September 11, 2021 - 1st section - zone 1 by Dairy Star

LOOK INSIDE FOR OUR WORLD DAIRY EXPO PREVIEW EDITION!

DAIRY ST R

September 11, 2021

“All dairy, all the time”™

Volume 23, No. 14

Strong storms sweep coverage area Minnesota, Iowa dairy farmers deal with crop damage in the aftermath By Krista Kuzma

krista.k@dairystar.com

SAND SPRINGS, Iowa – While Steve Turnis and his family were working with cows in his farm’s freestall barn the afternoon of Aug. 24, a storm picked up outside. “The wind was howling,” Turnis said. “It was scary. The wind blew really hard for about 20 minutes. We shut down the curtains and closed the doors. I was afraid to look when we got out and the storm was over.” The 80 mph wind had knocked down 50 of his 250 acres of corn on his 200cow dairy near Sand Springs. Northeast Iowa was not the only area to experience lateAugust severe weather. Sandra and Tom Herdering

MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR

Steve Herdering chops corn Sept. 7 for his brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Sandra Herdering, on their 75-cow dairy farm near St. Rosa, Minnesota. A storm Aug. 28 aƩened a large porƟon of the Herderings’ corn. from St. Rosa, Minnesota, had a powerful storm roll through their 75-cow dairy about 12:30 p.m. Aug. 28. David Tauer also had storm

damage from strong wind that came through later in the day – one portion that arrived around 6:30 p.m. and a second round around 10:30 p.m. – at his

family’s 220-cow dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. “I’ve never seen corn down like this before,” Turnis said. “There’s not a stalk stand-

ing. It’s like you ran it over. I’ve seen some break off (from storms) but nothing like this.” Turnis was about 10 days out from starting to chop the corn, which he guessed probably would have yielded about 200 bushels per acre. “I tried chopping it with my chopper, and I can’t get through it,” he said. One load took 1.5 hours to chop so Turnis said he will hire a custom chopper. “You can’t believe there would be that much difference between varieties, but we have corn that is at right next to the corn that is still standing,” Turnis said. “We’ll just take one step at a time trying to get it done.” The Herderings are in a similar situation. The storm Aug. 28 rolled in quickly, Sandra Herdering said. “Within ve minutes the storm came up … and just like that the sky started turning green,” she said. “When it’s green like that when it storms, it’s bad.” She and her husband reTurn to STORM | Page 7

Grab-and-go dairy Benton County ADA donates cooler to high school By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com

FOLEY, Minn. – With the new school year underway, students at Foley High School were welcomed back with a new feature to their lunch program. High school students have the option to incorporate more dairy into their diets because of a donation from the Benton County American Dairy Association’s dairy farmers. “We’re excited about the fact that we’re going to reach so many kids and families, and let them know about dairy,” said Pat Boyle, treasurer for Benton County ADA. “We’re going to get them to drink more milk, and hopefully, they’ll develop lifelong habits that are passed on for generations. This could be a win-win for everybody.”

In working with the school’s child nutrition director, the group of dairy farmer representatives provided an outlet for the school to have more dairy products available for students. “We are a big farm-to-school district, and milk is considered a part of that with it going from the farm to these milk cartons in 48 hours,” Cheryl Pick said. “When (Boyle) reached out asking if we could use a cooler, that gave us the chance to offer kids cheese sticks, yogurt, even salads with cheese on them.” Pick is the child nutrition director at Foley Public Schools. She has been with the department for 21 years. The cooler is located in the cafeteria and displayed in a way that students can pick and choose which foods they want to incorporate into their meals. Food options will include tried-and-true dairy products, such as milk cartons, cheese sticks and yogurt cups, as well as fruit parfaits, and sandwiches and salad with cheese included.

JAKOB KOUNKEL/DAIRY STAR

McKenna Funk grabs a string cheese from the dairy cooler that was donated by the Benton County American Dairy AssociaƟon Sept. 1 during the school district’s open house in Foley, Minnesota. The donaƟon will allow a variety of Turn to BENTON COUNTY | Page 6 dairy products to be on hand for school lunches.

Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com

ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Krista Kuzma - Editor/Wisconsin (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com

North America dealers. USDA launches new dairy donation program

Dairy Prole brought to you by your The $400 million dairy donation program will be funded through COVID-19 relief money. In this new program, eligible dairy organizations can partner with non-prot organizations that distribute food to individuals and families in need. “This new program is based on the Milk Donation Program but can be used for a fullrange of dairy products not just uid milk,” said Jewel Bronaugh, deputy secretary, United States Department of Agriculture. “It also reimburses dairy processors for a signicantly larger portion of the cost of the donated products. Interested partnerships must apply by submitting a dairy donation plan.” The U.S. dairy industry is awaiting another announcement on updates to the Dairy Margin Coverage program. Bronaugh said the upcoming DMC changes, to be announced in September, will be permanent and will provide an estimated $800 million in additional baseline for the dairy safety net in the upcoming farm bill. Ag groups promote vaccinations More than 30 state and national farm groups are working together to support vaccination efforts in rural communities. In an open letter to members, these groups said, “Farmers make science-based decisions every day to protect their farms and communities, and should make the same decisions to protect their health.” The groups signing off on this letter include the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Milk Producers Federation, Bongards Creameries, Foremost Farms USA, Darigold and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Smith: Stepped-up basis Ag Insider proposal will not impact family farms There have been questions about the treatment of stepped-up basis in the budget reconciliation bill. Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said this provision will not impact farmers who are operating their own land or renting it out. “I understand why farmers are worried about this because they may look a lot wealthier By Don Wick on paper than they do day to Columnist day,” Smith said. “It is very important to understand that if your land is being worked, you are not going to have tax increases on that land.” A drought x does not happen overnight The drought conditions in the Northern Plains are likely to carry over into 2022. USDA Midwest Climate Hub Director Dennis Todey said the moisture from recent rains are a step in the right direction, but there will be places that don’t get as much soil recovery. “We’re not going to x this overnight,” Todey said. “We need several rains over a period of time to improve these conditions.” Despite the short-term relief that’s happening in the Northern Plains, Todey said it will take a few different events over time to x the problem. In the short term, this could mean Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 5

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Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.

The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 3

It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider

Pages 2, 8 First Section

On the Road with Princess Kay

Beltrami

Turner

o inc

Clay

Bon Yankton Homme

Lyon

Osceola O’Brien

Sioux

Plymouth

Lake Norden

Drumgoon Dairy’s new facility includes 20 robotic milkers

Woodbury

Clay

Palo Alto

Ida

Monona

s ta

a oc

Sac

ago

Hancock Cerro Gordo

Floyd

Crawford Carroll

Harrison Shelby

Black Hawk

Grundy un Webster Hamilton Hardin

Greene

Boone

Story

rs Ma

Guthrie

Tama

Polk

Jasper

Adair

Henning

Zone 1

Malone siblings show dairy at state level

Zone 2

For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com

n mo

Fre

tgo

Mills

Mon

ery

Page

Adams

Benton

old

Taylor R

g ing

Clarke

Lucas

Decatur Wayne

Monroe Wapello e oos

n ppa

Davis

Dela

Jones

Linn

Iowa

son

fer

Jef

Jackson Clinton

n Cedar so

Scott

Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk

Union

e war Dubuque

Pottawattamie Cass

First Section: Pages 34 - 35

Clayton

Dallas

Fayette

Bremer

lho

ick

Wright Franklin Butler

Plainview

Houston

Nigon retires after 40 years as large animal vet

Mitchell Howard

t old

Winona

Fillimore

Mower

Worth

neb

Win

Kossuth

Second Section: Pages 21 - 22

n inso Emmet

Dick

e ke Buena ero Vista Ch

Freeborn

Faribault

Martin

Hutchinson

Jackson

iek

Gregory

McCook Minnehaha

Nobles

ake

Douglas Charles Mix

Murray

Rock

Mellette

n so

Wabasha

Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted

Miner

Moody

Goodhue

Rice

Aurora

Lake

Nicollet Brown

Brule

Todd

Sanborn

Lyman

Tripp Bennett

Jerauld

Redwood

Dakota

Scott

Sibley Lyon

Muscatine

ton

Buffalo

Brookings

Carver

ing

Kingsbury

Haakon

Hennepin McLeod

Renville

Yellow Medicine

Beadle

Wright

Meeker

Hamlin Hand

Hughes

Hyde

Deuel

Isanti

iek

Clark

Third Section: Pages 6 - 8

Anoka Kandiyohi

Chippewa

Lac Qui Parle

Codington

Spink Sully

Jackson

Sherburne

Swift

Faulk

Ziebach

Jones

Stearns

Pope

Big Stone

Day Grant

Dewey

Stanley

Benton

Stevens

Edmunds

Brown

Perkins Page 33 First Section

Pine

Mille Lacs

Morrison

Douglas

Washington

Walworth

Roberts

Marshall

Todd Grant

Klossner receives Bruce Cottington Award during the 4-H Dairy Show

Carlton

Kanabec

McPherson

Otter Tail

St. Paul

Aitkin Crow Wing

Campbell

First Section: Pages 23, 25

Corson

Sargent

Lincoln

Come Full Dairy Circle

Richland Dickey

McIntosh

Minnesota 4-H Dairy Showcase winners named

Cass

eu r

Emmons Sioux

Pipestone

Grant

Becker

Clay

Cass

Ransom

LaMoure

Logan

Adams

Page 30 Second Section

Bames

Stutsman

Wilkin

Kidder

Tra ver se

Burleigh Morton

nom

Mah

ms ey

Norman

Itasca

Polk

Trail

Steele

Wadena

Griggs

Cook Lake

Foster

Mercer

Wells

Hubbard

Red Lake

Eddy Sheridan

Koochiching

Pennington

Grand Forks

All

Marshall

Benson

McLean

Page 32 Hettinger First Section

Shannon

St. Paul

Lake of the Woods

Oliver

Country Cooking

St. Louis

Third Section: Pages 3 - 4

Roseau

Walsh

Nelson

Pennington

Fall River

Kittson

Veterinary Wisdom

Pages 10 - 11 Second Section

Custer

Pembina

Ramsey

McHenry

Ward

The “Mielke” Market Meade Weekly

Lawrence

Cavalier

Towner

Potter Butte

Bears tear through Peterson’s corn crop

isa Ch

Harding

Rolette

Pierce

From the Stark Zweber Farm

Bowman

Bottineau

Clearwater

Renville

Billings

Slope

First Section: Pages 9, 11

Page 30 First Section

Page 31 First Dunn Section Golden Valley

First Section: Page 10

Benton County ADA donates cooler to high school First Section: Pages 1, 6

Mountrail

McKenzie

First Section: Page 39

Willow River

Foley

Family is everything for Beumers

Williams

Hillman

Gerads gives birth to baby girl at home

Da vi so n

Divide

Albany

Dairy Profile: Trent Michels

Page 27 First Section

Dear County Burke Agent Guy

Pelican Rapids

Van Buren

Louisa

Henry Des

Moines

Lee

Fountain

Monitoring system, double ovsynch take Trailside Holsteins to next levelschool First Section: Pages 18, 20

Second Section: Pages 8 - 9

FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:

Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about what happened Sept. 11, 2001? First Section: Pages 15 - 16

Glencoe

Keenan brings back value to family business

Second Section: Pages 3, 5

Sand Springs

Strong storms sweep coverage area First Section: Pages 1, 7

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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 5

ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 2

more limited surface water for livestock. “We need several rain events in the fall, and for those who need surface water, we may not be able to help them until winter until we get a big snow,” he said.

Drought pushes cattle numbers to auction In a typical year, Bagley Livestock Exchange only has limited sales activity during the summer months. Billy Bushelle, who co-owns the auction market, said the drought brought more cattle to the barn this summer. “We sold a lot of feeder calves already as cow-calf units and a lot of the yearlings that were on pasture were also sold earlier than normal,” Bushelle said. Because of the hay shortage, cattle that normally market during the winter may be sold in October, November and December. The feeder cattle market is stronger than one year ago. That’s not the case for the cow market. “The slaughter cow market is crashing; they’ve probably dropped 20% in the last two weeks just because of the oversupply with the dry conditions,” he said. HOS relief provided in Minnesota Due to the ongoing drought, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has issued an executive order providing hours of service relief for truckers hauling livestock, hay, feed or water. This order is in place through Sept. 27. Supply chain issues impact farm equipment sector According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, sales are strong for large four-wheel drive tractors and combines. The one soft spot in the market has been the under-40 horsepower tractors. AEM Vice President of Ag Services Curt Blades said supply chain issues have the supply with U.S. tractor inventories down 37% and combine inventories down nearly 13% from one year ago. “Whether buying tractors, combines, trucks or pinball machines, there is pressure in the supply chain right now,” Blades said. “We continue to work hard with our manufacturers, and the manufacturers are working closely with their suppliers and dealers to make sure there are parts available.” Record ag exports anticipated USDA is forecasting a record $177.5 billion in U.S. agricultural exports for the 2022 scal year. That would be up $4 billion from the latest estimate for 2021.

New guidance available for Packers and Stockyards Act The USDA issued new guidance on how to enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act. The enforcement policy now highlights how problematic provisions of the 2020 undue preferences rule will not apply to cases protecting producers from retaliation and racial discrimination. This policy now highlights the USDA’s position that a violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act doesn’t require a show of harm to competition. National Farmers Union President Rob Larew welcomed the new guidance. Larew said it is also encouraging to see the USDA reiterate its intention to issue three new proposed rules that could strengthen the Packers and Stockyards Act. Farmers Kitchen + Bar opens A Minneapolis restaurant owned and operated by the Minnesota Farmers Union opened Wednesday. The plans for the Farmers Kitchen + Bar were approved by the MFU board in August 2019, but the opening was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. This restaurant is located in the historic Mill District in Minneapolis.

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VandenBosch to exit UW CALS University of Wisconsin College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Kate VandenBosch will be stepping down at the end of the academic year. VandenBosch has served as dean for the past 11 years. Previously, VandenBosch was the head of the plant biology department at the University of Minnesota. Trivia challenge “Instrumental to the Industry” is the theme for the 2021 World Dairy Expo. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, approximately how many companies will exhibit in this year’s World Dairy Expo Trade Show? 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.

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Con�nued from BENTON COUNTY | Page 1

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Foley school staﬀ and Benton County ADA members – (front, from le�) superintendent Paul Neubauer, cook manager Lori Landowski, dairy ambassador Heidi Montag, dairy princess Emily Schreindl and high school principal Shayne Kusler; (back, from le�) school board member Becky Howard, school board member Stephanie Rudnitski, Benton County ADA member Pat Boyle, Benton County ADA member Lawrence Thell, school board member Ken Anderson, school board member Sharon Kipka and Foley child nutri�on director Cheryl Pick – stand near the dairy cooler that the county dairy associa�on donated Sept. 1 in the school cafeteria in Foley, Minnesota. “We’re offering grab-and-go meals that kids can use,” Pick said. “We feel our program is very nutritious because of the farmto-school program. This will add to that by giving healthier options and meatless food options. We’re seeing more kids want that.” Pick has worked with the ADA previously, providing dairy foods to students in an after-school format as well as accepting a donation for the school’s graduation party. For this donation, Boyle came up with the idea after speaking with her grandkids who are students in the Foley School District. “They told me they always want more milk than the one carton they get with lunch; the same as the elementary kids,” Boyle said. “In the past, we’ve donated money for the school to purchase milk, but that has always been a short-term x. What could we do to help out more?” Boyle looked to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture which was running a grant campaign for organizations to purchase coolers for area schools. “Maybe, we could help these kids at school if we gave them a cooler,” Boyle said. “There’d be more room for the school to store milk.” Boyle approached Pick about the proposed donation, which was readily accepted as a way to improve the school’s nutrition program. The two worked with an established vendor to purchase a cooler to accommodate the school’s needs. “When I talked to (Boyle) about getting these grant dollars, she asked what I wanted,” Pick said. “I wanted it to be easy for the kids to use. I wanted it to be displayed in a good way.” Boyle agreed.

