Rural Living by Perham Focus

SPRING 2020 EDITION

RURAL LIVING

NO FAIR: 4-H GOES VIRTUAL IN LIGHT OF COUNTY FAIR'S CANCELLATION AUCTION ACTION AT THE PERHAM STOCKYARDS GROWERS TALK GARLIC

COWS WITH

Fitbits?

What activity trackers tell us about bovine behavior

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Let’s recognize dairy’s role in fighting food insecurity June is National Dairy Month—a time to pay tribute and raise awareness about all the delicious, wholesome, nutritious qualities of dairy products. This June is different, though. This June, milk, cheese, yogurt and dairy foods are helping to fight hunger and food insecurity at one of the most challenging times in our nation’s history. Since mid-March, an estimated 41 million Americans have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and the resulting economic disruptions. For many of these families, food from federal nutrition programs, food banks, religious institutions and other nonprofits have helped keep nutritious food on their tables. And dairy is one of the food groups that is in high demand for good nutrition. Milk is one of the most requested items at food banks but is not usually collected in small food drives because of a lack of refrigeration. However, milk processors are stepping up with donations that keep milk flowing to food banks and out to families. For example, Dairy Farmers of America, the nation’s largest dairy cooperative, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for community food banks and donated significant quantities of fresh milk and dairy products to people in need. Companies such as Danone, Chobani, Sargento, Land O’Lakes, Prairie Farms and others are also making large donations of yogurt and cheese. To further assist non-profit organizations with providing healthy foods and beverages to needy families,

USDA has launched a new program, Farmers to Families Food Boxes. Through this program, USDA is purchasing dairy products, along with fruit, vegetables and meat products from food manufacturers and farmers and distributing them to nonprofits across the country, who then provide boxes of nourishing food to families. USDA will spend $317 million on boxes containing a variety of dairy products. Existing federal programs are also being used to address food insecurity and hunger. In some cases, waivers have been granted to allow flexibility in program requirements so that nutritious food can be distributed, while maintaining healthy distance or addressing supply chain challenges. Milk continues to be a cornerstone of school meals provided while kids are out of school, while yogurt and cheese remain an option as meat alternates. Dairy is also an important category of the food package supplied to the millions of women, infants and children who participate in the WIC program each month. Good nutrition is the foundation of health and wellness for adults and children alike, and dairy is a crucial part of a healthy diet now more than ever. In fact, no other type of food or beverage provides the unique combination of nutrients that dairy contributes to the American diet, including high quality protein, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, and health benefits including better bone health and lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Dairy companies from coast to coast are making important contributions to the nutrition and good health of people across the country.

This article originally appeared as a blog on idfa.org. Visit the website for more information.

The History

OF DAIRY MONTH

National Dairy Month started out as National Milk Month in 1937 as a way to promote drinking milk. It was initially created to stabilize the dairy demand when production was at a surplus, but has now developed into an annual tradition that celebrates the contributions the dairy industry has made to the world. After the National Dairy Council stepped in to promote the cause, the name soon changed to "Dairy Month."

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Did you know?

Garlic is a great grower in Minnesota By Michael Denny For Rural Living

he garlic plant is incredibly diverse and grows in a wide variety of regions around the world. According to Jerry Ford, network coordinator for the Sustainable Farming Association, when people think of garlic they typically imagine it growing in places like the Mediterranean, but it also grows right here in Minnesota. Ford went on to say that garlic actually grows best here, and is very hearty. There are 70 different types of garlic grown in Minnesota, each one unique. Ford grows garlic and raises livestock on Living Song Farm near the Twin Cities. Closer to home, Anita Small and Phil Iverson operate Garlicky Bohemian Farm, off County Road 100 in Wadena. Small and Iverson specialize in porcelain hardneck garlic and grow roughly 6,000 bulbs every year.

The duo sells their crops at farmers markets. Their farm is one of Minnesota’s Premium Garlic Project field trial sites. The two were eager to share their secrets about growing garlic during a farm tour last summer, where they shared various techniques they use to grow their own brand of garlic while leading a group around their small farm. Small was taught how to grow garlic by her father. The smelly bulbs are a generational right of passage, she said. She broke down the tasks associated with planting and commented that harvesting is the most difficult part. Planting garlic has two challenging phases, she said: planting and harvesting. Once planting is done, garlic matures over nine months before it’s ready to be harvested. When asked why he became so focused on garlic, Ford answered, “It’s quite by accident.” He explained that he added garlic to his farm 16 years ago after a friend

offered to help him with the growing process. That friend ended up backing out before the season was through, leaving Ford to raise the garlic all on his own. Ford said he planted the crops but did it mostly wrong. However, he did enough right to get by. Almost two decades later, two of his current seed stock strains come from those original garlic plants. He offered the following advice for first time garlic growers: ► Plant at the right time of year. Garlic should be planted in the fall. Ford personally aims for the middle of October. ► Make sure to have the appropriate materials necessary to grow garlic. ► Check the soil, make sure it has a healthy amount of organic matter. ► Rotating crops is important. Planting in the same spot every year gives rise to disease. ► Start with garlic acquired locally. Don’t start growing garlic accli-

Michael Denny / Rural Living

Jerry Ford conducts a Garlicky Bohemian Farm Tour south of Wadena. He has been growing garlic for almost 20 years.

During a tour, Ford pulled some garlic for a quick inspection.

mated for California soil and weather, it won’t work well. That’s why Ford recommends reaching out to other farmers and helping them on their farms. This allows a front row seat to observe the planting and main-

tenance of the plant. Additionally, this is an opportunity to get seeds already accustomed to the area. Gardeners and farmers gained valuable information during the informal field day. Shortly after

Michael Denny / Rural Living

pulling some bulbs, they convened in a nearby out-building for a potluck. Tours and events like that are made possible with funding from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

RURAL LIVING JUNE 2020

Virtual 4-H exhibits:

With the fair canceled, EOT County clubs think outside the box By RosaLin Alcoser For Rural Living

he COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the cancellation of many annual events this year, including the East Otter Tail County Fair. For many youths participating in one of the 15 4-H clubs in Easter Otter Tail County, the county fair usually means preparing and entering 4-H exhibits, whether those exhibits

are livestock showing or project-based. In a normal year at the local fair, over 100 dairy animals and 75 to 80 swine would be shown, according to Janet Malone, the Extension Educator for 4-H Youth Development of East Otter Tail County. “Over the years, we typically have 1,500 to 2,000 4-H exhibits that’ll come into the county fair for East Otter Tail County,” Malone said.

Though the fair is canceled, 4-H exhibits are not. “We are working on virtual judging for our 4-Hers to showcase their events,” Malone said. As of early June, East Otter Tail County 4-H was still figuring out exactly how the virtual judging system would work, Malone said, with club members involved in the process and taking available technology into account.

Perham Focus File Photo

Trisha Crews of the EOT Hustlers 4-H Club give "Jake" a workout in the horse arena at the fairgrounds at the 2018 East Otter Tail County Fair.

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"I feel for our graduates who have gone through a different process of being able to be recognized for their work. I know that they’re disappointed." Janet Malone

Perham Focus File Photo

Logan Small and Braeden Malone of the Henning Shining Light 4-H Club give two black Angus cows a bath at the 2018 East Otter Tail County Fair.

The idea is that 4-Hers will enter their exhibits using the entry system they have used in past years, then they will upload photos and videos of their projects, Malone said. The judging will take place over

Zoom meetings set up between the 4-Hers and the judge. “We’re having some Zoom meetings with some of our 4-H families in this coming week that will give us some feedback on their pref-

erences and how they would like to showcase their 4-H work this year,” Malone said. The date for the virtual exhibits and judging had not been set yet at press time, but the plan was to try to

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keep it around when the fair would have been, Malone said. This year’s fair was set to take place July 23-26, so the goal is to do the entry, virtual showcasing and virtual judging around then. Many families had already arranged to be off around then to take part in 4-H activities at the fair, Malone said. The local 4-H clubs have been trying to make the best of how things have gone this

year as they respect the decisions made by both the fair board and the University of Minnesota to keep people safe, Malone said. “It’s been a challenge. I’m not going to say that it’s not been a challenge,” Malone said. ”But it’s not a challenge that we can’t overcome if we put some positive attitude into trying to make it work the best way we can make it work.”

“The motto in 4-H is, ‘Making the best better,’” Malone said. So while the cancellation of this year’s county fair is not ideal, East Otter Tail County 4-H is hoping 4-Hers will learn something from the non-traditional experience. Still, Malone said, “I feel for our graduates who have gone through a different process of being able to be recognized for their work. I know that they’re disappointed.”

