This year during Alltech REBELation, we would like you to join us in visiting two of Kentucky’s most progressive dairy farms.

The first stop: Riney Dairy, LLC in Springfield, Kentucky. Billy Riney and his father have been milking since 1978. Having evolved substantially over time, Riney Dairy now boasts a 350-head Holstein herd and credits a newly installed GEA Double-12 parallel parlor to helping them maintain efficiency and productivity.  The Riney operation includes a free stall barn and a compost bedded pack barn.  Billy and his son, who is also involved in the business, focus heavily on farm profitability and herd health.

The next stop: Kings Hill Dairy in Lebanon, Kentucky.  Assuming ownership from his dad in 1986, Bill Mattingly’s Kings Hill Dairy, has been a family-run operation since its inception. Kings Hill Dairy milks 205 Holsteins and manages approximately 600 acres.  Recently the Mattingly family began using a compost bedded pack barn for their entire milking herd. This farm provides a great example of Kentucky agriculture with strong family involvement, and is progressively keeping its eye on sustaining the operation for the next generation.

A commonality in these two farms is a popular technology that continues to gain traction across Kentucky -- the compost bedded pack barn. Dairy housing systems have a substantial impact on overall health and productivity of a dairy operation.

What is a compost bedded pack barn?

As Dr. Jeffrey Bewley, Professor of Dairy Sciences at the University of Kentucky and leader in research for these housing systems, explains, “The compost bedded pack barn is a housing system for lactating dairy cows consisting of a large, open resting areas, usually bedded with sawdust or dry, fine wood shavings that are composted in place, along with manure, when mechanically stirred on a regular basis.”

Benefits of a compost bedded pack barn

Dr. Bewley also said, “Producer-reported benefits of these barns include improved cow comfort, improved cow cleanliness, the low maintenance nature of the system, improved feet and legs, decreased somatic cell count, increased heat detection, ease of manure handling, increased production, increased longevity, low investment costs, less odor, fewer flies, less concern with cow size, and improved manure value.”

Finally, in true Kentucky fashion, the tour will end with a stop at one of the top bourbon distilleries in the state – Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky.  One of the world’s iconic Kentucky-made products, Maker’s Mark sold more than 1.4 million cases of its bourbon whiskey, with distinctive bottles dipped in red wax, around the globe in 2013 alone. Join us for this exciting end to a perfect day! In order to achieve the full Kentucky experience we invite you to attend these dairy tours that are part of the Alltech REBELation event.  Join us in exploring innovation, inspiration and world-changing ideas in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, from May 17-20.

My story of my favorite farmer is not an easy one to tell because he is my father, and he is no longer with us. My father Brian Krull of Lake Mills, Wis. was the most dedicated and driven father, farmer, friend, brother, husband I have ever seen in my 20 years of life! Growing up with him by my side and instilling my sisters and myself with the drive and passion for agriculture has truly changed my life. 

Brian breed numerous excellent cow families, growing record-breaking crop yields, and raising an even more outstanding family is why this farmer is easily my favorite. Brian had a passion for agronomy and working with the land. He truly enjoyed being out in the field and caring for the land that God had given him to take care. Brian was a member of the Lake Mills FFA and 4-H growing up and had lived in Lake Mills all his life caring for his family’s farm with his family and continuing on with tradition to raise his family on the farm.

Brian was not only dedicated to his farm and family but also his community and church. A member of the Lake Mills Moravian Church as well as the Lake Mills FFA Alumni, Bowling team, Aztalan Cemetery President, and served as President and Board Member to the Wisconsin Holstein Association. Brian never cared for himself first, family was always first in his life. People still talk about how when they would see Brian he would never talk about the great crops, cows, or new position or award Brian had received it was always the kids and his wife Cindy he talked about. A farmer who truly has his priorities in the right places was Brian Krull.

I have never and will never meet another farmer who can change so many people in such a short time of life. Brian still remains to be my favorite farmer although he is no longer caring for the land that God gave him. Brian was taken doing what he loved where he loved to do it. He died during a farm accident on the family farm on August 26, 2010.

