Grafton Village Cheese Growth

Chuck ZimmermanCheese

Grafton Village Grafton Village Cheese Company of Vermont is planning an expansion project with the goal of doubling its current annual production to three million pounds of award-winning aged cheddar cheese.

The company is part of the Windham Foundation, a non-profit “that focuses on building and funding programs that support Vermonters and the Vermont way of life.”

According to a foundation release, the plan calls for the construction of a building up to 28,000 square feet that will include a cheese production facility resulting in 1.5 million pounds annually, with the potential to double expansion in future years. It also includes a retail shop, a cheese making viewing area and office space for staff. The company anticipates commencing building in late spring 2007.

World Dairy Disappointment

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral, International

GDA The Global Dairy Alliance is calling the suspension of the Doha Round negotiations “a major blow.”

According to a GDA release, President Osvaldo Cappellini of Latin America says it is especially disappointing that commitments already agreed in the Round now have to be placed on hold. For dairy exporters the elimination of export subsidies by 2013, which had been agreed, would have removed a major distortion in international dairy trade – a long awaited goal.

The Global Dairy Alliance includes the dairy industries of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand and Uruguay.

Heat Stress in California

Chuck ZimmermanDairy Group, General

Western United Dairymen Western United Dairymen sent a letter to Gov. Schwarzenegger this week requesting that he take the steps needed to obtain federal financial aid for Californias dairy producers who have suffered losses from the states extraordinary heat wave.

Meanwhile, the volume of dead cows is causing stress in the affected areas. Several counties have taken emergency measures to allow farmers to bury dead animals on their property. Normally, state law requires that dead animals be taken to rendering plants for disposal. Counties with emergency declarations include Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Merced and Stanislaus. Others that may take that step include Madera, Kern and San Joaquin counties. Stanislaus County is now allowing dead cows to be brought to landfills for disposal.

See Western Dairy’s headline news for more updates on the heat-related issues in California.

California Cows Dying of Heat

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral

Dairy cows in California have been dying by the hundreds this week after ten straight days of 100-degree temperatures. The Associated Press reports that a combination of sweltering temperatures, growth in the state’s dominant $5 billion dairy industry and fewer plants to properly dispose of the animals have forced several counties to declare a state of emergency.

San Joaquin County, which also has declared an emergency, estimated that its dairy farms were losing a total of 120 cows per day from the heat. Individual dairy farmers could lose about 2 percent of their herd this year, according to industry experts.

Checks are in the Mail

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral, Government

Vermont For dairy producers facing tough times in Vermont (see previous post). Governor Jim Douglas announced Tuesday that the first Target Price Program checks have been sent out and should be arriving on farms within the next few days.

“The Agriculture Agency has worked diligently to ensure these payments were made in a timely fashion,” Governor Douglas said. “Farmers are in need of assistance now, this is not the time for government red tape, and I want to thank all involved for working hard to get this program up and running quickly.”

The Target Price Program was created in late June to help dairy farms recoup some of the losses caused by poor weather conditions, the high price of fuel, and the very low price they are being paid for their milk. The program is paying farmers $0.99 per hundredweight for June payments.

BVD Hijacks Profits

Chuck ZimmermanAnimal Health

Novartis Novartis Animal Health reminds dairy producers that persistently infected (PI) animals remain the most common source of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection.

“The presence of one PI animal, based on a herd size of 150 cows, results in a loss of $1.93 per hundredweight of milk,” says Julia Ridpath, PhD, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa.

That’s why Novartis suggests that dairy producers take steps to control, and even eradicate, BVD in their herds with a three pronged approach of testing and eliminating PI animals, vaccination and biosecurity.

Big County Fair Dairy Show

Andy VanceCompetition, Education, Exhibitor, Farm Show, Production

Each summer, the Buckeye Ag Radio Network embarks on a huge adventure – county fair season! The 2006 County Fair and Festival Tour Powered by Propane will take Lindsay Hill and I across at least 40 county fairs, as well as the 11 days of the Ohio State Fair, and several other farm field days and events. In all, we’re on the road, Monday through Friday, each day from now until September.

Earlier this week, our Lindsay Hill was in Clark County (Springfield, OH) broadcasting live from their Junior Fair area. She spoke with two Senior Fairboard Members about one of the largest dairy feeder shows in the state, which also happens to be one of the fastest growing project areas at the fair!

Listen to Lindsay Hill discuss Dairy Feeders (6:24, mp3)

Dairyline Interview

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral

Dairyline One of our regular features on World Dairy Diary is the Dairyline Dairy Markets Week in Review and while in Portland, Oregon this week for the Ag Media Summit I had the opportunity to talk with Dairyline General Manager Bill Baker to learn about this daily news and market source for the dairy industry professional.

Listen to interview with Bill Baker (5:30 mp3)

NMPF "Disappointed" By Suspension of Doha Round

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral

National Milk Producers Federation The National Milk Producers Federation has joined the chorus of voices from the U.S. agriculture industry in expressing disappointment over the collapse of World Trade Organization talks.

According to an NMPF release,
The decision by the World Trade Organization to suspend efforts aimed at achieving a breakthrough in world trade talks “is a disappointment for America’s dairy farmers, who were hoping to use the WTO as a way of leveling the playing field while increasing their opportunities for future exports,” said Tom Suber, President and U.S. Dairy Export Council. “We applaud our negotiators for seeking an ambitious conclusion of the Doha Round, which seeks to reduce the current inequities,” Suber added.

Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, praised the dedication and skill of the U.S. negotiating team. “To their credit, our government’s negotiators understood that no deal is worse than a bad deal for our dairy industry and the United States, and rather than tinker at the margins, they agreed to walk away for now.”

U.S. Trade Ambassador Susan Schwab and Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns held a joint press conference from Geneva this morning expressing their feelings about the collapse of the talks.

“A lot of disappointment that we weren’t able to wrap this up, a recognition that this is a serious failure,” said Schwab.

Johanns said Congress will now move forward with the writing of a 2007 Farm Bill, since there is no hope at this point that an agreement could be reached by the end of the year to be considered under the current Trade Promotion Authority before it expires.

“There are no negotiations planned for the future. This round has been suspended. The negotiating teams have stopped.”

Johanns and Schwab say the focus now will be to continue to aggressively pursue bi-lateral and regional trade agreements.

Attempt to Derail Livestock Permitting Program Thwarted

Andy VanceAudio, Government, Production

Ohio is well known among State Departments of Agriculture for its Livestock Environmental Permitting Program – it is one of the most well regulated state programs in the country, permitting and inspecting over 157 large livestock operations in a state with a very tight rural-urban interface. These facilities, in the case of dairy, are larger than 700 animal units, and require a permit to build facilities, and a permit to operate once constructed. For the past year, ODA has been defending the program from an appeal waged by Citizens Against Megafarm Dairy Development before the Environmental Review Appeals Commision.

I spoke with ODA’s Director of Communication Melanie Wilt about the decision in the case, and learned how the attempt at curbing the regulatory program actually galvonized it.

Listen to Melanie Wilt Discuss the ERAC Decision (7:51 mp3)