Indiana Dairy Producers E-Newsletter
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IDP in Motion Column: A Summer of Connections
Labor Day is now in the rearview mirror, making this the right time to reflect on a busy summer of making connections for IDP. Advocating for your farm workforce is a priority, and I was pleased to connect with Congressman Mrvan of District 1 as well as Senator Braun about this important topic over the summer.
A highlight of the month was connecting with more than 100 of you as we celebrated Family Day at the Kuehnert farm in Northern Indiana – thank you Kuehnerts for hosting a great event! Of course, summer also means fair season and we appreciate the many volunteers who helped in the Dairy Bar at the Indiana State Fair. What a great way to connect with consumers as they enjoy delicious ice cream – the lines were long the several times I was at the Fair.
The Fall season is always busy and connecting will continue when I attend the Symposium on Federal Milk Marketing Orders regarding potential reforms and how dairy wants to be represented in the next Farm Bill. We know your dairy operations are always working hard; IDP is advocating and connecting on your behalf.
Wishing everyone a safe harvest and enjoyable fall season.
Steve
Steve Obert, Executive Director
317-779-6775
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Our Vision: To Make Indiana the most desirable state in which to produce milk.
Mission Statement
To promote a profitable, positive, professional image of
dairy producers while providing educational opportunities
for the interchange of ideas and to speak as a proactive voice
for Indiana dairy producers.
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Calendar of Events
- September 21st: IDP Board Meeting
- September 23rd & 30th: IMPPA & IDP Educational Sessions
- November 9th: Partners Luncheon
- Feb. 7th-8th (2023): IDP Forum
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In This Issue
Sponsor Spotlight
Industry Insights
IDP Member Moments
Mission In Action
Industry Scholarship Opportunity
ZFS Feed Ingredient Update
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Sponsor Spotlight: Welcome Nobis AgriScience
We are always pleased to welcome first-time sponsors, and thank Nobis Agri Science of Plainwell, MI, for their support. Following is more information about their organization.
Nobis Agri Science was founded in 1978 with the goal of providing first-class customer service, high quality products and innovative solutions to the livestock industry. Since then, we have continued to grow, cultivating a reputation throughout the Midwest. Aiming to deliver progressive solutions that directly address our customers’ specific needs, we pride ourselves on always doing what is right for the customer and their operation. Believing that we grow when our customers grow, we refuse to compromise on quality, performance, or integrity. In addition to this, our on-call nutritionists are available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. With less bureaucracy and red tape involved, we can confront – and solve – our customers’ issues more quickly and more efficiently than our competitors.
From custom feed manufacturing that utilizes innovative batching and mixing technology to nutritional consulting provided by the most skilled and educated individuals in the industry, Nobis Agri Science offers a range of services to assist members of the dairy, beef, and swine industries. To learn more about how our services can help you enhance your herd health, performance and improve your income over feed cost, contact us at (800) 491-COWS orGetMoreMilk@NobisAgri.com
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Industry Insights: Cows Lose a Considerable Amount of Muscle in Early Lactation
Information from Jackie Boerman – Purdue University
As people in the dairy industry, we understand dairy cows lose fat in early lactation and use that fat as an energy source. We can see the loss of fat visually, as we look at the body condition score of dry cows compared to the body condition score of early lactation cows. When cattle are not consuming enough feed to meet their energy needs in early lactation, they mobilize fat to make up the difference. Excess mobilization of fat can lead to ketosis, as the liver produces ketones from fatty acids that are released from adipose tissue. However, muscle is also used as an energy and protein source in late gestation and early lactation. Muscle can be used by the fetus as they require amino acids for growth, muscle can also be used for colostrum production, with many cows starting to mobilize muscle prior to calving. After calving, cows are usually not consuming enough feed to meet their amino acid requirements and therefore will continue to utilize muscle as an amino acid source.
