Online at www.dairystar.com
No
Results from our online survey, “Should the Dept. of Labor restrict the jobs children under 16 can do on farms?”
Maybe
Dairy St r Yes 4%
88%
8%
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 14, No. 2
March 10, 2012
Small changes, big results
Organic Valley, Horizon boost farmers’ prices Modest, gradual Higher base pay aimed at changes yield encouraging production, keeping farms in business big dividends for Rybinskis By ron johnson Staff writer
Dairy farmers who sell organic milk have been receiving higher prices lately. On March 1, Organic Valley, La Farge, Wis., gave its farmer-members a pay increase of $2 per hundredweight. That’s on top of a $1 increase last August. Together, the two moves bring Organic Valley’s base price to $26.55. With premiums factored in, the national average Organic Valley pay price is $30 per hundredweight, according to Eric Newman, vice president of sales. Another large player in the organic milk market, Horizon Organic, Broomfield, Colo., began paying its farmers $2 more on Feb. 1. That brings the nationwide average price Horizon Organic is offering also to $30, said Molly Keveney, the company’s communications director. Those moves are attempts at finding a delicate balance that encourages farmers to produce enough organic milk to meet demand, yet not overproduce or drastically underproduce. They’re also attempts to keep farmers in the organic fold, and not scamper back to conventional farming. In 2011, the relatively strong price for conventional milk – $20 or more – prompted some farmers to drop out of organic production. They found they could make good money on regular milk, without having to pay sharply higher prices for organically grown feed. “We were running into some shortages,” said Keveney. “Feed costs have gone up 101 percent compared to last year.” Other costs dairy farmers face have also risen, though not as much. Keveney said fuel costs are up six percent from a year ago. A news release from Organic Valley sums up the situation thusly: “The year (2011) was not without its hardships, as feed and other input costs Turn to organic | Page 5
By jerry nelson Staff writer
HENDRICKS, Minn. – Little things mean a lot, and small changes can make big differences. No one knows this better than Kevin and Lisa Marie Rybinski, who milk 83 cows and farm 410 acres near Hendricks, Minn., in northwestern Lincoln County. Over the past year, the rolling herd average at Rybinski Dairy has risen substantially. “A year ago, our RHA was in the 17,000 to 18,000 range,” Turn to Rybinski | Page 8
jerry nelson/ dairy star
Hired man, Tyler Nelson (left), along with Kevin and Brian Rybinski, make up the core of the work crew at Rybinski Dairy. A series of small improvements over the years has led to some big gains in their herd’s productivity. These changes include the installation last summer of a sprinkler system and some additional fans in their freestall barn.
Lexvolds master the mat
Kenyon, Minn., family holds Minnesota record for most wrestling wins By krista m. sheehan Staff writer
KENYON, Minn. – Before any of Wayne Lexvold’s sons went into a wrestling match, he gave them the same simple words of advice: have fun and focus on one point at a time. “You can’t get the second point until you’ve got the first,” Wayne said. This advice turned into big success for the family, who now holds the record in Minnesota for the family with the most wrestling wins – 712. Although the brothers – Nathan (22), Chad (20), Drew (20) and Mitchel (18) – were the ones on the mat, it was a family effort. Their dad, Wayne, coached them through elementary school and at home, while their mom, Donna, and older sister, Shelia, cheered them on from the sidelines. “It wasn’t our goal to get the record … but we’re humbled,” Wayne said. Being a former wrestler, Wayne introduced each of his sons to the sport at about the age of 5 and started coaching them through elementary school. “Dad taught us a lot of what we know,” Drew said. Mitchel added, “He helped us with
photo submitted
The Lexvold family now holds the record in Minnesota for the family with the most wrestling wins with 712. The family is pictured front row from left: Wayne and Drew. Middle row from left: Chad, Donna, Mitchel and Shelia. Back row: Nathan. a lot of technique when we were younger. Then he would take us to tournaments for a weekend. He’d load up the van and everyone would be there.” But the gym wasn’t the only place where the Lexvold brothers would practice and compete. “If we weren’t working together at practice we’d work together at home,” Nathan said.
With coaching from their dad, the Lexvold boys practiced on the mat they had in their basement or in the aisle of the barn during milking. “Even when we were at cow shows they’d be rolling around in the straw wrestling,” Wayne said.
Turn to LEXVOLDS | Page 10
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647
Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor/Sales Mark Klaphake (West and South Central MN) 320-352-6303 (office) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) mark.k@dairystar.com Ad Composition Janell Westerman 320-352-6303 janell.w@dairystar.com Nancy Middendorf 320-352-6303 nancy.m@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 President Dave Simpkins 320-352-6577 davesimpkins@saukherald.com Staff Writers Krista Sheehan - Assistant Editor SE MN/NE IA 507-259-8159 • krista.s@dairystar.com Jennifer Burggraff 320-429-1084 jennifer.b@dairystar.com Ron Johnson 320-429-1233 ron.j@dairystar.com
Online Editor/Online Sales Andrea Borgerding 320-352-6303 andrea.b@dairystar.com Advertising Sales Main Office: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Jeff Weyer (National Advertising, Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (West and South Central MN) 320-352-6303 (office) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (SE MN, Central WI) 507-250-2217 (cell) fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 (cell) jerry.n@dairystar.com Lori Young (Central MN) 612-597-2998 • lori.y@dairystar.com Lori Menke (Eastern Iowa, Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $28.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute final acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC. The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
Dairy Profile brought to you by your
Dairy profile
North America dealers.
Rodney Boelke Cologne, Minn.; Carver County 170 cows
How did you get into farming? I have farmed with my dad since I was little. I’m in the process of buying the farm from my mom; my dad passed away five years ago. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? It’s challenging and there’s a lot of hard work. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Hard work pays off. What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? The skidloader and our liquid manure lagoon. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Reaching my goal of having enough heifer replacements. What are your plans for your dairy in the next five years? I plan to stay at the same numbers and try to keep improving the herd genetically. What is your favorite thing to do on the farm? I enjoy cutting hay. I like the smell of fresh-cut hay. What is your favorite dish using a dairy product? I like chili with marble jack cheese. What is your favorite tool? The electric grease gun. It gets grease distributed equally. When you hand pump sometimes you can’t get the zerks to take the grease. It’s a lot easier to grease machinery. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We go to grade school and high school basketball games. We also try to take a three-day vacation every year. What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? We went to the girls’ grade school basketball national championship in Valparaiso, Ind., two and seven years ago.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 5
BEST FOOTING CONCRETE GROOVING
Strum, WI | Cell 715-579-0531 1-800-323-2451
New 2012 Dodge Ram 2500 Crew Cab 4x4
Mineral gray, tow pkg., 20” rims, Mopar chrome side steps, locking tailgate & more! T2008 MSRP $36,600 AUTO SHOW BONUS & TRUCK MONTH SPECIAL ONLY *
Silver, tow pkg., tow mirrors, 17” rims, locking tailgate & more! T2042 MSRP $38,220 TRUCK MONTH SPECIAL ONLY *
$28,855
$31,853
* All rebates and discounts to dealer. Auto Show bonus only available on Light Duty Trucks. Bonus ends March 23rd, 2012. All rebates and discounts subject to change without notice. See dealer for complete details.
SALES HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM; Sat. 8:00AM - 4:00 PM
34650 225th Ave. - Albany, MN 56307
320-845-2801 • 800-392-3426
www.albanychrysler.com
Prevent costly falls before they We offer occur grooving & scarifying
New 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4x4
SERVICE HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 7:00 AM-6:00 PM; Sat. 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM
www.albanychrysler.com
Price gap not new A price gap between conventionally produced and organically produced milk is nothing new. But the sizes of the differences have changed over time. Organic Valley, which is a division of Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (CROPP), provided Dairy Star with numbers dating back 23 years. (See the accompanying graph). In 1989, the base price for conventional milk was $12.37 per hundredweight, according to Ken Bailey, an economist at Penn State University. In ensuing years, Organic Valley’s base pay price for milk rose – and fell a bit – but pretty much trended continually higher. Prices for conventional milk, though, went through a series of peaks and troughs – what economists like to describe as “market volatility.” For example, late in 1998, the average price for conventional milk
Dairyman: $24 or more Keith Wilson is part of a 300-cow organic dairy farm near Cuba City, Wis., in Lafayette County. He’s also a member of Organic Valley’s southern Wisconsin dairy executive committee. He figured he needs a base price of $24 or more to turn a profit in times like these. That break-even price varies from farm to farm, but Wilson said that overall, the present $26.55 makes his farm “sustainable.” Some organic farmers, said Wilson, cut back on feeding grain, because of its high price. He figured feeding eight pounds of corn per cow per day on his farm, instead of 12 pounds, might reduce milk production four pounds. “If we did that throughout all of our 1,600some producers, that’s a lot of milk,” Wilson said. Organic Valley uses a system of higher and lower base prices tied to the time of year. They’re intended to either discourage overproduction or encourage more production, as the situation warrants. During the winter – November through February – farmers are paid $2 more. Starting each March, that premium usually drops, since pastures are greening up and growing, and milk production is climbing. But this year, said Newman, the cooperative decided to leave the winter premium in place, in effect, boosting the base price $2. “What we planned for farmers overall for 2012 was a dollar per hundredweight (increase). But things were so difficult,” he said. Keveney said Horizon Organic will reassess the pay price and input cost situation at the end of June. “We’ll continue to monitor the marketplace to determine whether further action needs to be taken,” she said. Horizon Dairy buys milk form 555 farmers in 23 states, said Keveney. Seventy-five more farms are transitioning to organic production for Horizon. She described Horizon Organic as the “topselling” brand in the U.S., with a 35 to 40 percent of market share. Organic Valley buys its milk from 1,687 farmers in 35 states and three Canadian provinces. It bills itself as “the nation’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and a leading organic brand.” Despite the continuing organic milk price/production conundrum, Organic Valley welcomed 212 new farmers last year. They’re in such states as Pennsylvania, Vermont and California and accounted for 12 percent membership growth.
Spring Sale
Olson Fencing LLC
Save up to 15% Average installed price of a four wire Hi-Tensile fence with all wood posts is
$1.00 per foot
Bids start now and contracts must be signed before April 1st
Call For Free Estimates and Details
Bulk-Post Sale Pricing
507-421-6934
(70 Count Bundles Only)
Give your woods that park-like effect!
4 - 5x8 CCA Treated Posts $6.25 5 - 6x8 CCA Treated Posts $8.50 dairystar.com
www.albanychrysler.com
www.albanychrysler.com
Conventional: lower prices In Wisconsin, farmers’ February base price for conventional milk is expected to drop $1.10 per hundredweight, to $18.40, according to the USDA. In January, Wisconsin dairy farmers got an average of $19.50 for that milk. A year earlier, in January of 2011, the average Wisconsin conventional milk price stood at $16.50. Across the United States as a whole, the price spread between organic and conventional milk is even wider. The USDA figured the February U.S. milk price at $17.90. That’s $1.10 lower than the January average. “All states are anticipating a decrease in price from January to February,” said the USDA. “Pennsylvania and New York are predicting the largest price drops, of $1.80 and $1.70 per hundredweight, respectively. California, at $15.80, and Idaho, are expecting the lowest February prices.”
was $14.20. But two years later it had dropped to $10.57. At the same time, Organic Valley’s base price was at $17.35 – or $6.78 higher. Fast forward to this year. Bailey’s number for conventional milk in 2012 is $17.70. That’s $8.85 lower than Organic Valley’s base price of $26.55.
www.albanychrysler.com www.albanychrysler.com www.albanychrysler.com www.albanychrysler.com
skyrocketed, which together with lost acreage and carryover issues from the recession and oversupply era caused a shortage in (the) organic milk supply… We recognize the challenge of high feed costs, and it is a major issue.” The additional money to farmers is having the intended effect, according to Newman. “[The the price increases are] going to stimulate more production,” he said. “We’ve got conventional (milk) pricing coming down. When conventional goes down and organic goes up, it’s going to stimulate more production. If anything, we kind of have a concern about what the spring of 2013 might look like, because we’re always planning our milk supply about 18 months out.” Keveney said Horizon Organic’s higher pay prices are also working. Before the increases, demand for the firm’s milk was outpacing supply by about 10 percent. But retailers were recently told that they will be able to buy “100 percent of what they want,” Keveney said.
www.albanychrysler.com
(50 Count Bundles Only)
NOW ALSO PROVIDING:
6 - 7x8 CCA Treated Posts $12.50
Low Impact Ground Clearing Fence Line Clearing Tree Stand Improvements Underbrush Clearing Orchard Recycling Logging Clean-Up
(35 Count Bundles Only)
email mike@olsonfencingllc.com Visit olsonfencingllc.com
www.albanychrysler.com www.albanychrysler.com y y www.albanychrysler.com www.albanychrysler.com
www.albanychrysler.com
Continued from organic | Page 1
Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
LANGE AG SYSTEMS INC. Peterson sheds BAGGERS
Modernizing your Ventilation System?
New & Used Machines 8’-12’ machines 10’-14’ truck dump
We’ve been designing systems for 32 years. From start to nish, trust Lange Ag Systems to do it right the rst time.
Silage Bags, Bunker Covers (up to 400’ wide - up to 1,000’ long), Vapor Barrier (50’ & 60’ wide), Bale Wrap PARTS, SERVICE & RENTAL FINANCING AVAILABLE
L
800-479-0243
www.langeagsystems.com MARSHALL, MN
Hwy. 59 N. • 507-337-2035
WILLMAR, MN
Jct. Hwy. 12 & Hwy. 71 Bypass
You've got it!
Sombody wants It! sell it in the
Hay Max Buffered Propionic Acid Bale Green Hay, Not Brown Stems! 68% Propionic Acid 9 Bale hay at Higher Moisture for Higher Feed Value 9 Consistent Results 9 30% Higher Leaf Content 9 More Protein Per Acre 9 Mold Control 9 Bale Any Time of Day 9 Bale as high as 30% moisture 9 Available in Barrel, Tote, and Bulk!
Forage Inoculants for corn silage, haylage, and baylage are designed to… • Minimize Shrink • Maximize Dry Matter Intake • Longer Bunk Life
• Improve Performance • Maximize Nutrients • Greater Animal Performance
SCI ENSILE – An all-purpose bacterial inoculant to aid fermentation of grass or legume silages, corn silage, and HM grains
SILE TECH CS – A bacterial inoculant to aid fermentation of corn
silage, earlage, snaplage, and high moisture grains.
AVAILABLE IN DRY OR LIQUID FORM.
CONTACT:
J & L Nutritional Consulting (218) 346-7487
Mike Butenhoff (701) 367-5722 Jerry Kunza (701) 367-7816 Joseph Doll (701) 238-6666
light on Farm Bill dairy provisions House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson says the dairy provisions for the new farm bill are ready to go. During the super committee process, House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership completed a farm bill draft, but the plan was never publically disclosed. During a stop at the National Farmers Union Annual Meeting, Peterson offered insight into a provision to help generate support for the dairy title. “At the last minute, we made a change that if you have less than four-million pounds of production, you’re going to get a substantially reduced rate for the margin insurance on that first four million pounds,” Peterson said. “That’s going to offset the loss of the MILC program and that brought on board folks who were concerned about losing MILC.” As a result, dairy producers with less than 325 cows will see this benefit. “It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than what we have now and we don’t have any choice, we’ve got to change the dairy program and this is the best I’ve seen.” Support seen for dairy proposal Minnesota Farmers Union President Doug Peterson said the farm bill proposal has been written behind closed doors. “I understand you have to have a certain amount of that for negotiations, but people need to know because we’ve had too much of the failure in the dairy industry in the past with the valley being too deep.” Peterson said the provision highlighted by Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson will help take care of the smaller dairy operations. “That dairy provision needs to go forward for us to have some stability in dairy country.”
MILC legislation introduced Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders have introduced legislation to continue the Milk Income Loss Contract payment system at its current formula rate. MILC payments are scheduled to decline significantly in September. The bill would also renew authority for the MILC deficiency payments for another year. MILC is now scheduled to expire at the end of October. No price collapse expected Dairy farmers have responded to higher milk prices, adding more cows to their herds. Will that result in another price collapse, similar to what was seen in 2009? USDA dairy economist Milton Madison says no. “Our increase in the dairy herd is not quite as strong as 2008 and we saw a
Ag Insider
By Don Wick Columnist
substantial drop in 2009 that we aren’t expecting for 2013,” said Madison. “We’re probably going to avoid that big drop that happened last time.”
Land O’Lakes year-end financials released For fiscal year 2011, Land O’Lakes earned $182 million, a two percent improvement over 2010. Net sales hit a record $12.8 billion, up 15 percent. The Land O’Lakes seed and agronomy business saw a slight drop in earnings, but sales were up by ten percent. Net earnings for the feed business unit were hurt by unrealized hedging losses, but sales increased nearly 20 percent. The Land O’Lakes dairy division reports sales of $4.3 billion, up 17 percent from the previous year. The dairy division’s pretax earnings of $28 million were down 44 percent from one year earlier.
AFBF commodity committees meet in California The American Farm Bureau Federation Commodity Advisory Committees met in late February to discuss commodity-specific issues. Dean Christopherson of Nobles County represents Minnesota on the AFBF Dairy Advisory Committee. Peter Bakken of Rock County is on the AFBF Hay and Forage Advisory Committee.
New WDE facility has a new name World Dairy Expo has given naming rights to New Holland for its new facility. The New Holland Trade Center is a 26,000 square foot indoor exhibit area and is the largest new exhibit area at WDE since the Exhibition Hall was opened in 1995. The new space will have room for 130 booths. Turn to ag insider | Page 7
“I didn’t even think we had stray voltage!” Roger Lange milks 100 head on his family dairy at Crofton, Nebraska. Until recently he was often forced to sell his fresh heifers because they wouldnʼt let down their milk. “We called Stray Voltage Consulting, and Jerry found the problem within half an hour.” Roger said. “I was very impressed with Jerry. He’s a former REA guy, so he understands both the farmer and the electric company. Being able to work with both sides is a key component to his success.” “I haven’t had a single problem with our fresh heifers since Jerry corrected our stray voltage problem. I would highly recommend Stray Voltage Consulting to anyone who thinks they might have stray voltage!”
STOP THE SHOCKS
Stray Voltage Consulting Over 30 years of experience
605-695-3328 or email: jlush@brookings.net
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 7
Dairy Letters Communicate, coordinate and cooperate Communicate, coordinate and cooperate and organize as fellow producers and speak with one voice. In the last few years when reading articles about situations when groups such as PETA, Humane Society of the United States, and Sierra Club have criticized methods that food producers utilize in production agriculture, this how we are advised to respond. I seem to have the same "bad feeling" int he pit of my stomach that I had in February 2009 in regards to the dairy economy. Would it be good advice to utilize the same dynamic in addressing this current economic adversity? Whenever food producers suggest that they organize for economic benefit (better prices), we are told, "It will never happen." That is not necessarily true. Cranberry growers, almond growers, orange growers and organic dairy farmers are already using the marketing agency in common concept to put themselves in a position of economic stability. It is working for them. How is this accomplished? Communicate, coordinate and cooperate. This is the challenge for the conventional dairy industry in addressing the repeated cycle of milk price volatility. It might be worth considering when comparing food systems in different parts of the world over the whole of human history, that the U.S. is unique in respect to their broad based diverse ownership of land, livestock and food producing infrastructure. However, when considering the loss of 600,000 dairy producers over 30 years, the vertical integration of the pork and poultry industries and the increasing size of grain operations, I would suggest we are losing that ownership capacity. I would not argue the fact that it is driven by technology to some degree. However, we will never know how many producers have been forced out of business for reasons of economic instability. Once the human element has been removed from the land, one cannot snap their fingers and put them back despite whatever negative social consequences might ensue. Communicate, coordinate and cooperate.
me! It’s been a long ti
x e fl i t f e C & s Albon Bolu
! k c a B Are t can be used on The ONLY oral sulfa tha s. cow ing tat lac
Albon Bolus 15 g Treat foot rot, bacterial pneumonia, shipping fever
and calf diphtheria. Convenient dosage form of sulfadimethoxine. Dose: 15 gm/1 tablet per 600 lbs on first day. Reduce dose to half after first day.
1/50 Count
23795 $21195
$
Dairy Star Newspaper welcomes letters to the editor. Every letter for publication must be 500 words or less, contain the author’s signature, address and telephone number. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity. Letters can be mailed to Dairy Star, Letter to Editor, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378 or e-mail: mark.k@dairystar.com.
Each
Each
Ceftiflex 4g Broad spectrum cephalosporin
antibiotic for treating bovine respiratory disease complex in cattle. Ceftiofur sodium equivalent to 50 mg ceftiofur per ml. No milk withdrawal period.
1/Bottle
5699
$
Ron Klieberstein Darlington, Wis.
Letters to the Editor
Case 6/50 Count
Each
Case 6/Bottles
5099
$
Each
Product*
Cost of Bottle
Cost per cc
Duration
cc per 100 lb
Cost/100 lb/ Duration
Ceftiflex
$50.99
$ .64
1 day
1.5 cc
$ .96
Excede
$170.49
$1.71
7 days
1.5 cc
$ .37
Excenel
$69.49
$ .70
1 day
1.5 cc
$1.05
Naxcel
$64.95
$ .81
1 day
1.5 cc
$1.22
* Based on Stearns Vet Outlet and Pharmacy’s best price.
It’s Not Too Early To Start Thinking About Fans!
