Paulsen Marketing On the Road Blog

The Cows Won't Milk Themselves, But...

greg.guse@paulsenmarketing.com (Greg Guse) — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 12:49:24 CDT

Guest blogging today is Chelsey Johnson, public relations intern.

Growing up on a dairy farm, I became familiar with the phrase, “the cows won’t milk themselves.” The age-old saying was usually my family’s queue to leave a gathering and head home for evening milking, or the excuse for why my parents couldn’t attend an evening sporting event. However, for a growing number of dairy farms, the response to this saying has become, “but the robots will.”

This past Saturday, Paulsen President Sara Steever, Copywriter Katie Hayward and myself had the opportunity to visit Cottonwood Ridge Dairy, home to the Brad and Monica Nussbaum family east of Garretson. Their dairy is home to the first brand-new robotic dairy barn in South Dakota. Other barns in the state have been retrofitted for robots, but the Nussbaum’s barn is the first facility built specifically for the robotic units.

It was encouraging to see the large crowd visiting on Saturday. The crowd was a great mix. I recognized a number of local dairy farmers showing support for their fellow dairy friends. Some of these farmers were researching this technology for their own future upgrades. Since the venue was close to Sioux Falls, a number of urban visitors took advantage of the family-friendly outing. For some visitors, this may have even been their first visit to a dairy farm.

The barn housed two Lely Astronaut Robotic Milking units, which can handle about 60 cows each. We had a chance to see two other robotic tools at work in the barn. A Lely Juno feed pusher was driving up and down the feed alley making sure that the milking herd constantly had fresh feed available to eat. In addition, a Lely Discovery manure scraper drove through the free stall barn making sure the cement floor was always clean.

This is the fifth robotic dairy barn I have had the opportunity to see, but I am still amazed by the opportunities for improved management automated milking systems provide. Not surprisingly, installing robotic milking units can be an intimidating investment and drastic management style change. However, I can see that the Nussbaum’s approached this leap into the future of the dairy industry with a solid plan and relentless passion for their livelihood. In talking to the family and those involved in their building project, we found out that the milking herd’s production has leaped, the incidences of mastitis have dropped and the overall comfort of the cows has improved.

These results are not surprising as robots allow cows to be milked at the time they choose and as often as they want. In addition, the robots open a window to a tremendous amount of data and information. So, although the Nussbaum’s time may not be tied up in the daily milkings, they utilize that time to observe the data and tend to each cow’s health needs.

I am glad the Nussbaum family opened their home and farm to this event. It is easy to assume that technology can make agriculture less hands-on for farmers. However, the Nussbaum’s are just one example of farmers who use technology to enhance the interaction and care they provide their animals each day.

David Skaggs, South Dakota Department of Agriculture; Stephanie Nussbaum, Cottonwood Ridge Dairy; and Katie Hayward and Chelsey Johnson, Paulsen.

Katie Hayward and Sara Steever in the freestall barn.

Katie and Chelsey in front of the corn adventure trailer that was at the event. Paulsen helped create this trailer.

Infinite Variety

greg.guse@paulsenmarketing.com (Greg Guse) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:55:24 CDT

Guest blogging today is Bryan Bjerke, public relations director.

South Dakota calls itself the “Land of Infinite Variety.” It certainly deserves that title. As I drove across the state on the way to the Black Hills and the Governor’s Ag Summit last week, I noticed the variety of life that exists between the borders. And thanks to what I learned and observed at the Summit, I believe that South Dakota’s farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses can lay claim to some of that “Infinite Variety,” too.

The state’s department of agriculture is a perfect example of that variety, as the department is responsible for many things, some of which are obvious, others not as much. They oversee ag development and ag services, along with conservation and forestry, and wildland fire.
The first day of the Ag Summit featured a tour that had as its first stop a wildland fire suppression demonstration. There was also a stop at a South Dakota winery that is specializing in sparkling wines. There are more than a dozen wineries and vineyards spread across the state.

The second day of the Summit dealt with a wide range of issues that again showed how diverse agriculture is in the state. Farmers have a new Farm Bill, so there was a presentation on the choices they have open to them for the coming year and beyond. It also evolved into a discussion of the booming trade opportunities agriculture has, especially regarding trade with China and the rest of Southeast Asia. Agriculture also relies on sound infrastructure, so there was a panel talking about roads, railroads and rivers and what needs to be done to get them in better shape to continue to move South Dakota’s agricultural abundance. Government and agriculture co-exist, so it made sense to have a forum on environmental and regulatory issues, as well as having several key economists examining what’s ahead for agriculture in South Dakota.

I had a chance to visit with farmers and ranchers, cooperative leaders, state senators and representatives, agribusiness people and agriculture industry representatives. It struck me that you can do a lot of listening to, and learning from, this collective group and touch on so many different subjects, all highly relevant to agriculture.

Crops and cattle are still the main attraction here in South Dakota, but there is a vast array of other agricultural entities that add to the variety. And all that variety pays off. Agriculture is the state’s number one industry, generating $25.6 billion in economic activity.

As I drove back across the state to come home again, I had a deeper appreciation for the impact of agriculture, not just in South Dakota, but throughout America. As you drive along, take note of the farms and ranches, pastures and fields, and also notice that the communities you pass through have elevators, hardware and feed stores, banks and cafes that all rely on agriculture to continue to thrive. There is a vast “Land of Infinite Variety” out there, with an infinite variety of agricultural people and resources that quietly continue to move us forward and keep us strong.