Research studies that have evaluated the extent of muscle that is lost in the transition period, have reported that on average cows lose about 20% of their skeletal muscle. While that is the average, some cows may be losing over 35% of their skeletal muscle while others lose very little. Cows are generally losing that muscle in the weeks before calving until about a month into lactation. At Purdue University, we have ongoing research to quantify how much muscle cows lose in early lactation and when in the lactation they gain muscle again. By understanding how much muscle cows lose, it explains some of the nutritional recommendations that have increased metabolizable protein to dry cows and increase protein or utilize amino acid balancing to a greater extent in early lactation cows. Cows utilizing muscle to meet their requirements is a normal adaptation to the beginning of lactation. However, there may be both management and nutritional strategies to optimize the amount of muscle used and to improve efficiency.
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IDP Member Moments: Kleine Dairy has Rich History, Urban Outreach |
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The Kleine family from left to right: Greg, Colleen, Sylvia , Nancy, Dave, Janny & Landon |
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The year was 1917 and the Monon train tracks ran by the Kleine farm in Cedar Lake, Indiana, where David Kleine’s grandfather took the dairy’s milk cans to be picked up by train. Times have changed, of course, as the Kleine Dairy is one of three remaining dairy farms in Lake County as urban sprawl from Chicago crosses the state line. “We are six miles from the Illinois state line milking our 120 cows,” Kleine shares. “Urban encroachment is happening at an alarming rate.”
Kleine, who farms with his wife Nancy, daughter Janny and son Greg, tells of unique outreach the family does each fall to consumers in the countryside. “Janny raises pumpkins, and as people come on the farm to buy them, we hear how people feel about ag. It is good to hear how they love driving by our farm and enjoy learning about where the milk goes.”
The pandemic certainly showed how interconnected nature of the food chain, and Kleine appreciates how the dairy industry works to show the importance of milk and what a nutritious drink it is. He believes there is wonderful opportunity for milk and cheese as family lifestyles adapt. “I’m always happy to hear about cereal sales as people buy more milk to pour on it,” he says.
As an IDP member, Kleine notes the importance of the organization providing contacts. “You are connected to so many people who can direct you and help.” He points out with dairy farmers being in the minority in agriculture, it is important to stick together, Kleine is also grateful for IDP sponsors who support the work of the organization as it advocates on critical issues being faced by dairy farmers.
Thank you, Kleine family, for representing the dairy industry so well in Northwest Indiana!
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Sponsor Spotlight – Zeeland Farm Services, Gold Level Sponsor
Collaborating with sponsors is important to IDP, and we would like to thank Zeeland Farm Services (ZFS) for the insight they provide – look in this newsletter for a feed ingredient update they have provided for us. Here’s a little more background on ZFS.
With offices in Michigan and Wisconsin, the Feed Ingredients Division at Zeeland Farm Services has the staff and the expertise to help source the ingredients required to formulate a complete feed ration.
Our team of experienced merchandisers trades a wide assortment of ingredients daily to provide our customers with a variety of feed ingredient options.
At ZFS, we utilize an array of transportation methods, including truck, rail and barges throughout Indiana, the Midwest, and the southern United States. We ship from many food processors to maintain a consistent inventory, with steady availability of products at competitive prices, meaning our customers get what they need, when they need it.
ZFS merchandisers continually monitor the marketplace and work closely with our customers to develop buying strategies that fit the needs of each operation. We use a host of marketing options to help our customers maintain a competitive advantage.
Zeeland Farm Services is a producer of high-quality non-GMO soybean meal and hulls. For a complete list of our feed ingredient products, including all of our non-GMO offerings, visit www.zfsinc.com/services/ingredients/.
To reach an ingredients merchandiser, call 866-888-7082 for the Michigan office or 800-523-6760 to reach the Wisconsin office.
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Mission in Action: Advocating for Our Workforce
It probably would not surprise you to know that immigrant labor is estimated to provide care for and milk nearly 79% of the U.S. milk supply. Advocating for legislation that helps our industry have enough workers is a priority for IDP. Recently, Steve Obert joined with Congressman Jim Baird who represents Indiana’s 4th Congressional District to submit an opinion piece to the Indianapolis Star. You can read it here as several free views are allowed by the paper - Indianapolis Star Op-Ed on Farm Worker Shortage
They made the point that if we lost our immigrant workers, milk prices would double, costing the U.S. economy nearly $32 billion. We hope that our closing statement helps influence the importance of worker legislation. “We need an abundant, safe, and affordable food supply and that can only happen with a stable and legal workforce. It’s time to get this legislation across the finish line; our farmers and the billions of people who rely on them depend on it.”
