If you saw a post on social media regarding events the Alliant Energy Center as it pertains to COVID-19 protocols, you may not have seen World Dairy Expo’s update on their announcement. The original news post from Channel3000.com said visitors to the Alliant Energy Center needed proof of vaccination or a negative covid test for ticketed events.  To clear up the confusion, World Dairy Expo followed up with their statement: 

“Today’s announcement is related to vaccination requirements solely for ticketed, seated events in the Coliseum, which World Dairy Expo is not classified as. Expo remains in open dialog with public health officials to identify the best plan for safely hosting our event this fall and will share the details when they are available.

Our event policies will be guided by and aligned with the recommendations and/or requirements of the CDC and Public Health Madison & Dane County. For the most up-to-date information from Public Health Madison & Dane County, please visit their website at https://publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus. For the most up-to-date information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, please visit their website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.”

After revisiting its genomic offering, Holstein Canada signed a new agreement with Zoetis to give producers a simple, fast and competitive solution. Holstein Canada is steadfast in its commitment to provide its members with a modern genomic testing option that will enable them to spearhead their female strategy.

The release of a first-class Medium Density panel will provide accurate and improved genomic evaluations combined with milk proteins, recessives and other value-added data. Breeders can also expect to see improvements in the way they submit their samples, and in the way they receive and use their results as part of their genetic strategy.

Holstein Canada wants its members to reach their goals faster by giving them many advantages. “Our offer stands out because we are an unbiased supplier. We offer a complete, secure service and all the data generated by Holstein Canada belongs to our members.” declares Vincent Landry, Chief Executive Officer.

Chris Bartels: New Hire at Holstein Canada
The program was developed by various members of the association, including Chris Bartels, Holstein Canada’s new Genomics Services Manager. Chris grew up on a dairy farm in the Niagara region. He graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree and has subsequently held various positions in the AI industry in both solutions and sales roles. He is known for his comprehensive approach to genetic planning for the benefit of the producer helping them to achieve their specific goals.

About Holstein Canada
With 9,200 members, Holstein Canada is responsible for maintaining the Holstein Herdbook under the Federal Animal Pedigree Act of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The Association provides many services to its members to help them evaluate, select and improve their herds through genetic improvement programs. For more information, visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Zoetis
Zoetis is a global animal health company. Building on 65 years of experience, they deliver quality medicines, vaccines and products, complemented by biodevices, genetics tests and precision breeding. They are continually developing new genomic evaluation technologies to improve animal health and the profitability of dairy farms. Zoetis has demonstrated its commitment to Canadian breeders through its contribution to Compass.

New legislation to combat the spread of foreign animal diseases entering the United States was introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Tina Smith, D-Minn. The Healthy Dog Importation Act would expand USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services program by providing additional tools to monitor and safeguard the health of dogs being imported into the country.

If passed into law, USDA and other federal agencies would receive the necessary resources to responsibly screen the large number of dogs entering the U.S. each year. It would also require every imported dog to have a certificate of veterinary inspection from a licensed veterinarian confirming the dog is of good health and not a risk to spread diseases that could endanger animal and public health. The proposed legislation would create an electronic database containing documentation and import permits to help streamline federal oversight between the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, CDC, and Customs and Border Patrol.

Recently, Reps. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., and Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., co-chairs of the Veterinary Medicine Caucus, reintroduced it in the House of Representatives.

“Maintaining animal health is critical to our nation’s overall public health goals. It’s important that we work to stop the spread of diseases that can hurt both animals and humans,” Grassley says. “This commonsense proposal will expand an already existing program to ensure that all dogs entering the country are healthy and not at risk of spreading dangerous diseases.”

“COVID-19 is a devastating example of why the Healthy Dog Importation Act is so important. The pandemic showed us that human and animal health are inextricably linked, and that we must take proactive steps to prevent future health emergencies,” Smith says. “Mitigating the spread of foreign diseases in dogs will help keep domestic and wild animals healthy. It could also help prevent illnesses and disease outbreaks in people.”

In addition to expanding the USDA-APHIS program, the Healthy Dog Importation Act would require every imported dog to have a certificate of veterinary inspection from a licensed veterinarian. The health certificate must certify that the dog has received all required vaccinations and demonstrated negative test results. This legislation would also create an online database containing documentation and import permits to ensure dogs entering the U.S. are being properly screened. This will also allow further cooperation and communication between APHIS, the CDC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

CDC estimates that up to 1.245 million dogs are imported into the U.S. each year. For the estimated 113,000 imported from countries that are at a high-risk for rabies transmission, CDC requires a rabies vaccination certificate, but no other health documentation or identification. For the 950,000 dogs imported from rabies-free, low-risk or moderate risk countries, CDC requires no documentation or vaccination. Recently, the CDC implemented a temporary suspension of dogs imported from countries that are considered high-risk for rabies – highlighting the need to strengthen dog importation requirements in all U.S. ports of entry.

“The evidence for the need to permanently improve dog importation standards is overwhelming,” says Dr. José Arce, American Veterinary Medical Association president. “The recent CDC notice has emphasized the necessity to ensure dogs entering the country are in good health and not a risk to spread dangerous diseases. In order to protect public health, we must enact legislation that equips the federal government with the necessary resources to properly screen these dogs. The AVMA is dedicated to working with lawmakers and stakeholders to ensure this bill crosses the finish line.”

COVID pandemic revealed vulnerabilities

The ongoing fight to combat the COVID-19 pandemic has increased public health officials concern regarding zoonotic diseases, which can be spread between animals and humans. The CDC reports that 60% of all infectious diseases and 3 out of 4 emerging diseases such as coronaviruses can be spread from animals to humans. USDA-APHIS has separate regulatory authority over dogs imported for resale. However, USDA’s import requirements apply to only half of a percent of all imported dogs.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the disruption that zoonotic diseases can cause to society’s ability to fully function. The Healthy Dog Importation Act would neutralize the threat of unhealthy dogs entering the country and give federal agencies the tools necessary to implement a robust inspection system within all U.S. ports of entry for dogs. Now is the time to improve our dog importation regulations to help prevent the next public health crisis,” says Dr. Randy L. Wheeler, Iowa Veterinary Medical Association’s executive director.

“We are extremely grateful for the leadership of Senators Grassley and Smith, whose prescient and common-sense actions today can protect U.S. public and animal health and avoid a preventable tragedy in the future,” adds Sheila Goffe, vice president, government relations for the American Kennel Club. “No responsible person wants to bring an unhealthy and contagious dog into the country. By requiring all canine imports — from show dogs to rescue pets — to have a valid and verifiable health certification, the Healthy Dog Importation Act brings U.S. standards into line with most other countries and demonstrates U.S. commitment to responsible care and healthy environments for dogs — and those who love them.”

“The pandemic shows the need to better protect the U.S. from highly contagious pathogens and zoonotic diseases,” says Patti Strand, founder and president of National Animal Interest Alliance. “For years, public health agencies have documented cases where imported dogs have brought in rabies, new strains of canine influenza, leptospirosis, screwworm, and other diseases and pests that threaten animal and human health. While we applaud the Centers for Disease Control for taking steps to reduce the risk of rabid canines entering the US from high-risk rabies countries, we are also concerned about the 90% of dog imports that remain unchecked. The Healthy Dog Importation Act is necessary to ensure that all dogs brought in from overseas are healthy and disease-free before entering the United States.”

New USDA safety measures

On Friday, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced a federal order establishing additional requirements for dogs imported into the United States for resale from ASF-positive countries.

Starting August 16, 2021, importers of dogs into the United States for resale from a region in which ASF exists or is reasonably believed to exist, must submit written documentation verifying completion of the following requirements:

• The dog(s) and their shipping crate/container must be free of dirt, wood shavings, hay, straw, or any other organic/natural bedding material.
• All bedding that accompanies the dog(s) during transit must be properly disposed of at the U.S. post-entry point(s) of concentration.
• Each dog must have an ISO-compliant microchip implanted, and the individual microchip number must be verified immediately before each animal is bathed.
• Each dog must be bathed at the U.S. post-entry point(s) of concentration within 2 calendar days of arrival in the United States. Bathing must be documented in the Veterinary Services Dog Import Record.

Ensuring ASF and other foreign animal diseases don’t enter the country is one of NPPC top priorities. Earlier this year, NPPC sounded the alarm on the potential for imported rescue dogs to serve as disease carriers from their bedding, crates or coats, becoming a lead issue during its spring Legislative Action Conference. “Each year, several thousand dogs enter the country for resale or adoption. If even one of these animals carried ASF into the country, it could put the U.S. swine herd and other livestock in jeopardy and have disastrous consequences for our nation’s agriculture sector,” says NPPC Chief Veterinarian Dr. Liz Wagstrom. “We thank USDA for implementing these additional safety measures to prevent the spread of ASF to the United States,” she added.

Source: Feedstuffs

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest fell 10% in July from a year earlier, after four straight monthly increases, but destruction remains far higher than before President Jair Bolsonaro took office.

Reuters reports that cleared forest in the month of July totaled 1,498 square km (578 square miles), nearly twice the size of New York City, according to government space research agency INPE.

From January to July, deforestation in the Amazon was up 7.8% from a year ago to 5,108 square kilometers, INPE data showed.

Last year, deforestation hit a 12-year high under far-right President Bolsonaro, who has weakened environmental enforcement and called for mining and commercial farming in protected areas of the rainforest.

In June, Bolsonaro again dispatched the military to protect the forest, repeating an intermittent strategy that has failed to reduce destruction to levels seen before he took office in 2019.
Bolsonaro’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest deforestation data.

The latest INPE figures cap the period for Brazil’s official annual deforestation records, measured from August 2020 to July 2021 to minimize interference from cloud cover.

For the 12 months through July, the preliminary data shows a 4.6% decrease in deforestation.

Scientists say a decrease in the preliminary numbers generally means there will be a decrease in the final, more accurate measure known as PRODES.

Vice President Hamilton Mourao, who leads the government’s Amazon policy, said last week that the figures are now headed in the right direction.

