By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH

Indiana Correspondent

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Dairy producers will have two opportunities to get updates on their industry during conferences planned for next month in Fort Wayne.

The Indiana Milk Quality Conference is April 7-8. The event, organized by Indiana Milk Quality Professionals, Inc. (IMQP), is in Don Hall’s Guesthouse on the city’s north side. IMQP has hosted a conference since 1999.

The 24th annual Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference is April 20-22 at the Grand Wayne Center downtown. The convention is sponsored by Michigan State University, The Ohio State University and Purdue University.

Milk conference

The sessions are open to those in the dairy industry, such as producers, processors, equipment manufacturers and regulatory personnel and anyone with an interest.

“With the combination of industry field staff, regulatory, extension and milk promotion folks, it’s a great opportunity for those groups to all come together,” said Andy Gall, IMQP president. “It’s a good time for networking.”

While the conference focuses on milk quality, this year’s agenda includes topics on cow comfort. “People may wonder how a presentation on housing for cows is related to quality,” Gall noted. “In the last 15 years or so, we’ve heard the term ‘cow comfort’ more than we used to. It’s taken the industry to the next level of production. It all comes back to that comfort.”

Morning presentations April 7 will include panel discussions on laboratory testing and crisis management. Ted McKinney, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, will speak at 11:30 a.m. Afternoon sessions include a discussion on achieving milk quality at farms of various sizes.

“The idea is that as much as it’s all different, it’s still all the same,” Gall explained. “A smaller operation may be doing a lot of hands-on work; they may not be automated. For example, a smaller operation might be cleaning the tank by hand, while a larger operation may have an automated washing system. But the end result – milk quality – is still the same.”

Day two of the conference includes presentations on equipment testing, global opportunities for Indiana dairy products and consumer demand for dairy. The evening before the start of the conference, a local dairy operation – Kuehnert Dairy Farm – will host a farm tour and picnic (weather permitting).

The cost of the conference is $100. While there isn’t a registration deadline, organizers would appreciate knowing the number of attendees as early as possible. Registrations will also be taken at the door. Visit www.imqpinc.com for a registration form.

For more information, contact Robin Fuhrman, IMQP secretary/treasurer, at dairydolly@aol.com or 260-483-6436, ext. 3327.

Nutrition conference

Organizers of the dairy nutrition conference are mindful some attendees are veterans of the event while others are not, said Maurice Eastridge, a professor of animal sciences at Ohio State.

“We want to provide a variety of topics for those who are new and for those who have come for the last 10 to 15 years,” he explained. “We’re trying to provide that variety for those just coming into the feed industry and for those who have been around for a while.”

As an example of that variety, Eastridge cited a session about labor management on dairy farms scheduled for early afternoon on April 21. Other topics that day include bovine growth hormones, herd management decisions, feeding post-weaned dairy heifers and trace minerals in the diets of dairy cows.

Forages will be the focus of several presentations on the morning of April 22. “In this area (of the country), average rainfall may be good but there are years that we experience drought,” Eastridge noted. “We’re going to look at how drought can impact yield and quality.”

The conference is geared toward feed industry personnel, nutrition consultants, extension personnel, veterinarians, dairy producers and anyone interested in the industry. Last year, more than 500 people attended.

While milk prices and consumption won’t specifically be addressed during the conference, Eastridge said both are on the minds of those in the dairy industry.

“With all of the things we talk about (during the conference) related to efficiency and profit, milk prices are important,” he stated. “There is concern about milk prices slipping. Feed prices have softened and that has helped somewhat.”

Consumption of fluid milk has declined in recent years but the industry has been bolstered by increases in such dairy products as cheese and yogurt, he said. “In the past, our big battle (in milk consumption) was with pop,” he said. “Now, consumption of pop has dropped and people are drinking more water. Our playing field has changed over the years.”

The cost of the conference is $175 for registrations before April 3 and $205 after. Registrations will be accepted at the door. For more information and to register, visit www.tristatedairy.osu.edu

For questions, contact Eastridge at 614-688-3059.