Virtual Farm Tours
Virtual Farm Tours will focus on a variety of operation types and sizes, from both the US and Canada. Free tours will be presented daily, Tuesday through Saturday, in the Mendota 1 meeting room, in the Exhibition Hall. Producers and managers will present a half-hour pictorial view of their operation including general operation information and highlights of exceptional management practices. Time for questions and discussion will follow.
Presented on-grounds by dairy producers, these free tours include a half-hour
video or pictorial presentation and time for questions. Virtual Farm Tour are presented by:
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4
Tuesday, September 30.
2:00 p.m.
Hosted by: Horsens Homestead Farms, Cecil, Wisconsin
Sponsored by: AgSource Cooperative Services
283 Milking/ Transition Cow Management
Jeff and Connie Horsens along with their children Curtis,Ryan and Abbey own and operate Horsens Homestead Farms in Northeast Wisconsin. Founded in 1879, the dairy has seen changes and expansion but the ideals of a producing a top quality product have remained the same. The herd of 283 cows is milked three times a day and maintains a rolling herd average of 31,074 pounds of milk, 1,215 pounds of fat and 930 pounds of protein and boasts a somatic cell count of 149,000. At Horsens, a great lactation starts with great transition and fresh cow management. One of the many benchmarking tools they use to measure their transition cow management is an index that evaluates 14 factors to help predict the upcoming lactation’s production. When cows fail to meet their predicted milk production, the index helps to evaluate problems areas that maybe the source of lower milk performance. Excellent management has paid off for the Horsens. For over 15 years their herd has maintained the highest per cow production in Shawano County, Wisconsin.
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Wednesday, October 1
12:00 p.m.
Hosted by: NorSwiss Dairy, Inc., Summit, South Dakota
Sponsored by: Cover-All Building Systems
1,200 Milking/ Compost Barns
Started in 1999 by John and Annelies Seffrood, NorSwiss Dairy, Inc. is home to 1,200 cows on 900 acres. While neither John nor Annelies had direct farm experience, they did both have a connection with larger dairies. At the farm’s start, all dry cows and springing heifers were housed outside. After careful consideration, it was decided to move these animals into two straw bedded pack barns. However, the Seffroods quickly realized they were not happy with the traditional straw bedding pack and decided to transition these barns into compost barns. The Seffroods are still using straw as a bedding source, but instead chop the straw to about one inch for composting. They have had great success with the compost barns. Currently, the barns use 50 per cent less bedding and produce 50 per cent less solid waste. These promising results lead to the fresh cows being moved from a free stall and into a compost barn in January of this year.
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Wednesday, October 1
2:00 p.m.
Hosted by: Forest Glen Jerseys/Forest Glen Oaks, Dayton, Oregon
Sponsored by: American Jersey Cattle Association
260/1,000 Milking/Building Herd Value
The story of Forest Glen Jerseys is how one family, starting with 30 unregistered Jerseys, has developed a highly profitable milk producing business and a globally recognized brand of Registered Jersey™ genetics. The herd, started by Stan and Dora Bansen in 1946, was one of the first to be registered with the American Jersey Cattle Association through its Genetic Recovery program. Today, under the ownership of their son Dan, Forest Glen Jerseys includes 1,300 cows in two separate herds managed by Dan’s daughter Jamie and Robert Kircher. Production in 2007, on a 305-day lactation basis, averaged 16,568 pounds of milk, 723 pounds of fat and 600 pounds of protein per cow. Twenty-one (21) of the Top 200 cows ranked by Jersey Performance Index™ (JPI™) make their home at Forest Glen. Forest Glen has been one of the top breeders of Jersey bulls for A.I. over the past two decades; eight Forest Glen bulls are now in Active A.I. service, two of which are in the top 10 ranked by JPI™. Dan Bansen is an active member of Oregon's agricultural community, currently serving on the Oregon Dairy Air Quality Task Force in addition to Farmer's Cooperative Creamery and Organic Valley Cooperative.
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Thursday, October 2
12:00 p.m.
Hosted by: Breckenridge Farm, Everson, Washington
Sponsored by: Page & Pedersen, Inc.
