udder t opics - nmconline.org

National Mastitis Council Newsletter

NMC Annual Meeting in Savannah Addresses Topics from Milk Microbiome to Heifer Mastitis

In This Issue

NMC Annual Meeting in Savannah Addresses Topics from Milk Microbiome to Heifer Mastitis NMC Annual Meeting Photos Meet the NMC Scholars Thank You NMC Annual Meeting Sponsors! ‘The Udder Doctor’ receives NMC’s 2019 Award of Excellence NMC Honors 41 Dairies for Quality Milk Production Meet Your New NMC Board of Directors NMC Regional Meeting to be Held Jointly with AABP NMC Extends Collaboration with M²-Magazine

The National Mastitis Council (NMC) 58th Annual Meeting in Savannah, Ga., Jan. 29-Feb. 1, drew 365 attendees from 23 countries. Milk quality, mastitis and udder health researchers, dairy producers and dairy industry partners learned about the value of producing and marketing quality milk, along with gaining insights on cutting-edge research related to mastitis prevention, treatment and control. “This year’s NMC Annual Meeting offered timely topics for those interested in improving milk quality around the world – whether they’re dairy producers, researchers, milk processors, veterinarians or consultants,” said Jason Lombard, newly installed NMC president and annual meeting program chair, Fort Collins, Colo. “The Featured Symposium highlighted the value of nutrient-dense, wholesome dairy foods in healthy diets. Plus, we armed attendees with ways to effectively communicate dairy’s value – for human nutrition and a sustainable environment.” During the NMC annual business meeting, new members elected to the NMC board of directors include Justine Britten, Udder Health Systems, Boise, Idaho; Juan Pedraza, Zoetis, Lubbock, Texas; and Brandon Treichler, Select Milk Producers, Canyon, Texas. Officers are: Jason Lombard, U.S. Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, Colo., president; Sarne De Vliegher, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium, first vice president; Patrick Christian, Christian Hill Dairy, Mayville, Wis., second vice president; David Kelton, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont., Canada, past president; and Linda Tikofsky, Boehringer Ingelheim, Trumansburg, N.Y., secretary-treasurer. Other board members include: Keith Engel, GEA, Madison, Wis.; Steve Lehman, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Novi, Mich.; Marcos Munoz, University of Concepcion, Chile; Roger Thomson, MQ-IQ Consulting LLC, Battle Creek, Mich.; Lowell “Jim” Davenport, Tollgate Holsteins, Ancramdale, N.Y.; Alfonso Lago, DairyExperts, Inc., Tulare, Calif.; and Elizabeth Berry, Animax, Hereford, United Kingdom. Mario Lopez, DeLaval, Kansas City, Mo.; Joe Gillespie, Gillespie Veterinary Service PC, McCook, Neb.; and Kevin Anderson, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.; retired from the board. NMC capitalized on last year’s successful inaugural 5K Fun Run/Walk and the second event was held along the Savannah riverfront. More than 50 people participated in this event. The run/walk, along with the silent auction, raised more than $4,000 for the NMC Scholars fund. Mark your calendars for the 59th NMC Annual Meeting – Jan. 28-31, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. The tentative schedule includes a dairy farm tour on Jan. 28, short courses and welcome reception on Jan. 29, general session and short courses on Jan. 30, and general session and awards lunch on Jan. 31.

March 2019 Volume 42, No. 2

UDDER TOPICS

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A Global Organization for Mastitis Control and Milk Quality

NMC Annual Meeting Photos

During an NMC Annual Meeting break, Kellie Enger of The Ohio State University gains insight on research that Sam Rowe is conducting at the University of Minnesota.

Michigan State University’s Pamela Ruegg kicks off the NMC Annual Meeting with a discussion on the milk microbiome.

Juliano Goncalves, University of São Paulo, presents “Chronic Subclinical Mastitis Pathogens Change Cow Level Milk Yield and Components” during the Research and Development Summaries Session.

Jim and Karen Davenport pose for the camera with Forrest Gump. The reception/silent auction was sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.

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Editor’s note: Each year, we ask the Natonal Mastitis Council (NMC) Scholars to share their perceptions, observations and personal experiences regarding their attendance at the NMC Annual Meeetng. Here’s what this year’s Scholars had to share about their experiences.

