2020 June Dairy Month

BRENNA MURRY

2020

JUNE HANNAH WIECZOREK AND RACHEL WIECZOREK

KATE WEBSTER

DAIRY

MONTH Salute to the Next Generation of Dairy

AGRI-VIEW SPECIAL SECTION June 4, 2020

ELIZABETH KATZMAN

ALEYA STIBBE

ERNIE NICHOLS

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We salute everyone in dairy 1901 Fish Hatchery Road Madison, Wisconsin 53713 Toll-Free: 1-888-AGRI-VIEW Madison Fax: 608-250-4155 agriview@madison.com www.agriview.com

Group Publisher Lee Agri-Media Matt Meyers 608-252-6235 mmeyers@madison.com

Editorial Managing Editor Julie Belschner 608-219-8316 jbelschner@madison.com

ESPECIALLY THE YOUNGEST June Dairy Month 2020 is as always a celebration of the dairy industry. But this year’s celebration occurs in the midst of a crisis not seen before in our lifetimes – a global pandemic. The COVID-19 virus has affected the entire dairy supply chain – employees, producers, processors, retailers, end users and exporters. In spite of that dairy farmers are working to stand strong, to fight through to a better future.

Many of those affected the most by the pandemic are the youngest in the dairy industry.

Schools closed in mid-March, with learning moving online and into the family barn. FFA and 4-H meetings stopped. Showing of animals and

Advertising Sales Manager Tammy Strauss 608-250-4157 tstrauss@madison.com

Northeast Wisconsin Steve Scharf, Brownsville 608-576-3035 sscharf@madison.com

North Central Leon Knaak, Marshfield 715-305-8721 lknaak@madison.com

Northwest & Southwest WI Daryl Wermedal, West Salem 608-212-4113 dwermedal@madison.com

Southern Wisconsin Ashley Johnson 608-228-6834 ajohnson@madison.com

Auctions Wendy Kummer 608-250-4163 wkummer@madison.com Tom Litscher tlitscher@madison.com

Julie Belschner, managing editor Agri-View

In Focus ... with PDPW

Southern Wisconsin Reporter Lynn Grooms 608-982-6165 lgrooms@madison.com

sharing of projects were suspended. Graduating students missed prom and graduation. Current and future college students are this year learning as best they can online. And yet the kids stay strong. They work to help others. They promote Support Dairy. They look to a future they will build.

That future will look different but Wisconsin will still be the Dairy State. Farmers will still be the heart and foundation of the Midwest. Hard work, community spirit, caring, innovation, hope and optimism will continue to be Wisconsin bywords, reflected in those farmers.

Human world changes, natural world doesn’t

‘T

he world has changed.”

During the past few months we’ve seen evidence of that phrase in many ways. I agree the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our society, economy and families in ways that will change how we live our lives for a long time to come.

But if it were up to me I’d make an adjustment to that statement.

“The world we have created has changed.”

Despite the confusion and chaos around us, the sun still rises and sets each day. FlowSHELLY MAYER ers are still blooming, calves and PDPW kittens are still arriving, and the lawn still needs mowing.

The natural world continues on its course even while many of us feel suspended in a state of uncertainty.

Once I wrapped my head around the concept that the world created for me isn’t ending –rather it’s the way I’ll need to do things that’s changed – it’s been easier for me to adapt and adjust. Some of us are planners and have a carefully laid-out road map – high school,

college, marriage, children, careers and/or farm plans. That road map is something we’ve created for ourselves. When something from left field disrupts the plan we’ve constructed it shakes us into the realization that what we’re doing in this world isn’t just about us.

Life is full of surprises and bumps in the road.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has been totally unprecedented in its speed, intensity and impact – casting its blow on the entire globe at almost the same time.

As farmers we’re feeling the imbalance more sharply than ever. We attempt to adjust our operations to manage markets and supply chains that have turned upside down. But we need to do that within the parameters of the natural world. Cows are still producing milk, crops still need to be planted and animals still need to be processed for the food supply. Along with everyone in the food system, we’re making adjustments as best we can.

It’s been painful and challenging.

We are also grieving in more-personal ways.

Some are grieving the losses or illnesses of loved ones, or of the cancelation or postponement of celebrations such as graduations and weddings.

And many more are disappointed to the core at what we had anticipated would finally be a season of financial turnaround in the dairy industry.

Despite all the gloom, we’re seeing some positives from the unwelcome disruption – including more time with our families and incredible acts of generosity in our communities. Through the Wisconsin Dairy Recovery Partnership we’ve seen milk bottled and distributed through the Hunger Task Force – milk that would have otherwise been dumped. Programs across the country have united Please SEE Mayer, Page 4

PHOTOS ON FRONT Clockwise from top left, are...

