2011 IPDP Board
of Directors
 | | Indiana Professional Dairy Producers |
IPDP Executive Board
Click on a name below to email an Executive Board Member
Executive Director
Doug Leman
317-695-8228
President
LuAnn Troxel
219-508-3433
Vice President
Ron Fuhrmann
260-438-4940
Secretary
Kelly Heckaman
Correspondence
Tamilee Nennich Ph.D.
Purdue University
Treasurer
Mike Schutz Ph.D
765- 494-9478
Dave Forgey
574-652-2461
Board Members
Joe Hibshman
Sarah Wagler
Ben Rothert
Henk Sevenhuysen
Steve Obert
Brian Huber
Industry
Liz Kelsay
Dr. Ken McGuffey
Todd Janzen, JD
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Silver Sponsors
Click on the logo to visit sponsor's website
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Visit Our Bronze Sponsors
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Click on above button!
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IPDP Corporate Sponsors
There is a growing list of companies that recognize IPDP's value to Indiana's dairy industry. Please visit our list of companies that have become Corporate Sponsors for only $100. If you know of a company that may have an interest in supporting IPDP at some level, please download a brochure here.
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RESOURCE CENTER
Calf Notes and Links
LGM Dairy Education Info
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
"WORKING TOGETHER FROM FARM TO FRIDGE"
Click on each
logo to learn more.
NMPF Resource Manual
Visit the Residue Prevention Page at NMPF by clicking the photo above.
Check out the resources available to you on the Purdue University Dairy Extension site. Topics on nutrition, business management, animal health and many more topics related to our dairy industry and animal care. 
Click to read the October/November Dairy Market Report. |
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Raw Milk in the News
 The Elkhart Truth newspaper reported last week that Sheriff Brad Rogers will not tolerate any federal agents stopping a well-known dairy farmer from direct farm sales of raw milk. Read the full article here. Raw milk also became a topic of the stump political speeches in Iowa by Rep. Ron Paul. You can read more about that here. |
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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Greetings!
Merry Christmas! This will be our last e-update of the year, and I sincerely want to thank you for your support of the Indiana Professional Dairy Producer organization. We have seen very significant growth this year, both in individual membership and sponsorship. In this e-update, we are welcoming MacAllister Machinery as a new Silver Sponsor! We take these investments very seriously, and our board is always trying to find ways to add value to what we provide to Indiana's dairy industry.
A couple of days ago, many of our board members participated in some board training. It was very helpful. It showed me that we're doing many things right, but we still have a lot of work to do! How would you like to help us? We are looking for 2 dairy farmers to serve on the IPDP board! One must be from our southern region, and one is an at-large director. If you have an interest, please reply to this email, or call us!
Hiring Doug Leman as executive director has been a tremendous benefit for IPDP in 2011. He has worked very hard to improve our visibility, represent the dairy industry at meetings, and fulfill our mission in many ways. We are very grateful for Doug's efforts. He is available to you for dairy questions and concerns at any time by calling 317-695-8228.
As we look forward to 2012, we have many reasons for optimism. I do not believe that dairy volatility will be reduced in the immediate future, but I am very confident that we are in an industry that is important to the world. We all know that it takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but let's continue to work together to make the dairy industry stronger than ever! I hope the holidays are very meaningful for you and your families. In our family, we are certainly looking forward to having that special time together. May God bless you all. Happy New Year!
Best regards,
LuAnn Troxel,
President |
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Update on Dairy Policy,
an opinion by Dave Forgey
 Where is dairy policy in the mix of a US Congress that is struggling to even discuss issues? I have been working closely with people involved in developing a new Farm Bill. There was a strong effort to get policy approved in the deficit reduction packages that were proposed to the Super Committee. Evidence is apparent from that committee facade that there was no attempt to work together to solve either policy or deficit reduction issues. The most critical report that came back to me was that many Ag Committee members in both the House and Senate were shut out of the last minute discussions with deals being cut in an attempt to end the Farm Bill debate.