Ameline Wuytack Last summer, I was very pleased to hear that I was selected for the 2019 NMC Scholars program. The award gave me the opportunity to attend the NMC 58th Annual Meeting in Savannah, Ga. This meeting focuses on mastitis control and udder health, my area of expertise. The meeting started with a tour of local dairy farms, displaying a wide variety of dairy management systems. These family-owned dairy farms ranged from 400 to 4,000 cows, which is a big contrast to the smaller farms generally seen in Belgium (average of 87 lactating cows). It was educational to learn about their management challenges and solutions regarding udder health. During the bus ride, I met one of NMC’s Platinum National Dairy Quality Award winners. These dairy farmers consistently produce high-quality milk. This gave me another opportunity to learn about milk production techniques that help achieve excellent milk quality. The NMC Annual Meeting also includes short courses. These are practical sessions for a specific audience, which are adjusted to their respective competence level. I, for example, attended the course focusing on evaluation of vacuum levels and air flows, demonstrated on a portable milking parlor. It was an interesting hands-on course. In addition, the meeting offers committee meetings that discuss udder-related topics. These committees encourage attendees to participate and provide insight on some of NMC’s priorities and goals. Throughout the meeting, posters were displayed and the authors answered questions and networked with colleagues. During the Research and Development Summaries Session, scientists presented their research involving udder health and milk quality. I was pleased to be among those who presented. This oral presentation created a means for discussion and

networking. NMC provided additional opportunities for Scholars to be introduced to the audience and connect with other actively engaged members. Overall, the annual meeting was interesting and it presented me with an updated view of the field and allowed me to meet dairy producers, industry suppliers and researchers, all focusing on the same goal – improving udder health and milk quality. Therefore, I am very grateful to NMC for awarding me a travel

scholarship. It was an inspiring experience.

Saranya Narayana Being selected as one of the 2019 National Mastitis Council (NMC) Scholars was the proudest moment of my life. It was the first interna-tional recognition I have received as a student. And, it was a dream-come-true moment when I heard the news of being selected for this prestigious honor. I would like to thank NMC for selecting me as one of the 2019 Scholars. It was my first time attending an NMC

conference. Throughout my academic career, this conference will always be special to me. I will try to attend the NMC Annual Meeting each year. I have attended several other scientific conferences. However, NMC differs from all of those in a much better way. It is the only conference that focuses on mastitis and brings scientists, veteri-narians, industry partners and dairy producers from all around the world to gather in one place at the same time. Since my research highlights genetic and genomic analysis of mastitis resistance in dairy cattle, there could not be a better conference for me to attend. Moreover, this conference was special because it was held in Savannah, Ga. I was struck by the charming Southern landscape, where art, period architecture, trendy boutiques and ghost stories were all set under a veil of Spanish moss. As an NMC Scholar, I had the opportunity to attend a short course, committee meeting and Technology Transfer Session. I went to the “Practical Mastitis Problem‐solving Workshop”


Meet the NMC Scholars

Zhaoju Deng, Utrecht University; Ameline Wuytack, Ghent University; Savannah Basham, Auburn University; and Saranya Narayana, University of Calgary; attended the 2019 NMC Annual Meeting as this year’s Scholars.

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short course. It was conducted by Peter Edmondson from Udder Wise Global Mastitis Solutions, Somerset, UK. He covered topics such as the reasons for high somatic cell count and clinical mastitis in herds, quantified farm losses due to mastitis, offered practical solutions to control mastitis and gave advice on follow-up actions. I also had the opportunity to present my research, “Genetic Analysis of Intramammary Infection,” to a wide audience at the Technology Transfer Session. During this session, I interacted and shared my work with different scientists, industry people and farmers. Additionally, I explained the impact of my research in controlling mastitis. This was also a great opportunity to meet other graduate students and learn about their work. Overall, I enjoyed the conference. The NMC Annual Meeting gave me the opportunity to see the faces of legendary scientists behind the scientific research papers I have read, which was awesome. Meeting these individuals and sharing insights with well-known researchers was a privilege.

