Steps to help control fly populations on your farm

We have to admit that after the horrible winter we’ve experienced, many of us might welcome flies this spring since they bring warm temperatures with them. However, after a few days of nice weather ― and a few more flies ― we might not feel so hospitable.

Dairy Herd Management recently posted an article, “Plan ahead for the demise of flies,” that included tips on how to control fly populations on your farm. Patricia Westenbroek with Cornell Cooperative Extension recommended establishing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach now to effectively manage future fly populations.

There are four components to control fly populations on your farm with an IPM strategy:

1. Cultural control – Employ effective sanitation practices to keep the environment as clean and dry as possible. Female adult flies love to lay their eggs in manure, decaying silage, spilled feed, soiled bedding and other organic matter.
2. Biological control – Insect predators and parasites can help reduce fly larvae and pupae populations. Some – like the hister beetle – appear naturally, while others – like parasitic wasps – can be purchased and released into the environment.
3. Chemical control – There are a wide variety of chemical products available to help control flies. Always make sure the product is legal in your state and follow the instructions on the label.
4. Physical control – tapes, traps and lights are forms of physical control aimed at attracting and killing adult flies. When combined, these steps will go a long way in helping control the fly population on your farm.

Click here to read the full article. Do you have any additional tips to share?

AgriMarketing features Lely

We were recently contacted by AgriMarketing to take part in a focus report on the dairy industry. They asked us to contribute information about the changing landscape of the dairy industry in the recent past, as well as provide some information about who we are and the products we offer producers.

Below is an excerpt from the feature:

The past two years marked financial crisis for many producers, with milk prices crashing to record lows in 2009. As milk prices dropped, input costs did not follow suite, creating more financial challenges. Many producers had to step back from thoughts about growing their business to begin thinking about how to stretch dollars to pay for all of their farming costs. Finding smart products and practices that helped decrease operating dollars and increase efficiencies became imperative.

At Lely, we’ve noticed a dramatic increase in producer inquiries about robotic milking. Producers’ responsibility to milk their herd is a 365 day a year job. Many producers we speak with want the consistency in their milking routine but at the same time want flexibility. They want to be able to choose how they spend their time and balance the needs of their dairy operation with those of their families. At Lely, we’re striving to provide products that help give producers that time, to see a child’s baseball game, to go on a vacation with their spouse, or to focus on other elements of their farm that will help grow their business.

To view the current issue and Lely’s write up, click here and type in page 48 in the field at the bottom of the page. Thanks to AgriMarketing for providing this opportunity to contribute information.

Celebrating National Ag Week

It’s National Ag Week, and there really isn’t a better time to thank America’s farmers for all they do to help feed our nation and countries throughout the globe.

We especially want to thank America’s dairy producers. We know the past few years have not been easy, and you’ve continued to care for your land and your animals to create wholesome, nutritious products for us all.

In 1960, each American farmer fed 25 people. Today, each farmer feeds more than 144 people, proving American agriculture, and America’s producers, are doing more than ever before.

Below is a video that shares the background of Ag Day, and just why agriculture is so important to our global community.


Thank you for all you do.

To learn more, click here.

Michigan State University’s W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Earns LEED Certification

A recent article in Progressive Dairyman shared that Michigan State University’s (MSU) W.K. Kellogg Biological Station dairy herd was recently awarded its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)silver certification. It is the only agricultural operation to earn the certification in the United States.

The article begins by stating MSU set itself apart last summer when it moved to a new pasture-based facility featuring robotic milking and an energy-efficient design. At Lely, we were proud to be a part of such an innovative design and admire the forward-thinking MSU faculty provides their students.

“This new facility allows us to demonstrate to all dairy farmers how to incorporate features in a new barn that save energy, features that are both good for the environment and save them money,” said KBS director Katherine Gross. “Having the LEED certification for the KBS dairy facility demonstrates another aspect of our ‘commitment to sustainability.’ Many features of this barn that earned the LEED certification can be adopted by dairy farmers with different management and herd sizes.”

Congratulations, MSU!

Click here to read the full article and learn more about what it takes to earn a LEED certification.

What steps are you taking on your dairy to be more energy efficient? We would love to hear them.

Domino’s Delivers Good News for the Dairy Industry

Many of us have seen the new Domino’s® commercials that tell consumers they’ve listened to customer feedback and have reinvented their pizzas. Well, the promised improvements are increasing sales for Domino’s Pizza, Inc., and could help boost slumping cheese prices. The below information was shared at www.cattlenetwork.com.

David Brandon, Domino’s CEO said the company’s efforts to retool and promote its pizzas are paying off, resulting in traffic growth in all four quarters of 2009. The largest increase happened in the fourth quarter, showing momentum moving into 2010.

Increased pizza consumption may help trim excess cheese supplies and provide a lift for dairy producers who are still reeling from the milk price crash. Pizza generates approximately $32.5 billion in annual restaurant and grocery store revenue, and about a quarter of all cheese sold is used to make pizza, according to Dairy Management Inc.

In November, Brandon told Dairy Herd Management that using more cheese was yielding benefits for Domino’s. He said the company’s cheese-enhanced American Legends pizzas account for a double-digit share of the overall pizza sales, and that share is still growing.

“When you talk about a product that achieves double-digit mix in its first year of introduction, that is big,” Brandon told Dairy Herd Management.

What do you think about Domino’s reinvention?

New Website Shows Consumers Where Milk Products Originated

Dairy Herd Management recently reported a new website is helping consumers find out where their milk comes from. The website was created by Trevor Fitzgerald, a senior at Brigham Young University.

The information on the site originated from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but Fitzgerald says it was being made available in a several-hundred page PDF document that was difficult to navigate. He created the website so that the information would be available to consumers more readily and in a user-friendly way.

Consumers simply enter a code found on the bottom of their dairy product (milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese are all included in the search) and the website will tell them where the product originated from.

As we know, consumers are increasingly interested in learning more about food production, so it’s no surprise that traffic to the website has been increasing rapidly.

Find out more at http://whereismymilkfrom.com.