Unlike these Holsteins that are trying to keep cool the old-fashioned way, the cows at the Walquists dairy farm enjoy air-conditioned barns. The Walquists enjoy better milk production.

As you drive up to the Walquist farm in Southern Illinois, the first thing you'll notice is how really beautiful it is, with a white fence surrounding lush green pastures, three tall silos, a set of freshly painted white barns, and a mailbox with black and white Holstein spots letting you know this is a dairy farm. But where are the cows? They're all inside on this hot summer day. Tom and Howard Walquist of Belknap, Illinois, probably have the only cows in America enjoying the comforts of air conditioned barns this summer.

It sounds crazy, air conditioned barns? The Walquists were skeptical, too. But in 1993 they decided they had to do something. Heat stress was causing a drastic drop in milk production each summer and production wouldn't come back up until close to December. Fertility rates were low. Abortions were common. Some cows even died because of heat stress.

Tom Walquist says they tried water sprays to cool the cows, but that caused another problem. "As soon as you put water on a cow you have the potential for staph infection problems. That's serious," Walquist says.

When they started talking about air conditioning as a possible answer, no one gave them much encouragement. "The really

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Ron Medlin, left, member service director for Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative, and Mike Logeman, staff assistant, helped the Waldquists meet their electrical needs for the dairy cooling system.

astounding thing is that no one had any research on it," says Walquist. "I called Florida, Oklahoma, Montana, the University of Illinois, just about everywhere I could think of. Everyone thought it was crazy."

With no research available, the Walquists decided to test their idea anyway, first in an older barn. If it worked, they would use air conditioning in a new barn they were planning.

Tom Walquist outside his rural Belknap farm in Southern Illinois.

In the summer of 1993 they started the project with two five-ton units, then they added a third unit. The barn already had six inches of insulation in the walls and ceiling. Even on a 100° day they were able to maintain a comfortable 75° in the barn.

Humidity was also lower. If the outside temperature was above 80° they kept the cows inside for up to 14 hours during the day. If it stayed hot through the night the cows would remain inside for 24 hours.

"We'd usually let them out after milking and the sun went down and it cooled off. That's when they'd chase each other and play," Walquist says.

The pay off wasn't just in healthy and playful cows. Walquist says they've seen milk production increase at least 15 pounds per cow each day over previous summer production levels. The added air conditioning cost is between 36 and 38 cents per cow per day. With milk prices at 14 cents a pound, the Walquists saw a positive cash flow that justified plans for air conditioning the new barn. In addition to higher summer milk production, Walquist says fertility rates also increased.

The new barn, built in 1995, is 54 feet wide and 164 feet long. Equipped with six five-ton air conditioners, it can keep more than 60 cows comfortable. Walquist says their installed cost for the air conditioning system, which also provides ventilation, was actually lower than it would have been for adequate cooling fan capacity. "With fans you can't

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believe how much air you have to move to keep the cows cool," he says.

Walquist has an office next to a 20-stall milking parlor. He's just now installing a window air conditioner in the office. Cows come first with Walquist. At night in the office, records are updated on a computer, Walquist says, "Individual accounts on the dairy, corn, beans and alfalfa are kept so we have internal receipts and expenses between those enterprises. That gives us a really good insight into what is making money and what isn't."

One of the 120 dairy cows — cool, comfortable and productive.

Ron Medlin, member services director for Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative, and Mike Logeman, electrical engineer, helped the Walquists make sure the new air conditioned barns had adequate wiring and transformer service. Medlin says the dairy requires a 400-amp service, half of it for air conditioning alone.

Walquist says he first met with Medlin several years ago when the farm had stray voltage problems at the dairy. "We had a nightmare with that. We had seven to 10 volts coming in on the ground, but Ron stuck in there with us and wouldn't let it go. I just really appreciate that," Walquist says.

Although some might call them a little crazy for trying to air condition cows, Medlin disagrees. He says, "These dairy farmers are quite innovative and very good businessmen."

Now that their "crazy" idea seems to be working, the Walquist have another problem. They have had so many visitors, TV crews, bus loads of university professors and farmers from as far away as South Carolina and Virginia, that Walquist jokes he might have to hire a PR man to handle all the attention so he can get back to milking.

Are You Myth-Informed About Milk? Concerns about fat consumption and cholesterol levels have prompted some to exclude dairy products from their daily diet. While there are advantages to reducing fat intake, you may risk losing the nutritional value of dairy products if you cut them out altogether. The key—as with all diet planning—is balance. Here are some facts about milk products that may surprise you. • Dairy products are the best sources of calcium. To get the equivalent amount of calcium in one cup of milk, you would have to eat two cups of broccoli or 12 slices of whole wheat bread. And our bodies absorb calcium from milk more easily than from vegetables and grains. • Calcium isn't just for growing kids. While your body uses most the calcium it gets for bones and teeth, one percent is used to keep your heart beating, your muscles contracting and relaxing, your blood clotting, and your nerves transmitting messages. If your body doesn't get enough calcium, it takes what it needs from your bones, putting you at risk of osteoporosis. • Milk products are not the prime source of fat in our diet. Most of the fats we consume come from the oils and shortening used in making other products. • Cheese provides as much protein as meat. A two-ounce serving of cheese is equivalent to an equal amount of chicken, fish, or other meats. • Cheese helps fight tooth decay. Eaten before or after a sweet snack, it helps reduce the loss of tooth mineral and stimulates the production of saliva, which helps neutralize the effect of acids on teeth. • For most people, milk is the main source of riboflavin. Riboflavin is needed to promote the body's growth and repair.

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