“The cycle ended on 31 July … I think it will be in the range of 4% to 5%, a very small reduction, very inadequate, but it’s on track,” Mourao told reporters.

But researchers say the destruction is still far higher than before Bolsonaro took office and a single-digit decrease does little to change the vast environmental impact.

The Amazon is considered a vital bulwark against climate change and its destruction is the top source of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“It’s too early to celebrate the reduction in the deforestation rate this year,” said Ane Alencar, the science director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM).

“It will be quite difficult for the government to change its image with a reduction that small.”

Alencar said the annual PRODES figure will likely be above 10,000 square km for the third straight year. Before Bolsonaro, that level of destruction was last seen in 2008.

She said that Amazon destruction may have plateaued at this high level in part because of uncertainty over whether Bolsonaro will be re-elected and continue his rhetoric signaling to illegal loggers and cattle ranchers that they will not be punished.

Bolsonaro has slid in opinion polls and is currently seen losing to former left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 election, although neither has declared their candidacies.

“It’s a moment where these people that are deforesting the Amazon, in the middle of nowhere, they are just waiting to see what is going to happen,” Alencar said.

Read more about this story here.

Source: Reuters

Six of Zach Rose’s cows at Rogue Creamery in southern Oregon came down with pneumonia shortly after a bad fire season in 2018, and he thinks the smoke was to blame. “You can see a lot of respiratory issues if they inhale a lot of smoke,” said Rose, the organic dairy’s manager. “We try to keep them indoors obviously as much as possible in those times of really smoky conditions.”

Researchers and farmers are trying to figure out just how harmful wildfire smoke is to dairy cows’ health, and to their own bottom lines. “I bet it does affect milk production,” Rose said. “I’m sure that it certainly can‘t be helpful for it.” This summer, as the Western U.S. battles poor air quality and confronts a hotter, drier future of wildfires exacerbated by climate change, scientists from the University of Idaho are studying dairy cows in the Pacific Northwest to find out more.

Fine particles from wildfire smoke penetrate deep into human lungs, aggravating chronic heart and lung disease and even causing premature death. But smoke’s effects on livestock aren’t well understood, though animals with cardiovascular or respiratory disease are particularly sensitive.

“Humans have the option to move inside and use filtered air,” said Pedram Rezamand, a professor studying animal and veterinary science at the University of Idaho. But dairy cows — though they might spend a portion of their time inside “parlors” being milked — are mostly outdoors, either in a pasture or under open sheds. “We thought, if it’s impacting humans, there’s a good chance it’s impacting animal production and health,” Rezamand said.

Rezamand’s colleague, Amy Skibiel, who studies lactation physiology at the University of Idaho, is spearheading a project to investigate the links between wildfire smoke exposure and cattle health. The research team first collected five years of data on cow disease and deaths from two farms in Idaho and Washington, then looked for patterns that lined up with archived weather and air-quality data. They also recorded physiological measurements, like rectal temperatures and body weight, along with milk production stats, from 25 cows at the campus dairy farm over a three-month period that included a major weeklong smoke event.

Preliminary results show higher incidence of disease — especially mastitis, an udder infection — and increased risk of mortality among calves when wildfires elevated the level of fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, in the air. Researchers also found changes in immune cells and signs of inflammation. “This raises more questions,” said Skibiel. The connection between inhaling wildfire smoke and irritated udders is intriguing, Skibiel said: “It’s certainly worth following up on.”

“If it’s impacting humans, there’s a good chance it’s impacting animal production and health.”

The researchers also documented a significant dip in milk production, averaging three pounds of milk, or just over a third of a gallon, per cow, per day. (Farmers measure milk in pounds rather than gallons.) “That’s a huge number for a small farm like us,” Rose said. Dairy cows in the U.S. produced an average of 65 pounds of milk per animal per day in 2020, and Western dairy farms produce 40% of the nation’s milk, with California and Idaho producing the first- and third-largest amount of milk of any state, respectively. Nationwide, the dairy industry generates $231 billion, according to industry group International Dairy Foods Association.

But it’s not just wildfires that have dairy farmers concerned; hotter temperatures also reduce milk production. “We’re more worried about heat than smoke at this point,” said Marilyn Hedstrom, who has milked cows with her husband Bill in Montana’s Flathead Valley for 45 years. “We haven’t really noticed particularly a change of behavior or anything with ’em.” The University of Idaho scientists wanted to make sure their initial findings accounted for the impact of heat, too. Though temperatures were high both before and after the wildfires choked the sky, the changes they documented coincided with the smoke. Now, the research team is seeking additional funding to collaborate with a veterinarian at the University of Idaho to further separate the impacts of heat and smoke by conducting tests in climate-controlled rooms.

Darleen Sichley, the co-owner of a dairy farm in Silverton, Oregon, is eager to learn more about the results. Last September, as the Beachie Creek Fire raged within three miles of the Abiqua Acres, Mann’s Guernsey Dairy, Sichley wished she had more information on the risk that smoke poses to her cows. “I was looking for answers, and nobody really had anything,” she said. “You definitely do think in the back of your mind, what is this doing to their lungs?” Three weeks of heavy smoke prompted her to wear an N95 mask while working outdoors. That wasn’t an option for her cows, however. Instead, they got an extra dose of a preventative mineral supplement used during times of stress.

Source: hcn.org

The long game of dairy cattle breeding – a public forum on genetic diversity in dairy cattle – will be held during World Dairy Expo on the afternoon of September 30th at the Sheraton Hotel. With many breeders frustrated over rising levels of inbreeding, this forum aims to bring protection of genetic diversity to the forefront of our breeding programs. Perspectives of breeders and industry personnel will be shared during panels that allow public questions and discussion. Speakers will address implications of inbreeding and potential mechanisms to address genetic diversity. We hope to see you at World Dairy Expo!

Sheraton Hotel, Madison, WI, September 30^th, 2021

12:30 – 12:35    Introduction: why are we here.  Les Hansen (University of Minnesota)

12:35 – 1:25      Assessing US dairy breed diversity and implications for dairy breeding. Chad Dechow (Penn State University)

1:25 – 2:05       Looking for solutions: current and potential tools. Rebecca Cockrum (Virginia Tech)

2:05 – 2:20       Coffee Break

2:20 – 3:00       Protecting genetic diversity in the Norwegian Red Breed. Gary Rogers (Geno)

3:00 – 3:30       Genetic diversity perspectives of genetic companies and breed associations. Moderated by Chuck Sattler (Select Sires)

3:30 – 4:00       Gene banks: holders of diversity. Harvey Blackburn (USDA-ARS)

4:00 – 4:10       Coffee Break

4:10 – 4:50       Breeder perspectives and recommendations                                    Moderated by Les Hansen (University of Minnesota)

4:40 – 5:00       Open discussion and preview of the next steps. Les Hansen (University of Minnesota)

Hosted by the USDA National Animal Germplasm Program Dairy Committee

Although dairy farmers and related businesses were hopeful the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) would resolve dairy trade issues between the U.S. and Canada, the year-old pact doesn’t appear to have done so yet.

In the latest in a long string of allegations, representatives of the U.S. dairy sector claim Canada is circumventing USMCA milk protein export provisions.

Under USMCA, Canada agreed to do away with its Classes 6 and 7 dairy pricing programs. But a new class, Class 4a, has effectively replaced them and continues to violate the principle, if not the law, of USMCA agreements, according to Shawna Morris, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) senior vice president of trade.

“Class 7 was a huge problem, so USMCA had a bunch of different elements that were designed to tackle it from a few directions. But…they created a new class to move those products,” Morris said in an interview with Adams on Agriculture. “A key part of USMCA was putting in place export discipline, so you effectively capped how much milk protein Canada could unload on the global market at lower prices. There really seems to be exports of additional products that are trying to evade those export disciplines.”

Multiple U.S. dairy representatives have publicly agreed Class 4a is similar to products previously found under Classes 6 and 7.

In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance on the implementation of USMCA, Idaho dairy farmer and chair of the Darigold and Northwest Dairy Association boards Allan Huttema said the benefits of USMCA only flow to farmers and ranchers if Canada and Mexico properly enforce the agreement.

“While the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) recent initiation of USMCA dispute settlement proceedings over Canada’s allocation of dairy tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) is a welcome step, additional monitoring and enforcement efforts must also focus on Canada’s implementation of its commitments on Class 7 pricing and export surcharges on Canada’s dairy protein exports,” Huttema said.

Although USMCA’s results “may not be everything the U.S. dairy industry sought,” he said they’re a vast improvement over the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement.

“If Canada and Mexico implement USMCA in keeping with the expectations established during negotiations, it will strengthen exports of high-quality U.S. dairy products and secure real benefits for our industry,” he said. “However, these benefits will only be fully realized if our trading partners adhere faithfully not just to the letter of their commitments under USMCA, but to their spirit, as well.”

He urged Congress to work with the USTR and U.S. Department of Agriculture to monitor Canada’s implementation of USMCA dairy provisions, saying Canada’s exports of Class 4a are increasing in a manner that seems designed to sidestep USMCA disciplines.

The Canadian ministry of agriculture, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), responded its dairy price system does comply with USMCA legal requirements.

“Canada takes all of its international trade obligations very seriously, including its dairy obligations in the USMCA. The federal government, provincial governments and the Canadian dairy industry have worked to ensure that milk Classes 6 and 7 were eliminated and that products required to be priced based on U.S. reference prices are priced as such,” an AAFC spokesperson said in a statement to Agri-Pulse. “Canada understands that this issue is important to stakeholders in the U.S. dairy industry, and we are confident that our practices align with our international trade obligations.”

Source: texasfarmbureau.org

Australian Reds chairman and Numbaa NSW dairy farmer, Sam Graham, said the recent breeding development was a great “starting point” to develop a full genomic reference set for the breed.

“Aussie Red farmers have been collecting tail hair samples for six to seven years, even longer, and continually herd recording, now we are seeing the results and it’s very exciting for the breed,” he said.

