January 2019 vol. 1
Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®
Words to live by...

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. --- William Arthur Ward


Opportunities to learn...

HEAR FROM NEWLY APPOINTED STATE LEADERS AND OTHERS at the Agricultural Community Engagement® (ACE) meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 29, in Madison, Wis. Speakers will include two newly appointed leaders; Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Brad Pfaff and Wisconsin Secretary of Transportation Craig Thompson. Other industry executives, conservation officials and a panel of dairy producers will also present sessions showcasing alliances and successes in a variety of sectors critical to our state's sustainability. The meeting is hosted by PDPW, the Wisconsin Counties Association and Wisconsin Towns Association to encourage discussions between community leaders, elected officials, farmers and regulators about ways to continue building strong, vibrant communities in the state. Find more details here.

APPLY TODAY FOR CORNERSTONE DAIRY ACADEMY. A full slate of world-class facilitators will present techniques to fine-tune effective communications skills during the 2019 edition of Cornerstone Dairy Academy. Developed to build and polish collaboration and leadership skills, this three-track application-based program also offers students an opportunity to put their new skills to work during day one of the 2019 PDPW Business Conference. Scheduled for March 12-13 in Madison, Wis., applications are due Jan. 31; find the application form and more details here. Apply today. 

DOES YOUR DAIRY HAVE A RELEVANT SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE? Attend the PDPW Social Media Strategy Workshop, scheduled for Thur., Feb. 7, to begin mastering key elements of social media strategies. Led by Robin Brannin, Director of Digital Strategy with MorganMyers, this one-day workshop is open to dairy farmers and allied industry and will equip attendees with the tools and analysis strategies to optimize your presence in the digital space. More details about the workshop, to be held at the offices of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin in Madison, can be found here.

KEEP YOUR COWS AT THE CENTER OF YOUR OPERATION by attending the PDPW Dairy Wellbeing Workshop. Two repeating sessions will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 and 13 at the Tundra Lodge Resort Waterpark and Conference Center in Green Bay. Dr. Jennifer Van Os and Dr. Nigel Cook, DVM, will present sessions on animal welfare across the life cycle and how to consistently make improvements with cow comfort in mind. A guided tour of American Foods Group and discussions with beef buyers, market experts and USDA inspectors will give you a new perspective on cull cows and culling decisions. Learn more and register here or call 800-947-7379.

NEXT SESSION OF FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR DAIRY-LEVEL TWO will be held Feb. 20-21 in Marshfield, Wis. The program will reconvene on March 28-29 and conclude April 10-11. Sessions focus on giving dairy farmers and managers the financial tools and acumen to take their management to the next level, and are led by Gary Sipiorski, dairy development manager with VitaPlus and David Olsen of Compeer Financial and. Learn more and register here. 

MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND 2019 BUSINESS CONFERENCE scheduled for March 13-14 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. This year's program is once again filled with world-class speakers from around the globe bringing attendees cutting-edge research, innovations and ideas to help you dairy forward. See program details here and register today.

CHECK OUT DAIRY ADVANCE Find, track and report your Continuing Education (CEs). Get more details at DairyAdvance.org.
For your dairy...

IMPACT OF ADDING CORN OIL OR CALCIUM SULFATE TO DIETS was researched in a study published in the Journal of Dairy Science. It is known that adding corn oil and calcium sulfate to diets of ruminants can reduce methane production, but researchers sought to determine the impact of these supplements on energy balance. A study of Holstein and Jersey cows found the addition of corn oil to diets containing reduced-fat distillers grain and solubles may also improve energy balance in lactating dairy cattle, whereas the addition of calcium sulfate to diets containing reduced-fat distillers grain and solubles only reduced methane production. Read the full article here.

PAY ATTENTION TO DIETS OF YOUNGER CALVES DURING COLD WEATHER to ensure their nutrient requirements for growth are met. Calves younger than 3 or 4 weeks are completely dependent on nutrients in milk or milk replacer, and in cold temperatures the calf must consume more energy to avoid using its limited body reserves to keep warm. Methods to consider in cold weather include:
  1. Increase amount of milk or milk replacer fed per day
  2. Supplement milk replacer with added fat or additional milk solids
  3. Switch to a more energy-dense milk replacer with higher fat concentrations
  4. Increase starter intake
Read the full article with more details here.

Dairy currents...

