Dairy Resources | Business | agupdate.com

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection recently certified 12 nominees who are eligible for election to the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Board of Directors. Dairy farmers in affected districts will have until May 25 to vote on the candidates listed.

• District 3 nominees – Mark Leder of Gleason, and Gary Kohn of Medford – Lincoln, Oneida, Price and Taylor counties
• District 6 nominee – Douglas Danielson of Cadott – Chippewa and Eau Claire counties
• District 9 nominee – Jeff Betley of Pulaski, Menominee, Shawano and Waupaca counties
• District 12 nominee – Stephen Pankrantz of Marshfield – Portage, Waushara and Wood counties
• District 15 nominees – Sandra Madland of Lyndon Station, and Annette Trescher of Cashton – Adams, Juneau, and Monroe counties
• District 18 nominee – Rick Roden of West Bend – Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha counties
• District 21 nominee – Gail Klinkner of Viroqua – Crawford and Vernon counties
• District 24 nominees – Virgil Haag of Mount Horeb, Tina Hinchley of Cambridge, and Carrie Chestnut Mess of Johnson Creek – Dane and Jefferson counties

All candidates meet the eligibility criteria of being an active dairy producer or representative of an affected producer, selling milk into commercial channels and residing within their respective districts. The agency has distributed mail-in ballots to dairy producers who reside within the eight affected districts. Producers who have not received a ballot should request one by contacting debbie.gegare@Wisconsin.gov or 608-224-5116. Completed ballots must be signed and sent to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Marketing Order Program, PO Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708. They must be postmarked before May 25.

Election results will be announced at the end of June. Elected producers will serve a three-year term beginning July 1. Visit wisconsindairy.org/elections to view candidate biographies and for more information.

Virtual farm tours scheduled

Four dairies are to be virtually featured daily during the 2022 World Dairy Expo, showcasing environmental stewardship, genetics, technology advancements, community involvement and more.

• Oct. 4 – Walnutdale Farms, Wayland, Michigan – Features a 50-stall rotary parlor, raises all of its own replacement heifers and has programs focused on environmental preservation.

• Oct. 5 – Homestead Dairy, Plymouth, Indiana – Operates three farm sites with a double-25-parallel parlor, a double-12-parallel parlor, Lely robots, a methane digester, a manure-dryer system for bedding and new-calf facilities.

• Oct. 6 – Bateman’s Mosida Farms, Elberta, Utah – Has a solar farm, a robotic dairy-research facility and a vertical forage-growing system.

• Oct. 7 – Skråmered, Våxtorp, Sweden – Features ProCROSS genetics to adapt genetics and management to new facilities.

Visit worlddairyexpo.com for more information.

The tool evaluates cost savings

The new Heifer Grazing Compass is a spreadsheet tool designed to help farmers predict and understand the cash flows and long-term financial consequences of raising heifers on pasture. Developed by the University of Wisconsin-Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and Grassland 2.0, the tool compares total economic impacts of a farmer’s existing system with a potential pasture-based heifer raising system. It helps farmers lay out a pasture plan, considering both a financial and ecological strategy. It allows users to compare heifer-raising systems while keeping animal growth and development outcomes constant. The compass is site- and operation-specific. It is tailored toward Wisconsin farmers, but is useful throughout the United States.

A Beef Grazing Compass and a Pasture Management Compass are set to be released this summer. Visit grasslandag.org/the-heifer-grazing-compass or email jhendric@wisc.edu for more information.

Grant applications sought

The Professional Dairy Producers Foundation is offering grants of as much as $ 5,000 for new or unique programs for dairy-producer-focused initiatives. The foundation strives to identify emerging educational needs in the dairy industry and help fill gaps in funding new or innovative programs. The foundation since 2010 has awarded more than $ 295,000 in grants to support programs that equip the dairy community with the latest tools and resources to be effective managers, leaders and ambassadors of dairy.

An independent grant-selection committee will search for applications that focus on supporting the next generation of dairy producers, growing and maintaining public trust in the dairy of people and products, and building producers of skills. Organizations with a tax status of 501 (c) (3) or (5) may apply. Grant applications are due June 1. Visit dairyfoundation.org/grant-seekers or contact info@dairyfoundation.org for more information.

Nineteen Wisconsin dairy companies were recently awarded dairy-processor grants from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The grants aim to foster innovation, improve profitability, and sustain long-term viability of Wisconsin’s dairy-processing facilities. The Department of Agriculture received 43 grant requests totaling more than $ 1.7 million.

• Alpine Slicing and Cheese, Monroe, $ 15,000 – Plant relocation and expansion
• Brunkow Cheese, Darlington, $ 18,500 – facility and process improvements
• Cedar Valley Cheese, Belgium, $ 25,000 – development of cheese-shredding process
• Decatur Swiss Co-op, Brodhead, $ 24,000 – facility expansion
• Door Artisan Cheese, Egg Harbor, $ 25,000 – Development of expanded marketing plan
• Henning Cheese, Kiel, $ 18,500 – website development
• Hill Valley Dairy, East Troy, $ 20,000 – expansion planning
• Holland’s Family Cheese, Thorp, $ 22,000 – expansion engineering and planning
• Landmark Creamery, Belleville, $ 22,000 – cheese-plant expansion
• Lynn Dairy, Granton, $ 25,000 – purchase of cheese belt
• Milk Specialties Global, Fond du Lac, $ 28,000 – partner with more small- to medium-sized cheese plants
• Muscoda Protein Products, Muscoda, $ 28,000 – Pre-treatment study for an anaerobic wastewater-treatment plant
• Renard’s Cheese, Algoma, $ 24,000 – Development of Factory Equipment Engineer Grant
• Specialty Cheese Company, Reeseville, $ 20,000 – Development of reverse-osmosis system
• Two Guernsey Girls Creamery, Freedom, $ 5,000 – development of products and expansion
• University of Wisconsin-Platteville, $ 10,000 – expansion of retail opportunities and technical knowledge
• Westby Co-op Creamery, Westby, $ 25,000 – plant modernization and expansion
• Wisconsin Pride, Mauston, $ 25,000 – facility expansion
• Wiskerchen Cheese, Auburndale, $ 20,000 – hiring of bilingual human resources and administrative assistant

Visit datcp.wi.gov and search for “dairy development” for more information.

Council appoints representative

Chad Vincent, CEO of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, recently served as a dairy representative on the new Wisconsin Agricultural Export Advisory Council. The council will help guide initiatives created through the Wisconsin Initiative for Agricultural Exports, a collaborative project between the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. They are promoting the export of Wisconsin’s agricultural and agribusiness products.

Vincent has had international experience at Miller Brewing International and Fiskars Brands. He has provided strategic input and advanced the mission of the Wisconsin Agricultural Export Advisory Council. In his time at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin he has helped promote Wisconsin dairy in global markets.

The state initiative aims to boost the export of dairy, meat, crop and other agricultural products by 25 percent by June 2026. The council will meet at least twice per year.

Also serving as dairy-industry representative on the Export Advisory Council is Ryan Wucherer, Director of Global Sales for CT Dairies; and Jeff Schwager, CEO of Sartori. Visit wisconsindairy.org and datcp.wi.gov and search for “agricultural exports” for more information.