By Danielle Nauman
As the sun came up this morning, I was finishing my last minute preparations to leave home for the next two weeks. My sister took me to Tomah to pick up my rental car, and I was off on my adventures through Swissconsin, taking in open barns at Red Brae Swiss, Voegeli Farm and Vo-Grin Swiss. A fourth open was barn was held today at Strauss Family Dairy in Fredonia, and photos of that open house will be coming soon.
Be sure to follow the rest of my adventures in Swissconsin here on Dairy Agenda Today throughout the holiday weekend. Tomorrow, I'll be celebrating Independence Day with Brown Swiss Breeders from around the country as we take in the National Junior Heifer Show and the Fun Auction. Friday will find us on the road to more farm tours at Horseshoe Hill, Cozy Nook, Twinkle Hill and Sunshine Genetics. Saturday will feature the Swissconsin National Convention Sale.
Here's a peek at my travels today:
RED BRAE SWISS, MUSCODA, WI
Armbruster's Red Brae Swiss, home to 300 head of milking Brown Swiss and Holsteins
Heifer barns at Red Brae
Free-stall barn at Red Brae
Parlor at Red-Brae
In line for the parlor
Curious Swiss
Red Brae Cosmoo Laurie EX 90, the dam of Lot 66 in the National Convention Sale
Red Brae Dynasty Loretta EX, finishing up a record of 35,000 pounds of milk
Red Brae Lance Amber VG 87 2 Year Old, sired by Lance, a Red-Brae bull at CRI
Red Brae Monaco Jenna, a VG 89 5 Year Old
Red Brae Nemo Lisee, a recently fresh 2 Year Old
Red Brae Pronto Jordan EX 2E
Red Brae Surge Natalie VG 88 Power Surge on the Index List, dam is a Joel
Enjoying the roto-brush is Red Brae Vigor Dyann-ET, a VG 86 Vigor on the Index List
Red Brae Zeus Fabreeze EX
Red Brae Zeus Jamaica, a recently fresh 2 Year Old
Cows enjoying the TMR
Enjoying a nice breezy day
The Wisconsin River, along Highway 60, near Muscoda, WI
Elmer the Bull peaks out across the river
A unique celebration of America on Highway 78, just outside of Mt. Horeb
VOEGELI FARM, MONTICELLO, WI
Voegeli Farm
The Heifer Barn at Voegeli Farm
Heifers on pasture at Voegeli Farm
The converted barn holds the parlor
Making friends with the big brown girls
Lunchtime
An Alloy 2 Year Old
An EX Denver
A member of one of the original cow families, the Myrth family, at Voegeli Farm, sired by a homebred bull
A Motown 2 Year Old
A just-fresh EX Premium
A Pronto 2 Year Old
VB Hillpoint Marilyn-ET, the 2012 WDE Total Performance Cow
A Supreme 2 Year Old
VB Hillpoint Pronto Zip-ET, the 5th place 5 Year Old at the 2012 WDE
Voegeli Farms
New Glarus Brewing Company, home of...
...the one and only Spotted Cow...
...and Totally Naked beers...Only in Swissconsin!
VO-GRIN SWISS, ARLINGTON, WI
Vo-Grin Swiss, home of Louis, Debbie & Tammy Voegeli
Vo-Grin Galaxy Shanigans, 2012 All-American Senior 2 Year Old
Vo-Grin Galaxy Shanigans EX 91 (max lactation score) EX 92 udder, fresh in April, 2012 All-American Senior 2 Year Old
Shanigan's April Roscoe daughter, Snookie
Paule-View Kaptain Shasta EX 93 point Jersey
Paule-View Dundee Lauren EX 92
VG 86 Sanchez daughter of Dundee Lauren EX 92
84 point Gladiator 2 Year Old
VG 85 Ferrari Junior 3 Year Old, due in September, owned by Heidi Roulet
VG 86 point Supreme
VG 88 Power Surge
VG 89 EX MS 6 Year Old Denmark
EX Gateway, 3rd calf
The first milking Braxton daughter at Vo-Grin
An unscored Sanchez Senior 2 Year Old
A Redman Junior 2, fresh a month, purchased in the Redfest