The Dairy Center Connection.

Hi, [firstname|there]!

Will you be attending World Dairy Expo next week? If so, be sure to swing by our booth and say hello! Please note we have a slightly different booth location this year. We’ll be located on the Main Concourse of the Coliseum at booth 67tt.

See you there!

Mariah Busta
Coordinator, Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation


What's Happening at Iowa's Dairy Center

Iowa’s Dairy Center Hosts Successful Tri-State Ag & Dairy Expo

More than 450 FFA members from 32 Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin high schools participated in the annual Tri-State Ag & Dairy Expo held on Thursday, Sept. 16, at Iowa’s Dairy Center in Calmar. The expo featured dairy judging and dairy products contests where students enhanced their evaluation skills on dairy cattle and products. In addition to a competition for students, the expo offered seminars on agriculture topics which included a grain bin rescue demonstration by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety and presentations on beef cattle, dairy cattle and cover crops. Read more.

Ashley Hinson Visits Iowa’s Dairy Center

United States Representative Ashley Hinson took a tour of Iowa’s Dairy Center Thursday, Sept. 16. Rep. Hinson learned more about the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation, Northeast Iowa Community College and the impact of Iowa’s agriculture industry. This visit was coordinated in partnership with Midwest Dairy. View photos.

Registration Open for Fall A.I. Class

Nov. 16-18 | 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.

Register


Parlor Talk

Parlor Talk features bits of news from the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation and Iowa’s Dairy Center. The monthly column is written by Dave Lawstuen, NICC Agriculture Instructor and Chair of Iowa’s Dairy Center. 

  • Corn silage harvest is scheduled for Thursday and Friday of this week. We will be monitoring moisture, tonnage and digestibility differences between the BMR and conventional varieties planted. 
  • Second cutting of the BMR sorghum cocktail yielded 90 bales of the high-moisture mix. The third cutting regrowth also looks very promising. The cocktail will provide ground cover over the winter and then will have no-till corn silage planted in the spring.
  • Calving season is complete. All 12 of the Foundation’s beef cows have calved this fall. 
  • Daniel Olson of Forage Innovations spoke to farmers and college and high school students during the afternoon field day at Tri-State Ag & Dairy Expo. Daniel shared information about a corn silage, rye and BMR cocktail rotation to produce three crops in two years in a no-till system. One suggestion he had for Iowa’s Dairy Center was to consider triticale instead of winter rye to increase tonnage and digestibility of our forage.  
  • Dave Erf and Kevin Zieser of Zoetis for visited with the students and farm management staff to review the genomic tests results from the dairy cattle at Iowa’s Dairy Center. Dave and Kevin were able to identify the top 10% and 25% of our heifers to be bred to sexed semen for replacement heifers and the bottom 10% to be bred with beef semen or be removed from the herd.
  • NICC Dairy Science students Kaylee Gibbs of Waterville, Michael Hagen of Waukon, Caleb Brumm of Staceyville and Riley Reis of Cresco competed at the Vernon County Fair Collegiate Dairy Judging Contest in Viroqua, Wis. The team placed 10th and was coached by Blake Courtney.
  • NICC Dairy Science alum Michael Nettinga of Hull stopped by the Dairy Center with his wife, Kylie, last week. Kylie is the high school agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at Hull Western Christian High School and was in the area with her students competing at the Iowa FFA Dairy Judging Contest in West Union. Michael is Level 3 Farm Management Specialist with Lely, serving about 132 robots on 25 different farms.
  • Dawn Mausser, NICC Dairy Science alum, attended Tri-State Ag & Dairy Expo with her students last week. Dawn is the agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at Beckman Catholic High School in Dyersville. Dawn was also featured on The Big Show, which broadcasted live from the event.
  • NICC Dairy Science alum Josh Corcoran presented an educational session on dairy nutrition and cover crops at Tri-State Ag & Dairy Expo with Brodie Bushman, Dairy & Agriculture Foundation employee. Josh is employed at Nelson Dairy Consultants and serves on the NICC Dairy Science Advisory Committee.
  • Jeff Springer, member of the NICC Beef Science Advisory Committee, brought four heifers and a two-year-old bull to Tri-State Ag & Dairy Expo to speak to high school students about evaluation of live cattle.
  • Mike Adams, agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at Crestwood High School, was "sunk" and “rescued” in the grain bin rescue demonstration at Tri-State Ag & Dairy Expo. The demonstration was done by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety. Mike is also a member of the NICC Beef Science Advisory Committee.


NICC News

Agriculture Students Assist with Tri-State Ag & Dairy Expo

NICC agriculture students played an integral role at Tri-State Ag & Dairy Expo. The students prepared four classes for the dairy judging contest, which included breaking the cattle to lead, clipping and showing during the contest. Additionally, they assisted with the educational sessions and preparing the facilities for the event.

Employers Invited to the Agriculture Career Fair

Tuesday, Oct. 26 | 9-11 a.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

The agriculture faculty at NICC invite you to the annual Agriculture Career Fair. Students from the following majors will be in attendance: Ag Business, Ag Finance, Ag Production, Agronomy Beef Science and Dairy Science. Set up can begin at 8:15 a.m. Each employer will be provided a 2x4 table. There is no cost for employers to attend. Learn more.

Mark Your Calendars for Agriculture and Animal Sciences Program Preview

Friday, Nov. 5 | 10 a.m.-12:30 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.


Dairy Profile: John Finley

John Finley of Elkader serves on the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation’s Board of Directors. He is the District 3 Field Manager at Iowa Corn where he is responsible for covering 11 counties in Northeast Iowa. In addition to attending regular board meetings, John has been involved with several Foundation activities, including strategic planning sessions, Breakfast on the Farm, Annual Meeting and more.


Industry News

National Education Center for Agricultural Safety observes 2021 National Farm Safety and Health Week. Read more.

2020 Iowa Dairy Producer Survey Publication now available. Read more.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Field Agronomists share how producers are harvesting and handling recent storm damaged crops. Learn more.

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team will continue its quarterly dairy goat webinar focusing on “Navigating Drug Therapy for Dairy Goats”. Register.


Calendar of Events

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

Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation Board Meeting
Sept. 24 | 12 p.m. | Iowa's Dairy Center

Agriculture Career Fair
Oct. 26 | 9-11 a.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

Agriculture and Animal Science Program Preview
Nov. 5 | 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

Bovine Artificial Insemination Class
Nov. 16-18 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

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