VISIT US AT WORLD DAIRY EXPO!
BOOTH EH 3806
Volume 26, No. 15
“All
Embracing growth
Karpinskis build new barn as phase one of expansion
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
WAUPACA, Wis. — Josh and Amy Karpinski are paving the path for a bright future at Sheridan Flats Dairy. After completing an expansion this year that included building a new freestall barn and adding 125 cows, the couple has entered a new phase of their farming career.
“It’s been a big year of changes,” Amy said. “We were at 200 cows for a long time, and now we’ve grown to a number that ts our farm well.”
Amy is the fourth generation on her family’s farm near Waupaca where they milk 320 cows and farm 300 acres. She and Josh formed an LLC with
her parents, Mark and Dawn Anderson, two years ago.
“My parents are mostly retired now, so it’s Josh and me doing the day-to-day work with help from one part-time and three full-time employees,” Amy said.
Growth was inevitable for the family who had come to a crossroads.
“We were at the point that we either had to grow in some capacity or get out, and getting out wasn’t an option,” Amy said. “Things were not cash owing with 200 cows. My parents still take a paycheck, and three years ago, Josh quit his full-time job in town.
September 28, 2024
Thankful to be spared his life
By Sarah Middendorf sarah.m@star-pub.com
MCBAIN, Mich — JP
Koop of Lucky 7 Dairy recognizes he is a lucky man to be living past the rst day of corn silage harvest this year. The day started normally enough. But when his chopper spout touched a lowhanging power line, the day went south as both he and the chopper became electried. Koop, his wife, Suzanne, and one of his seven children, Gavin, milk 1,800 cows in a double-25 parlor and freestall barn and farm around 3,400 acres near McBain. Koop is a newcomer to the dairy industry. He purchased his rst dairy farm six years ago.
Ironically, Lucky 7 Dairy kicked off the corn silage harvest Sept. 12 with a meeting to go over safety concerns and pray for a safe harvest. They began by opening some of the elds.
“The guy I was loading said, ‘Hey you are getting close to that line. Move over to the right a little bit,’” Koop said. “Before he got the words out of his mouth, the spout on my chopper had touched the powerline. As soon as it touched … it had pretty much welded itself to my spout.”
Koop said he tried to move it away but it blew out the hydraulic cylinder that controlled the spout.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Amy and Josh Karpinski take a break Sept. 17 in their new freestall barn at Sheridan Flats Dairy LLC near Waupaca, Wisconsin. Along with Amy’s parents, Mark and Dawn Anderson, the Karpinskis milk 320 cows and farm 300 acres.
DAIRY ST R
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“I quickly turned around because I knew I was in trouble,” Koop said.
“I looked at my head (on the chopper) and there were sparks ying out of that big time. So, I quickly stood up, opened the door and walked out onto the platform outside the door.”
At that moment, the chopper’s back tires were already blown and on re and the front tires were smoking.
from the tires would soon no longer provide some insulation from the electrical current when the steel rims touched the ground.
by
Koop said he was standing there wondering whether the power line was going to blow a fuse or breaker which would shut off the power.
“I still don’t know how I did this, but I stood up on the handrail on the side of the chopper,” he said. “Clearly, I had good balance for a little bit. I got as low as I could and stood up and jumped as hard as I could.”
“It was a mainline so I suspected there wasn’t any sort of breaker,” Koop said.
“I debated, ‘Alright is the re department going to get here in time?’ I (didn’t) have that kind of time because the rims were going to touch the ground.”
Koop realized time was ticking because the rubber
Before he jumped, he looked at the ground and it was smoking due to the stray voltage hitting the ground.
“I thought, ‘Well I’m dead on the chopper for sure and I’m probably dead when I hit the ground,’” Koop said. “I’ll get electrocuted, but at least there’s a chance (to survive).”
He jumped roughly 10 feet from the handrail to the ground.
Turn to LUCKY 7 | Page 5
JP Koop Dairy farmer
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The metal of the chopper seat lies bare a er the re Sept. 20 at Lucky 7 Dairy near McBain, Michigan. JP Koop jumped roughly 10 feet to get out of the chopper Sept. 12
Waupaca, WI
Karpinskis build new barn as phase one of expansion First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7
Denmark, WI
Schlies managing herd for more milk, better health First Section: Pages 29, 31
Plain, WI
Ladysmith, WI
Sawyer, Rusk County farmers deal with losses from wildlife damage First Section: Pages 12 - 13
Harrisburg, Penn.
Wisconsin 4-H judging takes Harrisburg by storm First Section: Pages 26 - 27
Bovine twins inseparable at Ederer family dairy Second Section: Pages 12 - 13
Dodgeville, WI
Dolans launch safety day after power take-off accident First Section: Pages 32 - 33
Colfax, WI
Richmond, Floodquist use Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship for nonfamily farm transition Second Section: Pages 10 - 11
Tomah, WI
Sisters focus on Wisconsin products at Twin Peaks Ice Cream Second Section: Pages 27 - 29
Brillion, WI
FFA: Behind the Emblem Third Section: Pages 10 - 11
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Majestic View Dairy
“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.”
- Majestic View Dairy, Amanda Buschor
Allflex Livestock
“Of course, I’m not a gymnast where I could stick the landing,” Koop said.
When he fell, he received electric shocks through his hands, knees, feet and stomach. He was unable to stand up but managed to crawl his way out of the ripple effect of the power, which radiated roughly 10-12 feet from the source. He was then able to stand up and run away. He was later told there were roughly 180,000 watts of electricity surging from the line.
He ran towards the road to get away but was getting weaker and fell. Some of Koop’s workers grabbed him and helped him across the road.
“You don’t have much time at all to think,” Koop said. “A whole bunch of stuff happened right. I surely feel blessed to be here today and it sinks in a little more every day.”
Koop said reghters and power company workers came to talk to him because they were surprised that he was alive and responsive.
The reghters told Koop he was fortunate the ground was dry and not wet, otherwise it would have conducted electricity better.
When Koop jumped off the chopper, he bruised his heel on the landing. The doctor also told him his muscles were going to be sore from the electricity. He said they
were.
Koop said his CLAAS dealer, Burnips Equipment, had a loaner chopper sitting in his parking lot before he had even gotten home from the hospital. The dealership heard about the accident and knew he would need another one, so they sent one before anyone from the farm called them.
“That’s pretty good customer service,” Koop said.
Suzanne made a post on Facebook about the accident.
Koop said most of the comments say, “Thank God you are OK.”
“I have had so many peo-
ple say, ‘Hey we are praying for you,’ or ‘We are so glad you are here,’” Koop said.
A power company from Kansas reached out to Koop and asked if they could use the pictures to teach about power and electricity and what to do in case of an accident.
“There (are) a lot of people with honest and true heartfelt concern and praising God that I am alive,” Koop said. “I am new to the farming community and just seeing the support from across the world, I am so pleased to be a part of the farming community.”
(Le ) The burned-out shell of a self-propelled chopper sits in a chopped corn eld Sept. 20 at Lucky 7 Dairy near McBain, Michigan. The dairy started chopping silage Sept. 12.
(Below) The remains of a selfpropelled chopper sit Sept. 20 at Lucky 7 Dairy near McBain, Michigan. The spout on the chopper touched the bo om wire on a power line and was electried.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Cows relax in sand-bedded stalls Sept. 17 in the new freestall barn at Sheridan Flats Dairy LLC near Waupaca, Wisconsin. The tunnel-ven lated barn also features 55-inch cyclone fans above the inside rows of stalls and 36-inch fans on the outside rows.
We had more expenses on the family side since he was no longer providing our health insurance.”
Furthermore, their barns were at capacity, not properly ventilated and in need of maintenance.
“We used to have bad crowding in the summer,” Amy said. “Hoof health would deteriorate from standing, and milk production would drop.”
Since Jan. 31, cows live in spacious accommodations that accentuate comfort while easing the workload for the Karpinskis and their staff. The barn’s features have benetted cow health and reproduction. The herd, which is primarily Holsteins, also includes 10 Brown Swiss along with Holstein-Brown Swiss crosses, Holstein-Normande crosses and Holstein-Jersey crosses.
Putting all their milk cows under one roof, the tunnel-ventilated barn is 330 feet by 125 feet with a 21-foot-high ceiling. The 280-stall barn includes a pre-fresh pen, maternity pen and calf warming room.
“Cow comfort is our rst priority,” Amy said. “Ventilation in the new barn is a big upgrade from what we had. In the old barns, we just had fans above the free stalls.”
The fans are variable speed and adjust according to temperature. In addition, Josh said tunnel ventilation keeps pests like birds and ies out of the barn.
“We have had no dip in milk production this year,” Amy said. “We used to struggle a lot with conception rates too, but now they keep going up.”
Rising more than 10 points, their conception rate is now at 47%.
“Our conception rate skyrocketed since moving into the new barn,” Amy said. “Before, cows were heat-stressed in summer and cold-stressed in winter, which had a negative impact on conception. Now, we’re getting more cows pregnant sooner. We also used to have a lot of retained placentas, but that stopped like a light switch since moving into the new barn.”
The barn features alley scrapers to provide continuous cleaning, replacing the need to clean via skid loader. Removing tasks like this from the to-do list has given employees more time to properly move cows, Amy said.
The barn runs on automation, ensuring ventilation and cleaning systems operate without the need for human intervention.
In addition to a wall of fans on the end of the new barn, fans are also placed strategically throughout the building to maximize airow. Fifty-ve-inch cyclone fans are located above the inside rows of stalls while 36-inch fans keep cows on the outside rows cool. Automatic curtains are located on the intake end of the barn. Eleven fans in the ridge continuously push the air out.
A complete air exchange occurs throughout the barn every 90 seconds.
“Once the ventilation system and alley scrapers are set, you don’t have to touch them,” Josh said.
A better manure system was also part of the design. A pit within the barn agitates the manure, and once it is full, manure is sent out to the lagoon.
“In the old barns, I had to pump out the pit, and we were doing a lot of daily hauling,” Josh said.
Turn to KARPINSKIS | Page 7
sures 330 feet by 125 feet and has a 21-foot-high ceiling.
LED lighting illuminates the barn, creating a bright workspace. Amy said they received rebates from Focus On Energy for the fans and lighting.
Headlocks are another feature of the new barn that was missing from the old barns. They also installed a footbath cows walk through when coming back from the parlor.
The new barn is connected to the old barns and milking parlor. Milking about 50% more cows with the same amount of resources, the Karpinskis continue to milk twice a day in their double-9 parallel parlor built by Amy’s dad 25 years ago.
“We can still push a lot of cows through it,” Amy said. “We changed the routine in the new barn, and we can milk those extra 120 cows in the same amount of time that we milked 200. We have no downtime in the parlor anymore. It’s much more efcient.”
Better cow ow is a primary reason for the increased productivity. The Karpinskis made changes to the exit of the parlor and begin fetching the next group before one group is done. After they are milked, cows are sent to a holding area off the exit until the next group is in the parlor. Removing the footbath from the exit has also eliminated bottlenecks in
the parlor.
“The setup is easier on employees, and we did not have to add any new people,” Amy said. “It’s nice having the same payroll cost.”
The Karpinskis still utilize their older facilities, with the best of the old barns serving as housing for far-off dry cows.
“Dry cows were stressed before, but post-calving illnesses have dropped right off,” Amy said.
The Karpinskis use their old calving area as a fresh pen/hospital pen, which is located next to the parlor.
“One of the ways we were able to expand was by increasing our feed inventory, but we didn’t need that much more land to feed these added cows,” Amy said. “We feed a high-corn silage diet and very little alfalfa. With corn silage, you get so much more from one crop tonnage-wise.”
The Karpinskis plan to grow again. Phase two of the expansion will include another manure pit, a new milking parlor and more free stalls.
“We’re not afraid to grow,” Amy said. “You have to do what you have to do to pay the bills, as long as you can take care of your cows.”
STACEY SMART/DAIRY
The new barn at Sheridan Flats Dairy LLC stands beneath a blue sky Sept. 17 near Waupaca, Wisconsin. The tunnel-ven lated barn mea-
Enjoying Expo a family affair
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
HUMBIRD, Wis. —
Ever since its inception, World Dairy Expo has been intertwined in the life of the Pralle family of Selz-Pralle Dairy near Humbird.
“Expo was the family event — it was our family vacation, it was what we did,” Pam Selz-Pralle said. “I didn’t ever go to homecoming in high school, because it was always during Expo.”
Pam and her husband, Scott Pralle, milk 450 cows on their Clark County farm. The dairy is home to Joliam Holsteins and their three children: Ryan, Jessica and Nicole.
“We’d get our yellow Kent bags and go around and pick up all the things,” Pam said. “Going to Expo was the rst time I ever went to a Burger King, coming into the west side of Madison. It was a big deal for us farm kids from central Wisconsin.”
Scott’s rst Expo experience came in college.
A generational event
NAUMAN/DAIRY
The Pralle family — David Trimner (le ), Jessica Pralle-Trimner, Sco Pralle, Pam Selz-Pralle, Nicole Pralle and Ryan Pralle — gathers in front of the milking parlor Oct. 9, 2021, at Selz-Pralle Dairy near Humbird, Wisconsin. The Pralle family has par cipated in World Dairy Expo da ng back to Pam’s father’s involvement in the event’s rst year.
“My dad was always on the Tri-State board or involved with (National Association of Animal Breeders), so my parents would go for meetings and I’d stay home and take care of things,” Scott said. “Once I got in college, I started helping Tom Morris and Jim Hoskens with their show string.”
Growing up, Pam never realized the extent to which her family had been involved in the earliest days of WDE. Her father, John Selz, sat on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Holstein Association when the rst event took place in 1967 and was
involved in the beginnings of the show. He was elected president of the WHA in 1968 and continued to be involved with Expo.
“Going through old papers of my dad’s, I found old minutes and letters on letterhead from before the show was actually even called
World Dairy Expo — when it was called the World Food Expo,” Pam said. “They were things that Mrs. Hetts would have typed up on old carbons and old mimeographs — really just fascinating to read.”
As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pam recalls working with the Badger Dairy Club at WDE.
“Back then the BDC students provided nightline services in all the barns,” Pam said. “We’d walk around keeping the animals clean. Barb (Natzke) and I always liked doing the Milking Shorthorn barn. They showed early in the week, and never got upset if animals got too dirty — so we were able to run around and have some fun, too.”
Pam recalls when Expo hosted social events for exhibitors and dairy enthusiasts.
“I remember the square dances, the big parties they would have, and the dances they would have in the Forum building,” Pam said.
While Expo has changed over the years, the primary reason the Pralles attend remains the same.
Combining the robustness and adaptability of Fleckvieh with the excellent milk production and solid conformation of Dutch Red and White Holstein creates a powerhouse of genetic benefits. This blend enhances overall herd performance and longevity, ensuring healthier cows and higher yields. Delve into this crossbreeding strategy for a superior, well-rounded dairy herd.
DANIELLE
STAR
“It is really about the cows and the people,” Pam said. “It’s a social gathering, a place to see everyone. And it is like the art fair, the breeding art fair. You go to see the daughters of the bulls you might like to use, and really just everything about the industry.”
Not every idea that came home from Expo turned out to be a good one, Pam said.
“One year we went down to Madison, and all those (Hilltopper) Warden daughters were winning — they were big, powerful, massive heifers,” Pam said. “We came back home and started using Warden. That was a disaster — they didn’t milk, they didn’t breed back.”
Scott was surprised to hear Warden had been a service sire in the Joliam herd.
“Your dad used Warden?” he said.
Pam laughed in reply.
“They were impressive to look at,” she said. The Pralles admit they use fewer of the bulls siring the show-winning Holsteins these days, recognizing the importance of staying true to their own breeding goals.
“Everyone comes home, all excited to use the new bull siring all the show winners,” Scott said. “I usually tell them that we’ll just hold off for a while and see how they turn out.”
Keeping that focus has allowed the Pralles to nd success within their own herd.
“We focus on breeding cows that are functional and well-balanced,” Pam said. “They need to look good, but they need to earn their keep. We’ve got 50,000-pound cows and 96 Excellent scored cows walking around out in the barn.”
While they do not breed cattle to create an Expo winner, they said they enjoy marketing competitive animals.
“Even if you’re not trying to breed those types of animals or using those bulls, you can still enjoy your time at Expo,” Pam said.
When it comes to visiting the trade show, Pam has traded in her yellow Kent bag for a more streamlined approach.
Turn to PRALLES | Page 11
Visit us at World Dairy Expo booth 669 in the Trade Center
Us for a Quote
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Nicole Pralle concentrates on se ng up her Holstein winter calf Oct. 4, 2016, during the Interna onal Junior Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Pralle has gone from a youth exhibitor to a volunteer and now works with her sister as a superintendent of the World Dairy Expo youth contests.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WISCONSIN HOLSTEIN ASSOCIATION
Jessica Pralle exhibits her Holstein winter yearling, Joliam R Penny 4751-ET, at the Interna onal Junior Holstein Show, Oct. 4, 2016, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The heifer placed sixth in her class.
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An important step for Federal Milk Marketing Order reform
The comment period for the Federal Milk Marketing Order reform process wrapped up earlier this month. American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist Roger Cryan said his organization is not happy with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s approach for make allowances.
“Those make allowances were already big enough that cheesemakers have been building a lot of new plants and plant expansions,” Cryan said. “The cost survey data USDA used to raise those make allowances is badly biased. It’s based on voluntary surveys from small, high-cost processing plants that are not representative of the dairy manufacturing business generally.”
A decision on the nal FMMO changes is expected before the end of the year.
Ad hoc disaster and farm bill passage needed
A farm crisis is on the horizon. U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman made that point in a speech on the U.S. Senate oor Tuesday. The Arkansas Republican said market prices are far below the cost of production, and many farmers will be unable to secure an operating loan next year. Two recommendations were made.
stringent rules and the environmental activist group wants the court to reconsider. A decision may not happen for over a year.
CHS returning patronage and equity redemptions to owners
CHS Inc. plans to return $600 million in cash patronage and equity redemptions to its owners in the calendar year 2025. Based on business done with CHS in scal year 2024, which ended Aug. 31, 2024, the CHS board has elected to return $300 million in cash patronage and $300 million through equity redemptions to CHS owners. This is the third-highest amount of cash returns to owners in CHS history.
By Don Wick Columnist Ag Insider
“We need to provide emergency assistance to address the economic losses that farmers are facing associated with the 2024 crop,” Boozman said. “Farmers across the country need a bridge to help their family farms survive into next year.”
Boozman said ad hoc emergency assistance does not reduce the need to pass a new farm bill this year.
“The window to make this happen is closing quickly,” he said.
Farm Credit Administration: ag economy outlook
The Farm Credit Administration has released its quarterly report on the farm nancial situation. High corn and soybean yields are anticipated, but the large supplies are pressuring commodity prices. Livestock producers are being helped by cheap feed. The strong nancial positions in 2021 and 2022 provided a cushion for the current downturn in the farm economy. With a drop in liquidity, the FCA expects more reliance on operating lines of credit. Year to date, the FCA has had earnings of $3.9 billion. That’s up 12% from the same period last year.
Milk powder exports face new tariffs
Colombia is calling for an additional 4.86% tariff on U.S. milk powder exports, claiming the product is unduly subsidized. The preliminary tariff will be in effect for four months while an investigation takes place. The U.S. Dairy Export Council and the National Milk Producers Federation are disappointed in the preliminary ruling. The dairy groups said the claims are baseless.
U.S. Department of Agriculture updates supply-demand forecast
In the September supply-demand report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered its forecast for 2024 and 2025 milk production. For this year, milk production is forecast at 225.9 billion pounds. That’s down from 226.3 billion pounds in the August report. In 2025, milk production is projected to total 227.9 billion pounds, down from 228.2 billion pounds a month earlier. The downturn is based on lower cow inventories and a reduction in growth in milk per cow. USDA is predicting Class III milk prices to average $19.45 per hundredweight, up from $18.40 per cwt. in August. For 2025, Class III prices are forecast at $19.60, up from $18.65 per cwt.
Concentrated animal feeding operations in court
The Ninth Circuit Court heard oral arguments late last week in a lawsuit seeking stricter regulations for large-scale livestock operations. The lawsuit was led by Food & Water Watch. In 2017, the court denied a petition for more
Newton moves to Terrain
A well-known agricultural economist is the new executive head of Terrain’s team of ag economists and analysts. Most recently, John Newton was the chief economist for the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Republican Caucus. Before coming to Capitol Hill, Newton was chief economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Milk Producers Federation. Newton succeeds Don Close, who launched Terrain in 2022. Close will remain with Terrain and focus on cattle and beef analysis. Terrain provides economic analysis for AgCountry Farm Credit Services, American AgCredit, Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit.
Miller joins Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin
Ben Miller is the new senior vice president of industry relations for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. For the past eight years, Miller has been the assistant vice chancellor for government affairs and strategic partnerships for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Costello continues her commitment to FFA
The new executive director of the Wisconsin FFA Alumni and Supporters is Tari Costello, of Waupun. For the past 27 years, Costello was an ag teacher and FFA advisor for Waupun Area High School. During her career, Costello was recognized as Wisconsin Association of Agriculture Educators Outstanding Agriculture Educator, Wisconsin High School Teacher of the Year, Wisconsin Agri-Science Teacher of the Year and Wisconsin Farm Bureau Outstanding Agriculture Educator. She received a Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship award and is an honorary Chapter, State and American FFA Degree recipient. Costello is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a native of Alma, Wisconsin.
New dairy item on Domino’s menu
Macaroni and cheese is now on the menu for Domino’s Pizza. There are two options: 5-Cheese Mac & Cheese and Spicy Buffalo 5-Cheese Mac & Cheese.
“Domino’s is continuing to innovate with intent and expand our menu with additions that cater to what our customers want,” said Kate Trumbull, Domino’s senior vice president, chief brand ofcer.
Trivia challenge
“The Golden Age” is the theme for the 2024 World Dairy Expo. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what color are the shavings in the Coliseum at the 2024 World Dairy Expo? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star.
Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of 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 sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
A paper shows le erhead for the World Food and Agricultural Founda on, the precursor to what is now World Dairy Expo. The artwork for the logo for the event has remained the same throughout its history
“I typically go through the trade show to look for specic things, based on the current technology,” Pam said. “One year it was to look at milk taxis, another year it was to look for things to improve upon our freestalls and decrease our sand usage.”
The educational opportunities that Expo added have sparked interest in the Pralle family.
“There are always some seminars I enjoy taking in,” Pam said. “Since you can’t be there every single day, it is nice to now have the option to watch or listen remotely, and also to have them available on-demand.”
