Midwest Dairy Expo Preview 2009

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December 8-9, 2009St. Cloud Civic Center • St. Cloud, MN

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Jim Salfer with the Uni-versity of Minnesota Extension will moderate a panel of three dairy producers who are milk-ing with robots. They include Johansen Dairy from Underwood, Minn. The dairy has been milking 120 cows with two robots since January 2009. The Johansens placed one robots in the ret-rofitted freestall barn built in 2000 and the other was placed in an addition built for the ro-bot. Benson Dairy from Stew-art, Minn., is milking 155 cows with three robots. Two robots were installed in November 2008 and the third in June 2009. They still milk one pen through the parlor. Heintz Badger Valley Farm in Caledonia, Minn., has been milking 120 cows with two robots since December 2008. They also have a new freestall barn with sand bedding. Here is a short brief of these three dairies.

Johansen enjoys life with robots

By Jill Warren and Krista M. Sheehan

Staff writers UNDERWOOD, Minn. – In January, Johansen installed two robotic milkers for his 120-cow herd in Underwood,

Minn., and has since been en-joying a different dairying and personal lifestyle. Johansen chose to install robots because hiring help proved to be a challenge. “I don’t work well with hired help,” Johansen said. “The reliability wasn’t there for and I realized there had to be a better way. There’s never been a day I’ve dreaded this decision (to install robots).” But it hasn’t been without chal-lenges. “It was a long first month,” he said. Johansen said he averaged

three hours of sleep each night because he had to train the cows to use the robots. For 14 hours each day, Johansen spent his time moving cows to the robot to adjust to the new sys-tem. There was always a sec-ond person to help him train, putting in 10 hours each day. When Johansen wasn’t chas-ing cows, he was feeding and doing maintenance for another four hours. However, the situation quickly improved. Johansen said fresh cows walk through

What’s Inside...Robotic milkers: How are they working? ....................................Pages 1, 4, 6Water 101 - and why activism matters ............................................Pages 2, 5Motivation key in Daniels’s seminars ....................................... Pages 8 - 9Learning from history ......................... Page 11What it takes to be a good manager ...................................... Pages 14-15Observing cows can equal more money ................................................ Page 17Take control of dairy finances ..... .Pages 18-19About the speakers .............................. Page 21“Tina and Lena” are Recognition Banquet featured speakers ............................... Page 22

Robotic milkers: How are they working?

PHoto by maRk klaPHakeArdy Johansen installed two robotic milkers in January on his dairy near Underwood, Minn. He has been able to man-age a herd of 120 cows himself while still being able to spend time with his family – wife, Robin, and three sons, Ethan (13), Seth (10) and Logan (7).

turn to Robotics / Page 4

Page 2 • Midwest Dairy Expo Special Edition • Saturday, November 28, 2009

DAIRY ST RH522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378Phone: (320) 352-6303

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Deadlines: The deadline for news and advertis-ing in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication.Subscriptions: One year subscription $26.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378.

By Jennifer BurggraffStaff writer

WHITEHALL, Mont. – In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, meeting stringent water qual-ity and drainage regulations is something all dairy and live-stock producers have to deal with on a regular basis. Not only do these regulations keep the water clean and adequate for consumption and everyday use, but they keep the natural waterways themselves healthy. With concern for Earth’s natural resources on the rise, more pressure is being put on those in production agriculture to meet and surpass pollution

standards, especially in regards to water quality. With this rise in concern comes a rise in the

need for a c t i v i s m a m o n g t h o s e within the ag indus-try to stand up and de-fend their livelihood. A t 11:30 a.m.

on Dec. 9, Tammy Johnson will discuss these issues and more during her breakout ses-sion, “Water 101 – and why activism matters.”

Water 101 – and why activ-ism matters “One of the issues facing everyone in production agri-culture in Minnesota is com-pliance with the federal Clean Water Act and the required development of TMDLs (total maximum daily load),” John-son said. Through the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), all states are required to review and identify all waterways within their re-spective state and determine if the beneficial uses of each wa-terway are being met. When a waterway is “impaired” – not meeting the definition of being

clean enough and well enough to support its beneficial uses – TMDL comes into play. According to the EPA, “A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollut-ant that a water body can re-ceive and still safely meet wa-ter quality standards.” “TMDL is a relatively simple concept,” Johnson said. “Under federal and state law, a state is required to figure out why a waterway is impaired and to draft a plan to elimi-nate the problem and restore the waterway so it supports its beneficial uses.” In Minnesota alone, 3,049 waterways are classified as im-

paired through pollution from either point sources (specific, measurable sources) or non-point sources (broad sources difficult to quantify and moni-tor). Most of the ag indus-try falls under the non-point sources. “The problem is the regu-lators have spent 30 years concentrating on point source discharges. Now they are fo-cusing on non-point sources,” Johnson said. “You can’t get precise measurements on ero-sion within a field or what fer-tilizer components may be in any given place. As they move

Water 101 – and why activism mattersConcerns for natural resources, water quality brings need for awareness in ag industry

turn to Water 101 / Page 5

Tammy JohnsonEnvironomics Inc.

Midwest Dairy Expo Special Edition • Saturday, November 28, 2009 • Page 3


Visit us at booth #130

on their own after a couple milkings and there are only about 15 cows he routinely has to take to the robot. Since January, he has only had to cull two cows because of teat placement. Herd health has been a big improvement. The herd’s somatic cell count plummet-ed from 400,000 to 250,000 since installing the new milking system. Conductivity and tem-perature reports have also been helpful for Johansen. The cows have been averag-ing 2.9 milkings per day. Pro-duction has increased four to seven pounds per cow and the herd has a rolling herd average of 23,000 pounds. A technician visits the farm for a routine maintenance check every three months. Although the robots are a major investment at the beginning – costing about $170,000 each – they are estimated to pay back their debt within about eight years. The robots also help save on labor costs, saving Johansen $45,000 per year for employees, and have cut his repair bills in half. In addition to changes in his dairy barn, Johansen has also had a change in life-style. The robots allow him to spend more time with his wife, Robin, and their three sons, Ethan (13), Seth (10) and Logan (7). “I can now go to any of my sons activities, and that’s important to me,” Johansen said.

Robots work for Benson STEWART, Minn. – For

just over a year, Doug Ben-son has been milking 160 of his 250 cows with three robotic milkers on his farm,

Benson Dairy, in Stewart, Minn. Like most, Benson in-stalled the robots to take

care of some of the labor on his farm and free up time for him. He also said the con-sistent milking of the robots is a benefit to cows, among other benefits. Before the robots, Benson used a dou-ble-12 parlor to milk his all his cows. Some of his cows are still milked in the parlor. But the installation of robots hasn’t been without challenges. Benson said it was hard getting the permits and many people weren’t used to working with robots, from the construction work-ers to the milk inspectors. “It was a struggle just to get everything together, but it worked out fine,” Benson said. Since starting to milk with the robots, Benson hasn’t encountered many challenges. Even up to 80 percent of the cows adapted immediately. “We’ve had a good ex-perience, basically,” Benson said. “There have been some trials, but mostly just learn-ing the computers.” Cows are milked an aver-age of 2.6 or 2.7 times each day. The increased number of milkings has helped with herd health, Benson said. “We treat less cows on the robots than we do the ones in the parlor,” he said. The cows aren’t the only ones benefiting from the ro-bots. “We get more sleep,” Benson said. “The milking is being done even when you’re not always there.” Benson said robots are a good option for milking sys-tems and offers some advice

Continued from Robotics / Page 1

to those contemplating in-stalling robots. “They do work,” he said about his new milking sys-tem. “The people who install the robots work with you, so don’t be afraid of the com-puters or anything like that.”

Heintz Badger Valley Farm introduces robotic milkers

By Greg SchieberFreelance Writer

CALEDONIA, Minn. – On Dec. 29, 2008, the Heintz Badger Valley Farm near Houston, Minn., introduced their 120-cow herd to two new robotic milking sys-tems. For the Heintz family, there are many reasons they made the transition. Until Dec. 29, Doug Heintz milked cows in a ti-estall barn. Since he didn’t have the investment of a par-lor, an upgrade to the robotic system seemed economical-ly feasible. Secondly, at age 43, Heintz saw robots as an opportunity to preserve his health, especially his knees and back. “This will get me to re-tirement,” Heintz said. The robots would also be an investment for the future. Heintz’s 16-year-old son, Dayne, shows interest in tak-ing over the farm after col-lege.

