THE MOST RELEVANT MEDIA IN THE DAIRY BUSINESS. WWW.DAIRYBUSINESS.

COM

northeast
Dairybusiness MARCH 2008

Forage:
Optimize pricey
fertilizer
See Page 10

Nutrition:
Feed for profitSee
Page 12

management:
Going, going..
green!
See Page 16

In this issue
Quality Management
Quality Milk
See Page 14
fertilizer rate.
Crop yields were highly variable in the
Northeast in 2007, from timely rains produc-
ing bumper crops in much of the Champlain
Valley to parched crops in Western New
York. In fields where yields were especially
high, be sure to fertilize adequately in 2008,
especially with potassium. This might also
be a good case for a new soil analysis, even
if the old one is only two years old. It’s a lot
cheaper to pay $10 to $15 for a soil test than
to risk depleting a good alfalfa stand.
Fertilizer “insurance” will
be much more expensive this year.
Some farmers just can’t bring themselves
to apply only nitrogen (N) fertilizer (instead
of an N-P-K corn starter) to highly fertile
corn fields, or no fertilizer at all to that
alfalfa-grass field near the barn, the one that’s
been heavily manured time and again. This
may be the ideal time to draw down on the
“soil bank” reserves you’ve built up over
the years. A plant doesn’t care in the least
whether the nutrients it gets are from the fer-
tilizer you apply this spring, from long-past
applications of manure or fertilizer, or from
the nitrogen released by recently-plowed sod.
Cornell University has done an extensive
series of on-farm strip trials as well as several
replicated trials at research stations, looking
at the influence of starter fertilizers on the
yield of corn silage. While a modest amount
of nitrogen at planting was needed in almost
all situations, whether the crop would benefit
from phosphorus (P) or potassium (K) in
the corn starter depended entirely on the soil
March 2008 Northeast DairyBusiness 11
test level of these nutrients. Where P and K nutrients in the manure.
soil test levels were high, there was little or For example: A 4,000-gallon liquid
no response to anything other than starter N. manure spreader full of slurry dairy manure
Forage analysis confirmed that N-P-K starter has an analysis of 20-8-20 per 1,000 gallons.
fertilizer (vs. just N) didn’t result in any dif- (Manure varies widely from farm to farm
ferences in corn silage quality, either. because of differences in solids content and
At Miner Institute we divide our corn the feeding program.) Based on current fertil-
fields into three starter fertilizer categories: izer prices, that 4,000-gallon load of manure
High fertility fields get about 100 pounds per is worth about $80 if you plow it down right
acre of a 50-50 blend of urea and ammonium after application, conserving the ammonia.
sulfate, which supplies 30 to 35 pounds of Even if you don’t incorporate it, it’s worth
N per acre — no P or K. Medium fertil- over $50. And these prices don’t take into
ity fields get about 200 pounds per acre of account the secondary nutrients (sulfur, mag-
14-21-21, while low fertility fields get about nesium, calcium) and micronutrients in ma-
275 pounds per acre of 14-21-21. So we only nure, or the beneficial effects of the organic
have to order two fertilizers for our 300-plus matter. With these prices, you should be able
acres of corn. Those one- to haul manure a long way
ton bags that have become indeed before hauling costs
so popular make switching FYI approach the value of the
from one fertilizer to the ■ Everett Thomas is vice president manure.
other very easy. of agricultural operations at W.H. Liquid manure isn’t the
Miner Agricultural Research Insti- only valuable source of nu-
Get serious with tute. Go to: www.whminer.com. trients. Based on two recent
manure manage- analyses of compost on the
ment. The commercial Institute farm, consisting of
fertilizer you buy this year will be more spoiled feed, used bedding from calf hutches,
expensive, but every pound of nutrient in etc. — one 6-ton spreader load contained at
livestock manure will also be more valuable least $50 worth of nutrients.
— if used properly. With what’s been hap- As I stated at the beginning of this article,
pening in fertilizer markets, the nutrients in a these ideas are nothing new. Use soil tests
ton of manure may be worth one-third more to know what you have, follow the recom-
than they were in 2007. Of course, diesel fuel mendations to reduce fertilizer inputs where
prices are also up, but not by as much on a possible and make maximum use of animal
percentage basis as fertilizer prices. What this manures, including hauling to low fertility
means is that you can haul a spreader-load fields. Nothing new perhaps, but if $500 per
of manure somewhat further in 2008 before ton urea doesn’t get your attention, what
the cost of hauling equals the value of the will? q
“Flies are a problem!”
They’re more than just a nuisance to you and your cattle. Left
uncontrolled, flies can overtake your operation and reduce your
cattle’s productivity. In addition, it is key to control a pest that has
been implicated in the transmission of 65 different disease organisms.
When mixed into cattle feed, ClariFly® passes through the digestive
system into the manure where flies lay their eggs. The active
ingredient, Diflubenzeron† prevents pupae from becoming breeding,
disease carrying adult nuisance flies.
Control nuisance flies with ClariFly®.
Contact your feed supplier,
call 1-800-347-8272, or visit
www.CentralFlyControl.com
ClariFly and the ClariFly logo are trademarks of Wellmark International. ©2007 Wellmark International.
† ClariFly contains Dimilindiflubenzuron manufactured by Chemtura Corporation and/or its affiliates.
Dimilin is a registered trademark of Chemtura Corporation.
 nutrition
feed for profit
Higher forage diets can keep feed
costs down
By Buzz Burhans
Nutrition management
strategies (Part I, Northeast Dairy-
Business, November 2007) and choice of
nutritionist (Part II, NDB, Jan. 2008), are im-
portant to feed cost control and profitability
management. Formulating rations to reduce
feed costs while maintaining milk income is
also critical.
Feed less grain and more forage,
which generally decreases ration costs, and
you can still maintain milk and component
yield. The strategy:
• First, formulate diets using one of the
nutritional models such as the Cornell Net
Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS or
CPM) or using NRC 2001. They help more
12 Northeast DairyBusiness March 2008
Adequate eNDF is essential when
feeding high-digestibility forage.
precisely determine animals’ nutrient require-
ments and better estimate actual nutrients
supplied by a diet. Modeling diets reduces
the need for “safety factors” that increase the
amount of recommended concentrate.
• Second, the major reason we can’t
feed all-forage diets is that forages are less
digestible than concentrates, mostly because
of higher fiber content. But we can increase
dietary forage content by feeding higher
quality forage. Feeding very high quality
high digestibility forage is the major key
to reducing diet cost and maintaining or
improving milk yield.
As forage digestibility in-
creases, effective fiber (effective neutral
detergent fiber, or eNDF) drops. Maintain-
ing adequate eNDF levels is critical to cow
health and component yield. Some of my cli-
ents grumble that for years I badgered them
to make better forages – and now I complain
Part III
Buzz Burhans
that their forages are “too good” because they
don’t supply enough effective fiber to main-
tain cud chewing and rumination. We need
both higher digestibility forages and enough
effective fiber for rumen-healthy diets. Maxi-
mizing forage digestibility is very important,
but very high-digestibility forages lose their
effectiveness as fiber sources.
You must provide adequate eNDF in
the ration when feeding higher digestibility
forages. This might be lower quality forage,
chopped hay or pre-chopped straw. It’s usu-
ally more profitable to feed purchased straw
with very high digestibility forages than to
feed low quality forages and more concen-
trates, even when straw is expensive. Straw is
preferable because it is a concentrated source
of effective fiber that delivers eNDF in a
small package, thus you can feed more highly
digestible forages without compromising
rumen function and health. Straw and coarse
grass hay are not as brittle as alfalfa and
don’t break up well in a mixer so they should
be chopped first or cows will sort them out.
High quality grass hays are usually too soft to
provide much effective fiber in a TMR.
We don’t always have to provide an
ingredient specifically for effective fiber. It
depends on other factors, including moisture
content of the diet forages, forage particle
length, and the maturity of the plant mate-
rial.
Choose corn silage varieties
with higher digestibility, especially brown
