Guernsey Farm Dairy Introduces Probiotic Milk

News EditorMilk

A new line of milk with probiotics has been introduced by Guernsey Farm Dairy and Ganeden Biotech, Inc. The new line includes half-gallon reduced fat and fat free varieties fortified with GanedenBC30, a patented probiotic strain created by Ganeden.

The new products are currently available at a variety of southeast Michigan grocery retailers, including: Arbor Farms, Busch’s Markets, Hiller’s Markets, Plum Markets, Holiday Markets, Hollywood Markets, Oakridge Markets, Nino Salvaggio Marketplaces and Value Center Markets, with further expansion planned for the near future.

“With this new line, we are excited to have the opportunity to not only provide new high-quality dairy products to the public, but products that can also play a role in promoting improved digestive and immune health when incorporated into a healthy diet,” said Tom Rice, marketing director for Guernsey Farms Dairy. “Now consumers who enjoy our milk can have the added health benefits of probiotics without having to take a supplement.”

Probiotics are “good bacteria” that have been shown to improve digestive health and support immunity. Unlike many probiotic strains, GanedenBC30 is unique in its ability to survive harsh manufacturing processes, including those used in milk processing. The survivability and viability of GanedenBC30 can be attributed to the naturally-occurring layer of organic material that protects the genetic core of the bacteria.

“We have been interested in collaborating on a probiotic-enhanced milk line for some time, and have found the perfect partner in Guernsey Farms Dairy,” said Ganeden Biotech CEO Andrew Lefkowitz. “We look forward to continuing to work with Guernsey Farms Dairy to expand distribution of this new probiotic milk line to make these delicious and healthy products available and accessible to an even greater number of consumers.”

Source: Guernsey Farms Dairy

Dairy Campaigns Win National Awards

Cindy ZimmermanDairy Group, Promotion

Best of NAMATwo different dairy industry groups won national recognition from the National Agri-Marketing Association for being the “Best of the Best.”

The NAMA Best of Show for Advertising went to:

Client: Midwest Dairy Association, St. Paul, MN – Gregg Fogleman
Agency: Sullivan Higdon & Sink, Kansas City, MO – Parc Masterson accepting for agency
Message: To remind consumers that everything is better with cheese on it.
Audience: Mothers 25-54 with children 18-years-old and younger in the Ozark region.

Best of NAMA

NAMA Best of Show winner for Public Relations was awarded to:

Client: Dairy Management Inc.., Rosemont, IL – Jolene Griffin
Agency: Weber Shandwick , Minneapolis, MN – Polly O’Grady
Message: To use social media to tell the dairy industry’s story, reinforce and build its positive image and respectfully counter inaccurate or uninformed online commentary about modern farm practices.
Audience: Consumers, age 17-29 and dairy consumers.

(photo credit: Denny Eilers)


2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

Pioneer Alfalfa Research

Cindy ZimmermanAlfalfa, Audio, Forage, Forage Forum, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Podcast

Pioneer Hi-Bred Forage Forum PodcastAlfalfa is an important part of Pioneer’s forage portfolio. In this edition of Forage Forum, Pioneer director of alfalfa research David Miller, discusses the company’s variety development. When it comes to choosing an alfalfa variety, he says growers should consult their local sales professional and university data to match the right product to the right acre.

Listen to the podcast here:

[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://zimmcomm.biz/pioneer/pioneer-podcast-73-wdd.mp3] David Miller on alfalfa varieties (5:00 min MP3)

To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.

Subscribe to Forage Forum here.

Milking Parlor: Meet Big Al Your Beverage Pal

John DavisAudio, Milk, Milking Parlor, Novus International, Podcast, The Milking Parlor

The Milking Parlor podcast is sponsored by:
Novus

He’s best known as “Big Al, your beverage pal,” but Alex Conti, Senior Director, U-S Menu Management for McDonald’s has been more than just a friend for the dairy industry … his innovations to expand the amount of dairy the food giant uses has made him a major benefactor for dairy farmers throughout the country.

In this edition of the Milking Parlor, we get to meet Conti (trust me, I tried to get a picture of him when he spoke to a recent gathering of dairy farmers … but that’s a whole other story!) and listen in as he details how McDonald’s works more milk, cheese and ice cream into the tasty treats the company offers. From the old standbys … Big Macs, Quarter Pounders with Cheese, Egg McMuffin … to the new line of McCafe and Frappe drinks, the Golden Arches continues to be a major buyer and seller of dairy products.

Top hear Conti’s presentation, just click on the latest episode of the Milking Parlor in the player below.

To subscribe to the Milking Parlor podcast, click here. Listen to or download this episode in the player below.

Wis. Foundation Raises Money for Education

News EditorCompany Announcement

The Professional Dairy Producers Foundation was pleased to announce a donation of $12,150 for dairy education programs through the proceeds of seven auction items and an additional $14,500 toward dairy education through the proceeds of a Silent Auction.

The Professional Dairy Producers Foundation raises funds and awards grants for educational programs and initiatives. For the past six years, the Foundation has helped fund such programs as Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW)’s Youth Leadership Derby, mentor program, and community education about dairying.

