August 2023 Vol. 2
Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®
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PDPW educational calendar |
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The 2023-2024 PDPW educational calendar is here! Check out the calendar for all upcoming programs and updates. You can also find more information on programs coming soon below.
To view the full list of PDPW programs, view the educational calendar here.
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Stride Youth Leadership Conference
September 23, 2023
Madison, Wis.
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ARE YOUR STUDENTS REGISTERED? The 2023 Stride Youth Leadership Conference is the can’t miss event of the year for students ages 15-18 to learn about opportunities in dairy and the agriculture sector. Hosted on the campus of University of Wisconsin-Madison, students will explore food science, animal science and soil science in hands-on labs, and will spend an unforgettable day stepping into leadership by learning how to effectively take initiative, understand the influence they have on others, and identify traits of impactful people.
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Herdsperson Workshop
Oct. 11, 12
Arlington, Marshfield, Wis.
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The 2023 PDPW Herdsperson Workshop will take on today's most challenging cow-side topics with leading industry experts. English and Spanish-speaking herdspersons, dairy managers, nutritionists and veterinarians are invited to two reoccurring workshops on Wednesday, October 11 in Arlington, Wis., and Thursday, October 12 in Marshfield, Wis., from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This high-level workshop will provide seasoned herd managers and dairy professionals with new insights and skills to better manage their herds.
Learn more and register here.
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Calf Care Connection®
Oct. 17, 18, 19
Arlington, Kewaunee, Eau Claire, Wis.
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Advance your calf knowledge at the PDPW Calf Care Connection® training. This workshop will be taught in English with simultaneous Spanish translation for calf care managers, calf feeders and team members looking to grow their skillset by learning from industry experts. These workshops will repeat in three locations on Oct. 17, 18 and 19, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in Arlington, Kewaunee and Eau Claire, Wis.
Learn more and register here.
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Financial Literacy for Dairy®
Level One – Nov. 8-9 and Dec. 6-7
Level Two – Jan. 17-18, Feb. 7-8 and Feb. 28-29
Level Three – Mar. 20-21
Juneau, Wis.
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MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND 2023-24 FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR DAIRY programs. There has never been a more critical time for dairy producers to know the numbers for their business and understand how to use those numbers to make decisions and investments for the future. The three levels of training are designed specifically for the dairy and facilitated by industry experts Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, Gary Siporski, and Dick Wittman.
Learn more and register here.
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Dairy Managers Institute®
December 12-13, 2023
Juneau, Wis.
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NAIL YOUR MANAGEMENT APPROACH with skills and strategies from the 2023 Dairy Managers Institute. Make plans now to attend one of the year’s most impactful programs for managers, featuring three tiers of interactive leadership training facilitated by industry experts Dr. Becky Stewart-Gross, Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, Michael Hoffman, and Linda Swindling. The two-day program will be held Dec. 12-13, 2023, at PDPW Headquarters in Juneau, Wis., with all three tiers offered in Spanish.
Learn more and register here.
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DAIRY ADVANCE® CREDITS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE DAIRY SIGNAL
PDPW members know that continuing education is key to personal development and business success in today’s dairy industry. Episodes of The Dairy Signal® educational webinars are now accredited through Dairy AdvanCE® (DACE). Dairy professionals are now able to earn up to 0.5 DACE continuing education units for each episode of The Dairy Signal by watching a live or recorded episode and completing a brief online quiz as proof of participation.
Dairy AdvanCE is an online continuing education management tool for dairy farmers and other professionals that simplifies finding, tracking and managing continuing education units (CEUs). Click here to learn more. Farmers and students are eligible for a free subscription; allied industry professionals can subscribe for a one-time fee of $75.
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THE IMPACT OF DAY AND NIGHT COOLING STRATEGIES to relieve heat stress was the focus of research conducted in Australia and published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Researchers assigned 120 cows to one of two treatments over 106 days: day cooling and enhanced day and night cooling strategies. They observed feed intake, rumen temperature and cow activities as well as milk production. The group of cows with enhanced cooling showed greater daily milk yield over the entire study. During the most severe heat wave, milk yield for the two groups was similar, but over the six days following the heat wave, the enhanced cooling group showed higher milk production.
