Industry experts with a vast array of expertise will converge at World Dairy Expo to help increase dairy operations profitability and efficiency as part of the 2011 Expo Seminars. Eight free seminars will be offered during the week of Oct. 4 through 8 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Learn more about: Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy, genomic testing, communicating with consumers, robotic milking, calf nutrition, somatic cell counts, feed costs and carbon emissions.

Seminars will be showcased each day, Tuesday through Saturday, in the Mendota 2 meeting room, in the Exhibition Hall. Following is a brief synopsis of each Expo Seminar.

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 1 p.m.
Is Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) for Dairy Right for Your Dairy
Dr. Chad Hart, assistant professor, Iowa State University
Sponsored by: Badgerland Financial

Milk and feed prices continue to be more volatile than ever. Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy (LGM-Dairy) is an insurance product for dairy producers that is being offered through the Federal Crop Insurance Program. This insurance helps producers protect against price volatility. The product can be used for price protection for both milk and feed prices. Dr. Chad Hart will explain the product, federal subsidies and the rules that apply. In addition, he will explain government interactions with the producers using the program.

Hart is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Iowa State University. In addition, he is a partner in FarmRisk, an Iowa firm that develops revenue insurance products, including Livestock Gross Margin.

Wednesday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m.
Making Genomic Testing Work for You
Dr. Tom Lawlor, director, Research and Development, Holstein Association USA
Sponsored by: Select Sires, Inc.

Genomic testing is evolving quickly and becoming a more cost effective process. New options in genomic testing include 3K, 50K and High Density. Dr. Tom Lawlor will explain how these different levels of genomic information can be utilized to identify high-end breeding stock, as well as, low-end animals to be culled. Additionally, he will outline which animals you should consider testing, what the results can tell you and how to implement a test protocol for your herd.

Lawlor has worked in the dairy cattle breeding and genetics industry for more than 25 years. Prior to working at Holstein Association USA, he was employed at the USDA Animal Improvement Lab in Maryland and as an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut. Lawlor was the 2009 recipient of the American Dairy Science Association’s J. L. Lush Award in animal breeding and genetics.

Wednesday, Oct. 5, 1 p.m.
Leading the Conversation
Jane Hillstrom (right), president, Hillstrom Communications
Michele Ruby (lower right), president, Ruby-Do, Inc.
Sponsored by: Dairy Management Inc.

People want to know where their food comes from and if it is safe. Answering tough consumer questions can be challenging. Jane Hillstrom and Michele Ruby will lead an interactive workshop to help producers develop their skills to better connect with their neighbors, communities and consumers. Learn how to lead conversations in a positive and effective way with research-based, consumer-tested messages. Come prepared to roll up your sleeves and be part of a working session!

Jane Hillstrom is the president of Hillstrom Communications where she has worked with a variety of clients including Dairy Management Inc., Packerland Packing, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, U.S. Dairy Export Council, National Milk Producers Federation, Culver Franchising Incorporated, Land O’ Lakes and others. Michele Ruby is the president of Ruby-Do, Inc. and has the opportunity to spearhead the development of the Dairy Farming Today website and help producers develop their dairy’s stories. Both have extensive experience leading workshops and training, writing articles, presentations and developing messaging for production agriculture to effectively communicate with consumers.

Thursday, Oct. 6, 11 a.m.
Automatic Milking: Current Status and Future Options
Dr. Douglas Reinemann, professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sponsored by: DeLaval

A new wave of automated milking technology has emerged. Dr. Douglas Reinemann will introduce a range of automatic milking technology that is now available in the U.S. and new innovations that will become available. He will also review the latest field results on milk quality in automatic milking and give recommendations on facilities and building design. Furthermore, Reinemann will outline the best management practices for automated milking and share survey results from current users.

Reinemann has been a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Biological Systems Engineering Department for the past two decades. During his tenure, he has directed the activities of the UW Milking Research and Instruction Lab, and he has served as the U.S. representative and chair of the International Dairy Federation’s working group on machine milking and the U.S. representative to the International Standards Organization committees on milking machine performance and installation, and automatic milking installations.

Thursday, Oct. 6, 1 p.m.
Baby Calf Nutrition: Getting Your Future Off to a Good Start
Dr. James Drackley, professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sponsored by: APC, Inc.

Proper nutrition during the first few weeks of life is essential to keep a newborn calf healthy and growing. Recent evidence indicates that complete nutrition is a critical determinant of future milk production, and possibly longevity in the herd, making the first two weeks of life critical for future herd performance. Managing the transition from milk to solid feeds is a second critical point in the animal’s life. Dr. James Drackley will provide background information and practical guidelines for managing these important phases of heifer rearing.

Drackley is professor of Animal Sciences and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During his tenure, his research has been focused on nutrition and metabolism of dairy cows during the transition from dry period to lactation, fat feeding and metabolism, and aspects of calf nutrition and management. Drackley has published extensively and received numerous professional awards.

Friday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m.
Managing Your Margins: Practical Ways to Reduce Feed Costs and Increase Milk Price
Dr. Normand St-Pierre, professor, The Ohio State University
Sponsored by: BASF Plant Science

Feeding the dairy herd and replacements is the single most expensive part of any dairy operation. Corn and soybean prices, along with milk prices, continue to fluctuate, making it difficult to manage price margins. There are strategies and tactics that can help your bottom line through good and bad times, other than finding cheaper corn. Dr. Normand St-Pierre will outline ways producers can improve the margin between milk income and total herd feed costs without even using futures markets.

St-Pierre is professor of animal sciences at the Ohio State University. He is currently conducting research and extension programs in the areas of dairy farm management, information processing, decision support systems and nutritional economics and optimization. St-Pierre has published more than 300 articles in various publications and has received numerous awards for his research and extension work.

Friday, Oct. 7, 1 p.m.
Improve Your SCC, 400K Beat It!
Dr. Ynte Hein Schukken, professor and director, Quality Milk Production Services, Cornell University
Sponsored by: Aspen Dairy Solutions

As new regulations in milk quality are being set in place, controlling somatic cell count will become more important than ever. Dr. Ynte Schukken will discuss the best management practices for milk quality with a focus on somatic cell counts. The benefits of a lower SCC will be presented and a quick calculator to estimate the benefits to be gained from improved milk quality will be presented. He will also share a novel program to reduce cell counts on your farm that has had very successful results.

Schukken is a professor in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. His research focuses on population dynamics of infectious diseases, udder health and statistical and mathematical models for animal disease research. Schukken was also honored with the Outstanding Scientist Award in 2002 by the American Dairy Science Association.

Saturday, Oct. 8, 11 a.m.
Dairies, Air Quality & Climate Change – Where the Industry Stands
Dr. Frank Mitloehner, associate professor and air quality extension specialist, University of California-Davis
Sponsored by: Jamesway

In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about the impact dairy farming has on the environment especially with regards to air quality. Carbon footprinting is quickly becoming a standard to measure the impact items have on the environment and could force even stricter regulations for producers. Dr. Frank Mitloehner will discuss the most recent findings as they relate to the impacts of the dairy industry on air quality and climate change. He will summarize the most recent regional, national and international efforts to quantify and mitigate emissions, as well as the latest developments in the area of dairies and air quality regulation and litigation.

Mitloehner is an associate professor and air quality specialist in Cooperative Extension at UC-Davis. He serves as principle investigator of a broad range of air emission and mitigation studies and has authored 50 publications in refereed journals. He serves as director of the UC Davis Agricultural Air Quality Center. PD

—From World Dairy Expo news release