September 23, 2023 Dairy Star - 1st section - Zone 2

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DAIRY ST R25

September 23, 2023

The little things that can help prevent injuries

Assistive technology lessens wear, tear on body

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

MADISON, Wis. — The third week of September is National Farm Safety and Health Week. While preventing farm accidents is the focus of this annual promotion, it is also important to remember to prevent everyday wear and tear on joints and muscles. For people farming with a disability or health limitation, this becomes an even larger concern.

“For people living with disabilities, it’s really important to do the little things to help prevent wear and tear on your body,” said Andrea Klahn, outreach specialist at AgrAbility of Wisconsin. “Maybe it’s a better

seat on your tractor when you’re going to be in there for eight hours a day during harvest. We see a lot of farmers who have bad backs, hips and knees. A comfortable place for you to sit is very important if you have a bad back.”

AgrAbility of Wisconsin promotes success in agriculture for farmers and their families living with a farm injury, disability or health limitation, and is a partnership between the University of Wisconsin Extension and Easterseals Wisconsin. As a national program, AgrAbility has 22 projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“We come on your farm with a fresh set of eyes and make recommendations tailored to your operation, limitations and goals,” Klahn said. “When we

see clients who have sustained an on-farm accident and lost mobility or lost a limb, we can recommend assistive technology and equipment to help them continue to farm safely.”

Klahn said she has seen different incidents and also medical conditions like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, hearing loss and vision loss. An AgrAbility rural rehabilitation specialist staffed by the Easterseals FARM Team works with each person to determine what equipment or tools would be of greatest benet to them. For example, one client with diabetes is switching his equipment from foot controls to hand controls as a safety measure because his reexes are getting slower.

One of the easiest things a

person can do to make a tractor safer ergonomically, Klahn said, is to add a step and handrail kit. These steps are lower and positioned at an angle while also featuring a handrail.

“That step is really high on a John Deere 4020, for example, and what goes up must come down,” Klahn said. “It’s hard on your knees. You should have three points of contact when getting in and out of a piece of equipment so that you are not jumping off and hurting your joints. It doesn’t feel that bad when you’re 22, but it’s going to hurt more when you’re 55.”

To avoid straining their neck, shoulders and back while driving a tractor, farmers may invest in a camera system or a better set of mirrors. This will

give drivers visibility of what is behind them without having to continually turn around.

Automatic hitches make work faster and easier, Klahn said, eliminating the need to get in and out of a tractor. Rollover gates have the same effect, removing the need to get in and out of a vehicle. Eliminating repetitive motions helps improve body mechanics.

Hearing protection is another area of prevention.

“Put a set of earplugs in all of your cab-less tractors,” Klahn said. “It’s so much cheaper to buy ear protection than to have hearing aids someday.”

Knee pads and anti-vibration gloves are also helpful items. These specialty gloves provide an extra layer of protection to reduce impact for tasks like roto tilling and push mowing or when using a chainsaw.

Cows of impact raising scholarship funds

National Dairy Shrine to auction Frosty, Martha replicas

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. — As the leaves begin to change and the air becomes crisp, cows from all corners of North America will make their way toward the dairy industry’s World Dairy Expo in Madison.

Not every cow being loaded up for the trip is traveling with plans of circling the covered shavings. Two special cows are making the trip for a different reason.

Wooden carvings of two WDE supreme champions — Harvue Roy Frosty and Musqie Iatola Martha — have been donated to sell in an auction

to benet the National Dairy Shrine scholarship fund during the National Dairy Shrine annual awards banquet Oct. 2 at the Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall in Madison.

The pair of hand-carved wooden replicas of the two cows were donated by Scott Hussey, a dairy farmer, artist and former dairy cattle tter from Limington, Maine.

“Dr. Matt Iager contacted me last year about the possibility of doing two cows for a scholarship auction,” Hussey said. “Eventually, I decided to make supreme champions Martha and Frosty.”

In addition to the two past champions, a third lot will be sold allowing the successful bidder to work directly with

Hussey to create a cow of their choosing.

The process to creating the wooden replicas is pure enjoyment for Hussey.

“I love making these cows, bringing them to life,” Hussey said. “I worked and traveled as a tter for many years, so recreating some of these cows is something I really like doing.”

Hussey said it takes him two to three weeks to take one of his creations from a block of wood to the painted and shined nished product. He has made nearly 50 of the model cows in the past several years.

“I start out by studying the cow,” Hussey said. “My wife Angela and I gather as many pictures as we can, from as many angles as we can. The older the cow, the harder that part is.”

“All dairy, all the time”™

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Wooden replicas of World Dairy Expo supreme champions Musqie Iatola Martha and Harvue Roy Frosty created by Sco� Hussey await their trip to WDE in Madison, Wisconsin. The carvings will be auc�oned off Oct. 2 during the Na�onal Dairy Shrine banquet at WDE.

Andrea Klahn outreach specialist, AgrAbility of Wisconsin

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The government’s scal year ends at the end of the month, and Congress needs to pass a full-year spending measure or a continuing resolution to continue the current appropriations bill. If not, the country faces a government shutdown. The fate of the farm bill is also up in the air. “Some of the programs in the 2018 farm bill begin to expire at the end of September,” said Chris Galen, vice president of member services and governance, National Milk Producers Federation. “Most of them, including a lot of the dairy safety net, expire at the end of the calendar year.” Without action, Galen said, key farm programs will expire in the months ahead.

FMMO reform in sight

The hearing over the Federal Milk Marketing Orders may last well into October. This is the rst comprehensive hearing about federal orders in over 20 years. National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern said progress is being made, and the modernization of the milk pricing system is in sight.

USDA announces Milk Loss Program

Following widespread weather-related disasters, supply chain issues and volatile markets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced Milk Loss Program assistance for eligible dairy farms. MLP assistance helps offset losses for the dairy farmers who dumped milk due to weather-impacted delivery or storage in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Labeling change needed

Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin has renewed her plea for the Food and Drug Administration to stop letting nondairy products use product names like milk, yogurt and cheese. “We’ve got to insist that the Food and Drug Ad-

ministration do its job and enforce the standards of identity related to dairy products,” Baldwin said.

FCA offers mixed view of farm economy

In its quarterly economic report, the Farm Credit Administration said 2023 net farm income will be down sharply from last year. Falling commodity prices, high input costs and low government payments are all part of the story. However, nancial ratios remain positive. Farmland values remain strong, but the report cites a possible peak in land prices.

FAO: August food prices decline

World food prices fell to a two-year low in August. The Food and Agriculture Organization Price Index tracks most globally traded food commodities. The index cited a drop in prices for dairy products, vegetable oils, meat and cereals.

H-2A rule change proposed

New H-2A rules have been proposed by the Labor Department that “would strengthen protections for farm workers.” The proposal would make it easier for labor unions to contact and work with guest agriculture workers. It also

“After installing our first SCR system 10 years ago we noticed better herd health, drop in death loss, and increased pregnancy rate. I like being able to virtually monitor cow health and activity without having to be physically on the farm. We most recently upgraded our SCR collars a few summers ago and love how advanced and precise the technology is.” -

Con nued from AG INSIDER | Page 2 protects H-2A workers from retaliation if they meet with labor groups. Safety measures and language dealing with the recruitment of H-2A workers are also part of the proposal.

Climate-Smart funds

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to a farm outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to celebrate the oneyear anniversary of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. More than 140 projects got $3 billion in funding. The money had to be used in production agriculture or forestry and address climate change. Vilsack met with recipients of the climate-smart dollars, including Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Organic Valley and the Nature Conservancy.

NASDA updates its policy

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture has adopted policy action items, including a x for gaps in federal disaster programs. At the NASDA annual meeting in Wyoming, the state agricultural leaders endorsed clear labeling for cell-based meat products and policies to adopt a farmer’s right to farm.

Prairie Farms stops processing milk in Bismarck

Bismarck-based Prairie Farms shut down its milk bottling facility and has transitioned to a distribution-only facility. The Milk Producers Association of North Dakota released a statement saying, “The announcement came as a complete surprise and shocked everybody in the dairy industry, including dairy producers and plant employees affected by this decision.” North Dakota dairy farmers are working together to support their peers who lost their milk market and are in danger of losing their livelihoods.

Rob-See-Co launches forage division

Rob-See-Co has announced the establishment of its new forage division. The new division is being led by Scott Harris, who has previous experience with Masters Choice, a Rob-See-Co company. Amy Hoy, with 30 years of forage experience, will lead the silage portfolio.

DLF acquires Corteva alfalfa program

Denmark-based global seed company DLF has announced its acquisition of the Corteva Agriscience alfalfa breeding

program. This deal includes Corteva’s alfalfa germplasm and breeding program, the Alforex Seeds brand name, trademarks and commercial alfalfa varieties.

NMPF announces staff reorganization

Incoming National Milk Producers Federation President/CEO Gregg Doud began his work this past week as the organization’s chief operating ofcer. Doud will be in the COO role until current NMPF President/CEO Mulhern retires in January. The dairy group has also undertaken a staff reorganization. Three executive vice president positions were made. Paul Bleiberg will oversee government relations. Shawna Morris is in charge of trade policy and global affairs while Alan Bjerga leads communications and industry relations. Promotions also include David West to chief administrative ofcer, Stephen Cain to senior director of economic research and analysis, Beverly Hampton Phifer to senior director of FARM Animal Care, and Miquela Hanselman to regulatory affairs director. Staff receiving title changes with new responsibilities are Galen as senior vice president of member services and governance and Claudia Larson as senior director of government relations and head of nutrition policy.

Promotions announced at Edge Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative has named Karen Gefvert as its director of government affairs and Travis Senn as its director of public affairs. Getvert joined Edge in 2022 in a public affairs role and previously spent time with Wisconsin Farm Bureau. Most recently, Senn was Edge’s director of communications. Senn previously worked for a dairy co-op in Florida in marketing and communications.

Trivia challenge

A turophile is a cheese connoisseur. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what are the four Hs referenced in the 4-H pledge? We will have the answer in our 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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Wilrich 657 DCR 15-shank disc chisel ...$32,000

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MANURE TANKERS

Con nued from SHRINE SCHOLARSHIP | Page 1

Martha, Frosty and the cow of choice are not the only donations Hussey has made to support various youth scholarship funds. He sent replicas of Expo Holsteins Butz-Butler Gold Barbara and supreme champion Erbacres Snapple Shakira to the 2022 National Holstein Women’s Scholarship Organization to benet their scholarship fund. In 2023, a replica of S-S-I Doc Have Not 8784 was donated by Hussey to the NHWSO auction as well.

Earlier this year, Hussey donated a replica of the 1993 national champion Jersey, Pensmith TJ Mindy, to be auctioned off in memory of one of her owners, Michael Heath, to help establish a memorial fund in his honor.

“Donating these cows helps gain some exposure for what we’re doing by making them,” Hussey said. “It’s been the best form of advertising for us. But more importantly, these cows are raising money for good causes. These scholarship programs are important to the young people in our industry, and it is good to give back and help the future generations.”

NDS was established in the late 1940s for the purpose of preserving the history of the dairy industry while creating collaboration for the development of the industry.

Early in the history of the NDS, the Killdee Scholarship Fund in honor of H. H. Killdee, the dean of agriculture at Iowa State University, was established.

The original scholarship was given to a graduate student in the amount of $500. That scholarship continues today and is awarded to students who excel in the National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest or the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge.

The size and scope of the NDS scholarship program has grown. This year, 41 youth will receive $48,500 in scholarship awards at the annual banquet.

NDS Executive Director Mike Opperman said that each year at their banquet the NDS board holds an auction of dairy memorabilia to benet the scholarship fund. The scholarships are presented during the same banquet.

“We appreciate the support we get from people throughout the dairy industry,” Opperman said. “We are very grateful to Scott for giving of his time and talent, donating these beautiful cows.”

According to Opperman, it is that support from people involved in the industry that allows the NDS to continue increasing the investment they can make in the youth.

