Since World Dairy Expo is held in the nation’s number one cheese producing state, it’s no surprise to find that cheese is just about everywhere.
One of the special events for the media at the expo is the Talk Session, sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board each year. It gives the media a chance to do interviews with some of the newsmakers at the expo while sampling an assortment of fabulous cheese pairings and recipes cooked up by Chef John Esser. Each year Chef Esser tantalizes our taste buds with special treats, including gourmet grilled cheese concoctions that can be found on the WMMB’s Grilled Cheese Academy website.
I shot a little video here with Chef Esser describing some of the highlights on the table this year:
Posted: September 30, 2010 at 10:37 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association (DBA) presented its first ever Environmental Excellence Award on Thursday at World Dairy Expo and the winner is Five Star Dairy of Elk Mound.
General manager Lee Jensen accepted the award from DBA President Jerry Meissner and Executive Director Laurie Fischer. Jensen owns and operates Five Star Dairy with his wife and veterinarian, Dr. Jean Amundson, and his cousin Jim Jensen. As the award winner, the dairy received a commemorative plaque and a check for $500.
Among the dairy’s environmental accomplishments is a thermophylic complete mix digester that uses methane and other byproducts to generate electricity and provide power for approximately 600 homes in the Elk Mound area. The dairy also has a lagoon cover so that the manure lagoon can work as a digester in the future. This project is the first successful thermophylic complete mix digester with a separate substrate tank for agriculture use.
Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Randy Romanski recognized Jensen as a producer who has “chosen to go above and beyond environmental standards to improve and protect our air, water and land.”
Pictured here are Secretary Romanski, Jerry Meissner, Laurie Fischer, Lee Jensen, Jim Jensen and Jean Amundson.
Listen to part of the press conference, starting with Romanski’s remarks, followed by Meissner introducing the winner and then some of Lee’s presentation about Five Star Dairy: DBA Environmental Award
Posted: September 30, 2010 at 8:54 pm
By News Editor
World Dairy Expo is known for its top-notch dairy cattle, and 2010 is no exception. Below, find the champion results from several of the breed shows. Check back for more results!
International Milking Shorthorn Show Results
Springville Farm and Fisher exhibited the Grand Champion and Best Uddered Milking Shorthorn at World Dairy Expo’s International Milking Shorthorn Show. Tex-Star Othello Peri, winner of the aged cow class also received the $1,000 Udder Comfort Cash Award for Grand Champion. Reserve Grand Champion of the show was the second place age cow, Lands-Brook Christina-EXP-ET, exhibited by Jordan Landsgard, Lands-Brook Farms of St. Olaf, Iowa.
Hard-Core Farms of New Enterprise, Pa. was named Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor of the International Milking Shorthorn Show. Kuszmar Alfairs Othello-Red was named the Premier Sire.
Central National Jersey Show Results
Frederick 2783 Adventure, the winning entry in the five-year-old class, was named Grand Champion of the Central National Jersey Show held at the 2010 World Dairy Expo. She is owned by S. Lackey, H. Rader, C. Walton and E. Walton of Carlisle, Pa., and received the Udder Comfort $1,000 Grand Champion Cash Award. Reserve Grand Champion was Llolyn Jude Griffen-ET, winner of the six-year-old and older class, exhibited by Budjon Farms and Peter Vail of Lomira, Wis. Ron and Christy Ratliff of Garnett, Kan., and Arethusa Farm of Litchfield, Conn. Tied for Premier Breeder. River Valley Farms-Sauder Family of Tremont, Ill., was named Premier Exhibitor. Bridon Remake Comerica-ET was the 2010 Premier Sire.
International Ayrshire Show Results
Sweet Pepper Black Francesca was named Grand Champion of the International Ayrshire Show at World Dairy Expo. Owned by Beverly Donovan of Benton, Maine, the five-year-old completed a record at 4-10 284d 18,165 621F 654P. She is sired by Blackaddar Bb Kellogg, who was also named premier sire. Donovan was presented with the Udder Comfort $1000 Grand Champion Cash Award for her win.
