August 2022 Vol. 1
Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®
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BE A PART OF BUILDING STRONGER RURAL COMMUNITIES through learning and shared discussion of important issues during the ACE Twilight Meetings planned for Aug. 29, 30, 31 and Sept. 1, as detailed below. Each event starts with a dairy tour at 6 p.m., followed by ice cream and a discussion of shared issues like water, conservation, transportation and more.
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Monday, Aug. 29 - Vernon County
Wall-Stone Holsteins LLC
S7414 Fortner Road
DeSoto, WI 54624
Tuesday, Aug. 30 - Buffalo County
Bragger Family Dairy
W89 Pape Valley Road
Independence, WI 54747
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Wednesday, Aug. 31 - Clark County
JTP Farms
W1202 County Road A
Dorchester, WI 54425
Thursday, Sept. 1 - Dodge County
McFarlandale Dairy LLC
N302 County Road K
Watertown, WI 53098
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Make plans to attend and invite your neighbors, community leaders and local elected officials, too. – and please RSVP in advance.
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ARE YOU READY FOR A TRIP OF A LIFETIME? Join PDPW for an incredible adventure to Australia in March 2023. The 13-day trip includes traveling along the Australian coast to explore the Great Barrier Reef, visiting Australian dairy farms, walking the famous Bondi Beach, seeing a coffee plantation, and much more. With the perfect combination of agriculture and adventure, you will experience Australia like never before. An optional extension to Tasmania for four days is also available.
The cost for the international tour to Australia (March 18, 2023 - April 1, 2023) is $8,995 per traveler. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot. The additional cost for the Australia + Tasmania international tour (March 18, 2023 - April 4, 2023) is $2,295 per traveler. A $750 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot.
Space is limited; call today to reserve your seat. Contact Julie Gabris at PDPW by calling 800.947.7379 or emailing mail@pdpw.org.
To see the full itinerary and to register online, click here.
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NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS MAY HELP COWS WITH MILK PRODUCTION DURING HEAT STRESS. A study published in the Journal of Dairy Science reported that dairy cows can develop gut permeability, or leaky gut, after only three days of heat stress. The study found that supplementing with organic acids and pure botanicals could increase food intake and milk production, restoring about 3kg per day.
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EARLY COLOSTRUM HAS IMPACT ON EXTERNAL UMBILICAL INFECTIONS IN CALVES, according to research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Researchers conducted a study to determine if a single dose of a 7% iodine tincture to the umbilicus of calves shortly after birth could reduce infections but found no impact. However, the study found that the risk of infection was significantly reduced when calves received colostrum sooner after birth.
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BEING A “COW WHISPERER” STARTS WITH OBSERVATION SKILLS. The ability to recognize changes in behavior is key to managing cattle, especially when moving dairy cattle to regular activities like milking, herd health and more. An article from the University of Kentucky Extension highlights several tips to remember when working with dairy cattle:
- First experiences must be positive; cattle remember negative experiences
- Some cows are more outgoing than others
- Cattle see and react to small changes
- Cattle like sure footing
- Cattle walk slowly with their head down
Read the full article for more tips and suggestions to share with your team.
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ESTABLISHING A STRONG EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH EMPLOYEES can inspire a team and drive better results. Leaders can harness the power of emotional connections by cultivating the energy that comes from enthusiasm and anger. Accessing this energy can only happen when leaders understand what is behind these emotions. The article suggests whenever you need to add positivity to the workplace, ask yourself how it can connect to a greater outcome. When anger arises, take a breath and ask yourself to identify if you are angry, afraid, distressed, or worried. Utilizing these emotional tools can help build trust and collaboration among teams while providing the opportunity for candid conversations on effort, mistakes and more.
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MANAGING EARNINGS IN 2022 TO IMPACT 2023 AND BEYOND, is on the top of mind for many producers as milk prices continue to be strong even with increasing input costs. An article from Cornell University PRO-DAIRY highlights the questions asking how to ensure that each operation is positioning itself to improve its financial health and prepare for when prices decrease.
The key questions to ask include:
- What can be done over the remainder of this year that will increase profit generation through increased production or lower costs in 2022 and beyond?
- What can be done over the remainder of the year to increase the businesses’ ability to meet cash commitment challenges during the next low earnings cycle?
Read the full article to learn more, including how to improve the financial health of a business with the five uses of cash.
