Selling raw milk to consumers continues to be a controversial subject. Where do you stand on the issue? Richard Hebron, 41, was driving along an anonymous stretch of highway near Ann Arbor, Mich., last October when state cops pulled him over, ordered him to put his hands on the hood of his mud-splattered truck and seized its contents: 453 gal. … Read More
Wolff Requests Extension
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff took a stand for his state today, requesting Congress to extend the deadline for the milk income loss contract program. To date, the program has provided more than $220 million in federal support to help many Pennsylvania dairy farmers stay in business during periods of extremely low milk prices. “Dairy is the largest part of … Read More
Voices for Choices
DairyBusiness Communications has announced a new campaign called “Voices for Choices.” The campaign includes an online survey producers can take to help measure industry attitudes and downloadable form letters to inform retail leaders that “milk is milk.” The group hopes to create industry support for producers’ opportunities to use safe and approved technologies and for safeguarding the image of all … Read More
N.Y. Crowley Plant Closing
HP Hood LLC is closing its Crowley Foods plant’s manufacturing, warehousing and customer-service divisions in Albany, N.Y. and laying off 80 people. The plant’s distribution and sales divisions will remain open. Martucci noted that Crowley recently lost an account to provide milk to the Price Chopper supermarket chain, and said workers were told the closure is resulting from low production … Read More
UK Organic Sales Slow
A new study out of the UK shows that sales of organic milk have slowed considerably. Is this a glimmer of what may happen in the States? According to market research company TNS, which closely monitors the market, sales of organic milk grew from 73.8 million litres in 2004 to 158 million last year. Though that represents rapid growth, it … Read More
Dairy Producers Speak Out
More than 100 dairy producers and employees in California came together to express their concerns about consumer confidence in the industry. The group took a tentative step toward organization while voicing their opinions on the marketing of rbST-free milk. The recent announcement by dairy cooperative California Dairies Inc., that they would ask all members to sign an affidavit saying they … Read More
Members Named to National Fluid Milk Board
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has announced the appointment of six incumbents and two new members to the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board. Re-appointed to serve second terms are: Michael Francis Touhey, Jr., Franklin, Mass. (Region 1); Robert Bruce McCullough, San Antonio, Texas (Region 10); Jerry N. Tidwell, Pleasanton, Calif. (Region 13); and Randy Dean Mooney, Rogersville, Mo. (At-Large … Read More
Land O'Lakes Reports Earnings
Land O’Lakes announced Thursday a $44 million net earnings during the fourth quarter of 2006. This is good news for the company’s many dairy farmers across the country. Land O’Lakes, the Arden Hills-based dairy cooperative, Thursday reported $44 million in net earnings during its fourth quarter of 2006, a considerable improvement over 2005’s small fourth-quarter loss. Sales were down slightly, … Read More
MILC Continues
This is good news, for now. What do you think of the President’s plan? Dairy farmers faced with falling milk prices would continue to get federal aid as part of a 2008 budget proposal announced Monday by President Bush. However, the president’s longer-term plan calls for reductions in the federal subsidy, which kicks in when milk prices fall below $16.94 … Read More
All About Vanilla
Students in the Perkins school district in Ohio will now add vanilla to their milk choices. If you haven’t tried this particular flavor, give it a shot – it will perk up your February! Since the start of the school year, Perkins students already have consumed just more than 143,000 half-pint cartons of moo juice. School officials are using the … Read More