Reserve Grand Champion was six-year-old Yellow Briar Jerrica, exhibited by Marilyn Stephens of Troy, Ontario, Canada.
The Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor banners were awarded to Palmyra Farms of Hagerstown, Maryland.
Posted: September 30, 2010 at 8:50 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Dairy is more than just one of the basic food groups for Wisconsin-based communications and marketing agency Charleston-Orwig, it’s really the life blood of the firm.
That includes both the people who work in the company and the clients they serve, according to president Mark Gale. I interviewed him this week at World Dairy Expo in the agency suite overlooking the show arena. “We have people who grew up in dairy, people showing cows here, people who go home and work on family dairy, people very involved in agriculture. It’s not just their job, they are actually in the industry themselves,” Mark says about the agency’s team. The company has about 64 employees and was voted one of the best places to work in the state of Wisconsin last year.
The agency’s intimate knowledge and involvement in the dairy industry allows them to relate very well with clients like Alpharma, Arm & Hammer, Novartis and Hoard’s Dairyman – just to name a few. “We’re focused very much on agriculture and increasingly in the food industry, that kind of gate to plate segment, and the issues that agriculture and the food industry are facing now,” said Mark. About 85 percent of their clients are in the food and agriculture industries.
Mark says the agency business has made some dramatic changes in the past few years with the advent of social media and he is proud that Charleston-Orwig has been on the forefront of using these new tools to communicate. In fact, one of their first ventures into new media was sponsoring coverage of World Dairy Expo coverage by blog here on World Dairy Diary. Mark is also one of the founding members of the AgChat Foundation, which is dedicated to helping farmers and ranchers use social media platforms to connect with each other and advocate for agriculture.
Posted: September 30, 2010 at 8:45 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to the University of Wisconsin-Madison dairy judging team for winning the 90th Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo.
The Madison team sorted themselves to the top winning by 11 points. The team was led by Brian Coyne, who was the top individual. Brian earned 876 points- the highest score in the history of the contest. He beat out teammate Chelsea Holschbach who won the reasons portion of the contest with 286 points. The team was coached by Ted Halbach, assisted by Brian Kelroy. The second place team was the University of Minnesota, coached by Les Hansen. Megan Herberg and Caitlin Kasper from the Minnesota team placed third and fourth on an individual basis. A special plaque was given to the top individual in reasons in honor of the late Dr. David P. Dickson.
Top 10 Teams Overall:
1. UW-Madison, 2576; coached by Halbach/Kelroy
Team members included Kelly Sime, Brian Coyne, Chelsea Holschbach, and Ben Sarbacker
2. University of Minnesota, 2565; coached by Les Hansen
Team members included Megan Herberg, Caitlin Kasper, Mikayla Krause, and Abby Udermann
3. Cornell University, 2544; coached by Galton/Winkelman
Team members included Ashley Sears, Sheri Boardman, Corey Kayhart, and Jessica Perkins
4. Penn State, 2511; coached by Dale Olver
Team members included Joshua Ebert, Elaina Rader, Amy Yeiser, and Peter Yoder
5. Ohio State University, 2509; coached by Ayars/Heisner
Team members included Hannah Thompson, Laura Gordon, Jason Miley, and Curtis Bickel
6. Virginia Tech, 2453; coached by Barnes/Knowlton
Team members included Abby Patch, Caitlin Patrick, Rachel Smith, and Brittany Willing
7. Cal Poly State University, 2445; coached by Stan Henderson
Team members included Caitlyn Morehart, David Jones, Joseph Coleman, and Jason Borges
8. UW-River Falls, 2431; coached by Steve Kelm
Team members included Justine Ahrens, Jillian Cowles, Juli Cooper, and Michelle Owens
9. UW- Platteville, 2404; coached by Michael Mee
Team members included Ashley Mergen, Anna Troester, and Rebecca Schlehlein
10. Iowa State University, 2397; coached by Lee Kilmer
Team members included Zach Deutmeyer, Megan Kregel, Jess Peter, and Amy Maxwell
Posted: September 30, 2010 at 8:39 pm
By News Editor
U.S. dairy exports are up 35 percent in volume from a year ago, with cheese experiencing strong growth, according to seven-month trade data recently released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
“After declining significantly from a six-year steady growth trend in 2009, exports have strongly returned this year,” said Tom Suber, president of the U.S. Dairy Export Council® (USDEC), which represents the export trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors, dairy cooperatives, export traders, and ingredient suppliers. “All products have experienced robust trade. Cheese, in particular, has come back strongly.”
