7 9 16 zone2

Worth

CerroGordo

Black Hawk

Mitchell

Floyd

Howard

LinnJones Jackson

Dubuque

ClaytonFayette

Win

nesh

iek

Alla

mak

ee

Bremer

Chickas

aw

Buchan

an

Delawa

re

Hancock

Winnebago

St. Croix

Monroe

Vernon

Crawford

Grant

Iowa

Lafayette Green

Richland

La Crosse

Buffalo

Trem

peal

eau

PiercePepin

Polk

Burnett

Douglas Bay eld

Ashland

Price

Taylor

Iron

SawyerWa

shbu

rn

Barron Rusk

Dunn Chippewa

Eau Claire Clark

Jackson

Dane

Its all inside...

Eau ClaireChildren Museum of

Eau Claire hosts June Dairy Month activities

Pages 14 - 15Second Section

FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:What has been your favorite vacation?

Pages 15-16

Sam DravesHighland, Wis.

Dairy Star Saturday, July 9, 2016 Page 3

MiddletonEsser farm

marks 160th yearThird Section:

Pages 3 - 4

Black EarthKids and

their cowsThird Section: Pages 16 - 19

BoydA day in the life

of Michael DerksSecond Section:

Pages 20 - 22

WaukonGarbes family

endured house re, battles with cancer

First Section: Pages 35, 37

ArkansawPatnode uses genomics to guide mating decisionsFirst Section: Pages 1, 6

ColfaxRichmond, Flodquist take part in grazing apprenticeship programThird Section: Pages 6 - 7

LadysmithMichielsons nd niche with milking sheepFirst Section: Pages 1, 7

FIRST SECTION Pages 1, 5 Milk prices on slow road to recoveryPages 8-9 Ag InsiderPages 10 - 11 Meyer cuts electric bill in half with solar panelsPages 12 - 13 Land values continue to sink with commodity pricesPages 18, 20 Lehnertz allows more time before rst service Page 22 Every month should be dairy month in WisconsinPage 26 Princesses on paradePage 27 Dairy in the SuburbsPage 28 An update on precision dairy farmingPage 29 Demonstrating the extreme: Autotoxicity in alfalfaPage 30 Ramblings from the RidgePage 31 Four Cubs Farm hosts breakfastPage 32 Making Cents of DairyPage 33 Dairy Good LifePage 34 Veterinary WisdomPage 36 Women in Jeans: Dulcie AndersonSECOND SECTION Pages 4 - 5 Schroeder balances managing amateur baseball team, milking cowsPage 8 Soil erosion in Iowa: more than $1 billion a yearPages 10 - 11 The Mielke Market WeeklyPage 12 Dairy MarketsPage 13 Area hay auction results Pages 14 - 15 Dairying Across AmericaPages 16 - 18 Meier balances hauling milk, breeding, milking, cowsPages 23 - 24 Metzger family given Good Farm Neighbor AwardPages 28 - 29 Minnesota State Holstein Show draws large crowdPages 31 - 32 Minnesota Guernsey breeders host national convention, sale in Twin CitiesPages 34 - 35 Crop & Weather ReportPage 37 Drink up!Pages 38 - 39 Dairy RecipesTHIRD SECTIONPage 8 Paulson discusses cover crop bene ts at dairy conferencePages 11, 13 Why did you host a June Dairy Month event?Page 14 March mailbox prices averaged 52 cents lowerPage 21 Dairy CalendarPages 22 - 23 Some Udder StuffPages 24 - 30 Classi eds

Zone 2

For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com

Andy MeyerLake City, Minn

Amy PentermanThorp, Wis.

Comfortable cows are the most productive. Just like

you, they perform their best when they are cool, calm

and content. GEAs industry-leading curtains and fan

systems can be integrated with automation technology

to provide ideal barn temperature, air quality and

humidity levels. With our total ventilation solutions,

your cows will breathe easier and so will you. Contact

your GEA barn equipment representative today.

When they breathe easy, so do youNo matter the weather outside, GEA keeps your cows comfortable, healthy and productive inside.

Hollandale, Wis.Dairy Pro le: Erik and Brenda GilbertsonPage 39

MonroeMcGuire plans for future with

freestall facilityFirst Section: Pages 23, 25


Call us to nd out how we can upgrade your parlor IN LESS THAN 12 HOURS. www.midwestlivestock.com

PINE ISLAND, MN 800-233-8937BEATRICE, NE 800-342-5657

SIOUX FALLS, SD 800-705-1447MENOMONIE, WI 715-235-5144

OWEN, WI 715-229-4740

COMPLETE PARLOR SOLUTIONSWHATEVER YOUR DAIRY NEEDS

Donnelly Farms Farmington, MN 450 cowsDouble 16 herringbone converted to

a double 28 parallel

LED HB/C80-150, 200, 300, 400W-120/277 160 beam spread. 10-year LED chip warranty 5-year LED driver warranty

LED Wall Packs /Flood LightsAvailable wattages: 30, 50, 70, 140 ,200, 300, 400

LED Wall Pack Available wattages: 30, 50CBM

CAN DIM ANY LED LIGHT

Just Hang and Plug it in!

Replaces 400W-1000W metal halide.

CBM

TL18W-85/145ED-6-30K,65KTL18W-175/285ED-6-30K,65K 220 light beam angle 5 years (100%) + 5 years (pro-rated) warranty 3000K and 6500K color temperature Extension cords available in 5 ft. and 10 ft. lengths 30 watt available in V-Style and Standard Tubes

MS-220 (4 ft.) MS-320 (4 ft.)MS-420 (8 ft.) MS-620 (8 ft.)

Available with LED, T-8, T-5 4 ft. bulbs

SCR/B-15WLED 360 beam angle 5 years at 100% warranty

TRUSTED, TESTED, LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRY. CBM LightingJIM HEHENBERGER

J n J SalesS9217 Slotty Rd Prairie du Sac, WI 53578

[email protected] (c) 608.544.2421 (h)

RICHARD PEDERSONPederson Sales

220 Schendel St, Box 145 Blomkest, MN [email protected]

320.905.3725 (c) 320.995.6403 (h)Ag Solutions Plus, national representative for CBM Lighting in the US (540) 433-1840 www.agsolutionsplus.com

NORTH AMERICANMADE PRODUCTS

AWC fi xtures 8-ft long Available in T-8, T-5 and LED Available with 4 or 6 tubes

WP fi xtures 4-ft long Available in T-8, T-5, and LED Available with 1, 2, or 3 tubes

If youreconsidering

upgrading or adding lights to your existing facility, give CBM

a call.Weve got the answer.

Buying a Pickup - Whats the Gas Mileage?

Buy a Light - Whats the Lumens per Watt?

Metal Strip Lights

111 4 0

1 4 01 4 0

1 4 0

1 4 0

1 6 0 1 6 0

Lumen/Watt

Lumen/Watt

Lumen/Watt

Lumen/Watt

Lumen/Watt Lumen/WattLED LED

?$ $$ ?

Wageners Dairy Cattle, LLC

Ken Wagener13800, 102nd Street Cologne, MN 55322

952-467-3904 612-730-5613

SPECIALIZING IN: + All sizes of bred & open heifers + Buying and selling complete dairy herdsWhatever your needs are in buying and selling cattle,

WE CAN HELP - Call Ken

RENEW YOUR TRACTOR CAB!1 Black Vinyl Upholstery

At Wholesale Prices!WE SHIP DAILY

KIESTER IMPLEMENTKIESTER, MN

www.midwestfarmsales.com507-294-3387

JD Sound Guard Cabs & Sound Guard Cab Parts

BUY - SELL - TRADE

capacity. A growing inventory of cheese and butter stocks in the U.S. continue to put additional pressure on the milk market. In the rest of the world, dairy stocks are in the form of excess milk powder. Stephenson said the industry has been in similar situations of an over-stock of product before. Cheese inventories have been building its probably the biggest inventory weve ever had but the inventory, in relation to use, is not a place we havent been before, Ste-

phenson said. Stephenson feels the stockpiled inventory is not going to correct itself in export sales with the strong U.S. dollar and countries not having funds to purchase product. As dif cult as we have had it here, it is much worse in the EU and signi cantly worse in New Zealand.

Theyve been pulling back and trim-ming production, Stephenson said. Their prices have been bad enough for a long time that it is having an im-pact on milk supplies in other coun-tries. According to Stephenson, trig-gering the uptick in the Class III fu-tures is either a combination of actual declines in milk production in other countries or the growth in milk pro-duction is slowing less than the de-mand for dairy products worldwide. Finally we get a chance to work down some of the stocks, Stephen-son said. I think we can reverse some of the stockholdings and maybe bleed those products off. As a result, Stephenson thinks the milk market is beginning a recovery. The real question is, are we go-ing to take that $2 jump or more that the futures market shows or is it going to be a little softer demand, Stephen-son said. Personally, I dont expect a recovery to be explosive. I think we are going to see these prices start to creep back up to more comfortable levels. With the futures market show-ing signi cant jumps over the next few months, Stephenson foresees the remainder of 2016 to show a contin-ued recovery. He expects 2017 to be a considerably better year for dairy producers.

Con nued from PRICE | Page 1

The real question is, are we going to take that $2 jump or more

that the futures market shows...

MARK STEPHENSON, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINMADISON

Dairy Star Saturday, July 9, 2016

1-800-887-4634 (608) 723-4634423 U.S. Hwy 61 North Lancaster, WI

www.jdmfg.com 1-800-998-2398Eau Claire Wisconsin U.S.A.

OA140-08K


1-800-998-2398

www.jdmfg.com

Panel Fans:www.jdmfg.com 1-800-998-2398Eau Claire Wisconsin U.S.A.

OA140-08K


OA140-08K

a

Exhaust Fans

72 Mega Storm & 55 StormFiberglass Exhaust Fans

Exhaust Fans

www.fullersmilkercenter.com

Recirculation Fans

One of the highest performing, lowest maintenance, greatest valued fans on the market!

Panel Fans24, 36, 50 & 55

Ventilation Expertise

Soaking SystemHigh Pressure Fog & Cooling

When the temperature-humidity index (THI) is above 72, livestock will experience heat stress.

Create the right air ow and exchange rate to keep your herd at the optimum temperature for maximum production.


Central MN Regional Mgr, Call/Text:

Rich Lauer, P.A.S. 320-250-2645

[email protected]

For Benton, Mille Lacs, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine & Chisago Counties in MN Call/Text:John Huonder , R.A.S.

[email protected]

For Northern Stearns, Southern Todd, & Douglas Counties in MN Call/Text:Becky Heinz , B.S., P.A.S.

