Missouri

From 'Prince of Darkness' to Farm Hand: Remembering Ozzy Osbourne’s Special Visit to Shatto Milk Company

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 19:09:06 GMT

In 2018, Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic “Prince of Darkness” who recently passed away at the age of 76, stepped away from the stage and onto a dairy during an episode of “Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour.” That day, he and his children, Jack and Kelly, paid a visit to Shatto Milk Company, a family-owned dairy and milk bottling company in Osborn, Missouri, for a behind-the-scenes look at farm life.

Barbra Shatto, owner of Shatto Milk Company, remembers the experience fondly.

“The producers contacted us a month or two before and asked if it would be okay to visit,” Shatto says. “They asked that we not tell anyone that we were coming, so we closed our doors to tours that day. We had to keep it a secret until the show aired on TV”

A True Shatto Experience
Though the visit was kept quiet, Shatto says it was anything but forgettable.

“Ozzy was his usual self — the black hat, the coat and just a little crazy,” she says with a laugh. “They wanted a tour, to try our products and to give their hand at milking a cow. One funny thing that really stood out about Ozzy was that he absolutely loved our strawberry ice cream. He carried around a cardboard box of it, ate it throughout the day and even took it with him when they left.”

Not surprisingly, Osbourne was especially fascinated by the cows and the milking process.

“He milked a cow and was genuinely interested in how it all worked,” she says. “It’s probably not something he was very familiar with, but he seemed to enjoy every bit of it.”

Ozzy, Jack and Kelly took in the full Shatto experience. From visiting the bottling line and browsing the country store to meeting the calves and walking through the barns, the Osbourne family spent their entire day taking it all in.

“They loved all of the farm activities,” Shatto says. “And they were all very down-to-earth. Ozzy went around and would talk to a lot of our employees and ask them questions. He talked with our herdsman about the cows and our store employees about the bottling process. It was just like having an old friend come and visit.”

In true Ozzy fashion, Shatto remembers how Ozzy needed a bit of gentle wrangling from his kids.

“It was sweet watching his children keep him in line,” Shatto laughs. “He would sort of wander off to look at things, so Jack and Kelly would have to reel him back in.”

Shatto’s Deep Roots
Hosting Ozzy and his family was especially meaningful for the Shatto team, whose dairy roots run deep.

“Our farm is a centennial farm, going back over 110 years. It’s been in my family for 85 years, and we currently milk around 300 cows,” she says. “In 2003, we built the bottling plant and launched Shatto Milk Company because the milk check just wasn’t cutting it. We wanted to keep our cows and start selling directly to consumers.”

Since then, Shatto Milk has built a loyal following for its small-batch, farm-fresh dairy products and bold flavored milks. The company has become particularly known for a few of its staple flavored milks, such as root beer, cookies and cream, cotton candy and coffee.

“We even do special edition flavors to celebrate the Chiefs during the playoffs and the Royals during the World Series,” she says. “We’re also starting a mocha protein drink soon.”

A Visit to Remember
Osbourne’s visit has become a cherished memory for Shatto and the employees at Shatto Milk. An experience that has since become even more meaningful following the news of his passing.

“I didn’t even know he had Parkinson’s,” Shatto says. “I was just talking about him with friends a couple days before the news came out. I was saddened to hear that he had passed. He was a legend.”

Reflecting on that special day, she adds, “It was exciting and such an honor to host him here. And the whole thing about our town being Osborn, which is spelled just a little differently, well, that became an inside joke for everyone. But truly, it was just so much fun having him here on the farm. He was kind to our workers, curious about the farm and left a fun memory behind for all of us.”

Following the release of the episode, Osbourne shared more about the experience in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, revealing that milking a cow wasn’t entirely new to him.

