PDPW Manager's Memo

January 2023 Vol. 2

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Opportunities to learn

Cornerstone Dairy Academy®

March 14-15, 2023

Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

ACT NOW! APPLICATIONS CLOSE TONIGHT! Complete your application by January 31 for the two-day professional-development training that equips producers and industry professionals with the tools to more effectively communicate, collaborate and lead others. Applicants can choose one of three training pillars: Influential Leadership, Servant Leadership and Visionary Leadership. All sessions are led by world-class facilitators including Hank Wagner, Holly Green, Rachel Wagner, Dr. David Kohl, Dr. Richard Kyte and Tom Thibodeau.

View the flier here to learn more about the topics explored in each pillar. For more details and to apply, click here.

PDPW Business Conference

March 15-16, 2023

Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

A WEALTH OF IDEAS DESIGNED TO EMPOWER YOUR SUCCESS will be presented to those attending the 2023 PDPW Business Conference on March 15-16 at Kalahari Resorts in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Leading experts, world-class researchers and forward-thinking producers will lead keynote, break-out, hands-on sessions and interactive panels at dairy’s premier educational event.

The Hall of Ideas trade show area will offer more space to enhance exhibitor and networking opportunities and the Youth Leadership “Future of Success” program for 15 to 18-year-olds will feature two leadership sessions facilitated by conference emcee, speaker and author Michael Hoffman.

The Nexus® stage will return with five companies highlighting the next generation of ideas, technologies and innovations for the dairy industry, and the Preview stage will feature the latest research from university researchers, graduate students and the Dairy Innovation Hub. In addition, business conference sessions will be simultaneously translated into Spanish, not including Nexus stage and youth leadership sessions.

Visit the 2023 conference website for the conference flier, hotel and registration details, as well as information on exhibiting at the event. For a discounted rate on lodging at the Kalahari, book your rooms through the PDPW website by Feb. 9.

DAIRY WELLBEING WORKSHOP

February 21 and 22, 2023

Green Bay, Wis.

Pre-registration required

SEE FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT OF ANIMAL CARE FROM FARM TO PROCESSING at the 2023 PDPW Dairy Wellbeing Workshop. Two repeating one-day programs Feb. 21 and 22 provide a unique opportunity to tour the American Foods Group facility to trace cull-cow quality backwards from the cooler to the harvest floor, and see how animal wellbeing and worker safety and efficiency is prioritized at each step. In addition to the tour, participants will hear from animal welfare experts in two sessions focused on improving wellbeing at every stage of the animal’s lifespan with the goal of keeping her in the herd as long as possible. Learn more, view the flier and register here.

For your dairy

MANAGEMENT, DIETARY PRACTICES IMPACT TRANSITION COW HEALTH, PRODUCTION. An article in the Journal of Dairy Science features a study where researchers visited 72 farms three times before and after calving to analyze a variety of practices. They found that at the individual cow level, optimizing bunk space, avoiding commingling and increasing feeding frequency has positive effects. At the herd level, findings showed not vaccinating in the calving pen, minimizing the number of prepartum and postpartum pen moves, and avoiding long stays in the calving pen can help with increasing milk yield, improving reproductive performance, decreasing incidence of disorders and reducing prevalence of elevated biomarker concentration. Learn more in the full article.

A LOW-COST SOLUTION TO A HIGH-COST PROBLEM is ensuring that all team members are wearing disposable gloves while milking cows, according to an article published by Penn State. Wearing gloves is a simple management practice that can help prevent the spread of contagious mastitis, often causing a high bulk tank somatic cell count. Bacteria and dirt are more easily harbored in cracks, crevices and fingernail beds on hands compared to smooth gloves. Studies have shown 75% fewer bacteria on used gloves than on bare hands. Plus, wearing gloves can reduce the spread of contagious and environmental bacteria by 50%. Read the full article for tips on effective glove use to control the spread of mastitis.

KEEPING BARNS PROPERLY VENTILATED DURING WINTER MONTHS is key to cow health and comfort. Clean and dry stalls are important for cows to maintain body heat during winter. Because each 1,300-pound cow produces about 30 pounds of water vapor each day, keeping barns warm without condensation can be a challenge. During winter months, test current airflow to find areas of stale air. Ongoing maintenance, including sealing gaps between curtains, doors and other openings, repairing holes in curtains, and ensuring proper working condition of all fans, curtain mechanisms, electric components and equipment should be a priority before and during winter weather conditions. Read more in the Michigan State Extension article.

