With so many school children doing their learning online these days, the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Department of Agriculture have come up with a way to help those kids learn about life on the farm. The groups recently launched a virtual farm tour of Scientific Holsteins in Chippewa Falls, hosted by Alice in Dairyland Julia Nunes.

“Kids enjoy seeing where their food comes from and who cares for the animals, so I’m excited to showcase my family’s dairy farm and share our dairy story,” Nunes said. “Dairy plays an essential role in a sustainable food system, and Wisconsin dairy farmers have dedicated their lives to feeding communities across the nation.”

Each year, more than 90,000 fourth graders learn about Wisconsin as part of their social studies curriculum. DFW Marketing Officer Suzanne Fanning says it’s important to help kids understand why Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland and that dairy is good for their bodies, our community and the environment.

“This virtual farm tour is an excellent tool for the fourth-grade curriculum, and we’re thrilled to offer it as another learning opportunity from home,” Fanning says.

The tour is geared toward students in grades 3-5 with an emphasis on fourth grade. The materials are available for download at WisconsinDairy.org/Farm-Tour

Source: Wisconsin Ag Connection

An innovative leader in the dairy farming community, McCarty Family Farms has announced that it is now a Certified B Corporation®. This certification is awarded to companies that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance. Building on McCarty Family Farm’s foundational commitment of caring for its cows, people and the land, this achievement underscores their dedication to redefine success in business.

Certified B Corporations® (also referred to as B Corps™) are for-profit companies that use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. B Corps™ are required to consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders including customers, workers, communities, and the environment. Dedicated to farming for a better world, these requirements are well-aligned with the guiding principles at McCarty Family Farms.

“As 4^th generation dairy farmers, our family has a long-established commitment to environmental stewardship and using our business as a force for good in the world,” says Ken McCarty, Co-Owner of McCarty Family Farms. “Becoming a Certified B Corp™ amplifies our commitment by prioritizing mission-driven collaboration with our partners to drive real, systemic change and create impact at scale. We are truly honored and humbled to be a part of the B Corp™ community.”

To achieve B Corp Certification, companies must meet credible, comprehensive, and independent standards and earn a minimum audit score of 80 out of 200 possible points. McCarty Family Farms achieved a B Impact Assessment score of 103.8, scoring exceptionally well in the environmental aspect by redesigning traditional processes to conserve natural resources on their farms and processing plant. Their extensive water conservation and soil health programs integrate the latest technologies to sustainably produce milk and condensed milk for their customer.  To maintain certification, B Corps™ recertify every three years with the aim to continuously improve their score. 

McCarty Family Farms joins MVP Dairy, co-owned by the McCarty Family, as one of the few dairy farms in the world to achieve B Corp™ certification. Dairy is also well-represented in the B Corp Community by other notable dairy companies balancing financial success with social and environmental responsibility like Ben and Jerrys, Tillamook, Cabot Cheese and their longtime partner and world’s largest B Corp™, Danone North America. 

Marc De Schutter, SVP of Procurement at Danone North America commented, “The B Corp movement’s collective action continues to remain critical. Now, more than ever, we must continue to understand and prioritize the connectedness of our agricultural and food systems, and the impact they have to our daily lives. We proudly welcome McCarty Family Farms to the B Corp community, as we seek to further co-create and enable sustainable food systems for our shared future.”

Since 2006, more than 60,000 companies globally have participated in the B Impact Assessment, but only 3,500 have become certified, which is indicative of the rigorous standards set by B Lab® in order to become a Certified B Corporation®. McCarty Family Farms completed the stringent certification in December and joins thoughtful companies across 160 industries in 74 countries that are meeting the highest standards of verified overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.  

“At the heart, the B Corporation movement is about people. And passionate people at that, all determined to use our collective voice so society can enjoy a shared and durable prosperity,” said Ben Anderson, CEO of B Lab US & Canada. “ McCarty Family Farms built their company on the foundation of using business as a force for good and we celebrate their willingness to further demonstrate their purpose in society by obtaining this powerful certification. Their regenerative and sustainable practices are truly outstanding and their partnership with Danone North America illustrates the power of responsible supply chains working together to prove that success in business can be redefined by building a more resilient economy that serves all stakeholders.” 

ABOUT MCCARTY FAMILY FARMS

McCarty Family Farms is owned and operated by brothers Mike, Clay, Dave and Ken McCarty of Colby, Kansas. The McCarty family started more than 100 years ago with a small barn without electricity in northeast Pennsylvania. Four generations later, McCarty Family Farms is at home in western Kansas and Nebraska where it strives for the utmost in animal welfare, environmental stewardship, sustainable communities, and the creation of safe, rewarding work environments. Learn more at McCartyFamilyFarms.com

ABOUT B LAB®

B Lab® is a nonprofit that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good^TM. They are working towards a global culture shift with their initiatives that include B Corp Certification, administration of the B Impact Management programs, and advocacy for governance structures like the benefit corporation. B Lab’s vision is of an inclusive and sustainable economy that creates a shared prosperity for all. 

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mccarty-family-farms-becomes-one-of-the-first-dairy-farms-globally-to-receive-b-corp-certification-301219513.html

SOURCE McCarty Family Farms

Dairy Farmers of Washington recently launched a new, interactive virtual farm tour that will help consumers learn more about the local dairy farms that produce their favorite dairy products. In addition to the virtual farm tour itself, consumers and educators now have access to nutrition-related lesson plans, a calorie calculator and a farm-related lesson plan to accompany the short videos explaining everything from cow care to crop production to milk processing and more.

“The virtual farm tour is versatile – it was created with teachers and educators in mind, but the average consumer interested in learning more about how milk is produced can also gain a lot from this resource,” said Ivan Chu, senior director of integrated marketing and communications for Dairy Farmers of Washington. “Consumers are more interested than ever in learning about where their food comes from and how it is produced, so it’s important for us at Dairy Farmers of Washington to showcase the care that Washington dairy farmers take to bring nutritious dairy to you.”

The ten video segments were filmed at four dairy farms across Washington and many segments feature multiple dairy farmers to showcase various farm practices.

“No two dairy farms are exactly alike and have all of the same farm practices, but we all share a passion for our cows and our environment,” said dairy farmer Lynne Wheeler of Coldstream Farms in Deming. “I’m excited to be a part of this project since it’s essential to share how we are producing food and help our consumers better understand what we are doing and why. The average consumer is about four generations removed from the farm and we are passionate about helping connect them with local dairy farms through this virtual farm tour.”

