An exciting program is planned for the first-ever U.S. Precision Dairy Conference and Expo. This state-of-the-art event is taking place this summer at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN, June 25-27. The program includes a one-day tour of top farms near Rochester, a two-day agenda packed with the latest research and industry information, and a trade show dedicated to the latest technology in robotic milking, precision management using sensors, activity monitors, computerized solutions and precision feeding. Many sponsors have signed up to show off what is available and what might be available in the future in this exciting new world of precision dairy!

The one-day tour of top managed area dairy farms includes a high producing robot milking farm, automated calf feeding, and two farms with advanced parlor milking systems and cow sensor technologies. During the two-day conference, there will be four producer panels with a total of 14 producers talking about their experiences with robotic milking, individual cow sensors for activity, temperature and rumination, automated calf feeding, and in-line parlor technology that measures components, progesterone and ketones in every cow at every milking, and more. Well known producers on the program include Doyle Waybright of Mason Dixon Farms in Gettysburg, PA, and Jake Peissig of JRP Farms in Dorchester, WI—recently acclaimed as the highest producing DeLaval robot milked herd in the world.

Keynote conference speakers include Dr. Jeffrey Bewley who leads research in precision technologies at the University of Kentucky, world renowned nutritionist, Dr. Alex Bach from Spain, as well as Dr. Marcia Endres from the University of Minnesota and Dr. Margit Bak Jensen from Denmark who will be talking about automated feeding of calves. Jack Rodenburg from Canada will share his experiences with robotic milking and what makes it work. Economics is an important part of the discussion. Dr. Albert DeVries from the University of Florida, well known for his economic modeling work, will give the American perspective on adoption of precision technology while Dr. Henk Hogeveen from the Netherlands will give the European experience. Dr. Ilan Halachmi from Israel, Dr. Ray Nebel from Select Sires, and Dr. Doug Reinemann from the University of Wisconsin will talk about sensors.

Information about the full program including submitted papers on the latest research can be found at the Precision Dairy 2013 website (precisiondairy.umn.edu). Register soon! Early registration deadline ends on June 10th. Register on-line at www.regonline.com/PrecDairy.

The conference organizers thank all the sponsors for their support, especially Platinum Sponsors: DeLaval, Artex Barn Solutions, BouMatic Robotics, Lely, AMS-Galaxy/Urban, GEA, and DairyMaster.

Barb and Ernie Hanselman never believed in forcing any of their seven children into following their footsteps as dairy farmers.

Their four daughters opted to pursue careers off of the farm. But for their three sons, there never was any doubt they one day would represent their farm’s next generation. The trio – all in their 20s – is officially emerging into their role as brotherly business partners of Del-Rose Farm in Bloomville, N.Y.

Barb and Ernie couldn’t be happier to see Seth, 29, Kale, 23, and Ladd, 21, committed to continuing the family’s multi-generational farm.

“I cry so easily,” Barb said. “The boys will tell you that I’m an emotional wreck. When they made their choice, I can’t put into words how wonderful that was for me.

“I’m very proud to be the mom of three farmers. But I have four other children who are farm kids and they will carry the story of production agriculture in whatever walks of life they choose.”

The boys, who once slept in cribs in the barn while their parents worked, see it as a natural progression.

“I guess it’s something we took for granted more than we talked about,” Seth said. “I think we all knew the farm would continue on and we would take it over. That’s the way a family farm works.”

Adds Kale: “I couldn’t imagine our farm being sold or turned into houses. That’s a hard thing for me to think about.”

Seth, Kale and Ladd exhibit some of the expected brotherly tendencies. They tease each other and mix in some levity to their long work days. They each admittedly have strong opinions on how things should run but they choose to talk through differences and ultimately do what’s in the best interests of the farm.

In other words, don’t expect any slugfests in the barn.

“In the grand scheme of things, we probably get along better than 95 percent of brothers,” Seth said. “A lot of it is because we don’t hold grudges. We each give a little to make things work.”

Barb and Ernie insisted that their sons attend college before they came back to the farm. Each earned an associate’s degree that plays to their individual strengths at the dairy.

Seth (agronomy) is the expert at growing crops that feed the cows. Kale (dairy production and management) has a special touch with the cows and assures their daily health, nutrition and comfort needs. And Ladd (power mechanics) keeps the farm’s many pieces of machinery and equipment running smoothly, as well as overseeing the herd’s young stock.

Each one knows they can count on the others to do what needs to be done.

“We all do a good job of picking each other up,” Ladd said. “Nothing is perfect during any work day, but we are always there to support and help each other.”

The brothers’ decision to work the farm brings an added sense of relief to their parents. Ernie suffers from diabetes and is a bilateral amputee. Seth, Kale and Ladd draw added inspiration from watching their hard-working father bravely battle his health issues. Their mom, they say, is another role model whose example they follow daily.

“Our parents are the best inspiration we have and we try to honor them,” Ladd said. “I hope they’re proud. They definitely know we don’t want to let them down. We’ll do whatever it takes to succeed.”

Barb has plenty of confidence her sons will do just that and maybe one day pass the farm along to the generation that follows them.

“They are so committed. When work has to get done, it’s going to be done the right way,” she said. “They are very dedicated which is how Ernie and I survived here.

“You sometimes hear people say this generation is soft compared to our generation. I can’t say that about my guys. They put 250 percent in every day.”

Source: Dairygood

One of the most important factors contributing to the rate of genetic progress in a breed is the selection of sires by producers for breeding cows and heifers in their herd. The resulting pregnancies and heifer calves born become the main source of replacement heifers, which leads to the genetic gain achieved in each herd and therefore within the breed population. Given the bank of data at CDN related to all elements of genetic improvement, a recent analysis was established for providing annual statistics regarding the market share held by the various A.I. organizations marketing their sires in Canada as well as the list of the most popular sires of heifers born in Canada and registered in the breed association herdbook.

A.I. Market Share

A total of 280,915 dairy heifers were born in Canada in 2012 and registered in the respective breed association herdbook, of which 94.6% were Holstein. Of these, 89.9% were daughters of A.I. sires and therefore the national usage of herd sires was 10.1%. Herd sire usage varied widely by province with the lowest rates amongst registered heifers in Newfoundland (1.2%), Québec (4.1%) and Nova Scotia (6.7%) and the highest rates in Saskatchewan (38.1%), Alberta (28.6%) and Manitoba (17.9%).

On a national level, the 2012 market share occupied by the various A.I. companies marketing semen in Canada is represented in Figure 1. As the largest nationally based A.I. organization with decades of history in Canada, the partners within the Semex Alliance occupied 60.1% of the market share in 2012. By region, Semex Alliance surpassed 74% in Quebec, attained 55% in Ontario and Atlantic Canada and occupied 44% in Western Canada. Three other companies had a national market share exceeding 5%, namely Select Sires (13.1%), Alta Genetics (7.4%) and ABS Global (6.7%). Regionally, Select Sires occupied 15-17% of the market share in Western Canada, Ontario and Atlantic Canada in 2012 with nearly 8% in Quebec. For Alta Genetics and ABS Global, Western Canada was their highest region taking 17% and 11% of the market share based on herdbook registered daughters. Full details of A.I. market share statistics by province are available on the Canadian Dairy Network (CDN) web site at http://www.cdn.ca/articles.php.

Popular Sires of Heifers Born in 2012

From time to time, usually on a yearly basis, CDN also conducts an analysis of the most popular sires of registered heifers born in Canada. Table 1 provides the 30 Holstein sires with the highest number of daughters born in 2012 that were registered by Holstein Canada.

Two progeny proven sires, namely Crackholm Fever and Gillette Windbrook, produced more than 10,000 registered daughters born in 2012, jointly representing nearly 5% of the yearly total. Of major interest, however, is the relatively wide variety of sires amongst the list in Table 1. In fact, the 10 most popular sires of registered daughters born in 2012 represent just over 25% of all such heifers in Canada. While these were all progeny proven sires, the era of genomics has also led to the inclusion of three genomic young bulls amongst the 30 most popular sires of heifers born in 2012, as indicated by the “GYS” label in the table. In total, over 40% of the registered Holstein heifers born in 2012 were sired by the list of 30 most popular sires presented in Table 1. Also, over 5,900 different sires had at least one registered daughter born in 2012, and one-third of all sires represented had at least 10 registered daughters. The oldest sire with registered daughters born in 2012 is Rosafe Citation R*RDC (HOCANM267150), who was born in 1958.

Summary

The rate of genetic improvement in a breed is highly dependent upon the sires used by producers in their herd to generate the next generation of replacement heifers. Canada has various A.I. organizations marketing semen  from their bulls and these companies are members of CDN. Each organization competes for market share, which can vary from province to province. An examination of the most popular sires for registered heifers born in   2012 indicates that the top 10 Holstein sires represent over 25% of all such heifers in that breed and genomic young bulls are also now entering the list of the 30 most common sires for 2012.

Source: Canadian Dairy Network

The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) announces its recent decision to strategically refocus the association’s priorities and industry role as the industry’s primary source of information and leadership, management development and performance improvement relative to the raising of dairy calves and heifers.

DCHA will be redefining the information and services provided to its members to ensure relevant and progressive training and educational resources are available. These changes will help to further advance the profitability, health and performance of young dairy animals, as well as the profitability potential of its members operations.

Additionally, the organization will seek to modernize its professional image and reputation across the industry, working closely with allied industry and research-focused entities to help drive product and service developments that will improve the livelihood of calf and heifer raising operations.

“DCHA was built on the combined passion, interest and need for continuous calf and heifer raising improvements,” says Jack Banker, DCHA president from Black Creek, Wis. “We are very excited to revitalize the role and long-standing vision of DCHA.

“Building a professional producer-focused organization to help enhance calf and heifer raising is a critical responsibility of DCHA and one that association leadership is committed to as a strategic objective,” adds Banker.

Realigning association operations with an industry partner that has a deep focus on the dairy industry is the first step DCHA has taken towards accomplishing its goals. In the upcoming months, programs and services will be carefully reviewed and enhanced as appropriate. Concentrated efforts will be placed on an industry-leading conference agenda for the 2014 DCHA Annual Conference, to be held April 1-3, 2014 in Green Bay, Wis.

“The 2014 conference committee is looking forward to developing a fresh approach for the upcoming meeting, which we hope will set new standards in information exchange and peer-to-peer calf and heifer manager interaction,” says Vicki Franken, chair of the 2014 conference committee. “The 2014 conference will be a vital part of the reinvention of DCHA and we are nothing but committed to making it an invaluable event for dairy producers.”

