Monday, August 31, 2009

Video and essay contest to promote ag

Classrooms across the country will soon be filled with students. And the timing couldn't be more perfect for the launch of the Reach, Teach, Learn video and essay contest being sponsored by Alpharma Animal Health. The contest began last year as a way to educate consumers about modern agricultural practices, and this year will include an inaugural essay contest being planned for high school students.

In it first year, the Reach, Teach, Learn Student Video Contest yielded 150 entries from major universities across the country. From those 150 short clips, five full-length videos were produced from the top group of entries. In the contest's final phase, videos were posted on YouTube, and nearly 8,000 votes were cast from some 15 countries. This year, a similar format will be followed, and the top three vote getters will be eligible for $5,000, $2,000, and $1,000 cash prizes.

Meanwhile, an essay contest is being planned in partnership with Ag in the Classroom. The program includes development of curriculum for high school advanced-placement classes. The contest will allow students to share their views and opinions about agriculture based on a lesson plan, a select book, and an essay topic. Student prizes include a $500 first-place award, $250 for second, and $100 for third, while the schools from the top three will receive $1,000, $500, and $250. The teacher of the top essay student will receive a $2,000 grant to attend the Ag in the Classroom annual conference. Both contests begin in September and run through late December.

For more information go to www.reachteachlearn.com

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Friday, August 28, 2009

Milk production up in Midwest, down in West

This may be the first time we’ve written this headline in 30 years or more, which speaks volumes about just how topsy-turvy things have become in the dairy industry these days.

After decades of relentless production decline in the Midwest and unstoppable growth in the West, the regions’ much different business models have obviously been impacted much differently by the unprecedented collapse in milk prices since late last year. The recent July 2009 Milk Production report from USDA-NASS shows just how differently.

Of the nine Western states in the agency’s monthly survey of 23 leading states, seven posted production declines compared to July 2008. The combined reduction of all nine states was 249 million pounds. Fewer cow numbers almost across the board, plus frequently lower production per cow, are why.

Of the eight Midwestern states in the survey, seven posted production increases and the combined increase by all eight states was 227 million pounds. In those states cow numbers were typically higher and production per cow was often much higher.

Percent changes in milk production, Western States vs. Midwest states, July 2009 vs. July 2008:

West
Arizona -8.2%
California -5.0%
Colorado -1.6%
Idaho -3.5%
New Mexico -2.8%
Oregon +1.6%
Texas +1.4%
Utah -1.9%
Washington -1.6%

Midwest
Illinois +3.9%
Indiana +4.0%
Iowa +4.8%
Michigan +4.6%
Minnesota +5.9%
Missouri -0.8%
Ohio +1.4%
Wisconsin +5.8%

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Ag Secretary to appoint dairy advisory group

Farm milk price volatility and dairy farm profitability are among the issues to be reviewed by a group to be formed by Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. He will appoint a group of up to 15 representatives of our industry to form a Dairy Industry Advisory Committee. USDA is seeking nominations of people to serve who could be producers, processors, handlers, consumers, academia, retailers, and from state agencies.

Secretary Vilsack wants the committee to play an important role in building a more stable market for dairy producers. The group is expected to serve two years.

Some have asked about the difference between this group and the Federal Milk Marketing Order Review Commission authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill, writes Bob Gray of the Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives. Gray said that the FMMO group was authorized in the farm bill but not funded. Not being funded, that group has not been formed.

The new advisory committee is reminiscent of the National Commission on Dairy Policy that was convened more than 20 years ago and which held hearings around the country. Nothing came out of that group that we were aware of. We hope that the new group’s efforts bear more lasting fruit.

