July 2020 Vol. 2
Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization ®
Opportunities to learn
ENJOY A NIGHT OUT WITH FOOD, FUN AND LEARNING at the PDPW Dairy Fest events on Wed., Aug. 12 at Marti Farms , Vesper, Wis., and Wed., Aug. 19 at Vision-Aire Farms LLC , Eldorado, Wis. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m., with the program starting at 5 p.m. The program at each event features the Voice of the Packers Wayne Larrivee , comedian Royal Boehlke. A risk-management panel discussion including Tim Swenson , Compeer Financial Services; Carl Babler , Atten Babler; and facilitator Jim Moriarty , Compeer Financial Services will also be featured. Registration is $20 per person and includes a meal and ice cream. Click here for registration details. 

The event will comply with the most current COVID-related CDC guidelines.
JOIN FARMERS, NEIGHBORS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS to discuss ideas and issues important to rural communities, water quality, community development and more at the 2020 Agricultural Community Engagement (ACE) On-the-Farm Twilight Meetings. Each event is free and includes a farm tour starting at 6:00 p.m. followed by ice cream and open discussions that will conclude at 8:30 p.m. Click here to learn more and pre-register for the free event. Events will be held at:

Tues., Aug. 25 – Highway Dairy Farms , Darlington, WI
Hosted by Jean Stauffacher and Jay Stauffacher

Wed., Aug. 26 – Feltz Family Farms , Stevens Point, WI
Hosted by Ken and Jackie Feltz and families

Thurs., Aug 27 – Second Look Holsteins , Eden, Wis.
Hosted by Doug and Linda Hodorff, Corey and Tammy Hodorff, and Clint Hodorff
For your dairy
HEAT STRESS DURING PREGNANCY IMPACTS TWO GENERATIONS of calves, according to research conducted at the University of Florida and University of California and published in the Journal of Dairy Science. The research was conducted over ten years to follow cows who suffered heat stress during late gestation as well as three lactation cycles of their daughters and granddaughters. Results showed that daughters of cows that were actively cooled had higher milk production in the first three lactations. These cows were also less likely to be culled before first calving and had a longer and more productive lifespan. Granddaughters of cows that were actively cooled had higher production in their first lactation, but productive life and lifespan were the same between both groups. Read the full study here .
ALLEVIATING STRESS CAN HELP ADDRESS BUNCHING in barns or lots on dairy farms, according to an article from Iowa State Extension. Stressful conditions can trigger cows’ natural herding instincts to group together, which causes overcrowding in some areas and ample free space in other areas. Attempting to disperse bunched cattle often only makes the situation worse and increases stress for both cattle and farmworkers. The most common causes of bunching are lack of cooling systems and heat stress, a lack of fresh air, flies, and avoidance of light. Learn more about each of these and possible solutions in the full article . 
PDPW Prime Exhibitors are industry- leading dairy companies and service providers.

Make sure to check back often for exhibitor deals.

Thank you, PDPW Prime Exhibitors. We appreciate your continued support!

To view PDPW Prime, click here .
MODULATING INFLAMMATION DURING TRANSITION PERIOD can benefit cow health and performance following calving. An article from Penn State Extension shares strategies to decrease stress around calving, including minimizing overstocking, avoiding commingling first-lactation cows with multiparous cows, and fewer pen moves. Minimizing incidence of inflammation aids in disease prevention. The author also shares strategies and related research results for controlling inflammation following calving, including administration of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirin. Read the full article in English and Spanish .
The Dairy Signal
DON’T MISS 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 free educational sessions are aired every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with recorded versions of The Dairy Signal™ available to view on-demand. Click here to find and watch archived recordings.

Mark your calendars for the next three episodes of The Dairy Signal, scheduled for August 4, 5 and 6.