“Part of our mission is to inspire the youth who are the future of the industry,” Opperman said. “Through our scholarship fund, we are investing in creating the future leaders of our industry.”

Hundreds of dairy industry youth have beneted from the generosity of the those involved in the work of the NDS.

Ashley Hagenow, a 2023 graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, is one of those students. During her schooling, Hagenow was the recipient of six NDS scholarships. In May, Hagenow was selected to serve as Wisconsin’s 76th Alice in Dairyland.

“I have been so blessed by the Dairy Shrine to have received scholarships throughout my schooling,” Hagenow said. “The nancial impact of Dairy Shrine scholarships to so many youth throughout the industry is immense.”

Financial support is not the only way Hagenow said she has beneted from the work of the NDS.

“Receiving the rst scholarship, even before I started college, really inspired condence in me as a young person in the dairy industry,” Hagenow said. “It encouraged me to keep going after the goals I had going into college, to stay involved and to keep pursuing new opportunities within the industry, and to continue trying to impact the dairy industry.”

Hagenow’s experiences as a scholarship recipient provided her with networking experiences that have impacted the development of her career path.

“As a scholarship recipient, the opportunity to attend the NDS banquet each year at World Dairy Expo and have the chance to connect with other scholarship recipients, dairy industry professionals and mentors is truly an incredible opportunity,” Hagenow said. “Now Dairy Shrine has other initiatives that include hosting networking and career development sessions. They really focus on youth and young professionals in the dairy industry. That is really important and comes in part from receiving scholarships from the Dairy Shrine and being made aware of some of those awesome opportunities.”

Con nued from AGRABILITY | Page 1

Grain bin indicators installed on grain bins alleviate a person from having to climb up and down to see where grain levels are at.

“This is one more opportunity to slip and fall,” Klahn said. “Falls are so dangerous, especially for older people. Your life expectancy can be really short after a fall.”

The Toolbox on the national AgrAbility Project’s website is an assistive technology database containing product ideas that can help make farming easier for people in a variety of situations.

“There are all sorts of items to help if you’re having back problems, arthritis, vision or hearing impairment, etc.,” Klahn said. “For someone with narcolepsy, there is an ear piece you can wear that will prompt you when your head starts to nod. It gives you a vibration to wake you up.”

As a certied assistive technology professional and program director for Easterseals Wisconsin FARM Program, Jeff Kratochwill helps implement various products and devices for people who have suffered an injury.

“Most of my work involves assistive technology assessments and trying to nd accommodations after a farmer has had an injury,” Kratochwill said. “For example, I’m currently working with a guy who had an arm amputation. He is having a tough time driving a skid (loader), so I am trying to gure out how to modify it so that he can drive the machine with one arm.”

Kratochwill said he also tries to prevent a secondary injury for someone with limited mobility. Rubberized alley mats in the center walk of a stanchion barn or parlor is a common safety feature he rec-

ommends.

“Standing on a rubber cushion instead of directly on concrete saves wear and tear on ankles, knees, hips and back,” he said. “There are manufacturers that make mats directly marketed for dairy applications. It provides some grip to prevent the farmer from slipping or sliding.”

For milking in a stanchion barn, Kratochwill said a track system that carries units can reduce joint stress. The system also incorporates a handrail which improves safety when crossing the gutter.

“Automatic takeoffs are usually combined with this system,” Kratochwill said. “A track system reduces repetitive bending and squatting, thereby conserving joints.”

A skid loader is another area of potential danger, especially for a person with limited mobility.

“I see a lot of farmers who have fallen or slipped when getting out of a skid (loader),” Kratochwill said.

“This is a high area of injury. Oftentimes, you’re stepping on a bucket that has manure, snow or ice on it. There is no cushion, and if you slip, you’re landing right on that steel. To have that kind of fall is disastrous for someone whose mobility is limited.”

A step and handrail system makes getting in and out of a skid loader safer.

“It takes a little extra time to drive up to the steps, but taking that time is much more valuable than time spent in the hospital after a fall — especially for a guy limited in mobility,” Kratochwill said.

“The steps keep you safe.”

In addition to the physical equipment and technology that can make farming easier, there are things all farmers can do to feel better that require no cost, such as stretching. According to a stretching

brochure created specically for farmers by the AgrAbility project in Nebraska, stretching increases exibility, improves range of motion, improves circulation and relieves stress.

“Farmers are tough, and they get used to the aches and pains, but it doesn’t always have to be that way,” Klahn said. “You don’t have to get used to that. You would never go in the eld without calibrating your planter or combine, so why not have a check-in with yourself? There is a lot of assistive technology out there, and sometimes it can be the little things that help improve your quality of life.”

An extra step and handrail kit like the one mounted to this tractor helps keep a farmer safe when climbing into and out of a tractor.

Andrea Klahn, of AgrAbility of Wisconsin, said a person should have three points of contact when getng in and out of a piece of equipment to avoid injuring their joints.

A skid loader is a vital tool, but it can also be challenging to get in and out of, especially for a farmer with a mobility concern. Consider adding steps with a handrail to prevent falls that can lead to major injuries.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Jeff Kratochwill Easterseals Wisconsin

Farm-fresh butter the old-fashioned way

Orchard sisters churn out European-style product at Royal Guernsey Creamery

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

COLUMBUS, Wis. —

Jen and Julie Orchard are doing something unique. These artisan butter makers are making butter from the cream of their cows’ milk, and to their knowledge, they are the only butter makers in the state doing so. The rich, golden milk of their farm’s Guernsey cows served as inspiration for their butter, which is slow churned in small batches.

“We make our butter the old-fashioned way,” Jen said. “We use batch churning for fuller avor and Europeanstyle cream tempering, which is gentler and provides a better mouthfeel to the butter.”

Cows are milked by two robotic milking systems at Gurn-Z Meadow Farm near Columbus where Julie and her husband, Ed Bacon, milk 120 Holsteins and registered Guernseys and farm 800 acres. The herd is about 40% Guernsey and 60% Holstein.

“We’re growing our Guernsey herd,” Julie said.

The breed is a family tradition for the Orchards dating

to 1945 when Jen and Julie’s grandfather began farming with Guernseys.

“All of our Guernseys originate from our grandfather’s herd,” Jen said.

In 2016, Jen and Julie were part of an American Guernsey Association research project on milk quality. After interviewing people making cheese, ice cream and other products with Guernsey milk and talking with experts at the Center for Dairy Research and Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the siblings’ interest in doing something of their own was piqued.

“We had the right milk to make beautiful butter,” Jen said. “Guernsey milk has a high fat content and high amounts of beta carotene or Vitamin A, which gives it that beautiful, golden color.”

Julie nds the milk to be reminiscent of her childhood.

“I remember as a kid, the cream on top of the Guernsey milk was so golden and smelled so good,” she said.

Jen left a 15-year career in the biotech industry to create Royal Guernsey Creamery with her sister. Now, these seventh-generation dairy farmers

are producing a product that honors their heritage.

“I was looking for a way to get involved in the farm again, and this was a great way to do that,” Jen said. “Returning to the family farm was a driving force for me to start this business.”

The sisters received grant money from the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance to help fund their endeavor. The

entrepreneurs rent space at a local creamery but carry their own butter making license. Jen became a licensed cheesemaker, which she said was the fastest route to becoming a licensed butter maker. Now, Julie is apprenticing under Jen.

According to DATCP, Jen is one of 59 licensed butter makers in Wisconsin, and she is one of only four females in the state licensed to make both

butter and cheese.

Milk made on the farm on Monday and Tuesday is picked up and churned into butter within 48 hours. The cream must rst go through a tempering period of 18 to 20 hours before butter production can begin.

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

Jen (le ) and Julie Orchard pose next to a favorite Guernsey Sept. 7 with bu er made from their farm’s milk near Columbus, Wisconsin. Julie and her husband, Ed Bacon, milk 120 cows and farm 800 acres.

ANIMAL HEALTH IS OUR TOP PRIORITY

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Making cheese the old-fashioned way

Lehners age surface-cured cheddar in caves

By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com

BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. — Willi Lehner grew up as one of four cheesemakers in his family. Working for his dad at his cheese factory, he and his siblings each went on to sell artisan cheeses at the Madison farmers market. The last of the cheesemakers remaining in his family, Lehner has been making surface-aged cheese under his own brand of Bleu Mont Dairy since 1985.

“I like turning people on to good cheese,” Lehner said. “I learned the profession by default, and I guess I’m kind of good at it.”

Lehner is producing Bleu Mont Dairy bandaged cheddar and Big Sky Grana. Both cheeses are aged in an underground cave on Lehner’s homestead property near Blue Mounds.

The process begins at Henning’s Cheese Company in Kiel. Lehner works with the head cheesemaker, Kerry Henning, to ensure that he is working with the freshest milk. He prefers to make cheese from May through June, and then September and October. Lehner said this milk is better because the cows are on pasture and eating minimal silage, and experiencing less stress from heat.

Along with the fresh milk, Lehner uses veal rennet, specic cultures and primary fermenters.

When making bandaged cheddar, the curds are formed into 11-pound wheels. Each batch equates to around 3,500 pounds of cheese, or about 300 wheels.

A muslin cloth is pressed onto the cheese, and the wheels are transported to the cave on his property. The wheels sit on shelves in the cave to age for approximately 14-20 months, and the cloth stays on the cheese until the day it is sold. The cloth protects the cheese during the aging process.

Being underground, the cave has approximately 90% humidity and an average temperature of 55 degrees.

“That combination is what makes the cave unique,” Lehner said. “It makes it conducive to the microbes, molds and yeast, allowing the microbes to ourish on the surface.”

This atmosphere allows the cheese to be surface cured through the growth of mold. The mold that grows on the surface is not like mold that spoils cheese. These molds are not oxygen-starved like cheese wrapped in cellophane and stored in the refrigerator. Rather, the molds have microscopic roots called mycelium that

grow into the cheese. Mycelium gives off enzymes, and enzymes give the cheese avor.

The molds growing on the cheese are continuously evolving throughout the aging process. Lehner said there will be a whole series of molds on the cheese, and then two weeks later, it will have completely changed and have new mold colonies growing on the surface.

“It’s like a war going on the surface of the cheese,” Lehner said. “One group of invaders takes over the previous ones and it’s just ongoing.”

Most of Lehner’s sales are wholesale, but his cheese is available at select stores in Madison and the Dane County farmers market.

The process for surface-cured bandaged cheddar evolved in Great Britain in a time before plastic and refrigeration. When cheesemakers did not have good control over temperature and humidity, they started pressing muslin cloth onto the cheese that stays on until the cheese is cut.

“It’s an insurance policy to prevent the cheese from cracking,” Lehner said.

Lehner drew inspiration in part for his cheese making from his time in Switzerland, where he lived for 10 years in his 20s. The area farmers pool their cattle in the summer months up on the alpine pastures, which are 1,500 feet above the valley. A responsible son or daughter of one of the farmers, or a hired team, milks the cows and makes cheese in a copper kettle over a wood re like it has been done for centuries. After 90100 days, the cows are moved back down to the valley where the farmers had been making hay to feed over the winter.

“When I came back from Switzerland, I just knew there was so much more to cheese and butter,” Lehner said. “It’s so good. What we have just doesn’t compare.”

Since being back in Wisconsin and running his own cheese business, demand for Lehner’s product has grown. When he rst started, he built a small curing room where he aged 60 wheels of bandaged cheddar as an experiment.

“I looked at them and thought, ‘How am I ever going to sell 60 wheels of bandaged cheddar?’” Lehner said. “Now I’m making about 20 times as much.”

In a year’s time, Lehner sells about 1,200 wheels of cheddar.

Lehner’s property is powered by wind and solar energy. The cave is self-sufcient by design. He did a lot of research before building the cave and said it has outstripped his expectations.

“I wanted to do something where I was using the coolness of Mother Earth,” Lehner said. “Even though it cost three to four times as much as if I would have built an above-ground building, eventually energy savings is going to pay for it.”

ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR

Willi Lehner stands among the aging wheels of bandaged cheddar Sept. 8 in his cheese caves near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. Lehner has been producing surface-cured cheese since 1985.

Hastings Creamery suffers major re

Dairy processing plant sustains heavy damage following closure in August

By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com

HASTINGS, Minn. — Less than one month after the 110-year-old Hastings Creamery closed its doors, a re broke out the evening of Sept. 13. A creamery lled with more than a century of history went up in ames as re crews from at least 10 departments fought the blaze.

“There was a roof collapse and a signicant amount of re damage,” said John Townsend, Hastings Fire Chief. “We did not clear the scene until 6:44 p.m. the next day.

The Hastings Fire Department received a call at 10:30 p.m., and upon arrival, crews found ames and a large amount of heavy black smoke coming from the structure. There was an ammonia release coming from the building as well. Neighbors of the creamery were told to shelter in place and to keep their windows closed and air conditioning off due to the ammonia and heavy smoke.

Townsend said the four-alarm re was a challenge to put out because of the construction of the building and the conned spaces where the re was. Fire crews did not put anyone inside the structure. Instead, they used master streams from ladders and larger streams through accessways to keep a handle on the re and keep their staff safe.

The creamery was currently not in operation; therefore, no one was on-site, and no injuries occurred during the re.

The re took place on top of turmoil already surrounding the creamery which was forced to close Aug. 21 after failing to meet waste discharge requirements. In June, the creamery was temporarily suspended from discharging industrial waste for treatment at the Hastings Wastewater Treatment Plant for a minimum of 30 days. Prior to that, the creamery had received six notices of waste violations within seven months.

Hastings Creamery worked with multiple state agencies to try and nd a solution to their waste problem. Creamery owners had plans to construct an on-site wastewater processing system that would cost nearly $1 million. Unfortunately, they could not get things turned around in time and were forced to close.

Hastings Cooperative Creamery was founded in 1913 as a butter manufacturer and began bottling milk in 1920. In 2021, the creamery was purchased by a group of small organic farmers. It processed 150,000 pounds of raw milk every day that came from 45 farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The creamery processed milk, cream and buttermilk, and employed about 40 people.

The loss of the historic creamery leaves a hole in the community, which is mourning its destruction as the cause of the re remains under investigation.

“There are lots of different reasons why a re can start,” Townsend said. “Investigators are experts at guring it out, and that is what they are doing.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE BREMER, HASTINGS COMMUNITY TV

This aerial view of Has�ngs Creamery was taken Sept. 14 following a four-alarm re that broke out at the creamery on the evening of Sept. 13 in Has�ngs, Minnesota. The creamery, which had closed Aug. 21, suffered a roof collapse and a signicant amount of re damage.

“I don’t know anyone who can make butter as fresh as ours,” Jen said. “Milk is usually not sent to where the butter is being made — just the cream is. But in our case, the milk is sent directly to the creamery.”

One batch of Royal Guernsey Creamery butter makes 400 to 500 pounds of butter. The Orchards size their batches based on their equipment.

“We can make a lot of butter really fast; we just can’t package it quickly,” Julie said. “There is not a lot of packaging equipment that’s affordable for small manufacturers like us.”

Currently, the Orchards are making butter at least once a month.

“We’re making butter as needed since our business is in its infancy, but we’re going to have to ramp up production really hard this fall for the holiday season,” Jen said.

Jen said butter must contain 80% fat legally, but European butter contains a minimum of 82% fat, which is what the Orchards make.

“We add no water back; therefore, our butter has a lower water content than other butters,” Jen said. “Our butter is solid and creamy and so fresh. You can literally taste the sweetness of the cream.”

Jen and Julie were thoughtful about how they packaged their product. It would take a year to nd the right material — a gold foil — in which to wrap their prized butter.

“I feel like we nailed the packaging,” Jen said. “We didn’t want to just put it in a plastic tub. How you package butter and the materials you use really impact its taste. The foil not only looks nice but also protects the integrity of the butter and can handle freezing and thawing really well.”

From its shape to its coloring to its avor, Royal Guernsey Creamery butter is distinctly different. Focused on

traditional, sweet and savory, the Orchards offer butter in three avors — salted; cinnamon and sugar; and roasted garlic, cracked black pepper and parsley. The Orchards’ salted butter won grand champion butter at the Wisconsin State Fair this summer.

“That validated what we’re doing,” Julie said. “There’s so much trial and error in making butter. Not many people are doing it.”

Jen agreed. “Most of the literature about making butter comes from the 1930s,” she said. “There aren’t many current research articles out there. Even getting a butter apprenticeship is very difcult. It took a couple years to nd someone for me to apprentice under.”

Royal Guernsey Creamery butter hit grocery store shelves in January. The Orchards’ goal is to sell 50% of their product

online and 50% through local retail. Several stores carry Royal Guernsey Creamery butter, including Metcalfe’s Market in Madison and Wauwatosa; Jenifer Street Market in Madison; and Hill Valley Dairy cheese shop in Lake Geneva.

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

The Guernsey cows served as the inspira on for Royal Guernsey Creamery bu er at Gurn-Z Meadow Farm near Columbus, Wisconsin. Milk made on the farm on Monday and Tuesday is picked up and churned into bu er within 48 hours.

Julie Orchard packages bu er in March at Royal Guernsey Creamery near Columbus, Wisconsin. Every roll of bu er is hand wrapped in gold foil, and some days, the Orchards package 1,000 rolls of bu er.

“We’ve been selling online since December, and we expect sales to grow for the upcoming holidays,” Jen said. “I wouldn’t expect it, but we sell a lot of butter to the coasts. We sell a lot to California even though California is No. 1 in butter production. That was so surprising to us.”

The Orchards also offer a farm pickup option and have taken advantage of other opportunities to sell their butter, such as pairing it with sweet corn at a neighbor’s vegetable stand. An on-farm store is also a possibility, Julie said.

The sisters’ backgrounds are proving helpful in running their value-added business. Jen has experience in ship-

ping and logistics, while Julie brings knowledge in integrated marketing to the table.

“I like being able to remove boundaries,” Jen said. “I really appreciate being able to ship direct to the consumer and build direct customer relationships.”

The Orchards are about to enter their busiest season yet. In anticipation of the holidays, they are boosting butter production and have plans to offer gift boxes. Creating something special from their cows’ milk has allowed the Orchard sisters to share a piece of their farm with the rest of the country. And while doing so, they are adding value to their operation.

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PHOTO SUBMITTED

from our side our side OF THE FENCE THE

Corey Leis Cashton, Wisconsin Monroe County 400 cows

When did you start and how far along are you on corn silage harvest? We are at the beginning of our own, and we are about a quarter of the way done.

How many acres will you chop and how does that compare to other years? We will chop 290 acres, and we usually chop 250. Since we’re just getting into it, we only have a little idea how it will yield. So far, it’s doing better than I thought it was going to. We will probably end up chopping about 40 acres more than usual.

Who is involved with chopping on your dairy and what is their role? We have two tractors pushing the pile, and they are driven by neighbors who we chop for. We have four trucks on the road, and those are driven by retired farmers. My dad and I chop, and if I’m not chopping, I’m pushing.

What challenges did you encounter during the growing season or while harvesting? Other than the dryness, we haven’t had any challenges really. We had some weed control where we had to respray 200 acres. That was due to lack of rainfall to activate the herbicides.

What is a management practice you changed that has improved your corn silage? I went away from brown midrib this year. I don’t know what the ramications will be yet, but I’m happy with the way the grain volume is so far in the silage. The non-BMR handled the drought a little better.

Tell us about a unique memory or day chopping corn silage. The worst is when it’s muddy.

Tell us about your farm and family. My dad and I operate the farm along with six full-time employees. My wife Miranda works at Organic Valley, and we have three daughters in high school and college. We raise our own youngstock, and my father-in-law has springing heifers and steers for us at his facility. We farm about 1,800 acres total. We raise 450 acres of alfalfa hay, and in addition to making corn silage for the cows, we chop additional corn silage at our heifer facility and the beef farm at my dad’s site. Our cows are milked in a double-8 parallel parlor and live in sand-bedded free stalls. We built the facility new in 1999.

Aaron Schroht Owatonna, Minnesota Steele County

75 cows

When did you start and how far along are you on corn silage harvest? We started the week of Sept. 17.

How many acres will you chop and how does that compare to other years? We chop 80 acres typically. We shoot to have 800 tons of corn silage each year.

Who is involved with chopping on your dairy and what is their role? I hire my dad Randy to chop, and I unload into the bagger. It takes us about a week to complete.

What challenges did you encounter during the growing season or while harvesting? We started out very wet and then got very dry during the last part of the summer. Though we experienced both excess moisture and dryness, we did not change our standard cropping routines.

What is a management practice you changed that has improved your corn silage? We added a processor a number of years back, and that has greatly improved the cows’ utilization of corn silage. We have gotten more production out of our cows and no longer see corn passing through in their manure.

Tell us about a unique memory or day chopping corn silage. I remember when I was younger climbing the silos to set the silo unloader and loving looking all around and seeing the countryside. I was the oldest child, so I got sent up to do the job.

Tell us about your farm and family. We milk in a 75-cow tiestall barn and have been shipping milk to Organic Valley for over 10 years. Besides the cows, my kids have some fair animals, including horses and pigs. We have 350 acres of crops and pasture. I have my wife, Beth, and our kids — Adeline, Weston, August, Olivia, Mckinzie, Devon and Sawyer. We also have help from my parents, Randy and Audrey, along with brothers, Thomas and David.

Dave Boehlke pictured with his daughter Rachel and wife

Melissa Thorp, Wisconsin Clark County

72 cows

When did you start and how far along are you on corn silage harvest? We have not started our corn silage harvest yet. We tested the corn Sept. 12, and it was at 68% to 73%.

How many acres will you chop and how does that compare to other years? We will be chopping about 30-35 acres. That is normally what we chop.

Who is involved with chopping on your dairy and what is their role? We custom-hire for chopping, and my son Dan, friends and I haul and unload wagons. My wife takes care of hooking wagons so that we can keep rolling.

What challenges did you encounter during the growing season or while harvesting? The dry conditions have been a challenge this year, but timely rains have helped.

What is a management practice you changed that has improved your corn silage? We continue to do corn silage as we have in the past. We have not had any major issues.

Tell us about a unique memory or day chopping corn silage. One memory of chopping corn silage that comes to mind is the year our regular custom guy could not get through the elds due to everything being so wet. We had to hire a custom guy who had a self-propelled chopper and four-wheel drive tractors to haul loads.

Tell us about your farm and family. Our farm is located north of Thorp, Wisconsin. We farm 270 acres and plant corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Along with milking 65 Holsteins and a few Jerseys in a stanchion barn, we also raise dairy steers. My wife helps with milking, feeding calves, bookwork and whatever else needs to be done. My son works alongside me, doing crops, working on equipment and anything that needs to be done. We ship our milk to Mullins Cheese.

Richard Templeton Sr. Evansville, Wisconsin

Rock County

150 cows

When did you start and how far along are you on corn silage harvest? We started corn silage harvest Sept. 5 and nished Sept. 9.

How many acres did you chop and how does that compare to other years? We chopped 78 acres. It was very surprising that it was similar to what we do every year. We were fortunate to get a speck of rain now and again to keep the corn fairly green. We yielded 220 to 230 bushels per acre, which surprises me tremendously with the lack of rainfall. The ears looked good and were lled out nice. The rows of kernels around the cob were comparative to other years.

Who is involved with chopping on your dairy and what is their role? My two sons and two grandsons do the chopping. My sons are twins, and Rich Jr. chops while Don packs the bunker. My grandsons, Christopher and Willie, switch off every other day hauling loads and milking cows. One hauls loads while the other does the noon and late-afternoon milking. One guy has to do two milkings by himself while we’re chopping. These four guys do a good job for us. All of them are attentive and are good workers.

