PDP Manager's Memo

May 2024 Vol. 2

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Your Farm - Your Footprint

Your farm is your livelihood, and Your Farm – Your Footprint™, the ﬁrst-of-its-kind, farmer-led sustainability initiative that empowers dairy farmers to know and understand their environmental footprint, offers solutions to shape the future of your farm. Dairy’s Foundation is the initiative’s first sponsor, with Nestlé sponsoring in part.

Identifying your farm’s carbon and greenhouse gas metrics is a critical first step, and with Your Farm – Your Footprint, participants have access to:

Easy-to-understand reporting accompanied by technical consulting during which one of our experts personally reviews your farm’s report with you and offers customized improvement recommendations. Your data is protected and won’t be shared with anyone else without your consent.
Opportunity to test-drive three sustainability measurement platforms, including FARM ES (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management - Environmental Stewardship), Cool Farm Tool, and COMET (CarbOn Management & Emissions Tool).
Ongoing practical learning and idea-sharing through a peer networking group specific to Your Farm – Your Footprint.

Learn more and get started today at www.pdpw.org/your-farm-your-footprint/.

Opportunities to Learn

2024 Hoof Management Workshop

June 20, 2024

Waunakee, Wis.

WORLD CLASS PRESENTERS, PRACTICAL TIPS FOR IMPROVING hoof health and animal handling are all on tap for the 2024 PDP Hoof Management workshop at Maier Farms in Waunakee, Wis. Hoof trimmers, herdspersons, nutritionists, veterinarians will all benefit from sessions focused on stockmanship skills and animal handling, technical essentials of the footbath, treatment options and protocols for chronic lameness. Session presenters will include Karl Burgi, hoof-health expert and founder of Save Cows Network®; Ashlynn Kirk, Humane Handling Institute at UW-River Falls; and Dr. Laura Solano, DVM, PhD, UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.

Learn more and register here.

Accelerate™

July, 24, 2024

Madison, Wis.

IS YOUR INTERN REGISTERED? PDP Accelerate™ is a one-day training event designed to help agriculture-sector interns make the most of their internship experience, network with fellow students and industry professionals and hone their leadership and communications skills as they prepare to enter the workforce. Michael Hoffman will facilitate the interactive session that combines hands-on learning, peer networking and interactive skill practice to ensure interns build the skills they need. Learn more about PDP Accelerate and register interns here or call 800-947-7379.

June 19 Blood Drive

COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE TO BE HOSTED AT PDP HEADQUARTERS to give back to the local community. Coordinated by the American Red Cross, the blood drive will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, at 820 N. Main Street in Juneau. In celebration of June Dairy Month and our dairy-producer members, PDP will offer milk and cookies, grilled cheese sandwiches, yogurt, ice cream and more. The American Red Cross will also provide a $15 gift card to each donor. Click here for more details and to schedule your donation.

For Your Dairy

UNDERSTAND FEDERAL ORDER FOR HPAI TESTING for lactating cattle before planning interstate shipments. UW-Extension has published a fact sheet for testing requirements of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) for shipping cattle based on the April 29 Federal Order. Before interstate movement, lactating dairy cattle are required to test negative for Influenza A virus by milk sample at an approved National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory using an NAHLN-approved assay. Symptomatic (sick) lactating dairy cattle are ineligible for interstate movement or movement to slaughter. Nonlactating dairy cattle, including heifers, dry cows, and bull calves, along with beef cattle, are not currently subject to testing for interstate movement, but testing by nasal swab is strongly encouraged. Learn more here.

INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON GENOMIC TOOLS to help dairy farmers adapt to changing environmental conditions and meet sustainability goals. Researchers in the Resilient Dairy Genome Project published a paper in the Journal of Dairy Science outlining the creation of an international genetic and phenotypic database focused on key components, including feed efficiency and methane emissions. The project’s initial study focused on Holstein dairy cows and revealed a high level of genetic similarity in populations across countries.

Read a news release and the full article to learn more.

UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF KETOSIS. Ketosis is the most common metabolic disease in high-performing dairy cows in the first weeks of lactation and there remain many questions about its impact on cow health and production. The May 22 session of The Dairy Signal® featured a discussion on the latest ketosis research with Dr. Luciano Caixeta, DVM, PhD, and Dr. Cainan Florentino, DVM, of the University of Minnesota. One key learning is that the timing of diagnosis of ketosis matters. Cows that are diagnosed with ketosis in the first week postpartum produced less milk and took longer to get pregnant than cows that were diagnosed later. Watch the full episode to learn more.

Nexus

MEET THE 2024 NEXUS INNOVATION AWARD WINNERS, and learn about the products that stand to open new doors in the dairy sector. In partnership with Progressive Publishing, this year’s Nexus Innovation finalists were recognized at the 2024 Business Conference and featured in the May 25 edition of Progressive Dairy.

The finalists’ innovations cover a wide range of novel solutions for farmers, including cow waterers that are smarter, cleaner and less prone to disease dissemination; in-plant microbe technology for corn silage; a product that looks like ice cream sprinkles and enables an entirely new way of feeding dry cows; computer-vision technology that affords just-in-time movement of cows about to calve; and a prebiotic that primes cows’ immune systems and binds pathogens more effectively.

Finalists and products include:

Acepsis and Smart Trough Waterer

Agrovive and Seed2Rumen microbes

Chemlock Nutrition and zeolite called CalBal

Ever.Ag and Maternity Warden

Quality Technology International and MCM prebiotic

Listen to Progressive Dairy’s podcast episode with the Nexus finalists here to learn more.

For Your Business Mind

IMPROVING RECORDKEEPING FOR HEIFERS CAN PROVIDE STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE to dairies to boost animal health and productivity and manage costs. Replacement heifers rank as the second largest cost center on dairy farms, so records to understand a cow’s genetic and financial value and when she will reach a breakeven point on the farm are key. An article from Michigan State Extension shares strategies to combine printed and electronic records to make the most of existing data on heifers and make data collection more efficient and practical.

Learn more here.

GO BEYOND “THROW-AWAY” COMMENTS TO SINCERE COMPLIMENTS to make a positive impact on team members. Instead of simply saying “nice work,” taking time to give genuine, specific and thoughtful compliments can pay dividends in reinforcing positive performance and boosting confidence and morale.

Key points in sincere compliments include:

Focus on effort and qualities
Relate to impact
Be timely
Use appropriate language
Body language and tone
Avoid comparisons

Learn more in the full article.

COMFORTABLE FARM-PROVIDED HOUSING CAN BOOST PRODUCTIVITY. Studies have shown the importance of adequate sleep and reducing stress on productivity and safety. An article from Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development highlights the role that comfortable living conditions can play in employees’ mental and physical health.

Read the full article for a checklist in each of the key areas:

Access to basic amenities
Sleeping arrangements
Clean and hygienic living conditions
Spaces for relaxation and recreation
Safety and security measures

The Dairy Signal

DON’T MISS THE DAIRY SIGNAL. Three days a week, The Dairy Signal® connects you with leading experts across dairy and agricultural industries to researchers at universities and government agencies to 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:

May 16

Join in for the second part of the conversation on healthy snacks. Check out in advance some recipes for snack pairings and prepare them along with Morgan during the episode. Recipes can be found at: https://dairysignal.getfitwithme-morganekovich.com.

Morgan Ekovich, Owner & Head Trainer, Get Fit with ME LLC

May 21

Tune in for an insightful discussion on the major geopolitical forces expected to shape the next five years, with a focus on conflicts between international powers, government policies that may impact international trade and other macro-developments that could affect dairy and other major agriculture commodities.

Jacob Shapiro, partner and director of geopolitical analysis, Cognitive Investments

May 22

Why do some cows suffer from ketosis more than others? Hear the latest research, including how rumination behavior may be useful in improving our understanding of the consequences of ketosis in dairy cows and allow for more targeted treatment options.

Dr. Luciano Caixeta, DVM, PhD, associate professor, dairy production medicine, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Cainan Florentino, DVM, research student, animal science, University of Minnesota

May 23

As we kick off the summer season, hear about trends in exports, weather, geopolitics and other relevant issues that will impact dairy and agricultural markets during the growing season and the remainder of 2024.

Ben Buckner, chief grains and dairy analyst, AgResource

May 28

Customers up the food chain are relying on farmers to help cut the carbon footprint in half. But, before you can develop a plan or measure progress, you need to know your number and the data that contribute to it. We’ll delve into practices that may have the most influence on reducing this number.

Carson Dugger, agronomist, Eocene Environmental Group

May 29

Water-quality impairment from agriculture is often disproportionate in nature, meaning a small acreage may be responsible for an outsized environmental impact. Learn about research that connects hydrologic modeling with social science and policy analysis to better understand and address such events in Wisconsin’s driftless area.

Dr. Margaret Kalcic, PhD, associate professor, biological systems engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Andrew Hillman, graduate student, biological systems engineering, UW-Madison

May 30

Tune in for a discussion on the opportunities and watchouts as you consider renewable-energy contracts such as solar or wind projects. Understand what to look for in a contract, who you should consult before signing and more.

Troy Schneider, shareholder and attorney, Menn Law Firm

Dairy Currents

MAKE SAFETY A PRIORITY FOR FARM VISITS AND PETTING ZOOS during the busy summer season. Because healthy farm animals can be carriers of microorganisms such as Salmonella, Cryptosporidia, Listeria, and E. coli O157:H7 that can occasionally cause illness in people, it’s important to take precautions when hosting groups at your farm or taking animals to open houses, fairs and petting zoos. Key factors to consider include supervision of children, not eating and drinking in areas with animals, avoiding handling of animal bedding, feed and other items, and proper handwashing after visits.

See a full list of guidelines from Penn State Extension here.

WHAT ARE AMERICA’S FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVORS AND TOPPINGS? In a recent survey from the International Dairy Foods Association, vanilla remained the top ice cream flavor with 38% of responses, followed by chocolate, strawberry, butter pecan and cookie dough. Cookies and Cream slipped from its top three ranking in 2019 and 2022. Hot fudge is the highest-ranked topping, followed by whipped cream, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce and nuts. See the full list and other ice cream trends here.

FDA APPROVES FIRST FEED SUPPLEMENT TO REDUCE METHANE in dairy cows. In February, the FDA withdrew an existing policy governing approval of animal feed additives, which startups said were causing multi-year delays for new products. This week, the agency approved Bovaer, a powdered supplement that is added to feed and suppresses the cow’s ability to produce methane during the digestive process. This is a milestone for the agtech sector as companies work to scale solutions to minimize the industry’s environmental footprint.

Learn more here.