15 Year Cheddar Now on Sale

News EditorCheese

cheddar 15 yearKaren Herzog of the Journal Sentinel reported on Friday that the country’s oldest and priciest cheddar has been released by a world champion cheese-maker. It’s a 15-year-old cheddar made by Hook’s Cheese Company of Mineral Point, Wis. What an amazing story – wish I could get my hands on some of this cheese – cheddar is one of my favorites!

It’s the single malt scotch of cheddar.

Older cheddars might exist, but if they do, they’re the stuff of private stashes in cheese-maker cellars – not available to the general public, said John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, which hosts national and world cheese competitions.

“I don’t think there’s any cheddar out there older than this one that you can actually buy,” Umhoefer said. “Fifteen years is a good stretch of time to hold a cheddar – perhaps as long as a cheddar can hold for most people’s palates. Making a cheddar that ripe, without it turning bitter or acidic, is a rare skill.”

Julie and Tony Hook are proven cheese-makers; a Colby made by Julie Hook was crowned best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Championship in 1982.

The Hooks kept 1,200 pounds of cheddar in airtight plastic at 38 degrees for 15 years, checking a sample block twice a year to see how it was progressing.

“I knew this was something I could put away for 10 to 12 years,” Tony Hook said. “But it was still excellent at 12 years, so we kept aging it and tasting it. Most people aren’t in the business of investing their money that long in cheese.”

The couple may try aging a 40-pound block for 20 years to meet a growing demand for aged cheddar.

Source: Journal Sentinel Inc.; Copyright 2009, All rights reserved

Photo credit: Mark Hoffman

Dairy Industry Mourning Loss of Tom Camerlo

News EditorIndustry News

TomMemorialFrontPageIt is with sadness that WDD reports the passing of James P. “Tom” Camerlo, Jr. Tom was the Chairman of the Board of Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA).

Tom, who committed a lifetime of service to the global dairy industry and has served as DFA’s chairman since 2003, passed away December 3, 2009, after a courageous battle with cancer.

“Tom’s commitment to the dairy industry ran deep, and was second only to his devotion to his family,” said Rick Smith, DFA president and CEO. “The entire DFA family extends our heartfelt sympathy to the Camerlos. We share in grieving the passing of our colleague, a dear friend and a man whose lifetime commitment and leadership made an everlasting difference in the dairy industry.”

A scholarship to honor Tom’s legacy – the James P. “Tom” Camerlo, Jr. Memorial Scholarship – has been established at Colorado State University, his alma mater. Contributions in Tom’s name can be sent to the Colorado State University Foundation at P.O. Box 1870, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1870. Checks should mention the James P. “Tom” Camerlo, Jr. Memorial Scholarship in the memo line.

Click here for Tom Camerlo bio.

Source: Dairy Farmers of America

PETA's Dumping of Milk Prompts Farmers' Donations to Needy Families

Amanda NolzMilk

agunited As reported by the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D., AgUnited For South Dakota is reacting to a PETA protest in Rapid City, after the group dumped gallons of milk in the trash last week. Cheers to AgUnited for standing up and speaking out on behalf of America’s dairy farmers and in promoting milk as a healthy part of a well-balanced diet!

A week after an animal rights group protested the state’s dairy industry, farm organizations and farm families are making their own statement by donating 1,000 gallons of milk to Community Food Banks of South Dakota. The donations come in response to a Nov. 25 protest by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that involved a person dressed in a cow outfit dumping gallons of milk into a trash can in downtown Rapid City. Ag United contributed half of the 1,000 gallons that will be distributed to families across the state.

According to the AgUnited website, “We are very happy with the out pouring of generosity from South Dakotans,” said Steve Dick, Executive Director of Ag United. “South Dakota producers care about their livestock as well as their neighbors and communities they live in,” said Dick.

Raise Your Hand For Chocolate Milk

Amanda Nolzgot milk?, Milk

raise-your-hand-for-chocolate-milk Some schools and activist groups are looking to remove lowfat chocolate milk from cafeterias, but this actually could do more nutritional harm than good, says a new effort, Raise Your Hand For Chocolate Milk! Chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in schools and kids will drink less milk (and get fewer nutrients) if it’s taken away. This website is working to educate schools and families about the importance of milk in the diet. Here are the five listed reasons why milk rocks! This campaign is being sponsored by the National Dairy Council and Got Milk? I’m raising my hand for chocolate milk! Are you?

