2020 CPDE Expo – March 25-26
Click here to view detailed scheduled with times and room assignments
Session Information
What You Need to Know to Facilitate Your Transition to the Next Generation!
Alan Hojer, Keep Farmers Farming, a division of First Dakota National Bank
Sponsored by Central Plains Dairy Foundation
What you will hear from Alan Hojer’s presentation is the “Inside Story” of the necessary steps you need to take as you approach the transition topic with either your parents or your children. Come prepared to take notes. You can expect the information to be very applicable at home.
Stressors, what are they costing you? How stressors impact dairy cattle immune function and reproduction.
Jeff Carroll
Sponsored by Phibro Animal Health
BVD 1b: A Growing Threat to Herd Productivity
Jennifer N. Roberts, DVM, DACT, Boehringer Ingelheim
Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim
BVD Prevention is a 3 pronged approach: Identify PI calves, Increase Biosecurity, and Enhance Herd Immunity. How do you actually do this? Join us for an hour of practical discussion and research review where we will discuss these three critical topics and put your cattle first by keeping this disease out of your herd.
Agriculture Policy in 2020
Ray Starling, North Carolina Chamber of Commerce
Sponsored by Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative
During this session, gain a view from the inside, underside and outside. This session will highlight things to watch, things to ignore and things for which you may want to get out of the way.
Herd Insights Brought to Life with Augmented Reality
Roxie Muller, Nedap Livestock Management
Sponsored by Nedap Livestock Management
With a growing need to feed the world, herd sizes and the level of technology implemented are rapidly increasing, resulting in an overload of data. In this tech talk, Roxie Muller shares Nedap’s vision on technology and shows how the use of futuristic technologies like augmented reality can provide relevant insights from Nedap CowControl and other systems presented in the most intuitive way above the animals in the barn. A technical solution aimed to make the interaction with the technology much easier.
- Herd insights brought to life with augmented reality.
- Enriching the farmer’s real field of view with digital, relevant herd information at the right time and place.
- Creating an experience that makes the interaction between technology and farmers as intuitive as possible.
Putting Value on Purity and Conception
Kevin Ziemba, STgenetics
Sponsored by STgenetics
As dairies emphasize where their heifer calves come from, the purity and conception of the sexed semen they use has a greater economic value. Unwanted heifers from bottom cows are not necessary for a dairy, but likewise incrementally minimizing bull calves from top-end cows can add huge value to herds that want only replacement heifers and beef calves born on the farm. If we can improve the percent of heifer calves through purity and maximize conception rates through semen quality, dairies can manage with precision and efficiency.
Can Intranasal Vaccines Impact Health and Performance of Immune Challenged Calves and Dairy Cows?
Victor Cortese, Zoetis
Sponsored by Zoetis
Stress and challenged cattle can suffer from immune suppression, leading to increased disease risk, performance and production losses, failure to respond to vaccinations and even culling and death. This happens in calves, as well, as even the stress calving places on adult dairy cows. Research into how intranasal vaccines can provide a different pathway to get immune responses that improve health and performance has only recently emerged. Some of the latest research into this area will be presented.
New Technologies, Data-driven Decision Making and How to Make Sense of it All
Michel Baldin, milc group
Sponsored by milc group
While sometimes it’s okay to follow your instincts, the vast majority of your business-based decisions should be backed by metrics, facts or figures related to your aims, goals or initiatives that can ensure a stable backbone to your dairy operations. In this session, we will discuss scenarios where we can implement successful data-driven decision-making strategies to help your dairy become more profitable and sustainable. We will talk about selecting the appropriate new technology to measure variables of interest and what to do after data have been collected. Tips will be provided to help attendees implement data-driven decision-making strategies to enhance cow nutrition, reproduction, health, team management and increased overall bottom line. Remember, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it (Peter Drucker).
Supporting Normal with Effective Probiotics
Steve Lerner, Chr. Hansen
Sponsored by Chr. Hansen
There is a large and continuously growing body of evidence that effective probiotics support all of the normal functions of the gastrointestinal tract, including, digestive, absorptive, barrier and immune functions. All humans, from premature infants in neonatal intensive care units to the elderly, benefit from daily ingestion of effective probiotics. All production animals, from birth to departure, benefit from daily ingestion of effective probiotics. Effective probiotics increase the likelihood of us and the animals in our care being normal. As a producer or supporting nutritionist or veterinarian, what would feel better than having every animal in your herd, lot, flow or flock be normal?
Dairy Margin Outlook & Strategies to Consider
Jeff Toll, CIH
Sponsored by CIH – Commodity & Ingredient Hedging
This breakout session takes a look at the underlying fundamentals of feed and dairy markets, and gives an outlook of forward margins and strategies (cash, futures/options, dairy revenue protection) one may wish to consider given this landscape.
The Dairy Industry Recuperates
Sarina Sharp, Ag Business Solutions
Sponsored by Farm Credit Services
After a very long four years, the dairy industry is starting to regain its footing. Milk prices are higher and dairy product inventories are largely in balance. Growth in milk output is modest. What can dairy producers expect in the year to come? Sharp will examine the fundamentals of dairy supply and demand in the United States and around the world, and provide her outlook for feed and livestock markets.