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

NMPF and DMI address animal well-being and launch National Dairy FARM Program

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) along with Dairy Management, Inc., (DMI), announced the creation of the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Program in January, and, as of August 20, it has been launched. The program is aimed at addressing consumer concerns regarding animal well-being. The program will become available this fall, is voluntary, and is available to all dairy producers. Technical animal care manuals, producer education and training, on-farm evaluation of practices, and third-party verification (of the program, not producers) will all be part of the program. Groups like the American Association of Bovine Practitioners have even “whole-heartedly” supported the program. See their website for more details.

It’s been hard to miss the negative press towards animal agriculture operations in regards to animal welfare the past few years. We can only hope that a nationally supported program like this will address concerns by some of our opponents who have been pushing legislation at capitols across the country — legislation that has lacked the perspective and input from real producers and real experts.

We know, as producers, that the life for a typical dairy cow isn’t like the pictures painted by groups like HSUS and PETA. Still, consumers are becoming more informed on their food and want to be assured that animals are well cared for and that the products they produce are safe, wholesome, and nutritious. But let’s be honest. We are not without fault. Poor and unacceptable animal care does happen, just like there is always going to be someone bad at his or her job — no matter where you work. We need to work together to educate and improve this minority.

We’re excited to see what kind of traction a program like this gets in the coming years. Will consumers respond with greater confidence in our products?











Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Keep the crowds coming

Many of us have been to the local county or state fair and know that the cattle barn aisles are always filled with people of all ages. And, if you’re trying to get a cow ready on show day, these people might seem like the biggest nuisance in the world. But think twice before getting angry with or rude to these people. The public walking through the dairy barns to see cows and displays is a great way to promote our industry. Many of these visitors don’t come from a farm background and don’t have the opportunity to see or touch cattle on a day-to-day basis, and if you’re rude to them, even once, it’s likely that they won’t ever come back to the barns again and will leave with a negative opinion of the dairy industry.

For instance, this past week I was trying to get my cow ready for our county futurity when an older man came up with a group of people and stood around the cow I was trying to prepare. Instead of being rude and telling them to get out of the way, I told them they should stand back and explained what I was getting her ready for. The group took interest in the concept of a futurity and how to get a cow ready and began asking questions. Again, I took the time to answer them and told them when and where the futurity was taking place. Later, I noticed the same group watch the entire 29-head class, which lasted nearly two hours.

Showing cattle is such a small aspect of a very large industry, but it’s important for us to advertise our families, farms, and our great industry every chance we get. Those people walking through the barns once or twice a year are the ones buying milk, butter, ice cream, and other dairy products off the shelves on a daily basis.

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Monday, August 24, 2009

BST gets a new review

There likely hasn't been a more hotly discussed topic in the dairy industry during the past two decades than rBST. Since its approval in 1993 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), rBST has been supplemented in over 30 million cows in this country. There never has been any doubt that it works. Supplementing cows with the product commercially known as Posilac leads to a 15 percent boost in milk production or approximately 10 more pounds of milk per day.

Production advantages aside, there have been a variety of other concerns aired about the product. These concerns have led to a variety of processors and marketers in the food supply chain requesting farmers to sign pledges to not supplement their cows with BST. In many cases these requests are simply a way for marketers to differentiate their product in the marketplace because, to date, there is no test that can detect rBST in milk.

All this said, Elanco took a fresh look at rBST. In doing so, they asked Richard Raymond, M.D., the former Under Secretary for Food Safety at the USDA, to head up a team of eight scientists that looked at both animal and human safety. The scientists represented well-respected institutions such as the Harvard Medical School and the Duke University Medical School just to name a few.

As part of their work, they produced a report titled, "Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST): A Safety Assessment". It details 36 questions regarding the product and in the end, draws the conclusion that rBST is a safe product. They point out that, "To date, there have been over 90,000 scientific publications relating to somatotropin." They go on to say that, "Specific to human safety, regulatory authorities, together with their scientific assessment bodies, in 56 countries, including Australia, Canada, European Union members states, South Korea, and the United States, have determined that milk and meat products from cows supplemented with rBST are safe for human consumption by people of all ages."