Continued from ag insider | Page 6 Day asked to judge at WDE World Dairy Expo has named its slate of judges for 2012. Included on the list of 16 judges is Curtis Day of Burnsville, Minn. Day will be the official judge for the International Brown Swiss Show. World Dairy Expo will be held October 2-6 in Madison, Wis. AURI has new communications director Amanda Wanke is the new communications director for Minnesota’s Agricultural Utilization Research Institute. Previously, Wanke held a similar post at Bethel University, St. Paul. Wanke also served as a press secretary to former Congressman Gil Gutknecht. MAELC leader heading to Indy Julie Tesch, who now serves as the executive director of the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council, has accepted a job with the National FFA Alumni Association as its new executive director. Tesch will relocate to Indianapolis, effective May 1. Mortenson honored Natasha Mortenson, who is an agricultural instructor and FFA advisor at Morris Area High School, Morris, Minn., is one of five teachers nationwide to receive a national ag literacy teaching award. The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Agriculture in the Classroom organization recognized Mortenson for her ‘Agriculture in the City’ project. This mentoring program partners her high school FFA students with innercity students in Minneapolis. This program reaches nearly 1,000 metro students each year.
Muehlbauer is new department head The University of Minnesota plant biology department has a new department head. Gary Muehlbauer replaces Kate VandenBosch, who is leaving the ‘U’ to become agriculture dean at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Muehlbauer is a professor of agronomy and plant genetics and conducts research on molecular genetics for wheat and barley. Muehlbauer has been part of the University of Minnesota plant genetics department since 1997. Kubly passes Minnesota State Senator Gary Kubly, 68, has passed away. Kubly was elected to the House in 1996 and the Senate in 2002. Kubly, who lived in Granite Falls, was a ranking minority member of the agriculture committee. Trivia Challenge Before taking over as Minnesota’s agriculture commissioner, Dave Frederickson was the agricultural liaison for Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Frederickson is also a past president of the Minnesota and National Farmers Union organizations. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, what is the beef checkoff rate? We’ll have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is a partner and broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, N.D. He was the 2004 National Farm Broadcaster of the Year. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and two grandchildren, Aiden and Piper. Don Wick can be reached at don@ rrfn.com.
Schaefer’s narrow profile, fiberglass housing exhaust fans are designed to exhaust maximum CFM’s at high static pressure. Moves up to 35,000 cfm in free air! 57” Exhaust Fan
Contact Don for all your ventilation needs! 800/996-3303
Lely Robotic Dairy Tour march 21st or 22nd Thinking On How To Improve Your Cows’ Performance?
We have the solution. Take a tour with Stearns Vet Outlet and see how dairy farmers have improved their business by using the Automatic Calf Feeder and the Astronaut A3 Next Robotic Milking System.
Call Stearns Vet Outlet for all the details and to reserve your spot today! 800/996-3303. Limited to 20 people per day/Lunch provided.
CUSTOMER CARE ORDER LINE
877/608-3877
We bring Value to your dairy! Phone Orders: M-F: 8am - 5pm Melrose Store Hours: M-F: 8am - 7pm SAT: 9am - 5pm SUN: 9am - 2pm Glencoe Store Hours: M-F: 8am - 4:30pm SAT and SUN: CLOSED Melrose Office: PO Box 219 | 222 E Co Rd 173 | Melrose, MN 56352 | 800/996-3303 Glencoe Office: 2712 9th St E | Glencoe, MN 55336 | 877/864-5575
Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Continued from Rybinski | Page 1
Houle 4300 gal. tank $32,500
New 500 & 615 truck mount vert. mixers on 8100 IH truck
USED MIXERS:
• 2) Knight 5127 vert. • Knight 3450 • Knight 3142 • Knight 3042 • LuckNow 220 stationary
• LuckNow 475 • Patz 500 vert. • Oswalt 420 truck mount • Oswalt 250 • NDE 1552
Farm Star Booster Pump, 600 hrs. - $45,000
Balzer 4800 gal. tank $21,000
MANURE PUMPS:
• 3) 9’ 3 pt. 6” Super pump • 2008 8’, 8” 3 pt. super pump • ‘10 52’ 6” Houle Agi wall walker • 3) 8’ 3pt. 6” Super pump • 2) Farm Star engine units w/Cornell pump • 8’ Calumet trailer pump
NEW Houle 4800 rental tank at reduced price
‘02 Houle 6300 gal. tank - $38,950
TANKS:
• 2) Jamesway 7200 gal. • ‘06 7300 Houle • NEW Houle 4800 gal. • 2) ‘08 Houle • New 7300 Houle 7300 ga., 6 disc • ‘03 7300 Houle w/flo meter • ‘02 6300 Houle • Balzer 6000
See us for your FarmStar drag hose equipment needs!
BEDDING CHOPPERS: Wic & Goosen
1660 Jordan West Rd., Decorah, IA
www.brynsaas.com
563-382-4484
OPEN HOUSE
& Customer Appreciation Day! Tuesday, March 20, 2012 FEATURING THESE NEW PRODUCTS!
Come and see the new Massey Ferguson 7600 Series tractor and the new Massey Ferguson 8600 Series Tractor with e3 technology, H&S introduction of the all new Action Rake offering even more capacity, MacDon’s redefined M Series SP tractor offering even more options, & Finally, come see our new line, the Fantini chopping corn ucts. head, along with many more products.
jerry nelson/ dairy star
A change made a year and a half ago at Rybinski Dairy involved switching to sand. They previously used mattresses bedded daily with straw. Kevin said. “We’re now bumping up against 25,000.” The small changes started in their 78-stall freestall barn, which was built in 1998 when Kevin graduated from high school and joined the operation full-time. The stalls, originally outfitted with mattresses, needed attention. “After more than ten years of use, the mattresses were shot,” Kevin said. “We wanted to make some changes, but we first checked into a bunch of different options and consulted with the Extension Service. In the end, we decided to go with sand bedding.” “Cow comfort was our top consideration,” said Lisa Marie of their decision to switch bedding. “We have also found that our somatic cell count is much easier to control
for the month of March, 2012 (Except twine, oil & tires)
23661 Hwy 4 • Lake Henry, MN 56362
320-243-7411
www.lakehenryimplement.com
Turn to Rybinski | Page 9
BULK ANIMAL BEDDING AVAILABLE! • Dry Shavings/ Sawdust Great Products. • Green Great Service. Sawdust • Bagged Reliable Delivery. Animal Bedding
COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES ON HAND FOR QUESTIONS Lunch served from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Save 10% on all cash in-stock parts purchases over $50
when bedding with sand,” Kevin said. “The sand isn’t free, but the increased cow comfort alone is worth it. The decreased SCC is a bonus. Our SCC ran in the 300,000 to 400,000 range when we had mattresses and bedded them every day with straw. Our most current SCC was 110,000.” While the switch to sand bedding made a substantial difference at Rybinski Dairy, another issue they were forced to deal with was stray voltage. “We suspected that something was going on regarding stray voltage so we called Jerry Lush, who confirmed that we had a problem,” Kevin said. “It took about a year, but he finally got our elec-
877-337-3870
Traditional good looks...hidden strengths... easy, cost-saving installation.
ST. ROSA
LUMBER INC. www.strosalumber.com
320-836-2284 1-888-276-1751
29033 County Road 17 • Freeport, MN 56331
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 9
Continued from Rybinski | Page 8 tric supplier to install a neutral isolator and that cleared things up.” Another recent change had to do with their milking schedule. “About a year ago, we tried milking three times a day on an experimental basis,” Kevin said. “We hoped that it would improve production, but we were also motivated by the number of cows that were leaking milk.” While milk production didn’t take an immediate jump, the Rybinskis noticed one marked improvement. “The cows weren’t hauling those big, heavy udders around anymore,” said Kevin. “They seem more comfortable being milked three times a day. Plus we now spend more time observing the cows.” The Rybinskis milk at 6 a.m., 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. It takes one person about 2.5 hours to complete a milking in the double-6 parabone milking parlor, which was constructed the same time they added the new freestall barn. “When we started milking three times a day, one of our goals was to ensure that we all got to spend quality time with our family,” Kevin said. “Having a baby has reinforced the importance of family time.” Kevin and Lisa Marie have a son, Ryker, who is 6 months old. “I helped with milking and chores until I was nine months pregnant,” said Lisa Marie,
jerry nelson/ dairy star
Lisa Marie and Kevin Rybinski have a son, Ryker, who is 6 months old. Having a baby has reinforced the importance of family time for the Rybinskis, who have a goal to spend more quality time with family. who grew up on a dairy farm near Elkton, S.D. “Becoming a mom is the best thing that ever
also works at Rybinski Dairy along with another employee, Tyler Nelson, who has worked
“A year ago, our RHA was in the 17,000 to 18,000 range. We’re now bumping up against 25,000.”
– Kevin Rybinski
happened to me, but I sometimes miss being out there and working with the cows.” Kevin’s nephew, Brian,
at Rybinski Dairy for four years. Kevin shares equipment, and works back and forth with
(800) 570-8205
P BARN PEO O O H PL DAIRY, E H MACHINERY & HAY STORAGE
E
• Solid Plate Lift Arms • Greaseless Pivot Pins • Available for Most Tractor Models • Full Range of Available Attachments
T
www.MillerLoader.com
his brother, Kenny, who lives nearby and runs a stock cattle operation. Rybinski Dairy also made some tweaks to their ration over the past few years. “We began adding Rumensin to our ration,” Kevin said. “And two years ago, we went to processed corn silage. We hire all our chopping anyway and it’s well worth the extra expense to have it processed.” The Rybinskis bag all of their forages. They also bag
Heavy Duty Push Blades
• Excellent for silage or dirt work • Reinforced construction handles high-HP tractors Models to t Miller, John Deere, Case, New Holland, McCormick, AGCO, and others
high moisture corn, which is first processed through a roller mill. One thing that the Rybinskis haven’t changed over the years is their breeding program. “Our herd is currently about two-thirds Holstein and a third crossbreds,” Kevin said. “In another year or so, it will be about 50 percent crossbreds.” Rybinski Dairy has been using a crossbreeding program for many years. With a herd that’s bred 100 percent AI, they have been crossing their Holstein cows with Jersey, Ayrshire, Guernsey, and Milking Shorthorn bulls. They are currently adding Swedish Red and Norwegian Red bulls to their lineup of herd sires. “I think that the crossbreds have fewer health problems,” Kevin said. “They have better vigor than purebred Holsteins and breed back easier. Their higher milk components are also important to us. We even have one Dutch Belted cow. She’s one of our best cows, but she keeps on having bull calves.” The changes at Rybinski Dairy have been both modest and gradual, but their cumulative effect has rewarded the Rybinski family with some big dividends. “When you operate a small dairy farm you have to make small, incremental changes,” Lisa Marie said. “But every little bit helps.”
Commercial Agri Buildings
Single and Truss Arch available from 20’-120’ wide 8-14 Gauge Gatorshield® in our buildings
ASK US ABOUT GOVERNMENT FU NDING FOR HAY STORAG E
Heaviest gauge steel in the industry Pre-engineered truss buildings
THE MILK COOLING SYSTEMS SPECIALISTS WE ALSO T SELL REPLACEMEN TARPS!
NELSON’S AGRI STRUCTURES
Dean Nelson • Grove City, MN • 320-857-2633, Cell 320-699-3297 We help dairies operate more profitably! Russ Pierson
SALES & SERVICE
MUELLER SALES & SERVICE Glencoe, MN • 320-864-3556 OR 888-205-0974
THE MILK COOLING SYSTEMS SPECIALISTS™
RIVERSIDE HOOP BARNS, INC. US Hwy. 75 At IA/MN Stateline • Steen, MN 507-392-2870 • Fred A. Tilstra & Sons
LANGE CONSTRUCTION & CONCRETE Duke Lange • Swanville, MN • 320-290-0859
www.winklercanvasbldg.com
Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Continued from LEXVOLDS | Page 1
STOCK & HORSE TRAILERS
KIEFER BUILT TRAILERS “NATION’S BEST VALUE”
VARIETY OF FLAT BEDS
• Kiefer alum. & steel 16-24’s “WE HAVE • Kiefer GN 24’, excellent THE TRAILER • Hart 24’ horse trailer, like new FOR YOU” • 7) GN flat beds, 25 - 32 ft. • 4) 12-16 & 24 ft. cargo trailers • 2) 18 ft. bed over flat beds • 3) Skid steer trailers, 14,000 & 16,000 lbs.
Peterson Motors New Ulm, MN • 507-359-4209
Repaired Or New!
AUGERS TO YOUR SPECS
Also Manure Augers, Belt Conveyors, Hammer Mills
WINONA ATTRITION MILL 507-452-2716 • 800-429-2716
tfn
Weaver Feeding & Management, LLC Tom Weaver, CCA, Dairy Nutritionist Director of KOW Consulting Association
2010-11 PRESIDENT OF WI ASSOC. OF PRO AG CONSULTANTS
22 7 7 0
OAD, DARLINGTON, WI TRUMAN R 5 3 53 0
Phone: 608-762-6948
Fax: 608-762-6949 • Mobile: 608-574-0101
www.kowconsulting.com
e-mail: kowboy@kowconsulting.com
The next issue of the Dairy Star is published March 24th Advertising and news deadline is Friday, March 16th
Swede’s Service Center
Call and ask for a competitive price on your next new Bobcat equipment purchase. See our website for complete listings
www.swedesservice.net Minneota, MN 56264
507-872-6206
Hydrostatic & Hydraulic Repair
• Repair & Sales • Troubleshooting • Hose Assemblies
• Design • Service Calls • Cylinders
Skidsteer Attachments For Sale www.stoens.com
16084 State Hwy. 29 • Glenwood, MN 56334
320-634-4360
Toll Free 866-634-4360
The Lexvold family milks 80 cows on their farm near Kenyon. Each of the five siblings had to do chores in the morning before school and after school when they didn’t have practice. All the brothers said working on the farm is part of what made them successful wrestlers. “Farming is a lot of hard work … it’s not only being physically strong, it’s being mentally strong knowing you have to get up at 5 a.m. and get chores done. The same is for wrestling when you need to cut weight or run another mile to get in shape,” Nathan said. Although their chores – including stacking bales, hauling water and feeding the animals among many others – josh berhow/ faribault daily news made them strong, Chad Mitchel Lexvold wrestles during the 2012 Minnesota State Wrestling Tournaagreed the strength they ment in St. Paul. He finished his wrestling career with 212 wins and two state gained was more than titles. physical. “Growing up on a farm you had to deal with hard stuff. It taught me and sota State University, Mankato, and is studying memy brothers how to work hard and push through hard chanical engineering while Chad is at the University times,” he said. of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Although he has not declared This never-quit attitude carried with them to their a major yet, Chad is thinking about pursuing biology. varsity careers. Being the oldest of the brothers, Na- Mitchel ended the Lexvold family’s high school than led the way, starting for the Kenyon-Wanamingo wrestling career with a 212-24 record along with two High School varsity in seventh grade. The other three state championship titles – one his junior year and one followed in a similar fashion, each reaching varsity in this year as a senior. eighth grade. “It was a good way to end a legacy,” said Chad, In 2008, both the school’s wrestling team and the who cheered Mitchel on with the rest of his brothLexvold family reached a milestone. It was the first ers during the state tournament at the beginning of time the team had made it to the state tournament in March. school history, and all four Lexvold brothers wrestled Mitchel would like to wrestle in the future, but together on the same team – Nathan as a senior, Chad has not yet made a decision about where he will atand Drew as sophomores, and Mitchel as an eighth tend college. grader. Even though the brothers won at state, they were “It was cool to have my brothers on the team. That not exempt from chores during their glory days. was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done,” said “The first year, when Nathan won, he still woke Nathan, who also claimed the state champion title that up at 5 the next morning and did chores so we could year and finished with a high school record of 186-47. get to 8 a.m. church. There was no preferential treat Being the youngest, Mitchel said it was nice hav- ment,” Wayne said about the Sunday after the state ing family around. tournament. “He (Nathan) told me I had to make sure “It was hard to go through a whole wrestling sea- the rest of his brothers do chores in the future if they son so it was nice that your family was there and knew won. And they did.” what you were going through,” he said. In the future, each of the brothers hope to some Nathan went on to Augsburg College to wrestle day be a wrestling coach or stay involved with the and is currently in his senior year double majoring in sport in some way. Whether they do or don’t, they can business management and accounting. at least look back on their time in high school when When Chad and Drew reached their senior year, hard work and simple advice brought major success they also finished at state level. Drew placed first both to their family. his junior and senior year, and ended his high school “Wrestling is a big part of our family and it’s recareer with a 180-22 record while Chad took second ally important to all of us,” Drew said. “It definitely at state his senior year and finished with a 134-40 high brought us closer together.” school record. Drew attends and wrestles for Minne-
Know where to go for your Dairy News Visit us online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...
dairystar .com
Farm Equipment For Sale
‘07 CIH Magnum 245, MFWD tractor, 380/90R50 duals, 3400 hrs. $97,500 ‘11 JD Gator 625I, bed lift, 53 hours ............................................................$8,950 ‘11 JD Gator TX 4x2, 4 hours ..........................................................................$5,700 ‘10 JD 9770-STS combine, Contourmaster, chopper, 800/70R38 single tires, 673 sep hours .................................................$179,500 ‘06 JD 9760STS combine, Contourmaster, 20.8R42 duals, bullet rotor, 1472 sep hours ........................................................................................................$119,500 ‘97 JD 8400, MFWD, 18.4R46 duals, front weights, 4 remotes, 9400 hours, just through service program..................... $56,500 ‘01 CIH MX240, MFWD, 18.4R46 duals, new front and rear inside tires, new injection pump, front weights, 5050 hours ........ $61,500 ‘09 NH BB9060 big square baler, tandem axle, Phiber 3 bale accumulator, no cutter, includes roller chute, 11,300 bales........... $61,500
Call Keith Bode, Fairfax, Minnesota
507-381-1291
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 11
SEE US FOR ALL YOUR PUMPING NEEDS! Specializing in drag hose application Call now for the best rates!
UPPER MIDWEST PUMPING, Tim: 320-247-3857
LLC
Brian: 320-293-2703
26 years combined experience • uppermidwestpumping@hotmail.com
WA STRUCTURE SERVICES, INC O I N R E T S . EA • Berg Equipment • Zabel Equipment • Complete Harvester Service • DeMuth Wide-no-plug Centerlls • Sukup Aeration Conversions for Harvestores
• Hanson - Sales S l & Service S i We now service most top unloaders. • Balzer Slurry Tanks, Pumps and Rentals • Conveyer Grain Vacs and Rentals • Valmetal Products Belt conveyors, feeders, hammermils, mixers, and augers.
Ft. Atkinson, IA Toll Free 1-888-303-4445 Serving all of Northeast Iowa
Dairyland Pest Control Specializing In Farm Fly, Rodent & Bird Control FARM • COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL
MF 8670 Call for Details
Toll 507-359-1123 Free 800-826-7380 • New Ulm, MN Dayle Besemer, owner/operator
BUY RENT LEASE
BUY RENT LEASE
MF 8690 Just In
MF 2680 0% Interest
tfn
Buying? Selling? Check the classifieds. White 8516 CFS Call for details
White 8816 CFS Call for details
MF 5455 Call for details
Villard Implement Co. / Parkers Prairie Impl. Villard, MN
Management Accounting • Tax Reporting/Planning Entity Selection • Ownership Transitions
A CPA Serving Dairy Producers
Glen E. Steiner, CPA 121 1st Ave. SE, Hutchinson, MN 55350
We BUY, SELL, TRADE
used dairy equipment and milk tanks WE SPECIALIZE IN USED DAIRY EQUIPMENT.
Milking machine equipment, bulk milk tanks and cooling equipment. Give us a call, we will be glad to help you with any of your milking machine or bulk tank needs.
We also BUY your used equipment and milk tanks.
SALVAGE HOUSE
424 Third Street, Fullerton, NE 68638 • 800-844-5427
(218) 338-6156
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY at Villard Implement Location Friday, March 30th • Lunch 11 to 1
• Special 10% Discount on all out going parts New Products on display • Company reps on hand
Phone: 320-587-2722
www.steinerfinancialcpa.com
Parkers Prairie, MN
(888) 554-3111
TRACTORS
(V) JD 8870, 4WD ...............................$59,000 (V) JD 4440...........................................$19,500 (V) JD MT ................................................ $3,500 (V) JD 7520, 4WD ..................................Just In (V) JD 7405, 2WD ..........................Coming In (V) JD 6300 w/loader, 2WD .......Coming In (V) JD 3020, 2WD ..........................Coming In (V) White 2-135 ..................................$10,500 (V) White 2-105 .................................... $8,500 (V) White 195 Workhorse, AWD ............ Call (V) White 6125, 2WD, 4200 hrs.Coming In (V) Agco RT 135..................................$69,500 (V) Agco RT 120A cut, AWD ..............Just In (V) Agco LT 95A, AWD, 150 hrs Coming In (V) Agco DT 180A cut, AWD ..............Just In (V) IH 986, 4,500 hrs..........................$11,500 (V) Case IH 2394, 2WD ................Coming In
(V) Case 1594 w/loader ..................... $9,500 (V) Deutz/Allis 9170 .............................Just In
(V) JD 250, only 700 hrs........................Coming In
PLANTERS
(V) MF 9895 combine, just in .......................... Call (V) Agco 5546 round baler w/net wrap$21,500 (V) Bush Hog TH4400 utility vehicle ........$4,950 (V) Demco 600 gal. 60/ boom sprayer .$10,000 (V) Gehl 250 spreader ...........................Coming In (V) Geringhoff 6 row 30” ..............................Just In (V) Gleaner R-62 ...........................................$42,500 (V) Gleaner 20’ flex .........................................Just In (V) Gleaner 6-30” Hugger ............................Just In (P) Hesston 565T round baler.....................$8,500 (V) MF 9895, 600 seperator hrs, ‘09 ................Call (P) NH 166 windrow inverter, ‘08...............$5,500 (V) New Idea 4865, 5’x6’ round baler Choice $7,950 (V) New Idea 4855x 5x5 round balerComing In (V) Richardton 700 dump cart .........................Call (V) IH 26’ chisel plow ...........................................Call
(V) White 8516 CFS, 3 seasons use ...Coming In (V) JD 7300, 12 row ................................Coming In (V) JD 7000, 16 row 30”.........................Coming In (V) Loftness 240 20’ shredder..................$15,000 (V) IH 900 12R planter, mounted, nice .Coming In (V) Duetz 385, 6 row, dry .....................Coming In (V) Duetz 385, 12 row, dry ...................Coming In
SKID STEERS & SPREADERS
(V) Bobcat 520 .................................................$2,950 (V) Bobcat 743 .................................................Just In (V) Gehl 6640E, loaded .................................Just In (V) Gehl 5640E, only 300 hrs ..............Coming In (V) Gehl 4835 ...........................................Coming In (V) Gehl 3825 ...........................................Coming In
MISC. ITEMS
Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Cows, producer are back in the barn at Anderson Farm
Coming home
fields in North Dakota when the opportunity he had been waiting for came in the form of an unexpected phone call. It was Morgan’s uncle – an organic dairy producer from Menahga – and he had 20 cows he wanted to sell to Anderson. Coincidentally, another uncle of Morgan’s happened to own Anderson’s home farm and was willing to rent the land and facilities to the young family. After 15 years, Anderson was coming home.