How the Immune System Affects Transition Cow Performance
Lance Baumgard, Iowa State University
Sponsored by TechMix, Inc
Transition dairy cow immune activation is caused by metritis, mastitis, leaky gut and lung infections. Even in seemingly healthy cows, there is subacute inflammation. The engaged immune system takes priority over milk synthesis and nutrients (glucose, calcium, amino acids), which would have otherwise been used by the mammary gland to make milk, used by the immune system. Thus, the severity of immune stimulation has a large influence on immediate and long-term cow profitability. Minimizing immune activation and nutritional strategies aimed at mitigating transition cow illness will be reviewed.
On-farm Nutritional Management Practices to Drive Dairy Profitability
Kai Yuan, Quality Liquid Feeds, Inc.
Sponsored by Quality Liquid Feeds, Inc.
This breakout session features kay management practices that dairy producers and nutritionists can implement on farm to help reduce costs, improve milk performance and increase profitability. Key practices include feeding management, bunk management and shrink management. Furthermore, the session will address the interaction between nutrition and management.
Proper Dry Cow Programs: Still Essential to Maintain Udder Health
Brian Miller, Merck
Sponsored by Merck
The dry period is the most susceptible timeframe for dairy cows to develop new intramammary infections. Dry cow therapy and internal teat sealants are critical components of successful dry cow programs. This seminar will revisit these time-tested strategies. Also, this presentation will compare currently marketed dry cow treatments and internal teat sealants to help you make informed treatment decisions based on supportive research studies. Included will be a discussion regarding blanket vs. selective dry cow therapy.
Checkoff 101 – What Do We Do and Why?
Midwest Dairy Staff
Sponsored by Midwest Dairy
Meet Midwest Dairy’s new CEO, Molly Pelzer, and staff implementing the strategic priorities. Learn what is happening globally, nationally and locally with dairy farmers’ investment in the dairy checkoff to build demand and trust. Bring questions and share input.
Wait…What! This is How You Should Tube Feed a calf?
Andrew Beckel, Golden Calf Company
Sponsored by Golden Calf Company
The goal of successful transfer of passive immunity is directly related to colostrum feeding. In this session, we will dive deep into the physiology of a newborn calf to understand the basics of neonatal esophagus and the gastrointestinal tract. Expect a hands-on session with a practical demonstration of how to properly use an esophageal tube feeder and the reasoning behind the best practices. We will discuss when and why to tube feed and how to use different types of tube feeders.
R.E.S.E.T-ing the Dairy Industry to Attract and Retain Employees
Jorge Delgado, Alltech
Sponsored by Alltech
For all producers, one of the most important resources is farm labor. While it may not be easy to find people willing to work long hours – especially long hours of performing the physically demanding task of milking cows – we should make every effort to attract and retain people to work on our dairies. Although this is not an easy task, with the right conditions and the right tools, employees will see the dairy industry as a unique place that supports and cares about them.
Dairy producers and industry supporters must change their mindset about human resources and start dedicating time and effort to this area, regardless of the size of their dairies. This does not require a big investment, but it does require time and securing the right information about how to reduce the challenges around labor and the workforce. Attracting and retaining employees is not a new problem, but the current circumstances are different than before, mainly driven by immigration challenges and competition for labor with other industries.
To create a positive culture on a dairy, the organizational basics must be in place and there should also be a reset in the way employees are managed. R.E.S.E.T the business to create the right organizational structure for reducing turnover and minimizing employee management frustrations.
Overlooked Risk Exposures that may be Detrimental to Your Dairy
Allen Schlenker, Marsh & McLennan Agency
Sponsored by Marsh & McLennan Agency
In many cases, the risk exposures to the modern dairy have outpaced their existing coverage. Learn about specific risks in the dairy industry and what you should understand. We’ll review the current state of the insurance market and review exposures that often get overlooked or may not be covered by your current program.
Three Things You Need to Implement Tomorrow to Improve Transition Cow Performance
Clay Zimmerman, Balchem Corporation
Sponsored by Balchem Corporation
Beyond Nutrition: Efficient Cows Start with Strong Gut Development
Jill Soderstrom, Land O’Lakes, Inc.
Sponsored by Land O’Lakes, Inc.
You only get one chance to set your herd on the right path. We know that nutrition impacts growth, development, breeding and overall health. But learn how to optimize feeding your calves to support the gut microbiome, rumen development and productivity. It’s an investment you shouldn’t miss.
3 Ways to Increase Labor Efficiency with Cow Monitoring
Haim Fleminger, Allflex Livestock Intelligence Monitoring Group
Sponsored by Allflex Livestock Intelligence
Milk Quality and Mastitis: Am I Responsible?
