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February 24, 2024
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 26, No. 1
Coming together for Nehm
Leading the sustainability movement Winn spearheads pilot project, gains Farmer of the Year award By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Tractors line the streets Feb. 4 in front of Farmers’ Implement in Allenton, Wisconsin. Farmers from ve coun�es paid tribute to Cur�s Nehm on the day of his visita�on and funeral, riding in on approximately 150 tractors.
Community pays respects through tractor gathering By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
ALLENTON, Wis. — On Feb. 4, more than 350 people gathered at Farmers’ Implement in Allenton to remember and honor a special young man, Curtis Nehm. They came on tractors from ve counties to pay tribute to one of their own and support his family during a time of sorrow. “The farming community is super supportive, and a lot of people came,” said Nehm’s sister, Cheryl Asmus. “It was awesome. It was what we needed.” Nehm died in a farm accident Jan. 27 at the age of 27. On the day of Nehm’s visitation and funeral, approximately 150 tractors, a combine, a chopper, a grain truck and several service trucks lined the road in front of the implement where Nehm had worked since he was 15. They Turn to NEHM | Page 6
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Jim Winn stands in a freestall barn Jan. 29 at his farm near South Wayne, Wisconsin. Winn was named the 2023 Farmer of the Year by the Field to Market organiza�on for his efforts in sustainability.
SOUTH WAYNE, Wis. — Jim Winn has a long history of conservation efforts, simply because he believes it is the right thing to do. First, he helped to form his local farmer-led watershed group, the Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance, expanding the conservation efforts to include more farms and more acres. This led to an active involvement in a pilot sustainability project that is measuring the impact of conservation practices on environmental metrics and farm nances. For his efforts, Winn was named the 2023 Farmer of the Year from Field to Market. Turn to WINN | Page 2
Enjoying dairy farming again Zeitlers are 9 months into robotic journey By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
COLEMAN, Wis. — The Zeitler family was losing their love of dairy farming. They were milking 180 cows in an inefcient and outdated 80-stall stanchion barn. For years, they dreamed of being able to leap to a robotic milking system — a dream they realized in 2023. “We’re nally able to start living the lifestyle we wanted,” Jerry Zeitler said. “We were working 15- and 16hour days, non-stop. Milking alone took eight or nine hours each day.” PHOTO SUBMITTED
Turn to ZEITLERS | Page 8
The Zeitler family — Connor Seefeldt (front, from le�), Michaela Zeitler and Tricia Zeitler; (back, from le�) Renee Seefeldt, Jerry Zeitler holding Colton Seefeldt and Zach Zeitler — pose in front of their robo�c milking system Jan. 31 in Coleman, Wisconsin. The Zeitlers started milking with four Lely A5 robots May 30, 2023.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN Print: 2834-619X • Online: 2834-6203
522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Published by Star Publications LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition - 320-352-6303 Nancy Powell • nancy.p@dairystar.com Karen Knoblach • karen.k@star-pub.com Annika Gunderson • annika@star-pub.com Editorial Staff Maria Bichler - Assistant Editor maria.b@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Assistant Editor 262-442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman - Staff Writer 608-487-1101 • danielle.n@dairystar.com Abby Wiedmeyer - Staff Writer 608-487-4812 • abby.w@dairystar.com Tiffany Klaphake - Staff Writer 320-352-6303 • tiffany.k@dairystar.com Jan Lefebvre - Staff Writer jan.l@star-pub.com Amy Kyllo - Staff Writer amy.k@star-pub.com Emily Breth - Staff Writer emily.b@star-pub.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292
Con�nued from WINN | Page 1
“It’s really neat to be honored like that,” Winn said. “We’re just trying to do what’s right.” Winn farms near South Wayne with his two partners, Randy Larson and Brian Larson. They operate Cottonwood Dairy, milking 1,700 cows and cropping approximately 2,500 acres. Winn was inspired to start the watershed group in 2016 to combine the resources of neighboring farms and provide a positive example to the community. Winn asked three dairy farms from the area to help him establish a group. A couple of other beef, hog and grain farms from the area joined as well. The group has grown to 37 members. “One of the things I pride myself on with our group is that every year there seems to be more cover crops grown,” Winn said. “It’s really taken off in Lafayette County, and LASA is a big reason for that.” The head of procurement for Grande Cheese, where Cottonwood Dairy ships its milk, took notice of the group and asked about the impact of the conservation practices LASA was utilizing. The community was also curious, and Winn said he believes food safety is at the top of a consumer’s mind. Winn partnered with Farmers for
Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@saukherald.com National Sales Manager - Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 • fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Assistant Sales Manager - Kati Schafer (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 • jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 • mike.s@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Julia Merten (Southeast MN and Northeast IA) 507-438-7739 • julia.m@star-pub.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) • 320-248-3196 (cell) Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $40.00, outside the U.S. $200.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Co�onwood Dairy has been a pioneer in conserva�on efforts near South Wayne, Wisconsin. Jim Winn, a partner of Co�onwood Dairy, farms with Randy Larson and Brian Larson.
Sustainable Food to implement a pilot sustainability project that measures the impact of conservation efforts on environmental metrics. It also provides an opportunity for farmers to understand results so they can better manage their farms and learn from each other.
Turn to WINN | Page 5
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The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star / Star Publications LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Star Publications LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. © 2023 Star Publications LLC
The project also makes outcomes available to the local community. A free guide shows farmers how to measure their sustainability efforts. These resources can be found on the Farmers for Sustainable Food website.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 3
Coleman, WI
Zeitlers are 9 months into robotic journey First Section: Pages 1, 8 - 9
Morrison, IL Mulderink milks for 12 years before nding a market First Section: Pages 25 - 26
Ellsworth, WI
Webster family remembers husband, father Second Section: Pages 3 - 4
Lyndon Station, WI
Thorp, WI Halopka shares strategies for developing healthy soils First Section: Page 7
Top Performers: The Madland family First Section: Pages 20, 23
Sturgeon Bay, WI
Auburndale, WI
Lafarge, WI
Cuba City, WI
Women in Dairy: Holly LaPlant First Section: Page 29
Organic Valley adds 84 farms in 2023 Second Section: Pages 8 - 9
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: How did your involvement in FFA benet you in your dairy career? First Section: Pages 15 -16, 18
Hasenohrls farm simply, are hopeful for the future First Section: Pages 32 - 33
Schneiders update dairy with robotic technology Second Section: Pages 16 - 17
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Zone 1
Zone 2
Columnists A Insider Ag Page 10 First F Section Fir
Farmer and Columnist Page 35 First Section
R Ramblings from the Ridge Page 36 First Fi Section
Something So to Ruminate On Page P 37 First Fir Section
Ju Thinking Just Out Loud Page 38 F First Section
D Dairy Good Life Page 39 First Fi Section
The “Mielke” Market Weekly Pages 6 - 7 Second Section
Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 5
ConƟnued from WINN | Page 2
There has also been support from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore and Houston Engineering in Minnesota to put all the data together. Together with Lauren Brey, from Farmers for Sustainable Food, the team works with farmers to enroll acres into the program and then document every pass on the enrolled elds. Financial information from a subset of project farms is input into the database as well to provide a snapshot of the protability of the conservation practices. This requires information to be entered upfront, an effort that is assisted by Brey and her team, who offer support and one-on-one meetings to help with the workload. Farms receive scores on biodiversity, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, soil carbon, soil conservation and water quality. Scores are compared to benchmarks at a project, state and national level, where adequate data exists for farmers to create goals. “It’s mind-boggling how much data that can come from one little eld,” Winn said. “There’s a lot of things we knew we were doing a really good job at, but until we started this sustainability project and they put numbers to it, it’s astonishing what these practices are doing for the environment.”
Reports are produced from each farm and as an aggregate of the whole project. They are entering their fth year of reporting, with 15 farms concluding positive results so far. Brey said the project has expanded the efforts of the watershed group. “LASA members have been getting it off the ground and doing an amazing job getting farmers excited about conservation and trying these practices,” Brey said. “But at the end of the day, we didn’t have real numbers around whether we are making an impact on environmental metrics.” With the numbers in hand, programs are available to help farmers better manage their acres with whatever crop rotations and conservation practices they can prove protable. Winn is looking for ways to compensate farmers for the projects they are implementing. “The consumer demands it, and we want to be a part of the solution,” Winn said. “We should be reimbursed for that.” Brey said that with Winn at the helm, there is a lot to be hopeful for going forward. “Jim is such an inspirational leader,” Brey said. “When he is enthusiastic about something, others take notice and join in because he is a light of a leader and has a contagious energy and positivity to bring people together.”
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ConƟnued from NEHM | Page 1
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PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Nehm family — Henry Asmus (front); CurƟs Nehm (back, from leŌ), ScoƩ Nehm, Marcus Asmus holding Leah, Cheryl Asmus, and Sue and Bill Nehm — gather for a photo October 2023 near Slinger, Wisconsin. CurƟs died in a farm accident Jan. 27 at the age of 27. came in all kinds of brands and colors — from Case IH, John Deere, New Holland, and International to Ford, Massey Ferguson, Oliver, Challenger and Versatile. “It really meant a lot to our family to see that many people who cared about Curtis,” said Nehm’s brother, Scott. “People looked up to him and appreciated what he did for everybody. He wasn’t just someone they went to from 8 to 5. He answered the phone late at night and on weekends. He was not just an employee at the dealership; he was more than that to a lot of people.” Nehm could be found behind the parts counter at Farmers’ Implement. His knowledge of machinery parts and people-pleasing mentality made him a sought-after guru for any farmer needing to x something. “Curtis was the kind of person who would do anything for anyone,” Asmus said. “He went above and beyond to help people nd parts and x stuff. That’s just how he was. People drove a distance to get parts from him because they knew he would get it right.” Nehm, the son of Bill and Susan Nehm, grew up dairy farming. His family milked 70 cows on their farm near Slinger until 2022. Nehm’s favorite type of tractor was a Case IH, the red tractors he grew up with. In addition to working full time at Farmers’ Implement, Nehm and his brother owned S&C Ag Services, a custom eldwork business. When the dairy cows left, the brothers remodeled the barn and began buying wet calves and raising steers as well, with about 60 calves on milk. The pair also opened a Dairyland Seed dealership and were planning to start selling seed this spring. “We spent all day, every day together when he wasn’t at work,” Scott said. “We worked side by side every night, weekend and vacation day. Curtis never forgot anybody — what they needed or were looking for — whether in our business or the parts business. He made it a point to go the extra mile and people knew that.” Scott Schrefer, agricultural sales representative at Farmers’ Implement, helped organize the event for Nehm, born from an idea of Nehm’s customer and friend, Matthew Beck. “The amount of support from coworkers, friends, family, customers, the local re department and even past employees of the implement was amazing,” Schrefer said. “Curtis helped
everyone no matter what you were looking for, and he always did it with a smile. Even if customers were having a bad day, he would do his best to make it better.” Jake Gehring, dairy farmer and longtime friend to Nehm, drove three John Deere tractors to Allenton that day with help from his wife, brother and hired hand. Gehring and his family milk 190 cows near Hartford. “This was a nice event for the whole community to be a part of,” Gehring said. “It was tough but good to get together and start to heal. His family realized that day how big of an inuence Curtis had on the community and what big shoes he left to ll. He was denitely my go-to guy for parts, as he was for many people.” Gehring said the event brought a lot of emotions. “It was a good sendoff and a good way to pay our respects,” he said. “There’s not many of us left in the ag community, and we lost one of the good ones.” Farmers’ Implement served lunch, and farmers ate together while celebrating Nehm’s life. “It was a lot of planning and work on the implement’s part,” Asmus said. “We’re very lucky for all the support, and we couldn’t thank anyone enough.” Farmers’ Implement is also setting up an Honours Inc. scholarship in Nehm’s name at Slinger High School. “His employer has been fantastic,” Asmus said. Asmus said her brother’s pleasant personality and witty commentary was what he was known for. “He was always smiling and laughing,” she said. “He had the kind of laugh you don’t forget.” Asmus wants people to remember her brother’s helpfulness and positive attitude toward life. “He was always happy and wanted to better himself,” she said. “He always tried to do new things and wasn’t scared to take a chance. It’s awful now, but you just have to try and keep going. He wouldn’t want us sitting around.” Asmus said 1,200 people went through the visitation line prior to her brother’s funeral. Nehm will be missed by many in the community as his absence is felt by everyone he impacted. “I don’t think we even realized how many people Curtis knew or helped,” Asmus said. “For only being 27, he touched a lot of lives.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 7
Understanding soil health nutrients in- there, and that cover benets ka said. “Fungi like to grow Halopka shares strategies for cludeStructural carbon, oxygen and hy- that soil biology.” long like a chain. When you drogen, which are obtained Other benets of having go in and do tillage, you cut it developing healthy foundation from either water or the air. cover on the ground, accord- off, and it has to restart. The By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
THORP, Wis. — Soil is one of the greatest resources found on any farm. Caring for it and working to improve it should be a constant goal of agriculturalists, according to Richard Halopka, a University of WisconsinExtension crop and soils educator in Clark County. “Someone told me once they had sick soil,” Halopka said. “Soils literally do not become sick. When you talk about being sick, it’s a physical or mental illness — ailing, indisposed, out of sorts. Did you ever see any of these in your eld? Probably not.” Halopka presented “Fixing Sick Soils” at a meeting Jan. 31 in Thorp. While soils cannot become sick, Halopka said there are many things that farmers can do to improve the quality and function of their soils.
Understanding soils and soil health is the key. Soils have both physical and chemical properties, and they have biology, Halopka said, adding that they are always full of life. “Chemical properties are the reason why we soil test,” Halopka said. “A basic Wisconsin-certied soil lab test will include organic matter, pH, phosphorus and potassium levels that plants are able to extract from that soil prole and soil water. A soil test is the rst step when working to improve a soil.” According to Halopka, crops need 17 essential nutrients to germinate, develop and put on fruit or grain. In the group are structural nutrients, primary and secondary nutrients, and micronutrients. “They are all essential, and a deciency can only be corrected by adding the nutrient,” Halopka said. “If any one of the 17 are in short supply, we may give up yield or not produce a crop.”
Halopka said that plants are comprised of 45% carbon, 43% oxygen and 6% hydrogen. Primary nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; secondary nutrients include calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Halopka said the physical properties of soil include soil aggregates. “When the soil guys go digging in a eld, the goal is to nd soil with a cottage cheese-like consistency,” Halopka said. “Live roots in the soil help improve that. The root hairs give off glomalin that helps produce that aggregation. That is where cover crops or perennial crops become valuable, keeping those living roots in the soil.” Halopka said the surface cover created by both residues and growing plants benets the soil by providing food for the biology living in the soil. “Keeping that cover on the ground helps protect that soil,” Halopka said. “Even today, those soils are alive out
ing to Halopka, include reducing the impact of rainfall, improving water inltration and reducing both runoff and erosion. Reducing tillage allows soil structure to be maintained and conserves water and is the second step toward improving soil health, Halopka said. “Each pass of tillage removes a quarter inch of soil water,” he said. “That is water that is in that 60-inch prole. It takes 22 inches of water to grow a 200-bushel crop of corn. That is the amount of water that can be stored in a 5-foot, 60-inch depth of soil.” Soil biology encompasses any living thing impacting the soil. “Soil biology can be as large as mice, worms, cows and other animals,” Halopka said. “There are also microscopic fungi and bacteria.” Halopka said those bacteria and fungi are important to creating the desired soil prole. “Fungi benet the most from reduced tillage,” Halop-
fungi interact with those root hairs and improve the ability of the roots to bring water and nutrients into the plant. That is why fungi are so important.” Halopka said regardless of the overall health of a soil, all these components are present. “Even in what I would call a bad soil, there is still all this biology,” Halopka said. “It is just a matter of how efcient they are.” After soil testing and reducing tillage, diversifying the crop rotation is the next step in improving soils. It is also important to ensure some sort of cover remains on the eld to protect the soils. “Not everyone can do cover crops with their cropping systems, but we can leave residues and plants into that,” he said. “Leaving that residue is like putting a jacket on when it’s cold. You’re protecting that soil from the heat, the cold, the rain. Our soils like it between 50-70 degrees. That is when they are most efcient.”
Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
ConƟnued from ZEITLERS | Page 1
Jerry and his wife, Tricia, purchased the farm from Jerry’s parents in 2014. He is the third generation of his family to run the farm that has been in his family for over 105 years. The couple is joined by their three adult children — Zach Zeitler, Michaela Zeitler and Renee Seefeldt — who want to continue dairying on the Marinette County farm near Coleman. Jerry and Tricia said they can enjoy spending more time on the farm with their grandchildren, Connor and Colton Seefeldt, and their new grandbaby due in June. The Zeitlers are now milking 250 cows in a new barn using four Lely A5 robotic milking units. Another 50 cows are milked in their old facility. “It was nice not to have to cull any cows through the process simply because they did not work in the robots,” Jerry said. “We took every cow into the new barn at rst to see if they would work in the robot or not. We had some nice-uddered cows that just didn’t work in the robots right now.” After nearly seven years of working to make their robotic dreams a reality, the Zeitlers broke ground on their facility in September 2022. They found that building through the winter went much better than they expected.
“We chose Fox Cities Builders, out of Seymour, because of the experience they have,” Jerry said. “They came here the rst time with 5-6 different sets of plans to accommodate four robots. We were able to pick and choose what we wanted based on what we had seen while touring facilities.” That experience was evident in what the Zeitlers called a seamless building process. “Everyone worked together so professionally,” Tricia said. “They had weekly job-site meetings, and everyone was always on the same page.” After touring other robotic dairies, the Zeitlers settled on the Lely A5 robots as their machine of choice, working with Abts Lely Center in New Franken. “We liked the way the teat cups could never touch the ground,” Jerry said. “They say they will maintain the same footprint for new models. It is reassuring that when the time comes to trade them in and upgrade, I can easily put the new robots in.” The barn, built with cow comfort in mind, features sand-bedded free stalls and is tunnel-ventilated. Alley scrapers keep the barn clean without disturbing the cows, and an automatic feed pusher keeps feed in front of them. The Zeitlers said they
PHOTO COURTESY OF LILY BUSHMAKER
Michaela Zeitler begins the work of mapping udders for the roboƟc milking system May 30, 2023, in Coleman, Wisconsin. The Zeitlers milk with robots and in an 80-stall stanchion barn.
could not imagine their startup going smoother than it did. “They told us we’d be going through hell, and
we weren’t sure what that meant,” Tricia said. “It turns out it was a lack of sleep and a little stress. We were
blessed with a lot of help and that made the whole process go well. The biggest issue was that they would tell us to go to sleep, but it’s hard. You don’t feel like you should sleep while your friends are all here working.” Once the initial transition was complete, the Zeitlers’ cows responded with amazing results, rapidly increasing production. “We were averaging just about 70 pounds per day in the old barn, and we are averaging over 90 pounds per day in the new barn,” Jerry said. “We tested milk in the old barn just before moving the cows, and our best cow had just over 100 pounds of milk. In less than six weeks, she was over 180 pounds in the robots.” The Zeitlers said the barn provided great improvements in cow comfort over what they could provide in their older facilities. “In the old barn, the cows were standing for four hours, getting milked, not eating, not drinking,” Tricia said. “There were 87 stalls for 180 cows. There was no cow comfort.” Nine months into their journey, the Zeitlers could not be happier with their decision to move forward.
Turn to ZEITLERS | Page 9
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ConƟnued from ZEITLERS | Page 8 Nikki Bo Boxler | DFA A farmer-owner
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Cows on the Zeitlers’ farm leave the old barn, heading for the new roboƟc facility May 30, 2023, in Coleman, Wisconsin. The Zeitlers moved the enƟre herd to the new facility but milk and house cows that were not compaƟble with the robots in the old facility rather than culling them.
of learning what information is available and how to interpret and use it.” Jerry agreed. “We are keeping track of our cows better,” Jerry said. “We get almost instant notication if anything changes: if she’s down on milk, if her temperature is up. We can catch issues a lot quicker.” As they begin to enjoy dairy farming again, the Zeitlers are also beginning to look toward the future. The barn is built to allow a mirror expansion if the family wants to increase cow numbers. “The kids tell us they want to do this,” Jerry said. “That makes the investment in the facilities and technology that much more appealing, with the idea of a fourth and maybe even a fth generation here on the farm.”
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“The cows are so relaxed, and the barn is so quiet,” Jerry said. “Our vet is very impressed with the improvements in our breeding program. I don’t know if it’s because of healthier cows or more relaxed cows, but our pregnancy rate is at 40% now.” The Zeitlers herd was bull-bred until four years ago when they transitioned to all A.I. breeding. Now they are starting to breed the top one-third of their milking herd using sexed semen, with conventional semen on the middle third and Angus on the bottom third. All heifers are bred with sexed semen. Like the cows, the Zeitler family had to transition to the new management style as well. “We went from having no real data to having all of this data on the cows,” Michaela said. “It’s a matter
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Jerry Zeitler watches the roboƟc milking system map a cow’s udder and then attach the machine May 30, 2023, in Coleman, Wisconsin. Zeitler said they enjoy the data they receive from the robots, as they can catch issues sooner.
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At the 100th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, critical issue for agriculture. A resolution to this issue is U.S. Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai briey touched not expected anytime soon. “We’re two months into an on trade breakthroughs, but spent more time on the election year, and that tends to be a time when people are very wary of taking up issues that they enforcement of existing trade deals. The Ag Insider see are controversial, so I don’t think that Mexican ban on biotech corn imports was there’s many opportunities in this Conat the top of that list. Tai also spoke about gress, especially with such tight margins the market access concern for U.S. dairy with both chambers being controlled by products in Canada. “As trade representadifferent parties,” O’Neill said. “I don’t see tive and as a longtime trade negotiator and a pathway in this Congress. However, we’d trade litigator, Canada dairy is personal for love for farmers to start reaching out to their me,” Tai said. Tai went on to list the onelected ofcials now and making sure that going market access issues for U.S. dairy they know that this needs to be top of mind products in Canada dating back to the so that when the new Congress is sworn North American Free Trade Agreement. in, we can hit the ground running and start working on legislation right away.” AgriMore than 500,000 farms lost since 1981 cultural groups are seeking H-2A reform Farm policy went through a noteworthy By Don Wick and the ability to have a stable workforce. change in the 1970s. Rather than managing Columnist supply, the focus was put on maximizing Dwindling dairy heifer supplies productivity and exporting that production The number of dairy replacement heifers is at a 20around the world. At the Agricultural Outlook Forum, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack shared a year low. According to a new report from the CoBank story about former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Bob Knowledge Exchange, this situation could limit any Bergland of Minnesota. When leaving the position in meaningful growth in U.S. milk production. Due to tight 1981, this Minnesotan voiced concerns about the soci- numbers, dairy replacement prices are at an eight-year etal impact of the sole focus on productivity. “He said high. Despite that, heifer values have not kept pace with we may lose farms, and when those farms are lost, we high production costs. lose the farm families, and when those farm families are lost, we lose young people going to rural schools, and Supply, demand report released According to the February USDA supply-demand perhaps, that will have an impact on rural communities,” Vilsack said. Bergland’s prediction was realized with report, 2024 milk production is expected to total 228.2 the U.S. losing over a half-million farmers since 1981. billion pounds, a decrease of 0.1 billion from the pre“You could take every farmer today in South Dakota and vious report. The prices for cheese, butter, nonfat dry North Dakota, add them to every farmer in Minnesota milk and whey are all forecast to increase with strong and Wisconsin, every farmer in Illinois and Iowa, ev- domestic demand. ery farmer in Nebraska and Oklahoma, every farmer in Missouri and Colorado, and you’d have 536,000 farms,” Dairy exports decline from record highs USDA has released its 2023 agricultural export data. Vilsack said. Vilsack said the Biden administration is focused on more new and better markets to give the farmer U.S. dairy export values declined $1.5 billion while volume dropped 7%. International Dairy Foods Association a bigger share of the food dollar. President and CEO Michael Dykes said this downturn Despite downturn, farmers remain in good nancial underscores “a clear need for U.S. trade ofcials to focus on creating new, preferential market opportunities position Net farm income hit a high in 2022. It dropped off for American producers and food exporters while hold26% this past year. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City ing trade partners accountable to rules and agreements.” Senior Vice President Nathan Kauffman said prots will also be thinner this year. “Despite this expected de- Dairy consumption rises In December 2023, domestic cheese consumption cline in farm income, I would argue many producers are still in a very, very strong nancial position,” Kauffman increased year-over-year. Consumption of American said. “Much of this has to do with storing up working cheese rose 6.9 million pounds, and the other-thancapital in these past couple of years when incomes were American cheese consumption increased 15.2 million very strong. We interact a lot with bankers and lenders, pounds. USDA reports butter consumption was up 43.6 and in our conversations last year, we would have banks million pounds from December 2022. Usage of dry whey tell us they would have no borrowers on a ‘watch’ list; was up 82,000 pounds while nonfat dry milk and skim that’s not common to have no borrowers on a ‘watch’ list milk powder together declined 14.9 million pounds. as it relates to potential risk.” If farm income declines again in 2025 with a similar decline in working capi- Another term for FarmFirst ofcer team The FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative board of directors tal, Kauffman said agriculture will be in a situation very similar to the period between 2016-19. “We know those has reelected its ofcer team. John Rettler, of Neosho, Wisconsin, will serve another term as president. Steve were not strong years in ag,” Kauffman said. Brock, of Daggett, Michigan, is vice president. StephaJudge upholds DNR authority for CAFO permitting nie Hughes, of Pittsville, Wisconsin, and Bob Dietzel, A Calumet County judge has ruled the Department of East Dubuque, Illinois, were reelected as secretary of Natural Resources has the authority to require en- and treasurer, respectively. vironmental permits for large-scale animal agriculture operations. The lawsuit was led last year by the Wis- Brock takes food safety role at DATCP Adam Brock has been named the new administraconsin Manufacturers & Commerce representing the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance and Venture Dairy Coopera- tor of the food and recreational safety division for the tive. Clean Wisconsin attorney Evan Feinauer praised Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Conthe decision saying, “Allowing large dairies to sidestep sumer Protection. Most recently, Brock was the vice oversight would have been catastrophic for water pro- president of food safety, quality and regulatory compliance for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. tection in our state.” Expanding trade U.S. agriculture depends on market access and the development of new markets. “There are a number of different key markets that we should be focusing on,” said Matt Wohlman, vice president of government and industry relations, Land O’Lakes Inc. “Especially, as we look at the geopolitical shift that is going on, how do we build our relationship with markets that provide opportunities for our ag products, but are also aligned with our security agreements around the world as well.” Immigration standoff A bipartisan immigration bill failed earlier this month. American Business Immigration Coalition director of legislative affairs Jim O’Neill sees this as a
Trivia challenge The pedal bone is the largest bone in a cow’s hoof. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, how many slices of pizza does the average American eat every year? We will have the answer in our next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 11
Addressing a shortage of rural veterinarians UMN, SDSU collaborate for creative solutions By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Across the United States, there is a shortage of veterinarians, especially in rural America. The shortfall has been trending for decades, but universities are working to address the problem. “The supply of veterinarians has remained relatively at, whereas the demand has escalated,” said Dr. Laura Molgaard, DVM, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. “It is across the whole eld, and in fact, the more specialized the individuals, the more dramatic the shortage becomes.” The problem is not due to a lack of applicants. For instance, the UMN received around 1,700 applicants for 125 spots last year. Instead, the problem lies in the number and sizes of programs available. Those have remained roughly the same and do not meet the demand from those interested in pursuing veterinary medicine. Recently, however, universities have begun to add or expand programs.
