PDPW Manager's Memo

October 2022 Vol. 2

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Opportunities to learn

Stride™ Youth Leadership Conference

Nov. 12, 2022

Juneau, Wis.

CALLING ALL TEENS READY FOR MORE: High-energy learning and team challenges, leadership discovery, career exploration and a dairy tour are in store for those attending Stride™ Youth Leadership Conference on Sat., Nov. 12, at Dodgeland School District in Juneau, Wis. The action-packed program is designed to show 15- to 18-year olds the leadership skills they already possess and how to build on them. They’ll also discover how their current career aspirations could have a place within dairy and agriculture. A signed parent/guardian waiver is required for each participant. 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 DAIRY’S ONLY FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM. Level 1 of the 2022-23 series of the Financial Literacy for Dairy® is scheduled for Nov. 9-10. The multi-level, program is built to equip dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and other professionals with the tools they need to understand their financial numbers and make the best decisions for their businesses. All sessions will take place at PDPW Headquarters in Juneau, Wis., and registration is limited to 30 attendees per level to provide the best experience. Attendees will be prompted to take an online pre-assessment upon registration; the results ensure placement into the appropriate level. Learn more here, including session dates, rates, concepts taught and other registration information.

Dairy Insights Summit

Nov. 29, 2022

Madison, Wis.

BRINGING CLARITY TO THE CHAOS OF TODAY’S WORLD is the objective of the 2022 Dairy Insights Summit. An agenda packed with particulars on hot-button issues will engage dairy farmers, cheesemakers, educators, policy makers, regulators and other leaders as attendees share ideas and explore solutions to pressing challenges. Presenters will lead discussions on topics such as global politics and evolving markets, labor challenges and other lessons learned by the Wisconsin potato industry, issues around groundwater quality and water shortages, and protecting our food supply. Dairy Insights Summit will be held at the Sheraton Hotel on Nov. 29 session in Madison, Wis. Learn more and register here.

Dairy Managers Institute

Dec. 20-21, 2022

Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

PDPW DAIRY MANAGERS INSTITUTE will give team managers the tools, skills and confidence to become top-notch leaders. The three-tier training program is set for Dec. 20-21 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Program facilitators include Dr. Becky Stewart-Gross, PhD, Michael Hoffman, Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, PhD, and Linda Swindling, with focus areas on leading and managing with insight, providing positively outrageous service, and mastering financials and negotiation. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be provided for tiers one and two. Learn more and register here.

Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals

March 14-15, 2023

Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

APPLY NOW TO CORNERSTONE DAIRY Academy. Applications are now being accepted for the 2023 program. Scheduled for March 14 and 15, 2023, in conjunction with the PDPW Business Conference at Kalahari Resorts in Wisconsin Dells, Wis, this three-pillar professional-development program equips dairy professionals with the tools to communicate, collaborate and lead more effectively. View the flier here to learn more about the topics explored in each pillar and the presenters who will work alongside you. For more details and to apply before the January 31 deadline, click here.

For your dairy

COWS THAT EAT AT A SLOWER RATE may be more feed efficient, according to research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. The researchers used data from daily feeding behavior records of 1,328 Holstein cows in 31 experiments conducted from 2009 to 2020 in a facility with an automated intake recording system, which permits one animal to access the feeder at a given time. They recorded behavior traits such as the number and duration of feeder visits a day, intake per visit, number of meals per day and more. They found that feeding-behavior traits are heritable and measures of feeding behavior could be indicators of dairy cow feed efficiency. Read the full study here.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FEED ADDITIVES FOR DAIRY CATTLE RATIONS have been updated with the 2021 Eighth Revised Edition of the Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle. Feed additives can be included in dairy cattle diets for a variety of reasons and are advertised as a solution to many feed-quality issues. However, the cost of any feed additive and associated animal-performance product should be carefully monitored and evaluated, and additives should not be considered a cornerstone of any farm’s feeding program. The article outlines recommendations and possible roles for ionophores, yeast and direct-fed microbials, enzymes and essential oils, which may aid digestion, metabolism and production, but aren’t nutrients. Read the full article here.

MATERNAL CHOLINE SUPPLEMENTATION IMPACTS EARLY PERFORMANCE AND IMMUNITY of newborn calves, according to research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Researchers compared calves born from cows receiving rumen-protected choline (RPC) in a pre-partum diet with those on a control diet. Groups of calves also received colostrum from RPC-fed cows and control cows. The results show that diets fed during the last three weeks of pregnancy affect early performance and immunity. Female calves fed colostrum from RPC-fed dams consume more milk replacer and starter during the first three weeks of life and are more likely to be ready for weaning at 56 days. Learn more in the full article.

