Lancaster Farming: Dairy

Achieving Success

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Widerman Carves <\n>Out Farming Niche Charlene M. Shupp Espenshade Special Sections Editor GETTYSBURG, Pa. — “I was always into the farm, especially the cows, even when I was little,” said Joy Widerman. She has worked on her family’s dairy farm, JoBo Holsteins since she was a young girl, minus the one year she served as a Pennsylvania State FFA officer, but it took a crisis to solidify her career. A teat dip purchased had too much acid and it burned the cows’ teats. “It was at that point that the whole farm flashed in front of my eyes.” Her fear was the farm was not going to make it over this hurdle. The family was forced to cull a high number of cows as a result. “That is when it hit me, I don’t want to lose this place. It’s where I want to be,” she said. “This is where I want to raise my family, this is my home. This is my true passion.” JoBo Holsteins, located just outside of Gettysburg, Pa., is a 950 -cow dairy. Several members of the family, including her parents are in a limited liability partnership. They farm about 1,000 acres. A registered Holstein and Brown Swiss herd, the herd average more than 29,000 pounds of milk annually. Widerman joined the partnership in 2002, as the herdswoman making the farm breeding and marketing decisions, plus working with the nutritionists and veterinarian. This past fall, she was selected as the 2012 Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement Award winner. Widerman and her husband both work on the farm. Family members John, Josie, and Dale became partners with her parents John and Bonnie Hess in 2000, and she joined later. Joy said her father wanted to give her time to decide if returning to the farm was the right career choice for her. As she has gotten older, she has appreciated her fa ther’s foresight, “I can’t say enough about our parents for what they did for us here,” she said, regarding their willingness to work to grow the farm so she and her siblings could return to the farm. Her parents moved to the farm from Lancaster County in the 1970s. They led the first farm expansion in 1997 growing the herd from 200 to about 500 cows, and a second expansion in 2007 grew the herd to its current size. “For us all to be here and to raise our families, there are advantages to being a farm this size, I can go on vacation with my kids or watch my kids games,” she said. Her kids are 10, 8 and 7. Because the farm is a larger farm, incorporating her kids in the operation is different than when the farm was smaller. First, her kids have their 4-H projects at Joy’s home and the animals are their responsibility. Also, as her kids, as well as the other Hess grandchildren, have gotten old enough, they have been assigned duties around the farm. For example, several of the kids are assigned a day to help feed calves at the dairy. “I do think they have to learn the responsibilities of a farm,” she said and she wants them to appreciate the hands-on side of the farm. The farm has a workflow diagram posted outside of the farm’s milking parlor, along with reports about milk quality. She smiled when she realized her one son added his name to the listing of who was responsible for the calves. Also, when a farm employee needs to take a day off, some of the grandchildren are asked to cover for that person. She said because the family works so closely together, her kids have close relationships with their cousins as well as their aunts and uncles. Joy’s husband, Brock’s main duties are with the crops side of the farm and during growing season, things can get busy. Joy and her family also open up their farm to school tours every year. More than 1,000 kids visited the farm last year. In addition, after attending the national Achievement Award Contest as part of the American Farm Bureau Federation meeting in January, she started a Facebook page for the farm to engage the public and to talk about farming. It’s important because she realizes there is a disconnect between the farm and the dinner table. A couple of weeks ago, when rain was predicted, Brock missed one of her kid’s baseball games because of chopping forages to beat the weather. She had a parent who could not understand why it was so important. The mother said “it’s just grass,” not understanding the nutritional value of harvesting forages at the right time. With 16 grandkids in the Hess family, and several nearing high school graduation, the family has also began the discussion on how the next generation can come into the farm, if it is their wish to return to the farm. The family decided to start discussing and planning now, so that everyone understands expectations and what a path to farm partnership will look like. Some of the choices include grandchildren having to work off the farm for two years before returning to the farm full time and then they would have to work several years before they could be considered for the partnership. Time will tell which of the grandkids will want to join the partnership, but for now, Joy enjoys watching her kids discover what parts of the farm that fit their personalities best. Each has very different likes, from one trying to figure out how to make a piece of equipment work better, to another who has a liking for the farm tractors and the final who has an affinity for cows. During a school tour, her one son provided extra tour add-ons talking to his classmates about the different pieces of equipment and how they worked.

Passing on the Dairy Tradition: Two Generations of Women Share Dairy Passion

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Charlene M. Shupp Espenshade Special Sections Editor NEW TRIPOLI, Pa. — For Robin Rassler and her daughter Jenny Gehringer, a common love of dairy cows goes beyond a passion, it’s their career. The pair are members of the Dietrich family who manage Lynn Acres Farm in New Tripoli, Pa.Rassler and her brothers Bill and Brian Dietrich farm in partnership. Bill manages the crops and Brian splits his time between helping with the dairy operation and cropping operation. Her husband, Bryan Rassler, owns a body shop and works off farm.“I think people are beginning to recognize women have as much to say about what is happening on the farm as men, compared to when I started,” Robin said. She attended a calf-raising conference sponsored by her feed company recently, and many of the men in the conference stressed it was their wives that managed the calves, not them.Robin said it was her dad that inspired her choice in farming. In the 1980s when she became a principal part of the operation, it was more unique than it is today. “This was my dad’s passion and I loved working with my dad,” she said, explaining the seed that attracted her to dairying.Today, the farm includes about 200 cows and a total of about 1,500 acres, mostly rented acres. The home farm has about 129 acres.Jenny graduated from Penn State in 2009, and started a career in dairy nutrition, but like her mother, she soon realized she wanted to be at home with the cows. The farm made adjustments and she is employed on the farm.“I am pretty much following in her footsteps,” she said. “A year and a half ago, I came home full time.” She and her husband Cyrus hope to establish their own dairy farm in the future.When Jenny graduated from college, most of her classmates were female and most of them were interested in a farming career or a related industry. According to her, she has not found the acceptance challenges that earlier generations might have had, because of those who had gone ahead of her.“The generation before me, the ones that went out there with more female vets and representatives getting out to farms, paved the way for people my age that they don’t look as your gender as much, that’s what I noticed in the field,” Jenny said. Robin’s second daughter Jordan is enrolled at Kutztown, studying education. Jordan’s career goals will take her away from the farm, but she does own cattle with her sister. “I’m not leaving, it just does not work with my dreams,” Jordan said, but she does see keeping a tie to farming, it just might be in a classroom.Looking back at raising her girls, Robin admitted at times it was overwhelming, but “you just did it,” she said of balancing her responsibilities on the farm with raising her girls. “Having them around me and watching them grow up. It’s the best thing that ever happened in my life,” Robin said.It was hair-raising at times. The three shared stories about the fun times they have shared as the girls grew up. Jordan said as they have grown up, the three are more like sisters because of that closeness.Jenny said she recognized that her life was different, not because of being in a farm family, but because of how much time her family spent together because of the farm.Robin said she worried about keeping the kids safe, when they were on farm, saying that her own father died from a farm accident. She said at times she believes there were angels watching over her girls keeping them safe, recognizing that there are plenty of potential dangers around a farm for young children.Family time is important to all of them. With the three Dietrich siblings in partnership, it allows each family to get a vacation. Robin said it’s good to get a week away from the farm. Also, because of milking at 3:30 in the morning and afternoon, Robin and her husband have time together in the evenings. Jenny said it takes more work because her husband has a crop farm and helps on his family’s beef farm. So, they try to work out time, whether it’s helping out at the other’s farm operation or catching a lunch together to find time for each other.Robin said the next generation needs to have support because starting up a dairy operation on your own is not an easy feat. And with Jenny’s future plans of dairying on her own, Robin said she will support her goals as best I can.“What is the future of this country if we can’t transition the younger children into it?” she said.

