Dairy Week

Click Here to Join the Salmonella Webinar Sept. 29 at 1 p.m.

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:44:12 GMT

September 29, 2020
1:00 PM CDT

Bovine veterinarians Dr. Kayla Clark and Dr. Kent Fenton will discuss how they are addressing Salmonella with dairy and beef producers through education, diagnostics, treatment and control measures. The increasing prevalence of Salmonella, particularly Salmonella Dublin, is a challenge to both dairy and beef producers, and veterinarians are stepping up to proactively address this infection.

This webinar has been approved for an hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.

Click here to register.

You will receive a link to the live event on Zoom via email immediately after registering.

Farm Journal Live: McDonald's Chef Highlights Work with Dairy Checkoff

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:07:43 GMT

Watch a recording of the live broadcast below:

Today on Farm Journal Live, as Dairy Week concludes we talk with a chef from McDonald’s shares how he works with the Dairy Checkoff to develop new menu items.

Farm Journal Live Dairy Week: Michael Dykes, International Dairy Foods

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:07:39 GMT

Watch a recording of Thursday’s Farm Journal Live as Michael Dykes of the International Dairy Foods Association talks about how dairy demand has been impacted by COVID-19.

Farm Journal Live Dairy Week: Tom Vilsack - U.S. Dairy Export Council

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:07:39 GMT

Watch a replay of the live broadcast below:

Today on Farm Journal Live: A look at global dairy sales with U.S. Dairy Export Council CEO and former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

After the broadcast, join Agday host and Farm Journal Editor Clinton Griffiths for a live chat in the Dairy Week Networking Lounge.

Farm Journal Live: Alice in Dairyland and Dairy Market Analysis

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:07:35 GMT

Watch a replay of the live broadcast.

Today on Farm Journal Live:

Dairy market analysis from Mike North of Commodity Risk Management Group
Alice in Dairyland Julia Nunes

World Dairy Expo - People on the Street

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 04:03:34 GMT

Josh Mashek | Iowa

Dairy producer Josh Mashek, Calmar, Iowa, made his first trip to World Dairy Expo (WDE) when he was just eight years old. In the two decades since, he’s made a return trip nearly every year.

Expo’s Trade Show, which features more than 850 participating companies, is one of the segments of the show that keeps him coming back.

“You’re always on the lookout for new ideas and products that will help you make your business better,” Mashek says, who farms in a family partnership that also includes his parents, Dennis and Barb, and his brother, Tanner. They milk 400 registered Brown Swiss cows.

“The Trade Show here is huge. If you want to know what’s going on in dairying, this is the place to be.”

Some years, Mashek will arrive at Expo looking for specific products or ideas. A few years back, for example, he spent a good part of his time at the show gathering information about managing sand bedding in the free-stall barn.

“I was able to talk to the reps from several different companies while I was here,” he says. “I got different ideas from each of them and heard what their customers were saying about what was and wasn’t working for them.”

Most years, he also makes it a point to visit a number of genetics companies exhibiting at the show.

“A lot of it’s simply PR,” he says. “The company reps who come to the farm are here at the show and it gives me the chance to touch base and catch up with them. Also, a lot of the companies use Expo to feature their newest and best products. It’s cutting edge.”

Mashek also appreciates the dairy-specific nature of the Expo Trade Show.

“At some of the shows you go to, there are a lot of exhibits that don’t really have anything to do with dairy farming,” he says. “But, at Expo, it’s all related to dairy. It’s a great place to come and learn.”

Mark Hilty | Indiana

Sitting in on an Expo Seminar or two and attending at least one of the breed shows in the Coliseum top Mark Hilty’s must do list when attending World Dairy Expo.

“We enjoy the whole show,” says Hilty, who milks 100 cows, mostly Holsteins, near Goshen, Ind. In the past 10 years, he’s made half a dozen visits to Expo. “There’s always so many new things to see and learn about, and it’s all in one place. We always come away with ideas on how we can be more profitable and stay in business.”

The Expo seminars are held daily in the Exhibition Hall. Over the years, Hilty has attended sessions on dairy cow nutrition and health, farm business management and robotic milking.

