We had a kind of impromptu visit by the Wisconsin McCain-Palin Farm and Ranch Team at Expo. Heading up the group of mostly college students was James Harsdorf, a dairy farmer and former WI Sec. of Agriculture. He made an opening statement and then lets a couple of the students talk before answering some questions. One of the questions he … Read More
GEA Farm Technologies Poised For Growth
When the GEA Farm Technologies brand was launched this week we had Dr. Armin Tietjen on hand. He’s the Head of Corporate Marketing and works in the home office. One of the things he’s responsible for is looking at acquisition opportunities for the company and it sounds like we may see some new activity in this regard in the future. … Read More
Dairy Down Under
This morning the Livestock Publications Council held its annual breakfast meeting and our guest speakers were Virginia and Simon Ewing. They’re dairy producers from Kalangadoo, Australia. Virginia is a participant in the 2008 International Forum for Women in Dairying. Before answering questions they told us about their business and dairy in Australia. They milk 270 registered holsteins. When you listen … Read More
Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative Guidelines Announced
At last year’s World Dairy Expo we heard about the announcement of the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative. This morning they released the official principles and guidelines. The facilitator for the Initiative is Charlie Arnot. He described the process that got us to this point and says that now it’s time for the Initiative to move to the next step. … Read More
World Dairy Expo Bigger Than Ever
The first two people I got to know at World Dairy Expo were John Rozum and Lisa Behnke. In fact, World Dairy Diary grew out of an idea that John had several years ago now. I spoke to them this morning and the main message is “larger,” meaning more people and more exhibitors. Some of the numbers they mention include … Read More
WestfaliaSurge Now Part of GEA Farm Technologies
The first news I found here at Expo came from our sponsor, GEA Farm Technologies. I know we’ve been promoting WestfaliaSurge but the company is re-launching their brand and this post and interviews will help explain it. Basically, WestfaliaSurge is now a part of the new GEA Farm Technologies. The CEO and President of GEA Farm Technologies is Vern Foster. … Read More
Evaluating Cost Effective Feed Options
Feed prices are high and look to remain on the high end. There are some factors for producers to keep in mind for their dairy operation. According to Leo Brown, livestock information manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred, producers should evaluate cost-effective feed ingredients, look for good buys, manage the basics of feeding on the farm and keep cows in top reproductive … Read More
Harvesting High Moisture Corn at the Right Time
High-moisture corn (HMC) offers growers some benefits that dry corn may not. Leo Brown, Pioneer Hi-Bred livestock information manager, says high-moisture corn is increasing in popularity because growers have a longer window of time for optimum harvesting, which reduces their field losses. Also helping to reduce losses is the availability of L. Buchneri inoculants specifically designed for HMC at the … Read More
Princess Kay of the Milky Way Visits AgNite
Tuesday evening selected attendees to the Republican National Convention were invited to an event in downtown Minneapolis at The Depot called AgNite. The dairy industry was quite involved. For example, there was plenty of ice cream and cheese on hand at individual displays. Also on hand was Princess Kay of the Milky Way. She’s Kristy Mussman, a 3rd generation dairy … Read More
Hybrid Selections for Silage Quality
With high commodity prices, it is important to maximize profit from every acre. Silage performance can vary depending on hybrid selection. Performance consistency can be different from one hybrid to the next. Leo Brown, livestock information manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred, says growers need to look at maturity and agronomic needs first then yield, tonnage and fiber digestibility when making a … Read More