PDPW Manager's Memo

September 2021 Vol. 1

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Opportunities to learn

PDPW Water Tours

Sept. 21, 22

Wausau, Barron, Wis.

REGISTER TODAY FOR A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK at how a variety of entities – farms, food processors, energy producers and more – are working to protect and preserve water quality and supply. The 2021 Water Tours program is designed for farmers, community leaders and elected officials to learn and share ideas with each other as they tour and participate in roundtable discussion. Bus transportation is provided each day with visits including dairy farms, ginseng producer, Bull Falls Brewery, Jennie-O Turkey plant, and Viresco energy production plant. Learn more and register here.

For your dairy

RECORD KEEPING AND MANAGEMENT ARE AT THE HEART of raising healthy calves, according to Dr. Daryl Nydam, Professor of Dairy Health and Production in the Ambulatory and Production Medicine and Quality Milk Production Services sections at Cornell University, and Faculty Director for the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. In a panel discussion with Dr. Franklyn Garry, DVM, Extension Specialist and Veterinarian, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University, Drs. Nydam and Garry shared practical tips and examples for tracking individual-calf health while also monitoring for disease trends across the herd. Key data to track include birthweight, amount and quality of colostrum received, the occurrence of dystocia during birth, health assessment on first day of life, weaning weight and more. Watch the episode for more details.

IMPACT OF ENERGY SOURCE OF MILK REPLACER ON CALVES’ GUT BARRIER FUNCTION was the focus of research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. While recent calf research has focused on feeding elevated planes of milk or milk replacer to improve preweaning growth performance, little consideration has been given to the macronutrient composition of the liquid feed. Compared to whole milk, milk replacer generally contains more lactose (approximately 43 versus 37% of dry matter) and less fat (21 versus 28% of dry matter). In work conducted at the Dairy Research and Technology Centre of the University of Alberta, Canada, researchers studied the gastrointestinal tract development of calves that were fed milk replacer with more fat instead of lactose to more closely mimic whole milk. In the study of 34 bull calves through day seven, results showed a possible benefit in GI tract development. However, the practice may also impair gut barrier function. Further research is needed to more fully understand how fat quantity and quality impacts GI tract development and other factors in calves. Read the full study for more details.

In upcoming editions of Manager’s Memo, we’ll highlight PDPW Prime Exhibitors. These leading dairy-industry companies and service providers work hard to supply the needs of forward-thinking, innovative dairy producers with quality products, services and customer support.

Thank you, PDPW Prime Exhibitors. We appreciate your continued support!

Click here to view all PDPW Prime exhibitors

4-D Ag World-Fashion

Acepsis, LLC

Advanced Comfort Technology/DDC Waterbeds

Ag-Bag by RCI

Agri-King Inc.

Wisconsin Beef Council

Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium

Worthington Industries

Zinpro

Zoetis

WATER QUALITY COULD IMPACT MILK PRODUCTION, according to research conducted by the Penn State Extension team. In a study of 243 dairy farms across 41 counties in Pennsylvania, they found that 26% of farms had at least one water-quality issue. These farms averaged 56 pounds per cow per day of milk production, compared to 62 pounds per day on farms with good-quality water. Potential water-quality issues include aesthetic pollutants such as iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide, as well as nitrates or heavy metals. Researchers noted that water quality is rarely the sole issue and likely integrates with management practices to impact production, but it is still a key factor to monitor and manage on dairies. Read more here.

For your business mind

THINKING ABOUT TAX PLANNING NOW can yield benefits at the end of the year. As summer wraps up and fall harvest nears, taxes may not be at the top of your list. However, it’s important to know the farm income you’ve already received, the income you expect to receive before year-end and when you’ll pay or pre-pay production expenses – a mid-year check is a critical piece of this planning. Other key steps in a mid-year review are to compare year-to-date results with the cash flow projections made at the start of the year and to decide on a depreciation schedule for any equipment purchases. Read the full article from Michigan State Extension for more tips and considerations.

MAKE THE MOST OF SILAGE HARVEST by accurately protecting quality and pricing. The University of Wisconsin Extension has created several tools to help producers as they harvest their own silage crop or purchase silage from other sources. A spreadsheet, apps and worksheet for hand calculations are available to assist in spot pricing for standing corn silage. Tips for estimating average dry-down per day, moisture testing, harvest strategies and optimal moisture content can also be found here, as can YouTube videos for predicting harvest and moisture level, equipment settings and safety, and processing, packing and storage safety.

