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Page 2 • World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011
Helping cows make a successful transition
photo submitted
Gary Ruegsegger (middle) and Ken Hein (right) farm in partnership on their dairy, Maple Ridge Dairy, LLC, with assistance from Ken’s dad, Phil Hein Jr. (left). They will be explaining transition cow management on their 1,000-cow dairy through a virtual tour on Oct. 8 during World Dairy Expo.
Maple Ridge Dairy will host virtual tour during WDE By krista m. sheehan Staff writer
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STRATFORD, Wis. – Maple Ridge Dairy, LLC, has a general farming philosophy about how to treat cows and employees. “The cows are the ones that make our pay checks. We need to take care of them. We also need to take good care of our employees so they do a good job for us. If we do those two things we’re going to be successful,” said Gary Ruegsegger, who dairies in partnership with his brother-in-law, Ken Hein, and receives assistance from Ken’s dad, Phil Hein Jr. As managers of Maple Ridge Dairy, LLC, Ruegsegger and the Heins will be sharing their successes in their transition cow management through a virtual tour at noon on Oct. 8 at World Dairy Expo. They milk 1,000 cows with help from 16 employees. “It’s a crucial time in a cow’s life,” Ruegsegger said about calving. “If you can get a cow started right, everything else should fall in place.” Ruegsegger and Hein will talk about their facility for transition cows – a special needs barn built in 1998 when they expanded to a different farmsite.
The barn, which houses about 80 cows, has three individual straw and sand bedded packs for calving. Although Ruegsegger said there are many factors in successfully managing transition cows, he explained three key ideas used at Maple Ridge Dairy. The first is not having them out of their environment too long. “They spend only a few hours where they’re calving. There is less stress on the animal that way,” Ruegsegger said. The second key factor is spending a lot of time managing the feed bunk. “It’s important that dry cows and prefresh animals are fed properly,” Ruegsegger said. The dry cows are given a mainly high fiber and high forage diet. “It’s a time in their life when you rest the rumen so you’re not giving them a lot of energy,” Ruegsegger said about the cows’ 45-day diet. “That’s our goal – to allow the animal a rest to get ready for the next lactation.” The prefresh diet includes more grain and anionic salts. “We want to make sure they’re eating good and have adequate intakes to make sure they take off,” Ruegsegger said. The third management factor is monitoring body weights. “We want to make sure the cows are not too fat and not too thin,” Ruegsegger said. “It goes back to the feeding part that they have good appetites.”
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One of the barns at Maple Ridge Dairy is a special needs barn built in 1998. The barn houses 80 cows and has three individual straw and sand bedded packs for calving.
World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011 • Page 3
Page 4 • World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011
“To me, the people are the highlight of World Dairy Expo.”
Continued from Maple Ridge | Page 2
Chuck Raethke Pepin, Wis. 190 cows How many years have you attended World Dairy Expo? Six to eight times in the past 20 years. Why do you attend World Dairy Expo? To let people know that I am alive and in business, as well as to see people in the dairy industry that I haven’t seen in awhile. The cows are a plus, also. photo submitted
An employee at Maple Ridge Dairy pushes up feed. The dry cows receive a high fiber and high forage diet while the prefresh group diet includes more grain and anionic salts. To help the cows maintain a healthy body weight and good health, Ruegsegger and the team at Maple Ridge Dairy monitor the pH levels of the cows. This helps them control milk fever. They are also able to control the cow’s pH levels through a feed additive. “It’s pretty important to have less metabolic problems. The cows will start off better for you. It also helps reduce the incidence of retained placentas,” Ruegsegger said. Working as a team with employees is also important, Ruegsegger said. “It involves communication. That’s important in our success as a dairy,” he said. But Ruegsegger said there are more than three or four main factors in successful transition management, which
will be explained at the virtual tour. “There are so many aspects involved in trying to be a successful dairy it’s hard to break it down into a few things,” Ruegsegger said. Maple Ridge Dairy had a big expansion in 1998, doubling the herd from 300 to 600. The facility also changed with new freestall barns, which were added onto in 2001 and 2003. At that time, the cows at Maple Ridge Dairy were milked in a Germania double-12 parallel parlor, which they later expanded to the double-16 still in use today. Since the expansion in 1998, the dairy has slowly grown to the current size of 1,000 cows. In addition to managing the herd, Ruegsegger and Hein also farm 2,300 acres.
