Turn to GAR-LIN | Page 7 to host a Gar-Linconcert?”Dairy milks 1,700 cows in a 50-stall
systems on their dairy farm in Hennepin County near Rogers. Cows rst went through the robots July 13, 2021.
Bryan to get down with dairy
By Grace Jeurissen grace.j@star-pub.com
LOOK INSIDE FOR OUR WORLD DAIRY EXPO PREVIEW EDITION!PREVIEW
a priority to be community supporters. They are involved in a variety of local, state and
pen, with a special needs pen to the west of one robot room. The special needs pen is strategically placed for cows to enter a robot and circle back into their pen, Scherber said.
The milking robots are the family’s latest investment to modernize their dairy.
“It took us a long time to build this barn and put in the robots, but my dad really wanted everything right,” Scherber said. “He envisioned this farm for the future and how it could stay a family farm here. I got pretty lucky with the dad I have.”
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DAIRY ST R September 10, 2022Volume 24, No. 14 “All dairy, all the time”™
Automation clears way for more opportunities for family
Across the feed alley are three pens for dry and fresh cows – far-off, close-up and a maternity area.
The Gar-Lin Dairy team – (front, from le ) Lora Allen, Mary Liebenstein, Linda Allen and Dana Allen-Tully; (back, from le ) Ma Johnson, Dean Allen, Vincent Migilazzo, Gary Allen and Jim Tully – hosted the Olmsted County Breakfast on the Farm this year. They will be hos ng country music superstar, Luke Bryan, Sept. 24.
“There are different ways of farming that works for each family with the land availability, systems and routines dictating a lot of it,” Scherber said. “I’ve always wanted to dairy farm, and robots allow me to do that but also focus on my other dreams. Sure, it comes with challenges but, for us, robots were the way to go.”Scherber and her parents –John and Staci – milk 110 cows with two Lely A5 robotic milking
feet wide and 192 feet long, with only a 12-foot feed alley. Each stalled pen contains automatic alleyOnscrapers.thesouth side of the barn, the milking herd is housed in one
JENNIFER COYNE /DAIRY STAR
“I was in disbelief,” Allen-Tully said. “How often does a dairy farm get contacted by a music group
Part of Bryan’s farm tour’s purpose is to advocate for agriculture and raise money for Feeding America, a non-prot organization
The freestall barn sits 118
rotary parlor, and they farm has made it
4,400Theacres.farm
By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
EYOTA, Minn. – Not many dairy farmers can say they have had the opportunity to host a celebrity on their property, but that is all about to change in southern Minnesota.Gar-Lin Dairy will host country music singer Luke Bryan as he brings his farm tour to Eyota Sept. 24.
national“Havingorganizations.anartist as involved in the ag industry as Luke Bryan doing a concert in our backyard is truly an honor,” Allen-Tully said. “He is so supportive of production agriculture that this will be a such a good opportunity to expose people to dairy in a unique way.”
An 80-acre eld on the west end of the dairy will be used to host the concert.
In November 2021, Dana Allen-Tully, part owner and herd manager of Gar-Lin Dairy, was contacted about hosting the concert.
Turn to SCHERBERS | Page 6
ROGERS, Minn. – Quinci Scherber went to college with intentions of operating her family’s dairy farm someday, and with her parents’ foresight for the farm’s long-term viability, the young dairywoman is accomplishing just that.
Quinci Scherber is the herdswoman on her family’s 110-cow dairy farm near Rogers, Minnesota. The family installed two Lely A5 milking robots last summer.
Gar-Lin Dairy chose a eld that would be coming out of an alfalfa rotation this year. They also adjusted their crop rotation to accommodate the event. Sorghum was planted where the parking lot will be.
Country musician joins forces with Gar-Lin Dairy for concert Sept. 24
Scherbers celebrate one year with milking robots
Prior to installing the system, they built the freestall barn and incorporated an automated feeding system in 2016. In the interim, the Scherbers housed their herd in the freestall barn and milked them in the farm’s original 46-stall tiestall barn every 10 hours.
Farm real estate loans rose nearly 7% at commercial banks this past year. A report from the Kansas City Federal Reserve said non-real estate farm debt increased modestly after two years of signicant declines. The delinquency rate for real estate and non-real estate farm loans declined for the seventh consecutive quarter. Delinquencies on production loans is close to all-time lows.
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson is leading this effort. “It’s needed because you just can’t operate the way you used to,” Peterson said. “The folks on the (agriculture) committees don’t have the background needed and will need outts like this to bring information to them.” The MNCA has 90 members across seven states: Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Wisconsin. The group held its rst-ever forum in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
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National farm policy often goes through farm policy centers, like Texas A&M or the Food and Policy Agricultural Research Institute at the University of Missouri. Midwest Council on Agriculture President Howard Olson said a similar effort is being considered for the Midwest and Northern Plains. “If they want to make changes to a commodity title or want to change a farm program, they commonly contact (Texas A&M Regents Fellow) Dr. Joe Outlaw and that’s probably got a bit of a southern tilt to it,” Olson said. The goal is to create a Midwest-based policy center. Land grant colleges were part of a conversation this past week to consider collaboration in this effort. “I thought there’d be some turf wars, but there really wasn’t,” Olson said.
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With two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth, the U.S. economy is in a technical recession. The new Rabobank North American Agribusiness Review said the economy is fading, and a recession will be declared ofcially soon. The report said milk and dairy product prices during the rst half of 2022 have contributed to a nearly 15% year-over-year increase in the Consumer Price Index for dairy products. That is weighing on the demand for dairy products. Total cheese production rose nearly 3% year-over-year in June, driven by a 6% increase in mozzarella production. The bump in cheese output has contributed to an increase in stocks. RaboResearch forecasts second-half 2022 average Class III milk prices at $20.90 per hundredweight.
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Minnesota First District Congressman Brad Finstad has been appointed to the House Agriculture Committee. Finstad won a special election to ll the seat left vacant with the death of former Congressman Jim Hagedorn. Finstad is a farmer and small business owner.
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Tell us about your summer internship on someone else’s farm. First Section: Pages 15-16 FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: Columnists www.automatedwastesystems.com (712) 439-2081 Watertown, SD (605) 753-0300 Hull, IA COMPLETE MANURE EXPERTS For additional stories from our other zone, log on www.dairystar.comto Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 3 A ne-tuned routine Third Section: Pages 3 - 5 Meadowlands, MN Bryan to get down with dairy First Section: Pages 1, 7 Eyota, MN A day in the life of the Groetsch family Second Section: Pages 15 - 18 Sauk Centre, MN Dairy showcase honors 35 dairy project members Second Section: Pages 3 - 4 St. Paul, MN Scherbers celebrate one year with milking robots First Section: Pages 1, 6 Rogers, MN Mulherns recognized for their contributions to community First Section: Pages 10 - 11 Fountain, MN Stearns County dairy judging team advances to WDE First Section: Page 27 St. Paul, MN Breeding Prole: Kevin Souza First Section: Pages 18, 20 Revillo, SD What was the greatest challenge you experienced as part of your internship? First Section: Pages 15 - 16 Zone 2 Zone 1 Ag Insider Pages 2, 5 First SectionF DearAgentCountyGuy Page 36 First Section DeaAg FirPs CookingCountry Page Second30Section CC PSS The Market“Mielke”Weekly Pages 8 - 9 Second Section VeterinaryWisdom Page 37 First Section VVetW PPa FirFs From the Zweber Farm Page 34 First Section yty n ZZweF P Fir Come Full Dairy Circle Page 39 First Section DaC Fi Our Side of the Fence
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Former House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson is behind the creation of the Midwest Council on Agriculture with the hope to in farm policy.
Milk production in the 24 major dairy states totaled more than 18 billion pounds, up a fraction from July of last year. South Dakota leads the way with a 13% increase in milk output. Minnesota milk production dropped just over 1%. Over the past year, South Dakota dairy farms added 20,000 cows to the state dairy herd. During the same time, the number of dairy cows in Minnesota declined 12,000 head.
New Minnesota state veterinarian named
The National FFA Organization now has all-time record high membership of more than 850,000 members. That’s an increase of 15% from last year.
In the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy spoke at a national conference on milk and nutrition. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what is the most popular cheese recipe in the United States? 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.
Hunger conference scheduled
National FFA membership hits record high
The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health will be held Sept. 28 in Washington, D.C. The Biden administration plans to announce its strategy to address food insecurity, nutrition and health.
Since the 2018 farm bill was enacted, the federal government has spent an additional $60 billion on ad hoc programs, like the Market Facilitation Program, pandemic assistance and disaster relief. Combest, Sell and Associates Managing Partner Tom Sell said none of that is captured in the baseline funding for the farm bill going forward. “I think you have to get some new money into this farm bill to take some of that ad hoc spending that’s been done; I think there’s an opportunity to make some real strong forward-looking investments,” Sell said. The 2014 farm bill was passed during a time of decit reduction and budget sequestration. That was followed by a budget-neutral bill in 2018. Sell believes new investments must be made in the 2023 farm bill.
technical problem caused uncertainty in the markets. USDA plans to revert to its legacy system while it xes the new system.
Trivia challenge
Export sales report paused
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The Minnesota Board of Animal Health appointed Dr. Marion Garcia as Minnesota’s new state veterinarian and the executive director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. Garcia has been a livestock veterinarian in the poultry industry for more than 20 years. Garcia starts in her new position at the end of September.
New money needed for 2023 farm bill
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“We shouldn’t negotiate against ourselves; there are needs in rural America reected in the fact that we’ve spent so much in recent years,” Sell said. “Volatility is the new norm, and we’ve got to be prepared to stand by these farmers.”
International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes expects the recommendations to include an expansion of nutrition incentive programs, especially those connected to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
South Dakota continues to build milk cow numbers
uence
The United States Department of Agriculture will not publish its weekly export sales report until midSeptember at the earliest. The USDA pulled the report in late August after a
“I think everybody is focused on the same thing, and they like the idea.”
After installing the automated feeding system, and being satised with both its function and the technical support, the Scherbers knew which system they wanted to implement for their milking robots.
The Scherbers have gone from fetching an average of 20 cows daily to zero.“They’re really getting the hang of it,” Scherber said. “It’s a relief that this is a calm process, and I think everyone benets, us and the cows.”
“Thesehealth.robots have benetted us so we can do the work that benets the cows,” Scherber said. “We love them and it’s been a great addition to the farm. I’d never go back to milking how we were.”
The original tiestall barn is being retrotted into a youngstock facility with automated calf feeders.
On average, the herd goes through the robots 3.2 times a day. Milk production has been greater than ever before, and Scherber anticipates that to further increase as the barn is lled to its capacity at 120 cows. Additionally, the farm’s breeding program has completely changed for the better as activity monitors collect data on each cow and the Scherbers have time to make appropriate decisions for each animal.
Scherber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with degrees in dairy management and food science. She hopes to one day incorporate an on-farm creamery into her family’s operation where she can make and sell homestead ice cream for the metropolitan area.The soon-to-be married woman also wants to raise a family on the farm.
“We had great help and it was appreciated; the process seemed overwhelming but we were taken care of,” Scherber said. “After that rst few weeks, things quieted down, and the cows became more comfortable in their new
Automation will help Scherber achieve all of that.
The free-ow barn design and incorporation of automated milking t the vision for the Scherbers.
The robots have also allowed the Scherbers to focus on putting up better quality forages by not having to delay harvest for milking which has resulted in better cow
“Dad was not ready to retire, but with expanding our cow numbers, milkings became much longer and a change was necessary,” Scherber said. “Plus, we wanted to keep this a small family farm and include me in the picture. We couldn’t expand physically with the land we are on, so robots helped us support our dream.”
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While the Scherbers and their herd had time to become accustomed to the freestall barn and automated feeding system, transitioning to automated milking came with unanticipated challenges.
They completed milking in the tiestall barn at 3 a.m. July 13, 2021, and by noon that day, the cows were guided through the robots. However, rather than entering the robots, the cows would gather at the side door of the barn at milking times waiting to be milked in the old tiestall barn.
“Dairy farming is our lifestyle and it means so much to us,” Scherber said. “Now, we can still do that and have other dreams too.”
After calving, cows are kept in the maternity pen for eight hours post-calving for monitoring. Then, they are moved to the special needs pen where they can use the robot but are withheld from the lactating herd. Within two days post-calving, the cows enter the lactating pen.
“It was quite the transition,” Scherber said. “We trained the herd for two weeks 24/7, and the cows just took a little while to change their routine. We could not have done it without all the help we received from family, friends and those from the company.”Amonth into the new setup, the cows became familiar with the robots and they started to get the idea. Then, they seemed to use the robots more freely.
The freestall barn includes a narrow feed alley for their automated feeding robot to go through at the Scherbers’ farm near Rogers, Minnesota. Pens are monitored hourly for feed availability.
environment.”Overthecourse of the rst year with the new technology, the cows developed routines. The heifers, too, transition easily as they have opportunity to walk through the robot prior to calving.
Con nued from SCHERBERS | Page 1
HILLSBORO, Wis. – When her husband was diagnosed with colon cancer in January 2021, Jacqui Davison’s mantra was, “It could be worse; it’s not one of the kids.” A year later, it got worse when Jacqui was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Turn to DAVISONS | Page 9
herdsman duties along with her brother, Peter. Her sister, Stacy, is around to help when she is not working as a teacher, and her dad, Jim Mlsna, is on the farm full time. The family also relies on hired help for other chores, calf duties and eldwork.Keithwas diagnosed after symptoms led him to consult a doctor. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation last year before surgery to remove
Keith and Jacqui Davison take a break Aug. 18 at the dairy near Hillsboro, Wisconsin. The Davisons are both ba ling cancer while farming full me. A benet will be held in their honor Sept. 24.
