Later this month, state dairy regulatory representatives from every state and some US territories will gather in Indianapolis for the every-other-year National Conference of Interstate Milk Shipments. In case you are not familiar with this organization, this is where the federal Pasteurized Milk Ordinance gets discussed, reviewed, and updated. Two years ago, one issue that received considerable debate was lowering the SCC legal limit of grade A milk from 750,000 to 400,000. In the end, the resolution to do so was defeated by one vote. This year, there are several resolutions submitted to NCIMS that propose lowering the legal limit. Of course, many companies and cooperatives that buy milk from producers are already requiring a lower SCC level in the milk they purchase, regardless of the legal limit.

You may find it interesting to review USDA/DHIA data that tracks SCC trends over the years. This data shows that SCC's have steadily been reduced. For example, in 1995, the average DHIA SCC was 304,000 and by 2012 it was 200,000. Click here to view the data.

 

Bernadin Lochmueller & Associates Is Newest IDP Gold!

 

Shawn Kuhlmann (left) accepts the Steve Atkisson Award from Dr. Mike Schutz on behalf of his late father, Gary.

Ft. Wayne, IN.  The 2013 recipient of the Steve Atkisson Indiana Dairy Service award is the late Gary Kuhlmann of Carlinville, IL; long-time Field Services Supervisor for Prairie Farms Cooperative.  The award was presented to Gary's son Shawn at the 14th annual Indiana Milk Quality Conference in Ft. Wayne, IN on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 for "outstanding contributions to the dairy industry of Indiana". 

 

Born and raised on a dairy farm in Illinois, Gary Kuhlmann, earned his Bachelor's degree in Horticulture before being drafted into the army and serving his country during the Vietnam War.  Upon completion of his military service, Gary worked for the Illinois Board of Public Safety and Health as a dairy farm inspector.  In 1977, Gary began a thirty-five year career as Field Services Supervisor for Prairie Farms in Illinois and Indiana.  In 1999, Gary was instrumental in developing the Indiana Milk Quality Conference, where he was frequently an invited speaker.  He was a founding member of Indiana Milk Quality Professionals, Inc. and served two terms on its Board of Directors.  Gary was a regular contributor to dairy policy decisions in Indiana, but was at his best helping dairy producers solve milk quality problems on the farm.

 

Gary Kuhlmann was also actively involved in the Illinois Dairy Industry, having long been a key leader of the IL Dairy Field Supervisors Conference and a committee chair for the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments.  Perhaps Gary was best known in his home state for his many years of operating the milking parlor at the Illinois State Fair.  Two years ago, Gary also assisted in launching the Kentucky Milk Quality Conference.  While proud of his Illinois roots, Gary always considered Indiana his "home away from home", and was equally comfortable on dairy farms in the Hoosier State.  His many contributions to Indiana's Dairy Industry will be greatly missed, for he was a true gentleman and consummate professional.

 

The award sponsored by Indiana Milk Quality Professionals, Inc., is named in honor of the late Mr. Steve Atkisson, a very well respected milk quality specialist and dairy farm and plant survey inspector with the Dairy Program of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. Mr. Atkisson was known for his professionalism, fairness, and steadfast dedication to ensuring the safety and quality of milk and dairy products for Indiana's residents.

IDP Welcomes GEA Farm Technologies

IDP welcomes another great supporter of the dairy industry, GEA Farm Technologies! They have chosen to support IDP at the Silver sponsorship level. Click on their logo above to visit their website, and read more about GEA:

 

GEA Farm Technologies, a segment of the GEA Group, is headquartered in B�nen, Germany and has subsidiaries in over 60 countries, employing more than 2,300 people worldwide. As a global leader in milking, manure, and livestock housing equipment technology, the company is dedicated to saving producers time, labor and money through increased efficiency, management assistance information and leading-edge product innovation. GEA Farm Technologies provides a complete line of WestfaliaSurge, Houle, and Norbco products to meet producers' needs of all sizes and management styles.  We are happy to support the Indiana Dairy Producers.

 

 

Do you
know dairy youth aged 8-18 who want to learn more about the dairy industry? The 9th annual Dairy Youth Conference is fast approaching and provides a terrific opportunity for kids to get a hands-on learning laboratory of the dairy industry!

Here are the details:
Date: Saturday, April 20
Where: Hendricks County Fairgrounds, Danville
Time: 10 Am - 4 PM Eastern Time
Cost: Free for IDP Member Farm Families
Call Kelly Heckaman immediately to register and to give T-shirt size, or get your questions answered:
574-372-2340.

For more information, download a conference brochure here.

Bunge is New Silver Sponsor!