Myself (his son) and my mother and sisters continue on his footsteps to ensure we don’t lose the passion and values he gave to us. With Brian now looking down to us and guiding us to the right path, he remains my favorite farmer and the favorite farmer of all who have known him.

Bryce is competing in Alltech’s Favorite Farmer Contest. The photo with the most likes on our Facebook page will win a trip to the Alltech REBELation in Lexington, KY. It’s an opportunity to meet farmers and other agriculture people from all over the world.

Vote for Bryce by liking the photo here.

They say it takes a community to raise a child – which is true – but an agricultural community enriches its children in a special way. Growing up in such a community taught me that nothing comes for free, how to work hard and never give up (even if you are having a bad day). Caring for livestock taught me responsibility and compassion at a very young age. But, most importantly the farmers that I called my neighbours taught me passion and always encouraged me to pursue what I love. In my opinion, there is no job that can rival that of farming because of the amount of work farmers do and how much they love it. Farmers are the heart and soul of their communities and the amount that they contribute to society cannot be overlooked.

My favorite farmer happens to be my boyfriend, a 10^th generation egg, dairy and poultry farmer in Nova Scotia, Canada. We went to high school together but did not really know each other and then university took us down separate paths. Because farmers taught me to pursue my passion and they lit a fire in me to pursue a future in agriculture. I decided to write my political science honors thesis on an agricultural policy issue, and as an advocate for farmer’s rights in government I reached out to the community for input on my project. That’s how David and I started seeing each other. As a young farmer planning on taking over his family’s farm from his father and uncle, he is keen on agricultural policy issues in order to secure his future. After seeing the passion he has for his job and exploring the realm of farm politics I have decided to pursue a Master of Public Administration in order to work in agricultural policy.

David did a four-year business degree with a major in finance and realized that he could not imagine a future away from his farm. He is currently 23 and working full time with his uncle and father on their farm – Cornwallis Farms. This farm is particularly fascinating as Deacon John Newcombe established it in 1761 and the same land that was farmed then is still farmed to this day. I might be biased, but David is my favorite farmer because his passion inspires me. The fact that he was so keen to help me because he cared about the fate of the industry showed that farmer’s are willing to fight for their spot in society. He views farming as a lifestyle, as it is much bigger than just a job to him. It is tradition, culture, pride and what he loves. 

Every Thursday morning while I am at school I wake up to pictures taken at 3AM of the cows in the parlor, or the calves being fed. David never complains either – he loves showing off his land and animals and educating anyone who cares to listen. I can only wish that someday I have a job that I enjoy as much as he does, especially at such a young age. He’s an advocate for his industry, he is an active member of the local farm safety board, he attends young farmers conferences, and he is a member of the local fire department among other things. Like the farmers I grew up with, he takes time and goes out of his way to help anyone. This is why, of all the farmers I know, David is my favorite.

Brianna is competing in Alltech’s Favorite Farmer Contest. The photo with the most likes on our Facebook page will win a trip to the Alltech REBELation in Lexington, KY. It’s an opportunity to meet farmers and other agriculture people from all over the world.

Vote for Brianna by liking the photo here.

My Favourite Farmer has to be my 85 year-old father-in-law Martin Noone, who has dedicated his whole life to his family and his farm. The interest and dedication he shows his livestock is truly admirable and he looks after them just like family.

In telling us all about the past he has embraced the future too and is not afraid to fork out for new technology if it helps the farm be more safe and efficient. His education of his grandchildren in the proper ways of the farm is inspiring. He grows his own vegetables and potatoes and always uses fresh horse dung on his spent rhubarb.

He is a farmer who I have never seen agitated on his farm. He always seems to be in control and is willing to give any situation the right amount of time in order to get the right outcome. I have been with him many late nites during Lambing season and helping him pull a calf and the empathy and understanding he shows his stock is unique.

Martin is a small west of Ireland farmer from Cong whose farm is a credit to him and a safe place for his grand children to learn the proper ways of farming. Martin is very conscious of what he puts into his farm and the impact it might have on the farm or the local environment. He is a great neighbour and is always there if you need him. Martin and his wife Mary never took holidays until recently because they were too afraid to leave the farm.