To read the entire report for yourself, download the attached PDF file.
Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin rbST Safety Assessment 2009 pdf.

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Friday, August 21, 2009

Hoard's Dairyman bull list now available

For those looking for the latest genetic updates from this August's sire summary, go to www.hoards.com to download our complete four-page bull list which will be featured in the September 10 issue or you can download it from this blog post. It includes the highest-ranking bulls for the top seven dairy breeds.

Holsteins are ranked by Net Merit, Fluid Merit, Cheese Merit, udders, feet and legs, productive life, daughter pregnancy rate, somatic cell score, sire conception rate, sire calving ease, and sire stillbirth. It is the most comprehensive bull list published by any dairy outlet that is available free for download. August 2009 Bull List.

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5 key factors in transition cow management


Three weeks just before calving until three weeks just after may be the most important – and dangerous – time in the life of adult dairy animals. It’s a time filled with physical demands and potentially critical health complications that all pose a risk of death or premature culling.

This transition period is the bridge from one lactation to the next. While cows can sometimes negotiate it fine on their own, help from producers greatly improves their chances. Ken Norlund, D.V.M., (pictured here) a clinical professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, suggests five key areas producers should focus their efforts:

#1 Fresh cow screening. Simply watch the general attitude and appetite of fresh cows. Also, try to monitor milk weights, and temp all animals on a daily basis.

#2 Stall size. Norlund prefers 72- x 48-inch stalls for fresh cows but says even roomier ones are needed for closeups. For them he suggests stalls that are 50 to 52 inches wide and 108 to 120 inches long.

#3 Stall surface. Cows bedded on firm surfaces spend two to three times as much time standing, less time lying, and have more lameness than cows bedded on soft surfaces.

#4 Social regroupings. Every time cows are moved it causes “social turmoil” for two to three days as groups reestablish pecking orders. Norlund recommends against long stays for cows in daily entry pens and encourages having several pens of closeups that can be moved as groups, versus one or two large pens in which cows come and go every day.

#5 Bunk space. Norlund recommends at least 30 inches per head. Studies show only 80 percent of stanchion holes are occupied when ‘five-in-10’ stanchion panels are used and recommends transition groups have ‘four-in-10’ panels instead.

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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Dairy co-op impact continues to grow

The proportion of milk produced by members of dairy co-ops continues to grow. During 2007, co-op members produced 152.5 billion pounds of milk, which was 82.6 percent of all milk marketed in the U.S. Dairy co-op activity is summarized every five years, with the recent report being Marketing Operations of Dairy Cooperatives, 2007 published by USDA’s Rural Development section.
There were 155 dairy cooperatives in 2007, compared to 195 in 2002. Forty-five of the co-ops processed and manufactured dairy products. They had a total of 193 plants. However, 98 co-ops had no milk handling facilities, and 12 operated receiving stations only.
Dairy co-ops produce 94 percent of the nonfat dry milk and skim milk powders made in this country. They also make 71 percent of the butter. Co-ops bottle 7.4 percent of the nation’s fluid milk, but that proportion will decline as some co-op fluid plants have been sold to proprietary firms.
Dairy co-ops are producing less of the nation’s cheese. The co-ops’ share of cheese production in 2007 was 26 percent, down from 34 percent in 2002. Dairy co-ops produce 20 of the condensed buttermilk, 14 percent of the sour cream, 11 percent of the yogurt, 13 percent of ice cream mix, and 4 percent of the ice cream.
Co-op members produce nearly all of the milk in the west north central (97 percent) and east north central (91 percent) regions. These areas include the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas east to Ohio and Michigan. Co-op membership also is high (94 percent of the milk) in the south Atlantic area. The proportion of milk produced by co-op members is lowest in New England and the Northeast (76 percent) and in the western states (76 percent).
The web link provides historical summaries of previous dairy co-op studies.