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“Our conversation led to this idea of putting dairy products in the cooler. Students could purchase them to go along with their lunches,” she said. “We went ahead and applied for the grant, and were able to get a cooler like (Pick) wanted for the amount of money we had to spend.” With more than two decades of experience in the school’s nutrition program, Pick understands the importance of her team’s input and community involvement in developing programming to provide the best for students. The school district is known for its collaborative work with the community. “Part of our goals with the district is to make it better for the kids,” Pick said. “If I have to do it myself without collaborating with the ADA or MDA and my staff, I feel my program wouldn’t be what it is today.” As high school students begin their new school year, the latest community-led effort should allow students to embrace more dairy options in the lunch line. “The kids are always excited for something new, and they’ll give us feedback with what we need,” Pick said. “Students are starting a new school year with new class schedules, and now they’ll come to lunch and that will be different too. I think what we offer them will be very well received.” Boyle and her fellow board members are also hopeful this is a way to bring awareness to the health benets of choosing dairy foods as part of a balanced diet. “If this takes off, we can really get young people hooked on dairy and have them for life,” Boyle said. “Our dairy farmers do a tremendous job supplying us with good food. If we can reach more people, create more demand, hopefully that will help.”

Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 7

ConƟnued from STORM | Page 1

treated to the basement with the downed corn. their son and his family, who “It won’t be as good as we were visiting, unhoped for,” Herdertil the storm passed. ing said. “But we’re When they went pretty lucky that outside to assess the buildings didn’t go damage, the Herderdown, so we’re hapings found several py about that.” uprooted trees around While Tauer their house and atis not pleased with tened corn elds. the storm damage “Everyone comes his elds sustained, Steve Turnis, by our place and tells Sand Springs, Iowa he feels fortunate for us our elds are the an overabundance of worst,” Herdering feed last year to help said. make up for the lost Plus, they had inventory. no power. They used “We had quite a generator for milka bit left over from ing and chores until last year,” he said. the next day. “Usually we don’t “We had the have anything left generator running over, but last year through the night, was the best year David Tauer, and Tom sat in the Sleepy Eye, Minnesota we had for yields on truck to watch it all everything as far as night to make sure it kept run- corn silage and tonnage. And ning for the next morning for the corn we chopped so far this milking,” Herdering said. year yielded really well, so I None of their corn had think we’ll be pretty good.” been harvested yet; however, It was the second round of they had been contemplating storms that went through their to start chopping within a few farm Aug. 28 that Tauer thinks days after the storm. Now the made the most disruption to storm is forcing them to chop the corn elds. their elds. “We were nishing up “We got one eld off, but milking that evening and had we had to go really slow,” the radio on,” Tauer said. “The Herdering said. “We got a weather alarm came on, and Kemper head chopper to chop I assumed it was for a ood it. We went at it diagonally. It’s watch or something. It had taking a lot longer than nor- been lightening all night to the mal.” west of our place, and I gured Feed inventory for the they had a lot of rain, but it was coming year will depend on a tornado warning.” how much they can chop from While the storm was not

classied as a tornado, strong winds attened about 40 acres of their 200 acres of corn. “I tried chopping the down corn with a pull type chopper, but it did not work very well,” Tauer said. “The corn broke off as I went through and bunched up. I’m going to try to nd a custom guy with a Kemper head to chop it.” Two years ago, the Tauers also experienced crop damage after hail pummeled the area in early June. They are thankful this year was not as bad and for the extra inventory in storage. “So we had a really bad year, and then our best year and now we’ve had this,” Tauer said. “It will be all right. It’s just one of those things you can’t count the crop until it’s in storage.” As they go forward with harvesting the downed crop, Tauer keeps safety advice in mind for both himself and others dealing with the same issue. “When these things happen, harvesting the crop will be more difcult, more stressful and more frustrating,” he said. “You worry about people doing things they shouldn’t – trying to feed corn into the chopper while it’s running and stuff like that. With the stress and frustration, it gets to be more difcult to handle it. It’s one of those things you hope everyone stays safe and makes the right decisions. Be patient with it.”

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Corn is aƩened and damaged aŌer a storm Aug. 24 on Steve Turnis’ farm near Sand Springs, Iowa.

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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Our plan to promote production by smaller dairy farms Bringing rural Minnesota and the cities together

At National Farmers, our dairy policy program can be summarized in a single statement: We want to see a dairy economy in which more of the milk produced in the United States comes from smaller farms. This policy goal makes sense from the standpoint of building rural economies, from the standpoint of protecting our environment and from the standpoint of food security. To meet our goal of increasing the market share of milk from smaller farms, larger farms must produce less, and smaller farms must produce more. Instead, we see the opposite. The share of milk production by larger farms grows rapidly as that from smaller farms declines dramatically. Why is this happening? Three conditions, acting together, are causing widespread loss of smaller dairy farms. – Growth among very large farms causes surplus production that threatens both the prices and the market access smaller farms need to stay in business. – Very large farms have a cost of production advantage compared to smaller dairy farms. – Consumer demand for milk is, in the short run, fairly constant. When larger farms make more milk, smaller farms go out of business to make room in the market for the new milk. The vicious cycle of larger farms producing more milk, prices falling below production costs for smaller farmers and smaller farmers going out of business to make market space for the new milk produced by larger farms must be interrupted. This can be done by adjusting milk prices based on farm size in a way that levels the production cost playing eld. One way to administer our program would be through a national Federal Milk Marketing Order. As with our current system of regional orders, prices paid by buyers for milk would be set by prevailing rules. What would change is that, before revenues were distributed to producers, prices for all farms would be adjusted based on farm size. Such a system would build on our proven FMMO system and would not require additional on-going public subsidies to producers. We are intentionally presenting our program proposal in a general way. Final implementation will, of course, require specics that we prefer to hold for later discussion. For now, we invite comments on how we are proposing to build a dairy economy in which more of the milk produced in the United States comes from smaller farms. Contact National Farmers for more information about the plan to promote production by smaller dairy farms by calling 833-598-2947 or emailing pgarner@ nfo.org. – Perry Garner, National Farmers

I am happy to be traveling around the state again, but I am noticing a concerning recurring theme. Consistently, I am hearing conversations that reveal a growing hostility and disdain for the cities and the people living there. Widening the considerable divide between rural Minnesota and the cities benets no one, and adopting a negative or hostile attitude will only increase the threat to the agricultural lifestyle. Am I advocating that we roll over and allow outlandish regulations or ill-informed rulemaking to run rampant? Of course not, but I am concerned that both the people in rural Minnesota and people in the cities have lost sight of the fact that they are mutually dependent. There are fewer farmers every year as land and operations consolidate. Agricultural Minnesota may have less of a voice moving forward as fewer people in rural communities are directly involved. My take: The importance of becoming an advocate and a champion of the agricultural lifestyle has never been greater as each individual becomes a more signicant proportion of the total. Rather than looking for a confrontation, we should be leading the way with education. Do the majority of people living in the cities understand agriculture? No, but how are they supposed to learn? Who better to teach them than the people caring for animals and the land every day? We need to take the high road as we move forward. There are certainly people looking to hurt the agricultural community; that is not just a paranoid delusion. However, I urge you to realize that those angry and irrational people do not represent the entirety of the residents in cities. There are many people who have connections to farmland. We are lucky to have that lingering connection, and we should do everything we can to strengthen our ties and welcome people into the community that feeds them. I grew up in the cities, but I met welcoming people that brought me in, taught me the value of the agricultural world, and to this day, leave the light on and the door open. I hope you choose to remain open, inclusive, welcoming and strive to place positive education ahead of a negative vibe. Share your story, listen and stay positive. You will be surprised how many people are interested and will genuinely listen. – Joe Armstrong, DVM, University of Minnesota

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dairy Star Newspaper welcomes letters to the editor. Every letter for publication must be 400 words or less, contain the author’s signature, address and telephone number. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity. Letters can be mailed to Dairy Star, Letter to Editor, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378 or e-mail: mark.k@dairystar.com.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 9

Family is everything for Beumers Morrison County couple humbled to receive annual award By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com

HILLMAN, Minn. – Calvin Beumer has made it a tradition of sorts to take his grandchildren to Farmfest, but attending this year’s event was more meaningful than any other. Calvin and his wife, Tammy, and their family were recognized as the 2021 Morrison County Farm Family of the Year at Farmfest Aug. 3-5 in Morgan. “Almost the whole family made it down for the awards ceremony,” Calvin said. “It was very exciting and quite surprising that we were named the county’s farm family. There are so many good farmers, dairy farmers, in our area, so it’s quite an honor we were chosen.” Calvin and Tammy milk 85 cows on their Morrison County farm near Hillman. They also raise a cow-calf herd of Red Angus, operate a chicken barn for Pilgrim’s Pride and farm 600 acres of corn, soybean, oats and hay. In the Beumers’ 40 years of farming, they have also raised four children – Allen, Stacy, Leann and Kari – and

are watching their 13 grandchildren grow up with opportunities to be on the farm. “When the kids were young, we always tried to encourage hard work and show how it does pay off,” Tammy said. “When we all worked together, we could get the job done and then go play. Now, the grandkids are seeing that.” For the majority of the Beumers’ farming career, Tammy has taken care of the youngstock on the farm. Calvin milks the herd morning and night in the couple’s double-5 parlor. Together, Calvin and Tammy take care of the eldwork. “It’s just us two here every day,” Tammy said. “We make sure the day-to-day tasks are done.” Their children are involved to varying degrees. Allen and his wife, Heather, manage the chicken barn, while Leann and her husband, Chad, raise the beef herd on their farm nearby. Both Stacy and Kari have full-time jobs off the farm but make frequent visits to their childhood home. “Stacy has two sons who are out here quite often,” Calvin said. “We even have cameras hooked up in the mater-

JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR

Tammy and Calvin Beumer operate Lone Pine Farm in Morrison County near Hillman, Minnesota. The Beumers are this year’s Morrison County Farm Family of the Year. nity pen that they can watch those cows from their house.” Family has always been a central focus for the Beumers. “We spend a lot of time together as a family,” Calvin said. The Beumers rst built a chicken barn so Tammy could stay at home with the children and help with bookwork for the various farming enterpris-

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“We know why we’re tired every night,” said Tammy, jokingly, who grew up on a dairy and poultry farm near Pierz. Calvin and Tammy farmed with Calvin’s parents, the late Edmund and Mary Beumer, before taking over in 1983. Over the years, the couple has replaced buildings on the family’s 1937 farm site, developed

farmland and improved the genetics of the dairy herd all while maintaining Calvin’s dad’s vision of farming ahead of the times. “I think Dad would be satised to know what we have here and what we’ve been recognized for,” Calvin said. “He was quite a progressive Turn to BEUMER | Page 11

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ALBANY, Minn. – Tickled pink. That is how Jason and Lynn Gerads feel about their new baby girl, Camille Rose, born July 7 at their 72-cow dairy farm in Stearns County near Albany. Jason delivered his own daughter with the help of a team of rst responders, including a Stearns County dispatcher and Freeport remen, and Lynn’s sister, Amy Boecker. Lynn had an inkling she would give birth July 7, one day past her due date, when around 5 a.m. she felt her rst contraction. She decided to go out to the tiestall barn to get ready for morning milking. “I swept up the mangers and fed ground feed and put the milkers on the cart,” Lynn said. “I was actually relieved when I felt the rst contraction because it’s just Jason and I who do chores. Throughout the pregnancy, our biggest concern was who would milk for us if I had the baby during chores?” In tune with her body and knowing how long her labor and delivery was with their rst born, Lynn thought she had until late morning before she would need to get to the hospital. Jason started milking, and Lynn called her sister who was on call to watch the couple’s 2-year-old daughter, Samantha. “Sam was a 16-hour labor, so when I called (Boecker), I told her she just had to come to the house sometime later that day,” Lynn said. “I actually thought she’d have time to go back to sleep or do other things. I was going to let Jason keep doing chores and keep him updated.” By 6:30 a.m., after a quick shower to clean up from the barn, Lynn’s contractions were stronger and the expecting mother made a quick change of plans. “I called my sister and asked her to come pick up Sam and bring me to the hospital,” Lynn said. “I thought I would keep Jason updated as my labor progressed and he could come to the hospital as I got closer to the delivery. That way, he could get done with milking and some chores.” Before Lynn’s sister arrived, she decided to take a shower, but suddenly her contractions came back to back and she was in a lot of pain. The bathroom window was open, and Jason heard Lynn screaming, so he ran to her. Boecker arrived, and they called 911. The dispatcher walked the family through the child birth as they waited for rst responders to arrive. After a quick 7 minutes on the call, shortly after 7 a.m., rst responders were at the home assisting with the remainder of the delivery. “One responder said he heard the milk pump on, so he went to the barn to make sure there weren’t any milkers underneath the cows,” Lynn said. “It was really a full-service deal.” Jason stepped back and watched the scene unfold as the rst responders cut the umbilical cord. They could not nd anything to cut the cord with, so they took a boot string from one of the responder’s shoes to tie the cord off. The newborn baby let out a cry and pinked up as one of the responders rubbed her tiny chest before placing her on Lynn’s stomach. Eight-pound baby Camille was born around 7:15 a.m.,

JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR

Lynn Gerads holds her daughters – (from leŌ) Samantha and Camille – at the family’s dairy farm Aug. 3 near Albany, Minnesota. Gerads gave birth to Camille at home July 7. both rst responders said they did not think about looking at their watches until an emergency medical technician asked what time she was born. Once mom and baby were in the ambulance and on their way to the hospital, Jason returned to the barn. “He hightailed it back to the barn to nish up chores,” Lynn said. The next day, at noon, Lynn was back home with Camille. “Things are going well,” Lynn said. “The second baby is easier because you know what is going on. She’s sleeping through the night. She’s very calm and easy going.” Lynn and Jason have been married 10 years and farm together on the site where Jason grew up. As the couple grows their family and raises their children on the farm, it is all they could ever want. “We’ve really enjoyed our time with Camille. It’s always exciting to have another baby around,” Lynn said. “I really enjoy having the girls home with me. I have friends who work in town and they talk about weekends and get vacation days, and sometimes I wonder what that would be like. But then the kids would have to be at daycare and it’s just so nice they can spend the days here with us.” Grandparents are also nearby. They help out a lot with the farm work and kids, and visit often. “Having them help is fun, and Sam especially likes it,” Lynn said. The couple’s oldest will be 3 in November, and they are looking forward to their daughters making memories as sisters on the farm. For Camille, her grand entrance at the dairy will be a memory retold for a lifetime. “My doctor has already said we should have another baby so I can experience a normal birth,” Lynn said. “A 16hour delivery and one being born in a bath tub is too much excitement. We need something in the middle.”

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The Gerads family – Jason, holding Samantha, and Lynn, holding Camille – milk 72 cows on their dairy in Stearns County near Albany, Minnesota.

Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 11

ConƟnued from BEUMERS | Page 9

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The Beumer family – (front, from leŌ) Andy Poster, Jack Poster, Brooke Pietrzak and Gage Beumer; (middle, from leŌ) Sophie LaƩerall, Zach LaƩerall, Luke Pietrzak, Reed Beumer, Blake Pietrzak, Molly Poster and Veda Beumer; (back, from leŌ) Chad Pietrzak, Leann Pietrzak, Kari LaƩerall, Harper LaƩerall, Calvin Beumer, Tammy Beumer, Allen Beumer, Heather Beumer, Avery Beumer, Stacy Poster and Jed Poster – accept the Morrison County Farm Family of the Year award at Farmfest Aug. 3-5 In Morgan. Not pictured is Kari LaƩerall’s husband, Nate. dairyman. He put in the rst parlor in the area. When I was 1 year old, him and Grandpa put in a bulk tank and switched to a cooperative that would pick them up.” Tammy agreed. “I think (Edmund) would be proud,” she said. “He did a lot of tractor driving even later in age.” Today, the Beumers’ herd can be traced to the six cows that were the foundation of Lone Pine Farm. The Beumers continue to breed from an elite group of bulls, using A.I. to develop key characteristics in the herd. The Beumers have had the oppor-

building a fort that withstood the winter. The youngest generation also helps Tammy with calf chores and picking rock in the spring time. “This is such a great place for grandkids,” Tammy said. In addition to the efforts the Beumers have made to make family the center of their farming lifestyle, Calvin and Tammy also generously support their community. Calvin has served on the Farm Service Agency committee as well as the Milaca school board; he currently serves on Sunrise Ag Cooperative’s board of directors and is involved in many capacities at St. Rita’s Catholic Church. The couple is also members of the Hillman Swampstompers Snowmobiling Club. “I’ve only been so involved because Tammy is able to take care of things at home,” Calvin said. Tammy agreed. “I think we got that from our parents,” she said. “It’s how we grew up. We were shown to give back to the community.” TAMMY BEUMER, DAIRY FARMER Through the good times and more challenging times of farmtunity to share their breeding successes ing, the Beumers have always relied with people across the dairy industry. on the goodness of the people who sur“We were a part of a young sires round them. And in receiving the farm program, and one of our cows was pic- family of the year award, they are humtured for the ABS bull magazine,” Cal- bled by people’s perception of them. vin said. “They brought visitors from “We’ve always tried to treat people Australia and Spain to see this cow. It how we want to be treated,” Tammy was fun.” said. “I think we can say we’re pretty More recently, the Beumers have proud that we’ve strived for that and celebrated birthday parties on the farm, people think of us that way.” and their grandchildren spent a year

“I think we got that from our parents. It’s how we grew up. We were shown to give back to the community.”

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Calvin Beumer (leŌ) talks with Steve Pekarek, of Sunrise Ag CooperaƟve, aŌer receiving a load of sawdust Aug. 27 at the farm near Hillman. Beumer serves on the board of directors for the area cooperaƟve.

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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

Catching up with the butterheads Dairy Star had the chance to catch up with the 2021 Princess Kay nalists, and asked the women about their state fair experience and plans for their butterheads. Questions: 1. What are your plans for your butterhead? 2. What was your favorite conversation with a consumer at the state fair? 3. Describe the best part about your state fair and butter booth experience.

Emeliya Dose 1. I would like to donate my butterhead to my hometown’s festival so they can use it as butter for the sweet corn that is provided for everyone. 2. When I got to talk to a young lady when we were in the Moo Booth. She asked about why my favorite cow breed is a Jersey and why I love the farm so much. 3. I loved talking to people while we were in the Dairy Building. My butter booth experience was amazing. It felt so amazing to be in the cooler and see the small details come to look like myself.

Kelsey Erf 1. While my mom is already giving the

scraps away to family and friends, I plan to host either a pancake breakfast or a sweet corn feed to give back to all those who have supported me along this journey. 2. My favorite conversations included the topic of what brought these families to the Minnesota State Fair. A large majority of these families came from out of state (even France) and had the butter booth and The Dairy Goodness Bar as their rst stops while touring the fair. 3. I enjoyed every second of my time at the Minnesota State Fair, including all of the media interviews, judging the Amateur Butter Carving Contests, hours of conversations with consumers and getting to know Gerry in the butter booth.

Anna Euerle 1. I had originally planned to have a sweet corn feed with mine, but because it was the last sculpture done by Linda Christensen, I realize it is quite historic. To honor that, I plan to keep it around in the freezer for a

while to honor Linda and her 50 years of sculpting, and make sure everyone in my community gets to see it. The scraps will be put to great use. 2. I always loved being in the Moo Booth when cows were being milked. One of my cows was present for eight days of the fair. If I knew the cows in the parlor, I would share the names with fairgoers and tell them a little bit about the cow, her age and some of her quirky habits. While the stars only aligned for this about four times over the course of the fair, everyone’s eyes lit up when I told them the name of the cows. 3. The best part of my experience was when the Milking Shorthorn cow was selected as the supreme champion animal of the open class dairy show. I lease and show cattle with the owners of the cow, so to be able to share that moment with them as Princess Kay was unique and something I will always cherish. My favorite moment in the butter booth was when my butterhead was revealed to me at the end of sculpting. It was a dream come true, and Linda got all of my features spot on.

Alaina Johnson 1. I have dreamt of being a butterhead for as long as I can remember. After seeing how amazing my butterhead turned out, I knew I would not be able to part with it. I am going to keep my butterhead in our family freezer for years to come. However, I may decide to use some of it for our annual family Christ-

mas cookie baking weekend. 2. My favorite conversation with a consumer at the state fair revolved around how I care for my cows. I was able to converse with them about where our cows live, what they eat and the milking procedure. It was a rewarding conversation, and I loved seeing their face light up when they nally put the pieces together. Helping consumers better understand how we care for our animals is one of the main reasons I became a dairy advocate. 3. The best part of my state fair experience was interacting with people who had no idea what getting your likeness sculpted in butter meant. They were so interested in everything I had to say and asked questions. The best part of being in the butter booth was chatting with Gerry. We had so many amazing conversations and a lot of laughs. I will always cherish my time in the butter booth thanks to him.

Kelsey Kuball 1. I plan to hold a sweet corn feed for all my friends and family to celebrate. 2. Near the butter booth, I was approached by a couple from Colombia. It was their rst time in Minnesota and at the fair. They were fascinated by the butterheads and asked me so many questions about Minnesota agriculture. It was a fun conversation all around. My favorite question from them

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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 13

ConƟnued from BUTTERHEADS | Page 12 Questions: 1. What are your plans for your butterhead? 2. What was your favorite conversation with a consumer at the state fair? 3. Describe the best part about your state fair and butter booth experience. was, “We’ve been seeing signs for root beer. Can you describe it?” 3. I loved being in the butter booth because it was a dream come true and a great experience all around. It was so fun to get to watch my butterhead come to life while having fun conversations with Gerry. It being nice and cold inside was a plus too.

Emily Leonard 1. My family’s dairy farm was homesteaded in 1871, so this marks our 150th year of milking cows. A 90-pound butter sculpture is a pretty amazing way to celebrate that, so I would love to host a corn feed or other butter-requiring event on our farm. Friends, family, farmers and local consumers will be invited for farm tours, dairy-themed games and a lot of buttered corn. 2. The best state fair interactions happen right in front of the butter booth. My favorite conversation was with a group of engineering students who were trying to visualize how much milk it would take to make one butterhead sculpture. It takes about 21 pounds of milk to make one pound of butter, so it takes 1,890 pounds of milk to make one 90-pound butter sculpture. My family milks 45 cows who give an average of 85 pounds of milk per day. That means our cows produce enough milk to make two butterheads every day. 3. The best thing about being a Princess Kay Finalist at the state fair is that every day brings a lot of new experiences. We appear at a myriad of fun and unique events throughout the fairgrounds and are constantly sharing our passion as dairy advocates. It is easy to make connections with consumers at the fair, especially when you are wearing a crown and sash.

Isabelle Lindahl 1. With the holidays coming up, I will gift close friends and family with a personalized butter dish and block of my butter to accompany it. I hope to also nd a way

to donate a portion of my butterhead to a community event or nonprot organization. Of course, all of my family’s cookies and baked goods will be made with my butter from here on out. 2. Explaining what the butterheads represent has been a highlight when connecting with consumers at the fair. Many people gathered around to see our likenesses carved into butter but were unsure what the process looked like and the meaning behind the tradition. As such, it was exciting to be able to share with others what this opportunity has meant to me. 3. My favorite part was witnessing the community the state fair and butter booth brings together. I was able to connect with people who traveled far and wide to experience it with their own eyes, from England and Switzerland, to California and Florida. Seeing the smiles that dairy brought to the faces of both curious consumers and dairy enthusiasts was the best part of my state fair experience as a Princess Kay nalist.

Megan Meyer 1. I plan to use my butterhead for baking and cooking. In my family, there is always butter on the table, so we will be set for a while. I would also like to have a party thanking all my supporters with sweet corn, grilled cheese and other butter-lled foods. 2. My favorite conversation at the state fair was with two gentlemen dressed head to toe in cow print. They were city dwellers but told me they loved cows. We talked about cow care and sustainability, and they were surprised but pleased with the information I gave them about how sustainable dairy truly is. We got a picture, and they brightened my day with their enthusiasm. 3. The best part about state fair and butter carving was having my childhood dreams come true with some incredible people by my side. I was able to talk to the amazing sculptor, Gerry Kulzer, in the butter booth about everything under the sun. I was treated like royalty by Midwest Dairy and got to know some of the most incredible dairy advocates in the state – the other nine nalists. Each person who was a part of my experience made it even sweeter.

Katrina Thoe 1. In my family, we have a butterhead tradition. My three older sisters all have gotten a butter head. The two oldest had a corn feed with our family and friends the day after their wedding. I plan to do the same one day – roll fresh, locally-grown sweet corn in my butter head surrounded by my loved ones. 2. My favorite conversation was with a couple who wanted to learn about which dairy foods would be best for them with their specic diet. I explained that skim milk has the same essential nutrients as whole milk, and by adding a glass a day, they will be getting three of the four essential nutrients most Americans are deprived of along with an additional 10 for a total of 13 essential nutrients. We also talked about how high in protein dairy products are, and how yogurt has probiotics that help with digestion. They seemed pleased with the conversation. 3. As I was sitting in the butter booth, I would wave to people watching, and I saw their eyes light up because they were so excited. One lady even started jumping up and down when I waved to her. Gerry was so easy to talk to and made the day I dreamed about for years even better. I had family and friends come from all around to watch my head get carved. It was truly the most wonderful day. I felt so proud my passion for dairy farming and dairy food lead to such an outstanding and memorable experience.

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Jessica Ohmann 1. I plan to have a party with my family, friends and community to thank them for their support. We will have all things buttered – sweet corn, popcorn and mashed potatoes. We will enjoy other dairy foods including milk, cheese and ice cream. 2. My favorite conversations were with people who visit the butter booth every year to see the butter sculptures. They are just as excited about the sculpting as myself and the other nalists. It is amazing to see the tradition is valued by both the dairy community and dairy lovers across the state. 3. The best part about the butter booth is seeing people of all ages amazed at the butter sculpting process. As a dairy show person, I also enjoyed being part of the dairy show. I loved handing out ribbons to exhibitors who brought the best Minnesota has to offer of all breeds. I am proud to have represented Minnesota’s hard-working dairy farmers at the state fair this year. It has truly been a dream come true.

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Dairy y Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 15

Where were you and what were you doing on 9/11?

How have you or how do you continue to commemorate the events that occurred on 9/11? There’s nothing special other than reecting on that day and the memories of the aftermath. Every year it’s always stated, “I can’t believe it’s been X number of years since it happened. In some ways, it just feels like yesterday.”

Kristin Reiman Duden (pictured with daughter Marilyn) Princeton, Minnesota Mille Lacs County 40 cows

Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about what happened Sept. 11, 2001? I was walking into rst hour United States history or civics If you could say something to the famclass. I was a junior in high school, and ily members of the victims on this 20th our teacher had the TV on. We watched the anniversary, what would you tell them? second plane hit. We didn’t think much of They will never be forgotten. Be proud of having the TV on at rst because we always watched your loved ones because they were living their lives CNN at the beginning of class for news updates. It was and never looked back. I’m sure the sting of losing such a sad, unbelievable feeling. them will never go away. You are in my thoughts and prayers for this difcult time in reminding you of what What was your reaction? First, I didn’t grasp the re- you lost. ality of what was going on. We watched it and didn’t realize from that moment forward things would be to- Tell us about your farm. I farm with my husband, tally different. The security blanket of thinking noth- Thomas, who works off the farm in the service deing bad could ever happen was ripped away and now partment at Minnesota Equipment in Rogers. We also the vulnerability was exposed. work with my parents as we’re transitioning the farm ownership to us. We are the fourth generation on this How do you think 9/11 changed the course of our farm that was founded in 1933. Our children, Madecountry? It made us more aware of evil in the world. lynn, Cordell and Marilyn, are the fth generation. We A new generation had lost their innocence. As a coun- own 320 acres where we raise our feed consisting try, we’re quicker to anger and easier to cast blame. of hay, corn and oats. We also rotationally graze the But, it instilled and refreshed such a huge sense of pa- cows on pasture. Hay sales have contributed to a large triotism. amount of revenue for the farm. We have leased cattle for 4-H for almost 20 years which helps keep the herd calmer to work with. Nels Goblirsch Lucan, Minnesota Redwood County 250 cows

we can’t help but think of the attack every year. Sept. 11 was a lot like Pearl Harbor in that it caused Americans to pull together as a nation.

Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about what happened Sept. 11, 2001? We were milking and doing chores in our barn when a friend called to say the United States was under attack. We stopped milking, went to the house and watched the events unfold on TV until the towers fell.

If you could say something to the family members of the victims on this 20th anniversary, what would you tell them? I would say we will never forget those we lost that day. We will also never forget those in the armed forces who suffered and died for our country. We need to respect those who have fallen for us.

What was your reaction? We were sick to our stomachs. We had to turn off the TV because watching it just made us feel worse. It oored me that so many reghters rushed into the buildings to try to rescue people. How do you think 9/11 changed the course of our country? It was an event that made us a lot more suspicious of other countries. It also made us more divided. We humans are susceptible to doing and saying things that we know we will regret later. How have you or how do you continue to commemorate the events that occurred on 9/11? We have a family member who has a birthday Sept. 11, so

Tell us about your farm. My brother, Matt, and I milk 240 head in a robotic dairy facility. I am not pleased with the dairy industry; I had hoped things would turn around. But a dairy farm is a great place to raise kids. My wife, Shannon, and I have two children. Our daughter, Cadence, is a senior in high school and wants to be a veterinarian. She worked as a vet assistant this summer and plans to enroll at South Dakota State University next fall and enter their accelerated pre-vet program. Our son, Mikale, is 14 and loves riding his dirt bike. We built a track for him, and his pals like to come over and ride their dirt bikes. That has worked out well for us because his friends are eager to help whenever we need an extra hand with anything around the farm.

