Triplets, Rebuilding and Sustainability on the Farm; Curling After Chores

Stories from the joys of working on the farm and after chores are done are heard on today's episode, featuring conversations from the latest issue of the Dairy Star. Today's stories include an unexpected project derived from necessity after the dairy's freestall barn was destroyed by a tornado, to the rare experience of milking triplets, along with conversations about what sustainability looks like on a Wisconsin dairy farm and a Minnesota dairy family's off-farm hobby of curling. We start with Brenda Elsinger, who shares an update after the family farm was struck by a tornado in May of 2025, taking the east half of the freestall barn with it. Following rebuilding and facility updates, the herd is now producing more than 100 pounds of milk per cow, which is a level of productivity the farm had not previously achieved. Then, we visit with the Clasemann family from Minnesota. In of 2020, they welcomed a set of triplet heifer calves. Today, all three are healthy, productive cows of the milking herd. Our third conversation takes us to Wisconsin with Scott Noll, a recipient of the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program's Excellence Award for Environmental Stewardship. Farming acres while situated on top of a ridge less than a quarter mile from the Mississippi River presents unique challenges. The farm earned its outstanding stewardship reputation through no-till farming, cover crops and nutrient management to prevent erosion on this hilly terrain. Today's final conversation hears where a farming family spends Tuesday nights from November through April: curling. About 10 years ago, the Johnson's family veterinarian - a curling guru - shared stories about the sport, especially during the weeks around the Olympics. Today, daughters Olivia and Madilyn curl with their dad locally for a league and are on a club youth team that has completed in regional and national contests. New episodes are released every Monday after the newspaper is published, sharing the many conversations from the dairy community! Send story ideas and your comments to [email protected]. Subscribe to the podcast for reminders of episodes - next episode will be released on March 2 - about the dairy community and leave a review! We look forward to bringing you this brand new way to consume Dairy Star. This is Dairy Delivery. All dairy all the time. This episode is sponsored by DRMS. Visit their website at DRMS.org/HerdHQ/What-is-HerdHQ