“It will motivate people to keep going because we are seeing the results for the hard work.”

Sam said the addition of genomics would also help advance his breed, having seen the impact on genetic gain in Holsteins and Jerseys.

“The other breeds have been able to use genomics to select their best heifers and bulls for use in their herds,” he said. “Those breeders have been shortening the generation gap, using the latest young genetics and now, thanks to genomic ABVs, we now have the ability to do that with Australian bulls.”

Although the red dairy breed genomic ABV dataset isn’t complete, Sam said it would weed-out the “stinkers” when it came to bull selection, by making it easier to identify the better sires.

“We will have more confidence using young bulls knowing that the lower performers aren’t going to be in the mix,” he said.

South Gippsland Aussie Red breeder, Nerrena farmer, Paul Cocksedge, has already considered breeding his lowest heifers to beef to diversify his income and ensure his replacements are progeny from only elite animals.

“Genomic data means I will be able to make more informed decisions, be able to select better quality bulls and it also means I will be selecting the better-quality heifers,” he said.

“I will be more certain that I’m making the correct decisions.”

For Cohuna, Victoria Aussie Red breeder Greg Goulding the addition of genomic ABVs will improve his herd and help to objectively prove the value of the breed.

“Genomics will definitely give our herd a big boost, we’ll be able to genomically test heifers, off-load that bottom end group and use the top end to breed replacements for quicker genetic gain,” he said.

DataGene will host a Genomics for Red Breeds Webinar on August 18 at 1pm. More information:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvdOqvqD4oHd3TIHECBO_zD5F-QkzK9280

For more information contact: DataGene 1800 841 848 or enquiries@datagene.com.au or www.datagene.com.au.

DataGene is an initiative of Dairy Australia and the herd improvement industry.

ENDS

Red breeds genomic boost

Canada increases AgriRecovery funding to $500 million to support farmers facing extreme weather.

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced that the Government of Canada has increased total AgriRecovery funding to up to $500 million to address extraordinary costs faced by producers due to drought and wildfires. This includes initial funding of $100 million announced on 6 August 2021.

“Our Government is doing everything it can to support farm families so they can get through these challenges today, and be better positioned for a sustainable future,” Minister Bibeau said. “Today’s commitment of up to half a billion dollars shows we stand ready to contribute our share toward AgriRecovery programs with the provinces. We are united in our goal of ensuring that farmers are fully supported through this crisis.”

Given the extraordinary circumstances that farmers in Western Canada and parts of Ontario are facing, this increased funding ensures the federal government is ready to contribute to eligible provincial AgriRecovery costs on the 60-40 cost-shared basis outlined under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The Government of Canada and the governments of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario continue to work with the utmost urgency to complete joint assessments of the disaster and launch support programs. This will include direct assistance to affected livestock and agricultural producers, and help them with added costs of obtaining livestock feed, transportation and water.

Producers can also apply for interim payments under AgriStability to help them cope with immediate financial challenges. The Government of Canada and the governments of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario have agreed to increase the 2021 AgriStability interim benefit payment percentage from 50% to 75%, so producers can access a greater portion of their benefit early to meet their urgent needs. British Columbia and Manitoba have also opened up late participation in AgriStability to farmers who did not register in 2021 so they can benefit from this important income support.

In addition to this support, the Government of Canada announced designations for Livestock Tax Deferral for prescribed drought regions in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. This will allow beef producers who are forced to sell a significant amount of their breeding herd due to drought conditions to offset the resulting revenues with the costs to replace the herd.

Click here for more information on AgriRecovery funding.

Source: thedairysite.com

The dairy cows in Sark must be of the Guernsey breed by law

August 2021 Genetic Evaluations

• 4 New Proven Sires in Top 10 TPI Lists – US Holstein Highlights – Sire Proof Central August 2021
• “Alcove” and His Daughter Both Make Their Incredible Debut at #1 for LPI and Pro$ – Canadian Holstein Highlights August 2021
• Topshot, Semino and Foreman top RZG lists in Germany – Sire Proof Central August 2021
• Bender Tops French ISU Lists – Sire Proof Central August 2021
• MITCH Debuts in #1 International NVI Sire – Sire Proof Central August 2021
• 3STAR OH RANGER-RED tops Swiss ISET Lists – Sire Proof Central August 2021
• Go-Farm Miura Retains Top Spot in Italy – Sire Proof Central August 2021
• Genosource Captain #1 PLI Sires in the UK for the Fourth Round – Sire Proof Central August 2021
• VH Swish Tops the Scandinavian NTM Lists – Sire Proof Central August 2021
• Gallius Tops Spanish ICO Lists – Sire Proof Central August 2021
• Changes to CDCB Evaluation System (August 2021)

Top News Stories

• Three brothers die after passing out in manure pit at Ohio farm, authorities say
• Dairy farmer who accidentally killed his son with his truck is abused by animal rights fanatics
• Sara Schmitt Obituary
• Dairy farmers latest group hit hard by Manitoba drought; desperation sets in
• Select Sires says goodbye to EPIC
• ‘Our cows will freeze’: Little Rehoboth farm seeks help replacing barn lost in storms
• Curly Calf Syndrome in Ayrshires
• Select Sires’ NxGEN offers early access to the best genetics
• Using genomics to future proof your herd
• Canada defends dairy pricing system amid US industry criticism
• Pay New Zealand farmers $12 billion to stop dairying, ecologist urges
• US dairy says Canada using new ways to boost dairy exports

Dairy fat residue was discovered on pottery at the site

Dairy farming could have been happening in Wales as early as 3,100BC, according to new research.

Early farmers

New religious ideology

Happy Cow Milk founder Glen Herud previously ran a crowdfunding campaign to its “milk factory in a box” prototype.

Pascale’s All Natural Ice Cream has been making small-batch ice cream in Ottawa for 13 years, but owner Pascale Berthiaume says the provincial Milk Act has left her business stuck in “dairy purgatory”.

Three brothers died after passing out inside a manure pit at a farm in western Ohio, officials told local outlets.

At the time of the Tuesday afternoon accident, the brothers — Gary, Todd and Brad Wuebker — were performing maintenance on a pump inside the storage pit, the Mercer County Outlook reported.

Manure pits are known to produce a wide range of toxic gases.

St. Henry firefighters received a call for help around 12:30 p.m., the paper reported, and when they arrived at the livestock operation, all three men were unconscious in the pit.

First responders used ropes and ladders to pull the men out, WLIO reported.

Two were transported to an area hospital and one was taken to a hospital in Fort Wayne, WCSM reported. Despite life-saving efforts, all three brothers died.

Farmers, particularly livestock farmers, often store large amounts of manure in concrete pits for later use as fertilizer; and these gaseous, rotting stockpiles of animal waste can become death traps, according to the National Ag Safety Database. Decomposition can result in lethal levels of gases including methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbons dioxide and monoxide, and more.

“Since the increased use of manure pits by … livestock producers, there have been several instances where a farmer, family member, or employee has asphyxiated or succumbed to toxic gases from the pit. Cases have been reported where several individuals have died while attempting to rescue a coworker or family member from a pit,” the NASD said.

Deaths in manure pits happen most frequently in the summer months, but they’re potentially dangerous year round.

“Regardless of the season, it is always best to presume that the pit contains hazardous gases or lacks oxygen,” according to the NASD. “Producers need to take protective measures to protect themselves and others working in or around the pit.”

Source: Kansas City Star

Life on a small dairy farm was tough enough. And that was before the barn blew down.

Bad storms in January and February at first damaged and then collapsed most of Paul and Bonnie Bettencourt’s barn. The destruction left only the sturdier wooden section Paul built with his own hands.

None of the Bettencourts’ animals were hurt in the collapse. One of their horses left Bonnie black and blue when he slipped on ice, slammed his knee into hers and pushed her into a door.

The bruises have healed, but the Bettencourts’ family farm is still recovering. Number one on the list is replacing the barn. It needs to be up before the weather changes in October or November, Paul said.

At the urging of friends, the couple set up a fundraiser via GoFundMe. They need $82,000 for a new, tin barn. So far they’ve raised $15,516, mostly from fellow farmers who understand the slim margins and never-ending work their calling demands.

“We cannot afford to rebuild the barn on our own,” Bonnie wrote on their GoFundMe page. “We didn’t have insurance as no one will cover farms any more. We’ve had nothing but hardship and tragedy going on. We need help. Our cows will freeze this winter without proper shelter. Please help out this little farm if you can.”

Paul would like to be able to mill his own wood and build the barn himself, as he did with the section that’s still standing. His right knee won’t allow it. He can’t climb ladders and his limited mobility means he can’t get out of the way if there’s trouble.

“He’s bone on bone,” said Bonnie, noting that he’s aiming to get a knee replacement operation.

‘The farmers are hurting’

Bettencourt Farm dates to 1891 and is, by the Bettencourts’ account, the oldest dairy in Rehoboth that’s still operating. The town used to be home to 125 dairy farms. Now there are four, Paul said. They eke out a living selling raw milk, fresh eggs, beef and poultry.

Even by the standards of small farms, the Bettencourts’ operation is tiny. They sit on 80 acres of land, about 20 of it good for farming. To put that into perspective, Paul says a good farm is generally at least 200 to 300 acres.

Last year’s drought caused half the corn crop to fail. That put the Bettencourts under further pressure, since they rely on that corn to feed the cows. Now they must buy feed instead.

“What comes in from the milk goes back out in feed,” Bonnie said. “We do it because we love it, not because we make any money. We do not make any money.”

The Bettencourts had to get rid of 30 heifers because there was no room for them with the roof gone. It takes about an hour to milk their 30 remaining cows.

“The farmers are hurting, everybody is,” said Paul.

Years ago, Paul tried pipefitting. He says he’d have made a lot more money if he’d stayed in that line of work.

The Bettencourts are grudging members of Dairy Farmers of America, a farmer-owned co-op that holds great power in the nation’s milk market. In Bonnie’s telling, larger producers aren’t penalized if they flood the market with more milk than they’re supposed to, given quotas that are assigned each farm.

