Jersey Enthusiasts to Gather in Syracuse

News EditorIndustry News, Jersey Association

JerseylogoJersey enthusiasts from all over the country are headed to Syracuse, N.Y. for the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. annual meeting, July 1-4, 2009. Building on the theme “Jersey Worlds Combine in 2009,” the program includes seminars, tours, recognition banquets, and the 52nd National Heifer Sale punctuating annual meetings for each organization on three consecutive days.

In addition, the first North American Jersey Cheese Awards will be presented. The contest is modeled after the highly successful World Jersey Cheese Awards, the first breed-specific cheese competition held last May in Jersey during the International Conference of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau.

President James Ahlem, Hilmar, Calif., will call the 51st annual meeting of National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ) to order at 7:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, July 2. The company reported all-time member participation in its Equity program for 2008. The NAJ subsidiary Jersey Marketing Service, reported its fourth best year in history at $9.4 million in public auction and private treaty sales.

At the conclusion of this meeting, Dr. Chad Mueller and Garrett Tschida of Oregon State University will present findings from their NAJ-funded research on the growth and development of Jersey steers.

The annual meeting of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau is scheduled for Friday, July 3, with Dr. Gonzalo Maldonado of Colombia presiding. Evening activities will be held at Sycamore Hill Gardens, Marcellus, N.Y. There, Kathy Guidi, maitre fromager and the founder and president of Artisan Cheese Marketing of Toronto, will talk about opportunities for Jersey milk cheeses in the fast-growing artisan retail segment.

Then, at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, president David Chamberlain of Wyoming, N.Y., will conduct the 141st annual meeting of the American Jersey Cattle Association. Executive Secretary & CEO Neal Smith will report on the multiple all-time records set by the company in 2008.

That will be followed by the 52nd National Heifer Sale at the Empire Expo Center in Syracuse. Consignments include 50 Jersey heifers ranked in the top 10% of the breed today for genetic merit. Jersey Marketing Service will manage the sale.

William and Carolyn Ahlem, Sabino Ahlem Herrera, D.V.M., and Ed Fisher will receive the Master Breeder Award. The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Dr. Robert C. and Helene Z. Dreisbach, Mercer, Penna. And, the AJCA-NAJ Award for Meritorious Service will be presented to Ronald E. Pearson, Ph.D., Blacksburg, Va.

The Young Jersey Breeder Award is presented by the American Jersey Cattle Association to individuals or couples who are at least 28 years old and under the age of 40 on January 1 of the year nominated, who merit recognition for their expertise in dairy farming, breeding Jersey cattle, participation in programs of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc., and leadership in Jersey and other dairy and agriculture organizations.

The 2009 award recipients will be recognized at a banquet the evening of July 1. They are Roger and Cathleen Alexander, Liberty, Penna.; Kimberly Clauss, Hilmar, Calif; Eric D. Daggett, Derby, Vt.; Jake and Kate Hardy, Belleville, Penna.; Shari Strickhouser, Elkhorn, Wis.; and Ron and Nicolle Wussow, Cecil, Wis.

Dairyline Markets In Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review

Cash dairy product prices saw little change in the final full week of June Dairy Month. Cheese prices inched a little higher but are still below their respective government support levels.

The 40-pound blocks closed that Friday at $1.12 per pound, up a quarter-cent on the week, but 80 cents below that week a year ago.

The 500-pound barrels closed at $1.09, up 2 cents on the week, but 87 cents below a year ago. Twenty eight cars of block traded hands on the week and nine of barrel. The NASS-surveyed U.S. average block price inched up 0.2 cent, to $1.1494 and barrel averaged $1.1173, down 0.7 cent.

The cash Double A butter price held all week at $1.2050, 34 cents below a year ago. Twenty nine cars were sold on the week. The NASS butter average hit $1.2092, down 0.7 cent. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged 84.64 cents, down 0.5 cent, and dry whey averaged 27.55 cents, up 0.9 cent.

Price support purchases for the week amounted to 5.7 million pounds of nonfat dry milk, raising the cumulative total to 264 million.

As of Friday morning bids totaling 25.8 million pounds of nonfat dry milk, 167,550 pounds of Cheddar cheese, 119,000 pounds of anhydrous milkfat, and 2.9 million pounds of butter were accepted that week under the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP).

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

National Holstein Convention Quickly Approaching

News EditorHolstein Association, Industry News

2009 Holstein Convention logoRegistered Holstein enthusiasts – do you have your bags packed for Sacramento, Calif.? Final preparations are being made for the 124th National Holstein Convention and Annual Meeting, June 27-30, 2009. The California Convention Planning Committee and volunteers are eager to welcome Holstein members from across the country to their state for what promises to be an exciting and memorable National Convention.

Those breed enthusiasts who can’t make it to California, can check online each day at the Holstein Association USA’s website, to see updated Convention pictures, contest results, and daily summaries!


Convention events will begin on Saturday, June 27 with several Junior competitions and the Wine and Cheese Social. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about California during Host Day tours on Sunday, June 28. A nondenominational devotional service will also be held that morning. Host Day concludes with the California National Convention Sale, featuring several lots of premium Registered HolsteinSM genetics.

The Holstein Association USA Annual Business Meeting will take place on Monday, June 29 and Tuesday, June 30. An Early Bird panel covering the popular topic of Genomics will be held on Monday morning, prior to the start of the meeting. Panelists include representatives from the A.I. industry, as well as Registered Holstein breeders from around the country. Later in the day, members will hear reports from CEO John M. Meyer and President Doug Maddox. The Association’s Forty-Year members will be recognized on Monday, as well as the Star of the Breed and Herd of Excellence honorees.

An exciting feature of Monday’s meeting will be a discussion of Holstein Association USA’s Dairy Price Stabilization Program by Dr. Robert A. Cropp, Professor Emeritus in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Dr. Cropp has been serving as an advisor for the development of the program.

Officer and director elections are slated for the second day of the Annual Meeting. Larry Tande of Medford, Minn. will be seeking the office of President. Three candidates have declared their candidacy for the office of Vice President: John Bierbaum, Burnsville, Minn.; Tom Thorbahn, Vickery, Ohio; and Chuck Worden, Cassville, N.Y.

Four members will be elected to the Association’s board of directors. The candidate for Region 5 is Robert Nigh of Viroqua, Wis. Contending for the Region 8 seat are Bill Stoltzfus, Buhl, Idaho, and Bill Wright, McCornick, Utah. Incumbent Hank van Exel is up for re-election in Region 9, and for the At-Large position, three candidates have declared: Dennis A. Areias, Los Banos, Calif.; Thomas F. Atherton, Gaines, Mich.; and Jonathan Lamb, Oakfield, N.Y.

The Convention will conclude on Tuesday evening with the Gold Nugget Gala Banquet, where the recipients of the Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder, Elite Breeder and Distinguished Leadership Award will be revealed.

Juniors have several exciting events taking place during the Convention, including Dairy Jeopardy and Prepared Public Speaking on Saturday and the popular Dairy Bowl competition on Monday.

Iowa Seeks Nominees for Ralph Keeling Award

News EditorCompetition, Industry News

The Iowa State Dairy Association (ISDA) is now accepting nominations for the Ralph Keeling Leadership Award. Each year an outstanding member of Iowa’s dairy industry is presented this prestigious award.

Nominations are open to producers, educators or industry persons in the dairy field who have significantly contributed to the progress of Iowa’s dairy industry. Nomination forms are available online and are due by Friday, July 17, 2009.

The Ralph Keeling Leadership Award is given in honor of the late Ralph Keeling. Keeling operated a successful dairy farm and business, devoting much of his time and talents to help the progress of Iowa’s dairy industry. Since 1967, this award has been presented annually to outstanding individuals in various fields of the State’s dairy industry.

Presentation of the award will take place during the Iowa State Fair on Friday, August 14, in the Livestock Pavilion on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey and Iowa State Dairy Association President, Wayne Dykshorn, will present the award.

The Ralph Keeling Leadership Award is sponsored by the Iowa State Dairy Association.

Dairy Blogging

Chuck ZimmermanCommunication

More and more farmers are speaking out in the social web world and that includes dairy farmers. Take Ray Prock, Ray-Lin Dairy. He’s got a blog going and is very active on Twitter. These social media platforms allow you to tell your story publicly which helps the consumer better understand your business. That can only help in a world today where public opinion is really affecting the way we do business.

Welcome to Ray-Lin Dairy’s newly minted blog. To start with here is a little background information about us. We are a second generation Dairy Farm located in Central California. My parents started the dairy in 1972 near Galt, CA in 1974 they moved to Elk Grove, CA. We stayed on that facility until 1990 when we sold the property for subdivision. Our current location is in Denair, CA where we have 240 acres and milk nearly 500 cows. I (Ray) take care of managing the cows, my father (Ray Sr.) mainly handles the books and spends time in OR (more on that later), my brother Joseph manages the farming operation. In 2007 we purchased a 1100 acre ranch in Klamath Falls, OR it sits on the Oregon & California border. We grow alfalfa hay, oat hay and graze some beef cattle there. My brother John manages this facility.

Starting your own blog is simple and free if you use a service like Ray does, WordPress.com. And of course Twitter is free too.

Saputo to acquire California dairy

Amanda NolzCompany Announcement, Competition, Dairy Business

saputo-corporate-logoRod Smith at Feedstuffs Magazine recently reported this business transaction. Here’s a news update for the day…

Saputo Inc., Canada’s largest dairy, announced today an agreement to acquire F&A Dairy of California Inc. in Newman, Cal. F&A manufactures and markets principally mozzarella and provolone cheese and whey and had 2008 sales totaling $140 million, according to the announcement. The company employs 113 people.

The acquisition will be a cash deal and will be completed in late July. Terms were not released. Saputo said F&A will complement its U.S. activities.

Saputo Inc. is a Montreal based Canadian dairy company. Founded as a cheese store in 1954 by Italian immigrant Giuseppe Saputo, today Saputo’s business includes cheese, baked goods and milk production. Saputo operates in Canada, as well as in the United States and Argentina. It is the largest dairy processor in Canada. About a third of its revenues come from the company’s operations in the United States.

Jersey Beef Research Results to be Presented

News EditorIndustry News, Jersey Association

jersey bullResults from an intensive study of growth and development of Jersey steer calves fed at different energy levels for lean meat production will be presented during a seminar on Thursday, July 2 following the annual meeting of National All-Jersey Inc. at the DoubleTree Hotel Syracuse, Syracuse, N.Y. The seminar begins at 9:30 a.m. at and is open to the public. It will also be broadcast by webinar for those not able to attend in person.

Dr. Chad Mueller and Garrett Tschida from Oregon State University will discuss findings from their research, initiated in October of 2007 after being selected for funding by National All-Jersey Inc. This is the most intensive research project on this topic financed to date by the USJersey organizations, based in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

“Beef operations have an interest in feeding Jersey calves for meat production due to the low input costs and the propensity to generate high quality, marbled carcasses,” Dr. Mueller explained in 2007. “However, due to a lack of known growth parameters, feedlot operators are simply using trial-and-error to feed out these calves. This has resulted in over-conditioned carcasses and reduced growth efficiencies, both of which have limited the usefulness of Jersey steers in feedlot operations.”

“We expect the results of this study to enable feedlot operators to optimally feed Jersey steer calves to maximize financial returns while achieving optimal growth and meeting consumer demand for high quality, marbled beef,” said Dr. Mueller.

South Dakota Knows June is Dairy Month

News EditorEducation, Government, Industry News

milk cheersThe last days of June are ticking away, but dairy farmers and dairy organizations across the country continue to use this month to tell the special story of the dairy industry. Tell us what your state has done to celebrate the contributions of dairy farmers! Meanwhile, South Dakota Governor, Mike Rounds has declared June as Dairy Month in his state. The presence of dairy farms in South Dakota offers families throughout the state access to local, wholesome sources of food, Gov. Rounds stated in the proclamation.

Dairy Month recognizes the contributions of the states 400-plus South Dakota dairy farmers, who produce the safe, nutritious milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream that South Dakotans enjoy every day. A healthy dairy industry in South Dakota is important not just to our rural economy, but to every citizen of the state, Gov. Rounds said. Dairy farmers are an integral part of South Dakota agriculture and have a tremendous positive impact on our communities.

South Dakotas dairy processing industry employs nearly 900 workers, in addition to the states 1,100 dairy farm laborers. Overall, the dairy industry has an annual economic impact of more than $1.41 billion in South Dakota. Agriculture is South Dakotas No. 1 industry, and our states 94,000 dairy cows are one of the driving forces behind our economy, said South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Bill Even. Agriculture has a $21.3 billion economic impact on South Dakota, and creates approximately 40% of the states job opportunities and 50% of its tax revenue.

The Governors proclamation also notes that dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt contain nine essential nutrients which help to reduce the risk for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain cancers.

Pa. Dairy Task Force Visits with Local Legislators

News EditorGovernment, Industry News

cdelogoMore than 20 dairy industry representatives, including 15 dairy producers, traveled to Harrisburg earlier this month to meet with more than 20 key legislators and staffers in the capitol building. The delegation was organized by the Government Relations Committee of the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force, with assistance from the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and the Center for Dairy Excellence.

“With milk margins at all-time lows and many of the state’s dairy farms in danger, it is crucial that legislators recognize the vital economic engine our dairy industry is for Pennsylvania and the important role a strong support system provides to the industry,” says Tim Kurtz, chair of the Government Relations Committee and a dairy producer from Elverson. “This was a monumental event because it was the first time we’ve had a significant number of dairy producers and industry representatives converge at the Capitol on the same day.”

The delegation visited with members of the Senate Ag and Appropriations Committees, as well as key House members. Dairy producers participating in the event also visited with legislators representing their district. At least three people attended each meeting and updated legislators and staffers on dairy’s role in Pennsylvania, the current state of the dairy industry, and support programs for dairy in the state.

“The meetings were overwhelmingly positive, with many of the legislators and staffers telling us that they do not hear enough from the dairy sector of the state,” Kurtz says. “They seemed to have a genuine interest in agriculture, recognizing the enormous value dairy contributes to Pennsylvania. With the current budget situation and their hectic schedules, we were amazed at their willingness to visit with us and listen to what we had to say.”

The legislative visits were coordinated in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Dairy Task Force semi-annual meeting held in Harrisburg and the annual “June Dairy Month” giant ice cream sundae celebration hosted by Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program and Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association on the steps of the capitol building. Many of the delegates visiting with legislators were task force members, and they all attended the giant ice cream sundae unveiling prior to going on their visits.

“It was truly a collaborative effort to promote dairy at the capitol that day,” Kurtz says. “The General Assembly members and their staffers were first invited to enjoy free ice cream sundaes in honor of June Dairy Month. Later, we followed up with visits to reinforce why dairy is important to our state. It was really a unique opportunity to share dairy’s story with state policy leaders.”

Crop Specific Inoculation

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

Pioneer Hi-Bred Forage Forum PodcastDifferent crops have different requirements, which is why Pioneer offers crop-specific inoculants. Scott Dennis, Pioneer Hi-Bred ruminant microbiologist, says the goal is to get maximum performance for each crop.

[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://zimmcomm.biz/pioneer/pioneer-podcast-57-wdd.mp3] Scott Dennis on Crop Specific Inoculation (5:00 min MP3)

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