Jorge Luna, Zoetis
Sponsored by Zoetis
The objective of this workshop is to explain why milk quality and mastitis are critical for the consumer and how everybody that works at a dairy has responsibility in this endeavor. Learn why compliance to milking protocols and following basic cow comfort and hygiene guidelines are critical for cow health, dairy well-being and consumer satisfaction. This milk quality and mastitis workshop will focus on easy-to-implement management, basic hygiene practices and monitoring strategies that can significantly decrease mastitis risk and improve milk quality.
Dry Cow Therapy: Aim, Applicability and Advice (Presented in Spanish)
Maristela Rovai, South Dakota State University assistant professor and extension dairy specialist
Raul Mendoza, South Dakota commercial dairy farm herdsman
Dry therapy is a common practice among dairy cattle farms and its proper management plays a key role in the following lactation. Drying off involves interrupting lactation for generally 45 to 60 before calving. In this period, in addition to the demanding final phase of fetus development, there are structural changes in the mammary gland secretory tissue that influence both colostrum and milk production in the subsequent lactation.
One of the most important concerns during the dry period is the high gland susceptibility to intramammary infections. To ensure a cow’s comfort and udder health during this period, several dry-off protocols are available that may include prophylactic antimicrobials and teat sealants. Dry cow therapy may seem simple, but it requires care, consistency and responsibility.
In this session, participants will receive an update on the recommendations and precautions to be considered during drying-off treatment. In addition, attendees will have a real udder, hands-on experience to apply the knowledge acquired in this talk.
This workshop will be offered in Spanish.
Now is the Time to Sweeten up Your Ration and Your Bottom line
Andy Mueller, Westway Feed Products LLC
Sponsored by Westway Feed Products LLC
In today’s dairy economy, profitability is driven by producing more milk solids. Learn how feeding liquid feeds and sugars can help you produce more milk solids, along with increasing intakes and fiber digestion.
Why Use the Plasma Dose Response Technique to Determine Rumen-protected Amino Acid Bioavailability
Nancy Whitehouse, University of New Hampshire
Sponsored by ADM Animal Nutrition
Bioavailability of rumen-protected amino acids has been determined using in vitro and in vivo methodologies. What are the pros and cons of these methods? What is the plasma dose response technique? Why should it be considered when determine bioavailability of rumen-protected amino acids?
Optimizing Milk Worth Off the Farm with Amino Acid Balanced Diets
Brian Lammers, ADM Animal Nutrition
Sponsored by ADM Animal Nutrition
Amino acid balanced diets increase milk fat and protein yield, along with improved health and reproduction. New rumen-protected amino acid products are now better and more economical, driving greater increases in revenue with only minor increases in ration cost.
Ventilation and Disease Prevention for Optimal Calf Growth
R.M. Thornsberry, Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition
Sponsored by Kent Nutrition Group
This breakout session focuses on the need for proper and adequate ventilation to meet the requirement in newborn to 10-week-old calves. The requirement for ventilation changes with weather, type and age of calves, housing and other stresses. Meeting the ventilation requirements of newborn calves to 10 weeks of age is critical to healthy, fast-growing calves.
Disease prevention is very critical to getting the most growth of calves. The presenter will review the importance of how it influences growth. Getting the best protocols and management in place is important to achieve the best performance. Come, listen and learn how to get the most from your calves.
Feeding Management Strategies for Improving Profits and Cow Health (Presented in Spanish)
Fernando Diaz, Rosecrans Dairy Consulting
Sponsored by Rosecrans Dairy Consulting
Feed continues to be the highest individual cost in confined dairy production systems. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, during the last decade feed costs represented in the United States between 42 and 56 percent of the total cost of producing milk. With feed comprising the largest operating expense, nutrition and feeding management practices are the key profit drivers for most dairies. This workshop, directed toward dairy feed managers and feeding technicians, will explain physiology and eating behaviors of dairy cows, feeding management focused on supplying a consistent diet over a 24-hour period to avoid feed sorting and maximize milk component production, and feeding strategies for maximizing income over feed cost and business profitability.
Forage Quality – Smoothing Out the Variability Challenges
Mary Beth de Ondarza, Paradox Nutrition, LLC
Sponsored by Feedworks USA, Ltd.
In this unique session, we’ll focus on the challenges producers are facing with the current forage crop. As extreme variability and generally low-quality forage is common across the country, we’ll offer input and guidance to manage these issues. Some of the talking points include specific concerns related to impaired and variable forage quality, management opportunities to effectively stretch limited forage inventories, the importance of forage testing and use of new technologies for monitoring feed quality. We’ll also look at tools, including feed additives, that are proven to optimize utilization of available forages.
Data analytics as your source of competitive advantage
Dr. Jeffery Bewley
Dr. Bewley will be discussing how data analytics can give you a competitive advantage in the industry as well as sharing information on Alltech new AHA (Alltech Herd Analytics) report.