Dairy Mom Performs Daily Juggling Act

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Chris Torres Staff Writer LOYSVILLE, Pa. — Travel down the Tuscarora Path in this picturesque corner of Perry County and you might see Vance Kretzing hard at work, traveling between the buildings of his 290-cow dairy farm, Kretz H Farms.A little further down the road, in the farmhouse, Vance’s wife, Amy, is busy washing the dishes after breakfast.It’s like she has eyes in the back of her head, keeping track of the four kids in the house; Luke and Lila, 5, Vanessa, 3 and Jonathan, 16 months.“Put everything back,” she tells Jonathan, who has managed to wiggle his tiny frame between his mom’s legs to get after the Tupperware in the bottom cupboard.“My wind down time is when they go to bed. They usually go to bed at the same time. I don’t have much wind down time,” she said.Sounds like she has a lot on her plate, but it’s actually an easy day. Three days a week, Amy is busy feeding calves, with her kids right alongside her. Although most of the time they play on the hay bales and try to lose themselves in the barns.Many farm women can relate. A stay-at-home mom who also happens to play a crucial role in the farm operation.But it’s been a tough road for Amy Kretzing and her family over the years, having to deal with the pain of infertility issues, a tough farm transition from the older generation to the next, and of course, the ups and downs of the dairy business.Amy grew up just up the street from the current farmhouse, located just outside of Loysville.Her family milked dairy cows and later had a beef herd, but they abandoned the business, she said, after a barn collapse in the mid 1970s.After graduating from West Perry High School, she attended college and earned a teaching degree. She got a job at the nearby Loysville Youth Development Center, a detention center.“My plan was to have kids and keep working away,” she said.Amy married Vance Kretzing on Sept. 21, 1996.Vance Kretzing actually grew up down the street from Amy, but the two never hit it off until they started seeing each other in church.Vance Kretzing, along with his brother, Allen, have been involved in the family dairy business their whole life.Several years after they married, Amy and Vance Kretzing decided they wanted to have kids. They soon found out they were dealing with infertility issues.The couple decided to see a specialist at the Hershey Medical Center. At the same time, they also had to juggle their responsibilities on the farm, getting up extra early in the morning to get half of the milking done and then going to the hospital afterward.“When we started to do all of this, we didn’t tell anybody,” Amy Kretzing said. “That put a lot of stress between his mom and brother and us. But it was just one of those things we didn’t feel comfortable talking to them about.”After three years of trying to have kids via artificial insemination, the couple seemingly gave up.“The hospital just told us to give up, you’re not going to have kids,” she said.But they didn’t give up quite yet. In 2000, the couple started seeing doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. They decided to try in-vitro fertilization.She miscarried the first two times.“I learned you don’t tell people you’re pregnant until later. Because we found out we were pregnant, we told everybody. It went out in the Christmas cards,” she said. “Good news travels fast. The bad news, by Christmastime, I had miscarried. That was really hard.”With no hope in sight, in 2003 the couple traveled to California to adopt a daughter, whom they named Sarah.But something happened soon after they adopted Sarah. Amy’s third attempt at having a baby in-vitro ended up working. She ended up calling her Hannah.They ended up having three more kids via in-vitro; Ben, who is now 8, and Luke and Lila, twins, who are now 5. Amy and Vance Kretzing had a full fledged family.She gave up teaching and decided to stay on the farm full time.“I chose to stay home because I knew there was work to do here,” she said.Three days a week, Amy Kretzing feeds the calves and occasionally helps out with the milkings.All told, the farm has 290 cows and about the same number of replacement heifers, The farm’s rolling herd average is 21,000 and the milk is marketed to Land O’ Lakes.Vance Kretzing and his brother, Allen Kretzing, farm 600 acres. But the calves stay at the 200-acre home farm.“Newborns are started in a feed room for a couple of days and then they are loose,” Amy Kretzing said.The calves are fed pasteurized waste milk.Vance Kretzing appreciates his wife’s work. He said it’s enabled him and his brother to not have to buy replacement heifers and keep a closed herd on the farm. “It’s crucial what she does,” he said. “She does a good job keeping paperwork together. It’s important what she does.”Mornings are hectic those three times a week, especially during school, when Amy Kretzing has to get four kids on the bus for school. She then goes out to the calf barn to start work.In the evenings, she starts feeding between 6 and 6:30 p.m. “So the timing isn’t the greatest because until I get done, the kids should be in bed and that doesn’t always work out,” she said.The calves are moved between a series of calf condos, which have a total of 30 stalls between them.The family also uses an older chicken house that’s been converted into a larger calf condo, with a several small pens for a couple of calves and a larger pen with room for seven calves.The idea behind it, she said, is to make transitioning between housing less stressful on the animals.Of course she can’t forget about tending to the house.“I pretty much do everything pertaining to the house,” she said.Vance Kretzing’s mother, Adelaide, handles the farm finances while his father, Perry, is also involved in the business, occasionally planting crops.The farm was incorporated in 1998. It was a rocky transition between Vance and Allen Kretzing and their parents.“It was ugly there for quite a while,” Amy Kretzing said, adding that it took several years for Perry Kretzing to be convinced transitioning the farm was in the family’s best interest.Vance and Allen Kretzing split the duties on the farm, with Allen Kretzing in charge of feeding and Vance Kretzing helping out with tending to the cows and also field work.The brothers have three employees, two of them Hispanics, that do the daily milkings.Like most dairy farmers, the family has had to deal with the constant roller coaster of milk prices.On top of that, they’ve also had to deal with several personal tragedies.Allen Kretzing’s only son, Dylan, who was autistic, passed away in a tragic accident several years ago.And Amy and Vance Kretzing are still dealing with fertility issues, even though they ended up having two more children, Vanessa, 3 and Jonathan, 16 months, naturally.In February, the couple experienced yet another miscarriage.The pain of having even one miscarriage never leaves Amy Kretzing, even though she’s beaten the odds and has been able to carry six kids.“For me, I would say every single time I heard someone was pregnant, I cried. And I still do sometimes. Because the pain never goes away,” she said.The stress may be too much for some to handle, but Amy Kretzing said the fact they have had good role models in their parents — Vance Kretzing’s parents have been together for 54 years and Amy Kretzing’s parents, 46 years — helps them put things in perspective.“So we’ve had good role models. We’ve grown up with two sets of parents that stayed together and persevered through everything,” she said. “So that’s been something that keeps us going.” LF20130518_kreitzing-01-05 1. Lila Kretzing, 5, teases a calf during a recent morning on the farm.2. 3. Amy Kretzing and her husband, Vance, have had to deal with infertility issues over the years. One of her daughters, Vanessa, 3, was born naturally.4. Amy is in charge of tending to the calves on the family farm.5. The calves rotate between a series of calf condos.

Bright Future For Senior Who Made Unexpected Discoveries

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Perhaps it is because she is often wearing a laboratory coat, but when you talk to 22-year-old Rebeca Salmeron of Silver Spring, Md., a graduating senior double majoring in animal and poultry sciences and dairy science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, she makes you feel like you are sitting across from a doctor.Sure she is friendly, but she also exudes the quiet confidence you feel when entrusting your life to a medical professional.“She can smile, yet be serious,” said Paul Siegel, university distinguished professor emeritus of animal and poultry sciences, and one of Salmeron’s advisors. “She’s the type of student that makes being a professor fun.”That cool-and-in-control bedside manner could have translated well to veterinary work with cats and dogs.Indeed, Salmeron came to Virginia Tech intending to go into veterinary medicine to work with companion animals. But the beakers and test tubes of the lab beckoned.This month, Salmeron finishes up an undergraduate experience that was filled with unexpected and welcome discoveries.Two years into her major — even though she had never even been exposed to dairy science or a large-scale dairy operation — she embarked on dairy research that has turned out to be one of the capstones of her undergraduate career: analyzing antibiotic resistance in cows.“I always had a curiosity about the dairy industry, how it works, and what it actually takes to put the milk on the shelves of grocery store,” said Salmeron. “Once I was given the opportunity to do undergraduate research this past summer, I was able to answer some of my own questions about the industry.”As part of her experiment design, Salmeron measured the amount of antibiotics in bovine milk and fecal samples. She collected samples from the Virginia Tech dairy farm and then measured the amount of remnant antibiotics present in them.“The lab work was time-consuming but it all balanced out. I enjoyed learning new lab procedures and techniques firsthand with my graduate student as a mentor,” she said.While the lab work was a beneficial exercise in learning the ins and outs of designing an experiment and conducting research, her advisor, Katharine Knowlton, says the work has wider implications for Salmeron’s future as a scientist.“The experiences in the lab taught her to look for a globally important problem and carve out her research niche to help solve the question, What’s the big problem that I can help address?,’” said Knowlton, a professor of dairy science.Salmeron was surprised at how much she learned from her foray into dairy science and animal and poultry sciences — and how that knowledge can be applied elsewhere.“In my very short three years I learned that the dairy industry is one of the more efficient industries that most Americans rely on,” she said. “The hard work of dairy farming has improved immensely over the years, minimizing the time and labor to raise the ideal dairy cow and collect the most milk in the least time.”Because Salmeron had such success working in a field that she previously had little or no exposure to, she says she doesn’t want to limit her career options and is waiting to see where animal science will take her.“Getting my degrees is just one accomplishment in a three-to-four step process,” she said. “I intend to go to graduate school after some time off, where I will be gaining experience at different work sites, finalizing my career path, and determining my graduate school emphasis.”Because of her education, Salmeron has the option of choosing myriad professional routes.“I’ve been able to work with dairy cows, poultry, and livestock. There are a lot of job opportunities in the dairy industry, be they on-farm, in labs, or even in the field as an Extension agent. I’ve come across numerous internships, jobs, and research possibilities through my advisor and other dairy professors,” said Salmeron.This summer Salmeron will be casting her net even further afield, and working as an intern at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo with their lions, tigers, and other big cats.

Kids, Cows and Communication

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Semmel-Lazarus Balances Farm, Kids for Career Charlene M. Shupp Espenshade Special Sections Editor SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. —Andrea Semmel-Lazarus’s journey back to her family’s dairy farm was an unexpected one, but she said it’s an example of how life can take turns and lead you down a path different from the one planned.Semmel-Lazarus works for her parents, Paul and Nancy Semmel, on the family dairy farm, Excelsior Dairy, Schnecksville. The farm is home to 225 Holsteins, Red and White and Brown Swiss, 100 cows are on DHIA test.“We are different,” she said. “I work for my parents, and that is okay.” She recognizes others would want to work into ownership of the farm, but for her, she’s happy to be an employee. Semmel-Lazarus does own animals individually as well as in partnership with other family members, but as for the farm business, it’s still her parents.“I never had a oh, I am going to be a dairy farmer, so I am going to do dairy science.’ I thought I was going to be an ag teacher,” she said of her early career thoughts.Semmel-Lazarus was in college pursuing an education degree at the same time her father was serving as a state representative. Her mother, along with their herdsman, managed the day-to-day operation of the dairy. During that time, her mother had a health issue, and Semmel-Lazarus decided to return home to the farm. She’s never left.“At that time, it was time for me to be there,” she said, “It worked out, everything works out in the long run. I am where I am supposed to be.”Semmel-Lazarus and her husband, Calvin, have two twin boys, Samuel and Levi, who are five. Calvin has an off farm job and a landscaping business part time, as well as helps out at the dairy. Calvin milks two nights a week so Semmel-Lazarus can get some things done around the house. “Now that doesn’t always happen,” because of unexpected events, she said.Semmel-Lazarus has two other sisters, and she said growing up, her father always taught them they could do anything they wanted to. “I was fortunate that my dad always viewed me as an equal, it’s why I believed I could do it,” she said.Raising her twin boys, there are days that are more challenging than others, but she takes a can-do attitude. She will start her day, heading out the door before the kids are up to start morning milking. Calvin gets the boys ready for preschool. Her father will leave the farm to take the boys off to preschool, leaving Semmel-Lazarus to wrap up the morning work. She then picks them up at the end of the program.“There are days that I am constantly looking at the clock,” she said as she jockeys the work needed to be completed in a day.In addition to milking cows, helping with the calves, and other barn activities, Semmel-Lazarus also assists with the field work. She admits when people see her driving a tractor, they often will do a double take as if surprised to see her doing fieldwork.If there is one challenge, she said it’s keeping a focus on family time. “There are days that our house feels like it’s a revolving door,” she said. When she feels the family is being pulled, they take a break either by going out to dinner as a family or taking an afternoon trip, to find a time. “That has been a challenge, we need to work on that more.”She admits that sometimes, Calvin and her milking cows together allows “quality time.”Safety is a big concern she said when she has the boys on the farm.Next to the milking parlor they have a play area for the boys. And Semmel-Lazarus’s rule is the boys have to stay in her line of sight at all times. “I am forever where are the boys,’” she said. The employees are told if they see the boys and she’s not near, to ask questions.Raising kids on the farm she believes will benefit her boys as they grow. “Unlike many of their classmates, they are going to see a lot of joys, as well as heartache. They are going to succeed, no matter how hard things get,” she believes, by watching how the family has to cope with the ups and downs of farming. “They will have the tools because of agriculture.”As her kids enter kindergarten this fall, Semmel-Lazarus sees an opportunity to advocate for agriculture. “I want people to see me as having a regular life,” in addition to her farming responsibilities. “When people find out I am a dairy farmer they are always surprised,” she said because she does not look like their perceived notion of what a farmer looks like.She has taken a calf and a pig to her sons’ preschool during “ag week.” She also donates the American Farm Bureau Foundation’s Book o f the Year, a children’s book that accurately depicts today’s farming practices, to the preschool and libraries.“I feel I am advocate for agriculture, because I need to set the record straight,” she said. Semmel-Lazarus said she has connected with parents because she can answer their farming questions.And as her kids head off to school she would like to see the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s Mobile Ag Lab, the county dairy princess and other programs that continue to share the story of agriculture.Semmel-Lazarus also had the opportunity to travel across the country as part of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 20/20 committee, which attempted to project what American Agriculture would look like in the year 2020.“That was fabulous, I was fortunate to be on that committee,” she said. For two years, every other month, she was traveling to different parts of the country for intense meetings and tours, tackling the question “where’s agriculture going.”It opened her eyes to how diverse agriculture was, “but at the end of the day we want the same thing. We all want make a living, be profitable and how you get there is such a challenge.”

Penn Cheese Medals at U.S. Cheese Championship

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Penn Cheese entered the 2013 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. The judging took place March 12-13 in Madison, Wis.The competition is broken into different categories for the different types of cheese and butter. The two categories Penn Cheese entered were Rindless Swiss Cheese and Baby Swiss Style.In the Rindless Swiss Cheese class, Penn Cheese scored of 99.05 out of 100. The first place entry scored 99.50.In the Baby Swiss Style category, Penn Cheese earned third with a score of 98.95 out of 100. The second place cheese scored 99.10, and first place received a score of 99.20.As evidenced by the close scores, the competition is very tough and the quality is very high among the top ranks of United States cheese makers. The entire competition had 82 different categories with more than 1,800 entries total.The two categories that Penn Cheese entered had competitors from Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, California and Pennsylvania.A full list of results can be found atwww.uschampioncheese.org/contest results?event=56&eventClass=340Most of the cheese sold is under private label, but Penn Cheese also markets under their own “Pennsylvania People” and “Winfield Valley” brands as well. They are located in Winfield, Union County, Pa.Source: Penn Cheese.

Heat Stress During the Dry Period Affects Calves Too

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Coleen Jones Research Associate Penn State Extension Dairy Team Cows that experience heat stress during their dry period produce less milk, are more prone to disease, and are more difficult to breed back than cows that do not suffer from heat stress just prior to calving.These negative impacts of heat stress on cows are well known. But what about calves these cows are carrying?Previous research has determined that calves born to cows that experience heat stress have lower birth weights, and colostrum IgG content has been shown to be reduced as well.A recent study conducted at the University of Florida offers some new insight into calves born to cows that experienced heat stress during the dry period. This study was published in the December 2012 issue of the Journal of Dairy Science.For this experiment, 34 dry cows were housed in a freestall barn for 45 days prior to calving and were exposed to ambient environmental conditions or provided with cooling from fans and sprinklers.Measurements of rectal temperatures and respiration rates, as well as reduced feed intake, during the dry period and lower milk production during the subsequent lactation confirmed that the cows that were not cooled did indeed experience heat stress.All calves were weighed at birth, and subsequent measurements were evaluated on heifer calves only.Calves born to heat-stressed dams weighed 13 pounds less at birth and 28 pounds less at weaning than calves born to dams with access to cooling. Average daily gain from birth to weaning was not different for the two groups of calves. Body weight and withers height from weaning through 7 months of age were not impacted by heat stress.In this study, colostrum IgG content was not affected by heat stress. However, calves born to heat-stressed dams were less efficient in absorbing IgG from colostrum and had lower serum IgG concentrations for the first 28 days of life than calves born to cooled cows, indicating reduced passive transfer of immunity.Calves exposed to heat stress before birth also had a compromised T-cell response, as measured by the number of monocytes in circulation at 7, 28, 42, and 56 days of age.The response of B-cells was evaluated at 4 weeks of age by an ovalbumin challenge and did not differ between calves in the two groups. Effects of heat stress on B-cell function before this time cannot be determined from this study.These results confirm that calf body weight can be significantly impacted by heat stress during the final weeks of gestation. In addition, both passive transfer and cell-mediated immunity were compromised in calves exposed to heat stress.With summer just around the corner, now is the time to evaluate cooling strategies for all the animals in your herd. Don’t forget about those dry cows.

Cost of Nutrients, Relative Value of Feedstuffs Pa. Dairy Farms

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

2 tables saved a jpegs in FotoStation (word doc also emailed to AprilLS20130518_EDR-FeedCentsColumn-Table1LS20130518_EDR-FeedCentsColumn-Table2 Dr. Ken Griswold Technical Service Manager Kemin Animal Nutrition & Health Dr. Joanne Knapp Fox Hollow Consulting, LLCColumbus, OH Dr. Normand St-Pierre Dairy Management SpecialistThe Ohio State University T he cold and precipitation, whether snow or rain, in the Midwest has delayed corn planting considerably and made the corn market ever more volatile. The soybean market, however, is still holding firm as ending stock levels continue to dwindle.The milk price futures are looking favorable through the summer, which may help income over feed cost (IOFC) in most dairy operations.The challenge still remains to find cost-effective feedstuffs in the ever-changing market. To help in finding those opportunities, we have, in collaboration with The Ohio State University, utilized the SESAME program to analyze current market conditions and determine potential cost-effective ingredient options within the market.The SESAME software evaluates commonly used feedstuffs based on their content of five basic nutrients: net energy for lactation (NEL), rumen degradable protein (RDP), digestible rumen undegradable protein (d-RUP), non-effective neutral detergent fiber (ne-NDF), and effective neutral detergent fiber (e-NDF).These individual nutrients are valued on a Mcal basis for NEL and a per pound basis for RDP, d-RUP, ne-NDF, and e-NDF.If you are evaluating your ration ingredients based on other nutrients, please be aware of the differences and consult with your nutritionist on any potential ration changes.The SESAME analysis of the Pennsylvania feed market uses 29 commonly fed commodities to determine the intrinsic value for each of the five basic nutrients in a feeding program. The intrinsic value is the price that the market is willing to pay for that particular nutrient.As an example, a Mcal (megacalorie) of energy is currently worth approximately $0.145 (or 14.5 cents per Mcal) in the market, regardless of whether that energy comes from corn, cottonseed, bakery meal, fat, etc.So, if a high-producing Holstein cow needs roughly 42 Mcal to produce 100 pounds of milk, then the value of the energy in her daily diet would be approximately $6.09 based on the current market value for NEL. This value is $0.21 per cow per day less than last month, and shows how quickly diet costs can change given the influence of corn on the energy value in the diet.Given the intrinsic value for each of the five nutrients within a specific feedstuff, we can determine the potential break-even price based on the book values for each nutrient in that feedstuff.For the current SESAME analysis representing market prices from the end of April 2013, we excluded four commodities — blood meal, feather meal, fish Menhaden meal and tallow (fat) — because their current market prices are so high that they were considered outliers that would skew any results from the program.This is the first time in this column’s history where the prices for these three major animal source protein feedstuffs have been outliers, and suggests that animal-based protein sources are beginning to price themselves out of the market.The values of energy and digestible RUP remained constant from February to March. However, the value of effective fiber (e-NDF) dropped to almost zero. The calculated costs for the five basic nutrients are shown in Table 1.Table 2 provides the actual prices for the feedstuffs that were evaluated in the current SESAME analysis along with their predicted prices based on nutrient content.In addition, the table includes the 75 percent confidence limits of prices for each commodity. A 75 percent confidence limit indicates that we are about 75 percent sure that the true cost of the feedstuff based on nutrient content is between the lower and upper limit prices.In reading the table, one should consider feedstuffs with an actual price below the lower limit as bargains in the present market. The feedstuffs with an actual price above the upper limit would be considered overpriced, and feedstuffs with actual prices falling between the limits would be priced at their approximate nutrient value.Due to the volatility in the markets, the number of bargain feedstuffs to be had in Table 2 has dwindled. Only four feedstuffs — bakery by-product meal, cottonseed meal 41 percent, distillers dried grains with soluble, and gluten feed — are at or below the lower limit on expected price.With the price spread between canola meal and soybean meal 48 percent well below $100 per ton, soybean meal 48 percent remains the main choice for RDP in formulated diets.Avoid citrus pulp, tallow, blood meal, feather meal and fishmeal as they continue to be overpriced in the market.Given the extremely high price of animal-based RUP sources such as bloodmeal, feather meal, and fishmeal, rumen-protected amino acid supplements may be more cost effective for balancing for amino acids within a lactating cow diet.However, because the prices used in the SESAME analysis are aggregated, approximate feed prices, the local prices for all feeds maybe different than those listed in Table 2. There are several warnings about the information presented in Table 2.Warnings:1. Actual Prices listed in Table 2 are approximate and represent aggregated prices for the State of Pennsylvania. Check with your local suppliers for actual delivered prices.2. Prices are on a commodity basis, and represent farm-delivered, full tractor-trailer loads (TTL) prices. No services are included; commodity feeds have little or no nutritional guarantees.3. Results do not imply that a balanced ration can be made solely with bargain feeds, or that over-priced feeds should be eliminated from the ration. Certainly, there is an economic incentive to maximize the use of bargain feeds and minimize the use of over-priced feeds.4. The analysis is based on the five most economically important nutrients in dairy rations. For very high production herds, other nutrients such as amino acid content of the undegradable protein should also be considered. This would change the predicted price of some commodities such as blood meal.

