22”, StalkMaster, #166362 .............................................$58,900 JD 612C, 2013, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #177625 .............................................$61,900 JD 612C, 2014, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #151308 .............................................$69,500 JD 612C, 2017, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #183609 .............................................$76,000 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2009, 12R30”, #175440 ...........................................$38,000 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2013, 12R30”, #177920 ...........................................$54,500
CORN AND ROW CROP HEADERS
10 15 3 16 15 14 10 14 16 16 17 14 6 2
JD 616C, 2012, 16R30”, StalkMaster, #179657 .............................................$67,400 JD 618C, 2012, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #173826 .............................................$79,500 JD 618C, 2012, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #176931 .............................................$79,500 JD 618C, 2013, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #175200 .............................................$85,900 JD 618C, 2012, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #175201 .............................................$89,900 JD 618C, 2013, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #186614 .............................................$92,400 JD 706C, 2018, 6R30”, StalkMaster, #165801 ...............................................$65,500 JD 716C, 2019, 16R30”, StalkMaster, #179403 .......................................... $139,500 JD 718C, 2020, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #185545 .......................................... $184,500 JD 718C, 2020, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #185459 .......................................... $194,500 Geringhoff RD1230F, 2013, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #183220.......................$64,900 Geringhoff RD600, 2004, 6R30”, StalkMaster, #185615.............................$17,900 Geringhoff RD630, 2000, 6R30”, StalkMaster, #181118.............................$16,900 Geringhoff RD820, 8R20”, StalkMaster, #181342 .......................................$13,900
10 3 8 17 2 3 14 17 7 17 4 15 16 16 1 14 14 14 15
JD 620F, 2009, 20’, Flexible, #162055 .......................................................... $14,900 JD 630F, 2006, 30’ Feet, Flexible, #180603 .................................................. $13,900 JD 630F, 2010, 30’ Feet, Flexible, #186474 .................................................. $16,500 JD 635F, 2009, 35’, Flexible, #186920 ......................................................... $11,500 JD 635F, 2010, 35’, Flexible, #179149 .......................................................... $12,900 JD 635F, 2014, 35’, Flexible, #184935 .......................................................... $18,500 JD 635F, 2009, 35’, Flexible, #183382 .......................................................... $19,900 JD 635F, 2013, 35’, Flexible, #185428 .......................................................... $22,400 JD 635F, 2013, 35’, Flexible, #173287 .......................................................... $26,900 JD 640FD, 2016, 40’, #172504 ..................................................................... $62,000 JD 640FD, 2018, 40’, Flex/Draper, #173387................................................. $79,500 JD 640FD, 2018, 40’, Flexible, #177866 ....................................................... $83,900 JD 645FD, 2017, 45’, Flex/Draper, #162936 ................................................ $73,900 JD 645FD, 2017, 45’, Flex/Draper, #182969................................................. $74,900 JD 745FD, 2019, 45’, Flex/Draper, #174637................................................. $89,900 JD 745FD, 2019, 45’, Flex/Draper, Flip Over Reel, #183001 ........................ $93,400 JD 745FD, 2019, 45’, Flex/Draper,Flip Over Reel, #172441 ......................... $94,000 JD 745FD, 2020, 45’, Flex/Draper, Flip Over Reel, #183000 ........................ $96,400 JD 745FD, 2020, 45’, Flex/Draper, Flip Over Reel, #179999 ........................ $97,900
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! CALL (7) = ALEXANDRIA (9) = PRINCETON (12) = AITKIN (4) = ST. CLOUD (1) = GLENCOE 4561 Hwy. 212
1035 35th Ave. NE
(2) = HOWARD LAKE (5) = GLENWOOD 5845 Keats Ave. SW
1710 N. Franklin
(3) = STEWART
(6) = SAUK CENTRE
78412 Co. Rd. 20
1140 Centre St.
320-763-4220 5005 Co. Rd. 82 SE
3708 Baptist Church Rd.
(8) = PAYNESVILLE
16069 Hwy. 27 E.
725 Lake Ave. S.
1120 2nd St. NW
(10) = LITTLE FALLS (13) = BAXTER (11) = WADENA 62505 US Hwy. 10
7045 Foley Rd.
COMBINE PLATFORMS
TODAY! (320)365-1653 (14) = ELBOW LAKE
(16) = BENSON
(15) = MORRIS
(17) = MADISON
110 2nd St. NE
23604 State Hwy. 9
380 Atlantic Ave. 516 1st St. E
SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
Target Your Customers! The Dairy Star is sent only to DAIRY FARMERS!
If you would like to advertise in the DAIRY STAR, call 320-352-6303 for more information.
Could a retrofit be the right fit for you?
Retrofitting a dairy barn with the addition of DeLaval VMS™ V300 units has been a popular choice to make upgrades more affordable compared to building new.
Find out today! SCAN HERE
Connect with a DeLaval representative today to see if a retrofit is the right fit for you.
www.delaval.com
Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United Dairy Systems, Inc. West Union, IA 563-422-5355 WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713 DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI 866-335-2825
Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267 Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029 Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, SD 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015 S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2021 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. Nothing in this document shall constitute a warranty or guaranty of performance. www.delaval.com
USDA announces pandemic assistance for dairy farmers The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the details of the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program as part of meetings with farmers and a tour of farms with Senator Leahy. In June, Secretary Vilsack committed to providing additional pandemic assistance for dairy farmers in an exchange at a hearing with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Leahy. Through the program, USDA will provide about $350 million in pandemic assistance payments to dairy farmers who received a lower value for their products due to market abnormalities caused by the pandemic. The assistance is part of a larger package including permanent improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage safety net program. “The Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program is another component of our ongoing effort to get aid to producers who have been left behind and build on our progress towards economic recovery,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Family dairy farmers have been battered by the pandemic, trade issues and unpredictable weather and are the life-blood of many rural communities throughout Vermont, the Northeast and many other regions. This targeted assistance is the rst step in USDA’s comprehensive approach that will total over $2 billion to help the dairy industry recover from the pandemic and be more resilient to future challenges for generations to come.” Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the senator with the most seniority on the Agriculture Committee, said: “I thank Secretary Vilsack for directing this assistance to small dairies in Vermont and across the country, just as he told me he would when we spoke earlier in the summer. This will help to make up for losses suffered by these family farms due to the pandemic and together with the positive adjustments to the Dairy Margin Coverage Program will be good news for farmers go into the fall.” Under the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program, payments will reimburse qualied dairy farmers for 80 percent of the revenue difference per month based on an annual production of up to 5 million pounds of milk marketed and on uid milk sales from July through December 2020. The payment rate will vary by region based on the actual losses on pooled milk related to price volatility. USDA will make payments through agreements with independent handlers and cooperatives. Handlers and cooperatives will distribute the monies on the same basis July - December 2020 payments were made to their dairy farmer suppliers and a formula set by USDA. USDA will reimburse handlers and cooperatives for allowed administrative costs. USDA will contact eligible handlers and cooperatives to notify them of the opportunity to participate in the Program. USDA will distribute payments to participating handlers within 60 days of entering into an agreement. Once funding is provided, a handler will have 30 days to distribute monies to qualifying dairy farmers. As part of the program, handlers also will provide virtual or in-person education to dairy farmers on a variety of dairy topics available from USDA or other sources. A handler will have until March 1, 2022 to directly provide educational opportunities to dairy farmers. Additional details about the program are available and will be updated at the AMS Dairy Program website. The program is part of $6 billion of pandemic assistance USDA announced in March to address a number of gaps and disparities in previous rounds of assistance. Other pandemic assistance to dairy farmers includes $400 million for a new Dairy Donation Program to address food insecurity and mitigate food waste and loss; and $580 million for Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage for small and medium farms. Outside the pandemic assistance, USDA will also make improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage safety net program updating the feed cost formula to better reect the actual cost dairy farmers pay for high quality alfalfa. This change will be retroactive to January 2020 and is expected to provide additional retroactive payments of about $100 million for 2020 and 2021. Unlike the pandemic assistance, this change will also be part of the permanent safety net and USDA estimates it will average about $80 million per year or approximately $800 million over ten years for dairy headed into the upcoming Farm Bill. Full details on these additional actions to support dairy farmers will be provided when regulations are published in the coming weeks. Dairy farmers should wait until these details are available to contact their local USDA Service Center for more information.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 23
USDA offers livestock producers drought assistance Emergency haying, grazing of CRP may be available By Steve Frericks
County Executive Director Stearns County FSA Office
Fall harvest will quickly be upon us. Here at the Farm Service Agency, we understand the stress of trying to nd enough feed to keep livestock fed this forthcoming year because of the current drought conditions. Mother Nature has thrown a curve ball this year forcing producers to think outside the box. Below are a few options that can potentially help during these difcult times. Most importantly, stay safe working through harvest. Take the extra time needed, get sleep and pay attention to details to avoid any injury. Be proud of what you have accomplished with less than ideal conditions. The FSA announced that ranchers and livestock producers can apply for assistance from the Livestock Forage Program for grazing losses incurred in 2021. Drought conditions in eligible counties have triggered availability of the LFP. The LFP provides compensation to livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to drought. We encourage producers to contact an FSA ofce for an appointment and to learn what records they need to have on hand in order to apply for assistance.
The program covers eligible full season improved pasture, warm season improved pasture, cool season improved pasture, native pasture, forage sorghum, short season small grains, long season small grains, annual crabgrass and annual ryegrass. For losses due to drought, an eligible livestock producer must own or lease grazing land or pastureland physically located in a county meeting drought intensity criteria rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor. A map of eligible counties may be found on the FSA website. Eligible livestock include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo/bison, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, reindeer or sheep that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland during the normal grazing period. Producers must provide a completed application and supporting documents to their FSA ofce within 30 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the grazing loss occurred. Applicants should collect records documenting their losses and evidence that the grazing land or pastureland is owned or leased. Additional supporting documents include federal grazing permits and contract grower agreements. Livestock producers must complete the LFP application and required supporting documentation no later than Jan. 31, 2022, for losses that occurred throughout 2021. For more information, contact a FSA county ofce by phone or visit farmers.gov/recover.
Haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program acres is authorized under certain conditions to provide emergency relief to livestock producers due to certain natural disasters. Drought conditions are tough for livestock producers, but emergency haying and grazing use of CRP acres can provide temporary relief to these producers. Emergency haying and grazing of CRP acres may be authorized within a county to provide relief to livestock producers in areas affected by a severe drought or similar natural disaster. Emergency haying and grazing status is reviewed and authorized each Thursday using the U.S. Drought Monitor. Counties are eligible for emergency haying and grazing due to drought conditions
on a county by county basis, when a county is designated as level D2 according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. CRP contract holders who would like to use this option must contact the county FSA ofce prior to conducting any haying or grazing activity and receive written approval. To date, 61 counties in Minnesota have triggered eligibility for emergency haying and grazing on CRP acres. A list by state and map of eligible counties are updated weekly and available on FSA’s website. Producers who do not meet the drought monitor qualications but have a 40% loss of forage production may also be eligible for emergency haying Turn to FSA | Page 26
The Air King M-30 series are extremely versatile and can be used individually in smaller spaces or in multiples for larger areas to establish positive airflow patterns that will enhance the effectiveness of the units. The T-style configuration of these units has inlets on both ends and exhausts the filtered air from the center of this unit.
FEATURES & BENEFITS • Disposable filters • Self-contained • Easy installation & maintenance • Four way louvers
Russ Pierson
SALES & SERVICE
• 16 gauge powder coated construction • Filter change indicator (optional) • Multiple filter configuration available • Easily relocated
MUELLER SALES & SERVICE Glencoe, MN • 320-864-3556 OR 888-205-0974
USED EQUIPMENT FROM A NAME YOU CAN TRUST!
