PDP Manager's Memo

August 2024 Vol. 1

Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®

Your Farm Your Footprint

Position your dairy for the future with Your Farm Your Footprint.

Dairy producers are finding simple data collection, easy-to-understand baseline reporting and inspiration for future improvements through the Your Farm – Your Footprint Program from PDP.

“As dairy producers, we have lots of tools and spreadsheets to evaluate milk production, costs of production, dry matter efficiency and more that allow us to measure and adjust our practices to do better,” said Lippert. “The Your Farm – Your Footprint program gives us new metrics and a new lens to look at the sustainability of our farm; it was an easy process and is a great place to start.”

The first step of the Your Farm – Your Footprint process is connecting with an advisor from Eocene Environmental Consultants, an independent third-party contracted to manage the program. Producers typically start with a phone call to review their operation, and then share existing data and records with the consultant. All farms receive three scores calculated through three different models: FARM ES, COMET and Cool Farm Tool. In addition to the benchmark scores, dairy producers are provided examples and data points they can use to explain their operation’s sustainability to a wide range of audiences.

As a producer-led initiative, the Your Farm – Your Footprint program ensures all data and information submitted by dairy producers is kept private. For peer group discussions, aggregated data from all participating producers is provided to serve as a benchmark.

Learn more on the program website.

Opportunities to Learn

Innovation & Technology Farm Tours

August 21, 22

Colby & Berlin, Wis.

SEE FOR YOURSELF, DISCUSS WITH YOUR PEERS. The 2024 Innovation & Technology Farm Tours are the perfect opportunity to see new dairy technologies in action and hear from dairy producers about their experiences. Join us for one or both days of the tours at Haas Dairy on August 21 and Trillium Hill Farm on August 22 for a look at monitoring systems, facility innovations, innovative equipment and how they have been adopted for efficiencies that have led to increased production and reproduction data. Learn more and register here.

ACE® Twilight Meetings

August 26, 27, 28, 29

Woodville, Pittsville, Kewaunee & Lodi, Wis.

ICE CREAM, FARM TOURS AND CONVERSATIONS ARE ON TAP at the ACE Twilight Meetings. Hosted by the Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Towns Association and PDP, the free events are designed to spark positive conversations and ideas to strengthen rural communities. Make plans to attend and invite community leaders, business owners, elected officials and more for discussions on key topics like community development, resource management, changes in ag and rural communities, roads and more. Learn more here.

Water Tours

September 10

Milwaukee, Wis.

WATER TOURS IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN TO SHOWCASE INNOVATIONS and partnerships. Scheduled for Tue., Sep. 10, buses will pick up attendees and return them to: WisDOT Park & Ride 40-85, Brown Deer Rd. E, River Hills, WI. The bus will depart at 9:30 am after 9:15 registration and return by 4:00 pm. Participants will tour Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and Roden Echo Valley, LLC. Whether treating 630 million gallons of wastewater a day or managing land with waterways, grass buffer strips and no-till cover crops – and using all dairy-production water at least twice, the tour stops will showcase to attendees the many ways in which both rural and urban centers can take care of our shared water resources. Travel time will feature discussions with water-quality experts, researchers and other attendees. Pre-registration is required; tickets are $49. For more information, including the program flier and details on each tour stop, click here or call PDP at 800.947.7379.

Stride™ Youth Leadership Conference

Sept. 21, 2024

Platteville, Wis.

DON’T MISS THE MUST-ATTEND EVENT OF THE FALL for high school students ages 15 to 18. As back-to-school calendars fill up, make sure that the 2024 Stride Youth Leadership Conference is on the list for high school students with an interest in agriculture. Held at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, the interactive program will feature hands-on experiences, including farm and campus tours, dairy foods lab and bio-char lab, as well as leadership development programs and introduction to all the career opportunities in agriculture. 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.

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE NUMBERS. Take your dairy business to the next level with the 2024-25 sessions of PDP’s Financial Literacy for Dairy. The multi-level, multi-session program is designed to provide dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and other agribusiness professionals with an understanding of financials 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

REDUCING ENTERIC METHANE EMISSIONS WITH DAIRY NUTRITION is the focus of a research review conducted by Dr. Alexander Hristov at Penn State. He reviewed how a variety of diet reformulations impact methane emissions, then looked at feed additive options. Based on existing research, the most promising additives are seaweed and 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP). He also noted potential opportunities to reduce methane emissions in cow manure and how strategies can be paired synergistically. Learn more in a summary article, full article, or watch Dr. Hristov’s Dairy Signal episode that aired on August 15.

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES HAVE MORE IMPACT than breed in preventing and managing mastitis, according to a Journal of Dairy Science article and Penn State summary. Every step of the milking procedure makes a difference, including:

Effective pre-dip left on for 15-30 seconds
Ensure 60-90 second lag time to avoid bimodal milking
Fore-stripping
Wiping
Post-dip

Review these and other key management factors in the full article.

