Topping the Ferme Intense (Quebec, Canada) the biannual Tag show was Ms Stranshome Giorgi-Red at C$23,000. Giorgi was Reserve Grand at the 2019 Quebec Red & White Show as well as Intermediate Champion at the 2018 Royal Winter Fairy R&W Show. She completes 10 generations of Excellence from the Roxy Family. Hosted by Kevin Jacobs and Dominic Fortier the sale averaged of C$5509 on no less than 113 lots.
In the United States today, 96% of dairy farms are family operations, with more than 87% of those considered small family farms, made up of both family members as well as hired help. That hired help predominantly comes in the form of migrant worker—approximately 73% of non-owner farm and ranch employees in the nation.
Non-citizen migrant workers are highly trained, and as a result, have a skill set that makes them invaluable for farm operations.
This immigrant labor force also helps American consumers by helping to keep the price of dairy products low. According to a study by the Center for North American Studies, without migrant labor within the dairy industry, retail milk prices would go up as much as 90%.
Farm owners train migrant workers to use the latest technology within the agriculture industry—a particularly important move in the dairy sector, where a myriad of machines are used that help enhance sanitation and safety of the product, ensure humane and healthy interactions with the livestock, and track and optimize production for each individual animal.
Currently farmers are facing a massive labor shortage, and that impact was being largely felt before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the face of nearly every industry in the world. This labor shortage, especially within the dairy industry, is exacerbated by rules that make migrant dairy workers and sheepherders ineligible to receive H-2A visas, ultimately forcing farmers to train more people and lose valuable time and productive, competent employees in the process.
H-2A visas, also known as “Temporary Agricultural Workers” visas grant immigrants the ability to work in agriculture one year at a time with the ability to renew up to two times. This means workers have a total of three years before they must return to their country of origin and hope to become eligible to return, but likely not to the same job they were forced to leave.
Including dairy workers and sheepherders in the H-2A program, as well as extending the H-2A visa renewal period, would be extremely beneficial to our nation’s farmers, consumers and the migrant farmworkers who have helped each of the latter to make ends meet. The National Grange supports legislation to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand H-2A visas and actively calls upon the Legislature and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to revise these policies that are negatively impacting farming communities domestically.
As the dairy industry continues to find innovative ways to make milking more efficient, we cannot forget that well-trained migrant farmworkers help to make operations run smoothly, ensure high-quality animal care and provide safe consumer products. In an industry that already has an extremely high turnover rate, removing barriers for workers is in the best interest of everyone.
Source: hpj.com
The Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Association of the USA has announced their 2020 All-American winners! Congratulations to all the winners! The video announcing their winners can be viewed on Facebook!
Dairying high achievers Charlie and Emma Adair are expanding from dairy cows into the dairy goat industry.
They are seeking investments of $5 million or more from high-net-worth and experienced investors for one of New Zealand’s largest dairy goat enterprises based out of Whangarei, Northland.
The Adairs were announced 2020 Northland Share Farmers of the Year in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, only four years after emigrating from Britain and beginning at the bottom of the NZ dairy industry.
They have a conditional agreement to buy the dairy goat farm of Allan and Lynne Karels, milking and housing 1450 does, which are fed on cut and carry pasture.
The business has 151,699 shares in the Dairy Goat Co-operative at the nominal value of $35/share, worth at least $5.3m.
However, because the co-operative keeps a lid on equity supply, shares are selling well in excess of their nominal value.
The goat farm is on 150ha in four titles, with five dwellings and numerous farm buildings.
These include two large drive-through loafing barns for housing the milking goats, conveyor belts for feeding, shelters over the machinery and accessways, and an 80-bail internal rotary milking shed installed seven years ago.
Complementary buildings include rearing sheds for kids, feed storage sheds, an implement shed and workshop, and concrete silage pads.
All goats are fed fresh-cut silage mixed with kibbled grain meal, wheat straw and molasses, and all green feed is grown on 80ha of flat and easy contour, with ryegrass and clover pasture.
Ray White Whangarei agent Pete Ogle says the Dairy Goat Co-op has an enviable record of looking after its shareholders extremely well.
“It is one of those rare primary co-operatives that has managed to get the recipe right with the tension between the producer and the market being skilfully managed to secure some of the highest prices paid for milksolids,” Ogle said.
Shareholders have received between $19 to $21/kg in recent years.
Production for the Karels has averaged 160,216kg MS over the past three years, but the co-op asked all suppliers to stick to their share entitlement last season because of market uncertainties caused by covid-19.
That meant a small downsizing and milking during the winter months.
Lynne says the shareholding was built up over the past decade, through purchasing from other dairy goat farmers and by applications for more shares when the co-op opened up the opportunities.
The current operation has 12 full-time equivalents in the workforce, including Allan and Lynne’s two daughters.
She and Allan will retire and the other family members will move to other work activities.
Milking times are 3.5-4 hours twice daily through the rotary and the average production per goat is 3.5-4 litres a day.
Farm working costs of production fall between $9-$14/kg, according to industry figures from BNZ Agri, and the co-op says average annual production of supply farms is 120kg/doe over a 300-day season.
The co-op has 5.725m shares owned by 72 supplying farms and its revenue last season was $245m.
The Adairs have wasted no time in building their dairying business since first arriving in this country in 2015.
After a succession of farm management roles, they currently own 1000 milkers, 450 replacements and 1000 dairy-beef cattle.
Their business consists of 900 cows being contract milked for the fourth season, with a nearby leased farm carrying 500 cows and a lease-to-buy on another 500-cow farm about 10km away, where they live.
Ownership of that farm is scheduled for the middle of this year; this is the main target of their relocation across the world.
Each year they rear 2500 calves as replacements or to either 100 or 200kg liveweights before sale and they currently employ nine full-time equivalents.
Charlie, aged 26, was from a 300-cow family dairy farm in the UK and has a Diploma in Agriculture.
Emma built a career in law prior to working with Charlie in a very equal farming partnership, having arrived in NZ with little more than their clothes.
“We have taken full advantage of the extraordinary opportunities available in the dairy industry in New Zealand,” Charlie said.
“We have been able to trade forward and build our livestock numbers while breeding Friesian heifers for export, for example.
“What we have achieved here in five years would have taken a lifetime in England.”
In their fourth season as contract milkers for the same farm owners, they told the award judges that size and scale led to even more opportunities opening up.
Animal breeding and pasture management are Charlie’s strengths, while Emma has a gift for calf rearing and managing the couple’s accounts and finances.
Their progress has had some setbacks, including two Notices of Direction for Mycoplasma bovis, 137 cattle killed that did not have the disease, waiting for compensation and prolonged drought last summer, which necessitated much higher expenditure on supplementary feeding.
Their achievements so far pale in comparison with what they propose in buying and running the Karels dairy goat farm.
“It’s all go at the moment, meeting potential investors and explaining who we are and what we propose,” he said.
“Before the end of March, we expect to put this together and be able to go ahead.”
Ogle says their energy, enthusiasm and intelligence will ensure success and that this is an attractive opportunity to investors wanting a reasonable return out of the rural economy.
Source: farmersweekly.co.nz
The 2021 New York Spring Carousel is still ON! Entries are now being accepted online with early entries due by March 12th and the entry system will be closing on March 31st. The show will take place in Hamburg, NY from March 29th until April 3rd. Entries can be submitted online HERE
A very different World Ag Expo opened Feb. 9. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the annual international Ag trade show was held entirely online for the first time in show history. The new online show boasted 752 exhibitors and an impressive 24,639 visits over three days from users in 70 countries, 49 states, and the District of Columbia.
Exhibitors at World Ag Expo engaged visitors through customized pages, live demonstrations, seminars, live chats and Zoom calls. They were able to highlight products and services with photos, videos, and giveaways
“This is a very different way to do a farm show,” Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center CEO, said in a news release. “Our exhibitors worked hard on their pages and it shows. We had a strong first week and quality attendees. We have another ten months to share seminars and promote our exhibitors before we’re back to a live show.”
Still hungry for Ag information and a chance to interact with exhibitors, attendees flocked to the show website from all over the United States and around the world. More than 120 educational sessions were held covering water, dairy, sustainability, hemp, technology, and more. The seminars are now available on-demand at https://bit.ly/WAE21Seminars</
Representatives from the U.S. Commercial Service were on hand to assist with business matchmaking throughout the week. As requests for help came in, the team researched exhibitors to fulfill the needs. More than 60 business introductions were made over three days and matches will continue to be made. Attendees can request business matchmaking at https://bit.ly/WAEBizMatch
With the change to the traditional show format, organizers decided to make the online show available throughout 2021 and will provide new content to exhibitors and attendees each month. To get alerts of new content and show news, subscribe to the email list at https://bit.ly/WAEupdates.
World Ag Expo staff has also added an Exhibitor News section to the website so attendees can stay up-to-date all year long. Get the latest Exhibitor news at https://bit.ly/WAE21-
World Ag Expo will return to the live show format February 8-10, 2022 in Tulare, CA. Current exhibitors are in the renewal process. New exhibitors can request space for the 2022 show in April. Join the exhibitor interest list at https://bit.ly/WAEupdates.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds rural communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses affected by the recent winter storms that USDA has programs that provide assistance. USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices are prepared with a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance to residents, agricultural producers and impacted communities.
“USDA is committed to getting help to producers and rural Americans impacted by the severe weather in many parts of the country. As severe weather and natural disasters continue to threaten the livelihoods of thousands of our farming families, we want you and your communities to know that USDA stands with you,” said Kevin Shea, acting Secretary of Agriculture. “Visit farmers.gov or your local USDA Service Center to inquire about assistance.”
Risk management and disaster assistance for agricultural operations:
USDA offers several risk management and disaster assistance options to help producers recover after they are impacted by severe weather, including those impacted by winter storms and extreme cold.
Even before disasters strike, USDA provides tools for producers to manage their risk through the Federal Crop Insurance Program, a public-private partnership between USDA’s Risk Management Agency and private companies and agents. For crops that do not have crop insurance available, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) is available through the local Farm Service Agency. This risk protection includes crop production loss and tree loss for certain crop insurance products. It is recommended that producers reach out to their crop insurance agent or local FSA office for more information.