By jennifer burggraff Staff writer
MENAHGA, Minn. – When Reid Anderson’s parents sold their dairy cows and the family farm in 1997, he left with the certainty that he would never be back. Nearly 15 years later, however, Anderson is home – literally. What’s more, he’s brought a herd of dairy cows with him to once again fill the barn. Anderson (22), along with his wife, Morgan, and their two sons, Anton (1) and Bodin (8 months), began dairy farming on his home farm in October 2011. It’s a dream come true, and one he never saw coming. Leaving the family farm Anderson’s home farm near Menahga, Minn., was originally settled by his great grandfather. His grandfather continued the family farm, putting up a 50-stall freestall barn and double-4 parlor in the 1970s. He passed the farm on to his son, Anderson’s dad, Bret, in the early 1990s. Bret and his wife, LaRae, raised seven children on the farm. At one point, they were milking 120 cows and upgraded the parlor to a double-7 her-
jennifer burggraff/ dairy star
Reid Anderson is pictured with his 45-cow dairy herd on the farm he rents near Menahga, Minn. The farm is Anderson’s home farm. He and his family began dairying on it in October 2011. ringbone. “I was in third grade when we sold the cows. At that time I was milking every other night and doing calf chores.” Unfortunately, a tough dairy economy pressed Anderson’s family to sell their herd and the farm when his dad took a full-time position with the county sheriff’s department. The move was hard – especially for Anderson. “My name is written in the
concrete in the parlor. There are lots of memories of this place,” he said. Opportunity calls Although his family was no longer in the industry, Anderson couldn’t get dairy out of his blood. Within a week after graduating from high school, he purchased five cows, hoping to start a farming career. He ended up selling them and taking a job on a grain farm in
North Dakota. From there, he worked on a few dairy farms in the Menahga area, gaining experience and always on the lookout for an opportunity to transition into a dairy business or start up on his own. “Farming has been my dream from the time I was 5 years old,” he said. In mid-August 2011, Anderson was working a job in Detroit Lakes, Minn., with the intent of heading to the oil
Smooth start-up, steep learning curve Anderson’s first step back into the dairy industry was acquiring the financing to start dairy farming, which he did with a beginning farmer loan through FSA. After that, he focused on the milking facilities. Although the barns were in good condition, Anderson needed to purchase and install all the milking equipment. To help keep costs low, he opted to use the parlor as a swing-6 instead of a double-7. Much of the equipment he purchased used from various places. By early October, things were ready to roll. “It was just bam, bam, bam and I was milking cows,” Anderson said of the smooth startup. On Oct. 14, 2011, AnderTurn to anderson | Page 13
For the answer scan this QR code with your smart phone or visit: www.JAYLOR.com/answer Don’t have a QR reader? Then search ‘QR Reader’ in your app store or download one free at SKUyou.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 13
Continued from anderson | Page 12
Willmar Ag Show March 13-14
Willmar, MN
WILLMAR CIVIC CENTER • 9-4 DAILY
FREE Parking
All ag displays including crop inputs, material handling, machinery, building, swine and dairy equipment, and feed.
Tuesday, March 13 Only Seminar - 9:30 a.m. jennifer burggraff/ dairy star
Anderson milks his 45-cow dairy herd twice a day in this parlor. While the parlor was built as a double-7 herringbone by Anderson’s parents, he uses it as a swing-6. son milked his own herd of cows for the first time. Being back in the barn he grew up in was bittersweet. “It was a cool feeling and never anything I could have possibly dreamed of,” he said. “When I left the farm, there’s no way I thought I would ever be back milking cows here.” “I guess I just married the right lady,” he said, smiling. For the first week – with help from family and friends – Anderson milked the 20 cows he had purchased from Morgan’s uncle. After that, he added 30 more cows to the herd, purchased from an organic producer by Rochester. While things went well, there was a steep learning curve for Anderson – learning the organic side of the industry. His entire dairy herd was already certified, as well as the farm, but Anderson said he still needed to certify his operation. “It had never crossed my mind to go organic,” said Anderson, who was raised on and worked on conventional farms. “... It was a very sharp learning curve.” With countless resources at his finger tips, including Organic Valley and Morgan’s uncles, he worked through the 80 pages of paper work. After selling milk on the conventional market for the first couple months, it’s now on the organic truck, and Anderson is enjoying the benefits. “With $31 milk, I can actually reduce my herd to a manageable size. I’m only milking 45 cows,” he said. “... And I see now that I don’t have the issues [I used to see in our conventional herd].
Everything is healthier when you don’t have to push for 80 pounds of milk.” Looking forward to the future Anderson is optimistic about his future in the dairy industry, though he admits he’s still got a lot to learn when it comes to organic farming – the treatments, grazing and raising crops to name a few. While he currently owns the herd and milking equipment, he is renting the 70-acre farm, much of which will be converted to pasture this year. Anderson is renting another 35 acres of land from his dad for raising crops. Currently, he purchases his feed, but
“I get up at 4:30 every morning and haven’t had a morning yet when I’ve dreaded getting up.”
– Reid anderson
by spring Anderson is hoping to find enough land to raise most of his feed needs, and he’s hoping to purchase the farm in the not too distant future. For now, however, Anderson is simply enjoying being home. “I’m only 22 and am doing my dream job,” he said. “I get up at 4:30 every morning and haven’t had a morning yet when I’ve dreaded getting up. I get to walk to work; that’s what I’ve always wanted.”
Water Issues: TMDL - What is TMDL and how will it change the way you farm?
Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 - 11 a.m.
MN State Highway Patrol: Learn how new & existing laws & regulations will affect your operations. For more information, contact Lyle Lange or Shannon at 320-231-1470
Sponsored by the West Central Ag Sales Association
Milking over 2 Million Cows in the U.S.!
Provide Optimal Vented Air Flow, Faster Milking and Gentle Massage!
Cows “Wanna” Be Milked! Teats are Completely DRY! Reduces Slips & Squawks! Better Teat End Condition! CONTACT an IMPULSE Dealer Near You! Advanced Dairy Systems 9 State Rd. 29 Spring Valley, WI 54767 (715) 772-3201
Dairyland Services 2545 80th Ave. Woodville, WI 54028 (715) 698-4370
Professional Dairy Systems 1449 Homecrest Ave. Wadena, MN 56482 (218) 632-5416
Agri-Dairy Services 182 North Main Street Richland Center, WI 53581 (608) 647-4488
East Central Dairy Supply 2195 Hwy. 23 Mora, MN 55051 (320) 679-1029
S&S Dairy Systems 119 West Circle Drive St. Charles, MN 55972 (507) 932-4288
Champion Milking Systems 23218 350th St. Albany, MN 56307 (320) 845-4156 D&D Ag Supply 133 Atlantic Ave. NE Pennock, MN 56279 (320) 599-4466 jennifer burggraff/ dairy star
Reid and Morgan Anderson have two young sons, Anton (1) and Bodin (8 months). The farm they dairy on - Reid’s home farm - is now owned by Morgan’s uncle. The couple hopes to eventually purchase the farm.
Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems 105 3rd Ave. NW Epworth, IA 52045 (563) 876-3087 Mlsna Dairy Supply 1126 Front Street Cashton, WI 54619 (608) 654-5106
United Suckow Dairy 12687 Hwy 18 & 52 Postville, IA 52162 (563) 864-7417 Vosberg Farm Supply 1415 Evergreen Rd. Platteville, WI 53818 (608) 348-3385
www.chemstarworks.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 15
From Our Side Of The Fence How did you drastically lower your SCC? Neil Holmgren Litchfield, Minn. Meeker County 42 cows Current SCC: 190,000 SCC in 2009: The high in 2009 was 900,000, but by the end of the year it was down to 400-500,000. My 2009 SCC rolling average was 564,000.
Marty Hallock Mondovi, Wis. Buffalo County 700 cows Current SCC: 168,000 SCC in 2010: 273,000
Why did you want to lower your somatic cell count? With the rule of 400,000, I had to think about that. I also like the premiums you get out of the deal and I got tired of treating cows. What are three changes you made that assisted you in achieving a lower SCC? The biggest one was keeping our stray voltage in check. I have a guy from Litchfield that checks periodically and does the witching thing. I know when I have a problem and he can pinpoint it. Whether it's a capacitor on a motor or a bad breaker, he can find it. That got the somatic cell count down to 400-500,000. I always used a barrier teat dip and I changed to a ChemStar dip, Barrier 710. Then I switched to a DeLaval inflation and those two switches brought the SCC down to around 200,000. What kind of benefits have you seen since dropping your SCC? I've seen healthier cows. I don't treat many anymore. I rarely get mastitis. This is so sweet, words can't describe it. Do you have any advice for someone who is trying to lower their SCC? If
you are doing everything right think about stray voltage. If you have stray voltage, nothing else matters. What kind of barn do you have and what kind of bedding do you use? I have a tiestall barn with rubber mats. During the summer the cows are out on pasture and during the winter they are out for an hour. Tell us about your farm. I'm the third generation on the farm. My grandparents bought the farm in the 40's. I bought it from my parents 30 years ago. I started breeding in Red and White 15 years ago. I wanted to be all Red and White when I retired. My cows will be for sale in July. I farm 200 acres and I plant corn, soybeans and I have some alfalfa. I buy most of my good hay from North Dakota.
Tell the advertisers you saw their ad in the Dairy Star! 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378 320-352-6303 • Fax (320) 352-5647
Pasteurize Your Way To More Profit Eliminate Expensive Milk Replacers by Installing
a Westwaard Calf Milk Pasteurizer
What was the main reason behind lowering your SCC? In the fall I have an annual meeting with my team of experts, including my veterinarian, nutritionist, business consultant and banker. We sit down, look at the past year and start planning for the next year. We always discuss ways to make more income and possible areas of improvement. Our SCC wasn’t ever that bad, but it wasn’t good. There was potential for premiums. I also wanted to cut back on the amount of drug use and reduce the chances of having a contaminated tank. Our goal is to get our SCC average to 150,000 for the year. What were three changes you made that assisted you in achieving the lower SCC? The big one was more employee meetings. We put together a better milking protocol and we had to make sure everyone was following that protocol. In our double-16 parlor, we prep cows in groups of four. We dip, strip and dip again. Then we go back and wipe, flip the towel over, wipe the end of the teats and attach before moving to the next cow. The second change is that we upgraded our dips and other products for milking prep because quality matters. You get what you pay for. The third big aspect is making sure all the equipment is serviced right. Every six months we go through a list of things that have to be done. There are also items that are checked monthly. We don’t let anything wear out. In the past, we tried to save a few bucks by using items as long as they could last, but in the long haul I think it hurt us. Other little changes have been moving the neckrail back in one of the groups in the freestall barn, using more sawdust in the stalls and singeing the udders each month rather than three times a year. What kinds of benefits have you seen since dropping your SCC? We gained an extra premium of $0.20 more per hundredweight. We have also increased milk production and cut down the number of cows we treat. We used to treat about one
E TTL NT CA INEME NF CO
20 gal.
40/60 gal.
percent of the herd, but now it’s at about .5 percent of the herd treated. We use less drugs, find mastitis earlier and therefore have less culling due to mastitis.
Why was it important to you to lower your SCC? It makes my farm more profitable. We didn’t want to add more cows to get more milk. My goal is to get the most out of what we have. Milk prices are starting to go down so I want to minimize the losses at this point. There are always things on the farm I need to improve on, but this one seems to be one with a direct payback. After setting up the protocol, SCC dropped about 75,000 in two months. Sometimes we as owners think it’s out of our hands to lower SCC and think it's good enough. I wish I would have focused on SCC a lot earlier because I could have gotten the premiums sooner. When I made it a priority, the employees did, too. I had a lot of help in the process to lower the SCC.
Tell us about your farm. Our farm name is Mar-Bec Dairy. My wife, Becky, and I own the farm and are the first generation. I didn’t have a farm background, but I have a degree in dairy science. I went to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and graduated in 1989. I started milking on my own in 1990. I rented a farm next to my inlaws and they helped me a lot. Becky and I bought this farm in 1993. At the time it had a freestall barn and double-4 parlor. In 2000 we built a facility with a double-16 parlor for 450 cows and in 2008 we added another 250 cows. We custom hire everything in the fields. We own 650 acres of land and rent 400.
IRY
DA
120, 150, 200 gal.
Several sizes to fit your operation STANDARD FEATURES:
• Pump agitation and dispense system • Automated pasteurization cycles • Re-heat & pre-cool options standard
Athman Dairy
• Manual wash with a 20 gal. • Automatic C.I.P System on 40 gal. & larger systems • Large PLC screen provides information throughout cycles • Electric Heating
AVAILABLE AT
Pierz, MN | 320-468-2494
Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN | 218-632-5416
LANDMARK
COMMERCIAL
320 1st Ave. NE Watertown, SD 57201 Website: LandmarkSD.com
BUILDERS
AGRICULTURAL
Phone: 1-605-886-7176 Toll Free 1-866-688-0561
e-mail: landmark@dailypost.com
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
From Our Side Of The Fence How did you drastically lower your SCC?
Gabe Koll Sebeka, Minn. Ottertail County 240 cows Current SCC: 150,000 SCC in 2009: Our 2009 SCC rolling average was 527,000.
Tylor Nyland Gully, Minn. Polk County 80 cows Current SCC: 225,000 SCC in 2009: Our 2009 SCC rolling average was 516,000.
Why did you want to lower your somatic cell count? We wanted to lower our SCC to improve cow health and for the premiums. What are three changes you made that assisted you in achieving a lower SCC? Changing our pulsators, liners and the pulsation rate. Our cows’ teat end health was really bad, so we changed our pulsators, changed the pulsation rate from 60:40 to 65:35 and went from Surge 303 liners to triangle liners. We tried one thing, and it helped but didn’t solve the problem so we tried another and had the same thing. It helped but didn’t solve it. It took changing all three to make it better. What kind of benefits have you seen since dropping your SCC? Improved cow health and reduced vet bills. Do you have any advice for someone who is trying to lower their SCC? Don’t give up. Find what works for you and keep doing it. It takes time. What kind of barn do you have and what kind of bedding do you use? Our cows are housed in a bedded pack barn that we bed with wheat straw and meadow hay. They are milked twice a day in a parlor. Tell us about your farm. I farm with my mom and dad, Cindi and Brad Koll. We have 240 cows and farm 900 acres (600 owned and 300 rented). We put a double-8 parallel parlor in our old tiestall barn four years ago, and our cows are housed on a bedded pack. We raise all of our replacement animals.
What was the main reason behind lowering your SCC? I wanted to earn the somatic cell count premium and I knew lowering the SCC could be done. I took over all the milking three years ago and within three months we were getting a premium. What were three changes you made that assisted you in achieving the lower SCC? The biggest thing was udder prep and doing it consistently day after day. I'm a perfectionist. We predip, wait 30 seconds, strip them and then dip again and then wipe. We wash the teats using one towel for four cows. We just rotate the halves. We also started using a quarter milker and use it on a few cows. One quarter can drop a cows somatic cell count from 1,000,000 to 100,000. We also try to do a better job at cull management. I have an employee that follows our procedures prefectly. What kinds of benefits have you seen since dropping your SCC? A somatic cell count premium instead of a deduction. We have lower vet costs and healthier cows. I think our reproduction is better as well. Do you have any advice for someone who is trying to lower their somatic cell count? You have to do a perfect job every time. Udder prep is the key. Keep your hopes up and it can happen if you put your mind too it. What kind of barn do you have and what kind of bedding do you use? We converted our old tiestall barn to a step up parlor and holding area. The cows stay in a loafing shed and we bed with oats straw twice a day with a haybuster. During the summer the cows are out on pasture. Tell us about your farm. I work for my dad, Bryan, and we also do a beef cow operation. We farm 300 acres and we plant corn, alfalfa and oats. We combine our oats and use it for feed. We raise our bull calves to 800 pounds. I'm working into the farm.
The next generation in hoop barn construction.
Brian and Theresa Carlson Braham, Minn. Isanti County 46 cows Current SCC: 233,000 SCC in 2009: Our 2009 SCC rolling average was 649,000. Why did you want to lower your somatic cell count? The European Union regulation change and to get better quality milk. What are three changes you made that assisted you in achieving a lower SCC? The first thing we did was culled problem cows sooner. Then we added pre-dipping to our udder prep. We also had the barn checked for stray voltage; we found we had a problem and had it corrected. What kind of benefits have you seen since dropping your SCC? We like getting quality payments on our milk check. Do you have any advice for someone who is trying to lower their SCC? It will probably take a few smaller changes instead of one big change that will make the different. What kind of barn do you have and what kind of bedding do you use? We have a tie-stall barn and we usually bed with wheat straw. Tell us about your farm. We purchased the farm in 1981 from my grandparents, and built a 48 cow tie-stall barn the same year. We currently milk 40 cows and grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
Why did you want to lower your somatic cell count? So that I would get the SCC premium.
What are three changes you made that assisted you in achieving a lower SCC? Doing a better job at keeping the cows cleaner was the biggest thing that I did. I also got rid of my high count cows. And then treating cows as soon as possible when I see mastitis.
What kind of benefits have you seen since dropping your SCC? Healthier cows and it seems like the cows don’t come down with mastitis as much when you keep the high count cows out of the herd.
Do you have any advice for someone who is trying to lower their SCC? Have a very clean environment for the cows. Tell us about your farm. I have 170 cows by Frazee, Minn. I run a bedding pack for my cows. We just built the barn two years ago for the cows.
Target Your Customers! Advertise Online at www.dairystar.com If you would like to advertise, call 320-352-6303 for more information.
NEW T EQUIPMEN
Cows to cars, sand to salt. If it needs a roof, we got you covered.
New Farm Aid and LuckNow Mixer Wagons Coming In!
USED EQUIPMENT
Farm Aid 340 mixer ................................................ Coming In ‘05 Trioliet 1600, 570 cu. ft. vert. mixer, frt. discharge, low prole ............................................. $18,000 ‘00 Farm Aid 430 mixer wagon, reconditioned........... $14,000 ‘06 Farm Aid 430, exc. condition ................................. $15,000 ‘04 Automatic roller mill on trailer, 1800 bu. hr. cap. . $12,000 5x14 Roorda feed wagon with scale .............................. $2,000
• 30’x72’ Single Steel - $4,700 • 38’x100’ Black Truss - $11,900 silverstreamshelters.com
PETE SCHILLING Gaylord, MN • 507-241-0174
Andrew Ingvalson Frazee, Minn. Becker County 170 cows Current SCC: 120,000 SCC in 2009: My 2009 SCC rolling average was 512,000.
YOUR DEALER FOR ROLLER MILLS
RIDGEVIEW E QUIPMENT SALES SERVICE
REED MERRILL Canby, MN • 507-223-7121
AND
605-886-2595 or 605-881-9017
Silver Stream Shelters
45909 169th St., Watertown, SD
www.silverstreamshelters.com • 877-547-4738 P-tfn
YOUR DEALER FOR HOULE MANURE EQUIPMENT, FARM AID, TRIOLIET, & LUCKNOW MIXER WAGONS
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 17
It’s time to start planning for your spring manure handling needs... What Makes The
Outstanding Parts & Service
Our service doesn’t end after the sale. We back our products with knowledgeable and friendly staff so that when you need parts and information, you have only one place to go. We stock a large selection of PTOs, bearings, belts, chains, and sprockets to keep your operation going. Call toll free 1-800-338-6455. • Mike • Gordon • Lashana
HYDRA-SPREAD
The Best Spreader?
• Heavy-Duty Upper Beater • High Lift Endgate • Dual Endgate Cylinders • Replaceable Bang Boards • Poly Floor/Sides Won’t Rot or Rust • Innite Speed Adjustment • Heavy Duty Shear Pin Protected PTO • Heaviest Frame In The Business • Operates Year Round With Simple Hydraulics
Replacement Parts For Your Dairy
• Tandem Pivot On Solid Shaft • High Ground Clearance • Two Bolts Remove Beater Assembly For Piling • No Apron Chain, Sprocket or Drive To Ever Wear Out • Slurry Pan • Replaceable 3/8” Beater Paddles • All Splined Shafts and Sprockets
A whole new way to spread.
You asked for a way to spread solid manure ner, and while we were at it, could it be a little wider too. We answered.
