PDP Manager's Memo

July 2024 Vol. 2

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Opportunities to Learn

Innovation & Technology Farm Tours

August 21, 22

Colby & Berlin, Wis.

GO BEHIND THE SCENES for a look at the technology, systems and management styles of two forward-leaning dairy farms. Join us for one or both days of the tours at Haas Dairy on August 21 and Trillium Hill Farm on August 22, with a focus on the innovations they have adopted for efficiencies leading to increased production and reproduction data. Learn more and register here.

ACE® Twilight Meetings

August 26, 27, 28, 29

Woodville, Pittsville, Kewaunee & Lodi, Wis.

FOUR FARMS, UNLIMITED CONVERATIONS. ACE Twilight Meetings are the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow dairy farmers, community leaders, elected officials, educators and more about the topics that matter most in rural communities. Make plans to attend, and invite your friends and neighbors to the free, on-farm events that include farm tours, ice cream and open conversations. Learn more here.

PDP Stride™ Youth Leadership Conference

Sept. 21, 2024

Platteville, Wis.

YOUR FUTURE IS NOW. High school students ages 15 to 18 are invited to discover the opportunities waiting for them in agriculture at the 2024 Stride Youth Leadership Conference. Held at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, the interactive program will feature hands-on experiences, including farm and campus tours, a dairy foods lab, a char lab and leadership development activities. Learn more and register here.

Financial Literacy for Dairy®

Level One - Nov. 12-13 and Dec. 4-5

Level Two - Jan. 22-23, Feb. 5-6 and Feb. 26-27

Juneau, Wis.

BUILD A FOUNDATION, STRETCH YOUR THINKING by attending the 2024-25 sessions of PDP’s Financial Literacy for Dairy. The multi-level, multi-session is designed to provide dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and other agribusiness professionals with an understanding of financials and perspective to make better decisions for their business. Sessions will be taught by Dr. Kevin Bernhardt and David Coggins, with Level One beginning in November and Level Two following in January. View the flyer and register here.

For Your Dairy

STAY SAFE IN THE MILKING PARLOR with a review of potential hazards to team members. Exposure to animals and constant activity, noise, repetitive motions, and exposure to chemicals can all present risks, according to articles from Penn State Extension. One study showed that almost 50% of parlor injuries happened while attaching milking clusters. Hearing protection is recommended when noise levels are 90 decibels or more on average over an 8-hour shift. Learn more about biological hazards and non-biological exposures in the attached articles.

PASSIVE VENTILATION PROVIDES BENEFITS for pair-housed calves in outdoor hutches, according to research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. A study evaluated the interactive effects of social contact and heat abatement in calves. Fifty calves were pair-housed in outdoor hutches with a shared outdoor area — one hutch had rear ventilation and the other did not. Calves were monitored to evaluate where they spent their time, interactions and changes in the temperature-humidity index through 9 weeks of life. Researchers found that calves developed and maintained a preference for the ventilated hutch and that ventilation helped mitigate heat stress in the calves. Read the full study.

EVERY SECOND COUNTS FOR PRODUCTIVITY, ANIMAL HEALTH in the milking parlor. An article from Virginia Tech Extension shares a series of numbers to consider as you develop and practice milking parlor protocols, including that prep-lag-time should be an average of 90 seconds from the start of tactile stimulation. If units are attached before 60 seconds, there is not enough time for oxytocin to reach an effective concentration in the udder; however, they should be attached within 90 seconds of stimulation to make maximum use of the letdown effect. Read the full article for more details and tips for establishing protocols that make the most of time in the parlor.

For Your Business Mind

IS MY OPERATION BIG ENOUGH? Dairy farmers of all sizes and geographies ask this question, with a variety of answers. An article from UW Extension outlines the economic measure of “big enough,” which is the capacity needed to achieve profit goals given prices and costs of production. The article features a Capacity and Breakeven Analysis tool that provides an opportunity to analyze how many acres, cows, or other factors are needed to achieve a defined profit goal in various scenarios. Learn more here.

START WITH STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES to set every employee in your operation up for success. To be fully utilized, SOPs must be written in a way that is easily understood, which may include translation and/or photos of each step of the procedure along with a short caption. They must also be placed in an accessible location. This could include a binder of documents or laminated posters on the wall in a break room or high-traffic location. Looking to start or update your protocols? Resources on writing, reviewing and sharing SOPs on dairy farms are available through Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development.

