AD SPACE

Here a moo, there a moo...

Mavis Gonshorowski
He spends a lot of time out in the barn and it “ain’t because he got started off on the wrong foot with the Missus”.
To tell the truth, both Barry Kirkeide and “the Missus”, Roxane, work side by side out in the barn...the dairy barn; pretty much every day, 365 days a year.
Because June is Dairy Month, I decided it was a perfect opportunity to pay a visit to this young family.
Barry, the son of Merton and the late Annette Kirkeide, one of three boys and two girls, attended and graduated from Greenbush High School in 1987; he went on to attend Alexandria Tech for one year.
The daughter of Robert and Mary Ann Verbout of Grygla, Minnesota, Roxane graduated from high school in 1985. She went on to attend college where she received a two-year degree plus another year in business. Roxane’s siblings number 10; that of 3 brothers and 7 sisters. They were also raised on a dairy farm.
Following their marriage in 1989, the Kirkeide’s resided in Roseau for three years. At that time, Barry and his brother Mike took over the dairy enterprise from their father Merton, who had started milking cows in 1963. Barry and Roxane decided to move closer to the farm so Barry would not have to commute. After a couple of years Barry and Roxane made the decision to give it a whirl on their own, officially purchasing the farm in 1997.
The beautiful, inviting home, along with a neatly manicured and landscaped yard, is situated on the farm site where Barry was born and raised.
The Kirkeide children number three. Students of the Greenbush/Middle River School system, Kayla will be in her senior year this fall. Courtney will be entering eighth grade and Cody, the sixth grade.
As often happens to a true farmer, Barry and son Cody slipped in just “under the wire” in time to be included in the family picture. Roxane’s freshly-brewed coffee and a generous serving of delicious rhubarb dessert made the wait well worth while!
At the present time, the Kirkeides dairy barn contains 55 holstein dairy cows.
The Land O’ Lakes bulk truck makes milk pickup at the farm every other day. From there it is taken to the Thief River Falls plant which is owned by Dean Foods. Barry and Roxane are grateful that this plant is still open otherwise the milk would have to be shipped to Melrose, which would mean higher trucking prices. Milk prices are currently holding their own.
“We try to keep, on the average, a milk cow for three to five years,” Roxane said. “Right now we do have one that is special; she has been milking for 12 years and has good bone structure. She’s a wonderful producer. We have had others who have gone past the average number of years as well.”
Corn silage, haylage, feed rations and protein make up the feed that the cows consume.
The diary cows produce for 305 milking days; they are dry for 60. Artificially inseminated, a cow gives birth to her first calf at the age of two years.
“Once the newborn calf gets the necessary colostrum from its mother, the mother goes back on the milk pipeline and the calves are given milk replacer,” commented Roxane. “The calves used to be kept in calf hutches; now they are housed in a calving barn.”
What becomes of the calves?
“We feed them out,” she said. “The heifers come into the herd, serving as replacements. The steers are sold to the market when ready.”
Each day begins out in the barn about the time the old red rooster is about to announce the break of dawn...4:45 a.m.; that’s during the summer. It’s a half-hour earlier, 4:15 a.m., in the winter because of the time change.
Evening chores start around 4:00 p.m.
“We’re usually in the house by 6:30 or 7:00; depending if the kids are home or not,” Roxane laughed.
Oh, so the kids help with the daily chores?
“Each of the kids have their own jobs in the barn,” she replied.
Not only that, but they each have their own herd of beef cattle to care for. Kayla has 11 head, Courtney has 10 head, and Cody claims 9 head.
The Kirkeides also put up their own hay and grow crops.
Roxane said, “We put up first and second cutting hay; third cutting if the weather permits, which we have been able to do the last few years.”
The hay is put up into large round and small square bales. They also rent hay land.
Corn, soybeans and oats are the crops planted this year on the farm. Though wheat and barley have also been planted other years, they weren’t this year.
Is this a family of “all work and not play”? Not.
“We did take a vacation as a family; we all went to Florida one year...that was a long time ago,” Roxane answered. “Now if we go somewhere, usually one parent takes the kids and the other stays home.”
She added, “Sometimes we will hire a milker for a weekend so we can all go. Both Barry and I appreciate those who have done it.”
All three of the youngsters are active members of the Green Acres 4-H Club.
Kayla enjoys spending time out on the golf course and is on the BGMR Girls Golf Team. She is also in band, choir, is volleyball manager and has a job. She likes the farm life because she enjoys taking care of animals and the lessons she learns in the responsibility in doing so.
Courtney is involved with school volleyball, basketball, track, band and dance. She enjoys the baby calves and wants to be a doctor one day.
Her Mom said, “Courtney is our care giver, whether it’s the family or the animals.”
In elementary football, basketball, baseball and band, Cody says farm life is the thing for him because he loves being outside and driving tractor.
For Roxane, “I love flower gardening and going to the kids’ activities...that’s my dedication right now.”
And Barry...”He’s too young to have hobbies,” Roxane laughed. “Actually, he does like to go ice fishing.”
Barry serves on the Farmers Co-op Service Board and the Lind township board. Roxane is on the ADA Board, is a 4-H leader and a substitute para/secretary at the school. They are members of the Blessed Sacrament Church.
The family dairy enterprise has been on the down-swing over the past few years, but for the Kirkeide family, they’re going strong. Because of their involvement of daily working, learning and spending quality time together, this family is what I would term a “rare commodity” now days. Hats off and a “tip of the June is Dairy Month hat” to Barry, Roxane, Kayla, Courtney and Cody Kirkeide!

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