The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (www.calfandheifer.org) was founded in 1996 based on the mission to help dairy producers, calf managers and those professionally focused on the growth and management of dairy calves and heifers. With a national membership of producers, allied industries and research leaders, DCHA seeks to provide the industry’s standards for profitability, performance and leadership, serving as a catalyst to help members improve the vitality and viability of their individual efforts and that of their business.

Figure 1. Average test-day somatic cell count from Dairy Herd Improvement herds during 2012 by State (Click on image for enlargement)

Each year, test-day data from all herds enrolled in Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) somatic cell count (SCC) testing in the United States are examined to assess milk quality on a national basis.

During 2012, the SCC in DHI herds averaged 200,000 cells/ml. This compares to 217,000 in 2011; 228,000 in 2010; 233,000 in 2009; 262,000 in 2008; and 276,000 in 2007.

National average test-day herd SCC has declined every year since 2005, and every year except one since 2001.

Forty-two states had lower average SCC than reported the previous year; five states had higher averages. A few Mexican herds tested through the US system were included for the third time.

Variation among states remains large. State average SCC generally was lower than the national average for mountain and western states, and often higher for a few southeastern states. Differences between adjacent states were substantial, which suggests that factors such as mastitis control practices and genetic selection are impacting state differences.

The current federal SCC regulatory limit in the US is 750,000. In many other major dairy countries, the SCC limit is 400,000.

The overall percentage of herd test days that exceeded 400,000, 500,000, 600,000, and 750,000 during 2012 were 12.0%, 6.1%, 3.3% and 1.5%, respectively, which was lower for all levels than during 2011. The 1.5% of 2012 DHI herd test days that were higher than the present legal limit for bulk tank SCC in the US may overestimate the percentage of herds that shipped milk exceeding the legal limit because milk of cows treated for mastitis is excluded from the bulk tank even though included in DHI test data. The percentage of herd test-days that exceeded the legal limit also would have been higher than the percentage of herds that were rejected from the market because market exclusion only occurs after repeated violations.

As herd size increased, milk yield generally increased and SCC decreased. During 2012, the average test-day SCC in herds with fewer than 50 cows was 200,000 compared to 222,000 in herds with 100 – 149 cows; 195,000 in herds with 500 – 999 cows; and 168,000 in herds with over 3,000 cows.

The typical seasonal pattern was also evident. Average SCC increased from May through August and declned quickly from September through November. The lowest average SCC was in November and December.

[Click here for report details, including individual state averages and history since 1995.]

Source of image and article: USDA AIPL Research Report SCC14 (2-13) “Somatic cell counts of milk from Dairy Herd Improvement herds during 2012″

The Canadian Milking Shorthorn Society is proud to present its Distinguished Service Award to Mike Sullivan of Maple Inn Farms, Peterborough, Ontario.   Mike has been a fixture of the Milking Shorthorn breed in Ontario for many years and has served the breed in number of ways.

Mike started farming with his father Joseph (a Past-President of the CMSS) in 1964, initially shipping cream before transitioning to ship fluid milk a few years later.   The Maple Inn herd was active in the show ring across Ontario, including local shows in Peterborough and Lindsay as well as the CNE and Royal Winter Fair in Toronto and the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin.  Mike lists as one of his showing highlights when Maple Inn Dairymaid 56th EX-95 won Grand Championship honours at the 2008 National Show, with Rosemary also named Reserve Grand in 2009 and 2011.

The story of the Maple Inn herd has been built on the strength of cow families, particularly the Dairymaid and Rosemary cow families.  For example, Maple Inn Rosemary 33rd VG sits second all time for lifetime milk and fat production among Canadian Milking Shorthorns.  Members of the both families have been exported to the United States, and Maple Inn was the first Canadian herd to export embryos to the United Kingdom in the 1990’s.

Mike was a director of the CMSS for the best part of 20 years.  He was a long time Chairman of the Sale Committee, instrumental in organizing and running the annual National Sales that were held in Peterborough or Lindsay for a number of years.  Maple Inn cattle have helped to form the foundation of a number of new Milking Shorthorn herds in Canada and the United States, including one of the 2013 Cow of the Year nominees.

The Maple Inn herd ceased milk production in 2004 but Mike continues to breed Milking Shorthorns at the farm just south of Peterborough.  In receiving this Distinguished Service Award, Mike receives an Honourary Life Membership to the CMSS.

Wisconsin’s Dairy Business Association has written to House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders, urging them to support margin insurance for dairy farmers without tying it to a supply management program.  The House and Senate Agriculture Committees are expected to take up the Farm Bill again and on the topic of dairy policy reform, there are two options to choose from, the Dairy Freedom Act and the Dairy Security Act.  Both offer risk management insurance to dairy farmers.  Both eliminate the Dairy Product Price Support Program (DPPSP), Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Program, and the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP).  But only one –the Dairy Security Act—expands government intervention into dairy markets, artificially increasing prices and the costs of dairy products for consumers.

“As an organization comprised of both dairy producers and processors, we are in a unique position to explain why the Dairy Freedom Act is the best option for all of us in the dairy industry,” wrote DBA president and farm owner Jerry Meissner, president of the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association, and owner of Norm-E-Lane, Inc., a 2,000-cow operation near Chili, Wi.  “And as producers and processors in Wisconsin, America’s second largest dairy producing state, we can tell you why the supply management program included in the Dairy Security Act would be the worst thing for our growing industry.

Recent reports found that both the Dairy Freedom Act and DSA are “effective in providing catastrophic risk insurance” for stable and growing dairy farms.  A key difference between the two proposals, however, is that the Dairy Security Act contains the supply management provision called the Dairy Market Stabilization Program (DMSP), while Goodlatte-Scott does not.

“The DMSP adds even more government intrusion into an already highly regulated dairy industry,” the letter continues, “and would impose new and costly regulations on the nation’s dairy processors.  Among other requirements, processors would be forced to keep extensive production records for each dairy farmer, to withhold payments from those farmers when the program kicks in and to remit the revenues to USDA.”

“Dairy industry growth should not be subject to any impediments,” the letter concludes. “By dropping the supply management program, the Goodlatte Scott dairy bill represents a true compromise that is broadly supported and won’t stand in the way of moving the 2013 Farm Bill forward. “

Read the letter here.

About DBA
The Dairy Business Association is an industry organization comprised of dairy producers, corporate as well as allied industry supporters. DBA promotes the growth and success of all dairy farms in Wisconsin by fostering a positive business and political environment. For more information about DBA, please visit our website at www.widba.com.

Read more: http://holsteinworld.com/story.php?id=8753#ixzz2TBGLHHYG

A Dane County woman has been crowned as Wisconsin’s 66th Alice in Dairyland. Kristin (Natzke) Olson of Windsor was selected for the title Friday night at the Endries Performing Arts Center in Brillion  during a finale program hosted by Calumet County.

Olson is currently the dairy advertising coordinator at Accelerated Genetics in Baraboo. A native of the Fond du Lac area, Kristin grew up showing dairy cattle with her family’s Holstein and Jersey farm. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in life sciences communications.

While in school, Olson held leadership roles in the Association of Women in Agriculture, Badger Dairy Club and the National Agri-Marketing Association. She was the Fond du Lac County Fairest of the  Fair in 2007. And in 2009, Kristin was honored as the Wisconsin Holstein Outstanding Girl and was a National Holstein Distinguished Junior Member Semi-Finalist.

“Having been born into Wisconsin’s agricultural industry, I have truly been blessed,” Olson after her name was called. “It is an honor to share my knowledge of agriculture with others, in hopes that they become more aware of the impact that this $59 billion industry has on their daily lives.”

Other finalists in the running during the competition were Beth Babcock, Wisconsin Dells; Marie Mahaney, Milwaukee; and Tammy Wiedenbeck, Lancaster. Green Bay Farm Broadcaster Mike Austin of  WTAQ Radio served as master of ceremonies.

Meanwhile, Out-Going Alice, Rochelle Ripp of Lodi, said the opportunity of serving as ‘Alice’ has been an honor of a lifetime.

“As I reflect on my year, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have met and shared the positive impact of agriculture with thousands of people at the hundreds of events I have attended all in one  incredible year,” Rochelle said. “There are countless memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.  I look forward to a lifelong career of promoting and giving back to this amazing agriculture community, where  my roots run deep.”

And before giving up her title, Ripp presented the ’2013 Friend of Alice Award’ to Diana Normand of WSAW-TV in Wausau.

Also in the crowd on Friday were some former Alices, including: Mary Ellen (Jenks) Jordal (1953-54), Laura (Oldenberg) Drendel (1978-79), Dorothy Farrell (1982-83), Angela (Corbin) Tuthill (1993-94),  Jolynne (Nagel) Schroepher (1995-96), Courtney (Ott) Booth (1997-98), Jennifer (Hasler) Meyer (1998-99), Sheri (Holt) Hicken (2001-02), Natalie (Parmentier) Killion (2003-04), Betsy Francoeur  (2004-05), Jill Makovec (2007-08) Ashley (Huibregtse) Andre (2008-09), Cheryl O’Brien (2009-10), Christine Lindner (2010-11), and Katie Wirkus (2011-12).

Kristin officially begins her duties as Alice on June 3. Until then, Rochelle will continue to make appearances at various events as her successor goes through a brief training process.

Calumet County is a major ag employer, as nearly 4,100 people work in the industry–about 19-percent of the area’s overall workforce. Agriculture accounts for $1.17 billions in total business for the county  each year.

Next year, the Alice in Dairyland finals will be held in Clark County on May 15-17, 2014.

Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection

The latest development for the Holstein UK Website is the addition of a Sales Centre. This new feature is expected to be of great benefit to members looking to sell or buy stock. Not only will this section feature upcoming sales, catalogues and reports, but members will also be able to advertise stock/ embryos that they have for sale.

If you have any upcoming sales, sale reports or private member sales to be added, please send the following details to feedback@holstein-uk.org

- Your name, prefix, club, email address and contact phone number that can be used on the advert
- The animal name, eartag, HBN & date of birth (or link to its Holstein UK factsheet)
- If it is embryos that you are selling, please provide donor and sire information
- Any further information e.g.- pictures, herd website link, number and grade of embryos.

