Posted: October 27, 2009 at 7:19 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Packworld.com recently released this information about a new plant packaging for butter products using robots. This is pretty cool. For more information, download the white paper on this topic here.
California Dairies’ Turlock, Calif., plant produces more than 170 different SKUs of butter in case sizes ranging from 8 to 55 pounds. This Motoman case history describes the plant’s transition from manual to robotic palletizing.
“The robot system has improved our ability to run in a consistent manner,” says Eric Snoke, Vice President of Operations. “We calculated that the payback for the system would be two years or less, based on direct labor savings alone, and that does not take into account the reduction in workmen compensation claims.”
Posted: October 17, 2009 at 3:51 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Here is a positive story about a dairy producer in California who is standing up and speaking out to tell the real story of production agriculture. Her name is Barbara Jackson, and her story was recently printed in the Modesto Beef in an article titled, “Ag Tries Twitter,” a feature by Robert Rodriguez that describes how farms are feeding info to the public and their peers via social media outlets. (Photo courtesy Modesto Bee) Here is Barbara’s story…
With a hand-held video camera, a computer and 800 cows, Barbara Martin of Lemoore is letting the world into her life as a dairy operator. No, it’s not a new reality television show. And Martin isn’t craving her 15 minutes of fame. But she is joining a growing number of farmers and others in agriculture who are using social media tools to communicate with each other, send out information and educate the public about agriculture.
Dairy operators have become especially skilled at launching Facebook pages, blog posting and using Twitter, a microblogging site. Martin uses all three to tell the public about the family’s 800-cow dairy. She launched “A Dairy Goddess’s Blog” in late August.
For Martin, using social media and blogging is a way to dispel some myths about farmers and encourage a greater understanding of the slumping dairy industry. She’s blogged about everything from fixing the pricing structure for milk to sharing her childhood memories about growing up on a farm. Her most recent post is a video diary about her heifer Chica.
Posted: September 29, 2009 at 3:23 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Farmers Weekly Interactive recently posted an article titled, “Building Knowledge On Transition Cow Management,” and it offers tips and trips for dairy cow management during the early stages, transition period and once the cow has calved. This is a solid piece that could be beneficial to many dairy producers. Check it out.
The dry period is a critical time for dairy cows and getting the management wrong impacts on the whole lactation, says Gwyn Jones, Wern Vet Surgeons, Ruthin, north Wales.
“The success and productivity of the whole lactation depends on getting the freshly calved cow into production gently and smoothly,” he says.
There are three critical stages: The early period, the transition period and the freshly calved cow. The early dry period is meant to be a break for the dairy cow, a time in which she can rest important organs and tissues. However, she still needs to be actively managed, says Mr Jones.
“Producers should aim to keep dry cows at a body condition score of 2.5-3, while still maintaining high dry matter intakes to avoid displaced abomasums in the subsequent lactation, by feeding a low energy, high fibre diet,” he says.
“Dry cows at all stages – housed or grazed – should have ad-lib access to good quality, palatable straw or hay, and should be eating at least 4kg a day of it when out at grass. All forages must also be of good quality so intakes are maximised.”
Posted: September 20, 2009 at 5:35 am
By Amanda Nolz
“From Science, Plenty of Cows, but Little Profit,” was the titled of a New York Times piece written by William Neuman, and it offers insights on the state of the dairy industry today. While granting that technology has advanced the efficiency of all dairy farms, they explained the troubling times facing dairy producers in the markets. Check out this balanced article; it’s one worth reading. Here is an excerpt…
Three years ago, a technological breakthrough gave dairy farmers the chance to bend a basic rule of nature: no longer would their cows have to give birth to equal numbers of female and male offspring. Instead, using a high-technology method to sort the sperm of dairy bulls, they could produce mostly female calves to be raised into profitable milk producers.
Now the first cows bred with that technology, tens of thousands of them, are entering milking herds across the country — and the timing could hardly be worse.
