Patz Equipment Success Story
Tauchen Harmony Valley, Inc., in Bonduel, WI, is operated by the Tauchen family. Pictured left to right are Steve, Alan, Herb & Greg.
Gary was not available for the photo.
Tauchen Counts on Patz to Handle It All!
In 1976, Herb Tauchen was employed by the Soil Conservation Service and owned a small farm. With his growing family "needing something to do," Herb and his wife, Marlys, purchased the farm where they reside today in Bonduel, WI. Together with their sons Gary, Alan, Steve and Greg, the Tauchens operate the family farm known as Tauchen Harmony Valley, Inc.
The original farm was a traditional 40-cow dairy and daily manure handling was made easier with the help of a Patz Model 400 Barn Cleaner. In 1978, a barn addition was built and the herd was doubled to 80 cows. Over the years, cow numbers grew to 120 with various additions to the facilities.
Tauchen Harmony Valley, Inc., expanded the herd to 500 cows in 1996 when they built a new milking parlor and a large freestall barn. In 2000, a second freestall barn was added bringing cow numbers to the current 1000. All replacements are raised by the Tauchens, which keeps biosecurity concerns to a minimum.
Having such a large number of cows takes a lot of work. Each member of the Tauchen family has specific responsibilities on the family farm, including mom who still handles all of the bookkeeping. In addition to the family, the farm employs 15 full-time workers.
When the Tauchens built the newer barns several years ago, they installed four Patz Model 320 Alley Scrapers to help save time and labor.
"We like the alley scrapers for the labor savings and for keeping the cows cleaner," said Herb. Having cleaner cows helps keep their milk quality high. The SCC count on the Tauchens' cows consistently averages below 150.
Tauchen Harmony Valley, Inc., is able to concentrate more on their dairy herd by utilizing custom operators for their harvest operations on their 1700 acres. They grow 1000 acres of corn, 650 acres of alfalfa and 50 acres of winter wheat.
Tauchen farm includes a well-maintained bunker area.
At feeding time, the Tauchens mix their TMR with a 950 cubic foot Patz Model 2400 Twin Screw Vertical Mixer that was purchased in 2004. This is their third Patz mixer. In 1996, they purchased a Model 9300 750 cubic foot single axle mixer and later, in 2001, traded up to a Model 9300 tandem axle mixer.
The Tauchens value service from their suppliers as the most important factor in making buying decisions. They are especially satisfied with the service they receive from their local Patz dealer, Raymakers Inc., in Pulaski, WI.
"Raymakers service crews are very knowledgeable," says Herb. "They inform us of what service they've performed on our equipment and let us know what to keep an eye on." This great service is an added benefit of their investment in Patz equipment.
"What goes in, must come out." Does Patz handle it all on your farm?