Dairy Star

Caprine Farming; Gateway to homesteading, goats flourish at Liten Dal Farm In the early mid-2000s, the Zoellner family got the first of what they have since nicknamed their “gateway chickens.” For them, the fowl opened doors to a lifestyle of #homesteading and #selfsustainability that now includes dozens of #dairygoats. “I don’t care where you come from, (if you think) ‘I’m going to homestead,’ it’s a chicken — that’s the first thing you get,” Kirsten Zoellner said. “We were just so blissfully happy.” Kirsten and her husband, Joel, own Liten Dal Farm near Fountain. There, on almost 11 acres, they raise about 40-60 registered Nubian goats, milking 15-18 does each year. They also own Highland cattle that they can milk freestanding in the pasture as well as chickens and other animals. The Zoellners farm alongside their six children, homeschooling the youngest four. Evin, the oldest, is their farm manager. She will be attending the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine next fall. Another adult daughter, Lauren, works on their marketing. Click to read more; #DairyStar #caprinefarming #familyfarm

Dairy upbringing inspires ambassador role; Salentine named Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs Megan Salentine is a fan of all things fair-related. From showing livestock with family and friends to emceeing the Kewaunee County Fair auction, the 21-year-old has made some of her favorite memories on the fairgrounds. As the 2025 Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs, Salentine will share her enthusiasm for these popular summertime events with fairgoers across the state. “Fairs contribute so much to communities and to those who attend,” Salentine said. “I’ve been surrounded by the county fair my entire life. It was a holiday in our household, and I want to be able to share my love for that and show how important fairs are.” Salentine was crowned Jan. 8 at the annual Wisconsin Association of Fairs convention in Wisconsin Dells. Representing the Kewaunee County Fair, she was one of 33 vying for the title. Salentine is the daughter of Josh and Jenny Salentine. The Salentines milk 300 cows and farm 600 acres near Luxemburg at Salentine Homestead Dairy, a fifth-generation, century farm. Click to read more; #DairyStar #dairyyouth #womenindairy

One-On-One with DHIA tester, Tracie Vikla Tracie Vikla holds up a milk sample Feb. 12 at Gar-Lin Dairy near Eyota, Minnesota. Vikla took 75,000 milk samples in 2024. Dairy Herd Improvement Assoc Click to read more; #DairyStar #dairyquality #milkquality

Dairying Around the World; Minnesota dairy farmers experience Italy A vacation can include anything, but for farmers Sara Jane and Dave Brutscher, adding tours related to agriculture makes their trips more fun. The pair recently ventured??to Italy, planning their travels around a #farmshow. “Whenever we go away, we always try to connect with something associated with our farm and learn some things and learn about other cultures,” Dave said. The Brutschers own DayStar Dairy near Little Falls where they milk 750 cows in a double-12 parallel parlor, managing the operation alongside their two sons, Paul and Jesse. Their #vacation last fall lasted three weeks, a time that brought relaxation and curiosity together. “There’s a purpose in this,” Dave said. “When we’re gone for three weeks, this is good for the farm.” Dave said their two sons and many great employees know that when he returns, he is more refreshed and ready to help. “It allows them to learn and gain independence,” he said. The Brutschers’ travels took them through Tuscany, Cremona, Parma and other regions of Italy, blending history with their #passion for dairy. “The dairy connection was secondary, but we have fun planning these vacations,” Dave said. “It’s like building a dairy. You work on all the pieces; and you get a blueprint of what you want to do. Then you put the pieces together and figure out how you’re going to build it.” Click to read the full story; #DairyStar #dairyfarming #travelabroad #europeanfarming