With a sluggish July, total volume of U.S.-produced dairy slowed after a strong second quarter, but remained well above year-earlier levels. Total export value in July was $309 million, up 65 percent. The increase pushed year-to-date export value to more than $2 billion, a rise of 66 percent over the first seven months of 2009.
July cheese shipments were up 66 percent versus July 2009, driven by strong business in Japan, South Korea and Mexico, last year’s top three U.S. markets.
USDEC demand-building programs – largely funded by dairy producers through their national dairy checkoff – convinced major foodservice and retail chains in Asia to diversify its Oceania supply sources with U.S. cheese. A major foodservice chain in Japan sourced U.S. cheese for the first time during a promotion featuring “Big America” cheeseburgers, which was projected to use up to 400,000 pounds of U.S. cheese during a six-week promotion.
“U.S. pricing has been competitive, foodservice continues to expand, international buyers are looking to diversify supply and U.S. suppliers are responsive,” Suber said. “USDEC programs also have built greater awareness of U.S. supply capabilities. Things are coming together for U.S. cheese suppliers.”
Posted: September 30, 2010 at 12:20 am
By John Davis
Who says dairy cows … even holsteins … have to be black and white? One Pennsylvania dairy is letting its fans decide what color … and even design and pattern … for one of their 13-foot-tall traveling cows.
It’s part of Lancaster County, Pa.-based Turkey Hill Dairy’s contest to color one of their giant cows used to promote the company’s ice cream at state fairs, grand opening events and parties all over the country… a tradition since 1967:
The Giant Cow Makeover Contest was created to bring new life to the company’s Giant Cows, which have traveled as far as Puerto Rico during their tenure as wheeled mascots.
“For a lot of folks, our Giant Cows are the first face of Turkey Hill Dairy they see, so they have to look their best,” said Quintin Frey, president of Turkey Hill Dairy. “What better way to select a design that best represents the Dairy than by asking our loyal fans.”
A blank cow coloring page will be posted at turkeyhill.com/giantcowmakeover to help guide the design process. Fifty entrants will be chosen at random to receive a free container of Turkey Hill Ice Cream. After the January 31, 2011 deadline, the Dairy will select five of the best submissions and post them on turkeyhill.com/giantcowmakeover where a public vote will determine the winner. Each of the five finalists will receive a one-month supply of Turkey Hill Ice Cream, an assortment of items from the Turkey Hill online store, and a free admission for themselves and three guests to the new Turkey Hill Experience visitors attraction opening this spring in Lancaster County.
The winner of the Giant Cow Makeover Contest will not only have their design painted on a Giant Cow, they’ll also receive a one-year supply of Turkey Hill Ice Cream, an ice cream party, a visit from the redesigned Giant Cow and a two-night stay in Lancaster County and visit to the spring 2011 grand opening of Turkey Hill’s new interactive exhibit, the Turkey Hill Experience.
Posted: September 29, 2010 at 11:17 pm
By John Davis
It’s been a pretty successful 2010 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. for Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA) products, as the cooperative earned six awards in the expo’s Dairy Product Championship Contest … pretty impressive when you consider there were more than 650 entries!:
Awards were presented for the following products:
First – Sharp Cheddar, Zumbrota, Minn.
First – Borden® Cheese Pasteurized Processed Cheese, Plymouth, Wis.
First – Plugrá® Butter, Winnsboro, Texas
First – Mozzarella, Turlock, Calif.
Second – Mozzarella, Turlock, Calif.
Third – Provolone, Turlock, Calif.
“We are proud of the high quality products made at our plants, and it’s truly an honor to be recognized at one of the industry’s finest and most respected events,” says Mark Korsmeyer, president of DFA’s Global Dairy Products Group. “The awards are a true testament to the value of our people – from production and quality control to safety and maintenance – the plant employees all play a major role in our products’ success.”
The products taking home first-place awards were auctioned off at the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Auction.
World Dairy Expo is considered one of the premier events in the dairy industry, as more than 70,000 people from around the country and around the world attend each year.
Posted: September 29, 2010 at 9:28 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Less crude protein in the diet of dairy cattle can actually improve nitrogen efficiency and ultimately result in both economic and environmental benefits.
That was the message at a seminar sponsored by Novus International today at the Sheraton next to World Dairy Expo. Dr. Larry Chase with Cornell University presented some compelling findings that indicate the traditional 18% crude protein dairy diet could be lowered with very positive results.
“At the tissue level, what you really need are amino acids as the building blocks for maintenance, growth, lactation, reproduction,” said Dr. Chase. “So we really need amino acids, not protein per se.” His work shows that there is a point where more crude protein in the diet is literally wasted in the animal, resulting in more manure and urine output, not more milk output – and protein is expensive. “We don’t want to spend a lot of money to make better quality manure,” he said.
Dr. Chase believes that producers could ultimately reduce CP in their rations by two percent or more with no drop in milk production. “Practically, I think a lot of herds can get down towards 16 percent or slightly under,” he says. It does mean that produces need to strike a delicate balance in their rations, stressing metabolizable protein rather than crude protein with amino acids and energy sources, but the payoff can be significant. “What we found in field trials is if we reduce the protein being fed in excess of requirement, we save the farmer money and lower excretion in the environment without hurting milk production.”
When Dr. Bob Stoltzfus with Lancaster Veterinary Associates in Lancaster, Pennsylvania heard about Dr. Chase’s research a few years ago, he was intrigued enough to try it himself on a real operation, resulting in what he calls a “transformation” from a conventional diet to a lower CP diet. “I went from an 18.3% crude protein diet in 2007 to a 16.2% crude protein diet in 2010,” he said. “Production was not affected by it, components were not affected by it, there are changes in the diet that you do, but the bottom line is that you excrete less nitrogen into the environment and in a 200 cow herd we made them about $22,000 per year.”
The financial incentive should be enough for producers to at least give it a try now, before they are forced to by environmental regulations. “Certainly in my area, in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, it’s going to be mandated and probably enforced by the EPA in the very near future, that farms have feed management plans which involve the inputs into the cows that ultimately result in waste in the manure in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus,” he said.
He recommends that producers who are interested in trying a lower crude protein diet work with their nutritionist to find the right balance in the diet to make it work.
Posted: September 29, 2010 at 8:55 pm
By News Editor
Dairy producers and industry representatives are invited to participate in the Pennsylvania’s Center for Dairy Excellence’s three “Mastering the Dairy Business” conference call series in October.
The calls are set for noon on Thursday, Oct. 7, with Dr. Gordon Jones from Central Sands Dairy discussing “Delivering Optimal Animal Care;” Tuesday, Oct. 12, with Dr. Bob Milligan from Dairy Strategies Inc., discussing “Building Relationships;” and Thursday, Oct. 28 with Wayne Brubaker, Mike Evanish and Lee Wenger, all from Pennsylvania Farm Bureau MSC Business Services reviewing “A Study in Dairy Profitability.”
“Each call is scheduled for noon to 1:30 p.m., to make it easy for farm families to listen in over their noon lunch hour,” said John Frey, executive director of the Center for Dairy Excellence. “We are pleased to have an outstanding line up of speakers who will offer meaningful input to help producers take better care of cows, strengthen business relationships, and improve dairy farm profitability.”
Jones is a partner at Central Sands Dairy, a 3,800-cow dairy operation in Nekoosa, Wis., who does consulting and nutrition work for several large dairies across the country. He consults with dairy producers and veterinarians on herd performance, nutrition, environments, and housing designs to keep cows clean, dry and comfortable.
At Central Sands Dairy, Jones promotes the “ABC’s” of animal care – air, bunk (or nutrition) and comfort – and prioritizes optimal animal health to get optimal milk production. His success is in the results, with only five displaced abomasums out of 4,150 calvings last year.
