“All
Valuing employees
Farmer panel discusses managing workforce
By Amy Kyllo amy.k@star-pub.com
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Ensuring employees feel valued and understand the signicance of their work was an employee retention tip shared during a panel-style seminar entitled “Keys to Building and Retaining Your Team of Successful Employees.”
The seminar was held during the Form-A-Feed Dairy Conference Jan. 16-17 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester.
“If you care about people, they’ll care a lot more about what they’re doing,” said Andrew LeClair, one of the panelists. “Everybody’s the same, whether you’re the owner or whether you’re a milker. Whatever you’re doing, we’re all people.”
LeClair is a manager at Enchanted Dairy near Little Falls. There, they milk 2,000 cows in a rotary parlor with 20 employees. Another panelist was Hans Breitenmoser, who owns Breitenmoser Family Farm near Merrill, Wisconsin, where they milk 500 cows and have 16 employees. The nal panelist was Abe Sanchez, a manager at D&D Dairy near Rushford where they milk 1,000 cows and have 10 employees. The panel was moderated by Mario Solis Flores of Form-A-Feed Inc.
Good employees worthy of promotion are teachable, the panelists said. Breitenmoser said much on his farm is learnable, but employees must understand that their new role may mean a greater amount of responsibility.
“You never know who your rock star is going to be,” Breitenmoser said. “People have shown up and innocently wanted a milking job, and then 15 years later, they’re running day-to-day operations.”
LeClair agreed.
“It’s people that have a desire to learn, people that have a desire to do a good job and that want to know more,” he said. “Some people are that way, and some people are not.”
Carrying on solo as the sixth generation Hesselink continues farming without brother
By Stacey Smart stacey.s@dairystar.com
OOSTBURG, Wis. —
When Scott Hesselink was in his early 20s, it appeared he was destined for a career in mechanics. He went to school for auto-body repair and favored working in a body shop over being a dairy farmer.
“I love cars and motorcycles and had an interest in other things,” Scott said.
However, he was back to the farm in a full-time manner by the time he was 25. Scott joined his dad, Mark, and his two brothers when his father offered him an opportunity to come home. Now, Scott is the sixth generation running Quonset Farms with his wife, Lisa.
Turn to HESSELINK | Page 6
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Sco� and Lisa Hesselink take a break in the farm office Jan. 9 at Quonset Farms near Oostburg, Wisconsin. Sco� is the sixth genera�on on his family’s farm where they milk 1,075 cows and farm about 1,500 acres.
A blast of winter weather
beck’s farm near Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Wolbeck milks 65 cows. Some areas of Minnesota received over 10 inches of snow during the snowstorm.
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Jersey heifers stand in the snow March 4 at Josh Wol-
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Decline of dairy farms slows
Minnesota sees less bovine milk production permits, higher goat numbers
By Emily Breth emily.b@star-pub.com
The number of dairy farms has been decreasing at a steady rate. But in 2024, the rate of decline slowed in Minnesota according to Nicole Neeser, DVM, division director of dairy and meat inspection with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Neeser said MDA tracks dairy farm permit numbers as a part of their work inspecting dairy farms and ensuring all dairy farms are following pasteurized milk requirements.
“I think the Minnesota dairy industry will continue to see some farm numbers decline,” Neeser said. “Many of the farms we’re seeing go out of business are from retirement or farmers that are done with dairy farming and maybe moving on to a different kind of farming.”
Dairy numbers across the Midwest have ranged in the last years. In January, Minnesota ended with over 1,700 dairy farms, Iowa had a total of 854, South Dakota had 134, Nebraska had 78 and North Dakota had 23.
Currently, Minnesota’s dairy numbers are lower than past years and still decreasing. In the last six months, Minnesota saw a decrease in dairy farm numbers of close to 100. From October to December 2024, all counties in Minnesota had lost farms or remained the same.
However, this number includes seasonal farms, such as goat herds, that quit milking in the winter. As these herds start their kidding seasons and come back onto the market the dairy numbers will begin to increase. With this, Neeser said July offers the most accurate number of dairy farms.
Goat herds provide a positive outlook on dairy farm numbers Neeser said. More dairy goat herds are being added around Minnesota.
“I think the goat milk market continues to grow and that has an impact in terms of the number of farms there are,” Neeser said.
One of the biggest changes Neeser said she expects to see relates to the number of Grade B bovine dairy farms. The latest numbers as of Jan. 24 showed less than 20 dairy farms under this category. The reason this is happening Neeser said is because of market pressure, where pro-
cessing plants want to have a uniform milk source.
Here, dairy goats are keeping Grade B milk numbers up. Neeser said there are around 100 goat dairies in the Grade B category when they are all active.
The top dairy counties in Minnesota, as of December 2024, include Stearns with 328, Todd with 126 and Morrison with 118. The top dairy counties for Iowa are Dubuque with 98, Johnson County with 81 and Clayton with 74. Nebraska’s top counties were Cedar with 12, and Antelope, Jefferson, Lancaster and Wayne with ve each. The top counties in South Dakota included Minnehaha, Brookings and Grant.
Even with farm numbers decreasing, the dairy industry is keeping production levels similar. This is through the expanding of dairy farms, the building of new facilities with larger herds and the increased production of herds.
Each year dairy farmers are faced with challenges in order to keep dairying. Economics plays a major role in whether a dairy farm will survive and continue. Between cost of production and market prices, they have to remain protable even when prices are low.
“In general, we are seeing a decline (in farm numbers) but the decline has not been as steep as previous years,” Neeser said.
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Sanchez said employees are expected to be on time, respect the animals, do their best for the cows, and to be capable of learning and especially listening.
“Every farm, it’s different,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you know a lot or how you used to do the work. You have to listen to your new boss … and respect the rules.”
When it comes to promoting, Sanchez said he works alongside his employees every day and sees those who have potential. When an opening for advancement comes, he offers it to them rst.
LeClair said he has seen that employees who appreciate step-by-step structure are those who transition into management roles better. He said this mindset helps them present and justify their decisions to those they work with.
Breitenmoser said it can be a juggling act to make sure employees are encouraged to
broaden their horizons through advancement while simultaneously nding a place for them to be able to grow.
“Looking back over the past 25 years … it was really just a matter of identifying people who wanted more responsibility, and then who were actually able to take more responsibility,” he said.
“There’s people who want more responsibility, sometimes because they understand that it comes with a bigger paycheck, but are incapable of handling any more responsibility.”
Breitenmoser’s farm has a raise schedule tied to quarterly reviews. Employees are evaluated on areas such as following protocols and getting along with coworkers. A manager communicates expectations with employees beforehand so they know what they need to work on to earn their raise.
“It formalizes things and gives people a path forward,” Breitenmoser said. “They can
look at their situation and say, ‘OK I know that at minimum, I’ll be making $1 more in a year from now, assuming I do all these things.’”
Though employees must meet the requirements across the categories, Breitenmoser said there is exibility. Breitenmoser uses a 3-strike system for ring so employees know where they stand.
LeClair said they use a at pay scale for positions. Cross training is how employees can make more money.
“Pay is something that will draw people in to a point,” LeClair said. “People lose motivation very quickly if their only motivation is pay. … A person that’s driven, a person that wants to be successful, a person that wants to do a good job, will do it for $13 or they’ll do it for $12 or they’ll do it for $15.”
Part of LeClair’s retention strategy is to become connected with his employees and
make sure they feel valued.
“The people that I deal with and I talk to every single day are the people that I want to know everything about,” he said. “I want to know how your family is doing. I want to know if you’re struggling. I want to know if you’re happy, if you’re sad. … It takes a lot of time and effort, but if that person ever decides to leave, I want that to be the hardest decision that person makes.”
Breitenmoser utilizes monthly meetings with Mario Solis Flores on his farm to train his employees, rafe free swag from ag companies and give employees a place to voice frustrations.
“It allows people to vent,” Breitenmoser said. “It’s that safe space to get input from employees. … It’s a very formal thing that they know that once a month we’re going to have this meeting.”
These trainings are also an added value for employees.
“They understand that whatever they learn is theirs,” he said. “Nobody can take that away from them. So, if they decide to move on and go to work for somebody else, that’s information and education that they have.”
Breitenmoser said his favorite part of managing is watching his employees grow into a role and excel.
Sanchez said his advice to leaders is to keep working hard.
“Do your best and never give up,” he said. “Success doesn’t come alone. It is built step by step.”
LeClair agreed.
“It’s not all up to you to do everything,” he said. “Surrounding yourself with people that you can trust, that you can bounce ideas off of, that you can talk to about everything is extremely important. The more you isolate yourself, the more weight goes on your shoulders.”
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“Scott was the least likely one to take over the farm,” Mark said.
The Hesselinks milk 1,075 cows three times a day in a double-15 parallel parlor and farm about 1,500 acres near Oostburg. The family also buys crops off the eld from several neighbors. Heifers are sent to a custom raiser when they are a couple of days old and return home pregnant.
“Our rst goal is producing the highest quality milk we can,” Lisa said. “Our parlor manager works hard to ensure that. Caring for our animals, our employees and our land is a priority.”
Quonset Farms is backed by nearly 180 years of history. When Scott’s ancestors arrived from the Netherlands in 1847, they purchased 40 acres where the current farm sits and another 40 acres to the west. The original deeds, signed by Presidents James Polk and Zachary Taylor, hang on the farm’s ofce wall.
The farm was named for the Quonset barn Scott’s grandpa bought after the farm’s original barn burnt down in 1941.
“It was World War II, and my grandpa could only get a Quonset barn at the time,” Scott said. “It has a round roof. My grandpa thought if he gave the farm a name like that, no matter who owned it, the name would stay.”
The Hesselinks use the Quonset barn to this day as a hospital barn. The Quonset roof has since been replaced with a regular truss roof and the barn remodeled and repurposed many times to t the family’s needs. It originally contained 20 stanchions.
“I can remember milking up to 120 cows in this barn,” Scott said.
The Hesselinks moved to freestall housing in the early 1970s and built their rst parlor in 1980 — a Trigon herringbone. In 2005, they gutted the parlor and put in new equipment to make the farm’s current double-15.
Today, Scott is the only brother farming after losing his brother and business partner, Ben Hesselink, to cancer May 23, 2022. Ben was 48.
“It’s amazing how some dates stick out in your head,” Scott said. “October 3, 2020, was the last day that Ben really did anything physi-
cal on the farm. We had started hauling manure, and he tried driving the truck for a couple of days, but he was in so much pain, he had to stop. He hadn’t been diagnosed yet. He had been complaining about back pain all summer. He had back pain before, but this was different.”
A blood test revealed Ben had multiple myeloma — a blood cancer that develops in plasma cells in the bone marrow. As he took over the work Ben had been doing, Scott’s role on the farm shifted from working primarily in the farm’s shop as head of maintenance doing repairs to managing crops and spending time in the ofce.
“We have a lot of really good employees who helped us through,” Lisa said.
Scott also had to take on more of a management role on the farm. Lisa shares this role with Scott, spending much of her time in the ofce. The pair has become the key decisionmakers at Quonset Farms, which is now a three-way partnership consisting of Ben’s trust, Scott, and Mark, who is 83 and continues to help on the farm.
The family has known its share of hardship. Scott also lost a sister in 2006 from multiple sclerosis.
“I’ve lost two children already,” Mark said. “But it’s OK. I know where they are, and they gave me four beautiful grandchildren.”
Ben left behind twin sons, Garret and Wyatt, who are now 13 years old.
“Ben would have liked to see his boys take over the farm, but he knew how many hours it takes to run a farm and that there are easier ways to make a living,” Scott said. “He didn’t want to push them into farming.”
The brothers started farming together in 1994 after Ben spent 3.5 years serving in the U.S. Army. In the late 90s, the brothers became partners in the operation with their dad and an older brother who was later removed from the partnership.
Scott said he and Ben were close, and that the two brothers, along with Lisa, did everything together.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PRAIRIE ESTATES GENETICS
Ben Hesselink pauses in a eld in 2020 at Quonset Farms near Oostburg, Wisconsin. Ben passed away in 2022 at the age of 48 from cancer.
The Hesselinks built their third freestall barn in 2015 and grew the herd to its current size. Expansion was driven by a need to support four families Scott said.
“My brothers wanted to expand more than I did,” he said. “I wanted to stay the same size and farm with no debt.”
In 2021, the Hesselinks’ faithful herd manager of 47 years retired, leaving another hole in the team.
“It was really challenging between the combination of Ben getting sick, losing him and nding a new herd manager,” Scott said. “The past four years were pretty challenging.”
The Hesselinks have 24 full-time and seven part-time or seasonal employees, including many long-term people that Scott said have become like family.
