Hi, there!

After today’s weather, it’s “snow” joke that I’m ready for spring! We have exciting things happening at Iowa’s Dairy Center that you won’t want to miss. The Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation’s Annual Meeting will be held at the end of March and feature a great lineup of speakers discussing environmental stewardship. Additionally, we’ll be hosting nearly 1,100 students from 23 Northeast Iowa schools for the Iowa’s Dairy Story program. And, of course, it’s never to early to be thinking about the annual Breakfast on the Farm scheduled for Saturday, June 25.

What are you looking forward to most?

Mariah Busta
Coordinator, Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation

What's Happening at Iowa's Dairy Center

Annual Meeting to Focus on Environmental Stewardship

Thursday, Mar. 24 | 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

Join the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation for the 2022 Annual Meeting. Bill Northey, principal at WHNorthey, LLC., and former USDA Under Secretary of Farm Production and Conservation and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, will discuss the future of conservation and sustainability. Additionally, Adam Kramer, co-founder of Black Sand Granary, will share information on sustaining, enhancing and innovating through stewardship. Finally, Erin Cortus, Associate Professor and Extension Engineer at the University of Minnesota, will share her insights on the science and communication aspects of sustainable dairy production. The annual meeting will begin at 1 p.m. and will feature the business meeting and election of board members.

All interested in the Dairy & Agriculture Foundation and the event’s speakers are encouraged to attend. There is no cost to attend and lunch is provided. The event is made possible by generous support from community sponsors. Learn more.

Iowa’s Dairy Museum Project to Honor Craig Morrison

Craig Morrison, age 101, of Cresco, passed away on December 19, 2021. Craig, a well-known leader in Iowa’s dairy industry, was a long-time supporter of the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation and Iowa's Dairy Center. For many years, Craig was an active member of the Tri-State Dairy Expo Committee, serving 30 years as the secretary before retiring in 2016.

In Craig’s honor, a project has been started to update Iowa’s Dairy Museum, which is located at Iowa’s Dairy Center. New interpretive signage will be developed using standoff acrylic signage to replace the aging photo boards currently found in the museum. This will enhance the visitor experience significantly by sharing stories of Iowa’s rich dairy history.

Those interested in supporting the project in memory of Craig Morrison are encouraged to contact us.

Registration Open for Spring and Summer A.I. Classes

Mar. 15-17, June 28-30 | 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.

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. 

• The Jersey herd at Iowa’s Dairy Center was recently recognized by the American Jersey Association nationally for ranking at 103% of the breed for pounds of butterfat at 1,023 lbs./cow.
• The Holstein Herd was classified earlier this month, which resulted in a breed age average (BAA) of 102.2 with five new cows scoring Very Good. We have seen an improvement in our five year BAA trend. 
• Combined, the robot Holstein and Jersey herds are averaging 4.7% butterfat and 3.3% protein, with a 128,000 SCC, SPC of 2 and MUN of 10.4.
• On the January DHI test, the combined data of both the parlor and robot herds shows 6.1 lbs. of CFP daily with an SCC of 131,000.
• The Spring semester began Monday, Jan. 10. We welcomed seven new Dairy Science and Beef Science students to our programs.
• Dairy and Beef Science students recently pregnancy checked the beef herd via ultrasound with Dr. Pat Boe. The herd was bred late last year by the Beef Science students. 10 of the 14 cows and heifers were confirmed pregnant and will be sexed later this semester during the lab.
• Dairy and Beef Science students earned certification in Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) or Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance (DACQA).
• Where are they now? NICC Dairy Science alum Makaila Klejeski is a Research Professional 4 Calf Manager at the University of Minnesota Southern Agricultural Research and Outreach Center in Waseca, Minn. 

NICC News

Students Compete at PAS

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) agriculture students recently competed in the Iowa Professional Agricultural Student (PAS) contests held in Ames earlier this month. Four dairy and beef science teams qualified to compete at the National PAS Conference in Minneapolis in March.

NICC Board of Trustees Announces New President, Dr. Herbert Riedel

The Northeast Iowa Community College Board of Trustees, at a meeting this morning, Thursday, Feb. 10, announced Dr. Herbert Riedel as the College’s next president.

Dr. Herbert Riedel served as president of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in Andalusia, Ala., where he introduced program offerings in advanced manufacturing, healthcare and short-term skills training, as well as an honor's program and the College's first student housing complex. Previously, Riedel served as vice president for instruction and student development for Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. Read more.

Attend Agriculture and Animal Sciences Program Preview This Friday

Friday, Feb. 25 | 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.

Dairy Profile: Scott Stempfle

Industry News

Deadline extended to enroll in 2022 Dairy Margin Coverage and Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage. Read more.

DNR to host hunting, trapping season review sessions, including a meeting location at Iowa’s Dairy Center on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Read more.

I-29 Moo University webinar presents selected dry cow treatment options on Mar. 3. Learn more.

Iowa State Dairy Extension Team to host 2022 dairy goat webinars. Learn more.  

Iowa State Dairy Association will be awarding 14 college scholarships of $500 each for the 2022 fall semester. Learn more.

Midwest Dairy is offering scholarships to students who are from dairy farms or are studying in dairy-related majors. Learn more.

Available to Midwest Dairy farmers, dairy groups and agricultural organizations, Undeniably Dairy Grants help turn great ideas for promoting the dairy community to consumers into reality. Learn more.

Calendar of Events

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

Agriculture and Animal Science Program Preview
Feb. 25 | 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation Board Meeting
Feb. 25 | 12 p.m. | Iowa's Dairy Center

Bovine Artificial Insemination Class
Mar. 15-17 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation Annual Meeting
Mar. 24 | 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

Bovine Artificial Insemination Class
June 28-30 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Iowa’s Dairy Center

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