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ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
BENEFITDavisonSaturday,September24,202212-6p.m.atRocktonBarS2463RocktonRoad,LaFarge,WI
A benet is being held for the family from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Rockton Bar in La Farge.“The benet is very overwhelming so I’m just pretending it’s a really big party,” Jacqui said. “That’s easier to digest in my brain right now than the full scope of what’sJacquihappening.”farmswith her family near Hillsboro where they milk 800 cows and farm around 1,200 acres. Jacqui’s husband, Keith, works at a grain farm in the area. The couple has four children: Ira, Dane, Henry and Cora. Jacqui and Keith have remained positive throughout their cancer treatments by focusing on what they are grateful for.
At the farm, Jacqui is responsible for
Benet to be held in their honor
“For as many things as he or I could give you, a list of body aches and complaints, we could probably give you a longer list of things that we’re grateful for,” Jacqui said. “We have really good people in our lives.”
Davisons battle cancer while farming
By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
Keith and Jacqui
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the infected section of colon. Keith’s cancer had metastasized to his lungs and some spots still remain. He has had a break from treatments all summer and continues to follow up with doctors. He will know more about whether the cancer has progressed this fall.
to make me forget my cows,” Jacqui said. “But, I think the fact that I’ve pushed myself to be in the barn has helped me not feel like a zombie. I’m still moving all the time and still trying to pay attention to what’s going on with the cows.”
“I hate that I’m in the situation that I have to be the recipient of the benet,” Keith said. “But, I feel grateful that we can be in that spot, if that makes any sense.”Jacqui’s diagnosis came after a routine mammogram. She has the same type of estrogen receptive breast cancer her mother died of.
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“I absolutely knew there were good humans in the world, but there seems to be a lot more than I thought,” Jacqui said. “They’re just kind of everywhere and it’s amazing.”Thefamily plans to soldier through whatever comes their way next with the help of the people around them. Jacqui said they would like to get back to doing the things that make them who they“Iare.think that we push cancer to the back of our minds and focus on other things when we can,” Jacqui said. “Cancer is part of our world but not our whole world.”
The Davison family – (front, from le ) Jim Mlsna, Jacqui and Keith Davison; (back, from le ) Oliver Sosinsky, Ira, Henry, Cora and Dane Davison; and Finley Sosinsky – take a break Aug. 18 at their farm near Hillsboro, Wisconsin. The Sosinskys are Jacqui’s nephews who o en help on the farm.
January 2018 FootbathDOSINGSYSTEM Treatment Cost as Low as per$1/CowMonth with an FDS (800) Richland(608)Lancaster,887-4634WI647-4488Center fullersmilkercenter.com Con nued from DAVISONS | Page 8
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Besides keeping up with the herdsman work with the help of her family and hired help, Jacqui has also remained active in the kitchen. She said with all the kids – her sister’s children are on the farm most days –and people to feed, she feels
After having surgery to remove a breast and multiple lymph nodes, Jacqui underwent chemotherapy treatments every other week all summer. Her last treatment was at the end of August. She continued working at the farm throughout her treatments, even while dealing with side effects.“The chemo makes my legs really tired so I just drive the lawn mower to the barn because then I have enough steam to milk the cows,” Jacqui said. “Upright and moving is what I go for every day.”
Daniel Kieler, Kieler Farms Inc. - 1,800 cows - Automatic Footbath installed
motivated to keep active in the kitchen and the barn.
“We looked at installing an automatic footbath to eliminate employees having to handle and mix the chemicals like they would with a traditional footbath. We are happy with the system, as it has proven to be easy and efficient to use. It has also helped us to save on chemical costs.”
“Being able to milk cows, being able to feed people and feel like I’m doing something are things that I know make me, me,” Jacqui said. “I hold tight to those things because those things are important to me.”
Jacqui said she believes staying active on the farm has helped her cope with side effects from the cancer treatments which are known to make people forget things and develop a type of brain fog.“My biggest fear was that chemo brain was going
Jacqui said her faith in humanity has been restored by the generosity of friends, family and strangers alike. Some people have shown support by bringing meals, sending kind letters in the mail and offering to help before she has to ask.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 9
“We grew up in the cities until I was 6,” he said. “We started out with three cows and then had 10 and kept growing. We got up to about 32 cows, added a Step-Saver system and then a pipeline.”
“We like to be involved in both the dairy and local communities,” he said.
farmed,” Greg said. “I purchased my rst 10 cows, and we started expanding from there.”
Cory serves on both the Dairy Herd Improvement Association and Fillmore County American Dairy Association boards. Eugene and Beth are members of the Southeast Minnesota Ag Alliance, and Barb has worked with the 4-H Federation and has done the farm’s bookkeeping. Greg’s son, Derek, is a past state FFA president. Tweten serves on various
“I think it’s important for us to keep the family farm going,” Greg said. “You have to make some hard decisions to keep the farm growing for the future, but with our work ethic, it tends to work out.”
Greg (from le ), Eugene and Cory Mulhern stand in their freestall barn Aug. 2 near Fountain, Minnesota. The Mulherns milk 900 cows and were recognized as this year’s Fillmore County Farm Family of the Year.
Cory and his partner, Billie Tweten, along with their children, Riley and Emma Mulhern and Miles and Brynn Tweten, reside on the farm now.
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While Eugene retired from the farm in 2014, Greg and his nephew, Cory, oversee the 900cow dairy near Fountain. Cory, Greg and 10 full- and several part-time employees operate the dairy which also includes raising their youngstock and running 1,400 acres of corn and grass and forage elds.
“She was a big part of the farm,” Greg said. “She milked and managed calves because back then we did everything.”In 2006, Cory became involved. The dairy started their custom chopping and manure hauling businesses to expand the dairy enterprise.
His son, Greg Mulhern, agreed.
“We can manage all the animals right from the computer, stay up with technology and have eyes on everything 24 hours a day,” Cory said.
“There was a lot of interest in growth in the area so we decided to expand to about 300 cows,” GregInsaid.1995, the new facility was built. At the same time, Greg’s sister, Chris, returned to the dairy where she worked for the following 11 years.
Work ethic keeps farm going
“I always wanted the farm to stay in the family, but I never thought we’d be milking this many cows,” Eugene said.
Turn to MULHERNS | Page 11
In 2012, the family built another freestall barn and increased the herd to 900 cows.
Greg grew up on the farm with his siblings, Chris and Laurie. He came back to the farm in 1982 after graduating from vocational school with a degree in automotive mechanics.
Today, they milk in a double-14 parallel parlor and have monitoring technology to track milk weights, activity and rumination on all the cows as well as use activity collars for the heifers.
“At the time, it was a diversied operation, and all of their six children were involved,” Greg said.
“I realized that being an auto mechanic was not what I really wanted to do, so I stayed home and
“At that time, 300 cows just wasn’t enough work for both of us to be here all day,” Cory said. “But, I always enjoyed cows and farming.”
“It was a way to make a living,” Eugene said. “I milked cows and worked in construction. I knew that would be a way to make an income.”
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
The farm was established in 1900 when Michael Mulhern married Rose Gaughan.
In 1986, an addition was added to the barn to expand to 64 cows. Greg married Barb Schmidt in 1984. They raised their children, Brett, Bradley and Derek, on the farm.
Greg agreed.
Over the years, two of the boys grew up and moved off the farm, while the other four siblings remained involved. In 1970, the farm was sold to Michael’s grandson, Eugene, and his wife, Beth, who were living in Maple Grove at the time. They decided to reestablish the dairy.
GREG MULHURN, DAIRY FARMER
The Mulherns are supporters of 4-H and FFA and are also active in their community.
By Kate Rechtzigel kate.r@dairystar.com
FOUNTAIN, Minn. - In late February, the Mulhern family found out they were being recognized as this year’s Fillmore County Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota.
“It is an honor,” Eugene Mulhern said.
Mulherns recognized for their contributions to community
The Mulherns are looking at adding a manure solids separation system for bedding the cows, adding a calf barn with automatic calf feeders, tossing around the idea of adding a robotic milking system and seeing how many kids want to come back and
“Things were harder but simpler (working with Dad),” Greg said. “We put in a long day’s work, which was hard but very gratifying.”
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The family has also hosted Dairy Night on the Farm and forage and mastitis council meetings.
KATE RECHTZIGEL/DAIRY STAR
church committees, and Greg, Barb, Eugene and Beth have served on church committees in the past.
To make time for the board meetings, Cory moves his day around.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 11
Sauk Centre, MN | Buffalo, MN 763.682.1091 | www.mndhia.org
“Ifarm.think it’s important for us to keep the family farm going,” Greg said. “You have to make some hard decisions to keep the farm growing for the future, but with our work ethic, it tends to work out.”
“I get up earlier in the morning or work later at night often scheduling my day around those,” Cory said.
Cory agreed.
“The community has always been really good,” Greg said.
“We have always been neighborly and gotten along with our neighbors,” he said.They feel that the recognition as this year’s Fillmore County Farm Family of the Year has allowed them to continue to manage their dairy to the best of their abilities.
“The recognition keeps us excelling and treating all others with respect,” Greg said. “We are well known within the county as dairy
Miles Tweten (from le ), Emma Mulhern and Brynn Tweten stand with their cows on the farm. Cory and Greg Mulhern and 10 full- me and several partme employees operate the dairy today.
Con nued from MULHERNS | Page 10
“I like watching the fourth generation come in and seeing my kids and nephews involved in the farm on a daily basis,” he said.
farmers.”Some of their favorite memories consist of working with family.
Cory agreed.
DHIA: Now MORE than ever
MONROE, Wis. – If someone is looking for a certain type of cheese, there is a good chance they will nd it at Alp and Dell Cheese Store. A haven for the cheese connoisseur, Alp and Dell Cheese Store offers more than 150 avors – from classic cheddars to European specialties like Grand Cru.
Former dairy farmer and Swiss immigrant, Tony Zgraggen, is the owner of the Alp and Dell Cheese Store in Monroe, Wisconsin. The store carries more than 150 avors of Wisconsin cheeses – from classic cheddars to European speciales like Grand Cru.
cranberry to green olive. Cheddars that are mildly aged to a 14-year-old cheddar that sells for $25 a pound can also be found at Alp and Dell Cheese Store.
“Aged cheese comes with a price,” Zgraggen said. “You have to pay for cur-
in Swiss and other European style cheeses, the Roth brand is famous for its Grand Cru avor made in original, reserve and surchoix varieties. Grand Cru was the world champion cheese in 2016 and is a cheese people ask for by name at Alp and Dell Cheese Store.“Winning that was a great thing to happen to a small plant like Roth,” Zgraggen said. “I buy over 50% of my cheese from them. I like to represent Roth and promote their product.”
Zgraggen’s store shelves are lined with havarti, Gouda, Butterkase, canela, blue, Swiss and more than 35 types of cheddars from cherry to blueberry to
Turn to ALP AND DELL | Page 13
Zgraggen buys cheese from approximately six cheese companies in Green County and about 15 others throughout Wisconsin.“Milk is the most perfect food on the planet, and the milk around here is especially good,” Zgraggen said. “The soils, rolling hills and clean watersheds all contribute to a great product, and it’s the reason why cheesemakers are able to make such fantastic cheese. We have more cheese factories than towns in Green County. We’re well known for our cheese, and I’m proud of that.”
Zgraggen purchased the cheese store in 2009 from Emmi Roth – the cheese manufacturer to which the store is attached. Zgraggen redesigned the store and doubled its size and saw sales volumeSpecializingtriple.
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
“I search for the best cheese all the time, and as a result, we have an amazing selection here,” said Tony Zgraggen, the store’s Devotedowner.toproviding exceptional products to his customers, Zgraggen believes in quality, affordability, variety and avor and will not rest until he nds what he is looking for. The former dairy farmer and Swiss immigrant focuses on serving his customers well. From 18-pound wheels to 1-pound blocks to cheese curds and string cheese, Alp and Dell Cheese Store carries all types and sizes of Zgraggencheese.grew up on a small dairy farm in Switzerland and came to the U.S. in 1978 as an exchange student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He returned to America full time in the spring of 1981 and began farming near New Glarus, where he milked 70 Brown
ing and storing it that long.”
PEOPLE MOVING PRODUCT
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
“I know what it is like out there,” he said. “I can relate to the farmer.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, a bargain bin at the store’s entrance contains products priced at $3.99 a pound.
Swiss cows.
A cheese lover’s dream
Alp and Dell Cheese Store a Green County favorite
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“The boxes are a big thing for us at Christmas, and I’m very happy and proud that I can serve my customers in this way,” Zgraggen said. “It keeps the lights on for a long time here.”
The store also carries Amish butter, cheese spreads, hand rolled salted butter and local yogurt. Zgraggen sells jams and mustards to pair with the cheese as well as local beers, European wines and locally made sausage. A variety of cheese samples are always out for people to try. Zgraggen runs Alp and Dell Cheese Store with help from about a half-dozen employees as well as his wife, who comes in on weekends. Zgraggen sees his retailer role in the supply chain as integral to the industry.
“I don’t produce anything, but I help keep cheesemakers and farmers in business,” he said. “That is my motive. No matter what you produce, if nobody sells it, you’ll quit doing it fairly soon. Retail runs the country and brings products to the end user… It isn’t always easy to nd that end user when the choice today is tremendous.”Servingthe dairy industry in this way remains Zgraggen’s passion as he continues to ll his store with the best cheese Wisconsin has to offer.
