JUNE DAIRY MONTH
Agri-View special section
2 AGRI-VIEW• JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Once upon a time, Wisconsin was the Wheatland 1901 Fish Hatchery Road Madison, Wisconsin 53713 Toll-Free: 1-888-AGRI-VIEW Madison Phone: 608-250-4162 Madison Fax: 608-250-4155 agriview@madison.com • www.agriview.com
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H.H. Flynt
Editor’s note: Wisconsin didn’t begin as dairy country. If not for men like the Mr. Morley mentioned in this article, Wisconsinites might all be wearing “wheathead” hats. The author describes the transformation of the state’s agricultural industry. Baraboo Daily News May 5, 1914 In November 1851, father packed his household goods at Girard, Erie County, Pa., and with mother and four boys, a team of horses and a wagon, boarded a steamboat at Erie and went by the lakes to Milwaukee, Wis., and from there overland about one hundred miles to Sauk County and located on a farm about four miles northwest of Baraboo, the county seat. Wisconsin was then a wilderness and away out on the frontier. Father had traded some Erie County property for some land in Sauk County, where he located thinking to better his condition, and where his four growing boys could have a chance to develop their latent talents. This country was then undeveloped, and no one knew its possibilities. Everybody was poor, and of course had to do the best they could. Some farmers thought the soil better adapted to wheat than anything else, and as fast as they got their land broke up, put it to wheat. This venture proved well as far as yield is concerned, for the yield was twenty, thirty, and sometimes forty bushels to the acre. But where was the market? Baraboo was a place of only about three hundred people. Madison, the capital of the state, was the next nearest place of any consequence, forty miles distant, and that not large enough to afford any market for our wheat, and there was no railroad there then. Milwaukee was the nearest place, one hundred miles, that provided a market for our wheat; therefore the only alternative was to haul our wheat to Milwaukee and sell it for thirty, forty, fifty, and sometimes as high as sixty cents per bushel. This was pioneering and making money with a vengeance. Thus farmers kept growing wheat until about 1858 or 1860, when the chintz bug put in an appearance and reduced the farmers’ yields down to three bushels from ten bushels per acre. … We had in our midst at that time one very progressive farmer, Mr. N.W. Morley, who is known in the state over as one of the pioneer and successful dairymen of the state. Mr. Morley came from Mentor, Lake County, Ohio, in the early (18)50s and located in our midst … Mr. Morley was a man of large views, a thorough business man, and a successful dairyman. When he first located in Sauk
UW-Madison
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences fulfills the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s mission as a land-grant university. That dates back to 1862, when Congress passed legislation to establish a national network of colleges devoted to agriculture and mechanics. These are known as the “land grant” system because each state received an allotment of federal land to pay for its new school. Wisconsin received 240,000 acres and sold them for $1.25. The state legislature opted to direct those funds to the new University of Wisconsin in Madison to carry out the land-grant mission. While the college itself wasn’t officially established until 1889, the seeds were planted several decades earlier. In the 1870s, the university used $40,000 donated by Dane County to purchase a farm west of campus and established a department of agriculture. In 1880 it hired W.A. Henry, who over the next 17 years would take the lead in creating and molding the programs that make up CALS of today.
Contributed
As the first Alice, Margaret McGuire toured the nation inviting people to the Centennial Exposition and promoting Wisconsin dairy. She visited places like New York and Philadelphia, giving speeches on Wisconsin cheese and inviting people to experience our great state. She even had her own Alice in Dairyland plane, which is featured in some of the photos she has contributed to the historical society. County, he entered into wheat, growing the same as the rest. It was unsatisfactory to him … (I remember) him saying one day, “If the farmers of this section are ever to make their business pan out, they will have
to change their tactics. I know the farmers in Lake County that have entered the dairy business have made money, and I believe we have every opportunity, every facility, and every condition just as favorable here for the dairy business as in Lake County.” Thus he talked and thus he worked. He began to buy cows as fast as he could, and he kept at it until he had gathered up about forty head. He commenced by making butter, but later added the manufacture of cheese. His original quarters became too small for his expanding business and he decided to build a large stone cheese factory. He had a fine stone quarry on his farm, and out of this quarry he took the rock and erected the cheese factory on the same spot. We had the pleasure of helping dig the rock and attending the masons that built this cheese factory, and also became a patron. After he had the cheese factory built and in operation, the surrounding farmers began to gather about them a few cows and took their milk to his cheese factory to be manufactured into cheese. It was but a few years until the appearance of that community was completed transformed. The farm mortgages were soon lifted. The old log house was replaced by a large and imposing dwelling. The old straw sheds and stables gave place to large frame barns, stables and outbuildings. Now and then a farmer would stick to grain growing, but he remained in the same old rut – no enterprise, no improvements.
Thursday, May 19, 2016 • JUNE DAIRY MONTH • AGRI-VIEW
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Hi-Way Holstein: landmark, Dane County breakfast site LYNN GROOMS
lgrooms@madison.com, 608-437-2827
BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. – People who frequently drive along U.S. Highway 151/18 from Madison to Dodgeville likely have taken note of a set of white barns and a house – all with navy-blue metal roofs. Perched atop the main barn between Mount Horeb and Blue Mounds is a hardy Holstein cow facing east. For locals Hi-Way Holstein Ranch is a landmark. For Jason Ihm it’s home. And for visitors it will be the site of the Dane County Breakfast on the Farm, which will be held from 7 to 11:30 a.m. June 11 at 10436 County Road ID, Blue Mounds. Ihm owns the ranch; he purchased it in 1999 after having rented the dairy facility from Allen Knudson for about seven years. Knudson, a bachelor, had owned the farm and raised heifers, but also had a full-time job off the farm. He’s been retired for a few years now, but often returns to the farm to help Ihm, also a bachelor, with chopping and other chores.
