Mavis Fodness | Freelance reporter

On the surface, the corn crop appearance were similar between test plots in the Aukes family’s field located west of Hills.

Under the surface, however, the differences were more noticeable.

Four years ago, Terry Aukes partnered with the University of Minnesota and the Rock County Land Management Office (LMO) to develop a nine-acre plot comparing the use of minimum tillage with cover crops with the more conventional management practices involving more tillage and no surface cover.

The June 9 Soil Health Field Day marked four years since Aukes started the comparison plot. The event was attended by 40 producers and ag industry professionals.

“We want anyone interested in comparing these practices to see the difference in person after several years of establishment,” said LMO technician Lee Tapper. “This is an opportunity to discuss the advantages and disadvantages and challenges to both systems, and to compare real numbers: yields, costs and soil test data.”
Information presented at the field day allowed producers to pick and choose what’s right for their operations.

“Every farm is different and everyone has to make decisions to make their own operations successful,” Tapper said.

In Aukes’ comparison, six acres were planted using the conventional practice of one or more spring tillage passes to remove all vegetation before planting. Three acres were planted first in a cover crop (cereal or winter rye), which was sprayed to kill the cover before or shortly after before planting.
At the same time each year, soil tests were conducted on the nine-acre plot to measure nutrient and moisture levels. 

Four years of data showed no significant yield differences between the two methods in a corn-soybean rotation used on the plots.

The difference came in input costs with a $100 per acre advantage credited to the soil health practices due to two less finisher passes.

“Diesel fuel is awfully expensive,” Aukes said. “A $100 per acre right now is a big deal … especially where prices are and our cost as inputs.”

Soil tests revealed increased organic matter that promoted more microbial and earth worm activity leading to less reliance on fertilizers and herbicides to achieve the same yield as with conventional practices that use more of the common inputs.
Aukes began using cover crops on the selected fields in 2011, after beginning a no-till soybean practice in the early 1990s. Eight years ago, out of necessity, the Aukes family added no-till corn to the operation.

He’s found the change to no-till corn practice combined with a use of a cover crop to control white mold. More noticeably, the addition of cover crops assisted to soak up moisture in heavy, wet ground before planting. Cover crops also controlled soil erosion and early weed outbreaks.

“Cover crops will help take the pressure off our herbicide programs,” Aukes said. “We don’t have a lot of tools to combat weeds, so if this can help us keep our tools longer that’s even better.”

Below the soil, cover crops and less tillage increased microbial activity which, in turn, improved water permeability, especially in compacted areas of the field.

Aukes said the more the soil surface is disturbed, the more a “soil block” is created below the tilled areas. This block of harden soil prevents water and nutrients from fully permeating further into the ground, where it can be accessed by maturing crops late in the growing season.

Cover crops has also demonstrated effectiveness in combating today’s weather events, which provide more rainfall over shorter periods of time.

Aukes said cover crops capture the excess water, lessening field runoff, and channels water into the deep root system created by the cover crop growth. Cover crops also lessen the affects of wind erosion in the spring, where the growing vegetation keeps the soil in place before the emerging crop takes over.

In Aukes’ experience, the adoption of one or more soil health practices help solve production problems in specific fields, raising yields. He challenged those attending to consider making a change by completing less tillage and using less inputs to improve long-term soil health for future generations.

“Rather than make large changes, maybe make a couple different changes and implement some of those to start moving in a different direction,” he said. “Change is not easy but it can be done.”
Aukes is a member of the Rock Soil Health Team, a mentor group for individuals interested in implementing various soil health practices. The mentors are available for one-on-one assistance.
The Rock County LMO in Luverne also keeps a list of seed vendors, applicators and sources for rental equipment used to improve soil health.

The Missouri River Watershed Soil Health vendor list is also another resource to mentors and available cost assistance programs.

Strip-Till Expo taking place in Lamberton
Another soil health practice will be examined at an upcoming field day in Lamberton.

The 2026 Strip-Till Expo takes place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center, 23669 120th St., Lamberton.

The expo is for farmers looking for ways to reduce tillage passes, cut input costs and improve soil performance. Attendees can view side-by-side strip-till equipment demonstrations, planter set up for high residue situations and manufacturers showcasing equipment along with insights from University of Minnesota researchers and farmers who have implemented strip-till practices.

