Working Cows are Working Moms

Working Cows are Working Moms

Jones Dairy is always moo-ving toward increasing sustainability.

By Ann Foster Thelen

When Patrick and Nancy Jones were married in 1977, they continued a dairy business legacy Patrick’s grandfather began in 1906. Jersey cows were among the first livestock on the family farm in Spencer, now being operated by the fourth generation of the Jones family. Jersey cows are affectionately known as loveable, gentle, brown beauties. The breed’s milk is known for its high butterfat and protein content, making it ideal for cheesemaking.

“When I joined the family operation in the 1960s, Dad was milking about 30- to 40-head of Jerseys,” Patrick explains. “In the early 1980s, we built an 80-cow free stall barn with a double-four milking parlor.”

The barn and milking parlor stood the test of time for a quarter of a century as Patrick and Nancy grew their business and family. As parents of eight children, they wanted to cultivate an environment where their kids could be involved in the business as adults. Over the years, they gradually expanded and built a new barn, growing to a herd of 700 cattle by 2006.

Today, the couple’s daughter Aaron Titterington and their son Nathan oversee the family business. Aaron manages the herd of 1,300 cows, and Nathan heads up the construction and fieldwork. While Patrick and Nancy’s six other children aren’t involved in the day-to-day activities, they each have a role in the farm’s success.

A new 64-stall rotary milking parlor is the latest addition to the family business, which builds on the Jones’ commitment to building a legacy for the next generation.

In every aspect of the business, the family’s passion for cow health, innovation and working toward more efficient and sustainable production is paramount.

Cows’ Rations Rival Professional Athletes’ Diets

“We are always working to see how the different pieces of agriculture can fit together,” Aaron says. “Our goal is to keep making the sustainability circle bigger.”

On the farm, the cows provide a full circle of sustainability.

Every day, each 1,000-pound milking cow – which Aaron fondly calls “working moms” –eats 60 pounds of feed, drinks the equivalent of a bathtub full of water and produces 50 pounds of milk and 20 gallons of manure. Patrick and a nutritionist work closely to ensure the cows receive topnotch nutrition. A healthy and well-fed dairy cow is a happy cow, which means she’ll produce more nutritious milk.

“The cows are fed a ration that would rival the nutrition a pro athlete receives,” explains Aaron, who adds that all the family’s crops go into feed. “One of Dad’s favorite crops to plant is a flowery corn kernel instead of a flinty corn kernel because he believes it’s easier for the cows to digest.”

To achieve optimal feed quality with the crops they grow, there are many essential decisions in production, from planting to fertilizing (using liquid components of the cows’ manure) to harvesting. The length the plant is cut, its moisture level and how the processed feed is stored all impact the nutrients. Precise computer- and human-aided formulations generate the perfect recipe of corn silage, alfalfa haylage, corn earlage and other vital ingredients. It’s a science mastered by those who raise pristine and healthy livestock.

At Jones Dairy, working toward more efficient and sustainable production is paramount for the family.

Udderly Comfortable and Happy

Inside the buildings, climatecontrolled open stalls with 3-inch soft rubber mats lining the floor provide the cows with ideal barn amenities. Curtains automatically raise and lower to accommodate Iowa’s fickle weather and to keep temperatures comfortable for the cows, whose hair coats change with the seasons. Every day, new bedding is placed in the stalls, and beyond fertilizer, manure has a variety of beneficial uses on the farm.

“Our goal is to keep everything around the cows as dry as possible,” explains Aaron, who adds this effort is paramount for overall cow health. “All of the bedding comes from manure that goes through a screw press. The liquid is extracted for fertilizer, and the other ingredients create a dry, fluffy ingredient that has a consistency of something you could almost form into a ball.”

The cows receive high-quality and nutritious feed rations that are a precise recipe of corn silage, alfalfa haylage, corn earlage and other vital ingredients.

Not only does this bedding add to the cycle of sustainability, but the dry environment also keeps the cows’ udders and hooves clean, reducing potential bacteria growth in the stalls. Aaron equates the fluffy fertilizer to creating a “mattress” for the cows to sleep on in their stalls.

It’s the ultimate cycle of sustainability; the sun and rain grow the crops. The crops feed the cows, which produce milk – a nutritious food for people. In the process, the cows make manure, which becomes fertilizer for crops and fluffy bedding for the cows.

“Decisions for the farm are always made with the cows in mind. They are most comfortable with routines, habits and moving as a herd. The barn is tempered from the outside elements, dry, well-bedded with ample feed and fresh water available at all times,” Aaron explains.

Every day, new bedding is placed in the stalls for the cows. All of the bedding comes from manure that goes through a screw press. The liquid is extracted for fertilizer, and the other ingredients create a clean and dry, fluffy ingredient.

“A happy cow generally produces more milk, and that’s our ultimate goal – happy and healthy cows.”

Every cow at Jones Dairy produces about 50 pounds – or 7 gallons – of milk per day. The milk is sold to Agropur in Minnesota to make cheese. A cow who has had a calf within three weeks is milked four times a day.

The addition of the circular, rotating milking parlor adds routine and consistency to the daily processes for the cows, the family and the dairy’s employees.

A new 64-stall rotary milking parlor is the latest addition to the family business, which adds routine and consistency for the cows.

Caring for the Land

Sustainability plays a role in all aspects of Jones Dairy. Proper land management allows them to harvest crops for quality feed, and practices across the farm ensure they use natural resources to the fullest with minimal waste.

“We use many different strategies to protect our natural resources, including crop rotation, buffer strips and cover crops,” Aaron explains. “By doing this, we can improve soil quality, prevent soil erosion, and manage crop pests and diseases.”

Water is reused in several places throughout the farm. One example is the water used to rapidly cool milk is saved to water the cows later.

“Maintaining the nutrients within our soil is a priority because we hope the next generation will want to stay on the farm or come back one day,” says Aaron, who realized once she left the farm, working on a dairy farm was her life’s passion. Her husband operates his family's soybean and corn farm, and their two boys, ages 13 and 11, are often helping on the farm.

Aaron Titterington is the fourth generation of the Jones family to work on the farm.

Cow-mmitment to Education

“America has a wonderful, plentiful food system that’s safe, efficient and environmentally conscious. Helping people to understand what goes into their food and where it originates is important,” explains Aaron, who often leads tours on the farm for all ages, from preschool children to adult groups. “I’m passionate about showing how cows care for the land and how the land, in turn, cares for humans by producing nutritious dairy and meat products.”

The family’s goal is to show visitors that their dairy farm’s carbon footprint is small, and they are operating sustainably.

“An observation area was incorporated in our newest barn, which houses the milking parlor,” Aaron says. “Visitors can experience a working dairy farm and learn about the amazing milk production process. For me, there is no place on Earth as wonderful as a farm.”

Feed for the cows is covered and protected to retain vital nutrients.