June Dairy Month Photo-A-Day Challenge Wrap-up

Thanks to everyone for sending in such great photos to celebrate June Dairy Month! We really enjoyed seeing the love you all have for this fabulous industry.

Get To Know Genex Reproductive Program Senior Technician, Kristie Laverdiere!

Genex is proud of its hard working employees. This month as we celebrate Dairy Month, we are going to feature just a few of our outstanding staff members.

Today we introduce you to Reproductive Program Senior Technician, Kristie Laverdiere from Connecticut.

How did you get involved with Genex, and what is your role?

I rode with an old friend who was a breeding program specialist when I was in college. A few months later she asked if I was interested in a job. Soon after  I was booked to head to training in Shawano! I started out breeding that summer and part time through my last semester of college at SUNY Cobleskill and became a full-time employee December 2013.

How does it feel to be part of the dairy industry?

Extremely rewarding. The people that make up this industry are everything to me. Creating relationships with some of the most genuine and hardest working people out there holds a great deal of value to me and makes my job as a technician very enjoyable.

What’s one thing you take pride in as a Genex team member?

It is a great feeling to work for one of the most well-known and respected cooperatives in the industry.

Favorite go-to sire right now? Why?

1HO10458 DAY. He is filling his father, SUPER’s, shoes very well. He is a great general crowd-pleaser for many of my herds. He is also reasonably priced, while having plenty of potential to improve milk production and traits promoting longevity.

Do you have a funny or memorable experience you would like to share from your time as a Genex employee?

About a year ago I picked up a new farm that was fairly new to A.I. One of the farm hands asked me if I needed a radio to play something romantic. He was dead serious, I still laugh about it to this day.

White, chocolate or strawberry milk?

Chocolate

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Coffee 

Thank you Kristie for all that you do for your Genex members and customers! 

Meet Genex Regional Account Consultant, Megan Weigel!

Genex is proud of its hard working employees. This month as we celebrate Dairy Month, we are going to feature just a few of our outstanding staff members.

Today we introduce you to Megan Weigel from Wisconsin.

How did you get involved with Genex, and what is your role?

I got involved with Genex through the University of Wisconsin-River Falls training. I was then hired as a Tech Specialist. I am currently a Regional Account Consultant. I work with farms 500 cows or more. I focus on reproduction and genetics.

How does it feel to be part of the dairy industry?

It’s great to work with people who care for their animals and the land.

What’s one thing you take pride in as a Genex team member?

That everyone pitches in with one goal in mind-to keep the farms happy.

Favorite go-to sire right now? Why?

1HO10396 CABRIOLET-because of his superior production, components, and smaller stature.

Do you have a funny or memorable experience you would like to share from your time as a Genex employee?

The first time I bred a cow I was telling her to whoa. Not that she understood me but it made me feel better J

White, chocolate or strawberry milk? 

Chocolate

Favorite ice cream flavor? 

Cake batter

Thank you Megan for all that you do for Genex and its members and customers!

Getting A Little Cheesy

By Brenda Brady, CRI Communications Specialist

June is, of course, Dairy Month. This year I wanted to celebrate by focusing on cheese. I do, after all, live in Wisconsin! In fact, cheese is served alone, in or on most of my meals (Just trying to make Dairy Carrie proud!). After being with our family for less than a week our exchange student even made a comment about how much cheese we eat.

But I didn’t want this celebration to be any ordinary Dairy Month cheese-fest; I was feeling adventurous. A quick stop at the specialty cheese section in my local grocery store gave me the idea. I decided to pick new cheeses I had never cooked with before, find recipes and share the results.

Gruyére

My first selection was a Swiss Le Gruyére. I found a recipe for croque madame with crispy ham and went with it. 

While my photo didn't turn out as well as the one on the recipe site (Food photographers are amazing!), it was a good, cheesy breakfast sandwich. I'm not sure I would make it again though, as it made a lot of dishes, and we are not big on washing dishes at our house!

Manchego

I recently learned latin-type cheeses are the fastest growing segment of the cheese market in the U.S., and I've seen Food Network's Aarón Sanchez advertising for this brand, so I picked it up. After looking at the Cacique website, I determined Manchego would be great for quesadillas. Mmmmmm, it was a whole lot of melty goodness. My five year old said it was, "delish." I guess that means this one stays in my meal repertoire!  

MontAmoré

Working off of the success of my kid-friendly quesadilla, I tried a MontAmoré macaroni and cheese recipe. The label says, "Like a new romance, this sweet, creamy and fruity cheese finishes with a playful bite. Prepare to fall in love." While I didn't fall in love, I thought it had a great flavor and was a nice addition to the basic mild cheddar flavor of my regular recipe. 

Plus, with the exception of half and half, the recipe used things I always have on hand.

I would say it, too, was a winner with my kids (and husband).

Gorgonzola

Then I decided to get a little crazy and tried a Gorgonzola pasta recipe. While it didn't turn out as bad as I had thought, it wasn't my favorite flavor in the world. The acidic aftertaste was a little too refined for my palate. I went off of a Taste of Home recipe and added a few halved grape tomatoes (I have to sneak the veggies in where I can.) as well. 

Queso Blanco

I have to confess, I cheated a little with my last cheese choice. This is not one I have never cooked with before, and it is not really a recipe. It is just pure cheese goodness that I had to share. If you have never tried fried cheese, it's time you got out that oil and indulged a little.