Taxes, Taxes and More Taxes

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

As a rule, farmers are much more interested in plowing, planting, spraying and harvesting than they are taxes.But given the combination of laws enacted over the past few years by Congress and signed by the President, this is changing and must change.It is irrational to be in business and not work to maximize profits. The Capitalist Economic System, upon which our Nation is founded, holds that everyone will work to maximize their profits — wealth — to the benefit of all.The issue lies in the fact that as profits increase, so do tax rates. So if the tax rate disincentive to profits gets too high, everyone loses.My issue is that the Affordable Care Act and the Taxpayer Relief Act ignore the benefits of hard work and profit to the economy and instead focus on maximizing “Governmental Revenue.”There is no way in the limited space I have today, that I can outline all of these laws, taxes, rates and computations.Therefore, I will be speaking in only the broadest of generalities. But make no mistake: the cost to the economy of these laws will be dramatic. Economic growth will suffer. Further as is always the case, they will not generate the dollars anticipated; tax increases never do.From the Affordable Care Act: New 0.9 percent Medicare Surtax; New 3.8 percent Investment Income Surtax; New $63 Annual Health Insurance Tax; New 40 percent tax on some health plans; Mandatory insurance coverage for employees of “large employers;” Mandatory insurance policy specifics; New 2.3 percent tax on all medical devices; and New tax (rate to be set) if you do not purchase health insurance.From the Taxpayer Relief Act: Two percent increase in FICA Taxes; Increase in maximum capital gains rate to 20 percent; New maximum income tax rate of 39.6 percent; Means Testing for personal tax deductions; and Increase in estate tax rate to 40 percent.While there are many more taxes and changes contained in each law, I believe everyone gets the idea.Taxes are going up for everyone, and I fear the increases will be dramatic for agriculture.Editor’s Note: Michael Evanish is the manager of MSC Business Services, a member service of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. MSC Business Services provides Business Analysis, Consulting, Income Tax and Tax Planning, and Payroll Services to businesses throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland. For more information call 717-731- 3517.

Making Toast and Milking Cows: Applying Lean Principles to Dairy

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Recently I was reminded of how much the U.S. dairy industry can learn from other industries, in particular, other manufacturing businesses within those industries. I participated in an eight-week class on “Operations Management,” described as the management of the systems and processes which create the stuff we make and sell.Participation in this class was prompted by two changes in my life. My children are getting older, which means the days of lending my time to sports teams, 4-H programs, and community and church youth programs are quickly evaporating.While this transition comes quicker than many of us would prefer, it does offer the opportunities for new ventures like this one. Taking this graduate level class allowed me to better understand the U.S. business industry and existing “best processes” that can be applied to dairy business and production.One of the most useful aspects of this experience was the opportunity to sit with 20 other adults each week from all walks of life and work. This provided a unique opportunity to talk about current business management topics and hear how they apply to the different businesses and industries represented in the room.On the first night of class, we reviewed a diagram that was said to represent an ideal example of a process illustrating what operations management is. It was the process of moving the milk from cows to milk on the store shelf. My attention was peaked since I was the lone person in the room from any agriculture-related business. This was something I was familiar with and understood.Some weeks later, our discussion focused on what is commonly referred to as the “lean manufacturing process.” The premise of “lean” is waste exists in every manufacturing business and it is the role of “operations management” to eliminate this waste. It is based on this premise: manufacturing needs to be able to use fewer resources to produce a higher quantity and quality of product.Eliminating waste is a process of continuous improvement and focuses on seven areas commonly found in manufacturing businesses: Motion: I had to think of why carousel and parallel milking parlors have replaced “herringbone parlors” commonly built in the 1980s. They simply wasted motion and walking of employees. Waiting: Companies need to evaluate where motion stops and unneeded waiting occurs, which could be replaced with a productive task. The application to dairy can be applied in the parlor or tie stall barn. Automatic take offs have replaced waiting with “more milking with more units”. Transportation: Dairy is unique in that we are limited by cost when considered how far to haul feed in and manure out — a basic principle of lean. Overproduction: A waste created when we mismanage forage and grain need estimates. Storage: Calf and heifer housing efficiencies would be an example of storage. Defects: High mortality rates or low conception rates would be examples of defect lean inefficiencies. Over-processing: Relates to the advantages of no-till versus conventional crop management. Calving heifers at a 26-month average age (versus 23 months) would be another example of a “processing evaluation” using the lean concept.This discussion concluded with a brief seven-minute video from the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership. The video tells an impactful but elementary story of two very different ways to “make toast.”One way is to violate each of the seven principles of lean, while the other did not. The final four minutes demonstrates the “lean way.” To see an abbreviated excerpt from this video, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N89JJ991pE.If you are interested in using the video for training purposes, feel free to contact us at the center; we’ll be happy to loan it to you. You can call us at 717-346-0849 or email me directly at jfreycenterfordairyexcellence.org.The learning for me was, whether you are a dairy in Pennsylvania or a Toyota plant in Kentucky, the pressure to eliminate waste to enhance your operation’s competitiveness is real.Additionally, and arguably, our dairy business industry in Pennsylvania has contended that “additional efficiency is elusive.” Other organizations and industries are asking simple questions like “how can I make the toast making process more productive” to answer complex operations management questions. There are numerous applications from this lean manufacturing process that could help your dairy business find wastes you never thought before existed.Editor’s Note: John Frey is the executive director for the Center for Dairy Excellence.

Parasite Issues

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

N ow that spring is here and pastures are starting to grow, we get more questions about diarrhea, poor hair coats, and lower weight gains. Everyone wants to know: “What is the best dewormer ?”The appropriate answer is that first of all, one must verify parasites as the primary cause of the clinical signs.Next, determine which parasite is the problem. Then select a dewormer that should be effective, and more importantly, confirm that it still works on your farm.All of these steps are critical to ensure an effective treatment and management program for your herd.Verifying that the causative agent is parasites is very easy and inexpensive. With the cost of some of the dewormers on the market, you want to know what is best to utilize before you throw away money and treat with the wrong product.Running a simple Parasite Flotation Test, or Fecal Egg Count, is the quickest way to see if you have a parasite issue. All this test requires is the collection of some fresh fecal samples for your veterinarian to examine. You need multiple samples since different individuals will shed eggs at various rates over different times.The advantage of performing fecal tests is that it also will determine the type of parasite. This is an important step since I have seen many occasions where clients go to the farm store, buy a dewormer for one parasite such as stomach worm, but the problem is actually coccidian infection. These two parasites are treated with two completely different medications.By knowing that a parasite issue exists and identifying which parasite, your veterinarian can determine which product, or products, may be the right choice for your facility. Many products are made that have diverse coverage and various ways of administration, so you can study these options to determine the best approach to your farm’s program.Finally, a much overlooked part of parasite programs historically, is following up to make sure the parasite treatment and prevention program is working.The best way to check is to run a Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT). This involves performing a fecal egg count just prior to deworming, and then retesting around 10-14 days after deworming. If your dewormer is working, you should see a significant drop in egg counts. Once the egg counts fall, running a periodic random test to make sure you’re still on track is important.Every farm is different and may have other parasite management tools and options available, such as pasture rotation, to use in conjunction with dewormers. Your veterinarian will be able to work up a program catered to your farm and give you the best protocol to use.Editor’s note: Stephen Foulke, DVM, DABVP (Dairy) is a board certified specialist in dairy practice with Agricultural Veterinary Associates in Lititz. He can be reached at 717-625-4212.

