The I-29 Moo University will be highlighting best management practices on Boadwine Farms and Crosswind Jerseys during the “Treat Me Right” Implementing Best Management Practices Summer Tour. During the tour there will be demonstrations of proper euthanasia techniques and discussions of farm biosecurity practices. Low-stress cow handling, newborn calf care and handling non-ambulatory animals will also be discussed to ensure animal health and welfare along with employee safety.
“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,” says Heidi Carroll, SDSU Extension Livestock Stewardship Field Specialist. “This tour is also a great opportunity if you are looking for some annual employee training to meet National Dairy FARM program criteria; consider signing your employees or managers up to attend this educational tour.”
About the Dairies
Boadwine Farms is a fourth generation family farm homesteaded in 1874 and 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, which is primarily sold to Land O Lakes. They also farm 2,500 acres, raising primarily corn and alfalfa. The dairy also raises their own calves and heifers. The farm employs around 40 people to care for the cows, calves, and land. The farm has undergone several expansions over the years to add and modify barns along with increase feed storage. Their tour will provide insight into farm biosecurity planning, discuss and demonstrate proper euthanasia techniques, and showcase calf care management.
Crosswind Jerseys is a family farm established in 2003 when Ernst and Ursula Temperli along with son, Stefan, moved from a dairy in Canada after leaving Switzerland in 1981. Today, the farm is owned by Ernst, Ursula, and Stefan, with Stefan’s brother, Martin, managing the heifer calves at the feedlot. They milk 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 employees around 15 people to care for cows and calves. Crosswind Jerseys focuses on excellent cow comfort and animal husbandry, which can only be accomplished through a team effort from all employees. Their goal is to excel in production through forage quality, longevity, and genetics.
Tour Registration and Contacts
The tour will be on Friday, August 3. Registration and bus loading will be 9:30 a.m. at Friendly’s Fuel Stop, 47159 Hwy 114, Baltic SD, I29 Exit 94 with the bus departing for the first farm at 9:45 a.m. The bus will return to Friendly’s at 4:15 p.m. We ask that all attendees ride the bus to respect farm biosecurity and 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: in Minnesota – Jim Salfer (salfe001@umn.edu, (612) 360-4506), or in Iowa or Nebraska – Fred Hall (fredhall@iastate.edu, (712) 737-4230).
Registration is $25 per person and groups of three or more from the same operation receive a 30% discount. Deadline for registration is July 27. Register online at www.igrow.org/livestock/dairy.
The tour is sponsored by I-29 Moo University, a collaboration of University of Minnesota, South Dakota State University, Iowa State University, North Dakota State, and University of Nebraska Extension Services; Iowa State Dairy Association; South Dakota Dairy Producers Association; Nebraska State Dairy Association; and MN Milk Producers Association.
Thank you to our sponsors for helping make this tour inexpensive to attend for everyone. Gold Level: Automated Dairy Specialists, LLC; Novita Nutrition; Agropur, Inc. Silver Level: Phibro; SoyBest: Multimin; Arm & Hammer; Central Plains Dairy Foundation; AgriKing. 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, contact Heidi Carroll at Heidi.carroll@sdstate.edu or (605) 688-6623