The POINT - November 2019

November 2019 Volume 1 Issue 1

The POINT NEXT LEVEL GENETIC GAINS

When you are striving for unprecedented genetic gains, the NxGEN program is an opportunity for you.

THE RIGHT CANDIDATE

Technology can help when your dairy is challenged with finding enough employees with the right skills.

IMPROVE PROFIT PER STALL

Knowing and understanding your numbers for six key factors can influence herd profitability.

An offer you shouldn't refuse Doing business with the Mafia is a bad thing, right? While this Italian term may conjure up sinister thoughts, there is more to it than that. The Mafia is also defined as a group of people that have a controlling influence. That definition doesn’t seem so bad, and explains why Gary Vogel, co-owner of Palm Boys, LLC has been heard calling his CentralStar team the Mafia.

“They get a kick out of me calling them the Mafia, but it’s not too far from the truth,” says Gary. “They do whatever is best for the farm, whenever we need it. We rely on them.”

Like other farms, the Palm, Michigan dairy started working with CentralStar for a specific reason. But circumstances changed.

“About three years ago Gary called and said they had too many open heifers,” recalls CentralStar Team Leader, Pam Thom. “I gathered the team; they created a plan and attacked the situation.”

Since then the CentralStar team has controlled the heifer breeding program.

Pregnancy rate has improved six points to 31 percent, and the age at calving dropped to 23 months. Shoring up the breeding program also evened out the calving flow, making it easier for the farm to manage.

“We used to work with different companies, and it was a real pain. Now they just do it all... DHI, breeding, mating, milk pregnancy testing,” says Gary. “And someone is always here getting the work done, they make sure of that. If one of them has another commitment, somebody else steps in.

That’s something you don’t see from other companies anymore. We know we can count on this team.”

“Our whole team integrated approach allows us to keep a close eye on herd performance,” shares Karmen Loney, CentralStar Reproductive Specialist. “With a routine review of the DHI or farm management data we can see production and reproduction results and identify trends. This allows us to be proactive and address issues before they become a real problem.”

“This crew acts like they own the farm,” says Gary. “They tell me things I don’t want to hear, but in the long run it’s what is best now, and for the longevity of the farm. They really are concerned about our farm and how to get us to where we want to be.”

Are you familiar with the Italian word, famiglia? It means family, and perhaps best describes what it’s like when you work with CentralStar. A team of honest, caring people that are dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. Why not find out for yourself?

Give us a call, we’ll make you an offer you shouldn't refuse.

Photo at top: CentralStar team at Palm Boys, LLC. Back: Karmen Loney, Dave Lindberg, Pam Thom and Loretta Broeker surround Palm Boys representatives, Kyle Kolakowski, Linda Vogel, and Megan Brown. Front: Malachi Mater, David Thoma. Missing from photo: Roger Sweeney, Nate Harmon, Malissa Reed.

What's the POINT? Mark Adam, Chief Operating Officer & Jerome Meyer, Chief Executive Officer

Our headline can be interpreted many ways.

What’s this publication? What’s the POINT of reading this article and newsletter? Or maybe it’s something else entirely. We’ll answer the first two quickly and then give you more.

The POINT is CentralStar’s newsletter for customers. This issue is the very first representing the merger between NorthStar Cooperative and East Central/Select Sires.

There’s a lot of valuable information in here so we hope you dive in.

We know hoping isn’t enough. We must ensure that the content on these pages piques your interest, is useful and ultimately brings more value to your operation; basically, gives you a POINT to invest your time. That said, you can expect to find the nitty-gritty on new products and services, management tips from our knowledgeable professionals, real results from customer farms, and more. We hope this intrigues you to continue reading.

With the obvious questions answered, let’s talk about a POINT we are passionate about, which is your decision to do business with CentralStar. In an industry that is quickly changing, it’s important to know who you can count on to be engaged

Pre-book for spring and save!

in your operation and committed to helping you achieve your goals.

CentralStar is that trusted company.

With more than 400+ team members, CentralStar has the people with the knowledge and know-how to help achieve your genetic, reproduction, production and herd health goals. Like you, CentralStar has felt the effects of the depressed dairy economy. But that hasn’t stopped us from investing in research, new products and services, and our people to enable CentralStar to deliver the very best to you.

CentralStar has by far one of the most extensive field service teams in the industry, if not agriculture. While other

We are invested in your complete operation and success. suppliers you work with have pulled back, we have not. The Board of Directors has said stay the course and expand the services that are vital to farm profitability.

Our team structure allows us to surround you, our customers, with an array of knowledge and experience. This diversity strengthens our ability to deliver what you need and enables us to challenge you to elevate your goals to achieve higher production, increased reproduction, and enhanced herd profitability. The Palm Boys, LLC featured on page one is a strong testament to the value and results CentralStar’s teamwork can achieve.

