PDPW Manager's Memo

December 2021 Vol. 1

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Opportunities to learn

Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals

Jan. 11-13, 2022

West Palm Beach, Fla.

BUILD FOUNDATION FOR SWEET SUCCESS with executive-level training that will take your operation to the next level at the 2022 PDPW Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals™ in West Palm Beach, Florida. The three-day program will feature sessions led by Michael Gunderson, Dan Basse, Mary Ledman and Linda Swindling. A “sweet” focus of this year’s program are the out-of-industry tours of Palm Beach Creamed Honey and the University of Florida Everglades Research and Education Center to learn about sugarcane. The discounted hotel rate is extended to Dec. 25, so reserve your spot today! More information and registration information available here.

Financial Literacy for Dairy

Level 2: Jan. 19-20, Feb. 9-10, Mar. 2-3

Level 3: Mar. 23-24

Juneau, Wis.

NEW YEAR, NEW FOCUS ON FINANCIALS. Don’t miss your opportunity to start 2022 on the best financial foot with Level 2 and Level 3 of Financial Literacy for Dairy® programs. The multi-level, multi-session financial development program provides dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and other agribusiness professionals a solid financial foundation that stretches their thinking to broader concepts. Level 2 sessions will be trained by Gary Sipiorski and Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, and Level 3 session will be trained by Dick Wittman. Space is limited to 30 attendees per level and pre-assessment is required to complete registration. More information is available here.

Nexus

March 16-17, 2022

Wisconsin Dells, Wis

Present your great idea for dairy on the Nexus stage. PDPW’s Nexus™ is a venue for companies to showcase their cutting-edge technologies to the industry’s most forward-thinking dairy farmers. Those chosen as finalists will receive 15 minutes of stage time at the 2022 PDPW Business Conference, scheduled for March 16-17, 2022, at Kalahari Resorts, Wisconsin Dells. Dairy farmer attendees will then have five minutes to engage in Q&A with the presenter for more details. For the opportunity to describe how your product, idea or service can accelerate the way today’s dairy producers operate, apply here by January 17, 2022.

For a glimpse of the 2021 debut of Nexus and finalists, watch this short video. See the PDPW Nexus webpage to apply and for more details.

2022 Cornerstone Dairy Academy

March 15-16, 2022

Wisconsin Dells, Wis

PDPW Prime Exhibitors are leading dairy-industry companies and service providers. We’ll continue to highlight several exhibitors in upcoming editions.

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

Click here to view all PDPW Prime exhibitors

Central Life Sciences

CentralStar Cooperative

Compeer Financial

Complete Fencing

CP Feeds

Quality Roasting, Inc.

R&D Life Sciences

Rabo AgriFinance

Riesterer & Schnell, Inc.

Roach & Associates

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE JAN. 31 for this dynamic leadership training that will equip producers and industry professionals with the tools to effectively communicate, collaborate and lead others. Accepted applicants can choose from three learning pillars: Influential Leaders, Visionary Leaders, and Servant Leadership. Each is led by world class facilitators with top notch networking opportunities. Learn more and complete application here.

INNOVATORS, LEADERS, RESEARCHERS AND EXPERTS ARE HEADED FOR THE 2022 PDPW BUSINESS CONFERENCE. Looking for bold ideas and big results? Make plans to join the annual gathering of the brightest minds in dairy at the Kalahari Resorts in Wisconsin Dells, March 16-17, 2022. In addition to the latest in technologies, innovations and strategies to boost your business success, there will be previews of upcoming research, networking, sessions for youth and more. Invest in yourself with two days away from your dairy and network with leading experts. Stay tuned to pdpw.org for more information and exciting announcements as they become available. And consider treating your family to some well-deserved leisure time at the water park!

For your dairy

THE IMPACT OF COMPETITION AND PREVIOUS FEEDINGS on how weaned calves eat was the subject of research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Calves in the preweaning period were provided only pelleted starter, starter and forage in separate buckets and starter and forage mixed together. After weaning and being moved into group housing, calves provided only starter, consumed longer, less frequent meals than calves provided forage in any form, and they had tendency to eat less feed compared with calves previously provided starter and hay separately. In addition, researchers observed 34% of calves stole feed from another calf’s bin at least once and 64% of calves were stolen from at least once. Read more here.

USING APPROPRIATE PAIN CONTROL WHEN DISBUDDING CALVES, as outlined in a protocol with a farm’s veterinarian, is expected as part of the FARM Animal Care version 4.0 that went into effect in January 2020. A fact sheet from UW Extension outlines proper procedures and pain control protocols for disbudding with caustic paste or hot iron. Both the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association have published statements that indicate providing pain relief is now considered the standard of care – ideally combining a local nerve block such as lidocaine plus an NSAID such as meloxicam. Read the fact sheet and see results from a cross-sectional study about Wisconsin farm practices.