midrib (BMR). BMR has some additional ex-
pense and risk but can enhance profitability.
When feeding BMR silage, adjust rations for
higher forage and adequate eNDF to avoid
acidosis-related health problems or reduced
butterfat yield.
One exception to forage that’s “too
good” may be very high relative feed value
(RFV) Western alfalfa. High RFV (above
200) alfalfa hay, grown under irrigation in
arid climates, is very dry, brittle and leafy
with low fiber content and very little effective
fiber, making it difficult to maintain adequate
eNDF even on high hay diets.
Another problem is that small particles
from high RFV alfalfa hay have high rumen
passage rates. Partial solutions include feed-
ing hay with RFV values of 175 to 195 or
mixing in lower quality “feeder” or “mixer”
hay. To increase diet eNDF levels, consider
buying less than excellent Western alfalfa, or
straw.
March 2008 Northeast DairyBusiness 13
Very high digestibility forages ing, especially when booking feed.
fed alone to replacement heifers can fatten Buying on price alone could increase ra-
them excessively. It’s often a problem if tion cost if you have to feed more, even when
you grow only high quality forage with no buying mixed feeds. This is one reason we
provision for lower digestibility forages for recommended in the first article in this series
heifers. Find lower quality forages as a main that producers should insist that mix formula-
forage for heifers or added to high digestibil- tions be provided and open to the purchaser.
ity forages to reduce energy and intake.
On the other hand, heifer diets that contain Given today’s commodity prices,
mostly poor quality forage must be supple- higher corn silage diets will usually reduce
mented with concentrate for growth. Reduce feed costs compared to diets heavy on hay.
feed costs by feeding better quality forage This is driven by the price of corn grain and
and eliminating purchased supplements other other energy ingredients but also because
than minerals for older heifers. of greater dietary protein efficiency. Corn
silage diets can often be lower in total protein
Choose ingredients wisely. because the high starch content supports effi-
Ingredient price and ration cost are differ- cient rumen microbial yield. Also, high pro-
ent things. High-density ingredients are tein hay-crop diets tend to have much higher
usually more expensive than lower density soluble and degradable rumen protein loads,
ingredients. For instance soybean meal (49% requiring more expensive bypass protein.
protein) is more expensive But high corn silage di-
than canola meal (37% ets are not more economi-
protein). But higher density FYI cal when a dairy grows
ingredients deliver their ■ Buzz Burhans is a nutritionist
its own corn grain. With
nutrients in a smaller pack- with Dairy-Tech Group, reasonable yield and input
age – and leave more room 815 So. Albany Rd,W. Glover, Vt. costs, it is less expensive
in the diet for forage, often Tel: 802-755-6842. for these dairies to feed
reducing net diet cost. This Email: buzzb3@verizon.net high levels of high quality
is especially true in diets hay crop as base forage.
formulated for high levels of The economics of feed-
production where fiber is at ing dairy cows is chal-
a premium. lenging, intensified by current feed prices.
Use ration software to evaluate similar Feeding higher forage diets can help, but
ingredients. The outcome is not based on cost eNDF content must be maintained. Choose
alone; appropriate nutrient constraints are ap- feed ingredients wisely – using denser, more
plied before “least costing.” Have your feed expensive ingredients may result in lower
adviser rerun options by least-cost optimiz- cost diets. q
Productive cattle, a happy home, and less
nuisance flies — courtesy of ClariFly . ®
Fly relief is pleasing to everyone. At least as far as a productive
dairy operation and a happy home go, and all you have to do
is mix ClariFly® into your cattle’s feed.
ClariFly® is a feed through that attacks flies where they lay
their eggs. The active ingredient, Diflubenzeron† has a low
environmental impact, but hits house and stable flies hard–
the nuisance flies that affect your bottom line and your family.
When you control nuisance flies with ClariFly® your cattle
can show increased weight gain and milk production.
Contact your feed supplier,
call 1-800-347-8272, or visit
www.CentralFlyControl.com
ClariFlyand the ClariFly logo are trademarks of Wellmark International. ©2007 Wellmark International.
† ClariFly contains Dimilindiflubenzuron manufactured by Chemtura Corporation and/or its affiliates.
Dimilin is a registered trademark of Chemtura Corporation.
 Chronic mastitis: Use all tools for a healthier herd
By Jack van Almelo and Linda Tikofsky
C hronic mastitis: It’s a headache for every dairy.
However, you have four tools to manage chronic
mastitis infections:
• Individual cow Somatic Cell Counts (SCC)
• Milk culture results
• Culling
• Pharmaceuticals.
These tools aren’t new, but methods for integrat-
ing information about your herd’s mastitis status are
giving you and your veterinarian more effective ap-
proaches to keeping your herd healthy.
First, determine if chronic infections are a prob-
lem in your herd. Top Northeast herds consistently
have fewer than 6% of their cows carrying chronic
mastitis infections. If more than 8% of your herd are
chronically infected, you may benefit from an inte-
grated response to chronic animals. (Figure 1)
You need individual-cow SCC to identify chroni-
cally infected animals. If a cow’s SCC is greater
Figure 1. Action triggers for mastitis cases
New Chronic Fresh
Top ≤5% ≤5% ≤10%
OK ~8% ~8% ~15%
Not OK 10+% 10+% 20+%
than 200,000, or Linear Score (LS) greater than 3.9,
for two months in a row or two out of the last three
months, she is chronically infected.
You can determine the percent of your herd chron-
ically infected by using your DHI SCC summary re-
port high SCC list and counting animals with a high
count last month. Or calculate it with Dairy Comp.
If more than 8% of your herd is chronically in-
fected, create a list of the animals to submit milk
samples for culturing. Identify animals for this list
from Dairy One SCC lists or your dairy software.
The High Linear Score report (DHI-241) makes it
easy to select chronically infected animals. You can
also prioritize animals to begin culturing based on
their contributions to your bulk tank.
To cull or to culture
It’s easy to decide whether to cull some chroni-
14 Northeast DairyBusiness March 2008
cally infected animals. Just look at their reproductive
status, production records and the presence of other
health problems.
When it comes to culturing, the flow chart (Figure
2) can help you choose the best candidates. Once you
prioritize the animals to culture, follow these steps:
• Take milk samples in small sterile vials follow-
ing the correct procedure.
• If you’re new to taking milk culture samples,
contact Quality Milk Production Services (QMPS),
your Dairy One technician or your veterinarian for
directions on the best procedure.
• Freeze samples you can’t culture immediately.
• Send samples with your Dairy One technician to
its laboratory, to QMPS or to your veterinary clinic if
it’s using the “Culture Tracker” system.
The Culture Tracker involves software that will
track each animal’s culture results and then put them
into your herd’s Scout, Dairy Comp 305 or Dairy
One Technician’s Dairy Comp records via the In-
ternet.
Once culture results are integrated with your
cows’ Scout or Dairy Comp 305 records, you can
easily look up an individual animal, summarize how
mastitis in your herd is changing and make the infor-
mation available to your advisers.
There are several advantages to having an ani-
mal’s production, reproduction and SCC history in-
tegrated with milk culture results. You can:
• Better make decisions for chronic cows.
• Devise treatment protocols for specific infec-
tions and implement them.
This will improve cure rates, decrease expenses by
not treating animals unlikely to respond, and reduce
the risk of having milk or meat residues by incorpo-
rating withhold dates directly into the cow card.
The flow chart summarizes the process for detect-
ing chronic subclinical cows and treatment options.
For animals more than 200 days in milk (DIM) and
pregnant, early dry-off with the appropriate antibi-
otic is a good option to consider.
Mastitis is a headache for every dairy. However,
by using all the tools available, you can construct
logical and effective protocols to diagnose and re-
solve high bulk milk SCC.
 Figure 2.
QM2 is the newsletter of Dairy One and
Identify high SCC cows Quality Milk Production services pub-
Subclinical mastitis • 2x SCC >200,000 lished with the support of Schering Plough
protocol • CMT+ ≥1 quarter
Animal Health

Select cows
• >60 days from dry off
• 3rd lactation or younger
• No more that 5 high counts
• 1 or 2 quarters CMT+

Culture + Sensitivity of CMT+ quarters

How to reach us...

Negative Staph aureus Strep spp CNS E. coli/ Jack Van Almelo is part of the Dairy
No treatment Milk last S. agalactiae: Therapy Klebsiella Management Resource group at Dairy One.
recommended. Post dip Therapy with (if sensitive) No therapy
If SCC continues Treat appropriate penicillin He focuses on the application of herd man-
recommended.
to be high, culture animals (heifers) S. uberis: Consider culling agement information and helping managers
again after consultation Therapy (if if chronic. and their advisers use the best tools avail-
(consider with veterinarian. sensitive) able for making good herd management
Mycoplasma). S. dysgalactiae:
Therapy (if
decisions.
sensitive) Linda Tikofsky, a veterinarian, is a senior
Extension associate with Quality Milk
Production Services. Reach her at lg40@
cornell.edu
QMPS is a program within the Animal
Cow 243 Health Diagnostic Center, a partnership
Cow 243 had a clinical mastitis episode on 1/12.(Figure 3) The culture revealed
between the New York State Department of
Strep species in the left front quarter. The dairy sent the sample to the culture lab,
Agriculture and Markets and the College of
and preliminary results were automatically downloaded into its PC the next day.
Veterinary Medicine at Cornell.
Final results were downloaded in two days.
The QMPS staff of veterinarians,
The dairy’s manager decided to begin a treatment regime for 243 that set the
technicians and researchers works with
Milk Withholding Date (MKDAT) to 1/18 and the Beef Likely OK (BFDAT) date
New York dairies to improve milk quality
to 1/22. Active protocol is in red in Figure 3, and the BFDAT and MKDAT are by addressing high somatic cell counts,
colored because they’re still in effect. milking equipment and procedures, and
Cow 243 is 321 days in milk (DIM) and bred just six days. On the plus side, 243 milker training in English and Spanish.
didn’t go through a dry period with this infection. QMPS also conducts research and teaching
Cow 243’s Test programs.
Day Page reveals a Figure 3. Cow 243 Cowcard on 1/17/06 Reach the four regional QMPS labora-
chronic problem be- tories at:
ginning on 6.21.05. • Central Lab, Ithaca.
(Figure 4) Surpris- 877-MILKLAB (877-645-5522)
ingly, she had only • Eastern Lab, Cobleskill.
one clinical case 877-645-5524
since that date. Data • Northern Lab, Canton.
show that if Strep 877-645-5523
infections are de- • Western Lab, Geneseo.
tected and treated 877-645-5525
early, the likelihood QMPS website:
of a cure increases. http://qmps.vet.cornell.edu
Beginning in late Dairy One is an information technol-
June, the dairy be- ogy cooperative, providing DHI records
gan culturing all an- Figure 4. Cow 243 Test-Day Page services and herd management software
imals at freshening, to dairies throughout the Northeast and
with many animals Mid-Atlantic region. A comprehensive
cultured on one day laboratory network provides milk quality
in July. The majority testing as well as forage, soil, manure and
of cultures of fresh water testing.
animals yield Staph Contact Dairy One Cooperative Inc. at
species but begin- 730 Warren Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. Tel:
ning in late Novem- 800-344-2697. Email: dmr@dairyone.com
ber, an “outbreak” Website: www.dairyone.com
of Strep species in See the next QM2 in April's Northeast
mid-lactation cows DairyBusiness.
occurs.

March 2008 Northeast DairyBusiness 15

 management

Going...going..Green!

The winner of a new essay contest

writes about generating revenue
through carbon offsets Colleen Klein-Wolfanger,
right, and her father,
By Colleen Klein-Wolfanger Stanley Klein

With all types of industries being

scrutinized for their impacts on the environ-
ment, it’s no wonder that dairy farmers are
often uncomfortable when eyes turn in their
direction. Dairy farmers will face an increas-
ing number of environmental restrictions and
regulations in the coming years due in part to
the popularity of the green movement. Facing
these challenges, however, is not without
benefit. One opportunity to cash in on the
global warming fight is emerging in the form
of carbon offsets, which could be convenient-
ly created right on your dairy!

In order to gain additional revenue

from carbon offsets, it is important to under-
stand the concept of the carbon footprint. A
carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases, such as
methane, emitted over the full life cycle of a
product or service. It is calculated using the
Life Cycle Assessment, or LCA, method.
Carbon footprints are used as a tool for indi-
viduals or businesses to measure their impact
in contributing to global warming.
Once an individual or business has deter-
mined the amount of their carbon footprint,
they may attempt to reach a carbon neutral
status by “offsetting” the calculated emis-
sions.
One way to accomplish this is to invest or
purchase offsets the carbon-offset market to
compensate for emissions. While offsetting
one’s carbon footprint is still voluntary in
16 Northeast DairyBusiness March 2008

the United States, increasing pressure to be
environmentally responsible is resulting in
mounting popularity and demand for carbon
offsets.
So where does the dairy industry fit
in? Most notably by using anaerobic diges-
tion systems to manage manure. Anaerobic
digestion systems recover the biogas created
by methane and carbon dioxide emitted by
manure. In addition to creating a source of
electrical energy, digesters also create carbon
offsets, which can be sold and traded on the
carbon offset market. Additional information
for dairy farmers interested in exploring the
possibility of a digester, including funding
sources, can be found at www.manureman-
agement.cornell.edu.
If you aren’t in the market for a digester,
an alternative is to cover an existing liquid
or slurry manure storage and destroy the
captured methane by flaring it. This will also
produce carbon offsets. Jenifer Wightman, a
consultant for Central New York Resource
Conservation and Development, lists addi-
tional methods for generating offsets:
• practice no-till to eliminate carbon on
large acreage
• reduce nitrogen application to reduce
nitrous oxide emission and energy
• practice timber stand improvement in
woodlands to eliminate carbon in trees
• supply an energy processor with wood
chips, grass for pellets, oilseeds for biodiesel
or other biomass to displace fossil fuels
• make significant improvements in ef-
ficiency resulting in reduced energy use
• use wind, solar or geothermal energy
sources to displace fossil fuel use.
Carbon credits are traded on the
Chicago Climate Exchange. In order to jump
into that arena you need to be an aggregator,
or collector of credits. Many dairies are not
large enough to meet the minimum require-
ment but can work with companies that pool
credits from smaller farms. Native Energy,
Terra Pass and Carbonfund.org are a few of
the companies that work with farmers and of-
fer carbon offsets for sale. Another option is a
March 2008 Northeast DairyBusiness 17
The winners!
Colleen Klein-Wolfanger is in her first year of
a two-year agricultural business program at Al-
fred State, Alfred, N.Y. The mother of two young
daughters, Reilly and Harley, she also works on her
family’s dairy farm in Perry, N.Y., where she and her
husband, Jesse Wolfanger, live. She is a weekend
community digester, where several relief milker and feeds calves on the 200-cow dairy,
smaller dairies combine manure in working alongside her brother, Russ; her parents,
order to deal directly with the Chi- Stanley and Michelle; and grandparents Ron and
cago Climate Exchange. An ex- Jackie Klein.
ample of this is in Port Tillamook “I picked my subject (for the article competition)
Bay, Oregon, where seven smaller because I was trying to find a topic that was new, not
farms have joined forces in a com- something we had heard of 10 times in 10 different
munity digester with almost 4,000 ways,” Klein-Wolfanger said.
cows contributing to the project. Second and third place winners in the contest were
Generating and Ashley Gillis of Schuylerville, N.Y., and Tyler Rice of
trading carbon credits is an Mount Pleasant Mills, Pa.
emerging market in the United
States. While the possibilities and interested buyers. They will host a workshop
opportunities for dairy farmers are exciting, this spring for farmers interested in learning
we need to keep in mind that carbon trading more about carbon trading opportunities in
is still a somewhat experimental idea. As the Northeast. Rebecca Schuelke, commu-
with any new venture, the key to success is nication specialist with the New York Farm
education and research. A great source for Viability Institute, said her organization has
information for interested dairy farmers and also funded a project to help dairy farmers
landowners is www.cnyrcd.org/projects.htm. with on-farm digesters explore opportuni-
Central New York Resource Conservation ties to increase profits from the digesters,
and Development Project Inc. and Envi- including carbon credits. Information on
ronmental Defense are working to develop that project can be found at www.nyfarmvi-
protocols to assist farmers and landowners ability.org or by contacting the project leader,
in the Northeast in selling carbon credits to Michael Timmons. p
northeast
Dairybusiness
Monsanto Dairy Business and Northeast DairyBusiness
introduce the Technology Today, Feeding the World Tomor-
row feature article competition for undergraduatestudents at Northeast agricultural
colleges and universities.
Entries must consider dairy agricultural topics that relate directly to agriculture,
agribusiness or the social and scientific implications of advances and technologies in
agriculture. Specifically, how will technology play a role in dairy agriculture in the
future?
Three prizes will be awarded to entrants who display excellence in dairy agricultur-
al journalism: First prize is $800, and the feature article will be published in Northeast
DairyBusiness next spring. Second prize is $500. Third prize is $300.
For more information, please contact Amanda Van Blarcom at amanda.l.van.blar-
com@monsanto.com. Information is also available at colleges and universities.
Original manuscripts must be submitted to Northeast DairyBusiness by Dec. 1,
2008.
AFACT returns to World Ag Expo
One year after a California dairy producer rally to
protect producers’ rights to use safe and valuable man-
agement tools used in agricultural production, a formal
organization – American Farmers for the Advancement
and Conservation of Technology (AFACT) – returned to
World Ag Expo, Feb. 12-14, 2008 to build on the effort.
AFACT was organized by farmers who are frustrated
by the loss of safe and valuable management tools as
a result of inaccurate labeling and marketing practices
that mislead the consumer. As the organization’s name
implies, AFACT is dedicated to supporting producer
choices of existing, safe management practices and
new technologies. AFACT members represent a variety
of producers in terms of size, geography and level of
technology use.
“Restrictions on the use of safe animal production
tools have escalated due to food marketer attempts to American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of
differentiate their products using misleading absence Technology co-chairs Carrol Campbell and Liz Doornink presented
claims,” said Carrol Campbell, AFACT co-chair and information about AFACT at World Ag Expo, Feb. 12-14, in Tu-
lare, Calif.
dairy producer from Winfield, Kan. “These restrictions,
if left unchallenged, will lead to greater losses of tech-
nology and innovation.” producer Liz Doornink, Baldwin, Wis., and Campbell
presented information on AFACT’s formation, goals
AFACT held seminars all three days of World Ag and activities.
Expo, in Tulare, Calif.: • Day 2: Dairy producers Troy Lenssen, Lynden,
• Day 1: AFACT co-chair and Wisconsin dairy Wash., Louie Kazemier, Rickreall, Ore., and Paul Rol-

AFACT activity updates

AFACT Communication: AFACT launched a new web site:
www.itisafact.org. Log on to get updates on the following
issues:

Labeling: While AFACT continues to fight misleading
and confusing labeling of dairy products through so-called
absence labels (such as rbST-free, antibiotic-free and
pesticide-free), the nation’s dairy processor organization, the
International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), said it would
fight state efforts to restrict those claims. States addressing
the issue so far – either in the form or legislation or admin-
istrative rules — include Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Utah,
Kansas and Vermont. AFACT members have already peti-
tioned the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Food and
Drug Administration to address the issue at the national
level. IDFA said it is now looking at options to block label
restrictions at the federal level. Visit the AFACT web site for
legislative updates.
Consumers: AFACT has held numerous consumer focus
groups throughout the United States, learning that when it
comes to milk, price, fat content, quality and expiration date
– and not concerns over technology – are the major factors
in consumer buying decisions.
AFACT Advocates: A spokesperson training session to
help AFACT producer/members communicate with consum-
ers, processors and retailers was scheduled for late March
in Madison, Wis. Additional regional training sessions will
be held elsewhere. Visit AFACT’s web site for an updated
schedule.
AFACT Summit: Tentatively scheduled for June, a national
AFACT Summit will bring together producers and allied
industry. Visit AFACT’s web site for an updated schedule.
AFACT Education: AFACT is creating fact sheets incor-
porating scientific data and other documents summarizing
studies on technology safety. Visit AFACT’s web site for
downloadable fact sheets.

26 Western DairyBusiness March 2008

lin, Burrel, Calif., joined Doornink and Campbell on a
producer roundtable, discussing “Sustainability Through
Technology.” Each producer reflected on the variety and
importance of technologies they use on their dairy, and
how those technologies impact financial and manage-
ment systems. They also shared experiences with their
milk processors’ requirements to sign affidavits and stop
using recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST).
• Day 3: Doornink and Campbell presented video of a
consumer focus group, conducted in Chicago, revealing
that consumers make milk-buying decisions based on
price, quality, expiration date and fat content, with little
concern over biotechnology.
AFACT in action
It’s been an eventful year since last year’s rally. Pro-
ducers motivated to action have initiated meetings in
a number of states, sharing concerns about the loss of
on-farm management tools.
“In some locations, consumer focus groups have been
held to learn more about what drives their decisions at
the dairy case,” said Doornink, noting that producers
now meet weekly via teleconference to discuss issues and
develop action plans to grow their voice.
AFACT seeks to educate and empower all segments in
the food chain to understand the benefits of technology
and encourage consumers to demand access to high-
quality, affordable food with a minimal impact on the
environment.
“We may have came together due to activities sur-
rounding the marketing of rbST-free milk, but it took us
about five minutes to realize that this is far bigger than
one particular technology,” said Campbell. “The loss of
safe technologies affects not only animal agriculture but
the entire agriculture production industry.”
Dairy producers Paul Rollin, Burrel, Calif., and Carrol Campbell,
Winfield, Kan., AFACT co-chair, participated in a roundtable dis-
cussion on “Sustainability Through Technology.”
March 2008 Western DairyBusiness 27
AFACT co-chair Liz Doornink discussed the organization with
World Ag Expo visitors.
AFACT’s mission
• Safeguard the image of modern agriculture prod-
ucts in the marketplace
• Provide consumers safe, valuable and wholesome
products
• Advocate for producers’ freedom to choose produc-
tion technologies and practices for the benefit of all
• Support the development of agricultural technologi-
cal advances required to feed a growing global popula-
tion
•Educate all in the food chain that “sustainable”
agriculture utilizes technologies to produce safe, nutri-
tious and affordable foods with minimal environmental
impact and maximum consumer value.
To learn more about AFACT, visit www.itisafact.org.
Contact Doornink via e-mail: lizdoornink@
jondefarm.com. Contact Campbell via e-mail: carrol@
camfarms.com.
AFACT Membership
Concerned about the loss of technology on your
farm or ranch? Join like-minded producers to defend
your right to use safe management tools and prac-
tices as a producer-member of AFACT.
AFACT also needs the support of allied industry
participants who have a vested interest in a strong
and vibrant U.S. agriculture industry.
Separate AFACT producer and allied industry mem-
bership applications are available at
www.itisafact.org.
Tips & Tactics – Events

• April 30, Dairy Farmers of America,

EVENTS New Wilmington Names in the news
Dairy professionals directly involved
Ruminant Health and Nutrition Conference with Pennsylvania producers are encour- Eleanor Jacobs, editor of PRO-DAIRY’s
March 25. – Liverpool, N.Y. For information and aged to attend. Find more at www.center- The Manager and former editor of Northeast
to register go to: www.northeastalliance.com. Or fordairyexcellence.org. To register, contact DairyBusiness, was presented the Richard
contact Ric Zimmerman, Northeast Ag and Feed Cerrita Reed. Email: c-creed@state.pa.us Tel: Popp Leadership Award at the Northeast
Alliance, 518-426-0214. Email: rzimmerman@ 717-346-0849. Dairy Producers Association’s annual meeting
acds-llc.com.
in March.
Emily, Glenn and Jon Beller, Carthage,
Successful Dairy Modernization
March 25. – Canton, N.Y. Contact Frans Vokey,
Two-day HR program N.Y.; and Lowell and Karen Davenport,
315-376-5270 or Ron Kuck, 315-788-8450. The Penn State Dairy Alliance offers a Ancramdale, N.Y., won top Platinum honors
program titled “People in Ag, Success with in NMC’s National Dairy Quality Award
Successful Dairy Modernization Human Resources for Agricultural Advisers” (NDQA) contest.
March 26. – Carthage, N.Y. Contact Frans Vokey, in April at these dates and locations: Tim, Michele and Chris McDonald,
315-376-5270 or Ron Kuck, 315-788-8450. April 16-17 – State College, Pa Greenwich, N.Y, were NDQA Gold winners.
April 23-24 – Clifton Park, N.Y. Arlan and Janell Garber, Chambersburg,
New England Nutrition Conference The program gives educators, consultants, Pa.; Siobhan Griffin, Schenevus, N.Y.; Jeff
March 27. – W. Lebanon, N.H. For information state employees, veterinarians and other and Shannon Kane, Enosburg Falls, Vt.;
and to register go to: www.northeastalliance.com.
advisers tools to help their clients improve hu- Steve, Patricia, Andrew, Taylor and Nick
Or contact Ric Zimmerman, Northeast Ag and
Feed Alliance, 518-426-0214. Email: rzimmer-
man resource management. It is sponsored by Meyer, Hardwick, Vt.; Brian and Harold
man@acds-llc.com. Penn State Extension and Cornell Coopera- Newton, McDonough, N.Y., and Jason and
tive Extension Ashley Randall, Westfield, Vt., were NDQA
Northeast Grasstravaganza To register, call Penn State Dairy Alli- Silver winners.
March 28-29. – Binghamton, N.Y. contact Central ance, 888-373-7232. By mail, Dairy Alliance, The awards recognize dairy producers with
New York RC&D, 607-334-4632, Ext. 4. 324 Henning Building, University Park, PA a high priority on producing high-quality
16802. Cost: $85 for both days, $55 for first milk. Awards were given to 37 NQA win-
Dairy Production Skills Training, in Spanish day. ners during NMC’s annual meeting, in New
April 3. – Martinsburg, Pa. Call 888-373-7232 or Orleans, in January.
go to www.dairyalliance.org. North Hardwick Dairy LLC in Hardwick,
Dairy Production Skills Training, in Spanish Organic production owned by Stephen, Patricia, Nick, Andrew
and Taylor Meyer, won Vermont’s Highest
April 10. – Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa.
Call 888-373-7232 or go to www.dairyalliance.
series Quality Milk Award, presented at the Ver-
org. Dairy industry leaders from across the mont Farm Show in January. The dairy also
United States will discuss organic production won for lowest somatic cell count.
and sustainable agriculture in a free seminar Robin’s Nest Farm, St. Johnsbury, owned
PA Tours series at the University of New Hampshire by Kenneth and Beverly Robinson, was
Tours of six Pennsylvania dairy processing called Farming for the Future. first runner-up for the top quality award, and
facilities are offered during the Dairy Advo- Seminars are from 4 to 6 p.m. in Cole Hall David and Tina Houde, St. Johnsbury were
cacy and Resource Team (DART) meetings, at the Thompson School of Applied Sciences. second runners-up. Thomas Debevoise and
hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence, in For information, go to www.organicdairy.unh. Laurie Livingston, South Woodstock, were
April. edu or call 603-862-3757. third runners-up and tied for the Best Flavor
Participants will learn how to transition • March 26: Johan Six, University of Award with Dale and Alma Briggs, Ad-
herds into lower-cost, freestall housing and California at Davis dison. The Briggses also won the lowest PI
incorporate precision feeding. DART meet- • April 2: Hue Karreman, Penn Dutch Cow count. Andersonville Dairy LLP, West Glover,
ings are scheduled: Care and University of New Hampshire owned by Robert Young and Mark Rodgers,
• April 17, Galliker’s Dairy, Johnstown • April 16 – Paul Detloff, staff veterinarian, won the lowest pasteurized count. Jasper
• April 22, Yoder’s of New Holland, New Organic Valley Hill Farm,ForGreensboro, ownedContact:
More Information by Andy and
Holland • April 30 – Francis Thicke, Radiance Meteo Vermont
Kehler,Large
wonFarm Dairy standard
the lowest Conference
plate
UVM Extension
• April 23, Middlebury Center Co-op., Dairy, Iowa, and Ed Maltby, Northeast Or- count award.
338 Highland Avenue • Newport, VT 05855
Middlebury Center ganic Dairy Producers Alliance Red Knob Farm,
Phone: (802)Peach Bottom,
334-7325 ext. 11and Den-
• April 24, Land O’Lakes Carlisle, Carlisle • May 7– John Reganold, Washington nis Milhoan, president
or Toll-Free of 260-5561
at (866) Lancasterext.
Dairy
11
• April 29, Sunbury Weis Dairy Plant, State University Farm Automation, Fax: Lititz,
(802) 334-5208
received the Penn-
Sunbury sylvaniaE-mail: colleen.leonard@uvm.edu
Dairy Stakeholders’ 2008 Pacesetter
20 Northeast DairyBusiness March 2008
Awards at the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit
in February. The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s
Association presented these awards: Charles
E. Cowan Memorial Award – Richard Ebert,
Blairsville, vice president of Pennsylvania
Farm Bureau; Distinguished Dairy Women
Award – Dina Zug, Mifflintown; Extension
Award – David Wolfgang, Penn State Exten-
sion veterinarian.
Winners of National Dairy Herd Informa-
tion Association (DHIA) scholarships include
Aaron Horst, Chambersburg, Pa.; and Han-
nah Smith, Clear Spring, Md.
chemicals of interest list, visit http://www.dhs.
gov/chemicalsecurity. For questions when
completing the top screen, call the Chemical
Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards help desk at
866/323-2957.
More information on DHS’s Chemical Fa-
cility Anti-Terrorism Standards may be found
at: www.EDEN.lsu.edu/agrosecurity/
DHSChemical.
Composting video
Composting Animal Mortalities on Farm is
a two-DVD video that discusses the hows and
whys of composting animal carcasses on the
farm. It’s produced by the Vermont Associa-
tion of Conservation Districts. Contact Sylvia
Harris at 802-257-5621 or email: sylvia.har-
ris@vt.nacdnet.net.

ROPS rebate
The New York Center for Agricultural
Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) has in-
creased the rebate to New York farmers to
retrofit tractors with a rollover protection
(ROPS) kit, to a maximum $703 for 2008
from $600 last year.
Tractor rollover fatality rates in the North-
east are the highest in the country. Studies
have shown that using a rollbar in combina-
tion with a seatbelt could prevent almost all
of these tractor rollover deaths, yet half the
tractors in New York are unprotected.
For many farmers, the price of retrofitting
a tractor after rebate has been about $250, ac-
cording to NYCAMH. Call 877-ROPS-R4U
for information.

Chemical guidelines
New guidelines on chemical storage from
the Department of Homeland Security could
affect producers. Pennsylvania Agriculture
Secretary Dennis Wolff said some chemicals,
if stored in sufficient quantities, could trigger
a requirement for a security assessment.
Some of the listed chemicals that may be
used by producers include:
• Chlorine – 2,500 lbs. bulk or 500 lbs.
bagged or on a trailer,
• Anhydrous ammonia – 10,000 pounds
• Ammonium nitrate – 2,000 lbs.
• Potassium nitrate – 400 lbs.
• Sodium nitrate – 400 lbs.
Failure to comply with the new regulation
could mean a $25,000 fine. Find out more
on the department’s website at http://www.
agriculture.state.pa.us under “What’s New.”
For more information on the U.S. Depart-
ment of Homeland Security’s Chemical Facil-
ity Anti-Terrorism Standards, or to view the
March 2008 Northeast DairyBusiness 21
 management

