Jaus Farm/Martin and Loretta Interview
From CowTales
Jaus Farms, Inc., Gibbon MN
Address: 22891 - 651st Avenue, Gibbon MN 55335
GIBBON, MN<ref>http://dairystar.com/m/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=7207</ref> - Taking care of the environment ranks at the top of the priority list for the Jaus family of rural Gibbon, Minn. It comes naturally for current farm operators Martin and Loretta Jaus, just as it has for the generations before them.
The Jaus family - Martin and Loretta, along with son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Nicole, who assist part time on the farm - were named Sibley County Farm Family of the Year for 2011. They were recognized at Farmfest, along with outstanding farm families from 73 other counties. Martin and Kevin represent the fourth and fifth generations to operate the farm that was homesteaded by Martin Jaus Sr. in 1877. His sons, Martin Jr. and Otto, took over in about 1920; a third brother, Herb, worked with them. Martin Jr.'s son, Roman, became owner in the early 1950s.
Dairying has been a way of life for the family, dating back to at least 1920. Brothers Martin, Otto and Herb built what was undoubtedly the most impressive dairy barn in the county in 1928 - a 160-foot long, two-story block barn - to house the family's registered Holstein herd.
Unfortunately, a September 2010 fire destroyed the upper level of that historic dairy barn, but the cement floor of the upper level saved the lower section. After being housed off-site for a period of time, the cows were brought back and again milked in the lower level, even before the top was rebuilt this past summer.
"The barn was the legacy of the family. It represented three generations of the family and Kevin wanted to continue," Loretta said as she recalled the fire. "Above the physical loss, it was the legacy of the farm. That hit us harder than the actual loss."
Hay is again stored in the upper level, but it's not the same. What had been block and wood is now a "boxy" pole barn that lacks the character of the original round-roof barn.
Even though organic markets hadn't been established when Martin and Loretta took over the Jaus farm in 1990, they immediately looked to doing what was right for the land.
"For us, the environmental benefits were the driving force," Martin explained of the desire to farm organically."We set about redesigning our production system with what we were comfortable with when we started farming. We didn't know anything about organic, but when we learned about it, we found out we were doing it - but didn't know we were doing it," Loretta said.
According to Martin, the farm had been operated pretty close to organic before he took over. Consequently, he was able to certify some land that first year, with the rest in the next two years. The dairy herd was certified in 1994. The family began shipping milk with CROPP Cooperatives, under the Organic Valley brand, in 1997.
"One thing we're kind of proud of," Martin said, "is that there were seven of us who were certified at the same time in 1994 - we were the first to be certified. One has retired, the rest of us are still going."
Grazing is a big part of organic dairy production. Pasture standards for animals six months and older require 30 percent dry matter intake over a minimum of 120 days.
"Our inspector kind of figures we should have that for 150 days, based on our growing season," Martin said. "There are regional variations. The inspector matches standards to what you should be doing on your operation."
The farm has 65 acres of pasture for cows, plus another 40 for youngstock. Both groups rotate every day. Each paddock is three-fourths to 1.5 acres. The original pasture is primarily bluegrass with the remainder being a mixture of three or four different kinds of legumes and three or four different kinds of grasses.
The composition of the dairy herd is far different now than it was in its early years. The registered Holstein herd gradually switched to grade in the 1950s. Now the Jauses do a lot of crossbreeding. "You'll find that grass-based operations are interested in crossbreeding. Grazing has been bred out of animals," Loretta said.
The Jauses first started by crossing their Holsteins with Jerseys, but found the animals to be a little small for the stalls in their barn. Now they've gone to Finnish Reds and Montbéliardes.
Although milk production is probably lower, advantages of crossbreeding include higher butterfat, higher protein, hybrid vigor, less breeding problems and greater longevity.
The Jauses' love of the environment is evident in all they do. "The heritage we want to pass on is our love of conservation," Loretta said. "Pretty much everything we do on the farm has some relation to soil conservation or wildlife," Martin said. More than 30 acres of the farm is devoted to wetland and prairie restorations, wildlife and conservation projects. Loretta recalled that the first tree line project grew out of necessity - horrible dust storms blew dirt everywhere the first year they lived on the farm. The tree lines are sometimes incorporated into the buffer strips that are required on organic farms to prevent spray drift, etc.
An 11-acre wetland in a back field, along with food plots and a pond, attract wildlife. The pond was dug by Martin's father, Roman, in 1976. It was originally a state or federal subsidized project for rural fire protection, though it's never been used for that purpose. It had been stocked with fish but froze out when water levels were low. As the grandchildren get a little older, the family will likely request permits so that it can be stocked for fishing again.
Birdhouses dot the Jaus fields as birds are essential for insect control for organic farmers who can't spray. Martin has a special interest in birds and has even done bird banding for U.S. Fish and Wildlife. He's tracked the birds on the farm and noted that, from a couple of dozen species the first years, several hundred species have now been seen on the farm.
"It's important to us. What's good for the farm is good for us," Loretta said. "Something we want to emphasize is to encourage other people to incorporate conservation and broader environmental objectives into the working farm. They're not mutually exclusive - they can be blended and maintained on a viable farm. Government agencies and organizations can't do things like wildlife restoration just by buying land. They need the help of farmers."
The Jauses were surprised and honored to be asked if they would accept the County Farm Family of the Year award. With community service and conservation among the selection criteria, the Jaus family was a logical choice. Martin has served on the GFW School Board and on the Minnesota Organic Advisory Task Force. Loretta has served on the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture Board, "Tools for Transition" advisory board, as a farmer leader for the outreach and education efforts for Organic Valley Family of Farms, and on the Board for Land Stewardship Project. Both are involved at their rural church, St. Peter's Lutheran of Moltke Township, just a few miles from their farm.
In addition to son, Kevin, Martin and Loretta have two other grown children. Son, Nathan, lives in Chisholm, Minn. Daughter, Heather, and husband, Matt, live in the Twin Cities; they have a 2-year-old son, Blake, with a second child due in May.
<references/>