Zhaoju Deng The NMC Annual Meeting is the world’s top conference in mastitis research. I was quite excited to be selected as an NMC Scholar, which provided a travel grant for me to attend the meeting in Savannah, Ga. It was my first time attending the NMC Annual Meeting. I appreciate the opportunity to visit dairy farms and share my research during the conference. The three farms I visited as part of the NMC Dairy Farm Tour were very impressive. Herd size was about 300, 1,700 and 6,000 cows – quite similar to Chinese dairy farms. I admired the good management, especially on the largest dairy, which had no fancy tools. Yet, the owners and managers strongly believe in collecting data and making business management decisions based on that information. Compared to Chinese dairy farms, the Georgia farms are excellent examples to be followed. As an NMC Scholar, I received the privilege to communicate my research on early diagnosis of subclinical mastitis in dairy herds that use automated milking systems. With the fast development of automated milking systems and more farms equipped with this technology, mastitis diagnostics on farms with automated milking becomes more and more important. I also received valuable input from experts regarding my presentation.

During the meeting, I attended two short courses – Practical Mastitis Problem-solving Workshop by Peter Edmondson and Managing Large Dairies: The Consultant’s Role by Tom Fuhrmann, which provided a systematic approach for mastitis problem-solving on farm and a new angle of veterinarians/consultants on large dairy farm management, respectively. These courses further improved my confidence when I am consulting with dairy managers on farms. The NMC Scholars opportunity is unique. I met experts and doctorate students from various groups, which broadened and deepened my understanding of our research. During the confer-ence, I joined the International Committee discussion and shared the current status of Chinese dairy farming and mastitis research, hoping that NMC will further extend its network and reach in China. Discussion with Klell Ekins of Gunnison Bend Veterinary Services, Delta, Utah, about managing private diagnostic laboratories in the United States was an enjoyable experience. Since returning from Savannah, I shared my NMC Annual Meeting experiences with Chinese colleagues and told them about the NMC Regional Meeting to be held in Beijing this August. I believe it is my responsibility to share the knowledge I gained and tell others, especially in China, about the importance of joining and getting involved in NMC. Traveling to Savannah was a nice journey for me. I met researchers, veterinarians and dairy farmers from all over the world, and shared my experiences in dairy farming to improve udder health and animal welfare in the peaceful and beautiful city of Savannah. Thank you for offering me the opportunity to attend the 58th NMC Annual Meeting. I look forward to seeing members at future NMC meetings.

Savannah Basham Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of attending the National Mastitis Council Annual Meeting in beautiful Savannah, Ga. To be surrounded by and engaged with the leading mastitis researchers from around the world was an incredible experi-ence. In veterinary school we’ve had one lecture covering the topic of mastitis (yes, sadly, only one), so I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this organization and spend several days learning more about bovine udder health.



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This was my first NMC Annual Meeting, where I had the chance to attend a short course on basic milk bacteriology for profes-sionals, network with countless individuals and learn more about what NMC offers to its members. I participated in the 5K fun run and prepared a poster, which covered the cultural aspects of milk quality that encompasses my interests as a veterinary and public health student. I was impressed with the diversity of presentations offered at the annual meeting and I especially enjoyed the “hot topics” session, including the Centers for Disease Control presentation on raw milk associated health outbreaks and the lectures on dairy products and leading healthy lives. During the meeting, I gained knowledge and skills for improving milk quality that I can share with my peers and classmates in the future. I would like to thank the National Mastitis Council for choosing me to be a 2019 Scholar and for giving me the opportunity to travel to the annual meeting. Being able to interact with NMC members was priceless. I would like to specifically thank JoDee Sattler for coordinating my travel to Savannah and for helping the NMC Scholars stay organized. I hope to see you all at NMC meetings in the future!



More NMC Annual Meeting Photos

Back by popular demand, Roger Thomson’s “The Teaching Parlor” short courses boast hands-on learning and small group instruction from milking equipment experts.

Tom Fuhrmann engages students in his short course that helps individuals build their consulting skills.


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Diamond

Acumen Detection

AgriLabs

Boehringer Ingelheim

GEA

Merck

Zoetis

Platinum

Ambic

DeLaval

Ecolab

HIPRA

Land O’Lakes

Gold

Alltech

Dairy Farmers of America

FERA Diagnostics and Biologicals

KERSIA

Silver

ABS

Afimilk

BouMatic

Fight Bac

Foremost Farms

Michigan Milk Producers Association

Phibro Animal Health Corporation

PortaCheck, Inc.

