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February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 1
T h e O s c a r s w e r e j u s t awarded in Hollywood. Red carpets were rolled out for “A-list” celebri ties from around the world. To attend the event or its parties, you needed connections.
T h e d a i r y i n d u s t r y ’s A-listers also have a place to connect: the 2015 PDPW Business Conference, March 18-19 in Madison, Wis.
This is one event where you’ll come out with more connections than you had going in. If your career is connected to dairy, you’ll want to see, and be seen, here.
AND THE REWARD GOES TO…
Two days making connec-tions at the PDPW Business Conference will propel your business and career forward like no other dairy event. You’ll find session topics and networking for you and everyone who works with you on your dairy.
Who are some of the peo-ple who will benefit from attending?
• Young dairy producers l o o k i n g to co n n e c t w i t h great ideas and resources
• Experienced dairy pro-ducers looking for an edge
• Seasoned dairy produc-ers helping shape the next generation
• Herdspersons and farm employees looking to amp up skills
• Techies who want to test drive the latest technology
• Suppliers seeking busi-ness connections
• Researchers applying the latest thinking
• Animal and plant scien-tists seeking CEUs
• Veterinarians, nutrition-ists and crop consultants seeking to understand their clients better — and receive CEUs
• Dairy business profes-sionals who want to under-stand the challenges and o p p o r t u n i t i e s fa c i n g t h e dairy farms of tomorrow
When you have this many people who are passionate about the dairy industry in one place, you are bound to meet someone who will con-nect you to that perfect per-son, idea or solution. The rewards from these two days will keep rolling in all year long.
LIFE-TIME ACHIEVERSAt the 2015 PDPW Busi-
ness Conference, you’ll see people in all stages of their d a i r y c a re e rs , f ro m t h e eager, wet-behind-the-ears t ra i n e e to t h e sea so n e d , unflappable professional. Learning is lifelong. What a great message we send to consumers when we con-stantly improve our skills and our knowledge.
This diverse audience is united by a commitment to p ro d u c i n g q u a l i t y m i l k , profitably. The success of your dairy is front and cen-ter in every session, with every speaker.
UP-AND-COMERSPDPW is dairy’s profes-
sional development organi-zation. Anyone with eyes on a dairy career will benefit from rubbing shoulders with the industry’s best at the
2015 PDPW Business Con-ference. Two career-build-ing opportunities will cul-minate at this year’s confer-ence:
• P D P W D a i r y M e n t o r Program: Nearly 70 pairs of mentors and students will learn alongside one another.
• Cornerstone Dairy Acad-e m y T M : R i s i n g - s t a r a n d transitioning dairy profes-sionals will build their busi-n e s s e s a n d n e t w o r k i n g skills.
There’s no better place to develop your dairy career than PDPW, and no better t wo d a ys t h a n t h e 2 0 1 5 PDPW Business Conference.
Come as you are. You are an A-lister. We’ll roll out the red carpet for you and hook you up with your best con-nections ever.
Rolling out the red carpet
Dairy’s Bottom Line is published
by PDPW with cooperation from
1901 Fish Hatchery Road
Madison, Wisconsin 53713
Toll-Free: 1-888-247-4843
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Editorial
Managing Editor
Julie Belschner
608-219-8316 [email protected]
Advertising
Sales Manager
Tammy Strauss
608-250-4157 [email protected]
PDPW Board of Directors
PresidentKeith York
Lake Geneva, Wis.262-903-6265
[email protected] PresidentMitch BreunigSauk City, Wis.608-643-6818
[email protected] Zwald
Hammond, Wis.715-796-5510
Charlie CraveWaterloo, Wis.920-478-3812
• Jeremy NatzkeGreenleaf, Wis.920-371-1968
[email protected]• Brian ForrestStratford, Wis.715-650-0267
[email protected]• Marty HallockMondovi, Wis.715-495-2812
[email protected]• Walter Meinholz
DeForest, Wis.608-846-4379
[email protected]• Linda White
Reedsburg, Wis.608-985-6006
[email protected] Advisors• Matt Repinski
Land O’Lakes Winfield DivisionAmherst, Wi.
• Dr. Richard WallaceZoetis
McFarland, Wis.• Dr. Steve Kelm
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
River Falls, Wis.• Steve Schwoerer
Badgerland FinancialFond du Lac, Wis.
2 February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
Day 1 – Wednesday, March 188 a.m.Registration begins9 a.m.Hall of Ideas and Equipment Show opens9-10:15 a.m.Pre-conference Specialty Sessions. See page 4.10:30-11 a.m.Learning Lounges in Hall of Ideas. See page 7.10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.Lunch served in Hall of Ideas.11:30 a.m.-NoonLearning Lounges in Hall of Ideas. See page 7.12:30 p.m.Conference Kick-OffKEYNOTE: “Connecting the Dots, Eco-
nomically and Generationally”Dr. David Kohl, economist and professor
emeritusKEYNOTE: “The Real Truth About Suc-
cess: What the Top 1% Do Differently and Why They Won’t Tell You”
Garrison Wynn, author and entrepreneur2:45-3:15 p.m.Learning Lounges in Hall of Ideas. See page 7.3:30-4:30 p.m.Afternoon Specialty Session One. See page 5.4:45-5:45 p.m.Afternoon Specialty Session Two. See page 5.5 p.m.Dairy-Style Reception. Connect with
friends, other industry professionals and an assortment of delicious cheeses.
6:30 p.m.Dinner and entertainment9 p.m.Refreshments and networking
Day 2 – Thursday, March 197 a.m.Continental breakfast in the Hall of Ideas
and Equipment Show8:15-8:45 a.m.Learning Lounges in Hall of Ideas. See page 10.9 a.m.KEYNOTE: “Think Globally, Connect
Locally”Tim Hunt, Dairy Strategist, Rabobank
10:15-11:15 a.m.Morning Specialty Session One. See page 6.11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m.Morning Specialty Session Two. See page 6.Noon-2 p.m.Lunch served in Hall of Ideas.12:45-1:15 p.m.Learning Lounges in Hall of Ideas. See page 10.
1:45-2:15 p.m.Learning Lounges in Hall of Ideas. See page 10.2:30 p.m.KEYNOTE: “Connect to Profit Oppor-
tunities in 2015”Mary Ledman, Keough Ledman AssociatesKEYNOTE: “ ‘Never Fly Solo’ and Other
Words of Wisdom from a Wingman”Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman4:30 p.m.Conference concludes
2015 PDPW Business Conference highlights
We Grow You!
February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 3
Day 1 Keynote Speakers
12:30 p.m. General Ses-sion: Connecting the Dots, Economically and Genera-tionally
Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s financially is an every-day must, and so is connecting with the right information from around the globe. With one foot planted on your dairy and the o t h e r o n t h e ga s p e d a l ,
a c c l a i m e d e c o n o m i s t and teacher D r. D a v i d Kohl will take you on a ride far beyond your farm, e x p l o r i n g e c o n o m i c d a t a a n d
resources that will make a dif-ference in your future success.
