The members of California’s Dairy Cares coalition,made up of dairy farmers and dairy processors, have adopted the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management as a statewide program to promote and verify responsible animal care.
“Responsible care and treatment of animals is a core value for our dairy families, and we know it’s important to dairy consumers,” said William C. Van Dam, chairman of the statewide Dairy Cares coalition. “This new program is a major step forward for our state, in that it provides a credible, verifiable way for dairy farmers to demonstrate to consumers that these core values are carried out in our daily management practices.”
Developed by the nation’s leading animal scientists, veterinarians and dairy industry experts, the National Dairy FARM Program contains a comprehensive set of animal care best management practices. As the nation’s leader in milk production, California dairy farmers are among the first in the nation to adopt the effort. Because California’s dairy products are marketed nationally and internationally, California dairy farmers recognize the importance of participating in a nationwide program to ensure national uniformity for customers and consumers.
“Actions, not words, are the only way to maintain and build trust with our consumers,” said Jamie Bledsoe, a dairy farmer from Riverdale and co-chair of the Dairy Cares Animal Well-Being Committee. “We’ve always cared for our animals, and now we have a program in place to validate that we care. And in those rare instances when animal care doesn’t measure up, we have a program to identify issues and address them.”
Dairy Cares will promote Dairy FARM throughout California using a five-point strategy, which includes:
1 – Adoption of the National Dairy FARM animal care best practice standards;
2 – Orientation of dairy farmers to National Dairy FARM standards through workshops and educational materials from the University of California and California Dairy Quality Assurance Program;
3 – On-farm evaluation of each dairy farm to assess compliance and provide a benchmark to measure improvement;
4 – Producer support and assistance to continuously improve animal care practices; and
5 – Independent third-party verification to demonstrate program integrity and credibility.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.’s (DFA) Board of Directors and management are taking a series of proactive steps to emphasize its commitment to proper treatment of animals.
“Animal welfare is a critical issue for our members and is vitally important to producing high-quality milk,” said David Darr, vice president of sustainability and public affairs. “We have a responsibility to clearly articulate our expectations regarding animal well-being and, equally important, to help educate consumers about those standards.”
A key initiative is the second round of DFA’s Gold Standard Dairy quality assurance program. DFA introduced the program in 2007 to proactively address the concerns of consumers, retailers and processors who are interested in how food is produced. The on-farm review includes animal well-being, environmental stewardship, employee training, and milk safety and quality. More than 90 percent of DFA member farms have participated in the Gold Standard process.
When the second round of the Gold Standard Dairy process begins in 2010, the program will incorporate measurement criteria from the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, a nationwide, verifiable animal well-being program that demonstrates U.S. milk producers are committed to producing high-quality milk in a high-quality environment.
Further demonstrating its commitment to animal welfare, at its March meeting, the Board approved a resolution affirming that the public image of dairy, including animal housing and care, is of utmost importance to DFA and its dairy farmer members. The resolution states that DFA will continue to emphasize an expectation of proper and caring treatment of animals through individual dairy farm quality programs, the Gold Standard Dairy program, and participation with other dairy industry organizations to establish animal well-being standards for the U.S. dairy industry.
In addition, the Board welcomed special guest Charlie Arnot to its March meeting to discuss the growing consumer interest in animal welfare issues, and how consumer perceptions influence demand and consumption. Arnot is chief executive officer of the Center for Food Integrity and president of CMA, a consulting company that works with companies across the food chain on issues management, communications and public relations.
Posted: October 26, 2009 at 4:55 am
By News Editor
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), with support from Dairy Management, Inc. (DMI), formally launched the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management at a news conference during the 2009 World Dairy Expo, unveiling key components of the voluntary, nationwide program designed to bring consistency and uniformity to animal care through education, on-farm evaluations and objective third-party verification.
“Dairy farmers are passionate about the care they provide to their animals. The National Dairy FARM Program takes that producer passion and quantifies it to tell the story of dairy animal care to our customers and consumers,” said Jamie Jonker, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at NMPF. “This is a very thorough program that was created with input from all sectors of the dairy industry, including producers, veterinarians and other animal care experts. It includes current best practices, innovations and advances in technology.”
The dairy industry has an excellent track record of responsible management practices, said Jonker. “This program simply offers producers an avenue to demonstrate and validate their commitment to doing what’s right,” he said.
After all the classroom presentations today we got to tour the Pioneer Livestock Nutrition Center. We couldn’t take photos inside but afterward I interviewed our tour guide, Scott Dennis, Pioneer Technical Services Manager, Forage Additives. Cindy took the photo of me interviewing Scott who is pictured on the left.
Scott says the facility was originally built in 1993 to measure differences in what makes silage more digestible. They do swine digestibility studies, sheep and beef cattle feeding. One of the things they do that you won’t find in a commercial lab is that they grind samples down to a 6 millimeter size instead of 1 millimeter. The grind they use is more closely tied to the size of what the animal is actually chewing and therefore creates more accurate results. They also do 16 tests for every sample instead of 1 and use multiple animals and take an average to get a much more meaningful result. He says you won’t find this in any other University or commercial lab.
The man who got us started here at the Pioneer Hi-Bred Forage Media Day is Robin Newell. Cindy spoke to him about the “long look.” He says the Pioneer long look has four components that include: “We strive to create the best products;” “We deal honestly and fairly with our constituents;” “We represent our products vigorously;” “We help our customers get the most from our products.”
He says the focus today is on the development of corn silage and alfalfa and inoculants like their new 11GFT. He also mentioned their focus on animal welfare since they keep many animals here at the Livestock Nurition Center. He says they have an animal welfare committee that even includes “local clergy.” He says that person helps provide a good moral and ethical backbone to the committee.
The program, which will become available in the fall of 2009, is voluntary and available to all producers. NMPF is managing the production and dissemination of technical animal care manuals, producer education and training, on-farm evaluation, and third-party verification. DMI is assisting with producer and industry outreach, and market chain and consumer relations.
At the heart of the program is NMPF’s revised “Caring for Dairy Animals” manual, which details best management practices for a variety of animal care issues, including animal health, facilities and housing, animal nutrition, equipment and milking procedures, and transportation and handling. The content of the manual is consistent with the principles and guidelines of the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative, which was introduced in 2008. NMPF is working with dairy animal care experts to assure that the document reflects current practices, animal health concerns, innovations and advances in technology.
Training and informational DVDs will be made available to producers, co-ops and others interested in dairy animal care. A National Dairy FARM Program Web site will include producer education and training. Once producers have completed the educational component, the next step is an on-farm evaluation by a trained veterinarian, extension agent or co-op field staff member, Kozak said. The producer then receives a status report and, if necessary, an action plan for improvement.
“To protect the integrity of Dairy FARM, we are also developing a third-party verification program,” said Jerry Kozak, president and chief executive officer of NMPF. “We want quantifiable, objective verification that the dairy industry is providing appropriate care for animals. It’s important to remember that the goal of verification is to validate the program, not judge individual producers.”
On-farm evaluations will begin in 2010 and third-party verification will start in 2011. Co-ops and processors may choose to participate in the program to bring consistency to dairy animal care nationwide. Additional Dairy FARM modules designed to assure the quality, safety and wholesomeness of dairy products will be introduced in the future.
NMPF has assembled an advisory panel to provide guidance on Dairy FARM. The panel is comprised of dairy experts and industry professionals representing many facets of the industry. Members include Stan Andre, California Milk Advisory Board; Marguerite Copel, Dean Foods; John Frey, Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence; Virginia Littlefield, Safeway Inc.; John Kennedy, Kraft Foods; Shelly Mayer, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin; Dr. M. Gatz Riddell, American Association of Bovine Practitioners; Allen Sayler, International Dairy Foods Association; and Lynne Schmoe, Washington Dairy Products Commission.
At the AgWeb Blog, Rick Lundquist summarizes a recent study conducted by the University of Alberta of maximizing milk without acidosis, especially taking consideration that the key to maintaining rumen health is adaptation and stability by avoiding rapid dietary changes. Below is a clip from that article… To read the entire story, link here.
Nutritionists are often asked to walk the fine line of maximizing milk production per cow without compromising animal health.
Preventing subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) can be a real challenge. Some level of SARA is inevitable even in the best managed high producing herds because of high intakes. Subacute acidosis is caused by the rapid accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) which results in periods of low pH and this situation is exacerbated by high dry matter intake.
Researchers from the University of Alberta presented a paper at the 2009 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference that discussed the latest developments in our understanding of ruminal acidosis. They found that there is a great deal of variability in the susceptibility of individual cows to SARA. Some cows are much more likely to exhibit symptoms of SARA than others, presumably due to differences in intake level, eating rate, salivation, feed sorting and inherent rumen physiological variation. For these reasons, it’s almost impossible to totally eliminate SARA in a high producing herd when rations are balanced for the average cow.
Adam Anson, from TheDairySite, recently wrote an interesting article on use of antibiotics in animals, antibiotic resistance and how it relates to human health. This thorough report deals with both sides of the issue in an educational platform that reminds all of us just how far the agriculture industry has come.
Antibiotics are a vital component to rearing healthy livestock, but many researchers argue that mismanaged use is having a detrimental effect on the industry. When antibiotics were first introduced back in the 1930’s they had an instant and momentous impact on life. Nowadays, it is easy to take the use of these drugs for granted and their importance can be overlooked. They haven’t only helped humans live longer, healthier lives, but they have also been used for the same effect on livestock. Consequently, the meat and animal products which we consume are safer as well.
Farmers have benefited from the advantages of higher outputs as healthier animals put on more weight. Inputs have also been reduced, not only through feed, but also space. Whether it is deemed for better or for once, antibiotics have enabled farmers to restrict the space and movement of livestock whilst keeping their health at an optimum. Without antibiotics intensive livestock systems may never have become a lucrative form of trade.
Link to TheDairySite to read about the long debate and who to believe. Come to your own conclusions, and don’t forget to leave your thoughts for discussions on World Dairy Diary!
I was happy to spend this past week-end at home after many weeks of travel (and week-ends traveling or preparing for travel) for Brownfield Ag News. Last week was spent on a Bayer CropScience-sponsored trip to Germany to tour the company’s global facilities and participate in the 2009 Herbicide Innovation Tour.
I was hoping I would make it home in time for what was left of calving season at Rocking P Ranch, and I did. Although breeding season has begun (through artificial insemination) we have two cows that for one reason or another were scheduled to calve later than the others. One of the cows was due to calve Monday, so my husband vigilantly watched for signs that the cow was nearing parturition.
As her time drew near Sunday morning, Jim knew by the cow’s behavior that something wasn’t quite right. He called our veterinarian with a “head’s up” that we might need his help if there were indeed complications with the birth. A friend who is also a cattleman came by to see if he could be of assistance. By 9:30am, it was time to stick an arm in to determine the position of the calf. When a tail was felt instead of front legs, it was obvious the calf was breech and we would need more help.
Doc got the message on his cell phone as he left church. He arrived at our place minutes later with wife and kids along. Leaving a basketball game to make a farm call or making a farm call on the way home from church is not an unusual occurrence for this dedicated animal doctor and his family.
When you’re loading the trailer full of cows or calves, do you ever think about how it could impact the quality of the end product, beef? Overloading a trailer can cause internal and external injuries, the most common being muscle bruising. The Beef Quality Assurance Program passes out friendly reminders for proper trailer protocol when moving livestock, and I was given a bumper sticker recently that serves as an excellent guide for knowing how many animals belong in the trailer. This is a photo of my sisters and I outside of our stock trailer minutes before we headed down the road with a load of cattle. I know it’s more convenient to load the trailer plumb full, but BQA reminds us that best animal handling practices ensure a quality end product and a more pleasant ride for the animal.
The recommended maximum number of cattle for trailers of different lengths in relation to the weight of the cattle is recorded. For example, for a trailer size of 16ft x 16ft, 12 600 lb. calves can fit into the trailer or five 1400 lb. cows could fit into the trailer. If you own a 24ft x 6ft trailer, 18 600 lb. calves could fit easily into the trailer or 7 1400 lb. females could be hauled. In general, these examples represent the maximum number of polled/dehorned cattle for trailers of different lengths; when hauling horned/tipped cattle reduce the number of cattle by 5%.
In addition, BQA states that the number of cattle loaded during hot conditions should be reduced. Of course, do not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your truck and stock trailer. For more information on the Beef Quality Assurance Program, head to their website today.
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.
Yesterday, I posted a call to action on AgWired, and the blog post was titled, “A Special Cause: Vote for ACMA Entertainer of the Year.” The HSUS is trying to slip one past country music fans by getting its members to secretly head on over and vote Carrie Underwood in as Entertainer of the Year. Underwood is a fan of the HSUS, and as we all know, that organization wants to eliminate animal agriculture and put us all out of business. Anyway, the blog post must have struck a cord with Carrie fans, and we already have 29 comments on this one blog entry! I need all dairy producers to head on over and weigh in on this discussion.
In the meantime, here is the link to vote for a different entertainer. (I voted for George Strait because he is a great performer, a member of PRCA, a competitive team roper and a supporter of agriculture.) Want to learn more about the sins of the Humane Society of the United States? Head to Activist Cash, where you can learn about the dirty laundry of all kinds of organizations. If you need a little more information on this situation, watch my YouTube video of my peaceful walkout of a Carrie Underwood concert at the National FFA Convention in 2006. Oh, and don’t forget to head on over to AgWired and add your comments in this heated discussion!
Christopher Peake interviews a conventional and organic dairy farmer to debate the differences between the two dairy production methods. His article is titled, “Communicate Green: Conventional vs organic dairy.”
In an article aiming to address consumer questions about dairy, Peake writes, As the debate between conventional and organic milk consumers gets louder, we spoke with two local dairy farmers and gave each the same questions. Two producers were asked questions like: What do you feed your herd? What grasses do they eat when they’re outside? Which medicines do vets give your cows? How does conventional milk differ from organic milk? How do you respond to those who say, “Conventional milk is less healthy than organic milk?”
To read their responses, link to the article at Seacoast Online. As producers, do you get asked these questions often? Are you aware that your customers are wondering about these basic production practices? Are you a transparent resource that is willing to answer these questions? What are your responses to some of these questions?
I thought I would highlight another great dairy blog for you to check out this weekend. It’s called, The Scoop, and it’s written by Ashley Messing, a senior dairy management and animal science student at Michigan State University. The Scoop is a blog that describes Ashley’s life in the dairy industry.
Ashley started this blog in 2007, and I had been following it in its early beginnings. I finally had the chance to meet her at the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Grand Rapids, Mich. She is certainly a dynamic person that is truly passionate about the dairy industry. This is a great way to share with others the ins and outs of dairy production to those that might not understand this industry. Here is a little description from her blog. Be sure to check it out!
I would like to welcome everyone to my blog. I am an enthusiastic, animal lover who respects everything animals give the human race. I have a passion for working with cows and I want to show it to everyone. I encourage you to ask me questions because I am willing to share my knowledge, especially if you have a non-agriculture background!
Posted: January 21, 2009 at 6:02 pm
By News Editor
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) have announced the introduction of the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management. A joint effort of the two organizations, Dairy FARM has been formed to bolster consumer trust and confidence in the U.S. dairy industry and demonstrate the industry’s commitment to the highest levels of animal care and quality assurance.
“Increasingly, consumers want to purchase products from sources they can trust to do the right thing,” said Jerry Kozak, president and chief executive officer of NMPF. “The National Dairy FARM Program was established to enhance the trust our industry has with consumers and demonstrate the commitment producers have to animal care and the production of wholesome products.”
According to Kozak, Dairy FARM’s first step in reaching this goal will be to introduce a national on-farm animal well-being program and make it available to all producers. The Dairy FARM animal well-being program will be consistent with the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative’s (NDAWI) principles and guidelines. NDAWI is a producer-led effort to build consumer trust and confidence in the dairy industry’s commitment to animal well-being. More information on the NDAWI principles and guidelines can be found at www.dairywellbeing.org.
To accomplish this, NMPF and DMI are revising its “Caring for Dairy Animals” manual by incorporating the principles and guidelines into the new program. The “Caring for Dairy Animals” manual includes best management practices for a variety of animal care issues including animal health and on-farm environment, facilities/housing, nutrition, equipment/milking procedures, transportation and handling, and more. The manual will be updated to reflect current animal-health practices, innovations and technology.
The long-term plan of the Dairy FARM animal well-being program will be announced later this year. Co-ops and processors may choose to participate in the program to bring consistency to dairy animal care nationwide. NMPF and DMI will work with co-ops, processors and state and regional dairy producer organizations to implement it.
In order enhance the program’s validity, NMPF and DMI are also working together to develop third-party program verification to assure credibility and effectiveness. Additional Dairy FARM initiatives designed to assure the quality, safety and wholesomeness of dairy products will be introduced in the future.
NMPF and DMI have assembled an advisory panel to help guide the overall direction of Dairy FARM. The panel is comprised of dairy experts and industry professionals representing many facets of the industry. Members of the Dairy FARM advisory panel include:
* Stan Andre, California Milk Advisory Board
* Marguerite Copel, Dean Foods
* John Frey, Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence
* Mary Kamm, Safeway Inc.
* John Kennedy, Kraft Foods
* Shelly Mayer, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin
* Dr. M. Gatz Riddell, American Association of Bovine Practitioners
* Allen Sayler, International Dairy Foods Association
* Lynn Schmoe, Washington Dairy Products Commission
Posted: October 9, 2008 at 12:49 pm
By News Editor
Dairy producers have a strong, positive story to tell about how they care for their animals, the land and the environment. It is important for producers to share that story with their neighbors, their friends and the public to maintain and build consumer confidence in our product and our practices. Because, remember, if you don’t tell your story, someone else will!
There are many programs available to train you to speak out – contact your local dairy checkoff organization or your local cooperative extension to learn more.
Animal agriculture may be at the tipping point that could send it from social license to social control, Charlie Arnot, president of CMA Consulting, LLC, a Kansas City, Mo.-based consulting firm that manages the Center for Food Integrity, told attendees of the 41st Annual Conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners last week.
Producing food for the vast majority not involved in food production is a noble pursuit, he says. But if we do not retain and broaden consumer trust in what we do, we will lose that social license and will be faced with increasing regulation and scrutiny, he cautions.
The recent videos of animal abuse may be a watershed moment. Primarily because for the first time, animal welfare has been connected with food safety via these visuals, Arnot explains.
That is complicated by the fact that agriculture generally operates in a science-based culture. However, science is no longer enough to communicate with consumers. “We need to be able to talk about value judgements — we must be able to ‘own’ the ethical obligation we have to our animals and their care,” he notes. Consumers sense a change in the way their food is raised, but do not understand modern agriculture.
“It is up to us to communicate that our commitment to doing what’s right has never been stronger,” says Arnot. “Until we do this, we’ll never earn consumer trust.” It goes back to the adage, they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
“We’ve improved safety, efficiency and traceability, but not consumer trust,” he adds. “We need to stop talking about how we used to be. We are better than we used to be. Let’s talk about who we are today in a way that builds consumer trust and confidence.”
At last year’s World Dairy Expo we heard about the announcement of the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative. This morning they released the official principles and guidelines. The facilitator for the Initiative is Charlie Arnot. He described the process that got us to this point and says that now it’s time for the Initiative to move to the next step. He used a chart that he calls the “Continuous Improvement Cycle” to show each of them. Next in the cycle after today for example is “Apply Principles & Guidelines to on-farm well-being programs.”
The National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative is a producer-led Coalition that includes members from every sector of the dairy industry. On October 2, 2008 at World Dairy Expo, the Coalition introduced the broad Principles and Guidelines — a uniform umbrella of assurance that the industry is meeting its ethical obligation for dairy animal well-being. Our goal is to protect consumer trust and confidence in the dairy industry by demonstrating dairy producers’ commitment to animal well-being.
Also on the program today was Pennsylvania dairy producer Logan Bower. He talked about how they’re already beginning to use the Initiative’s principles and guidelines in their state. Here’s an example of some talking points provided to producers by the Initiative.
Dairy Producer Talking Points
Developed by the National Dairy Checkoff
* As a dairy farmer, caring for my animals is my No. 1 priority so that I can provide the public with safe and wholesome dairy products. I work hard every day ensuring the comfort and safety of my animals and providing them a nutritious diet.
* Farmers in my community oppose/are outraged by the inhumane treatment of animals, whether on or off the farm. Farmers support government investigations into any allegations of animal abuse, including those that occur at meat processing facilities.
* Dairy farmers support government regulations that prohibit non-ambulatory, or “downer,” cattle from entering the food supply.
You can listen to the presentation with Charlie and Logan here:
Conversations on Animal Care is a comprehensive effort that helps livestock producers share positive and personal insights on the care they provide farm animals.
In a national survey conducted online in January 2008 by Harris Interactive on behalf of AFBF, nearly 3,500 likely voters were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “Farmers and ranchers in your state treat their animals humanely.”
A majority of voters, 57 percent, said they agreed or strongly agreed with the statement. However, 34 percent of those surveyed responded “not sure.”
Survey participants were then exposed to a series of educational statements and messages about food-animal production. At the conclusion of the survey, participants again were asked if they agreed or disagreed that farmers and ranchers in their state treat animals humanly. This time, 72 percent agreed or strongly agreed — a jump of 15 points.
“This tells us that, when presented with basic information about the practical and ethical standards farmers and ranchers maintain, consumers respond positively,” AFBF Public Relations Director Don Lipton said. “The Conversations on Animal Care program is intended to give farmers and ranchers the confidence and tools to do just that.”
A major component of the Conversations on Animal Care initiative is a training program that teaches producers to share their stories effectively, help them find an audience and amplify their message of dedicated care of livestock. During two days of training, participants hone skills in sharing their personal stories with local audiences, the media and in one-on-one opportunities. They also learn of the important role on-line tools play in communicating to consumers.
Want to increase the income of your cull animals? The Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program can help you identify opportunities for improving the value of market cows and bulls from your operations through management, monitoring and marketing. Quality defects can rob dairy producers of almost $70 per head at market, according to the 1997 National Market Cow and Bull Beef Quality Audit.
Dairy cattle represent a significant source of the United States beef supply. Twenty percent of all beef comes from dairy cattle, including cull cows and dairy steers. This equates to 1.5 billion pounds of meat every year. In the western states alone, more than 800,000 head, worth $500 million, go to slaughter every year.
One of the most common misconceptions in the dairy industry is that all market cows become hamburger. “This is a misnomer,” says Ryan Ruppert, director of quality-assurance programs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Only a small percentage goes to ground beef, while the majority goes to whole-muscle cuts that are purchased by restaurants and casinos across the country. Whole-muscle cuts include rib eyes, New York strips, and tenderloins. In addition, 90 to 95 percent of the jerky marketed in the United States comes from cow rounds.
Beef from dairy cattle plays an important role in the food chain. Approximately one out of three cows currently in your milking string could be on a consumer’s plate in the next 12 months. Most dairy producers underestimate the value that this secondary profit center could bring them. And, that 4 percent income from market cows can be raised to 15 percent with proper care and marketing.
The safety and quality of beef produced is critical not only to the consumption of beef, but also milk.
A substantial economic incentive exists for dairy producers to care about beef quality. A premium of $5 to $10 per hundredweight can be realized if dairy cattle qualify for the “white-cow market.” Some beef packers offer incentives for cows that fit this market. The name “white cow” is derived from the practice of transitioning an animal’s fat color from yellow to white to produce a higher-quality carcass.
One of the main dairy groups represented at today’s Joint Beef & Dairy Information Symposium here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference was Dairy Management Inc. David Pelzer is Senior VP, Industry Image & Relations. DMI is a non-profit organization that manages the Dairy Checkoff.
I spoke to him today about dairy and beef producers getting together and discussing common issues. He says that on the dairy side of things it’s important for the industry to become more consumer driven instead of just production driven. As he puts it, “Give consumers what they want, when they want it and how they want it.”
He says that on-farm practices or the consumer’s perception of on-farm practices can affect buying habits. For this reason he says that all DMI related organizations are becoming increasingly focused on consumer perceptions. He wants to show consumers that it’s standard operating procedure for beef and dairy producers to care about their animals and the environment.
David thinks this Symposium is a great opportunity to get together.
The members of California’s Dairy Cares coalition,made up of dairy farmers and dairy processors, have adopted the National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management as a statewide program to promote and verify responsible animal care.
The 
After all the classroom presentations today we got to tour the 
Scott says the facility was originally built in 1993 to measure differences in what makes silage more digestible. They do swine digestibility studies, sheep and beef cattle feeding. One of the things they do that you won’t find in a commercial lab is that they grind samples down to a 6 millimeter size instead of 1 millimeter. The grind they use is more closely tied to the size of what the animal is actually chewing and therefore creates more accurate results. They also do 16 tests for every sample instead of 1 and use multiple animals and take an average to get a much more meaningful result. He says you won’t find this in any other University or commercial lab.
The man who got us started here at the Pioneer Hi-Bred Forage Media Day is Robin Newell. Cindy spoke to him about the “long look.” He says the Pioneer long look has four components that include: “We strive to create the best products;” “We deal honestly and fairly with our constituents;” “We represent our products vigorously;” “We help our customers get the most from our products.”
Dairy producers take pride in providing high-quality care to their animals, and 
When you’re loading the trailer full of cows or calves, do you ever think about how it could impact the quality of the end product, beef? Overloading a trailer can cause internal and external injuries, the most common being muscle bruising. The Beef Quality Assurance Program passes out friendly reminders for proper trailer protocol when moving livestock, and I was given a bumper sticker recently that serves as an excellent guide for knowing how many animals belong in the trailer. This is a photo of my sisters and I outside of our stock trailer minutes before we headed down the road with a load of cattle. I know it’s more convenient to load the trailer plumb full, but BQA reminds us that best animal handling practices ensure a quality end product and a more pleasant ride for the animal.
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 
I thought I would highlight another great dairy blog for you to check out this weekend. It’s called, The Scoop, and it’s written by Ashley Messing, a senior dairy management and animal science student at Michigan State University. The Scoop is a blog that describes Ashley’s life in the dairy industry. 
The 
At last year’s World Dairy Expo we heard about the announcement of the 
Also on the program today was Pennsylvania dairy producer Logan Bower. He talked about how they’re already beginning to use the Initiative’s principles and guidelines in their state. Here’s an example of some talking points provided to producers by the Initiative.
One of the main dairy groups represented at today’s Joint Beef & Dairy Information Symposium here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference was