Cross Country Blogging

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral

Ethanol BloggerI know posting has been a little light the last few days. That’s because I’m on a cross country convoy trip with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The purpose is to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the interstate highway system.

I think it’s important. How much milk, cheese and ice cream gets transported on our highways?

Posting will continue to be light until the trip is over. If you’d like to check out my coverage of this trip please visit our sister site, Domestic Fuel.

Production Continues to Expand

Andy VanceDairy Business, Government, Markets, Milk, Production

Milk production totals continue to climb as they have each month this year.  USDA reports that for the 23 major dairy states, total output is up 2.8% for the month of May over the same month in 2005.  Production of 14.7 billion pounds is also 3.5% above the April 2006 figure.

California continues to be the largest volume producer in the country, putting 3.3 billion pounds in the tank.  New Mexico also continues to be the fastest growing dairy state, with production up 16.1% over 2005 at 705 million pounds.

Cow numbers are the primary driving factor in these production pluses – 8.26 million head are now in production, up 128,000 over last year and 19,000 head over last month.

Dairyline Markets In Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review

Cash block cheese closed the week of June 12 at $1.1950 per pound, down 1 1/2-cents on the week, and 30 1/2-cents below a year ago. Barrel closed at $1.1850, up a quarter-cent on the week, but 26 3/4-cents below a year ago. Three cars of block traded hands and two of barrel. NASS block cheese hit $1.2018, up 1.6 cents. Barrel averaged $1.2096, up 1.3 cents.

Butter closed Friday at $1.1750, up three-quarters of a cent on the week, but 31 1/4-cents below a year ago. 42 cars were sold. NASS butter averaged $1.1546, down 0.2 cent.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

Dairy Biogas Grant

Chuck ZimmermanWaste Management

Intrepid Technology and Resources, Inc., an Idaho-based renewable alternate energy company, has received a $50,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Water Resources to install anaerobic digestion technology to produce useable energy from dairy biogas. According to a company release, the grant will be used to purchase energy measurement equipment at the Whitesides Dairy biogas plant. The equipment will monitor the heating values of the gas, determine its energy content, contaminate levels and flow rates either onsite or offsite locations and will assist in the expansion and remote operation of the Whitesides biogas plant.

New Dr. Sanders Book

Chuck ZimmermanAgribusiness

Milk & Honey BookDr. Donald Sanders of Vaca Resources has a new book out called, “Stories From the Land of Milk & Honey” which is now available on line.

The book is an entertaining and poignant true-life report about his experiences and observations from the past 38 years of veterinary practice. Get your own copy. It is a great gift idea with special deals for volume purchases.

Arla Outsources IT To IBM

Chuck ZimmermanDairy Business, International

Arla FoodsThis is what I call serious outsourcing. I wonder how the Arla employees feel about becoming IBM employees? These kinds of deals can make a lot of sense though as each party can focus on what they do best.

Arla Foods and IBM have signed a 7 year agreement for the development and management of all Arla Foods’ IT operations in Sweden and Denmark. Effective from July 1 and valued at DKK 2 billion, the agreement means that 130 Arla staff will transfer to IBM.

IBM will provide a flexible solution expected to bring significant cost savings enabling Arla Foods to grow and strengthen its international leadership in the dairy industry. “As we strive to continue to focus on our core business, dairy operations, we also want a strong IT partner who can play a major strategic role for our company”, says IT Director Jesper Erichsen, Arla Foods.

Arla Foods mission statement is: “Our mission is to provide modern consumers with milk-based products that create inspiration, confidence and well-being.”

Junior Holsteins Got Rulon

Chuck ZimmermanHolstein Association

Holstein Association USAThe Holstein Association USA is pleased to announce Olympic wrestler Rulon Gardner will give the keynote address at the National Junior Holstein Convention next week in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Gardner will appear June 24 at the awards banquet. His keynote address will focus on overcoming obstacles, including points on turning the negative into a positive, aiming high when you’re feeling low, and enlisting others.

There’s lots more going on at the convention, including the Distinguished Junior Member finals, the National Dairy Bowl Contest, Dairy Jeopardy, speech contest, National Junior Forum, and the Isle of Champions which will showcase the Junior Show Champions at State Shows from across the country.

The National Junior Holstein Convention will be held June 21-24

African Dairy Editor Honored

Chuck ZimmermanIndustry News, International

Reg Weiss Receives AwardThe International Federation of Agricultural Journalists has presented a special award to their regional vice president for Africa. I’m taking this from their latest newsletter and thought you might be interested since Reg Weiss, has been honoured for his contributions to agriculture and specifically the South African dairy industry during 58 years in active journalism.

Western Cape Editor of the Dairy Mail in South Africa, Weiss was honoured at the South African Dairy Championships dinner held at Stellenbosch. Cape of Good Hope Agricultural Society president Duimpie Bayly presented Weiss with an illuminated address on behalf of the Society, the first and oldest in southern Africa. This added his name to the Society’s roll of honour as part of its 175th celebrations and cited “his contribution to the dairy industry in South Africa, his enthusiasm for dairy matters, complemented with objective journalism”.

Pictured from left to right: Mr Johan Ehlers, CEO of Agri-Expo which celebrates its 175th birthday this year, Reg Weiss, and Mr Duimpie Bayly, chairman of Agri-Expo. Agri-Expo is the new name for the Western Province Agricultural Society established in 1831. It was the first to be established after the British officially took over the Cape in 1814 and might be the oldest agricultural society in the Southern Hemisphere.

A Quality Silage Website

Chuck ZimmermanAgribusiness, Production

Quality Silage dot comThere’s a new website from Lallemand that provides you with new information about quality silage. It’s QualitySilage.com.

“Our goal is to help beef and dairy producers maximize the value of their forages by learning, and then practicing, quality silage management” says Dr. Bob Charley, Forage Products Manager at Lallemand Animal Nutrition – North America . “The new site is focused on sharing silage production and storage management information plus the latest in research developments, rather than simply promoting specific products” he added.

New NMPF Government Relations Director

Chuck ZimmermanGovernment

National Milk Producers Federation The National Milk Producers Federation has promoted Shawna Morris to Director of Government Relations and Trade, effective June 7th. Previously, Morris served as NMPF’s Manager of Government Relations and Trade. Morris’s duties as Director include drafting comments for and testifying at government hearings on trade-related topics, helping develop NMPF’s trade policy, representing NMPF in meetings with government and association representatives, lobbying Congress on NMPF’s behalf, and serving on the U.S. Agriculture Technical Advisory Committee for Animals and Animal Products.