The virtual farm tour and nutrition resources have been popular with teachers since they were first released last week, said Brianne Kappel, director of nutrition and wellness for Dairy Farmers of Washington/Washington State Dairy Council.

“Teachers have done an exceptional job adapting to the virtual learning environment and are doing their part to ensure our youth continue to receive a quality education during these challenging times,” Kappel said. “These resources were created with them in mind and our goal is to make teaching nutrition and agriculture easier. Our virtual farm tour aims to connect students with the ‘farm-to-table’ story while highlighting modern technologies that dairy farmers are using to reduce their carbon footprint.”

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 nutrients of concern for Americans continue to be calcium, vitamin D, potassium and fiber; dairy foods are important sources of calcium, vitamin D and potassium in the U.S. diet and can help close these nutrient gaps.
• Linking of the nutrient package of dairy foods to bone health in both adolescents and adults, showing dairy’s important nutritional support for accrual of bone mass and promotion of bone health outcomes, including prevention of the onset of osteoporosis.
• The saturated fat recommendation remains at no more than 10% of total calories.

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.

Dairy milk production grew each year from 2010 to 2019, but for the budding $2 billion plant-based milk industry, there looks to be no ceiling to its growth — thanks in part to the dairy industry itself.

Refrigerated Cases Welcome Even More Alternative Milk

‘Got Milk?’ Pushed a Generation

A fire tore through a barn just outside of Truro, N.S., Wednesday night, shutting down a road in the area. More than 60 milking cows were saved, but two died as a result of the fire.

A fire tore through a feed barn just outside of Truro, N.S., Wednesday evening.

Firefighters were called to Loleaf Farm off Highway 311 in North River at 5:47 p.m. Chris Franklin, chief of the North River Fire Brigade, said the large metal barn was already ablaze when they arrived.

“The barn is an L-shape, the area is off to the left of the L, all that was left of the feed area was partial walls, and the ceiling, the roof was completely gone, so she was wide open, fully involved,” said Franklin.

No one was injured in the fire. 

Almost all of the roughly 60 milking cows at the farm were saved, according to farm owner Donald Murray.

“We worked feverishly to get all the animals out,” he said.

One cow died in a stall, and another had to be euthanized by a veterinarian due to injuries related to fire. Murray said three calves were also killed.

Most of the herd has been moved to another farm, Cobequid Holsteins, in nearby Masstown, said Murray. 

Along with the barn, he lost a tractor, mixer and some carts to the fire. Murray said he has no idea how the fire started. 

“We had just completed milking, the afternoon milking, approximately 10 minutes later the hay storage itself was totally encased in fire.”

The fire was so intense more than 10 fire departments were called in to help fight it. More than 100 firefighters were needed to put out the blaze. 

Franklin said it was difficult to subdue the fire because of the barn’s metal walls. 

“The steel won’t allow you access to the fire,” he said. “You have to remove the steel to get at the fire and the heat. A piece of equipment was brought in to remove debris and root through the straw, sawdust components of the feed shed area.”

Once an excavator was brought in to tear through the barn’s walls it was easier to douse the fire, said Franklin. 

It took fire crews six and a half hours to put out the blaze.  

The RCMP closed Highway 311 between Main Street and Stewart’s Bridge for several hours while firefighters did their work. 

Part of the dairy barn was also damaged in the fire.  

Despite all the loss, Murray plans to rebuild and keep the farm running. For the foreseeable future, about 50 of his cows will be staying at Cobequid Holsteins.

“It’s a no-brainer to do that, you just got to help the neighbours out and get the cows looked after,” said farmer Brian Yuill, with Cobequid Holsteins. “The neighbours volunteered to get the trucks going and catch the cattle and get them trucked here. And we had the room.”

That’s good news, according to Lisa Patton, the municipal councillor for the district in Colchester County. Patton said too many farms in the area have shut down over the years.

“They are a staple of our community, this is one of the few dairy farms left in District 8,” she said. “It’s just heartbreaking for everyone to see a family go through this.”

The cause of the fire isn’t known. 

Fire investigators began their work this morning. 

Source: CBC

BRITISH chocolate favourite Cadbury is moving the production of its iconic Dairy Milk chocolate back to the UK from Germany.

A farmer in the Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean region is striking a fine balance, running his family dairy farm by day and working as a classical ballet dancer by night.

Farmer and dancer says two seemingly opposing passions lead to a ‘perfect’ balance

With files from Quebec AM, video by Romy Boutin St-Pierre

Source: CBC

Marsha Rempel wants to save her 150-year-old farm — the only home she’s ever known — and is fighting the City of Welland’s decision to expropriate the lands for industry.

Rempel, 57, is the fifth generation to live on her family’s crop farm, which she says is endearingly known as the place with “the big red barn” that prompts tourists to park and pull out a camera.

“It’s been home my whole life,” she said of the farm in Ontario’s Niagara Region. “It’s like it’s part of your lineage. It’s part of your heritage. It’s roots. They don’t understand the roots aspects of this.”

The city wants to build an industrial park on the land, which sits between two railway lines and Ridge Road and Highway 140. The biggest parcel is a 24-hectare (60-acre) field, along with about 2.8 hectares (seven acres) on the south side of the railway.

“With six industrial parks nearly sold out and little employment land available, the need to acquire more city land is evident,” said a city media release explaining the expropriation on Friday. 

Move will create jobs in industrial-zoned land, city says

City council approved a bylaw to expropriate the land in a close vote at a Dec. 1 meeting. Six councillors and Mayor Frank Campion voted in favour, while five were opposed.

The city said it supports the manufacturing sector by strategically locating lands close to the Highway 406 and Highway 140 corridors. If a property owner doesn’t want to sell, the city said, it moves forward with expropriation, allowing it to purchase the land.

Steve Zorbas, the city’s interim chief administrative officer, said there’s a great demand for land that is service ready. Rempel’s property is zoned for industry as part of the Niagara Gateway Economic Zone and has been for years, he said.

“[Our] priorities are to create new jobs for the city of Welland, and it’s the best fit for us right now.”

Zorbas said the city has talked to the owner on three occasions. Rempel said she has refused to sell the land for three years and called the city’s pursuit akin to acting like “schoolyard bullies.”