What challenges did you encounter during the growing season or while harvesting? Rainfall was our biggest challenge. We had many long, dry spells during the growing season and got by with maybe a quarter-inch of rain once in

a while. There were times we would go for three weeks with no rain. We had a small breakdown with the chopper during harvest that slowed them up for part of the day, but other than that, we got by pretty good. It’s going to be difcult to do a high-moisture grain because there are green spots and dry spots in the eld. The combine doesn’t like really green corn, so it’s going to be touch and go on where we can do that.

What is a management practice you changed that has improved your corn silage? We changed the type of corn we plant to varieties that are recommended for corn silage. Years ago, we just picked one you want to mature around Labor Day. Now, we plant something really good for corn silage that yields very good bushels per acre.

Tell us about a unique memory or day chopping corn silage. We had such tall corn, and we didn’t have as good of machinery back then. We were only chopping two rows at that time whereas now we chop three. The tractor I usually had on the chopper traveled too fast, even in the slowest gear, so I had to put a smaller tractor on it. This tractor went so much slower in low gear that I didn’t have to be so careful about plugging up the chopper head.

Tell us about your farm and family. My wife, Shirley, and I farm with our sons and grandsons. Our daughter, Rene, is also part of the LLC and does herd health records weekly in addition to working off the farm as an ag loan ofcer. Shirley does the bookkeeping and makes meals to take to the eld to keep people moving through lunch and supper. My grandsons are the fth generation on this farm. My grandparents came from Scotland and landed in Canada before moving here. The original farm was 213 acres. Now, we farm over 1,000 acres. We milk three times a day in a double-8 parallel parlor and ship our milk to Dairy Farmers of America.

120 cows

When did you start and how far along are you on corn silage harvest?

We have not started chopping yet. We are checking moistures every ve days and still seeing more than 70%, so I anticipate we are at least a week off from chopping.

How many acres will you chop and how does that compare to other years? We will chop 125 acres, which is a little more than last year because I burned through my corn silage inventory faster this spring not knowing what our hayelds were going to look like after a crazy spring.

Who is involved with chopping on your dairy and what is their role? We hire Milk-n-More Farms and Harvesting to do our chopping. They do the chopping, hauling and packing. They try to get here as fast as they can once I tell them I’m ready to go and are an awesome crew to work with.

What challenges did you encounter during the growing season or while harvesting? This spring was an awesome spring for planting. We had all our corn in by May 20, and germination was good. After that, it became challenging with no rain for a month. Pre-emergent herbicide spray worked very poorly, so we had to respray Roundup on over half our acreage. On June 24, we received more than 2 inches of rain, and since then, we have received timely rains, so the corn has not been stressed. The yields will be good.

What is a management practice you changed that has improved your corn silage? We try to grow 95- to 100-day dual-purpose corn. I want to be at the high end of the yields and starch. I also believe in getting it packed well in the bunker and covering it with a vapor barrier and good 6-millimeter plastic. We are also very particular as to how we cover it. The sidewall tires must be touching each other.

Tell us about a unique memory or day chopping corn silage. My favorite memory happens every year when the pile is done and covered.

Tell us about your farm and family. Townline Acres is run by my parents, Doug and Cindy Breyer, me and my brother Derek Breyer. Derek and I are in the process of taking over the day-to-day operations and ownership. We also rely on one part-time hired hand who is vital to our success. We milk 120 registered Holsteins with two Lely A5 robots, raise 200 youngstock and farm about 500 acres, half owned and half rented. We grow alfalfa, grass and corn — all to feed our herd. Our milk goes to Mullins Cheese in Knowlton, Wisconsin.

Dillon Breyer (left) pictured with his brother Derek Birnamwood, Wisconsin Shawano County

FORAGE PROFILE

Describe your farm and facilities. Heeg Bros. Dairy LLC started in 1999 when we combined our dad’s farm and my brother Mark’s farm. I farm with my brothers Mark and Gary. They each have a son who works on the farm, Nathan and Cory. Our dad, August, is 90 years old and hauls our milk four days a week, so we have three generations working together. We employee 22 full-time employees and farm 3,300 acres. Our current rolling herd average is 31,500 pounds of milk per cow. We are averaging 98 pounds per cow, per day, with 3.95% butterfat and 3.18% protein. We currently are building a new robot barn that will milk additional cows. We are hoping to start milking in it the beginning of November. We raise 1,420 heifers. We hire out manure hauling and spraying; otherwise, we do the rest of the eldwork ourselves.

What forages do you harvest? Pioneer Roundup Ready Alfalfa, Brevant brown midrib corn silage, oatlage for heifers, snaplage, low-moisture shelled corn and conventional corn silage for heifers.

How many acres of crops do you raise? We have 2,010 acres of corn, 790 acres of alfalfa and 500 acres of new-seeding alfalfa.

What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? For corn silage, we are looking for 66% to 68% moisture and harvest 28,000 tons. We cut alfalfa when it is just budding and like to harvest at around 60% moisture, harvesting about 9,000 tons. For snaplage,

we shoot for 45% moisture, harvesting 1,500 tons. We like the low-moisture corn in the low 20s for moisture and harvest 1,800 tons.

Describe the rations for your livestock. Lactating cows get BMR corn silage, alfalfa, snaplage, low-moisture corn and a protein mix which includes canola, soybean meal, Exceller Meal,

vitamins and minerals. We strive for 60% to 65% forage in the diet. Postfresh cows get the same forages plus 1 Turn to FORAGE | Page 20

Jay Heeg of Colby Wisconsin | Marathon County | 1,400 cows

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Jay Heeg steps away from chores Sept. 19 on his farm near Colby, Wisconsin, where he milks 1,400 cows and farms 3,300 acres. The farm raises 2,010 acres of corn, 790 acres of alfalfa and 500 acres of new-seeding alfalfa.

“Comfort matters. For 10 years, we have been using Udder Comfort™ because it gets fresh cows off to a great start. Cows that start clean tend to stay clean throughout the lactation. So, we spray every fresh udder 2x/day for 3 to 7 days after calving and see their SCCs come down much faster,” says Mitch Breunig, Mystic Valley Dairy, Sauk City, Wisconsin, home to Jenny-Lou Holsteins, founded by his parents Jeanette and Louis. From balanced breeding and a focus on longevity came the legacy of Toystory. A goal today is high component, low SCC milk, shipping at least 8 lbs of solids and energy-corrected milk of 120 lbs/cow. The 450-cow freestall herd has an RHA of 33,102M 1394F 1071P and records to 55,000 with more than 60 past 150,000M lifetime.

pound of straw per cow, balanced for their intakes. Dry cows get corn silage, alfalfa, processed straw and protein mix. The heifers get oatlage, haylage, corn silage, weighback from the lactating cows and mineral mix only.

Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. We do our own harvesting using a Claas 980 chopper with a Scherer processor for corn, an Oxbo 35-foot merger, a Claas 30foot triple mower, three Meyer semi forage boxes and three Meyer straight truck mounted boxes.

What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? We store all cow feeds in cement bunkers. Heifer forages are stored in drive-over piles at the heifer site. All forages get an inoculant at harvest. We use a double layer of plastic on all bunkers and piles, an oxygen barrier and 6-mil plastic sheeting with tire sidewalls touching each other. Snaplage is stored in smaller bunker, and we use buchneri inoculant. For low-moisture corn, we store in smaller bunkers and put propionic acid on it. We use Feed Supervisor as our feed management software. This really helps keep track of feed inventory.

Throughout your career, have you changed the forages you plant, and how has that decision helped your operation? We really like feeding BMR corn silage to cows because of the higher digestibility. However, it can be a challenge to grow, depending on the growing season. We put a fungicide on it to help protect it from disease. A couple years ago, we did plant a grass mix with alfalfa but only did that for

one year. We felt the cows did a little better with straight alfalfa.

Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals.

Winterkill can be a challenge with alfalfa. This last spring, we did see winterkill in low areas on new-seeding elds. We were able to no-till into them with alfalfa because they were rst-year, and we ended up with a good crop.

How do quality forages play a part in the production goals for your herd? Forage quality is a huge part of our production and herd health goals. We strive for 60% to 65% forage in the lactating diet. We need highly digestible forages and good clean feed — meaning low mold and yeast numbers and ensiled at proper moistures.

“When I see the information that is gathered, it motivates me to want to do a better job.”

What are some of the DHIA tests you use?

I use total milk, butterfat and protein content, and data management.

Which is your favorite and why? With the data collection, I enjoy the snapshot that my nutritionist prepares for me so I can see my strengths and weaknesses.

How does testing with DHIA bene t your dairy operation? When I see the information that is gathered, it motivates me to want to do a better job.

Tell us about your farm. My wife and I have 55 milk cows. We farm around 180 acres. We have three children and one on the way. I have been milking for 11 years.

Sauk

Buffalo,

Trevor and Alexandria Lisson Lisson Holsteins • Browerville, MN Milking 55 cows

With DHIA for 11 years

JD

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JD S690 2015, 2400 hrs., 1615 Sep. hrs., #550872 ................................. $232,900

JD S690 2016, 2544 hrs., 1820 Sep. hrs., #547267 ................................. $219,900

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A career built from giving back

Millers view relationships as greatest achievements

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

VESPER, Wis. — As they close out a dairying career that has spanned over 45 years, Bob and Susan Miller are not entirely certain what life without their Holstein cows will look like.

“We did a lot of thinking coming to the decision to sell the cows,” Bob said. “It is probably the right decision, but that doesn’t make it the easy one. I know the toughest part will be putting the cows on the trailer, turning out the lights and shutting the door for that last time.”

After stringent culling decisions, the Millers are offering their remaining 40 cows and 10 springing heifers in their Ro-Lex Holsteins herd for sale privately through Premier Livestock and Auctions LLC in Withee.

If a private treaty sale has not taken place by the end of October, the herd will be offered through public auction

Bob and Sue Miller stand among their calves Sept. 13 on their farm near Vesper, Wisconsin. The Millers are selling their milking herd in October to close a more than four-decade career.

Oct. 25. They will be keeping their younger heifers and calves for the time being.

“We have always told our vet to let us know when it was time if we didn’t see it — if it got to the point where it was evident that we should quit because we can’t keep doing

things the way we feel they should be done,” Susan said. “Neither of us want to get to that point.”

The Millers are proud of the herd they have built, with high-type, registered cows that boast a BAA of 107.5, averaging 70 pounds of milk with

4.2% butterfat and 3.2% protein.

However, the cows and those statistics are not what bring them the most pride when they reminisce about their career.

“It really has been all about the people we have met and the

relationships that we have developed,” Bob said. “That is how we measure our success. A lot of people have helped us along the way, and we have tried to pay it forward and help others in return.”

Bob started farming in Blue Mounds after he nished school, before moving to the current farm in Vesper in 1992. Bob and Susan were married in 2000, and she joined him on the farm.

The move was not the easiest, Bob said, as he lost cows after the move and shortly after the start of the new year was out of feed.

“I was the new guy in the area, and I couldn’t nd anyone to lend me the money,” Bob said. “I talked to a neighbor who was also on the bank board, Fred Schill, and two hours later, he brought me an envelope with some money, so I could get feed. That man means the world to me. He picked me up at rock bottom. He told me to repay the favor by helping someone else someday, when they needed it the most.”

Another neighbor, Dan Hageman, helped Bob with equipment before he could afford to own everything he needed.

Turn

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The evolution of cow comfort

The AquaStar mattress (middle) actively dissipates the cows' body heat. The lying area has a temperature of 24.8°C degrees. You can also see the Aquastar mattress beside the cow on the right remains cool as does the Aquastar mattress under her.

Aquastar from Bioret Agri takes comfort to a whole new level. Compared to sand or conventional mats which can trap heat under the cow, its unique aqua transfer technology cools the cow while reducing pressure points.

Aquastar provides the benefits of a latex mattress combined with a waterbed for 3"- 4" of pure comfort, with the option of adding Bioret Agri's proven Aqua Board® kneeboard. The Aqua Board® keeps cows centred on the waterbed so they stay cleaner and cooler. Aquastar and Aqua Board® are built to deliver outstanding performance, with components warranted for up to 15 years; the best in the business.