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Harlan Madsen Lake Lillian, Minnesota Kandiyohi County 100 cows Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about what happened Sept. 11, 2001? I was on my way to a county board budget meeting and heard the news report. I called my brother in California and said, “Turn on your news.” His words were, “Oh my gosh.” What was your reaction? Horried at the carnage, sad and sickened to the pit of my stomach, grief stricken as I viewed the faces of the people and angry at the perpetrators. How do you think 9/11 changed the course of our country? Homeland security and domestic terrorism became ongoing discussions in the public and private sectors which resulted in signicant restrictions and substantial investments in equipment and training. There was a common belief that terrorism happens someplace else. Perhaps we were too lackadaisical concerning security. Perhaps we were too arrogant and aloof to think it couldn’t happen here. We all lost something that day, and for many, the losses were profound. Our country realized how vulnerable we are to attack. We lost some of our convenient access to many aspects of the public and private sectors. Whether it is access to a park, museum, historic monument, airport, etc., there are multiple levels of security and regulations that will be ongoing. How have you or how do you continue to commemorate the events that occurred on 9/11? As county board members, we and our staff always acknowledged the events of 9/11 in words and silent tributes. As a family, we have conversations about 9/11 and have watched documentaries and programs. Only one of our several grandchildren was born before 9/11. If you could say something to the family members of the victims on this 20th anniversary, what would you tell them? To me, there are no words that can adequately convey my heartfelt sympathy to the families. I hope and pray that we listened and learned that Sept. 11, and that as a country, we vowed to make the changes necessary so that their family and friends did not die in vain. Tell us about your farm. We are a fourth-generation dairy and crop farm. We have 100 cows and raise our replacements. We have 440 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa, and also do custom chopping and crop farming. After recurrence of a heart issue, I retired after serving 26 years as a Kandiyohi County commissioner. We also substantially reduced the farming responsibilities. We are blessed to have our children and grandchildren close by and involved in our farming activities. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16

Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Dale Grahl Eden, Wisconsin Fond du Lac County 350 cows

Jenni Skiba North Branch, Minnesota Isanti County 50 cows

Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about what happened Sept. 11, 2001? I was in the house, and I called for my wife and told her we have to turn the TV on. We sat and listened to it, and we actually witnessed the second plane going into the south tower. What was your reaction? I was stunned. It was hard to believe what was happening. When the rst plane hit, people thought it was accidental, but when the second one hit, we knew it was probably a terrorist attack. It was a scary feeling and certainly took away the feeling of security. The U.S. shut down all commercial aviation. I was called up to y the day after 9/11 to help deliver medical supplies for Homeland Security. I had a twinengine Piper Comanche airplane and had experience with emergency medical ights as I ew for Angel Flight America as a volunteer on emergency medical missions. I was also a member of the International Flying Farmers. I was out combining corn when I got the call. It was quite a thing after knowing what happened that I was chosen, and they wanted me in the air the next morning. I was all packed and planned to go, but it was called off at the last minute because there were few survivors. When the towers came down, people either got out or they didn’t; therefore, there were not a lot of injured people needing our help. How do you think 9/11 changed the course of our country? It took away our freedom a lot, which was something we noticed in the Flying Farmers. It changed the rules of aviation. After 9/11, they started putting up fences. It took away our feeling of security because we didn’t feel like anything like that could happen. We ew with more security, but our purpose remained the same. It was a better world before 9/11. Our government was taken by surprise that day; they were not expecting it. It was a changing time for all of us, and the world will never be the same. How have you or how do you continue to commemorate the events that occurred on 9/11? I was always patriotic, and that is why I did the angel ights. Doing medical missions for Angel Flight America was wonderful. I even ew a number of ights carrying injured military personnel. We ew people who needed help and were devastated not only medically but nancially. I feel 9/11 maybe drove me to want to help people even more. If you could say something to the family members of the victims on this 20th anniversary, what would you tell them? I don’t know what I would say, but I do have some warm feelings for them. With ying for Angel Flight America, my purpose always was to help other people, and we did not take any compensation for what we did. In the end, the main things we’ll be judged on is how we treated other people around us. Money will be useless. It was an honor to be called up at 9/11 when everybody else was grounded. It was a good feeling. Tell us about your farm. I’m the third generation at Dinnerbell Farms where I grew up. My dad had a registered herd and chose the Dinnerbell name because he needed a prex, and we had a big dinner bell on a pole in front of our house. Our farm is made up of multiple farms put together over the years. My son and his wife are mainly running the dairy now. I do quite a bit of eld work, and we cash crop about 1,300 acres. We also feed out our beef cattle. We have a modern parlor and freestall facility, and have done very well here.

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Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about what happened Sept. 11, 2001? I was a part of the Association of Women in Agriculture at the University of WisconsinRiver Falls. The UW-River Falls rodeo club always has a rodeo on a weekend in mid-September. At that time, AWA always did a breakfast the morning of the rodeo as a fundraiser. I was picking up a donation of butter at Ellsworth Cooperative when I heard the news of the 9/11 attack on the radio.

How have you or how do you continue to commemorate the events that occurred on 9/11? On what we now call Patriot Day, I always think of the families that lost loved ones on 9/11. They are always in my thoughts and prayers but especially that day. As a substitute teacher and mom, I make sure the students who came after this fateful day will never forget this part of the history of the United States and how it changed things for everyone.

If you could say something to the family members of the victims on this 20th anniversary, what would you tell them? I would tell them just how sorry I am that they had to go through such an awful thing, and that their family is thought of What was your reaction? I was shocked as was and prayed for especially on the anniversary of most everyone that day and heart sickened that this sad event in our history. this had happened to our country. Tell us about your farm. I farm with my in-laws, How do you think 9/11 changed the course of Dave and Kathy, my husband, Patrick, and ve our country? It made everyone much more cau- children, Peter, 15, Abigail, 12, Andrew, 9, Mattious, especially when traveling. thew, 6, and Sarah, 4. We raise registered Jerseys. I am also the princess coordinator for ChisagoIsanti-Anoka counties.

Keith Brogan St. Charles, Minnesota Winona County 500 cows Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about what happened Sept. 11, 2001? I was in our tiestall barn running the barn cleaner when I heard on the radio that the second plane had hit. I did not know what was going on at the time, but after I nished morning chores, I went inside and turned on the TV to learn more. What was your reaction? I was in shock. I had visited New York during college and had been right by the towers then. They were so big. It was a shock to see them come down knowing how big they were. How do you think 9/11 changed the course of our country? At the time, it united the country. But for some Muslims in our country, it probably hurt them because they were associated with the terrorists who did this. They just happened to be the same religion as the terrorists who used religion to cover up the horrendous thing they did. Right away, people were also nervous to y. I am the county 4-H dairy judging coach, and that year, our team had won a trip to the contest in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We ew out Sept. 21 and returned Sept. 25. There were six of us in our group and one other person on the plane. And nobody was at the airports. It was a strange feeling being

Hey!

in an empty airport. I also remember gas prices went up after that. When I visited New York in 2005, we could not go into the head of the Statue of Liberty like we could when I was there in college. We also have other security measures at airports, baseball games and events like the state fair. It doesn’t bother me and makes me feel safer. How have you or how do you continue to commemorate the events that occurred on 9/11? I was able to visit the site in 2005 before it became a large memorial. It was a hole in the ground at that point. On that day, I am usually always working so I don’t do much other than remember what happened that day. At some point, I would like to visit the memorial in New York. If you could say something to the family members of the victims on this 20th anniversary, what would you tell them? I would pass along my sympathy for the loss of their family member. Nobody could prevent it at the time. They went to work like any normal day and this terrorist attack happened. I don’t think there is anything else to say other than I’m really sorry for your loss. Tell us about your farm. I farm together with my brother, Scott, and my dad, Gerard. Along with our dairy herd, we have 1,300 acres and feed out our Holstein steers. I have been farming since I graduated from college in 1992.

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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

Breeding Focus

Monitoring system, double ovsynch take Trailside Holsteins to next level

Jon, Michael and Margaret Johnson Trailside Holsteins Fountain, Minnesota Fillmore County 670 cows

mony Vet Clinic to perform weekly herd health checks.

Describe your facilities and list your breeding management team. All of our barns are naturally ventilated with headlocks and deep-bedded sand. We milk in a double-8 parallel parlor. Michael and one employee do all of the shots and breeding. We work with Jeff Collins of the Har-

What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? How do you get animals pregnant? Before implementing a herd monitoring system seven years ago, we used a presync/ ovsync program. For ve years, we used the monitoring system as much as possible

What is your current pregnancy rate? 43% for the cows and 53% for the heifers.

KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR

for the rst insemination. Two years ago, we began a double ovsync synchronization program to tighten up our timing of the rst insemination. Using both programs has been good for our herd and our reproduction program. It has tightened up our rst breeding window to get cows bred more efciently, and it also helps us catch cows sooner that do not get pregnant on the rst insemination. Our current voluntary waiting period is 83 days, but we are planning to move it to 90 at the end of the year. Cows are pregnancy checked at 32 and 67 days post breeding. Very few open cows make it to the pregnancy check as our monitoring system does a good job catching any open cows in heat prior to 32 days.

What guidelines do you follow to reach the goals for your breeding program? A lot of focus is put on the prefresh and the postfresh period. If a cow freshens in well with little trouble, she is more likely

Cows at Trailside Holsteins have an orange tag in their ear that monitors acƟvity, allowing the Johnson family to closely evalu- Turn to TRAILSIDE | Page 20 ate health and reproducƟon.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Margaret and Michael Johnson, along with their kids – (from leŌ) Jacob, Levi, Sawyer, and Claira – milk 670 cows on their dairy, Trailside Holsteins near Fountain, Minnesota. Not pictured are Royal Johnson and Michael’s dad, Jon.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 19

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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

ConƟnued from TRAILSIDE| Page 18 What is your conception rate? How does this differ with different types of semen? Overall is 61%, sexed is 54%, beef is 60% and conventional Holstein is 74%.

to conceive at her rst service. We feel a healthy cow is paramount to a good reproduction program as she will respond better to a shot program and also show signs of estrous if she does not conceive on her rst service. Emphasis is also placed on every cow receiving the correct shot at the correct time. We believe compliance to any synchronization program is important.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? From our very beginning with A.I. in the 1980s, we have always strongly believed spending the extra money to invest in the best available bulls is worth the investment. It is an investment to us, not an expense.

What are the top traits you look for in breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? We used to focus more on production traits and total performance index; however, we have slowly transitioned to more of a focus on net merit and high health index or dairy wellness prot index.

What is the age of your heifers at rst service? 410 days. How does your heifer inventory affect your breeding program? We try to think of it in the opposite way, more proactively, in a way that our breeding program drives our heifer inventory. We are aiming for 78% heifers to cows with 30% of our herd being 2 year olds. We are currently very close to these numbers. Tell us about your farm. We are a family focused farm in southeast Minnesota raising Holsteins, rye, alfalfa, corn and the next generation of farmers.

What are certain traits you try to avoid? High somatic cell score and high stature. Describe the ideal cow for your herd. We are looking for a moderate sized animal that still has good strength and a well attached udder. Health traits are looked at a lot more now as well as we try to breed a healthy animal that will be trouble free and allow us to reduce and eventually eliminate antibiotic use. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? Investing in good genetics has always been a priority to our farm. Good genetics

KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR

Michael Johnson (leŌ) looks over data collected from the acƟvity monitoring system on his phone with employee Roberto at Trailside Holsteins near Fountain, Minnesota. have allowed us to continue to improve our production levels and create a more hands-off, trouble-free herd. We do our best to provide each animal an environment where she can reach her genetic potential. The higher this potential is the better results we will see.

What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? We breed our top genetic animals to sexed semen based off of genomic tests. That is currently 23% of our cows and 81% of our heifers.

KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR

Cows rest on sand bedding in the freestall barn at Trailside Holsteins.

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COMBINE PLATFORMS

6 11 10 8 3 14 17 1 7 16 16 1 15 5 14 14 14 15

JD 635F, 2011, 35’, Flexible, #187290 .......................................................... $13,000 JD 635F, 2009, 35’, Flexible, #187030 .......................................................... $13,900 JD 620F, 2009, 20’, Flexible, #162055 .......................................................... $14,900 JD 630F, 2010, 30’, Flexible, #186474 .......................................................... $16,500 JD 635F, 2014, 35’, Flexible, #184935 .......................................................... $18,500 JD 635F, 2009, 35’, Flexible, #183382 .......................................................... $19,900 JD 635F, ’5’, Flexible, #185428 ..................................................................... $22,400 JD 635F, 2012, 35’, Flexible, #187263 .......................................................... $23,900 JD 635F, 2013, 35’, Flexible, #173287 .......................................................... $26,900 JD 645FD, 2017, 45’, Flex/Draper, #162936................................................. $73,900 JD 645FD, 2017, 45’, Flex/Draper, #182969................................................. $74,900 JD 640FD, 2018, 40 Feet, Flex/Draper, #173387 ......................................... $79,500 JD 640FD, 2018, 40’, Flexible, #177866 ....................................................... $83,900 JD 740FD, 2019, 40’, Draper, Flip Over Reel, #187069................................. $89,900 JD 745FD, 2019, 45’, Flex/Draper, Flip Over Reel, #183001 ........................ $93,400 JD 745FD, 2019, 45’, Flex/Draper, Flip Over Reel, #172441 ........................ $94,000 JD 745FD, 2020, 45’, Flex/Draper, Flip Over Reel, #183000 ........................ $96,400 JD 745FD, 2020, 45’, Flex/Draper, Flip Over Reel, #179999 ........................ $97,900

9 11 1 4 5 17

JD 9650 STS, 2001, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 3455 hrs., 2388sep hrs., #186401 . $49,500 JD S670, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 3625 hrs., 2557 sep hrs., #172954...... $92,900 JD 9870 STS, 2008, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 3105 hrs., 2500 sep hrs., #175945$99,900 JD 9670 STS, 2009, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 2210 hrs., 1263 sep hrs., #185612$110,400 JD S680, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2913 hrs., 1904 Sep hrs., #161858 ... $129,500 New Holland CR8090, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2405 hrs., 1810 sep hrs., #183218 ....................................................................................................... $136,500 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2966 hrs., 2063 sep hrs., #182070.... $144,900 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 2361 hrs., 1703 sep hrs., #178114...... $147,900 JD S680, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2365 hrs., 1642 sep hrs., #176788.... $149,500 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2651 hrs., 2023 sep hrs., #186952 ... $155,500 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 2068 hrs., 1658 sep hrs., #172017...... $159,500 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2209 hrs., #169577.......................... $169,500 JD S680, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2734 hrs., 1800 sep hrs., #176089.... $169,900 JD S680, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1992 hrs., 1300 sep hrs., #174756.... $174,900 JD S690, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1983 hrs., 1530 sep hrs., #171923 ... $179,000 JD S670, 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2293 hrs., 1453 sep hrs., #176660.... $199,500

7 17 3 16 7 6 1 14 3 2

COMBINES

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JD S690, 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2117 hrs., #176735.......................... $219,500 JD S770, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2206 hrs., 1587 sep hrs., #181147.... $245,000 JD S690, 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1772 hrs., 1248 sep hrs., #176733.... $250,000 JD S790, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1535 hrs., 1058 sep hrs., #179097 ... $315,400 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1184 hrs., 800 sep hrs., #175318 ..... $319,500 JD S670, 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 790 hrs., 536 sep hrs, #187073......... $323,000 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1101 hrs., 755 sep hrs., #183533...... $355,000 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1029 hrs., 690 sep hrs., #177549...... $364,400 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 902 hrs., 653sep hrs., #171103......... $385,000 JD S790, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 969 hrs., 683 sep hrs., #171378........ $389,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 495 hrs., 294 sep hrs., #169509........ $409,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 484 hrs., 307 sep hrs., #169507........ $409,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 366 hrs., 234 sep hrs., #171003........ $419,500 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 525 hrs., 397 sep hrs., #183792........ $425,400 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 569 hrs., 373 sep hrs., #181757........ $429,900 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 747 hrs., 556 sep hrs., #187111........ $435,900 JD S780, 2020, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 373 hrs., 226 sep hrs., #182068........ $509,900