“The big guys can go way over and it drops our price,” Bonnie said. “It buries us.”

Leslie Blanchette, department chair for Animal Science at Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, confirmed that small, local dairy farms face serious challenges. 

“It’s getting more and more difficult for smaller dairy farms to be successful in southeastern Massachusetts due to development of farm land, volatile milk prices and larger corporations’ impact on the industry,” Blanchette said via email.

‘We’re gonna keep it a farm’

Times are tough at the Bettencourt place, but all around it you see testaments to second (and third) chances.

The Bettencourts rescued their two former racehorses, Poppaz and Desi, from a “kill pen” in New Jersey.

The Bettencourts’ own marriage is another example. The couple met on FarmersOnly.com, a dating site that brought them together after their former spouses both died. 

The road ahead won’t be easy, but the Bettencourts are evolving a plan. A key element is re-starting cheese production. That effort is led by Emily Bettencourt, one of Paul’s eight children. The Bettencourts had a retail sales connection for their cheeses lined up before COVID hit. Paul said they haven’t heard any more from the buyer, so they assume he went under.

Emily plans to produce several types of gouda, including smoked and garlic varieties. She is also considering making Gruyère, “American Brick” and cheddar.

Sheep might be a part of Bettencourt Farm’s future. Paul says one thing is certain: 

“We’re still going to milk cows,” said Paul. “We’re gonna keep it a farm. We don’t want to sell it.”

Want to help?

The Bettencourts are raising $82,000 for a new barn to protect their milk cows this winter. You can donate by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/ and searching for “Bettencourt cows.” Here’s a direct link.

Source: tauntongazette.com

Two new genetic indexes to help farmers breed more environmentally friendly cows will be launched in August by AHDB Dairy.

The first, EnviroCow, reflects the important role genetics and breeding play in improving the environmental efficiency of milk production.

Incorporating cow lifespan, milk production, fertility and the new Feed Advantage index, EnviroCow is one of the first genetic indexes in the world to focus solely on breeding cows for their environmental credentials.

Marco Winters, Head Of Animal Genetics for AHDB said: “The environmental focus of EnviroCow reflects the important role cattle breeding can play in helping the farming industry reach its goal of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.”

EnviroCow will be expressed on a scale of about -3 to +3, where the highest positive figures are achieved by bulls which transmit the best environmental credentials to their daughters. These will be cows which are predicted to create the least GHG emissions in their lifetimes for each kilogram of solids-corrected milk they produce.

Feed Advantage, incorporated in EnviroCow, helps dairy producers identify bulls with the greatest tendency to transmit good feed conversion on to their daughters. It is expressed as a Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA) in kilograms of dry matter intake saved during each lactation.

The index’s launch represents the culmination of over 30 years of research and data collection from the award-winning Langhill herd in Dumfries. Undertaken by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the studies have measured the Langhill cows’ dry matter intake throughout their entire lives.

“Calculations take account of the feed an animal is expected to eat given her solids-corrected milk production and the feed she needs for her maintenance,” says Mr Winters.

“This is compared with her actual feed consumption to identify animals which are efficient converters.”

Adjustments are made for the size of the animal, as a smaller cow requires less feed than a larger cow giving the same level of milk production.

The most efficient cows consume as much as 400kg less in one lactation compared with the least efficient cows, meaning that for the same level of production there is substantial scope for cutting feed use.

“EnviroCow and Feed Advantage will help farmers have a positive impact on the use of the world’s finite resources and the carbon footprint of UK dairy farming,” he says. “Now they can move this up a gear with genetic indexes designed specifically to improve their dairy cow’s carbon emission credentials.”

Source: thedairysite.com

Using cattle grazing to create firebreaks on landscapes invaded by cheatgrass has successfully contained three rangeland wildfires in four years in the Great Basin—the latest being the Welch wildfire near Elko, Nevada, on 18 July.

US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers are conducting a large study evaluating the technique, called targeted cattle grazing, for creating fuel breaks to help contain wildfire while not causing grazing-related damage to rangeland health.

Targeted grazing uses cattle in the early spring to eat extensive strips of highly flammable cheatgrass down to 2- to 3-inch stubble in strategic places. This reduces the fuel load that can otherwise turn small rangeland fires into megafires in a matter of hours.

“These fuel breaks are intended to slow a fire’s rate of spread, make it less intense, and provide time and space for firefighters to arrive and more safely attack and contain the fire,” explained ARS rangeland scientist Pat Clark with the Northwest Watershed Research Center in Boise, Idaho, who directs the project. “That’s just what appears to have happened for the Welch fire.”

Before it reached the targeted grazing fuel break, the Welch fire “generally had 2- to 4-foot high flames and was spreading at a rate of about 20 chains/hr [1 chain=66 feet],” according to the fire report. After burning into the fuel break, flames dropped to less than 2 feet high and the fire’s spread slowed to less than 5 chains/hr, which allowed time for resources to arrive and engage the fire. If the fuel break had not been there and windier conditions had occurred, this wildfire could have escaped and burned several thousand to tens of thousands of acres within the South Tuscarora Range, the report said.

The ARS study is evaluating targeted grazing at nine sites throughout the northern Great Basin in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada. Although the cheatgrass-dominated landscapes at all these sites are at high risk of fire, the Nevada fuel breaks have actually been directly tested by wildfires.

Near Beowawe, Nevada, in August 2020, a cattle-grazed fire break helped limit a range fire to just 54 acres compared to fires that more commonly race across thousands of acres of the Great Basin each summer. In July 2018, the same targeted grazing fuel break held the Boulder Creek fire to just 1,029 acres and kept the fire out of sage-grouse habitat just downwind.

Clark’s research is tracking how much fuel is reduced by targeted grazing in the spring when the cheatgrass is most palatable to cattle, whether these fuel reductions can be maintained through the start of the wildfire season, typically July 1 in the Great Basin, and what effects targeted grazing might have on environmental health such as changes in plant diversity.

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is an invasive cool weather annual grass that originated in Europe, southwestern Asia and northern Africa, which came to this country in the late 1800s, probably in shipments of European wheat. Today, it dominates more than 100 million acres of the Great Basin in the western U.S.

Germinating each fall and winter, cheatgrass grows furiously in spring and dies in early summer, leaving the range carpeted in golden dry tinder, easily sparked into flames. The Great Basin typically has the nation’s highest wildfire risk and most years rangeland fires outpace forest fires in acreage destroyed.

Source: thedairysite.com

Greenpeace’s Russel Norman is warning New Zealand will need to “pull back” on its love affair with dairy farming if it wants to keep in line with the global warming targets. 

An intergovernmental panel on climate change is set to release its first report since 2013, analysing the impact rising greenhouse gas levels are having on the environment. 

The report is poised to focus on methane and its contribution to climate change, with 80 times more warming power over two decades than carbon dioxide. 

From now until 2030, global warming has the capacity to exceed 1.5C unless prompt action is taken but Greenpeace’s Russel Norman says it’s not too late. 

“The fires, the floods, the heatwaves, that’s just act one, scene one.” 

However Norman said with methane making up nearly 44 per cent of New Zealand’s emissions – much emitted by dairy cows – it’s going to take drastic Government action to cut methane emissions.

“We used to have 40,000 dairy cows in Southland, now have 600,0000,” Norman says.

“We’ve overdone the dairy thing, we overshot it; there’s no question about that so we need to pull the dairy numbers back.”

Source: 1news.co.nz

Ayrshire Cattle Society of Great Britain & Ireland wish to inform its breeders and members that there has been a Genetic recessive discovered in the International Ayrshire population. The recessive has been identified as Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM), or commonly referred to as Curly Calf Syndrome.

The original source of this genetic defect in the Ayrshire population is Peterslund (AYSWEM91213), who was born in 1997.

The Society will be working over the coming weeks with other relevant bodies to identify the carriers in the UK herd book and advice breeders and members the best way forward. When more data becomes available, we will of course notify everyone as soon as possible. We will be providing a list of all bulls that have been tested as soon as we can and sorting a testing program for UK breeders
that are affected.

If you have any questions, please contact our Breed Manager Alan Timbrell.

Provided by Steve Bailey
President of the Ayrshire Cattle Society of Great Britain & Ireland

World Dairy Expo^® is proud to offer opportunities for youth interested in the dairy industry to develop their professional skills and network throughout the annual event in Madison, Wisconsin. Career Connections is the newest tool from Expo to connect students and young professionals with job and internship opportunities in the dairy industry.

“Career Connections gives youth and young adults a chance to take their job or internship search to the next level,” says Cassi Miller, WDE Youth & International Specialist. “World Dairy Expo provides the perfect time and place to connect job and internship seekers with hiring companies and farms as the global dairy industry meets at Expo.”

Career Connections is a free resource and event for all involved – from students and young professionals to dairy farms and companies. With support from National Dairy Shrine, Career Connections includes an onsite networking event that will be held at World Dairy Expo on Friday, October 1 at 9:30 a.m. in Mendota 4 of the Exhibition Hall in addition to an online presence on Expo’s website.

Companies who participate in Expo and dairy farms from around the world who are looking for “dairy people” can participate in this hiring and networking event by applying at https://worlddairyexpo.com/pages/Career-Connections.php. Job and internship seekers who want to take advantage of this new feature of Expo can also utilize the same website to view a current list of openings and register for the on-site event.

Serving as the meeting place of the global dairy industry, World Dairy Expo brings together the latest in dairy innovation and the best cattle in North America. Crowds of 60,000 people, from nearly 100 countries, will return to Madison, Wis. for the 54^th event, September 28 – October 2, 2021, when the world’s largest dairy-focused trade show, dairy and forage seminars, a world-class dairy cattle show and more will be on display. Download the World Dairy Expo mobile event app, visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow WDE on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Spotify, Instagram or YouTube for more information.

Extending to 317 acres in total, Cavandarragh Farm, located at Castlederg, Co Tyrone,is being offered for sale as a whole or in up to eight lots.

