Progressive Dairy provides updates on dairy-related organizations and companies, compiled from staff news sources and industry press releases. Email industry and organization news to Progressive Dairy Editor Jenna Hurty.

Business Digest Highlights

New product and services

KühlerZ, Core Body Cooling releases Core Cool Series

KühlerZ, Core Body Cooling announces the new Core Cool Series, giving farmers the ability to take temperature out of the equation and prevent the damaging effects of heat stress. This series offers high-speed air and intelligent evaporative cooling controlled by the barn’s temperature and humidity.

The new series is available for early order now and delivery in early 2022. According to the temperature-humidity index (THI), the variable-speed fan adjusts to give precisely the correct air speed to maintain core body temperature. Days with 20-degree temperature swings will feel like consistent cool days. Then, as the spring days turn to summer and the temperatures soar, the intelligent water cooling creates an imitation sweat that works to maintain core body temperature, much like sweating cools us.

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Please visit KühlerZ or call (844) GET-KUHL to learn more.

Industry News

Florida International Dairy Academy to launch

The Florida International Dairy Academy (FIDA) is a program comprised of a series of online courses, taught by researchers at the University of Florida, that aim to improve food security through efficient, sustainable and profitable dairy production. The program is designed for U.S. and international dairy industry professionals and veterinarians seeking in-depth exposure to the latest scientific and technological advancements pertaining to all phases of dairy production.

The program will launch in January 2022. Visit Florida International Dairy Academy for more information.

The colored shavings await once again

Entries for the 54th World Dairy Expo Dairy Cattle Show, Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin, are now being accepted. New this year, entries for the 2021 Dairy Cattle Show are exclusively online and are due Sept. 6. Late entries may be submitted online through Sept. 16 for an increased fee or until 5 p.m. (CST) the day before the respective breed meetings for an additional charge.

The Summer Junior Two-Year-Old Cow Class has been added to the International Jersey Show and International Junior Jersey Show this year. Animals exhibited in this class are born between June 1, 2019 and Aug. 31, 2019, and must be in milking form at WDE. A Lifetime Production Cow Class has also been added to the International Guernsey Show and International Junior Guernsey Show for cows of any age that have produced at least 100,000 pounds of milk or 7,700 pounds of combined fat and protein as recorded in their lifetime production on official DHIA or DHIR test.

Entry information, the schedule of events, rules and other updates can be found in the Premium Book. Visit World Dairy Expo for more information.

Select Sires has a new Jersey lifetime sales leader

At 8 years old, 7JE5004 River Valley CeCe CHROME-ET has claimed a new title as Select Sires’ lifetime sales leader for the Jersey breed. With 527,517 units sold, demand for CHROME continues to climb as he sires the industry’s most successful and profitable daughters. This new milestone comes just five months after CHROME joined the half-million club.

CHROME is the result of the partnership between the company and River Valley Farm of Tremont, Illinois. The Sauder family purchased CHROME’s dam, Lyon Celebrity CeCe-ET from the Master Breeder Herd of Lyon Jerseys in Toledo, Iowa. His maternal side was developed for more than 40 years by the Lyon family, and he is backed by multiple generations of Excellent cows.

CHROME remains competitive on industry rankings for Type, Jersey Performance Index (JPI) and JUI. Now, with more than 6,322 daughters in his proof, his high reliability provides extreme confidence to his elite rank. Today, his proof includes daughters from seven different countries, and the quality around the world is tremendous.

Visit Select Sires for more information.  

Organization news

Holstein Association USA and Western Kentucky University announce formation of WKU SmartHolstein Lab

Holstein Association USA, in partnership with Western Kentucky University (WKU) and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, has formed the WKU SmartHolstein Lab. The lab, located at the WKU Agriculture Research and Education Center, is designed to be a research, development and demonstration center for the dairy industry.

The mission of the lab is to lead Holstein and dairy advancements through research, development and outreach in technologies, analytics and genetics. This endeavor will also provide students with experiential learning opportunities.

The WKU dairy farm is set up to milk 50 cows and raise associated replacement heifers. The long-term goal is to develop a 100% A2, polled herd of cows in the top 20% of the breed for TPI with additional emphasis on health, reproduction and fitness traits.

To increase the herd’s genetic potential, association members are invited to donate Registered Holstein animals or embryos through the Send a Holstein to College program. If you do not currently own Holsteins but would like to contribute to the program, we will help you identify a breeder or an auction where you can buy a Holstein to donate. Visit Holstein Association USA to nominate an animal for the program or learn more. Nomination forms are due Dec. 1, 2021.

FARM Excellence Awards to recognize farms and evaluators

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program launched a new awards program to recognize farms and FARM evaluators who demonstrate excellence in their engagement with the FARM Program.

Award categories include Animal Care and Antibiotic Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship, Workforce Development and FARM Evaluators. Nominations are open until Sept. 1. Farms or evaluators can be nominated by fellow dairy farmers; members of their communities; extension, cooperative or processor staff; veterinarians; themselves or others.

Nominated farms must have a current program evaluation in the respective category area and must be in good standing with the program. Evaluators who are nominated must be program-certified in any of the program areas as of Aug. 31.

Winners will receive a hotel room and travel for two individuals to attend the Dairy Joint Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nov. 15-17. Visit National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management for more details.

National Mastitis Council seeks milk quality nominations

It’s time to nominate outstanding dairy farms for National Mastitis Council’s (NMC) National Dairy Quality Awards (NDQA) program. This program recognizes dairies that excel in producing high-quality milk. Nominations are due Aug. 31.

