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Serving rural Benton County, Morrison, Mille Lacs & Kanabec counties.
BENTON AG Plus
Sauk Rapids Herald
THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2017
Gundersons named Morrison County Farm Family of the Year Award reÁects brothers’ community involvement BY JENNIFER COYNE STAFF WRITER
UPSALA – On any given day of the year, the communities of Morrison County are sure to see Alan or David Gunderson volunteering their time towards organizations and events that are near to their lifelong career of dairy farming. It is because of that dedication that the Gunderson brothers, and their families, received the 2016 Morrison County Farm Family of the Year at Farmfest Aug. 3 in Redwood Falls. “Last spring, we found out we had been chosen as a nominee, but we were surprised when we found out we had won,” Alan said. “There are lots of people in our county who are just as deserving.” Alan and David milk 65 Holsteins with their wives, Tina and Patti, respectively, on their family’s 67-year-old farm near Upsala. Alan and Tina have two stepchildren, Kaitlyn and Derek, and two young children, Jacob, 10, and Daniel, 7. David and Patti have three grown children – Sara, Amy and Karl – and two grandchildren, Makayla and Leo. The family farm began in 1950, when the Gundersons’ parents, Loren and Helen, started with 140 acres and milked 10 cows in a 14-stall tiestall barn. At the time, they also raised pigs. “Basically, we’ve been milking our entire lives,” David said. “After school, we never left the farm.” Alan smiled and agreed. “Dad just told us to take over when he was not able to, so that’s what we did,” he said. Rather than pursuing careers off the farm, David and Alan created a partnership in 1989, and have since dedicated their lives to dairy farming and sharing their passion with others in central Minnesota. The dairymen are involved in their local church and community, through the Àre department and legion auxiliary, as well as the Morrison County American Dairy Association Board and local DHIA and creamery Gundersons: page 3B
PHOTO BY JENNIFER COYNE
The Gunderson, David (left) and Alan and Alan’s son, Daniel, are this year’s Morrison County Farm Family of the Year. The Gundersons milk 65 Holsteins with their families near Upsala.
Stamper covers past, present, future of irrigation scheduling BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
BOWLUS — Irrigation systems scattered across central Minnesota farm Àelds have become almost standard. Although agricultural irrigation dates back over 3,000 years, irrigation in Minnesota is relatively young and the modern center-pivot system, which appears in 94 percent of the state’s irrigated acreage, was invented less than 80 years ago. “Center pivots are one of the most advanced ways to water large plots of land,” said Joshua Stamper, of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Stamper, a former irrigation specialist, spoke to members of the Upper Mississippi Irrigators Association at their annual meeting Jan. 18 at the Bowlus Community Center. He presented the past, present and future of irrigation scheduling and weighed in on what tools he Ànds most useful. Irrigation in Minnesota is not driven by dry, arid climates like in the western
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Joshua Stamper, of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, spoke to members of the Upper Mississippi Irrigators Association Jan. 18 in Bowlus about advancements in irrigation scheduling.
United States, but rather by inconsistencies in landscapes, soil retention and precipitation. According to Stamper, water is one of the most yield-limiting factors in most crop systems and can ultimately increase
or decrease land proÀtability. Although Stamper feels the state has a wealth of water available, he stressed conscientious use of the resource. “Good water management will maximize
your yields and minimize the potential for pollution,” he said. The certiÀed professional agronomist reminded the UMIA members that applying too many chemicals and
overwatering can push the pollutants down through the soil proÀle into groundwater instead of keeping them in the topsoil where roots of crops can properly use them for growth. “I don’t think any of you
are going to hear less about these issues,” Stamper said. “But we can deal with this stuff agronomically. If we do a really good job managing fertilizer and managing water, we are going to minimize that potential for groundwater pollution.” For years, farmers have monitored moisture and nutrients using lysimeters, the University of Minnesota Extension’s Irrigation Scheduling Checkbook Method or soil-balance sensors. Over the years, technology has advanced methods of monitoring moisture and nutrients. One development Stamper spoke of was telemetry, an automated communications process by which measurements and data are collected at remote or inaccessible points and transmitted to devices such as smart phones, tablets or computers. Stamper explained that farmers could be Àshing on the lake or at a daughter’s softball game and still be able to check on their Àelds’ needs. Telemetry Irrigation: page 2B