[email protected]

For N.E. Neb, N.D. & S.D. Call/Text:

Roger Frieler, R.A.S.605-760-0514

[email protected]

For N.W. Iowa, Call/Text:

Kenton Witt, P.A.S.712-441-5470

[email protected]

For South/SW, West Central, and North/NW Minnesota Call/Text:

Dale Ommodt, CCA, R.A.S. 320-212-3190

[email protected]

For Houston in MN, Buff alo, Jackson & Trempealeau in

WI. Call/Text:John Kiese, R.A.S.

[email protected]

S.E. MN Regional MgrCall/Text:

Jason Pursell, P.A.S.608-633-5514

[email protected]

For Winona & Wabasha Co, MN, Call/Text:Aaron Lee

[email protected]

For: N.E. Iowa, Call/Text:Lori Bockenstedt, B.S.,

P.A.S.563-608-1552

[email protected]

For Fillmore Co. in MN, & Howard, Winnshiek &

Allamakee in Iowa, Call/Text:Mark Holthaus, R.A.S.

[email protected]

For Houston, LeSueur, Rice and Dakota Counties in MN and Buff alo,

Barron, Pepin, Pierce & Dunn Counties in Wisc. Call/Text:Kyle Bartsch, R.A.S.

[email protected]

800-435-9560 www.agriking.com

Maximizing Forage Quality is Critical in todays world, we can help.

With a 4F savings, Silo-King Preserves enough energy to produce an

EXTRA 31 lbs of milk per ton of haylage fed!

175 acres of 1st crop 2016 haylage.

20 hours after chopping.

SILO-KING TREATED HAYLAGE STAYS COOLER, PREVENTING

ENERGY LOSS.

At $16.69/cwt milk thats a 4.5:1 Return on Investment!


From Our Side Of The FenceWhat has been your favorite vacation?

Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16

Tim and Roberta Gadient pictured with daughter, Olivia, and granddaughter Jaelyn Evjen, 3 monthsZumbrota, Minn. Goodhue County 100 cowsHow often do you get away from the farm each year? We get away at least once each year and an additional two times if it works out. Our annual get-away is a group of family and friends who go up North to go snowmobiling for a weekend in the winter. What kind of preparations do you do before you leave? We make sure all the animals are bedded well and we mix extra batches of feed. We also make sure the manure pits are somewhat empty and we sell any problem cows. We double check to make sure any treated or special needs cows are marked. We usually leave a list to make sure all the chores get done.Who lls in on the farm while youre gone? How do you nd the labor? Depending on who is around or has time, our four daughters will help with chores, especially milking. One of our friends comes to do the skidloader work and feeding. What has been your favorite trip? In February 2014 we had a terrible snowstorm hit the night before we were going on an overnight snowmobiling trip. We were pushing snow all morning and the pole shed where we keep our dry cows lled up with snow. Of course we had a cow calve in the pole shed so I had to get the newborn calf out of the snow. I (Tim) put the calf in the bucket of the skidloader, but got stuck on my way out! We nally got all the chores done and snow cleared so we were able to leave. We rode our sleds over to where we were staying in Waumandee, Wis. On our way we kept getting stuck. We also saw a milk truck stuck that was being dug out by a skid-loader and several cars in the ditch. Weve never been so glad not to be at home! Even though the weather made things more of a hassle it was a fun trip and fun to be away from the farm. When youre not working in the snow, its so fun!If you could go anywhere, where would you go and why? Tim: I would go to Colorado or Wyoming to go snowmobiling in the mountains. I think that would be a lot of fun. Roberta: I dont go on planes so I would have to go somewhere close. I think it would be fun just to go up North and relax. What is the rst thing you do outside when you return to the farm? We usually get back right before chores so we drop off our luggage in the house and go outside to start chores right away. What is the most relaxing job on the farm for you? Tim: Baling dry hay when you have three days in front of you so you dont have to hurry. It doesnt hap-pen very often, but when it does its so nice. Roberta: I like mowing the lawn or milking cows. Tell us about your farm. Tims home farm is about ve miles away. When we were getting married, Tims dad found this farm. Even though it needed a lot of work, it was a farmsite with 120 acres so we bought it. That was in 1986. We started with 32 cows and worked together with Tims dad for a year or two. We then bought another 126 acres. We grow alfalfa and corn. We have four daughters, Molly, Amy, Gena and Olivia. Amy and her husband, Mark, have a daughter, who is our rst grandchild, Jaelyn, 3 months.

Noah VanBeck320-241-3087 (Cell)

Cleaning - Drain Tiles, - Manure Systems, - Sewers, - Frozen Lines

Reasonably Priced

24 hour ServiceCall For Pricing

Sales & Installation of HiTensile FenceELECTRIC WOVEN RAIL

(320) 594-2228 or (320) 360-6308Steven Martin Browerville, MN

The Right Fence... Built RIGHT

RepairedOr New!

TO YOUR SPECSAlso Manure Augers, Belt Conveyors, Hammer Mills

WINONA ATTRITION MILL 507-452-2716 800-429-2716

tfn

AUGERS

Sam DravesHighland, Wis.Iowa County150 CowsHow often do you getaway from the farm each year? Five to sevendays. What kind of prepara-tions do you do beforeyou leave? Going away has been dif cult in thepast, but its easier now

that my son is here. Before, I would have to makesure all the bins were full, the sheds had enough hay, and the silo unloaders were all in working condition. Who lls in on the farm while youre gone? How do you nd the labor? We have a man come in from our community who also had a full-time job besides. We are mostly limited to weekends because of hisemployment. He was raised on a farm and enjoys do-ing some farm work on the weekends with his young son.What has been your favorite trip? Germany. Wewere host parents to four German exchange students,so we had the privilege of seeing many tourist sites,plus a few dairy operations. We visited northwestGermany down to southern Germany. We also had ashort visit to Switzerland and France.If you could go anywhere, where would you go andwhy? Alaska. My wife, Lori, says that is her dreamvacation, so Id better ful ll her desire because, like they say, when mamma isnt happy, nobody is happy.What is the rst thing you do outside when youreturn to the farm? Check the cows.What is the most relaxing job on the farm for you? For me, milking is very relaxing.Tell us about your farm. My great-great grandfatherimmigrated from Germany in 1850 and purchased the farm from the state of Wisconsin. In 1992, I pur-chased the farm from my father. In 2015, my son,Brian, joined my wife and I and we expanded from 75 cows to 150. The same year, we also built a cross-ventilated barn, along with a milking parlor. Our farm is 340 acres and we rent land from a few neighbors.

Marv Byer, pictured with his son, LandonFrazee, Minn.Becker County55 cowsHow often do you get away from the farm each year? We usually get away once a year for two to three days. We like to go to the state wrestling tourna-ment.What kind of preparations do you do before you leave? We try to get a couple things ready. We have the ration written out and ll the mixer full so they only have to mix once in two days. We also mark all the cows.Who lls in on the farm while youre gone? How do you nd the labor? My sister and brother-in-law. She lives down the road from us. They raise beef cat-tle. We help them and they help us.What has been your favorite trip? We went to Dis-neyland in 2006. We had never been on an airplane or that far away from home. We went to Magic King-dom, Animal Kingdom, MGM, Sea World and CoCo Beach. The kids were little yet and we stayed for four days.If you could go anywhere, where would you go and why? We think Australia and Hawaii are beautiful places we would like to see.What is the rst thing you do outside when you return to the farm? I like to check the cows and then check the milkhouse. Thats what I do every time.What is the most relaxing job on the farm for you? I like doing anything in a tractor that has air condi-tioning when its really hot outside. Planting is prob-ably my favorite.Tell us about your farm. I was farming with my brother for 15 years. For the last 1.5 years Ive been farming on my own. I grew up here. We have four children, Stephanie, Byron, Ethan and Landon. Land-on is going into 11th grade; the other three have grad-uated from high school. We have 373 acres, and we plant corn and hay.

Visit us onFacebook!


... more aggressive with it and gettingour fresh cows turned around faster.

Weve been using Udder Comfort for 6 years. But since installing the Udder Comfort Spray Gun, we have become more aggressive with it and getting our fresh cows turned around faster, while using a lot less product at the same time, Tio Ford reports about his Clover Knolls Dairy, where nearly 3000 cows make 88 lbs/cow/day of high quality milk, with SCC averaging consistently around 100,000.

We used to just do the fi rst-calf heifers. Now we do everything fresh, across the board. The guys like the Spray Gun for applying it quickly, front to rear, along the center cleft after each of the fi rst 6 to 8 milkings before they move from the hospital barn to the big barn. Udder Comfort gets edema out fast. We wouldnt do it if it wasnt worth it.

The key is to get them out of the starting gate without issues. This defi nitely helps us do that by getting udders headed in the right direction and getting fresh cows primed to get into their milk faster, and with fewer problems.

For external application to the udder only after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.

Quality Udders Make Quality Milk

1.888.773.7153 1.613.652.9086uddercomfort.com

Keep the milk in the system

Call to locate a distributor near you.

Tio Ford

CLOVER KNOLLS DAIRY, Tio and Chyanne Ford, TEXICO, NEW MEXICO3000 cows, 88 lbs/cow/day, SCC 92 -102,000


See our complete inventory with pictures and descriptions at:

www.mmcjd.com

Visit one of our 13 locations in

Central Minnesota!

(1) = GLENCOE800-558-37594561 Hwy. 212

(2) = HOWARD LAKE866-875-5093

5845 Keats Ave. SW

(3) = STEWART800-827-7933

78412 Co. Rd. 20

(4) = ST. CLOUD800-645-5531

1035 35th Ave. NE

(5) = GLENWOOD888-7999-14951710 N. Franklin

(6) = SAUK CENTRE888-320-29361140 Centre St.

(7) = ALEXANDRIA888-799-1490

5005 State Hwy. 27 E

(8) = PAYNESVILLE866-784-5535

725 Lake Ave. S.

(9) = PRINCETON800-570-3453

3708 Baptist Church Rd.

(10) = LITTLE FALLS800-655-5469

16069 Hwy. 27 E.

(11) = WADENA888-631-2311

62505 US Hwy. 10

(12) = AITKIN800-732-1129

1120 2nd St. NW

(13) = BAXTER800-568-43387045 Foley Rd.

