The cash dairy markets were mixed in the Good Friday holiday shortened week. Block cheese closed Thursday at $1.2350 per pound, down 4 1/2-cents on the week, and 60 cents below a year ago. Barrel closed at $1.17, down 9 cents on the week and 58 cents below a year ago. Twenty one cars of block traded hands on the week and 17 of barrel.
Cash butter strengthened, likely driven by last minute Easter/Passover demand, and closed Thursday at $1.2050, up 2 1/2-cents on the week, but still 18 1/2-cents below a year ago. Nineteen cars were sold.
Whether you are new to the dairy industry or just want to expand your knowledge of procedures and practices, there is an International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) publication for you! With newly updated educational resources and reduced pricing, IDFA is your prime source for dairy training manuals, operations resources and other important industry information. IDFA offers a wide range of material regarding the dairy industry including:
* Training Manuals
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To ensure that essential industry information is accessible to both members and non-members, we have reduced pricing on several publications including:
* Milk, Cheese, and Ice Cream Labeling Manuals
* EPA, FDA, and OSHA Inspection Manuals
* Dairy Industry Orientation Workbook
* Frozen Dessert Plant Code Listing and
* The Foot and Mouth Disease Response Plan for Dairy Plants
Newly Updated Publications
The IDFA Membership Directory provides a complete listing of more than 500 IDFA member companies, representing approximately 85 percent of all dairy foods processed in the United States. Comprehensive profiles of each company are included along with descriptions of IDFA Business Partner and Gold Business Partner supplier companies.
Dairy Facts 2008 is a comprehensive industry publication with over 100 pages of key statistics on the sales, consumption and production of milk, cheese and ice cream products. This fact-filled book is the most complete resource guide available. It puts key data on U.S. and international production, sales, consumption and pricing right at your fingertips. Substantial volume discounts are available to members.
* Dairy HACCP Manual is your primary HACCP desk reference. This manual outlines the prerequisite Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and seven principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) protocol for product safety.
* Dairy Industry Orientation Workbook is designed to help familiarize people with the industry’s main dynamics, including consumer trends, farm production, manufacturing and government regulations. This workbook is perfect for dairy professionals who are new to the industry or who want to expand their knowledge of the industry.
* Allergens Guidelines & Best Industry Practices is a practical guide to managing allergens. It includes background information on allergens and discusses the process for setting up a food awareness program in a plant.
Dairy processor H.P. Hood has reduced its organic milk supply since late February by not renewing several Maine dairy producers contracts. Hood maintains that with the declining economy, the demand for organic milk has just not caught up with production, according to Hood spokeswoman Lynn Bohan.
“Due to a softening in organic milk sales triggered by the recent economic downturn, Hood has made this difficult decision,” Bohan said when the original cuts were announced. “Increased transportation costs also factored into Hood’s decision, as the raw organic milk procured in outlying areas must be shipped to the company’s processing plants.”
Last week, Bohan said she could not say how many producers have voluntarily agreed to a 15 percent cut in production and declined to discuss further contract eliminations.
In late February, Hood told eight Maine organic dairy farmers in Aroostook and Washington counties that their milk contracts would not be renewed. Hood then notified its remaining 14 contracted organic milk producers that they must cut their production this year by 15 percent.
Now, two major producers in central Maine also have been dropped by Hood: Richard Lary in Clinton, whose farm produces 11,000 pounds of milk every other day, and Mark McKusick in Dexter.
Both men have been outspoken against Hood’s practices, and Lary said Saturday he believes the pair are being punished by Hood for their active campaign against the production cuts.
For both conventional and organic milk, this spring is the worst of times for milk producers. Prices being paid for milk are way under the cost of production, back to Depression-era prices, farmers say. Because organic farmers are paid premiums for their milk, reverting to conventional will mean a massive pay cut for any organic farmer making the switch. Conventional farmers are paid about half what organic farmers get for their milk.