“Everyone was surprised I could do it,” he told Rolling Stone. “But years ago, when I’d come back off tour, when I’d have jet lag in the ’70s and there was no all-night TV [in England], I’d get up very early, and I’d walk up to this farmer who lived nearby. He was milking cows at, like, five in the morning, and he showed me how to do a few things. And I’d help milk cows. So, when I did it [on the show], everyone was like, ‘How did you know how to do that?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I’m not just a singer.’”

And on that Missouri dairy farm, even if it was just for one day, he proved it.

Schreiber Foods Announces New Expansion to Missouri Cheese Plant

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 18:04:39 GMT

Schrieber foods has recently announced that it is making a major investment to its existing plant in Carthage, Missouri. The project includes a state-of-the-art, 168,000-square-foot production facility that will enhance Schreiber’s process-cheese operations and meet growing demand in the United States. In addition, the $211 million investment is expected to create 150 new jobs.

“We’re thrilled to continue our growth in Carthage,” said Ron Dunford, President & CEO of Schreiber. “This expansion underscores our commitment to innovation, quality, our customers and the Carthage community, as we work to do good through food in everything we do.”

The impact of Schreiber’s expansion extends beyond its own operations, as local leaders recognize the positive ripple effects it will have on the Carthage community and economy.

“Carthage appreciates Schreiber Foods’ continued investment into our community with this new production facility and the employee growth that comes with it,” said Jeff Meredith, Chief Executive Officer of the Carthage Economic Development Corporation. “We’re excited to partner with Schreiber Foods as we work together to grow the local economy and help provide quality jobs for the community.”

Based in North America, Schreiber is a customer-brand leader in cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, beverages and yogurt. Mobilization of construction is expected to begin in January 2025, with completion expected in 2027.

Your Next Read: Crossing the Complexity of Dairy Processor and Producer Relationships

US Treasury Dept. Moves to Limit Foreign Land Purchases Near Military Bases

Mon, 08 May 2023 20:20:32 GMT

By now, you’ve likely heard of the Chinese balloons that made their way across the U.S. in late January and early February and were eventually shot down. The spy balloons, coupled with a Chinese-owned company purchasing land 12 miles from a U.S. Air Force base in North Dakota, have sounded alarms on both state and federal levels.

To limit further foreign activity on U.S. lands, particularly the sale of land, the Treasury Department’s Office of Investment Security proposed a rule on Friday that would require foreign entities to garner U.S. government approval before they are able to purchase land within 100 miles of eight military bases.

Related story: Out-of-Country Farmland Investors: Here’s What The Numbers Show

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) welcomed news of the proposed rule, which could have blocked the North Dakota land sale to the Fufeng Group.

“This is a good first step to bolster reviews and mitigate threats similar to what we saw with Fufeng,” Cramer said in a statement on Thursday.

The Office of Investment Security is responsible for screening foreign business dealings in the U.S. and has the authority to block or force term changes in sales in order to protect national security.

Backstory on Fufeng Group’s North Dakota Purchase

Fufeng Group says it plans to use the land to build a $700 million corn milling plant, which would create at least 200 jobs, as well as residual opportunities for logistics, trucking and other services.

Many North Dakotans made their sentiments on the sale known, which led to a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. However, the committee’s review found no issue with the sale.

Related story: China’s Latest Land Purchase Could Pose Major U.S. Security Risk

“More needs to be done to ensure the U.S. food supply chain is secure and independent,” says Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.). “If we do not prevent these land grabs, we are failing to protect our farmers, our families and our country.”

In September, Newhouse, along with 50 other members of Congress, asked USDA and other agencies to take effective action in addressing the potential national security risks that appear to arise from this transaction.

Instead of waiting on the government, some states are taking legislative action on their own.

Missouri Puts Up a Foreign Land Ownership Wall

The Missouri Senate made moves on the issue in April when it backed a plan to amend the state’s foreign land ownership threshold from 1% to 0.5%. The bill also includes a provision that would limit foreign countries — including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea — from acquiring farmland in Missouri by Sept. 1.