Money won’t replace what is lost, says owner

Coun. John Chiocchio, who opposed the decision to expropriate, said before the December vote that “integrity sometimes [is] worth more than money” and that he was “dead against taking someone’s land.”

City council took a first step toward voting on expropriation at a meeting in July 2020 by approving the sale, while the December meeting approved housekeeping measures.

Coun. David McLeod said no one wants to remove someone from their land, but the owner would be financially compensated and the contribution to the city would be “far greater.”

“[The city’s] money is not going to replace what was lost,” Rempel said, noting she hadn’t had any discussions about dollar amounts. “You can buy another house. But you cannot buy another home, and there’s a difference.”

Rempel said she remembers her grandfather farming oats, red clover and corn on the land, back when it was known as Watters Farm. The farm now rotates between soybeans and winter wheat.

“I’m just afraid that they’re going to take this farm, they’re going to ruin that field and it’s going to become surplus land,” she said, pointing to land in Pickering, Ont., east of Toronto, that was seized by the federal government in the 1970s for construction of an airport that never happened.

Decision not a done deal, city official says 

After a notice of application to expropriate the land has been served, an owner can request a hearing at which the city must demonstrate that the action is “fair, sound and reasonably necessary,” the city news release says. It notes that after the hearing, the inquiry officer prepares a non-binding report that is then voted on by council.

Zorbas said it appears a hearing will take place because no agreement has been reached, and he expects a report to be presented to council for consideration in the fall or in 2022, depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects proceedings.

The timeline for an approved expropriation process, the news release said, can range from several months to several years.

At the July meeting, Coun. Graham Speck, who seconded the initial motion, called it a tough decision but one that was being made for the “greater benefit” of Welland residents seeking stable, local jobs. But in December, he opposed the motion to expropriate.

Rempel said industry is saturated in Welland, and she is concerned about vanishing farmland, adding she thinks the move reflects how food and farmers are taken for granted.

“Why isn’t food considered more sacred than industry?” Rempel asked. 

A local community development group has started an online petition in support of Rempel, and copies are available in the farm’s mailbox. She said hundreds of people have shown their support.

Rempel said while she can’t eat or sleep over the thought of losing her farm, she’ll oppose expropriation until the end.

“In spite of all of it, I will not give up,” she said. “I will not hand it to them.”

The expropriation will be discussed again at a council meeting on Tuesday.

Source: CBC

Duct tape and rubber bands hold a lot of things together in the early years of building a brand, said Andy Arquette, chief financial officer, fairlife LLC, Chicago, a wholly owned business of The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta. Speaking at The Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network’s first event of the new year on Jan. 14, he said it took about eight years for fairlife to firmly establish its brand in the marketplace, but the path was not what the company originally planned.

The fairlife brand and company evolved from a high-protein dairy shake originally launched by Dallas-based Select Milk Producers as Athletes HoneyMilk. In 2012, Select Milk Producers reached a national distribution agreement with Coca-Cola, whereby Coca-Cola eventually acquired a 42.5% stake in fairlife. Athletes HoneyMilk soon was re-branded and re-launched as Core Power, fueling the way for more dairy product innovation using an ultrafiltration processing technology developed by Select Milk Producers.

On Jan. 3, 2020, Coca-Cola acquired the remaining equity stake in fairlife. Days after, fairlife introduced refrigerated creamers made with the company’s nonfat ultrafiltered reduced-sugar milk. In March, the brand ventured out of the fluid category and entered the frozen desserts space with a higher-protein, lower-sugar ice cream. Now fairlife is rolling out Good Moo’d, a line of lactose-free milks that contain 25% less sugar than the leading lactose-free milk in the market.

Getting to this place was quite the ride, said Mr. Arquette. The brand focused on delivering what consumers were looking for in milk but not getting. Then the brand needed to get it to consumers. That’s where The Coca-Cola Co. helped.

“When we created the (fairlife) brand, we really made sure we had the consumer first,” he said. “We were small in 2012. It was an unprecedented investment by Coca-Cola given the size of our company.

“When you’re young, you have to be very ingenious with where you spend, with how you get your brand out there. You have to get the product in their hands.”

Coca-Cola handles the distribution of the majority of fairlife products; however, production is managed by the fairlife team. All fairlife products are made with milk that comes from Select Milk Producers, which operates dairies in the Midwest, New Mexico and Texas. The brand’s processing and bottling plants are in Coopersville, Mich.; Dexter, NM; Goodyear, Ariz.; and Peterborough, Ont.

Part of the path to where the brand is today included building a strong reputation within the food sector. It was about combining fairlife’s entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to science, with the resources, reach and expertise of Coca-Cola.

“Small companies are very unique from each other,” Mr. Arquette said. “It depends on the founders and investors. There are a lot of different ways to lead, to manage people. And there are a lot of different solutions to problems.”

The approach cultivates the reputation; it’s about learning from mistakes, said Mr. Arquette.

“Put them on the table, admit them and learn from them,” he said.

This includes reformulating products and modifying marketing. What was key for fairlife is the brand never lost focus of its belief in milk, its natural health benefits and the company’s ability to develop great-tasting products.

“We have the best research and development team, the best science in dairy and in low-acid aseptic processing in the world,” Mr. Arquette said. “We have intellectual property.”

“We are still trying to adapt with getting consumers’ attention when they are not walking the aisles and looking for new stuff.” – Andy Arquette, fairlife

Coca-Cola saw the consumer need for value-added milk products. Its investment and plans for the brand at the beginning of 2020 did not follow what the company envisioned due to the pandemic, but that did not slow business. In fact, it may have helped corporate foster a stronger relationship with the fairlife team, which is the only Coca-Cola business to maintain a headquarters outside of Atlanta.

“We were very small and irrelevant from a numbers perspective in the Coca-Cola world,” Mr. Arquette said. “This evolved over time and we’ve both adapted.”

As fairlife continues its journey to become a global brand, it also recognizes marketing will once again need to evolve. But Mr. Arquette has no doubt there’s increased consumer desire in health and nutrition since the pandemic, and it will continue.

“It’s difficult to launch new products in this environment,” he said. “But consumers love innovation. They love trying new products. We are still trying to adapt with getting consumers’ attention when they are not walking the aisles and looking for new stuff.”

It appears fairlife has embarked on another journey: The path to being a global brand within The Coca-Cola portfolio.

Source: foodbusinessnews.net

Congratulations to the 2020 Ayrshire Canada Master Breeders! 

