2014 Farm Tour Script

2014 Farm Tour Script

Introduction

Welcome to Portage Co FTD hosted by Blue Top Farms and Feltz Family Farms
(Share your bio)
Portage County is located in the heart of the Central Sands
Agriculture generates $1.11 billion dollars
The sandy soils are ideal for vegetable production
Top ranked county in the state for vegetable production
The County has over 1,000 farms and 280,000 acres in Ag
Milk is also important with 12,900 cows producing 27 million gallons of milk annually
Feltz Family Farms began in 1913 by Peter Feltz. His son, Joe Feltz followed and then Joe’s son, George Feltz. Now in its fourth generation, managed by Ken and Jackie Feltz. Their son Jared wants to carry the tradition to the fifth generation
The farm has adapted and changed, switching from growing vegetables such as sweet corn, peas, and green beans, to dairy cattle
Emphasis is placed on cow comfort to ensure high quality milk and top production
Feltz Family Farms grows alfalfa and corn for silage on 500 acres of owned & rented land
The dairy relies on 11 dedicated full-time, year-round employees

Stop 1- Freestall Barn

Nutrition starts with a high quality ration consisting of forages, grains, and other agricultural by-products
Each cow will eat 100 pounds of feed and drink 40 gallons of water
550 Holstein cows are housed in threefree stall barns
The cows are split into 4 milking groups, a dry cow group, and a fresh cow group
Barns are designed for optimum cow comfortand follow the dairy’s belief that “it’s all about the cow”
Insulation has been added to all of the roofsto moderate temperature year round
Curtains also serve to help regulate temperature
To help with herd management headlocks have been installed throughout the dairy
Cow brushes, fans, and rubber mats are used to promote cow health and comfort
Stalls are sand bedded every week using recycled sand
Augers carry manure to the manure separatoron the east side of the farm

Stop 2a-Dry Cow Pen

On average,there are 50-55 cows & heifers here spending 45 days before giving birth
Note: a cow cannot produce milk until she gives birth to a calf
This pen provides a low stress environment and a special feed
Cows are checkedevery hour,both day and night
When a cow begins to calve, she is moved next door to the straw bedded calving pens,giving the cow a clean and comfortable area to give birth to her young
Bedding is replaced after each calving

Stop 2b-Calving Pen & Calves

On average, the dairy has one calf born each day, with three sets of twins born monthly
Within the first 4 hours, a calf receives her mother’s first milk, called colostrum
Colostrum provides important antibodies tohelp protect from disease
The dairy does not raise any of its own replacements.Calves are sold weekly
While this calf management practice is not “typical” it isworking for the Dairy
The cows are kept for 4-5 years before being sold
As needed, cows are purchased back

Stop 3- Milking Parlor

A double 12 parallel parlor was constructed in 2004
It takes five hours to milk the dairy’s 550 cows
Cows are milked 2, 3, or 4 times per day
Employees work in teams of three; two in the parlor, onemoving cows and cleaning
Cows are grouped by their days in milk, group’s average between 90 and 110 cows
Sprinklers and fans are used in the holding area tocool the cows and reduce heat stress
Milk is picked up twice daily and shipped to Dairy State Cheese in Rudolph
The dairy attributes its high production and high quality milk to diligent management and its dedicated team members
Milk production is just over 100 pounds per cow per day. Somatic cell counts are below 100,000. The state average is 70 pounds per day with a somatic cell count of 255,000
100 pounds of milk is equivalent to about 11.5 gallons of milk and makes about 10 pounds of cheese
A cow’s milk for the day is worth about $51 in the grocery store. The farmer however gets less than half that price
Question: How long has Wisconsin been the nation’s cheese leader? Answer: since 1910

Rolling Stop- High Capacity Well/Center Pivot

Water is a crucial resource for the county’s valuable vegetable crops
Over 50 percent of Portage County’s cropland is irrigated
Center pivots, give farmers the ability to apply water when the crop needs it
The pivot is fed by a 1,000 gallon per minute high capacity well
Farmers havebecome more efficient and more precise when it comes to watering needs; only using what water is necessary