Whether you are just starting or at the peak of your career, Dr. David Kohl will help you con-nect with critical success fac-tors, and visualize just how important you are to the dairy universe.
CEU: 1 UW-SVM; 1 PD CCA
Back by popular demand, Dr. David Kohl is the dairy indus-try’s No. 1 guru, bringing 9 mil-lion miles worth of traveling, teaching and mentoring agricul-tural business leaders to the stage.
Kohl is Professor Emeritus in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department at Vir-ginia Tech and President of AgriVisions LLC.
1:30 p.m. Genral Session: The Real Truth About Suc-cess: What the Top 1% Do Differently and Why They Won’t Tell You
Be prepared to laugh and
learn as this research-based keynote reveals how top per-formers harness the power of their advantages, even when the odds are not in their favor.
Business-relationship expert and Amazon.com bestselling
author Garri-s o n Wy n n d e l i v e r s a high-impact program that answers two monumental q u e s t i o n s : How do you get people to do what you
want them to do? And how can you see better results from the challenging people you encoun-ter along the way?
With an emphasis on what you can actually walk out of the session with and achieve tomorrow, this program shows how to weather the perfect storm while still looking really good in a raincoat!
C E U : 1 U W- S V M ; 1 ARPAS; 1 PD CCA
Uniquely blending the talents that established him as a young Fortune 500 leader and a suc-cessful professional stand-up comedian, Garrison Wynn fuses comic timing and research to deliver his motivational busi-ness expertise.
In his teens, Garrison worked with Magnavox and baseball legend Hank Aaron to promote the world’s first video-gaming system, and, by age 27, he became the youngest department head in a Fortune 500 company’s history.
He has created and marketed products sold in 30 countries and is the author of the Amazon.com bestseller, “The REAL Truth About Success.”
Day 2 Keynote Speakers
9 a.m. General Session: Think Globally, Connect Locally
Global dairy strategist Tim Hunt assesses the demand for dairy products around the world, growth in competing dairy regions and your ability to com-pete on the world stage. And,
because U.S. dairy success is not only about pro-duction, he’ll explore the c h a l l e n g e s fa c i n g o u r p ro ce ss i n g infrastruc-ture, revealing
the increasingly important con-nections between everyone in the dairy supply chain.
When you understand how you’re connected to others in the chain, you’ll learn where risk lurks and opportunities abound. Tap into this glob-al-to-local perspective that will help you position your business for future success.
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 PD CCA
Tim Hunt is the global dairy strategist for Rabobank’s Food and Agribusiness Research and Advisory team. He leads a team of 12 dairy analysts located in the world’s major dairy regions.
Rabobank serves farmers, processors, traders and users of food and fiber in more than 45 countries around the world, including the United States.
2:30 p.m. General Session: Connect to Profit Opportu-nities in 2015 and Beyond
No one knows the dairy mar-kets as well as Mary Ledman. Her 30 years of experience in the dairy industry have given her
keen insight into the pro-duction, pro-cessing, pric-ing and policy side of dairy.
Pull up a chair as she delivers con-cise informa-
tion on where we have been, where we are at, where we are going and how to arrive there profitably.
This expert will put you in the know so you can make decisions about where your business should be headed.
C E U : 1 U W- S V M ; 1 ARPAS; 1 PD CCA
Mary Ledman is founder of Keough Ledman Associates, a dairy economic-consulting firm that provides dairy-product and milk-price forecasting, economic and policy analysis, dairy-prod-uct and milk-sourcing strategies and domestic and international dairy-market information.
3:30 p.m. Closing: “Never Fly Solo” and Other Words of Wisdom from a Wingman
Buckle up for this former fighter jet pilot, Lt. Col. Rob
“ W a l d o ” Wa l d m a n , whose inspi-rational mes-sage is sure to lift you off yo u r s e a t . T h i s high-energy, a c t i o n -
packed presentation reveals how to transform real-world busi-ness experiences by breaking peak performance barriers. And by the way, you can’t break bar-riers on your own.
2015 PDPW Business Conference Keynote Speakers
David Kohl
Garrison Wynn
Tim Hunt
Mary Ledman
Rob Waldman
See SPEAKERS, PAGE 4
Waldo’s rule is “never fly solo.” You’ll leave the conference feeling the need for speed, and also to be well connected to your family, friends, peers and co-workers.
CEU: 1 UW-SVM; 1 PD CCAWaldo the Wingman, Lt.
Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman, is a decorated fighter pilot who trained for combat in the U.S. Air Force. He is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller “Never Fly Solo.”
SpeakersContinued from page 3
4 February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
Day 1 Pre-Conference Specialty Sessions
9-10:15 a.m.Select one of the following
Specialty Sessions or spend time in the Hall of Ideas and Equipment Show.
Honey I Shrunk Our Prof-its: Preventing Losses from Silage Shrinkage
The amount of silage that never makes it from the silo to the feed bunk is ridiculous; 16 to 20 percent of the total tons
ensiled last year went to waste. That’s m o re t h a n $1.6 billion of inventory.
S to p t h e s h r i n k a g e w i t h k e y silage-man-a g e m e n t
practices that can decrease dry-matter loss by 5 to 10 per-centage points, and improve feed quality and safety. Both bunker silos and drive-over piles will be discussed. Attend and find the money hidden in silage.
CEU: 1.5 UW-SVM; 1 ARPAS; 1 PD CCA
Keith Bolsen is professor emeritus in the Animal Sciences and Industry Department at Kansas State University and a leading industry consultant on safe, efficient and profitable silage programs.
HANDS-ON LAB: All Hoofs on Deck
In this hands-on hoof work-shop participants will learn how to treat lame cows — everything from the basics of treating foot lesions to techniques for thera-peutic trimming and blocking.
Not just lecture, this session is “show, tell and practice”
using cadaver feet and the right equip-ment. Save money and k e e p c o w s healthy with these essen-t i a l s k i l l s. Space is lim-ited in this session.
CEU: 1.5 UW-SVM; 1 ARPAS
Gerard Cramer, DVM, is an associate professor at the Uni-versity of Minnesota. His previ-ous veterinary practice focused on providing bovine foot care, consultation and research ser-vices to the dairy industry.
Road Ready: Learn the New Laws for Farm Imple-ments
Does size matter? How about weight and width? Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to pre-venting accidents and minimiz-ing wear and tear on rural roads.
Eve r yo n e who operates e q u i p m e n t should attend this session for a clear understand-ing of the new laws and reg-u l a t i o n s affecting farm implements. Protect your-s e l f , y o u r employees, your neigh-bors and your community relationships!
CEU: 1.5 UW-SVM
Sgt. Michael Klingenberg is the motor-carrier sergeant for
the North Central Region of the Wisconsin State Patrol. He supervises 10 inspectors in an 18-county area in central Wis-consin.
Rob Richard has served in the offices of several state gov-ernment officials and is currently senior director of governmental relations for Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.
Bring It On: Dairying Without Quotas in the EU
Two international dairy pro-ducers speak about how the end of the long-used quota system in Europe is changing the dairy industry in European Union
c o u n t r i e s . I r e l a n d ’ s M i c h a e l Murphy and G e r m a n y ’s E c k h a r d M e i n e r s explain how t h e y a r e a d j u s t i n g , a n d wh e re they see the E U d a i r y i n d u s t r y going in the n e x t f i v e years.
Facilitator D r. D a v i d Kohl will put these stories into perspec-tive for U.S. dairy produc-e r s . T a k e home global connections and inspira-t i o n f r o m d a i ry p ro -
ducers who do not fear change – they embrace it!
Three types of membership
Dairy Farm Member
One membership per dairy entity covers all managers, spouses and employees. While each dairy entity has one vote, every person within the dairy — operator, spouse and employ-ees — enjoys the member rate when attending events.
Associate Member
Membership is open to any indi-vidual interested in the dairy industry. This is a non-voting membership. Associate mem-bers enjoy the member rate when attending PDPW events.
Corporate Member
Open to any group, company or organization interested in the dairy industry. This is a non-vot-ing membership. This member-ship qualifies every employee within the organization for the member rate when attending PDPW events.
To learn more or to join PDPW, call PDPW at
800-947-7379 or go to
www.pdpw.org
Join today!
2015 PDPW Business Specialty Sessions
Keith Bolsen
Gerard Cramer
Michael Klingenberg
Rob Richard
David Kohl
Michael Murphy
Eckhard Meiners
See SESSIONS, PAGE 5
February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 5
CEU: 1.5 UW-SVM; 1 ARPAS; 1 PD CCA
Dr. David Kohl is professor emeritus in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department at Virginia Tech and president of AgriVisions LLC.
Michael Murphy, his wife, Geraldine, and son, Jerry, oper-ate a family dairy farm that has existed in Coolnasoon, Ireland, since the 1830s. They currently milk 117 mostly Holstein Friesian cows with plans to expand when the EU quota lifts.
Eckhard Meiners, together with his wife and 15 employees, milk 650 cows. A new milking parlor and barns combine with a biogas plant and cropland on this thriving dairy operation near the North Sea coast of Ger-many.
Trending on Farms: Ultra-sonography for Accurately Diagnosing Respiratory Dis-ease
On-farm use of this technol-ogy provides opportunities to diagnose and treat respiratory
problems in calves before t h e y s h ow clinical signs of distress. Dr. Theresa L. Ollivett will demonstrate the technol-o g y a n d explain tech-
niques involved in ultrasound-ing the respiratory system.
She will also share results from several recent studies weighing the costs and benefits of portable ultrasound technol-ogy. Is this more proactive approach right for your farm? Bring your questions.
CEU: 1.5 UW-SVM; 1 ARPAS
Theresa L. Ollivett, DVM, is an assistant professor within the Food Animal Production Medi-cine section of the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.
Day 1 Afternoon Specialty Sessions
3:30-4:30 p.m. and 4:45-5:45 p.m.
Each of these one-hour ses-sions will be offered twice. Select and attend two of the following Specialty Sessions or spend time in the Hall of Ideas and Equipment Show.
This is a Lame SessionIt’s very interactive, though,
and you’ll take home the latest research on p reve n t i n g lameness in dairy cattle, e s p e c i a l l y d u r i n g t h e critical tran-sition period. You’ll also learn treat-ment strate-
gies for both hoof-horn lesions and digital dermatitis. No ques-tion is too lame for this hoof expert, so bring yours.
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 ARPAS
Gerard Cramer, DVM, is an associate professor at the Uni-versity of Minnesota. His previ-ous veterinary practice focused on providing bovine foot care, consultation and research ser-vices to the dairy industry.
Wireless Cows and Wear-able Technology for the Farm
Come learn how hands-free technology is shaping farms of the future. Craig Ganssle, founder and CEO of Basecamp Networks, will introduce intel-liSCOUT®, the first agriculture p l a t f o r m f o r w e a r a b l e
technology. In addition, Ganssle will ta l k a b o u t how his com-pany’s agri-cultural arm, FarmHouse Networks, is a b l e t o
increase cow connectivity.CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 PD
CCACraig Ganssle designs
applications for wearable tech-nology. He is founder and CEO of Basecamp Networks, the first company to bring wearable applications to agriculture.
Create Your Own Surviv-ability Gauge
(Offered first session only)No matter where your farm is
in its life cycle, certain proven strategies can keep you in busi-
ness through the “go and whoa” cycles. The energetic Dr. David Kohl will teach how to take big data and break it into smaller, manageable b i te s t h a t
measure survival rates through any cycle. Psst... Your lender will love that you attended this ses-sion and put these tools to work on your farm.
C E U: 1 . 2 U WSV M ; 1 ARPAS; 1 PD CCA
Dr. David Kohl is professor emeritus in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department at Virginia Tech and president of AgriVisions LLC.
Reading Your Cows’ CuesIf she is avoiding social com-
petition at the feed bunk or spending more time standing than usual, she might be trying to tell you something.
Recent research from the UBC
Animal Wel-fare Program uses animal behavior to identify cows at risk for dis-e a s e a n d l a m e n e s s . Monitor cows effectively to
diagnose problems before they escalate. Use this information to create the absolute best environ-ment for health and longevity.
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 ARPAS
Dr. Katy Proudfoot teaches at Ohio State University’s Col-lege of Veterinary Medicine. Her research focuses on the relation-ship between behavior, manage-ment and disease during the calving period.
The Chosen Ones: Why Being Good is Not Good Enough Anymore
(Offered first session only)We’ve all heard about best
practices and expert knowledge. So why aren’t the smartest peo-ple with the most information always in charge or No. 1 in their field?
Garrison Wynn provides original research from his #1
b e s tse l l i n g b o o k “ T h e C o w b e l l Principle” to explain why certain prod-ucts, services or leadership s t y l e s a r e consistently chosen and
others are not.Success is more than being
good at what you do. It’s about being consistently chosen to do it. Attend this session and learn how to make ideas and products that others will choose.
SessionsContinued from page 4
Theresa Ollivett
Gerard Cramer
Craig Ganssle
David Kohl
Katy Proudfoot
Garrison Wynn
See SESSIONS, PAGE 6
6 February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 PD CCA
Garrison Wynn is a Fortune 500 business leader and a suc-cessful stand-up comedian. Products that Garrison created and marketed are sold in 30 countries. He is the author of “The REAL Truth About Suc-cess.”
