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.
Hoard’s Dairyman is celebrating the magazine’s 125th anniversary this year, and to honor this occasion, a new version of the famous “Foster Mothers of the Human Race” painting will be painted by dairy artist Bonnie Mohr. Hoard’s will be chronicling the painting in a special blog “Bonnie’s Brush with Hoard’s“. Check out the first entry below!
While 2010 marks the beginning of a new decade, it also marks a momentous occasion for Hoard’s Dairyman. On January 23, 1885, William Dempster Hoard launched the first edition of Hoard’s Dairyman. This year, our 125th anniversary, we’ve asked world-renowned dairy artist Bonnie Mohr of Glencoe, Minn., to help us create an updated Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting. With a century and a quarter under our belts, we know this fresh look on the famous Foster Mothers print will be a great launching point for future years of service to the dairy industry. The original Foster Mothers print was created in 1957 followed by updates in 1963, 1991, and 1993 — all of which were painted by former Hoard’s Dairyman Art Director James Baird.
You’ll find this all-new painting on the June 2010 cover of Hoard’s Dairyman. This celebratory issue will highlight landmarks of the dairy industry and Hoard’s Dairyman in the past 125 years. Luckily, you won’t have to wait until June to get a sneak peak of the painting. We’ll be catching up with Bonnie throughout the painting process. Recently, we sat down with Bonnie to visit with her about her excitement for this project.
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.
As dairy farmers, we know where milk comes from (our cows), but many consumers want to know more precise information, such as the plant that their milk was bottled. Brigham Young University senior, Trevor Fitzgerald, has created a Web site with the answers!
Fitzgerald did not grow up on a dairy farm, but says he was interested finding out where his food comes from.
The information on the site originated from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but Fitzgerald says it was being made available in a several-hundred page PDF document that was difficult to navigate. Hoping to make the information more accessible and easier to navigate for consumers, Fitzgerald built the Web site.
Consumers can now enter the code found on their dairy products, and the Web site lists where the product originated from.
Dairy products from milk and cheese to yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese are included.
Fitzgerald says traffic to the Web site has been growing rapidly.
Posted: February 16, 2010 at 8:09 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Dave Jelinski for being named the new Government Affairs Director for the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association.
The Dairy Business Association (DBA) is an association of progressive dairy farmers, cheese processors and allied industry partners who together produce one of Wisconsin’s most valuable commodities and provide over $60 billion dollars into our economy each year. Jelinski is a skilled professional with in-depth knowledge and decades of experience in the regulation of animal agriculture in Wisconsin.
Mr. Jelinski comes to DBA with a degree in Agricultural Engineering and over 25 years of hands-on experience working for Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection. He recently announced his retirement from the agency where he served in many capacities, the most recent being the Director of Land and Water Resources, a position where he was responsible for a variety of programs related to soil and water conservation and farmland preservation.
Wisconsin’s dairy farmers accept their responsibility to protect the land, air and water we all cherish. How manure is managed and used is more meaningful to environmental performance than the quantity produced. Dave will help legislators and regulatory agencies understand why agriculture has changed significantly in recent decades and why some farms will need to grow in order to remain competitive with other states and other countries.
“This position is vital to secure job growth in the State of Wisconsin. Our rural communities are heavily dependent on a healthy agriculture economy to ensure a quality, rural way of life. They are also dependent on knowing their hard-working farm families are doing everything possible to protect and enhance Wisconsin’s environmental resources. The Dairy Business Association and our new Government Affairs Director are fundamentally committed to fostering this type of responsible growth of Wisconsin dairies,” said Laurie Fischer. “Dave is well-known and highly regarded by agency staff and members of the Wisconsin Legislature. We are certain that Dave will do an outstanding job as our liaison with the State Legislature and State Agencies.”
Posted: January 19, 2010 at 8:20 pm
By News Editor
Today news broke that Kraft Foods will buy British candy maker Cadbury for about $19.6 billion.
