The first Four-State Dairy Nutrition & Management Conference webinar will feature Dr. Mike Hutjens going over the reason high solid’s milk is more profitable and then interviewing Kevin Siewert, the winner of the new Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference 7- Pound contest on Monday, June 30 from 12 noon to 1:00 pm. The Four-state Dairy Nutrition & Management conference is a consortium of dairy specialists in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

For the 7-pound award contest dairy nutritionists were invited to nominate any of their herds producing over seven-pounds of total solids on an annual basis. The new award recognizes high-solids production herds.

Dr. Mike Hutjens, professor emeritus with the University of Illinois, is recognized as leading the “charge” for producers to be aware of the importance of high solids milk to their milk check. He will start the webinar outlining the why’s and how’s of managing for high solids and then moderate the discussion with the award winner as they review the management that brought that herd to an annual average over 8.5 pounds of solids per cwt. At awards program in La Crosse, the winner with be introduced and we will go into more depth during the webinar.

Siewert owns and operates Hyde Park Farm in Minnesota. They milk 760 cows that average 109 pounds of milk per cow with 4.49 percent fat and 3.3 percent protein. That pencils out to 8.51 pounds of solids. The herd averaged 124.92 pounds of energy corrected milk.

Producers, dairy consultants and industry reps are encouraged to attend the free webinar live from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, June 30 by registering at least one hour before the webinar at: https://go.iastate.edu/HIGHSOLIDSMILK