“These cheeses have great taste, but they don’t have the beauty,” he said. “You might nd a $20 per pound product in there created from shavings or trim. Throughout the year, you can nd almost all brands in this bin.”
“People know we’re always open,
and they love that,” Zgraggen said. “We get a lot of people on Sunday; it’s one of our top three days for business. People come in and say, ‘Hey, thanks for being open. I want to take some great cheese back to Illinois.’ People know me for the good product I have in store at a good price.”Alp and Dell Cheese Store offers wedding cakes made from cheese, putting a new spin on the word cheesecake. Each level contains a different avor, and the stacks of wheels are decorated with dried owers and other accessories.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 13 We can help you: Melrose, MN: Jake jmoline@Leedstone.comMoline320.761.9630 Glencoe, MN: Paul pbecker@Leedstone.comBecker320.510.0200 Plainview, MN: Gregg gluebke@Leedstone.comLuebke507.696.5518 Menomonie, WI: Mark mjurgenson@Leedstone.comJurgenson507.259.8047 Leedstone.com/your-dairy-equipment-center • • Family and veterinarian owned since 1994 NO NEED TO BUILD NEW Here’s what other remodel farms have said: barn for successful automated milking! • Customize your barn into an automated facility May 2021: April CONTACTJanuaryOctober2021:2019:2012:YOUR LEEDSTONE REP TODAY! 2018 Kubota B3350HSDC Heat & AC, radio, R4 tires, LA534A loader, 60” bucket 2018$30,900BX2680RV heated cab, 54” mower deck, 55” commercial snow blower $29,500 2015 Bobcat S510 cab, heat, new door, 1427 hrs., single spd. bucket 2019$29,500Bobcat S770 Cab, heat, A/C, Power Tach, no bucket $64,500 QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT (320) 763-4994www.qualityequipmentmn.comwww.alexpowerequipment.com(218)-297-0991(507)338-7080www.qualityforklift.com(952)-895-9918 ALEXANDRIAALEXANDRIA BRAINERD 2019 Kubota M7 Series Gen 2 M7-152 duals, 4WD, 1370 hrs. 2015$99,900JohnDeere2032R diesel, IMatch hitch $16,500 FARIBAULTFARIBAULT ALEXANDRIAALEXANDRIA FARIBAULTFARIBAULTBRAINERDBRAINERD Con nued from ALP AND DELL | Page 12
Alp and Dell Cheese Store’s most popular cheeses include baby Swiss and Butterkase. Cheddars and grand cru are also top sellers as well as fresh cheese curds. The store sells 400 pounds of cheese curds each week.
“I’ve sent cheese for a wedding cake as far as New Mexico,” Zgraggen said. “I have also shipped 200 little bags of cheese curds to Idaho overnight for a wedding. We do a lot of different things here, but our brick-and-mortar store is still the main attraction.”
“I have cheese priced for a working family and retired people on a xed budget,” Zgraggen said. “They can come here and eat well.”
The store moves over a million dollars’ worth of cheese each year or 130,000Christmaspounds.gift boxes are a beloved offering of the store, and from late fall through December, Alp and Dell Cheese Store ships a couple hundred packages of cheese per “Christmasday.is a good season for us,” Zgraggen said. “I like to help individuals and businesses with their Christmas shopping. Last year, we made over 1,000 boxes for one client, putting 6,000 pounds of cheese out into the U.S. for a singleThebusiness.”giftboxes are completely customizable and available in all sizes. The box may also include sausages, jams, mustards and chocolates.
Closed only four days per year –New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day – Alp and Dell Cheese Store is well known throughout the region, and every year the store welcomes customers from every state.
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Green Isle, Minnesota
Tell us about the farm you interned at. I interned at Hinckley Holsteins in Chateld, Minnesota. They milk right around 500 cows in a double-12 parallel parlor.
Feeding your animals like they’re our own
Tell us about your summer internship on someone else’s farm.
MinnesotaSt.dairyAgribusinessCollegeCommunityandscienceCharles,
What were your main responsibilities? I performed all different tasks. You never have the same days on the farm, but from changing light bulbs to moving cows, I performed many tasks in between.
Tell us about the farm you interned at. I worked for Sunrise Dairy outside of Gaylord, Minnesota, where they milk over 500 cows in a parlor.
Tell us about the farm you interned at. Winright Holsteins is in Winchester, Ontario, Canada, and milks 110 cows in a tiestall barn.
What is one thing you learned during your internship that you want to take back to your farm? I learned that mistakes happen, and it’s OK. This is something I am going to take home because learning that we make mistakes made me realize this is how we learn new things.
Aly Dieball Sophomore at South Dakota State DairyUniversityproduction and agriculture science
Tell us about your farm. I am fortunate enough to work alongside my uncle, Bill Calvert, and cousin, Payton Calvert, where we partner on three show heifers that live on their hobby farm.
y
Tell us about your farm. Our farm, Hidden Hill Dairy, is located in St. Charles, Minnesota. We milk 350 cows in a double-9 parabone parlor. We also utilize an automatic calf feeder.
What were your main responsibilities? Some of my main responsibilities were helping with herd health, hauling manure, doing equipment maintenance, feeding cows every once in a while, helping with calf chores and vaccinating cows.
What was the greatest challenge you experienced as part of your internship? A challenge I faced was reminding myself I wasn’t at my home farm, and things are done differently at each farm. There were many times where I had to step back and remind myself that there are many ways to do tasks.
Tell us about your farm. I grew up on a 200-cow robotic dairy farm alongside my grandparents, parents and younger sister. I also own over 50 of my own animals, so I have the best of both worlds, a farmer’s daughter and a farmer myself.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 15
What was the most valuable part of this internship? The connections I made. Moving to the other side of North America for the summer, I was able to meet a lot of cool people in Canada and build lifelong friendships.
What is one thing you learned during your internship that you want to take back to your farm? One thing I learned during my internship that I want to take back to my home farm is pushing the young show heifers to grow. They push the young show heifers on the high protein pellet so they are big enough to compete in the show ring.
Contact
Tell us about your career goals and how this internship will help you meet them. My career goals are to become a herd manager on a dairy and to be successful in the show cattle business. Through this internship I was able to gain more experience through their herd management style. It will help me become successful in the show cattle business because they are some of the best breeders in the world, and I was able to see what they look for in matings. I was also able to work alongside them with their show cattle to see what it takes at home to get them out to a show.
Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
Tell us about your career goals and how this internship will help you meet them. Although I don’t know what I want to do for a career yet, this job allowed me to see a different part of the dairy industry. By participating in this job, I saw how the industry is so different but yet the same.
What was the most valuable part of this internship? Meeting the people. The people I worked with each day are some of my new closest friends, and I am thankful I was able to build the relationships I did.
Star
What was the most valuable part of this internship? I learned new ideas of how they do things, and I’ll bring those ideas home to improve my home farm.
Tell us about your career goals and how this internship will help you meet them. Once I nish college in the spring, I want to come back to the family farm and bring new ideas to help improve the dairy.
What were your main responsibilities? My responsibilities included milking, feeding calves, feeding heifers, cleaning pens, feeding show heifers and cleaning the show heifer barn.
What is one thing you learned during your internship that you want to take back to your farm? One thing I learned that I want to bring back to my home farm would be a feed program for feeding cows. After working with the feeding program at my internship, I brought the idea home so we can better track what we are feeding each day and how much feed we use each year.
Star Blends at: 800-462-4125 or StarBlends.com
Braeden Ihrke Junior at Northeast Iowa
Blends has been helping Midwest farm families by providing, high-quality feed, dairy nutrition, and commodity contracting for more than 20 years. Our state of the art mill can accuratelyblend anything from a custom pre-mix to complete feed, in balancing diets, or work with your private nutritionist or dairy consultant.
What was the greatest challenge you experienced as part of your internship? The greatest challenge about my internship was working long hours. I quickly adjusted the longer I was there. I realized that it takes a team of people to work long days to keep a high-tier operation running.
Alek Krueger Junior at University Benton,minorDairyWisconsin-PlattevilleofscienceandinagribusinessWisconsin
F r o m O u r S i d eFrom Our Side O f T h e F e n c eOf The Fence
What was the greatest challenge you experienced as part of your internship? Coming from my home dairy farm the greatest challenge was trying not to do things the way we do it at home compared to the way they do it there.
Senior at Northeast Iowa Community College
Dairy Calmar,scienceIowa
What were your main responsibilities? I experienced multiple aspects of their farm including milking, breeding cows, PCDART, embryo work, herd health, calf management, dairy cow sales and evaluating feeding for all age groups.
Tell us about your career goals and how this internship will help you meet them. I plan to come back to our family dairy farm and eventually take it over. I want to have an average of 94 pounds of milk per cow and a somatic cell count below 100,000. I also want to work alongside my family and be able to watch a family of mine grow up on the farm as well.
Tell us about your farm. On my family dairy farm, Lango Dairy, we milk 180 cows, mostly Holsteins with some Jerseys, in a double-8 parabone swing parlor. The farm is located in Hopkinton, Iowa. The farm started with my dad about 30 years ago in a tiestall barn. After I complete my dairy science degree from Northeast Iowa Community College, I plan to return to our farm and utilize the knowledge I have gained to reach our goals for the future of our farm.
What is one thing you learned during your internship that you want to take back to your farm? The most valuable thing I learned was how important it is to have good vaccination protocols. I would like to do much better at record keeping on vaccinations, which I have already started this year. This will be benecial in preventing future issues if I continue to buy cattle to build my own herd.
Tell us about the farm you interned at. I interned at Kunde Jersey Farm near Manchester, Iowa. They milk 250 registered Jerseys in a double-12 parallel parlor that was built in 2009. The farm was started in the early 1970s by David and Donna Kunde. The farm continues today with three of their four children returning – Jennifer Zumbach, and Michael and Daniel Kunde. The farm markets milk cows, show cows, breeding bulls and steers and puts an emphasis on breeding for sound cows with phenomenal udders.
What was the greatest challenge you experienced as part of your internship? My greatest challenge as well as most valuable part of my internship was having to watch and learn that every farm is different. We don’t all have to be the same in order to be successful.
Tell us about your farm. On our farm, we milk around 70 cows in a tiestall barn, and we raise all of our youngstock. We have mostly Holsteins, but I own a few Jersey and Brown Swiss cows. We do all of our own tillage and planting but have our harvesting hired out. We farm around 400 acres, most of which is for feed and the rest is for cash cropping.
haven't seen before on our farm, like dairy cow sales, which was fun to learn about.
Tell us about the farm you interned at. The farm I interned at was Moravits Dairy located in Bloomington, Wisconsin. They milk around 500 cows in a double-24 swing parlor. The calves are individually raised until they are weaned, then they are sent to group housing.
What was the most valuable part of this internship? The most valuable part of this internship was seeing how other farms can be successful and not operate their farm the same way other farms do because every farm is different. Another valuable aspect of the internship was watching three siblings working together on the farm as a team. A valuable experience on the farm was seeing all the different networking they do whether it is from person to person or online. I also saw aspects of farming that I
Tell us about your career goals and how this internship will help you meet them. My ultimate goal in the end is to go home to the family farm and partner with my dad so we can double our herd size. I’m also interested in working for an equipment dealership in parts, but no matter what, I will be staying in the agriculture eld. This internship made me realize how much I enjoy all the different aspects of farming, and now, I can take on almost any job in the industry.
What is one thing you learned during your internship that you want to take back to your farm? One take away from my internship would be their vaccination program from the calves to the cows and learning how they keep records as well as stay on top of the vaccines that need to be given. Also, I like to see how the siblings know what they each like within the dairy. They are able to all have different likes and dislikes but are able to be successful by knowing where they all stand.
What were your main responsibilities? My main responsibilities included helping with fresh cows, such as taking their temperature and recording that and treating any that needed to be treated. I also helped with running dry cows and springing heifers through the chute to vaccinate them. Additionally, I spent time in the calf barn feeding calves and treating them as needed. My main job was to use the paste to dehorn them. I also assisted with eldwork throughout the spring and summer.
What was the most valuable part of this internship? The most valuable part of my internship was working with newborn calves. The best thing about farming is watching a new calf being born.
Sarah Goedken
Sophomore at Northeast Iowa Community College Dairy Hopkinton,scienceIowa
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What was the greatest challenge you experienced as part of your internship? I would say my greatest challenge was balancing the time. I would always try and make sure I could make time to travel back home and help my dad on his farm, which is 3.5 hours away. At his farm, I am also in charge of tagging, dehorning and vaccinating calves along with the record keeping for vaccinating all the cattle on the farm.
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The Souza family – (from le ) Ryan Anderson, Jayce Anderson, Hayley Anderson, Kevin Souza, Suzanne Souza, Kylyn Anderson, Audrey and Brandon Peschong – operate a 5,000-cow Jersey dairy farm in Revillo, South Dakota.
Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022
Kevin Souza Victory Farms
Describe your facilities. We have a cross-ventilated freestall barn that we bed with manure solids. We milk in two double-35 parallel milking parlors. There are currently two manure digesters under construction on our farm, and we’ve been told they could start producing puried natural gas as soon as November. We have an in-house employee who makes all of our mating choices.
What is your current pregnancy rate? Our pregnancy rate is 34%.
What guidelines do you follow to reach the goals for your breeding program?
We have made use of in vitro fertilization to accelerate the genetic advancement of
Turn to BREEDING | Page 20
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What are certain traits you try to avoid? We try to avoid sires with a low DPR. If we nd a sire that we really like but has a low DPR, we will mate him to cows that have a high DPR. We also avoid any sires that carry the Jersey neuropathy with splayed forelimbs trait.