Speaker Information
Alan Hojer
Alan Hojer is manager and legacy consultant of “Keep Farmers Farming,” a division of First Dakota National Bank that is completely focused on estate planning, legacy transition and other growing pains that are facing farmers and ranchers across South Dakota and bordering states. Hojer recently became a certified estate planner. He also focuses on marketing and risk management, farm labor development and recruitment, and best financial business practices
After graduating from South Dakota State University in 1981, Hojer joined Land O’ Lakes as a sales manager for milk procurement in South Dakota, northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota, until he returned to the family farm in 1989. In 1994, Hojer and his wife Pam started Hojer Gelbvieh Ranch. Today, Hojer Ranch LLC consists of 400 Registered Gelbvieh, Balancer and Angus females, and a 1,200-head feedlot.
Hojer contributes their first-generation success not just to hard work but to “thinking non-traditionally,” when times were tough to find solutions. As a result, he spent 14 years in the agribusiness sector prior to joining First Dakota National Bank in April of 2014 and was given the opportunity to work extensively with farm/ranch estate planning and transition. This has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of his professional career, but he feels blessed to be part of this great effort.
Jennifer Roberts
Dr. Jen Roberts grew up on a dairy farm in southern Michigan where she raised her Red and White Holstein show cattle and helped with daily farm management. She attended Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and received her DVM degree in 2005. Upon graduation, Dr. Roberts became an associate in a food animal practice in southwest Wisconsin where her work focused on herd health and reproductive management of beef and dairy cattle. After 7 years in practice, 4 of those years as a practice owner, she returned to Michigan State University to teach bovine and small ruminant reproduction. In 2015, Dr. Roberts became a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists (specialist in reproduction). In the fall of 2019, she joined Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health as a Dairy Professional Services Veterinarian. Dr. Roberts’ interests include calf health management and the use of fertility programs to improve dairy cattle reproductive performance.
Ray Starling
Ray Starling was raised on a diversified century family Farm in North Carolina, which laid the foundation for his career in law and agricultural policy. Starling’s experiences have taken him from clerking for Supreme Court justices to serving at the highest levels of government in the White House and U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Starling attended North Carolina State University for his undergraduate degree, while also keeping busy as a National FFA officer. He received his law degree from the University of North Carolina with multiple noteworthy recognitions. Before working his way to serve as the general counsel to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Starling clerked for the state Supreme Court and practiced law at an international law firm. He enjoyed a stint in the North Carolina legislature before heading to Washington, D.C., to serve Sen. Thom Tillis as an agricultural policy adviser, chief counsel and later as chief of staff.
In 2017, Starling became a special assistant to the president for agricultural policy as staff for the National Economic Council at the White House. He left the post in mid-2018 to serve as chief of staff to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to help oversee an agency with more than 108,000 employees and a $140 billion annual budget.
Starling recently returned to his home state to serve as general counsel to the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce while also promoting Starling Farms sausage from his family’s farm.
Roxie Muller
Currently the innovation manager at Nedap Livestock Management, Roxie Muller has a background in industrial design and engineering, and a strong passion for technology. The drive to do what has never been done before and desire to keep pushing the boundaries of (product) development based on new technologies is a great fit with the philosophy of Nedap Livestock Management.
Kevin Ziemba
Kevin Ziemba is the east region manager for STgenetics, where he and his team provide genetic support and resources to dairy producers. Born and raised on a dairy, Ziemba has spent his entire life in genetics. He graduated from Cornell University where he earned a master’s degree in quantitative genetics. After college, Kevin managed Advanced Dairy Genetics for three years and then held a management role in Select Sires for 17 years, providing genetic and reproduction solutions to dairy producers. During this time, he also managed a 3,000-cow dairy in Woodcrest, N.Y.
Ziemba is a very active Cornell alumna, returning to Cornell to guest lecture the dairy genetics class each year and coach the Cornell dairy judging team. He is also active in the Northeast Dairy Challenge, where he mentors young dairy professionals as a judge.
Victor Cortese
Victor Cortese graduated from Michigan State University with his bachelor’s and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees. He then entered a predominantly dairy and equine practice in Wisconsin where he also held a non-tenured adjunct professor position with the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Veterinary Medicine. He was also an American Endurance Ride Conference judge and endurance rider.
In 1989, Cortese joined Diamond Scientific in their technical services department where he was promoted to director of veterinary operations. In June of 1990, he moved to SmithKline Beech Animal Health as a senior technical services veterinarian, with his main emphasis on dairy and its allied sectors. He currently holds the title of director technical services – cattle and equine immunology. His responsibility is 75 percent North America and 25 percent international.
Cortese has many publications on viral infections in cattle and horses, immunology, neonatal immunology and young dairy calf management, several textbook chapters and guest lectures at many veterinary and university meetings, including the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP)/World Buiatrics Congress and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
In 1995, Cortese received his diplomate status to American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (dairy practice specialty). At the 1997 AABP Conference, he received the association’s Award for Excellence. In 1999, Cortese completed his doctorate degree in microbiology from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. In 2013, Bovine Veterinarian magazine selected Cortese as one of the 20 most influential cattle veterinarians in the United States.