“The speakers they have here are the very best,” he says. “You get the latest information.”

Along with the formal presentations by the speakers, Hilty also finds value in the audience question and answer segments that are part of each seminar and in having the chance to touch base informally with other farmers before and after the sessions.

“It’s great to talk to other producers and find out what they’re doing on their farms.”

Shifting gears, attending the cattle shows is pure enjoyment for Hilty.

“We’re not interested in having show cows of our own,” he says. “The shows are just fun to watch. The cattle you see here are absolutely top-notch.”

Rick Adams | Wisconsin

Having the chance to connect with friends from throughout the dairy industry is one of the major reasons Rick Adams has been coming to World Dairy Expo every year since 1980.

“You get busy on the farm and you don’t always have time to stay in touch with everybody,” Adams says. He’s the owner of 600-cow Sugar Creek Dairy near Elkhorn, Wis. “I know a lot of the vendors in the Trade Show and I have friends showing cattle in the different breed shows. It’s hard for me to walk very far around here without running into somebody I know. It’s great to be able to catch up with people, even if it’s just for a few minutes.”

Adams typically spends three days at Expo. The International Holstein Show, held on Friday afternoon and Saturday, is a highlight of the trip for him.

“I spend a lot of time on genetics,” he notes. “At the show, you can see what the daughters of certain bulls look like and get a better idea of what the trends are in the industry. You can see where the improvements are in areas like udders and frame. It gives you some things to think about in terms of what you could be doing in your own breeding program.”

A friendly, informal competition with a long-time farmer friend from Minnesota adds to Adams’ enjoyment of the breed show.

“We’ve been meeting up at the show for the last 30 years,” Adams relates. “We each try to pick out who we think is going to win a class and then compare the results. We have a lot of fun doing it.”

Luke Haywood | Michigan

Putting up top-quality, highly digestible forages is a priority on Luke Haywood’s 1,200-cow, Sand Creek Dairy near Hastings, Mich. Attending the various activities making up the World Forage Analysis Superbowl (WFAS), held annually in conjunction with WDE, gives Haywood additional tools for getting the job done.

Included in the WFAS activities are a contest featuring eight production categories, a series of seminars related to forage production and management and a display of forage samples from contest finalists.

“(Coming to WFAS) is a good way to get a lot of information in a short period of time,” says Haywood, who is a part of the family management team that also includes his dad, Larry, and sons Ethan and Austin.

The Haywoods have been competing in the WFAS contest for a decade. Over the years, they’ve produced numerous finalists in the Alfalfa Haylage and Grass Hay categories and also the brown midrib corn silage and standard corn silage categories. A few years back, they took top honors in the brown Midrib Corn Silage division.

“Entering the contest helps us measure our progress,” Haywood says. “We can see how we stack up against some of the best forage producers from all across the U.S.”

The Mycogen Seeds Forage Superbowl Luncheon, held in the Exhibition Hall on Wednesday of Expo week, presents additional opportunities.

“We’re able to talk to other producers about what they’re doing to put up better forages. A lot of the businesses we work with also have representatives at the luncheon, so we’re able to network with them.”

Luke also makes sure to leave time in his Expo schedule to walk through a display area (in the Arena building) featuring physical samples of WFAS category finalists.

“You can see what hybrids people are using,” he says. “You can also take a look at particle length and get an idea of how well the forage is preserved.”

Brian and Kristi Dinderman | Illinois

Keeping their Hi View Farm name in front of potential customers looking to purchase high quality genetics is an important part of the business plan for registered cattle breeders Brian and Kristi Dinderman, Orangeville, Ill. Exhibiting in several of the breed shows at World Dairy Expo each year helps them meet the challenge.

The Dindermans’ 70-cow, registered herd includes Guernseys, Ayrshires and Holsteins.

“When you have a smaller dairy like we do, finding a niche will help you be profitable,” says Brian. “We found our niche is in merchandising and selling animals and genetics.”

Throughout the course of a year, the Dindermans will exhibit at a number of other cattle shows including their local county fair and the Illinois State Fair. While there are marketing benefits to competing in all of those events, Expo is in a class by itself.

“This is the show of shows,” says Brian. “If you can be successful here, it takes your marketing to a whole different level.” Adds Kristi, “Expo is where you really find out what kind of animals you have compared to the very best. When you do well here, you get noticed.”

In 2018, the couple learned first-hand how success at Expo can translate into improved visibility and sales. That year, one of their animals, HI Guern View Dancing Diva-ET, was named Reserve Grand Champion in the International Guernsey Show. Another animal the couple had bred and sold, Hi Guern View Diva Designer, was Intermediate Champion.

“It definitely had a big impact on the number of embryos we were able to sell throughout the year,” says Kristi.

Live From Aspen Veterinary Resources

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 22:21:02 GMT

Welcome to Dairy Week! Check out this video from Aspen Veterinary Resources.

Return to the exhibit hall.

AgriTalk Dairy Week: Dairy Genetics

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 15:35:35 GMT

It’s Dairy Week and the dairy leaders are on AgriTalk with Chip Flory. Listen live at 10 a.m. Central and 2 p.m. Central.

Thursday morning on AgriTalk, Chip talks cow genetics with Dr. Chad Dechow of Penn State University, followed by a look at the Cattle Market Transparency Act with its sponsor, Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska.

Not time for the live show? Enjoy one of our previous AgriTalk broadcasts below:

Registered for Dairy Week? Great! If not, REGISTER HERE!
Don’t forget to check out the Exhibit Hall and talk with some of our elite sponsors on their new products! >>> Exhibit Hall
See Dairy Week Content On Demand!

A Peek At U.S. Dairy Exports Amid A Pandemic

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:59:58 GMT

COVID-19 is impacting dairy exports in different ways this year starting with the way the industry does business to expand international markets.

“We were briefed [weeks ago] as part of our NASDA meeting that international trade trips are suspended for at least 90 days,” says Randy Romanski, the secretary-designee, Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture. “[It’s] a rolling 90 days.”

Romanski says it’s extremely important to make new connections in person.

“Once we get people in the state and they see the infrastructure and they see the dairy and cheese we produce and quality, the sales just flow from that,” says Chad Vincent, the CEO of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

The pandemic put a stop to those in person meetings. There was also a drop in price.

“We had cheese at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange hit $1 per pound,” says Mark Stephenson, the director of dairy markets and policy at UW-Madison. “We haven’t seen that since 2007.”

Stephenson says the cheaper price got some countries to buy cheese. Industry leaders say dairy exports are doing well overall.

“When cheese prices crashed and other dairy products sold off, everyone looked to Asia to try to soak up this affordable dairy product,”says Alyssa Badger, director of operations at HighGround Dairy. “We saw massive exports to southeast Asia.”

China has also been a big buyer, especially for whey products for hog feed.

“China, obviously, a bright spot in terms of whey as [China] rebuilds their hog industry adding 14,000 new farms just this year,” says Tom Vilsack, the President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. “It creates a good opportunity for us in terms of the whey complex. The combination of those two things, combined with strong sales in Korea and Japan, allowed us to have a pretty good 7 months.”

The USMCA between Canada and Mexico is also now enforced. Industry leaders watch now Canada handles “Class 7.”

“Canadians didn’t really get rid of Class 7,” says Andrew Novakovic, who is with the department of agricultural economics at Cornell University. “They agreed to a different way of pricing that would be more like what we do but actually, not as much as we thought it was going to be. This pricing arrangement isn’t completely eradicated.”

Novakovic says Mexico is diversifying its portfolio but buying from New Zealand and Europe as well despite the agreement.

“I don’t think we’re going to get that toothpaste all back in the tube,” says Novakovic. “I think there’s a new reality there.”

Mulhern says there is More competition in Mexico now because they just negotiated an agreement with the E.U.

“[The agreement] is going to give them equal access from a tariff standpoint, eliminating tariffs on dairy imports,” says Jim Mulhern, the president and chief executive officer of the National Milk Producers Federation. “We’re going to be competing with the E-U and Mexico, which means we’re going to look more to Central and South America for opportunity.”