2020 recipients:

La Sapiniére
Ferme La Sapiniére Ayrshire Inc. 

Faucher
Ferme Jean-Guy Faucher et Fils Inc. 

Mapleburn
Mapleburn Farms Reg’d

Kildare
Ferme Kildaire Inc.  

Science Magazine reports that scientists examined the dental calculus from the teeth of eight skeletons unearthed in Sudan and Kenya that were dated to between 2,000 and 6,000 years old. The presence of milk proteins in the hardened plaque indicates that the people had consumed milk products such as milk, cheese, or yogurt at least 6,000 years ago. However, an earlier study of DNA extracted from these remains did not detect the genes that would have allowed the adults to digest milk products. “It looks like the community was drinking milk before they had lactase persistence,” said team member Madeleine Bleasdale of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Fermenting the milk may have made it easier for early farmers to digest, she added. When lactase mutations evolved, however, they spread rapidly, since the ability to digest milk products offers a better chance of survival in harsh conditions. Four known lactase persistence mutations are widely found in Africa today. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Nature Communications. To read about the development of dairy production in the Indus Valley, go to “Around the World: India.”

Deemed an essential workforce during the pandemic, California’s mostly Latino farmworkers are also underrepresented in the state’s vaccination program, health officials and activists say, prompting the delivery of shots in the fields.

Reuters reports that in one such campaign, public health officials vaccinated about 250 workers on Monday 1 February, including about 150 from Hadley’s Date Gardens, in the first of what they hope will be a weekly visit to agricultural lands.

“We’re essential for the country, to be able to feed the other families,” Maria Razo, 45, a date sorter, said from the vaccination site in Mecca, California, about 140 miles (225 km) east of Los Angeles.

“Now that we have it, we’re going to work a little safer,” Razo said after getting her first of two shots of the vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE.

Though falling behind health workers and first responders in vaccination priority, farmworkers are critical to California’s agricultural industry, which accounts for a large chunk of the US food supply.

Many lack the internet connectivity and transportation most Americans take for granted and use to get their shots.

Early data shows Blacks and Latinos have been underrepresented in COVID-19 inoculations given to healthcare workers and nursing home residents, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Moreover, California has lagged most other states in vaccinations administered per capita, CDC data show.

“We knew that this was going to be a community that was going to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. So we designed this community-based strategy to bring resources to them,” said Conrado Bargaza, chief executive of Desert Healthcare, a public entity that provides healthcare services.

Riverside County health officials have worked with the Todec Legal Center, which provides legal advice and education for Latino immigrants in the inland area of Southern California, to take vaccines to the workforce.

“COVID has shed a light to all these inequalities that we have,” said Todec Executive Director Luz Gallegos, who has been combing the fields making sure farm workers get tested and vaccinated.

“We’re talking about the most vulnerable workers.”

Read more about this story here.

Source: Reuters

Applications are being accepted for college scholarships that are awarded by America’s dairy farmers and importers through the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB).

Eleven scholarships worth $2,500 each will be awarded, as well as a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding recipient. NDB funds, in part, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program.

Undergraduate students in their sophomore through senior year for the 2021-2022 academic school year and majoring in one of the following fields are eligible: communications/public relations, journalism, marketing, business, economics, nutrition, food science and agriculture education.

Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, an interest in a career in a dairy-related discipline, and demonstrated leadership, initiative and integrity. Candidates must complete an application form, submit an official transcript of all college courses, and write a short statement describing their career aspirations, dairy-related activities and work experiences.

Applications can be found at www.usdairy.com/about-us/dmi/scholarship

Completed applications must be received no later than May 7 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Questions about the program can be submitted to ndbscholarships@dairy.org

Just as temperatures plunge in the Midwestern winter months, so can energy levels. While some blame the cold weather for their winter blues, there may be more at play. Factors that contribute to low energy levels may include post-holiday let down, stress, lack of sleep, limited physical activity and underlying health conditions. Of course, the shorter and darker days of winter can also leave you feeling lethargic.

Putting more pep in your step may be a matter of making better food choices as nutrition plays a role in energy levels. “A simple change to boost your mood is to consider the food you eat,” says registered dietitian and nutrition educator Erin McGraw with St. Louis District Dairy Council. “Including foods with protein in your meals throughout the day can enhance mood and prevent sugar and carb cravings. You feel better about yourself when you eat better.”

McGraw suggests eating small meals and snacks every three to four hours to keep a steady amount of energy available for busy bodies and schedules. Foods that are packed with protein take longer to digest and can be a strong defense against hunger. “With eight grams of protein plus eight other important vitamins and minerals, dairy’s powerful nutrition package can help prevent energy crashes,” says McGraw.

When planning daily meals, choose a variety of foods in each food group to ensure you are getting what your body needs for optimal health. “During the winter months, we may not be eating the same foods as we did during the summer. As a result, we may be lacking certain nutrients, making us feel sluggish,” states McGraw. Vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin C, D, and zinc, can help meet the challenges of staying healthy and energized this winter. Vitamin C, found naturally in fruits and vegetables, may help boost the immune system to fight winter colds. Foods fortified with Vitamin D, like milk and yogurt, may help balance mood and boost low Vitamin D levels that can happen with a decrease in the sun’s rays. And zinc, found naturally in fish, dairy, and eggs may also help ward off infections.

Being “beverage aware” when selecting drinks is another important step to improving energy levels. During winter, it is easy to become dehydrated and feel tired during the afternoon from not drinking enough of the right types of beverages. When energy levels are low, resist the temptation to reach for energy drinks, as they can be a source of empty calories. Instead, choose beverages that boost hydration and provide a nutritional punch. “Grab a glass of milk to nourish the body, bones, and muscles. It’s naturally nutrient-rich and can help keep you hydrated,” suggest McGraw.

For additional information on dairy foods, visit www.stldairycouncil.org, call St. Louis District Dairy Council at (314)-835-9668, or e-mail (emcgraw@stldairycouncil.org). For easy and tasty recipes, check us out on Facebook and Instagram at STLDairyCouncil.

Breakfast Quesadillas
Need a boost to get you going in the morning? This breakfast quesadilla is packed full of protein to keep you full until your next meal!