The impressive farm has come to the market with Savills and Pollock Estate Agents.

The key feature of the farm is the land, which includes about 298 acres of ploughable ground. The farm was a winner of the Northern Ireland Silage Growing competition for four years in succession and has grown potatoes, maize, fodder beet, winter wheat and spring barley. It lies within a contiguous block and can be easily accessed from a number of public roads and an extensive network of internal farm roads and cow tracks.

The current owners have made substantial investment and improvements to the land in recent years, in particular to the internal road network, fencing, drainage, water supply and reseeding. Regarded as an “early” farm, the dairy herd is typically turned out to grass at the beginning of March until mid-November.

The extensive farm buildings are also a notable aspect of the farm.

With winter accommodation for about 750 head of cattle and about 370 cubicles, the farm buildings include ample underground slurry storage and winter fodder storage, plus a 40:40 rapid-exit parlour.

The farm includes a beautiful farmhouse of modern construction which is laid out in generous and elegant proportions and occupies an elevated position in the heart of the farm with far-reaching views.

A site with planning permission and a derelict house provide opportunities to create additional residential accommodation.

Three biomass boilers have been installed at the farm and planning permission to construct an anaerobic digester was previously granted but has since lapsed.

The Entitlements to the Basic Payment Scheme are owned and are included in the sale.

James Butler, Head of Country Agency at Savills (028 9026 7820) comments: “Cavandarragh Farm offers the extremely rare opportunity to purchase a dairy farm in excess of 300 acres which lies in a contiguous block. Given the range of assets at the farm and the capacity to run a large-scale dairy enterprise, I anticipate interest to come from farmers and agri-businesses based both locally and further afield.

According to Keith Pollock of Pollock Estate Agency (028 8224 5440) offering the land for sale in lots, ranging in size from 20 acre to 183 acres, will present local farmers with a variety of options to acquire additional land, while there are also opportunities for residential buyers to purchase a small-holding.

Source: farminglife.com

Masterpiece Genetics, LLC is pleased to announce that Kaila Stoltzfus has joined the organization as Sales and Marketing Director.  Kaila is a recent 2021 graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science.  While at Penn State, she was vice-president of the Dairy Science Club and served in several roles for the Nittany Lion Fall Classic Sale.   She resides in East Earl, Pennsylvania at her family’s renowned Warwick Manor Farm Guernsey herd where she will continue to handle the show program that consistently produces All-Americans each year.

Masterpiece Genetics, LLC was formed in 2020 to market Guernsey semen from bulls with exceptional type and deep pedigrees from proven cow families.  Masterpieces’ principal owner Ed Crossland states “As the demand for Guernseys continues to increase, our business is growing rapidly worldwide and we could not be more pleased to have Kaila come on board with her extensive knowledge of Guernseys, and look forward to having her energy and marketing skills at Masterpiece.”

Bel Brands USA is pleased to announce a new program in partnership with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) – a national dairy cooperative of farm families – to implement and measure sustainable cooling practices designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by cutting on-farm energy usage.

Crop production and animal health are critical to the health of the people and the planet, and the changing climate can have impacts on both. Addressing these impacts requires investment in farm animal innovation to reduce the environmental footprint of each step of the production process.  

Bel and DFA, who joined forces to help improve on-farm practices, have identified an opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint on dairy farms by integrating more energy efficient and economically viable milk cooling systems in line with the Net Zero Initiative (NZI), an industry-wide effort led by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

Throughout the 12-month pilot program, Bel and DFA will support the adoption of energy-efficient and cost-effective on-farm milk cooling methods, including natural well water cooling methods, by a dairy farm in Iowa that supplies milk to Bel Brands; with Bel co-financing the cooling mechanism. As a secondary benefit, the warm well water used to cool the milk will be fed to the cows at their preferred temperature.

The farm will work with DFA’s sustainability team to capture data on the energy and economic savings of the innovative sustainable milk cooling practices compared to the high-energy flash chillers, with the goal of replicating these practices on other U.S. dairy farms in the future, if proven successful.

“At Bel Brands, we are actively working to promote sustainable farming, including responsible dairy production – and have for over 15 years – to help drive a more sustainable and regenerative agriculture industry,” stated Bill Graham, CEO, Bel Brands USA.

The findings of the program will ultimately help inform future best practices for dairy farm sustainability throughout the supply chain, specifically management and mitigation practices to help address the seasonal spike in energy use without compromising cow care.

Jean Michel Dos Remedios, Sourcing & Supplier Develompent Senior Director, Bel Brands USA added, “we are committed to nourishing communities while reducing the impact our products and processes have on the environment. Our partnership with Dairy Farmers of America exemplifies that commitment and gives us an opportunity to partner with dairy farmers to make the industry more sustainable.”

“For our farm families, animal care and environment stewardship are a way of life,” stated David Darr, senior vice president and chief strategy and sustainability officer, Dairy Farmers of America. “We are proud to be part of a program that is aligned with those values and helps further support our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint.”

For more details about Bel Brands USA and their commitment to sustainable farming visit http://www.belbrandsusa.com/about/healthier-responsible-all/.

About Bel Brands USA: 
Bel Brands USA Inc., a subsidiary of Bel Group. Headquartered in Paris, Bel wants to promote healthier, responsible and accessible food for all consumers worldwide. Bel is a major player in the healthy snack market. Bel produces more than thirty local and international brands that are sold in more than 130 countries around the globe. In addition to The Laughing Cow®, other USA favorites include Boursin®, Babybel® and popular cheese spreads marketing under Kaukauna®, Merkts® and Price*s® labels. Bel Brands delivers fun snacks to over 400 million consumers globally. www.belbrandsusa.com

About Dairy Farmers of America:
Dairy Farmers of America is a national, farmer-owned dairy cooperative focusing on quality, innovation and the future of family dairies. While supporting and serving more than 13,000 family farm-owners, DFA manufactures a variety of dairy products, including fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, dairy ingredients and more that connect our Cooperative’s family farms to family tables with regional brands such as Alta Dena, Meadow Gold, Friendly’s Ice Cream, Borden® Cheese, Plugra® Butter and Kemps® to name a few. On a global scale, we work with some of the world’s largest food companies to develop ingredients their customers are craving, while staying committed to social responsibility and ethical farming. For more information, please visit dfamilk.com. 

Incentives and staff poaching are becoming rife in the agricultural sector as farmers are desperate go get workers on the land for the peak lambing and calving seasons.

The Australian government is offering up to $2000 relocation assistance to Kiwi’s and those with valid work visas to move across the ditch and work on farms in regional areas. In Victoria, this payment rises with a $2430 bonus for eight weeks of work.

Southland Federated Farmers sharemilker chairman Jason Herrick said these incentives coupled with quicker pathways to family reunification were causing immigrant farmworkers to depart for either Australia or Canada.

“You can’t blame Australia for grabbing the opportunity as soon as the travel bubble opened, our workers can leave work and start [over there] three or four days later.”

He had heard of two Southland immigrant dairy workers in the past week leaving for Canada or Australia, and said the number was rising by the week.

“I’m hearing them all the time. New ones, all the time.”

Waikaka contract milker Leonie Falconer​ said she and her husband had been advertising a general farm assistant job since April and had only just been able to secure a worker.

She also recruited her sister, who usually works as a vet technician, to have adequate staffing through the peak busy calving season.

There had been multiple times since April where they had begun setting up for new workers, only to have them not show up, refuse drug tests or not have adequate licences for farm work, she said.

The shortage meant her husband and their one existing worker were having to work longer hours without breaks, only getting the bare necessities completed as they simply did not have time for a lot of regular maintenance.

It was impossible to put a number on how many additional hours they were currently working, she said.

“I know with my husband his days off are not days off, he still has to go out and work.”

An additional issue for them was the poaching of workers between farms forcing wages higher, she said.

“Staff are asking for more and more money, and that’s a huge thing, especially for someone like a contract milker or share milker to have to carry, and that’s impacted us this year.”

Herrick said this staff poaching was occurring across the agricultural sector.

“Everybody is poaching one another’s staff. It’s becoming very vile out there.”

The latest Federated Farm Confidence Survey, released on Monday, showed that nearly half of the 1422 farmers surveyed in July had found it hard to recruit skilled and motivational staff, a 13-point increase on the 35 per cent of farmers who cited workforce shortages in January.

A survey conducted by Dairy NZ and Federated Farmers earlier in the year had shown 49 per cent of dairy farmer respondents were currently short-staffed, of that close to 25 per cent had not been able to fill vacancies for more than six months.

DairyNZ general manager of responsible dairy Jenny Cameron said she was aware of Southland farm owners who had moved back to dairy sheds and calving rosters, teenagers coming home to fill in roles, and part-time rosters and alternative milking schedules being created around school hours in the hopes of finding people to fill rolls.

She was concerned about the stress of labour shortages on farmers piling up with new environmental regulations.

A ‘View from the cow shed’ survey conducted by DairyNZ had shown that mental stress amongst farmers was very high and had increased since this time last year.

Cameron thought not enough was being done to address immediate shortages and that the 200 class exemptions granted by the government would miss the peak calving season.

“It’s all great that they [the government] gave the class exception, but if you can’t get MIQ spots until six months away then it doesn’t help with the immediate issues.”

Herrick did not believe New Zealand could offer the same incentives Australia was advertising given this wait on MIQ spots was preventing workers from even entering the country.

He thought the government needed to be working harder to listen to farming representatives around immigration.

“I think if we can bring the likes of the Lion King cast and the Wiggles and all of those people in, and I’m talking hundreds if not thousands of sports people as well, then why can we not be getting these borders open for workers?”

Herrick said that because Kiwi’s didn’t want to work so far south, Southland was experiencing the brunt of the loss of immigrant workers.

He predicted 2000 of the estimated 4000 farming workers needed nationwide were in Southland alone, but the reality could be a lot worse than the figures suggest.

“We’re gauging our numbers on what’s being advertised, but then when you talk to people who have been advertising three to six months, they’ve just given up on advertising any more. They’ve just given up. So the true nature isn’t known.”

