Promoting dairy through education

Flom walks cow in Dennison Days parade, holds milking contest

BY KATE RECHTZIGEL | STAFF WRITER

DENNISON - Every year for the last 15 years David Flom has walked one of his cows in the town parade. From Fancy to Linda to Mini, each have taken center stage in the Dennison Days Parade.

“It’s mostly just to educate the young kids and adults so they know that there are cows that make their milk,” David Flom said. “The people take such an interest in it because not everyone sees cows.”

Flom milks 25 cows with his girlfriend, Mary his girlfriend, Mary Sue Clemenson, on their Clemenson, on their nearly 10-acre farm near y 10-acre farm near Dennison. ison.

“I have always loved I have always loved cows,” Flom said. “I have ,” Flom said. “I have all of my life. That’s why my life. That’s why I still milk because if I l milk because if I wasn’t milking, I don’t ’t milking, I don’t know what else I’d do.” what else I’d do.”

His Holstein cow, His Holstein cow, Fancy, was the one who y, was the one who County sheriffs and comin the contest which started at 10 a.m. on August 6.

“Whoever wants to is more than welcome to do it,” Flom said. “I even down with me so a few grandmas can get in there and compete.”

started it all. He bought her from a local farmer in 2015 and she was also his fi rst cow to score Excellent.

“I paid quite a bit of money for her as she was a show cow and I thought well, let’s take her out and show her around so I took her to the parade,” Flom said.

Shortly after, he was asked to do a milking contest and has been doing that for the last 10 years. He has the Goodhue County Dairy Princesses, Goodhue County sheriffs and community members compete in the contest which started at 10 a.m. on August 6.

“Whoever wants to is more than welcome to do it,” Flom said. “I even bring my old dairy stool down with me so a few grandmas can get in there and compete.”

This year for some reason, contestants were only able to milk 4 ounces out of the cow.

“We let them milk for 30 seconds, and other years people can get up to 12 to 13 ounces out of her,” Flom said. “It could be because she was recently fresh so I put the milker on her for two minutes earlier that morning. Normally I don’t milk her because she is in the middle to later part of her lactation when I bring her down here.”

The dairy was started as a hobby in the summer of 1994 and grew into a full-time job in 2017 after Flom retired from managing the elevator in Dennison.

Flom page 8

PHOTOS SUBMITTED David Flom poses with his cow, Mini, before taking her through the Dennison Days parade on Aug. 6. He milks 25 cows with his girlfriend, Mary Sue Clemenson, on their 10-acre farm near Dennison.

David Flom waves to the crowd as he walks his cow, Mini, through the Dennison Days FlomwavestothecrowdashewalkshiscowMinithroughtheDennison parade on Aug. 6. He has had a cow in the parade for the last 15 years.

We’re here for you, every step of the way.

Your local residential and commercial experts since 1922

SERVICES:

• Jetting clogged or frozen parlor lines • Jetting clogged or frozen pump and gravity manure lines • Vacuuming out large settling tanks • Clearing trench drains • Hydro excavation • Televising of sewer lines

We can clean anything from 2” to 60”

2840 Wilder Rd. NW Rochester, MN 55901 rochph.com

BRUSH GRAPPLE BALE SPEAR

Bale extensions sions also available able LAND LEVELER LAND LEVELER

STUMP BUCKET HYDRAULIC PALLET FORK 3 PT. GOOSNECK TOWBAR TOWBAW

Visit our website at www.messerrepair.com to see all of our attachments or call us at 320-352-3477

3 0 DAYSATISFACTIONGUARAN T E E2 YEAR WARRANTY

FREE FREE SHIPPING! SHIPPING

Located 1.5 miles west of Sauk Centre at 42739 County Road 184 320.352.3477 320.352.3477 320.352.3477 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!

CZ-Sept3-1B-JO

V6750 V8950

ROUND BALERS

COMPACT LOADERS COMPACT LOADERS WHEEL LOADERS WHEEL LOADERS

MOWERS RAKES

TEDDERS

The new generation of TL Series inline bale wrappers from Tube-Line are built to provide producers and custom operators with high effi ciency and proven reliability. To ensure that everyone can reap the benefi ts of the high moisture hay, Tube-Line BaleWrappers are available in multiple confi gurations to suit your needs and your budget.

Tub & Grain Grinders

PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM Nearly 4.5 acres of the Seppanens’ 20-acre property is covered with lush vineyards.

Because it all begins with grapes, they continue to learn about growing them, the development of fl avors in the different varieties, the effect of weather conditions, the chemistry of it all. Each year is different.

“This year is so much cooler, it’s going to be a later harvest,” Marvin said. “And, we’re not going to make any dry red wine this year; it won’t be sweet enough but will make lovely rosé.”

The two have traveled extensively to wine-growing regions around the world as well as within the U.S. They are also members of the Minnesota Farm Winery Association and the Minnesota Grape Growers Association, with annual meetings, networking, tours and presentations creating learning experiences for all their members. They attend short courses and, recently, have done online seminars and courses.

They have put their knowledge to practice and grow about 15 varieties, including all but the newest release from the University of Minnesota.

They have also studied the work of other breeders and hold in high esteem that of Elmer Swenson, a farmer and grape breeder from Osceola, Wisconsin. Much of his 90-year lifetime was spent developing about 50 varieties of grapes. Swenson was self-taught and started out wanting to develop a cold-hardy table grape. When he retired from dairy farming, Swenson worked for the University of Minnesota Horticulture Center for 8-10 years, working in the vineyards. One of the things he did was go through the old records.

“Prior to Prohibition, the U of M had a grape-breeding program but, with Prohibition, they fi red that person and the fi les just sat there,” Marvin said. “So, he [Swenson] went through and made sense out of them and used that information in terms of his grape breeding. Everybody in the northern grape industry knew of him because of the varieties he developed.”

The Seppanens proudly grow several of the Swenson varieties.

Their 2,500 grape vines do well on the bluffs. In spring, they benefi t from the natural air fl ow to prevent frost, which on fl at land is always a problem for growers. The clay soil is such that no irrigation is needed. Even so, the plants fl ourish.

“Our grapes grow more than we would like,” Marvin said. “In the desert, this time of the year you cut the irrigation off, so the plant decides, ‘we gotta get these grapes mature, because we’re going to die here.’ We don’t have that option; we gotta take what we can get and, if it rains too much, some of our grapes will actually split because they take up too much water and the skin can’t keep up with the inside pressure.”

This year, they have enough rain already, and would like to see the middle of October before the skies darken once more with rain clouds. When it comes to nutrition, they only add phosphate every few years. Diseases and pests are handled with as little spray as possible.

“You don’t spray to get rid of things, you spray to control them, so we’re real judicious in spraying,” Linda said. “It’s only when you absolutely need it.”

The North American hybrids