What is the highlight of World Dairy Expo for you? To me, the people are the highlight of World Dairy Expo. How does attending World Dairy Expo benefit your dairy operation? It exposes me to new products, feeding methods and trends in the dairy industry. What would you say to other dairy producers to encourage them to attend World Dairy Expo? People come from all over the world to see this, and it is right in our backyard. It is a waste not to take advantage of it. Tell us about your farm. I farm with my two brothers in a family corporation. We crop 600 acres of corn, alfalfa and beans. We have a 4-row sandbedded freestall barn with a double-10 parlor. We sell extra females and approximately 60 bulls per year, locally and as A.I. studs.
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Page 6 • World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011
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“We enjoy seeing the best cows in North America compete.”
Keith and Kay Mahoney Mahoney Holsteins Cannon Falls, Minn. 70 registered Holsteins How many years have you attended World Dairy Expo? We have attended WDE for 20 years. Why do you attend World Dairy Expo? We attend WDE to see the dairy shows and the trade show. What is the highlight of World Dairy Expo for you? Explain. The highlight of the WDE would be the cow shows because we show cows and we enjoy seeing the best cows in North America compete. How does attending World Dairy Expo benefit your dairy operation? Some benefits from the WDE would be checking out what Sires are siring the best cattle and getting new ideas from the trade show. What would you say to other dairy producers to encourage them to attend World Dairy Expo? We would encourage other dairy producers to check out the trade show because it has products for every size dairy, and if you enjoy great cows there’s not a better place to visit. Tell us about your farm. We milk 70 registered Holsteins and farm 200 acres.
Meet the 2011 World Dairy Expo official judges World Dairy Expo 2011 is just a few weeks away and dairy cattle show enthusiasts from across North America are making plans to parade their finest across the colored shavings in Madison, Wis., the week of Oct. 4-8. The following slate of judges has been approved by Expo’s Board of Directors. These gentlemen will crown the champions of each of the seven breeds on display during the five day event. • International Junior Holstein Show: Norm Nabholz, West Union, Iowa • Junior Holstein Associate: Bob Hagenow, Poynette, Wis. • International Ayrshire Show: Justin Burdette, Mercersburg, Pa. • Ayrshire Associate: Sean Johnson, Glenville, Pa. • International Brown Swiss Show: Chris Lahmers, Marysville, Ohio • Brown Swiss Associate: Jeff Brown, Jackson Center, Ohio • International Guernsey Show: Blaine Crosser, Marysville, Ohio • Guernsey Associate: Chris Lang, Big Prairie, Ohio • International Holstein Show: Gerald Coughlin, Jr., Peterborough, Ontario • Holstein Associate: Joel Phoenix, Cannington, Ontario • Central National Jersey Show: Hank Van Exel, Lodi, Calif. • Jersey Associate: Nathan Thomas, Cable, Ohio • International Milking Shorthorn Show: Paul Trapp, Taylor, Wis. • Milking Shorthorn Associate: Peter Coyne, Spring Valley, Wis. • International Red & White Show: Adam Liddle, Argyle, N.Y. • Red & White Associate: Adam Hodgins, Kincardine, Ontario
World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011 • Page 7
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Page 8 • World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011
“There is no other place where you can learn anything you need to know about dairy ...”
John and Karyl Diersen Caledonia, Minn. 130 cows How many years have you attended World Dairy Expo? Too many to count. Why do you attend World Dairy Expo? The main reason is the people. We love seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
What is the highlight of World Dairy Expo for you? Explain. The highlight would probably be the cattle shows and sales. It is amazing to see such quality all in one place.