PHoto by nanCy middendoRFDoug Benson has been milking 160 of his 250 cows with three robotic milkers on his farm near Stewart, Minn. Ben-son installed the robots to take care of labor issues on his farm and free up time for himself.

turn to Robotics / Page 6

“We’ve had a good experience, basically. There have been some trials, but mostly just learning the computers” - Doug Benson, installed robotic milker a year ago

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into non-point sources, there’s a lot more guesswork involved.” Because of the difficulty of measur-ing pollution from non-point sources, there is more room for error, meaning those in the ag industry may be wrongly blamed. “Ag as a whole – including dairy producers – have to be very engaged be-cause if the information gathered iden-tifies the pollution sources incorrectly, the burden will be on the ag industry to solve the problem,” Johnson said. During her breakout session at the Midwest Dairy Expo, Johnson will dis-cuss how the CWA and TMDLs affect dairy and ag producers across the state. She will also talk about the need for activism to defend one’s business and industry. “If we are not actively involved in protecting ourselves, others will deter-mine our future,” Johnson said. Throughout her session, which is geared towards everyone within the dairy industry and related industries, Johnson will use her background in communications and her experience prior to and with Environomics, Inc. – a public relations and government affairs consulting firm based in Montana – to stress the importance of these issues. Johnson has no specific experi-ence within the dairy industry; instead her family has a history in the mining industry and her husband’s family is in agriculture. To Johnson, the differences within these industries are miniscule compared to the similarities they all

share. “[These similarities are] the issues that all natural resources sectors face and the need to defend against the “con-flict industry,” such as the PETAs of the world who want to put you out of busi-ness,” Johnson said. “One thing I’ve learned during the last 30 years is that the issues each in-dustry faces are the same whether you run a dairy farm or a mining operation or a lumber operation or are growing crops,” Johnson said. “The underlying issues transcend all that.” She has also realized that activism needs to be a part of every business’s bottom line. “Everyone needs to figure out how to give 30 minutes to one hour per week to defend their business, their industry, and the necessary task of providing food, fiber, minerals and energy to this country,” Johnson said. “It isn’t some-body else’s job.”

Continued from Water 101 / Page 2

“If we are not actively involved in protecting ourselves, others will deter-mine our future.” - Tammy Johnson environomics, inc.


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“Most people do it be-cause of the lack of good help. We had real good help,” Heintz said, refer-ring to a previous employee who decided to go back to school, another factor play-ing into Heintz’s decision to purchase the robots at the time. The cost savings in em-ployee wages will make the payment on the robots every month. Heintz expects the payoff for his setup to be about seven years, with the robots expected to have a 20 to 25-year life-span. Initially, Heintz was skeptical of the technology, but seeing the cows almost fighting to get into the sys-tem to be milked is what im-pressed him during robotic farm tours. So far Heintz described the transition as “real good.” Somatic cell counts are down 50 percent while his pro-duction average increased 12 pounds per cow per day from historic averages. Of Heintz’s 120 cows, only 20 need a little prodding to walk to the robot. The machines also worked well through the cold weather with the frees-tall barn staying above 20 degrees even on the coldest days. Heintz has also found himself with more free time and flexibility. Heintz believes this tech-

nology is good for the future of the dairy industry. “I think it’s the perfect fit for the upper Midwest. I think it’s for the family farm. I’ve heard a lot of farmers say ‘I wish I wouldn’t have done that parlor.’”

For the farmer interested in this technology, Heintz offered some suggestions. “Do your numbers. What might be the right fit for one might not be for another,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to ask advice. We didn’t know a lot

of stuff so I tried to surround myself with people who did.” When asked if there was ever a time when he imagined one day his cows would be milking themselves, Heintz responded with a laugh.

“Absolutely not. A year ago I’d have never dreamt it. It’s one thing to go watch somebody else’s cows go through [a robotic system] and it’s another to watch my own.”

Continued from Robotics / Page 4

PHOTO BY gREg SCHEIBERDoug Heintz (right) and his son, Dayne, of Caledonia, Minn., began milking their 120-cow herd with two robotic milkers on Dec. 29, 2008. Heintz expects the payoff for his setup to be about seven years while the robots are expected to have a 20- to 25-year lifespan. Each robot can milk 60 to 70 cows and works around the clock, except 15 minutes twice a day when it cleans itself.


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By Krista M. SheehanStaff writer

COBB, Wis. – Laura Daniels thinks people need a little motivation every once in awhile. Using her own farming experiences and her passion for promot-ing agriculture, Daniels will motivate others at this year’s Midwest Dairy Expo in St. Cloud. Daniels is the Women in Jeans Featured Speaker at this year’s Midwest Dairy Expo. She will present two seminars on Dec. 8 – “Using baler twine and barn lime to identify your values and de-sign your life” at 1:30 p.m. and “Needed ‘hitch pins used or new’: The importance of connecting with people who eat” at 2:30 p.m. “I’ll make them com-fortable and we’re going to have fun,” said Daniels, who started speaking regu-

larly about six months ago. Daniels is no stranger to the dairy industry. She grew up on a farm south of Milwaukee, attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for her degree in dairy science and worked as a dairy nutritionist for

10 years. Now as the gen-eral manager of Heartwood Farm, the 250-cow dairy she owns with her husband in Cobb, Wis., Daniels plans to draw on her own dairy experiences to motivate oth-ers to reconnect with their passions and tell their dairy

story to others.

Baler twine and barn lime During the first of her two seminars, Daniels wants to help anyone – not just dairy producers – rediscover their passion and refocus their mindset.

“What happens – and this happens to me, too – is that we get so busy. There is so much work to be done every day,” she said. “Sometimes we lose track of why we’re doing [our work]. I think al-most everyone at some point needs to reconnect with their purpose.” One area she will discuss will be finding “what really matters.” “It’s different for every-one,” she said. “You need to leave yourself time to dis-cover what’s important for you.” Daniels will talk about how people can find what re-ally matters to them and will also explain her own discov-ery process. Over time, she found the three most impor-tant aspects of her family’s dairy: gentleness, reliability and a positive attitude. “This started as what we were looking for in our em-ployees, but it evolved into values we use to make deci-sions on our farm at every level,” she said. No matter what age or occupation, the people who will benefit from this semi-

Expo speaker will encourage producers to reconnect with passion, tell dairy story

Motivation is key in Daniels’s seminars

PHoto SubmittedLaura Daniels, pictured with her children, Nathan (7) and Julia (4), owns Heartwood Farm with her husband in Cobb, Wis. Using her past and present dairy experiences, Daniels wants to motivate other producers to reconnect with their passions and tell their dairy story during her seminars at the 2009 Midwest Dairy Expo Dec. 8 and 9 in St. Cloud, Minn.

turn to Daniels / Page 9


nar are people who are busy, Daniels said. “That’s the common denomina-tor,” she said. “Sometimes we need to slow down and think about things in a little different way.”

Hitch pins – new or used In her second seminar, Daniels wants people to step out and tell their story. “It’s really going to be all about encouraging people to be advocates for agriculture,” she said. With the population more re-moved from agriculture, Daniels said everyone involved in agricul-ture – dairy producers, nutritionists, vets, extension agents, agronomists, etc. – needs to find a way to connect

with consumers. “They (consumers) are just real people. Sometimes they’re neigh-bors and sometimes they’re farther away than those who we can see face-to-face,” she said. Daniels said there are several ways – “new or used” – to share dairy messages with others. Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social media are the new ways to interact. Daniels said she has only been using these methods for about a year. “It’s been an interesting process where people are really connecting,” she said. “People trust personal con-tact and that’s what this is.” She also said social media is an efficient way to communicate, reaching several networks of differ-

Continued from Daniels / Page 8

“If we don’t tell our story, someone else will tell it for us and that’s not working out so well for us.” - Laura Daniels on motivating other producers to connect with consumers

“Using Baler Twine and Barn Lime to Identify Your Values and Design Your Life” - 1:30 p.m., tues., december 8

“Needed ‘Hitch Pins Used or New’: The Importance of Connecting with People Who Eat” - 2:30 p.m. , tues., december 8

ent people by reposting information on individuals’ pages. “It might be a five minute invest-ment that’s reaching a big number of people,” she said. Although she knows not every-one is familiar with the social media scene, she encourages people to try. She said people of all ages can use sites like Facebook and Twitter. “Maybe that farm owner or man-ager has someone on their team who could take the step and be the voice of their farm on the Web,” Daniels said. Once people try the new meth-od, they can decide if they want to fall back on the “used” methods of promoting agriculture, she said. “There are still those tried and

true methods to connecting with people,” she said. Daniels suggested writing a let-ter to the editor, talking with people at church about agriculture or telling the fourth grade teacher to bring the class out to the farm for a field trip. “They don’t have to use social media,” she said. “There are still so many ways to connect with consum-ers.” Whatever the means of commu-nicating, Daniels said communicat-ing in the first place is the most im-portant part of being an advocate for agriculture. “If we don’t tell our story, some-one else will tell it for us and that’s not working out so well for us,” she said.

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MINNEAPOLIS – It’s a known fact that history tends to repeat itself. The ups and downs of the dairy industry are no ex-ception. Unfortunately, people often forget this concept when laying out their farm business and management plans. At 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 8 during the 2009 Midwest Dairy Expo, Dr. Michael Swanson, agricultural economist and con-sultant for Wells Fargo Bank, will discuss this detached line of thinking during his presen-tation, “Dairy cycles but your plans are straight lines: What’s the disconnect?” During his breakout ses-sion, Swanson will focus on the historical patterns of the dairy industry and what producers can learn from these trends. “The dairy industry has al-ways been cyclical, with good prices and terrible losses back to back,” Swanson said. “… If we look at milk prices, they always cycle from high to low, low to high. Every three years they go from peak to peak.” However, when dairy pro-ducers plan for the future, those plans often do not reflect this recurring market.

“Something is wrong in how people plan within the dairy industry,” Swanson said. “Why are [dairy producers’] plans for the future linear when

they have s e e n n o t h i n g but cycles through-out his-tory?” “There is a tremen-dous dis-connect,”

he said. “[Dairy producers] know [the cyclic pattern] but when asked about it, they can’t get over that gap.” To bridge this gap, produc-ers will need to change their way of thinking and planning when it comes to their dairy operations. “Dairy producers need to plan differently, behave differ-ently,” Swanson said. “When things are good, plan for the worst. When things are bad, they will get better. They have to plan [for these trends]; if they don’t, they will always be behind.” This session, Swanson said, is for every dairy produc-er out there, whether they man-

age 50 or 50,000 cows. “This [topic] is very im-portant because dairy produc-ers work hard but they don’t get the results they hope for because they’re planning with-out looking in the rearview mirror,” Swanson said. “They have to plan differently and look ahead.” Swanson’s session will give producers insight on how to plan while looking to the fu-ture and keeping in mind the historical trends of the indus-try. His objective is to answer the question, “So what should we do about it?” “I’ll talk about what it takes to manage [a dairy business] in this environment,” he said. “It’s always been a struggle.”

Dr. Michael Swanson The Midwest Dairy Expo will take place Dec. 8-9 at the Convention Center in St. Cloud, Minn. Aside from a chance to visit the trade show, attendees will have an oppor-tunity to participate in a butter and cheese raffle, silent auction and recognition banquet. The main events, however, are the educational breakout sessions that will take place throughout the two-day event. Swanson will serve as one

of the keynote speakers for this year’s Expo. Swanson grew up in the Twin Cities area. After gradu-ating from high school, he at-tended the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., for his undergraduate studies be-

Learning from historySwanson to discuss dairy cycles and how to plan for the future

Dr. Michael SwansonAg economist/consultant

fore obtaining his masters and doctorate degrees in agricultur-al and applied economics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Swanson’s first post-col-lege career was as a transpor-tation analyst with the Burling-ton Northern Railroad. Since then, he has been involved in agriculture. He worked for Cargill Cafetera de Manizales in Columbia, South America,

for four years before moving into the dairy sector when he took a position supervising a portion of the Land O’Lakes supply chain for value-added cheese. For the past 10 years, Swanson has been working for

“This [topic] is very important because dairy producers work hard but they don’t get the results they hope for because they’re planning without looking in the rearview mirror.” - Dr. Michael Swanson, ag economist and consultant

Wells Fargo Bank. As the se-nior agricultural economist and consultant, his career brings him face-to-face with many dairy producers from across the country on a daily basis. “Wells Fargo is the largest commercial agriculture bank in the country,” Swanson said. “It is also the largest lender to the dairy industry in the country.”

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Memorial Dr., turn right

To Hwy 23, turn right To 5th Ave. S., turn

left To 1st St. S., turn right Civic Center will be

straight ahead on the left

I-94 from West:To Hwy 15 North To Hwy 23 and turn

rightTo 5th Ave. S., turn

left. To 1st St. S., turn right Civic Center will be


From Hwy 10:Take Hwy 23 West To 4th Ave., turn right Civic Center will be

on the right

DIRECTIONS TO THE ST. CLOUD CIVIC CENTER

Hwy 15 from South:To Hwy 23, turn right To 5th Ave. S., turn left To 1st St. S., turn right Civic Center will be


Hwy 15 from North:Follow Hwy 10 South To Hwy 23 WestTo 4th Ave., turn right Civic Center will be on

the right

Hwy 23 from West:To 5th Ave., turn left To 1st St. S., turn right Civic Center will be


Hwy 23 from East:To 4th Ave. turn right. Civic Center will be

on the right

Highway 23 Highway 23

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Tuesday, December 8, 2009St. Cloud CiviC Center – St. Cloud, Mn

Trade Show Sponsors/Exhibitors

8:00 a.m. Trade Show Opens8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast (Trade Show & Equipment Alley)9:00 a.m. Educational Breakouts A. Wearing the CEO Hat (Main Level: Weidner, Clarke & Edelbrock Breakout Room) Jorge M. Estrada, Leadership Coaching International, Inc.

this session is geared toward, but not limited to, those milking five years or less. Jorge will get you focused on thinking like a Ceo. Participants will dive into a discussion on the skills that are required to be a successful dairy producer now and into the future, how to make the shift needed, and what might get in the way of being effective leaders.

B. MMPA Annual Business Meeting (Main Level: Bell & Alexander Breakout Room)Producer members of Minnesota Milk Producers Association are invited to come and be a part of the democratic process of their association. resolutions, other policy issues and the audit report for the fiscal year completed will be presented and approved. directors will be elected and voted upon in districts 4, 7 and 10 along with one At-large position.

10:00 a.m. Butter & Cheese Raffle Begins (Main Level: Civic Center Lobby)With Christmas baking and gift-giving around the corner, don’t miss this opportunity to buy a raffle ticket and win some butter or cheese from the uMdiA Fall Contest. Winners will be posted at 2:00 p.m.

10:30 a.m. Dairy Cycles but Your Plans are Straight Lines: What’s the Disconnect? (Main Level: Equipment Alley) Dr. Michael Swanson, Wells Fargo

emerging from one of the most painful dairy cycles in memory, what have producers and lenders learned - if anything? the simplest look at the price of milk and the number of cows shows the cyclicality of the dairy industry, but when’s the last time you saw a business plan get built on that reality? What can you do about it? What advantages can you gain, and at what cost or risk? it isn’t enough to be a good dairy operator anymore. You need to be a good business strategist as well.

11:30 a.m. Got Health Care? (Main Level: Equipment Alley) CharleneVrieze,CooperativeNetwork&CindySheffield,SOMI,Inc.

representatives of an initiative exclusive to Minnesota will present an overview of their efforts in creating a cooperative component to addressing health care for farmers and agribusiness. Come learn how you can benefit from a memberowned, one-of-a-kind project for the state’s agricultural community.

12:00 p.m. Lunch (Trade Show & Equipment Alley)1:30 p.m. Educational Breakouts A. Wearing the CEO Hat (Main Level: Weidner, Clarke & Edelbrock Breakout Room) Jorge M. Estrada, Leadership Coaching International, Inc.

this session will get you focused on thinking like a Ceo. Participants will dive into a discus-sion on the skills that are required to be a successful dairy producer now and into the future, how to make the shift needed, and what might get in the way of being effective leaders.

B. Becoming more Profitable through Better Calf Raising (Main Level: Bell & Alexander Breakout Room) VictorS.Cortese,D.V.M.,PfizerAnimalHealth

Proper calf care affects not only the health of the calf but the long term growth and productiv-ity of the calf even through second lactation and beyond. Current information on calf raising including colostrum management and early growth will be covered.

C. Using Baler Twine and Barn Lime to Identify Your Values and Design Your Life (Upper Level: Herberger Suite) LauraDaniels,HeartwoodFarm

laura will show you how common items on the farm become a metaphor for designing and living your life plan and will help you think about “what really matters” in a new way. Whether you are just starting to think about a purpose-driven life, or have planned it every step of the way, this workshop will help energize and re-connect you to your passion.

D. CowSignals (Part I) (Upper Level: Stockinger Suite) JoepDriessen,D.V.M,CowSignalsTrainingCompany

“Cows constantly provide us with information about their housing, health, and care. And cows always tell the truth.” the CowSignals concept is an approach to stimulate and train farmers to better observe their cows, to help them fight “working blindness” and – as a result of this – to improve health, welfare and production of the cows. the presentation will challenge you to answer the questions: “what are the cows telling you?” and “what actions should you take/ where can you improve?”

2:00 p.m. Butter & Cheese Raffle Concludes (Main Level: Civic Center Lobby)Winners will be selected and posted and must pick up their items by 4:00 p.m. today, december 8th.