There are 72 farms in Maine that produce organic milk. Some sell to processors such as Hood, Organic Valley and Horizon Cooperative. Others sell to local markets, off-farm and through community-supported agriculture shares, in which consumers purchase shares in a farm’s coming harvest. Hood ships Maine’s organic milk to New York to be processed and packaged, then returns it to Maine, where it is sold as Stonyfield Farm Organic Milk.
Meanwhile, Maine’s dairy supporters — the Maine Department of Agriculture, Maine Farm Bureau, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Downeast Business Alliance and others — are working together on a solution.
David Bright of the MFB Marketing Committee said a $90,500 emergency grant was submitted to the USDA last week to conduct a study of options and come up with a plan that would structure a statewide distribution system. This system would allow organic dairy farmers in Washington and Aroostook counties to move their milk — as a Maine-branded product — into grocery stores across the state.
The next step is for Beshear to make appointments, which he is required to do by Aug. 1.
The commission will be composed of consumers, retailers, processors, handlers or cooperative representative, producers and a representative from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Human services, who is knowledgeable of the Women, Infant and Children Program. The commission will be led by the Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture or a non-voting designee. The Kentucky Dairy Development Council will also have a non-voting representative on the commission, said Maury Cox, executive director of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council.
“The commission will serve the interest of the consumer. The milk commission will look at issues which affect all sectors of the industry and seek solutions for all to win. By stabilizing the state’s dairy industry, Kentucky consumers’ money will be going to local economies and dairy producers in Fleming, Hart, Barren and other counties across the state,” Cox said. “Otherwise more and more money will be going to other states such as Michigan, Northern Indiana, Ohio and Texas and also into the atmosphere from burning more diesel fuel to haul the milk here. According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, one direct job on the local dairy farm generates 2.5 additional jobs in town. One dollar generated from the local farm turns over seven times in a community.”
The commission will not have the authority to set prices on milk or dairy products.
“However, it has the opportunity to look at all aspects of milk prices as it relates to the different segments of the industry and give a report on their findings,” Cox said. “It can collect information on the cost of transporting milk used in Kentucky and make recommendations to minimize those costs. It has the authority to look to other states and regions and give recommendations on solutions others have determined to work. It has the potential to recommend creative economic incentives which would stabilize and grow the production and processing sectors of the industry, many of which are presently available to other industries, but not to medium or small size agricultural operations.”
The sale includes the Golden Guernsey and Morning Glory brands. It also means that Foremost Farms will focus exclusively on its wholesale dairy products business and will no longer be a retailer.
Selling the two plants to Dean Foods was the best way of ensuring their long-term survival, according to Foremost Farms.
“As food retailers consolidate to gain market share and operating efficiencies, Foremost Farms has been challenged to efficiently supply customers who have a significant regional or national presence and prefer to have a sole supplier,” David Fuhrmann, Foremost Farms USA said in a statement.
“We are confident that these plants have a better chance for success by being part of Dean Foods, the largest processor and distributor of milk and other dairy products in the country,” he added.
While at the Central Plains Dairy Expo last week, I was walking around the trade show and ran across a booth that was reminding producers about the Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program. Sponsored by the Midwest Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Center and the Minnesota Beef Council and funded by America’s beef producer checkoff dollars, this booth reminded dairy producers that they, too, are beef producers. It’s all about bridging the gap and embracing that as dairy producers, you carry a one-two punch as you put the milk in the glass and the steak on the dinner plate.
The 1999 National Market Cow and Bull Quality Audit showed that producers lost about $70 on every dairy cow they sold because of product defects like injection site blemishes. By following the 10 steps listed below, you will assure beef quality, prevent costly product losses, build public confidence, and enhance the effectiveness of the products you use to maintain the health of your herd.
