Section A - Page 4 September 19, 2011 • Let Them Know You Read COUNTRY FOLKS •
Worden brings perspective as National Holstein President by Steven E. Smith These are challenging times with the potential for exciting advancement. From his position as National President of Holstein USA Chuck Worden of Cassville, NY cites opportunities that will require focus and commitment from the dairy sector in New York as well as on the national level. U.S. dairy policy “Significant change to U.S. dairy policy has been considered ever since the precipitous fall of U.S. milk prices in 2009. Holstein Association USA has assisted with the development of the proposed Dairy Market Stabilization Act. “While this act has not been made into law, the current draft proposal known as the Foundations for the Future (FFTF) plan has elements of the Dairy Market Stabilization,” stated Worden. The FFTF proposal has been promoted by the National Milk Producers Federation and Worden indicated that the Holstein Association USA has been influencing this policy development. Worden explained that until this proposal is in the form of a bill, the Holstein Association will continue to influence the most aggressively pursued plan that is in the current pipeline. “What was the Dairy Market Stabilization Act is now more of a shell compared to what it was as a stand alone program.” That is among the reasons Worden believes that “as an industry we need to energize the base and make our voices heard relative to these proposed changed. Although the National Holstein Association exceeds 28,000 members
that has influence from the top down, it is important to have momentum from the grassroots up.” “The Holstein Association has met with U.S. Representative Collin Peterson to lobby for changing the proposed trigger from $6 to $7 so that the program would provide a more responsive but less dramatic shift in milk price during changes in the milk supply/ milk demand market event. We have requested hearings to discuss and evaluate the federal milk marketing orders.” From Worden’s vantage point, other concepts of other groups regarding price stabilization, price discovery and future production should be considered as well. Opportunities While the dairy sector is addressing change, Worden is quick to speak of the industry’s future including advancements such as genomics in dairy cattle. “It’s an exciting time for the Holstein Association right now. Genomics gives the industry a measure of the quality of genetics and allows breeders to determine the best new animals in the breed while they are young calves. Besides speeding up genetic progress, genomics provides so much more information to be obtained about cattle than ever before.” In order for this technology to continue to be advanced, Worden indicated that the industry needs to embrace verification through avenues such as DHI testing and animal classification. By testing and classifying, the association is measuring the phenotype. “This information is how genomic measures are
Country Folks Eastern Edition U.S.P.S. 482-190
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Chuck Worden is the National President of the Holstein Association USA. While the U.S. dairy industry is facing challenges due to rising production costs and the need for national and regional milk marketing policy changes, Worden also cites advancements which will allow the industry to be responsive in the future. Chuck and his wife Vanessa operate Wormont Dairy with their sons in Cassville, NY. Photo by Steven E. Smith
recalibrated. We need to do this to continue to improve the system. We need to collect this data efficiently and cost effectively to get more data. One of my goals is to see Holstein go forward, streamline the process so we can include more cows and more dairyman so that we are of service to all dairyman.” New information Worden gave a recent example of how genomics is advancing opportunities for the dairy industry. “A previously unknown lethal recessive that can result from certain matings was present in three breeds until it was measured through genomics. A haplotype or groups of genetic markers within the DNA of cattle have been determined to cause the failed conception or early embryonic losses when a pregnancy inherits the same haplotype from both sire and dam. There are three haplotypes in Holsteins, one in Jerseys and one in Brown Swiss that have this effect on reproduction. While there will be no need to cull animals with the given haplotypes, genomics information can be used to avoid low probability conception matings of animals with the same haplotype. “This type of information which will help dairyman understand health trait data as well as other aspects of performance such as feed efficiency measures will become a great tool for purebred and commercial breeders alike.” Advancement Worden conveyed that the cattle breeders should recognize that genomics increased the generation interval and doubled the net merit of the bulls in A.I. stud. “As we continue with the process, we will be advancing genetics very fast. With genomics, an A.I. sire
could have sons being born before sire is even two years of age. As a result, instead of evaluating first crop daughters when the sire is five years old, we could already be using grandsons. I can see this industry potentially collecting and slaughtering bulls in the future due to the technology of genomics. Perspective Worden’s perspective on the path that lies ahead for dairy at the state and national level as leader of the Holstein breed association is backed by years of farming and agriculture organization involvement. Chuck and his wife Vanessa farm with their sons Wayne, Mark and Eric joined by their daughter Lindsay and daughter-in-law Kate in Cassville, NY. The Wordens who started farming in New York, moved to New Mexico in 1994 and developed a large dairy there. Worden’s interest and commitment to purebred cattle never waned and in 2004, they returned to New York to operate a smaller farm. “One of the reasons we decided to return to New York was so that we could involve our children in the operation.” Worden credit his family and especially his father for his involvement in purebred cattle. Chuck’s father was a registered breeder of both beef and dairy cattle. He served on the National board of the Shorthorn, showing all Americans which resulted in supreme champion shorthorn bull over all breeds when shorthorn was not among the premier beef breeds. “My message to the industry is the same as the one for my family, ‘Actively embrace change as it will be a constant for the rest of your life. If you aren’t involved in how things are changed, it will be someone else decisions affecting you.’”
Cover photo courtesy of Columbia County CCE Members of the Wilderness Workers 4-H Club, Matthew Bryan and Ruth Kress, show fairgoers how to milk a goat.