Here's how you make this super easy appetizer. Start out with any flavor of Queso Blanco cheese (My favorite is with Jalapenos). Cut it into one inch cubes. Submerge the cubes in oil that has been heated to about 350° F. Cook them until they are golden brown. Don't try this with just any cheese though! Queso Blanco has a high melting point and can take the hot oil. Most other cheeses will just leave you with a gooey mess. 

What cheeses do you like to cook with? Do you have any recipes you would like to share? Leave a message in the comments section below.

Happy Dairy Month – make it a cheesy one!

Genex Announces Youth Jersey Contest Winners

By Leah James, U.S. Jersey Marketing Advisor, Genex

This July, Genex and the Jersey Journal teamed up to bring you a special issue of the Jersey Journal highlighting the Genex story and promoting the growth of the Jersey breed. Along with it, we held a contest for youth with Jersey interests. Youth ages 8 to 21 were asked to answer the question, “How does the next Jersey Generation look in your eyes?” We received some great entries and would like to share the winning entries with you!

1st Place
Cassie Bohnert, age 8 of Bohnert Jerseys, Illinois


2nd Place

Libby Voss, age 13 of Minnesota, pictured in "Me and My Jersey Beatrice"

“I have bought my own registered Jerseys, and I love showing them! I honestly wouldn't change anything about the next Jersey generation. I love Jerseys just the way they are - their personality is hilarious, they are super fun to be around, they are gorgeous, and they need to be more recognized by farmers! Many farmers don't appreciate Jerseys because they are all into them big ol’ Holsteins! I feel like the next Jersey generation should be more popular. Farmers need to realize how important Jerseys really are. They are very beautiful creatures and need to be in every herd all over the U.S.”

Congratulations and thanks for participating!  #TheJerseyGeneration

Improving Dairy Income Over Feed Cost

By Kim Egan, DVM, National Account Senior Consultant, Genex

"Income over feed cost is one of the efficiency benchmarks routinely analyzed by lenders," reports Kurt Petik of Rabo AgriFinance. Obviously, our cows need a good quality, readily-available ration to maintain health and productivity. So, in addition to analyzing ration components, what other tools can help improve income over feed cost long-term?

Let's consider feed costs. A readily-available, good quality ration is essential. Many producers have looked at the benefits of small-breed cows for feed efficiency, especially with limits on land availability. The Genex Ideal Commercial Cow index (ICC$) also selects for more moderate body size with weightings for marginal feed costs and body condition score.

The Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle 2001 formula for estimating dry matter intakes considers body weight as larger cows require more and increased production raises dry matter intakes. Jim Linn from the Department of Animal Science at the University of Minnesota simplified these effects in his article "Energy in the 2001 Dairy NRC: Understanding the System." He states that a difference of 100 kg of body weight changes dry matter intake by 1.5 kg per day. This equates to 220 lbs of body weight changing dry matter intake by 3.3 lbs given the same production, or 110 lbs of body weight changing dry matter intake by 1.65 lbs per day.

In terms of feed cost, how much difference can 110 lbs of body weight make? Let's use $0.07 as the cost per pound of dry matter. A 1,000-cow herd of 1,500 lb Holsteins consumes an average of 52 lbs/head/day on a dry matter basis. This would cost $3,640 per day. If the same herd had an average body weight of 1,390 lbs, the requirement for intake would decrease to 50.35 lbs dry matter/head/day, costing $3,524 per day. That small difference in body weight would save $42,340 per year on this 1,000-cow example herd. Another benefit is the ability to feed more cows with the same land base.

Can cows with lower genetic stature produce as well? Simply, yes. The graph below depicts average energy-corrected milk production from 629 second lactation and greater cows from a single herd (same housing, same milking routine, same ration). All cows had estimated sire genetic milk between 0-200 and were between 40-305 days in milk.

These medium-sized cows get a blue-ribbon for efficiency. Talk to your Genex representative if you'd like to discuss the ICC$ index or look at the effects of stature in your herd.

Get to know Genex Reproductive Program Senior Technician, Ryan Rosenow

Genex is proud of its hard working employees. This month as we celebrate Dairy Month, we are going to feature just a few of our outstanding staff members.

Today we introduce you to Ryan Rosenow from Wisconsin. Ryan started working for Genex about two years ago and is a Reproductive Program Senior Technician.

How does it feel to be part of the dairy industry? 

Being part of the dairy industry is exciting and challenging because of the ups and downs the industry faces with fluctuating markets.  Working with farmers, on the other hand, has always been enjoyable.

What’s one thing you take pride in as a Genex team member?
As a Genex team member, I take pride in fulfilling each individual producer's goals and in attention to detail.  I've come to realize that if you give it an honest effort, the producer is more than satisfied and will be glad to have you back.

Favorite go-to sire right now? Why?
My go-to sire at the moment is 1HO10648 PUZZLE.  PUZZLE has steadily had solid numbers and is now daughter-proven. He is priced right and settles cows well.

Do you have a funny or memorable experience you would like to share from your time as a Genex employee?
A memorable experience that has stayed with me happened on one of my first days on the job.  I was providing relief in an area north of Shawano, Wisconsin, when I needed to stop for gas.  With an empty tank, I realized I had forgotten my wallet at home.  My wife had to run my wallet 40 miles to me.  She wasn't happy!

White, chocolate or strawberry milk?
My favorite milk is "whole" chocolate, not 1%.

Favorite ice cream flavor? 

My favorite ice cream is Cherry Nut.

Thank you Ryan for your dedication to your customers. Hopefully your wife hasn't had to make any more trips to bring you money!