​​Apply for Central Plains Dairy Foundation scholarships by January 2

The Central Plains Dairy Foundation (CPDF) offers numerous scholarships, including a new one for $10,000, two for $5,000, two for $2,500 and the Lon and Kathy Tonneson Scholarship for $1,000. The $10,000 scholarship, named in memory of Emery H. Bartle, is intended to encourage and support a student pursuing an undergraduate degree and professional career in dairy production. The $5,000 scholarships will go to four-year college/university students and the $2,500 scholarships will go to two-year program students. The Lon and Kathy Tonneson Scholarship honors the Tonnesons for their years of dedication to growing agriculture and the dairy industry. Tonneson Scholarships go to students pursuing a degree in agriculture with emphasis in ag communication and/or leadership. Preference will be given to applicants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

To learn more about the new CPDF scholarships, go to: https://www.centralplainsdairy.com/about/central-plains-dairy-foundation. You may also download the application via that link. Applications are due Jan. 2, 2026. 

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CPDF offers grants to support dairy industry leadership, education, community initiatives

Reminder: The Central Plains Dairy Foundation (CPDF), a 501(c)(3) organization committed to strengthening the dairy industry across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, offers a Grant Program. The future of dairy thrives when innovation, leadership and community engagement exist in the region. That’s why CPDF leaders established a Grant Program to give financial support to organizations, farms and community groups that:

• Offer scholarships to develop tomorrow’s dairy industry professionals
• Host agritourism and educational events that bring the dairy story to the public
• Develop programs that strengthen the dairy sector through community outreach, leadership development or public awareness initiatives.

The Grant Program is open to non-profit organizations and farms committed to the dairy industry across the five-state region, which includes Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. CPDF seeks projects that:

• Demonstrate collaboration, creativity and measurable impact
• Support dairy industry promotion beyond “business as usual”
• Align with CPDF’s commitment to investing in the people of dairy, supporting education and advancing industry resiliency

Applications for the 2026 funding cycle are now open. Interested applicants should visit CPDF’s website for full details, including eligibility, guidelines, deadlines and submission instructions. Projects that align with dairy education, leadership and/or agritourism are strongly encouraged.

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English

Udder hygiene tips that won’t stress your cows

By Heather Schlesser, University of Wisconsin Division of Extension

Clean udders are easier to prepare for milking and are important in maintaining milk quality and udder health. One method to improve udder hygiene is removing udder hair, which can trap manure and debris, and harbor bacteria that increase the risk of infection and elevated somatic cell counts. Shorter udder hair limits bacterial growth and reduces the likelihood of milk contamination.¹
 
Clipping: Effective but stressful
Traditionally, dairies have used electric clippers to trim udder hair. While clipping is highly effective in removing hair, it can be very time consuming. In addition, the noise and physical contact associated with clippers can make cows nervous, increasing their stress levels and the risk of injury to the animal and the handler.²
 
Singeing: A low-stress alternative
Udder hair singeing is a time-efficient and cow-friendly alternative to clipping. The process involves passing a cool-burning, 3- to 4-inch propane flame across the udder to singe the hair. The entire procedure takes less than 5 seconds per cow. Cows generally remain calm during singeing because it requires no physical contact, does not cause pain when done properly and creates minimal noise.³
 

Image created with BioRender

 
Singeing procedure

• Light the wand; ensure the flame is yellow or orange (indicating a cooler burn).
• Hold the wand 3 to 4 inches from the udder floor.
• Use a quick, in-and-out motion lasting less than 1 second.
• Move the wand up the back of the rear quarters.
• The total time per cow should not exceed 5 seconds.³

 
Summary
Proper udder hair management using low-stress techniques like singeing can contribute to better udder hygiene, lower somatic cell counts and calmer cows during milking.


View the full article and references here.