2:30 p.m. Educational Breakouts A. Execute Swiftly: Practical Day-to-Day HR Management (Main Level: Weidner, Clarke & Edelbrock Breakout Room) Jorge M. Estrada, Leadership Coaching International, Inc.

one person not doing something properly can affect what happens that entire day on the farm. Managing everyday performance is a challenge, tending to em-ployee’s attitude, training and slotting people in the correct position affects per-formance and profitability of the entire farm.

B. Novel Forages and Novel Research (Main Level: Bell & Alexander Breakout Room) Dr. Neil P. Martin, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center

Come and learn about the latest research done at the uSdA dairy Forage re-search Center in Wisconsin. Some of the projects they are working on include redesigning alfalfa for dairy cattle and for potential use as a feedstock for cellu-losic ethanol production. new varieties of grasses and legumes are being devel-oped for use under intensive grazing by dairy cattle - varieties bred to increase yield, persistence, and forage quality. their herd of cows is used to better under-stand forage utilization and how to maximize forage use in dairy cows diets.

C. Needed “Hitch Pins Used or New”: The Importance of Connecting with People Who Eat (Upper Level: Herberger Suite) LauraDaniels,HeartwoodFarm

laura will help participants incorporate their values and connect! “used” ways of spreading the word still work. letters to legislators get read, letters to editors get printed and the people beside you in church might have questions about your farm. “new” ways to connect are also available. Facebook, twitter and Blogs might seem overwhelming, but laura will help you understand the importance and help you get started. or if you are already connecting on-line give you some new ideas and inspiration.

D. CowSignals (Part II) (Upper Level: Stockinger Suite) JoepDriessen,D.V.M,CowSignalsTrainingCompany

this is a continuation of CowSignals Part i. Joep will continue discussing the CowSignals concept and challenge you to answer the questions: “what are the cows telling you?” and “what actions should you take/where can you improve?”

3:30 p.m. Visit Trade Show (Trade Show & Equipment Alley)Show your appreciation to all the Midwest dairy expo sponsors by visiting their booths in the trade Show and new equipment Alley.

4:30 p.m. Scholarship Auction (Main Level: Equipment Alley)this year’s auction has something for everyone with a variety of on and offfarm items. All proceeds go toward the scholarship programs of Minnesota Milk Pro-ducers Association and upper Midwest dairy industry Association. While bidding, network with other progressive members of the dairy industry while sampling the top three cheddar cheeses from the uMdiA Fall Contest. A cash bar will also be available.

5:00 p.m. Trade Show Closes6:30 p.m. Recognition Banquet (Best Western/ Kelly Inn: Grand Ballroom)

• 2009 Producer of the Year• 2009 Legislator of the Year• Tina and Lenadiscover “wildlife” with Minnesota’s hottest comedy/singing/variety team, “tina and lena.” You’ll go-pher their clean, clever style of backyard wit and wisdom that’s stuffed with heaping helpings of hilarity. “tina and lena,” two loony ladies with lots of laugh lines, spout off about everything from woodstoves to websites. And just when you think you can’t laugh any longer, their beautiful blend of two-part harmony brings a smile of sweet moose-ic to your ears. it’s a custom crafted show with plenty of audience interaction…so get ready to loosen up, lighten up and lAuGH.

8:30 p.m. Hospitality Suites (Best Western/Kelly Inn: Pool Area)Hosted by Five-Star Sponsors around the Pool Area

40 Square Cooperative Healthcare ...................................6A & L Laboratories .......................................................436ADM/ Alliance Nutrition ..............................................215Advanced Comfort Technology, Inc. ............................ NAAFACT: American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology .......................................327AgCountry Farm Credit Services ................................. NAAg-Lime Sales, Inc. ......................................................107Agri-King .....................................................................440AgroChem, Inc. ............................................................342AgStar Financial Services .................................221 & 320Albers Dairy Equipment, Inc. ............................339 & 341American Agco Trading Company ...............................325Aminoplus/ Ag Processing, Inc. ...................................110Anez Consulting Inc. ....................................................114Arnold Companies Inc. ..........................................32 & 33Arnzen Construction/ St. Rosa Lumber ..............117, 119, 121, 216, 218 & 220Associated Milk Producers Inc. ....................................311Barenbrug USA ............................................................442Big gain, Inc. ...............................................................105Biogreen .......................................................................112Blue Star Power Systems ..............................................427Bongards’ Creameries ...................................................118Bremer Bank .................................................................323Burnett Dairy Co-op .....................................................503Byron Seeds LLC .........................................................106

Cargill, Inc. ................................................................... NACarlson Wholesale, Inc. .....................303, 305, 402 & 404CBM Electronics Lighting ................................435 & 437Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union .....................113Champion Milking Systems LLC/ Champion Ag Electric .............................415, 417 & 419Conewango Products, Corp. .........................................443Countryside Environmental Systems ...........................130Croplan genetics ..........................................................329Dairy Science Dept., South Dakota State University .........109Dairy Star ......................................................................100DairyLand Pest Control ................................................406Dairyland Supply Inc. ........................500, 502, 504 & 506DeLaval Inc. ..............................................136, 138 & 140Domain, Inc. .................................................................238DQCI Services ..............................................................219Ecolab Inc. .................................................................... NAElanco Animal Health ........................................103 & 202Falls Silo Service ..........................................................441Famo Feeds ...................................................................243Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. ................................507 & 509Feed Supervisor Software .............................................234Finken Water Solutions......................................245 & 344First District Assoc. ......................................................237Form-A-Feed, Inc. ........................................................423Freeport State Bank ......................................................226genex Cooperative .......................................................127

genex Farm Systems .........................129, 131, 228 & 230gillis Agricultural Systems Inc. ................429, 431 & 433gilman Coop Creamery ................................................213greystone/ Cover-All Building Systems ......................438H & S Manufacturing Co., Inc. .......................50, 51 & 52Hanson Silo Company .....................................44, 45 & 46Hoard’s Dairyman ........................................................125Hubbard Feeds Inc. ............................................336 & 338Hydro-Engineering Inc. ................................................108IBA ...............................................................................309Idexx Laboratories ........................................................337Industrial & Environmental Concepts (IEC) ................505Jung Seed genetics .......................................................422KASM 1150 AM........................................................... NAKDM Trading, Inc. .......................................................236Kleen Test Products ......................................................425Kuhn North America, Inc. ............................................411Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Products Co. ....................331Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods ..........................................333Land O’Lakes Purina Feed ...........................................329Lauren AgriSystems .....................................................208MEDA, Inc. ..................................................................426MERIAL .......................................................................206Midwest Dairy Association .......................................1 & 2Midwest Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Center/ Minnesota Beef Council .............................................447Midwest EnRg Flakes .......................................132 & 134







Wednesday, December 9, 2009St. Cloud CiviC Center – St. Cloud, Mn

8:00 a.m. Trade Show Opens8:00 a.m. Breakfast (Trade Show & Equipment Alley)9:00 a.m. Educational Breakouts A. Taking Control of W A. hat You Can During Volatile Times (Main Level: Weidner, Clarke & Edelbrock Breakout Room) Steve Bodart, Lookout Ridge Consulting

in today’s volatile environment, it’s easy to focus on the challenges and roadblocks im-pacting your dairy’s financial success. But in times of uncertainty, your operation can greatly benefit from identifying and managing those factors that can be controlled. You’ll learn how to use key financial measures and analysis, benchmarking and other tools tomake the most of your on-farm production and financial data. Plus, you’ll discover how proper communication of this key information can benefit your operation –making your business and management decisions a less stressful process.

B. Using Automated Calf Feeders (Main Level: Bell & Alexander Breakout Room) JimPaulson,UniversityofMinnesotaExtension

information will be presented on the use of computer controlled calf feeders along with the pluses and minuses of the equipment. Find out what guidelines must be followed for the best success.

C. Which Management Practices are Critical in the Control of Johne’s Disease (Upper Level: Herberger Suite) Sandra Godden, D.V.M, University of Minnesota

this presentation will review findings from long-term controlled clinical trials in Min-nesota designed to investigate the effects of a variety of management strategies on transmission of Johne’s disease in dairy cattle. Strategies to be discussed will include maternity pen management (single vs group pens), colostrum management strategies (colostrumreplacers, pasteurized colostrum), milk feeding practices (pasteurized milk vs milk replacer), heifer rearing location (on-site vs off-site), and transmission in adult cows. results from the Minnesota Johne’s disease demonstration Herd Project will also be presented.

D. Milk Marketing: Challenges and Opportunities (Upper Level: Stockinger Suite) PhilPlourd,BlimlingandAssociates,Inc.

dairy producers continue to confront price volatility on a regular basis. there are tools available to manage risk...but the process doesn’t always appear straightforward. What’s a producer to do? this session will feature a thorough discussion of how dairy producers might look at risk and ways in which it can be better managed.