With their own family, the Pralles continued the Expo tradition as their children grew up.
“We took our kids down to compete in the junior show and do showmanship and the tting contest,” Pam said. “They were all involved with
Badger Dairy Club and had that experience, too. Now they’re following in their grandpa’s footsteps.
She said they volunteer and have been elevated to take on leadership roles within Expo. Jessica and Nicole work together as the superintendents of the youth contests, overseeing the tting and showmanship contests.
Watching their children take on those roles has really driven home the idea that Expo is a generational event.
“Who would have ever thought Jessica would work alongside and learn from people like Verlo DeWall and Bill Hageman, Sr., as a volunteer?” Pam said. “These young people are working with the older generation, developing those relationships because they all have something in common: a love for the artistry of breeding.”
“It helps me keep track of the cows that need to be bred, and I keep an eye on the days in milk and the days open.”
What tests do you use and what do you like about those tests? I use tests for somatic cell count, butterfat and protein. I like to identify the high somatic cell cows so I can take them out of the line and use that milk for calves or something else.
Which is your favorite and why? My favorite test is the somatic cell count test, just so I know which ones I need to keep an eye on. I either treat them, cull them or use them to feed calves.
How does testing with DHIA bene t your dairy operation? It helps me keep track of the cows that need to be bred, and I keep an eye on the days in milk and the days open. I use their records a lot. Each month it gives you a list of cows to breed or which ones need to be pregnancy checked.
Tell us about your farm. We typically have about 90 cows and we milk our herd in a tiestall barn. We grow our own feed, harvesting alfalfa, high-moisture corn and corn silage. We buy our protein from the local elevator. We get help from my dad, Harvey, and my brother, Dan, helps with eld work. We ship our milk to First District Association.
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Harlan Mauk Howard Lake, MN Wright County • 80 cows
Deer, bear, elk wreak havoc
Sawyer, Rusk County farmers
deal with losses from wildlife damage
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
LADYSMITH,
Wis. —
In the north woods of Wisconsin, farmers are facing challenges from wildlife that are damaging crops, and a lack of compensation for those damages.
“This has been a prolonged problem, and it hasn’t gotten any better,” said Mike Robers, a Sawyer County dairy farmer. “It’s continually getting worse. We’ve got to get compensated for our losses because we can’t keep losing that kind of money.”
Robers milks 430 cows with his family on their Exeland dairy farm, raising 850 acres of crops to feed the herd.
Along with Sawyer County grain farmers Dale and Connor Beissel of Winter, Robers hosted a Wildlife Damage Forum Sept. 19 in Ladysmith. They explained the plight farmers in Sawyer and Rusk Counties face dealing with
heavy crop damage caused by deer, bear and elk.
Farmers can enroll in Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program said Seth Zesiger, assistant district supervisor the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services. But the program does not make farmers whole.
In 2020, the top seven claims submitted in Rusk and Sawyer Counties totaled $194,449, with $67,919 in damages being paid out.
Recent years have had similar outcomes for farmers in the region. The top three claims in the two counties, led in 2021 totaled $75,504 with $28,930 paid out; while the top four claims in 2022 totaled $131,271 with $40,000 being reimbursed.
Farmers who chose to participate in the program must meet certain criteria. The must exceed or being likely to exceed $1,000 in crop damages to receive a damage shooting permit. They must exceed a $500 deductible to receive a damage claim. Farms must be open to public hunting. Rented crop land can only be eligible for the program if the landowner is open to public hunting, which Robers said many are not willing to agree to. If land-owners do not agree, the
Rob Summer
and
age to a corneld Sept. 20 near Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Robers
language in crop damage programs.
damage on their property is not counted in overall totals.
“Participants in the damage program are obligated to let hunters on their property for whatever species they want to collect damage claims for,”
Zesiger said. “The whole program is funded by hunting license sales. Anytime anyone buys a license, a portion of that money goes to fund this program.”
According to Zesiger, the
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Rep.
eld (le )
Sawyer County dairy farmer Mike Robers look over bear dam-
is urging legislators to change
corn
open to hunters — it’s going to help everybody,” Zesiger said. “If you’re having trouble with deer, have people come in and shoot deer; if you’re having trouble with bear, have people come in and shoot bear.”
According to Robers and Dale Beissel, farmers are capped at $10,000 for crop damage reimbursement, regardless of the extent of the actual damages suffered.
“Most years I don’t go over the cap, but I’m pushing for the guys who do,” Robers said. “If we want to stay in business, we can’t keep eating these kinds of losses. It has to be compensated for. If I were to go downtown and ask any of the business owners if they were willing to donate $15,000 or more each year to charity, how easily could they do that? ... Dale has been having these kinds of losses for over 30 years.”
The charity Robers refers to is feeding the vast population of deer and bear, native to the area, along with the growing elk herd that was introduced into the region.
In Sawyer and Rusk Counties, Highway 27 largely serves as what Beissel refers to as a dividing line between public lands to the east and private land, largely agricultural, to the west. Beissel farms on both sides of the highway.
“It’s like the bears have radar, they know when that corn is ready,” Beissel said. “There is a predominant west wind, they can smell the corn. They migrate to the corn in August and will stay for nearly two months, before going back to the wooded public lands.”
Most years, Beissel said he exceeds the damage cap by at least $40,000.
“Bears aren’t stupid, they want the best part of the eld,” Beissel said. “They’ll move through the eld testing until they nd the area they want to eat at. You’ll see them sitting down — they’ll swipe an armload over to them, eat that; then they’ll move to the next spot and do the same thing.”
While the program provides ag tags for the bear and deer to be hunted as a means of abatement, Robers questions
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“There really aren’t that many bears killed on crop damage tags,” Robers said. “The bulk are killed in this area, and I push it heavy. We shot 15 bears on my farm each year for three years running.”
While the affected farmers in Sawyer and Rusk Counties push for increased compensation for their lost yields, Robers said he needs the abatement as much as the compensation.
“I need all the crops I grow — every stalk, every kernel — to feed my cows,” Robers said. “I feed high-moisture corn. With compensation, I can buy corn, but it’s likely going to be dry corn and doesn’t t in our ration. Our herd averaged 105 pounds per cow for the rst six months of this year. You don’t mess around with rations when they’re producing like that.”
Robers said that while he does not regularly exceed the reimbursement cap, his tonnage loss is grievous.
“Out of 600 acres of corn I planted this year, they’ll take six or seven,” Robers said. “If you gure you’re getting 150-bushel corn, that’s nearly 1,000 bushels. If you’re getting 30 tons of corn silage, that’s over 200 tons. It adds up fast.”
Robers and Beissel agree they are relieved to only deal with deer and bear damage and have not suffered damage from elk, thus far.
Zesiger said deer and elk damage look similar. The elk go through a eld eating everything while deer will eat the tops of the plants off early, stunting growth. When the grain is ripe, the deer will eat that, along with the alfalfa they eat all summer.
Robers and Beissel are looking to legislators to help with the problem
“We need changes in the way the bills are written,” Robers said. “We would like to have language included that at least lets us trap and relocate bears on rented land where the land owner does not want public hunting. ... We could mitigate some of the damage, even if we couldn’t get paid for it.”
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A cob of
shows elk damage Sept. 20 in a eld near Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Elk will eat their way through a corneld, leaving acres of destroyed crops.
Wilfred Owens Frederic, Wisconsin Polk County 650 cows
When did you start chopping and how many acres do you plan to chop this year? We started chopping Sept. 17. We have about 400500 acres to chop.
Who helps with corn silage harvest and what are their roles? We typically have about seven people helping us with our corn silage. We chop with two pull-type choppers and have four people hauling wagons and one person to push silage.
What are your goals when harvesting corn silage? I don’t like silos to run. We try to get it done by about 65% moisture, but don’t always succeed. This year is going to be a poor crop. We’ve chopped a lot of corn that was only 6-7 feet tall. We had too much moisture when we planted. We no-tilled into corn stalks, and they did exactly what they were supposed to do — form a mulch. The plants were yellow and looked poor for a long time.
What are your preservation and storage methods for your corn silage? We store our silage in bunker silos, and use an inoculant.
What have you changed during the growing season or harvesting within the last couple years? We have not really changed anything in the last few years.
What percentage of your ration is corn silage? About 60% of our roughage is corn silage, with about 40% being haylage. This winter will probably be more haylage. We made lots of that this year.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of corn silage harvesting for you? There is always a relief when it is nished, knowing you have feed on hand for the winter. I do enjoy getting out in the elds and seeing how the crops look. You never really know until you get out into it.
Tell us about your farm. Owens Farms Inc. is a family-owned farm. In addition to my brothers, Walter and Roger, and me, our children are involved as the next generation. We milk 650 cows, selling our milk to the First District Association. We crop just over 1,500 acres, of which about 1,000 acres are corn.
Tom Wegner
Wegnerlann Dairy
Ettrick, Wisconsin
Trempealeau County
600 cows
When did you start chopping and how many acres do you plan to chop this year? We started on Sept. 7 and will chop 500 acres.
Who helps with corn silage harvest and what are their roles? We work with a custom harvesting crew. They deliver the feed to the silage pad. We are in charge of pushing, packing and covering.
What are your goals when harvesting corn silage? 10,000 tons with 68%-69% moisture.
What are your preservation and storage methods for your corn silage? Feed is stored on a concrete pad in a drive-over pile. It is covered with Feed Fresh plastic and tires.
What have you changed during the growing season or harvesting within the last couple years? What was the benet? Nothing during growing and harvesting, but for storage, we started using Feed Fresh plastic. We had been using an oxygen barrier and 5 mil plastic and we were getting lots of spoilage on top.
What percentage of your ration is corn silage? 50%.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of corn silage harvesting for you? The smell of the rst load. And, when the last tire goes on the pile.
Tell us about your farm. Wegnerlann Dairy is an LLC between my parents, Jeff and Betty Wegner, and my wife, Annaliese, and me. We milk in a double-8 parallel parlor. Cows are housed in sand-bedded free stalls. Milk is shipped Dairy Farmers of America Inc.
Don Boland
Mount Sterling, Wisconsin
Crawford County 170 cows
When did you start chopping and how many acres do you plan to chop this year? We started chopping Sept. 17 and only have 12 acres this year.
Who helps with corn silage harvest and what are their roles? I chop and my cousin, Sean, unloads.
What are your goals when harvesting corn silage? Maximum tonnage with soft kernels at maturity from silage-specic hybrids.
What are your preservation and storage methods for your corn silage? We bag it all.
What have you changed during the growing season or harvesting within the last couple years? What was the benet? We have backed off on our corn silage acreage and are debating whether we should keep growing it considering lower commodity feed prices and ever-increasing input costs. We have booked some feed to replace it and will see how it goes.
What percentage of your ration is corn silage? We have fed about 15 pounds year-round to the milk cows in the past.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of corn silage harvesting for you? Finishing.
Tell us about your farm. We have a 170-cow, springfreshening seasonal herd. My cousin Sean, his daughter, Danielle, and I provide most of the labor. We milk in a swing-12 parlor and our milk is marketed through Scenic Central Milk Producers.
Anthony Brossard
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin Dodge County 400 cows
When did you start chopping and how many acres do you plan to chop this year? We started chopping Sept. 17 and will chop about 230 acres. We have a lot of carry over silage from last year, but with all the rain we had in spring and early summer, some of our crops are uneven in the drowned-out spots. We’re going to chop about the same amount as other years to get enough silage. Our yield is surprisingly good considering all the rain we had. We had just shy of 16 inches from late May to early June. We had late corn we didn’t get planted until the middle of June, but the warm weather we’ve had is pushing it along, and it’s going to catch the stuff we’re chopping so we can go right into it.