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DRY PERIOD NUTRITION CAN IMPACT IMMUNE SYSTEM AND MASTITIS occurrence during the transition period and throughout a cow’s lactation. An article from Penn State Extension reviews that mastitis occurs from a bacterial invasion of the mammary gland when the immune system is either weakened or overwhelmed. The immune system is sensitive to the animal’s nutritional status and several nutrients including vitamin E, selenium, zinc and vitamin A have been well-documented to impact the immune system. A focused nutrition and feeding management throughout the dry period along with good cow comfort, feeding management and methods to reduce behavioral and environmental stressors can work together to reduce mastitis cases and severity in the transition period. Read more here.
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WHY DO COWS PRODUCE LESS COLOSTRUM DURING THE FALL AND WINTER? An article from Michigan State Extension reviews the observations and research showing a drop in colostrum production in winter months, but notes that little is known about the causes. One theory is the association between photoperiod length and the variation of hormones like melatonin and prolactin. On days with less daylight, melatonin concentrations are high and could inhibit the release of prolactin and IGF-1, which are essential for lactation and lower levels could explain lower colostrum production. More studies are required to confirm this theory. The full article outlines strategies for managing during lower colostrum months to ensure adequate transfer of passive immunity and calf health.
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CONTACT PREMIER DAIRY SUPPLIERS WITH PDPW PRIME® to find seasonal specials offered by leading dairy-industry companies and service providers. PDPW Prime companies represent a multitude of allied industry organizations, including businesses representing animal health, artificial insemination, buildings and facilities, crops, feed and feed additives, implements and equipment, milk handling equipment and more.
Make pdpw.org/prime your one-stop shop to take the hassle out of finding an industry professional for the services and resources you need.
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STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING A MICROMANAGER can help work through a situation that can be difficult or stressful. A survey noted that as many as 59% of people have reported working for a “micromanager” that has a tendency to be overly involved or undermines decision making. Strategies to respond constructively to the situation can include:
1. Don’t take it personally
2. Be realistic
3. Share your experience
4. Communicate proactively
Read the full article for details and additional strategies.
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RESOURCES FOR FUNDING RENEWABLE ENERGY and improving energy efficiency on the farm are available from a number of sources. UW Extension has created a chart outlining opportunities for funding in three programs – Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), Focus on Energy, and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) – that can be use on projects including solar, battery storage, biofuels, and wind power, or EEI projects like efficient lighting systems, building controls, heat pumps, ventilation, and much more. The programs are complimentary and can be stacked along with grants, rebates and low-cost, long-term financing. Learn more here.
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AGRICULTURE RESCUE TRAINING SET FOR OCT. 20-21. A unique and important opportunity is available for emergency responder personnel to learn about and prepare for farm situations. Two days of live presentations and hands-on trainings are planned for the event. Hands-on workshops will include farm familiarization, tractor rollover, silo rescue, grain bin rescue, equipment extrication, and large animal technical rescue. The Friday, Oct. 20, session will be held both virtually and in-person at Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, and the Saturday, Oct. 21, session will be held at Heiman Holsteins dairy farm. Learn more here and share this opportunity with your community’s emergency response teams.
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CONNECT WITH EXPERTS, LEARN FROM PEERS. Three days a week, The Dairy Signal® connects you with leading experts across dairy and agricultural industries to researchers at universities and government agencies to bring updates on the trends and topics that will affect your dairy business. The 60-minute sessions air every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with recorded episodes available at www.pdpw.org. Click here to tune in to archived sessions.
Presenters and topics covered recently include:
Tune in for a look at nutrient management plans and how producers can effectively implement effective strategies and practices in their plans.