A Holstein cow atop a barn at Hi-Way Holstein Ranch signals to travelers what the farm is all about. “I started with a nice place,” Ihm said. “Allen taught me how to keep it that way.” See HI-WAY, Page 4
Photos by Lynn Grooms/Agri-View
Jason Ihm’s Hi-Way Holstein Ranch is a landmark on County Road ID between Mt. Horeb and Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. Ihm is hosting this year’s Dane County Breakfast on the Farm.
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From their freestall barn, cows can look out at an outdoor feeding area covered with a navyblue metal roof to match other buildings at Hi-Way Holstein Ranch.
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4 AGRI-VIEW• JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Hi-Way
Daisy, a 10-year-old Dalmatian, is a loyal friend to Jason Ihm. Photos by Lynn Grooms/Agri-View
White barns and farmhouse are distinguished by navy-blue metal roofs at the well-kept HiWay Holstein Ranch owned by Jason Ihm. Continued from Page 3
And keeping the farm nice, he has done. Ihm recently built a new 60-foot by 120foot shop and machine shed where attendees to Breakfast on the Farm will convene for tasty pancakes, cheesy scrambled eggs, sausage, yogurt, ice cream, milk and coffee. The new building carries on the theme of the farm’s navy-blue roofs. “I wanted something distinctive,” Ihm said of his barns, which were constructed by a team of Amish builders from La Valle, Wisconsin. The barns have caught many a farmer’s eye. Their distinctive roofs and the farm’s highly visible location have led to good word-of-mouth business for the builders, Ihm said. After the roof of the farm’s main barn had collapsed from heavy snow in 2010, Ihm asked the builders to install a new roof over the original stanchion barn. The barn has 56 stanchion stalls where Ihm and four part-time employees milk about 148 cows twice per day. Including dry cows, Ihm currently has about 185 head of cattle. He sells his heifer calves and buys replacements. The farm’s cows are housed in a 126-stall sand-bedded freestall barn, which Ihm had built in 2013. He will be adding 72 more stalls this year.
In addition to managing the dairy, Ihm farms about 435 acres of crops. He owns 235 acres and rents another 200 acres on which he grows alfalfa and corn to feed his herd. He also purchases some corn for his dairy rations. Visitors to Hi-Way Holstein Ranch will be able to see how Ihm has brought in significant amounts of fill dirt to accommodate new buildings on the narrow strip of land between County Road ID and a deep valley beyond the barns. Since 1999, Ihm estimates about 20,000 dump-truck loads of fill have been used to level the area between the freestall barn and the new shop. Because of hilly topography around the farm, there were early concerns about having adequate parking for visitors to the breakfast. But Dairy Foods USA Inc., also based in Blue Mounds, had recently purchased a 35-acre lot just a short distance down the road; the company is allowing attendees to park there. Tractors with wagons will provide rides between parking area and ranch. Plenty of activities are planned for the Dane County Breakfast on the Farm. See HI-WAY, Page 5
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Hi-Way A new shop and machine shed at Hi-Way Holstein Ranch will be filled with dining tables for the Dane County Breakfast on the Farm — attendees will be comfortable rain or shine. Continued from Page 4
Photos by Lynn Grooms/Agri-View
Jason Ihm’s fondness for dark blue also extends to his 1953 F250 Ford pickup truck.
• Pam Jahnke – aka the Farm Report’s Fabulous Farm Babe – will be broadcasting from Hi-Way Holstein Ranch. • The Soggy Prairie Boys will be supplying live music. • University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Bucky Badger will be on hand. • Maynard Mallard, mascot for the Madison Mallards baseball team, will vie with Bucky for pancakes and fan greetings. • An Expo Area will feature dairy information and food samples. • Education stations will offer information on calves, milking areas, feed, freestall
barns and more. • Horse-drawn wagon rides will be provided by Treinen Farm. • Face painting, cheese-hole bean-bag games and a photo booth will be available. • Large farm machinery will be on display. Ihm said he’s looking forward to hosting the Dane County Breakfast on the Farm. And whether it’s a new building idea or gaining a better understanding of the dairy industry in general, he hopes every attendee will learn something … and remember what they learned at that dairy farm along the highway with the navy-blue roofs.
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6 AGRI-VIEW• JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Dairyland Tour promises “wheel� fun LYNN GROOMS
lgrooms@madison.com, 608-437-2827‌
Contributed
The 10-day “Tour of America’s Dairyland� starts June 17 this year in East Troy, Wisconsin. The annual event is presented by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board in celebration of June Dairy Month.
The eighth-annual Tour of America’s Dairyland is a 10-day bicycle-race competition that will travel June 17-26 to several Wisconsin communities. Presented by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, the first day of the tour will begin at 10:45 a.m. at the intersection of Division and School streets in East Troy, Wisconsin. The omnium competition – aka multiple-race event – also will travel to Grafton, Waukesha, West Bend, Milwaukee, Port Washington, Shorewood, Bay View and Wauwatosa. “It’s great to have this series in June and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received all eight years from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and the dairyfarm families of Wisconsin,â€? said Bill Koch, executive director of Midwest Cycling Series, which is the promoter of the Tour of America’s Dairyland competition. Dave Bavlnka, vice-president of advertising at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, said, “Now in its eighth year, the tour has been a very good promotional effort. Cyclists truly look to chocolate milk as a refueling beverage after the race.â€? Kemps LLC is donating all the chocolate milk – about 12,000 units – for the racers, Bavlnka said. The Kemp’s Moo Mobile also will be providing ice cream samples at a few of the venues. Twenty-four “wheelsâ€? of cheese will be presented to the winners of each race category. The 20-pound wheels of cheese are being donated by: • ‌Artisan Cheese Exchange of Sheboygan, Wisconsin • ‌Clock Shadow Creamery of Milwaukee • ‌ Uplands Cheese of Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Contributed
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The Holstein-inspired jersey indicates this racer was a past winner of a Tour of America’s Dairyland race category.
