PDPW Makes the News
How cows eat and ruminate is just as important as the nutritional composition of the feed in front of them. Make the most of every minute at the bunk by understanding dairy cow behavior and incorporating that into daily herd management.
“We put a lot of effort into making good feed, but the value of feed is based on how the cow interacts with it,” Dr. Trevor DeVries, University of Guelph, said at the 2018 PDPW Herdsperson Conference held in November in Wisconsin.
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Dairy Cattle Behavior and welfare in the department of Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph, Dr. DeVries was one of four presenters at the PDPW Herdsperson Conference, held at two Wisconsin locations in October and November, 2018...
Participants of Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin’s value-added dairy tour received a firsthand glimpse into Sassy Cow Creamery’s milk bottling and ice cream-making processes Oct. 23.
Opening its doors in April 2008, the creamery processes 6,000 gallons of milk per day and uses over one million pounds of milk per ...
Wallace's session taught participants how to perform calf necropsies and explained why conducting them is important. Dr. Donald Sockett and Dr. Judd Heinrichs also spoke to attendees about Salmonella Heidelberg, cleaning and disinfecting facilities and equipment, and calf rumen development, respectively.
Dr. Richard Wallace and Dr. Judd Heinrichs also taught attendees on calf necropsies and rumen development based on milk-feeding strategies.
According to Basse, a trade deal with China would give U.S. agriculture a much needed boost, but even without an updated pact with the overseas trading partner this weekend, ag economist Dan Basse is optimistic that 2019 will be a more favorable year for U.S. farmers.
Basse said trade sanctions and trade agreements have been major talking points for the past year. While U.S. farmers and manufacturers have been watching the retooling of the NAFTA agreement between its Mexican and Canadian trading partners, most have been watching ...
The 2018 edition of PDPW Dairy Food & Policy Summit will bring together a dozen top speakers and allow for conversations between farmers, researchers, policy makers on relevant issues.
Featured presenters include:
Sheila Harsdorf, Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture,Trade and Consumer Protection
Matt McKnight, Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Dairy Export Council
Dan Basse, economist and President of AgResource Company
Linda Wenck, Principal at MorganMyers
Chad Vincent, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Chief Executive Officer
Bill Even, Chief Executive Officer of National Pork Board
Eric Cooley, Co-Director of the UW Discovery Farms Program and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources employees Mary Anne Lowndes and Mike Gilbertson
Emily Yeiser Stepp, Senior Director of the FARM Program
Chase DeCoite, Director of Beef Quality Assurance Program at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
The event is scheduled for Dec. 19-20 at the Sheraton Hotel in Madison, Wis.
From slaughter projections, milk flows and powder storages to harvest reports, Basse will review how it all impacts domestic and global supplies – and ...
Participants will hear a roundtable discussion with hosting dairy owners George Crave and James Baerwolf, who will join agricultural value-added business consultant Jim Gage as they share ...
"It’s an opportunity for students to shadow a dairy farmer for eight hours and also attend the PDPW business conference," said Tracy Propst of PDPW. “They will fill out an application... the application asks what they want to experience on a farm. Sometimes we’ll give them what they want, and other times ...
The event will feature a roundtable discussion with the farm owners and value-added business consultant Jim Gage, who will bring perspective on crafting business plans for new value-added opportunities and help tour participants think about ...
In addition to touring Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics in Waterloo, Wis., attendees will hear the story of brothers James and Robert Baerwolf, the third generation to farm the Columbia County land their grandfather purchased in 1946. With a variety of milk and ice cream products available in their own farmstead creamery store and 75 retail locations in Wisconsin and Illinois, the Baerwolf families have 10 years of experience developing products to meet consumer needs.
The Crave Brothers have a different story of success. Participants will tour their cheese plant and on-farm bio-digester as they learn how the brothers have delivered milk from their farm through a direct pipeline to their cheese factory to produce popular products including mascarpone, rope string cheese, and ...
While career opportunities in the agricultural industry abound, fewer and fewer people have personal, on-farm experience. To counter this fact and equip non-farm professionals with practical, hands-on involvement, Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW) developed the Agricultural Professional Partnerships® program.
Through the APPs program, participants take in more than 20 hours of...
Dan and Steve Smits have made the news before for innovations they’ve implemented in their dairy. But, truth be told, they’d just as soon someone else be in the spotlight. The brothers, owners of Double S Dairy east of Markesan in Fond du Lac County, are quick to credit their committed team of employees and families for the successes they’ve collectively achieved. Taking excellent care of the animals is central to every employee’s work at the dairy.
“It’s our goal to create a quality product and give each animal the right kind of care,” Steve Smits said.
By opening the dairy’s doors to ...
Cows at Kellercrest Registered Holsteins are comfortable and productive. Inside the dairy’s office near Mt. Horeb are wall-to-wall plaques, pictures and honors showcasing breeding successes and more.
Kellercrest was formed in the late-1960s when Daniel and Jeanne Keller purchased two registered Holsteins. They then bought...
The Brey family has been farming on its northeastern Wisconsin dairy since the turn of the previous century. George Brey Sr. established the dairy in 1904. His grandson Bill Brey, with his wife Clarice Brey, raised five children on the farm. Their sons Tony and Jacob Brey in July 2016 became owners of Brey Cycle Farm, carrying on the family tradition.
While some founding principles remain, it’s an ongoing pursuit of innovation, sustainability and leadership that...
One could sum up the philosophy of Miltrim Farms in one word – growth. Owned by Tom and Lorene Mueller, and Kathy and Scott Trimner, Miltrim has seen growth on many levels since it was founded.
For Miltrim Farms, growth isn’t measured merely in numbers of cows, acres or buildings – though family members say they understand the importance of economies of scale. But more significantly they say they’re dedicated to growing strong partnerships to care for the water, soil and environment on their farm as well as growing relationships with team members and...
Details on the day's agenda are found here...
Akins presented, “Youngstock management: Heifers eating into your profits?” during a Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin’s World Class Webinar Sept. 5.
There are four goals dairy farmers should keep in mind when...