For your business mind

BUILD FARM ADVISORY TEAM TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES and take advantage of opportunities. Dairy farmers work with a number of advisors on a regular basis, including veterinarians, nutritionists, agronomists, lenders, attorneys, and extension educators. Though one-on-one meetings are valuable, assembling key partners into one advisory team can maximize their combined expertise and experience. Before meeting with the group, identify your primary goals; consider sharing a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis to receive their input. Assigning a facilitator can also be helpful. Read the full article from Ohio State Extension for more details.

EFFECTIVE ONBOARDING CAN IMPROVE PERFORMANCE AND RETENTION for your dairy team members. An article from UW Extension shares tips for developing an effective onboarding process that can help employees be more productive within a shorter time frame and fit into the farm culture more seamlessly. Key parts of onboarding include clear communications around the following components:

1. Initial welcome

2. General information and procedures

3. Work time and pay

4. The job

5. Your safety philosophy

Read the full article for more details and a new employee checklist.

ASK THREE QUESTIONS TO LEAD YOUR TEAM to great ideas. Keeping teams on track and focused when brainstorming new ideas or solutions can be a challenge. An article from Fast Company suggests the “Three Gs” that can help define and focus conversations.

1. What’s the goal?

2. What’s the gap?

3. Will the idea deliver a gain to benefit people, farm, company or the environment?

Learn more about the process here.

The Dairy Signal

TUNE INTO THE DAIRY SIGNAL®. 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 episodes available for free at pdpw.org. Click here to find archived recordings of sessions.

Presenters and topics covered recently include:

October 18

How can you make the most of every acre? What about that marginal ground and odd areas that dot your farm’s landscape? Discover how these problem areas can add value to an operation – and learn where to find the available support and resources.

Dallas Glazik, IL Senior Farm Bill Biologist, Pheasants Forever
Scott Stipetich, Precision Ag & Conservation Specialist, Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever

October 19

Exciting new research is underway at the Dairy Innovation Hub. Learn about the latest projects and how their application will benefit dairy producers and the industry.

Maria Woldt, Program Manager, Dairy Innovation Hub

October 20

Improve your negotiation skills, make confident decisions, transform nerve-wracking negotiations into casual conversations and more. This episode will arm you with strategies to step away from the table with all sides feeling like winners.

Linda Swindling, Founder and CEO of professional-development organization JourneyOn

October 25

Tune in for insights on the 2022 corn silage crop and how it will impact decisions and rations for the coming year. Discover strategies to make the most of the feedstuffs on your operation.

Dr. John Goeser, PhD, Director of Nutritional Research & Innovation at Rock River Lab, Inc., and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Dairy Science Department at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

October 26

October’s Rising Stars – Graduate Research Showcase – features work underway at the University of Minnesota. Hear about research to understand the energy value of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) to lactating Jersey cows and learn about ongoing work to explore the association between hyperketonemia and the postpartum rumen environment. This session is sponsored by Balchem.

Jason Stypinski, PhD student, University of Minnesota
Anay Ravelo, PhD student, University of Minnesota
Dr. Isaac Salfer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Animal Science, University of Minnesota

October 27

As fall harvest continues and cooler temperatures settle in, what do the next few months hold for dairy and commodity markets, exports and more? Get the latest news, trends and insights in our bi-weekly market update.

Dan Basse, President of AgResource Company

Dairy currents

HEALTH BENEFITS TOP PRIORITY FOR DAIRY-INGREDIENT FORMULATIONS of the future, according to a Dairy Foods article. Consumers are increasingly looking for nutrition or health benefits in dairy products, motivating food companies to reimagine products or fortify them with functional ingredients like probiotics, prebiotics, choline, protein and others. Demand continues to be strong for reduced-sugar formulations, too. Ingredient suppliers shared their insights on what the dairy industry can do to attract and retain customers in the full article.

CONSUMERS ARE PLANNING AHEAD TO MANAGE HIGHER FOOD COSTS during the upcoming holiday season. With 62% of consumers stating their grocery costs have risen year over year, a survey from FMI–The Food Industry Association is reporting that shoppers will make changes to their holiday meal shopping this year. They plan to look for deals, opt for store brands, substitute more affordable options, encourage guests to bring dishes and spend less in other categories to provide for holiday meals. Read the full article for more details.

WILL 3D-PRINTED FOOD BE ON YOUR TABLE? As technology for 3D printing advances, the potential for use in the food industry is increasing, with some experts saying 3D printers could be as common as microwaves in home kitchens. There are currently dozens of food printers available. In most cases, food materials such as doughs, cheeses, frostings or raw meats are fed into syringe-like containers that are then extruded out of the nozzle. Learn more about the technology and how it could be coming to a restaurant or kitchen near you in the full article from Food Safety News.