How does attending World Dairy Expo benefit your dairy operation? There are several ways it benefits us. The trade show and commercial exhibits show all the latest technology in the dairy industry. Many industry exports are on hand to answer questions. Another way it benefits us is by “recharging our battery,” so to speak. We come home after seeing the greatest cows in the world with the enthusiasm to try and improve our herd and dairy operation.
What would you say to other dairy producers to encourage them to attend World Dairy Expo? We would tell them that there is no other place that they can see and buy cattle, learn anything they need to know about dairy and meet some of the nicest people in the world all in one place.
Tell us about your farm. Our farm name is Minnigan Hills. We are the third generation of Diersens on this farm. We milk 130 registered Holsteins in a double-8 parallel parlor. We have been flushing higher genetic and genomic animals to improve the value and quality of our herd. We raise hay, corn, soybeans and wheat.
World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011 • Page 9
World Dairy Expo offers continuing educational credits World Dairy Expo has become well respected as an elite dairy cattle show, and also as a source for tapping into the latest research and cutting-edge technologies for the dairy industry. Many of the Expo Seminars, as well as, the Dairy Forage Tool Box Seminars qualify attendees for continuing education credits. The American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) and the American Association of Veterinary State Boards’ (AASVB) Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) are issuing additional credits for their members who attend the seminars. All fifteen of the Expo Seminars and the Dairy Forage Tool Box Seminars are qualified for one continuing education credit for ARPAS members. In addition, the Expo Seminar series is qualified for the RACE program credits. Members of ARPAS and AASVB will want to take advantage of these continuing education opportunities by
attending World Dairy Expo. 2011 Expo Seminar topics include Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) for dairy, genomics testing, communicating with consumers, robotic milking, calf nutrition, feed costs, somatic cell counts and carbon emissions. The Expo Seminars will be held each day, Tuesday through Saturday, in the Mendota 2 meeting room in the Exhibition Hall. The Dairy Forage Tool Box Seminars topics feature improving forage harvest; corn silage fermentation time and starch digestibility; forage feeding in top-producing herds; fall-grown oat option; minimizing bunker/bag silage losses; feed cost benefits of reducing greenhouse gases; and capitalizing on forages to reduce purchased corn and soybeans. These seminars will be presented on stage in the east end of the Arena Building where attendees may also view the winning forage samples on display.
Crowley next Dairy Cattle Superintendent
The World Dairy Expo Executive Committee is pleased to announce that Jim Crowley Jr. has accepted the position of Dairy Cattle Show Superintendent, effective at the March Annual Board of Directors meeting in 2012. Crowley brings a substantial amount of experience to the position, having followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming an integral part of the World Dairy Expo cattle shows at a young age. Most recently, Crowley has served as the Brown Swiss Superintendent, meeting the needs of Brown Swiss exhibitors
from throughout the United States and Canada. Crowley will be shadowing current overall Dairy Cattle Show Superintendent Bob Kaiser at this year’s show, in addition to serving as Brown Swiss Superintendent. This will be Kaiser’s fifth show serving as overall Dairy Cattle Show Superintendent, before that he served as Ayrshire Superintendent. From all of us at World Dairy Expo, we are extremely grateful for Kaiser’s efforts over the past five years and look forward to working with Crowley in the future.
World Dairy Expo honorees
When the world’s dairy industry gathers each fall in Madison, Wis., it is only fitting that outstanding individuals be recognized for their contributions to the dairy business. World Dairy Expo General Manager Mark Clarke said, “The best come to Madison. This is true whether you are talking about the trade show exhibitors, the dairy cattle that parade on the colored shavings or the people who attend this show year after year. We are honored to spotlight accomplishments with four special awards.” World Dairy Expo’s 2011 Recognition Award Winners include: Dairymen of the Year – Koepke Farms, Inc., Alan, Jim, David and John Koepke, Oconomowoc, Wis.; Dairy Woman of the Year – Donna Myers, Windsor Manor, New Windsor, Md.; Industry Person of the Year – Dr. H. Duane Norman, Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory, ARS, USDA, Fulton, Md.; and International Person of the Year – Anne Perchard, La Ferme Ltd. (The Ansom Jersey Herd) of Great Britain. The recipients will be honored during World Dairy Expo at a special “Dinner with the Stars” banquet, held on Wednesday, Oct. 5, in the Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. Tickets for the event are $30. Reservations are required by Tuesday, Sept. 27.