Kraft Chief Executive Officer Irene Rosenfeld injected more cash into her bid and dropped the number of new shares in the offer to win over Cadbury Chairman Roger Carr and mollify billionaire investor Warren Buffett, the U.S. food company’s top shareholder.
The deal would create the world’s biggest confectioner, and analysts see little likelihood of a counterbid. It marks the largest European food and beverage deal on record, according to Thomson Reuters data.
“Kraft has acquired a great asset at a great price and should be given credit for this,” said Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Andrew Wood. “We consider that this is a bargain — the lowest multiple of any major M&A deal in the global food space in well over a decade.”
The combined company will just overtake privately owned Mars-Wrigley as the world’s top sweet maker, bringing under one roof Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate and Trident gum and Kraft’s Milka, Toblerone and Terry’s chocolate brands.
Kraft sought Cadbury because of its strong growth in emerging markets, like India and Latin America. Kraft, famed for its Oreo cookies and Philadelphia cream cheese, derives over half its sales from the mature North American market.
Analysts say a counter bid for Cadbury is unlikely. The UK Takeover Panel gave Hershey (HSY.N), the U.S.-based maker of Hershey’s Kisses and Reese’s peanut butter cups, and Italy’s Ferrero, which makes Nutella chocolate spread and Tic-Tac candy, until January 25 to make a firm offer.
Hershey declined comment on the Kraft-Cadbury deal, but a source familiar with the matter said the company was unlikely to compete with Kraft’s raised bid.
With the Kraft-Cadbury deal, Hershey may have missed its best chance to escape the confines of the mature U.S. market, analysts said. Hershey was hamstrung by its unique ownership structure in which it is controlled by a charitable trust.
White Gold’s Battle for Milkquarious is a 20-minute online rock opera intended to reach California teens with the message of the health benefits of drinking milk for strong bones, muscles, hair, teeth and nails. The rock opera chronicles White Gold’s quest to save his hometown of Milkquarious from a potentially deadly milk shortage. Teenagers 14 to 18 who attend California public high schools were eligible to enter the $50,000 White Gold Milkdonkulous Giveaway from Oct. 5 to Dec. 20, 2009. Students were asked to recreate one of the scenes from the rock opera and submit their video entries online. White Gold and celebrity judges selected nine finalists, with the tenth finalist decided by “people’s choice” through popular vote online.
Online public voting to decide the grand prize winner out of the top 10 will be held from 10 a.m. PST on January 11 to 10 a.m. PST on January 24. The winner will be announced online on Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. PST.
Posted: January 18, 2010 at 9:40 pm
By News Editor
The Professional Dairy Producers Foundation has a new name and a new look beginning in 2010, as it continues to serve as a fundraising mechanism for the dairy community education.
Previously named the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Education Foundation, contributors raised dollars for educational opportunities for dairy producers and others impacted by dairying—and this purpose remains the same. The name change simply communicates the national scope of the Foundation more clearly.
“The Foundation was established by Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) to allow dairy producers and other dairy professionals to give back to the industry they love,” says PDPW President Doug Knoepke.
Since 2002, PDPW has been a leading funding source of the Foundation, donating dollars and staff time from its operating budget each year.
“PDPW established the Foundation for the benefit of the entire industry, but our name did not clearly communicate our intent,” says Foundation Board Chair Judy Rupnow. “With our new brand in place, we are reaching out beyond Wisconsin for the benefit of all who are impacted by the dairy industry.
The Foundation is led by a five-member board that includes three dairy producers and two allied industry professionals.
Source: The Professional Dairy Producers Foundation
The campaign, known as Fuel Up to Play 60, is funded with an initial private sector financial commitment of $250 million over five years by America’s Dairy Farmers.
Funding is expected to grow as government, business, communities and families join this effort to improve nutrient-rich food choices and achieve 60 minutes of physical activity each day among children. More than 58,000, or 60 percent, of the nation’s 96,000 private and public schools are currently enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60.