Spanish

Consejos de higiene de la ubre que no estresarán sus vacas

Por Heather Schlesser, University of Wisconsin Division of Extension

Las ubres limpias son más fáciles de preparar para el ordeño y son importantes para mantener la calidad de la leche y la salud de la ubre. Un método para mejorar la higiene de la ubre es eliminar el pelo de la ubre, ya que puede atrapar estiércol, residuos, y albergar bacterias que aumentan el riesgo de infección y el conteo de células somáticas. El pelo más corto en la ubre limita el crecimiento bacteriano y reduce la probabilidad de contaminación de la leche.¹
 
Corte del pelo: Eficaz pero estresante
Tradicionalmente, las lecherías han utilizado cortadoras eléctricas para recortar el pelo de la ubre. Aunque el método es eficaz para eliminar el pelo, puede ser muy lento. Además, el ruido y el contacto físico asociado con las cortadoras puede poner nerviosas a las vacas, aumentando sus niveles de estrés y el riesgo de lesiones tanto para el animal como para el operario.²
 
Flameado: Una alternativa de bajo estrés
El flameado del pelo de la ubre es una alternativa que, comparado con el corte, es más eficiente en tiempo y amigable con la vaca. El proceso consiste en pasar una llama de propano de 3 a 4 pulgadas de combustión fría sobre la ubre para flamear el pelo. Todo el procedimiento toma menos de 5 segundos por vaca. Las vacas generalmente permanecen tranquilas durante el flameado porque no requiere contacto físico, no causa dolor si se realiza correctamente y genera poco ruido.³

 

Imagen creada con BioRender

 
Procedimiento de flameado

• Enciende la varita; asegúrese de que la llama sea amarilla o naranja (lo que indica una combustión más fría). 
• Sostenga la varita a 3 o 4 pulgadas del piso de la ubre. 
• Use un movimiento rápido de entrada y salida que dure menos de un segundo. 
• Mueva la varita hacia arriba por la parte trasera de los cuartos traseros. 
• El tiempo total por vaca no debe exceder los 5 segundos.³

Resumen
Una gestión adecuada del pelo de la ubre utilizando técnicas de bajo estrés como el flameado puede contribuir a una mejor higiene de la ubre, menor conteo de células somáticas y vacas más tranquilas durante el ordeño.

Vea el artículo completo y las referencias aquí.

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​Why industry continues to invest in Dairy Challenge

Few undergraduate experiences demand as much from students as the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC). Over the course of an intense, multi-day competition, students work in teams to evaluate a commercial dairy, develop management recommendations and present their findings in a professional presentation to industry judges.
 

“This isn’t just a conference to attend and learn from speakers,” says Kristi Fiedler, Cargill dairy sales manager. “It requires full participation or you let down a team. They are expected to be prepared, engage, communicate, get dirty on the farm and then deliver a professional presentation. It is a hard and exhausting couple of days.”

 
In 2026, NAIDC will be hosted in Sioux Falls, S.D., just weeks after Central Plains Dairy Expo. This program depends on an army of sponsors who provide financial support and volunteer expertise. These sponsors dedicate their time and resources to Dairy Challenge because they have firsthand knowledge of the program’s value.
 
Read the full article here. Find out how the dairy challenge is investing in the future of the dairy workforce and creating opportunities for the next generation of professionals.

December 2025 evaluation changes: What’s new?

Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) employees shared these health and type trait edit updates, as well as operational efficiency improvements.
 
New health edits
By Kristen Gaddis
The data extraction process for health phenotypes was refined to exclude records from cows that changed herds within a single lactation. This adjustment ensures that animals do not have multiple health phenotypes for the same lactation across different herds. The overall impact on evaluations is expected to be minimal, as correlations among traditional health Predicted Transmitting Abilities (PTA) remained high during testing over the August 2025 evaluation – ranging from 0.97 for milk fever resistance to 0.99 for displaced abomasum and metritis resistance. Minor effects may occur at the individual level if a cow (or a bull’s daughter) changed herds during lactation.
 