Sisters and Baraboo High School FFA officers Hannah Wieczorek, left, and Rachel Wieczorek pose with a Support Dairy sign at the Scott and Rebecca Klitzke dairy farm outside of Rock Springs, Wisconsin.

Brenna Murry with the Mosinee FFA is a sixth-generation dairy farmer on her family’s farm, Freeman Creek Dairy near Halder, Wisconsin.

Elizabeth Katzman is vice-president of the Whitewater FFA Chapter in Wisconsin, which has been working with several Walworth County organizations and businesses to sell ‘Support Dairy’ yard signs to help Wisconsin dairy farmers struggling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of the effort, May 20, she raised $10,000. With sponsors paying for sign costs, she says, all that will be used to purchase Wisconsin cheese and other dairy products for the Whitewater Food Pantry and The Community Space. ‘Being from a dairy-farm family, I know firsthand how much work – and passion – goes into producing milk,’ she says. ‘To watch farmers dump thousands of gallons of milk – due to the shift in demand when schools and restaurants were forced to close – breaks my heart, especially knowing that our farm could be next.’ The FFA chapter hopes to create awareness for the vital role Wisconsin’s dairy industry plays in feeding our hungry world.

Ernie Nichols is a senior at River Ridge High School in Patch Grove, Wisconsin.

He grew up on small 160-cow dairy near Mount Hope, Wisconsin. He plans to attend Southwest Tech for ag power and equipment technician, to continue to support the farming industry with his trade skill.

Aleya Stibbe, a graduating senior from Richland Center, Wisconsin, serves as the 2019-2020 president of the Richland Center FFA chapter.

Kate Webster is a senior at Gilman High School in Wisconsin. She has served as president of the Gilman FFA Chapter for the past three years and has participated in almost every contest at the local and state level. ‘I fell in love with the FFA organization,’ she says. ‘My parents have raised my sister and me on our small dairy farm.

We milk about 70 cows year-round as well as grow and harvest our own crops. Farming has become a large part of my life and I can never be more grateful to have had such a crazy childhood.’ She plans this fall to attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to major in agricultural education, and to minor in animal science and Spanish. ‘My goal in the future is to become a great advocate for agriculture and the dairy industry wherever my degree will take me,’ she says.

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Dairy calves know best

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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

Dr. Theresa Ollivett, veterinarian, checks an ultrasound monitor while assessing the lungs of a calf.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

The #WeanClean philosophy’s mission is to use ultrasound to promote calf-health management that maximizes every calf’s potential to begin the transition through the weaning process with clean and healthy lungs.

GREG GALBRAITH For Agri-View

‘W

hen in doubt trust the calves,” says Dr. Theresa Ollivett, veterinarian and assistant professor at the University of WisconsinSchool of Veterinary Medicine. “We don’t always get the same information from different sources on farms. That’s where using a tool like ultrasound can come into play.

Because it lets the lungs of the calf tell you whether they are healthy or not.”

The dairy industry needs to change its approach when it comes to Bovine Respiratory Disease in cattle, she said.

“We’ve been doing many things in the past 20 years with management styles, vaccines, ventilation and new antibiotics,” she said. “I believe we can all agree that we still have too much respiratory disease, particularly in preweaned dairy calves. Lung lesions, which are detectable by ultrasound, are really important to focus on because (they) can have significant impacts on the life of an animal.”

Lung lesions often precede clinical symptoms by at least a week if not more on most dairies.

“With an ultrasound we can see that calves are sick before they have visible symptoms,” she said. “The lesions are very predictable

where they will occur in the lung, particularly in young pre-weaned dairy calves where they’re typically picking up bacterial bronchopneumonia,” Lesions respond to treatment by disappearing; she calls this being responsive – but it’s not always the case. Treatment failures are way more common than thought. In those cases the lung lesions stay or can even become worse.

Ollivett has introduced a concept she calls the #WeanClean philosophy. Its mission is to use ultrasound to promote calf-health management that maximizes every calf’s

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potential to begin the transition through the weaning process with clean and healthy lungs. Its guiding principle is that calves with healthy and ultrasonographically clean lungs will maintain growth during weaning. They’ll be less likely to require antibiotics for clinical respiratory disease following weaning.

In many cases the stress of weaning can make the calf show clinical signs of pneumonia. But the lesions were actually present in its lungs in the pre-weaning phase.

“We see it manifest itself clinically at post-weaning because we’ve stressed them by changing their diet, housing and social

Greg Galbraith

structure,” she said. “It tips them over the edge and allows those clinical signs to develop.