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Page 10 • World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011
Forages, milk quality and reproduction management to be featured in Virtual Farm Tour Blue Mound Dairy to present at World Dairy Expo By jennifer burggraff Staff writer
Luverne, Minn. – In 30 years, Blue Mound Dairy near Luverne, Minn., has grown from 300 cows to over 1,000. It has seen facility changes and updates, and improvements in production, crop management and genetics, garnering recognition in those respective areas. On Oct. 7, dairy producers from around the globe will have the opportunity to experience this dairy virtually, through a Virtual Farm Tour at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. The tour will take place at 12 p.m. in the Mendota 1 meeting room in the Exhibition Hall. Producers are sure to come away from this tour with a host of ideas and concepts to incorporate on their own farms. Blue Mound Dairy has been operated by the Van Santen family since 1980, when Peter Van Santen started the dairy. Today, Peter’s son, Rick, his wife, Carrie, and their sons, Brad (24), Derek (20), Austin (17) and Jacob (13), take charge of the
daily management of the farm. Rick is the overall manager of the farm, filling in wherever needed, while Carrie handles the calf care and bookwork. Brad serves as the herdsman; Derek, when not in college, does the fieldwork and machinery maintenance. Austin helps Carrie with calves, and Jacob does the mowing and other tasks when not in school or sports. Employees have played an important part in maintaining high milk quality at Blue Mound Dairy, Carrie Van Santen said via an email interview. Blue Mound Dairy employs 15 fulltime and five part-time people. “We have good employees,” Van Santen said. “Everyone follows the same milking procedures, and special attention is given to details.” This eye for details has led the Blue Mound herd to achieve a RHA of 28,500 pounds while keeping a low SCC around 125,000. The Van Santens currently milk around 900 cows on their dairy. The cows are milked three times a day in a double-16 parallel parlor. A dip, strip, dry, attach routine is the milking procedure
Photo courtesy of Pioneer Hi-Bred
The Van Santen family – (from left) Austin, Derek, Rick, Carrie, Jacob and Brad – own and operate Blue Mound Dairy near Luverne, Minn. The Van Santens will host a Virtual Farm Tour on Oct. 7 at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. used. With the farm’s mission statement focused on producing quality milk while providing a comfortable environment for the cows, the Van Santens house their animals in an Hstyle freestall barn. The stalls are bedded with sand, and sand is reclaimed after use through a sand lane. Sand is just the beginning of the cow-comfort features in the Blue Mound Dairy barn. Ventilation fans, a sprinkler system and side curtains keep the cows
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happy through all seasons of the year. The Van Santens raise all of their replacement heifers on site, keeping a self-contained herd. The youngstock is housed in a new facility put up in 2010. Raising and harvesting quality forages has been a key factor in the success of Blue Mound Dairy. The Van Santens farm 1,200 acres of land, raising 900 acres of corn and 300 acres of alfalfa. Another key factor has been genetics. In 2009, the Van Sant-
en family was named the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council Silver Award Winner. “We breed for health with the bulls we choose. Along with that comes production,” Van Santen said of their breeding philosophy. For an in-depth view of Blue Mound Dairy and how the Van Santen family has successfully grown their dairy business, be sure to stop by the Mendota 1 meeting room in the Exhibition Hall at World Dairy Expo for their Virtual Farm Tour.