For your business mind

PLANNING AHEAD FOR FARMLAND TRANSITION is one of the most important decisions for landowners today. According to the American Farmland Trust, the ownership of 40 percent of America’s agricultural land will be in transition within the next 15 years. The organization cites a number of challenges for the next generation of farmers to purchase or secure farmland for their operations. A series of articles from UW Extension shares alternative models of land access that may be of interest to landowners and beginning farmers, including land contracts, cooperative land access, agriculture conservation easements, buy-protect-sell models and more. Learn more here.

CREATE A BETTER ACTION PLAN for your personal performance in 2023 by taking time to reflect on the successes, challenges of last year and the opportunities ahead. An article from Inc shares a series of questions to help you set goals and put processes in place to reach those goals.

If I took over my life from scratch today, what would I immediately stop doing?
What would I start doing?
What do I want to spend more time on this year?
What do I want to spend less time on this year?
Who do I spend time with who pulls me down?
Who do I spend time with who lifts me up?

See the full list of questions and other tips here.

CONVERSATION OR CONFRONTATION? There are times in all businesses when tough topics must be addressed. Having said that, our bodies are trained to respond to difficult conversations with a fight or flight response. In a recent Dairy Signal® episode, Nicole Bettinger Zeidler shared tips on planning and preparing for those conversations. Generally, a primary goal is to keep both parties on the same level while not tainting the discussion with controversial issues. Best practices include meeting on neutral territory, having an agenda, avoiding surprises, providing the opportunity for re-dos and fixing mistakes, and addressing generational expectations and trends. Learn more by watching the full episode.

The Dairy Signal

KEEP TUNING IN TO THE DAIRY SIGNAL. The Dairy Signal® continues to provide timely and practical information three times each week. The program will continue 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:

January 17

This “fact or fiction” episode focused on transition-cow management with an interactive discussion on some of the most common assumptions about cows during this critical period.

Dr. Ryan Pralle, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Agriculture University of Wisconsin Platteville

January 18

Bedding types and management have a significant impact on bacteria counts, mastitis risk and milk quality. Learn how to benchmark bacteria counts in bedding materials and improve management to reduce mastitis risk.

Dr. Sandra Godden, DVM, PhD, Professor, Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota

January 19

What does the food chain expect from dairy producers? How can dairy producers be Future Ready™? Hear the results of qualitative research with leaders up the chain in our food system to understand what sustainability looks like to partners now and in the future.

Linda Wenck, Principal, Director of Sustainable Food & Consumer Communications, MorganMyers
Shelly Mayer, Executive Director, Professional Dairy Producers

January 24

Effectively communicating and resolving conflicts between current and incoming generations of leadership is key to successful business transitions. Tune in for a discussion of best practices, with a focus on providing constructive feedback and navigating challenging conversations.

Nicole Bettinger Zeidler, Consultant, Family Business Consulting Group

January 25

How does your calf care team’s cleaning and sanitizing protocol need to change when temperatures drop below freezing? Learn which adjustments need to be made so both calves and people stay safe and healthy during winter months.

Dr. Don Sockett, Epidemiologist/Microbiologist at Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

January 26

Understand how clostridium type A impacts calves, from how it develops to how it is detected and managed during this interactive discussion. Dr. Lauer will also highlight “The five Cs of calf care protocol.”

Dr. Vicky Lauer, Professional Services Veterinarian, Armor Animal Health

Dairy currents

WHAT WILL INFLUENCE DAIRY EXPORTS IN 2023? The U.S. Dairy Export Council shared the following six principal market factors that will determine the direction of U.S. dairy exports and global markets:

Economic headwinds: inflation and consumer purchasing power
China’s import demand: when will it bounce back?
Dairy alternatives: palm oil and plant-based imitators
EU27+UK milk production: will the rebound last?
Farm inputs: cost and availability
Inventories: was “just-in-case” just a fad?

Read about the trends and outlook for each of these areas in the full blog post.

GROCERY STORES ARE GETTING SMALLER across the country, especially as more retailers move toward small-format stores of 12,000 to 25,000 square feet. Factors driving this trend include skyrocketing real estate costs, construction and labor, and consumers working more frequently from home and seeking e-commerce and delivery options. An article from Progressive Grocer takes a closer look at the trend and how stores are rethinking space planning and product offerings in a post-pandemic environment. Learn more here.

FOCUS ON INNOVATION IS KEEPING DAIRY STRONG in retail sales, according to the latest report from the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA). Dairy sales were up 20% at the start of winter, even amid rising prices on key items. While staples such as milk, yogurt and cheese comprise the bulk of sales, dairy’s ability to tap into trends like health and wellbeing, personalization, convenience and premiumization are keeping sales strong. Another area of strong sales was in single serve/ready-to-consume solutions as consumers went back to the office and sought items with built-in portion control. Learn more in the full article.