Bottles and buckets; Barneveld High School's Durst joins 1,000-point club, works on family dairy The night of Jan. 23, Izzy Durst accomplished something only seven others in the history of Barneveld High School girls basketball have done. She hit a layup in the first half, scoring 23 points in the first 18 minutes, bringing her career total over the 1,000-points mark. Along with performing on the court, Durst finds time to work on her uncle and grandfather’s dairy farm near Barneveld. At Jones Valley Jerseys, Durst works with her uncle, Evan Jones, grandpa, Lew Jones, siblings and cousins to feed calves, milk cows and help with the chickens and goats. Durst also shows cattle during the summer. “It means a lot to be the eighth person in school history to do this,” Durst said. “I looked up to Hannah (Whitish) growing up. I was in second grade when Hannah and the team went to state in 2016 and my mom would always bring me to games. To know she was the last to reach 1,000 points means a lot to be at the same point she was at.” Whitish is the program’s all-time leading scorer with over 2,000 points and went on to play four years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was a 4-year letterwinner in Lincoln, and continues to play professionally overseas. When back in the area, Whitish works with Durst to continue to elevate her game. #DairyStar #farmkids #studentathletes #workethic #highschoolsports

Dipping into dairy history; A driving force in the livestock industry - Reflecting on 122 years of the South St. Paul Stockyards Steam rolls off buildings in 1960 at the South St. Paul Stockyards in South St. Paul, Minnesota. When the land was first purchased, 75 acres were plotted into town lots, while the remaining 185 acres were designated for stockyard use. Click to read the full history; #DairyStar #dairyhistory #dairyfarming

Hybrid setup, full results; Bartholomes’ robotic barn combines free, guided flow The Bartholome family spent three years and visited many farms researching robotic milking setups before signing for robotic milking units in December 2023. Jim and Lisa Bartholome — alongside their children Samantha, Madison, Austin and Dominic — milk 500 cows with seven Lely A5 robotic milking units. The Bartholomes switched to robotic milking units Dec. 10, 2024. They also utilize Lely Discovery Collector mobile barn cleaners and Lely Juno automatic feed pushers. Click to read the full story; #DairyStar #dairyfarming #progressive #technology

Heart for Dairy; Duane Alberts Alberts, Brothers LLC Pine Island, Minnesota Dodge County Number of cows: 600 How many years have you dairy farmed??Kids who grow up on dairy farms as I did start farming at a very early age...... Click to read the full story.... #DairyStar #dairyfarming #familyfarm

Commitment to cows, community; VanBedaf Dairy honored with National Cattlemen's Beef Association Quality Assurance Award Piet van Bedaf and his wife, Taryn, hold up the award they received Feb. 4 at Cattle Con in San Antonio, Texas. VanBedaf Dairy was selected for its commitment to #cowcare and #communityoutreach. VanBedaf Dairy was recently recognized on a national stage for taking an extra step in cow care and in their community. VanBedaf Dairy was awarded the 2025 #NationalBeefQualityAssurance Dairy Award in early February. Piet van Bedaf has been farming full time since 2015 and is in a partnership with his parents, Conny and Corne, at their 1,650-cow dairy near Carrington. Piet’s brother, Dries, also helps out on the farm. “It was always my plan to come back to the farm after college,” van Bedaf said. Van Bedaf and his wife, Taryn, went to San Antonio, Texas, to receive their award from the National Cattleman’s Beef Association during Cattle Con. “We won the dairy farm portion of the award, which was very exciting,” van Bedaf said. The National Cattleman’s Beef Association has five categories for their beef quality awards: cow-calf; feed yard; marketers, as in sales barns; educator; and dairy operations. #DairyStar #dairycattle #qualityassurance

New strain of #H5N1; D1.1 located by National Milk Testing Strategy in Nevada, Arizona Nearly a year after the first cases of HPAI H5N1 were confirmed in Texas dairy cows, the disease continues to create new questions. Until recently, dairy cow infections were limited to the B3.13 strain, tracing back to a single spillover event that occurred in Texas in late 2023. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection confirmed that a new strain of H5N1 has been detected in both Nevada and Arizona, through compliance with the National Milk Testing Strategy. The new strain, D1.1, originated in wild migratory birds. A Feb. 11 press release from the Arizona Department of Agriculture said the confirmation of D1.1 at a Maricopa County dairy farm was unrelated to the recent detection of the strain in Nevada. The press release said every dairy farm in Arizona has been tested at least once in the month of January, with only one facility testing positive. According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website, as of Feb. 18, a total of 972 cases have been confirmed in 17 states. In the past 30 days, 36 new confirmed cases have been documented in Arizona, California, Michigan and Nevada. #DairyStar #dairyfarming #animalhealth #milkquality