14 CapitalPress.com
August 25, 2017
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Greener
Pastures
Doug Warnock
Dairy/Livestock
Idaho dairy industry elevates worker safety, training
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
Feeding
low-quality
forages to
beef cattle
By DOUG WARNOCK
For the Capital Press
“B
eef cattle are able
to survive and even
thrive on low-quali-
ty feeds,” says Don Llewellyn,
Washington State University’s
Regional Extension Livestock
Specialist located in Kennewick,
Wash. “As ruminants, they have
the ability to digest fibrous materi-
al and get useful nutritional value
from it.”
Llewellyn discussed this topic
at the Northwest Grazing Confer-
ence in Pendleton, Ore., recently.
He is the author of EM053E, one
of a series of WSU Extension
publications on feeding beef cat-
tle. It is well documented that feed
is the largest production cost in
beef cattle operations and ways in
which producers can reduce feed
costs will help improve profit.
Low-quality forages are generally
available at much lower cost than
hay, grain and typical forages and
their use can help lower feeding
costs.
The important part about feed-
ing crop residues, crop aftermath
and off-quality hay and other
lower quality forages is to know
the nutritional value of the feed
being used. Then, ensure that any
nutritional shortages in that feed
are addressed so that desired lev-
els of animal performance can be
supported.
Determining the feeding value
of a forage is best accomplished
through forage analysis and can
be done by a forage testing labo-
ratory. When testing forage, it is
essential to obtain representative
forage samples from the proposed
feed and to have the samples test-
ed at a laboratory certified by the
National Forage Testing Asso-
ciation. Using an NFTA lab will
ensure an accurate test is made
utilizing recognized testing pro-
cedures.
There can be a significant dif-
ference in feed quality depending
on the timing of the harvest and
condition of the forage, so the
samples taken need to be repre-
sentative of the particular lot of
forage. It is recommended that a
minimum of 20 core samples per
lot be collected from as many ar-
eas of the stack as possible. Sam-
ples should be placed in a plastic
bag and delivered to the labora-
tory as soon as is practical. Core
sampling tools are often available
at extension offices. Extension ed-
ucators can provide information
on sampling forage and contact-
ing testing laboratories. Standing
forage can be sampled and tested
as well. The suggested procedure
is to take at least 20 clippings per
pasture, collected in a grid pattern.
Protein is commonly the first
limiting nutrient. A general rule is
to provide supplemental protein
when the crude protein content of
the forage to be used is less than
7 percent. There are a number of
protein-rich feeds that can be used
as supplements. Alfalfa hay, corn
distillers grains, canola, soybean
and cottonseed meal are just a few
of the feeds used to bolster the
protein of ruminants’ diets.
The important thing is to de-
termine the amount of protein,
energy and other nutrients needed
to support the expected level of
production. This will vary accord-
ing to the age, size, condition and
production targets of the specific
animals. An excellent resource on
nutritive requirements is Nutri-
tive Requirements of Beef Cattle,
a publication from the National
Research Council, which can be
ordered online.
Low-quality forages can be a
significant source of nutrition, if
managed effectively. Successful
use of these forages depends on
determining the nutrient value of
the feed and filling any nutrient
deficiencies that may exist. More
detailed information may be
found in Llewellyn’s publication.
Doug Warnock, retired from
Washington State University
Extension, lives on a ranch in the
Touchet River Valley where he
consults and writes on grazing
management. He can be contact-
ed at dwarnockgreenerpastures@
gmail.com.
SUN VALLEY, Idaho —
Training a largely inexperi-
enced, non-English-speaking
workforce on Idaho’s dairies
for the ultimate goal of work-
er safety has become a prior-
ity for both dairymen and the
processors they supply.
“Unfortunately, it took a
fatality on a dairy to bring it
to the table,” Rick Naerebout,
director of operations for the
Idaho Dairymen’s Associa-
tion, said during the Idaho
Milk Processors Association
annual conference last week.