Presenters and topics covered recently include:
Find out what the research team at The Center for Dairy Research is working on and what the dairy industry has to look forward to.
  • John Lucey, Professor of Food Science, University of Wisconsin, and Director of the Center for Dairy Research
  • John Jaeggi, Researcher, Coordinator-Cheese Industry and Applications Group with Center for Dairy Research

Corn silage is the foundation of many dairy rations. Hear from a panel of farmers about how they balance their rations while taking into consideration soil composition and cow health.
  • Brody Stapel, Double Dutch Dairy, LLC, Cedar Grove, Wis.
  • Mitch Breunig, Mystic Valley Dairy, LLC, Sauk City, Wis.
  • Brett Bonlender, Clover Hill Dairy, LLC, Campbellsport, Wis.

Learn the latest updates from Washington, including policies under discussion, that will impact the dairy industry.
  • Dr. Mark Stephenson, UW-Madison Director of Dairy Policy Analysis and Director of Wisconsin's Center for Dairy Profitability
  • Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation

Learn tips to best navigate stress and manage during challenging times.
  • Dr. John Shutske, Ph.D., Professor and Cooperative Extension Specialist, UW-Madison Department of Biological Systems-Engineering

Hear from experts about what you can do to improve safety for dairy employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, including workforce modifications and resources for agricultural workers. 
  • Mariah Hennan, Legal Action of Wisconsin Farmworker Project Program Manager
  • Dr. Cheston Price, MD, Medical Director for Mobile Migrant Health Services, Family Health La Clinica (FHLC)
  • Chuck Warzecha, Deputy Administrator, Wisconsin Division of Public Health

Learn the latest updates in dairy markets, including insights on the Producer Price Differential and China’s recent purchases of U.S. corn.
  • Dan Basse, Economist and President of AgResource Company

If you have suggestions for future programs or speakers, email mail@pdpw.org .
Dairy currents
METHANE, BURGER KING AND SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT.  Earlier this month, Burger King released an online video and communications campaign about their efforts to reduce methane emissions in their beef supply, including adding lemongrass to cows’ diets. UC-Davis professor Dr. Frank Mitloehner, professor and air quality extension specialist in the department of animal science at UC-Davis, responded to the campaign with a blog post and social media outreach correcting factual errors and pointed out that the lemongrass research had not yet gone through peer review or publication. 

Read the full blog post and view the Rethinking Methane vi deo created by the CLEAR Center at UC Davis.   
NATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE, CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS are driving awareness, building brand recognition and driving retail sales for Wisconsin cheese with consumers around the country. Public relations programs led by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) have engaged national television broadcasters, chefs and lifestyle experts, resulting in broadcast mentions of Wisconsin cheese in all 50 states and reaching more than 400 million consumers. Celebrity mentions and endorsement of Wisconsin products on national shows have been a key part of the strategy, which drives traffic to WisconsinCheese.com. Click here to see examples of recent media coverage featuring Wisconsin dairy products. 
For your business mind
DON’T RELY ON LUCK TO MAKE OPPORTUNITIES HAPPEN in your life and in your business. The combination of an optimistic outlook and strategy will help you build more opportunities in your life, according to dairy farmer and leadership coach Hank Wagner. Because our thinking determines what we believe which in turn determines what we say and do, we have to start each day ready to look for opportunities. Wagner shares the following five steps to build more opportunities in your life:
  1. Value opportunities. Decide what is meaningful and important to you.
  2. Expect opportunities. 
  3. Look for opportunities.
  4. Never give up; don’t stop looking.
  5. Be willing to wait for opportunities; exercise patience.

Click here to listen to the PDPW Podcast episode in which he shares these steps and gives specific examples.
CAN YOU BE MINDFUL AND PROACTIVE AT THE SAME TIME? Today’s leaders need to be both mindful – focused on what’s happening in the moment – and proactive – looking ahead and planning for the future – at the same time. Though it may not seem possible to do both, experts say that approaching each task with focus and mindfulness allows you to handle daily tasks and short-term planning more effectively and efficiently, allowing more time to dedicate to long-term planning. One recommendation is to end each workday by developing a plan for the next day’s tasks and goals. Learn more in the full article .
Quote
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
~ Albert Einstein
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