Holstein Association USA edits on female type data
By Sam Comstock, Jason Graham and Ezequiel Nicolazzi
Data used for genomic evaluations of type traits will now exclude more than 1.1 million animals that did not meet all requirements for traditional type evaluation, most of which were born before 1998. These animals were previously included in a supplementary evaluation to generate predictions more accurate than simple parent averages. However, advances in genomic prediction now provide superior accuracy for animals without linear trait data, rendering the inclusion of these older animals unnecessary. Fewer than 4,000 of these animals were part of the Holstein type reference population of more than 750,000.
 
A test run based on the August 2025 evaluation showed a correlation exceeding 99.99% across all animals, with no impact observed on artificial insemination (AI) bulls. Animals with phenotypes excluded from the evaluation – whether reference or non-reference – will show greater variability than usual as a result of this exclusion.
 
Genomic evaluation software efficiency upgrade
By Jay Megonigal and Ezequiel Nicolazzi
The genomic evaluation software and pipeline have been modified to improve efficiency and eliminate unnecessary operations. Following recent updates to the Interbull evaluation schedule, international MACE (multiple across country evaluation) evaluations are now available on the first day of the genomic evaluation process, rendering several previously required steps obsolete.
 
A test run based on the August 2025 evaluations showed correlations exceeding 99.9% across all traits and breeds. Most of the observed variation was due to more up-to-date information being incorporated earlier in the genomic evaluation process.
 
Transition from anonymous FTP to secure HTTPS access
By Frank Ross
As part of CDCB’s continued commitment to improving data security, usability and system reliability, CDCB will transition from anonymous FTP to HTTPS-based access for public file downloads and data distribution on Feb. 2. The new HTTPS site is available at: https://webconnect.uscdcb.com/base/ftp/pub. This change provides enhanced encryption, improved access control, greater compatibility with modern systems and more robust monitoring. Files currently hosted on the anonymous FTP server can now be accessed through the HTTPS link above, using a web browser, command-line tools (curl, wget) or WebDAV clients (such as WinSCP). Please note that FTP/SFTP-only clients (like FileZilla) will no longer work for this public access. This update does not affect private, authenticated SFTP exchanges, which remain fully operational. Users are encouraged to begin transitioning to HTTPS access to ensure a smooth changeover before the February 2026 deadline.

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DCRC’s January 20 webinar addresses the roles of FSH on the growth and survival of preantral follicles

Register for the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council’s (DCRC) next webinar – Deciphering the roles of FSH in the ovary beyond antral folliculogenesis – set for Jan. 20, starting at 2 p.m. Central time (Chicago time). Anna Denicol, University of California, Davis associate professor in the department of animal science, will lead the free, one-hour webinar. 

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is essential for the growth of ovarian antral follicles in every follicular wave. Moreover, FSH is widely used to stimulate follicle growth in multiple ovulation-embryo transfer (MOET) and ovum pick-up (OPU) procedures. While antral follicles are known to be dependent on FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) for growth and ovulation, much less is known about the hormonal control of early follicles, named preantral follicles due to the absence of the antral cavity. For a long time, the dogma has been that preantral follicles are hormone-independent and instead only respond to local (largely unknown) factors. However, recent research has uncovered several roles of FSH on the growth and survival of preantral follicles.

Why is this important and what are the potential implications for cattle assisted reproduction? First, understanding how the growth of preantral follicles is regulated will fill in long-lasting knowledge gaps in ovarian biology. Second, knowing when and how FSH acts on preantral follicles will allow us to fine tune ovarian stimulation protocols to maximize the yield of oocytes used for assisted reproduction.

During this webinar, Denicol will discuss past and current work to decipher some of the potential roles of FSH in preantral folliculogenesis in cattle, as well as the development of an FSH-deficient sheep model using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to study the impact of FSH during fetal and pre-pubertal development of the reproductive system and on reproductive function. 

Go to: https://bit.ly/DCRCJan20Web to register for this DCRC webinar. If you are a DCRC member and cannot attend the live program, you may access the webinar at www.dcrcouncil.org by Feb. 3.

Denicol earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, a master’s degree in preventive veterinary medicine at University of California-Davis, and a PhD in developmental biology from the University of Florida. After a two-year postdoc at Northeastern University, Denicol returned to UC-Davis in 2016.

