Hoard Jerseys see the appraiser

Earlier this month, the Hoard Jersey herd which now numbers 101 cows (plus 11 heifers) was appraised by AJCA appraiser, Blake Renner. We purchased the Jerseys from three Wisconsin herds, and they are housed in our old tie stall barn that recently made a complete transformation into a free stall facility. The barn is scraped twice a day with a skid loader, and cows are fed outside with drive-by feeding. The Jerseys make their way to our three-year-old parlor three times a day to get milked.

When we were done, the American Jersey Cattle Association put scores on 50 head. The entire group averaging just shy of two lactations averaged 80.3 points which is down one-tenth of a point from our December score. That average included the 50 cows that previously were scored in the current lactation and did not change in score. When looking at the herd by lactation number, we had:
• 22 first-lactation (first-score cows) averaged 78.2 points
• All 36 first-lactation cows that averaged 78.7 points
• 41 second-lactation cows that averaged 80.8 points
• 23 third-lactation cows and greater that averaged 82 points

Overall, the second-lactation group was one point higher compared to last December. And that was with 22 more cows in the group. Our second-lactation average scores is right at breed average.

For those who follow the Hoard Farm Guernseys: Numbers are near an all-time high. We have 333 Guernsey cows and 292 Guernsey heifers, of which 95 are safe in calf, 67 are unbred yearlings, and there are 141 calves.

Getting hooked on Minnesota: 2010 National Holstein Convention

Bloomington, Minn., is the site of this year's National Holstein Convention. Excellent weather welcomed Holstein breeders and juniors from across the country. Sunday's host day tours featured visits to Sapa-Ska Farm, Lake City, Minn.; the National Eagle Center, Lake City, Minn.; Floralawn Holsteins, Hutchinson, Minn.; Raylore Farm, Hutchinson, Minn.; and Glenmark Genetics and Bonnie Mohr Studio, Glencoe, Minn. Visitors at Bonnie Mohr studio had the opportunity to see where the newly-updated Foster Mothers of the Human Race Painting was created. Sunday evening concluded with a visit to Minnesota's very own Landscape Arboretum featuring over 1,000 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens.

Monday began delegate meetings while 35 teams competed in Dairy Bowl competitions. Dairy bowl finals occurred Tuesday morning. It was the junior team from California and the senior team from Pennsylvania that took home top honors. Minnesota and Washington came in at a close second in the junior and senior divisions, respectively.

We'll be providing you with more updates from the convention as it concludes today. Hoard's Dairyman staff have been heavily involved serving as a delegate, a coach, a tour host, and a judge! We've been busy! Watch the HD Notebook to find out more!

Distillers grain prices continue to fall

Despite the rash of wet weather in the corn belt this year, the overall value of the dried distillers grain has softened during the last two months, due to expectations of yet another bumper crop of corn going into the field.

“This has pushed average distillers grain prices from $115 per ton, in early spring, to levels between $95 and $100 per ton through most of the Midwest states. Dried distillers grain contracts started out April 23 at $105 per ton, but quickly slipped back to prices hovering around $100 per ton. This consistency remained in the market until the second week of June, when additional pressure was seen in the corn market. This drove the price to $92 per ton,” according to Rick Kment, DTN ethanol and diary analyst.

He went on to note that “contract acceptance by any of the peers in either the feed or ethanol industry has been disappointing: The current open interest in the market is 11 contracts. The challenge with the small open interest is for someone who has a contract to actually find others willing to offset their position. This is why very little trade has been seen in this newly developed futures market. Outside of front month July contracts, there is zero open interest, making it impossible to actually hedge future prices in at this point, given the lack of offsetting buyers or sellers.”

Hoard Guernsey herd has four new Excellent cows

In addition, to unveiling the new Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting earlier this month, the Hoard's Dairyman Farm appraised both the Hoard Guernsey and Jersey herds. Here are a few highlights from classification day:

• Sunset Farms Hawk Daisy (shown at the right) went EX-92 after calving back in just 12 months and completing a 26,000-pound record in 278 days. Daisy had a Spider daughter that went VG-82 as a 2-year-old.

