Ready for some fun? Try out this milking contest from the Arla Keso Cottage Cheese company. Milk a cow online against the timer!
Source: Arla Keso Cottage Cheese
Head on over to the Turkey Hill Ice Cream Journal for a little bit of “March Madness” – ice cream style! In it’s third year, the Turkey Hill Ultimate Flavor Tournament picks the best flavor, base on your votes. The first round is up – get online and vote!
Now in its third year, the Ultimate Flavor Tournament is a six-week showdown to determine the best Turkey Hill ice cream flavor of them all, and it’s all based on your votes. In 2008, Vanilla Bean emerged as the victor. Last year, Vanilla Bean made it to the final round, but was upset by Light Recipe Moose Tracks, which took the title and claimed a victory for the entire Light Recipe line-up.
Here’s how it works: Each week will feature a different series of one-on-one match-ups, all voted on by you (see the polls on the right). We’ll start with 32 flavors (the “Thrilling 32”), or 16 head-to-head contests, with the winner of each contest advancing to the next round, until only two flavors remain standing. The winner of that final showdown will be declared the Ultimate Flavor Tournament champion.
Of course, there will also be prizes. At the end of the tournament, we’ll give away a one-year supply of Turkey Hill ice cream to one commenter chosen at random from all the comments left during the tournament. We’ll also choose 10 of our favorite comments during the tournament to receive some free ice cream.
As always, Turkey Hill’s “Einstein of Ice Cream,” Ernie Pinckney, will offer predictions and expert commentary on each of the upcoming week’s match-ups, starting with the Thrilling 32 of round one below. Check back each Monday for the new match-ups, and may the best flavor win!
Source: Turkey Hill Ice Cream Journal
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of 12 members to the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. All appointees will serve 3-year terms beginning immediately.
Newly appointed to the board are: George E. Marsh, Oregon (Region 1); Ray S. Prock, California (Region 2); Arlene J. Vander Eyk, California (Region 2); Brian W. Esplin, Idaho (Region 3); Neil A. Hoff, Texas (Region 4); Paul A. Fritsche, Minnesota (Region 5); Patricia M. Boettcher, Wisconsin (Region 6); Mark E. Erdman, Illinois (Region7); Susan D. K. Troyer, Indiana (Region 9); and Ronald R. McCormick, New York (Region 12). Reappointed to serve second terms were Randy G. Roecker, Wisconsin (Region 6) and Rita P. Kennedy, Pennsylvania (Region 11).
The 36-member board is authorized by the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983. The Secretary selected the appointees from nominations submitted by eligible producer organizations, general farm organizations, and qualified State or regional dairy products promotion, research or nutrition education programs.
Dairyline Markets In Review
Cheese prices continued to bleed the second week of March but may have hit bottom. Dairy Profit Weekly’s headline last week that 2010 optimism may have been premature may be hauntingly true. Cash block cheese closed Friday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange at $1.2675 per pound, down 3 cents on the week, and just 1 3/4-cents above a year ago. The barrels closed at $1.2625, up a penny and a quarter on the week, but 5 1/2-cents below a year ago. The block price lost 23 3/4-cents in the last four weeks with comparable losses on barrel.
Twenty five cars of block traded hands on the week and 35 of barrel. The latest NASS-surveyed block price averaged $1.4378 across the U.S., down 5.4 cents, while barrel averaged $1.3976, down 6.9 cents.
Butter is, or was, the bright spot. After eight consecutive sessions of gain the butter price gave up 3 cents this week and closed Friday at $1.4550, up a half cent from the previous week and 27 cents above a year ago. Thirty six cars were sold on the week. NASS butter averaged $1.4076, up 5.2 cents.
Provided courtesy of Dairyline.
Easing regulatory hurdles that are impeding exports to Cuba could contribute to recovery in the dairy industry.
That was the main point of testimony presented Thursday before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee of Agriculture by John Wilson, senior vice president of marketing and industry affairs for Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA).
Speaking in support of the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act (H.R. 4645), Wilson, who also serves on the board of directors for National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), emphasized that facilitating greater U.S. dairy exports to Cuba could be a step in the right direction toward helping the dairy industry regain ground lost during the 2009 dairy crisis.