Our final and most compelling POINT is this… CentralStar is committed to enhancing your profitability through integrated services. Please don’t gloss over that statement. It is our mission and purpose for doing what we do. If you allow the CentralStar team to be integrated into multiple facets of your operation, we know you will see and experience a difference in your results.

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The back story CentralStar Cooperative was formed on May 1, 2019 as a result of the merger between East Central/Select Sires and NorthStar Cooperative. Collectively CentralStar represents more than 150 years of experience serving the dairy and beef industries in the Midwest.

Today, CentralStar’s team of 400+ employees provide on-farm service to more than 7,500 dairy and beef producers across Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana (north of U.S. Highway 50). Our reach for diagnostic testing and herd management products is even greater, extending across the U.S. Structured as a stock-based Cooperative, CentralStar customers have a choice to be a member-owner (common stockowner).

Regardless of membership, everyone in our three-state service area has access to the products offered. CentralStar is led by a Board of Directors which is comprised of member-owners. Initially this group

consists of the 27 former board members from NorthStar and East Central. In November, CentralStar common stockowners will vote to elect one memberowner from each of the 13 districts in our core service area.

Individually NorthStar and East Central had rich histories with a commitment to provide the very best products and services. As one, CentralStar continues that belief with an end goal of enhancing your profitability.

To do this CentralStar provides the very best dairy and beef genetics through Accelerated Genetics, GenerVations, and Select Sires; extensive A.I. services; genetic consultation; reproduction services; DHI services; diagnostic testing; herdmanagement products; research and development; consulting and more.

The CentralStar team has more people on-farm that are dedicated to helping you achieve your reproduction, production and profitability goals than any other similar organization. Involving our team from start to finish in the integration of genetic selection, reproduction programs, disease diagnostics, DHI, records analysis and herd health will maximize your results.

CentralStar District Customer Meetings

Join us for updates on the Cooperative and to learn more about: Genetics for the long haul • How to use diagnostic testing options • New research on the horizon Date

Venue

Address

November 11

The Gathering

2600 E Richmond Street, Shawano

November 15

29 Pines

5872 33rd Avenue, Eau Claire

November 18

Viking Lanes

1410 State Road 51, Stoughton

November 19

Dodger Bowl

318 King Street, Dodgeville

November 20

Bayside Supper Club

W9231 County Road G, Beaver Dam

November 21

Camelot

W192 State Road 67, Lomira

11:30 a.m. Registration • 12:00 p.m. Lunch, followed by program RSVP to 800.288.7473 Director elections will be conducted by the common stockowners of each district.

Enhancing producer profitability through integrated services.

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Byrem named Chief Operating Officer The Board of Directors has selected Dr. Todd Byrem as CentralStar’s next Chief Operating Officer (COO) to replace Mark Adam as he announced his intent to retire in late December, 2019.

Adam has led the Cooperative since 2015 and has been instrumental in growing business to over $60 million in revenues.

He joined the team in 2000 as Director of DHI Services, and successfully ushered the mergers of Michigan DHI and Fox Valley DHI, creating a new service line for the organization. In 2009 he transitioned to Director of Integrated Services and was instrumental in developing the team field structure in place today.

“We are fortunate that Mark has dedicated the vast majority of his career to our organization,” said CentralStar Board President, Paul Trierweiler. “Mark was the Cooperative’s first Director of DHI

Services and put us on the map as a premiere provider. Through his leadership we became the fastest growing National DHI organization in the country. The Board of Directors appreciates all that Mark has done for the development and advancement of CentralStar. At the same time, we are excited about the future with Todd, as he works alongside our CEO, Jerome Meyer. Together they have the strengths and enthusiasm to lead CentralStar in this rapidly changing industry.”

Byrem currently serves on CentralStar’s Executive Staff as Director of Research and Development. Over the last 20 years, his teams have created and commercialized the milk diagnostic platform with over a dozen new testing options that have transformed the U.S. DHI industry and are international in scope. To support this platform, they created a progressive and

applied research and development program that can innovate in any direction the Cooperative desires. Most recently, focus has been on renovating the laboratories into sophisticated and automated networks that can quickly adapt to the changing biotechnology needs of the industry.

A graduate of Cornell University with a Ph.D. in Animal Science, Byrem is steadfast in his passion for CentralStar's Mission and Vision. “Consistent with our long-standing tradition, we’ll excel by equipping our team with the best training, best tools and best products to enhance the livelihood of our customers,” shared Byrem.

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The right candidate Reliability, integrity and work ethic are traits every employer values in their employees.

But when the number of jobs exceed the number of job seekers you might have to look past traditional methods. That’s why when dairy producer, Brian Boven learned about technology that could provide those skills, he hired it.