Robert is competing in Alltech’s Favorite Farmer Contest. The photo with the most likes on our Facebook page will win a trip to the Alltech REBELation in Lexington, KY. It’s an opportunity to meet farmers and other agriculture people from all over the world.

Vote for Robert by liking the photo here.

Hello everybody,

It has been a long time. I hope you all had a very happy Chinese new year of the sheep. Yep, you heard me, I said SHEEP. There are a lot of articles on the internet about how confused everybody is about the Chinese zodiac signs, especially for this year. Is it the year of the sheep? Is it the goat? Or is it the ram? After a heated discussion with my friend who is working in archaeology, he told me the sheep was the first domesticated animal of that family in China. They discovered a 4,000 year old sheep fossil. And, most of the related sculptures and paintings from that time have the appearance of a sheep. So, sheep it is. Please check out the picture I took in Chinese National Museum in Beijing. It’s a vessel from Shang dynasty 1400~1100 BC. Does it look like sheep to you? It does to me.

The traditional way of celebrating New Year in China is pretty complicated but you can summarize everything with one word, RED. Red lanterns, red fireworks, red clothes, red gift bags, basically everything is red. According to the old Chinese myths, the color red can scare off the evil monsters which like to come out and do bad things around New Year’s.

This is already the 6^th month of my Dairy Career Development Program and the 4^th month since I arrived on the DFI farm. During the last 4 months here I have been blessed to work with so many dedicated and experienced people in the farm. One of the most important things I learned about working on a farm is that there is no day off. Weekend, Christmas, New Year’s, Chinese New Year et cetera. As long as there are cows inside, there’s no break. So I believe it’s more important to love the job one is doing than any other industry. Lucky for me I love what I am doing so when they said “Han, tomorrow (New Year) let’s clean the calf barn and put out some new bedding for them.” I said OK almost automatically. After hours of work in the winter wind, the calves can lay on the new clean dry comfy bed through the New Year holiday now.

This is it, see you next time.

Another week has passed and the weather isn’t as bad as it has been here in Fair Oaks, Indiana, thank goodness. This week, I commenced looking at various parameters for my assigned focus on the transition period in dairy cows. I spent time every day collecting total mixed rations (TMR) and manure samples, and freezing them for further consistency analysis with the nutritionist. I also started to weigh and record weighback feed so that we can document exactly what the cows are eating, while beginning to body condition score dry, fresh and lactating cows and checking their rumination patterns.

Also this week, I took some straw samples to be sent to the Alltech lab for analysis. In doing so, I decided that in order to take an accurate sample, I would need to wait until they began to grind the bales in the feed centre. It was a good idea, as I ended up with a varied sample, but I also ended up with two boots full of straw and dust that I’m now trying to get out of my carpet at home. That is all part of the job I suppose!

 One thing is for sure… I have been staying very busy!

As far as curious cows go, there is definitely a good contingent of them here at Herrema Dairy. Each time I enter a pen to carry out a task I usually end up with my own little pack of cows following close behind sniffing and licking my clothes. Sometimes I can even feel a tug on my jacket or overalls. It seems like they’re trying to tell me that they want a selfie! 

Alltech has just released the results of its fourth annual global feed survey. The highly anticipated report provides a glimpse into the animal feed industry and allows us to compare output across countries, regions and species. Compiling the data is no small task. Wherever possible we collect information from local feed associations, but in many areas our global sales team works with individual feed mills to obtain the numbers.

In 2014 we saw more feed mills producing more animal feed than in past years. The estimated worth of the feed industry is now $460 billion with global production of 980 million metric tons. That's a 2 percent increase over 2013. 

A number of factors affected output, including: slow markets, shifting raw feed material costs, fluctuating governance over import/export standards and animal diseases such as PEDv in pigs and bird flu in poultry. However, the top 10 producing countries remained the same: China, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, India, Spain, Russia, Japan, Germany and France. 

To learn more, please download the survey below. You are also welcome to watch a recorded webinar with analysis and interpretation of the results by the feed survey’s director, Aidan Connolly.

Download Survey [+]

Watch Recorded Webinar [+]

Download Presentation Slides [+]