Arenac Co. dairyman honored for giving cows a lift

Arenac Co. dairyman honored for giving cows a lift

Arenac Co. dairyman honored for giving cows a lift

Arenac Co. dairyman honored for giving cows a lift

Arenac Co. dairyman honored for giving cows a lift

Victor Daniels, Jr. wins MFB Farmer Idea Exchange Award

GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 2, 2008 — Farmers are caring and nurturing people with high ethical standards, and nowhere is this more apparent than on the Arenac County dairy farm of Victor Daniels, Jr.

For Daniels, of Sterling, “assisting downed cows in a timely and humane fashion is a top priority,” and that conviction inspired him to develop what he calls a “Hip Lift Swivel.”

In instances where a cow slips and falls on wet pavement, or some other circumstance, Daniels’ device gently lifts the animal to its feet so that the cow, which can weigh as much as 1,500 pounds, can regain its footing. If a cow is completely lame due to broken bones or some other ailment, the Hip Lift Swivel gently lifts and then lowers the animal onto a sled, allowing the cow to be moved for medical treatment elsewhere.

In recognition of his ingenuity, the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is honoring Daniels with the organization’s 2008 Farmer Idea Exchange Award. Presented annually, the Farmer Idea Exchange Award encourages and recognizes new concepts in agriculture by honoring the innovators themselves. Daniels received the award Dec. 2 at MFB’s 89th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids.

Daniels has used the Hip Lift Swivel on five cows over the last two years. Four of the five cows recovered and returned to the herd after a short period of rehabilitation, he said.

The Farmer Idea Exchange Award also recognizes innovations that can be easily adapted on other farms. In Daniels’ case, the Hip Lift Swivel is used to attach a cow hip lift to a skid steer loader, both standard pieces of equipment on dairy farms. The device slides over the skid steer’s pallet forks, and the built-in swivel action allows a cow to rotate as it is lifted without bumping into the skid steer.

In all, minimal parts were required to build the device, and it only took about three hours of labor to weld and paint, according to Daniels. He adds that the device enables the farm to assist a downed cow in any area of the farm that is accessible to a skid steer loader.

MFB selected Daniels from award entries received from across the state. His application has been submitted to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration in the national Farmer Idea Exchange contest.

MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.



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Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Farmer Idea Exchange Award program coordinator Lori Chamberlain at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3234.

Victor Daniels, Jr. wins MFB Farmer Idea Exchange Award

GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 2, 2008 — Farmers are caring and nurturing people with high ethical standards, and nowhere is this more apparent than on the Arenac County dairy farm of Victor Daniels, Jr.

For Daniels, of Sterling, “assisting downed cows in a timely and humane fashion is a top priority,” and that conviction inspired him to develop what he calls a “Hip Lift Swivel.”

In instances where a cow slips and falls on wet pavement, or some other circumstance, Daniels’ device gently lifts the animal to its feet so that the cow, which can weigh as much as 1,500 pounds, can regain its footing. If a cow is completely lame due to broken bones or some other ailment, the Hip Lift Swivel gently lifts and then lowers the animal onto a sled, allowing the cow to be moved for medical treatment elsewhere.

In recognition of his ingenuity, the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is honoring Daniels with the organization’s 2008 Farmer Idea Exchange Award. Presented annually, the Farmer Idea Exchange Award encourages and recognizes new concepts in agriculture by honoring the innovators themselves. Daniels received the award Dec. 2 at MFB’s 89th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids.

Daniels has used the Hip Lift Swivel on five cows over the last two years. Four of the five cows recovered and returned to the herd after a short period of rehabilitation, he said.

The Farmer Idea Exchange Award also recognizes innovations that can be easily adapted on other farms. In Daniels’ case, the Hip Lift Swivel is used to attach a cow hip lift to a skid steer loader, both standard pieces of equipment on dairy farms. The device slides over the skid steer’s pallet forks, and the built-in swivel action allows a cow to rotate as it is lifted without bumping into the skid steer.

In all, minimal parts were required to build the device, and it only took about three hours of labor to weld and paint, according to Daniels. He adds that the device enables the farm to assist a downed cow in any area of the farm that is accessible to a skid steer loader.

MFB selected Daniels from award entries received from across the state. His application has been submitted to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration in the national Farmer Idea Exchange contest.

MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.



-30-

Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Farmer Idea Exchange Award program coordinator Lori Chamberlain at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3234.

Victor Daniels, Jr. wins MFB Farmer Idea Exchange Award

GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 2, 2008 — Farmers are caring and nurturing people with high ethical standards, and nowhere is this more apparent than on the Arenac County dairy farm of Victor Daniels, Jr.

For Daniels, of Sterling, “assisting downed cows in a timely and humane fashion is a top priority,” and that conviction inspired him to develop what he calls a “Hip Lift Swivel.”

In instances where a cow slips and falls on wet pavement, or some other circumstance, Daniels’ device gently lifts the animal to its feet so that the cow, which can weigh as much as 1,500 pounds, can regain its footing. If a cow is completely lame due to broken bones or some other ailment, the Hip Lift Swivel gently lifts and then lowers the animal onto a sled, allowing the cow to be moved for medical treatment elsewhere.

In recognition of his ingenuity, the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is honoring Daniels with the organization’s 2008 Farmer Idea Exchange Award. Presented annually, the Farmer Idea Exchange Award encourages and recognizes new concepts in agriculture by honoring the innovators themselves. Daniels received the award Dec. 2 at MFB’s 89th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids.

Daniels has used the Hip Lift Swivel on five cows over the last two years. Four of the five cows recovered and returned to the herd after a short period of rehabilitation, he said.

The Farmer Idea Exchange Award also recognizes innovations that can be easily adapted on other farms. In Daniels’ case, the Hip Lift Swivel is used to attach a cow hip lift to a skid steer loader, both standard pieces of equipment on dairy farms. The device slides over the skid steer’s pallet forks, and the built-in swivel action allows a cow to rotate as it is lifted without bumping into the skid steer.

In all, minimal parts were required to build the device, and it only took about three hours of labor to weld and paint, according to Daniels. He adds that the device enables the farm to assist a downed cow in any area of the farm that is accessible to a skid steer loader.

MFB selected Daniels from award entries received from across the state. His application has been submitted to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration in the national Farmer Idea Exchange contest.

MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.



-30-

Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Farmer Idea Exchange Award program coordinator Lori Chamberlain at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3234.