Hubbard’s TRTM Program Having Positive Impact

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Dairy, Hubbard, World Dairy Expo

Hubbard shared information about its Total Replacement Trace Minerals (TRTM) program with dairy producers at the 2018 World Dairy Expo.

The program will enable animals to increase their genetic potential, resulting in improvements in production, health, reproduction and growth, according to dairy nutritionist Angie Manthey.

“It takes into consideration not only the form, but also the amount of the trace minerals that we’re feeding,” said Manthey. “We’re feeding trace minerals that are organic and a little bit more available to the animal. So we’re decreasing any interactions that might happen while they’re passing through the digestive tract, and in turn, we’re able to feed less of those trace minerals.”

Manthey said the TRTM program can have an impact along all stages of life in dairy cattle.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Angie here: Interview with Angie Manthey, Hubbard Feeds

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

GROWMARK Youth Programs Support 4-H and FFA

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It’s National Cooperative Month, it’s also National 4-H Week, and it is the month that National FFA holds its huge annual meeting. In celebration of all that, we talked with Karen Jones, GROWMARK Youth and Young Producer Specialist, about how this agricultural cooperative supports the young people involved in 4H and FFA.

“GROWMARK has been a longtime financial supporter of both the FFA and 4H organizations,” said Jones. “We believe that the members of those groups may be our future employees or future co-op members, and definitely future leaders in both arenas.”

One program that GROWMARK has had in place for 26 years now is the annual essay contest for FFA members in states served by the cooperative. “We’re excited because we added Missouri two years ago and we added Ohio this year, so now we are up to five states,” said Jones. The theme for the 2019 contest just announced is “What does the future of agriculture look like to you, and what skills will you need to play a part in it?”

Among the ways GROWMARK supports 4-H is the Pollinator Garden Program. “We provide pollinator seed and some education about the importance of pollinators and the students do a community service project through their club to plant and maintain these plots,” said Jones.

Learn more about GROWMARK’s youth commitment in this interview. Interview with Karen Jones, GROWMARK

Toasting Legacy of Pearse Lyons at #WDE18

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Audio, Dairy

The legacy of Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder of Alltech who passed away earlier this year, was remembered at World Dairy Expo last week in Madison.

“He had a passion for agriculture, he had a passion for the dairy industry,” said Alltech US Dairy Sales Manager Dan Weiland. “It’s up to us, the people of Alltech, to maintain that type of passion but continue to drive it with solutions, new technologies, and new programs as we move forward.”

During an Alltech reception at World Dairy Expo, Weiland talked about the impact Dr. Lyons has had on the dairy industry and toasted his memory, along with Pearse’s son Dr. Mark Lyons, who is now president of Alltech.

In this interview, Weiland also commented on trends Alltech is seeing in the dairy industry and what Alltech provides to help producers focus on efficiency during a down market. Interview with Dan Weiland, Alltech