“We’re not going to allow for foreign ownership in the state of Missouri,” said Sen. Rick Brattin (R-31). “We have to draw a line in the sand today. It protects our sovereignty as a nation.”

Related story: Missouri Moves to Tighten Reins On Foreign Land Ownership

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, foreign land ownership in Missouri accounts for 0.36%, just shy of the 0.5% proposed limit. In total, the department says China owns roughly 42,596 acres in Missouri.

PETA Tries Capitalizing on Cattle Flooding Deaths with Billboards

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:24:31 GMT

After more than a month since widespread flooding and blizzards devastated cattle producers in Nebraska and surrounding states, an animal rights group is using the tragedy to push a vegan diet.

Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced on April 1 plans to build billboards in cities near where flooding was prevalent this spring. The press releases included an inaccurate death toll count from the storms saying “approximately 1 million calves were killed in the flooding across the Midwest—many of whose dead bodies washed up along the riverbanks.”

The planned billboards include a Holstein dairy cow wearing an activity monitoring collar that appears to be swimming in a pond. The wording on the PETA billboard says “Stop Eating Meat! They Die for Your Cruel and Dirty Habit.” Cities included Kansas City, Mo. ; St. Louis, Mo. ; Fargo, N.D. and Sioux Falls, S.D.

“Every hamburger or steak dinner supports an industry that has repeatedly allowed scores of sensitive animals to suffer and die in natural disasters,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s billboard will challenge passersby to take personal responsibility for the painful deaths of these gentle calves by keeping cows and all other animals off their plates.”

The first billboard arrived in Kansas City around mid-April and have come under scrutiny from social media users and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. In a response to a news story by Kansas City television station FOX4, Mike Deering, the organizations executive vice president, shares that farmers and ranchers are at the mercy of the weather and these floods were devastating.

“Farm and ranch families love their animals. It’s their life. When disaster strikes, they put it all on the line to save their livestock,” Deering says. “Neighbors help neighbors. We stand tall and have zero tolerance for the hate and ignorance of PETA.”

People that FOX4 interviewed even said that the advertisement is deceptive.

“It’s out of context,” says Emily Reinhardt, who tells the TV station she rarely eats meat. “A flood happened and [it had nothing to do with] eating meat or the farmers treating cattle [poorly].”

Here is a sampling of the social media posts that have followed after the billboard became news and some of the comments point out the obliviousness of the animal rights group, while others say they aren’t going to give up eating beef:

PETA doing what PETA does best, capitalizing on a natural disaster to push their “political agenda.”

PETA’s new Billboard along Hwy 71 and 63rd St in Kansas City. pic.twitter.com/tadXXKhd1l
— Sunshine☀️ (@Farmlvngirl) April 25, 2019

PETA's new billboard alludes to the cows that drowned in recent flooding. This one is near 63rd and Prospect. pic.twitter.com/gh6Pb3jZTf
— Chris Morrison (@KCChrisM) April 24, 2019

This isn’t the first time that PETA has used tragedy to help push a vegan agenda. A crash in November 2017 involving beef cattle prompted a similar misuse of a dairy calf in a PETA billboard. After a semi-trailer hauling hogs in Minnesota rolled over in July last year the animal rights group planned a similar billboard . A March train collision with a semi-trailer in California also prompted PETA to put up a billboard telling people to go vegan.

For more on PETA’s billboard tactics during the past few years read the following stories:

Story Behind Mizzou's Iconic Tasty Ice Cream Treat is Pretty Sweet

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:03:47 GMT

Since the late 1800s, dairy has been a foundation of the University of Missouri, but it wasn’t until the 1980s one of Mizzou’s most iconic ice creams came to life.

“I created a black and gold ice cream, and so my name got around because people like it,” said Robert T. Marshall, professor emeritus, University of Missouri.

Marshall is one of the creators of not just any ice cream, but the beloved Buck’s Tiger Stripe ice cream .

“It’s the black and gold, the colors of the Tigers,” he said.