contributed
The fun of the Tour of America’s Dairyland is captured in Cheddar. • ‌Organic Valley of La Farge, Wisconsin • ‌ Emmi Roth USA of Fitchburg, Wisconsin • ‌Meister Cheese of Muscoda, Wisconsin Winner of the World Cheese Championship Contest 2016, Emmi Roth USA is scheduled to provide samples of cheese June 25 near North Downer Avenue and East Belleview Place in Milwaukee. Adding to the 10-day festivities will be appearances by the newly crowned Alice in Dairyland, Ann O’Leary of Evansville, Wisconsin. Children also may be able to visit with “June the Dairy Cowâ€? at a few of the venues. In 2015 the Tour of America’s Dairyland hosted about 5,000 racers from 36 U.S. states and 13 countries. In early May this year, racers already were beginning to register for this year’s event — and racers still have time to do so. There will be several race categories from junior to professional level. Winners of each race category will receive a unique Holstein-inspired jersey donated by Pactimo LLC, a cycling-jersey manufacturer based in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The overall winner of the omnium series will be awarded a yellowand-white-spotted jersey. Organizing committees in each of the communities hosting the race have planned a number of activities, including face painting, fun houses, bike-safety clinics, live music and more. Habush Habush and Rottier, a Milwaukee-area personalinjury law firm, will be providing a raffle for the chance to win a free bicycle from Wheel and Sprocket Inc. at each of four events. Visit www.tourofamericasdairyland. com or contact info@midwestcyclingseries.com or 414-943-6927 for updates and more information.
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8 AGRI-VIEW• JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Nehls brothers offer history, dairy ideas MARY HOOKHAM For Agri-View
Photos by Mary Hookham/For Agri-View
Brothers Greg Nehls, left, and Royce Nehls work with 60 farm employees to milk 2,000 cows, care for 2,000 head of young stock and run 4,000 acres of land just outside Juneau, Wisconsin.
We Support Wisconsin Dairy Farmers!
JUNEAU, Wis. — Brothers Greg and Royce Nehls are proud to share the history and inner workings of their 4,000-acre dairy farm with visitors. They recently welcomed folks who participated in farm tours during the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Conference, held April 11, 12 and 13. Nehls’ grandfather settled in the area many years ago. When his son, Willard Nehls, bought a neighboring farm in the early 1940s, he worked to build a highquality, purebred show herd. Farmers from around the world bought his cattle. But Willard Nehls passed away in 1975 when his sons Greg, Royce and their now-deceased brother, Robert, were in high school. The three brothers took over the farm at that time. But they later realized it wasn’t financially viable to continue with purebred registration papers. The industry’s focus on purebreds had begun to fade away; many people weren’t willing to pay the price for those animals. “The whole industry just seemed to turn sour on purebreds,” Royce Nehls said. “They seemed to be a forgotten thing. But (now), over the last 10 years or so, it seems like there is more enthusiasm for purebreds again and people are paying more money for them.” Today the third-generation brothers milk 2,000 cows and have an additional 2,000 head of young stock. They milk cows in a double-36, parallel parlor that
Nehls Brothers Farms employs 60 people to care for the nearly 4,000 animals and 4,000 acres. Brothers Royce and Greg Nehls say they believe in producing volume and staying focused on their specialty areas — highquality animal care and good crop production. was remodeled and expanded in 2006; the original parlor was built in 1998. They switched their calf-housing system over to hutches in 2011. Previously they had kept all their calves in the original dairy barn. Calves at Nehls Brothers Farms are fed pasteurized milk that comes from cows whose somatic cell counts are higher than preferred. This is one way the brothers believe in using that lower-quality milk without wasting it – while also saving money other farmers spend on milk replacer. “I wish everybody on the planet had a pasteurizer and would focus on utilizing that low-end milk,” Royce Nehls said. “Some guys say they don’t have much waste milk, but they’re actually putting a lot of milk into the lines that shouldn’t be there. This way we have an outlet for the marginal-quality milk when we recycle it for the calves.” See NEHLS, Page 9
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The folks at Nehls Brothers Farms outside Juneau, Wisconsin, enjoy opening the farm to tours, such as the tour that was part of the recent Dairy Calf and Heifer Association conference. The Nehls brothers say they like explaining the farm’s day-to-day operations.
Thursday, May 19, 2016 • JUNE DAIRY MONTH • AGRI-VIEW
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Royce Nehls, left, works closely with Dr. Jerry Gaska, farm veterinarian, to provide the best care for the cows, calves and other young stock at Nehls Brothers Farms near Juneau, Wisconsin. Royce Nehls owns and operates the farm with his brother, Greg. Continued from Page 8
In addition to their 60 employees, the brothers also employ Dr. Jerry Gaska, an independent veterinarian who manages every aspect of milking, including milking procedures, reproduction, cow and calf health, and the employees who work in those areas. Gaska works closely with the veterinarian students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was instrumental in creating a program allowing fourth-year veterinarian students to visit Nehls Brothers Farms on a rotation every other week to study cows and calves. Gaska helped implement this program nearly 25 years ago. He presents the students with routine cases found on farms that help them with training, education and on-farm experience.
“Hosting the University of Wisconsin (veterinarian) students provides a practical, hands-on experience for them to learn about cases they might not otherwise see without actually visiting a farm,” Gaska said. “And we have experts in the industry visit the farm regularly who are constantly doing research and sharing updated practices.” Both Greg and Royce Nehls are quick to point out how vital Gaska is around the farm. He helps cover additional farmmanagement responsibilities when the brothers take vacations, and he works hard to keep the animals healthy. “Jerry is very instrumental in the success of this farm,” Royce Nehls said. “Whatever happens under the roof of the milking parlor, he knows about it.”