HYDRA-SPREAD HYDRA SPREAD IS THE HYDRA-SPREAD RECOGNIZED LEADER IN HYDRAULIC PUSHOFF TECHNOLOGY
Corner Wheels - Barn Cleaner Drive Parts Silo Unloader Augers - Conveyor Chains Replacement Axles - Parts for VanDale - Roller Mill Rolls J&D Pullmore & Super Hook Barn Cleaner Chain Badger Parts and Service - Replacement Parts for Hanson
1-DAY PARTS SHIPPING SERVICE AVAILABLE TO THE AREAS SHOWN ON THE MAP - EVEN ON YOUR HARD-TO-FIND PARTS! 1-800-338-6455
Extravert.
With Extravert, the benets stretch far and wide.
8100 Series ProTwin Slinger
Pro Spread 160 Vertical
SPREADS THE WIDEST VARIETY OF MATERIALS: • pen pack The single-auger Vertical Maxx will • semi-solids provide excellent mixing, processing, • bedding • semi-liquid and unloading performance at a price you can afford. • liquid
IT’S BIG!
BIG CASH DISCOUNTS OR LOW RATE FINANCING
The PS 160 sets the new standard for reliability and spreading performance to meet the changing needs of livestock producers. The durable, all-welded construction and solid poly oor of previous ProSpread® models remain, but the new, simple, protected center driveline improves dependability and reduces maintenance. The PS 160 quickly and evenly spreads the toughest solid materials from dairy and feedlot operations with the hydraulically-controlled, variable-speed apron. VertiSpread® vertical beaters provide a consistent, wide spread pattern and superior material breakup to help maximize the value of manure nutrients.
Powerful PTO Pumps & Agitators Ag gitators
750-1350 cu. ft. Spreader
Tanks Spread All Types Of Liquid Manure
If you’ve gotta haul, give us a call!
Horizontal or vertical beaters Manufactured in Minnesota
A STANDARD ON NORTH AMERICAN FARMS FOR OVER 30 YEARS!
Designed to be versatile enough to utilize one piece of equipment for a variety of applications!
Pumps and Tanks
www.dairylandsupplyinc.com
DAIRYLAND SUPPLY INC. 320-352-3987 • 1-800-338-6455
SAUK CENTRE S
OFF I-94 ON THE CORNER OF HWY. 28 & 71 SOUTH
Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Our Farm, our story
Ronans continue 157-year-old farming tradition By Kelli boylen Staff writer
WAUKON, Iowa – Jim Ronan’s great-great grandfather was the first to till the land. His grandmother used to tell stories about the Native Americans coming to the farmhouse on baking days to trade for fresh-baked bread. And now, his middle son is working side-by-side with him on their dairy farm. The president was Franklin Pierce when John and Margaret Ronan homesteaded 160 acres in Allamakee County. The land patent hangs on the wall in the Ronan farm house, issued on Oct. 15, 1855, which reads that the land is “there unto belonging unto the said John Ronan and his heirs and assigns forever.” John and Margaret Ronan operated the farm from 1855 to 1888. They were followed by D.D. and Mary, who operated it from 1888 to 1930. Then came James P. and Margaret from 1930 to 1965. John D. and Betty operated the farm from 1965 to 2006. James P. and Sara took over in 2006. When they received their Heritage Farm designation several years ago at the Iowa State Fair, they had tshirts made listing the names
kelli boylen/ dairy star
Jim and Tyler Ronan are farming on the same farm their ancestors settled 157 years ago. They milk 65 cows on their farm in Allamakee County near Waukon, Iowa.
and times of the ancestors, which were worn by all family members. Jim graduated from high school in 1985 and worked at another farm for a few years. His brother, Ray, was working the family farm, but Ray’s wife wanted to go back to school so they moved to Cedar Falls and Jim came back to the farm in 1989. He farmed with his father un-
D.D. and Mary Ronan take over dairy
James and Margaret Ronan run dairy
1888 1855
John and Margaret Ronan homestead in Allamakee County
til he passed away about six years ago. Like any other farm, there have been a lot of ups and downs over the years. In the early 1900s, the Ronans built a house on their farm. In 1907 they started building a barn, but they had to stop the barn construction and rebuild the house after there was a fire. Jim’s grandparents were
1989
1930 1907
Start to build new barn
Jim comes back to farm with his dad
1965
John D. and Betty take over dairy
able to hold onto their farm during the Great Depression, but his great-uncle lost his farm which neighbored the property. His great-uncle and his family left the area and were not heard from again. The years 2001 and 2002 were difficult ones for the family. Jim’s grandmother passed away at the end of 2001. In 2002, his mom passed away, and Jim was diagnosed with
non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He had been feeling poorly, but didn’t think that much of it. He woke one morning with a swollen arm and couldn’t even make it through milking. He went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a blood clot in his arm. The blood clot turned out to be a fortunate thing because they found the lymphoma that day. They caught it early. Jim, who was 35 at the time, received his cancer treatments in Waukon and La Crosse. He would milk cows, drive to La Crosse and then come back home and get to his chores. He felt better by the second treatment. He has been cancer free for 10 years. Other than his bout with cancer, about the only thing that seems to be bad for his health is sitting still. He said if he has his blood pressure taken right away when he goes to the doctor’s office it will be fine, but it actually elevates if he sits there doing nothing for a while. His son, Tyler, may have the same issue with not being active. He said part of why he enjoys farming so much is that he finds it to be relaxing. He also likes being his own boss. Tyler graduated from Turn to ronans | Page 23
The Ronans celebrate the farm’s Ronans build a shop 150th year
2005
2002
Jim is diagnosed with cancer
2008
2006
Current owners, Jim and Sara take ownership
ANNUAL SPRING SALE! March 26-31, 2012
5
ON % DDISCOUNT ALL MATERIAL! A
Plyco SService Pl i D Doors • Building Packages .80 Ultra-Lam Posts • Lumber & Insulation • Silverline windows (new & replacements) • C.H.I. overhead doors • Decra Stone coated shingles • 26 ga. Snap-Loc panels Whether building new or remodeling, check out our prices on residential roofing, windows, vinyl siding, etc.
Buy the industry-leading G-100 steel roong & siding with 40 year warranty
Hixwood Metal, Inc.
W11856 Hixwood Rd., Stanley, WI 54768 Phone: (715) 644-0765 • Fax: (715) 644-4931
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 19
“… far less edema… shorter window to heavy milking”
— Chuck Worden
WORMONT DAIRY, Cassville, New York THE WORDEN FAMILY Milking 270 registered Holsteins and Jerseys 6 EX Holsteins & 5 EX Jerseys Shipping 17,000 lbs/day at 4.2 fat 3.2 protein (2x) SCC 225 to 275,000 (Above) Chuck and Vanessa Worden at Wormont Dairy, 10-time Progressive Genetics Award winner. Chuck serves as president of Holstein Assoc. USA. (Right) Wormont Storm 5730 Love-ET, EX-94 EEEEE @ 7-08 with over 30,000 at 4.3 fat.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so we use Udder Comfort™ on any cow we think has the need,” says Chuck Worden. He and Vanessa and their sons Wayne, Mark and Eric and daughter Lindsey and Mark’s wife Kate, operate Wormont Dairy, Cassville, N.Y., milking 270 registered Holsteins and Jerseys. “To get a jump on mastitis, we apply Udder Comfort as soon as we notice any swelling and we use it on our prefresh heifers, especially in the winter months. “They have less skin irritations, are more comfortable, and come into their milk faster with fewer problems. Anything we do to eliminate edema reduces chances of mastitis. We don’t have much to treat. “We see far less edema and a shorter window to heavy milking without edema. I’ve tried about every product out there, but I keep going back to Udder Comfort because it works.”
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk
Keep the milk in the system 1.888.773.7153 1.613.543.3263 uddercomfort.com Call to locate a distributor near you.
For external application to the udder only after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 21
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
N G R N BAOFI RO
Steel Barn Roong, Siding, & Barn Straightening
ABRAHAM’S FARM REPAIR (formerly Rainbow Enterprises)
FREE ESTIMATES
320-468-0276 Pierz
FR FREE REE EE E EE ESTIMATES EST STIMATES STIMA IM MAT ATES ES S
WALKER CONSTRUCTION walkerconstruction.co
r Call us fo New & ts Used Par
WE CAN REPAIR YOUR HARVESTORES AND UNLOADERS
Bill Abraham - 19 years experience
320-864-6821 Leave message
tfn
Carver County dairy Expo
Overcrowding affects cow health and production Krawczel addresses behavioral changes at Carver County Expo By ruth klossner Staff writer
See one of the following dealers for more information... IOWA Kramer Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 Prairie Land Ag Supply, Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United-Suckow Dairy Supply West Union, IA 563-422-5355 Postville, IA 563-864-7417
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN • 320-679-1029 Genex Farm Systems Melrose, MN • 320-256-3276 Watertown • 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD • 800-284-0015 S&S Dairy Systems LLC St. Charles, MN • 507-932-4288 D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN • 320-599-4466 Professional Dairy Systems Detroit Lakes, MN 218-342-2904 Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy Systems Inc. Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777 Bangor, WI 608-769-2113
NORWOOD-YOUNG AMERICA, Minn. – Unlike people, dairy cows are more likely to give up eating and social time in favor of resting time. That’s one result of studies to observe the effects of overcrowding on cow health and productivity. Peter D. Krawczel of the University of Tennessee presented the findings at the Carver County/ University of Minnesota Dairy Expo & Trade Show on Feb. 20. Krawczel began his presentation with a discussion of the typical time budget of a lactating dairy cow. Basic behavioral needs include three to five photo submitted hours/day eating, 10 to 14 hours/day lying Peter D. Krawczel, Universi(resting), two to three ty of Tennessee, presented hours/day standing/ information on overcrowdwalking in the alley ing and cow health. (grooming, agonistic, estrous activity), and a half hour/day drinking, for a total of 20.5 to 21.5 hours/day needed. That leaves 2.5 to 3.5 hour/day for milking, herd health checks, etc. Overstocking reduces a cow’s ability to practice natural behaviors, but may improve economic returns on facility investments, making the question “What is optimal stocking density to avoid compromising health and productivity?” Krawczel put it another way, “Are we taking advantage of the cow and her natural abilities or are we just taking advantage of the cow?” The studies found that cows have strong behavioral needs to rest. They’ll sacrifice feeding time to make up lost resting time and will spend more time waiting in alleys to lie down than eating when barns are overstocked. Further, it was found that they’re unable to recover from deprivations of two to four hours, such as being locked in headlocks. They’ll alter their behavior for the next four days to make up for it. Benefits of adequate rest include reduced stress on hooves, greater blood flow to the uterus, lower cortisol, increased bGH, and greater milk yield—about 3.5 pounds for each additional hour. Although they spend less time eating, overstocked cows eat about 25 percent faster—but ruminate an hour a day less. In addition, overstocked cows experience greater pathogen load in the environment, greater teat end exposure, and may experience immune suppression. Preliminary data indicates that clinical mastitis events per lactation increased significantly when overstocking reached the 140 percent level. Similarly, negative impacts were observed in reproduction as a result of overstocking. Decreased bunk space—24 inches down to 12 inches—was associated with linear decreased percentage of cows pregnant at 150 days in milk, dropping from 70 to 35 percent. Overstocking of stalls in breeding pens was associated with reduced conception rates. The reason appears to be greater aggression at feeding, reduced lying time, and reduced compliance with synch programs. With studies carried out at various levels of overstocking, research seems to suggest a maximum level of 120 percent before negative effects outweigh any positives. Krawczel left the group with the message that the relationship between milk yield and stall availability/ resting time is evident, but the effect is variable; reproduction is negatively affected by overcrowding at the feed bunk and in stalls; and that detrimental effects on the time budget may explain the impact of the stocking density. Detrimental effects, especially related to reproduction, contribute to cows leaving the herd.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 23
Continued from ronans | Page 18
Maximize Your Profitability... Through Proper Feed Storage Prairie Pride has developed the Futures Bin today in our Poly Bins. All the features the others will have in their bins in the future are in ours today. Check the list of features below and you will agree that Poly Bin is the bin for your needs.
photo submitted
This aerial photo of the Ronan family farm was taken in 2011. The Ronans have done many updates through the years, including a new house, barn and shop.
• Visible feed level • Corrosion resistant for long life • Large Poly Bins have 60 degree Cone & Ultra smooth interior finish for easy, even feed flow. • Large Poly Bins have 35 degree roof Poly Bin Sizes from 1-14 ton for maximizing fill height. • Easy to assemble. • Strong enough to handle • Large 22” fill opening. concentrate material • Ideal strength and flow • Heavy duty steel ring and support stand. characteristics for high moisture feeds, corn, soybeans and Warranty: 10 years concentrates (premix). The longest in the industry! Call for optional accessories
• Mayrath augers • Farm King augers • Kelly Ryan silage baggers • Polygrate hog flooring
21735 Business Hwy. 151 • Monticello, IA 52310 Ph. (319) 465-4552 • Fax: (319) 465-3976
YOUR SKID STEER ATTACHMENT
HEADQUARTERS
photo submitted
BRUSH BUSTERS
SNOW EQUIPMENT
SHEER IT, CUT IT, MOVE IT
The Ronans have this painting of their farm from the early 1900s. The house in the painting is the one that was destroyed by fire in 1907.
high school last May, and he thought about going to college with an interest in playing college level baseball. “Then I decided that I liked farming more than going to school,” he said. Jim and Tyler often work together on whatever needs to be done on the farm, from milking to field work. The Ronans are currently milking 65 cows. In addition to the cows, they own 360 acres of land and rent another 40. Of that, 290 acres are tillable where they grow corn, alfalfa, oats and have pasture. Tyler has the option of working into ownership of the farm, and is currently getting a percentage of the milk check. Tyler’s older brother, Brandon, is a junior at Loras College where he plays football and is majoring in sports science. He ideally would like to work as a personal trainer or strength coach for a college team. Brandon said growing up on a dairy farm helped him learn how to stick to a busy schedule and plan ahead all of the time. Jim and Sara were able to attend most of Brandon’s football games since they usually take place on Saturday afternoons. Tyler often stayed home to do chores. Jim and Sara’s youngest son is Jacob, 15, who is a freshman at Waukon High School. All three boys participated in FFA in high school as well as football, basketball and baseball. When there are sporting events to attend, other milkers besides Tyler include Jim’s brother, Rick. Several neighbors help out as well. Jim said neighbors helping neigh-
ORDER TODAY bors is one of the great things about where they live. “In our neighborhood everyone helps each other out,” he said. “Our neighbors often use our shop and our welders. I’ve told them they don’t even need to ask, just pull in and get it done.” The Ronans built their shop in 2008, partly with the idea that Sara could use it as a garage. Sara is a special education aid at East Elementary in Waukon, a position she has held for about nine years. The shop turned into a permanent place for them to work on machinery. They spend a lot of time in the winter getting all of their machinery in top shape, in addition to fixing things when they break down. “That shop has saved us a lot of money,” Jim says. The cement floor shed has also proved a great place to have parties for family and friends. The two older boys had their graduation parties in it, and a niece asked to have her graduation party there also. They also really enjoy having fish frys for friends and family. A brotherin-law brings the fish and they provide the gathering spot. In the last five or so years they have also updated a lot of machinery, replaced their stanchions with tie stalls, updated the milkers with automatic take offs, and put up another garage for Sara’s car. They replaced the stanchions, which were completely worn out, with tie stalls about two years ago. Jim said when Tyler definitely decides he wants to take over the operation, they will start plans to put up a freestall barn followed a few years later with a milking parlor.
SKID LOADER LIFT ATTACHMENTS Tree/Post Puller
PALLET FORKS
We Have Backhoes Ready To Dig 7’ Digging Depth
$ Made In USA
695
NEW
PRONG HAY FORKS 2 prong 4 prong $
4955 49
$
5755 57
Dozer Blade
4 or 6 way CALL FOR DETAILS!
Prices starting at $2,075
BRUSH CUTTERS
$
1,500
Tree Shears
Made In USA
Up To 12’ Tree
• 15-20 gpm • Cut 5” Trees • 66” Standard Duty • 60 & 72” Extreme Duty
Brush Cutters As Low As $
3,800
$
3,950
HIGH QUALITY SKID LOADER ATTACHMENTS Custom Buckets
Any size or shape! Root Grapple Many sizes available.
CALL FOR DETAILS!
Xtreme Stump Bucket
New Extreme Duty Direct Drive Augers
$2,500 w/12” Auger $2,650 w/18” Auger
Grapple Fork
4-in-1 Grapple Bucket
Quick Tach
$
225
Receiver Hitch
Tine Grapple $
Stump Grupple
150
Quick-tach Plate
CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE
Grapple Bucket
CALL OR STOP IN TODAY!
Iowa City, IA 52240 (800) 498-8032 • (319) 338-4114 Scan This For Info
www.lackender-fab.com
Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
New Continuous Ridge Vent from Rollomatic Custom t to your new or existing building Motorized or Manual Options Highest UV inhibitor and lock stitch style sewing for longer curtain life Get the full value of air quality control curtains at the touch of a button
minutes
Visit us at the Wisconsin Public Farm Show, Booths B4513 & B4514 270 ft., 510 ft., and 480 ft. beef barns
Nature’s Harmony Organic Dairy, John Reitsma & Sean Mallett, Twin Falls, ID
Features Two 16” Adjustable Ridge-Vent Curtains for Controlled Air Flow 2-4 ft. Eave Openings
Joe and Brett Friedrichsen, Holstein, Iowa
“What I like most about my Roll-O-Matic Curtains is the ease of operation. They have a great appearance and I am more than satised.” - Bob Noble, Lancaster, WI
“I believe that the livestock industry is crucial for strong Iowa communities. Following this belief in 2010, my wife and I decided to build a monoslope shed for feeding cattle. We decided to build a quality building with a future. It is because of my desire to have a trouble free and durable building, I chose a RollO-Matic curtain. Even in the extreme cold or hot weather in Northeast Iowa, the Roll-O-Matic curtain has been easy to operate while providing good air ow for the health and comfort of the cattle. I would recommend the Roll-O-Matic curtain to anyone who is building a cattle building.”
“I hated the old curtains we had with the cables and strings, but now I enjoy our new Roll-O-Matic curtains. They are heavy built, simple and easy to use.”
- Carlton and Cyndy Kjos, Decorah, IA
- Eric Wemark, Wemark Dairy-Ridgeway, IA
“Everyone at ROLL-O-MATIC was very knowledgable and professional. The curtains are heavy duty, always look neat and are simple to operate. Thanks ROLL-O-MATIC!” - Mark Vosberg, Vosberg Colonial Acres, LLC, Cuba City, WI
“We’ve had our curtains for about a year now. We have about 450 head of cattle. The Roll-O-Matic Curtains are a simple and clean design, that are easy to manage. In the winter, we close the bottom curtain and open the top which creates a top air ow to keep the draft off the cattle. In the summer, we can fully open the curtains, which creates a cool environment. The bottom line is that it helps create a low stress environment for our cattle. Our contractor suggested the Roll-O-Matic curtains. We wanted the best available so we chose to go with them. We have been very pleased with our curtains and the prompt and friendly service we received from Development Resources of Iowa.” - Nathan VanHove, Ackley, Iowa
”We had our curtains installed on our 240’ building about 3 years ago. These are fantastic curtains and we recommend them to anyone. The staff from Development Resources of Iowa takes good care of us. We are very pleased with our purchase.” - Jake Reiter-Bernard, IA
240’ Beef building - Jake Reiter, Bernard, IA
CALL NOW
for free estimates on your spring projects & beat the rush!
Fisher busy on farm, traveling as Iowa Dairy Princess By kelli boylen Staff writer
Edgewood, Iowa – There is no doubt Iowa Dairy Princess Gina Fisher stays busy. She is currently a senior at Ed-Co High School. “I am always busy with the farm, as I do chores morning and night and do the registrations and other paperwork, Fisher said. “As for school, I’m busy with FFA president activities, varsity golf, FBLA, and 4-H.” The Dave and Mary Fisher family milks about 75 cows on a third generation farm. On the farm, Gina is in charge of the calves, as well as handling all the cattle registration and other paperwork. She milks morning and night and does other chores around the farm. The Fishers raise registered Holsteins, Jerseys, Ayrshires, Brown Swiss and Red and White Holsteins. “So far this year has gone smoothly; I haven't had any bumps in the road, yet,” she said. Fisher said she has enjoyed all her dairy princess activities so far. “They have given me the opportunity to speak to people of all ages, photo submitted but the most interesting one thus far has been a local story hour in El- Iowa Dairy Princess, Gina Fishgin.” er, is promoting dairy as well as In Elgin, the kids were able to make homemade ice cream, taste working on her family’s dairy different cheeses, and cream cheeses. “It focused on not only milk and farm near Edgewood, Iowa. the care of cattle, but the making of all of the products,” she said. Fisher was aware of the types of events she would attend as State Dairy Princess because of her experience serving as the Clayton County Dairy Princess, but some of those promotional activities and events are on a much grander scale. “I am going to be throwing the first pitch at an I-Cubs game,” she said excitedly. Fisher is also looking forward to being at the 2012 Iowa State Fair to hand out ribbons and speak to the public. She will have many opportunities to speak in front of crowds over the next few weeks, since it is the time of the year for dairy banquets. “So far, I have attended one banquet, but from now on my Saturdays are booked,” she said. “I have been busy writing my speech, re-reading it over and over and making sure I am up to date with all the programs involving the dairy industry and farmers.” “My theme for the banquets is for the audience to get to know me, focus on the consumers and producers, and getting active in the dairy industry,” Fisher said. Fisher said her main message to dairy farmers is, “to keep producing that wholesome product we all love so much, and that their hard work does not go unrecognized, we truly do applaud all their work.” She has also been working closely with the Midwest Dairy Association and their marketing programs. The MDA sponsors the Iowa Dairy Princess program. “So far I have been promoting two fairly new programs, Fuel Up to Play 60 and People Behind the Product,” Fisher said. “These two programs give me the opportunity to reach youth and adults, not only in the dairy industry, but as consumers as well.” She said her main message to the public is, “Three a day everyday. Keep yourself healthy and hardy with dairy.” She adds, “Thank a farmer. They are the ones who made it possible to consume those yummy treats.” Fisher will serve as the Iowa Dairy Princess until the 2012 Iowa State Fair, held in August. Next fall she plans on attending Iowa State University for dairy science/pre-vet.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 25
Dairy Pricing Association makes third food donation
The Dairy Pricing Association (DPA) has made its third donation of dairy products to feed needy people. Members’ milk was made into cheddar cheese at Meister Cheese Company, Muscoda, Wis., and was purchased by the DPA. On Jan. 26, the DPA donated the 2,000 pounds of cheese to Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin. This is DPA’s third donation since last August to the Feeding America network. Volunteers will split the 40-pound blocks into two-pound, family size portions that will be distributed through a network of partner agencies to thousands of individuals, families, children and seniors citizens. “Dairy products are a critical component to achieving our goal of providing high-quality, nutritionally balanced food to those struggling with hunger. We are thankful to the Dairy Pricing Association for their continued commitment to ending hunger,” said Dan Stein, president and chief executive officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin. The Dairy Pricing Association’s current members would be able to use 100,000 to 150,000 pounds of milk in 2012. These numbers will increase as membership grows. The current 28 members involve 12 milk handlers from six different states. This nationwide program is voluntary and has no time limits or contracts. Robin Berg, Darlington, Wis., DPA chairman, noted, “This program is not being funded by any processor or marketer. We welcome all dairy producers, no matter what size, or what grade of milk you produce.” The DPA’s mission is to establish the minimum price dairy farmers get for their milk, while maintaining enough production to meet consumer needs. Dairy producers who are DPA members contribute 10 cents for each hundredweight of milk they sell. The money is used to buy surplus dairy products and donate them to Feeding America. To learn more about the Dairy Pricing Association, go to www. dairy pricing.org, or call 715-284-2590.
