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Diamond
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Indiana Dairy Producers
Board of Directors
Julie Bommer, Secretary/Treas.
Liz Kelsay
Brian Huber
Fred Kunkel
Greg Peters
Brian Houin
Cory Craig
Nathan Kuehnert
Industry Advisers
Andy Tauer
Todd Janzen, Attorney
Nathan Hrnicek
LuAnn Troxel, Business Mgr.
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Silver Sponsors
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 Indiana Dairy Picture GalleryOver the years we have organized many tours and events, and we have tried to take pictures at all of them. We frequently invite you to watch a picture slideshow, but if you want to see our albums on our flickr page, click here.
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RESOURCE CENTER
Click on each picture or logo to learn more
 | | Indiana Grazing & Forages NRCS Website |
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 | | Calf Notes and Links |
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 | Innovation Center for U.S.
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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
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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Contact Chris Moore for free insurance consultation and quotes on your farm and agribusiness Insurance needs! IDP members receive an exclusive discount on SECURA Insurance.
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Please click online link at the top for best viewing of our e-update.
It has come to our attention that Gmail and some other email services, see a "clipped" version of our e-update. For best results and to view all the articles and pictures on our e-update, please click the online link at the top of the newsletter.
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We certainly want to thank all those who took time out of their busy schedule to join us for our Regional meetings this year. Our attendance was up again and the feedback has been excellent. Special thanks to those sponsors who helped make these meetings possible!
Next up is the 2016 Farm & Industry Tour to Illinois; I can assure you that this will be another quality event as I made a trial run to all the farms last week - you will not be disappointed! This year, the cost of the tour is all inclusive: once you get on the bus, all food, travel, entertainment, and even your motel room is covered. Dairyland Seed even stepped up to sponsor Thursday's lunch, so come relax and enjoy! Registrations are coming in nicely but you still have time to get registered and join us, see the information below.
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a round-table discussion with the Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Congressman Mike Conaway. We discussed the importance and the challenges of labor affecting our industry and our desire to fix it. With all the current chaos in politics, it was refreshing and encouraging to meet leadership with such seemingly high morals and integrity.
We have the opportunity to participate in the National Dairy Coalition next week in Madison, WI. If you have any specific thoughts or ideas, please let me know.
Also, I know you will join me in expressing our sincere sympathy to our board member, Cory Craig, whose father passed away Tuesday.
I can be reached by email at dougleman@indianadairy.org or by calling 317-695-8228 for any dairy need. Please be careful and God bless!
Doug Leman
IDP Executive Director
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IDP Farm & Industry Bus Tour to Illinois
March 30-31
Bus pick-up points in Lafayette and Kentland
 We are getting a nice amount of registrants for the IDP Farm & Industry Tour to Illinois on March 30-31, but at this time, we still have room for YOU! Why not consider a quick get-away from the farm, hop on a bus either in Lafayette or Kentland, and head to our neighbors on the west? We will be visiting two heifer-raising farms, a grazing Jersey dairy with on-farm processing and a farmstead store, a Holstein dairy farm with a double 50 parallel parlor, and two farms with world-renowned genetics. And all of them have a personal dairy story to share with you. When you add some very special fellowship on the bus, some insight and entertainment from Dr. Mike Hutjens, and a belly full of delicious food, what more could you need! We will leave from the Meijers parking lot in Lafayette at 8 am Eastern time on Wednesday, March 30, add a quick pick-up stop in Kentland, stay overnight in Bloomington, Illinois, and return to Lafayette around 5 pm Eastern time on Thursday, Mar. 31. The cost is $225 for the first person, and remember, this includes your hotel room, all meals, and transportation from the pick-up points. Additional person(s) sharing the same room are only $100. To attend, you must be (or become) a current IDP member, prepayment is required, and the deadline to get registered is March 15. We accept checks and all major credit cards. Click here for more details, or just call Doug Leman to get registered at 317-695-8228.
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Regional Dairy Meetings highlight financials
 The 2016 IDP Regional Dairy Meetings have ended, but a record number of producers attended the meetings. You can view pictures from all five Regional Dairy Meetings here. We believe those who attended were able to take away some important financial information that will provide insight into better management of their farms. Gary Sipiorski from Vita Plus did an outstanding job sharing his expertise on dairy financials. In the pictures, you can read Gary's four legs of the "stool" for being a top third dairy producer. This subject was also covered in an article in The Farmer's Exchange. Click here to read that article. Melanie Strait-Bok from Farm Credit Services Mid America provided many insights in looking at farm financial data as well. To download a summary of Melanie's financial presentation, click here. Melanie also discussed creating a business plan for your operation. To download a simple business plan like she demonstrated, click here. IDP is very grateful to provide such valuable information at this year's regional dairy meetings, and it was made possible by our wonderful sponsors. Specifically, these sponsors are:
- Merial
- Vita Plus
- Dairyland Seed
- Belstra Milling
- Hubbard Feeds
- NorthStar Cooperative
- Milk Specialties Global
- Farm Credit Mid America
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USDA Grants for Energy Projects
 Have you been considering upgrading your farm's lighting, motors, insulation or grain dryer? Have you been thinking about renewable energy to help offset operation costs? The USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides a 25% cash-reimbursement grant for energy upgrades for any agricultural producer or rural small business. Prosperity Ag, a sponsor of IDP, has established a reduced rate for all IDP members looking to apply for this grant opportunity. Prosperity has helped 100's of farmers across the US successfully apply and win grants and is committed to helping Indiana's Dairy Producers as well. Visit Prosperity's website today to learn more www.prosperityag.com. Or, email Christi at grants@prosperityag.com.