The iconic tasty treat didn’t happen by chance, but by science.

“The way it gets to be both black and gold is to have some gold color, primarily put in there by the 1.4% egg yolk solids that we put in it,” explained Marshall. “Now that’s uncommon for most ice cream.”

It’s not just the egg yolk making the flavors so rare, but the placement of the chocolate stripes.

“if you’re going to have a gold ice cream, and you’re going to make it black, you’ve got to have a thick running syrup that when it gets cold will stay there, and you can enjoy it,” he said.

It’s the thick ribbon, or the stripe, that was the most difficult attribute to achieve.

“Finding the cocoa that would make the black chocolate, and then the mixture that would keep it from running zinto the ice cream, and then as soon as it hits the freezer gel up and stay where we put it,” he said.

Unveiled in 1989, it was fueled by an endowment from the Arubuckles, and a flavor that took three years to create

“They appointed me in 1986 to get this program started, and so I got the program going, but it took us until ‘89 to put it out where we were proud of it.”

Today, the face behind the treasured treat is proud of what he created both inside and outside of the home of Mizzou’s Food Science.

“I think I’m prouder of how with the manufacturing by our various students, it stays to say they know how to take the mix that comes made for it and put it all together with those stripes in correctly.”

30 years later, the University is unveiling another esteemed ice cream flavor, this time dedicated to the entire state.

“Our food science students took a challenge from our chancellor Alex Cartwright , to come up with the flavor of ice cream that sort of captured the hearts of Missouri,” said Chris Daubert, Dean of the University of Missouri College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources.

The challenge kicked off at the start of the school year and was accepted by students like Ali Martin.

“The Chancellor and the Dean came to us and said they wanted to use paw paw, which is now the state fruit, into ice cream.

She says the paw paw is a fruit that boasts powerful flavors.

“A paw paw fruit is basically a mango and banana combined, but it’s a little bit bitter,” she said. “So they thought bringing the walnuts in, which is Missouri’s state nut, would help sweeten it up a little bit.”

She says sweetening up the fruit was a challenge, and took a few variations.

“We had to make sure that when we added the pop off that the ice cream wouldn’t get super bitter and wouldn’t be unappealing to customers,” she said.

Discovering the science behind the flavors turned into an ice cream with a unique taste.

“The candied black walnuts just gives it a little bit of a crunch and a little bit of pizzazz to it, but the combination of all those flavors together is quite good,” said Daubert.

The class project could live on for generations.

“I think it’s cool to say that we’ve used Missouri’s state fruit and the state nut to create something that no one has really done before,” said Martin.

From new flavors to the exquisite ice creams that are the bedrock of Buck’s, the traditions at Mizzou are thriving.

“Whether they play on the grid or shoot mighty threes down the pipe, they always smile when you feed them some fine black and gold Tiger stripe,” said Marshall, quoting a poem he wrote when tiger stripe was first introduced.

Students today are scooping up a slice of history that keeps ice cream lovers clambering for more.

Organic Dairy Considering Expansion in Missouri

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 03:00:07 GMT

A Colorado company that produces organic milk and butter is considering investing $90 million in a manufacturing plant in Columbia, Mo. and create 100 or more jobs.

Aurora Organic Dairy, based in Boulder, operates dairy, heifer and calf farms in Colorado and Texas. If the deal is approved, the company would pay about $2 million for a city-owned industrial site in Columbia. The Columbia City Council will hear a first reading of the plan Tuesday.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports Aurora Organic officials are currently reviewing real estate options and securing approval of state and local incentives. The company declined to comment further.

A council memo indicates Aurora Organic hopes to expand within the first five years with another $50 million in building and equipment and another 40 full-time jobs.

Missouri Economists Issue Dairy Revitalization Study

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:53:34 GMT

Missouri, with a rich heritage in milk production, is primed for dairy revitalization, says a University of Missouri Extension economist.