The new Sales Centre will be launched next week, so please send in any sales that you may have ready for its launch. In the future, we aim to allow users to update the sales directly themselves, but we will be managing it ourselves to start with.

Please note that this new service is not open to commercial companies and it is for members only.

More than 50 state and national dairy organizations, including the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), sent a joint letter today to members of the House Agriculture Committee, urging that panel to include the Dairy Security Act (DSA) in upcoming Farm Bill. The House Ag panel is expected to begin drafting a Farm Bill next Wednesday.

The letter, which can be found online, said that dairy producers need “a financially-sound risk management program to help farmers better manage margin volatility,” noting that the economic conditions that led to the development of the DSA after the dairy depression in 2009 – low milk prices and high feed costs generating terrible margins – were experienced again by America’s dairy farmers last year, when feed costs soared to record levels as milk prices dropped.

The coalition’s letter – signed by 52 separate organizations – urged House members to oppose a competing proposal to be offered by Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and David Scott (D-GA), the “Dairy Freedom Act,” because it would weaken the safety net for farmers in order to benefit dairy processors. The Dairy Freedom Act strips out the market stabilization component from the DSA.

The letter says that “Without the discipline offered by market stabilization, low milk prices will continue for longer periods. This is detrimental to farmers. Low milk prices will lead to more government outlays. This is detrimental to taxpayers. The Dairy Freedom Act is supported by processors precisely because it offers them the prospect of lower milk prices, subsidized by government insurance payments. This scenario is not sustainable. Free margin insurance alone is a costly ruse.”

The farm groups assert that “Market stabilization sends a clear signal to farmers participating in this program that a bit less milk is needed. Not only does this hasten a rebound in low-margin situations, it reduces the cost of the program to the government.”

The joint letter points out that “The real threat to the growth of our domestic dairy industry is not a market stabilization program that will only rarely activate; it’s the further damage to our dairy producer sector that would result from an ill-conceived processors’ dream plan to assure themselves a sea of taxpayer-subsidized milk.” Also, the letter notes, the DSA is “a voluntary approach to risk management, which offers producers the choice to participate.”

“The U.S. dairy industry is demonstrating a level of unity and support for the Dairy Security Act that is unprecedented for our industry. These organizations share the belief that the status quo is not an option for our future, and we stand united behind the Dairy Security Act as a rare opportunity for the dairy industry to collectively support reasonable, financially-sound changes to our Federal policies,” said the letter.

The following groups signed onto the letter: Agri-Mark, Alabama Dairy Producers, Arkansas Dairy Cooperative Association, Associated Milk Producers Inc., Colorado Dairy Farmers, Continental Dairy Products, Inc., Cooperative Milk Producers Association, Dairy Farmers of America, Dairy Farmers Working Together, Dairy Producers of New Mexico, Dairy Producers of Utah, Dairylea Cooperative Inc., Dairymen’s Marketing Cooperative, Inc., Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Farmers Cooperative Creamery, FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, First District Association, Foremost Farms USA, Holstein Association USA, Inc., Idaho Dairymen’s Association, Iowa State Dairy Association, Kansas Dairy Association, Land O’Lakes, Lone Star Milk Producers, Maryland Dairy Industry Association, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Coop. Assoc., Michigan Milk Producers Association, Midwest Dairy Coalition, Mid-West Dairymen’s Company, Milk Producers Council, Missouri Dairy Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Farmers Organization, National Milk Producers Federation, North Carolina Dairy Producers Association, Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives, Northwest Dairy Association, Oregon Dairy Farmers Association, Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., Premier Milk Inc., Scioto County Cooperative Milk Producers’ Association, Select Milk Producers, Inc., South Carolina Dairy Association, South Dakota Dairy Producers, St. Albans Cooperative Creamery, Swiss Valley Farms Company, Tillamook County Creamery Association, United Dairymen of Arizona, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc., Virginia State Dairymen’s Association, Washington State Dairy Federation, and Zia Milk Producers, Inc.

The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. Visitwww.nmpf.org for more information.

The letter sent to the House Ag Committee can be found here.

More information on the Dairy Security Act can be found here.

Source: National Milk Producers Federation

Canadian Livestock Genetics Association (CLGA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Michael Hall will be joining CLGA on June 3, 2013, assuming the role of Executive Director on July 1, 2013.

No stranger to the Canadian dairy industry, Michael brings a wealth of hands-on experience to this position. Having served on various dairy industry boards, Michael has intimate knowledge of the Canadian dairy industry and its members’ needs:

• Ontario DHI Board of Directors (1998-2004) & CanWest DHI (2004-2010): Served as both a Board Member and Board Chairman, negotiating the merger of Western Canadian DHI and Ontario DHI to form CanWest DHI
• Canadian Dairy Network (2002-2010): Served as a Board Member and Board Chairman, working to achieve strategic goals
• Dairy Farmers of Canada (2002-2010): Served as a Board Member and chaired the Scientific Review Committee (PESAC) for all national dairy production research in Canada (2004-2010). Additionally, represented the Dairy Farmers of Canada on the Industry-Government Advisory Committee for Traceability and profiled all aspects of the Canadian dairy industry to various foreign delegations

Most recently, he worked for Norwell Dairy Systems, Progressive Dairy Solutions/Capital Sales in industry and government relations, providing dairy expertise, oversight and strategic direction, while leveraging contacts, growing capital and profiling new technologies. Additionally, from 1996-2010 he was the owner of a top producing dairy herd in Grenville County where he developed embryo and cattle sales domestically and internationally.

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Michael’s caliber and experience take over the leadership of CLGA,” says Brad Sayles, CLGA Board President. “While we thank outgoing Executive Director Rick McRonald for his years of dedication, we also look forward to the continued leadership and revenue this organization provides Canadian livestock producers.”

Michael, his wife Wendy and two children reside in Mountain, Ontario.

The Canadian Livestock Genetics Association is a nationwide, not-for-profit trade association representing the market access and animal health interests of those involved in the sale, service and promotion of livestock genetics both domestically and internationally.

For Additional Information Please Contact: Brad Sayles, CLGA Board President 519-821-5060 • bsayles@semex.com

In January 2012, raw milk from the Family Cow dairy in Chambersburg, Pa., sickened 148 people across four states. Among those sickened was a toddler.

It demonstrates the ongoing hazards of unpasteurized dairy products, according to a new study pubished in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Read the study here.

While it might be possible to reduce the risks associated with unpasteurized milk consumption with further testing, consumers can never be assured that certified unpasteurized milk is pathogen-free, even when from a seemingly well-functioning dairy, the study said. “The only way to prevent unpasteurized milk-associated disease outbreaks is for consumers to refrain from consuming unpasteurized milk.”

Read more from the Food Poisoning Bulletin.

Douglas Powell, professor of food safety at Kansas State University, told NBC News that raw milk is “riskier than most foods.”

“Fecal matter just ends up in the milk — it’s not like you can see it,” he said. “No inspectors can see it — this isn’t CSI, where the bacteria just magically line up.”

See, “Raw milk sickened scores, even with oversight, report finds.” 

Source: Dairy Herd Network

The University of Minnesota Invites You to the First U.S. Precision Dairy Conference and Expo!

Precision Dairy 2013 will be held at: Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, Minnesota

Main Program and Expo: June 26 and 27, 2013

Optional Farm Tour: June 25, 2013

Precision dairy management involves the use of sensors to collect information automatically, and the use of robotics and other automation to deliver labor and management tasks automatically, resulting in reduced labor and management time and improved productivity and profitability.

The Precision Dairy 2013 program will include national and international speakers who are experts in this field, the latest research abstracts, and panels of producers who are using robotic milking, sensors and automated calf feeders.

The Expo will be an opportunity to see first-hand what companies have to offer in the growing and exciting field of precision technologies and equipment.

Please check our website often for news and additional details.

Mark Your Calendars!

The Canadian Dairy Commission created a new milk class for mozzarella cheese used on fresh pizzas, a move that is expected to drop the cost of pizza.

The new classification, approved by the commission this week, will take effect June 1, CBC News reported.

The cost of mozzarella cheese in Canada is high when compared to the world market. However, the new classification is expected to lower the price of Canadian-made mozzarella.

“I’ve been in this business 17 years, and this is the first time cheese has ever gone down,” Bob Abumeeiz, who owns Arcata Pizzeria in Windsor, Ontario, told CBC. “It’s unheard of.”

Abumeeiz said the price of a large slice of pizza may drop as much as 10 percent.

“Of course, it’s going to affect the price,” Abumeeiz said. “The more people that know about it, people are going to ask ‘cheese prices went down — how come the pizza price is the same?’ The customers are aware of what’s going on around them. It’s going to affect the bottom-line of the pizza price.”

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said the move is good for everyone in the pizza-making process.

It is “good news for Canadian dairy farmers, processors and our restaurant industry,” he said.
Source: UPI.Com

A trio of national consumer organizations expressed their strong opposition to “dairy programs that propose to assist dairy farmers by imposing limits on milk production” in letters sent this week to House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders this week. The comments refer to the Dairy Market Stabilization Program (DMSP), a supply management provision included in the Dairy Security Act, part of the Farm Bill versions proposed by the committees last year.

“The Dairy Market Stabilization Program is specifically designed to raise milk prices and would ultimately increase the prices that consumers pay for milk and dairy products,” the letter states. “We urge that you consider that programs which artificially increase milk prices will hit lower income consumers the most as they spend a higher proportion of their incomes on food than do other consumers.”

Consumer Action, the Consumer Federation of America and the National Consumers League urged Senate Committee on Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK) to reject the supply management provision “if that proposal is to be included in the Farm Bill. ”

The groups also pointed out in the letter that “Price increases caused by the Stabilization program would negatively impact federal nutrition assistance programs, on which millions of low-income families depend, by increasing program costs and reducing their purchasing power.

“At a time when so many U.S. consumers are having difficulty making ends meet, the last thing they need are unnecessary, artificial increases in the price of staple food products,” the letter concluded.

“This is much more than a milk-producer-against-processor issue because supply management will negatively impact the ability of millions of families to buy nutritious milk and dairy products,” said Jerry Slominski, senior vice president of legislative and economic affairs for the International Dairy Foods Association. “That’s why a broad spectrum of consumer groups and others have joined IDFA to oppose government policies that artificially raise prices on dairy foods for consumers.”