Michel Baldin
Born in southern Brazil, Baldin was raised on a small dairy farm. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science from Santa Catarina State University, Brazil. Baldin then went on to complete his doctorate degree in animal science with a focus in dairy nutrition at Penn State University under Kevin Harvatine.
Postdoctoral, Baldin joined Cargill Animal Nutrition where he applied his experience in the field with customers to improve ration balancing strategies, deploy new technology and onboard compelling academic research. At milc group, Baldin is leading efforts around feed management software to deliver a new generation of tools to advance the way we manage feed inventory, ration formulation and feeding strategies.
Steve Lerner
Steve Lerner is head of marketing – North America for the Animal Health and Nutrition division of Chr. Hansen. In this role, Lerner and his team are responsible for supporting Chr. Hansen’s science-based, research-proven products in the North American animal health and production markets, including beef cattle feedlots, commercial dairies and calf ranches, and poultry and egg production facilities.
Lerner earned a doctorate degree in reproductive physiology from West Virginia University and a post-doctoral fellowship in molecular genetics from the University of Southern California. He holds a master’s degree in biology/embryology from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Maryland. Prior to joining Chr. Hansen, Lerner worked at Nutrition Physiology Company as vice president of product development and commercialization. Also, Lerner is an invited lecturer on customer lifetime value modeling at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bentley University and the University of Rhode Island.
Jeff Toll
A veteran of the finance industry for 15 years, Jeff Toll joined CIH in 2010. He helps dairy producers manage their risk, identify opportunities and develop comprehensive margin management strategies in the volatile geopolitical climate. In this capacity, he regularly speaks at dairy industry events. Prior to joining CIH, he worked on the Chicago Board Options Exchange. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from Marquette University and a Series 3 (National Commodities Futures Examination) License.
Sarina Sharp
Sarina Sharp grew up on dairy farms in California and Michigan. She studied business at Covenant College, in Chattanooga, Tenn. She worked for two years as a grain market analyst for the Nesvick Trading Group in Memphis, Tenn. For the past decade, Sharp has helped dairy producers manage financial risk through commodity trading. In addition, she writes regularly for the Daily Dairy Report, Milk Producers Council and T.C. Jacoby and Company.
Lance Baumgard
Lance Baumgard is a native of southwest Minnesota and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota and a doctorate degree from Cornell University. He joined the University of Arizona faculty in the fall of 2001 and began researching the mechanisms by which heat stress decreases milk yield. Baumgard joined Iowa State University in 2009 and is the Norman Jacobson Professor of Nutritional Physiology in the department of animal science. His primary research emphasis has been on the metabolic and endocrine consequences of heat stress in both ruminant and monogastric farm animals.
Kai Yuan
Kai Yuan serves as the senior scientist and technical advisor for Quality Liquid Feeds, Inc. (QLF). In this role, he provides leadership into QLF business/program developments and business growth. Previously, he served as the QLF technical sales manager. His responsibilities included leading dairy nutrition technical services and sales support, influencing large-herd nutritionists to implement company products into ration programs, developing key customers, promoting the growth of sales volumes and providing nutrition and management advice.
He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Yangzhou University, master’s degree in dairy nutritional physiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and doctorate degree in animal nutritional physiology/immunology from Kansas State University.
Brian Miller
Brian Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois. He was born and raised on a dairy farm near Beloit, Wis., and was a dairy practitioner in Wisconsin for more than 20 years and an owner/partner in an eight-person, mixed, animal practice located in Whitewater, Wis.
Miller began his industry career as a dairy technical services veterinarian in May 2006 and has held positions with Fort Dodge Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and most recently Merck Animal Health. Currently, he provides technical support and consultative services and advice to dairy producers and veterinary practices in Wisconsin, Minnesota and states located along the I-29 corridor. His primary areas of interest include dairy production medicine, bovine viral diarrhea virus, hypocalcemia and mastitis control and prevention.
Midwest Dairy Staff
At Midwest Dairy, we are proud to represent approximately 6,500 dairy farm families to 39 million consumers across our region. We work on their behalf to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in our products and production practices. We focus our efforts on sharing insights and developing programs for our retail, health and wellness, school food service and industry partners. Our goal is to maximize our impact by working with and through our partners to share information and real-time experiences that showcase how dairy products resonate with today’s consumer.
Andrew Beckel
Andrew Beckel is the owner of Golden Calf Company, an innovation leader in colostrum management and colostrum pasteurizing.
Jorge Delgado
Jorge Delgado leads the Alltech Training, Talent Development and Retention Program as part of the Alltech on-farm support program. He previously served as a dairy specialist and uses his expertise to help dairy producers with employee management practices, herd health, milk quality, calf management, protocol customization and animal welfare.
Originally from Ecuador, Delgado comes from a family of dairy farmers. He received his bachelor’s degree in agriculture and dairy science from EARTH University in Costa Rica. Afterward, he returned to Ecuador, where he worked in the dairy industry to represent a genetic company through consulting, sales and training. In 2002, Delgado moved to the United States, where he worked for 10 years on multiple dairies as a herd manager. He has also worked with Elanco’s dairy training program, focusing on empowering dairy workers.