10:00 a.m. Educational Breakouts A. Taking Control of What You Can During Volatile Times (Main Level: Weidner, Clarke & Edelbrock Breakout Room) Steve Bodart, Lookout Ridge Consulting

in today’s volatile environment, it’s easy to focus on the challenges and roadblocks im-pacting your dairy’s financial success. But in times of uncertainty, your operation can greatly benefit from identifying and managing those factors that can be controlled. You’ll learn how to use key financial measures and analysis, benchmarking and other tools to make the most of your on-farm production and financial data. Plus, you’ll discover how proper communication of this key information can benefit your operation –making your business and management decisions a less stressful process.

B. Robotic Milkers – How are they Working? (Main Level: Bell & Alexander Breakout Room) Producer panel moderated by Jim Salfer with University of Minnesota Extension. Producers Include:

• BensonDairyfromStewart,MN: Milking 155 cows with 3 lely robots. two robots were installed in November of 2008 and the third in June of 2009. Retrofit into a free stall barn built in 1994. Still milks one pen through the parlor and also has an automatic calf feeder.•HeintzBadgerValleyFarmLLCfromCaledonia,MN:Milking 120 cows with 2 lely robots since december 2008. new free stall barn was built with sand bedding.•JohansenDairyfromUnderwood,MN: Milking 120 cows with 2 lely robots since January 2009. Retrofit the freestall barn that was built in 2000 and one robot was placed in the freestall barn and the other was placed in an addition built for the robot.Learnaboutthekeystosuccessusingautomaticmilkingsystems(robots)fromproducerswithexperience.Theywillbesharingthereasonstheyinstalledrobotsandtheirpersonalexperiencesinmakingthemsuccessful.

C. Reproduction Success: It’s More Than Just a Good Synch Program (Upper Level: Herberger Suite) Ricardo Chebel, D.V.M., University of Minnesota

the focus of the presentation is to remind dairy producers of some of the critical manage-rial and health events that affect fertility and how to avoid them. We will also explore some of the new reproductive protocols available for resynchronization of lactating dairy cows.

D. Managing Price Volatility through Milk Marketing (Upper Level: Stockinger Suite) ProducerpanelmoderatedbyPhilPlourd,BlimlingandAssociates,Inc. Producersinclude:

• Dave Brutscher, Day Star Dairy, from Little Falls, MN.• Mark Sauter from Cannon Falls, MN.• Rod Schulze, Schulze Dairy, from Holland, MN.learn from producers about how they are using milk marketing tools to help manage the increasingly volatile milk prices. they will share their strategies and how they have utilized milk marketing to reduce their milk price volatility.

11:30 a.m. Water 101 - And Why Activism Matters (Main Level: Equipment Alley) TammyJohnson,Environomics,Inc.& WarrenFormo,MinnesotaAgWaterResourcesCoalition

Minnesota citizens are taxing themselves in order to assure that their future includes clean and healthy water systems. MPCA is identifying polluted waters, where it is coming from and how to fix any problems. tammy will discuss what this means for Minnesota dairymen and why this is important to your future. She will also talk about the importance of being an ambassador for your personal operation, for your industry and for your communities. the hardworking people in the dairy industry have a rich heritage and are proud of what they contribute to the well-being of society. dairymen must defend their ability to contin-ue to provide their product to a consuming public. By acting individually and collectively, it is not only possible, but very likely, to make a positive difference for your future.

12:30 p.m. Lunch (Trade Show & Equipment Alley)

1:30 p.m. Trade Show Closes

Trade Show Sponsors/Exhibitors Continued

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Midwest grain Systems, Inc. ........................................120Midwest Machinery Company ........................47, 48 & 49Mies Outland Inc. .........................................................211Minnesota Corn growers Association ..........................222Minnesota Dairy Initiatives ..........................................318Minnesota Department of Agriculture ..........................316Minnesota DHIA ..........................................................217Minnesota Farm & Food Coalition ...................................3Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation .................................4Minnesota Farmers Union ............................................413Minnesota Milk Producers Association .................10 & 11Minnesota Select Sires .................................................407Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council ..........3Miraco ...........................................................................430Mix 30 - Agridyne ........................................................343MN Ag Water Resources Coalition ..............................239MN Board of Animal Health ........................................314Modern Farm Equipment ........25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 & 31Mycogen .......................................................................312National Farmers Organization ....................................443Pfizer Animal Health ....................................................102Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl. ....................................................340Progressive Dairy Publishing .......................................204Quality Liquid Feeds, Inc. ............................................432RDO Equipment Co. ...........................315, 317, 319, 321, 414, 416, 418 & 420Ridgewater College ..........................................................7Somatic Cell Count guys .............................................408Soybest .........................................................................123St. Joseph Equipment ..........................34, 35, 36, 37 & 38Stearns Bank .................................................................307Stearns Vet Outlet ...........................203, 205, 207, 209, 302, 304, 306 & 308Steuart Laboratories ......................................................428Stray Voltage Consulting ..............................................104Superior Concrete .........................................................313TABS ............................................................................128

Vigortone Ag Products .................................................310Vita Plus Corporation ................................................... 111VitaFerm/ BioZyme Inc. ...............................................445Wells Fargo ...................................................................126WI Farm Technology Days - Pierce Co. .......................439Wieser Concrete............................................................224Xcel Energy ..................................................................241Ziegler CAT ...............................................401, 403 & 405

The Minnesota Chemical Company .............................501The Minnesota Project ..................................................421Titan Machinery Inc. ....................................................232Udder Tech, Inc. ................................................122 & 124University of Minnesota ...................................................5University of Minnesota Extension .............................. NAUSDA/ Farm Service Agency ......................................410USDA/ NRCS ...............................................................412Vi-COR ..............................................................210 & 212



good management has always been a key to success on dairy farms. As dairies have grown over the years, however, the skills needed within the lead roles have changed drastically, with the focus shifting from animal management to employee management. During three educational breakout sessions at the 2009 Midwest Dairy Expo,

Leadership Coaching International, Inc. president and CEO Jorge Estrada will discuss the skills it takes to be a good CEO and manager in today’s world. For those not involved in the high-end decision making of an operation, he will also discuss the day-to-day management skills it takes to make a dairy op-eration successful. “We’re very good at the technical side of the business – identifying mastitis, determining which antibiotics to use, reproduction,” Estrada said. “We are not as good at managing people.” Wearing the CEO hat Estrada’s first and second sessions will take place at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 8. Entitled “Wearing the CEO

hat,” these sessions are geared towards “the people that are at the top of their or-ganization, those making decisions and leading change at the highest level of their organization,” Estrada said. “This is a session that will challenge the ultimate decision maker or person that sits at the very top to come and do a self assessment of where they are at, where they are applying themselves and where they might be,” Estrada said. “This session will delve into the competencies these people need to have.” During these sessions, Estrada will take a look at the behaviors that help and hinder a leader’s effectiveness in his or her organization – the behaviors to focus on and those to avoid. As a professional facilitator, Estrada hopes to answer any questions attendees might have regarding these issues. “This topic is important because the motivation of your employees – how

engaged they are towards the organization, how dedicated they are, how focused they are on quality and how well they understand their mission – is highly driven by the behaviors and actions from the people at the top leading them,” he said.

Execute swiftly: Practical day-to-day human resource management Estrada’s third and final session, “Execute swiftly: Practical day-to-day hu-man resource management,” will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 8. Because his first sessions are focused on the higher-level leaders within an organization or business, this session, Estrada said, will cover the day-to-day human resource practices to use at any level within a business. “We’ll talk about employee management across the organization: employee motivation, keeping employees accountable, ensuring performance, training em-ployees and the basic supervision people need around them,” Estrada said. “Every business needs someone thinking about human resource management,” he added. Anyone interested in hearing practical approaches for managing people is in-vited to attend this session. “A business’ human resources are very important. They are the hands mak-ing things happen, doing the hard work and making decisions on the front line,” Estrada said. “That’s why it’s called ‘Execute swiftly,’ because to operate in an efficient manner you have to have your ducks in a row. If you have one bad apple, you need to know the impacts that will have on the rest of the business.”

Jorge Estrada and Leadership Coaching International, Inc. Estrada was born and raised in guatemala, with ties to his mother’s family’s dual-purpose dairy and beef operation. Those ties ignited a lifelong passion for agriculture. “That’s where I got my love for dairying,” Estrada said of his family’s opera-tion. “When I went to school, my aim was to pursue a career in agriculture.” Estrada earned his first degree from the Pan-American School of Agriculture in Honduras. He then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in animal science and masters in animal nutrition and management from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.