Learn more and to register,
contact z.umn.edu/STexpo

By Mavis Fodness

Finalists for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way crown have their likenesses sculpted out of a 90-pound block of butter during the Minnesota State Fair, a tradition that’s been ongoing for 60 years.
This year, Nobles County Dairy Princess Stephanie Dykstra of Bigelow is one of the princess finalists. In August, Dykstra will sit in a glass-enclosed refrigerator in front of hundreds of onlookers.

Dykstra could become the third Nobles County dairy princess to serve a one-year term as the statewide dairy ambassador for the Minnesota Dairy Association, who organizes the annual crowning and butter-carving event.

“Only time will tell who gets chosen to be the Princess Kay of the Milky Way,” Dykstra said. “But it would be an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

For the past three years, since she was a junior at Worthington High School, Dykstra’s filled the local dairy ambassador duties. This is the first year she applied for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way position. She interviewed last month with a panel of three judges and gave a speech on a drawn topic. Ironically, she picked a topic in which she was familiar: The importance of school-aged children eating nutritious dairy products.

“I especially like when get to work with kids,” she said. “A yearly favorite of mine is working with the ‘Undeniably Dairy’ malt stand during my local county fair.”

Dykstra is the fourth of six children of Steve and Esther Dykstra. She often explains the daily activities at her family’s 300-head dairy operation and the working of 2,000-acres of cropland and pasture ground. Dykstra plays an active role on the farm.

“In the barn, I feed calves, vaccinate, genomic test, scrape pens and push up feed. In the field, I haul loads during hay season, run grain cart for harvest, rock pick, rake and pick up bales,” she said.
Becoming a dairy industry ambassador came easily to Dykstra, who followed in her older sister’s footsteps as Nobles County Dairy Princess.

“I wanted to be a dairy princess because it gave me the opportunity to represent and advocate for the local dairy producers in my community,” she said. “Growing up on a dairy sparked my passion for the industry and I love sharing that with folks who haven’t had the dairy experience I have been given.”

Dykstra is currently a sophomore at South Dakota State University in Brookings, pursuing a degree in agricultural science.

As a finalist, Dykstra could be selected as the 73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way, following Diane Kramer, who was crowned in 1961 and Tae (Vander Kooi) Nordby in 2003. Nobles County is the only county in the six-county area of southwest Minnesota who’s had a dairy princess selected as the Princess Kay of the Milky Way.

Deb Vander Kooi is the Nobles County Dairy Association’s county princess coordinator and Nordby’s mother.

According to Vander Kooi, just the selection as a Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalist is a huge accomplishment and the experience will be memorable.

“I’m so excited for Stephanie,” she said. “I’ve sat on some of the (MDA) committees, and the judging is pretty intense for the finalists.”

Dykstra will spend the summer with the nine other finalists attending various events promoting the dairy industry. Some of those events include the Minnesota Vikings training camp and the dairy center at the Minnesota Zoo. Concluding the summer activities is the Minnesota State Fair, where the finalists take centerstage from Aug. 27 to Sept. 7.

Carving of the affectionally named “butter heads” began in 1965 and is a state fair staple.
Each of the finalists spend six- to eight-hours in the glass refrigerator as their facial likenesses are carved in butter. At the end of the state fair, finalists take their butter heads home, where most butter heads are consumed at public gatherings.
Sometimes, however, the butter heads take years before they reach a home freezer.

Vander Kooi said her daughter’s, Tae Nordby’s, butter head spent five years on display at the Minnesota Historical Society’s part of the state’s 150th-year celebration.

“They were so excited because no museum in the United States had a butter head,” Vander Kooi said.
Nordby’s butter head is still in the freezer at the Vander Kooi farm near Worthington.
Dykstra is unsure what she will do with her butter head

“I would love to share it in some way – even if it’s just the scraps going to some event like a pancake or a sweet corn feed,” she said.

Her father, Steve, said he can’t wait to stick sweet corn in the ear of his daughter’s butter head.

“I’m the father of a butter head,” he added proudly.
The Midwest Dairy Association announced the finalists for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way last month.

In addition to Dykstra, other finalists and the counties they represent include:

•Kalley Christen, McLeod 
•Elizabeth Cordon, Redwood
•Claudia Frenchick, Meeker
•Jena Hanson, Steele
•Morgan Morrow, Benton
•Isabelle Schiffler, Stearns
•Gracie Seller, Brown
•Jaiden Smith, Stearns
•Daisy Zimmermann, Stearns
The Princess Kay of the Milky Way coronation takes place Aug. 26, the day before the start of the Minnesota State Fair.