1. Milk provides nutrients essential for good health and kids will drink more when it’s flavored.

2. Flavored milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as white milk and is a healthful alternative to soft drinks.

3. Drinking lowfat or fat free white or flavored milk helps kids get the 3 daily servings of milk recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and provides three of the five “nutrients of concern” that children do not get enough of – calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as vitamin D.

4. Children who drink flavored milk meet more of their nutrient needs; do not consume more added sugar, fat or calories; and are not heavier than non-milk drinkers.

5. Lowfat chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in schools and kids drink less milk (and get fewer nutrients) if it’s taken away.

USDA has Issued its Monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook

News EditorGovernment, Industry News

Economic_Research_Service_LogoFrom the USDA’s October 2009 “Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Outlook,” a report from the Economic Research Service (ERS).

Dairy cow numbers are expected to continue to decline throughout 2010. The U.S. dairy cow herd is expected to average about 2 percent smaller in 2010 than 2009; this contraction comes on the heels of an expected 3-percent herd reduction in 2009 compared with 2008. Year-over-year milk per cow is expected to move toward trend level increases as a result of a gradually improving milk-feed price ratio. Corn prices fell in 2008/09 to average $4.06 a bushel and are expected to moderate further to average $3.25-$3.85 a bushel in 2009/10. Soybean meal prices averaged $331 a ton in 2008/09, but are forecast to decline this year to average $250-$310 a ton. Alfalfa prices are expected to decline in 2009 from 2008 and will likely remain moderate next year. The decline in feed prices combined with higher milk prices will improve the milk-feed profitability ratio, but not to a level that signals expansion. The improving returns outlook show support for rising yields per cow over the course of 2010, raising production per cow to 20,950 next year after increasing to a projected 20,570 in 2009. On balance, however, there will be less milk next year as production is forecast at 187.7 billion pounds, an 0.8-percent slide from the expected 189.1 billion pound production in 2009. Production in 2009 is forecast to decline from 2008 and will be the first decline since 2001.

Rebounding global demand is contributing to the improved price outlook. World demand, especially for butter and powder products, is improving the export outlook
on both a fats and skims-solids basis. (…more)

Southern Regional Dairy Challenge Announces Winners

News EditorEducation, Industry News

Dairy challengeCongratulations to all the dairy students who competed in the fourth annual Southern Regional Dairy Challenge, November 19 through 21 in Russellville, Ky.

A total of 76 students from 16 southern colleges and universities participated. The Southern Regional Dairy Challenge is an innovative two-day event designed by professionals from allied industry and university educators to bring classroom training to life in the real world for students preparing for dairy careers.

The University of Kentucky, Western Kentucky University, and Eastern Kentucky University co-hosted the 2009 contest, drawing participants from Alabama A&M University, Berry College, Clemson University, College of the Ozarks, Eastern Kentucky University, Lake City Community College, University of Florida, University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Santa Fe College, Southern Illinois University, Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, and Western Kentucky University.

Maury Cox, Executive Director of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council, described the Southern Dairy Challenge as a “first class event that provided great interaction with dairy industry mentors and leaders of tomorrow. It was personally rewarding to see such enthusiastic, professional young people.”

A key objective is to present students with a real-life situation that stresses the importance of teamwork and professionalism. Teams of students from the different universities were formed to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of a working dairy farm. Afterwards, teams presented their analysis and prioritized opportunities for improvement to a panel of expert judges and the dairy owners. Hosts for this year’s Southern Regional Dairy Challenge were Jimmy and Andy Woodall, Lewisburg, KY and Lee, Denise, Adam, Chris, and Eli Robey, Adairville, KY.

To see a complete list of winners, click here.

Source: North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC)

Work Hard, Play Harder, Dairy Farmer Hosts Games

Amanda NolzGeneral

IMG_4067 Here is a really neat story about a dairy family that is reaching out to the community with sports. Through the fall months, Darreel Heagy and his family open up the field on their farm to play no-rules, no equipment tackle football. In the winter, they lay down black tarps and fill them with ice, so the community can play ice hockey. Church groups, college kids and family friends gather each week to take part in the festivities. What a fun way to bring a family and a community together! This story, Work Hard, Play Harder, Dairy Farmer Hosts Games, was written by Anne Harnish for Lancaster Farming.

On a recent chilly, moonlit November evening, farmer Darrell Heagy quickly finished up with the evening feeding at his family’s 180-cow dairy farm, then headed across the road to a fenced horse pasture. He switched on several giant overhead lights, flooding the grass paddock with luminous light in anticipation of the evening’s football game. Soon, pickup trucks and cars filled the gravel lane around the barn buildings as church friends and cousins arrived to play the game. Wearing hats, sweatpants, layers of shirts and even shorts in the mid-40-degree weather, a group of 37 young men and women, mostly in their 20s, assembled near a small red barn to chat, stretch out and prepare for play.

On this night, a comfortable camaraderie exists between the players as they first pray together, then choose coed teams — they are serious about the game, but good-natured laughter abounds.
The friendly spirit, good sportsmanship and love of the game are obvious at the events. Sometimes the score is kept, but not always. No one ever seems to get mad; though muddied, sweaty and tired-looking, everyone is having a great time.

Dairy Introduces Ice Cream with Louisiana Flavors to Area

Amanda NolzIce Cream

KFD_Logo_with_slogan_color_large Check out these yummy new ice cream flavors by Kleinpeter’s! As described in the Shreveport Times by Donecia Peas, here are some new flavors to try with a Louisiana twist. What do you think of these flavors? Would you try them?

Kleinpeter’s ice cream carries a unique twist. Each flavor embodies a Louisiana tradition either in its name, its ingredients or both, resulting in such flavors as Cafe au Lait, Sweet Potato Pie and Banana Foster. And the ice cream is made with Louisiana products supplied by Louisiana companies.

Instead of high fructose corn syrup, commonly used in other ice cream brands, Kleinpeter’s uses Louisiana cane sugar. Then, there’s Ponchatoula strawberries, Bergeron Pecans, Community Coffee, sweet potatoes from Bruce Foods and many more. In light of its north Louisiana debut, they’ve added Ruston Peach among its newest flavors. They’re even working on a Tabasco sauce ice cream flavor and, despite the odd-sounding flavor combination, it’s going to be a good, chocolate-flavored ice cream.

Dairy Markets Week in Review

News EditorDairyline

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review
Traders in the cash cheese market are leery of the wide price spread between blocks and barrels. The block price actually inched back a quarter-cent the first Friday of December, following a run of gains, and closed at $1.7175 per pound, up 6 3/4-cents on the week and the highest it’s been since December 2008, but still 7 1/4-cents below a year ago.

Barrel closed at $1.46, down a nickel on the week, 28 3/4-cents below a year ago, and 25 3/4-cents below the blocks. Fifteen cars of block traded hands on the week and seven of barrel. The NASS U.S. average block price hit $1.5577, up 1.7 cents. Barrel averaged $1.4985, down 0.3 cent.

Butter closed Friday at $1.45, down 7 1/2-cents on the week but 19 1/4-cents above a year ago when butter melted down 24 1/4-cents, on its way to $1.11 the following week. Forty cars were sold in the first week of December. NASS butter averaged $1.4906, up 1.3 cents.

Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed at $1.4075, up three quarters on the week, while Extra Grade held all week at $1.40. NASS powder averaged $1.2048, up 3.1 cents, and dry whey averaged 35.35 cents, up 0.2 cent. Some question the discrepancy between the CME powder prices and the NASS surveyed prices.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

Athletes Chug Chocolate Milk After Workouts

Amanda NolzHealth, Milk

chocolate-milk Wow, what a positive message about dairy as a healthy part of a well-balanced diet! As shared by WLWT News in Omaha, Neb., athletes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are now downing chocolate milk after practice, and they are liking the taste and the results they are getting from that glass of power and strength. What a great story! Check it out!

The strength coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha has switched his athletes to chocolate milk from sports drinks, a move supported by mounting research that shows the childhood standby drink provides superior muscle recovery, KETV in Omaha reported. With its protein and sugar content, chocolate milk has been shown to rebuild muscles and replenish the body after strenuous workouts. In the past, UNO athletes have chugged pricey, carbohydrate-packed drinks after workouts. Now, Roberts Dairy supplies 1,600 cartons of chocolate milk a week at a low price.

“It’s good for your stomach, it’s good for your bones and it tastes good. I like it,” said UNO track and field athlete Madison Haugland.