Producers that signed up for Federal Crop Insurance or NAP who suffer losses are asked to report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or local FSA office, respectively, within 72 hours of damage discovery and follow up in writing within 15 days.
Livestock and perennial crop producers often have more limited risk management options available, so there are several disaster programs for them. Key programs include:
USDA reminds producers that it’s critical to keep accurate records to document the losses and illnesses following this devastating cold weather event. Livestock producers are advised to document beginning livestock numbers by taking photos or videos of any losses.
Other common documentation options include:
Additionally, USDA can provide financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. Assistance may also be available for emergency animal mortality disposal from natural disasters and other causes.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) also has a variety of loans available including emergency loans that are triggered by disaster declarations and operating loans that can assist producers with credit needs.
Ensure food safety:
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is helping ensure affected households and communities are taking the proper steps to reduce the risk of foodborne illness during severe weather and power outages. Food safety tips for before, during and after a weather emergency are available on the FSIS website.
During a power outage, a refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened, and a full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed). During a snowstorm, do not place perishable food out in the snow. Outside temperatures can vary and food can be exposed to unsanitary conditions and animals.
Care for livestock and pets:
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is helping to meet the emergency needs of pets and their owners, as inspectors coordinate closely with zoos, breeders and other licensed facilities to ensure animals in their care remain safe.
On the livestock front, APHIS veterinarians are ready to work alongside partners to conduct on-site assessments to document the needs of affected producers. More information about protecting livestock is available on APHIS’ Protecting Livestock During a Disaster page. Information about protecting household pets and service animals can be found on APHIS’ Animal Care Emergency Programs webpage.
APHIS has additional staff on stand-by to provide support should the situation escalate in severity or the number of affected livestock operations increase. Should it be necessary, APHIS has the expertise to assist with carcass removal and disposal as well.
APHIS’ Animal Care (AC) program is also prepared to respond. The Animal Care Program oversees the welfare of certain animals that are exhibited to the public, bred for commercial sale and used in medical research. In addition to providing technical assistance to regulated facilities, AC inspectors may be checking affected facilities to assess damage and ensure the welfare of their animals.
For more information about APHIS’ response efforts and how to protect pets and service animals in disasters, follow APHIS on Twitter at @USDA_APHIS.
Helping individuals recover:
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works with state, local and nongovernmental organizations to provide emergency nutrition assistance, including food packages and infant formula, to households, shelters and mass feeding sites serving people in need. FNS also provides emergency flexibilities in administering nutrition assistance programs at the request of states and works with local authorities to provide benefits. Emergency nutrition assistance and flexibilities requested by states and approved by FNS are posted to the FNS Disaster Assistance website.
Visit USDA’s disaster resources website to learn more about USDA disaster preparedness and response. For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.
The US Senate voted to confirm Tom Vilsack as head of the Department of Agriculture on 23 February, returning the former Iowa governor to the job he held under ex-President Barack Obama.
Reuters reports that the 100-member Senate approved Vilsack 92-7. He needed a simple majority in the Democratic-controlled chamber to be confirmed.
As secretary of the sprawling department, Vilsack will oversee about 100,000 employees responsible for food stamps, crop insurance, land conservation and other missions at a time US farmers are benefiting from high soybean and corn prices but hunger is on the rise throughout America.
Vilsack has said the White House wants to tap a pool of funds from the agency’s Commodity Credit Corporation to support on-the-farm efforts to fight climate change, a policy priority for new President Joe Biden.
The Depression-era program of up to $30 billion in annual funding was tapped by the Trump administration to distribute billions of dollars in aid to cover farmers’ lost sales due to trade wars, primarily with China.
Vilsack must also confront the coronavirus pandemic, which has reduced restaurant demand for farm products and led to long lines at food banks.
“We have a lot of work to do as we overcome obstacles created by the COVID-19 pandemic,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said in a statement after the vote.
Some slaughterhouses shut temporarily in spring 2020 due to outbreaks of the coronavirus among workers, pushing up meat prices and leading to shortages of certain products.
“We found that when one or two processing facilities shut down during COVID, it created havoc in the market,” Vilsack said during a Senate committee hearing on 2 February. “We can’t have that.”
Groups like the National Black Farmers Association raised concerns about Vilsack’s nomination, saying alleged discriminatory practices continued at USDA under his previous leadership.
Vilsack, who was Iowa governor from 1999 to 2007, said at the 2 February hearing that there can be no tolerance for discrimination.
Various farm industry groups welcomed Vilsack’s confirmation. Statements from the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and National Farmers Union (NFU) highlighted Vilsack’s qualifications, expertise and their desire to tackle the challenges facing American agriculture.
NFU President Rob Larew said, “…there is no shortage of things [Secretary Vilsack has] to get done; most immediately, he must prioritise pandemic recovery. That means ensuring that all Americans have access to food, providing farmers of all types and sizes with the relief they need to stay in business, helping rural hospitals treat critically ill patients and distribute vaccines, and protecting workers across the food chain from COVID-19.
“But the pandemic is hardly the only problem beleaguering agriculture; the industry is also grappling with a rapidly changing climate, unchecked corporate power, persistent oversupply, institutional racism, an aging population, and insufficient local processing infrastructure. During his second stint as Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack can’t let any of these issues fall by the wayside. We look forward to working with him towards lasting, meaningful reforms that will secure a bright and prosperous future for family farmers and their communities.”
Read more about this story here.
Source: Reuters
In late January I had a discussion with a farmer, he texted me and said, “Corn is $5.86, I think I’m going to lock in 5,000 bushels.” I responded, “Wait a minute, let me look at the charts, and read a few things.” The trend was up and sounding positive. My suggestion, “target $6.00 or February 1st, whichever comes first.” February 1st arrived, corn was now $6.02 cash and he locked it in. Take away message: Give yourself a price and a date to sell a certain number of bushels by.
I recently had another conversation with a local farmer. I said “I’ve been seeing your trucks hauling grain a lot the past couple weeks. I heard the mills were getting full of corn, have you had any problems delivering?” He said, “Not yet, but my corn was already priced, and the mill isn’t accepting unpriced corn.” That is another benefit of pricing corn ahead for future delivery. The conversation continued to me asking about his unpriced corn and how long he would hold it. His response was “I’m continuing to price it. I watch the markets every morning and throughout the day and price some as I see fit.” “Will you hold some for later in the year, like July for the market rally?” His response, “No, too risky for me.” He continued, “We have been receiving a profitable price, so we are hauling now when we have time and use the received money can pay fertilizer and other input costs, which saves me interest on an operating loan.” Good, sound business decisions from a veteran farmer.
What is driving the grain markets?
USDA Reports February corn carryout wasn’t decreased as much as expected and exports are expected to remain strong.
China remains a key factor in the global corn market; they have been buying a lot and that trend looks to continue.
With COVID-19 vaccinations happening and infection rates dropping, ethanol and gas demand are expected to increase as the global economies may start to open more.
Nearby, grain prices are stronger than futures prices in July, the market is trying to tell you to sell your corn now.
SDA report shows the tightest stock-to-use ration ever. You likely heard the talk about running out of soybeans this summer.
Brazil’s bean crop is expected to be strong and their harvest is just beginning. Just exactly how will their supply of beans impact the global market remains to be seen.
Overall, there are lots of questions and no clear answers. The next USDA report folks will be watching is the March 31st spring planting intentions report. There are only so many acres out there and if one goes up another is likely going to go down. Hang on, there will likely be some sharp ups and downs in the market in the coming months. Remember GameStop; there is someone trying to make money on every market move. We, as producers, are just trying to get a good price for our grain. Don’t get hung up on selling at the peak of the market, you’ll likely miss it. Just write down a marketing plan and work the plan with incremental sales.
Source: Penn State Extension
A massive barn fire in the Goulds area of St. John’s killed about a hundred cows that were housed inside Monday night.
Platoon chief Ken Dinn of the St. John’s Regional Fire Department (SJRFD) told the Telegram that a passerby on Back Line in Goulds reported the blaze at Woodland Farm at 8:55 p.m. and when firefighters from the Mount Pearl station arrived on scene at 9:02 p.m., the barn was already engulfed in flames.
Dinn said the barn held about 120 cows but only about 20 to 25 of them had been rescued from the fire. Several people including the owners of the farm, family members and neighbours could be seen rescuing some adult cows and calves from the burning buildings, some of them covered in soot. The animals were corralled in an area away from the blaze until they could be loaded onto a number of trailers and taken from the scene.
Firefighters in the meantime, from the SJRFD and Goulds volunteers, tackled the massive fire but with some difficulty as there was no local water supply. Water had to be brought in by tanker and that hampered the firefighting effort.
Dinn said the building was a total loss and their main concern was protecting the nearby home which was exposed to the flames.
They expected to be on scene for several hours in an effort to completely extinguish the fire.
Another fire on the same property in November of 2020 destroyed a large garage next to the barns that were destroyed Monday night.
More details will be provided as they become available.
Source: saltwire.com
The US dairy sector entered 2021 still in flux following the unprecedented disruptions brought about by COVID-19 in 2020, USDA said Friday in its closely watched annual Ag Outlook Forum.
“The dairy sector has shown a remarkable ability to pivot in the changed environment of restrictions on the food service, hospitality and educational sectors and despite volatility in product markets, milk-feed price ratios through much of 2020 were favorable for continued expansion of dairy herds,” said USDA.
The US dairy sector added 97,800 cows between January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021 with the vast majority of the increase occurring in the second half of the year. Improvements in producer margins and favorable weather also encouraged productivity gains.
In 2020, average milk per cow grew about 1.4 percent on a per day basis, the fastest rate of growth since 2016. Coupled with an additional milking day in 2020 due to leap year, total milk production increased 2.1 percent.
The outbreak of COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions placed on the hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) sector as well as global economic uncertainty squeezed demand and led to a buildup of stocks for a number of products as well as a high degree of volatility in product prices.
During the year, milk handlers and producers responded to marketing channel bottlenecks by dumping milk (most notably during April) and changing marketing patterns to take advantage of differences in product prices and demand sources. Milk prices in the second quarter declined sharply as the sector began to adjust to supply-demand imbalances. Milk prices recovered during the second half of the year to average $18.32 for the year as retail demand improved and exports of butter and butterfat, skim milk powder/nonfat dry milk (SMP/NDM), and whey products were above 2019.