What is your reproduction program? We use SCR activity monitors to determine when our animals are in heat. If a cow isn’t pregnant by 82 days in milk, we will give her a CIDR insert.
our herd. We harvest 60-80 embryos per week from our top animals. This usually involves about 15 head each week. We get the majority of our embryos from our heifers.
For the last 100 years, Ritchie has been manufacturing a complete line of livestock watering products with thehighest specifications in the industry. From a single horse Stall Fount to a fountain that waters up to 500 head, Ritchie fountains are top quality. Plus,every Ritchie fountain is backed by our 10 year limited warranty. Formore information contact us: Carlson Wholesale (800) 669-4038 • www.carlsonwholesale.net • @carlsonwholesale Ritchie Water is Smart Water CattleMaster WaterMasterWaterMasterOmniFountEcoFount www.carlsonwholesale.net1-800-669-4038 Sauk Rapids,
Revillo, South Dakota
Victory Farms uses technology to speed genetic advancement
with a combination of high fat and protein production traits.
What are the top traits you look for in breeding your dairy herd, and how has this changed since you started farming? We look for high daughter pregnancy rate, high percentages of fat and protein, high pounds of fat and protein, low somatic cell count, superior wellness traits and sound udders. What has changed is the amount of genetic information that’s now available. Polled genetics have been getting a lot more attention lately. We also look at the genetics for mastitis resistance and susceptibility to scours.
Describe your breeding philosophy. Our chief goal is to produce healthy, productive cows. We choose our sires based on the Dairy Wellness Prot Index along
5,000 cows
Breeding Pro le MN
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 19
“By getting more regimented on the full routine of Udder Comfort for every fresh animal, we saw even better results. It works,” he reports.
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk “We got more regimented in our use of Udder Comfort and saw SCC drop to 120,000.”
— Kyle
Hirt MITHVA FARMS, NEW WOODSTOCK, NEW YORK, 85 Holsteins, 2021 BAA 106.7 *SCC 120,000* Kyle Hirt with Lane, Abby and Maggie stopped by at Empire Farm Days to report even better results! 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. Maximum Results Minimal Cost Call to locate a distributor near @uddercomfortyou. WE WORK ON ALL BRANDS OF EQUIPMENT!DAIRY B & R Dairy Equipment 108 N. Renville St. •Winthrop, MN 55396 24/7 Emergency 1-877-852-5510Service www.boumatic.com GentlyQuickly andCompleteyBenjamin H. OWNERNetzke, Ask about our economical line of chemicals P.O.320-697-5591Box140,Elrosa, MN By Elrosa Lumber Company 5-stallStandardsizeorcallforcustomsizes CONTACT ELROSA LUMBER CO. FOR ALL BUILDINGYOURNEEDS... • Calf Hutches • Dairy Barns • Pole Barns • Hog Barns • Remodeling • Houses • Decks • Garages CUSTOM-MADE HUTCHES
“Talking to veterinarian Doug Evans and the team at the Udder Comfort™ booth, we got more regimented in our use of Udder Comfort and saw SCC drop from 200,000 to 120,000. We started making sure we sprayed every fresh udder after each milking for the full 3 to 4 days after calving and watched our somatic cell counts respond. We saw SCC on our fresh cows drop right down collectively by 10 to 12 days in milk,” says Kyle Hirt, Mithva Farms, New Woodstock, New York.
“We were already using Udder Comfort for 4 years on swelling in fresh cows and mastitis. We knew it reduced edema faster and better than anything else,” Kyle adds.
What role do genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? We are using the highest genomic bulls for our IVF program. We do genomic testing on all of our animals and breed our top females to top bulls.
Mark Mikkelson cleans up the area around the palpa on rail at Victory Farms. Mikkelson is an independent contractor who implants embryos and does all of the pregnancy checks for Victory Farms.
you pay for. We use all of the information that’s available to individually mate each of our animals.
Tell us about your farm. This farm is owned by three families, and we are the managing partners. My family and I moved here from California 24 years ago. I loved growing up in California but am glad we moved here. My wife, Suzanne, and I think that this is a great place to raise kids. Our daughter, Hayley, and her husband, Ryan Anderson, both work on our farm and live just a couple of miles away. Our daughter, Audrey, is a veterinarian and lives in Miller, South Dakota, with her husband, Brandon Peschong.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? You have to spend money on semen to get better genetics. In other words, you get what
What is the age of your heifers at rst service? We breed our heifers at 11 months of age.
How does your heifer inventory affect your breeding program? Select Sires runs a quarterly report that details our dairy herd’s cull numbers and death loss. This report helps us calculate how many replacements we will need to produce. After we started with this program, we were able to reduce our heifer inventory by 1,000 head. This has enabled us to be more selective regarding
which animals will be bred to Jersey sires and which will be bred to beef bulls.
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What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? About 50% of our milk herd is bred with nonsexed beef semen, and 35% of our milk herd receives embryos. The top 15% of our milk herd is bred with sexed Jersey semen. All of our heifers are serviced for the rst two heats with sexed Jersey semen.
PHOTO BY JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Describe the ideal cow for your herd. She is mediumsized and healthy, and produces a lot of pounds of fat and protein that gets bred back right away.
PHOTO BY JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Kevin Souza uses computer so ware to monitor cow ac vity. The transponders also provide health-related informa on such as rumina on mes and whether or not a par cular animal is breathing heavily.
What is your conception rate? How does this differ with different types of
semen? The conception rate with beef sires is 50% and is 45% with sexed Jersey semen. The conception rate with embryos is 43%. We had been using SimAngus beef sires but are switching to Charolais bulls next month. We use the TD Beef program from Select Sires to help us choose beef bulls.
Con nued from BREEDING | Page 18
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 21 Equipment and pictures added daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com Locations throughout minnesota & western wisconsin! CALL TODAY! (320)365-1653 SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com 2015 Case IH 875 #275117 Summers Series 10 Disk #539213 $42,900$44,000 $39,900 $36,900$59,900$24,500$6,500 Financing subject to pre-approval through JD Financial. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details. 1-YEAR INTEREST WAIVER ON SELECT TILLAGE TOOLS. OVER 60 UNITS AVAILABLE60 DISKS JD 650 1992, 29 ft., 3-Section Folding, 9” Spacing, #542847 ..................................... $14,500 Krause 7400, 45 ft., 9” Spacing, #540426................................................................. $19,000 Summers Series 10 Disk, 3-Section Folding, #539213 ........................................... $24,500 Ezee-On 4600, 37 ft., 3-Section Folding, #544452 ................................................... $29,000 Case IH RMX340 2009, 35 ft., 3-Section Folding, 9” Spacing, #181151 .................... $29,400 JD 637 2011, 42’ ft., 5-Section Folding, 9” Spacing, #523980 .................................... $29,500 Landoll 6230-36 2013, 35’ ft., 3-Section Folding, 9” Spacing, #532829 ................... $32,000 Case IH 330 2010, 30 ft., 3-Section Folding, #542361 .............................................. $36,900 Wishek 842NT 2011, 30’ ft., 3-Section Folding, 11” Spacing, #541911 ..................... $39,900 JD 2625 2013, 33 ft., 3-Section Folding, 11” Spacing, #275921 ................................. $39,900 JD 2625 2014, 40 ft., 5-Section Folding, 11” Spacing, #532507 ................................. $44,000 JD 2623 2012, 40 ft., 5-Section Folding, 9” Spacing, #523876 ................................... $49,900 JD 2680H 2019, 24 ft., 3-Section Folding, #534969 .................................................. $82,900 Landoll 7833-40 2017, 40’ ft., #539210 ................................................................... $95,500 Degelman Pro TIll 33 2018, 33 ft., 3-Section Folding, #542310 .............................. $95,900 JD 2680H 2019, 35 ft., 3-Section Folding, 9” Spacing, #535875 .............................. $122,500 FIELD CULTIVATORS Flexi-Coil 820, 35 ft., 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #543945 ...................................... $8,000 JD 980 1999, 18 ft., 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #535084 ........................................ $10,900 JD 980 1998, 36 ft., 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #532504 ........................................ $11,500 Wil-Rich Quad 5 , 47 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #532076................................ $11,500 Case IH 4300 2001, 38 ft., 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #186653 ............................. $11,995 JD 980 1997, 36 ft., 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #544067 ........................................ $13,750 Wil-Rich Excel 42 ft. 1999, 42 ft., #276243 ............................................................. $14,900 JD 980 1996, 42 ft., 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #541939 ........................................ $15,500 JD 985 2000, 50.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #535303 ..................................... $15,500 JD 980 2000, 44 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #545689 ........................................ $16,500 Wil-Rich QUAD 5 1998, 42 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #191850 ....................... $19,500 DMI Tigermate II, 55.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #544515 ........................... $19,900 Case TM 14, 55 ft., 5-Section Folding, #532837 ........................................................ $23,000 Case IH TM14 2005, 50.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #187546 ......................... $26,900 JD 2210 2004, 27 ft., 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #531751 ...................................... $29,900 JD 2210 2004, 50.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #190858 ................................... $33,000 JD 2210 2009, 50.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #535118 ................................... $34,900 JD 2210 2006, 45.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #542850 ................................... $34,900 JD 2210 2007, 50.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #190855 ................................... $39,900 Wil-Rich QX2-52 2013, 52 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #189663........................ $39,900 JD 2210 2010, 57 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #542886 ...................................... $42,900 JD 2210 2012, 45 ft., 5-Section Folding, #275591 ..................................................... $44,900 JD 2210 2013, 55.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #545214 ................................... $47,500 JD 2210 2009, 50.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #276172 ................................... $49,900 JD 2210 2012, 58 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #533062 ...................................... $57,500 JD 2210 2014, 65.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #275557 ................................... $67,500 JD 2210 2014, 60.5 ft., 5-Section Folding, #190844 .................................................. $70,500 MULCH FINISHERS/TILLERS Kuhn Krause 6200-45 2013, 45 ft., 5-Section Folding, #275588 ............................. $59,900 JD 2310 2013, 45 ft., 5-Section Folding, #535073 ..................................................... $64,900 JD 714 1996, 11 ft., Rigid, #538548 ........................................................................... $10,500 PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS Redball 680 2000, #187162 ....................................................................................... $8,500 Top Air TA112 2009, #531227 .................................................................................. $13,900 Hardi np-1100 2006, #541189................................................................................. $13,900 Hardi NV4000 2009, #541360 .................................................................................. $16,500 Hardi Commander Plus 1200 2002, #181150 ........................................................ $17,500 Hardi Commander Plus 2005, #533447 ................................................................. $22,900 Top Air TA1200 2016, #532394 ................................................................................ $22,900 Top Air 2005, #542975 ............................................................................................. $24,000 Hardi Commander 6600 2009, #543951 ................................................................ $25,500 Top Air TA1600 2013, #543660 ................................................................................ $51,500 Top Air TA2400 2014, #544397 ................................................................................ $51,900 Unverferth TA2400 2014, #545215......................................................................... $68,000 RIPPERS DMI 530, #542846 ...................................................................................................... $8,250 DMI ET5, #534414 ...................................................................................................... $8,500 JD 512 2002, #545669 ............................................................................................... $11,500 Wil-Rich v957 2006, #545457 .................................................................................. $13,000 JD 2700 2004, #543878 ............................................................................................ $13,500 JD 512 2004, #190077 ............................................................................................... $13,900 DMI Ecolo tiger 730B, #523880 .............................................................................. $14,500 Case IH 2500 2014, #531612 .................................................................................... $15,500 JD 2700 2012, #542309 ............................................................................................ $16,000 JD 2700 2009, #533731 ............................................................................................ $19,500 JD 512 2011, #545919 ............................................................................................... $23,000 Kuhn Krause 4850-15 2012, #540899 .................................................................... $31,500 JD 2720 2014, #531621 ............................................................................................ $35,900 Case 730 2009, #532798........................................................................................... $37,500 JD 2720 2013, #190974 ............................................................................................ $42,900 Case IH 875 2015, #275117 ...................................................................................... $52,900 JD 2730 2016, #544918 ............................................................................................ $58,500 JD 2730 2014, #190066 ............................................................................................ $59,900 JD 2730 2019, #544451 ............................................................................................ $99,500 JD 2730 2019, #189743 ..........................................................................................$113,500 SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS RoGator 1074 2006, 100 ft. boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 4574 hrs., #533461 ............ $45,900 JD 4920 2006, 120 ft. boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 3688 hrs., #187626 ....................... $71,000 JD 4720 2005, 90 ft. boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 3125 hrs., #543749 .......................$104,900 JD 4630 2013, 80 ft. boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 1030 hrs., #275374 .......................$159,900 Hagie STS12 2012, 90 ft. boom, 15” Nozzle Spacing, 4150 hrs., #276184 ...............$159,900 JD R4038 2017, 200 cu. ft. Dry Box Boom, 2929 hrs., #275251 ...............................$189,900 JD R4038 2016, 90 ft. boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 2400 hrs., #274783 ....................$194,900 JD R4038 2016, 90 ft. boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 2399 hrs., #275266 ....................$219,900 JD R4038 2017, 90 ft. boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 2190 hrs., #275254 ....................$219,900 JD R4038 2016, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 1305 hrs., #539398 ........................................$249,000 Hagie STS14 2015, 90 ft. boom, 15” Nozzle Spacing, 1961 hrs., #545931 ...............$269,900 Hagie STS12 2017, 120 ft. boom, 15” Nozzle Spacing, 1525 hrs., #545672 .............$294,900 JD R4038 2021, 120 ft. boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 574 hrs., #534409 ....................$394,500 JD R4045 2020, 120 ft. boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 1479 hrs., #275782 ..................$399,900 JD R4045 2019, 80 ft. carbon fiber Boom, 20” Nozzle Spacing, 1780 hrs., #421298 $406,500 VERTICAL TILLAGE JD 2623VT 2012, #535121 .......................................................................$35,900 Summers 2011, #544761 ........................................................................$39,900 Summers VRT3530 2015, #189645...........................................................$42,900 JD 2660 2019, #543656 .........................................................................$149,000 JD 2660VT 2021, #537331 .....................................................................$181,000 $52,900 Summers#5447612011 2008 John Deere 2410 #531872 Brent#532876CPC 2014 John Deere 2625 #532507 2013 John Deere 2720 #190974 2014 John Deere 2730 #190066
Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290
Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579
DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI 866-335-2825
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022
LEVELTOCOW-FLOWTAKEANOTHER
KramerIOWA Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931
Sept. 7 marked my one-year anniversary as a writer with Dairy Star. This is a job I dreamed about for a few years before the timing was right for me and the paper to make it happen. I thought that talking with farmers and then writing about it sounded like an ideal gig. I gured I would learn a lot about different ways to farm, meet saltof-the-earth type folks and see some countryside while I was at it. I was right about all those things, but there are a few things I have learned so far that I just did not seeOnecoming.thing I cannot ignore is how many small family farms there are in western Wisconsin. About a month ago, I had the pleasure of visiting with a sixth-generation dairyman whose cows were in a renovated tiestall barn. The buildings sat on a perfectly manicured lawn and his dad was there to farm with him. The scene was right out of a picture book. I am so glad these places still exist and that I have the honor of visiting them and helping to share their stories. I hear a lot of people say the family farm is dying. I am making it a personal mission to prove them wrong and record the story of every small family farm milking cows. If I haven’t talked to you yet, call me.