Growing Pains Lead to Pennwood Farm Success

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Stoltzfus Family Moves Cows Across State for Farm Expansion Jessica Rose Spangler Reporter BERLIN, Pa. — Dairy farms are generally considered to be stationary, permanent operations. Once you own one, you’re probably going to live there the rest of your life. Pennwood Farms isn’t your typical “stationary” farm. In 1962, Mary Jane and the late Harvey Stoltzfus began their 18-cow operation on 50 rented acres in Morgantown, Pa. Fast forward 30 years. With four grown sons — Don, Glenn, Dwight and Duane — and a milking herd 11 times bigger than they started with, the Stoltzfus family needed a change, and the 1990s played host to that change. Milking 200 Holsteins in two separate barns on rented property wasn’t going to work forever. Plus, their farm location was in prime urban expansion territory near Lancaster, Reading and Philadelphia. “When we started looking, two of the wives didn’t want to leave the state,” said Duane Stoltzfus, adding that his father knew of a farmer in Somerset County that was ready to exit the business. In 1999, the Stoltzfus brothers and their parents purchased the Somerset property, plus 60 cows. At the same time, the family also purchased a second farm on the opposite side of their new hometown, Berlin, Pa. But the move wasn’t that easy. The new property needed new facilities — a 414-stall freestall barn with 28-cow rotary parlor. “It was a year-long process,” Glenn Stoltzfus said. “Duane and Andrea moved out first to take over the other herd. We built the barns in the summer and moved in August” of 1999. The “dumbest thing we ever did that first year,” was planting crops in Morgantown and Berlin, Duane Stoltzfus said. Financing such a large undertaking came with its struggles too. “The rumor was that we had mason jars filled with millions,” Dwight Stoltzfus said. “Our debt per cow was around $5,500. We moved in 99, but by the end of 01 and 02, milk prices were real bad. That was the real test if we were going to make it,” said Glenn Stoltzfus. “But we got our herd numbers up, sold 60 to 80 cows for dairy purposes, and made our cash flow better.” At that point, their culling rate was 30-32 percent, added Dwight Stoltzfus. With the new rotary parlor, the family soon learned that the length of their cows played a crucial role in how well an animal took to the rotary. “Crampy cows have to go,” Dwight Stoltzfus said, noting that longer cows have an increased risk of pushing their back legs off the rotary floor and fatally injuring themselves. Initially, to help fill their new facilities, the Stoltzfus’s purchased additional heifers that calved in the fall of 1999. Dwight and his wife, Melanie, brought their small herd of Jerseys on the move to Berlin, plus the later addition of a group of Jerseys they purchased. “By the end of November, we were milking around 300 cows,” Dwight Stoltzfus said. But bringing all of these animals together caused its own headaches. “I can’t over-stress that no matter how good your vaccination records are, when pulling from a herd, you’ll always have problems,” he continued. “It took us three years to get it sorted out. We had every disease. Everything’s tested for Johne’s Disease and BVD. We started ear notching about six years ago.” Adding to their growing pains, they overlooked the importance of proper pre- and post-calving facilities. All of the calvings were initially done in an old bank barn. During the first fall in Berlin, fresh animals were having a 15-16 percent displaced abomasum rate, Dwight Stoltzfus said. It didn’t take the family long to determine they needed a better freshening area. They built a bedded pack area behind the parlor, resulting in a lower DA rate, and healthier cows and calves. Recently, Pennwood has obtained the use of a neighboring 70-cow tie-stall barn. This barn, what the Stoltzfus’ call their “brat barn,” is used to house their show herd of Holsteins and Jerseys, plus some longer animals that don’t easily fit in the rotary parlor. Some of the animals housed in that barn have helped Pennwood Farms achieve national recognition thanks to their show ring success — Holsteins like Pennwood Leader Rocklyn, Pennwood Troy Kalahari, Pennwood Dundee Turnip; and a Jersey, Pennwood Governor Alayna. There are more than 120 animals that have produced over 100,000 pounds of milk in their lifetime, over 200 animals have been classified as “very good,” and 30 animals have been scored as “excellent.” According to their March DHIA test as published on page E12 on 615 Holsteins, the herd averaged 23,707 pounds of milk, 819 pounds of fat and 720 pounds of protein. Like a lot of families, respecting each other’s space and boundaries is helpful. The Stoltzfus family is no different. When moving to their new farm, each of the four brothers adopted their own branch of the operation, but they are never totally out of touch with each other. Three of the four wives are also involved daily. Matriarch of the family Mary Jane doesn’t necessarily get out to the barn all day, every day, but she still does own animals and takes an interest in all the farm happenings. Don Stoltzfus manages the equipment. His wife, Joanne, handles the farm’s finances while still working for Somerset County Extension. Glenn Stoltzfus makes crop decisions and manages the farms’ employees. Dwight Stoltzfus manages the dairy heard. His wife, Melanie, assists in the parlor and with animal registrations, plus works off the farm as a hair stylist. Duane Stoltzfus handles herd nutrition and feeding, and oversees the methane digester that was built in 2011. His wife, Andrea, manages calves from birth till weaning, and works as a writer. Don and Joanne’s daughter, Ashley, is the first grandchild to return to the farm full-time. She helps where ever needed, especially in the “brat barn.” She also takes a large role in preparing animals for show. Almost 14 years after they moved the herd, the Stoltzfus brothers are happy with how things turned out. While many of their children are still very young, they’re sure Pennwood Farms will continue long into the future.

Sans Immigration Reform, Dairy Farmers Shoulder Big Burden

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Chris Torres Staff Writer For years, Hershey, Pa., dairy farmer Frank Graybill employed a local man to help with the three daily milkings on his 165-acre dairy farm. That was until late last year, when his trusted worker left to start his own dairy farm, leaving just his son and neighbor, who work part time on the farm. Knowing that other dairy farmers use Hispanic labor, he started asking around for help too. With the assistance of another farmer, he hired a Mexican man to work full time, doing two milkings per day. Even with all of the talk of undocumented immigrants and the fear of government inspections of farms, Graybill is confident he’s hired someone who is legally able to work in the country. “I talked to my accountant, he alerted me about papers, but he had no questions. So I take everything as legitimate, but I’ve done everything with good intentions,” Graybill said. And so far, he has no regrets about hiring the worker, even though communication can sometimes be a challenge. “People ask us if communication is a problem. Sometimes, but I have miscommunication with my wife, too. But we really do appreciate him,” he said. While farmers in general face issues securing a reliable workforce, claiming local people just don’t want the jobs, it’s especially tricky for dairy farmers since guestworker programs like H2A don’t cover year-round work and they have to rely on paperwork given to them by prospective employees. It’s a system of self auditing that’s burned some dairy farmers and causes many others to bristle at the idea of hiring foreign workers. “The biggest problem remains the same, having to track these things and having to be a migration agent at the same time,” said Ricky Palladino, a Philadelphia attorney who specializes in immigration issues. “The concerns that we’ve been hearing aren’t any different than what we’ve heard before. It’s always the same thing, how do I know whether someone is giving me a real document?’” Kreider Farms of Manheim, a 2,500-acre, 1,500-cow operation, knows full well the potential impacts of having people with questionable work papers. A late 2011 audit of the company’s I-9 worker verification forms by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security forced the company to let go of 109 employees who allegedly had questionable documentation. Even though the company wasn’t fined for the incident, Terri Turner, human resources manager, said it forced the company to re-evaluate the way it screened employees, including using the free, Internet-based E-Verify system. Since putting the system in place in April 2012, Turner said the company has used it to screen 320 new hires, 10 of whom eventually were fired because the system couldn’t verify their legal status. “I think it’s a good system and it is working for us,” Turner said. But it’s far from perfect. She said the system isn’t capable of screening people using false documents, such as a Social Security number belonging to someone else. So the company has instituted random background checks to help prevent this from happening. And even though E-Verify has worked to prevent ineligible employees from getting work with the company, it’s reduced the pool of workers Kreider’s can choose from. “Once word gets out that you are using E-Verify, then people without proper documentation aren’t going to apply,” she said. Many of the 109 workers let go after the 2011 audit, she said, had extensive work experience with the company. But only nine of them have been hired back thus far and many people hired since last April have ended up leaving after just a few hours on the job. “Getting good people is difficult. These are skilled positions. It is a skill set with these ag workers that is not prevalent in our community,” she said. “We do not have that many people with experience to work with the cows or the chickens.” Talk of comprehensive immigration reform has gained some momentum in the last few weeks. A comprehensive immigration bill was expected to be introduced in the U.S. Senate this week, according to news reports. In March the government released a new I-9 form, which Palladino said isn’t much different from the current form, except for larger boxes and a barcode for electronic filing, which he thinks is an indication that the government is moving toward some sort of universal E-Verify system. He said enforcement activity has varied on farms but that overall enforcement has actually increased. “The Obama Administration had made immigration less enforcement minded, putting more efforts and money into reform. Even in light of that, we’re seeing an increase in enforcement,” he said. Looking at statistics from Immmigation and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, the priority has shifted to focusing on deporting convicted criminals. In 2012, 55 percent of deportations were convicted criminals, while the remainder consisted of fugitives, repeat immigration violators, border removals and “other removable aliens.” One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the burden on employers to reverify legal status of their employees. In many cases, Palladino said, migrant workers on dairy farms overstay temporary work visas and their employer is required to check their status, which can vary greatly depending on the type of permit the worker has. “The burden is on the employer to go forward and verify. In many ways, the I-9 is an active document. You want to be active and think about this document being audited,” he said. If anything, Turner said the experience of going through an I-9 audit reinforces the idea of keeping good, current records. “Do everything, do it right. Your I-9s, make sure you’re doing them correctly. Be diligent about that I-9 compliance and as long as you’re doing that, you should be fine,” she said. Ximena del Campo, dairy Extension educator in Lancaster County who is Hispanic herself, said dairy farmers she talks to just want a system that gives them confidence they’ll be able to secure a reliable workforce throughout the year. “Most of the farmers, the progressive ones, want some kind of immigration reform that would take care of the undocumented people that come to the U.S., some kind of immigration reform that allows them to have a stable workforce,” del Campo said. Frank Graybill said he’s encouraged the one Mexican worker he has to take off one day a week, but the worker refuses to do so, opting instead to work more hours milking twice a day and doing other work on the farm. “We asked if he was happy, but he wanted more work. They want to work seven days a week. If we do that to other help, they feel they are not being treated fairly,” Graybill said. It’s this kind of work ethic, he said, that would be hard to find locally. “I would say we would have had a little problem getting someone doing what this guy does,” he said.

