Posted: June 19, 2007 at 6:44 pm
By News Editor
Ok – pop quiz. What do the people in New England call soft ice cream? Creemees – which I think is a fantastic word. It completely describes the creamy, wonderful texture of soft ice cream. I bring all this up to tell you about this story – the Vermont Milk Company distrubuting a machine that produces a soft ice cream made with Vermont milk.
The company bought the franchise rights to the British “One Shot” ice cream machine. The innovative machine makes five-ounce creemees from prepackaged single serving cartridges.
The Vermont Milk Company plans to sell the machines in New England and New York City. A company priority is to pay dairy farmers a fair price, never dropping below fifteen dollars per hundred pounds of milk.
Posted: June 19, 2007 at 6:34 pm
By News Editor
One of the highlights to studying on an agricultural campus is the ice cream that is made on-site. Cornell University, LSU and Wisconsin-Madison to name just a few. One of the more well known is the Creamery at Penn State University. This story highlights the career of Tom Palchak, an important key to the Creamery’s success.
In 1986, when Tom Palchak was hired to manage the historic Creamery, the tradition-bound ice cream industry was in upheaval. Two Vermont hippies named Ben and Jerry, who learned the art of ice-cream making through Penn State’s ice cream short course, were creating a sensation nationwide with far-out ice cream flavor combinations like chocolate chip cookie dough, Cherry Garcia and New York Super Fudge. For many, especially college students, good old vanilla and chocolate just didn’t sound that exciting anymore.
Enter Palchak, a Penn State dairy sciences grad who had just returned to his alma mater. He’d been working as a production supervisor for a Safeway dairy plant in Denver and witnessed firsthand the excitement new flavors generated. As someone who had spent his undergraduate years working in the Creamery, he was keenly aware of the place it held in the hearts of Penn Staters.
Still, he thought Creamery customers were ready for something new, even if the powers that be were hesitant. The first offering, cookies and cream, vanilla ice cream mixed with chocolate sandwich cookie bits, was a runaway hit, and a new era in Creamery history began. In 1989, a food sciences class tweaked an old recipe and another Creamery legend, Peachy Paterno, was created.
“The business absolutely exploded,” Palchak recalled. “We went from making 80,000 gallons a year to 200,000 gallons. In some cases it’s 24 hours from cow to cone. When you’re making ice cream out of milk that was pasture grass just a few days ago, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Today, there are more than 150 flavors of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and no-sugar ice cream on file at the Creamery, but only 25 or so on the menu at any given time.
Posted: June 19, 2007 at 6:19 pm
By News Editor
If I could choose one expo to attend, none would appeal to me more than the fifth annual Great American Dessert Expo and Coffeefest. My two favorite things, dessert and coffe in one place! This year’s expo was held in Atlanta, Ga. on June 1-3 and is the nation’s first trade show dedicated exclusively to the huge dessert industry. Part of the expo was the second annual competition, “Small Bite, Big Taste” contest.
Best New Products
Mercer’s Dairy
Mercer’s has created a wine ice cream that is both an elegant and sophisticated adult dessert. The first of its kind. This wine ice cream has up to 5% alcohol by volume yet it retains the texture and creaminess of a true ice cream.
Trish Pat, Nettie and Angel’s Gorgeous Grub
This warm delectable concoction is a myriad of rich, most decadent flavors & textures. The toffee incused sauce enveloping the tart green apple canopy marned with the sweet tongue teasing sponge is sublime! We dare you to Indulge!
Best Chocolate
Barry Callebaut
This 66% new single origin dark chocolate is bittersweet and lightly acidic and its fragrance unveils a delicious note of licorice.
Best Confection
Trish Pat, Nettie and Angel’s Gorgeous Grub
This exotic Sulky Combination of passion-fruit, apricot, mango and rich clotted cream coddled in marbled chocolate casing floating in passion fruit.
Best Pastry
DePree Rum Cakes LLC
The recipe for our traditional Rum Cake was handed down from generation to generation. Our cakes are hand made with all the finest natural ingredients to bring you the best cake you will ever eat.