64 Milking/Farm Processing and Community Marketing
Breckenridge Farm is home to Dairy Best brand products that are marketed locally in Whatcom County in Washington. Once the home to over 200 Holsteins, Elena and Mike Gonser decided to go smaller and focus their efforts on cattle comfort and providing their community top quality dairy products. Today, 64 Registered Holsteins obtained a rolling herd average of 30,352 pounds of milk, 1,310 pounds of fat and 894 pounds of protein maintaining a somatic cell count of only 166,000. Breckenridge Farm’s high production rakes among the top herds in the nation for production per cow with outstanding young heifers. Last year, ten of their 2-year-olds made it into the top 15 for production in a very competitive county. The new on-farm processing facility bottles milk twice daily and additionally makes whipping cream, half & half and butter. Their products are then sold in five local grocery stores and used by 12 local retailers including coffee shops and restaurants. Additionally, the Gonsers are stewards of the environment. A bird sanctuary has been developed on the farm, complete with soggy wetlands, providing a place for thousands of migrating birds to stop to rest and feed each year.
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Thursday, October 2
2:00 p.m.
Hosted by: T & H Dairy II (878 cows) & Sandy Ridge Dairy (560 cows), Fowler, Michigan
Sponsored by: Vita Plus Corporation
1438 Milking/Stewards of Land & Cattle
T & H Dairy is a three way partnership between Steve Thelen, brother-in-law Ken Halfman and his son, Mike. With a combined number of 1,438 cows between the two operations their keys to success include ensuring cow comfort, health and longevity. On the T & H Dairy the rolling herd average is 27,065 pounds of milk and the BAA is 104.5% on the thirty percent of the herd that is registered. For them longevity starts with careful breeding selections. Bulls with good udder confirmation, sound feet and legs, and strong, wide frames are used to sire herd replacements. The Thelens and Halfmans have found that these traits maximize a cow’s ability to compete in a freestall environment. All animals under five months are fed dry hay in addition to the TMR. Dry cows receive not only TMR and dry hay but, also, a grain mixture to promote calf growth and keep cows eating well to avoid fresh cow problems. While this does take extra time, T&H Dairy believes it is worth the effort for healthy calves and cows. With 24 fulltime and eight part time employees a final important key to success rests on truly respecting the people they work with every day.
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Friday, October 3
12:00 p.m.
Hosted by: State University of New York – Cobleskill, Cobleskill, New York
Sponsored by: BASF Plant Science
135 Milking/Student Involvement
The farm at State University of New York-Cobleskill, better known as SUNY-Cobleskill, is run by students, the future of our dairy industry. The SUNY-Cobleskill farm is more than just a research herd. Each year some 30 students work on the farm for credit in two-week rotations to learn about milking procedures, nutrition, reproductive management (including flushing) and, most importantly, record keeping. Additionally, they assist with heifer rearing and crop production. These rotations provide students the opportunity to utilize what they have been taught in the classroom and apply it to real-world situations. Outside of education, the farm is also used to host numerous student activities all year ’round and is open to the public for tours.
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Friday, October 3
2:00 p.m.
Hosted by: Lardinois Farms LLC, Pulaski, WI
Sponsored by: Barenbrug USA
600 Milking/Feed Alternatives
High corn prices have presented challenges when it comes to feeding the dairy herd. For Randy, along with his brothers Alan and Ross Lardinois, there was a need to find different feed sources without sacrificing milk production and cow health. After researching their options they decided to put the herd on a grass-based forage diet with higher digestibility. The current rotation includes tall fescue, orchard grass, timothy and festolium; a combination of rye and fescue. Upon making the switch, the herd responded positively with good appetites, increased intake and good milk production. Currently, the rolling herd average is 23,000 pounds of milk. However, changes do present challenges. Dry weather has been a factor for yield but surprisingly, not quality. The Lardinois’ hope to continue with a high forage diet in the future as the next generation becomes more involved in the family operation.
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Saturday, October 4
Noon
Hosted by: Semex Alliance, Guelph, Ontario Canada
Sponsored by: Semex Alliance
400+ Bulls Proven per Year/Bull Stud
For over 60 years Semex has been marketing bulls that exemplify the company’s philosophy of “Balanced Breeding”. The philosophy emphasizes functional type, longevity, production and reproductive performance, and has resulted in several national production winners, bull mothers, sires of sons and show winners. Semex is proud to be home to most the Millionaire Sires anywhere including: Aerostar, Rudolph, Lee, Leader, Aeroline, Inspiration, Outside, Morty and most recently Lheros. At Semex, bulls are treated with great care to ensure long, productive lives. Their management and collection practices meet or exceed industry standards resulting in high quality semen. Take a rare inside look at one of the most prestigious bull studs in the world and see how semen is collected, processed and delivered to dairies around the world.
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