Water's Power and Peril

greg.guse@paulsenmarketing.com (Greg Guse) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 12:22:35 CDT

Guest blogging today is Bryan Bjerke, public relations director.

I grew up on a farm, and when a weather event happened, it was a must that we get in the car, drive around and look at whatever Mother Nature had decided to do to the farmland we all depended on. Old habits die hard, because I have been driving around the countryside in southeastern South Dakota in the last week, observing all the power and peril that water can deliver. Heavy rains on already-saturated ground have produced some record flooding in both rural and urban areas.

Leonardo da Vinci said that, “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Farmers are often at the mercy of that driving force – either a lack of it or an over-abundance. Sometimes we pray for rain, sometimes we pray for it to stop. We build pipelines and rural water systems and dams and dikes. And yet, when the clouds stay away, or the cloudbursts won’t leave, all that engineering has to bow to the whims of nature. And agriculture is left to do battle.

In the past few days I have heard stories, and seen examples, of farmers trying to hold back the water through trenches and sandbags. Of others rescuing hogs from deep water by helping them swim to safety, or herding cattle to higher ground in the middle of a raging storm. There is always a lot of work to do when the rain is falling, the wind is howling and the creeks are rising. The hardest part comes when the rains stop and farmers have to wade through the mud to see if their crops can swim as well as the swine. It comes down to wading and then waiting for other tools of nature, sun, heat and wind, to come to the rescue.

So when you go out for a drive to check out the latest that Mother Nature has delivered, take your time. If you drive by rain-soaked fields, or flooded yards, take some time to think about the work that it takes to do battle with the elements in these times and the hope for recovery that keeps farmers wading and waiting.

World Pork Expo Sets Stage for a Resilient, Optimistic Industry

greg.guse@paulsenmarketing.com (Greg Guse) — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:19:10 CDT

When a 200-foot long bacon banner leads the way toward an expo entrance and the amazing aroma of barbequed ribs greet you far outside the gates, you know you’re at World Pork Expo 2014!

Although I’ve been associated with the pork industry in some way most of my life, this was my inaugural visit to the 26th annual event held on the Iowa State Fairground in Des Moines, Iowa. The event draws more than 20,000 attendees from the United States and around the world to see the latest technology and advancements in swine production. I attended with colleagues Greg Guse, Allyse Thaler and Paulsen’s summer intern, Chelsey Johnson.

In a year when a devastating pork virus, PEDv, has taken an emotional and financial toll on swine producers and the industry, it was encouraging to see optimism and strong support from the industry that provides swine producers with state-of-the-art products, services, equipment and animal health products.

The actions the industry, academia and producers quickly implemented to minimize the spread and effect of PEDv, is an impressive example of how responsive and resilient the swine industry has always been in its ability to thrive against all odds.

Following are my top 5 observations from WPX:

With more than 375 exhibitors and hospitality booths lining the street, there is growing interest and support by companies worldwide in advancing the swine industry.
Industry optimism is strong despite the challenges producers have faced this past year.
The New Product Tour was a cool showcase of the latest swine product innovations. Follow this link to see what the buzz was about.
The true passion for the industry was found in the swine barns on the far end of the fairgrounds where youth were taking part in judged swine competitions. It is there where all the products and services exhibited at WPX come together, and pork producers have an opportunity to demonstrate the pride they have in producing a high quality, safe and humanely raised product for consumers.
There’s something wrong with this picture: We ran out of time to eat pork! Attending WPX for only one day, trying to see everything, plus meet and greet our industry friends, caused the Paulsen folks to miss the noon barbeque extravaganza of tasting all the amazing pork fare at the show! While we enjoyed a couple slices of bacon, we left that afternoon feeling a bit braised by not soiling our shirts with BBQ rib sauce!

While at WPX, we stopped by to say hello to our clients at Hubbard Feeds. From left: Paulsenites Krystil Smit, Chelsey Johnson, Allyse Thaler; and Lori Stevermer with Hubbard Feeds.

The Unrecognized Mentor

greg.guse@paulsenmarketing.com (Greg Guse) — Tue, 27 May 2014 09:54:35 CDT

Guest blogging today is Sara Steever, president.

A colleague of mine commented the other day that it would be nice to have a career mentor.

I understand that desire. I’m part of a mentorship program within Women In Ag, partnered with someone who is more of a peer since we are at the same place in our careers. We’ve developed a wonderful friendship, but it’s not what one would consider a traditional mentor-mentee relationship.

Something about human nature craves guidance – but there aren’t many willing guides. Maybe the responsibility of being a mentor seems overwhelming. Or maybe those closest to us are too humble to consider the value of sharing what they know. Maybe it’s our own fault for failing to see that value ourselves.

I’ve been very fortunate for the last couple of years to actively transition to my role as president of Paulsen. I spent that time studying the actions and decisions of my long-time friend and business partner, Greg Guse, and truly receiving mentoring from him.

We are blessed to continue having Greg on our executive team at Paulsen, so his mentorship carries on.

Greg is a first-class mentor in that he is very generous with information and advice. That generosity is at the heart of mentorship – a genuine desire to see others succeed by sharing lessons learned. Some of the best lessons are rooted in persevering through tough times and failure, and a good mentor shares all. The other side of the equation is that as a mentee you must open your ears and mind to the actions and advice of that person. Ask questions every chance you get.

Are you missing the unrecognized mentors around you?

And conversely – could you be the mentor that someone near you needs?