“Those are the people who keep us going,” Lisa said. “We have dedicated, high-skilled employees. We focus on how we treat people and try to make this a good place to work. That’s important to us.”
Lisa said they use a lot of technology on the farm, especially in the parlors, in their feeding program, and for monitoring cow health.
“Over the past several years on
the cow end of it, we started implementing new technologies and seeing the benets of those,” Scott said. “It has become easier to manage herd health.”
Improvements in cow health, milk production, and feed efciency are where the Hesselinks are seeing the biggest gains. By implementing smaXtec boluses for cow monitoring, sick cows are brought to their attention before showing physical symptoms.
“Cows are healthier for it,” Lisa said. “When it comes to calving, we know well in advance and are ready.”
The Hesselinks bed their cows with a paper byproduct.
“Cows love it,” Scott said. “It’s soft, like cotton, and cows are comfortable. If we wouldn’t use it for bedding, all that paper would be going to landlls.”
Like the longstanding Quonset barn the farm is named after, Quonset Farms is a picture of longevity. Despite adversity, the Hesselinks endure and are continually making updates as they press on into the future.
“It seems we’re always doing little things to improve,” Scott said. “We constantly try to do better.”
Farming for family, future
Roericks add new generation
By Tiffany Klaphake tiffany.k@dairystar.com
FREEPORT, Minn. — When Tyler Roerick was in high school, he had zero intentions of returning to the home farm. After one year of college, that all changed.
“I relief milked for a few other farmers on weekends and, once in a while, during the week,” Tyler said. “It made me realize how nice it is to be your own boss and have that exible schedule, and yes, you have your daily chores, but there is a lot of other stuff that needs to get done in a day.”
At the time, Tyler was going to Alexandria Technical & Community College for carpentry, with intentions of being his own contractor.
After Tyler’s rst year of college, his uncle, Gerald Roerick, who farms with Tyler’s dad, Allen Roerick, announced he would like to retire from the dairy portion of the operation within the next few years. The brothers milked 80 cows near Freeport.
“Gerald wanted to sell the cows, but I wasn’t ready to retire yet and I didn’t want to do anything else,” Allen said. “Tyler had mentioned a few months prior that he was interested
became part owner of his family’s farm Feb. 1, 2024.
in coming back.”
After Tyler graduated from college in 2019, he did construction full time and helped on the farm when he could. As of Feb. 1, 2024, Tyler is ofcially part owner in the Roerick family farm.
“It just worked out that they were able to bring me into the farm when Gerald wanted out of the farm,” Ty-
ler said.
For now, Tyler owns 25% of the cows, youngstock, hay equipment, chopping equipment and about half of the tractors. Allen owns the other 75%, and the land is still owned 50/50 between Gerald and Allen.
Tyler is milking mornings and evenings. Since joining the farm, he switched to part-time at his construction job with Worms Lumber and Ready Mix Inc., based out of New Munich. On top of those two jobs, Tyler started his own custom bale wrapping business in 2020.
“In 2019, we struggled making hay,” Tyler said. “I saw an opportunity to start (the custom bale wrapping business) and went with it. It was slow the rst year; then, 2023
was a drought, and then, last year, I couldn’t keep up with the business.”
Last summer was busy for Tyler as he and his wife, Katie, welcomed their rst child. Most of Tyler’s days would start at 4 in the morning with a drive to the farm where he would milk cows. Once morning chores were nished, he would drive to town and work at his construction job until it was time to milk cows again.
“There is something about being on the farm working that is different than being on a job site and working,” Tyler said.
In the summer, Tyler works four days a week with the construction job in order to have more time on the farm and for his custom bale wrapping business. When it was time to make hay, Tyler would take the week off from his job in town to make hay at his family’s farm and wrap bales for farmers in the area.
“Last year, I did 3,000 bales by the Fourth of July,” Tyler said. “That was more than I did all of the year before.”
Tyler’s brother, Carter, who is currently attending Ridgewater College, is set to graduate this spring with a degree in dairy management and has intentions of returning to the home farm. In the meantime, he helps throughout the summer and as often as he can when he is home from college.
“We have a group chat between us (Allen, Carter and Tyler),” Tyler said. “If one of us is running late or needs some help with something, we can gure it out pretty easily.”
The three men help each other as needed, but each has their set of tasks around the farm. Tyler took over taking care of the calves and young-
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Tyler Roerick milks a cow March 3 at his family’s farm near Freeport, Minnesota. Roerick
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Tyler Roerick feeds calves March 3 at his family’s farm near Freeport, Minnesota. Roerick started his own custom bale wrapping business and works part-�me off the farm as well.
stock; he helps with eld work and has his bale wrapping business. Carter takes care of the pre-fresh heifers and cow health. Allen and Gerald take care of the crops.
“I let the boys do some of the jobs I used to do, like treating fresh cows and the majority of the cow health stuff,” Allen said. “It’s nice that I can get a little more time off if I’m working on something else, I know that chores will always be taken care of.”
Tyler has a lot of tasks that he has to get done in day but said he feels good about his accomplishments.
“I own 25% of the cows, and that means a lot because, if you look what I have versus most 25-year-olds who I went to high school with, it’s a lot more in the long run,” Tyler said. “They go on trips and stuff, but my vacation is driving tractor.”
Over the years, the Roericks century farm in which Tyler is the fourth generation has seen many small changes to make things easier for the family members. Advancements such as making a heifer shed bigger so they can drive a skid loader through it and purchasing a feed cart for their tiestall barn have all benetted the dairy.
“I have done chores at other farms, and when you
come back home, you realize that the advancements and the money you stuck back into the farm can make farming that much easier,” Tyler said.
Throughout college and even today, Tyler assists other farmers when he can.
“I enjoy helping other people,” Tyler said. “It is helpful to see how other
farmers do things.”
Tyler said there are many aspects of farming he enjoys, especially being able to raise his family on the farm.
“The goal is to be full
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time on the farm, and the hope is, with kids, to have them on the farm with me just like we were when we were little,” Tyler said.
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR Allen (le ) and Tyler Roerick stand March 3 outside the barn on their farm near Freeport, Minnesota. The Roericks milk 80 cows.
Canadian dairy export policy under re
The House Ways and Means Committee focused on expanding trade at Tuesday’s hearing. Former agricultural trade ambassador Gregg Doud, who is now the president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, spoke about the importance of trade enforcement. Doud said 44% of U.S. dairy exports are shipped to our neighbors in Canada and Mexico. “Mexico has largely been a positive trading partner, Canada has not,” Doud said. “Unfortunately, Canada has a long history of attempting to undermine previously agreed-to market access, a trend that has continued under Unites States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Through manipulative tariff rate quota policies and a systemic circumvention of USMCA’s dairy protein export disciplines, Canada has cheated U.S. exporters out of market access benets promised to them under the agreements and has tried to dispose of growing volumes of articially low-priced dairy protein into global markets.” Doud testied the 2026 USMCA review represents a critical opportunity for Canada to reform these practices.
Trade gap is “pathetic”
sponse to avian u and their ability to process farm loans, disaster relief and farm assistance.
Economic relief on the way
Speaking at the Ag Outlook Forum, Rollins said USDA plans to release the farm assistance payments by the congressional deadline of March 21. At the end of 2024, Congress passed $10 billion in ad hoc assistance within the overall disaster aid package.
an emergency funding bill for inclusion in the committee’s budget bill. This bill calls for a $1.5 million appropriation from the general fund for an agricultural emergency account to address avian u and other animal health diseases.
By Don Wick Columnist Ag Insider
Speaking at the U. S./ Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Outlook Forum, Doud emphasized the need for a more aggressive U.S. trade policy, particularly in closing the agricultural trade gap with the European Union. “We import $3 billion in dairy from the European Union and we export $167 million to the European Union; that’s pathetic,” said Doud. “We export 15 times more cheese to Guatemala than we do the European Union. We export more cheese to New Zealand and they’re a major (dairy) exporter with 5 million people.” Doud, who is the former chief agricultural trade negotiator, said the U.S. agricultural trade decit with the EU today is $23.6 billion. He pointed to the $8 billion investment in U.S. dairy processing as evidence of the industry’s potential for growth.
Senate Dems challenge mass layoffs at USDA
Ranking member Amy Klobuchar and every Democratic member of the Senate Agriculture Committee are asking Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins for more information on the termination of numerous USDA employees. They want a breakdown by state, agency, job position and veteran status. The letter said these layoffs jeopardize the USDA re-
What are some of the DHIA tests you
Greer conrmed
The Trump administration’s new point person on trade was conrmed by the U.S. Senate with a 56-43 vote. Jamieson Greer is an attorney who specializes in international trade. He previously served as chief of staff to former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
Time to look under the hood of government
With the national debt at more than $36 trillion, Minnesota Representative Brad Finstad says it’s more important than ever to get a balanced budget. The budget resolution passed this past week is a 40-page document that provides nancial targets for each committee. Finstad said the committees will now work on this process over the next few months. That includes conversations with their constituents. “What programs are working?” Finstad said. “What programs aren’t? Where can we tighten our belt? Where can we become more efcient? Where can we look under the hood of government and not only look at the engine but gure out if the fuel injectors work, is the exhaust hooked up, did we check the oil, is the dipstick showing oil in the engine? That’s really what the committee process will be about.”
Elanco and Medgene partnering on H5N1 vaccine for dairy cattle
A new avian inuenza vaccine for dairy cattle is moving one step closer to commercialization. Elanco Animal Health has an agreement with Medgene, based in Brookings, South Dakota, to bring this vaccine to market. The USDA has already approved Medgene’s vaccine technology platform in cattle, allowing the accelerated development of the H5N1 vaccine. Medgene has existing vaccine supplies to deploy for this purpose. The product is in the nal stages of review for conditional license approval.
Minnesota legislature working on ag emergency funding
The Minnesota House Agriculture Committee laid over
Other than the standard reports, we also receive pregnancy results.
Which is your favorite and why? The pregnancy report is very useful to keep our calving interval where we would like it.
How do you use them within your dairy? We use the production and SCC reports for culling decisions and use the fat, protein, and MUN reports to evaluate feed ration changes.
How long have you been using the DHIA pregnancy test? We have been using the milk pregnancy test for about two years.
What do you like about the DHIA Pregnancy Tests? It’s nice to be able to do the pregnancy test without any extra time or labor.
How does testing with DHIA bene t your dairy operation? We also use the individual somatic cell count scores. This helps us keep our SCC low so that we can receive quality premiums from our co-op.
Tell us about your farm. We milk 95 cows and raise all of our replacements. The cows are housed in sand bedded freestalls and milked in a double 5 parlor. We also have a 40-cow beef herd and raise chickens for Pilgrims Pride. Our farm was started by my father and grandfather in 1937. Two of our children and most of the grandkids work on the farm.
A proposed increase in funding for farm business management Representative Nathan Nelson is sponsoring legislation that would boost funding for the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council from $4.5 million to $6 million in the 2026-2027 biennium. Funding would be prioritized for faculty with expertise in farm transition planning, rural mental health and growing specialty crops in urban areas. Northern Agricultural Center of Excellence Executive Director Keith Olander gave a presentation on the farm business management program. The House Agriculture Committee laid the bill over for consideration in its budget bill.
Milk production edges higher
Milk production in the 24 major dairy states totaled just over 18 billion pounds in January. That’s up 0.2% from one year ago. South Dakota milk production rose 6.5% with a 7,000-head increase in cow numbers. In Minnesota, January milk output is down a fraction of 1%. Cow numbers are down 9,000 head over the past year.
No cows needed
Lab-grown meat has made headlines in recent years, but the world’s rst lab-grown cow’s milk may soon be coming to market. A Boston company is producing what is called UnReal Milk. Rather than coming from a cow, this product is made from cell cultures. It reportedly replicates the taste, texture and nutrition of dairy milk and is billed as a lowercarbon, cruelty-free alternative.
Trivia challenge
National FFA Week began in 1948. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what is the home state for Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
Bongards’ Creameries
Has been a quality market for MN dairy farmers for over 100 years. MN producers provide one of the country’s most distinctive brands of cheese that is still made using the same Old World craftsmanship and has been combined with cutting-edge technology to produce cheese that delivers unforgettable taste with unparalleled quality. MN Dairy farmers and Bongards, quality that stands the test of time. We offer a competitive base price, premiums, and the best eld representatives in the industry.
Calvin & Tammy Beumer
95 Holstein cows • Hillman, MN Testing with DHIA since 1980
Good, bad of automation
Dairy producers talk about robot experiences
By Sarah Middendorf sarah.m@star-pub.com
PAYNESVILLE, Minn. — Producers undecided about automation recently had the opportunity to learn the good and bad from dairy producers who had already made the switch.