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Twitter dairy “tweeps”

If you’re up-to-date to date with how Twitter works, then you’ll probably admit that for the first few days, weeks, or months, it confused you — completely. By the way — when we say tweeps in the title, we mean people. Maybe it still does confuse you. But, some of you “get-it” and are pretty good at tweeting about the daily joys, triumphs, failures and happenings of dairy farming and the dairy industry. If you don’t know what it is and are curious, we suggest you refer to the site’s user guide, join, give it a try, and figure it out by trial and error. It’s free, and if nothing else, you can finally understand what people are talking about when they add a “tw” in front of many commonly used words.

There are always going to be farmers brave enough to tredge through the hassles and learning experiences of a new technology. Remember your first neighbor who used a TMR mixer or artificial insemination? What a concept! Well, Twitter is no different and we’ve got some good advocates out there.

If you want to get started, we’ve found a few good ones that might be worth a “follow.” They’re so good at tweeting that their #moo hashtag was as high as fourth on the top 10 list of topics tweeted on twitter for eight hours on August 2. The goal was to bring light to today’s dairy crisis, and that statistic says they have. Plus, they’re good bloggers, too! Check them out.
Will Gilmer, Alabama
Blog: The Dairyman’s Blog
Twitter: @GilmerDairy

Ray Prock, California
Blog: Ray-Lin Dairy
Twitter: @RayLinDairy











Tuesday, August 18, 2009

July milk up 0.1 percent

Despite negative returns on nearly every U.S. dairy, farmers are still not reducing milk output. In the just-released milk production data from USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service, July milk was reported to be up 0.1 percent. Likewise, June's revised production totals were the same amount compared to a year ago.

Among the top 23 dairy states, five were down over 2 percent, and all but one was in the West. Arizona was down 8.3 percent; California, down 5 percent; Vermont, down 4.5 percent; Idaho, down 3.5 percent; and New Mexico, down 2.8 percent.

Meanwhile, Minnesota leads all gainers, up 5.9 percent while its neighbor, Wisconsin, was up 5.8 percent. Virginia matched Wisconsin's gain. Lastly, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois were up 4.8 to 3.9 percent.

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Monday, August 17, 2009

Wisconsin land prices climb big

Strong dairy and crop prices drove up land prices in Wisconsin's top 10 dairy counties during 2008. In the entire state, land continuing in agricultural use rose 12 percent to $3,940 an acre. These numbers are solid as each land sale is reported to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue thanks to land use taxation passed by the legislature earlier in the decade.

According to published reports by the state, land prices in Wisconsin's most populated dairy cow county — Clark — rose 10 percent for all ag land continuing in agricultural use. When splitting out sales for only crop ground, prices were up 16 percent. Clark County's neighbor rose similar amounts for ag ground without buildings, as did third-ranking Dane County. However, ag land selling with buildings fell 22 percent as the economy and nonfarm competition dropped in Dane County which is home to the state government and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In other top 10 dairy counties such as Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, and Outagamie, prices rose much more sharply. These counties have seen great dairy expansion and have over 50 cows per square mile. In these three counties all ag land rose 26 to 50 percent, while ag land without buildings rose 34 to 37 percent

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Friday, August 14, 2009

188,000 head down, but so many more still to go

Even the combined effects of the two biggest CWT herd retirements ever, Rounds 7 and 8 held this year, are unlikely to make milking cows profitable again anytime soon.

Granted, 188,000 fewer cows and 3.8 billion pounds less milk will put a dent in the problem. But they won’t fix it. The big reason is the estimated loss of 6.9 billion pounds of U.S. dairy product exports in 2009 due to the global recession. Any losses in domestic use will only add to that number.

Also worrisome is that, as 2009 has unfolded, the onset of roughly break-even Class III futures prices ($15) at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange have kept receding into the distance like a teasing mirage in the desert. At the end of April, $15 milk was on the board starting in January 2010. At the end of May, $15 had backed off until March 2010. At the end of July, $15 was back but not until April 2010.

