BOTTOM LINE Sharing ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
Thursday, June 11, 2020 SECTION E
Tri-Fecta — taking care of people, cows and land
Contented calves lying in clean straw is par for the course at Tri-Fecta. PDPW PHOTOS
“We were raising calves in groups before it was cool. We saw that when they’re grouped together they follow each other’s behavior, including starting to drink water and eat grain. And they enjoy being together; calves are social animals.”
SHELLY O’LEARY
If there’s a definition for “typical family farm” the team members at Tri-Fecta Farms would say they don’t fit that description. And that’s okay. As recent nominees for the Outstanding Young Farmer award, the dairy’s management style is clearly working for them. Three siblings farm in partnership – Kari Gribble, Nick Schultz and Katy Schultz. They credit their parents, Keven and Cheryl Schultz, for encouraging them to pursue college and work off the farm before committing to fulltime work on the dairy. Gribble and her brother entered a partnership while Katy Schultz was still in high school. They started with a loan of 20 cows from their parents – a loan that was eventually paid back. “Our parents understood that when you have some skin in the game you make better choices,” Gribble said. “And it’s true. You’re more motivated to succeed.” A few years later, after buying and selling steers to earn money, Katy Schultz was ready to invest in the home farm. It was then she became the third partner. The delegating of roles sorted out rather seamlessly, based on natural inclinations. Gribble lives more than an hour from the farm. She works fulltime as assistant vice-president of enrollment management for Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. She oversees all financial and legal components of the farm. Also she serves as the communications hub for conversations with insurance agents and financial lenders, and leads strategic goal development. Nick Schultz handles all field, crop and shop functions as well as grain marketing. He also coordinates logistics associated with the
Katy Schultz
ABOVE: From left, siblings Kari Gribble, Nick Schultz and Katy Schultz are partners at Tri-Fecta Farms. They each entered business after graduating from college and working off the farm for a few years. They were then ready to invest money to buy in to the partnership. RIGHT: From left, siblings Katy Schultz, Kari Gribble and Nick Schultz say they’re committed to taking care of their animals, their land, their family and their community. farm’s custom-operating entity. Katy Schultz takes responsibility for “everything with a heartbeat,” managing the health,
growth, care – and contentment – of animals and employees. She’s also the point person for determining each day’s to-do list; she
of their employees. “We’re focused on our people and what’s best for them,” said Schultz, who prioritizes conversation with them so they feel more like family than hired labor. “We also have a daily goal for all work to be finished by 5 p.m. so we can all be home for dinner with our families.” Keeping animals as comfortable as possible is just as important, she said. Calves are raised in groups as soon as all newborn calf-care protocols are met. They stay with their pen mates until they are confirmed pregnant. “We were raising calves in groups before it was cool,” she said. “We saw that when they’re grouped together they follow each other’s behavior, including starting to drink water and eat grain. And they enjoy being together; calves are social animals.” They saw a health benefit for the calves, plus there was significant time and energy savings for their employees. “We do things here that not everyone does,” she said. “Our first delegates appropriate team mem- concern is the wellbeing of our bers to specific tasks. animals and employees.” One of the guiding principles at Tri-Fecta is taking good care Please see TRI-FECTA, Page E2
TO YOUR HEALTH
Change sleep habits to change life perspective JOHN SHUTSKE
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“Good Night Moon …” Those words, and the book by Margaret Wise Brown, were read aloud in our house almost every night from the time my two kids were babies until they were 5 years old. It was Shutske such a ritual that by the time they were asleep I was ready to hit the hay myself. We work so hard to instill good sleep habits with our children or grandkids, yet as we grow older, poor sleep habits – and even intentionally minimizing sleep hours – becomes the norm. It’s even a badge of honor for some. Sleep can be an issue for all of us and sleep problems can grow worse as we age. Dairy producers and others in agriculture are not immune from sleep issues. Studies done in countries worldwide in the past few decades point to the fact that farmers often sleep too little, have frequent sleep disturbances or experience other poor-quality-sleep issues. Receiving less than the ideal amount – and quality – of sleep is detrimental to health. There are several areas where problems typically arise. Health – There can be elevated risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes and increased susceptibility to infection. Focus – There can be fatigue, distraction and forgetfulness during the workday. Decreased focus increases the risk of injury or even death from farm mishaps. Sleep deprivation alters our perception of risk and increases the likelihood we’ll make choices we’d
otherwise view as unsafe. Decision-making – This can be affected, especially in circumstances requiring creative, complex considerations of alternatives and future “what-if” scenarios. We’ve all heard others say, “Let me sleep on it,” when they’re faced with a big decision. Sleep-deprived people are often unable to think innovatively.
With things changing so quickly in the dairy industry, sleep will enhance our ability to think through potential pathways for future success. Lack of sleep impedes our ability to make decisions. Communication – Poor sleep can make it difficult to regulate emotions that support helpful, productive communications with oth-
ers. We’ve all experienced being crabby and even unrealistic in our thinking because we’re tired. When fatigued our brains are less effective in the complex tasks of listening to others for meaning, formulating our thoughts, and engaging with others in a helpful or caring way.
CONTRIBUTED
Dairy producers and others in agriculture are not immune Please see SLEEP, Page E3 from sleep issues.
‘Results pay in performance and quality...’ Target transitions
Small farm or large, it doesn’t matter: Targeting transitions helps get through tough times and invest in better times ahead. Every cost must return a benefit, every choice, results. Take the costs invested in each 2-year-old springing heifer. Her first opportunity to return the investment is her transition to a trouble-free, productive first lactation. A good fresh start on her first 100-days performance are top priority. With the Udder ComfortTM fresh routine, cattle reach their potential, and dairy producers meet their goals. “We tried other brands, but Udder Comfort is the best. It’s all we ever use now. It works, putting it on fresh udders after each milking for a few days helps us be proactive, managing udder health,” says Janny Wilbourn, doing herd health at Kleine Dairy, Cedar Lake, Indiana, where 110 cows make 87 lbs of 110,000 SCC milk.
“We tried other products, but it is Udder Comfort that did the job for us.
Customers confirm One Gallon of Udder Comfort completes the pre- and/or post-fresh routine for 40 to 50 cows/heifers to receive all 14 applications.
“Our SCC is lower than it’s ever been,” says Mark Spadgenske, Menahga, Minnesota. At Spadgenske Dairy, Mark and his brother Mike and their families milk 300 cows, producing 78 lbs of high quality milk. “Within just the first 2 months, we saw our counts come down, and by 6 months, SCC was down by over 100,000 and staying consistently well below 200,000,” Mark reports. “The results with Udder Comfort pay in performance and quality since we started this routine 3 years ago. We spray every fresh udder 2x/day for at least 4 days after calving,” he explains.
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk
Maximum Results Minimal Cost
1.888.773.7153 uddercomfort.com Call to locate a distributor near you
For external application to the udder only, after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.