“I’ll tell you what, New Zealand and the European Union are way ahead of us,” says Stephenson. “They’re negotiating some bilateral [deals] and even multi-lateral agreements much more quickly than we are.”

The industry is also looking building stronger relationships with customers.

“The real growth and population is in Asia and middle-east North Africa,” says Mulhern. “Not only is the population growing but the middle class is growing.”

It’s about every sale across the globe as it helps to support the work happening at home.

The E.U. and the U.S. are also dealing with some issues pertaining to dairy trade and common food names.

During late July, a group of senators sent a letter to USTR and USDA to urge stronger safeguards to protect U.S. exporters using common food and wine terms.

NASDA, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the National Milk Producers Federation, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the North American Meat Institute and the Wine Institute sent out this press release:

The letter requests that the U.S. government enhance their common food name protections as a core policy objective in all trade-related discussions. It’s a direct challenge to the European Union’s misuse of protections meant for valid geographical indications to instead block American exports of common or generic food and wine terms, such as parmesan, feta, bologna or chateau.

Milk Price Drastically Different Than Beginning of 2020 Due to Market, Government Help

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:59:54 GMT

This year has been anything but predictable for dairy prices between dumping milk, the pandemic and price recovery.

For the dairy industry, how producers started the year is a drastic difference than where they’re at now.

“In our dairy, it’s been a great year,” says Brody Stapel, a farmer in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. “We were pretty hesitant going in. We took some protections early on in the market as in last fall,” says “We were able to weather a lot of what happened this year.”

Rewind to earlier in the year. Some producers were forced to dump milk and prices crashed amid a global pandemic.

“We went from comparing milk and cheese prices to what they looked like right after the global financial crisis to just a couple of months later looking at record cheese prices and incredibly strong milk prices,” says Alyssa Badger, the director of operations for HighGround Dairy.

Even now, prices for Class III are different.

“I think our market prices are up at a level that was tolerable,” says Mark Stephenson, the director of dairy markets and policy at UW-Madison. “Maybe not as good as you wanted in what should have been a recovery year but they aren’t at unlivable levels.”

There are a couple of reasons why. Stephenson says strong domestic demand through retail, good exports and somewhat tighter milk supplies helps.

The government is stepping in, purchasing product with a cheese-buying program. USDA also buying dairy for the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, which has been extended.

“Vendors are in place now up to 2022,” says Fuess. “If USDA [and] the administration decides this is a good, easy way to support prices, we could see additional rounds into the winter or into next year.”

The programs are helping soak up milk production, which is nearly 2 percent higher than a year ago.
However, there are some concerns how it impacts price.

“If we see production resuming at 1.5 to 2 percent increase, somewhere in there, we’re going to be in trouble with the price of milk” says Andrew Novakovic, departments of agricultural economics at Cornell University.

“We’ve seen weekly cow-slaughter rates at multi-year lows,” says Fuess. “That also tells us the herd size is expanding and we could be quickly moving into an oversupply milk situation into the winter months, especially if demand is questionable.”

This comes as the fate of the restaurant industry remains uncertain. The National Restaurant Association saying sales rose in August while 71% of full service operators say they do not expect their restaurant sales to return to pre-Covid-19 levels within the next six months.

“Once the government steps away and stops injecting money into these food box programs, we’re not sure how we’re going to soak up all of this excess product,” says Badger.

It could all impact price but dairy producers are also getting government payments. One of them is the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). A second round was announced by President Trump.

“If you measure that across the average of all milk production this year of 2020, that in of itself, would add $1.55 per hundredweight to the dairy farm’s milk price,” says Stephenson. “That’s significant. This CFAP 2.0 is actually $1.20 payment but on the last three-quarters of the year. That comes out to about 80 cents per hundredweight.”

Other economists agree CFAP adds a ‘significant’ amount of income that a producer has in 2020.

“I think farmers will see an incredible amount of cash flowing into their checkbooks, whether that’s from CFAP payments, whether that’s from dairy margin coverage [or] whether that is from some hedging,” says Fuess.

“I think every farmer would just assume [to] earn [their] money in the marketplace,” says Novakovic. “But, we still cash the check.”