US government purchases to support the Farmers to Families Food Box program provided some support to product prices. However, at the end of the year, stocks of some dairy products were quite large; butter stocks were the highest since 1992, American-type cheese stocks were the highest since 1984, and NDM stocks were highest since 2004.
Entering 2021, the situation facing the US dairy sector is “unsettled” at best, said USDA. The sector faces uncertainty as to the timing and path of a return to normalcy of demand or what “normal” will even look like. Milk production is forecast at 227.4 billion pounds, 1.9 percent higher than 2020. With larger milk supplies and large stocks of some products overhanging markets, milk prices are expected to come under pressure.
Milk producers will be faced with weaker milk prices at the same time feed prices are expected to increase to their highest levels since 2014. This is likely to bring the expansion of the dairy herd to an end and set the stage for cow inventory declines during the year. However, despite lower producer margins, output per cow is expected to increase at a more rapid rate than in recent years; this will also support increases in milk production and components.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I am not a futures broker and do not manage any trading accounts other than my own personal account. It is my goal to point out to you potential trading opportunities. However, it is up to you to: (1) decide when and if you want to initiate any traders and (2) determine the size of any trades you may initiate. Any trades I discuss are hypothetical in nature.
Here is what the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has said about futures trading (and I agree 100%): 1. Trading commodity futures and options is not for everyone. IT IS A VOLATILE, COMPLEX AND RISKY BUSINESS. Before you invest any money in futures or options contracts, you should consider your financial experience, goals and financial resources, and know how much you can afford to lose above and beyond your initial payment to a broker. You should understand commodity futures and options contracts and your obligations in entering into those contracts. You should understand your exposure to risk and other aspects of trading by thoroughly reviewing the risk disclosure documents your broker is required to give you.
Source: thedairysite.com
Shelby Benjamin from Chenango County was crowned the 2021-2022 New York State Dairy Princess on February 16, during a virtual ceremony that was livestreamed from the Embassy Suites by Hilton Syracuse Destiny USA, Syracuse, N.Y. Selected from among 11 county dairy princesses who have served since the spring of 2020, Benjamin will devote an additional year to promoting milk and dairy products with American Dairy Association North East.
As state princess, Benjamin receives a $1,200 scholarship and will serve as a dairy industry ambassador to promote dairy to consumers by supporting ADA North East strategies with the goal of building consumer confidence in dairy farmers and dairy products. She will also play an integral role in developing and mentoring new county dairy princesses to fulfill the same mission.
Holly Niefergold from Erie County was named first Alternate State Princess, and Elizabeth Hymen from Jefferson County was selected as second Alternate State Princess. They receive a $700 scholarship and $600 scholarship, respectively. Both young women will assist the New York State Dairy Princess with training, appearances and other duties.
While the typical role of a dairy princess is to work with ADA North East at special events, including local dairy princess pageants, farmer meetings, state and county fairs, school visits, and sampling dairy products at grocery stories, COVID-19 altered many of those responsibilities. With an increased need for food assistance due to the pandemic, dairy princesses played an important role promoting milk distribution events organized by ADA North East and assisted in handing out milk and dairy foods at various local events.
The competition included a personal interview, impromptu questions, a prepared speech geared toward adults, a product knowledge exam, writing skills test, and informal interaction with others. Judges evaluated the contestants on their communication skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise and personality.
Pageant judges were: Haley Groat, Lutz Feed Company; and Heidi Kovalewski, Onondaga County Dairy Promotion Coordinator.
Sponsored by ADA North East, the 58th annual coronation completed the yearlong reign of Natalie Vernon of Wayne County.
ADA North East Industry Promotions Specialist Dawn Houppert, who plans to retire this spring, was recognized for more than 22 years with the association. Houppert has guided thousands of young dairy promoters and committees in their promotion efforts.
New York’s first Black dairy princess is changing the face of upstate agriculture.
New York State Dairy Princess Shelby Benjamin said she plans to use her crown to modernize the dairy industry’s image and illustrate how it fits with 21st-century values.
“I love talking to people, answering questions and getting out there, so this was perfect,” Benjamin said. “Every farm has a different story. One thing I’d like to do is tell each farmer’s story all throughout New York.”
“Because I grew up on the consumer side, I can put it in terms and tell the story in a way that is more friendly to the consumer,” said Benjamin, a Norwich native who, unlike most dairy princesses before her, did not grow up on a farm.
“For the dairy world, I think it’s good that I represent a whole other demographic,” Benjamin said. “I hope that when people see someone that looks like me in a higher role that they’ll feel more connected. It’s not that I stand out, it’s that I don’t fit the mold.”
“I may not look like your typical farmer and I didn’t grow up on a farm, but I’m hoping to show that the dairy industry is open to learn and grow,” she continued. “I grew up in a town where there’s not a lot of people that look like me, but I’ve never had any interactions in the dairy world where people asked why I was here.”
Benjamin, who spent more than half her life showing horses, said she showed her first heifer six years ago and “just fell in love.”
“She is a genuinely nice, helpful, friendly young lady,” said Deborah Brown-Moon, owner of Hidden Pond Stables in Norwich, where Benjamin began taking riding lessons at age 3. “She has a bright future!”
Benjamin was crowned Chenango County Dairy Princess in the spring and competed against the cream of the crop from 10 other counties and took the state title in a virtual ceremony in Syracuse last week.
At 22, Benjamin was older than many of her fellow county dairy princesses, a role typically held by teenagers.
“They grew up on farms, so they’re a little more of a traditional dairy princess,” Benjamin said. “I didn’t, so that’s why I got a later start.”
Benjamin said she spent years preparing for the competition, brushing up on dairy product knowledge and honing her interview and public presentation skills — all requirements of the dairy princess pageant process.
Benjamin wrote her speech about the limited availability of chocolate milk on SUNY campuses. A 2020 graduate of SUNY Oneonta, Benjamin played forward on the women’s basketball team and said she always sought chocolate milk as a post-workout recovery drink and was frustrated when she couldn’t find it on campus.
“If I don’t recover quickly, I’m kind of dead to the world for two to three hours, and that’s crucial time for a student athlete, when you have to plan out your every hour,” Benjamin said. “The chocolate milk definitely helped keep me going and not have to have a nap. It helped me stay on schedule.”
“When a student finds their passion, you can just tell,” said SUNY Oneonta women’s basketball coach Daphne Thompson. “When you ask Shelby about her cows, she just lights up. This is something I know has resonated with her for a long time.”
Because of the pandemic, the pageant process involved fewer informal interactions with the judges that Benjamin said she would have excelled in.
“The judges usually eat with us — breakfast, lunch and dinner — but because we couldn’t do that, the interview was a little more weighted,” Benjamin said. “That was a little more intimidating because I had to make sure I really got ‘me’ across. Obviously I wanted to win the state pageant for myself, but I also wanted to win it for the county and everyone that helped me through it.”
Guiding her through the process was Sheila Marshman, a member of the New York State Dairy Promotion Advisory Board and part of the sixth generation of ownership of Tiger Lily Holsteins in Oxford.
“Shelby really has a unique story to tell the consumer,” Marshman said. “We’re very much looking forward to spending the year promoting the industry all throughout New York state.”
Benjamin, who was acquainted with the Marshmans through their work on the local 4-H circuit, said Sheila Marshman approached her two or three years ago and suggested she pursue the crown.
The Marshmans sponsored Benjamin’s dairy princess application, helping her to fulfill some of the practical requirements she otherwise lacked.
Benjamin, who grew up in the city of Norwich, said she never lived on a farm and only owns six cows. The dairy princess competition requires its potential princesses to own at least 20 head and ship milk from their operation.
The Marshman family farm, in business since 1856, is home to about 800 head and sells its milk locally through the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative.
“Every day, you can learn something new in this industry,” Benjamin said. “I think that’s one of the best things — that it’s always evolving, you’re always learning new things. I just want to tell the farmers’ stories to the world and answer any questions consumers have.”
In working through the pageant process, “I realized I know a lot more than sometimes I think I know,” Benjamin said. “I got to show a unique side of dairy. These other girls all grew up on farms. They didn’t grow up as a consumer going into stores and wondering why we pick what we do. I felt like I brought a different edge to it.”
To boost her agricultural acumen, Benjamin, who majored in sports management at Oneonta, is taking business classes at SUNY Morrisville, where Sheila Marshman teaches ag marketing, business and retail management.
Helping her along the way is Lily, the seventh generation of Marshman family farmers and the Chenango County Dairy Ambassador.
“I’m not old enough for the dairy princess yet, so I help out our Chenango County dairy princess,” Lily said.
“I grew up in the consumer world, so I go to talk to some farmers and they use technical words and I have to ask Lily for help,” Benjamin said. “I love that I get to bring Lily on these opportunities together, too, so I can help get her ready for her dairy princess years.”
The pair will travel together across the state, as COVID restrictions allow, to hand out ribbons at fairs and shows, visit schools and meet with other key players in the industry.
Whether their visits are in-person or virtual, Benjamin and Lily said they plan to continue the social media campaign launched by last year’s dairy princess court amid the pandemic.
“The girls last year started off the year with one event a month before then everything shut down,” Benjamin said. “They were trying to figure out different ways to do it and they did start doing amazing things — the Youtube channel, Facebook — so now it’s us keeping it going and adding our own spin to it.”
“So many people have gone to InstaCart or grocery pickups now — they don’t even go into stores anymore, which is where we would put a lot of our promotional stuff,” she continued. “With consumers not going in, how do we still get that information out? Taking it to social media is honestly the next best thing, even if the pandemic didn’t happen.”
Benjamin said she also plans to promote the environmentally sustainable practices behind dairy farming.
“Sometimes people think farmers are using the land to feed their cows and they’re harming the land, but they’re not going out and buying new land every year, so if they don’t take care of their land, they’re not going to have crops to feed their cows,” Benjamin said. “If they’re not feeding their cows, they’re not going to be able to perform at their best, so it’s a whole cycle of making sure the environment is taken care of and the cows are taken care of.”
“Here in the dairy industry, we have to do more to tell our story about how cows are actually your biggest and your first recyclers — everything from the grass that they eat to how the farmer recycles the manure, recycles the water,” Sheila Marshman said.