This standard mattress (centre area) has a temperature of 30.5°C showing heat trapped under the cow.

“When you’re older, you realize how valuable that was,” Bob said. “Two of the greatest honors I’ve had were to be asked to be a pallbearer at both Fred’s and Dan’s funerals. All of Dan’s pallbearers were guys he had helped out over the years. It was a privilege to perform that nal act for him.”

The Millers have added to their family with what they call their show kids. These youth are interested in showing dairy cattle and look to the Millers for guidance.

“Those kids have really become like family, and the relationships have lasted long beyond their own years of showing,” Susan said. “We enjoy working with them, and when we take the time to help and spend with them, they appreciate that. It makes them feel valued and important.”

Lending that helping hand to their friends when it is needed is not the only way the Millers chose to return the blessings they have been given. Volunteerism in the local dairy community is a common thread woven in their story.

The Millers are both involved with running the dairy cattle show at the Central Wisconsin State Fair. Susan has served as the superintendent for the past seven years and assisted with the show for several years before that. Bob is frequently found keeping the ring clean and performing other duties to keep the shows running smoothly.

“What we do at the fair wouldn’t be possible without the great crew we have had helping us out,” Susan said. “It is really not like work because the people make it enjoyable.”

Besides their work with the CWSF, Susan has volunteered her time as a chaperone for the Wood County dairy youth attending the Wisconsin State Fair junior dairy show for the past 10 years.

“Now that they are older, our show

kids put together a crew and take turns coming and helping me with chores while Susan is gone to state fair,” Bob said.

Susan appreciates the help Bob is given.

“I always tell people it takes six people to replace me at home,” she said.

The Millers are long-time active members of the Wood Area Holstein Breeders and have spent many years on the planning and selections committees for the group’s annual Purple Ribbon Classic Sale.

“People ask us why we volunteer so much time,” Bob said. “Our answer is that we look at the volunteers before us, and they are the people we want to be like. People like Jer Lang, Roger and Judy Heeg and Marge Lippert were the volunteers back then, and now it is nice to be included in the same category with people like that.”

The Millers are looking at retirement with trepidation.

“I really don’t know what we’ll do,” Bob said. “We don’t really have any hobbies, and we’ve never really traveled. Our hobbies have all been cow-related, like showing. Susan said we’ll just have to go get jobs to keep ourselves occupied.”

Despite the unknown, they take comfort in the fact their dairy farm community will continue to be a harbor for them.

“People who have never hit rockbottom don’t understand what it is like to be there,” Bob said. “I know what it is like, and I know how it feels to have someone give you a helping hand and expect nothing in return. If it wasn’t for some of the failures we have experienced, so many of the good things in our lives would probably have never happened either. It’s been a wild ride, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Crops or cows?

Which one do you prefer?

Many times, I have discovered that most farmers have a favorite. “I’m a cow man,” a farmer will tell me while another will say, “I’d rather be in the eld than in the barn.” Sometimes, however, these two parts of farming interest a farmer equally.

Where do you fall?

Having spent a total of about 10 minutes of my life driving tractor, I can say with certainty that I was a cow girl, not a crop girl. Being with the animals is what I loved whereas my dad loved working in the elds, planting and harvesting crops.

of hay go by. My dad preferred that my sisters and I took care of the cattle instead of baling hay, which I was totally ne with.

As a writer for Dairy Star, a certain amount of crop knowledge is a requirement. I knew the basics when I started, but I’ve learned so much about that side of things since I began working here. Now, when farmers spout off terms like RFV, BMR and LDMI, I actually know what they are talking about.

By Stacey Smart Staff Writer

That’s not to say I never spent any time in the eld or failed to take notice of what was growing there. I admired my dad’s perfectly straight rows of corn and loved to ride the three-wheeler between lanes of freshly cut alfalfa. I also got lots of face-to-face time with the elds when I picked rocks every spring.

But crops are not my forte. I wasn’t involved with eldwork and know much more about livestock because in the barn was where I could be found most of the time. I never once felt ripped off for not being a part of the hot, backbreaking work of unloading and stacking small bales in the hay mow. I was perfectly content milking cows in the tunnel-ventilated barn and watching the wagons

So, thank you crop and weather guys, past and present. You’ve taught me a lot. Thank you also to every dairy farmer I have spoken with in the last ve years. You are a wealth of knowledge. Thank you, extension agents and other industry professionals. You are a wonderful resource to have in my back pocket. And nally, I thank my co-workers at Dairy Star for crop wisdom you have shared as well.

Thank you for the knowledge, everyone. I hope you keep sharing it. On-the-job learning is often the best kind of learning. The knowledge I have gained by working at Dairy Star goes far beyond crops to include all facets of the dairy operation. It’s amazing how much there is to learn in an industry that is ever-changing. Crops may not be my forte, but I’m learning every day.

Counting his blessings, cherishing his luck

Nabholz pens second book, recollecting people, cows, experiences

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

WEST UNION, Iowa — If memories were made of diamonds and gold, then Norman Nabholz would be among the richest. He gladly shares his wealth by setting his stories down on paper, allowing others to live vicariously through his experiences.

“I have been blessed,” Nabholz said. “I have been able to count so many of the greats in this business as mentors and as friends.”

Nabholz grew up at Nabholz Farm near West Union where his family milked a herd of about 38 Jersey cows. He continues to reside at the farm today with his partner Gretchen Taylor, where they work with animals of top pedigrees.

“I have known a lot of great cow people, but I am not sure I have ever known any as great as my dad,” Nabholz said. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but he was.”

Nabholz recently completed his second book, “The Queens Caretakers.”

The idea for this book rst came to Nabholz nearly 10 years ago.

“I was doing a series of articles for Cowsmopolitan and began to think maybe I should put all of those stories together in book form,” Nabholz said.

Since then, Nabholz has spent time researching, conducting interviews, creating content, organizing and sourcing historical photographs.

While his rst book, “Millionaires in the Cornelds,” celebrated the history surrounding the National Cattle Congress held in Waterloo, “The Queens Caretakers” is

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Norman Nabholz smiles as he looks over the proof copy of his latest book, “The Queens Caretakers,” Sept. 14 in his office at Nabholz Farm in West Union, Iowa. The book is the culmina�on of nearly 10 years of research and work by Nabholz.

a personal vantage point for Nabholz, featuring many people, places and cows that have played a role in his life.

“It’s about the people who took care of the cows,” Nabholz said. “A lot of them were my mentors; the herds were the idyllic herds that I wanted to pattern stuff after.”

The people featured in the book are a mix of histori-

cal gures in the dairy show world combined with successful contemporary gures still involved in exhibiting dairy cattle today. Many were recipients of either the Klussendorf or Klussendorf-MacKenzie awards.

-

Con nued from NABHOLZ | Page 26

“There are some stories about oldtimers who most people today might have never heard about,” Nabholz said. “Those men were some of the best cowmen to have ever lived.”

Nabholz’s exposure to the world of showing came from his family’s participation in shows in their area including the Iowa State Fair, the all-Iowa show and the National Cattle Congress.

From a young age, Nabholz enjoyed opportunities to work with top herds. His rst opportunity came at the age of 12, when he said his family was not able to exhibit at the National Cattle Congress.

“My dad called up Max Gordon at Heaven Hill Farm and asked if I could stay with them and help them at Cattle Congress,” Nabholz said. “They said yes, and I’m still not sure why.”

From there, Nabholz took any opportunity that presented itself to travel with the top show herds of the time.

“Everyone was so kind to me; they answered every question I asked,” Nabholz said. “The professionalism of those men was something you don’t see so much anymore.”

In 1976, Nabholz had the opportunity to join the show crew of Pinehurst Farms as they embarked on what would become a historical, storied show season that included over 10,000 miles of travel with cows, garnering a bevy of awards and winnings along the way.

Over the span of more than 60 years, Nabholz has attended a variety of shows across the U.S. and Canada. He said the quality of facilities could make or break a show.

“My all-time favorite show was Cattle Congress, without question,” Nabholz said. “It was just made for cowmen, the way the barns were set up. Until the new barns, World Dairy Expo was actually one of my least favorite places because of the barns. They were cramped, and they lacked ventilation.”

The Ohio State Fair was a favorite show for Nabholz because of the immense

competition, and he counted the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair and the Wisconsin State Fair as other venues at which he enjoyed caring for cattle.

The art of the presentation is what Nabholz said he enjoys most about shows.

“I really dislike the whole process of showing cows,” Nabholz said. “But, I love presenting them, having them all lined up in the barn for people to see, with an attractive and neat display. There is nothing better than that.”

Nabholz devoted an entire section of the book, the one he said is his favorite, to some of his favorite displays of dairy cattle, past and present-day, along with the recipe required to achieve that professional presentation he so admires.

As much as the people, Nabholz loved the cows who were the reasons for the travels and displays.

“There is no way I can pick one favorite,” Nabholz said. “(Gil-Bar Unique) Bonnie would have to be one of my alltime favorites. She was the most incredible cow with an incredible personality. I loved that cow.”

Adding to his list, Nabholz included two more Jersey cows.

“Responses Wonder was a great cow I loved even though we only owned her a couple of weeks,” Nabholz said. “(Gil-Bar Gem) Dreamy was one of my favorites. She had a beautiful personality.”

A Jersey boy at heart, Nabholz expressed appreciation for great cows, regardless of their breed, and counts several Holsteins among his favorites, including Quality-Ridge Stormi Hazel, Taraley Astro Sherry and KHW Regiment AppleRed; and all three come complete with entertaining stories as to how their destinies intertwined with Nabholz’s.

“I cannot say it enough; I have been blessed in this life and have had a lot of luck along the way,” Nabholz said. “This is a business of cows, but more so, it is a business of people, and that is what keeps it going.”

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Epworth, IA • (563) 876-3087

Fuller’s Milker Center, LLC

Lancaster, WI • Richland Center, WI 800-887-4634

J Gile Dairy Equipment, Inc.

Cuba City, WI • 608-744-2661

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Kaukauna, WI • 920-759-9223

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320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303

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Menomonie, WI • 715-231-8090

Midwest Livestock Systems, LLC

Zumbrota, MN • 800-233-8937

Menomonie, WI • 715-235-5144

Renner, SD • 800-705-1447

Monroe WestfaliaSurge

Monroe, WI • 608-325-2772

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Sparta, WI • 608-269-3830

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IN DAIRY women

Tell us about your farm and family. My husband Pat works off the farm, and we have two boys — Abraham and Isaac. I farm with my brother, Eli, and his wife, Natalie, and my dad, David. We have a compost pack for cows and milk twice a day in a stanchion barn. The barn has 37 stalls, so we switch a lot. Our herd is 25% Jersey, and we also have a couple Linebacks for fun. We nish about 20 steers per year and sell halves and quarters and market the rest. We have a lot of beef crossbred calves and sell our bull calves privately. In addition, we sell replacement cows privately, especially Jerseys. We have sold more cows than we’ve culled this year, which has helped our bottom line. Heifers are in loose housing down the road and are bred by a Hereford bull. All cows are A.I.-bred with 25% being bred to Angus.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? I get my son, Abraham, off to kindergarten at 8 a.m., and then until 9:30 a.m., I run errands and take care of things around the house. Then I come to the farm and work from 9:45 a.m. until about 3 p.m. I usually go home in the afternoon to spend time with my family and put the kids to bed before returning to the farm around 9 p.m. I try to be back home between 12:30-1:30 a.m. I milk cows morning and night and do everything cow-related on the farm — including herd work and working with our vet and nutritionist, breeding, feeding calves and taking care of youngstock.

What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? My sister-in-law, Natalie, started full time on the farm in the spring. She helps me a lot, allowing me to spend more time with my family. Having an extra person also helps ensure a timely harvest. Natalie worked on a large farm previously and is fully integrated into the farm and dairy lifestyle. It’s really good having her here. This allows us to rotate a little more and gives me more time at home. Having another person here has been huge.

