Posted: June 30, 2009 at 7:21 pm
By News Editor
Have you tried Domino’s new American Legends specialty pizzas yet? On this last day of June Dairy Month, dairy producers, through their investment with Dairy Management Inc., announce the launch of Domino’s second phase for the premium pizzas, which use 40-percent more cheese than a traditional Domino’s pizza
To help revitalize the pizza category and build cheese sales, dairy producers and Domino’s Pizza launched the second phase of the American Legends specialty pizzas earlier this month. This is part of a multi-year partnership between dairy producers, through their checkoff investment, and Domino’s Pizza.
Domino’s kicked off phase two of the campaign by airing a new round of radio and television commercials emphasizing the premium ingredients and the cities for which the pizzas are named. The ads will run now through July 19.
“The dairy checkoff remains focused on building partnerships with industry leaders, such as Domino’s Pizza, to help drive immediate- and long-term sales for U.S. dairy products and ingredients,” said Paul Rovey, Arizona dairy producer and chair of Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff. “The potential from these new pizzas could result in more than 10 million additional pounds of cheese sold annually.”
Domino’s introduced American Legends pizzas in February as permanent menu items that represent regional tastes — Philly Cheese Steak, Pacific Veggie, Honolulu Hawaiian, Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch, Memphis BBQ Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, and the new Fiery Hawaiian. Each pizza offering uses two or more types of cheeses in addition to Domino’s signature cheesy crust.
The campaign also includes cheese-focused pizza boxes, box-toppers, print advertising, online/text message ordering and various sampling tactics.
Dairy producers are supporting the effort through advertising, public relations, local market promotions, and other communications support. Amid a challenging market, Domino’s reported an increase in first quarter sales thanks, in part, to the Domino’s American Legends pizzas.
Posted: June 30, 2009 at 7:08 pm
By News Editor
Here’s a another reason to keep dairy in your diet! New research finds fat free milk instead of a fruit drink at breakfast helps you feel fuller and eat less at lunchtime. Stock your fridge, friends!
Now there’s a new reason for the weight-conscious to drink fat free milk at breakfast time, suggests a new study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers in Australia found that drinking fat free milk in the morning helped increase satiety, or a feeling of fullness, and led to decreased calorie intake at the next meal, as compared with a fruit drink. The milk drinkers ate about 50 fewer calories (or nearly 9% less food) at lunch.
In the study, 34 overweight but otherwise healthy men and women participated in two testing sessions – one in which they were served about 20 ounces of fat free milk, and one in which they were served the same amount of a fruit drink (both beverages contributed about 250 calories to the breakfast meal). During the four hours between breakfast and lunch, the men and women gauged their feelings of fullness and were allowed to eat until comfortably full at lunch. The researchers found that the milk-drinking adults reported feeling fuller, more satisfied and therefore ate fewer calories at lunch.
The researchers suspect that milk’s protein content (providing 16% of the daily value per cup), the lactose (the natural sugar in milk) or simply the thickness of the beverage may play a role in the satiety benefits. And, research suggests choosing foods that can help enhance satiety is an important success factor in any weight management plan.
Experts are increasingly focused on small behavior changes that can make a big difference when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. A calorie decrease as little as 50 calories per day can add up in the long run. Americans may be gaining weight at a rate of up to two pounds per year, likely caused by an average of less than 100 calories per day, according to recent research.
Fat free milk is packed with nine essential nutrients Americans need, including calcium and vitamin D, and contains 80 calories per 8-ounce serving. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend three servings of fat free or lowfat milk each day.
Posted: June 29, 2009 at 7:02 pm
By News Editor
Accelerated Genetics held their annual Young Producer Summer Meltdown Celebration recently at the Hoard’s Dairyman farm and National Dairy Shrine Visitor’s Center in Fort Atkinson, Wis. Young Producers from across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois gathered to explore the oldest Guernsey dairy operation in North America.
The day kicked off with members of the Hoard’s Dairyman editorial staff giving the group tours of their operation. The new facilities, which opened up in June of 2007, is home to nearly 240 Guernsey cows. The tour highlighted the double-10 herringbone parlor, a two-row free stall barn excellent for ventilation, biosecurity, and traffic flow, and the sand/manure separator and manure storage structures. Producers also viewed the calves, heifers, and dry cows, which were also housed on the farm in the older facilities.
Following the farm tour, producers enjoyed a catered picnic lunch complete with turkey and beef sandwiches, and all the fixings.This was a great chance for all to sit and visit with one another. After lunch, Brian Knox, President of Hoard’s Dairyman, spoke to the group about the progress the farm has made over the years and shared some of the current challenges they are facing and how the farm compliments their magazine’s focus. Janet Keller, Accelerated Genetics Vice President of Advertising, Public Relations, and Communications, welcomed producers and gave a brief update on the company. Young Producers also brushed up on their leadership skills and came forward to introduce themselves and talk about their home operations. Before leaving the farm, children in attendance got to go head-to-head with some competitive Ag Olympics.
Following the program, attendees headed just down the road into town to the National Dairy Shrine Visitor’s Center and Hoard’s Historic Museum. There, participants caught up on their dairy industry history and were treated to ice cream.
Upcoming young producer activities include the Young Producer Summit – “Innovate, Integrate, Motivate” – December 5-6, 2009 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Tomah, Wis.; the Winter Get-Away – January 30-31, 2010 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis, at the Kalahari Resort and Waterpark; and the Leadership Conference – March 20-21, 2010 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., at the Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center.
Posted: June 29, 2009 at 6:55 pm
By News Editor
Jersey enthusiasts from all over the country are headed to Syracuse, N.Y. for the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. annual meeting, July 1-4, 2009. Building on the theme “Jersey Worlds Combine in 2009,” the program includes seminars, tours, recognition banquets, and the 52nd National Heifer Sale punctuating annual meetings for each organization on three consecutive days.
In addition, the first North American Jersey Cheese Awards will be presented. The contest is modeled after the highly successful World Jersey Cheese Awards, the first breed-specific cheese competition held last May in Jersey during the International Conference of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau.
President James Ahlem, Hilmar, Calif., will call the 51st annual meeting of National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ) to order at 7:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, July 2. The company reported all-time member participation in its Equity program for 2008. The NAJ subsidiary Jersey Marketing Service, reported its fourth best year in history at $9.4 million in public auction and private treaty sales.
At the conclusion of this meeting, Dr. Chad Mueller and Garrett Tschida of Oregon State University will present findings from their NAJ-funded research on the growth and development of Jersey steers.
The annual meeting of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau is scheduled for Friday, July 3, with Dr. Gonzalo Maldonado of Colombia presiding. Evening activities will be held at Sycamore Hill Gardens, Marcellus, N.Y. There, Kathy Guidi, maitre fromager and the founder and president of Artisan Cheese Marketing of Toronto, will talk about opportunities for Jersey milk cheeses in the fast-growing artisan retail segment.
Then, at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, president David Chamberlain of Wyoming, N.Y., will conduct the 141st annual meeting of the American Jersey Cattle Association. Executive Secretary & CEO Neal Smith will report on the multiple all-time records set by the company in 2008.
That will be followed by the 52nd National Heifer Sale at the Empire Expo Center in Syracuse. Consignments include 50 Jersey heifers ranked in the top 10% of the breed today for genetic merit. Jersey Marketing Service will manage the sale.
William and Carolyn Ahlem, Sabino Ahlem Herrera, D.V.M., and Ed Fisher will receive the Master Breeder Award. The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Dr. Robert C. and Helene Z. Dreisbach, Mercer, Penna. And, the AJCA-NAJ Award for Meritorious Service will be presented to Ronald E. Pearson, Ph.D., Blacksburg, Va.
The Young Jersey Breeder Award is presented by the American Jersey Cattle Association to individuals or couples who are at least 28 years old and under the age of 40 on January 1 of the year nominated, who merit recognition for their expertise in dairy farming, breeding Jersey cattle, participation in programs of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc., and leadership in Jersey and other dairy and agriculture organizations.
The 2009 award recipients will be recognized at a banquet the evening of July 1. They are Roger and Cathleen Alexander, Liberty, Penna.; Kimberly Clauss, Hilmar, Calif; Eric D. Daggett, Derby, Vt.; Jake and Kate Hardy, Belleville, Penna.; Shari Strickhouser, Elkhorn, Wis.; and Ron and Nicolle Wussow, Cecil, Wis.