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RosaLin Alcoser / Rural Living

With the cancellation of the East Otter Tail County Fair due to COVID-19, the exhibition barns will remain empty on July 23-26 instead of housing the usual cattle and 4-H exhibits.

Pandemic has affected more than just the fair

How county fair exhibits will be showcased is not the only part of 4-H that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected. 4-H uses a learning model that is very face-to-face and hands-on, Malone said. That makes it challenging for distance

learning or technology to be used in the learning process. “We’ve had to do some adapting and stepping outside of our comfort zone to think outside the box to make our 4-H experience positive for our young people,” Malone said. One of the ways 4-H has tried to keep things positive during the pan-

demic has been by offering container gardening along with one of the gardening clubs in Perham, Malone said. Using curbside pickup for the containers, seeds, and plants, 4-Hers have been taking those supplies home and then watching an instructional teaching video to learn how to create their own container gardens.

RosaLin Alcoser / Rural Living

The 4-H Children's Garden sits behind the Master Gardener's building at the East Otter Tail County Fairgrounds in Perham.

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Fitbits for cows

Activity trackers let cows 'go about their business' as tech keeps tabs on health By Rebecca Mitchell For Rural Living

or one “unofficially forever” dairy farmer in Clarissa, the health of the cows is a top priority— even if that means adding ear tags to keep tabs on how they’re doing. The tags, produced by Allflex Livestock Intelli-

gence, are the cow equivalent of a Fitbit. They can be worn on the ears or on neck collars. Pat Lunemann, of Twin Eagle Dairy, learned about the technology about five years ago. Lunemann started as coowner and general manager of the family farm back in 1979.

For the past few years, he debated the “very high” cost of the Fitbit-like tags, and then in October 2019, decided to go for it and began leasing 1,000 ear tags. The tags send signals to a computer system, which analyzes the data and alerts employees of changes to a cow’s health.

Cow Stats

Here's what the activity trackers have told Pat Lunemann about his herd: ▶They spend an average of 525 minutes (8.75 hours) chewing every day ▶Most of that time they're lying down. ▶High producing cows spend about 12-14 hours a day lying and lower producing cows, 10-12 hours. ▶They walk about 4,000 feet per day. ▶They spend an average of 15 hours per day standing, moving, milking and socially interacting.

Rebecca Mitchell / Rural Living

The 850 cows at Twin Eagle Dairy were outfitted with Fitbit-like tags in October 2019.

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"It’s amazing what this little tiny tag can do." Pat Lunemann

With 850 cows on site and milking around the clock at Twin Eagle Dairy, the daily graphs on each cow provide a way for Lunemann’s workers to organize their morning duties, and they also impact the frequency of veterinarian visits. “Anything that’s out of the normal is flagged, so if a cow is not moving as much as she should, she’s not going up to the bunk to eat, it will let you know, and it’ll say you need to look at these certain cows,” Lunemann said. “Oftentimes, the system will alert you to a cow’s problems two, three

days ahead of when we would visually be able to see it, and that is worth so much.” A cow might have ketosis, for example, a blood sugar imbalance that can lead to the cow “crashing” because it did not eat. The condition can lead to a twisted stomach and then require surgery or cause death if not treated, according to Lunemann. But the solution is simple if caught early: a bottle of sugar water through an IV, or the oral fluid propylene glycol. “With the value of cows being what it is, if we can save one to two cows

per month, that alone pays for it (the technology),” Lunemann said. Since cows are creatures of habit, a slight change like walking around the herd three times instead of once can alert employees to a cow being in heat— when she is looking for a bull—and the technology tracks these changes. When there is increased activity on a graph for a particular cow, usually around day 19 to 20 out of a 21-day cycle, according to Lunemann, she will be inseminated the next morning.

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Rebecca Mitchell / Rural Living

Using technology similar to Fitbits, Twin Eagle Dairy co-owner and general manager Pat Lunemann, and his employees, can monitor cow health via computers and smartphones.

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If the cow does not come into heat as tracked by the technology, then she is likely pregnant, which decreases the urgency of a veterinarian confirming the pregnancy. A veterinarian check means the cow is cut off

from the group, which can cause confusion, according to Lunemann. “So now the cows can just go about their business,” Lunemann said. Cows at Twin Eagle Dairy are placed on a routine of calving every

Rebecca Mitchell / Rural Living

In this barn of approximately 500 cows at Twin Eagle Dairy in Clarissa, Minn., each cow has a Fitbit-like tag in its ear, which allows a dairy farmer to rely less on visual aides and more on accurate data.