A new genetic abnormality has recently been identified in the Canadian Ayrshire population. The formal name of this genetic defect is Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM), but it is commonly known as Curly Calf Syndrome. Calves with this genetic defect are born deformed with stiffness in multiple joints and/or joints that are curved or hooked. This condition is lethal since it results in calves that are either stillborn or die shortly after birth. Due to their genetic makeup, affected calves are unable to produce an essential protein required for normal fetal development.  Without this protein, the joints of affected calves cannot develop properly and therefore result in the “curly calf” shape as they grow within the uterus.

Where did it come from?

In terms of genetic transmission, Curly Calf Syndrome is a recessive characteristic.  This means that animals that carry one copy of the causal gene, referred to as the AM gene, do not show any negative signs. However, 25% of pregnancies resulting from mating a carrier sire to a carrier dam will produce an affected calf. While this genetic abnormality is known to exist in some other beef cattle breeds, the presence of carriers in the Canadian Ayrshire breed only started in 2004.  It has taken several years for this undesirable gene to spread through the population to a point that carrier sires and cows are now being mated together. This resulted from the importation of semen of an elite progeny proven Swedish Red sire, named Peterslund (AYSWEM91213), who was born in 1997.  Now, in retrospect, it appears that Peterslund is the source animal of the gene deletion that has led to the Curly Calf Syndrome in the Canadian Ayrshire breed.

Following the discovery of the AM gene in the Swedish Red population a laboratory in Denmark developed a genetic testing service to separate “Carrier” animals, identified as AMC, versus those that are “Free” of this genetic defect, identified as AMF.  Through this service, as the main provider of Ayrshire semen in Canada, Semex proceeded to get several sires in its current active lineup tested. These initial AM test results have been shared with Lactanet for the development of tools and services to help Canadian Ayrshire breeders manage this genetic recessive defect in their herds. On an ongoing basis, more A.I. sires and females linked to the Peterslund bloodlines will be tested to identify those that are AMC (Carrier) versus AMF (Free).

Preventative Tools Are Now Available

One of the key tools developed by Lactanet is the calculation of an AM Carrier Probability for all Ayrshire animals in the database.  In addition to the genetic test results of AMC or AMF, displayed under each animal’s name on the Lactanet website, the AM Carrier Probability value will be provided on each animal’s Pedigree page. As for other genetic recessive traits and haplotypes that exist in each breed, the Lactanet website queries and filters will also include results for the Curly Calf Syndrome starting with the August 2021 genetic evaluation release.  Canadian Ayrshire breeders also have free access to the Compass software, which is an excellent tool for knowing the AM Carrier Probability for all females in their herd and for managing lists of Ayrshire sires that may be Carriers.

AM Carrier Frequency in Canadian Ayrshires

Based on all genetic test results currently available, Figure 1 shows the trend over time in the estimated percentage of Canadian-born Ayrshire heifers that are AM carriers. For heifers born from 2004 to 2012, the AM carrier frequency was less than 5%.  From 2012 to 2020, the frequency of AM carriers in the Canadian Ayrshire female population increased at an average rate of 2.2% per year, reaching the 20% level for heifers born in 2019.  For sake of comparison, Figure 1 also shows the trend in the estimated frequency of the two Ayrshire haplotypes affecting fertility (AH1 and AH2), both of which remain important with 15% to 25% of Ayrshire heifers born each year being carriers.

Since the Curly Calf Syndrome is relatively new to the Canadian Ayrshire breed, Lactanet conducted an analysis of the estimated AM Carrier Probability within the Ayrshire herds enrolled on Lactanet’s milk recording services (Figure 2). While some herds have a very low frequency of the AM gene, 42.7% of the herds have an estimated AM Carrier frequency between 15% and 19%. In the most extreme cases, nearly 5% of Canadian Ayrshire herds have an estimated frequency suggesting that at least one-quarter of their herd inventory are AM Carriers.  Within the Compass software, Ayrshire breeders will be able to see this important statistic for their own herd and can access the calculated AM Carrier Probability for each female in the herd.  It is recommended that females with a carrier probability higher than 12.5% be mated exclusively to sires known to be AMF or have an AM Carrier Probability displayed as 1%.  The Advanced Group Query tool available in the Genetics section of the Lactanet website also allows users to filter sires and cows based on three categories for their AM carrier status.  This includes listing animals that are either (a) known to be Free of the AM gene, identified as AMF or with a Carrier Probability of 1%, (b) known to be a Carrier of the AM gene, identified as AMC or with a Carrier Probability of 99%, or (c) having a Carrier Probability between 1% and 99% based on available pedigree data.

Building a Stronger Future

Genetic abnormalities exist in all dairy cattle breeds. Identifying the presence of Curly Calf Syndrome in the Canadian Ayrshire breed does not come as positive news.  That said, knowing that it exists and having a way to identify carrier animals, or those most likely to be a carrier, are the first steps to controlling its negative impact.  At the time of making mating decisions, it is important for Ayrshire breeders to know if the female is a possible AM Carrier and then avoid using a sire that is also a carrier.  With this strategy, you can eliminate the likelihood of producing affected calves and therefore control the negative impact of Curly Calf Syndrome in your herd and the Canadian Ayrshire breed.

Authors:          Brian Van Doormaal, Chief Services Officer
                        Caeli Richardson, KTT Genetics Expert

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It used to be a cheeky way of saying “C’mon, get over it.” Somebody might complain that you took the last donut, or that you stepped on their toe. And you’d reply, “So, sue me!”

Not anymore. Across farm country, the phrase now is deadly earnest. Farming is no longer the isolated, rural occupation it once was, and as a result, farmers are facing more potential risk from litigation than ever, and from more directions too.

In particular, more and more people with zero farm or rural background are living in close proximity to farms, which means farmers and farm practices are under increasing scrutiny from people who may not necessarily understand or accept them.

“First of all, farming is more complicated, and second, the litigation risk is closer to home than what a lot of people think,” says Robert Scriven, a partner at Oldfield, Greaves, D’Agostino & Scriven in Waterloo, Ont.

“The countryside is changing,” Scriven says. “You now have strangers beside each other with different views on topics such as drainage, farming practices, spraying, cutting trees, fence lines, and the like. So, although litigation is often thought of as this remote concept, involving remote actors such as conservation authorities or banks, it’s increasingly closer to home.”

And there’s more bad news too.

With so many non-farm and non-country people moving to rural communities, it’s also pushing the scale and complexity of the litigation, says John Goudy a partner with Scott Petrie LLP in London, Ont. 

More non-farmers in the countryside, Goudy says, “exposes farms to litigation brought on by people who have less tolerance for various activities that may have been taking place over a long time with no complaints, which are suddenly a source of complaints.”

A changing regulatory environment

Regulations and laws are changing too, often in ways that are hard to keep up with as regulators, politicians and even farm organizations sometimes bow to pressure groups or set standards with, for instance, the goal of keeping Canadian farm commodities competitive in the marketplace. 

“The larger and more technologically advanced the farm operation becomes, the more it can be exposed to litigation and increases in regulation,” Goudy says. “The more industrial a farm operation becomes, the less it’s treated as a farm and the more it’s treated as just another industry.”

Goudy says he sees such factors driving an increase in both litigation and regulatory action affecting farmers, who have to recognize that now, more than ever, they are at risk from both.

Workers know their rights

Farm employees, whether they are temporary, part-time or full-time and whether they are family or non-family are subject to rules and employment standards, and farm owners must ensure they know and understand what is expected of them as employers. Otherwise, they risk another source of litigation that is more prevalent than in the past.

There have been a number of cases successfully brought by migrant workers against farm employers in Canada and the United States, and recently, a temporary seasonal worker who contracted COVID-19 filed a legal challenge with the Ontario Ministry of Labour against an Ontario farm employer for compensation, claiming to have been fired and threatened with deportation because of speaking out about lack of measures taken by the employer to prevent workers becoming infected.

It’s a good example of how quickly things can change in today’s world, and why the safety and health of workers needs to be a priority for every farm.

“The rules with respect to labourers or employees have been changing over the years,” says Colin Simmons, barrister and solicitor with Counsel West Law in Calgary. “There are certainly sources of information out there, and it would behoove farmers to take a look at the type of regulations that are changing. If they have a lawyer that they can consult with, that’s probably a good source for them to go to and find out if they’re doing things properly or what changes they could make to ensure that they are.”

Families cause headaches too

Even families can cause litigation headaches for farmers, especially with higher land prices pushing up not just the value of their farms but also the expectations of farming and non-farming offspring, siblings and relatives when it comes time to transfer that wealth from one generation to the next.

Simmons sees more estate disputes cross his desk. “With a generation of baby boomers getting out of farming, there is a massive transfer of wealth occurring or going to occur, and that has led to a significant amount of litigation over the farming situation,” Simmons says. “Farming is unique in that you have a business, in a lot of cases, that the family owns, and while one or two children in the family want to farm, and need most of the assets to farm with, there are other non-farming children in the family who sometimes aren’t happy with the fact that their brother or sister is receiving more than they are. That certainly has been a problem in the past, and nowadays, with land values spiking, it’s just becoming more prevalent.”

“Without a doubt,” Scriven agrees. “If you are the older generation, get an estate plan done and revise it frequently, and ensure there is clear communication because if a son or daughter think that they’re taking over based on a conversation 20 years ago, and the parents are thinking something different, that’s a recipe for conflict.”

In today’s world, transition is rarely as black and white as simply selling the farm, he adds. “Often farms are incorporated, so there has to be a shareholder agreement, and it’s often a 10- or 15-year plan just because of the amount of money and the sophistication around it,” he says.

Scriven’s advice is to start the process as soon as possible, because he believes it’s an evolution rather than a transition.

“If it’s something that’s going to happen, you might as well work on it over a period of time because things will change,” he says. “Look at the last 18 months in terms of COVID, crop prices, land prices, equipment prices.

“And,” he adds, “I’m not convinced the world is a safer place now than it was two years ago, so there’s still fundamental political and economic stability issues.”