USED TRACTORS
‘12 N-H T7.210, 300 Hours........................ $115,900 ‘08 J-D 9630T, 5539 Hours........................ $139,500 ‘77 J-H 2640, Loader ................................... $12,900 ‘54 J-D 40, Restored...................................... $4,900 ‘71 Ford 3000, dsl., Side mount sickle mower. $6,900 A-C D-17........................................................ $4,400
USED SKIDSTEERS
‘08 5600, glass cab w/A/C, HI Flow Aux, 1885 hrs .................................................... $22,500 ‘21 T-66, glass cab w/A/C, 2 spd, 50 hrs ..... $55,000 ‘11 T-650, glass cab w/A/C, 2 spd, 5000 hrs $26,500 ‘19 T-550, glass cab w/A/C, 2 spd, 350 hrs . $47,900 ‘12 S-770, glass cab w/A/C, 2 spd, 5500 hrs$28,500 (2) S-650, glass cab w/A/C, 2 spd, 4100 hrs & Up ..........................Starting at $28,500 (2) S-550, glass cab w/A/C, 2 Spd, 150 hrs & Up ............................Starting at $24,900 ‘19 S-450, glass cab w/A/C, 1100 hrs.......... $27,300 ‘08 S-205, glass cab w/A/C, 4555 hrs.......... $21,500 ‘18 JCB 270, glass cab w/A/C, 825 hrs ........ $45,900 Gehl 4640, 1400 Hours................................ $18,900
USED TILLAGE
‘08 W-R QX 60’ cultivator w/rolling basket .. $29,500 ‘12 W-R QX2 50’ cult w/S bar spike harrow $27,900 ‘10 W-R QX2 50’ cultivator w/rolling basket $28,500 Case I-H 4800, 28.5’ cultivator, 3 bar harrrow$7,950 ‘98 J-D 980, 44.5’, 3 bar harrow.................. $12,500 J-D 1000, 25.5’ cultivator, 3 bar harrow ........ $1,700 ‘12 W-R 513 Soil Pro, 11 shk, folding frame $39,500 ‘14 W-R 513 Soil Pro, 7 shank .................... $30,250 ‘11 Krause 4850-18 disk ripper ................... $24,500
Many used & new skidloaders ON HAND
‘14 Krause 8310, 19’ disk, 26” blades, never used ................................................. $43,900 J-D 910, 5x24 Ripper .................................... $6,950
USED PLANTERS
‘03 White 8186, 16x30 ................................ $24,500 (2) ‘94 White 6100 12x30, vertical fold ...............................Starting at $10,500 ‘17 G-G YP825A, 8x30 twin row, 270 acres only ........................................... $31,500 J-D 8300, 13’ drill, 6” spacings ..................... $2,950
USED HAY EQUIPMENT
‘15 NH 316, 15’ discbine ............................. $22,900 ‘09 NH H-7230, 10’ discbine........................ $16,500 ‘08 NH 1411, 10’ discbine, very nice shape . $15,250 ‘98 NH 1475, 14’ haybine .............................. $6,950 ‘13 NH H-6740 disc mower, 7’10” Cut ........... $6,200 ‘07 NH 617 disc mower, 6’ 8” Cut.................. $5,000 Vicom CM240 disc mower............................. $2,750 NH FP-230, crop processor ......................... $10,900 ‘16 NH 460 rd baler, net wrap ...................... $29,500 ‘03 NH BR-780 rd Baler, net wrap & twine..... $8,950 ‘00 NH 658 RD baler, netwrap & twine ........ $13,900 ‘96 NH 644 Rd baler, twine only .................... $8,950 ‘19 H&S LW1100, line wrapper, 1995 bales. $26,900 ‘16 H&S RTG2 tedder .................................... $1,950 NH 144 Invertor ............................................. $2,500 (2) ‘09 H&S CR10 Rake ................................. $2,850
USED MISC
‘08 Red Ball 1000 gal. Sprayer, 60’ Boom ..... $7,500 ‘16 N-H 195 Spreader .................................. $14,500 New Idea 3639 Spreader ............................... $6,200 Hinker 1700, 15’ Stalkchopper ...................... $6,100 ‘96 Feterl 10x60 Auger................................... $2,250
Equipment of Norwood LANO A family business since 1946 with the Lanos: Jack, Paul, Bob and Andy 952-467-2181
E G A N I A R D E EFFECTIV CAJune4-1B-MT
CHECK OUT OUR LARGE SELECTION OF HAY EQUIPMENT AND TRACTORS!
Ask about leasing tile! KEEP YOUR CASH! Amortize your depreciation.
Brad Herickhoff, Owner 320-351-4872
We Offer Site Prep, Drainage Tile, Land Clearing, Excavation, Pump Stations And So Much More!
Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
Draw the line against lice and mange.
When you put it all on the line, trust Cydectin® (moxidectin) to have your back. Cydectin Pour-On dewormer treats key lice, mange and internal parasites that affect cattle comfort, reproductive performance and overall milk production1. And, with its unique purple marker dye, you’ll never have to question which animals have been treated. Learn more at ElancoLivestock.com. Keep Cydectin out of reach of children. Gadberry S., Powell J. Internal Parasites in Beef and Dairy Cattle. University of Arkansas Research & Extension website. https://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/FSA-3045.pdf. Accessed June 3, 2021.
1
$ZEFDUJO &MBODP BOE UIF EJBHPOBM CBS MPHP BSF USBEFNBSLT PG &MBODP PS JUT BGm MJBUFT ©2021 Elanco. PM-US-21-1707
A summer day to remember Summer has always out four teams in the playbeen my favorite seaoffs, two of which were son. As a kid, it meant no ranked in the Top 10 for school. Of course, that Division 2. meant more work on the Despite our epic perfarm, but I didn’t mind. formance in the playoffs, It was better than being we were given the lowstuck inside all day. As est seeding at state. Two an adult, it also means no of the teams we would school – for my kids that face hadn’t lost a game all is. And that means we get year. We were the underto spend more time todog. But that’s OK – evBy Stacey Smart gether as a family making eryone loves an underdog. Staff Writer memories to last a lifeWe have one softball time. team at Catholic MemoThe highlight of my summer this rial; therefore, everyone plays on varyear was watching my daughter’s sity. We have 13 players. We play in the high school softball team win the Di- Classic 8 conference against all Divivision 2 state championship, making sion 1 schools. These are high schools June 30 one of the most exciting days where 70-plus girls might be trying out ever. Playing at state is a once-in-a-life- for the team. They have a lot of talent time opportunity for many. And to win to pick from, and some of the schools it all is even more of a rarity. have three or four softball teams. We Felicity has played on Catholic Me- have one. There are no cuts. We don’t morial High School’s varsity fastpitch have that luxury. Our record was 15-9 softball team since she was a freshman. going into the playoffs. As a junior this year, she played a vaCatholic Memorial was not expectriety of ineld positions before nding ed to win state, so they had nothing to her niche in left eld. lose. No perfect record to try and preHer team started off the season a bit serve. No top seeding to defend. The rough going 0-4 in their conference. No other teams underestimated what our one had played high school softball in girls were capable of. They play some nearly two years, and four of our start- great defense and are hot at the plate, ers, being freshmen and sophomores, too, looking to hit not walk. In fact, we had never seen varsity competition be- had the No. 1 and No. 2 hitters in the fore. state on our team. But it was their year. Catholic MeNow back to June 30. The exmorial picked up steam and won 17 of citement level was unparalleled, and its last 20 games before heading off to nerves were high as us parents, who the state tournament, including wiping were wearing matching state bound T-
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 25
shirts, waved around fat heads of our daughters and cheered at the top of our lungs. We were joined by other family members, friends and students who came to cheer on the Catholic Memorial Crusaders. That day was the stuff movies are made of. The rst game came down to the last strike. It was the bottom of the seventh inning. We were up by one run, and the other team was up to bat. The bases were loaded with two outs and a full count on the batter with the winning run at second. (This is equivalent to the ninth inning in Major League Baseball as high school softball plays seven innings.) Our hearts exploded in anticipation as we waited for the next pitch. Strike three. We won the state semi-nal 4-3 and would be playing in the state championship game at 6 p.m. This nal game of the season was just as dramatic – maybe more so because the weather also played a factor. Two rain delays and a lightning delay set the game back about two hours, which took it late into the evening. After the third delay, a rainbow appeared directly over the eld, and we knew it was going to be a good night. My daughter made a leaping catch in left eld in the rst inning that prevented runs from scoring. And later on, she made another great catch under the lights to save additional runs. The two teams took turns leading all the way to the last inning. It was edge-of-your-seat action, and we were the team down by one run going into the top of the seventh. Catholic Memo-
rial fans cheered to a deafening level when our rst girl up to bat hit a single to get the rally going. It was followed by three more singles, putting us ahead one run going into the bottom of the seventh. With one out, the wet turf played to our advantage when the runner on rst decided to stray a little too far from the base. Our catcher had her eye on the slippery situation and gunned the ball to the rst baseman who made the tag before the runner could make it back safely. We now had two outs and needed one more strike to win the game. Our pitcher soon delivered that nal strike, and we won the state championship 5-4. After two nail-biting back-to-back wins, Catholic Memorial was crowned state champions while handing two undefeated teams their rst losses of the year. The taste of victory was sweet for this underdog of a team that came from behind to win the biggest game of their lives. It was the perfect end to a longawaited season, and every player contributed to bringing home the trophy. For days, actually maybe weeks later, we lived off the high of winning state. It was a magical moment that none of us will ever forget. What was the highlight of your summer? Summer is a great time for making special memories, and I hope you were able to make some as well this season – whether on the farm or off.
ConƟnued from JUMP | Page 10
Custom Àt to your new or existing building Bring out the best in yorur investment
Motorized or Manual Options Highest UV inhibitor and lock stitch style sewing for longer curtain life Get the full value of air quality control curtains at the touch of a button
Dennis Thyen
Dealer Inquiries Welcome!
46310 164th Street Watertown, SD 57201 605.881.0647 Email: ddthyen@gmail.com
minutes
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
ConƟnued from FSA | Page 23 and grazing outside of the primary nesting season. CRP participants requesting emergency or non-emergency haying and grazing must le a request with their county FSA ofce indicating the acres to be hayed or grazed before the activity begins. Counties that trigger for LFP payments based on the U.S. Drought Monitor may hay only certain practices on less than 50% of eligible contract acres. Producers should contact their local FSA county ofce for eligible CRP practices. Before CRP acres are declared eligible for haying or grazing, a modied conservation plan developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service or a technical service provider must be obtained. The modied conservation plan must be site specic, include the authorized duration and reect local wildlife needs and concerns. The primary purpose must be to maintain vegetative cover, minimize soil erosion and protect water quality and wildlife habitat quality. These plans must ensure no longterm damage to the conservation cover is caused. Eligible practices for emergency haying and grazing include those implemented under State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement such as CP38E SAFE-Grass when such activity is specically outlined in the SAFE agreement. Contact your local ofce for specic restrictions related to SAFE. Acres ineligible for both emergency and non-emergency haying and grazing include acres devoted to: useful life easements; land within 20 feet of a stream or other permanent water body; and any acres where haying and or grazing would cause long-term damage to the CRP cover. For more information on CRP haying and grazing, visit fsa.usda.gov/crp or contact a FSA county ofce. To locate a FSA ofce, visit farmers.gov/service-locator. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.