Donor cows give beef calves a second
chance with plasma transfusions

By Mavis Fodness

Plasma transfusions often save human lives. Now its increasing use in the beef industry is also allowing newborn beef calves a second chance at life.

Veterinarian Erin deKoning performed her first plasma transfusion five years ago, thanks to a beef producer who brought a sick calf to the Luverne clinic for treatment.

“The first time was purely experimental, and luckily we had a long-time producer who was willing to go along with the experiment,” said deKoning, who is entering her 17th year of veterinary practice.

A simple total protein blood test revealed the week-old calf was low on protein. The low level was due to a failure of passive transfer (FPT), which occurs when a newborn doesn’t receive their mother’s protein-rich colostrum within 12 hours of birth.

DeKoning suspected a plasma transfer would increase the calf’s protein levels and energy level, if only a sufficient donor cow was available.

In her first case, deKoning said the owner brought the cow along with the sick calf. Blood was collected from the cow and its plasma was given via intravenously to the calf.

Plasma is the straw-colored liquid that is left when blood’s red and white blood cells are removed. Plasma is full of immunoglobulin antibodies, proteins and necessary electrolytes that can boost a low immune system.

Results of deKoning’s first plasma transfusion had positive results.

“Upon receiving the plasma, the calf perked up, thrived, was weaned that fall and went on to be fed out at the producer’s feedlot,” she said.

Since then, 50 percent of the FPT calves treated by the clinic have been saved thanks to plasma donations. The success rate continues to grow as the treatment becomes a more accepted treatment by producers and transfusions are becoming a common treatment for calves under one week of age.

DeKoning said the clinic averaged 10 plasma transfusions since 2021. That number rose this year due to the increased value of a newborn calf.

“Currently bottle calves straight off the cow are $1,500 to $1,600 or more depending on the area of the country,” she said. “We choose this treatment to save the calf and boost the immune system to help it thrive for the rest of its life.”

Cost of a plasma transfusion ranges from $250 to $300.

Key to a successful plasma transfusion starts with the cow. If the calf’s mother is not available, a donor is used. Keeping an adequate supply of bovine plasma on hand has become a standard practice at the Luverne clinic.

As fate would have it, cow-calf operations are popular enterprises among the employees at the Rock Veterinary Clinic. Beef cows owned by deKoning, and veterinary technicians Rylie Gens and Lexy Schiebout supply beef plasma for clients during the months-long calving season.

“As long as it (plasma) is frozen, it will keep for at least a year, if not more,” deKoning said. “But we have never carried plasma over a year since we use it that fast.”

Donor cows have become primary suppliers for the clinic’s donor supply.

Rock Veterinary staff recently celebrated one such donor cow on their social media page. Jenny is a 5 year-old Hereford/Angus cross owned by Schiebout, who is beginning her 11th year working at the clinic.

Jenny gave her first blood donation in March.
“She happened to need to come to the clinic for other reasons so I volunteered her for a blood donation,” Schiebout said. “She was in at the right time — being about one to two months from calving and our plasma supply was running low.”

The docile Jenny allowed Schiebout to draw enough blood for five plasma infusions for FPT calves. The donation process takes 20- to 30-minutes and Jenny suffered no ill effects.

Collected in half-liter bags, the donated blood is ideally kept in the clinic’s cooler for 14 days to allow the blood products to separate and the plasma can be easily drawn off for use. In emergencies, the whole blood can be separated in small batches using a centrifuge.

A plasma transfusion to a beef calf takes about 15 minutes. 

Cows like Jenny can safely donate blood once per month.

“However, we prefer donors to be in a specific window between scour vaccination and one to two months pre-calving,” Schiebout said.

For cows like Jenny, this window only occurs once per year with results of the five plasma infusions from Jenny unknown.

“It is difficult to determine how many calves her plasma saved as we don’t always receive feedback from producers once the recipient calves go home,” Schiebout said. “The donors (like Jenny) have always gone on to have healthy calves with no issues.”

Similar to human volunteers who donate blood, the cow nor its owners receive payments.

“We simply do it in hopes that even one more calf can go on to live a happy, healthy life and fulfill its purpose to feed the world or become a productive member of the herd,” Schiebout said.

In Jenny’s social media post, clinic employees likened her to fictional super heroes like Superman or Batman.

“Some heroes were capes…some where ear tags,” the post read.