The idea that the agriculture and green energy industries are at odds with each other is “just not true,” Marshman said, “particularly when you think about the environmental regulations that farms have,” including from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
“Our work requires that we have water, soil and animals of the highest quality,” Marshman said. “We need some help communicating that to the consumer that we’re already doing this.”
Benjamin and Marshman said they hope to disprove the myth that farming isn’t accessible to those who didn’t grow up in the industry.
“I tell my students that the only way you can get a farm is if you marry into one or if you inherit one,” Marshman said. “Look at us — we didn’t really branch out our tree.”
After her reign is over, Benjamin said she hopes to continue her work in dairy marketing and promotion, specifically with the American Dairy Association’s Refuel with Chocolate Milk program, but looks forward to helping to guide those who inherit her crown.
“One of the nice things about this program is that you have friends all over the state for years and years,” Benjamin said. “You’re never really done being a dairy princess. You might not wear your crown and sash, but you’re still part of it.”
Source: lockportjournal.com
As the struggle to rebuild northern Ontario’s agriculture industry continues, rural researcher Sara Epp is studying what exactly makes southern Ontario farmers reluctant to operate in the north.
The University of Guelph researcher shared her findings at a virtual northern agriculture conference this week.
She collected data from farmers in the Hearst area about the challenges of operating in the region — and from southern producers about what deters them from operating here.
“It is a very different climate, the soil is different, the growing season is shorter,” EPP said of some farmers’ concerns. “That sense that what I’m doing in southern Ontario is going to be easily transferred to the north … may not be accurate.”
But Epp suggests that this shouldn’t be a deterrent from starting a farm in the north, but an invitation to find what can grow in the region and what is sustainable.
She feels that education is what’s missing in encouraging both southern farmers to set up an operation here — and locals to enter the industry.
“There is a future for agriculture and it is a viable career for anyone that’s interested,” Epp said. “It’s really understanding what is suitable to the geography you’re in and … part of that education is teaching folks what grows really well, depending on where you are.”
Haasen Farms in Timmins is the only dairy farm in the city and its owner, Eddy Haasen, said it’s certainly not easy to run.
Distribution is a challenge, he said, as is dealing with the weather, but he’s noticed more farms of all kinds popping up in the region after seeing numbers dwindling over the years.
While it might be intimidating to those in the south, he said a certain mentality kept his family business running for over 60 years — one that he said people determined to succeed can adapt to.
“You have to be prepared to think outside the box and do things a little differently than what you might be used to,” Haasen said. “Deal with the climate we have up here, ground conditions and all the challenges we face, but know that it … can be done successfully.”
Seasoned local farmers like Haasen would make valuable mentors that both existing southern producers and local novices would need to get their start in the region, Epp noted.
As well, she said municipalities need to make sure people have access to agriculture professionals that understand northern land and can work with prospective farmers that aren’t accustomed to the geography.
“Having somebody on staff who understands that or knowing who you can reach out to to make sure you have that proper (staffing) capacity is critical,” Epp said.
The region has the potential to be have booming agriculture sector once again, she said, but what it takes is the first few farmers to make the investment, which will eventually encourage more to set up some and create a more hospitable infrastructure.
Epp is planning to host educational workshops and webinars for aspiring and existing farmers, to talk about what tools and resources they can use to get established and how build sustainable careers in northern Ontario.
Source: northernontario.ctvnews.ca
The next time you drink milk, eat cheese or enjoy another dairy product, consider the source.
In the United States today, 96% of dairy farms are family operations, with more than 87% of those considered small family farms, made up of both family members as well as hired help. That hired help predominantly comes in the form of migrant workers — approximately 73% of non-owner farm and ranch employees in the nation.
Non-citizen migrant workers are highly trained, and as a result, have a skill set that makes them invaluable for farm operations.
This immigrant labor force also helps American consumers by helping to keep the price of dairy products low. According to a study by the Center for North American Studies, without migrant labor within the dairy industry, retail milk prices would go up as much as 90 percent.
Farm owners train migrant workers to use the latest technology within the agriculture industry — a particularly important move in the dairy sector, where a myriad of machines are used that help enhance sanitation and safety of the product, ensure humane and healthy interactions with the livestock, and track and optimize production for each individual animal.
Currently farmers are facing a massive labor shortage, and that impact was being largely felt before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the face of nearly every industry in the world. This labor shortage, especially within the dairy industry, is exacerbated by rules that make migrant dairy workers and sheepherders ineligible to receive H-2A visas, ultimately forcing farmers to train more people and lose valuable time and productive, competent employees in the process.
H-2A visas, also known as “Temporary Agricultural Workers” visas grant immigrants the ability to work in agriculture one year at a time with the ability to renew up to two times. This means workers have a total of three years before they must return to their country of origin and hope to become eligible to return, but likely not to the same job they were forced to leave.
Including dairy workers and sheepherders in the H-2A program, as well as extending the H-2A visa renewal period, would be extremely beneficial to our nation’s farmers, consumers and the migrant farmworkers who have helped each of the latter to make ends meet. The National Grange supports legislation to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand H-2A visas and actively calls upon the Legislature and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to revise these policies that are negatively impacting farming communities domestically.
As the dairy industry continues to find innovative ways to make milking more efficient, we cannot forget that well-trained migrant farmworkers help to make operations run smoothly, ensure high-quality animal care and provide safe consumer products. In an industry that already has an extremely high turnover rate, removing barriers for workers is in the best interest of everyone.
Source: leadertelegram.com
Easterday Ranches, a company based out of Pasco, faces two lawsuits and bankruptcies.
Their affiliate, Easterday Farms Dairy, LLC, however, wants to bring 28,700 head of cattle to Boardman, Oregon, to open a dairy farm.
In light of the legal battle, the coalition, Stand Up to Factory Farms, has spoken out against the move.
“The Easterday’s bought the facility and the land for $66.7 million with plans to open another 30-thousand cow mega-dairy,” Emma Newton, with the coalition said.
Stand Up to Factory Farms is made up of various local, state and national organizations that are concerned over the impact that “mega-dairies on Oregon’s family farms, communities, environment and animal welfare,” according to their website.
Newton said it all started back in 2019, when Oregon shut down Lost Valley Farms due to slew of permit violations.
So, Easterday Dairy bought the land and facility in hopes to bring it back to life by applying for a CAFO permit or Confined Animal Feeding Operation.
“The Lost Valley Farms disaster really illustrated what happens when mega-dairies are mismanaged and the bankruptcies of this Easterday Dairies affiliated companies really underscore that Lost Valley is not the only bad actor among mega-dairies and factory farming,” she said.
KAPP KVEW reached out to the Oregon Department of Agriculture to ask about the likelihood of Easterday Farms Dairy moving cattle into the state.
“The Easterday Farms Dairy LLC, Confined Feeding Operation (CAFO) permit application is still under review by the state. Agencies involved in the CAFO Permit process continue to gather information and explore all options including the legal authority to verify the ongoing financial status of an applicant and or operator. The state will proceed with fairness and transparency. Before any large CAFO Permit is granted in Oregon a public hearing is required along with a public comment period.”
The coalition has also sent a letter to state officials in opposition of permit approval.
“We’re urging them to use their authority to deny this permit application in light of what’s going on,” Newton said.
They’re also concerned about the overall environmental impact of another mega-dairy in Oregon.
“They’re still creating significant pollution and they contaminate our groundwater and contribute to methane emissions and use up our precious water resources,” Newton explained.
The coalition believes the Easterday’s pending litigation is reason enough to deny their operations, as well as the cost of opening up.
“It’s going to take an estimated $15 million, just to bring the facility into bare minimum of environmental compliance so that’s not even bringing it cows,” Newton said.
KAPP KVEW has tried to reach Easterday Ranches, Farms and Dairy but has yet to hear back.
Source: yaktrinews.com
In response to the immigration bill introduced today in Congress, NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern offered the following statement:
“As a leader in agricultural labor reform efforts, NMPF knows all too well that immigration policy is one of the most controversial and difficult issues to solve. We applaud President Biden, Representative Sanchez, and Senator Menendez for stepping up and leading with the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, making clear that immigration legislation is a significant, immediate priority. Still, reforms to our immigration system must include changes crucial for the dairy workforce. These include extending to current workers and their families the legal protections they have earned and enabling dairy farmers to use a guest worker program to supplement their domestic workforce when needed.
“NMPF looks forward to continuing to work with our policy champions in Congress in a bipartisan manner, as well as the administration, to get ag labor reform across the finish line and secure the stable, legal workforce dairy needs to continue producing affordable nutritious food to feed our country and our world.”
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Another reported barn fire in Wisconsin has resulted in even more loss of livestock in the frigid cold temperatures.
Authorities say 18 calves were killed on a farm in the town of Ixonia in Jefferson County on February 12. In addition, two firefighters were also injured while responding to the call.
The blaze was reported in the early evening hours and took crews over five hours to extinguish while the outside temperatures were about 10-degrees below zero.
The farm’s owners were able free about 20 other animals.
A number of other barn fires around the state over the past two weeks have killed goats, chickens and horses.
Source: MJS
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds rural communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses affected by the recent winter storms that USDA has programs that provide assistance.
USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices are prepared with a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance to residents, agricultural producers and impacted communities.
“USDA is committed to getting help to producers and rural Americans impacted by the severe weather in many parts of the country. As severe weather and natural disasters continue to threaten the livelihoods of thousands of our farming families, we want you and your communities to know that USDA stands with you,” said Kevin Shea, acting Secretary of Agriculture. “Visit farmers.gov or your local USDA Service Center to inquire about assistance.”
USDA offers several risk management and disaster assistance options to help producers recover after they are impacted by severe weather, including those impacted by winter storms and extreme cold.
Even before disasters strike, USDA provides tools for producers to manage their risk through the Federal Crop Insurance Program, a public-private partnership between USDA’s Risk Management Agency and private companies and agents. For crops that do not have crop insurance available, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) is available through the local Farm Service Agency. This risk protection includes crop production loss and tree loss for certain crop insurance products. It is recommended that producers reach out to their crop insurance agent or local FSA office for more information.
Producers that signed up for Federal Crop Insurance or NAP who suffer losses are asked to report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or local FSA office, respectively, within 72 hours of damage discovery and follow up in writing within 15 days.
