Steve Obert addresses the crowd during the Fair Oaks Tour

   Change is in the air.  As it pertains to the weather, we can all agree that change is good. Just as with the weather, IDP has experienced a bit of change. We have bid farewell to a couple long time Board leaders and welcomed a couple new faces. I would be remiss not to mention the tremendous leadership of our past president, LuAnn Troxel.  During her tenure as president, the organization experienced tremendous change and growth. This organization has evolved into what many of the original organizers envisioned. So thanks to LuAnn for a job well done!

   In the meantime, IDP continues to be committed to growing our industry. We believe growing and attracting more processing to our state is vital to this end goal. We were excited to hear Ted McKinney, ISDA's new director, affirm his support for this effort when he spoke at our annual meeting. Planning is in the works for a joint effort. We will update you as these plans are finalized.

   Finnally, we will continue to provide educational opportunities though our Summer tour and Kentuckiana events. Please take advantage by planning to attend these summer activities.

 As always, we are here to be your voice and advocate,  

Steve Obert

IDP President 

Visit with Fair Oaks Co-Founder Mike McCloskey
by Sherry Bunting

FAIR OAKS, Ind. - The Indiana Dairy Producers (IDP) welcomed the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) Spring Dairy Tour March 24-28. On their first day in the Hoosier state, 60 Indiana dairy producers joined them to tour Fair Oaks Farms Dairy and Pig Adventures; Hidden View Dairy, owned by Fred Schakel family; and Seven Hills Dairy, owned by Henk and Linda Sevenhuysen. Both groups then spent the evening honing business and marketing skills with Kevin Jones of Ghost Hollow Consulting and Marshall Harting and Patrick Patton of Stewart-Peterson.

 

The morning kicked off at Fair Oaks Farms with co-founder and chairman of the board Dr. Mike McCloskey. Discussion ran the gamut from production, expansion and management protocols to domestic and global marketing as well as agritourism and consumer communication.

 

Attendees were surprised to learn McCloskey was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and went to live with his grandparents in Puerto Rico at age 6. There, his love of farming began as seeds planted by spending all his free time at his uncle's small diversified farm. He also recalled his grandmother's nightly admonition: 'Clean your plate. There are hungry people in Africa.'

 

"We didn't have a lot of money," said McCloskey of growing up exposed to the "tiny farm" that is etched in his memory. "But we always had plenty to eat."

 

It didn't take him long to connect his grandmother's words about starving kids in Africa with the abundance of food in his own backyard, which led him to know early in life that he wanted to be involved in food production.

 

Years later, McCloskey recalled how "abundance" was treated in the 1980s and 90s with the government purchasing dairy products and storing them in caves. "I had wanted to be involved in producing high quality, affordable food, and here I was in the middle of all this waste," he said, adding that globalization today makes it "fascinating to be in food production... But before we can even get to the productivity, we have to first win this communication battle. That's what Fair Oaks is about. Yes, it's about making money, but communicating about agriculture is our heart and soul."

 

For more on Mike McCloskey, read Part One of a multi-part story on Farmshine online, and click here.  For a free one-year subscription to Farmshine in print, send an email request with complete mailing address to agrite@ptd.net.    

 

Some exciting plans are underway for the IDP Summer Tour to Ohio! First stop in Ohio will be Select Sires' headquarters in Plain City. We have a bull parade planned, and then we will have the opportunity to learn from Gary Conklin. You may remember a video that was secretly filmed at his dairy farm in 2010 that received national attention. He learned some difficult and valuable lessons and will share some of them with us. We also plan to visit Miley Holsteins in West Salem, Ohio and Pine Tree Dairy in Rittman. We also will stop at Eastern Laboratory Services. The cost of attending for IDP member farms is $125 for the first farm member and $75 for any subsequent members. All students can attend for $75. This price includes transportation, lunch and dinner on June 4th. You will need to make your own lodging reservations. A block of rooms has been reserved at Comfort Inn and Suites in Wadsworth, Ohio (just west of Akron) for $99.99. This rate is guaranteed through May 5th. To make reservations, call 330-336-7692 and ask for the Indiana Dairy rate. Download a brochure with more information here.  Even though it's not mentioned in the brochure, sometimes the bus conversation is the best take-away of all! Why not join us on June 4-5!

 

Takeaways from March 25th dairy tours
by Sherry Bunting

NORTHWEST INDIANA-"Pennsylvania's dairy industry has so much heritage. We appreciated having them in our state," said Steve Obert, a southern Indiana dairy producer and IDP president after he and 60 other Indiana dairy producers spent the day touring Indiana farms with members of the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP). "As this industry continues to consolidate, it's important for producers to improve how we tell our story and for state organizations to work together to find common solutions to the common problems we face and the desire we share for a vibrant dairy industry."

 

PDMP president Tony Brubaker of Brubaker Farms, Lancaster County, Pa. said: "It was great to spend time learning together with Indiana producers on the first day. We all found ideas to take home to our operations. The tours reinforced how multiple generations of family members work together in business structures that allow us to continue our passion in dairy farming."

 

At Fair Oaks Farms:

 

Fair Oaks' Carousel Observation Area

11 separately owned 3000-cow dairy farms ship 250,000 gallons of milk a day. One of the dairies serves as the example of the other 10. As the visitor's center, it houses the Dairy Adventure and the on-site milk bottling and cheese and ice cream production. Cows ride the 72-cow carousel for milking 3x/day. Heat detection is done with tail paint scoring, and every cow is watched for possible culling once she hits 6 to 7 years of age. Cows are grouped by age and stage of lactation. 

