the Pulsator Spring 2024

Outlook for Dairy Markets: Scott Brown

Increase Sorghum Silage Digestibility: Juan Pineiro

7HO16295 DUCKETT PFCT HAS IT ALL-ET

PARFECT x DOC x JEDI

HAS IT ALL is the highest production 7HO15085 PARFECT son available and is Have Not 8784’s most complete son. His early calves are turning heads and garnering interest!

7HO16791 DUCKETT DOC 8784 HOMER-ET

HOMECOMING x DOC x JEDI

Like his dam, it is hard to find a fault in HOMER’s profile. He will sire moderate stature while adding above-average frame width. He’s an easy-to-use sire that will complement Goldwyn bloodlines.

Select Sires Member Cooperative

Phone: (847) 464-5281 u Web: www.cobaselect.com

Missouri Holstein Association

President Scott Wilson

Vice President John Schoen

Secretary/Treasurer Jodi Wright

Director at Large Shannon Kleiboeker

Junior Advisor Bailey Keltner 417-743-2921 • jwright@missouriholstein.com missouriholstein.com

Missouri Jersey Association

President Stacy Dohle

Vice President Michelle Eilenstine

Secretary/ Treasurer Karla Deaver 417-316-0191 • deaverk@missouri.edu

Missouri Guernsey Association

President Mark Melander

Vice President Kenlee Calvin

Secretary/Treasurer Cindy Wilson 417-388-0185

Missouri Brown Swiss Association

President Brittany Whitehill

Vice president Stephanie Miller

Secretary/treasurer Ashley Meyers 417-543-6809

Missouri Ayrshire Association

President Karen Coleman

Vice President Brent Unnasch

Secretary Chuck Scoon

Treasurer Jeff Jensen 319-230-6002 • karayrayrshires@gmail.com

Missouri Shorthorn Association

President Sam Crawford

Vice President Scott Gardner

Secretary/Treasurer Sally Burd 417-839-7002 • sallyburd@yahoo.com

Missouri Dairy

Chairman Alfred Brandt

Vice Chairman Mark Fellwock

Secretary Sean Cornelius

Treasurer Tom Oelrichs

MO Dairy Education Director Reagan Bluel

Board Members Norris Sloan Davin Althoff

Clay Hemple

Scott Maples

John Schoen

(417) 772-4231 • reagan@modairy.org modairy.org

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and State Senator Lincoln Hough joined us for lunch and discussed their passion for supporting agriculture.

Deadline for application is May 1

Enrollment is limited and will be first come first serve. Registration may be completed via 4-H online. Check or cash payment must be mailed to PO Box 388, Mount Vernon, MO 65712. No credit card payments will be accepted for this event.

Camp fee:

$100 in-state 4-H Member

$130 Out-of-state/non 4-h member

Objectives:

1. Increase the knowledge of youth about care and management of dairy animals.

2. Develop awareness of the ethical issues in care of dairy animals.

3. Increase the awareness of issues in the dairy industry.

4. Increase life skill development of participating youth.

5. Certify youth in Show-Me Quality Assurance. For more information, contact Karla Deaver 417-466-3102 Or deaverk@missouri.edu

Parents and family members are invited to watch the showmanship competition at 10 am on Friday, May 24. Lunch will be served following the contest. Lunch is provided for cow campers, helpers, and workshop presenters. Additonal lunch options may be available for purchase. Parents and others will need to pre-purchase a lunch ticket for $10 each Cow camp entry and health information can be found on missouriholstein.com

Cow Camp:May 22-24, 2024

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, May 22

12:30 pm Registration at Fair Grounds

1:30 pm Orientation

8:00 p.m Depart Fairgrounds

Thursday, May 23

7:30 am Begin day workshops/Meals/Speakers

Friday, May 24 7:00 am Begin Day/prepare for showmanship contest

10:00 am Showmanship Contest-guests invited to attend LUNCH Guests invited- pre-purchase lunch ticket

1:00 pm Awards-wash/clean-up (campers may leave or continue to participate)

2:30 pm Cattle for show may arrive

7:00 pm Tri-Tip Dinner (must purchase ticket)

8:30 pm MO Holstein Tag Sale Closes

Saturday, May 25

10:00 am All Breeds Heifer Show (optional event for cow camp attendees )

Accomodations: Cow Camp and Heifer Show

Quality Inn

1125 E Daniel Dr., Mount Vernon, MO 65712

Lodging is provided in camp fee for 2023. A block of rooms has been reserved for those who need hotel accommodations. To reserve your room, contact the hotel above at 417-466-4511. Ask for dairy cow camp rate of $77. Please contact Karla Deaver if you require further assistance or have any questions.

Friday Evening Tri-Tip Dinner

Tickets may be pre-purchased, or purchased night of.

Tickets will be Adults- $12 8 and under-$8

Missouri Holstein Association 108th Annual Meeting Highlights

• Holstein USA – some rates increasing in 2024.

• MO 4-H Dairy Judging Team: requested funds to aid in their international judging trip to Europe. Association pledged $3,000 to team if they need it.

• Univ. of MO Extension: Chloe Collins new hire out of Wright County. MU hiring state wide Dairy Nutritionist on campus.

• Univ. of MO Dairy: Sold Holstein tract of land for $4.3M used to clear debt, build 2 new heifer barns, new commodity barn, update freestalls, expand herd to 300 head and endow ruminant nutrition chair.

• MO Dairy: Active and associate memberships encouraged. June 12th Summer Social scheduled at Milk Source in LaBelle, MO. MO Dairy sponsoring the study on the impact of dairy in MO that was last completed 10 years ago.

• NW MO State Univ. Dairy: Renewed focus on dairy. Added additional faculty and improving genetics. In early stages of building on farm micro creamery and processing own milk. Aiming for a food technology minor. Eventually install robots at facility.

• State Fair: New state fair director working to improve dairy. Katie Wantland now assistant superintendant. If you have improvement suggestions submit to Katie or Amy Jo soon. Junior ownership deadline: July 1.

• Sale Committee: The Heifer Tag Sale will take place May 22-24, 2024 in conjunction with Cow Camp. Sale selections occurring now. Same format with ticketed Friday evening meal .

• Pulsator: Looking for individual to procure advertisements and write editorial on commission basis.

Top L to R: Ramona Andrus and Don Ely; 2024 Judging team quilt / hog raffle with winners, Keith Dixon, Brenda Moreland and team; Libby Shaver drawing for quilt; bidding on silent auction, playing cornhole, Family cornhole division top 3 teams; Junior cornhole division top 3 teams; Jr Futurity winners with sponsor Ray Schooley,

Dairy Farmer Resources

UNDENIABLY DAIRY GRANTS: Turn great ideas for promoting the dairy community to consumers into reality.

PROMO CENTER: Bring dairy to life at your next event with a wide variety of FREE promotional materials including poster sets, coloring books, farm tour booties, and more.

LEADERSHIP GRANTS:

Interested in furthering your skills to become a leader in the dairy industry and to better share your dairy story with consumers? Apply for a leadership grant!

The 2024 Outlook for Dairy Markets and Policy

Milk producers found 2023 to be a financially challenging year. After U.S. all milk prices set an annual record in 2022 at $25.34 per hundredweight, they fell by nearly $5 per hundredweight in 2023 to $20.54 per hundredweight. Milk production costs stayed high in 2023, driving net returns well into the red. The Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program has sent nearly $1.3 billion in payments to participating producers.

On top of challenging 2023 dairy markets, there has been ongoing discussion regarding dairy policy changes in the next farm bill and a federal hearing to address potential federal milk market order adjustments.

All of these issues leave milk producers with many unknowns in 2024.

What’s in store for 2024 dairy markets?

The harsh financial picture for producers in 2023 led to almost no growth in 2023 U.S. milk production relative to 2022. Declining dairy cow inventory in 2023 should keep milk production growth modest in 2024. The milk supply outlook is the biggest positive to the 2024 milk price outlook. It is important to remember that given how inelastic dairy demand is today. That results in small milk production changes leading to large price swings.

The demand side of the 2024 outlook suggests more headwinds exist this year. After exceeding their average 2016 to 2019 levels during 2022, all wholesale prices decreased in 2023 (see the figure below). Dairy product prices tended to decline despite little growth in milk supplies and dairy product production. This outcome suggests that consumers were inclined to consume less dairy products as their financial outlook became less certain as consumer debt rose and interest rates increased. The 2024 outlook suggests consumer demand may remain sluggish and keep dairy product prices from moving much higher in 2024.

The international demand for U.S. dairy products appears to remain stagnant in 2024 after the 2023 export value declined by around 15%. Uncertainty in economic growth in key countries leads to a weak outlook for 2024 U.S. dairy exports.

One of the positives to the financial outlook for milk producers is that feed costs will continue to decline in 2024. USDA projects that the 2023/24 season average corn price will average $4.80 per bushel after reaching $6.54 per bushel in the 2022/23 crop year. If average weather unfolds for the 2024 growing season, corn stocks should grow, putting further pressure on corn prices.

Are changes coming to federal dairy policy in 2024?

The 2018 farm bill expired on October 1, 2023, without Congressional action to pass new farm legislation. In late 2023, Congress extended the

2018 provisions for one year. Given the current focus on FY2024 appropriations, it appears that it will be March before farm bill discussions can proceed with any hope of floor time. However, the 2024 elections will keep the window for passing a farm bill in 2024 small. In the near term, the DMC program will continue to operate as passed in the 2018 farm bill and will provide a safety net for producers with 5 million pounds of production history or less. Even if a farm bill is completed in 2024, there will likely be minor changes to the DMC program, if any. There will be pressure from many dairy producer organizations to address the calculation of the Class I mover if the federal order hearing leaves the Class I mover formula unchanged from what was passed in the 2018 farm bill,

The federal hearing on milk market orders concluded recently after setting a record for the longest federal hearing. There were many issues addressed in the federal order hearing, including the Class I mover, Class I differentials, make allowances in component prices, and updates to milk component factors.

Although the hearing has concluded, it will take months before USDA can implement any final changes to the current federal milk market order system. This will likely keep the final rule from being enacted until at least 2025. It is unclear what changes will occur from the hearing process as USDA has thousands of pages of testimony to consider through its rulemaking process.

The bottom line for 2024

The financial picture for milk producers will improve slightly in 2024 due to lower input costs, mainly feed, but milk prices will remain near 2023 levels this year. That will not allow most producers the opportunity to heal financially from the struggles they faced in 2023. There won’t be many, if any, changes to federal dairy policy in 2024, yet DMC will remain available to help with margin risk. Looking at the longer term, 2025 appears to be a more positive year for dairy producers as milk supply and demand return to a better balance.

Scott Brown Associate Extension Professor Agricultural Economics, MU Extension

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CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

2024 Junior Holstein Officers:

Secretary: Sammi Justice

President: Case Melzer

Central Reporter:

Molly Melzer

Northern Reporter: Adeline Dickerson

Historian/Digital Scrapbook: Kason Wilson

Congratulations to our 2023 Junior All-Missouri Recipients! Jr All-MO: Lexi & Hunter Angelo, Diesel Dixon, Adeline Dickerson, Addilyn Keltner, Monique Turner and Mikala Angelo

Meet the new Junior Advisor

Bailey Keltner

Bailey lives in Willow Springs with husband Devin and children Brantley and Addilyn. Bailey attended College of the Ozarks and has an Ag Education degree and teaching experience. The Keltner’s have Holsteins and Brown Swiss and Bailey is excited to share her dairy passion with the youth of Missouri.

Bailey Keltner: 417.399.3098

bskeltner@gmail.com

National Convention Contests: 2024 convention will be in Salt Lake City, UT. If any juniors are interested in signing up for competitions they need to contact Bailey as soon as possible!

MAY 24-25

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Juniors will have concession stand Sat. 25th. Please signup to help with Bailey. Juniors will also have silent auction items Friday evening at tag sale.

JR. All Missouri Reminders

Show season will be here soon.

1.JR. All-MO Awards based on placings in MO State Fair OPEN show (no points)

2. A jr. member must lead animal.

3.Missouri Holstein dues must be paid by June 1st

4.Animals must be owned and transferred by July 1st (for state fair jr show) and July 15th (for national Holstein shows) and Jr All-MO.

Missouri Junior Holstein Memorial Calf Essay Contest Grant Scholarship now $1000 Application Due April 1, 2024

Thanks to the memorial donations from many prominent past Holstein members the “Dick Little Memorial Grant” would like to offer Missouri youth funds that must go toward the purchase of a Holstein calf in the Missouri Heifer Tag Sale. The grant is in the amount of $1000. Winner selected by a panel of judges based on application and essay.

Visit missouriholstein.com or contact Bailey for application. Applicants must be between the ages of 8-18 as of Jan 2. Entrants do not need to have a Holstein background or be from a Holstein farm.

junior DONATION CALF RAFFLE

Toecky Farm and the Durst family have offered to donate a calf for a raffle.

Watch the Pulsator and website for tickets and raffle date!

COW of the Year 2024

Spring Classic Scholarship: Emma Parrigon, Stotts City, MO

We can’t make your cows dance but we can make them more comfortable and productive with effective fly control! Our Fly Control for Dairy Farms Features Three Products

• Start with a fly parasite Plan. It is basic to fly control.

• Add some cedar fly traps that take out existing flies and help fly parasites take over.

• Have an electronic zapper or two or three for inside fly control - they keep on zapping! The Best Fly is a Dead Fly. Even Better Is No Fly.

MISSOURI NEWS

Robert Lloyd Mclean, November 30, 1933

Robert Lloyd McLean, son of Frank McLean and Georgia (O’Neal) McLean was born in Springfield, MO, and lived his life in Seymour, MO until his death.

He was united in marriage to Juanita Eileen Kleier on June 15, 1958, and to this union 2 daughters were born.He was preceded in death by his parents, twin brother, Floyd McLean, brother, Jim McLean, sisters, Dorothy Kadel and Hazyl Ratliff, nephew, Bobby Mac Ratliff.

Robert is survived by his wife, Eileen, of the home; daughters, Melody Bruton and husband, Dennis, of Strafford, Missouri, and Michelle Schroder and husband, Randy, of O’Fallon, Missouri; grandchildren, Casey Bruton and wife, Scarlett, of Willard, Missouri, Sean Bruton and wife, Alison, of Guyton, Georgia, Amy Bezold and husband, Sam, of League City, Texas, Angel Schroder and husband, Sergio, of Houston, Texas, and Aaron Schroder of Lafayette, Colorado; great-grandchildren, Haley, Madison, Alora, and Aliza Bruton, Benjamin and Julia Bruton, Elise and Jonas Bezold; sister, Frankie Botts, of Corvallis, Oregon; sister-in-law, Marilyn McLean, of Rogersville, Missouri; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Robert graduated from Seymour High School in the Class of 1952. He worked with his mother and twin brother on a dairy farm before being drafted into the United States Navy where he faithfully served his country. He was a dairy farmer and lifelong member of the Holstein Friesian Association and later raised beef cattle with his wife on their farm in Diggins He was a member of the Diggins Baptist Church. The Bible verse that Lloyd treasured from his boyhood memories was John 3:16, “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Robert was a loving husband, father, grandfather, greatgrandfather, brother, uncle, neighbor and friend. We celebrate his long life and have many special memories that we will always cherish.

Marianna Mark Thomson, 94, of Springfield, passed away on January 25, 2024, at her home. She was born December 18, 1929,to Mary Leannah (Hughel) and Carl Gustaf Mark in Springfield, Missouri. Marianna married Robert Frank Thomson, Jr. on January 8, 1950, and farmed together with him at Robthom Farm where they both lived out their lives. She graduated from Greenwood High School and attended Southwest Missouri State (now MSU). She was a member of Oakland Methodist Church.

Marianna was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and brothers Richard (Margie) Mark and Phillip Mark and son-in-law Alton Ling. She is survived by her son, Robert Mark Thomson; daughters, Carol Jean (Randall) Kollmeyer, Nancy Cathryn Thomson, Janice Thomson Ling, Mary Ann Thomson, and sisterin-law Edith Mark.Grandchildren: Carol’s children: David (Kara) Tag, Amy (Brodie) Verworn, and Rachel (Nathaniel Heironimus) Tag; Nancy’s children: Laura Bachmann, and Robert Bachmann; Janice’s children: Eric (Mary) Ling, Monica (Michael) Streets, and Kelsey (Craig) Zydenbos; Mary’s children: Mikala, Lexi, and Hunter Angelo. Great-grandchildren: Jackson, Ashlyn, and Isaac Tag; Faith, Amelia, and Aaron Ling; Monique, and Morgan Streets; Hannah, Sophie, and Blake Zydenbos.

James Darrell Groves of Billings, Missouri passed from his earthly home to his heavenly home on January 22, 2024. He was born in Springfield, Missouri at Burge Hospital October 1, 1949. Darrell attended Billings school until he graduated in 1967. As adults, Lonnie and Darrell shared many memories farming. He met the love of his life on the farm when cousin Nancy brought her friend from nursing school for a visit. Judy became a permanent fixture at the farm, and the couple married a year later on August 15,1970. They celebrated 52 wonderful years together. They were the proud parents of Jennifer and Jeremy. Darrell farmed with his mom, Emma, and brother Lonnie and nephews, Todd and Brad until 2013. He then worked at White Chapel Cemetery for the next three to four years. He found a new love for maintenance and groundskeeping, which proved to be very helpful during a very difficult time with the loss of his mother, and both of his children only four months apart. He loved to garden and was very good at it.

He loved going to church and serving the Lord, but he also loved his grandson, Jimmy Jo. He loved Jimmy Jo so much that the two lived together, they shared life together, every project together, and they even built many bonfires out in the backyard fort. Darrell is preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Emma

SOUTHWEST MO

Ray Schooley

Marshfield, Mo

home: 417-859-2594

cell: 573-554-0599

rayschooley@centurytel.net

NORTHERN MO

Garman Dairy Supply

Memphis, Mo

Rodney Garman 660-216-4674

garmandairy@gmail.com

Joe Vien

573-248-7219

joseph85daniel@gmail.com

SOUTHEAST MO

Stuart James Anna, Illinois

618-697-1316

stuart.james@genusplc.com

MISSOURI SALES LEAD

Kevin Devore

618-339-0665

kevin.devore@genusplc.com

Strategies to increase sorghum silage digestibility

The expansion of milk processing capacity and dairy cows in the Southern High Plains is increasing forage demand amid ongoing water scarcity concerns. While corn is the primary silage crop, sorghum offers drought resistance at lower input costs. However, the current challenges with conventional sorghum silage are lower fiber and starch digestibility compared to conventional corn silage.

Strategies to achieve higher levels of fiber digestibility include using brown mid-rid (BMR) hybrids that have similar fiber digestibility to conventional corn silage (Fig. 1). Strategies to increase starch digestibility include using cutting-edge, aggressive grain processing technologies at harvesting. To decide which sorghum hybrid to use, farmers need to set their priorities based on the livestock operation’s needs while considering land availability, irrigation capacity and access to cutting-edge harvesting technologies.

Strategy No. 1. Focus on fiber production and fiber digestibilityThe first important question farmers need to answer before considering which sorghum hybrid to use is, “Which are the main priorities of the livestock operation using this forage?” In regions with water and forage scarcity the most frequent answer from dairy farmers seems to be “yield and fiber digestibility”. In this scenario, BMR malesterile forage sorghum hybrids are an interesting forage alternative to consider for lactating dairy cows.

Why does fiber digestibility matter for lactating dairy cows? For every 5%-points increase in NDF digestibility DM intake and milk yield increases by roughly 2 and 3 lbs/d, respectively4.

Why BMR? On average, BMR sorghum hybrids have less lignin and higher fiber digestibility compared to nonBMR hybrids. Increased fiber digestibility can improve feed intake, allowing for higher milk production3,4.

Why male-sterile? These hybrids do not develop grain, which in turn decreases lodging risks. In addition, results of a study conducted by our team in Texas show that the content of sugars – water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) –duplicate compared to hybrids that develop grain (Table 1)5.

Is dry matter (DM) of male-sterile hybrids at harvest an issue? If harvested at the right time with the right harvest

Juan M. Piñeiro, DVM, MS, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist

Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University

settings and appropriate packing, direct cut and chopping is possible. Compared to hybrids that would develop grain, the absence of grain in male-sterile hybrids drops the DM of the plant between 5-15% six to 10 weeks after the boot stage. Decreased dry matter at harvest, especially below 25% DM, increases leachate risks because of higher humidity. However, early to mid-maturity male-sterile hybrids may reach a DM of ~30% when harvested six to eight weeks after the boot stage.

In addition, kernel processing is not needed when harvesting male-sterile hybrids, which significantly decreases leachate risks. Furthermore, chopping at a moderate to long cut length, 0.75 inch, and using a silage additive to aid a quick drop of the silage pH should further reduce risks of leachate production and abnormal fermentation.

Strategy No. 2. Focus on yield and starch digestibility

If the priority is to obtain high yield and starch digestibility from forage sorghum, then cutting-edge grain processing technologies are needed to process >95% of sorghum berries, especially if harvesting when the plant maturity is at the hard dough stage (Fig. 2). Enhanced berry processing improves starch digestibility by disrupting the pericarp and starch-protein matrix and increased surface area for microbial digestion6,7.

In collaboration with Scherer Inc.’s team, we randomly collected samples from three different areas of a forage sorghum field harvested at the hard dough stage. The ongoing experiment consisted of two different ensiling times and three different harvesting settings:

1. Low cut height (~8 in) without kernel processors (KP).

2. Low cut height (~8 in) with KP.

3. High cut height (~48 in) with KP.

The theoretical cut length was 0.75 inches and KP were set 0.02 inches apart with a differential speed of 50%. We recently sent samples to determine nutrient composition, berry processing score (BPS) and rumen in-situ starch digestibility. Some promising preliminary results suggest this method of berry processing may increase starch digestibility. We hypothesized the use of KP would increase BPS and rumen starch digestibility and also that increasing the cut height would further increase BPS and rumen in-situ starch digestibility.

Figure 2. Forage sorghum harvested without the use of kernel processors (KP; left, 85% of intact berries) and with KP set 0.5 mm apart and a 50% differential (right, 1.6% of intact berries).

To assess forage sorghum processing of all treatments, we used the 2013 Penn State Particle Separator box, consisting of three consecutive sieves with gradually smaller pores sizes (i.e., 0.75, 0.31 and 0.16 inches) and a Bottom Pan to collect all the sieved material (Fig. 3).

Figure 3. Mean (±SEM) particle size separation of sorghum silage harvested with three different settings. Low, no-kernel processors (KP): low-cut height (~8 in) without KP; Low, with KP: lowcut height with KP; and High, with KP: high cut height (~48 in) with KP. Means with different superscript within the same sieves are significantly different (P<0.05). Low with KP triplicated the amount of material passing through all sieves in the Bottom Pan compared to Low no-KP,

amount of forage (biomass) in the field and may drastically reduce the fiber content in the silage. Compared with the Low cut with KP treatment, the High cut with KP reduced by more than half the content in the middle sieve.