Livestock and perennial crop producers often have more limited risk management options available, so there are several disaster programs for them. Key programs include:
USDA reminds producers that it’s critical to keep accurate records to document the losses and illnesses following this devastating cold weather event. Livestock producers are advised to document beginning livestock numbers by taking photos or videos of any losses.
Additionally, USDA can provide financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. Assistance may also be available for emergency animal mortality disposal from natural disasters and other causes.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) also has a variety of loans available including emergency loans that are triggered by disaster declarations and operating loans that can assist producers with credit needs.
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is helping ensure affected households and communities are taking the proper steps to reduce the risk of foodborne illness during severe weather and power outages. Food safety tips for before, during and after a weather emergency are available on the FSIS website.
During a power outage, a refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened, and a full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full and the door remains closed). During a snowstorm, do not place perishable food out in the snow. Outside temperatures can vary and food can be exposed to unsanitary conditions and animals.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is helping to meet the emergency needs of pets and their owners, as inspectors coordinate closely with zoos, breeders and other licensed facilities to ensure animals in their care remain safe.
On the livestock front, APHIS veterinarians are ready to work alongside partners to conduct on-site assessments to document the needs of affected producers. More information about protecting livestock is available on APHIS’ Protecting Livestock During a Disaster page. Information about protecting household pets and service animals can be found on APHIS’ Animal Care Emergency Programs webpage.
APHIS has additional staff on stand-by to provide support should the situation escalate in severity or the number of affected livestock operations increase. Should it be necessary, APHIS has the expertise to assist with carcass removal and disposal as well.
APHIS’ Animal Care (AC) program is also prepared to respond. The Animal Care Program oversees the welfare of certain animals that are exhibited to the public, bred for commercial sale and used in medical research. In addition to providing technical assistance to regulated facilities, AC inspectors may be checking affected facilities to assess damage and ensure the welfare of their animals.
For more information about APHIS’ response efforts and how to protect pets and service animals in disasters, follow APHIS on Twitter at @USDA_APHIS.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works with state, local and nongovernmental organizations to provide emergency nutrition assistance, including food packages and infant formula, to households, shelters and mass feeding sites serving people in need. FNS also provides emergency flexibilities in administering nutrition assistance programs at the request of states and works with local authorities to provide benefits. Emergency nutrition assistance and flexibilities requested by states and approved by FNS are posted to the FNS Disaster Assistance website.
Visit USDA’s disaster resources website to learn more about USDA disaster preparedness and response. For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.
A major fire erupted in at least one barn at Walker Farms in Summers Corners on Wednesday, Feb. 17, just before 5 p.m. Firefighters streamed in from Malahide, Bayham and Aylmer to fight the blaze, including Aylmer’s aerial truck.
Initial reports indicated everyone was able to get out of the affected buildings safely. 90 cows are dead, however due to the efforts of staff and firefighters more than 850 were saved from the fire that caused $3-million in damages. Meanwhile, workers drove cows that had been evacuated from barns towards waiting cattle trucks for transportation to safety.
The blaze started around 5 p.m.
Malahide Fire Chief Brent Smith tells CTV News that roughly 100 firefighters were on scene to help deal with the fire.
While the fire caused significant damage Smith estimates that $3-million worth of cattle were saved as a result of everyones efforts.
The Ontario Fire Marshal has been notified but Smith says they are unlikely to attend as they are confident the fire was electrical and began in the milk house.
The care of the scene has been given back to the owners of the property.
As a 1% for the Planet member, Good Culture, the premium cultured dairy brand that aims to make real healing foods available to all, has partnered with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) to create the Path to Pasture program that will help support soil health and utilization of pasture on family dairy farms. Through the Path to Pasture program with DFA’s sustainability team and associated nonprofits, funds from Good Culture will be leveraged to provide farmers with education on and access to sustainable, regenerative agriculture farming practices that are critical in delivering nutrient-dense foods to the masses.
The Path to Pasture pilot program will initially be offered to farmers located in the Minnesota and Wisconsin milkshed that are interested in enhancing soil or pasture health. Initial outreach and commitments have begun in 2020 with implementation of new resources and processes to start in spring 2021. Consultations will continue through for mid-summer 2021 with implementation for those in the program to follow in the fall.
“At Good Culture, we are committed to creating good for people, animals and the planet, and soil health and regenerative agriculture plays a vital role in this,” said founder Jesse Merrill. “Through the Path to Pasture program and our partnership with DFA, we aim to support farmers by providing them access to regenerative agriculture farming resources which will create healthier soil; grow more nutrient-dense foods; ensure that our animals are outside on pasture; and sequester carbon.” “DFA and our farm family-owners are committed to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint,” says David Darr, senior vice president and chief strategy and sustainability officer at DFA. “Continuous improvements in soil health, including development of pasture, are important parts of our overall sustainability strategy.
We are excited to establish Path to Pasture as a new program to educate, share best practices and promote continuous improvement with our members.” Through Good Culture’s long standing membership with 1% for the Planet, the brand also works with Kiss The Ground to provide access to scholarships for soil health training and testing. With each cup of organic good culture sold, 1 percent of the sales goes towards transitioning conventional farms to regenerative agriculture practices with a focus on planned grazing.
Since 2017, 14 scholarships have been awarded to farmers and producers. The Path to Pastures program announcement also comes soon after the brand announced it is a Certified B Corporation, This certification is reserved for businesses that are a force for good and dedicated to creating a more inclusive and sustainable economy at the highest standard. To learn more about Good Culture, please visit www.goodculture.com or follow along on Instagram at @good_culture.
Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced that 5,054 Canadian dairy farmers have already received their payments, totalling $267.1 million, under the second year of the Dairy Direct Payments Program. This represents roughly 51 % of the more than 10,000 dairy farmers across the country. Minister Bibeau made the announcement as part of a keynote speech to the Dairy Farmers of Canada at their Annual General Meeting.
With these direct payments the Government of Canada is delivering on its commitment to provide full and fair compensation to supply-managed sectors for market access concessions made under the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Dairy farmers will receive $1.75 billion in direct payments over the course of four years, with $345 million made available in year one (2019-20) and $468 millioncurrently available under year two of the program. Another $469 million will be available in 2021-22, and $468 million in 2022-23. The owner of a farm with 80 dairy cows will be awarded compensation in the form of a direct payment of approximately $38,000 for each of these remaining years.
These amounts also build on the $250 million CETA on-farm investment program, and provide certainty on the schedule and form of remaining payments in the $2 billion total compensation package for dairy farmers.
The Government of Canada remains committed to engaging the sector on full and fair compensation for the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), and to providing compensation to processors of supply-managed products.
Canada’s supply managed farmers are the backbone of rural communities across the country, and help ensure a strong Canadian economy and agriculture sector. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, these farmers have consistently demonstrated their outstanding commitment to providing high-quality products to the Canadians who rely on them.
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“Our Government is moving full steam ahead to ensure that supply-managed sectors receive full and fair compensation that gives them the predictability and support necessary for their success for generations to come. More than 50% of producers have already received their second payment. The Government continues to work tirelessly to ensure that dairy, poultry and egg producers remain resilient and prosperous.”
– The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
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SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
For further information: Jean-Sébastien Comeau, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, jean-sebastien.comeau@canada.ca, 343-549-2326; Media Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 613-773-7972, 1-866-345-7972, aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@canada.ca
At their annual convention, U.S. Custom Harvesters (USCHI) hosted a day-long H-2A learning session for their members at their annual conference. The next week, Monday, January 25, the Biden Administration banned foreign travelers from South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom and 26 other European countries due to concerns regarding the Covid-19 and new virus variants. These countries are where many custom harvesters hire their seasonal crews.
After USCHI and other ag groups expressed concerns to the Administration, the State Department announced that H-2A and H-2B travelers that were covered by the Presidential Proclamation of January 25, 2021 will now receive a waiver under the National Interest Exception since they are “essential to the economy and food security of the United States.” While this alleviates some of the concern with South African workers, it does not provide relief from other countries subject to the ban.
According to the Department of Labor, H-2A workers are defined as nonimmigrant workers that perform agricultural labor on a temporary or
seasonal nature. In the third quarter of 2020, there was a four percent increase in H-2A positions from the prior year, nearing 90,000 temporary jobs. “Most custom harvesters try to fill their crews with American employees, but due to the seasonality of the job, that becomes unfeasible. Many of our members will start their harvest season in the southern states in March and will continue north until late fall. That is only about 8 months of work, so utilizing H-2A workers makes sense for our members,” said Raph Jolliffe, USCHI president.
“What I’ve been told is there are about 5,000 workers that the harvest industry uses through the H-2A program for this country,” said Louie Perry, Cornerstone Government Affairs. “We understand that a travel ban may be necessary to stop the spread of Covid-19, but it has created a serious issue for the harvesting and agricultural industry, which is the foundation of the food system. We look forward to working with the Biden Administration to define a pathway to get these essential food system workers cleared to continue to support the U.S. food supply.”
Custom Harvesters, Inc. (USCHI) is an association of professional custom harvesters serving the needs of the American farmer. Established and chartered in 1983 in the State of Texas, USCHI serves as a link between the harvesters and the many groups of people they work with, such as farmers, businesses, State and Federal Government. This organization also works to educate its membership concerning safety, quality of workmanship, and information on equipment updates and exists to represent and promote the harvesting industry.
The Tetra Laval Group Board has appointed Mr. Paul Löfgren, President & CEO of DeLaval, effective 1 April 2021. The appointment follows the decision by Mr. Joakim Rosengren to step down from his position after 18 years as President & CEO and 35 years with the Tetra Laval Group.
Paul Löfgren, presently Executive Vice President Cluster Europe Middle East & Africa, joined DeLaval in 2012 and was appointed to his current position in 2016.
Löfgren, who is 51 years old, holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
About DeLaval
Our vision is to make sustainable food production possible. As a company built on innovation, we constantly work to find ways of helping our customers, dairy farmers, do more with less by providing world-leading milking equipment and solutions.