“U.S. participation in the global dairy market is essential to putting the U.S. dairy industry on firmer footing going forward,” Wilson said. “It is critical that we work to expand opportunities for our dairy exports to allow our dairy producers, as well as their dairy manufacturing partners, to grow and prosper.”
H.R. 4645 seeks to address the most significant issues hindering trade to Cuba under the 2000 Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSREEA). The bill calls for a clarification on the “cash in advance” requirement that – since being redefined by the Office of Foreign Asset Control in 2005 – has added complexity and expense for potential buyers. The bill also calls for the elimination of TSREEA’s “direct banking” provision, which similarly inflates costs and complicates transactions.
“Cuba is a market where we should be a natural preferred seller due to our strong proximity advantages,” Wilson said. “Yet it is clear that we are now among the least-preferred of suppliers given these technical and regulatory impediments to U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba.”
The bill – which was introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and is co-sponsored by more than 30 members of Congress – also aims to eliminate restrictions on Americans’ rights to travel to Cuba. Allowing Americans to travel to Cuba would help stimulate demand for and sales of dairy products in that country.
A June 2009 International Trade Commission Updated Study on U.S. Agricultural Sales to Cuba found that fully eliminating financing and travel restrictions on U.S. exports to Cuba would have boosted 2008 dairy sales to Cuba from $13 million to between $39 and $87 million.
The Milking Parlor podcast is sponsored by:
He’s the man behind the YouTube hit, “Water and Poo,” and now he’s also the new chairman of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. In this episode of the Milking Parlor, we meet Will Gilmer, a third-generation dairy farmer from Alabama, whose operation milks about 230 holsteins. And when those chores aren’t enough, he’s racking up more than 14,000 (and counting) views of his clever ditty sung about what to do with the waste from his cows, as he spreads that nutrient management across his pastures.
And if all that isn’t enough, Gilmer maintains a Web site, www.gilmerdairyfarm.com, along with The Dairyman’s Blog, in an effort to reach out to the public about modern farming practices. Gilmer also is active on the micro-blogging Web site Twitter under @gilmerdairy.
You can hear more of Peoria farm broadcaster Meghan Grebner’s interview with Will in this episode of the Milking Parlor in the player below. And if you haven’t seen Will’s hit, “Water and Poo” (and even if you have seen it!) it’s available right here:
To subscribe to the Milking Parlor podcast, click here. Listen to or download this episode in the player below.
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Congratulations to Angie Coburn, Mike Hellenbrand, Steve Larson and Bryan Voegeli, the new members of the World Dairy Expo’s Board of Directors.
Angie Coburn serves as Procurement Manager for Genex Cooperative, Inc./CRI of Shawano, Wis. She has been with the company for fourteen years, and is currently responsible for all bull and embryo acquisitions while overseeing their GENESIS nucleus program. With a degree is Dairy Science from Virginia Tech, she has been active on the NAAB Dairy Sire Evaluation Committee, AJCA Type Advisory Committee, and the Virginia Tech Dairy Science Alumni Association. Coburn has also been involved with the Pennsylvania All-American and WDE’s Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contests.
Mike Hellenbrand and his wife Linda, own and operate City Slickers Farm in Cross Plains, Wis. With a degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Hellenbrand began his career in the banking business in Madison. He later ran the Mortgage Securities Group for a Wall Street firm in New York City for 10 years and also developed a consulting firm while there, providing services to a number of financial firms throughout the country. Following the events of September 11, 2001, he and Linda decided to reenter the agricultural industry. They now manage an intensive embryo transfer business, currently implanting approximately 1,000 dairy embryos annually. City Slickers’ Farming operation consists of 250 recipients and 350 ET animals that are primarily owned in partnership arrangements.
Steve Larson has been with Hoard’s Dairyman in Fort Atkinson, Wis. since 1969. Since 1998, he has served as Managing Editor, and now directs the editorial content and production of the international dairy magazine. Besides his editorial responsibilities, Steve also prepares Washington News and the magazines’ coverage of milk marketing and dairy policy, dairy product promotion, feeding and nutrition, and mastitis and herd health. In addition, he works with the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm, consisting of 350 registered Guernseys and Jerseys on 530 acres. Larson serves on a number of industry advisory boards. He holds degrees from Kansas State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He and his wife, Leota, have five children.