IDFA has been a leading opponent of the supply management provision since its introduction, as it would cause dairy food manufacturers to be directly regulated under the proposed new program; dairy exports would decline while dairy imports would be encouraged; and dairy industry growth and job creation would be stifled. IDFA supports a bipartisan compromise alternative known as the Dairy Freedom Act, which includes all of the elements of the Dairy Security Act except the Dairy Market Stabilization Program.

Copies of the letters can be found here and here.

Source: International Dairy Foods Association

Dairy veterinarians today are an essential partner to most dairy producers. By focusing on employee education and helping create and implement overall herd health programs, veterinarians at Lodi Veterinary Care in Wisconsin have become essential partners to the producers they work with. Photo courtesy of Lodi Veterinary Care.

If dairy veterinarians still viewed their primary role as treating individual sick animals, many in the profession would be obsolete.

The 60-cow stanchion barn no longer dominates the culture of the dairy industry, and producers have evolved to a new era of dairying.

Progressive research, innovative technologies and planned marketing opportunities have helped producers grow with the industry.

Veterinarians have followed a similar road of progression. As dairies have grown in size and sophistication, progressive dairy veterinary practices have acquired technology and developed consulting skills to support today’s professional dairy businesses.

A mentality of herd health, collaboration and team education helps leading veterinarians continue to partner with producers to help meet reproductive, production and employee goals.

A reproductive program is the foundation of herd health
A veterinarian’s role today revolves around a complete herd health program. While reproduction is but one area where dairy veterinarians bring value, the term “herd health” is an accurate description of a veterinarian’s true role on a dairy.

Through the regular schedule of a reproductive program, a veterinarian devotes enough time to become thoroughly familiar with the dairy, its goals and the capabilities and interests of its management.

Many times, a weekly visit puts the veterinarian in a position to help identify problems and understand where additional support will be a welcomed asset.

Three revolutionary developments in dairy cattle reproduction technology have further enhanced the value of the reproductive program: ultrasound, synchronization programs and heat detection systems.

In addition to diagnosing pregnancies at an earlier stage, a trained veterinarian using an ultrasound can determine the sex of the fetus, see if the cow is carrying twins and – especially important – evaluate the health of the fetus and identify abnormal or recently dead fetuses at an early stage.

A veterinarian can also find uterine or ovarian abnormalities and prescribe treatments, permitting the cow to become fertile again and continue to be an asset for the herd.

Likewise, an understanding of reproductive physiology combined with the ongoing regular relationship with the producer allows the veterinarian to prescribe a specific synchronization program and heat detection systems that will work best in each herd.

The team meeting brings all players together
In addition to expertise in technology, Lodi Veterinary Care in Lodi, Wisconsin, continues to grow as a partner to our producers because of a team mentality. This begins with regular team meetings.

In addition to the veterinarian and owner, these team meetings often include the nutritionist, dairy managers, A.I. technicians and, potentially, bankers and other vendors. The team meets periodically to discuss concerns on the dairy, to formulate a plan and to problem-solve.

For some clients, the veterinarian leads the meeting and sets the agenda. For others, the veterinarians serve as valued participants.

Some of the issues identified will require further research, and sometimes other experts are needed to help resolve the issues. When needed, veterinarians can employ their contacts in academia, industry or colleagues within the practice.

Coordinating animal health with overall management of the dairy operation is an opportunity for today’s large animal doctors to maximize the value of their services – helping producers to succeed through collaboration.

Utilizing dairies’ performance measurement and monitoring systems
Almost all large dairies utilize a computerized system to store data for each animal, run lists for management tasks such as herd health and analyze performance data.

By becoming a partner in the herd, veterinarians can download their clients’ data from systems like Dairy Comp 305 or PC Dart. The reports help the veterinarian monitor and analyze breeding programs, milk quality and quantity, disease incidence and virtually anything else that is entered by the dairy.

Discussion of these parameters between the veterinarian and dairy management can lead to changes that affect the dairy’s profitability. In recent years, our clinic has found this data so valuable to producer-veterinary partnerships that the practice is providing these systems for herds that don’t otherwise subscribe.

Partner in policy and protocol development
Veterinarians and producers today must work together to manage protocols and adhere to industry policy. This shared risk with dairy producers engages veterinarians as the key advisers for antibiotic usage protocols and associated record-keeping.

Residue violations are extremely costly to the dairy and jeopardize consumer confidence in our products. Modern dairies can also rely on protocols to make management decisions on parlor milking procedures, vaccination schedules and disease treatment.

The veterinarian’s understanding of disease process, pathogen load, exposure factors, immune systems and environmental risk factors, combined with familiarity with an individual dairy’s management, makes the veterinarian well-suited to develop and monitor these protocols.

Monitoring these protocols is just as important as their development, and veterinary education in critical control pathways is invaluable in detecting and correcting inevitable protocol drift.

Supporting employee education
Farm employees are often responsible for carrying out herd health tasks. To keep employees knowledgeable on industry advancements and protocol, we have prioritized increased support for dairy employee education.

Integrating employees from different backgrounds and cultures with various levels of experience takes time and planning. Veterinarians can help train management and front-line employees in proper calving pen protocols, newborn care, milking parlor procedures, animal behavior, animal-handling techniques and early disease diagnosis.

By sharing their knowledge of animal diseases and control, the veterinarian can advise on proper treatment recommendations, record-keeping and injection site locations and techniques.

For example, dairies benefit from veterinary involvement in fresh pen management. Fresh cows are particularly vulnerable to many diseases that can result in them being set back at this crucial stage in their lactation or even involuntarily culled.

In addition to performing regularly scheduled fresh pen exams, veterinarians can educate managers and write protocols that will help these cows have a successful lactation.

Building relationships on trust and respect
A successful partnership between veterinarians and producers begins with a relationship built on trust and respect.

We have created these partnerships by maintaining an open line of communication between veterinarians and producers. Because of this communication, our clients and veterinarians work together through a trusted relationship.

This collaboration goes hand-in-hand with many nationwide surveys that rank veterinarians as one of the most trusted professions in America.

To keep these relationships intact and the industry moving forward, veterinarians and producers must continue to work together to set goals in herd health, employee education and reproductive strategies.

At the core of any successful practice, veterinarians still have a doctor/patient perspective. However, in addition to treating sick animals as needed, today’s modern dairy veterinary practice views the whole herd as the patient and the health of the dairy business as a primary objective.

Preventing disease, increasing cow comfort and advancing animal welfare on a whole-herd basis is powerful. These practices lead not only to a healthy, comfortable herd but also to a healthy, profitable business.

Source: Progressive Dairyman

Tom and Jake Peissig stand in front of their new dairy facility in Dorchester, Wisconsin. Photo courtesy of DeLaval.

Never in his wildest dreams did Jake Peissig think he’d see a 30-pound-per-cow increase when he and his father built a new robotic milking facility.

Now, according to a DeLaval press release, JTP Farms in Dorchester, Wisconsin, achieved the highest production for any VMS (voluntary milking system) customer in the world – and possibly any producer milking robotically.

In a seven-day period this winter, the dairy – owned by Tom and Peggy Peissig and Jake and Tolea Peissig – harvested an average of 6,453 pounds of milk per milking station from their 247-cow herd, equaling 104.5 pounds per day.

“It has far exceeded our expectations,” Jake Peissig says. When they budgeted for their expansion they had hoped to average 68 pounds per cow per day in the first year and 72 pounds in the second year. Within 13 months in the new facility they had hit 100 pounds per cow per day.

The farm started milking their cows with the robots in January 2012. Previously they were utilizing a remodeled stanchion barn that had small freestalls with mattresses and a double-four flat barn parlor.

“A big factor in planning for success went into designing our new facility. We put a premium on cow comfort and animal welfare, and it’s clearly proving out as the right decision,” Peissig says.

The new cross-ventilated facility has sand-bedded freestalls, swinging cow brushes and automatic manure scrappers.

“Everything about this new facility brings better comfort to the cows,” Peissig says. The layout and design makes moving cows less stressful. Cows are brought into the barn at three to four weeks prefresh, and they stay there throughout their lactation.

Before they were forced to cull a lot of cows due to poor feet and legs. Now they are down to a 4 percent cull rate, which is helping them fill their new facility faster.

The new operation also requires significantly less labor with just two full-time employees for the entire herd and cropping needs. Instead of milking, the Peissigs are spending management time with the cows, focusing more on reproduction and herd health than they could in the old facility.

Labor was a leading factor in their decision to install robots. Another was to position themselves for future technologies coming up the line.

While the record-setting production has fallen a bit, the herd is still doing well in the mid to upper 90s. Peissig says his cows could certainly do better and there is no limit to what a cow can produce in an automatic milking system.

The only limitation is that, like any milking system – automatic or not, it can only perform so many milkings a day based on time it is occupied or being cleaned. Fewer cows in the pen would open up time for each to be milked more often.

JTP Farms is averaging 2.7 milkings per day. They like to keep about 65 cows per unit and in the last 30 days have averaged 6,000 pounds per robot.

With an emphasis on cow comfort and more time spent on management, JTP Farms will continue to push for maximum performance from their new facility.

Jake Peissig will be a participant on the robotic milking producer panel at the first-ever U.S. Precision Dairy Conference and Expo, June 25-27, in Rochester, Minnesota. Learn more about the event athttp://precisiondairy.umn.edu

Source: Progressive Dairy

Visalia, CA, April 30, 2013 – The A.I. industry lost an ambassador and friend with the sudden passing of Mike Rakes in the early hours of Monday, April 29. Mike passed away in Visalia, CA while in surgery for a ruptured aorta.

A farm boy from the hills of Arkansas, Mike followed his passion for dairy cattle genetics and received a Bachelor of Science in Dairy Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  He was active in school as student Senator, National Officer in ADSA and was the outstanding graduating senior. In 1994, Mike completed an executive MBA program at Pepperdine University.

Mike was an incredible colleague and great friend, to many around the world. He worked in over 50 countries on four continents during his 34 year tenure at World Wide Sires; most recently in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Iran, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China and Taiwan.

Mike was very involved in the dairy industry and local community.  He was a past Director of the National Dairy Shrine, Rotarian and Director of the YMCA.

Mike never met a stranger and always found the good in people. His never-ending smile, larger-than-life laugh and ability to light up the room will be missed.

He was a proud husband and father of 4 incredible daughters that were the center of his life.