Today, DeLaval has approximately 4,500 passionate professionals operating in more than 100 markets around the world. DeLaval is part of the Tetra Laval Group. See more at www.delavalcorporate.com
About Tetra Laval
The Tetra Laval Group is focused on technologies for the efficient production, packaging and distribution of food. It consists of three independent industry groups, Tetra Pak, Sidel and DeLaval, all world leaders of their respective field of operations. The Group has 36,000 employees, revenue in 2020 of EUR 13.1 billion and operations in more than 170 countries. More information can be found at www.tetralaval.com
For further questions, please contact Mr Jörgen Haglind on jorgen.haglind@tetralaval.com or Mr Lars Johansson on lars.johansson@delaval.com
There comes a point in dairying where a farmer must stop putting the cows first and instead switch to humans.
DairyTas’ newest Focus Farm milks 1290 spring-calving cows twice a day at peak operation.
The farmers credit their sanity to attracting the best workers.
Rosemount Ag is an equity partnership between two couples — Rob and Jo Bradley, who raise the young stock, and James and Sophie Greenacre, who manage the dairy.
The work relationship between the couples started in 2017 and became an equity partnership in the 2018-19 season.
The Cressy farm will be hosting an open day on Wednesday, March 17 — the first time the day won’t be ‘virtual’.
Mr Greenacre is a first generation farmer and prioritises providing first-class staff development opportunities to employees.
The intention is to attract workers who want to make a good career in agriculture.
“I would like to be a place where good people want to come and work,” Mr Greenacre said.
“Furthermore, I would like to develop our people that work with us so they can take management roles elsewhere in the dairy industry when they feel ready.”
The Greenacres are very open about what they’ve done to turn a cropping farm into a high-capacity dairy operation.
DairyTas hopes spotlighting Rosemount Ag as a Focus Farm will help other Tasmanian dairy farmers learn from the partnership’s successes and — more importantly — challenges.
The herd at Rosemount Ag is predominantly crossbred cows, containing Holstein, Jersey and red breed genetics.
The farm’s aim is to have a 500kg crossbreed herd, which does its weight in solids.
Registration to attend the open day is essential.
The event will run from 10am to 2pm and will also feature Dairy Ambassador Jonathan Brown, who will discuss the industry and the upcoming Dairy Matters campaign.
Register on the Dairy Australia website, or at: https://bit.ly/2O4phMp
In January 2021, President Biden released the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness (PDF, 24 MB). The plan is driven by science, data, and public health to improve the effectiveness of our nation’s fight against COVID-19 and to restore trust, accountability and a sense of common purpose in our response to the pandemic.
The National Strategy provides a roadmap to guide America out of the worst public health crisis in a century. It is organized around seven goals:
The plan calls on all parts of the federal government to contribute its resources—facilities, personnel, and expertise—to contain the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responding to the President’s call to action. In addition to personnel, USDA is offering its facilities, cold chain infrastructure, public health experts, disaster response specialists, and footprint in rural areas and Tribal communities across the country. Here are the some of the ways USDA is working alongside our federal partners to contain the pandemic and get our economy back on track.
For more information about USDA’s efforts and resources to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit www.usda.gov/coronavirus.
Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) and Lactalis Canada are pleased to announce that Lactalis Canada will begin featuring the iconic Blue Cow logo on yogurt products marketed under the Astro and Stonyfield brands this year. In adopting the Blue Cow logo on these popular and much-loved brands, the company is helping consumers recognize products made with 100% high-quality, nutritious Canadian milk, produced in accordance with some of the most stringent standards in the world.
As one of the nation’s leading dairy processors, Lactalis Canada first began adopting the Blue Cow logo in 2018, and has since committed to rolling it out on hundreds of milk, cream and cheese products under the Lactantia, Beatrice, Black Diamond, Cracker Barrel and P’tit Quebec brands. The Blue Cow will now appear on more than 55 additional products under the Astro and Stonyfield yogurt brands. Lactalis Canada will also feature the logo on the company’s digital advertising and in-store (point-of-sale) signage.
“The Blue Cow is widely recognized as a symbol of dairy farmers’ dedication and pride in producing 100% high-quality Canadian milk, and their high standards in the areas of animal care, food safety, milk quality and sustainable production,” said Pierre Lampron, President of Dairy Farmers of Canada. “As one of the largest processors in Canada, Lactalis Canada’s decision to feature the logo on Astro and Stonyfield yogurts speaks volumes about the trust consumers, processors and retailers have in our practices, and we are thrilled to expand our partnership further.”
“As long-standing supporters of Canadian dairy farmers and the sustainability of our industry at large, we are pleased to extend our partnership with Dairy Farmers of Canada on the Blue Cow logo initiative with our Astro and Stonyfield brands,” said Mark Taylor, President and CEO of Lactalis Canada. “As part of our essential role in feeding the nation, we understand our important responsibility to inform consumers of the high-quality Canadian milk and milk ingredients that make up our healthy and nutritious dairy products.”
Inspired by the simple, natural purity of milk, the logo provides clarity to consumers that the milk used in the dairy products they buy was produced with care by Canadian farmers. In just a few short years since its launch, it has already become one of the most recognized and most trusted brands in the country. Eight out of ten Canadian consumers are now familiar with the logo.
The logo is underpinned by proAction®, the industry’s robust quality assurance program under which Canadian farmers demonstrate high standards in areas such as milk quality, food safety, sustainability and animal care.
ABOUT DAIRY FARMERS OF CANADA
Dairy Farmers of Canada is the national policy, lobbying and promotional organization representing Canadian dairy producers. DFC strives to create stable conditions for the dairy sector in our country. It also seeks to maintain policies that promote the sustainability of Canadian dairy production and works to promote dairy products and their health benefits.
ABOUT LACTALIS CANADA
With 140 years of brand heritage, Lactalis Canada is committed to enriching and nurturing the lives of Canadians by producing nutritious and great tasting dairy products. The company directly employs 3,500 Canadians, supports hundreds of farming families and contributes to the livelihoods of thousands of Canadians who provide essential services to Lactalis Canada’s 30 operating sites including 17 manufacturing facilities. The company’s iconic brands include Beatrice, Lactantia, Astro, Black Diamond, Cheestrings Ficello, Balderson, Cracker Barrel, P’tit Québec, aMOOza!, siggi’s, Stonyfield, Galbani and Président. Lactalis Canada is a subsidiary of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy group, headquartered in Laval, France. For more information, visit w
Farm owners in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota employed 57,000 agricultural workers during the week of October 10-17. According to the USDA’s latest farm labor report, the average number of hours worked per employee was 41.3, with the average wage rate for all hired agricultural workers at $15.72 per hour.
During the survey week, farmers in Wisconsin were busy harvesting corn and soybeans, hauling manure, making hay and doing fall tillage. An employee is classified as a livestock worker if they tend livestock, milk cows, care for poultry, or operate machinery on livestock farms.
Livestock workers in the region earned an average of $14.28 per hour during the reference week. Field workers were paid about $15.75 per hour.
Nationally, the average number of hours worked for all hired workers was 42.1. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $15.87 per hour. Field workers earned an average of $15.28 per hour, while livestock workers averaged $14.62 per hour.
Source: wisconsinagconnection.com
She’s really got milk.
A Scottish woman who went viral for helping to push a huge dairy truck up a snowy hill has been rewarded with a year’s supply of milk.
Charlene Leslie told the Central Fife Times how she left two of her three kids with a friend so she could get in the street and push a truck that was stuck with its wheels spinning in snow.
Video showed Leslie pushing the truck from behind as it moved uphill at a walking pace — with people dubbing her a real-life Wonder Woman.
After the clip went viral last week, Graham’s The Family Dairy, whose truck she pushed, tracked her down — and gave her “milk and high protein dairy products free for the rest of the year,” the company said.
“When I saw the video of Charlene pushing one of our artic lorries up a steep hill singlehandedly, I couldn’t believe it,” company chairman Dr. Robert Graham Snr. said.
“She not only made our family, farmers and colleagues smile, but clearly captured the hearts of thousands of people across the world.”
Still, the dairy company noted that “although she is a real-life superwoman” others should not “follow her actions,” with many noting it could have been deadly had the truck rolled backward.
Leslie agreed that it was “really dangerous,” but said, “I would never just stand by when I see someone in trouble. … In the moment I wasn’t really thinking about me, I just wanted to help.”
Source: nypost.com
In Gloucestershire, we’re very lucky to be known for our dairy farms and produce.
From Winstone’s Ice Cream on the top of Rodborough Common, to Wholly Gelato in the Severn Valley, there are skilled dairy farmers across the county who have made a deserved name for themselves both locally and further afield.
With the pandemic making us realise how important it is to support local businesses, many Gloucestershire farmers appreciate the public buying their dairy products from them.
Here are a number of farms across Gloucestershire with vending machines for you to buy their produce from. Remember, government guidelines apply and you should only visit farms local to you.
Godsells Cheese
Not only does Godsells Cheese supply fresh, free range milk from a vending machine on their Leonard Stanley farm, but the award-winning farm also has a cheese vending machine for all the fanatics out there.
Open 24/7 and accepting cash and card, the vending machine offers a range of cheeses made on the farm, including single and double Gloucester, cheddar, and a range of different flavours such as smoked and chilli cheese.
Wholly Gelato
Wholly Gelato arrived on the Gloucestershire food scene just under three years ago, and has blossomed into a successful diversification venture – with the Hobbs family churning out milk from their herd and turning it into gelato to die for.
In a move to get rid of single use plastic, the Elmore-based dairy farm has been selling their milk from a dedicated ‘milk bot’, which is open 8am-7pm everyday. There are also flavours you can add to make a milkshake.
Milk lovers can buy a glass bottle for £2, which they can then bring on future trips to get milk, which is priced at £1.40/litre. The February half-term hours for the scoop shop have been announced, and updates on flavours are available on the Wholly Gelato Facebook page.
Stroud Micro Dairy
This community-supported dairy farm in Old Painswick Road produces fresh, raw and ethical milk which is safe to drink unpasteurised.
Stroud Micro Dairy do not separate the calves from their mothers at birth, which they believe leads to both parties being much happier. The farm, which is based on a community membership model, provides milk, yoghurt and kefir from a vending machine to those who have shares.
Customers tailor their shares and buy them based on how much regeneratively farmed milk, yoghurt or kefir they want, which they will then need to register.
When you first visit Stroud Micro Dairy, the staff will talk you through how to go about your dairy product vending process, and will then give you the code to access the dispensing machine and fridge, so you can get your fix of nutrient-rich, raw milk.