Dairy Vet’: Heifer Growers Need a Systematic Approach

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Charlene M. Shupp Espenshade Special Sections Editor LANCASTER, Pa. — When it comes to “common sense” calf raising, Dr. Sam Barringer of Merck Animal Health says it’s not very different from running a military operation. Barringer spoke April 4 at the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Conference at the Lancaster County Convention Center. “This is not a complex business. It has a lot of moving parts, but it does not have to be complicated,” he said of calf raising. The thought of treating calf raising as a military operation might sound odd, but for this veterinarian and lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Air Force, it makes sense. Barringer was the first veterinarian to serve as a command surgeon for the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. He has also served several tours in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. His areas of expertise are counterterrorism and prevention of bio/agro-terrorism. The most important thing is to have systems in place, he said. Having clear directions on what and how to do things will ensure that, “if the bullets are flying, things will go well. “Calf-raisers need to develop systems and processes that fit their farms. The systems have to be ones that employees and managers can easily follow,” he said. It’s important to have a champion for the system to keep everyone on task, he said. If the system breaks, he said, “you need to monitor the process, not the outcome” to figure out what is happening. He wove examples from working with farms and his combat mission helping to test medical systems in Afghanistan to illustrate what elements are needed in a successful system. Calves like consistency, he said, reminding the audience that in nature they are the “bottom of the food chain” and simple stresses can have large impacts. For building a management system, he encouraged farm managers to take employees to visit other farms for training. He said employees will gain more by interacting and viewing what is happening on different farms. He said adults don’t learn by PowerPoint. “You have to see it,” he said. Barringer said, “Colostrum is important, but we can manage without it.” He stressed that he was not discounting its value. But his background is with western U.S. calf ranches, and many calves would not have received colostrum before arriving on the farm. Those calves have gone onto thrive and become productive cows, he said. “In spite of the importance of colostrum, we have figured out how to do without it,” he said. Colostrum management is not easy. He called it an orally administered blood transfusion, and said if colostrum management is not correct it could cause more harm than good. Heifer growers also need to keep up with their vaccination protocols. He said it is important to use vaccinations that are tailored for calves and they should be administered properly. He said free choice water should be provided to calves from birth because it will enhance grain intake in the coming weeks. If there is one thing heifer growers need to do better, it’s data management. He said when he is advising farms, the one thing he does not have enough of is data. Records should include age, source and process verifications. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t interpret it,” he said.

MSU Marks Cheese Anniversary

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Slim Smith The Commercial Dispatch STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Ten years before he would take over as head of the dairy science department at Mississippi State University, and 30 years before the dairy science building would bear his name, professor Fredrick Herman Herzer had an idea.Maybe we should make some cheese. So he did.After considering several varieties, shapes and sizes, Herzer settled on a variety of cheese first developed in the Netherlands called Edam. Herzer settled on a three-pound ball, preserved in red paraffin. It looked like a red cannon ball.A rush order to Holland secured 10 teakwood hoops (molds), which left Holland just before the ports were closed because of World War II and Herzer was in business.Struggling with just 10 hoops, the department managed to make a few hundred Edams a year.Now, 75 years and hundreds of thousands of Edam cheese balls later, MSU will celebrate Herzer’s most enduring legacy with a celebration today.Most “young” Edam cheese has a very mild flavor, is slightly salty or nutty, and has almost no smell when compared to other cheeses. As the cheese ages, its flavor sharpens, and it becomes firmer. It has a significantly lower fat content than many other traditional cheeses; as little as 28 percent of the cheese is made up of fat.From its modest beginning, the MSU cheese-making operation has grown significantly over the past 75 years.From a few hundred hoops produced in 1933, production has soared to 400 balls per day, produced by a staff of six full-time employees and six dairy science students.Among MSU faithful, the colorful red balls of cheese have become a staple of the Christmas season, with demand far exceeding supply. Typically, MSU quits taking Christmas orders six weeks before the holiday.Over the years, the Dairy Science Department has added other food items, including jalapeno and Vallagret cheeses, although Edam is, by far, the most popular variety.The Edam operation provides a self-supporting, semi-commercial size laboratory for teaching and research. In addition, the dairy processing plant manufactures all the fluid milk products, ice cream, and butter that are used on the MSU campus and continues to serve as one of the university’s unique public relations productions.

Managing Mastitis in Dairy Replacement Heifers

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

QUINCY, Ill. — Management of mastitis is most commonly focused on lactating cows. However, the prevalence of mastitis in unbred, breeding age and pregnant dairy heifers is higher than formerly realized, according to Stephen Nickerson, Ph.D., professor of lactation physiology, animal and dairy science department, at the University of Georgia. Dr. Nickerson’s comments came during the Pre-Conference Symposium in February at the Southwest Nutrition and Management Conference at the University of Arizona in Tempe, Ariz.While antibiotic infusion products have been successfully used to cure existing infections, Nickerson said the goal should be to prevent new infections from occurring in these young dairy heifers through management strategies that include not only vaccinations, use of teat seals and fly control, but also dietary supplementation. Nickerson reported that dietary supplementation to boost the immune systems of heifers has been shown to reduce the incidence of mastitis at calving.“Heifers may carry intramammary infections for a year or more before they are diagnosed with mastitis,” he reported. “The greatest development of milk-producing tissue in the udder occurs during the first pregnancy, so it is important to protect the heifer mammary gland from pathogenic microorganisms to ensure maximum milk production during the first and future lactations.”Diet plays a role in udder resistance to infection, he said, because certain nutrients affect various mammary resistance mechanisms. Nickerson participated in a 2011 study submitted to the “Journal of Dairy Science” in which 40 dairy heifers were fed a daily supplement beginning at five months of age containing a specific additive, OmniGen-AF. Overall, postpartum results showed that these heifers exhibited increased milk production, decreased prevalence of mastitis and lower somatic cell counts, suggesting a positive effect on the immune system, compared to unsupplemented control heifers.OmniGen-AF, from Prince Agri Products, can be supplemented to all classes of dairy cattle as part of their regular diet. OmniGen-AF has been shown to augment immune function in dairy cattle which aids in the maintenance of good health and production.

FARM Program Reaches Record Participation

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

ARLINGTON, Va. — The dairy industry’s animal care program has achieved an important milestone, with 70 percent of the nation’s milk now participating in the program. With the recent addition of several major cooperatives in the National Dairy FARM Program (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management), more than two-thirds of the nation’s cows will be covered by the industry’s animal well-being effort, according to the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF).The NMPF started the FARM program three years ago to provide a consistent, national, verifiable means of showing consumers and the food value chain how dairy products are produced. The number of cooperatives and processors subscribing to the program has continued to grow, and now includes farms producing 70 percent of America’s milk supply.“Consumers and customers don’t expect perfection, but they do expect us to collectively demonstrate our industry’s responsible practices and our commitment to quality animal care,” said Jerry Kozak, president and CEO of NMPF.Kozak said that even with the increased participation in the FARM program, “We need more farms, more cooperatives, and more companies to commit themselves to this program,” he said.

