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dairy industry<br />
Historic highs<br />
and sudden lows<br />
Skyrocketing demand<br />
from the Chinese sent milk<br />
prices soaring to historic<br />
highs in early 2014. Two of<br />
the top five dairy-supplying<br />
nations, Australia and<br />
New Zealand, experienced<br />
droughts, so U.S. producers<br />
upped the ante by increasing<br />
their herd sizes and<br />
milk production.<br />
The increased demand<br />
sent prices to a high of<br />
$24.50 cwt. in September<br />
2014, according to the U.S.<br />
Dairy Export Council.<br />
Cwt is the abbreviation<br />
for hundredweight, which<br />
is equal to 100 pounds.<br />
When those countries<br />
re-entered the export game,<br />
supply outweighed demand,<br />
causing a glut in<br />
the market. Prices steadily<br />
dropped until the market<br />
bottomed out in the summer<br />
of 2016, setting milk prices<br />
back by at least $10 cwt.<br />
That drop made a huge<br />
impact on expansion<br />
discussions of one Jackson<br />
County family.<br />
Robotics becoming<br />
the norm<br />
Milking is a 24/7 operation<br />
at the dairy farm of<br />
Scott and Jessica Hingtgen<br />
on Bellevue-Cascade Road<br />
in Jackson County. But the<br />
cows virtually milk themselves<br />
thanks to two Lely<br />
robotic milking machines<br />
the couple installed in December<br />
2011.<br />
Theirs was the first dairy<br />
operation in the county<br />
to mechanize the milking<br />
process that way.<br />
About 75 <strong>Iowa</strong> farms<br />
invested in robotic milkers<br />
when the trend hit <strong>Iowa</strong>.<br />
Now the state has more<br />
than 200.<br />
“We expect it to continue<br />
<strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> Photo / Brooke Taylor<br />
Kim and Marv Lynch, along with their sons Wyatt, Waylon, and Willy, keep their herd on an all-natural feeding system to<br />
produce organic milk. Standing on their farm northwest of Cascade, the Lynches explain the process of going organic.<br />
to grow by about 25 percent<br />
per year,” Tranel said. “We<br />
don’t see it ending.”<br />
The Hingtgen dairy herd<br />
numbers about 250, but<br />
only about half of them are<br />
fresh.<br />
At their leisure, cows one<br />
by one mosey head-first<br />
We’re pretty handy with a wrench, but let’s<br />
leave<br />
this one<br />
to the<br />
experts<br />
J&S Auto Specialists<br />
401 E. PLATT JEFF & ShERRy BAkER, OWnERS<br />
MAqUOkETA, IA 563-652-6100<br />
24 <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> | fall <strong>2017</strong><br />
Oil Change,<br />
Lube & Filter<br />
Tire Sales,<br />
Repair<br />
Wheel<br />
Alignment<br />
Engines,<br />
Transmission<br />
Repair<br />
Tune Up<br />
for Cars<br />
and Trucks<br />
Auto Sales<br />
Bellevue/<br />
Preston<br />
Veterinary<br />
Clinic<br />
Dr. Chris Paulsen<br />
Dr. Susan Pond<br />
Dr. Paul Bulman<br />
563.872.4710<br />
563.689.3121
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