Dairy Herd
Northwest Dairy Association (NDA), a dairyfarmer-owned cooperative, and Darigold, Inc., its wholly owned milk processing subsidiary, recently pledged support for the draft dairy reform legislation released by House Agriculture Committee ranking democratic member Collin Peterson (D-MN) earlier this summer. Peterson, who plans to introduce the legislation this fall, will be joined by Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID) as a co-sponsor. The proposal is based on Foundation for the Future (FFTF), a comprehensive dairy reform proposal authored by dairy leaders across the country."Our decision to support the Peterson/Simpson proposal is not one taken lightly,” according to Jim Werkhoven, Chairman of the Northwest Dairy Association and Darigold boards of directors and a dairyfarmer in Monroe, Washington. “We began our evaluation of the proposal more than a year ago, by presenting it to the membership at our annual meeting. Since then, we have discussed the plan in many forums, including area producer meetings. There is an industry consensus building around Foundation for the Future that promises improved economic stability for dairyfarmers and ensures food security for the nation.”
BY SHERRI ACKERMANThe Tampa TribuneTAMPA It’s the latest public education controversy to sweep the nation, and it has nothing to do with high-stakes testing or graduation rates.This debate is about chocolate milk, and it’s coming soon to a cafeteria near you.This summer, the Los Angeles Public School District banned chocolate milk from its lunchrooms. It joined a growing list of states, including Florida, that link the sugary beverage to childhood obesity.One school nutrition manager in Coloradodubbed chocolate milk “soda in drag.”
By Josh Rhotenjrhoten@wyomingnews.comCHEYENNE - Drought conditions across the U.S. have created a unique situation for Wyoming ranchers.Demand for hay continues to grow, sparking an increase in prices.Monte Lerwick, a rancher and farmer in Albin, said he was seeing a rise in prices, even for low-quality hay, because of the high demand."Our hay prices have been really high this year, and we have started to bundle it up into larger bails to send to other places because of the demand,” he said. “It doesn’t even really matter if it’s high quality or not, people just need it because of that drought.”
In its September World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, USDA also projected lower U.S. feed grain supplies for 2011-12.
Corn conception, and development, is poorly understood. So biology professor Virginia Walbot devotes her career to tackling one of botany’s big puzzles: the sex life of corn.
Family dairy farming-inspired calendars to be distributed at World Dairy Expo and across the country by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
The plant will be the only canola oil facility west of the Rocky Mountains.
More frequent meals means there is less feed slugging into the rumen, less chance of acidosis and a more stable rumen environment.
Committee members hear concerns that current dairy programs don’t provide a meaningful farm-level safety net.
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 17 requests for export assistance from Darigold, Dairy Farmers of America, Foremost Farms and United Dairymen of Arizona.
This innovative program uses a team approach to improve dairy herd reproduction.
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that dairy farmers who were forced to dump milk, due to power outages and washed out roads and bridges preventing transportation, will receive payments at the market value for the milk that they had to dump.
‘Saving for a rainy day’ and liquidity is key to surviving downturns.
Due to the impact of this natural disaster on dairy farmers in the Northeast, USDA is taking administrative action to include this milk as part of the Federal Milk Marketing Orders pool for the months of August and September.
The awards will recognize dairy farms, businesses and collaborative partnerships for efforts that deliver outstanding economic, environmental and/or social benefits.
The fat-free TruMoo milk that will be offered in schools contains just 130 calories per serving and only 10 grams of added sugar. That meets the industry target of good tasting flavored milks that contain no more than 150 calories and less than 25 grams of added sugar per 8 oz. serving.
National Milk Producers Federation says the plan’s Dairy Margin Protection Program helps farmers insure up to 90% of their milk production against low margins.
Dairy prices are up 27% over last year, and beef prices are up nearly 20%. But, 2012 might be a different story as feed costs increase.
LOL chairman Pete Kappelman: "[The proposal] has the potential to dramatically improve the traditional approach to dairy policy...”
There is a high demand for hay because of the drought that has forced many ranchers to stretch their limited supply or sell off their livestock.An even worse scenario is what lies ahead. With no rainfall of significance on the horizon, there’s no time to produce much hay across the Lone Star State to neither catch up with the demand nor restock the barns for winter.
“The feed situation is as bad as I’ve seen it in my 50 years of dairy farming,” says Larry Purdon, MDA president and Purdy, Mo. dairy farmer.
Florida reported the highest milk price in the country, at $25.80. Idaho was the lowest, at $19.90.
Milk haulers still have not been able to reach at least four dairy farms in Vermont because of washed out roads and bridges due to Hurricane Irene.
With roads and bridges washed out, milk haulers have had to go to smaller sized trucks that can navigate seasonal roads and even farm and field lanes.
Wisconsin’s farm crops are flourishing, yet agribusinesses are worried about the outlook for ethanol, a corn-based biofuel, and the global economy.
The website, www.StopSupplyManagement.com, explains John Pagel’s opposition to the supply management portion of Foundation for the Future
Hurricane hits New England dairies hardest; Mid-Atlantic dairies, processing plants lose power but escape with minimal damage.
The net effect in producer pay prices will be zero, claims the California Milk Producers Council.