While we still must wait to obtain the BPS and starch digestibility laboratory results, we strongly believe that these cutting-edge berry processing technologies will be way above average berry processing score which may increase starch digestibility. Stay tuned for more updates on this research project.

References available upon request: juan.pineiro@ag.tamu.edu

Compared to Low cut height without KP, the treatment

Low cut height with KP triplicated the amount of material passing through all sieves (7% vs. 21%, Fig. 3) and had less intact berries (1.6% vs 85%). While the treatment High cut with KP had the highest content of material passing through all sieves and 0% intact berries, it also leaves a significant

Dairy and Angus Semen Sales

Don Ely

Summit Genetics is here to help you take your herd’ s genetics to the summit of success and profitability.

The Legacy, Missouri Dairy Judging

Missouri 4-H Dairy Judging capped off another great year by finishing second in the national contest, qualifying for international competition in the summer of 2024. The third time in the past decade Missouri will be represented internationally, casual observers might think judging teams are a recent development here. Dig a little deeper and you will find this is not the case. The first national 4-H contest was held in 1919. Missouri won the contest in 1920, and had the high individual, Arthur Gwain. Missouri again had high individuals in 1942 with Sidney Ingram; 1979 with Janice Thomson Ling; and 1998 with Leslie Sheppard Appleton.

While team records are not available prior to 1970, that changed when Harold Storck became the coach of the team. Storck, Dairy Specialist with MU Extension in Lebanon, shepherded Missouri 4-H teams from 1971 through 2000. In 2001, Ted Probert, MU Extension Dairy Specialist, took over the primary coaching duties for the team. In 2012, he was joined by Karla Deaver, MU Extension Dairy Specialist, as co-coach. Missouri has done well over the years, and former team members have expressed how impactful the experience has been for them.

What about being a part of a judging team makes such an impression on a young person? Five former team members from different eras of Missouri 4-H dairy judging - Shelly Johnson Gatton, 1985; Jennifer Barnes-Schutter, 1992; Trena Sheppard Harker, 1998; Sara Wilson Morgan, 2003; and Ellie Wantland, 2017 - shared their judging team experiences.

Shelly Johnson Gatton, from the 1985 team, is currently a Special Instructor for First Steps, but spent decades in public education. While attending Missouri State University, Gatton met her husband while competing for a position on the dairy judging team. “Our paths had never crossed until then,” said Gatton. “Our collegiate team competed at Madison, and it brough back so many good memories. We saw Harold Storck and were so excited when he remembered us. He always included us in everything and made us feel special. As a farm kid, it was an eyeopening experience.”

Gatton says the most valuable thing she learned on the judging team was teamwork. “It’s great to be a part of a team, but you have to be able to pull your own weight. Being willing to look at your results and figure out how to do better helps your team improve,” stated Gatton. “Judging made me a better herdsman. I started doing more with sire selection and mating in our family’s herd as a result of my judging experience.”

Jennifer Barnes-Schutter, from the 1992 team, is currently a Horticulture Specialist with MU Extension in Kirksville, Schutter began her college career majoring in Agriculture Education to become an ag teacher. “I wanted to be an ag teacher and FFA advisor so I could train students to become leaders in the agriculture industry through FFA contest teams including dairy judging. In my current position, I have the flexibility of working with youth, and I train and coach the Kirksville FFA floriculture judging team. My youth dairy judging experiences led to my motivation to train floriculture teams. We don’t have many dairy farms around here, but if we did, I would also coach that team,” shared Schutter.

Schutter says the most valuable skill she learned as a member of a judging team is public speaking. “I also gained confidence speaking in front of others that prepared me for what I do today with MU Extension.” Schutter’s favorite team memories revolve around friendships made with teammates and watching dairy shows at World Dairy Expo. “Seeing Lyndale Convincer Elaine –supreme champion in 1988 and 1989 at Expo. Judging on the green shavings – wow! What an experience both at Expo and Louisville!”

Trena Sheppard Harker from the 1998 Missouri 4-H Dairy Judging team was also a member of the Missouri state champion FFA team from Mountain Grove. Currently teaching agriculture at Mountain Grove, Harker’s decision to become a teacher was definitely influenced by her experience on the judging team. “My experience with the judging team and 4-H lead me to a career in education. What better job than teaching youth about agriculture?”

Harker says one of the best skills she learned as a member of the judging team was determination. “I was determined to improve every contest. I had one of my biggest competitors, my sister, on the team with me. We were blessed to be able to experience this together. We were each other’s driving force to learn and do better. Neither one of us wanted to lose to the other. What I wouldn’t do to get to experience this one more time,” says Harker.