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Animal Ag Bites 10/8

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  • ESTROTECT™ announced the release of the new ESTROTECT™ Breeding Indicator. It’s the first product of its kind to serve a variety of uses, including heat detection, confirming pregnancies, identifying potential embryonic loss and pinpointing timing for various modern AI and breeding protocols.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance announced that its 2019 Stakeholders Summit, themed “A Seat At The Table,” is set for May 8-9 in Kansas City, Missouri. Registration for the Summit will open later this year.
  • Allflex Livestock Intelligence announced the launch of the Allflex Young Stock dedicated health monitoring application for newborn calves up to six months old. It also announced the introduction of SenseHub, the new version of its SenseTime modular cow monitoring solution.
  • Huvepharma® announces the release of a conditional licensed vaccine for the prevention of pinkeye caused by Moraxella bovoculi in cattle. Pairing this bacterin with AgriLabs’ well-known vaccine, I-Site XP®, for the prevention of pinkeye caused by M. bovis, veterinarians will expand cattle raisers prevention protocol for optimal coverage of this disease. Both vaccines will be supported through AgriLabs®, a Huvepharma Company.
  • Registration and housing for the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade show is now open. The annual convention will be held in New Orleans, La., Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, 2019. To register and secure housing for the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, visit www.beefusa.org.
  • Northeast influencers got an inside look at Pennsylvania’s Veal Industry through the “Raising Today’s Veal” tour hosted September 18-19, in Souderton, PA. This tour was made possible by the Pennsylvania Beef Council and the checkoff’s Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, with funding support from the Kentucky Beef Council.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is now accepting applications for 2019-2020 beef industry scholarships sponsored by CME Group. Ten scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded to outstanding students pursuing careers in the beef industry.
  • This week, the National Horse and Burro Rangeland Management Coalition submitted public testimony to the Bureau of Land Management on the current state of our nation’s rangelands.
  • Land O’Lakes, Inc. board chairman Pete Kappelman was named Dairyman of the Year by the World Dairy Expo this week in Madison, Wis. Kappelman, of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, owns and operates Meadow Brook Dairy and will celebrate 23 years of service on the Land O’Lakes board in early 2019.
  • Julie Veldhuis has joined Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative as a member services representative.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is hosting its fifth annual National Anthem contest. The winner will receive a free trip to the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, 2019. Entries are being accepted through Oct. 19, 2018. Top four finalists will be chosen by Oct. 26, 2018, and videos will be posted to the convention website at www.convention.beefusa.org.
  • The National Milk Producers Federation announced several staff changes. Chris Galen, NMPF’s long-time head of communications, is assuming a new role as Senior Vice President of Member Services and Strategic Initiatives. Alan Bjerga joins NMPF as its new Senior Vice President of Communications. Jaime Castaneda will become Senior Vice President of Policy Strategy and International Trade. Nicole Ayache has joined National Milk as Director of Sustainability Initiatives.

Deere Showcases New Forage Harvesters at #WDE18

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John Deere showcased its new 9000 Series Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters (SPFH) at the 2018 World Dairy Expo last week in Madison, Wisconsin.

The high-capacity forage harvesters announced in August provide up to 400 tons of throughput per hour, along with optimum corn silage processing that’s independent of the length of cut.

“We get ten percent more productivity per horsepower while consuming ten percent less fuel per ton of crop, as well as increasing kernel processing scores by ten percent,” said Deanna Kovar, John Deere Director of Production & Precision Ag Marketing. “Lots of new and exciting things to help make better feed for the cows.”

Learn more about the new harvesters in this interview with Deanna –
Interview with Deanna Kovar, John Deere

John Deere at 2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Opportunities Outweigh Challenges in Dairy Industry

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Audio, Dairy, Hubbard, World Dairy Expo

Pennsylvania native Jeff Harding describes himself as a newcomer to Hubbard Feeds, but he is excited about expanding the brand further into the northeastern United States, where Alltech is already well established.

The dairy technical specialist said there are some things that set Hubbard Feeds apart from its competitors.

“In many ways, it’s our people,” said Harding. “I think one of the unique opportunities we have is to come at our customers with more of a team approach maybe than some of our competitors do. They do that for some of their very biggest customers. But I think we’ve got a really strong network of a technical group within Hubbard, we’ve got calf and heifer specialists, we’ve got nutritionists, we’ve got business people.”

Harding said the union with Alltech also gives Hubbard Feeds access to additional resources that are key in a constantly changing environment. He acknowledged that dairy producers are experiencing tough times, but believes they are adapting with the help of companies like Hubbard, who continue to bring solutions to customers.

He believes the future of the dairy industry will include more consolidation at a higher level, and more research and technology. While the opportunities will continue to change, he is confident they will continue to exist in the dairy industry. Harding was at the 2018 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Harding, Hubbard Feeds

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

New America’s Pig Farmer of the Year Named

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The National Pork Board has named Patrick Bane, a pig farmer from Arrowsmith, Illinois, as America’s Pig Farmer of the Year for 2018. The award recognizes a pig farmer who excels at raising pigs using the We Care ethical principles and who connects with today’s consumers about how pork is produced.