During the “Milking Robots: Are they the future?” meeting Feb. 26 at Shady’s 55 Pub & Event Center in Paynesville, owners and employees of three dairy farms shared their experiences integrating robotic milking units.
“One big difference, when we were in the parlor (was) we used to push the cows,” said Stephen Roerick, one of the producer panelists. “Now (with the robots) we walk around the cows.”
Roerview Dairy, near Upsala, is owned and operated by Roger and Diane Roerick and their sons — Craig and his wife, Sarah, and Stephen and his wife, Amanda. They built their milking
barn in 2015 with three robotic milking units.
Merryville Farm LLC near Waverly, is owned by brothers Bill and Steve Uter. In 2020, they added four robots to the front of their existing freestall barn. Their barn is a guided ow. They milk their fresh cows, heifers and sick cows in a parlor.
Green Waves Farm near St. Micheal, Minnesota, is owned by David Berning and his dad, Mark. They built their barn in 2015 with four robotic milking units. In 2017, they decided to expand and now have eight robotic milking units. They have four rows of pens with the robots on one side of each pen. The design is the same on each side of the barn. They pre-train their heifers roughly 2-3 weeks prior to calving.
“The cow has to be comfortable standing in the robot, then she has to learn to go in on her own,” Berning said. “Then she has to learn to be nice while she’s in there. If we can accomplish the rst two before she calves, it’s not that big of a change for her when it comes time to start milking.”
Turn to ROBOT PANEL | Page 12
When looking at the robot information, Roerview Dairy watches milkings per cow, refusals, total visits, milking components and bunk management. Roerview Dairy and Merryville Farm have made a point to watch solids production per cow per day.
“We’ve really geared ourselves towards managing components,” Craig said. “We don’t get too worked up about the total pounds of milk we are producing out of the barn.”
When it comes to robotic milking unit maintenance, all three farms do as much of their own maintenance on the robots as they can, aside from scheduled maintenance.
“We try not to call out the technicians,” Stephen said. “A part on the back shelf will save you a lot of down time.”
Berning agreed.
“(Robot calls) are not that big of a deal, if you take care of your equipment; it should work the way it needs to,” Berning said. “Take care of your things and they will take care of you.”
Each farm has different management tactics for hoof care. Each farm has a foot bath, but they are located in different parts of the barn — either right out of the robot or on the opposite side of the robots.
Berning bought a used chute and trained himself how to trim hooves. They still have a scheduled hoof trimmer, but when they get a lame cow, he can x the problem right away. He also can use this for drying
ing Robots: are they the future?’
off certain cows.
“One challenge with robots that you might not think of is drying off cows can be a bit of a pain,” Berning said. “They’re not used to being touched by human hands.”
The panelists also talked about labor with robots.
Though their farms look different, they said robots do not take away all the labor for milking cows, they just change what is being done.
“Instead of milking cows for eight hours, we’re focusing on other areas to improve our cows,” Berning said. “It’s
not necessarily less labor, but it gives some exibility.”
Uter agreed.
“It’s your management style, whatever you put into it you’re going to get out of it,” Uter said.
During the panel, an audience member asked about milking rst lactation cows in the robots and how they handle them.
“Heifers are kind of like kids; they all have different personalities,” Stephen said.
Berning agreed.
He said, some heifers are two-person jobs. However, the
difference is employees are not going to be getting kicked like they maybe would in the parlor. Berning said he has noticed they have been able to milk more rst milking heifers with one person since pretraining their heifers.
“The benet (of pretraining) is for the transition of the cow and the people,” Berning said. “If we can have 90% of our heifers get milked with one person, I think that’s a big benet.”
When the Roericks put their robotic milking units in, they were told the transition
has different phases: three days, three weeks and three months. The rst three days are hard. After three weeks, the process goes pretty well. And after three months, producers understand why the system was put in.
Each panelist said they were glad they put in robots.
“The robots, whether they’re green, purple, blue or red, they’re going to milk cows,” Berning said. “We all do things a little differently. That’s kind of the cool thing about the dairy industry.”
SARAH MIDDENDORF/DAIRY STAR
David Berning (from le ), Craig Roerick, Stephen Roerick, Roger Roerick, Steve Uter and Zach Uter gather Feb. 26 at Shady’s Bar and Grill Railside in Paynesville, Minnesota. Berning, the Roerick’s and the Uters were part of a producer panel during the ‘Milk-
event.
from our side our side OF THE FENCE THE
How did serving as a dairy princess impact who you are?
Kayla (Herkenhoff)
Frieler
Family members: Matthew (husband), Emery, Brandt and Loretta (children) Freeport, Minnesota Stearns County
Current occupation: Product and marketing manager, Select Sires Inc.
Tell us about your role as a dairy princess. In 2016 and 2017, I was crowned a Stearns County Dairy Princess. I represented the dairy industry at various events, educating the public about dairy farming and promoting the benets of dairy products.
What is your background in the dairy industry? I grew up on my family’s dairy farm, where I helped with daily feeding, milking, animal health and care of 130 registered Holstein cows. The highlight of my summers growing up was exhibiting cattle in the show ring and gathering with 4-H friends in the cattle barn at our local county fair and the Minnesota State Fair. I also enjoyed competing in dairy judging through 4-H and FFA as well as at the collegiate level.
Why did you want to be a dairy princess? I have a passion for the dairy industry and wanted to share that passion with others. Growing up on a dairy farm, I developed a deep appreciation for the hard work and dedication that goes into dairy farming. I saw the role of a dairy princess as an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of the dairy industry and the many health benets from consuming dairy products.
Describe a fond memory of your time as a dairy princess. Some of my fondest memories as a dairy princess were participating in parades, school visits and community events. These experiences allowed me to connect with people of all ages and share my passion for the dairy industry. I particularly enjoyed seeing the excitement and curiosity in children's eyes when they learned about dairy farming and the importance of some of their favorite dairy products.
How did serving as a dairy princess impact who you are? Growing up on a farm, I’ve gained real life experiences that cultivated skills such as a strong work ethic, responsibility, problem-solving and initiative that have shaped me to who I am today. My family taught me that, by genuinely caring about our animals, they will in return take care of you. Being a dairy princess has helped me develop strong communication and public speaking skills, which have been invaluable in my professional career. The experience also deepened my passion for the dairy industry. It reinforced my commitment to advocate for the importance dairy farmers have in our local communities, economy and sustainable agriculture.
What would you say to someone who is considering being an ambassador for the industry? I believe it’s a rewarding experience that allows individuals to share their passion for the dairy industry with others. It provides an opportunity to educate the public about the signicance of dairy farming and the benets of dairy products. Being an
Kelsey Petit
Family members: Bob, Barb, Tyler and Emily Petit
Zumbrota, Minnesota
Goodhue County
Current occupation:
Goodhue County feedlot compliance coordinator
Tell us about your role as a dairy princess. Olmsted County Dairy Princess from 2010-2012.
What is your background in the dairy industry? I grew up on a 60-cow dairy south of Plainview. My responsibilities on the farm included feeding calves, separating and feeding dry cows and cleaning the barn, as well as assisting with vaccinating/separating heifers and cows. I also assisted in milking cows daily. Growing up, I was involved in different organizations including 4-H, FFA and dairy judging. I attended college at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where I majored in ag education-communications with a minor in animal science. After college, I sold feed and worked at a large animal vet clinic.
Why did you want to be a dairy princess? I decided to become a dairy princess because I wanted to promote the dairy industry and all the dairy products to different types of consumers.
Describe a fond memory of your time as a dairy princess. A memory that sticks out is going to an event at the Ronald McDonald House that had many different agricultural groups involved. Everyone participated with all the families there and promoted agriculture.
How did serving as a dairy princess impact who you are? I am still supporting the nutritional value of dairy products daily and supporting the farmers who are involved in the agriculture since I still work in the agriculture industry.
What would you say to someone who is considering being an ambassador for the industry? Denitely give it a try. You’ll meet all sorts of wonderful people with all of the activities and events that you attend. You will also gain more knowledge about the industry.
How do you continue to promote the industry in your life? I am still working in the agriculture eld daily. I’m glad to be able to keep promoting the people and the land that give us wholesome, nutritious dairy products.
ambassador helps develop valuable skills such as communication, public speaking and leadership.
How do you continue to promote the industry in your life? I’m grateful for my time as an ambassador and have chosen career and lifestyle choices that continue to support and promote the dairy industry. My passion is to educate my children to incorporate dairy foods that are wholesome and delicious while ensuring they understand the impact local dairy farm families have in our world today.
Sarah (Paskewitz) Current Family: husband, Cody; son, Barrett Aldrich, Minnesota Todd County
Current occupation: Minnesota Department of Agriculture inspector
Tell us about your role as a dairy princess. I was a 2009-2011 junior ambassador, a county princess in 2012-2013 and a princess Kay nalist in 2013.
What is your background in the dairy industry? I grew up on my family’s dairy farm near Browerville. I helped most with calf chores. In college, I worked as an A.I. tech for Genex. I now work as an inspector with the department of agriculture.
Why did you want to be a dairy princess? I got to grow up watching my sister as a dairy princess and as a Princess Kay nalist. I saw the connections and impact she made and wanted to have my turn as well. I always found myself feeling most at home among my dairy judging and 4-H friends. The community I found in the dairy industry is something I am always proud to represent.
Describe a fond memory of your time as a dairy princess. During June Dairy Month, we would serve ice cream at local nursing homes. It was always fun to connect with residents who had farmed and hear their stories.
How did serving as a dairy princess impact who you are? Serving as a dairy princess taught me how to communicate with people in the industry and with those outside of it. I got to learn from those in the industry who do the work every day and relay the best our industry has to offer to peers and community members.
What would you say to someone who is considering being an ambassador for the industry? The dairy princess program has certainly helped shape who I am today. The communication and networking skills are so valuable regardless of where you hope life takes you.
How do you continue to promote the industry in your life? I have a unique opportunity to see all shapes and sizes of farms and dairy processors. I can share my experiences and insight with those I contact.
Jessica (Oelfke) Flygare
Family members: husband, Ben, daughter, Savannah, 8, and son, Bryce, 5 Green Isle, Minnesota
Sibley County
Current occupation: elementary teacher
Tell us about your role as a dairy princess. I was honored to serve as the Sibley County Dairy Princess in 2008 and 2009. In the spring of 2009, I was selected as a nalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way. That same evening, at the Princess Kay coronation, I was also named Miss Congeniality.
What is your background in the dairy industry? I grew up on a dairy farm in Hamburg, Minnesota, with my parents, Jim and Jody, and my younger siblings, Janet, Jacob and Jennifer. Our family milked a herd of registered Jerseys. In my younger years, I was also the Minnesota Jersey Queen. Throughout my youth, I was actively involved in 4-H and FFA and exhibited in open class at county fairs, where I proudly showed animals from our herd.
Why did you want to be a dairy princess? I was incredibly proud of my farming roots and the livelihood my family depended on. Becoming a dairy princess was my way of sharing the vital role dairy farmers play in our food system. I wanted to thank my parents and the hardworking dairy community for their dedication. At the same time, I recognized how disconnected many people were from agriculture. I saw this as an opportunity to educate others about the importance of farming in our daily lives.
Describe a fond memory of your time as a dairy princess. One of my fondest memories of being a dairy princess was at the Minnesota State Fair, where I represented the Princess Kay program and had my head carved in butter. After watching that cooler from outside the glass for
Cynthia (Hamlett) Farmer
Family: Parents: Mark and Jennifer Hamlett, siblings, Sally, Vanessa, Henry, Louis and Natalie. Nevada, Iowa Story County
Current occupation: Iowa State policy manager, Center for Rural Affairs
Tell us about your role as a dairy princess. I served as the Fayette County Dairy Princess in 2016 and as the Iowa Holstein Princess Alternate in 2018.
What is your background in the dairy industry? Growing up on my family’s 60-cow dairy farm in southern Fayette County near Aurora, I spent more time than I can remember at the farm from the day I was brought home from the hospital. As soon as I was old enough to help, I quickly learned to feed the calves, milk the cows, and even drive the skid loader to pick up large square hay bales or the tractor to help plant and harvest the corn, soybeans and alfalfa hay we grow on rotation.
Outside of the farm, I participated in 4-H activities including Dairy Quiz Bowl, dairy judging and showing cattle at the county fair, and was a member of the FFA chapter competing in numerous Career Development Events. I was a member of the Iowa Junior Holstein Association and represented the Iowa Holstein breed at the national level through the Dairy Bowl Program and Dairy Jeopardy.
I furthered my education at Iowa State University studying dairy science and agricultural policy. I was heavily involved in the Dairy Science Club serving in numerous committee chair positions and as the president of the club in 2020. Following college graduation, I worked at Midwest Dairy and the Iowa State Dairy Association in a dual role as an Iowa farmer relations manager and the associate director of ISDA.