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10 AGRI-VIEW• JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Europe supplies milk to refugee children CHRIS MCCULLOUGH
International Correspondent
About 350,000 refugee Syrian children are being supplied free milk by the European Commission thanks to a €30 million programme to help those affected by the crisis in the region. The effort to help the children will also benefit Europe’s beleaguered dairy farmers, who have suffered huge financial losses in their own crisis, because the programme’s milk must originate in the European Union. The funding for this latest programme is part of the €500 million support package for European farmers presented in 2015 by the commission, which represented a substantial response by the commission to support European farmers. As well as supporting European farmers through the purchase of drinking milk, the €30 million programme will also contribute significantly to the major challenge posed to
the EU by the refugee crisis. The milk will be distributed to Syrian children and will reinforce an already operating food-distribution programme for school children financed by the EU in Syria. EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, said: “This new programme will help hundreds of thousands of Syrian children in need. We must remain committed to helping the most vulnerable victims of the conflict. This additional support will go to humanitarian partner organisations working in the country.” EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, said: “I am pleased that the commission has adopted this programme, which is an integral part of the commission’s €500 million support package for European farmers. This new programme delivers on two commission priorities – to support farmers at a very difficult time, while also ensuring that we
Syrian refugees number near 4 million amid intense fighting; Europe is donating milk for the children. Aljazeera
remain fully focused on the major challenge posed by the ongoing refugee crisis.” The conflict in Syria had a severe impact on the agricultural sector of the country, leading to a decline in food production and in particular of dairy products. Consumption of milk has been significantly reduced, especially amongst poor households, due to high food prices. Syrian families typically consumed milk and other dairy products on a daily basis prior to the crisis. At present, milk has in some cases completely disappeared from their diet.
Besides being the type of dairy product that better suits the food and nutrition needs of the people that will benefit from this programme, the treatment of drinking milk makes it suitable for human consumption over a long period and allows for its consumption on a standalone basis, without there being a need to add water that is of questionable quality. Chris McCullough, brought up on a dairy and beef farm in the heart of Northern Ireland, is a photo journalist who specialises in the international world of agriculture.
Thursday, May 19, 2016 • JUNE DAIRY MONTH • AGRI-VIEW
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June Dairy Month Calendar June 3-5: Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival The event will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight June 3; 10:30 a.m. to midnight June 4; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 5 at Doyle Park at 100 Van Buren St. in Little Chute, Wisconsin. Visit www.littlechutewi.org or call 920-788-7380 for more information. June 4: Cows on the Concourse The event will be held on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit www.cowsontheconcourse.org or call 608-250-4257 for more information. June 4: 23rd-annual Dunn County Dairy Promotion Breakfast The breakfast will be held from 7 to 11 a.m. at Val-O-Mo Farm with the Steve Weinzirl family, N971 County Road D, Elmwood, Wisconsin. Cost of the meal is $5 per person and includes all-youcan-eat Dad’s Belgian Waffles, sausage, cheese curds, pudding snacks, ice cream, milk and coffee. Activities will include a bake sale, Milk Buds horse-drawn wagon rides, antique tractor display and more. Visit http://dunn.uwex.edu for more information.
June 5: Marathon County June Dairy Breakfast The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Scott and Ashlee Uekerts’ Farm at 2113 3rd Ave., Marathon, Wisconsin. Contact Kiley Berg at 715-581-7778 for more information. June 9-11: Badger Dairy Camp The camp will be held June 9-11 on the University of Wisconsin campus and is open to youth between the ages of 12 and 18. The camp provides an opportunity for youth to have hands-on experience learning how to fit and show animals. Visit http://fyi.uwex.edu/dairyyouth/badgerdairy-camp/ for more information.
June 10: Breakfast in the Valley The event will be held from 5 to 10 a.m. at the Eau Claire County Expo Center at 5530 Fairview Drive in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Call 715-834-1204 for more information. June 11: Lafayette County Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Gaylord Schultz family farm, 4462 County Road DD, South Wayne, Wisconsin. Cost is $4 for adults and $2 for children; preschool and under are free. Visit www.dairydaysofsummer. com for more information. June 11: Dane County Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 7 to 11:30 a.m. at Hi-Way Holstein Ranch at 10436 County Road ID in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. Contact Jennifer Kuhn at 608-577-8990 for more information. June 11: Tri-County Dairy Breakfast The event will be held from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Washburn County Fair Grounds at 1000 West Beaver Brook Ave. in Spooner, Wisconsin. Contact Barbara Ailport at 715-822-8805 for more information.
June 11: Winnebago County Dairy Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at Morrissey Road Guernseys – The Stone Family at 2139 Morrissey Road in Ripon, Wisconsin. Contact Nicholas Schneider at 920-379-0720 for more information. June 11: Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 6:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Level Acres Dairy Inc. at 6931 County Road S in Hartford, Wisconsin. Contact Mike Strupp at 262-644-0015 for more information. June 11: Rock County Dairy Breakfast The event will be held from 6:30 to 11 a.m. at Roger Rebout and Sons Farm at 5606 West Mineral Point Road in Janesville, Wisconsin. Contact Sandy Larson at 608-290-5545 for more information. June: 12 Manitowoc County Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at Strutz Family Farm on Irish Road in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Contact Becky Salm at 920-253-5303 for more information. See CALENDAR, Page 12
The Dairy Days of Summer are here! Celebrate June Dairy Month For For events, events, recipes recipes and and more more ways ways to make summer even sunnier, visit:
DairyDaysofSummer.com
Brought to you by the Dair Dairyy Farm Families of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
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12 AGRI-VIEW• JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Calendar Continued from Page 11
June 12: Edgar FFA Alumni June Dairy Breakfast The event will be held 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Heil Ginseng, 1313 South Third Ave., Edgar, Wisconsin. Contact 715-352-2891 for more information. June 12: Richland County Dairy Breakfast The event will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Denise and Donald Sackmann farm at 24750 Keysville Ridge Road, Richland Center, Wisconsin. Contact Annette Louis at 608-585-2137 for more information. June 12: Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Wild’s Dairy Farm Inc., W10844 County Road G in Antigo, Wisconsin. Contact Butch Maly at 715-6236575 for more information. June 12: Oconto County Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a flag raising at 7:30 a.m. and breakfast starting at 8 a.m. The farm is located at 6947 Old 15 Road, Oconto, Wisconsin. Call 920-598-0350 for more information.