What it takes to be a good managerEstrada discusses the skills required to make a dairy operation successful

Jorge EstradaLeadership Coaching International, Inc.

turn to Estrada / Page 15

Milking1-800-636-5581

New Prague, MN Melrose, MNSioux Falls, SD Watertown, SD

Farmstead1-800-247-0012

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Considering a Change to Your Manure Handling or Manure Storage System?Stop in our Genex Farm Systems booth and check out our FAN, Parkson, and Slurrystore options. We have end of the year discounts on now for our Harvestore products.

See us at booths 129, 131, 228, 230


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Green Liner:

Visit us at Midwest Dairy Expo

Booth #208 From there, Estrada worked for a feed company in Pennsylvania. It was there – in his sales training and development role – that Estrada discovered his passion for coaching people. This passion grew as Estrada took a training and development position with Monsanto’s Posilac team, a position he stayed with for seven years. In 2000, Estrada became a professional certified coach and earned a masters degree in leadership de-velopment and coaching. He then organized Leader-ship Coaching International, Inc., a leadership de-velopment, coaching and organizational consulting firm. “[Leadership Coaching International, Inc.] came about for two reasons,” Estrada said about his business. “For one, it was a dream come true for me to have my own business and to apply myself.”

Continued from Estrada / Page 14

“This is a session that will challenge the ultimate deci-sion maker or person that sits at the very top to come and do a self assessment...” - Jorge Estrada leadership Coaching international, inc.

His second reason for starting the firm was the rise in need for training and development within the dairy industry. Leadership Coaching International, Inc. has five main areas of focus, Estrada said. Those areas include: 1. Coaching and development of business leaders; 2. Coaching in organization development; 3. Change management; 4. Development of highly engaged cultures/helping organizations overcome cultural barriers; and 5. Team development. Although the firm’s focus was originally on the ag industry, it has since broadened its clientele. Leadership Coaching International, Inc. is based out of Washington state, but Estrada has done work in both English and Spanish throughout the world.

“Wearing the CEO hat”

- 9 a.m. & 1:30 p.m., tues., december 8

“Execute Swiftly: Practical Day-to-

Day Human Resource

Management” - 2:30 p.m. ,

tues., december 8

See Jorge estrada’s presentations:

Come Visit Us At The Expo!See us in booth #100 on December 8th & 9th.

Sadie Jennifer

Andrea

Stop by the Dairy Star booth December 7 and visit with our columnist Sadie Frericks. Sadie’s column “The Next Generation” details her family’s journey as young dairy farmers in Central Minnesota. Sadie and her husband, Glen, have two children, Dan and Monika. Sadie has been a columnist with the Dairy Star

for a year. She also has a very popular blog on the Web site in which she updates several times a week about the joys and trials of their dairy farm.

Talk Web site with our online guru Andrea Borgerding. Andrea designed the Dairy Star Web Site and spends her days finding stories throughout the nation that pertain to dairy. The Web site is now focusing on on-line videos. Andrea has been with the Dairy Star for eight years and is excited to show how Web site advertising can enhance your businesses. Andrea can also talk to you about some of the neat ideas she has to enhance the news

section of the Web site with videos.

Visit with Jennifer Burggraff about any story ideas you might have in your area. Jennifer is the Dairy Star’s main writer in the northern two-thirds of Minnesota.

Jennifer is a University of Minnesota graduate and is always willing to talk story ideas with our dairy farmers.


One day workshops created by dairy producers to educate, challenge and connect the dairy industry across Minnesota

February 2, 2010Holiday Inn

St. Cloud, MN

February 3, 2010Holiday Inn

New Ulm, MN

February 4, 2010International Event Center

Rochester, MN


DMW are made possible by the support of MMPA’s dairy producer members and other associate members within the industry including AgStar Financial Services and Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Milk Marketing: What We Have LearnedFrom the Ups and Downs of the Market

Kenneth W. Bailey, Ph.D.Ken has been working in the U.S. dairy industry for over 20 years. He is one of just a few Ph.D. agricultural economists who specializes and focuses on the complexities of the U.S. dairy industry. His major expertise is in analyzing policy changes, international trade, price forecasting, and risk management.

Lessons Learned with Low Milk Prices&

Looking Back to Look Ahead in the Minnesota Dairy IndustryMichael F. Hutjens, Ph.D.

Mike Hutjens was raised on a 313 acre, 70 cow grade Holstein farm near Green Bay, Wisconsin. His master’s degree involved mastitis detection at Wisconsin. In 1971, he earned his joint doctorate degree in dairy science and nutritional science with a minor in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Keeping Success in Your Succession PlanMarv Siekman, CFP

Marv Siekman, Business Planning Consultant for Lookout Ridge Consulting in Waite Park, MN, draws on 30 years of experience in working with over 1700 farm families on various fi nancial planning topics to site some basic principles that can help you improve the probability of achieving success. Siekman was raised on a dairy and crop farm in Illinois. He has an M.S. from the University of Illinois, and is a Certifi ed Financial Planner.

Dairy Animal Welfare: What is Happening Today?

Marcia Endres, Ph.D.Dr. Marcia Endres is an associate professor and extension dairy specialist in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Minnesota. She joined the faculty in October 2001 after working as Animal Nutrition Manager for Mycogen Seeds. She received her Ph.D. in Dairy Science from the University of Minnesota, M.S. in Animal Nutrition from Iowa State University, and a Veterinary Medicine degree from University of Parana, Brazil. For the last 6 years, Dr. Endres has focused her research

and extension eff orts in the area of dairy management, welfare and behavior.

.

Educational Breakout Speakers


The dairy industry is one of the soybean farmer’s biggest livestock customers – consuming 594,000 tons of soybean meal annually. Soybean producers depend on dairy and other livestock operations of all sizes for the profi tability of their farms.

That’s why the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council annually invests in projects to increase the dairy farmer’s bottom line – such as improving the nutrition content of feed and communicating its important contributions to Minnesota’s economy.

By working together, Minnesota’s soybean and dairy farmers can continue to provide the necessary employment and tax revenue to keep our state strong.

Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council

www.mnsoybean.org

Minnesota SoybeanResearch & Promotion CouncilResearch & Promotion CouncilMinnesota SoybeanResearch & Promotion CouncilMinnesota Soybean

The dairy industry is one of the soybean

livestock customers– consuming 594,000 tons of soybean meal annually. Soybean producers depend on dairy and other livestock

That’s why the Minnesota Soybean

increase the dairy farmer’s bottom line – such as improving the nutrition content of feed and communicating content of feed and communicating

continue to provide the necessary employment and tax revenue to keep our state strong.

Producing award-winning products is just one reason why producers choose

Associated Milk Producers Inc. as their milk marketing organization.

Visit the AMPI Booth at the 2009 Midwest Dairy Expo.

www.ampi.com800-533-3580 2009


GELDERMALSEN, The Neth-erlands – Dr. Joep Driessen said dairy producers can prevent every cow prob-lem by taking time to observe their herd. “It does not cost much time,” Driessen said via e-mail about observ-ing cows. “You just have to learn to be more alert.” Dairy producers will be able to learn what to look for during Driessen’s two seminars, Cow Signals Part I at 1:30 p.m. and Cow Signals Part II at 2:30 p.m., on Dec. 8 during the 2009 Mid-west Dairy Expo in St. Cloud, Minn. After growing up on his Dutch par-ent’s dairy farm in Luxemburg, Dries-sen became a veterinarian after gradu-ating from the University of Utrecht. “In vet school we learned to judge cows with sharp observation and I re-ally enjoyed this,” he said. During his early veterinary years while volunteering at a farmers training project, Driessen realized only 20 per-cent of farmers read their cows. That re-alization sparked an idea. Driessen and one of his colleagues created CowSig-nals – workshops that teach farmers about the body language of cows. He said most dairy producers don’t spend enough time every day observing their cows. “We teach them to observe better while they work between or with the cows, or passing the cows,” Driessen said about his workshops. “See the wait-ing cows and think to yourself, ‘Why are they doing this? How can I improve it?’ Challenge your management skills. Look, think and act.” Cows that aren’t observed means cows that have problems. “Twenty-five percent of cows are lame and/or 25 percent are wounded today in the world and this is an under-estimation,” Joep said. “Minnesota is

very likely not better than this.” Driessen said dairy producers should look for lameness and wounds to the pressure points on the neck, bow, backbone, ribs, and hips, among many other problems. They should also be aware of bad color and shine, low heads and ears, deep eyes, and thick manure in first lactation cows. “Dirty swollen claws, empty ru-mens and bloody wounds or rough skin are easy to recognize and you don’t

“CowSignals Part 1 & II”

- 1:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. tues., dec. 8

See dr. Joep driessen’s

presentation:

Observing cows can equal more money

Driessen talks about cow body language during seminars at expo

PHoto SubmittedDr. Joep Driessen said dairy produc-ers can prevent every cow problem by taking time to observe their herd.

