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Serving rural Benton County, Morrison, Mille Lacs & Kanabec Counties.
BENTON AG Sauk Rapids Herald
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THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017
Hand-in-hand
Knopiks Ànd beef, crop farming to be great pairing BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Jim Knopik raises 25 cow-calf pairs on his farm east of Camp Ripley. Knopik, also a crop farmer, bought back into the beef industry after selling off his herd in 2002.
LITTLE FALLS — What pairs well with beef? Most people might answer that question with mashed potatoes and gravy or a good red wine. But for Little Falls farmer Jim Knopik, his nearly 40 years of crop farming and raising beef cattle has been a testament to a tried and true combination. “We’ve always crop farmed. They go hand-in-hand,” said Knopik, who raises Black Angus. “In the summertime, while we’re busy in the Àelds, the cattle are on the grass and don’t take a whole lot of time, other than going around the fences once and a while. Then, in the winter, you don’t have much else to do other than feed the cows. Come spring, they’re done calving before the Àeldwork starts.” Knopik and his wife, Debbie, currently own 25 cow-calf pairs and grow kidney beans and soybeans, corn, rye and hay on roughly 1,400 acres east of Camp Ripley with their son, Robert. However, the Knopik’s herd
was not always small. At one time, the couple raised approximately 200 head. “We started with 10, and then we built from there,” Knopik said. “When the kids got out of high school, we sold the cows and we started traveling for the winter. We did that for about 10 years. We had a Àfth-wheel camper and went to Florida, Texas, California, those southern states. Where ever it was warm, we were going.” Growing up on a dairy farm, Knopik had always had a fascination with beef herds and the equipment that came with them. “I’ve always liked them, ever since I was young,” he said. “I’ve always liked the western style [of ranching]. My family always just had dairy, and it didn’t impress me too much. Beef farmers had round balers and Àfth-wheel trailers. All we had was a crate in the back of the pickup.” So when the couple married in 1979, they bought beef and began to grow their herd. The Knopiks have always Knopiks: page 4B
A Benton County revival
Schubert, Smelter named local dairy princesses BY JENNIFER COYNE STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – It’s been three years since Benton County dairy producers had a princess to represent them. However, on April 22, that notion changed as not one, but two, young women stepped into the advocating role. Throughout the year, Rebecca Schubert and Alison Smelter will serve as Benton County Dairy Princesses, attending parades and participating in June Dairy Month activities in an effort to encourage the consumption of dairy products. A chance to change perception When Schubert was in high school, she was a student in several agriculture-related classes. Those classes ultimately persuaded the 18-year-old to pursue a degree in ag economics, and crop and weed science at North Dakota State University, and to also represent Benton County dairy producers as a county princess. “I’m excited to share with the public the lifestyle of dairy farming,” Schubert said. “It’s a big responsibility, but an equally big
PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE
Alison Smelter (left) and Rebecca Schubert were crowned the 2017 Benton County Dairy Princesses April 22 at Jimmy’s Pour House in Sauk Rapids.
honor to be the positive connection between dairy farming and the public.” Schubert is the daughter of Jerome and Natalie Schubert, of Rice, and has spent the past four
years balancing schoolwork and on-farm responsibilities at O & S Dairy. On the dairy, Schubert Àrst began feeding calves, but her responsibilities have developed
into setting up the milking parlor, milking the cows, and cleaning the barn. “My sister, Amanda, worked on the dairy before me, so I guess I followed in her footsteps,”
Schubert said. In her role as dairy princess, Schubert is looking forward to interacting with consumers and inÁuencing their decision to consume dairy products as part of a balanced lifestyle. “I’m really excited,” Schubert said. “I’ll be able to serve in a public relations role and attend events that mix the importance of communication with what I love, dairy farming.” As an older dairy princess, Schubert is looking forward to using her skillset to talk about dairy farming in a positive light. “I had the opportunity to run for princess earlier, but this is a good time for me,” Schubert said. “I’ve broken out of my shell and I can’t wait to tell everyone what dairy is all about. For me, it’s a big honor.” A young dream come true Ever since Smelter was a young girl, helping on her grandparents’ dairy, she wanted to represent dairy farmers in a county princess role. At the age of 17, Smelter will get to fulÀll her dream. “I’ve always known I wanted to be a dairy princess,” Smelter said. “I wanted to be able to get the community more involved in dairy farming and the hard work that goes into producing milk and other dairy products.” Smelter is the daughter of Princesses: page 2
