I had the honor and pleasure to participate in a U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission trip recently. We visited Morocco, Egypt and Jordan to see how efforts to create new markets for corn are going. The dairy industry in these countries played a key role in our meetings and tour stops. I’m going to post some of the stories of what I found for you over the next several days starting with this one.
The first stop for the U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission team in Egypt was Cairo University and specifically the ag school. Our first presenter was Dr. Rabie Ragab Sadek who gave us an overview of the Cattle Information Systems Center of Egypt. The project was created to develop a cattle information system that would provide statistically representative, adequate data for cattle breeding research and for the future development of a national breeding program. The goal to create genetic improvement of both milk and meat producing cattle and buffalo.
He introduces our other presenters who would speak about specifics about the accomplishments of the University’s dairy herd improvement unit.
Posted: October 17, 2009 at 11:44 am
By Amanda Nolz
Recently printed in the San Luis Obispo Tribune, an article titled, “Mad ‘cows’ protest plan to cull Cal Poly dairy herd,” written by David Sneed describes how students dressed in cattle costumes to support dairy program, which could lose 120 of its animals. In an effort to save money, Cal Poly is planning on reducing their cow herd, leaving many students upset about the loss of a good program. Read more to learn all about it…
Some Cal Poly students Friday protested plans to reduce the university’s dairy cow herd by 80 percent. Dairy students — some dressed in cow costumes — protested in the morning outside the Embassy Suites Hotel in San Luis Obispo, where Cal Poly’s dairy science advisory committee was meeting. Protests continued in the afternoon at the school’s dairy unit. In a letter sent Sept. 30, Dairy Science Department Head Bruce Golden said that plummeting milk prices and state budget cutbacks were forcing the university to reduce the milking herd to 30 animals from 150. He promised to restore the herd once finances improve.
However, students are concerned that the cuts may be permanent and 106 years of building good genetics into the Holstein milking herd will be lost, said Theresa Machado, president of the Los Lecheros Dairy Club. The Dairy Science Department has 130 students, 48 of them freshmen, Machado said. They operate the only dairy in the county, and Cal Poly is one of only two schools in the nation to offer degrees in dairy science. According to the program’s Web site, it is the only university on the West Coast to offer a specific dairy science major, and Cal Poly has the country’s largest dairy science program.
It’s amazing what science and technology can accomplish these days. The questions that can be answered through accurate research always surprise me. Currently, a study is being conducted by the University of California Davis, Cornell University, the University of Minnesota and Washington State University to measure the entire carbon footprint of fluid milk – from farm to the glass. The study is being funded by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. Here is a little information about the study…
Any calculation of the carbon footprint of a gallon of milk needs to include fuel used by tractors and trucks, as well as electricity consumed by milking machines and refrigerators. But how much gas is coming from the cows themselves? That’s the question Purdue University researchers are investigating as they start a new study aimed at measuring greenhouse gases from dairy cows. Albert Heber, principal investigator and a professor of agricultural and biological engineering, said the study is part of an industry-wide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to fluid milk.
“The dairy industry understands that in order to adopt best practices that will help lower greenhouse gas emissions in the dairy supply chain, it must first know where the mitigation opportunities exist,” Heber said.
“Measuring the greenhouse gas emissions of dairy cows will help determine the extent to which the dairy industry contributes to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rick Naczi, the group’s executive vice president of strategic industry analysis and evaluation. “Preliminary scan level research was conducted last year that showed the dairy industry accounts for less than 2 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Now, we are expanding our efforts by partnering with respected academic institutions like Purdue and engaging in extensive research to assure that our efforts are based on sound science as we address the environmental, economic and social importance of reducing our carbon footprint.”
Posted: September 27, 2009 at 2:13 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Exotic milk flavors could be a new way to sweeten up the dairy market.
University of Nebraska Food Science and Technology professor Rolando Flores says students from UNL have been visiting with counter parts in India to bring dairy diversity back to the United States. “One of India’s major staple foods is milk,” Flores says. “We went to India and saw the development that dairy has in that country. When you’re talking about close to a billion people drinking milk, there’s a lot that can be learned.”
UNL students Yulie Meneses and Alex Nelson visited India this summer and spent much of their time learning about the variety of dairy products in that country, where dairy is the most successful food industry organized as a co-op and owned by the milk producers. After watching Indian products being developed, they made the products themselves.
Flavored milk is common in India, and Meneses and Nelson enjoyed much of what they sampled, including almond and pistachio flavors. They decided the two products they would develop for the UNL Dairy Store would be pistachio-flavored milk and gulab jamun, a popular Indian dessert.
Before the products can be sold at the store, Meneses and Nelson will serve them at a seminar they will give this fall to food science administrators, faculty and students. They also need to get the green light from Flores, who said he hopes Indian food products could be available in the store by the end of this year.
The main presenter at the SUNY Cobleskill virtual farm tour was Tom Poltynski, farm coordinator. He talked about the school’s facility and says it’s unique because they’re very far north for using a flush system. He says they have good student involvement as evidenced by the fact that more students apply for jobs than are available.
One of the things he spoke about was their feeding trials. The tour was sponsored by BASF Plant Science and he said they planted half their corn in 2006-2007 with Nutridense and half with traditional hybrids. They saw very good results and plan to plant all their corn next year with Nutridense.
The advantage of Nutridense that he saw was, “With Nutridense corn, the #1 thing I see is the higher percentage of protein. With high grain prices I could back out a pound of grain and increase corn silage, my forage ration, and not lose anything on the nutrient profile of the diet.” He said they were able to save 19-25 cents/cow/day as a result.
You can listen to my interview with Tom as part of our Milking Parlor Podcast:
To subscribe to the Milking Parlor podcast, here are some instructions.
The University of Wisconsin Madison Badger Club is a grilled cheese sandwich making machine at World Dairy Expo. I would like to try one again this year but the line is too long and never seems to go down.
With 139 members, Badger Dairy Club (BDC) creates opportunities for the membership to engage in activities and experiences within the college, community and the ever progressing dairy industry.
Purpose of the Badger Dairy Club
1. To provide opportunities for fellowship, friendship, service and to grow socially
2. To provide an opportunity to enhance the educational experience
3. To promote dairy cattle, products and the dairy industry
4. To learn of occupation opportunities
5. To make available the opportunity to make professional connections
An Australian researcher who studied nutritional benefits of dairy food, was awarded the Danisco International Dairy Science Award by the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA). Congratulations to Dr. Parodi for this wonderful honor!
Dr Parodi, 74, is a world expert in dairy nutrition, particularly the role of dairy fat in human health. In 1977, he was the first person to discover the presence and determine the structure of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) – a major form of trans fatty acids in milk fat.
His work spans five decades uncovering the positive health benefits – and possibly the cancer-fighting properties – of dairy foods. Dr Parodi’s work in determining the structure and composition of milk fat was so important that in 1998 he was given the honor of naming a major trans fatty acid found in milk, which he called rumenic acid, after the cows’ stomach system, the rumen.
“For a scientist, exploring the unique properties and health benefits of dairy foods has been very rewarding,” he said.
His research has been supported by Australian dairy farmers through dairy research organizations – most recently Dairy Australia. Last year Dr Parodi was honored with the International Dairy Federation (IDF) award at its world summit in Dublin. He has been a recipient of dairy science’s most prestigious national awards – including the Award of Merit from the Australian Society of Australia and the Loftus Hill Dairy Science Award twice.
The annual international research and development award was established in 1980 and is judged by panel drawn from the ADSA. It recognizes outstanding accomplishments in chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, technology, and engineering pertaining to the dairy foods industries.
Posted: October 31, 2007 at 5:17 pm
By News Editor
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA) has announced a new scholarship program for college students pursuing a career in the dairy industry. Says DFA, “We recognize the importance of developing future leaders in the dairy industry, and are committed to investing in their educations.” Applications are due January 15, 2008 – to learn more visit DFA’s website.
Scholarships are available for the following studies:
Posted: October 10, 2007 at 7:20 pm
By News Editor
Researchers at Cornell University have found that a diet that includes some dairy and meat is more efficient in terms of the amount of land used to produce it than a strict vegetarian diet.
Even though a moderate-fat plant-based diet with a little meat and dairy uses more land than the all-vegetarian diet it feeds more people because it uses more pasture land, which is widely available.
This deduction stems from the findings of their new study, which concludes that if everyone in New York state followed a low-fat vegetarian diet, the state could directly support almost 50 percent more people, or about 32 percent of its population, agriculturally. With today’s high-meat, high-dairy diet, the state is able to support directly only 22 percent of its population, say the researchers.
The study, published in the journal Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, is the first to examine the land requirements of complete diets. The researchers compared 42 diets with the same number of calories and a core of grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy products (using only foods that can be produced in New York state), but with varying amounts of meat (from none to 13.4 ounces daily) and fat (from 20 to 45 percent of calories) to determine each diet’s “agricultural land footprint.” They found a fivefold difference between the two extremes. (more…)
Marcus Hollmann, Michigan State University, was awarded the 2007 National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) National Dairy Leadership Scholarship and the Murray Hintz Memorial Scholarship to advance his research into reducing methane production by supplementing feed with coconut oil. The NMPF awards are given to graduate students who exhibit academic excellence and whose research demonstrates a strong, positive contribution to the dairy industry.
“Coconut oil has been shown to reduce methane emissions from cows and their manure, but no one has done specific nutrition and air quality research,” Hollmann says.
Methane emissions are one of the greatest contributors to the greenhouse effect, and lactating dairy cows produce the most methane of all livestock species. Collectively, cows’ digestive tracts plus stored dairy manure generate about 25% of methane emissions worldwide and 80% of ammonia emissions in the United States.
“Methane has been shown to be a greenhouse gas, and this project is part of a worldwide effort to help reduce those gases,” Hollmann says. “Our goal is to reduce the methane that cows produce without reducing the amount of milk produced. If you get less milk, you will need more cows, which would counteract our efforts.”
Hollmann’s research will focus on reducing methane and ammonia emissions on both ends of the nutrient cycle — feeding and excretion. Studies have shown the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil can reduce digestive tract methane production in cows by 68 percent.
The Alfred State College’s CAL (Collegiate Agricultural Leaders) Club have placed first in the National Intercollegiate Photo Contest for the 2006 College Directory, and will appear on the cover.
In 2006, Holstein World and DairyBusiness Communications will present their 21st and most comprehensive directory of university dairy programs. This directory is made available for the benefit of prospective students and their families. The 2006 edition includes 37 college and university programs from 24 states and Canada.
The next round of the North American Intercollegiate Challenge regional contests is set to begin next week. Here’s a story about the upcoming Northeast challenge and the three dairies that will host the challenge.
“I think helping kids become interested in agriculture is a positive thing,” said Adams, who is looking forward to the students’ feedback. “If it helps to improve business, we look at that as positive,” she said.
John Knopf, of Fa-Ba Farm, is also eager to hear what the students’ think. Knopf said he started farming about 25 years ago, and although he studied agriculture, he never participated in anything like the Dairy Challenge. “It’s kind of like having 43 consultants evaluating the farm,” Knopf said. “I don’t mind the scrutiny.”
Before we got to go into the dairy barn on today’s IFAJ Congress tour we learned about automatic or robotic milking from the expert.
He’s Gunnar Pettersson, Swedish University of Agricultural Science. He used a power point presentation but I recorded him anyway and am providing an edited version of that talk.
In his talk he mentions how much dairy producers like these automatic systems like the DeLaval one in use on the farm today. The main reason is how it changes the lifestyle of the farmer. It gives him/her more time for things other than managing the animals.
Pettersson says he been on many, many farms studying the best management practices and he’s found and helped quantify what a robotic system can mean to the producer.
It looks like construction has started on the new Iowa State University dairy farm south of Ames and officials look forward to opening the facility in 2007. The ground breaking was held this spring. “We are beginning an important new chapter in dairy science at Iowa State and for the state of Iowa,” said Wendy Wintersteen, dean of ISU’s College of Agriculture. “The Dairy/Animal Science Education and Discovery Facility will elevate Iowa State into the top tier of institutions with educational and research facilities devoted to progress in dairy science and animal science.” (more…)
It’s not too early to start thinking about World Dairy Expo. The Babcock Institute has announced it’s 9th Annual Babcock Institute/World Dairy Expo International Dairy Short Course. Say that 5 times real fast!
Please join us this fall! The Babcock WDE course for 2006 will take place from Sunday, October 1st to Wednesday, October 4th, 2006. The Expo will run from October 3rd to 7th. The 2006 Babcock Institute / World Dairy Expo short course offers more educational experiences than ever before with integrated farm visits, increased workshop selection and a broad range of dairy-related lectures. This seminar is for dairy producers, employees, herd managers, veterinarians and all types of agribusiness professionals.
Register before September 1 or the price is higher.
You may have an opportunity to turn fescue problems into strong pastures this season, according to the University of Missouri Extension. Beacuase of this year’s early onset of warm Spring weather, tall fescue fields have reared seed heads nearly a month ahead of normal. As you know, the fescue seeds carry high levels of toxicity that can reduce weight gains and lower milk production, so this news is troubling. But the story doesn’t end there.
Extension forage experts suggest that you can turn this situation to your favor by mowing your pastures now. If you do nothing, the toxins will poison your cattle. Mow now and you’ll have two months of Spring left for regrowth, which should, with proper management, lead to some great foraging. Because of the early growth, the mowing and ensuing regrowth will lead to a higher quality forage with improved nutritive value.
The reason the regrowth will improve your forage is that the seed only produces once per season, so mowing it will encourage additional leaf growth, nearly eliminating the toxins present in the seeds. Mow low enough to cut below the seed heads, and only mow if the field is fairly well developed in terms of seed head. If there are only a few seeds present, manage as normal.
I didn’t know that colleges had stores like this. Maybe Mississippi State University is the only one. If you know of others let me know.
It’s the Mississippi State University Cheese Store where their biggest sellers are edam and cheddar. They aren’t accepting new order until July 1 to ship for Christmas. You can order online or they do have an on-campus store. Very cool.
With higher energy prices this summer, you might be tempted to stretch that silage a little farther than you probably should. One University of Minnesota Extension Dairy Specialist indicates that would be a bad idea. You can listen to his comments and learn why: Spoiled Silage Discussion (1:24 mp3)
Sandra Kirchner of Clintonville, Wisconsin is planning to study both Dairy Science and Agronomy, focusing eventually on crops and dairy feed management, while continuing on at her family’s family Guernsey operation.
Shannon Muenzenberger of Coon Valley, Wisconsin will be attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, majoring both in agricultural communication and dairy science. She owns a herd of Brown Swiss.
Along with these four scholarships, Accelerated Genetics awarded two $1000 scholarships to current college students.
Ranging from the Economics of Manure to Odor Control and Composting, speakers from five states will present the latest in research and application, with a number of presentations focusing on issues specific to the dairy industry, such as bedding innovations.
No registration fee is required, and lunch will be available. You can download the promotional flyer, or visit the event’s information website to learn more about the Expo.
I had the honor and pleasure to participate in a U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission trip recently. We visited Morocco, Egypt and Jordan to see how efforts to create new markets for corn are going. The dairy industry in these countries played a key role in our meetings and tour stops. I’m going to post some of the stories of what I found for you over the next several days starting with this one.
Recently printed in the San Luis Obispo Tribune, an article titled, 
University of Nebraska Food Science and Technology professor Rolando Flores says students from UNL have been visiting with counter parts in India to bring dairy diversity back to the United States. “One of India’s major staple foods is milk,” Flores says. “We went to India and saw the development that dairy has in that country. When you’re talking about close to a billion people drinking milk, there’s a lot that can be learned.”
The main presenter at the 
The 
Agricultural students from Alfred State College will appear on the cover of the 
The next round of the North American Intercollegiate Challenge regional contests is set to begin next week. 
Before we got to go into the dairy barn on today’s IFAJ Congress tour we learned about automatic or robotic milking from the expert.
It looks like construction has started on the new 
“We are beginning an important new chapter in dairy science at Iowa State and for the state of Iowa,” said Wendy Wintersteen, dean of ISU’s College of Agriculture. “The Dairy/Animal Science Education and Discovery Facility will elevate Iowa State into the top tier of institutions with educational and research facilities devoted to progress in dairy science and animal science.” 
It’s not too early to start thinking about 
You may have an opportunity to turn fescue problems into strong pastures this season, according to the 
I didn’t know that colleges had stores like this. Maybe 
With higher energy prices this summer, you might be tempted to stretch that silage a little farther than you probably should. One University of Minnesota Extension Dairy Specialist indicates that would be a bad idea. You can listen to his comments and learn why: 
… by offering 
Three land-grant universities are cooperating to teach and demonstrate effective, efficient, and sustainable manure handling strategies this July.