Milligan is senior consultant for Dairy Strategies Inc., a dairy business management consulting company in Bruce, Wis. Milligan will explain the importance of communications as a critical part of any business manager’s strategy. Whether working with family members, business partners, employees or associates, maintaining open, two-way communications is essential to building stronger relationships to benefit the business. During the Oct. 12 call, Milligan will discuss “Building Relationships in Challenging Times.”
Brubaker, Evanish and Wenger have worked for Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s Member Services Corporation for more than 30 years, starting as accountants, and now serving as consultants for the corporation’s more than 5,000 customers. They recently conducted a study of 85 profitable dairy farms of all sizes to identify the characteristics that make them successful. During the Oct. 28 call, the team will explain how the profitable dairies earned $3.17 per hundredweight more than the average dairy.
To register, call the center: 717-346-0849 or e-mail at info@centerfordairyexcellence.org with name, phone number, e-mail address and the date of the call in which you plan to participate. Once registered, participants will receive the call-in number and code.
Posted: September 29, 2010 at 8:47 pm
By News Editor
A new position of Advance Services Consultant for the American Jersey Cattle Association is available immediately. The successful candidate will market and deliver effective customer support for JerseyMate, Jersey Link and JerseyTags, plus cover the northwest field service territory.
This is a full-time position based in the Reynoldsburg, Ohio office, requiring 50% travel. Benefits include health and life insurance, and 401k plan.
Persons with degrees or equivalent experience in dairy or animal science or ag business are encouraged to apply. Background knowledge and experience in dairy cattle management, including industry standard herd management software and purebred activities is required.
Posted: September 29, 2010 at 7:52 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Increasing the frequency of RFID could be as revolutionary for the dairy industry as FM was for radio.
A company called Eriginate has developed the technology to move RFID at the speed of commerce by using ultra high radio frequency (UHF) to tag identify large groups of moving animals, compared to the common electronic systems today that use low frequency (LF) radio waves to read individual tags at short distances.
Company principals (and siblings) Bob, Mary and Tom Baarsch gave a presentation of the eTattoo UHF cattle tag system to a selected group of industry representatives at World Dairy Expo this week. “It’s the first tag approved by any government for tracking cattle that’s in the UHF bandwidth, which means 900 megahertz which runs 1000 times faster than low frequency RFID tags,” said company CEO Bob during an interview.
That is what allows the system to read tags up to 20-30 feet away, which means tag readers can be mounted over head in a dairy barn alleyway to capture readings as the animals move in and out on a daily basis. Earlier this year, Eriginate did a pilot test of the system at a dairy operation in Minnesota. “We got over a 99 percent capture of animals coming in and out of the parlor,” Bob said. They also tested the system in Brazil and are getting interest from other countries as well.
Right now, the company is looking for partners that will take the readers, tags and software and put them together in a total package solution.
Find out more about the technology in this interview with Bob: Bob Baarsch Interview
Watch a demonstration of the technology here on YouTube.
Posted: September 29, 2010 at 10:18 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
“Crowning Achievements, Golden Opportunities” is the theme for this year’s World Dairy Expo and the arena features a royal theme complete with a castle and gold shavings on the show ring floor.
Tonight’s “Dinner with the Stars” will recognize four individuals for their crowning achievements in the dairy industry. The 2010 honorees are Liz Doornink of Wisconsin, Dairy Woman of the Year; Don Bennink of Florida, Dairyman of the Year; Horace Backus of New York, Industry Person of the Year and Tadanaga Komori of Japan, International Person of the Year.
The expo continues to set the “gold standard” for dairy events, making it easier than ever to follow even if you can’t be here, with Facebook, Twitter and a live video feed of the cattle show. Up to the minute show results are available by going to worlddairyexpo.com
The World Dairy Expo exhibitor party sponsored by Hoard’s Dairyman is always a special event, but this year it was extra special because they are celebrating 125 years!
To mark the anniversary, the publication called in the University of Wisconsin marching band as surprise entertainment for the event. It just happened to be at the exact time that President Obama was speaking on the UW campus just a few miles away, so there was a little concern about whether the band would make it or not. But they made it right on time, giving up their opportunity to see the president visit their school to pay tribute to the dairy industry.