One reason the shortage is greater in rural areas, Molgaard said, is that incomes for rural veterinarians are not as high as those with urban practices. Those pursuing a career in the profession must be sure their income can justify the cost of veterinary school. Dr. Russ Daly, DVM, extension veterinarian and professor in the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department at South Dakota State University, said the rural shortages vary. This can affect the availability of healthcare services for large animals, where shortages are greater. “For at least the last decade or so, there’s been a realization that veterinarians who practice food-animal or mixedanimal medicine in some parts of the area have had trouble nding new veterinarians to come into their practices,” Daly said. “Many solo veterinarians in small towns are reaching retirement age, and a smaller percentage of new veterinary graduates are familiar with small towns, rural areas and livestock in general.” This, in turn, affects how veterinary needs are met on livestock farms.
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
ConƟnued from VET SHORTAGE | Page 11 “I have observed that veterinarians who are short on help have had to adjust their practices to serve existing clients only, to limit their geography, to limit the species they work on, etc.,” Daly said. “This means that currently practicing veterinarians are scrambling to serve the basic needs of their clients (and) are not able to expand their practices into things that might profoundly help their clients.” Molgaard said addressing the shortage of veterinarians in the Upper Midwest needs to include not just solutions that help recruit students interested in rural practices. Solutions also need to ensure there are excellent faculty available to meet educational needs. “In the veterinary faculty workforce, the shortage has doubled over the last 10 years, and that is not getting nearly enough attention,” Molgaard said. … “We need to think ahead and consider solutions for the future, not just the solutions for right now.” In Minnesota, meeting the need for qualied faculty is challenging because the licensing regulations and requirements are narrower than in other states. A bill in the state legislature aims to help solve that problem by broadening licensure rules. Last year, Molgaard and other industry leaders testied at the Minnesota Senate in support of the bill. The House plans to hear the bill this spring. Molgaard and her colleagues are hoping the public reaches out to legislators to voice their support of the bill. “Because of this critical workforce shortage of academic veterinary faculty, we need the exibility to hire qualied faculty,” Molgaard said. … “The current statute already allows our boarded specialist faculty to have an institutional license that allows them to practice within the connes of the university.” The bill, if passed, would allow
other internationally trained veterinarThe collaboration ts into the UMN ians who are not boarded specialists to Veterinary Food Animal Scholars Track have an institutional license to practice program, which has existed since 2012 within the connes of the UMN, Mol- and addresses rural shortages in vetgaard said. erinary medicine. The program aims to Having access to a largsupport students, from underer hiring pool of candidates graduate studies to the comcould help to ensure faculty pletion of their doctorate. positions are lled. “The important thing “What we are looking about VetFAST is that the for is the same exibility that students — the applicants — other states have,” Molgaard know they have a spot in vet said. “When we are so limited school early on in their underto hire qualied veterinary graduate program, and they faculty, that makes it even are committed food-animal harder for us to do our job to Dr. Laura students,” Molgaard said. address the workforce short- Molgaard, DVM … “We know from our data ages of veterinarians. … (The University of that they go on to practice in bill) is not controversial, but it Minnesota food-animal (veterinary mediis important. It is just a matter cine).” of updating the practice act.” Graduates of the UMN’s veteriTo recruit and support nary program become liveterinary students, the UMN censed for all animals. But and SDSU have begun a coldata from both the UMN and laboration to allow 20 students the American Association of to complete the rst two years Veterinary Medical Colleges of their doctorate program at shows that about one-third of SDSU and the last two years UMN veterinary graduates go at the UMN. This raises the into large-animal veterinary number of open seats each practice, which includes food year in UMN’s program from animals, equines and mixed 105 to 125 students. animals. Dr. Russ Daly, “That expansion is abso- DVM The key to the program’s lutely aimed at rural and large South Dakota State success, Molgaard said, is the animal, and it’s working,” University assistance the students receive Molgaard said. to complete their schooling Daly agreed. and nance it. “The notable aspect of SDSU’s “They know there is a commitment program is that it was designed from to them, they know they have a seat waitthe start to be rural-forward — the cur- ing for them, and they can spend their riculum starts with the assumption that energy while they are in undergraduate students will be practicing in rural areas getting the experiences in food-animal on livestock,” Daly said. “This is quite (veterinary medicine),” Molgaard said. different from the vast majority of vet … “We provide the mentoring during schools, especially the newer ones pop- veterinary school and all the hands-on ping up, that predominantly cater to the experiences so that they are super qualistudent with companion animal/urban ed large-animal, food-animal veteripractice interests.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 15
from our side OF THE FENCE How did your involvement in FFA benefit you in your dairy career?
Benjamin Wolf Allenton, Wisconsin Washington County 1,100 cows
Gary Kregel Guttenberg, Iowa Clayton County 380 cows
Jason Benson Albertville, Wisconsin Chippewa County 200 goats
What high school did you attend, and what years were you in FFA? I attended Slinger High School. My involvement in FFA started when I was in seventh grade, and I was involved until high school graduation.
What high school did you attend, and what years were you in FFA? I attended Guttenberg High School and was in FFA from 197075.
What high school did you attend, and what years were you in FFA? I attended Chippewa Falls Senior High School and was in FFA from 1998-2003.
Why did you join FFA? Having been in 4-H and attending a rural school where every farm kid joined FFA, it was automatic to join. We also had an excellent instructor.
Why did you join FFA? I was a member of 4-H, and it introduced me to being part of a club. FFA seemed like a way to be able to continue my club experience.
What are your fond memories of being in FFA? The contests, both livestock judging and leadership contests. In addition, there were many people I met beyond the local chapter level. This included two trips to Washington, D.C., multiple trips to the state FFA convention and attending the national FFA convention a number of times.
What are your fondest memories of being in FFA? My fondest memory was revitalizing a “dead” FFA chapter. The previous agriculture teacher retired my freshman year, and we had a new teacher who was energetic and hit the ground running. Mr. Cress focused on leadership development and set precedents that now benet the youth currently in the chapter, including a brand-new agriculture complex in the school building.
Why did you join FFA? I joined FFA because I was taking care of my Holstein dairy steers at my family’s farm, and I wanted to show them. What are your fond memories of being in FFA? I have many fond memories from FFA. One of them in particular is Food for America. Food for America is an event that our chapter puts on for all of the fourth graders in our school district. During this event, the children are invited to Sunset Farms Inc. The kids are given a tour of the farm and shown where their food comes from. They are also shown machine safety, and they participate in activities such as making ice cream. Tell us about your involvement with your chapter. When I began high school, my involvement in FFA started to launch. I was sentinel from 2018-19, treasurer from 2019-20 and then reporter from 2020-21. All of these positions guided my leadership skills throughout my time in FFA. One major volunteer project that I was involved in was our Support Dairy campaign that we ran during the coronavirus pandemic. Our chapter made “Support Dairy” signs and sold them to get the word out about supporting dairy farms while they were dumping milk. How did your involvement in FFA benet you in your dairy career? FFA has benet-ted my dairy career tremendously. If it wasn’t for my FFA adviser, Katelyn Dei, pushing me to do more with public speaking in FFA, I never would have realized my passion of advocating for this wonderful industry. With our world being, on average, three generations removed from agriculture, not many people acknowledge where their food comes from. Giving people insight to a farmer’s duties on a day-to-day basis and showing them where their food comes from is important to me and the future of agriculture. What encouragement do you have for youth considering joining FFA? I encourage youth to take a chance and get out of their comfort zone. Be open-minded to the many things you can learn. Whether you take your knowledge and perspectives back to your farm or apply the skills you learn to your personal life, what you learn and experience in FFA will benet you in more ways than you may think. Tell us about your farm. I am the beginning of our seventh generation at Sunset Farms. At this time, we have our fth and sixth generations actively working. We have been proudly family-owned since 1847, after our family came to Wisconsin from Ger-many. We milk about 1,100 cows in a double-12 parlor. From there, our milk is shipped to Dairy Farmers of America Inc. We also farm approximately 3,000 acres, where we make it a goal to be the best stewards possible of the land.
Tell us about your involvement with your chapter. I was a chapter ofcer, a district ofcer and eventually Iowa’s State FFA Secretary. I also received the State FFA Degree and the American FFA Degree, along with many judging contest awards. In addition, all three of our children received their degrees. How did your involvement in FFA benet you in your dairy career? FFA’s inuence led me to Iowa State University and to joining the Alpha Gamma Rho agricultural fraternity, a relationship that keeps giving for a lifetime. There, and at the farm today, the leadership contests in high school paid huge dividends. The communication and parliamentary procedure skills I learned in FFA are used to this day in my many off-farm organizations and activities. Whether it has been school board, co-op board, Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation, county conservation board or local political activities, I would use those skills when I became the chairman. What encouragement do you have for youth considering joining FFA? FFA can teach you the life skills to speak and interact with others. Ditch the devices and talk. You will learn how to do a job interview or a radio interview to sell yourself or your business. FFA will give you the skills to be a leader rather than a follower. Today’s FFA is not just for agriculture; there is opportunity there for everyone. Tell us about your farm. The farm is a family (sixth-generation) operation that has been in the family 150 years this year. Those involved are my wife, Darlene (met through 4-H and FFA), who manages the calves; our daughter, Maureen, who manages the cows; and our son, Travis, who works with crops and machinery as well as trucking. Travis also manages our custom cover crop business. Our daughter, Megan, is also involved in dairy in a neighboring county, having married a dairy farmer. She also has a popular social media presence. Our milk is shipped to Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. We just nished our 10th year with six Lely robotic milking units in a tunnel-ventilated barn. The farm also runs a cash grain business and has been using no-till and cover crops for 20-plus years.
Tell us about your involvement with your chapter. I held the ofcer positions of reporter, vice president of chapter development and president. I received the Star Greenhand, Chapter Star Member, prociency award and earned my State FFA Degree. I participated on the dairy judging team every year I could, and the highlight was being second high individual at World Dairy Expo for the FFA contest. For volunteering, we partnered with Agnes’ Table, which helps provide meals for those in need. How did your involvement in FFA benet you in your dairy career? I learned how to rebuild something that was worth rebuilding. I learned that lesson from my FFA experience from rebuilding the chapter. Ultimately, when I started farming again, — our cows left in 1999 — I was able to reect on the value of rebuilding something and that it takes staying at it and trusting the process. What encouragement do you have for youth considering joining FFA? I would encourage youth to get involved and take advantage of every opportunity that is available. FFA is willing to give you more than you could imagine. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Heidi, is my partner in the dairy goat farm, and we have a high school employee, Shianne Hunt, who is a Chi-Hi FFA member. Our milk is shipped to the Quality Dairy Goat Cooperative (LaClare Creamery), which is just north of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. We have transitioned the cow barn into a bedded pack for the goats and milk in a double-15 parallel parlor. We regularly host classes and FFA chapters to learn about the dairy goat industry as it continues to increase. We also have supported 4-H and FFA youth in the managerial dairy goat project and now have ve youth starting their own herds of dairy goats.
Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Derick and Amy Zernicke Bonduel, Wisconsin Shawano County 400 cows
Degree, and many years later, after serving on the board for Wisconsin FFA Alumni and Supporters Association Inc., I was awarded an Honorary State FFA Degree.