The Denicol Lab focuses on oogenesis and development of ovarian follicles, starting from primordial germ cell specification in the early embryo to activation and growth of preantral follicles in the adult ovary. Within this area, there is particular interest in the roles of FSH to regulate the formation of the ovarian reserve and early (preantral) folliculogenesis. The Denicol Lab also works on bovine embryonic stem cells and their differentiation potential into the female germline to enable assisted reproductive technologies using in vitro oogenesis.

Veterinarians may earn one Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) credit for attending this DCRC webinar. To learn more about this opportunity, contact JoDee Sattler at: jodee@dcrcouncil.org.

For more information about DCRC’s webinars, e-mail Eduardo Oliveira, DCRC Education Committee chair, at: eduardo.oliveira@zoetis.com or e-mail DCRC at: jodee@dcrcouncil.org. 

ISU offers Farm Transitions Conference

Farm transition planning is rarely simple. It involves family relationships, long-term financial security, business and tax planning, and deeply personal decisions about legacy and fairness. The 2026 Farm Transitions Conference, Feb. 5-6, in Ankeny, Iowa (or virtual), is designed to help farm families navigate these decisions with clarity and confidence, whether you are just starting the conversation or actively implementing a succession plan.
 
This conference is ideal for:

• Farmers at any stage of their career
• Landowners renting farmland
• Farm couples thinking about retirement
• Families unsure where to begin
• Farmers who want to avoid conflict and confusion later
• Those working with farmers on farm succession planning

 

• How to start and continue the farm transition conversation
• Options when there is, or is not, a successor
• Structuring land and operating transitions
• Estate and income tax considerations for farmers
• Planning for retirement and long-term care
• Keeping family relationships intact during transition

 
Find more details here.

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Midwest Dairy, ISU to host On-Farm Dairy Processor Workshops

Midwest Dairy, in collaboration with Iowa State University (ISU), invites you to attend an Iowa On-Farm Dairy Processor Workshop being offered through Iowa State University. Through this workshop, organizers look forward to the opportunity to strengthen the technical and business capabilities of Iowa’s on-farm dairy processors. 

This program will be a combination of online instruction and hands-on, experimental, in-person learning opportunities. The program will leverage ISU’s dairy processing facilities, the expertise of faculty and staff in the department of food science and human nutrition and the extension team, and strategic support and outreach provided by Midwest Dairy.

This program will be held in three sessions the following dates:
•    Virtually – Friday, Feb. 13, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
•    Virtually – Monday, Feb. 16, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
•    In person at Iowa State University, Ames – Friday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Attend these sessions to dive deeper into the capabilities Midwest Dairy and ISU can offer to Iowa dairy processors. Follow this link to register for this workshop.

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World Dairy Expo seeks award nominees

Each year, World Dairy Expo honors exceptional leaders across the dairy industry in three categories: Dairy Producer of the Year, Industry Person of the Year and International Person of the Year. Organizations, academic institutions, producers and others engaged in the dairy sector can nominate individuals whose work exemplifies excellence, leadership and dedication.
 
Dairy Producer of the Year
This award is presented to an active dairy producer whose primary income is derived from their dairy enterprise. This individual demonstrates excellence in efficient production, progressive management practices and the breeding of high-quality dairy animals. Judges consider involvement in community, government, marketing and participation in World Dairy Expo.
 
Industry Person of the Year
This award is given to a U.S. resident who has made significant contributions to research, development, education, marketing, manufacturing or other fields that support the dairy industry. The recipient may also be a dairy producer, provided their principal achievements are industry focused.
 
International Person of the Year
This award goes to an individual living primarily outside the United States who has demonstrated exceptional impact in international research, development, education, marketing, manufacturing or other dairy-related fields that provide goods or services to the global dairy industry.
 
Nomination forms are available at: worlddairyexpo.com under the “Contests” tab or by contacting the World Dairy Expo office at: 608-224-6455 or wde@wdexpo.com. Nominations are due Feb. 15.

