A day in the life of the Krohnfeldt family

GARFIELD, Minn. — Brian Krohnfeldt had a little extra help with chores and work around the farm Saturday, Oct. 3.

Brian’s daughter, Emma, came back from South Dakota State University to join Brian and his dad, Daryl, as the three generations tackled an array of work at their 53-cow dairy near Garfield.

“She tries to come home frequently; it’s fun having her around,” Brian said. “She is very good with calves; reminds me of my mom (Maggie), who passed earlier this year.”

Emma is a junior majoring in animal science and pre-veterinary medicine. Her long-term goal is to become a large and small animal vet in the Douglas County area. 

“I try to come home a couple of times a month to get a break from school and relax,” Emma said. “I love being around the cows. I grew up loving cows and got my first calf when I was 4 or 5 years old. Since then, I have wanted to be around cows.”

Working hard runs in the family, as Brian works part time at Pro-Ag Farmers Cooperative in Garfield. During the week, in addition to milking cows, Brian hauls feed and the bulk truck, delivers bag feed, and loads and unloads semis.

 “I get to drive the truck, get out and interact with the public, see different farms and how they do things,” Brian said.

Farming, however, will always be his main job, Brian said.

“Since I was old enough to walk, I was in the barn at my uncle’s (Burnell Krohnfeldt) place,” he said. “Working with the cattle and crops, it’s just what I enjoy.”

On Saturday, Brian got up at 4:30 in the morning to clean the mangers and the barn. At 5:45 a.m., Brian started milking their all-Jersey herd.

“It’s quiet, and I’m my own boss,” he said. “I like their color variations and the temperament of the Jerseys.”

Around 8 a.m. Emma and her boyfriend, Nathan Saulsbury, came out to the barn to feed the calves, including one born Friday night. After milking, Daryl mixed feed and fed the cows.

Daryl said he is glad to have Emma come home when she can.

“I am so proud of her,” he said. “She’s got a good attitude and works hard. When she makes it home, it’s a good time. I’d as soon have her around all the time; she is a go getter.”

In 1987, Daryl bought the farm just down the road from the original Krohnfeldt family farm, which has always had a barn full of Jerseys. Daryl and Brian are co-owners of the farm. 

“From day one, we (Maggie and I) said we would give Brian the opportunity to farm,” Daryl said. “Our goal was to help him out.”

Rain showers arrived shortly before lunch. After lunch, during a break in the rain, the Krohnfeldts sharpened knives on the self-propelled chopper and greased it to ensure it was ready for the coming days.

“We will start chopping early next week,” Brian said. “We’ll go over to my cousin’s (Kevin Krohnfeldt) place and do his place first. That will take a couple of days, then we will work on our own corn.”

Brian said with the dry summer, they are expecting below-average yields. The Krohnfeldts will also bring in high-moisture corn and dry corn later this fall.

“The cobs are starting to drop and the stalk is completely green yet,” Brian said. “We are heavy clay soil, so on dry years like this year, it was good to have. But the lack of rain will still hurt our yields.”

Average corn yield for the Krohnfeldts is 180 bushels per acre. Soybeans average 50-55 bushels per acre. This year, they estimate they will get around 150-160 bushels per acre for corn and 40 bushels for soybeans.

Once the chopper was ready, the Krohnfeldts and Saulsbury worked on hauling manure from the outside pens of the heifer shed, which houses heifers from 5 months to calving age. The following day, the crew planned to clean the inside of the shed.

The 4-person team worked in tandem to move the cattle and gates around to get the skid loader in the pens as the rain began to fall again. The Krohnfeldts pushed the manure to a cement slab nearby to store until it could be spread on the fields post-harvest.

Once the gates and cattle were arranged so that Daryl could get in and out with the skid loader, Emma got a rope halter to work with a couple of the show animals. Both Emma and Saulsbury have aged out of 4-H, but with the decline in dairy cattle numbers at the county fair, she started a dairy mentorship program that leases animals to Douglas County 4-H members for showing.

“We really want it to be a one-on-one experience for the 4-H member,” Emma said. “The young person who leased from us immediately fell in love as soon as she touched the halter, and it was great to see her build confidence. Next year, we already have six youth interested.”

By 5 p.m. the Krohnfeldts returned to the barn for their usual evening chores.

With Emma away at college and Brian working in town during the week, the Krohnfeldts all look forward to the weekends to spend time together.

“It (farming with family) is definitely a privilege,” Emma said.