Aimee Moehring Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin Sheboygan County 105 cows

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. My mom passed away suddenly in 2008, and all of our hay was cut when it happened. Family and neighbors came and nished baling 2,000 small bales of hay for us. People just showed up. They came with their balers and baled, unloaded and stacked while we were preparing for the funeral. People also brought food. To feel supported like that was amazing.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Raising my kids on the farm the way I was raised is what I enjoy most about dairy farming. It’s amazing to see them experiencing and absorbing everything. It renews my passion in farming. They learn so much on the farm and can help do chores, such as lling pails with grain. Also, by being exposed to both life and death on the farm, my boys understand the circle of life at their young ages. It’s really great to see them learn and work. They also get to spend time with their grandpa.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? My biggest accomplishment is seeing improvement in our herd based on sire selection and management. In the last ve to seven years, I’ve been changing my approach to picking bulls. I always paid attention, but I’m upping the ante on quality and being less price conscious. It sounds counterproductive, but it’s not. We have good reproduction numbers and can increase genetics without a lot of cost. We increased our herd average over 10 pounds in the last ve years without pushing grain. We’re making better forages but not a higher-cost ration. Our cows are much more efcient in production on the same type of feed, which makes more money. A lot of our 2-year-olds peak at over 100 pounds of milk per day. I’m making culling decisions based on the type of cow I want that best works for us and not just culling problem cows.

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I post general things on social media and talk to people to help others learn about cows. For example, I was a 4-H leader for eight years and led the dairy project for our club, which provided me with opportunities to promote the dairy industry. In addition, I sell Jerseys to a lot of homesteaders. I enjoy teaching people about cows, and I continue as an available mentor after they buy the cow. I’ve sold cows to eight states, and I try to keep a relationship with the people I’ve sold to in order to help them when they have questions.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Be condent. Don’t worry about what others think. Do what works for you and your family and farm. We have a weird milking schedule and had Jerseys before a lot of other people did, but following the crowd doesn’t get you to the best place. You have to be a little more individualized and open-minded, especially at this size.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I nap, spend time with my family, and cook and bake. I am known for my “church lady bread” which can be made with zucchini, rhubarb or pumpkin, etc. One of our favorite things to do as a family is go to the park.

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More highlights from the Precision Dairy Conference

In June, we hosted the Precision Dairy Conference in Bloomington, Minnesota.

The second day of the conference included presentations related to using data to improve animal health and welfare, data integration and research topics.

We started the day with a talk by Dr. Mark Thomas on the challenges of data interpretation. He pointed out the common problems with on-farm evaluations: comparing before and after, incorrect implementation of the technology, data losses (missing tags or system down), data being overwritten, numerical differences that might be random and not signicant, no sample size, among others.

be cows. This continued to be mentioned by producers on day two of the conference.

By Marcia Endres University of Minnesota

Again, technology can help producers identify and sort cows that need attention, leaving the rest of the herd to go about their daily routine without being disrupted. Mark Murray, dairy producer from New York, showed how they are using precision ag to improve efciency and productivity on their dairy. They have seen improvement in mortality rate, average days in milk, average days open, cull rate and somatic cell count.

Tara Bohnert showed how the use of advanced ID and activity monitoring tags can help with cow trafc for smooth sorting of cows that need attention and proactive health management with intense cow monitoring, especially during the critical transition period.

The recurring theme — which was rst mentioned by dairy producer Dr. Don Niles — was to let cows

Dr. Megan Schrupp, dairy producer from Minnesota, uses multiple technologies that help tighten the lactation circle, convert involuntary to voluntary culls, reduce heifer inventory, make individual data driven decisions and ultimately let the cows be cows.

On the topic of data integration, Dr. Wayne Weiland said data paralysis is a growing problem.

There is a lack of standardization and a huge volume of data that requires a lot of computing power. On-farm software and hardware can

be outdated. Every dairy is unique as to their needs, and there is still a lack of trust by data sources to share data. But there are multiple benets to big data integration. Dale Jefferson and Taliah Danzinger presented about the importance of cultivating growth with clean data for improved herd management. A panel of producers — Greg Bethard, Mitch Breunig and John Vosters — continued the discussion on the topic of data use and integration. They highlighted that technologies work when they have a good team. The people side is still key. In addition, technology needs to reduce their cost per hundredweight and allow herd management by exception.

Producers in the panel and the audience expressed concerns about the lack of data integration for more

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

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effective and easier decision making every day on the farm. Companies need to continue working to reduce the time producers spend in front of a computer or their phones looking at data in order to make decisions.

We ended the day with short research presentations by graduate students Breanna Bone of the University of Illinois, automated behavior classication with a focus on social behavior; Yijing Gong with the University of Wisconsin, data integration project; Ariana Negreiro with the University of Wisconsin, computer vision systems for monitoring animal health and productivity; Abbi Prins with the University of Minnesota, milking visit patterns in robotic milking systems; and Drew Swartz with the University of Minnesota, camera-based lameness detection.

Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu

612-624-2277

Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu

320-589-1711

Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu

320-203-6104

Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu

320-484-4334

Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu

507-280-2863

Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu

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Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu

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612-625-4276

Isaac Haagen hagge041@umn.edu

612-624-7455

What’s the best replacement rate for your

rate based on a certain benchmark. I go to farms that are high performing that can achieve a 25% cull rate, but that is the exception. Even though models show that having a higher percentage of cows in later lactations is more protable than a young herd with a higher cull rate, it may not be the best strategy for your farm or management style. Many farmers are very protable and successful with a little higher cull rate.

Evaluate the forced cull rate. These are cows that are culled because of mastitis, infertility, lameness or other health reasons. If forced culling is high, management should evaluate what happened to accelerate the cow’s loss of value to the dairy. If possible, determine what steps can be taken to minimize the risk of culling in the future.

over the next couple of years. Most of the A.I. companies have excellent models that can predict future heifer numbers.

Every time a cow is culled, the dairy producer incurs a cash cost. The cash cost of the cull is simply the price of the replacement animal minus the salvage value of the culled cow. This number has decreased recently because of the high value for cull cows. Even with higher springing heifer values, it is not protable for most farms to raise excess replacements.

By Jim Salfer University of Minnesota

Cull rate can be misleading because it does not indicate why or when the cows were culled. To nd out how the operation is truly performing, we must know when and understand the reasons why cows are culled. Below is a process that might help determine the best replacement strategy for a farm.

Evaluate the voluntary cull rate. These are cows with below-average production or cows that management believes can be replaced with an animal of higher potential. These could also be cows that have a history of chronic health condition or are challenging to work with. In robot herds, these could be cows that milk slow or the robot has a difcult time attaching the milking units.

Evaluate the replacements available and those required in the future. Identify potential gaps and excesses

Then, determine a replacement strategy based on a target cull level for the herd and include a few spares as an insurance policy. Work with your management team to develop a breeding strategy with the best mix of conventional, sexed and beef semen to hit the target number of replacements needed.

The optimum replacement rate is different across farms. Rather than targeting a specic replacement rate, management should evaluate the timing and reasons for culling. Work with your management team to determine the best replacement strategy based on your goals and management style. Farms can be successful with a wide range of replacement rates if it is for the correct reasons.

The optimum cull rate in every herd is going to vary depending on factors including goals, replacements available, current and future herd dynamics (growing, shrinking or stable), capital available, milk price and cull cow value. The goal should be to ll the pens so that each pen is maximizing income over feed cost. It is also important to think about the future productivity of the animals in the pen.

Farmers are sometimes challenged to reach some optimum cull

Think about each cow as a potential prot generator. The goal is to ll the barn with cows that will generate the most prot. This includes not only milk production but cows that are trouble free. In concept, replace a cow anytime her replacement is likely to be more protable.

Evaluate the early lactation cull rate. Early lactation culls are expensive and almost always culled because of transition disease or injury. A good goal is for less than 8% of cows to leave less than 60 days in milk.

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Grifth nds joy in retail boutique

By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

BALDWIN, Wis. — A dollop of passion for the dairy industry, a splash of appreciation for rural life combined with a basic love of fashion make up the recipe that created A Farm Chick’s Closet, a boutique store with both an online and brick-and-mortar presence.

Liz Grifth of Baldwin began the store as an online boutique nearly four years ago. She said the business has ourished beyond her wildest dreams.

“I like shopping, I have three girls, and we all enjoy shopping,” Grifth said. “I had been looking at other people’s online stores, thinking maybe we could try something like that. My daughter Annaliese agreed, thinking we could start small with T-shirts. I have a very spontaneous personality, and so by that night, I had ordered $10,000 worth of inventory. That is how it started, and then it was, ‘Quick, learn how to do it.’”

Grifth has a lifelong connection with the dairy industry and operates Liz Grifth Fami-

Bridging her passions

ly Farm Consulting in addition to her retail enterprise. That long-standing connection has helped her grow the venture in ways she could not have imagined.

“Because of the connection to the dairy industry, not only have I shipped all the way from Hawaii to New York, but I ship to Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Germany,” Grifth said. “That is because of the farm-themed stuff, honestly.”

Grifth said what starts as an online shopping experience for someone often turns into a conversation about the variances in the global dairy industry, a perspective she enjoys hearing.

“You have these little chats online with people from around the world, and you make that connection with these people,” Grifth said. “That is what is really cool. I just love that.”

While the idea to launch an online business appealed to her, Grifth said the social media aspect of advertising was daunting.

“Social media is not my forte, but I have adapted and tried to learn,” Grifth said. … “We’re farm girls, and that is who we are. It is part of the appeal and personality of the store.”

Grifth’s three daughters — Annaliese Wegner, Mikayla

McGee and Eva Doornink — all play a role in helping with the boutique. “They all help with picking things out and with modeling and with other aspects of the business, too,” Grifth

said. “That makes it fun.”

Grifth works with a variety of vendors to procure inventory for the shop. She visits vendor markets in Minneapolis, Chicago and Dallas, where she is able to look at

merchandise and choose what she thinks will interest her clientele, the majority of which are rural women.

“I absolutely love going to market, picking out clothes, seeing what is new,” Grifth said. “I have had all my daughters come to market with me. Normally, I would say we all have the same taste, but when it comes to market, we don’t. That helps me keep things fresh and appealing to all ages.”

She recently began working with Ariat, which she considers a big addition to her product line, allowing her to branch into men’s apparel to a small extent.

“I don’t stock men’s items in the store, but I can order anything from them,” Grifth said. “That has really piqued the interest of my sons-in-law, the ability to be able to order jeans and boots for them.”

Grifth is a stickler for quality when it comes to selecting inventory for the shop.

“I only want to sell highquality items, items that are unique, and I try to keep them affordable,” Grifth said. “If it isn’t something I would consider purchasing for myself, it won’t be in my shop. If you can get it at a big-box retailer, why would I want to sell it here?”

the Potential for an Incredible

Let us help you sow the seeds of your farm’s success. Our vast farming experience combined with our years of ag lending experience make us an invaluable addition to your farm business.

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Liz Griffith stands in her bou�que store, A Farm Chick’s Closet, Aug. 17 in Baldwin, Wisconsin. Griffith began the store as an online bou�que four years ago.

Last year, Grifth built a shop at her home to help house the growing business and to create a brick-and-mortar presence to allow for in-person shopping experiences, and she frequently hosts open houses and events at the store to help drive trafc to the shop.

“This was all in my house,” Grifth said. “When the grandkids started complaining there was no place for them to play anymore, I gured it was time to do something else.”

While she has the storefront now, the bulk of her business remains rooted in the online boutique, Grifth said. She does take limited inventory to dairy and ag-related events.

The business continues to grow for Grifth, and she continues to learn the ner points of ordering inventory to be prepared for seasons and holidays, which she said tend to be her busiest time.

“The holidays get busy,” Grifth said. “Everyone likes fall clothes and

likes to buy new things for fall. Fall is my passion. I love shackets and sweaters. My clientele is more excited for fall, too, than the other seasons.”

