Business Digest Highlights

• New products and services
• Industry news
• Organization news

New product and services

Golden Calf Company introduces the Calf Hero Auto Fill Station

Golden Calf Company introduces the Calf Hero Auto Fill Station. The newest addition to its Calf Hero Colostrum Management product line is specifically targeted at dairies with high-volume maternity areas.

The fill station cleanly and precisely measures 4-quart, 3-quart or 2-quart volume of colostrum and fills your storage bags. Using the fill station guarantees precise amounts of colostrum every single time. The automated valve prevents spills and keeps the milking area clean.

One feature is the Calf Hero Brix, an in-line refractometer that measures the quality of colostrum in real time as it flows through. The device has a large read-out display.

The fill station’s modular design allows it to connect to a pipeline, bulk tank or batch pasteurizer by simply using a tri-clamp. A “Colostrum Cup” is available as a funnel for a stand-alone design. The fill station will easily connect to CIP for easy cleaning.

Visit: Golden Calf Company for more information.

Industry news

Single Phase Power Solutions partners with Cornell Pumps

Single Phase Power Solutions (SPPS) has partnered with Cornell Pumps to incorporate their pumps and pump monitoring systems with SPPS engineered pump systems that use the SPPS large horsepower single-phase BELLE Motor. Availability of these pumping solutions enhances SPPS capabilities to deliver higher-horsepower, single-phase pump solutions for a wide range of industries and applications using readily available single-phase utility service. This new partnership allows Single Phase Power Solutions to better design pump-and-motor combinations to suit site-specific needs, with no harmonics, no reliability issues and no tuning required.

The partnership provides customer benefits, including pump systems that provide “out of the box” functionality upon delivery. Remote monitoring via the proprietary Cornell Co-Pilot app allow users to monitor pump functions such as flow, temperature, pressure, vibration, location and more and helps customers reduce manual inspections and operate more efficiently.

Visit Single Phase Power Solutions for more information.

Topcon Agriculture announces new guidance receivers and correction services tailorable for any farming operation

Topcon Agriculture announces new manual guidance and autosteering receivers – the AGM-1 and AGS-2 – and new Topnet Live cellular, satellite and bridging correction services: Realpoint, Starpoint and Skybridge.

Accurate positioning is the cornerstone of site-specific management. It is not only required for accurate operations but expansive data collection, enabling farm professionals to compare different types of information, such as yield, soil type and fertility, for better decision-making. The technology is used for machine operations and all associated tasks where tracking location data is relevant to crop optimization, including soil preparation, seeding, crop care and harvesting.

To support the range of agricultural applications, the receiver and steering controller uses the new Topnet Live correction services. Plus, with the option of Skybridge, users can maintain network connection during any RTK interruption.

Visit Topcon Agriculture-AGS-2 for more information.

Farm Credit East and Yankee Farm Credit announce merger plans

Farm Credit East and Yankee Farm Credit announced the board of directors of both associations have unanimously approved the signing of a letter of intent to merge the two organizations. This letter sets forth the terms and conditions of a proposed merger, which requires regulatory and stockholder approval.

Both associations already partner on a number of programs, including Crop Growers crop insurance, FarmStart investments for beginning farmers and the Farm Credit Northeast Ag Enhancement grant program. The combined association will operate under the Farm Credit East name and, if all conditions are met, the newly merged association is expected to begin operation under the management of Farm Credit East CEO Mike Reynolds on Jan. 1, 2022.

Visit Yankee Farm Credit or Farm Credit East for more information.

Texas Tech veterinary school selects first class of students

The first class of the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) in Amarillo, Texas. Sixty students from across Texas and New Mexico will begin their veterinary education in August. In addition, the school announced it had been granted provisional accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE).

The School of Veterinary Medicine has two facilities: One on the Amarillo campus is the academic headquarters and is adjacent to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center campus; the other is called Mariposa Station and is located about 2 miles northwest, which will be used for instruction in livestock veterinary medicine.

Fecon restructures dealership program

Fecon recently restructured their dealership program to better align with how customers want to purchase their equipment and services through North America. The new multi-tiered structure includes associate-level dealers who maintain a minimal level of attachments and ancillary parts, partner-level dealers who stock a more extensive level of attachments and their associated service parts and provide some level of service, or signature-level dealerships which stock attachments and tractors, as well as their corresponding service parts, have at least one on-site company specialist who has passed extensive factory training and provide comprehensive in-shop or in-field service capabilities.

The online dealer locator tool drives new customers to Signature and Partner dealer levels, which allows viewers to search for attachments, tractors, rental or any, within 10 to 250 miles from a desired zip code. Visit Fecon - dealers for more information.

Marin Bozic becomes board adviser with Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative

Marin Bozic joined Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative’s board of directors as an adviser. Bozic is an assistant professor in the department of applied economics at the University of Minnesota. His study areas include analysis of dairy policy, risk management and demand for dairy products. Bozic is also a co-creator of the USDA’s Dairy Revenue Protection.

Bozic will help the board consider the effects of the various complex issues affecting farmers and processors as the co-op forms its federal advocacy positions, Edge President Brody Stapel said.

Visit Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative for more information.

Podcast explores power in the farm economy

Wisconsin Farmers Union launched a new resource for anyone seeking to learn more about how farming and labor intersect. The Farmer-Labor Podcast is an educational, documentary-style series that explores power in the farm economy: how farmers build it, how workers build it and why they need to continue to work together.

The podcast is free and available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or online. Visit Wisconsin Farmers Union -farmer-labor for more information. 