An elite genetics Holstein calf topped the auction at $3,700. Ripp’s Dairy Valley LLC of Dane, Wis. purchased Jenny-Lou Million 2069, donated by the Mitch Breunig family of Mystic Valley Dairy.

Other items sold include:
· A GEA WestfaliaSurge Rotating Cow Brush sold for $2,200 to Warmka Holsteins of Fox Lake, Wis.
· 100 units of Semex semen with a tank, donated by Semex and ai24, sold for $2,100 to Merry-Water Farms, Inc. of Lake Geneva, Wis.
· A Wisconsin Golf Package featuring gift certificates to five of Wisconsin’s premier golf courses sold for $1,800 to Dic-Wisco Farms, Inc. of Dorchester, Wis. The package was donated by the five participating courses, plus AgStar, Stewart-Peterson and Diamond V Mills.
· ANIMART donated a Door County Walleye Trip, which sold for $1,000 to Maple Ridge Dairy, Stratford, Wis.
· A Pheasant Hunt package sold to Quality Liquid Feeds of Medford, Wis. for $650. It was donated by Sharon Brantmeier of Ameriprise Financial and Don Meyer, Rock River Laboratory.
· A handmade quilt crafted by Karla Zimmerman was purchased by Badgerland Financial for $700.

JoAnn Maedke, Foundation board member and coordinator of the Live and Silent Auctions, thanks donors and buyers. “The Foundation is truly a blend of industry and dairy producers working together for future education. I am extremely grateful to be part of an industry with such great cooperation and commitment to education.”

Source: Professional Dairy Producers Foundation

Pa. Center Introduces Consultant Program

News EditorGeneral

The Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence has launched a new “Dairy Decisions Consultant” program. The goal of the new resource is to assist dairy farm families in the decision-making and planning processes that come in the wake of 15 months of low milk prices and negative margins. The program will offer professional consulting resources to help producers make informed decisions to shape their farm’s future.

Funded through grants received by the center, the consulting program will cover a maximum of 15 hours, or $1,500, of time for the Dairy Decision Consultant to spend with each individual farm business.

Participating farms can choose their consultant from a list identified by the center, and have a maximum of two consultations. In the first visit, the consultant will assess the farm’s current business status and financial condition, decision making process, and cost of production. During the second visit the consultant will offer observations of the farm business and provide a list of potential strategies and options for moving the business forward.

Together the consultant and producer will explore scenarios to strengthen the farm’s balance sheet and improve financial performance, and to identify strategies for making the effective future decisions.

To participate in the program, dairy producers must submit an application with a current balance sheet and income statement. All information will be kept confidential. A $175 application fee must also be submitted with the application, which will be returned if the application is not approved.

Farms applying to the program must demonstrate a need for unique consulting services and show sincere interest in improving herd performance and financial position. To download an application or for more information about the Dairy Decision Consultant program, visit the Center’s website.

Source: Center for Dairy Excellence

Forage Analysis Superbowl Offers Big Rewards

News EditorWorld Dairy Expo

In conjunction with World Dairy Expo, the 27th Annual World Forage Analysis Superbowl will award over $20,000 in cash prizes. Special thanks goes to Mycogen Seeds, the contest’s Platinum Sponsor. Case IH is the contest’s newest sponsor and will award the Grand Champion Forage Producer with a check for $2,500. The Grand Champion First Time Entrant will receive $1,500 from Kuhn North America. Each of the six category champions will receive a check for $1,500.

o Champion Dairy Hay sponsored by Syngenta Seeds
o Champion Dairy Haylage sponsored by Kent Feeds
o Champion Commercial Baleage sponsored by W-L Research
o Champion Commercial Hay sponsored by Bridon Cordage
o Champion Standard Corn Silage sponsored by AgBag
o Champion Brown Mid-Rib Corn Silage sponsored by Mycogen Seed

In addition to the above categories, two other categories will also be given, Quality Counts Hay/Haylage and Quality Counts Corn Silage sponsored by Croplan Genetics. The winners of the Quality Counts categories will each receive a $1,000 prize. =The Quality Counts category will be based on a predetermined quality factor, but will not be announced until World Dairy Expo. Additional sponsorship is provided by the National Hay Association.

The 27th Annual World Forage Analysis Superbowl is organized in partnership with AgSource Laboratories, DairyBusiness Communications, Hay & Forage Grower, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, University of Wisconsin and World Dairy Expo.

Source: World Dairy Expo

Lancaster County Facility Ground Broke

News EditorWaste Management

A new facility that will compost manure from local farms, food waste from local schools and restaurants, and leaves and yard waste is being built in Lancaster County, Pa. Called Oregon Dairy Organics, the one-of-a-kind facility had its official ground breaking this week, and is set to be selling finished compost by this fall.

Most manure composting takes manure from the host farm only and is managed by the host farmer, which usually results in low quality final compost, with higher emissions of ammonia, and compost that is only suitable for on farm use. While many townships operate larger regional composting facilities for greenwaste, few of them accept manure because of the odor and transporting manure can be expensive beyond about 10-15 miles. These municipal facilities must add commercial nitrogen to make the composting work because greenwaste contains very little nitrogen, which is a required ingredient to make compost.

“The Oregon Dairy Organics composting facility will play an important role in helping Pennsylvania meet the co-equal goals of clean water and viable farms,” said Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding. “Knowing the important role Pennsylvania plays in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, we must find innovative ways to protect our natural resources and increase the profitability of our farms. The Oregon Dairy Organics team has created a model that will benefit the community, the farms and our waterways.”

“By working together and embracing a new approach to an old technology — composting — Oregon Dairy Organics has been able to develop a program that will benefit farmers, the community and water quality,” said Suzy Friedman, the project’s manager and deputy director of the Center for Conservation Incentives at Environmental Defense Fund. “Oregon Dairy Organics is an example of farmers stepping forward to improve water quality in local creeks, the Conestoga River, and all the way to the Chesapeake Bay.”

Oregon Dairy Organics brings together an innovative partnership to demonstrate how composting can play a bigger role in improving water quality in southeastern Pennsylvania and other areas of the Chesapeake Bay by giving farmers expanded options for nutrient management. The project combines the efficiencies and professional management of composting multiple waste streams at one site, with the need to avoid the size, traffic, and hauling expenses of a large-scale regional composting facility.

“This project is another example of the positive steps farmers can and are taking to clean up both Lancaster County streams and the Chesapeake Bay in an economically sustainable way,” said George Hurst, owner of Oregon Dairy in Lititz, Pennsylvania five miles north of Lancaster. “As a result of this project, manure, yard waste, and food waste will become an asset to agriculture and the Chesapeake Bay region.”

Oregon Dairy Organics has the diversity of partners and stakeholders needed to make it work: Oregon Dairy and the Hurst Family to provide a farm site for the project; a professional composting company, Terra-Gro, will help manage the facility and market the finished compost; a local agricultural consulting company, TeamAg Inc., to coordinate farmer participation in the project; and a nonprofit conservation organization, Environmental Defense Fund, to coordinate the overall project and secure needed funding.

Source: PR News Wire

WMMB Approves 2011 Budget

News EditorDairy Checkoff

The Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) have approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget.

The $31,405,000 budget total is $1,840,000 larger than the previous year reflecting a record level of milk production in the state. The budget will support WMMB’s in-state and national dairy promotion, marketing and education programs from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.

WMMB’s FY2011 budget continues to support cheese marketing in all 50 states in the national retail grocery and foodservice market segments. Activities include trade show promotions, educational tours, cheese usage training/education and special events showcasing Wisconsin’s award-winning cheese industry. Next year’s budget supports increased activity in the national food retail and foodservice channels with more in-store promotions and product demonstrations and brand equity partnering with Wisconsin manufacturers and marketers. Increased activity in the pizza category is also planned. The budget also supports the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, which administers the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker® Program and provides research and technical assistance to cheese and dairy processors.

Communications activities in the budget include national advertising, nutrition education programs conducted by the Wisconsin Dairy Council and statewide promotion programs for fluid milk and other Wisconsin dairy products. Also included are June Dairy Month activities and other in-state seasonal promotions such as fall chocolate milk and holiday promotions. Support for Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland program and the year-round grassroots promotion activities conducted by County Dairy Leader Groups in 63 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties are also part of the FY2011 budget.

Other communications activities include the Wisconsin Chef Ambassador Program, which enlists support of nationally-recognized chefs in telling the Wisconsin cheese story, and national product publicity activities aimed at placing stories about Wisconsin cheese in consumer food magazines. The budget also includes increased use of online and social media technology and the Dairy Impact Initiative, which includes the Dairy Doing More online e-magazine which communicates the economic importance of the dairy business to our communities and our state.

Source: The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.

CWT Accepts Export Bids

News Editorcwt

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) last week accepted four bids from Foremost Farms and six bids from Dairy Farmers of America for export assistance for a total of 2,046 metric tons (4.5 million pounds) of Cheddar cheese to the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Central America. The majority of the product will be delivered April through July 2010, with a quarter of the total quantity to be delivered into October.

CWT also announced today that it is expanding the types of cheese varieties eligible for export bonuses to include Gouda, Colby, and Monterey Jack.

Adding these three types of cheeses to the products currently eligible for export assistance should divert milk from unneeded Cheddar production and reduce the buildup of additional Cheddar inventories.

Since CWT reactivated the Export Assistance program on March 18, 2010, it has assisted members in making export sales of cheddar cheese totaling 6,148 metric tons (13.6 million pounds) to 14 countries on four continents.

The Export Assistance program was reactivated when economic analysis indicated that sizeable cheddar cheese inventories overhanging the market are hampering a recovery in producer milk prices. Assisting CWT members in exporting cheddar cheese will provide the most immediate way to positively impact producer milk prices.

CWT will pay export bonuses to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.

Source: Cooperatives Working Together