Over 1200 items with pictures updated daily Go to www.mmcjd.com

06 JD 4720#130054

$139,000

13 JD 469#118387

$36,50001 Case SPX4260#122979 09 JD 956 #117898$55,000 14 JD 569#121188$28,000 $38,500

15 JD L330#119685

$119,900 11 Krone BP890XC#116014 $96,500

0% for up to 36 MONTHSon quali ed round balers & MoCos

COMBINES5 Case 2388, 2001, 3975 hrs., #125799 ... $75,000 9 JD 9500, 1990, 4239 hrs., #126219 ........$39,500 1 JD 9600, 1995, 4981 hrs., #131022 ........$42,900 9 JD 9610, 1998, 3505 hrs., #129116 ........$61,000 3 JD 9560 STS, 2005, 1395 hrs., #130053 .................................................$125,000 4 JD 9560W, 2005, 6231 hrs., #124069 ...................................................$65,000 9 JD 9570 STS, 2008, 1563 hrs., #115868 .................................................$159,000 2 JD 9570 STS, 2010, 831 hrs., #122037 .................................................$209,000 3 JD 9650 STS, 2000, 3293 hrs., #126187 ...................................................$69,500 10 JD 9650 STS, 2001, 1894 hrs., #128888 ...................................... $74,900 4 JD 9660 STS, 2005, 2011 hrs., #126966 .................................................$135,000 4 JD 9670 STS, 2008, 1478 hrs., #115788 .................................................$179,000 6 JD 9760 STS, 2004, 2642 hrs., #107702 .................................................$114,500 9 JD 9770 STS, 2009, 1781 hrs., #117362 .................................................$185,000 2 JD 9770 STS, 2010, 1460 hrs., #118492 .................................................$195,000 4 JD 9770 STS, 2009, 2388 hrs., #124372 .................................................$154,000 5 JD 9770 STS, 2008, 2068 hrs., #126482 .................................................$159,000 11 JD 9870 STS, 2009, 1600 hrs., #106732 .................................................$190,000 7 JD 9870 STS, 2010, 1693 hrs., #118149 .................................................$198,500 1 JD 9870 STS, 2009, 1720 hrs., #120212 .................................................$189,000 7 JD 9870 STS, 2009, 2149 hrs., #126038 .................................................$165,000 2 JD S660, 2014, 158 hrs., #116531 ........$321,000 6 JD S660, 2012, 421 hrs., #96947 ..........$275,000 4 JD S660, 2014, 244 hrs., #107228 ........$279,000 2 JD S660, 2015, 192 hrs., #125946 ........$345,000 11 JD S660, 2015, 307 hrs., #117457 ........$299,000 3 JD S670, 2013, 267 hrs., #117817 ........$350,000 5 JD S670, 2012, 2136 hrs., #119308 ......$179,000 8 JD S670, 2015, 300 hrs., #124831 ........$329,000 8 JD S670, 2015, 206 hrs., #125750 ........$370,000 1 JD S670, 2012, 2239 hrs., #128689 ......$165,000 6 JD S670, 2013, 1122 hrs., #129519 ......$260,000

COMPACT TRACK LOADERS1 JD 319D, 2012, 350 hrs., #129351 ..........$35,000 12 JD 319D, 2010, 463 hrs., #130278 ..........$36,900 10 JD 323D, 2012, 1637 hrs., #120367 ........$42,900 4 JD 323E, 2014, 97 hrs., #123475 ............$53,900 10 JD 323E, 2014, 193 hrs., #123205 ..........$56,500 9 JD 323E, 2014, 291 hrs., #125605 ..........$55,900 2 JD 323E, 2015, 282 hrs., #129368 ..........$52,900 4 JD 323E, 2015, 165 hrs., #130570 ..........$57,000 13 JD 329E, 2013, 405 hrs., #121156 .........$57,900 10 JD 329E, 2014, 722 hrs., #126548 ..........$57,900 8 JD 329E, 2014, 419 hrs., #128337 ..........$59,500 8 JD 333D, 2013, 1279 hrs., #124961 ........$49,500 13 JD 333D, 2013, 932 hrs., #125901 ..........$51,900 4 JD 333D, 2012, 690 hrs., #130565 ..........$51,900 7 JD 333E, 2014, 576 hrs., #120261 ..........$64,900 10 JD 333E, 2015, 428 hrs., #125424 ..........$68,000 1 JD 333E, 2015, 446 hrs., #125621 ..........$67,500 13 JD 333E, 2015, 387 hrs., #125622 ..........$68,000 6 JD 333E, 2013, 1580 hrs., #128299 ........$48,000 13 JD 333E, 2015, 216 hrs., #129971 ..........$69,900 6 JD 333E, 2015, 176 hrs., #130057 ..........$70,500 13 JD 333E, 2015, 192 hrs., #130058 ..........$70,500

6 JD CT322, 2006, 3609 hrs., #126268 ......$24,900 1 JD CT322, 2006, 3305 hrs., #130736 ......$19,800

CORN & ROW CROP HEADERS4 JD 612C, 2011, #96087 ...........................$84,000

CORN HEADS 4 JD 893, 1996, #126995 ...........................$21,500 9 JD 893, 2001, #127232 ...........................$19,500 5 JD 893, 2001, #131005 ...........................$18,900 4 Case IH, 1083 hrs., #129345 ...................$14,000 6 JD 1293, 2004, #127779 .........................$21,500 8 Harvestec 4112C, 2009, #127253 ...........$35,000 6 JD 606C, 2013, #115136 .........................$61,500 4 JD 606C, 2013, #116470 .........................$63,500 8 JD 606C, 2014, #125557 .........................$64,900 5 JD 606C, 2011, #127224 .........................$46,900 4 JD 608C, 2013, #104504 .........................$55,000 1 JD 608C, 2009, #115865 .........................$55,000 6 JD 608C, 2009, #117225 .........................$52,000 2 JD 608C, 2012, #118668 .........................$71,000 6 JD 608C, 2014, #118946 .........................$76,000 4 JD 608C, 2014, #125126 .........................$55,000 5 JD 608C, 2012, #125833 .........................$68,000 4 JD 608C, 2013, #126457 .........................$68,000 7 JD 612C, 2009, #103694 .........................$69,500 1 JD 612C, 2013, #103714 .........................$92,000 5 JD 612C, 2010, #106243 .........................$75,000 8 JD 612C, 2014, #116928 .......................$109,900 6 JD 612C, 2013, #122102 .........................$80,000 1 JD 612C, 2008, #125146 .........................$57,500 1 JD 612C, 2013, #125221 .........................$95,000 3 JD 612C, 2013, #113792 .........................$97,000 5 JD 612C, 2014, #125927 .........................$98,500 8 JD 612C, 2015, #126164 .......................$116,500 3 JD 612C, 2014, #126845 .......................$102,000 6 JD 612C, 2008, #127007 .........................$64,500 1 JD 612C, 2009, #128688 .........................$59,000 5 JD 618C, 2013, #107764 .......................$139,000 6 NH 996 N6, 1998, #122331 .....................$14,800 10 Geringhoff Rota-Disc 1200B, #127038 ...................................................$24,500 5 GeringhoffRota-Disc 1222, 2007, #118082 .........................................$48,900 6 Geringhoff Rota-Disc 830B, 2006, #107701 .........................................$37,000 2 Geringhoff Rota-Disc 830B, 2009, #108516 .........................................$34,000

MOWER CONDITIONERS12 JD 635, 2008, #126498 ...........................$18,750 10 JD 835, 2012, #130580 ...........................$24,000 8 JD 925, 1998, #118474 ...........................$12,500 12 JD 936, 2004, #130746 ...........................$12,500 11 JD 946, 2012, #126583 ...........................$26,900 7 JD 946, 2014, #126629 ...........................$30,900 4 JD 946, 2014, #126997 ...........................$32,000 11 JD 946, 2005, #130363 ...........................$21,500 6 JD 946, 2011, #126500 ...........................$25,500 12 JD 946, 2012, #131028 ...........................$28,900 12 JD 956, 2009, #117898 ...........................$28,000 10 JD 956, 2013, #121134 ...........................$28,900 8 JD 956, 2014, #123597 ...........................$35,500 1 JD 956, 2011, #126054 ...........................$30,500 7 NH 1475, 2008, #120162 .........................$15,500 10 NH H7150, 2011, #122976 ......................$19,900 6 NH H7150, 2012, #126620 ......................$24,500

ROUND BALERS10 JD 458, 2007, #127678 ...........................$14,500 11 JD 466, 1998, #126486 ...........................$14,500 11 JD 466, 1998, #130974 ...........................$15,900 2 JD 468, 2011, #126398 ...........................$32,650 10 JD 468, 2011, #129122 ...........................$36,500 4 JD 469, 2013, #118387 ...........................$36,500 7 JD 469, 2014, #121911 ...........................$35,900

5 JD 469, 2014, #126188 ...........................$33,900 8 JD 557, 2002, #125266 ...........................$15,900 4 JD 566, 1999, #119723 ...........................$14,000 10 JD 568, 2012, #116478 ...........................$34,900 7 JD 568, 2012, #121286 ...........................$31,000 9 JD 568, 2008, #119918 ...........................$30,000 1 JD 568, 2007, #122377 ...........................$31,900 10 JD 568, 2006, #122687 ...........................$29,900 10 JD 568, 2012, #123505 ...........................$34,900 10 JD 568, 2009, #125546 ...........................$22,500 6 JD 568, 2011, #126221 ...........................$34,900 11 JD 568, 2009, #126994 ...........................$27,900 8 JD 568, 2007, #131030 ...........................$17,500 4 JD 569, 2013, #116188 ...........................$39,900 8 JD 569, 2014, #118014 ...........................$44,900 5 JD 569, 2014, #121188 ...........................$38,500 7 JD 569, 2014, #123810 ...........................$42,900 7 JD 569, 2014, #123811 ...........................$42,900 8 JD 569, 2014, #124210 ...........................$40,000 4 JD 569, 2013, #126055 ...........................$39,500 2 JD 569, 2013, #129929 ...........................$41,799 11 NH BR7080, 2012, #123818 ....................$19,900 11 NH BR7090, 2008, #123046 ....................$24,900 10 NH BR740A, 2006, #131072 ....................$12,500 10 NH BR750, 2003, #122883 ......................$12,900 1 Case IH RB564, 2008, #129522 ..............$23,000 10 NH Roll-Belt 450, 2015, #129121 ...........$22,500

SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS2 JD 4720, 2006, 1650 hrs., #130054 ......$139,000 2 JD 4730, 2008, 1053 hrs., #128705 ......$185,000 8 JD 4830, 2013, 497 hrs., #123036 ........$237,500 8 132 Aluminum Boom, 2013, 299 hrs. ...$69,000 8 Case SPX4260, 2001, 5866 hrs., #122979 ..................................$55,000

