Dairy Forage Seminars

Dairy Forage Seminars at World Dairy Expo are hosted by the organizing partners of the World Forage Analysis Superbowl. Forage experts from the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, University of Wisconsin and other research centers work together to present seminars on cutting-edge research and information. These experts are also available throughout the week in the World Forage Analysis Superbowl space, located in the Trade Center at World Dairy Expo.

The list of 2025 Dairy Forage Seminars and their descriptions are below!

Wednesday, October 1 at 10:00 a.m.
Corn Silage Utilization in Dairy Rations
Luiz Ferraretto, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Ruminant Nutrition Extension Specialist, UW-Madison, Madison, Wis. 

This presentation will discuss the importance of minimizing yeast contamination in silage and its implications on nutritive value. Also, some new information about nutrient variation in corn silage and how it affects dairy cows will be discussed.

Dr. Luiz Ferraretto is a Ruminant Nutrition Extension Specialist in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research interests are applied dairy cattle nutrition and management with emphasis on starch and fiber utilization by dairy cows, forage quality and digestibility, and the development and evaluation of assays for feed and forage analysis. 

Wednesday, October 1 at 1:30 p.m.
Use of Cover Crops in Dairy Cattle Nutrition
Ken Kalscheur, Ph.D., Research Animal Scientist, USDA-ARS, US Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, Wis.

Cover crops are becoming increasingly used in cropping systems to improve soil health, nutrient use, and crop yields.  Alternatively, cover crops can be used as a source of forage for dairy cattle.  This presentation will discuss how cover crops can be utilized in the diets of high producing dairy cows.

Dr. Kenneth Kalscheur is a Research Animal Scientist at the USDA-ARS, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison, Wis.  Research conducted by Dr. Kalscheur focuses on the utilization of feedstuffs in dairy cattle diets to improve milk production, milk composition, nutrient utilization, and feed efficiency while reducing nutrient excretion to the environment. The overall goal of Dr. Kalscheur‘s research program is to investigate how we can optimize forages such as cover crops in dairy production systems.

Thursday, October 2 at 10:00 a.m.
Forage Makes Milk on Woldt Farms
Kelsey Woldt, HR Manager, and Jeff Evenson, Dairy Manager, Woldt Farms LLC 

Woldt Farms utilizes fescue grass, haylage, BMR corn silage, oleic soybeans, and whey into their ration for 1,700 milking cows. They plant cover crops and use part of the cover crop rye for their heifers. During the growing season, they feed green crop to the milk cows. In this session, Jeff Evenson, Dairy Manager, and Kelsey Woldt, HR Manager, will share how forages contribute to their successful dairy operation.

Jeff Evenson has been at Woldt Farms for 18 years, starting out by feeding cows, and working his way up to the Dairy Manager He does ultrasounds, herd check, breeding, manages people, and help with field work. When he isn’t working, he likes to spend time with his wife Kayla and their 3 kids.

Kelsey Woldt is a graduate from UW-River Falls and does a variety of work at the farm, including field work, herd check, and office work. When she isn’t working, she likes checking out different hiking trails and reading.

Friday, October 3 at 10:00 a.m.
Improving Weed Management by Adding Alfalfa to Your Rotation
Mark Renz, Ph.D., Professor & Extension Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis. 

Weeds continue to challenge forage production systems, especially herbicide resistant populations. These can add $30-100 per acre in management costs. Including alfalfa in the crop rotation can reduce these troublesome weed populations at a reduced cost compared to corn/soybean and continuous corn rotations. The presentation will highlight this benefit and how to manage your alfalfa to maximize it.

Mark Renz, Ph.D., is a professor and extension weed specialist at University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Dr. Renz researches and extends information about the biology and management of weeds in perennial forages.  Research goals in Dr. Renz’s lab are centered on developing information that will improve outcomes for farmers that grow forages and manage weeds.  Dr. Renz has over 25 years of experience with management of weeds in forages in California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. His education efforts focus on providing technical information and educational opportunities for agency staff, consultants, and farmers.

Friday, October 3 at 1:30 p.m.
Harvesting the Benefits of Dairy Manure Application
Eric Young, Ph.D., Research Soil Scientist, US Dairy Forage Research Center, Marshfield, Wis. 

This presentation highlights manure management practices that increase nutrient use efficiency while minimizing losses to air and water. The soil and economic benefits of manure use will be discussed in addition to low disturbance manure incorporation. Agri-environmental aspects of applying manure during the growing and non-growing seasons will also be discussed. 

Eric grew up on a 100-cow dairy farm in central New York. Eric worked as a Cornell University Extension agronomist and certified nutrient management planner. After his Ph.D., he worked on soil phosphorus at the University of Vermont for three years, then spent nine years as a research agronomist at the Miner Institute in northern NY. In addition to research/extension and teaching at the Institute, Eric co-managed >1000 acres of cropland that fed >400 dairy cows and heifers. Eric joined the US Dairy Forage Research Center in Marshfield, WI in 2018 where he works on soil and manure nutrient management.  

Historical Dairy Forage Seminars are available here on YouTube.

The World Forage Analysis Superbowl is organized in partnership between Dairyland Laboratories, Inc., Hay & Forage Grower, US Dairy Forage Research Center, University of Wisconsin and World Dairy Expo. To learn more about the Dairy Forage Seminar series or the World Forage Analysis Superbowl competition, visit foragesuperbowl.com.