Deadline for reproduction award nominations April 1 Award nominations are due at the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) April 1. The awards recognize dairy farmers for accomplishing reproductive efficiency with well-implemented management procedures. Producers must be nominated by professionals who serve the dairy industry, such as veterinarians, nutritionists, genetic and pharmaceutical company representatives, DHIA field personnel or Extension specialists. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of judges and the top nominees will be asked to provide more information about their farms. The judges will platinum, gold, silver and honorable mention winners who will be honored at the 2012 DCRC Annual Meeting in Sacramento, Calif. Nomination forms must be completed online. For more information about the awards, or to nominate a farm, visit www.dcrcouncil.org.
A married guy’s guide to date night My husband and I recently had to have a little chat. It seems that after 17 years of marriage, he needed a little brushing up on what to do while on a date. After talking with my friends, I have realized this is an epidemic problem. So fellas, please read the following and remember: First of all, yes a date night is still very nice, no matter how long you have been married. Sometimes let her make the plans, sometimes you make the plans. Try to find something you both enjoy, or at least can tolerate reasonably well (as in nothing that will make you irritated). It’s nice when each person can have a say in what to do sometimes. Also, hearing, “I don’t care, whatever you want,” over and over is not always music to the ears. If your wife has made any effort at her appearance at all, which I guarantee she has, tell her she looks pretty, looks good, is more beautiful than ever, or something along that line. It doesn’t matter how many times we have heard it, we still want to hear it again. When you tell her she looks nice, look her in the eye when you say it.
Boylen Over
By Kelli Boylen Columnist Turn off all electronic devices or make an agreement to only answer the phone if it is the babysitter calling. Take a shower, put on nice clothes and shave. We know you don’t necessarily enjoy getting cleaned up, but we really appreciate the fact that you are willing to do that for us. Comb your hair instead of wearing a hat, and put on some of that nice smelling cologne we bought you for Christmas a few years back. When in the car have some nice low background music, or turn the ra-
dio off completely. You are not allowed to listen to talk radio or a call in show. Sorry, not happening. Don’t watch the television in the restaurant or bar wall when your wife is talking. If you are the type of guy, like my husband, who is easily distracted by things that are “bright and shiny” purposely sit with your back to the television. Tell your wife you love her. Even if you make it a habit to tell your significant other that you love her every day, say it again while on a date. Open the door for your wife. I know it sounds goofy and old fashioned, but most women find men with good manners to be quite sexy. Ask her opinion on things. Give a sympathetic ear if something is bothering her. Lots of times women are not talking to you about things that bother them because they expect you to fix the situation for them, and they are not necessarily looking for advice. Sometimes we just need to vent. Give advice if you are asked; otherwise say something empathic like “Wow! That sucks” or “I think I would feel the same.” Really. Date night does not have to be an expensive dinner followed by a movie. Take advantage of the time you have.
Several of my Facebook friends are dairy farm wives. Going to town together to get parts, or spending time together to travel somewhere to pick up a piece of farm machinery can actually be the highlight of the week. It’s all about the attitude you look at it with. If you have young kids, talking without being interrupted can seem like an absolute gift. On the other hand, try to not be excessively cheap either. If you don’t have much money do not go to a restaurant and then limit what you can order, go for a nice walk together or something instead. The whole point of a date after many years of marriage, in my humble opinion, is to reconnect with each other. Hold hands, talk, laugh, heck even steal a kiss or two. Yes, really. When a woman feels special she is happy. Happy wife = happy life. It’s that simple. Kelli Boylen is a former full-time Dairy Star staff member who is now a regular freelance writer for the paper. She grew up on a dairy farm in southern Wisconsin and now lives in Northeast Iowa with her husband and two children. Kelli also writes a blog at www.goodblogs.com/bloggers/21.
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
WINPOWER AND WINCO GENERATORS
SALES & SERVICE
Trades Wanted!
ELECTRIC MOTOR REPAIR We Specialize In Fast Dependable rvice e Service NEW S R MOTO CK IN STOO UP T 10 HP
Don’t be caught without power.
(2) Winpower 25/15 pt2 alternator on trailer .........$1,650
Stop by our booth at the Central MN Farm Show Feb. 28 - March 1
Call us for all your generator and electric motor needs! We also have Hanson Silo Replacement Parts Available!
AMPS, INC. 360 RR Ave., Albany, MN • 320-845-4690
THERE IS ONLY ONE. THE ORIGINAL. SUNFLOWER.
GR OUN D C ON T R OL.
Important reminders for DCP and ACRE sign up 2012 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP) enrollment began on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 and will end June 1, 2012. Here are some important reminders: • All producers planting on DCP base acres must be identified on the DCP/ACRE contract and receive a proportionate share of DCP/ACRE payment for the farm. • Changes on the farm after enrolling June 1 in DCP/ACRE must be reported to your local FSA office such as: ownership changes; producer changes (individuals and entities); change in crop shares arrangements. Note: Changes cannot be made after Sept. 30, 2012. Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Program Because of the high feed costs and a declining milk price there is a possibility of FSA issuing MILC payments beginning with the February markets. Milk producers should inform your local FSA office if you have made any changes to your milking operation such as; entity changes, share changes, or where you market your milk. If you are a producer that markets more than 2.985 million pounds, there are specific rules for which month you can change the start month to begin payments on the pounds that are sold. Contact your local FSA office if you have additional questions. Important reminder All producers will need to have a 2012 AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) form on file to be eligible to receive payments. All individuals, entities and members of entities need to complete this AGI form.
WITH THE SU N FLO WER TILLAGE SYSTE M. 4500 Series disc-chisel-discs 9 to 19 shanks with reduced transport width
1435 Series disc harrows 21 to 36 feet
4213/4233 Series coulter chisels 9 to 23 shanks
4412 Series disc ripper 5 & 7 shanks
We know you’ve got tough residue and a need for bigger yields. From small farms to “can’t-see-the-other-side-of-the-field-from-here” farms, Sunflower tillage tools turn, plow, chisel, break down, disc, condition, incorporate, cultivate, and finish anything in your field. The full-line Sunflower tillage system manages tough residue, minimizes compaction problems, and improves soil warm-up in the spring . . . not to mention providing excellent seedbed preparation.
If you think a tillage tool is just a tillage tool, think again. Stop by your local Sunflower dealer and ask about which Sunflower tillage tool is right for your operation.
• Willmar Farm Center Willmar, MN • Marzolf Implement Spring Valley, MN • Lake Henry Implement Lake Henry, MN • Mark’s Tractor Implement Inc. Osage, IA
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) Linda Hennen, State Executive Director of Minnesota's USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers to purchase FSA's Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for noninsurable crops in order to be eligible for the agency's disaster assistance programs. "Multiple peril crop insurance is an important risk management tool for farmers, but it's not available for all crops. That's why NAP is so important," said Hennen. NAP is a federally funded program that provides coverage to producers for
FSA News & Notes
By Phyllis Framstad Stearns Co. Exec. Dir.
noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occurs due to natural disasters. Crops eligible for NAP coverage are those for which crop insurance is not available, including fruits and vegetables, aquaculture, pecans, turf grass and forage crops, just to name a few. "Producers must apply for coverage before a disaster strikes," said Hennen. "Like regular crop insurance, once an application period closes, the opportunity to obtain coverage is past." NAP applications for coverage must be filed using Form CCC-471 and service fee paid by the application closing date. Applications closing date for spring planted crops such vegetable, fruits, and herbs are March 15, 2012. In order to enroll, producers need to contact the local FSA office where they farm. More information about NAP and where to find your local USDA service Center can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov.
Upcoming deadlines for 2012 • March 12 through April 6, 2012 – General Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup. • March 15 final date to purchase NAP coverage for pasture (coverage periods are county specific) and spring seeded crops that are not eligible for Multi Peril Insurance. • June 1, 2012 – deadline to timely signup for the DCP and ACRE programs. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 27
A&C Farm Service, Inc. Jct Hwys Jct. Hwys. 55 & 23 23, Pay Paynesville yynesville nesville 320-243-3736 • www.acfarmservice.com mservice.com
Monday, March 26nd thru Saturday, March 31st Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sale prices good March 26-31. After March 31, sale prices are not available.
Refreshments & Snacks Served Daily!
10% OF
All In StocF k AG PARTS On Hand *Except item
Call For Twine & Net Wrap Prices
Call For Oil Prices
15% 1 5% OFF OFF
s on sale.
All Oil Filters
SPECIAL FINANCING WHEN FINANCED THROUGH CNH CAPITAL CAPITAL*
*O.A.C. - See dealer for details. Applies to all CNH Ànanced items.
Throu March gh 31!
A & C Farm Service, Inc.
Jct. Hwy. 23 & 55 • Paynesville, MN • 320-243-3736
www.acfarmservice.com
A & C Farm Service, Inc.
Jct. Hwy. 23 & 55 • Paynesville, MN • 320-243-3736
www.acfarmservice.com
TWINE SPECIALS
Plastic
White Netwrap
Cash Price AJ440 ................. $32.95 AJ64X9000 ...Cash $264.39 Price AJ20000S ........... $21.90 AJ67X9000 ... $277.00 AJ9000P ............. $26.00 AJ7200P ............. $26.50 Black Netwrap 64X7000........ $205.92 Sisal Twine 48X7000........ $195.00 Call for Prices
Now Is The Time To Stock Up! Pre-Season Values Pre-Season Values March 22-April 3
March 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, & 31
A&C Farm Service, Inc.
through Through april 3, March 31, 2012 2010!
Meet the only baler with a dual-stage belt tightening system. This patented design simplifies the bale-starting process to give you faster starts and a smooth performance in a wide variety of crops and conditions. That’s why you have betterlooking bales and fewer hassles in the end... another reason we call it “Super.”
Pre-Season Values March 26-31
Jct. Hwys. 55 & 23, Paynesville Phone 320-243-373 www.acfarmservice.com
Pre-Season Values March 26 - 31
edd,, ruusstte haasseettr h c r c r u u p p u s!! ricanntts yyoou yll® LLuubbrica rswwhheenn Farm--O s e r h e y c h O u c o u m v nt tvo y Far qualilitty discouun ®
Earn
Now there are more PERKS to using Farm-Oyl® Lubricants! For a limited time, when you purchase 30 gallons or more of select Farm-Oyl® Lubricants, you’ll earn a discount voucher up to $100 towards a future purchase at this participating Farm-Oyl® dealer. The more gallons you buy, the greater the amount you can earn. Now is the perfect time to stock up on your favorite, most trusted brand of lubricants while earning valuable vouchers in the process. But hurry! This is a limited time offer only.
30 Gallon 10W30
30 Gallon 15W40
A & C Farm Service, Inc. www.acfarmservice.com Jct. Hwy. 23 & 55 Paynesville, MN 320-243-3736
$
30 Gallon Agmaster
10Pr0e-Season Values March 26-31
Dealer Imprint Here
© 2010 CHS Inc.
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Hugh Chester-Jones (507) 835-3622 chest001@umn.edu Marcia Endres (612) 624-5391 miendres@umn.edu Brad Heins (320) 589-1711 hein0106@umn.edu Jose Hernandez (612) 625-4731 jahernan@umn.edu Kevin Janni (612) 625-3108 kjanni@umn.edu Laura Kieser (952) 466-5306 torb0022@umn.edu Noah Litherland (612) 624-6789 lithe003@umn.edu Jim Paulson (320) 234-0438 jcp@umn.edu Randy Pepin (320) 732-4435 pepin019@umn.edu Paul Peterson (612) 625-3747 peter072@umn.edu Jeff Reneau (612) 624-9791 renea001@umn.edu Craig Roerick (320) 255-6169 roer0040@umn.edu Jim Salfer (320) 203-6093 salfe001@umn.edu Chuck Schwartau (507) 536-6301 cschwart@umn.edu
What’s manure worth? By William F. Lazarus, Extension Economist; Jose A. Hernandez, Extension Educator; and Les Everett, Education Coordinator University of Minnesota Extension
With manure, you get the amount and ratio of nutrients that it contains, which complicates the determination of a value. Even when a rate that supplies the correct amount of nitrogen is applied, the amount of phosphorous and potash applied may not match what you would have purchased commercially, and amounts applied above crop need probably have no value. In the past, manure application costs often exceeded the value of the nutrients applied. Now, in many situations, the nutrient value in the manure exceeds the cost of application. A formula that estimates manure value can be described by: Net Economic Impact of Manure = Value of Year 1 Fertilizer & Application Costs Replaced + Residual Value (Mostly Year 2 if any) +/- Non-NPK Yield Response - Manure Application Costs. Manure value can be calculated on a per acre applied basis, per unit of weight or volume, per storage unit, or per operation. The value will vary widely, influenced by factors such as the amount of N, P and K required per acre by the crop, manure nutrient concentration in the manure, application rate and potential yield response attributed to manure beyond N-P-K application, and application cost per ton or gallon. The same manure in terms of nutrient concentration can have widely differing value depending on crop need and accuracy of application.
A new web-based tool developed by Dr. William F. Lazarus, Extension Economist and Professor in the Department of Applied Economics, is now available. The web-based calculator may be used to compare the economic value of manure from alternative manure application rates and methods. The value is based on crop nutrient needs for a specific field and crop rotation, fertilizer prices, manure hauling costs, manure type, and application method. In addition to assisting with management of current livestock and crop operations, the calculator can be useful in budgeting new facilities or evaluation of contract production through estimating the effect of manure and manure management on cash flow. The Spreadsheet Steps: calculations can also assist crop 1. Determine the Value of and livestock producers in estiNutrients Needed for First mating the value of manure that Year Crop Production. may be transferred or sold from 2. Calculate the Value of one entity to another. Required Nutrients That are Livestock producers Applied with Manure (for First face uncertain markets and A basic example Year Crop Production). narrow margins. This situation A dairy farmer with a 100-cow operation produces about 3. Calculate the Value of motivates growers to optimize 1,000,000 gallons per year of liquid manure with the following Applied Nutrients that will production methods, utilizing nutrient content: 28 lb N, 12 lb P, and 22 lb K per 1,000 gal. The Replace Second Year. all resources including manure. farmer has 150 acres available for fall manure application. The 4. Adjust for Yield or Other In addition, increases in the intended crop is Corn, in a Corn-Corn-Soybean rotation. The crop Factors. price of commercial fertilizer nutrient needs are: 140-40-40. The estimated manure application 5. Subtract Application Costs. experienced since 2009 have rate for that manure assuming broadcast application with incorpora6. Calculate Total Net Value heightened interest in the use tion within 12 hours of application is 9,100 gallons per acre. The of Manure Application Per of livestock manure for sup- farmer, however, was not able to incorporate the manure in all the Acre, Per 1000 gallons per plying crop nutrients and has fields. He incorporated 50 acres within 12 hours of application, 50 animal or for Facility or Opsignificantly increased the value acres 24 hours after application, and 50 acres that he was not able eration. of manure as a nutrient source. to incorporate at all. The chart below shows the net return of the Manure, when managed manure calculated using the “Value of Manure” worksheet. properly, can be an important asset to crop and livestock operations. However, if manure is mismanaged, it can become an environmental liability. In recent years, more farmers have been considering the contribution of manure value to cash flow in livestock operation budgets, and seeking an appropriate market value in <12 hr 12-96 hr Without exchange situations between livestock producers and Incorporation 140-40-40 140-40-41 140-40-42 crop producers. More crop producers also appear to Crop Need be seeking manure as a major nutrient source, either Manure Test 28-12-22 28-12-22 28-12-22 by purchasing from a livestock producer or by adding App. Rate, gal/acre 9100 9100 9100 livestock to their operations. Determining the economic value of the nutrients in App. Cost/Gal., $ $ 0.0125 $ 0.0125 $ 0.0125 livestock manure can be tricky. Nutrients in commer$ 20.00 $ 20.00 $ 20.00 cial fertilizer are acquired by paying for the nutrients Yield Impact, $/acre and a small application charge. With manure you, in Avail. N Applied, lb/acre 140 102 51 effect, “acquire” nutrients by paying for the cost of Avail. P Applied, lb/acre 87 87 87 application—even if you already have ownership of Acres Covered 110 110 110 the manure in a storage structure. Additionally, commercial fertilizer supplies the Net Return $ 5,192 $1,636 -$2,003 amount and ratio of nutrients you need or ordered.
Bio Wood Processing Animal Bedding Available
Mulch • Bio Mass Fuels Faribault, MN 507-334-(WOOD)9663 www.biowoodprocessing.com “For all your Wood Needs”
Create a culture of safety on your farm
Last winter I presented a safety program at several locations for the Minnesota Custom Agriculture Waste Technicians. These are the custom applicators hauling manure on many of your farms each spring and fall. Since then, I have had several calls asking for help to develop safety plans for their businesses. While a common goal is OSHA compliance, the key element to compliance and meeting the goal of a safe workplace for all employees is creating a “culture of safety”. A culture of safety is more than making sure employees do a five minute check of equipment each morning or making sure a slippery floor has some sand or barn lime spread on it. A culture of safety is when safety is always in the back of your mind and at the front of your actions. A culture of safety has you and every employee always watching for little things that may be hazardous to yourself or someone else who comes around the workplace and may not be as familiar with the day-to-day hazards of working on and around a farm. A culture of safety is not created on your farm by decree and a one-hour training program. It is created by example and regular reinforcement. It means that all the owner/ management staff has to take safety as seriously as they want their employees to take it. By Chuck You are always watching for problems, seeing that hazards are taken care of, and working Schwartau in a safe manner yourself, just as you expect your employees to do. Extension Educator Employees take a lot of cues from the employer/manager. If you jump into a skid steer loader and take off across the yard or down the barn alley without fastening your seatbelt, why should employees do anything different? If they see you pushing, prodding, poking and otherwise forcing cattle around the barn in a manner that could cause injury to the stock or to operators because the stock reacts adversely, why should they move those same cattle in any different way? They won’t. Your leadership and actions will be the greatest teacher and reinforcer toward creating that culture of safety. I am borrowing a check sheet from Dairy Australia’s program, “The People in Dairy”, which does an excellent job of helping you assess health and safety practices on your dairy farm. I would suggest taking a few minutes to conduct the assessment yourself and then consider where you need to improve and determine how you can make your farm a safer and healthier place to work and live. Farm Health and Safety Overview Checklist Use these questions as a starting point for working out what you need to do to make your farm safer. QUESTION
YES
NO
Do you have an orientation process for employees, contractors and visitors?
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 29
Blue Hilltop, Inc.
Your Mixer, Spreader, Hay Processor Headquarters We carry:
www.rotomix.com
LLC
Dana Berreau & Jon Berreau
507-879-3593 / 800-821-7092 Box 116, Lake Wilson, MN 56151
Buying? Selling? Check the classifieds.
Do you have an occupational health and safety policy and do you have procedures that are followed for all tasks? Do you have a documented risk management process that includes manual handling, chemicals, equipment, confined spaces, working at height, and electrical? Do you have a consultation/communication system with employees? Is there an emergency response plan for the farm? Do you have a documented process for hazard, accident and incident reporting? Are there adequate break rooms and restrooms for people in the workplace? Do workers possess licenses and/or certificates of competency for the equipment they operate and tasks they undertake? (e.g. forklift license, driver’s license, chemical user’s application training, etc.) Does all equipment used in the workplace comply with regulations? (includes guards, noise, design, maintenance, and use) Do you have a process for managing work environment hazards including noise, dust, hot and cold conditions, and sun exposure? Have you addressed child safety in the workplace? Are chemicals managed correctly – records, storage, personal protective equipment, usage, material safety data sheets, signage? Have you displayed adequate signage in the workplace? (e.g. visitor directions, traffic movement, specific hazards, use of personal protective equipment, general warnings) Does personal protective equipment meet legal requirements - quality, comfort, storage, maintenance, usage, and is it conveniently available for use? Do you have a policy/procedure that enables people working in remote and isolated locations to receive assistance in emergency situations?