By Abby Wiedmeyer Staff Writer
Supply
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I have listened to fathers burst with pride as they tell me about their children taking over the farm. I have listened to parents accept the fact that the farm will end with them. Some have brought cows back to the farm after renting for a while and some are starting from scratch. What an interesting industry. We are all so different, and yet, we are all making the same thing – milk.Attending various conferences and events as a representative of the paper has taken me well out of my comfort zone at times, but they have yet to disappoint. I have learned so much more about regenerative agriculture. I’ve heard some big names speak about our government and pricing system. And, there are so many things I’m still learning about.
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Every time I talk with an organic farmer, I almost convert, and every time I visit a robot dairy, I’m tempted to buy a lottery ticket to fund the project for my own farm.I’m so grateful for the opportunity to visit the farms, attend the conferences and hear your stories. I have made so many friends since my beginnings at Dairy Star, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.
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One thing that is always driven home at conferences is the need for farmers to speak up and tell their stories because people who are making decisions do not farm; they don’t know what they don’t know.
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On the ip side of that coin, I can happily admit how amazing the large progressive dairies are. While my family and I are a small farm by anyone’s comparison these days, I can truly appreciate the drive behind these big farms. When I walk into a freestall barn with rows and rows of cows lying down, happily chewing their cud, it is easy to see why some people choose to expand. There are more resources and people to spread the workload and usually people get a day off. I can’t argue withThethat.salt-of-the-earth people who welcome me into their homes and barns wind up forever in my heart. Usually when I talk to people, I am trying to keep the conversation going, make sure my recorder is working and try to remember the questions I want to ask to achieve a thorough interview. Then, when I listen back to the recording, I am struck by how amazing these folks are. Some of you have overcome quite a lot and yet you soldier on. It’s truly a phenomenon that, if studied closer, might reveal the secret of life.
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How many years have you served milk at the Minnesota State Fair
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What did you learn from your experience at the stand? I learned that a lot more people love milk than I thought. Many of us in the dairy and agriculture industry love milk, but we often think that suburban and urban populations are against it, as portrayed in the media. I was pleasantly surprised how many excited people came up for milk and how many wanted to know more about what makes it a nutritious food. It gave me the warm fuzzies knowing dairy is not dead to many of the state fair-goers.
What did you learn from your experience at the stand? I was reminded just how important it is to be available to the public. So many small conversations are able to happen within the interaction we have at the stand. I'm also reminded of how small the agriculture community is as I talked to one of my fellow volunteers. We know many of the same people through our different paths.
Why did you decide to volunteer? Working at the milk booth is a great way to promote our product. People seem excited to be drinking milk at the fair. The stand is also a great place to people watch.
What was the best interaction you had with a fairgoer during your shift? Every shift I have worked at has been very busy so there is not really time to start a conversation. The one thing that stands out to me is when I ask if they would like chocolate or white milk. A lot of people would think for a little while and then ask for chocolate. They would then mention they hadn't had chocolate milk in years.
Minnesota State Fair’s All You Can Drink Milk Stand
Anna Buckentine Chaska, Minnesota
Why did you decide to volunteer? To add to my collection of milk shirts, of course. I volunteer because I want people to have more access to dairy farmers. I enjoy the conversation I am able to have with fair goers and the others volunteering during my shift.
All You Can Drink Milk Stand? This was my second year. Last year, I worked my rst shift because I was in the agricultural education, communications and marketing club, and they are the ones that manage it.
How many years have you served milk at the Minnesota State Fair All You Can Drink Milk Stand? I have served for the last ve years.
Gordon Saemrow Waterville, Minnesota 800 cows
Why did you decide to volunteer? Initially, it was strongly recommended that all members sign up for a shift, but it quickly turned into a bonding experience with other peers and professors in the agricultural education major at the University of Minnesota. Plus, it is a great chance to interact with a lot of the metropolitan citizens in the state and share the benets of milk.
What was the best interaction you had with a fair goer during your shift? One of the interactions that surprised me the most was a woman coming up to the stand and proclaiming she hasn't had milk in over 20 years but decided she needed to have some. This is so exciting for me because I love seeing people drink and consume more dairy foods. Being a part of bringing this woman back to drinking dairy is exciting. She even came back for a second glass.
How many years have you served milk at the Minnesota State Fair All You Can Drink Milk Stand? Three years.
What did you learn from your experience at the stand? People are appreciative of the hard work dairy farmers put in to produce a great product.
What was the best interaction you had with a fairgoer during your shift? This year, I served a young man who ordered his rst glass of milk and washed down a Lactaid pill with it. He came back for his second serving seconds later saying, "I am very lactose intolerant, but I can't say no to all you can drink milk, so every year I bring my Lactaid and go nuts." He came up for at least four more cups.
GolombieckiElizabeth Morris, Minnesota 50 cows
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After four plane rides while crossing eight time zones and stops in two continents, the pair reached their nal destina-
Turn to BINDL | Page 26
“Shafa Dairy is very excited about the possibilities and is creating the infrastructure to make it happen,” Bindl said. “Shafa is a progressive organization extremely focused on increasing production to improve sustainability as they try to meet the demands of feeding their country.”Bindl is one of the practice owners at Dairy Doctors Veterinary Services in Plymouth. Certied by the American Embryo Transfer Association, he has performed embryo transfer since 2005. Departing on the two-week trip to Africa June 5, Bindl was delighted to share the experience with his oldest daughter, Ella.
Sharing quality genetics with the world
Dr. Kent Bindl reviews ultrasound images with employees at Shafa Agra Dairy in Tanzania, Africa. Bindl implanted 70 sexed embryos in June on the 500-cow dairy.
Shafa Agra Dairy is hoping these embryos will help them reach their goals of improving efciency and sustainability as they strive to create a higher quality, longer lasting, more productive cow.
PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Last month, on a dairy farm more than 8,000 miles from his home near Plymouth, Dr. Kent Bindl did something not previously done in that region before. He implanted the rst bovine embryos in the country of Tanzania, Africa.
“We left on the day of Ella’s graduation from Plymouth High School,” Bindl said. “As soon as she gave her student council speech and turned her tassel around, we headed to the airport.”
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“Embryo export is another dimension to our business of producing milk,” Tom Kestell said. “We take it as our mission to help the world, as many countries do not have access to the technology, good land and other resources that we have in the U.S. When doing business with farmers in other countries, we also try to teach them the management and agronomy skills it takes to support modern genetics.”Cowsat Ever-Green-View Dairy excel in both production and type. With a 45,000-pound herd average, the 130cow registered Holstein herd is the highest producing in the world. The farm has a BAA of 111.7, making it No. 1 in the country for herds of that size. EverGreen-View Dairy has won the Herd of Excellence award 12 times – the most of any herd in the nation. In addition, the Kestells emphasize health traits and components in their breeding – features found important by the countries they do business“Wewith.give our customers a good base to work with,” Kestell said. “An old friend once told me, ‘Never promise more than
Bindl embryosimplantsinAfrica
tion. The Bindls spent ve days on the dairy, performing embryo work in the mornings while afternoons were devoted to consulting.Theembryos came from Ever-GreenView Dairy near Waldo, which is owned and operated by Tom and Gin Kestell and their son, Chris, and his wife, Jennifer. Having shipped more than 30,000 embryos overseas, the Kestells’ involvement with the international embryo market is extensive. In 30 years’ time, Kestells’ sought-after genetics have reached more than 30 countries from China to Russia to Thailand to countries in Europe.
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By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
In his consulting work at Shafa Agra Dairy, Bindl started from the ground up with day-old calves through lactating cows, following each group of animals through the different stages of life and lactation while examining every aspect from treatments to housing to vaccina-
Con nued from BINDL | Page 25
Dr. Kent Bindl (center) of Dairy Doctors Veterinary Services in Plymouth, Wisconsin, and his daughter, Ella, stand with Dr. Ibrahim of Shafa Agra Dairy in Tanzania, Africa. Bindl spent ve days on the dairy in June implan ng the area’s rst bovine embryos.
At Shafa Agra Dairy, cows are milked in a double-12 parlor and housed in a 500-cow freestall barn. They are in the process of building another barn and expanding to 1,000 cows. All of the farm’s milk goes to uid sales, which Bindl said is fairly common in the region as demand cannot be met. The dairy is putting in a bottling facility and is going to sell milk directly, a venture that coincides with their upcoming expansion.
“There is really good water at this location, which is why the Shafa Group decided on purchasing this particular farm,” Bindl said. “It is a beautiful dairy, and the 4-row, natural-ventilated freestall barn was like one I could nd anywhere in myLaborpractice.”isplentiful in the area, and as a result, the dairy utilizes about twice as much labor per cow compared to farms in the U.S., Bindl said. In rural Tanzania, working for the dairy is considered a premier job. Giving back to the community is also important to Shafa Agra Dairy, which is sponsoring desks, books, paper and teachers for the local school.
“No matter where I’ve been, dairy farmers are so similar across the globe,” Bindl said. “They’re good, honest, hardworking people who are passionate about what they do. They want to create a good product and have faith in that product as they help feed their country. The quality of people I meet and exposure to different cultures is one of the highlights of all theseOncetrips.”his work at the dairy was completed, Bindl and his daughter went on a four-night safari at a local national park.
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“It’s not hands off after we sell embryos or live cattle,” he said. “We try to be involved. We want to continue making contacts to develop new markets. It can be very stressful, but to me, it’s been well worth it.”
tions.“We didn’t have to reinvent the wheel; they have a lot of expertise and know what they’re doing, but I offered a fresh set of eyes and perhaps a different approach of doing things,” Bindl said.
“It’s crazy where the Holstein cow can take you,” Bindl said. “I’m really fortunate to be in this profession.”
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strumental in helping Kestell expand his reach to other areas.
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“Saying yes to this opportunity has allowed me to see parts of the world I never dreamed of,” Bindl said. “I’ve been really fortunate to have Tom, a leader in exporting bovine genetics, entrusting me with his product to create pregnancies and help build a successful market for him.”Bindl has been Kestell’s herd veterinarian for more than 15 years and in-
you can deliver, and always deliver more than you promised.’ And, I try to do that.”
Shafa Agra Dairy has been in business since 2019 and is family owned under the umbrella of the Shafa Group, which is located in Dubai and includes other divisions such as construction.
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Bindl enjoyed 75-degree days and 60-degree nights while in Africa. Bindl helped the on-staff veterinarian, Dr. Ibrahim, learn the process of implanting embryos so he can continue the work Bindl started. In the future, Ibrahim will be responsible for implanting embryos on the dairy.Currently, cows at Shafa Agra Dairy average 70 pounds of milk per day. Bindl said their goal is to try and match production in the U.S. and get closer to 90 or 100 pounds of milk. The farm uses modern feed mixers and have bunkers for storing feed and a mill for storing dry corn. They do not raise alfalfa but instead grow grass for forage and also feed soybean for Africaprotein.isnot the farthest Bindl’s work has ever taken him. In 2016, Bindl, who grew up on a small dairy farm in southeast Wisconsin, traveled to Siberia – going through 12 time zones to implant embryos. And in 2019, he went to Dubai for the same reason.
“Many foreign countries do not have people qualied to put in embryos, so you have to send in someone who is knowledgeable and personable as well as someone who is a good teacher, listener and observer and is willing to go there and do the work,” Kestell said. “Kent is all of those things. He has been to three vastly different areas implanting embryos on my behalf, and I really appreciate his willingness to do this work.”
“We coordinated the trip with Tanzania’s winter to try to increase conception rates,” Bindl said.
Kestell often travels to the farms that purchase his genetics and has been to
About 70 sexed female embryos were implanted into cows at the dairy, and all of the embryos came from cows scored Very Good or Excellent.