Clay Zimmerman
Clay Zimmerman has worked in the dairy nutrition industry for 29 years and is currently the Global Protein Platform business manager for Balchem Corporation, joining the company in 2013. A native of Maryland, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in dairy science from Virginia Tech and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in animal nutrition from North Carolina State University. For the first 22 years of his career, he served as the head dairy nutritionist for two feed companies based in the Midwest and Northeast.
Jill Soderstrom
Jill Soderstrum has a passion for improving animal well-being and performance through supporting health and optimizing the gut microbiome. She has an interest in working with calves, since early life is when you can have the greatest impact on optimizing dairy cow performance. With these goals in mind, she joined the Land O’Lakes technical innovations team as a milk replacer solutions specialist in November 2018. Her role involves supporting the U.S. sales teams for Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Solution and Calva brandedsd milk replacer.
Previously, Soderstrom worked for an animal health company. There, she was on the technical service team, supporting the western U.S. sales team that sold probiotics and silage inoculants for dairy cows.
Soderstrom grew up in California, attending UC Davis for her master’s and doctorate degrees in animal biology. Her research focused on dairy cattle nutrition and behavior. Currently, Soderstrom is based in Florida.
Haim Fleminger
In 2008, Haim Fleminger was introduced to livestock intelligence when he joined Allflex Livestock Intelligence (ALI) (formerly known as SCR Dairy) in Israel. Three years later, he moved to Madison, Wis., to establish ALI’s North American subsidiary and played a leading role in making the company the industry leader it is today. Fleminger’s extensive field experience has positioned him as one of the premier thought leaders of dairy cow monitoring in North America. He shares insights through his blog – profitablemilk.com. With a burning passion for the industry, Fleminger is proud of his role in helping Allflex’s customers and cows be happy, healthy and more profitable than ever before.
Jorge Luna
A member of Zoetis Dairy Production Specialist dairy team, Jorge Luna currently supports veterinarians and dairy producers in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. His areas of focus include protocol development/implementation and Hispanic training in the areas of reproduction, production, fresh cow health and transition management.
Luna received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona in reproductive physiology. From 1998-2000, he worked under Jim Cullor at the Dairy Food Safety Lab. He facilitated and implemented Dairy-BTM (breakthrough management), a hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) system for dairies.
Andy Mueller
Andy Mueller grew up in a few small towns in Central and Northern Illinois, and spent summers on his grandparents’ grain and cow-calf farm outside of Quincy, Ill. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture-animal science from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., and his master’s and doctorate degrees in ruminant nutrition from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Following graduation, he spent 15 years with Purina Animal Nutrition as the manager of dairy nutrition and technical support in Minnesota, Northeast Iowa and Eastern North Dakota and South Dakota. He joined Westway Feed Products last October and is the Upper Midwest dairy technical support lead.
Maristela Rovai
A veterinarian from Brazil, Maristela Rovai earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Veterinary Medicine School of Fundação de Ensino Octávio Bastos, São João da Boa Vista, São Paulo, along with master’s and doctorate degrees from Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain. Her postdoc positions focused on mammary gland physiology and ruminant management, and her research work involved milkability in dairy ruminants (goat, sheep, camels and cows), with a strong focus on milking technology, milk quality improvement and mastitis impact on technological properties of milk and cheese.
Since 2014, Maristela has served as an assistant professor/extension dairy specialist in South Dakota State University’s department of dairy and food science. Her main responsibilities are to develop extension programs to improve milk quality and assist dairy producers and industry personnel on workforce development and best production practices. Also, she coordinates “Semillas.” This program helps Latino youth of dairy workers within the region embrace their heritage and gain a sense of community while understanding the dairy industry.
Nancy Whitehouse
Nancy Whitehouse is a research assistant of agriculture, nutrition and food systems at the University of New Hampshire. Nancy is an alumna of the University of New Hampshire, with a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degree in animal and nutritional sciences. She grew up on a dairy farm in New York and came to the University of New Hampshire for the pre-veterinary program but decided research with dairy cows was more exciting. Whitehouse is a research professor, so she has no classes assigned to her to teach, but she does guest lectures for various animal science courses. Rumen microbiology is the area that Whitehouse enjoys working in the most, but most of her research has been focused on amino acids and protein nutrition in lactating dairy cows. Whitehouse perfected a technique to determine the relative bioavailability of rumen-protected amino acids supplements, which gives ruminant nutritionists a value to assign to these supplements. This helps ruminant nutritionists come up with the most economical and environmentally friendly diet to feed dairy cows. She is also expanding her research interest into minerals fed to dairy cows and hopes to get back to rumen microbiology with some mycotoxin work.