12 to 14 months since cows must have calves to produce milk, according to Lunemann. The cows milk for 10 months and then are off for two months of rest. Each day, Lunemann and his employees can check the general cow management screen to see which heifers are ready for insemination, which cows need health attention and which cows are getting ready to calve. They can select a specific cow on the left side of the screen. The technology is a piece of what is changing in the milk industry, from the “rapid pace” change in genomics that allows sampling a piece of hair or performing a blood test on a heifer instead of a three to four year comparing process to the removal of BST in the industry that would make cows hungry, according to Lunemann.

Rebecca Mitchell / Rural Living

These ear tags go in cows' ears to track movement, rumination and alert farmers to health issues.

Over the next 10 years, Lunemann said dairy farming will become more efficient with the scientific changes. He does not expect production to double, though: When he started in 1979, the busi-

ness produced 12,000 to 13,000 pounds of milk a year; today, it produces 26,000 pounds. The Fitbit-like technology is a change seen in mostly mid- to largesized cow herds due to the cost, according to

Lunemann, as it has a set-up fee of $9,000 and a lease of $2 per ear tag. The yields of health and reproductive data might just be worth it, though, Lunemann said: “It’s amazing what this little tiny tag can do.”

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RosaLin Alcoser / Rural Living

Cows at the Perham Stockyards are pinned by size and type before and after being sold at auction.

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tarting at 10 a.m. every Monday, livestock is auctioned at the Perham Stockyards, with owner and auctioneer Mitch Barthel running the show.

“We sell livestock on commission for commercial, farmers, or whoever’s got something to sell,” Barthel said. “We’ll sell it.” Before an auction can begin, the livestock being sold must be sorted and penned by sex and by size, and checked by a veteri-

narian, Barthel said. When it’s time for the auction to begin, the livestock goes to the ring in groups, by weight, to be sold. “So if you’ve got 10 steers and heifers, and five are steers and five are heifers, they’ll be sorted,” Barthel explained.

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A group of hogs enters the auction ring after being led down the shoot from their pin.

“If you’ve got a 700 pound steer, we’ll pin it together with the other 700 pound steers — and (then) the 500 pounders together and the 400 pounders together. The same way with the heifers. Then they’ll go into the ring that way.” The first animals to enter the auction floor are hogs, goats and sheep. Then the cattle enter, with the feeder stock going out first and the bulls last, according to Barthel. Feeder and saluter stock are sold by the pound, Barthel said: “If they’re going back to the country as dairy cattle or breeding cattle, if they’re going back with a farmer or a rancher, we’ll sell them by the head because it’ll bring a premium.” Once livestock is sold, it is repinned according to buyer number, Barthel said, and digital checks are made out to the seller within 30 seconds of the sale. Auctions can last anywhere from two to 12 hours, depending on the time of the year.

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RosaLin Alcoser / Rural Living

Mitch Barthel is the owner and auctioneer of the Perham Stockyards.

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RURAL LIVING JUNE 2020

In summer, sales last about two hours, as most stock is out to pasture and few are being brought in to sell, Barthel said. “In the fall time, you could sell for 10 to 12 hours straight when cattle are moving. October is the biggest month, when sales go for 12 hours straight,” Barthel said. “It’s just like a corn harvest,” he added about sales being higher in October. “ It’s the same way with cattle.” Bidders range from independent farmers to corporate buyers. ”You might have someone in here who might buy one or two head and you might have someone who buys 500 or 900 head, and they’ll be a corporate buyer,” Barthel said. Not all bidders bid in person: “All of our sales are broadcast live on Cattle USA,” Barthel said. “We’ve got about 400 bidders on there,

RosaLin Alcoser / Rural Living

A cow undergoes a routine veterinary exam before being taken to the auction arena at the Perham Stockyards.

and we sell about 20% of our sales on the internet every week.” Since bidders are able to bid online, cattle sales at the Perham Stockyards are not just limited to the Perham area.

“We sell cattle anywhere in the United States,” said Barthel. “A lot of them (sales) are probably within 600 to 800 miles. The farthest we’ve probably gone is Missouri or Colorado.”

RosaLin Alcoser / Rural Living

Goats are among the first of the livestock to enter the scale ring to be sold at auction each Monday.

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