Watch the video of the band here:
Instead of getting presents, Hoard’s was giving presents to celebrate their milestone. They presented World Dairy Expo with artist Bonnie Mohr’s updated “Foster Mothers of the Human Race” featuring all seven dairy breeds. The original Foster Mothers print was created in 1957 followed by updates in 1963, 1991, and 1993 — all of which were painted by former Hoard’s Dairyman Art Director James Baird. Bonnie was commissioned by Hoard’s to paint the new version specifically for the 125th anniversary and it was unveiled officially in June. You can order prints online from Hoards.
Posted: September 28, 2010 at 9:30 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Dairy farmer representatives of the National Dairy Board were working as hard as the dairy checkoff does here the first day of the World Dairy Expo.
I had the opportunity to chat with NDB chairman Paula Meabon of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin producer and representative on the board Randy Roecker about some of the dairy checkoff funded programs that they are most excited about.
Paula is thrilled with the “Fuel Up to Play 60″ health and fitness initiative for children in partnership with the National Football League. “We’re in 64,000 schools, we’ve got 36 million children involved with Fuel up to Play 60 to learn how not only to eat right with dairy, but the four food groups,” Paula says. “Exercise and the star power of the NFL.”
Randy is excited about the dairy checkoff food partnerships with companies like McDonalds. “A lot of you have seen the advertising for the new frappe and the smoothie line. I hope everyone has tried them by now,” Randy said. “Just those two use millions and millions of pounds of milk. The smoothie alone has a lot of yogurt involved in it.” He adds that McDonalds new Angus wrap uses a whole piece of cheese, as opposed to just a half in the Big Mac snack wrap. He’s also pleased with partnerships the checkoff has with Dominos and Yoplait.
Posted: September 28, 2010 at 8:29 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
There have been some concerns lately in the dairy industry about low milk fat levels, something that has left many dairy nutritionists scratching their heads.
Dr. Scott Bascom, a nutritionist with Cooperative Plus in Wisconsin, says 2009 was one of the worst years he has seen for milk fat tests, which had a significant financial impact on some of his clients on top of the already poor price situation. “It was very frustrating. I have a PhD so I’m supposed to have all the answers,” Scott told me during an interview at World Dairy Expo in the Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition booth. The animals appeared healthy with no signs of acidosis and he had no luck finding issues with starch or oils in the diet. Then he started looking at the DCAD (dietary cation-anion difference) balance and struck pay dirt when he started adjusting the diet using DCAD Plus.
“The results we saw were pretty impressive,” said Scott, who brought the actual results to show people because they’re so amazing. “In one farm, in mid-May to early June, we were struggling to get to a 3.5 fat test, with lows of 3.39. It was about the fifth of June when we put a new diet in place balanced for DCAD. Between the 5th and the 19th, we averaged 3.68 in this herd with some days a little bit over 3.7.” That resulted in 40 cents more per hundredweight of milk. Another herd had similar results and Scott says he had happy clients. “With the quick response we saw to the DCAD Plus, it was almost an immediate increase in their milk check, just from the added fat.”
Scott says his experience with Arm & Hammer has been a positive one, ever since he was a little kid on the farm and his grandfather was feeding sodium bicarb. “Not only is it the value of the products at Arm & Hammer, it’s the value of the people and their concern and compassion for the dairy industry,” he said.
A&H developed a new web-based DCAD calculator to help producers more effectively balance their rations. More information can be found on the home page for AH Dairy.
Posted: September 28, 2010 at 5:49 pm
By News Editor
Even while the dairy industry is gathered at World Dairy Expo, plans are under way for the next big meeting in the industry: the joint annual meeting of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB), and the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA).
Milk producers and dairy industry organizations from around the country will meet to “Create a Path to Prosperity” at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nev., on Oct. 26-28, 2010.
Prior to the opening General Session, NMPF will hold the first part of its Town Hall meeting, which will focus on the “Foundation for the Future” that NMPF has been working on for more than a year.