Abbey Home Farm
The Organic Farm Shop sells much of the lovingly produced food from Abbey Home Farm, including a wide range of dairy products. This includes yoghurt, cream, butter, several varieties of cheese, and of course, milk.
The non homogenised milk is available from the shop via a vending machine, both in whole and semi-skimmed varieties, half or whole litres.
If you would like to get your hands on some of Abbey Home Farm’s fresh milk, the shop is open 9am-5pm Tuesday-Saturday, and 11am-4pm on a Sunday. Customers are welcome to bring their own containers, as long as they are clean and are not taller than a wine glass.
Church Street Grocer
This minimal plastic shop in the heart of Tetbury sells milk from Woefuldane Dairy from an impressive vending machine at the back of the store.
Customers can bring their own reusable bottles to the shop, which is open 9.30am-5pm all week, in Church Street and fill them with full cream, semi-skimmed, and skimmed varieties.
Source: gloucestershirelive.co.uk
Select Sires regrets to share that George Miller passed away on February 13, 2021 at the age of 94. George made significant contributions to the dairy industry and Select Sires. He was a tremendous leader, visionary and great friend to many. Please enjoy this collection of memories as we look back in our archive of George’s comments and accomplishments.
Please enjoy this collection of memories as we look back in our archive of George’s comments and accomplishments.
PEDIGREE AND PAST
George grew up helping on his uncle’s dairy farm, Round Oak Farm in Virginia. With an appreciation for Holstein cattle and pedigrees, he went on to attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and studied dairy husbandry. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he continued his education and earned a master’s degree in dairy science in 1956. Following graduation, he was hired by Virginia Artificial Breeders Association (VABA) and was eventually promoted to general manager.
His time as the general manager of VABA encompassed many great accomplishments, but perhaps the most well-known was the acquisition of 7HO58 Round Oak Rag Apple ELEVATION (EX-96-GM).
Read more about George’s involvement in ELEVATION’s mating and impact on the Holstein breed.
HIS TIME AT SELECT SIRES INC.
On October 1, 1973 George joined the staff at Select Sires Inc. headquarters in Plain City, Ohio. In 2015, former Select Sires Inc. General Manager Dick Chichester was interviewed for the 50-year history book. He was asked about key people he worked with at Select Sires and George was the first name he mentioned. Here’s an excerpt from the book:
“When I became temporary manager, I needed a marketing manager. My first call was to George Miller. The reason I called George was because he was honest and he would tell you what he really thought. Sometimes people thought we were going to come to blows because George’s voice would get raised but he really was just concerned about doing things right.”
(Pictured right: George watches a slide show presentation honoring ELEVATION at the Select Sires Kellgren Center. George was influential in the legendary sire’s rise to the history books.)
In 1990, George shared some reflections on Select Sires’ 25 years of operation in this excerpt:
“Select Sires is proof to the world that miracles do happen, and dreams do come true. You know the sense of pride that we employees of Select Sires have in being, and striving to give our best. Teamwork, the joy of working together, contributing positively to the success of those who use our service, keeps us striving to deserve the confidence that people (farmers, directors and co-workers) place in us.”
Those words represent George’s spirit as a leader at Select Sires. His words will continue to be an inspiration to those that work at Select Sires today and in the future.
(Pictured right: George has a conversation with World Wide Sires founder Bill Clark.)
George retired from Select Sires Inc. in 1991, but he remained an important member of the Select Sires family and was a friendly face at many company and industry events.
“George Miller was a pillar of the Select Sires family. He was passionate about genetics, the Holstein cow, and his Select Sires family. His desire to support breeders with the very best genetics was his life’s mission. Throughout the years, George’s love and passion for the people of this cooperative provided the spirit and culture to our organization. To George, Select Sires was about family, the people. He was a natural leader and built a remarkable foundation for Select Sires,” said David Thorbahn, president and CEO of Select Sires Inc.
National Dairy Council (NDC) shares dairy’s role in the newly released 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which reaffirm the importance of consuming dairy daily as part of healthy dietary patterns for positive health outcomes.
Daily inclusion of low-fat and fat-free dairy foods is recommended in all three DGA healthy dietary patterns: three servings in Healthy U.S. and Healthy Vegetarian, and two to two-and-a-half servings in Healthy Mediterranean. Following these healthy dietary patterns is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
For the first time, recommendations for the birth-to-23-month time period are included and yogurt and cheese were recognized as complementary feeding options for infants starting as early as 6 months. Dairy foods (whole milk, reduced-fat cheese and reduced-fat plain yogurts) were included in recommendations for toddlers 12-23 months.
“Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt offer essential nutrients that help nourish people throughout life,” said National Dairy Council President Jean Ragalie-Carr, RDN, LDN, FAND. “We are living during a period where affordable nutrition is critically important to our nation. Dairy foods, including lactose-free varieties, are a highly nutritious and accessible option that can help fill important nutrient gaps and support overall well-being. We’re pleased to see dairy consumption recommended for its contributions to healthy dietary patterns based on the scientific evidence.”
Consistent evidence demonstrates that a healthy dietary pattern, which includes low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, is associated with beneficial outcomes for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, bone health, and certain types of cancer (breast and colorectal).
Other key aspects of the DGA for dairy include:
The DGA are updated every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which base their recommendations on a sound body of peer-reviewed science. The guidelines are an essential resource for health professionals and policymakers as they design and implement food and nutrition programs that nourish Americans, including USDA’s National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The DGA also help people make healthy choices for themselves and their families.
While these guidelines don’t include recommendations for sustainable food systems, the U.S. dairy community has commitments in place to advance environmental sustainability. Earlier this year, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy announced the 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals which include achieving carbon neutrality or better, optimizing water usage and improving water quality.
“All foods come with an environmental footprint and all sectors of food production can work to do better, including dairy,” said Krysta Harden, executive vice president of Global Environmental Strategy for Dairy Management Inc. “Today, U.S. dairy contributes about 2% of greenhouse gas emissions and collectively, from farm to retail, we are committed to being an environmental solution and leaving a positive footprint for future generations.”
To learn more about dairy’s role in a healthy diet, visit www.usdairy.com/dairy-nutrition. To learn more about U.S. dairy’s 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals, visit https://www.usdairy.com/sustainability/environmental-sustainability.
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About National Dairy Council
For 100 years, National Dairy Council (NDC), the non-profit organization funded by the national dairy checkoff program, is committed to nutrition education and research-based communications. NDC provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier nation, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. Established in 1915, NDC comprises a staff of registered dietitians and nutrition research and communications experts across the country. NDC is dedicated to promoting child health and wellness through programs such as Fuel Up to Play 60.
The extreme cold weather and low temperatures have forced schools across Central Texas to shut down and some jobs to delay their start or close completely. However, for one profession, snow days don’t exist.
Dairy farming.
It’s all James Ash, the owner of Ash Acres Dairy Farm, knows how to do.
”We’ve had a dairy here for 57 years…it started the year I was born,” Ash said. “We’ve had it for all this time.”
His father was the one to start the business. He’s since taken over, but he is unfamiliar with some things.
“What they’re telling us about what’s coming later on today and the next few days and the temperatures that we’re facing, we’ve never seen, in my lifetime I’ve never seen it that cold,” he admitted.
The farmer said over the past few days he’s spent over $3,000 on things like extra hay, propane to keep heaters running for over 100 cows and new hoses in case the old ones freeze.
“It’s kind of hard in these times when you have a lot of extra expenses to keep everything going,” he explained. “Then your customers don’t feel like getting out in the bad weather, so you don’t have a sale for your milk. It all adds up pretty fast; hopefully we’ll survive it.”
He makes his living by selling his product directly to the public, but with the harsh weather conditions and officials urging those who don’t need to travel to stay home, he said the demand for milk this week is low.
Production doesn’t stop, either. He said the farm produces about 100 gallons of milk per day and even in the low temperatures, the cows still need to be milked. So, keeping them safe is his top priority.
“Just be sure and protect your animals,” he said. “That’s the thing that, you know, once you can replace equipment or whatever, but the animal dies, you know, that’s it.”
The family farm is located in Belton and according to their Facebook page, it’s open every day of the week.
Source: kxxv.com
The Sims 4 might not have a farming expansion pack yet, but a team of mod and custom content creators have teamed up to at least gift players a dairy cow.
Those cows just chilling in the pastures over in Brindleton Bay won’t be so lonely anymore. But don’t worry, you do not need any expansion packs for this mod to work – the Dairy Cow Mod is Sims 4 base game friendly.
PandaSama, Mizore Yukii and Icemunmun released their Dairy Cow Mod for early access on Patreon this week with the public release to follow on 4 March 2021.
The cow comes with seven different swatches and a whole bunch of interactions, including the ability for Sims to collect and sell milk from the cow.
Players can rename the cow, feed the cow hay (crown from special seeds), gain unique moodlets depending on the type of milk the cow produces and your bovine buddy even has the power to build and destroy Sim friendships. There is even an additional interaction, available only through the Shift-Click cheats, that can send the cow away for meat collection.
The mod also comes with additional objects, made just for your new cow-ardly friend, including the hay bale, hay pile and treat bags with seeds to crow for your cow.
Their cow comes with some udder responsibilities, too. If your cow is pasture rearer – in other words, if it lives on the grass, it will eat when it is hungry. If not, you will have to feed the cow or risk it dying of starvation.
Interactions are available for child-adult Sims and cows can be fed every four hours with milk collection available immediately after it is fed.
Cows also die of old age eventually with a notification that the bell is about to toll appearing when the time nears. How mooving.
The mod is thanks to these three creators (the links will take you to their external profiles on Patreon).
So far, no conflicts with other mods have been reported and the Dairy Cow mod is also compatible with Srsly’s Complete Cooking Overhaul. We have not yet tried this mod ourselves, but hope to do so very soon.
Source: extratime.media
County Dairy Princesses from around New York State will participate in American Dairy Association North East’s (ADANE) 58th New York State Dairy Princess Pageant, which will take place on February 16. The event will be live-streamed on the ADANE Facebook page beginning at 6 p.m.