Dairy producers who were looking closely at managing their risk for 2012 made a very strong statement on October 28th when the largest ever bundle of producers attempted to purchase contract positions through the US government Risk Management Agency (RMA) to purchase Livestock Gross Margin (LGM-Dairy) policies. The load was so large that the RMA computers crashed and many contracts could not be completed. The outcry was so strong that RMA established $7 million additional support for the program and allowed it to run again on November 18th.
As dairy producers, if you don't understand LGM-Dairy, you should attempt to do so. It is a program similar to Federal Crop Insurance which utilizes private insurance companies to carry much of the risk with the government supplying some of the deductable cost. It has been an experimental program for about 2 years but could become a dominate force in risk management if Senator Casey's proposed Dairy Advancement Act could be discussed and implemented. However, it could potentially be eliminated if a full government run program is implemented in the Senator Peterson Dairy Security Act. Those savvy dairy producers understanding LGM-Dairy showed their support for the LGM-Dairy program when it was under fire in October and November.
However, a bill called the REFRESH Bill, introduced in the Senate by our Indiana Senator Lugar and in the House by Congressman Stutzman talked about liking the system of LGM-Dairy margin insurance but chose to instead utilize the proposed fully government operated margin insurance program proposed in the Dairy Security Act. Think about whether you would prefer to pay risk management insurance premiums to a private insurance company like you do for your farm fire insurance or instead pay premiums to the US Government who is looking for dollars to balance the Federal Budget.
Many in policy positions have said that the dairy policy debate is now stopped until after the Christmas Holidays. However, if you want the Government less involved in your dairy business, talk to your Senators and Congressmen. Find the contacts to your legislators below.
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MacAllister Machinery becomes Silver sponsor of IPDP!
IPDP is very grateful for the new sponsorship of MacAllister Machinery. They have 7 locations throughout Indiana to serve the dairy farmer, and we encourage you to visit them if you are in the market for a skid steer, attachments, and more.
MacAllister Machinery Co. is Indiana's leading heavy equipment supplier, with experienced people and broad resources to positively impact your operations on a daily basis. They offer a small equipment line for the Landscape industry including; CAT skid steers and mini-excavators, JLG lifts, Kubota tractors and mowers, Exmark mowers, Stihl and Echo products. They also have Rental Stores for your equipment rental needs. Visit their website at www.macallister.com for information on each of their Indiana locations.
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Register now for the 2012 Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Forum on Monday, February 27 The Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Forum will be held in Indianapolis on Monday, February 27.
After a thought-provoking morning program, the afternoon dairy breakout sessions will highlight some great speakers and dairy specific topics. The breakout session will begin with the IPDP Annual Meeting, including the awards for the Indiana Dairy Producer and Young Dairy Producer. Next, Dr. Frank Mitloehner, a featured speaker from the morning session, will highlight research he has done specifically addressing air emissions from dairy cattle and silage. The second breakout session will feature Jim Dickrell, Editor of Dairy Today magazine. Mr. Dickrell will address the important topic of dairy policy and will provide an insightful look into how the various proposed policies will potentially affect dairy prices in the future.
Mark your calendars for this great event! We look forward to seeing you there. Online registration is available now at www.indianasoybean.com.
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Nominations Needed for Outstanding Indiana Dairy Farmers!
IPDP is seeking nominations for the Dairy Producer of the Year and Young Dairy Producer of the Year awards. Nominations for both awards can be downloaded by clicking here. You can also download a Word document from our website. Please send nominations by January 15, 2012, to Dr. Mike Schutz, Purdue University Animal Science Dept., 125 South Russell Street West Lafayette, IN 47907, mschutz@purdue.edu, Fax: 765-494-9347. |
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Purdue Animal Sciences Stakeholder Survey
The Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University is in the process of developing a new strategic plan to help strengthen and improve the department in the future. As part of this process, the department would like to collect thoughts and insights from stakeholders. Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey to help provide direction for the Animal Sciences Department. Click here to take the survey.