Who helps with corn silage harvest and what are their roles? A young guy, Alex, who works full time for us, runs one of the pack tractors. Marcus and Matthew, who help us part time, take turns running the other pack tractor. Three retired gentlemen run our silage trailers, and I run the chopper.
What are your goals when harvesting corn silage? I try to be in that 66%70% moisture range. I try to get started once it hits 70%, especially in dry weather because it dries down 0.05%-1% moisture per day. This year, we’re chopping a lot of 20–25-ton corn. The third day in, we were running 30 tons to the acre. That’s exceptionally good for this year and is usually our goal. We grow a lot of low-lignin silage hybrids.
What are your preservation and storage methods for your corn silage? We put inoculant on with the chopper to help with fermentation. We store it in a large bunker silo that is double covered with plastic. We pack plastic along the walls and fold it in. We do two layers of plastic across the whole pile to make sure we get all the seams overlapped and covered.
What have you changed during the growing season or harvesting within the last couple years? What was the benet? We always side-dressed some nitrogen and switched to doing 32% nitrogen with Y-drops a few years ago and saw a big benet. We get really good, consistent yields. We don’t have to put a lot of nitrogen on because of all the manure we have. We put a little pre-plant down (urea) to get the corn started and then side-dress with the 32%. We try to side dress when the corn is at least 3 feet tall and close to tasseling.
What percentage of your ration is corn silage? About 50%.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of corn silage harvesting for you? We are all sick of hay by the time we get done with the fourth crop and enjoy the change of pace with doing corn silage. Chopping corn is fun because you don’t have to windrow it like hay or merge it. And if you get a little rain, it doesn’t slow you down.
Tell us about your farm. My grandpa, Walter Warner, started the farm in the early 1930s. My parents, Dennis and Carol Brossard, were the next generation to farm here, and my sister, Andrea, and I are the third generation. When I graduated from the Farm and Industry Short Course in 1997, our family was milking 40 cows in a stanchion barn and we have slowly grown from within. Today, we milk twice a day in a double-12 parallel parlor and sell our milk to Cedar Valley Cheese, which makes some of the best string cheese you can buy. We have four full-time milkers and two part-time calf feeders and relief milkers as well as one full-time guy who feeds and does other outside chores. We also have part-time seasonal help for harvest. We farm about 800 acres and raise all our replacement heifers. About 80% of our cows are bred to beef, and we raise some steers that eat the refusal feed from our milk cows. Virgin heifers are bred to sexed semen for replacements. My wife, Christie, and I have three young kids — Lucas, Ava and Lillie.
Describe your farm and facilities. I used to milk 80 head with my brother on our home farm and kept our show cattle where I currently farm. When we sold the other farm, I began farming here. This farm has been in our family for almost 150 years. The cows are housed in what used to be a show barn that contains 20 tie stalls and four box stalls. There are also seven stalls for calves. I used to have a show pack across from the calf stalls where cows stood just like they would at a show. From early spring to late fall, the cows are outside day and night on pasture. They are hardly ever on concrete. I have no barn cleaner or silo unloader, so most everything is done with skid loader or by hand. I’ve always bred for type. The forage has to be pretty good to get the pretty girls to milk. I still breed to show, but it’s harder to get away now. I do some merchandising of cattle and periodically place cattle in sales.
What forages do you harvest? I harvest hay, baleage and corn silage.
How many acres of crops do you raise? I raise 300 acres total. This includes 150 acres of corn (50 acres corn silage and 100 acres grain) and 150 acres of alfalfa (100 acres pure alfalfa and 50 acres alfalfa grass, festulolium and other mixes.) I sell some grain corn and some alfalfa.
FORAGE PROFILE
What quality and quantity do you harvest of each crop? For alfalfa, I try to make half dry hay and half baleage. The baleage is really good quality to feed my cows. I shoot for 25%35% moisture for the baleage. If it’s wetter, it’s harder on the baler. If it feels dry, I like to do it immediately. I try to make the best straight alfalfa with as much protein as I can. For dry hay, I shoot for 17% moisture. I do 250 big squares and 100 big round bales. For baleage, I do 250 bales. I had massive crops this year on the ground. It was amazing the amount of hay that was out there. I would be happy with half that amount in a typical year. For alfalfa, I have planted mixed varieties, and it works pretty well. They kind of compete against each other. I’ve had pretty good luck that way, and they get through winter a little better. For corn silage, I plant a different hybrid every year that goes grain or corn silage. I shoot for around 60% moisture. For the rest of the corn, I lean towards grain with a 95-100day maturity. I have sandy loam soil, and a cover crop has really helped. It gives the soil some body, and you see green through the fall. If I get corn off early enough, I usually plant rye as a cover crop before the ground freezes.
Describe the rations for your livestock. I do not feed a total mixed ration. I feed free-choice baleage all day and limited corn silage. In winter, I feed fourthcutting baleage, corn silage, and big squares of alfalfa. Cows also receive grain, protein and mineral in the barn. I individualize their feed in winter and pump more protein. I give more feed to higher-producing animals but
mostly feed everyone as a group. Bred heifers and dry cows roam on about nine acres of pasture and also eat dry hay and corn silage. Younger heifers receive higher protein and less ber. Everyone gets free-choice mineral and salt.
Describe your harvesting techniques for alfalfa and corn silage. I try to get four cuttings of alfalfa every 28-30 days. For the grass/alfalfa, I shoot for three cuttings in between the four cuttings of alfalfa. The rst and fourth cuttings of alfalfa I usually wrap as baleage. I have an individual wrapper that I bought ve years ago that saves me a lot of time. I used to use a sickle cut mower on my alfalfa, but now I use a discbine. It goes so much faster; you can cut a lot of feed. I also use an individual bale squeezer for doing hay. It ops bales on their side and stacks them 2-3 high, and they seal better with the weight. I found that helps a lot, especially if you go 6-8 months before feeding. You have less spoilage as it maintains quality better. For corn silage, I have a processor on my chopper. I pretty much do the harvesting myself except for a guy who helps me unload. I was done chopping corn silage around Labor Day this year. I rent a bagger and have two wagons for unloading. I also use a line wrapper that I borrow from a custom guy that uses a little less plastic because you don’t have to do the ends.
What techniques do you use to store, manage and feed your forages? I chop enough corn silage to ll my two 9-foot by 200-foot bags. It takes 35 acres to ll the two bags.
Rick Frozene Westfield, Wisconsin | Marquette County | 25 cows
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Rick Frozene examines his recently harvested corn silage Sept. 17 on his farm near Wes ield, Wisconsin. Frozene milks 25 cows and farms 300 acres and nished chopping corn around Labor Day.
Dean Nelson • Central and Northern Minnesota • Grove City, MN
US Hwy. 75 At IA/MN Stateline • Steen, MN • 507-392-2870
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at 2022 World Dairy Expo,
Saucier Photo (At, right) Black Velvet at 2024 Wisconsin Summer Championship, after winning 1st Production Cow, Best Uddered, Bred and Owned, Senior, and Grand Champion. She is bred and owned by Triple T, Vierra Dairy, and Duckett Holsteins, Rudolph, Wisconsin. Duckett Holsteins is home to Black Velvet, Footloose and other elite cows. Triple-T had a top 2023 BAA of 115.6 and is home to Vierra Dairy’s show string with four World Dairy Expo Grand Champions.
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It’s great for our fresh cows at home and keeps the udder quality while showing,” says Mike Duckett, Duckett Holsteins, Rudolph, Wis., home to Ms Beautys Black Velvet-ET EX96, owned by Duckett, Vierra Dairy, and Triple-T. Mike and Julie Duckett provide her daily care. She won it all recently at the 2024 Wisconsin Summer Championship.
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(Left)
Beautys Black Velvet-ET EX96
Res. Sr., HM Grand, 2x Bred-Owned Champion. Carl
STACEY SMART/ DAIRY STAR
I make baleage as well as round bales and big squares of dry hay. I put acid on dry hay as a preservative with the baler. I like doing that because you get more leaves. It clumps and hangs together making it easier to carry around. I feed free-choice hay and baleage. I keep roughage in front of the cows at all times. It keeps them healthy and the rumen doing what it’s supposed to be doing.
Throughout your career, have you changed the forages you plant, and how has that decision helped your operation? I usually look at the breakdowns of varieties of alfalfa. I want something that falls right back for a 28-30-day cut. I aim at seeds that give four cuttings in dry ground or wet ground. I also pay attention to digestibility on the grass varieties and winter hardiness on alfalfa. Mixing varieties helps. When it comes to alfalfa, lower lignin is better quality. They make genetic improvements for a reason, and the genetics in it are key. Digestibility and how it works with another crop are also factors for me. In corn, I look for high digestibility yet also something that
Rick Frozene checks the quality of a fourth-crop dry hay bale Sept. 17 on his farm near Wes ield, Wisconsin. Frozene tries to get four cu ngs of alfalfa spaced 28-30 days.
will dry down for shell corn.
Describe a challenge you overcame in reaching your forage quality goals. Weather is a constant challenge. You have to have rain to make hay, and you have to have dry weather to make hay. The wrapper helps a ton. If it looks like it’s going to rain, we’ll bale and wrap. That’s a big change from years ago.
How do quality forages play a part in the production goals for your herd? I breed for type, not milk. But the better forage I can put up, I can at least get milk if I’m not getting to show. Also, when you feed quality forages to youngstock, they grow better, and you can cut back on other proteins.
What are management or harvesting techniques you have changed that have made a notable difference in forage quality? Using equipment such as a wrapper, bale squeezer and discbine have allowed me to make better-quality forages in less time.
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August and summer 2024 climate summary
Month begins, ends with heatwave
By Steve Vavrus, Bridgette Mason and Ed Hopkins
Editor’s Note: The following climate summary was provided by the Wisconsin State Climatology Ofce.
The last month of meteorological summer ended with an intense heatwave; however, temperatures averaged near normal for August and the entire summer.
Wisconsin experienced a “temperature parfait” during August, consisting of three distinct thermal periods. The month started with several days of hot weather, beginning with scores of stations reaching at least 90 degrees Aug. 1. A 94-degree afternoon greeted visitors at the opening of the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis.
The statewide average temperature from August 1-5 was 5 degrees warmer than normal. A long stretch of comfortable conditions immediately ensued, with temperatures running below normal by 2 degrees until Aug. 23. However, the taste of early fall was displaced by an intense heat wave during the nal week of August that led to a statewide average temperature of 5 degrees warmer than normal, matching the warm conditions that started the month.
For August as a whole, these temperature swings mostly canceled each other and resulted in a Wisconsin monthly average of 67.7 degrees, only 0.5 degrees warmer than normal.
For the second year in a row, a lateAugust heat wave generated the hottest weather of the year and led to the National Weather Service issuing an excessive
heat warning. A slew of daily temperature records was set throughout the state during the heatwave from Aug. 26-29.
The highest temperature of the year (98 degrees) occurred at three locations: Beloit and Brodhead in the far south and Mondovi in the west. The heat was accompanied by stiing humidity, with widespread dewpoint temperatures in the middle to upper 70s and a couple of stations (Boscobel and Lone Rock) touching 80 degrees.