“Wounds and lame-ness make cows live one or two years shorter on farms. We teach farmers to look for the hidden money.” - Dr. Joep Driessen CowSignals workshops

have to be a rocket scientist to know that this is bad for the cows,” Driessen said. Watching for these signals and act-ing on these problems can lead to cows that live longer and are more produc-tive. “Wounds and lameness make cows live one or two years shorter on farms,” Driessen said. “Those are big losses. We teach farmers to look for the hidden money.” Driessen calls his workshops prac-tical and an eye opener. “We’ve had farmers who listen and change, and afterward they thank us for having even more increase in milk (pro-duction) than we predicted,” Driessen said. With many vets in the field busy treating sick animals, Driessen said reading a cow’s body language can help prevent disease and a visit from the vet. “I would like to see more vets like us – teaching farmers to prevent disease by showing them, successfully persuad-ing them with excellent arguments and examples, and thinking together with them for solutions.”


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BALDWIN, Wis. – Nearly 11 months into the milk price crash, Steve Bodart said dairy producers can still make management deci-sions that can benefit their bottom line. “Just like any other business,

dairies have op-portunities for further growth and improve-ment,” said the senior business consultant with Lookout Ridge Consulting. “If producers are looking for one key item to take home from the

seminar, I would like to see them take one area that will be highlight-ed, bring it back to their operation and evaluate opportunities for im-provement.” Bodart will be presenting the seminar, “Taking Control of What You Can During Volatile Times” at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Dec. 9 at this year’s Midwest Dairy Expo in St. Cloud. Bodart describes his seminar as one that will give producers an out-side perspective to obstacles on their farm. “All too often we see people try-ing to work on an area that has very little impact on their overall busi-ness picture,” he said. “We need to turn over the big stones first … then

work on the smaller ones.” Although he welcomes any-one to his presentation, Bodart said owners and managers of dairies are the best fit for his seminar. “They’re the ones looking at not just the production side of things, but also the financial implication of those production changes,” Bodart said. And this year, connecting pro-duction and finances has been one of the most important aspects on dair-ies. “Finances have always been im-portant, but after a year like 2009 that came through with low milk prices, managing every area of your

Take control of dairy finances

Bodart’s seminar focuses on what producers can do during volatile times

Steve BodartLookout Ridge Consulting “Understanding

cost of production is important because when it comes to the bottom line, that is what really rules.” - Steve Bodart lookout Ridge Consulting

turn to Bodart / Page 19

business is more vital now than ever to try to control your cost of pro-duction and minimize the losses a dairy has seen,” Bodart said. “It will also maximize profit potential when prices rebound.”


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Bodart said the focus of his semi-nar is identifying aspects of the farm that producers can control. In order to find those control factors, Bodart said producers must first understand their business from both a produc-tion and financial level. “Understanding cost of produc-tion is important because when it comes to the bottom line, that is what really rules,” he said. “You may get to the cost of production differently than your neighbors, but we all have to be competitive in this market and in the perceivable future in order to survive.” One of the main areas Bodart said dairy producers can control is feed expense. However, Bodart said producers need to think beyond the obvious feed costs. “There’s a lot more to control-ling feed cost than just looking at the price per ton,” he said. “That’s

Continued from Bodart / Page 18

one aspect, but there are many other details they can dig into to figure out how to reduce their feed bill further than price per ton per ingredient.” He also said his seminar would look at another aspect to control – herd replacements. “Not a lot of people have thought about it in the past, but we need to look at how fast we’re turning cattle over in our herd, what the replace-ment rate is for the herd and the im-pact that has on cost of production,” Bodart said. From this seminar, producers will be able to improve the future of their farm, Bodart said. “We’re not just looking in the rearview mirror because if we only look at the financial numbers, that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “You have to take the financial numbers and tie them to production so you can forecast forward.”

He said learning from the past to correct the future can also make dairies more efficient. Bodart has been involved in the dairy industry since a young age. “It’s been all I’ve ever known,” Bodart said about the dairy indus-try. After growing up on a dairy farm 10 miles from green Bay, Wis., Bo-dart attended the University of Wis-consin-River Falls. He then went on to Iowa State for his Master’s. After college, he worked at Land O’Lakes in nutrition consulting before mov-ing into the field of finance. In the mid 1990s, Bodart worked with the finances of dairies that were expand-ing into modern facilities. Bodart then worked as the Chief Financial Officer of a commercial dairy in western Wisconsin for two years be-fore joining Ag Star eight years ago. For the past six years, Bodart has been in consulting.

“Taking Control of

What You Can During

Volatile Times”

- 9 a.m. & 10 a.m., Wed., dec. 9

See Steve bodart’s presentation:


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Udder Tech at heMidwest Dairy Expo, St. Cloud, MNVictor S. Cortese, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Becoming more Profitable through Better Calf RaisingDecember 8 at 1:30 p.m. Victor graduated from Michigan State University in 1980 with his doctorate in veterinary medicine. He then entered a predominantly dairy practice in Wisconsin where he also held a non-tenured adjunct professor position with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Veterinary Medicine. In 1989 he joined Diamond Scientific in their technical services

department where he was promoted to director of veterinary operations. In June of 1990 he moved to SmithKline Beech Animal Health (now Pfizer Animal Health). He currently holds the title of Director Specialty Veterinary Operations - Cattle Immunology. He has many publications on viral infections, immunology and young dairy calf management, several textbook chapters and guest lectures at many veterinary and university meetings.

Neal P. Martin, Ph.D.Novel Forages and Novel ResearchDecember 8 at 2:30 p.m. Neal P. Martin was reared on a dairy farm in Ohio. He re-ceived his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Agronomy from Ohio State University and Iowa State Uni-versity, respectively, and a doctorate in Agronomy and Animal Science from Iowa State University. From 1974 to 1999 he was an Extension and Research

Agronomist/Forages in the Department of Agronomy and Plant genetics at the University of Minnesota. His extension and research efforts were directed at for-age and grassland improvements and methods of forage quality evaluation. In March 1999, Dr. Martin became Director of the U.S. Dairy Forage Re-search Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDAARS), in Madison, Wis. Current basic and applied research at the Center involves animal nutrition, protein utilization, forage cell wall digestibility, forage management and genetics, rumen microbiology, nutrient management and water quality, and analysis of sustainable dairy forage systems.

Ricardo Chebel, D.V.M.Reproduction Success: It’s More Than Just a Good Synch ProgramDecember 9 at 10 a.m. Dr. Chebel is a veterinarian and professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Previously Dr. Chebel has been on staff at University of California and University of Idaho. Dr. Chebel’s expertise is in the area of reproductive biology of cattle. He has done ex-

tensive research in the area of estrus synchronization and factors affecting concep-tion rate and embryo loss of dairy cattle.

Sandra Godden, D.V.M., DVScWhich Management Practices are Critical in the Control of Johne’s DiseaseDecember 9 at 9 a.m. Sandra is a 1993 graduate of the Ontario Veterinary Col-lege, University of guelph. After working for two years as an associate veterinarian in mixed practice in Eastern Ontario, she returned to guelph to complete a three-year Doctor of Veterinary Science degree specializing in dairy production

medicine. From 1998 to present she has been a member of the Center for Dairy Health, Management, and Food Quality at the University of Minnesota where she is involved with student teaching, applied research and dairy outreach activities. Major academic interests include applied research in pasteurization of waste milk and colostrum, Johne’s Disease control, colostrum management, mastitis control, and transition cow management.

Jim PaulsonUsing Automated Calf FeedersDecember 9 at 9 a.m. Jim Paulson received a Bachelor of Science degree in An-imal Science from the University of Minnesota in 1978 and a Master of Science degree in Dairy Science from the Univer-sity of Minnesota in 1989. He is currently a Dairy Extension Education with University of Minnesota in Hutchinson, Minn. Prior, Jim served as a dairy nutritionist with Land O’Lakes

and Farmland. He was also director of dairy operations and instructor at Northeast Iowa Community College. Jim has also managed the research herds at the Waseca

Experiment Station and on the St. Paul campus.

Phil Plourd• Milk Marketing: Challenges and OpportunitiesDecember 9 at 9 a.m.• Managing Price Volatility through Milk MarketingDecember 9 at 10: a.m. Phil Plourd is President of Blimling and Associates, Inc. and Roger W. Blimling, Inc., Wisconsin-based firms that have specialized in dairy markets and risk management for more

than 15 years. The companies work with numerous producers, cooperatives, man-ufacturers and end-users from coast-to-coast. A popular speaker, Phil finds ways to bring a fresh, frank perspective to the dairy issues of the day.