The dairy industry is in crisis, with prices so low that farmers are selling their milk below production cost. The industry is struggling to cut output. And yet the wave of excess cows is about to start dumping milk into a market that does not need it.
A new study by Cornell University shows that dairy cows using the DeLaval Swinging Cow Brush (SCB) register higher milk production and lower clinical mastitis cases. The SCB is a grooming device that allows a cow to brush and scratch herself at her leisure!
The study compared different groups of cows housed in pens using the Swinging Cow Brush to the similar reference groups kept in identical pens under the exact same conditions but without the SCB. The research team concluded that second lactation cows using the SCB showed a significant and increasing difference in daily milk production of up to +1kg per day.
“The Swinging Cow Brush provided a favorite pass time for the cows in this herd. It was fun to watch their interaction with this grooming device. The added benefit of increased production and reduced clinical mastitis makes me think that every farmer should utilize the Cow Brush to make the cows and themselves a bit happier” said Ynte H. Schukken, Professor of Herd Health at Cornell University.
Installation of the SCB resulted in an immediate increase in cow grooming behavior. Farm workers noticed instantly the frequent, intense use of the brushes and the eagerness of the cows to use them, according to the Cornell research team. A second major finding was the significant drop in clinical mastitis cases (over 30%) among second and older lactation cows housed in pens with a SCB present.
“Animal Welfare is a top priority for DeLaval. We are delighted to market a product that makes it possible to improve health, comfort and welfare for the animal while notably boosting profit for the farmer,” said Tim Nicolai, DeLaval Vice President Product Area Milk Quality & Farm Supplies.
According to DeLaval the investment made on SCB can be covered several times over by the profits made through increased milk production and the cost savings achieved through mastitis prevention. Additionally, the SCB keeps cows clean, active, calm and more balanced.
Adam Anson, from TheDairySite, recently wrote an interesting article on use of antibiotics in animals, antibiotic resistance and how it relates to human health. This thorough report deals with both sides of the issue in an educational platform that reminds all of us just how far the agriculture industry has come.
Antibiotics are a vital component to rearing healthy livestock, but many researchers argue that mismanaged use is having a detrimental effect on the industry. When antibiotics were first introduced back in the 1930’s they had an instant and momentous impact on life. Nowadays, it is easy to take the use of these drugs for granted and their importance can be overlooked. They haven’t only helped humans live longer, healthier lives, but they have also been used for the same effect on livestock. Consequently, the meat and animal products which we consume are safer as well.
Farmers have benefited from the advantages of higher outputs as healthier animals put on more weight. Inputs have also been reduced, not only through feed, but also space. Whether it is deemed for better or for once, antibiotics have enabled farmers to restrict the space and movement of livestock whilst keeping their health at an optimum. Without antibiotics intensive livestock systems may never have become a lucrative form of trade.
Link to TheDairySite to read about the long debate and who to believe. Come to your own conclusions, and don’t forget to leave your thoughts for discussions on World Dairy Diary!
Dairy producers should keep a watchful eye on the new provisions Secretary Vilsack is making on the Dairy Export Incentive Program, with allocations of 68,201 metric tons of nonfat dry milk; 21,097 metric tons of butterfat; 3,030 metric tons of various cheeses and 34 metric tons of other dairy products, as well as individual product and country allocations will be made available through Invitations for Offers. Country and region quantities may be limited by the invitation. More information can be found at Southwest Farm Press.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has begun implementing provisions of the Dairy Export Incentive Program, partly in response to the reintroduction of direct export subsidies by the European Union earlier this year.
Vilsack announced the allocations under the program for the July 2008 through June 30, 2009 period. The allocations, which are allowed under World Trade Organization rules, are designed to help U.S. dairy exporters meet prevailing world prices in areas where U.S. dairy products are not competitive due to subsidized dairy products from other countries.
“These allocations illustrate our continued support for the U.S. dairy industry, which has seen its international market shares erode, in part, due to the reintroduction of direct export subsidies by the European Union,” said Vilsack.
Spokeswoman Jeanne Forbis said other Land O’Lakes plants around the country would make up for the lost production. She said layoffs are expected to start in mid-May and the plant would close in mid-June, although parts might close earlier.
Casey Langan of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau said the shutdown is the type of thing the industry has tried to avoid, because it reduces infrastructure at the same time the state’s milk production has grown, with cheese plants running at capacity.
Dean Foods announced that it will be closing its Meadow Gold dairy plant in Lincoln, Neb., causing about 100 people to lose their jobs. The plant produces milk and other dairy goods, bottled water and juices.
Another 70 people working in sales and distribution will continue to work in Lincoln. Dean Foods spokeswoman Marguerite Copel said the plant would close in September, but she could not name a date. It was unclear where the Lincoln plant’s production would move, but she indicated it would remain within the region.
The Associated Press released an article reporting the U.S. dairy industry plans to engineer the “cow of the future.” This “ideal” cow would pass less gas as part of its project aimed at cutting the industry’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent by 2020. The article lists several other GHG emission projects that will be explored including turning digester-generated methane into marketable energy. This article can be found in several major publications, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The cow project aims to reduce intestinal methane, the single largest component of the dairy industry’s carbon footprint, said Thomas P. Gallagher, chief executive officer of the U.S. Dairy and Dairy Management Inc.’s Innovation Center in Rosemont, Ill. One area to be explored is modifying the dairy cows’ feed so they produce less methane, said Rick Naczi, the leader of the initiative.
“Right now there is some work being done on fish-oil additives and some other things,” he said. “The cow is responsible for the majority of the greenhouse gas on the farm itself. We know there are ways that we can find to cut or reduce that production.”
Another possible solution is targeting the microbes in the cow’s gut, Naczi said. “You can change the mix of the bacteria in the cow’s rumen and change the methane production that way.”
He expects the research to develop some solutions within a year.
Here’s an interesting announcement. Elanco has signed an agreement to buy the worldwide rights to Posilac from Monsanto. The deal includes the product’s supporting operations. I hope they have good luck with it. There sure are a lot of activists against it. I don’t think they’ve got any scientific basis for their fears but sometimes perception is reality. I sure don’t mind the product and think it’s perfectly safe.
“Global dairy demand is increasing, outstripping supply, and consumers are seeing rapidly rising prices,” said Jeff Simmons, president, Elanco. “With the purchase of Posilac, Elanco can enhance its overall product portfolio and work together with the industry to provide dairy farmers more options and give consumers affordable choices. Critically, we remain focused on the health and care of the cow in working with farmers to increase global milk supply.
“With our rich history and experience in the dairy industry, Elanco is the ideal steward of this vital technology,” Simmons said. “Elanco remains committed to using science to address the growing need for safe, affordable food, and to choices for consumers, retailers and producers.”
Elanco has exclusively sold sometribove outside of the United States for a decade. Posilac has been safely used for more than 14 years. (more…)
The first ever winners of the BQA Award were announced today and one of them is a dairy producer.
Quality. It’s not only a word written in an instruction manual but a responsible action – one must live it and then teach it. That was the underlying theme this week as two producers were honored with the national Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) award, created to recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers from across the country who incorporate BQA principles as part of the day-to-day activities on their operations. The winners were selected based upon their commitment to beef quality assurance while operating sustainable cattle operations.
This year’s winners were Jim Docheff, Diamond D Dairy from Longmont, Colo., and Anne Burkholder, Will Feed Inc. from Cozad, Neb.
A common trait among the two winners is a strong desire to continually improve BQA on their operations while successfully encouraging others around them to implement BQA. The National BQA award winners are selected annually by a committee of representatives from universities, state beef councils and cattle industry groups. For more information about the beef checkoff or BQA program, visit www.bqa.org, www.dbqa.org or www.beefboard.org.