One of Harker’s favorite memories was during the Louisville contest. “Ted (Probert) was a nervous wreck, while we assured him we had this in the bag. He wasn’t as impressed with our confidence as we were,” remembers Harker.

Sara Wilson Morgan from the 2003 Missouri 4-H Dairy Judging team, also judged on the 2002 Neosho FFA dairy judging team coached by Mike Wilson. Currently teaching agriculture at Neosho Junior High, Morgan’s decision to become an agriculture teacher was strongly influenced by the positive experiences and personal growth she experienced judging in 4-H and FFA.

Morgan credits her dairy judging experience with helping her make informed decisions based on specific criteria. “Judging dairy cattle helped me develop strong decisionmaking, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. I firmly believe that these skills have allowed me to make more conscious, informed decisions as an adult,” stated Morgan. “Presenting and defending your judgments during cattle judging competitions enhances your communication skills. Effective communication is essential in my career.” Morgan’s favorite judging team memories was traveling with friends to many states across the country. “On those dairy judging trips, I made incredible memories, lasting friendships, and experienced personal growth.”

Ellie Wantland is from the 2017 team that placed third nationally and qualified for international competition in the summer of 2018. Currently a Type Traits Appraiser for American Jersey Cattle Association, Wantland credits her judging team experience with playing a huge role in defining her current career path, gaining critical thinking and public speaking skills. “Being a member of the Missouri 4-H Dairy Judging Team gave me the foundation for analyzing dairy cattle and the confidence to defend my reasoning. My current job requires me to collect data on linear traits of dairy cattle and then relay that information to the breeder.

Good communication skills are very important,” says Wantland.

When thinking back on her judging team experience, the trip to Europe stands out. “My team was able to earn a trip to Europe by working hard and performing well at the national contest in Madison. The trip to Europe isn’t just a favorite judging team memory, it was truly two of the most memorable weeks of my life,” Wantland says.

All five judging team alumni advise today’s youth to take advantage of the many opportunities being a part of a judging team offers. Whether it is travel, preparation for career, connections within the industry, or the educational opportunities for scholarships, internships and more, all encourage youth to seize the opportunity to judge. “Participating in dairy cattle judging events allows you to connect with professionals in the industry, including farmers, breeders, and industry experts. Networking is crucial for building relationships that can open doors to job opportunities, partnerships and mentorship,” emphasized Morgan. “Whether it’s college or job applications, being a part of a judging team will help you stand out and give you the upper advantage,” says Wantland. Harker advises youth to step out of their comfort zones. “Challenge yourself. It may be uncomfortable, but some of our greatest memories and accomplishments happen when we step outside our comfort zone. The personal growth throughout this process outweighs any struggle you may face.”

We continue to seek information on teams prior to 1970, and would love to have team results, photos, etc. If you or someone you know was a member of the Missouri 4-H Dairy Judging team, please reach out to Karla Deaver at deaverk@missouri.edu.

Dairy Hall of Honors

Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors recognizes five dairy leaders COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors announces their 2023 award winners. www.missouridairyhallofhonors.com

Dairy Leadership: Greg Helbig is the Director of Operations over manufacturing facilities for Hiland Dairy in Springfield, Missouri, where he oversees plant operations, capital budget and quality and food safety issues. Greg has served on several boards and is currently the President of the Missouri Dairy Products Association. He has also been a longtime board member of the Missouri State Milk Board currently serving as Vice Chairmen. Greg currently serves on the Board of Directors of QCS Purchasing Cooperative as well as serving on the Quality and Food Safety Committee and is also a past member of the Ice Cream Segment Board for the International Dairy Foods Association.

Meritorious Service: Dr. Scott Brown of Columbia, Missouri is an associate extension professor in the Division of Applied Social Sciences and interim director of the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center at the University of Missouri. Over the past three-plus decades, he has worked extensively on agricultural policy for the U.S. Congress and the Missouri Legislature, testifying regularly before the U.S. Congress and the Missouri Legislature. His economic analysis has supported federal dairy policy legislation since the 1990 farm bill. Over his career, Scott has received more than $5 million in grants supporting his agricultural policy research interests. You can hear his livestock market outlook weekly on Brownfield Ag News’, and he writes monthly columns for the Missouri Ruralist and Hoard’s Dairymen.

Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder: Larry Wright, operates Wrightvale Holsteins in Verona. Larry breeds high-type cattle, focusing on strong cow families that transmit and last generations. He has always had that special eye for high quality cattle that had the potential to move to the next level. One cow that has had recent influence is Wrightvale Doorman Livvy scored EX-95 and was the 2021 World Dairy Expo 1st Jr 3 and Honorable Mention Intermediate Champion and All-American Jr. 3-Yr Old. Her daughter Wrightvale Jackson Love was the 2023 Res. All-American Red & White Jr 3-Yr-Old. Larry has been involved in judging for nearly 30 years, and reading pedigrees for sales. Larry has managed multiple sales, coached several state winning FFA Dairy Judging teams, hosted dairy judging camp, and participated in 4-H Dairy cow Camp.

Dairy Leadership: Sean Cornelius is a third-generation dairyman currently milking 120 crossbred cattle on 1,200 acres in Hamilton, Missouri. Sean also owns and operates Best Axis consulting where he helps dairy producers in all surrounding states reach production goals through nutrition and implementing best management practices. Sean played a pivotal role in the creation, development, and vision for Missouri Dairy - the commodity organization for dairy producers. He has served as secretary since its inception, in 2020. Sean is passionate about maintaining a positive voice for the dairy industry and employing the commodity groups throughout agriculture as that vehicle.

Pioneer: Donald and Betty June Waterman owned JuDon’s Guernsey Farm in Williamstown, Missouri. They were Guernsey breeders for over 35 years, milking 60 head on 260 acres in Lewis County, Missouri. They worked diligently to develop a purebred, registered dairy herd. The Waterman’s showed their Guernsey cattle locally and nationally. Donald passed away February 27, 2004 and Betty June on October 16, 2007. The Waterman’s have three children: Donald E. Waterman of Columbia, Missouri; Vanitta Conrad of Salt Lake City, Utah and Paula Schlager of Linn Creek, Missouri.

2023 Scholarship Recipients: Hala Edquist, Mountain Grove and Jess Caple, Calhoun

Veterinarian Corner

In an attempt to find inspiration for this article I have been talking with several of my dairy clients over the past couple weeks to see what they are struggling with. Every producer I have spoken with has mentioned they are struggling with an increased somatic cell count and clinical mastitis cases coming out of the brutal cold weather we have endured of the past few weeks. I don’t have a silver bullet to address these issues, but I figured I would take the time to at least address a few of the broad principles of mastitis control.

Cleanliness is paramount for mastitis control. Obviously, when cows come in from pasture in belly deep mud or free stall barns that haven’t been flushed in two weeks due to frozen pipes; having clean udders, legs, and tails are unfathomable. Some may be tempted to spray these areas off with water, but I would caution you to not do that. Water, really any type of moisture, is a perfect vehicle for bacteria, fungi, and algae to transplant directly into the teat canal when the milking machine is applied. I advise my clients to manually remove all the debris possible with a clean dry towel prior to administering an appropriate predip and pre-stripping all cows to remove any possible accumulated contaminants at the teat end. This should also help with milk let down and more complete milk out that will potentially limit leakage from the udder between milk harvest. Make sure the milking machine is clean and free of debris and moisture prior to attaching.

Wearing clean gloves during milking cannot be overstated. If you think your gloves may be contaminated, they probably are and should be changed. Despite what I have been told by producers in the past, dipping your hands in bleach water between cows does not actually disinfect adequately; especially if they are soaking wet when you pre-strip. See my rant above about moisture. Using clean, dry towels to wipe the udder is imperative as well. Whether you use paper towels or terry cloths, they should be as clean as possible and remember to always change if you feel they are contaminated.

Once you are done milking, proper post-dip application is also important for the control of mastitis. I cannot stress enough, having complete coverage of the teat. Sprayers are satisfactory when conditions are ideal. However, I don’t believe I have ever seen anyone (man or machine) get adequate coverage of the teat by applying a post-dip spray. Choosing a post-dip with a sufficient amount of emollient is also crucial to keep the teat ends as healthy as possible. Don’t forget to check your liner replacement schedule as well. Replace as necessary to reduce teat damage.

Others may disagree with me, but I personally feel that nutrition also plays a huge role in somatic cell counts. Feeding diets rich in antioxidants, prebiotics, probiotics and appropriate vitamins and minerals contribute to overall animal health. A healthier animal will be better able to respond to infections and should have a lower overall systemic inflammatory response when infections do arise. There are lots of products that claim certain health benefits. I have a hard enough time keeping up with all the veterinary drugs available, much less keeping an extensive list of all the supplements on the market today. Working with a qualified nutritionist who can recommend feeds and supplements that will be beneficial to overall gut/animal health is ideal.

This is far from an extensive list of mastitis control efforts. If you want to discuss more, I’m up for a long talk over a cold beverage. Maybe on a sandy beach where they don’t have to worry about frozen pipes and gelled up tractors…..

John Tyra

Mississippi State University CVM 2010 Animal Clinic of Monett • Monett, MO

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