9 2 14 2 8 17 16 9 14 8 10 7 3 14 16 8 10 10 15 15

Geringhoff 830, 1998, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186402 ................................ $12,400 Geringhoff RD820, 8R20”, StalkMaster, #181342 ..................................... $13,900 Geringhoff RD600, 2004, 6R30”, StalkMaster, #185615........................... $17,900 Harvestec 5308C, 2012, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #173992 ............................. $27,900 JD 608C StalkMaster, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186589 ................................. $28,400 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2010, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186312 ...................... $29,900 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2009, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186922 ...................... $31,900 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2011, 8R30”, StalkMaster #182813 ....................... $33,900 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2008, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #187265 ...................... $34,500 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2011, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #169171 ...................... $37,500 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2009, 12R30”; StalkMaster, #175440................... $38,000 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2011, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #186294 ...................... $41,500 Geringhoff 16R22, 2011, 16R22”, StalkMaster, #176736 ......................... $42,900 JD 612C, 2012, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #186773............................................ $49,900 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2013, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #177920 .................... $54,500 JD 612C, 2013, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #177625............................................ $61,900 JD 706C, 2018, 6R30”, StalkMaster, #165801 .............................................. $65,500 JD 616C, 2012, 16R30, StalkMaster, #179657............................................. $67,400 JD 612C, 2014, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #151308............................................ $69,500 JD 612C, 2017, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #183609............................................ $76,000

CORN AND ROW CROP HEADERS

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JD 618C, 2012, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #176931............................................ $79,500 JD 618C, 2012, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #175201............................................ $89,900 JD 618C, 2013, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #186614............................................ $92,400 JD 716C, 2019, 16R30”, StalkMaster, #187112.......................................... $140,000 JD 718C, 2020, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #185545.......................................... $184,500 JD 718C, 2020, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #185459.......................................... $194,500

17 5 16 13 8 15 5 8 15 11 4 5 6 10 2 4 15 11 6 7 8 14 15 8 16 16 1 10 1 1 1

JD 4455, 1991, Cab, 2WD, Power Shift, Duals, 9199 hrs., #181329 .......... $45,000 Case IH MX200, 1999, Cab, MFWD, PS, Duals, 9360 hrs., #186519 .......... $48,500 JD 8300, 1996, Cab, MFWD, Power Shift, 1000 pto, Duals, #187192 ........ $54,500 JD 6145M, 2020, Cab, MFWD, Partial Power Shift, 167 hrs.,#168299 ..... $124,900 JD 8285R, 2013, Cab, MFWD, IVT, 4800 hrs., #187023 ............................ $139,000 JD 6145M, 2020, Cab, MFWD, PS, Loader, 175 hrs., #183626.................. $143,400 JD 7290R, 2013, Cab, MFWD, Duals, 4660 hrs., #180765 ........................ $149,900 JD 6175R, 2020, Cab, MFWD, Power Shift, 93 hrs., #185002 ................... $169,900 JD 6175R, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Loader, 951 hrs., #185014 .................. $182,500 JD 7R 210, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 830 hrs., #187032................... $191,000 JD 7210R, 2019, Cab, MFWD, Duals, Loader, 632 hrs., #177177.............. $195,000 JD 8260R, 2014, Cab, MFWD, Power Shift, Duals, 360 hrs., #186505...... $199,900 JD 7R 210, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 401 hrs., #187031.................... $202000 JD 8360R, 2013, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 2900 hrs., #185431.................. $202900 JD 8345R, 2015, Cab, MFWD, Duals, 2850 hrs., #183894 ....................... $219,900 JD 8270R, 2020, Cab, MFWD, Power Shift, Duals, 811 hrs., #175591 ...... $239,000 JD 8245R, 2020, Cab, MFWD, Power Shift, Duals, 643 hrs., #183102 ...... $243,900 JD 8245R, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 642 hrs., #183745..................... $252500 JD 8R 250, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 485 hrs., #186300.................... $269500 JD 8320R, 2019, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 762 hrs., #171962..................... $279900 JD 8320R, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 912 hrs., #179599.................... $279,900 JD 8345R, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 518 hrs., #176092.................... $309,900 JD 8R 310, 2020, Cab, MFWD IVT, Duals, 506 hrs., #185944 ................... $319,500 JD 8345R, 2019, Cab, MFWD, IVT, 176 hrs., #185726............................... $341,400 JD 8R 370, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 945 hrs., #185281................... $342,500 JD 8R 370, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 980 hrs., #185280................... $344,900 JD 8R 340, 2020, Cab, MFW, IVT, Duals, 300 hrs., #186617 ..................... $347,600 JD 8370R, 2019, Cab, MFWD IVT, Duals, 304 hrs., #184017 .................... $349,000 JD 8R 370, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 300 hrs., #186626................... $368,500 JD 8R 370, 2020, Cab, MFWD, IVT, Duals, 300 hrs., #186,628.................. $371,800 JD 8R 410, 2020, Cab, MFWD, Duals, 300 hrs., #186634.......................... $388,500

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Laboring on Labor Day I have always chuckled about the observance of Labor Day. Not that I don’t think it serves a purpose. Having a three-day weekend in early September is terric. For many, it’s a great way On the Mark to nish summer with either a weekend trip or one last extended weekend at the cabin. As a parent of school kids, it’s great for my kids. To have a three-day weekend shortly after school starts or having a four-day week being the rst week of school is a nice way to slowly acclimate kids back into the By Mark Klaphake routine. Editor After talking to an elementary school principle, she said starting the children and teachers with a full ve-day week is exhausting, mentally, for both student and teacher. The gradual increase makes a big difference from her perspective. My smirk comes from what Labor Day meant for me and my 10 siblings growing up on our farm south of Sauk Centre and the signicance of Labor Day to dairy farmers as a whole. Traditionally, for us Klaphake kids, Labor Day meant more labor before our parents lost their entire workforce to school. Often times we would be chopping corn and lling the shorter of our two silos, a 16-by-40. If we weren’t doing that, we were making a silage pile on the west side of the barn. Our parents wanted nothing more than to have a good handle on as much eldwork as possible before we started school. I totally understood their perspective. Adding the time-consuming task like lling the silo while doing all the duties us kids did during the day was immense, so why not get as much done beforehand? So, if the corn was mature enough, silo lling was a Labor Day task. My dad would run the chopper, and one of my brothers hauled the loads. The rest of us would work on the regular daily chores and other tasks on the farm. I vividly remember one Labor Day climbing the bigger silo, a 20-by-60, with a pitchfork and spending much of that morning forking silage around so we could get the silo as full as possible. We would top them off at least once, sometimes more, to get as much feed in as possible. Another Labor Day activity was cleaning calf pens. Once we had them cleaned, we would bed them heavily with small squares of oat straw. Our parents liked fall calving. Starting in late August through mid-October, we had many calves so we wanted the pens prepared. Bringing cows and calves in from the pasture and training the calves to drink added even more to our work load. If we had close-up heifers that we thought would calf in the next week, we would bring them in from the pasture and put them in the barn and get them used to their stall. Doing that with a group, not a pair, made the task much easier. Labor Day was also the time our mom would spend going over our back-to-school list with each of us kids. She wanted to make sure all of the kids had the necessary supplies of No. 2 pencils, notebooks, rulers, etc., ready for our rst day of school. Things haven’t changed much as far as a farmer’s recognition of Labor Day. When I spoke to my brothers and some of the weather watchers we have with Dairy Star, several talked about how they started chopping corn silage on Monday. Others said they treated the day like any regular Monday on the farm. I recently read that Labor Day was established by trade unionists who thought it would be a good idea to have a day to celebrate labor by giving them the day off. Dairy farmers must have been the exception.

Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 23

Showcasing youth achievements Ratka, Schell take top spots in Minnesota 4-H dairy recognition program By Sherry Newell Contributing writer

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Megan Ratka and Adhyn Schell waited with fellow 4-H member Owen Schefer as the nal placings in the 2021 Minnesota 4-H Dairy Showcase were

revealed Aug. 29 at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. The announcement of Schefer in third place meant each of the two young women who have invested in their own animals while also leasing cattle from others had a 50-50 chance of winning.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Megan Ratka (leŌ) is presented a $4,000 check from Princess Kay of the Milky Way Anna Euerle as the winner of the 2021 Minnesota 4-H Dairy Showcase at the Minnesota State Fair Aug. 29 in St. Paul Minnesota. Ratka is from Stearns County.

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Adhyn Schell, of Winona County, stands with one of her animals during the Open Class Dairy Show at the Minnesota State Fair aŌer winning second place in the 4-H Dairy Showcase.

But it was Ratka who came out on top of the list of 25 dairy project members who walked away with cash awards earned through participation and success in dairy-related opportunities and in the Minnesota State Fair 4-H Dairy Show over the previous three days. “It was like shaking up a pop bottle until it nally zzes over,” said Ratka of watching 24 other names being called before hers. “It was just so incredible. I really did not expect

it.”

Ratka, a Stearns County 4-H member from Cold Spring, has been through the anticipation in the past. She was second place in 2018, winning $3,500, and fourth in 2017, receiving $2,500. The money comes from well over 100 donors representing dairy-related businesses, organizations and individuals. More than $45,000 was awarded to the 25 showcase winners. Ten 4-H dairy project members in grades six through

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eight were named Rising Stars and received $400 each. Schell was a Rising Star in 2018 and 2019 before receiving her $3,000 award this year. The awards are designed to recognize and support the recipients in the same way proceeds from the State Fair Purple Ribbon Auction assist youth who show market livestock. Ratka purchased a Brown Swiss calf after her rst showTurn to 4-H | Page 25

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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 25

Con�nued from 4-H | Page 23

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The 2021 Minnesota 4-H Dairy Showcase winners and emcees include – (front, from le�) No. 11 Tyler Ratka of Stearns County; No. 12 Kallie Frericks of Stearns County; No. 13 Lauren Ro� of Olmsted County; No. 14 Clara Thompson of Olmsted County; No. 15 Calvin Benrud of Goodhue County; No. 16 Shelby Swanson of McLeod County; No. 17 Hailey Frericks of Stearns County; No. 18 Natalie Clemenson of Goodhue County; No. 19 Alexis Hoefs of Le Sueur County; No. 20 Ashley Holst of Wabasha County; No. 21 Maggie Molitor of Stearns County; No. 22 Evelyn Scheffler of Goodhue County; No. 23 Kiley Lickfelt of McLeod County; No. 24, Makenzie Alberts of Olmsted County; and No. 25 Brooke Bauer of Dodge County; (back, from le�) emcee Emily Annexsted; No. 1 Megan Ratka of Stearns County; No. 2 Adyhn Schell of Winona County; No. 3 Owen Scheffler of Goodhue County; No. 4 Brea Kieffer of Winona County; No. 5 Isaac Ro� of Olmsted County; No. 6 Josephine Sutherland of Pipestone County; No. 7 Morgan Wingert of Fillmore County; No. 8 Serena Katharine Schaefer of Stevens County; No. 9 Katelyn Ketchum of Winona County; No. 10 Kelsey Biel of Fillmore County; and emcee Tyler O�e. case award. She used the second to help with expenses for the heifer and contribute to her college fund. She is an incoming freshman at the University of Minnesota and plans to use her latest award for college. While she does not come from a dairy farm, both of Ratka’s parents do. Through family friends, Linda and Jerry Jennissen of Brooten, Ratka and her siblings became involved with dairy projects through the leasing program. She has worked with cattle since the summer after completing rst grade. “My journey has evolved a bit,” Ratka said. “We lived in town, then about ve years ago, we moved to a place where we could have heifers of our own at home.” Ratka had what she called a phenomenal Minnesota State Fair this year. Thursday, she won a trip to

Louisville, Kentucky, for her judging contest success. Friday, she was named a winner of a coveted recognition chair through the interview process. Saturday, her animal was a champion net merit winner, and she placed among the top of the advanced showmanship competitors. Schell, from Lewiston in Winona County, plans to buy a new show animal with her showcase funding. She has already purchased animals through cash awards at the local level and her previous Rising Star funds. Like Ratka, Schell developed her dairy connection while living in town – through an uncle who works for Kieand Holsteins in Utica. She has been able to house animals at a farm 15 minutes away from her home, feeding them daily in the summer. Her interest in showing has blossomed, and she has plans to

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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

Benchmarks on your farm

What is your cost of production? You need to be more efcient. As a dairy producer, are you tired of hearing those phrases? I bet you are, and I fully understand. Some of From My Perspective the frustration comes from not having a clear understanding of COP. The calculation is done so many ways, and often, the information is based on an economic cost of production analysis, which uses a calculated management depreciation. Because our farms are diversied, some depreciation is allocated to multiple liveBy Tom Anderson stock and crop enterprises Columnist which may again add to the confusion and perhaps inaccuracy at least when we compare farm to farm. So, what is the cost of production on your farm, and how does it trend from year to year? Benchmarking farm to farm is typically a good idea, but more importantly, it is imperative that we look at our own operation to nd trends and compare quarter to quarter and year over year. I like to look at what I call cash cost of production. I apply some benchmarks that provides us with a birds-eye view of the overall operation and then drill down on areas that may seem higher than desired. Viewing a cash cost of production will more closely follow your cash ow projection. Looking at both the revenue and expense side is important on a per cow and per hundredweight basis. A spreadsheet that converts all year-to-date income and expense to a per cow and per hundredweight of milk sold is a great start. In addition, we need to add actual feed cost (commercial feed plus raised feed) for all animals – milking and dry cows along with heifers. After all, the cows generate the income to pay the expenses for heifers and dry cows. Generally, using the farm’s actual cost of producing grains and forages rather than using a market price will create a more real cost of producing milk. Finally, I add in the loan payments (principle and interest). Perhaps this is over simplied, and it is likely more complicated than it may appear, but it can be a good start for anyone to get to this point. All of this can be a bit difcult without some guidance and direction. If you’re not already enrolled in a farm management program, you may want to consider it as these folks are able to assist with this discovery. In addition, I often use a few other broad benchmarks. The benchmarks below are for a conventional herd (nonrobotic): – Total debt per hundredweight of milk sold should be less than $20. – Debt per cow should be less than $4,500. – Total debt payments (principle and interest) per hundredweight of milk sold should be less than $2.75 per hundredweight. – Total labor cost, including hired labor (taxes, workers compensation, etc.) and family should be less than $2.75 per hundredweight. – Total debt payments and labor cost together should be less than $5.50. If numbers vary too much from these benchmarks, it can make it difcult to cash ow regardless of what expenses you may attempt to cut. Naturally, there are ranges in each of the above categories, and they are modied (blended) for robotic herds. When I look at herds that are planning expansion opportunities, the above numbers are a great discussion to have and are relatively easy to calculate without having to complete an entire cash ow. With the above calculations, I nd more condence in an annual cash ow projection or a major expansion. It is just too easy to make a cash ow work by making minor adjustments that may have a signicant impact on net returns. Over the past two decades of my experience, I nd that incremental growth in most herds provides the best method to keeping these benchmarks in place. Capital investment in buildings is expensive, and cow numbers or milk production tend not to come as quickly as the debt incurred. Therefore, a more gradual growth in herd numbers and total pounds of milk produced tend to keep the above benchmarks in a better relationship and reduce the chance of larger losses in a down milk price year. If you have questions about the benchmarks or how to calculate them, feel free to connect via phone or email. Tom Anderson is a Farm Business Management faculty member at Riverland Community College.