Arlington Agricultural Research Station We have had our pasteurizer for about three years now, and I have nothing but good things to say about it. At any given time, we have roughly 6065 calves just on milk alone. With twice daily feedings of about 50-60 gallons a piece, our equipment simply has to work. Not once, in three years, has our pasteurizer not done its job. It’s extremely reliable and self-sufficient. We pasteurize twice a day (once for each feeding), and then it’s great knowing that when chore time comes, the milk is ready to go. The CIP system works great as well. We take quality control samples every other week, and the results come back good every time. As far as time management goes, we have integrated the pasteurizer (and transfer tank-which we use to bring milk over from the main dairy) into our routines over time. It was something extra to get used to at first, just like any piece of new equipment. But, in the end, it has saved us time since we don’t have to mix milk replacer anymore. We can just pour our bottles and buckets right out of it. The service we have received from Darlington Dairy Supply could not be any better! From the day of installation, Torrence Thuli gave us his business card with his cell phone number on it, and he has answered every single time we have called with a question. He has been there for us morning and night. DDS is by far one of the best businesses we have dealt with, as far as their customer service and willingness to help. We think that overall, calf health has improved. This could be in part due to the fact that we are able to feed more. As soon as our calves are two weeks old, they get 3 quarts of milk at each feeding. With milk replacer, we had kept everyone at 2 quarts until weaning. It just makes sense to be feeding a calf something that came out of a cow just yards away. I believe it’s cleaner, as well. When the milk comes out of the pasteurizer, it’s the perfect temperature, and rid of any bugs that can harm them. It’s nice not having to deal with bags of replacer, or sticky powder.
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World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011 • Page 11
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Page 12 • World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011
World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011 • Page 13
Experiencing culture from around the world
Interested in working with foreign students for a year?
Target Your Customers! The Dairy Star is sent only to DAIRY FARMERS!
If you would like to advertise in the DAIRY STAR, call 320-352-6303 for more information.
Krista M. Sheehan / dairy star
Bruce Heim (left) stands in the freestall barn with his son, Chris (right), and international exchange student, Angelica Castro, from Columbia. The Heim family has hosted about 18 international students on their farm for over 10 years. They currently find students through the Global Cow program in Brattleboro, Vt.
Heim family hosts international students on their dairy By krista m. sheehan Staff writer
LEWISTON, Minn. – Although the Heim family has experienced culture from over seven different countries, they never had to purchase a plane ticket. Over the past 10 years, Bruce and Jodi Heim have hosted international exchange students on their 250-cow dairy near Lewiston, Minn., where they farm with their son, Chris, and his wife, Amanda. “Some neighbors hosted students and were enjoying it, and my parents had foreign exchange students while I was growing up, so I was used to having people of other cultures around. We thought it would be interesting to try,” Bruce Heim said. Since trying the new venture, the Heim family has hosted about 18 students from over seven different countries, including Poland, Russia, Columbia, Ecuador, Honduras, Venezuela and Guatemala. They currently find their students and trainees through the Global Cow program based in Brattleboro, Vt. The program matches students with host farms, where the students will live and work for one year. The Heims’ current student, Angelica Castro, is from Bogota, Columbia. She found out about the program from friends who had tried it. Castro said one reason she joined the program was to improve her English. To help her with this goal, the Heim family enrolled Castro in an English class in Winona two nights per week. “She’s really improved since she first got here,” Bruce said. But Castro also wanted to learn about the farm. Although she has a degree in animal nutrition, Castro’s experience in the U.S. living and working on a dairy farm is new for her. “I never milked one cow [before coming to the U.S.], but I like feeding cows better. It’s exciting,” said the 26-year-old. Castro has been living with the Heim family and working on their farm since last September. In addition to milking, Castro has been taking care of calves, keeping records and watching cows for heat. Breeding cows has also been one of her responsibilities after she took a certified A.I. training class. “We try to do as much training on the farm as we can. They (the students) are so interested in Turn to Heims | Page 15
Six entrances a year, typically stay a year.