Dairy Farm For Sale Includes a double-15 swing parlor, 7,000 gallon bulk tank, 2.4 million gallon poly-lined manure pit. 4,000+ sq. ft. home, sharp farm. 14 miles NW of Freeport, MN $
1,395,000
CALL FOR DETAILS: Steve Hansen, King of Farm Sales
Re/MaxResults • St. Cloud • 320-241-0905
Sign up for our Newsletter DairySt r Milk Break Email maria.b@dairystar.com
Take time to embrace change, connect with consumers Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 27
Last month, I virtually attended the Dairy Experience Forum with my fellow Dairy Experience and Agricultural Leadership Program participants. We learned about current and future dairy consumers, areas of opportunity, and how we as farmers can connect with consumers and help dairy thrive. As a fth-generation farmer, I’ve always been passionate about dairy. Through the Dairy Experience Forum, the DEAL program – which is a leadership program for young dairy farmers under the age of 40 – and ENGAGE communications By Tyler Otte workshops offered by Midwest Dairy farmer Dairy, I’ve strengthened my communication and leadership skills to better serve our community by sharing dairy’s story. Here are some key takeaways from the event, along with how we can take action to drive dairy demand. Farmers are busy, hard-working people, and while we have so much to juggle, attending the Dairy Experience Forum reminded me why we have to make time to listen and learn about the people who purchase our products. We need to understand consumers’ needs and what drives their purchasing decisions in order to connect with them, address questions and allow them to feel condent in choosing dairy. Although we may not understand all consumers, we must embrace them and welcome opportunities to help incorporate dairy into their lifestyles. When it comes to Generation Z (born between 1997-2012) – whose buying power continues growing exponentially – we need to share stories about our dairies and commitment to animal care and environmental stewardship. Many consumers are more removed from life on the farm than any previous generation and are seeking to understand how dairy foods get from our farms to their tables. They are questioning dairy but have an openness to learn. Of Gen Z, 58% said they read labels and 67% said they care about nutrition facts. Milk is the ultimate clean label food, packed with 13 essential nutrients as well as other attributes such as immunity, calming, energy and digestive health benets that Gen Z is seeking. Knowing this, the dairy community can continue making small shifts in showcasing the nutritional aspects of dairy to better align with this generation’s needs, and highlight how dairy can t their lifestyle. Exports present a huge potential for increasing demand too. With Asian countries showing an expanded interest in dairy, we have new horizons to explore. Instead of looking primarily within the U.S. for growth, we’re looking beyond our borders for opportunities. And, there are many, particularly as people look to add more protein to their diets. One common denominator with most consumers is the desire to connect over shared values. As farmers, we hold the keys to unlocking the mystery for
them by creating personal connections that build trust. Consumers aren’t looking for polished, lengthy videos with talking heads. They want bite-sized nuggets and visuals that show the unltered truth. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are perfect for sharing day-inthe-life moments from the farm. Or, if those aren’t the right t for a farmer’s personal style, a conversation with someone in the dairy aisle can go a long way. If we’d each spend a few minutes a day sharing how we care for our animals, recycle water and are good stewards of the land, we can provide the transparency consumers are looking for. If you’re not sure where to start, have a conversation with your farmer relations representative from Midwest Dairy to spark ideas. As a united dairy community, we also need to
continue working with and through partners. Midwest Dairy has been doing this for years and has expanded partnerships to include medical professionals, nutritionists, inuencers and even museums to add thirdparty credibility to our story. This hybrid approach of farmers showing life on the farm plus partners reinforcing our messages by sharing them with their audiences builds consumer trust and drives dairy demand. Attending the Dairy Experience Forum opened my eyes to new ideas and ways of thinking. We have exciting opportunities ahead of us. Bringing them to life will rely on all of us doing our part. I’m energized to share our story and connect with consumers online and in person. I hope you’ll join me.
PMC Fence Line Feeders for Cattle Heavy Duty Construction
Connect as many as you need using the Easy Connecting Couplers
2 Models Available -10’ Fence Line Bunk Feeder has 7 feed openings, 12’ Fence Line Bunk Feeder has 8 feed openings.
PMC
PEQUEA MACHINE
CORP
17804 HWY 133 E • Boscobel, WI 53805
800-873-1911
www.pequeamachinecorp.com DEALER INQUIRES WELCOME
Minnesota/Select Sires Co-op, Inc. Phone: (800) 795-1233
Select Sires MidAmerica, Inc. Phone: (847) 464-5281
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968 Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357 Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 Emma Severns sever575@umn.edu 507-934-7828 Melissa Wison mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Alternatives for disbudding of dairy calves By Brad Heins and Hannah Phillips University of Minnesota
Dairy calves commonly experience painful disbudding procedures as a part of the standard of care. Approximately half (52%) of pre-weaned dairy calves are disbudded prior to 8 weeks of age, but only 28% of disbudded calves are given pain mitigation therapies for the procedure. Furthermore, a survey of 189 organic dairies in the U.S. indicated that only 26% use a local analgesic, non-steroidal anti-inammatory drug or sedation to relieve pain related to horn removal procedures and conventional nongrazing herds (CON-NG; n=64. Organic-approved options for pain management are limited to substances approved by the United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program. However, even those permitted by the National Organic Program face barriers to common use, such as opposition by farmers, difculty of administering and a lack of Food and Drug Administration approval for use in cattle. Despite this reluctance to implement pain alleviation methods, some organic farmers have expressed interest in or currently implement plant-based alternatives. The most popular pain management method is lidocaine injected as a cornual nerve block. Although lidocaine reduces pain and stress, it may be an obstacle for some producers. Lidocaine must be injected into the cornual nerve, which is very close to the eye, the injection itself causes pain, and calves feel pain once the numbing effect dissipates. There has been recent consumer and producer interest in natural, noninvasive treatments, leading producers to consider using herbal medicine. However, there is little research on the effectiveness of herbal-based medicine. White willow bark has shown to be a useful analgesia in humans, and its utility to alleviate pain in calves remains of interest, especially for organic dairy producers. Commonly, white willow bark is used in combination with other medicinal herbs and analgesics to alleviate inammatory pain in disbudded calves under organic management, but there is no evidence on whether white willow bark has any effects on inammation in calves. At the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center dairy in Morris, we wanted to assess the effects of intravenous unixin meglumine injection (Banamine®) and three oral doses of white willow bark on inammation and salicylic acid concentrations in healthy calves. We used 25 crossbred bull calves for the study. Seven days prior to the study, calves were acclimated to handling and restraint before disbudding. During each of two treatment periods, calves were assigned to receive either 57.6 mg/kg oral white willow bark (low), 115.1 mg/kg oral white willow bark (medium), 230.3 mg/kg oral white willow bark (high), 2.2 mg/kg i.v. u-
nixin meglumine or no treatment. Flunixin meglumine lowered inammation (see Figure 1), while the white willow bark was ineffective at reducing inammation and achieving a minimum plasma salicylic acid concentration necessary for analgesia in calves. The estimated amount of salicin needed to achieve analgesia in calves is quite large considering that white willow bark has a minute amount of salicin. Even if a standardized white willow bark extract, such as a 15% salicin product was used, it would have to be given at a total dose of approximately 6,933 to 9,707 mg/kg (equivalent to 1,040 to 1,456 mg/kg of salicin). This dose could potentially be given over one to three days in drinking water or milk as demonstrated with aspirin in other studies. However, this method may be impracticable considering time and nancial constraints. Furthermore, there is currently no evidentiary support on whether white willow bark at high doses given over several days has any effect on inammation in calves. Results of this study indicate that the white willow bark doses used in this experiment are unsuitable for producing analgesia in calves. Flunixin meglumine lowered inammation, while the white willow bark was ineffective at reducing inammation. In the future, this research project will look at additional alternative methods for disbudding and pain management and provide scientic evidence to producers.
Figure 1. Flunixin reduced inammaƟon compared to white willow bark in dairy bull calves
Ride to WDE with MMPA Jo JJoin oin in Minnesota Minne nesota ta Milk Milk ilk on on a bus bus trip trip to tr to World World Dairy Dairy Expo Expo day, ffor or a three h d two night i h experience. i DEPARTS: Wednesday, September 29 at 10:00a.m. from Melrose, MN DEP DE RETURNS: Friday, October 1 (evening) R RE T PRICE: P RI $99/person (double occupancy) or $149/person (single). P ricc increase by $50 on September 15th. Prices IINCLUDES: NC Two dairy farm stops, admission to World Dairy Expo, hotel accommodations and transportation costs. Meals are on your own. hot ho
Register at MnMilk.org Re
Fall harvest farm safety
Harvest season is upon us. It is important to remind ourselves to be safe when operating equipment. Accidents can happen in a blink of an eye and can have devastating outcomes. Here are 10 things to keep in mind during this harvest season. Do not expose children to hazards Teach kids farm safety at a young age. Children watch everything you do. If you put yourself in a potentially hazardous situation then they will think it is OK to mimic you and bad things will happen. Explain to a child the importance of why and how they should or should not act around machinery or other farm hazards. If you teach them right when they are young, it will stick with them for the rest of their lives.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 29
FRITSCH FORAGE FACERS
HARDEST TEETH IN THE INDUSTRY • Available In 6', 8' & 10' Drum Widths • 2 Direct Drive Hydraulic Wheel Motors (No Chains) • Quick-Tach Available For Your Loader
Protects & preserves the face of your bunker better than any other facer!
Fritsch Products That Will Improve Your Dairy Operations. Watch Our Videos & Believe.
Manure pit safety There have been a number of manure pit accidents in the news lately. There is never a reason children should be near a manure pit especially unsupervised. The gases a manure pit gives off can be deadly within minutes. Safety precautions must be heeded if needing to work near a manure pit, manure holding tank and manure handling equipment. By Brenda Miller University of MN
One seat, one rider If a piece of equipment only has one seat, the driver’s seat, then the driver should be the only one on that piece of machinery. The only exception to this rule is if a tractor or combine has a buddy seat that is meant for a temporary additional rider. Children love to go for rides but be strict and say no if there is only one seat. Tough love keeps kids safe. Always tell someone where you are working If you are going to go disc the back 40, then let someone know where you will be, should something happen or just to check in to make sure you are OK. If you move to a different eld, update them on your status. Cell phones and two-way radios are fabulous communication tools. Do not take shortcuts They will come back to haunt you. Jumping across a moving PTO or trying to unclog the chopper or baler while it is running are probably not the best ideas if you would like to keep your limbs. Take the extra few seconds to shut off moving parts or engines. Be aware of your surroundings Know where children or workers are before moving machinery. Know where eld approaches, tile inlets, trees, barns, sheds, vehicles, drainage ditches and buffer strips are located and make sure your help knows too. Having to replace machinery parts or x tile inlets is never a cheap or fun task. Eat, drink, sleep Fatigue can sneak up on a person and pretty soon one is sleeping behind the wheel. Take a 20-minute nap and keep a jug of water in the tractor to stay hydrated. Have someone bring lunch or supper and keep a few healthy snacks (apples, granola bars, etc.) on hand for an energy boost. Also, get out of the tractor once in a while for some fresh air and to stretch. Do not wear loose clothing or strings Too often we hear about a farmer getting caught in an auger or PTO because of their clothing. Take off the baggy sweatshirt or remove hood strings before working in these conditions. Cut the fringes off pants and repair holes in jeans. Use machinery lights and ashers Many road drivers do not heed to farm machinery as they should so be proactive and make sure they can at least see your lights. If your machinery has poor or no lights, only travel on roads during daylight hours and have someone follow behind in a vehicle with their ashers on. Wear appropriate protective gear Wear a dust mask, and do not enter a grain bin without a safety harness. Every year we hear about farmers getting trapped in grain bins. Grain is not safe to walk across, especially when it is in a bin and 20 feet deep. If one absolutely has to enter a grain bin, wear a safety harness and have another person outside the bin to be the spotter. Also, grain gets dusty so wear respiratory protection; your lungs and airways will thank you. Farmers, stay safe out there in the elds and on the roads. Happy harvest.