Why did you want to be a dairy princess? In 2008, I held my rst reign as dairy royalty. Alongside my older sister, I served as a Fayette County Little Miss Squirt, which prompted my
Rebecca Groos
Parents: Sean and Linda
Siblings: brother, Ethan, married to Gabriella, and together have one daughter, Charli; brother, Luke, and ancée, Jade; sister, Bethany Howard Lake, Minnesota Wright County
Current occupation: Events Coordinator with University of Minnesota Extension
Tell us about your role as a dairy princess. I was a Wright County Dairy Princess in 2011 and 2012 and competed in the May event in 2012.
What is your background in the dairy industry? I grew up as the sixth generation on a 175-cow registered Holstein dairy farm in Howard Lake. My primary responsibilities included milking cows and young calf care. I’d also assist with vet checks, sorting cattle, operating equipment and pitching in where needed. I’ve always shown cattle locally and at the state level, so my interest in registered dairy cattle genetics and working with quality show cattle started at a young age.
Why did you want to be a dairy princess? It’s a great platform to connect with the public and share knowledge about the dairy industry. We as dairy farmers need to be self-advocates for our industry and communicate the pride and passion we have for the great products produced. One of the best ways to combat misinformation regarding the dairy industry is to share personal stories about daily life on the farm, including the challenges, and create a comfortable space for conversation with consumers. People want to hear we provide the best care for our animals and continuously make decisions that positively impact the future of family farms.
many years, it felt like a dream, and it was surreal to nally sit inside and see my likeness created by Linda. The overwhelming pride I felt for my family, county and industry is a memory I will cherish forever.
How did serving as a dairy princess impact who you are? Serving as a dairy princess taught me to be condent and brave enough to stand up for what I believe in. I learned the power of advocacy and how to use my voice to make a difference. Public speaking and media engagements helped me realize I could have an impact, and this experience deepened my appreciation for agriculture. It also inspired me to continue nding ways to stay involved in the industry and educate others about our way of life. After my time as a dairy princess, I didn’t walk away from agriculture — I dove deeper into it. Today, my husband and I, as well as my brother and his wife, run a beef and crop farming operation. The skills, knowledge and passion I developed as a dairy princess are still with me, and I use them in our business.
What would you say to someone who is considering being an ambassador for the industry? This experience will leave a lasting impression on your heart and mind. You have the unique opportunity to truly make a difference in something you're passionate about; take the leap, because so many wonderful things can come from this. You’ll gain new friendships, expand your network and create memories that will last a lifetime. It’s a journey of personal growth and community impact.
How do you continue to promote the industry in your life? While my life has changed in many ways over the years, I still embrace every opportunity to advocate for the dairy industry. As a mother, I am eager to share with my children the importance of balanced and nutritious meals — especially those that include dairy — to help them grow strong and healthy. I also teach them how farmers care for the land, which in turn supports the animals and crops that provide for us.
As a teacher, I incorporate dairy nutrition and agriculture into my lessons. My students are always eager to learn more about farming, and I enjoy educating them about the role dairy plays in our food system. Being an advocate for the dairy industry is deeply ingrained in who I am, and I’m passionate about sharing its importance with future generations.
interest in one day becoming a dairy princess. As the years progressed, I looked up to each dairy princess crowned in our county. Not only did they have a crown, but they held many professional skills I was working toward during high school. Holding the title of dairy princess was something I looked forward to for years. I wanted to represent the dairy farmers in our county and expand on professional skills such as public speaking before heading off to college.
Describe a fond memory of your time as a dairy princess. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting and speaking to all second grade classrooms in Fayette County. It required a prepared presentation and a sense of exibility to think on my feet. Sharing my everyday life experiences with youngsters who had maybe never seen a cow in real life or realized that chocolate milk does not come from brown cows still puts a smile on my face today.
How did serving as a dairy princess impact who you are? As a young person looking to strengthen my professional skillset and build upon my leadership roles, serving in each of the dairy princess positions I held certainly shaped me into the person I am today. Specically, I think about the improvements in my public speaking and time management. Each position required condence to speak in front of anyone about the dairy industry, sometimes prepared and many times not, in addition to managing a busy schedule as a high school and college student. I credit much of my skillset today to my experiences while serving as dairy princess.
What would you say to someone who is considering being an ambassador for the industry? I would encourage them to get out of their comfort zone. Pushing yourself to do something you aren’t condent in is sometimes the best way to learn and grow. Remember that you know your story and experiences best. Sharing with others is the best way to spread the good word about the industry.
How do you continue to promote the industry in your life? This past fall, I started advising the Dairy Science Club at Iowa State University. Having had such a large involvement in the club during my collegiate career, it has been unique to support the students who want to learn and grow just as I did. It is fun to see the club evolve as the industry does over time as well. Although my job does not specically focus on the dairy industry now, I enjoy working on agriculture policy and ensuring dairy producers have a seat at the table.
Describe a fond memory of your time as a dairy princess. During spring break at the U of M, I spent a day in the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted middle school, reading books and sharing about the dairy community to students in several classrooms. The highlight of my day was reading to my sister’s class and doing my best to embarrass her a little. Overall, it was a great way for me to give back to my school and share information with impressionable students who, in turn, relay that to their families.
How did serving as a dairy princess impact who you are? Dairy farming, registered Holsteins and the dairy industry hold a special place in my heart and always will. Growing up in the dairy industry shaped who I am, the connections I’ve made and provided direction to my future. As a dairy princess, the crown provided an avenue to share my story and passion for the dairy community with those genuinely curious about what we do on the farm and our way of life. I’m a rm believer that advocating for agriculture, specically the dairy industry, doesn’t stop after the crown. Each year, sharing the honest work we as dairy farmers do becomes more important as we connect with consumers looking for transparency in the food products they buy.
What would you say to someone who is considering being an ambassador for the industry? It’s a great experience and one I fully recommend. Each county American Dairy Association gives young women a platform to hone public speaking skills and condence while effectively and concisely communicating messages to various audiences. I learned it’s important to meet your audience at their level and share information rather than “educate someone.” That can be seen as condescending, while sharing information allows an individual to reach their own conclusion.
How do you continue to promote the industry in your life? I currently serve on the Minnesota Holstein Association, am a dairy judging and dairy quiz bowl coach for Wright County 4-H and serve on the local Farm Bureau boards and the Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher state committee. In my career with U of M Extension, I am part of the Ag Business Management team that puts on farm transition workshops statewide to help farm families manage and better ease into the transition from one generation to the next.
Genetics push production higher for Kollwelters
How many times a day do you milk, and what is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? We milk three times a day, and our herd average is 38,300 pounds of milk, with tests of 4.3% butter-
and 3.1% protein.
Describe your housing and milking facility. All cows are housed in a sand-bedded freestall barn. We have pens for lactating cows, dry cows, transition cows and hospital cows. Cows are milked in a double-9 parallel parlor that we retrotted into our original tiestall barn. All our youngstock four months and older are housed in three different freestall barns.
Who is part of your farm team, and what are their roles? My dad, Jerry, helps me on the farm along with my three daughters — Paige, Brianna and Jaclyn. In addition, we have seven employees, including ve full time and two part time.
What is your herd health program? We do a herd health check every two weeks. Cows receive a Bovi-Shield vaccine once a year and a J-VAC vaccine four times per year. Heifers receive both of those vaccines twice a year.
What does your dry cow and transition program consist of?
First-lactation animals go dry 55 days before calving, and older cows are dry for 50 days. Dry cows are housed in a separate pen in the freestall barn and fed a ration of corn silage and ryelage and a little distillers and mineral. Cows are moved into the pre-fresh pen three weeks before calving, whereas heifers are moved in one month prior to calving. Pre-fresh animals receive a ration of straw, corn silage, and pre-fresh protein and minerals. Animals are moved into the calving pen one or two days before freshening. After calving, fresh animals are moved into our hospital pen for a minimum of one week for cows and 10 days for heifers before being housed with the milking herd. We try not to overcrowd our transition animals.
What is the composition of your ration, and how has that changed in recent years?
Our milking ration consists of 60% forage with a 55%:45% corn silage to haylage ratio. The ration also includes highmoisture corn and protein mix. I am also adding 1 pound of baled hay per animal currently because I have it after baling sixth-crop hay for the rst
Kollwelter and his daughters, Paige
and Brianna, gather next to one of their heifer barns Feb. 27 on their farm near Whitewater, Wisconsin. The Kollwelters milk 240 cows with a herd average of 38,300 pounds of milk, with tests of 4.3% bu erfat and 3.1% protein.
time this year. I have changed the protein content in recent years to get more butterfat. We changed the type of min-
erals and now feed more palm fat. We also started feeding a little dry corn through the summer this past year to help with foot health. Dry corn doesn’t go through the cows as fast as high-moisture corn does.
Tell us about the forages you plant and detail your harvest strategies. We plant haylage, corn silage, oatlage and ryelage. We are going to plant brown midrib corn for the rst time this year. In the past, we always planted conventional corn silage, but now we’re going to give BMR a whirl. We’re switching because the numbers and the experts are saying we should be able to get three more pounds of milk out of our cows. We harvest our forages as fast as we can. We cut it all down in one day and chop the next, and then we are done. Corn silage is harvested in two days. We don’t have a lot of acres, and we also have the equipment to get it done quickly. We have 180 acres of hay and 90 acres of new seeding. I turn the eld over after three years. Almost all our hay is used for haylage, and I take a fth crop every year. We cut hay on a 27-28-day interval.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Jarrod
(from le ), Jaclyn
“Udder ComfortTM works wonders for our fresh cows or mastitis flareups. For fresh cows, we apply it after each milking until edema is out,” says Peter Bartz of BA-HA Dairy, Glenbeulah, Wisconsin. He enjoys seeing the next generation growing the business for the future. He visited our booth at the 2024 World Dairy Expo with two granddaughters, who are the 4th generation on the farm. His daughter Chelsea loves crossbreds, and their 350 milking cows average 33,000M 4.2F 3.6P, with 77,000 SCC.
“Udder Comfort absolutely plays a role in our milk quality. We use it on any questionable cow. They come right back around, and it brings SCC down. Our treat time is cut. Edema is cut. It just works,” Peter explains.
“We tried other products, but did not get the results we wanted or were used to. That’s why we have continued using Udder Comfort for 20 years,” he shares.
As soon as we take the crop off, we irrigate the eld. Last year, we averaged over 10 tons per acre of dry matter on our hay ground. We consistently run around 60% moisture. Our feed is stored in bags on blacktop.
What is your average somatic cell count and how does that affect your production? Our cell count is 75,000. We only treat a couple cows per year for mastitis, which helps keep milk production higher. Our somatic cell count was around 150,000 until we changed milk processors. In the past, it was hard to get rid of a cow with a high somatic cell count if she was a high producer. When we switched processors, we had an incentive to lower our SCC because we got paid for doing so.
What change has created the biggest improvement in your herd average? Genetics. Every animal is genomic tested, and we have done more and more with genomics over the last ve years. The top 5% of our animals have 65%-70% of the calves born here through our embryo program. Any animal with a Total Performance Index under 3,100 receives an embryo. We are trying to have elite animals across the board based on TPI, which has also helped me earn a premium on the heifers I sell.
What technology do you use to monitor your herd? We don’t really use any technolo-
Cows eat a total mixed ra on Feb. 27 at JC-Kow Farms near Whitewater, Wisconsin. The
for the milking herd consists of 60% forage with a 55% to 45% corn silage to haylage ra o along with high-moisture corn, protein mix and baled hay.
gy in that area. Ten to 15 years ago, we used an activity monitoring system, but it didn’t pan out for us and didn’t deliver enough on the breeding side. I know these systems have come a long way since then, and I have contemplated going back, but we have good enough help here who are monitoring the cows with their own eyes.
What is your breeding program, and what role does genetics play in your production level? We are very into genomics, and we do a lot of embryo work. We work with Sunshine Genetics on a close basis for our embryo
program and herd health. We are focused on production and cow health. We want higher components and milk without having problems with cows. A healthier, more productive animal is what we strive for. This creates a big difference in quality milk as well as fat and protein. Our herd average was higher in the past, but now we focus on higher components and the health of the animals. We have a young herd, so that also brings our herd average a little lower. We use sexed semen or embryos along with a little bit of Angus on problem breeders. I use the highest genomic bulls available and have
attain your production and component level. Genetics, feed and cow comfort. We put up quality feed within the right windows. We have tweaked this over time to get what we want. Our focus on cow comfort includes sand bedding, rubber ooring, fans and sprinklers. Our barn is naturally ventilated, with fans over the stalls and sprinklers over the feed bunk.
had good success doing that. I pick 3-4 bulls every proof run, and whether she is our best or worst cow, she is getting bred to the same bull. I breed for TPI and production. I don’t breed for udders anymore. If she has high enough TPI, she’s going to have type too. The only physical or type characteristics I breed for are strength and feet and legs. To be in the top TPI, a cow has to have health and tness traits. I keep my best heifers and sell the rest, only keeping one out of four heifers that calve.