What high school did you attend, and what years were you in FFA? We were both in high school from 1995 through 1999 and were both in FFA all four years. Why did you join FFA? Derick: To get out of class; just kidding. I grew up on a farm, and it was what all my siblings did, so I did. We also had a great FFA adviser, Mr. Orland Abel, and he made it fun. Amy: I did not grow up on a farm and always wanted to be on one and marry a farm boy. FFA gave me access to all things agriculture, and one day, Mr. Abel saw me walking in the hallways and said, “Hey, you. You need to join FFA.” So, I did and am so thankful that way back then Mr. Abel saw something in me and had me join. What are your fond memories of being in FFA? Derick: Going to the national convention in Kansas City, Missouri, and stopping at the Field of Dreams along the way is a good memory for me. Amy: I have three very memorable times. One was when I went to the Washington Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., and met so many FFA members from all over the country. The second was when the FFA Alumni chose me to attend the Dale Carnegie Training; that truly changed my life forever. I went from a somewhat-shy person to a very outgoing, takecharge kind of person. It has served me so well over the years. The third memory is when Mr. Abel told me I was going to participate in the extemporaneous speaking contest. I was so nervous. I ended up going way over on the time limit, but it was such a positive experience to get in front of a panel of judges and speak about a topic you just picked out of a hat 30 minutes earlier. Tell us about your involvement with your chapter. Derick: I was an ofcer a couple of years; I think parliamentarian. I received my Greenhand Degree and Chapter Degree. I also showed beef and swine through FFA at the Shawano County Fair, and one time, I showed a beef steer at the Wisconsin State Fair. Amy: I was the secretary one year, but mostly, I took advantage of every leadership conference and convention I could attend. I also received my Greenhand Degree and Chapter Liza Schlintz Bangor, Wisconsin La Crosse County 60 cows
What encouragement do you have for youth considering joining FFA? Derick: There are a lot of opportunities outside of farming, so do not look at FFA as an agriculture-only club. There are leadership opportunities and so much more you can benet from in FFA. Amy: Do it. Once you are in, participate in every opportunity you can. FFA provides a fun way to learn leadership skills and grow into an amazing individual. Tell us about your farm. Zernicke’s Landstad Dairy LLC is in eastern Shawano County in Wisconsin. We milk around 400 cows and raise our youngstock. We farm around 1,300 acres, owned and rented. Delmar and Rozanne Zernicke are the founders of the farm and their sons, Dan Zernicke and Derick and Amy Zernicke, are also owners. Dan has two daughters, Deanna Tauchen and Dallas Zernicke, both of whom have grown up and moved away. Derick and Amy have ve children, Hailey loves her cows and dogs, showing dairy and beef, is a three-sport athlete and will be attending the University of Minnesota next year for animal science and to dairy judge in the Gopher Dairy Club. Allison loves showing her Ayrshires and beef, is a three-sport athlete and wants to be a teacher someday. Jack loves showing his Brown Swiss, beef and pigs, plays three sports, but mostly loves helping his dad on the farm and has goals of owning the farm one day. Chloe loves showing her Red and White Holsteins and meat goats, plays three sports and loves riding horses. Georgia loves being spoiled by her older siblings. We ship our milk to Mullins Cheese in Mosinee, Wisconsin. We milk in a double-8 herringbone parlor. We house the herd in two freestall barns. We also have a newer calf barn that houses 75 Calf-Tel pens, a south-facing heifer facility for our calves from 3-6 months, an old retrotted barn with drive-by feeding to house our 6- to 12-month-old heifers, a south-facing retrotted old barn with drive-by feeding for our breeding-age heifers and an old barn retrotted to house our just pregnant to calving heifers. What are your fond memories of being in FFA? There are so many. Trips to World Dairy Expo, leadership conferences, national convention, state convention and more. One year, we built a homecoming oat that I was particularly fond of, as I had taken the lead on the design and roped a friend into pulling it with his shiny new truck. My favorite, however, was while on a side trip for the state convention, one of the advisers may or may not have claimed to be my parent (I was three months away from turning 18) so that I could get an ear pierced (after having called my mom to conrm it was OK).
What high school did you attend, and what years were you in FFA? I attended Sparta High School and was in FFA from my sophomore to senior year, 2003-06. Why did you join FFA? I had taken and enjoyed many agriculture classes in high school; however, I was involved in other activities at school and wasn't sure FFA was right for me until Steve Schauf, my agriculture teacher, convinced me to start coming to meetings. By the following year, I was on the ofcer team and highly engaged. Many of those teammates are lifelong friends to this day.
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How did your involvement in FFA benet you in your dairy career? Derick: Going through FFA, I became active in judging competitions, and that has helped me when it comes to choosing the qualities I would like to breed in our animals. It also gave me a lot of experience in talking to business people, and that denitely carries over to running a farm. Amy: I was denitely a different person before I joined FFA and participated in all the speaking contests and went through the Dale Carnegie course. The condence it gave me has helped me be a better business person and a better leader for the boards I serve on, like the FFA alumni, school board and local bat and ball club board.
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Tell us about your involvement with your chapter. I was our treasurer in 200506 and was awarded my Supervised Agricultural Experience in dairy. I was involved on the dairy judging team as well. I now enjoy sitting on the panel for ofcer interviews at our high school and attending our alumni events. How did your involvement in FFA benet you in your dairy career? While I didn't know it at the time, there were numerous skills that I would end up using in my professional career, both in dairy and not in dairy. Those that come to mind specically are team building, parliamentary procedure, reading plat maps and legal descriptions, livestock housing design and veterinary terms, among many others. I was unsure of what I wanted to do, as agriculture and music were my passions, but I was not certain that I wanted a career in either. Going for what I considered the safe route, I picked a broad business major at a four-year college and wound up in nance. I began as a farm loan ofcer and progressively moved into more diversied lending. Helping people was the highlight of my career, but I missed working with farmers. Last fall, I took a position with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and am now the farmer communications manager. It’s been a dream, and I’m loving every minute of dedicating my career to farmers once again. Regardless of my career path, our farm has been prospering during the journey. I have progressively phased out of much of the daily chores now that our kids are getting older, but I enjoy the management discussions around the dinner table as a family and the new excitement I bring home after visiting with farmers. What encouragement do you have for youth considering joining FFA? Get involved and stay involved. FFA has a way of helping you make lifelong friends while learning skills that will matter after you’re not in school anymore, no matter where life leads you. Write your involvement and volunteer efforts while in FFA on your resume and make it a point to stay involved with alumni after you graduate. It will help you stay in touch and feel young again, long after you pack away your cap and gown. Tell us about your farm. I grew up on a dairy farm in Monroe County and moved to La Crosse County after marrying my high school sweetheart, AJ. This year will be our 15th anniversary. He and I milk 60 cows, shipping our milk to Dairy Farmers of America Inc., and the farm became a century farm in 2023. We have a double-8 parallel parlor and 300 acres of the most beautiful (and steep) hills you'll nd in Wisconsin. Our cows are housed in a freestall barn, and we participate in Natural Resources Conservation Service programs to care for our land using progressive conservation practices. Our two kids are becoming a huge help with both crops and cattle. AJ and I hope to give them the opportunity to farm as the farm's fth generation, should they choose, when the time is right. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 18
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 16 Katy Schultz Fox Lake, Wisconsin Dodge County 500 cows
Degree and American FFA Degree. I participated in district and sectional speaking events, was an exhibitor at the Dodge County Fair and took part in the leadership Supervised Agricultural Experience. My volunteer projects included holiday help, National FFA Week, farm safety, Halloween bash, Holiday Fun Day, Bun Run and many more.
What high school did you attend, and what years were you in FFA? I attended Waupun High School and was in FFA from 1999-2003.
How did your involvement in FFA benet you in your dairy career? FFA was by far the most inuential organization I was a part of as a youth. FFA gave me leadership skills that helped grow and shape me. As an adult, I am able to lead industry organizations, such as serving as Professional Dairy Producers president for three years and serving on the Dairy Sustainability Alliance. FFA also gave me the passion for sharing agriculture’s story to the public through media outlets, at speaking engagements and on our farm.
Why did you join FFA? My older brother, Nick, encouraged me to join FFA. I was able to see the fun experiences he had as well as all the opportunities FFA gave him to be involved. The FFA adviser, Tari Costello, truly made this organization an easy decision to be a part of. She has transformed the FFA and agriculture program in our community. She has a special way of connecting with students and teaching them life skills that matter outside of the classroom, such as kindness, thoughtfulness, grace and compassion. What are your fond memories of being in FFA? There are a few memories that denitely have a special place in my heart. I was able to attend the Washington Leadership Conference. I attended the program all by myself but quickly realized how much I loved meeting new people, exploring new places and gaining leadership skills. This eventually was the driving force that pushed me to study agriculture abroad during college. Another favorite memory was our Day on the Farm program. This event sparked an interest in me to help educate others about modern agriculture. Tell us about your involvement with your chapter. I was 2003 state FFA ofcer runner-up, Waupun FFA president from 2001-03 and chair for Day on the Farm. I also have my State FFA Randy Dreier Norwalk, Wisconsin Monroe County 65 cows What high school did you attend, and what years were you in FFA? I attended Brookwood High School. I was in FFA from 1979-1983.
What encouragement do you have for youth considering joining FFA? FFA is so much more than just another club. FFA is a network of opportunities to help you grow personally and professionally. Agriculture has such a strong connection to so many areas of life that the skills you learn through FFA are applicable to every aspect of your life. I would encourage youth to try FFA as a chance to meet new people, experience new opportunities and develop lifelong skills. Tell us about your farm. I own and operate Tri-Fecta Farms with my brother, Nick, and my sister, Kari. We had the blessing and opportunity to buy our family farm from our parents, Keven and Cheryl, in 2008. We have dairy and beef animals. We ship our milk to Mullins Cheese where it is made into cheeses and whey protein and distilled into vodka and gin. We also grow a variety of crops to feed our animals and community which include soybeans, alfalfa, wheat, corn, rye and oats. In 2020, our family opened an on-farm beef market to provide our community with a local, trusted source of all-natural beef and a safe space to ask questions about modern agriculture. We have ve of the next generation quickly growing on the farm as well: Bel, Reece, Benson, Rex and Londyn. We are open- minded and looking for opportunities to include each of their skills and talents into the future of our family business. FFA basketball team that was separate from the regular school team. We played about eight games per year. We played other local chapters that also had FFA basketball teams. Tell us about your involvement with your chapter. I was vice president when I was a senior. I achieved the dairy prociency recognition and the scholastic recognition all four years. I remember winning the Star Greenhand award as well. I went on to earn the State FFA Degree and American FFA Degree. How did your involvement in FFA benet you in your dairy career? I knew I was going to farm while I was in FFA, and I was growing up on a dairy farm, so it all tied together. It also gave me the opportunity to show dairy cattle, which I continued to do well after my FFA career. That was always fun.
Why did you join FFA? At the time, Brookwood High School had a really good adviser, Richard Fossum. I knew there were a lot of fun opportunities like dairy judging and trips to state and national conventions that I wanted to experience. It gave me an opportunity to meet kids from other schools. Also, my dad had been in FFA.
What encouragement do you have for youth considering joining FFA? The organization offers a lot of opportunities to meet new people and grow leadership skills through different conferences. There are so many fun things to get involved in.
What are your fond memories of being in FFA? Going to state conventions and state judging contests were fun as well as attending leadership workshops. We also had an
Tell us about your farm. I farm with my wife, Becky, and my son, Jaden, and my daughter, Ashley. We milk in a tiestall barn and ship our milk to Grassland Dairy Products Inc.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 19
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
TOP PERFORMERS Garrett Madland, of Lyndell Dairy | Lyndon Station, Wisconsin | Juneau County | 500 cows How many times a day do you milk, and what is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? We milk three times a day. Our rolling herd average is 33,431 pounds, which equates to 101 pounds per cow. Our energy-corrected milk is 116, and our combined fat and protein is 7.9 pounds of solids.
tion. At 14 days before calving, dry cows go into a bedded pack on the same ration. We use just-in-time calving, and cows are moved to an individual pen when labor has started. After calving and cleaning up her calf, a fresh cow goes into our hospital pen for a few days until her milk tests are clear of antibiotics.
Describe your housing and milking facility. Our cows are housed in sand-bedded, 4-row free stalls which are naturally ventilated. Our main barn was built in 2006. The parlor is a double-10 DeLaval herringbone parlor.
What is the composition of your ration, and how has that changed in recent years? We feed a 50% forage ration. The forages consist of twothirds corn silage and one-third haylage. We use high-moisture corn silage and purchase cottonseed and corn gluten to stretch inventory of haylage. We also feed whey permeate and protein and lactating mineral mixes. Our ration has stayed pretty consistent the last few years. We do have some light soils, so drought is always a worry. When things were looking pretty dry this past summer, we started sourcing alfalfa baleage to have on hand. Our nutritionist comes every other week, and we talk through any changes or challenges we may be having.
Who is part of your farm team, and what are their roles? My parents, Troy and Sandy Madland, and my sister, Theresa Holloway. My dad focuses on the cropping and machinery, and my mom does all the inventories and ordering of feed and supplies, bookkeeping and payroll. Theresa is our calf and youngstock manager and milks the hospital cows daily. I am the main herdsman on the farm and have taken over most of the daily operations management. Benito Gomez is our assistant herdsman. We have a dedicated group of employees who have been with us many years and are invaluable.
