Bringing Internet Access To Rural America

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 10, 2006Audio, General

I know posting has been a little light in the last day or so but we’ll be making up for that. In part the reason has had to do with me travelling and conducting several presentations on blogging and podcasting for agribusiness. Like today in St. Louis at the lunch meeting of the Gateway chapter of the National Agri-marketing Association and St. Louis Agribusiness Club. The lunch speaker was Tim Ganschow, (pictured), Agristar Global Networks. I thought you might be interested in what Tim has to say about the efforts to bring broadband (high speed) internet access to rural America.

You can listent to Tim here: Tim Ganschow Presentation (19MB MP3 – 41 min.)

I know it’s long but I think you’ll find the information very interesting. Tim mentions at the end of the talk the desire to pull together a “Broadband Alliance For Agriculture.” I think he can count on ZimmComm and World Dairy Diary to be a part of that alliance.

The High Priced Property Effect

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 9, 2006Industry News

The Inland Empire area in California is losing dairies rapidly. With the look of land prices there it’s no wonder. It’s hard to imagine land at up to a half million dollars an acre when you live in the midwest! This story is in latimes.com.

Once home to one of the nation’s largest concentrations of dairy farms, the Inland Empire’s $500-million dairy industry is rapidly evaporating as dozens of farmers sell out to real estate developers.

In the last two years, more than 160 dairies — nearly 80% of those operating just a year ago — have either been sold or are in escrow, according to the Milk Producers Council, a trade association based in Chino.

It’s that urban sprawl thing going on and as the article quoted one dairyman, “”People and cows don’t mix,” said longtime dairyman Bill Van Leeuwen.”

New Regional Rep For Holstein Association

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 9, 2006Holstein Association

There’s a new face at Holstein Association USA. Sandra McCauley, Carlisle, Pa., joins their Regional Representative team in southern Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and northern West Virginia.

McCauley, a native to Maine, became involved with Registered Holsteins at a young age through 4-H. She went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Maine. While there, she was instrumental in helping revive the university’s Dairy Judging team. The university’s first team in over 15 years, they placed in the top ten at the World Dairy Expo contest in Madison, Wis.

Make That A Double Latte

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 8, 2006Dairy Group, Milk

“Lattes are a good way to add extra calcium to your diet,” says Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, Assistant Director, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. “They’re better than drinking coffee alone. The calcium and other nutrients in milk, protect bones to guard against osteoporosis, and with nonfat milk, you get the nutrition with few calories.”

Doesn’t that sound great? And coming from a college nutritionist even. Of course it only makes sense. Milk is good for you. Now they’re saying coffee is good for you (has antioxidents). So why wouldn’t a latte be even better?

The California Milk Processor Board also has this interesting information. “According to the National Coffee Association, coffee drinkers consume, on average, three cups of coffee per day. Seventy five percent of those cups are served with milk, which weighs in at about a quarter cup per coffee drink. That adds up to an average of 3/4 cup of milk per day, per coffee-drinking Californian, or 225 mg of calcium — which is nearly 25% of the calcium RDA for adults.”

It’s interesting to note that according to a survey done by the CMPB only 6 percent of coffee drinkers think they get calcium when drinking coffee with milk. We know better though.

The Callicrate Bander Is Our Newest Sponsor

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 8, 2006Callicrate Bander

I’d like to welcome The Callicrate Bander as the newest regular sponsor of World Dairy Diary. Thank you Rachel. The Callicrate Bander from No-Bull Enterprises was our first charter sponsor last fall when we started the website.

In this new year World Dairy Diary is taking on a new look and attitude. You’ll see more stories and features as we continue to develop this dairy industry news blog. It’s a whole new media world and we’re determined to make sure we bring the news to you when and where you want it. Just subscribe to World Dairy Diary using our RSS Feed. If you’re using a news reader or some of the new search engine personalized home pages like Google and Yahoo just type in our RSS Feed URL: feed:http://animal.agwired.com/?feed=rss2

We’re always looking for feedback and ideas for stories to post so don’t be shy. Let us know what you think.

A Milk Message For Young Skiers

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 6, 2006Dairy Group, Milk, Promotion

I ran cross country in high school and it’s the only sport I lettered in. I lived in Florida. If I had grown up in Wisconsin I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been on the cross country ski team. Hopefully these kids will do well and learn to drink their milk and ski harder.

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board has signed on as a major sponsor of the 2006 Wisconsin High School State Cross Country Ski Championships. The event, held in Trego on February 10-11, will play host to more than 300 athletes from around Wisconsin. “These games are a great opportunity for us to reach a young demographic with important dairy nutrition messages,” says Dave Bavlnka, WMMB local promotions. WMMB also sponsors the Badger State Games, and WIAA basketball tournaments. Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, a nonprofit organization of Wisconsin dairy producers, promotes the consumption of milk, cheese and other dairy products made in America’s Dairyland.

DFA's Hallon On Marketing Order Amendment

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 6, 2006Audio, Dairy Group, Government, Milk

I thought I’d share a little DFA Radio Talk on the “. . . controversial hearing regarding amendments to the Pacific Northwest and Arizona-Las Vegas milk marketing orders spanned four months and three cities in late 2003 and early 2004 – but it’s finally resulted in USDA’s announcement of a final decision. Elvin Hollon – Market Analyst for Dairy Farmers of America – says the decision means producer-handlers who have more than three-million pounds of sales in an individual federal order marketing area – will be subject to the pooling and pricing provisions of the Pacific Northwest and Arizona-Las Vegas milk marketing orders. Hollon explains.”

Butter Kicks Off PA Farm Show

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 5, 2006Audio, Butter, Farm Show, Government, Video

A little butter makes things better. In this case The Farm Show got kicked off in Pennsylvania with a sculpture crafted from 800 pounds of butter that was donated by the Land O’Lakes plant in Carlisle, PA.

The theme for this buttery work celebrates the Farm Show’s 90th Anniversary and recognizes the progress made in Pennsylvania’s dairy industry. The sculpture depicts an old-time milk delivery wagon pulled by a horse, ready to unload a modern milk vending machine. The Pennsylvania Farm Show and the Commonwealth’s dairy industry have worked hand-in-hand throughout the past 90 years. By working with the state’s dairy promotion organizations, four milk vending machines have been permanently placed in the Farm Show Complex, providing another way for visitors to enjoy dairy while enjoying the various shows held throughout the year.

You can listen to Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff describe the sculpture here. You can also see a short video clip here.

Bravo! Inks Deal With Jasper Products

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 5, 2006Agribusiness, Production

Bravo! Foods International Corp., a brand development and marketing company that manufactures, promotes and distributes vitamin-fortified, flavored milks, announced today that it has signed a multi-year distribution agreement with Jasper Products, L.L.C. of Joplin, Missouri, one of only three dairy processors in the United States that has approval of the United States Food and Drug Administration to produce aseptic shelf-stable milk in bottles.

Bravo! has contracted with Jasper, which has produced its flavored milks, including Slammers, since 2001, for the continued production of Bravo!’s products through September 2010. Under the terms of the agreement, the parties have agreed to annual volume commitments for the ordering and production of Bravo!’s various lines of shelf-stable, single-serve flavored milk beverages. The scheduled production commitments with Jasper will be realized on a ramp-up basis, commencing in April 2006, with the installation of additional processing equipment at Jasper’s Joplin plant. These production commitments will satisfy the agreed upon supply obligation of Bravo! to Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., under Bravo!’s Master Distribution Agreement with CCE by the summer of 2006.

USDA National Hearing On Federal Milk Orders

Chuck ZimmermanJanuary 5, 2006Dairy Business, Government

USDA will be holding a “national” public hearing on a proposal to seek changes to the “Class III and Class IV milk price formula manufacturing allowances for all Federal milk marketing orders. USDA will take evidence at the hearing to determine whether emergency marketing conditions exist that would warrant omission of a recommended decision.”

The hearing was requested by Agri-Mark Dairy Cooperative to reconsider the manufacturing cost allowances provided for in the pricing formulas for cheese, whey powder, butter, and nonfat dry milk powder. The proponent stated that the current fixed allowances were calculated using 1998-2000 California and Department of Agriculture Cooperative Service surveys. While the product price formulas have been amended since 2000, the proponent claims that manufacturing costs have continued to increase, leaving them unable to recoup these additional costs from the marketplace.

The hearing will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 24, 2006, at the Sheraton Suites Old Town Alexandria, 801 North Saint Asaph Street, Alexandria, Va. 22314.

I guess that since it’s a national hearing the whole nation is invited. Can we all fit into the Sheraton Suites?

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