Lynn Grooms/Agri-View
A pretty Holstein calf with a “bow-tie” on her head will be about two and a half months old by the time Walworth Farm Technology Days is in full swing at Snudden Farms in Zenda, Wisconsin. June 12: Lincoln County June Dairy Month Breakfast The event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at The Smith Center at the MARC
at 1100 Marc Drive in Merrill, Wisconsin. Contact Mary Sosnovske at 715-8734090 for more information. June 13-20: Reedsburg Butter Festival The events will be held at various locations. Visit www.reedsburgwi.gov for more information. June 17: Tour of America’s Dairyland- East Troy Cycling Classic The event will be held from 10:45 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the intersection of Division and School streets in East Troy, Wisconsin. Visit www.tourofamericasdairyland. com or contact info@midwestcyclingseries.com or 414-943-6927 for more information. June 17-19: Clayton Cheese Days The event will be held on Main Street in Clayton, Wisconsin. Visit www.villageofclaytonwi.com or call 715-948-2460 for more information. June 18: Columbia County Moo-Day Brunch The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Miller Family Farm at N1484 O’Connor Road in Lodi, Wisconsin. Contact Debi Stiemke at 608-635-2858 for more information. June 18: Pierce County Breakfast on
the Farm The event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at the LeAllan and Mary Jo Huppert farm, W8191 U.S. Highway 10 in Ellsworth, Wisconsin. Contact Mary Brand at 715307-0903 for more information. June 18: Kenosha County Dairy Breakfast The event will be held from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Crane Dairy LLC, 29320 31st St., Burlington, Wisconsin. Call Rachael Crane at 262-206-8149 for more information. June 18: Sheboygan County Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 7 a.m. to noon at Majestic Crossing at the Meadows Farm at N5853 Meadowlark Road in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. Call Stacy Limberg at 920-892-6855 for more information. June 18: Pepin County Town and Country Dairy Breakfast The event will be held from 7 a.m. to 11 am. at Poeschels Hidden Valley Farms LLC at W1541 Brunner Road in Durand, Wisconsin. Call David Klein at 715-672-4131 for more information. See CALENDAR, Page 14
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2 cups plain yogurt, divided 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided Salt and pepper to taste 1 1/2 cups prepared salsa 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 6 ounces uncooked mini farfalle, cooked according to package directions and drained 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups corn* 6 ounces Wisconsin Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1-inch x 1/4-inch x 1/4-inch sticks 1 avocado, diced
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
Directions: In small bowl, combine 1 cup yogurt and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. In large bowl, whisk together remaining 1 cup yogurt, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, salsa and cilantro. Add pasta, black beans, corn and Monterey Jack. Toss gently. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle with diced avocado and top with dollop of lime yogurt. To make an entrée, add chicken. *For corn, use blanched fresh, defrosted frozen or drained canned.
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14 AGRI-VIEW• JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
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Continued from Page 12
June 18: Walworth County Farm Bureau Dairy Breakfast The event will be held from 6 a.m. to noon at Walworth County Fairgrounds at 411 East Court St. in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Call the Walworth County Farm Bureau at 262-723-2613 for more information. June 18: Portage County June Dairy Brunch/Open Farm The event will be held 8 a.m. to noon at Groshek Farms Inc., 3271 Sky View Road, Amherst Junction, Wisconsin. The dairy brunch cost $6 for adults, $2 for children age 6 to 10 years and free for children 5 and under. The brunch will include pancakes, scrambled eggs w/cheese, sausage, fresh cheese curds and free strawberry sundaes. Call 715-677-3809 for more information. June 19: Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at Waupaca County Fairgrounds at 602 East South St. in Weyauwega, Wisconsin. Call Sandra Dykes at 920-867-8911 for more information. June 25: Green Lake County Focus on the Farm Breakfast The event will be held from 7 a.m. to noon at Hilltop Dairy LLC at N309 County Road Q in Markesan, Wisconsin. Call Amy Badtke at 920-229-4531 for more information.
June 25: Racine County Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 7 to 11 a.m. at Schaal Dairy Farm LLP at 1800 McKee Road in Burlington, Wisconsin. Call Jake Street at 262-206-4052 for more information. June 26: Calumet County Sundae on a Dairy Farm The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dallmann East River Dairy LLC at N6038 East River Road in Brillion, Wisconsin. Call Lanetta Mahlberg at 920-4275378 for more information. June 26: Hillsboro Lions Appreciation Dairy Breakfast The event will be held from 7 to 11:30 a.m. at the Hillsboro Firemen’s Park, Wisconsin Highway 33/82 west of Hillsboro, Wisconsin. There is a requested donation of $6 for adults and $3 for children 10 and under. Call 608-547-8042 for more information. June 26: Fond du Lac Area Breakfast on the Farm The event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at J&J Pickart Dairy Farm LLC at W2369 County Road Q in Malone, Wisconsin. Call Brenda Gudex at 920-9219500 for more information. June 26: Shawano County Brunch on the Farm The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kevin and Shawn Bonnin Farm at W3752 East Slab City Road in Bonduel, Wisconsin. Call Sheri Beilke at 715-7934773 for more information.
Thursday, May 19, 2016 •AGRI-VIEW
15
LOYAL FARM EQUIPMENT VIEW FULL CATALOG • PRICES • CLOSEST DEALER
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Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
Makes 16 pancakes Ingredients: 1 cup flour 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup (8 ounces) Wisconsin ricotta cheese 1/2 cup milk 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced 3 tablespoons butter, divided Syrup and sliced strawberries for serving Directions: In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix well. Place eggs and ricotta in medium bowl; beat. Add milk and vanilla extract; mix to combine. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and whisk until combined. Gently fold in diced strawberries. Heat stove-top griddle over medium-high heat or electric griddle to 375 degrees F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter to coat grill surface. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto griddle for each pancake and cook until bubbles begin to form on surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until golden, an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Add additional butter to griddle as necessary. To serve, top pancakes with sliced strawberries and syrup.
