Nuttelman Dairy near Stromsburg, Neb., is a survivor, having been around for three generations and still going strong. Jason Nuttelman operates the dairy with his father, Doug, his youngest brother, Scott, and another brother, Greg. The 275-cow dairy isn’t all they do, but it is a big part of the overall operation.

Jason has been a director on the board of the Nebraska State Dairy Association for eight years, so he knows the ups and downs of the dairy industry in the state — and the continued quest for growth in producer numbers and processing. But serving the industry is all in the family for Jason.

“For many years, my dad has been very involved in the milking industry,” he says. “Currently, he is director on the Dairy Farmers of America [DFA] board. He is also on the National Milk Producers Federation and Midwest Dairy Nebraska Division board.”

“Organizations like NSDA simply can’t function without the input and selfless service from producers,” says Kris Bousquet, NSDA executive director. “The practical, real-time feedback that they provide our association is important in educating our elected officials about what is important, as well as determining legislation for years to come. The best way to voice your opinion or to have an impact on the industry you love is to run for the board of directors and share your voice.”

Dairy legacy

It all started for the Nuttelman family in the early 1950s when Jason’s grandfather, Roland, started milking cows. “He built the milking parlor in 1968 that we are still using today,” Jason says. “My dad purchased the dairy in 1985, and we milked around 100 cows back then, and we’ve grown to milking 275 cows three times a day.”

Their milk is purchased by DFA and is shipped to the Hiland Dairy Foods plant in Omaha. In addition to the dairy, the family operates a 1,500-head feedyard. Scott coordinates a family trucking company, and Greg is in charge of the farming operation.

About half of the family’s milk cow herd is comprised of crossbred cows, normally Holstein and Jersey, with the Jersey influence boosting butterfat numbers in the milk. They are also experimenting with a crossbred program, including Norwegian Red, Jason says.

 “We wouldn’t trade our crossbred cows,” he notes. “They have great vigor and health and produce very well. This past winter, with so little snow or mud and moisture to worry about, the cow herd ate well and this spring, they are producing well.”

Lactating cows are housed in a freestall barn with sand stalls, and dry cows are in open lots, Jason says. Cows are housed separately and fed separate rations, according to where they are in the lactation period, including dry cows, higher-producing cows and lower-producing cows.

On the technology side of milking equipment, the Nuttelmans employ GEA Farm Technologies claws and Omni takeoffs. Keeping up with maintenance and service of equipment is one of the biggest challenges Jason sees in dairying right now. “There are just not enough equipment specialists to help support the industry,” he notes. “For example, our service technicians have to drive hundreds of miles just to get to these dairies.”

Dairies aren’t the only ones dealing with this shortage, Bousquet says. “In some areas, service is difficult for producers,” he says. Consolidation over the years in some service businesses has led to support gaps for farmers.

The pandemic, Bousquet says, has caused issues with parts and equipment all over the world. “There are businesses working to solve that problem, and with more growth of dairy in the state, that would result in more reasons for competition to exist,” he adds.

Great dairy team

Getting it all done around the farm for the Nuttelmans takes those technicians, plus plenty of other regular help. “We have a good team of experienced employees,” Jason explains. “We have been fortunate enough to find help quickly when we’ve needed it. Some of our employees have been with us for more than 15 years.”

Family members work around the dairy as well. Operating a family dairy is hard work, and it can be challenging — especially these past few years — but there are great rewards too. “The most rewarding part of working on the dairy with my family,” Jason says, “is being able to watch my kids and nieces and nephews grow up on the farm like my brothers and I did.”

For their own farm future, Jason would like to go to robotic milking someday, and perhaps grow the milking herd to 600 head. What they are doing now as far as milking, forage and feed production, feeding, and manure handling is working, but certainly there is room for advancement in efficiencies and expansion down the road, he says.

But what about overall growth in dairy production and processing in the state? Bousquet believes the state is strongly positioned, with the right people, the best dairies and plentiful feedstuffs, water and other natural resources to make it happen. Work on attracting new dairy processors to the state continues.

“We continuously work with businesses all over the world to build our processing capacity in Nebraska,” Bousquet says. “We have never been more unified as a state to grow our dairy sector than we are now, and we are seeing significantly more interest from processors, so the future is looking very bright.”

Learn more about Nebraska dairy at nebraskamilk.org.

3 bits of advice for young dairy producers

Jason and his brothers grew up around dairying, so they were able to get their foot in the door because of the foundation established by their grandfather and father. Jason shared his advice for producers who want to be in the dairy business: