The Nutrition Education Services/Oregon Dairy Council has some new nutritional guides available. I wish I could have been at the conference where they introduced them.
Health-conscious individuals now have two fresh nutrition education resources at their fingertips. Nutrition Education Services/Oregon Dairy Council released a colorful guide to the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet today at the American Dietetic Association’s annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition in Hawaii. A revision of their best-selling Pyramid Plus™ food chart will be available late fall 2006. A variety of audiences will find the resources useful, including educators and students, individuals looking to make healthier food choices, and health professionals seeking nutrition education for patients and clients.
News From The All-American Dairy Show
Here’s some of the latest news from the 43rd All-American Dairy Show. Meet Justin and Claire Burdette. He grew up on a Holstein farm in Mercersburg, Pa., and she on a Jersey farm in Clear Brook, Va. Their paths would eventually cross and a new generation of farm kids would be born.
Their common interests in breeding and showing cows brought them together more frequently as time passed and before long, they began dating. They were married in October 2005 at Waverly. Just before their wedding, a fellow dairyman told them, “If you two can do together what you’ve each done for your individual breeds, this industry is going to be even better.”
Cheesaholics Anonymous
Thanks to my man Leon The Milkman, I found Nadia the Cheesaholic. Nadia Muna Gil has an excellent blog on cheese and she’s got a very interesting personal story. Here’s an excerpt:
Nadia lives and works in New York, but travels frequently to California, London and other locations to teach people about artisan cheeses. She believes that there is a cheese for everyone, and that it is a matter of falling in love once and getting hooked. This is one addiction you can feed!
Milk Price Forecast Up
According to a story out from USDA today milk production is now forecast higher than first estimated for 2006.
You can listen to the report by USDA’s Brenda Curtis, featuring the Chair of USDA´s World Outlook Board, Gerald Bange: 
Milk Price Forecast Story (1 min MP3)
Bange also provided his thoughts on why the production forecast has been moved higher: Milk Production (30 sec MP3)
News From The All-American Dairy Show
Here’s the latest news from the 43rd All-American Dairy Show. The photo is supplied by show staff showing that all ages participate.
House Hearing
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Dairy, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing in Fresno, California on Saturday to review the state’s dairy industry. The Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-MN), heard from a variety of dairy producers and processors representing California’s dairy industry.
“California’s dairy producers and processors are among the industry’s leaders, and their testimony reflected this,” said Gutknecht. “Each witness offered thoughtful comments that will be helpful to Members as we consider the next farm bill. I thank my colleagues from California for their help in organizing this important field hearing.”
The California field hearing is the latest in a series of meetings Chairman Gutknecht has held over the past two years to discuss dairy policy prior to the next farm bill.
Witnesses included Richard Cotta of California Dairies Inc., Joaquin Contente of California Farmers Union, Sabino Herrera with Alhem Farm Partnership in Hilmar, Calif., Dino Giacomazzi of Western United Dairymen, Leroy Ornellas, dairy producer from Tracy, Jeep Dolan of Driftwood Dairy in El Monte, Sue Taylor with Leprino Foods Company of Denver, Colo., and John Jeter, Hilmar Cheese Company.
43rd All-American Dairy Show
Someone will settle the issue of which dairy show is the biggest someday. It seems like there are several that lay claim to that title. Take the 43rd All-American Dairy Show going on now in Harrisburg, PA.
Here’s the Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, Dennis Wolff, with I think Katie (Katherine) Marie Skaggs, the current Pennsylvania Dairy Princess at the show today (Dept. Photo). The Dairy Princess pageant is this Saturday.
This seems like a pretty big show.
The 43rd All-American Dairy Show, the world’s largest dairy show, runs Sept. 16-21, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg. This year’s show features 23 shows in six days, the nation’s only all-dairy antiques show, more than 3,600 cattle, and participants from 28 states.
Select Sires Intern Application Deadline
It’s not too early for college students to be looking for an internship next summer. For example, Select Sires has announced plans to offer two summer internships at its headquarters facility in Plain City, Ohio. Positions are available within the dairy-sire and sales and marketing departments, with applications due by Friday, Nov. 24, 2006.
“Both practical work experience within the industry and networking are extremely important in helping college students prepare for full-time employment upon graduation,” says Dave Thorbahn, Select Sires general manager. “That’s why Select Sires and several of its 10 member cooperatives offer hands-on internship opportunities each year. These internships help introduce top students to the industry side of agriculture, while they contribute to the day-to-day operation of the Select Sires federation.”
For more information about these internships or to submit a resume for consideration, visit http://www.selectsires.com/internship.html or send an e-mail message to tsmith@selectsires.com.
Low-Fat Dairy May Lower Blood Pressure
According to a study published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association, consuming low-fat dairy products may help lower blood pressure and improve heart health. The study supports a growing body of research that shows how dairy foods are key elements of a heart-healthy diet.
This is a story that’s really getting some attention. Here’s a couple of links to it:
WFRV.com
It was mentioned in the Living Healthy Podcast
WebMD
Innovate With Dairy
Medline Plus
American Heart Association
And there’s more but that’s enough links for now I think.
Youth’s Dream Becomes a Reality
Here’s a great story. In an industry where we hear a lot about young people walking away from their roots, this young man, who didn’t even grow up on a farm, is making his dream of being a dairyman a reality.
Rich Wendig, 22, is getting an opportunity that most aspiring dairy farmers can only dream of: financial backing to help build a $70,000 herd that totals 40 cows. The owners of Penn View Farm, Paul Hochman, 62 and John Hochman, 58, where Wendig has worked since he was 9, made the venture possible – largely because they needed more product for their business of bottling milk for local stores. “With my degree, I could go be a herd manager on one of these larger farms, but that’s not my cup of tea,” Wendig said. Instead, he has taken out a $50,000 low-interest loan from the Farm Service Agency for cows and equipment – most important, a manure spreader, so he can be his own boss. “I’m not going to get rich, but I’m going to be happy,” Wendig said.