 

Dr. Mike McCloskey gave visiting dairymen five keys to success in developing operating systems and managing employees on the dairy:

 

1) Teach them how to do the job you want them to do;

2) Explain why it is done the way you want it to be done;

3) Give them the tools and properly maintain those tools so they can accomplish what you want them to do;

4) Evaluate their performance to maintain the consistency of the process; and

5) Compensate them fairly.

 

At Hidden View Dairy:

 

Rob Schmidt, Manager

3300 cows are milked in a rotary parlor, giving 85 lbs/cow/day. Manager Rob Schmidt led the tour and fielded questions on dairy rations, the farm's methane digester and the use of manure solids in deep-bedded freestalls. SCC is 125,000.

 

While touring the transition facility, producers saw a load of prefresh heifers that had arrived just 18 hours earlier from the ranch where they are raised in Colorado. Cattle come and go weekly. Calves from all five Bos dairies in Indiana are shipped to Colorado at 500 pounds and returned as springers just before calving.

 

Rob said the three keys to employee retention are to 1) maintain a family oriented attitude and atmosphere; 2) provide fair pay; and 3) focus on safety. He also said the Bos family members meet once per month. They benchmark with each other and encourage each other with ideas to improve.

 

At Seven Hills Dairy:

 

Henk Sevenhuysen

1900 cows are milked in a double-24 parallel parlor. Owners Henk and Linda Sevenhuysen emigrated from the Netherlands to Ontario and then to Indiana, so they have dairied under the European, Canadian and U.S. systems. Henk is a fourth generation dairyman, having grown up on a 60-cow dairy.

 

Seven Hills' youngstock are raised offsite and calve-in at 21 to 22 months of age. Henk works with farmers on adjoining farms to buy corn silage and return manure nutrients. The herd production is in the 75 pounds/cow/day range, but Henk chooses to focus on cost-control and reproduction. Good repro helps shorten days-in-milk, keeping the herd fresher at an average DIM of 182. About 2/3 of the herd is milked 3x and the other 1/3 milks 2x.

 

"Milking cows is the easy part," said Henk. "I enjoy working with people and building relationships."  

 

Click here to view pictures from the IDP day at Fair Oaks, and tours of Hidden View and Seven Hills dairies. 

 

U.S. Dairy Exports: A Growth Story

Click the above video to watch an informative clip on dairy exports.

Let's submit some Indiana Dairy recipes for national cookbook!

Do you love to cook? Do you have a special family recipe you'd like to share? Then we need you!

 

Your dairy checkoff organizations are teaming up to create the Dairy Comfort Cookbook (working title).

 

This cookbook will be published to celebrate the National Dairy Council's 100^th anniversary (and National Dairy Month!) in June 2015. The cookbook will include not only many the delicious recipes that incorporate dairy into meals, but also stories about dairy farm families across the country.

 

Click here for specific information about rules regarding recipe submission. Let's make sure Indiana's dairy farms are well-represented in this cookbook!

 

Thanks,

Jackie Barber

Producer Relations Coordinator

866-888-7082

   Canola remains tight on the nearby as rail logistics are limiting spot offers in the Eastern and Midwestern markets. Forward basis appears to be widening as we have seen the SBM board rally and lends the thought that canola may find its way into more rations as SBM prices itself out. Strong demand and high milk prices keep pushing these proteins higher.  New crop offers are comparative to past years, but not a great value at this point compared to competing proteins to find many forward sales.

   In the Dried Distillers Grains (DDGS) market, product has been tight due to high export markets and local demand. Most DDGS are difficult to source going forward into the summer months.  The prices have continued to remain robust and at record highs in comparison to corn. Some deals on wet products have been available due to down dryer times, but that availability may change with most plants reclaiming their wet feeds and only making wet to order at a premium cost. All indicators look to a later planting season, with an ongoing concern of flooding.

   Both loose and pelleted soy hulls have been in high demand as fiber sources in rations have changed to be more cost effective. However, nearby soy hulls seem to be showing a little weakness as cattle head out to pasture. Also, because of continued issues with rail shipments from the plants, some producers are forced to discount their products. Keep an eye out for specials, as weekend shipments seem to show a good value. Some soy plants are reluctant to show summer hulls prices, and if they do, it is at a premium. Some soy plants will shut down at the end of April for routine maintenance, so expect tighter supply. Contracts are available through June for pellets, which may be a partial straw replacement, as some straw shortages are already being mentioned in Indiana and Michigan. Wheat midds may be another option and perhaps a better buy.

   Gluten feed prices have also stayed very strong, both nearby and through the summer.  Depending upon the weather, planting conditions and export demand, prices may be consistently high throughout summer and into fall. Wet gluten has remained the best buy on a dry matter basis, with prices remaining pretty stable. Some plants have had difficulty staying in production over the long, harsh, cold winter.

   With a smaller cottonseed crop and protein/fiber products in high demand, prices have continued to soar. New crop cottonseed (Oct-Dec shipment) contracts are available at a big discount to the current market. As much as 5 percent more acres are expected to be planted this year.

    Hominy seems to be more available as the processors increase production. Contracts are being offered through July and September, even to the corn CBOT futures on an average to the farm. It's a very fine textured product and a good replacement for high-moisture corn or it can be used as an extender.