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PAGE 2B | THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017 | BENTON AG
the malt stand at the county a longstanding tradition that fair, among many more has been missed the past few years. activities. from front “We’re fortunate to be a For Smelter, serving in this role is more than part of a legacy,” Smelter said. Joseph Bromenschenkel and interacting with consumers “And I’m excited to make an Melissa Smelter. When she and being present in the impact in Benton County.” is not busy in FFA and other community – it’s carrying on extracurricular activities at Sauk Rapids-Rice High SouthwoodMotors.com School, Smelter remains busy 1-800-764-5693 sales@southwoodmotors.com as a farmhand on her uncle, 3711 County Road 137 MOTORS St. Cloud, MN 56301 Jason Smelter’s, dairy farm. Serving your Automotive Needs for Over 39 Years At the 65-cow dairy, Smelter is responsible for #303472 cleaning the feed aisles, #754744 feeding the cattle and helping milk. “During school, I’m able to get to the farm three times 2010 Mazda 3 i Sport 2014 Smart Car a week, and it becomes more A/C, SSPD, 85,000 miles $7,299 Auto Air, 8,000 miles $6,650 frequent in the summer,” Smelter said. 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 3 to pick from, 15,000 miles ................ $18,999 Now crowned a dairy 2015 Chevy Equinox LS 23,000 miles, 5 to pick from..................................... $15,999 princess, Smelter will share 2017 Ram 1500 Club Cab 4 dr., 4x4, 9,950 miles, 5.7 Hemi, V8, Like new ... $26,999 her dairy farming story in $ school visits, town parades 2014 Ford Fusion SE 4dr., 22,000 miles, like new.............................................. $13,999 10,499 and community events 2014 Ford Focus SE 4dr., 20,238 miles, auto, air.................................................. BA18-1B-LO throughout the year. Together, the Benton County Dairy Princesses will participate in Foley Fun Days, Farmer Appreciation Day and help in
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Knowing what’s in your food People want to know what goes into the production of food, and they don’t want a sugar-coated version. A recent study by the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) shows only 28 percent of shoppers say they have access to all the information they are looking for related to how food is produced and its safety. Charlie Arnot, CEO of CFI, says consumers have made it clear they don’t want a “polished-up version of the process. They want the good, the bad and the ugly. They simply want balanced, credible information so they can decide for themselves.” According to Arnot, consumers feel a higher level of comfort knowing that a credible, objective third party does the research and reports, especially when it comes to the treatment of food animals and food safety. There’s been a real push to have that kind of information put on food labels, but in some cases a label can lead to even more confusion. When
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from front raised their cattle on the open range, never housing them in a barn. They rented pastures and, at one time, hauled their cattle between four counties — Todd, Crow Wing, Morrison and Mille Lacs. During the majority of the year, the pairs graze on pasture, but in the winter months the Knopiks run them on the corn stalks, and feed them hay and baleage following Christmas. They also vaccinate and feed their herd a mineral program. After selling off their large herd in 2002 and taking some time for
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usually sold straight off the nursing mother by midOctober. If the market seems low, the Knopiks will hold the calves for spring sale. All of the heifers are sold to keep the head count low. But this year, things might be different. “I won’t sell them all this year,” Knopik said. Yet, he isn’t sure how large he’d like to grow his herd. “I have no idea. We’ll have to see how things go. It’s just as easy to check 100 as it is 25. But I’m not sure how busy I want to get,” Knopik said. Regardless of the future herd size, Knopik will continue raising crops and beef – as he’s learned, they go hand-in-hand.
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themselves, Knopik decided to plant pasture near their current home and enter into the beef industry once again. As when he Àrst started, Knopik purchased 10 cows. “It just didn’t seem right not to have any cattle,” he said. “It didn’t seem like a farm without them. That’s why I bought them back, and I enjoy them. It’s peaceful to me, seeing the little calves run around. Plus, it seems like you always have some hay laying around to graze on or feed up.” Presently, the Knopiks breed their beef with a traditional bull in the summer, switching every three years to better their genetics. The cows calve in March and April, and the young are
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Black Angus beef cattle take shelter between the evergreen trees April 28 on Jim and Debbie Knopik’s farm in Little Falls. The Knopik’s own 25 cow-calf pairs.
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