SKID STEER LOADERS7 JD 250, 2000, 5122 hrs., #30518 ............$11,900 10 JD 250, 1999, 725 hrs., #129148 ............$18,500 4 JD 250, 2002, 2574 hrs., #130667 ..........$13,000 1 JD 315, 2014, 27 hrs., #113452 ..............$28,900 1 JD 315, 2014, 42 hrs., #113451 ..............$28,900 13 JD 320, 2007, 580 hrs., #126492 ............$24,900 12 JD 320, 2005, 2931 hrs., #126912 ..........$18,900 6 JD 325, 2008, 3338 hrs., #126849 ..........$21,500 6 JD 325, 2008, 1185 hrs., #127640 ..........$22,900 6 Mustang 2042, 1999, 2568 hrs., #129117 ...................................................$12,900 13 JD 260-II, 2002, 1134 hrs., #127036 .......$18,900 2 JD 260-II, 2003, 2856 hrs., #129106 .......$18,900 11 JD 318D, 2010, 985 hrs., #122690 ..........$29,500 6 JD 318D, 2010, 285 hrs., #126439 ..........$32,900 8 JD 318E, 2014, 523 hrs., #125356 ..........$36,900 4 JD 318E, 2015, 45 hrs., #118133 ............$41,500 1 JD 320D, 2012, 2150 hrs., #123100 ........$28,750 10 JD 320D, 2013, 630 hrs., #123473 ..........$33,900 2 JD 320D, 2012, 1566 hrs., #124756 ........$27,000 3 JD 320D, 2013, 210 hrs., #126841 ..........$37,000 10 JD 320D, 2012, 5072 hrs., #126926 ........$18,900 5 JD 320D, 2012, 2260 hrs., #130315 ........$22,900 4 JD 320E, 2014, 147 hrs., #118329 ..........$38,500 10 JD 320E, 2014, 115 hrs., #121065 ..........$40,900 6 JD 320E, 2014, 2264 hrs., #124162 ........$29,700 7 JD 320E, 2014, 429 hrs., #125588 ..........$41,900 5 JD 320E, 2014, 1748 hrs., #125994 ........$32,000 10 JD 320E, 2015, 30 hrs., #126180 ............$41,900 12 JD 320E, 2015, 40 hrs., #121127 ............$43,900 4 JD 320E, 2015, 142 hrs., #127651 ..........$33,900 8 JD 320E, 2015, 29 hrs., #116484 ............$39,900 4 JD 320E, 2015, 115 hrs., #130568 ..........$43,900 8 JD 326D, 2012, 6236 hrs., #128882 ........$19,900 2 JD 326E, 2014, 94 hrs., #120126 ............$41,900 10 JD 326E, 2014, 55 hrs., #122026 ............$44,900 8 JD 326E, 2014, 430 hrs., #125552 ..........$41,500 2 JD 326E, 2014, 1876 hrs., #126744 ........$33,500

1 JD 326E, 2015, 200 hrs., #127008 ..........$46,000 4 JD 326E, 2014, 860 hrs., #127652 ..........$37,500 12 JD 326E, 2015, 141 hrs., #118077 ..........$42,900 12 JD 326E, 2013, 177 hrs., #104177 ..........$43,900 2 JD 326E, 2015, 150 hrs., #128590 ..........$44,000 8 JD 326E, 2014, 490 hrs., #128883 ..........$43,500 4 JD 326E, 2015, 150 hrs., #130571 ..........$46,000 4 JD 328E, 2013, 155 hrs., #104185 ..........$45,900 10 JD 328E, 2014, 561 hrs., #123437 ..........$45,900 4 JD 328E, 2014, 546 hrs., #124407 ..........$49,500 7 JD 328E, 2014, 830 hrs., #125591 ..........$43,900 4 JD 328E, 2014, 500 hrs., #127230 ..........$49,500 5 JD 332D, 2011, 2749 hrs., #117927 ........$30,900 4 JD 332D, 2012, 612 hrs., #127231 ..........$46,000 10 JD 332E, 2014, 495 hrs., #116321 ..........$49,900 5 JD 332E, 2014, 352 hrs., #115525 ..........$42,900 5 NH L190, 2010, 1506 hrs., #128537 ........$25,900 8 NH LS185B, 2005, 2425 hrs., #126189 ...$21,900 10 Case SR200, 2013, 725 hrs., #122870 .. $29,900 6 Bobcat T870, 2013, 1705 hrs., #127860 .$51,900

SQUARE BALERS6 JD 100, 2000, #130270 ...........................$23,500 2 Krone BP890XC, 2011, #116014 .............$96,500 10 JD L330, 2015, #119685 .......................$119,900

UTILITY TRACTORS3 JD 2030, 1975, 2307 hrs., #29931 ..........$17,900 10 JD 2950, 1986, 8538 hrs., #128132 ........$22,900 10 JD 3155, 1988, 18300 hrs., #126385 ......$24,500 9 Case 5220, 1992, 10067 hrs., #125640 . $21,900 6 Case 5230, 5872 hrs., #129119 ...............$27,500 10 JD 6400, 1994, 7825 hrs., #129836 ........$34,900 13 JD 6400, 1997, 6285 hrs., #130780 ........$39,500 12 JD 6420, 2003, 5710 hrs., #130978 ........$54,900 4 MF 6616, 2014, 898 hrs., #127776 .........$99,500 4 JD 5075M, 2013, 100 hrs., #125138 .......$38,000 12 JD 5075M, 2015, 149 hrs., #117914 .......$64,500 1 JD 5085E, 2014, 75 hrs., #129930 ..........$49,900 12 JD 5085M, 2012, 1610 hrs., #125293 .....$47,995 12 JD 5085M, 2015, 100 hrs., #117911 .......$67,500 4 JD 5100E, 2015, 44 hrs., #128660 ..........$44,900 11 JD 5100M, 2013, 547 hrs., #101961 .......$54,900 7 JD 5100M, 2015, 210 hrs., #118463 .......$62,900 5 JD 5100M, 2012, 2096 hrs., #105880 .....$55,000 2 JD 5115M, 2012, 611 hrs., #129621 .......$61,399 12 JD 6105M, 2014, 198 hrs., #108441 .......$88,000 8 JD 6105R, 2013, 191 hrs., #103066 ........$89,000 6 JD 6105R, 2013, 241 hrs., #103291 ........$94,000 4 JD 6105R, 2014, 106 hrs., #127952 ........$99,000 11 JD 6115M, 2015, 311 hrs., #115573 .......$89,000 10 JD 6125M, 2013, 425 hrs., #120889 .......$87,500 5 JD 6125M, 2014, 138 hrs., #107430 .......$95,000 4 JD 6125M, 2014, 152 hrs., #107431 .......$95,000 9 JD 6125M, 2014, 195 hrs., #107433 .......$95,000 7 JD 6125M, 2014, 275 hrs., #107434 .......$95,000 11 JD 6125M, 2014, 269 hrs., #107428 .......$95,000 2 JD 6125M, 2013, 243 hrs., #123591 .......$92,500 8 JD 6125M, 2013, 631 hrs., #126547 .......$91,000 10 JD 6125M, 2013, 718 hrs., #128282 .......$75,000 2 JD 6125R, 2013, 256 hrs., #110407 ......$113,000 2 JD 6125R, 2014, 225 hrs., #127948 ......$106,000 13 JD 6125R, 2015, 131 hrs., #117886 ......$102,500 1 JD 6125R, 2014, 300 hrs., #128687 ........$99,000 8 JD 6130D, 2014, 84 hrs., #111013 ..........$72,000 4 JD 6130R, 2015, 58 hrs., #119863 ........$126,000 6 JD 6140D, 2015, 6 hrs., #118599 ............$80,500 11 NH T6050 PLUS, 2012, 1500 hrs., #123598 ...................................................$79,000 9 NH TN75SA, 2009, 2220 hrs., #126686 ...$26,000 5 NH TV6070, 2009, 5546 hrs., #129363 ...$65,000

WINDROWERS6 JD R450, 2011, 1520 hrs., #130392 ......$116,000 6 JD R450, 2013, #130827 .......................$125,000


Put the PLUS+in your farm

Milk Quality

Herd Health

Productivity

with the integrated solutions only DeLaval can deliverAt DeLaval, helping you succeed is our passion. It drives us to listen, learn, innovate and constantly improve our integrated solutions that help you meet your goals. Were motivated to help you achieve top milk quality, maintain your herds health and meet your productivity and profi t expectations.

This is why only DeLaval puts the PLUS+ in your farm management.

Contact one of the following dealers to learn more:

IOWAKramer Bros.Monticello, IA319-465-5931Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc.Rock Valley, IA712-476-9290United-Suckow Dairy SupplyWest Union, IA563-422-5355Postville, IA563-864-7417

WISCONSINAdvanced Dairy/Bobs Dairy SupplySpring Valley, WI715-772-3201Ederer Dairy SupplyPlain, WI608-546-3713Joes Refrigeration Inc.Withee, WI715-229-2321Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc.Cashton, WI608-654-5106

Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc.Mondovi, WI715-926-5777West Salem, WI608-769-2113The Scharine Group Inc.Whitewater, WI800 472-2880Mt Horeb, WI800-872-3470MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTAD&D Ag SupplyPennock, MN320-599-4466

East Central Dairy SupplyMora, MN320-679-1029Genex Farm SystemsMelrose, MN320-256-3276Watertown, MN605-886-7401Sioux Falls, SD800-284-0015S&S Dairy System LLCSt. Charles, MN507-932-4288Professional Dairy SystemsWadena, MN218-632-5416

is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and DeLaval is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB. 2016 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296

www.delaval-us.com

Lindell Sales & Service37236 County 56 Blvd., Cannon Falls, MN

651-258-4311 Marks Cell 651-764-4084We carry...

HOULE

Over 120 JD Sound Guard parts cabs and an unmatched supply

of new & used replacement parts available.

From a simple upholstery recondition, to a complete

cab rebuild, we have what you need!