It’s Planting Time

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

T he year 2012 was certainly a year for the record books for grain producers. Drought in the corn belt resulted in short supplies and high prices for most every crop. A good thing if you got rain and for the most part, Pennsylvania got rain, resulting in excellent net incomes for producers.But it is 2013, and 2012 is history. So what are the experts saying about 2013?As I write this, USDA is accumulating planting intentions, and it is snowing in the corn belt. Snow in late March is not all that unusual; but following a severe drought, it is very important for rebuilding moisture levels in the soil. USDA reports that high grain prices and abundant snowfall this winter are combining and will result in near record or record acreage being planted this spring.So producers plan on planting every acre they can. But as everyone learned last year, large acreage is not enough. Crops need to be planted on time, and, the growing season must have adequate moisture and temperatures.The next several weeks will determine if crops can be planted on time. Weather cannot be controlled; therefore, producers must have their plans together, their inputs on hand and their equipment ready to go. Budgets should have been worked out weeks ago. Once the weather breaks, everything and everyone must be ready to go.In the end, prices in 2013 will be controlled by the final national average yield. This is always the case, but coming off of a severe drought year makes the 2013 yield more important than usual. In fact, the word critical comes to mind. Given the acreage being planted, usage expectations, southern hemisphere expected harvests and more, below are some projected prices based on the latest reports I have seen: Yield/acre Expected Corn Price140 bu. $5.50150 bu. $5.00160 bu. $4.50 The key point for Pennsylvania producers is that they must look at their budgets and make sure they can be profitable at these prices. It is easy to become complacent and expect $7 corn to last forever, something that will not happen.While the expected prices I have listed above would help purchasers with their budgets, everyone needs to understand that another severe drought would result in much higher prices.Editor’s Note: Michael Evanish is the manager of MSC Business Services, a member service of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. MSC Business Services provides Business Analysis, Consulting, Income Tax and Tax Planning, and Payroll Services to businesses throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland. For more information call 717-731- 3517.

Hutjens Receives National DHIA Outstanding Service Award

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — National Dairy Herd Information Association (DHIA) recently honored Mike Hutjens, professor emeritus, University of Illinois department of animal sciences, with its Outstanding Service Award, in St. Pete Beach, Fla., in conjunction with the association’s annual meeting.Hutjens earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.From 1971 to 1979, Hutjens served as an Extension dairy specialist at the University of Minnesota and then moved on to the University of Illinois. He retired in December 2010 but continues to teach on a part-time basis.

DFA Hosts Annual Meeting

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Joyce Bupp Southcentral Pa. Correspondent KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Farmer-owners and their roles in feeding the world was the focus of the recent annual meeting of Dairy Farmers of America at the Sheraton Kansas City Crown Center. More than 1,400 members and guests attended the annual business meeting and leadership conference, one of the largest turnouts ever in the cooperative’s 15-year history.With the theme, “From this Land,” meeting speakers addressed dairy and agriculture issues, from the raw milk side to supplying global consumers. Financial reports highlighted a successful year, along with settlements of legacy legal issues dating back more than a decade. Seven outstanding farmer-member families and 29 scholarship recipients were recognized as a highlight of the annual awards dinner.“As a national milk marketing cooperative, DFA is delivering its members’ high-quality milk around the globe, through dairy ingredients, its own branded products and those of its customers,” said Randy Mooney, dairy farmer from Rogersville, Mo., and chairman of DFA’s board of directors.“From this land, we are all making a difference. Members are producing nature’s most perfect food. From our plants and our customers’ plants, that milk is being processed into cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, ingredients and more. Through that process, we are feeding the world,” Mooney said.Rick Smith, DFA’s president and CEO, presented an overview of the cooperative’s business and financial highlights and emphasized ongoing efforts to provide greater value and service through a variety of programs available to farmer-owners.DFA directed the marketing of 61.4 billion pounds of milk through 2012 for both members and others through its consolidated businesses and affiliates, representing nearly 30 percent of total milk production in the U.S. Payments to members for milk marketed totaled $7.3 billion, equating to an average price of $18.49 per hundredweight. Through its various equity retirement programs, the cooperative returned $32 million in cash to members during the year.“Our mission is to bring value to the members,” Smith said. “One way to do this is to participate in value-added opportunities for dairy, both domestically and globally. This supports our goal and obligation to help feed people around the world, and meet the demand for healthy and nutritious dairy products worldwide.”DFA exported 203 million pounds of product in 2012, the third consecutive year of record sales. And, as part of its global strategy, construction is currently underway in Fallon, Nev., on a state-of-the-art plant designed to provide consistent supplies of quality, dried dairy ingredients for export to customers around the world.Other commercial expansions during 2012 included the Fluid Milk and Ice Cream Division’s acquisition of Guida’s Dairy in New Britain, Conn., and Cass-Clay Creamery in Fargo, N.D. More than 20 new products were launched into the marketplace through the consumer division under the cooperative’s Borden, Cache Valley, Plugra and La Vaquita brands.Year-end financials reported total sales of $12.1 billion, a net income of $83 million, double that of the prior year, with a net loss of $133 million after adjustments for non-recurring charges. Those non-recurring items included a $216 million, net of tax, litigation charge and a $77 million, net of tax, impairment/loss on an exchange of affiliate interest during 2011.Global dairy issues were also the focus of a “world of opportunity” panel featuring Tom Suber, president of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, Jay Waldvogel, DFA senior vice-president of strategy and international development and Larry Jensen, president of Leprino Foods.Suber said that most of the “new” U.S. milk produced over the past several years has gone to the export market, although overseas sales are now beginning to flatten out. He sees the greatest opportunity in demand for skim milk powder, and less for whole milk powder and cheese. Trade policy trends are currently favorable to export demand, with the inclusion of Japan and Canada in Trans-Pacific trade agreements.As a DFA strategist for dairy exports, Waldvogel emphasized the importance of following established customers into the global trade, along with building an internal structure designed to serve those markets. Working closely with Dairy Management, Inc., U.S. Dairy Export Council and the CWT program of National Milk Producers Federation further provides avenues for global sales.With 10 plants across the U.S., Leprino Foods is the nation’s largest producer of lactose from its extensive manufacturing of primarily Mozzarella/pizza cheese products. The country of Japan, noted Leprino president Larry Jensen, is the largest user of lactose. The U.S. is the largest consumer of Mozzarella, followed by Brazil in second place. He emphasized the need for a supplier to be a “market fixture” in order to be viewed as a dependable supplier and sees room to grow globally with current customers.Members and guests were challenged by special guest speaker, Jason Clay, to think ahead to how Planet Earth can be maintained with an anticipated world population of 9 billion mouths to feed in decades to come. Clay, senior vice-president of market transformation for the World Wildlife Fund, cautioned that as much food will be needed in the next 40 years as has been needed in the last 8,000 years.“Sustainability is a journey, not a destination,” said Clay, voicing concern that “we are eating the planet. Today, we’re using about one and one-half times the carrying capacity of our planet. Population multiplied by consumption must equal the carrying capacity of the planet.”While population growth is expected to slow, consumption is expected to increase, as those in emerging economies gain more disposable income. Clay further noted that most of us are not paying the actual, true cost of food and that one in every three calories is wasted somewhere between production to consumption.Seven family farms representing DFA’s geographic regions were recognized as members of distinction. Local farms honored with the cooperative’s recognition were: Ayers Farms, Perryville, Ohio; Piper and Hamilton Families of Piper Farm LLC, Embden, Maine; and Huffard Dairy Farms, Crockett, Va.The DFA Cares Foundation Scholarship program awarded a combined total of $28,000 to 29 recipients. Local pre-college winner was Amber Gabel, Newport, Pa.Local undergraduate recipients are Jenna Hill, Clyde, N.Y.; Laura Holtzinger, Millville, Pa.; and Emma Reeves, Pulaski, Va.Seven retiring directors were recognized for their years of service on the DFA board. Retiring from the board are: Mickey Childers, Somerville, Ala.; Larry Frederick, Baring, Mo.; Lew Gardner, Galeton, Pa.; Les Hardesty, Greeley, Colo.; Pete Mensonides, Turlock, Calif.; Ellis Roberts, Preston, Idaho; and Rob Wonderlich, Ollie, Iowa.

DCHA Names New Officers, Award Winners

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Jessica Rose Spangler Reporter LANCASTER, Pa. — At the April 5 annual meeting of the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, president Darin Mann delivered his last address before naming the new officers and awards were handed out.In that address, Mann discussed the organization reconstruction that happened in the fall of 2012, including the goals that they have set. Those goals include increasing membership, increasing annual conference attendance, completing their best management practices and Gold Standards for calf and heifer raising, and establishing a rainy day fund.Mann then concluded he tenure as the 2012-2013 board president by naming the newly elected officers — Jack Banker, Black Creek, Wis., president; Lane Sollenberger, Newburg, Pa., first vice president; Amy Shiplett, Chilton, Wis., second vice president; Vicki Franken, Sutherland, Iowa, secretary/treasurer; and Darin Mann, Parma, Idaho, past president.Once new president Jack Banker took the podium, his first order of business was to award the organization’s annual $1,000 scholarship. The recipient, Taylor Holterman, was not in attendance, but Banker said that she attends the University of Wisconsin at Madison, is majoring in life sciences communication, and plans to graduate in May 2015.The annual meeting concluded with the announcement of the Cady Award winner. An award that is only handed out as a deserving recipient emerges, Dr. John Bernard was this year’s winner.Bernard “has dedicated countless hours to DCHA without compensation,” Banker said, adding that while not a founding member, Bernard became involved early and is responsible for bringing a lot of DCHAs current leaders into the organization.Bernard is a professor, and works in dairy research and Extension at The University of Georgia.