“Missouri has an advantage for milk production and an abundance of dairy infrastructure,” says Joe Horner.

Diary production and number of cows, farms and dairy farmers have declined for decades.

“That is changing,” Horner says. “Gains in Missouri milk production outpaced the national rate since 2013.”

But Missouri farmers just match consumer demand for fluid milk.

The MU dairy team has just released a “Missouri Dairy Industry Revitalization Study.” It was funded by the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority in the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

The MU plan looks at sustaining existing producers, growing from within and attracting new producers. “There are many opportunities,” Horner says.

“To start revitalization we need to be all on the same page,” says Horner, who led the team. The study assesses current dairy and economic impacts, gives historical context, reports needs, and looks at economic potential. The study compares Missouri with other dairy states.

Manufacturers of cheese, ice cream, yogurt and other milk products employ more than 5,000 workers. They pay nearly $275 million in wages annually.

“Making more milk would keep jobs in Missouri,” Horner says. “It starts on the farm. Local cows provide fresher milk with lower hauling costs.”

Of Missouri farm products, milk is the one that creates an abundance of off-farm jobs, he says. That includes milk tankers, processing, distribution, milking equipment and refrigeration dealers, feed suppliers, and even record keepers.

When we stop and look, we see lots of dairy assets and advantages in Missouri, Horner says. On the downside, a demographic shift nears. Many lifelong dairy farmers are near retirement age.

For revitalization, Missouri needs more young producers, he says.

Most dairy farms are in southern Missouri. However, 98 of the 114 counties in the state have local dairy income.

“The economic impact of keeping dairy milkers and manufacturers in Missouri will be significant,” Horner says.

Missouri became a national leader in grass-based seasonal dairies, where cows harvest their own feed, Horner says. Lower input costs plus more time off appeals to new producers.

But many existing conventional dairy farms continue to expand.

While land prices seem high to Missouri farmers, out-of-state and even out-of-country farmers see land values as low.

Low-cost forages, whether corn silage or pasture grass, gives an economic edge. Low-cost corn and soybean byproducts are found across the state.

Prolonged drought in California and the Southwest leaves cows needing new homes, Horner says. “There are a lot of cows on the move.”

Missouri has water and favorable climate for dairying.

Historically, dairy farms gave a start to young farmers, especially returning GIs. The biweekly milk check helps sustain beginners.

The Missouri General Assembly passed and the governor signed a Missouri Dairy Revitalization Act of 2015. The popular bill was one of the first passed in the current session.

A feature of the bill when funded will be scholarships to students interested in dairying and returning to the business.

The report is on MU Extension’s Missouri Dairy Resources Guide at http://dairy.missouri.edu/revitalization .

Source: University of Missouri Extension

Missouri Governor Signs Bills to Help Dairy, Agriculture

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:52:49 GMT

Gov. Jay Nixon signed bills Friday aimed at boosting Missouri’s dairy and $12.5 billion-a-year agriculture industries through insurance subsidies, scholarships, eased restrictions during parts of the year and other provisions meant to help crop and livestock farmers.

One measure would create a state subsidy for federal dairy insurance and would authorize scholarships for eligible college students studying agriculture who plan to work in that sector in Missouri. Another would allow trucks to carry heavier loads of livestock and grains during harvest season.

“Agriculture is our state’s No. 1 industry, and the bills I’m signing today will help to further strengthen this important sector of our economy,” Nixon said in a statement.

Similar proposals had failed last year, when the Democratic governor vetoed legislation that also would have shifted state regulation of deer farms from the Department of Conservation to the Department of Agriculture.

Republican Sen. Brian Munzlinger of Williamstown, who took the lead in Senate efforts to boost the farming industry, dropped the contested measure and other sticking points from this year’s Senate agriculture bill to make the measure more palatable to Nixon.

The measure passed 101-48 in the House and had unanimous support in the Senate, despite concerns from Democrats who said allowing trucks to carry heavier loads could damage state roads at taxpayers’ expense.

