Posted: February 1, 2012 at 8:01 pm
By News Editor
Bel Brands USA will build a 170,000-square-foot facility in Brookings, S.D. to produce its Mini Babybel product.
It’s one of the biggest capital investments in recent South Dakota history, and expected to have a $500 million annual economic jolt. It’s also expected to lead to research, internship and career opportunities for South Dakota State University students, and bring alumni back to Brookings for jobs.
“Talk about the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Barry Dunn, dean of the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences. “This is jobs. It’s work experience. It’s internships … This will impact all of our students in a very positive way – open up opportunities for them. It’s an absolute game changer.”
Bel Brands, headquartered in Chicago, also produces The Laughing Cow cheese wedges, Boursin, Merkts, Kaukauna and other natural and gourmet cheese spreads. It’s the U.S. subsidiary of Paris-based Fromageries Bel and also has U.S.-based production facilities in Leitchfield, Ky., and Little Chute, Wis.
“We’ve been impressed with the state of South Dakota,” Chambers said. “The robust dairy industry that will provide raw materials, the economic development and support, and the world-class dairy facilities and dairy research (at SDSU). We think there’s great synergies and partnership possibilities in working with (SDSU).”
Bel Brands has more than doubled in size the past four years. Mini Babybel, which represents close to one-third of Bel Brands’ U.S. sales, has almost tripled with consistent 25 percent growth, Chambers said. Phase one of the project will have a production capacity of 22 million pounds or 10,000 metric tons.
Source: Arugus Leader
Posted: November 10, 2011 at 7:23 pm
By News Editor
The Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence is seeking dairy farm families interested in improving herd health and cow care for their pilot program: “Herd Health and Cow Care Improvement Project.”
The project is supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Soybean Board. Each participating farm will have up to $1,000 in financial support to work with the herd’s veterinarian and a Penn State veterinarian to aid in improving a component of the dairy, ultimately enhancing overall herd health and animal care on the farm.
Participating farms will provide details of their work in improving their specific herd health and animal care focus to the center. This information will be shared with the dairy industry to help other dairies looking to resolve similar issues.
“Working with these farms will help the center develop a tool to aid other producers quickly assess and identify steps to improve herd health care on the farm,” Frey said.
Applications for the pilot project must be submitted by Nov. 15 and are available from the center by calling 717-346-0849 or emailing info@centerfordairyexcellence.org. Farms will be selected for the project on a first-come, first-served basis with considerations given to the herd management support area and regional location.
Source: The Center for Dairy Excellence
Posted: October 24, 2011 at 7:59 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Once again, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) made it into the top five national cooperatives.
DFA was ranked fourth on the NCB Co-op 100 listing of the nation’s 100 highest revenue-earning cooperative businesses, the same as last year.
“The boom of cooperative organizations and the key role they play in both our national and global economy, is clearly evidenced in the growth and expansion highlighted in this year’s report,” said Charles E. Snyder, President and CEO of NCB. “As a cooperative business ourselves, we are proud to support these efforts and participate in the United Nations General Assembly declaration of 2012 as the International Year of the Cooperative, to educate the public on the benefits of cooperatives. Our report is just one of the many ways we work to inform the public on the advantages of cooperatives in all fields of enterprise.”
The NCB Co-op 100 debuted in 1991 and is the only yearly report of its kind to track cooperative revenues in the United States. Cooperatives in this year’s top 100 account for a combined revenue of more than $193 billion in 2010. Dairy Farmers of America, based in Kansas City, is a farmer-owned milk marketing cooperative with nearly 16,000 members and more than 3,000 employees.
Posted: October 12, 2011 at 9:34 am
By Chuck
World Wide Sires, LTD. teamed up with Accelerated Genetics to host a World Dairy Expo International Reception and Dinner. Here’s John Schouten, World Wide Sires CEO (center) with some of the guests. The organization is owned by Accelerated Genetics and Select Sires.