The Law and you

Touchy to discuss, prenuptial or inheritance. Marital property includes all
agreements are an important property acquired during the marriage which
part of farm business planning is not separate property. Therefore, any farm
assets purchased during the marriage will be-
By Jeffrey Fetter come the property of both spouses and, if they
divorce, possibly subject to division based on Jeffrey Fetter
the rules of equitable distribution.
Professional farm business Families have several brought into the marriage?
and estate planners try to ensure agreements reasons to want prenuptial If the farm acquires new
are in place to address what happens with agreements for couples FYI farm assets by the family
ownership interests in the event of death, involved in the business: ■ Jeff Fetter is an attorney with owners, will they be consid-
disability or other termination of an owner’s o Without an agreement, a the firm Scolaro, Shulman, Cohen, ered separate property? If
relationship with a farm. But what happens farm may have to sell assets Fetter & Burstein, P.C., Syracuse, one of these farm assets is
when a farm owner divorces? That possibility to satisfy an obligation to an N.Y. Reach him at 507 Plum sold during the marriage,
is often overlooked in farm business planning. owner’s former spouse. If a Street, Suite 300, Syracuse, N.Y. are the proceeds separate
Divorce is too common to ignore today. If farm must borrow money to 13204. Email: jfetter@scolaro.com property, too? Answers vary
a farm has more than one owner, it’s safe to make payments to a former with each situation.
assume that during the life of the business one spouse, its ability to borrow For a prenuptial agree-
of them is going to divorce. Marital problems operating funds could be hampered. ment to be enforceable, it must meet legal
cause emotional distress within a family and o Owners wish to keep the farm out of an- requirements, and both spouses must have
may have disastrous effects on farm opera- other owner’s marital problems. independent legal counsel. If one spouse isn’t
tions. Prenuptial agreements can help avoid o With prenuptial agreement, owners can represented, that doesn’t by itself invalidate
some business-related effects of divorce. avoid having a partner’s former spouse as a the agreement, but it is taken into account
Here are common questions asked about co-owner or creditor of the farm. with other factors.
prenuptial agreements and my answers: Both spouses must make full financial
How should a prenuptial disclosure and fulfill other requirements, such
When should a couple agreement be designed? as having the agreement properly notarized.
draw up a prenuptial agree- Younger couples may want to have an Your farm policy on prenuptial agreements
ment? agreement only in the event of a divorce. But should apply to all farm family owners. As
Historically, these agreements were gener- older couples can use prenuptial agreements difficult as it is to discuss a prenuptial agree-
ally limited to second marriages or when one to provide for children from prior marriages ment with your fiancé, it is even more dif-
or both spouses had substantial family wealth. in the case of death and divorce. ficult to explain why your brother’s or sister’s
But with the number of divorces and complex If the agreement is for both death and spouse was not required to sign one.
relationships that exist among farm owners divorce, arrangements can be made for a In some cases, prenuptial agreements have
today, prenuptial agreements are common for surviving spouse in the event of death. For a specified termination date if the couple is
owners being married for the first time. example, a life insurance policy or specific still married and living together.
When the subject of prenuptial agree- assets identified for a surviving spouse may Review your prenuptial agreement pe-
ments is first raised, people may feel hurt protect both the spouse and the farm. Also, riodically to ensure it’s consistent with the
and distrusted by future in-laws. Handle any the farm’s agreement may guarantee the sur- farm’s current business plan. If there have
discussion of these agreements with care. It’s viving spouse can stay in the farm home for a been changes in farm ownership, financial or
important to explain clearly and immediately period of time. family situations, or tax laws that affect the
the reasons for the agreement and how the A prenuptial agreement may or may not farm, the prenuptial agreement should also be
agreement will work. To say “We’re going to address maintenance -- the new alimony – in reviewed.
have a prenuptial agreement” and walk away the event of divorce. In many cases, main- Finally, if as parents you want your son’s
has the markings of disaster. tenance depends on whether the nonfarm or daughter’s fiancé to sign a prenuptial
spouse is self-supporting or has devoted his or agreement, remember when you were the
Why are prenuptial agree- her time to the farm and family. in-law coming into the farm business and the
ments needed? family. Although a prenuptial agreement is an
Without a prenuptial agreement, state law What should prenuptial important component of a farm business plan,
definitions of “marital” and “separate” prop- agreements include? it can be an emotional process. It’s vitally
erty will control. Separate property includes If farm assets are to be considered separate important for a new family member to feel
assets acquired before a marriage or by gift property, should this only include farm assets welcomed into the family. p
22 Northeast DairyBusiness March 2008
 DairyLine Radio is pleased to offer a variety of experts to assist in your dairy operation.
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March 2008 Northeast DairyBusiness 23

 Marketplace

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24 Midwest DairyBusiness March 2008

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Updated regularly throughout the day at

www.dairyline.com Index to Advertisers
• Daily cash and futures markets
AFACT........................................... 18, 19
• Government and private market information Albers Manufacturing Co...................... 5
and analysis
• Dairy news reports from throughout the AllTech, Inc.......................................... 27
country Central Life Sciences..................... 11, 13
• Text of DairyLine’s main topic of the day
• Latest dairy industry press releases Dairy One............................................... 9
• Complete listing of DairyLine radio station
Dairyline Radio.................................... 23
affiliates
• Complete newspaper listing featuring the DeLaval.................................................. 2
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Genske, Mulder & Co. LLP................... 3
Marketplace.................................... 24, 25
Monsanto Dairy Business...................... 7
Get Your Daily Dairy News At National Institute of Animal Ag........... 23
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March 2008 Northeast DairyBusiness 25

 CALF CONNECTION A COLUMN BY SAM LEADLEY
Unwelcome guests
Timely diagnosis and appropriate
treatment of illness in calves is essential
for recovery. However, once the calves feel
better, it does not mean the episode is over.
Calves usually shed
pathogens not only while
ill but also after recovery.
These pathogens are our
“unwelcome guests.”
Parasites. A calf
infected with cryptospo-
ridiosis can shed up to 10
billion cryptosporidia eggs, or oocysts, per
day during the peak of the illness. For calves,
light shedding may continue indefinitely.
Adult cows shed constantly.
There is no approved medicine in the
United States for this illness. The route of
infection is fecal-oral, that is, the calf eats
the oocysts that were shed in the manure of a
cow, another calf or herself.
These oocysts are very hardy. Cryptospo-
ridium can live for up to a year in cool, moist
conditions. Dry conditions will discour-
age exposure: Wet bedding is essentially a
welcome mat for cryptosporidiosis. They
are not vulnerable to common disinfectants
like bleach. In climates with an extended
freeze-thaw season, many of these oocysts
are destroyed by weather changes.
Coccidiosis is another common calfhood
illness. The coccidian parasite, again, in its
egg or oocyst form, is shed in large numbers
by a clinically ill calf. Even heifers showing
no symptoms shed the organism for months
until they build resistance to the disease.
Four approved medicines are effective in
reducing the intensity and duration of coc-
cidiosis (see FYI). The route of infection is
just as for cryptosporidia – oocysts that were
shed in the manure of a cow, another calf or
herself are ingested by the calf.
Given a cool, damp, dark environment
these oocysts will survive a very long time.
Cleaning up calf pens/hutches is our best
26 Northeast DairyBusiness March 2008
defense against high levels of exposure. can advise you about prompt diagnosis and
Leave a clean hutch site empty and exposed treatment of sick calves, the most effective
to the weather. After three to four months, the way to reduce the number of these bacteria in
oocyst population will be drastically reduced. the environment.
The longer clean, dry calf-barn pens are Bacteria are often brought onto the farm
unoccupied, the lower the chances of oocyst by purchased animals. However, many cows
survival as well. will carry a low level of these bacteria in
Giardia, although not common, is another their systems and shed it in large numbers
parasite affecting calves. Unfortunately, when heavily stressed. The route of infec-
while diarrhea symptoms in a treated calf tion for salmonellosis is fecal-oral, the same
may end in less than a week, these calves as for parasitic diseases. Once a calf is no
may continue to shed cysts at a declining rate longer clinically ill with salmonellosis, she
for a long time. The shedding period may continues to shed the bacteria.
exceed 30 weeks. In general, bacteria, compared to para-
Consult with your herd veterinarian sites, are much more vulnerable. A number
about an approved medication to reduce the of good disinfectants kill them effectively.
intensity and duration of the illness. Prompt Remember, however, that pens and hutches
diagnosis and treatment mean fewer cysts have to be clean before using a disinfectant.
shed into the environment. The cysts shed in Household bleach is not recommended for
the manure of an infected animal are ingested salmonella situations. Oxidizing disinfectants
by a calf. If the number of cysts eaten is high such as Virkon-S work quite well, but others
enough (an infective dose), the calf gets sick. may be appropriate for your situation. Check
Cows are not a common reservoir of this with your veterinarian or dairy supply person.
parasite. More commonly calves first are
exposed to water carrying the parasite, for n Our first defense against unwelcome
example, pond or surface water. Wild animals guests is prompt diagnosis and treatment of
commonly shed the cysts. However, once we sick calves. Fewer “guests” are shed.
have shedding calves on the farm, they are n Our second defense is keeping things
another source of our unwelcome guests. clean. Getting rid of dirty bedding is abso-
Fortunately, these cysts are less hardy than lutely essential. Remember that soiled forks,
oocysts from cryptospo- shovels and loader buckets
ridia and coccidia. Freeze- may spread unwelcome
thaw cycles destroy them. FYI guests to previously unin-
On a dry surface nearly ■ Sam Leadley is a replacement fected housing.
all cysts will be destroyed consultant with Attica Veterinary n Third, in many of these
within one week. The key Associates, Attica, N.Y. He spent situations pens and/or
to their survival is moisture. several years managing replace- hutches must be cleaned
They may live in either ments on a New York dairy. and disinfected.
water or moist soil three ■ See www.calfnotes.com, click n Finally, be aware how
months or longer. They are on Calving Ease, click on No- long calves are likely to be
not destroyed by common vember 2002 “Coccidiosis and the shedding our unwelcome
disinfectants. Young Calf” for a review of medi- guests. It may be best to
cations for coccidiosis. minimize housing these
Bacteria. Salmonella ■ See www.atticacows.com, click shedders with other heifers
are definitely unwelcome on Calf Facts, click on “Giardia in for as long as facilities
guests. Your veterinarian Calves.” permit separation. p
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THE MOST RELEVANT MEDIA IN THE DAIRY BUSINESS. WWW.DAIRYBUSINESS.COM