List three management strategies that have helped you
Tell us about your farm and your plans for the dairy in the next year. I am the third generation on the farm that was started by my grandpa in 1954. I came back in 2002 when we were milking 50 cows. We have a registered herd and never bought an animal to get to where we are today. From my dad to me, we have always used the best genetics. We ship our milk to Rolling Hills Dairy Producers Cooperative. We farm 650 acres, and everything is tiled below and has irrigation above. We also sell replacement heifers and sold 200 head this year. My plans for the next year are to get all the heifer barns full and keep trying to breed more elite genomic heifers. We have had as high as the No. 5 heifer in the breed and have a lot of calves coming out of her. I would also like to put more bulls into A.I. stud. We have put three into stud in the last year and a half. We are also hosting the Walworth County Dairy Breakfast June 14 to give people more knowledge of the dairy industry.
DECORAH, IA
Lang’s Dairy Equip. 563-382-8722
MONTICELLO, IA
United Dairy Syst. 319-465-5931
WEST UNION, IA United Dairy Syst. 563-422-5355
FREEPORT, MN Arnzen Construction 320-836-2284
Hartung Sales & Serv. 320-836-2697
LEWISTON, MN Lang’s Dairy Equip. 507-452-5532
MELROSE, MN Farm Systems 320-256-3276
MENAHGA, MN Dairyland Equip. 218-564-4958
MORA, MN Advanced Dairy 320-679-1029
PENNOCK, MN
WI Fuller’s Milker Center 800-887-4634
MARSHFIELD, WI Podevels Farm Serv. 715-384-6193 800-742-5748 MT. HOREB, WI The Scharine Group 800-872-3470
RICHLAND CENTER, WI Fuller’s Milker Center 800-887-4634 WHITEWATER, WI The Scharine Group 608-883-2880 WITHEE, WI Hoover Silo Repair 715-229-2527
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
ra on
INTEGRAL PLANTERS
DRAWN PLANTERS
Contact
to
IOWA
Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc.
Rock Valley, IA
712-476-9290
United Dairy Systems, Inc.
West Union, IA
563-422-5355
Monticello, IA
319-465-5931
WISCONSIN
Advanced Dairy Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201
Bob’s Dairy Supply Dorchester, WI 715-654-5252
Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI
608-546-3713
DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI
866-335-2825
Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321
Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI
608-654-5106
Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0268
Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579
The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA
Farm Systems Melrose, MN
320-256-3276 Brookings, SD 800-636-5581
Advanced Dairy Mora, MN
320-679-1029 Pierz, MN
320-468-2494 St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
It all starts with you
Filling fulllment buckets
Schultz speaks at Women in Dairy event
By Sarah Middendorf sarah.m@star-pub.com
HUTCHINSON, Minn.
Empowering women in the dairy industry one speech at a time is a focus for dairy farmer Katy Schultz.
Schultz was the keynote at the Women in Dairy: Farming with Family event hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota Dairy Initiative Feb. 13 near Hutchinson at Crow River Winery.
Schultz is part owner and herd manager at Tri-Fecta Farms near Fox Lake, Wisconsin, where they milk 400 cows and farm around 2,000 acres. Along with keeping track of herd numbers, Schultz also manages the hired employees, whom she calls her farm family.
“My favorite part of being the herd manager is working with the people,” Schultz said. “I love being able to help empower people.”
During her presentation, Schultz talked with attendees about core values and what is going to add fulllment to the “bucket” of their lives.
“You’re not going to ll
all of that bucket at the farm,” Schultz said. “You’re not going to ll all of that bucket in your marriage. You’re not going to ll all of that bucket from your kids. When your buckets aren’t lled, you try and ll it with other things that maybe aren’t as healthy.”
Schultz said being able to do things outside of the farm to ll her bucket is important. For Schultz, public speaking, such as the Women in Dairy event, helps ll her bucket.
Understanding the core values of those on the farm Schulz said can help each team member have a better mindset. She said when her family and employees see they are being valued, everything goes up — production, animal health and quality of life.
“When I invested more in everyone else, I was fullled,” Schultz said.
When someone is getting frustrated, Schultz said it is important to think about three questions to help the situation: do they need to be heard, do they need a hug, and do they want help?
“Being able to have grace and respect has gone a really long way for us,” Schultz said.
Schultz also talked about the communication on the
farm. She said everybody in the day-to-day operation should get a voice.
“Our farm ... looks like it did when I grew up, but it doesn’t feel like it anymore,” Schultz said.
Every day they have a meeting at 9 a.m. that lasts nine minutes. This allows everybody to talk about what they need help with for the day. Asking questions beyond the farm can go a long way as well, Schultz said.
“People are my passion,” Schultz said. “I will do whatever it takes to see them succeed.”
At Tri-Fecta Farms, they also have biannual business meetings. During these meetings, both owners and their spouses have a voice in the business. It is each owner’s responsibility to bring concerns from their spouse.
“We had to gure out a way to strengthen the marriages at the same time to make sure their voices were heard,” Schultz said.
When the agenda is sent out, there is a spot specied for each in-law. Schultz said she wants to know the in-laws’ thoughts and concerns.
SARAH MIDDENDORF/DAIRY STAR
Katy Schultz shares a smile at the Women in Dairy: Farming with Family event Feb. 13 at Crow River Winery near Hutchinson, Minnesota. On the Schultz family farm, they milk 400 cows and farm around 2,000 acres.
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Schultz’ dairy farming story goes back to 1989, when a neighboring farm came up for sale. Her parents decided to buy it and start dairy farming. Before this purchase, they were raising steers and crop farming.
When her parents were building the dairy farm, they contemplated its design not knowing if any of their kids would come back to the farm, Schultz said.
“I am unbelievably grateful to my parents for making sure that we had a successful and viable business,” Schultz said. “Our parents gave us an opportunity to buy a successful business. We didn’t want to be given anything else. They gave us an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Schultz’s parents had requirements for those that wanted to come back to the farm. These included having an
education beyond high school, working for someone else for a time and obtaining a skill nobody else had.
Schultz said her parents wanted to make sure that if something happened and the business did not make it, they had something else to do.
“When you have a skill set that no one else has, you add value to the farm and you feel valued (in return),” she said.
Schultz’s skillset is working with people and making sure they are empowered and feel valued.
Being able to empower those around her is important Schultz said, and has made an impact on her family business.
“When you are improving small little things … it gives you an opportunity to be able to look at your business a little differently,” Schultz said.
SARAH MIDDENDORF/DAIRY STAR
Women listen at the Women in Dairy: Farming with Family event Feb. 13 at Crow River Winery near Hutchinson, Minnesota. Speaker Katy Schultz is part owner and herd manager at Tri-Fecta Farms near Fox Lake, Wisconsin.
Spangenbergs transition to robotic milking system
By Tiffany Klaphake tiffany.k@dairystar.com
PAYNESVILLE, Minn.
Johann “CJ” Spangenberg has been dairy farming since he was 16 years old. During his tenure, he has worked on many farms in various countries with different milking systems.
“Animals have always been my passion,” CJ said. “I have never wanted to be a vet, but I have always wanted to be a farmer.”
Now, CJ and his wife, Yvette, are buying equity in a dairy farm near Paynesville.
The farm is home to 280 cows — Holsteins, Brown Swiss and crossbreds — that are milked with four DeLaval robotic milking units.
“The owners are retired bachelors, so we are their transition plan,” CJ said. “I have been dairying for a long time but never with robots.”
The Spangenbergs’ succession plan allows the couple to receive equity each year, and eventually, the farm will belong to them.
Learning as they go
TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Yve e and Johann “CJ” Spangenberg stand together Feb. 12 at the farm they operate near Paynesville, Minnesota. The Spangenbergs milk 280 cows with four robo c milking units.
The barn, which was built in 2019, houses newborn calves, milk cows and dry cows, all under one roof. The owners of the farm had housed and milked the herd in a tiestall barn. Spangenberg said the transition to the robotic barn has had its challenges.
“We are here now to help them … so they can retire
Brian & Eileen Hoefler
Hoefler Dairy • New Vienna, IA
Purchased December 2017
properly,” CJ said.
The Spangenbergs have completed their rst year at the farm and said they have learned a lot. Over the past year, they have increased the herd from 235 cows to 280, adjusted the breeding strategy so the cows t better in the robots and changing the ration to encourage the cows to enter
the robots on their own. They also have had to learn the ins and outs of the robotic milking units.
“The technology was the biggest learning curve,” CJ said. “At the large dairies, you feed a (total mixed ration). Here, it is a (partial mixed ration) with some of the feed being fed with the robot. I know
there are different philosophies as to what is the best way to manage a robot dairy, and we are still learning them.”
Yvette agreed.
“The robot community is amazing,” she said. “We visited with a lot of farmers, and a lot of them came here. We were all brainstorming different ideas on how to do things. We take a little bit from here and there to nd what works best for us. It’s actually quite exciting to be a part of this community.”
The Spangenbergs, who are originally from South Africa, have worked at several types of dairy farms before settling in Stearns County. Prior to managing this farm, they managed a large dairy farm in southern Minnesota.
“Ever since we got married, we decided we wanted to own a robotic dairy farm,” Yvette said. “We tried establishing one in South Africa. We still go back every two years to see family.”
The couple came to the U.S. in 1998 to learn about dairy farming. Then, they returned to South Africa in 2000. They subsequently traveled to New Zealand and Canada to work and learn about types of dairy farms.
for straw, sawdust etc.
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• 3-in-1 – The BOBMAN bedding machines scrape the slats, sweep the stalls and spread an even layer of bedding all in only one pass!
• Reduces the time taken to clean out the stalls or the milking cubicles
• Can help to reduce somatic cell count & prevent mastitis
• Time and labor saving
• Save on the amount of bedding materials used
• Clean and dry cow resting surface
“Cleaning freestalls was a dreaded chore before, but now with the BOBMAN everyone wants to do them. It has helped us to save time, reduce labor, and have cleaner stalls. The support from Wille’s has been excellent as well.”
In 2012, while the Spangenbergs were working on a research farm in Canada, the same dairy farmer they worked for in southern Minnesota originally asked if they would work for him again, and they agreed. Eventually, that farm came under new ownership. When CJ and Yvette heard about a farm for sale in Stearns County, they saw their opportunity.
“It is tremendous hard work,” CJ said. “It is much different than a large dairy. ... Here, it is just us, so we are the manager, laborer and everything in between. Luckily, I am not scared of hard work and don’t like sitting still.”
The day-to-day tasks are carried out by CJ and Yvette, their daughter, Karlijn, and neighbors, as needed. Karlijn is in 4-H, where she participates in dairy bowl, dairy judging and shows. The couple’s son, Zac, joined the military after high school. Yvette does the calf chores and CJ does the herd health.
“Everything comes natural to us,
and we share most of the responsibilities,” Yvette said.
CJ agreed.
“We complement each other well by making sure all the chores get done,” he said. “It gets to be a lot of getting up early and going home late, but everything gets done.”
After adjusting the herd size, breeding program and rations, the Spangenbergs are seeing progress with the cows.
“Every day things are getting better,” CJ said. “Each day, more cows come to the boxes themselves. There is a lot of information and data, and we are still learning how to process it.”
It has been a long road for the Spangenbergs to operating their own robotic farm.
“It’s very fullling to see your own heifers come into the barn, and you remember when they were born,” CJ said. “It’s a lifestyle, and if you aren’t made for it or you don’t like it, you will never make it.”
TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Johann “CJ” Spangenberg adjusts one of the robo c milking units Feb. 12 at the farm he operates near Paynesville, Minnesota. Spangenberg has been working on dairy farms since he was 16 but has not worked with robots un l now.
TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
A robo c milking units puts a milker on a cow Feb. 12 at the farm Johann “CJ” Spangenberg and his wife, Yve e, operate near Paynesville, Minnesota. The Spangenbergs are originally from South Africa.
IN DAIRY women
Tell us about your family and farm. This is a fourth-generation farm. My grandparents started this farm in 1952. Currently, my parents, Warren and Gail; my brother, Kory; my husband, Don, and I all live and work on our farm. My brother’s wife works off the farm, but the rest of us work between the dairy and crop farm we have. My dad and brother take care of the crops and my son, Westin, and my husband and I milk the cows. We milk in a parlor with 12 units on one side and 16 on the other; we essentially combined two parlors into one. We wanted to add on but only had so much room to add on to. We help each other out where needed. We raise all our own replacements. My parents still own the dairy but Kory, Don and I are full time on the farm, and Kory’s kids and my son help on the farm.
