Hi - I’m Nicole Head from Headline Farm in Madison County, NY. I am currently entered in a contest to sing with Rascal Flatts on www.milkrocks.com. I am the only video that truly does state that “milk rocks” and you’ll find me singing in the barn with all my milkmakers! If you could go on milkrocks.com and look for my video and vote, that would be greatly appreciated! Also, if you could spread the word around the dairy universe, that would be awesome! Thank you so much!

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25th Annual Young Producer Leadership Conference Hosted by Accelerated Genetics

Guest Bloggers: Kari Stanek, Communications & Public Relations Coordinator - Accelerated Genetics
Amber Elliott, Public Relations & Advertising Intern - Accelerated Genetics

This past weekend (March 29-30, 2008) Accelerated Genetics CELEBRATED by hosting it’s 25th Annual Young Producer Leadership Conference entitled ‘Cultivating Leaders’! Over 60 producers representing dairy and beef operations across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois ‘grew’ their leadership, communication and inter-generational relationship skills.

March 29, 2008:
The conference kicked off Saturday morning with Kari Stanek setting the parameters of the weekend and challenging the producers right away with a homework assignment of developing individual and business goals throughout the weekend. As goals provide direction and purpose and will ultimately help these producers to be more successful.

Jolene Brown otherwise known as ‘Farmer Brown’ of West Branch, Iowa helped producers find ‘humor’ in everyday life. Through her entertaining real-life stories, she shared how humor is essential to making life interesting and bearable especially during the challenges life throws at us.

Producers then had the opportunity to introduce themselves by sharing an item they brought with that shows the role they play on the farm or tells something about them personally. A tool of choice for many producers was the handy pocket knife or a wrench, but there was also breeding guns, syringes, and duct tape as some of the other favorites of the group.

Following lunch Jolene Brown took the group on a unique journey in her session titled ‘How to Lead When No One Wants to Follow’. She helped the group uncover what makes a good leader and why. Then shared the generational profiles, as many family farms have multiple generations involved, thus having a clear understanding of the ways each likes to work, how they communicate and even how they think will help foster better farm family relationships and in the end help the farm business succeed. She concluded her session sharing from her perspective ‘The Top Ten Stupid Things Families Do to Break Up Their Business’ This thought provoking section kept producers at the edge of their seats and brought out many more questions they will need to consider. Ultimately Jolene’s session helped producers laugh, celebrate and understand the value of leadership.

During the dinner Saturday evening, Roger Ripley, President and CEO of Accelerated Genetics shared some of the cooperative’s achievements, direction and some of the vision for the future, which encouraged the importance of listening to cooperative member input. Next Brian Brown, Chair of the Board of Directors for Accelerated Genetics talked of cooperative opportunities and how being involved off of the farm in agricultural organizations, like Accelerated Genetics, is important to the success of the farm business as you have the opportunity to network with others and learn how there are different ways to be successful.

Then Kari Stanek brought the group together to help CELEBRATE the 25th Young Producer Leadership Conference with a special program recognizing Roger Ripley for his dedication to cultivating leaders for agriculture and Accelerated Genetics. Roger helped to originally develop the Young Producer Program at Accelerated Genetics. Through gifts of gardening supplies as symbols representing how Roger ‘cultivated leaders’, Kari along with Brian Brown, Chair of the Board of Directors; Yogi Brown, past Young Producer Committee member; Janet Keller, Vice President of Advertising, Public Relations and Communications; Carol Anderson, Board of Director; John Pronschinske, Board of Director; Bruce Odeen, retired Vice President of Public Relations and Advertising; and Jolene Brown gave Roger a heartfelt dedication ceremony.

Jolene Brown presented Roger the a bag of fertilizer signifying some the special things such as P for Patience and K for Kindness that Roger has sprinkled into producers to encourage them to do more and help them grow as leaders.

The evening concluded with the Keepers and Questions session which gave producers the opportunity to share a keeper from the day (a quote, a thought or an idea they will take home) and to ask questions of Jolene Brown about her thought provoking day, Roger Ripley, Brian Brown and Janet Keller about Accelerated Genetics. Then producers had the opportunity to network with each other the rest of the night and celebrate time away together!

Samantha Miller of Lodi, Wis. shares her question and keeper.

Roger Ripley answers questions about the future of Accelerated Genetics as it is a bright one with future leaders like this group.

Much fun was had throughout the nights networking time and one couple, Randy & Ashley Thull of Keewauskum, Wis., even showed off their Polka dancing abilities to get the fun started!

March 30, 2008:
The morning came early for this group, and they raised their blood pressure up quickly with the first session ‘Make Every Conversation Count’ presented by Stacy Dohle an Industry Relations Manager for Midwest
Dairy Association of Pleasant Hope, Missouri. She started off by asking the group their thoughts on what are some of the big issues facing the dairy and beef industries today.

Next she introduced a surprise guest for a panel discussion that provoked the group into a frenzy. When it was all over the producers were able to re-evaluate how they should handle those difficult questions from consumers and news media.