HANDS-ON LAB: The Anatomy of the Dairy Cow Udder
See it here first-hand. This inside look at the bovine udder
will help you understand the “how” of milk produc-tion and the “ w h y ” b e h i n d e v e r y - d a y p r a c t i c e s with dairy c o w s . U d d e r l y meticulous dairy profes-sionals will a p p re c i a te how Dr. Keith Poulsen and D r. P e t e r Va n d e r l o o connect the
dots between anatomy, physiol-ogy and every-day manage-ment.
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 ARPAS
Dr. Keith Poulsen, DVM, is the diagnostic case and outreach coordinator at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Labora-tory. He is also a clinical assis-tant professor in the Medical Sciences Department at the UW-School of Veterinary Medi-cine and a specialist in Large
Animal Internal Medicine in the UW-Veterinary Care Large Ani-mal Teaching Hospital.
Dr. Peter Vanderloo, DVM, is associate director of the Wis-consin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. He has 23 years experience as a practicing veter-inarian with a primary emphasis in dairy cattle.
Day 2 Morning Specialty Sessions
1 0 : 1 5 - 1 1 : 1 5 a . m . a n d 11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
Each of these one-hour ses-sions will be offered twice. Select and attend two of the following Specialty Sessions or spend time in the Hall of Ideas and Equipment Show.
Make the M o s t o f Fresh Cow BHB Moni-toring
E n e r -gy-balance management of transition cows is being m o n i t o r e d effectively at many dairies. Learn how to i n t e r p r e t ketosis test-ing using the latest mea-s u r e m e n t t o o l s f o r b e t a - h y -droxybutyric acid — BHB.
S e s s i o n l ea d e r J i m Barmore will share insights on the nutri-tional factors that impact
BHB test results and how to manage in a way that improves results. Most importantly, hear f i r s t - h a n d f r o m f e l l o w
producers who are monitoring BHB, and how it impacts their operations.
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 ARPAS
Jim Barmore is a founding partner of GPS Dairy Consulting LLC and has been providing technical service and manage-ment expertise to dairies since 1983. He offers expertise in for-age management, ingredient procurement, inventory man-agement, herd-performance monitoring, financial evalua-tion, cow comfort and facilities.
Dr. Jerry Gaska, DVM, is dairy manager at Nehls Brothers Farms, a 2,000-cow dairy in Juneau, Wis. He is also a veteri-narian and owner of Gaska Dairy Health Services S.C. In 2010, Gaska received the Excel-lence in Preventive Medicine Award from the American Asso-ciation of Bovine Practitioners.
Jeremy Natzke is a herds-man at Wayside Dairy in Green-leaf, Wis., a partnership that also includes Jeremy’s father, Dan, and his cousin Paul. They milk 1,750 cows, raise 1,450 heif-ers and crop 2,700 acres of corn, alfalfa and wheat.
HANDS-ON LAB: Is She Pregnant?
(Two-hour session)This two-hour wet lab is
hands-on experience with the new IDEXX Visual Read P r e g n a n c y Test becom-ing popular o n d a i r y fa r m s . D r. Paul Fricke will provide t h o r o u g h training and
answers to three key questions: 1) How does an ELISA test work? 2) What are pregnan-cy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs)? And 3) How can I best
use PAG testing for reproduc-tive management?
To put your hands on the lat-est technology for a reproduc-tive-management program, this is your chance.
CEU: 2.4 UW-SVM; 2 ARPAS
Dr. Paul Fricke is a professor of dairy science at UW-Madi-son. His research focuses on understanding the biology underlying reproductive prob-lems in dairy cattle.
The Fab Four: Under-standing and Protecting Your Milk Check
There are four prices that determine a milk check. Mary
Ledman will break down eve r y t h i n g you need to know about a milk check and the best strategies for p ro te c t i n g your price, i n c l u d i n g
creative price-risk-manage-ment strategies beyond the tra-ditional methods. Attend to learn how to protect what you produce.
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 PD CCA
Mary Ledman is founder of Keough Ledman Associates, a dairy economic-consulting firm that provides dairy-product and milk-price forecasting, eco-nomic and policy analysis, dairy-product and milk-sourc-ing strategies, and domestic and international dairy-market information.
Can You Hear Me Now? Communicating About Food in a Hyper World
There’s no shortage of food and nutrition information in the news, on blogs or on Twitter.
SessionsContinued from page 5
See SESSIONS, PAGE 7
Keith Poulsen
Peter Vanderloo
Jim Barmore
Jerry Gaska
Jeremy Natzke
Paul Fricke
Mary Ledman
February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 7
Hyper com-munication about food seems to be burning out c o n s u m e rs w i t h c o n -flicting mes-sages. Regis-tered dieti-t i a n a n d
award-winning journalist Car-olyn O’Neil explains why the need for effective, accurate communication and education is more important than ever.
Here’s one dietitian who wants your message to be heard, and she will provide guidance for telling dairy’s nutrition story effectively.
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 ARPAS; 1 PD CCA
Carolyn O’Neil is a regis-tered dietitian, writer, author and nutrition advisor to Best-FoodFacts.org. She has covered food, nutrition and cuisine for CNN and is now at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She is a p a s s i o n a t e n u t r i t i o n
communicator focused on help-ing others make informed and inspired decisions on what to eat for optimal health.
Got Conflict? Be a Bridge Builder
Loss of time, money, produc-tion, efficiency, creativity and morale are the costs of unre-solved conflict. Has your team made needless mistakes, dis-tracted and upset others, or lost interest in their work?
There are proven strategies for resolving c o n f l i c t . Becky Stew-a r t - G r o s s will share the myths about a n g e r a n d conflict, and o f f e r f i v e s t y l e s o f h a n d l i n g conflict in
the way that is best for you. You’ll leave with more confi-dence in handling difficult, stressful situations ahead.
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM; 1 PD CCA
Becky Stewart-Gross, president of Building Bridges Se m i n a rs , o f fe rs c u s t o m
leadership and sales training. She works with leaders from family-owned businesses to international corporations.
She and her husband co-au-thored “Sleeping with Your Business Partner: A Communi-cation Toolkit for Couples in Business Together.”
Pass It On: Generational Farm Transfers that Work
Hear the stories of two farm families who have been able to keep their dairy farms in the family for multiple generations.
Learn what worked well, i n c l u d i n g strategies for involving and w o r k i n g a l o n g s i d e family mem-bers. With a t t o r n e y M e l i s s a O ’ R o u r k e moderating, you’ll take home sug-gestions and r e s o u r c e s that will put you on the p a t h t o a
s u c c e s s f u l farm transfer.
CEU: 1.2 UW-SVM
M e l i s s a O’Rourke is a farm and agribusiness management specialist and attorney for
Iowa State University-Extension and Outreach. She provides business planning and legal advice to the farm and agribusi-ness communities.