What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? We start milking around 4:30 every morning, and then I feed the calves. I grind feed for the animals almost every day and take care of whatever else needs to be done until 4:30 p.m., when it is time to milk cows again. There is a routine with being on a dairy farm, but what needs to be taken care of next can change on a dime.
What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? Homeschooling our son. We decided to homeschool my teenager this year. Since we don’t have any outside help on our farm, he helps a lot on the farm and, with homeschooling, his schedule can be more exible.
Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Nothing specic, but I have been here my entire life, so it is growing up and working with my grandparents and parents and now working with my son every day. I enjoy seeing the generations grow up here and the dairy keep going.
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy
•
Ariann Doe
New England, North Dakota
Hettinger County
250 cows
industry? I like working with the animals. I like being able to be with the cows and calves every day. The calves are my favorite. To see them as babies and then see them have babies of their own is very rewarding.
What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? We are still here. North Dakota has less than 30 dairy farms, and we are one of them. There used to be so many more, but they have all quit for various reasons. However, we are still here.
What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? We give tours to elementary classrooms, and we have been in parades with a calf on a trailer. If anybody calls and wants to come visit, we say yes.
What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Don’t forget to shut the gate. It’s simple and yet very important to anyone who has a farm.
What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? Last year, our processing plant closed, so we looked into getting our own truck or building our own on-farm creamery. Then, our processor said they will ship our milk to West Fargo. With the North Dakota dairy industry shrinking, this is something we need to have in the back of our minds, and we need to be exible to change. My whole family is employed here, and it will make a big impact on us if things ever change.
When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I help organize and act in our community dinner theatre. We put on a show every fall. I also help with the high school clay target league. My husband is a coach, and I volunteer to help out too. I also run distance when I get a chance. I have done a marathon but typically do 5Ks and half marathons.
How far have we come and how far will we go on dairy technology? We are looking forward to having you, dairy producers and advisers, join us June 1718 at the 2025 Precision Dairy Conference in Bloomington, Minnesota for lively and interactive discussions, informative talks and producer panels on where we are now and where we would like technology to be.
A recent Hoard’s Dairyman article indicated that articial intelligence use in agronomy had an incredible growth over the past 10 years. They reported that only about 3% of ag businesses and farmers used AI in 2015, but now, close to 60% of them are adopting various AI tools. By using AI, farmers can get more data about their elds than ever before and implement more effective practices. Use of drones for disease and pest detection has also grown. Precision agriculture has seen some of the biggest impacts by implementing these technologies.
nate jobs or help workers do their job more effectively and with more exibility? More likely, the latter.
Last month, South Dakota State University hosted the Midwest Dairy Challenge contest, and the students evaluated a very well-managed dairy farm with about 2,800 cows. The employee management and retention on this dairy is outstanding. The farm has recently started to use and test an ear tag for rumination and activity monitoring. I asked the owner his thoughts behind investing in cow monitoring technology, considering his excellent labor force. He told me he sees technology as a tool to help his employees do their work more easily and even better than they have been doing.
Dairy is coming along in terms of technology adoption. It does not have quite as high of an adoption rate as crop production yet but is certainly growing fast. Will precision and automation technology in dairy management elimi-
Late December and early January, I visited some dairy farms in New Zealand using a virtual fencing technology, developed by an engineer who grew up on a dairy farm. These farms no longer need to have an employee to bring their cows from the paddocks to the milking parlor; cows come in by themselves. It is amazing to watch. The system can also estimate dry matter intake and move cows from paddock to paddock as needed, no electric fencing required.
In addition, it monitors cow rumination, activity and location, and farmers are using it for heat detection and health management. Technology can be great. At a recent event organized by University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin Extension, we learned that about 5% of farmers who completed a 2023 survey were using milking robots and 15% were considering installing them, whereas 80% were not planning to add them to their farms. The 15% indicated the main reasons for adoption would be less reliance on human labor and potential increase in milk production per cow. The 80% indicated robots are too expensive and their current milking system is sufcient.
Most likely, the percent of farms in the U.S. using milking automation has grown, but it is still less than 10% of farms. It is not for everyone, but it is ideal for some farms. Impact on farm protability, herd health and owner wellbeing are important to consider. UW Extension indicated that, when considering a transition to robotic milking, there is a need to ask the right questions on these topics: business goals, cost-benet, infrastructure needs, farm connectivity, labor and training, tech support available, adaptability to the
Dana Adams adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184
Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711
Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863
Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109
Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435
system by workers, stakeholder management and milk production and cow performance goals.
Another technology area in dairy that is growing today is computer vision/articial intelligence, the other AI. There are systems in the market to monitor feed bunks, cow comfort, maternity area and parlor protocols. Individual cow locomotion and body condition scoring with cameras is becoming more accurate, too. A new system in New Zealand using computer vision automatically moves the crowd gate to reduce the space in the holding pen based on the number of cows present, thereby avoiding pushing cows too harshly, and employees do not need to spend time doing this task. It has reduced milking time and lameness prevalence on farms using this system. Another technology developed in Taiwan combines the use of cameras and AI to identify birds and, using a laser beam, remove them from the barn.
How far have we come on dairy technology, and how far will we go? Join us June 17-18 at the Hyatt Regency, Bloomington, for lively discussions and learning more about precision dairy.
Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357
Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093
Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205
Melissa Wilson mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
Isaac Haagen hagge041@umn.edu 612-624-7455
Michael Boland boland@umn.edu 612-625-3013
Sabrina Florentino slpore@umn.edu 507-441-1765
Scott Wells wells023@umn.edu 612-625-8166
Erin Cortus ecortus@umn.edu 612-625-8288
Melissa Runck mkrunck@umn.edu 507-836-1143
Marcia Endres University of Minnesota
Fire safety on the farm
Fires on farms can be very damaging, but they can also be prevented with knowledge and preparation. I was recently reminded of this reality when a farmer I know shared an experience with me. On a bitterly cold night, she entered her barn to nd billowing smoke coming from a pile of hay below a heat lamp. Fortunately, it was embers, not a full re, but it made me reect on re safety in agricultural settings.
As both large- and small-scale livestock producers know, re risks on the farm are constant. From newborn livestock in winter to day-to-day operations, maintaining a safe environment is essential. This column will explore re prevention strategies, common risks and proactive steps farmers can take to protect their buildings, animals and livelihoods.
lamps directly into a ground-fault circuit interrupter or arc-fault circuit interrupter outlets. Extension cords can become overburdened, posing an additional risk of sparking or shortcircuiting.
By Dana Adams University of Minnesota
Farms often need to provide heat during the colder months to keep livestock comfortable and healthy, especially newborns. Calves, for instance, are frequently provided with calf jackets to keep them warm, along with high-calorie milk and housing that keeps out drafts. Livestock barns often use heated water tanks, heated buckets and heat lamps to regulate temperature, and these can be a source of re hazards.
Fires in barns can spread quickly, fueled by highly combustible bedding material, hay and other ammable items. This is why the rst line of defense is ensuring your barn’s infrastructure is re-safe, especially the electrical system.
Electrical wiring is a well-known contributor to barn res. Farm buildings should have professionally installed, inspected and conduit-encased electrical wiring; this reduces the risk of faulty connections, overheating and electrical res. Consider having a local re department do a re risk evaluation for your building. The value of a fresh set of eyes evaluating your facilities and providing their input could save your barn from a potential disaster.
Water tank heaters, heated buckets and heat lamps are common tools used on farms to keep animals warm. However, they also present re risks if not properly maintained. For example, water tank heaters and heated buckets can continue to generate heat even when there is no water present. This can cause plastic to melt, sparking a re on nearby hay or bedding. When using heat lamps, treat them as a permanent xture. Attach them with non-ammable hangers, such as chains or locking connectors, to prevent them from falling into straw or bedding. Additionally, use heat lamps designed to withstand impact in case they do fall, ensuring they don’t shatter and expose laments that could ignite nearby ammable materials.
It is also crucial to plug heat
One often-overlooked re risk with heat lamps is the accumulation of dust, cobwebs and insects. These are very ammable and should be cleaned regularly. The farmer I mentioned earlier discovered that a heat lamp, surrounded by cobwebs and dusty hay, was the source of the embers she had to extinguish that cold night. In any livestock barn, it is critical to have accessible and functional re extinguishers. A 10-pound ABC re extinguisher should be stationed by every exit and near the utility box so that it can be grabbed quickly in case of a re. Be sure to regularly inspect your extinguishers to ensure they are charged and functional.
Having a re safety plan is not just a good idea; it is essential. The plan should prioritize human safety above all else. By creating a comprehensive re safety plan and sharing it with all farm workers, you will be better equipped to handle an emergency if it arises.
Here are a few key steps to help ensure a swift and organized response in case of re:
— Evacuate people rst: Safety for your family and workers should always be the top priority. Make sure everyone knows how to evacuate the building quickly and safely.
— Animal evacuation: If possible, plan to move animals out of the barn. Select a safe, open area far from the barn where the re can be contained. Ideally, start evacuating animals from the exit closest to them, moving one animal at a time or in small groups to minimize stress and prevent injury.
— Prepare evacuation tools: Have animal handling equipment readily available. Note that plastic or nylon equipment can melt in high heat, so choose heat-resistant materials.
— Tell those involved: Share your re plan with family members and workers on the farm. Additionally, it is helpful to share a map of your farm and the locations of your animals and buildings with your local re department. This allows them to respond quickly and effectively when the situation arises.
— Call 911 Immediately: In the event of a re, rst call 911. Follow the instructions from the dispatcher and evacuate the barn. Fireghters may need to enter the barn, so ensure they have clear access to the property.
Remember: Taking the time to plan now can help prevent disasters in the future. Stay safe, stay prepared and prioritize re safety on your farm.
BOTTOM LINE DAIRY’S
UPCOMING EVENTS:
March 18 - 20; 25 - 27
The Dairy Signal ®
Online, noon - 1 p.m., CT
Visit www.pdpw.org to participate in live-streamed event. Audio/video recordings also available free.
March 11 - 12
Cornerstone Dairy Academy ®
Alliant Energy Center - Madison, Wis.
Visit www.pdpw.org for details.
March 12-13
PDP Business Conference
Alliant Energy Center
Madison, Wis.
Visit www.pdpw.org for details.
Encouraging the best from team members
OCONTO FALLS, Wis. — Every farm, business and family has a unique culture, whether intentional or not. Every interaction with employees, vendors and the public shapes how a team works together, how animals and land are cared for and even how it is achieving nancial success.
Just as modern dairy farming requires planning, building a strong, caring culture starts with intention. The rst step is dening the culture you want. There’s no single answer; every farm has different priorities and personalities. What works for us may not work for you, but being intentional about your culture will set the foundation for success.
enjoy a meal, catch up on farm tasks or simply connect as family members.
Each month, we host a birthday lunch where employees choose the menu, whether grilling burgers or ordering pizza. This is a chance to celebrate the team and focus on personal connections rather than work. These meals create an opportunity to check in on each other’s families, interests and lives outside of the farm.
By Laura Raatz PDP
Our farm’s foundation is our motto: People, Animals, Environment, with people being the most valuable. While our animals and land are critical, our farm wouldn’t be successful without a strong team. As a fth-generation farmer and one of ve owners — including my parents, husband and brother — we treat our 16 employees like family. We also prioritize fun, learning and ideasharing.
Dairy farming is demanding, requiring a 24/7 commitment. We expect a lot from ourselves and our team, so we make sure to balance hard work with moments of connection and celebration. To start, our family commits to a daily lunch together, one hour to
Throughout the year, we capture photos of our team at work and having fun. These moments become part of an annual Christmas party slideshow, a great way to reect on the year together. This event allows us to pause, appreciate our progress and build a sense of shared purpose.
We are always looking for new ways to improve efciency, safety and sustainability, and many of our best ideas come from employees. Each month, we host learning sessions to share new information or refresh protocols for areas such as the milking parlor or calf care. We often collaborate with our local veterinary clinic for expert insights and translation services.
One highlight of these sessions is our Idea Box, a concept that allows employees to submit suggestions for improving farm operations. Each month, we choose one idea to implement, and the employee receives a gift card as
recognition. At the end of the year, we draw a “Big Idea” from all the monthly winners for a special reward. This not only improves efciency but also fosters a culture where every team member’s input is valued.
Just as we track production, nancials and herd health, we also assess our farm’s culture. Some aspects — like having fun — aren’t easily measurable, but we look at indicators such as employee turnover, longevity and labor costs.
My husband, Tyler, has primary responsibility for managing employees. When he decided to work full time on the farm, he set a bold goal: to create such a great workplace that we would have a waiting list of potential employees. While that may seem ambitious, investing in our team and fostering a positive culture makes it a reality.
Finally, communication is at the heart of a strong culture, whether in everyday conversations or structured meetings. Encouraging openness, questions and transparency builds trust and strengthens relationships. A positive culture doesn’t happen by accident. It requires effort, but the rewards are well worth it.
Laura Raatz of Oconto Falls, Wisconsin, and her husband, Tyler, are part owners of Wagner Farms with her brother, Shawn, and parents, Hank and Pam Wagner. Laura is herd manager. Wagner Farms has 950 cows and crops about 1,500 acres.
Tread lightly
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
Associate professor Brian Luck presents at the hay symposium hosted by the Midwest Forage Associa�on Feb. 18 in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Luck led a presenta�on describing the poten�al issues of �re traffic on alfalfa elds.
Tire trafc affects alfalfa regrowth, persistence
By Dan Wacker dan.w@dairystar.com
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — Alfalfa, one of the key components to healthy feed and healthy cows, has its own battles to stay healthy.
Some of those battles include pests or drought, but another is entirely dependent on how it is harvested. Bat-
tling tire treads and their effect on alfalfa persistence was recently covered by Brian Luck, an associate professor in biological systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In his presentation at the Midwest Forage Association’s hay symposium in February, Luck described the biggest detractors in alfalfa persistence pertaining to tire treads. Luck shared the differences between road tires compared to agriculture tires in the eld, the effects of tire pressure and how and where tires go in the eld matters.
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“The biggest takeaway we had was that road tires are bad on alfalfa,” Luck said. “But changing road tires on a full eet of equipment is often beyond the budget.”
In 2018, Luck and a team of students observed how machines moved through a eld and how many machines were involved during the harvesting of alfalfa. They totaled 1,300 passes made by two choppers, 12 trucks, two mowers and two mergers.
Measuring in pounds per square inch, Luck and his team measured the pressure difference pieces of equipment put on the eld. They measured the effect of a baler, chopper, windrower, semi-truck, merger and a hay wagon.
“The biggest difference we saw was the ag tires compared to road tires,” Luck said. “Ag tires are radial, exible and bouncy. The road tires because of how they’re built, increased the ground pressure applied by the machines.”
When compared, the ag tires applied 220-230 pounds per square inch while the road tires generated 510-800 PSI.
The next step for Luck and his team was determining the trafc patterns during alfalfa harvests. Using GPS positioning of the machines, his team determined there were seven different levels of compaction.
The biggest difference the team observed was between the 3-pass areas compared to 5-pass areas and the level
of damage incurring on the alfalfa plant.
“We broke it down into areas of compaction,” Luck said. “The rst three inches, then 3-6 inches, 6-9, 9-12, all the way down to 18 inches.”
Using these zones, it was determined that soil resistance is less affected further down in the soil meaning less compaction in the deeper areas. At the end of the year, the team observed higher soil resistance possibly due to dry soil and some of it due to the compaction of the machines. As the process went on, the numbers went down towards the spring of the second year.
“We saw an increase in soil moisture in the spring,” Luck said. “The other part was the soil relaxing over the winter. The freeze/thaw cycle is actually doing a little movement of that soil and reducing the compaction.”
To determine the effect the level of compaction had on the crop, Luck discussed with the farmer what the trafc strategy was for his eld. The farmer asked his drivers not to drive on the same spot twice, attempting to distribute weight across the eld.
Using the GPS tracking of every vehicle in and out of the eld, the worstcase scenario saw 61% of the eld saw a tire at least once, with the average being 49%, give or take 9%.
To reduce the amount of the eld that saw a tire or limit the damage that would be done because of tire treads,
Luck and his team conducted a new experiment with tires at 9, 16 and 25 PSI.
“We borrowed pressure mats from the University of Minnesota,” Luck said. “We were able to map out what the tire looks like at those three different pressures.”
Using a 28,000-pound tractor, the study showed that with tires inated to 9 PSI, it affected 6.32 square feet, compared to 25 PSI, a more road-worthy tire pressure, affected 5.35 square feet.
Ten days after the harvest, the regrowth rate was different depending on the eld. The no trafc control group represented the best regrowth rate, with other elds seeing similar yields but likely utilizing stored resources in the plant to compensate for the damage caused by the wheel trafc.
With these trials, Luck and his team developed a tool to determine what would play the biggest factor in alfalfa persistence. They developed the Badger Alfalfa Bashing System. This system featured a pneumatic cylinder that could apply different levels of pressure to better measure the impact on the alfalfa.
The program was written to affect three areas, the plant, the soil around the plant and the entirety of the plant cylinder.
Through the testing with BABS, it was determined that plants that were not directly hit showed better signs of regrowth. It was also determined that the
difference in tire pressure, accompanied by trafc patterns, played a big role in the alfalfa’s persistence.
Minimizing the amount of area in a eld that sees a tire is better for regrowth and persistence. Although it was undetermined if the difference was the impact on the plant or soil compaction, best practices included making more efcient trips into the eld.
Semi-trucks were determined to be the most efcient vehicle because of their ability to haul larger loads, making fewer trips more feasible.
“The biggest takeaway we had was if you can switch from road tires to ag tires, and pulling tractor towed carts will help,” Luck said. “Managing air pressure to put less force on the plant also helps limit the damage.”
The nal practice Luck said to help limit damage caused by tires is to control the trafc. Communicating with drivers about how to drive through the elds, avoiding crossing over rows, traveling with the eld and even maintaining similar trafc paths.
“The similar trafc paths will damage the alfalfa, but we can reduce the 49% of the eld that sees a tire,” Luck said. “We don’t need to go as far as making tram lines, but it limits the amount of the eld that can be used for transportation, which will help with regrowth and persistence.”
A special homecoming
I was in third grade when someone told me I would be Princess Kay of the Milky Way for the rst time. Eleven years ago, they saw something I did not yet see in myself, and today, they are my most supportive mentors. Some of the most special moments as Princess Kay come from the opportunities where my dairy story comes full circle.
This month, I had two extra-special events when I traveled to my hometown and visited my past elementary and high schools. In addition, I attended the St. Paul Winter Carnival Torchlight Parade, visited Woodbury Elementary School and read to students for Farm and Food Book Week.
I kicked off the month by stepping back into my elementary school days and visiting St. Anastasia Catholic School, the school I attended from kindergarten until sixth grade. This was such a fun event to share my journey to becoming Princess Kay, hear all of the students’ questions about dairy farming and visit with my past teachers.
When I began this school visit, my fth grade teacher surprised me with a photo from my rst day of fth grade. Showing this photo to the students as I stood before them in my crown and sash was a reminder of just how much each of them will continue to accomplish.
This goes for each of the students I have the opportunity to visit. There is something special about seeing their faces light up when they think about all the incredible things that will be accomplished as they continue to pursue their passions. As a third grader, I could not have imagined I would be Princess Kay one day but took it upon myself to continue jumping into something I was passionate about and sharing that passion with every person I met. To conclude this special school visit, the students were excited to surprise me with an ice cream social.
In the weeks that followed, I attended the Winter Carnival Torchlight Parade where I joined the Minnesota State Fair mascots, Fairborne and Fairchild, to walk through the parade route. It was fun to see people come together to celebrate the unique city festival and nd joy in the winter season.
Next, I virtually joined students from across Minnesota for Farm and Food Book Week to read the book “My Family’s Dairy Farm.” There are so many ways to connect with students, and this was a fun way to incorporate learning about dairy into their school day. Additionally, I went to Woodbury Elementary School and joined a third-grade class to go on a virtual farm tour and make butter. All of the students were in awe to see how quickly they could make a dairy product on their own, and they all agreed it was delicious.
Finally, I wrapped up the month by taking one more trip to my hometown to visit Hutchinson High School and celebrate National FFA Week at their allschool assembly. FFA was a driving factor for me to continue exploring my passion for agriculture and sharing my story with others throughout high school. In high school, I knew being surrounded by people who had a shared love for agriculture would fuel my desire to advocate for the community I am proud to be a part of. Heading back to my high school to speak in front of the current student body was a reminder of the opportunities I was presented and took
to lead me down the path I am on today. I continue to enjoy staying busy in my role as Princess Kay and appreciate the reminders of how my dairy story changes. Stepping back into my elementary days of wanting to work on a farm to a high school student who found my true passion for sharing agriculture with those around me allowed me to reect on how present opportunities shape our future. As Princess Kay, a college student and a passionate advocate, these reminders encourage me to make the most of every opportunity and always strive for joy and fulllment in the future.
Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Rachel Visser, serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Rachel grew up in Hutchinson, Minnesota working on a neighboring dairy farm. She attends the University of Minnesota double majoring in Agricultural Food and Business Management and Agricultural Communications and Marketing. Her favorite dairy food is cheese sticks. Her parents are Barry and Shannon Visser. Princess Kay is active doing school visits and events representing dairy farmers, and sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods at appearances across Minnesota.
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By Rachel Visser
71st Princess Kay of the Milky Way
On the Road with Princess Kay
A prairie POW camp
Every so often, a guy hears of something that seems totally improbable. One such thing might be a WWII POW camp located in northern Iowa.
My wife and I visited Algona, Iowa, some years ago, so we took a tour of the Camp Algona POW Museum. Our tour was conducted by Jerry Yocum.
“Camp Algona housed German POWs from April of 1944 until February of 1946,” Yocum explained. “About 2,500 POWs were in the camp at any one time; a total of about 10,000 were sent through.”
The prairie prison camp was the hub of a POW distribution system. Prisoners were sent from Algona to branch camps in Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas.
“There was a labor shortage because of the war. Many of the POWs were put to work on farms,” Yocum said.
So, Midwestern farm boys were sent to ght in Europe, and some of the Germans they captured were sent here to work on Midwestern farms?
“That’s right,” Yocum said. “The POWs did a variety of jobs, from milking cows to digging ditches to cutting timber. They were paid 10 cents an hour, a sum that was set by the Geneva Conventions. They were paid with scrip that could only be used to buy things at the camp’s canteen.”
What did the community think of having all those POWs so close?
“The German POWs were polite and hardworking, but it must have felt weird to watch a POW work on your farm and wonder, ‘Did he shoot at my son?’” Yocum said.
My wife and I watched a short museum video. In the lm, a Kossuth County woman recounted how her father hired four German POWs to work on their farm when she was 12. She remembered how strange and exciting it was when the POWs and their armed U.S. Army guard arrived at their farm.
I asked Yocum if there were any escapes.
“One small group broke out of Camp Algona by digging under an unused guard tower, but they were soon recaptured,” Yocum said. “They stole some civilian clothes and spoke uent English, but their heavy German accents gave them away.
By
“A couple of POWs who were working at Lake Itasca tried to escape by stealing a canoe. They thought they could simply oat down the Mississippi and arrive at New Orleans in a few days. But they didn’t realize that the river goes north before it heads south. After two weeks, they had paddled a couple of hundred miles but were only 35 miles farther south. By then, they were exhausted and hungry and tired of ghting the mosquitoes. They were glad to be recaptured.”
The museum features a display of translated writings by POWs. There are letters to and from home, along with some poetry. Most of the missives are about longing for home and anticipated reunions with loved ones.
An extraordinary chronicle written by a POW describes how his capture and subsequent imprisonment at Camp Algona led to meeting his older brother for the rst time. The writer had been born a couple of years after his older brother had emigrated from Germany to Iowa. The POW related how he became increasingly excited as he saw more and more signs that said “Iowa” as he rode a prisoner train toward the Midwest.
Upon arriving at Camp Algona, the POW asked if a meeting with his brother could be arranged. It could and was. The emotions of that encounter must have been overwhelming.
Several examples of POW art are on display at the museum, ranging from droll cartoon sketches to lush portraits to intricate woodcarvings.
“The materials for this art were purchased by the POWs,” Yocum said. “The art was then donated to local residents as a way to thank them for their gracious treatment.”
Perhaps most striking is the large Nativity scene that was constructed by the POWs. Containing 65 half-scale gures, it’s proudly displayed each Yuletide at the Kossuth County Fairgrounds.
“After the Nativity scene was completed, the POWs presented it to the community and put on a Christmas program,” Yocum said. “I understand it was very affecting when the choir sang ‘Silent Night’ in the original German.”
Were there any lasting relationships involving POWs and local folks?
“Several locals stayed in touch with the POWs who had worked for them,” Yocum said. “Europe was in tatters after the war, so some area families sent care packages over. The friendships between the families have endured until this day.”