Northeast
Serving
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Mas-
sachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West

Dairybusiness
Virginia.
About the Cover
Ev Thomas, well-known agronomist, vice
president of agricultural programs at W.H. Miner
MARCH 2008 volume 10 no. 3 Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, N.Y., since
1981, and the author of our cover story, retires this
year. See page 10. Photo by Susan Harlow.

DAIRY EDGE
Management 8
Speak out on animal abuse
Nutrition 8
Feeding distiller’s for protein and fat
Environment 8
Manure management problems and solutions
Herd systems 9
Understand cow phases to increase profit

Forage
Optimize pricey fertilizer 10
There’s really nothing new when it comes to using fertilizers efficiently,
but with prices like these, farmers may be more likely to pay attention
By Everett Thomas

Nutrition
Feed for profit 12
Higher forage diets can keep feed costs down
By Buzz Burhans

SPECIAL SECTION
QM2 - Quality Management Quality Milk 14 COLUMNS
Chronic mastitis: use all tools for a healthier herd Come to think of it 6
By Jack van Almelo and Linda Tikofsky Hometown heroes
By Susan Harlow
Management The law and you 22
Going...Going...Green! 16 Prenuptial agreements are an important
The winner of a new essay contest writes about generating revenue part of farm business planning
through carbon offsets By Jeffrey Fetter
By Colleen Klein-Wolfanger Calf Connection 26
Unwelcome guests
By Sam Leadley

TIPS & TACTICS

Events 20
Names in the News 20

DEPARTMENTS
Index to Advertisers 25

NEXT MONTH
The economics of raising replacements.
U.S. Dairy Statistics & Trends
DairyBusiness Communications details
state and regional milk production statistics
and trends for 2007
4 Northeast DairyBusiness March 2008
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 Come to think of it by Susan Harlow
PUBLICATION OFFICE
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Internet www.dairybusiness.com/northeast

Editorial
Susan Harlow, Editor

Hometown heroes
603-756-9624 • fax 603-756-3217
e-mail sharlow@dairybusiness.com
Eleanor Jacobs, Associate Editor, PRO-DAIRY Program
585-237-3266 • fax 585-237-6051
Dr. David Galton, Editorial Advisor
PRO-DAIRY Program, Cornell University

DairyBusiness EDITORIAL Staff

I got a little shock recently, trolling through a blog of reader comments on a news- Ron Goble 800-934-7872 • fax 559-687-3166
e-mail rgoble@dairybusiness.com
paper story about the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program. This is a newspaper in Carolina Evangelo 559-687-3160 • fax 559-687-3166
Vermont, where farmers usually rank right up there with Tom Brady. e-mail cevangelo@dairybusiness.com
Dave Natzke 800-561-2933 • fax 715-712-0397
One blogger claimed that Midwest corn farmers are millionaires who e-mail dnatzke@dairybusiness.com
fly their own jets to Florida for the winter. Another (unidentified, of
ADVERTISING SALES
course) maintained that farming is profitable – but farmers spend those East/Midwest
profits on new snowmobiles and pickups to show a tax loss. “Dairy farm- Cliff Passino, Account Manager
866-511-7271 • fax 802-365-4163
ing in vermont [sic] isn’t profitable because farmers have learned to spend e-mail cpassino@dairybusiness.com
everything they bring in and then some so it appears that they lost money,” Debbie Morneau, Advertising Coordinator
800-334-1904, ext. 222 • fax 315-703-7988
he or she wrote. These could be your neighbors. e-mail dmorneau@dairybusiness.com
So what are you going to do about it? asked a speaker at the Vermont West
Large Farm Dairy Conference last month, urging producers to speak up. Jackie Machado, Account Manager
866-520-2880 • fax 805-641-1134
“Not again,” I thought. “This guy would be better off talking to the local Rotary or garden e-mail jmachado@dairybusiness.com
club, not to a roomful of farmers.” Christina Elgorriaga Etchamendy, Account Manager
866-390-3897 • fax 661-588-1853
But Trent Loos, a spokesman for animal agriculture who moonlights as a Nebraska rancher, e-mail cetchamendy@dairybusiness.com
disabused me of that notion. “I need to preach to the choir because you, the choir, are too West/Midwest
quiet.” Even though dairy producers do the best job of putting a human face on agriculture, he Russ Beckmann, Account Manager
800-308-8184 • fax 559-627-3255
told the conference, there’s more yet to do. e-mail rbeckmann@dairybusiness.com
His suggestions: Tell your story. Host school tours.
Write letters to the editor. Don’t let anyone say something “Each of us is an ex- Classified Advertising
Debbie Morneau
you disagree with without confronting them. “Go some- pert on our own expe- 800-334-1904, ext. 222 • fax 315-703-7988

where, somehow, and engage,” Loos said. “Talk about riences, but somehow e-mail dmorneau@dairybusiness.com

what you do. Each of us is an expert on our own experi- we don’t think we’re Graphics/Production

ences, but somehow we don’t think we’re qualified. But qualified.” 800-334-1904 • fax 315-703-7988
William M. Woodruff, Art Director, ext. 229
you’re celebrities in your hometowns.” Mike Hudson, Graphic Designer ext. 228

Wisconsin producer Jay Richardson was at the conference to talk about production topics ADMINISTRATION
but, as the best speakers do, he shone a light into a different corner of the defend-your-industry Joel P. Hastings, President/Publisher
issue. We may scoff at activists who put great emphasis on animal welfare. But, Richardson 800-334-1904, ext. 227 • fax 315-703-7988
e-mail jhastings@dairybusiness.com
said, he found himself quite ready to spend thousands of dollars to resuscitate his wife’s dying Suzanne Miller, Vice President, Admin. Finance
cocker spaniel. Them is us. 800-334-1904, ext. 226 • smiller@dairybusiness.com
Dave Natzke, Editorial Director

Input costs are one of the winter’s most depressing stories. The price of corn has risen 113% Published monthly by
over the last two years while fertilizer prices doubled in 2007. The jump in fertilizer prices is
driven by the same factors as other inputs – greater demand in China, Brazil and other coun-
tries where people can afford more and better food; rising prices for oil and greater demand for A Multi Ag Media LLC Company
Scott A. Smith, Chairman; John L. Montandon, President
natural gas, both of which affect fertilizer production; and, of course, ethanol. Joel P. Hastings, H. Wayne Snavely
Producers aren’t totally helpless in the face of these cost increases. Dairy producers do have Also owned by Multi Ag Media
plenty of fertilizer on hand and make more every day – manure. Learning how to use that fer- • Western DairyBusiness
• Midwest DairyBusiness
tilizer resource to its best potential is just one more skill you must master. And the Northeast • Holstein World
DairyLine Radio Network, Lynden, WA
has excellent resources leading the way in research and Extension to help you. •
• Dairy Profit Weekly newsletter, Neenah, WI
One of them is Ev Thomas, vice president of agricultural programs at W.H. Miner Agri- • Farm Market iD ag databases
• Phoenix Data Processing, Westmont, IL
cultural Research Institute or, as he prefers to be known, the Crops Dude. He wrote our cover
Northeast DairyBusiness (ISSN 1523-7095) (USPS
story on making the most of your fertilizer resource. It’s not news that Ev plans to retire this 020-389) is published and distributed monthly free to qualified
subscribers in Connecticut, Dela­ware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
year, so wish him best of luck on the Southern links when you see him this spring. New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont and West Virginia. Copyright © 2008 by DairyBusiness
Commu­ni­cations, 6437 Collamer Road, East Syracuse, NY 13057-1031.
Periodicals postage paid at East Syracuse, NY and additional mailing
offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Northeast DairyBusiness, P.O. Box 608,
Lowell, MA 01853-9970.