“Sometimes we need to think outside the box and think creatively to achieve the goal of healthier calves. I think that’s true of respiratory disease in calves.”

Research during the past 10 years has shown that lung ultrasound is a fast and accurate tool to diagnose respiratory disease.

“A simple test that we do on the farm to monitor lung lesions typically only takes 30 Please SEE Calves, Page 4

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Mayer

Calves

From Page 2

From Page 3

to support essential workers and aid those in need.

There will also be unexpected business and personal opportunities as a result of the crisis. We may be able to fill a need in our community or industry, or be a resource for someone else. We just need the courage to step through the door when it opens.

The pandemic will shape us and change us in ways we can’t yet imagine. Taking time to remember that we are all put on this earth to care for one another will help us keep moving forward one day – and sometimes one hour – at a time.

Dairy farming is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage to manage a business as unpredictable as a dairy. Each and every day dairy producers gamble in the face of all odds. Weather and a complex interconnected biological system can be formidable foes. Typical dairy producers accept risks others would agonize about. They plan for uncertainty, accept Mother Nature’s mood swings and keep putting one foot in front of the other. That’s because they absolutely love the work they do with their roles as caretakers and providers.

In spite of 2019’s crop struggles we looked forward to planting this year’s crop. That’s because God instilled within us optimism, courage and resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic may have changed a lot of our immediate surroundings, but it can’t change who we are.

It’ll take more than a virus to change the seasons of the year, the hours of each sunset or the beauty we see in the beginning of each day.

It’s true the world as we knew it may have changed, but the world God created for us – and created us for — remains alive and brimming with potential.

Hold on to what is absolute. The world that was created for us remains unchanged. Each day the sun rises, the sun sets. Each day we are called to be faithful, to be strong and to serve God by serving His people.

seconds per calf and allows us to give a score to each tested animal,” Ollivett said. “This allows us to ensure the #WeanClean philosophy because it gives us an accurate way of not only knowing who has disease but how old they are and when the condition is just starting in the herd, and how the calves are responding to treatment.”

In many herds 60 percent to 80 percent of cases of respiratory disease in young dairy calves are sub-clinical for at least a week before they’re noticed,” she said.

That fact is specific to young dairy calves.

The take-away is that on most dairy farms there will be calves with abnormal lungs well before they are showing clinical signs.

“That means no matter how good you are in picking up clinical signs you’re likely already behind the eight-ball in getting them treated,” she said.

According to supporting data, failures to cure those cases as well as relapses can be happening unbeknownst to the calf manager or herd owner.

“This represents an opportunity to work with a veterinarian and ultrasound to see what you’re missing and correct the problems,” Ollivett said.

Because clinical signs and lung lesions don’t always match, calf-health records don’t always reflect what’s happening accurately. If calves look sick, and are quiet and depressed, with abnormal manure and possibly muscle tremors – and yet their lungs look good, producers need to consider other things that could be contributing to those problems.

“What I’m seeing in some herds is that’s very typical of salmonellosis, viral infections or something else that could be creating a septicemic process that mimics respiratory disease,” she said. “Knowing this allows you to change your direction in treatment and management options.”

The industry needs to change its approach to observing and dealing with bovine respiratory disease, she emphasized. A lung lesion can be 3 centimeters in a calf – and affect their growth and eventually their milk production as a two-year-old.

“By using the #WeanClean principles we can target our observations and figure out when and why the problem is occurring,” Ollivett said. “That’s how we can work toward reducing it.”

Ollivett spoke recently during a Dairy Calf & Heifer Association webinar. Visit calfandheifer.org and thedairylandinitiative.vetmed. wisc.edu/home/calf-health-module or contact ollivett@wisc.edu or 608-358-1640 for more information.

Shelly Mayer is the executive director of Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin; email smayer@pdpw.org to contact her.

Visit pdpw.org for more information.

Greg Galbraith, a former dairy farmer who owns woodlot property in eastern Marathon County, Wisconsin, writes about the rapidly changing nature of the agricultural landscape.

He has built a lifetime connection to the land and those who farm it.

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Keep equipment clean to keep farmers safe W

NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

Wipe down everything that may have been touched, sneezed or coughed on – or otherwise exposed to the previous operator. That includes the steering wheel, throttle, all levers and controls, knobs on heater and air conditioning, door handles, window levers, etc.

ith COVID-19 dominating news cycles everywhere on the planet, there are a few questions that have arisen for minimizing risk for those who operate farm tractors, trucks and other enclosed ag equipment – especially when the same machine is being operated during the course of a day or work week by multiple people.

COVID-19 spreads easily from person-to-person.

But it’s not believed to be transferred across sigJOHN nificant outdoor distances.