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THINKING ABOUT STARTING A VALUE-ADDED DAIRY BUSINESS? While opportunities continue to grow for value-added businesses, the logistical, marketing and regulatory hurdles make it a challenge for many producers. Penn State Extension has compiled several resources, including fact sheets and short videos to help outline business opportunities and considerations, marketing, selecting a product, specialty and niche markets and more.
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KEEP TUNING IN TO THE DAIRY SIGNAL. In its third year of bringing valuable information to the dairy industry, The Dairy Signal™ continues to bring together leading experts across dairy and agricultural industries, universities, government and regulatory associations for insights on the most pressing issues in today’s marketplace. The 60-minute sessions air every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with recorded episodes available for free at pdpw.org. Click here to find archived recordings of sessions.
Presenters and topics covered recently include:
Take a deep dive into the production life span of a dairy cow and how it should impact managing a dairy farm and heifer numbers. Discussions explored the typical age at which a dairy cow begins to make a profit, the optimal number of replacement heifers for a herd and culling factors that lower production life span.
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Dr. Gavin Staley, Technical Services Specialist, Diamond V
Hear from a panel of successful dairy producers about their hiring and onboarding processes, qualifications for new employees, resources for finding new employees and the ongoing protocols once the right person is hired.
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Jordan Matthews, Partner, Rosy-Lane Holsteins LLC, Watertown, Wis.
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Tyler Raatz, Feed Manager/Employee Leader, Wagner Farms Inc., Oconto Falls, Wis.
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Jim Kusilek, Owner, Four Mile Creek Dairy, Rice Lake, Wis.
Stay on top of ever-changing industry, export and market news with an update on the trends that will impact your farm through the rest of 2022.
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Ben Buckner, Chief Grains Analyst, AgResource Company
Alternative feedstuffs such as non-consumable food items are a hot topic as dairy producers look to make the most of potential ration ingredients while maintaining production, cow health and profitability. Learn how to incorporate these alternative feedstuffs into rations and understand how cattle can break these items down.
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Dr. Gail Carpenter, Assistant Professor of Extension and Outreach, Dairy Production, Iowa State University
With seven months of 2022 behind us, hear about strategies to successfully navigate your dairy business through an environment of both high milk prices and high input costs, and look ahead at what may be in store for the rest of the year.
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Will Babler, Principal, Atten Babler Commodities LLC
Dive into research about the role that activity monitoring systems on dairy farms can play in predicting fertility as well as how these systems can be used to manage groups of cows based on their activity levels. This episode also featured a discussion comparing estrus detection programs with timed A.I. programs.
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Julio Giordano, Associate Professor-Dairy Cattle Biology and Management, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University
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WHAT DOES CARBON NEUTRAL MEAN? While “carbon neutral” claims have become common use by companies, a survey showed that nearly six in 10 consumers don’t know what the term means or how to define it. Only 20 percent of survey respondents said they always or sometimes try to buy a product with a carbon neutral label. The confusion may stem from the different paths businesses have taken to achieve their carbon neutrality goals. Read more in the FoodDive article.
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SAFETY REFRESHER FOR SILAGE SEASON. Long hours and a focus on harvesting corn silage in a timely manner increase the risk of shortcuts and safety hazards during silage season. Take time to review key safety reminders with your entire team as the season begins, including safety around machinery and preventing tractor rollovers. Make sure everyone knows the danger of silo gases – nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide – that are a natural result of the ensiling process. Read the full list of tips and reminders from Ohio State Extension here. |
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MAKING OF A MANAGER: WHAT TO DO WHEN EVERYONE LOOKS TO YOU. The author shares her experiences and insights from becoming a new manager at age 25 and the learnings and challenges that come with managing teams. She shares everyday examples of how to build strong teams, tell a great manager from an average one, conduct interviews, hire new team members and more. Learn more here.
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PDPW educational calendar |
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August 29, 30, 31 & September 1
ACE® Twilight Meetings
DeSoto, Independence, Dorchester
& Watertown, WI
November 9-10
Financial Literacy for Dairy ®- Level 1
Juneau, WI
October 18-19
Herdsperson Workshop
October 25-27
Calf Care Connection©
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December 20-21
Dairy Managers Institute™
Wisconsin Dells, WI
March 14-15
Cornerstone Dairy Academy™
Wisconsin Dells, WI
March 15-16
Wisconsin Dells, WI
March 18-April 1
International Dairy Tour
Australia
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"Control your own destiny or someone else will." - Jack Welch |
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Professional Dairy Producers
820 North Main St.
Juneau, WI 53039
800-947-7379
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