Hi, MariahBusta!

It’s National Farm Safety and Health Week and it couldn’t come at a better time as farmers begin fall harvest. 2018 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the agricultural sector is still the most dangerous in America with 574 fatalities, or an equivalent of 23.4 deaths per 100,000 workers. Fall harvest time can be one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year for the agriculture industry. This is a great week to slow down and reflect on ways you can improve safety on your operation.

Did you know that the National Education Center for Agriculture Safety (NECAS) is located on the NICC Peosta campus? NECAS is the only organization with a hands-on farm equipment safety training center. As the leaders of National Farm Safety and Health Week, NECAS is hosting a week-long series of webinars on safety related topics including emergency planning, respiratory protection, addressing workplace sexual harassment and more. I encourage you to check it out; it could save your life. Read more.

Stay safe,

Mariah Busta
Coordinator, Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation

What's Happening at Iowa's Dairy Center

Tri-State Dairy Expo Goes Virtual

The Tri-State Dairy Expo committee is proud to bring high school agriculture students a virtual form of Tri-State Dairy Expo. Iowa State and NICC Dairy Science students worked together to provide dairy cattle judging resources, including virtual trainings and example cow classes. Stephanie Clark, Ph.D., Professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State, provided virtual instruction for dairy foods judging. These resources will help students learn more about dairy cattle and dairy foods judging and prepare them for future contests. Learn more.

Brodie Bushman Joins Farm Management Staff

The Northeast Iowa Dairy and Agriculture Foundation is pleased to welcome Brodie Bushman to the Farm Management staff at Iowa’s Dairy Center. Brodie will be managing the feeding and nutrition of the dairy and beef herds. He has diverse experience caring for both dairy and beef cattle as well as teaching while his family was in Texas. Brodie, along his wife, Kara, and their family, reside near Castalia. His first day was on Sept. 15. Welcome, Brodie!

Iowa’s Dairy Center Featured in Northeast Iowa Farm Crawl

Learn how local farmers grow your food and manage their farms on this self-guided tour. You might even find fun kids' activities and local foods to buy and cook up for dinner! Explore Iowa’s Dairy Center and other stops at your own pace at the Northeast Iowa Farm Crawl. Learn more.

Artificial Insemination Class Scheduled for November

Nov.17-19 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

This is a three-day hands-on class for those who wish to artificially inseminate their own cattle or gain experience to work for others. The class will cover all aspects of bovine reproduction, from anatomy and hormones to heat detection. Students have actual insemination practice on cattle at Iowa's Dairy Center. The minimum age requirement for this class is 16. The class is taught by Select Sires.

NICC News

Make Plans to Attend Agriculture and Animal Sciences Program Preview

Friday, Nov. 6 | 10 a.m.-12:15 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

This program preview day is designed for students interested in programs in Agriculture and Animal Science fields at NICC. Faculty are proud to showcase our College, Iowa's Dairy Center with state of the art necropsy lab and expand your understanding of the programs, career opportunities and earning potential in each career field. The program preview option is similar to a regular visit day with the addition of being customized to provide in-depth information on a specific area of study. Learn more.

NICC Joins Ag Alliance

A virtual agreement was signed by representatives of NICC and other higher education members of the Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement (C2A3) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) on Sept. 21. NRCS and its state agencies are partnering with member institutions of the alliance to support hands-on student learning in the field, to develop future conservation-minded farmers and ranchers and to cultivate more graduates interested in pursuing careers with NRCS. Learn more.

Getting Creative with Drones

At NICC, drones are used for more than just agriculture purposes. Agriculture Business student Madi Blake created a promotional video highlighting NICC’s agriculture programs and the farm’s dairy and beef facilities. Learn more about the Agriculture Business program at NICC.

Dairy Profile: Dick Horne

Dick Horne of Spillville was recently inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame. Some of his most notable accomplishments come from his long-time career in Extension where he could be found visiting family farms and working with farmers during the difficult transitional years of the 1980’s. For the past 30 years, Dick is a familiar face in the show ring, leading the Pee Wee Dairy Show at the Winneshiek County Fair. Dick also played a key role in the development of the Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation, known today as the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation. Congratulations, Dick! Read more.

Industry News

USDA to provide additional direct assistance to farmers and ranchers impacted by the Coronavirus. Read more.

In the latest podcast, Larry Tranel discusses labor efficiency; in terms of milking system efficiency, labor efficiency benchmarks, mindset tactics, and other labor efficiency issues on the farm. Listen. 

19-year-old Jersey is longest living cow at Golden Dreams Jerseys. Read more.

Country View Dairy among recipients of 2020 grants from Dairy Business Innovation Alliance. Read more.

Calendar of Events

Visit our website to see all upcoming events and continuing education courses.

Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation Board Meeting
Sept. 25 | 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. | Iowa's Dairy Center

Bovine Artificial Insemination Class
Nov. 17-19 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation 
1527 Hwy. 150 S., Calmar, Iowa
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