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16 AGRI-VIEW•JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Time to celebrate at Iowa County Dairy Breakfast LYNN GROOMS
lgrooms@madison.com, 608-437-2827
Photos by Lynn Grooms/Agri-View
From left, Marcia, Kyle and Ted Thompson will host June 4 the 2016 Iowa County Dairy Breakfast at their farm — Jenniton Registered Holsteins — in Barneveld, Wisconsin.
BARNEVELD, Wis. – The Iowa County Dairy Breakfast will celebrate Iowa County’s dairy industry as well as a fifth-generation farm family — a family who hosted the Iowa County Dairy Breakfast 20 years ago. This year’s event will be held from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. June 4 at Jenniton Registered Holsteins, 3861 Thompson Road in Barneveld. The Thompson family hosted the event in 1996 and Kyle Thompson, who now owns and operates the farm with his father, thought it would be nice to be a host again this year. The date — June 4 — also happens to be Kyle Thompson’s 28th birthday. Along with his wife, Karlee Thompson, and parents, Ted and Marcia Thompson, he may be celebrating with as many as 2,000 people. That’s how many people are expected to attend the event. About 150 volunteers — coordinated by the Iowa County Dairy Breakfast committee — will help feed the masses. And the event will be festive … with an animal-balloon maker, petting
A Red and White Holstein calf at Jenniton Registered Holsteins perks up her ears at visitors. zoo, “moo train,” door prizes and live music by “Staff Infection” – the clever name of a band of teachers from the Mount Horeb School District. Jenniton Registered Holsteins was named after an area west of Barneveld, which once featured a cheese factory and See IOWA COUNTY, Page 17
Dairyfest 2016 Friday, June 3:
- Mayor’s Breakfast in the Expo Building, 5:30-9:30 am First in line to receive WI Dells Ticket package donated by WDLB/WOSQ Radio
- Picnic in the Park at Columbia Park, 5pm, outdoor movie at dusk
Saturday, June 4:
- Arts and crafts vendors at Fairgrounds, 9 am-4 pm - Softball tournaments all weekend - Cornhole tournament in Hockey Building - Pie and Ice Cream Social at W.H. Upham House, 10 am- 3 pm - Gigantic parade Saturday,, at 11 am, stepping off on the corner of 2nd and Central Avenue, ending inside the fairgrounds - Kids Parade at 10:15 am, just prior to the big parade - Free milk Saturday afternoon, 1-4 pm donated by Weber’ss Farm Store - Main Street Conservatory of Dance, The Freedom Project concert - UW Madison band “5th Quarter” at 1:30 pm at the Fairgrounds - YMCA’s Cheese Chase at the Fairgrounds - Fishing Contest at Wildwood Park
-5, JUNE 2 2016 ld,
e Marshfi WI
Sunday, June 5:
- Disc Golf at Braem Park - Carnival at Marshfield Mall all weekend
Activities at Central WI State Fairgrounds Sponsored by the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry Industry,, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, and the City of Marshfield. Visit www.marshfieldchamber.com .com for a complete list of activities. Follow Us!
From left, Ted, Marcia and Kyle Thompson stand in front of their cow barn and multiple silos. They currently milk 75 cows; they have no full-time employees.
Thursday, May 19, 2016 •JUNE DAIRY MONTH • AGRI-VIEW
17
Iowa County Continued from Page 16
Photos by Lynn Grooms/Agri-View
Jenniton Registered Holsteins was established in 1902 by Henry Thompson. Kyle Thompson, right, is the fifth generation of Thompsons to own and operate the family dairy farm. With him are parents Marcia and Ted Thompson.
a country school. Henry Thompson, Ted Thompson’s great-grandfather, established Jenniton Registered Holsteins in 1902. At one time the dairy farm also produced turkeys. Ted Thompson began farming in 1972 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in technical agriculture. Kyle Thompson began farming with his father in June 2011 after attending the University of Wisconsin-Farm and Industry Short Course for two years and Southwest Wisconsin Technical College for two years. Today the Thompsons milk 75 cows and farm 250 tillable acres, producing corn, alfalfa and soybeans. They send the soybeans to be roasted and then incorporate them into a total mixed ration for the cattle. Jenniton Registered Holsteins has a rolling herd average of 25,500 pounds. In the 20 years that have passed since the Thompsons last hosted the dairy breakfast, Ted Thompson has seen a number of changes in farm technology. “Equipment has become so big,” he said. “I’m hoping there’s still a place for smaller farms, especially with rolling hills.”
He also reflected on the changes in dairy genetics. “We used to flush our best cows,” he said. “Now we’re flushing our best heifers.” The Thompsons use genomic testing on their herd and have sold some of their best Holstein genetics at World Dairy Expo. Visitors to the Iowa County Dairy Breakfast will be able to see the Thompsons’ registered Holsteins as well as different-breed calves in the petting-zoo area. They’ll also learn a number of dairy facts in materials developed by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Iowa County alone has more than 22,000 cows, producing a total of about 410 million pounds of milk annually, according to the most recent edition of “Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics,” published by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The Thompsons said they hope visitors to the Iowa County Dairy Breakfast will return home with a better understanding of dairy farming and how well cows are cared for and how they live. Kyle Thompson said that’s his birthday wish. Visit Jenniton Registered Holsteins on Facebook for more information.
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18 AGRI-VIEW• JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Union Star cheesemaker ‘masters’ craft JANE FYKSEN
jfyksen@madison.com, 715-683-2779
Photos by Jane Fyksen/Agri-View
Bigger isn’t better for Union Star Cheese Factory in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, where both Dave Metzig, left, and his son, Jon Metzig, carry on a family business with more than a century’s worth of tradition.