Much like planning a transition for a dairy farm, Grifth said she has started thinking in terms of the future of the business.

“I know I’m not going to do this forever, but right now, it is fun, and I enjoy the people I meet,” Grifth said.

“My ultimate goal is for this to become a salable business, one that someone can continue on with.”

To build the foundation to reach that goal, Grifth has been working with a business mentor to develop a plan for the future of the business.

“I have loved the journey, the people I have met, the experiences I have had and the things I have learned,” Grifth said. “It brings me joy when a client gets their package and they tell me they love everything in it, and I believe there is value in that.”

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

The brick-and-mortar storefront for A Farm Chick’s Closet recently celebrated its rst anniversary. The store, which caters to rural women, is located near Baldwin, Wisconsin.

Catching the show bug

Labor Day weekend marked our rst foray into the cattle showing world.

After the girls watched the cattle shows at the Elroy Fair and walked the barn, drooling over the red carpet worthy cattle tied within, they were certain they wanted to show calves.

Stella declared she wanted to show a dry cow, so I walked the pen and dried up Strawberry a few weeks early. Brynn, Kailyn and Kendyll were ne with spring calves. We picked over the group of calves in the old barn and moved Lovely, Sedona and Mrs. Robinson outside. Cora and Tassia had their two calves in hutches by the hospital barn. Scarlet and Flutterby were still on milk and perfect for two little girls to wrangle.

Four of the girls spent the day learning the ins and outs of showing at the Vernon County Day of Dairy.

By Jacqui Davison

On the farm, our coach was Kendyll and Kailyn’s dad, John. I swear you could see his eyes light up when he was on the end of a halter. The only time they shined brighter was when he was watching his daughters walk their calves. I peppered our newest calf barn team member, Mackenzie, with questions, as well as called upon my cousins, Aaron and Amy.

The girls spent the month of August coming to the farm often: washing calves, walking calves, getting walked by calves, chasing calves and, in Cora’s case, crying over calves.

As the calendar days were checked off, all of our excitement was building. Aaron came one Monday and helped Stella work with Strawberry. John had walked her around within the connes of the barn, but no one had ventured outside with her. She did fabulous. Aaron showed Stella behavior control tricks, and Strawberry made a few laps outside with Scarlet and Flutterby as her walking pals. As Thursday morning of show week rolled around, Aaron, Amy, Kathy (their mom) and Aaron’s pint-size farm wanderers, Aubrey and Tanner, came over to start clipping the show eet. This may have been the moment Cora had been waiting for. I turned back over my shoulder to see her crouching down next to Flutterby’s foot, one hand on her hock, the other maneuvering a tiny pair of clippers under her dewclaws. She was in her glory.

Sunday was show day. Once their calves were primped and ready, we gave the go ahead to put on their show clothes. The four big girls tied their hair back with bandanas, and the two little ones wore their cowboy hats. They huddled together in a circle as Brynn initiated a group pep talk before they slipped the show halters on their cattle and ventured toward the ring. Ribbons were awarded and smiles were as bright as the late summer sun — and not just from the girls on the halters.

Watching these girls work together was phenomenal. They ran with a shovel whenever any one of their animals lifted a tail (even the moms took turns with this chore). They took turns hauling the wheelbarrow to the eld. If someone was headed toward the ring for a practice walk, they rushed to open the gate. From age 6 to 13, walking animals from 2 months old to 3 years old, they proved to themselves that they could do it.

The looks of pride and accomplishment that spread across their faces were worth more than the premiums earned. They did what they set out to do early this summer, and they want to do it again next summer.

Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and farm 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira, Dane, Henry and Cora, help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos, and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.

Columnist

Ramblings from the Ridge

USDA announces Milk Loss Program

By Steve Frericks Stearns County FSA executive director

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its new Milk Loss Program Sept. 11.

MLP provides assistance for eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed, without compensation, from the commercial milk market due to qualifying weather events and the consequences of those weather events that inhibited delivery or storage of milk during calendar years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Qualifying weather events include droughts, wildres, hurricanes, oods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including polar vortex) and smoke exposure that occurred in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 calendar years. Tornadoes are considered a qualifying disaster event for calendar year 2022 only.

The milk loss claim period is each calendar month that milk was dumped or removed from the commercial market. Each MLP application covers the loss in a single calendar month. Milk loss that occurs in more than one calendar month due to the same qualifying weather event requires a separate application for each month.

The days that are eligible for assistance begin on the date the milk was removed or dumped and for concurrent days milk was removed or dumped. Once the dairy operation restarts milk marketing, the dairy operation is ineligible for assistance unless after restarting commercial milk marketing, additional milk is dumped due to the same qualifying disaster event. The duration of yearly claims is limited to 30 days per year for 2020, 2021 and 2022.

To apply, producers will need to provide milk marketing statements from the month prior to the month milk was removed or dumped and the affected month. A detailed statement of milk removal circumstances, including the weather event type and geographic scope, what transportation limitation occurred and any information on what was done with the removed milk is also required. Signup for the Milk Loss Program began Sept. 11 and runs through Oct. 16. Producers interested in applying for the program can contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more.

Safety considerations, DMC program updates

As your feed piles are replenished this fall from another growing season and the cows are starting to get fresh feed, remember to implement farm safety.

Flowing grain in a storage bin or gravity-ow wagon is like quicksand. It takes less than ve seconds for a person caught in owing grain to be trapped. The mechanical operation of grain-handling equipment also presents a real danger. Augers, power take offs and other moving parts can grab people or clothing. These hazards, along with pinch points and missing shields, are dangerous enough for adults, not to mention children. It is always advisable to keep children at a safe distance from operating farm equipment. Always use caution when backing or maneuvering farm machinery. Ensure everyone is visibly clear and accounted for before machinery is engaged. Farm Service Agency wants all farmers to have a productive crop year, and that begins with putting safety rst.

The 2023 Daily Margin Coverage program premiums were due Sept. 1. Failure to pay the DMC premium by the deadline may affect a dairy operation’s ability to participate in the DMC program. If you have not elected to have your premium captured as a monthly payment generates, this deadline applies to you. Reminder letters were mailed to all af-

fected producers. We know our dairy producers are struggling. The 2024 signup is right around the corner. This risk management tool has been instrumental this past year as dairy producers dealt with low prices and high input costs.

In other FSA dairy safety-net support, DMC program payments have triggered every month, January through July, for producers who obtained coverage for the 2023 program year. July’s income over feed margin of $3.52 per hundredweight is the lowest margin since DMC program benets to dairy producers started in 2019. To date, FSA has paid more than $1 billion in benets to covered dairy producers for the 2023 program year.

The payment cycle for a number of programs is right around the corner in October. As we look toward the fall and potential payments in those programs, now is the time to make sure we have your correct bank account and routing information on le. Often, nancial information is changed but FSA is not notied. This will delay any payments you have earned until the correct banking information is provided to the ofce.

Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250. Visit www.fsa.usda.gov for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.

Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of the author and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.

When farmers talk, it makes a difference

It was just a week ago that Duane and I were rushing around nishing up chores, packing clothes and trying to remember if we forgot anything. We were headed to the Madison airport for the fall y-in with other members of Wisconsin Farmers Union.

Touch down in Washington, D.C., was just a little longer than two hours, and I was restless to see the others who would be participating. We would be speaking on the topics that will be most valued and needed for the farmers not only in Wisconsin but all over the United States. This visit is timely because the farm bill is due to expire Sept. 30.

We met for breakfast and then were off to the U.S. Department of Agriculture building. National Farmers Union President Rob Larew gave opening remarks, and we heard from Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small, inspiring us with her wisdom and insight as she welcomed us to Capitol Hill.

It is always good to listen and watch Secretary of

Agriculture Tom Vilsack as he speaks about the programs and possibilities to achieve the needs of the farmers throughout the United States.

He demonstrated on a big white board that there are many avenues and programs to help farmers, but the funding for the USDA budget is being threatened with a 30% cut.

This is made more stressful with already depleted staff that is short 5,300 from just ve years ago. There will be ways to help farmers, but we may have to be creative and design other methods. We all understand the pressure to do more with less. I feel he understands where all of us in agriculture stand.

The brieng continued into a panel of competition and resiliency, discussing the topic of livestock markets being highly consolidated with just four of the largest players to deal with beef, controlling 85% of the market. Pork and poultry processing were also talked about, that overcharge consumers and rake in massive

prots while preventing farmers and ranchers from getting a fair price for their livestock. The discussion also tapped into the use of retaliation in the poultry industry, which puts family farmers out of business.

As dairy farmers, we feel angry whenever we bring cows and calves to market. There are only two buyers, and the price is dismal knowing that these buyers are discussing what they need for the day, and the rest of the animals are just an easy give.

The next panel was on USDA stafng. The shortages that are being experienced are trickling down to make it more difcult for farmers to get enrolled in the programs that are needed for the coverage to continue farming.

We empathize with the need for more educated employees and also cheered the program that allowed college students tuition reimbursement for working in a USDA ofce. Understanding that government jobs cannot give the wages that are raging to unimaginable highs, we also sympathize because that is also our situation with our own farm labor workforce.

We walked the halls, chatting with enthusiasm as we made our way to the cafeteria. The sudden surge of people trying to order and pay for their food struck me as very congested. I noticed that it was being run by just a few staff. I am sure this is a result of the pandemic. The effect has hit every area of employment, not just on our farms and the USDA staff.

We all got together at a table in a large room. We ate lunch together as our group, and most members slowly started to leave for meetings with the staff from the Senate and House agriculture committees to hear about updates on the farm bill and the y-in topics.

Daren Von Ruden, president of Wisconsin Farmers Union, and I were able to attend a meeting with Ambassador Katherine Tai. We shared our farm experiences as it is affected by trade. It was an honor to meet her. She was extremely knowledgeable and understanding as we all spoke of our concerns for the safety of our nation’s food supply and trade agreements.

Later, we all gathered for a roof-top reception to eat appetizers and refreshments and then retreated to dinner. There was good food, sourced locally, and the beef and wheat for the breads and pastries came from North Dakota.

With one day down, there was another full day to follow before departing for home. Looking at our agenda, we had plans to see a variety of people who are supposed to represent us. They are working toward the best outcome for the country, but often, sides have different opinions and ideas. We need to have bipartisan support from the members of Congress, so we met with as many legislators as possible. The days were full, and the conversations were impressive.

While walking at the Capitol, I met with other farmers in the hallway from different farm organizations. We greeted each other smiling, knowing about the importance of our farm voices. We all have reasons to share, and the best way to be heard is face to face with our lawmakers.

If you are ever thinking that you would like to share your needs as a farmer, it is easy to reach out to farm organizations. They are always looking for more voices to carry the messages up to the people whose job it is to represent us. Farmers can say it best; your voice does make a difference.

Tina Hinchley, her husband Duane and daughter Anna milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Hinchleys have been hosting farm tours for over 25 years.

By Tina Hinchley Farmer & Columnist

Dealing with low-moisture corn silage

For most, the 2023 corn silage harvest is in the rearview mirror. Corn silage harvest came early for some as the summer heat provided plenty of growing degree days, and many areas experienced a perfect storm for drying conditions. Kernal maturity progressed as plants were running out of water with the lack of rainfall. The breaking point was the extreme heat, wind and relatively low humidity in the days surrounding Labor Day. In one case where we were monitoring whole-plant moisture, we dropped 10 points, from 68% to 58% moisture, in about a veday period. This greatly exceeds our normal expectations for wholeplant dry down of approximately onehalf percentage unit per day.

Something to Ruminate On

By Barry Visser Nutritionist

If you were fortunate to hit ideal corn silage moistures, my comments may be less relevant. For those who ended up waiting on a custom operator or had extended harvest windows through these extreme drying conditions, here are a few tips to deal with low-moisture corn silage.