THE ONLY MATTRESS THAT RIVALS SAND BEDDING!! • About 1 3/4” of air cushioning • 100% waterproof • #1 for hygiene • No need for a top cover
WATCH THE EGG DROP
FRITSCH POWER BEDDING GROOMER
PATENTED
• Grooms & aerates freestalls using deep bedding including compost & sand • Breaks up the hard, compressed chunks of the alternative & lime bedding • Grooms the toughest beds without riding over **tractor model available**
Call the U.S. distributor Fritsch Equipment
Euphoria Cattle Brush A feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness • Adj. control of force, rotation, and reversing • Starts to rotate on contact • All pivots rotate on ball bearings • All parts in stock $ • 110 volt or 220 volt 1,575
HYDRAULIC HOSE ENDS & QUICK CONNECTS
For all your hydraulic connection applications, we provide a wide variety of hydraulic connection options, including Flat-Face couplers, Poppet-Style QUICKcouplers, CONNECTS couplers, Screw-Type Volvo provide a wide variety of TEMA couplers,couplers, and Multi-Coupling Poppet-Style couplers, units. With name units. With nameMulti-Coupling brands like hydraulic we can provide custom Faster, Stucchi, Parker, and Holmbury, we P510 can provide MultiFaster IN STOCK FOR custom hydraulic MultiCoupling units IMMEDIATE SHIPPING! significantly improve options to best CALL US FOR PRICING the ease of connecting hydraulic lines fit your needs!
FARIBAULT 1-800-491-3724 LEWISTON 1-507-429-6731
www.storysalesandservice.com
MANY NEW & USED MIXERS AVAILABLE YOUR AUTHORIZED AREA PATZ DEALER
Used Patz 810
(3) Used Patz 420
CALL FOR A DEMO!
Patz 620XH
Financing Available
1,875
$
(920) 532-6292 For Videos & More
www.fritschequipment.com
The golf gods
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
I’ve been a golf agnostic my entire life. I have my reasons, the main one being that anything that is og spelled backward cannot be fun. I don’t have anything against those who have embraced the golf religion. But neither do I approve of the way that particular sect gobbles up resources, including vast swathes of land that could be put to higher uses such as growing corn or alfalfa. I have long prided myself on being an openminded person. You can therefore imagine how much it stung when, as I decried the golf dogma and all of its wanton wastefulness, it was demanded of me, “How can you say that when you’ve never tried golf? You know what they say: ‘You shouldn’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his cleats.’” That smarted. And it hurt all the more because it came from our youngest son. In a cruel twist of fate,
he had become part of a duffer cult – they called it the golf team – when he was in high school. So much for the separation of church and state. I decided to do the open-minded thing and give golf a try. My guide on this spiritual journey was Gus, a trusted old friend who also happened to be a golf guru. My rst lesson in the theology of golf was given to me in the golf course’s parking lot. “We should bring an umbrella,” Gus said as I hoisted his bags of clubs from the trunk of his car. I pointed out that the sky was clear and there was no rain in the forecast. “That isn’t how the golf gods work,” Gus explained patiently. “If they see us packing an umbrella, they’ll leave us alone. But without an umbrella, rain is all but guaranteed.” I chalked this up to another of those absurd be-
We have the right hut to fit your needs from the Mini Dome to the Mega Hut.
M INI D OME for smaller breeds or goats
W ARM C LIMATE H UT super ventilated
C ONVERTIBLE H UT for indoor or outdoor use
H IGH D OOR P OLY D OME for use with fence panels
O NE -P IECE H UNTING B LIND a completely customizable do-it-yourself blind
P OLY D OME the Nursery that ingnited an industry
M EGA H UT Expandable for large animals
P OLY S QUARE has multiple feeder options
All PolyDome shelters are made from high-impact UV stabilized polyethylene making them light enough to move easily, yet sturdy enough to withstand the elements.
& 91-03" t% 0.& the affordable backyard observatory
Now you can sit inside a true observatory sheltered from the wind and annoying neighbor's porch lights. Made from virtually indestructible, UV stabilized polethylene.
"TL GPS PVS DPNQMFUF DBUBMPHT GPS "HSJDVMUVSBM 1SPEVDUT "RVBDVMUVSF &YQMPSBt%PNF PS )VOUJOH #MJOET
liefs of that wacky golf ideology. We stuck a folded umbrella into one of the golf bags and moseyed to the course. Gus balanced a small sphere on an oversized toothpick he had stuck into the ground and be- Dear County Agent Guy gan to perform his bizarre golf-related rituals. They involved a fanatical devotion to the correct arrangement of his hands on the club and endless deliberations regarding foot placement. There also seemed to be a requirement for getting oneself oriented in the right direction. By Jerry Nelson Gus hauled back, Columnist took a mighty swing and the ball disappeared. It soon rematerialized more than 100 yards away, bouncing on a strip of obsessively groomed grass. I looked at my old pal with a new sense of admiration. I had no idea he possessed such mystical powers. “Not bad,” Gus said nonchalantly. “It looks like the golf gods are in a good mood today.” Then it was my turn. My instinct was to gasp the driver like a baseball bat, toss the golf ball into the air and whack it. Gus said this would be blasphemous and would probably result in a bad lie. So, I did my best to imitate Gus. I hauled back and took a mighty swing at the tiny orb with Big Bertha. I quickly discovered there are some weird gravitational elds at the golf course. My ball whizzed off the tee, then took an abrupt right turn. The ball became hopelessly lost when it landed in the jungle of tall reeds that grew alongside a nearby creek. Gus suggested I try again. My second effort was better, if better could be dened as even deeper into those stupid reeds. Gus said we should simply go to the drop zone, which was located safely on the other side of the creek. Why hadn’t he mentioned that in the rst place and saved me all the aggravation? That was how the entire outing went. Gus would calmly vanish golf balls in his poised, Jedi master-like manner. Meanwhile, I frantically hacked at ball after ball, many of which were sucked off the course by the creek’s powerful gravitational eld. Gus cheerfully tried to instruct me, giving such mystifying advice as keep your head down and let the club do the work. None of his well-intentioned tutoring did anything to reduce my triple-digit score for the nine holes. I desperately wished it would rain and end my misery. Centuries from now, an archaeologist might excavate the creek bed. He might surmise that some primitive culture had worshipped the golf gods there, offering up small spherical sacrices with the names of major deities – Titleist, for example – embossed upon them. And he would be right. But he will never know about the incantations that were shouted as those sacrices were made. 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.
Many other farm products available. Visit www.polydome.com for more.
1-800-328-7659
• GORTER’S CLAY & DAIRY EQUIPMENT, INC. Pipestone, MN • 507-825-3271 • STEVE’S FEED Sleepy Eye, MN • 507-794-3831 • ROBERT FAUST Strawberry Point, IA • 563-933-6561 • SE MN SILO EQUIPMENT St. Charles, MN • 507-932-4560 • SHELDON FARMERS MARKET Sheldon, IA • 712-324-3721
" %
Need an Electrician? We Offer the Following Agricultural Services:
Barn Lighting, Sheds, Fans, Trenching, Irrigation, Homes & More!
.M. ELEC E.A Bob Meyer TRI B. Master Electrician, Owner Lic. #CA03435
• FARMERS CO-OP OF LAFAYETTE Lafayette, MN • 507-228-8224 • SIOUX NATION VET SUPPLY Marshall, MN • 507-532-3716 • FEDERATED CO-OPS Princeton, MN • 763-389-1567 • NEW ULM FEED STORE New Ulm, MN • 507-359-7500 • PIERZ CO-OP Pierz, MN • 320-468-6655 (Randy) • MICHAEL MACK Watertown, SD • 605-881-0365
!
• DAIRYLAND SUPPLY Sauk Centre, MN • 1-800-338-6455 • STEARNS VETERINARY OUTLET Melrose, MN • 1-800-996-3303 • FLOODWOOD FARM & FEED Floodwood, MN • 218-476-2233 • GERTKEN’S SALES Richmond, MN • 320-597-2207 • TESKE FARM SERVICE Avon, MN • 320-356-7211 • BJERGA FEED Motley, MN • 218-352-6383 or 6379
C
• AG VENTURE FEED & SEED Watkins, MN • 320-764-9910 • LINDELL SALES & SERVICE Cannon Falls, MN • 651-258-4311 • MCINTOSH DAIRY McIntosh, MN • 218-563-3740 • ADKINS EQUIPMENT Detroit Lakes, MN • 218-847-2079 • GALEN FICK Boyden, IA • 712-439-1359 • INWOOD HATCHERY Inwood, IA • 712-753-4736
www.polydome.com
E lectric Cell:
320-761-1042 Serving Central Minnesota
Fall-seeding small grains to boost forage inventory
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 31
Many parts of the Midwest faced moderate to severe drought this summer, leading to substandard hay growth and early corn silage harvest. Many of these areas received recent rains, but it is too late to impact total yields for hay and corn silage this harvest season, leaving some Something to Ruminate On farms scrambling to nd forage alternatives. With an early corn silage harvest, some may be able to use recent moisture for a fall cereal grain crop. Small grain forages, such as spring-planted oats or an oats-andpeas mix, have been a part of our forage inventories for decades, By Barry Visser but now we are also Nutritionist seeing more creative uses and applications of small grain forages. It is increasingly common to see oats planted mid-summer and harvested in the fall or winter triticale or winter rye planted in the fall and harvested the following spring. While there is nothing nutritionally unique about feeding small grain forages to lactating dairy cows, a few subtle nuances can help maximize small grain forage quality.
Soil fertility signicantly impacts forage quality Unlike its minor inuence on corn and alfalfa silage quality, soil fertility can have a rather dramatic effect on the crude protein, potassium and magnesium content of small grain forages. Small grain forages grown without adequate nitrogen fertility will often be 3 to 5 percentage units lower in crude protein as compared to small grain forages with adequate nitrogen fertility. In addition, small grain forages are annual grasses and are luxury consumers of potassium from the soil.
As such, small grain forages can be widely variable in potassium content, ranging from 1.5% to 3.5%. That variation becomes important if the small grain forage is going to be used in the prefresh diet because the potassium content affects the dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD). A similar situation is true for the magnesium content of small grain forages, which is dependent on the liming history and pH of the soil. Magnesium levels in small grain forages can range from 0.10% to 0.30%, depending on soil magnesium status. Cows fed transition diets low in magnesium are more susceptible to transition tetany. Because soil fertility can affect mineral content of small grain forages, sending samples to the laboratory for complete wet chemistry mineral analysis is always a good practice.
Maturity also plays key role The energy and ber content of small grain forages are highly variable and primarily dependent on the stage of maturity at harvest. The harvest stage is most often determined by the need to get the crop off the eld to allow a subsequent crop to be planted or developed. When small grain forages are harvested in the vegetative stages, it is not uncommon to observe forages with less than 45% neutral detergent ber (NDF). Similarly, winter triticale and rye harvested the following spring can have low NDF content. Small grain forages harvested in the vegetative stages with low NDF content are ideal candidates for lactating cow diets. Small grain forages also can be harvested after seed head emergence, and these forages will have NDF content similar to straw. Mature small grain forages will have NDF greater than 60% and make desirable dry cow and heifer feed. The quality of NDF in small grain forages is also highly variable and changes rapidly as plants mature. The uNDF240 content of small grain forages harvested at early maturities can be as low as 10% of dry matter but when harvested at mature stages, uNDF240 can rise to more than 30%
of dry matter. Likewise, the rates of NDF digestibility fall dramatically with advancing maturity. One exception to this maturity challenge with small grain forages is oats planted mid- to late-summer and harvested in the fall. Oats growing under conditions of diminishing day length develop very differently than oats planted in the spring and grown under conditions of expanding day length. Fall oats do not lignify to the same extent nor do they fully develop seed, resulting in very high sugar content (we have observed fall oats with greater than 15% sugars) and extremely high NDF digestibility potential. Find the right t It would be easier if we could say that one species of small grain forages is best for lactating cows and another species should be reserved for other animals. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Quality of these
Thi on top off a year with This, ih a wide array of weather challenges and field conditions, means that what works for one farm will not work for another. fforages varies i greatly l with i h soil il ffertility ili and d plant l maturity. This, on top of a year with a wide array of weather challenges and eld conditions, means that what works for one farm will not work for another. Work closely with your nutritionist to evaluate the quality of your forages, manage your inventories, and feed the forages that best t both your cropping system and your different groups of animals. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
GOT POOP?