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Daniel Smith, Southwest Regional Agronomist, Nutrient and Pest Management Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison
As summer winds down and attention turns to silage and fall harvest, an overview of fall weather and potential harvest conditions becomes important.
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Eric Snodgrass, Principal Atmospheric Scientist, Nutrien Ag Solutions
Don’t miss an update on the market trends, exports, weather and other news that could impact your operation the rest of 2023.
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Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst at AgResource
Because asset purchases are a significant expense, it’s critical for farmers to know which tools and technologies actually reduce costs. This session will dive into tips and tools farmers can use to analyze asset purchases and costs on their farm to become more cost efficient.
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Dr. Brady Brewer, PhD, assistant professor, Agricultural Economics Department, Purdue University
Tune in for a timely discussion on managing corn through harvest and optimizing harvest under a wide range of crop conditions, including timing of silage harvest, late-season adjustments, and protecting nutritional quality. Presenters will also discuss alfalfa quality and late-season considerations.
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Dr. John Goeser, PhD, Director of Nutritional Research & Innovation, Rock River Lab, Inc., and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Todd Schaumburg, Part Owner and Agronomist, Tilth Agronomy
How are consumers addressing higher beef prices at grocery stores and restaurants? Hear about consumer trends as well as supply and demand for beef and other grocery staples at the retail level.
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Mike Simone, Executive Director, Market Research and Intelligence, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
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Brandon Scholz, President and CEO of the Wisconsin Grocers Association
Explore some tried-and-true tactics for building a productive workplace environment with a focus on alleviating the negative effects caused by team members who chronically complain and drain energy of their co-workers.
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Linda Swindling, Founder & CEO of JourneyOn
Take a deep dive into genetic selection for health traits in dairy cattle, including what specific genetic codes mean and which producers should be selecting – and avoiding – when making genetic selection decisions.
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Daniel Weigel, PhD, Outcomes Research, Zoetis
As summer winds down, tune in for an interactive discussion on trends in dairy exports, markets, weather and other factors heading into harvest season.
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Dan Basse, President of AgResource Company
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ONLINE SHOPPING HELPS PARENTS MANAGE THEIR SCHEDULES, according to research from FMI’s “Back to School” report. More than 40% of parents reported using online grocery shopping more often than a year ago, and as a group, parents are more likely to use online shopping than consumers as a whole – 24% compared to 12%. In addition, consumers are more likely to eat at home this year than last year, with 63% of parents and 59% of shoppers responding this way. Read more here.
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DAIRY PRODUCTS PLAY IMPORTANT ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION. As today’s consumers include sustainability-related factors in their food choices, the dairy industry has a positive and innovative story to tell. While consumers typically focus on environmental sustainability, sharing information about the dairy industry contributes to address the health of people and communities. Dairy foods are key because they are nutrient-dense, provide essential nutrients needed throughout the lifespan, and contain other diverse bioactive compounds embedded within their unique food matrix. Read more about the sustainability story of today’s dairy industry here.
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WRAP UP THE SUMMER WITH SAFE GRILLING. As Labor Day nears, so does the traditional end of the summer season. Enjoy grilling the flavors of the summer, but keep in mind food safety tips for grilling and keeping foods cool.
- Wash your hands before handling any foods, and especially after handling raw meat.
- Use different cooking utensils for handling raw meat and cooked meat at the grills.
- Cook everything to a safe internal temperature.
- Cold foods should be stored below 40°F and hot foods should be kept warmed to a temperature above 140°F.
- Any food kept in the “danger zone” temperature range for more than two hours should be discarded.
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“What is now proved was once only imagined.” –William Blake |
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September 23
Stride Youth Leadership Conference
Madison, Wis.
October 11, 12
Herdsperson Workshop
October 17, 18, 19
Calf Care Connection®
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November 8-9
Financial Literacy for Dairy®- Level 1
Juneau, Wis.
December 13-14
Dairy Managers Institute®
Juneau, Wis.
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Professional Dairy Producers
820 North Main St.
Juneau, WI 53039
800-947-7379
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