Vita Plus Midwest Dairy Summit Recap

Dairy producers and industry peers gathered together June 15 and 16, 2022, in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, to network and gain practical insight from agricultural leaders.  Click the following presentation titles for summaries of each presentation.

The ping-pong game of Washington politics creates uncertainty as well as direct and indirect consequences for farmers across the U.S. Constance Cullman, president and CEO of the American Feed Industry Association, highlighted some of the issues likely to affect dairy producers in the upcoming months.

Walking the tightrope:  Dairy markets in 2022 and beyond | Phil Plourd, Blimling and Associates, Inc.
“One of the things we do especially well in the dairy industry is volatility,” said Phil Plourd, president of Blimling and Associates, Inc. and host of The Dairy Download podcast.  Overall, Plourd said the outlook for U.S. dairy is mostly positive.

Dissecting the mammary gland:  Understanding udder health and milk quality | Dr. Meghan Connelly, Vita Plus, Dr. Kolby McIntyre, Marsh View Veterinary Clinic, and Dr. Matt Schaefer, Waupun Veterinary Service
Milk quality can be multifaceted and interpreted differently from the perspective of the producer, the processor, or the cow. Regardless, we can most all agree that milk quality is often a good metric for udder health.

Growing a forage program from the ground up | Steve Murty, Vita Plus
Steve Murty, Vita Plus forage specialist, discussed four steps to grow a forage program.

Looking beyond treatment rates:  What are calves really telling us? | Dr. Kendra Wells, Valley Veterinary Clinic
Wells is a leader in the use of lung ultrasounds to diagnose potential respiratory challenges in calves and make valuable management decisions.

Producer panel:  Current strategies for employee and business management in a chaotic environment | Tim Kerfeld, Kerfeld Hill-View Farm, J Hall, Hall’s Calf Ranch, and Rebecca Davis, Barton Farms Co.
Tim Kerfeld, J Hall, and Rebecca Davis own and/or manage vastly different operations, but all are intensely focused on the long-term success of their farming businesses. They compared their management strategies during a producer panel.

The real reel of diversification | Amber McComish, Lucky Cow Coffee and Gelato and McComish Farms
Several years ago, as they faced low milk prices, Amber and Joe McComish began brainstorming ways to diversify their dairy farming business.  Amber said the farm’s succession plan, industry price swings, the future of the industry and consumer trends, and building for their growing family’s future all influenced their diversification goals.

Advocating within your wheelhouse | Heather Jauquet, Synergy Family Dairy
Heather Jauquet is passionate about sharing her dairy story with the local community and beyond. Jauquet shared examples of leveraging her networks and finding effective ways to share her farm’s story.

Automated milking systems:  Why it was right for us and might be right for you | Luke Laufenberg, Laufenberg Farms Waunakee
Luke Laufenberg has joined his father and uncle full-time on the family farm and “technology implementer” is one of his many roles. Laufenberg shared the benefits of AMS his family has seen during his presentation at the Vita Plus Midwest Dairy Conference.

Maintaining focus when everything’s a blur | Randall Greenfield, Vita Plus
Randall Greenfield, Vita Plus vice president sales and business development, recently came across an article in which a farm owner said he was focused on “avoiding any catastrophic mistakes.”  Greenfield shared five things to watch to avoid catastrophes in a dairy farm business.

Thank you to the following companies for sponsoring the Vita Plus Midwest Dairy Conference:
Adisseo  |  Agri-Business Consultants LLC  |  Alltech  |  Balchem Animal Health & Nutrition  |  Consumer Physics  |  Dairyland Laboratories, Inc.  |  DSM  |  Ecosyl Products Inc.  |  Elanco Animal Health  |  Genesis Alkali/Gladwin A Reed  |  GLC Minerals  |  Kemin Animal Nutrition & Health  |  Lallemand Animal Nutrition  |  Loyal Ingredients LLC  |  Milk Products  |  Milk Specialties Global   |  Mosaic Feed Ingredients  |  Novus International  |  Phibro Animal Health Corporation  |  Phileo Lesaffre Animal Care  |  Protekta  |  Quality Roasting  |  Zinpro Performance Minerals  |  Zoetis