World Wide Sires, Ltd. is the world’s leading cattle genetics marketing organization representing the majority of the U.S. Artificial Insemination Cooperatives. In an atmosphere of trust and cooperation, World Wide Sires brings together suppliers and customers to promote efficient global livestock production. Quality genetics, high integrity, personal contact and superior customer service are the cornerstones for ensuring continued market leadership.
I talked with John before the evening’s activities got underway. He says World Wide Sires is celebrating forty years and he’s been with the company for twenty five of them. He does a little bit of travel as the territory they serve has grown. “Traditionally, our key markets have been located in western Europe as the company got started but today we have new and exciting markets in places like China, India and Russia.” He’s proud to represent the best genetics in the world to their customers. He’s very optimistic about growth in trade even in countries where we currently have marketing challenges. I asked him the thing he’d like his customers to think of when they think of World Wide Sires. He says, “Service with a smile.”
You can listen to my interview with John here: John Schouten Interview
2011 World Dairy Expo Photo Album
Posted: October 10, 2011 at 3:16 pm
By Chuck
One of the international visitors to World Dairy Expo was Dr. Gonzalo Maldonado, Tri-State S.A.S, Colombia. I met him at the Accelerated Genetics and World Wide Sires International Reception and Dinner. Dr. Maldonado has been working with them for 43 years!
Dr. Maldonado says that when he got started the idea of artificial insemination was a tough sell. He basically had to conduct training sessions and educate dairy farmers about the benefits of improved genetics. Since then he says production has increased. He’s optimistic for the outlook for even more improved production in Colombia. Training and specialized advice is still very needed though.
You can listen to my interview with Dr. Maldonado here: Dr. Gonzalo Maldonado Interview
2011 World Dairy Expo Photo Album
Posted: September 15, 2011 at 6:46 pm
By News Editor
Dole Packaged Foods has introduced a new container for their make-at-home yogurt smoothie which mimics a blender. Innovative!
The need for a blender to make a smoothie at home was a big consumer complaint, said Paul Panza, director of marketing, based in Westlake Village, Calif.
Panza told Dairy Foods that the solution lay in the packaging: consumers unscrew the cap, add about 7 ounces of a juice of their choice to the fill line, re-apply the cap and shake for about 30-45 seconds.
Panza said the package had to be designed in a way to easily break up the fruit and yogurt pieces inside the container when consumers add the juice. A flat surface at the top and bottom was needed, as well as sides that would not restrict movement of the product inside. The bottle is made of high-density polyethylene and has a full-body shrink sleeve.
Dole worked with blow-mold equipment maker Rocheleau Tools & Die Co., Fitchburg, Mass., to create various designs. Dole’s marketing and production teams balanced manufacturing concerns with consumer acceptability issues. Prototype designs were tested with consumers in focus groups to find the best shape that was easy for consumers to grasp and hold on to during shaking. Dole blow-molds the bottles at its Stockton, Calif., processing plant.
Dole’s Fruit Smoothie Shakers are available in three flavors: strawberry, strawberry banana and mixed berry, with a suggested retail price of $2.19. The beverages contain low-fat yogurt with live and active cultures and prebiotics and probiotics. They will be available nationally by the first quarter of 2012.
Source: Dairy Foods; Jim Carper, editor in chief
Posted: August 19, 2011 at 6:10 pm
By News Editor
Investment firm OpenGate Capital has announced plans to buy Wisconsin-based Golden Guernsey and La Vaca Bonita, along with a dairy processing plant, from Dean Foods Co.
OpenGate said it has signed an agreement to buy the dairy processing plant in Waukesha, Wis., which sells dairy products in grocery stores in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan.
Financial terms were not disclosed. The purchase will need regulators’ approval. It is expected to close by the end of September.
Los Angeles-based OpenGate says it targets companies with well-known brands and solid business fundamentals that show potential for growth. OpenGate founder Andrew Nikou said in a statement that the Dean Foods purchase “meets our mark on all counts.”