That tragedy occurred in
February 2016, when work-
er Ruperto Vazquez-Carrera,
37, drowned in a waste pond
after mistakenly driving a
feed truck into it in pre-dawn
hours under flooded condi-
tions.
IDA quickly responded
to prevent future tragedies
by engaging with experts
in worker safety and train-
ing to figure out “how to get
our arms around” the issue
of comprehensive training,
Naerabout said.
“We realized we have an
opportunity to do more than
check a box on safety” and be
proactive instead of reactive,
he said.
The worker training and
safety program has been in
development for more than
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press
David Douphrate, assistant professor of epidemiology, human genetics and environmental scienc-
es at the University of Texas, answers questions during a panel on a new worker training program
for Idaho’s dairy industry during the Idaho Milk Processors Association annual conference. Robert
Hagevoort, extension dairy specialist at New Mexico State University, looks on.
a year, and IDA has hired a
full-time worker training and
safety specialist to lead it. The
program rolled out this week,
starting at dairies owned by
IDA board members.
Processors are collabo-
rating in the program and
sharing in the cost, said Da-
ragh Maccabee, senior vice
president of procurement and
dairy economics for Glanbia
Nutritionals.
Processors met with IDA
in April 2016 to discuss a
path forward, wanting to par-
ticipate in a meaningful way,
he said.
While there are already
good practices in place, the
event — which drew the at-
tention of OSHA, the United
Farm Workers of America
and the media — highlight-
ed a need for more structure.
The primary objective of the
program is to provide a safe
work environment, he said.
“People safety is our No.1
priority,” and Glanbia wants
to support the producer com-
munity in a real way, he said.
“As an industry, we need
to be able to show to the
world we are responsible,”
he said.
IDA contracted with
worker safety and training
experts — David Douphrate,
assistant professor of epi-
demiology, human genetics
and environmental sciences
at the University of Texas,
and Robert Hagevoort, ex-
tension dairy specialist at
New Mexico State Universi-
ty — to develop a program.
Hagevoort said the U.S.
dairy industry is experi-
encing growing pains, with
the number of operations
decreasing and herd size
increasing, driven by econ-
omies of scale. It is also
Dairy research facility efforts make headway
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
SUN VALLEY, Idaho
— The effort to establish a
world-class, dairy-centric re-
search center in south-central
Idaho to focus on sustainabil-
ity from farm to fork is gain-
ing ground.
With its sights set on the
Magic Valley, the Universi-
ty of Idaho has completed a
feasibility study and secured
two-thirds of the $45 million
needed to make the Center
for Agriculture, Food and the
Environment a reality.
Efforts are “moving for-
ward quite rapidly,” Michael
Parrella, dean of UI College
of Agricultural and Life Sci-
ences, said during the recent
Idaho Milk Processors Asso-
ciation annual conference.
“This is still at an ear-
ly stage, but I do expect to
make significant advances
on all fronts in the next few
months,” he said.
CAFÉ will be a trans-
formational facility, for the
university and partnering
institutions, the dairy and
food processing industries,
the surrounding communi-
ties and Idaho citizens. It will
support the sustainability of
key agricultural industries
that are vital to the expanding
economy of the state, he said.
It will also have a huge
educational and training
component that will expand
opportunities for students,
workers and food processors.
It is beyond anything the uni-
versity or the state itself has
ever done, he said.
“We’re taking this very
seriously,” he said.
The state Legislature has
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press
Michael Parrella, dean of the University of Idaho College of
Agricultural and Life Sciences, gives an update on a planned
state-of-the-art research facility focused on sustainable animal
agriculture during the Idaho Milk Processors Association annual
conference in Sun Valley.
approved $15 million for the
planned 2,000-cow, 1,000-
acre facility. The university
has committed $15 million
and is seeking funding from
partners for the remaining
$15 million.
“We need to do this. We
need to do it together,” he
told members of the dairy in-
dustry.