Trotter Joins All-American Dairy Foundation

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The All-American Dairy Foundation board of trustees welcomed Abigail Trotter, of Enon Valley, Lawrence County, as a member of the communications committee of the foundation. Trotter will serve as manager of the foundation’s Facebook page, which can be found at: www.facebook.com/AADF4U.Trotter, a graduate of Westminster College, now works as a communications and public relations specialist for Heart Reach Ministries in Youngstown, Ohio.“Facebook is an important way to stay in touch with the All-American Dairy Show community,” said All-American Dairy Foundation Executive Director Bob Heilman. “We’re pleased to have a young adult who was so active in the show now volunteering to lead these efforts.”To share photos and ideas for the Facebook page, or to help with promotion, contact Trotter at atrotter1024yahoo.com or 724-730-5708.

The Glass is Half Full in the North Country

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

During the past two months, our Center for Dairy Excellence staff team spent a lot of time in the Northern Tier counties of Pennsylvania. For those who do not live in this region of the state, conversations among farmers and non-farmers in this area often turn to natural gas and land values.This topic has brought significant change in Pennsylvania, especially if you are a dairy farmer. The Northern Tier counties, in particular, have a number of dairy farmer groups who meet regularly to talk about industry issues. The Center for Dairy Excellence was invited to join three such groups, with each a wonderful opportunity to us.One group invited Emily Yeiser to join them for a day in late March. With a master’s in dairy science, Yeiser contributed to a discussion around growing more feed, in particular, soybeans. Raising more home-grown feeds was the most important area of improvement identified by the 1,100 dairy producers across Pennsylvania who responded to the center’s survey last year.Producers in the Northern Tier are no different than producers in other regions when it comes to growing homegrown feeds, with the group meeting to discuss adding soybeans into the crop rotation.The same week, a group of dairy farmers in the Northern Tier met to discuss dairy markets and options to consider for managing volatility and associated risk. Alan Zepp, the center’s dairy risk management programs manager, joined this round table where the discussion focused on milk prices during the summer and fall months.With 14 percent of our U.S. milk supply being exported (approximately the amount of Wisconsin’s entire annual production), the conversation included exports, Northeast demand, Midwest weather forecasts and more. Current Class III milk future prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for the upcoming season are at profitable levels for many farms, so these producers were looking to protect a portion of their milk production through risk management.In early April, Zepp and I ventured north again to meet with a number of young dairy families to talk about dairy’s future in the region. In some but not all cases, asset management and family estate planning has become more complex with revenue from natural gas.The interest around this table was about “risk” and how much to invest in a volatile dairy industry. While we were not there to provide all of the answers, we did talk about the opportunities to build successful businesses in dairy and what it will take in the future.After the meeting with the young producers, Zepp and I visited a nearby dairy farm. What we saw was an example of a successful dairy operation, with optimal cow comfort and a balanced ration of feed available 22-plus hours of the day with twice-daily milk production above 90 pounds. This young family has built a business model positioned for long-term success.Later that evening, we met with two seasoned dairy farmers who have extensive knowledge and experience in dairy. One of the producers commented, “The Northeast U.S. is the most enviable place to dairy in the world.”The other farmer said, “The Northeast region of Pennsylvania currently offers some really unique opportunities for some young aggressive families who have what it takes to be entrepreneurial.”Early the next morning, we arrived at a farm not long after sun-up. A few cars pulled in the driveway and what ensued was one of the most dynamic dairy profit team meetings, I have had the privilege to participate in. Three generations of farm family ownership, along with a number of trusted advisers, sat at the table for 90 minutes together.We poured over herd performance and financial reports, talked about areas of success, and identified areas for renewed attention. Financial performance was discussed, as well as strategies for managing potentially volatile markets later this year.As we headed south that day and discussed our trip, it became apparent to us that, even with the influx of the natural gas industry, dairying in the Northern Tier is very similar to dairying elsewhere in Pennsylvania. Profitable dairy farm businesses exist in all regions of the state, and they’re looking to capitalize on the opportunities awaiting the industry.While challenges are real and different on all farms, we believe that, both in the Northern Tier and across Pennsylvania, the preverbal glass remains half full — and it will continue to be filled with milk.Editor’s Note: John Frey is the executive director for the Center for Dairy Excellence.

Be on the Lookout for Mycotoxins

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

M ycotoxins, toxic compounds produced by various kinds of molds, are rearing their ugly heads again this year. Mycotoxins form when mold spores in the environment proliferate in grains and feeds that are damaged by drought conditions, insect damage, or improper storage. Common mycotoxins include aflatoxin, zearalonone and deoxynivalenol (DON) or vomitoxin. All of these compounds can cause detrimental effects in the animals that consume them, depending on the level present in the feedstuff. Effects can include decreased feed intake, reduced feed efficiency and adverse health and reproductive problems. Due to the challenging growing conditions nationwide this past summer, aflatoxin problems are more common this year, especially for dairy cattle. A small percentage of the aflatoxin a cow consumes enters the milk produced. Since aflatoxins are potent carcinogens and can cause liver damage, there are established regulatory levels in milk. Pennsylvania dairy farmers have already had loads of milk rejected this year due to the presence of aflatoxins in the milk.So what can you do as a dairy producer? The main sources of aflatoxins in dairy feedstuffs are corn grain, corn byproduct feeds, and corn silage, although oilseed products like cottonseed have also been implicated. It is important to check with your feed providers to make sure that feed you purchase has been checked for aflatoxins levels. Another important practice is to work with your veterinarian and nutritionist to check the feed you produce on your farm. Just because you do not see mold, it does not mean mycotoxins are not there. Even if you do see mold, it does not necessarily mean you have mycotoxins. Testing is they only way to make sure.If mycotoxins are present in your feed, you may need to use binders, dilute feeds, or not use some feeds depending on the levels present and how sensitive your herd is to mycotoxins. Which binder do you use? It depends on the type of mycotoxin and you may need to use more than one at the same time. There are many mycotoxins, and labs only test for a few of them, but a general rule of thumb is that the presence of one mycotoxin usually indicates the presence of several types. For example, clay binders are usually very good at binding aflatoxins, but not as good for zearalonone. So if you have both types present, you may need to use a clay product and another product together for better coverage.Remember, the most important way to prevent and control this problem is to talk with your veterinarian and nutritionist to devise a program for your farm.Editor’s note: Stephen Foulke, DVM, DABVP (Dairy) is a Board certified specialist in dairy practice with Agricultural Veterinary Associates in Lititz, PA. He can be reached at 717-625-4212.

Judges Announced for All-American Dairy Show

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The 2013 All-American Dairy Show will welcome 12 judges to place classes in 14 youth and open shows, Sept. 7-12, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.Michael Heath of Westminster, Md., will place the All-American Eastern National Holstein Show on Sept. 11-12. He grew up on Spring Valley Jersey Farm, one of the six farms to have exhibited at all 50 All-American Dairy Shows, owned by parents Billy and Betty Heath. Heavily influenced by his parents, grandfather and uncles, Heath became a professional fitter for 14 years after college and is now is a dairy cattle marketer.Chris Hill of Thurmont, Md., is set to judge the All-American Ayrshire Show on Sept. 10-11. With roots in his family’s Wauwatosa Ayrshire Farm, he now owns and operates MD-Hillbrook Sales Service with wife, Jennifer.Chris Lahmers of Marysville, Ohio, returns to the All-American to judge the All-American National Guernsey Show on Sept. 11. He and his family own Brown Velvet Brown Swiss and Lah-Dale Holstein show herds, have bred five All-American Brown Swiss, and exhibited the 2005 Brown Swiss Intermediate Champion at World Dairy Expo.Jeremy McDonald of Middletown, Va., will judge the All-American Milking Shorthorn Show on Sept. 10-11. The McDonalds milk 70 Holsteins and Brown Swiss under the Shen-Val prefix and raise registered Angus cattle. They also have orchards, vegetable gardens and a farm market to direct-market their produce and beef.Carrie Chickering-Sears of South Deerfield, Mass., will place the Premier National Junior Guernsey Show on Monday, Sept. 9. With husband, David, and daughter, Ashley, she operates Indian Acres Farm and bred Indian Acres MM Pistachio Pie, the 2007 supreme champion at the All-American Dairy Show, Premier National Junior Show and World Dairy Expo. Sears is the director of community education in animal agriculture at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.Steve Shaw of Williamsburg, Pa., makes his All-American Dairy Show judging debut with the Red and White Show on Sept. 11. A regional sales leader and nutritionist for Cargill Animal Nutrition, Shaw and his family own Linden-Loch Holsteins and bred or owned three All-American and nine Junior All-American nominated Holsteins and Red and Whites.Eric Topp of Botkins, Ohio, will serve triple duty by placing the Ayrshires and Milking Shorthorns in the Premier National Junior Show on Sept. 9 and the All-American Brown Swiss Show Sept. 10-11. His family farm, Topp-View Farms, produced champions at the Ohio State Fair and Spring Dairy Exposition, World Dairy Expo, and the North American International Livestock Expo. He is a dairy nutritionist for Maria Stein Grain, and he and wife, Mary, have two daughters, Madelyn and Mackenzie.Paul Trapp of Taylor, Wis., will place the Premier National Junior Jersey Show on Sept. 9.Mark Rueth of Oxford, Wis., will place the Premier National Junior Holstein Show on Sept. 9.Jacob Hushon of Fort Atkinson, Wis., returns to the All-American to place the Red and Whites in the Premier National Junior Show on Sept. 9.Steve Hendress of West Layfette, Ind., will judge the Premier National Junior Brown Swiss Show on Monday, Sept. 9.Kelli Cull of Lomira, Wis., returns to the All-American for the second year and will place the Jersey Show on Sept. 11-12.