DAIRY

HUTCHINSON - Extreme heat and a severe water shortage have chopped this year’s corn crop drastically across Kansas, especially for dryland corn.This time of year usually is hectic across the state as grain trucks line up to dump harvested corn at grain elevators. But those trucks are only trickling in as farmers come to grips with a grim harvest they hope is only a one-year anomaly.

Winners also received an all-expenses-paid trip to the American Association of Bovine Practitioners annual conference in St. Louis last week.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is requiring that 13 dairies in and near Chino take preventative measures to avoid manure runoff before the winter rains.

When Michele Bachmann is asked on the campaign trail about her ownership of a Wisconsin farm, she says federal payments to the family partnership have stopped and that she has never pocketed “a penny’’ of the government subsidies she denounces.

Canada’s federal government is funding a team of 16 scientists to try to figure out how farmers can use fewer antibiotics in the chickens, pigs and cows Canadians eat. Antibiotics are used in animal feed to prevent disease and promote growth.

On its 10th anniversary, the dairy giant reports that record financial performance and record milk production will result in $10.6 billion in milk payments and dividends.

The students received their financial support through the 2011 AABP Foundation-Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Fund.

In 2011, CWT has assisted members in exporting Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 32,785 metric tons to 20 countries on four continents.

It’s not your imagination: It costs more to fill your grocery cart this fall than it did at the beginning of spring.Staple food items sold at the three most popular groceries in the area have risen in price over the past six months, according to Dispatch research that began in March.Nationwide, grocery-store prices have increased 5.4 percent in the past 12 months, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Producers are expected to have the opportunity to sign up for the federal Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy program once again in late October.

Idaho congressman Mike Simpson is the lead Republican in support of the House Ag Committee’s Dairy Security Act.

The legislation will replace current, outdated dairy programs with new risk management tools.

The dairy reform package introduced last week will save a projected $167 million over the first five years and $131 million over 10 years.

In a world of increased feed costs, uncooperative weather and problems with forage quality, high milk prices and strong demand are helping some dairy producers make ends meet.

Culling was up across the country over the July numbers, with the largest jump in the Midwest, up 25%.

Governor Chris Christie today announced that United States Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack has granted a Natural Disaster Designation for 20 New Jersey counties following flooding and high winds from Hurricane Irene and several other weather disasters for farmers so far this year.

The new standards address animal welfare for dairy calves and heifers from birth to freshening across the U.S.

Exports are flourishing amid drought and high feed prices domestically, USDA says.

More than 65,000 producers and industry professionals will converge from 90 countries for the five-day dairy celebration Oct. 4-8 in Madison, Wis.

The Lely Astronaut A4 will undergo its first public showing in the U.S. in Madison, Wis., Oct. 4–8, 2011.

Western states, Texas and Florida show biggest year-over-year percentage gains.

We like to think we provide a nice atmosphere where they can excel in their jobs, which has made it easy to retain good workers.

The University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine is offering three courses: Beginning, Advanced and Somatic Cell Count analysis.

Midwest Environmental Advocates and their clients have paid Rosendale Dairy for legal and expert witness fees to settle the dairy’s claim that MEA’s claims are frivolous.

California congressman says it’s “time for Congress to stop picking winners and losers, which is causing a shortage of feed in our country.”

Program represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make major improvements, says National Milk Producers Federation.

Food prices are expected to rise as the corn surplus shrinks due to a hot summer, which likely scorched this year’s corn crop.

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.”