Davisco Foods, headquartered in Le Sueur, Minn. has announced that a multi-phase, $8.22 million improvement project to the Lake Norden Cheese Co., S.D. is on track to complete in May 2008. When completed, Lake Norden will increase its whey processing capacity by 60 percent.
The company is adding a new whey pasteurizer, additions to its whey processing infrastructure and upgrades to the factory’s utility infrastructure to accommodate future growth in both milk and cheese processing capacity. The Lake Norden factory also is adding nearly 50,000 square feet to its dry storage capacity.
Davisco Foods International operates five dairy processing plants in South Dakota, Minnesota and Idaho.
Posted: February 27, 2008 at 5:36 pm
By News Editor
Winn-Dixie Stores said it has agreed to sell its two dairy plants, located in Hammond, La., and Plant City, to Southeast Milk.
Winn-Dixie said in a release that it is choosing to focus more on its retail operation. Once this sale is complete, its only remaining manufacturing operation will be the Chek Cola plant in Fitzgerald, Ga.
During the transition, both dairy locations are to continue production. When the sale is complete, Winn-Dixie employees in these plants will shift over to Southern Milk.
Both companies expect the sale will be finalized within 90 days, the release said.
Founded in 1925, Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie is one of the nation’s largest food retailers, with 521 grocery locations. Southeast Milk is the largest operating co-op of dairy farmers in Florida, with more than 300 family-owned and -operated dairy farms. It supplies to most of the southeastern United States.
At this year’s World Ag Expo Dairyline’s Bill Baker interviewed Liz Dornick and Carol Campbell, dairy producers who were at one of the Dairy Profit Seminars. They talked about AFACT, American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology. Liz is in Wisconsin and Carol is from Kansas. They’re both frustrated with the misinformation that consumers find on labels and wanted to help do something about it.
AFACT is an organization that “seeks to educate, equip and empower all participants in the food chain to understand the benefits of technology and encourage consumers to demand access to high-quality, affordable food with a minimal impact on the environment.”
They say that producers understand the long term effect of the loss of technology, especially when it comes from a mis-informed public.
You can listen to Bill’s interview with them here:
One of the awards given by Western Dairy Business Magazine at World Ag Expo is the Outstanding Dairy Industry Edcucator/Researcher. This year that honor was presented to Dr. John Smith, Kansas State University.
Dr. Smith was interviewed by Dairyline’s Bill Baker. He’s humbled by the award. He’s one of the presenters at the Dairy Profit Seminars that were held at Expo. He talked about cross-ventilation for cow comfort.
You can listen to Bill’s interview with Dr. Smith here:
The Ohio Department of Agriculture has issued an Emergency Rule with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) that regulates on dairy labeling regarding recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), a supplement used for milk production. The issue of rBST labeling has become one of the hottest issues in Ohio agriculture, and Director of Agriculture Bob Boggs has taken the point on identifying a workable solution.
The rule will require any processor using a claim related to milk from cows not supplemented with rBST to to prove production claims are accurate through proper documentation (for example, producer-signed affidavits, farm weight tickets, and processing plant audit trails are among some of the supporting documents that must be readily available for ODA inspection). Perhaps more importantly, the rule requires such labels to also contain a contiguous, identically formatted U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) disclaimer stating, “no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rbST-supplemented and non-rbST-supplemented cows.” In other words, to quote the Director, the label will have to be on the same panel, the same size, the same font, the same color” as the marketing claim. In other words, this isn’t going to be like the surgeon General’s Warning on a pack of Camels.
In terms of the specifics of implementing the rule, the Governor has taken action to supplement the ODA rulemaking process:
Governor Ted Strickland signed an executive order today, issuing an emergency rule prohibiting the mislabeling of dairy products and defining what constitutes false and misleading labels for dairy products. The emergency rule, effective immediately, establishes acceptable, more consistent labeling practices for dairy marketing organizations and labeling entities pertaining to rbST.
The emergency rule provides guidance to the dairy industry and helps interpret the existing law contained in Ohio Revised Code 917.05 and 3715.60. These laws authorize ODA to take enforcement action if a dairy label contains false or misleading statements.