Ingredients

• 2Tbs butter + ½ cup as needed for tortillas
• 2 green onions, sliced
• ½ medium jalapeno pepper, diced
• 4 large eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 8-inch tortillas
• 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
• ½ cup salsa
• ¼ cup sour cream

Directions

1. In a large pan, sauté green onions and jalapeno in 2Tbs butter.
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and cumin.
3. Pour egg mixture into sauté pan and cook until eggs are cooked through.
4. Remove from heat and stir in salt and pepper.
5. Melt butter on griddle over medium heat. Place half the tortillas on griddle and top with ½ the cheese, the egg mixture, meaning cheese, and tortillas. Cook until tortillas are golden, flipping to cook on the other side, until the cheese is melted.
6. Cut each quesadilla into quarters and serve topped with salsa and sour cream.

Herbed Lemon Ricotta Dip

This delicious dip offers a classic combination of high quality dairy protein with fiber found in vegetables to help provide a quality snack to pick you up between meals!

Ingredients

• 1 – 15oz Ricotta Cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 Tbsp freshly chopped basil
• 1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 1 tsp freshly chopped oregano
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2-3 tsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Assorted vegetables for dipping

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well to combine

Serve with fresh vegetables or crackers

Source: riverbender.com

New analysis from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) finds that larger US dairy farms could reduce their net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to zero within the next five years. The investment to reach net zero will also yield financial benefits, with a possible annual return of $1.9 million or more per farm. The potential impact of larger dairies reaching net zero emissions is significant for the entire US industry, with smaller farms also benefiting from advancements in technology and lower implementation costs. If even 10% of dairy production in the US were to achieve net zero, GHG emissions could be reduced by more than a hundred million tons.

“We need to make it easy for Americans to prioritize the planet when putting food on the table—to make all choices more sustainable so the burden isn’t on the consumer,” said Jason Clay, executive director of WWF’s Markets Institute. “But we also need to make it feasible for farmers. Through this analysis we’re showing how, with the right incentives and policies, dairy can get there, and get there quickly. And if it’s possible for dairy, other food sectors—and particularly other animal proteins—won’t be far behind.”

The business case explores emissions reduction and revenue potential in four primary areas: feed production and efficiency, reducing enteric methane emissions, improving manure management and nutrient recovery, and the generation and sale of renewable energy and byproducts. Mitigation techniques discussed include implementing climate-smart agricultural practices for feed optimization, converting manure into fertilizers and energy, and incentivizing the processing of food waste in biodigesters, among other recommendations.

According to the report, all proposed practices are currently technically possible, but making them economically viable for farmers in a five-year timeframe will require financial incentives and supportive policies; without incentives, it could take decades. This is especially true for smaller-scale farms. The report identifies several actions policymakers can take at the federal and state level to kickstart the journey toward net zero emissions.

Corporate investment could also accelerate progress, while helping companies achieve environmental commitments to reduce embedded GHG emissions in products they make or sell. The report points out how this strategy could be particularly advantageous for companies struggling to meet Scope 3 emissions targets as part of the Science Based Targets Initiative. The report also calls out the need for harmonization across different carbon payment systems and growth of net zero emissions products to stimulate uptake and incentivize farmers.

Stakeholders in the US dairy industry including farmers, cooperatives, processing companies and industry organizations are currently identifying farms for a pilot program to test and refine the principles described in the business case. The first of several pilots is scheduled to commence this year.

Full Report: An Environmental and Economic Path Toward Net Zero Dairy Farm Emissions

Our history with milk presents a chicken-or-egg conundrum: Humans couldn’t digest the beverage before they evolved mutations that helped them do so, yet they had to already be consuming milk to change their DNA. “There’s always been the question of which came first,” says University of Pennsylvania geneticist Sarah Tishkoff. “The cultural practice or the mutation.”

Now, scientists have found some of the oldest evidence yet for dairy drinking: People in modern Kenya and Sudan were ingesting milk products beginning at least 6000 years ago. That’s before humans evolved the “milk gene,” suggesting we were drinking the liquid before we had the genetic tools to properly digest it.

All humans can digest milk in infancy. But the ability to do so as an adult developed fairly recently, likely in the past 6000 years. A handful of mutations allows adults to produce the enzyme lactase, which can break down the milk sugar lactose. Genes that enable what’s called lactase persistence are widespread in modern Africa, which has four known lactase persistence mutations. (European populations rely on just one.)

When these lactase mutations evolved, they spread rapidly—evidence that people who carried them had a big advantage. “It’s one of the strongest signals of natural selection ever observed,” says Tishkoff, who was not involved with the study.

To peer into our milk-drinking past, researchers turned to Africa, where societies have herded domesticated cows, sheep, and goats for at least 8000 years. The scientists examined eight skeletons excavated in Sudan and Kenya, which were between 2000 and 6000 years old. They scraped hardened dental calculus from their teeth and looked for known milk-specific proteins trapped inside.

The findings revealed these people were consuming some sort of dairy product at least 6000 years ago, the team reports today in Nature Communications. That makes this the earliest known direct evidence for dairy consumption in Africa, and perhaps the world.

The research also shows dairying in Africa goes back just as far as it does in Europe—perhaps longer. That undercuts a myth, propagated by white supremacists, that lactase persistence and milk drinking are somehow associated with white Europeans.

What’s more, ancient Africans don’t appear to have evolved any milk digesting genes, according to a study of some of their skeletal DNA published in 2020. “It looks like the community was drinking milk before they had lactase persistence,” says Madeleine Bleasdale, a co-author of the new work and a specialist in ancient proteins at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

The proteins could have come from milk, cheese, or fermented milk products like yogurt, which are common in Africa today. Fermentation is a strategy some cultures use to break down milk sugars before consuming them, which may make it easier for people without the adaptation to consume milk products without drinking raw milk.

The mutations may have eventually arisen because they helped people get more nutrients from their milk, giving them a leg up over their comrades, says Fiona Marshall, an archaeologist at Washington University in St. Louis who was not involved in the study. “Among those people, any individuals with lactase persistence would live longer and have more children.”

The selection pressure for lactase persistence might also have been environmental. Milking is a sustainable way to manage herds under tough conditions, allowing herders to get nutrition from their animals without killing them. During droughts, for example, lactase persistent herders could make better use of cattle and goats as four-legged water filters and storage containers. “If you have cows, you have a source of liquid and proteins and nutrition,” Tishkoff says. “As long as you can keep your cattle alive, of course.”

Source: sciencemag.org

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The question of fairness was at the center of a hearing Thursday on a Washington Senate bill that would limit the ability of courts to award retroactive pay to workers.