USE EMAIL ETIQUETTE TO MAKE COMMUNICATIONS CLEARER AND MORE PROFESSIONAL. Research shows that the average U.S. worker spends a quarter of each week managing email communications. To help ensure your messages are read and acted upon, follow several basic rules of email etiquette, including:

Send emails with current, clear subject lines
Prioritize your inbox based on urgency
Don’t use email for serious or sensitive information
End the email chains simply and professionally
Don’t automatically reply to everyone on the email thread
Use classic, clean, easy-to-read font and avoid too many emojis or exclamation points

Read more about each of these tips in the full article.

The Dairy Signal

TUNE INTO THE DAIRY SIGNAL™ for topics covering your most relevant needs, including up-to-the-minute information and ongoing education. In partnership with fellow dairy producers and other experts across dairy and agricultural industries, the 60-minute episodes air from noon to 1 p.m. CT every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Recorded versions are available free in video and audio format at pdpw.org. Click here to find archived recordings of sessions.

Presenters and topics covered recently include:

Aug. 31

Healthy calves are the foundation of your herd. Find out what’s been affecting calves lately and what types of information are helpful for monitoring calf health and management including the birth certificates and mortality descriptions.

Dr. Daryl Nydam, Professor of Dairy Health and Production, Ambulatory and Production Medicine and Quality Milk Production Services, Cornell University, and Faculty Director for the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability
Dr. Franklyn Garry, DVM, Extension Specialist and Veterinarian with the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University

Sept. 1

Tune in for an overview of how the different weather patterns are affecting the United States and find out what’s in store for fall and winter.

Eric Snodgrass, Principal Atmospheric Scientist, Nutrien Ag Solutions

Sept. 2

Hear the bi-weekly update on the dairy markets and industry news, including impacts of weather, the pandemic and consumer demand for dairy products.

Dan Basse, Economist and President, AgResource Company

Sept. 7

Tune in for an update on dairy-promotion activities in several areas, including how programs are keeping dairy products at the forefront in schools and how dairy is penetrating international markets.

Amy Wagner, Executive Vice President, Global Innovation Partnerships, Dairy Management Inc.
Karen Doster, Director, Youth and School Programs, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin

Sept. 8

Banking and lending experts share their expertise and knowledge on industry trends from loans to inflation, refinancing and more, and the potential impact on today’s dairy operations.

Jim Moriarty, Director Dairy Lending and Dairy Consulting, Compeer Financial
Sam Miller, Managing Director, Group Head, Agricultural Banking, BMO Harris Bank
Tim McTigue, Senior Vice President of Ag Banking with Investors Community Bank

Sept. 9

Find out what’s new in the beef processing industry – we’ll talk about products, pricing, availability, exports and more.

Steve Van Lannen, President and Chief Operating Officer of American Foods Group

Dairy currents

PROTECT YOUR TEAM BY PREVENTING COMBINE FIRES during harvest season. Time is often tight during the busy harvest season, but taking precautions to prevent combine fires will save lives, equipment and crops. A study of 9,000 combine fires showed that 75% of fires start in the engine compartment, so keeping that and all other areas clean and free from crop residue and buildup of greasy and oily material is key. Exhaust components, faulty bearings, malfunctioning and damaged electrical systems can often be the source of a fire. Each grain combine should be equipped with at least two 10-pound ABC dry-chemical fire extinguishers. Read more combine safety tips from UW Extension in the full article.

ADOPT A COW ENROLLMENT OPEN FOR ADOPT-A-COW PROGRAM. Schools across the country can enroll in the Adopt-a-Cow program that allows students to follow the progress of a calf at a dairy farm. The program is free and includes photos of the cow, activity sheets for students and PowerPoint presentations, as well as a suggested lesson that follows Common CORE standards. Three Wisconsin dairy farms are participating in the program along with farms around the country. Learn more here and share the information with local schools in your area. You can also listen to a recent episode of The Dairy Signal™ to hear about the program and other dairy outreach in schools.

NEW INNOVATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES IN DAIRY PACKAGING are providing ways for dairy processors to meet consumer demands for smaller or single-serving portions while also addressing food safety concerns. The challenge for processors is identifying the equipment and options that are the best fit for their facilities and customer base. Sustainability of packaging options will be a key driver as well, with an emphasis on materials that can be recycled, reduce plastic usage or extend product life. Read the full article to learn more.

Book Review

MASTER MENTORS: 30 TRANSFORMATIVE INSIGHTS FROM OUR GREATEST MINDS

This book features highlights and key lessons from 30 top business leaders and thought leaders from their conversations on the Franklin Covey “On Leadership” podcast. The book provides focused and practical strategies for applying learnings to your own life or business, along with a question on which to reflect after each leader’s insights. Learn more here.