Russia and China several times and has plans to visit Tanzania this winter.
Stearns County took rst, out of 19 teams, for both overall judging and reasons, which advanced them to compete in the National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo. Olmsted/Dodge County placed second. The team from Rice/LeSueur County nished in third. Goodhue County took fourth place and McLeod County nished in fth.
dairy judging this year. It was a great group and they all improved so much during the season,” Sadie Frericks said.
“It means a lot to have the opportunity to be on a team with such talented individuals. I’m very excited to judge at World Dairy Expo alongside these amazing people,” Walter said.
“This is such a strong team,” Sadie Frericks said. “They were the only team in the contest to have all four judges score above 400 and all four place in the top 25.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 27
mates’ one and only opportunity to compete in the National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest. 4-Hers are only allowed to compete once during their years in 4-H.
“I’m proud of the time and effort these kids have put in with practices and contests. They have all improved their decision making and communication skills through dairy judging,” said Kevin Ratka. “It’s great to see the team rewarded for their efforts with the opportunity to move on.”
Young cattle evaluators’ dreams accomplished
SHE’S
The Stearns County dairy judging team practiced throughout the summer. Practices were held on dairy farms across Stearns County.“Allof the practices helped in how we placed at the Minnesota State Fair – especially with reasons,” Dan Frericks said.
dividuals who competed in the contest, Megan Ratka placed 4th, Frericks placed 10th, Tyler Ratka placed 12th, and Walter placedThe22nd.team is coached by Kevin Ratka of Cold Spring, Sadie Frericks of Melrose, and Tara Meyer of Sauk Centre.
By Chloe Lien Contributing writer
Now that the state contest is over, the team is getting ready for the competition at World Dairy Expo. Practices are focusing more on judging colored breeds, since all of the breeds will be represented in the nationalTwocontest.of the teammates –
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They also gained experience through judging contests hosted by other counties.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Judging dairy cows is a passion for four Stearns County 4-Hers and they will soon take that passion to World Dairy Expo in October. Dairy judging teammates – Megan Ratka, 19, of Cold Spring, Tyler Ratka, 17, of Cold Spring, Lanna Walter 16, of Sauk Centre, and Dan Frericks, 15, of Melrose – competed in the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest on Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Minnesota State Fair.
Dan Frericks and Walter – are also getting excited for their rst visit to World Dairy Expo.
“Winning the state contest is something I’ve dreamed about for my entire 4-H career and it is so special to be able to accomplish this in my nal year,” said Megan Ratka. “I am so honored and excited for our Stearns County team to represent Minnesota 4-H at World DairyTheExpo.”contest consisted of six placings classes and three sets of reasons. Of the 90 in-
This team was one of three Stearns County teams that competed at state – two in the senior division and one in the intermediate“Wedivision.had16 4-Hers out for
Stearns County dairy judging team advances to WDE
“I’m excited to look at pretty cows and see the booths,” Dan Frericks said. “I’m also excited to see what companies have to offer for the dairy industry in new genetics and technologies.”While this could be the rst of many trips to World Dairy Expo, it will be these team-
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Stearns County 4-H dairy judging team – (from le ) Megan Ratka, Dan Frericks, Tyler Ratka and Lanna Walter – hold up their plaque and ribbons a er winning the Minnesota 4-H Dairy Judging Compe on at the Minnesota State Fair. The team will now travel to the World Dairy Expo in October to compete na onally.
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Thompson wins Minnesota 4-H dairy judging contest
CLARA THOMPSON
Thompson is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota where she is majoring in animal science with an emphasis in pre-vet. She
Clara Thompson
PLAINVIEW, Minn. – Judging dairy cattle gives Minnesota 4-H members valuable experiences and teaches skills to help 4-H’ers be successful in the future.
“Judging teaches you to follow your gut, and seeing when you’re right is a huge condence boost,” said Clara Thompson, a member of Olmsted County 4-H. “It helps you to keep condent in the adversity of different opinions.”Thompson won the 2022 Minnesota 4-H dairy judging contest Aug. 25 at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul.Thompson’s family farms near Plainview where they milk 120 cows. Thompson has been active in 4-H and FFA throughout her youth, and it was through these organizations that her interest in judging dairy cattle was sparked.
By Taylor Jerde Contributing Writer
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 BEST FOOTING CONCRETE GROOVING
“It was an amazing feeling to be named rst in reasons. When my two friends, Megan Meyer and Megan Ratka, were called, I thought I was out of the running because I didn’t think I could beat them.”
is an active member of the Gopher Dairy Club, Lambda Delta Phi Sorority and the Sustainable CroppingThompsonClub.began judging six years ago in FFA after her sister encouraged her to give it a try. She ended up enjoying it and judged in the 4-H contest the following year. Thompson said she plans to judge on the university’s judging team.
events such as craft shows and dairy breakfasts. I also take him for tons of walks. He loves being outside. I also enjoy spending time hanging out with my girlfriends. I enjoy doing day trips with them. We like to go for hikes and go to different concerts.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 29
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What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? My advice for a fellow woman in agriculture is to nd someone who
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I love being able to work with family. I grew up on a dairy farm and occasionally milk cows and drive tractor for my parents. I love being able to work with my father and grandfather. Family means everything to me. Now, I farm with my husband and his family. I’m thankful my son gets to grow up working with family.
When you get a spare moment, what do you do? In my spare time, I love to take my son to different
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Family: My husband, Eric, and our 8-month-old son, Oliver.
Tell us about your farm. My husband is the fourth-generation farmer in the family and second generation at this farm. We have a 60-cow tiestall herd, which is family owned and operated, with no employees. We run 350 acres of corn, soybean, oat and alfalfa.
Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. My most memorable experience on the farm is when non-farm family members stop with their children. I love watching how excited the kids get when they see the tractors or animals. I love when the kids ask questions. We try to teach them where their food comes from.
shares the same passion and goals in life. Doing something you’re passionate about doesn’t mean you only need to milk cows. There are many other opportunities in the dairy industry that are rewarding.
What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? Purchasing the rest of cattle with my husband and renting the barn from his parents has been a decision that has beneted us. It is a great feeling knowing we own something and can be our own boss, making our own decisions. In the past, I have worked off the farm part time. Now that we own the cattle, I work only on our farm and occasionally help my dad on his farm.
Women In Dairy
What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? A typical day for us isn’t like most farms. We milk at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Summers are busy most days from eldwork to maintaining equipment. In the summer, I unload small square bales at both our farm and my parents’ farm. During the daytime, I care for our son. I never realized raising kids really is a full-time job. I’m blessed to be able to work from home and spend all day with our son. I help with chores at night. While my husband gets cows from the pasture, I prep the milkhouse for chores. My husband and I milk together; it usually takes us about an hour and a half. After milking, I feed calves while my husband runs out feed and cleans the milkhouse. Then, when we both are nished, we let the cows back out and clean the barn.
What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Going to the Mid-State Technical College farm operations program and graduating with cords has been a huge accomplishment for me. I always struggled in school, but college was easy. When you go to school for something you love and have a passion for, school can be fun and enjoyable. When I attended school, I continued working at a farm store and on my parents’ farm. I’m proud of myself for continuing to work while in school.
What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? My favorite way to promote the dairy industry is going to tons of dairy breakfasts in the month of June. It helps promote the local FFA programs as well. I also try to share a lot of positive things about agriculture on social media.
Emily Heeg Marsheld, Wisconsin Wood County 60 cows
Emily Heeg, holding her son, Oliver, and her husband, Eric (not pictured), milk 60 cows on their farm near Marsheld, Wisconsin.
Karen 612-625-4276mlw@umn.eduMelissa507-934-7828sever575@umn.eduEmma612-624-1205mschutz@umn.eduMike320-203-6093salfe001@umn.eduJim320-296-1357ijsalfer@umn.eduIsaacroyster@umn.eduErin320-732-4435nels4220@umn.eduBrenda507-332-6109lacanne@umn.eduClaire507-280-2863krek0033@umn.eduEmily320-484-4334ande9495@umn.eduJohnsonKrekelbergLaCanneMillerRoysterSalferSalferSchutzSevernsWison
Transdermal obtained a label indication for pain associated with foot rot because Merck developed a specic measure for pain instead of
Those in the industry typically lean on performance and production measures to show the difference between animals. Several studies have shown anti-inammatory and analgesic (pain alleviating) medications given before, and at the time of dehorning, result in calves with a greater average daily gain than those not receiving anti-inammatory or analgesic medications. Using production data to justify pain alleviation is not a large leap. If a calf is in less pain, it will likely eat more and gain more, but as we have seen with discussions surrounding some of our feed-added antibiotics, giving a medication with the justication of improved performance has become a sensitive subject. It’s also difcult to know if improved performance directly results from pain management attempts.
Brad Heins, is working to give farmers more information.Aspart of his research at the University of Minnesota dairy in Morris, Minnesota, Heins will have several cohorts of cattle with similar genetics dehorned with various medications given, as well as a group of horned cattle that will not be dehorned at all. He will study the impacts and work to provide a better picture of the impact of animal practices.
The answer to these quandries are essential, but the number of variables makes the answer unclear.
there are differing opinions, one medication stands above the rest for anti-inammatory and pain management in cattle, Meloxicam. Meloxicam is efcacious and cost-effective, and the duration of action is approximately 24 hours. The medication is given orally in pill form, making it also Beef Quality Assurance friendly. Hands down, the research shows Meloxicam is the undisputed NSAID choice for dehorning and castration. The medication also proves effective for inammation and pain associated with respiratory disease, mastitis, foot rot and many other conditions. Meloxicam is not approved for use in cattle in the United States, making it extra-label drug use. Meat and milk withdrawals must
using production metrics in their analysis of pain reduction. Cattle with foot rot stood on a pressuresensitive plate to measure the weight they placed on each foot. After treatment with Banamine Transdermal, the same cattle stood on the plate again. A statistically signicant difference was measured, showing treated cattle placed more weight on the affected foot after treatment compared to untreated cattle. The label is for foot rot because the company could measure that pain directly. In short, a genius solution.Ofcourse, we are all aware there are many other situations where cattle are in pain. But, without resorting to a production or performance metric it’s difcult to meaure the pain associated with pneumonia, dehorning, castration or mastitis. Possible solutions are serum cortisol levels, heart rate, respiratory rate and other measures of stress.
The most recently approved pain medication for cattle in the United States is Banamine Transdermal. The product is labeled for topical use in beef and dairy cattle but is not for use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older. The most intriguing piece of the label is that the product is labeled for “pain associated with foot rot in steers, beef heifers, beef cows, beef bulls intended for slaughter and replacement dairy heifers under 20 months of age.” This is intriguing because it is specically labeled for pain. The label on the injectable version of Banamine does not mention pain at all; instead, it is indicated for “control of pyrexia (fever) associated with bovine respiratory disease, endotoxemia and acute bovine mastitis, and control of inammation in endotoxemia.”Banamine
be strictly followed, and great care should be taken when using the medication in lactating animals, especially fresh animals, due to metabolism considerations. The medication requires a prescription from a veterinarian of record but works exceptionally well, especially for Prevention,calves.asaform of pain management, is always be better than treatment. Proper management will reduce the prevalence of conditions causing pain in dairy animals. Additionally, polled genetics provide the opportunity to avoid the pain of dehorning altogether. While polled genetics may be inferior to other bulls, consider the performance improvement with increased average daily gain in early life. While there’s no denitive answer, polled animals may achieve a higher proportion of their genetic potential because they never had the stress of dehorning early in life and therefore may, or may not, have equal or better performance than their dehorned counterparts.
By Joe Armstrong, DVM
Pain management in cattle has long been a complex issue to address. The most signicant reason there are not more options in a farmer’s toolbox for pain management is that developing validated measures of pain in animals is incredibly difcult. It’s difcult to judge whether a medication is working and alleviating pain in an animal compared to others that didn’t receive pain management medications.
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Just because there are not many labeled products in the pain management toolbox does not mean there’s nothing available. In addition to Banamine Transdermal, injectable Banamine, when given correctly via IV, can alleviate pain because it reduces inammation and can be given to lactating animals (36-hour milk withdrawal). The more signicant issue is the duration of action. Usually, injectable Banamine lasts about 4-6 hours. This simply is not long enough to alleviate pain for many of the conditions and management procedures associated with cattle and would need repeated dosing to be most effective.Though
Dana 612-625-3108kjanni@umn.eduKevin320-203-6104huli0013@umn.eduNathan320-589-1711hein0106@umn.eduBrad612-624-2277hanse009@umn.eduLes612-626-5620jhadrich@umn.eduJoleen612-624-5391miendres@umn.eduMarcia612-625-8184gcramer@umn.eduGerard612-625-3130lcaixeta@umn.eduLuciano612.624.3610armst225@umn.eduJoe320-204-2968adam1744@umn.eduAdams,ArmstrongCaixetaCramerEndresHadrichHansenHeinsHulinskyJanni
Pain management medications toolbox: Why so few?
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022
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– Take three deep breaths when something goes wrong and try to remain calm.
– Drop off food with a note sharing appreciation for them.
The word burnout conjures up a number of mental images. Burnout exists in every context of work, and the work of agriculture is not immune. Burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped. Excessive emotional, physical and men-
The isolation factor
– Offer to help by doing a supply run with Everyone’sthem.
Isolation has long been considered a stressor in agriculture. While being isolated may not seem to be a high-pressure stress factor like getting crops harvested, it can be a huge contributor to chronic stress. It’s common for people who work in agriculture to
These are ve quick swaps to integrate self-care easily into a busy harvest schedule:
do much of their work alone. Long hours in solitude, and usually shortened time with family and friends, can take a toll. A lack of emotional support and a general outlet for energy can leave people feeling fatigued and stressed. What’s worse, when people are under stress, they tend to isolate to protect others which only further exacerbates the issue.
– Organize a get-together such as morning coffee or lunch.
– Call and ask how they are doing.
family member to join you for a few hours.
– Instead of sitting during a break, try going for a quick walk.
What will you do with your 10 minutes?
The ve key symptoms of burnout are increased anxiety, general fatigue, lack of creativity and purpose, emotional numbness (depression) and a cynical outlook. Burnout requires attention and care even if it means taking some time away from work or readjusting a schedule. Every job is replaceable, people are not. People need to treat themselves like the highvalue assets because they are.
Be sure to discuss work-related stressors with someone. Think about schedule or expectation changes that may help take some pressure off. This isn’t a sign of weakness but a sign of wisdom and foresight that a workload is not currently sustainable.
For any type of stress, it’s also important to seek support. Being able to talk about experiences and having others acknowledge them, not as a fault but as a challenge can do a lot for mental health. Strong support systems promote emotional health and can help people nd themsevles.
threshold for stress is different. Respect that although people may have similar circumstances, people experience it in a different way. Be patient, be kind and be helpful.
tal stress can make people feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained and unable to keep up with life’s demands. Burnout is more than just stress; it is the result of too much stress.
An anthology on wellness
– Instead of staying up late looking at the weather radar, try being screen-free in the house after a long day and get some extra sleep.
– Instead of bringing pop and a candy bar along for a snack, try water or chocolate milk and a protein bar.
Challenge time: Pick a week and every day that week commit to 10 minutes of self-care. Make it clear to others that this time should not be interrupted.During this magical 10-minute timeframe, do something for yourself. Take a walk, read the newspaper, sip some coffee, stare out the window or work on a puzzle. This time should be spent doing something enjoyable, not on work, chores or errands. Do something joyful, something that brings contentment, serenity or another positive emotion. After 10 minutes, get back to all the other stuff, it will still be there waiting.
Too often, people are the biggest barrier to themselves. People often think they don’t have time to do the things they enjoy and that might be true, but these 600 seconds can bring a sense of peace.
– Instead of spending the entire day alone, try inviting a friend or
Fall can be a stressful time on the farm, mentally, emotionally and physically. Wellness can be addressed in so many different ways and here are some ideas to help during harvest:
Self-care swaps for harvest season
Self-care is the active choice to engage in the activities that are required to gain or maintain an optimal level of overall health. Self-care includes activities like eating, sleeping, socializing, hobbies and being active. People often say, “I don’t have time for that kind of stuff.” But, self-care is one of the most important things a person can do to stay mentally, physically and emotionally strong.
By Emily Krekelberg
Even though people may not be able to see each other during busy times of year, staying connected to social networks is important. The following are some ways to check onneighbors during times of high stress.
Busting burnout
In addition, focus on being intentional with swlf-care and healing. Mindfulness provides a big boost to mental, emotional and physical health.
“Showing is a family affair,” Thompson said. “I enjoy spending quality time showing with my cousins.”Besides judging Holsteins, Thompson enjoys judging Jerseys as well.“It’s cool to see how they change from standing to on the move,” she Thompsonsaid.encourages young 4-H members to join their dairy judging teams. She said judging takes work and dedication, but the outcome is worth the investment.
“Judging denitely shaped my future plans,” Thompson said. “I never anticipated judging collegiately.”Inthis year’s contest, Thompson was the rst-place individual and took rst in reasons.
“It was an amazing feeling to be named rst in reasons,” she said. “When my two friends, Megan Meyer and Megan Ratka, were called, I thought I was out of the running because I didn’t think I could beat them. Then, my name was called. It was awesome to see my future teammates in the top 10.”
Olmsted County 4-H team member Anne Simpson, of Pine Island, Minnesota, placed second. Along with her successes this year, Thompson also placed eighth at the 2021 North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville,ThompsonKentucky.isnostranger to the show ring. She grew up exhibiting dairy cattle at local open class
Con nued from THOMPSON | Page 28
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“Work has to be put in,” Thompson said. “But, if you love it, it doesn’t feel like work.”
shows. One of her highlights was winning junior champion Red and White Holstein at a previous Minnesota State Fair open class show. During this year’s 4-H encampment, she exhibited a registered Red and White Holstein fall calf and was eighth in the showcase.
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What is the best decision you have made on your farm? In working toward improving animal comfort, we have made improvements to housing that have been benecial. Cows were originally housed in a stanchion barn, and they kept banging up their legs. I took out the stanchions and put in a rail to create a poor boy’s tiestall barn. From there, I put free stalls in the dairy barn before nally building a freestall barn. The new building was excellent, giving the cows lots of fresh air through the use of curtain sidewalls. It improved cow comfort even more as the airow made a big difference. In 2012, we started bedding stalls with washed agricultural lime, which is softer than sand and has been great for the cows. I’ve also greatly improved the quality of feed by paying attention to trace elements in the soil like boron, magnesium, zinc and sulfur. I take regular soil samples.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 33
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What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? My comfort zone is milking cows. Watching them chew their cud while content and relaxed in the stall – that’s my euphoria. I also like driving open platform tractors in the eld. I don’t like being in a cab. You’re blinded in a cab tractor. Being with God is what it feels like when I’m riding on a tractor open to the sky.
What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? I put in an animal path across the waterway last month to keep the cows from tearing up the soil. Taking care of the environment is important to me, and this prevents soil erosion issues. The pathway is 280 feet long and starts at the heifer shed and goes all the way out to the pasture. All of my animals are pastured, from heifers to milk cows to dry cows. I have three groups on pasture. In 1993, I won the Outstanding Young Farmer for switching to rotational grazing on 19 paddocks.
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What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Stability in the market. The prices of inputs are shooting up high. We have our daily expenses that we can control, but we have no control over things like feed inputs. I certainly would not want to contract corn at the current price. The times are too unstable, and it concerns me.
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How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? I listen to them and try not to criticize. I always give employees two job choices when something needs to get done and tell them to choose one of the jobs, and then I do the other. For example, do you want to change the silo door or haul manure? I work with my employees and family members, not against them. Every time I hand an employee their paycheck, I ask them, ‘What can I do here to make life better for you?’ I also highlight something they’ve done well recently; I pay them a compliment. Your attitude, approach and response to your employees should be complementary not detrimental.
How did you get into farming? I grew up here. My dad and grandpa both farmed this operation, making me the third generation in my family to farm at this location. I graduated from high school in 1981. Then, in 1982, I became partners with my mom and dad. Today, I own the farm 50/50 with my mom, Elaine. My brothers, Phil and Kenny, help me quite a bit, and my brother, Jim, also helps when he can.
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Focus on animal comfort. Don’t rush, get mad at, yell at or hit your cows. They do much better in a calm environment. If you have a parlor made for eight cows, and only four get in there, then milk four. Work with your cows.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? I plan to keep milking the same number of cows and don’t have any plans to expand. I like the genomic side of things and will
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? Visit with family. I like to know what’s going on in everyone’s lives, spend time at my sister’s new house, play volleyball and go dancing. Basically, I like doing anything physical.
Greg Stewart Brodhead, Wisconsin Green County 88 cows
Dairy prolepro
What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? I try to control my expenses. For example, I will cut back on feed expenses when milk prices aren’t good. I may cut soybean meal and minerals by 5%-10% when the milk price is marginal. I’ll also feed two rations to the milk cows, feeding the lower-end cows a lower mix of feed. I then top dress the higher milking cows that are making a higher return. I cheat on the ration, which means I might lose a little on milk, but I save on my feed bill. I’ll also start selling cull cows off when money is tight. Fixing my own machinery saves costs too. I put in more work when prices are bad to help cut costs.
What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? Support from family and hired help. I couldn’t run this farm by myself, and their reliability means so much. Also, my skid loader saves time and energy. And, Facebook helps me keep up with what’s going on with other farms in the area and potential opportunities. For example, I can nd auctions to go to or equipment for sale, or I can even sell my own machinery.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. My love for animals and my love of ensuring animal comfort. I despise not seeing comfortable animals. It drives me nuts if I see a calf shivering because it doesn’t have enough bedding. I go out of my way to ensure cow comfort, which makes my animals more successful.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR Kenny (from le ), Greg and Phil Stewart, milk 88 cows near Brodhead, Wisconsin.
keep doing genomic testing. We breed our lower-end animals to beef, so it is helpful to have the data. I would like to have animal monitoring collars so that is something I might consider in the future.
Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022
Todd’s Auto Parts INC 415 4th St SW, Montgomery, MN 56069 We are proud to have you represent Minnesota & Le Seur County!Phone: (507) 364-5148 Con�atulation Con�s atulations Rach�!Rach�! Congratulations Rachel! We are excited to have you represent Minnesota Dairy Industry! frandsenbank.com Congratulations Rachel! 952-467-2181 A family business since 1946 with the Lanos: Jack, Paul, Bob and Andy We are proud to have you represent the Minnesota Dairy Industry C ongrats Congrats Rachel! CongratulationsRachelRynda CONGRATULATEBUSINESSESTHESERACHEL&WISHHERTHEBESTDURINGHERREIGN... RYNDA!RACHEL CONGRATULATIONSFamily&veterinarianownedsince1994 Leedstone.com 877.608.877
We are honored to have Rachel represent Le Seur County and the entire dairy industry in Minnesota. Rachel is the daughter of Francis & Theresa Rynda of Montgomery, Minn.
When I was just a little girl, around 4 or 5, my dad would take me out on the hay wagon in summertime when we would make small square alfalfa bales. After a couple of rows of bales were stacked ve high, Dad would boost me up to the top and tell me to wave to the cars passing us as they drove down the road. “Wave like Princess Kay,” he would say once I got positioned on top of the bales. I would practice my princess wave as the tractor pulled the baler down the windrows of alfalfa. In fth grade, I took my rst step toward my journey to the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way when I
Congratulations WEARESOPROUDOFYOU ! Rachel Rynda69th Princess Kay of the Milky www.bongards.comWay 416 Mathews St. Mankato, MN 56001 | 800-795-1277 | 507-387-7971 Congratulations ws St MaMnkato MN 56 Rachel! Congratulations RachelCongratulations RachelA N D A L L P R I N C E S S K A Y C O N T E S T A N T S !A N Y T Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 35
Wave like Princess Kay
started as a Scott-Le Sueur County Milk Maid. I advanced through the program to become an ambassador and then a dairy princess in 2020. After a span of 10 years advocating as a county dairy ambassador, I have been given the greatest gif, and my biggest dream came true when I was crowned Princess Kay.
I am beginning my second year at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where I am majoring in agricultural business with a minor in dairy science. I am active in dairy club, as the year book manager, and Agricultural Business and Marketing Society, as the secretary. I play all kinds of intramural sports too.
Dairy has always given me so much joy. Before I could walk, my parents would put me in the stroller and wheel me to the alley of the barn where I sat as they milked our cows together with the polka music in the background.
Since then, adventure and curiosity drove my love for all things dairy.
I am excited to be serving as Minnesota dairy farmers’ goodwill ambassador for this year. I cannot wait to travel across the great state of Minnesota and meet so many amazing individuals while sharing the good story of dairy farmers and all the wonderful things they provide our world. As my reign gets underway, I am excited for the connection and memories to ll my year as the 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way.
As I grew up on the farm alongside my parents, Francis and Theresa, and my three brothers, Isaac, Noah and Levi, there was always something new to look forward to at chore time. Whether it was feeding calves with mom, riding in the wheelbarrow as Dad fed cows or playing with the kitties with my brothers, chore time on the farm quickly became my favorite time of the day. There was always a question to ask or a new chore to learn on the farm. Working and growing together as a family on the farm has given me all that I have. Even now, chore time is the highlight of my day. When I’m at school, I look forward to coming home to share college stories in the barn as the polka music plays while we milk together.As a little girl, I looked up to the beautiful dairy princesses I would see throughout the year at parades, the county fair and of course the dairy banquet when they would be crowned with sparkly tiaras and cow-print sashes. In moments like those, I aspired to follow in these ladies’ footsteps. Becoming Princess Kay was a dream I could never have imagined would come true.
On the Road with Princess Kay
Princess Kay of the Milky Way Rachel Rynda serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Rynda grew up in Montgomery, Minnesota, on her family’s dairy farm. She attends University of Wisconsin-River Falls, studying agriculture business with a minor in dairy science. In her spare time, she enjoys participating in sports and singing in church with her dad.
Princess Kay is active doing school visits, representing dairy farmers at the Fuel Up To Play 60 activities in conjunction with the Minnesota Vikings, and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota.
By Rachel Rynda 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way
I am honored to say that I am the newly crowned 69th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. I grew up on my family’s dairy farm in Le Sueur County outside of Montgomery, Minnesota. We milk our herd of Holstein cows in a tiestall barn. We raise our heifers as dairy replacements and raise our bull calves, with the addition of buying calves, as nishing steers. We also farm 400 acres of corn, soybean, alfalfa and wheat.
I am talking about stufng ourselves silly with food, of course.
lifelong connection to our land, a connection made possible by our Jersey steers who eat the grass and grain that were grown on our farm.
Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of theauthor and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.
