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Iowa's dairy community was represented at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, this week! Thanks to Matt and Cheryl Schelling of WIDA, Sue Ann Claudon of ISDA, and representatives of Iowa Corn and Iowa Area Development Group for sharing Iowa's dairy story at this important show.
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Upcoming Events
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Visit the WIDA web site for a full list of events
Sioux City
March 2
ISU Extension
Plymouth Dairy, LeMars
Sioux Center
Sioux Falls, SD
March 29-31
Sioux Falls, SD
March 30
Sioux Falls
June 22
9th Annual June Dairy MonthOpen House
Maassen Dairy, Maurice
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2016 Silver Sponsors
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Annual Meeting Celebrated 2015 Successes
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2016 annual meeting on January 18 in Orange City.
Mike Pearson, host of IPTV's Market to Market television show, gave the keynote address.
Kia Nystrom, Boehringer Ingelheim, was approved by WIDA members to join the board of directors. Two openings still exist for producer board members. Contact Matt Schelling by email or call 712-441-1963 if you are interested or would like to nominate someone.
Thank you to outgoing board members Brian Rozeboom, Emily Kurtzleben and Chris Hulstein for their service.
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LaunchPAD Childrens Museum Opens in Sioux City This Week
In 2014, WIDA announced a $20,000 donation to the children's museum being planned in Sioux City. On February 11, the LaunchPAD Children's Museum will open its doors.
The new museum features a number of interactive exhibits, including a barn area where children can learn about various aspects of agriculture. The dairy section includes a fiberglass milking cow and display where an edited version of this video is shown. Read a review of the new museum here.
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Consumer Engagement Training Set for Feb. 23
The NW Iowa Young Farmer group with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will be gathering on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 starting at 2:00 p.m. in Orange City at the Sioux County Extension Office to learn more about consumer messaging and media coaching through Consumer Engagement Training.
The program will feature Iowa Farm Bureau's media and messaging expects including Laurie Johns, Public Relations Manager. This training will be covering consumer public relations in the agriculture industry, social media, and hands on interviewing skills.
Young farmers from Northwest Iowa are encouraged to attend and join the group. This group also offers networking opportunities and educational opportunities for young farmers throughout the year.
There is no cost to attend, but participants are asked to pre-register by February 18th by contacting Janelle Johnson at the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Plymouth County Office at 712-546-7835 or janelle@iastate.edu
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Volunteers Needed for Siouxland Home Show
WIDA, along with Iowa Food and Family Project and other agriculture groups in northwest Iowa, will again be hosting a booth at the Siouxland Home Show in Sioux City February 25-28.
Volunteers are needed to help with 2-3 hour shifts at the show, including handing out information and trivia game prizes, as well as answering questions about livestock and crop production. It is a fun atmosphere and volunteers receive free admission to the Home Show.
Contact LeAnne at 712-441-5308 or info@wiadairy.com to volunteer.
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ISDA, Midwest Dairy Scholarships Available
The Iowa Division of Midwest Dairy Association will be awarding 20 $1,000 educational awards. Applicants who qualify include any producer who funds Midwest Dairy Association, the producer's spouse, the producer's children or grandchildren. The producer must have an active dairy operation as of January 1st of the year the scholarship will be awarded. The producer must reside in Iowa. Please contact us if you need to verify these qualifications.
ISDA will be awarding 14 college scholarships of $500 each for the 2016 fall semester. To be eligible for a scholarship, you must be the child or grandchild of a current ISDA member OR be an employee or the child of an employee on a dairy farm which belongs to ISDA. Applicants must also be attending college full time (or plan to attend full time).
All WIDA dairy farm members also have joint membership in ISDA. WIDA is funding two of the $500 scholarships.
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2016 Iowa Legislative Session Underway
The 2016 session of the Iowa Legislature began in January. Ahead of the session, changes to the Iowa State Dairy Association policy books were approved at the ISDA annual meeting on January 8.
Several policies were updated and the labor policies were rewritten (including a labor position statement similar to the one adopted by WIDA members this winter.)
The policy books were mailed to all state legislators.
Click here to download the 2016 policy book.
Watch for legislative updates from Sue Ann Claudon throughout the session, including updates from ISDA's contract lobbyist Jill Altringer.
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Living on the Edge: Managing Calf Care
This is the first of several articles that will be submitted by Gold and Silver industry members during 2016. Thank you to Dr. Sara Barber of Prairie Livestock Supply for this article.
Over the last 15 years, I have been called in to troubleshoot many different calf disease and health challenges. As we work though the issues, rarely is a problem caused by one single thing. More often, there are a number of health and management items that could be improved. By themselves, each item is not a big deal but when you stack them together, suddenly you are
Living on the Edge of disaster. When one more thing, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant happens (like cold weather, flies, or a dirty colostrum pail), it is enough to tip the problem
Over the Edge.
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Dairy Cow Transition Field Day On March 2
Dairy producers will learn how to improve and manage their transition cow program at the 2016 Transition Cow Field Days hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach specialists.
Transition cow management can influence the milk production and health of the entire herd, and the program will provide information on
how to achieve better milk quality, how to improve calving and provide best management practices for record keeping..
The session in northwest Iowa will be held on March 2 from 10am to noon at
Plymouth Dairy,
23505 K-49, Le Mars. Click here for more details.
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Dairy Beef Course and Tour on March 29
The I-29 Dairy Outreach Consortium will host a tour and discussions regarding dairy beef prior to the Central Plains Dairy Expo.
Click here for details and registration information. WIDA will cover the $25 registration costs for our dairy producer and heifer grower members.
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NE Iowa Dairy Foundation Plans Spring Dairy Tour
The Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation organizes a spring dairy trip annually; this trip offers dairy producers the chance to visit dairies of varying size, management and equipment. There are also recreational activities worked into the itinerary. This year's tour will be held April 4-10 and include tours of Midwest dairies and free time in Nashville, Tennessee.
WIDA members will receive $100 per person off the trip registration. For details or more information, click here.
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Thank You for 2016 Membership Renewals!!
Thanks to everyone who has sent in 2016 membership renewals. Your support allows us to continue growing and serving the dairy community. Check out our 2015 Year In Review report to see how your membership works for you.
We're excited to have new Gold and Silver members for 2016. See logos to the left and make sure to thank the businesses that you work with for their support. A full list of industry partners who have renewed or joined for 2016 can be seen on our web site.
If you did not receive renewal paperwork, need an invoice, or would like to pay with credit card, contact LeAnne by email or at 712-441-5308.
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Registration for Global Ag Summit Now Open
The 2016 Global Agriculture Summit will be held at Dordt College on March 3-4. The event will feature speakers, workshops and networking with a goal of addressing world hunger. Visit www.agrisummit.org for details, schedule and registration information.
Discounted registration is available through Feb. 1. WIDA will pay $50 of dairy producer and heifer grower registrations. To register, click here and enter code WIDA50 for your discount.
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