SHUTSKE University of Health experts believe Wisconsin the risk is significantly reduced even by people who are together outdoors if they stay more than 6 feet apart. So for a healthy worker operating a tractor or other vehicle as a sole operator, out in the middle of a farm field, that person is at almost-zero risk from person-toperson spread – as long as that person

is alone.

But almost all operators come in some contact with visitors, agriculturalservice personnel, hired employees and other people. The virus can be spread by a person infected with the virus who does not appear or “know” they are sick – or he or she may have acquired the virus but not yet show symptoms.

That’s what health professionals are calling “asymptomatic” individuals.

During this time when many people are staying home and working in isolated locations, it’s good for a grower or other ag professional to limit contact with others.

• Transact as much business as possible by telephone, text messaging or email.

• Limit contact with visitors.

• If one must spend time in direct

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contact with non-family members, keeping a 6-foot distance.

• The other possible situation that could lead to exposure is sharing a cab on a tractor or other machine when things are busy – or when employees or others might be trading and using the same machine as other operators.

Work to reduce the level of risk that exists by sharing equipment.

Know the symptoms of COVID-19 and do not allow workers onto the farm if they are sick, or have known exposures to and contact with others including family members who have had the virus during the past 14-plus days. Two common symptoms from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include cough and shortness of breath. The CDC also notes that having at least two of the following symptoms can mean a person has COVID-19 – fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and/or new loss of taste or smell.

Any people who suspect they are sick based on those symptoms should call a clinic to get advice. They should not come to work on the farm because they can spread the illness. Some farms are asking every employee to check their

temperature each morning and report it before arriving for work. That’s also a good time to review or create a “sick leave” policy for hired workers. Many workers are incentivized to come to work even if they might feel sick because they need a paycheck.

Even if a person appears healthy, shared equipment should be cleaned between operators.

Every operator should start each workday or shift with clean and laundered clothing – normal machine washing with laundry detergent and heated drying will kill the virus. Warm or hot water is better. Operators should shower since any previous contact with the “public” and/or since their previous work shift.

Between operators if possible leave cab windows and doors as open as possible, as long as the machine is parked in a secure location. Wind blowing through the cab will help clear and clean the air in the cab. Direct exposure to ultraviolet light in bright sunshine will also be helpful, though it will not impact virus particles in shaded areas or if sunlight is shining through glass.

When approaching a vehicle to begin a day or shift, consider every

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part and location that might have been touched by the previous operator. That includes handholds, fuel-tank caps, ladders, oil dipsticks and door handles.

They should be wiped down thoroughly.

Also consider wiping down hitches, wagon tongues and hitch pins on equipment. Wear waterproof protective gloves when cleaning; remove and store them carefully when cleaning is complete both inside and outside the operator’s station.

Several options exist for cleaning.

The virus is broken down with soapy warm water and a wet towel or cloth.

Some operators are using antibacterial “wipes” or other commercial spray cleaners that are listed as antibacterialantimicrobial. Another option that kills and breaks down the virus is a diluted bleach-water solution. The CDC recommends 1/3 cup of household bleach per gallon of water, or 4 teaspoons of bleach per quart of water applied generously through a spray bottle. Bleach-water solution should only be applied to hard non-porous surfaces. When bleachwater solution is used it should be sprayed on and allowed to dry. Never apply bleach directly to cloth, fabric, electronic components, the operator’s panel, touch screens, etc. While

bleach-water is effective against the virus it may permanently stain clothing and other fabric, or damage some components in the cab.

Wipe down everything that may have been touched, sneezed or coughed on – or otherwise exposed to the previous operator. That includes the steering wheel, throttle, all levers and controls, knobs on heater and air conditioning, door handles, window levers, etc. Again warm soapy water or other disinfecting products are recommended. Windows can be wiped down with warm soapy water and then finished with window cleaner. Most consumer window-cleaning products are not approved as disinfectants, but if wiped down first with soapy water the job can be finished with window-cleaning products.

Do not use harsh cleaners on electronic parts, touch screens or other components. Check the operator’s manual. Consider carrying a pocketful of cleaning wipes that have isopropyl alcohol, which kills the virus, to wipe those parts. Also use those wipes to frequently clean eyeglasses including sunglasses and smartphones – both of Please SEE Equipment, Page 8

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which can become dirty from frequent use.

Once things are wiped down in the cab and the new operator is ready to roll, remove and store the protective gloves. Use gel or foam hand sanitizer on hands. If hand sanitizer is kept in the cab – recommended – keep it out of direct sunlight. During time some of the alcohol will evaporate even though it’s sealed so replace it often.