FREMONT, Wis. – Good things – goodtasting things like cheese — come in small packages. Union Star Cheese Factory in unincorporated rural-crossroads Zittau, Wisconsin, is proof. For more than a century, the Metzig family has made cheese at Union Star in Winnebago County, where next-generation cheesemaker Jon Metzig lives above the plant with his wife, Kelsey — just as past generations have done. Customers are charmed by Union Star’s nostalgic atmosphere and appreciate its hands-on traditional ways, just as they do its squeakyfresh curds and other hand-crafted cheese. But despite his quaint surroundings, Jon Metzig – a member of the 2016 Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker graduating class – has big plans for the future of the family business. Metzig, 31, is the fourth in a family of five sons, but the only one carrying on the cheesemaking tradition. He and his brothers literally grew up in the plant, bagging curds on Saturday mornings not long after
they’d started elementary school. During high school Metzig worked on dairy farms and in the family business, earning his cheesemaker’s license at 18 during his senior year at Winneconne High School. Metzig’s first general food-science class at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls convinced him that making cheese was in fact what he wanted to do in life. He graduated in 2007 in agricultural business with a minor in food science, with the aim of See UNION STAR, Page 20
CHOCOLATE FRENCH TOAST Servings: 6 Ingredients:
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8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped and sweetened Fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced Directions: In shallow bowl, stir together cocoa powder and cinnamon. Add 1/2 cup chocolate milk and whisk until smooth. Beat in eggs. Add remain-
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
ing chocolate milk; mix well. Heat stove-top griddle over medium-high heat or heat electric griddle to 375 degrees F. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter to coat grill surface. One by one, place each bread slice in chocolate-milk mixture, turning slice over once to soak both sides of bread. Place bread slices on hot griddle; cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Add additional butter to griddle as necessary. To serve, top French toast with whipped cream and strawberries. *May substitute 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract for cinnamon.
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20 AGRI-VIEW• JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Union Star Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Jon Metzig is part of Union Star Cheese Factory — and has been from the time he was barely able to see into a cheese vat. He and his wife live above the rural crossroads plant, just as previous generations have done.
Continued from Page 18
returning to the family business. But he also worked at Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese in Waterloo, Wisconsin, and in 2009 was in Ireland for six weeks honing his cheesemaking skills. That trip resulted in a cheese named St. Jeanne, a smallbatch washed-rind, semi-soft cheese he developed. It’s named for his paternal grandmother. Metzig isn’t only learning new cheesemaking techniques abroad; he shared his knowledge of the craft during a 2012 trip to Lebanon in the Farmer to Farmer program of the U.S. Agency for International Development. He mentored in a cheese factory there. Ironically, Union Star was started in 1906 in protest to Wisconsin’s famous Babcock butterfat test, said Dave Metzig, Metzig’s father, the elder cheesemaker in the fatherson team. Local farmers, including Dave Metzig’s great-uncle Henry Metzig, milked Holstein cows. The farmers were upset at the prospect of being paid for milk based on its butterfat content. They started their own co-op and cheese factory, turning their backs on use of the Babcock test. But their snub of the Babcock test ended in 1907.
Photos by Jane Fyksen/Agri-View
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Red Willow is an example of the artisan cheese being added to the lineup carrying the Union Star label. In 1911 Henry Metzig purchased the cheese factory; he later sold it to his daughter and son-in-law, Edna and Gene Lehman. It was from them that Dave Metzig and his wife, Jan, purchased it in 1980. The Lehmans have since passed away. Dave Metzig’s father, the late Quinten Metzig, was a large-animal veterinarian in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Dave Metzig, now 66, was a Certified Public Accountant prior See UNION STAR, Page 22
COTTAGE BLUE DIP Servings: 2 cups Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) cottage cheese 1/3 cup (2 ounces) Wisconsin blue cheese, crumbled 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons onion, grated 3 Tablespoons heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
Directions: Beat cottage cheese on high speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients; mix well. Serve chilled, with tortilla chips, fresh vegetables or crackers.
AgriView@ madison.com
Thursday, May 19, 2016 •AGRI-VIEW
21
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REEDSBURGREEDSBURG BLUE BLUE RIVER RIVER Bindl Sales & ServiceBindl Sales & Service
Servings: 6 Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon cinnamon 1/4 cup sugar
Blue Blue RiverRiver Harvestor Harvestor 608-524-6339 608-524-6339 Repair Repair Inc. Inc. 608-537-2746 608-537-2746 RICE LAKE RICE LAKE Hwy 48 Farm Service, Hwy Inc.48 Farm Service, Inc. CURTISS/EDGAR CURTISS/EDGAR 715-234-6788 715-234-6788 MakiMaki FarmFarm Services, Services, LLC LLC 715-613-7308 715-613-7308 RUBICON RUBICON Gehring Sales & Service Gehring Sales & Service DARIEN DARIEN 262-673-4920 262-673-4920 SVH Supply, SVH Supply, INC INC 877-784-7877 877-784-7877 STRATFORD STRATFORD
CEntRAL SILO UnLOADER V-2000
4 Tablespoons butter, divided 6 flour tortillas (6 inch) Vanilla ice cream (about 6 cups) 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped and sweetened, if desired Assorted sundae toppings such as sprinkles, chopped nuts, caramel sauce
Inc. Harvestore, Inc. DARLINGTON DARLINGTON Foxland Harvestore,Foxland
nORDIC
715-845-3526 Ruf’sRuf’s FarmFarm Service, Service, Inc. Inc. 608-776-4048 608-776-4048
215
Spiegelberg Implement, Spiegelberg Inc. Implement, Inc. 920-596-2610 920-596-2610 Fritsch Fritsch Equip.Equip. Corporation Corporation 920-532-6292 920-532-6292
DEPERE DEPERE
Position one oven rack at lowest position and the other 6 to 8 inches above. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place baking sheet on lower oven rack. Position tortillas, cinnamon sugar side up, over two bars of upper oven rack so hanging sides are even to form an inverted taco shell. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until golden. Carefully remove shells and baking sheet from oven; place tortillas on rack to cool. When ready to serve, fill each with ice cream. Top with whipped cream and sundae toppings; serve immediately.
715-845-3526
WEYAUWEGAWEYAUWEGA
Directions:
In small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar; mix well. In small skillet over medium heat, melt 2 teaspoons butter to cover skillet surface. Place one tortilla in pan; coat bottom side completely with butter. Place warm tortilla, butter side up, on large cutting board; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining tortillas, melting additional butter as needed.