The program recognizes U.S. dairy producers who market milk with a low somatic cell count (SCC) and low standard plate count (SPC). Additionally, judges evaluate dairy producers’ systems of monitoring udder health, milking routine, protocols for detection and treatment of clinical and subclinical cases of mastitis, and strategies for overall herd health and welfare.

To nominate a dairy farm, go to National Dairy Quality Awards and complete the online nomination form. Dairy producers cannot nominate themselves or their peers.

Judges will select approximately 50 finalists from the NDQA nominations. Finalists, along with their nominators, will complete a more detailed final application. From the finalists, judges will rank dairy operations as Platinum, Gold or Silver. The Platinum winners receive national recognition and complimentary lodging and registration to attend the National Mastitis Council 61st annual meeting, Feb. 1-3, 2022, at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego.

National DHIA offers $1,000 scholarships

National Dairy Herd Information Association (DHIA) is now accepting applications for its $1,000 scholarships. Applicants must be full-time, incoming or continuing students at technical and two-year and four-year colleges/universities. To be eligible for a scholarship, the applicant must be a family member or employee of a herd on DHI test, family member of a DHI employee, or employee of a DHI affiliate. The DHI affiliate for the herd or affiliate employee must be a member of National DHIA.

The scholarship selection committee will evaluate applicants based on scholastic achievements, leadership, community activities, work experience, knowledge of and experience with the association, and responses to questions on the application. Applications are due Nov. 30. Recipients will be announced at the 2022 National DHIA annual meeting.

Visit National Dairy Herd Information Association to apply.

Global organization for mastitis control and milk quality offers webinar in Spanish

Join National Mastitis Council (NMC) for its next webinar – presented in Spanish – on Sept. 16. Rodrigo Pedraza, NMC board member and technical services veterinarian for Zoetis, will address “Efficient Parlor Throughput with Milk Quality in Mind” (“Ordeno eficiente con Calidad de Leche en mente”).

During this webinar, learn about several aspects of parlor management that may affect milk quality. Simple observations may help milking parlor managers and milking technicians make corrections that will benefit udder health, milk quality and milk production.

Visit National Mastitis Council Webinar Rodrigo Pedraza to register. NMC members will be able to access the webinar online after Sept. 30.

Go to National Mastitis Council for more information.

Trent Dado receives Robert H. Rumler MBA Scholarship from Holstein Association USA

Trent Dado of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is the recipient of the 2021 Robert H. Rumler MBA Scholarship. Dado is a self-employed member of GPS Dairy Consulting and works as an independent nutrition and management consultant for dairy farms in the upper Midwest. He is currently pursuing his MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Parkside.

Dado has a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition from the University of Minnesota. He serves on the Dairy Strong Sustainability Alliance Committee for the Dairy Business Association and is a member of the Whole Cottonseed Advisory Council. He also enjoys staying involved on his family’s farm, Four Hands Holsteins.

Visit Holstein Association USA for more information.

2021 54th AABP annual conference in Salt Lake City will provide CE in-person and virtually to serve bovine veterinarians

The “Crossroads of the West” will offer “Science with Practice” at the 2021 54th American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 7-9. The 2021 conference will feature both in-person and virtual registration options. AABP members and non-members can register for the in-person event, and members can register for virtual components. Visit aabp.org/meeting/register2021.asp to register. Preregistration for in-person attendance ends Sept. 3, and online registration ends Sept. 24.

AABP will also offer a virtual live-stream of the conference. The 2021 conference offers 22.50 continuing education credits. The conference will be submitted for RACE-approved continuing education.

Preconference seminar offerings include milk quality and mastitis, nutrition troubleshooting, replacement heifers, beef heifer development, vaccination, clinical pharmacology, genetics, ET seminar, animal welfare implementation and more.

The Amstutz Scholarship Auction will be available to all members whether they attend virtually or in-person. The GiveSmart platform will enable members to view and bid on silent auction items, as well as the live auction on Oct. 8 which will be live-streamed. Members can also visit American Association of Bovine Practitioners/auction to donate.

Virtual attendees will be able to live-stream the conference and participate in questions and answers with presenters via the Slido app. In addition to the in-person trade show, the virtual exhibit hall will allow all participants to access in-depth information in the form of documents, presentations and more on the online platform.

Visit American Association of Bovine Practitioners for more information.

NHWSO awards scholarships

Eight Junior Holstein members were awarded scholarships by the National Holstein Women’s Scholarship Organization (NHWSO) during the National Junior Holstein convention. This year’s top recipient, receiving a $5,000 scholarship, was Hayley Fernandes of California. Receiving $2,500 scholarships were Bobby Marchy, California; Gregory Norris, Massachusetts; and Alexis Payne, New York. Recipients of $500 scholarships were Hannah Mancebo, California; Isaac Nelson, Minnesota; Carly Strauss, Wisconsin; and Madison Weaver, Pennsylvania.

Five new youth area representatives were elected to the National Junior Advisory Committee during the National Junior Forum. The following youth members were appointed to the Junior Advisory Committee: Area I – Ryan Allen, Maryland; Area II – Miriam Cook, Michigan: Area III – Brianna Meyer, Wisconsin; Area IV – Blake Wright, Missouri; and At-Large – Abby Stoltzfus, Pennsylvania.

Visit Holstein Association USA for more information.