Consider more-frequent cab airfilter changeouts; most air-handling systems are bringing in and filtering outside air. There are no known concerns about those filters spreading the virus. But air movement in the cab during operation is important; a clean filter will help insure maximum airflow and comfort for the operator.

With all those precautions, some operators are also purchasing and using a bundle of thick cotton work gloves they can wear throughout the day. They are changing gloves frequently between tasks like hitching and unhitching, or touching any surface not known for sure to have been cleaned.

A bundle of a dozen pair of gloves can be purchased for less than $15. Used and dirty

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cotton gloves can then be thrown into a sealed plastic bag and laundered each night with other work clothes. Don’t use cloth gloves for tasks that involve liquids or wet conditions. Never use leather gloves for virus protection; they can’t be laundered and could harbor the virus. Waterproof gloves will also provide protection and should be used during cleaning, but are not durable and are not comfortable for longterm use for most people.

Hand sanitizers and gloves help by killing or reducing contact with the virus – but nothing beats handwashing. Wash with soap and warm water. Scrub hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds; scrub all areas – knuckles, fingernails, between fingers, around rings, etc. Dry with a clean paper towel.

Staying safe and healthy during these times requires one to think like a “CSI investigator” to consider how and where the virus might spread. It takes a little extra work and care, but everyone’s health is vital. Our growing world population needs our farmers.

John Shutske is a University of WisconsinDivision of Extension agricultural safety and health specialist. Email john.shutske@ wisc.edu to contact him.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

Used and dirty cotton gloves can be thrown into a sealed plastic bag and laundered each night with other work clothes.

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Stay safe on farms using COVID guidelines North Dakota State University

Farmers, ranchers and their employees need to follow physical-distancing guidelines to minimize the risk for themselves and their families. As everyone slowly moves into a phase of re-opening, the risk of illness from COVID-19 has not faded.

Farmers, ranchers and their employees interact with each other regularly so they need to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention physical-distancing guidelines to minimize the risk for themselves and their families.

“COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms,” said Lindy Berg, North Dakota State University-Extension agriculture and naturalresources agent. “Continue to follow CDC guidelines to keep your workers safe.

“Know which workers are at higher risk of developing serious illness or live with someone at risk, and distance them from others as much as possible. Set clear expectations for employees to stay home if they develop symptoms of illness.”

morning or the evening before everyone goes home, develop alternatives.”

Daily plans can be communicated virtually through phone calls, emails or group text messages. If in-person meetings are necessary, try to meet outside in an open area rather than in a small shop with limited space that won’t allow for physical distancing. Set chairs apart or mark spots on the floor for distancing.

“Limit the number of employees working on equipment together in the shop as much as possible,” said Katelyn Hain, North Dakota State University-Extension agriculture and natural-resources agent.

“However keep safety in mind so people are not working alone in hazardous situations without someone to assist or call for help.”

TIPS FOR PHYSICAL DISTANCING ARE GIVEN. • H ave enough vehicles so people can

TIPS TO PROTECT FARM EMPLOYEES ARE GIVEN. • M aintain a 6-foot distance between people whenever possible.

• Wear a mask when working around others.

• Develop a cohesive plan for the whole farm.

• “ Set expectations on daily interactions among all employees and what physical distancing measures are to be followed,” said Angie Johnson, North Dakota State University-Extension agriculture and natural-resources agent. “If employees usually meet at the shop in the

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drive separately or in pairs as often as possible. Assign equipment, tractors and pickups to individuals as much as possible, especially for those who may be considered at greater risk of developing illnesses.

• L imit the number of individuals in vehicles when riding from field to field, and wear a mask when sharing that space.

• L imit ride-alongs of nonessential workers or family.

• Stagger breaks and mealtimes to minimize the number of individuals in the breakroom at one time, and encourage cleaning and disinfecting between uses.

• C all in feed orders and have them charged to the farm’s account, then mail the payment. Provide specific directions where bulk-feed deliveries should to be unloaded to maintain safe separation.

• A sk veterinarians or animal-healthsupply stores to bring orders out to the farm’s vehicle or mail them.

• If selling livestock, plan on dropping the animals off but not staying to watch the sale.

Visit www.ag.ndsu.edu/farmsafety/ covid-19 for more information.

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Farm owners should require workers who are near other employees to wear masks to stay safe from the COVID virus.

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NEXT GENERATION OF DAIRY Hannah Hockerman is a senior at the Westfield Area School District in Wisconsin.

She lives on her family dairy farm where they have 700 milking cows and 1,000 additional young stock divided across three different farms.

‘My favorite farm to work on is the heifer farm,’ she says.