FARM INFORMATION STATION Joe Gill • Farm Director
SERVING CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR OVER 50 YEARS Catch the Dairy Star’s Mark Klaphake with Joe Gill at 6:45 a.m. the 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month on KASM!
PO Box 160, Albany, MN • (320) 845-2184 • Fax (320) 845-2187
tfn
2 MILE FARMSTAR 8” DRAGLINE SYSTEM In Stock—Own for less than 7/10 Cent / Gallon!*
Attention Dairy/Poultry Farmers: We have Corn Cobs for Premium Bedding & Feed Fiber • Ground sized to your needs • Cobs dried & clean
Exremely Absorbant!
Other protein and fiber sources available!
GIVE RANDY A CALL TODAY
320-523-5120
www.beavercreektransport.com
BAZOOKA FARMSTAR HOSE REELS
BAZOOKA FARMSTAR BOOSTER PUMP
BAZOOKA FARMSTAR COULTER TOOLBAR
2-1810 with 1 mile each 8” TPU Supply
1-510 HP · 1-425 HP
1 Available
ARTEX SB600 MANURE SPREADER
NUHN LAGOON CRAWLER
HOULE MANURE TANK
Also Available In Stock
2-6” G&H Elite Drags • 2018 JT Boat, 817.6 Hours • 2014 JT Boat • 2019 Farmstar Model 1810 Reel w/Quantum Drive • 2019 Houle 52’ Agi-Pump (new) • 2014 Houle 52’ Agi-Pump (used) • 2-2021 Nuhn 58’ Lagoon Pumps w/Remote • 4-Bazooka Farmstar 10” Portable Loadstand • Used Farmstar Boom Trailer • 2013 Nuhn 8” Vertical PTO Pump • Artex Spreaders *Based on 10 million Lagoon - 5 yr term
www.komrosales.com
Being present Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
My mind has been a jumble of thoughts and ideas for this week’s article. There is so much to say, and yet, I struggle to nd the right words and images. In ve days, we lost our daughter-in-law, my uncle and my younger sister. John and Nancy’s deaths were blessings for they were struggling with health issues. The death of Sara was unexpected, shocking and tragic for someone so young. We have all been in a daze and dealing with grief in our own ways. Never have I been so thankful for the routine of milking and chores. We are up to 50 head and have hit a break in our calving schedule for a few weeks. Perfect timing to put up fourth crop hay and chop dry land corn silage. As we work our way down the barn, the pulsators keep a steady beat to the silence as we travel through our thoughts and memories, stopping to enjoy a moment never to happen again, but thank-
ful for the memory. An occasional deep exhale signals another step on our journey to healing. My mantra this year is, “Be present in the moment.” My image of this goal was to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets with more purpose and awe. To savor time playing with our grandchildren in laughter, tickles and giggles. To treasure having family gathered around a table together. I have since discovered it also means to stand in silence and just wait, to pause and be present. While I’m celebrating the joys, my mind wants to linger and stay put. While I’m in the middle of grief and sorrow, my mind wants to race or skip through this section and start working on the next step, asking questions that need answers – anything that will move me out of the present moment. Kind of like skipping liver and onions for dinner and heading straight for the peach pie for dessert.
²µÇ¶ÃźĶ¾¶¿Å
Productive Lactations ³ÐÒÔÙ Ìß µÝä#Àõ By John Champagne, D.V.M., M.P.V.M. Cattle Technical Services Merck Animal Health
Proper use of core-antigen vaccination has a tremendous impact on udder health in the next lactation. More than 50% of clinical coliform mastitis cases that ÚÎÎàÝ ÔÙ ßÓÐ öÝÞß ^]] ÏÌäÞ ÔÙ ØÔ×Ö ÚÝÔÒÔÙÌßÐ ÏàÝÔÙÒ ßÓÐ dry period.1 That’s why a core-antigen vaccine like Bovilis® »#b ÞÓÚà×Ï ÍÐ ÒÔáÐÙ Ìß ÏÝä#Úõ Core-antigen vaccines help a dairy cow’s immune system recognize coliform bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), when they invade the udder. ÅÓÐ ÍÐÙÐößÞ ÚÑ áÌÎÎÔÙÌßÔÚÙ Vaccine which occur by enhancing endotoxin the cow’s immune response, levels correlate can include reductions in mastitis severity, milk loss, with safety, pregnancy loss, culling and ÙÚß ÐøÎÌÎä death associated with E. coli infections.
damage to the udder. This reduces the potential for systemic disease. Core-antigen vaccines contain levels of endotoxins, which can be the result of the manufacturing process. That’s why it’s so important to evaluate the amount of endotoxin present when selecting a vaccine. Bovilis J-5 is a Gram-negative core-antigen vaccine that’s ÑÚÝØà×ÌßÐÏ ßÚ ÛÝÚáÔÏÐ ÌÏÐÜàÌßÐ ÌÙßÔÒÐÙ ÐãÛÚÞàÝÐ ÑÚÝ ÌÙ ÐõÐÎßÔáÐ ÌÙßÔÍÚÏä ÔØØàÙÐ ÝÐÞÛÚÙÞÐ âÓÔ×Ð minimizing the potential adverse endotoxin loading associated with vaccine endotoxin levels. ÄßàÏÔÐÞ ÞÓÚâ ³ÚáÔ×ÔÞ »#b ÓÌÞ ÙÚ ÙÐÒÌßÔáÐ ÐõÐÎß ÚÙ ØÔ×Ö production.2 And when compared to similar products, ³ÚáÔ×ÔÞ »#b ÓÌÏ ßÓÐ ×ÚâÐÞß ÐÙÏÚßÚãÔÙ ×ÐáÐ×Þ (¶Æ*ؽ) ÛÐÝ ÍÚßß×Ð Ôß ÔÞ ^b ßÔØÐÞ ×ÚâÐÝ ßÓÌÙ ßÓÐ Æ Ä ÁÓÌÝØÌÎÚÛÐÔÌ recommendation.3 Reducing E. coli mastitis with Bovilis J-5 It is important to note that vaccine endotoxin levels ÎÚÝÝÐ×ÌßÐ âÔßÓ ÞÌÑÐßä ÙÚß ÐøÎÌÎä ÃÐÞÐÌÝÎÓ ÚÙ ÐøÎÌÎä found the use of Bovilis J-5 reduced the rate of clinical coliform mastitis 2.4-fold compared with the use of ¶ÙáÔÝÌÎÚÝ® »#b ÏàÝÔÙÒ ßÓÐ öÝÞß ^]] ÏÌäÞ ÚÑ ×ÌÎßÌßÔÚÙ 2
Why vaccination works In the udder, Gram-negative coliform bacteria can reproduce rapidly with each bacterium containing ÐÙÏÚßÚãÔÙ âÔßÓÔÙ ßÓÐÔÝ ÎÐ×× âÌ××Þ ¶ÙÏÚßÚãÔÙ ÎÌÙ ÛÝÚÏàÎÐ Ì ÎÌÞÎÌÏÐ ÚÑ ÏÐßÝÔØÐÙßÌ× ÔÙ÷ÌØØÌßÚÝä ÝÐÞÛÚÙÞÐÞ ÔÙ ßÓÐ ÃÌßÐÞ ÚÑ Î×ÔÙÔÎÌ× ÎÚ×ÔÑÚÝØ ØÌÞßÔßÔÞ âÐÝÐ ÓÔÒÓÐÝ ÔÙ ßÓÔÝÏ# ÌÙÏ ÑÚàÝßÓ#×ÌÎßÌßÔÚÙ ÎÚâÞ ÎÚØÛÌÝÐÏ âÔßÓ öÝÞß# ÌÙÏ ÎÚâ ÅÓÐ ÌÍÔ×Ôßä ÚÑ ßÓÐ ÎÚâ Þ ÔØØàÙÐ ÞäÞßÐØ ßÚ ÜàÔÎÖ×ä second-lactation recognize, destroy cows.2 While not and remove ® ® ® ® BOVILIS J-5 ENDOVAC-DAIRY ENVIRACOR J-5 J-VAC restricted to older these bacteria cows, the greatest Û×ÌäÞ Ì ÞÔÒÙÔöÎÌÙß Dose 5 mL 2 mL 5 mL 2 mL ÏÔõÐÝÐÙÎÐ ÔÙ role in reducing ³ÚáÔ×ÔÞ »#b ÐøÎÌÎä the negative Mean EU/mL* 44a 85,156b 5,936c 351,636d over that of outcomes from a ¶ÙáÔÝÌÎÚÝ »#b a,b,c,d coliform bacteria ¾ÐÌÙÞ âÔßÓ ÏÔõÐÝÐÙß ÞàÛÐÝÞÎÝÔÛßÞ ÏÔõÐÝ (Á~] ]b) was in cows that infection. ÓÌáÐ ÎÌ×áÐÏ Ìß ×ÐÌÞß ßâÔÎÐ ÅÓÔÞ ÔÞ ÞÔÒÙÔöÎÌÙß ÍÐÎÌàÞÐ Vaccination increases antibody numbers. Therefore Ú×ÏÐÝ ÎÚâÞ ÏàÝÔÙÒ ßÓÐ öÝÞß ØÚÙßÓÞ ÚÑ ×ÌÎßÌßÔÚÙ ÌÝÐ Ìß the cow’s immune system is better able to destroy and greatest risk to clinical coliform mastitis remove these bacteria before they cause further local s.4 caused by E. coli and Klebsiella species.
I’m discovering I don’t need to camp out in sorrow and sadness, but that I must linger and be present for the moment before I move forward. For when we come out on the other side of this long, dark valley, we can celebrate Just Thinking Out Loud the joys of life and the special moments with a renewed appetite. For some reason, I’ve been thinking about Noah’s Ark quite a bit lately. It certainly isn’t because we have had so much extra rain. We all know Noah survived 40 days and 40 nights of rain, but we forget that By Natalie Schmitt isn’t the end of the stoColumnist ry. Once the rains stop, Noah had to wait for the waters to recede revealing dry land once again. There was no rushing through this process or journey. Noah just had to wait and be present. When it was all over, God promised Noah to never ood the world again. A sign of his promise was a rainbow. Warm, soft gentle rains have nally found our farm in the past few days. A little late for the crops but much needed to restore the land and our souls. I mix and ll the calf bottles outside in the rain. Out of the blue, a tidal wave of emotions and tears roll over me, catching me off guard. Tears and rain drops drip off my chin. Then as quickly as it came, it subsides and I nd myself drifting between sorrow and glimpses of joy in the blessings of having these special people in our family. As I pull my wagon lled with calf bottles and grain to the domes, I realize it has stopped raining. I look back to the barn and lose it. Here, a perfectly full and bright rainbow touching down just behind the barn arching to the back side of the house where we hosted Michael and Sara’s wedding rehearsal dinner two years ago; two places where Sara left her heart. The outpouring of prayers these last few weeks have surrounded us like a family quilt on a snowy day – full of comfort, warmth and love. I don’t know where I found this interpretation of a prayer, but it has hit close to home. “Prayer doesn’t only happen when we kneel or put our hands together focusing on things we expect from God. Prayers are thinking positive and wishing good for others. When you hug a friend. That’s a prayer. When you cook something to nourish family and friends. That’s a prayer. When we send off our loved ones saying, ‘Drive safely,’ or, ‘Be safe,’ that is a prayer. When we forgive someone that is prayer. Prayer is a vibration, a feeling, a thought, an action. Prayer is the voice of love, friendship and genuine relationships. Prayers are an expression of our silent being. Keep praying always.” Thank you for all of your prayers and hugs for our families. We are so blessed to be present in this moment together. As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.