-Adapted from Dairy Australia – “The People in Dairy” If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, there is room on your farm to develop processes and/or documents that will help make your farm safer. Every farm is different and, even though there are similarities in work practices and risks, every farm needs its own risk control solutions to achieve the best safety outcomes. Taking time now before you get busy with spring activities will give you time to correct bad practices and develop new policies where they may be appropriate. Start today on creating your farm’s “Culture of Safety”.
JD 8320 tractor, 6200 hrs., duals - $85,000
‘01 JD 6750, 2900 E. hrs., new blower shaft & power saver knives - base $72,500
Claas 900 SPFH, 1735 E hrs. $150,000 ‘00 Claas Jaguar 880, 4x4, RU450 or 600 avail ................ Base $65,000 (2) JD 6950 SPFH ...$65,000-$77,500 JD 6910 SPFH, 4wd .............$50,000 (2) JD 6850, 2wd & 4wd.......$72,500 ‘02 JD 6750, 1824 E. hrs., 90% pwr. saver knives, Michelin drive 90% ........................... Base $72,500 JD 6710 SPFH.......................$50,000 (2) JD 5830s, higher hrs. ...start at $20,000 JD 5820 SPFH, higher hrs.....$17,500 (2) JD 5730’s ..........$36,000-$38,500 JD 5460 SPFH.............................. Call JD 3970, JD 3960 pull type.....$4,000
New Meyer 435 & VB560 spdrs ... Call New & Used Meyer 4218 silage wagons, 19T, combos‘08 - $16,000, ‘11 - $24,500 TRACTORS & SPRAYERS JD 9300, 6400 hrs., 24 spd. $82,500 JD 8120, ‘02, 5000 hrs. ........$97,500 JD 7810, MFD, 6100 hrs. ......$55,000 JD 7710, 5600 hrs., E-range .$60,000 ‘06 NH TG255, new tires, dls front & rear, front suspension ...........$95,000 ‘05 RoGator 1274C SP sprayer, 100’ boom, new Cat rebuilt hydro, AgLeader ready ......................$82,500 ‘04 AgChem 1064 RoGator SP sprayer, 3400 hrs., 1080 g., 90’ boom $82,500
Financing Available: From 3.25% Fixed - Low Cost Delivery
We are an American Family/Business
“We Sell Good Honest Machines”
Field Ready/We Stand Behind Our Sales
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Dirty feet make for a dirty house
A long time ago, as a young, single man, I finally accepted this bit of maternal wisdom: I started taking my shoes off at the door of my house and quickly learned that I could significantly reduce my alreadyinfrequent efforts at cleaning the floors. I have been thinking quite a bit about dirty feet lately, of cows though, not people. I wish cows could take their shoes off, because, particularly in freestall barns, dirty feet are pretty common. That manure Veterinary Wisdom they carry around winds up in the freestalls, and some of that eventually finds its way on the teats and udder. Quite a bit of manure is transferred directly from the feet and legs to the udder when cows lie down too. Either way, dirty feet clearly can lead to mastitis and increased somatic cell counts on your farm. If By Jim Bennett you milk in a parallel parColumnist lor, prepping udders and attaching units is no fun with dirty feet either, because a lot of it winds up on your arms, and when you are covered with manure in a milking parlor it is difficult to concentrate on being clean in performing your work. This can lead to mastitis also. One of my problems with dirty feet is convincing producers that their cows’ feet are dirty. Sometimes, after my pontification regarding the dirty feet, farmers look at me, saying little, with that particular stare that seems to say, “So what.” In other words, “of course the feet are dirty; they stand in manure, what do you expect, you idiot?” Nobody has actually said that to me, since they are polite folk, but I know they think it. So I started videotaping rows and rows of feet so I could show farmers various herds, but even that did not convince many. So finally, I found these nice pictures of hygiene scoring at: http://www.vetmed.wisc.
edu/dms/fapm/fapmtools/hygiene.htm, and now I can show producers what clean feet look like. There are picture of udders and flanks too. On the second page are some summary statistics for Wisconsin herds. For example, for lower leg hygiene, on average, freestall herds had 54 percent of animals scoring 3 or 4 (dirty), while stanchion barn herds scored 25 percent 3 or 4 on average. The cleanest freestall herds had 24 percent 3 or 4, and the cleanest stanchion herds had nine percent 3 or 4. So clearly, stanchion barn herds have cleaner feet. If you look at the upper legs and flanks, however, freestall herds tended to be cleaner. You can use this scoring system to evaluate your cows’ hygiene and compare it to others. Why are feet dirty? Clearly, in freestall barns, feet get dirty walking through manure in pens. Much of this is hard to avoid, unless you have a flush barn, slatted floor, or some other nifty design that gets the manure off the floor ASAP. You might also have clean feet those couple of cold weeks in the winter (excepting this particular winter) when the manure freezes as soon as it hits the concrete. Feet also get dirty though, when cows are moved to the parlor, or when you let them outside on a dirt lot. Much of this contamination can be prevented, and this is often a great place to focus a little more effort. Notice, in the parlor, whether the manure is wet or dry. Wet manure probably arrived on the legs while moving to the parlor; dry manure probably arrived while leaving or in the pens. Moving cows slowly in pens and to the parlor is important. Anyone who ever has been hit in the eye with flying cow manure flung by a cow moving toward you at a fast speed will appreciate the effect of speed on manure splashing. Holding pens and return lanes can be pretty dirty, especially as you get to milking the last cows on the shift. Most farms seem to be in a state of perpetual expansion these days, and they also seem to perpetually increase milk production per cow, so the combination of more cows and more eating leads to much more manure on the floor. The solution is to look at all of these areas and see
Your Place or Mine?
SE MN SILO EQUIPMENT
Portable Welding - Silo Unloader Repair
Sales, Service, Rental of manure handling and feeding equipment
Paul’s Welding & Repair Paul Braegelmann 320-548-3300 St. Martin, MN
New Hanson unloaders on Sale!
Hanson by Valmetal
Sales and Service
800-584-9462 • 507-932-4560
if one can reduce the amount of manure. This might mean scraping the upper part of the return alley or holding pen between groups. It might mean cleaning the parlor deck between groups. It might mean scraping the alley immediately behind the foot bath on foot bathing day, since alleys always seem to be dirtiest then. It might be as simple as getting your milking crew to stop scraping the parlor exit areas and pushing the manure in a big pile somewhere farther down where every cow walks through it. It might mean changing the way you scrape pens, or perhaps fencing off wet areas outside during wet weather. Every farm will be a little different, but just about everyone can probably find ways to improve cow cleanliness. I spend quite a lot of time with my arm in a horizontal position in the close vicinity of the posterior end of a cow, so I get ample opportunities to look at feet. I am surprised at just how difficult it is, even for me, to judge whether feet are too dirty. This hygiene score card has really helped to objectively evaluate cow cleanliness. Try it out. Score your herd, or have your veterinarian do it for you. Then, if too dirty, try to figure out just where the manure is coming from, and fix it. Remember, dirty feet lead to dirty beds and dirty udders, so dirty feet really do matter. Jim Bennett is a dairy veterinarian at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minn. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@embarqmail.com with comments or questions.
(320) 290-7663 www.steveshooftrimming.com • A lifetime of dairy management experiece • 14 years of professional experience • More than 150,000 cows trimmed • Serving Central and Southern Minnesota
Steve
Glenn
Tyler
A Reputation of Integrity
Meyer
Whitewashing formerly Gibbs Whitewashing
NOW TAKING BOOKINGS FOR THE 2012 SEASON WE SERVICE ALL MAKES OF IRRIGATION!
We have conversions for all makes of irrigation: Valley, T & L, Reinke, and Lockwood, to convert your system to reliable
LINDSAY ZIMMATIC CONTROLS. We also sell and service all pumps submersible and turbine.
Northern Irrigation Contractors, Inc.
45214 County Road 80 East, P.O. Box 264 • Perham, MN 56573
218-346-7246 or 800-492-4994
Call today for scheduling. We do... • dairy barns • calf barns • hog barns
We have all your cleaning needs covered... - Cobwebs blown out - Scraping - Pipelines covered Licensed for insecticide - We also have a hot water pressure washer for all your cleaning needs
Call Nick at 320-491-0688 Home 320-352-7816
When we first started planning for the Dairy Star Web site five years ago, the thought of putting the actual paper online was something we discussed but quickly dismissed. Our thinking back then was that the online edition would keep people from wanting to read our newspaper. But this past spring, we wanted to revisit the possibility of posting the paper online. Our reasons for posting the paper online quickly outweighed the negative aspects of an online edition. For one, if you don’t get the paper on time, you can go to our Web site and read it. If a family member snatches the Dairy Star from you before you can read it – not a problem, go online. If you would like to browse past issues, go online. Do you want to see an ad that was printed in the paper but you misplaced your copy? Not a problem, go online. Starting next week, after our paper is printed and mailed out on Saturday, we will upload and post the online edition Monday morning. To find the edition, I have made a section called “Online edition” in the navigation bar across the top of the Dairy Star’s homepage, www.dairystar.com. There will be a section for each issue date. Once you click on the issue date you would like to see, you will see three separate documents. Each document can be clicked on to expand it. Once you have the expanded version up on your screen, simply click on the pages to turn the pages or use the arrow keys on the top of the page. On the top of the page, you will also see a scroll bar to help you zoom in closer or zoom out. Click the “X” or press the “Escape” key to close out of the document. If you have any problems accessing our online edition, please contact me and I can talk you through it.
SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE • SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE BLE & STILL JOHN DEERE SOLID, STABLE & STILL J
Advertising online We are almost through our annual online advertising renewals. Every year we sign up advertisers to be on our Web site and in our online business directory. Online advertising is a great option for businesses that have Web sites and
Herd Surfing
By Andrea Borgerding Online Editor would like to drive more traffic to their sites. The Dairy Star Web site currently receives 3,500 visitors a week. Our advertisers are getting great exposure by advertising products, services and by providing a direct link to their own sites. If you’d like an affordable way to get your name listed on our Web site, the business directory is a great option for you. Call me for more information in getting signed up to be in our online business directory. Promote your event One thing we recently started is posting a tile spot on our home page just for businesses to advertise an upcoming event like expos, seminars, workshops and tours. This has been a popular option for businesses. If you have an event coming up, contact me for more information on getting your event posted on the Dairy Star homepage. Popular items on the Web site Last issue’s article on the McNally’s from Monona, Iowa, exploded in popularity on the Dairy Star Web site. “McNally’s find happiness in reduced herd size” written by Kelli Boylen had just over 400 views in one week. The No. 1 viewed photo online was the “Capitolizing on dairy” – a photo of Governor Mark Dayton taken by Krista M. Sheehan during MMPA’s Dairy Day at the Capitol, Feb. 20.
EVERGREEN EQUIPMENT INC. LITTLE FALLS • 1-800-655-5469 (WAD) • 1-888-631-2311 www.evergreenequipment.com
NEW and USED EQUIPMENT
TRACTORS JD 8100, MFWD, P.S., DUAL ..............................78,900.00 JD 8650 4WD, 1-OWNER ...................................34,900.00 JD 4850, MFWD, DUALS ....................................34,900.00 JD 4440 P.S., DUALS ..........................................22,900.00 JD 6410, 2WD, ROPS .........................................29,900.00 JD 7200, CAB, MFWD (WAD) .............................39,900.00 JD 4240, P.S., DUALS .........................................23,900.00 JD 4230, DUALS (WAD) .....................................16,900.00 JD 450C CRAWLER-LOADER ..............................8,500.00 IH CUB W/MOWER ...............................................4,500.00 JD 4400, MFWD, LOADER 560 HRS..................14,900.00 JD 5520, MFWD, CAB.........................................38,900.00 NH TB 120, MFWD, ROPS, 1100 HRS ...............34,900.00 JD 6430, 2WD, CAB ............................................52,900.00 JD 2755, 2WD, CAB, 245 LOADER ....................27,900.00 JD 7520, MFWD, 741 SL, GRAPPLE (WAD) ......77,900.00 IH 1086, DUALS, LOADER .................................14,900.00 JD 6410, CAB, MFWD, LOADER ........................46,900.00 JD 2355, SGB, MFWD, 640SL LOADER. ...........29,500.00 JD 3320, CAB, 300CX LDR, TURF, 150 HRS .....27,900.00 SKID LOADERS JD 325, CAB ENCL, A.C., Q.T. #105768 .............23,900.00 NH C175, TRACKS, 550 HRS (WAD) #456690 ..29,900.00 JD PRO-911 BACKHOE, EXT. ..............................6,900.00 CASE 1845C, 1603 HRS #135151 ..................... 11,900.00 JD 325, CAB, A.C.,Q.T. #173185 ........................16,500.00 JD 317, CAB HEATER # 158599 .......................16,900.00 JD 329D CTL, CAB, HEAT, A.C., QT # 181680 ..43,900.00 JD 317, CAB HEATER, Q.T., 1455 HRS # 146373 ...18,500.00 JD 332, HEAT, A.C., QT., 745 HRS, # 183705 ....37,900.00 JD 328 CAB ENCL. Q.T., # 123758.....................12,900.00 JD 250, CAB ENCL, A.C. # 151688 .................... 11,900.00 JD 317, CAB ENCL, A.C., QT. # 158318 .............17,500.00 HARVEST EQUIPMENT JD 9750 STS, RWA (3132-2285).......................124,900.00 JD 6620, RWA, 4134 H .......................................12,500.00 JD 4420, CHOPPER .............................................8,500.00 JD 443 HEAD ........................................................4,000.00 JD 3300 DIESEL, 343, 1275 HRS .........................8,500.00 JD 925 FLEX, 1997 ...............................................6,900.00 JD 6600, POSI-TORG ...........................................4,500.00 JD 630B WINDROW PICKUP ...............................9,500.00 JD 3950, 2R30, (WAD) ..........................................9,900.00 JD 6810 SPFH, KP, KEMPER 4500 HEAD .........89,500.00 JD 3950 W/2R30 (CONS) .....................................9,500.00 JD 3975 PTFH, KERNEL PROCESSOR, IG ...... 27,500.00 JD 5400 SPFH, RWA, 3R30 ................................28,900.00 JD 7550 SPFH, KP, PRODRIVE, 1604 / 1122...219,000.00 JD 686 HEAD, 2008 ...........................................44,900.00 GERINGHOFF RD800 (8-30) HEAD ...................54,900.00 JD 7400 SPFH, KP, AWD, (2129/1469 HRS) ....169,900.00 JD 686 HEAD, 2009 ............................................48,900.00 HAY EQUIPMENT JD 535 BALER, PB (WAD) ....................................8,500.00 JD 568 BALER, S.S, NETWRAP, 08’ #346714 ...29,900.00 JD 567 BALER, WIDE PICKUP #195219 ...........17,900.00 JD 567, WIDE PICKUP (WAD) #324929 ............19,900.00 JD 1600 MO-CO, 14 FT ........................................4,900.00 NH BR 780 # 62036 (WAD) .................................14,900.00 JD 375 BALER #845761 .......................................8,900.00 JD 835 MO-CO, IMP (2010) ................................23,900.00 JD 338 T BALER ...................................................4,900.00 NH 1475, 14FT MOW-COND, WAD ...................7,900.00 JD 1209 MOW-COND. ..........................................2,000.00 NH 1432 ROTARY, FLAIL COND. ......................15,900.00 NH BR780 BALER #52774..................................16,900.00 JD 566 BALER, NET WRAP, #129821 ...............17,500.00 JD 535 BALER #888104 ......................................8,500.00 JD 567, NET WRAP #157559 .............................18,900.00 JD 457 (WAD) #311508 .......................................12,900.00 JD 466, CONS. #114716 ......................................9,900.00 JD 946 MO-CO, ROLL (CONS) ...........................19,500.00 H&S 501 16FT BOX & 612 WAGON .....................5,000.00 JD 430 BALER ......................................................6,900.00
VERMEER 605M BALER #001172 .................. 14,900.00 JD 468, SILAGE KIT – WAD, 2011, #373451......29,900.00 JD 4995 WINDROWER, 995 HEAD, 1396 E, 1048C ....75,900.00 CLASS 180 ROTO-CUT #902983, NET WRAP ..19,900.00 CLASS 180 ROTO-CUT, NET WRAP ...................9,900.00 JD 716A FORAGE BOX, 612 GEAR .....................5,900.00 JD 327 BALER, 30 EJ ...........................................5,900.00 JD 435 BALER ......................................................6,900.00 H&S TR-9 RAKE ...................................................2,900.00 JD 820 MO-CO .....................................................8,900.00 JD 265 DISK MOWER, 2011 .................................9,500.00 JD 660 SIDE RAKE ...............................................1,500.00 TILLAGE EQUIPMENT JD 1610 14 SHANK MTD. CHISEL PLOW ...........3,500.00 JD 310, 14FT .........................................................3,500.00 JD 235 DURA-CUSHION, 21’ .............................10,900.00 JD 235, 25 FT ........................................................8,500.00 CASE-IH 6650 11 SHANK CONSER-TILL ..........12,900.00 GLENCOE 7 SHANK SOIL SAVER.......................5,500.00 JD 2700 SR 5 BOTTOM PLOW ............................4,500.00 KENT 7548 48’ FIELD FINISHER, SPIKE ...........17,500.00 JD 2600 5 BTM SR PLOW ....................................4,000.00 JD 3710 12 BTM PLOW, FLEX FRAME..............14,900.00 JD 637 20’9” DISK, HARROW # 748 ..................18,900.00 JD 637, 26’5” ROCK DISK, HARROW ................38,900.00 SUMMERS 30 FT SPIRAL PACKER.....................9,500.00 JD 2810 5 BTM, SR...............................................4,900.00 JD 637, 26’5” ROCK DISK-CONSIGN ................24,900.00 JD 215 14’ DURA-CUSHION DISK .......................7,500.00 SPREADERS HAGEDORN 275 W/ENDGATE ..........................12,900.00 NI 3626, ENDGATE ...............................................1,900.00 H&S 270 W/ENDGATE..........................................4,900.00 KNIGHT 716 SLINGER .........................................3,900.00 HAGEDORN 411, ENDGATE (CONS) ................14,500.00 PLANTING & SEEDING BRILLION SS10 SEEDER (LIKE NEW) ..............10,900.00 JD 1770 16R30, VAC, LF, R.C. ...........................94,900.00 WHITE 8180 16R30, LIQ FERT...........................69,900.00 JD 8200 DRILL, GRASS, 24X6 .............................4,000.00 JD 7200 4RW PLANTER.......................................4,900.00 JD 1750 6R30, VAC, DF......................................24,900.00 MISCELLANEOUS PALLET FORKS FOR 675 SKID LOADER ..............575.00 ARTSWAY SHREDDER ........................................2,500.00 JD 300 HUSKER ...................................................3,900.00 JD 460 LOADER (4600) ........................................2,500.00 J&M 1075 GRAIN CART, SCALE ........................33,900.00 WESTENDORF XTA 400 LOADER (7510) ...........6,500.00 FARM HAND XL 740 LOADER (IH 884) ...............3,000.00 H&S 16, SKID STEER TRAILER (LIKE NEW) ......3,750.00 ALLIED 595 LOADER, 4450 (LIKE NEW) .............4,900.00 JD 746 LOADER ................................................. 11,900.00 TUBELING LARGE BALE PROCESSOR FOR SKID LDRS.. 8,900.00 KNIGHT 5135 VERT TMR ...................................18,500.00 NEW 158 LOADER MTG. FRAMES (WAD) ..........1,000.00 SCHULTE REEL-TYPE ROCK PICKER ...............3,500.00 JD 720 LOADER, 85”, 4240 ..................................3,900.00 JD 115 SHREDDER, CV, LIKE NEW ..................14,500.00 JD MX-7 ROTARY CUTTER .................................2,595.00 FARM KING 8X41 AUGER, ELECT. DRIVE..........2,000.00 LAND PRIDE 3 PT AUGER ......................................695.00 KNIGHT 3015 TMR, INCLINE DISCHARGE .........7,500.00 N-TECH MANURE PUMP-EXC.COND. ................7,500.00 JD 280 SL LOADER, 3F VALVE (4455) .............. 11,900.00 NEW BRILLION 16’ PULVERIZER ........................7,500.00 NEW RITE-WAY 42’ ROLLER .............................37,900.00 BOBCAT 60” S.S. ROTARY CUTTER (WAD) .......2,500.00 NEW THUNDER-CREEK 750 FUEL TRAILER ...10,500.00 SPRAYERS HARDI AC 950, 90 FT .........................................15,900.00 CENTURY 500 GAL ..............................................3,000.00 VICON 365 GAL, TANDEM ...................................1,800.00 FLEX-COIL 1000, 60FT .......................................14,900.00
SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE • SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE • SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE
17thAnnual Annual Parts Parts Sale 16th Sale p
John John Deere Deere TOUGH TOUGH TILLAGE TILLAGE PARTS PARTS Sweeps, Sweeps,Shovels, Shovels,Disk Disk Blades, Blades,Plow PlowBottom BottomParts Parts
SAVE SAVE upuptoto20% 20%
Filter Sale Sale Filter thruMarch March31st 31st thru
Choosefilters filtersdesigned designedtoto Choose protectyour yourJohn JohnDeere Deere protect machines,not notjust justfifit tthem! them! machines,
SAVE SAVE 15% 15% onALL ALL on Filters Filters
FREE Coffee FREE Coffee&&Cookies Cookies March 12th-24th March 7th-19th
10% OFF
ALL PARTS IN STOCK & STOCK-ORDERED PARTS March 12th 7th thru March thruMarch March19th 24th (including toys & clothing)
EVERGREEN EQUIPMENT 16069 East Hwy. 27, Little Falls Phone 632-5469 or 1-800-655-5469
Talk to Steve about signing up for “jdpart.com” parts Internet inventory www.evergreenequipment.com • e-mail: littlefalls@evergreeneq.com • service@evergreeneq.com • parts@evergreeneq.com • Ag product website: jddealer.deere.com/evergreeneq/
TRUCKLOAD OIL SALE
Reduce downtime. Save time. Save money. Can you afford to use any other engine oil?