SPECIALIZING IN JD CABS

KIESTER IMPLEMENT 507-294-3387www.midwestfarmsales.com

In June, we all celebrate dairy with farm tours,dairy breakfasts, signs and special menus. Even though dairy month ended when we ipped our calendars to July, we should continue to appreciate the many contributions of Wisconsins dairy farms

throughout the year. The dairy industry in Wisconsin has good news totell. Our state is home to more dairy farms than any other state. With about 9,500 dairy farms,Wisconsin has more than 20percent of the nations herds. Wehave farms that focus on grazing, producing organic milk, sellingat farmers markets or taking advantage of robotic technology. While our dairy farms are all

shapes and sizes, about 96 percent of them are family owned. These farms are not only producing high qualitymilk, they are also making a huge impact on ourstates economy $43.4 billion strong. These dollars circulate through local communities, supportingschools, businesses and safety services. More than78,000 people in the state work in jobs related to thedairy industry. It is no secret to anyone in the dairy business thattimes are challenging for our farmers. Current prices are about 40 percent lower than a couple of years ago, leaving little to no room for pro t. A lack of income doesnt change the labor and expenses that farmersneed to put into their farms to get the job done. While dairy farmers have experienced these highs and lows in the market before, it doesnt make it any easier. So what can we do to best support our dairyfarmers? Buy Wisconsin dairy. Wisconsin milk notonly lls up your glass at dinner, but it is also used to make our favorite foods like cheese, butter, ice cream and yogurt. Wisconsins dairy processing is second to none.Wisconsin produces more than 600 types, styles andvarieties of cheese. Gov. Walker and the staff at the

Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection work with our universities and agorganizations on quality, food safety and marketing.It is clear Wisconsin is No. 1 when you look at the hardware; Wisconsin took home more than 38 percentof the awards at the 2016 World Championship Cheese Contest. I am optimistic for the future of Wisconsinsdairy industry. Our universities continue to developprogramming in dairy science and food science.When traveling internationally to countries like Chinaand Mexico, they are interested in our technology andproducts. The governor and I will continue to workdiligently to maintain and build our relationships withtrading partners around the world. I know its hard out there right now for farmers. Iwas a dairy farmer myself during the farm crisis of the1980s. If I was a betting man, I would say there are stronger years ahead for Wisconsins dairy farmers. Until then, I have faith in the resilience of our dairyfarm community to manage through these times. Iam con dent our dairy processors will continue to innovate to make the products our consumers demand. Wisconsin dairy is a brand we can all be proud of.Dairy means more to Wisconsins economy than citrusdoes to Florida or potatoes do to Idaho. We shouldall recognize Wisconsin as Americas Dairyland, notonly in June, but all year round.

Every month should be dairy month in Wisconsin

By Secretary Ben Brancel

I am optimistic for the future of Wisconsins dairy industry.I i i i f h f


See one of these authorized Kubota dealers near you!

IowaDUBUQUERoeder Implement2580 Rockdale Road(563) 557-1184 (800) 557-1184

FARLEYJ.P. Scherrman, Inc. 1350 1st Avenue NW(563) 744-3393

MinnesotaALEXANDRIAAlex Power Equipment 111 50th Avenue West(320) 763-4994 www.alexpowerequipment.com

ANOKALano Equipment, Inc. 6140 Highway 10 NW(763) 323-1720

GLENCOE Arnolds of Glencoe 655 Lindbergh Trail (320) 864-5531 www.arnoldsinc.com

HASTINGSNiebur Tractor and Equipment14380 East 240th Street(651) 437-3531 (888) 559-9492www.nieburtractor.com

KIMBALLArnolds of Kimball701 State Highway 55 East(320) 398-3800www.arnoldsinc.com

LORETTO Lano Equipment, Inc. 23580 State Highway 55(763) 479-8200(888) 479-4342www.lanoequip.com

NORTH BRANCHOlson Power & Equipment38560 14th Avenue(651) 674-4494 (800) 657-5198www.olsonpower.com

NORTH MANKATOArnolds of Mankato1715 Howard Drive(507) 387-5515www.arnoldsinc.com

SHAKOPEELano Equipment, Inc. 3021 West 133rd Street(952) 445-6310(877) 753-6100 www.lanoequip.com

ST. CLOUD Arnolds of St. Cloud2995 Quail Road NE(320) 251-2585 www.arnoldsinc.com

ST. MARTIN Arnolds of St. Martin374 Industrial Drive(320) 548-3285www.arnoldsinc.com

South DakotaSIOUX FALLS Pfeifer Implement5301 West 12th Street(605) 338-6351

Kubota Tractor Corporation Markets a Full Line of Tractors and Construction Equipment Through a Nationwide Network of Over 1,000 Authorized Dealers.

We are efcient. We are Kubota.

M6 Series Mid-Size Ag Tractors 104.5 to 141.4 HP* Kubota Diesel Engines Exclusive Bevel-Gear Front Axle for Easy Handling and Maneuverability Climate-Controlled, Grand X Cab with Ample Head and Legroom

RTV-X900 Utility Vehicle 21.6 HP* Kubota Diesel Engine Exclusive Variable Hydro Transmission Front and Rear Independent Suspension

Standard L Series Compact Tractors 24.8 to 47.3 HP* Kubota Diesel Engines Powerful Transmission Options High Quality, Versatile and Affordable

BV Series Round Balers Innovative Bale Chambers for Dense Bales with Tight Outer Layers Full Control with Universal Control Terminal Trouble-Free and Reliable Operation Bale After Bale

*For complete warranty, safety and product information, consult your local Kubota dealer and the product operators manual. Power /72>HUKV[OLYZWLJPJH[PVUZHYLIHZLKVU]HYPV\ZZ[HUKHYKZVY

recommended practices. Optional equipment may be shown. Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2016

www.kubota.com


By Susan SteinkeColumnist

Dairy in the Suburbs

The sudden and unexpected passing of a fam-ily member is always heart-wrenching. Coping and adjusting to their absence takes time. When that family member plays a key role on a farming operation, how do you pick up the pieces and move on when the chores still need to get done? My friend, Megans, father passed away in mid-May from heart complica-tions after collapsing in his barn. R.J. was only 65 and just a few years into his retirement from a full-time job. He owned Dunlooken Farm in Glencoe, Minn., along with his wife, Bev, his oldest daughter, Shannon, and Shan-nons husband, Jeremy. The livestock of Dunlooken Farm includes goats, horses, chickens, ducks, two bull calves, and a few pigs. They also own hay elds and maintain exten-sive gardens. With Jeremy working full time off the farm, Shannon busy managing a large CSA, and Bev in charge of her own small, but pro table, goat busi-ness, R.J. was the main man when it came to the day-to-day farm work. It was R.J. who knew how to trim goat hoofs, R.J. who knew how to coax the baler into life, R.J. who knew how to manage the nicky Bobcat with its choke held in place by a rubber band. With R.J. suddenly gone, not only was the family bereft at having lost their beloved husband and father, but they were also faced with the task of picking up the slack left by his absence. When offers of How can we help? poured in as word spread of R.J.s passing, Bev, Shannon and Jeremy were inspired to organize a Celebration/Work Day. The goal was to complete some of the tasks that

can pile up on a farm, and to nish some projects that R.J. had on his summer to-do list. Most importantly, though, it was to honor R.J.s memory by working on the farm he loved. When Kurt and I arrived to pitch-in at Dunlooken Farm on the scheduled Saturday in mid-June, the sense of a community coming together was immedi-ately apparent. A crew of well-wishers was already hard at work: mulching and weeding in the gardens; scraping, priming and painting buildings; and muck-ing out horse stalls and goat pens. We even passed one of our seed distributors driving a load of round bales out the driveway. What was it about R.J. that brought together

friends, family, neighbors and acquaintances? My simple answer would be his smile. He always had

one. Ive known him since Megan and I became friends in seventh grade, and Kurt and I saw him recently when he and Bev made their annual spring trip to our farm to buy bull calves. Weve al-ways enjoyed our visits with this lovely couple, and it was no surprise that R.J. arrived this year sporting his typical smile. Our assigned task for the Celebra-tion/Work Day was to x the farms hay racks. Like so many other small farms, Dunlookens line of machinery is on the elderly side, which is ne if you have someone to maintain them. That some-one used to be R.J., so we were happy to step in and do what we could. With the help of Megan and her husband, both

visiting from Colorado for the week, we scrounged up a hammer, nails, saw and some scrap lumber. With alittle muscle powering and some hammering, it didnttake long to bring the hay racks back into workingorder. The day was beautiful, and no one there mindedthe work. It felt so great to lend a hand to this won-derful family, to give them a head-start on a summer of farm work. And to see so many people generously doing the same. Out of great loss came a beautiful ex-ample of helping each other. What better way to show that someone is loved, respected and appreciated thanto take care of his loved ones when he can no longer do it himself.

Susan and her husband, Kurt, milk 40 cows inGreen eld, Minn. They have three little farmhands:Lily, 8, Tate, 4, and Gemma, 2. Just two miles eastof their farm, on a clear day you can see the Minne-apolis skyline. Susan can be reached at [email protected].

Honoring the farm he loved

Out of great loss came a beautiful example of helping each other.

O f l

NEW! Gladiator BLU BarrierLasting protection, protects teats between milkings, highly visible blue coloring confirms coverage

NEW! Gladiator BLU Pre-PostBroad spectrum germicide proven effective, formulated with skin care moisturizers

BouMaticsUdder Health

ChampionsPowerful | Eco-Friendly | Gentle

NPE FREE

Gladiator BarrierSuperior film-forming barrier, reactivates when exposed to moisture, protects between milkings

Gladiator Pre-PostTackles even the toughest mastitis-causing organisms

And the original Gladiator family...

www.boumaticrobotics.comwww.boumatic.com

Gently, Quickly and Co

m

pletely

A U.S. Company

Easy to Find Just OffHwy. 29, Thorp, WI

~ Sales ~ 715-669-5517

Mon.-Thurs. 8:00-6:00;Fri. 8:00-5:30;

Sat. 8:00-12:00; or call for an

after-hours appt.809063 6-22-16

15 Ford F150, Crew, Lariat, 13K Miles ..........$44,98811 Ford F250, S/C, Long Box .....................$32,78814 Ford F150, S/C, XLT ............................$30,78813 Ford F150, S/C, STX ............................$19,98811 Chevy K1500, C/C .............................$20,98809 Chevy Suburban LTZ ..........................$16,98805 Ford F150, S/C ..................................$12,97001 Ford F150, C/C ....................................$7,988

13 Ford F150, S/C, XLT, Low Miles 11 Ford F150, C/C, FX408 Ford Ranger, R/C 02 Dodge Ram, Quad Cab

JUST IN

Courtesys Hot, Hot, Deals!!15 Ford F350, S/C, Dually, Lariat, 6.7, Low Miles, Stk. #9870T$47,988

13 Ford F350, Crew, 6.7, King Ranch, Loaded, Stk. #9927T$46,988


Autotoxicity is the chemical inhi-bition by a plant on the germination or growth of a plant of the same species, and has been suggested as one of the mechanisms for poor alfalfa emergence and growth. Although several factors in uence autotoxicity, such as soil tex-ture, rainfall and termination timing, research indicates a break in the pro-duction and/or crop rotation is needed to avoid potential stand establishment problems. Typically, autotoxicity in alfalfa is not an issue, given the rota-tional schemes (e.g. corn following al-falfa). However, there are growers that wish to renovate their current alfalfa elds and commonly ask what would be the impacts of that approach. Before we present the University of Minnesota (UMN) Forage Teams recommenda-tions concerning alfalfa autotoxicity, lets take this opportunity to show what happens in the most extreme settings.

