Fort Dodge Dairy Producer Short Course

Chuck ZimmermanAgribusiness, Animal Health, Fort Dodge Animal Health

Fort Dodge Dairy Producer Short CourseHere is our next installment in a series of online Dairy Producer Short Courses from our sponsor, Fort Dodge Animal Health.

Our topic this week is BVD VACCINE: “PRIMING” IMMUNE RESPONSE.

Fort Dodge Animal Health’s Mark van der List, DVM, technical services consultant, explains some of the current research suggesting you can get a better vaccine response by leading a pre-breeding modified-live with a dose of killed vaccine during the dry period.

WHEN TYPE II BVD EMERGED in 1993, killing half the cows it infected in some herds, it reminded all of us about the importance of vaccinating to help prevent BVD outbreaks. Today we’ve entered a new phase of BVD control, one aimed at preventing clinical disease, as well as stopping the virus by preventing Persistent Infection.

It is commonly thought killed vaccines have been pretty effective in limiting death, abortion and other losses, while modified-lives may have some additional advantages in preventing PIs. By using a killed vaccine like TRIANGLE® followed by a modified-live vaccine like PYRAMID,® a producer has a convenient, effective program to break the BVD cycle.

Fort Dodge offers Pyramid to combat the BVD virus. You can read more about this disease in this full short course publication (pdf).

Dairyline Markets In Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Industry News, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review

The bleeding continued in the cash cheese market this week. The blocks closed Friday at $1.27 per pound, down 9 3/4-cents on the week, 51 1/2-cents below a year ago, and 4 cents below the temporary support price.

Barrels closed at $1.2475, down 9 1/4-cents on the week, 52 3/4-cents below a year ago, and 3 1/4-cents below support. Thirty cars of block traded hands on the week and 11 of barrel. The NASS U.S. average block price climbed to $1.3326, up 4 cents. Barrels averaged $1.3583, up 4.2 cents.

Butter held all week at $1.17, but that’s 49 cents below a year ago. Eleven cars were sold on the week. NASS butter averaged $1.1659, down 2.7 cents. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged 92.87 cents, up 4.9 cents, and dry whey averaged 29.14 cents, up 0.3 cent.

There were no price support purchases for the week, in fact 500,000 pounds of nonfat dry milk was canceled, reducing the year’s cumulative total to 278.7 million pounds. DEIP bid acceptances included 3.9 million pounds of butter, 2.2 million pounds of anhydrous milk fat, 44,000 pounds of Cheddar cheese, and 5 million pounds of nonfat dry milk.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

Land O'Lakes Expands International Development

Cindy ZimmermanAgribusiness, Company Announcement, Education, Industry News, International

Land O’Lakes International Development Division (IDD) made announcements this week about programs in three different countries.

The recent award of a USDA-funded dairy development program in the Republic of the Philippines under the Food for Progress program will expand Land O’Lakes current dairy development activities into six dairy zones across the island of Mindanao. The program is designed to increase affordability of improved dairy cattle, provide training to farmers in herd management practices and expanding dairy market linkages, to increase production of high-quality raw milk and expand opportunities to produce and sell dairy products locally. Read more here.

Land O’Lakes IDD also announced the launch of the Dairy Enhancement in Eastern Province (DEEP) Program in Sri Lanka. The program’s overall objective is to connect Eastern Province dairy farmers to the dairy value chain and increase economic opportunities for participating dairy farmers. The program will provide financial grants, technical assistance and training to participating program farmers aimed to improve on-farm productivity, and also mobilize farmers into Milk Producer Groups (MPGs) that will feed into program Milk Collection Centers (MCCs) and link these centers to a consistent buyer of raw milk. Read more here.

Finally, Land O’Lakes IDD announced the final phase of the Fallujah Widow’s Dairy Development Program in Iraq. The goal of this program, which started in October 2008, is to create a sustainable source of income for dairy farmers by providing a market for their excess milk and enough dairy products to meet consumers’ demand. Phase Three of the program is to build a Modular Milk Collection plant that will provide training and employment opportunities for women, as well as introduce raw and value-added dairy products such as pasteurized milk in bulk, sachets and yogurt in different sized packaging. Read more here.

Waters Promoted as Regional Sales Manager

News EditorAccelerated Genetics

acceleratedgenlogoCongratulations to Matt Waters for being promoted to Accelerated Genetics new Regional Sales Manager for Region 8, covering the states of California, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Alaska, and Hawaii. There, he will be responsible for all sales personnel in Region 8, recommending and implementing programs to expand market share, developing annual sales and expense budgets, and providing leadership in his region.

Waters, originally from Australia, is a graduate of Roseworthy University with a degree in farm management. He has numerous years of experience in the A.I. industry. Prior to joining Accelerated Genetics, he served as an A.I. technician, District Sales Manager, and in Progeny Promotions. Waters has been a Large Herd Specialist in Region 8 for Accelerated Genetics since he joined the team in May of 2007, where he worked with A.I. Technicians and Independent Sales Representatives to resolve reproductive issues. He currently resides in Lodi, California.

AgriLabs E.coli SRP 0157 Vaccine Has Safety Benefits

News EditorAnimal Health, Disease, Industry News

agrilabsThe following news release has been issued by AgriLabs:

AgriLabs, a longtime advocate of producer, industry and governmental efforts to strengthen U.S. food safety, is proud to announce the availability of America’s first conditionally licensed E. coli O157 vaccine for cattle.

E. coli O157 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause intestinal upset, dehydration, and kidney failure. People with weakened immune systems, children and the elderly are the most susceptible to food-borne illness caused by E. coli.

These bacteria live in the intestinal tract of normal, healthy cattle, but don’t cause disease in these cattle. During processing, the bacteria can find their way into ground beef, and if improperly cooked, a serious outbreak of the disease can occur when the food is eaten.

Recent media attention has focused on governmental and industry efforts to develop science-based strategies to reduce the prevalence of the E. coli O157 in beef and dairy cattle.

“The new E. coli O157 Bacterial Extract from Epitopix is the first O157 vaccine conditionally licensed for sale in the US, and represents a significant breakthrough,” reports Charlie Higdon, AgriLabs business unit manager. “The SRP O157 vaccine is the first and only immunological weapon available to the dairy industry to battle against this significant food safety concern.”

“We are confident that the E. coli O157 SRP vaccine will play an important role for dairy producers and veterinarians as they work together to implement E. coli O157 food safety controls.” Higdon added.

AgriLabs is the sole marketer of Epitopix’ first major vaccine Salmonella Newport Bacterial Extract, utilizing the exclusive SRP® technology. Since its launch in 2004, this groundbreaking vaccine has been used in millions of U.S. dairy cattle to battle Salmonella, a significant health concern for dairy cattle, as well as a human food safety concern.

Coke Introduces Vio

News EditorIndustry News, Milk, Products

vio-is-being-tested-in-ne-001Have any of our WDD readers tasted the new Coca-Cola fizzy milk product called Vio? Let me know what you thought of it!

Vio is a blend of skim milk, sparkling water and fruit. It is available in four flavors peach-mango, very berry, citrus burst and tropical colada.

Like a modernized version of Strawberry Quik for the slightly more sophisticated set, Coca-Cola’s latest entrant into the beverage aisle promises a “refreshing sensory experience” and has been described by one quote-worthy copywriter as tasting “like a birthday party for a polar bear.” The so-called vibrancy drink named Vio – a blend of skim milk, sparkling water, fruit and an entire 27 grams of sugar – makes a test market run in New York City this week, retailing for $2.50 per 8 ounce bottle. The beverage comes in four flavors: peach-mango, very berry, citrus burst and tropical colada and evidently requires no refrigeration, perhaps owing to the fact that the nutrition label offers no mention of actual dairy content.

A reviewer from BevNET offers the following assessment:

The peach and mango flavors pair nicely with the base of sweetened carbonated dairy, delivering something that’s slightly reminiscent of a lassi drink. However, what starts out seeming not so sweet turns almost overwhelming by the time you are half way through the bottle. Otherwise, the combination of milk, carbonated water, sweetener, and flavor is one that is enjoyable, although probably not on a regular basis.

TIME Article May Just be the Beginning

News EditorAgribusiness, Industry News, Media

dairy_foodsOne thing I believe is important is for dairy farmers to keep current with the media conversations and portrayals of agriculture. A recent article in TIME magazine is an example of a “must-read” story for all dairy farmers.

Bryan Walsh, author of TIME Magazine’s cover story “The Real Cost of Cheap Food,” admitted in an AgriTalk interview that the story took the angle he wanted to pursue rather than presenting both sides in a balanced, objective manner. Walsh’s article was highly critical of U.S. food production. Walsh said it’s been a trend at TIME to have “more stories angled toward the point of view of the writer.”

“Rather than just doing the sort of story where you do 50 percent on one side, 50 percent on the other, you allow the writer to look at it and make some of his own judgments,” Walsh said. Read the full transcript of Walsh’s interview with Agritalk host Mike Adams.

Walsh’s comments should be taken very seriously by those of us involved in agriculture. Such a flippant attitude toward his craft as a reporter and the subjects he is assigned is obviously concerning, but Walsh and TIME are hardly alone in today’s ultra-competitive media industry.

Read Greg Henderson’s, Drovers editor, full comments here.

Source: Drover’s

Forage Forum From Farm Progress

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Forage Forum, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Podcast, Silage

Pioneer Hi-Bred Forage Forum PodcastPioneer has a pretty major presence at the 2009 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois where I met up with silage expert Scott Dennis and talked about silage – past, present and future.

Scott Dennis at FPS09Pioneer likes to help producers “get more mileage” from their silage. Dennis explains how Pioneer is unique as a seed company with what they have to offer producers during these challenging economic times to get the most from their silage crop. He talks about where Pioneer is now in terms of silage corn varieties and technology, where they were 20 years ago, and where they are going in the future.

Listen to this edition of Forage Forum here:

[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://zimmcomm.biz/pioneer/pioneer-podcast-62-wdd.mp3] Scott Dennis Talks Silage at Farm Progress Show (6:00 min MP3)

To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.

North Named to DBA Board of Directors

News EditorCompany Announcement, Industry News

DBAlogoCongratulations to Mike North for being appointed to Dairy Business Association‘s Board of Directors. North will complete the term that became available when Tim Griswold resigned from the Board to accept the business development position with DBA.

North has been with First Capitol Ag for over a decade. As Senior Risk Management Advisor, he works with both farmers and agricultural processing clients to construct marketing plans and margin management programs. North is a regular guest on several national programs such as AgDay, RFDTV, and the U.S. Farm Report.

North grew up working on his family’s dairy farm in Southeastern Wisconsin and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness with a minor Dairy Science from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville.

North and his wife Jennifer have three daughters and are actively involved in the leadership of their church as well as several community initiatives.

DFA Sends Out Memberships Patronage Payments Early

News EditorIndustry News

DFA logoDairy Farmers of America Inc. has paid its membership the balance of 2008 patronage payments early to help members cope with the tough economy.

The accelerated payment of $7.6 million, in cash, equates to 2 cents per 100 pounds of milk marketed through the Kansas City-based cooperative, DFA said in a release Wednesday. DFA members received $19 million in patronage payments for 2008 in April and an additional $9.5 million in July, which was paid from 2009 earnings.

“Our members continue to experience unprecedented stress as a result of the current economic climate,” Tom Croner, DFA’s treasurer and chairman of the board’s finance and budget committee, said in the release. “By issuing patronage checks early and in cash, we hope to send a clear message to these hardworking dairy men and women that we are deeply committed to identifying options that deliver short-term relief, while we explore long-term solutions that will prevent a crisis of this proportion from occurring again.”

DFA shares earnings with its members through patronage, which is based on the amount of milk marketed through the cooperative. DFA said it is issuing the payments entirely in cash, regardless of members’ base capital level.

DFA serves and is owned by nearly 18,000 members on more than 10,000 farms in 48 states. It ranks as the largest private company in the Kansas City area, based on 2008 revenue of $11.7 billion.