This combination of extreme heat and moisture produced dangerously high heat indices of at least 110 degrees in a few places. This heat wave was shortlived and considerably less intense than the August 2023 event, when the air temperature alone exceeded the century mark in many places and included a statewide maximum for the year of 105 degrees.
Wisconsin saw a statewide average of 4.28 inches of precipitation this August, which was 0.38 inches above the 1991 to 2020 normal of 3.90 inches. Despite August’s near-normal statewide amounts, rain fell infrequently, with measurable rainfall (at least 0.01 inches) occurring on fewer than half the days of August.
Southwestern Wisconsin was particularly parched as it saw just 6-9 days of rainfall by the end of August, resulting in precipitation amounts of only 50%-75% of normal for many counties. In contrast, central and northwestern Wisconsin compensated for the days of minimal precipitation with widespread high rainfall intensity events of 4-8 inches, resulting in accumulation well over 100% of normal. A few counties even neared 200% of normal.
A few rounds of thunderstorms the rst week of August brought torrential downpours and reports of funnel clouds. However, the funnel clouds were shortlived and dissipated before reaching the ground.
Another round of severe storms struck Wisconsin in late August, coinciding with the extreme heat. By the end of the month, the hot and humid weather broke following a cold front, but along with the cold front came three tornadoes: two EF0s and one EF1. The EF1 tornado traveled 6.6 miles near Beldenville (Pierce County). One of the EF0 tornadoes crossed the St. Croix River and entered Pierce County. The other EF0 traveled 1 mile along Interstate 94 near Wilson (St. Croix County).
These three tornadoes bring this year’s count to 45, making it the thirdhighest total since records began in 1950. Although this year has appeared active in terms of the number of tornadoes, the 21 conrmed tornadoes for summer 2024 tied 1967 for 15th place, well behind the 58 tornadoes that hit the state in the summer of 2005. Of the 21 tornadoes this summer, half were weak EF0s.
Much like August itself, this year’s meteorological summer featured temperatures very close to normal throughout Wisconsin. The statewide summer average was 67.3 degrees, 0.1 degree above the 1991–2020 average, in sharp contrast to the fourth hottest summer on record experienced by the nation as a whole. Only in a few scattered places did daily average temperatures stray more than a degree from normal.
Hot weather in 2024 has been brief and — except for the late-August heat wave — not especially intense for Wisconsin.
In a typical year there are 10 days of at least 90 degrees at Wisconsin’s rstorder weather stations (Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau). By the end of summer this year, only six such hot days have occurred.
It also appears that Wisconsin will
not record a 100-degree temperature in 2024. The absence of triple-digit heat is something that has become common in recent years, even though Wisconsin’s annual maximum temperature used to regularly surpass 100 degrees, based on data back to the 1880s.
Abnormal dryness reappeared in northern and southwestern Wisconsin by the end of July and end of August, respectively, as a result of below-normal precipitation. Despite the highly varying precipitation pattern, meteorological summer ended with a statewide average of 15.73 inches, a noteworthy 3.09 inches above normal and the sixth wettest summer on record.
The abundance of rainfall the rst half of the summer made for difcult working and growing conditions. In August, nearly six days per week were suitable for eldwork according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Despite the early summer challenges, Wisconsin’s corn and soybeans continued to progress, with a majority of crops remaining in good to excellent condition and hovering right around the ve-year average pace throughout the summer.
While odds are again leaning toward a warm upcoming season (September through November) throughout most of the country, there is no indication whether Wisconsin or the Upper Midwest will experience an unusually wet or dry autumn. The National Weather Service’s outlook issued last month calls for a 40%-50% chance that Wisconsin’s fall season will be warmer than normal, with a somewhat stronger likelihood in the eastern portion. Since the late 1990s, nearly three out of four autumns in the state have been warmer than the long-term average (1895-present).
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Wisconsin 4-H judging takes Harrisburg by storm
Pierce County wins All-American Dairy Show contest
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
HARRISBURG, Penn.
Just a month after placing second in the Wisconsin 4-H State Dairy Judging Contest, four young dairy enthusiasts from Pierce County, Wisconsin, traveled over 1,000 miles to compete in the All-American Dairy Show Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest in Harrisburg. The team won the contest and two members ranked rst and second as individuals overall.
The team — coached by Bob Traynor and Peter Coyne — consisted of Braeden Bechel, Hannah Fesenmaier, Ava Kolodzienski and Abby Thompson.
Bechel topped the contest and placed fth in reasons, while Kolodzienski placed second and was 10th in reasons. As a team, the group placed third in oral reasons. Bechel won the Guernsey breed, leading his team to a rst-place nish in the breed. Fesenmaier was the high individual in the Jersey breed.
While competing in the contest, the four judged 10 classes — ve classes of cows and ve classes of heifers — and gave four sets of oral reasons, including a set on one of the heifer classes.
“We had a really good trip,” Traynor said. “We were pretty proud of them. Peter and I have both been coaching for 39 years, and this was just a blast.”
This year’s team is the second the pair have taken to the contest in Harrisburg. They have their sights set on next year with all four members of this year’s winning team returning and some young judges they are excited about moving up.
“We’re liking our chances for next year, and for our future,” Traynor said.
He said that Braeden and Ava are well seasoned and that Abby and Hannah are young and very talented. He said with it being only Hannah’s second year with reasons and Abby’s second year with judging that placing in the Top 20 in a national contest is impressive.
“We just plan to keep
petitive; I’ve been doing well this year,” Bechel said. “The classes were kind of tough, in my opinion, and I didn’t think my reasons went that well. I started out thinking I could have done better, but it worked out OK.”
Bechel began his 4-H judging career young and has enjoyed building his skills.
“I really enjoy the reasons,” Bechel said. “I like talking about why I like the cows. Sometimes my coach and I don’t agree on placings, but I can usually talk my way out of it.”
Everyone on the team played a role in their success.
“Everyone has their job, on the team,” Bechel said. “Reasons are my strong point, and Ava is probably the best at seeing the cows. Hannah and Abby are very consistent and always turn in very solid scores every single time. It takes all of us to achieve success.”
Kolodzienski agreed that seeing the cows is her strong point, although that was not always the case.
developing,” he said. “These kids are really into practices. ... When you’re coaching, that’s just gravy. It’s a lot of fun to coach when the kids really
want it.”
Bechel said his rst trip to Pennsylvania will be one he is unlikely to forget.
“I thought I could be com-
“I started judging in fth grade, and I wasn’t very good at it,” Kolodzienski said.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Ava Kolodzienski (le ) and Braeden Bechel display their awards a er topping the All-American Dairy Show Invita onal Youth Dairy Ca le Judging Contest Sept. 15 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Bechel was the top individual and placed h in oral reasons while Kolodzienski was the second high individual and 10th in oral reasons.
The Pierce County 4-H judging team — Peter Coyne (from le ), Abby Thompson, Braeden Bechel, Ava Kolodzienski, Hannah Fesenmaier and Bob Traynor — earned top honors in the All-American Dairy Show Invita onal Youth Dairy Ca le Judging Contest Sept. 15 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team earned the right to compete at the contest a er placing second in the Wisconsin 4-H State Dairy Judging Contest.
“Then something just clicked when I was in seventh or eighth grade, and I started to get better. Now the placings are the easy part for me, but I still struggle sometimes with reasons. I’d prefer to do placings and type analysis questions.”
Bechel and Kolodzienski agree that judging has opened doors they never expected.
“I’ve never played sports, so this is my thing,” Kolodzienski said. “Being good at something is rewarding. It takes you out of your shell and makes you try new things.”
Both say they have beneted from improved communication skills.
“I was never very good at giving speeches in school,” Bechel said. “But as I’ve gotten better at giving reasons, I’ve gotten better at public speaking overall.”
Kolodzienski agreed.
“It’s not the easiest thing to do, to stand in front of a random stranger and tell them what you think when you don’t know if you’re right or wrong,” Kolodzienski said. “I’ve developed more condence in expressing my thoughts.”
The social aspect of dairy judging is important too, the pair said.
“I love meeting people through dairy judging,” Bechel said. “I’ve made a lot of new friends, who I share a passion with.”
Kolodzienski said she enjoys the
camaraderie and close relationships built with her coaches and teammates.
“(We) have a lot of fun together,” Kolodzienski said. “It makes judging exciting, and it makes us all want to do better, because of that closeness.”
Building those relationships has happened over the years of learning and competing together.
“It’s not necessarily the easiest thing to learn, but stick with it,” Kolodzienski said. “Once it starts to make sense, you’ll start to love it. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.”
Success with oral reasons grows with practice, too, Bechel added.
“Don’t be too rough on yourself at the start and don’t be scared of reasons,” Bechel said. “Focus on your TAQs, they’ll help you with reasons later on. It all comes with age, time and practice.”
Because of their attitude and work ethic, Traynor said he and Coyne have no doubts this team has yet to complete their story.
“In the last three contests this year, I’ve written down what I expect the day before and then I share it with them after the contest is done, to see how close I come,” Traynor said. “For this contest, I predicted they would win the contest and we’d have at least two in the top 10. I thought we’d be in the top three teams for reasons, and that we’d have a couple of breed winners. They completely exceeded my expectations.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
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Forging a new direction
Schlies manages herd for more milk, better health
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
DENMARK, Wis. — Jeremy Schlies is the reason cows still ll the barn at Old Settlers Dairy. The 23-year-old’s passion for bovines is reected in the decisions he makes and the tasks he does.
“I kind of always knew I wanted to farm,” Jeremy said. “I don’t know what the heck else I would do. I love it.”
Jeremy farms with his dad, Dave, on their 90-cow dairy near Denmark. Even before he graduated from the Farm and Industry Short Course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022, Jeremy had a knack for herd management and nding ways to get more milk out of the cows.
“The cows are the priority of every day,” he said. “They’re our bread and butter and how we structure ourselves. At the end of the day, it’s satisfying for me to do a good job with them. I’m very hands-on.”
Jeremy is the fourth generation on the farm that Dave and his brother, Don, own in partnership. Dave owns two-thirds and Don owns one-third. Don hauls milk for R. Schlies Transfer Inc., which he owns and operates as a full-time business. Don’s and Dave’s father started the business in 1968 as a can route.
“Jeremy is the main culprit of why there are cows here,” Dave said. “He’s the driving force.”
With his forward mindset, Jeremy has taken the farm in a new direction.
“I had some ideas and felt we needed to make some changes to set the building blocks for more production,” he said.
His dad said he can relate to his son’s thinking.
“Jeremy has different ideas than me, I had different ideas than my dad, and my dad had different ideas than his
dad,” Dave said. “That’s just the way it is. At our size, you can’t meet benchmarks, you have to exceed them. You have to do better each day.”
Jeremy agreed.
“We have to stay viable with the times,” he said. “If I can make some small improvement, that means a lot to me. Facilities only mean so much. What are the meat and potatoes behind it?”
The Schlieses milk twice a day in a tiestall barn, with father and son milking together every morning.
“Dad and I do quite a bit together,” Jeremy said. “I couldn’t do it by myself.”
They also receive help from four part-time employees.
Jeremy’s mom, Julie, is a fthgrade teacher and drives the chopper in the summer. The Schlieses farm 490 acres. Don and his sons, Jacob, Jeffery and Ryan, help with eldwork as well. Don’s wife, Wendy, works for a law rm in Green Bay.