The opening luncheon will feature television football analyst and former Oakland Raiders defensive lineman, Howie Long. Mike Adams from Agri-Talk Radio will once again serve as Master of Ceremonies for the general sessions. The general session includes keynote speaker Jason Jennings, a researcher and author who will share information about “Stewardship, instead of leadership,” followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dairylea CEO Greg Wickham, with panelists Bill Siebenborn, Missouri dairy producer and UDIA Chair; Paula Meabon, Pennsylvania dairy producer and NDB Chair; and Jay Bryant, CEO of Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association.
In addition, NMPF Chairman Randy Mooney and President and CEO Jerry Kozak will report 2010 NMPF activities and accomplishments. The day will conclude with a “Welcome to Nevada Reception” featuring cheeses produced by NMPF member cooperatives.
On Thursday, participants will hear from Jim Wiesemeyer, Senior Vice President of Policy and Trade Issues at Informa Economics Inc., as he speaks about “Washington politics and farm policy: The outlook for the 2012 Farm Bill.” The morning will also include a dairy industry panel that is moderated by Arizona dairy producer and DMI Chair Paul Rovey, with panelists Larry Jensen, Leprino Foods CEO and Chair of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy; Steve McCormick, LALA USA CEO; and Alex Conti, McDonald’s Corporation Senior Director of Menu Management. The annual meeting general session will conclude with a report by DMI CEO Tom Gallagher, who will share results and highlights of the dairy producer checkoff program.
Posted: September 28, 2010 at 5:22 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Marissa Kay Weidensaul, Mifflinburg, Pa. for being crowned the 54th Pennsylvania Dairy Princess on Sept. 25 after a three-day competition among 31 county dairy princesses.
Weidensaul, 20, the SUN Area Dairy Princess, is the daughter of Percival and Beverly Weidensaul. She was crowned by outgoing Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Krystal Wasson of Centre County.
Contestants were judged on public speaking skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise and personality. Each contestant prepared a speech and skit promoting milk and dairy products, and participated in a personal interview with a panel of four judges.
A sophomore at Penn State’s Altoona campus, Weidensaul is studying agriculture education and animal science and is secretary of the Agriculture Club. A graduate of Mifflinburg Area High School, she was an FFA member and officer and student government leader. She works on a commercial dairy goat farm, and raises and shows dairy and beef cattle, sheep, pigs and goats.
Two alternates were chosen to support the new princess. The first alternate is Jesse Lee Kline, 20, of Chambersburg, Pa. The daughter of Allen and Diane Kline, she is a graduate of Chambersburg Area Senior High School and completed one year at Penn State Mont Alto with plans to attend a dairy artificial insemination school. She is a five-year employee of Pleasant Valley Jerseys, a 4-H and FFA member, an accomplished dairy judge and owns seven Jersey cows.
Chosen as second alternate, Elizabeth Weber is the 17-year-old daughter of Rick and Brenda Weber of Grove City. The family resides on Pleasant View Farm where they milk 90 Holsteins and farm 500 acres. Weber is a senior at Grove City High School where she is a varsity cheerleader and involved in many activities.
Weber was an honorable mention skit and speech winner, and was crowned by outgoing second alternate Crystal Hitz of Lebanon County.
For the next year, the new state royalty team will represent Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and its 7,400 dairy farm families. The dairy industry is the state’s top agriculture industry, contributing $4.5 billion and 40,000 jobs to the state’s economy.
Posted: September 28, 2010 at 4:23 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
The sunny skies on opening day of World Dairy Expo were reflective of renewed optimism in the industry.
“We’re seeing a lot of optimism out there, both on the company side and the producers already here on the floor,” said expo sales manager John Rozum. There are 770 companies from 26 countries represented at the expo this year, with 135 first time exhibitors. The show was very busy on opening day and John says they expect to have at least the normal 65,000 or so visitors this year or maybe more with good weather and a better economy.
President Obama even flew by today, literally. We saw Air Force One pass over as he arrived for a rally at the University of Wisconsin this evening. The presidential visit caused shut downs at the airport and roads nearby the expo site, which is just a few miles from the University, but sure did not seem to impact attendance during the day.