IS IT REALLY A FOOD ALLERGY?   A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open reports that while 19 percent of U.S. adults believe they have a food allergy, only 11% actually do. Researchers surveyed more than 40,000 people and compared beliefs about allergies with their descriptions of allergy diagnoses and hospitalizations. The researchers believe many of the adults are confusing the minor symptoms of less severe food intolerance with allergies that potentially have more life-threatening symptoms. Learn more in this TIME Magazine article . 

COWS HELP STUDENTS DE-STRESS DURING FINALS with a new program at Michigan State University. The event, "Finals Stress Mooove On Out", gave students the opportunity to calm down during a stressful time with 30-minute sessions of brushing cows at the university dairy farm. Students who participated also learned about cow behavior, milking process and more. Read the full article in the Lansing State Journal  here.

FDA REPORTS DECLINE IN MEDICALLY IMPORTANT ANTIBIOTICS used in food-animal production. In December, the FDA released the "2017 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals" which reported a 33-percent decline between 2016 and 2017 in domestic sales and distribution of all medically important antimicrobials intended for use in food-producing animals. The report also showed a decline of 43 percent since 2015, the peak year of sales/distribution since the FDA began issuing these annual reports, and a decline of 28 percent since the first sales report which summarized the sales/distribution data for 2009. Read the FDA statement for more details.
For your business mind...

ARE YOU PRODUCTIVE? OR MERELY BUSY? We all have days where we are go-go-go for hours, only to wonder at the end of the day what was really accomplished. Instead of just staying busy all day long, take a step back and consider whether you are truly being productive. AMcGhee Productivity Solutions article states that productive people:
  • have an end goal in mind
  • have a small, clear list of priorities
  • focus on one thing at a time
  • make time for their priorities
Read the full article here.

UNDERSTANDING BASIC RULES OF EMPLOYMENT AND COMPENSATION will benefit your business and employees many times over. As it pertains to IRS classifications, it's important to know the distinctions between employees and independent contractors, as well as which employee groups are affected by overtime, break and on-call policies. Taking time to understand requirements and clearly communicate with all employees will prevent unwanted issues at tax time and beyond. Click here to read the article and for access to several guides and fact sheets.

DID YOU RESOLVE TO READ MORE IN THE NEW YEAR?  An article in Popular Science highlights the importance of reading to maintain brain development and improve emotional intelligence in adults. However, approximately one in four Americans haven't read a book in the past year. Tips to fitting more reading time into a busy schedule include setting small goals of 5 or 10 pages each day, including reading in your daily schedule or to-do list, and focusing on books that fit your interests. Read the full article here.
Business Conference Speaker Profile... 

In the weeks leading up to the 2019 Business Conference, we'll present a sneak peek of some of the world-class speakers lined up for this year's event.
 
Dr. Frank Mitloehner
Dr. Frank Mitloehner
 
What's the real impact of livestock production and meat consumption on the environment? Dr. Frank Mitloehner, a leading expert on the subject, will present a science-based view of dairy's growing global demand and the impact on our planet in two separate sessions at the 2019 PDPW Business Conference.
 
After blowing the whistle on an erroneous claim by the UN that charged livestock for contributing more to greenhouse gas emissions than all modes of transportation combined, Dr. Mitloehner has been highly sought after for his research on air emissions, animal health and welfare.
 
In a recent article, he sets the record straight on claims that livestock production is the largest source of greenhouse gases worldwide, reporting that all of agriculture accounts for 9 percent of US greenhouse gases as of 2016 - with animal agriculture representing only 3.9%
 
A Professor and Air Quality Extension Specialist at the University of California-Davis Animal Science Department, Dr. Mitloehner conducts research to determine the amount and impact of air emissions from livestock operations. He has served as chairman of a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization partnership project to benchmark the environmental footprint of livestock production, as well as workgroups and committees for the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and the National Academies of Science Institute of Medicine. He received his Master's degree in Animal Science and Engineering from the University of Leipzig, Germany, and his PhD in Animal Science from Texas Technical University.
 
You can follow Dr. Mitloehner on Twitter or his blog. Make plans to hear him in person at the 2019 Business Conference.

A BIG Thank You...  

TO THE PDPW SPONSORS who are supporting your professional development organization! As a producer-led group, we extend a heart-felt "Thank You!" to those that stand alongside our nation's dairy farmers.  Their support allows PDPW to execute best-in-class producer training and has enabled us to become the go-to resource for unified outreach initiatives. If you or a company you know is interested in participating as a sponsor, please contact us at [email protected] or call 800-947-7379.
 
See the full list of generous sponsors here.