The images below are from the Institute for Agricultural Professional Field School plots located on the St. Paul campus. To demonstrate the ex-tremes (i.e. no planting delay), 2-year old alfalfa was ail mowed and the res-idue incorporated. After incorporation, alfalfa was Brillion-seeded into a well prepared seedbed at 12 pounds per acre (Figure 1). Since the chemicals associ-ated with autotoxicity are thought to be concentrated in the leaf material, a second treatment assesses the impact of roots only on alfalfa autotoxicity (Fig-ure 2). Finally, alfalfa was seeded where there was no previous alfalfa crop, the no-alfalfa check treatment, to compare to the potential for alfalfa autotoxicity from incorporation of full plant (i.e. roots and shoots) or roots only on es-tablishment of alfalfa seedlings (Figure 3).

The most striking difference was between the autotoxicity treatments (full plant and roots only) and the non-autotoxicity alfalfa check plot. Since all treatments were direct seeded (i.e. Brillion) into well-prepared soil at 12 pounds per acre, we would expect stands greater than 25 plants per square feet. In the check plots, stands were greater than 35 plants per square foot (Figure 3). Alfalfa populations where drastically reduced by autotoxicity

with 0.3 plants per square foot for the full-plant treatment, and 1.7 plants per square foot for the roots only treatments (Figure 1 and 2). For both the autotox-icity treatments, the entire plot (200 square feet) was counted. In order to maximize yields, growers need at least 25 plants per square foot at the onset of the rst production year. It is doubt-ful in most years that alfalfa growers will be faced with such extreme sce-narios. There may be confounding fac-tors such as the dif culty of preparing a rm seedbed when incorporating as much crop residue as we did in this demonstration, which may have also contributed to poor alfalfa stands. We created an extreme example to force the issue to demonstrate the potential risks. The severity of stand loss, and probability of encountering autotoxic-ity when seeding into existing alfalfa likely would be less than shown here, but the potential for problems is real with signi cant risk of stand loss and incurred costs. Therefore, in years with signi cant winterkill, alfalfa growers should give consideration to autotoxic-ity in alfalfa and be ready to rotate to a non-alfalfa crop. Visit http://z.umn.edu/forageoptions for information on emergency crops following alfalfa win-terkill. In summary, the UMN Forage Team recommends the following man-

agement guidelines for reducing alfalfa autotoxicity: When possible, allow at least one year between terminating an old alfalfa stand and re-seeding alfalfa. Although we were able to establish alfalfa ef-fectively within a shorter window, evidence of autoconditioning suggests that a longer rotation interval may be better. Thus, fall-, winter-, or spring-killed alfalfa stands should be seeded to something else in spring and safely re-seeded to alfalfa possibly late summer, but preferably the following spring. Delaying spring re-seeding two to four weeks after tillage of a killed stand is not an effective strategy to alleviate autotoxicity because de-layed seeding can still result in sig-

ni cant re-seeding year yield losses. When considering overall risks associated with alfalfa autotoxicity, if possible, it is less risky to not attempt to thicken thinning stands of alfalfa with alfalfa. Use red clover or terminate the stand and seed something else. How-ever, giving soil type, alfalfa stand age, precipitation and termination timing there are opportunities, especially in the seeding year to re-seed alfalfa. Please visit http://z.umn.edu/alfalfariskcalc for alfalfa autotoxicity risk calculator. Visit University of Minnesota For-age (http://z.umn.edu/forages) for more information on alfalfa autotoxicity and additional management strategies for dealing with winter-killed or low-pop-ulation alfalfa stands.

Demonstrating the extreme: Autotoxicity in alfalfaBY M. SCOTT WELLS, DAVID NICHOL AND ROGER BECKER

U of M Forage Team

Figure 1. Full plant incorporation of alfalfa (i.e. roots plus shoots) and subsequent impacts on re-seeded al-falfa establishment.

Figure 2. Incorporated alfalfa roots and subsequent alfalfa autotoxicity on re-seeded alfalfa establishment.

Figure 3. Non-autotoxicity alfalfacheck plots. Alfalfa seeded followingfall fallow.

Express Pressure Washers, Inc.15880 SE 74th Ave.

Blooming Prairie, MN 55917 507-583-2703

Open Monday to Friday 8:00 to 5:00Saturday 8:30 to 12:00 / Fax: 507-583-2060

Email: [email protected] us on Facebook!

Check out our Used Equipment atwww.expresspressurewashers.com

PARTS * ACCESSORIES * SOAP REPAIR * ON-SITE SERVICEALL OUR MACHINES CARRY OUR 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

OF JANESVILLE

4000 Newville Road Janesville WI 53545

608-756-0000 www.bobcatofjanesville.com

05 Bobcat 331E MX

10 Bobcat S185

12 Ranger 400HO

11 Bobcat S185

2604 hours, cab with heat,Extendable Arm, 12 and 24 buckets included - $27,000

#4147, 800 hours,Cab Enclosure with Heat,Foot Controls - $24,000

398 hours, Canopy and side netting

$6,000

#14293, 1200 hours, A71 PKG, Cab with AC/Heat, Power Bobtach, 2 spd, foot controls - $27,000


By Jacqui DavisonColumnist

Ramblings from the Ridge

Im not a very good vacationer. I get antsy. I need something to do. I need to feel like I have ac-complished something at the end of the day. That be-ing said, I still do need a break from my reality, my children and the farm. Last weekend Stacy, our friend Julie, and I escaped for a day-cation. We drove two hours across the state to hit antique stores, ea markets and a bookstore. None of us could believe it was actu-ally going to happen until we pulled out of the yard at 6:30 a.m. While we were off gallivanting around, Ira and Dane were enjoying their vacation with Thomas and Abby, and Henry and Keith were off to the tractor pull. It was a winning situation; everyone got a break from the everyday routines of our farming life. Stacy and I only had an 11 hour break, and came home to two new calves and hot cows because the sprinklers werent working, but it was still worth it. For my children, I try to remember what exactly it was that Mom had us doing when we were kids to

keep us out of her hair and enjoying summer. Anything is better than listening to the inevitable, Im bored, theres nothing to do whine. We would build sandbox structures, make homemade Olympic obstacle cours-es, play hide-and-seek, and take walks in the woods. At almost 10, Ira is old enough to lead an afternoon expedition down to our cabin with Dane and Oliver. With snacks and bags for miscellaneous treasures in their hands, they head out to the woods. Its usually about the time I start to worry that they come trotting back in the yard full of stories. Uncle Peter and Uncle Tony have recently installed a basketball hoop in the shop, so many days they disappear out there to shoot hoops, coming back with streaks of dirt and sweat running down their foreheads. My brothers have also decided Ira is old enough to have limited access to certain power tools. His latest building project was a bunker, and he assured me that Tony said he could use the screw gun and those certain screws to build it. Hes

quite trustworthy with the tools, and what better way to learn how to use them safely. Personally, I try to disappear from the world ona daily basis. Not physically, but mentally. This timefor me is probably as rewarding as a three-day trip for others. It might sound incredibly cheesy to some, but losing myself in a good book is as relaxing and rejuvenating as it gets for me. There are days that all I can think about as I sweat through chores is retreating into the world of a book. For me, at the end of a long, hot, tir-ing day a book is the answer to stress. When I read, I am instantly an invisible character with-in the novel, watching everything that is going on. This year alone, Ive been next to 12-year-old Leisel as she crouched in the basement in Molching, Germany reading aloud to her neighbors to calm them as the warning sirens blared outside during WWII in Markus Zusaks The Book Thief. I cried with her asshe learned the harshness of what hiding a Jewish man meant in that era. I was alongside sisters Vianne andIsabelle in France in 1939, as they each met the dan-gers of war in different ways. The Nightingale by Kris-tin Hannah caused me to think about how women in that time period saw things so differently than the men, and how starvation, womens concentration camps,and joining the Resistance were all womens experi-ences as well as mens. There were days when I was so much a part of the book, that all I could think aboutduring the day was what was happening to Vianne andIsabelle, when I wanted to prolong nishing the book because I was certain nothing else could compare. Ive also been alongside 16-year-old Minka as sheexperienced a tragic, unplanned pregnancy in 1928 and was sent to a home for unwed mothers where she gave birth and gave her baby girl to excited new parents.Cathy LaGrows The Waiting is the true story of hergrandmothers experiences, with letters she wrote fordecades to her little girl, Betty Jane, and details her ongoing hope that she would be reunited with her. The story encompasses parts of South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. When they nd one another, Betty Jane is now Ruth Lee and lives in Viroqua, Wis. Ive also laughed until I thought I would cry reading Rob-in OBryants Ketchup is a Vegetable and Other LiesMoms Tell Themselves. Hilarious accounts of mother-hood that make the everyday crazy we all deal with seem so standard. I stepped outside of my typical genreand read Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Childrenby Ransom Riggs; it was a great, easy, time-traveling read that kept me guessing. Ive also taken my kids on literary vacations withme. We just nished reading Roald Dahls The BFG, traveling with little Sophie in his ear as he ran to Lon-don to save the world from the giants that eat humanbeans. The boys and I very much enjoyed the Big Friendly Giant, with his kind heart and hilarious way of talking. Weve also read an adapted version of Rud-yard Kiplings The Jungle Book. I can honestly tell youthat it is nothing like the movies, and as usual, so much better. Tonight, as I fought with three-teated cows thatcant keep the milker on, toxic mastitis cows soweak they cant stand, and a Swiss heifer that is liter-ally bursting at the seams (trust me, not pretty)thethought keeping me sane was knowing I would havetime to escape tonight. The farmstead of an old Nor-wegian in Wisconsin awaits me, where Ann Olson is on a desperate search to nd out who her birth parents were, and ends up uncovering all kinds of secrets, In the Comfort of Shadows; written by Wisconsin authorLaurel Bragstad and at 30 pages in, it already has me hooked. Perhaps I am a good vacationer. After all, Ive been to France in the 1930s, Germany, Wales, SouthDakota, and even good old Wisconsin, and its beenpretty amazing. Jacqui, her dad, sister, and brothers milk 550 cowsand run 1,000 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children Ira (9), Dane(6) and Henry (2) farm with her while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. She loves to cook, quiltand garden and wishes there were more hours in theday to get it all in. Farming and teaching others aboutfarming are her passions.

