During the Treat Me Right Implementing Best Management Practices Summer Tour,
to be held Aug. 3, the I-29 Moo University will be highlighting best management
practices on two South Dakota dairy farms, Boadwine Farms, Baltic and Crosswind
Jerseys, Elkton.
During the tour there will be discussions of farm biosecurity practices and
table top demonstrations of humane euthanasia techniques. To ensure animal
health and welfare, along with employee safety, there will also be discussions
covering low-stress cow handling, newborn calf care and handling non-ambulatory
animals or animals which are temporarily unable to walk.
"If your farm has been talking about getting protocols written, but hasn't
gotten around to it, join us to learn how to write and implement various
protocols in a hands-on environment," said Heidi Carroll, SDSU Extension
Livestock Stewardship Field Specialist.
Carroll added that this tour provides an opportunity for annual employee
training as it meets the National Dairy FARM program criteria. She encourages
dairy producers to sign up their employees and/or managers to attend the educational
tour.
The tour is sponsored by I-29 Moo University, which is a collaboration of South
Dakota State University, SDSU Extension, University of Minnesota, Iowa State
University, North Dakota State and University of Nebraska Extension; Iowa State
Dairy Association; South Dakota Dairy Producers Association; Nebraska State
Dairy Association; and Minnesota Milk Producers Association.
Featured dairies include:
- Boadwine Farms is a fourth-generation, family farm homesteaded in 1874. It is
now owned by Lynn and Trish Boadwine. Boadwine Farms milks around 2,100
Holstein cows three times a day in a double 30 parallel parlor. The cows
produce approximately 20,000 gallons of milk per day. The Boadwines also farm
2,500 acres, raising primarily corn and alfalfa. The dairy also raises their
own calves and heifers. The farm employs a team of 40 to care for the cows,
calves and land. The farm has undergone several barn and feed storage
expansions over the years. The tour of Boadwine Farms will provide insight into
farm biosecurity planning, discuss and demonstrate humane euthanasia techniques
and showcase calf care management. Crosswind Jerseys is a family farm
established in 2003 by Ernst and Ursula Temperli along with their son, Stefan.
The family has operated dairies in Switzerland and Canada before moving to
South Dakota. Today, the farm also includes Stefan's brother, Martin, who
manages the heifer calves at the feedlot. The family milks around 1,300 Jersey
cows three times a day in a double 20 parallel parlor and have a rolling herd
average of 20,000 pounds of milk. The farm employs a team of about 15 to care
for cows and calves.
- Crosswind Jerseys focuses on excellent cow comfort and animal husbandry,
which they say can only be accomplished through a team effort. Their goal is to
excel in production through forage quality, longevity, and genetics. The tour
of Crosswind Jerseys will discuss low-stress loading of cows in the parlor,
handling non-ambulatory animals, maternity pen management, and calf care with comfort
and pain management at the forefront.
Register at the iGrow Events page for this tour, by July 27, 2018. To cover
expenses, registration is $25. Groups of three or more, from the same
operation, will receive a 30 percent discount.
The bus will depart near Baltic, S.D.. fight off Interstate 29 Exit 94. Loading
and registration begins at 9:30 a.m. at Friendly's Fuel Stop (47159 Hwy 114,
Baltic SD, I29 Exit 94). Plan to arrive a few minutes early as the bus will
depart for the first farm tour at 9:45 a.m. The bus will return to Friendly's
Fuel Stop at 4:15 p.m.
All tour attendees are expected to respect farm biosecurity by riding the bus
to limit vehicle traffic at the farms. If this pick-up location does not work
for you or you would like to car pool, please contact: Jim Salfer, Minnesota
contact, at by email or 612.360.4506 or Fred Hall, contact for Iowa or
Nebraska, by email, or 712.737.4230.
The following sponsors helped cover expenses of the tour: Gold Level: Automated
Dairy Specialists, LLC; Novita Nutrition and Agropur, Inc. Silver Level:
Phibro; SoyBest: Multimin; Arm & Hammer; Central Plains Dairy Foundation;
AgriKing and Cottonseed, LLC. Bronze Level: Calf Star; Franken Custom Cutting;
Ag Processing, Inc.; Gorters Clay & Dairy Equipment of MN, Inc.; Alforex
Seeds; Automated Waste Systems, LLC; Kroese & Kroese, PC; Dakota Gold/Poet;
American Agco Trading Company; Stray Voltage Consulting; Western Iowa Dairy
Alliance; Advanced Comfort Technology; ProAg Enginering and Zinpro.
For general questions and more information, contact Heidi Carroll at
605-688-6623.