Senate Bill 5172, sponsored by Sen. Curtis King of Yakima, seeks to prohibit a court from ordering retroactive pay in overtime wage claims if it creates a “substantially inequitable result.” The bill went before the Senate’s Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee Thursday.

However, the November ruling did not address several questions, including whether those workers should receive upwards of three years of retroactive overtime pay as outlined in state law.

Attorneys have sought to answer that question through several class-action lawsuits against dairies across the state.

Those in the dairy industry and the agricultural sector say placing retroactive liability on dairy growers creates “a substantially inequitable result,” as they were following the law as interpreted.

“They did everything they were supposed to do and did it fairly, correctly and honestly,” King said during the public hearing with the state Senate’s Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee. “Now, because there has been a (new) interpretation, you have to go back. That’s not fair; that’s not equitable.”

The hearing generated nearly even support, with testimony for and against the bill’s passage.

Those in the agriculture industry maintain that they are not looking to use the bill to overturn the Washington Supreme Court ruling but rather address the retroactive overtime pay issue.

Agricultural employers argue that allowing such litigation to proceed would virtually wipe out small farms.

Scott Dilley, communications director and labor policy expert for the Washington State Dairy Federation, a trade organization, estimates that dairy growers in Washington state could pay between $90 million to $120 million if legal battles for back pay are successful.

“It’s not fair that we follow the law, and now we’re supposed to go back and pay almost a million in overtime,” said Jason Sheehan, a Sunnyside dairy owner.

Several other dairy farmers who were served with lawsuits said they did not have the means to pay three years’ worth of overtime wages.

Fransisca VanderMeulen, a Grandview dairy farmer, said her farm was served three lawsuits that could potentially cost upward of $10 million and put the business in jeopardy.

“If our family farm cannot survive, I know other farms will be wiped out,” she said.

Farmworker advocates, employment attorneys and others who oppose the bill saw the issue of fairness differently. They argue that farmworkers were owed the money in the first place and didn’t receive it due to the flawed law.

“The exemption from overtime was unconstitutional because it granted a special privilege to the industry.” said Andrea Schmitt, staff attorney for Columbia Legal Services, which represented the dairy workers in the original 2016 lawsuit. In 2017, Yakima County Superior Court issued a $600,000 settlement in response to the workers’ claims but referred the overtime question to the Washington Supreme Court.

Elizabeth Strater, strategic campaigns director for United Farm Workers, used Dilley’s figure to argue against the bill.

“They’re saying $120 million has been withheld from dairy workers,” she said. “(Workers are) already going without a lot of things.”

Bob Battles, general counsel and government affairs director for the Association of Washington Business, a statewide business group, said that the concern regarding retroactive pay applies across several industries, not just agriculture.

Employers of other industries could find themselves in a similar position, he said.

“This wasn’t a violation of overtime,” he said. “Farmers were required to pay what they were asked.”

Toby Marshall, a Seattle attorney speaking on behalf of the Washington Employment Lawyers Association, said the bill would provide a path for employers to avoid paying back wages in any case.

He urged legislators to allow the courts to address the issue.

“A violation of the law is still a violation even if the wrongdoer makes a reasonable argument in its defense,” he said.

Source: yakimaherald.com

After his inauguration on 20 January, President Joe Biden began implementing his agenda, issuing more than three dozen executive orders, proclamations and memoranda on a wide range of issues.

Many of these actions have implications for agriculture. Here’s a brief summary of what they mean:

Climate Change

On his first day in office, President Biden announced that the United States will re-join the Paris Climate Agreement. The voluntary agreement sets benchmarks for each participant around reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing renewable energy, and increasing energy efficiency with the ultimate goal of keeping “a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.”

A week later, Biden issued two executive orders and a memorandum outlining actions his administration will take to cut greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources, invest in renewable energy, advance environmental justice, and protect climate research. Among other things, the plan prioritises increasing carbon sequestration in the agriculture sector and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to solicit input from farmers and other stakeholders “on how to use federal programs to encourage adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices that produce verifiable carbon reductions and sequestrations and create new sources of income and jobs for rural Americans.”

Immigration

One of Biden’s first acts as president was announcing a comprehensive plan for immigration reform. In addition to addressing the causes of migration and modernizing border control, the proposal would strengthen protections for immigrant workers and create a path to citizenship for undocumented residents, fast-tracking “Dreamers,” temporary protect status (TPS) holders, and farm workers.

Food Security

To respond to the financial pressures Americans are facing as a result of the pandemic, President Biden issued an order offering relief, including nutrition assistance. The plan would extend a 15 percent boost in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, increase food assistance for families missing meals due to school closures, invest $3 billion to help women and children access food, and allow states to increase SNAP emergency allotments for the lowest income Americans. On top of that, it instructs the USDA to reassess its metrics for determining SNAP benefit levels.

Source: thedairysite.com

The Synlait Milk Ltd (ASX: SM1) share price is up 5.3% in morning trading, following an upgrade on the company’s base milk price forecasts.

Why did Synlait Milk upgrade its milk price forecast?

In an update released to the ASX this morning, Synlait Milk increased its forecast base milk price for the 2020–2021 season by 12.5%. The new forecast is $7.20 /kg milk solids (kgMS), up from $6.40 /kgMS.

The company decided to increase its base milk price forecast after a large rise in dairy commodity prices over the past few months. Synlait believes the rest of this milk season will see commodity prices remain near their current levels.

Commenting on the revised price forecast, Synlait Milk’s supply manager David Williams said:

Despite the wider global uncertainty, dairy commodity prices have remained robust and a higher forecast base milk price will be welcomed by our Synlait farmer suppliers. We are grateful for their continued support.

The company said it will continue monitoring price movements for its farmer suppliers, noting that its forecasts are based on the best information currently available. Its next price update is expected in May.

Synlait Milk company and share price snapshot

Synlait Milk is a New Zealand-based company, listed on both the New Zealand and Australian share exchanges. The company works with more than 200 milk suppliers to provide global access to quality dairy products. Synlait’s cheese manufacturing facility, Talbot Forest Cheese, is based in Temuka.

Synlait shares first began trading on the ASX in November 2016. The company has a market cap of $949 million.

2020 was a difficult year for Synlait shareholders. The share price crashed more than 48% through to 19 March during the wider COVID-19 market panic. Though shares rebounded strongly from there, gaining 66% by 17 April, it’s been mostly downhill from there.

