Volume 49: Issue 24 June 2022
BOTTOM LINE Sharing ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
People perspective
LET’S FEED THE WORLD
Page 3 Cool, late spring mitigated in fields with cover crops
Page 4 Dairy-checkoff partnerships tell Culver’s “Curd to Counter”
Page 5 Job seekers, employers: use PDPW talentCONNECT
Simultaneously translated into Spanish!
Tue., June 28
Newton, Wisconsin
Thu., June 30
Baltic, South Dakota
Two more PDPW Hoof Management Workshops scheduled
Page 8
H
eadline after headline heralds the “great resignation” – a mass exodus across the land of employable people leaving their jobs – as if they’re disappearing somehow. How do businesses recruit and retain staff when so many variables are shifting? I t ’s t r u e ; there has been a shift in mentality recently, whether due to COVID or not, and now it’s Michael time for Hoffman reevaluation. People have been given the opportunity to look at themselves – their lives and their futures – to ask the fundamental questions, “Is this where I need to be?” and “What are my options?” or “Why should I stay?” Farms have not been exempt from the influence of the “great resignation.” From coast to coast many farm teams are asking those same questions, which is playing a major role in the people issues of businesses. But that’s not the problem. It’s how the problem is being handled; that’s the problem. So what’s the secret sauce to being successful in challenging times? I’ve had the joy of working with a diverse group of
Having fun at work can be the difference-maker in retaining team members. Considering many employees spend more time each week with their work team than with their own families, managers should aim to make the workplace a fun and rewarding place to work.
clientele throughout the years. And I’m constantly reminded that the one common thread is that people are each other’s greatest resource. The great shift in farms doesn’t hinge on keeping up with technology and market trend, but in keeping, equipping and energizing people. The answer is simple; you’re the secret sauce. You have the power to create something special. I’ll share an example. In preparation for working with Chick-fil-A’s leadership I toured some of their worldclass vendors. I’m talking about the farms and production centers that are tasked with supplying the exceptional-standard Chick-fil-A with all the chicken they sell worldwide. One business stood out from the rest. I had already
spent most of the week touring several other company vendors. They all processed chicken from egg-to-plate and frankly they all started to look the same. Seriously, how many different ways can a chicken be raised and processed for delivery? But one business stood out. Located in East Texas, the vendor was different than any of the others I had visited. It felt different; it was brighter and had more energy. It almost seemed – dare I say it – like a fun place to work. There were countless people at assembly lines doing the most mundane of tasks. At one station I saw a man lifting each chicken off a moving conveyer belt to place it on a cone, where it then advanced to the next station. Please see HOFFMAN, Page 2
Professional Dairy Producers™ I 1-800-947-7379 I www.pdpw.org
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June 2022 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
Hoffman PDPW: Who we are
Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW ) is Dairy's Professional Development Organization®. W ith a vision to lead the success of the dairy industry through education, our mission is to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
PDPW Board of Directors President Katy Schultz Fox Lake, Wis. 920-210-9661 katylschultz@ gmail.co m Vice President Janet Clark Rosendale, Wis. 608-341-6709 vafarmsllc@hotmail.com Secretary John Haag Dane, Wis. 608-576-0812 jahaag5@gmail.com Treasu rer Steven Orth Cleveland, Wis. 920-905-2575
orthlanddairy@gmail.com
Directors Andy Buttles Lancaster, Wis. 608-723-4712 stonefront@tds.net Ken Feltz Stevens Point, Wis. 715-570-6390 feltzfarms@hotmail.com Corey Hodorff Eden, Wis. 920-602-6449 corey@secondlookholsteins.com Paul Lippert Pittsville, Wis. 715-459-4735 lippert4735@gmail.com Brady Weiland Columbus, Wis. 920-285-7362 bweiland11@hotmail.com
PDPW Advisers Andrew Skwor 608-963-5211 askwor@msa-ps.com
Kurt Petik 920-904-2226 kurt.petik@raboag.com Roger Olson 920-362-4745 roger.olson@zinpro.com Peter Weber 715-613-6664 pweber@genex.coop
www.pdpw.org mail@ pdpw.org 800-947-7379
From Page 1