920-373-0965
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MINNESOTA MINNESOTA HORTONVILLE HORTONVILLEMORA, MN MORA, MN KnuthKnuth FarmFarm Equipment, Equipment, LLCFluegges LLC Ag. 920-757-6995 920-757-6995 320-679-2981
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LITTLE LITTLE CHUTE CHUTE ST CHARLES,STMN CHARLES, MN Foxland Foxland Harvestore, Harvestore, Inc. Inc. 920-766-3783 920-766-3783
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Ristau Farm Service Ristau Farm Service 507-932-4560 507-932-4560
IOWA IOWA Nordstrom Nordstrom Construction Construction MAQUOKETAMAQUOKETA & Lumber & Lumber Inc. Inc. Anamosa Silos, Inc. Anamosa Silos, Inc. 608-488-2401 608-488-2401 563-652-5125 563-652-5125
22 AGRI-VIEW • JUNE DAIRY MONTH • Thursday, May 19, 2016
Union Star Continued from Page 20
BI G
to his second career as a cheesemaker. He recalled that when he took over the family business, customers’ cheese purchases were still being tallied on brown-paper bags. One of the first changes he made was the addition of a cash register. Like his son, Dave Metzig is also a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker in the graduating class of 1996. They employ two other cheesemakers, Mike Fischer and Franz Niederberger. In 2002 a major east-west upgrade of U.S. Highway 10 resulted in the former Wisconsin Highway 110 — on which Union Star is located — being relegated to a double-lettered country road. Tiny Zittau became even smaller, and Union Star’s retail cheese business dropped; potential customers whizzed by to the north on the new four-lane U.S. Highway 10. The Metzigs responded by constructing a second facility, Willow Creek Cheese Factory and Shop, 19 miles west of Oshkosh on Wisconsin Highway 21 in Waushara County. The two plants are 30 miles apart. Milk from Union Star’s three producerpatrons is utilized in both plants. The cheesemakers make Cheddar cheese
FOOT
Cheese curds, the squeakier the better, are a Wisconsin favorite — and a Union Star Cheese Factory specialty. Mondays and Thursdays through Saturdays at Union Star. Tuesdays are devoted to string cheese. About half their Cheddar production is sold as cheese curds, with the remainder in blocks for aging. Cheese
curds and string cheese, both fresh products, are delivered to grocery and convenience stores within a 30-mile radius of Union Star three days a week. At Willow Creek, Colby and Monterrey Jack with seasonings are produced on Mondays and Wednesdays. The Metzigs have been making more stylized artisan cheese, such as their Farm House Cheddar and shiitake Muenster. Talking in the homey upstairs office above the Union Star plant, Metzig said the cheese industry in Wisconsin is barbellshaped — heavily weighted on one end with small cheese plants like theirs and on the other end with large highly automated operations. He said there aren’t many in the middle anymore. But, Dave Metzig said, smaller cheese plants are seeing a renaissance similar to microbreweries in the beer industry. Both movements are spawned by consumers hankering for “local foods” and wanting to know where and how their food is produced. Consumers are also hungry for new tastes. Thus Jon Metzig was headed to France for classes in making soft cheese. See UNION STAR, Page 23
Make Bett er Feed!
Photos by Jane Fyksen/Agri-View
Though Union Star doesn’t produce near the volume of cheese that other companies do, its hand-crafted, small-batch production definitely contributes to Wisconsin’s reputation as a cheese powerhouse.
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Thursday, May 19, 2016 • JUNE DAIRY MONTH • AGRI-VIEW
23
Union Star CREST
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This antique graduated bottle, used for the Babcock test that measured butterfat in milk, is part of Union Star Cheese Factory history. The factory started in 1906 as a cooperative of 13 farmers who didn’t think they should be paid for their milk based on butterfat. It took only a year before they changed their minds.
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Photos by Jane Fyksen/Agri-View
Dave Metzig, left, and his son, Jon Metzig, say they’re proud of their family’s cheesemaking tradition and of being part of Wisconsin’s dairy industry. They said they especially enjoy visiting with their three farmer-patrons when they pick up milk.
Continued from Page 22
Both father and son said they enjoy being part of a rural community and agricultural industry. Jon Metzig said he likes the creative hands-on aspect of producing cheese as they do. He said he finds the microbiology in making cheese fascinating – starting with the same milk and being able to make completely different products from it. There are challenges, especially for smaller plants like theirs. Equipment is costly. Their older facility at Union Grove doesn’t lend itself well for upgrading – the same challenges faced by dairy producers, Dave Metzig said. The Metzigs provide tours of both Union Star at 7742 County Road II, Fremont, and Willow Creek at W1965 State Highway 21, Berlin. They encourage people to call the factories at 920-836-2804 or 920-3615256, respectively, to tour. Both factory stores are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday
through Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Visit unionstarcheese.com for more information.
“...see a response by the next milking.” - Cor Corey ey a and nd LLaura aura Ra Rasmussen smussen
UDDER SITE DAIRY, The Rasmussen Family, HARLAN, IOWA 300 cows average 90 lbs/cow/day -SCC average 125,000
“We got a sample of Udder ComfortTM at the Dairy Expo 6 years ago and really liked it. We’ve used it ever since,” say Corey and Laura Rasmussen about their 300-cow Udder Site Dairy, Harlan Iowa. They started renting the farm with 9 cows in 2002, gradually expanded, bought the farm and did as much of the new building infrastructure as possible with the help of family members, like Laura’s father on the mechanical side. While they hire milkers for 3x milking, children Cassie and Ryle also pitch in. “We use Udder Comfort after each milking for 4 days on fresh cows or any cow with edema, flakes or hardness. It takes the swelling out and keeps the milk in the tank. We just don’t use intramammary tubes anymore.
“When we use Udder Comfort, we see a response by the next milking. It’s a key part of our management for healthy udders and quality milk, along with good nutrition, a consistent milking process and keeping clean sandbedded freestalls.”