Dave is in charge of feeding calves, and Jeremy takes care of feeding cows.
“I took a lot of time in school to learn how to manage and improve on that,” Jeremy said. “I take pride in put-
ting a good ration in front of the cows, and I’m big into watching dry matter. That has made a huge difference.”
As he worked to get more feed into the cows, Jeremy increased feed pushups. Their cows eat an average of 62 pounds of dry matter per day, which has risen by 7 pounds. The increase in dry matter intake has given way to an increase in milk production as well.
The farm has a rolling herd average of 34,600 pounds of milk, 1,281 pounds of butterfat and 1,102 pounds of protein. Jeremy said he aims for 7.5
pounds of solids per cow. A total mixed ration is fed to nearly every animal on the farm and customized for milk cows, dry cows, heifers and steers.
The tiestall barn is tunnel-ventilated and features timed LED lighting. Jeremy also installed more fans to improve ventilation.
“I take a lot of pride in making sure the cows are comfortable,” he said. “Cows also get exercise yearround, which is a big priority for us.”
Dave saw the future in Jeremy, and from making enhancements in the barn to updating the milkhouse, he gave his son a foundation to take him into the future. Adding new stalls, mangers and plumbing to the barn in 2013 is one such example.
“My dad could tell when I was young that I had interest in the farm,” Jeremy said. “I give him credit for seeing that in me and building respectable facilities for these animals.”
Jeremy makes all breeding and health decisions. The Schlieses follow an extensive vaccination program and recently rewrote their vaccine protocol.
Jeremy is 10 years into developing a herd of registered Holsteins and has bred several Excellent cows.
“I only have one grade cow left,” he said. “I have an interest in valueadded, and registered cattle is that for me.”
Building pedigrees and solid production is Jeremy’s focus, and he hopes to market more of his cattle going forward.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Jeremy Dave Schlies, take a break Sept. 12 at Old Se lers Dairy near Denmark, Wisconsin. Jeremy manages the herd on the 90-cow opera on where they farm 490 acres.
Precision livestock farming highlights
The European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming was held recently in Bologna, Italy. This event happens every other year. This year, it brought together about 400 researchers and industry representatives from 30 countries for a few days to learn and network about precision technology. There were a few plenary talks to start the morning and afternoon sessions, and then concurrent breakout sessions, with two out of ve each day focusing on dairy technology research.
By Marcia Endres University of Minnesota
On the rst day, Dr. Alex Bach, a former student of the University of Minnesota graduate dairy nutrition program, gave a thought-provoking talk on “Precision feeding technologies and strategies to improve prots, health, and reproductive performance of dairy farms.” Some of the key messages to take home include: — Most farms groupfeed cows, and there is a challenge of different, individual cow intakes within the group, but we balance rations for average pro-
duction of the pen.
— We use models to estimate net energy, rumen degradable protein, metabolizable protein, etc.
— We use table values for some nutrients — does one size t all?
— With all this noise, how do we precisely account for nutrient requirements vs. supply?
— Before thinking about precision feeding, we need to x the basics rst.
Can we use precision technology to help us decide what level of milk production to use for formulation? There is also technology on the market that can monitor for mixing errors and articial intelligence models that can predict outcomes of these changes. But milk production is not what ultimately matters. These machine learning models can calculate income over feed cost, which is key for protability. The AI can suggest when to move cows to a lower production pen or suggest the amount of concentrate in the robot box to optimize IOFC. Integration of data will help with decision making. Ideally, we should combine measured items as much as possible and avoid using too many estimated values.
An industry panel composed of Dale Polson, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., Massimiliano Intini, MSD Animal Health, and Simona Caselli, Granalatte, shared views on important aspects for the adoption of precision livestock technology. Producers want a simple, one-interface, integrated platform. Technology needs to be user-friendly, solve an issue, bring value and be cost-effective. It is hard to bring in technology in a “ready-touse” state. Producers need to understand they need to be involved in the iterations to use it successfully, but producers are busy, and prot margins are tight. Economic impacts and operational value need to be understood and measured. This has to happen a lot more for broader adoption success.
one thing that could help is to demonstrate the value and understand the real needs of the farmers. After installation, keep working with the farmer to show value and demonstrate needs are met. Demonstrate that technology can help their business stay viable.
David Speller, OPTIfarm, suggested that we use data to uncover the “why.” He listed some challenges for PLF adoption, such as the cost of the solution — it should pay back in months not years — ease of deployment; maintenance requirements; extra demand on the farmer, such as more to do; and emotional buy-in is not there and it is needed. He asked questions, such as: Are we solving true problems that people will pay to solve? Do we understand what the real value is? Are they real commercial applications, or do they just work in the “research world?”
Using new business models, such as pay-as-you-use, free-to-use versions, or initial free-to-try offerings, could help increase adoption. He gave examples of free apps that we use daily such as Google Maps, Uber, Amazon, etc. It would also help to empower the best people with automation.
We need to use technology to help prevent severe health problems. Listen to the data provided by the animals. Focus on the transition period for monitoring. Keep in mind both animal and farmer/worker welfare. Companies need to better teach the farmer how to use the data. Precision livestock farming can change the way farmers work.
Some key points of building trust with farmers were shared. Tech trust is harder to build than personal trust; the
On the research side, there were many presentations on the use of computer vision to identify or track cows and calves and estimate body weight, body condition scores, locomotion, or respiration rates with various degrees of success in terms of accuracy, some over 90%. A study using infrared thermal imaging techniques to measure respiration and heart rate in dairy calves resulted in 98% and 94% accuracy, respectively, which was interesting. An implanted body temperature sensor did not work well, and researchers will follow up with a smaller device that can be implanted more easily than surgically. Not all technology works, and that is also important to know. Other breakout sessions focused on other species of animals, data analysis modeling, ventilation and microclimate, sound technology, PLF human and management, PLF and emissions, etc.
Technology continues to advance at a rapid pace. I invite you to mark your calendars for the next Precision Dairy Conference organized by the University of Minnesota and held at the Hyatt Regency, Bloomington, Minnesota, June 17-18, 2025. Join us for great discussions on this topic.
“I want quality production when it comes to selling cattle so someone else can make a prot off her as well,” Jeremy said. “We make our farm run on milk and want to do that for others.”
When looking at linear type evaluations, Jeremy does not look for extremes in sires.
“I’m looking to build a functional, protable cow,” he said.
Jeremy said heifers are averaging 103 pounds of milk per day.
“Work and thought went into improving the next generation, and it’s nice to see those results standing in front of me,” Jeremy said. “As long as I see some type of small improvement, it’s very satisfying.”
Jeremy utilizes a double ovsynch breeding program, switching from standard ovsynch nearly ve years ago.
“I have a long list of good things to say about double ovsynch,” he said.
Their pregnancy rates rose from 16% to 40%-45%.
Problems with fresh cows, including retained placentas and ketosis, have reduced signicantly.
“We really noticed the health benets of double ovsynch, especially at freshening,” Jeremy said. “Cows are getting into the barn and working right away. They have better intakes, and things
clicked into place. The improvement from what it was is second to none.”
Jeremy also implemented a computer program to simplify recordkeeping on the farm.
“I was writing everything by hand before, and it was inconvenient having things spread out,” he said. “Now it’s all in a central location.”
Jeremy uses the VAS PULSE Platform. Using a cloud-based app on his phone, he records vaccinations and keeps track of other health records and breeding
information.
“Everything is on here,” he said. “It’s how I run the place, and it improved how we manage the dairy. It’s a great program.”
Jeremy continues to build on his successes as he takes hold of his career.
“I have my hands in everything we do,” Jeremy said. “Everything in the bulk tank reects our choices and efforts, and that’s pretty darn neat. I nd that to be the most rewarding part of being a small operation.”
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR (Le ) Cows eat in the estall barn Sept. 12 at Old Se lers Dairy near Denmark, Wisconsin. Cows are milked twice a day and have a rolling herd average of 34,600 pounds of milk, 1,281 pounds of bu erfat and 1,102 pounds of protein.
(Below) Two of Jeremy Schlies’ favorite cows stand in the barn Sept. 12 near Denmark, Wisconsin. Jeremy is 10 years into developing a herd of registered Holsteins and has bred several Excellent cows.
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Dolans launch safety day after power take-off accident
By Dan Wacker dan.w@dairystar.com
DODGEVILLE, Wis.
Every year, the U.S. recognizes National Farm Safety and Health Week the third week of September. It is an important reminder for those who work in agriculture that farming is dangerous work.
Seven years ago, the Dolan family was reminded just how dangerous farming can be. Ryan and Krista Dolan milk 260 cows on their farm near Dodgeville.
In 2017, their son, Kaleb Dolan, who was 9 years old at the time, decided to grab his father’s sweatshirt before helping unload a chopper box on a chilly August morning. After the chopper box was empty, he reached up to shut off the beaters, and the power take-off grabbed the body of his father’s sweatshirt and pulled him in.
Before he knew it, he was lying on the ground in pain.
Avoiding tragedy
Kaleb Dolan stands in the feed alley Sept. 20 of his family’s freestall barn near Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Dolan u lizes a work release program to work on the farm on school day a ernoons.
Neither Kaleb, nor the hired help that pulled him out know how many rotations he went around, but the damage was done.
vices crew from the ambulance loaded him into the helicopter and what normally would have been a 45-minute drive, was a 12-minute ight to the UW Health American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison.
“I knew it was bad, but when the deputy said he was calling in the Med Flight, I knew it was really bad,” Krista said. “When there’s an accident, you expect it to be bad. I knew his arm and leg were broken, but there wasn’t blood everywhere. Now I know that that isn’t a good sign either.”
Kaleb’s injuries included three broken bones in his right arm, a broken femur, broken ribs, a punctured lung, a bruised liver, a bruised lung, an adrenal hemorrhage and road-rash scars along his stomach and back. The scars are still visible today.
“I didn’t have time to realize what was happening,” Kaleb said. “I was just in it and didn’t know what happened until I was lying on the ground.” Thankfully, Kaleb was working closely with the Dolan’s hired hand at the time his mom said.
“Our hired hand was able to shut off the tractor, get him out and call 911,” she said. “When Deputy Peterson arrived, he said it was dis-
patched for an adult and not a child, so he was able to get Med Flight involved.”
Deputy Mike Peterson and an ambulance crew were rst on the scene. The Med Flight arrived shortly after, landing in the middle of County Road ZZ in Iowa County. The emergency medical ser-
Kaleb was put in the intensive care unit for a day and a half and spent a total of 10 days in the hospital. After being released, he was nonweight-bearing for the next eight weeks.
Even with the accident, Kaleb’s passion for farming shone through. While in the
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
hospital, one of his requests to his mother was to bring in his New Holland Genesis poster so he had a touch of home with him.
“One of the rst things he asked me after his surgery was about showing his heifers,” Krista said. “It was the rst year he was going to show at the Iowa County Fair. There were a lot of people
who helped make that possible. We found a motorized wheelchair and he showed his heifers at the fair.”
A little over a month after his accident he was at the fair.
“He had no apprehension about coming back to the farm,” Krista said. “As soon as we got him home, he was asking us to wheel him down to the barn. Every day he had us wheel him down so he could sit in the shop and make sure it was all running smoothly.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Kaleb Dolan, a�er being treated for a power take-off accident, leaves the hospital in 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. Dolan suffered three broken bones in his right arm, a broken femur, broken ribs, a bruised lung, a bruised kidney and an adrenal hemorrhage.
Kaleb then started physical therapy to relearn how to walk. He began fourth grade in a wheelchair.
“I took him to physical therapy the day they were going to tell him he was done with the wheelchair,” Krista said. “He progressed to the point where he could use a walker at school, and at rst he was like, ‘I’m not a grandpa,’ but when we pulled up to his school, his class was so excited to see him walk by himself again.”
Kaleb made a full recovery from his injuries from the accident. His childsized wheelchair
and walker have been lent to others in the area.
Lending the wheelchair and walker is not the only way they have tried to pay it forward. Krista, president of the Iowa County Farm Bureau, and the Iowa County 4-H extension have launched the annual Iowa County Safety Day. It is the rst event of its kind in Iowa County in roughly 25 years.
The event has been held for the past two years, bringing fth graders from the
Midwest Equipment
Dodgeville school district to the fairgrounds to learn more about safety on and off the farm. This year, 220 students from six schools attended.
Stations are set up for animal safety, weather safety, chemical safety, tick safety and utility task vehicle and all-terrain vehicle safety. Med Flight and Alliant Energy also make presentations. New this year was boat safety presented by the Department of Natural Resources.
Both Kaleb and Krista
have learned lessons along their journey.
“Pay attention to what you’re doing,” Kaleb said. “Don’t be lazy. Take the extra step to make sure you’re being safe. Tuck your shirt in and wear the right-sized clothes.”
His mom agreed.
“Slow down,” Krista said. “That’s the biggest thing I can say about how it all happened. Slow down, x what needs to be xed and don’t wait.”
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
Kaleb Dolan sits in his favorite tractor Sept. 20 on his family’s farm near Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Dolan made a full recovery from a power take-off accident seven years ago.
KP Rolls
Financial help is available
By Steve Frericks Stearns County FSA executive director
Wednesday, October 9th, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. CT.
Address: 4915 Genoa Rd. Belvidere, IL. 61008
SEE LELY ROBOTICS AT WORK!
Lely Center Monroe invites you to an open house at Daniel and Heather Travis’ farm. Discover how this operation worked with Lely Center Monroe to startup two Lely Astronaut A5 robotic milking systems in April of 2024, and the benefits they’ve seen. Hear what motivated Daniel and Heather to upgrade and make the switch to automation. A barn filled with Lely automated dairy systems including Lely Astronaut A5s, a Lely Juno automatic feed pusher and Lely Luna cow brushes make this open house an exclusive opportunity you won’t want to miss. Register today and you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win a $300 gift card to the Lely Store. Lunch will be provided.
Space is limited, RSVP today! We look forward to seeing you!
For a year with record rainfall, we are starting to get rather dry. Soil moisture conditions have changed quickly. Field conditions for silage harvest have been good. Soybeans are turning quickly with above-average temperatures. Corn is very near the black layer, if not already. Please plan accordingly and make safety your number one priority this fall. The Farm Service Agency staff wish you a protable, productive and rewarding harvest season. Be proud of what you do. We certainly are proud of you.
One more reminder: Those of you who incur milk losses in your dairy herds due to H5N1 can now apply for nancial assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency expanded ELAP policy through the rule-making process; this expansion assists with nancial losses resulting from reduced milk production when cows are removed from commercial milking in dairy herds with a conrmed positive H5N1 test. Positive tests must be conrmed through APHIS’ National Veterinary Services Laboratories.
The October payment cycle for any FSA program that triggers is just around the corner. This includes Conservation Reservation Program annual rental payments. Now is the time to notify FSA if you have changed any direct deposit routing or switched banks. Attending to this now provides for smooth and timely payment processing. CRP producers with required mid-contract management activities are required to complete these items by Sept. 30, 2024. The completion needs to also be documented in the FSA ofce by the same date. Send in your required paperwork to verify completion and apply for any eligible cost-share assistance. USDA now accepting applications for available funds to help cover organic certication costs Through the Organic Certication Cost Share Program, USDA FSA will cover up to 75% of organic certication costs at a maximum of $750 per certication category. FSA is now accepting applications, and organic producers and handlers should apply for OCCSP by the Oct. 31, 2024, deadline for eligible expenses incurred from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024. FSA will issue payments as applications are received and approved.
To apply, producers and handlers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center and be prepared to provide documentation of organic certication and eligible expenses. OCCSP applications can also be submitted through participating state departments of agriculture. For more information, visit the OCCSP webpage.
Marketing assistance loans available
Marketing assistance loans provide you with interim nancing after harvest to help you meet cash ow needs without having to sell your commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. FSA is now accepting requests for 2024 MALs for eligible harvested crops. Contact the ofce for additional details.
We know there is a lot of stress in the ag community right now. Cash ows are not working for several row crop applications as well as several segments of animal agriculture. If you recognize this stress in your family or friends, do not hesitate to get them some help. The Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline is a free, condential service that provides support for people struggling with stress, anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts related to farm and rural life. The helpline is available 24/7 and can be reached by calling 833-600-2670, texting FARMSTRESS to 898-211 or emailing farmstress@state.mn.us.
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 application forms and updates on USDA programs
The pain to go
I want to share details about my recent trip to Washington, D.C. Before stepping on the plane in Milwaukee, I had to prepare myself for the long days of traveling and walking around our nation’s capitol. I have told you before about my knee injury that happened with a fall in April and was further damaged with another fall in June. While I was given pain and anti-inammatory medications, I was still feeling a lot of pain.
Any time we farmers are in enough pain to reach out to a doctor should be a signal that the reason we are reaching out is serious. However, the doctor’s ofce isn’t looking at our professions when we call to make an appointment, and we are shufed through just as every other patient.
By Tina Hinchley Farmer & Columnist
In June, I had a video call with my provider and chose 7 a.m. That required me to be on at 6:45 a.m. to make sure the connection worked. I waited until 7:15 a.m. without anyone jumping on the call, so closed my computer. Five minutes later, I got a phone call from the doctor apologizing for his lateness.
While explaining to him what happened, I said, “I slipped while feeding calves in the barn.”
He replied, “Oh, how many cats do you have?”
I explained that I was a dairy farmer and that all the calves needed to be fed milk at least twice a day. In the end, he prescribed anti-inammatory and pain medicines. If my knee was still bothering me after the swelling went down, he would put in an order for an MRI.
I have had many MRIs with previous health issues and realize they are very expensive, and since Duane and I have not reached our deductible in our insurance plan, he did some research to nd a place to get a reasonably-priced MRI.
A new start-up business in Middleton, MH Imaging, was said to be very affordable. I had the order sent there. To the confusion of the ofce gal, she could not understand why I wanted the order to go out of their hospital network. Once I explained about my deductible, she checked on the cost of the MRI there versus the hospital. She conrmed that MH Imaging was $650 while it was $5,000 at the hospital. The doctor’s order was sent, and I was thrilled to get an appointment within the week at MH Imaging.
Duane took me to the MH Imaging ofce. I got in and out within 30 minutes and the image was sent over to my primary doctor’s ofce. I still wanted to see if I could get an appointment to see the doctor before I booked my ight.
So, I called the gal in the ofce again to make the appointment and was told he was scheduling three weeks out. Somehow, she found me an appointment just two weeks out, the day before I was scheduled to y. So, I booked my ight with the anticipation of a pain-free trip.
On appointment day, I checked in at the ofce and waited. It seemed to take a while for my doctor to show up and when he nally appeared, he asked me what caused my injury. I told him the story again about my two falls and that I am a dairy farmer.
To which he replies, “ I know about dairy farmers. I am watching one on TV.”
This was not what I was expecting. I told him I was not a “TV farmer, just a dairy farmer in Cambridge, and was injured with a slip and fall.”
He shared with me that he was born in Poland and grew up in Canada, and he knows some “pepper farmers in Canada.”
I told him I am not a pepper farmer; I don’t even have a garden. I was not impressed with the comparisons and wanted him to get on with what he saw on my MRI image.
As I am explaining again the reason why I am getting an MRI at his ofce, I am getting the feeling he isn’t listening to me. Come to nd out, he didn’t even bring the MRI report into the room to read it to me. I don’t even think he even looked at it.
When he nally returned, he reported the results: a radial tear through the posterior meniscal root and a large baker’s cyst that extends inferiorly into the calf. He acted surprised.
“Well, you will need more pain medication when you are protesting in Washington, D.C,” he said.
I was ready to scream, but I kept my temper down and replied, “I am not protesting, I am talking to our lawmakers about the farm bill with other farmers.”
I nally got on the plane and made the 5-day trip to Washington, D.C. to talk to lawmakers and their staff about the farm bill. I was part of a group from the National Farmers Union representing Wisconsin. Many of us also belong to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau. Our stories are best told by us, real farmers, with real families that rely on the provisions of the farm bill.
We were all wearing our “farmer hats” when we spoke about our concerns. For the next farm bill, we want Congress to tackle agriculture’s monopoly crisis with policies to include NFU’s Fairness for Farmers campaign. We would like to see our policymakers up-
date the safety net established in the 2018 farm bill. This bill should also maintain support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s voluntary, incentive-based approach to conservation and renewable energy programs while nding new ways to incentivize farmers to increase the resilience of their farming operations. I did hear the farm bill has another extension for another three months. Perhaps we can gather again to speak to lawmakers about the need for a new farm bill. If you are invited to join a group heading to Washington, D.C., consider the offer.
You can make a difference.
Tina Hinchley, her husband Duane and daughter Anna milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres near Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Hinchleys have been hosting farm tours for over 25 years.
Preservation satisfaction
I originally wrote this poem four or so years ago, but as I delivered the lunches to the pile-packing posse this past Thursday, thinking about how I needed to can more grape juice when I got done, the words oated back into my mind.
While we are not quite done chopping, by the time you read this, we may be. The kitchen is in full force with meals being delivered three times daily, and my canner is far from being on vacation with the abundance of apples this year. I can imagine some of these words resonate with many of you as well. Safe harvest and happy canning.
The week of sun was in our favor
Our corn chopping crew really gave ‘er.
My garden has quit growing, praise be, It’s the cool nights, though the days are sunny.
10,000 plus tons of quality forage, Packed down tight for winter storage.
Quart upon quart of delicious treasures
Filling the shelves with cold weather pleasures.
Months ago, they planted, fertilized and sprayed, No doubt there were moments they even prayed. All summer we planted, tilled, weeded and did our best to coax I admit, would compare mine to other folk’s.
Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of the author and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.
When the chopper hit the farm, kids were excited “Can I ride in a truck?” Cora and Henry were delighted.
A carrot so long it was almost Cora’s height Henry exclaimed, “Someone in China is taking a bite.”
Quality was good, the smell was fantastic
By Saturday night we were ready for plastic. Beet and bean yield was high, we were impressed Hot water bathing, pressure canning; I am slightly obsessed.
The roll of plastic unfurls like snow sliding on a tin roof
Tighten ‘er down, so the bunker becomes waterproof.
Everything washed, cut, hot and ready to go I watched the canner carefully for fear she’ll blow.
By Jacqui Davison
Tires were thrown, from wall to wall
Wind snaps the loose spots; the air smells like fall. Rings were tightened, jars heated for their time Ah, that precious ping; food preserved at its prime. They stand back, grimy hands on hips “That’s our fastest time ever,” Peter quips. I wipe my hands on my apron and admire “These jars are so beautiful,” gazing at them, I never tire.
We’ll have ample haylage and corn silage it seems, Harvest is almost done, fullling the farmer’s dreams. Peaches, pie lling, pickles a plenty, tomatoes just right
Squash soup getting frozen for many a cold night.
High moisture corn, as we turn the calendar page We’ll wait ‘til it’s right, checking the moisture gauge. Apples in abundance, last in line for preservation, Then my canners can take a needed vacation.
Soon the bunkers will be full and sit at the ready To feed all the cows and hold their milk production steady.
Soon jars of all colors will be full and ready for bellies From the sauces to the butters right down to the jellies.
Jacqui Davison and her family milk 800 cows and farm 1,200 acres in northeastern Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira, Dane, Henry and Cora, help 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
Keep the drama out of weaning calves
Something to Ruminate On
The weaning and transition phases can impose many stressors on dairy calves and subsequent negative impacts on welfare and performance. These stressors may be related to nutrition, the environment and/or social dynamics. Diseases such as respiratory disease and coccidiosis can be common in newly-weaned calves. This past week, at the Minnesota Nutrition Conference, Dr. Jim Drackley from the University of Illinois shared some pointers for a “no-drama” approach to weaning dairy calves.
By Barry Visser Nutritionist
Drackley said farms can prevent poor weaning outcomes by supporting adequate rumen development. This is achieved by feeding high-quality starter, promoting starter intake, good water management, not weaning too early or abruptly, not allowing free access to alfalfa forage and not stacking stressors at weaning.
Starter intake
Calf starter intake before weaning is the largest determinant of growth and health post-weaning. Starter intake drives rumen microbial and papillae develop-
ment. Although he has supported feeding increased milk volumes over the past 20 years, Drackley shared that, with larger volumes of milk fed before weaning, starter intake, and hence rumen development, is slower to develop than in situations in which less milk is fed. He shared some compelling research and pictures from his lab reinforcing the impact starter intake can have on rumen development, resulting in more consistent performance and gain around weaning.
Typical guidelines for adequate starter intake at the time of weaning may only cover maintenance requirements. Drackley said a 187-pound calf would need to consume 2.2 pounds per day of starter just for maintenance. As winter arrives and we slip below the calf’s thermoneutral zone, energy requirements increase signicantly. Drackley’s recommendations for starter consumption at weaning are a minimum of 3 pounds per day for Holstein calves and 2.2 pounds per day for Jerseys.
Drackley suggested quality starters include palatable ingredients such as corn but cautioned against high starch content. Be sure to provide adequate total protein content from high-quality sources. Sufcient ber (greater than 13% neutral detergent ber) and adequate particle size are valuable. Research shows calves consuming texturized feed ate more and had greater average daily gain over calves fed a meal feed. Minimize dust or nes. Avoid feeding too high of fat content in your starter as this can depress intake and slow rumen development.
Minimize forage early in life
It has long been discussed that feeding free-choice hay to calves early in life will decrease starter intake and rumen development. Drackley shared some evidence to support a very small amount of forage (less than one-quarter pound per day) around weaning could increase starter consumption and improve feed efciency. Dietary amounts of 5%-10% hay in postweaning calves can help prevent bloat and acidosis while maintaining intake. Control the amount of alfalfa hay offered through at least 6 months of age so that calves consume all programmed concentrates.
Water is still essential
It is hard to have a calf-related talk and not stress the importance of having clean water available to calves at all times if possible. Drackley also pointed out the need for supplemental water to enter the rumen for starter digestion and to support the microbial environment. He shared that, for every 1 kilogram of starter consumed, a calf needs 4 liters of water to maximize digestion and rumen development.
Finally, Drackley reminded us to avoid stacking stressors on calves at weaning. Spread out vaccinations, dehorning, pen moves, nutrition changes, etc. as much as possible. Work with your calf management team to make sure these key points are followed to maximize calf performance through the weaning and transition period.
Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
Try again
As I was reading last month’s article in the Dairy Star, I was confused. The title was “Cleaning Up,” but the article was not what I had written earlier in the week. I accidentally submitted an article by the same title written 14 years earlier when we hosted a National Holstein Convention tour. Oops.
Michael was helping me adjust to a new computer and program when my writing le became jumbled and “lost.” Nothing looked the same as before, but I saw the titled article and submitted it without checking what was actually written. Let’s try it again.
Sometimes you just need a fresh set of eyes to see how things really appear. We become blind to piles of junk pushed up against the shed and “out of the way.” We never seem to notice the weeds missed by the lawnmower edging trees and sheds. It is a working farm and not everything is supposed to be in perfect shape and in the right spot — or is it? Can we do better? How?
My answer to the last question: throw a party. A party is the perfect incentive to clean out the garage and trim things up around the yard. I also use it as a reason to really clean the house. A party is my reward for getting a big job done. I know I also create more jobs by having a party, but let’s focus on the fun we’ll have when everything is in its place and we can celebrate.
When we remodeled the kitchen 15 years ago, I purposefully moved the old cupboards out to the new garage. I created a “kitchen” area with a salvaged countertop where we could plug in roasting pans and crockpots and line up plates and platters of food to host parties and family get-togethers. This new area also gave me a reason to keep the garage clean. It was our “party central” for a few years as the kids graduated from high school. Once we were out of that phase, it became a catch-all area for things to put away later. As I headed out for chores one morning, I took a good
BEEF X DAIRY
close look around the garage. It was bulging with too much stuff. I had become blind to what was really in front of me. We denitely needed to have a party again.
Beef x Dairy Program
During our hiatus from milking a few years ago, in the heart of Covid, I refurbished a family dining room table and chairs from my great-great aunt, Annie. Once I was done, I moved the table to the garage, waiting for Mark to nish some repair work on the chairs. I gured if he saw the table every day as he went out to milk cows, he would remember to nish xing the seats so we could move the whole set into the house. I covered the table with an old blanket to protect the beautifully restored cherry wood.
By
Once the table was covered, the waiting project became invisible. Out of sight, out of mind. The table started to be a catch-all for busted parts, used tools and various other things no one wanted to put away at the moment. The table was the only available space to park everyone’s stuff since the countertops were completely lled.
As the party date approached, Mark had to start clearing off the table of tools and other things — junk in my mind, stuff in his — he had collected in the garage. Now where was he going to put all these treasures he would most certainly use again? He sorted. He reorganized. He even pitched a few things. He stashed away his collection in empty cupboards and new spots out of sight. I think some stuff even made it to the machine shed. We were making room to host a party.
While we were cleaning, Austin’s girlfriend, Joelle, decided she would like to use the old detached garage as the storefront for her new business, Fields of Plenty. She had expanded my garden to include her cut ower inventory. She planted hundreds of zinnias, gladiolas, baby’s breath, sunowers and so many other types of owers. I must say, my garden has never looked so clean and weed-free — but the garage was a different story.
This original farm garage had never been cleaned out in over 80 years. It was the original catch-all for so many things we didn’t have time to use. We found “lost” treasures between studs and among rafters. We found things everyone thought they couldn’t live without or something they thought they could use again. When the fourth-generation family members cleaned out the shed, no one remembered what these “special” items were, let alone how to use them. The kids made sure these treasures weren’t resettled to another storage spot as they expanded the junk pile.
Besides growing beautiful owers, Joelle is a weed-whacking queen. She has trimmed around every building, fence line and tree. I never realized how much of a difference trimming made in the appearance of the yard. A fresh set of eyes and youthful energy have helped to whip our farm into shape to host parties and you-cut ower customers.
Now, where did the kids stash my broom and birdseed?
P.S. The reason for the party was to say thank you to family, friends and neighbors who held my family in their hands and hearts as I lay in the hospital in a coma 20 years earlier. On May 1, 2004 I was hauled by ambulance to the hospital where I was placed in a coma as my body fought off a bacterial meningitis infection. The prognosis was bleak, possible brain damage or death, but God had other plans. Five days later, I walked out of the intensive care unit and eventually back into my normal life on a farm raising our young family.
As the anniversary of my recovery rolled around this year, I realized we had never really thanked everyone for all their help, food and prayers. That’s when I decided it was time to clean out the garage and have a “Party of Thanks,” a party to give thanks for all our blessings throughout these years.
As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark Schmitt started an adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.
Natalie Schmitt Columnist Just Thinking Out Loud
Silo cap solution
As if county fairs aren’t eventful enough for families who exhibit dairy cattle, our county fair this year was extra eventful.
First, we had to evacuate our fairgrounds on check-in day due to an incoming storm. The storm looked worse on the radar than it ended up being, so we were able to return a couple hours later to resume check-in.
“Hey, this twine is rated for 550 pounds,” he reassured me.
Dairy Good
Then, a couple days later, a storm came through that drenched the fairgrounds and formed a tornado a few miles to the east. The twister passed through Melrose, a couple miles southwest of our farm, and left a path of serious wreckage. The turbulence surrounding the tornado was enough to take down a couple trees in our yard and take the berglass cap off our big stave silo.
We lled the silo two weeks ago, so this past weekend Operation Silo Cap commenced. On Saturday afternoon, after running the silo blower, Glen and Dan hauled our 12-foot aluminum ladder up the outside of the silo and slid it into the silo through the observation door. Then they pulled the new silo cap up, with Dan inside the silo pulling on the rope and Glen guiding the rope from the lling platform.
By Sadie Frericks Columnist
Once they got the new cap hoisted to the top of the silo, they decided it was too windy to continue with installation. You don’t realize how much more wind there is 70 feet up in the air versus at ground level. They secured the silo cap to the ladder and called it a day.
As soon as we discovered the gaping hole in our silo roof, Glen called a silo company. They said they could replace the cap. With time, labor, and the cap itself, their estimate for the repair was $3,000.
“What?” I asked.
I completely understand that costs have risen. Equipment, parts, labor, insurance – everything costs signicantly more now than it did just ve years ago. Still, does it really cost $3,000 to replace a silo cap?
If you don’t want to read any further, the answer is:
No. A silo cap can be replaced for much less than $3,000. You just need a little time, muscle power, and ingenuity. We have plenty of those three things.
Thankfully, the wind stilled on Sunday. After morning chores, Glen and Dan turned on the silo blower and climbed back up the silo to resume.
Moral of the story: It’s amazing what a farmer can accomplish with a little time, muscle power, and ingenuity.
For this phase, they set the ladder on the silo unloader, extended it, and tied the top to the silo cable, so Glen could reach the top of the silo dome. From there, Glen guided the new cap into place while Dan pulled on the rope. The next part is where the safety harness came in clutch. Glen needed both hands to fasten the new cap to the frame, so he rst attached his safety harness to the silo cable
with the carabiner clip.
Glen called another company that sells silo parts, but doesn’t provide silo service. The said they could order us a new silo cap for $195.00. We put the order in and Glen devised a plan: As soon as corn silage is chopped and the silo is lled, we’ll do it ourselves.
The next thing Glen ordered was a $50 safety harness. Then he braided a couple pieces of twine from a big square bale together to make a safety rope.
I’ve supported crazy ideas in the past, but this?
Once the cap was fastened, all that was left was clean up. Apparently, it took a bit more effort to get the ladder back out of the silo, due to the angle of the roof. (Kind of like the owl who got stuck in our silo after it realized too late that getting in is much easier than getting out.)
Once they were nished, it was high-ves all around. You should have seen their smiles of success.
Anyway, that is how you replace a silo cap for much less than $3,000.
Moral of the story: It’s amazing what a farmer can accomplish with a little time, muscle power, and ingenuity.
