Central Plains Dairy Expo - Virtual Tour
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Contact Kathy at (218) 236-8420
Take virtual tour of two dairies
New this year are two virtual dairy tours. You’ll see the farms,
barns and cows and hear from the owners and operators. Both tours are held
the first thing each morning of the Trade Show so you’ll have lots of
opportunity to ask questions and to talk to the producers throughout the
day.
Wednesday, March 28 – 8 a.m. (Meeting Rooms 8-10)
Blue Mound Dairy, Luverne, Minn. – Rick Van Santen family.
Sponsored by Pioneer. Blue Mound Dairy has received six consecutive Milk
Quality Awards and has a bulk tank SCC average of 112,000 for their
1,000-cow herd. It also has received national awards for herd reproductive
performance. The Van Santen family maintains a rolling herd average of
28,500 pounds with nearly all home-grown forages. Since they began using
several new forage production practices, their haylage and corn silage
digestibility is at an all-time high.
Thursday, March 29 – 8 a.m. (Meeting Rooms 8-10)
Prairieland Dairy, Firth, Neb. – Dan Rice. Sponsored by Westway
Feeds. Prairieland Dairy was started in 1998 when Dan Rice and his family
moved their dairy from Pennsylvania to Nebraska and joined Cliff and Dave
Obbink on their fourth generation family farm. In 2000, Prairieland moved
into a new 700 cow facility, and in 2005 they invited two other like-minded
dairy farm families to join them in their business. As a result, four family
farms have come together to dairy on one farm. The total number of families
directly involved is eight. They have created three distinct companies to
market around the cow, which produces milk, meat and manure. Prairieland
Dairy, the mother company houses, milks and cares for the cows. Prairieland
Gold, a compost company, markets all the solid manure from the dairy, along
with source-separated organics from neighboring communities. Prairieland
Foods processes and markets milk and meat products. By joining together,
Prairieland Dairy partners have been able to accomplish far more than any
one family could do separately. Through the partnership they are providing
opportunities for the next generation to work in their area of passion to
sustain the family farm.

Dan Rice and his family at their dairy.