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Management strategies for feeding higher milk replacer volumes

By Gail Carpenter, Iowa State University state dairy extension specialist
 
Have you ever heard that feeding more milk pre-weaning will lead to more milk when that calf is a lactating cow in two years? Studies have demonstrated that feeding higher volumes of milk or milk replacer in the pre-weaning period can translate into better growth and ultimately more milk production. However, there are some important things to consider. 

What is plane of nutrition? 
Generally, a high or a low plane of nutrition refers to how much protein and energy calves are receiving from their liquid diet (milk or milk replacer). Over recent years, there has been a shift toward higher planes of nutrition for the liquid diet and the industry norm has shifted. Thus, it can be difficult to define what constitutes a high or a low plane of nutrition. Differing planes of nutrition are presented in Table 1 as defined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)1. 
 
Table 1. Definition of severely restricted, low, moderate or high plane of nutrition for milk or milk replacer feeding from the 2021 Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle

Description	Severely restricted	Low	Moderate	High
Feeding rate (g of solids/day)	<400	400-600	600-900	>900
Mcal of metabolizable energy provided	<1.88	1.88-2.82	2.82-4.23	>4.23

 
Is a high plane of nutrition always a good thing?
A high plane of nutrition has been associated with better growth and performance outcomes. Additionally, some authors have shown benefits from a high plane of nutrition for the health and welfare of calves in addition to reduced hunger. For example, calves fed 15 liters of milk replacer daily compared to 6 liters healed faster after disbudding in one experiment². Another study showed that calves who received a high plane of nutrition had a stronger immune response in response to a Salmonella challenge³. These studies demonstrated that calves can use the extra energy and protein from a high plane of nutrition to fight off stressors and other challenges.
 
Click here to read the complete article.

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Americans drank more milk in 2024

For more than a decade, Americans have been steadily drinking less milk each year. However, the latest federal data report shows sales of milk beverages turned around in 2024, increasing by 358 million pounds or just under 1 percentage point from the previous year to 43.2 billion pounds.
 
It’s the result of a resurgence in sales of whole milk, which have been trending upward since 2014. The category saw a 3 percent increase from 2023 and helped offset the continued declines in most other categories, including reduced-fat and skim milk. 
 
Leonard Polzin, dairy markets and policy outreach specialist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension, said whole milk has benefited from the diet craze around protein, driven in large part by health and fitness influencers online.
 
“The more protein, the better. Consumers are all about that,” he said. “The other portion is kind of a shift toward healthy fats too. So, for example, cottage cheese is having a real moment right now.”
 
Industry data shows whole milk consumption is up in both households with children and those without, according to Karen Gefvert, chief policy officer for the Green Bay-based Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative.
 
Gefvert said whole milk has also benefited from increasing consumer interest in whole foods and foods that are minimally processed. She said that trend has been boosted by the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda.
 
“There are a ton of really great things in whole milk, and I think that’s resonating with consumers,” Gefvert said.
 
Federal data going back to 1975 shows total U.S. milk sales peaked in 2009 at more than 55.4 billion pounds. That total steadily declined to a record low of 42.8 billion pounds in 2023.
 
As part of these trends, Polzin pointed out that consumption of plant-based milk alternatives have recently declined. But he said it’s hard to know if those consumers are making the shift back to dairy or if they’re simply not drinking as much milk of any kind.
 
Polzin said increasing consumption of milk is especially good for dairy farmers. That’s because milk sold as beverages, what the industry refers to as fluid milk, has a greater impact on the prices paid to farmers.
 
But Gefvert said this effect is not as prominent in Wisconsin, where most milk is processed into cheese and other products. She said most farmers in the state have a more subdued take on last year’s sales increase.
 
“It was not significant and is likely just sort of a pause in the inevitable continuous decline in fluid milk sales,” Gefvert said.
 
She said there is hope that whole milk sales will continue to increase, especially if federal legislation to reintroduce the option to the National School Lunch Program can gain traction. The Whole Milk for Health Kids Act passed the U.S. Senate in November.