For your business mind

REVIEWING FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF TRANSITION-PERIOD DISEASES can provide new insights into the importance of disease prevention on dairy farms. An article from Penn State Extension reviewing USDA data shows that 73% of cows removed from dairy herds each year are removed for biological reasons – many of which can be reduced or prevented. In addition, treating these diseases can have significant direct and indirect costs. For example, mastitis is the top biological reason cows are removed from the herd; the disease represents a cost ranging between $325 and $457 per cow. Read the full article to review the costs of key transition diseases and tips for preventing each.

RISK-MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE POSITIVE for dairy producers as we move into 2022. In a recent episode of The Dairy Signal™, Will Babler, principal at Atten Babler Commodities LLC, talked through current situations in dairy markets, exports and input costs. While providing options for producers to consider, he noted that in a volatile inflationary environment it is critical to maintain as much revenue upside as possible to help offset rising input costs. Recognizing there are no guarantees that feed costs and milk prices will be correlated – especially in the short run – he highlighted positive opportunities with the Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) tool to protect against lower revenue with a subsidized, low-cost premium. Learn more by watching the full episode.

CONSIDER “REHIRING” YOUR EMPLOYEES EACH YEAR. An article from Fast Company provides tips on how to have a great year-end discussion with employees, including starting with the mindset that you’re rehiring each one. Encourage them to pursue continued growth, opportunity and value in their role and the organization, and outline to each of them why they are needed on your team. Other tips include:

Ask each employee to share their reflections of the year, what they’re most proud of and in what ways they’re interested in growing and developing.
Ask them to describe their best day at work in the past year and how you can create more of those days together in the upcoming year.
Inquire how the employee can grow and contribute their strengths more frequently.
Review areas for them to develop.

Read the full article for more tips and details.

The Dairy Signal

TUNE INTO THE DAIRY SIGNAL EACH WEEK. Join leading experts across dairy and agricultural industries, government and regulatory associations and universities for insights on the most pressing issues in today’s marketplace. The educational sessions air every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with recorded versions available for free at pdpw.org. Click here to find archived recordings of sessions.

Presenters and topics covered recently include:

Nov. 30

There’s a paradigm shift underway in nutrient management in agriculture. Learn about worm-powered wastewater treatment, carbon credits, capturing more value from waste, having a positive impact on land, water and air quality, and more.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, PhD, Professor and Air Quality Extension Specialist at University of California-Davis

Austin Allred, owner, Royal Dairy, Royal City, Wash.

Dec. 1

Tune in for an update on what’s happening at the national level on key dairy industry issues and take a look ahead at what could impact dairy producers in 2022.

Jim Mulhern, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Milk Producers Federation

Dec. 2

As we wrap up 2021, our financial-management experts share tips on concluding 2021 strong; they also offer an outlook for 2022 cash flows.

Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, Professor of Agribusiness at University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Agriculture and Farm Management Specialist with UW-Extension and Center for Dairy Profitability

Gary Sipiorski, Independent Business and Financial Consultant

Dec. 7

Hear an update from the food bank network on supplies of dairy products and other food items for the holiday season and discover ways to support local food pantries now and throughout the entire year.

Sam Schwoeppe, Senior Account Manager for Feeding America

Dec. 8

Tune in for strategies and watchouts for risk management in the coming year, and gain an understanding of forward contracting opportunities and risks with various commodities.

Will Babler, Principal, Atten Babler Commodities LLC

Dec. 9

Gain insights on the latest news and analysis of agricultural markets and trends that will impact dairy producers and ag industry in the bi-weekly update.

Dan Basse, Economist and President of AgResource Company

Dairy currents

CONSUMERS SHARE PRICE POINTS AT WHICH THEY’LL STOP BUYING certain grocery products in a recent survey. Milk, bread, meat, coffee and other staples had the lowest price sensitivity, with consumers saying milk could rise an average of 52.4% before they’d stop buying it. Sweets and snacks had the highest price sensitivity. Survey respondents also said they’re open to switching brands to pay less for many of the goods they purchase. Read more in the full article.

HIGHER MILK PRICES, RISING INPUTS, SLOWING EXPORT DEMAND AND INFLATION are part of the picture for today’s global dairy market. “Teetering on the Edge,” Rabobank’s Global Dairy Quarterly report for quarter four of 2021, outlined an expected 0.3% decrease in milk production in the Big-7 exporting regions. This marks the first quarterly year-on-year decrease since 2019. Though dairy prices to consumers have not experienced inflation like many other products in 2021, it’s expected that higher commodity prices will soon be passed through to consumers. Read more here.

THE US FDA HAS ANNOUNCED a new Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement plan designed to speed communications around food-safety investigations. The plan includes:

Processes that better utilize tech-enabled product tracebacks
Stronger protocols for conducting root-cause investigations of outbreaks
Working relationships with CDC, USDA-FSIS and other health partners to identify reoccurring, emerging and persistent strains of pathogens; and facilitated sharing of that data
Make operational improvements such as streamlining the internal process used to make field assignments and information requests and create performance measures to better evaluate the timeliness and effectiveness of outbreak and regulatory investigation activities.