One New York State Dairy Princess will be crowned along with two alternates who will be selected to represent New York’s dairy farmers and serve as dairy industry ambassadors throughout the next year. Contestants have served as a county dairy princess since Spring 2020, promoting milk and dairy products in their communities.
The typical role of a dairy princess is to serve as a spokesperson and advocate for dairy farmers by engaging with and educating consumers on the nutritional benefits of milk and dairy foods, how farmers care for their cows and their land in order to produce a sustainable product and the importance of the dairy industry to the State’s economy. Dairy princesses also work with ADANE at a variety of special events including local dairy princess pageants, farmer meetings, state and county fairs, and sampling dairy products at grocery stores.
This year, due to COVID-19, many typical dairy princess responsibilities were altered. For instance, the pandemic severely increased the need for food assistance. As milk and dairy foods are some of the most nutrient-rich foods, ensuring those in need received dairy became a mission of the State’s dairy industry. Dairy princesses played an important role in promoting milk distribution events organized by ADANE and assisting and handing out milk and dairy foods at various local events.
The two-day pageant includes a personal interview, impromptu questions, a prepared adult speech, a product knowledge exam, writing skills, and informal interaction with others. Judges will evaluate the contestants on their communication skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise, and personality. This year’s competition is being conducted in accordance with New York State COVID-19 guidelines to ensure all candidates are able to participate safely.
Source: mylittlefalls.com
The American Embryo Transfer Association (AETA) is the vanguard of the embryo technology industry, and its certification program is the gold standard recognized around the world. Certified AETA embryo transfer (ET) practitioners are known for their experience, quality of work, and professionalism.
AETA is an organization committed to promoting self-imposed standards of excellence in performance and conduct. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recognizes the AETA’s responsibility to uphold the highest industry standards, ensuring that certified individuals and companies exporting embryos have the required knowledge, qualifications, and expertise. AETA-certified members can help in all phases of a successful ET program. To become AETA certified, individuals must pass a rigorous examination, demonstrate extensive experience, participate in annual continuing education, and abide by the rules and regulations established by the AETA and USDA, including facility and laboratory inspections.
Extensive training, cutting-edge technology, and mastering the technical skills required are a few prerequisites to certified ET practitioners. Our scientific knowledge of reproductive physiology, coupled with our skills in collection, processing, and cryopreservation of embryos are needed to ensure biosecurity and public health, safety, and trust. Conventional in-vivo and in-vitro fertilized procedures are invasive and thus, require strict guidelines and attention to detail, such as is provided to AETA members. This experience is a
pillar to our success. Embryos processed by AETA-certified embryo practitioners, in accordance with International Embryo Technology Society (IETS) standards, can be exported to most countries around the world. Generally, only embryos processed by AETA-certified practitioners and endorsed by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) veterinary services can be exported. To maintain export status, the embryos must be stored under the direct supervision of an approved ET practitioner. Our members are trained to utilize the IETS standardized trypsin wash protocol, so that embryos pose minimal to no risk for transmission of any known disease or pathogen. Adherence to high standards of quality control can be seen in our results.
Certified AETA practitioners are professionals and understand the importance of your herd’s genetic success, results and performance, and the product that enhances the bottom line for you and other producers around the world. The AETA Certification Program, established in 1985, maintains standards within the ET industry and ensures that certified practitioners meet or exceed these standards. Accuracy and completeness of all records pertaining to the parentage of the resulting offspring is an area in which certified ET practitioners excel. We recognize our responsibility and obligation to top performance.
In summary, AETA is the leader in the ET industry and honored to work with US breeders and their most elite genetics. The experience, quality of work, and professionalism of certified AETA members is recognized worldwide. We understand the processes that help to multiply a herd’s genetic success. We offer the most modern and advanced reproductive technologies and herd health management programs for your bovine, equine, and small ruminant needs. AETA-certified professionals are important team members for your herd’s reproductive success, and US genetics will continue to enhance the future of your herd for generations.
To learn more about AETA certification and our members, like us on Facebook, give us a call, and visit our website.
Written by Matt Iager, DVM
The National Milk Producers Federation today congratulated Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) on her selection as Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
“During her time in both the House and the Senate, Senator Baldwin has been an effective champion for dairy farmers in Wisconsin and beyond,” said Jim Mulhern, NMPF president and CEO. “She has fervently fought for dairy’s good name in the face of FDA’s unwillingness to enforce clear, simple dairy product terms. She also has played a key role in efforts to positively reform dairy policy and tirelessly worked on the Appropriations Committee to champion dairy innovation, as well as initiatives to combat farmer stress in rural America.”
Senator Baldwin has served on the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets spending for agriculture and numerous nutrition programs along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for six years. During that time she has sponsored the bipartisan DAIRY PRIDE Act, which would compel FDA to enforce current law by requiring marketers of imitation dairy products to use proper labeling. She has also advocated successfully for critical improvements to the dairy safety net both in the Bipartisan Budget Act and the 2018 Farm Bill. Finally, Baldwin sponsored the bipartisan FARMERS FIRST Act which reestablished USDA’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to help farmers manage the unique stressors they face.
“Senator Baldwin becomes Chair of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee with a strong record of bipartisan achievement at a critical time for our nation’s dairy producers and their cooperatives,” Mulhern said.
“We look forward to working with her as our nation continues to weather the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and begins to tackle the challenges that will follow.”
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We at Jersey Canada are thrilled to be announcing the Winners of the 2021 Master and Constructive Breeder Awards. These awards are important as they recognize people whom continue to be strong contributors to the Jersey Breed.
Jersey Canada est ravi d’annoncer les gagnants de 2021 pour les prix d’éleveur émérite et maître éleveur. Ces prix sont importants, car ils récompensent les personnes qui continuent d’être de solides contributeurs à la race Jersey.
2021 Jersey Canada Master Breeder / Maître éleveur 2021
To receive the Master Breeder Award, the recipient must have a herd with high level of production, breed improvement through classification, and longevity and success of their genetics. To become a Master Breeder requires an 18 year minimum commitment. The 2021 Jersey Canada Master Breeder is Lone Pine Jerseys, the Haeni Family in Didsbury, Alberta.
Pour recevoir le prix de maître éleveur, le récipiendaire doit avoir un troupeau avec un haut niveau de production, l’amélioration de la race grâce à la classification, la longévité et le succès de sa génétique. Pour devenir maître éleveur, il faut un engagement minimum de 18 ans. Le maître éleveur Jersey Canada pour 2021 est Lone Pine Jerseys, de la famille Haeni à Didsbury, en Alberta.
The Haeni family milks 110 purebred Jerseys and crops 800 acres of barley, oats, wheat, canola and forage. They started in 1993, and are now enjoying watching the 3rd generation involved in the farm, as they work towards setting up on-farm processing. Congratulations Haeni family!
Le maître éleveur de Jersey Canada pour 2021 est Lone Pine Jerseys, à Didsbury en Alberta. La famille Haeni traite 110 Jerseys de race pure et cultive 800 acres d’orge, d’avoine, de blé, de canola et de fourrage. Ils ont commencé en 1993 et apprécient maintenant de voir la 3e génération s’impliquer dans la ferme, alors qu’ils travaillent à la mise en place pour la transformation de lait à la ferme. Félicitations à la famille Haeni!
2021 Jersey Canada Constructive Breeders (3) / D’éleveur Émérite 2021 (3)
The Constructive Breeder award recognizes herds that are excelling in Jersey breeding over a shorter time frame than the Master Breeder. Animals eligible for Constructive Breeder points are born during a 5-year window, beginning 3 years before the year of calculation. Three Constructive Breeders are awarded per year to the three eligible herds with the highest average points per registration.
Ce prix reconnaît les troupeaux qui excellent dans l’élevage des Jerseys mais une plus courte période que le prix de Maître Éleveur. Le calcul du prix d’Éleveur Émérite utilise la même méthode que le prix de Maître Éleveur sauf les points total d’Éleveur Émérite sont accumulés pour les animaux qui sont nés dans une fenêtre de 5ans, débutant 3 ans avant l’année de calcul. Trois prix sont décernés chaque année aux trois troupeaux ayant obtenu le plus grand nombre de points par enregistrement.
Bovi-Star, in Marieville, Quebec. Yannick Ostiguy, Fransesca Beauregard and family milk 28 cows and have been in dairy for 15 years. They strive to breed quality animals and look forward to one day winning Master Breeder.
Bovi-Star, à Marieville, Québec. Yannick Ostiguy, Fransesca Beauregard et leur famille traitent 28 vaches et sont des producteurs depuis 15 ans. Ils s’efforcent de continuer à élever des animaux de qualité et ont hâte de remporter un jour le titre de maître éleveur.
Clanman Jerseys, located in Clanwilliam, Manitoba. Steven and Marie Smith, along with their son Sean, milk 58 cows in a new compost pack barn with a DeLaval robot, and crop 560 acres. Their family has been dairy farming for 67 years, and future plans include installing a grazeway system in barn for cows to be milked and released to pasture for grazing.
Clanman Jerseys, situé à Clanwilliam, au Manitoba. Steven et Marie Smith, avec leur fils Sean, traient 58 vaches dans une nouvelle grange à compost avec un robot DeLaval et cultivent 560 acres. La famille Smith sont des producteurs laitiers depuis 67 ans, et les projets futurs comprennent l’installation d’un système de broutage dans l’étable pour que les vaches soient traites et relâchées au pâturage.
The Huijzer family of Huntcliff Dairy, located in Olds, Alberta. They currently milk 140 cows, 100 Jerseys and 40 Holsteins, and are moving to 100% Jerseys. This multi-generational dairy family came from Holland 20 years ago. They have 3 Lely robots in a freestall / pack barn / loose housing combination, and crop 600 acres of barley, hay and corn.
La famille Huijzer de Huntcliff Dairy, situés à Olds, en Alberta. Ils traitent actuellement 140 vaches, 100 Jerseys et 40 Holstein, et travaillent à devenir 100% Jerseys. Cette famille laitière multigénérationnelle est venue d’Hollande, il y a 20 ans. Ils ont 3 robots Lely dans une combinaison de stabulation libre / étable avec litière de compost / logement libre, et cultivent 600 acres d’orge, de foin et de maïs.
For more information on how the awards are calculated visit HERE
Pour plus d’informations concernant le calcul des points pour chaque prix visitez ici