DO YOU HAVE AN UPCOMING AUCTION? Advertise It In The
DAIRY ST T★R
Call (320) 352-6303 for more information. ormatio IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION This product contains oil adjuvant. In the event of accidental self-injection, seek medical attention immediately. For additional information, see the product label.
Supplies available at
^ ³ÝÌÏ×Ðä »² ¸ÝÐÐÙ ¾» ² ÞßàÏä ÚÑ ßÓÐ ÔÙÎÔÏÐÙÎÐ ÌÙÏ ÞÔÒÙÔöÎÌÙÎÐ ÚÑ ÔÙßÝÌØÌØØÌÝä ÐÙßÐÝÚÍÌÎßÐÝÔÌ× ÔÙÑÐÎßÔÚÙÞ ÌÎÜàÔÝÐÏ ÏàÝÔÙÒ ßÓÐ dry period. J. Dairy Sci. 2000:83(9):1957-1965. _ ·ÔÐ×Ï ßÝÔÌ× ßÚ ÎÚØÛÌÝÐ ÐøÎÌÎä ÚÑ ³ÚáÔ×ÔÞ »#b ÌÙÏ ¶ÙáÔÝÌÎÚÝ »#b áÌÎÎÔÙÐÞ ÌÒÌÔÙÞß Î×ÔÙÔÎÌ× ÎÚ×ÔÑÚÝØ ØÌÞßÔßÔÞ ÏàÝÔÙÒ ÐÌÝ×ä ×ÌÎßÌßÔÚÙ Merck Animal Health technical bulletin, 2020. 3. Comparison of endotoxin concentrations in Bovilis J-5 with those in three commercially available Gram-negative, lipopolysaccharide core-antigen vaccines. Merck Animal Health technical bulletin, 2020. a ¹ÚÒÌÙ »Ä ÄØÔßÓ ¼½ ÅÚÏÓàÙßÐÝ µ² ÄÎÓÚÐÙÍÐÝÒÐÝ ÁÄ ·ÔÐ×Ï ßÝÔÌ× ßÚ ÏÐßÐÝØÔÙÐ ÐøÎÌÎä ÚÑ ÌÙ E. coli J5 mastitis vaccine. J. Dairy Sci. 1992;75:78-84. ©2021 Intervet Inc., d/b/a Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.
To learn more, more contact your veterinarian and visit BovilisJ5.com.
NO insulators EVER required!
complete Fencing, LLC 234981 Cty. Rd. H, Edgar, WI 54426 715-352-3599
Two good shoulders
A few weeks ago, Dan bumped into me in the milk house. “Whoops. Is that your bad shoulder?” he immediately asked. “Nope,” I replied. “I don’t have a bad shoulder anymore.” After almost two years with a shoulder injury, saying those words out loud gives me all the feels. And now that I’m on the other side, I have a great appreciation for all the lessons I learned during recovery. Dairy Good Life The most important lesson I learned was the importance of having concrete goals. Shortly after my rotator cuff tears and frozen shoulder were diagnosed, I read a study that said most patients diagnosed with frozen shoulder only regain 80% of their shoulder function. I was horried. Glen said, “Hey, 80% is better than none.” But 80% was not acceptable to me. I wanted full use of my shoulder. When my new physical therapist asked me what my goals for my shoulder were, I replied without hesitation: “Carry a milker with my left hand. Do a cartwheel. And swim front crawl.” The second lesson I learned is that the barn is the By Sadie Frericks best place for physical therapy. Columnist Early in the rst December after the attack, I fell a couple times on the ice and took a couple kicks from cows that jarred my shoulder. Each of those jars sent me backward both in physical therapy and psychologically. One of my care providers suggested I take a break from barn chores for a couple months to allow my shoulder to heal. Willing to do anything to help my shoulder, I agreed. Two months later, my shoulder recovery had progressed a little, but I was mentally done with staying out of the barn. I returned to milking and decided to use milking as my physical therapy. I started out using my right hand to hold my left arm up enough to prep cows. Every time I reached up to pull the cane out of the pipeline with my right hand, I reached up as far as I could with my left hand. It wasn’t long before I could reach the pipeline. Then, I started pushing against the pipeline to build strength. I kept looking for ways to stretch and strengthen my shoulder while milking. Due to the sheer number of repetitions of each exercise I did, my shoulder strength and mobility began improving by leaps and bounds. About that time, my physical therapy appointments were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, because my injury was not considered critical. I continued with my barn physical therapy and the progress kept coming. Small victories, like being able to reach behind my back to put my dipper back in its holster, turned into big victories: rst, being able to carry a milker again with my left arm, and then being able to lift it up to the pipeline. The third lesson I learned – do your own research – played an important role during this time as well. I did a ton of Googling and reading about shoulder function, shoulder injuries and recovery strategies. I researched – and tried – dozens of different therapies: passive stretching, assisted stretching, isometric strengthening, traditional strengthening, acupuncture, massage therapy, heat therapy, infrared light therapy, injections, prescription NSAIDs, CBD oil, etc. Several months into recovery, I developed new pain in the front of my shoulder that radiated down into my bicep. Googling led me to an answer and a solution: trigger point therapy. Trigger point therapy turned out to be one of the most useful modalities I tried. For me, understanding what was wrong and nding solutions were important parts of my recovery. The last lessons might be the most important: Be patient. Be brave. Keep trying. Some things in life can’t be rushed. Shoulder injury recovery denitely falls into that category. When I felt strong enough this spring to try swimming front crawl, I started with 25 yards of front crawl at a time. Research suggested swimming until pain grew to a 3 (out of 10 on the pain scale) then stopping for that session. It took a lot of patience to work back up to crawling a half-mile. When I felt strong enough to try doing a cartwheel again, I summoned up all of my bravery. There was no way to ease into doing a cartwheel again. I had been doing handstands again, but they’re not the same as the impact and one-arm support needed for a cartwheel. I reminded myself that the worst that would happen is I would fall on my head. I took a deep breath, gave it a try, and I did it. Without pain. The feeling of victory in that moment was incredible. Two weeks ago, I completed my second triathlon of the season. I swam, biked, and ran without any pain. Two years ago, when I had to withdraw from the race due to my injuries, I thought racing again might never happen. Many times during recovery, I thought the same thing. At one point, I tried to convince myself I would be OK if I never swam front crawl again or did a cartwheel again. But deep down, I knew I had to keep trying. I couldn’t give up on my goals. Whatever your goals are, be patient, be brave, and keep trying. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children – Dan, 13, Monika, 11, and Daphne, 7. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.
COW SAVER! Cows Can Be Safe On Concrete
HELP!
Call Smith’s before I break my leg or something!
Scabbling makes grooves in your concrete 2” wide and 3/16” deep so your cows ALWAYS have traction.
REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Smith’s of Wisconsin
Serving the Midwest over 30 yrs.
1-800-525-9364
Sign up for our Newsletter
Dairy St r Milk Break Email maria.b@dairystar.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 33
PREMIUM PRODUCTS BACKED BY SUPERIOR SUPPORT
‘21 VOLVO L70H
wheel loader, Long boom, heat/AC, bucket, joystick ctrls.
Call
‘20 VOLVO L90H wheel loader, 788 hrs., heat/AC, bucket
Call
‘20 VOLVO L30GS compact loader, heat/AC, bucket
Call
800-289-6225 www.transourceusa.com
Sioux Falls, SD • Rapid City, SD • Aberdeen, SD • Sioux City, IA
&,"9 /-3,!9 ""!9
8 9 3 %/9 . &27 &$%9 -&123/"9 -/, 8 9 3))9 &/ )" "1&$,9 ++"/ &)* 8 13& K9 % ,$"93 /"", //& $" 8 -,4"7-/ 36&)& /7 9 &1 % /$"
8 -!")195&2%993.92-9 9 3 %/9 . '27 8 %&)*9 129 8 3$"/ 9 -,4"7-/ 9-/9 36&)& /79 &1 % /$" 8 7, +( ))79 ) , "!
9 & +"2"/9 -))1 8 ,!3120 )" !&,$9 &#"/",2& )9 /&4"9 .2&-, 8 /79 9 &$%9 -&123/"9 -))&,$
Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
An opportunity for the family
Gruenes couple expands dairy business with Twin Spruce Farm North By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
PERHAM, Minn. – Several years ago, Arnie Gruenes saw an opportunity he could not pass on. That opportunity – a soon-to-be vacant dairy farm in the northeast quadrant of East Otter Tail County – has allowed Gruenes to expand his family’s dairy business and further incorporate four grown children in to the family operation. “We’ve got a family and more mouths to feed,” Arnie said. “This place gave us an opportunity to double our operation
without adding a new calving facility.” Arnie and Kris Gruenes went live with the new venture in September 2020, where they milk 1,300 cows at Twin Spruce Farm North near Perham. The site, three 6-row freestall barns and a double-24 parallel parlor, is a compliment to the Gruenes family’s 1,400-cow dairy, Twin Spruce Farm South, in Stearns County near Richmond. “This facility basically milks cows, breeds cows, dries them up and sends them back home,” Arnie said. “This place makes milk.” First- and second-lactation animals are housed and milked at the northern farm site. Cows calve at the home site and then spend 15-20 days in a fresh cow pen before being transported two hours north for the remainder of their lactation. “We bring a semi-load of
JENNIFER COYNE /DAIRY STAR
First and second lactaƟon cows are housed in one of three 6-row freestall barns on the farm near Perham, Minnesota. The barns were updated with an improved venƟlaƟon system.
