August 2022 Vol. 2 Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Opportunities to learn

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR 2022-23 FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR DAIRY training series. This multi-level, multi-session financial development program was designed specifically for the dairy industry to give dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and other professionals a strong foundation and the tools they need to understand their numbers and make the best decisions for their business. All sessions are held at 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 the appropriate level.  Learn more here, including session dates, rates and other registration information.

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.

LEADING-EDGE INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATIONS ALL YEAR LONG is the goal of PDPW as dairy’s professional development organization. We’re excited to bring a full schedule of hands-on workshops, youth programming, out-of-state programs and industry-leading events for our solution-oriented farmers and professionals. Check out the 2022-23 PDPW Program Calendar today and we look forward to seeing you throughout the year.

For your dairy

DOES SOCIAL HOUSING IMPACT HOW CALVES INTERACT WITH HUMANS? This question was the focus of research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Researchers compared behaviors of two groups of 17 calves in either individual and pair housing with a human approach test in their home pen and again after being moved to group housing. Individually housed calves engaged in more human contact and human-directed non-nutritive oral behaviors in their home pens and researchers saw that behavior carried over once groups were combined. More research is required, but this study highlights possible long-term implications of calf housing for heifer management and welfare. Read more in the full study.

HEALING OF HOCK INJURIES DEPENDENT ON SEVERITY AND FACILITY ENVIRONMENT, according to research conducted at the University of Guelph. Researchers reviewed healing rates of hock injuries caused by abrasions from housing environments. They found that on average, moderate hock injuries with swelling between 1-2.5 cm and a lesion or scab on a bald area take two months to heal, depending on surroundings. They found that injuries were more likely to heal when cows were housed on pasture, followed by sand and packed bedding. Read more in the full article.

WEIGHING PROS, CONS AND PROFITABIILTY OF MIXING GRASS AND ALFALFA to increase forage NDF digestibility was the focus of a recent Michigan State Extension article. Nutritionally, mixing grass and alfalfa may increase the average ivNDFD of the forage, but is not likely to result in greater dry matter intake or milk production due to the longer retention of grasses in the rumen. Careful attention must also be paid to quality and nutritional value among harvests. The practice increases total forage production per acre, increases stand life, reduces nitrogen fertilizer costs for grasses and can have sustainability benefits, but also requires measures to prevent weed spread.  Learn more here.

For your business mind

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS CAN HELP FARM ENTREPRENEURS test out a business idea before investing time in developing a full business plan. A one-page matrix from UW Extension provides the questions and thought-starters to develop a value proposition and review both the supply and demand sides of a new concept, and help you gather valuable feedback and information and develop plans for the business. Read the full article and download the matrix template here.

WE RELY ON THE DATA IN OUR COMPUTERS, PHONES, and a variety of farm systems and programs for our business and personal lives, but that data is at constant risk to cybersecurity risks that threaten its confidentiality, integrity and availability. In a recent episode of The Dairy Signal, Jeremy Cherny, Founder and President of Tobin Solutions, shared tips and practices to protect our data and devices. Farms should have critical conversations with their teams and with technology providers to help determine protection and disaster recovery systems:  How current is your data at the backup or recovery site? How long should it take to bring a system back online once a disaster or incident happens? What is the total amount of time you can accept for an outage, considering all implications of that system? Watch the full episode for more information and tips on prevention.

“COPY AND PASTE” CAN BE A GREAT APPROACH to adopting new, healthier habits from friends, family and co-workers. We all have areas of our personal and professional lives that we’d like to improve, and an article from Inc. magazine suggests that finding ideas and habits that are working for acquaintances can be one of the easiest, most effective ways to change your own behavior. Whether it is getting organized, managing time, or getting healthier through exercise or better eating, look around for those who are already succeeding in that area and ask for advice!  Learn more in the full article.

