Join us for a day of learning about why reducing stress if helpful to you and your animals. We will also highlight ways for you to reduce stress in your life.
THIS CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO LOW ENROLLMENT.
February 26th, 2025
Abbotsford City Hall 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM
9:30 AM Registration
10:00 AM Stress and Strain Effects on Cattle Reproduction – Presented by Heather Schlesser
Most dairy managers dream of the “anonymous” cow. Trouble-free in udder conformation and mobility; rarely, if ever, treated for health events; and breeds back year after year. She’s anonymous because, on a day-to-day basis, our only interaction with her is milking. Anonymous cows do not need to be handled or receive special attention. Why do cows that face a common challenge (Stress) respond differently to it (Strain), and how do managers capitalize on this? The short answer is genetics, but it isn’t that simple, and we will discuss this in detail during this presentation.
10:30 AM Alternative Forage Options – Presented by Matt Lippert and Melissa Ohlrich
11:30 AM Lunch – Sponsored by Marathon County Farm Bureau
12:15 AM Cultivating Calm Conversations: A three-step approach to Farm Succession Planning – Presented by Joy Kirkpatrick
Research shows that working with other family members and succession planning are top stressors for farmers. This presentation will provide an overview of common barriers to planning for the next generation of owners/managers for family-owned farms. It will discuss recent research on what farmers see as the barriers and how farm owners can better prepare for their meetings with farm succession service professionals. Kirkpatrick will provide practical tools farmers can use to get the important and hard conversations started at the farm/family level. A three-step planning process provides a framework that farm members can follow and break down into smaller action steps. It blends practical, technical steps with ideas to address the emotional and personal dynamics that can derail succession planning.
1:15 PM Coping with stress – Presented by Carissa Weber, The Joyful Mind
It is very easy to let stress rule our lives and our decisions, especially in the world of Agriculture. Join Carissa as she talks about ways to identify ways to not just reduce stress, but improve your ability to tackle all the stressors that farm life can (and will) throw at you. Cariss will go over the 4 pillars of mental health and realistic steps you can incorporate in your life now to feel in control.
1:45 PM Panel Discussion: Real World Stress Reduction Techniques – Ashleigh Calaway, Brittany Olson, and Karen Endres
Our Presenters
Matthew Lippert is the Wood and Clark County agricultural agent. He has previous experience in the dairy nutrition industry, and his current focus in Wood County and other central Wisconsin counties has been on dairy production, dairy cattle nutrition, dairy genetics, and farm management. He works closely with grower organizations to develop educational programs and newsletters. Matthew has a Bachelor of Science in dairy science/ag economics and a Master of Science in animal breeding from UW-Madison.
Melissa Ohlrich is a regional crops and soils educator for Clark and Marathon Counties. She is fairly new to her role with UW-Extension, and prior to this she received a bachelor’s degree from UW-Stevens Point and worked for a handful of years on a vegetable farm in central Wisconsin. She is excited to help facilitate varied programing events in this area of Wisconsin related to topics such as pesticide applicator training, nutrient management, forage crop management, and whatever else meets the needs of local farmers.
Heather Schlesser is an agriculture educator for Marathon and Clark Counties. Her research and outreach have included using current technology to enhance farm profitability and sustainability. Her current projects include research on the transfer of passive immunity in the calf and milk quality. Heather also helps with planning the Animal Wellbeing Conference, the Midwest Manure Summit, and teaching farmers throughout the Midwest how to breed their own cattle. Heather has a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, a Masters in Animal Breeding and Genetics, and a PhD in Reproductive Physiology.
Joy Kirkpatrick has worked for the University of Wisconsin for 31 years. She began her Extension career as a county-based Extension educator. She is now a statewide farm management outreach specialist for UW-Madison Division of Extension. In this position she collaborates with colleagues to provide educational programs and information on farm succession planning. She has extensive experience facilitating farm succession discussions with farm businesses and farm families. Joy grew up on a farrow-to-finish hog farm in Southern Illinois, the youngest of seven. She is honored to work with farm families on some of their most personal issues when working on farm succession planning. She writes articles about and teaches workshops throughout the US on farm succession facilitation. Kirkpatrick co-developed the Certified Farm Succession Coordinator training with John Baker that has certified over 400 participants in farm succession planning in the US and beyond. Kirkpatrick received both her BS and MS degrees from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale.
Carissa Weber is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and clinical substance abuse counselor (CSAC) and has been practicing since 2011 in Central Wisconsin. Carissa specializes in assisting people who love life in rural Wisconsin manage and conquer the challenges associated with the life of rural living. Carissa grew up in central Wisconsin living and working with several types of agriculture, including tree farms, cranberry marshes, and orchards. Currently, she is working in collaboration with the National Farmers Mental Health Alliance to assist mental health therapists nation-wide to become more agriculturally confident when providing services to farmers. When she is not working advocate for mental health, Carissa lives with her husband and 3 children on their hobby farm where they continue the tradition of self-sufficiency living and raising heritage walking horses.
Panelists:
Ashleigh Calaway is Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s District 8 Coordinator, a role she has served in for over a decade. Ashleigh grew up in Lafayette County and is a graduate of UW-River Falls. Today, her and her husband, Josh, and their daughter, Alena, live in Wood County where they raise beef, sheep, goats, chickens and whatever else she brings home in the trailer. Ashleigh is responsible for working with county Farm Bureaus in District 8 (Clark, Lincoln, Marathon, Portage, Price, Taylor, and Wood) to develop and implement programs that serve Farm Bureau members while also helping to recruit and retain the district’s membership efforts.
Brittany Olson is a dairy farmer, writer, and photographer from Dallas, Wisconsin in Barron County. Brittany grew up in Adams County with farming roots in Dane County and has a degree in agricultural marketing communications from UW-River Falls. Her written work has appeared in Dairy Star, Progressive Dairy, Wisconsin Farmers Union News, Wisconsin Holstein News, The Country Today and Hoard’s Dairyman just to name just a few. When she’s not milking registered Holstein and Jersey cows with her husband, Sam, chasing their 2-year-old son, Titus, writing or taking pictures, Brittany is a fierce and relentless warrior for farmer mental health and suicide prevention. She is a farmer wellness peer group leader for DATCP’s farmer support groups and she utilizes her media background to advocate for farmer wellness across a variety of platforms. In addition to farming and photography she also makes and sells cows’ milk lotion. She and Sam were finalists for the 71st Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmer award.
Karen Endres earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the UW-Madison and went on to work in marketing, communications, and public relations. As part of the Farm Center team, Karen uses her expertise in agriculture and wellness to coordinate programs that help farmers improve their mental health. Outside of work, Karen enjoys coaching track and field, fitness, and raising her three daughters. Her husband Randy owns and operates a dairy farm with his brothers and their families.
