Does Elizabeth Hurley Got Milk?

Chuck ZimmermanDairy Group, Milk, Promotion

Got Milk AdIs this the next “Got Milk” ad? I would call this a rumor for now. I saw a story on Adrants that Elizabeth Hurley will be the new poster child for the campaign. Supposedly it will run in the upcoming Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.

I have to wonder though since they claimed it was done by the American Dairy Association, which isn’t the case. The Got Milk campaign is run by “The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP).” It is funded by the nation’s milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption.

World Ag Expo Exhibitor Makes International Sales

Chuck ZimmermanFarm Show

World Ag ExpoI sure wish I could be there this week. I’m sure it’s warmer in California than here in the midwest, although it did warm up some today. It’s World Ag Expo and they have a huge dairy show. I’m hoping they’ll forward some pictures. I did get this item from their daily newspaper though:

World Ag Expo exhibitor, L.R. Gehm, a designer and manufacturer of dairy equipment products, has successfully worked with the World Ag Expo International Business Center (IBC) to effect international sales to Canada, Ireland and Sweden for his company’s CoPulsation System. “World Ag Expo is an excellent venue for exploring new export opportunities,” enthuses Bill Gehm, president of the company. “The IBC got me connected to identify point-of-sale purchasers as well as distributors internationally.”

The IBC is run by the U.S. Commercial Service with the help of Orange Jacket volunteers and translators. It is a free service available to all contracted World Ag Expo exhibitors and is open during show hours on the top floor of Heritage Complex.

Spring Dairy Expo Entry Deadline Approaching

Chuck ZimmermanFarm Show

Spring Dairy ExpoHere’s a story from Andy Vance, Buckeye Ag Network. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more news and coverage of the dairy business from Andy! Thanks Andy.

One of the nation’s largest Dairy exhibitions is about to close the books on 2006 entries. The Spring Dairy Expo, held March 30th-April 1st at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus is calling all dairymen to bring their best to show or sell. Registrations will be accepted up until showtime, but if you’re not registered by March 1st, be prepared to pay a hefty penalty. Registrations accepted by March 1st are only $20/head, but after that date the fee hits $50/head, and after March 24th, the fee skyrockets to $100, so if you’re thinking of bringing cows to Columbus, you’ll be money ahead to sign up in the next two weeks. A registration form is available at springdairyexpo.com.

The event has typically drawn top-quality cattle from numerous states across the country, according to entries Superintendent Julie Ziegler. “In 2005, exhibitors from New Jersey to Iowa displayed 614 animals in the six breed shows hosted at the event. 150 animals crossed the sale block in the five breed sales. Dairy businesses displayed their wares in the trade show and over 400 youth from several states competed in the youth judging contest.” This year the judging contest will be accompanied by an adult judging clinic hosted by the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association.

The Expo will feature six breed sales, including the Midwest Revue Brown Swiss, Ohio Ayrshire, Ohio Holstein, and Buckeye Dairy Club Holstein, Guernsey, and Jersey sales. In addition to the typical state sanctioned shows, The Spring Dairy Expo will be headlined by three National Shows – The National Ayrshire Spring Show, The MidEast National Holstein Show, and the National Brown Swiss Spring Show.

I’ve broadcast from this show for several years, and although the Voinovich building may be one of the dustiest places to do radio, the facility is perfect for a cattle show. Columbus is a beautiful town, and there is plenty to do when you’re not tending to the ladies (the cows, I mean,). It’s a great show with plenty of great dairymen – Well worth the trip.

Dairy.com Completes Acquisition of DairyCareers

Chuck ZimmermanAgribusiness, Industry News

Dairy.comInterested in a job in the dairy industry? Looking for someone who is? Dairy.com just recently completed its acquisition of DairyCareers.

Focused exclusively on the dairy industry, DairyCareers offers a range of services from traditional recruiting to Internet-powered solutions. DairyCareers’ unique technology platform enables employers to post job openings directly to an industry job board. Candidates, meanwhile, establish anonymous online profiles. Embedded logic helps both employers and candidates to identify potential matches and enables candidates to apply for specific job openings.

Recently, a Quality Assurance Manager had this to say, “Using DairyCareers to find my new job was a pleasure. Fifteen minutes after I applied to a career opportunity, I received a call from the employer and it turned out to be a great match. I got the job and 20% more in salary. In my opinion, DairyCareers is an easier and more effective way to find the right job.”

California Cheese Production Record

Chuck ZimmermanCheese, Dairy Group

California Milk Advisory BoardThose California cheese makers are cranking it out at a record pace according to the latest from the California Milk Advisory Board.

California’s growing cheese production passed the two billion-pound mark, reaching a record 2.14 billion pounds in 2005, according to a preliminary report by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The state’s cheese production grew by 7.1 percent last year, nearly three times the rate of cheese production growth reported nationally (2.6 percent) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Cheese production in California has more than doubled over the past decade, from 1.04 billion pounds in 1996, as the state rapidly approaches the leadership position for cheese production nationwide. California milk production also reached a record high in 2005, totaling 37.5 billion pounds, a three percent increase over 2004, according to CDFA. California is the nation’s leading milk producer and nearly half of California’s milk supply goes to cheese production. (It takes 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese.)

That’s certainly a lot to moo about.

What Farmers Are Paid For Their Milk

Chuck ZimmermanDairy Group, International

Ben & Jerry's“Payment systems for ex-farm milk” is the name of the latest publication from the International Dairy Federation. They say it contains the results of their latest survey of what farmers are paid for their milk in 29 countries.

Differences from country to country – climate, market structure, and role of government, export orientation – mean that the aims of the payment systems also differ. Frequency and method of payment, how the actual price paid is determined, what markets are served, what premiums are paid, and how cost factors such as cooling and transportation are dealt with this new IDF publication.

You can view an abstract of the publication here.

Ben & Jerry's Milk Shakes From Pepsi

Chuck ZimmermanIce Cream, Industry News

Ben & Jerry'sMore on ice cream. This time it’s shakes. A recent AP story says that “PepsiCo Inc. plans to launch a new line of dairy drinks from the premium ice cream maker later this year. The drink deal with Pepsi will be Ben & Jerry’s first licensing agreement, said Elizabeth McDonough, Ben & Jerry’s associate new product manager. The milk shakes will be refrigerated, not frozen, and bottled in 8-ounce glass containers.”

The story says to look for them this summer in 3 initial flavors.

MooBella Ice Cream Now!

Chuck ZimmermanIce Cream, Video

MooBellaMy favorite dessert is ice cream. I want to see these next to every soda machine in the country! MooBella machines. Freshly made ice cream when and where I want it. Even mixed with the toppings I want like cookies’n’cream and walnuts.

Simply stated, MooBella is where taste meets technology. The MooBella team has created a multi-patented, fully automated ice cream process that will change ice cream forever! Fresh ice cream, on the spot, made to order. Smooth texture, fresh flavors, great mix-ins. MooBella blends taste with technology to create an amazing ice cream experience for ice cream lovers with the very highest standards.

They have 12 flavors and 5 mix-ins. Want to know more about it? Here’s a little video on the product: MooBella Testimonials (5:14 wmv file, 20.4 MB)

Outstanding Junior Youth Exhibitor

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral, Holstein Association

Mitchell Here’s more youth news from the Holstein Association. Matthew Mitchell, LaFollette, Tenn., has been named the 2005 Overall Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Award winner by the Holstein Association USA, Inc. Mitchell is the second Junior to win this prestigious honor, competing with five others for the title. The semi-finalists included: Greta Koebel, Three Oaks, Mich.; Rebekah Mast, Denair, Calif.; Crystal McNett, Belmont, Wis.; Esther Rupp, Seville, Ohio; and Andy Thomas, Lewisburg, Ohio.
The Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Memorial Award was given to deserving applicants at each of the six 2005 National Junior Holstein Shows. Each winner was selected based on sportsmanship, herdsmanship and level of participation in Holstein Activities and awarded $100. The six show winners were invited to apply for the Overall Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Award, a $500 scholarship.

Mandy in the Dairy Bowl

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral, Holstein Association

Clayton Wood Holstein Association Junior member Clayton Wood of Littlestown, PA has donated his Registered Holstein Mandy to benefit the Holstein Foundation. Mandy will be auctioned on February 18 at the Pennsylvania State Holstein Convention in York, Pa. According to a Holstein Association release, the spring yearling heifer, Penn-Gate Lucifer Mandy F 136186577, 100% RHA-NA, was born March 2005 and hails from the heart of the Penn-Gate “Finesse” cow family. Mandy’s sire is Lylehaven Lucifer from the acclaimed “Laura” cow family and her dam is a 2E-93 Mandel.
Anyone can support this effort by becoming a member of the Pennsylvania Dairy Bowl Syndicate. Simply purchase a share of “Mandy F” at $100 per share. Shares can be purchased at the Pennsylvania Adult & Junior Holstein Conventions, or by calling Ken Raney, Pennsylvania’s Executive Director, at 814-880-2723. The syndicate will compile shares to purchase “Mandy F”. The heifer will then be re-donated and sold. All syndicate share proceeds and sale revenue will benefit the Holstein Foundation’s most popular youth program, Dairy Bowl.