Dreaming big this year It is truly an honor to have been crowned the 68th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. My name is Anna Euerle, and I am from Litcheld in Meeker County. I am studying at Ridgewater College in Willmar majoring in On the Road with agribusiness with a dairy emphasis, and I will be Princess Kay graduating in December. Growing up, I was heavily involved in 4-H, theater, choir and FFA. These experiences showed me some of my true passions. From the show ring to the stage, I have broadened my horizons to all the opportunities available to me. On my family’s By Anna Euerle farm, you can nd me in 68th Princess Kay of the the barn milking cows, Milky Way helping take care of new calves and fresh cows, or in the eld helping with hay and tillage. As the 68th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, I of course have goals set for myself during my reign. The rst is to spread the word that the dairy community is more than just our farmers. It’s also our milk haulers, nutritionists and anyone working to support Minnesota’s dairy farmers. It can be easily perceived that the farmers do this by themselves, but to have the general public know just how large and impactful the dairy community is, is quite important to me. We all deserve credit where credit is due, and it is time for us to begin recognizing those in our support staff each day. We can’t operate without our supporters, so recognition of those who supply rations, feed and transportation is something I am passionate about. My second goal is to reassure consumers that getting three servings of dairy each day is manageable. As someone who enjoys being in the kitchen, I am always looking for ways to incorporate more dairy into my diet. From cheese bread to homemade mozzarella sticks, the opportunities are endless. As a college student, I have found ways to work more than enough dairy into my daily meals, especially

Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 27

thing I will never forget or take for granted. These goals may seem broad, and borderline extreme, I know. But serving as Princess Kay of the Milky Way is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Dreaming big was the least I could do. Princess Kay of the Milky Way Anna Euerle serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Princess Kay is very active doing school visits, representing dairy farmers at the Fuel Up To Play 60 activities in conjunction with the Minnesota Vikings, and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota. Euerle grew up in Litcheld, Minnesota, working on her family’s dairy farm. She will soon graduate from Ridgewater College in Agribusiness with a dairy emphasis. In her free time she enjoys cooking, baking and being outdoors.

A the As h 68 68th hP Princess i K Kay off the Milky Way, I of course have goals set for myself during my reign. h are so affordable. ff d bl E f ffrom because they Even lleftovers last night’s dinner can be brought back to life with a sprinkle of cheese or a dollop of sour cream. My third and nal goal is to represent farms of all sizes and types. This past summer, I had the opportunity to work with three dairy farms: one with 600 cows, my home farm with 80 cows and another farm with 30 cows. After three months of seeing that we care for our animals the same amount regardless of how many we may have, I want to share that with the rest of Minnesota. Consumers have their own opinions on farms of different sizes, so to be able to have real life experiences to share with them will help shift them to love all farms. After all, we all produce the same quality products each day. I also want everyone to know that even though I hold the title of a princess, I do the work required of me from farm to farm. Working with the dairy community has gotten me to where I am today, and that is some-

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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968 Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357 Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 Emma Severns sever575@umn.edu 507-934-7828 Melissa Wison mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276

www.extension.umn.edu/dairy

Pre-weaning calf health impacts production To care for calves well, the caregiver must do the same thing every day at the same time and revel in the monotony of being exact. When things are going well, it should be somewhat boring. Overall, it helps to know why. Why feed calves well and deal with the frustrations that come with the job? Why does it matter if it is done well? The rst answer is straightforward: The better calves are cared for, the less sick calves and the less dead calves. Sick calves and dead calves are a considerable time, resource, and emotional drain. Limiting morbidity and mortality is better for the dairy By Joe Armstrong and the caregiver, but there is a bigger picU of M ture benet as well.

Long term effects of calf morbidity While calf morbidity and mortality have signicant immediate impacts, studies show that the effect is also long term. Several studies show calves treated for pneumonia or scours are more likely to be culled or leave the herd early. Similar studies showed calves treated for scours are almost three times more likely to calve after 30 months of age. Another study showed heifers that were never treated for respiratory disease were twice as likely to have a calf than treated heifers. These are all important markers of lifetime performance and the success of a dairy operation. But what if morbidity and mortality are under control? What is the motivation to keep up the excellent work besides keeping morbidity and mortality low? Pre-weaning calf average daily gain impacts lifetime performance Several studies have reported pre-weaning average daily gain to impact later performance signicantly. A Cornell study from 2012 showed that for every additional pound of ADG, an additional 1,100 pounds of milk was expected in rst lactation, and an extra 2,280 pounds of milk was expected in the rst three lactations. This effect was linear, meaning the more ADG in the preweaning period, the more productive the animal. A study in 2016 showed an additional 1,430 pounds of milk in rst lactation for every additional pound of ADG pre-weaning. Interestingly, the 2016 study also indicated the effect was true for the total production of fat and protein as well. A University of Minnesota study from 2016 reported similar results with weaning weight and pre-weaning ADG both signicantly correlated to 305-day milk, fat and protein.

How to maximize pre-weaning calf average daily gain So now the question is, what needs to change? In general, limit calf stress as much as possible and promote growth. Anything that takes away energy from growth needs to go, and there is justication to add things that improve growth.

Colostrum management The most impactful thing in a calf’s life that predicts ADG, health and lifetime performance is colostrum management. Feeding the correct amount of quality, clean colostrum in the most important thing you can do for a calf. One gallon of quality, clean colostrum should be fed within the rst four hours of life with 2 quarts of colostrum fed at the second feeding. Quality colostrum correlates to a refractometer reading of 22-23% brix. Calves need calories The second thing to note is calories fed above maintenance is correlated to ADG and calf health. This means feeding calves the correct amount encourages growth and maintains fat stores needed for the immune system. Emphasis on special care in the winter is necessary as the cold temperatures cause maintenance requirements to rise. Push calves hard when feeding milk. The research is there to show the benet. Offer 1 gallon twice per day or 3 quarts three times per day starting on the second day of life. Goal for pre-weaning calf average daily gain The lifetime performance increase from pre-weaning average daily gain is linear, so the higher ADG is pre-weaning, the higher the benets for lifetime performance. The rst step is to measure this value for individual calves and then dene a goal. Doubling birth weight by weaning is a reasonable goal and provides an ADG that improves rst lactation and lifetime performance. Usually, this is around 1.5 pounds per day. Focus on the future The reason we should care about pre-weaning calf performance is that this period signicantly affects the lifetime performance of the calf and the dairy as a whole. What a calf experiences in the rst 60 days of life matters for the lifetime production of that calf. So when you are questioning why you are dealing with calf chores, remind yourself that how well you care for those calves is setting up the success of your dairy in the future.

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Bull safety

Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 29

By Joe Armstrong and Emily Krekelberg University of Minnesota

Handling livestock in a safe manner is crucial on any farm to prevent accidents, injuries and fatalities. Large livestock especially pose a threat to our safety. Bulls are one of the most dangerous animals on the farm. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and the Surveillance of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses databases, 48% of cattle-related fatalities were caused by bulls. Bulls account for only 2% of cattle nationwide. They are large, lled with adrenaline and testosterone, and can inict injury in seconds either intentionally or by accident. Dairy bulls are often considered more aggressive and dangerous than beef bulls, although both should be treated with caution. The best way to avoid the dangers associated with bulls is to not keep bulls on the farm premises. Articial insemination allows for on-time breeding while reducing the risk to people and cows. Leasing bulls represents a potential biosecurity risk but could limit how many days the operation has a bull on the farm. If a bull is kept on the farm, strict safety practices should be followed. Extra precautions should be taken to ensure bulls do not escape, such as checking fences more often or potentially reinforcing pens. Never allow children to work with a bull. If you are moving the bull, do so under calm conditions and always have an escape plan. When visiting someone else’s farm, it doesn’t hurt to ask if they have a bull on-site. Many dangerous situations are created by simply not knowing there is a bull on the farm. If you have a bull on the farm, tell visitors there is a bull on-site and where he is located. It’s important to remember even nice bulls that were bottle fed as calves can become more aggressive with age. Bulls don’t need to have a history of aggression – an attack can happen at any time to anyone with any bull. Have constant vigilance whenever there is a bull around and pay attention to the bull’s body language. They will turn broadside to present their size and power. Watch for signs of aggression such as pawing at the ground. Never turn your back on a bull, even if you think it’s not paying attention to you; bulls can and will attack unprovoked. No one should ever completely trust a bull due to the possibility of an attack, but just as important is situational awareness to prevent accidental injury from working with these massive animals. Bulls, just like all cattle, are prey species, and when scared, bulls can unintentionally hurt humans working with them due to their size and strength. Even with a casual toss of their head, a bull can send a gate hurtling back at the cattle handler. A running bull just brushing the handler can cause serious injury. When multiple bulls are in the same area, especially if they are not familiar with each other, there is the potential for a confrontation between them. Fighting bulls do not care what is in their way. Equipment, fence, fence posts, buildings and people are all at risk of being damaged. Proper low-stress cattle handling can prevent many bull-related human injuries. Calm, clear and unthreatening direction for the bulls will prevent activation of the ght or ight response. Before entering the bull’s pen or pasture, have an escape plan. Calmly and as quietly as possible make sure the bull knows you are there – surprising a bull is a bad idea. Pairing the bull with other cattle when moving them can keep them calmer, especially if the bull is not used to the working facility, the people or being handled. Bull safety should never be an afterthought. If there is a bull on the premises, use the practices outlined above. For more information about animal handling and farm safety, visit www.extension.umn.edu.

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Mr. Skunky

Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

As with many major calamities, it all began with a minor incident. One of my old hens went missing. This was troubling as hens who are old enough to join AARP (Amalgamated Association of Retired Pullets) generally do not y the coop. But it was just one hen out of eight. Then another hen disappeared. And another. Something was poaching my poultry. I purchased a live trap, baited it with rancid hamburger and set it near the coop. The next morning, the trap contained a very large and extremely angry tomcat. Success. The cat was taken many miles away and released into a wild area. After all, he was a wildcat. I reset the trap more or less on a lark. My problem had been solved so there was no expectation of catch-

ing anything else. Later that day I was walking into the coop when I glanced at the trap. I couldn’t believe it. I’d caught another cat. But this cat was different. It was black and uffy and had its hinder pointed at me through the mesh wall of the cage. I was about to pick up the trap when I noticed the two white stripes running down the cat’s back. I hadn’t realized I could move that fast. What a close call. I had been only a foot away from the business end of a skunk who was locked and loaded and had me in his sights. Just thinking about it gives me the willies. Another thief had been apprehended, but now I had a new problem. How do you remove a live skunk from a live trap without getting sprayed? Google, the all-knowing oracle, said this could be

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accomplished by using a tarp. Supposedly, all you have to do is slowly approach the trapped skunk as you hold up a tarp to protect yourself and keep the little stinker calm and oblivious to your presence. Dear County Agent Guy Ever so gently, the tarp is placed over the trap. The trapped skunk is then carried to the wilderness and released. The grateful skunk waddles off as cartoon songbirds drape you with ower necklaces. That is the theory. Reality is a whole other thing. I approached the By Jerry Nelson caged skunk slowly, Columnist making my presence known by speaking in a quiet voice. “Hey, Mr. Skunky,” I murmured repeatedly as I cowered behind my tarp. Mr. Skunky promptly proved that Google is full of hooey. He let y when I got to within about 10 feet. You could say he got his message across by issuing an extremely strong statement. There’s nothing worse than skunk stink at close range. The odor melted the galvanizing off the chicken coop’s roof and stripped the bark from nearby trees. My nose hairs vaporized in tiny puffs of smoke. Of course, the wind was blowing in a direction that took the stink right toward our house. When my wife came home from work that evening, she wrinkled up her nose and said, “I thought we were clear on this. What part of ‘no more lutesk’ do you not understand?” For once, I was innocent and had some actual proof. My wife, however, decided that she didn’t need to personally see the proof. We became prisoners in our own home, trapped by a palpable wall of atomic stench. We know a guy named Lee who is an outdoorsman and former professional trapper. I asked Lee, who looks a lot like Teddy Roosevelt, how one removes a live skunk from a live trap without causing a stink. “You’re asking the wrong guy,” he replied. “Back when I was a trapper, there was nothing better than getting sprayed by a skunk. Nothing hides human scent like a healthy shot of skunk perfume.” But didn’t wearing “eau de skunk” cologne have a negative effect on his situation with the opposite gender? “That was never much of a problem,” the lifelong bachelor replied wryly. We’d soon had enough of our imprisonment, so I decided to introduce Mr. Skunky to Mr. Remington. It was a clean kill, a single bullet to the brain. But Mr. Skunky’s retaliation was swift and terrible. Moments after pulling the trigger, I was knocked down by a shockwave of stench. Car alarms went off for miles around; astronauts on the International Space Station reported seeing a mushroom cloud of stink boiling upward from our farm. Mr. Skunky is gone, but he isn’t forgotten. His memory continues to linger. One good thing came from all of it, though. Thanks to Mr. Skunky, I was able to sneak several pounds of lutesk into the house without my wife muttering, “Gad, what stinks?” Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@dairystar.com.

