PDPW Manager's Memo

October 2022 Vol. 1

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Opportunities to learn

Herdsperson Workshop

Oct. 18, 19

Evansville, Colby, Wis.

PDPW HERDSPERSON WORKSHOP ON-FARM THIS WEEK! This can’t-miss on-farm workshop will equip seasoned herdspersons, dairy managers, nutritionists and veterinarians with new ideas and strategies. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be available at both the Oct. 18 workshop near Evansville, Wis. and the Colby, Wis. location on Oct. 19. Sessions will focus on transition-cow care as well as obstetrics and managing calving difficulties. The workshops will also feature a full necropsy, with a discussion to center on the silent thieves behind cow losses. Presenters Dr. Julia Hamann, DVM, Dr. Franklyn Garry, DVM and Dr. Ryan Breuer, DVM, will utilize their on-farm knowledge and years of expertise to provide practical information that can be immediately implemented in your herd.

Learn more here.

Calf Care Connection

Oct. 25, 26, 27

Thorp, Cecil, Juneau, Wis.

VENTILATION, FARM TOURS, DISEASE DIAGNOSIS AND BUILDING EFFECTIVE TEAMS will be in the spotlight during the 2022 PDPW Calf Care Connection^® workshops on Oct. 25, 26 and 27. The three repeating sessions will give calf care managers, calf feeders and team members a deep dive into the latest in calf care research and a behind-the-scenes look at working calf facilities. The workshops will be simultaneously translated into Spanish; presenters include Courtney Halbach, Dr. Kendra Wells, DVM, and Liz Griffith as well as the hosts of each dairy.

Learn more and register here.

Stride™ Youth Leadership Conference

Nov. 12, 2022

Juneau, Wis.

WHICH 15- to 18-year olds CAN YOU ENCOURAGE TO STEP INTO YOUTH LEADERSHIP? Our world needs skilled, motivated leaders more than ever – and that’s true in the dairy industry, too. Designed for young adults whether they’re leaning toward an agricultural career path or not, the Fall 2022 edition of Stride™ Youth Leadership Conference is just around the corner. Scheduled for Sat., Nov. 12, the fast-paced, one-day program will arm the next generation of leaders with the tools to amplify their leadership and communications skills while discovering career opportunities in dairy and agriculture. Sessions will take place at Dodgeland School District in Juneau, Wis., with a dairy tour at a nearby farm to be included in the program.

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.

REGISTER TODAY FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR DAIRY. Level 1 of the 2022-23 series of dairy’s only financial-development program launches Nov. 9-10. The multi-session program is designed to give dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and other agri-business professionals the tools to understand their numbers and make optimal business decisions. All sessions are held at PDPW headquarters in Juneau, Wis., and registration is limited to 30 attendees per level. An online pre-assessment is required upon registration to place attendees in the appropriate level. For more details on session dates, rates and other registration information, click here.

Dairy Insights Summit

Nov. 29, 2022

Madison, Wis.

DEGLOBALIZATION + POTATOES + GROUNDWATER + THE FBI = LOADS OF MUST-HAVE INFO! The 2022 Dairy Insights Summit agenda is packed with exciting and insightful topics our industry needs to be in tune to. Scheduled for Tue., Nov. 29 in Madison, Wis., the program will feature conversations to help today’s dairy leaders learn from other industry sectors and sort through risks and opportunities for our shared future. Get the inside scoop on global politics and evolving markets and glean insights from labor and water challenges faced by Wisconsin’s potato industry. In addition, discover what’s been learned about groundwater quality and water shortages, and how we can safeguard our food system from farm to consumer.

Learn more and register here.

Dairy Managers Institute

Dec. 20-21, 2022

Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

WORLD-CLASS LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR DAIRY MANAGERS is set for Dec. 20-21 at Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Dairy Managers Institute™ features top-notch facilitators Dr. Becky Stewart-Gross, Michael Hoffman, Dr. Kevin Bernhardt and Linda Swindling. For dairy managers with their sights set on managing great teams, this program’s three-tier design allows leaders to build on their skill sets. Focus areas include leading and managing with insight, providing amazing team member and customer service, mastering financials and broadening negotiation skills. includes Simultaneous translation into Spanish is available for the first two tiers.

Learn more and register here.

Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals

Jan. 10-12, 2023

Savannah, Georgia

THREE DAYS OF EXECUTIVE-LEVEL TRAINING, networking and industry tours is on tap for the 2023 PDPW Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals™ in Savannah, Georgia. This program is a perennial favorite of top execs, senior leaders, financial managers. And in 2023, anyone who needs to plan for unanticipated events on the dairy should make it a priority to attend.

When business is being disrupted across the board, it’s critical to have a plan in place. 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 with the agility to innovate, advance and prosper. World-renowned and backed by decades of experience, these presenters will equip you with the tools and skills needed to position your dairy to withstand unforeseen challenges. Three remarkable out-of-industry tours will have you looking at challenges from a different perspective. Full details, including the program flier as well as hotel and registration information, are available here. Plan to face 2023 and beyond with resilience.

For your dairy

TRACKING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ANTIMICROBIAL USE in heifer calves on Canadian dairy farms was the focus of research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Researchers compiled data from questionnaires to 147 farms representing more than 7,800 calves and found that about 2,310 of those calves received at least one antimicrobial treatment. Respiratory disease was most common reason for treatment followed by diarrhea, fever and umbilical disease. One finding of the study was that farms that fed transition milk had fewer than half the number of antimicrobial treatments per calf-year than those that did not feed transition milk. More research is needed in this area. Read the full study here.

ADOPT BEST-MANAGEMENT PRACTICES WHEN TRANSPORTING WEANED CALVES. As more dairies are transporting newborn calves to separate calf-raising facilities, producers should establish and follow management protocols to minimize stress and improve calf welfare. Recommendations from American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) include making sure that calves receive milk an hour before loading, access to feed and fresh water prior to loading, and that the trailer and other handling equipment be washed and disinfected to reduce pathogen exposure. Read the full article from UW Extension for more details including recommendations for trailer stocking density.

PLAN AHEAD FOR LOWER COLOSTRUM PRODUCTION based on seasonal patterns. An article from Michigan State Extension shared research results showing lower colostrum yield in the winter – in the amount of 4.5 quarts by cows within 6 hours of calving compared to 5.7, 6.2 and 5.7 quarts in other seasons. Dairy farms should plan for lower production by banking high-quality colostrum in advance and creating strategies for colostrum replacement as needed. Read more about research results and best practices for storing colostrum.

For your business mind

APPLY FOR COST-SHARING BY NOVEMBER 4 IF YOU’RE CONSIDERING planting cover crops, field borders, pollinator plantings, small grains in rotation, or other wildlife habitat in 2023. As part of a new partnership with PDPW and Pheasants Forever, their staff members are able to help you apply and explain the cost-sharing Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) program as well as other Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. Contact Scott Stipetich at [email protected] or 715.209.4846, or Josh Bendorf at [email protected] or 608.574.7558 before the November 4th deadline. Applications can also be submitted at any USDA Service Center; service center locations can be identified by clicking here.

Learn more about Pheasants Forever here; more information about NRCS programs can be found here.

UNDERSTAND OPTIONS FOR 2022 FARM INCOME AS YEAR-END NEARS. An article from Ohio State Extension highlights decisions that dairy farm owners may be making as scenarios show positive income returns in the dairy sector in 2022. In addition to having discussions with financial professionals about income tax mitigation strategies, the article suggests considering investing in retirement savings programs for farm partners and employees, as well as being aware of the impact earning income and paying self-employment taxes might have on future social security retirement benefits. Learn more in the full article.

KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TALENT AND SKILL can help you make better hiring and promotion decisions, according to an article from Inc.com. Talent is a person’s natural aptitude for an activity, such as being able to quickly learn a sport or activity. Skills are developed over time with practice. While both can be important in many jobs, the article encourages employers not to overlook the value and potential of team members who are willing to put in the effort to learn and excel at a skill that they may not have a natural talent for. Read the full article to learn more.