BUILD AN ENVIRONMENT OF “CREATIVE RISK” to encourage innovation within an organization, according to an article from Kellogg Insight. Leaders must create a mindset and culture where team members aren’t afraid to share creative, potentially risky ideas to solve challenges or identify new opportunities, then follow up with practical ways to evaluate ideas and establish the next steps to test or implement concepts. Read the full article for tips to inspire and empower team members.

The Dairy Signal

INSIGHTFUL, IMPACTFUL CONVERSATIONS. Don’t miss The Dairy Signal® for connections to leading experts across dairy and agricultural industries to researchers at universities and government agencies that bring updates on the trends and topics that will affect your dairy business. The 60-minute sessions air every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with recorded episodes available at www.pdpw.org. Click here to tune in to archived sessions.

Presenters and topics covered recently include:

July 16

Join an interactive conversation about ways that producers can enrich the lives of calves and youngstock, including cost-effective solutions that will deliver benefits to animals, team members and the operation.

Dr. Jennifer Van Os, Ph.D., assistant professor and extension specialist- animal welfare, University of Wisconsin-Madison

July 17

There is no shortage of data in today’s dairy operations. Take a deep dive into the rights that farmers have to control data streams and what current laws are affecting ownership and control of data streaming from farms.

Todd Janzen, attorney and co-founder, Janzen Agricultural Law LLC

July 18

Learn about on-farm water quality research program coordinated by Wisconsin Discovery Farms, including results of ongoing research and exciting upcoming projects to benefit the state’s water quality.

Steven Hall, assistant professor and extension specialist, Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, UW-Madison
Lindsey Hartfiel, research program manager, UW-Madison Division of Extension

July 23

Learn about manure and landscape management with implemented conservation practices and how this can provide more opportunities for a dairy farm’s acres and nutrient applications.

Matthew Oehmichen, part owner, of Short Lane Ag Supply

July 24

Tune in for the second session with leading dairy economists focused on the proposed changes to Federal Milk Marketing Orders, with a focus on the likely impacts of these proposed changes on farm milk prices, exports and more. They will also highlight the next steps in the process of reviewing and finalizing the proposed changes.

Dr. Charles Nicholson, associate professor, Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences and Agricultural & Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Christopher Wolf, E.V. Baker professor of agricultural economics, director of land grant programs, Cornell University
Dr. Mark Stephenson, retired director of dairy policy analysis, UW-Madison

July 25

Join in the bi-weekly discussion of agriculture and dairy markets, including the impact of weather, exports, global news and more.

Ben Buckner, chief grains and dairy analyst, AgResource Company

July 30

Take a deep dive into the art of coaching in this interactive episode. Learn how to focus on critical skills and be more effective in one-on-one interactions with team members to build a workforce of people who own their roles.

Michael Hoffman, president, Igniting Performance

July 31

Learn about the opportunities to grow your farm’s social media reach, engagement and sales and how to determine if outsourcing or working with a freelancer is the right fit for you.

Kallie Jo Coates, owner, Briar Marketing

Dairy Currents

DAIRY SNACKS ARE GROWING IN POPULARITY, with cheese snacks expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.5% through 2034. A report from CoBank highlights that refrigerated dairy has grown into the largest category in retail during the last year, with growth expected as consumers perceive dairy products as having “clean labels” with few ingredients. Cheese consumption has grown 46% over the last 20 years, while butter has increased 43%, and yogurt has risen 142% in the past 25 years. Learn more here.

NEW OPTIONS FOR NONFOOD USES OF MILK PROTEINS. Casein and whey protein are widely used in food applications like infant formulas, dietary supplements and sports nutrition, but their versatility and technical properties can be helpful in a wide range of other applications. Casein glues are used in industrial applications like woodworking, labeling adhesives and binders in industrial coatings and pharmaceuticals. Research is underway to harness the immune-enhancing properties of whey proteins to develop new treatments for infectious diseases. Read more in the full article from Dairy Foods.

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK FOR TICKS after working outdoors in the summer months. Ticks can be infected with bacteria, viruses or parasites and can pass several diseases on to humans, including Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and more. After working in potentially tick-infested areas, people should check common areas, including in and around the ears, inside the belly button, between the legs, back of the knees, around the waist, under the arms, and in and around the hair. Click here for more information and to listen to a podcast on preventing tick bites.