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Do not be a leaky boat dairy Duct tape works well to patch holes in leaky boats. It is sticky and stays on well. However, duct tape is not the best strategy to keep your boat aoat. Of course, it would be best if there were never any holes to x. This might be impossible if one uses the boat a lot though, Veterinary Wisdom because of Isaac Newton’s second law of thermodynamics. This law says that left alone, everything continually trends toward the state of maximum disorder, or entropy. This means all boats eventually acquire holes. It might be due to rust, or to scratches, or maybe because someone drove By Jim Bennett over the boat with a Columnist skidloader. Newton probably did not own cows; nor did he likely have any employees. If he had, he would have quickly realized that nothing demonstrates the validity of that second law better than a dairy farm. Cows and employees can be hard on stuff. Dairy farmers understand and deal with this every day. So do veterinarians. One part of our job is helping patch the boat. It might not be the most fun part of our job, but we try to do it with a smile. What can be hard, though, is working on farms where the farmer is always ripping the duct tape off the boat. Just when the boat is going down the river of the dairy quickly and easily, he or she pulls off a piece of tape or three. Then we all rush in to x the leak. Of course, when we do this, we pull effort from some other important task, and other holes spring up. We then rush to patch those holes, and the cycle repeats. Soon we reach a steady state of only ever plugging holes and never preventing holes in the rst place. Farms like this operate in a constant state of chaos. Owners and managers

become chaos managers. These farms might accurately be described as leaky boat dairies. One expects that well-meaning employees and indifferent cows will remove tape just because of the second law, but why do some owners do it? One probably needs to be a professional psychologist to answer this question, but 40 years of dairy practice has given me some insights. Mostly, people do this for reasons that have something to do with Steven Covey’s four quadrants of time management. Covey described these in his classic management text, “The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People,” in 1989. Covey’s quadrants were shown as four boxes stacked so there were two columns and two rows. The columns were labeled urgent and not urgent while the rows were labeled important” and not important. The quadrants were urgent and important; not urgent but important; urgent but not important; and not urgent and not important. Covey argued that humans choose which quadrants to operate within. Some of us like to spend our time in urgent and important, which is the place where things need to be done right now, while others may choose to live in not urgent and important, where thinking, planning and prevention are the main activities. Still others prefer to live in urgent but not important, where interruptions, some email and other pressing issues dominate. Finally, and unfortunately, some of us live in not urgent and not important, where busy work, like personal social media and other time wasters exist. So, why do we rip off duct tape from our boats? Some of us like to operate in quadrant one, urgent and important, so we actually move things that are not urgent and important into that quadrant. Removing the tape over a hole makes xing the hole a task that needs to be done right now. It seems that some of us need to rip the tape off before we address a problem that should be in quadrant two, important but not urgent. For example, let’s pretend you had a mastitis problem on your dairy, and through working with

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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 31

your veterinarian, you determined your employees had an inconsistent milking routine. You created a parlor manager position on your organizational chart, and delegated that responsibility to one of your most trusted milking technicians. Through his hard work, the milking routing became consistent, and eventually the mastitis problem was resolved. Then one day you needed someone to drive a for-

O part off our jjob One b iis h helping l i patch the boat. It might not be the most fun part of our job, but we try to do it with a smile. k and d then h llater to h l with i h some eldld age truck, help work, and then to help in the calf barn. Moving the manager around the farm became a regular practice. A few months later, the mastitis problem returned. Diverting your excellent parlor manager to other tasks is akin to ripping off the duct tape. Now you have an urgent and important problem that demands your attention. Addressing it as an emergency might require ripping off duct tape from somewhere else. The best way to not become a leaky boat dairy is to keep most of one’s activities in the important but not urgent quadrant, so problems can either be prevented or addressed before they become urgent. This can be hard to do thanks to Newton, but even if one cannot always accomplish that, at least try not to move activities into the urgent and important quadrant by ripping off the duct tape. Do not be a leaky boat dairy. 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.

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Dairy good ambassadors Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

The Minnesota State Fair is a great state fair. Don’t miss it. Don’t even be late. I’m not sure who originally penned those lyrics, but they’ve been oating around my head since watching a 4-H Arts In performance while at the state fair an unknown number of years ago. Those lines and the melody came to the front of my mind the other day while sitting in the 4-H building with my wife and daughter waiting to watch this year’s 4-H Arts In performance while it poured rain outside. Arts In is always entertaining because I enjoy watching the kids do something many aren’t brave enough to do with a smile on their face. Usually the show’s plot goes something along the lines of: There’s a problem, and we’ll solve it through teamwork and positivity. I had been hiding from a downpour in the 4-H

building because last week I had the pleasure of spending four days at the Minnesota State Fair with my sons, Jonnie and Erik, and the other dairy kids from Dakota County. Jonnie was fortunate enough to win reserve champion with his Brown Swiss aged cow, Cece, during his rst year eligible for a state fair trip. Erik wasn’t so lucky as his best cow he picked out and trained for the county fair got pinkeye the week before the fair and had to stay home. He was disappointed to not get a trip, but sometimes things just work out in life. This year there was not enough space for all the 4-H members to stay in dorms at the fair, and counties close to the metro area like ours were asked to nd alternative places for the kids to stay during the fair or commute. I decided to check if there were any open rooms at my college fraternity, Alpha Gamma

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Rho. The guys at the house were happy to have us stay with them. The bonus to not staying in 4-H dorms was that Erik could come even though he didn’t get a trip, and everyone was happy to have an extra person around to keep the cattle clean From the Zweber Farm and fed. Despite the state fair not being nearly as well attended this year as it has been in years past, there were lots of people walking through the barns asking questions about farming and whether they could pet the By Tim Zweber cows. It was great watching the 4-H Farmer & Columnist dairy kids doing something just as brave as standing on the Arts In stage. They listened attentively and answered people’s questions the best they could. For some people, a walk through the state fair cattle barn is their only direct interaction with agriculture all year. I’m glad when, instead of staring at people like they just said the dumbest thing ever, even if it wasn’t far off, the kids smile and tell the person about how great their cow is and how much they enjoy working with it. Those people walking through the barns are our customers, and like all good businessmen and women, we know no matter how silly the question, our job is to treat them in a way that when they walk away they enjoyed the interaction and want to keep purchasing our products. If you have kids who go to events like fairs or even just their school, teach them how to be a good dairy ambassador or, to steal the marketing slogan from recent years, a dairy good ambassador. While there’s no band behind us or rehearsed choreography to practice, we can all stand there, put on a big old smile and solve the problem of fewer and fewer people having a connection to dairy products by being their farmer. I hope everyone has gotten some rain that needed it and the corn silage harvest season goes well. Until next time, keep living the dream, and maybe consider putting together a little tune and a dance number to tell people about your farm. It doesn’t matter if it’s cheesy. In fact, it should be. That’s one of our most popular products. Tim Zweber farms with his wife Emily, their three children and his parents Jon and Lisa by Elko, Minnesota.

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The nest of fall traditions

Fall is a season I enjoy, and September is the best month of all. Part of the reason why is because early fall brings with it many traditions. Three of the best ones are the cow shows at the Minnesota State Fair, Golden Gopher football and corn silage harvest. Corn silage harvest is right around the corner for us, a tradition of early September. It is always an exciting time of the year to get the cows’ feed chopped, piled and tucked into the silage bunker. I can almost smell it now. The bunker is cleaned up and ready for the newly harvested silage, the corn head is on and greased, and the kernel processor is in place on the chopper. We are ready. Due to dry weather, some dairies are already nished. Others will be heading out to their choppers sooner than later. In our area, Come Full Dairy Circle rain was short, but the yield looks comparable to years past. It takes many people to get silage harvest accomplished, and this year will be no different. Saturday Golden Gopher football games at the University of Minnesota have been a fun part of fall for our farm family over the years. These days, the games are watched or listened to while doing other tasks and sometimes while we struggle to stay awake in front of the TV if they are played at night. In years past, Mike has season tickets to attend home games shared with a friend. He often took our kids and their cousins to games, which could be where By Jean Annexstad their love of Gopher football started. In recent years, Columnist they have attended every home game they could with college friends and cousins from campus with photos in maroon and gold attire to prove their attendance. They miss a few games in September due to dairy judging practices, but no doubt the judges nish soon enough to watch the games wherever the practice session takes them. When Rolf and I attended the University of Minnesota, we went to Saturday games in the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome. The thrill back then was to watch Rickey Foggie and his teammates achieve great things coached by Lou Holtz. It seems like a long time ago now. The games were fun, but the venue was a bit uncomfortable as I recall. Games against the Iowa Hawkeyes were memorable with a lot of loud fans, especially the one when we were enmeshed in an Iowa section. Another tradition was listening to Sid Hartman and Dave Mona on WCCO radio discuss endlessly all of the game nuances every Sunday for many years. Without the tradition of “Sidisms,” our Sundays are missing something now. The tradition of dairy cattle shows in the fall is especially enjoyable. Making it in person to actual shows at the Minnesota State Fair and at the World Dairy Expo is a goal of mine every year. I try to get to at least part of them, because I love to see the cattle looking their best, and friends who show cattle are fun to see and visit with. This year, I was able to help with the 4-H Dairy Cattle Show at the Minnesota State Fair and to be present in the cattle barn for a day. It was fun to see everyone after the lack of the fair in 2020. Everyone I talked with seemed to feel extra joyful to be at the fair and to see friends in person at the shows. A bonus was the state fair cattle barn celebrating its 100th year of existence this yyear. What traditions it holds for ppeople p who have paraded cattle through the center c aisle to the Coliseum, Three off the Th h b best ones are the h worked in the Moo Booth, the milking parlor cow shows at the Minnesota managed (or the milk room in the corner way back when), dumped State Fair, Golden Gopher a few manure carts, held cattle football and corn silage over between shows, slept in the dorms above the barn, and harvest. for f those who come to watch the t shows and be with friends. A new tradition may have started in my household this year during the open class dairy show days of the state fair. It’s tough to nd enough hours to attend the state fair in between chores most days, so I watched the dairy shows on the livestream on the laptop on my kitchen counter. The fun of watching beautiful cows parading around the ring helped with the mundane task of making salsa with garden produce. Upholding the tradition of being there for at least one day was a great way to end the summer and begin the fall. The memories we make are called to mind as we go through the upcoming months of work and weather challenges which are no doubt on the way. I hope you were able to revisit or make some of your own fall traditions with family and friends, and that what is left of your harvest is safe and productive. Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, Minnesota, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@gmail.com.

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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

Done with his practice

Nigon retires after 40 years as large animal vet By Krista Kuzma

krista.k@dairystar.com

PLAINVIEW, Minn. – Since July, Kevin Nigon has signicantly reduced his countryside driving going from one dairy farm to another throughout southeast Minnesota. The large animal veterinarian from Rochester retired after 40 years. He was a co-

owner of Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center, now known as Northern Valley Livestock Services, in Plainview. “I really enjoy the farmers I worked for,” Nigon said. … “You go to graduation parties and weddings and things like that because you get to know these people pretty closely, and you get to be friends with them.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Dr. Kevin Nigon works with an animal during a visit to a farm. Nigon and his colleague, Dr. Jim BenneƩ, started a large animal veterinary pracƟce 40 years ago.

Nigon grew up on a 40cow dairy west of Rochester. While in college at the University of Minnesota, Nigon started out studying horticulture before switching to agronomy. After spending time with a few students studying veterinary medicine, Nigon realized his interest in the veterinary profession. He applied and attended veterinary school, graduating in June 1981. At that time, Olmsted and Wabasha counties had lost two veterinarians – one had passed away and another retired. Nigon and Jim Bennett, fellow veterinary school graduate, decided to ll the void by opening their own practice in July 1981. “Not many people would start their practice right out of vet school,” Nigon said. “It was something of a rarity.” Since then, Nigon has seen a variety of changes on the farms and in the industry. Farm sizes have grown signicantly. The largest dairy herd they worked with the rst year was 120 cows. “That was a pretty goodsized dairy at that time,” Nigon said. “That dairy is still in business today, and they’re milking 1,200 cows.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Dr. Kevin Nigon poses with a cow he helped care for at Sheeknoll Farms near Rochester, Minnesota, during his career as a veterinarian. AŌer 40 years in pracƟce, Nigon reƟred this year.

All but two of their clients’ dairy herds were housed in tiestall or stanchion barns rather than freestalls with a parlor. At his retirement, Nigon said the practice only had about four dairies with a tiestall or stan-

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Dr. Kevin Nigon appreciates the support from his wife, Ann, during his 40-year veterinary career. worked with fewer dairies but many more cows than 40 years ago. The practice’s largest dairy client now has 2,500 cows. “That’s a major change,” he said. It changed the way Nigon practiced veterinary medicine. “As dairies get bigger over the years, they all do a lot of their own IVs and treating,” he said. “When we rst started practice, going out to treat a cow with milk fever was a common occurrence. At this stage, it’s rare you have to go out and do that because the dairyman or the staff are doing that themselves.” Instead of the diagnosing of a single animal, Nigon said veterinarians now operate more at a whole-system level. “We started spending more time setting up protocols, training people on physical exams on dairy cows and what to look for, and setting up treatment protocols so a lot of times for sick cows they didn’t need our help,” he said. “We got more into monitoring these protocols, looking at records and trying to help dairy farmers become as productive and protable as possible,

“Dairy farmers are hardworking, and they are fun to work for.” KEVIN NIGON, DVM

and watching those things happen has been a fun thing over the years.” The extensive records dairies have because of on-farm software has allowed Nigon and other veterinarians to work on specic issues such as reproduction, milk quality, somatic cell count and youngstock management. “You nd out more of the whole scope of what the farmers are doing,” Nigon said. “You’re part of it. And you can contribute a lot. That’s been fun to do.” The records allowed Nigon and the practice to collect data from the largest 25 clients in the last 20 years. Led by Bennett, this data collection has showed trends of the incidents of displaced abomasum dropped from 8% to 3%. Somatic cell count has also dropped on the farms across the board. “It’s impressive what dairy farmers have been able to accomplish,” Nigon said. As a veterinarian, Nigon also became part of each farm’s team. “You usually develop more relationships with these farmers and with

the other people they work with – nutritionist, breeders, nancial people,” Nigon said. “We, as a group in the practice, have been involved in multiple teams where there are meetings where you go over everything on the farm, solve issues and make them more protable for the long term.” Nigon and Bennett started with a combined large and small animal practice; however, after several years, the two branched off from the small animal side to focus solely on dairy. “It allowed us to really concentrate on dairy and our continued education on learning as much as we could so we could get better at record analysis and milk quality – the things that aren’t routine vet things,” Nigon said. Along with the exciting parts of being a veterinarian, the role came with challenges. When dairy farmers experienced the highs and lows of the milk price, veterinarians experienced them too. “You get the ups and downs of the dairy industry,” Nigon said. “We went through the dairy buyout in the ‘80s, and we lost clients. Anytime you lose a large number of clients in a short period of time, you worry about your business. But long term, the business has expanded, and we were fairly resilient. This is also a credit to the producers we serve.” In the later years, emergency calls from the larger dairies meant an extreme situation. “I would dread those calls,” Nigon said. “I knew with something like a calving, these guys on 1,000-cow dairies were delivering several calves a day so they were really good at it – helping cows deliver. I knew if they called me, it was a really difcult calving that could end in a C-section or something very difcult.” But helping the dairy farmers and their teams kept Nigon to continue on and love his work. Nigon and Bennett transitioned out of ownership of their practice, allowing their other veterinarians on staff to take the lead. Bennett is continuing to be a part of the practice while Nigon retired. Nigon hopes to spend more time with his family – wife, Ann, and their ve adult children and 12 grandkids. While he is looking forward to time with his family, Nigon will miss the relationships he created over the last 40 years. “For the most part, it was all really enjoyable,” Nigon said. “Dairy farmers are hardworking, and they are fun to work for.”

