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Devaney Joins MPSI Staff
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Milk Promotion Services of Indiana, Inc., (MPSI) has announced the appointment of Kimmi Devaney as Producer Relations Program Coordinator.
Devaney will be responsible for protecting and promoting the image of dairy producers and their products to the consumer, while establishing and maintaining positive relationships among members of the dairy community.
Devaney, a 2010 graduate of Washington State University, studied animal science and agricultural communication. In addition to her classroom work, she completed an internship with the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association where she assisted in advancing communication efforts.
She was 2009 national president of the American Dairy Science Association - Student Affiliate Division (ADSA-SAD), helped establish the SAD Western Region and serves as regional coordinator. Devaney also was president of the Washington State University Dairy Club and was named Outstanding Senior in Dairy Science.
The Washington State native is the granddaughter of dairy farmers. She was an eight-year member of the Chinook (WA) 4-H Club, and is a former Dairy Princess.
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2011 IPDP Board
of Directors
 | | Indiana Professional Dairy Producers |
IPDP Executive Board
Executive Director
Doug Leman
317-695-8228
President
LuAnn Troxel
Hanna
219-508-3433
Vice President
Ron Fuhrmann
Hoagland
260-438-4940
Secretary
Kelly Heckaman
Kosciusko
574-527-3445
Treasurer
Mike Schutz
765- 494-9478
Dave Forgey
Logansport
574-652-2461
Click on a name above to email an Executive Board Member
Board Members
Joe Hibshman
Syracuse
Sarah Wagler
Morgantown
Ben Rothert
Seymour
Henk Sevenhuysen
Goodland
Steve Obert Fort Branch Brian Huber St. Paul Industry Liz Kelsay ICMC/ISA J.J. Degan
Cargill Animal Nutrition
Dr. Ken McGuffey
McGuffey Dairy Consulting Todd Janzen, JD PSRB, LLP Tamilee Nennich Ph.D.
Purdue University
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Click on the Archive button to access previous issues of our E-Updates and important information for your dairy operation, industry issues and trends.
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Support IPDP
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We appreciate our industry supporters. They make it possible for IPDP to support the dairy industry in many ways. If your organization would like to be a corporate sponsor of IPDP, download an information sheet here.
Individual membership in IPDP is $20. Encourage your dairy farming friends to join IPDP! Also, anyone who is not a dairy producer but would still like to support IPDP can join as an associate member. Download a membership/associate brochure here.
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Greetings!
Welcome to another IPDP e-update! I have now been on the job for two weeks and I have certainly enjoyed many new experiences. I was pretty nervous making my first "cold calls" but that quickly disappeared as I was warmly received and we were soon talking cows! I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the wide range of operations, each unique in its own way, but all similar the way they are dedicated to producing a top quality food product! There are many concerns, primarily high input costs, wildly fluctuating milk prices, and regulatory issues. Indiana dairy farmers have many concerns and opinions on what to do with milk pricing. In this short time I have met many good people involved in our industry and have renewed many acquaintances that I had made in the past. I've had the opportunity to be involved in potential animal science professor interviews at Purdue, as well as regulatory and sales tax exemption meetings. I just returned from a very interesting Indiana Milk Quality Conference. My contact information is: dougleman@indianadairy.org and cell phone (317) 695-8228. PLEASE, do not hesitate to contact me with ANY problem or concern you have at your farm or in the industry! As the busy season is upon you, please be careful and don't short cut safety! God Bless!
Doug Leman
IPDP Executive Director
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Personal Tragedy Brings Poignant
Safety Reminder
by JJ Degan, IPDP Board Advisor
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 As planting season approaches us, I remember just how important it is to remind those in the farming community to keep safety in the front of their minds. Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in the US in terms of the frequency of deaths and life-altering injuries.
Eleven years ago on June 11th, I had a life-altering experience because we did not have safe working practices at my family farm in upstate New York. I was helping my Dad clean out a forage harvester that had gotten plugged up with haylage. Whenever this situation occurred, we would leave the PTO shaft connected to the tractor with the engine idling. This time was no different. I was reaching into the blower unit to dig out the haylage when my Dad said he was going to engage the PTO to loosen up the material. I did not hear him. Read more.
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US EPA Exempts Milk from Spill-Control Rules
(Reuters, April 12th) - The government will exempt dairy farmers an anti-pollution regulation aimed at control of oil spills, said the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday, a step applauded by dairy producers.
EPA administrator Lisa Jackson announced the decision as part of the North American Agricultural Journalists meeting.
"That exemption is now -- today -- finished with White House review and will be published today," said Jackson.
The National Milk Producers Association, which worked for two years on the exemption, which it called a common-sense decision. It said EPA agreed last summer to issue the exemption.
EPA requires oil tanks and containers and requires operators to write a plan to prevent and control spills. Jackson said the spill-control regulation also covered animal fats, which led to questions if it included milk storage tanks since milk contains animal fat.
The milk producer group said milk storage equipment is regulated under pasteurized milk rules.
(Reporting by Charles Abbott; Editing by David Gregario)
To read Indiana Prairie Farmer's article on this subject, click Here.
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Indiana State Board of Animal Health Seeks Public Comment on Livestock Care Standards
 Last year, the Indiana legislature placed the responsibility of determining livestock care standards for Indiana with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. On April 14th, the first draft of their official rule was released. At this time, BOAH is requesting public comment on the standards. Any input will be considered before a final rule is placed. The proposal seeks to create a baseline for care based on five core principles: food and water, shelter, disease and treatment, stewardship, and transport. The standard for food and water is: "A person responsible for caring for livestock or poultry must provide the animals access to food and water that can reasonably be expected to maintain the health of that species, breed, sex and age, raised using the applicable production method." Read the entire draft proposal here. Comments may be submitted to the agency during the public comment period via email at animalhealth@boah.in.gov.
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Dairy Youth Conference
Provides Great Learning Opportunity
by Dr. Mike Schutz
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Dr. Jon Townsend, Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, assisted by Dr. Mike Schutz, Purdue University Department of Animal Sciences, demonstrate diseases that cause lameness, how feet function, and how to keep cows' feet healthy to junior participants in the 2011 Indiana Dairy Youth Conference
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Some 50 Indiana youth involved in the dairy industry had the opportunity to learn more about the animals and their products and to brush up on their showmanship skills at Purdue Extension's 2011 Indiana Dairy Youth Conference. The conference took place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 9 at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Indiana. The morning's rain gave way to warm and sunny conditions in the afternoon. In keeping with the Indianapolis 500 theme and "Winners Drink Milk" slogan, participants were divided into two age groups and attended workshops and presentations that focused on such topics as "Are Your Tires Inflated" (hoof trimming), "Moo Book, Moo Tube and You" (social media training), "Getting Your Game Day Jersey On....and Go! The Green Flag is Waving" (developing showmanship skills). Also, the senior members had the opportunity to participate in "Moo-licious Moo Madness" where they had the opportunity to create an innovative flavor of ice cream, develop a marketing plan for it, and write and record a TV commercial to promote their invention. Juniors made homemade ice cream with flavors. Finally, all participants viewed and voted on the best of the TV commercials and participated in the MooBucks fun sale for fun and prizes. At the end of the race, everyone was in the winner's circle!
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What Makes a Cow Stop Eating?
From Dairy Herd Network, Written by Fred Gingerich, DVM
 You know that the cost of feeding cows is milk production's highest expense.
Therefore, much attention has been given to proper ration formulation, ration monitoring, feeding high quality forages and evaluating the cost of ration inputs to get maximum milk production and maintain cow health.
But getting individual cows to eat enough feed can often be a major challenge on dairy farms.
So, what makes a cow stop eating? Read the full article.
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Fertile Ground
IPDP Industry Advisor and legal consultant, Todd Janzen, has created an interesting blog discussing legal challenges that involve agriculture. Click here to visit Todd's blog.
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Sales Tax Exemption for Ag
 Some of you may be aware that the Indiana Department of Revenue has asked the agriculture community for input on agricultural practices so that they can consistently apply the agricultural exemption for sales tax in Indiana. There has been frustration and confusion by many farmers who have recently undergone sales tax audits. If you have had this experience and/or would like to assist the dairy industry in providing accurate feedback on this issue, please email IPDP executive director Doug Leman or call him at 317-695-8228.
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USDA Dairy Industry Advisory Committee Report
The USDA Dairy Industry Advisory Committee has approved the Final Report to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. Among the 23 recommendations, appoint a committee to review the federal milk market order system, consider elimination of end product pricing, eliminate the Dairy Product Price Support System and the Dairy Export Incentive Program; keep the MILC program but have a profit margin trigger and adopt a growth management system. The committee also recommends lowering the somatic cell count maximum to 400,000, consider the California standard for milk solids and work with Congress to come up with some way for immigrant workers to be here legally and stay here year-round.
The 17-member Committee was created by the Secretary a year ago to review farm milk price volatility and dairy farmer profitability. The committee was asked to make recommendations to the Secretary on how USDA can best address these issues to meet the dairy industry's needs, both short and long-term. The report is available here.
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Upcoming Events
2011
April 26 Next regular IPDP Board Meeting, MPSI Office 10 AM
April 30, Purdue Dairy Club Spring Calf Sale, Animal Sciences Research and Education Center; Calf and heifer sale.Contact: Steve Hendress (765-583-2526).MAYMay 21, Indiana State 4-H and FFA Dairy Judging Contest, Purdue University. Contact: Carl Broady (765-494-8435).JUNEJune 8-10, Purdue 4-H Animal Sciences Workshop for Youth, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN; Hands-on workshop for 4-H dairy project members featuring basic dairy management skills and up-to-date technology. Contact: Colleen Brady (765-494-8433) or Mike Schutz (765-494-9478).June 12-15 American Forage & Grassland Council Conference at French Lick Springs Hotel & Conference Center, French Lick, Indiana June 18 Brunch on the Farm, Norbert Dairy Farm, Bremen, Indiana, for info, contact Indiana Dairy Council at 317-842-3065. June 28-29 79th Annual Indiana Farm Management tour Daviess, Knox and Sullivan Counties AUGUSTAugust 2-3, Kentuckiana Dairy Exchange, Northeastern, IN;Event designed to bring dairy producers and industry professionals together to learn more about the many facets of the dairy industry. Contact: Tamilee Nennich (765-494-4823) or Mike Schutz (765-494-9478).August 5-22, Indiana State Fair, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, INAugust 13, Indiana 4-H Young Dairy Producer Contest and 4-H Junior Dairy Skillathon
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Immigration Bill moves in House after Amendment:
Contacting Your Indiana Legislator
The bill dealing with illegal immigration, SB 590 (Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carme l, and Rep. Eric Koch, R-Bedford), was amended and approved by the House Public Policy Committee this week. The House removed provisions requiring state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws and the requirement that all official documents be in English only. It added a provision under which employers would lose any state tax credits if they were found to have intentionally employed illegal aliens. The bill still requires that agricultural jobs and the wage rate for those jobs be collected by the Department of Agriculture and posted on its website and that of the Department of Workforce Development. Click here to get information on current committee meetings, legislation, and contact information of our Indiana State legislative public servants.
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