Mid-County Newsletter MCNewsletter-spring20-1 | Page 5

AGRONOMY Carver County Dairy Association Board The Carver County American Dairy Asso- ciation (ADA) participates in parades, sup- ports food shelves, and operates a milk and ice cream stand at the Carver County Fair. Their goal is to educate and promote dairy as part of a healthy diet, and encourage the next generation of dairy producers. There Daniel Stuewe, are eight members on the board, and they Custom Applicator meet every two months to talk about and plan upcoming events. Two of Mid-County’s agronomy team are also board members of the association — Daniel Stuewe and Alex Klaustermeier. Both Stuewe and Klaustermeier work as Custom Applicators, and both have family backgrounds connecting them to the dairy industry. Klaustermeier has been an ADA board member for two years, and he grew up in a dairy farming family, too, and still helps with general upkeep and mixing feed. “My dad, Mark, and my uncle Joel, run the dairy,” he explained. “We milk about Alex Klaustermeier, Custom Applicator 140 cows.” Klaustermeier said that the association contributes to several food shelves every year during the month of June, which is Dairy Month, and at Christmas time: Waconia United Food Shelf, Friends for Life Food Shelf in Watertown, and the Southwest Carver Coun- ty Food Shelf in Norwood Young America. Stuewe has served as the board vice president since 2016. He followed in the footsteps of his mother, Sue Stuewe. Both Stuewe and Klaustermeier participate in parades with the ADA, such as the Fourth of July parades in Delano and Chanhassen, Watertown Rails to Trails, Bar-B-Q Days in Belle Plaine, and Steam- boat Days in Carver. “I grew up milking cows, and I kind of took over for my mom, be- cause she was on the board and her term was up,” Stuewe said. “Being a board member is a good way to promote dairy,” Klaustermeier said. Breakfast on the Farm June 22, 2019 was a perfect day for Wright Carver Breakfast on the Farm. For only $5 per person, everyone was treated to an all- you-can-eat breakfast of pancakes, sausage, coffee, orange juice, and milk. Children five and under ate for free. Approximately 1800 people attended, coming from nearby towns and the Twin Cities area. Breakfast on the Farm is a major annual event designed for families. It is hosted at a different farm every year, in either Wright or Carver County. This year, Scott and Yvonne Hoese, along with their son Eric and his wife Erica, hosted the event at their dairy farm in Mayer. While the host family provides the setting, the Wright Carver Breakfast on the Farm Committee organizes the event. But the Hoese family was also working behind the scenes. Eric Hoese served as co-chair of the committee, and Scott and Yvonne’s daughter Rachel Boyack, who lives in Delano with her husband Mike, was also a committee member. industry. Future Farmers of America organized a petting zoo, and 4-H members helped with cleanup at the breakfast area. “We have two farms, across the road from each other. People asked a lot of questions, and were surprised that they could get close and see the calves,” Yvonne said. “There were free giveaways, too. Milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, and dairy objects were given away.” Both Yvonne and Scott were pleased with the experience, and enjoyed being Breakfast on the Farm hosts. “Overall, it went very well,” Scott said. “The committee did a good job.” “It was really exciting,” Yvonne added. “It was fun to see every- one at our farm just going back and forth. It was neat to see that many people interested in it.” “It’s a very educational thing,” Yvonne explained. “They invite all the kids in all the schools in Carver and Wright counties.” The event began at 7 a.m. When people arrived, they were greeted with live music, tractors on display, and a radio station, BOB 106.1 FM, was on-site to cover the event. Tour guides led adults and children around the farm to visit different learning stations, where they listened to talks from veterinarians, agrono- mists, and other agricultural leaders about farming and the dairy www.midcountycoop.com Pictured is an aerial shot of all the guests for Breakfast on the Farm. Page 5