“Like most farms we are constantly challenged with having enough employees with the right skills,” shares Brian. “When I heard about CowManager® and learned what it could do to help with the herd health I was interested.”

Successful fresh cow programs often involve intense scrutiny with fresh cow checks, including BHBA’s, Ketone strips, and more. All of which requires employees to perform the same task 365 days a year, with perfect protocol compliance and a consistent level of effort. That’s a lot to ask.

“You have to have a keen eye to notice a cow isn’t feeling well, and often by the time you see it – it’s too late,” says Brian. “With CowManager we are more proactive with health issues and can get them treated sooner, without relying on someone to notice. CowManager has definitely reduced the time we spend treating cows and ensures compliance for when intervention occurs.”

CowManager is a revolutionary ear sensor technology that provides 24/7 real-time alerts to monitor a herd’s health, fertility, nutrition and location. Based on ear temperature and behavior, the Health Module reliably detects changes in time spent eating or ruminating, allowing early intervention saving money on labor, production losses and treatment costs.

CowManager also provides ongoing insight during recovery.

Prior to installing CowManager, the McBain, Michigan dairy performed fresh cow checks on every cow for five days; disrupting animal routine, slowing down parlor efficiency and putting employees at a greater risk of injury. Today fresh cow checks have been eliminated and they simply rely on CowManager.

“We were overtreating fresh cows and spending more in medication than we needed to,” recalls Brian. “Since installing CowManager we’ve reduced our treatment costs by 25 percent, which really adds up and quickly pays for the system.”

Managing herd health with CowManager has changed the way Brian and his employees spend their day with the 680-cow herd.

“CowManager has made everyone’s day easier. Whether I’m at the dairy or not, the mobile App tells me if a cow needs attention, and then I can direct someone to go check and take care of her,” says Brian. “We used to run out of time to get the routine work done with the herd, but that’s not the case anymore. CowManager saves us a lot of time.”

that can prove to be the right candidate for farms.

“CowManager has made managing herd health easier for myself and my employees,” says Brian. “It’s lightened our workload, saved us money and is less stressful for the cows. I can’t imagine not having it.”

CowManager CowManager provides early disease detection based on behavior and ear temperature.

The benefits of technology on dairies is nothing new. Even if you don’t remember life before automatic takeoffs, robotic milking systems, sexed semen and milk-based diagnostics, you certainly understand their impact on efficiency and profitability.

Investment in research, and advancements in technology will continue to provide reliable options

Enhancing producer profitability through integrated services.

• Monitors each cow 24/7.

• Alerts immediately when a cow has health issues.

• Provides ongoing insights on recovery.

• Increases profits through reduced labor and medication, reduced cull rates and a healthier herd. mycentralstar.com/cowmanager

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Thank you!

Mark Adam, Chief Operating Officer

After more than 35 years in the DHI and A.I. business it is time to hand the ball off to our new Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Todd Byrem.

I am excited to watch what he and CEO, Jerome Meyer, will accomplish leading the team.

My career has been a fun and exciting time in this crazy business. It’s rewarding to reflect on our team’s accomplishments which has grown us to a $60 million

business. It took real team effort to get us to this level. Today, CentralStar DHI tests more than a half million cows; has created two state-of-the-art laboratories for milk and diagnostic analysis, with more expansion in the works; sells over 2.1 million units of semen annually; and provides reproductive services to more farms and animals than we can count. If that hasn’t kept things ticking along don’t forget that in the last 19 years, we have developed diagnostic tests and services; and completed mergers which have expanded our customer and employee base.

All of this has only been possible because of our people. Working with and watching

teammates develop and grow one cow, one heifer, one sample, one herd at a time, has been rewarding, and the results staggeringly positive! Our people embrace the team structure and the results are supported by the facts in this publication.

Then there is you. Whether you are a customer, member, industry partner, board member or friend, you gave me and the CentralStar team the opportunity to dream BIG and we did.

Thank you for your friendship, and the opportunity to help manage this exciting, forward-thinking organization. It has been a great ride! Borrowing my final comment from my favorite team… “Go CentralStar GO!”

Next Level

Genetic Gains

program is for you!

If you are striving for unprecedented genetic gains, the NxGEN

Qualifying members who complete the contract have early access to an exclusive lineup of elite sires. Member

Get started with NxGEN

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Join the Program

Apply for NxGEN membership at www.selectsires.com.

herds benefit immensely from the impact of these profitable genetics, however the opportunity to market resulting offspring back to Select Sires also exists.

To date, NxGEN offers six of the industry's highest caliber sires, including: 7HO14250 LEGACY, 250HO14134 RENEGADE,

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Choose Elite Genetics

Order with your CentralStar team.

