Applications for the Pennsylvania Dairy of Distinction award from the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program are due April 15.
The award is based on the idea that attractive farmsteads enhance consumer confidence in the wholesomeness of milk and stimulate milk sales and public support for the industry. Dairies receiving the highest scores in each of 10 Pennsylvania districts will be awarded an 18-inch-by-24-inch Dairy of Distinction sign to display in front of their farm.
This program is run by volunteers and recognizes the hard work and dedication of dairy producers who promote a positive image for the dairy industry.
Roadside judging will take place in May, and farms will be evaluated on factors that can be controlled by the dairy producer. Judges will look for clean and attractively finished buildings; neat landscaping, ditches, roads and lanes; and well-maintained fences. They also will take into account other aspects of the farm, such as manure management and cleanliness of animals.
To receive an application, call Dr. Mike O’Connor at (814) 863-3913 or visit the website.
Since 1987, Pennsylvania’s Dairy of Distinction program has recognized more than 800 dairy farms. The Pennsylvania program is part of the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program, which also includes New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Vermont. Dairies in these states can contact the program secretary in their state for applications.
The National Milk Producers Federation’s Board of Directors has voted to support a series of major reforms in the Federal Milk Marketing Order program, intended to renovate the economic structure of the U.S. dairy sector.
The changes will be packaged as part of the Foundation for the Future program that NMPF has been developing during the past 18 months. The proposal:
Replaces end product pricing formulas with a competitive milk pricing system;
Incorporates two classes of milk – fluid (Class I) and manufacturing (formerly Class II, III and IV product uses);
Maintains the higher of for establishing the fluid use (Class I) minimum base price;
Maintains current Class I regional differentials;
Maintains the number and basic structure and provisions of Federal Orders.
“In order to create a truly comprehensive transformation for the betterment of the dairy industry, we needed to adopt these specific changes as part of Foundation for the Future,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF. “Our Board’s vote today is a critical, necessary step toward significant reform of the entire regulatory structure of the dairy sector.”
The changes approved Tuesday – which were developed by a committee of dairy policy experts from across the industry – maintain the basic framework of the Federal Milk Marketing Order system, but eliminate some of the most contentious elements from the current structure, such as make allowances, which are the result of the end product pricing formulas now used to price farmers’ milk.
Kozak said that the Federal Order reforms will be incorporated into legislative language and submitted to Congress to review, as part of the overall Foundation for the Future package. He said that the proposal will be shared with other stakeholders in the dairy sector, including processors, in an effort to build consensus around the changes.
“There has long been a shared notion that change is needed; now we’ve taken a big step toward defining what that change should look like,” Kozak said. “We are looking forward to explaining to everyone, from farmers to processors to lawmakers, how a competitive pricing system, and shifting the pricing basis to two classes of milk, will make the Federal Order system more flexible and sensible.”
Kozak said that NMPF will continue to build support for the other, previously-approved elements of Foundation for the Future, which include a new Dairy Producer Margin Protection Program to help protect farmers when their margins are compressed by low milk prices and/or high feed costs, and establishing a Dairy Market Stabilization Program to help address periodic imbalances in milk production and demand.
Alltech’s 27th International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium will address dairy industry challenges and provide insights and solutions to the issues that plague the dairy industry. The Symposium, entitled The Game Changers: Creative Concepts for Agribusiness to Respond to Relentless Commoditization and to Innovate for a Greener Future will be held at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Ky., USA from May 22-25, 2011.
To secure your place at the 2011 Alltech International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium, please visit Alltech’s Symposium site. For more information, please email symposium@alltech.com and be sure to join in the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag: #AlltechSymposium. Follow Alltech Symposium related news on Alltech’s agriculture and science blog.
