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Hendrickson Dairy Find Their Niche In The Dairy Market

November 2, 2021

QLF customers Joel & Amanda Hendrickson were featured at the 2021 World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI this past month and gave attendees a virtual tour of their dairy farm and creamery.  What makes this farm unique?  They are milking 100% A2,A2 dairy cows and processing A2 milk in their own creamery on the farm.

Joel Hendrickson is a fifth generation farmer who is located in northern Minnesota.  In 2017, Joel and Amanda Hendrickson conducted DNA testing on their herd and found that 60% of the herd were A2A2.  The Hendricksons made the decision to start culling out the A1 cows in their herd and began purchasing all A2A2 cows. What does this mean?  Most cows produce A1 & A2 protein milk.  Typically A1 protein is the protein that causes discomfort for people that have an intolerance to casein.  Many people who have issues drinking conventional milk can drink A2 milk.

In 2019, the Hendricksons started building their own creamery to process milk from the dairy.  Ten Finns Creamery found a niche market in the dairy industry and now manufactures and markets non-homogenized A2A2 whole milk, chocolate milk (which they use real cane sugar) and butter.  Right now their dairy products are being marketed through many food markets in the MN area.  The family is excited to return the ability for consumers with milk sensitivities to enjoy “real” milk!  The Hendrickson’s are a true representation of a “family” farm.  Not only is the farm a business but a way of life, everyone helps with the feeding, milking and bedding the cows.

The Hendricksons started feeding a QLF Optimizer product in the spring of 2012.  Joel Hendrickson stated he like using QLF Custom Optimizer because he liked the convenience of not dealing with bags and likes that his mineral and vitamins are delivered through the liquid.  He also likes the consistency that his QLF product brings to the diet.  He finds it is easier to transition into new feeds that they have available on the farm.  At one point the farm was running low on their QLF product and Joel decided to cut his feeding rate for the QLF in half and up the starch, he wanted the cows to tell him if they needed the QLF supplement.  Within a week they lost 6#’s of milk so he started feeding his QLF at the previous rate and his milk came back.  The cows had spoken!

To view the Hendrickson’s Virtual Farm Tour click here!

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