Imagine – thousands of times per shift: pick up a chicken, put it on the cone, pick up a chicken, put it on the cone. I asked the gentleman, “What is it that you do here?” I didn’t expect his response. He said, “I feed the world.” What? I loved that! What an attitude! Where does one hire people like that? The tour continued; we finished in the back of the plant where things appeared to be in total chaos. Machines and people were scattered all around the place in a buzzing beehive of activity. “What’s going on here?” I asked. “Total overhaul,” the tour guide said. “We’ve reimagined the process flow, and we’re 90 percent completed with moving the equipment around to make our processes more effective. Our goal is a 35 percent increase in output just by changing the flow and roles of personnel.” But that was merely the boring introduction. The guide went on to say, “And it was all created and managed by the staff themselves. Our team members created and owned the process from beginning to end and were fully supported by the management.” That tour was a great experience. And come to think of it, I’ve seen similar instances in play in organizations that flourish while others are struggling. Pay attention. If businesses want to keep good people and create loyalty despite support of the “great resignation,” they must do three things. • Increase involvement of team members. • Use team-member ideas. • Have more fun. Increasing involvement is a serious skill needed for employee retention. When a business makes an employee part of the chaos, she or he will be less of a victim and will have less desire to search for
greener pastures. Besides, that employee is then closer to the situation and may have ideas to tap into. Reenergize team meetings. Seek employee ideas for improvement. Even if the business can’t act on employee input, a sincere effort to help team members recognize they’re an important part of the process will go a long way toward retaining them. One of my clients pushed back on that point. He didn’t see a need to take the time; he just needed workers to accomplish the job. Unfortunately his turnover was huge and he spent most of his time recruiting. After some encouragement he changed his Monday huddles and created a program to tap into the family aspect of working together. He began asking employees for input on where they could work better and more efficiently, or have more fun. He didn’t expect any feedback from his otherwise uninvolved team, but the response was tremendous. He agreed to one idea that suggested a food truck could occasionally stop by the farm for a change of pace, and that agreement changed everything. Though it was one little idea it had a big impact. It made for a change of pace, and more importantly, it showed that team members were being heard. From there the ideas came flooding in. Remember, many workers will spend more time during the week with their farm team than with their own family. They’ll be more productive when they know their ideas matter and their work environment is fun and responsive to them. If combating the “great resignation” is the dilemma, then the answer is to make team members a part of what’s going on, so they wouldn’t dream of going anywhere else. Involve them, use their ideas, have fun doing it and the farm will go from producing a product to “feeding the world.” Michael Hoffman is president of Igniting Performance, a Dallas-based training and consulting firm that specializes in the areas of sales, leadership and building customer loyalty. Email michael@ ignitingperformance.com to contact him.
Upcoming Educational Events JUN 14-16; 21-23; 28-30
The Dairy Signal™ Online, 12 – 1 pm CT Visit www.pdpw.org to participate in live-streamed event. Audio/video recordings also available free.
JUN 28, 2022
Hoof Management Workshop Grotegut Dairy Newton, Wis. Visit www.pdpw.org for details; all programs held in compliance with CDC guidelines.
JUN 30, 2022
Hoof Management Workshop Driftwood Dairy Baltic, South Dakota Visit www.pdpw.org for details; all programs held in compliance with CDC guidelines.
JUL 5-7; 12-14; 19-21; 26-28
The Dairy Signal™ Online, 12 – 1 pm CT Visit www.pdpw.org to participate in live-streamed event. Audio/video recordings also available free.
AUG 2-4; 9-11; 16-18; 23-25
The Dairy Signal™ Online, 12 – 1 pm CT Visit www.pdpw.org to participate in live-streamed event. Audio/video recordings also available free.
AUG 29, 2022
Agricultural Community Engagement Twilight Meeting Wall-Stone Holsteins LLC DeSoto, Wis.
Visit www.pdpw.org for details; all programs held in compliance with CDC guidelines.
AUG 30, 2022
Agricultural Community Engagement (ACE©)Twilight Meeting Bragger Dairy Independence, Wis. Visit www.pdpw.org for details; all programs held in compliance with CDC guidelines.
AUG 31, 2022
Agricultural Community Engagement (ACE©)Twilight Meeting JTP Farms Dorchester, Wis. Visit www.pdpw.org for details; all programs held in compliance with CDC guidelines.
SEP 1, 2022
Agricultural Community Engagement (ACE©)Twilight Meeting McFarlandale Dairy LLC Watertown, Wis. Visit www.pdpw.org for details; all programs held in compliance with CDC guidelines.
