Dairy Nutrition and Feeding School - March 3

Northeast Iowa Community College and The Northeast Iowa Community Based Dairy Foundation will be hosting an important and timely school for the dairy producer. The Midwest Dairy Nutrition and Feeding School, scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, 2009 from 9:30 to 3:00, features industry experts, a producer panel and exhibits that benefit the dairy producer.

The primary focus of the School will be controlling the rising cost of feed and ideas for implementing quality at lower costs without impacting production. Communication between the nutritionist and the farm’s feeder is an important aspect of a successful feeding program.

Top speakers with timely topics include:
“Overviews of ddgs and its Markets” with Ryan Sauer of Hawkeye Gold
Learn about the supply and demand and use of dried distillers grains in cattle.

“56 Squares” with Bill Nelson and Clint Renken, of Nelson Dairy Consultants.
Building a good ration for a lactating dairy cow requires more than a good ration
balancing computer program.

“Feeding for Production and Profitability” with Andy Mueller, Land O’ Lakes Purina Feeds
A close look at commodity selection and why you feed what you feed.

“Proper Storage to Protect Your Feed Quality” with John Anderson, Mycogen
Understand forage quality differences, and the nutritional and economic impact of quality on your milk production.

The effectiveness of the Midwest Dairy Nutrition and Feeding School will be enhanced by a panel of producers discussing “Selection, Storage and Use of Forages and Commodities on my Dairy” moderated by Dave Lawstuen, NICC Dairy Science Chair and a hands on portion to conclude the day. Don’t miss this opportunity for your dairy business. The Dairy Center located on Highway 150 south of Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar, IA is the leader in the dairy industry offering education, research and demonstration under one roof.

If you are a dairy business and would like to exhibit at the School, please check with Mary Steen for availability. For more information and to pre-register for Midwest Dairy Nutrition and Feeding School #0021823, please contact Mary Steen at Northeast Iowa Community College at 800.728.2256 Ext 341 or Dave Lawstuen at The Dairy Center 563-534-9957 Ext 112.

Dairy Open House - March 18

Brothers Doug and Steve Turnis of Hopkinton will be hosting an open house at their farm on Wednesday, March 18. They will be hosting the open house, along with the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation and various businesses who worked on the project.

The Turnis brothers recently put up a new 160-stall freestall barn and a new double-12 parlor.
Their old 106-stall tie stall barn was to the point they had to do something, so they decided to build with a focus on cow comfort.

Their new barn has waterbeds for the cows and big energy-efficient fans. It also features a scraper system, headlocks and alley mats.

“We decided to focus on keeping the cows comfortable and they have responded with milk,” says Doug.

They moved into the freestall barn the end of summer and moved into the new parallel parlor in November. The parlor was built into their old tie-stall barn.

Their new parlor includes a plate cooler system and that water is used for watering the cows. The wash water from the milking system is used to wash down after milking and then used again to flush the flumes of manure system.

The Turnis brothers are the third generation on their family farm.

The open house will be at 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, with a short program at about 11 a.m.

The Program Committee of the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation helped organize the event. The Foundation is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the dairy industry through people by providing education, demonstration and research. The Foundation owns The Dairy Center in Calmar, which is operated in partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College and Iowa State University.

Northeast Iowa Dairy Center Receives Award

The Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation recently received the Attraction of the Year Award by the Winneshiek County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Dairy Center Facts:

• Located south of the Northeast Iowa Community College’s Calmar campus.
• NICC and Iowa State University partnered with the Dairy Foundation to create the center.
• The Dairy Center displays a milking observation area, a freestall barn, an educational exhibit titled Iowa’s Dairy Story and a dairy museum that chronicles Iowa’s dairy history
• More than 8,000 children have visited Iowa's Dairy Story

For information about Dairy Center programming, contact Kelli Boylen at 563.534.9957, ext 107.

Left to right: Brenda Balk, WCCVB director; Jed Becker, President of the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation; and Kelli Boylen, Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation director.

Dairy Farming on YouTube

Don't have time to go visit a dairy farm? Want to find out and share with others what happens on a dairy farm? Check out Dairy Farming Today on YouTube! There are videos showing everything from a calving pen to automatic backscratchers to interviews with dairy farm families.

http://www.youtube.com/user/DairyFarmingToday

Iowa Dairy-Based Projects

The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, located in Ames, Iowa, funds two dairy-based research projects focusing on challenges and opportunities for grass-based and organic dairies in Iowa.

Developing Organic/Grass-Based Dairies in Southwest and Southern Iowa http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/eco_files/2007_dairy_grants.htm#newproj_01

Sustainable Economic Development Through Organic and Grazing Dairy Farm Establishment and Transition http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/marketing_files/2008renewals.htm#Tranel

ISU Extension Encourages Dairy Investment

"...keeping the dairy industry strong is important to all of us who live or work around the countryside..." - Larry Tranel, ISU Extension

ISU Extension gives advice and information on ways to modernize Iowa dairies and beginning dairy farmer investments:
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/NR/rdonlyres/B090C051-8602-4456-B3D6-1ED769C2D495/46811/ISUExtensionEncouragesDairyInvestment.pdf

Low Prices Lead to Tough Times for Iowa Dairy Families

All Iowa dairy farm families are feeling the crunch of much lower farm milk prices. According to the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), "the current price that farmers get for bottled milk is down nearly 50% from last winter, and just the drop from January to February alone is more than 40 cents per gallon." A slow economy, decrease in dairy exports, high on farm input costs and more milk production than demand all play into the low prices. While everyone is feeling the strain of the economy and making cutbacks, NMPF reminds us that, "penny for penny, no other food offers as much nutritional value for America’s families as milk."

Milk Cheaper, Dairy Farmers Struggle (KWWL)
The story and video (click Dairy Farmers above Ms. Wagner's picture to view video) feature Hansen's Farm Fresh Dairy of Hudson, Iowa.
http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?s=9815292

Low Prices Hurt Farmers (WOI)
Visit the site below featuring Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President and dairy farmer, Craig Lang of Brooklyn, Iowa.
http://www.woi-tv.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3429824&h1=Low%20Prices%20Hurt%20Farmers&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=102500&LaunchPageAdTag=Search%20Results&activePane=info&rnd=55041599

Etched Glass Dairy Mural

The following are pictures from the new mural at the ISU Dairy Farm in Ames, Iowa.

"River of Milk" Mural Installed at Iowa State Dairy Farm: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news_detail.php?var1=720