PDPW Manager's Memo

September 2022 Vol. 1

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Opportunities to learn

Dairy Managers Institute

Dec. 20-21, 2022

Wisconsin Dells, WI

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR 2022 DAIRY MANAGERS INSTITUTE. The most successful managers are those who thrive by helping their team members learn, prosper and grow. Make plans to attend the 2022 PDPW Dairy Managers Institute at Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., Dec. 20-21. The three-tier program features top notch facilitators including Dr. Becky Stewart-Gross, Michael Hoffman, Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, and Linda Swindling, with focus areas on leading and managing with insight, providing positively outrageous service, and mastering financials and negotiation.

Learn more and register here.

Financial Literacy for Dairy

Level One: Nov. 9-10 and Dec. 14-15

Level Two: Jan. 18-19, Feb. 8-9 and Mar. 1-2

Level Three: Mar. 22-23

Juneau, Wis.

BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR FINANCIAL SUCCESS by attending the 2022-23 PDPW Financial Literacy training series. This multi-level, multi-session financial development program was designed specifically for the dairy industry. This program gives dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and other professionals the tools to understand their numbers and make the best decisions for their business. All sessions are held at the PDPW Headquarters in Juneau, Wis., and registration is limited to 30 attendees per level to provide the best experience. A pre-assessment is required to place attendees in appropriate level.

Learn more here, including session dates, rates and other registration information.

Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals

Jan. 10-12, 2023

Savannah, Georgia

SAVE THE DATES FOR EXECUTIVE-LEVEL TRAINING, networking and industry tours at the 2023 PDPW Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals™ in Savannah, Georgia. This three-day program is designed for senior leaders, financial managers and those who need to plan for unanticipated events on the dairy.

Our world is experiencing seismic shifts that are disrupting business on every level. Experts Dr. Allan Gray, Dr. David Kohl and Dr. Ed Seifried will lead you through an exploration of how resilience is the difference between the companies that fall and those that demonstrate a remarkable ability to innovate, advance and even prosper. World-renowned and backed by decades of experience, your presenters will equip you with the tools and skills you need to position your dairy to withstand unforeseen challenges. As always, out-of-industry tours will be a defining feature of this can’t-miss program.

Hotel and registration information will be available at www.pdpw.org soon. Meanwhile, save the dates and plan to kick off your 2023 with resilience.

CHECK OUT THE 2022-23 PDPW PROGRAM CALENDAR for training opportunities for every member of your dairy team. With a variety of leadership and management programs, hands-on workshops and networking opportunities to learn from other forward-thinking farmers, there is something for everyone. Take a look at the 2022-23 PDPW Program Calendar today and we look forward to seeing you throughout the year.

For your dairy

ENRICHMENT ITEMS CAN BENEFIT CALVES, especially in individual housing, according to research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Researchers compared behaviors of 4-7 week old calves in both individual and pair housing when presented with stationary brushes, ropes, springs, nets filled with strawberry-scented hay, and dry teats on either a rotating or fixed basis. They found that the environment with multiple items on a fixed basis resulted in more item interactions and reduced non-nutritive oral behaviors. Nets of scented hay attracted the most interactions, including scratching, sniffing, sucking, butting, and hay intake.

Learn more in the full study.

KNOWING THE NUMBERS ON STALL USAGE in freestall barns can give you an idea of cow comfort. A Penn State Extension article shared several indexes that can be used to track stall usage over time, including:

Cow Comfort Index (CCI) – percentage of cows in contact with a freestall that are lying down
Stall Standing Index (SSI) – percentage of cows in contact with a freestall that are standing
Stall Use Index (SUI) – percentage of cows, not actively eating, that are lying down

More details and benchmarks for each index are in the article, with tips on ensuring that stalls are not only clean, but more importantly, clean and well-used.

OVERSTOCKING IMPACTS COW HEALTH, PERFORMANCE AND BOTTOM LINE on today’s dairy operations. An article from Michigan State Extension highlights that every hour of rest a dairy cow gets after the first seven hours results in 3.7 pounds of milk, and in overstocked barns, cows can prioritize rest over feeding which impacts eating behavior and rumination. Large, overstocked pens also increases the time needed to get a group through the milking parlor. Read the full article for more implications of overstocking and tips for managing groups and herd size for optimal performance.