‘I’m very lucky to have an opportunity to work with and care for animals every day. I have a lot of options on the farm so I’m able to choose what I enjoy doing.’ She helps educate other youth regarding what the calves eat and drink, and how to care for them.

She is an active member of the District 5 Junior Holstein Association and volunteers to advocate for the dairy industry by working at the Moo Booth at the Wisconsin State Fair. She plans to attend Rock Valley College before transferring to a four-year school to study animal science or agricultural education.

CONTRIBUTED

Bryly Clark is a senior at River Ridge High School in Patch Grove, Wisconsin. He’s been involved at ClarkView Farms LLC, a 1,000cow dairy near Bagley, Wisconsin. He started helping his dad with herd health and treated his first milk fever at age 12; he continues to learn new skills daily. Currently he’s been involved in operating the greenhouse for the hemp portion of the business. He plans to attend Southwest Tech for agribusiness science and technologyagronomy.

CONTRIBUTED CONTRIBUTED

Laura Gramer is a senior at Portage High School in Wisconsin. She has been an active FFA member during her time in high school; she’s also worked at a dairy farm this year as part of a youth apprenticeship. She plans to study dairy science this coming year.

Wyatt Artac, a senior at Greenwood High School in Wisconsin, has been around dairy cattle since the time he was born. He’s helped where possible since he was old enough to do so safely. His tasks began with helping feed calves and scraping in his younger years. They evolved to filling mixer, fixing equipment, helping with milking and many other daily tasks that needed to be done.

CONTRIBUTED

Lane Nett is a senior at Weyauwega-Fremont High School in Weyauwega, Wisconsin. He’s a member of the Weyauwega-Fremont FFA Chapter, a Star Farmer finalist and in the best-five of dairy entrepreneurship.

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HISTORY

Remembering Our Rural Roots Wheat gives way to dairy cows

Making butter remained a farm-kitchen activity for many years; a woman churns butter in 1905 in Alma in Buffalo County, Wisconsin. — Gerhard Gesell photographs

M

any pioneer farmers who arrived in Wisconsin from the East brought with them – or soon acquired – a milk cow or two to provide milk, butter and cheese for the family. The cows generally didn’t produce milk during the winter months.

Instead they huddled behind a straw stack or in a primitive shelter out of the cold winds.

Busy planting and harvesting their vast wheat crops, the men left the care of cows to their wives and daughters. The idea of a creamery or cheese factory

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located off the farm had not yet arrived in Wisconsin, except for a few isolated examples.

It’s difficult to ascribe a “first” to any activity; this is especially true when attempting to identify the first cheese factory in Wisconsin. Some researchers have suggested a cheesemaking

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operation should not be called a factory until it’s processing the milk of at least 100 cows.

But on a smaller scale Charles Rockwell is credited with operating the state’s first commercial cheese establishment in 1837 in Fort Atkinson. A few years later the Pickett family began a cheese operation near Lake Mills in Jefferson Country.

“In the year 1840 my father, Mr. A. Pickett, removed from the state of Ohio and settled near Rock Lake, in the town of Lake Mills,” J. G. Pickett said. “A few pioneers had preceded him (but) civilization in this part of the thenterritory of Wisconsin was in its

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1. Heat oven to 350°F 2. Cook macaroni according to package directions until al dente; drain.

3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until light brown. Gradually whisk in milk, bouillon granules and pepper. Bring to boil; cook and whisk for 2 minutes or until thickened.

4. Reduce heat to low; gradually stir in 1 cup cheddar until smooth. Stir in the macaroni, ham and parmesan. Remove from the heat.

5. Spoon pasta mixture into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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Thursday, June 4, 2020

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17

Roots From Page 12

infancy … My father saw the opportunity and so in the spring of 1841 set about supplying the demand. He had driven 10 cows from Ohio; he was satisfied that with that number he could supply the demand of the territory. I am very confident that he had no competition in the business (because) there were no cows to be bought at any price, and had there been any for sale there was no money to buy them. But the idea suggested itself to my mother (Anne) – why not cooperate with our neighbors in cheesemaking?

It was a capital and original idea, and was at once adopted by the head of the family. We had four neighbors at the time … the four families owned 10 cows.”

The endeavor is credited with being the first cooperative cheese factory in Wisconsin. Many more would follow.

The factory approach to cheesemaking began developing in Wisconsin but butter-making largely remained in the farm kitchen. Butter had become an important commodity on many Wisconsin farms prior to the Civil War. It was both consumed at home and sold or traded with storekeepers for goods. By 1860 farmers in Kenosha, Walworth, Rock, Waukesha, Dane, Jefferson, Green and Fond du Lac counties were milking a few cows and selling home-churned butter. Nevertheless the 1870 U.S. census reported no creameries in Wisconsin. In 1880 Wisconsin’s creameries produced a total of 140,000 pounds of butter, not a large amount compared to butter making on the farm. Farm-kitchen butter production for 1870 was estimated to be more than 33 million pounds.