A POW camp in the midst of the Iowa prairie might seem improbable, but just as improbable is former enemies forging a lasting bond that reects the true sentiments of “Silent Night.”
Jerry Nelson is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Feel free to email him at jerry.n@dairystar.com.
Jerry Nelson Columnist
Dear County Agent Guy
SCAN ME
The ever-frustrating abomasal bloat
As much as I like working with calves, working through an abomasal bloat issue has proven to be one of the most frustrating challenges I have encountered in veterinary practice.
Veterinary
Wisdom
For reference, abomasal bloat is a clinical syndrome that occurs primarily in milk-fed dairy calves. Occasionally, we observe the syndrome in nursing beef calves as well. Calves typically develop acute abdominal bloat, anorexia and depression that progresses quickly to recumbency and shock. Sudden death is sometimes reported as the main sign. Other less obvious signs might include grinding of the teeth, general lethargy, not nishing milk or inconsistent milk intakes (drink all at one feeding and only half or none at next feeding).
By Megan Weisenbeck Veterinary Wisdom
These less obvious signs can also be associated with abomasitis or abomasal ulcers, which can then perforate into the abdomen. In abomasitis, the lining of the abomasum becomes highly irritated or even slightly rotten with air inside the tissue, often with many tiny ulcerations. In cases of abomasal ulcers, there can be many tiny ulcerations and often larger deeper ulcers in the area where the abomasum meets the intestines. Diarrhea is not a consistent sign with abomasitis or abomasal bloat. Often, calves do not have fevers but are described to have “sloshy guts.” It is assumed that the primary cause of bloat and gut damage is Clostridium perfringens, though this is still debated among the industry.
When I work with farms with abomasal bloat or abomasitis problems, I approach the problem by hunting for situations where we “set up C. perfringens to thrive in the calf’s gut.”
Some important things to know about C. perfringens: It does not like oxygen, fat or water. It also
does not survive well in pHs under 5.0 (i.e. the use of acidied milk feeding in some situations). It does like proteins, sugar, anaerobic environments and high osmolarity conditions.
The following reasons are the most common causes of abomasal bloat and abomasitis in my experience:
— High osmolarity: This is a measure of solute concentration. Abomasum muscle is expected to function best in uids of 300 Osm/L. Cows’ whole milk and blood have an osmolarity of 300 Osm/L. High osmolarity uids (over 500-600 Osm/L) can interfere with the smooth muscle function of the abomasum and delay emptying, which creates an opportunity for Clostridium to grow. Examples of high osmolarity uids include hyper- concentrated or poorly mixed electrolytes, improperly mixed or very high solids calf milk replacer, high salt concentrations in water or the addition of supplements or electrolytes to milk replacer or whole milk.
Dirty milk, moldy grain, or dirty feeding equipment: Dirty feeding equipment can inoculate the milk with high levels of bacteria (think bottles, buckets, nipples, feeding utensils or pasteurizers not functioning correctly). Feeding dirty milk or grain can inoculate the gut with unhealthy bacteria. Culturing milk can be helpful to identify areas of contamination. The use of an adenosine triphosphate meter can also help assess cleanliness of feeding equipment. Note that culturing milk replacer or calf milk with additives can be a little challenging to interpret these days due to the use of “good bugs” such as Enterococcus, Bacillus and other microbials that are also able to grow on cultures.
Inaccessible or poorly palatable water (or water with high sodium levels): Water is needed by every calf, every day. Water helps keep the osmolarity of the abomasum normal and provides an oxygenrich environment, which Clostridium does not thrive in. Water is also necessary for protein and lactose digestion. If water is not available, Clostridium can ferment the proteins and lactose instead, creating gas that is not easily expelled. Think of the saying, “dilution is the solution for pollution.”
— Too high or too low total solids of milk fed: I personally prefer solids between 11.8% minimum to 14% maximum. High solids are more of a concern than low solids for me. It is very important to feed water in addition to milk when you push solids over 13%.
— Dirty bedding. There are some instances where poor quality or dirty bedding has been implicated as a potential cause of abomasal bloat and abomasitis. It is important to use good quality bedding because all ruminants tend to graze their bedding, even at a young age.
— Inconsistencies during milk feeding: This might include milk fed too cold (under 100 degrees), inconsistent volumes fed at each feeding or large changes in times at feeding.
— Sudden changes from whole milk to milk replacer powder: This is a concern especially if the solids of the whole milk are signicantly different than the milk replacer powder. I see some farms feeding whole milk for 3-4 days after birth and then switching calves to milk replacer powder. In some instances, the change in solids appears to cause cases of abomasal bloat and abomasitis.
As far as treatment is concerned, I can provide some general tips. Oral penicillin is highly effective against clostridium species without signicantly affecting some of the other normal gut ora. Drenching with plain warm water can also be helpful due to the high oxygen concentration in water. I do not recommend using electrolytes as a part of the initial treatment because oral electrolytes can increase osmolarity and contain sugars that Clostridium use to grow. I would consider skipping one milk feeding to allow the abomasum to empty as ruminants cannot vomit but provide plain warm water instead. Directfed microbials are not particularly useful as a solution for abomasal bloat without addressing the root cause.
Megan Weisenbeck is one of six veterinarians at Northern Valley Livestock Services in Plainview, MN. She practices primarily dairy production medicine in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Megan can be reached at meganweisenbeck.dvm@gmail.com.
Discussing politics in polite company
Mark Twain once said, “Never discuss politics or religion in polite company.” While it’s been 115 years since Twain’s passing, that advice seems as relevant now as it was then. The country has become more and more politically polarized. (Maybe a more accurate way of putting it would be extreme.) I’ve always been more of a ‘screw around and nd out’ than an advice follower, so I’m going to ignore his advice. This month, let’s talk politics. We are members of Organic Valley Cooperative and have been active in the coop, helping where we can since joining it when we switched to being certied organic 17 years ago. Over those years, we’ve had opportunities to talk farming with news organizations, attend a food and beverage trade show, host farm tours for both families and industry people, fence a giant advertisement to be seen from planes
in our pasture and many, many more strange and wonderful opportunities.
The most recent opportunity to come our way was an ask for a couple of Organic Valley farmers to travel to Washington, D.C. with the Organic Trade Association to talk farming with our representatives and senators. My wife, Emily, and our son, Jonnie, jumped on the opportunity and booked a ight to D.C. right away. Not only was it an opportunity to have our voice heard in the federal government but also one to teach the next generation how our government works and see some of the sights in our nation’s capital.
A funny coincidence was that our eldest son, Erik, was ying to D.C. on the same ight as Emily and Jonnie, heading to Vermont to visit his girlfriend he met at the National 4-H Dairy Conference
last fall. That saved me from having to make two trips to the airport to drop people off, and they got to hang out at the airport together while waiting for their ight.
Emily has a passion for politics or maybe I should say effective leadership and governance. We both share a dislike of the partisan nonsense politics often seems to consist of today. She worked for the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation after college, running the young farmers program, and spent a lot of time focused on agriculture and politics.
After we had our rst child, she stepped away from working full time at Farm Bureau but not from following local and national politics.
She happily will talk about agriculture policy all day with respectful people. All that is to say, she knows how the government works and the importance of participation in it.
Emily and Jonnie were in D.C. for three days and had a busy schedule of meetings with senators and representatives from Minnesota and Wisconsin, such as Amy Klobuchar, Ron Johnson, Angie Craig, Brad Finstad and many more. They discussed what we would like to see happen in agriculture policy on a federal level, mainly that existing programs be fully funded. The legislative assistants to our senators and representatives are often as or more important to talk to than the politicians themselves as they are trusted to do the research and advise the politician on how to vote on issues. The group spent plenty of time talking with aides and discussing with them how vital a strong agricultural sector is to our country.
No agricultural lobbying trip is complete without meals and conversation at restaurants in D.C. that showcase the bounty our country’s produce. Jonnie was unimpressed with the quantities of food the restaurants served, as he’s used to meals sized for people who work hard all day outside vs. indoor ofce work, but he said the meals were tasty if not especially lling. They planned to tour the capitol building with Brad Finstad, but he was called to vote on a spending bill, so they missed out on that but did get to walk the National Mall and see many of the national monuments like the Lincoln Memorial, which are neat to see lit up at night.
Until next time, keep living the dream and remember that, in order for a democracy like ours to function properly, the voice of its citizens need to be heard in more ways than just voting for who will be the president.
Tim Zweber farms with his wife, Emily, their three children and his parents, Jon and Lisa, near Elko, Minnesota.
By Tim Zweber Farmer & Columnist
From the Zweber Farm
Spring into growth: starting seeds 101
Spring is perhaps our most favorite season of the year. The warm breezes and strong sunshine renew our souls after the cold, long and dormant winter months. On these early spring days, we are reminded that the upcoming growing season is just around the corner. Many of you, like us, enjoy spending time in the garden on your farm. And so, in this issue, we thought it would be useful to share some tips on starting seeds at home, enabling you to explore
are excitedly sowing in our garden this year.
— Seychelles pole bean is a must for our garden every year. We direct seed it, letting it climb on a wire panel we nabbed from the dairy, enabling us to harvest beans standing upright, all summer long. We source our bean seed from Johnny’s Seeds.
— Blue Hubbard squash is a variety our grandfather swore by, and we do too. It produces very large, extremely hard-walled squash that is by far the most sweet-tasting squash you’ll encounter.
By Megan Schrupp & Ellen Stenger Columnists
new varieties of vegetables and owers not commonly found in local greenhouses.
There are three main things critical for seed growth: soil, water and light. We typically purchase new soil for our seedlings as sterility is critical to avoid algae and mold growth on the soil surface. We source soil that is free of large organic debris, which would otherwise make lling seed trays or soil blocking frustrating.
Soil blocking, a budget-friendly way many gardeners start seeds, is where a metal tool is used to compress and create actual free-standing blocks of soil into which seeds are sown. Our seeds are sown using Winstrip trays developed and sold by Neversink Farm in New York.
In either method, it is critical your soil is moist before lling a tray or blocking. Note that when utilizing the blocking method, soil will need to be slightly more moist but not so wet that when squeezed, water emerges.
Another key to starting seeds is light. Placing seed trays in windows to utilize sunlight for seed growth does not provide enough light. Seedlings may germinate but will quickly become spindly and weak as they grow and stretch upwards towards the sun. We have invested in cheap 4-foot LED lights from Amazon. They’re plastic, unbreakable, use very little electricity, and provide more than enough light to grow healthy, strong seedlings.
Using these tips and tricks, even novice gardeners can start to explore the wide world of vegetable and ower varieties. The following are a few we
— Celery grown in the garden will blow the avor of store-bought celery out of the park. The keys to celery are to start them inside early. They will need a plastic container (we use solo cups) to keep sunlight off the stalks as they grow. A harvest tip is to wash and precut celery into half inch pieces, blanch on the stove for two minutes, toss into ice water, lay to drain or dry slightly, and freeze for delicious celery ready for recipes all winter long.
— Badger Flame beets are known for their mild and sweet avor — and lack of the geosmin gene. The signature “earthiness” of beets (also the reason many are not beet eaters) is caused by geosmin, an organic compound produced by the beet plant.
— Leeks are a great addition to level up your cooking. They can be stored for weeks in a refrigerator to use all winter long. When growing, leeks need the tips of the green leaves regularly cut to encourage the formation of a thicker stalk. This year we are trying a new leek variety called Garleek that combines the sweetness of leeks with the mellow, savory notes of garlic. You can nd this variety at Row 7 Seed Co. — Jewels of Opar is one of the most interestingly beautiful owers we grow. The tiny pink balls on the end of long, slender stems add interest to any ower bouquet. We source some of our rarer seeds on Etsy, which are sold by small ower farm growers.
— Dahlias are a mainstay in the cut ower garden. However, one of the most amazing things about dahlias is the amount of variation in color, size, and shape — there is truly something for everyone. The amount of honeybees our garden attracted was also an unexpected surprise that we found delightful all summer long (and all winter long, through the deliciousness of the honey in our kitchens). Check out Floret Flower for some amazing varieties and also for in-depth information on all-things dahlia.
Megan Schrupp and Ellen Stenger are sisters and co-owners of both NexGen Dairy and NexGen Market in Eden Valley, Minnesota. They can be reached at Nexgendairy@gmail.com.
The NexGen: Adventures of two dairy daughters
VINCENT BILOW, Bilow Farms LLC 100-stall GEA DairyRotor T8900 parlor Malone, New York
“What excites me most about the GEA DairyRotor is the calmness of the cows. They load magnificently on and off the platform and we’re getting wicked milk letdowns. Our cows are happy and so is our team.” Bilow Farms LLC puts their cows and
Five
Hear Bilow’s story