Brian Lammers
Brian Lammers is a commercial dairy nutritionist for ADM Animal Nutrition. Lammers grew up on a centennial farm in Ohio with registered Brown Swiss cattle. He holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University’s dairy science honors program from where he graduated with distinction with his honors project on bypass protein for lactating cows. Lammers earned his doctorate degree in animal science from the Pennsylvania State University with his thesis on calf and heifer nutrition and physiology, and also spent time researching the Penn State Particle Size Separator and calf milk replacers. Lammers is involved with dairy professional organizations, including American Dairy Science Association, American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, Ohio Brown Swiss Association (serving as president) and Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders Association of the United States (board member and Genetics Committee chair).
R.M. Thornsberry
R.M. Thornsberry graduated from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 1977 and completed his 43rd year of food animal practice in 2020. Thornsberry classifies himself as a country practitioner with a love for food animal medicine and management. He owned and managed a preconditioning feedlot for 18 years in southern Missouri. Currently, Thornsberry travels the United States as a field veterinarian for Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition to help the dairy calf feedlot sector of the U.S. beef industry. He recently authored the eighth edition of his Dairy Calf Production Protocol book, a reference for calf raisers for dairy calf production systems from birth to 300 pounds.
Fernando Diaz
Fernando Diaz works as a dairy nutrition and management consultant at Rosecrans Dairy Consulting, LLC. He provides consultation to dairies and feed companies, including nutrition and feeding management, forage and crop plans, ingredient procurement and research and product development of new feedstuffs, additives and technologies for dairy cows.
Mary Beth de Ondarza
Mary Beth de Ondarza offers dairy nutrition consulting services, including on-farm troubleshooting and ration evaluation. With more than 20 years of experience working in the dairy feed industry, she is able to provide expert advice and devise the most cost-effective rations for the dairy producer. Ondarza also routinely conducts applied research and is a frequent invited speaker at major industry events and seminars. She grew up on an 80-cow Holstein farm in New York, earning her bachelor’s degree from Delaware Valley College and her doctorate degree from Michigan State University. Ondarza became the sole proprietor of Paradox Nutrition, LLC in 2003.
Dr. Jeffrey Bewley
Dr. Jeffrey Bewley is from Rineyville, Kentucky, where he grew up working on his grandfather’s dairy farm. He received a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from the University of Kentucky in 1998. In 2000, he received his master’s degree in dairy science with a focus on dairy modernization from the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the direction of Dr. Roger Palmer. His Ph.D. work under Dr. Mike Schutz at Purdue University focused on the application and economics of precision dairy farming technologies. For more than nine years, Bewley was on the faculty at the University of Kentucky as an extension dairy specialist. He has also worked with IceRobotics, PerforMix Nutrition and BoviSync.
Bewley has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications and industry magazine publications. He has also delivered over 80 presentations around the world, primarily on precision dairy technologies, compost bedded pack barns and mastitis management. Bewley is an active member of the American Dairy Science Association and the National Mastitis Council. He is a certified CowSignals trainer, a MEX udder health coach and a lean farming trainer.
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Calidad de leche y Mastitis, soy yo responsable?
Jorge Luna, Zoetis
Patrocinado por Zoetis
El objetivo de este taller es explicar porque la calidad de leche y la mastitis son criticas para el consumidor , y como todos los que trabajan en una lecheria son responsables de esta tarea. Aprenda porque seguir las rutinas de ordeño, seguir reglas basicas de comfort para la vaca y la higuiene son criticas para la salud de la vaca , el bienestar de la lecheria y la satisifaccion del consumidor. El taller de calidad de leche y mastitis se enfocara en practicas de manejo faciles de implementar, practicas basicas de higuiene y estrategias de monitoreo que nos ayudaran a disminuir el riesgo de la mastitis y el mejoramiento de la calidad de la leche.
Terapia de Secado: Objetivo, Aplicabilidad y Recomendaciones
Maristela Rovai, South Dakota State University assistant professor and extension dairy specialist
Raul Mendoza, South Dakota commercial dairy farm herdsman
La terapia de secado es una práctica común entre las explotaciones de vacuno lechero, y el buen manejo de la misma juega un papel clave en la siguiente lactancia. El secado implica interrumpir la lactación por generalmente 45-60 días antes del parto. En este periodo, además del desarrollo final del feto que exige más energía por parte de la vaca, hay cambios estructurales del tejido secretor de la ubre que influyen tanto en la producción del calostro como en la producción de leche en la siguiente lactación.
Una de las preocupaciones más importantes durante este periodo de descanso o “renovación” de la glándula es la susceptibilidad a las infecciones intramamarias. Para asegurar la salud de la ubre durante este periodo, se disponen de varios protocolos de secado que pueden incluir antimicrobianos de uso profiláctico y sellador de pezones. La terapia de secado puede parecer sencilla, pero exige cuidado, consistencia y responsabilidad.
En esta charla, los participantes recibirán una actualización sobre las recomendaciones y cuidados necesarios al momento de secar las vacas antes del parto. Además, se llevará a cabo una disección de ubre para aplicar los conocimientos adquiridos en la charla. El taller será ofrecido en español.