And while the legislation has support from the Missouri Farm Bureau, some rural farmers say it could lead to more foreign land ownership and additional taxes on beef producers.

At issue is a provision that will require the Department of Agriculture to review land sales if buyers do not have a W-9, a tax document completed upon employment. Currently, the director must approve all land transfers.

Munzlinger said the new method will give the department the ability to monitor foreign land acquisition.

Missouri Rural Crisis Center program director Rhonda Perry said it creates a loophole that would allow foreign businesses to bypass a current 1 percent cap on ownership of Missouri land by creating a domestic limited liability company to use to submit a W-9.

Perry, whose group promotes rural and family farms, also criticized a provision that would allow beef producers to vote on levying a state tax for a marketing program, which she said could allow a limited number of producers to vote on increasing the tax for all state producers. Munzlinger said the legislation leaves an increase up to producers.

The dairy bill, sponsored by Rep. Bill Reiboldt, R-Neosho, will mean dairy farmers can be reimbursed for 70 percent of premiums for the federal margin protection program. That reimburses farmers if profit margins fall below $4.

That legislation also allows up to 80 scholarships for $5,000 to go to eligible students studying agriculture if state funds are available. The University of Missouri also will be required to create an annual report detailing how to further spur growth in the dairy industry.

The bills are set to take effect Aug. 28.

No Override Veto Could Hurt Missouri Dairies

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:48:42 GMT

The Missouri legislature’s failure to override the veto of an agriculture bill could jeopardize the future of dairy farms in the state, dairy farmers say.

Senate Bill 506 and its counterpart, House Bill 1326, contained the Missouri Dairy Revitalization Act, which would have allowed the state to pay a portion of the insurance premiums in the federal farm bill’s insurance program, the Columbia Missourian reported .

Senate Bill 506 received enough votes in the Senate for a potential veto override, but it failed to garner the necessary votes in the House. The House never attempted to override the veto of House Bill 1326.

Gov. Jay Nixon said he vetoed the bill because of an amendment about captive deer that would have transferred regulation of the captive deer industry to the Missouri Department of Agriculture from the Missouri Department of Conservation — a change widely opposed by the conservation community.

Dairy farmers said they blame the captive deer language for causing the ultimate failure of the legislature to override Nixon’s veto.

Dave Drennan, executive director of the Missouri Dairy Association, said the defeat of the bills could mean trouble for dairy farmers who experience unpredictable weather and fluctuating market conditions.

“We’re going to continue to lose dairy farms in the meantime until we can get enough help to purchase good insurance to protect dairy farmers during rough times,” he said.

Through the federal farm bill, Missouri dairy farmers are eligible to participate in an insurance program in case of catastrophic events like the droughts in 2009, 2010 and 2012, Drennan said.

When farmers enroll in the program, they choose what level of insurance they want and can afford, he said.

The better the insurance coverage, the higher the annual premium. But not all farmers can afford the coverage they might need if the weather and economy remain as unpredictable as in recent years. Drennan said that’s where the state comes in.

“The dairy act would have helped them pay the premium in hopes that they would buy better insurance coverage,” Drennan said.

Drennan said Missouri lost close to 100 dairies in 2012 due to severe drought conditions. With better insurance coverage, farmers won’t be as likely to shut down their entire operation when a catastrophic event happens, he said.

“These farm bills had received overwhelming support when they were voted on in the General Assembly,” Drennan said. “But, as usual, politics got in the way of helping farmers who are just trying to maintain their livelihoods. Dairy farmers certainly aren’t looking to get rich.”

Larry Purdom, chairman of the Missouri Dairy Association, owns and operates a family farm in Purdy. He said he plans to purchase insurance through the farm bill’s program but wishes he could purchase better insurance with help from the state.

Purdom said passing the dairy act would have provided a sense of security for dairy farmers who struggled through previous droughts and economics slumps.

A decrease in local dairy farms and an increase in dairy consumption has forced Missouri to import products from neighboring states, he said.

“In the 1960s, my milk went to Dallas, Texas, and now we’re importing about half the dairy we use in Missouri from other states,” Purdom said.

Purdom said importing dairy products increases the cost for the consumer and causes the state to miss out on collecting tax revenue.

“We’re paying more to haul that product into the state, and we’re losing taxes for the state,” he said.

Purdom said operating a dairy farm without insurance is a big risk in today’s climate.

“We need the insurance because the weather here is just so unreliable,” he said. “You never know if the year is going to bring enough rain, or if everything is going to be bone dry, and that really negatively impacts farmers.”

Insurance premiums are not cheap, but participating in the program is the responsible decision, Purdom said.

“This would’ve been the least costly way to help any dairy farmer,” he said. “If farms close in Missouri, dairy gets brought in from other states, and that’s money we’re not putting back into the economy here.”

Alfred Brandt, owner of Brandt Dairy Farm in Linn, said the highest level of insurance for his farm would cost about $20,000.

If the veto of the bill had been overridden and the legislature had appropriated funds for dairy farmers, Brandt said he would have paid about $7,000 out of his own pocket for the highest-level insurance coverage. But without reimbursement from the state, Brandt can’t afford the top insurance coverage.

“I don’t think I can afford to go for that high premium,” he said. “I’ll just be insured for a lot less.”

Brandt said attaching the captive deer provision “sabotaged” the dairy bill because legislators knew the dairy bill might not pass with the captive deer language included.

“It was just a political battle,” he said. “There are other ways to go about it than to take it out on us.”

Senate Bill 506 failed by a vote of 108-49 in the House — just one vote short of the necessary 109 to override a veto.

“I was that one vote,” Rep. Keith English, D-Florissant, said. “There are just some things in the bill that I couldn’t swallow.”

English said he supported both the captive deer amendment and the dairy act but decided to side with the governor because he wanted to see each issue brought before the legislature as a separate bill.

English voted in favor of passing Senate Bill 506 when it was presented in the House but voted to uphold the governor’s decision during the veto session Sept. 10.

“When you have bills that are this big and cause so much division for issues that are completely unrelated to each other, you have to break them up into smaller bills,” he said.

Rep. Bob Burns, D-St. Louis, also voted in favor of Senate Bill 506 when it was presented in the House but voted to uphold the governor’s veto based on similar disapproval of large omnibus bills.

“My heart goes out to farmers,” he said. “They’re the backbone of agriculture in this state. Family farmers are so important to Missouri, and I hate seeing politics get in the way of the best interest of farmers.”

Burns said changing regulation of the captive deer industry would have put the wild deer population at a greater risk for contracting chronic wasting disease, a highly contagious neurological disease found in deer and elk.

“This change had the potential to completely wipe out our native deer population,” he said. “Missouri has a huge hunting industry, and jeopardizing the wildlife in this state just isn’t a risk we need to take.”

Burns said he hoped the Dairy Revitalization Act would be brought back as a “clean” bill at the next session.

“I wish they would bring it back as a freestanding bill,” he said. “There’s nothing more important than protecting local businesses, but this is one prime example of how politics can get in the way of what’s best for people.”

Missouri Dairy Farmers Urge Veto Override

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:48:19 GMT

Missouri dairy farmers are urging lawmakers to override Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of legislation authorizing financial incentives for their industry.

The dairy cattle incentives are included in two broader agriculture bills that Nixon vetoed because they would shift regulation of deer farms from the Conservation Department to the Agriculture Department.

The deer provisions have dominated the public debate about the bills.

But the Missouri Dairy Association says the proposed industry incentives are important to keep farmers from closing their dairy operations.

The bills would authorize state subsidies to farmers participating in a new federal insurance program for dairy production that begins next week. They also would authorize 80 college scholarships of up to $5,000 each for students who work at dairy farms and remain in Missouri agriculture after graduation.

Despite Drought, No Decline in Missouri Dairy Cow Numbers

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:37:32 GMT

Source: University of Missouri

Facing drought-reduced feed and low profits, Missouri dairy producers maintained their milk cow numbers in 2012, according to a USDA cattle inventory.

“The annual report contains surprises,” said Joe Horner, University of Missouri Extension dairy economist. “I’d heard reports all fall of dairy herds going out of business, but we didn’t drop cow numbers one bit. We held steady at 93,000 cows, exactly where we were a year ago.”

Horner says milk production numbers confirm the steady cow numbers in Missouri.

However, the state’s beef cow numbers dropped 5 percent.

Several factors helped dairy farms maintain the milking herds.

“We did lose 13 percent of dairy farms,” Horner said. “But we have a new generation of producers coming on. They grow as fast as the older demographics drop out.

“Last year, I did a lot of new business projections for young dairy farmers,” he said. “Actually, 2012 was one of best times to get into the dairy business.”

The newcomers could buy older dairy farms. At the same time, there wasn’t much competition for replacement dairy heifers.

“It was an extraordinary situation,” Horner said. “Dairy heifers were selling for about half of what replacement beef heifers cost. And dairy heifers cost little more than what cull dairy cows sold for.”

Lower startup costs reduced risks for beginners.

Dairy farms do face low milk prices and low profit margins. However, both meat and milk will be in short supply in years to come.

“Prices will get better,” Horner said. “We will need the inventory. Most dairy farms are run by full-time operators that need a certain volume of milk. Their livelihood depends on making milk. When feed supplies grew short in the drought, they went looking for feed and paid what was needed. They just did it.”

Some dairy farms chose to shut down rather than buy feed.

On the beef side, many cow herds are sideline operations. “When their feed ran out, owners culled their herd size to fit their feed supply,” Horner said.

Beef cow numbers across the country dropped 3 percent, while Missouri dropped 5 percent. “That shows we were the center of the drought’s bull’s-eye,” he said.

In the milk price stress, some dairy producers, who weren’t expanding their milking herds, sold their dairy heifers to beef feedlots.

Beef feed yards were scrambling for feeder calves, making dairy bull calves gain value, Horner said.

Horner sees optimism for dairy in Missouri. “As tough as it was in 2012, we did not see a drop in milk cow numbers. We have some tough survivors out there.

“Despite lots of concern, the dairy business is not falling apart.”

Hiland Celebrates 80 Years of Operation

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 00:12:08 GMT

Getting its start in 1938, Hiland Dairy, located in Springfield, Mo., has come a long way throughout the past 80 years. What was once a small herd of cows with a few delivery trucks has grown into 15 plants with 49 distribution centers scattered across the Midwest.

As a way to celebrate their 80 years of service, Hiland will host an Anniversary Tour throughout the state of Missouri. From August through October, Hiland will travel to local grocery stores selling ice cream and other dairy products from their Hiland Anniversary Tour food wagon. The proceeds from these events will be donated to local charities as a means to help support small communities.

While Hiland officially began in 1938 originally with just a small herd of 50 cows, some of the company’s dairies trace back to just after the Civil War. As the company grew, a production plant was built in 1945 along with a distribution center that would run 11 different dairy routes.

In the 1980’s, Hiland, Prairie Farms and Dairy Farmers of America would form a joint venture that would help propel the company even further. Acquiring several dairy plants throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Hiland quickly became a household name for those located in the Midwest.

As the company grew, Hiland went on to introduce 19 new products in 2013, including iced coffee and holiday flavored milks. The popular beverages helped propel the company even further, pushing them to acquire other dairy processors like Roberts Dairy in 2014 and several plants in Texas in 2017.

Sharing photos of how the company has evolved on their Facebook Page , consumers can use the hashtag #HilandTurns80 when visiting the Anniversary Tour.

To read more about Hiland’s history, click here.