6 Northeast DairyBusiness March 2008

 Our goal is to help you maximize output with POSILAC.® At your dairy.
With your management. On your terms. We want to help you average
10 extra pounds per supplemented cow per day.
Let’s make it a mission to make 10.

www.make10.net
Make 10SM is a service mark and POSILAC® is a registered trademark
of Monsanto Technology LLC. © 2007 Monsanto Company.
[32245 strp vh 10/07]
 DAIRY EDGE ANALYSIS, TRENDS, HOW-TO

fed at up to 20% of the ration when feeding noticeable number of manure management
Management higher forage levels. problems in the last couple years, according
Speak out “Dairy producers need to pay close atten-
tion to the amount of effective fiber in the
to Jackie Lendrum, Concentrated Animal
Feeding Operation (CAFO) coordinator for
on animal abuse diet,” Soderlund says. “Even though distiller’s the New York Department of Environmental
The Center for Food Integ- grains contain a relatively high level of neu- Conservation (DEC).
rity said that recent cases of animal abuse, tral detergent fiber, the fiber is very fine and “The end of 2006 and into 2007, there
such as at the Hallmark/Westland meat will not maintain good rumination.” were a lot of manure spills – catastrophic
packing plant, are “inexcusable” and that pro- With its rapid expansion, the ethanol spills,” she said at the CAFO Road Show,
ducers and others in animal agriculture have industry has greatly increased the volume of held at different sites across New York in
an ethical obligation to stop animal abuse. distiller’s grains and is February.
Report it immediately if you see it, taking one making several different you heard it here Lendrum cited
of these steps: distiller feed products. the following manure
n If on a farm, bring it to the immediate at- The highest volume “We’ve realized more management problems:
tention of the owner or farm manager on duty. product is distiller’s savings by having this 1. Manure storage
n If during transport, contact the transporta- grains, which mostly relationship with our overflow. “There’s no
tion company. contains unfermented neighbors than you reason for this other than
n If at a plant, contact the plant’s manage- grain residues – pro- can imagine. Getting a catastrophic event,”
ment or USDA inspector. The National Milk tein, fiber and fat. The together can’t be over- she said. “Figure out the
Producers Federation, American Farm Bureau remaining fraction is estimated – it’s good reason why it happened
Federation and National Council of Farmer called thin stillage, BMPs (best manage- and prevent it.”
Cooperatives are three of the organizations which contains yeast ment practices) with 2. Poor supervision
supporting the center. cells, soluble nutrients your neighbor.” of manure handling.
and very small corn Ben Freund, E. Canaan, Conn., a member Often people in charge
particles. of Canaan Valley Agricultural Cooperative. of manure spreading or
Nutrition The cooperative is in its eleventh year and
“Most large distill- transport aren’t trained
has seven members representing around
Feeding distiller’s eries have the capability
2,000 cows.
or informed on regula-
to dry their distiller’s tions such as setbacks
for protein and fat grains - DDG,” says from streams.
Feed distiller’s grains (DDG) Soderlund. “The thin stillage is concentrated 3. Spreading plan violations or changing a
for high protein and fat values but keep a to a molasses-like consistency to form con- spreading plan without documentation. Talk
close eye on sulfur and phosphorous content densed distiller’s solubles (CDS). The CDS to your Comprehensive Nutrient Manage-
in grain, say nutritionists for Pioneer Hi-Bred. product can be sold directly to liquid feed ment Plan (CNMP) planner if you change
“When evaluating the potential value manufacturers or dried and placed back on the your plan. For example, alert your planner if
of these products, make sure you request a DDG to produce distiller’s grains plus soluble you plant corn in a field that your plan called
nutrient profile from the plant,” says Pioneer’s (DDGS).” for leaving in hay, Lendrum said. You violate
Steve Soderlund. “Consider how these While the majority of distiller’s grain pro- your plan by subsequently spreading manure
products complement your existing feeding duced in the upper Midwest is sold as DDGS, on the field.
program.” a high percentage produced in the High Plains 4. Poor recordkeeping. “Records should
One of the biggest factors in determining is fed as wet distiller’s grain (WDG) locally – match up with your plan,” she said. “They’re
the nutrient content of distiller co-products reducing energy costs associated with drying. your best protection.”
is the grain source used by the ethanol plant. WDG needs to be fed within four to five 5. Spreading during or just before adverse
“In comparison to corn, if the plant is using days before warm weather causes significant weather conditions. Your plan may say you
sorghum as a primary grain source, expect spoilage. can spread manure in February, but you need
to see higher protein levels, but a lower fat to use common sense. Does the weather fore-
level,” says Soderlund. cast call for heavy snow or rain?
environment
Distiller’s grains will be used primarily 6. Silage leachate discharge.
as a protein and fat source in dairy rations, Manure management 7. Poor manure storage maintenance, such
which generally limits its inclusion rate to as not checking the condition of sidewalls.
less than 10% of the diet. However, university problems and solutions 8. Pump, pipeline and valve failures.
tests have shown that distiller’s grains can be New York dairies have had a 9. Runoff through field tile drains. “You’re
8 Northeast DairyBusiness March 2008
responsible if manure runs out of tiles,” Lendrum said.
10. Tankers’ or trucks’ tipping over is the most
common accident compliance issue, she said.
Your best protection in any manure spreading
incidence is to have followed your CNMP application
rates. Lendrum advised dairy producers to train their
staff for emergencies and field spreading require-
ments. Also if you expand your dairy and go from a
medium to a large CAFO, you must have a CNMP
in place. Speaking of expansion, if you’re doing con-
struction, get a storm-water permit.
Dairies have some good management practices,
Lendrum said. She sees more cover crops planted,
greater use of buffers along streams, better leachate
collection and improved barnyards.

Herd Systems

Understand cow phases

to increase profit
“There is definitely an opportunity to make at
least $100 more profit when you manage each phase
of a dairy cow’s life cycle,” said Bill Tom, ARM &
HAMMER Animal Nutrition general manager in a
Dairy One
Information That Creates Opportunity
company press release.
The significant – and interdependent – phases of
cows’ production lifecycles are: Better Decisions Begin With
n Heifers: The key to maximizing profit with Better Information.
young stock is helping heifers achieve an ideal size
and weight so they reach breeding age earlier and en-          
ter the milking string sooner, said Elliot Block, senior 
manager of technical services for the company. Stud- 
ies estimate that calving heifers one month earlier is 
worth between $140 and $225 per heifer calved. 
n Close-up: Proper management of transition   
cows is key, given the frequency and high cost of 
each case of milk fever ($186), displaced abomasum
 
($324), ketosis ($160) and metritis ($217).

Then there are profit opportunities gained by

improving pregnancy rate. “A study presented at the
Western Dairy Management Conference showed just   
a 2% increase in pregnancy rate is worth $70 per cow 
per year,” Block said.  
n Fresh: “This is where the concept of marginal-

ity really comes in,” Tom said. “Taking those cows

and getting one more pound of milk or one more
point of protein or fat, or making the same milk with
one less pound of feed can really make a difference
to profitability. Using multiple component pricing,
just a one point increase in fat and protein will add
another 4 cents per hundredweight to a producer’s
milk check.”
n Lactating: Maintaining feed and nutrient effi-
ciency keeps cows as healthy as possible and allows
them to achieve higher production and component
levels, Block said.
March 2008 Northeast DairyBusiness 9