Five takes with OYDC finalist Jeremy Karsten


Meet 2019 MMPA Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperator finalist Jeremy Karsten from Posen, Michigan. Jeremy is continuously looking towards the future with ways to improve himself and his farm. He’s an MSU graduate with a dairy management certificate and has also completed a hoof trimming course taught by Dairyland Hoof Care. During his college years, Jeremy was an MSU Dairy Club member and today is involved with Michigan Farm Bureau as a county board member.

Jeremy farms 1,000 acres and milks 250 cows as a partner with Skudlarek Dairy. He strives to provide a pure, high quality product for consumers, while maintaining a profitable business that supports the growth and development of their employees. Jeremy is a member of the Hillman Local in District 4.

How do you reduce energy consumption on your farm?

1. Parlor efficiency
“To make sure that we are using as little energy as possible in our parlor, we maintain routinely and keep the cooling system up to par. We also switched to a variable frequency drive vacuum pump that uses limited amounts of energy.”

2. LED lighting
“On our farm, we started to, and are still in the process of, upgrading all lighting systems to LED lights. We have already seen a lower energy bill and are looking forward to an even lower one in the future as our lights continue to slowly be replaced.”

3. Sustainable field practices
“We have reduced tillage for field preparation, which not only reduces the amount of fuel our tractors use, but also decreases the amount of time needed to prepare fields for planting. We also have a refined harvest processes to maximize utility of equipment and fuel.”

4. Utilizing pasture
“We pasture our heifers and dry cows which saves us a large amount of fuel and equipment associated with harvesting feed for them. This practice also reduces our feed costs by utilizing nature’s resources.”

5. Electric golf carts
“To get around the farm, we use electric golf carts. They provide useful transportation, are incredibly handy for chores, and also have great style while reducing our fuel usage.”

This article was originally published in the January/February issue of the Milk MessengerSubscribe »