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Dairy Webinar Opportunities
Carving out the time to attend meetings is especially  difficult for dairy farmers. We encourage you to take advantage of some tremendous opportunities to gain knowledge online through Dairy eX-net webinars. These webinars are organized through the Extension Service and are geared toward bringing pertinent information to dairy producers, extension educators, allied industry professionals, and veterinarians across the United States. Sessions are recorded and archived so that they are even available for those who cannot attend the live session. Here's a sample on what's coming up:
January 12: Lameness, Hoof & Leg Issues
February 8: Animal Welfare Certification
March 5: Strategies to Improve Reproduction
March 19: Nutrition Programs during Heat Stress
Information on these upcoming webinars, as well as links to past webinars, are all available here.In addition, here's a summary article and link to a recent past webinar, featuring the "dirty dozen" factors in TMR variability. |
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Farming Together Workshop
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As you look towards the future of your fam ily business there are many issues to consider. One issue of extreme importance is the development of a son, daughter, employee or other interested individual to be the future owner-manager of your business. To help you begin development of your management succession plan, the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University will host a Farming Together Workshop on the Purdue campus.
Purdue University Department of Ag Economics will hold the 32nd Annual Farming Together Workshop on Friday and Saturday, January 27-28, 2012. For a workshop brochure and registration info, click here.
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Plastic Recycling Challenges
We have been continuing to communicate with Rubber Sidewalks Inc. and Lehman and Sons on helping farmers find a practical way to get rid of used plastic. They
are making progress, but because of some logistics, it hasn't happened as fast as everyone would have wished. As this project proceeds, they would like to gather some important information from you. If you click on the plastic logo, (or click here), you will see the online survey link. If you take this survey, it will be very beneficial to them. Call any of the numbers listed if you have questions (Doug is 317-695-8228). It is important to keep the plastic clean. For example, no foreign material, pieces of wood, gravel, or even a stone. It's very hard on the equipment. Let's continue to have patience and work with them to get this valuable service moving in the right direction.
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 Indiana NRCS and Soil Health |
Indiana farmers are on a Health Kick! Soil Health is soil managed to its maximum potential through a system of conservation practices, including never-till, cover crops, advanced nutrient and pest management, and buffers and drainage systems where appropriate. This approach results in healthy soil that reduces erosion, requires less nutrient inputs, manages the effects of flood and drought, and reduces nutrient and sediment loading to streams and rivers. Indiana success with this approach, being promoted through the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative, is getting national attention and will be a focus of NRCS this year. Read about Indiana's soy health success stories here. Visit Indiana NRCS for more information on Soil Health, and watch for their update at our upcoming regional dairy meetings!
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Contacting Your Legislators
With all the movement in dairy policy legislation, it's more important than ever for you to build relationships with your legislators.  Nationally there are around 54,000 dairy farmers (out of 307 million total US population). In Indiana, there are 1288 Grade A dairy farms (6.4 million people in Indiana). Our legislators need to be educated about dairy issues, and they are looking to you to deliver. If you don't know them personally, why not take the time to introduce yourself? We live in very interesting times, and you have a message that our legislators need to hear. Click here to get contact information and more on your Indiana legislators. For US legislators and agencies, click here. |
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Support IPDP | |
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.
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 support IPDP's efforts in Indiana, download an information sheet here. |
Upcoming Events
2011-2012
JANUARY January 24 Regular IPDP Board of Directors meeting, MPSI office, Indianapolis. 10 AM January 25-26 Heart of America Grazing Conference, Mount Vernon, Illinois Conference Brochure FEBRUARY February 3-4 Northern Indiana Grazing Conference, Michiana Event Center, 7605 SR 9, Howe, Indiana February 9-11 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference, Mount Pleasant, Michigan February 27, 2012 Livestock Forage & Grain Expo at Marriott, downtown Indianapolis. February 27, 2012 IPDP Annual Meeting February 29, 2012 Regional Dairy Meeting, Decatur February 29, 2012 11th Annual Midwest Women in Agriculture Conference, Shipshewana, Indiana MARCH March 1, 2012 Regional Dairy Meeting, Goshen March 1, 2012 11th Annual Midwest Women in Agriculture Conference, Shipshewana March 6. 2012 Regional Dairy Meeting, Warrenton March 7, 2012 Regional Dairy Meeting, Columbus March 8, 2012 Regional Dairy Meeting, Rockville APRIL April 10 & 11, 2012 Indiana Milk Quality Conference, Fort Wayne, Indiana
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