NSDA Convention
The 2019 NSDA Annual Convention is this month!
February 26, 2019
Ramada Hotel and Conference Center
Columbus, NE
Schedule of Events
*Subject to change
8:30-4:30 Trade Show
8:30 Nebraska Dairy Review Board
9:30-10:30 Nutrition Panel: BMR Corn Silage, Dairy Quality Alfalfa, and Cover Crops
10:30-12:00 Nebraska Holstein Association Annual Meeting
12:00-1:00 Lunch, Dairy Checkoff Update featuring Lucas Lentsch, Midwest Dairy CEO and Lowell Mueller, Nebraska Dairy Farmer
Lowell, through his membership on the DMI's Export Committee and Oversight Committee with USDEC, participated in a trade mission to Japan and will be offering highlights.
1:15-2:45 NSDA Annual Meeting
2:45-3:15 Risk Management tools and the Farm Bill with Marin Bozic, University of Minnesota
3:15-4:15 Ice Cream Bar on Trade Show Floor
3:45-4:45 Farm Management Panel: Evaluations vs Audits, Improving Animal Care, Animal Transportation Update
4:30-5:30 Dairy Girl Network
5:15-6:30 Wine & Cheese Reception
6:30 Banquet
Awards
Dairy Production Awards
Dairy Trade and National Policy, Chris Galen, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF)
Dairy Princess Coronation
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7 benchmarks for the best bedding quality
 Originally appeared in Progressive Dairyman website January 21, 2019.
Promoting a surface on which cows want to lie down is about more than just comfort. The bedding material a dairy chooses plays a critical role in preventing mastitis, reducing injury, regulating temperature and fitting into the overall management system.
One measure of bedding quality is the concentration of environmental pathogens, which play a role in milk quality and are major causes of mastitis – clinical and subclinical. Environmental pathogen concentrations are impacted by the dry matter and pH of the bedding materials. As bedding dry matter increases, the concentration of environmental pathogens decreases, and as the pH of the bedding material increases, environmental pathogen concentrations increase. Click here to continue reading.
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With the Legislative session in full swing, the NSDA continues to work with The Agriculture Leaders Working Group, (ALWG) which includes member-elected leaders from the Nebraska Cattlemen, Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Pork Producers Association, Nebraska Soybean Association, Nebraska State Dairy Association, and Nebraska Wheat Growers.
One of the key issues continues to be the property tax issue, including the impact of school funding. The Nebraska Agriculture Leaders Working Group has announced its support for a bill introduced by Sen. Curt Friesen to fix major inequities in how Nebraska funds K-12 schools, while lowering property taxes for all Nebraskans. With numerous legislative proposals dealing with school funding and tax relief having been introduced, the agriculture leaders believe LB 497 is the best bill from which to start.
Other issues include:
LB 513: Change requirements for the issuance of certain school district bonds For school districts in which 75% or more of the tax base is classified as agricultural, requires 60% affirmative vote for bond elections. Retains 50% standard in all other school districts
LB227: Redefine terms and change determination of a public or private nuisance under the Nebraska Right to Farm Act Extends protections under the Nebraska Right to Farm Act for farms and public grain warehouse operations when the operation, after having been in existence for more than one year, changes from one type of farm to another, changes in ownership or size, adopts new technology, or utilizes reasonable techniques to mitigate dust, noise, insects, and odors and otherwise complies with applicable zoning regulations.
LB333: Update federal references and redefine a term under the Nebraska Milk Act Adopts the FDA required updates of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and other national standards for milk safety and sanitation.
LB184: Adopt the Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act Provides uniform set of procedures, rates, fees, and permitting conditions for deployment of small cell wireless facilities and infrastructure throughout the State.
And then, Legislative Resolution 13, introduced by Senator Dave Murman, , to Urge federal agencies of the U.S. Government responsible for food labeling to establish and enforce standards for nomenclature of plant-based imitation milk and dairy food products Proposes a resolution that urges appropriate federal agencies to establish and enforce clear identity standards for milk and dairy products and encourages the FDA to exclusively reserve the terms milk, yogurt, butter, ice cream, and cheese for products derived from real dairy origin.
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2019 Nebraska Dairy Ambassadors are Selected
Six new Dairy Ambassadors were selected to represent Nebraska's Dairy Industry - Dawn Klabenes, Jessilyn Sayers, Marissa Kegley, Hannah Lowe, Erin Muntz, and Liz Ruskamp.
Two Ambassadors, Dawn Klabenes and Jessilyn Sayers, are third year Ambassadors and will serve as leaders and mentors for the four first-year Ambassadors.
Dawn Klabenes is a junior Animal Science major with a minor in Ag Communications from Chambers, Nebraska. She is a third year Dairy Ambassador and also a Dairy Extension Intern. Dawn hopes to advance her communications skills and become a better advocate for dairy.
Jessilyn "Jessi" Sayers is a junior Animal Science major from Clarkson, Nebraska. she grew up on a small dairy farm and is a third-year Dairy Ambassador. For the past three years, Jessi has worked at the UNL Dairy Research facilities on campus. She hopes to serve as a mentor for the first year Ambassadors and create new ways to improve the program while staying connected in the dairy industry.
Marissa Kegley is a junior Animal Science major from Kearney, Nebraska where she grew up on her family farm. She has been involved in dairy judging for both 4-H and FFA. Marissa hopes to become a better advocate for the dairy industry and further develop her leadership skills. She is using this opportunity to learn more about the dairy industry to better serve her clientele as a veterinarian.
Hannah Lowe is a Sophomore Animal Science major from Murray, Nebraska. She is actively involve in a number of activities on campus including Block and Bridle, Ag Education Club and the NPPA Pork Mentorship Program. Hannah hopes to become a better advocate for dairy and communicate with consumers about agriculture.
Erin Muntz is a sophomore Animal Science major from Louisville, Nebraska where she grew up on her family's dairy farm. Erin hopes to promote the dairy industry and give a voice to farmers and producers. She wants to encourage the public to learn more about the great aspects of the dairy industry.
Liz Ruskamp is a junior Animal Science major from North Bend, Nebraska. She grew up on a small alfalfa and wheat and cow-calf pair farm. Liz is hoping to expand her knowledge of the dairy industry to promote the dairy industry to consumers.
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