Udder Tech

Industry Product Launch

Acumen Detection

AgriLabs

Zoetis

Charging Station

DeLaval

Lanyard Sponsor

Merck

Attendee Bags and Forrest Gump Event/Silent Auction

Boehringer Ingelheim

Dairy Products

Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Milk

Georgia Milk Producers

5K Run/Walk

Christian Hill Dairy

Gardner & Gardner Communications

Rubes Cartoons

Udder Health Systems

Thank You NMC Annual Meeting Sponsors!

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‘The Udder Doctor’ receives NMC’s 2019 Award of Excellence

National Mastitis Council (NMC) named Andrew (Andy) Johnson as the 2019 NMC Award of Excellence for Contribution to Mastitis Prevention and Control recipient. Affectionately referred to as “The Udder Doctor,” Johnson served as the 2003 NMC president. Johnson currently works as the herd health and wellness veterinarian for Grande Cheese Company, based in Fond du Lac, Wis. This award recognizes an NMC mem-ber who has provided sustained con-tributions to mastitis prevention and control through research, extension and/or education, clinical practice or service to dairy producers. Boehringer Ingelheim sponsors the award and presented Johnson with a $2,500 honorarium. A popular milk quality and mammary health speaker, Johnson has presented practical and applied workshops and lectures in 45 states and 26 countries over his storied career. “His understanding of the dairy industry and ability to communicate directly with people in all facets of milk production, processing and marketing are critical keys to the impact he has had around the world,” said Joseph Hogan, The Ohio State University professor emeritus. “Andy is uniquely gifted by being able to convey key messages to help individuals improve dairy operations, whether those helpful talking points are one-on-one conversations delivered in a milking parlor or formal presentations given to hundreds in a lecture hall.” As a testament to his influence on helping dairy producers market high-quality milk, several dairy producers who market their milk to Grande Cheese Company have been recognized in NMC’s National Dairy Quality Awards program, including two Platinum award winners this year. One of those winners, Jim Winn of Cottonwood Dairy LLC, South Wayne, Wis., said, “Initially, Dr. Andy helped us cut our somatic cell count (SCC) by half; but he said we could do even better.” One of Johnson’s recommendations was to take out the milking system’s back flush. “It was like turning on a light bulb,” said Winn. “After the first month, I saw a dramatic SCC drop and

fewer cows with mastitis. Dr. Andy has proven to me why he is the ‘King’ of Milk Quality.” Tom McClellan of McClellan Farms, Delavan, Wis., praises Johnson for his guidance in dairy herd management, milking procedures and protocols, equipment monitoring, employee education and barn design. “Our employees enjoy his quarterly

visits because he always brings us a positive attitude and they want to do their best for him. McClellan Farms, a past NDQA Platinum winner, belongs to Johnson’s “100/100 Club,” which signifies more than 100 pounds of milk (per cow per day) and less than 100,000 cell/mL SCC. “I feel we are proof of Andy’s years of work and dedication to the dairy industry and quality milk production.” A native of Canada, Gordon Spiers of Shiloh Dairy LLC, Brillion, Wis., first received advice from Johnson in the early 1990s. Johnson spoke frequently at Canadian dairy events. “I always enjoyed his passion for producing quality milk,” said Spiers. Johnson helped Spiers design Shiloh Dairy’s milking parlor and freestall barn. “With Dr. J’s help, we achieved goals beyond our dreams.” When starting the new dairy, Spiers concentrated on testing for Staphylococcus aureus and Myco-plasma bovis, under Johnson’s guidance. Shiloh Dairy is also a past NDQA recipient.

An NMC member for 40-plus years, Johnson chaired the NMC Milking Machine Committee and co-authored the globally recognized standard for milking system functional analysis, “National Mastitis Council’s Airflow Guidelines for System Analysis.” In the early 1990s, he helped launch NMC’s highly successful short courses and continues to serve as an instructor. A frequent contributor to peer-reviewed journals and dairy producer magazines, Johnson has received several accolades from industry partners, including 1998 American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Practitioner of the Year, 1989 AABP Excellence in Preventative Medicine, 1994 Wisconsin Veterinarian of the Year and 2003 Merial and Dairy Quality Assurance Quality Veterinarian Award.

Andy Johnson, left, also known as “The Udder Doctor,” receives the NMC Award of Excellence from Paul Rapnicki of Elanco.