Call Global Cow (866) 267-2879 orr
www.globalcow.com m
Page 14 • World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011
“We renew old friendships and take in the tradeshow.” Todd and Stacy Leiding, along with their children, Kayla and Haely Fountain, Minn. 65 registered Holsteins How many years have you attended World Dairy Expo? We’ve attended Expo only three times in the last 15 years. Before that, Stacy and I attended every year in college and a couple years after college before coming home to farm. Why do you attend World Dairy Expo? We attend Expo to see the best cattle in North America, renew old friendships and to take in the trade show. What is the highlight of World Dairy Expo for you? Explain. For Stacy, it’s the quality cattle at the shows, especially the Holstein show. For me, it’s all the exhibits in the trade show. Hopefully I can pick up a new idea or two to take home. How does attending World Dairy Expo benefit your dairy operation? If I can pick up an idea from the trade show to implement into our dairy than that’s a huge advantage to help us succeed in being profitable. Stacy likes seeing daughters of bulls from A.I. studs in their showcases or seeing the show animals from certain bulls would be a great advantage for bull selection at home. What would you say to other dairy producers to encourage them to attend World Dairy Expo? If people like attending state fair, Farm Progress Days, Farmfest or family reunions, then you’ve got to go to Expo.
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Tell us about your farm. My wife, Stacy, and I farm under the prefix Shirman registered Holsteins in Fountain, Minn. Our twin daughters, Haely and Kayla, are freshman in high school. We milk 65 cows and run 350 acres of corn, hay and soybeans. Stacy’s parents, Tillman and Shirley Fingerson, help with field work and calf chores. We enjoy showing dairy cattle at five to eight shows each year. Recently, Haely had Reserve Grand Champion Holstein in the Minnesota State Fair 4-H and FFA dairy shows.
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World Dairy Expo • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, September 10, 2011 • Page 15
Continued from Heims | Page 13
learning and finding out about how things are done in the U.S. and Minnesota,” Heim said. “The first two months are the hardest because is a lot of basic training and because of the language differences.” The way dairy farms are managed in Columbia is very different from Minnesota dairy farms, Castro said. Most cows in Columbia are out on pasture and have grass-based diets, which is different from the Heim farm where they feed chocolate and gummy bears in the total mixed ration for starch. Castro also had to learn to adjust to the Minnesota weather and daylight hours. Her home area has about equal hours of daylight and darkness and a constant temperature all year. “It’s a large experience for people in Columbia to come here [because of] the snow,” she said. “We have no winter and no snow. I prefer the snow. Maybe some people think I’m crazy, but I like it.” Castro also had to adjust to the culture. “South America is a lot different,” she said. “For me, it was really hard at Christmas because [at home] we have big parties and here it’s only close family,” she said. Another adjustment has
Krista M. Sheehan / dairy star
Angelica Castro marks down cows in heat in the Heim family’s freestall barn. Castro, who is from Columbia, has been working for and living with the Heim family since last September through the Global Cow program
been meals. Not only is the food different, but the portion sizes are flipped. “At home we have lots of food for lunch. Here it is for supper,” Castro said. But Castro has fit in well with the Heim family’s routine. “They are my new family,” she said.
And the Heims treat her like family. “If our daughter or son was going to another country in a program like this, we would like to think they would be with a family who would treat them like a family member, watch out for them and treat them with respect,” Heim said.
Bruce and Jodi have six adult children who are out of the house. Having students live with them has helped them with the “empty nest” syndrome. “It’s been really nice having somebody here with us. It’s gone really well,” Heim said. There has only been one
aspect that’s been challenging with having another person living in the house, especially when Bruce and Jodi’s two younger daughters come home from college for the weekend. “Bathroom time,” Heim and Castro said with a laugh. Overall the Heim family has loved the opportunity to experience a different culture right in their own home. “We like hearing about their homes, what it’s like there and what they do. They all have different stories,” Heim said referring to all 18 students his family has hosted. “They’ve also been easy to get along with and they’re hard workers.” But Heim said the program is not for everyone. “Dairy farmers should remember the trainee isn’t here for cheap labor. They’re here to learn our culture and about American farming,” Heim said. It will also give Heim an excuse to buy a plane ticket to visit another country in the future. “We had lots of invitations for visits. We could visit most of South America,” Heim said. Until then, the Heim family will enjoy different cultures on their farm.
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