Mike is survived by his wife Debra Rakes, daughter Brittney Creasey (Alexander Creasey), daughter Brenna Keck (Peter Keck), daughter Brooke Rakes, daughter Brilynn Rakes, grandchildren Noelle and Asher Keck, brother Randy Rakes (Jack Rakes), sister Missy Gentile (Russ Gentile), father Jerry Rakes, and mother Betty Rakes.

Funeral services will be held Friday, May 10, at 11:00 a.m. at the Visalia First Assembly of God Church located at 3737 S Akers St., Visalia, CA 93277. A reception will be held at World Wide Sires (5545 Avenida de los Robles, Visalia) immediately following.

About 3 weeks ago, Mike did an interview about his legally blind daughter who was a feature dancer on Dancing with the Stars.

Many Factors Influence Reproductive Performance.  Reproductive performance is determined by many factors, and the overall reproductive performance is determined by multiplying these factors together (not adding them). The four overall most important factors when dairy cattle are artificially inseminated are listed below.

A = Cows accurately detected in heat and inseminated (%)
B = Fertility level of the herd (%)
C = Semen fertility level (%)
D = Inseminator efficiency (%)

Multiplying these factors together yields the percentage of cows pregnant which is one important measure of reproductive performance. This equation is commonly referred to as the fertility equation.

Fertility Equation = A x B x C x D = % Pregnant

The fertility of a herd can never be better than the weakest link in the chain. For example,
if the efficiency of A, B, and D is 95% (.95), and C is zero then no cows will become pregnant.

Example: .95 x .95 x .00 x .95 = 0.00%

If the efficiency of all of the factors are low, the result is subpar fertility.

Example: .60 x .80 x .60 x .60 = 17.3%
Example: .50 x .75 x .75 x .95 = 26.7%

Efficiency must be high for all of the factors to result in good fertility.

Example: .80 x .75 x .90 x .90 = 48.6%
Example: .80 x .85 x .90 x .90 = 55.1%

Most herds which experience subpar reproductive performance are having small issues in several areas. We must maximize efficiency in all areas to achieve good reproductive performance.

Source: UK Ag Extension

It’s nothing to shout about, but the USDA’s milk-feed ratio did move in a positive direction in April.

According to the USDA’s “Agricultural Prices” report released on Tuesday, the preliminary milk-feed ratio for April is 1.56, up from 1.48 in March. This marks an upward swing after four straight months of decline.

The all-milk price used in calculating the ratio also rose, climbing from $19.10 per hundredweight in March to $19.30 in April.

Lower feed prices also played a role in the improving milk-feed ratio. Corn prices dropped by 46 cents from March ― $7.13 per bushel to $6.67. The soybean price also fell, sinking 40 cents to $14.20 per bushel in April.

Alfalfa hay dropped by $4 to $215.

Read the report here.

The milk-feed ratio is a rough measure of dairy profitability. It represents the pounds of 16-percent mixed dairy feed equal in value to 1 pound of whole milk. Therefore, with a 1.56 ratio in April, a dairy producer could buy 1.56 pounds of feed for every 1 pound of milk sold.

Some people question how valid the USDA’s milk-feed ratio is. See this story. But the USDA has been using the same formula for years, comparing the same

Holstein UK can now offer members the opportunity to run a UK genomic evaluation on both their male and female calves.

“Running genomic evaluations on male calves has been restricted to AI companies until now, but the service is now available to all breeders”, explains Holstein UK’s Suzanne Harding. “There are a number of options available and it’s best for breeders to look at the Holstein UK website at www.holstein-uk.org to find out which evaluation best suits their requirements”, continued Suzanne.

Genomic evaluation has proved popular with UK breeders as the extra information accrued can be useful in deciding which females to breed from. The technology continues to develop rapidly and is also being used by breeding organisations all over the world as a means of deciding which young bulls to progeny test.

(May 1, 1925 – April 30, 2013) It is with great sadness, we announce the passing of Allan Orr at Southlake Regional Health Centre, Newmarket on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.  Allan Orr of Bradford in his 87th  year.  Devoted husband to Mary (nee Keffer) for 63 years. Loving dad of Ron (Christine), Anita (Wayne) Storey and Pat (Tom) Crozier. Proud  Poppa of Jeff (Lee) Orr, Brent (Melanie) Orr; Mary Ann (Mikel) Hogg, Michelle Storey; Jocelyn (Doug) Harrington, Stephanie Crozier (Justin Blanchfield) and Mike Crozier. Great Poppa to Owen and Elise Harrington; and Ellington Allan James Orr. Predeceased by his brother Gordon Orr and his sister Anna Johnston. Allan will be fondly remembered by his nieces, nephews and many friends. Friends may call at SKWARCHUK FUNERAL HOME, 30 Simcoe Rd., Bradford (1-800-209-4803) for visitation on Friday from 2-4 p.m. & 7-9 p.m. Funeral service will be held at the St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2940 10th Sideroad, Bradford on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 11 a.m. followed by cremation. In Allan’s memory, donations may be made to the Bond Head United Church Accessibility Fund.

Condolences can be sent to:

Mary Orr or Ron Orr
R.R. #1, 3267 Line 4
Bradford, ON  L3Z 2A4
A floral tribute will be sent on behalf of the Ontario Holstein Branch.

The Holstein UK Board have passed two key policies which will be introduced on the 18th May 2013

Policy 1:
Stature scale will be changed by 2 points to accurately reflect and measure the Holstein population which has increased in size beyond the current limits of the measurements. In clear terms this means:
Max 9 will = 160cm (at the moment 9 = 154cm), so 154cm will in effect become a new ‘7’
It is important to understand that the final class and score system has NOT changed and animals are not being scored any differently than currently. The stature scale is increasing and the extremes will continue to be unrewarded within classification.

Policy 2:
The classification of 2nd calvers as Excellent will cease from the 18th May 2013. This decision has been based on extensive research into longevity and lifetime yield.

When milk prices hit their highest levels ever in recent years, much of the success was attributed to a strong export market. And according Dr. Bob Cropp with the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension, those international sales may be the best chance for bigger milk checks again this year. In his monthly Dairy Situation and Outlook report, the professor emeritus said domestic sales of cheese are reported to be fair with butter sales strengthening, but dairy exports are starting out above year ago levels.

“Compared to a year ago exports were up 34% for butter, 9% for cheese, 37% for lactose, and 43% for whey protein concentrates,” Cropp said. “But, exports of nonfat drymilk/skimmilk powder and dry whey were respectively 15% and 9% lower.”

He says exports are anticipated to improve as drought in New Zealand has cut their seasonal milk production short and output is running lower in Argentina and Australia, as well.  European countries are also producing less milk and dairy products.

“With this level of milk production in the major exporting countries we can expect exports of nonfat drymilk/skimmilk powder and dry whey to also run above year ago levels by summer,” Cropp noted.

Here in the U.S., dairy product prices have also shown real strength in recent weeks reflecting anticipation of continued growth in domestic sales. CME butter was $1.57 per pound the beginning of March and improved to $1.78 by April 19th. CME cheddar barrels were $1.56 per pound early last month and  were at $1.77 by April 19. Cheddar blocks were also improved to $1.88 as of last week.

“Stronger dairy product prices are adding strength to milk prices,” he adds. “The Class III price was $16.93 in March compared to $15.72 a year ago. The Class IV price was $17.75 compared to $15.53 a year ago. April prices will improve to near $17.65 for Class III and $18.30 for Class IV. Dairy futures  continue to show strength for distant months.”

He notes that if the growth in milk production continues to increase at a slow level as exports get better, the Class III milk price could reach as high as $20.00 by summer or early fall.

Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection

The milk quality premium has long been the standard in the U.S. dairy system. Producers are rewarded for producing milk with lower somatic cell counts with dollars that are over and above the flat price per hundredweight (cwt). This system has been around for a long time for good reason: It works.

However, as the dairy market hurtles toward globalization, the definition of quality milk is changing. To meet current European Union (EU) standards, a somatic cell count (SCC) of 400,000 cells per ml is already expected by processors who export their product overseas.

In addition, certification programs like SQF-1000 and the Global Food Safety Initiative become more accepted and adhered to in order to compete with stricter standards overseas.

Lower SCC limits are being put in place by processors and by regulators, and the system of premiums for quality milk is in danger of being replaced by an expectation of quality milk. In some instances, milk that doesn’t measure up is being discounted or even refused.

If these changes become more commonplace, the question now on everyone’s mind will be: “Will a shift from premiums to penalties have a negative impact on overall domestic milk quality?”

Simply put: No. I don’t think this trend will have negative impact. American dairymen have already proven that they can produce the best quality milk on the planet, no matter the incentive.

The carrot, the stick or our own best interest?
The bright, shiny secret in the U.S. dairy industry is that the majority of U.S. dairies already produce milk that’s of a higher quality than the standard demanded by the EU, and many dairies regularly achieve a threshold below 300,000 cells per ml.

A 2008 survey by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service found that the average SCC count on American dairies was 245,000 per ml. So maybe the question in our industry shouldn’t be: “How will a lack of incentive programs affect producers’ milk quality?” Maybe we should be asking ourselves, “Why don’t we shoot for less than 300,000 per ml as a rule?”

It’s been proven that producers make a better product when incentives and premiums are at stake. According to a 2008 study published by the American Dairy Association, a higher premium offered to a producer regularly results in milk with less than 200,000 per ml.

If 200,000 is already proven to be an achievable goal, it seems that it would behoove all producers to simply aim for that number, as opposed to waiting to be enticed to produce that number. Whether there are premiums involved or not, a better product will affect the long-run bottom line of a dairy producer more than anything else.

How good can it get?
The big question then becomes: “What number is reasonably attainable?” As the annual National Dairy Quality Awards prove, regular counts of less than 100,000 per ml are not uncommon, and less than 50,000 is a real possibility.

With hard evidence that the “best” producers in the country regularly hit numbers smaller than six figures, the de facto industry standard of 400,000 per ml seems unreasonably high and easily attainable, especially with the plethora of cleaning, sanitation and animal health products readily available.

Routinely achieving better SCC levels as an industry will benefit us all, no matter the impetus behind the ultimate goal.

It is estimated that high SCC levels cost the industry more than $2 billion every year, and a study by Quality Milk Production Services proved that decreasing SCC from 400,000 per ml to 300,000 per ml can increase milk production by more than 1.2 pounds per cow per day.

In the long run, this extra production more than makes up for any up-front costs for sanitation equipment or lack of incentives. And if the U.S. dairy industry becomes known for strict SCC levels and better milk quality as a result, the increased export demand will trump everything else – because selling more milk is everyone’s goal.