More about the speakers

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December 8 at 6:30 p.m. Annette “Lena” Hustad has degrees in Music Therapy from Alverno College and in Music Education from Augsburg College and the University of Minne-sota, Morris. She taught K-12 music for 10 years, and served on the Minnewaska School Board for 12 years. She and her husband live in glenwood, Minn. They have four daughters, four sons-in-love, and three granddaughters. Susan “Tina” Edwards taught K-12 Physical Education & Elementary Music and coached after receiving a BA degree from the University of Minnesota, Mor-ris. She worked in radio and advertising for 15 years. Sue and her husband live inAlexandria, Minn. They have five children, a son-in-love and a daughter-in-love, and three granddaughters.

“Tina and Lena” are Recognition Banquet

featured speakers






Sponsors5 Star Sponsors• AgStar Financial Services • Croplan Genetics • Dairy Star• Elanco Animal Health

4 Star Sponsors• Arnold Companies Inc.• DeLaval Inc.• Midwest Dairy Association• Midwest Machinery Company

3 Star Sponsors• ADM/ Alliance Nutrition• Arnzen Construction/ St. Rosa Lumber• Bongards’ Creameries• Cargill, Inc.• Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union

2 Star Sponsors• 40 Square Cooperative Healthcare• A & L Laboratories• Advanced Comfort Technology, Inc.• AFACT: American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology• Ag-Lime Sales, Inc.• Agri-King• AgroChem, Inc.• Albers Dairy Equipment, Inc.• American Agco Trading Company• Aminoplus/ Ag Processing, Inc.• Anez Consulting Inc.• Associated Milk Producers Inc.• Barenbrug USA• Big Gain, Inc.• Biogreen• Blue Star Power Systems• Bremer Bank• Burnett Dairy Co-op• Byron Seeds LLC• Carlson Wholesale, Inc.• CBM Electronics Lighting• Champion Milking Systems LLC/ Champion Ag Electric• Conewango Products, Corp.• Countryside Environmental Systems• Dairy Science Dept., South Dakota State University• DairyLand Pest Control• Dairyland Supply Inc.• Domain, Inc.• Falls Silo Service• Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc.

• Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Products Co.• Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods• Land O’Lakes Purina Feed

• Minnesota Dairy Initiatives• Minnesota Department of Agriculture• Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council

• DQCI Services• Ecolab Inc.• Famo Feeds• First District Assoc.• Genex Farm Systems

• Feed Supervisor Software• Finken Water Solutions• Form-A-Feed, Inc.• Freeport State Bank• Genex Cooperative• Gillis Agricultural Systems Inc.• Gilman Coop Creamery• Greystone/ Cover-All Building Systems• H & S Manufacturing Co., Inc.• Hanson Silo Company• Hoard’s Dairyman• Hydro-Engineering Inc.• IBA• Idexx Laboratories• Industrial & Environmental Concepts (IEC)• Jung Seed Genetics• KDM Trading, Inc.• Kleen Test Products• Kuhn North America, Inc.• Lauren AgriSystems• MEDA, Inc.• MERIAL• Midwest Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Center/ Minnesota Beef Council• Midwest EnRG Flakes• Midwest Grain Systems, Inc.• Mies Outland Inc.• Minnesota DHIA• Minnesota Farm & Food Coalition• Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation• Minnesota Farmers Union• Minnesota Select Sires

• Minnesota Milk Producers Association • Stearns Vet Outlet• University of Minnesota Extension

• Modern Farm Equipment• St. Joseph Equipment

• Hubbard Feeds Inc.• Minnesota Corn Growers Association• Pfizer Animal Health• Ziegler CAT

• Miraco• Mix 30 - Agridyne• MN Ag Water Resources Coalition• MN Board of Animal Health• Mycogen• National Farmers Organization• Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl.• Progressive Dairy Publishing• Quality Liquid Feeds, Inc.• RDO Equipment Co.• Ridgewater College• Somatic Cell Count Guys• Soybest• Stearns Bank• Steuart Laboratories• Stray Voltage Consulting• Superior Concrete• TABS• The Minnesota Chemical Company• The Minnesota Project• Titan Machinery Inc.• Udder Tech, Inc.• University of Minnesota• USDA/ Farm Service Agency• USDA/ NRCS• Vi-COR• Vigortone Ag Products• Vita Plus Corporation• VitaFerm/ BioZyme Inc.• Wells Fargo• WI Farm Technology Days - Pierce Co.• Wieser Concrete• Xcel Energy

1 Star Sponsors• AgCountry Farm Credit Services • KASM 1150 AM • United FCS







Scholarship AuctionCome support the Live Auction at the Midwest Dairy Expo raising funds for the scholarship programs of Minnesota Milk Produc-ers Association and Upper Midwest Dairy Industry Association. Scholarships are awarded annually to post-secondary students continuing their education in a dairy-related field. The auction will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8th in the new Equipment Alley. A complete listing of all items, including the specific butter and cheese items, will be available at the auction.

• Vikings Tickets and MerchandiseDonated by: Midwest Dairy AssociationAutographed Vikings item plus 4 tickets to the January 3rd Minnesota Vikings game against the New York giants at 12 Noon.

• Boomer8N Pedal TractorDonated by: Modern Farm EquipmentThe boomer8N Pedal Tractor is a collector’s edition with a rugged die-cast body, powdercoat finish and authentic decals. Is sized for children 3-10 years old and has du-rable rubber tires, pedals, plastic seat and throttle.

• Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS UnitDonated by: MERIALThis navigator leads the way with turn-by-turn directions and optional MSN® Direct services. It’s packed with mil-lions of destinations and maps for the contiguous U.S.

• Milking SetDonated by: Udder Tech, IncPackage includes waterproof bibbed overalls, jacket and cloth towel pouch set. The Waterproof Bibbed Overalls feature taslan nylon, adjustable shoulder straps, 2 pockets on the chest, and an inside zippered chest pocket. The Wa-terproof Jacket or Waterproof Pullover (winner’s choice) features taslan nylon and our signature adjustable cuff us-ing elastic and Velcro to ensure a good fit. The Jacket fea-tures a full zipper and 2 side pockets, while the Pullover has a half zipper and one double layer front pocket. The Cloth Towel Pouch Set consists of a 2 inch sturdy belt and 2 Cloth Towel Pouches in the medium size.

• Quilted Baby Quilt & Wall HangingDonated by: Stone’s Dairy in Henning, MNThe pink baby quilt is 43” x 38” and features cows jump-ing over clouds. The wall hanging is 36” x 24” and features classic cows and bottles of milk. Both are hand-quilted by Arleen Stone.

• 2-Chanhassen Dinner and Show TicketsDonated by: KASM 1150 AM RadioEach ticket is good for 2 people and excludes Saturdays and the month of December. Each ticket is valid until spring of 2011.

• Cheese and/or Butter PackagesDonated by: Upper Midwest Dairy Industry Association Includes blocks of cheddar, specialty cheeses and butter. With Christmas baking and gift giving around the corner, cheese and butter from the UMDIA Fall Contest is the perfect idea!

• Custom-Designed Farm SignDonated by: AgStar Financial ServicesReceive a custom-designed farm sign to post at the entrance to your farm. In-cludes your choice of materials, size and artwork created by Art Sign & Sales.

• John Deere Pedal TractorDonated by: Midwest Machinery Co.Kids cast 7930 John Deere Pedal Trac-tor made with steel and die cast con-struction.

• Polydome Calf WarmerDonated by: Dairyland Supply IncProvides a comfortable environment for newborn calves.

• Framed Farm PrintsDonated by: American Agco TradingCompanyTwo framed nature prints by Terry Red-lin and one farm print by Bonnie Mohr.

• Imm PowerDonated by: Minnesota Select SiresConvert ImmPower™ is a complete colostrum replacement for newborn calves. It contains a source of globulin proteins, specialized proteins, energy, vitamins and minerals needed for opti-mal health and performance.

• Live Maine LobstersDonated by: Idexx Laboratories4 – 1 ½ pound live lobsters shipped di-rectly from Maine to your doorstep.

• Fluorescent Light FixtureDonated by: CBM Electronics LightingFluorescent Light Fixture wp351ho120/277 - end with reflector and 6’ powercord.

• Framed Bonnie Mohr PrintDonated by: Vita Plus CorporationFramed Bonnie Mohr print titled, “Raising ‘em Right.”

New Scholarship RaffleCome support the new Scholarship Raffle being held Tuesday, December 8th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. in the lobby area of the St. Cloud Civic Center. Participants will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets to win one of several butter and cheddar cheese packages. One ticket can be purchased for $2 and three tickets for $5. Winners will be drawn and posted at 2:00 p.m. and will have until 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8th to pick up their item. All proceeds will go toward the scholarship programs of Minnesota Milk Producers Association and Upper Midwest Dairy Industry Association.


Documents

Midwest Dairy Expo Preview 2009