Posted: September 28, 2010 at 10:38 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
It’s a fabulous day in Madison, Wisconsin for the start of the 44th annual World Dairy Expo.
On this fabulous day, it was only appropriate that the first person I saw when I walked in to the exhibit hall this morning was my good friend and farm broadcaster Pam Jahnke, aka the Fabulous Farm Babe. Pam is a past president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and has been on the radio here in Wisconsin for her entire career. She grew up on a dairy farm here in Wisconsin, went to school here, and has been covering World Dairy Expo since 1990. The FFB is arguably the most well-known radio personality in the dairy industry – at least here in Wisconsin.
So, I figured, who better to do my first interview with here at WDX10? I talked with Pam about her background, her career, covering the expo as a reporter and judging cattle as a kid, how the show has changed and how the dairy industry in Wisconsin is doing these days.
Since World Dairy Expo is held in the nation’s number one cheese producing state, it’s no surprise to find that cheese is just about everywhere. 
and by 
General manager Lee Jensen accepted the award from DBA President Jerry Meissner and Executive Director Laurie Fischer. Jensen owns and operates Five Star Dairy with his wife and veterinarian, Dr. Jean Amundson, and his cousin Jim Jensen. As the award winner, the dairy received a commemorative plaque and a check for $500.
That includes both the people who work in the company and the clients they serve, according to president Mark Gale. I interviewed him this week at World Dairy Expo in the agency suite overlooking the show arena. “We have people who grew up in dairy, people showing cows here, people who go home and work on family dairy, people very involved in agriculture. It’s not just their job, they are actually in the industry themselves,” Mark says about the agency’s team. The company has about 64 employees and was voted one of the best places to work in the state of Wisconsin last year.
That was the message at a seminar sponsored by 
When Dr. Bob Stoltzfus with Lancaster Veterinary Associates in Lancaster, Pennsylvania heard about Dr. Chase’s research a few years ago, he was intrigued enough to try it himself on a real operation, resulting in what he calls a “transformation” from a conventional diet to a lower CP diet. “I went from an 18.3% crude protein diet in 2007 to a 16.2% crude protein diet in 2010,” he said. “Production was not affected by it, components were not affected by it, there are changes in the diet that you do, but the bottom line is that you excrete less nitrogen into the environment and in a 200 cow herd we made them about $22,000 per year.”
A company called 
“Crowning Achievements, Golden Opportunities” is the theme for this year’s 
The World Dairy Expo exhibitor party sponsored by Hoard’s Dairyman is always a special event, but this year it was extra special because they are celebrating 125 years!
Instead of getting presents, Hoard’s was giving presents to celebrate their milestone. They presented World Dairy Expo with artist Bonnie Mohr’s updated “Foster Mothers of the Human Race” featuring all seven dairy breeds. The original Foster Mothers print was created in 1957 followed by updates in 1963, 1991, and 1993 — all of which were painted by former Hoard’s Dairyman Art Director James Baird. Bonnie was commissioned by Hoard’s to paint the new version specifically for the 125th anniversary and it was 
Dairy farmer representatives of the National Dairy Board were working as hard as the dairy checkoff does here the first day of the World Dairy Expo.
Dr. Scott Bascom, a nutritionist with Cooperative Plus in Wisconsin, says 2009 was one of the worst years he has seen for milk fat tests, which had a significant financial impact on some of his clients on top of the already poor price situation. “It was very frustrating. I have a PhD so I’m supposed to have all the answers,” Scott told me during an interview at World Dairy Expo in the 
“We’re seeing a lot of optimism out there, both on the company side and the producers already here on the floor,” said expo sales manager John Rozum. There are 770 companies from 26 countries represented at the expo this year, with 135 first time exhibitors. The show was very busy on opening day and John says they expect to have at least the normal 65,000 or so visitors this year or maybe more with good weather and a better economy. 
It’s a fabulous day in Madison, Wisconsin for the start of the 44th annual 
On this fabulous day, it was only appropriate that the first person I saw when I walked in to the exhibit hall this morning was my good friend and farm broadcaster Pam Jahnke, aka the