Though the federal SCC limit remains at 750,000 per ml, those days are coming to an end. In 2011, theNational Committee on Interstate Milk Shipments narrowly voted down a proposal to lower the national limit to 400,000 per ml.

Idaho and Oregon dropped their legal limits to 400,000 and 500,000 per ml, respectively, in 2012, and Washington has a proposal on the table to drop the state’s standard to 400,000 per ml. Major U.S. buyers like Kroger are setting their own limits (250,000 per ml) that already best the EU standard.

Given my position, you’d expect that I would be in favor of reducing SCC counts at all costs, across the board. But I don’t advocate for lower counts because it’s in my company’s best interest.

I advocate for lower counts because I see what is possible and understand the longer-term advantages for our producers and our industry in taking and maintaining a global leadership position. There is no reason American dairy producers can’t be the global leaders when it comes to milk quality.

It should be our vision, as an industry, for U.S. dairy producers to achieve and sustain the position as the global leader in quality milk production, both for producers’ long-term success and our success as an industry.

The high-quality carrot may be disappearing in the dairy industry, but it’s in all of our best interests to get ahead of the stick and just produce the best milk we possibly can.

Source: Progressive Dairyman

Winners of the dairy industry’s prestigious Sustainability Awards join the ranks of celebrities, athletes and influencers – from country music singer Miranda Lambert to movie star Salma Hayek to actor and father Taye Diggs – by donning the famed Milk Mustache for their own ad. The dairy industry leaders were recognized yesterday for their efforts to advance sustainability at the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards in Washington, D.C.

This marks the second year MilkPEP, most known for the National Milk Mustache “got milk?®” Campaign – a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk – has sponsored the Sustainability Award Milk Mustache ad.

“We at MilkPEP are pleased to be able to use the iconic got milk? brand equity to gain broader awareness for the Sustainability Awards and the impressive and important accomplishments of the winners,” Said MilkPEP CEO Vivien Godfrey.

Six of the dairy industry’s sustainability leaders are featured in the ad that will appear in the June issue of Dairy Foods magazine.

Mark Petersen- Petersen Dairy Farms (Appleton, Wis.)
Chrystal Obbink- Prairieland Dairy (Firth, Neb.)
Carolyn DeGroot- Skyridge Farms (Sunnyside, Wash.)
Kam Fierstine- Unilever Henderson Ice Cream Plant (Henderson, Nev.)
Renee Jacobs- Green Valley Dairy (Krakow, Wis.)
Stacie Ballard- Ballard Family Dairy & Cheese (Gooding, Idaho)

For the second time in two years, state public health and agriculture department officials participating in the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) turned down a proposal to reduce the maximum allowable level of somatic cell counts in milk. A lower level of somatic cells indicates higher quality milk.

At its meeting in Indianapolis this week, the NCIMS voting delegates – a group of state regulators overseeing milk safety rules – considered a proposal sponsored by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) to reduce the maximum threshold of allowable somatic cells in milk at the farm level from the current 750,000 cells/mL, down to 400,000, starting in 2015. But on a close vote, the delegates rejected the proposal, meaning that the status quo threshold of 750,000 will remain for domestic milk production – putting the U.S. “behind the curve when it comes to milk quality standards,” according to Jerry Kozak, NMPF President & CEO.

On a related decision with trade policy implications, the NCIMS delegates approved a proposal to permanently allow foreign dairy marketers to participate in the U.S. Grade A program, by permitting required sanitation evaluations of overseas dairy farms and processing facilities to be carried out by third-party, non-governmental inspectors.

“Dairy farmers in the world’s major milk producing regions have made great strides in reducing somatic cell count levels. Regulatory systems around the world have moved to incorporate these lower somatic cell count levels, and the U.S. needs to be on board with that process, not be left watching from the side of the road by the failure to update our standards,” said Kozak. “We continue to be perplexed by the inconsistency of those state regulators who voted to make it easier to import Grade A dairy products into the United States by outsourcing mandatory inspections, while at the same time rejecting efforts to facilitate the export of American dairy products,” Kozak said.

A similar somatic cell count proposal was defeated by the NCIMS in 2011. Since then, the European Union has moved ahead with a somatic cell count limit of 400,000 for dairy products being exported by the U.S. to EU member countries.

“While the NCIMS has performed admirably in protecting the safety of Grade A milk and dairy products for more than 60 years, we are now in a global dairy marketplace and the Conference needs to recognize this reality,” said Kozak.

“Our farmers are doing their part by continuing to provide ever-higher quality milk, but they are not getting credit for it with overseas customers because we are at the mercy of a regulatory mechanism that seems unwilling to maintain the same pace of improvement. Unfortunately, NCIMS is currently the only national regulatory forum at which to resolve these important issues for the dairy industry,” he said.

NMPF also expressed disappointment at the NCIMS delegates’ rejection this week of a resolution calling for the enhanced enforcement of federal labeling regulations affecting the marketing of imitation Grade A dairy products, such as soy, hemp and rice “milks,” and soy and rice “yogurt.” The recommendation was also opposed by representatives of the dairy processing community.

“Without the backing of state and federal regulators, and the dairy processing community itself, the nation’s dairy farmers remain the sole advocates for enforcement of proper labeling on imitation dairy products. It is disappointing that the leadership of the dairy processing industry spoke out against the labeling enforcement resolution,” Kozak added.

Alltech’s chief scientific officer Karl Dawson speaks about the nutritional revolution and how what we feed animals enhances the consumer’s experience at last year’s Alltech Symposium.

It is often hard to explain why one calf will make it through calving season while another doesn’t survive or why only one sow achieves four more piglets as production numbers stay the same for the rest of the barn. Nutrition experts say it’s all about feeding the genes, and this year Alltech will dedicate an entire track to the study of nutrigenomics at GLIMPSE 2020: the 29th Annual Alltech International Symposium in Lexington, Ky., USA, May 19-22.

“Over the past three decades, when we discussed animal nutrition, we talked about increasing performance through a stress pack,” said Dr. Kate Jacques, Alltech’s director of nutrition. “Today we look at how nutrition affects gene expression – we want to feed livestock to up-regulate key genes, improve immune response, advance carcass quality and leave less impact on the environment. This shift in industry focus changes the priority from just getting more nutrients into the animal, to understanding the degree to which each nutrient affects animal production at the cell and tissue levels.”

This year Alltech will award its annual Medal of Excellence to a major player in the field of nutrigenomics. Dr. Eugenia Wang, University of Louisville, will be honored for her work in microRNA in both the U.S. and China.

“When Watson and Crick discovered DNA, the world changed. Today it is not DNA that is at the cutting edge, nor is it the RNA message derived from the DNA. It is microRNA,” said Dr. Karl Dawson, chief scientific officer, Alltech. “Regardless of the genetic makeup, these newly discovered, tiny pieces of RNA dictate how genes will function throughout an animal’s life, and Dr. Eugenia Wang is one of America’s and China’s finest scientists in this field of study.”

New in 2013, Alltech International Symposium delegates will have the opportunity to select breakout session tracks. These tracks, as opposed to traditional species or subject breakouts, will offer attendees a more holistic experience in which they take part in discussions ranging from algae and agriculture’s carbon footprint to nutrition and marketing.

The animal nutrigenomics discussions include:

• Activating the Power Within Through Nutrigenomics: Feed not your body, but the genes in your body. Why is it that the mother’s nutrition and first foods provided to a child are so crucial for development and health throughout life? Similarly, the first 90 hours of a chicken’s life will define the levels of nutrients needed to maximize the bird’s well-being.
• A Revolution. A Revelation: Discover the new concepts that will drive nutrition and its connection to health. Could diseases be delayed, mitigated, removed or eliminated if we simply adhere to some basic nutritional programs?
• Forget about Chemical Descriptions of Proteins, Fats, Fibers and Amino Acids: Our diets will soon be defined by responses not to our DNA or RNA, but to our microRNA, which defines the switches that control our destiny.
• Success Begins and Ends with Fertility: China averages 16 pigs per sow. The U.S. averages 20 pigs per sow, yet we are looking for 35 plus pigs per sow. Learn to understand how fertility works at the gene level, and translate that into profit.
• Nutrients to Genes to Profits: Learn how our understanding of the gene chip and microRNA has dramatically changed nutrition. Learn how to lower costs and improve profits through using more inexpensive raw materials, such as fiber.

Registration for Alltech’s 29th Annual International Symposium is open now and available for an early discount price of $599 until April 25 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Standard registration after April 25 will be $850. Two paid registrations from a single company or organization will receive a third registration free of charge. Delegates who are members of ARPAS and AAVSB can also earn CEUs.

Attendees are encouraged to register early as space is limited. Of the nearly 3,000 international delegates who attended the 2012 Alltech International Symposium, 97 percent indicated that they plan to attend again.

For more information, or to request an invitation, contact a local Alltech representative, visitwww.alltech.com/symposium or email symposium@alltech.com.

Precision dairy farming involves the use of technologies to measure physiological, behavioral, and production indicators on individual animals. The primary goals of precision dairy farming are to 1) maximize individual animal performance, 2) detect diseases early, and 3) minimize the use of medication through preventive health measures.

Examples of precision dairy farming technologies include milk yield recording systems, milk component monitors, activity monitors, lying and rumination behavior monitors, milk conductivity indicators, and heat detection monitors.

A new fact sheet from dairy scientists at the University of Kentucky provides questions to consider before making the investment in these technologies

Read “Pre-Investment Considerations for Precision Dairy Farming Technologies,” by Karmella Dolecheck and Jeffrey Bewley, Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky.

The three-page fact sheet also discusses how the technology works and tips for getting started.

Source: Kentucky Dairy Notes, April 2013

END OF THE LINE: Jeff Coy and his wife Diane have made an emotional decision to leave the dairy industry.

It is one of the toughest decisions Jeff and Diane Coy have ever made, but in the end the Freestone couple believe they had no choice but to abandon the dairy industry.

Yesterday they put their entire milking herd up for auction, alongside the tools of their trade a mixing wagon, a milk vat and an assortment of other equipment critical to their dairy operation.

After 20 years of being tied to early starts and late finishes the decision to get out was “bittersweet”.

“It’s been getting harder and harder and we just got to a point where we are sick of doing this for no return,” Mr Coy explained.

“And the truth was we couldn’t afford to do it anymore.”