Harvest, storage challenges

Dry corn silage is more difcult to pack. To compensate, theoretical length of cut is generally reduced. In some cases, additional pack tractors or more weight on the pile is necessary as well. Shortening the theoretical length of cut also allows the kernel processor to work more easily. The importance of kernel processing increases exponentially with drier silage as this kernel is harder to ferment and is less digestible if particle size is not reduced.

Fermentation is generally compromised with low-moisture corn silage for two primary reasons. The rst relates back to packing and the initial aerobic stage of fermentation where oxygen is depleted. The longer this initial fermentation stage takes, the greater chance oxygen-loving organisms like yeasts and molds will thrive. The second challenge occurs during the anaerobic phase of fermentation where we can get less-desirable conditions for lactic acid-producing bacteria to ourish. Moisture is critical during this stage. It is generally recommended to add a reputable lactic acid-producing inoculant regardless of moisture; however, it is more critical with dry corn silage because fewer of these active, naturally occurring bacteria are present. Allowing dry corn silage to ferment for longer periods of time is also recommended if inventory allows.

Feeding challenges

How will dry corn silage feed? The answer depends on how you did on the harvest discussion points above. Fermentation is key to breaking down prolamin (the protein matrix in the kernel that surrounds the starch molecules), making the starch more available for microbial digestion. Well-processed kernels also increase the surface area for rumen bacteria to access starch. Poor fermentation or poorly processed kernels will result in more corn in the manure and less available energy to the cow. This can be monitored by testing manure for fecal starch.

To compensate for lower energy, we may need to feed more corn or other fermentable carbohydrates. Feeding strategies might also include digestible ber sources such as soy hulls, beet pulp or corn gluten feed. With either approach, we need to feed less forage to make room for these additions. There is a balance between increasing energy and maintaining effective ber levels in the rumen. Also, beware that reducing silage feed out during warmer weather next summer could be a challenge in terms of spoilage and heating associ-

ated with yeast and mold if too little is removed from the face.

If your corn silage was harvested at a lower-than-ideal moisture, realize this is not unprecedented, and many folks have overcome these challenges with minimal interruption. Work with your nutritionist to adjust accordingly, and let the cows tell you the best direction to pursue opportunities.

Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.

Variety of Manure Pumps and Tanks All on Hand!

1660 Jordan West Rd., Decorah, IA 563-382-4484

www.brynsaas.com

2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1608 hrs., 1200 CH hrs., #555841 ....... $289,000

JD 8700 2017, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2545 hrs., 1835 CH hrs., #546919 ....... $308,000

JD 8700 2018, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2393 hrs., 1849 CH hrs., #552442 ....... $284,000

JD 8800 2017, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1561 hrs., 862 CH hrs., #524820 ......... $355,000

JD 8800 2016, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 2605 hrs., 1707 CH hrs., #175182 ....... $268,100

JD 8800 2017, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1728 hrs., 870 CH hrs., #544616 ......... $339,900

JD 9500 2022, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 606 hrs., 317 CH hrs., #565391 ........... $554,000

JD 9600 2021, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 873 hrs., 538 CH hrs., #565399 ........... $420,000

JD 9600 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1309 hrs., 775 CH hrs., #565393 ......... $375,000

JD 9600 2019, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1734 hrs., 1130 CH hrs., #553763 ....... $349,900

JD 9600 2019, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1272 hrs., 811 CH hrs., #532049 ......... $409,900

JD 9700 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1167 hrs., 835 CH hrs., #543646 ......... $503,000

JD 9700 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 965 hrs., 500 CH hrs., #552460 ........... $524,900

JD 9800 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1292 hrs., 833 CH hrs., #536344 ......... $497,000

JD 9800 2021, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 448 hrs., 302 CH hrs., #550106 ........... $518,000

JD 9800 2019, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 899 hrs., 660 CH hrs., #550175 ........... $503,000

JD 9800 2021, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 575 hrs., 369 CH hrs., #552624 ........... $553,000

JD 9800 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1470 hrs., 942 CH hrs., #554135 ......... $459,900

JD 9900 2022, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 518 hrs., 330 CH hrs., #565395 ........... $595,000

JD 9900 2021, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 612 hrs., 401 CH hrs., #565397 ........... $574,000

JD 9900 2019, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 1224 hrs., 884 CH hrs., #550177 ......... $493,000

JD 9900 2020, Kernel Processor, PRWD, 849 hrs., 661 CH hrs., #553436 ........... $508,000

Lost in time

The older we get, the more memories we have stored away someplace in our brains. The sense of smell can trigger a ood of those memories which have been lost in time. The whiff of fresh-tilled soil in the spring will transport an old farmer back to days of their youth when they drove a two-bottom plow across the family land for the rst time using a twocylinder tractor.

One of my top ve smells is fresh-chopped corn silage. I would even rank it above the smell of red roses. For me, corn silage time signals the start of crisp mornings, fresh apple cider and Friday nights under the lights. As I inhale a large handful of freshchopped corn, I close my eyes and relax. This is my reward for enduring these long, hot, dry summer days.

“It is done,” Mark announced as he came in the house for lunch today. He had pulled the corn head off the chopper. He was so glad to mark that job off the list as completed. What a relief. The last few days of wrapping up the silage harvest had been more than challenging.

Beef x Dairy

We started chopping 10 days earlier. We were concerned at how green the corn stalks still were, but due to the dry summer and low humidity, the stalks were losing moisture quickly. We needed to get moving. It was time to start hauling boxes.

Many of the rains this summer and early fall have missed our little neck of the woods. Even though I have cringed while writing out the check for the electric bill this summer, I am thankful we were able to water our crops to grow feed for the cows. As Mark was working his way around the outer edges of the elds, you could see what the crops could have been without the irrigation pivots. Not a pretty site.

We all settled in to a steady routine of clearing corn off the elds and lling silos and bags. We were moving right along, and things were running smoothly until they weren’t. The last four days were a struggle with breakdowns and parts runs every day. Apparently, a special nut and bolt near the processor snapped off and belts were burned. Three times. We traveled to Wadena, Paynesville and Little Falls in an

effort to keep things moving.

Once we had our equipment xed, then the rented bagger decided it wanted extra attention too. A large chain broke. It took Mark and Austin the good part of an afternoon to tear apart and put everything back together. When they were done, they were covered with a thick, pasty grease. There isn’t enough soap to get all that off their hands, shirts and jeans.

There were a few more small breakdowns with PTO shafts and quick-hitches on the boxes before the last load was brought in from the elds. We nished just in the nick of time. Now we can start mending and repairing equipment before we put it away for the year.

Just Thinking Out Loud

By Natalie Schmitt

As Mark was xing, he was combing through his stash of salvage parts and tools to keep things moving forward. All farmers have stashes of things that could have more uses left in them. Many barns and rafters are lled with such treasures.

For many of us living on generational family farms, there are stockpiles of hidden treasures from days gone by. The early generations didn’t have much and saved everything. The next generation kept the old things for nostalgia. Today we have so much stuff. Where do we store it and why? As our older generation disappears so does the knowledge of what things are and how they work.

My friend Ann was telling me about an odd piece of equipment hanging on the wall of their old garage. She didn’t recognize what it could possibly be used for. Luckily, Ron knew it was the crank for a Model T car. When was the last time that was used? Here it is still hanging on the nail, waiting to be used again.

Many farm tools have become lost to time as guys who used them or hung them on a nail in the back shed have been long gone. Faint memories of past stories or common sense could help identify the use but not always. Austin was at a farmer’s museum in Montana a couple years back. He recognized many of the pieces of his collection and even could guess how some things were used because he saw many of those things stored in sheds and rafters around our farm. One of the most unique things he saw was a “chastity belt” for cows to keep the bull from breeding them. We don’t have one of those hanging around, but he gured out what it was meant to do.

Ann and I both have an itch to start cleaning out the sheds on our farms, but what do you do with all of the stuff collected over the generations? Not all the kids are thrilled about keeping obsolete objects just because they were great-grandpa’s, but we don’t want to lose things to time either. I guess we’ll have to settle for rearranging the hidden treasures found in our old sheds and discover new uses for old tools.

Ann was telling me her grandchildren are reading the “Little House” stories. She thought she had old Karo syrup tin pails or tin lard pails on a shelf in one of the old sheds. She wants to bring the books to life by showing the kids what a lunch pail from the days of Laura Ingalls looked like.

As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.

Columnist

High-tech napping

We use technology to make virtually every task in our lives easier, more effective, and less time-consuming.

Just think for a second about all of the technology you’ve adopted on your farm and in your home. For us, everything from heat detection to washing dishes is easier thanks to technology.

Technology can make napping easier, too. Napping is one of the most important tasks on a dairy farm. Charging our batteries is essential, and often there aren’t enough hours in the night to fully do so.

Short naps are commonly recommended so as not to interfere with nighttime sleep. I’d wager that most dairy farmers aren’t concerned about falling asleep at night. They simply take short naps because that’s all there’s time for.

Sadie Frericks

For some of us, though, napping isn’t easy. For most of my adult life, short naps usually didn’t work for me because I couldn’t shut my brain off fast enough in 15-20 minutes. If I did happen to doze off, I often didn’t feel rested after just 20 minutes.

Thanks to the application of a little technology, though, I’m happy to report that I am now a successful napper.

It all started a year ago with a podcast episode that recommended listening to binaural beats as a way to reduce stress. Dairy farming and managing a family tend to be fairly high-stress endeavors — good stress, mostly, but still stress. The podcast said just 15 minutes of listening to this so-called brain wave music was enough to signicantly reduce cortisol levels. I was intrigued enough to learn more and give it a try.

Binaural beats use two sound frequencies with one played in each ear. When we listen to binaural beats, our brainwaves synchronize to their frequency.

For reference, our brainwaves come in ve frequencies: gamma intense, concentration and learning; beta, problem-solving and engaging with others; alpha, relaxing and meditating; theta, dreaming and deep physical relaxation; and delta, deep, dreamless sleep.

So, if you want to reduce stress, listen to music with an alpha wave frequency. If you want to sleep better, listen to brainwave music with a delta wave frequency.

I tried the rst binaural beats music track that came up in my YouTube search, which happened to be a theta wave frequency. I reclined on the living room oor, put on my headphones, pressed play on the track, and started some deep breathing to help myself relax.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up. I had relaxed myself right to sleep. I looked at the clock. It had been 15 minutes, but it felt like I had napped for an hour.

I couldn’t believe that a 15-minute nap could be that easy, so I tried it again the next day. Again, within minutes, I was asleep. It was like someone ipped a switch in my brain. If I didn’t understand the science, I would swear it’s magic.

The best part of these now-regular naps is that they’re a break for both my body and my brain. For someone whose brain normally goes 100 miles an hour all day long, these short brain breaks are amazing. And, as an added bonus, they help me feel less stressed.

If traditional napping doesn’t work for you, perhaps high-tech napping will. This is the method that works for me. Every brain is different, so a slightly different method might work best for you.

What you need:

— Smartphone or tablet with access to YouTube. You can also nd brainwave music tracks by other composers on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. MusicMindMagic is only on YouTube.

— 15-minute relaxing theta waves track from MusicMindMagic. Theta waves work best for me. You could also try a delta waves track. Tracks come in different lengths, as well.

— Over-the-ear headphones. Over-the-ear headphones are recommended since they best deliver the two sound frequencies to each ear. My headphones also have a noise-cancelling feature, which is really nice. I haven’t tried using earbuds; they might work, too.

— Towel or sleep mask to cover your eyes, and the oor or a bed.

Lie down and put your headphones on. Set your phone to silent mode or turn on do not disturb. Set an alarm or timer for 15 to 20 minutes. Start the theta waves track. Cover your eyes. Take three big deep breaths. Then focus on slowing your breathing. Make your exhale longer than your inhale. Count your heartbeats to measure your breaths. For example, inhale for three heartbeats and exhale for four or ve breaths.

Within minutes, the combination of listening to the theta waves, slowing your breathing, and counting should put you right to sleep.

Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children – Dan, Monika, and Daphne. Sadie also writes a blog at www. dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.