Semen will ship direct to your door.

www.mycentralstar.com • 800.631.3510

250HO14633 BIGGELO, 7HO14364 EISAKU, 7HO14792 MAGNITUDE and 14HO14810 RIGLEY. These six sires offer values greater than +2750 GTPI, extremely balanced proofs and are specifically selected to drive genetic progress. Learn more from your CentralStar team.

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Capture Genetic Trends

Use NxGEN sires on your most elite animals and maximize genetic progress.

Improve profit per stall Even with the most painstaking preventive measures in place at your farm, cows die.

Certainly, minimizing those losses is a high priority for you.

A study done by Zoetis and Compeer Financial found six key drivers of profitability on dairies, of which death loss was among them. In this article we will review how death loss affects profitability and what you should be monitoring.

This study showed there are real differences between the most and least profitable herds. The range of death loss in all herds spanned from 4.2 – 5.8 percent in the most profitable herds, to 10 percent in the least profitable herds. The difference in profitability between the top one-third and the bottom one-third equated to $185/ lactating animal.

Death is by far the costliest cause of herd removal and is aggravated by the significant loss of a productive asset.

Deaths in the first 60 days in milk (DIM) are most expensive as there has been significant cash outlay with minimal revenue return.

The most common way to calculate death loss is to divide the number of cows that die, by the average number of cows in the herd (22/541 cows = 4 percent death loss). You can do the math, or death rates can also be tracked in the activity monitor

in PCDART or in “events by days in milk” in DairyComp.

If your herd’s annual death loss is above 5 percent in total, or 2 percent in the first 60 DIM, it’s important to know why. In my work I often find that the reasons are not recorded or not precisely known. It’s important that recording these details is a priority so causes can be analyzed. If the cause of death is unclear because it was sudden, or treatment was ineffective consider necropsies. Knowing why animals die is the first step to improving management and preventing more.

That said, we know not all deaths on a dairy are avoidable, but high death losses are crippling to profitability and suggest high incidence of disease.

Another benefit this study discovered was that herds with lower death losses produced 7.3 pounds more of energy corrected milk (ECM) per day, further solidifying the importance of minimizing and managing losses on your dairy.

If you are not recording why cows die, it’s time to start. If you are, make sure to evaluate the data. Understanding the reasons can help you implement changes that will decrease the occurrences and increase your profitability.

Understand your numbers A 2 percent death loss in the first 60 DIM is achieved by top herds, and a good goal to strive for. If your rate is higher, it's important to look into the reasons why.

In PCDART use the "activity monitor" to find this information. This example shows a 4 percent death loss in the first 60 DIM (22 /541 cows = 4 percent). In this herd, there is an opportunity for improvement in this area which can generate more profit.

Event

Total

1-29

30-59

FRESH

541

541

0

SOLD

110

13

9

DIED

38

18

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Note: Six key factors that drive profitability per stall include somatic cell count, energy corrected milk, net herd replacement cost, pregnancy rate, heifer survival rate and death loss. To learn more talk with your CentralStar team or email me.

Julie Ainsworth is the lead Coordinator for dairy production and reproduction record analysis at CentralStar. In this role she uses records analysis to troubleshoot and monitor herd performance, bringing together producers, veterinarians, nutritionists and key farm personnel to better understand issues and opportunities farms face.

Julie has over 20 years of experience providing records analysis. She obtained her Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls and has continued her training by maintaining her Professional Animal Science (PAS) certification. Contact her at julie.ainsworth@mycentralstar.com.

Enhancing producer profitability through integrated services.

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Presorted Standard Class U.S. Postage PAID Lansing, MI Permit #505

P.O. Box 23157, Lansing, MI 48909-3157 800.631.3510 • mycentralstar.com Return Service Requested

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CentralStar its agents or employees cannot and do not guarantee the conception rate, gender, quality or productivity to be obtained in connection with the use of its products or recommended techniques. It makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever, expressed or implied, which extend beyond the description of its products and hereby disclaims all warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In the unlikely event that any of our products shall be proven to be defective, damages resulting from their use shall exclude consequential damages and be limited to the purchase price of the product.™NxGEN is a trademark of Select Sires. ®CowManager is a registered trademark of Agis Automatisering. ™CONVERT and Select DTX® are trademarks of Agrarian Solutions, Middlebury, Indiana.

Connect with us at:

The right candidate When finding enough people with the right skills is a challenge for your dairy, CowManager technology may be a great solution.

Prepay and Earn 4%

Improve profit per stall Make knowing and understanding your numbers for key factors that affect profitability a priority.

Make a prepayment towards your 2020 purchases with CentralStar and earn an additional 4 percent in buying power.

Next level genetic gains Enrolling in NxGEN gives you access to an elite lineup of sires, that can drive genetic progress like never before.

To qualify your account must be current and a prepayment of cash or check must be received between December 1 - 28, 2019. Include "prepayment" in the note on your check.

Call 800.631.3510 for more information.