Symposium attendees will hear from and interact with dairy industry experts during the following informational seminars:
Managing the media myth: What is the truth behind the carbon footprint of modern dairy production? J. Capper, Washington State University, Washington, USA
Win-win: Can we reduce the environmental impact of silage while increasing milk production? D. Davies, Silage Solutions Ltd, Wales, UK
Towards farm sustainability – Can we benchmark milk production economics? T. Hemme, IFCN Dairy Research Center, Kiel, Germany
The DEMP revolution: Feeding microbial protein directly to the cow. A. Gehman, Alltech, South Dakota, USA
The forgotten importance of heifer nutrition – Its impact on future cow performance. J. Heinrichs, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
The power of dealing with the end consumer – Should farms commercialize their own milk? R. Jank, Jr., Agrindus, São Paulo, Brazil
Managing metabolic stress in high-performing dairy cows. M. Kaske, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
Is the New Zealand model still working? Meeting the challenge of disruptive change. M. McLeod, Silvanus Limited, Waikato, New Zealand
Optigen®: A Game Changer for the Brazilian dairy industry. M. Pereira, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Meeting consumer expectations – The challenges of environmentally sustainable farming. D. Tristant, AgroParisTech – Ferme de Grignon, Thiverval-Grignon, France
The five myths of trace mineral supplementation. R. Murphy, Alltech Biosciences, Dunboyne, Ireland
Programmed nutrition – The importance of measuring feed conversion. Why it is essential to dairy producer survival. C. Thorp, Kennan Systems, Co. Carlow, Ireland
It sure looks like we have a long way to go to help educate the general public on GMO’s! In answer to the question, “How much do you think the public understands about GMO crops?” an overwhelming 70 % say Majority know nothing. Wow. Only 22% or our readers say Some think they know. Only 4 % say People totally understand and 4 % say Most are well informed. This sure seems to suggest that there’s a real disconnect between consumers and science, at least in the minds of our readers. What do you think?
Our next ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What social network do you use most?” Let us know and thanks for participating!
ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.
Posted: March 9, 2011 at 12:17 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Take a C for Comfort, an O for Oxidative Balance, a W for Well-being and an S for Sustainability, add them together and you have C.O.W.S., a new program from Novus International to help dairy producers have happier and more productive animals.
“The COWS program is our effort to benchmark and understand cow comfort and lameness and lying time and how that ties into stress and the ability to improve those variables at the dairy level,” says Ed Galo, with Novus’ Dairy Business Unit.
Galo says oxidative balance is really a linchpin for the other three pillars of the C.O.W.S. program. “Oxidative balance captures all stress at a dairy,” he explained. “You have heat stress, you have lameness, the animal deals with that by expending energy, which drives oxidation in a cow.”
To create this one-of-a-kind program, Novus partnered with the University of British Columbia Animal Welfare Program to develop a nationwide benchmarking study. Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk says they did a pilot program on 43 farms with a couple of graduate students that caught the attention of Novus. “We did 43 farms. By the time we were three quarters of the way through this project, we had more farmers wanting to participate than we had time for,” she explains.
Nina says the program allows dairy producers to objectively see how they can make changes to improve the environment for their herd. “They can get the data and they can implement changes but they’re in control,” she said. “Ultimately they want to create the best environment for their cows.”
Congratulations to Corbin Wood, Littlestown, Pa., the winner of the 2010 Overall Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Exhibitor Award from Holstein Association USA.
This award recognizes youth for their outstanding Holstein project work, involvement with their cattle and dairy activities. Wood will receive a $500 scholarship, and is the sixth Junior Holstein member to receive this recognition.
“It is truly an honor to receive this award as a Junior member who enjoys all aspects of the showring; the competition, sportsmanship, herdsmanship, and marketing opportunities,” said Wood. “Being a Junior Holstein member has taught each of us, as dairy youth, many valuable lessons as we exhibit cattle, attend conventions, and participate in youth contests. The Junior Holstein Association has a lot to offer all of us in our lives.”
Corbin is the 20-year-old son of Steve and Chris Wood, and is working towards his degree in Building Construction Technology and Management at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. He enjoys being very involved in their home operation, Penn Gate Farm, caring for their 100 Registered Holsteins. He received the Judi Collinsworth Award at the Premier National Junior Holstein Show in Harrisburg, Pa. in September.