Bryan Voegeli is the fifth generation to operate Voegeli Farm, Inc., in Monticello, Wis. Registered Brown Swiss cattle have been on the farm since 1895. Today, Voegeli manages a milking herd of 200 registered Brown Swiss and works about 1,100 acres of cropland. A 1981 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a degree in Dairy Science, he has served on the Wisconsin State Brown Swiss Board of Directors for sixteen years. He also served as State Brown Swiss President for five years and as a National Director for the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders Association of the USA for six-years. Currently, Voegeli is a member of the Equity and Cheese Committee for the Brown Swiss Association and a member of the WDE Dairy Cattle Exhibitors Committee.
Source: World Dairy Expo
The members of California’s Dairy Cares coalition,made up of dairy farmers and dairy processors, have adopted the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management as a statewide program to promote and verify responsible animal care.
“Responsible care and treatment of animals is a core value for our dairy families, and we know it’s important to dairy consumers,” said William C. Van Dam, chairman of the statewide Dairy Cares coalition. “This new program is a major step forward for our state, in that it provides a credible, verifiable way for dairy farmers to demonstrate to consumers that these core values are carried out in our daily management practices.”
Developed by the nation’s leading animal scientists, veterinarians and dairy industry experts, the National Dairy FARM Program contains a comprehensive set of animal care best management practices. As the nation’s leader in milk production, California dairy farmers are among the first in the nation to adopt the effort. Because California’s dairy products are marketed nationally and internationally, California dairy farmers recognize the importance of participating in a nationwide program to ensure national uniformity for customers and consumers.
“Actions, not words, are the only way to maintain and build trust with our consumers,” said Jamie Bledsoe, a dairy farmer from Riverdale and co-chair of the Dairy Cares Animal Well-Being Committee. “We’ve always cared for our animals, and now we have a program in place to validate that we care. And in those rare instances when animal care doesn’t measure up, we have a program to identify issues and address them.”
Dairy Cares will promote Dairy FARM throughout California using a five-point strategy, which includes:
1 – Adoption of the National Dairy FARM animal care best practice standards;
2 – Orientation of dairy farmers to National Dairy FARM standards through workshops and educational materials from the University of California and California Dairy Quality Assurance Program;
3 – On-farm evaluation of each dairy farm to assess compliance and provide a benchmark to measure improvement;
4 – Producer support and assistance to continuously improve animal care practices; and
5 – Independent third-party verification to demonstrate program integrity and credibility.
Congratulations to Steve Howard, the new Regional Representative for Bio-Vet, Inc., a company that researches, manufactures and markets direct fed microbial and nutritional products for dairy and beef cattle, small ruminants and horses.
In this position, Steve will be responsible for selling Bio-Vet products in northeast, central and southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and eastern Iowa.
His previous work experience includes positions with several major cattle genetics companies in the Midwest, as well as Genmark in Utah and the Wisconsin Holstein Association. His experience also includes livestock DNA research and sales management.
A Wisconsin native, Steve also owns a livestock mortality insurance agency with his wife, Mary. Steve has spent his entire career in the dairy industry, developing longlasting
relationships with individual dairy clients, salesmen, dealers and distributors. Steve is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dairy Science.
Source: Bio-Vet, Inc.
Hoard’s Dairyman is celebrating the magazine’s 125th anniversary this year, and to honor this occasion, a new version of the famous “Foster Mothers of the Human Race” painting will be painted by dairy artist Bonnie Mohr. Hoard’s will be chronicling the painting in a special blog “Bonnie’s Brush with Hoard’s“. Check out the first entry below!
While 2010 marks the beginning of a new decade, it also marks a momentous occasion for Hoard’s Dairyman. On January 23, 1885, William Dempster Hoard launched the first edition of Hoard’s Dairyman. This year, our 125th anniversary, we’ve asked world-renowned dairy artist Bonnie Mohr of Glencoe, Minn., to help us create an updated Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting. With a century and a quarter under our belts, we know this fresh look on the famous Foster Mothers print will be a great launching point for future years of service to the dairy industry. The original Foster Mothers print was created in 1957 followed by updates in 1963, 1991, and 1993 — all of which were painted by former Hoard’s Dairyman Art Director James Baird.
You’ll find this all-new painting on the June 2010 cover of Hoard’s Dairyman. This celebratory issue will highlight landmarks of the dairy industry and Hoard’s Dairyman in the past 125 years. Luckily, you won’t have to wait until June to get a sneak peak of the painting. We’ll be catching up with Bonnie throughout the painting process. Recently, we sat down with Bonnie to visit with her about her excitement for this project.
Source: Hoard’s Dairyman
The Supreme Court will soon make a decision on whether or not farmers can grow biotech alfalfa – and it could ultimately impact other genetically modified crops.
That’s why the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and several other agricultural organizations have filed an amicus curiae brief with the court in the case of “Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms” regarding Roundup Ready® alfalfa.
The groups urge that the lower courts’ decision to approve an injunction without adequately hearing the key evidence must be reversed “to protect the farmers who choose to grow genetically-engineered crops, as well as the public benefits that agricultural biotechnology brings to producers and consumers around the world.” They argue that USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has studied Roundup Ready® alfalfa and found no significant human environment impact and has recommended that farmers be allowed to grow it. APHIS just recently concluded a comment period on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the crop.
This case is important case because it marks the first time the high court has weighed in on the risks of genetically engineered crops. It is scheduled for oral argument on April 27 and a decision is expected from the Court by June.
Read more about the case here from Farm Bureau.
We all know that Mom is the heart and soul of every family, and no where is that more true than in a farm family. Why not show your appreciate of all your farm Mom does by nominating her for the America’s Farmers Mom of the Year award? Hurry, nominations are due by April 9, 2010.
Behind every American Farm Family is the Backbone of the Operation: The American Farm Mom
Tell us in 300 words or less how your farm mom embodies the caring, values and hard work that make up the family farm way of life. You can even nominate yourself. (Why not? You do everything else.)
There will be five regional winners of $5,000 each. All five will be posted online here where voting will determine one national winner of an additional $2,500.
Source: Monsanto
Help Iowa dairy farmers give back to their community, up to $30,000, during the Iowa Farmers Feed US campaign. All you need to do is fan the Iowa Farmers Feed US Facebook fan page or become a Twitter follower of @IAFarmersFeedUS. Each new fan and follower will add $1 to the donation milk can. The promotion runs through March 31.
Iowa dairy farmers know a thing or two about giving back to the community. In addition to providing wholesome, nutritious milk for consumption across the state, last month dairy farmers donated $30,000 to Iowa’s food banks to provide dairy products to those seeking community assistance. With the help of the community, the donation could grow to $60,000.
Beginning March 8, dairy farmers will add $1 to their donation, up to $30,000, for every new fan to the Iowa Farmers Feed US Facebook fan page and Twitter follower of @IAFarmersFeedUS. The donation promotion also extends to the Midwest Dairy Association website. For each click received from the homepage to the Iowa Farmers Feed US link, another $1 will be added to the donation. The donation drive will run until Wednesday, March 31 or until a combination of 30,000 new fans, followers and website clicks are reached.
Iowa’s six food banks – Food Bank of Iowa, Food Bank of Southern Iowa, HACAP, Food Bank for the Heartland, Northeast Iowa Food Bank and Riverbend Food Bank, which serve the state’s 99 counties, will purchase dairy foods from Iowa dairy processors as needed over the next 12 months with the money donated by dairy farmers throughout the state. Midwest Dairy Association will also provide ongoing nutrition education materials to food banks for their clients, highlighting the benefits of consuming three servings of milk, cheese and yogurt every day.
Source: Midwest Dairy Association
Spring is in the air, and it’s time for dairy farmers to think and plan for the 2010 crop. Read below for information on StollerUSA’s Alfalfa Program.
Stoller’s Director of Bioscience, Dr. Ron Salzman, explained the Stoller technology while reviewing university research results and showing images from field trials. StollerUSA field representative, Don Stork also shared what Stoller’s Alfalfa Program involves and the benefits it delivers.
Stork shared results from a dairy farm that followed Stoller’s alfalfa program. The Vos family of Burlington, Wisc. began adding Stoller products to the foliar insecticide spray application used on their alfalfa. Bio-Forge® is the key to Stoller’s Alfalfa Program, applied approximately seven days after each hay cutting to boost root growth and plant vigor. Bio-Forge is a yield enhancer and stress reducer for all crops. It offsets the negative effects of plant stress caused by drought, excessive moisture, frost, herbicide damage and other crop stressors. Bio-Forge keeps the root systems functioning normally under stressed conditions promoting more normal growth activity. This allows more impressive second cuttings and improved digestibility.
Second generation dairy farmers Ray and Ron Vos, like all dairy farmers, are working to manage their operation by looking for efficiencies and improved ROI. The result of their use of the Stoller Alfalfa Program was exceptionally healthy hay with increased tonnage and feed value. With just four cuttings they calculated 6.7 tons of dry matter/acre.
The increased tonnage allowed them to manage their feed needs efficiently – eliminating the previous year’s $11,000 expense of buying alfalfa from an outside source. In addition, the quality of the feed improved significantly. The second cutting feed analysis of the Bio-Forge-treated alfalfa showed an Relative Feed Value (RFV) rating of 189 with a 21.26% crude protein level. This represents a significant increase from recent regional data showing the average RFV as 145-160. In addition, the Vos operation noted higher milk production – with over 28% of the herd averaging milk production of over 100 lbs/day.
In addition to the short-term feed benefits of applying Stoller products to their alfalfa, the Vos operation anticipates their alfalfa fields will be more productive for many more years to come. New seeding performance offered a glimpse into the hearty nature of Bio-Forge-treated alfalfa fields – with a tall stand and blooms appearing eight days after a hard October frost.
Source: StollerUSA
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.’s (DFA) Board of Directors and management are taking a series of proactive steps to emphasize its commitment to proper treatment of animals.
“Animal welfare is a critical issue for our members and is vitally important to producing high-quality milk,” said David Darr, vice president of sustainability and public affairs. “We have a responsibility to clearly articulate our expectations regarding animal well-being and, equally important, to help educate consumers about those standards.”
A key initiative is the second round of DFA’s Gold Standard Dairy quality assurance program. DFA introduced the program in 2007 to proactively address the concerns of consumers, retailers and processors who are interested in how food is produced. The on-farm review includes animal well-being, environmental stewardship, employee training, and milk safety and quality. More than 90 percent of DFA member farms have participated in the Gold Standard process.
When the second round of the Gold Standard Dairy process begins in 2010, the program will incorporate measurement criteria from the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, a nationwide, verifiable animal well-being program that demonstrates U.S. milk producers are committed to producing high-quality milk in a high-quality environment.
Further demonstrating its commitment to animal welfare, at its March meeting, the Board approved a resolution affirming that the public image of dairy, including animal housing and care, is of utmost importance to DFA and its dairy farmer members. The resolution states that DFA will continue to emphasize an expectation of proper and caring treatment of animals through individual dairy farm quality programs, the Gold Standard Dairy program, and participation with other dairy industry organizations to establish animal well-being standards for the U.S. dairy industry.
In addition, the Board welcomed special guest Charlie Arnot to its March meeting to discuss the growing consumer interest in animal welfare issues, and how consumer perceptions influence demand and consumption. Arnot is chief executive officer of the Center for Food Integrity and president of CMA, a consulting company that works with companies across the food chain on issues management, communications and public relations.
Source: Dairy Farmers of America
Dairyline Markets In Review
Block cheese fell 4 1/4-cents the first week of March, closing Friday at $1.2975 per pound, but that’s still 9 3/4-cents above that week a year ago. Barrel closed at $1.25, down 4 cents on the week, but 3 cents above a year ago. Eight cars of block traded hands on the week and 34 of barrel. The NASS-surveyed U.S. average block price fell 1.4 cents, to $1.4921. Barrel averaged $1.4661, down 3.4 cents.
Thankfully, the butter market remains strong, closing Friday at $1.45, up 4 1/2-cents on the week and 28 1/4-cents above a year ago. Only one car was sold all week. NASS butter averaged $1.3592, up 1.9 cents.
Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk lost a penny on the week, closing Friday at $1.11. Extra Grade plunged 12 cents, dipping to $1.12. NASS powder averaged $1.0448, down 2.5 cents, and dry whey averaged 38.94 cents, down 0.5 cent.
Provided courtesy of Dairyline.
Have you tried an American Legends pizza yet from Domino’s? The pizza, which uses 40% more cheese, is one reason why Domino’s was able to report a profit for 2009, and is good news for dairy farmers.
The improving sales prospects for Domino’s Pizza, Inc., could help deliver a boost for slumping cheese prices. Domino’s, which owns or franchises more than 4,900 U.S. locations, projects domestic same-store sales to increase 1 percent to 3 percent this year from last year, the company said in its fourth-quarter earnings statement today. International same-store sales are expected to rise 3 percent to 5 percent, Domino’s said.
The company’s efforts to retool and promote its pizzas are paying off, resulting in traffic growth in all four quarters of 2009, Domino’s Chief Executive Office David Brandon said. Domestic same-store sales rose 0.9 percent for all of 2009, Domino’s said.
Growth was “most significant” during the fourth quarter, Brandon said in today’s statement. “This positive momentum has continued thus far in 2010, as sales and traffic have increased significantly since the launch of our new core pizza.”
Increased pizza consumption may help trim excess cheese supplies and provide a lift for beleaguered dairy producers still reeling from a milk price crash. Pizza generates about $32.5 billion in annual restaurant and grocery store revenue, and about a quarter of all cheese sold is used to make pizza, according to Dairy Management Inc.
The same-store sales outlook is “some much needed good news for the market,” said Scott Brown, a livestock and dairy economist at the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute in Columbia, Mo. “We must have some demand growth if we want milk prices to move higher and stay higher in 2010.”
At the end of January, U.S. cheese inventories totaled 980.8 million pounds, up 11 percent from a year earlier, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Cheese prices will likely stay below $1.40 a pound for a few months without some additional cheese sales, Brown said. “We have a ways to go yet but this hopefully is the start of good news on the demand front,” he said.
In November, Brandon, the Domino’s CEO, told Dairy Herd Management that using more cheese was yielding benefits. The company’s “cheese-enhanced” American Legends pizzas accounted for a double-digit share of overall pizza sales, and the share is growing, Brandon said.
“When you talk about a product that achieves double-digit mix in its first year of introduction, that is big,” Brandon told Dairy Herd Management.
Source: Bruce Blythe, Vance Publishing
Sargento Foods Inc. has announced the introduction of a new series of Reduced Sodium cheeses! he six new varieties include Colby-Jack slices, Provolone slices, Colby-Jack snack sticks, String snacks, Mild Cheddar shredded cheese and Mozzarella shredded cheese.
The series offer great flavor for health-conscious consumers looking to indulge their passion for cheese, without having to sacrifice taste. With 25 percent less sodium, the new cheeses are worthy substitutes for regular natural cheese in both cooking and snacking. With National Nutrition Month in March, the launch of the Reduced Sodium line comes at a time when consumers are seeking healthier food options.
“With almost 50 percent of consumers reading food labels for sodium content, we’re responding to their interest in lowering their daily intake by offering Reduced Sodium Sargento cheeses,” said Chris Groom, marketing director. “However, we only wanted to launch the line if we could still provide the great tasting natural cheese that consumers love, which this line does successfully.”
Consumers, regulators and health groups are increasingly watching sodium intake as public service organizations are referring to high sodium diets as the single greatest problem in the American diet. The average daily sodium intake is now 4,000 milligrams, which is about twice the government’s recommended amount for the average person. Health experts claim that as little as a one gram sodium reduction in the American diet per day can help, which is equivalent to 25 percent less, matching the decrease in Sargento Reduced Sodium cheeses.
Available in slices, shreds and snacks, the new Reduced Sodium cheeses will be on grocery store shelves nationwide in March. Product information, recipes and snack ideas featuring the Reduced Sodium cheeses are available online.
Source: Sargento Foods Inc.
Pioneer director of alfalfa research, David Miller, discusses Pioneer brand alfalfa varieties, traits and testing to help producers put the right product on the right acre.
Listen to the podcast here:
David Miller on alfalfa varieties (4:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Subscribe to Forage Forum here.
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As dairy farmers, we know where milk comes from (our cows), but many consumers want to know more precise information, such as the plant that their milk was bottled. Brigham Young University senior, Trevor Fitzgerald, has created a Web site with the answers!
Fitzgerald did not grow up on a dairy farm, but says he was interested finding out where his food comes from.
The information on the site originated from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but Fitzgerald says it was being made available in a several-hundred page PDF document that was difficult to navigate. Hoping to make the information more accessible and easier to navigate for consumers, Fitzgerald built the Web site.
Consumers can now enter the code found on their dairy products, and the Web site lists where the product originated from.
Dairy products from milk and cheese to yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese are included.
Fitzgerald says traffic to the Web site has been growing rapidly.
Source: Dairy Herd Management