“Today is a significant milestone in the fight against childhood obesity because this unprecedented partnership will help educate our youth about steps they can and should take to lead healthy lives,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“Increasing access to more nutrient-rich foods and physical activity in America’s schools is no simple task, and will require the combined effort of private and public interests. Partnerships like these, combined with a strong reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Programs, can make a significant difference in our battle against childhood obesity.”
As an initial step, these partners will work together to promote and expand Fuel Up to Play 60. Based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the program empowers students in grades 4 through 10 to engage their peers to “fuel up” with nutrient-rich foods they often lack – particularly low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and “get up and play” with 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
Fuel Up to Play 60 also gives leaders in health, business, government and communities nationwide the opportunity to be a part of a movement that relies on participation, collaboration and action by youth and adults to help develop and maintain healthy habits to last a lifetime.
The program taps the power of the NFL and its teams, players and physical activity programming to add recognition and value for students.
National Dairy Council’s trusted school relationships are crucial in sustaining the program. All 32 NFL teams are participating in the program through local dairy councils and schools in their respective markets.
Posted: January 13, 2010 at 12:14 pm
By News Editor
Hannaford retailer has joined the new Keep Local Farms initiative that was recently formed in New England. The Keep Local Farms program has been developed by a group of concerned local leaders in the Northeast, all of them working for the benefit of local dairy farmers. That group includes the following: Cooperative Development Institute, the Vermont Dairy Promotion Council, New England Dairy Promotion Board and New England Family Dairy Farm Cooperative
The program is a way to help farmers get fair-trade prices for their milk and give consumers a way to support them. Keep Local Farms hopes to close that price gap so dairy farms can be more sustainable. It’s encouraging consumers to buy local dairy products and contribute directly to a fund that’ll be shared with New England farmers.
Inspired by the “Fair Trade” products such as coffee, bananas, and chocolate, the Vermont Dairy Promotion Council, Food and Markets, the New England Dairy Promotion Board, and the New England Family Dairy Farm Cooperative with Cooperative Development Institute, have developed the idea of marketing milk with an icon that indicates the farmer who produced it will be paid a portion of the price for it-a price that helps farmers cover the cost of production. The Keep Local Farms program connects consumers with dairy farmers through education and direct support.
Hannaford, which gets 90 percent of its milk from the Northeast, is the first retailer to back Keep Local Farms. The chain will donate 10 cents for each “Close to Home” reusable bag sold in February. Customers also may donate $2 or $5 at its cash registers.
Lucinda Williams is the 12th generation to work the Luther Belden Farm, and she doesn’t want the property that’s been in her husband’s family since 1661 to follow the 150 New England dairy farms that failed last year. Williams yesterday joined Hannaford Supermarkets and state agriculture officials in an appeal to Bay Staters to support New England dairy farms.
“Farmers are not looking for a handout,” Williams said. “It’s called a business, and we’d actually like to be in business. At a minimum, we’d like to be able to cover our costs.”
Federally set milk prices plunged after the recession took hold. The U.S. lost 3 percent of its export market, leaving a glut of product, said Chris Galen, spokesman for the National Milk Producers Federation in Virginia.
“Prices have been strengthening the last four months or so, but it’s going to take us quite a while to dig out of that hole,” he said.
The new program will give away hundreds of thousands of gallons of milk – the equivalent of more than three million servings – to help raise awareness of the important role milk plays in building strong families. Events are scheduled from coast-to-coast to give out the gallons and families can register to win a year’s free supply of milk.
The “Great Gallon Give” will also make it possible to help families in need by passing a virtual gallon of milk to friends on Facebook. For every virtual gallon passed, $1 will go to Feeding America, up to $100,000. Feeding America is the country’s largest network of food banks that serves more than 25 million people facing hunger in this country. In addition, milk processors will be donating thousands of real gallons of milk to local food banks in the Feeding America network.
“We want to salute moms for all they do to help build strong families,” said Vivien Godfrey, CEO of the Milk Processor Education Program. “When you sit down to a meal together, you’re doing something good for your family. When you set the table with milk, you are providing your family with one of the most nourishing choices possible.”
Visit the website to find out if the Great Gallon Give is coming to your town. Local events are planned for 20 markets from coast-to-coast. In total, more than 200,000 gallons of milk will be distributed. While there, you can register for a chance to win a year’s worth of free milk. The first 125,000 people to enter the contest will receive a downloadable coupon for free milk with purchase.
Posted: January 11, 2010 at 9:15 pm
By News Editor
Hoard’s Dairyman and the Holstein World have reported that former Executive Secretary of Holstein Association USA Robert H. Rumler has passed away. We are very saddened to hear the loss of such a prominent figure of the dairy world, and will pass along more information as it becomes available.
Robert Rumler, long-time Holstein Executive Secretary and dedicated dairy industry leader passed away on January 10, 2010; he was 93 years old. Rumler served as Executive Secretary of the Holstein Friesian Association (now Holstein USA) from 1952 to 1975. During his tenure with the Association, Rumler guided the Association to prominence as the world’s largest and most prestigious dairy breed organization, becoming an internationally recognized dairy leader in the process.
He has served in many leadership capacities in addition to those with the Association including Chairman of the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council, National Advisory Committee on International Agricultural Trade, US/USSR Joint Commission on Agricultural Cooperation, Joint Commissions on Commercial Development with several Eastern European Countries, Director and Board Chairman of Vermont National Bank, to name a few. In retirement, he serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Commonwealth Campus of Penn State University at Mont Alto.
Born and raised on a Pennsylvania dairy farm, Rumler graduated with honors from Penn State University in 1936. Honored by Penn State as a Distinguished Alumnus, Rumler is also the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Holstein Association, The American Dairy Science Association, National DHIA, National Agricultural Marketing Offi cials. He is in the Dairy Shrine “Hall of Fame,” and the International Livestock Hall of Fame. Other similar recognitions have been accorded him.
Posted: December 31, 2009 at 4:51 pm
By News Editor
Here’s some good news for dairy farmers New Year: milk prices are starting to rise.
The December all-milk price, according to the USDA, is $16.30 per hundredweight. That is up 44 percent from the lows registered this past summer. USDA used the $16.30 figure to compute the milk-feed ratio released in Wednesday’s “Agricultural Prices” report.
Here are the all-milk prices for 2009:
Jan. $13.30
Feb. $11.60
March $11.80
April $11.90
May $11.60
June $11.30
July $11.30
Aug. $12.00
Sept. $12.90
Oct. $14.20
Nov. $15.30
Dec. $16.30*
*Preliminary
Posted: December 31, 2009 at 4:41 pm
By News Editor
From the AP: The American Dairy Association & Dairy Council unveiled a 487-gallon mug of hot chocolate Wednesday in New York City. Officials say they think it’s the world’s largest.
Be sure to make your hot chocolate with milk this winter – it’s the best way to enjoy this warm treat! Here is a video of the story from YouTube:
Generally I see disagreements on policy issues based upon different vantage points and positions and it is appropriate to agree to disagree. There are those rare times when such a gentlemanly approach is inappropriate and what is wrong should be called just that.
Some of the arguments regarding imposing higher tariff rates or quotas on milk protein concentrates (MPC) create such a moment. Let me make this point clear up front: I clearly support efforts to bring fairness to the import treatment of milk protein concentrates (MPCs) under the tariff rate quotas of the U.S. For reasons or excuses which gain us nothing, the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule has no special tariff rate quota for MPC as it does for cheeses, non-fat dry milk (NFDM) and other dairy products. While NFDM is subject to quota tariffs as high as 4 cents a pound plus transportation, imports of MPC40 and above are subject to a minimal duty of only $3.70 per metric ton, or less than a quarter of a cent per pound. Giving foreign producers of this valuable dairy product a virtual free pass to our consumers is wrong.
While I join that fight, I part ways with those who base their challenge to imported MPCs by asserting that all MPCs are foreign in source or claiming that using MPC in products is either illegal or unsafe. We must recognize that MPCs also come from American-produced milk. Once an MPC is in the product, it is not an American MPC or a foreign MPC. It is not the concentration that gives value to the product but the milk protein itself, and Americans consume billions of pounds of milk proteins every year. Only a small percent of those are produced outside of America. When we say bad things about MPC and products that use them, we are saying bad things about our milk.
The American dairyman is rightfully concerned about the absence of import limits on MPCs through inadequate tariff rate quotas, and we all should continue to fight for their inclusion. In that fight we need to argue that foreign products, often subsidized by the governments where produced, should not have an unfair advantage over our domestically produced products. In this fight we must remember that the biggest supplier of MPC in America are American dairymen, and we should never, never falsely argue that this wonderful wholesome product we produce, especially its valuable protein component, is unsafe to our consumers. I hope we can agree on all of that.
Posted: December 21, 2009 at 8:31 pm
By News Editor
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that approximately $60 million in cheese and cheese products will be purchased by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) for use in domestic feeding programs through USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.
USDA is expediting this cheese purchase to help provide much-needed support for low-income families struggling to put nutritious food on their tables, and to deliver timely assistance to dairy farmers who have been challenged by high feed costs and low dairy prices.
“This purchase will provide food to people in need, while helping dairy producers who are facing economic challenges by increasing demand for dairy products,” said Secretary Vilsack. “The Obama Administration continues to lend assistance in any way we can to support struggling agricultural industries.”
Along with providing market benefits for U.S. dairy producers, commodity purchases such as the $60 million announced today provide much-needed food aid – in the form of high-protein cheese – to food banks across our nation. The purchase continues USDA’s long history of delivering nutritional assistance through domestic and international feeding programs, including 15 domestic nutrition programs that touch the lives of one in every five people in America each day.
This aid comes at a time when demand on the nation’s food banks has reached an all-time high.
The 2010 Agricultural Appropriations Act authorized $60 million for the purchase of cheese and cheese products. This cheese purchase marks the second of two steps announced this week by USDA to utilize a total of $350 million authorized under the Act. Yesterday, Vilsack announced the Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment Program, which provides $290 million for one-time payments to eligible dairy producers.
Posted: December 21, 2009 at 8:19 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Russell C. Redding on being confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate as the state’s 24th secretary of agriculture. Governor Edward G. Rendell nominated Redding on Sept. 12. Since then, he has served as acting secretary.
“Russell is the right person to lead our state’s agriculture industry,” said Governor Rendell. “His commitment to this state and the agriculture industry is unrivaled, and his proven leadership at the local, state and federal levels will serve the commonwealth well. Russell is an outstanding advocate for Pennsylvania agriculture and I thank the Senate for confirming him as secretary.”
As secretary, Redding oversees the department responsible for encouraging, promoting and protecting the state’s leading economic industry, agriculture, and its related industries. The department also has regulatory authority over food safety, animal health and the state’s dog law, as well as inspection of weight and measurement devices and amusement rides.
“For the past 15 years I have had the pleasure of working each day with some of the best public servants, both elected and appointed, this state has known,” said Redding. “My experiences during this period have confirmed for me that the achievements of the Pennsylvania agriculture industry are a reflection of the great work done by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture staff, as well as the more than 63,000 farms and thousands of related agricultural businesses that we serve.
Redding said that he will focus on ensuring that the department is open and accessible to preserve strong relationships with consumers and businesses; enhancing food safety in Pennsylvania by meeting the statutory mandate and through collaborative efforts such as the Governor’s Food Safety Council; expanding environmental stewardship efforts through continued leadership on farmland preservation; making full use of the authority from the Farm Bill for conservation by balancing the needs of farmers and the public with the need for clean water in the Chesapeake Bay; supporting Pennsylvanians who are at-risk for hunger; redoubling efforts of existing programs and initiatives to benefit future generations of producers and consumers; and strengthening the department’s connection to its sister agencies and related state and local partners.
Posted: December 17, 2009 at 9:19 pm
By News Editor
John Driscoll from The Eureka Times-Standard reports that the bankruptcy mess that the California-based Humboldt Creamery faced this spring continues. Now, several organizations are seeking money from Humboldt’s former dairy farmers to pay reparations.
Now, the state is going after individual dairymen and businesses in an effort to recover assessments, fees and penalties it says they never paid. A lawsuit recently filed by the California Attorney General on behalf of the California Department of Food and Agriculture is seeking nearly $430,000 from the farmers and the association that provided milk to Humboldt Creamery.
The complaint alleges that the farmers and the association didn’t pay into a pool meant to stabilize what producers are paid, and are therefore delinquent to the tune of $276,000. The California Milk Advisory Board — which promotes and markets milk — is also owed some $95,000 in costs and late fees, the suit alleges. Inspection, administration and other fees also stand to be collected, according to the suit.
While former members of the association are expressing anger and frustration at the state’s decision to sue, they also say their own audits may tell a different story. Former association member Dennis Leonardi said that every milk plant realizes a credit or a debit to the milk pool based on its use of milk. Leonardi said an analysis of the accounting, which he described as broader than the state’s, could find that the state owes money to the producers.
He said the state has gone after individual dairy businesses because the association is just a shell today, with no assets left to seize.
“How much more can you kick people when they’re already down?” Leonardi asked.
Posted: December 11, 2009 at 6:29 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Carlson Dairy, LLP for being named Minnesota’s 2009 Producers of the Year by Minnesota Milk Producers Association! The award is given out every year to producers who have a proven commitment to managing their dairy for quality, enthusiasm in promoting the dairy industry and are active leaders in their local community.
Carlson Dairy is a century farm near Willmar, Minn. that is owned and operated by Curtney and Louise Carlson with their two sons, Chad and Carl, and their families. Chad and Kindra Carlson have three sons, Cael (9), Caden (7) and Conlan (3). Carl and Kellie Carlson also have three sons, Colten (12), Clay (10) and Cavin (2).
Operating a high-producing, well-managed, innovative, and sustainable family-owned dairy is their vision. One of their first steps to accomplishing this vision was modernizing their facility by transitioning from a 100-cow tie-stall herd into a new 450-cow freestall barn and milking parlor across the road in 2000. Then recently in 2008, the Carlson’s transitioned their 6-row freestall barn into a 10-row cross-ventilated barn with sand bedding, and a new manure handling system where the sand is continuously recycled and reused with the help of two new sand settling lanes.
Carlson Dairy currently milks 900 dairy cows in a double 14 parallel milking parlor. Apart from family members, they have 15 full-time and 5 part-time employees. The Carlson’s understand that part of their business mission requires them to be engaged and involved at a local and state-wide level. Curtney has served on the Mamre Township Board for the last 14 years, including the past 6 years as President. Within Kandiyohi County, their family also currently serves and holds offices on the American Dairy Association Board, DHIA Board,
and Holstein Association Board of Directors.
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 8:12 pm
By News Editor
It is with sadness that WDD reports the passing of James P. “Tom” Camerlo, Jr. Tom was the Chairman of the Board of Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA).
Tom, who committed a lifetime of service to the global dairy industry and has served as DFA’s chairman since 2003, passed away December 3, 2009, after a courageous battle with cancer.
“Tom’s commitment to the dairy industry ran deep, and was second only to his devotion to his family,” said Rick Smith, DFA president and CEO. “The entire DFA family extends our heartfelt sympathy to the Camerlos. We share in grieving the passing of our colleague, a dear friend and a man whose lifetime commitment and leadership made an everlasting difference in the dairy industry.”
A scholarship to honor Tom’s legacy – the James P. “Tom” Camerlo, Jr. Memorial Scholarship – has been established at Colorado State University, his alma mater. Contributions in Tom’s name can be sent to the Colorado State University Foundation at P.O. Box 1870, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1870. Checks should mention the James P. “Tom” Camerlo, Jr. Memorial Scholarship in the memo line.
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.
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