The emergency rule is in effect for 90 days while ODA completes the statutory rule-making process through the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. As part of the process, a formal public hearing will be held to give stakeholders an opportunity to comment on the proposed rule.
ODA Dairy Chief Lewis Jones says there are roughly 40 processors in Ohio who will be affected by the rule. ODA estimates nearly 15% of milk produced in Ohio is a result of rBST use.
Posted: December 5, 2007 at 3:11 pm
By News Editor
Idaho is closing in on New York’s No. 3 spot in U.S. milk production, coming within 4 million pounds of out-producing the Empire State in September.
In September, Idaho produced 979 million pounds of milk while New York produced 983 million pounds.
That’s an astounding achievement, he added, considering that 10 years ago, Idaho was No. 9. In 1998, it blew by Texas, Michigan and Washington to claim the No. 6 spot. Five years later, it overtook Minnesota for No. 5. Last year, it bumped off Pennsylvania for No. 4.
With Idaho cows producing 63 pounds of milk per day vs. 52 pounds per day for New York cows, it would seem it’s only a matter of time before Idaho claims the No. 3 spot.
Idaho has the opposite problem. Whereas milk production per cow in Idaho was 19,092 pounds in 1997, it was 22,326 in 2006. Idaho produced 5.2 billion pounds of milk in 1997, but that total soared to 10.9 billion pounds in 2006.
While New York is well within range, major changes would have to occur before Idaho passed California and Wisconsin, the top two milk-producing states in the nation, respectively. The Golden State produces roughly three times as much milk as Idaho, and Wisconsin is not far behind California.
Posted: November 27, 2007 at 6:54 pm
By News Editor
Students in Australia have graduated from the first industry-endorsed dairy manufacturers course. The National Centre for Dairy Education – Australia (NCDEA) and Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV) joined forces to offer the course which is held at a dairy manufacturer through two four-hour sessions.
Since its inception, 44 trainees from around Victoria have completed the Fundamentals of Food Safety and Quality (Dairy) course. It covers all aspects of food safety and quality assurance and was designed specifically for small and medium-sized dairy food manufacturers.
Joanne Patterson, DFSV’s general manager of strategic policy, said although there were many food handling courses available, this was the first one specifically for dairy food manufacturers. She said holding it on site at a manufacturing facility allowed for hands-on learning.
Posted: November 16, 2007 at 8:52 pm
By News Editor
Italian dairy group Parmalat, has sold a milk processing plant to the Venezuelan government amid shortages of milk in the South American nation. Venezuelans have been scrambling for milk for several weeks and there have been inconsistent supplies this year of other basic food products, including meat, chicken and wheat flour.
Venezuela this year has suffered periodic shortages of basic food products such as milk and eggs, and recently confiscated 125 tonnes of powdered milk from a Venezuelan plant run by Switzerland’s Nestle. Parmalat on Tuesday signed an accord to sell its 1 million liter per day facility in western Venezuela to a state-owned corporation for an undisclosed sum, the company said, adding it had been in talks over the deal for two years.
Business leaders blame the situation on price controls imposed by the government of President Hugo Chavez, while government supporters say growing demand and hoarding by unscrupulous businesses have caused the supply problems. A global boom in demand has also made it difficult for the South American nation to import sufficient quantities to meet demand, according to milk industry leaders.
Here is a positive story about a dairy producer in California who is standing up and speaking out to tell the real story of production agriculture. Her name is Barbara Jackson, and her story was recently printed in the Modesto Beef in an article titled, 
Farmers Weekly Interactive recently posted an article titled, “
A new study by 
Here’s an interesting announcement. 
The first ever winners of the BQA Award were announced today and one of them is a dairy producer.
At this year’s World Ag Expo 
One of the awards given by Western Dairy Business Magazine at World Ag Expo is the Outstanding Dairy Industry Edcucator/Researcher. This year that honor was presented to Dr. John Smith, Kansas State University.
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