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The Madland family — GarreƩ Madland (from leŌ), Troy Madland, Sandy Madland and Theresa Holloway holding Sylvie Holloway — stand in their parlor Feb. 13 on their farm near Lyndon StaƟon, Wisconsin. Troy and Sandy bought the farm in 1994, and the double-10 herringbone parlor was built in 2015. What is your herd health program? We have bi-weekly herd health with Ashley Kruse, DVM. We check cows that are fresh 28-41 days. We check for pregnancy at 30 days and recheck pregnancy at 44 days to catch any early embryonic deaths. We also do a late pregnancy conrmation check at 180 days. Our cows are vaccinated after their fresh check with Bovi-Shield and J-VAC. Cows going dry are vaccinated
with Bovilis Guardian. What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? Our cows are dried up between 45 and 60 days before calving, depending on production level. Since we can detect twins with ultrasound, those cows are given a 60-day dry period. We use Quartermaster for dry treatment and Lockout teat sealant. Our dry cows are housed in a 3-row freestall
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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
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DeLaval Plus - Your Performance Portal With DeLaval Plus Behavior Analysis you have a tool that seamlessly integrates into your operation to give you and your team total visibility and oversight of your cows 24/7. Find out more about DeLaval Plus Behavior Analysis - it could be what’s next for your farm. delaval.com is a registered trademark of Tetra a Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB. Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. DeLaval does not claim that the results reflected © 2024 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congresss A constitute herein are typical and this information n does not const titu a warranty nor guarantee of service or performance. Actual performance and improvement practices, type of cows, farm and herd maintenance practices. Services described herein are will depend on a number of factors, iincluding ncluding milking p substitute professional not intended or implied to be a subst titute for profess ion veterinary advice, diagnosis, consultation, or treatment. Only a professional veterinarian can products diagnose a medical condition. Your use se of these prod duc and services is governed by the terms and conditions set forth at www.delaval.com/legal.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 23
ConƟnued from TOP PERFORMERS | Page 20
Tell us about the forages you plant and detail your harvest strategies. We grow conventional corn silage and pure alfalfa haylage. We cut hay four times. The rst cutting is not usually until Memorial Day. We do all of our own eldwork, so we have to get corn and soybeans planted before we can start hay. We shoot for 55% moisture on haylage and 65% moisture on corn silage. I run the chopper and have continually made better quality feed with upgrades in equipment and experience. Cover crops are also grown; usually a triticale-rye mix and sorghum sudangrass for youngstock feed and a bit to the dry cows. What is your average somatic cell count and how does that affect your production? Our SCC averages around 45,000. We have held a very low SCC for quite a few years. We have the lowest SCC in our Dairy Herd Improvement Association and our milk cooperative. Our emphasis on cow comfort helps our cows have strong immune systems and a low disease incidence. A combination of low cell count and strong reproduction numbers keeps our herd at about 160 average days in milk, and that allows us to consistently produce over 100 pounds per cow. What change has created the biggest improvement in your herd average? We were milking in our double-7 parlor and maxing out our milking
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Lyndell Dairy is a Juneau County dairy farm owned and operated by the Madland family of Lyndon StaƟon, Wisconsin. Troy and Sandy Madland operate the 500-cow dairy with their children, GarreƩ Madland and Theresa Holloway. time along with a long walk for the cows back and forth from the freestall barn. We had plateaued in milk output for about three years and knew our facility was our limiting factor. In 2015, we built the DeLaval double-10 milking parlor. The new parlor made a tremendous difference. We had a good milking routine in the old parlor, but the new one was so much more comfortable for the cows and the milking crew. In 2022, we were able to build a transition cow barn. It had been on our wish list for a long time. Prior to that, our cows in transition had to make do in our oldest barns. We knew they deserved better. The new barn is 104- by 172-feet with maternity through post-fresh under one roof. Since being in that barn for a little over a year, we have seen less metabolic issues post calving, resulting in a 10-pound increase in peak milk production.
What technology do you use to monitor your herd? Our herd is on DHIA ofcial test. We also are longtime DairyComp 305 users. We have the FeedWatch system and really like it to dial in our rations for changing pen counts and dry matter on feeds. About four years ago, we started using CowManager to track rumination and activity. What is your breeding program, and what role does genetics play in your production level? Heifers are bred at 13.5 months on natural heat and some CIDR synch. Cows are enrolled in double ovsynch with a voluntary waiting period of 77 days. We use the resynch program with CowManager to catch repeats. Our herd is registered, and we take advantage of the Holstein association’s classication program. We also have had ABS Global evaluate and mate our cows for
almost 30 years. Genetic focus is on net merit, combined fat and protein, and cow conception rate with balanced linear for moderate-stature cows. We have gained good ground on our milk components through focused breeding. We do our own breeding in house. List three management strategies that have helped you attain your production and component level. Improving cow comfort. There are always things on the wish list, but we are very happy with our new transition barn. We strive to make the best quality forages. The better quality feed we can make, the less purchased feed we have to buy. Feed is the biggest expense. If we can keep our feed costs down, then we have more room in the budget for our cow comfort wish list. We make the most out of the technology we have. We have not always been the rst to try
a new technology, but we read a lot of articles and follow social media to get tips and tricks on what works and what is worth the investment. Tell us about your farm and your plans for the dairy in the next year. My parents are rst-generation farmers and purchased our farm in 1994. They started with grade Holsteins and now have a registered herd. We raise all of our youngstock and also keep half of our bull calves to feeder size. Our cropping operation is about 1,900 acres, and we do all our own eldwork. We have one irrigation rig on our main corn silage acres. We also have on-farm grain bins. Our milk is shipped with Scenic Central Milk Producers Cooperative. Our next big project will be more manure storage.
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 25
Never giving up Mulderink milks for 12 years before nding a market By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
MORRISON, Ill. — For more than a decade, Matt Mulderink and Ashley Ware milked a small herd of cows even though it brought them no nancial gain. “I tried multiple times to get into it, but nobody was buying milk,” Mulderink said. Starting out with two calves in 2008, the couple was milking 17 cows by 2022 with many more soon to freshen. After 12 years of trying to nd a milk market, they were planning to sell the cows that June when Brewster Cheese began picking up their milk. Mulderink’s tenacious love for dairy farming nally began to pay off. “We grew with two cows, breeding and raising everything here,” Mulderink said. “We were one month away from selling when Brewster started taking our milk; otherwise, the cows would have been gone.” Today, Mulderink and Ware milk 32 cows with their children, Mykala and Jerry, at Mash Family Farms near Morrison. Their stanchion barn holds 40 head, and Mulderink said it will be full by June. Cow numbers have nearly doubled since nding a market for their
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Ashley Ware and MaƩ Mulderink stand Feb. 6 in the stanchion barn on the farm they rent near Morrison, Illinois. The couple, who began shipping their milk in 2022 aŌer trying to nd a market for 12 years, milks 32 cows with their children, Mykala and Jerry. milk. Mulderink said in two more years, they will probably double again to 60 cows. For additional income, Mulderink is also a relief A.I. technician for Select Sires. This rst-generation dairy farmer is building up his herd for the second generation. Mulderink hopes to grow to 80 milking cows by the time Mykala, a junior in high school, is done with college as she plans to return to the farm.
“My daughter loves milking cows,” Mulderink said. Jerry prefers driving tractor and the equipment side of things as well as raising chickens. Both kids are also learning how to breed cows. Mulderink and Ware own the cows and equipment and rent the buildings on the same farm where Mulderink began working in seventh grade. He tried to get a job there in fourth grade when
his family moved from Wisconsin. “The owner thought I was a little young, so I came back when I was in seventh grade,” Mulderink said. “I ground 8 tons of feed by hand because everything was shoveled by hand here, and the owner said, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘I like it.’” That is when Mulderink became Orville Goodenough’s hired hand. He stayed on until Goodenough sold the cows in 1998 and then signed up for the National Guard. “I tried to buy the cows then, but Orville wanted me to experience life,” Mulderink said. After graduating from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in 2000, Mulderink worked for several dairy farmers. “It drove Orville nuts,” Mulderink said. “He wanted me to get away from farming.” Mulderink and Ware are Army veterans who met when their unit was deployed to Iraq in 2004. The two moved to the farm in 2007 and lived next door to Goodenough until he passed in January. Ware, who did not grow up on a farm, knew the cows came with Mulderink. “He got me into the cows,” she said. While trying to make a go of it from 2010 to 2022, Mulderink and Ware worked full-time jobs.
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
ConƟnued from MULDERINK | Page 25
During part of that time, Mulderink took a job in Wisconsin breeding cows and lived there temporarily while Ware ran the farm with help from Mulderink’s dad and brothers. “I was trying to make something happen up there farm-wise, but it didn’t work,” Mulderink said. Milk from their cows fed Mulderink’s family, his brothers’ families and the calves Mulderink and Ware were raising. “I couldn’t stand storebought milk,” Mulderink said. Mulderink credits three mentors in his life who helped get him to where he is today: his dad, Goodenough and Kevin Stanek, the dairy farmer he worked for while going to college. “Stanek gave me my rst two Red and White heifers,” Mulderink said. “His cattle will always have a special place for us. I like to preserve the heritage of different farm families and keep their lineage going.” Mulderink’s breeding route covers Illinois, Iowa and southern Wisconsin. He breeds Friday through Monday, with Fridays being his busiest day. Ware and the kids take care of the farm on Fridays when Mulderink is on the road. The rest of the time, he comes and goes, breeding in between milkings. “I visit so many different farms when I’m breeding cows, and I pick up a lot of
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
MaƩ Mulderink looks over bull proofs Feb. 6 to make potenƟal breeding decisions on his farm near Morrison, Illinois. Mulderink breeds all animals to A2A2 bulls and is also a relief A.I. technician for Select Sires. ideas,” Mulderink said. Mulderink compares his milking preparation to a large, modern dairy in that he and his family pre-wash, strip, post-wash, milk and post-dip – ideas he picked up during his breeding travels. When breeding his own herd, Mulderink chooses A2A2 bulls. “I believe the markets are going to go that way, and ge-
netics are going this way as well,” he said. “A2 can allow lactose intolerant people, as well as those who think they are, to drink milk again. It’s going to be popular.” Currently, 65% of the milking herd is A2, while 100% of the youngstock are A2. “I push A2 for other people I breed for too,” Mulderink said. Mulderink also looks for
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he’s well-rounded,” Mulderink said. Milk production has gone up in the last year and a half, and Mulderink wants to keep growing in that area. “The next big step is to go on test,” he said. Mulderink would like to switch from a 2-inch pipeline to a 3-inch pipeline to increase milking efciency and perhaps double from four units to eight. Long-term plans for these dairy farmers include processing butter and cheese. “We want to be diversied,” Ware said. “We run steers and might get into hogs as well to cover as many bases as we can.” Acquiring land is their goal. “We buy our feed, which has been awful with $7 corn,” Mulderink said. “I would love to farm acres in the future, but there are so many large crop farmers in this area that it’s hard to get your hands on land.” Growth is a part of Mulderink’s past, present and future. He and Ware hope to purchase the farm and continue to expand. But if that does not pan out, the couple has considered relocating to northeast Iowa or Wisconsin as they grow the herd. “I have a pretty deep passion for farming,” Mulderink said. “I couldn’t go without it.”
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Any farm wife and mom out there can attest to the fact that there never seems to be enough time in the day. Household chores and outside chores quite often take a little bit longer with two toddlers in tow. I have a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, and they love helping on the farm and in the house with various tasks my husband and I have to do. While they are much too young to help milk cows, drive tractor and cook meals, they love to watch and be with us as we go about these tasks. We let them mix milk replacer for the calves and feed the cats and dog in the barn. I let them help stir or pour an ingredient in the bowl while I’m cooking in the house. As long as it is not cold, our kids would spend hours on end outside. So, in the winter, going outside is limited, and the 20 minutes it takes to get the kids convinced to put their mittens and hats on, only to spend 10 minutes outside before they start complaining it is cold out, is not always worth the effort. The milder temps this winter is helping, but their attention span outside does not always last very long. It feels great to see them curious about the cows, excited to feed the calves and begging to have a turn at stirring whatever I am making for dinner. By Tiffany Klaphake However, their speed and accuracy at completing these tasks is not the same as the adult Staff Writer in the room. Quite often, they mix with big, fast strokes that result in milk replacer or our ending up on the oor. Sometimes, they use careful, thoughtful strokes, taking several minutes to mix a single pail of milk replacer. Either way, tasks take longer even with multiple people “helping” the process. Sometimes, it means starting over, if the bowl or pail gets knocked over, and having to clean up a mess afterward. Sometimes, they lose interest half way through, because their favorite cat just walked by. Sometimes, the 3-year-old announces she needs to go potty right now, therefore, putting everything else on hold for a few minutes so we can run to the bathroom. As annoying as it may feel in the moment, I keep encouraging them to help. Just like when we potty trained our 3-year-old, repetition and encouragement go a long way. Even with older kids, heck even with adults, repetition and encouragement go a long way. I will admit sometimes I put in a movie for the kids if I know I do not have a lot of extra time to spare. If I am in the house as well, this does not always work as they tend to eventually be curious about what I am making in the kitchen. I take the time to do these tasks with them, showing and explaining to them what I am doing. It will be years before they can do it on their own, but one day, hopefully, they will look forward to doing these tasks with as much excitement as they currently do. I was always working beside my mom in the kitchen and in the barn. That’s how I learned to bake, cook and do farm chores. Milking cows was not always my favorite chore, but I looked forward to it more as I got older because that is where my family was. My mom, dad, brothers and I each had our own individual chores to accomplish each day, but everyone had to help milk cows. Out in the barn is where most of our family decisions were made, news was shared and jokes were told. We always ate meals together as a family, but quite often, they were rushed and conversations oated around what had gotten done that day and what else needed to be done. Another trick to get us all in the barn was once supper was done, the last person out the door and in the barn was the one who had to do the dishes. Just like in farming, you reap what you sow. Taking a little extra time early on to do things right will lead to a greater result.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 27
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Glencoe, MN
Plainview, MN
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we gave away $100 every issue for a year! James Nathe of Osakis, MN
Thank you to everyone who participated in this contest!
Paul Becker Keith Fuerstneau Darren Pieper pbecker@Leedstone.com kfuerstneau@Leedstone.com dpieper@Leedstone.com 320.510.0200 507.273.3367 715.307.5750
for the latest barn equipment news from Leedstone! Leedstone.com/equipment-team •
• Family & veterinarian owned since 1994
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 29
women
IN DAIRY
Tell us about your farm and family. Our farm is certainly a family operation. Dayto-day operations and duties are handled by my father, Brian, my uncle, Brad, and myself. My mom, Ann, works off the farm as a manager of a yacht club as well as being our resident calf care specialist. My younger sister, Mary, works full time but is only a phone call away when needed. We are also fortunate to have my signicant other, Mike, who is handy and is always willing to jump in any piece of equipment, help with cattle and haul grain all fall. Our dairy farm was established in 1947. We milk 100 cows and farm around 1,500 acres. We raise our animals on-farm, including the bull calves that get raised to market weight. We try to do our own work on the farm as well, only hiring out fertilizing and some spraying. What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? Mornings start early at 5:30. We clean the barn and feed cows before we start milking. It takes around 2.5 hours to milk all the cows in our tiestall barn with 10 units. I milk twice a day, every day. After morning chores, I take care of my chickens and then the normal everyday cleaning, feeding and more cleaning commence for the rest of the animals on our farm. The days are considerably longer for spring, summer and fall where everyone pitches in to get the work done. There are only two jobs that I do not do on the farm: drive the combine and haul semi-truck. What decision have you made in the last year that has beneted your farm? Last year, I convinced my parents to build a new calf barn. It was time to make caring for our calves a little easier on the people as well as improving the quality of life for the calves. We ditched the calf hutches and built a barn with individual pens. Being able to perfectly regulate the temperature and eliminating the extreme elements that calves in hutches would have to face has made a world of difference. Also, not having to shovel snow out of hutches is a plus. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. One of the most memorable moments on our dairy farm occurred when I was around 12 years old. We had a set of Holstein triplets born. I was tasked with being their caretaker. As they were my responsibility, I got to name them. It just so happened that before they were born, the movie “Ice Age: Dawn of
Holly LaPlant Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Door County 100 cows
the Dinosaurs” came out, so you better believe that I named those three babies Yoko, Egbert and Shelly after the three T-Rex babies. They were the cutest little things. I will never forget being able to scoop one up under each arm and carry them around. They were spoiled and kept on milk until almost 4 months old. All three made it and have always been some of my favorite animals I raised. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I love that I was able to pick a college that specializes in the education of the agriculture industry. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Farm and Industry Short Course for two years. After school, I returned home to my family’s dairy to help run it full time. I am truly honored to keep a legacy going as the fourth generation on our farm. Being able to work with family and pursue my passion for working with animals is what truly makes the dairy industry special. What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? My biggest accomplishment for our farm isn’t centered around dairy. Three years ago, I decided to open my own farm-direct beef store. Next Door Beef was my way of getting the name of my family’s farm out into the community and market my small Hereford herd. We have raised high-quality, grain-fed animals for over 35 years. I supply beef to two restaurants and have an amazing local clientele. Many people who visit Door County have made it their routine to stop and pick up beef before they head home. I am happy with the success my small business has had. I recently reached 1,000 followers on Facebook. My goal is to add a few more restaurants and of course reach more local consumers to help show them the benets and quality of buying from local farmers. What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I enjoy educating others and promoting the agriculture industry. I am the president of the Door County Dairy Promotion Committee. We are involved in local events, such as Door County Beer Festival and Door County Wine Fest. This year at Wine Fest, we are increasing our involvement by promoting more cheese companies from Wisconsin by pairing their cheeses with wines from local wineries. My goal is to show the public
that dairy farmers’ milk has many homes. We put together an Ask-A-Farmer booth at these events as well as at our local dairy breakfast. We try to have fun activities for people at the breakfast and our county fair. Our farm has also hosted Calf Care Days and many farm tours. In addition, I sit on the board of the Door County Farm Bureau and serve as the Young Farmer and Agriculturist chair. We had our second annual Door County YFA cornhole tournament, which serves as a fun event for the public and people in the agriculture industry as well, as a fundraiser for a rural safety day. This will be held in May for elementary students. We are also excited to host the Alice in Dairyland nals in May. I serve on our Promotion and Education Committee where we are in our third year of radio ads that serve as educational content for consumers and promote local agriculture businesses for every commodity that Door County produces. Educating others, de-
bunking myths and telling my agriculture story has always been important to me. Increasing consumer condence and giving the proper information for healthy choices is what the dairy industry is all about. What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Be open to learning. Don’t be afraid to take your seat at the table. Do not shy away from getting involved, because you do belong here. Be the rst to tell your story. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? If a spare moment isn’t taken up with farming or farming extracurriculars, I love being able to read or take my rough coat collie, Lex, for walks. My newest hobby is bow shing. However, you must be willing to sacrice some sleep because you go bow shing between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m. It can make for some very long next days, but it is surely worth it.
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Identifying sick calves
Part of identifying sick calves is A calf’s appearance can provide looking at them. Observing calves at many clues as well. Look at how the feeding times is the most important time calf is standing. Are their legs spread to look for sick calves, but calf manag- apart and their neck outstretched? Look ers should consider going back through at their respirations. Are they breathing to observe in between feedings, when fast with increased effort? Look at their bedding and when giving water. When nose. Do they have a lot of discharge? feeding calves, it should be Look at their ears. Are they obvious which calves are droopy? Look at their eyes. not feeling well. If they do Do they look bright or sunken not come up right away, they and dull? Look at those areas are a little slow getting up, or that we associate with sickthey are maybe not drinking ness: eyes, ears, nose, breathas fast, those calves should ing, posture and tail position, be checked. This can be even etc. The more information more apparent in a group you can gather about what is when calves that are not feelhappening, the more coning well tend to hang back By Joe Armstrong, dent you can be in a diagnosis while everyone else rushes to DVM and treatment. University of the feeder. One tool everybody One of the things we are Minnesota should have is a thermometer. observing is behavior change. Temperature dictates where Knowing your calves and seeing them we go with antibiotics. Most treatment every day allows for noticing subtle protocols should be centered on whethchanges in behavior. If a calf is usually er or not the calf has a fever, because if the rst one to the feeder and then is it does not have a fever, it is difcult to not there right away, checking that calf justify antibiotic use. When we give anshould be the priority. Calves are time- tibiotics to an animal that does not need driven, just like all cows. Some signs it, we are changing the bacteria that are even more subtle, especially in a are present. Some of those bacteria are group setting. A calf might get up with good, and we want them alive. the group and be there already at the In an individual pen, I can see the feeder. But, just because it is standing at walls of that pen. I can see that the mathe feeder does not mean it is eating. It nure in that pen belongs to that calf, but might just stand there with its head next in a group setting, I have a hard time to the nipple. knowing what feces goes with what calf.
Sioux/Pro-Tec
Believers Mike Menze, who milks 75 cows near Otter Tail Minnesota, went to MidCentral when he needed a Sioux bin built in 2023.
“We’ve had three other ones that we really like that we’ve had little problems with. They got the job done.” - Mike Menze
Ron Suchy, who crop farms 700 acres near Urbank, went with a Pro-Tec building for storage in 2023.
With group pens, it takes more observation to nd sick calves. Another complicating factor for nding scours calves is that we are advocating to feed more milk, so we are adding liquid to the system. More liquid in usually means more liquid out. Loose feces does not dene scours. Keep that in mind and assess the whole calf by incorporating temperature, behavior change and appearance. Respiratory rate and effort are great observations to make when evaluating calf health. The tricky part is differentiating between pneumonia and scours, because calves with scours become acidotic. They have too much acid in their bloodstream. In an attempt to correct acidosis, calves need to get rid of carbon dioxide. To breathe out more CO2, the calf breathes faster and sometimes with more effort. Often, this is assumed to be pneumonia, when in fact, the calf has nothing wrong with their lungs. If a calf is breathing fast or with slightly increased effort, do not assume they have pneumonia. Focus on the things that actually treat scours, which are hydration and pain control. Almost every time, scours is one of three things: rotavirus, coronavirus or cryptosporidium — none of which are bacteria. An antibiotic is not going to solve the problem.
A calf with scours that can stand, has a suckle reex and a normal temperature does not need antibiotics. When eyes start to look sunken into the face, that is a sign of dehydration. Skin tent is another sign of dehydration that is easy to assess. Grab some skin on the animal (usually over the ribs or side of the neck), pull it out and let it go. The skin should fall at like it never happened within a second or two. Gums should be pink, quite wet and not tacky at all. In a dehydrated calf, the mouth can be cold, the gum tissue can be pale pink, white or purple, and the gums can feel tacky. One of the other things that I like to do on every calf is reach down and feel the navel, even out to a month, maybe even older, to see if there is a navel infection. The navel should not be hot, and it should be small. Evaluating calves for sickness is a combination of the art of observation with measurable change (temperature). Like many things in the cattle industry, it is part art and part science, and you can only improve your skills through hands-on experience. Call or email with questions if you have them and listen to our “The Moos Room” podcast if you enjoyed this information.
Dana Adams Les Hansen adam1744@umn.edu hanse009@umn.edu 320-204-2968 612-624-2277
Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109
Melissa Wilson mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610
Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711
Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435
Isaac Haagen hagge041@umn.edu 612-624-7455
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104
Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357
Michael Boland boland@umn.edu 612-625-3013
Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184
Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334
Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093
Sabrina Florentino slpore@umn.edu 507-441-1765
Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863
Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205
Seniors! CELEBRATING OUR
Do you know a high school senior currently living or working on a dairy farm?
“I have seen farmers that had these and they stood up. They had good service, they were local and they did a good job.”
We would like to feature them in the May issues of Dairy Star!
- Ron Suchy 50106 Hwy. 210 West • Henning, MN
(218) 583-2931
www.midcentralequipment.com
Please send the senior’s contact info to: mark.k@dairystar.com
Soil microbes, cull cows, agrivoltaics
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 31
I grew up on my family’s dairy livestock species (e.g., cattle, sheep, farm in southern Minnesota. I rst goats, poultry and swine) produced in learned to do things differently there. an alternative system (e.g., pastureMy parents built one of the rst bed- based, organic, livestock land-manded pack compost barns in the coun- agement services and silvopastoral, try for our Brown Swiss etc.) or at small scales. My cows. Most recently, we goal is not only to increase have adopted no-till and the resiliency, productivcover cropping and even ity and animal wellbeing of fenced in all our acres to Minnesota’s alternative and graze those cover crops and small livestock farms, but to increase the diversity in our also provide conventional crop rotations. farmers with alternative opAfter studying dairy tions to their status quo. science for my undergradu- By Sabrina Portner In my masters’ research ate degree, I realized that Florentino with Dr. Brad Heins on my specialized education University of dairy farm resiliency (soil left large gaps in my under- Minnesota health, crossbreeding and standing of the farm system. agrivoltaics), I attempted to I had little knowledge about produc- address the complexities of achieving forages or how the biology in the ing sustainability with a whole syssoil affected important processes. tem’s perspective. These topics are all These realizations and the diversica- tools or concepts, which may offer a tion we have begun on our dairy farm dairy farm increased economic, enhave taught me to approach raising vironmental or social sustainability. livestock with a whole-system per- Sustainability is largely context despective. I intend to utilize this per- pendent, varying by dairy farm type, spective in future programming to geography, and natural and human address challenges to alternative live- resources available. This uniqueness stock producers from the soil to the requires an ever-growing toolbox to milk in a glass. achieve protability and conserve Recently, I started my new role our vital natural resources. Possible with the University of Minnesota Ex- tools might include natural resource tension as the alternative livestock management (soil health), genetic disystems educator. No, I will not be versity (crossbreeding) or sustainable teaching about crickets and ostriches. land use intensication (agrivoltaics). Rather, I will be developing addition- Below is a snapshot of each topic. al programming for our traditional We can be exible producers by
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Dr. Allen Britten’s presentation at the 2024 NMC meeting discussed how Staph aureus is a threat to every dairy herd. No surprise given your milking system keeps the door open to bacteria with a liner that never closes. Your dealer will say it doesn’t work, we will guarantee that a demo in your parlor will show otherwise.
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utilizing grazing as an alternative to harvested feeds. The soil microbiome composition and function are positively impacted when a diverse mix of plant species is maintained. Greater benets to the soil microbiome are observed when grazing livestock in integrated crop and livestock systems compared to annual monocultures without livestock. Additionally, light to moderate grazing intensity may increase soil microbiome diversity and enzyme activity. The implications of these soil health benets are possibly increasing nutrient cycling, which maximizes productivity and minimizes environmental damage. In another analysis of diversity, we documented the impacts of crossbreeding on cull cow weight and value. For cull cows at the West Central Research and Outreach Center from 2010-21, Holsteins weighed the most at culling followed by ProCROSS (Holstein, Viking Red and Montbeliarde cross), 1964 control Holsteins and Grazecross (Jersey, Viking Red and Normande cross) cows. The Holstein cows had lower cull values compared with the other breed groups in the study. Documenting each source of income on our dairy farms is essential to maintaining protability. Diversity could be a part of the solution for a farm’s economic sustainability. Another option for increasing diversity is to utilize land for multiple purposes. For example, dairy cattle can be grazed under solar panels or
forages harvested depending on the design of the solar panel system. In our most recent study, the objective was to evaluate forage production and nutritive value of cool and warm season grasses and legumes grown under solar arrays. In total, the forages produced less biomass underneath the solar panels compared to the openair control site. However, the yields under the solar panels and at the control site of cool season grasses and legumes were similar. Likewise, the cool season grasses and legumes had comparable or higher quantities of crude protein underneath the solar panels compared to the control site forages. We are analyzing a second season of data for this study. Likely, high-quality forage can be grown underneath solar panels, diversifying our land use and income options for farmers. The longevity of farms of all types requires that farmers have options when what they are doing just is not working anymore. Diversity is key. A farmer who can adapt to their changing conditions will pass that farm on to the next generation even if it may look far different from the farm they started with. Similarly, I had to step out of my dairy science comfort zone and into the world of diversied livestock farming, agronomy and soil health in order to garner a wholesystem perspective that will serve our livestock farmers. I would like you to join me on the journey.
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38241 County 6 Blvd. Goodhue, MN 55027
(651) 923-4441
Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
Dreaming for the next generation
Hasenohrls farm simply, are hopeful for the future By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
AUBURNDALE, Wis. — Growing up as the third generation on his family’s Wood County dairy farm, David Hasenohrl dreamed about following in his family’s footsteps. Now, he and his wife, Theresa, are dreaming about their children becoming the fourth generation to operate the farm that has been in the family for nearly 100 years. David and Theresa, along with their two sons, Andrew and John, and David’s mother, Marlene, represent three generations of the Hasenohrl family that call the 30-cow dairy farm near Auburndale home. “It’s a good life and a good way to raise a family,” David said. “The kids have learned what hard work is; they get outside and use their heads.” Marlene agreed. She said raising her family of 10 on the farm was a good life. “My husband, James, and I raised our family here,” she said. “James was raised here. It becomes something that is a part of you. That is hard to let go.” Marlene was helping with farm chores until recently. “It was hard to give it up, but I just couldn’t get around as well any-
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Three generaƟons of the Hasenohrl family — Theresa (from leŌ), Andrew, David, John and Marlene — gather Jan. 27 on their family’s 30-cow dairy farm near Auburndale, Wisconsin. The farm has been in the family since 1927.
more,” Marlene said. “Sometimes I still really get the itch to be out there though.” David’s grandparents, Jim and Anna, purchased the farm in 1927 and farmed together until Jim passed away in 1944. From that time, Anna managed the farm with her family until James and Marlene purchased
the farm from her in 1973. David purchased the farm from his parents in 2007 and met Theresa the next year. “Even though it has only been in our family since 1927, this land has been a farm since 1856,” Marlene said. When Theresa moved to the farm, she became immersed in the life of a
dairy farmer. “I grew up with beef cows and horses, but my grandpa had a small dairy farm,” Theresa said. “It was a bit of change for me, but it is a good life.” Turn to HASENOHRLS | Page 33
ConƟnued from HASENORHL | Page 32
Being a 30-cow dairy in central Wisconsin makes the Hasenohrl family somewhat unique. They have been shipping their milk to Nasonville Dairy for over 30 years. “Our milk hauler said we are one of the smallest herds left,” David said. “You do worry that they will keep picking us up because of our small size.” Along with the herd of cows, the Hasenohrls farm 97 acres, growing corn, oats, alfalfa and grass hay. “With that, we pretty much raise everything we need to feed our herd,” David said. “Hay will be close this year, but we’ll make it (with our inventory) until spring.” David said he enjoys operating a small dairy farm but has concerns about the future. “We keep things pretty simple, so maybe I have fewer headaches to deal with than someone who has a bigger herd or different headaches at least,” David said. “We all worry about the prices — both what we are getting paid and our outputs. Milk prices are the same as we were getting 30 years ago, but expenses have doubled since then.” In keeping their farm simple, the Hasenohrls milk with Surge buckets, component feed and clean the gutters in their barn using a wheelbarrow. They use a bull to breed most of the cows and A.I. occasionally. Everyone in the family plays a role in the operation of the farm, and Andrew aspires to be the fourth gen-
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 33
eration of the family to operate the farm. Andrew helps David with eldwork and barn chores while Theresa cares for the calves with help from John. “I like being outside, and I love helping with the eldwork,” Andrew said. “I have grown up doing it, and I like working with my family.” In addition to operating the farm, both David and Theresa work full time off the farm. “We just work hard to get done whatever we have got to get done,” David said. “It’s not all fun and games, but we do it.” Despite the hard work and the juggling schedules, Theresa said she has come to the same conclusion as her mother-in-law: There is no better place to raise her family than on the farm. “The kids learn so much growing up on the farm,” Theresa said. “It is teaching them a sense of responsibility and perseverance and what it means to work hard.” Keeping the farm going so Andrew can fulll his dream, just as his father did, has become David and Theresa’s dream. The couple said that in three short years, the farm will become eligible for centennial farm recognition. “I just want to keep it going, to keep it in the family,” David said. “There’s getting to be fewer and fewer of us around. The world will be missing something if small family farms like ours die out.”
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What do you think about this weather? I can safely say that I have been told every “Old Farmer’s Almanac” projection or seasoned farmer prediction known to man during recent producer visits in the ofce. Many are very concerned about the impact this spring due to this unseasonable weather. As producers, you can only control what you can control. All you can do is be as prepared as possible. Part of this is implementing a risk management plan. Do you have your crop insurance plan in place? Are you signed up for all the U.S. Department of Agriculture programs available? Are your nances in order for the upcoming spring season? If you answered no to any of the above, the time is now. We have nothing new to share about the Dairy Margin Coverage sign-up. We will advertise this just as soon as we are provided information and timelines. March 15 is the nal date to enroll into the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2024 crop year. You can make your election and enrollment now, and if you decide to change it, you have until the deadline to revise your application. We invite you to reach out to a USDA ofce at your earliest convenience to get your farm signed up for the program. Sign-up for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program started Jan. 12. This year’s sign-up is a bit different than usual, so if you are interested in re-enrolling acreage that expires Sept. 30 or have new land you would like to enroll, contact an ofce as soon as possible to review your options and work with a team to get an offer submitted. This year’s sign-up will be processed in batches to ensure nationwide we do not go above the cap on CRP acreage allowed by the farm bill. The Farm Service Agency is cleaning up our producer record database and needs your help. Report any changes of address, zip code, phone number, email address or an incorrect name or business name on le to a USDA ofce. You should also report changes in your farm operation, like the addition of a farm by lease or purchase. You should also report any changes to your operation in which you reorganize to form a trust, limited liability company or other legal entity. The FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service program participants are required to promptly report changes in their farming operation to the county committee in writing and to update their farm operating plan on form CCC-902. To update your records, contact a USDA service center. The FSA offers a nine-month commodity loan, which is a great tool to receive cash up front to help nance an operation. If you have 2023 grain in the bin, marketing assistance loans provide producers interim nancing at harvest time to meet cash ow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. Allowing producers to store production at harvest facilitates more orderly marketing of commodities throughout the year. Jerry Hurrle, farm loan manager It is time again for the annual tax season and farm record reviews. Hopefully your farm records and tax preparation will go well for you with no major surprises. It is also time to look ahead and develop a proposed cash ow and plan for 2024. The current commodity prices are much less than the previous few years, and expenses have not decreased much. Prot margins will be challenging. Do you know your cost of production? Do you have a marketing plan? With good records, cash ow planning is easier to develop. Be prepared with accurate records and information when you meet with your lender. The FSA continues to have numerous loan options available. The options include operating loans, real estate loans and micro loans, to name a few. If you need nancial assistance, contact a USDA ofce to review our programs and options. Farm Service Agency is an equal opportunity lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250. Visit www.fsa.usda.gov for application forms and updates on USDA programs.
Operation hat rescue
As we proceed with our farmhouse remodeling project, we are feeling like we are doing something that will enhance the house but also our lives. This house is well over 100 years old and has had many families and generations living in it. If we are not going to build a new house, we should be able to justify putting money into our older home. It will be a house that will hopefully be around for many more generations. With that said, I am thrilled that my brothers-inlaw have stopped by and are thinking as we are, happy to see their childhood home being updated and remodeled. The remodeling project goes from one room to the next. I am surprised how quickly things are moving forward. As soon as we hear that a carpenter or electrician is available, we all get into gear to move furniture from one room to another. There isn’t a place for us to sit to relax after chores, except for the kitchBy Tina Hinchley en table and the chair by the Farmer & Columnist computer. While the other project is moving along, my daughter Anna, is eager to keep going into the next room where the computer is. While I was working on payroll, I spotted Anna looking at the old wallpaper. She couldn’t help herself. She took a corner of the wallpaper and ripped it off the wall. She was smiling like it was satisfying. It was obvious she lost control and went from one spot to the next. She commented how easy the paper pulled off, and I now see all the cracks that the paper was hiding. I was glad the job was easy and done. Looking at the naked walls gave us time to consider what the next plan would be for this room. Wallpaper is in again, and it can cover cracks just like the outdated paper. The makeshift closet in the room was covered with paneling 30 years ago. This got the Anna treatment too. The paneling was ripped off, and under the paneling was retro, bright yellow and pink owers with lime green leaves. Duane remembers seeing that wallpaper from his crib 60 years ago. Duane said this room was his parents’ bedroom when he was growing up. They had been living and farming here since 1958, and that paper was denitely from the 1960s. This process has been liberating for all of us. The items that were in the closet were boxed up if they were to be donated to charity or hauled upstairs to be saved. Why did we need to keep so much stuff that doesn’t hold any special meaning to any of us? There were hats, hats and more hats along with promotional items that were shoved in the closet. I have at least a dozen cloth bags that will save the earth if I can remember to put them into the car and bring them into the grocery store. We had boxes stacked up in the kitchen and on the porch to go to the dumpster, the donation collection container and a box or two that were going to other family members because they said they wanted the hats. In my haste, I loaded my cloth bags along with many boxes into my car. Unfortunately, later that evening, a box or two ended up going into a donation collection container that had some special collectable items — hats that were wanted. All of the boxes went to a donation container at the grocery store. I felt awful and knew I would have to make it right. In an effort to correct my error, Anna and I knew we had to do a rescue mission to get to those boxes. We had to be prepared to climb into the donation box if needed. We wrote a note to the donation organization explaining our predicament and put $40 into the envelope if we needed to cut the lock. But, we also had to be prepared to answer to a police ofcer if they were called to check on the two women climbing into the donation container. We were hopeful that police ofcers could understand the error in donating boxes of hats that should not have been donated.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 35
The grocery store closed at 9 p.m., and we pulled into the parking lot just a little later. There were just a few cars parked by the employee area, and we were nervous that it might look suspicious retrieving the boxes. Upon inspection, when we opened the door, the last box was still on the edge and hadn’t fallen in yet. Anna was trying to reach it, but in it fell. I backed up the car so she could try to stand on the bumper and reach into the container. Anna could see the boxes with her ash light on her phone. She just needed to scooch a little bit further into the bin. She was so close but not quite there yet. She crawled a little further, about half way in, and was able to reach the edge of the box that had tipped in. Wiggling around, she passed it out to me and then went farther inside to retrieve the next
box. It was open and hats had fallen out. She creeped in further, with just her lower legs and feet hanging out, and was able to scoop up the hats and grab the last box. After she passed the boxes and got herself out, we shut the door and put the boxes in the car. Whew. Operation hat rescue was a success. This event will be one of the crazy things Anna and I will remember about this house remodel. The hat rescue along with the groovy wallpaper. Tina Hinchley, her husband Duane and daughter Anna milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres near Cambridge, Wisconsin. The Hinchleys have been hosting farm tours for over 25 years.
Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed by our columnists are the opinions and thoughts of the author and do not reect the opinions and views of Dairy Star staff and ownership.
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Ballad of a rst-calf heifer Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
I arrived at my home farm a few weeks ago; the ride wasn’t bad, but my travel mates sure did complain and wiggle around and squish me a little too much. The driver was some young kid who actually did a great job backing us up. My new place of residence could certainly use an unloading ramp. I’m all for a good jump now and then, but a slip, slide and then — bam — onto the slippery cement. Not cool. I ran into some of my old friends in our new pen, and I’m pretty sure I saw my sister from another mister. One day, the guy who comes with that miserably loud contraption (that I have grown to love; it brings my meals) ipped this lever, and my friends and I went up to eat and couldn’t leave. As we stood there munching away, sure enough, we discovered the reasons for our sudden capture. This lady shows up
with a clipboard and two weird looking things in her hands. Then, as she speeds along, she reaches her arm next to my head and pokes me with something sharp. Not once, but twice. She was mumbling something about it being for my own good and for my baby. All I could think was, “Wait until I get out, honey, and I’ll give you something for your own good.” In an instant, a lever was lifted, and with a head shake, we were free to go back to bed in that nice soft sand again. I had a brief moment of overwhelming glee, thinking I could hang out here for a while. I was getting the routines down. I was surrounded by some older, wiser cows and could nally get answers to my burning questions. I leaned over toward Nova Scotia, who appears to be quite friendly, and asked, “Are those pokes really good for me?” Some of the wise ones overheard,
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and all said yes, emphatically. It was awfully nice and cozy in that pen. If I played my cards just right, I could sneak into an empty stall between two of the biggest brutes and be nice and toasty warm. One day, while we were playing follow the leader around the pen, (The older girls don’t like this, but it kept my friends and I busy while we waited for breakfast.), I heard that now-familiar bang after the machine came with our food. I was hesitant to go up to eat, guring I might be stuck there for a while, but really, is there a better place to be stuck? I followed my stomach’s orders, and there I was: locked up. Some of the ladies and I are moving, out the gate, over that creepy creek, down a thing they call a breeze- Ramblings from the Ridge way, into another barn. The wise ones told me this would happen as my day grew closer. I’m not sure what to make of that comment. They call this pen transition, and these guys think they are sneaky as they walk through here a million times a day. Sometimes the gates By Jacqui Davison rattle and clang, and Columnist out goes one of my new friends. Where do they go? They never seem to return, and I can hear loud bellows. I’ve asked the girls my age, but they don’t seem to know. I had breakfast next to Chicago and politely asked her between bites. She said when my time comes, they will take me to the straw, and there, I will become a mother, starting my life’s work as a milk cow. It sounds like a nice experience; we shall see, though. I’ve been hearing bits and pieces of labor stories in here. They aren’t all perfectly easy. My day has come. I woke up this morning feeling weird. Oh man, that guy is wandering around the pen again. Gates are banging. He’s coming back in here to take … me. I cooperate, focusing on the straw bedding awaiting me. Well, this is something. I have the pen to myself, and it’s nice and uffy in here. I quickly head over and sneak a sip of water before this birthing show gets going. Then, I lay down and make a futile attempt to get comfortable. These contractions make me a bit agitated, and I can’t help but get up and down for what feels like a million times. I’m starting to wish this wasn’t my goal in life. I am considering nding the guy who did this to me and asking for a refund. Can’t I just be like Maeve? Just eat, eat, eat and never worry about this milking business. Oh, wait. I vaguely remember overhearing the wise ones whispering something about a “freezer” and “soon” for her. OK, OK, I’ll have this baby. If those girls would get their arms out of me and quit trying to reverse nature. I must breathe. I must breathe. I must push, yet, those girls are telling me not to push. Are they nuts? I try hard not to, because the arm shoved in there is not pleasant. Then, at long last, the pushing becomes easier. The girls are elated, and frankly, so am I. They must have freed the other leg. Now I can do it. Ta-da, a nice heifer calf. Pretty good work for a young mom, if I do say so myself. Jacqui Davison and her family milk 800 cows and farm 1,200 acres in northeastern Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira, Dane, Henry and Cora, help on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos, and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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Feed push-ups can increase protability
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 37
With today’s dairy economics, lation between the number of meals capturing every pound of marginal consumed throughout the day and fatmilk is essential to protability. Mar- corrected milk yield. Longer feeding ginal milk can be dened as the few times and slower feeding rates result pounds of increased production that in a stable rumen environment and can be gained by adjusting manage- decreased risk for subacute ruminal ment practices while seeing little or acidosis. Frequent feed push-ups also no increase in expendireduce the risk of slugSomething to Ruminate On feeding, which can lead ture. Pushing up feed is to digestive challenges. one of the simplest and In addition, more least-expensive stratefrequent feed pushgies dairy operators can ups make feed availimplement. It is also one able when cows come of the major manageback from the parlor, ment factors that exwhich can increase plain the difference in their standing time and milk production among allow teat canals to dairy herds. Research close, reducing the risk conducted by Dr. Alex for mastitis. Cows that By Barry Visser Bach’s team in the early do not have to reach Nutritionist 2000s found that herds aggressively for feed where feed was routinehave less pressure on ly pushed up produced on average 8 the front claws of their feet and necks, pounds more milk than herds where which can cause long-term challengfeed was not pushed up. es to performance and longevity. The The No. 1 benet of increasing same can be said with feed push-ups feed push-up frequency is increased in heifer lots, especially if competidry matter intake. The more cows eat, tion at the bunk is tight. the more milk they produce, and cows Perhaps one of the most overcannot eat what they cannot reach. looked and biggest opportunities on Push-ups stir the feed and bring fresh many farms is to push up feed within feed under the cows’ noses. This al- the rst 1-2 hours following fresh lows more submissive cows to have feed delivery. Cows are most comsimilar ration consistency and im- petitive at the bunk when fresh feed is proved DMI. delivered. They consume a large meal More frequent feed push-ups, and and move around a sizeable portion the subsequent increase in meals con- of the feed during this time. Thus, a sumed, also improve rumen health push-up relatively soon after feed deand milk components. Research con- livery is advantageous. ducted by Dr. Trevor DeVries, UniCreate a set schedule for feed versity of Guelph, showed a corre- push-ups throughout the day and, ide-
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ally, at night. Scheduling feed pushups during the overnight hours is an obvious challenge on dairies where labor is not available around the clock. In these cases, make feed pushup the last task of the day and one of the very rst tasks the next morning. Automatic feed pushers have been game-changers for many dairies experiencing this labor void overnight. One of the simpler technologies we can use in observing bunk behavior and feed push-ups is a time-lapse camera, which allows us to observe cows at a distance. The cameras al-
low us to see cows reaching for feed and challenges with feed distribution across the bunk. Cameras can also be a quick check that push-up schedules are followed at all hours of the day. Increasing the frequency of feed push-ups can pay dividends on many farms. Work with your feed and management team to develop a workable schedule to allow for quality feed to be in front of cows at all times. Your cows will reward you with improved health and productivity.
Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
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Family names
Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
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Naming calves around our farm When Mark and I were on our is considered a family sport. A mass black ice run to Iowa a couple of email goes out to all of the kids and weeks ago, Austin had his own heartadopted family members for their thumping moments on the farm. It most creative suggestions for the next appeared that Always had a big heifgeneration of Ralma cows. Many op- er calf just before evening milking. tions are obvious while others are Austin carried the full-sized calf to from left-eld, but regardless, the se- the nursery barn and chased Always lection of the perfect name can be a across the yard to the milking barn. daunting task requiring many brains. As he was putting on the last milkWith all of the effort and thought ing unit, he noticed the cow strain. He which goes into naming a calf, you thought it was odd but kept on milkwould think an engraved name tag ing the cow. Once the milking bucket or necklace would be in was securely catching order. Nope. Once a calf Just Thinking Out Loud all the colostrum for the is named, it is quickly new calf, he stood up and forgotten, and she is respotted a potential probferred to by her ear tag lem. There was another number. For those of us set of feet sticking out that are cow blind, numfrom the back end of the bers are the only way to cow. tell which animal you All Austin could do need to pull in from the was wait until she was lot. For some reason, done milking and quickthe calves and heifers ly take her back to the just don’t respond when calving barn where she By Natalie Schmitt you call them by name. pushed out another heifCome to think of it, our er calf. We had no clue Columnist dog Bailey doesn’t alshe was carrying twins as ways come when called she went full term with either. We have very independent them. These were her third and fourth girls around this farm. heifer calves in three lactations. Her When a heifer calves, her number oldest daughter, Anyway, calved a is soon replaced by her given name as few weeks earlier with a heifer calf of she stands in her stall with a barn card her own. Now, the challenge was one marking the spot. This can be a tricky to come up with creative names. time, because I have discovered I like To catch you all up, Always is a name too much. When the second from Almost who comes from Alor third Diamond or Star freshened, I mond who goes back to the nut family realized my brain does not have the from Chestnut. Chestnut is from C-F capacity to keep track of over 200 Finley Choice whose dam is Christnames. Therefore, I created a cou- mas Fudge (C-F) and then nally our ple of perpetual lists, one for names foundation cow Juror Faith. As you in use and another list for potential can see, we sometimes try to stay in names when inspiration hits. a letter family line, but once that beWe have used naming calves as a comes too complicated, we break off gateway for non-farm kids to meet a using a different option. Anyway had a heifer calf we dairy calf. Before YouTube, TikTok and cell phone videos, I would lug my named Anyhow whose future daughvideo camera to my shoulder and start ter might be called Anywho — the shooting video while narrating the name option is on my list. Last year, background story of the calves who Always had a daughter named Alike. needed names. I would send these Unbeknownst to Mark, he used the VHS tapes in the mail to my sister in same sire on Always again, so the Illinois who would have her junior twins are full sisters to Alike. What high literature students create names cute and clever names could we come using action verbs, adjectives or liter- up with? It was our milker, Anna, who ary themes to help name our calves. had the winning idea: Also and Again. I don’t know who had more fun: the Probably one of my favorite famikids creating the names or us trying to ly name lines starts with Mayday who follow their logic. had May I then Maybee. Maybee has Over the years, we have come had two daughters: Whynot, who had up with crazy family line names. Of Because, and I Don’t Know (IDK). course, anything with a mineral or These names sound like the setup to gemstone goes back to Michael’s an Abbott and Costello skit. You nevcow Crystal. We have been known to er know where inspiration will come have “F” family or “T” family lines for the perfect calf name. As their four children pursue dairy as well. Today, it seems that many of the registered dairymen have been careers off the family farm, Natalie and watching the big horse races as some Mark Schmitt started an adventure of names now are a combination of sev- milking registered Holsteins just beeral words, which leads me to our lat- cause they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota. est naming adventure.
320-761-1042 Serving Central Minnesota
Paper along with digital 507-724-3183
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Page 39
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Schedules and lists. That’s what parents and dairy farmers are made of. The top questions in our house are: What do we have going on today? What’s on your list for today? Who’s on the schedule?
Dairy Good Life
By Sadie Frericks Columnist Most weeks, managing the schedules and lists to make sure everyone is where they need to be and everything gets done in a timely manner feels like a job that should have its own title. I think Chief Scheduling Ofcer sounds nice. For us, the tools of the CSO trade are both old-school and new-age. We use both paper and digital versions for our calendar and list applications. In the house, we have a special written calendar, — more on that in minute — and I use the Google Calendar app. When I rst got a smart phone and started using Google Calendar, I quickly learned that both the paper calendar in the kitchen and the digital calendar on my phone need to be synched frequently. It never turned out well when I wrote an appointment or event on the paper calendar but forgot to put in my calendar app, or vice versa. We’re years into this system now, and Glen frequently asks, “Is the kitchen calendar up to date?” Our kitchen calendar is a God’s creation calendar made by Youth Group Promotions in Willmar, Minnesota. I received one of their calendars as a door prize at a baby shower when Dan was a toddler and have ordered one every year since. They’re perfect calendars for a highly scheduled family because they’re made of heavy-duty cardstock instead of imsy paper. The picture parts of the calendar are glossy photos of beautiful landscapes, but each monthly calendar grid is printed on the papery side of the cardstock. This makes writing on the calendar with a mechanical pencil both practical and tactically satisfying. I never mark the calendar with ink — I think for symbolic reasons — because nothing in a life that includes both kids and cows is that permanent. We keep a New Holland calendar in the barn. I pick one up from our implement dealer every December. We use it more as a journal than a schedule.
Freshenings, dry offs, and other events are marked on the calendar. Every event is documented digitally in DairyComp, as well, but we like keeping a paper record; perhaps, because we always kept a similar herd calendar when I was kid and digital-only records feel too vulnerable. It’s surprising how often we dig out an old calendar to look something up, usually when we’re trying to remember who a cow’s great-granddam is, because DairyComp doesn’t keep records of cows who have left the herd. We added another calendar category to our system: employee calendars. It took a bit of trial and error to nd an efcient method for scheduling our employees’ shifts. Most of our employees are students or have another job, so their shifts move around a bit from week to week to accommodate their schedules. I draft the schedule on a paper calendar that I print from a template. We keep this copy in the house for at-a-glance referencing. It also doubles a place to document actual shifts worked. I share the schedule with our team through an app called Sling. For all of us, Sling has been a game-changer. Employees can easily access their shift schedules, and I’m not printing or texting schedules (two of the methods we tried before Sling). If employees need to switch shifts, it’s easy to make the change in the app. We use the time tracking feature in Sling, as well, which makes the app even more helpful. Employees clock in and clock out on their phones. Each pay period, Sling tabulates their hours, so all I need to do is export them to our payroll program. It’s faster than the paper timesheets and spreadsheet I used prior. Sling also has messaging and announcement features that I use to let employees know when schedules are published or there’s an open shift available due to illness, etc. I also have both paper and digital versions of my to-do lists. Glen’s list is a nitrile version. He writes his todo’s on his milking glove. Paper works better for me for most lists. The act of writing something down makes it much easier for me to remember when my list isn’t in front of me. I usually use sticky notes, because I love crossing items off the list and then tossing the notes when everything is done. I use digital apps for lists like the grocery store and for Leedstone and Fleet Supply. Speaking of lists, I’m going to go cross “Dairy Star column” off and move onto my next task. Until next time, I hope both your schedules and to-do lists are manageable. Sadie Frericks and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children: Dan, Monika, and Daphne. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@ gmail.com.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2024
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