AUG 30-SEP 1; SEP 6-8; 13-15; 20-22; 27-29
The Dairy Signal™ Online, 12 – 1 pm CT Visit www.pdpw.org to participate in live-streamed event. Audio/video recordings also available free.
PDPW mission: to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
June 2022 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
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Soil temperature impacts crop health Matthew Oehmichen
Social media can present intriguing findings. I manage multiple social-media accounts, including a few on Facebook; two of them are for my agricultural-retail business Short Lane Ag Supply, and one is a farmer-led watershed Matthew group for which I Oehmichen serve as an advisory-board member – the Eau Pleine Partnership for Integrated Conservation group. In the past three years I’ve noticed a strange phenomenon. Social-media posts about soil temperature receive 100 percent to 300 percent more engagement. That flabbergasts me; why the extreme fascination? I don’t mean to say soil temperatu re isn’t a major deciding factor for planting crops, but I consider it a somewhat lackluster criterion compared to crop-protection products, soil fertility and other yield-boosting approaches. Yet when I post temperatu re updates, engagement goes through the roof – especially when I include comparisons between tillage practices, presence of residue or a living crop. However, here’s the truth. Soil temperature is a mysterious element and there is a greater story to tell. Normally when I walk a field the answers I’m looking for are beneath the surface. But when it comes to temperature, the influences begin at the surface level. Throughout the past several seasons as I dug into various field systems I’ve noticed different trends and patterns with temperatures. Systems with reduced or zero residue have the coldest temperatures in the morning but the warmest in the afternoon
– and the range of temperature typically varies by 30 degrees. Plowed fields have even-moreextreme temperature fluctuations, going from ice cold to blazing hot in a few hours. Fields with heavier residue have a different story; the ground is warmer in the morning, though temperatures don’t increase by more than 8 to 10 degrees by the time the sun goes down. Fields with living cover such as hay fields and cover crops are a few degrees warmer and see fewer fluctuations. Clean plowed fields are prone to erratic temperature fluctuations, whereas covered fields exhibit more consistency. Much like the human body, the soil is a biological system that requires temperature management to properly maintain peak performance. Well-managed soil is exposed to minimal disturbance and has adequate soil cover. Those factors help maintain soil structure and pore spaces in the soil that allow for su f f icient ga s a nd water exchange. And well-managed soil does not often exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit; it’s capable of optimizing biological activity, which drives nutrient cycling and promotes crop growth. Poorly managed, tilled and compacted soil often exceeds temperatures of 140 degrees, killing biological activity and cooking moisture out of the ground. When the soil is bare and sunbaked temperatures can exceed 130 degrees, rapidly depleting water availability through evaporation and transpiration. When soil is covered and its temperature is kept at less than 100 degrees, nearly all the soil moisture is available to the plant for growth. That temperature range also affords an increase in microbial activity Please see SOIL, Page 4
To regulate soil temperatures consider implementing residue cover and-or living cover from cover crops and-or companion crops. Cover and companion crops provide cover on the soil surface to literally cover and provide healthier roots and plant matter for improved soil biology.
Matthew Oehmichen photos
Monitoring soil temperatures isn’t complicated. Most thermometers can be purchased for less than $20 at hardware stores or via the internet.
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June 2022 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
Soil From page 3
and improved soil structure, which leads to more-accessible oxygen for plant roots and nutrient cycling. It also leads to an increased ability to infiltrate water down to the rooting depth, reducing runoff rates and the need for more-frequent rainfall events. In summary, there are many variables that impact soil temperature and many functions relying on proper temperatures for maximum benefit. Science proves it takes energy to heat water. Fields that are too wet will generally stay cooler for a longer duration. Aggressive tillage will expose more soil and increase the albedo effect, quickly warming the soil but evaporating most of the moisture and disrupting the soil structure. Cover crops help farmers attain a balance that provides manageable residue and winter-hardy crops to provide cover on the surface, as well as active roots to regulate water, capture sunlight and continuously feed the biology. Monitoring soil temperatures isn’t complicated. Most thermometers can be purchased for less than $20 at hardware stores or via the internet. Take temperatures at consistent times; many recommendations call for temping soils between 1 and 2 p.m. Be sure to insert the thermometer at a depth that matches the highest zone of root activity. In the spring I recommend a depth of 2 inches, and at 1 inch and 4 inches in summer. Impress friends this growing season with a humble thermometer, and keep digging for answers. Derrick Raspor, soil conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, is a contributing author. Matthew Oehmichen is part-owner of Short Lane Ag Supply of Colby, Wisconsin. Email matt.shortlane@gmail.com to reach him.
Dairy’s Bottom Line is pubished by PDPW in cooperation with Agri-View. 1901 Fish Hatchery Road Madison, Wisconsin 53713 Toll-Free: 1-888-AGRI-VIEW agriview@madison.com
Culver’s ‘Curd to Counter’ campaign captures, captivates Lisa Ramatowski
Every crunchy melty cheese curd that crosses a Culver’s counter came from somewhere specific – and special. The process begins i n t h e ro l l i n g h i l l s o f west-central Wisconsin with daily pickups of fresh milk from family-owned farms, delivered to the cheesemakers at LaGrander’s Hillside Dairy. A Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin partnership with Culver’s this month will showLisa case dairy as Ramatowski an integral part of the food-service chain’s menu, telling the sourcing story behind popular items. The campaign collaboration will feature farmer profiles on Culvers.com as well as live ads across social media and pop-up activations at various locations. It’s a terrific example of how dairycheckoff partnerships with food service go beyond the Proudly Wisconsin® badges. By supporting innovative marketing efforts, trust is built with consumers – and usage of Wisconsin Cheese grows. “For Culver’s, we are grateful that Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin helps us both on the marketing side — by showcasing Proudly Wisconsin® Cheese and Proudly Wisconsin® Dairy on our menu – as well as on the farm side – highlighting how we work with dairy farmers, their farms and quality milk,” said Alison Demmer, public-relations m a n a ge r fo r C u lve r ’s.
Contributed
Each year Culver’s serves almost 12 million pounds of deep-fried Wisconsin cheese curds at more than 850 restaurants across 25 states.
“We’re excited about our partnership and look forward to working together to continue telling great farm stories.” Partnerships involving Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin campaigns such as National C h e e s e C u rd Day a n d National Dairy Month are key to creating excitement beyond the storefront. Culver’s upcoming partnership uses storytelling strategies to differentiate its restaurant menu and add value for its customers. Restaurant leaders know their guests care where their food comes from. Culver’s spotlights the hardworking producers whose behind-the-scenes dedication delivers on the Wisconsin Cheese promise of quality. Their wholesome products elevate key ingredients for the expanding restaurant chain. Culver’s currently has more than 850 restaurants across 25 states. They are serving
almost 12 million pounds of deep-fried Wisconsin Cheese curds each year across the country. The “Curd to Counter” story is also aligned with ongoing efforts. Through its “Thank You Farmers” project, Culver’s embeds appreciation for Wisconsin dairy farmers into its brand. Fundraising efforts for the National FFA Organization and free custard at the FFA convention, four blue barns painted with messages of gratitude and #FarmingFridays social-media takeovers are a few examples of Culver’s current investments and sponsorships w i t h i n t h e T h a n k Yo u Farmers project. The “Curd to Counter” signature story will highlight third- and fourth-gene ra t i o n d a i r y fa r m e rs Tammy and Kyle who live outside Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, with their four children and a combined herd of dairy cows.
June 2022 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line Milk pickup happens at 7 a.m. before the kids head off to school. Even the family dogs recognize the LaGrander’s team – they often receive a treat when the milk truck arrives. Tracing the chain of family businesses back to dairy farmers such as Tammy and Kyle highlights the personal connections behind a great product. Incorporating the Proudly Wisconsin® Cheese badge and Wisconsin Cheese messaging emphasizes the quality. When food-service operators use Wisconsin as an adjective to describe their cheese on menus, it communicates craftsmanship as well as great flavor. Ninety percent of consumers say the quality of cheese affects taste, and about 90 percent of consumers say the quality of cheese affects their impression of a restaurant. Being able to talk about product origins in addition to having that quality ingredient recognition creates a halo effect around consumer perceptions of a brand. That, in turn, helps sell more cheese. Like the “farm to table” movement that emphasizes fresh locally sourced produce to build affinity between
growers, restauranteurs and diners, the campaign will mobilize Culver’s consumers to consider the brand’s demonstrated commitment to the agricultural community. It also educates customers on the curd-making process so they understand their favorite fried nuggets are formed using simple best-quality ingredients and traditional processes from Wisconsin. That builds a personal connection extending beyond the food. Following the curd from the counter back to the herd ties a tasty treat to farmer livelihoods and heritage. It’s essential to work with partners like Culver’s, who recognizes dairyfarmer stories are worth telling. Food service utilizes about 60 percent of all the cheese produced in Wisconsin. The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin looks forward to the National Dairy Month “Curd to Counter” launch and the opportunity to bring greater visibility to the hardworking people who make Wisconsin the state of cheese. Lisa Ramatowski is director of channel marketing at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. Email hello@WisconsinDairy.org to contact her.
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PDPW’s network talentCONNECT brings together job seekers, employers
“Now hiring” signs can be spotted everywhere, but talented individuals with a passion for their career paths can be difficult to find. The Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin’s talentCONNECT provides a professional network through which dairy employers and job seekers can post job openings and resumes, view candidates, and search for available positions based on job category or company name. Visit pdpw.org/talentconnect or call Emily Franke at 800-947-7379 for more information and to register for a free quarterly membership.
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June 2022 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
Combat pervasive compassion fatigue Shelly O’Leary
A farmer’s work has historically been considered essential, demanding and dangerous, among other things. Today we know there can also be an emotional toll for those caring for animals and employees, particularly as global interactions increase and consumers request more transparency. Compassion fatigue hasn’t always been a concept common to hard-working farmers but it’s rapidly becoming more pervasive. In a 2022 PDPW Business Conference session titled “Boost Your Mental Fitness,” rural mental-health specialist Monica Kramer McConkey shared several strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue and other stressors related to life, work and relationships for those in production agriculture. Charles Figley, director of Tulane Traumatology Institute at Tulane University, says, “Compassion fatigue is a state experienced by those helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create a secondary traumatic stress for the helper.” McConkey said, “That’s another way of saying, ‘We aren’t sick but we aren’t ourselves.’” Having grown up on her family’s farm, Monica Kramer McConkey’s experiences caring for animals help her directly understand the distinct emotional and physical demands of farm life and business. As a rural mental-health specialist for Eyes on the Horizon consulting, she shares her knowledge and resources to aid people and families affected by the stresses associated with farming. Thrive despite extreme storms As an analogy to depict
Symptoms of compassion fatigue Exhaustion
Intrusive imagery or dissociation
Reduced ability to feel sympathy and empathy
Hypersensitivity or insensitivity to emotional material
Anger and irritability
Difficulty separating work life from personal life
Increased use of alcohol and drugs
Absenteeism – missing work, taking many sick days
Dread of working with certain vendors/ employees
Impaired ability to make decisions and care for self/team members
Diminished sense of enjoyment of career
Problems with intimacy and in personal relationships
Disruption to world view, heightened anxiety or irrational fears
Problems with physical health, sleeping, appetite
2021 Eyes on the Horizon Consulting, LLC
Just as wind-stressed palm trees are able to recoil and spring back into shape after the storm, resilient people are able to spring back after going through difficult situations.
Monica Kramer McConkey
healthy reactions to stress, McConkey illustrated how palm trees respond to hurricane-force winds and torrential flood waters compared to hardwood trees. Because a palm tree’s internal growth structures are flexible and malleable, it has an astounding ability to rapidly bounce back from storm damage. Even intense damage won’t prevent restoration and regrowth of branches if the terminal bud remains intact. On the contrary, inflexible hardwood trees are more likely to be i r re p a ra b l y d e s t roye d i f they’re in the path of extreme winds. Just as wind-stressed palm trees are able to recoil and spring back into shape after the storm, resilient people are able to spring back after going through difficult situations. “Resilience is the ability to navigate adversity – to grow and thrive from challenges,” McConkey said. “It’s not just about surviving. To be resilient is to become stronger as a result.” To apply lessons from a palm tree on a practical level, McConkey highlighted the signs of compassion fatigue. Each one of the 14 symptoms listed in the table – which isn’t exhaustive – can lead to poor work performance, strained relationships, and physical danger to animals, people, farm buildings and more.