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IDP Welcomes Peters, Kunkel to the board
At the IDP Annual meeting in February, two new board members were welcomed, and we would like to introduce them to you!
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Greg Peters, along with his wife Deanna, own and operate Green Lo Farms located south of Brownstown in Jackson County. After graduating from Western Kentucky University, Greg joined Semex USA as a district sales representative. Greg spent a lot of time on the road for nearly eight years and he was interested in a change. The Peters' made the decision to purchase the family farm, making Greg a fourth generation dairy farmer. Now they are in their tenth year of farming, milking fifty Holstein cows three times a day. In addition, they crop around 550 acres of corn, soybeans and hay. Greg and Deanna host numerous dairy judging and practice sessions. Greg also judges county fairs throughout Indiana and Kentucky. We are pleased to have Greg serving his first 3-year term as an IDP director, representing the south region.
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| | Fred Kunkel |
Fred Kunkel is part owner of Kunkel Dairy Inc. in Adams County near Decatur, and he farms alongside his father, also named Fred Kunkel. He is the 7th generation to work on this farm. The Kunkels milk about 100 Holsteins and farm around 300 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa, wheat, and Triticale/Rye grass. In August 2015 they were awarded the Sesquicentennial Hoosier Homestead for the farm being in the family since 1845. Fred is married to Becci, and they are expecting their first child in June. There are many people in the public that are several generation removed from the farm. Many have no clue what it takes to put food on the table. Fred is passionate about our industry's need to educate the public and advocate to strengthen an industry that is so important to all of us. We are grateful for Fred's willingness to serve his first 3-year term representing the north region of the state.
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Raise a Glass to the 100th Running
 This year is historic for the Indianapolis 500. It's the 100th running of the greatest spectacle in racing. Since 1936, milk has been a proud part of the race, with winners quaffing quarts of ice-cold milk in Victory Lane. So what better way to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Indy 500 then by raising 100,000 bottles of milk alongside the winning driver? This year, American Dairy Association Indiana (your checkoff organization, which arranges the Drink of Milk in Victory Lane) is partnering with Prairie Farms Dairy and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to hand out 100,000 bottles of milk to spectators at the race. Prairie Farms is very graciously donating that milk. The bottles will have a special race-themed label and fans will be encouraged to put their milk in their coolers until the winning driver leads the milk toast. In years past, the Drink of Milk has been very quick, with most of the screen time devoted to the driver pouring milk all over himself and his team. This year, you should see a more dramatic pause to allow the crowd to toast alongside the driver. Needless to say, this will only increase the amount of media attention milk will get at the race. This year, we expect an increased interest in milk at the race. The Motor Speedway is very much behind the idea of the Milk Toast, because it actually was their idea! This kind of media opportunity would be phenomenally expensive to purchase, so we are very lucky the Speedway is excited about showcasing the tradition of the Drink of Milk.
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Tragic Reminder that Farming is a Dangerous Business
A very familiar name to Indiana dairy met with tragedy this week. David Blough was killed in a skid loader accident on his dairy farm near Bristol on Monday. We express our deepest sympathy to David's family. You can read David's obituary here.
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Support IDP
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Individual membership in the Indiana Dairy Producers is $50. Encourage your dairy farming friends to join IDP! Also, any individual who is not a dairy producer but would still like to support IDP can join as an associate member. Download a membership/associate brochure here.
We appreciate our industry supporters. They make it possible for IDP to support the dairy industry in many ways. If your company is interested in finding ways to join IDP, download an information sheet here. |
Upcoming 2016 Events
March
March 30-31 IDP Farm & Industry bus tour to central Illinois, click here for details.
APRIL
April 6 Regular IDP Board of Directors Meeting with Industry Updates, 10 am, Corn & Soy Offices
April 12-13 Indiana Milk Quality Conference, Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Columbus, IN Details
April 19-20 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, for conference details, click here.
May
May 29 Indy 500, including a very special milk toast of 100,000--celebrating the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and that very unique partnership with milk.
June Dairy Month
June 18 Northern Indiana Dairy Trail open houses at Beer, Gingerich, Knollbrook, Metzger, Nor-Bert and Perkins Dairy Farms, learn more here
June 25 Northern Indiana Dairy Trail open houses at Homestead, Oneeda, Phares, Stutzman farms, learn more here.
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IDP Corporate Sponsors
 There is a growing list of companies that recognize IDP'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 IDP at some level, please download a brochure here. |
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Visit Our Bronze Sponsors
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