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NMC Honors 41 Dairies for Quality Milk Production

National Mastitis Council (NMC) recognized the best of the best when it comes to quality milk production at its Feb. 1 Awards Luncheon, held in conjunction with the NMC 58th Annual Meeting in Savannah, Ga. Honored for outstand-ing quality milk production through NMC’s National Dairy Quality Awards (NDQA) program, the Platinum winners are: Cottonwood Dairy (Jim Winn and Brian and Randy Larson), South Wayne, Wis.; Mil -View Jerseys (David and Mark Miller), Millersburg, Ohio; RKB Dairy (Randy and Kathleen Bauer), Faribault, Minn.; Rock Solid Dairy LLC (Zane and Juanita Garber), Shippensburg, Pa.; United Dreams Dairy LLC (Tim and Lisa Evert, Rick and Ronda Lehman, Jeff Evert and Michael Nieman), North Freedom, Wis.; and University of Wisconsin Marshfield Agricultural Research Station, Stratford, Wis.

In addition to the six Platinum winners, there were 18 Gold and 17 Silver NDQA winners (listed below). These farms were selected from 165 nominations submitted for the 2018 awards. Farms were nominated by professionals, such as dairy plant field staff, veterinarians, extension specialists and Dairy Herd Improvement supervisors, who serve the dairy industry.

Gold Beattie Farms (Don Beattie), Holton, Mich. Ber-Sher Farm (Ron and Barb Brinks), McBain, Mich. Chambers Valley Farms (Bob Chambers), Salem, N.Y. Circle K Farms (Brad and Debbie Kartes), West Branch, Mich. Clover View Dairy LLC (Steve and Kim Fischer), Manitowoc, Wis. Crandall Dairy Farms LLC (Brad, Mark and Larry Crandall), Battle Creek, Mich. Dick Haven Farms LLC (Gordon Dick), McBain, Mich. DNL Farms LLC (Dave and Lynn Dummer), Elk Mound, Wis. Dorner Farms (Cory and Maria Dorner), Luxemburg, Wis. Gasser Farms LLC (Virgil, Lois, Steve, Aaron and David Gasser), Creston, Ohio John Rohlfs and Tim Narges Partnership (John Rohlfs and Tim Narges), Eden, Wis. K&K Dairy Farms LLC (Matt and Kristi Keilen), Westphalia, Mich. Kleinhans Dairy Farm (Michael Kleinhans), Kiel, Wis. Mud Val-E Farm (John Christian and Rhoda Chupp), Sugarcreek, Ohio Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center/Krauss Dairy Center, Wooster, Ohio Oz Dairy (Paige Mier), Prescott, Mich. Selke Farms (Walter and William Selke), Dakota, Minn. White Gold Dairy (Terry, Kelly and Natalie Eick), Plainfield, Iowa

Silver David Z. and Anna F. Beiler, Christiana, Pa. Benthem Brothers Inc. (Jason Benthem), McBain, Mich. Boehm Dairy Farm Inc. (Mark, June, Andrew and Jenny Boehm), Rawson, Ohio Bosscher Dairy (Michael Bosscher), McBain, Mich. Dinnerbell Farms LLC (Dale, Ann, Adam and Elizabeth Grahl), Eden, Wis. Hagley Farms (Timothy Hagley), Standish, Mich. Ladine Dairy Farm LLC (Lynn, Clint and Parker Bivens), Bellevue, Mich. Lambrath Farms (David Mageean), Ann Arbor, Mich. Harley and Marietta Lambright, LeRoy, Mich. Mark Ramer, Hale, Mich.

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NMC Honors 41 Dairies for Quality Milk Production cont.

Silver continued Red Mountain Jerseys LLC, (Marco Verhaar), Bad Axe, Mich. Sandstone Dairy (Henry M. Miller), Millersburg, Ohio Stoney Creek Meadows (William and Rachel Yoder), Butler, Ohio Theisen Family Farm (Jonathan Theisen), Campbellsport, Wis. Van Rijn Dairy (Dick Van Rijn), Deford, Mich. Wenkel Farms (Gerald Wenkel), Standish, Mich. Wolf Farms LLC (Tom and Debbie Wolf), Bonduel, Wis. NDQA judges considered many criteria when reviewing finalists’ applications. In addition to milk quality indicators, such as somatic cell count (SCC) and standard plate count (SPC), judges looked at specific details about each opera-tion, including milking routine, cow comfort, udder health monitoring programs, treatment and prevention programs, strategies for overall herd health and welfare, and adherence to drug use and record keeping regulations. This year’s NDQA sponsors included Boehringer Ingelheim, Acumen Detection, GEA, Ecolab, IBA Inc., QualiTru Sampling Systems, Hoard's Dairyman and NMC. This summer, nominee information for the 2019 NDQA program will be available on the NMC website (www.nmconline.org) and in Hoard’s Dairyman magazine.