Posted: June 26, 2009 at 1:02 pm
By Chuck
Dairy Markets Week in Review
Cash dairy product prices saw little change in the final full week of June Dairy Month. Cheese prices inched a little higher but are still below their respective government support levels.
The 40-pound blocks closed that Friday at $1.12 per pound, up a quarter-cent on the week, but 80 cents below that week a year ago.
The 500-pound barrels closed at $1.09, up 2 cents on the week, but 87 cents below a year ago. Twenty eight cars of block traded hands on the week and nine of barrel. The NASS-surveyed U.S. average block price inched up 0.2 cent, to $1.1494 and barrel averaged $1.1173, down 0.7 cent.
The cash Double A butter price held all week at $1.2050, 34 cents below a year ago. Twenty nine cars were sold on the week. The NASS butter average hit $1.2092, down 0.7 cent. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged 84.64 cents, down 0.5 cent, and dry whey averaged 27.55 cents, up 0.9 cent.
Price support purchases for the week amounted to 5.7 million pounds of nonfat dry milk, raising the cumulative total to 264 million.
As of Friday morning bids totaling 25.8 million pounds of nonfat dry milk, 167,550 pounds of Cheddar cheese, 119,000 pounds of anhydrous milkfat, and 2.9 million pounds of butter were accepted that week under the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP).
Provided courtesy of Dairyline.
Posted: June 25, 2009 at 9:09 pm
By News Editor
Registered Holstein enthusiasts – do you have your bags packed for Sacramento, Calif.? Final preparations are being made for the 124th National Holstein Convention and Annual Meeting, June 27-30, 2009. The California Convention Planning Committee and volunteers are eager to welcome Holstein members from across the country to their state for what promises to be an exciting and memorable National Convention.
Those breed enthusiasts who can’t make it to California, can check online each day at the Holstein Association USA’s website, to see updated Convention pictures, contest results, and daily summaries!
Convention events will begin on Saturday, June 27 with several Junior competitions and the Wine and Cheese Social. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about California during Host Day tours on Sunday, June 28. A nondenominational devotional service will also be held that morning. Host Day concludes with the California National Convention Sale, featuring several lots of premium Registered HolsteinSM genetics.
The Holstein Association USA Annual Business Meeting will take place on Monday, June 29 and Tuesday, June 30. An Early Bird panel covering the popular topic of Genomics will be held on Monday morning, prior to the start of the meeting. Panelists include representatives from the A.I. industry, as well as Registered Holstein breeders from around the country. Later in the day, members will hear reports from CEO John M. Meyer and President Doug Maddox. The Association’s Forty-Year members will be recognized on Monday, as well as the Star of the Breed and Herd of Excellence honorees.
An exciting feature of Monday’s meeting will be a discussion of Holstein Association USA’s Dairy Price Stabilization Program by Dr. Robert A. Cropp, Professor Emeritus in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Dr. Cropp has been serving as an advisor for the development of the program.
Officer and director elections are slated for the second day of the Annual Meeting. Larry Tande of Medford, Minn. will be seeking the office of President. Three candidates have declared their candidacy for the office of Vice President: John Bierbaum, Burnsville, Minn.; Tom Thorbahn, Vickery, Ohio; and Chuck Worden, Cassville, N.Y.
Four members will be elected to the Association’s board of directors. The candidate for Region 5 is Robert Nigh of Viroqua, Wis. Contending for the Region 8 seat are Bill Stoltzfus, Buhl, Idaho, and Bill Wright, McCornick, Utah. Incumbent Hank van Exel is up for re-election in Region 9, and for the At-Large position, three candidates have declared: Dennis A. Areias, Los Banos, Calif.; Thomas F. Atherton, Gaines, Mich.; and Jonathan Lamb, Oakfield, N.Y.
The Convention will conclude on Tuesday evening with the Gold Nugget Gala Banquet, where the recipients of the Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder, Elite Breeder and Distinguished Leadership Award will be revealed.
Juniors have several exciting events taking place during the Convention, including Dairy Jeopardy and Prepared Public Speaking on Saturday and the popular Dairy Bowl competition on Monday.
Posted: June 25, 2009 at 9:01 pm
By News Editor
The Iowa State Dairy Association (ISDA) is now accepting nominations for the Ralph Keeling Leadership Award. Each year an outstanding member of Iowa’s dairy industry is presented this prestigious award.
Nominations are open to producers, educators or industry persons in the dairy field who have significantly contributed to the progress of Iowa’s dairy industry. Nomination forms are available online and are due by Friday, July 17, 2009.
The Ralph Keeling Leadership Award is given in honor of the late Ralph Keeling. Keeling operated a successful dairy farm and business, devoting much of his time and talents to help the progress of Iowa’s dairy industry. Since 1967, this award has been presented annually to outstanding individuals in various fields of the State’s dairy industry.
Presentation of the award will take place during the Iowa State Fair on Friday, August 14, in the Livestock Pavilion on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey and Iowa State Dairy Association President, Wayne Dykshorn, will present the award.
The Ralph Keeling Leadership Award is sponsored by the Iowa State Dairy Association.
Posted: June 25, 2009 at 9:59 am
By Chuck
More and more farmers are speaking out in the social web world and that includes dairy farmers. Take Ray Prock, Ray-Lin Dairy. He’s got a blog going and is very active on Twitter. These social media platforms allow you to tell your story publicly which helps the consumer better understand your business. That can only help in a world today where public opinion is really affecting the way we do business.
Welcome to Ray-Lin Dairy’s newly minted blog. To start with here is a little background information about us. We are a second generation Dairy Farm located in Central California. My parents started the dairy in 1972 near Galt, CA in 1974 they moved to Elk Grove, CA. We stayed on that facility until 1990 when we sold the property for subdivision. Our current location is in Denair, CA where we have 240 acres and milk nearly 500 cows. I (Ray) take care of managing the cows, my father (Ray Sr.) mainly handles the books and spends time in OR (more on that later), my brother Joseph manages the farming operation. In 2007 we purchased a 1100 acre ranch in Klamath Falls, OR it sits on the Oregon & California border. We grow alfalfa hay, oat hay and graze some beef cattle there. My brother John manages this facility.
Starting your own blog is simple and free if you use a service like Ray does, WordPress.com. And of course Twitter is free too.
Posted: June 24, 2009 at 9:34 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Rod Smith at Feedstuffs Magazine recently reported this business transaction. Here’s a news update for the day…
Saputo Inc., Canada’s largest dairy, announced today an agreement to acquire F&A Dairy of California Inc. in Newman, Cal. F&A manufactures and markets principally mozzarella and provolone cheese and whey and had 2008 sales totaling $140 million, according to the announcement. The company employs 113 people.
The acquisition will be a cash deal and will be completed in late July. Terms were not released. Saputo said F&A will complement its U.S. activities.
Saputo Inc. is a Montreal based Canadian dairy company. Founded as a cheese store in 1954 by Italian immigrant Giuseppe Saputo, today Saputo’s business includes cheese, baked goods and milk production. Saputo operates in Canada, as well as in the United States and Argentina. It is the largest dairy processor in Canada. About a third of its revenues come from the company’s operations in the United States.
Posted: June 24, 2009 at 6:54 pm
By News Editor
Results from an intensive study of growth and development of Jersey steer calves fed at different energy levels for lean meat production will be presented during a seminar on Thursday, July 2 following the annual meeting of National All-Jersey Inc. at the DoubleTree Hotel Syracuse, Syracuse, N.Y. The seminar begins at 9:30 a.m. at and is open to the public. It will also be broadcast by webinar for those not able to attend in person.
Dr. Chad Mueller and Garrett Tschida from Oregon State University will discuss findings from their research, initiated in October of 2007 after being selected for funding by National All-Jersey Inc. This is the most intensive research project on this topic financed to date by the USJersey organizations, based in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
“Beef operations have an interest in feeding Jersey calves for meat production due to the low input costs and the propensity to generate high quality, marbled carcasses,” Dr. Mueller explained in 2007. “However, due to a lack of known growth parameters, feedlot operators are simply using trial-and-error to feed out these calves. This has resulted in over-conditioned carcasses and reduced growth efficiencies, both of which have limited the usefulness of Jersey steers in feedlot operations.”
“We expect the results of this study to enable feedlot operators to optimally feed Jersey steer calves to maximize financial returns while achieving optimal growth and meeting consumer demand for high quality, marbled beef,” said Dr. Mueller.
Posted: June 24, 2009 at 6:46 pm
By News Editor
The last days of June are ticking away, but dairy farmers and dairy organizations across the country continue to use this month to tell the special story of the dairy industry. Tell us what your state has done to celebrate the contributions of dairy farmers! Meanwhile, South Dakota Governor, Mike Rounds has declared June as Dairy Month in his state. The presence of dairy farms in South Dakota offers families throughout the state access to local, wholesome sources of food, Gov. Rounds stated in the proclamation.
Dairy Month recognizes the contributions of the states 400-plus South Dakota dairy farmers, who produce the safe, nutritious milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream that South Dakotans enjoy every day. A healthy dairy industry in South Dakota is important not just to our rural economy, but to every citizen of the state, Gov. Rounds said. Dairy farmers are an integral part of South Dakota agriculture and have a tremendous positive impact on our communities.
South Dakotas dairy processing industry employs nearly 900 workers, in addition to the states 1,100 dairy farm laborers. Overall, the dairy industry has an annual economic impact of more than $1.41 billion in South Dakota. Agriculture is South Dakotas No. 1 industry, and our states 94,000 dairy cows are one of the driving forces behind our economy, said South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Bill Even. Agriculture has a $21.3 billion economic impact on South Dakota, and creates approximately 40% of the states job opportunities and 50% of its tax revenue.
The Governors proclamation also notes that dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt contain nine essential nutrients which help to reduce the risk for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain cancers.
Posted: June 24, 2009 at 6:39 pm
By News Editor
More than 20 dairy industry representatives, including 15 dairy producers, traveled to Harrisburg earlier this month to meet with more than 20 key legislators and staffers in the capitol building. The delegation was organized by the Government Relations Committee of the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force, with assistance from the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and the Center for Dairy Excellence.
“With milk margins at all-time lows and many of the state’s dairy farms in danger, it is crucial that legislators recognize the vital economic engine our dairy industry is for Pennsylvania and the important role a strong support system provides to the industry,” says Tim Kurtz, chair of the Government Relations Committee and a dairy producer from Elverson. “This was a monumental event because it was the first time we’ve had a significant number of dairy producers and industry representatives converge at the Capitol on the same day.”
The delegation visited with members of the Senate Ag and Appropriations Committees, as well as key House members. Dairy producers participating in the event also visited with legislators representing their district. At least three people attended each meeting and updated legislators and staffers on dairy’s role in Pennsylvania, the current state of the dairy industry, and support programs for dairy in the state.
“The meetings were overwhelmingly positive, with many of the legislators and staffers telling us that they do not hear enough from the dairy sector of the state,” Kurtz says. “They seemed to have a genuine interest in agriculture, recognizing the enormous value dairy contributes to Pennsylvania. With the current budget situation and their hectic schedules, we were amazed at their willingness to visit with us and listen to what we had to say.”
The legislative visits were coordinated in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force semi-annual meeting held in Harrisburg and the annual “June Dairy Month” giant ice cream sundae celebration hosted by Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program and Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association on the steps of the capitol building. Many of the delegates visiting with legislators were task force members, and they all attended the giant ice cream sundae unveiling prior to going on their visits.
“It was truly a collaborative effort to promote dairy at the capitol that day,” Kurtz says. “The General Assembly members and their staffers were first invited to enjoy free ice cream sundaes in honor of June Dairy Month. Later, we followed up with visits to reinforce why dairy is important to our state. It was really a unique opportunity to share dairy’s story with state policy leaders.”
Posted: June 24, 2009 at 10:27 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Different crops have different requirements, which is why Pioneer offers crop-specific inoculants. Scott Dennis, Pioneer Hi-Bred ruminant microbiologist, says the goal is to get maximum performance for each crop.
pioneer-podcast-57-wdd.mp3
Scott Dennis on Crop Specific Inoculation (5:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
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Posted: June 23, 2009 at 9:05 pm
By Amanda Nolz
The Associated Press recently reported on dairy farmers who have made efforts to reduce cow emissions by altering the diets of their dairy cows. By feeding flax seed, alfalfa and grass, instead of corn and soybeans, the farmers have been able to greatly reduce their carbon footprint. What do you think about climate change discussions? Do you think these are really effective ways to reduce emissions? Is this something you would like to implement?
Vermont dairy farmers Tim Maikshilo and Kristen Dellert, mindful of shrinking their carbon footprint, have changed their cows’ diet to reduce the amount of gas the animals burp — dairy cows’ contribution to global warming.
Coventry Valley Farm is one of 15 Vermont farms working with Stonyfield Farm Inc., whose yogurt is made with their organic milk, to reduce the cows’ intestinal methane by feeding them flaxseed, alfalfa, and grasses high in Omega 3 fatty acids. The gas cows belch is the dairy industry’s biggest greenhouse gas contributor, research shows, most of it emitted from the front and not the back end of the cow.
To read more about these dairy farmers’ efforts, link to the AP story.
Posted: June 23, 2009 at 7:05 pm
By News Editor
In response to the current economic milk price crisis affecting dairy farmers across the country, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF)’s newly-formed Strategic Planning Task Force met last week to focus on short‐term solutions and to establish an aggressive schedule for addressing longer‐term solutions to the problem.
The Task Force immediately voted to recommend to the CWT Committee and the NMPF Board of Directors to direct any available CWT funds to assist CWT members in utilizing the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) to its fullest extent. DEIP has the potential to export the equivalent of more than 1.5 billion pounds of milk. The NMPF Board of Directors immediately approved the recommendation and directed CWT management to work with CWT members to facilitate this recommendation.
While CWT’s Export Assistance program isn’t meant to replace the use of the DEIP, “we’ve always seen it as a complement to the role of DEIP, and so we are willing to utilize specially designated CWT funds to help expedite the use of the government’s resources to help remove one percent of the nation’s dairy production through DEIP,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF.
Kozak said that this measure, spurred on by the Task Force, will further aid efforts to correct the supply‐demand imbalance at the heart of the financial hardship being faced by thousands of American dairy farm families. In a separate action, CWT is currently in the middle of removing more than 100,000 cows equivalent to two billion pounds of milk in the largest‐ever herd retirement in its six‐year history.
To address longer‐term factors affecting price and volatility, the Task Force will next meet in Chicago with representatives from major dairy producer organizations across the nation that are proposing programs to resolve the crisis.
The Task Force will engage in a detailed dialogue with these groups “to determine the economic and political feasibility of those plans, with the goal of achieving a common understanding of how best to tackle the problems of low milk prices and high input costs,” Kozak said.
Letters of invitation have already been sent to the producer organizations asking them to be prepared to discuss a number of proposals concerning both supply and demand.
“There was no single reason why dairy farmers have found themselves in this plight so the Task Force will focus on developing a portfolio of solutions to ensure that we can avoid such circumstances in the future,” said Kozak
Posted: June 23, 2009 at 3:58 am
By Amanda Nolz
In an age where the media and animal rights activists continually get the agriculture story wrong, it’s increasingly important for producers to connect to their consumers. Dairy Days is a program that just does that, and producers kept busy educating consumers about dairy production at a recent event.
Leigh Anderson and Kimi Bassett are dairy interpreters at the Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland. No, they are not cheese whisperers, nor do they speak butter. What they interpret is the minutiae of livestock and farm life for the city folk who frequent the Farmpark. They were kept especially busy during the Farmpark’s Dairy Days event this past weekend.
Anderson and Bassett hosted a cow-milking contest Sunday, much to the joy of the young children assembled and the chagrin of Annabelle, the 3-year-old Ayrshire who was milked by a series of amateurs. First, Anderson had the kids simulate the motion on their downturned thumbs. After their introduction to the world of lactation, the kids went for the udder with gusto. In addition to milking Annabelle, the Dairy Days included demonstrations on how to make ice cream and yogurt, a cheese tasting and a display of milk-bottle and butter-churn collections. (Photo courtesy of Ohio News Herald)
To read the entire article, link to Jason Lea’s article in the Ohio News Herald.
Posted: June 22, 2009 at 11:11 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Want to know where President Obama spent part of his Father’s Day? In a quick trip to get ice cream, Malia and Sasha took their dad to a Wisconsin-based ice cream shop called Dairy Godmother in the Washington D.C. area. (Article and photos by Jeff Zeleny of “The Caucus” Blog)
At this boutique on Mount Vernon Avenue, the sign indicates that the line forms to the right. But Mr. Obama and his small entourage went to the left, bypassing the crowd. No one seemed to mind, store employees said later, as people strained their necks to see what the Obama family was ordering.
The president had a small vanilla custard with hot fudge and almonds. Malia asked for vanilla custard in a waffle cone. And Sasha ordered a brownie sundae with vanilla custard. Bo, the presidential dog, was not along for the ride on this pre-Father’s Day outing, but the store employees sent a bag of “puppy pops” home with the girls.
Mr. Obama paid for the items and offered to leave a tip, according to Elizabeth van Gestel, who rang up his order. Mr. Obama was told that tips aren’t allowed at the Dairy Godmother, so he stayed for about 15 minutes, taking photographs and eating his custard.
Posted: June 22, 2009 at 8:44 pm
By Amanda Nolz
I knew that the 2009 Miss America, Katie Stam was a gem! After writing about her in AgWired for her support of 4-H and community service, it’s in the news that this dynamic woman is now a spokesperson for the dairy industry! According to Indy’s News Center, Indiana’s first Miss America, Katie Stamm, is the new celebrity spokesperson for the American Dairy Association. What a great face for America’s milk producers!
Stamm recently completed a photo shoot for the ADA’s new image campaign in Indianapolis on Monday. She grew up on a family dairy farm in Jackson County and showed dairy cattle in 4-H.
Stamm said it was always a goal of hers to do what she could to help the farming community. Now as Miss America, she says she’s come full circle, promoting dairy products at appearances for the American Dairy Association around the state and across the U.S. Stamm will be in Indiana for a few more days, crowning a new Miss Indiana on Saturday before leaving for more appearances in Colorado and California.
Posted: June 22, 2009 at 7:40 pm
By News Editor
Young people tend to cut down on bone-strengthening dairy products as they enter their 20s — just when their body needs it most, new research finds. In a study by researchers at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, a majority of the 1,500 participants reduced their calcium intake in high school and the years immediately following high school. More than half of the males and more than two-thirds of the females consumed less than the daily recommended level of calcium at the end of each of those time periods, the researchers found
The study findings are published in the July issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
Because human bone mass peaks when a person is in their 30s, consuming sufficient amounts of calcium, protein and vitamin D — all found in dairy products — during the teen and young-adult years is considered key to lowering the risk of osteoporosis and some other health issues in later life. About 1,300 mg of calcium a day is recommended for high school-aged children and 1,000 mg a day for young adults, according to a news release from the journal.
Increased availability of milk at mealtime, a proper attitude and approach to weight, health and nutrition, and a taste for milk were linked to greater consumption of calcium during these critical years, the study authors noted. Excessive television watching and lactose intolerance were tied to lower calcium levels.
“The findings of this study indicate that future interventions designed to promote improvements in calcium intake should encourage the families of adolescents to serve milk at meals,” the team concluded in their report. The authors also suggested that specific efforts target concerns particular to each sex.
Posted: June 22, 2009 at 7:35 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Natalie Laubner, 17, of Mandan, N.D. Natalie was crowned the 63rd North Dakota Dairy Princess allowing her to serve as the official goodwill ambassador for the nearly 250 North Dakota dairy farmers during the coming year. Natalie’s duties will include media interviews and she will be active at the North Dakota State Fair promoting the dairy industry. Dairy princess candidates were judged on personality, knowledge of the dairy industry, enthusiasm for promotion and communication skills. The dairy princess program is sponsored by the state’s dairy farmers through the checkoff program.
Natalie is the daughter of Larry and Elaine Laubner. She will attend Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas this fall pursuing a degree in animal science. Natalie also received an $800 scholarship from the North Dakota Milk Processors and Friends of Dairymen.
Throughout her year-long reign as North Dakota Dairy Princess, Natalie will make numerous appearances to educate children and adults about dairy farmers’ commitment and caring for their animals and the environment. She will make classroom visits to educate children on the importance of including wholesome dairy products in their diets every day.
Four candidates competed for the North Dakota Dairy Princess title. Nancy Leier of Hague was named runner-up.
Nancy plans to study Bismark State College majoring as a veterinary technician or agronomy this fall.. She also received a $500 scholarship from the North Dakota Milk Processors and Friends of Dairymen.
Tiffany Mosset of Linton was awarded a $500 scholarship from Midwest Dairy Association. Tiffany is studying at the Minnesota School of Business in Moorhead majoring in veterinary technology.
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