Day-cations

For Good Measure

TMR stability can be measured. With warmer temperatures and humidity comes the risk of your TMRs heating resulting in reduced feed intake. To keep your rations cool and fresh this summer, use BulletProof Bunk Stabilizer. A combination of active ingredients will limit the growth of yeast and spoilage organisms.

Bunk Stabilizer is just one of the effective products in the BulletProof line. To learn more about BulletProof Bunk Stabilizer and BulletProof Forage Preservative contact your local Hubbard Feeds dealer, call 507-388-9489 or visit www.bulletproofyourforage.com.

www.bulletproofyourforage.com


By Dave Vander KooiColumnist

Making Cents of Dairy

Fortunately, I have been a healthy person for most of my hard working years. I am very thankful for that and realize that others are not as fortunate as I have been. However, about last Christmas things began to change. After eating two helpings of pecan pie with real whip cream at my daughter, Annas, house, I went home with the most unusual bloated feeling I have ever had. After a few days it subsided, but would im-mediately return with any normal size meal, and es-pecially with any fat-based food or alcohol. Taking away a beer or two a week was no problem, but steak or ice cream, now thats a major issue for me. After suffering for a few weeks, I nally decided to see a doctor. I have never had a personal doctor. One, because I rarely go in, and two, because in our town doctors come and go faster than a two teated heifer that limps. Because of Worthingtons lower in-come high immigrant population, good doctors tend

to leave here a little quicker. We love our diverse community, and maybe all communities suffer a little with quality medical care. The rst doctor I saw was a physicians assistant. I told her my symptoms, and with no tests she put me on Prilosec OTC for a stomach ulcer. I used it for a month and ate very small meals, and still was miserable most of the time with gas and bloat. Next, I went to the competitions clinic and saw a doctor who a friend recommended. He immediately ordered a round of tests to see if my gall bladder was bad. The tests all came back negative, so I was back to square one. Then, my daughter-in-law, Rita, suggested I try a different antacid. I did, and within two weeks I felt great and was medicine free. Then immediately another problem popped up, I could barely walk because of pain shooting up my left foot and ankle. There was some swelling like a gout

problem, so I went into urgent care to get medicine.The doctor on call didnt think it was gout, took somex-rays, and said it was arthritis. He prescribed somearthritis meds, and sent me to the local pharmacy. Fortunately for me, my pharmacist is my neighbor, and both his college-aged sons work for us in thesummer. He knows me and he cares about the medicines prescribed. He immediately said the arthritis medicine pre-scribed would eat my stomach up if I truly did have a stomach ulcer re-cently. He said the safest thing I could take was 600 mg of Tylenol up to six times a day for my pain. The Tylenol allowed me to keep working, but at a much slower limp-ing pace. My longtime Hispanic employee, Herberto, who assists me withthe fresh cows, sat me down one morning and said heneeded to tell me something. He said, Mr. Dave, youneed to drive around in your truck and sit in your of- ce, and tell all your employees what to do. You haveworked too hard all your life and your body is failing and you need to rest. I told him I respected his opin-ion, but hoped it wasnt over yet, and the best part of my work is working with my employees and helping them be successful in whatever they do. I really wasnt making any progress with my foot,so I decided to go back to the physicians assistant.She never looked at my foot, but did give me somegout medicine because I asked for it, and she ran some blood tests. The blood test results didnt come backfor 10 days, and were negative for gout and rheuma-toid arthritis. She said there were some other arthri-tis indicators and could get me in to see a specialistin Sioux Falls in six months at the earliest. Really?At that time she also prescribed some opioids for mypain. Those pills were awesome, but after I took about three of them, Prince died from them, and I decidedthey had to stop before I was addicted. In the mean-time, two of my lady milkers were mixing up homeremedies of blended pineapple, celery and sprouts forme to drink. With no real relief and spring coming fast, I de-cided to try the doctor I had tried earlier who I liked but was wrong about my gall bladder. He took one look at the information I gave to his nurse, and with-out looking at my ankle, he said I had water on theankle and prescribed a diuretic water pill. After twodays of painfully climbing down from my high clear-ance sprayer every half hour, I decided he didnt know anything either. So, now what Im thinking, and I never have beenaccused of being a quick thinker, that maybe if my foot hurts I should see a foot doctor. I have driven my 93-year-old precious mother to a foot doctor inour town on occasion, and she always speaks highlyof him. I called him to get an appointment about theend of May. He was booked until June 30. I took the appointment and in the meantime purchased new RedWing work shoes with the best inserts I could buy.I also bought new dress shoes with great support toreplace my 10-year-old perfectly good dress shoes. With the Tylenol, new shoes, and icing my foot morn-ing and night, I survived the busy planting and haying season. Today I went to the foot doctor. He was my age,wise, caring, and he actually looked at my foot. By poking and prodding , he determined I have plantarfasciitis. This is a damaged ligament in the bottom ofmy foot that was causing all the pain and swellingeven up to my ankles. He gave me a cortisone shot inthe heel, put me on a mild pill for swelling, told me my shoe purchases were very wise. And, he gave mesome stretching exercises to do. I feel very con dent he is on the right track, and that soon I will be able to run after heifers and grandkids again. The bad news is I have used up all my deductible medical expense this year so I dont have a good excuse to avoid thatdreaded colonoscopy that Im due for before Dec. 31.

Vander Kooi operates a 1,200-cow, 3,000-acrefarm with his son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Rita, near Worthington, Minn. Send him feedback at [email protected]

What do doctors know anyway?

715.669.5255 THORP, WI

Visit Our Website: www.swiderskiequipment.com/thorp

Box 530 201 S Financial St., Thorp, WI 54771(Hwy. 29, North on 73 5 Blocks to Cty X, East 1/2 Mile)

Store Hours: 8-5 M-F / 8-4 Sat. Doosan Kioti New Holland H&S Meyer Meyers Kelly Ryan Agco

Hesston Haybuster Brillion Agco Massey Sun ower Leon Loyal Woods

Models * Years and Hours Shown on All Equipment are Estimated

WILL TRADE ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

TRACTORS

HAY EQUIPMENT

Case IH MX 285 18x4full powershift, 3 remotes,good tires, 3pt quick-hitch

$75,995

Case IH 335 Steiger, HD drawbar, 5 remotes with16 Grouser 6 way Blade

$167,900

New Holland BR780A, Net & twine, makes up to 5&6 bale, 1000 pto

$10,500

Claas 280 RoTo-CuT, net and twine, 4x6 bales

$13,995

New Holland BB940A packer cutter, Steerable tandem Axle, Harvest tec Applicator - $54,995

New Holland 311 Small Square baler,

super sweep, pickup wagon hitch - $4,495

Case IH WDX2302 S/P windrower with 18 head, cab and axle

suspension - $64,995

New Holland H8080 2009, S/P windrower 16 ft

head, cab and axlesuspension - $54,995

New Holland H7450 13 ft hydro swing, with rubber rolls, 2 pt swivel

hitch. Very Nice! - $23,900

Hesston 550 Round Baler, twine Hyd tile,

Front Gatherings Wheels $5,995

New Holland 315 small square baler with New

Holland thrower - $4,995

New Holland BR7070, 540 pto, twine tie, excellent

condition, hardly used $17,995

New Holland 590 Big Square Baler, Silage Special, Simple, Easy to

bale - $16,995

New Holland BR7060 Roto-Cut, wide pick-up, hyd pickup lift, 1.9 % nancing,tag #14876 - $17,995

Case IH LB333 Big Square, packer Cutter Auto Applicator, only

13,500 bales - $48,995

New Holland BR7070, makes a 4 & 6 bale,

roto-cut, wide hyd pickup,1.9% interest - $19,995

New Holland BB 9060packer Cutter, Harvesttecapplicator, tag #15328

$54,995

New Holland TG275 FWD, CHA performance

monitor, 19F x 4Rpowershift, super steer, good tires - $78,500

New Holland T8.300 50KpH transmission,

suspended front axle, good tires, guidance-ready

$93,500

New Holland T8.330 50kph, 4 remotes, both ptos, front & rear duals,

3,052 his, with power trainwarranty - $121,000

Talk to us about our Wisconsin Farm Tech specials! Whether you see us there,

call, visit or click.

John Deere 7810 tractor, MFWD, 3 remotes, Rear tires (95%),Fronts (65%), 8rt weights, wheel weights ................................... $53,995CaT 55 Ccallenger, Big 1000 pto, 3pt 4 remotes, tracks at 30% ... $25,995Ford 6640 Powerstar SL, 2 wheel drive, 540 pto, 2 remotes ........ $13,900John Deere 2755 2WD with RopS 18.4x34 tires at 957c, 540 pto $18,500White 2-55 FWD with loader...................................................... $9,995

New Holland TS100, 16x16 transmission, both ptos, tires 85-90%, with loader ........................................................................... $30,995New Holland T7030, 08, 4-wheel drive, 6 cyl diesel, 135 Hp, cab heat & air ...................................................................... $48,995New Holland T7.250 540/1000 pto, 3 remotes, only 333 hrs, warranty till Nov 2017 ........................................................ $118,000


By Sadie FrericksColumnist

Dairy Good Life

Call Gary for a quote....

320-248-2236 Gary Von Wahlde

OWNER Family owned and operatedSauk Centre, MN [email protected]

FREE CLAW PROGRAM!

New Central MN Dealer!

CALL TODAY and ask about our

introductory offer!a

inUpgrade Today!

Nia Plus DrenchCal-Plus

Simply The Best

A ready-to-use blend of Niacin and B-Complex vitamins. Use on cows at fi rst sign of ketosis or to stimulate the appetite.

Contains food grade calcium, and B-Vitamins. The calcium replenishes blood calcium that is lost at calving, and B-Vitamins stimulate the appetite.

Dr. Register & AssociatesN4415 469th St., Menomonie, WI Phone: (715) 232-0402

dr-register.com

NNDDsA reNiacvitamat fi ror tothe a

um, um m

AMPS, INC.105 County Rd. 10, Albany, MN 320-845-4690

We also have Hanson Silo Replacement Parts Available!

Used Leeson 1.5 HP motor, instant reversing .................. $250

WE STOCK FRACTIONAL TO 10 HP SINGLE AND 3-PHASE MOTORS!