It’s normal for those experiencing compassion fatigue to feel pain but there are solutions, McConkey said. • Get enough sleep. • Find someone to talk to. • Exercise and eat properly. • Take some time off. • Develop interests outside of your profession. • Limit time spent with negative people. Receiving adequate amounts of sleep is a key piece to alleviating compassion fatigue. Common belief has long been that a typical working adult should aim for eight hours of sleep per day. McConkey said to do what it takes to hit that goal, as impossible as it may seem. “If you’re not getting enough sleep, that’s a problem because everything we do depends on getting enough good sleep,” she said. Palm trees give more lessons When it comes to one’s personal level of mental resilience, a lot can be learned from palm trees. Because growth relies merely on one intact terminal bud per leaf, a palm tree’s leaves can snap off without damaging the health of the entire tree. When storms strike, palm trees can literally let go of that which no longer serves them – and still thrive. Ro o t h ea l t h i s a n o t h e r important factor. Cramped or undeveloped roots can be a problem if a palm tree stands alone. But if that same palm tree is planted with others in
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June 2022 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
We have control of our thoughts; each thought is a seed. If you’re watering negative thoughts by dwelling on them, you need to start watering the positive ones instead. Every day go for a 20-minute walk. Hold your head high and only think positive thoughts.”
groups of three, they’re all much likelier to survive storms. “There’s strength in numbers,” McConkey said. Applying the analogy to c o m p a s s i o n fa t i g u e , s h e asked attendees, “Who are you surrounded by? If you’re sharing root space with negative people, that can adversely impact your performance and health.” It also can be helpful to understand how the human brain is wired, she said. Physiologically everyone has an emotional center in the brain known as the amygdala. It’s been shown to perform a primary role in the processing of memory, decision-making, and emotional responses including fear, anxiety and aggression. The amygdala may be bestknown as the part of the brain that drives the “fight or flight” response. “When the amygdala is running, it shuts down our ability to rationalize,” said McConkey, underscoring the need to calm down before making decisions or having conversations with others. “We have control of our
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thoughts; each thought is a seed. If you’re watering negative thoughts by dwelling on them, you need to start watering the positive ones instead. Every day go for a 20-minute walk. Hold your head high and only think positive thoughts.” Compassion fatigue – feeling stressed as a result of caring for others – is becoming more prevalent. Challenging negative thoughts, practicing mindfulness and making concise to-do lists can help. For those who want more i n fo r m a t i o n o n h a n d l i n g
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compassion fatigue or other mental-health issues, McConkey recommends contacting a mental-health or medical clinic. She also shared several resources. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline. org or call 800-273-TALK (8255) Nacional de Prevencion del Suicidio – Visit www. prevenciondelsuicidio.org or call 888-628-9454. University of WisconsinExtension Resilient Farms & Fa m i l i e s – V i s i t fa r m s. extension.wisc.edu/farmstress Wisconsin Department of Agricultural Trade and Co n s u m e r P ro te c t i o n ’s Wisconsin Farm Center – Visit farmcenter@wisconsin. gov or call 800-942-2474 McConkey can be contacted via phone, email or socialmedia platforms. Visit www. eyesonthehorizon.org for more information.
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June 2022 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
Three states host Hoof Management Workshops Preventing lameness in a dairy herd is paramount to the comfort and productivity of animals and team members. Targeting dairy managers, herdspersons, nutritionists, veterinarians, hoof trimmers and other key employees, the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Hoof Management Workshops kicked off June 14 at Ideal Dairy near Hudson Falls, New York. Grotegut Dairy near Newton, Wisconsin, will serve as host June 28. The third workshop will be presented June 30 at Driftwood Dairy near Baltic, South Dakota. Each workshop will feature simultaneous Spanish translation, beginning with registration at 9:30 a.m. and concluding at 3:45 p.m. “These workshops are taking a 360-degree approach to preventing lameness,” said
hoof management workshops Workshops in three states will equip attendees with tools to help prevent lameness in the dairy herd.
Cassandra Strupp, PDPW program manager. “Each location is serving as a ‘living case study’ with a key objective being to view lameness from every perspective on the dairy to optimize the health, wellbeing and productivity of cows.” A range of topics impacting hoof health and lameness will be covered. • The technical aspects of footbath design, functionality and frequencies, and their potential to alleviate foot rot
and digital dermatitis • Facility design will be assessed including its impact on cow comfort • Risk factors for maturing heifers will be discussed. • Treatments and protocols for chronically challenged cows will be identified. • Strategies will be considered to keep sound hoof-health records that help determine trends, manage progress and monitor programs. Workshop presenters include
Karl Burgi, founder of Save Cows® Network; Kate Creutzinger, assistant professor in dairy-animal welfare at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls; Marcia Endres, professor of animal science at the University of Minnesota as well as director of graduate studies; and Roger Olson, dairy-account manager for Zinpro Corporation. Visit www.pdpw.org for more information and to register.
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