R.E.S.E.T. eando la industria lechera para atraer y retener empleados
Jorge Delgado, Alltech
Patrocinado por Alltech
Para todos los productores, uno de los recursos más importantes es la mano de obra agrícola. Si bien puede que no sea fácil encontrar personas dispuestas a trabajar largas horas, especialmente largas horas de realizar una tarea físicamente exigente como la de ordeñar vacas, debemos hacer todo lo posible para atraer y retener a la gente para trabajar en nuestras lecherías. Aunque esta no es una tarea fácil, con las condiciones y las herramientas adecuadas, los empleados verán a la industria lechera como un lugar único que los apoya y se preocupa por ellos.
Los productores de leche y los que apoyan la industria deben cambiar su mentalidad sobre los recursos humanos y comenzar a dedicar tiempo y esfuerzo a esta área, independientemente del tamaño de sus lecherías. Esto no requiere una gran inversión, pero sí requiere tiempo y asegurar la información correcta sobre cómo reducir los desafíos en torno a la mano de obra y la fuerza laboral. Atraer y retener empleados no es un problema nuevo, pero las circunstancias actuales son diferentes a las anteriores, impulsadas principalmente por los desafíos de inmigración y la competencia por el trabajo con otras industrias.
Para crear una cultura positiva en una lechería, los conceptos básicos de la organización deben estar en su lugar y también debe haber un restablecimiento en la forma en que se manejan a los empleados. Hay que R.E.S.E.Tear el negocio para crear la estructura organizativa adecuada para reducir la rotación de empleados y minimizar las frustraciones del manejo de empleados.
Jorge Delgado
Jorge Delgado dirige el Programa de Capacitación, Desarrollo de Talento y Retención de Alltech como parte del Alltech On-Farm Support Program. Anteriormente se desempeñó como especialista en lecherías y utiliza su experiencia para ayudar a los productores lecheros con las prácticas de manejo de empleados, salud del hato, calidad de la leche, manejo de terneros, personalización de protocolos y bienestar animal.
Originario de Ecuador, Delgado proviene de una familia de productores lecheros. Recibió su licenciatura en Agricultura y Ciencias Lecheras de la Universidad EARTH en Costa Rica. Posteriormente, regresó a Ecuador, donde trabajó en la industria lechera representando a una empresa genética a través de consultoría, ventas y capacitación. En el 2002, Delgado se mudó a los Estados Unidos, donde trabajó durante 10 años en múltiples Lecherías como gerente. También ha trabajado con Elanco en el programa de capacitación lechera, centrándose en fortalecer a los trabajadores de las lecherías.
¿Así es como se debe alimentar por sonda a un ternero?
Andrew Beckel, Golden Calf Company
Patrocinado por Golden Calf Company
El objetivo de la transferencia exitosa de la inmunidad pasiva empezará con alimentación del calostro. En esta sesión, profundizaremos en la fisiología de un ternero recién nacido para comprender los conceptos básicos del esófago neonatal y el tracto gastrointestinal.
Espere una sesión práctica con una demostración de uso propio de un alimentador de sonda esofágica y el razonamiento detrás de las mejores prácticas. Discutiremos cuándo y por qué alimentar con sondas y cómo usar sondas distintas.
Andrew Beckel
Andrew Beckel es el dueño de Golden Calf Company, un líder en innovación en el manejo del calostro y la pasteurización del calostro.
Prácticas de manejo alimentario para mejorar la rentabilidad de la explotación y la salud de las vacas
Fernando Diaz
El coste de alimentación continúa siendo el mayor coste individual en los sistemas intensivos de producción lechera. Según el Servicio de Investigación Económica del Departamento de Agricultura de los EEUU (USDA), durante la última década el coste de alimentación representó entre el 42 y el 56% del coste total de producción de leche. Con el coste de los alimentos constituyendo el mayor coste operativo, la nutrición y las prácticas de manejo alimentario son los principales factores que afectan a la rentabilidad de las lecherías. Este seminario, dirigido a Encargados y Técnicos de Alimentación, explicará la fisiología y comportamiento
Alimentario de las vacas lecheras, prácticas de manejo enfocadas en el suministro de una dieta consistente a lo largo de un periodo de 24 horas para prevenir la selección de alimentos y maximizar la producción de componentes lácteos y, con ello, la rentabilidad del negocio.
Fernando Diaz
Fernando Diaz trabaja como Consultor Lechero en Nutrición y Manejo en la compañía Rosecrans Dairy Consulting, LLC. Fernando provee servicios de consultoría a granjas lecheras y empresas de alimentación en áreas relacionadas con nutrición y manejo alimentario, forrajes y planes de cultivo, e investigación y desarrollo de nuevas materias primas y aditivos utilizados en las dietas de vacas lecheras. Fernando reside en Brookings, Dakota del Sur y puede ser contactado en fernando@rdcdairy.com.
No comprometas el valor de tus becerras
Julio C. Prado
Revisaremos el uso estratégico de los minerales traza inyectables en las vacas preñadas y las becerras y como puede ello ayudar su inmunidad y crecimiento.