Badger says HighGround Dairy anticipates The Class III milk price will settle roughly above $16 per hundredweight. She anticipates more of a drop-off into the $14 per hundredweight price but finding more support again the end of next year.

“Our average forecast for Class III milk price throughout 2021 is $15.33 per hundredweight,” says Badger. “[It’s] still a relatively solid year for producers.”

However, the wildcards are retail demand, exports and government buying.

Some producers are receiving a smaller milk check, depending on region due to the Producer Price Differential. Stephenson says as we move into September, those negative PPD values may not be as extreme, but still present.

“The September milk check should be [a] positive PPD in most orders,” says Stephenson. “There will be a few orders, particularly out in the West [such as] California, the Northwest, Southwest, which will have [a] negative PPD but it’s not going to be a big negative.”

It’s a year of a pandemic, buying, changes and aid. All of these things were not expected at the beginning of the year.

“I think if you averaged our income over the last five years, we’ve had such decreased income over the last four years that we’ve needed a year like this to replace capital that’s been worn out,” says Stapel.

Click Here to Join the Dairy Markets Webinar Sept. 30 at 1 p.m.

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:59:50 GMT

Dairy Markets: What You Need to Know
September 30, 2020
1:00 PM CDT

As milk futures trend higher, can the momentum last? Our Markets webinar will look at the price trends and what it will take to push prices higher into the fall and winter months. The discussion takes place Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. brought to you by Dairy Herd Management & “U.S. Farm Report.”

Panelists:
Mike North, President, Commodity Risk Management Group
Ryan Yonkman, Vice President, Rice Dairy
Matt Gould, Chief Market Analyst, Rice Dairy

Register here.

Please note: You must register (it’s free!) to attend. You will receive an email link to the live event after registering. We recommend registering before the event and logging on five minutes before the event begins:

Dairy after Derecho: The Struggle to Get Contractors, Materials

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:59:50 GMT

The derecho left its mark on Iowa’s crops but it also impacted livestock producers, especially dairies.

AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben has an update from Blairstown, Iowa as livestock operations that were in the storm’s path are in a rush right now to rebuild before winter.

Reminders of the derecho are spread across fields in Blairstown, Iowa. The GenoSource Dairy was also in the storm’s way.

“We had maybe 30 minutes warning that there [were] 60 to 80 per hour winds,” says Matt Simon, the CFO of GenoSource Dairy. “[That’s] nothing like the 100 mph plus that we did receive.”

The dairy which has 3,000 milk cows, with a heavy emphasis in genetics, lost power before the storm hit.

“We were working on generator power for just over a week,” says Simon. “Then, we also had a few generator issues that had us go without milking for about 18 hours one day.”

Operations are back to normal but cleanup continues. Water tanks need to be rebuilt along with other structural repairs.

Right now, the focus is to enclose the barn and fix the rafters.

“If it’s warmer later in [the] November, December [timeframe], it will help a lot,” says Simon. “As far as getting contractors and materials, it’s been a struggle.”

Simon says some contractors are getting started on a couple projects. In general, it’s difficult to find contractors. It’s also a race to beat winter.

“If it gets too cold and the ends of the barns are still open, it will turn into a skating rink for the cows,” says Simon. “That’s one thing we don’t want.”

The impact of this historic storm is still evident as farms work to rebuild what nature tore down.

Registered for Dairy Week? Great! If not, REGISTER HERE!

Don’t forget to check out the Exhibit Hall and talk with some of our elite sponsors on their new products! >>> Exhibit Hall

See Dairy Week Content On Demand!

The Uncertain Future for Fluid Milk Demand During COVID-19 School Year

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:59:46 GMT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service is calling for dairy prices to be up 3% to 4% this year. Demand for dairy is also an issue right now with school food programs representing roughly 7% of the nation’s fluid milk volume annually, according to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. Dairy Management Incorporated says roughly 7.5% of fluid milk demand is from K-12 demand.

AgDay national reporter, Betsy Jibben, reports the pandemic is cutting into that demand at school districts across the country.

Cars arrive at Marshall Middle School in the Janesville, Wisconsin School District to pick up free, school lunches for students out of the classroom.