Posted: June 18, 2007 at 5:50 pm
By News Editor
More checkoff news! The Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association has helped Solanco High School in Pennsylvania install two healthy vending machines for the students.
Students at Solanco High School now have easy, day-long access to healthy, delicious and nutritous dairy products, including Turkey Hill whole and lowfat milk, water, juice, cheese, yogurt, and Nutri Grain bars.
They are available in two new “3-A-Day of Dairy” vending machines which were unveiled today during a ribbon cutting ceremony at the high school. The Solanco School District used a $4,000 grant from the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association to purchase the vending machines.
Students, teachers and visitors to Solanco High School can purchase delicious snacks from the new vending machines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Posted: June 18, 2007 at 5:09 pm
By News Editor
The Milk Promotion Services of Indiana choose a unique way to celebrate June Dairy Month, by also recognizing Hunger Awareness Day. The group, in partnership with Fair Oaks Farms, donated 4,000 pounds of Indiana cheese to five food banks across the state.
Each food bank will receive 800 pounds of handcrafted Fair Oaks Farms Muenster cheese, a creamy, mild cheese with a slightly nutty flavor.
According to Deb Osza, General Manager of MPSI, “Indiana’s dairy farmers are helping our hungry friends and neighbors to get their 3-a-day of dairy and essential nutrients like calcium and vitamin D with a donation of one of Indiana’s finest cheeses.” She also said, “Hoosier dairy farm families have a long history of community involvement dating back to the early 1930’s with their support of Dairy Council nutrition education programs in Indiana”.
Posted: June 18, 2007 at 4:54 pm
By News Editor
Wisconsin has recommitted to the state’s agribusinesses through the implementation of the Dairy Manufacturing Facility Tax Investment Credit.
“When the Dairy Manufacturing Facility Investment Tax Credit is implemented, alongside the existing investment tax credits for dairy farm and livestock operations, Wisconsin agribusiness will be in a better position to compete in the increasingly competitive international dairy product markets,”said Dairy Business Association Executive Director Laurie Fischer. “This new investment credit will no doubt aid dairy plant expansions, create jobs, secure the future of rural communities and increase dairy exports from Wisconsin well above the current $224 million annually that milk and milk products exported from America’s Dairyland.”
“This new tax credit for dairy manufacturers will spur investment in new facilities and new technology. Wisconsin is America’s leading cheese producer, and this credit will help us remain competitive in the growing cheese marketplace,” said John Umhoefer, the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.
Posted: June 18, 2007 at 4:42 pm
By Chuck
Here’s the latest announcement from Cooperatives Working Together:
Cooperatives Working Together accepted seven export assistance bids last week for the sale of butter. The first bid was accepted from O-AT-KA of Batavia, New York – the first time CWT has accepted a bid from that organization. That bid was for 200 metric tons (440,000 pounds) of butter to Nicaragua.
Two bids were accepted from Darigold of Seattle, WA, each for the export of 250 tons (550,000 lbs.) of butter to the Netherlands, for a total of 500 tons.
The other four bids were from Land O’Lakes of Arden Hills, MN: 455 tons (1,000,120 lbs.) of butter to the Netherlands; 72 tons (158,400 lbs.) of butter to Austria (the first time CWT has exported products to that nation); 234 tons (514,800 lbs.) to Morocco, and another 216 tons (475,200 lbs.) to Morocco.
These accepted bids increase CWT’s total 2007 export obligations for cheese to 5,279 metric tons (11.6 million lbs.), its YTD export obligations for butter to 6,994 metric tons (15.4 million lbs.), and its YTD anhydrous milkfat exports to 2,180 tons (4.8 million lbs.).
Posted: June 15, 2007 at 3:05 pm
By Chuck
Dairy Markets Week in Review
It happened after all, for the second time in history. The little train that couldn’t did…even as the market anticipated Monday’s May Milk Production report. Cash block cheese hit $2.00 per pound on June 13, after closing the previous week on a down note, and held there the rest of the week. That’s up 2 3/4-cents on the week, 80 1/2-cents above a year ago, and the highest it’s been since May 2004.
Barrel closed at $2.05, up 12 cents on the week, and 86 1/2-cents above a year ago. Seven cars of block and four of barrel traded hands. The NASS U.S. average block price hit $1.7623, up 5.9 cents. Barrel averaged $1.8148, up 9.2 cents.
Cash butter closed at $1.48, down 2 1/4-cents on the week, but 30 1/2-cents above a year ago. 27 cars were sold. NASS-surveyed butter averaged $1.5167, up 4 cents. NASS Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.9086, up 10.4 cents, and dry whey averaged 75.55 cents per pound, down 0.7 cent.
Provided courtesy of Dairyline.
Posted: June 15, 2007 at 10:22 am
By Chuck
Here’s a report from the Dairy Checkoff. Research suggests that today’s consumers are interested more than ever before about where their food comes from. In an effort to show the public how high-quality dairy products get from the farm to consumers’ tables, a producer-funded Web site, takes visitors on a virtual tour of a dairy farm. Brian Baxter has more in this report: 
Dairy Checkoff Report.
The report features comments from Washington dairy producers Liz Anderson and Kima Simonson.
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Posted: June 14, 2007 at 6:55 pm
By News Editor
If you love cheese, then you will love this new book “The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese”. Author Jeffrey P. Roberts has compiled the stories of over 350 cheesemakers and paired them with photos.
Mr. Roberts, a founder of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese at the University of Vermont, has ferreted out stories of about 350 of the 400 cheesemakers he has found in America so far.
Each profile is filled with all the useful information a cheese fiend would want to have. There are lots of photos: the cheeses look delicious and the farmers kindly while the lambs, cows and goats never look posed but always look winsome. Even if you can’t take a tour, the atlas provides a useful introductory course on artisanal cheeses and tells how to order many of the cheeses online.
Posted: June 14, 2007 at 6:37 pm
By News Editor
Merial has announced two new analyses to the comprehensive IGENITY® profile.
Added to the DNA profile are a multiple-marker fertility analysis and an optional diagnostic test for persistent infection (PI) of the bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus.
DNA markers also have been added to the longevity and milk production analyses in the IGENITY profile — making them more powerful and increasing the amount of genetic variation accounted for in the profile.
“Fertility and productive life are major areas of concern for the dairy industry,” says Dr. Stewart Bauck, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing, IGENITY. “The recent advancements in the comprehensive IGENITY profile give producers a powerful tool for management and selection of these important traits — earlier than before.”
Dr. Bauck adds that the upgrade of the IGENITY profile in production and longevity traits is equally valuable. The profile now provides more information about the genetic potential for production traits and is extremely powerful in showing productive life differences in cows.
Posted: June 14, 2007 at 6:28 pm
By News Editor
Pennsylvania’s Governor Rendell is pleased with the action of the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board to possibly capture over-order premiums for milk sold out-of-state.
Governor Rendell petitioned the board last year to use its authority to capture over-order premiums in other marketing areas, a move that would boost the profitability of Pennsylvania dairy producers.
The board agreed to consider the part of the Governor’s recommendation that would establish over-order premiums on milk produced and processed in Pennsylvania and sold in states with mandated producer premium. This change, if implemented, will make approximately 6.5 percent more Pennsylvania milk eligible for a premium.
Milk produced, processed and sold within the commonwealth receives a premium above the latest federal order milk price. However, if milk is processed or retailed in another marketing area, producers do not receive that money. Only 15-percent of the fluid milk produced in Pennsylvania is eligible for current premiums. By capturing a larger portion that is available in the marketplace, the state’s producers will increase their income.
Posted: June 13, 2007 at 5:14 pm
By News Editor
Pro-Act Microbial now has an eight-minute video posted on their website to help dairy producers understand their product and learn more about the benefits of using it on their farms.
The video provides a virtual tour showing how Pro-Act’s system stratifies nutrients, reduces solids and odors, prevents slippery barn floors, provides cleaner flush water, excellent fertilizer and more.
“It’s wonderful for us,” explains Tom Wagner of Wagner Dairy during an interview shown in the video. “The alleys aren’t slippery anymore. Odor is down. Because the nutrients are stratified I can apply top water to fields that already are high in nutrients. Even at the very bottom of the lagoon, I still end up with manure that’s 98% liquid.”
Posted: June 13, 2007 at 5:07 pm
By News Editor
The American Jersey Cattle Association has sent out a call for applications and a reminder for scholarship applications.
Applications are now being accepted for an Area Representative to serve the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico, in addition to responsibilities as an evaluator for the AJCA Linear Type Traits Appraisal program. This position was announced last Friday. For full consideration, applications should be received no later than June 30.
July 2, 2007 is the postmark deadline to submit applications for scholarships administered by the American Jersey Cattle Association:
Russell–Malnati Scholarship for Advanced Studies ($5,000). Graduate students in program areas specified below, or undergraduate students who have completed at least one-half of coursework credit hours required for a degree in dairy science, animal science (dairy emphasis), large animal veterinary practice, dairy production or manufacturing, or dairy product marketing.
William A. Russell Memorial Scholarship ($1,000). Entering freshman student at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2007.
Cedarcrest Scholarship ($1,000). Undergraduate or graduate student seeking a degree in large animal veterinary practice, dairy production, dairy manufacturing, or dairy product marketing.
V. L. Peterson Scholarship ($950) and Paul Jackson Memorial Scholarship ($400) will be awarded to students who have completed at least one year of college or university work.
Bob Toole Jersey Youth Award ($750). May be applied to college expenses or a well-defined practical experience related to breeding, developing and showing Registered Jerseys™.
Reuben R. Cowles Jersey Youth Award (variable). Residents of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia who are at least high school graduates, but not older than 36 years of age as of January 1. May be used for educational expenses or well-defined practical experience.
Posted: June 13, 2007 at 5:01 pm
By News Editor
John Frey has a new position with the Center for Dairy Excellence in Pennsylvania. He is now the new Executive Director and is charged with executing the goal’s of the Center, including empowering people, creating partnerships and increasing the availability and use of resources to enhance dairy industry profitability.
Frey brings a broad spectrum of dairy-related experience to the position, having worked both in the production and marketing sides of the business. He was selected by the organization’s board of directors.
“We were very impressed with John’s credentials, as well as his vision for the dairy industry,” said Jim Kennedy, president of the Center’s board of directors. “John is well-placed to carry out the Center’s core mission of working across the dairy industry with producers, allied industry, the Dairy Task Force and the key leadership organizations that work every day to strengthen the interests of Pennsylvania’s agriculture and dairy industries.”
Frey has prior experience in sales, marketing and business management for both Monsanto and Genex/Cooperative Resources International. For the past six and a half years, Frey has worked for Monsanto, most recently as the East Region dairy sales manager. Prior to working for Monsanto, Frey was involved in a family partnership at Fultonway Farms, a high-producing 100-cow dairy operation based in Lancaster County. Frey handled the financial and marketing side of the dairy farm business and helped routinely on the dairy. He has been involved with numerous non-business related boards and organizations. John is a graduate of Messiah College where he received his B.S. degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing. He resides in Lancaster County with his wife Kathy and their two children.
Posted: June 13, 2007 at 2:00 pm
By Chuck
Here’s the latest announcement from Cooperatives Working Together:
CWT announced today (Monday) that it accepted six export assistance bids last week for the sale of cheese, butter and anhydrous milkfat.
The first bid was from Dairy Farmers of America for the export of 500 Mt (1.1 million lbs) of anhydrous milkfat to Algeria.
The second bid was from Darigold for the export of 200 Mt (440,000 lbs) of butter to the Netherlands.
The other four bids were from Land O’Lakes for the export of small amounts of retail-packaged dairy products. These include 6.4 Mt (14,080 lbs) of cheese and 0.3 Mt (660 lbs) of butter to China; and 3.5 Mt (7,700 lbs) of cheese, and 0.4 Mt (880 lbs) of butter to South Korea.
These accepted bids increase CWT’s total 2007 export obligations for cheese to 5,279 MT (11.6 million lbs); its YTD export obligations for butter to 5,314 MT (11.7 million lbs); and its YTD anhydrous milkfat exports to 2,180 MT (4.8 million lbs).
Posted: June 13, 2007 at 1:13 pm
By Chuck
This week I’m attending Propane Days going on here in Washington, DC. This annual event is put on by the National Propane Gas Association and sponsored by the Propane Education & Research Council. I ran into an interesting project that PERC is working on with a company called Rinnai. This is a company that makes gas fired appliances and one thing they’re doing that is real interesting is tankless water heaters.
As you’ll hear in my interview with Mike Peacock (left) and Kirk Morrow, they’re working with PERC on a project with some dairies to showcase how their technology can benefit the farm. Essentially they say it allows the dairy to replace boiler systems that can break down causing the dairy to be without hot water until it gets fixed. Their systems don’t have many moving parts and so they last a long time. Additionally they’re working with the dairies on some other applications like floor heating which would help northern dairies in the winter to keep floors from becoming slick and animals from slipping.
In my interview with Mike and Kirk they also provide some explanation of just how this tankless system works. You can listen to my interview with them here: Rinnai Interview
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Posted: June 13, 2007 at 10:13 am
By Chuck
Issues on ruminant starch digestibility (STRD) include vitreousness—harder starch—vs. soft, floury endosperm in commercial corn germplasm. As part of a series of Pioneer Forage Forum segments highlighting STRD research, Dr. Bill Mahanna, Pioneer Global Nutritional Sciences Manager, condenses decades of research on this topic. His review includes recent conclusions, with viewpoints on how to identify real-world findings and make practical decisions, driven by factors ranging from processing of feed to digestion.
Bill Mahanna on vitreousness and STRD (4:30 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
Posted: June 11, 2007 at 6:18 pm
By News Editor
The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) has announced the results of the 2007 Board of Directors election.
WMMB board members supervise WMMB policies and procedures and approve WMMB’s long-range business plan and annual budget. Based on this election, the newly elected board members will serve a term from July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2010.
District 3 – Lincoln, Oneida, Price and Taylor counties; Director: Ed Jasurda of Phillips
District 6 – Chippewa and Eau Claire counties; Director: Patricia Boettcher of Bloomer (incumbent)
District 9 – Menominee, Shawano and Waupaca counties; Director: Don Robaidek of Pulaski
District 12 – Portage, Waushara and Wood counties; Director: Ken Heiman of Marshfield (incumbent)
District 15 – Adams, Juneau and Monroe counties; Director: Mary Cook of Wilton (incumbent)
District 18 – Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha counties; Director: James Stemper of Plymouth (incumbent)
District 21 – Crawford and Vernon counties; Director: Judy Wubbenhorst of Westby (incumbent)
District 24 – Dane and Jefferson counties; Director: Mark Christenson of Lake Mills (incumbent)
Posted: June 11, 2007 at 5:53 pm
By News Editor
Alto Dairy Cooperative introduces Brian Briner as their new Field Service Representative.
Briner brings to Alto a 14 year experience in feed sales and working close with farmers. As Alto Dairy’s new field representative, he will be responsible for working with patrons of Alto to improve and increase the quality and profitability of their product. He will play an essential part in growing our patrons’ success and member relations. Briner will be covering farms in the Wisconsin counties of Clark, Jackson, Oconto, Outagamie, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca, and Wood. Briner has a bachelor of science in Animal Science with an option in Science from Purdue University. Briner grew up on a veal farm in Indiana and is a former employee of LFD, Inc, a feed division of Alto Dairy Cooperative.
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