No more tests; Dirksen retires after six decades

TWIN BROOKS, S.D. — When Malcolm Dirksen started testing milk Aug. 6, 1966, he had no idea the job would become a lifelong endeavor. After 60 years, he has now retired as a Dairy Herd Improvement Association technician.

Dirksen started his career visiting dairy farms, weighing milk, collecting milk samples and helping farmers maintain production records.

The opportunity came when a county agent stopped by because the area’s milk tester had given his 30-day notice. With only a few days remaining on the job, Dirksen agreed to help and follow the tester to watch how the work was done.

“(When we were done) I tried to put the equipment in his truck,” Dirksen said. “He said, no, that’s all your stuff, he got his pickup and drove off the yard.”

Dirksen began with 14 herds, most of which were using bucket milkers. Only two farms had pipelines. Herds averaged 20 to 30 cows, with the largest around 50.

The work was considerably different from what milk testing looks like today. He did much of the recordkeeping by hand.

“I did all of the Babcock testing myself while I was on the farm,” Dirksen said.

Dirksen would weigh the milk from each cow in buckets, collect samples and perform the butterfat testing using the Babcock method. A testing cycle could take an hour or more for milking, followed by additional time for testing and calculations.

Monthly production had to be calculated using rate charts depending on whether the month had 28, 30 or 31 days. Eventually, a hand-crank calculator made some of the work easier, followed by electronic calculators and, later, computers.

Over the years, milk testing evolved. Samples eventually were sent to a laboratory for component testing. Pipelines, milk meters and computerized records replaced much of the hands-on work that had defined Dirksen’s early years.

Dirksen tested herds ranging from small family dairies to some of the largest operations in the area. One of the largest herds he worked with was the Midwest Dairy Institute, where he tested 1,500 cows in a rotary parlor.

Dirksen has also worked with a robotic dairy. Information from the robots and the dairy’s computer system was used to collect production data. Even with modern technology, however, the occasional cow identification mix-up still required some detective work.

Technology changed the mechanics of testing milk, but the relationships Dirksen built with farmers remained constant.

Over the years, he became more than someone who arrived once a month to collect samples. He became a familiar face on farms and, in many cases, part of the family.

“One winter, I was stranded on a farm only a few miles from my house for four nights due to a blizzard,” Dirksen said. “The family let me stay in their home and took care of me.”

Dirksen remembers watching families grow up, with some taking over the farm from their parents.

Dirksen had conversations with farmers during milking about the weather, dairy farming, sports and sometimes politics. He said he was careful about getting too involved in political conversations.

There were farmers who knew every cow in the barn by name and could tell him about each animal’s calving and breeding history. Those experiences gave him an appreciation for the knowledge and dedication of dairy farmers.

“There are dairymen and then there are guys who milk cows,” Dirksen said. “There is a true distinction between simply doing the job and truly understanding the animals and the business.”

Dirksen had quite a few memories that made him chuckle about his career. One overnight stay at Blue Cloud Abbey, a monastery, was unforgettable.

“They offered me what I thought was a glass of Kool-Aid,” Dirksen said, “After a few glasses, I discovered it was dandelion wine.”

Dirksen recalled a few challenges throughout the years, but they never outweighed the rewards.

Food and treats were a familiar part of testing visits, but the relationships meant more. Dirksen was invited to weddings, graduations, funerals and family celebrations. He watched farm families grow and, over the years, became familiar with multiple generations.

There were times when Dirksen considered quitting, but encouragement from farmers helped keep him going. He also became part of a group of long-serving milk testers in Minnesota. Several had careers lasting more than 30 years, with some reaching well beyond 60.

“All things considered, I was pretty well blessed,” Dirksen said.

During retirement, Dirksen has plans to travel with his wife, Diana, and spend more time with their four daughters and eight grandchildren. They recently returned from a European trip that included Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and a short visit to France and Liechtenstein.

Dirksen hangs up his testing equipment, carrying with him a lifetime of memories from the dairy farms that became such an important part of his life. Dirksen leaves with the satisfaction of knowing the records he collected mattered to the farmers he served.