The emerging dairy industry focused more on making cheese than on butter for several reasons. Butter is a far-more-fragile product than cheese and is best used shortly after it’s churned; cheese can be stored for extended lengths of time and travels well. In the 1870s and 1880s, when the Wisconsin dairy industry began to expand, the road system was still poor. That meant butter could not be easily moved from creamery to consumer while cheese could be stored before being transported to market.

By the 1850s cheese factories began to emerge in several parts of Wisconsin. John J. Smith moved in 1844 to Sheboygan Falls from New York; he was joined there three years later by his brothers J. A. and Hiram Smith. Like many others arriving from the East, the Smiths became wheat farmers.

But by 1858 both Hiram and John J. Smith were milking cows. John Smith built a cheese house with plastered interior walls to control temperature and humidity. He

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WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, IMAGE #76304

Men with horses and wagons gather in 1909 outside the Faville Grove Farmers’ Co-Operative Cheese Factory in Lake Mills in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. A poster advertising the State Fair is pasted to the wall of the building.

purchased a cheese vat and began gathering unsalted curd from neighboring farms to combine with his own, to salt, press and cure into cheese.

But poor quality and lack of uniformity made marketing cheese a challenge.

“In the autumn of 1858, Mr. Smith barreled 58 cheeses, boxes not obtainable,

and took them to Chicago for sale,” stated a writer of Sheboygan County history.

“Leaving his cheese at a warehouse, he called on dealers and endeavored to make a sale. On asking if they would like to purchase, he met with the inquiry, ‘Where is your cheese made?’ ‘In Sheboygan.’ ‘Where is that?’ ‘In Wisconsin.’ ‘We don’t want any

Wisconsin cheese. (We) can’t sell anything but New York cheese and don’t want anything else in our store.’

“Finally in desperation Smith asked another cheese dealer to look at his cheese.

He paid the dealer $1 for the half-hour spent examining the 58 barrels. The dealer offered 8 cents a pound, emphasizing that he wanted Eastern not Western cheese.”

Mainly because of differences in methods and in sanitary conditions from farm to farm, it was extremely difficult to produce a quality product when curds were collected from several farmers. Smith abandoned his cheesemaking efforts.

A year later in 1859 his brother Hiram Smith joined forces with Ira N. Strong in a new cheesemaking operation. They began collecting milk, rather than curd, from the Smith neighbors, giving them more control over the cheesemaking process.

Chester Hazen, also from New York State, arrived in 1844 in Fond du Lac County. He built a cheese factory in 1864 near Ladoga, 12 miles from Fond du Lac. Please SEE Roots, Page 19

18

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NEXT GENERATION OF DAIRY

CONTRIBUTED

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De Soto FFA members Rachel Gianoli, Jenna Gianoli and Kenzy Kreuzer deliver a “Support Dairy” sign to a community member.

Brooklyn Coulthard is a senior at Cuba City High School in Wisconsin. She grew up on a four-generation dairy farm and has been in 4-H since fourth-grade, showing dairy cattle.

She joined FFA in high school, continuing to show dairy cattle as well as sheep. She’s attended the National FFA Convention and the State FFA Convention where she was a delegate in 2018, the Parliamentary Procedure Leadership Development event and other career-development events. She plans to attend the University of WisconsinPlatteville to major in biology.

CONTRIBUTED

Emily Hairapetian is a senior at Gillett High School in Wisconsin and president of the Gillett FFA Chapter. She’s hard at work milking cows at a local farm, though she grew up in the city. She plans to attend Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to attend the dairy-science program.

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Roots From Page 17

He is often credited with operating the first true cheese factory in Wisconsin.

It certainly was the state’s largest early factory. Hazen was soon making cheese with the milk of more than 100 cows. He shipped a carload of cheese in 1876 to New York; he was awarded a gold medal for his cheese exhibit at the Philadelphia Centennial that year. Wisconsin’s shift from a wheat-growing state to dairy state can largely be credited to the efforts of relocated New York dairymen such as Chester Hazen and Hiram Smith.

But perhaps no one had more influence on Wisconsin’s transition to dairy than William Dempster Hoard. Born in 1836 in Stockbridge, New York, he arrived in Wisconsin in 1857 with a love for dairying and dairy cows that he had developed in his home state. But he discovered William D. Wisconsin farmers would Hoard hear nothing of his ideas about developing a dairy industry; wheat was still king. So he chopped wood, worked on a farm, taught school and enlisted for Civil War service.

