According to Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW), the line-up for week 26 of The Dairy Signal™ will feature a new speaker, Cheryl Skjolaas, Extension Agricultural Safety Specialist with the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Returning to The Dairy Signal are Sandy Chalmers, State Executive Director for the Wisconsin Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Dan Basse, Economist and President of AgResource Company.
Developed by fellow dairy farmers from the PDPW Board of Directors, The Dairy Signal is a weekly series of free educational episodes offering insights and resources for fellow dairy farmers and other food system professionals throughout the value chain. The episodes air live from 12:00-1:00 PM CT each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; recorded sessions are available later in the day.
Managing corn silage was the topic of Tuesday’s episode of The Dairy Signal, featuring Dr. John Goeser, Director of Nutritional Research & Innovation at Rock River Lab, Inc., and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Dairy Science Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Dr. Luiz Ferraretto, Assistant Professor and Ruminant Nutrition Extension Specialist, UW-Madison.
Dr. Goeser reported corn silage quality is testing above average, with less lignification. From a harvesting standpoint, how we seal our bunkers and piles will set the stage for better feed-out quality. Dr. Ferraretto advised producers to take a close look at their corn silage lab results, specifically levels of mycotoxins and nitrates, as there are strategies to litigate these issues.
On Wednesday’s episode, Peter Vitaliano, Chief Economist for the National Milk Producers Federation, mentioned the United States is falling behind its dairy competitors when it comes to enacting new bilateral trade agreements. He also touched briefly on round two of the Coronavirus Financial Assistance Program (CFAP). Vitaliano explained that average milk prices will be just shy of $18 per hundredweight (cwt) for the remainder of 2020, but when you tack on the CFAP payments, they will more likely be in the $19.30 to $19.40/cwt range.
Since the third week of September is officially recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week, Thursday’s episode keyed in on safety issues, and featured Gerald Minor, Pittsville, Wis., Fire Chief; and Bob Biadasz and Lisa Grezenski, fund administrators for the Mike Biadasz Farm Safety and Educational Memorial Fund.
Bob Biadasz, Amherst, Wis., talked about how his son, Mike, died on August 15, 2016 when he was overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas that was being emitted when agitating manure in the open lagoon at his family’s cattle feeding operation.
Just short of the one-year anniversary of his passing, the Mike Biadasz Farm Safety and Education Memorial Fund presented a $40,000 check to the National Farm Medicine Center and Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach. The money is being used for a rebate program for farmers who rent portable gas monitors.
Gerald Minor specifically addressed silo gas emissions, urging folks to stay out of the silo as long as possible, at least three to four weeks following filling. He also encouraged producers to invite their local firemen out to the farm – this is a critical piece for any prevention-related safety issues on today’s farming operations.
Each live session offers attendees the opportunity to engage in open Q&A and interact with the speakers through www.slido.com and entering the code #myPDPW.
Our dairy industry and lives are changing daily and our need for accurate business information is vital. Content on The Dairy Signal will be updated as new information becomes available.
Here is a look at the upcoming presenters and topics:
Tuesday, September 29
Topic: The USDA’s Farm Service Agency began accepting round two applications last week for the second round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Learn the new details and how they may differ from the first round of this program. Episode presenter includes:
· Sandy Chalmers, State Executive Director for the Wisconsin FSA
Wednesday, September 30
Topic: It’s a busy time of year with fall harvest underway. Learn proper etiquette when sharing the road with farm equipment. Episode presenter includes:
· Cheryl Skjolaas, Extension Agricultural Safety Specialist with the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Thursday, October 1
Topic: Tune in for an analysis of agricultural markets, current trends and what to expect for the rest of this year and into 2021. Episode presenter includes:
· Dan Basse, Economist and President of AgResource Company
All Dairy Signal episodes are free and open to the public, accessible through www.pdpw.org. For more information, contact PDPW at 800-947-7379 or by emailing [email protected]. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the sessions by following @dairyPDPW and using #TheDairySignal on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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