ARE YOU A TALKER? While it’s important to share your ideas at work, being mindful of how much you’re talking compared to how much you’re letting others share their input is key. If you’re a talk-talk-talker, try these strategies to improve your listening skills:

Pay attention to how much you talk.
Stay curious and ask questions.
Avoid speaking over others.
Learn to like the silence in conversation.
Keep a pen and paper nearby to write down your thoughts until it is appropriate for you to speak.

Read more about each strategy here.

The Dairy Signal

KEEP TUNING IN TO THE DAIRY SIGNAL. With a rapidly growing global audience, The Dairy Signal™ is well over three years into bringing a wide array of valuable information to the dairy industry. From leading experts across dairy and agricultural industries to researchers at universities, leaders at government, policy-making and regulatory associations, The Dairy Signal continues to bring 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 www.pdpw.org. Click here to tune in to archived sessions.

Presenters and topics covered recently include:

October 4

Tune in for safety tips when opening manure pits or storage facilities, including working around methane and other gases. Also hear about the upcoming Agricultural Rescue Training program from where it started to where it is today.

Gerald Minor, Chief, Pittsville Fire Department

October 5

With fall harvest underway, learn about cover crops that can be used to scavenge for excess nitrogen, resulting in better water quality.

Daniel Smith, Southwest Regional Agronomist, University of Wisconsin-Madison Nutrient and Pest Management Program
Dr. Jamie Patton, PhD, Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison Nutrient and Pest Management Program

October 6

Learn about the relationship between particle size and digestibility of fiber. Understanding the potential interactions between physically effective fiber and undigested fiber can help formulate rations to optimize dry matter intake, milk and milk components and rumen dynamics.

Dr. Rick Grant, President, William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute

October 11

Understand the causes of dry-off inflammation and how the condition contributes to poor performance in the transition period.

Dr. Lance Baumgard, PhD, Professor, Norman L. Jacobson Endowed Professor in Dairy Nutrition, Iowa State University

October 12

It is time to check in on the weather outlook for fall harvest and what to expect as we head into a new year. Eric Snodgrass will also review the most important weather stories of the year and how they have impacted dairy and ag markets.

Eric Snodgrass, Principal Atmospheric Scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions

October 13

Tune in for the bi-weekly market news update to learn about the key news and trends as we move into fall harvest and the fourth quarter of 2022.

Ben Buckner, Chief Grains & Dairy Analyst, AgResource Company

Dairy currents

RETHINKING “BEST BEFORE” LABELS TO PREVENT FOOD WASTE is underway by many in the food industry. Because there is no industry standard on these labels and most canned goods and packaged good are edible long past the “best by” or “best before” dates, one estimate shows that approximately 7% of U.S. food waste, or 4 million tons each year, is caused by consumer confusion over labeling. An Associated Press article highlights growing momentum to establishing more standard labeling and dating as well as education information to ensure food quality while preventing waste. Learn more in the full article.

CHECK HEATING SYSTEMS AS WEATHER COOLS to ensure all systems are working in dairy buildings and employee housing. Keeping everyone at your dairy warm during winter months is just as important as keeping them safe. Be sure to take time to check heating systems, smoke-detection devices, carbon-monoxide sensors and fire extinguishers. Schedule time to do the following:

Replace filters, even if they look clean
Make sure there is a clear-air space of six feet around every furnace
Inspect registers and returns inside the building and exhaust vents inside and outside to ensure they are clean and free of blockages

Read the full checklist from Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development here.

BUTTER SUPPLIES TIGHTEN AS MANUFACTURERS GEAR UP for holiday seasonal products. An article from Food Dive highlights that August 2022 reporting showed butter in cold storage levels were down 22% from a year ago, thanks to declining milk production and higher demand for seasonal products like eggnog, cream cheese and others. Some manufacturers in the Northeast are selling cream for these products instead of making butter.