1. Always choose the correct injection site.
2. Know the product and follow the label.
3. Stay away from the muscle.
4. Use the proper technique.
5. Use multiple sites.
6. Choose the correct needle.
7. Keep equipment clean.
8. NEVER combine products.
9. Mix and handle products correctly.
10. Keep detailed records.
Welcome to Indiana Family Farms. This web site is your personal introduction to some of the men and woman who make up the Indiana livestock industry. Most Hoosiers have not visited a dairy farm or spent time on a beef or pork operation. Most people have never met a farmer. This is a chance for you to do both – visit a livestock farm and meet the people who own and operate them.
With just the click of a mouse, you can see the animals and listen to the men and woman tell their stories. They will share with you their values, methods of production, and hopes for the future. These are real farm families telling their story in their own words. Come and meet the people who put the meat in your meat case and the milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream in your dairy case. This site was made possible by a grant from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.
This can be a two way conversation. If you would like to ask a question of any of our producers or just ask about the industry in general, please e-mail us your request and we will get back to you with the answer.
In its March “Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook” report, ERS economists write, “As a result of higher cheese and butter prices than forecast earlier, the prices for Class III and Class IV milk have been raised slightly, to $10.05 to $10.65 per pound and $9.50 to $10.20 per pound for 2009.”
Last month, the ERS figured the Class III price would average between $9.70 and $10.40, so the new estimate is 25 to 35 cents higher. Also last month, the ERS said the Class IV price would average between $9.35 and $10.15. That means the new forecast is up by 5 to 15 cents.
Ditto for the U.S. “all-milk” price. In its March statement the ERS looks for that price to average $11.25 to $11.85. That’s an increase of 20 to 30 cents from the February estimate of $10.95 to $11.65.
This latest report is the first in months to state that higher milk prices instead of lower ones n are expected. Make no mistake: Those higher predicted prices are still well below the averages of last year.
Turning to dairy product prices, the ERS says commodity cheese prices should average $1.215 to $1.275 per pound this year. It expects butter prices to average $1.105 to $1.195 per pound.
Nonfat dry milk prices should average 80.5 to 85.5 cents a pound. And, the ERS looks for whey to average 16 to 19 cents per pound. There’s also good news on the demand side. The outlook report says demand for butter and cheese has been “stronger” than expected.
“Lower prices have stimulated additional use. Commercial use is forecast to rise by one percent on a fats basis, and by better than two percent on a skims/solids basis in 2009,” says the report.
On the other hand, exports of milk equivalents are expected to fall to 5.1 million pounds, from 8.8 million pounds last year. The ERS explains that the declines in exports are due to “global recession reducing demand, and to rising production in Australia and New Zealand…”
Looking at production, the report says per-cow output will be up slightly this year. But a contraction in the nation’s “herd” is expected, too. The forecast is for 1.3 percent fewer cows than in 2008. Cow numbers began to fall in January. The economists say the steepest declines will likely come in July and later.
“Output per cow will rise fractionally, to 20,500 pounds…Total milk production will be lower in 2009, at 188.5 billion pounds, a decline from 190 billion pounds in 2008,” says the report.
Feed prices are “moderating,” says the ERS. Still, comparatively weak demand is holding milk prices down.
Until now, Canada has had a hotchpotch of different voluntary and mandatory organic certification in place in different provinces across the country. The new Organic Products Regulations, due to be implemented on June 30, will require all Canadian organic products to be endorsed by a certification body accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
The rules were designed to create a nationwide standard for Canadian products, but raised fears that products that were previously accepted as organic from other countries including the US could be shut out if they did not comply.
The USDA’s final rule on national organic standards was fully implemented in October 2002 and is slightly different from the new Canadian regulation.
Deputy administrator in charge of the National Organic Program at the USDA Barbara Robinson said at a conference last week that the two governments’ intention is to reach an agreement before the introduction of the new rules for Canadian organic produce. This would ensure that trade could continue uninterrupted.
In response to the announcement, managing director of the OTA in Canada Matthew Holmes said: “Canadian consumers will definitely benefit from this, and will continue to enjoy quality year-round organic products from the United States. At the same time, Canadian farmers and manufacturers will be able to certify to our organic standards without having to take on additional, redundant certifications to sell into the United States – so everybody wins.”
