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Friday, February 18 , 2022
Friday, February 18, 2022 | Country Acres • Page 1
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Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
Volume 9, Edition 37
Growing her own herd Krebs focusing on South Devon cattle
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BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN | STAFF WRITER
OBIESKI – One never knows what could start a young person farming. Shelby Krebs, of Sobieski, is of an inspiring class of new farmers. She started from nothing: no infrastructure, no animals, no funds. What she did start with was the necessary desire and will. Since she was a youngster setting her sights on being able to reach the milk line at a friend’s farm, she has never stopped looking forward. Now, at 19 years of age, she has a herd of 10 cows, earned titles, a network of mentors and a supportive family, not to mention her own hard work and possibly a little luck. This is her story. “My life has changed a lot in the last three to five years,” Krebs began. “We didn’t have any cows, nothing. I had no ties to the ag industry, except my
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Publications bli ti The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
uncle. My family was not into it.” A handful of years ago, a serendipitous experience sparked an interest in Krebs, who was then a few years younger, of course, and a little shorter. She would often go to play over at the Gundersons’ farm by Upsala with her siblings. The barn was always open for the children to explore. Krebs used to watch David Gunderson milk and thought it would be interesting to learn. “He laughed and said I could not reach the milk line, and to come back in a few years when I could,” Krebs remembered. “He said if I could reach the milk line, I’d be fine. I was determined to show him I could reach.” A short time later, she did just that and so began milking with Gunderson Brothers
Dairy. She learned everything she could: milking, the sales barn, dehorning, vaccinating, artificial insemination. For Christmas one year, she was gifted a Holstein bull calf, to become her first steer. “My dad’s theory was always, ‘if you’re going to have one, you’re going to have two,’” Krebs said. And so, her father bought a second. Since her cows were the first livestock on the family property, the infrastructure available for their care would need some work. “When I got this steer, we had to see where we were going to put it, what we were going to feed it,” Krebs said. “We
put up the electrical fence. We put up everything out there new in the last three to five years. To do it all on an income which I was getting while in school, working part-time, and to have my family support, is a big thing.” During these years the Gundersons retired, and Krebs had to do something to continue growing her experience. “I was really sad when the Gundersons sold out,” Krebs lamented. “I didn’t know what I was going to do next.
Krebs page 2 PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN
(above) The cattle in Shelby Krebs’ herd are given names, including Crimson, Lava, Ember, Maple, Hazel, Hickory, Jinx, Java, June, José, Jalapeño, Rogina and Gemma. (right) Shelby Krebs is building her herd of South Devon cattle, pictured Dec. 31 near Sobieski.
This month in the
COUNTRY: Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on March 19, 2022
4
Langes build a Lighthouse Burtrum
13-24 National FFA Week Special section
27 Country cooking Osakis
8
The faces of farming Diane Leukam column
25 A search for personal sovereignty Hutchinson
24 Rorschach beaver Nancy Leasman column
11 European mounts New London
