I-29 Moo University
A newsletter for dairy producers & industry~November 2019
Calendar of Events
2019
November
20: Dairy Field Day at Tri County Dairy near Viborg, SD; 12:30-3:30. There is no cost to attend. Click here to register.
December
3: Dairy Discussions, Orange City, IA, Utilizing Crossbreeding and Genomics Technology on Dairies, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Register by calling 712-737-4230
4-5: Iowa State Dairy Association Annual Meeting, Ames, IA; Click Here for more Info
10: Dairy Directions Series, Sac City, IA; Replacement Heifer Management, Cooling Dairy Cows & Risk Management Strategies, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm; Register Here or by calling 712-662-7131
10: Beef Quality Assurance Transportation Training, Sioux Falls Regional Livestock, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. For more information Click Here.
11: Dairy Directions Series, Pocahontas, IA; Replacement Heifer Management, Cooling Dairy Cows & Risk Management Strategies, 10:00 am -2:30 pm, Register Here or by calling 712-335-3103
14: Dairy Directions Series, Fine Tuning Your Dairy Goat Management; Sioux County Extension Office, Orange City, IA; 9:30 am -3:00 pm, Register Here or by calling 712-737-4230
2020
January
6-10: I-29 Moo University Winter Workshop series & Mid-west Dairy Updates; 6th -Perham, MN; 7th - Brookings, SD; 8th - Pipestone, MN; 9th - Orange City, IA; and 10th - Wayne, NE- Save the Dates
February
March
24th: I-29 Moo University Dairy Beef Short Course; Sioux Falls, SD. Agenda & registration details coming soon!
24-26: Central Plains Dairy Expo: Click here for more information
Plan for winter forage needs
This has been an interesting growing year, to say the least.
- There are large areas of winterkill throughout the Midwest.
- Hay prices have remained high, in spite of low milk prices.
- The amount and quality of hay this year has been variable; and
- Corn silage tonnage will be lower than average.
It's common for hay prices to climb in late winter and spring due, in part, to an increase in demand caused by livestock producers not anticipating their forage needs. To maximize your profits, it is important to plan for the amount and quality of forage your farm will need. Forward planning minimizes the risk of running out of forage and having to buy at inopportune times. Continue reading...
Email: salfe001@umn.edu
Location: St. Cloud, MN, USA
Siouxland Ag Lenders Report Things Looking Up…kinda
The popular media is having a “hayday” with the uptick in farm bankruptcies; up 24 percent over 12 months ending in September 2019; and Dean Foods Co., the biggest US milk company filing for bankruptcy protection this week. According to a Farm Bureau Federation report, Iowa had a total of 24 Chapter 12 Farm Bankruptcies during that time period and increase of 10 from the previous 12 months.
The third annual Siouxland Ag Lenders seminar last week brought together 71 ag professionals, representing 20 banks, 14 dairy businesses and six academics and USDA specialists from five states. Their responses to a questionnaire painted a scene that shows “light at the end of the tunnel”. Those attendees responding to the evaluation represented over 238,000 milking cows and 639,000 acres producing feed for those cows. Click here to continue reading.
Email: fredhall@iastate.edu
Website: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/dairyteam/
Location: Orange City, IA, USA
Phone: (712) 737.4230
Employee Turnover: It Is Important in Agriculture Also
Lots of conversations in agriculture lately focuses around labor or the lack of a labor pool of employees. This is the case not only for dairy farms, but also within the entire agriculture industry. In self-reflection, it does raise the question, “Is it me or my operation, is there simply a lack of employees, or is it both?” To examine these questions, we first need to understand how to calculate turnover rates.
There are two types of turnover, voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary turnover is when employees choose to leave a place of employment of their own free will. Involuntary turnover is when employees are either laid off or terminated as result of a decision of the employer. It is important to note that voluntary turnover is often the rate used to compare employers and is also a direct reflection of employee job satisfaction. Involuntary turnover on the other hand, especially lay-offs, is more a reflection of the overall long-term business management, especially where lay-offs are concerned. But don’t be fooled, employee job satisfaction can also impact a business long-term and its viability. Continue reading...
Email: tracey.erickson@sdstat.edu
Website: extension.sdstate.edu
Location: Watertown, SD, USA
Phone: (605) 882.5140
Coping with Farm & Rural Stress
Farming is one of the most stressful occupations in the United States. This is particularly true for dairy farmers as they are experiencing an extended period of low milk prices.
Below are some resources available when dealing with stress.
Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline: 833-600-2670
Ted Matthews, Rural Mental Health Counselor, no cost, no paperwork; 320-266-2390
Nebraska Rural Response Hotline: 800-464-0258
South Dakota Ag Mediation Program: 605-773-5436 or 605-280-4745
South Dakota Rural Help Line:800-664-1349South Dakota Suicide Prevention Hotline: 605-339-8599
Iowa Concern Hotline & Resources: 800-447-1985
Illinois Agriculture Mediation Program: 618-549-1200, ext. 1001
Rural Services of Indiana, Inc.: 574-299-9460
Kansas Ag Mediation Services: 800-321-3276
Missouri Agricultural Mediation Program: 573-751-5520
New York State Ag Mediation Program: 518-687-2240 or 866-669-7267
New York Farm Net: 800-547-3276
North Dakota Mediation Service: 844-642-4752 or 701-328-4158
North Dakota 211 Help Line Mental Health Association in North Dakota: 800-472-2911
North Dakota Agricultural Mediation Services: 800-642-4757 or 701-328-2061
Wisconsin Farm Center Hotline: 800-942-2474
Disaster Resources Available with Recent Weather Events
Available resources include
South Dakota Department of Agriculture website (sdda.sd.gov)
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP)
Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Emergency Loans
Farm Stress Help
University of Nebraska Lincoln website (flood.unl.edu)
- Cattle producers post flood checklist
- University of Nebraska feeding assistance program
- Dealing with flooded hay and grain
- Disposal of flood soaked grains and forages
- Emergency disposal of livestock carcasses
- Flood-related diseases in poultry and livestock
- Hay donations
Many more resources available at the websites listed above.
About Us
Location: I29 Corridor
Facebook: Facebook.com/I29DairyOutreachConsortium
University of Minnesota Dairy Extension
Contacts:
Jim Salfer: salfe001@umn.edu; phone: (320) 203-6093
Karen Johnson: ande9495@umn.edu; phone: (320) 484-4303
Brenda Miller: nels4220@umn.edu; phone: (320) 732-4435
Emily Wilmes: krek0033@umn.edu; phone: (320) 255-6169, ext. 3
South Dakota State University Extension
Contacts:
Tracey Erickson: Tracey.Erickson@sdstate.edu phone: (605) 882-5140
Heidi Carroll: Heidi.Carroll@sdstate.edu; phone: (605) 688-6623
Maristela Rovai: Maristela.Rovai@sdstate.edu; phone: (605)688-5488
Nebraska Dairy Extension
Contacts:
Kim Clark: KimClark@unl.edu; phone: (402) 472-6065
Robert Tigner: Robert.Tigner@unl.edu; phone: (308) 696-6734
North Dakota State University Dairy Extension
Vacant Position
Iowa State University Dairy Extension
Contacts:
Fred Hall: FredHall@iastate.edu; phone (712) 737-4230
Leo Timms: ltimms@iastate.edu; phone: (515) 294-4522
Jennifer Bentley: jbentley@iastate.edu; phone: (563) 382-2949
Allied Partners
Mitch Schulte: mitchschulte@iowadairy.org; phone: (319) 7745-3451
Western Iowa Dairy Alliance: Scott Schroeder: westerniowadairy@gmail.com; phone: (712) 441-5308
Minnesota Milk Producers Association: MNMilk.org
Lucas Sjostrom: lucas@mnmilk.org; phone: (320) 249-8701
North Dakota Livestock Alliance:
Amber Boeshans: amberboeshans@ndlivestock.org; phone: (701) 712- 1488
Nebraska State Dairy Association: NebraskaMilk.org
Kris Bousquet: KrisBousquet@NebraskaMilk.org
phone: (531) 207-4291
South Dakota Dairy Producers: SDDairyProducers.org
Tom Peterson tom.peterson@sddairyproducers.org; phone: (605) 251-2439
Minnesota Dairy Initiative-SW Region
Becca Schulze becca.schulze@co.pipestone.mn.us; phone: (507) 531-0443