Dan Schriener, Westby, Wis.; Virginia Hatfield, Viola, Wis.; Craig Fietzer, Manawa, Wis.; and special guest Wendy Pinkerton a.k.a. ‘Annie House’ discuss the tough issues.

This session continued with Stacy and Wendy sharing some recent data about what information and assurances consumers are demanding and needing from agricultural producers. And producers were then given tools and techniques to help them to step out, stand up and Speak Out about their farm business, the nutritious product they produce and why communication outreach is a necessary aspect of the business plan for dairy and beef operations these days. And finally producers got to practice their communication skills through mock situations that they as a producer could find themselves in.

Becky Simonson and Jeff Muellenberg of Norwalk, Wis. practice their communication skills as if they were talking to a group of 7th graders visiting their farm.

Next Tom Jadin, a mental health counselor and speaker from Shioton, Wisconsin, shared a humorous session called ‘Only the Strong Survive”. He raised the question to the producer group “Why do some people look enthused, dedicated and vigorous (and have successful farm businesses) as they take on new changes, challenges, and choices while others look frazzled and worn out?”

The conference ended with a graduation ceremony for producers and the comment “Leaders aren’t born - They invent themselves through effort - so its really up to you to become a leader!”

Many producers asked this weekend ‘Why’ Accelerated Genetics feels so strongly about cultivating leaders. Kari Stanek responded, “Accelerated Genetics wants to help producers be more successful in their farm business and since most farms are family owned fostering farm family relationships is key to business prosperity. We want producers to be strong leaders and promoters of agriculture as they are their own best advocates for the product they produce (milk, beef, etc). And they need to inform the consumer how they care for their animals and the environment. Furthermore, Accelerated Genetics is a cooperative, the attendees of this conference are cooperative members and we need strong, progressive leaders to help guide this cooperative in the future!”

For those interested in Accelerated Genetics Young Producer events, the upcoming activities include:

Summer Meltdown - June 7, 2008 at Larson Acres, Inc. in Evansville, Wis. Producers and their families will tour their calf barn, special needs barn, parlor, two four-row freestall barns, feed storage along with the highlight will be learning about their new innovative approach to nutrient management with their sand/manure separator and water filtration system. Then producers will enjoy a picnic lunch on the farm followed by a special Farm Safety Demonstration.

Fall Conference - November 1-2, 2008 in Wausau, Wis. This conference will feature numerous speakers and educational sessions pertaining to Recycling On-arm Plastic, Obtaining Farm Grants, Animal Health and Vaccination Programs, Commodity Marketing, and Media Training and Consumer Impressions. Saturday evening there will be a themed dinner along with a comedian and Sunday the conference will conclude with elections for the Young Producer Committee. This committee, made up of young producers from across the Midwest, is responsible for brainstorming and coordinating each of the Young Producer activities.

Winter Get-Away - January 31-February 1, 2009 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Bring the whole family for a weekend of fun, learning and networking at this Young Producer activity!

If you live in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois - the Accelerated Genetics cooperative membership areas - and are interested in attending future Young Producer events check out the Accelerated Genetics website www.accelgen.com or contact Kari Stanek 800.451.9275 ext. 222 or kstanek@accelgen.com.

This weekend marks the start of another Accelerated Genetics Young Producer program in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The 2008 Winter Get-Away is open to any producer-farm owners or herdspeople in the Accelerated Genetics member areas. This wild weekend get-away at the Kalahari Resort in the Dells is designed for young producers - individuals, couples and their families. It is a great way to get rid of the winter blahs, get off the farm to spend time enjoying life and learn something new. This is just one weekend of four Young Producer programs during the year. A leadership conference is scheduled for late March; the summer meltdown weekend for June and a fall conference in late autumn.

Combining a mixture of fun activities (Safari dress code, waterpark time, scavenger hunts, etc.) and informational seminars (such as farm safety, balancing work and family life, networking), it is an action-packed weekend.

Look for updates from the Accelerated staff as the action kicks off. And be sure to watch for photos from the Kalahari, as this will also serve as the official site of this June”””’’s National Holstein Convention!

HW: What’’s the biggest struggle you face as a young dairyman in today’’s industry?  Where do you see yourself five years from now? 
 
Saul Dorado Rodriguez: The greatest fight in Spain is the little support that occurs to our sector.  From raising young cattle to selling milk, we need a new milk pricing system that will stabilize the profitability of farmers and give confidence to those investing in our business.  The system of quotas, at this moment, is not safe and less and less people want to work with cows.
 
I hope that in the near future, things are solved and we receive more support from the government, since in the end, we are the producers of a food of first necessity for the world…milk. 
I hope to be able to continue working on the farm and to expand my herd a little.  Mainly, I hope to be able to continue improving the quality of the animals and consequently, raise the confidence that our clients have in our cattle.

HW: What bulls are you using and why?  Do you feel there are particular bloodlines from the U.S. that would work well in your herd?