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Industry Opportunity: Apply for a National DHIA scholarship
We know our industry is full of bright young people who are pursuing their education, and we are pleased to pass along the National Dairy Herd Information Association’s (DHIA) scholarship opportunity.
High school seniors and college undergraduate students may apply for DHIA $1,000 scholarships. Applicants must be full-time, incoming, or continuing students at technical and two-year and four-year colleges/universities. To be eligible for a National DHIA scholarship, the applicant must be a family member or employee of a herd on DHI test, family member of a DHI employee, or employee of a DHI affiliate.
Link here to get all the information, and make a note that applications are due Oct. 31, 2022. Recipients will be announced at the 2023 National DHIA Annual Meeting.
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ZFS Feed Ingredients Update
As the cooler temperatures try to move in, so do cooler market values with a little bit of resistance via the world markets on the news wire. While it is easy to look out back and see our own crops, we forget sometimes that we help supply the world demand, and those markets really have a larger effect on prices than close to home weather or yields. Demand has been greater all year, and with South American, Europe and Asia sales and logistic movements, when a supply hiccups, it is playing the market where you are too. The USDA report issued on Monday September 12th., before harvest shows the actual numbers and quality.
With that said, be ready with your tonnage needed per feed ingredient commodity, and what your ration might look like based on forages put up already and your other farm yields. Ingredient opportunities arise at processors around the Midwest, and it is very valuable to be able to take in some discounted, quick-ship price feeds. For example, being ready and prepared matters as DDG and Gluten feeds are a big part of that scenario when containers or rail might hiccup.
Soybean meal processing plants are taking turns on downtime maintenance and have tightened up the basis here for September, into the first half of October, while the new soybeans cure in bins before processing, with hulls coming off easier. Hulls, too, will remain tight through this period, until into full swing of new bean processing, then again, hulls opportunities might call as space gets tight at plant occasionally.
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Individual membership in the Indiana Dairy Producers is $50. Encourage your dairy farming friends to join IDP! Also, any individual who is not a dairy producer but would still like to support IDP can join as an associate member. Download a membership/associate brochure here.
We appreciate our industry supporters. They make it possible for IDP to support the dairy industry in many ways. If your company is interested in finding ways to join IDP, download an information sheet here.
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Diamond Sponsors
Click on any logo to reach the company's website
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Platinum Sponsors
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Gold Sponsors
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Silver Sponsors
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Board of Directors
Executive Director
Steve Obert
812-779-6775
Arie Jan de Jong, President
Carrie Jo Bollenbacher, Vice President
Emily Hoeing, Secretary
Jackie Boerman, Executive Treasurer
Board Members
Alex Lueken
Amy Weaver
Henk Sevenhuysen
Krent Frauhiger
Roger Hibschman
Aaron Claycamp
Industry Advisers
Chris Moore
Sarah Wagler
Steve Howell
Todd Janzen, Attorney
Zach Allen
Tanya Westfall, Executive Assistant
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Visit Our Bronze Sponsors |
(Click the bronze button) |
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IDP Corporate Sponsors
There is a growing list of companies that recognize IDP's value to Indiana's dairy industry. Please visit our list of companies that have become Corporate Sponsors for only $100. If you know of a company that may have an interest in supporting IDP at some level, please download a brochure here.
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Contact Chris Moore
For free insurance consultation and quotes on your farm and agribusiness Insurance needs! IDP members receive an exclusive discount on SECURA Insurance.
Chris Moore
317-650-4519
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Indiana Dairy Producers
7826 S 550 E
Fort Branch, IN 47648
812-779-6775
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RESOURCE CENTER
-Click on each picture or logo to learn more-
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Indiana Grazing &
Forage
NRCS Website
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Check out the resources available to you on the
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