The Coys are among more than 50 Queensland dairy farmers, who have exited the industry over the past two years.

“Staying dairying wasn’t helping us financially or health wise or stress wise and at the end of every month we had the worry of how to pay our bills.”

Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation president Brian Tessman said depressingly more farmers, like the Coys, were leaving the industry as farm gate prices slipped below the cost of production.

“There are 55 fewer dairy farmers than two years ago, equalling a loss of about $220 million of investment in fresh milk production in Queensland,” Mr Tessman said.

“Farmers who supply the major processors are receiving 3-6 cents per litre less for their milk compared to 2009/10 while costs of milk production have continued to rise.”

He said the industry urgently needed government intervention to deal with issues like the supermarket milk price war.

Dairy livestock specialist John Cochrane, who oversaw yesterday’s auction, believes the supermarket price war is “murdering the milk industry”.

“Confidence in the sector has fallen, farm gate prices are so low people just don’t have the margins to fight the elements,” he said.

“We have been seeing 80 to 85 dairy farmers leave the Queensland industry every year. And they are being forced to sell and find another future, because although they want to be in the industry they just can’t make a living with prices the way they are.”

At a grassroots level the Coys too are worried about the industry’s future and wonder if their grandchildren will be the first generation in Australia to see UHT milk replace fresh product on supermarket shelves.

But from a personal level they couldn’t see a way to stay in the sector where rising electricity and feed grain costs and falling milk prices had eroded their once viable operation.

“If we stayed dairying we risked losing everything we have worked for.”

Yet the pressure of leaving the industry they have dedicated two decades of their working life too weighs heavily on Mr Coy.

However he knows many of the industry’s problems extend beyond his farm gate.

“A dollar a litre milk has devastated dairy farmers, no matter what the big companies tell you it has had an impact on farm,” Mr Coy said.

“Yes there have been other issues too, but the bottom line every single cost we have has gone up, while the price we are getting for our milk has gone down.”

So after sleepless nights the Coys made the difficult decision to sell their 200 dairy cows, retaining their 220ha Southern Downs farm to concentrate on hay making.

“Staying dairying wasn’t helping us financially or health wise or stress wise and at the end of every month we had the worry of how to pay our bills.

“It’s a very difficult place to be in, especially when we had always prided ourselves on how we ran our business.”

So yesterday the couple stood anxiously on the sidelines as 20 years of hard work was sold under the hammer.

The best of their dairy herd sold for $2500, while the predominately Friesian herd averaged $1147.

Mr Cochrane said the top price reflected the quality of milkers, but the average – $500 below previous sales of similar stock – highlighted farmers’ faltering confidence in the industry.

Source: The Chronicle

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy has announced the winners of the second annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards.

The program recognizes dairy farms and businesses of all sizes for practices that advance the industry’s commitment to healthy products, healthy communities and a healthy planet.

“The strength of the award winners’ stories illustrates why consumers can be confident about choosing their favorite dairy foods and beverages,” said Barbara O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, which was founded by dairy producers. “These and thousands of other actions being taken every day — both large and small — contribute to the industry’s overall commitment to a healthy future for the next generation.”

The winners were selected based on results that delivered triple-bottom-line results to advance economic, environmental and social sustainability. An independent panel of judges — which included experts from academic institutions, government, dairy science organizations, nongovernmental organizations and media as well as environmental and dairy industry leaders — also assessed the potential for adoption by others as well as demonstrated learning, innovation and improvement.

“This year’s winners include dairy farms and businesses from across the country who took steps to reduce their environmental impact, improve their profitability and increase their contribution to a sustainable 21^st century food system,” said Molly Jahn, professor of genetics and agronomy at University of Wisconsin-Madison and a member of the awards’ judges panel.

The 2013 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards Winners include:

Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability

Petersen Dairy Farm, Appleton, Wis.: When the city of Appleton, Wis., decided to build a high school less than half of a mile from Petersen Dairy Farm, the Petersen family began exploring composting as a way to manage the dairy’s manure and associated odors. Now compost is sold at the dairy by the 5-gallon pail or truckload, primarily to home gardeners. Visitors witness firsthand how their old newspapers are recycled as bedding for the cows, or mixed with manure, composted and ultimately returned to their gardens for use as mulch and to their yards for plant food. By turning their urban location into an asset, the Petersens prove that cows can be good neighbors.

Prairieland Dairy, Firth, Neb.: A creative partnership among four families put this dairy on the path to long-term prosperity and allows employees at Firth, Neb.-based Prairieland Dairy to focus on their specific talents. Sustainable design is reflected in every aspect of the facilities, which were built to be efficient and low-impact while maximizing cow comfort. Automatic cooling, waste management and pest control systems are just part of the solution. Prairieland Dairy also taps into the natural power of wind, gravity, and the geothermal properties of well water to reduce the use of energy, water and equipment, for savings estimated at more than $200,000.

Skyridge Farms, Sunnyside, Wash.: Dan DeGroot, owner of Skyridge Farms, a dairy in Sunnyside, Wash., cultivated an organization that optimizes performance and preserves the environment. Since 2003, DeGroot has improved lighting, added occupancy sensors and installed a programmable logic control system. The management team can automatically control lighting, fans, and soaker and flush systems. By doing so, they maintain optimum performance, reduce costs and keep the herd comfortable. This upgrade alone yields a 20 percent energy savings annually across the five freestall barns. With composting, Skyridge Farms harvests manure nutrients, provides quality bedding for the herd and eliminates 600 truckloads annually previously used to transport manure.

Honorable mention McCarty Family Farms, Rexford, Kan.: The McCarty Family, owners of McCarty Family Farms, have revitalized their rural northwestern Kansas community by providing more than 100 direct jobs, creating a need for additional housing and in turn increasing school enrollment. McCarty Family Farms’ unique “cow to cup” partnership with Dannon and the addition of an on-site processing plant has improved economic stability while aggressively reducing their environmental impact. The plant has yielded significant progress toward the dairy’s water reduction goal. Approximately 59,400 gallons of raw milk from the three dairies is processed through an evaporator every day to remove excess water before being separated into cream and skim milk. Every drop of the water removed during the evaporation process — 39,000 gallons per day — is reused throughout the dairies.

Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability

Unilever, Henderson, Nev., plant: Since 2010, Unilever plants worldwide have been implementing the company’s Sustainable Living Plan — an initiative that is working to improve consumer health and well-being, to reduce environmental impact and to enhance livelihoods. Employees at the Henderson, Nev.-based ice cream plant worked side by side with environmental experts to analyze energy efficiency and water usage. The team identified an opportunity to reconfigure, automate and optimize systems to reduce electricity use by 13 percent, natural gas use by 16 percent and water consumption by more than 1.1 million gallons per year. The Unilever ice cream plants in the Americas division regularly meet and share best practices to help reach Unilever’s ambitious environmental goals.

Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency 

Ballard Family Dairy & Cheese, Gooding, Idaho: Energy efficiency is sometimes overlooked, but at Ballard Family Dairy & Cheese in Gooding, Idaho, the Ballards see it as a way to reduce their overhead costs and eliminate propane use. An energy audit and a team of energy management experts helped identify four primary areas of savings, which included using solar thermal power for the hot water system, installing LED lighting, replacing vacuum pumps and adjusting the milk cooling process. The Ballards achieved their goals, saving $23,000 annually and reducing the dairy’s carbon footprint by 121,500 pounds per year, while decreasing its water footprint by 365,000 gallons annually.

Outstanding Achievement in Renewable Energy

Green Valley Dairy, Krakow, Wis.: At Green Valley Dairy in Krakow, Wis., the management team’s “waste not” philosophy has them constantly evaluating opportunities to reclaim energy, recycle water and repurpose manure nutrients. In 2005, Green Valley Dairy set out to build on this belief. The management team determined that anaerobic digesters would help manage manure nutrients and reduce odors while decreasing the dairy’s carbon footprint. Although it was one of the first digesters in Wisconsin, the benefits of this plan quickly gained public support. Today, three anaerobic digesters have the capacity to produce 1,200 kWh of “green” electricity — most of which is used on the dairy or sold to the local utility.

Honorable mention Fulper Family Farmstead, Lambertville, N.J.: Fulper Family Farmstead in Lambertville, N.J., has focused on environmentally friendly activities, including soil conservation, crop rotation and farmland preservation, since the dairy’s origin in 1909. As operating costs continue to rise, the Fulpers found that a solar energy system would increase energy efficiency, sustainability and revenue, while decreasing the farm’s carbon footprint and utility costs. Installed in 2011, the free-standing, ground-mounted system creates 500 kWh daily — enough to cover all of the operation’s electricity needs and power approximately 100 homes. Today, the farmstead sells $30,000 in renewable energy credits annually.

Collaborative Partnerships Instrumental in Advancing Industry’s Sustainability

“This awards program is a great example of how systemwide collaborative efforts can help dairy contribute to a bright future,” said Paul Rovey, an Arizona dairy producer, member of the judges panel and chair of Dairy Management Inc^™. “We are proud to share these examples of dairy’s ongoing commitment to stewardship and sustainability, which is made even more powerful because of collaborative relationships with partners.”

Adding their support to the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment and the Sustainability Awards program are this year’s gold- and silver-level sponsors. Gold sponsors include the Center for Advanced Energy Studies/Idaho National Laboratory, DeLaval, DVO Anaerobic Digesters, Elanco, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), World Wildlife Fund and Zoetis (formerly known as Pfizer Animal Health). Silver-level sponsors include Dolphin WaterCare, quasar energy group, Syngenta and the U.S. Dairy Export Council^®.

The awards program is part of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment, an industrywide effort to measure and improve the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the dairy industry. Since its launch in 2008, the Sustainability Commitment has gained the support and participation of more than 700 professionals across the industry as well as others from academic, government and nongovernmental organizations.

To learn more about the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards, the winners and the best practices in place at their operations, visit USDairy.com/Sustainability/Awards.

Kaydon Koedyk helps clean barns on his family’s dairy farm near Marsden, Sask. Kaydon is one of six children adopted by Otto and Arianne Koedyk, who have been foster parents for 22 years. | Karen Morrison photo

Every child deserves a home, agree Arianne and Otto Koedyk.

That’s why the couple decided to adopt six children that they had cared for during their 22 years of foster parenting and build a nine-bedroom house on their Saskatchewan dairy farm near the Alberta border.