Stop 4- Rain Garden

Designed to help capture some of the runoff from the freestall barn roofs. Providing natural beauty and an environmentally friendly solution to rainwater runoff
The garden provides multiple benefits such as increasing storm water infiltration, providing habitat for birds and plants, adding color and beauty to the space, and creating a buffer in front of the buildings
The plants have the ability to survive up to a week fully submerged in water

Stop 5- Sand Separator/Manure Storage

Question: So, do you smell anything?

All manure from the dairy is separated into three parts: liquid, sand, and fiber
A sand separator allows the dairy to capture and recycle 95% of its sand
Manure is collected in a reception tank, pumped to the sand cannon where sand separation takes place, and then manure is pumped through the manure solid separators. Where porous screens allow water to escape
The remaining manure falls into a roller press where it is reduced to about 70% moisture
The liquid nutrients are pumped to the dairy’s manure storage
The manure storage holds 2.6 million gallons; approximately 4 Olympic-sized pools
The manure storage is emptied in spring and fall, liquids are pumped through a hose up to a mile using a drag line system and are directly incorporated into the soil
The Farm follows a nutrient management plan that complies with standards established by the Natural Resource Conservation Service
The plan meters the amount of nutrients applied and is developed using soil tests, accounting for individual fertility of each field to help protect groundwater resources. Nothing goes to waste here

Stop 6- Feed Storage/Possible Packing Demo

The cows are fed a Total Mixed Ration, balanced to the nutritional needs of the animal
Energy is especially important in the diet
The farm usescorn bran syrup, a by-product from ethanol production, and whey permeate, a cheese production by-product to supplement nutrients in the cow’s diet
All grains are purchased; most forage needs are met growing alfalfa and corn for silage
Horizontal feed storage allows the Dairy to manage its feed inventories practically and efficiently
Forage is chopped into small pieces for better packing and to reduce oxygen
To seal out oxygen, after packing, plastic coverings are added and weighted down. High quality forage startswith bacteria using the remaining oxygen and carbohydrates from the plants to produce carbon dioxide and water
Once the bacteria uses up the oxygen, they die, allowing other bacteria that doesnot need oxygen to multiply,which fermentsor picklesthe forage
Feed is removed using a machine called a facer. A smooth face, reduces the area of oxygen penetration into the pile, allowing the feed to stay fresh longer

Stop 7- Bulls

The dairy uses natural service for all of its breeding needs
This is not the “typical” management system for most farms;however, this has been working successfully for Feltz Family Farms
15 to 20 Holstein bulls are kept on hand at all times
Bulls are rotated in and out of the cow pens every two weeks
When working with the bulls, safety is top priority, all employees are trained how to safely work around the animals.Bulls that appear to be aggressive are removed
The bulls are fed left over feed from the cows, a great way to recycle feed

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To learn more about any of the topics we have covered, stop by the Applied Technology Center Tent
To learn more about the farm, stop by the Host Farm Tent and visit with the families

Thank you for joining us!

Interesting Facts

The feed storage area is roughly three acres in size, which is over 2 football fields
A cow on average is milked for 305 days in a year (10 months)
In Wisconsin, over 99% of all farms are family farms, no matter the size (compared to 96% nationwide)
Average gestation on a dairy cow is 280-290 days (nine months)
There are six major dairy breeds in the US: Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire, Milking Shorthorn, and Guernsey
A cow’s dry period, is usually about two months
Cow is an adult female that has produced a calf
Bull is an adult male
Heifer is a young female that has not yet produced a calf
Steer is a male animal that has been castrated (cannot reproduce)
Calf is a young animal of either sex
10 pounds of milk will make one pound of cheese
Heifers are bred so that they will produce a calf at about 2 years of age