The first draft of Canada’s new regulations, brought forward in 2006, raised concerns over possible restrictions on imports and exports of organic foods due to a lack of allowance for equivalency between countries’ certification procedures.
The new version has been designed to bring Canadian requirements for organic certification in line with those of its major trading partners in Europe and the US, as well as to protect consumers.
However, there are still some differences between American and Canadian organic regulations that need to be ironed out. For example, some US organic farms allow the use of sodium nitrate in the soil, while it is not permitted on Canadian organic farms.
The OTA partnered with government in order to produce and revise the regulations, and has been working with growers and manufacturers of organic products for the past year and a half in order to adjust organic standards in time for the new regulation.
From June, products that contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients will be eligible for organic certification in Canada but those containing 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients will have to carry additional information on the product label identifying the percentage of each organic ingredient.
Those products that contain less than 70 percent organic ingredients will be restricted to making organic claims on the ingredient list.
The organic products industry is the fastest growing sector of Canadian agriculture, with annual growth of 15 to 20 percent over the past decade, according to the Canadian Food and Drug Law Institute.
Meanwhile, the organic sector in the US is forecast to experience “slowing but steady growth” of 19 percent to 2013, according to market research organization Mintel.
I polished up on my Spanish skills as I listened in on the Hispanic Fresh Cow Workshop at the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls this Thursday. This forum was tailored specifically for the Hispanic dairy employees, and the workshop was presented by Jorge Luna, Fresh Cow Reproduction Manager at Pfizer Animal Health. Luna told the group that it was very important to catch illness in a dairy cow early, and I think his strategies could help avoid illness problems on every dairy operation. Here is an excerpt from his presentation…
When a cow is sick, milk production decreases by at least 20%. It’s important to catch illness early on. A sick cow costs the dairy operation time, money and effort. Educate your co-workers about the signs to look for. A physical examination includes looking at the eyes, ears, tail and temperment. Work to improve and develop your operating processes in order to see these illnesses early. At the first sign of illness, communicate the problem to your supervisor or veterinarian.
The next step is bridging the gap of communication between the vet and yourself. How will you explain the illness to the vet? What is your impression of the vet? Does he see the same signs of illness as you? Make sure the cow gets adequate care. You are the first ones that will be able to see illness. You work with these cows on a daily basis. This is your job. Do it well.
I spent a lot of time at the trade show during the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls this week, and I stumbled upon Barron Built Products.
Based out of Ruthton, Minn., Tom and Daniel Barron work to innovate new products to help the busy dairyman. Pictured here is a hay feeder that catches the hay in barrels below to eliminate waste. This product is hand crafted and runs for $450. In addition, Barron Built contracts for customized feeders to fit your needs. They also build curved swinging doors for the calf huts.
“Sometimes I can’t sleep at night with so many ideas running through my head,” said Barron, of his innovative ideas to simplify a dairy producer’s busy life. “I keep a notebook on my night stand, and I will draw out my ideas during the middle of the night. At Barron Built, we are dedicated to creatively constructing new technologies that will help producers in their operations.”
In my opinion, these were pretty slick pieces of equipment and a good investment for anyone interested in trying something new! For more information on these products, contact Tom at 507-828-3749 or Daniel at 507-829-0085.
I spent a few days at the Central Plains Dairy Expo on April 1 and 2, and I was able to listen to Trent Loos’ two-part presentation titled, “We Are The Champions.” Loos’ presentation was sponsored by the folks at Land O’Lakes Purina Feed, and the house was packed as Trent Loos dived into the challenges facing farmers, especially for dairy producers. Here is a little segment from Trent’s speech. Hopefully it will add a little inspiration to your day, as well!
Over the years, we have gone from 24 million dairy cows, to 9 million dairy cows. Our efficiencies are producing three times more milk now than ever before. We are producing so much milk that there is now an “oversupply” of milk. There is no surplus of milk! 82% of girls in this country are calcium deficient; they need your products! We just aren’t positioning our marketing strategies to the right crowd. How much does a pound of chicken wings cost during Super Bowl season? $3.99/lb! Lean beef is only $1.19/lb. We are paying over double the amount for bones, fat and little meat in a chicken wing over pure protein in lean beef. Why? The poultry guys do an excellent job of marketing their products, so that everyone loves chicken wings. So, how do dairy producers do the same with their marketing campaigns?
I have got to give credit to dairy producers these days. It can’t be easy getting up every morning to milk cows for $9.00 milk. On average, you and your colleagues are losing $5.00 per day, and yet, you are the most optimistic and progressive people I have ever met. It’s time we take the next step forward and work to connect with our consumers in a language they will understand. We have got to show them where their milk comes from!
I’ve been a fan of Leon The Milkman for a long time. Finally I got to meet him via YouTube. Leon says he’s starting Midweek With The Milkman, a video newsletter for dairy fans. Say hello to him:
The cash dairy markets saw little change the first week of April. Block cheese ended Friday at $1.28 per pound, down a penny on the week and 53 1/4-cents below a year ago. Barrel closed Friday at $1.26, down 3 3/4-cents on the week and 49 1/2-cents below a year ago. Seventeen cars of block traded hands on the week and 11 of barrel. The NASS-surveyed U.S. average block price gained 1.6 cents, hitting $1.2379. Barrel averaged $1.3173, up 4.1 cents.
Butter ended the week at $1.18, down three quarters of a cent, and 19 1/4 cents below a year ago, while the NASS average was up 0.9 cent, at $1.1695. Six cars were sold on the week. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged 81.52 cents, down 0.3 cent. Dry whey averaged 17.45 cents, up 0.2 cent.
Uncle Sam purchased 4 million pounds of nonfat dry milk in price support purchases this week, raising the cumulative total to 209.4 million, compared to none a year ago.
Shredded cheddar cheese, milk and vegetable oil showed the largest retail price declines and together account for most of the decrease in average price of the overall marketbasket. Shredded cheese dropped 70 cents to $4.24 per pound; milk dropped 67 cents to $3.15 per gallon; and vegetable oil dropped 38 cents to $2.79 for a 32-oz. bottle.
For the first quarter of 2009, shoppers reported the average price for a half-gallon of regular whole milk was $2.16, down 22 cents from the prior quarter. The average price for one gallon of regular whole milk was $3.15, down 67 cents. Comparing per-quart prices, the retail price for whole milk sold in gallon containers was about 25 percent lower compared to half-gallon containers, a typical volume discount long employed by retailers.
The average price for a half-gallon of rBST-free milk was $3.19, down 26 cents from the last quarter and nearly 50 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.16).
The average price for a half-gallon of organic milk was $3.71, up 1 cent compared to the third quarter and approximately 70 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.16).
Compared to a year ago (first quarter of 2008), the retail price for regular milk in gallon containers decreased by 17 percent while regular milk in half-gallon containers decreased 10 percent. The average retail price for rBST-free milk dropped about 3 percent in a year’s time. The average retail price for organic milk in half-gallon containers went up and down slightly throughout the year, rising about 2 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to a year ago.
“Continued weak demand overseas for U.S. dairy products combined with increased on-farm production are behind the softening retail prices for shredded cheese and whole milk,” said Jim Sartwelle, an AFBF economist.
As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped.
“Starting in the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. That figure has decreased steadily over time and is now just 19 percent, according to Agriculture Department statistics,” Sartwelle said.
Using the “food at home and away from home” percentage across-the-board, the farmer’s share of this quarter’s $47.41 market basket would be $9.00.
The Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program invite local dairy producers to learn how to share your dairy story with the non-farm public. The training sessions, called the Dairy Farmers Speakers Bureau will be held on April 21 and April 23.
By participating in the speakers bureau, farmers can make a difference in helping their non-farm neighbors better understand how dairy farmers take care of their animals and land, provide the safest products possible, and play a vital role in the local community.
The speakers bureau is funded through the dairy checkoff program and is a joint effort of Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and the Center for Dairy Excellence. The program is available to farmers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey. The workshops will provide the communication tools needed to tell your dairy story to local community groups, such as the Lions Club, the Rotary or the Chamber of Commerce. The speakers bureau will also provide the services of a “scheduler,” who will identify local community groups, book speaking engagements, and handle follow-up evaluations.
Spring training sessions are schedule as follows: Tuesday, April 21, 2009, in the Keystone Room at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, Pa., and Thursday, April 23, 2009, at the Mercer County Cooperative Extension Office, Mercer, Pa. Both training workshops will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will conclude by 2:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided and the workshops are free to dairy farmers. Additional training sessions will be held in Pennsylvania in Fall 2009 and in the Maryland/Delaware area later in the spring.
If you would like to participate in one of the spring training workshops, please contact Jayne Sebright at 717-259-6496 or via e-mail at jsebright@centerfordairyexcellence.org to register.
Congratulations to Ana Schweer, 19, of Watertown, S.D. – the new South Dakota Dairy Princess! Crowned the 54th princess on April 1 during the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, Ana was one of eight candidates for the title. As the new princess, Ana won a $1,000 scholarship from the dairy princess program sponsor, Midwest Dairy Association – South Dakota Division.
Ana is the daughter of Randall and Diane Schweer and is a freshman at South Dakota State University in Brookings majoring in dairy production/pre-veterinary medicine. During the next year she will represent the state’s dairy producers at events and appearances to help explain their commitment to good stewardship, animal care and wholesome products.
First runner-up in the contest was Larissa Neugebauer, 18. Her parents are Jim and Ellen Neugebauer of Dimock. Graduating this spring from Parkston High School, she plans on attending SDSU in Brookings majoring in Dairy Science. She received a $500 scholarship from Central Plains Dairy Expo. Larissa was also voted Miss Congeniality by the other contestants.
In light of the perilous financial plight affecting America’s dairy farmers, Cooperatives Working Together (CWR) has announced it will conduct its latest herd retirement round. Bids are being accepted starting today through Friday, May 1st.
Detailed information can be found online, including bid forms, an interactive bid calculator to help estimate a farmer’s bid, and answers to frequently-asked questions. All bids must be postmarked by Friday, May 1st, in order to be considered. All dairy producers submitting bids to sell their herds must be members of CWT effective January 2009, either through their membership in a fully participating cooperative, or as an independent member of CWT. For more information, call 888-Info-CWT (888-463-6298).
“We all recognize that 2009 is shaping up to be among the toughest years on record for dairy farmers, but CWT will help shorten the price plunge farmers are facing, and speed the recovery,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF, which manages CWT.
This is the seventh herd retirement round since CWT began operations in the summer of 2003.
Kozak said that, given the dramatic downturn in dairy economics in the past six months, CWT is anticipating a large number of bids. However, since the value of cows and heifers has dropped dramatically, the price level of bids accepted will be much lower than in recent years. As has been the case in recent herd retirement rounds, Kozak said CWT has no set target for the volume of milk or the number of cows to be removed in this round.
“Whether CWT will remove a significant number of dairy animals will depend on the number of bids received and the price level of those bids. CWT will not pay more for cows than what they are currently worth in the marketplace.”
As was the case in 2008, in addition to submitting bids for their milk herds, participating farmers will have the option of offering all of their bred heifers, at a flat price of $700 per animal. In addition, there are two program rule changes in this round:
1. Members of CWT whose bids were accepted in a previous round may bid again in this round. This is a one-time exception to the exclusion affecting prior participants in the program;
2. Producers whose bids are accepted in the next and future herd retirements will be paid in two installments: 90% of the amount bid times the producer’s 12 months of milk production when it is verified that that all cows have gone to slaughter, and the remaining 10% plus interest at the end of 12 months following the farm audit, IF both the producer and his dairy facility – whether owned or leased – do not become involved in the commercial production and marketing of milk during that period.
Congratulations to the student teams from the University of Minnesota, Purdue University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and The Ohio State University who earned First Place Platinum in the eighth annual North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC), held March 27 and 28 in the Syracuse, N.Y.
Organized by the Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge committee, NAIDC 2009 attracted teams from 31 universities located across the United States and Canada. Each team of four was challenged to put their textbook and practical knowledge to the ultimate test – analyzing dairies. The contest started with a walk-through at one of the four host dairies, followed by the opportunity to ask questions of the owners and analyze farm-specific data. Teams then used this information and their observations to develop management recommendations, and then presented their recommendations to the herd owners and a panel of five dairy industry judges.
This was the second consecutive year for teams from Purdue and Minnesota to earn the contest’s highest ranking. Purdue’s team, coached by Dr. Mike Schutz and Dr. Tamilee Nennich, consisted of Austin Deardorff, Macy, Ind.; Kurt Fischer, Attica, Ind.; Megan Kron, Evansville, Ind.; and Jared Roberts, Westfield, Ind. Members of the Minnesota team were Jennifer Becker, Eden Valley, Minn.; Brett Boyum, Battle Lake, Minn.; Adam Husfeldt, Gaylord, Minn.; and Amanda Rasmussen, Rothsay, Minn. They were coached by Dr. Marcia Endres.
The Ohio State team of Jordan Beck, Wauseon, Ohio; Paige Gott, Greenwich, Ohio; Renee Starkey, Spokane, Wash.; and Kyle Uhlenhake, Coldwater, Ohio; was coached by Dr. Maurice Eastridge. UW–Madison team members were Laura Bahn, Berlin, Wis.; Patrick Kusilek, Baldwin, Wis.; Phil Monson, Brodhead, Wis.; and Annette Zwald, Hammond, Wis. Team coach was Dr. Dave Combs.
Each of the First Place Platinum team members received $200 scholarships. (more…)
Posted: April 1, 2009 at 10:36 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Breeding corn for silage is very much like a conventional program for grain. The main difference is the equipment used to measure the end product. Bill Curran, Pioneer research scientist, discusses some of the key traits producers and breeders are looking to achieve. Some key traits include dry matter, tonnage and starch digestibility.
Dairy Markets Week in Review
Whether you are new to the dairy industry or just want to expand your knowledge of procedures and practices, there is an 
Dairy processor 
While at the Central Plains Dairy Expo last week, I was walking around the trade show and ran across a booth that was reminding producers about the Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program. Sponsored by the 
Here’s a great new website to help open the communication lines between non-farm neighbors and farmers in Indiana. Designed by 
A 
The U.S. and Canada have 
When a cow is sick, milk production decreases by at least 20%. It’s important to catch illness early on. A sick cow costs the dairy operation time, money and effort. Educate your co-workers about the signs to look for. A physical examination includes looking at the eyes, ears, tail and temperment. Work to improve and develop your operating processes in order to see these illnesses early. At the first sign of illness, communicate the problem to your supervisor or veterinarian. 
I spent a lot of time at the trade show during the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls this week, and I stumbled upon Barron Built Products. 
I spent a few days at the Central Plains Dairy Expo on April 1 and 2, and I was able to listen to Trent Loos’ two-part presentation titled, “We Are The Champions.” Loos’ presentation was sponsored by the folks at Land O’Lakes Purina Feed, and the house was packed as Trent Loos dived into the challenges facing farmers, especially for dairy producers. Here is a little segment from Trent’s speech. Hopefully it will add a little inspiration to your day, as well!
Retail milk prices have dropped, 
The 
Congratulations to Ana Schweer, 19, of Watertown, S.D. – the 
In light of the perilous financial plight affecting America’s dairy farmers, 
Congratulations to the student teams from the University of Minnesota, Purdue University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and The Ohio State University who earned First Place Platinum in the eighth annual 
Breeding