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FOUNDATION NEWS & EVENTS]
Dairy
Center Connection Newsletter [Vol.
10, No. 3, Summer 2008]
Dale
Thoreson of Iowa State University Extension inspects the
corn planted for silage.
Calmar,
Iowa - The young plants in Iowa’s only corn
silage test plot are growing on high ground, and they promise
to share much needed information with dairy producers later
this summer.
The
Dairy Foundation is working with Iowa State University Extension
and NICC on the project.
Twelve of the more popular locally grown corn hybrids were
planted including an organic selection, representing four
major seed companies.
The
plot is located on rented land about five miles from the
Dairy Center. The location was chosen for it’s uniform
soil quality and cropping history, and because it has good
public access.
“We
want to compare the more popular hybrids of corn silage
grown in Northeast Iowa in a setting where they are all
replicated under uniform conditions,” said Dale Thoreson
of Iowa State University Extension. “We hope to help
farmers sort through the hybrids that really stand out or
fall below in a way where we can really trust the data.”
The hybrids were all planted the same day in the same field,
and it will all be harvested in the same manner.
There
will be several comparisons made during the project. A stand
count has been done to determine germination and seedling
vigor, a set of data will be collected at pollination time,
and when a segment of each plot is harvested they will do
an analysis of nutritional content including dry matter,
protein and neutral detergent fiber digestibility.
A field
day will hopefully be set for August, and the field data
should be available in late August or early September. Final
result should be available by early November. A research
report will be compiled using statistical analysis to determine
true differences, and all information will be shared at
the Foundation’s annual meeting in March.
Watch
www.iowadairycenter.com later this summer to find out when
the field day date is set.
An increased amount of corn being planted for silage could
play a role in soil conservation. If no-till winter rye
is planted after the silage is harvested, the land is protected
from winter wind and water erosion. The rye, harvested in
mid to late May, is a medium-quality protein forage which
makes ideal feed for heifers. The practice of planting winter
rye after harvesting corn for silage is very popular in
some areas, and there is little doubt soil and farmers in
Northeast Iowa could benefit from the practice.
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BOYLEN
NAMED DIRECTOR OF NORTHEAST IOWA COMMUNITY BASED DAIRY FOUNDATION
As
of March 25, Kelli Boylen is the new director of the Northeast
Iowa Community Based Dairy Foundation.
Boylen has spent
the last three and a half years working for the Dairy Star
Newspaper as a writer, photographer, columnist and ad rep,
covering the 14 most northeastern counties of Iowa. Prior
to that she spent seven years as editor of the Courier Press
Newspaper in Prairie du Chien, WI.
Growing up on a
small family dairy in Southern Wisconsin, her background
includes FFA, 4-H and serving as county dairy royalty.
She graduated from
the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in December of 1993,
with a degree in communication, public relations and journalism.
She has lived with
her husband and their two children in Northeast Iowa for
10 years.
About eight years
ago, the Northeast Iowa Community Based Dairy Foundation,
a grassroots organization, partnered with Iowa State University
and Northeast Iowa Community college to develop a strategic
plan for the region’s success. The result of the partnership
is the Dairy Center, located just south of Calmar on Highway
150. It is a $4.2 million facility for dairy education,
applied research, advocacy and demonstrations, which benefit
all of Northeast Iowa by improving the quality of life for
dairy farmers. It opened in 2000.
The Dairy Center
includes a 16,000 square foot education center, a milking
herd of about 200 cows, a milking parlor with a herringbone
system on one side and a parallel system on the other, a
free stall barn with a scraper system and pits with slats,
a new calf barn, a special needs barn with veterinary and
lab facilities and 245 acres for forage and pasture research.
The Grazing Center
portion of the Dairy Center opened in 2005. It features
a low-cost parlor constructed in the old tie-stall barn,
demonstrates rotational grazing, pasture and forage management
and herd management. There are about 80 cows there.
These two dairy
operations contribute more than $1.35 million annually to
the area economy.
It is believed NICC is the only campus in the nation to
offer these two different types of milking setups for students
to learn from.
“I am trilled
to be part of an organization which is dedicated to the
future of the dairy industry in Northeast Iowa,” she
says. “What the foundation has accomplished thus far
is extremely impressive and I look forward to what we will
do in the future.”
Some of her duties
will include public relations and fundraising.
Foundation President
Jed Becker said, “We are very fortunate to have someone
of her knowledge and talent to be part of our team. “
Northeast Iowa Community
Based Dairy Foundation projects for which funds are currently
being gathered include the Beginning Farmer Project, the
Dry Cow Research Barn, Operation Cattle Drive II and the
Iowa Dairy Story and Museum. The Dairy Foundation serves
17 counties of Northeast Iowa.
Visit www.iowadairycenter.com
for more information or call (563) 534-9957.
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HANSON HIRED TO MANAGE GRAZING CENTER
Calmar, Iowa - The Northeast
Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation is pleased to announce
Brian Hanson as the newly hired Grazing Center Manager.
Hanson joined the
Dairy Foundation staff on September 17, 2007. Raised on
a northeast Iowa dairy farm between Ossian and Decorah,
Hanson took his dairy interest on to Iowa State University
and graduated with a dairy science degree in 1990. He went
on to work in dairy nutrition and then genetics as a salesman
for Accelerated Genetics for more than eight years. He resides
near Decorah with his wife Rachel and three sons. They are
active members of the Winneshiek County Dairy Promotions
Council and coordinate the annual Youth Classic Dairy Show.
No doubt, Hanson’s
previous experience allows him to fit easily into the management
role at the Grazing Center. “My number one goal,”
he said, “is reproduction efficiency and improvement.”
He is also striving for maximized production of the herd
and proper functioning of the compost barn. His duties include
not only managing the 65-cow herd, eighty acres of rotationally
grazed pasture and compost-style bedded pack barn, but also
working along side and overseeing eight student employees
from the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC).
“Being able
to manage a herd of cows with links to research, working
with students and helping them learn are the best parts
of the job,” Hanson said.
“We’re
very pleased to have Brian on board at the Dairy Foundation,”
said Dave Lawstuen, chair of the Dairy Foundation’s
Farm Operations Committee. “The management and interpersonal
skills he brings are exceptional, complimented by the fact
that both Brian and his wife are Iowa State graduates and
come from families who are a lifelong part of our local
agriculture community,” he added.
The Northeast Iowa
Dairy Foundation is a grassroots, community-based initiative
that was founded in 1999 by visionaries including local
dairy producers and business people who identified a need
to ensure the prosperity of the dairy industry in northeast
Iowa. In partnership with the Northeast Iowa Community College
and Iowa State University, the Dairy Center was built as
an educational center for future and existing dairy producers
and the general public. Visit www.iowadairycenter.com for
more information or call (563) 534-9957.
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