Pine-Shelter Farms welcomed visitors from all over the state of Minnesota
for the Annual Minnesota Holstein Field Day on August 12th. It was a great, funfilled day and weather cooperated very well as everyone celebrated this farm’s
100 plus years of farming and 92 years in registered Holsteins. There were about
140 in attendance for the day, in addition to the generations of Alberts families on
the farm. A special guest also arrived, as Pine-Shelter Cheyenne made the trip
“home” for all to see. In 2003, Cheyenne was the Grand Champion Holstein and
Reserve Supreme Champion at the World Dairy Expo and scored Ex-95-3E
EEEEE.
The day began with self-guided tours of the two farms, viewing more of
the Alberts’ “Excellent” cows. The South Farm consisted of their tie-stall milking
barn and a bus took visitors up to the North farm to tour their double-nine milking
parlor, free-stall barns and cow groups and groups of youngstock. Dave and
Duane also lead tours of the main farm operation. The Alberts use their 2000
acres mostly for crops, which they feed to their herd. Corn silage, haylage and
high moisture corn are all grown on the farm and put in the cows’ diets. The cows
are fed a TMR of corn silage, haylage, oatlage, canola meal, cotton seed, corn
gluten, minerals and vitamins depending on which of the 4 groups they are in.
Currently, they are milking 600 cows total that are milked 3 times per day. This
operation takes the work of many family members and hired help that the Alberts
appreciate very much. Later, a delicious pulled-pork lunch was provided and
enjoyed by all.
The juniors also enjoyed a time of fun and games in the Ag Olympics. The
chicken run, bean bag toss, and gunny sack races kept them busy as a speaker,
Matthew Thiel of the Comfort Zone spoke to the breeders. He shared how the
comfort of cows effects the operation and production of a farm and gave
examples and findings from Pine-Shelter’s herd when they remodeled for cow
comfort. Judging contests then took place in Junior and Adult divisions. Judging
3 classes, the winners of the contest in the junior division were: first, Jake
Siewert; second, Craig Betcher; third, Macey Betcher. In the adult division
winners were: first, Dave Kjomme; second, Wayne Dankers; and third, Bernie
Schmitz. Dave shared some things on his breeding program, pedigrees and the
offspring of Cheyenne. As a farewell, visitors enjoyed refreshing root beer floats
and made their way home.
It was a great time spent together, as members gathered in Pine Island.
The work the Alberts family gave for this event paid off. Breeders enjoyed this
time of socializing and were able to learn and share ideas with one another. It
was a successful day at Pine-Shelter, a century-old farm. Be sure to join us for
Field Day again next summer!