Lee and Emily Maassen have a 700-cow dairy farm in Maurice, Iowa. They are part-ners with sons Aaron, Adam and Stefan. Lee is past president of the Western Iowa Dairy Alli-ance.
Dennis and Barb Mashek run the 160-cow Hilltop Acres Farm near Calmar, Iowa. Their herd is known worldwide for its Brown Swiss genetics. Their children will be the seventh gen-eration involved in the family business.
They earned the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award for the state of Iowa in 2012.
SessionsContinued from page 6
Carolyn O’Neil
Becky Stewart-Gross
Melissa O’Rourke
Lee Maassen
Dennis and Barb Mashek
High school students – ready for an amazing week-end? Want to Dive-In, Dissect and Discover Dairy? How about a chance to meet Greg Peterson? He and his brothers are known for their agriculture music parodies on YouTube.
Join PDPW for a two-day overnight educational experi-ence at the 2015 Youth Leader-ship Derby, to be held April 18-19 in Waupun, Wis. The derby is for high school stu-dents who want to dive into
the dairy and agriculture industry, the food-science field and/or the manufacturing field. With hands-on, on-farm lab dissection and exposure to the industry’s leading advo-cates and college mentors, attendees will discover the careers the dairy industry offers. They will grow leader-ship, communication, techni-cal and life skills.
Top Reasons to Attend:• Explore more than 20
dynamic agricultural, science
and dairy industry careers.• Dissect alongside veteri-
narians and dairy experts at Hilltop Dairy.
• Dig into sessions from sire selection, seed technology, social media advocacy, dairy food science and more.
Be inspired by world-class keynote speakers:
• YouTube Sensation Greg Peterson, from the Peterson Farm Brothers music parodies, and
• The energetic and engaging
Eddie Slowikowski, who repre-sented the USA at the 1987 Pan Am games and 1990 USA Track and Field Team in London England, and who held the fastest college indoor mile record – 3 minutes 58 seconds – in the nation in 1990.
Connect and have fun with students with similar interests, and take the next step toward school and career goals.
Contact PDPW at 800-947-7379 or [email protected] for more information.
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For anyone who thinks attending the 2015 PDPW Busi-ness Conference is a cushy day off the farm, think again. Three hands-on labs will offer the opportunity to dive into the sci-ence that has led to current dairy practices.
The hands-on labs are a new addition to the conference. In addition to thought-provoking speakers and networking opportunities, the business c o n fe re n c e o f fe rs t h e s e hands-on workshops for the farmers who learn by doing. The labs will provide a deeper understanding of the “why” behind the advice experts give dairy producers.
The three lab experiences offered are:
• “The Anatomy of the Dairy Cow Udder” Dr. Peter Vanderloo and Dr. Keith Poulsen of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will offer an inside look at the bovine udder in order to provide under-standing of the “whys” behind dairy-cow care. This session will connect the dots between anatomy, physiology and every-
day management.• “All Hoofs on Deck”
Gerard Cramer will focus on how to treat lame cows – every-thing from the basics of treating foot lesions to techniques for therapeutic trimming and blocking. Participants will use real equipment to practice skills taught in the session.
• “Is She Pregnant?” This two-hour lab will feature the latest technology for reproduc-tive management — technology that is becoming more popular on dairy farms. Dr. Paul Fricke of the University of Wiscon-sin-Madison will help partici-pants experience the new IDEXX Visual Read Pregnancy Test and learn how such testing can improve reproductive man-agement.
More opportunities for hands-on interaction will take place in the Hall of Ideas and Equipment Show, where exhib-itors will offer opportunities to see and touch new products and ideas.
For more information, visit www.pdpw.org or call 800-947-7379.
Hands-on labs offer learning through experience
For those producers who prefer to see it, feel it and try it before believing it, PDPW’s business conference features hands-on labs.
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Steve Schwoerer, Dairy Lending Special-ist at Badgerland Financial and PDPW Board Member
The saying, “what goes up must come down,” holds true not only for gravity but also for the market. In this case I’m talking about milk prices.
After a record year in 2014, those impressive milk prices have fallen off considerably and are predicted to remain low throughout 2015.
The first question I typically hear from the dairy farmers I work with is this; “If I can’t guarantee enough income, where can I cut costs?”
My response remains consistent; “If you are efficient managing your dairy business, there should not be many costs you can cut.”
I would like to think dairy farm-ers look at costs and aim to be just
as efficient when milk is $24 per hundredweight or $15 cwt. No one wants to have any more costs than necessary.
While we have seen some input costs such as fuel and some feed go down recently, it’s certainly not at the same rate as the income decrease based on milk prices. That being said, when we look at costs it is important to concentrate on those that have the most impact on the bottom line. Following are some things to keep in mind.
Feed costs: Feed is a large expense to a dairy. No matter the milk price, aim to feed cows a ration that is at optimum efficiency for cost and production. While it is true you can cut costs drastically by
Beware decisions based on low milk prices
See MILK, Page 12
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12 February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
Certain pre-conference and specialty sessions have been approved by the University of Wisconsin-School of Veteri-nary Medicine for Continuing Education Units — CEUs. The school is an accredited continu-ing-veterinary medical-education provider. Participants should be
aware that some boards have lim-itations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery.
Some sessions of the 2015 PDPW Business Conference have been pre-approved by the Ameri-can Registry of Professional Animal Scientists for Continu-ing-Education Units. The registry is the organization that provides certification of animal scientists
through examination, continuing education and commitment to a code of ethics. Participants should know that limitations and restric-tions apply to the number of CEU credits that can be obtained.
Select sessions at the PDPW Business Conference have been pre-approved by Certified C r o p A d v i s e r f o r
C o n t i n u -ing-Education Credits. The Certified Crop Adviser Pro-gram is one of the profes-sional certifi-cation pro-grams offered by the American Society of Agronomy.
See www.certifiedcropadviser.org for more information.
CEU credits available at PDPW Business Conference
cutting the feed bill, what will it do to milk production?
The dairy herd needs to be at maximum production all the time because milk prices will increase again; when they do you
need to be in a position to take advantage of higher prices with maximum production. Long story short – cutting feed costs might actually make cash flow even worse.
Labor costs: It is easy to decrease labor costs by letting people go or cutting back hours, but like feed costs, consider the
effects. A short-term solution might have long-lasting conse-quences, especially if the remain-ing workers are over-worked and potentially unhappy.
Veterinary and breeding: Breeding expenses can easily be reduced by using cheaper bulls, but is the short-term, reduced cost worth risking the future quality of the herd? You can also limit veterinary calls, but what effect will that have on the overall health of the herd?
Fertilizer, Seed, Chemicals: Total costs can be greatly decreased by reducing the amount of chemi-cals and fertilizer applied on the crops, as well as buying lower-cost and possibly lower-quality seed. However, consider the impact if lower costs lead to lower yields.