This year’s National Dairy Quality Award winners include (front row) Kathy Bauer, Juanita Garber, Ronda Lehman and Dennis Frank; (back row) Andy Johnson (accepting for Cottonwood Dairy), Randy Bauer, Zane Garber, Rick Lehman and Will Cordes.


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Meet Your New NMC Board of Directors

Brandon Treichler Brandon grew up on a small family dairy farm in eastern Pennsylvania. Prior to veterinary school, he worked for a major milking equipment manufacturer, troubleshooting milk quality concerns on commercial dairies and training both dealership and dairy employees on milking equip-ment testing strategies and milk quality observational skills. After graduating from the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine, he joined a 13-doctor, all-dairy veterinary practice in eastern Wisconsin, where he specialized in milk quality consulting within the practice. In 2014, Brandon joined Select Milk Producers as a quality control veteri-narian, primarily working with large dairies in the Southwest and Midwest, in the areas of animal welfare, milk quality, residue avoidance and human resource man-agement. He also works with private dairy con-sultants on issues throughout the United States. He is based in Canyon, Texas. Brandon is a member of the National Milk Producers Federation’s Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Technical Advisory Committee, is active in the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) where he serves on the Animal Welfare Committee, and the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) where he serves on the board of directors. The Pennsylvania native sees a lot of different styles of dairying through his work. As the quality control veterinar-ian for Select Milk Producers, he works with open-lot and freestall dairies, cross-ventilated and naturally ventilated facilities, and dairies that bed with sand, manure solids or compost-bedded packs.

Brandon sees parallel, herringbone and rotary milking parlors, and automated milking systems. Most of his time is spent improving milk quality and animal care on his employer’s co-op farms. Brandon finds that facilities and management styles are very different, but the cow and people factors that drive milk quality are the same – no matter where he goes. Helping producers succeed “My only interest is in helping the producer succeed ,” said Brandon. “My clients’ know that I only have their and their cows’ best interests at heart. This gives me some latitude to do some things as a consultant that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to do. I want my clients to be the best; that’s what drives me and it’s what drives them.” Why did Brandon accept a position on the NMC board of directors? “This organization has had a profound impact on my career, so far, and I am happy to give back a small part of that by serving on the board,” he said. As a board member, Brandon hopes to grow both membership and the level of member participation, as he chairs the Mem-bership Committee. “NMC has a history of developing vibrant leaders in the field of milk quality and I want to help see that it maintains and even grows that heritage in the future,” said Brandon. New ideas from NMC Annual Meeting “I look forward to attending the NMC Annual Meeting every year,” said Brandon. “Not only is it a great group of people, and I enjoy both catching up with old friends and making new ones every year, but I always leave with some new ideas for my clients. My mentors and friends I developed through NMC constantly challenge me to think about milk quality differently and to grow as a professional and a person. I want to share that NMC experience with others as well.”

Juan “Rodrigo” Pedraza A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Rodrigo is a Dairy Tech-nical Services veterinarian with Zoetis. With veterinary practice experience in North America and South America, his areas of expertise include milk quality, milking systems and mastitis control, in conjunction with herd health, transition cows and calf health.

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Meet Your New NMC Board of Directors cont.

Rodrigo grew up in Colombia where he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from La Salle University in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1988. His career began in private practice in Medellin, Colombia, where he focused on eq-uine medicine and reproduction. After that, he built his private practice focusing on dairy and beef cattle, as well as equine. Despite his strong dairy background and experi-ences, Rodrigo is still a horse person at heart. As a bovine practitioner, Rodrigo was actively involved in

herd health, clinical work and surgery for 13 years. During this time, he also taught animal science courses at Politecnico Grancolombiano College in Bogotá. He has furthered his education by attending hands-on training sessions in milking equipment evaluation and

mastitis control under the Cochran Fellowship Program. In 2001, Rodrigo accepted an intern position with the food animal production management medicine department at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine where he made daily ambulatory visits to assist dairy and beef operations, and later as a resident in the same area. Two years later, as veterinarian and lab manager for Udder Health Systems Inc., Rodrigo consulted with large dairies across the country to enhance milk quality and supervised many of the company’s research projects. In 2005, he joined Pfizer Animal Health (the predecessor of Zoetis) as senior veterinarian Dairy Technical Services. Rodrigo is now based in Lubbock, Texas