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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021

Women In Dairy Monica Dukelow Abbotsford, Wisconsin Clark County 450 cows

Family: My husband, Chris, and I have two sons: Aaron is a senior in high school, and Nathan is in seventh grade. Tell us about the farm. Three generations are involved in the daily operations of our family farm, Dukestead Acres. It is a joint venture with my husband and his two brothers. My in-laws are involved as well. We crop 1,700 acres of alfalfa, corn and soybean for our dairy herd. We do our eld work and manure hauling plus some custom manure hauling, chopping and combining. Our dairy herd consists primarily of Holsteins that are milked twice a day in a double-12 parlor. We raise our replacements and keep a portion of our calves to raise for beef. What is the busiest time of day for you? The busiest time of the day for me is between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. I work at a local high school during the day, and when I get home, it is a rush to get supper going, get to the barn to get my chores done, get back in to nish supper, take the dog for a walk, eat together and get ready for the next day. Once you throw cropping and eld work into this, it becomes a real juggling act. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? In my spare time, I like to garden and read. My yard is lled with a variety of perennials, and I have a vegetable garden. During the summer, I also design and do landscape installations. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. I was not raised on a farm, and in fact, the closest farm to my house was at the Milwaukee County Zoo. When I met my husband, everything was denitely a rst-time experience. I remember one of my rst times helping sort cattle. It was a disaster. I was screaming at the heifers to stop, and they were not listening. Then my husband-to-be was yelling at all of us. The icing on the cake was the group of heifers that managed to make every drop of manure in the barn go airborne and land on me. My pants were so covered I had to hose them off in the milkhouse and leave them there. I ended up losing my voice for nearly a week after that eventful day. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? One of my favorite things about farming is giving tours and showing the public a segment of our life as a farm family. Some people in the groups have never been on a farm, so it is always exciting to see their reac-

tions. This is a way to promote animal husbandry and advances in agricultural practices through technology. It also gives insight into balancing farming and family. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I stay connected with others in the dairy industry by attending trade shows or helping a business that we support host an event at our farm. I belong to a few social media groups. I maintain our farm Facebook page which has over 1,500 followers. I post updates on cropping, weather, cows and machinery at our place. I am also the co-advisor for the Colby High School FFA so I have the opportunity for networking with various people and businesses. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? One of the rst people we met when we moved to Abbotsford was the Abbotsford High School agricultural teacher, John Slipek. He has been a xture in the district for over 40 years. John is devoted to promoting agriculture. He continues to work tirelessly to keep agriculture and FFA alive in an area that has seen a signicant decrease in the number of students who come from active farm families. He urges students to take a gamble and show an animal at the fair or participate in the FFA tractor driving contest. I envy his tireless energy in the eld of agriculture. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? I would give a tour to Joanna Gaines. Besides having great design style and being ambitious, she seems to appreciate living a rural lifestyle at her farm in Texas. We would have some things in common such as gardening, decorating, growing our own food and an appreciation of animals. Despite her fame, she seems humble and down to earth. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? The best vacation I ever took was to Hawaii. It is a place you cannot fully grasp until you see it in person. The water, the sand, the foliage, the sunrise over the Pacic and Pearl Harbor are some things that a picture cannot do justice. It is well worth the extremely long plane ride to this majestic location. And to top off the trip, we saw a dairy herd on the island.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 37

Youth highlighted at Minnesota State Fair

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Judge MaƩ Henkes (right) provides comments to the contestants in a showmanship class at the Minnesota State Fair 4-H Dairy Show Aug. 28 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Exhibitors line up for entry into the Minnesota State Fair 4-H Dairy showmanship class Aug. 28. The 4-H dairy members are assigned to groups in an iniƟal heat, where the three top showpersons advance to nals.

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Abby Foss, of IsanƟ County, receives congratulaƟons from Ev Stransky, who presented the Dawn Stransky Memorial Showmanship Award for the top Advanced Showmanship winner at the Minnesota State Fair 4-H Dairy Show Aug. 28. Dawn Stransky, the late daughter of Joe and Ev Stransky, was an alumnus of the 4-H dairy program.

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Tyson Tollerud (from leŌ), West OƩer Tail County, reaƩaches his heifer’s halter chain with the help of Judge MaƩ Henkes and show emcee Eric Sonnek aŌer the animal took an unplanned trot around the show ring during the Minnesota State Fair 4-H Dairy Show Aug. 28.

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Abbey Lorenz, of Bricelyn, Minnesota, waits for her class to be called while outside the Minnesota State Fair Coliseum during the 4-H Dairy Show Aug. 28. Her father, Andy, and his ance, Lindsay Cordle, stand by to cheer her on.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 11, 2021 • Page 39

Trent Michels Pelican Rapids, Minnesota Otter Tail County 32 cows

keep a list of all the Excellent cows I have bred. The next Excellent cow is what drives me. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? The work is always going to be there so stop using it as an excuse not to take a vacation. Take the time off, spend time away with friends and family. Do the things you enjoy to take care of yourself. It is worth it.

How did you get into farming? I joined a 4-H club and got into dairy projects. We slowly grew the herd until we had to decide to sell them or milk them ourselves. With the help of many people along the way, it’s been 22 years since we started milking. We are also into the 19th year of raising corn, soybeans and alfalfa.

What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? The skidloader has easily been the best purchase. Now, we have two of them.

What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? In my opinion, we will continue to see consolidation across our industry. Basis being taken off the milk price and continued expansion is a recipe for more dairy farms to continue to struggle. What is the latest technology you have implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? Not much high tech is used around here other than the technology developed in the crops we grow. We had a historically dry May through midAugust, and our crops have held on exceptionally well. The hybrid alfalfa particularly has been a standout. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has benetted you? We purchased a TMR mixer over a year ago, and it has made a huge difference in cow performance especially in the summer heat when the cows are outside.

What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Becoming a rst-generation land owner. What cost saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We operate the dairy as low of cost as possible at all times without compromising the cows’ needs regardless of milk prices. There are things on the crop side I have an easier time saving money on whether it is seed, fertilizer or chemical. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? The farm is small enough that one person can handle the day to day operations so there are no employees. I do get help from my parents whenever I need help. My mother is great with bookwork, and my dad is retired from the masonry industry. Nobody has a greater work ethic than him. They are my parents so the relationship with

them has been there my whole life. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. This is a hard question to answer without sounding narcissistic. I do not possess any great skills. I rely on my ability to do whatever needs to be done when it needs to be done. From the cows to the equipment to the crops, I have to do all of it to make it work. It is not one tangible skill. It is maybe just the ability to get it done that is the skill I have along with most every other dairy farmer. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? The cows are what drew me into the industry. Early on, I developed an obsession for breeding Excellent cows. I

What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and the next ve years? I have no plans to change the dairy. I will continue to stay small and compete through diversity. We turn all of our Jersey steer calves into beef that we sell off the farm, along with the beef cow/calf operation, corn and soybean acres. I am not interested in getting into the expansion part of the industry to try and lower my cost. That leads to being an employer, and I am going to avoid that if I can. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? I go waterfowl and deer hunting in the fall. I have a Montana buck deer tag I drew this year with my dad and older brother. I am really looking forward to that. I always try to head West to the mountains snowboarding every winter as well.

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888-844-7788

USED SKIDSTEERS

Mustang 2044, H/F Ctrls, D, 1450 Lift Gehl,5635SX, Cap, C & H, 5,300 hrs ............$14,500 T-bar ctrls, D, 2100 Mustang 2041, T-Bar Ctrls, D, lift cap, 8752 hrs S Spd, 3810 hrs .............Call For Price $9,350 ‘16 Mustang 1900R, Dual H Ctrls, D, 2000 Lift Cap, C&H, 2 spd, 2380 hrs ................................$31,500 ‘17 Mustang 2200R, ‘19 Mustang 1900R, H/F Ctrls, D, H/F Ctrls, D, 2450 C&H, 2 Spd, 1584 hrs ............$33,000 Lift Cap, C/H/A, ‘17 Mustang 1650R, H/F Ctrls, D, 1650 2 Spd, 618 hrs Lift Cap, C/H/A, Single Spd, Hydra $37,100 Glide, 4,810 hrs .....................$19,900 ‘18 Mustang 1500R H/F Ctrls, D, ‘16 Gehl RT250, JS Ctrls, D, 450x58x86 C&H, 3205 hrs .......................$26,800 Bridgestone Tracks, Hi-Flow, C/H/A, ‘19 Mustang 1500R, H/FCtrls, D, 1600 2 Spd, 340 hrs .......................$53,500 Lift w/ Weight Kit, C&H, ‘15 Gehl RT210 JS ctrls, D, 2100 lift 2850 hrs ................................$26,800 cap, C/H/A, 2 spd, 1728 hrs ...$39,900 NH L225, pilot/H pattern ctrls, Hi-Flow ‘16 Gehl R190, T-Bar Ctrls, D, 2000 Lift hyd, 2 Spd, 2,360 hrs ........... $27,800 Cap, C & H, 2 spd, 4,500 hrs .$20,500 ‘18 JD 330G, JS, D, 14.75 Severe Duty Gehl RT175, D, 1750 Lift Cap, C/H/A, Tires, 3000 Lift Cap, C/H/A, 2 spd, 2 Spd, 2226 hrs .....................$29,500 1730 hrs ................................$38,550 ‘18 Gehl RT165, H ctrls., 15.5” tracks, Deere 250, H/F Ctrls, D, 1750 Lift Cap, 2000 lift cap., cab, heat, 2 spd., Single Spd, 2,295 hrs ..............$17,900 450 hrs. .................................$42,500 ‘17 JD 330G, JS, D, 3000 lift Cap, (5) Gehl R220, C/H/A, 2 spd, 640 hrs.............$41,000 many options ............ Start at $11,850 TELEHANDLERS ‘16 Gehl R135, T-Bar Ctrls, D, 1450 Lift Cap, C & H, 3,780 hrs ............$17,800 ‘19 Manitou MLT625-75H Elite, Gehl 6640, Case Ctrls, D, 2400 Steer Whl/Hydrostatic, D, 5512 Lift Cap, 5,738 hrs ................$16,500 Max Lift, 19’4” Lift Ht,C/H/A, 2 Spd, Gehl 5640E, T-Bar Ctrls, D, 2200 Lift Reversing Fan, 2200 hrs. .... $62,000 Cap, Hi-Flow, C & H, 2 spd.....$17,800 ‘14 Manitou MT840, Hydro-Static, ‘18 Mustang 2200R, Pilot H Ctrls, D, D, C/H/A, 2738 hrs. ............. $73,800 C/H/A, 2520 hrs .....................$29,500 Mustang 2109, H/F Ctrls, D, 4000 Lift MANURE HANDLING Cap, C&H, 2 Spd, 3,629 hrs ...$24,900 ‘16 Kuhn Knight SLC141, 4100 gal, Mustang 2086, H/F Ctrls, D, 2600 Lift 700 bu, Hyd LH Lid ......... Call for price Cap, Hi-Flow, C&H, 2 Spd, Tire Chains, 989 hrs ...............$32,500 Kuhn Knight 8150, 700 bu., 5000 Gal ................................ $37,500 ‘88 Mustang 2060, H/F Ctrls, D, ‘12 Kuhn Knight 8132, 425 Tires, 1750 Lift Cap, Single Spd, 3200 gal ................................. $24,900 6,500 hrs ......................Call For Price ‘98 Mustang 2050, T-Bar Ctrls, D, Tires Kuhn Knight 8124, 2400 gal, 400 bu, frt and rear splash guard ............ $11,000 w/Rubber Tracks, 1550 Lift Cap, Single Spd, 3633 hrs .............$12,500 ‘11 Kuhn Knight 8118, 1800 Gal, 400 Bu, Splash Guards .......... $16,500 ‘06 Mustang 2044, T-Bar Ctrls, D, 1550 Lift Cap, C & H, Single Spd, 4,330 NH 185, 540 PTO....................... $7,300 ‘09 Meyer 8865, 1 3/4 1000 PTO, hrs - $17,500 28x 26 Tires ........................... $23,900

MANURE HANDLING

‘05 H&S 370, 370 Bu, Top Beater $10,800 H&S 430W, 16.5x16.1 tires, 430 bu $13,500 ‘09 H&S 235, 540 PTO, 235 Bu, Endgate .................................... $7,200 Jamesway Manure 8’ Pump, 6x8, 2 pt. hitch, double agitation ..... $5,500

Kuhn Knight 8132, 3200 Gal, 600 Bu, Lid, hinges on the left - $19,800

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USED TMRS/MIXERS

AUTOMATIC ATE1800B, 36” Roller Mill, 4 Cut Rolls, 54” Blower, 8” Hyd Swing Auger, Rated At 1800 BU/HR .. $8,500 AUTOMATIC ATG1200B, 1200 bu/hr, 24” Rolls, 54” Blower, Hyd U Trough Swing Auger, Ear Corn Cob Crusher ................................... $8,500

‘02 Penta 4100, 410 Cu Ft, 475 Cu Ft w/Ext, Stainless Steel Front Dual Discharge Conveyor, 16” Rubber Ext, View Platform, 2 Spd Dr. - $12,800

HAY & FORAGE Hagedorn Hydra-Spread 275, tandem axle, hyd sequence valve w/Flow ctrl, upper beater, drip pan - $10,900

USED TMRS/MIXERS

‘13 Penta 7520SD, 750 Cu. Ft., 8” Rubber Ext, Frt Sliding Flat Conv., Dual Direction Unload ........... $25,500 NH Roll-Belt 560, 2800 bales- $44,500 ‘16 Penta 6730, 670 Cu Ft, 3/4” Hurricane Augers, 9” Rubber Ext, Knives In Good Cond ............ $33,500 ‘12 Penta 6720HD, 670 Cu Ft, 2’ LH Stainless Steel Flip-Up Conveyor, Rear Lts, 9” rubber ext, 2 Spd drive............................ $23,500 ‘14 Penta 6020SD, 600 Cu Ft, 8” Gehl 1065, 3038 corn head, hay head, Rubber Ext, Frt. Sliding Flat Conveyor, tandem, metal stop - $5,750 Dual Direction Unload ........... $23,800 ‘14 Penta 3020VS, 350 Cu Ft, Has Motor & VFD ......................... $17,900 ‘14 Anderson Hybrid X Inline Wrapper, Wrap Rd or Square Bales, has 14,000 ‘03 Penta 4100, 410 Cu Ft, 9” Rubber Bales, New 13HP Engine In 2020, Top Ext, Frt Stainless Steel Flat Remote Ctrl Starting, Steering And Conveyor, Dual Discharge, EZ2000 Stopping, 4 Stretchers ........... $31,900 Scale, Viewing Plat Form ...... $11,900 Kuhn Knight 5144, 400 Cu Ft, EX 2000 New H&S Line Wrappers . Call for price Digi Star Scale, Frt Flat Conveyor, Twin (3) Gehl BU980, 16 ft forage box, Gehl 12 Ton Tandem Running Gear ....$4,800 ea. Screw, Rubber Tub ext. ......... $12,900

HAY & FORAGE

‘13 Teagle 8500, Processes 5x6 Bales .............................. $13,500 ‘16 Kuhn VB2290, 4x6 bales, net wrap, 9488 bales.............. $34,900 ‘12 Kuhn VB2190, 4x6 Bales, 16000 bales ........................... $26,900 NH 144, ground driven, 5’ PU, 7’ rear belt w/windrow turner option, good belts ......................................... $3,200

‘15 Penta DB50, Forage Box, tandem axle - $58,000

MISCELLANEOUS

Farm King 960, 8’ Snowblower, Hyd. Spout Rotation, 3 pt ...............$2,000 Snow Push, 10’ wide ...............$1,800 Edge HB3 Breaker, skid loader mnts, Hyd breaker, 1pt .....................$4,500 Loftness 962HHH7 Snowblower, 8’ Width, Double Auger, Hyd Chute ..............................$6,500 Vernig Pallet Forks.....................$550 4 in 1 Bucket, 84” ....................$2,300 ‘18 Notch 6TLL, 6’, Hyd Lift, Hyd Tilt...................................$1,595 MDS 6ft Pusher .......................$1,050 ‘18 Grouser Tracks, 18 Pads, Fits JD 320G or Loader with a 44.2” Whl base, All new bushings and pins ..........$2,300 Woodchuck 68ST1, 68” Spreader. $3,100 ‘17 Erskine 2420XL, 85” Hig-Flow Snow Blower, 24” Fan, Univ. Controller $6,600 Bobcat 60” Manure Grapple, manure tines 30”, single grapple ............$1,050 Handlair 560, Self Contained Hydraulics ................................$12,500