Raising pigs has been a life-long passion for Bane, whose family has been raising pigs for three generations. Bane raises 74,000 pigs on his farm in central Illinois, where he focuses on protecting public health, hiring the best people and maintaining herd health.

“It’s our responsibility to show the public that we are doing the right things to care for our animals and keep them healthy,” Bane said. “We need to foster an increased understanding about how food is raised using today’s modern technology. It’s not only good for us as farmers, but it’s good for consumers. You can’t drive that point home enough. We have a lot of good, positive stories to share.”

Bane was named America’s Pig Farmer of the Year following a third-party audit of his on-farm practices and after taking part in a series of written and oral interviews by subject-matter experts. He has achieved excellence in all aspects of pig farming, including animal care, environmental stewardship, employee work environment and outstanding community service.

KEENAN, InTouch Systems Provide Daily Information

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Dairy, KEENAN, World Dairy Expo

Dairy producers visiting the 2018 World Dairy Expo had the opportunity to learn more about KEENAN mixers and the InTouch system from Dan Gard, KEENAN sales manager for the United States.

“KEENAN has no dead spots in the mixer, so it delivers a consistent, uniform mix for the ration regardless of the ingredients, and that’s really what sets it apart,” said Gard. “InTouch is the communications platform that’s in the controller on the mixer, and it’s a real-time performance monitoring system where it monitors the performance of the mixer on a daily basis, the mixer operator, and also the performance of the livestock that the producer is trying to raise and market from the farm.”

Gard said InTouch works through existing cell phone service and automatically uploads information on a daily basis.
That information is collected and summarized into reports for the producer and trusted advisors to review and make management decisions based on the performance of the operator or the animals on the farm. Consultants can also send rations straight to the mixer.

More information is available from local Alltech representatives and Hubbard Feeds dealers throughout the United States, as well as on the KEENAN website.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Dan here: Interview with Dan Gard, KEENAN

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Trade Agreement Encourages Edge Dairy Cooperative

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Dairy, World Dairy Expo

The new trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico (USMCA) has generated a lot of discussion at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin this week since it holds lots of promise for the industry to increased exports.

John Holevoet, director of government affairs for Edge Dairy Cooperative and the Dairy Business Association, says the main change is the abandonment of Canada’s Class 7 pricing system, which had particularly affected U.S. producers who were shipping ultrafiltered milk products into the Canadian market. While the deal has not yet been signed by all three nations, it appears it will provide long-term gain regarding overall global demand for U.S. dairy products.

“We’re overall very pleased to see that it actually got done. There were moments of doubt. So, relief is one sentiment, and optimism is another,” said Holevoet.

While the timing of the agreement is still unclear, Holevoet also expects the policy to support futures market levels after a long cycle of low prices for dairy farmers.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with John here: Interview with John Holevoet, Edge Dairy Cooperative

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Content Creation from World Dairy Expo is sponsored by Content Creation from the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Alltech  Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Hubbard Feeds

Balanced Dairy Rations Improve Herd Nutrition

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Dairy, Hubbard, Nutrition, World Dairy Expo

Each dairy farmer has different nutrition goals, based in part on what forages are available on farm. Hubbard dairy nutritionists like John Pretz help farmers with regular nutrient analysis so they can optimize the forages that are available and identify supplements that might further improve herd production, reproduction, and overall animal health.

“I think we’ve absolutely evolved over the last few years from looking at your base nutrients – just a crude protein and a starch spec – all the way down to the specific amino acid,” said Pretz. “In a lot of ways, I’d say these cows’ diets are more precise than what we’re eating as a human being, even if we’re tracking everything that’s going into our body.”

Pretz said small changes can also make a big difference, from keeping cows cleaner to trimming hooves more often. Other examples include increasing cow comfort during day to day activities from vaccinations to milking procedures. Pretz visited with producers at the 2018 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with John here: Interview with John Pretz, Hubbard

2018 World Dairy Expo Photo Album