By Mavis Fodness

Since 2002, Murray County 4-H’ers had access to quality and affordable sheep to show at the August county fair in Slayton.

That access came through the late Dave Herrig, who offered youth enrolled in the county’s sheep project the opportunity to purchase and raise lambs they would later show at the county fair. As part of the opportunity, he’d mentor the youth and their families on the proper care and how to prepare market sheep for the show.

The programs proved to be successful in removing cost barriers that often prevented 4-H’ers from owning and showing livestock.

When Dave died in May 2025, the programs’ futures were in jeopardy.

According to Kim Hause, Murray County Extension educator, organizers decided that the adopt a lamb and lottery lamb programs will continue in Dave’s memory.

“Any time you can remove barriers, that is a program worth investing time in,” she said. “Dave was great about calling the families and checking in, as well as making the rounds to get to know the 4-H youth.”

Adopt a lamb began in 2002 and is open to first- and second-year sheep project members who may not have had the ability or the know-how to obtain and care for sheep themselves.

Lottery lamb began almost seven years after the adopt a lamb program and is open to all sheep project members.

For both programs, lambs of similar in size and breeding were selected with the purchase price set at the current market rate. This year, the cost is $350 per head. In March, the 4-H’ers draw numbers to see which of the 70- to 80-pound lambs they would take home and raise for exhibit at the late August county sheep show.

In the 24 years since the inception of the adopt a lamb program, Hause estimated more than 100 youth have participated.

In recent years, however, the program averages five to eight new 4-H’ers to the sheep project.
“According to Dave, if there were five more kids who learned something about raising sheep each year and that, for him, was a win,” Hause said.
Dave did not build the two Murray County 4-H programs by himself. Son, Jake, shared his dad’s passion for raising and showing sheep.

Jake, a former Murray County 4-H’er himself, continues to organize the purchase of the black-face market lambs for both programs. He’s also stepped into his father’s shoes as a mentor.
“Because buying an animal is not even half the project,” Jake said. “It’s the way you feed them and train them that actually makes it successful.”
Jake knows first hand what can be achieved when the work is completed every day.

He was 10 when his mom, Jan, and his dad purchased the family’s first lambs in 1993. As a 4-H’er, Jake regularly exhibited as many as 24 sheep at the Murray County Fair each year until he aged out of the program nine years later.

“The master plan was, when I graduated, we would sell all the sheep then we’d use all that money for college,” Jake said. “But the year I graduated (high school), we built the new barn.”

The family business, Herrig Hamps and Southdowns, grew to showing and selling their home-grown sheep nationwide. Jake continues raising quality seed stock from a herd of 70 ewes on his acreage near Burbank, S.D.

The adopt a lamb and lottery lamb programs developed after sheep numbers began to decline after Jake graduated from 4-H. Jake’s continued involvement in the Murray County 4-H sheep project illustrates his dad’s lessons of hard work with home-grown sheep can leave lasting impacts with participants.

Troy and Brenda Wehking of Avoca had front-row seats to the Murray County program’s purpose to supply quality sheep at an affordable cost for 4-H’ers. Both of their daughters, Emma and Olivia, each spent 13 years in the sheep project as participants in the adopt a lamb and lottery lamb programs.

Brenda, a former Freeborn County 4-H’er and sheep judge, appreciated the Herrig family’s dedication to the sheep industry, especially when she was looking for livestock that her daughters could easily care for and show themselves.
The mentorship from the Herrig family has been priceless.

Their youngest daughter, Olivia, now a college sophomore, participated in her last sheep show in August 2025.

Brenda noticed how seriously her daughters embraced the work ethic Dave Herrig emphasized through his mentorship. Designating sheep care as a daily priority was not something busy high schoolers would often manage effectively. 

However, the Wehking girls were very effective in establishing a routine that put the animals first.
“They spent a couple of hours, especially in the summer time, every single day with those lambs,” Brenda said. “Just knew the work ethic they had to put into it in order to have a good product for the fair.”

County fair judges noticed the Wehking girls’ hard work and rewarded their efforts raising a $350 lamb with the much coveted trips to the Minnesota State Fair. The Wehking girls’ trips to urban St. Paul provided life experiences beyond winning awards and ribbons, it was a chance to share their hard work and share with others an experience they also won’t soon forget.

“Their favorite thing was taking the lambs out on a halter and walking down the streets and having all the people gather around them and ask questions and pet a lamb for the first time ever in their lives,” Brenda said. “That’s what they loved.”