 

 

IDP is delighted to welcome Bunge North America to its group of outstanding Silver Sponsors! Please read about Bunge:

 

Bunge is proud to be a sponsor for the Indiana Dairy Producers.  We recognize that Indiana is a top agricultural state for both livestock and grain production.  Specifically, we value the dairy producers in Indiana and all that they do for the overall health of the state's agricultural industry. 

 

Today, we operate two soybean processing plants in Decatur, IN and Morristown, IN that produce a high quality soybean meal and soybean hulls to serve the livestock customers.  We also operate grain elevators that receive corn, soybeans, and wheat around the state in Decatur, Indianapolis, Lotus, Morristown, Rushville, and Waterloo.  Please give us a call today at any of our locations, or call Ryan Law at 317-818-1112 to assist you in the overall success of your farming operation.  We are happy to help.

 

Livestock health a top priority for producers

Farmers know what is best for their flocks, herds

Cliff Meeuwsen, President of Zeeland Farm Services, Inc.

 

Back in the day, my Uncle Marv used to raise what I suppose would be called free-range turkeys today. Back then, we just called 'em turkeys.

He kept thousands of them together in large fenced areas because that's just the way things were done. The birds were allowed to roam freely within the confines of the pen and do whatever came natural. The problem was turkeys are by nature very skittish animals. If you've ever hunted and tried to draw one in with a turkey call, you know what I mean.

They are spooked by the slightest sound and, given their keen eyesight, movement scares them, too. So you can imagine what happened if a fox prowled nearby, or a wolf howled in the night or even a pack of stray dogs barked in the vicinity.

The turkeys - the ones that didn't literally die of fright - would flock together into one area of the pen, clamoring to get as far away from the perceived danger as possible. In the morning, Uncle Marv would go out to check on his birds and find a hundred or so dead, suffocated by the other terrified birds.

That was a long, long time ago and things have changed drastically. I think for the better. But if some groups get their way, we could be headed back there again soon.

In the agricultural industry we are very proud of the fact that we supply food to the world. We have worked hard to produce food that the world's population can not only afford, but that is safe and healthy for us to eat.

Over the years, our meat, dairy and egg producers have consistently found ways to keep their animals healthy and safe from predators. They have done so by housing them in very controlled environments in which the animals are kept warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Animals do have a pecking order. Give them too much space, or put too many in the space, and the bully among them will kill the weakest. They don't want to share their food, and some of them even eat their young.

Fortunately, farm producers are very protective of their animals, so they provide a space that is just right to prevent those issues from happening. They also feed the animals a diet that provides for the best health possible, and the farmers make sure the animals receive medication when needed. It's the same thing you would do for your children, right?

 

Click here to read the full article.

The Indiana Holstein Association is excited to host the upcoming 2013 National Holstein Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, July 7-11, 2013.  We welcome dairy producers and enthusuasts worldwide to "Race to indy" to celebrate the dairy industry and the registered Holstein cow! 
 
Many exciting activities are being planned, including tours showcasing the latest dairy innovations and technologies at Holstein herds around our great state, as well as emphazing the cultural venues in and around downtown Indianapolis.  The Juniors will be participating in various leadership contests throughout the convention, honing their dairy skills and knowledge, while the Adults continue to determine the future of the Holstein dairy breed. 
 
The National Holstein Convention is always an exciting, enjoyable and education experience for Juniors and Adults.  Please visit the convention website for detailed information.

Take advantage of a free webinar opportunity on April 22 from 1-2 PM Eastern Time, to hear reproductive specialist, Dr. Paul Ficke, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Fricke will cover two areas of reproductive research that have investigated new tools for reproduction and conclude each with an economic analysis of the data. The first new tool will be the use of accelerometer systems combined with various levels of synchronization for submitting cows for first AI service. The second tool will be new methods for nonpregnancy diagnosis coupled with strategies for resynchronization of ovulation.
Click here for webinar details.

New I-9 Form Required
Dairy Business Communications

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a revised Employment Eligibility Verification  Form I-9 for use. All employers are required to complete a Form I-9 for each employee hired in the United States.

Improvements to Form I-9 include new fields, reformatting to reduce errors, and clearer instructions to both employees and employers. The Department of Homeland Security has published a notice in the Federal Register informing employers of the new Form I-9. 

Effective 03/08/13:

* Employers should begin using the newly revised Form I-9 (Rev. 03/08/13)N for all new hires and reverifications. Visit I-9 Central Website here. 

* Employers may continue to use previously accepted revisions (Rev.02/02/09)N and (Rev. 08/07/09) Y until May 7, 2013.

* After May 7, 2013, employers must only use Form I-9 (Rev. 03/08/13)N.

The revision date of the Form I-9 is printed on the lower left corner of the form.  Employers should not complete a new Form I-9 for current employees if a properly completed Form I-9 is already on file. Read More.