One explanation why may be that traders at the CME don’t believe that eliminating 188,000 cows and 3.8 billions pounds of milk is going to translate into a shortage of dairy products anytime soon.

Another is the inflow of extra heifers into the national milking herd that are the result of sexed semen use. Ray Nebel, senior reproduction and dairy herd management specialist at Select Sires, says that while only a few thousand such animals began milking in 2008, he estimates 63,000 will do so this year, and 161,000 more are in the pipeline for 2010.

That’s why, although so many cows have already been removed, many more still need to go.

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Farm interns depart at summer's end

As summer comes to an end, so does my internship. I have learned many valuable skills from the employees here at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm, including learning to treat sick cows from Megan Lundy and learning how to scrape and milk in the tie stall barn from Brandon Schleif. Jake Agnew showed me how to run buttons for releasing cows and letting cows into the parlor, and Stephanie Ayoub showed me how to feed baby calves here at the farm. I have learned many new skills that I would like to implement on my family’s dairy.

The second half of my internship has been full of activities. I helped picture cows for advertising, mated cows, and went on a five-hour road trip to pick up semen and visit the beautiful Rolling Hills Prairie Dairy where the Walter family milks 200 Guernsey cows. I have also been involved with a research project to determine the heat stress exposure in the free stall barn. We finally started this project and placed intervaginal temperature recorders mounted on CIDRs in the cows. We will also be looking at the effects of sprinklers in the holding pen as well as exit lane sprinklers on the cow’s body temperature. Time is evaluated to see how long the cow is in the holding pen until she exits the parlor and water use is monitored for the sprinkler system.

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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Bestfoodfacts.org: a bright new website, a bright idea

Just yesterday, we learned of a new website sponsored by the Center for Food Integrity. It’s called bestfoodfacts.org and with its bright colors, interactivity, and panel of experts working with the site, we think that consumers are going to enjoy this fresh approach to getting their questions about the U.S. food system answered. Anyone logging onto the site has the opportunity to ask a question of the expert panel comprised of researchers from leading universities. Once the question is answered, it will be posted to the site for everyone to see. The website uses a shifting scale called the “Food Integrity Index” which provides a quick overview of the question, the issue at hand, and its conclusions.
One of our favorite aspects of the site is that their sponsor, The Center for Food Integrity, supports consumer choice. This means you won’t find experts agreeing on every issue or telling you what types of food you should buy. They’ll simply tell you what they know, based on their research.

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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Gearing up for this year's World Dairy Expo


Here in the office, Hoard’s staff find their desks stacked high with Expo Supplement articles, images, schedules, and more, but we aren’t the only ones getting ready for this fall’s World Dairy Expo. With more than 68,000 people attending from 84 countries, 2,500 head of cattle, and 1,600 exhibits, you can imagine the workforce behind such an event. While September 29 to October 3 are the official days of World Dairy Expo this year, to many people this event starts right after the previous year’s Expo is finished.

At the World Dairy Expo office in Madison, Wis., you’ll find the busy staff working on cattle entries, show catalogs, ordering of awards, theme planning, marketing, tradeshow coordination, and facility preparation year-round. When 2008’s events were over, planning for 2009 began. For the Expo staff, they really pull the show together over the course of the year, but, for others, Expo rush begins just months before the show starts.

Those glamorous commercial exhibits all have to start somewhere. You’ll find advertising and public relations agencies busy planning marketing strategies well before the first booth hits the floor in the Alliant Energy Center. From booth designs to promotional giveaways to company advertisements, the work at agencies is no small task.

And let's not forget the exhibitors. Even standing ringside at Expo, you can hear discussion of who will have the next year’s champions. For cattle exhibitors, there is the constant urge to grow a better heifer than what was grown the year before. Getting animals ready for an event like Expo takes months, and maybe even years, until that cow hits just the right stage of lactation in that first week of October.

So no matter what sector of the dairy industry you’re in, you’ll be sure to hear about preparations for one of the industry’s greatest shows, World Dairy Expo. Make sure to check out the September 10 issue of Hoard’s Dairyman for the latest on the event in the Expo Supplement. Also, check out our blog, “Hoard’s @ Expo” during the week of World Dairy Expo for daily updates. If you have any ideas for blogs or stories, please comment below!

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Monday, August 10, 2009

California dairy producers losing over $8 per cwt

Rising costs and falling prices continue to wreak havoc on dairy producers across the country. The situation may be the worst on the west coast based on numbers just released by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

During the first six months of this year, the average price paid to California dairy producers was $10.47, while it cost $18.51 to produce milk during the first three months of the year. That spread yields an $8.04 loss for every 100 pounds of milk leaving the farm. High feed costs have been depressing margins for some time. Even with last year's substantially higher milk prices, the profit margin was only 16 cents due to high feed prices which pushed production costs to $17.31.

While all costs have been rising, it has been feed costs that have risen the most, moving from $6.48 during the first quarter of 2005 to $9.82 this spring. As CDFA points out, comparing the first quarter of 2005 with 2009, grains, minerals, and supplements costs per ton increased 56 percent. Meanwhile, dairy-quality alfalfa hay rose 63 percent per ton.

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Friday, August 7, 2009

Is food safety an oxymoron?

Think about that title; is there such thing as perfectly safe food? Definitely not, and we shouldn’t lead consumers to believe that according to William Hueston, Ph.D., D.V.M., a faculty member at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, and director of the Global Initiative for Food Systems Leadership. "Food safety is a journey and not a destination," Hueston says. While food-borne illness outbreaks have lead overseas consumers to shift nearly the entire responsibility and concern of food safety to themselves (based on previous experiences that have discredited their food production industries), typical American consumers depend on the farmer, processor, and lastly themselves to receive a safe, clean, quality meal. During the Agricultural Media Summit held just recently in Fort Worth, Texas, we had the opportunity to listen to Hueston discuss his thoughts on our consumers’ perception of food safety. Hueston has worked with organizations like the FAO and USDA on issues like BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), and H1N1 — what most consumers know as mad cow disease and swine flu.

“We’ve brain washed our consumers into thinking that zero-risk food is attainable,” Hueston said. He believes that this perception of zero-risk food could lead consumers to forget about their important role in the food safety puzzle and the idea of collective responsibility. Developing good messages without a definitive “yes it’s safe” or “no its not safe” answer during food safety crises is what he believes can change that. Hueston suggests that, in the event of a food safety concern like swine flu or BSE, we give a open, honest answer to consumers on what research says we know and what we do not know. And, in most cases, there is plenty that we do not know.

What do you think? Do we approach food safety concerns the wrong way by saying, “Our products are completely safe — you don't need to worry.”?

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Thursday, August 6, 2009

First drop in farm land values since 1987

Farm real estate values, a measure of the value of land and buildings on farms, averaged $2,100 on January 1, 2009, down 3.2 percent from 2008. The drop was the first decline in farm real estate values since 1987.

The average value of cropland itself (no buildings) dropped by 3.9 percent to an average of $2,650 per acre, down from $2,760. Largest declines in cropland values occurred in the Southeast (-9.1 percent) and the Pacific region (-7.2). The Northern Plains (1.6) and Delta regions (0.6) actually went up in value. Cropland values dropped between 0.7 and 4.5 percent in the other regions: Northeast, Lake states, Corn Belt, Appalachian, Southern Plains, and Mountain.

Cropland values and percent changes from 2008 in the more populous dairy states are Wisconsin ($3,650, +1.4), New York ($2,200, +2.3), Pennsylvania ($5,700, -5.0), Minnesota ($2,610, -3.3), Michigan ($3,370, -3.2), Ohio ($3,900, -5.8), Iowa, $4,050, -5.6), and Missouri ($2,360, -5.6).

Less commercial and residential development in many areas, lower crop and livestock incomes, and weaker demand for recreational land all have contributed to the drop in farmland and cropland values.

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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Third CWT herd retirement in nine months to remove 87,000 cows

Cooperatives Working Together announced today that it has tentatively accepted 294 bids in the third herd retirement it has conducted in the last nine months. The 86,710 cows and 1.8 billion pounds of milk accepted in this round, combined with CWT’s previous two herd retirements, equal a total production capacity of 4.8 billion pounds of milk being removed since December 2008. 

This is the second-largest herd retirement since the farmer-funded self-help program started in 2003. The previous retirement round completed in July removed a record 101,000 cows and 1.96 billion pounds of milk. 

Farmers in 38 states submitted a total of 312 herd retirement bids last month to CWT. This eighth CWT herd retirement in the past six years was also the first to feature a maximum acceptable bid threshold of $5.25 per cwt. This round is also removing 3,104 bred heifers. 

Starting next week, CWT field auditors will begin visiting the 294 farms whose bids were accepted, checking their milk production records, inspecting their herds, and tagging each cow for processing. All farmers will be notified no later than August 31, as to whether their bid was among those accepted. Once CWT field auditors inspect and accept the herds offered as part of the bidding process, farmers have 15 days in which to send their animals to a processing plant. 

Producers whose bids are accepted in this herd retirement will be paid in two installments.  The first installment will pay 90 percent of the amount bid times the producer’s 12 months of milk production, when it is verified that all cows have gone to slaughter. The remaining 10 percent plus interest will be paid at the end of 12 months following the farm audit if both the producer and his dairy facility, whether owned or leased, do not become involved in the commercial production and marketing of milk during that period.

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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

National Dairy Shrine announces 2009 scholarship winners

The National Dairy Shrine announces the winners of its scholarships which will be presented at the awards banquet at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis. on Thursday, October 1. National Dairy Shrine will provide more than $35,000 of scholarship awards to students at that event. For information about Awards Banquet or ticket reservations, please contact the office of National Dairy Shrine at 920-863-6333 or e-mail at info@dairyshrine.org.

NDS Student Recognition Awards
The NDS student recognition program recognizes graduating seniors planning a career related to the dairy industry who have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills, academic ability, and a sincere interest in dairy cattle. Each university is allowed to nominate up to two candidates for this recognition in any given year. The highest winner receives a $1,500 award, the second a $1,000 award and the other winners receive $500 awards.
The top awardee is Jennifer Rassler from Kempton, Pa. She is 4.0 grade point student at Penn State University majoring in animal science. The second award goes to Aaron Horst of Chambersburg, Pa. He is a dairy science major at Virginia Polytechnic and State University.
Next is David Wilson from Port Royal, Pa. He is an animal science student at Penn State University. Then Andrew Birch from Derby, Vt. He is majoring in animal science at the University of Vermont. Next is Clayton Wood from Littlestown, Pa. He is an animal science major at Cornell University. Next is Julia Hudyncia from Fort Plain, N.Y. She was an animal science major at Cornell University. The next awardee was Katherine Boesch from DeKalb, Ill. She was an animal science major at the University of Illinois. Following is Clint Harre from Nashville, Ill. He was an animal science major form the University of Illinois. The final recognition awardee is Ashley Messing from Bad Axe, Mich. She was a animal science major form Michigan State University.

Kildee Scholarship Awards

Receiving the Kildee Graduate Studies Scholarship is Lora Wittenberg of Fort Collins,Colo.
Jessica Achen of Sauk Centre, Minn., has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Kildee Undergraduate Studies Scholarship.

NDS/DMI Milk Marketing Scholarships

Londa Johnson, of LaCrescent, Minn. has been awarded the 2009 National Dairy Shrine /DMI Milk Marketing $1,500 Scholarship. Additionally, six other undergraduate students have been awarded $1,000 scholarships and are listed alphabetically. These generous scholarships are made possible by DMI and NDS to encourage students to pursue careers in dairy product marketing.
Londa Johnson is majoring in dairy science with a minor in business and professional communication at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Jessica Achen, of Sauk Centre, Minn., is an animal science major with a dairy production emphasis at the University of Minnesota. Stephanie Beeman, of Carlisle, Pa., is majoring in agribusiness management at Penn State University. Skylar Ryll, of Royalston, Mass., is majoring in animal science/agribusiness at Cornell University. Charlie Schiller, of Freeport, Minn., is an animal science major (dairy emphasis) at the University of Minnesota. Brandon Thesing, of Winona, Minn., is studying animal science with a dairy industry emphasis at the University of Minnesota. Abby Udermann, of Sartell, Minn., is an animal science (dairy production emphasis) major at the University of Minnesota.

McCullough Scholarships
Each year, two scholarships are awarded by National Dairy Shrine in memory of Marshall E. McCullough, the well-respected nutrition researcher and educator from Georgia. National Dairy Shrine is pleased to announce the 2009 McCullough Scholarship Winners - Angela Boesche of DeKalb, Ill. and Kyle Schirm from West Salem, Ohio.

Core Scholarship
Danielle Brown of Dodgeville, Wis., has won the first-ever Maurice Core Scholarship to be awarded at World Dairy Expo by National Dairy Shrine. The $1,000 award is given in honor of Maurice Core, the long-time executive secretary of the American Jersey Cattle Association, and, more recently, the executive director of the National Dairy Shrine.

Iager Scholarship

The Iager Scholarship for $1,000 is awarded annually to a second-year student in a two-year agricultural school to pursue a career in the dairy industry. The recipient this year is Ariel Garland from Northfield, Mass. She is attending SUNY Cobleskill and majoring in dairy cattle management. This scholarship was started by a generous donation from the Charles and Judy Iager family of Fulton, Md.

Klussendorf/McKown Scholarship Winners
Robb Bender of Cleveland, Wis., and Maureen Lee of Johnson Creek, Wis.,have been named the 2009 Dairy Shrine-Klussendorf Association Scholarship Award winners and Matthew Mitchell of LaFollette, Tenn., has been named the first Robert “Whitey” McKown Scholarship winner. These $1,500 scholarships are awarded by the National Dairy Shrine and the Klussendorf Association. They were made possible by generous gifts by the late Klussendorf member, Chris Kampf, numerous friends of Robert “Whitey” McKown, and gifts from fund raisers by the Klussendorf

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Monday, August 3, 2009

Congressional dairy farm caucus reconvened

The Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus has been reformed and reactivated in view of the critical situation facing U.S. dairy farm families. The caucus is made up of more than 50 members of the House of Representatives who represent districts from California to Vermont and from Washington to Florida.

The caucus was created during the 110th Congress in advance of the most recent farm bill. Caucus members worked together on getting a feed cost adjuster added to the MILC payment formula in the 2008 Farm Bill.

Now reconvened, the caucus will continue to serve as a mechanism to build consensus on legislation impacting the dairy industry. It also will serve as a means to educate members of the House and their staffs on issues of concern to the industry. The caucus will work with industry leaders, dairy economists, and, most importantly, farmers and processors to reach common sense bipartisan solutions to address the current dairy crisis.

“Congress bailed out the Wall Street banks because they were ‘too big to fail’. If we don’t act now to support our dairy farmers, aren’t we saying they are ‘too small to matter’?” asked caucus co-chair Peter Welch (D-Vt.). “Only by working together across regional and party lines will we be able to help dairy farmers survive in the short term and help the dairy industry thrive in the long term.”

Other caucus co-chairs include Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), and Tim Walz (D-Minn.). Caucus vice chairs include Tom Petri (R-Wis.), Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), Chris Lee (R-N.Y.), and Harry Teague (D-N. Mex.).