DRUMS OF OIL 15W40P50 • HY GARD We buy by the truckload. See us for special sale prices.
50% more hours when using PLUS 50 oil
Schedule any Service Work March 19th, Schedule any Service Work ‘til ‘til March 24th, 2012 2011and Parts Discount apply! and Parts Discount willwill apply!
GetPlanter a FREE Corn AdapterMeters & Spring! Seed With each Perma-Loc™ Sweep purchased,
when you convert your complete cultivator 7000, 7200, 7300, 1700 Series from bolt-on or competitive brand sweeps. VACUUM FINGER Offer ends MarchOR 11, 2011. Mounting hardware extra. This is the only test stand with a computerSTORE AND a HOURS: gated belt that Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm lets you see for yourself if your Saturdays 8:00am-1:00pm meter is spacing correctly.
Corn 00 Planter $
35 Meters Seed
per row7200, 7300, 1700 Series 7000, for testing OR FINGER VACUUM Parts This is extra. the only test stand with a computer
AND a gated belt that lets you see for yourself if your meter is spacing correctly.
30.00
Call $ Jeremy to schedule
per row for testingHOURS: STORE Parts extra Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm CallSaturdays Jeremy to 8:00am-1:00pm schedule
SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE • SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE • SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE
SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE • SOLID, STABLE & STILL JOHN DEERE
Flipping through the Dairy Star … online
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 31
Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
75 REBATE
THE MICHELIN® AG
$
PER TIRE It’s not the only reason to choose a MICHELIN® tire, but it’s a good one.
Now the reduced soil compaction and improved crop yield that you count on from Michelin comes with an added bonus. For a limited time, when you buy 2 or more MICHELIN® Ag tires, you will receive a $75 rebate on each purchased tire.
Ask Your Dealer for Details. Offer valid from 2/20-2012 to 5/31/2012.
FRIEDRICHS TIRE & OIL Sauk Centre • 352-5418 or 352-3612 After Hours • 351-8995
BOOK YOUR REPAIRS NOW! WE GIVE “FREE” NO OBLIGATION ON THE FARM ESTIMATES.
Plastic Liner For Your TMR Mixers
Easy mixing, extends mixer life & more!
Nu-Poly for Walls/Ceilings In Milk Houses & Parlors
Provides a Plastic surface... Easy to clean, durable & withstands cleaning chemicals
DUMP BOX LINER
• Durable to withstand punishment • Loads release quickly • Prevents freezing & sticking to liner surface • Continuous length liners available, 3/16”, 1/4”, 3/8”, & 1/2” thickness
Cattle Manger seamless curb corner eliminate feed build up
Practicing patience We have been practicing patience this Lenten season. It was not anything we specifically planned to do, it just happened one morning in the barn. Of course our patience is tested every day on a farm and some days more than others. I am discovering a unique way of developing patience is to fix something, however the amount of patience you have is influenced by four factors. These factors tend to cloud our perception of the situation and magnifies when our patience is in low reserve. When your patience is low, the job seems to keep getting worse. Weather. The lower the temperature, the lower your patience when you’re trying to fix a broken manure spreader chain out the in the middle of a windswept field. Your fingers feel as stiff as your frozen muddy coveralls as you grab the chilled metal tools. It seems as though your hands will never be warm again. The nice thing is that you don’t feel your knuckles scrape against a sharp piece of metal and the blood is too thick to make a big mess. Food. If your stomach is empty, it is hard to concentrate on the task at hand, making the job go even slower and your tummy grumbling even louder. It is hard to focus on getting the job done while you are thinking about breakfast waiting for you in the house. Sleep. With calving checks throughout the night, it is hard to string together enough hours to recharge your body for the next day’s challenges. Easy solutions to the day’s problems are hard to see as you close your eye lids and drift off for a quick nap. Attitude. The cloudy days have put everyone in a gloomy mood. It is hard to feel bright and chipper when the sun refuses to burn through the foggy morning skies; but when the light does burn through, our moods brighten with the growing intensity of the sun. The gloomy moods are not just a reflection of the cloudy skies. It is also a combination of recent events. In the past 16 days we have had four sets of split twins. The first to calve was an old cow we were keeping for just one more calf, a heifer calf. She had a heifer and a dead bull calf. Not a good sign. We culled her right then and there. The next two cows to calve were 4-year-old cows. Trumpet spit out a dead pair of calves one month early. Sapphire’s twins both survived. The two cows are coming around and haven’t DA’d yet, but this lactation is off to a very slow start for them. The last cow to calve was due to go dry in six weeks. Mark came into the barn one morning to discover she was starting to abort her pregnancy. It was our fourth set of twins. Now she won’t calve back again until sometime in 2013. The only other calf born in February was a single bull. So much for replacement heifers in the next two years, but at least Katie can take the twin calves into school for the FFA Children’s Barnyard. As the Leap Year Day snow storm ended February with a punctuation mark, we look forward to the new month. March calvings have to be better than February’s run. If the sun can come out from behind the clouds, we can surely have heifer calves born. We just have to be patient and wait. This morning our patience was re-
RENEW YOUR TRACTOR CAB!
BUY - SELL - TRADE
(800) 657-4698 • (715) 597-2498
Email: ops@triwest.net
Web Site: osseoplastics.com
By Natalie Schmitt Columnist
ally put to the test and I must say, I think we passed. Monday night Al discovered he had no water in his house. They figured they could survive until the next day without water and save on an afterhours emergency call. Bright and early Tuesday morning Al called the well guys to come check out the situation. Meanwhile, as we filled the mixer with the morning feed, a loud crash permeated throughout the barn. Mark flew over the railing and shut down the mixer, conveyor and haylage unloader. It appeared the chain on the back of the mixer had jumped off the sprocket. With a break in the milking action, Mark and I put the chain back on and continued adding feed. Two hundred pounds later a crashing boom could be heard and Mark flew over the waterline again. This time things were out of line and would require more time to fix. Once the switch cows were milked we headed back to work on the mixer while Al worked on his well project. Mark carried every tool he thought he needed – maul, crowbar, screw drivers, hammer, socket sets, wrenches and cotter pins. As I followed him to the mixer room, I picked up the tools he dropped from his large supply. Taking the sprocket and bearings off of the shaft was a lesson in mechanical engineering, geometry, physics and surgical protocol. The space was too small to use the maul to pound things back into place. I don’t know if the maul really works, or just makes you feel like you’re accomplishing something. Regardless, we started to dismantle the section of the mixer to fix. Mark squeezed into the tight space between the mixer and the wall to find the right angle to loosen bolts and pull cotter pins. I kept the flashlight pointed at the center of his attention while handing him tools and supplies. I felt like we were working in a very dirty operating room. At the end of the “surgery” we counted cotter pins, snap rings and crescent wrenches like used cotton swabs and surgical knives making sure nothing was left behind. The mixer was fixed, the cows could be fed and we discovered our patience had survived another session of farm fixing. Natalie, Mark and his brother, Al, Schmitt farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA prefix. Their four children are great help around the farm and are pushing Natalie out of several jobs. Therefore she is thankful to have something else to do. For questions or comments please e-mail Natalie at mnschmitt@jetup.net.
SPARROWS - STARLINGS -RODENTS
1” Black Vinyl Upholstery At Wholesale Prices! WE SHIP DAILY JD Sound Guard Cabs & Sound Guard Cab Parts
51101 Omaha St. P.O. Box 127 • Osseo, WI 54758
Just Thinking Out Loud
KIESTER IMPLEMENT
Now scheduling y & spider control programs & whitewashing for 2012
KIESTER, MN
For management of these and other pests call
507-294-3387
Serving: Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin
www.midwestfarmsales.com
1-800-873-1565
The next, next generation During an interview last week, I was asked if Glen and I are hoping to pass the farm onto the next generation My first thought was that it seems a little early to be thinking about transitioning the farm, but maybe not. At the informational meeting for Dan’s kindergarten, it was made very clear that today’s kindergarten is not the kindergarten my generation attended. Children are expected to enter modern kindergarten with far more skills. I suppose it’s not outlandish to also expect them to know what they want to do with their lives when they graduate 13 years later. But I didn’t voice that thought during the interview. What I did say was that, of course, Glen and I would be honored if one of our children were to choose to farm. If our children do decide to farm, we will do everything we can to help them make it possible. However, not every child who grows up on a farm catches the farming bug, so whether our farm will continue for another generation in this family is ultimately a decision our children will make. Whether or not our children choose to farm, only time will tell. But I have noticed a few qualities in our children that will serve them well if they do catch the farming bug. 1. They don’t take the easy path. After last week’s snow storm, we finally had snowbanks in the yard big enough for sliding. Dan started out sliding down the piles on his bottom. Then we got the sleds out. I gave Dan a push down a snowy slope, but he tipped over when the sled hit the driveway. After drying his hands and his tears, I agreed to ride with him in the sled the next time. We cruised down without tipping and the extra weight in the sled made a nice track in the snow. Dan said he was going to go down again by himself, so I went back to feeding heifers. Dan took off back up the hill, trudging through the deepest snow. I told him it would easier to walk up the hill on the driveway, where the snow was plowed away. “Nah, Mom,” he said. “This is better.” 2. They don’t mind getting dirty. After Dan’s first day of playing in the snow, I quickly realized just how much laundry our mild winter saved me. All of his attire from the knees down was soaked. Wet clothes, by themselves, aren’t much of a problem. But Dan’s afternoon routine takes him from playing on the snowbanks to chasing Monika around the barn and playing in the cows’ TMR. When he removes his boots at night, we end up with a small pile of TMR on the floor, not including the TMR stuck to his wet socks. I shake as much of the feed out of his boots as I can, but they still smell like a Koster tester when they come off the boot dryer the next day.
Repair vs. Replace
Electronic Dairy Board Repair Service
Specializing in: WestfaliaSurge, BouMatic, & DeLaval pulsators & Takeoffs, circuit boards, Mueller milk tank circuit boards.
Call: (c) 406-590-7764
I F A
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 33
Want: AN ALTERNATIVE TO IODINE
Need: CYNERGY PRE-POST TM
In the never-ending struggle between your herd and mastitis, CYNERGY Pre-Post is a must-have. It’s all new from the experts at Ecolab—an innovative heptanoic acid-based system that delivers fast kills and superior skin conditioning. Plus quick prep and fast dry time. The only thing missing is, well, iodine. Call us today for more information. Because the best protection for your cows is really the best protection for your business.
The Next Generation
I can hhellp! FULL LINE OF CHEMICALS & MILKING EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE
By Sadie Frericks Columnist/Writer 3. They’re eager to help. When the vacuum pump starts, there’s often a race between Dan and Monika to see who gets to help milk a cow first. Ginger is Dan’s favorite cow to milk and Monika always asked to milk Sienna. But now that Sienna is dried up, they fight over milking Ginger. Thankfully, there are several other gentle, young cows with udders high enough off the ground to allow little helpers to crawl underneath. The other night Dan ran up to Glen and asked, “Which cow can I milk? I’m a farmer, too… I’m a little kid farmer.” We frequently comment that we hope Dan and Monika are still as eager consider themselves farmers and to help with milking 10 years from now. 4. They’re connecting with animals. After vocally pondering my collection of frogs in our bathroom, Dan asked me, “What’s your favorite animal?” I told him I have two favorites, cows and frogs. “That’s why you wanted to be a farmer,” he then proclaimed. “And that’s why my dad wanted to be a farmer.” I don’t know if cows are Dan’s favorite animals, but he’s definitely becoming attached to them. Love is still Dan’s favorite cow. He always needs to know where she is in the barn. And he’s always asking when she’s going to have another baby. It took her awhile to breed back, so I just keep telling him “in a little while.” I sure hope that calf is a heifer. Every time a calf is born, Dan wants to know if it’s a girl or a boy. He knows that we keep the girls and sell the boys; at first he was mad that we sell the boys and would get upset when bull calves were born; but now he seems to understand and accept the situation. There’s a little, black heifer calf in the barn that Dan keeps referring to as his fair calf. I’m not sure where he got the idea of having a fair calf – unless he’s overheard conversations about showing. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that chapter to begin, but he seems to be. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 70 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have two children – Dan, 5, and Monika, 2. Sadie also writes a blog for the Dairy Star at http://dairystar.blogspot.com. She can be reached at gsfrericks@meltel.net.
Roller-Grinder
More milk less feed with uniform ne-grind Solid cast rolls All belt-electric drive Single or double mills USA & International sales Replacement rolls available for most mills Used mills and tumble mixers on hand Hammer Mills
Phone: (319) 634-3849 • Toll Free: (800) 426-0261 web: www.ifamill.com • email: ifamill@netins.net
Call Gary Von Wahlde for a quote....
OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE
320-248-2236 - Melrose, MN gary@dairydirectsales.com
“Leading you in the right direction for your dairy operation needs.”
Do you have a hog connement building or dairy stall barn
you’re not making use of?
Let us help you turn it into a great opportunity for raising bottle calves! • Individual pens or group pens with automatic feeders. • Hot water heated grated oor system requires no bedding. • Faster turn around with the permitting process. Converted Hog Barn 40’ wide x 248’ long BEFORE
AFTER
“We’ve been in our calf building for about 3 months now. We’ve noticed huge labor savings, were not moving calves from building to building, calves are all under one roof now up to 400 lbs. Our help is a lot happier too! Even with a mild winter, we’ve also noticed a big savings on LP heat. Brent, Steve & Tyler All the equipment is very durable and quality equipment. Bollant Farms, Fennimore, WI Our calves are comfortable, clean and much healthier. The service we received from Blue Diamond Industries was excellent, they were very prompt and always here when they said they would be. We are extremely pleased with our investment and highly recommend this building which produces labor & heat savings as well as clean and healthy calves-in turn effecting our bottom line savings.” - STEVE BOLLANT
PRE-NURSERY
TRANSITION ROOM
• 16 stall pre-nursery training stalls • Heating plant • Utility room
NURSERY
• 9 pens of calves-total capacity 162 weaned calves. • Totally enclosed-fan cooled-concrete slats over a full pit. • All pens have self locking stalls.
• Nursery has 8 pens of 25 calves-200 head calf capacity. •8 automatic computerized calf feeders for 8 pens. • Cozy hot water heated ooring over a full pit requiring no bedding. • Totally enclosed, fan cooled with geo-thermal underground air tubes for supplemental heat in the winter and cooling in the summer.
Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
ROERS WHITEWASHING & STEAM CLEANING WE ARE LICENSED FOR MONTHLY FLY CONTROL!
Dairy Recipes Recipes submitted by Betty Nyman, Dassel, Minn.
Cherry Dessert
LIC#: 20122719
Anyone signing up before March 31 receives a 5% discount for this season! “The friendly people”
Pipeline, Windows & Light Bulbs cleaned at the end of job. All your fan needs.
Serving MN, IA, SD, ND, & WI
Call For Free Estimates
Cliff: 320-815-8488 or Tim: 320-815-5103
Dakota
Bedding 701-297-9742
2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup melted butter 2 cans cherry pie filling 1 pint whipping cream 2 cups miniature marshmallows 2 Tbsp powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla Mix together and save a small portion for topping. Spread remainder in 9x13 pan – pat firmly. Pour two cans cherry pie filling over crumbs. Whip 1 pint whipping cream, add 2 cups miniature marshmallows, 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Spread over cherries and top with crumbs. Refrigerate overnight.
Raspberry Dessert
WORKS WELL FOR COMPOST BARNS!
All-Natural Wood Bedding Made in West Fargo • Bulk or Bags Contact Glen for more info
Call Today for Delivery!
tfn
QLF SELECT 40
LIQUID SUPPLEMENT Improve your feed performance with QLF’s Select 40. The liquid advantage is gained through increased palatability and ration conditioning. Ration sorting and nes are reduced, promoting consistent nutrient intakes across all animals. Contact Randy at Pierz Co-op to learn more. Feed Ruminants Only - May be mixed with grain or top dressed on the grain, silage, hay or other roughages.
Toll Free: Feed 877-468-6655 Agron/Petro 877-438-3378
2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup softened butter 3 Tbsp. sour cream 1 Tbsp. almond flavoring 3 cups flour 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder Cream eggs, sugar, oil, butter and sour cream. Add flour, soda, baking powder and almond flavoring. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Slice 1/2" thick and place on cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sugar (I use salt shaker with sugar) and toast in 300º oven until lightly browned on both sides.
Recipes submitted by Tammy Schultz, Frazee, Minn.
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup melted butter Mix and pat in 9x13 pan. Bake for 7 min. at 350º. 1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese 12 oz. Cool Whip 3/4 cup sugar Mix and spread on cooled crust. 2 pkg. (3 oz.) Raspberry Jell-O 2 cups boiling water 2 bags (12 oz.) of frozen raspberries Mix and pour over cream cheese layer. Chill. Serve with a scoop of ice cream.
Almond Rusks
Bean Casserole
1 can butter beans 1 can kidney beans 1 - 28 oz. can Bush Baked Beans 1 lb. browned ground beef 1/2 lb. bacon cut up 1 Tbsp. vinegar 1 tsp. mustard 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 onion 1/2 cup ketchup Brown bacon and onion, combine ground beef with rest of ingredients. Bake one hour at 350º. I make them in crock pot for 4 to 6 hours. Sprinkle cheese on top and serve. "This is our family favorite!"
Sauerkraut Casserole 2 lb. ground beef 2 cups uncooked egg noodles 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of celery soup 2 cups or more shredded cheese 16 oz. jar sauerkraut Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup water 1/2 cup chopped onion
Brown ground beef, onion and salt and pepper. Spread half of this in 9x13 pan. Pour undrained sauerkraut over meat. Mix soup and water in separate bowl. Add egg noodles and remaining ground beef. Pour soup mixture over this. Bake 30 min. at 350º. Add cheese over top and bake another 30 min.
Breakfast Bake 1.5 lbs. pork sausage 1 pkg (2 lb.) southern style hashbrowns 1 cup minced onion Pepper to taste Garlic powder 2 cups milk 8 eggs 2 pkgs. (8 oz.) shredded colby jack cheese (4 cups divided)
Grease 9x13 pan. Brown sausage. In large bowl, combine sausage, hashbrowns, onion, milk, 3 cups cheese and eggs. Mix. Pour in pan. Top with remaining cheese. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Bake at 350º, uncovered for 50 to 55 min. Let stand for 10 min.
Looking for recipes we published in the past? Check our Web site: www.dairystar.com for all the recipes we have printed.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 35
Always look at both sides Getting Kerry’d Away
By Kerry Hoffman Columnist our kitchen cupboard. What about TV dinners? I loved the meal that contained Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and peas. Remember how those mashed potatoes came out of the dish in one big clump? We could use those potatoes for grout in the tile floors of today. In fact, I bet those potatoes are sitting in my stomach, right next to the gum I swallowed seven years ago. Naturally, the discussion of hormones being used on dairy cows came up. I wasn’t in the mood to defend my industry on that particular night, so I just listened. I knew I would have this opportunity to explain how we use the synthetic hormone on our farm and how if we thought it was harmful to humans, we wouldn’t use it. I mean, I consume our milk without any form of pasteurization, homogenization or fortification. I don’t know how many times I have to tell people the following information, but it appears to me that a dairy supporter’s job is never done. When we notice one thing changing in our society, we seem to grab on
25,000# Tensil Strength to 150,000# Tensil Strength
Call Today for your New Tow Rope
Phone: 1-800-584-6675 Bakko Industries, Inc. Glenwood, MN 56334
STURDY STEEL BALE FEEDERS
Call for Pricing
• 6’ & 12’ available • Pallet Fork Moveable • 2x6 Wood Floor • Fits Both Round & Big Square Bales • 14-1/2 inch spacings
CHASEBURG
MANUFACTURING INC. 102 Jack Berg Lane • Coon Valley, WI 54623
Phone: 1-800-658-9018 or 608-452-3040
Some research also supports the idea that obesity may be attributing to the earlier onset of puberty. I am sure you are all aware of the statistics regarding overweight children. Did you know fat cells produce estrogen? And one last note. How come it’s not OK to use a growth hormone on my cows, but yet celebrities are using human growth hormones on themselves to preserve themselves? Can you say preservatives? For questions, or comments, e-mail me at kahoffman@newulmtel.net. Kerry and her husband, Steve, along with their teenage sons, Joey and Russell, operate a 100-cow dairy farm south of New Ulm, Minn. In her spare time, she likes to read, read and read some more. They have three dogs, one gecko, one guinea pig and one house cat that is insane. The 11 barn cats are normal – except for Mitch. There’s something wrong with that cat.
FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE!
Midwinter Bargains!
Versatile 190, MFD, 190 HP,
All new! Kubota M9540
SALE $120,000
Sale! $49,750 - 60 months 0%
powershift, 540/ 1000 PTO, 4 hyd, 3.5% FINANCING
Meyer Industrial 8500 manure spdr., 800 bu., verticial beater - Save Big! $29,900
Hard to nd! NH TM130,
power shift w/NH 72 loader, 7,000 hours, very sharp! $47,500
MFD, 95 hp, 12 spd, hyd. shuttle, 3 yr warranty
Ag Shield 46’ land roller, Full 42” drum! Sale! $35,500
NH TN75, Cab, air, heater, only 1,700 hours! $22,900
HURKES IMPLEMENT COMPANY Sales: 605-886-3817 • Parts: 605-882-3420 North Hwy. 20, Watertown, SD
FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE!
FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE!
Made with Monofilament Polypropylene Twine Tough, Safe, Versatile, and Lightweight
to the most obvious causative factor. As soon as someone figured out that dairy farmers are using a synthetic hormone to manage milk production in cows, it seemed like the solution was right there. At that point, investigation becomes clouded. A person, maybe it’s a scientist, gets so caught up in proving that a hormone is causing early puberty that he or she forgets to look at everything objectively. He or she is like a horse with blinders on and only works on absolutely proving his or her theory. I wonder if there is any research out there looking at how healthier diets affect human growth. How old were the girls that were part of the Western Movement when they started maturing into women. I bet it was later than their relatives that had already been living under the Statue of Liberty for many years. How well do you think women trekking across the plains of the unclaimed territory were eating?
FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE! • FREE ADVICE IS WORTH ITS PRICE!
I was out having dinner with a group of girlfriends last Friday night. It is so good for the soul to gather with friends to talk a little smack and also share the love. Believe me, we did talk trash and we also laughed our butts off – even though mine is still attached. I thought for sure I was laughing so hard that I left it at the Mexican restaurant in Mankato. But alas, there it is, right underneath me. During the course of the evening, our conversation somehow turned toward the difference in young girls of yesteryear to pubescent girls today. My friends and I all agreed that puberty seems to be happening at a much younger age. Because I wasn’t in the mood for a debate, I chose to keep my mouth quiet. I also realized that no matter how many times I talk about a subject, I may not reach all readers. Is puberty starting early because we use medications and hormonal treatments in our food-supply or are we, as a society, just eating healthier all the time? Maybe it’s because we are not eating healthier? Can you say preservatives? (I don’t know about you, but I am trying to consume healthier food, but that delicious candy bar cake sitting on my kitchen counter keeps calling my name.) Think back to when you were a kiddo. We ate tons and tons of manufactured food. The one I can easily remember is macaroni and cheese. I had absolutely no concern with preparing a pan full of noodles and turning a powder into liquid cheese. That powdered cheese was prepared to last for years in
Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Dairying across america
Alabama’s de Jong family turning farming dream into reality By ron johnson Staff writer
photo submitted
Rubes Sponsored by Fluegge’s Ag
The milk from Working Cows Dairy is processed and sold through Alabama Organic Dairy Products, a business also owned by the de Jong family. The company sells several types of milk to 23 grocery stores and right at the farm.
“You may be right, Martha–maybe they are getting a bit too domesticated.”
photo submitted
Working Cows Dairy and Alabama Organic Dairy Products truly are family businesses. The de Jongs, plus one employee, pasteurize, bottle and deliver the milk from 190 cows and tend to more than 230 head on their 600-acre farm near Slocomb, Ala. Here, from left to right, are Ike and Mendy, their parents, Rinske and Jan, and Jonny, the oldest of the three boys. 29 cows to a different rented farm, also in Florida. That’s where Jonny, Mendy and Ike came along. At the same time, the herd grew to 220 cows. In 1991, the operation moved to Alabama. Tired of the “milk price roller coaster,” the de Jongs decided in 2006 to give organic production a go. They noted that the price they received for their milk in 2006 was essentially the same as it was in 1976. They figured the organic market might provide a more level price, plus a product they could one day sell themselves. Since it generally takes three years to get land certified for organic production, the de Jongs found themselves making part of the transition right during a time of low milk prices: 2009. After enduring those dismal prices, the de Jongs
bumped into another hurdle. They had a contract to sell their organic milk to a processor, but the deal fell through. “We made all these sacrifices (getting the land certified, buying organically grown feed) to go organic and didn’t have a buyer,” Jonny said. The de Jongs held an informal family meeting and asked themselves, “’Are we going to make this work or are we going to close the doors?’” Jonny said. That’s when they made three important decisions: Stay with organic production, start grazing the cattle to cut costs, and get into the milk processing business. Their small processing plant let them kick start Alabama Organic Milk Products, Jonny said. But they would like to one day construct a bigger and better facility. “Our
Knight 5032 vertical mixer, Knight 8018 slinger, going new augers, going through through shop, new flighting on lower auger, new shop, 3 auger discharge $17,900 hammers - $12,900
NI 363 box spreader, gate, tandem, good cond. - $5,995
Knight 3036 Reel $15,500
goal right now,” Jonny said, “is just to survive, basically.” Business is good, he said, but with five family members and only one employee, there’s plenty of work to go around. The working cows at Working Cows Dairy are milked twice a day, using a 48-cow carousel parlor the family installed before going organic, when they were at 800 cows. Milk is pasteurized at a low temperature early each week, then bottled in plastic jugs. Thursdays and Fridays find Jonny behind the wheel of the delivery truck, taking gallons and half gallons of whole milk, 2 percent, 1 percent, fatfree, chocolate, and cream to some 23 stores. Customers are also welcome to buy milk right at the farm, using the honor system. Turn to Alabama | Page 37
JUST IN! Knight 3130 mixer, Roughage Max kit- $13,900
Spring Specials on Hay Rakes
H&S 430 box spreader w/gate - $6,995
TO SAVE UP FLUEGGE’S AG $1,500
“Service After The Sale”
TRADES! NEEDED G LEASIN LE B AVAILA
Farm Material Handling Specialist
ROD FLUEGGE “the boss”
2040 Mahogany St., Mora, MN • 320-679-2981
on select mowers
Through March 31, 2012
Fluegge’s AG • 50 Years • Fluegge’s AG • 50 Years • Fluegge’s AG • 50 Years • Fluegge’s AG • 50 Years •
styles of milk to 23 grocery stores, including Whole Foods and Earth Fare. “We can see business picking up every week,” said Jonny de Jong, the oldest of Jan and Rinske’s sons. Jan and Rinske took a roundabout route to southeast Alabama. Their Working Cows Dairy dates to 1985, when the couple milked for a farmer in Florida. That arrangement let them use his barn, plus 40 acres. So Jan and Rinske spent the $5,000 they’d saved in Holland to lease 55 cows. With their own cows and the other farmer’s, they were milking 20 hours a day. The next year, for more income, Jan planted watermelons on part of the 40 acres. He sold the produce from a stand along a nearby highway. After two years on that farm, the de Jongs moved with
Fluegge’s AG • 50 Years • Fluegge’s AG • 50 Years • Fluegge’s AG • 50 Years • Fluegge’s AG • 50 Years •
SLOCOMB, Ala. – Don’t tell the de Jong family the American dream is dead. These Alabama farmers are 27 years into their dream and are turning it into reality. It was 1985 when Jan and Rinske de Jong left the Netherlands for the “land of opportunity.” Their goal: Start their own dairy farm. Today, the de Jongs not only have their farm, but a milk processing business and a trio of sons – Jonny, Mendy and Ike – that help run it all. Recognizing the contributions of their cows, the de Jongs dubbed their farm Working Cows Dairy. The processing business, meanwhile, is Alabama Organic Dairy Products. The de Jong farm became certified organic Nov. 1, 2009, making it the first such dairy in the Yellowhammer State. Today it milks 190 HolsteinJersey crosses and sells several
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 37
LEAN, MEAN
Continued from Alabama | Page 36
Farming Machines
photo submitted
Working Cows Dairy relies on grazing and was the first USDA certified organic dairy farm in Alabama. There are two grazing seasons in southern Alabama – winter and summer – with March the best time for pasture growth. The de Jong farm has access to plenty of water, with center-pivot irrigators all along the edges. “We have a big refrigerator and a box on the wall,” Jonny described. “People can come out 24-7, drop their money in the box, and grab their milk. “We’ve got some honest people around here. We figure if you’re going to run out this far to steal some milk, you definitely need it,” he added with a chuckle. Wherever people buy the de Jongs’ milk, it’s not homogenized. And it’s vat pasteurized at a lower temperature than many processors use. “Every degree of temperature is damaging the milk and different enzymes that are living in the milk,” Jonny said. Higher temperatures also alter the milk’s taste. With their pasteurization method, it’s possible to taste the difference between summer milk, when the cows are on pasture, and winter milk, when they’re eating stored feed, Jonny said. The de Jongs farm about 600 acres, growing crops for grazing, such as oats and ryegrass. Southeast Alabama has two grazing seasons – winter and summer – but March is the best month for grazing, according to Jonny. He reported a recent daytime temperature in the 60s, fine for growing pasture. It helps that the de Jongs have a steady supply of water. “We actually have irrigation,” said Jonny. “We recycle all the water on our farm. We have center-pivots located all the way around our grazing operation.” Working Cows Dairy does not push for high milk production. Jonny pegged it at 25 to 30 pounds per cow, per day, or 7,600 to 9,000 pounds per year. That’s fine with the de Jongs for a couple of reasons. First, it’s more than
the processing facility can sell. Said Johnny, “We always aim to overproduce. We like to have a buffer for growth. We’re looking to take on some new distributors to help us increase sales, but right now we do all our own distributing.” In addition, the de Jongs figure their cows will stay in the herd six or seven years, instead of two or three, by not being pressured to make more milk. Lower production fits in with their business model of using grazing as much as possible, too. Due to organic production and grazing, they figure milk production fell 65 percent, compared to when the cows ate a “high-powered” ration that included corn, soybean meal, citrus pulp, distiller’s grains, and cottonseed. Jonny said the family is doing fine with the higher prices it earns by taking on the extra work of processing, bottling and delivering its milk. He figured they gross $55 to $60 per hundredweight for milk that’s sold by the gallon, and around $100 per hundredweight for milk sold in eight-ounce containers. Alabama has approximately 65 dairy farms in the entire state, Jonny said. Most of the land grows cotton and corn instead of supporting dairy cattle. Plans call for the farm to not grow beyond about 500 cows. Otherwise, more land would be needed. “I enjoyed growing up on a dairy,” Jonny said. “You have your hard times. Everybody does. That’s where we’re at right now. But eventually, when you get done with it all, you can kick back and look at what you’ve done and see the impact you’ve made.”
• Compact low-profile design for maneuverability in narrow, low-clearance areas - 48”/61” wide with standard ROPS/ 0E) FOPS (Level II) height of 70.3” /71.9” (3640E/4240E) • Powerful Yanmar diesel engines for power and performance where it counts • All-Tach™ attachment mounting system compatible with most attachments • Improved drive controls require less effort and reduce operator fatigue • Spacious operator’s compartment with choice of T-bar “hands-only” or hand/foot controls
Low and narrow. New compact E-Series Skid Loaders from Gehl deliver powerful, rugged performance in the tightest spots in your yards, barns or anywhere you need it. The new 3640E and 4240E models are “little giants” when it comes to powering a wide selection of attachment tools for any job.
gehl.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE DEALERS, CONTACT THE GEHL WEBSITE WWW.GEHL.COM • Arnolds St. Martin, Willmar, Kimball • KLS Implement Inc. Elrosa • Northland Farm Systems Inc. Owatonna
• St. Joseph Equipment Eyota • United Farmers Cooperative Lafayette
Great
MILK s Sire
014H3831 MARION Addison x Formation
+2368M 99%R
014H4438 RIVER Morty x Manfred
+2264M 98%R
014H5647 DAVIS Toystory x Outside
+2095M 93%R
014H5552 GRENADE Marion x Outside
+2001M 93%R
BUNKER SILOS AVAILABLE IN ONE OR MULTIPLE BAY DESIGN • 8-1/2’ or 12’ high bunkers available • Panels are bolted together and moveable
AL’S
CONCRETE PRODUCTS 1-800-982-9263 Serving Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin Since 1965
www.alsconcreteproducts.com
2011 Accelerated Genetics. Source: 12/11. HA/USDA Genomic. IB/MACE-USA. photo: Poupee (Marion Daughter), Vanolst Jean-Marie, Hanzinne, Belgium ©
800-451-9275 INFO@ACCELGEN.COM WWW.ACCELGEN.COM
Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Tales of a cow midwife
Pulling calves has always been one of my favorite jobs on the farm. I can remember the first time I came to the house to tell Dad that a heifer was in need of help and he simply told me to go pull it and call Ramblings from the Ridge him if I had any troubles. I was probably about 13 or 14. It felt like a rite of passage into the world of farming for me. I was finally trusted to use the big heavy jack, put the chains on by myself, and deliver a life into the world. This was an upgrade from being the nursemaid and helping my dad during a delivery, By Jacqui Davison and I could use the jack, Columnist not twine! So off I went, I think the heifer’s name was Bubbles, a little black thing, and I did it by myself, and had a beautiful live calf to show for my efforts. I don’t think I could have been any prouder of myself at that moment. I know I was bursting with pride when I ran back to the house to tell Dad I did it. From then on, I became the resident midwife when I was in the barn, always wanting to be there to help with a birth. I can remember being about 15 and having my little brother Tony, four years old at the time, follow me around. Well, turns out I had a calf to pull. Tony and I went to the house and I made him a bag of popcorn to snack on. Back in the barn, I set him and his popcorn up in a window seat out of the way, and I got to work. I vaguely remember him sitting there eating popcorn as though he was at a big screen movie, as I explained to him what I was doing, answering millions of “why” questions along the way. I delivered the calf and he was amazed. It’s always good to have a fan club! The craziest births always seem to happen when my dad is gone, and I mean the ‘I am hours away, figure it out yourself’ kind of gone. The first time I had to pull twins by myself when they were both com-
ing at the same time, I called a neighboring female veterinarian, Dr. Burch. She was so sweet, asking me what I felt when I reached inside the cow, telling me to make sure I had two legs from the same calf fitted with chains before I started pulling, and try to push one calf back as I went. She also told me to give her a call when I was done, so she would know everything went good. I did it. That whole mess of legs and heads in that cow turned out to be a pair of healthy twins. I forgot to call Dr. Burch back, and by the time I got to the house, the phone rang asking me how I did. I will never forget how she helped me through my first twin experience, the fact that she cared enough to call and hear the results, and was just as overjoyed as I was. Then there was the time that it was colder than cold, and a first calf heifer was having some major issues calving and couldn’t get up and out of the barn. Our herdsman at the time, Peter, and I rigged up a sled to roll her on to pull her out of the freestall barn with the skid steer to get her to the shed where hopefully it would be a little warmer. This was before we had our transition barn with the nice, warm calving pen. Dad, of course, was three hours away on his way back from the Twin Cities. We tried for hours, each of us taking a turn, none of us making any progress, killing time until Dad got back. It turned out there was nothing any of us could have done. It was a water belly calf that we had to disassemble to get out of the poor heifer. It was an interesting, very late night, for sure. Of course, there is the story from the days when we didn’t have a calving pen and if it was nice out, we would just chase the mother-to-be out on the lawn – assuming she would know enough to stay there. Twenty minutes after chasing a heifer out to calve in her pen of invisible fences, she was gone. An hour and a half later, after a “heifer drive” through the sevenfoot tall corn field, we found her, and had to pull the calf in the field! There is that lesson you learn along the way about always checking a cow for twins, because all it takes is that one time that you don’t and, ta-da, thirty minutes later another calf magically appears. Or even better, the time Empress had twins and no one thought
to check for another one, and by morning we were greeted with a third calf. The lesson of making sure you have the legs that go with the head is not overrated, and determining which end of the calf you are pulling on (by the legs) is a must know. This week we had a first time event on our farm. Two pairs of healthy twins (but of course, heifer and bull sets) were born within ten minutes! They are adorable; I’m glad the boys and I got to be there for it. They are learning to tell by the direction of the calf’s feet (up or down) if it is coming out the right way. I’ve learned many things about pulling calves over the years, and can handle most deliveries by myself. I like to think I have a pretty good handle on knowing whether or not a cow needs help, because it seems if I don’t go with my first reaction, I usually feel guilty later because of the outcome. Delivering calves is still one of my favorite jobs on the farm. Helping life come into the world is an amazing thing. Jacqui, her dad and brother milk 550 cows and run 1,000 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children – Ira (4) and Dane (2) – farm with her while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. She loves to cook, quilt and garden and wishes there were more hours in the day to get it all in. Farming and teaching others about farming are her passions.
FARM-RITE EQUIPMENT, INC.
INTEREST AS LOW AS 0% ON QUALIFYING EQUIPMENT Please see your Farm-Rite Sales Rep for more details
One Of The Largest Skid-Steer Loader Dealers In The State Of Minnesota!
Visit our website: www.farmriteequip.com
SALES - SERVICE - RENTAL PH: 320-275-2737 Toll Free 1-888-679-4857 West Hwy. 12 • Dassel, MN 55325
tfn
Kimball 320-398-3800 Willmar 320-235-4898 Glencoe 320-864-5531
St. Martin 320-548-3285 No. Mankato 507-387-5515 Alden 507-874-3400
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012 • Page 39
DAIRY STAR WEATHER OUTLOOK 7-DAY FORECAST FOR SE SOUTH DAKOTA/SW MINNESOTA/NW IOWA SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Partly sunny and breezy
Clouds and sun, a shower possible; mild
Breezy and mild with partial sunshine
Sunny
Abundant sunshine
Mostly sunny
Mostly cloudy, a shower in the afternoon
55/59 32/36
56/60 35/39
62/66 37/41
57/61 33/37
52/56 35/39
56/60 33/37
55/59 34/38
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
AccuWeather.com
WEEK AHEAD TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK March 10 - March 16
7-DAY FORECAST FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Warmer
Clouds and sun with a shower possible
Partly sunny and mild
Mostly sunny
Abundant sunshine
Partly sunny
Variable clouds with thunderstorms
52/58 27/33
50/56 31/37
51/57 35/41
51/57 29/35
51/57 31/37
52/58 30/36
52/58 30/36
30-DAY REGIONAL OUTLOOK Over the last 30 days, temperatures have been on the mild side across the northern tier of states. In much of the Dakotas and Minnesota, temperatures have been 2-4 degrees above the average for the month as a whole. Meanwhile, precipitation amounts have generally been at or above normal. As winter fades into spring, the same general pattern is expected to continue in this part of the country. The jet stream will spend much of the time across Canada, keeping the coldest air locked up north of the border. Occasionally there will be a shot of chilly air in the Plains and Midwest. However, they will tend to pass through quickly. Precipitation amounts will be near the average, which is between 2-3 inches.
WEEK AHEAD PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK March 10 - March 16
7-DAY FORECAST FOR SE MINNESOTA/NE IOWA SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Warmer
Partly sunny with a shower possible
Mostly cloudy and mild
Times of clouds and sun
Abundant sunshine
A full day of sunshine
Watch for strong thunderstorms
56/60 33/37
50/54 37/41
54/58 39/43
59/63 39/43
52/56 36/40
53/57 36/40
54/58 35/39
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2012
BUNKER SILO
• H-Bunks • Fenceline Bunks • 115 Bu. Steer Stuffer • Individual Yard Bunks Backed by 37 years proven experience!
PRECAST SYSTEMS Hwy. 12, Darwin, MN 55324
1-888-693-8440 • www.darwinconcrete.com
Wagener’s Dairy Cattle, LLC Sales & Installation of HiTensile Fence
ELECTRIC • WOVEN • RAIL (320) 594-2228 or (320) 360-6308 Steven Martin • Browerville, MN The Right Fence... Built RIGHT
MIDWEST
MACHINERY CO.
www.midwestmachineryco.com
SPECIALIZING IN: All sizes of bred & open heifers Buying and selling complete dairy herds
Whatever your needs are in buying and selling cattle, WE CAN HELP - Call Ken Ken Wagener 13800, 102nd Street • Cologne, MN • 55322
952-467-3904 • 612-730-5613
SAUK CENTRE, MN Phone 320-352-6511 Toll Free 1-800-549-5875
Your Forage Harvester Headquarters
Specializing in Self Propelled Forage Harvesters
JD 7850, RWA, 2008, 513 hrs. ...... $289,000 JD 7550, RWA, 2010, 50 hrs. ........ $309,000 JD 7800, RWA, 2007, Pro-drive, 1098 hrs........................................ $226,000 JD 7800, RWA, 2006, 1358 hrs. .... $195,000 JD 7500, RWA, 2007, 723 hrs. ...Coming In JD 7400, RWA, 2004, 1400 hrs. .... $178,000 JD 7200, RWA, 850 hrs. .............Coming In JD 6850, RWA, 2000, 1650 hrs. .Coming In
JD 6750, RWA, 1166 hrs. ...........Coming In JD 5460, RWA, Dura-drum ............. $28,500 Claas 870, RWA............................. $159,000
Interest Free
Until Sept. 1, 2012
Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 10, 2012
Individualized feeding is a smart way to raise healthier calves Customized, individual feeding is the key to success in modern calf management. With the rugged, programmable DairyFeed J-V600 or J-V640 automated calf feeding station, you can automate individual calf feeding, and record and monitor every calf from the very day it is born…helping you raise healthier calves with less labor.
Spend your valuable time managing your calves, not simply feeding them. This efficient and labor-reducing feeding station is one of the smart advantages available from your GEA Farm Technologies/WestfaliaSurge dealer.
GEA Milking & Cooling | WestfaliaSurge Toll free: 877.WS.DAIRY www.gea-farmtechnologies.com ©2008 GEA Farm Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Call us for more information! Centre Dairy Equipment Sauk Centre, MN 320-352-5762 • 800-342-2697 Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems Epworth, IA • 563-876-3087 Hobert Sales Inc. Cokato, MN 320-286-6284 • 800-820-6455 (milk)
Fitzgerald, Inc. Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560 Fuller's Milker Center, Inc. Lancaster, WI • 800-887-4634 www.fullersmilkercenter.com Midwest Livestock Systems Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 Sioux Falls, SD • 800-705-1447 Beatrice, NE • 800-742-5748 Fullerton, NE • 402-920-1217
Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Colton, SD Service 800-944-1217 Edgerton, MN Chemical Sales 507-920-8626
Stearns Vet Outlet and Pharmacy Melrose, MN 320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303 Glencoe, MN 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575 www.wedocows.com West Central Dairy Supply Henning, MN 218-583-2639 • (emg.) 218-849-2234