Justine Britten Justine grew up in the Pacific Northwest town of Belling-ham, Wash. She attended Washington State University for her undergraduate education and graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in animal science. After graduation, she moved to Idaho to work for her family’s milk quality diagnostic business, Udder Health Systems. Her dad, Allan Britten, is a dairy practitioner who focuses on preventative

veterinary medicine in mastitis and udder health, and is the sole owner of Udder Health Systems. For 10 years, Justine worked for Udder Health Systems and gained a vast amount of experience in laboratory diagnos-tic methods, milking machine evaluations and milk quality consulting. In 2014, an opportunity to pursue a graduate education at Utah State University with David Wilson became available and she moved to Logan, Utah. Justine recently completed her doctorate in animal health and disease. Her research focused on using casein hydrolysates for involution of individual mastitic quarters mid-lactation and also as an alternative treatment at dry-off. Back at Udder Health Systems Justine is now back in Idaho working as laboratory director for all Udder Health Systems locations. Her duties include management of research and development projects, milk quality consultation with producers and veterinarians, technical support for laboratory services and management of laboratory operations. Justine also sees a need to reach out and connect with graduate and veterinary students, recent graduates of these programs and other potential new members. In

order for the dairy industry to remain healthy and continue to flourish, she believes it is our responsi-bility as dairy industry pro-fessionals and advocates to communicate and remain connected to producers and consumers alike. “The opportunity to join the NMC board of direc-tors is a very exciting one!” said Justine, who recently

moved to Boise, Idado. “I’ve been attending this meeting for 14 years and because it’s such a small community, it’s begun to feel like a family. I’m super excited to be done with school and jump back into milk quality work full time and can’t wait to be more involved with NMC.”

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Meet Your New NMC Board of Directors cont.

NMC Extends Collaboration with M²-Magazine The National Mastitis Council (NMC) has extended its existing collaboration with M²-magazine for calendar year 2019. As a member benefit, all NMC members have digital access to M²-magazine (www.m2-magazine.org). Furthermore, the magazine promotes NMC worldwide with a one-page story in each printed M²-magazine. Each article’s goal is to help increase NMC membership. To access M²-magazine the first time, log in on the NMC Members Only section (www.nmconline.org/member-signin) of the NMC website and click the M² button. M²-magazine is an academic magazine on mastitis and milk quality, reaching dairy professionals throughout the world. It provides international information, highlights and news related to mastitis and milk quality from a global perspective.


Justine Britten cont. The 2017 NMC Regional meeting was held in my home city of Boise, Idaho, and the program committee was chaired by my dad, Allan Britten, so naturally I became involved in the planning process. While I had been attending NMC events for years, this was really the beginning of becoming more involved in the organization. We recruited several local pro-ducers, veterinarians, industry leaders and NMC members who reside in Idaho and put together a successful program. During this meeting, I chatted with now current NMC President and fellow runner Jason Lombard about adding a 5K fun run to the annual meeting program. The 2018 Annual meeting in Tucson was the inaugural run (pun intended) and it has proved to be popular with meeting attendees and a new and fun way to add a social opportunity to the meeting.

NMC Regional Meeting to be Held Jointly with AABP

This year’s National Mastitis Council (NMC) Regional Meeting will be held in conjunction with the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Annual Conference, Sept. 12-14, in St. Louis, Mo. Tentative topics include: • Milk Quality Pays • Milking Systems Evaluation – Where to Start • In-clinic Milk Culture Programs • Lessons Learned About Managing Treatment Protocols • Growing a Milk Quality Stream in a Veterinary Practice • Mentoring Milkers While Bridging the Language Barrier • Culture-based Treatment Programs • Importance of Mastitis and Milk Quality Records • New Tools to Select the Right Clinical Mastitis Treatment • Answering the Tough Questions About Bedding and Mastitis We look forward to seeing you in St. Louis – the Gateway to the West.

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