Passionate About Dairy Cattle
By Denice Rackley
Having children in 4-H has undoubtedly led many families down paths they never imagined. One Illinois family’s 4-H journey lit their passion for dairy cattle.
In 1984, Jim and Wanda Bohnert purchased a couple of older registered Jersey cows from the local sale barn for their boys, Scott and Brian. The cows and the calves that followed were shown with some success. The project gave the boys a productive outlet for their time and energy while teaching them lessons that stuck, like hard work and dedication bring rewards. Most importantly, seeds were planted that would grow into an ever-expanding dairy operation.
At eight years old, Scott Bohnert couldn’t have envisioned the impact those first Jerseys would have on his life. The once small 4-H project has grown into a 750-cow dairy that sustains three generations of Bohnerts and 11 full-time employees.
From Show Ring to Parlor
Adding cows to the herd and continuing to gain experience, the boys kept showing through high school. In 1989, with a grand total of 12 cows and four stanchions, they began selling milk. As the boys grew, so did the dairy project and their aspirations.
With a goal of milking 40 cows, in 1990 the boys constructed a 40-cow free-stall barn, a facility they thought they would never outgrow. A double 3 milking parlor was added in ’93.
Knowing the family farm held his future, Scott obtained a two-year ag degree from Black Hawk College in Kewanee, Illinois, then headed west for an internship on a large Jersey dairy in California. “In those days, a 500-cow dairy was big, and I learned a lot about what it took to have a successful operation,” said Scott. Brian took a similar path a few years later; upon graduation, he spent time on a different West Coast dairy.
As the hog market declined in the mid and late 90s, the dairy industry was going strong. Seeing the writing on the wall and experiencing ever-tightening profit margins raising feeder pigs, and knowing the boys were committed to making a go of the dairy, the Bohnerts doubled down.
“Our 40 cows were supporting the family hog operation,” Scott said. Investing time and energy into the profit-making part of the operation made sense. But growing the herd brought a few challenges that would need to be overcome. “We went from milking twice a day for an hour before and after school to milking 100 cows in the same small parlor requiring three and a half hours twice a day,” Scott recalled. To better handle the number of cows being milked, the Bohnerts remodeled their parlor into a double 12.
The 40-cow freestall barn was overflowing within a couple of years, making the new 250-stall barn built in 2006 a welcome addition. However, the new barn was also soon outgrown, and in 2013, an addition was added to house another 250 cows.
The Bohnert dairy weathered low milk prices over the years by committing to milking the ‘right kind’ of cows, consistent management that concentrates on cow comfort and health, and a slow, continuous, well-planned growth with low debt and an eye toward the future.
Flames and Future
“The next step was to build a larger milking facility better suited to the number of cows we were milking,” Scott recalled. “We toured facilities and even had the blueprints ready until an overnight fire destroyed our heifer barn and feed storage facility.”
On that July night in 2019, the barn, feed, and several pieces of equipment were lost in the fire, but the heifers were all released into lots. Neighbors stepped in immediately with offers of help. “Thankfully, great neighbors offered to take our heifers.” With heifers housed at five different locations, a new parlor took a back seat to the unexpected need for feed storage and a new heifer barn.
In a little over a year, heifers were home in a newly constructed barn designed to house weaned through breeding-age replacements. “The new facility promoted better weight gain and health, which was great to see,” Scott noted.
Seeing the improvements within the heifers spurred the brothers to concentrate on a new maternity barn, keeping the milking parlor rebuild on the back burner. Designing and starting construction in 2023, the new 120 freestall maternity barn was up and ready in the spring of 2024, accommodating the 80 calves that hit the ground each month.
Maximizing Effort and Profitability
Constantly searching for avenues to increase profitability while producing a superior product from great cows, the Bohnerts use sexed semen to ensure heifer calves come from the ‘cream of the crop’.
“We keep those heifers who we believe best meet our goals and typically sell between 100 and 150 heifer calves to other dairies,” Scott remarked. “The other cows produce beef cross bull calves, Angus or Charolais, which are sold in under a week. Jersey calves are rather small, but using the beef semen produces a more valuable and sought-after calf.”
While the Bohnerts raise most of their own feed, farming 1,200 to 1,400 acres, they also break from the norm. “We buy our alfalfa hay from out west and ship it in. Most of our alfalfa comes from Nebraska, it is consistently a higher quality than can be raised here, and we don’t have the stress that comes with trying to grow a hay crop with our unpredictable weather,” Scott noted. Considering equipment, labor, time and stress paired against feed quality, ease and cost, Scott figures he is ahead buying hay.
“Our bred heifers are moved off-site, but our facilities are designed so all other stock are cared for here,” Scott said. “With family, my parents, brother, wife Karen and kids, and our great employees, we have an excellent team. Several employees have been with us for 10 – 18 years.” Scott realizes how fortunate he is to have skilled long-term employees who are relied on to keep everything running smoothly when he isn’t on the farm.
Bohnert Farms Bright Future
Everyone at Bohnert Farms is sure their future is bright. Undoubtedly busy caring for and milking 750 cows three times a day and tending to the 100 small details ensuring the operation runs smoothly, the crew eagerly anticipates what lies ahead.
Scott and Karen’s three children, Tyler, Cassie and Jacob, have plans for their future that are connected to the dairy. “Tyler and Cassie are both in college obtaining dairy science degrees and gaining experience to bring home,” Scott said. And Jacob has plenty of time to explore options and consider what path he will take.
Knowing there will be changes in the future to accommodate their children joining the dairy full-time, now more than ever, the Bohnerts are focused on sustainability. They discussed adding robotic milking, but all agreed they enjoyed the more conventional path.
“Adopting robotic milking changes the management focus,” Scott said. “I had thought incorporating robots may interest the kids, but no one wanted to take on robotic management as their main focus.
While we may need to look in that direction if labor becomes an issue, right now, we are blessed to have an incredible team.” Of course, part of the team is the National Farmers Organization.
“Taking Jersey cull cows to a sale barn never seems to result in a fair price,” Scott shared. “We sold a couple of cows in good condition, weighing 1,100 pounds and only received 15 cents a pound. Those were the last cows to go through the auction ring. Selling our culls with the help of National Farmers, we receive a fair market price.”
Next on the list, again, is upgrading the milking facility. Hopefully the only sparks seen this time will be from smiles that light the room when the construction is finished.
The Bohnerts began working with National Farmers in 2007. As their dairy continues to change and grow, National Farmers will be right there ready to help.