Synlait’s largest customer is A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M). And a2 Milk has taken an unexpectedly hard hit from reduced daigou trading. (That’s where individuals or syndicates purchase products – baby formula in this case – in Australia and resell those in China.) As a result, in December Synlait forecast that its 2021 financial year net profit after tax (NPAT) will be roughly half of the 2020 figures.

Over the past 12 months, the Synlait Milk share price is down 46%. Year-to-date so far in 2021, its shares are down 7%.

When Mitch Breunig received the Dairy Business Association’s Advocate of the Year, he said he was humbled.

And then he turned the attention elsewhere.

“I work with people who have received it in the past and I can’t help but to be inspired by them. They are tremendous people for the dairy industry and have given a lot back,” the Sauk City, Wis., dairy farmer said.

The award came as a surprise to Breunig when it was sprung on him a few days before DBA’s virtual conference, where the public announcement was made today.

“He is a man of great integrity and operates his personal and professional life in a way that makes his family and friends proud,” Matt Gabler of Vita Plus and Cornette Farm Supply, the sponsor of the award, said in introducing Breunig.

“While he is a great dairy manager, his leadership reaches beyond the farm gates,” Gabler said. “He is willing to give his time to engage with the public, members of the media, researchers and colleagues in the dairy community. When it comes to the dairy industry, Breunig always does the right thing.”

Breunig’s family farm, Mystic Valley Dairy, has undertaken several expansions over the years, coming up from a 50-cow herd milked in a stanchion barn beginning in 1961 to a herd of 400 cows and 1,000 acres of cropland today. Throughout these changes, Breunig successfully kept sight of his most important goals for the farm: to create a sustainable business by breeding long-lasting cows that produce large volumes of milk and have exceptional quality.

“The next generation coming in and trying to run their businesses needs us to lead the way for them so they can get where they’re going,” Breunig said.

Tim Trotter, DBA’s executive director, applauded Breunig for his willingness to share his leadership with the entire dairy community.

“Mitch’s vision, passion and commitment to dairy is evident in everything he does,” Trotter said.

Breunig was instrumental in developing Wisconsin’s Dairy Innovation Hub, an agricultural research engine through three of the University of Wisconsin System colleges. He said the trend of fewer dairy-focused faculty members needed to be reversed.

“It’s really important we changed the way that was going,” he said. “We might not notice the research today, but in 20 years we will see the results.”

“This is a cool collaboration between all the dairy and ag groups around the state,” he said. “We all worked together on a project that was good for everyone.”

Breunig, who regularly appears in news stories, said farmers should take this opportunity more often. “If the media has a question, be the one they call first.”

Personal connections are crucial as well, he said.

“It takes more than one conversation to change an opinion about the dairy industry. And it takes that conversation with one person at a time to help them understand our industry and how it’s changed over the years.”

Farewell to the 19-year-old S. From the Allenbach herd produced 183,965 kg/405,569 lb in her lifetime.  She was owned by Allenbach Hans-Ruedi of Switzerland.

Ingrid’s star really rose in 2006. That was her year anyway. In March at the Expo Bulle she first defeated the reigning Swiss Expo winner Wi-Star Kite Nova, Fredi Stampfli, Balsthal SO, and finally won the Schöneutertitel. Then in May she became Miss BEA at the Bernese Elite Show. And in June at the European Championships in Oldenburg (D), she won her category and then won the European Championship of Red Holstein cows with the Swiss group. According to Ruedi Allenbach, Ingrid liked the limelight: “The cow noticed when it was headed towards the ring. And enjoyed it. “

Many other titles and top rankings at regional and national exhibitions followed. Ingrid was a constant in the show rings for years. And anyway in the local Bipperamt. Accordingly, she had very high marks both on the scene with 55 55 98 and at the LBE with EX 95.

The last highlight in Ingrid’s life was in 2019, when she was classified EX 95 for the 10th time at the age of 18. Allenbach Goldwyn Jenny EX 93, her best daughter in the show ring, imitated her mother a lot. Among other things, Jenny was Schöneuter champion at the Junior Bulle Expo 2016 with the Holstein cows and at the RH Night 2015.

But Ingrid’s descendants were also able to distinguish themselves in other stables. Incidentally, also with high breeding values. The oldest daughter still alive is Allenbach Ralstorm Inessa-ET in Thomas Leuenberger’s stable, Burgistein BE. It is classified EX 93 and already has a lifetime production of 75,300 kg. Several strong young offspring are also in Christian Aegerter’s stable in Gurzelen BE.

Most of the offspring are of course on the Allenbach farm itself. After Ingrid gave birth mainly to bulls without sexed cans in the past, her grandchildren and great-granddaughters are now gaining weight. This winter in particular there were many calves from the Ingrid family. For example from Crown, Altatop, Brenaco, Alligator, Genie. ” So Ingrid’s legacy continues!

The USDA has temporarily suspended debt collections, foreclosures and other activities on farm loans due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Due to the national public health emergency caused by COVID-19, the US Department of Agriculture announced the temporary suspension of past-due debt collections and foreclosures for distressed borrowers under the Farm Storage Facility Loan and the Direct Farm Loan programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

USDA will temporarily suspend non-judicial foreclosures, debt offsets or wage garnishments, and referring foreclosures to the Department of Justice; and USDA will work with the US Attorney’s Office to stop judicial foreclosures and evictions on accounts that were previously referred to the Department of Justice.

Additionally, USDA has extended deadlines for producers to respond to loan servicing actions, including loan deferral consideration for financially distressed and delinquent borrowers. In addition, for the Guaranteed Loan program, flexibilities have been made available to lenders to assist in servicing their customers.

This announcement by USDA expands previous actions undertaken by the Department to lessen financial hardship. According to USDA data, more than 12,000 borrowers—approximately 10 percent of all borrowers—are eligible for the relief announced today. Overall, FSA lends to more than 129,000 farmers, ranchers and producers.

Statement from Deputy Chief of Staff, Robert Bonnie

“USDA and the Biden Administration are committed to bringing relief and support to farmers, ranchers and producers of all backgrounds and financial status, including by ensuring producers have access to temporary debt relief,” said Robert Bonnie, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary.

“Not only is USDA suspending the pipeline of adverse actions that can lead to foreclosure and debt collection, we are also working with the Departments of Justice and Treasury to suspend any actions already referred to the applicable Agency. Additionally, we are evaluating ways to improve and address farm related debt with the intent to keep farmers on their farms earning living expenses, providing for emergency needs, and maintaining cash flow.”