• Dairyman Amen Jolene and Howerton Farms Roy Pistachio both went EX-91. Pistachio was only fresh 20 days but came through calving just fine. Jolene's information can be found at http://www.hoards.com/farm/favs/Amen

• We had a dam-and-daughter pair both go EX. Dairyman Regis Nancy and her daughter, Dairyman Royalty Nanny. Nancy is nearly 5,000 pounds over herdmates and is finishing a 4-9 record of 296 days 23,487 M, 4.7 1,115 F, 3.1 719 P, while her daughter, Nanny, made a 2-2 record of 314 days, 18,344 M, 4.3 787 F, 3.0 555 P

• Dairyman Iceman Rosebowl, a high-ranking index cow in the Guernsey breed, went EX-90 with an EX-90 MS. As a 2-year-old she made over 24,000 M. More on Rosebowl at http://www.hoards.com/farm/favs/Iceman

• Rounding out the new Excellents was Dairyman Tiller Camelia. She just finished a 5-0 record of 365 days 27,308 M, 5.3 1,449 F, 3.5 960 P.

Ten other cows went either VG-88 or VG-87. In that group was a Challenge daughter from Rutter Bros Royal Oaks Dawn, EX-92. This hard-working 2-year-old is due in August and is finishing up a record that currently stands at 2-3 304 days, 18,875 M, 5.6 1,059 F, 3.4 644 P. For more on Dawn, go to http://www.hoards.com/farm/favs/Oaks

More results from classification day will be posted in a few weeks once we get all the data entered into our computer system.

Cooperatives not a Department of Justice target

Testimony at the third of five USDA—Department of Justice workshops kicked off Friday morning, June 25, in Madison, Wis. These workshops are designed to investigate competition and regulatory issues within agriculture. When United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced these events, the impression was given that cooperatives and the Capper-Volstead Act would come under fire. We detailed those concerns on our May 10, 2010, editorial page. Early on during Fridays workshop, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, Christine Varney both went to great lengths to put those concerns to rest.



"We don't have a hidden agenda or a stated desire to reformulate the law," said Vilsack when discussing the Capper-Volstead Act. "What this is about is creating a fair marketplace," noted Vilsack when talking about the coalition formed between the USDA and DOJ. 



Collectively, nearly every dairy producer who gave testimony during the event breathed a collective sigh of relief that neither the USDA nor DOJ was looking at Capper-Volstead. Those thoughts were repeatedly echoed in comments given throughout the day.



During the event, comments were also given by U.S. Senators Kohl and Feingold, both Democrats from Wisconsin, along with other elected officials. Feingold asked the rhetorical question, "What happened between the farm and consumer to cause such a pricing gap?" During producer testimony that followed, the same theme ensued . . . farmers discussed reduced share of the retail dollar, lack of market transparency, and lack of market power in reference for the need for cooperatives.



"We are hearing a consistency of message," said Secretary Vilsack in a press conference that followed. "We have not always heard that in the past. That message is consistent across farm size. There are producers large and small who are feeling squeezed." 



During testimony, much discussion took place on the thinly traded dairy markets on the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange). When asked about that matter during a press conference, Assistant Attorney General Varney said, "I am fairly certain there will be a USDA-DOJ conversation about the CME. Whenever you have a market that thinly traded, there can be a problem."

Texas vet team is ready to ride to the rescue

It’s not exactly like M*A*S*H, but if you squint there’s definitely a similarity.

A new team of Texas rangers has been formed that stands ready to serve the state's citizens during times of emergency. Like their famous counterparts of the past they also work on the wide open range – as well as in stalls, coops, pens, barns, and drylots.

These are the new Texas V.E.T. rangers. The initials stand for Veterinary Emergency Team, and as the name implies it has been created by the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and the Texas A&M University (TAMU) College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to respond to statewide animal medical disasters if, when, and where they occur.

The 13-member team (pictured above), consisting of TAMU faculty, resident veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and select veterinary students, is deployable under the state’s animal response plan in any disaster situation that has a need for additional veterinary assessment, triage and care. It is fully self-sufficient in lodging, food, generators and supplies for responders. Its equipment includes two large climate-controlled tents, one multi-purpose trailer, and one clinic trailer with limited surgical capability. It also has obtained trucks to haul trailers and equipment, as well as an ambulatory medicine truck.

Team members are divided into strike teams that can be targeted at either large or small animal issues, and are capable of dealing with animals and poultry of all kind, including exotic species.

Under the state’s animal response plan, the V.E.T. team will deploy with TAHC field personnel during a large-scale disaster and work under the same incident command structure. The team’s first field exercise was held in College Station in April, and it will be fully operational and mission-ready in time for the 2010 hurricane season.

“Our two organizations have put together an impressive array of equipment and personnel that will have the ability to limit and prevent animal suffering as disasters occur,” said Dr. Wesley Bissett, TAMU’s lead faculty member in the V.E.T. effort. “In addition, TAHC has provided us the opportunity to increase our efforts in teaching emergency response in the veterinary medical curriculum. Ultimately, this will lead to increased numbers of veterinarians committed to and trained in emergency response.”

Milk price outlook improves slightly

The Class III price is projected to average $13.95 to $14.35 per hundredweight in 2010, according to USDA's June 18 Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook Report. The 2010 average through May is $13.57. USDA forecasts that the Class III average for 2011 will climb to between $14.35 and $15.35 per hundredweight.

The All-Milk Price is expected to average between $15.75 and $16.15 per hundredweight in 2010 when all is said and done. The 2010 average through May is $15.28. The agency forecasts a slight rise in the 2011 All-Milk Price to between $15.80 and $16.80. This a 10-cent-per-hundred jump from the previous estimate.

Feed corn prices are projected to be $3.45 to $3.65 per bushel for the 2009/10 crop year and to rise to average $3.30 to $3.90 in 2010/11. Likewise, soybean meal prices are expected to average $295 per ton this year and $230 to $270 next year.

The U.S. herd is expected to average 9.075 million cows in 2010 and 9.040 million in 2011. Milk production per cow is expected to increase nearly 2 percent in 2010 over 2009 to about 20,980 pounds per cow. In 2011, production per cow is forecast to rise another 1.8 percent to 21,355 pounds. The expected increase in milk per cow will provide 190.4 billion pounds of milk in 2010 and 193 billion pounds in 2011.

Lower milk production in Oceania has tightened world supplies of major dairy products. The impact on U.S. markets is to lower milk equivalent imports on both a fats and skims-solids basis and support exports. Exports of cheese, butter, and nonfat dry milk (NDM) were all higher in April, and the difference between U.S. and international prices remain favorable for U.S. exports. However, the strong U.S. dollar relative to the Euro and relatively large European Union (EU) intervention stocks of powder could be factors that limit U.S. powder exports.

Milk equivalent exports are projected to reach just over 5.0 billion pounds this year and 5.1 billion in 2011 on a fats basis. The corresponding

export forecasts on a skims-solids basis are about 26 billion pounds and 27.1 billion pounds.

While demand, both foreign and domestic, is recovering, continued increases in the milk supply will keep prices from rising appreciably. Cheese prices are forecast to average $1.485 to $1.525 per pound this year and rise slightly to $1.520 to $1.620 per pound next year. Butter prices are projected to average $1.475 to $1.545 per pound both this year and slip to average $1.390 to $1.520 next year.

Improving domestic demand for these products has firmed prices, but higher milk supplies will keep a lid on prices. Nonfat dry milk prices are forecast to average $1.200 to $1.240 per pound in 2010 and rise to average $1.235 to $1.305 per pound next year. Tight international supplies and the expectation of stronger exports support the expected higher prices. Whey prices are forecast to average 36.5 to 38.5 cents per pound and rise fractionally to 37.5 to 40.5 cents per pound in 2011.

CARE bill could hinder our youth leasing programs

One of the most successful opportunities to get nonfarm youth excited about the dairy industry we've witnessed is leasing programs through 4-H, FFA, or breed groups. These leasing programs give youth without a farm background a chance to work with a project animal, gain experience on farms, and potentially find a career they love. You'd be surprised how many people working in the dairy industry didn't actually grow up on dairy farms, yet were introduced through a youth project.

H.R. 3564, the Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE), introduced by representative Lucille Roybal Allard (D-Calif.) could eliminate exemptions in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA allows nonfarm youth ages 12 to 17 to work on farms in safe conditions under certain circumstances with parental consent. CARE does not currently create an exemption for youth working with youth programs for 4-H or FFA. This means that youth could technically still lease animals and show at the county fair, but not work on your farm in exchange for the lease or in preparation of the local fair.

The goal of the original bill was to prevent the common employment of children of migrant workers. However, our industry may suffer a loss of future leaders if nonfarm youth are legally not allowed to work with us on our farms.

Win a trip to the AgChat Foundation’s Agvocacy 2.0!

NutriDense Silage kicked off their Web Moo.0 Contest last week in celebration of June Dairy Month. As social media continues to play an ever-increasing role in the diary industry NutriDense wants to see how you utilize technology to create a positive image for dairying. They want you to show them how the dairy industry is using social media to support their efforts in the field, spread the word about the benefits of dairy products or help consumers better connect with dairy farmers.

Entries can be submitted in multiple ways: through a YouTube video, Flickr photo slideshow, blog post, or 500 words or less essay. The contest runs until Friday, July 9.

The grand prize winner will receive registration, hotel and travel to the exclusive AgChat Foundation Agvocacy 2.0 Conference, on August 30 and 31 in Chicago, Ill. At the conference agriculture social media users from all industries will come together to share info, learn about new technologies, and network with agriculturalists from around the country.

The conference is limited to 50 qualified applicants, and NutriDense is proud to help send a dairy representative to the training. In addition, second and third-place winners will receive Flip Mino Cameras.

Entrants must be involved in the dairy industry, live in the continental U.S, be 18 years or older, and able to attend the conference in August. Entries will be judged on creativity, innovation and impact they have on the dairy industry.

Supreme Court overturns alfalfa seed ruling

On a 7 to 1 vote, the United States Supreme Court reversed an earlier ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer that placed a nationwide injunction on planting Roundup Ready Alfalfa and barring USDA from partially deregulating Roundup Ready Alfalfa pending the court ordered environmental review.

“The good news is this decision reinforces USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) as the science-based agency with sole authority on regulation, deregulation, and permitting of biotech traits in crop plants,” says Forage Genetics International president Mark McCaslin, whose organization helped develop Roundup Ready Alfalfa.

While the Supreme Court reversed the injunction, it is not full steam ahead. “What was appealed was the injunction on future plantings. That original injunction prevented USDA-APHIS from partially deregulating Roundup Ready Alfalfa while they conducted the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement),” said McCaslin. “That is where the Supreme Court said that the U.S. District Court overstepped . . . by telling USDA-APHIS what they could and could not do. This decision supports the concept that these types of decisions should be based on sound science. With the injunction going away, it is now in USDA’s domain again,” says McCaslin. “Hopefully, we are in the home stretch with the final EIS and a permanent deregulation situation.”

Short term, it is up to APHIS if they want to allow permit or partial deregulation which would allow producers to plant Roundup Ready Alfalfa. “While the Supreme Court decision is good news, it is not a green light to go out and buy and plant Roundup Ready Alfalfa seed. There would have to be action by USDA-APHIS for that,” says McCaslin. Long-term, this Supreme Court decision is not only a positive for this case involving Roundup Ready Alfalfa but what it implies for biotech traits and crops in general.

California bill targets faster overtime for ag workers

Because it’s the biggest agricultural state in the U.S. and a frequent trendsetter on political and social issue, farmers across the country may want to keep their eyes on an agricultural overtime pay bill that may become law in California.

By a vote of 23-12, the State Senate on June 3 approved Senate Bill 1121 to eliminate a 69-year-old exemption for farmworkers and put them under the same overtime rules as other hourly employees in the state, thereby making them entitled to extra pay after working fewer hours than is currently the case. The measure must next be voted upon by the State Legislature, where passage is also expected. It then would go to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for final approval.

Currently, farmworkers in California are eligible for overtime pay if they work more than 10 hours in a workday or more than 60 hours in a workweek. However, existing law for other hourly workers defines overtime as more than 8 hours in a workday or more than 40 hours in a workweek, with overtime pay rates of 50 percent and 100 percent depending upon the specific situation.

Nearly 20 attorney and union organizations support the change. More than two dozen ag and ag-related organizations oppose it, noting that California already has the nation’s most progressive labor protections for agricultural production, and no other state currently requires overtime once agricultural workers have exceeded a 40-hour workweek.

An analysis of the bill can be seen at http://totalcapitol.com/?bill_id=200920100SB1121

The abnormal has become normal

It was interesting to try to get a handle on the mood of those attending the Four State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference last week at Dubuque. The annual gathering has become popular for the nutritionists, consultants, feed sales reps, veterinarians, educators, media, and others. Attendance this year, around 450, was among the highest in the history of the event.

The last year and half has not been a good time for those who supply dairy farmers as well as for dairy farmers themselves. Everyone's business has been affected. Sales are down. Receivables are up. And the months ahead don't look much better. Yet, those attending the Dubuque meeting were not as negative as you might expect. They seem to be chugging along.
The thought occurred to us that the situation almost is one of "the abnormal has become normal." Somehow, people have adjusted to the troubling margins on the farm, and the businesses serving dairy farmers have changed, too.

One session at the conference focused on dairy farmers could and should adjust.
Doug Scheider, with about 600 cows at Freeport, Ill., talked about how his strategy has changed. He meets quarterly with his lender and is working towards supplying financial reports monthly.

He has tried to cut ration costs without negative consequences. He did not cut supplements but made better use of feed refusals. He kept up herd health checks and vaccination protocols but did less screening for mycoplasma and Johne's. He stayed with his synch programs, but is using more young sires, cut out sexed semen, and is culling poor-doing heifers rather than raising them to see how they turn out. He cheated some on fertilizer and borrowed money in order to take advantage of early-buyer discounts.

Jim Barmore, Verona, Wis., of GPS Consulting, covered strategies he thinks more dairy operators could benefit from. Cow care is "king" and he puts big priority on cow comfort (cooling, sand, non-slip flooring, ventilation). He continued that people must eliminate the stumbling blocks that are keeping pregnancy rates below 20 percent.

Barmore and other speakers stressed that high-quality forage is vital but that you have to know its cost if it is homegrown.

Tracking feed inventories, getting a handle on shrink, and using feed management software all are important.

On the financial side, Barmore emphasized focusing on managing for margin, not just higher income or low costs. Having a five-quarter plan on capital needs (new barns or a new loader, mixer, or chopper) really is beneficial during periods of low margins. In addition to assessing cropping costs, Barmore also said it is very important to know the costs of raising heifers. Behind feed, that usually is the second largest expense on a dairy.

World's best Jersey cheese crowned

Known for their component-rich milk, Jersey cows have long been known as the cheese queens. On June 11, the World Jersey Cattle Bureau hosted the second-ever World Jersey Cheese Awards at the breed's namesake — the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel. All entries were required to be composed of 100 percent Jersey milk.

Over 100 entries were received from 10 countries, with a total of 38 medals awarded by an expert judging panel. The cheese awarded the title of the World's Best Jersey Cheese 2010 was "Jersey Blue" made by Willi Schmid from Switzerland.

Cheeses receiving Gold Medals included seven from the United States, four from the United Kingdom, two from Switzerland, two from the Netherlands, one from Denmark, and one from Australia. They included:

Alexandrina Cheese Company, Alexandrina Vintage Cheddar, Australia
Thise Mejeri, Thise Jersey Gouda, Denmark
De Groote Voort, Remeker 6 months in age, Netherlands
De Groote Voort, Olde Remeker 1.5 years in age, Netherlands
Willi Schmid, Jersey Blue, Switzerland
Willi Schmid, Muhlstein, Switzerland
J&E Dickinson — Longley Farm, Cream Cheese, United Kingdom
Exmoor Blue Cheese Company, Partidges Blue, United Kingdom
S&R Poortman & Sons, Bruckclay Gold — Jersey Gold, United Kingdom
Northumberland Cheese Company, Kielder, United Kingdom
The Farmstead at Mine Brook, Jersey Maid Neige en Ete, USA
Cobb Hill Cheese, Welsh Caerphilly Style Cheddar, USA
Cobb Hill Cheese, Farmstead Alpine Style Natural Rind Cheese, USA
Bellwether Farms, Carmody, USA
Farms for City Kids Foundation, Spring Brook Farm Tarentaise, USA
Gingerbread Jersey Cheese, Taste of Athens, USA

Esteemed judges from around the world decided on the award winners. Below are comments from two of them:

John Allison from the United Kingdom: "The Gold Medal winners were of an extremely high standard and would have ranked as such anywhere in the world. I was amazed by the variety of cheeses made from Jersey milk. The diligence and skill of the panel of judges made it an enjoyable and worthwhile competition."

Kathy Guidi from Canada: "It was wonderful to see such an array of high-quality hand-crafted cheeses from around the world made exclusively from Jersey milk."

Kentucky cattle industry considers filing for disaster relief

Clover, which grew in abundance in Kentucky pastures this spring, isn’t lucky anymore. Agricultural Commissioner Richie Farmer of Kentucky has asked Governor Steve Beshear to request a disaster declaration from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This request has been made due to the numerous cattle deaths caused by primary ruminal tympany or frothy bloat that have sprung up after cattle consumed large quantities of clover this spring.

Clover gained a strong foothold after droughts in 2007 and 2008 weakened grass stands in pastures throughout Kentucky. This year grasses were dormant during a dry April, and then a wet May caused the white clover to grow more rapidly than grass, which led to cattle ingesting larger-than-normal amounts.

Clover is high in soluble protein. When it is rapidly fermented, foam is produced in the rumen that blocks gas from escaping. The rumen becomes enlarged and puts pressure on the lungs. This can cause suffocation if the condition is not treated via surgery or anti-bloating products.

According to George Heersche, extension dairy specialist at the University of Kentucky, this problem has been most prevalent within the Kentucky beef industry. He also stated that "Dairy heifers that are currently on pasture lack the intake necessary for white clover to be problematic".

Some Kentucky farmers have lost 25 to 30 percent of their herds due to frothy bloat. Sale of cattle and calves generates approximately $600 million in cash receipts annually. If the disaster declaration is made, farmers who have lost large chunks of their herds will finally have some relief.

Health checks and necropsys among science covered at Badger Dairy Camp

Dairy youth from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Texas came to Madison, Wis., for the 13th annual Badger Dairy Camp this June 14 to 16. The three-day camp is open to youth ages 12 to 18 years old are able to hone their judging and showing skills. It is just one of the many dairy camps available to youth across the country.

Youth may come for the judging and showing, but leave with so much more. During the camp, topics such as giving your calf a health check, feeding heifers, "roaming through the rumen", and necropsys were all discussed by dairy scientists. Camp leaders hope the exposure to the science-based topics will encourage youth to pursue a career in the dairy industry.

During "roaming through the rumen", campers can actually feel inside a cow's large fermentation vat (the rumen or first stomach) which breaks down forages. In another workshop, dairy youth could watch as a veterinarian performed a necropsy to determine why a calf died as shown in the above photo. Throughout these workshops, young people learned the proper way to care for cattle illnesses could be avoided in the first place. Finally during the "Guardians of Animal Ag" discussion, youth learned how to answer consumer questions related to animal agriculture.

If you or your son or daughter would like to attend a "Dairy Camp" in your area, contact your state's dairy science program at your nearest university or call Hoard's Dairyman and we can point you in the right direction.

Study puts best beef belief out to pasture

Eating-healthier-than-thou attitudes tend to float on clouds of perception rather than be rooted in fact. Thus, the bubble burst by a recent research study may do little to convince proponents about the real nutrition differences that apparently exist between beef from grass-fed cows versus grain-fed cows.

The tender and juicy bottom line: Pasture-fed beef is not only not more healthful and nutritious, but it looks like it’s actually less. That was the conclusion announced in May by Texas A&M University AgriLife researchers after a complex study focusing on meat consumed by test participants.

Researchers fed three groups of steers – same age, same breed, and in the same herd – different diets: pasture plus supplemental hay until 20 months of age, standard feedlot corn-based until 16 months of age and USDA Choice status, and additional standard feedlot time until USDA Prime status was reached. Beef cuts from each group of cattle were made into separate groups of ground beef patties, then cooked and eaten by 27 male test participants. They ate five 1/4-pound patties per week, six weeks per animal group. That was 90 patties per person in all.

“There really were no negative effects of feeding ground beef from pasture-fed cattle,” said Dr. Stephen Smith, an AgriLife Research meat scientist. “We did see many positive effects in men who consumed ground beef from corn-fed cattle. Ground beef from the USDA Prime cattle increased HDL cholesterol and LDL particle diameter. Both effects are protective against cardiovascular disease. Prime ground beef also decreased insulin, so it may have some protective effect against Type II diabetes

NMPF board approves proposal for dairy policy change

Yesterday, the National Milk Producers federation board of directors approved a recently formulated proposal that will request a major overhaul of U.S. dairy policy. The group's goal is to better protect dairy producers and position them more favorably in an increasingly volatile global marketplace.

The group of concepts is being titled "Foundation for the Future" and according to NMPF CEO Jerry Kozak, the package will be used as the basis for the future direction of the dairy provisions in the next Farm Bill or in some other form of federal legislation that Congress may consider in the future.

“If there is anything good that has come out of the past 18 months of economic struggle, it’s the shared feeling among NMPF’s members that we can use this experience as the catalyst to make needed changes in dairy policy,” said Randy Mooney, NMPF Chairman and dairy farmer from Rogersville, Mo.

NMPF’s plan calls for transitioning the existing safety nets of the Dairy Product Price Support and Milk Income Loss Contract Programs into a new Dairy Producer Margin Protection Program to guard against periods of severe financial pressures; establishing a Dairy Market Stabilization Program to help address periodic imbalances in milk production and demand; and reforming the Federal Milk Marketing Order Program.

The Federation’s proposal to revamp the federal safety net involves creating an insurance program tied to the margin between the national average cost of feed and the national average all‐milk price. After farmers choose to enroll in the base level of the Dairy Producer Margin Protection Program at no cost to them, they would receive indemnity payments during periods when their margins are severely compressed, as they were for most of 2009. In addition, farmers would have the option of purchasing supplemental coverage to protect a higher margin level between feed costs and milk prices.

Kozak said that NMPF will now begin a comprehensive education effort to inform the entire dairy producer community, as well as policymakers, about the merits of Foundation for the Future.

Dairy Shrine announces Award winners

The National Dairy Shrine (NDS) recently announced the winners of the 2009 Graduate Dairy Production, Progressive Dairy Producer, Pioneer, Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder, and Guest of Honor awards.

Receiving the Guest of Honor, the highest award bestowed by the National Dairy Shrine, is Calvin Covington, Clemmons, N.C. Covington served as the chief executive officer of Southeast Milk Inc. for the past 10 years. Southeast Milk is the nation’s 15th largest cooperative, and Covington has been instrumental in the cooperative’s growth since his arrival in 2000. Prior to that, he spent 23 years with the American Jersey Cattle Association-National All Jersey, Inc.

The NDS Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder is the William Ramsey family from Paradise Valley Farms near Louisville, Ohio. The Ramseys are the breeders of Paradise-R Cleitus Mathie. On March 14, 2000, Mathie produced his one-millionth unit of semen becoming one of 42 bulls to achieve this distinction. His official production proof includes some 62,000 daughters worldwide. The Ramsey family is currently participating in an American Dairy Association Mideast effort to introduce Ohio dairy farmers to consumers through a website www.ohiodairyfarmers.com.

Dr. Jack Albright, Merle Howard, Dr. Lee Majeskie, Dr. Rex Powell, and Mert Sowerby were selected as National Dairy Shrine Pioneers for 2010. Dr. Jack Albright is professor emeritus in the animal sciences department at Purdue University and was a leading animal welfare researcher and successful judging coach. Merle Howard was on the first National Dairy Shrine Board, was a long-time World Dairy Expo volunteer, the 1954 Klussendorf Winner, and is one of only eight recipients of the National Dairy Shrine 4-E Award for outstanding service. Dr. Lee Majeskie built and maintained one of the most successful 4-H programs in the country in Maryland while coaching many successful dairy cattle judging teams. Dr. Rex Powell is a highly published and dedicated geneticist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Improvement Laboratory who was instrumental in the development and use of international genetic evaluations. Mert Sowerby is an internationally known dairy judge, farm manager, classifier, a charter member of National Dairy Shrine and 1953 winner of the Klussendorf Award.

Luke and Derek Johnson, in the small herd division, and Andy and Lynn Buttles, in the large herd division, were selected as NDS Progressive Dairy Producers. The Johnsons have a well-known herd of registered Holsteins (under the prefix Joleanna) in New York that have captured several national show winnings. The Buttles’ Stone Front Farm is a fifth generation 400-cow, Holstein and Jersey dairy in Wisconsin. The Buttles were recognized by Holstein USA as the Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder in 2004.

Tim Northrup of York, N.Y., has been selected as the Graduate Dairy Production winner. This award goes to an active dairyman who has graduated from college in the last five years and has already demonstrated excellent dairy management ability.

The day has finally arrived!

It was an air of celebration at the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm today as the fifth and newest version of the Foster Mother of the Human Race painting was finally unveiled. After many months of anticipation, the painting containing all seven recognized cattle breeds was revealed after a National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) panel discussion. Bonnie Mohr created the painting in honor of the 125th anniversary of Hoard’s Dairyman. Over 100 guests were in attendance at this event.
The panel held an in-depth discussion regarding the importance of social media in the agricultural world. The panel included Corey Geiger and Patti Hurtgen, both from the Hoard’s Dairyman editorial staff, as well as Pam Jahnke, Farm Director, Farm Report Radio, and David Pelzer Senior V.P. Strategic Communications at Dairy Marketing, Inc.

The panel members focused in on the importance of using social media to reach the public and build relationships with the consumers. They also discussed the many modes of communication technology that are available to us today and how to best reach the farmer by providing a concise package of information that can be easily accessed.

Each breed association will also receive two "remarked" prints. One of these prints will be used in a fundraising event geared toward that breed's youth, with the other to be displayed as they see fit.

If you are interested in partaking in this historic event, you can purchase the print or giclee online at www.hoards.com; shipping is $10 and applicable sales tax applies.

Beef market helps stretch CWT retirement #10 budget

Dairy producers are also beef producers, and wearing both hats has never been as strange as it has been in 2010.

Suddenly higher demand for beef around the world has been squeezing U.S. supplies this year, and the impact on cull dairy cow prices has been nothing less than amazing. We have personally seen dairy producers’ beef settlement sheets this spring that were littered with animals that brought at least $1,000. A few were over $1,300, and one was a ridiculous $1,536.

Why ridiculous? Because springing dairy heifers only cost about $1,300. It was just three years ago that it took four cull cows to buy one springer; now it takes well less than two. As beef producers, these are extraordinary times to be milking cows, and some dairy owners are no doubt faced with the ironic reality that their herds are worth more as hamburger.

It is this probably temporary alignment of moons and stars that explains the lowball flat rate buyout offer of $3.75 per hundredweight being offered in round 10 of the Cooperatives Working Together Herd Retirement Program. Bidding closes June 25, and there will no doubt be many takers, even though the amount is far, far below bid amounts accepted during previous CWT retirements.

For instance, the average price for all bids accepted nationwide in retirement No. 3 in 2005 was $6.75, and in the West it was $7.52. The average prices accepted nationally in rounds 5 and 6 in 2008 were $6.10 and $6.49, respectively. CWT officials, by the way, have not announced any average bid information since then.

Farms have big local economic impact

Total farm business operating expenditures amounted to more than $187 billion in 2008, according to a recent report from USDA's Economic Research Service. Nearly half of those expenditures were spent locally. That's the message of an article on the report which appears in the June 2010 issue of the USDA publication Amber Waves.

ERS researchers recently summarized a study of how and where farmers spend their money which was conducted in 2004. There was no discussion of whether spending patterns might have changed in recent years.

The researchers examined purchasing patterns to determine the likely impact of farm spending on various types of local economies, from highly urban to totally rural.

Farmers were asked how far they travel to purchase most of their farm inputs and equipment.

They also were asked how far they were from the nearest town. The average was 8.3 miles, and the nearest city of more than 100,000 was an average of 24.2 miles away.

The study found that farm business expenditures were potentially much more important in rural counties than in urban counties. That difference is not too surprising, but the magnitude of the difference is noteworthy.

Farm expenditures per non-farm worker in a county, a measure of the relative importance of farming to a local economy, averaged about $4,500 in rural micropolitan counties (defined as counties containing an urban core with a population between 10,000 and 50,000). That amount was more than 100 times the $41 urban-metropolitan county average.

Furthermore, in the least urban counties, the relative importance of the farm sector was reduced where a significant share of residents commute to jobs outside of the county. Despite large differences in the relative importance of farming across county types, roughly half of all farm purchases were made locally.

New www.hoards.com launched

We at Hoard's decided to do June Dairy Month with a bang this year. Not only are we celebrating the 125th anniversary of our magazine with a special anniversary issue and a new Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting, but we're also launching a brand new website at www.hoards.com.

The new site offers expanded dairy content and easier site navigation for viewers. It includes turn-page technology, allowing digital subscribers to view the most recent issue of the publication, in addition to any issue of the magazine since 2000. The website is home to up-to-date dairy markets information — all easily accessed from the homepage. All-new is the Dairy-E-Sources section which includes resource information conveniently divided into topic areas like Animal Health, Feeding, Forages, and Milk Quality. Dairy youth will find hoards.com to be a worthy resource, as well. The website includes dairy quizzes, college and scholarship listings, and links to valuable educational websites.

An interactive Ask an Editor feature is also on the new website. Visitors can ask our knowledgeable editors their toughest questions regarding dairy farming — some questions may also appear in the print edition! In the same fashion, we hope the feature will allow readers to share their thoughts with the editors and share their tips to success.

So, go ahead, browse the site. Let us know what you think!

What's your share of the retail food dollar?

According to current USDA estimates, 80 cents of every food dollar spent in the United States goes to off farm costs, including marketing, processing, wholesaling, and distribution. This leaves a mere 20 cents of every food dollar to return to the farmer’s pocket.

The Economic Research Service (ERS) calculates the farm-to-retail price spread; the difference between the price paid by consumers for a food item at the store and the amount of money received by farmers for the commodities used to produce that same food item. To do this, they use two data sets, the marketing bill and the at-home foods by commodity group.

For example, this year at Safeway grocery stores one gallon of fat-free milk retailed for $4.09. The farmer’s share, the percentage of the price of food that is explained by what farmers earn for the agricultural commodities needed to produce the food items, of this was 28.6 percent, or $1.17.

For a more in-depth look at how these prices are determined, http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FarmToConsumer/index.htm, is a great resource. This site breaks down how the ERS calculates the farm to consumer values for all classes of dairy products and gives farmers the opportunity to determine their share of consumer’s expenditures on food.