When Hoard returned from the war, the first ravages of the chinch bug and exhausted soil had begun to plague Wisconsin’s wheat industry. After trying his hand at selling washing machines and musical instruments – and later growing hops – he began writing for the Watertown Republican.

Finally it seemed farmers were ready to listen to Hoard’s preaching about how dairy cows might replace wheat on Wisconsin farms. He soon decided to start his own newspaper; the first issue of his Jefferson County Union rolled off the presses March 7, 1870. He took to the road to sell subscriptions, talking with many farmers along the way. He saw the press as a way to educate farmers about dairy farming. In 1885 he and his son, Arthur Hoard, began publishing a newspaper devoted entirely to the dairy farmer.

Visit www.jerryapps.com for more information. Excerpted from “Wisconsin Agriculture: A History,” Wisconsin Historical Society Press Jerry Apps, born and raised on a centralWisconsin farm, is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of more than 40 books – most on rural history and country life. Visit www.jerryapps.com for more information.

Thursday, June 4, 2020

19

Don’t forget safety in spring rush JEN PINO-GALLAGHER M3 Insurance

Spring has always been my favorite time of year. I was raised on a dairy farm and enjoyed watching daylight hours growing longer and brown meadows turning green. A lot has changed since then. Herds, tractors and silage piles have all become bigger while the number of farm families has declined. But those farm families don’t just feed their neighbors; they feed the world.

Jen PinoWhat hasn’t changed is Gallagher that spring brings an overabundance of work and an under abundance of time. Spring doesn’t hit the pause button just because of a pandemic. The basic building blocks of a farmsafety program still apply. And the need for workplace safety doesn’t end at the farm gate. Food-processing workers who turn raw products to retail-ready food also are facing added challenges. They’re working to increase production due to supply-chain disruptions or adjusting to operating with a skeleton crew due to worker shortages.

To maintain a healthy workforce and a safe operation and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, farmers and food-processing workers may want to reflect on some basic safety tenets.

Engagement in safety culture – Maintaining employee engagement with safety culture can be a major challenge when everyone is facing added personal and physical stresses caused by the pandemic. Studies have shown that stress can increase the

risk of workplace injuries.

“The number of injuries and fatalities, including suicides, aren’t likely to decrease in coming years as the nation climbs its way out of a major recession,” said Bryan Weichelt, an associate research scientist at the National Farm Medicine Center. “Additional outreach, education and evidencebased programming will be needed to connect with farmers, ranchers and their families.”

One way companies can help their employees reduce emotional stress is to encourage participation in the company’s employee-assistance program. While few farmers have such a program that doesn’t mean support doesn’t exist. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s Farm Center offers a voucher program that provides access to free, confidential mental-health counseling services for Wisconsin farm families. Farmers and small-agribusiness owners can call the Farm Center at 800-942-2474.

Agribusinesses and food processors that don’t have an employee-assistance program can contact their health-insurance broker to learn what options exist.

Reinforcement of safety programs and protocols – The COVID-19 pandemic presents many new challenges to workplace-safety programs. Due to socialdistancing recommendations daily group huddles and group-training sessions likely have been reduced or eliminated. To ensure employees are following your farm- or company-safety programs and protocols, consider smaller group-training sessions in a location where you can maintain social distancing.

Safety managers at food-processing companies might consider scrolling safetyprotocol reminders on computer monitors.

They also may choose to publish safety newsletters or provide online training and certification. Establish additional communication channels with your employees to reinforce clear safety procedures and required personal protective equipment. If new personal protective equipment or safety barriers are implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19, conduct a risk assessment of your operations. Address and correct any additional exposures before implementation. Ensure all workers understand the message, especially in work forces with limited English proficiency.

A lot may have changed since my time on the farm but what hasn’t changed is that farms and agribusinesses are essential. Following safety recommendations and accessing the many available resources will help you and your employees prevail through the spring and the pandemic, healthy and safe.

Visit datcp,wi.gov and search for “Farm Center” and marshfieldresearch.org and search for “National Farm Medicine Center” and osha.gov and search for “agricultural operations” and cdc.gov and search for “coronavirus” for more information.

Jen Pino-Gallagher is the director of food and agribusiness practice at M3 Insurance in Madison, Wisconsin. Prior to joining M3 she worked 11 years at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. There she served as director of the international agribusiness center. Visit m3ins.com for more information.

1. Warm a large, nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat. Toast pineapple, in batches, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until brown. Set aside.

Caramelized Pineapple Picks

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3. Remove from the heat. Cool pineapple and sauce slightly. Thread gouda and pineapple on picks; drizzle with remaining sauce.