You might have noticed a theme here. While all the examples I’ve given are areas in which you could potentially cut costs in the short term, they could have significant impact for your dairy in the long-term. Is it worth risking the long-term profitability and health of the dairy herd? Instead, it is important to consider cost-conscious finan-cial strategies when milk prices decrease and cash flow is tight.
Loan payments: Look at all your loans and determine how long each loan is amortized. If you have a heavy loan payment, ask your
lender to reduce the principle and interest payment to a more reason-able level. A $10,000 reduction in monthly payments is the same as receiving more for your milk. Per-haps some loans can be consoli-dated to reduce payments.
Repairs: In a low milk-price year, only make necessary repairs to machinery and buildings and nothing more. In a better-cash-flow year, more extensive repairs can be, and should be, made.
Limit capital purchases: While it is important to replace some capital items each year, during low milk prices prioritize the items that need to be replaced versus items you would like to replace. Is it a want or a need?
Overall, the main point I want to convey is to not make drastic deci-sions on your dairy farm when milk prices go down. While there are no easy answers when milk prices drop as much as they have, main-tain the same practices that have made your dairy successful in the past.
Continue to keep as your main priorities the long-term profitabil-ity, production and health of your dairy herd. And make sure you are at optimum efficiency to take advantage of higher milk prices when they bounce back, which we all hope will be sooner rather than later.
MilkContinued from page 11
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14 February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line Learning Lounges Day 2
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Exceptional attention to details in a transition-cow program is the difference between surviving in the dairy business and a dairy business thriving. Take a day to fine-tune some transition-cow knowledge. Gather new insight to apply immediately.
It’s the Transition Cow Confer-ence, April 7-9 in Appleton, Fenn-imore and Eau Claire, Wis.
PDPW has gathered the indus-try’s dream team on transi-tion-cow research and knowledge, making this of high importance for those in the business of dairy farming. The one-day workshop is designed to help take cow-man-agement skills from excellent to exceptional. It’s for dairy cow experts pursuing the latest research, insight and techniques to further transition-cow-manage-ment abilities.
Who should come? Dairy
owners and herdspersons respon-sible for the transition cows, dairy veterinarians and professional dairy nutritionists should all attend.
The PDPW Transition Cow Conference will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in three loca-tions:
• April 7 at the Fox Valley Tech-nical College, D.J. Bordini Center, 5 N. Systems Drive, Appleton, Wis.
• April 8 at the Southwest Wis-consin Technical College, 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, Wis.
• April 9 at the Sleep Inn and Suites Conference Center, 5872 3rd Ave., Eau Claire, Wis.
The conference is under review by the University of Wiscon-sin-School of Veterinary Medicine to determine if veterinarians will receive CEUs at the conference. More information will be available in the coming weeks.
Transition Cow Conference coming
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Community leaders, elected officials, conservation officials and livestock producers will gather this month for learning and dialogue about the issues facing rural communities.
Meetings will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 24 at Gla-cier Canyon Lodge, 45 Hillman Road, Baraboo, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, 2040 Airport Drive, Green Bay. Anyone with an interest in how modern agriculture fits into local communities is invited to attend. The meetings are part of the Agriculture Community Engage-ment partnership, a joint effort of the Wisconsin Towns Associ-ation, the Wisconsin Counties Association and Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin.
The theme — “Cows + People
+ Sun + Air = ?” — is intended to create dialogue aimed at helping rural communities find answers to key questions involving shared resources.
Presenters include: • Jeff Endres is a Wisconsin
dairy farmer who is active in the Yahara Pride watershed project — an ongoing partnership between dairy farmers, neigh-bors and researchers — that aims to discover the best ways to manage agricultural practices, utilize the state’s natural resources and account for soil nutrients that once were lost.
• Tucker Burch , research hydrologist with the U.S. Geo-logical Survey, leads the risk-as-sessment portion of Wisconsin’s nutrient-irrigation study. He walks fields, studies air and water quality, and will lead a
Meetings focus on cows, people, sun and air
18 Agriview Be
Defenders of Choice Since 1982
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We support your freedom to choose where to buyprescription products. ANIMART has over 8,000 dairyspecific products; thus, broader than most local sourcesand more dairy specific than national suppliers.
er the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Code ofEthics, veterinarians shall honor a client’s request for a prescriptionin lieu of dispensing.
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discussion about what is best for the environment in rural com-munities.
• Brenda Murphy , Wiscon-sin Milk Marketing Board, will depict the impact Wisconsin’s dairy industry has on rural communities and on Wisconsin as a whole.
• Sgt. Mike Klingenberg , Wisconsin State Patrol, and Rob Richard , Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, will share the current status of legislation g o v e r n i n g a g r i c u l t u r a l
equipment on roads and how these new regulations affect town and county road systems.
• Secretary Ben Brancel , Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protec-tion, will balance challenges and opportunities at the state level with the challenges and opportunities for rural commu-nities.
Visit www.pdpw.org or con-tact the Wisconsin Towns Association at 715-526-3157 for more information.
Meetings focus on cows, people, sun and air
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er the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Code ofEthics, veterinarians shall honor a client’s request for a prescriptionin lieu of dispensing.
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18 February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
PDPW takes pride in being a producer-led organization that raises the bar for education, takes the lead on connecting the dots on key issues, helps pre-pare the next generation, and builds a grassroots network to help dairy producers succeed.
The individuals who sit on the PDPW Board of Directors are key to the organization’s success because they help iden-tify industry needs and take leadership to the next level.
PDPW’s nominating com-mittee has identified five indi-viduals as candidates for the three positions open on the PDPW Board of Directors.
* Sherry Arnold, Barron, Wis.;
* Jay Heeg, Colby, Wis.;* Gary Janssen, Wauconda,
Ill.;
* Dan Scheider, Freeport, Ill.; and
* Linda White, Reedsburg, Wis.
White is an incumbent who has served one three-year term and qualifies for a second three-year term.
PDPW bylaws allow one vote per dairy-farm membership. Because the Board of Directors has three available positions, each PDPW dairy-farm mem-ber can vote for up to three indi-viduals.
Ballots can be cast in one of two manners: 1) at PDPW’s Business Conference, March 18-19, in Madison or 2) mail a marked ballot to PDPW. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Monday, March 2.
All votes will be kept confi-dential and will be counted by
the PDPW ballot clerks at the 2015 Business Conference. Bal-lots will be available at the Busi-ness Conference. All votes must be cast by 1 p.m. March 19.
Candidates vying for a posi-tion on PDPW’s Board of Direc-tors:
Linda White , her husband, J e r r y, a n d t h e i r s o n s Nathan and Ryan own and operate Kin-namon Ridge D a i r y . Located near Reedsburg, W i s . , t h e dairy started
with 50 cows. They now have 700 cows and crop approxi-mately 1,000 acres.
White chaired her township’s
strategic planning committee, was a member of the Sauk County strategic planning com-mittee and led successful efforts to write a county manure ordi-nance that is workable for farm-ers. White is currently chair of the Sauk County Board of Adjustments.
In addition to working on the family dairy, White returned to school and, in 2001, earned her bachelor’s degree in organiza-tional management.
Dan Scheider is a fifth-gen-eration dairy farmer who lives in Freeport, Ill. Along with his parents, Doug and Trish Scheider, he owns and operates Scheidairy, which has 650 milk cows and crops 1,100 acres of corn and alfalfa. The sixth
Three PDPW board positions: five candidates
See BOARD, PAGE 19
Linda White
PIPPING CONCRETE; 2 X 4.5; COLOR; 2286301; FEBRUARY
February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 19
generation is being raised on the farm; the Scheiders have two small children.
Before returning to farming, Scheider spent three years in
agricultural and business banking in north-central Wisconsin.
S c h e i d e r serves on the Stephenson County Board of Health, the County Farm
Bureau Board and the Missions Endowment Fund Committee at his church. Additional experi-ence includes having served on the community college strategic planning task force.
Gary Janssen is senior
genetics consultant for Golden Oaks Farm in Wauconda, Ill.; he has 700 milk cows and raises 700 young stock. Before taking on his current position, Janssen, who has been with Golden Oaks Farm for 25 years, served as gen-eral manager of the dairy. Jans-sen cut his industry teeth work-
ing for the H o l s t e i n Association a s we l l a s m a n a g i n g several regis-tered dairies in New York before mov-ing to Illinois.
Janssen is wrapping up six years on the Illinois Holstein Association board, serving four years on the Executive Board. He is also a first-term director of the Red &
Dan Scheider Gary Janssen
BoardContinued from page 18
See BOARD, PAGE 20
AGROMATIC- A.F. KLINZING CO.; 2 X 9.4375; COLOR; 2286288; FEB
20 February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
SessionsContinued from page 19
White Dairy Cattle Associa-tion. He and his wife of 43 years have two sons who are involved in the dairy business, a daughter and five grandsons.
Jay Heeg owns and operates Heeg Broth-e r s D a i r y LLC, along w i t h h i s b r o t h e r s M a r k a n d Gary. Heeg’s primary role is dairy man-a g e r a n d h u m a n - re -
source manager of the Colby, Wis., dairy, which has 990 Hol-stein cows. The dairy raises all its heifers and employs 20 full-time workers. Heeg Brothers also crops 2,500 acres of corn and alfalfa.
A graduate of UW-River Falls with a bachelor’s degree in broad area agriculture and a minor in animal science, Heeg
worked for Babson Brothers Company, the parent company of Surge milking equipment, before returning to the farm in 1999. Active members of their church, Heeg and his wife, Cheryl, have two young chil-dren.
Sherry Arnold is co-owner of Busse’s Barron Acres, a cus-tom calf ranch located near Bar-
r o n , W i s . Busse’s Bar-r o n A c r e s raises about 5,400 calves for 12 dairies. In addition to overseeing 25 e m p l o y e e s and handling a l l r e c o r d
keeping activities, Arnold is responsible for the care of new-born calves in the huts and post-weaning.
Arnold shares Walt Disney’s philosophy, “Get a good idea and stay with it. Work at it until it’s done and done right.” Arnold and her husband, Jeffrey, who works for the State Patrol, have three grown children.
Jay Heeg Sherry Arnold
“PDPW is ahead of the curve as far as choosing topics that are timely. They do a good job
of supporting the entire farm, offering programs and services for everyone from the owner
to the employees.” — Peter Mlsna, Ocooch Dairy, Hillsboro, Wis.
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Senior-team members were Paige Roberts, New London, Minnesota; Taylor Wittmus, Valders, Wisconsin; Eric Zwiefelhofer, Bloomer, Wis-consin; and Morgan Kittell, Burnett, Wisconsin. They defeated Iowa State University
in the semi-finals and Michigan State University in the finals. Junior-team members were Cierra Essock, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin; Bradley Rostad, Zumbrota, Minnesota; Eryn Orth, Winona, Minnesota; and Sierra Solum, Rice Lake, Wis-consin.
Forty-eight members of the Dairy Club attended the confer-ence, accompanied by Sylvia Kehoe, professor of animal sci-ence. More than 400 students from 12 universities around the region attended. As is tradition, the group toured dairy farms while traveling to the confer-ence. This year they visited Miltrim Dairy, Athens, Wiscon-sin, a 2,000-cow operation and the home of UW-River Falls senior David Trimner.
UW-River Falls Dairy Club: Top honors
24 Agriview Be
Left to right are winning UW-River Falls Dairy Club team members: Paige Roberts,New London; Taylor Wittmus, Valders; Eric Zwiefelhofer, Bloomer; Carrie Warmka, the 2014 organization president; and Morgan Kittell, Burnett.
They also visited Rosedale Genetics, Oxford, Wisconsin, a farm with 60 cows of mostly Blackrose and Redroad genetics.
UW-River Falls Dairy Club: Top honors
Agriview Be 25
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When Chris Buck gave his Jan. 12 report, he said it was just about time to move cattle again.
Every month to six weeks, a crew of four or five men – Chris, David, DJ, Sam and Harold – need a full day to move 150 to 200 cattle.
“We start with the oldest, then we get them done and just work our way down and keep moving them,” Buck said. “Hopefully we have enough people around so we can sort in one barn and move at the same time.”
They start by moving the close-up bred heifers, housed a quarter mile down the road at DJ’s place, to the maternity pen on the main farm.
This opens up space so that bred heifers are moved to the emptied shed at DJ’s. Younger heifers move to the breeding pens located in the monoslope shed.
As a result of moving the heifers to the breeding area, there is room for older baby calves to move from the main farm to a farm site located just across the road.
This opens up room in the main farm’s calf hoop barn for calves that are newly weaned, or that will soon be weaned from milk. In turn, there is room in the baby calf barn for more newborns.
Added to the moving mix are dry cows ahead of fresh-ening and finishing steers.
Bucks Unlimited built a monoslope barn in 2014 for heifers that have reached breeding weight and age. They also built a hoop barn for newly weaned calves.
The new barns have reduced the workload because previ-ously, the cattle were shel-tered on several farm sites throughout the county. Now, most of the cattle remain within a quarter mile of the main farm.
Moving dairy cows takes strategy, patience
Chris Buck provides dairy reports from Bucks Unlimited, located near Goodhue, Minnesota.
26 Agriview Be
Moving dairy cows takes strategy, patience and a full crew
When the days are warmer, the Bucks will install perma-nent fencing that will allow some of the heifers to walk from one pen or lot to the next.
In the meantime, the cattle are mostly “trailered” to the next shed.
It may seem as though it would be easy to move little calves, but even a little calf soon weighs 200 pounds, so it’s eas-ier to move them via trailer. The largest cattle could weigh more than 1,000 pounds.
While one crew moves cattle, another crew handles milking, parlor cleaning and mainte-nance, feed chores and bedding chores.
There had been a lot of calves born in December and early Jan-uary, the most was 17 calves born in 36 hours.
“We have slowed down a little bit,” Buck said. “We’re still hav-ing two or three per day, but we’re not having eight or nine per day.”
The veterinarian comes out
every two weeks to conduct pregnancy checks. The Bucks were having good success with heifers and cows settling in early January to produce calves next September or October.
Buck added that he was working on the farm program signups, while his dad, David, worked on bookkeeping and taxes.
In early January, the dairy operation inventoried every-thing for their balance sheets.
“The feed is pretty close to where we were last year, so we should be okay,” he said. “If we can find something that is a good deal – that will replace and will stretch our other feed – we’ll try to take advantage of it, whether it’s wet Distiller’s, corn gluten, or something like that.”
While it’s still winter, dairy farmers across Minnesota are looking ahead to Memorial Day weekend and the start of the 2015 hay harvest. Hopefully, the alfalfa went into dormancy well and will be ready to grow in a few months.
“We like the combination at the Business Conference of learning sessions and then net-working opportunities between sessions. PDPW is a great way to grow relationships with other farmers who have been where you’re at now and who are at the place that you are headed. You can learn so much more from those farmers than you can from any other source.” — Jim Mlsna, Ocooch Dairy, Hillsboro, Wis.
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28 February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
Denmark, Wisconsin – National Dairy Shrine is again seeking nominations for its most prestigious awards: Guest of Honor, Pioneer, Distin-guished Dairy Cattle Breeder, Progressive Dairy Manager and Graduate Production Award.
The Guest of Honor is given to a contemporary dairy leader for outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the dairy industry. It has been awarded every year since 1949 when Dean H. Kildee was named the first Guest of Honor. Each year, three to four living or deceased pioneers of the dairy industry are honored by National Dairy Shrine for their service and leadership in the dairy industry.
The Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder is an award that recog-nizes active, progressive dairy
producers who, through their expertise in managing a dairy breeding herd based upon sound genetics and business principles, serve as a model of success for fellow breeders throughout the country. All these award winners’ accomplishments are on perma-nent display in the National Dairy Hall of Fame at the National Dairy Shrine Museum in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
One of National Dairy Shrine’s newer awards, the Progressive Dairy Manager Grant, is given to producers ages 21 to 50 who have introduced and applied effective management and business prac-tices that help achieve more profitable dairy businesses, as well as contributing leadership to dairy organizations. Two $2,000
grants for education and travel are given annually, one for herd sizes with 300 milk cows or less and a second for herds with more than 300 milk cows.
The Graduate Dairy Produc-tion Award recognizes and assists qualified two-year and four-year agricultural-college graduates with their efforts to pursue a career in commercial dairy farming and to gain own-ership of dairy cattle with the intent of growing their dairy herd. The applicant must be employed in a herd-manage-ment role on a commercial dairy when completing the award application. The winner will receive a $2,500 award from National Dairy Shrine, with sponsorship aid from Elanco.
Nominations or applications must be submitted on official
forms by March 15. Visit www.dairyshrine.org and click on “Adult Awards” to view a com-plete listing of each award form, and then download the appli-cation for the respective award desired.
The annual National Dairy Shrine awards banquet will be held Oct. 1 in Madison, Wiscon-sin. Contact the National Dairy Shrine Office at [email protected] for more information about the banquet. Visit www.dairyshrine.org for National Dairy Shrine membership information. Dairy enthusiasts are encouraged to become a part of this important organization to help honor our heritage, inspire future leaders and pro-mote the dairy industry.
Shrine award applications due March 15
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CORNERSTONE DAIRY ACADEMY™ will be held March 17 and 18 in conjunc-tion with the 2015 Business Conference. The academy focuses on the training and development needs of farmers or other industry profession-als needing to communicate, collaborate and lead more effectively. The academy will also be valuable to students pursuing dairy-related careers and individuals wanting to retool because they are at a crossroads in their dairy careers.
TWO DAYS. TWO PRO-G R A M S . U N L I M I T E D GROWTH POTENTIAL
The academy offers two dif-ferent courses, each focusing on a different suite of commu-nication and leadership skills. Both programs culminate in putting concepts into practice while networking at the PDPW Business Conference.
DAY 1OPTION 1: INFLUEN-
TIAL LEADERSHIP“Leadership, Interaction
Spend a day at the academy
February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 29
See ACADEMY, PAGE 30
Come learn about me
AgStar Edge is an offering of AgStar Financial Services, ACA. AgStar Financial Services is anequal opportunity employer, lender and provider. © 2014 All rights reserved.
AgStarTechnoledge™
ConferenceFebruary 25 & 26, 2015Minneapolis Convention CenterWith hotel accommodations atthe Minneapolis Hilton Hotel
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Learn how todeterminewhattechnology holds themostpotential for your operation.
Youwant to integratemore technology into your
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there, you need a partner in the decision-making
process. That is why AgStar is offering
Technoledge, a new conferencewith topics
ranging from iPad applications to roboticmilkers.
and Influence”Success in today’s workplace
requires an ability to interact with others to solve complex problems. Today’s employers are seeking employees with “soft skills” – the entire suite of skills related to personality, social skills, communication abilities and aptitudes. Sessions cover leadership; teamwork skills; communicating with dif-ferent generations, personali-ties and leadership styles; con-flict resolution; business eti-quette; and professionalism.
This session of the academy is an accredited training pro-gram with the University of Wisconsin-School of Veteri-nary Medicine; veterinarians may receive up to 8.7 Con-tinuing Education Credits for the training.
OPTION 2: VISIONARY LEADERS
“Business Ethics, Leadership and Outlook”
Good leadership is ethical leadership. Discover who you are as a leader and identify wh i ch of your character strengths can positively influ-ence others to succeed in busi-ness. Then take those strengths and weave them with the mega forces and trends of agriculture as presented by Dr. David Kohl. You’ll discover how to be an impact player who leads others through a turbulent, changing global economy.
This session of the academy is an accredited training program with the University of Wiscon-sin-School of Veterinary Medi-cine; veterinarians may receive up to 9.0 CEUs for the training.
DAY 2 – Both programs are offered.
Contact PDPW at 800-947-7379 or [email protected] for more information.
AcademyContinued from page 29
“The Business Conference is a must-attend event each year. It’s a chance to get away, to be with people you only see once a year, and it’s a chance to learn from some of the
greatest experts in the dairy industry.”
— Josh Meissner, Norm-E-Lane Farm Inc., Chili, Wis.
30 February 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line