Wood has been an active member of the Pennsylvania and National Junior Holstein Associations for the past 12 years. He annually attends Holstein Conventions and has competed successfully in several activities, including dairy jeopardy, the folding display contest and prepared public speaking at state and National levels. In 2007, Corbin was named a state and National Young Distinguished Junior Member (YDJM). Showing his Holsteins is another favorite activity, and through the years, Wood has received several National Junior Breeder awards, All-Pennsylvania, Junior All-Pennsylvania and Junior All-American nominations and awards. He has won several fitting and showmanship competitions, and recently, after placing in the top ten several times, Corbin placed second in the All-American Youth Fitting and Showmanship Contest in Harrisburg, Pa.
The Collinsworth Award is presented annually, in memory of former Holstein Association USA Executive Director of Member and Industry Services, Judi Collinsworth. Winners are selected at each of the four National Junior Holstein Shows, based on sportsmanship, herdsmanship and level of participation in Holstein activities. All winners receive $250 and are invited to apply for the Overall Collinsworth Award.
Cowabunga Ice Cream is now available nationally, with its inimitable ice cream and probiotic frozen yogurt offerings now available for online purchase.
“Cowabunga Ice Cream elevates the ice cream experience from ordinary to extraordinary by combining divine premium ingredients with distinctive flavors that leave our customers longing for more,” notes Ellen Schack, founder of Cowabunga Ice Cream. “While our inspired ice cream blends are ultra rich and luxurious on the palate, our brand uniquely blends this exquisite epicure experience with the fun and relaxed sensibility of surfing and beach culture. This I call the ‘Cowabunga lifestyle,’ which translates to living life to the fullest and in abundance until it overflows. We’re anxious to share our ice cream, and the culture it represents, with food-and-fun-loving consumers and event planners across the nation.”
Cowabunga was recently featured at a Philadelphia Sak’s Fifth Avenue “Girl’s Night In” event at the store, where attendees delighted in the company’s sumptuous frozen confections as they shopped and socialized. Cowabunga offers such on-site tastings and full-scale ice cream catering for special events nationwide.
Whether for personal enjoyment, as a decadent gift for others, or in bulk to elevate corporate, social and other special events, Cowabunga Ice Cream offers a wide variety of perennial and seasonal flavors, with many that are exclusive to the brand.
Those who’ve experienced Cowabunga Ice Cream rave not only about its bold, creative flavors, but also the fresh and creamy taste said to make other “premium” ice creams taste “day old.” New York Times best selling author Omar Tyree has proclaimed Cowabunga as “the Louis Vutton of ice cream,” while ActionCOACH business consultant Steve Vorrius declared, “Once you taste this ice cream you will never look at ice cream the same again.”
Posted: March 8, 2011 at 4:21 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Today in Reno, Novus International introduced an innovative program to help dairy producers enhance the comfort and well-being of their herds so they can better maximize productivity and enrich dairy industry sustainability. The Novus C.O.W.S. program launched with a new website – www.novuscows.com.
C.O.W.S. stands for Comfort, Oxidative Balance, Well-Being and Sustainability. Each of these four key pillars of the program play an integral role in the objective, systematic approach Novus takes in helping dairy producers evaluate the major factors that impact productive efficiency.
The C.O.W.S. program will be offered to individual key Novus customers as a complementary, value-added service. Confidential farm evaluations will be performed by Novus specialists and include:
• Cow lying time measured with electronic data loggers;
• Gait scores and hock health;
• Facility design and management measures that affect cow comfort
A customized report is provided to each farm, along with benchmarks of other operations in the region, so producers can gauge whether they have problems that should be addressed.
U.S. program benchmarks are currently being established through the evaluation of 140 dairy operations in California, New Mexico, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania and Texas. The program is based on a recently completed study by the University of British Columbia Animal Welfare Program that analyzed on-farm cow comfort assessment with 43 free-stall dairies in that province.
Find out more in this introductory video from Novus:
The Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) is seeking nominations for the 2011 National Reproduction Award Program. Dairy producers can qualify for the Reproduction Award Program for accomplishing reproductive efficiency with well-implemented management procedures.
Different from the two previous years, the 2011 awards will separate Holstein and non-Holstein herds and honor producers in both categories. This change to the program is aimed at recognizing the accomplishments of all dairies, keeping in mind breed fertility differences.
“Dairy producers are constantly working towards improving herd reproductive success, and we are excited to continue our support of their efforts through this recognition,” says DCRC Secretary and Reproduction Awards Coordinator Dr. Andrew Skidmore. “We look forward to nominations from high-performing herds across the country.”
Dairy operations must be nominated by professionals who serve the dairy industry, such as veterinarians, genetic and pharmaceutical company representatives, DHIA field personnel or Extension specialists. This year nominations can only be submitted through the online form available at the link below, and must be completed by May 1.
Judges will review applications and select the top nominees, who will be asked to provide additional information about their operation. This information will help the judges select Platinum, Gold, Silver and Honorable Mention winners. Award recipients will be honored at the 2011 DCRC annual meeting in Kansas City, Mo.
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) accepted four requests for export assistance from Foremost Farms and Land O’Lakes to sell a total of 310 metric tons (0.683 million pounds) of Cheddar cheese to customers in Central America and the Middle East. The product will be delivered March through June.
In 2011, CWT has assisted members in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Gouda cheese totaling 7,209 metric tons (15.9 million pounds) to 15 countries on three continents.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively impacts producer milk prices in the short-term and long-term by helping member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products.
CWT will pay export bonuses to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is taking nominations for the New York Dairy Promotion Advisory Board, which allows dairy farmers to control the promotion of their product by advising the use of expenditures.
The board consists of 10 state milk producers, appointed by the agriculture commissioner, who are expected to serve a three-year term.
They don’t receive a salary but are entitled to reimbursement of expenses.
Nominations, which should provide the name and address of the producer, can be mailed to: NYS Department of Agriculture; Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services; Attn: Moe Miran; 10B Airline Drive; Albany, N.Y. 12235.
The deadline is April 1. For details, call 518-457-1772.
The Dairy Industry Advisory Committee today has made some key recommendations for changes in USDA policy to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
In approving the final version of the “Recommendations for Public Policy to Improve Dairy Farm Profitability and Reduce Milk Price Volatility” report, the 17-member committee of dairy industry producers and leaders made recommendations to Vilsack on how USDA can best address dairy industry issues, both short and long-term, as well as providing feedback on how USDA actions in 2009 affected the dairy industry:
The Committee finds that existing Federal programs and legislation had a limited impact on 5 mitigating the massive impact of recent market events. Some laws provide no flexibility to the Secretary, while others allow some or even considerable discretion. When a proposed action has or is likely to have an impact on government expenditures, even programs that offer discretion to the Secretary cannot be used without approval of the OMB. Meanwhile, Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs) are designed for longer-term regulation of markets and are not readily amenable to mitigating shorter-term price events…
The Committee suggests that using objective measures of sector hardship can reduce political pressures in the allocation process. The Committee recommends that the Secretary implement trigger levels based on the difference between average milk prices and a new measure of feed costs . The Secretary can then objectively determine when dairy farmers face extreme hardship by examining whether the difference between revenues and costs fall below specific trigger levels. Extreme hardship would justify shifting governmental resources from other uses. Within this framework, the first trigger would indicate use of a food assistance program to increase demand for dairy products. At the second trigger, the DPPSP purchase prices may be raised. The Committee recommends applying these responses cautiously.
The Committee also recommends that the Secretary review existing program administration to examine its impact on exacerbating price volatility or delaying the government‘s response to dairy farmers‘ economic distress.
The report also makes several recommendations on USDA programs that help dairy farmers manage price, margin, and/or income risk and to facilitate obtaining operating loans, as well as suggestions on new legislation and regulations. You can read the complete report here.
Wells’ Dairy Inc., the Le Mars, Iowa-based maker of Blue Bunny brand ice cream and frozen novelties, has changed its legal name to Wells Enterprises Inc., which the company believes better reflects the character of its business.
“The new name continues to reflect the family ownership of the company, but eliminates the element of ‘dairy,’ which we recognized added confusion due to its connotation of fluid milk processing or even a dairy cattle operation,” Wells explained, noting that it divested itself of the fluid and cultured part of the business back in late 2007 and early 2008.
“As an ice cream and frozen novelty only company, Wells Enterprises Inc. accurately identifies the future growth of the company as we continue to expand our flagship Blue Bunny brand nationwide,” the company added.
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. has announced a plan to provide immediate support for New York’s dairy farmers.
The cornerstone of Gillibrand’s plan is overhauling the milk pricing system with competitive pricing for New York dairy producers. It would also provide make the pricing system more transparent in an effort to fix a system where dairy farmers often pay more to produce their products than they make from selling them, Gillibrand said.
In the span of just five years, New York State lost 23 percent of its dairy farms. As of 2007, New York State is home to nearly 5,700 dairy farms, down from nearly 7,400 in 2002, according to the USDA.
Gillibrand said she is also working to prevent looming cuts to the MILC (Milk Income Loss Contract) program, bolster New York’s dairy exports, improve cold storage inventory reporting standards to stabilize dairy trading prices, and arm dairy farmers with more of the tools and information they need to thrive.
“Our dairy farmers are facing a real crisis, and we simply cannot wait until the Farm Bill to find solutions. We need to address this crisis now,” Gillibrand said. “New York is home to the hardest working farm families and the finest dairy products in the world, but outdated regulations, broken pricing structures and a bad economy are hurting our dairy farmers, and farming communities across the state. We need to act now to support New York’s dairy farms.”
Dean Foods Co. says one of its top executives has left the company as the dairy company reorganizes its management structure.
The company says President and Chief Operating Officer Joseph Scalzo left the company Feb. 25. Dean Foods announced the 52-year old executive’s departure Tuesday.
Dean Foods CEO Gregg Engles will take over his duties. A replacement will not be named.
The company says it needed a new structure so it can act more decisively and quickly, while keeping a tight rein on costs.
I thought we’d have a little fun with our latest ZimmPoll just to see what people really think about the professional nature of what a lot of our readers do – agrimarketing. I got a lot of comments like “I’ve never considered that it isn’t.” However, I was curious if we’d have any no votes and we did!
So the question was, “Is agricultural marketing and communications a profession?” 89% say yes and 11% say no. If you voted no I’d love to know why. Feel free to post a comment here.
Our next ZimmPoll is now live and we’d love your thoughts on a current topic of interest. “How much do you think the public understands about GMO crops?” I would prefer to call it biotech or GM crops but most media seem to like the GMO designation. For example, look at a poll going on over at MSNBC Health that’s asking the question: “Do you believe genetically modified foods should be labeled?” What’s interesting is not the question and answers but the over 1,000 comments so far. Some are extremely vicious. Let’s know what you think and thanks for participating.
ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.
Holstein Association USA is reporting strong member participation in a variety of Association programs in 2010.
“Registrations are the core of all pedigreed livestock associations,” said Holstein Association USA CEO John M. Meyer. “In 2010, 339,908 Holsteins were registered which is 12,286 or 4 percent more than 2009, the second highest total in the last 12 years.”
In addition to that, strong growth was seen in transfer activity, with 70,335 animals changing hands last year, which is a 13 percent increase over 2009 totals.
Meyer added, “Members’ appreciation of the Holstein COMPLETESM program is evidenced by the enrollment of 239,703 cows, which is a 3 percent increase over 2009, and 1,759 herds which is a 2 percent increase.”
Holstein COMPLETE is a program which integrates registration, pedigrees, classification, production records, genetic reports and mating information into one convenient, economic package.
The Association’s team of classifiers evaluated 217,996 cows through the regular classification program in 2010, representing a 3 percent increase over the previous year. On the other hand, 15 percent fewer animals through the Sire Evaluation for Type (SET) SM program, which is performed for the A.I. industry.
Participation in the TriStarSM Premier program participation continues to rise, with a total of 300,083 cows enrolled, which is a 1 percent increase over a year ago.
“The Holstein Association’s program growth is particularly significant when one considers the contraction of the dairy industry in recent years,” stated Meyer. “For example, in 2009, there were 9.09 million cows and 65,000 herds in the United States, which is 240,000 fewer cows and 2,000 fewer herds than were in the U.S. in 2008. Gaining market share in this economic environment is challenging, but the numbers reveal the value dairy producers place on the Association’s programs and services.”
In closing, Meyer added, “As we celebrate the wonderful history of the Holstein Association USA and the world’s greatest cow, the U.S. Registered HolsteinSM, we have a lot to be optimistic about. We have the cows and people to ensure a bright future for everyone involved in U.S. Registered Holsteins.”
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA) recently sponsored the first Southeast Dairy Revitalization Conference in Charlotte, N.C. Nearly 200 producers and agribusiness professionals gathered to discuss changes in the region’s dairy industry and how producers can seize opportunities to grow, partner and prosper.
DFA Board Chairman Randy Mooney and President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Smith kicked off the meeting by challenging attendees to be open-minded to the future, and to learn from others in the industry to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and growth. They discussed changing market conditions in the United States and globally, and how these dynamics create opportunities for producers in the Southeast.
“Despite the challenges facing the dairy industry, there is a lot of positive activity,” Mooney said. “It was exciting to interact with a diverse group of producers, and to learn about changes they are making to plan for the future of the industry in the Southeast.”
The conference featured opportunities for peer learning through interactive producer panels. In the first producer panel, dairy producers from North Carolina, South Carolina and Indiana discussed how they are structuring their businesses for growth in the future. They described family business structures, experiences working through dairy expansions and price risk management strategies on each of their operations.
Producers from North Carolina, Texas and Virginia participated in a second panel focused on operational issues such as quality management, and how they have continuously improved their operations over time. Examples included transitioning from mattresses to sand bedding, changing types of stalls in barns, working with Dairy Herd Improvement Association and animal health organizations on milk quality improvements, and recalculation of feed costs each time new commodities are purchased.
Industry experts also contributed their knowledge to conference attendees, including:
- Dr. Ron Hanson, Neal E. Harlan Distinguished Professor of Agribusiness at the University of Nebraska, who reviewed characteristics of dairy farms with strong family and working relationships, and discussed working through challenging times in a positive manner
- Dr. Greg Bethard, assistant director for dairy technology and dairy records management systems at North Carolina State University, who shared tips for managing a successful dairy business, including key metrics for animal health, reproduction, herd replacement, labor and feed costs
To conclude the conference, a final panel brought together industry partners who work directly with producers. They discussed producer assistance programs in North Carolina and Georgia, and opportunities for producers in Virginia to participate in financial benchmarking groups.
Applications for the Pennsylvania Dairy of Distinction award from the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program are due April 15.
“The COWS program is our effort to benchmark and understand cow comfort and lameness and lying time and how that ties into stress and the ability to improve those variables at the dairy level,” says Ed Galo, with Novus’ Dairy Business Unit.
To create this one-of-a-kind program, Novus partnered with the University of British Columbia Animal Welfare Program to develop a nationwide benchmarking study. Marina (Nina) von Keyserlingk says they did a pilot program on 43 farms with a couple of graduate students that caught the attention of Novus. “We did 43 farms. By the time we were three quarters of the way through this project, we had more farmers wanting to participate than we had time for,” she explains.
