September 2018 vol. 1
Brought to you by Dairy's Professional Development Organization®
Opportunities to learn...

BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS with a strong understanding of financial management tools. Presented through multiple sessions, this program was developed to provide opportunities to learn, study and practice financial concepts during the series. Though registration hasn't opened, a waiting list has been started; contact PDPW today to add your name to the waiting list.  PDPW will offer registration to those on the waiting list first, then to membership, then to the public for enrollment.  Learn more and join the waiting list here . 

DAIRY DIALOGUE DAY TOURS ARE COMING UP; mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 23 for an opportunity to pick the brains of successful dairy producers who have tapped into niche markets. You'll want to save a spot on this tour to Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese and Sassy Cow Creamery. Attendees will be picked up and travel by bus to both sites; stay tuned for more information at www.pdpw.org or call PDPW at 800-947-7379. 

PDPW 2018-2019 PROGRAM CALENDAR ANNOUNCED. At PDPW, we understand that supporting the whole farmer - personally and professionally - is critical to your success. Our farmer-led Board is proud to share the 2018-19 PDPW Educational Calendar with members; click here to download a list of scheduled educational meetings and events.  

IS DAIRY ADVANCE FOR ME?  If you are a dairy farmer, student, allied industry professional, academic, scientist, food system professional or public service professional serving the dairy industry, the answer is YES.  The Dairy AdvanCE program gives you the opportunity to find, track and report the training programs that will advance your personal knowledge and your career.  Program subscriptions are free to dairy farmers and students.  Check out a short video and learn more here. 
For your dairy...

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU at World Dairy Expo next month. Stop by our booth in the foyer of the Exhibition Hall as we celebrate the dairy industry together in Madison, Wis. We've got exciting programs to share with you and your team members! You'll find us at booth EH4427.

DATA CAN BE USED TO DETECT CLINICAL MASTITIS in automated milking systems (AMS), according to research published in the Journal of Dairy Science.  The study sought to investigate 12 measurements captured in electronic data from AMS and determine which measurements could help detect clinical mastitis.  The six measurements used in the final tested model included quarter-level milk yield, electrical conductivity, average milk flow rate, occurrence of incompletely milked quarters in each milking session, milk yield per hour, and electrical conductivity per hour between successive milking sessions. The study showed that improved mastitis-status prediction can be achieved by using multiple measurements, and new indexes based on these results can improve on-farm detection of clinical mastitis.  Read more here.

SELENIUM-VITAMIN E INJECTIONS CAN HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS on high-producing cows with a high pre-calving body condition score.  Researchers published results in the Journal of Dairy Science from a study that evaluated the effects of selenium-vitamin E injections in a group of 34 cows that were divided into high and moderate body condition scores at three weeks ahead of calving. It was concluded that SeE injections had beneficial effects on some blood metabolites, albumin as a blood antioxidative parameter, and lactation performance in high-producing dairy cows, especially cows with a moderate close-up body condition score.  Learn more about the study and results here.

PROTECT VACCINES TO ENSURE THEY REMAIN EFFECTIVE.  Vaccines are an important investment for livestock producers and their animals but farmers need to take care to protect vaccines from heat, cold and sunlight to ensure their efficacy.  Jason Banta, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension expert said it is important to keep vaccines at the storage conditions recommended on the product label, including while in transit and inoculating animals. Typically a temperature range of 35 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit is advised; producers should check product temperature when receiving vaccines from the veterinarian and ensure that on-farm refrigeration is appropriate.  Read the full article here for storing and handling vaccines.
Dairy currents...

REPORT OUTLINES CHALLENGES IN AG LABOR MARKET. A new report issued by CoBank details factors behind the challenges in today's agricultural labor market, led by changing labor conditions in the U.S. and fewer workers from Mexico. The study outlines potential implications for U.S. producers and consumers, including that labor will be increasingly sourced from other areas like Central America's Northern Triangle or from areas in East Asia, and that for some commodities, robotics and other technologies will lead to efficiencies that reduce the need for some manual labor. Read the full report and stories of how some U.S. producers are handling increasing challenges of finding and retaining employees. 

STAY SAFE WHEN WORKING IN CONFINED SPACES such as silos, grain bins, manure handling and storage systems and other unventilated spaces; this starts with always working in pairs or small groups. Teaming up with another allows one person to complete the task while the other is able to monitor and initiate emergency procedures. Because danger associated with chemical mist, gas, vapor, or oxygen limitation cannot always be easily detected by sight or smell, it is important to evaluate your work area and always use appropriate personal protective equipment. Click here for a  newsletter article in both Spanish and English with tips on safety in confined spaces and watch this video on inhalation exposure to chemicals.

CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIORS CREATE OPPORTUNITIES and challenges for food retailers, restaurants and tech companies.  While more than 80 percent of meals were prepared and eaten at home in 2017, consumers continue to look for products and services that can make preparation time shorter and more convenient. In addition, families are simplifying meals with fewer dishes to make it easier to bring the meal to the table.  Meal kits, grocery delivery services, recipe recommendation and search platforms, as well as Instapots and other quick-cooking devices are examples of products and services aiming to meet consumers' demand for eating at home in a simpler, faster way.  Read more here. 
For your business mind...

TEAM APPROACH PAYS OFF IN REPRODUCTION PERFORMANCE DOLLARS for dairy farms participating in the Repro Money program through the UW-Madison Department of Dairy Science and the UW Extension.  Forty farms participated in the program which included facilitated meetings with teams of veterinarians, nutritionists, AI technicians, extension, herd managers and others, to take a holistic view of reproductive performance and health assessments at the farm.  Farms that enrolled and completed the program averaged a 2-percentage-point increase in the 21-day pregnancy rate, which resulted in a gain of $31 per cow per year. This farmer-directed, team-based program can be applied to improve any area of farm management.  Read about the program and results published in the Journal of Extension here. 

UNDERSTANDING FARM EQUIPMENT'S EFFECT ON SOIL COMPACTION is the first step in making decisions about whether the economic repercussions of delaying harvest or other operations during a wet season outweigh compaction damage or loss.  While preventing soil compaction completely is the preferred option, farmers can minimize or control compaction by reducing axle load, proper inflation and size of tires and other approaches.   This article from the University of Minnesota Extension summarizes several practices and includes research results comparing compaction impacts from various harvest practices and equipment.  

RESOURCES FOR FLOODING EVENTS are available at the federal, state and local levels.  The website www.farmers.gov/recover serves as a central resource for U.S. Department of Agriculture agency services.  Farmers who have been impacted are encouraged to call their local FSA office to determine next steps.  This fact sheet  provides a list of documentation needed for several loss situations. Additional information and resources are available at the State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection web site here.
Words to live by...

"Let your joy be in your journey-not in some distant goal."  ---Tim Cook
Mission Sponsor profile... 

(article contributed by Mycogen Seeds)

Because PDPW is an organization that emphasizes we can all learn from one another, MYCOGEN SEEDS is proud to be a Mission Sponsor.  We are honored to be a part of an organization producers value, and we agree it takes a team to succeed.
 
We recently asked one of our customers about the value they see in PDPW; Scott and Pam Selz-Pralle of Humbird, Wis., shared their thoughts about the organization: "We have utilized PDPW to help us connect and get more tools so we can be more successful," Pam said. "In this day and age there are fewer farmers; we work with each other and respect the different styles of farming. We need to learn from each other."
 
Scott agrees, "We were able to host a tour last fall with PDPW, bringing in farmers from throughout the state, sharing our information with them and showing them how things work for us. Whether you're gathering information for yourself on a tour or you're the provider of the information, both are key."
 
"We're always willing to learn," Scott added. "As dairy farmers we need to be progressive and keep moving forward."
 
The Pralles will be featured at World Dairy Expo during a Virtual Farm Tour. Mycogen Seeds is proud to sponsor this event and showcase to attendees how Selz-Pralle Dairy manages their herd to meet their goals. Mark your calendars to attend at 2:00 pm, Oct. 4 in Mendota Room 1 of the Exhibition Hall.
 
Learn more about how the couple values PDPW's mission of providing ongoing professional development in this short video.
 
The Selz-Pralle Dairy is just one example of Mycogen Seeds' commitment to helping customers meet and exceed goals. Our team knows silage corn and we're constantly seeking ways to improve customers' yields, margins and profits. There are options for every dairy producer and operation, including options with the highly digestible fiber of brown midrib corn, Mycogen-brand varieties offering high tonnage and yield, as well as a new product, Unified corn silage, which brings together unmatched fiber and starch digestibility in one hybrid.
 
Our work is teamwork: you, your local Mycogen Seeds dealer and our agronomy and nutrition support staff work together to help advance your herds.
 
We understand we are all better together. 
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. T heir 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.