It’s always a good idea to start planning the farm transition to the next generation as early as possible, but for those farmers or families who have been hesitant to begin that process, it can become an impediment to actually getting started.

“A problem that some operations face is the fact that they haven’t started to plan already,” Goudy says. But, he cautions, “Not having looked towards transition shouldn’t be a reason to continue to procrastinate. Just because you haven’t already done it and you feel that you are behind, farmers and farm operations shouldn’t let that be a reason not to start now.”

There are regional drivers

Alberta’s oil industry is a warning flag. Litigation is on the rise, Simmons says. “A lot of oil companies are trying to reduce the annual rent that is paid on surface leases, and that is certainly leading to a lot of litigation, and you’re going to see that more in Alberta, of course, because we have a lot more of it than anywhere else,” he says. “Because oil and gas prices were low, some oil companies went or are going into receivership, and others just don’t want to focus right now on trying to clean up a lot of these wells that are old and causing some environmental concerns, so that type of litigation is becoming more prevalent.”

To try and avoid these kinds of litigation risks, Simmons suggests that when farmers or other landowners enter into these arrangements, they need to have properly structured, written agreements in place to ensure both parties know what is expected of them and can be held to account in the event of a dispute.

Unfortunately, many of the current arrangements date back several decades, so there are going to be a lot of challenges in the future.

“A lot of the disputes are arising with existing well sites and the environmental issues with respect to a lot of these sites is becoming a big issue,” Simmons says. “A lot of these wells were drilled back in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s when they didn’t really do as good a job as they do today. If these well sites are leaking oil, and you end up with problems, there’s not much you can do to be proactive; you’re just going to have to deal with it when it arises. You may be able to approach your oil company to see if they’ll do something, but the law is such that in Alberta, there’s nothing requiring an oil company to reclaim a well site and that’s been a problem for a long time.”

It’s likely that there will be more and more agriculture-related litigation in the future, which means farmers need to make sure they stay informed and try to understand the risks that they can face. “If you’re running a farm, you’re running a business, and there are certainly rules and regulations, especially when it comes to the environment, food safety and things like that, that become tighter and tighter,” Simmons says. “You’re going to have to be more aware of that on the farm than you have been in the past.” 

Keep out of court

It may be human nature to wait until we have a problem before seeking a solution, but when it comes to your litigation risk, that isn’t an argument that’s going to score you any points. Or save the farm.

With farm operations and farmers ending up in court more often, for myriad reasons, recognizing and being proactive about the potential for litigation is becoming another routine but vital aspect of risk management for today’s farm business.

“Nobody ever comes by my office just to tell me that things are good. They’ll typically come in when they have a problem already,” says Colin Simmons, a barrister and solicitor with Counsel West Law in Calgary. “But I do have, for instance in estate planning situations, people who come in every year or so to take a look at what they’ve done and see if there’s any changes required, and that’s a good approach.”

Relationships matter, adds Robert Scriven, a partner at Oldfield, Greaves, D’Agostino & Scriven in Waterloo, Ont. Farmers already know they need to have solid links to their accountant and to business advisors, he says. “Same with a lawyer; a lawyer that knows your operation and the family dynamic is important. A lot of my practice now is farmers calling me up and saying, what do you think of this? A lot of [litigation issues] are avoidable if you take a minute to think about it, and get some consults.”

Plus, says Scriven, “Paper wins litigations, so keep agreements, photographs, records and notes.”

It is important for farmers to seek out the right professionals and be educated. In effect, if you want a management role, you have to be able to perform it.

“Where successful farmers are separated from other farmers is their management skill and being able to identify what needs management, what needs their time and what they need to outsource or get professional help on,”Scriven says.

Get more formal

With more money at stake today, and with the complexity of farm operations, it also pays to have written agreements in place, whether it’s a transition plan, an employment contract, a rental or purchase agreement, or any other transaction that could be open to different interpretations without documentation.

“Where there’s a lack of documentation, that gives rise to litigation rather than avoids it,” says John Goudy a partner with Scott Petrie LLP in London, Ont. “A fair bit of litigation and disputes can be avoided through better documentation of agreements … at least if you have the bare bones of the agreement in writing there’s something that both parties can look to and rely upon.”

Also, make it a management principle that knowledge is power. Know what regulations you need to keep up with and stay abreast with them. Yes, it takes time. Monitor government notices, read updates from farm organizations, subscribe to ag publications, and invest time in keeping yourself in the loop.

The United States of Canada?

Is Canada heading down the same road as the United States? While researching this story, Country Guide looked into ongoing examples of farm litigation involving Canadian farms. Rather than focus on specific examples in this introductory article, we thought it best to stick to the overall trends.

One conclusion was glaring, though. If Canada is seeing a rise in farm litigation, it’s nothing compared to the tidal wave south of the border.

Are we heading that way too? Simmons doubts it.

“One of the issues in the U.S. is that they heavily use jury trials and they award unbelievable damages,” he says. “Here it’s not as prevalent; you don’t see a lot of civil cases, you’re not going to see juries. For the most part, you’re going to have just a judge who’s making the decision and isn’t likely to award $2 billion because somebody let the cattle out onto the road or something similar. There are places in the U.S. where essentially people can take their case from anywhere and juries, who essentially do this for a living, come out with unbelievable awards and the whole economy is centred around that. We don’t have that in Canada, and I don’t think you’re going to ever see the amount of litigation that you see down there.”

Source: Country Guide

The process has begun for the Holstein Association USA’s 2022 delegate election. Each year, members have the opportunity to nominate members from their state to serve as voting delegates at the following year’s Holstein Association Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with the group’s national convention. The 2022 gathering will be held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from June 30 through July 1.

Typically, members become ineligible to serve as a delegate after serving as a delegate at three consecutive annual meetings.

Nominating petitions must be received by Holstein Association by September 24. October 29 is when the ballots will be mailed to members.

The election is expected to be finalized by early February 2022.

For more information, call 800-952-5200 Ext. 4261

The fundraising total continues to grow, following the annual garden party hosted by Dairy Cares of Wisconsin.

The group was formed in 2011 with a mission in mind, to help the community.

They have raised more than $1.5 million on behalf of Children’s Wisconsin, so far.

While the party is over, the giving can continue.

• Text DAIRY to 76278 or visit dairy.givesmart.com
• Select the “Donate” option on the homepage or within the menu
• Select or enter your donation/payment amount
• Complete your user profile when the system prompts

To learn more about the group and get next year’s garden party on your calendar, visit https://dairycaresofwisconsin.org/

What Is It and How To Find It

Commencing September 1, 2021, reporting traceability events to DairyTrace the national traceability database, will become mandatory as part of Dairy Farmers of Canada’s proAction® program. As the responsible administrator of DairyTrace, Lactanet Canada will assist dairy producers and other affiliates that are part of the dairy cattle traceability chain with all of their traceability needs.

As a dairy producer that resides outside of Quebec, you must activate your DairyTrace account to begin reporting traceability events. Dairy farmers in Quebec will continue to report livestock traceability events to SimpliTRACE.

Reporting Events Is Easy

The DairyTrace portal is a convenient on-line platform used for reporting dairy cattle traceability events and much more. Reporting can also be done via the DairyTrace mobile app, telephone, mail, or directly from specific on-farm software.  

Validation and the proAction® Report

To prepare dairy producers for their proAction® validation, DairyTrace has developed the proAction® report for easy proof of conformance. The report generates the right information that must be presented to the validator at their time of validation.

How to Access the Report

To access the proAction® report, follow the steps outlined below. If you cannot log-in to your DairyTrace account due to problematic internet access or otherwise, you must contact DairyTrace Customer Service in advance and they can send the report ahead of your validation.

Step 1: Sign into your DairyTrace account (https://portal.dairytrace.ca/).
Step 2: From the welcome page, select DairyTrace proAction® Report.
Step 3: Generate a report:

• The Reference date will generate as of the current date.
• To open your report, click Print and a PDF will be generated.
• Save onto your desktop and/or print.

Explore the Report

The DairyTrace proAction® report includes all traceability events reported under your account within the past year, from the reference date. This information provides the proAction® validator with a list of traceability events between the reporting date and the event date.

If you notice you are missing certain animals on your proAction Report, the Inventory Report, found under the Account tab, can be used to view which animals are linked to your account based on your premises identification numbers. This can help determine if a traceability event was missed and/or needs to be reported on the animal. Keep in mind if an animal has not had a traceability event occur in the last twelve months (i.e. no tag activation, no movement from premises, etc.) then the animal will not appear on your proAction report, as you did not have to report traceability events on it. This is normal! For further assistance, contact DairyTrace Customer Service at 1-866-558-7223 or info@dairytrace.ca.

In addition to supporting proAction® requirements, the DairyTrace portal is a valuable tool for managing herd inventory, including animal births, move-in’s/imports, move-out’s/exports, disposals, and tag orders/replacements. Click here for more information on proAction®.

Questions? Visit the DairyTrace library to find tools and resources to better navigate through your DairyTrace account, troubleshoot, report events, watch quick video tutorials, and so much more.

The top three winners in each age division will be awarded cash prizes

Holstein Association USA is pleased to offer the second Virtual Interview Contest for Junior Holstein members. This program is designed to prepare youth for real world opportunities, giving them the chance to sharpen their resume writing and interview skills. The top three winners in each age division will be awarded cash prizes.

“Making a good first impression is more important than ever in the virtual world we live in today.  This second-year contest will help youth members earn honors, scholarships, and career opportunities by enhancing their resume and interview skills,” says Kelli Dunklee, Holstein Association USA Youth Specialist.

“The contest was amazing and was one of my first true interviews,” said 2020 Virtual Interview Contest participant Jenna Larson of Florida. “The judges asked very thorough and realistic questions, which provoked a lot of thought towards my answers. I received good critiques that were very applicable and useful. I feel as though this contest has better prepared me for interviews in the future and is amongst the more realistic competitions that can be hosted virtually.”