The temporary suspension is in place until further notice and is expected to continue while the national COVID-19 disaster declaration is in place.

National Farmers Union says debt relief will ensure farmers can stay in business

The announcement comes as a relief to National Farmers Union (NFU), which has been pushing legislators and administration officials to provide family farmers and ranchers with the support they need to withstand the added challenges caused by the pandemic. In a statement, NFU President Rob Larew lauded the action, saying that it will be particularly beneficial to beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers:

“With so many factors beyond their control, farmers know to be prepared for a bad year here and there. But it hasn’t just been just one bad year because of the pandemic – it’s been five bad years because of trade wars, climate change, and stubbornly low prices. Even the most established farmers may not have the reserves to cope with this kind of enduring financial strain – and beginning and historically underserved farmers almost certainly do not.

“As a country, we really can’t afford to lose these farmers. The agriculture industry has already experienced rapid consolidation over the last several decades, to the detriment of rural communities and national food security. The pandemic could have accelerated this trend – but fortunately, the USDA’s ongoing support will likely prevent the worst-case outcome. By suspending debt collections and foreclosures, the agency will help struggling farmers stay on their land and continue growing food for their fellow Americans.”

Source: thedairysite.com

The 2021 Spring Dairy Expo is on schedule to be held in Circleville, Ohio March 28- April 2nd. 

2021 Spring Dairy Expo Schedule

Event dates: March 28 – April 2, 2021

Sunday – March 28

• 8 a.m. – Bed down of stalling areas can begin

Tuesday – March 30

• 3:00 p.m. – All cattle in place

Wednesday – March 31

• 9:00 a.m. – Youth Judging Contest
• 12:00 p.m. – Buckeye Dairy Club Sales

○ Approx 60 head total. Sales merge one into the next and breed order is tentative

Ayrshire – Jersey – Guernsey – Milking Shorthorn

• 5:00 p.m. – Guernsey (Judge: Chris Reichard) and Milking Shorthorn

(Judge: Chad Ryan) Shows

Thursday – April 1

• 7:30 a.m. – Holstein Show (show order: Heifers to Cows)

○ Judge: Chad Ryan

• 12:00 p.m. – Red & White Show (show order: Cows to Heifers)

○ Judge: Chris Reichard

• 2:00p.m. – Youth All Breeds Showmanship
• 5:00 p.m. – Ayrshire (Judge: Chris Reichard) and Brown Swiss (Judge:Chad Ryan) Show

Friday – April 2

• 8:00 a.m. – Jersey Show

○ Judge: Chris Reichard

• 12:00 p.m. – Supreme Champion

* All cattle have the option to be released after their breed show, except for Junior and

Grand Champions competing in the Supreme contest.

** Judges are tentative depending on individual state restrictions and all COVID mandates

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mr. Dean E. Sharp please visit our Sympathy Store.

Beef lovers are in luck with the recent opening of Falls Town Beef, a family-owned business that offers both large and small orders to households around the area.

The business, which was jumpstarted by the same owners of Seagull Bay Dairy, focuses on selling locally grown beef in smaller quantities, allowing people with small freezers to be selective in the amount they purchase.

“A lot of people in the past, if they wanted to buy local beef, they’d need a big freezer to do so and it’s quite a bit of money up front,” said Greg Andersen, owner of both Seagull Bay Dairy and Falls Town Beef. “And that’s the challenge. Some people love to buy a whole cow and we’ve done that too, but we’ll also sell smaller quantities. If that’s what the consumer wants, we can mix and match whatever quantity they ask for.”

Andersen, who has close to 700 beef cattle and hopes to increase that number to 1,000, opened the business with the intent of providing readily available, high-quality beef to locals, something that’s been a challenge for ranchers over the years.

He explained they have their beef processed and prepared in a USDA certified facility in Aberdeen, which opens the opportunity for them to legally sell whatever quantities the consumer asks for.

“That’s why in the past it’s been difficult for people to buy local beef sometimes,” Andersen said. “Because they either would have to buy a whole cow or go find a place that has all the certifications to do that local beef.”

Although it’s still in its early stages, Falls Town Beef is equipped with a freezer than can store up to 5,000 pounds of finished product and currently harvests two steers every week to meet local demand. And while they still do sell to larger scale channels, they are eager to provide beef to local households.

The business is also centered around using local-based services such as farmers and butchers.

“The basics of it is we want to sell high-quality, great tasting beef that’s locally grown,” he said. “We’re feeding (the cattle) locally-grown Idaho corn, Idaho hay, we feed (them) whey that comes from the cheese plants from Idaho Milk (Products). It truly is a local business. Even the animals are harvest and prepared in Aberdeen. … It’s just kind of a cool ecosystem among the people growing the feed, raising the cattle, doing the services, and then you sell it locally.

“And that’s something we weren’t able to do just producing milk on a dairy because that’s more large scale whereas this Falls Town Beef is more of a small adventure.”

Andersen has also included several of his children in the endeavor, teaching them the ropes of running a new business, which includes allowing his oldest daughter Lydia to take the helm as the social media manager.

“I’ve always done the farming stuff and I like the hands-on approach where you can see the progress when you’re feeding and caring for the cows,” said Lydia. “But I do want to get more into the business side of things to test it out.”

“It’s a good opportunity for her to get her hands on the small business aspects and what better way to do that than when we’re first starting out?” Andersen said. “Now that we’re starting Falls Town Beef, she has the opportunity to learn at the beginning of a new adventure.”

In addition to selling the product, they also started to share beef recipes on their social media pages for people to explore the different ways of cooking meat.

“Because when you sell beef, part of it is having a good quality animal, then harvesting and preparing it the right way for storing in the freezer, and then the third part of that is cooking it correctly,” he said. “And we’ve been practicing cooking and preparing the beef and there’s a lot of cool resources online. That’s what we’re trying to do is share with people places to go to learn how to best cook beef.”

For those interested in learning more about Falls Town Beef and the services they provide, visit their Facebook page at Falls Town Beef, shoot them an email at greg@fallstownbeef.farm, or call 208-339-0904 for more information.

“Our Seagull Bay Dairy has been here for 40 years, while our Falls Town Beef has been here for 40 days,” he said. “So we’re just so early into it, but we’re having fun and people have loved the beef so far.

Source: idahostatejournal.com