The Dairy Signal

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, and 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:   August 16 Dig into the characteristics that make dairy herds profitable. Go beyond cow numbers and identify key areas throughout the farming operation that make a difference in the bottom line. Dr. Joleen Hadrich, PhD, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota   August 17 Take a close look at feed intake and feed efficiency, focusing on how dairies can do more with less. Learn how to measure feed intake and milk yield and put that information to work to benefit the operation. Dr. Heather White, PhD, Associate Professor of Nutritional Physiology of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Dr. Kent Weigel, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences, UW-Madison   August 18 Don’t miss the bi-weekly market update to gain valuable and timely insights on the news, weather, export and market trends that will impact your farm and the dairy industry now and in upcoming months. Ben Buckner, Chief Grains Analyst, AgResource Company   August 23 Tune in to learn about the conditions that cause alfalfa winterkill and hear management techniques to reduce or prevent winterkill and preserve feed quality. Dr. Don Miller, Ph.D., Director of Product Development, Alforex Seeds   August 24 Cyber-attacks continue to be in the news and impact organizations and businesses of all sizes. Learn how to protect your business and personal data on networks and wi-fi. In addition, hear what steps you should take if you suspect your information has been compromised. Jeremy Cherny, Founder and President, Tobin Solutions   August 25 A disease outbreak in your calf barn can be both costly and overwhelming. Hear about the diagnostic tools and signs to watch for to determine if an illness is a single occurrence or the start of an outbreak, and what steps producers should take to manage a breakout. Dr. Keith Poulsen, PhD, Director, Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL), University of Wisconsin August 30 A strong, growing business starts with people who are constantly growing and developing their skills. Tune in for strategies on starting employee development programs at your dairy, and how to build relationships and systems that will benefit both your teams and your business. Episode presenter will be: Jay Joy, Chief Executive Officer, Milk Money, LLC   August 31 Sponsored by Balchem, this month’s Rising Stars – Graduate Research Showcase features the latest research from Washington State University that evaluated the impact of rBST injections given to prepubertal dairy heifers on mammary gland development and lactation performance. Episode presenters will be: Dr. Marcos Inácio Marcondes, Assistant Professor, Dairy Cattle Nutrition, Washington State University Giulia Berzoini C. Leite, master’s student, Washington State University Ícaro Castro, master’s student, Washington State University

Dairy currents

PREVENT CONFINED SPACE MANURE STORAGE EMERGENCIES through training and clear communication. An article from Penn State Extension provides best management practices for farmers with confined space manure storage in their operations, which can present significant risk due to limited entry, exit paths and atmosphere with low oxygen, high toxic or explosive gas levels. These practices include: Post warning signs. Draft written entry plan for each space. Do not enter space without a minimum of two people at the site. Test space for toxic or explosive gases and hydrogen sulfite before entry. Ventilate space before entry. Anyone entering space should wear body harness with fall arrest and retrieval system.   Learn more in the full article.

RISING FOOD PRICES PROMPT RESTAURANTS TO ENCOURAGE consumers to eat out more. Some fast-food and sit-down restaurants are highlighting that eating out could benefit consumers, pointing to data that grocery prices were up 13.1% in July compared to restaurant price increase of 7.6%. However, consumers report that due to overall inflation, 80% of U.S. customers were eating out less, and 75% say they are going to bars less often.  Read more in the Tasting Table article here.

SHORTAGES AND DELAYS SLOW SNACK FOOD PRODUCTION for a number of popular consumer products like Twinkies, Nutter Butters, Nilla wafers and more. Consumer good manufacturers are adjusting production, substituting ingredients and increasing prices as a result of supplies of essential ingredients, particularly wheat and cooking oils. The war in Ukraine has provided most recent pressure on supplies, especially of sunflower oil.  Read more here.

PDPW educational calendar

October 18-19 Herdsperson Workshop October 25-27 Calf Care Connection© November 9-10 Financial Literacy for Dairy ®- Level 1 Juneau, WI December 20-21 Dairy Managers Institute™ Wisconsin Dells, WI

January 10-12 Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals™ Savannah, GA March 14-15 Cornerstone Dairy Academy™ Wisconsin Dells, WI March 15-16 Business Conference Wisconsin Dells, WI

Words to live by

“Resilience is not about bouncing back. It’s about growing through.” - Eileen McDargh

Thank you sponsors

Professional Dairy Producers 820 North Main St. Juneau, WI 53039 800-947-7379

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