Organization news

New farm safety videos available

In partnership with American Family Insurance, the University of Minnesota Farm Safety & Health Team is launching a new series of farm safety videos. The videos are all shorter than five minutes. They provide a mix of information, demonstration and discussion. The first video in the series covers roadway safety and includes information about pre-trip inspections, equipment for roadway safety and safe driving habits.

Visit: U of M Extension Farm Safety & Health   to watch the video or U of M Extension - farmsafety for more information.

National Dairy Board nominees sought

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is accepting nominees for 12 dairy producer seats on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB). Appointed members will serve three-year terms beginning Nov. 1, 2021, and ending Oct. 31, 2024.

USDA is seeking nominees for two seats each in Region 2 and Region 6, and one seat in Region 1, Region 4, Region 5, Region 7, Region 8, Region 9, Region 11 and Region 12. Nominations are due May 31. Visit USDA Agricultural Marketing Service for more information.

FARM Program publishes 2021 Drug Residue Prevention Manual

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program published its 2021 Milk & Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Reference Manual and pocket guide. The annual publication provides a comprehensive list of FDA-approved drugs for use in cattle with their associated milk and meat withdrawal times, along with milk and urine screening test information. The manual serves as a resource for producers and veterinarians, and includes information on:

• Residue prevention best practices
• Record keeping and herd health
• Drug administration
• Culling of animals
• Residue testing
• Drug classes
• Approved drugs and screening tests

Visit National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management for more information.

Updated Sustainability Impact Report highlights continued commitment and improvement

On April 20, the Animal Agriculture Alliance released its updated “Sustainability Impact Report” in celebration of Earth Day and the animal agriculture community’s commitment to continuous improvement in environmental stewardship, animal care, responsible antibiotic use, food safety and nutrition. Visit animalagalliance.org/issues/sustainability to read the report.

The report contains insights into animal agriculture’s dedication to continuous improvement, including the following environmental stewardship highlights:

• Agriculture accounts for roughly 10% of U.S. GHG emissions while livestock production is only 4%.
  
  
• The dairy community contributes less than 2% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while supplying the protein requirements of 169 million people, calcium requirements of 254 million people and energy requirements of 71.2 million people.
  
  
• The beef community, through continued sustainability efforts and improved resource use, has reduced emissions per pound of beef produced by more than 40% while also producing more than 66% more beef per animal between 1961 and 2018.
  
  
• Pig farmers are continually decreasing their carbon footprint through the adoption of renewable energy sources and some farms are now carbon neutral or negative.
  
  
• Over 95% of poultry litter is recycled and reused as organic fertilizer to grow crops.
  
  
• More than 40% of ingredients used in animal feed are recycled byproducts from other industries.

Visit Animal Agriculture Alliance for more information.

Checkoff working with entrepreneurs to address industry challenges

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) has entered a partnership that will provide access to a network of inventors and entrepreneurs tasked with providing marketplace solutions for industry challenges focused on health and sustainability.

The organization is partnering with Venture Winston Grants, which has designed a competition where startup companies can apply for funding that will allow them to incorporate dairy into their concepts in one of four areas:

• Health and nutrition: Dairy products and services tailored to a person’s body type, behavior and preferences

• Bio-based products: Transforming byproducts from processing or waste into packaging, clothing or fuel

• “Smart” communities of the future: Dairy powering cities where people live within 15 minutes of their job and other critical needs

• Regenerative agriculture: Dairy farms as an environmental solution for other industries and sectors

The process is underway to identify potential startups who are a match for DMI’s four focus areas. Karen Barnes, co-founder of Venture Winston Grants, expects to have the winners officially named in January 2022.

Visit Dairy Management Inc. for more information.

Dairy Challenge hosts 19th annual national contest

College dairy students – 190 in total – from 30 colleges gathered virtually for the 19th annual Dairy Challenge. This year’s contest included 24 universities whose four-person teams competed for awards based on their quality of teams’ farm analysis and appropriate solutions. The following contest teams and students are first-place winners:

• University of Idaho: Sadie Hurley, Taythen Larson, Nicole Poxleitner, Taylor Stephenson and Amin Ahmadzadeh (coach)
  
  
• Michigan State University: Kristen Burkhardt, Miriah Dershem, Beka McDonald, Lynn Olthof and Roger Thomson (coach)
  
  
• California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo: Jacob Nicholas de Jong, Brandon Lemstra, Brian Martin, Derrick Nunes, David Vagnoni (coach), Julie Huzzey (coach) and Rich Silacci (coach)
  
  
• Ohio State University: Paul Bensman, Caleb Rykaczewski, Brietta Latham, Sarah Lehner, Maurice Eastridge (coach) and Benjamin Wenner (coach)
  
  
• University of Guelph: Rebecca Barr, Brooke Boonstoppel, Clayton McWilliams, Tyrone Wagler and Trevor DeVries (coach)

The next national event will be hosted in Green Bay, Wisconsin, March 31 – April 2, 2022. Visit Dairy Challenge for more information.

Judges named for 2021All-American Jersey Shows

The judges have been selected for the 69th All-American Jersey Shows, scheduled for Nov. 6-8, in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, Kentucky.

Judge for the All-American Junior Jersey Show, Nov. 6, will be Louie Cozzitorto of Jackson, Tennessee. Brady Core of Salvisa, Kentucky, will place the 68th National Jersey Jug Futurity on Nov. 7. Ted DeMent of Kenney, Illinois, will judge the All-American Jersey Show on Nov. 8.

Visit All-American Jersey Shows for more information.