Onan 15 KW w/powershaft .......................... $900Niagra 15 KW w/powershaft ........................ $900Pincor 16 KW w/trailer & powershaft ........ $1,300Katolight 18 KW w/trailer & powershaft ............................................. $1,800Winpower 50/30 PTCD ............................. $3,000Winpower 20/12 PTZ w/powershaft............. $900Winpower 12 PT2 generator w/powershaft . $700Surge 25 KW ............................................ $2,500

We specialize in fast, dependable service

We repair all brands of motors!

USED GENERATORS

Each WINCO PTO generator is designed using the highest quality components and the best workmanship available.

THE SUMMER STORM SEASON IS UPON US, be prepared with a generator from Amps.

Im starting to really dread nding letters in the mailbox from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, our health insurance company. Last winter, we got a letter explaining the 50 percent increase in health insur-ance premiums. After nding a plan with a higher deductible and a somewhat more affordable premium, I thought my health in-surance headaches were over. It turns out they were only just beginning. Last weeks letter from Blue Cross announced that, starting in 2017, the company will be discon-tinuing all individual and family health insurance plans. The letter included a several-hundred word explanation of the main point: our company is los-ing too much money on individual plans, so you need to nd a new health insurance company. I read the letter and fumed. Blue Cross will continue selling health insur-ance through employer-based plans; theyre only dropping the individual plan portion of their busi-ness. So, basically, those of us who are self-em-ployed, like farmers and other small business own-ers, are getting thrown out into the street to nd a new home. Were supposed to be the backbone of our nations economy but it feels like were being treated as second-class citizens when it comes to health insurance. Then I cried. Blue Cross has been our insurance provider since we started farming. We stayed with this company even through the premium increases because I wanted access to the best medical care in the state in the event that something happened to one of us. Now, I have no idea what kind of access to medical care Ill be able to nd. Or what kind of premiums and deductibles will be available. Our health insurance premiums already consume a third of our family living withdrawal. Even worse, all I can do right now is stew about it. I cant start shopping around for coverage because health insurance companies havent set their rates for 2017. I am characteristically a glass-over owing optimist, but right now its hard to be optimistic about the health insurance options that will be available when open enrollment begins in November. Heres why: Blue Crosss exit from the individual plan market leaves 103,000 Minnesotans without health insurance. Thats a big increase in demand that has to be met by the other health insurance companies in Minnesota. When demand goes up, prices increase. In free market economics, demand and supply would balance themselves out and prices would stabilize. In the face of high prices, some customers would choose to go without health insurance, bring-ing demand back down to meet supply. But health insurance is no longer a free market. Because of current federal health care law, individuals must purchase health insurance or face penalties. Un-der that same law, health insurance companies cannot deny coverage to applicants. But health insurance companies can raise their rates. Or they can exit the mar-ket the same way Blue Cross did. Some health insurance market analysts point to Blue Crosss exit as the next domino to fall after Preferred One left the individual health plan market in 2014 due to signi cant nancial losses. Those losses on individual health plans are the result of a basic imbalance: too many expenses, too little income. On the surface this looks like a bad busi-ness situation, but its really a consequence of a broken system: As a society, we arent taking responsibility for our health. Instead, were relying on medical care and prescription drugs to keep us functioning. Furthermore, hospitals, clinics and pharmaceutical companies practice indiscriminate and unethical pricing for medi-cal care. As a result, our nations health care bill is excessively high. Insurance works because of the law of large numbers. A large group of healthy people pays premiums, which pay for the claims of a small group. But in the in-dividual health insurance market, the large groups premiums no longer generate enough funds to cover the small groups claims, so the result is nancial losses. As a business owner, I fully understand that business cannot continue with year-after-year losses. Something has to change. Either you reduce expenses, in-crease income, or exit the business. Given the complications of the individual health insurance market right now, I can see how exiting the business is the easiest option. In a Pioneer Press story about Blue Cross exiting the market, a representative from another health insurance company summed up the uncertainties the industry is sorting through: We dont know what the path forward looks like yet, said Larry Bussey, director of communications for Medica. Im guessing their headaches are even bigger than mine. Health insurance companies have until Aug. 1 to submit proposals for 2017 individual health plan rates to the state department of commerce. I think its safe to say that health insurance companies will ask for higher rates again this year. Last year the commerce department approved rate increases as high as 50 percent be-cause health insurance companies were experiencing signi cant nancial losses. But if those rate increases still dont balance the budget, health insurance com-panies could still exit the market before open enrollment begins on Nov. 1. An-other domino down would create even more uncertainty in the market. For those of us who rely on individual health plans to insure our families, the path forward looks pretty certain: fewer companies to choose from and higher premiums. References available upon request. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 75 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children Dan, 9, Monika, 6, and Daphne, 3. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at [email protected].

Another health insurance headache


By Jim BennettColumnist

Veterinary Wisdom

Oral calcium products, including boluses, gels, capsules and liquids have been around for many years. Their use was not widely accepted in the dairy veteri-nary community, until the introduction of a gel tube called Balance quite a few years ago. Prior to Balance, few products had any reputable research behind them that dem-onstrated any kind of ef cacy in treatment of clinical or subclinical milk fever. This changed when Balance was introduced with research showing that it could elevate blood calcium levels in otherwise hypocal-cemic cows. Over time, many other prod-ucts were released; some were gels, some were liquids, and some were capsules. Dairy veterinarians learned that not all calcium products were equal, since there are many different forms of calcium which are absorbed differently by cows and there were different carrier ingredients that may also affect absorption by the cow. Somewhere along this timeline, BoviKalc was in-troduced by Fort Dodge Animal Health. However, be-cause it was not heavily marketed, and also because of the rather imposing size of the bolus, it never really caught on. Sometime after Fort Dodge was purchased by Boehringer Ingelheim, Dr. Garret Oetzel, of the Uni-versity of Wisconsin, published some excellent research showing that BoviKalc could be used successfully to maintain normal blood calcium levels around calving,

and that such use made economic sense, particularly when used in better than average second lactation cows and high risk cows. Oetzels research was published in a peer-reviewed journal, and was later updated with fur-

ther re nements. That ground-breaking re-search has since been cited by many other researchers studying calcium homeostasis around calving, and it was the basis for many dairy veterinarians recommenda-tions for use to dairy producers. This re-sulted in signi cant sales of BoviKalc to dairy producers around the country. Unlike antibiotics and other drugs, products like BoviKalc do not necessar-ily need to go through FDAs new animal drug approval process, and thus do not re-ceive a FDA New Animal Drug Approval (NADA) number. This is both good and bad; good because it is much easier and cheaper for companies to bring potentially useful products to market, but bad because

there is little oversight by any regulatory agency to en-sure that the product is effective and safe. In contrast, drugs with NADA numbers are required to go through new animal drug approval processes, which requires the sponsoring company to prove safety and ef cacy. To the FDA, safety means safe to the animal, safe to humans when the animal or its prod-uct is consumed for food, safe to the environment, and safe to the person adminis-tering the drug. Effective simply means that the drug does what it is supposed to do. If a different company makes a generic version of a drug with a NADA, it must go through FDAs Abbrevi-ated New Animal Drug Approval Process (ANADA) to prove that the product has the same active ingredient, the same strength of active ingredient, the same dosage form, and the same dosage route of administration. Because BoviKalc does not need to have an NADA number, any other company can market a similar prod-

uct without going through the ANADA process, andthen can market their product without demonstrating safety and ef cacy. They also do not need to prove that the product is exactly the same as the original product. So when a company claims that their product is the same or similar or produces the same results, there isabsolutely no FDA requirement that this be proven. If a company wants to prove that their product pro-duces similar results, then they need to do similar re-search. However, research suitable for publication in apeer-reviewed journal can be very expensive, so compa-nies often choose to do small, clinical trials that might not be rigorous enough to be accepted for publication. There is absolutely nothing improper or illegal about this. The bottom line for you, the end user of the prod-uct, though, is buyer beware. Just because a product can be legally marketed and sold to you does not mean that it is effective or safe. However, this also does not meanthat it is not effective or safe. There are at least three or four new products thatare very similar to BoviKalc. All claim similar results,but none have peer-reviewed supporting research. This is why scienti c-minded persons, like veterinarians,may be reluctant to recommend them, even though they may be less expensive, and sure look to be very similar products. Over time, clinical observations following use may be made, and farmers and veterinarians may decide

that those products perform in a similar manner. That canbe an acceptable method of evaluating a product, but it takes time, and sometimes it can be very dif cult to makeappropriate conclusions based on observations alone. Thus when evaluating com-peting products, remember to be skeptical, and to ask your

veterinarian for advice. Jim Bennett is a dairy veterinarian at Northern Val-ley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minn. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at [email protected] with comments or questions.

That other calcium bolus

Over time, clinical observations following use may be made, and farmers and veterinarians may decide that those products perform in a similar manner.

O i li i l b i

p

WINGERT SALES & SERVICEPlainview, MN (507) 534-2285

SIDE WALL TIRE SHOOTERMAKE COVERING SILAGE PILES A BREEZE!

Great for covering silage piles with sidewall tires. Pick up sidewalls on ground and unload on bunker pile.

15 ft Boom Skid Steer Quick Attach Hydraulic Drive Chain

Good for Skid Steers with 2500 lb. lift

$3,200

Cut Only The Plastic You NeedWith Our Bunker Cover

Roll Stand

Also Available: Stretchwrap Silage Shield Bale Bags Net Wrap Twine

40, 50, 60, 80, and 100 rolls and Silage shield

Now a Meyers TMR Mixer Dealer - Demos Available

Dairy Star Saturday, July 9, 2016 Page 39Dairy pro le sponsored by

Star Blends is a full service feed manufacturing facility. We provide custom complete feeds, supplements and minerals. We utilize modern technology to produce your needed products on demand with the highest quality feeds at the best cost. We also offer a wide selection of commodities, ingredients and additives.

We are focused on dairy, efciently delivering to farms in Western Wisconsin. Give us a call, wed be happy to discuss our commodities or custom products and services with you and your nutritionist.

1919 Riley Road Sparta, WI 54656 | 800.462.4125

Erik and Brenda Gilbertson, Mark Gilbertson, Makenna, 5, Elise, 3, and Naydeen, 10 monthsHollandale, Wis.Iowa County46 cows

How did you get into farming? Ive been farming all my life. In 2008, my father, Mark, and I became partners of the Gildale, LLC. Brenda and I met in 2006 by showing cattle. Both of us have a passion for showing registered Holsteins. We both grew up farming and now live on my home farm. As we like to say, registered dairy cattle brought us together. Now in 2016, we are buying the farm.

What are your th

7 9 16 zone2

Documents