It seemed like the stone fruit – peaches, apricots, cherries and such – always came into season when the summer was at its hottest. We would buy these fruits in wooden boxes called lugs, a name I suspect came from the fact that they were just the right size for a kid to lug to the house from the car.The most scorching days at the end of summer would nd Mom in the steaming kitchen, making sugar syrup, boiling jars and preparing the pears, peaches and cherries that would ll the scores of quarts that we kids would carefully carry down into the basement.Irecallone summer when a lug of sweet, juicy purple plums appeared in the pantry. They were so delicious that I found them irresistible. I must have snarfed down nearly a dozen plums before Mom caught me and informed me that I would pay for my gluttony.Momwas right. Boy was she ever.
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Food is both cheap and plentiful in America. We squander our eats as if there were an unlimited supply, which certainly appears to be the case. People would be more physically t and would have a deeper appreciation for their food if they had to endure a childhood like mine.
Now if you'll excuse me, my wife and I have developed a sudden urge to enjoy the sweet potatoes that were recently harvested from our garden. And, I’ll grill some fresh Jersey burgers to go with them.
Only years later did I realize that the real wonder bread is the kind you watch rise as the yeast performs its wondrous magic. Only now do I realize that there was innitely more value in those homegrown victuals than what could be measured in mere dollars and cents. Only now do I fully comprehend that those humble provisions did more than nourish our bodies; they nourished our sense of family and our souls.
As I approach the anniversary of yet another year on this planet, I’m deeply appreciative that my wife and I continue to consume the beef we have personally raised. It feels good to maintain my
Preserving time
At some point during my early childhood, Dad purchased a single-row, horse-drawn potato planter. He hitched the steel-wheeled machine to our John Deere B and planted what seemed like a couple of acres of spuds. Our entire family spent summers hoeing those potatoes, and we kids were conscripted into digging them up in the fall. Nothing makes the humble potato taste so good as the knowledge that you watered it with your own sweat.As
We accomplished this by putting in a large garden each spring and butchering a steer and a couple of hogs each fall. Mom made bread, cakes and cookies from scratch, often without so much as glancing at a recipe.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and assert that food is an important part of most peoples’ lives. The fact that food is a bit too important for many of us is fairly self-evident.
It's the time of year when the days are growing shorter, the nights are becoming longer, and Americans are spending more and more of their time indoors, participating in their favorite pleasureinducing activity.
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 and ad salesman. Feel free to email him at jerry.n@dairystar.com.
Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022
we grew up, we learned that many of our schoolmates ate Wonder Bread and that their parents bought preserved fruit that came in steel cans. We began to beg our parents to buy Wonder Bread for us. We openly questioned the economics of raising one's own potatoes.
By Jerry Nelson Columnist Dear County Agent Guy
What we couldn't raise in our garden we bought in bulk when it was in season and canned it in jars. When I was a kid, fast food meant running down into the basement and sprinting back up the stairs with a couple of jars of preserves.
There were eight kids in our family, and Mom didn't work outside the home. We farmed two quarters of land, raised a few hogs, kept a few chickens and maintained a small dairy herd. We didn't buy much at the grocery store other than coffee, our and sugar.
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I was ready for two questions because they come up every year.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022 • Page 37
“Dairy farmers take the calves away from their mothers at birth, right?”
By Jim Bennett
When I climbed out of the pen, I was immediately asked, “What is the spray for?” Being a cow person, I was surprised by this question, because everyone would, of course, know that it was y spray. But, then I remembered these people are not cow people. I answered that same question several times in the next few minutes. Sometimes education needs to be basic.
I was also ready when asked, “Is it stressful for the animals to be here around all these people?”
Sometimes someone will directly challenge me about these topics. I have even been told that the whole idea of a birth center was too stressful for the animals and was a form of animal abuse. The best approach to these sorts of difcult questions or challenges is to listen, ask questions, engage but not argue in an attempt to change minds.
Even though we might want to educate, one cannot educate without connecting rst. In fact, the most important thing the MOBC does is just that: connecting producers with consumers. That connection might come during a birth of a calf, but it could just as easily come when spraying a cow with y spray or petting a baby pig. However it comes, the connection is what is important. Plus, establishing that connection becomes more important every year since fewer and fewer consumers have any connection with animal agriculture.
“Why do those pigs have to be kept in those awful crates?”
lot of educating today.
I arrived for my 1 p.m. shift at the Minnesota State Fair Miracle of Birth Center at 12:30 p.m. this year on a beautiful, sunny, late summer day. I have been volunteering there for a long time. I do this because it is a great cause, and even though I have seen what seems like a million calvings in my time, birth is still a miracle to me.
Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@ gmail.com with comments or questions.
Volunteers at the MOBC are there to take care of animals and to educate the public about animal agriculture. In the pre-shift brieng this year, I learned that the cow that was induced for labor today calved early, right around midnight; all of the sows had farrowed; a goat had kidded yesterday and an ewe a couple of hours ago. I also was told the cow in the calving pen was examined in the morning, and based of that exam, she was predicted to calve today. We will see, I thought, because even with tools like pharmaceutical induction of labor, birth comes when birth comes, and it is a miracle anyone is actually around to see it. I put on a clean volunteer shirt and headed out into the throng of fairgoers.Ifyou have never been to the Minnesota State Fair MOBC, you just need to know one fact: It is the most popular exhibit at the fair. The Minnesota State Fair is one of the largest communal events in the United States so there are almost always a lot of people in the building. I did the math one year and calculated that one person enters the building, on average, every eight seconds, for the entire duration of the fair. This is actually great, because it means there is always someone to talk to about all these critters that we rely on for our livelihoods and our existence. As I squeezed through the masses toward the bovine end of the barn, I was sure I could do a
VeterinaryColumnistWisdom
Sometimes I would give a longer explanation about how cows here were induced into labor, but that the cow that was induced for today gave birth last night. This cow seemed to be starting on her own, and that normally we do not induce cows on dairy farms routinely; no, induction in dairy cows does not work like oxytocin does in humans. In fact, oxytocin does not work for induction at all, and that some species like sheep and goats are even harder to induce, and so forth.
The miracle of birth
The black cow in the calving pen was small for a Holstein, but the black coloration on parts of her udder made me think there were some other genes in her too. Like all the cows the MOBC gets from this farm, she was a nice-looking cow. She did not appear to be in labor, but it really is hard to know when a cow is actually in labor. She did, however, appear to be bothered by ies. She was kicking straw on her belly and was swatting her ears to stave off some hungry stable ies. So, I immediately turned around, went back to the volunteer room and asked for some y spray to give the poor beast some relief. A nice young FFA student showed up shortly and proceeded to attempt to spray the cow. Unfortunately, the cow was having none of it and ran around the pen to keep from getting sprayed. The student did her best, but I think most of the spray went into the air.
The most common question I answered was, “When is she going to have her baby?” To which I answered, “I really don’t know.” Sometimes I said, “Today, or so I am told.” Or, “Well, she was examined this morning and found to be partially dilated, so we think today or tonight.”
Here is a big thank you to CHS, FFA, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association, all of the great volunteers for all the work they do to operate this great exhibit every year and to the farmers who graciously lend their animals every year. And, I was right. I really did not know when the black cow would calve. After my shift, I walked around the fair a bit, but I checked on her before exiting to the parking lot. Still no calf. Miracles happen when miracles happen.
From the Zweber Farm
Until next month, keep living the dream, and send those kids off to school with some great stories of what they did on the farm this summer.
By Tim Zweber Farmer & Columnist
Our daughter, Hannah, bought her rst animals this spring. A ock of bantam Rhode Island Red hens with a rooster she named Tommy. She has spent a lot of time caring for those silly little chickens all summer, and they did well at the fair. Unfortunately, she wasn’t old enough to take them to the state fair like she wished
she could. She even hatched an egg in our incubator and expanded her ock. As soon as she had her chick, one of her hens mysteriously died. She learned one of the hard lessons of owning livestock. They sometimes die no matter how pampered and looked after they are. She has all sorts of plans for next year to expand her ock to include even more interesting breeds of chickens. Who knows, maybe someday she’ll take over management of our poultry enterprise.
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Fair season ended for our family a couple days ago when Emily took the kids back up to the state fair one last time for their non-livestock project judging. It’s been a lot of fun seeing them take the projects they worked hard on all year and show them off. The last month has been a lot of trips back and forth to the county fair and then to the state fair with kids, animals and projects. As fun as it has been to see our kids learn and grow through doing, it will be nice to settle into the school year and something of a routine, or at least as much of a routine as we ever have around our farm.
The season
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 10, 2022
It’s a bit early to be saying the year is winding down from the busy season of seemingly constant haying and moving cattle around the pastures, but the start of school season for the kids is the rst sign, like the rst leaves falling from the trees not too long from now. We homeschool our kids, and Emily has been busy getting needed books and planning out eld trips…the kind of
eld trips that don’t end at a hayeld but some historic or natural site that is. The boys have put in their fair share of learning in hayelds this year. They did almost all of the wagon unloading and management of the forage bagger this summer. That’s not an easy job, and the consequences if it’s not done right are high. I’m proud of them for doing such a great job with a task I don’t even trust some adults to do without me supervising. It freed me up to keep ahead of the chopper with the mower and get bales wrapped. I’d usually have to be running between unloading haylage and unloading and wrapping bales purchased from other farms.
Tim Zweber farms with his wife, Emily, their three children and his parents, Jon and Lisa, by Elko, Minnesota.
We don’t chop corn anymore since we converted our herd to being grassfed, but I see some people are starting to chop. I might have to stop in at the neighbors for a smell of fresh chopped corn silage. I love that smell. It’s also fun seeing all those corn stalks disappear into the chopper and come out as tons upon tons of cow chow. Hopefully everyone has a good and bountiful harvest in the next couple months. We’re really dry here but caught a little over an inch of rain a couple of weeks ago to keep the pastures going just a bit longer. We’ll need another rain to come through, or we’ll be sliding into the winter feeding season sooner than I’d prefer. Thankfully this drought is pretty local, so there seems to be plenty of feed available to ll in what we’re not getting off our land. Might only be a three-hay-crop year for us. That hasn’t happened in quite a few years.
Watching the shows takes me back to some fun years of my youth when I went to county and state fair shows with my own cattle, helped others with their registered Ayrshire cattle at the Minnesota State Fair and attended many shows in the Warner Coliseum, handing out ribbons and clerking shows as a summer employee of the livestock entry department.
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It was exciting to see one of our heifers called back into the total net merit class and watch her be named the champion grade total net merit heifer of the show. Since we focus our breeding program on genetics based on cheese yield production, wellness and functional type traits, this award is meaningful for our farm’s goals.
Another fun show item was the thank you notes from 4-H’ers receiving awards that our farm sponsors. One 4-H’er wrote, “I’ve been showing in the dairy project for 11 years and have brought the Milking Shorthorn breed up to the state fair twice. With your donation, other 4-H’ers like me get the opportunity to grow in our passions and continue to learn.”
This year, it didn’t work out to get away from our farm that day. Two fall calves from our farm were being shown, and we wanted to go and support the 4-H’ers who leased them.
effortless,itTheyanimals.withthearoundglidepeopleshowcertainandontoplinesshapedexquisitelytheheifershowringtheirmakelook
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I marvel at the glistening, perfectly balanced udders of the cows, the shining hides and uffed up tails,
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My hobby during this season is cow shows. I love to be present at the shows or watch the live streams from the shows when they are available.
I also love to soak in the open class dairy shows at the state fair via the live stream. I get to see friends, neighbors and some of our kids’ friends who are now showing in various breed shows. I analyze the classes as they enter the ring, make my placings and cheer out loud in my kitchen when those I know place well. It is so much fun to see.
I am wired to enjoy stories about great cows and people. As a former writer of breeder stories, I like following along with the herds that have been shown over the years, which cow families and show bulls do well, and I am especially amazed at all of the support staff needed to make showing a success.
My favorite class is the 150,000-pound lifetime production class. I love seeing the grand older cows with gorgeous frames and udders, who have achieved this level of production and are still shining their hearts out in the show ring.
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Through the years, I get nostalgic for those days when I remember probably the most fun parts, and perhaps not all of the hard work and effort that goes into bringing show
By Jean Annexstad Columnist
Come Full Dairy Circle
Luckily, all three of our children were helping with the 4-H show in some capacity, and they either stopped by to give the girls encouragement, checked them in for their class or assisted in the Meanwhilering.in my kitchen, the livestock show live stream from the state fair was on, and I was able to watch the classes while I worked on cooking and garden produce tasks.
- Bengfort, Bluff Country Equine Winona, MN
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cattle to the fair for several days, like the early mornings and the late nights of helping.Watching the Minnesota State Fair 4-H show in person is a priority for Rolf and me. We loved seeing our kids show there through their 4-H careers. In the past few years, we have attended to watch the leased heifers being shown from our farm. We enjoy a day away, seeing friends in the cattle barn, sipping a Gopher Dairy Club shake and visiting with many people who are helping with the show or are there to watch.
Just like the work that happens on a dairy farm every day, there are so many tasks that have to happen for a show string to do well. Someone has to haul the cattle there, get the bedding and display in place, wash the cattle and care for their needs. The tters clip, trim and blow up toplines. People run the pitchforks and empty the manure wheelbarrows. A crew watches over the string all night long and another crew helps to run the show.Congratulations to all of the folks who put the work into the shows so people like me can enjoy being a spectator of beautiful bovines. I applaud your efforts.
Watching the Minnesota State Fair 4-H show in person is a priority for Rolf and me. We loved seeing our kids show there through their 4-H careers.
“I theypurchasedhavefencesfromTJ’stwice.Myoriginalfenceswerepurchased20yearsagoandhaveheldupwell.Ienjoynothavingtopaintthem.
John
Show cow sheen is seen
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