The Virtual Interview Contest is open to youth ages 12 to 21 as of January 1, 2021. Individuals must be a Junior member of Holstein Association USA to be eligible.

Youth will be split into three categories based on age. Individuals in the junior division (ages 12 to 14 as of January 1) will apply for a mock scenario award trip to World Dairy Expo. In the intermediate division (ages 15 to 17) youth will be applying for a mock educational scholarship. Finally, youth in the senior division (ages 18 to 21) will be applying for their first job in their desired career path after completing a post-secondary education.

All applicants will be judged on their combined cover letter and resume score. Up to 15 applicants from each age division will be selected for a virtual interview with a panel of three judges. Every individual who participates will be given written feedback on their cover letter and resume and those that reach the interview phase will receive written feedback on their interview, too.

Cash prizes of $250 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place will be awarded in the junior and intermediate divisions. In the senior division, youth will be given cash prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place.

“This contest was a great opportunity to practice making the most of the virtual interview environment. The meaningful feedback I received helped me hone my professional skills before beginning my search for a post-graduation position,” says Sarah Lehner of Ohio, who received first place in the senior division in 2020.

Entries are currently being accepted and interested youth should send a cover letter and resume corresponding to their appropriate age division to kdunklee@holstein.com by September 1, 2021. Youth who make it to the virtual interview round will be notified in September with interviews to follow in October.

To learn more about this exciting opportunity please visit the Junior Holstein website.

Created to be a space for companies to showcase their innovative products, services or research at World Dairy Expo^®, the Knowledge Nook returns this fall with new opportunities to learn. These educational sessions benefit both attendees and companies, alike, as they provide a chance for company experts, researchers and producers to share detailed information with Expo attendees about new items on the market since the last WDE. Sessions are presented daily in the Knowledge Nook, located in the atrium of the Exhibition Hall.

The following is the current list of 2021 Knowledge Nook Sessions and their sponsors. Download World Dairy Expo’s free mobile event app or visit worlddairyexpo.com for an up-to-date schedule and more information about these sessions.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

9:30 a.m.

Improving Passive Transfer in Calves – Presented in Spanish

Jorge Botero, MV, Wet Calf Health and Nutrition Consultant, Dairy Tech, Inc.

Presented by: Dairy Tech, Inc.

11:30 a.m.

Improving Passive Transfer in Calves

Jorge Botero, MV, Wet Calf Health and Nutrition Consultant, Dairy Tech, Inc.

Presented by: Dairy Tech, Inc.

12:30 p.m.

Driving Sustainability for Dairy Farms: Manure Management

Trond Lund, Head of Business Development, N2 Applied AS

Presented by: ProStar Energy Solutions

1:30 p.m.

Cow-Side Mastitis Management

Julia Somerdin, CEO and Cofounder, Labby Inc.

Presented by: Labby Inc.

2:30 p.m.

Mineral Nutrition is Instrumental to the Dairy Industry’s Success

Angela R. Boyer, Ph.D., Mineral Nutrition Technical Manager, Phibro Animal Health Corp.

Presented by: Phibro Animal Health Corp.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

9:30 a.m.

How Computer Vision Technology Transforms Productivity and Herd Welfare on the Farm

Tyler Bramble, Ph.D., Growth Lead Manager, Cainthus

Presented by: Cainthus

10:30 a.m.

Do You Have Clean Feed?

John Goeser, Ph.D., Rock River Laboratory, Inc., and Renato Schmidt, Ph.D., Technical Services – Forage Expert, Lallemand Animal Nutrition

Presented by: Lallemand Animal Nutrition

11:30 a.m.

Rumen Protected Glucose for Dairy Cows

David Casper, Ph.D., PAS, DPL ACAS, Technical Service Manager, Soy Best

Presented by: Soy Best

12:30 p.m.

Developing a Calf Program for Your Farm

Bob James, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech University and Kimberley Morrill, Ph.D., Technical Services Manager, Chr. Hansen

Presented by: Chr. Hansen

1:30 p.m.

New Technologies for Producing Highly Digestible Forages for Feeding Dairy Cattle

David Casper, Ph.D., Dairy Nutritionist and Research Consultant

Presented by: Ralco

            2:30 p.m.

High Moisture Corn Feeding System For Any Robotic Milking Farm

Bradley Biehl, Farmer & President, AMS Galaxy USA

Presented by: AMS Galaxy USA

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

9:30 a.m.

Animal-Centered Environment: Smart Barn Technology at Your Fingertips

Mark Doornink, Vice President of Product Management, VES-Artex

Presented by: VES-Artex

10:30 a.m.

Optimizing Rumen Function with Native Rumen Microorganisms

Lisa Marotz, Ph.D., Microbiome Scientist, Native Microbials

Presented by: Native Microbials

11:30 a.m.

New Technologies for Producing Highly Digestible Forages for Feeding Dairy Cattle

David Casper, Ph.D., Dairy Nutritionist and Research Consultant

Presented by: Ralco

12:30 p.m.

Rumen Protected Glucose for Dairy Cows

David Casper, Ph.D., PAS, DPL ACAS, Technical Service Manager, Soy Best

Presented by: Soy Best

1:30 p.m.

Developing a Calf Program for Your Farm

Bob James, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech University, and Kimberley Morrill, Ph.D., Technical Services Manager, Chr. Hansen

Presented by: Chr. Hansen

2:30 p.m.

High Moisture Corn Feeding System For Any Robotic Milking Farm

Bradley Biehl, Farmer & President, AMS Galaxy USA

Presented by: AMS Galaxy USA

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

9:30 a.m.

The Buddy System

Laura Raatz, Calf and Youngstock Manager, Wagner Farms

Presented by: Agri-Plastics Mfg.

10:30 a.m.

Animal-Centered Environment: Smart Barn Technology at Your Fingertips

Mark Doornink, Vice President of Product Management, VES-Artex

Presented by: VES-Artex

11:30 a.m.

Predict Herd Risks When Needed Most: The Transition Period

Ray Nebel, Ph.D., Research and Technical Consultant, and Marcus Hollmann, Nutritionist

Presented by: CowManager

12:30 p.m.

Rumen Protected Glucose for Dairy Cows

David Casper, Ph.D., PAS, DPL ACAS, Technical Service Manager, Soy Best

Presented by: Soy Best

1:30 p.m.

Make Longevity Her Legacy

Chuck Sattler, Vice President of Genetic Programs, Select Sires, Inc., and Jeff Ziegler, Vice President of Dairy Cattle Breeding, Select Sires, Inc.

Presented by: Select Sires, Inc.

2:30 p.m.

Sand Bedding and Anaerobic Digestion

Andrew Wedel, P.E., Director of International Business – Agricultural

Presented by: McLanahan Corporation

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2

9:30 a.m.

Mineral Nutrition is Instrumental to the Dairy Industry’s Success

Angela R. Boyer, Ph.D., Mineral Nutrition Technical Manager, Phibro Animal Health Corp.

Presented by: Phibro Animal Health Corp.

Serving as the meeting place of the global dairy industry, World Dairy Expo brings together the latest in dairy innovation and the best cattle in North America. Crowds of 60,000 people, from nearly 100 countries, will return to Madison, Wis. for the 54^th event, September 28 – October 2, 2021, when the world’s largest dairy-focused trade show, dairy and forage seminars, a world-class dairy cattle show and more will be on display. Download the World Dairy Expo mobile event app, visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow WDE on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Spotify, Instagram or YouTube for more information.

The Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund was created in 2012 to both manage redemption risk for the co-operative and be a vehicle that gave outside investors some exposure to the dairy sector.

Elle grew up on Sunset Hill Farm in Montgomery, Vermont and now lives on Pleasant Valley Farms in Richford, Vermont with her husband, Jamie. Due to the pandemic, Elle has completed much of her training at home this year, which has allowed her to spend time on both Sunset Hill and Pleasant Valley dairy farms. Although training is her priority right now, Elle says she helps on both farms whenever she can, which is just about every day.

“It’s been really nice. I’ve been able to spend so much time on the farm compared to other years,” said Elle. “When I’m away, I miss home and the cows and working on the farm with my dad and my husband. It’s been a huge silver lining in the pandemic.”

Elle says that her background in dairy farming has provided her with many life lessons that have shaped her as an athlete.

“Growing up on a farm, I have a better understanding of hard work and what it takes to set goals and accomplish them. You can only control so much, and there are so many factors going into how you can perform. You just try your best, wake up every day, and work hard.”

Elle said that in both dairy farming and running, most of the time hard work pays off but sometimes it doesn’t. She has learned to press on towards her goals regardless of challenges, and says that she’s a “much stronger athlete from being so active on the farm as a kid.”

“Running and farming are related in ways you wouldn’t expect as well,” said Elle. “Cows are like athletes in the sense that making milk is their sport. From growing up on a farm I learned how to care for cows so that they would perform their best (make a lot of milk) and now a large part of my job is taking care of myself—sleep, nutrition, having good health—so that I can perform better.”

Combined with her degree in nutrition from the University of New Hampshire, Elle uses her running career as a platform for promoting the dairy industry, especially through social media, which has gained notable press in recent weeks for her “agvocate” role.

She aims to help close the growing gap between producers and consumers.

“It’s a huge opportunity to let the people who follow me know the basics of what happens on the farm. Dairy can get a bad rap and it’s fun for me to share my experiences to show that side of it,” said Elle. “Also, dairy products are extremely useful for my training. People can use these products to help their performance just like I do.”

Elle said that it is not rare to find her fueling up with chocolate or strawberry milk whether she’s at home or away training in Arizona.

Elle has several connections to the Premier Select Sires cooperative, as her sister Jinny (Purrier) Rainville formerly served as a Reproductive Services Specialist. Premier Area Sales Manager (ASM) Bill Gaston helps Sunset Hill Farm and Pleasant Valley Farms with their genetic and reproductive needs.

Please join us in cheering for Elle! We wish her all the best as she pursues her goals and represents our industry!

Bottom photo of Elle and her brother Ryland at Sunset Hill Farm in Montgomery, VT.

Source: Select Sires