Gar-Lin Dairy: The people behind the cows!

It is less than a week away from the opening of the miracle of birth center and everything is coming together nicely. At the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center we will be having four cows giving birth. The cows are going to be coming from Gar-Lin Dairy and we are going to take this time to get to know them better.

Gar-Lin Dairy Farms started with Gary and Linda Allen in 1975 when they purchased the dairy and 40 cows from Gary’s parents. Over time, the farm expanded both in cow numbers and people to include son, Dean, and daughter, Dana. In 2006, the Allens partnered with another dairy family and over the last few years have expanded the herd to include 1,850 cows and farm 3,100 acres of alfalfa, corn, canning peas and rye grass. Currently, Gar-Lin Dairy’s management team includes Gary and Linda Allen, Dean Allen, Dr. Dana Allen and Carey Tweten.

The management team at Gar-Lin Dairy (from left to right) Carey Tweten, Dr. Dana, Gary, Linda and Dean.

At Gal-Lin Dairy they milk 1,650 cows three times a day. On average each of their cows produce 31,460 pounds of milk a year. That is approximately 3,700 gallons of milk! Every day on the farm they have an average of six cows giving birth. You will be able to see some of Gar-Lin Dairy's cows at the miracle of birth center starting July 26!

We are very thankful to Gar-Lin Dairy for their support of the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center!


The answer to the last blog was: Americans eat about 100 acres of pizza each day! That is a lot of cheese!

Question for the next blog: What is the schedule of events for the AgStar Miracle of Birth Center?

Check back tomorrow to find out what is happening everyday at the Miracle of Birth Center!

Beef: more than just steak!

Dairy farmers aren’t the only ones taking care of cattle. There are beef cattle, too!

While dairy cows provide milk that is made into cheese, yogurt and other delicious dairy products, beef cows are raised primarily for meat. Cattle and beef production represent the largest single segment of American agriculture. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service there are 360,000 beef cows in the state of Minnesota.

Cattle farmers are committed to caring for their animals, giving them proper nutrition and handling them in a respectful way. Many cattle farmers use management practices influenced by the Beef Quality Assurance program, a national program that provides guidelines for proper management techniques of beef cattle production.

Beef is an excellent source of vitamin B12, zinc and protein. It is also one of the best food sources for iron, a mineral lacking especially in the diets of many women and children. It’s also healthy choice since there are 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for lean.

But beef cows provide more than steak. According to the Minnesota Beef Council, a 1,000-pound steer will provide about 430 pounds of edible meat. The rest of the weight is sold as by-products such as leather, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food products and many others.

For more information about beef, visit www.mnbeef.org or www.explorebeef.org.

The answer to the question in the previous blog post is 20 miles per hour.

Here’s the next question:

How many cowhides does it take to supply the National Football League with enough leather to produce footballs for one season?

Comment with your guess. The answer will be given in the next blog post.