Saul Dorado Rodriguez: In this moment, we are using: Roylane Jordan , STVBQ Rubens, Ocean-View Zenith, Erbacres Damion, Goldwyn , Mesland Duplex for breeding cows.  And for flushing, we are using Dolman, Lou, Baxter, Carisma and other modern sires.  The bloodlines of the USA that we like the most are the DURHAM lines. I think they are very consistent in type, udder, structures and have enough production.  In fact, we feel that Durham will probably have the most influence in the history of the breed!  We’re waiting to see which BW Marshall son will turn out the best, but will use them and Roy sons in the future.
 

Holstein World: Showing is a big part of your merchandising program. How does it help you to market your animals? Do you participate only in country shows or have you shown internationally as well? What other venues do you use to tell people about Mantano Holsteins?

Saul Dorado Rodriguez: We love to participate in as much local and national shows as we can because it is a good form to compare the work of selection who you make all the year. So far, we have only participated in local and national shows, but within the next year, probably some international shows too!

Showing helps very much in our sales since people can see the quality of our cattle and it presents an opportunity to us every time that we can visit with people who show and those who just visit the shows. They”re all members of the industry and they”re all potential customers when it comes to merchandising cattle and embryos. It’’s also a lot of fun to do something “recreational” with fellow breeders.

In a few days, we will start our new webpage in English, with our cow families, many photos and embryos on sale. This is a great way for us to reach a large number of Holstein breeders around the world who might be interested in doing business with us.

Holstein World: What part of Spain do you live in? Is it a highly concentrated farming area? Are there many other Registered breeders in that part of the country?

Saul Dorado Rodriguez: We live in Galicia in the north of Spain. In our province (Lugo), there are 2,500 farms that register and control their animals. In Galicia, there are 4,500 farms registered in the genealogical book…almost half of Spain! Our zone is the cattle zone for excellence in Spain! Galicia is the region of the country that is most rapidly improving (as far as genetics) in the last few years, and it’’s also the region where there’’s a great opportunity to increase the animal market.

This week, we are talking with Saul Dorado Rodriguez of Mantono Holsteins. Sit back, relax and enjoy your passport to Spain!

Holstein World: Tell us about your farm. Number of cows milked? Herd average? Family involved? Crops grown? Do you classify?

Saul Dorado Rodriguez: Our farm is Mantoño Holstein, a family farm operated by my father, my mother and I. At the moment, we have 45-50 cows milking and 50 calves and heifers and some bulls. It is “a young” farm since we began only 13 years ago to register. But we have improved much in the last years. Our average of production in 2006 was of 11,489 kg/cow (25,333lbs.) with an average of score of 85 points (one of the best in Spain). Seventy percent of the herd is scored VG or EX, with none lower than 82 points. We sell 4-5 bulls per year to insemination centers and are flushing our better cows constantly. We put much interest in the care of our cows to try to have fewer problems, resulting in longer-lasting cows. We were the first farm in our country to sell genetics to centers of insemination of Europe 3 years ago. We like show cows with deep pedigrees, and strive to breed these types of cows for the future! At the moment, we have members of some world-famous cow families in our herd, including GYPSY GRAND, LAURIE SHEIK, BLACKSTAR DAISY, HARDTAC GINA, BLACKTAR MIRAGE ….and others. Every year, we incorporate some new family to our herd in addition to those high-type, high-pedigree cows which we are working to breed ourselves.

Holstein World: You’re young and obviously committed to making a living in the dairy and purebred Holstein industry. What does the breed need to do to maintain its success and ensure the livelihood of fellow Holstein breeders?

Ryan Matheron: Registered cattle are definitely the backbone of our family operation. I feel they are what make those same old day-to-day tasks more enjoyable when you are working with good cows. I enjoy all aspects of the purebred industry whether it is the showing, high indexing cattle, or the deep proven cow families. I believe to maintain the high level of success this industry has experienced over the years, it is all in the hands of the breeders. I feel, as an industry if we maintain honesty and integrity then the registered Holstein cow will thrive for many years to come.

Holstein World: Cranehill Genetics was born from the purchase of a member from the Laurie Sheik Family. What attributes do you look for when deciding to add a new animal to the herd? What elements of the Cranehill marketing and merchandising program have proven the most effective?

Ryan Matheron: Cranehill Genetics was started six years ago with the purchase of a Maplewood Estimate daughter of the Laurie Sheiks. At the time I was attending college and was interested in purchasing this individual but being a college student with minimal income the $5500 price tag was a bit steep. I then approached two of my closest friends Emanuel and Joe who are also local dairymen about my interest and together we purchased Signature Estimate Lauris, thus the beginning of Cranehill Genetics.

Thus far Lauris’ progeny have done very well. We have sold offspring to three different states including Canada. There are six bulls that are currently being sampled and she is the dam of two VG-89 two yr. olds. To say the least we are extremely happy with our first purchase.

When selecting an animal to purchase we look for individuals that have extreme marketability. We look for well-proven cow families that have transmitted generation after generation. Advertising is key when merchandising cattle. You have to stay up to speed with this fast paced industry. We try to use the bulls that are in the most demand and even try to speculate on the ones that will be. We keep current pictures on milking females as well as getting photos on heifers that we will be consigning to sales. Pictures make it much easier for potential buyers to get a better idea of what the individual looks like.