For your business mind

STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING PERFECTIONISM can help leaders meet their own high expectations while still being realistic and efficient in accomplishing tasks. An article from Harvard Business Review shares insights on how working towards “good enough” instead of perfect can boost productivity and morale. Tips for managers include:

Design the right goals that are attainable, yet challenging
Recognize failure as part of the process
Cultivate mindfulness
Foster positive interpersonal relationships
Manage emotions

Learn more about each of these strategies in the full article.

PLAN NOW TO MANAGE YEAR-END STRESS. As calendar moves to fall, the pressure rises to finish to-do lists and meet goals set for the end of the year. Taking time now to acknowledge what is realistic and make choices on how to invest time and energy will help reduce stress as Dec. 31 nears. Also, taking advantage of small blocks of time to complete small tasks and conversations helps make the most of your time.

Learn more here.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DOING TODAY to make your farm business more resilient in the future? In a recent episode of The Dairy Signal, Gary Sipiorski and Dr. Kevin Bernhardt highlighted opportunities for dairies to use today’s profitable economic conditions to benefit the operation in the future. Conducting a farm audit will help identify where to invest your time, talent and treasure over the next year. An audit starts with reviewing opportunities to improve physical infrastructure that could boost productivity or reduce costs, as well as asking where efficiencies are being lost, what bottlenecks exist, and what has been successful. Watch the full episode to learn more about farm audits, as well as advice for finishing 2022 and planning ahead for 2023.

The Dairy Signal

TUNE INTO THE DAIRY SIGNAL™. Join leading experts across dairy and agricultural industries, universities, government and regulatory associations for insights on the most pressing issues in today’s marketplace. These 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:

September 1

As harvest season nears, join in the bi-weekly market update to hear how the latest news, weather, export and market happenings could impact the dairy industry and your farm.

Dan Basse, President of AgResource Company

September 6

Managing and maintaining manure storage is key to preventing manure spills and other issues. Learn about key management practices to avoid spills and what steps you should take if a spill does occur.

Kevin Erb, Director of the Conservation Professional Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension

September 7

Digital dermatitis is common, highly contagious and can have significant impact on cow health and lameness. Tune in to understand digital dermatitis, including what triggers it, how it appears on the farm and best management practices to manage it in individual cows and across your herd.

Dr. Dörte Döpfer, DVM, PhD, Professor, Food Animal Production Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine at UW-Madison

September 8

Take a deep dive into the value of dairy protein, glycomacropeptide (GMP), in curbing hunger and building bone density in this overview of research conducted through the Dairy Innovation Hub.

Dr. Denise Ney, Professor of Nutritional Sciences, UW-Madison

September 13

As we move into fall, it isn’t too early to think about setting your dairy up for success in the next calendar year. Understand factors and management steps that will impact dairy profitability for the remainder of 2022 and plan ahead for a profitable 2023.

Gary Sipiorski, independent business and financial consultant
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

September 14

Exports are key to the strength of U.S. dairy markets. Tune in to hear about work that the Wisconsin Export Council is doing, including target opportunities, successes and bottlenecks, as well as new development with the United Kingdom to receive shipments of Wisconsin dairy products.

Randy Romanski, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
Chad Vincent, CEO of Dairy Famers of Wisconsin

September 15

Hear the latest in dairy market news and trends and take a look ahead at what is in store for the last three months of 2022 in the bi-weekly market update.

Ben Buckner, Chief Grains and Dairy Analyst of AgResource Company

Dairy currents

DAIRY EXPORTS CONTINUE TO RISE, driven by strong sales of whey and lactose in July. The trend highlights U.S. exporter ability to meet the growing global demand in a challenging production and logistics environment, according to the U.S. Dairy Export Council. July sales volume was up 5% on a milk solids equivalent basis compared to 2020, and year to date sales through July are up 3% over the prior year. Read the full article for more details and global demand drivers.

HOW DID U.S. BECOME NATION OF SNACKERS?

Retail sales of snack foods continue to increase as consumers’ eating habits change. About 64% of consumers say they prefer eating several small meals throughout the day instead of the “three-meals-a-day” model that started during the Industrial Revolution. A CNN article highlights how changing work habits, packaging innovations, supermarket access, and a more mobile lifestyle have impacted how Americans eat.