“Not only is the (Golden Guernsey) brand a local icon renowned since 1930 for the highest quality and freshest milk products, but its facility is very efficient, and its managers are industry experts,” Nikou said. The company also said it was “eager to collaborate with the existing Waukesha management team.”
Source: Mercury News
Posted: July 18, 2011 at 7:48 pm
By News Editor
Dairy farm families can tour an innovative Holstein operation and learn more about resources for improving their agribusinesses as part of the “Open House and Dairy Tour” series hosted by the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence.
The event at Kurtz Valley Holsteins, located at 396 Dairy Lane in Mifflintown, Juniata Co., will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 21.
Kurtz Valley is a 350-cow, 360-acre family dairy operation owned by Myron and Mary Gehman.
“The Gehmans, like the other two farms included in this series, are investing in their operation to build a strong dairy business for future generations,” said John Frey, executive director of the Center for Dairy Excellence. “This event will be an outstanding opportunity for dairy farm families to garner new ideas and best management practices that could benefit their own dairies.”
All three tours are free and will be held from 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., with a picnic-style lunch. Additional dates and locations include:
Thursday, July 28, at Rolling Spring Farm, owned by Charlie and Denise Bean, at 133 Wilsey Road in Franklin, Venango Co.
Thursday, Aug. 11, at Walk-Le Holsteins, owned by Leroy, Brenda and Brad Walker at 6898 Oak Lane in Thomasville, York Co.
The open forums and dairy tours are open to anyone within the dairy community. The events are free, but pre-registration is requested by calling 717-346-0849.
Source: The Center for Dairy Excellence
Posted: April 22, 2011 at 1:06 pm
By News Editor
J.V.M. Sales Corp d/b/a Milano’s Cheese Corp. has recently received certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) on a state and national level.
The leading cheese manufacturing company in Linden, N.J. has been in the Falcone family for more than 25 years and is now under the leadership of the founder’s daughter Mary Beth Tomasino, who started working in the company’s finance division and gradually became more involved in all aspects of Milano’s. She became an expert in food safety and quality, obtained certifications from industry organizations and is continuously matriculating in food science and dairy courses, giving her the credence and knowledge she needs in her current position.
As a WBE, Milano’s executives can receive special training provided by WBENC, such as attendance at graduate level executive education programs and tools to increase their ability to operate efficiently, grow their capacity to meet corporate needs and better understand how to compete in a diverse procurement environment. WBENC also conducts a number of research studies on topics and trends that support members’ growth and improvement.
“We are honored to be selected as a 2011 recipient of the WBE Certification,” said Tomasino. “This accreditation will be beneficial as we continue to grow our business and expand our reach across the U.S.”
The WBENC, founded in 1997, is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled and operated by women in the U.S. WBENC, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit, partners with 14 regional partner organizations to provide its national standard of certification to women-owned businesses throughout the country. WBENC is also the nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America’s corporations.
Source: Milano’s Cheese Corp.
Posted: April 20, 2011 at 1:42 pm
By News Editor
Dean Foods Co. will sell its milk processing business in Waukesha, Wis., the food maker said Monday.
The plant and its related business are part of a previously announced settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over an antitrust dispute with farmers in the Northeast. Farmers there have complained for years that Dean dominates the milk-buying market and has helped to hold down prices paid to farmers.
Dean Foods agreed to sell the business, which handles milk processing, selling, marketing and distribution, as part of this settlement. It includes sale of the dairy processing facility and equipment, as well as the Golden Guernsey and La Vaca Bonita brands.
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek
Posted: April 18, 2011 at 2:08 pm
By News Editor
HP Hood has entered into an agreement to sell St. Paul-based Kemps to Dairy Farmers of America (DFA). Both companies declined to disclose the price or comment further, as the transaction still requires regulatory approval.
The Kemps brand, now known for its slogan “It’s the cows,” was created in 1914 by a small creamery in southeastern Minnesota owned by the Kemps family. In 1961, Kemps and two other Upper Midwest dairy companies merged to create Marigold Foods. Marigold changed its name to Kemps in 2002, but in 2004 it sold out to HP Hood.
Hood, one of the largest dairy players in the Northeast, bought Kemps to try to expand into a new market, the Upper Midwest, said Harold Waxman, publisher of Ice Cream Reporter, a monthly newsletter. “I wouldn’t say Hood is dumping Kemps,” he said. “But it may have not reached its targets in the Upper Midwest.”
While nationally Kemps is a small player, in Minneapolis-St. Paul it’s the leader in the ice cream, frozen yogurt and sherbet and sorbet markets, topping major national brands — not an easy task for any regional food maker.
Kemps employs about 900 people in Minnesota and has two milk processing plants in Duluth and Minneapolis; an ice cream and milk operation in Rochester; and a facility in Farmington that makes yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese.
Dairy Farmers of America is one of the nation’s largest agricultural cooperatives with annual revenue of $9.8 billion in 2010 and 16,000 farmer members, including 1,400 in Minnesota. It has two plants in Minnesota, one in Zumbrota that makes cheese and another in Winthrop that produces non-fat dry milk and other milk-based food ingredients.
Source: Star Tribune; by: Mike Hughlett
Posted: February 14, 2011 at 5:52 pm
By News Editor
Dairy farm families can plan business strategies for 2011 and beyond with the help of three upcoming “Mastering the Dairy Business” conference calls hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence. The calls will focus on a global outlook for the dairy industry, Pennsylvania’s Watershed Implementation Plan and theNortheast Dairy Farm Summary published annually by Farm Credit East.
Each call is from noon to 1:15 p.m., and the schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, March 2 – Daniel Basse will present “Global Outlook for Dairy in 2011 and Beyond.” An agricultural economist and president of AgResource Company, a domestic and international agricultural research firm in Chicago, Basse will share the company’s research that is distributed in 81 nations.
Thursday, March 17 – John Hines, acting executive deputy secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, will present “A Look at Pennsylvania’s Watershed Implementation Plan,” to explain the plan and what meeting baseline compliance means for dairy producers. Hines oversees statewide policy and program development for the department.
Thursday, April 28 – Joanna Lidback will lead “Benchmarking and a Look at the 2010 Blue Book.” Director of knowledge exchange for Farm Credit East, Lidback authors the Northeast Dairy Farm Summary, or the Blue Book, a study of the financial health and progress of dairy farms in New York, New Jersey and New England, and will use results from the summary to show how key trends affect the entire region.
Anyone can participate in the conference call, and presentation materials can be downloaded from the Center for Dairy Excellence’s website.
Participation is free, but pre-registration is required and each call is limited to 75 dairy producers. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis.
To register, call the center at 717-346-0849 with name, phone number, e-mail address and the date of call. Once registered, participants will receive the call-in number and code.
Source: Center for Dairy Excellence
Posted: January 30, 2011 at 2:41 pm
By Chuck
Virtus Nutrition now has the first iPad dairy app.
The Virtus Nutrition app hosts a wealth of information for dairy producers, nutritionists and others interested in the latest on Omega fatty acid technology for improved dairy cattle nutrition. Download this app to access the Omega Value Calculator, which provides detailed analysis of the value of feeding Prequel 21 (omega-6s) and StrataG (omega-3s) to transition cows and early breeding cows. Find out how many additional pregnancies, and subsequently calves, that these omegas can have by reducing early embryo loss on your dairy. Explore the key research that explains the impact that the omegas can have by improving both milk production and reproduction in dairy cows.
Key Features
CALCULATE the omega value in your herd by entering basic herd information and generating a series of graphs to show the impact Omega Nutrition can have on your bottom line.
BROWSE through the product pages to learn more about Virtus Nutrition’s calcium salts of fatty acid products.
SEARCH the research and article pages to learn more about the science behind feeding omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids to dairy cows.
Posted: January 24, 2011 at 8:11 pm
By News Editor
A meeting hosted by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, American cheese companies agreed to step up efforts to reduce the sodium content in cheese and educate consumers about the limits of sodium reduction.
The 17 leading cheese firms, including the likes of Chr Hansen, Kraft Foods and Cargill, discussed the key challenges and opportunities related to sodium reduction. The companies are working pre-competitively on best practice to reduce sodium levels through formulation as well as process and manufacturing control.
Some companies have already begun to reduce sodium levels with the launch of new reduced sodium cheeses and others are making reductions across product lines. However, there is currently no move to introduce industry-wide targets.
Carol Blindauer, SVP, health and wellness, at the Innovation Center told this publication: “While a variety of individual cheese manufacturers or multi-food companies who make cheese may have committed to a targets approach to sodium reduction for their products, the industry at large is not adopting a targets approach.”
Blindauer said this is because cheese is not one single food for which a blanket sodium target would be appropriate. Swiss cheese, for example, is naturally low in sodium so there would be little merit in making cuts that would be particularly difficult to achieve without compromising on taste or risking food safety.
The industry spokesperson said sodium plays a vital role in cheese making for flavour, moisture, versatility and even food safety. Salt is a natural preservative that is not easy to replace without resorting to artificial alternatives that many consumers prefer to stay away from.
The cheese companies are agreed that more work is needed on a marketing level to put these points to the consumer. At the meeting of the task force on sodium in cheese the companies agreed that more education work was needed to inform the consumer about the nutrients in cheese, the role of sodium in cheese and the work that has already been done on sodium reduction.
The companies are also looking to establish more clearly where the industry is as far as sodium reduction is concerned. Blindauer said a marketplace analysis has been completed and is pending publication.
She said: “Understanding where we are as an industry is the first step to being a part if the solution to addressing sodium and cheese.”
Companies involved in the Best Practices Task Force on sodium reduction include: Bongards, Cargill, Chr Hansen, Dairy Farmers of America, Davisco Foods, Foremost Farms, Glanbia, Great Lakes Cheese, Kraft Foods, Kroger, Lactalis, Land O’Lakes, Leprino Foods, Marathon Cheese, Sargento, Schreiber Foods and V&V Supremo Foods.
Source: Dairy Reporter
Posted: January 11, 2011 at 9:28 pm
By News Editor
Schreiber Foods has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire Dean Foods’ customer-brand yogurt business. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2011.
“We’re thrilled about this opportunity to expand our rapidly growing yogurt business,” says Mike Haddad, president and CEO of Schreiber Foods. “Yogurt is a dynamic and exciting category that will play an integral role in Schreiber’s mission to be the world’s leading customer-brand dairy company. We’re deep into many strategic initiatives aimed at advancing our yogurt capabilities, and this acquisition will enable us to create additional value for our customers by offering a coast-to-coast network of yogurt production and distribution facilities.”
The proposed acquisition includes production facilities in Fullerton, Calif., and Richland Center, Wis., as well as yogurt production assets from Dean Foods’ facility in Friendship, N.Y. Further details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Source: Dairy Foods
Posted: December 27, 2010 at 9:32 pm
By News Editor
Today Northeast Dairy Farmers reached a settlement agreement with Dean Foods Company in their class action antitrust lawsuit against Dean, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Dairy Marketing Services (DMS). The agreement will include $30 million in monetary damages and injunctive relief that calls for Dean to purchase a portion of its raw milk from multiple Northeast sources.
“This is a major win for dairy farmers in the Northeast who have been squeezed by monopolization and price-fixing,” said Benjamin Brown, an attorney at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, PLLC, which represents the plaintiff dairy farmers. “We are pleased that Dean Foods is working with plaintiffs to put this practice behind them.”
DFA and DMS have been named in the suit for engaging in monopolization, price-fixing, and other anticompetitive conduct.
“The fact that Dean has agreed to purchase raw milk from multiple sources is a big step in the right direction,” said Robert Abrams of Howrey, LLP, which also represents the plaintiff dairy farmers. “What dairy farmers want is a choice between different bottlers. They have been living in a world that is monopolized and they pay the prices that are offered to them or they don’t sell milk. What we want is choice and competition.”
The next step is for the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont — where the lawsuit was filed inAugust 2009 — to grant preliminary approval of the settlement agreement. Notice will then go out to the estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Northeast dairy farmers who could be eligible to file a claim for monetary damages.
Abrams added, “We are pleased that a settlement with Dean has been reached and look forward to a timely court approval.”
Source: Northeast Dairy Farmers
Posted: November 18, 2010 at 2:40 pm
By News Editor
Lely has introduced a new generation of robotic milking systems: the Lely Astronaut A4.
Although this new Astronaut is filled with innovating features, the most revealing is that Lely has taken its vision on dairy automation one step further creating a product that allows even more freedom for the cow, more control for the farmer with more milk as a result. The natural way of milking.
The main revolutionary feature of the Lely Astronaut A4 cow box is the walkthrough design called the I-flow concept. Allowing the cow to walk straight in and out of the box eliminates any unnecessary obstacles, further reducing the threshold for the cow to enter the cow unit at her own pace. The spacious cow friendly design and positioning of the cow unit, allows for continuous interaction with the rest of the herd and thus eliminating unnecessary stress on the cow.
The Astronaut A4 is set up in a modular concept. A central unit features a central vacuum and cleaning system for up to two cow units. It is self-contained and a configuration with two cow units can span a distance up to thirty metres which ensures much more freedom and space for the positioning of the units in the barn. Due to its modularity, it is a valid option both for family farms of 300,000 litres up to farms that produce well over 10 million litres of milk annually. The Lely Astronaut A4 comes in two models, the Manager and the Operator versions, both with additional options to configure the Astronaut A4 designed to the specific needs of the farmer.
Besides these innovations the new Lely Astronaut A4 is filled with new technology such as a new milk friendly pump transporting the milk to the tank without rotating impellers which can damage the milk. To reduce downtime as much as possible, key wear parts have been changed into easy to replace cartridge systems.
Lely has explicitly refrained from automating the actions of milking itself; instead the company continues to build a system around the cow to make sure that cows like to be milked within a low-threshold system.
Successful robotic milking is a new style of farm management, where the decisions shift from the farmer to the cow. Farmers can control many factors on an individual cow basis; factors that cannot be controlled in a conventionally milked herd. Through Lely’s dedicated management program for dairy farmers; Lely’s T4C, a quick overview is generated on the performance of the herd, the robotic milking system and the cows that require attention. It allows farmers to focus on the cows that need him/her the most. The T4C management program is now also available on the robot itself and therefore available for management on the spot. It comes with an optional dynamic feeding module (DLM). This system automatically changes feed allocations per cow based on optimum cost benefit ratio to maximize profits.
Source: The Lely Group
Posted: November 16, 2010 at 6:16 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.’s (DFA) Global Dairy Products Group (GDPG), for achieving a Safe Quality Foods (SQF) 2000 Level 3 certification in four of its manufacturing facilities. The latest certifications are at DFA’s plants in Cabool, Mo., and New Wilmington, Penn.
SQF certification is part of a broader initiative throughout GDPG that emphasizes operational excellence, food safety and quality. Two additional DFA facilities in Winnsboro, Texas, and Plymouth, Wis., achieved SQF Level 3 certification earlier this year. A systematic effort is underway to achieve SQF certification in all 20 of DFA’s wholly-owned manufacturing plants.
“Food safety and quality is the foundation for manufacturing excellence,” said Mark Korsmeyer, executive vice president of DFA and president of GDPG. “Our employees have done an excellent job implementing the SQF program, and it sets the expectation with our customers that we’re committed to producing high quality, safe products on a global scale.”
The SQF Program is a leading, global food safety and quality certification and management system. It is designed primarily as a food safety program, and SQF is the only standard recognized by Global Food Safety Initiative that incorporates a quality certification component at Level 3. The certification allows suppliers to provide assurances that the food they produce, handle, prepare, process and distribute is of the highest quality, in addition to adhering to the strictest international and domestic food safety standards.
Through GDPG, DFA produces retail cheese and butter, foodservice cheese and butter, a wide range of dairy protein ingredients, and is a leading contract manufacturer of shelf-stable products for major food companies. The cooperative’s consumer brands include Borden® Cheese and Butter, Keller’s® Butter and Plugra® Butter.
Source: Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA)
Posted: November 4, 2010 at 9:21 am
By Chuck
At the beginning of the Alltech Global 500 I participated in a presentation on social media and I’ve been overhearing farmers talking about how to use it for their farm. During a discussion dinner last night I met a dairy farmer who has been using it to drive business on his farm. He’s a great example for all farmers. He’s Carl Chaney (left in photo) and you can find his farm online at Chaney’s Dairy Barn.
Carl has a great story which I recorded this morning. Basically, his family operation decided to take control of their own destiny and diversify into processing their own milk, making their own ice cream and creating an agri-tourism component of their farm. So over the last couple years they have been using a website and now Facebook and Twitter to promote their business and Carl says they have direct evidence of how it has helped. This use of social media has helped them stay in the dairy business after they were considering getting out.
Besides driving business Carl says they are also helping educate consumers about where their food comes from. Sounds like he could be on the board of the AgChat Foundation! The farm conducts tours with a growing number of area schools. You’ll hear the pride in his voice when he sees kids marvel over a new calf or seeing a milking parlor in action.
You can listen to my interview with Carl here: Interview with Carl Chaney
Alltech Global 500 Photo Album
Posted: October 6, 2010 at 2:57 pm
By News Editor
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) announced the launch of its Foundation for the Future website.
The website equips dairy producers and industry stakeholders with interactive tools and resources, including a margin protection calculator, that will educate them about the dairy policy reforms and programs proposed in the Foundation for the Future plan.
FutureForDairy.com features a news and resources section with the latest dairy policy articles and downloadable materials about Foundation for the Future, including the complete plan narrative and frequently asked questions (FAQs). The FAQs section offers a library of common questions associated with Foundation for the Future, and allows visitors to submit questions to be answered by policy experts.
Especially valuable for dairy producers, the margin protection calculator will help them determine an appropriate coverage level for the supplemental margin insurance under the program’s Dairy Producer Margin Protection Program. Producers can input their annual milk production, and select the percentage of base milk production that the program will cover, along with the added coverage level they prefer,
generating scenarios of how the Dairy Producer Margin Protection Program will benefit their individual operations.
“We’re excited to introduce FutureForDairy.com to members of the dairy industry, as we feel it offers more details about Foundation for the Future and helps people with some of the concepts they might not have previously understood. The margin protection calculator especially helps dairy producers visualize the impact the Dairy Producer Margin Protection Program will have on their individual operations in terms of coverage options,” said Jerry Kozak, NMPF President and CEO.
The mission of Foundation for the Future, as envisioned by NMPF, is to provide the dairy industry with policy programs that dramatically improve the historical approach embodied by current programs, and foster a more economically-viable and secure future for dairy producers, milk processors, and other industry stakeholders.
Source: The National Milk Producers Federation
«Past Entries
Bel Brands USA will build a 170,000-square-foot facility in Brookings, S.D. to produce its Mini Babybel product.