HOW DO WEANING METHODS IMPACT CALF PERFORMANCE? A review of 44 studies examined this question, with a consensus that weaning at later ages or over longer durations has positive effects on overall calf growth. The authors point out that there is a need for more research in this area, especially focused on behavior and wellbeing. Positive effects on growth were also seen in calves who were weaned based on starter intake, by step-down milk reduction and by reducing meal size compared to reducing meal frequency. Read more in the full Journal of Dairy Science article.

For Your Business Mind

WHAT WOULD CHANGES TO MILK MARKETING ORDERS MEAN TO YOU? The recommended reforms to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMO) represent the most significant changes to the U.S. milk pricing system in decades. Dairy producers and co-ops will have the opportunity to vote on these proposals later in the year, so it is critical to take time to understand the changes and potential impact on your farm and the industry. Three experts joined The Dairy Signal for a two-part series on the recommendations and potential impact. Watch Session One and Session Two, and also visit www.DairyMarkets.org for informational letters on key aspects.

LATERAL “STRETCH” ROLES CAN PROPEL CAREER FORWARD. The expectation may be that each career move should involve a promotion or greater responsibility, but a SmartBrief article highlights the benefits of a lateral role that provides skills, expertise or experience:

1. To reposition yourself

2. To increase your career potential

3. To enrich your leadership toolbox

Learn more in the full article.

SAYING “NO” CAN BE HARD, but it is an important skill to ensure that you can meet the professional and personal commitments you’ve already made and keep a healthy balance in your life. Tips for approaching a “no” conversation include:

Be direct and honest
Use “I” statements
Offer an alternative
Keep calm and respectful tone
Practice!

Read the article for more tips and example statements for personal, work and volunteer situations.

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:

August 1

Join a conversation about keeping facilities secure, including use of security cameras, alarm systems and more. Experts will share how they developed security protocols and how to handle biosecurity.

Chad Juel, senior director of operations support, Kwik Trip
Paul Ayers, animal care manager, The Maschhoffs

August 6

Listen to an update on the latest news and research on the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle.

Dr. Keith Poulsen, PhD, director, Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL), University of Wisconsin
Dr. Darlene Konkle, DVM, MS, DACVIM, state veterinarian, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

August 7

Preparing for an emergency will pay dividends for operations of any size. Learn about the protocols and processes that farms should have in place in case of fire, tornado or other natural disasters.

Gerald Minor, chief, Pittsville Fire Department

August 8

As summer starts to wind down, join the webinar for updates on ag and dairy markets, exports, weather and more that will impact your business through 2024.

Ben Buckner, chief grains and dairy analyst, AgResource Company

August 13

As 2024 corn silage harvest nears, take time to hear about crop status from across the country and discuss late season management and harvest options to make the most of your crop. Dr. Goeser will also recap 2024 haylage quality and trends.

Dr. John Goeser, PhD, director of nutritional research & innovation at Rock River Lab, Inc., and adjunct assistant professor, Dairy Science Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison

August 14

One of the most challenging parts of managing a farm or business is dealing with difficult or under-performing team members. Tune in for an interactive discussion of disciplinary strategies and how to manage those conversations.

Don Tyler, founder of Tyler & Associates, executive and management coach

August 15

Tune in to hear the practical strategies and ways that dairy producers can reduce the carbon footprint of their farm through feeding.

Dr. Alexander Hristov, PhD, P.A.S, distinguished professor of dairy nutrition, Pennsylvania State University

Dairy Currents

PREPARE NOW FOR A SAFE CORN SILAGE HARVEST. With long days and late nights during harvest season, it's important to take time to inspect equipment, make needed repairs and ensure that the entire team understands protocols in the field, on the road and around silage piles and bunkers. Before the harvest rush begins, inspect all shields and guards on equipment, PTO shields on silage wagons and all lights and turn signals on tractors, trucks and wagons. Investing in reflective vests, especially for working after dusk, will improve the visibility of team members. Read more in the full article from Ohio State Extension.

CHEESE AND WHEY EXPORTS STAY STRONG. At the halfway point of 2024, total U.S. dairy exports were down 1.7%, but U.S. cheese sales grew for the sixth month in a row and posted the second-biggest June sales ever. Cheese exports are up 24% year to date. Whey exports are also growing, with “encouraging buying signs” from China and Southeast Asia, the top two markets for the U.S. Learn more in the full update from the U.S. Dairy Export Council, including a deep dive into the whey market.

GROCERS FACE CHALLENGES WITH ONLINE CHANNELS. As the popularity of online ordering, pick-up and delivery increases, so does the amount of labor needed to fill and manage those orders. Online sales require 125% more labor and can be impacted whether online orders are filled in retail stores or dedicated warehouses. An article from Harvard Business Review highlights the challenges and compares how three retailers – Trader Joe’s, Wegmans and Walmart – are taking different approaches to the online sales model. Learn more in the full article.

Book Review

BE THE UNICORN: 12 DATA-DRIVEN HABITS THAT SEPARATE THE BEST LEADERS FROM THE REST. After studying 30,000 top leaders, authors discovered the 12 habits they share that make them as rare as a unicorn. The book shares how to develop soft skills such as authenticity, responsiveness, agility, and the ability to problem solve and put them to work in your personal and professional life. It also reviews how these skills can be used in different work environments and job fields. Learn more here.

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