“It will require unprece-
dented collaboration across
the university, Legislature,
stakeholders and community
partners, and we are working
on all fronts to make this a
truly transformational facili-
ty,” he said.
Research done at the fa-
cility will be unique to dairy
operations in Idaho, both in
size and scope, taking in the
environmental and econom-
ic constraints. Research in-
forms rules and regulations
— as well as lawsuits, such
as the ones brought against
dairies in Yakima, Wash. Re-
search on sustainability done
elsewhere can’t be applied to
Idaho operations, he said.
“We really are producing
milk in the desert,” he said.
Research at the facility
will focus on water use — its
efficiency, discharge, move-
ment and recycling — as
well as nutrient management
plans, water-treatment sys-
tems, anaerobic digesters and
robotic milking systems. It
will be realistic studies that
directly apply to Idaho oper-
ations, he said.
There are real concerns
here about the dairy industry
in general, presenting chal-
lenges from a public percep-
tion perspective. This facility
is going to help, giving the
public a view into the com-
plete world of dairy, from
farm to fork. It will show
that dairy can be sustainable,
healthy, authentic, clean,
clear and local, he said.
The feasibility study de-
termined that building the fa-
cility from scratch would be
more viable than retrofitting
an existing dairy, and the new
facility is to be near Twin
Falls in a strong partnership
with the College of Southern
Idaho.
“My hope is we’re start-
ing to zero in on where that’s
going to be,” Parrella said.
Following his presenta-
tion, Parrella told Capital
Press the university is aware
of local concerns that have
already been voiced about
the facility.
“We have to be able to
address those issues, and we
expect more pushback,” he
said.
But the facility is going
to address exactly the is-
sues people complain about
and accelerate the research
on sustainability the uni-
versity is already doing, he
said.
The benefits of the facili-
ty are much broader than the
dairy industry. It will ben-
efit southern Idaho as well
through its economic impact,
research in food processing
and expanded educational
and workforce training op-
portunities, he said.
“In addition, by partner-
ing with other universities
as well as with regional high
schools, we hope to impact
the number of high school
students going on to college
in southern Idaho,” he said.
moving to automation, with a
need for highly skilled work-
ers.
Employment on dairies
is “not based on skill but on
willingness,” resulting in a lot
of foreign workers unfamiliar
with large animals. And it’s
a population challenged by
reading comprehension and
retention, he said.
Training has to be con-
sistent, repetitive and com-
prehensive and include both
classroom and live training
with animals. In addition
to the “what,” the “why” of
safety issues and animal han-
dling must be explained, he
said.
Idaho’s consortium can
be beneficial in developing
and evaluating materials and
training the trainers of em-
ployees, he said.
Douphrate agreed, say-
ing the focus needs to be on
safety leadership and man-
agement.
“You can’t be everywhere
on the farm, you have to dele-
gate and need to equip super-
visors,” he said.
They need to be able to
effectively train workers and
evaluate whether that training
is being retained and work-
ers are applying what they
learned, he said.
“We want a proactive ap-
proach to address injuries
and fatalities before they hap-
pen,” he said.
Montana wildlife
reserve buys
46,000-acre ranch
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) —
A sprawling central Montana
nature reserve has purchased
a 46,000-acre ranch bordering
a federal refuge as it advances
toward its goal of establishing
a Connecticut-sized park where
bison and other wildlife can
roam freely.
The American Prairie Re-
serve announced last week it
had purchased the Two Crow
Ranch about an hour north of
Lewistown for an undisclosed
sum.
The deal brings the amount
of land under the group’s con-
trol to more than 399,000 acres.
That includes private and leased
land to the north and south of
the Missouri River.
Cattle grazing will continue
at the Two Crow Ranch for at
least the 18 months, Reserve
President Sean Garrity said.
There will be public access for
camping, biking, horseback
riding and other recreational
activities, he said.
The Two Crow Ranch
borders the 1.1 million-acre
Charles M. Russel National
Wildlife Refuge, which in-
cludes Fort Peck Reservoir.