JENNIFER COYNE /DAIRY STAR
Arnie and Kris Gruenes milk 1,300 cows at Twin Spruce Farm North in East OƩer Tail County near Perham, Minnesota. The Gruenes couple purchased and renovated the farm to compliment their 1,400 cow dairy, Twin Spruce Farm South, in Stearns County near Richmond, Minnesota. cows up and take a semi-load of dry cows back,” Arnie said. “It’s efcient that way.” The Gruenes family works with area crop farmers to provide all the feed for the milking herd. “In the fall of 2018, we started putting silage here,” Kris said. “We didn’t have possession yet, but we had to have feed here before we could bring cows in.” After a slight hiccup that set back the timeline for when the Gruenes couple could take
possession of the property, Twin Spruce Farm North came to be in November 2019. Two months later, the family began reconstructing the facilities to meet their needs. Arnie and a crew of 10 family members and employees spent the following 10 months at the Perham site. “At one time, there were four of my boys up here working on projects. It’s a family operation,” Arnie said. “By the end of fall, it
was all up and running. I got to go home for Christmas.” During that period of construction, the three barns were brought down to near studs and rebuilt. Not only were the facilities worn, but Mother Nature collapsed the roof over the holding pen and parlor. The stalls, scraper alleys and frame of the buildings were left untouched, but the Gruenes fam-
Turn to GRUENES | Page 35
NH BR7060 4x5 baler, only 4,400 bales, net and twine $ 21,500
NH C227 Track Loader 2017, cab, recent tracks and drive sprockets $ 39,500
H&S 22’ Forage Box front and rear unload, H&S 622 tandem gear with 425 truck tires CALL
H&S 7+4 Forage Box twin auger discharge, H&S tandem gear, good rubber $ 8,500
NH L220 620 hours, cab, air, heat, 2-speed, hydraulic QT $ 34,500
Case 420 Series 3 Skid Steer 2,300 hours, hydraulic QT, 2010 model
John Deere 240 Skid Steer 2,685 hours
H&S 430 Box Spreader float tires, 2008 model
Arts Way 9016 Silage Dump Cart brand new and ready to haul feed! CALL
Meyer F470 twin screw mixer, 2015 model, front conveyor $ 18,500
$
17,250
$
13,500
920-897-4035
$
9,850
Coleman, WI
www. beavermachineinc .com
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 35
ConƟnued from GRUENES | Page 34
Seven Oaks HD is an underground construction contractor specializing in Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) and Land Improvements
JENNIFER COYNE /DAIRY STAR
The Gruenes family uses a sand lane on their 1,300-cow dairy near Perham, Minnesota. This was one addiƟon the family made to the farm since purchasing the property in 2019. ily installed ventilation systems, including 20 exhaust fans at the end of each barn, a sand lane and were approved to build a manure lagoon. They laid over 5,500 yards of concrete and incorporated a receiving bay on the east end of the parlor. “The buildings, the farm, this site, everything … got a complete facelift of who the farm is,” Arnie said. “We wanted people to realize this is a farm owned by Arnie and Kris, Twin Spruce Farm.” Construction and expanding went according to plan despite the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and neighboring states’ dairy infrastructure being affected. “One of my scares was in the spring of 2020 when other plants were asking farms to scale back production,” Arnie said. “If we were asked to scale back when we were building, you could but you can’t. What was I going to do here?” Having experience serving as the general contractor for building projects at the home farm, Arnie was condent in moving forward with the second farm’s start up despite the massive undertaking. Kris was rst hesitant of the purchase because of the distance from the home farm but has since realized how it aligns near perfectly with the family’s goals for the future. “Distance is not a problem anymore. It’s become a short two-hour drive,” Kris said. “And honestly, we have four of our seven children wanting to actively come in to the business. We needed to do something.” Working alongside Arnie and Kris are their grown children in various capacities. Their oldest, Brian, is the crop manager. Arnie Jr. runs a pumping crew and chopper during harvest. Ashley helps with the hospital pen and fresh cows as well as the show string during that season; she also assists Kris with bookwork. The couple’s youngest, Andy, is a key equipment opera-
tor.
“With the amount of cows we milk, this gives us a better opportunity to involve the kids at a different level and sooner,” Arnie said. Arnie visits the Perham location once a week. There is a core group of employees who oversee the daily operations, including animal care and employee management. The family also relies greatly on Ed Keil, of Keil Farms, who they work with to grow feed. “When I came up here, that was one of the resources I was looking for. A way to source feed and a manure outlet,” Arnie said. “Ed’s been a great team player, and we’re fortunate to work with him.” Connecting with the community has been one of the Gruenes family’s most important objectives since purchasing this farm site. When the family came to the Perham area, they wanted to show people they were going to be a business that would contribute to the community in a positive way. They reached out to others, created relationships and built trust. “It took a bit to get the credibility of the community and the neighbors,” Arnie said. “There’s a lot more understanding, and we’ve earned our respect and reputation.” They recently hosted the East Otter Tail County Breakfast on the Farm, serving more than 1,600 people and giving tours of the dairy. “The community has been very welcoming with the dairy starting up again,” Kris said. With nearly a year under their belts at Twin Spruce Farm North, Arnie and Kris are looking forward to the opportunities that will arise from this venture for both the community and their family. “It’s a nice addition to our company,” Arnie said. “It’s very rewarding to see what we’ve put together, and it’s working well for us.”
BENEFITS OF USING DIRECTIONAL DRILLING INSTALLATION INCLUDE:
Ŷ Continuation of Normal Operation Ŷ Avoidance of identi¿ed Infrastructure Installation Ŷ Maintain Integrity of Driveway, Roadways, Buildings, and Natural Features Ŷ Little to No Disturbance to Wetlands or Other Sensitives Areas Ŷ Many Unique Installation Capabilities Vs. Open Cutting/ Digging (Entering under Buildings or Tanks) Ŷ Minimal Site Restoration
PRODUCT INSTALLATION Ŷ Gas Lines Ŷ Power Wire/ Lines Ŷ Communication/ Fiber Optic Ŷ Water Lines/Water Mains Ŷ Drainage/ Tile Lines Ŷ Forced/ On Grade Sewer Ŷ Manure Transfer Lines
Land Improvements Drain Tile Design/ Installation Ditch Cleaning & Grading • Fenceline Clearing
Changing weather and higher inputs got you down? Using Drain Tile to manage excess moisture in the soil pro¿le is the foundation for increasing pro¿tability per acre.
GEA manure transfer systems are built farm tough You farm tough and so do our pumps. Our complete range of manure transfer systems is able to agitate and pump material quickly and reliably from any type of storage. Your Local GEA Manure Equipment Dealer
- Less compaction - Better soil Structure - Allows more days per year for ¿eld operations - More Yields with same or less inputs
Call Us to Discuss Your Project Now!
920-450-2844 Jon Lamers 920-378-5163 www.SevenOaksTeam.com Chad Van Asten
Field’s 1310 Springdale Street Mount Horeb, WI. 53572 IQVQƂGNFU EQO
Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
Women In Dairy
Ashley Hoheisel Holland, Minnesota Pipestone County 900 cows Family: My husband, Justin, and I have three children: Kolton, 7, and twins Lincoln and Everly, 3.5. Tell us about your farm. My husband and I along with my parents, Mike and Lisa Zeinstra, milk around 900 cows on a third-generation farm. We also farm around 1,000 acres of corn and alfalfa in addition to raising our youngstock. I handle the accounting, human resources and ll in wherever they might need help whether it be calf chores or eldwork. What is the busiest time of day for you? The busiest time of the day for me is usually in the morning when I am juggling caring for the kids and helping with whatever tasks need to be done for the day. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I love going to the lake and riding on the pontoon with my family during the summer. I also enjoy shopping, attending my kids’ activities, exercising, playing cards, and socializing with my family and friends. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. My most memorable experience is when Kolton and I were able to give a virtual tour of our farm to his kindergarten class. I loved seeing the knowledge he had and was able to share with his classmates. He was so excited and eager to explain how everything worked. We were also able to capture a new calf being born. This was a highlight for many of the classmates because many of them had never been to a farm. Kolton was overjoyed to be able to share this amazing experience with them. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I enjoy being able to raise my children on the family farm that has been passed down from my grandparents. We are able teach them about hard work, responsibility and taking care of God’s creation. I also enjoy the exibility it allows us by being our own boss.
Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My grandma, Marie, has inspired me because she always works hard without complaining. No matter the situation, she is always willing to step in and help. Not only did she milk on the farm each day, but she took care of her family and home and made meals each day all with a smile on her face. She always nds the right balance of work and taking time to enjoy life.
How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I stayed connected to the dairy industry through social media via a dairy women Facebook group and If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, Instagram. This allows me to connect to others when it works for my schedule. who would it be? I would like to give a tour to any famous social inuencer so they can understand and explain to their followers who trust them how much we care for our animals and the land. There are so many misconceptions in the agricultural industry. I would like to show them the hard work and time we dedicate to our animals. I would also like to explain to them all the benets that are involved with dairy consumption and how healthy it really is for them.
GEARBOX DRIVEN
THE MOST POWERFUL BLOWER ON THE MARKET! V59 1000 RPM • 1 In stock
What is the best vacation you have ever taken? The best vacation I have taken is our annual trip to Lake Minnewaska with my extended family for 20 years. As a child, I loved getting to see my cousins and spend time with them. I now have the privilege of getting to see my own children enjoy the same thing. What are some words you like to live by? “Life itself is a privilege. But to live life to the fullest, well, that is a choice,” Andy Andrews.
(availability may change)
Target Your Customers! The Dairy Star is sent only to DAIRY FARMERS!
If you would like to advertise in the DAIRY STAR, call 320-352-6303 for more information.
EXFOLIOATE, CONDITION, REPEAT. You don’t need iodine to keep teats healthy. Chlorine Dioxide dips from AgroChem keep cows happy with our powerful dual germicide teat dips with rich emollient packages!
XT Pre/Post
XT 22C
• Rich skin conditioning and 12% emollient package including lanolin, glycerin and propylene glycol • Solution remains active, with high levels of CL02, for multiple days • Bright Green marking readily identifies dipped, sprayed or foamed teats • One product for pre and post dipping
• Premium emollient system that contains • Lanolin, Glycerin, and Propylene Glycol for ideal post-milking skin conditioning • Highly concentrated formula of 1:1:20 provides a cost effective pre and post-dip solution • Economical alternative to iodine, post-dip • Can be used as a spray, dip or foam.
XT Ultra Concentrate
XT Barrier
• Highly concentrated formula provides а cost effective pre-dip solution • Contains 2-way emollient system including lanolin and glycerin • Surfactants thoroughly cleans teats • Саn be used as а spray, dip or foam
• Forms a physical barrier on teat skin to physically block pathogens. • Barrier film is easily removed with standard pre-dips. • Rich skin conditioning and 12% emollient system.
Automatic teat blending systems available.
518-226-4850 sales@agrocheminc.com agrocheminc.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 37
Passing the butter knife Christensen retires after 50 years of sculpting By Sarah Colburn Contributing Writer
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Linda Christensen’s typical attire at the Minnesota State Fair includes her 20-below-zero REI long underwear, heavy men’s shoes, wool socks and dishwashing gloves. That is because for the past 49 years, Christensen has spent most of her time at the 12-day event in the rotating butter booth in the Dairy Building sculpting Princess Kay of the Milky Way and the nalists out of 90-pound blocks of butter. This year – her 50th year carving – will be her last. The veteran artist handed over duties to incoming sculptor, Gerry Kulzer, in a ceremony Aug. 27 at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. “It’s been kind of part of my identity,” Christensen said. “I will probably need some Kleenexes nearby; I’m going to miss it.” Christensen began planning for her retirement in 2018, training Kulzer to take over. Last year he carved the butterheads himself during COVID-19 restrictions because Christensen was not able to travel from her home in Oceanside, California; however, Christensen joined by video call to add her expertise while Kulzer carved. During the last ve decades, the now 79-year-old has carved 557 sculptures and more than 41,000 pounds of butter just for the fair. In addition to winter-type wear while at the state fair, Christensen tops her outt with rain gear before entering the booth. “Because … butter,” she said. Over the years, Christensen has perfected her sculpting routine. She works in hour-at-a-time intervals, carving and chipping away at solid blocks of butter, bringing them to life with each artful swipe of her clay-molding tools. She forms eyes, captures the ringlet curls of hair and denes the arch of the nose. Christensen carries on a casual conversation with each princess as she carves. She learns about their lives, their chores, their families and the dairy industry as she recreates their image. “I have a post-graduate degree in theoretical dairy farming,” Christensen said jokingly. “I’m in that booth for six hours, and we have nothing better to do than talk with one another. The (princesses) are really invested in representing the dairy industry. I knew dairy farmers worked hard, but I had no idea how hard they worked and how they’re married to the animals they care for.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
A dairy princess who competed for the Ɵtle of Princess Kay in 1992 takes her turn in the buƩer booth as sculptor Linda Christensen starts the carving process.