It’s a unique year for the district, offering face-to-face and virtual schooling. It’s also a transition when it comes to handling its school meals.

“It’s a very fluid situation,” says Jim Degan, the school nutrition manager for the Janesville School District. “Things change week to week. We could be delivering meals in the near future.”

Degan’s job of preparing, ordering and working with contractors for meal plans is not like any year in the past.

“We have to take into consideration [if] that a shelf-stable item,” says Degan. “Is it individually wrapped? Can we purchase individually wrapped instead of having our staff do it?”

He says the total number of students eating school meals is down district-wide.

“Typically, in years past, I would have served 10,000 meals per day [for] breakfast and lunch,” says Degan. “Now, we’re on the order of 6,500 to 7,000 per day. It’s still really good but it’s a 30% drop in milk.”

Milk is a required meal component to be offered for USDA’s School Nutrition Programs which includes the National School Lunch Program the School Breakfast Program the Summer Food Service Program and the Seamless Summer Option.

The Janesville District is still using the Summer Food Service Program, thanks to USDA’s free meal program extension. Milk isn’t just offered but given in every bag in this district. Yet, a small number of e-learners are picking up meals in this district. Out of all the students participating in e-learning, Degan says only 6 to 7 percent are taking advantage of free meals they can pick up.

Dairy demand isn’t just uncertain for Wisconsin schools but nationwide.

“Some [districts] made announcements [making announcements such as] we’re out of school until the end of November,” says Paul Ziemnisky, executive vice president of global innovation partnerships with Dairy Management Incorporated. “So, they were able to determine purchasing . For others, it’s week-by-week.”

Ziemnisky says DMI has hosted webinars to explain how “Grab-‘N-Go” and “Low Contact” may be the best meal options this year. Most of those meals have a dairy component like packaged yogurt or cheese. However, it may be too premature to determine if demand is picking up for those products nationwide.

"[Those packaged lunches] bide well for things like string cheese,” says Karen Doster, the director of youth and school programs for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. “String cheese has always been popular in school meals but even more now.”

“It makes it a little easier to run the day for the kids so we can have everything ready for us,” says Maryellen Sullivan, a parent picking up lunches.

As some parents and caregivers continue to pick up meals, this school district knows they’re providing as best they can despite the uncertainties ahead in 2020.

“The more meals we can serve, the better off our community is,” says Degan.

The Janesville School District uses a truckload of cheese during a normal year, which is roughly 40,000 pounds. Degan says USDA’s extended meal program has been a help, but it only runs through the end of the 2020.

Dairy Week

Click Here to Join the Salmonella Webinar Sept. 29 at 1 p.m.

September 29, 20201:00 PM CDT

Click here to register.

You will receive a link to the live event on Zoom via email immediately after registering.

Farm Journal Live: McDonald's Chef Highlights Work with Dairy Checkoff

Farm Journal Live Dairy Week: Michael Dykes, International Dairy Foods

Farm Journal Live Dairy Week: Tom Vilsack - U.S. Dairy Export Council

Farm Journal Live: Alice in Dairyland and Dairy Market Analysis

World Dairy Expo - People on the Street

Live From Aspen Veterinary Resources

Return to the exhibit hall.

AgriTalk Dairy Week: Dairy Genetics

A Peek At U.S. Dairy Exports Amid A Pandemic

Milk Price Drastically Different Than Beginning of 2020 Due to Market, Government Help

Click Here to Join the Dairy Markets Webinar Sept. 30 at 1 p.m.

Register here.

Dairy after Derecho: The Struggle to Get Contractors, Materials

Registered for Dairy Week? Great! If not, REGISTER HERE!

Don’t forget to check out the Exhibit Hall and talk with some of our elite sponsors on their new products! >>> Exhibit Hall

See Dairy Week Content On Demand!

The Uncertain Future for Fluid Milk Demand During COVID-19 School Year

Registered for Dairy Week? Great! If not, REGISTER HERE!

Don’t forget to check out the Exhibit Hall and talk with some of our elite sponsors on their new products! >>> Exhibit Hall

See Dairy Week Content On Demand!

September 29, 2020
1:00 PM CDT