Since 2001, the Boze-
man-based American Prairie
Reserve has raised more than
$100 million to pursue its goal
of stitching together millions
of acres of contiguous public
and private land to create a vast
wildlife preserve.
Some surrounding landown-
ers have raised objections that
the reserve is taking land out
of food production and alter-
ing the rural, agriculture-based
economies of surrounding ar-
eas of central Montana.
Cheese eclipses butter at CME; milk up 1.9 percent
By LEE MIELKE
For the Capital Press
C
ash cheese prices
rode the roller coaster
higher last week and
overshadowed butter. First,
the block cheddar dipped to
$1.7250 per pound Tuesday,
then rallied and closed Friday
at $1.7550, up 1 1/4-cents on
the week but 11 cents below
a year ago.
They slipped 1 1/4-cents
Monday and 2 1/4-cents
Tuesday, dipping to $1.72,
as traders anticipated the af-
ternoon’s July Cold Storage
report.
The barrels finished Fri-
day at $1.75, up 16 1/4-cents
on the week, the highest
since November 2016, but
11 1/2-cents below a year
ago. The spread shrank to just
a half-cent.
The barrels gained a pen-
Dairy
Markets
Lee Mielke
ny Monday, topping the
blocks for the first time since
March 15, then dropped 4
cents Tuesday, with 23 loads
trading hands, and fell to
$1.72, matching the blocks.
Milk availability varies
in the Midwest, according to
Dairy Market News. Some
cheese manufacturers report
getting few to no spot milk
offers. Others maintain that
spot milk, although no longer
discounted, is still available.
Many report that cheese de-
mand has picked up. Cheese
production is steady to a bit
slower. Barrel inventories are
long. Cheese market tones
have slightly improved but
they remain uncertain.
Milk continues to be plen-
tiful in the West and more
cheese is being made. De-
mand is fair, but continues to
lag production. International
interest continues to be low.
Supplies are long, but hold-
ing relatively steady.
Cash butter continued its
meltdown last week and a
lot of product headed to the
CME. It closed the week 3
3/4-cents lower, at $2.6450
per pound, but 45 1/2-cents
above a year ago when it was
on its way to the year’s low
point of $1.76 in October.
Sixty-three cars traded hands
last week, 34 on Wednesday
alone.
Monday’s trading took the
butter down 1 3/4-cents and
Tuesday’s meltdown was 5
3/4-cents, to $2.57, lowest
price since June 19.
DMN says retail and food
service orders for butter have
maintained consistency.
Manufacturers continue to
report that sales are at least
slightly higher than 2016. As
schools are nearing their re-
opening, food service expec-
tations are strong for the near
term. International interests
are prevalent. Butter output
is steady.
Western butter production
is steady. Cream volumes
moving into churns are more
than sufficient.
Cash Grade A nonfat
dry milk finished Friday at
83 1/4-cents per pound, down
1 3/4-cents on the week and
2 1/2-cents below a year ago.
The powder was steady
Monday but inched a half-cent
lower Tuesday, slipping to
82 3/4-cents per pound.
July milk up
Preliminary USDA data
shows July milk output in
the top 23 producing states
at 17.2 billion pounds, up
1.9 percent from June 2016.
Revisions added 5 million
pounds to the original June
estimate, now put at 16.9 bil-
lion pounds, up 1.7 percent
from a year ago.
July milk cow numbers
totaled 8.73 million head,
down 1,000 head from June
but 72,000 more than a year
ago. Output per cow aver-
aged 1,969 pounds, up 21
pounds from a year ago.
California output, while
below a year ago for the sixth
consecutive month, strength-
ened some. The nation’s
No. 1 milk producer was
down just 0.2 percent, due to
13,000 fewer cows. Output
per cow was up 10 pounds.
Wisconsin was up 0.7 per-
cent on a 15-pound gain per
cow while cow numbers were
unchanged.