As the women talk, pose and sculpt, an ever-growing crowd on the other side of the see-through booth forms. Occasionally, the booth falls silent as Christensen concentrates on a specic detail. Sometimes, she has been known to have to wake a princess up who has fallen asleep in the cozy warmth of her winter gear as she is being sculpted. “The challenge is to nish a sculpture that looks like someone in one day,” Christensen said. “I really have had to learn to pace myself and get that thing done. The other challenge is staying warm.” She begins her day at 9 a.m., nishing about 5 p.m. while taking breaks for lunch, the parade and news media interviews. As Christensen steps out of the 40-degree cooler, the remains of her medium slip off her outwear, melting as she heads outside in the August swelter. She trades out her men’s oversized shoes for her sandals and steps outside behind the dairy building to relish in the heat coming off the hood of the cars – holding her hands over them to warm. “My metabolism is so confused at the end of the fair,” she said. Christensen has been doing the job long enough that she has carved mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, and portions of families. This includes Sarah (Olson) Schmidt, who served as the 49th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Schmidt’s mother has her 2002 butterhead in the deep freeze in Hutchinson, Minnesota, along with the butter sculptures of her two other daughters, Lana (Olson) Beckard, a 2005 nalist; and Elizabeth (Olson) Hall, the 56th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. For Schmidt, the world of butter has come full circle. She now serves as the vice president of public affairs for AMPI, the dairy cooperative that has supplied the butter for the carvings since 1993. In her position, she had the honor of inviting Christensen to the co-op for a tour to celebrate her 40th year of carving and to see where the butter blocks originate. For the celebration, Schmidt put her butterhead on display along with a sculpture of another princess. Christensen did her tour and immediately asked if she could make repairs to Schmidt’s aging form. “She said, ‘Do you have a knife? Then she gave me a face lift,” Schmidt said. Schmidt said that conversation with Christensen all those decades ago stuck with her and the bond they have will remain forever. “She absolutely is to be credited for the iconic status of the butterheads,” Schmidt said. “(They) capture people’s interest and attention, and then we can talk about how dairy farmers care for the land and care for their cows and start the conversation.” Christensen’s work is so well known she can go to the furthest end of the state in the smallest town and someone will tell her she once carved a cousin of theirs. Her work has gained so much notoriety she once carved a 300-pound block of white chocolate into the likeness of Conan O’Brien after he said he would come to the Minnesota State Fair if they would give him his weight in chocolate-covered bacon. Christensen obliged and carved him out of chocolate and topped the sculpture with bacon for the hair. The time she has spent with them, she said, has made her invested in the agriculture industry across the state. “These are not beauty queens,” Christensen said. “These are kids who got up at 6 o’clock and did barn chores before they took the bus to school.” Through the decades, the career aspirations of these women have changed along with the dairy industry. When Christensen rst began in the 1970s, she said some planned to be nurses or elementary teachers. In the 1980s, Christensen saw the princesses become interested in communications. In the 1990s she began to
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Amy Kyllo, 66th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, smiles as Linda Christensen sculpts Kyllo’s buƩerhead during the rst day of the 2019 Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Minnesota. hear about more women who wanted to stay on the farm and go into animal science or other majors, like agricultural communications, that would keep them in the dairy community. In more recent years, she has seen women with an interest in agricultural technology. They talk to her about global positioning systems used to track crop production and robotic milking systems. “They’re staying in the industry, women farmers,” she said. “I just love it.” Through the years, Christensen has supported herself as an artist. She has done other butter commissions as well as calligraphy work and small wooden sculp-
tures that were reproduced. Christensen also founded a card line called “The Elderberries,” which has sold everywhere from the New York National Stationery Show to the Yosemite Park Gift Shop and several places in California. She has also taught calligraphy, sculpture and drawing classes. “There’s been a few times in my life where I’ve had to redene myself,” she said. Each time Christensen redenes though, the butter and the Minnesota State Fair have remained, and that sentiment will continue to hold true in retirement.
6$8. &(175( 01 3KRQH
ZZZ PPFMG FRP
2014, 1764 hrs., Kernel Processor, RWA, 3 Speed Transmission, Dohrman Inoculate System, Rear Weights, Guidance and Harvest Lab Ready
$
185,900
8800, 2018, 1064 Hrs, RWA ............................ $369,000 8800, 2018, 493 Hrs, RWA .................... Coming Soon! 8800, 2016, 1607 Hrs, RWA ............................ $304,900 8700, 2018, 715 Hrs, RWA .................... Coming Soon! 8600, 2016, 785 Hrs, RWA .............................. $359,000 8600, 2017, 849 Hrs, RWA .............................. $329,000 8600, 2015, 1197 Hrs, RWA ............................ $262,500 8500, 2017, 103 Hrs, RWA .............................. $429,000 8500, 2016, 862 Hrs, RWA ............................. $315,000 7780, 2014, 1270 Hrs, RWA ............................ $212,400 7780, 2014, 1973 Hrs, RWA ............................ $190,400 7580, 2014, 1764 Hrs, RWA ............................ $185,900 6810, 1992, 3999 Hrs, 2WD .............................. $38,400 New Holland FR850, 2013, 1500 Hrs, RWA..................................................... Coming Soon! All hours listed are “cutter hours”.
Call today for details on our Easy-Lease financing!
Other machines available for lease also. Subject to credit approval. Call for details.
Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
VersaHANDLER
Telescopic Tool Carriers
Financing for up to 48 months 0% or up to $5,000 Cash Rebates on a VersaHANDLER V723 Telehandler AUTHORIZED BOBCAT DEALERS
IOWA
JP Scherrman, Inc. Farley • 563-744-3393
Pfeifer’s Implement Co. Sioux Falls • 605-338-6351
MINNESOTA
Reiser Implement, Inc. Waukon • 563-568-4526
Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Dassel • 320-275-2737
SOUTH DAKOTA
Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Long Prairie • 320-732-3715
Bobcat of Brookings, Inc. Brookings • 605-697-5544
Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. St. Cloud • 320-240-2085
Bobcat of Watertown Watertown • 605-886-5844
Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Willmar • 320-235-3672
Bobcat of Otter Tail County Fergus Falls • 218-739-4505
Ironhide Equipment Bemidji • 800-794-4660
Lano Equipment of Norwood Norwood Young America • 952-467-2181 Miller Sellner Slayton, LLC Slayton • 507-836-8571 Tri-State Bobcat Burnsville • 952-894-0894
K&L Bobcat, Inc Darlington • 608-776-4044 Komro Sales & Service Durand • 715-672-4263 Komro Sales & Service Whitehall • 715-538-1495
Tri-State Bobcat Little Canada • 651-407-3727
Miller Implement Co., Inc. St. Nazianz • 920-773-2800
WISCONSIN
Miller Implement Co., Inc. & Motorsports of Fond du Lac Fond du Lac • 920-922-8521
Carter & Gruenewald Co., Inc. Brooklyn • 608-455-2411 Carter & Gruenewald Co., Inc. Juda • 608-934-5201
Visit Bobcat.com/Offers or stop by today for details. *Offer ends 9/30/2021. Available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer’s current inventory. Must take delivery from dealer stock by 9/30/2021. Offers available on new equipment in US and Canada only. Some restrictions apply. Length of contract may vary. Prior purchases not eligible. See dealer for details. Financing provided on approval of credit by authorized Bobcat finance providers to well-qualified buyers. Not all customers will qualify for delayed payment promotion. Administrative fees may apply. Offer not available to government accounts, national accounts and municipal/utility bid customers. Non-commercial customers may not be eligible for low rate financing. Bobcat Company reserves the right to extend or discontinue any of these programs at any time without prior notice. Bobcat®, the Bobcat logo and the colors of the Bobcat machine are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries.
Tri-State Bobcat Hudson • 715-531-0801
Dairy prole
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Page 39
Rodney Metzger Lester, Iowa Lyon County 250 cows
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? The development of good cattle and seeing our herd’s genetics improve over the past 40 years. I also enjoy being my own boss and working with my family. A dairy farm is the best place to raise kids.
How did you get into farming? I joined our family’s operation when I graduated from high school in 1974. Dad was retiring, so the time seemed right. I have six sisters and eight brothers. Dad had formed a family corporation in 1963, so at the beginning, I was farming with six of my brothers. I gradually bought them out as they retired. My wife, Polly, and I, and our ve adult children – Emma Moser, Vance, Eric, Neil and Toby – operate the farm.
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Try to stay optimistic. Dairy farming has more ups and downs than ever. You have to be optimistic if you’re going to stay in it. What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? The 100 acres that are right beside the home place. The price was right and the land became a nearby source of feed and a place to apply manure.
What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? The biggest challenge we face is processing the milk we produce. We sell to a milk buyer that has a quota, so we can’t expand unless we obtain quota from another dairy.
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Just being able to make a living with a large family and having a cash ow every two weeks.
What is the latest technology you have implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? The boys have started to use the computer to track the exact cost of production. They know all of our costs down to the smallest item. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has benetted you? We went to bedding with separated manure solids that we buy from another dairy. It has saved us the time and the expense of baling and grinding corn stalks and bean stalks. What cost saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We did a lot more shopping for feed ingredi-
ents. We have gone from feeding soy meal to canola meal and now back to soy meal. We feed what we feel is the best buy. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? We are exible with our employees and let them set their work schedules. Most of our labor is provided by our family. They have a
great deal of interest in dairying and want to keep the farm going. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I have always been self-motivated, and my health has always been good.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and the next ve years? Dad built our dairy barn in 1963. If we want to stay in dairying, we are going to have to build something new. We are strongly considering building a robotic milking facility. We would have to stay at 250 cows, though. We wouldn’t be able to expand unless we bought production quota. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We just like being together as a family. We like to go out and eat with our children and our six grandchildren.
Appleton steel American made Appleton Ultra Pro Model Dairyman Classic Barn Model Dairyman Lite Barn Model
Appleton Ultra Pro Model
When you need it tough, reliable and American made...make it an Appleton! The Professional Choice
Call (920) 830-0277 Today!
AppletonSteel.com
Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 28, 2021
Used Kuhn Knight VT180, #4775
Used LuckNow 2350, #4413
Used Meyer F1015, #5057
Used NDE 1552, #5502
Used NDE 704, #4791
$17,800
$19,900
Used Patz 350, #5350
Used Patz 420, #5440
Used Patz 420, #5287
Used Patz 420, #5181
Used Patz 420, #5275
Used Patz 420, #5441
$19,900
$24,900
Used Patz 500, #5272
Used Patz 500, #5024
Used Patz 500, #2633
Used Patz 500, #5264
Used Patz 615, #5086
Used Patz 615, #3356
Used Patz V420, #4900
Used Patz V500, #3346
Used Patz V615, #4470
Used Patz V615, #4375
Used Patz V615, #4155
Used Patz V620, #4730
Used Patz V950, #4773
Used Penta 3010, #4382
Used Penta 6020SD, #5165
Used Rotomix 475, #4614
Used Trioliet 2000 ZKT Series 08, #4567 - $28,900
Used Valmetal V-Mix 575, #3750
$29,905
$15,500
$22,900
$15,900
$38,900
$15,900
$19,900
$17,900
$25,900
$15,800
$44,900
$17,500
$27,900
$23,900
$22,900
$19,900
$26,500
$26,900
$14,900
Used Patz 200, #5439
$11,900
$21,900
$27,900
$22,900
$28,900
$16,900
Salesmen: Shawn Martin (608) 778-4554 or Joe Ryan (608) 778-2900
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI
Office: (608) 348-9401 or Toll Free: 1(888) BUY-Patz www.steinhartsfarmservice.com
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI