Posted: August 26, 2010 at 6:43 pm
By News Editor
Marking another step in the dairy industry’s efforts to accelerate innovation and increase future demand for dairy, Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy recently announced the formation of the Dairy Research Institute™ to strengthen the dairy industry’s access to and investment in the technical research needed to drive demand for dairy products and ingredients, globally.
The institute brings together leadership from across the dairy industry, scientific community, academics, government and other organizations to plan and fund leading-edge dairy research in three key priority areas: nutrition science, product development and sustainability.
The launch of the Dairy Research Institute builds upon the unprecedented efforts of dairy producers, processors and manufacturers to work together pre-competitively through the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, formed in 2008. The Dairy Research Institute is affiliated with the Innovation Center, and provides a forum for industry to identify major research needs to support dairy industry innovation, and grow dairy sales.
“The U.S. dairy industry has a long history of using science-based research to provide the knowledge, guidance and tools needed to foster innovation and promote the nutrient-rich value of dairy and the industry’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Greg Miller, executive vice president, research, regulatory and scientific affairs for DMI and president of the Dairy Research Institute. “Through partnerships and a commitment to sound science, we will support the importance of dairy in the diet and the sustainability of the products and ingredients we produce. The dairy industry needs to remain at the forefront of research to meet the challenges of today and those yet to come.”
The Dairy Research Institute builds on the legacy of nutrition and product research conducted by the National Dairy Council since 1915, and will leverage their expertise, as well as other partners, including five dairy research centers at major universities and government agencies, such as the USDA’s Agricultural Research Services and the Department of Defense’s Natick Soldier Center, and other leading scientific, health and nongovernment organizations. The Dairy Research Institute also will coordinate with the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the National Milk Producers Federation, the Milk Processor Education Program, DMI, U.S. Dairy Export Council, Global Dairy Platform, and other industry and non-industry partners.
Source: Dairy Research Institute
Posted: August 25, 2010 at 5:29 pm
By News Editor
Herdspersons looking for training should sign up to attend the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Herdsperson Training.
Two one-day expert cow care workshops will provide dairy producers with the latest information and techniques related to caring more for the first ladies of the parlor. The first Herdsperson Training is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 14, in Wisconsin Rapids, with the second workshop set for Wednesday, Sept. 15, in Madison. Training is designed to update and challenge the person—even the most seasoned—in charge of caring for the cows.
Each “it’s all about caring for the cows” workshop will cover four key topics: animal well-being assessment, cow-side care, reproduction and cow handling and movement.
Trainer Keri Retallick from Validus will deliver the first session and detail elements of the FARM program so producers can conduct mock assessments on their dairies. Sessions two, three and four will be round robin sessions, with participants divided into small groups for extensive hands-on training. Trainers and topics include Dr. David Rhoda, UW School of Veterinary Medicine and UW-Madison Dairy Science Department, “Taking Care of the ‘Cash Cow’—Optimizing Cow-side Care; Dave Northey, University of Wisconsin research manager, Department of Animal Science, “Rev Up Your Herd’s Reproduction”; and Dr. Margaret Perala, expert animal handling instructor, “Cow Handling and Movement.”
The workshop will end with a 30-minute question-and-answer period with the trainers, so participants have all burning questions answered.
Source: Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin
Posted: August 20, 2010 at 6:34 pm
By News Editor
The Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) announces its second set of Gold Standards to help set benchmarks for calf and heifer producers. The benchmarks provide a goal to meet in raising animals.
The Gold Standards II establishes standards for the production and performance of Holstein heifers, from 6 months of age to freshening, across the United States. Pfizer Animal Health generously provided funding support for the development of the Gold Standards II.
“As an industry association, it is essential for DCHA to step up and advocate for management practices and performance measures that will drive success in the dairy industry,” said DCHA President Bob Patrick, DVM. “DCHA provides the Gold Standards I and II to all producers in the industry, regardless of membership, at no charge.”
DCHA worked with producers, university researchers and extension agents across the country to outline appropriate benchmarks for the Holstein weaning to freshening category. By obtaining a range of opinions, DCHA ensured that the final Gold Standards are realistic, yet attainable by most producers.
“The Gold Standards program will have an impact on the dairy industry, enabling producers to use these benchmarks to set goals for their operations,” said Patrick.
Gold Standards II establishes guidelines in the areas of mortality, morbidity, growth rate and nutrition, housing, vaccination and parasite control, breeding, and pregnant heifers. The standards were introduced this week at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners meeting in Albuquerque, N.M. Producers attending World Dairy Expo can meet with DCHA board members and staff to learn more about the Gold Standards II.
In 2009, with support from Pfizer Animal Health, DCHA achieved a long-standing objective when it developed the first set of Gold Standards, which are specifically structured for Holstein calves up to six months of age.
Source: Dairy Calf & Heifer Association
Posted: August 19, 2010 at 8:23 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
U.S. dairy operators are expanding herds again and that will mean more production next year.
The latest USDA milk report shows July output 3% ahead of July a year ago, at 15.3 billion pounds. Production per cow in the 23 major states averaged 1,830 pounds for July, 59 pounds above July 2009.
The total herd size is still smaller than last year, but probably not for much longer. “The fact of the matter is that for about the past six months or so we’ve been seeing cow numbers actually increase in the U.S.,” said USDA Outlook Board chairman Gerry Bange. The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.37 million head, 26,000 head less than July 2009, but 19,000 head more than June 2010.
Prices are also up, coming back faster and farther than expected. But, Bange thinks the all milk price next year will probably be held in check by production that could increase by one and half percent from this year. So, the forecast average price is now 16.05 per hundredweight, down 35 cents from the previous forecast, which Bange says “reflects the fact that we’re seeing substantially more milk production and anticipating more than we did a month ago.” The forecast for next year is about five cents/cwt higher than this year’s average.
Posted: August 11, 2010 at 7:17 pm
By News Editor
Calling all dairy judges – put your skills to the test with the River Valley Style & Performance Placing Challenge, held in conjunction with the 2010 Illinois State Fair. To participate, visit the River Valley Facebook page to register and judge.
Five, Excellent-93%, cows owned solely by River Valley Dairy will compete in the Five- and Six-Year-Old Class in the Jersey Open Show at this year’s Illinois State Fair on Thursday, August 19. If you accept the placing challenge and correctly lineup all five River Valley cows the same way as they place the day of the show, you will be entered into a prize drawing for one of five $50 gift certificates to NASCO.
Paper copies of the official ballot will be available at the River Valley stalls on the grounds at the Illinois State Fair. Ballots must be submitted online or in person to a River Valley Dairy representative prior to the start of the class. The River Valley Style & Performance Placing Challenge will end promptly at the start of the Illinois State Fair, Five- and Six-Year-Old Jersey class on August 19 at approximately Noon (CST).
*Rules and Usage: Visit the River Valley Facebook page, and complete the River Valley Style & Performance Placing Challenge between the week of August 9, 2010 and the start of the Five- and Six-Year-Old cow class on August 19, 2010 at the Illinois State Fair. Place all five River Valley owned cows in the correct order and be eligible for one of five grand prize gift cards for NASCO complements of River Valley Dairy. No purchase necessary.
Source: River Valley Dairy
Posted: August 9, 2010 at 6:24 pm
By News Editor
The National Mastitis Council, Inc. (NMC), will hold its 2010 Regional Meeting Sept. 8-9, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Mich. This meeting will highlight mastitis control and overall milk quality improvement as they relate to people, cows and the environment.
The two-day conference kicks off with specialized short courses and a farm tour on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The short courses will cover topics relative to visual inspection techniques, controlling somatic cell counts, and on-farm culture-based treatment of clinical mastitis. The farm tour features the robotic milking system and pasture-based dairy center at Michigan State University’s W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. Attendees must pre-register for the short course or farm tour by Aug. 31. An informal reception will culminate the first day of the meeting.
The second day of the program features presentations by David Sumrall, Dairy Production Systems; Janice Swanson, Michigan State University; Aaron Gasper, Lew-Max Holsteins LLC; Jim Dickrell, Dairy Today; Pamela Ruegg, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dale Moore, Washington State University; Andres Contrares, Michigan State University; and Ron Erskine, Michigan State University. Featured topics include making quality milk simple, animal welfare in legislation, creating a positive farm image, dairy export issues, making better mastitis treatment decisions, eliminating drug residues, disease susceptibility in the transition cow, and vaccinating for coliform mastitis.
The NMC Regional Meeting again will feature a special program for Spanish-speaking employees involved in the milking process on Sept. 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Topics will be presented in Spanish and include basic quality milk production tips, management efficiencies, and proper cow management in the parlor.
Individuals interested in attending the sessions on Thursday, Sept. 9 can pre-register by Aug. 31, or register at the door. Additional program content and registration information can be found online.
Source: National Mastitis Council, Inc.
Posted: July 27, 2010 at 1:50 pm
By News Editor
World Dairy Diary is excited to announce our new iPhone app! Created by our parent company, ZimmComm New Media, this is the first agricultural news media app for the iPhone.
The app offers one-touch access to all the latest news and information in the agribusiness and agricultural marketing world posted on Agwired.com, including audio, photos and video, and connections to other ZimmComm news sites. The AgWired App features a news tab drop down menu to select ZimmComm News Network feeds as well as individual news on AgWired.com by category.
The app is now available for iPhone users to download, free of charge, in the Apple iTunes store.
“Apps just make on-line access from an iPhone quicker and easier,” said ZimmComm president Chuck Zimmerman. “We wanted to be the first to develop an iPhone application to show that it can be done and that there is a demand for this new technology tool in the agricultural world.”
ZimmComm owns and operates four web-based news sites that are now accessible from the new iPhone app: Agwired, focused on news from the world of agribusiness; Domestic Fuel, which is all about renewable energy – from ethanol and biodiesel to wind and solar; World Dairy Diary for the dairy industry; and Precision Pays, which focuses on information about precision agriculture technology.
Source: ZimmComm
Posted: July 22, 2010 at 9:45 am
By News Editor
Great news for dairy in schools!
General Mills Foodservice has committed $100,000 to help schools build their breakfast programs through National Dairy Council’s Child Nutrition and Fitness Initiative Breakfast Grant program. Schools participating in Fuel Up to Play 60 that are looking to expand their breakfast programs can apply to receive up to $3,000 in funding.
National Dairy Council (NDC) is the nutrition research and education arm of the national dairy checkoff program. NDC’s Child Nutrition and Fitness Initiative (CNFI) encourages fitness and good nutrition, including dairy consumption, among our nation’s school children.
“America’s dairy producers applaud the commitment from General Mills to address a very important issue such as school breakfast,” said Paul Rovey, Arizona dairy producer and chair of Dairy Management Inc.™, which manages the national dairy checkoff. “These efforts help create lifelong dairy consumers and healthier future generations.”
About 10 million children eat breakfast on any given day in U.S. schools – nearly a third of the 30 million students who eat school lunch regularly. School foodservice administrators understand that a breakfast program provides significant benefits regarding healthy diets and increased learning capabilities. A review of data from the Bogalusa Heart Study suggests that kids who skip breakfast rarely make up for missed nutrients later in the day. Furthermore, a study in Philadelphia and Baltimore public schools found that children who regularly participated in breakfast programs scored higher on math tests, were less likely to be tardy or absent, and had fewer reported discipline problems when compared with children who skipped breakfast.
“The Child Nutrition and Fitness Initiative Breakfast Grant program can help provide resources to schools serving breakfast and grant funds to help them offer breakfast at school via nontraditional methods,” said Kim Main, K-12 marketing manager, General Mills Foodservice.
Source: Dairy Management Inc.
Posted: July 15, 2010 at 6:16 pm
By News Editor
The dairy industry lost another dairyman this week – Robert Charles Morrell, of Cochranton, Pa. Morrell died Monday, July 12, 2010 as a result of a traffic accident.
Born April 6, 1957, in Meadville, he was a son of Charles (Bud) and Kathryn Elaine Shartle Morrell. He married Candace Hollabaugh on Oct. 10, 1976. He was a lifelong dairy farmer at Morrell Farms on Harvey Road and recently he and his son were owner/operators of Morrell Trucking.
His passion for showing and judging cattle was immeasurable. He judged cattle in Mexico, Canada and all over the United States as well as nine other countries. A few highlights of his judging career include the 2000 Royal Winter Fair in Toronto and the 1998 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. Also, he traveled the Tanbark Trail (a cattle show circuit) since the age of 16.
He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed watching all kinds of sporting events and playing shuffleboard. He enjoyed watching NASCAR and rooting for Carl Edwards, and would drop what he was doing to watch the O’Reilly Factor on TV.
He was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Cochranton and the Holstein Association of the United States and the Canadian Holstein Association.
When he wasn’t showing or judging cattle, his favorite thing was being a dad and grandpa.
The family asks that memorials be made to Crawford County Dairy 4-H Dairy Leaders in care of Chris Waddell, Guys Mills Road, Townville, Pa. 16360.
Source: Meadville Tribune
Posted: June 23, 2010 at 7:18 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Jayme Sellen for being named the Deputy Government Affairs Director of the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association (DBA), a statewide leader in advocating for progressive dairy farmers, cheese processors and allied industry partners.
“We are very excited to announce Jayme Sellen as the newest member of our team,” said Laurie Fischer, DBA Executive Director. “Jayme is highly regarded by those working inside the Capitol as well as on the Capitol square.”
Sellen has a degree from St. Norbert College where she studied Political Science, Business Administration and Philosophy. She also brings several years of experience working in state and county government, most recently working as the Legislative Assistant to the Brown County Executive, a position responsible for lobbying on behalf of all 30 county departments.
Jayme will work closely with DBA Government Affairs Director Dave Jelinski and DBA Executive Director Laurie Fischer to educate elected officials on the vital role agriculture plays in securing and growing jobs in the State.
Agriculture in Wisconsin provides over 60 billion dollars in economic activity each year. Our rural communities rely heavily on a healthy agriculture economy which is dependent upon the hard-working farm families who do everything possible daily to protect and enhance Wisconsin’s environmental resources.
Source: The Dairy Business Association
Posted: June 16, 2010 at 6:39 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Ashley Harshbarger for being named the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence summer intern.
In her position, Harshbarger will help organize activities for the Center for Dairy Excellence and Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force. Two key projects she will coordinate are a social media outreach plan to promote the center and Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and the center’s 2010 series of “Summer Open House and Dairy Tours.”
“Ashley has experience building social media plans and planning events for other Pennsylvania agriculture organizations, and she has served in numerous leadership roles at Penn State and in dairy youth organizations,” said John Frey, executive director of the Center for Dairy Excellence.
Harshbarger is from a dairy farm in Juniata County, where she was active in 4-H and FFA. She was a member of the Pennsylvania Junior Holstein Association where she served as secretary in 2009-2010 and competed in extemporaneous speaking, dairy bowl and dairy jeopardy.
Harshbarger earned a degree in Agricultural and Extension Education and a minor in Animal Science at Penn State. While there, she was active in the Dairy Science Club, Delta Theta Sigma, Coaly Society, and was an Ag Advocate for the College of Agricultural Sciences.
Source: Center for Dairy Excellence
Posted: June 16, 2010 at 4:00 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Van Beek Natural Science has introduced a new product for reproductive care in beef and dairy cattle called UterFlush.
According to the company, UterFlush is administered intrauterine post-calving to help restore the cow’s uterus back to normal as quickly as possible. It can be given immediately after calving or later on when problems arise. The flush not only assists with uterine problems post-calving, but also sustains the cow’s reproductive performance reducing the breed back time frame.
UterFlush contains essential oils with antimicrobial properties that maintain and restore normal uterine environment. A natural foaming agent, called yucca, helps the UterFlush reach all areas of the uterus. UterFlush is an all-natural product that requires no milk withholding and leaves no drug residue. UterFlush is similar to our current product, Royal Uterine Capsules, but is in a convenient and easy to use liquid form. The UterFlush syringe has a dial to ensure the accurate amount is expelled when mixing the product. UterFlush is available in a 30ml syringe. The product is sold through all major livestock and dairy distributors.
Find out more about the product here.
Posted: June 13, 2010 at 7:14 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Purdue University is introducing a new podcast for dairy producers.
“Purdue Dairy Digest,” a podcast series created by three Purdue Extension animal science specialists, will be available for free download by noon each Wednesday beginning June 16. Each podcast will run about two minutes and will include both information directed to dairy farmers and some general information for the public.
“The dairy industry is still in a very challenging time and due to the low milk prices of last year, a lot of producers are still having financial issues,” said Tamilee Nennich, Purdue Extension dairy specialist. “Although the milk price has recovered somewhat, it has been a slow process. With dairy farmers facing so many challenges, we hope this will be a good information source to help manage their operations as efficiently as possible.”
Every Wednesday, Nennich or Purdue Extension dairy specialist Mike Schutz, will speak about topics important to both producers and consumers to help bridge the gap between the two. Podcasts will include information on general dairy topics, management issues, animal welfare, updates on upcoming conferences and meetings and more.
“Purdue Dairy Digest” will be available for download each week at http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/DD. The podcasts also will be available by searching “Purdue Dairy Digest” in iTunes.
Posted: June 11, 2010 at 10:21 am
By News Editor
Would you like to learn more about National Milk Producers Federation “Foundation of the Future?” Then plan to participate in a webinar on Friday, June 11, 2010 at 12 noon Eastern/9 am Pacific. NMPF will explain aspects of the “Foundation for the Future” proposal.
Use the information below to participate in the webinar:
Meeting Number: 593 409 320
Meeting Password: NMPF2010
To join the online meeting
——————————————————-
1. Go to https://intercall.webex.com/intercall/j.php?ED=139868392&UID=0&PW=NN2Y5ZGY2OTZh&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Enter the meeting password: NMPF2010
4. Click “Join Now”.
——————————————————-
To join the teleconference
——————————————————-
Provide your phone number when you join the meeting to receive a call back. Alternatively, you can call:
Call-in toll-free number: (866) 852-1359 (US/Canada)
Call-in number: (832) 445-83708 (US/Canada)
Conference Code: 703 469 2372
——————————————————-
For assistance
1. Go to https://intercall.webex.com/intercall/mc
2. On the left navigation bar, click “Support”
Source: National Milk Producers Federation
Posted: June 9, 2010 at 6:25 pm
By News Editor
Are you looking for up-to-date news on dairy nutrition? Then, Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition has a new resource for you: PeakReportOnline.com.
The web-based content will be driven by the information found in The Peak Report newsletter, along with supplemental videos, audio files, Webinars and links to further research and information.
“The Peak Report has become an integral communication tool for Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition over the past nine years, and the newsletter continues to deliver important information to dairy producers, nutritionists and consultants,” says Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition Senior Business Manager Scott Druker. “PeakReportOnline.com will distribute additional timely information to help dairy producers move their businesses forward. Since the content will be available online, readers will access information at their own convenience and as often as needed.”
PeakReportOnline.com delivers information in three main categories:
Features: Divided into topic categories for easy navigation, the features section hosts articles on current industry trends, new product research and nutrition solutions that help dairy cows reach and maintain peak performance.
Q&A: Hear from industry leaders on hot industry topics, nutritionists balancing rations for peak performance throughout the lifecycle, and producers focused on reaping greater profit potential.
In the News: Learn more about upcoming industry events, breaking industry news and announcements from Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition.
Source: Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition
Posted: June 6, 2010 at 7:18 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
A dairy fact a day is a great way to celebrate Dairy Month.
Susainable dairy package manufacturer Tetra Pak has created a ‘Daily Dairy’ calendar featuring tips and key information about proper dairy nutrition for each day during the month of June. I’ve attached a copy of the calendar. The daily dose is also being sent by Twitter at @MilkMonthTips (www.twitter.com/milkmonthtips) along with extra nutritional news and milk tips.
Among the interesting facts on the calendar are that the average American consumes almost 25 gallons of milk a year, or about 400 glasses – a little more than a glass a day. But, the average cow produces 90 glasses of milk each day – so that we can have butter, cheese and ice cream too!
Happy Dairy Month!
Posted: June 1, 2010 at 8:11 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Alice in Dairyland (aka Cheryl O’Brien), Wisconsin’s official agricultural ambassador, helped to promote ethanol last week during a Minnesota-Wisconsin “Border Battle” between two fuel retailers on opposite sides of the St. Croix River.
The promotional event on Thursday featured a rush-hour special where both stations sold E85 (85 percent ethanol fuel) at an 85 cents per gallon discount from 4-6 pm. The promotion was supported by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Holiday Companies, Erickson Oil, American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest and MN & WI Clean Air Choice Teams.
Bob Moffit with the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest reports that the Wisconsin station ultimately won the border battle, selling 589 gallons of E85 during the two-hour promotion, while the Minnesota station sold 447 gallons.
Thanks to Bob for the photo!
Posted: May 26, 2010 at 9:13 pm
By News Editor
The Plain City dairy farm targeted in an undercover video released by Mercy for Animals (MFA) this week responded swiftly to animal abuses depicted in the footage. A spokesman for the farm confirmed the employee prominently featured willfully abusing animals was fired immediately Wednesday morning following the video’s release. “As fourth-generation farmers, our family takes the care of our cows and calves very seriously,” the Conklin statement said. “We take equally seriously the allegations that have been made about our farm operation and the mistreatment of our animals.”
Detailing the farm’s actions in the hours following MFA’s release of footage it claimed to have obtained over a four week period on the Union County farm, a Conklin statement read: “We have conducted an initial review of the video that the activist group has released. The video shows animal care that is clearly inconsistent with the high standards we set for our farm and its workers, and we find the specific mistreatment shown on the video to be reprehensible and unacceptable.”
In explaining the immediate termination of the employee found committing the abuses shown in the video, Conklin said “We will not condone animal abuse on our farm. We have launched our own internal investigation into this matter and will be conducting interviews with everyone on our farm who works with our animals.”
“We are cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities overseeing this situation. Further, our farm will institute immediate retraining of all those who remain on the farm and who work with our animals.” Sources within the industry say a criminal investigation is currently underway, but the Union County Prosecuting Attorney has yet to make a formal public statement on the issue.
Conklin reiterated their commitment to animal welfare by stating, “The trust of our customers in the way we operate our farm, care for our herds and produce quality, safe milk is of critical importance to us, and we will work to maintain that trust as we address this issue.”
Source: Buckeye Ag Radio Network
Posted: May 13, 2010 at 8:05 pm
By News Editor
Dairy farmer have the opportunity to see two dairy robotic milkers, if they attend the Wis. tour hosted by the Minnesota Milk Producers Association and University of Minnesota Extension. Held June 15th though the 17th, attendees will visit Dugan Valley Dairy, along with several other dairies in Wis.
The tour will feature two farms that utilize robotic milkers. Dugan Valley Dairy has a new 260 free stall guided flow robot facility that uses five DeLaval VMS robots. Dugan Valley Dairy’s barn has translucent siding, is half slatted and half bedded pack for fresh cows, and is tunnel ventilated/ cross ventilated with automatic curtains. Ron and Ester VanLangen moved from the Netherlands in 2008 and are milking 130 cows with two Lely A3 robots. In 2009 they moved from a tie-stall barn to a new five row natural ventilated free stall barn. They use an automatic feed pusher and all grain is fed through a feeding station in the barn.
Additional stops on the tour include rotary and swing parlors as well as a specialty cheese plant. Holsum Dairy milks 3,700 cows in an 80 stall external rotary parlor. Holsum has a cross ventilated calf barn and a manure digester that generates enough electricity for 1,200 homes. They also use the digested solids for bedding. Country Aire milks 2,000 cows with a 40 stall internal rotary parlor and averages over 95 pounds per cow per day. Their barn uses two sand lanes, one every other day. Rosendale Dairy milks 8,000 cows in two side-by-side 80 stall external rotary parlors that have robotic arms for post-dipping. They have two new 16-row cross ventilated free stall barns that use sand separators and solid separators. Landl Farm recently transitioned from an 80 tie-stall barn to a low cost swing parlor where they milk 315 cows three times a day. Landl Farm has nearly a 40% pregnancy rate and also custom raises 1,000 heifers. They use sand bedding in a three row monoslope barn with an outside feed alley. Harmony Specialty Dairy Foods LLC purchased the closed “Cloverbelt” plant in 2007 and now makes handmade vat cheese. The fourth generation dairy producers, Ralph and Sharon Bredl, also operate Harmony-Ho Holsteins, a 450 cow registered dairy.
Participants will also have the opportunity to choose from two evening tour options. The Stone Cellar Brewpub is located in a 146 year old building where participants will be given a tour and enjoy beer or root beer samples. A guided bus will take other participants through the Paper Baron Mansion Neighborhood in Neenah. Participants in this tour will experience how owners of the paper mills made their fortunes and hear interesting stories about the lives of these businessmen.
Source: Minnesota Milk Producers Association
Posted: May 13, 2010 at 7:58 pm
By News Editor
Cooperative Network President and CEO Bill Oemichen commended Governor Doyle for bills signed into law today at a farm in north central Wisconsin. Three of the bills signed by the governor enjoyed the support of Cooperative Network during the legislative session, and were among the bills that received strong bi-partisan support in both houses of the Legislature.
The bills supported by Cooperative Network are:
· AB 756, which extends the dairy farm investment tax credit for tax years 2010 and 2011 and expands the “pocket value” for claimants to $75,000. Cooperative Network was the primary originator and promoter of the prior dairy investment tax credit, which was in place from 2004-2009. More than $500 million in dairy farm facility modernization has taken place as a result of the credit, resulting in increased cow numbers, greater milk production, and a more vibrant and competitive dairy industry in Wisconsin.
· AB 757, which creates a food processing modernization tax credit for food processing and distribution businesses.
· SB 527, which amends the agricultural producer security (APS) program to provide greater flexibility and lessen the cost of compliance for some contractors who are participants in the program.
Oemichen stated, “Cooperative Network is very proud of the positive financial impact the original dairy farm investment tax credit has had on the dairy industry and believes the second installment will have a continued and significant positive impact on the modernization of our dairy industry.”
Source: Cooperative Network
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