“It’s important for kids to have stability and permanence in life,” said Otto, who like his wife, grew up in a big family in Holland.

They continue as foster parents and juggle parenting responsibilities with milking 100 Holsteins and growing barley on their four quarter farm.

“Mom is a very independent and strong woman. They’re good parents, loving, kind, nurturing,” said Cylen Koedyk, 13.

She and her siblings, Shayla, 17, Shelby, 7, Levi, 6 and Kaydon, 5, lend a hand in the house and barn and tend to an assortment of bunnies, donkeys and chickens. Daniel, 19, works as a dry waller in Lloydminster.

Otto oversees the dairy while 
Arianne takes care of the calves.

“It’s never boring,” sad Otto of his big family.

Added Arianne: “There’s always something to do.”

The Koedyks mainly stay close to home, making day trips to nearby lakes, but have travelled to Holland in past years.

“It’s a commitment, especially right now,” said Otto .

They grow and mix their own feed to keep costs down and receive $2,000 in revenue from one gas lease.

“It’s right in the middle of our best land,” Otto said.

They have been fortunate to find labour in a job market that must compete with the oil patch that surrounds them.

A busy industry brings more people to town, but rural businesses have shrunk as nearby Lloydminster becomes a major service hub.

“That’s kind of sad. There’s a lot of older people who don’t have their (driver’s) licence,” said Arianne.

The couple met in Canada after coming to southern Alberta from Holland separately to work on farms. They met in church, something that has remained central to their family life.

When Arianne was stricken with pneumonia recently, she received help from her family but also received hot meals from church members. The children participate in church youth groups and Bible camps.

The Koedyks operated a 160 dairy cow operation with another couple for 20 years but now manage the twice a day milkings at their parlour style dairy with help from two workers who have homes in the farmyard.

They sell bull calves at two months old and keep the heifers for replacement cows.

The Koedyks say dairy farms have shrunk to 86 from 1,000 in the province, partly because of increased milk production from each cow. They once supplied a Lloydminster dairy but have shipped milk to Sask-atoon since it closed.

Otto would like to have more dairy farmers nearby, but keeps abreast of industry news through a newsletter and talking with other farmers.

He said the quota system provides a comfortable living for families and doesn’t want to see supply managed systems changed in world trade talks.

“Canada is the only place in the world where dairy farmers are doing well,” he said.

“Our milk’s not that much more expensive than anywhere else.”

They raise chickens, drink the milk from their cows and manage a large garden for their own needs.

Arianne likes farm life, and the distance from their nearest neighbours suits the large family.

“We’re a pretty loud family,” she said. “Kids like it here too, the openness and freedom.”

Cylen said Arianne heads for the lawn mower when feeling overwhelmed.

“I like being on my own,” Arianne said of her penchant for cutting grass.

Cylen, who has been here for eight years, has learned much from farm life.

“I enjoy being out here. I could not live in the city,” she said. “The only down part is there’s not enough kids around here to hang out with.”

She and her siblings are bussed to schools in Marsden and Neilburg.

Arianne lamented on a reality of foster parenting —the return of children to biological parents.

“I don’t always agree, but rules are rules,” she said.

“It’s nice to see families back together if it works.”

Source: Western Producer

New York says it’s now the cream on top of the country’s yogurt production.

State statistics show New York producers churned out 692 million pounds of yogurt last year to take the top spot. California was No. 2 after producing 587 million pounds.

New York yogurt plants have nearly tripled production in the last five years — the same span that saw milk production rise by 1 billion pounds to over 13 billion, making it the nation’s fourth largest milk producer.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has lifted some environmental protection regulations regarding cattle waste that will allow dairy farms to produce more milk this year. Farmers will be able to milk more cows without having to build substantially larger barns. The measure was part of the results of a “yogurt summit” Cuomo held in August with yogurt manufacturers and farmers.

“These regulations will benefit farmers, the rural economy and the yogurt industry and help preserve agricultural land as open spaces, all while continuing to protect the state’s water resources,” said New York state Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens. “Duplicative regulations that made farmers go through two separate processes to reach the same end are now eliminated without sacrificing environmental protection.”

The New York Farm Bureau’s Dean Norton the new regulations will still allow farms to grow.

“This will allow our farms to grow responsibly, by continuing to care for our land and water while also offering milk processors, yogurt makers and consumers more of the high quality dairy products they are increasingly wanting from New York farmers,” said Norton, the bureau’s president.

The latest statistics were released Thursday. There was no immediate comment from California Gov. Jerry Brown.

Source: Associated Press

We’re excited to host the 2013 National Ayrshire Convention in Wilmington, Ohio, June 26-29. We can’t wait to show our Ayrshire friends “The Heart Of It All”. The convention headquarters will be at the Roberts Conference Centre, which is located in the middle of three of the largest cities in Ohio: Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. The Roberts Centre features the luxurious Holiday Inn Hotel, paired with the region’s largest and most flexible conference facility, Roberts Conference Centre, and everyone’s hometown favorite, Max & Erma’s Restaurant. The nearby Prime Outlets – Jeffersonville and Kings Island Amusement Park are also popular destinations. In addition to normal convention activities, we’re hosting a National Youth Heifer Show which will give young Ayrshire enthusiasts the opportunity to form lifetime friendships while exhibiting at this show.

A highlight of convention is always “tour day”. This year will be no exception. We will tour Young’s Dairy, where you will see where an entrepreneurial spirit has taken this farm family, lunch on your own in one of the dairy’s restaurants; visit Serpent Mound, an Ohio historical sight; and Emerald Farms where there will be a classification workshop, youth activities, dinner and fireworks.

Click here to view the schedule and registration form.

Convention chairs
Kent Beam
Cell (513) 582-6403 or email KentSBeam@yahoo.com
Tom Fenton
Cell (937) 217-0287

NY TIMES – Back then, we knew something was up if our mother returned from ShopRite with a half-gallon of Breyers ice cream. It meant that another 8-year-old first communicant had feigned an understanding of transubstantiation. It meant that someone was celebrating her first birthday, or that someone had seen his last.

Most of all, it meant a reprieve from the cheaper fake version of ice cream that usually defiled our freezer, a store-brand ice milk that tasted like nothing so much as frozen sadness. Ice milk represented dessert as punishment.

But in certain working-class homes, the Breyers brand lent a momentary class that lasted as long as room temperature would allow, in part because it was “All Natural.” The Breyers vanilla that my father used as a salve for his psychic wounds (administered late at night, by spoon) had flecks of vanilla bean. And the Breyers strawberry that I preferred could be stirred into a fruity, pinkish goop that I savored in loud, teasing slurps; the more this irritated siblings, the sweeter the taste.

Today, you will still see the Breyers brand at your friendly neighborhood grocery conglomerate. But do not assume, as I did, that just any Breyers carton will transport you to those halcyon days when a war waged in Vietnam, the president kept an enemies list and the slurping of melted strawberry could ignite a glorious dining-room donnybrook. Things have changed.

First, as part of typical trompe l’oeil packaging, the cartons now hold 48 ounces, not the half-gallon’s 64. (The good news is that your hands haven’t become freakishly large; the bad news is that you’re not suddenly much stronger.)

Second, that age-old Breyers boast of “All Natural” has been replaced with “Quality,” which is one of those impressive words that loses impact the more you think about it.

Lastly, not all Breyers is what we once understood the name to mean. A Breyers carton in the store’s freezer might be ice cream, but the Breyers carton right beside it, identical in nearly every way, might be something called “frozen dairy dessert” — which, when translated from the original Orwell, means: not ice cream.

Remember the old schoolyard song?

I scream,

You scream,

We all scream for frozen dairy dessert …

You might ask what the difference is between ice cream and a frozen dairy dessert, and I might answer that it is the same as the difference between a slice of American cheese and a slice of Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product. Since this is not helpful, we turn to a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, the guardian of “standards of identity,” who explained the distinction in a written response: “Ice cream requires specific levels of milk fat content, nonfat milk solids content, total solids in each gallon of ice cream, and total weight in each gallon of ice cream, while frozen dairy products do not.”

In general, ice cream has at least 10 percent dairy fat, and a frozen dairy dessert does not. In my freezer, the Breyers vanilla fudge twirl frozen dairy dessert has the ubiquitous corn syrup, and the Breyers vanilla ice cream does not.

Why, Breyers, why?

Before Häagen-Dazs, before Ben & Jerry’s, before ice cream became an artisanal product that could not be fully appreciated unless you had personally squeezed Elsie’s udder — there was Breyers. So: why?

First, a little history. Breyers began as a family business in Philadelphia in 1866. Sixty years later, it became part of what is now Kraft. Then, in 1993, Unilever — a multinational goliath that makes a variety of products, including soap and ice cream, but do not confuse the two — bought the Breyers brand and moved it first to Green Bay, Wis., then to Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Nick Soukas, the brand-building director for Unilever’s ice cream in the United States, said that Breyers introduced its line of frozen dairy desserts in the last couple of years in direct response to what we, the consumers, want.

“People really drove that decision,” he said.

In other words: it’s our fault?

Mr. Soukas did not mention the possibility that using less dairy fat is cheaper, but he did say that people have different flavor and texture desires. Through various surveys and taste tests, he said, “People are telling us, ‘We want a smoother texture.’ ”

Smoother than ice cream?

“Smoother than ice cream.”

Although ice cream still represents about 60 percent of the Breyers line, Mr. Soukas said, frozen dairy desserts have proved so popular that consumer complaints — at least those to the company — have plummeted. And he dismissed those howls of outrage expressed in various social media sites as representative of a tiny, tiny minority.

But what about the ingredients? “They’re basically the same ingredients,” Mr. Soukas said. “It’s not so much about the ingredients as the way they’re put together.”

I may not be a professional food writer, but I once dabbled in investigative journalism. So I donned my fedora and read the ingredients.

Breyers natural vanilla ice cream: milk, cream, sugar, tara gum, natural flavor. Period.

Breyers extra-creamy vanilla frozen dairy dessert: milk, sugar, corn syrup, cream, whey, mono and diglycerides, carob bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, natural flavor, annatto (for color), vitamin A palmitate, tara gum.

Granted, the ingredients in Breyers frozen dairy desserts do not include plutonium, or motor oil, or Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product. And granted, this is a big country: some people out there might be demanding more corn syrup, less cream, in their frozen treats.

But something more than ice cream is melting away. This is what I brood about, late at night, as I apply basic ice cream to my psychic wounds.