NEW PDPW OFFICER TEAM ANNOUNCED! Members of the 2023-2024 PDPW board of directors recently announced their new officer team.

Board members help facilitate the development of programs to bring cutting-edge research, elite training, peer-networking events and hands-on educational opportunities to the dairy industry. Involved in PDPW programs and committees, they also proactively seek leadership opportunities on non-PDPW committees in the dairy and agricultural industries. Learn more here.

Congratulations to Kathryn Elliott of Madison, Wis. for being among the graduates!

MEDIA TRAINING FOR DAIRY PRODUCERS will be held May 3, 10 and 18 in three locations across the state. This one-day program is designed to equip dairy producers with the tools they need to effectively craft and practice telling your story of sustainability in a way that resonates with the non-agricultural public.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR INTERNS will be held on Weds., July 26 at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., from 9am to 5pm. Designed to help prepare college students for success in agricultural careers, this one-day program will feature Dallas-based trainer Michael Hoffman of Igniting Performance, Inc, to show interns how they can distinguish themselves from the other students graduating alongside them. Watch www.pdpw.org for more details as they come. For now, spread the word and save the date.

UNDERSTANDING IMPACT OF SUBCLINICAL HYPOCALCEMIA ON REPRODUCTION was the focus of research published in JDS Communications. They collected data from 697 multiparous cows from four farms to evaluate blood total calcium the first five days in milk along with pregnancy to first service and hazard of pregnancy by 150 days in milk. The research showed that cows with subclinical hypocalcemia at four days in milk had lower odds of becoming pregnant to first service and showed that the negative effects of delayed or prolonged reductions in blood calcium can last well after the postpartum timeframe. Read the full article here.

RISING TEMPS CAN ALSO MEAN INCREASING SOMATIC CELL COUNTS. As spring arrives, hot temperatures of summer will soon follow. Having plans in place now to prevent heat stress can keep somatic cell counts in check. Since SCC tends to rise with temperature and humidity levels, consider taking these steps to reduce heat stress:

Read more in this article from Penn State Extension.

EARLY CALF CARE HAS LASTING IMPACTS ON PRODUCTION, according to an article from the University of Kentucky Extension. A young calf’s cells are programmed early on and can impact their ability to absorb nutrients and cell function throughout the remainder of their life. Take the following steps in the first two months to set the foundation for a healthy, productive lifespan:

Another critical factor to implement before calves are even born is keeping dry cows cool. Learn more about tips for accomplishing each practice here.

INCREASE RETENTION BY IMPROVING ONBOARDING EXPERIENCE for new farm employees. The first day of the job should include more than just filling out HR and payroll forms, especially when it’s already difficult to find and hire team members. An article from UW Extension shares five components of a sound onboarding plan for new employees:

Read the full article and download an “Onboarding New Employees Checklist” for more details. 

ASK THE RIGHT CARBON-MARKET QUESTIONS as you weigh options in this evolving space. A panel discussion at the 2023 PDPW Business Conference highlighted the growing opportunities and complexities of carbon marketplace for farmers. Ryan Stockwell, IndigoAg, shared a set of questions that should be the starting point for reviewing any program:

To gain more insights into the work of IndigoAg as it relates to agriculture, sustainability, and the carbon-market space, check out their blog here.

DO YOU HAVE A “TO DON’T” LIST? A never-ending “to-do” list is common for most managers, but a Harvard professor suggests that also creating a “to don’t” list will help identify those things causing you to be less productive or enjoy work less. The list could include “don’t complain” and “don’t schedule meetings or calls without a set agenda” for starters. For other ideas and to learn more, click here.

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE DAIRY SIGNAL? If you haven’t been tuning in, now’s a good time to catch up. (What? During the busy spring season?) All episodes of the Dairy Signal are archived in a video and audio format, and for those who still need to create agendas for team meetings, featuring a ready-made training segment from experts in the industry can be a huge time-saver. We’ll continue to air the 60-minute sessions live every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – but you might find the recorded episodes especially helpful when you’re burning the candle at both ends. Click here to find those recordings.

FOOD INFLATION AT HIGHEST LEVEL IN 40 YEARS, according to an article in Supermarket News. The U.S. Government’s Accountability Office released a report showing the annual increase from August 2021 to August 2022 was 11%, dramatically higher than the average increase of about 2%. The report highlighted geographies with highest and lowest price changes and noted the key factors driving changes were the COVID-19 pandemic, increased consumer demand, droughts in 2021, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus outbreak in 2022, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Read the full article for details.

GUT MICROBIOME PLAYS BIGGER ROLE IN HUMAN HEALTH than anyone thought, and scientists are continuing to expand their understanding. An article in Food Navigator highlights that each person’s microbiome is like an individual fingerprint and is different depending on your geography, exposure to pets and animals and much more. It also highlights the difference in labeling requirements between the U.S. and Europe for probiotics or products claiming to be good for gut health. Read more here.

REMEMBER TO STOCK FIRST-AID KITS in barns, vehicles and offices throughout the different locations on your dairy. Having a well-stocked first-aid kit can help you respond quickly to injuries and having appropriate supplies in several locations improves access and response speed. The Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center provides a list of items that should be in a basic kit that can be used to treat small wounds, stop bleeding, support a fracture or sprain, or preserve a severed limb. Spring is the perfect time to check and update the items in all the farm’s first aid kits. Click here for the list.

THE WISDOM OF THE BULLFROG: LEADERSHIP MADE SIMPLE. The title of “Bullfrog” is given to the Navy SEAL who has served the longest on active duty. Admiral William H. McRaven shares advice and leadership lessons from his four decades as a Navy SEAL in this book that covers crisis situations, management debates, organizational transitions, and ethical dilemmas. He draws on the leadership challenges he faced during such incidents as the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Phillips, and the raid for Osama bin Laden. Each chapter provides lessons on specific leadership traits that separate the good from the great.