Pa. Dairy Producers Invited to Economic Roundtables

News EditorDairy Business, Industry News, Markets, Price

cdelogoDairy producers and managers faced with depressed milk prices can share ideas and find solutions for managing through the current environment at dairy roundtable meetings hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence with Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Penn State Dairy Alliance. Although participation is free, reservations are required. Any dairy producer interested in attending should contact the Center for Dairy Excellence at 717-346-0849.

Three meetings are slated this month in Blair, Centre and Lancaster counties, featuring business experts from Farm Credit. The meetings are free of charge and lunch is provided.

“The current economic situation in the dairy industry has put many of Pennsylvania’s dairy farms in jeopardy,” said John Frey, executive director of the Center for Dairy Excellence. “The meetings will bring producers together to share ideas on managing their dairies through this downturn and how to improve short-term and long-term cash flow.”

The meetings dates and locations are:

* Tuesday, March 17, from 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Celebration Hall, 2280 Commercial Boulevard, State College, Pa.
* Thursday, March 26, from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Martinsburg Airport, 2 Airport Drive, Martinsburg, Pa.
* Monday, March 30, from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Lancaster Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster, Pa.

Dairy Farmers Love Feeding Families

Amanda NolzGeneral

The animal rights activists are at it again, busy making another dramatic documentary to show consumers the “evils” of livestock production. The documentary is titled, “Death on a Factory Farm,” and this 87-minute documentary will air on HBO beginning March 16, 2009. This is the provided excerpt that describes this upcoming film…

A year ago, we were sickened by animal-cruelty allegations at the Hallmark/Westland meatpacking plant in Chino, Calif. Now, another undercover expose has occurred at an Ohio hog farm – and will be shown to viewers of Home Box Office repeatedly in March. The film originated with a group known as the Humane Farming Association. HFA turned to a young man named “Pete” who makes his living doing undercover investigations of suspected animal cruelty. Pete obtained a job at the farm, and the film shows his investigation over the course of six weeks, during which time he used a hidden camera to document numerous disturbing scenes: piglets being hurled across a room into a crate where they crash into each other or onto the floor; an unhealthy piglet being taken by the feet and slammed against a wall to euthanize it; impregnated sows crammed into pens that don’t allow them to move for up to 116 days, and finally, a sick hog being hung from a forklift by a chain, where it is seen convulsing for five minutes, according to a public-relations representative for the documentary.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the media highlighting the bad apples in food production. I want to see a documentary of the farmers that work everyday caring for the animals and helping the environment. I was so excited to see just that in this 30 second clip of a dairy farmer that truly cares about food and the planet. Check out this Public Service Announcement, and tell me what you think about it! We need more positive reinforcements like this one to counteract the negative ones like this documentary on HBO. We need to team up in animal agriculture and stand up for what is right!

40% More Cheese Supports Dairy Farmers

News EditorCheese, Dairy Checkoff, Industry News, Promotion

dominospartnershipheaderI don’t usually need an excuse to order a pizza, but if you do – here’s your perfect one: it supports dairy farmers! Domino’s Pizza®, partnering with dairy producers through their checkoff investment, has launched six new specialty pizzas called American Legends™. Each pizza uses up to 40 percent more cheese than a regular Domino’s pizza, making the potential additional cheese sales more than 10 million pounds of cheese annually, using more than 100 million additional pounds of milk.

If you need any more incentive to order one of these pizzas today, an online coupon is available – click here to get it!

Through the Domino’s partnership and other checkoff efforts, dairy producers are helping to build pizza sales for the short and long term. Pizza sales directly affect cheese sales — more than 25 percent of total cheese sales is used on pizzas … representing more than 2.5 billion pounds of cheese annually and more than 25 billion pounds of milk used each year.

Dairy producers are investing $12 million over two years to support the partnership that will help raise consumer awareness of the new pizzas through advertising, public relations, local market promotions, and communications activities. Domino’s will invest four to five times the dairy producers’ investment for menu development, in-store staff training, advertising, online, and promotion materials — including a newly designed pizza box that credits dairy producers for supplying great-tasting, quality cheese — among other efforts.

Domino’s recently unveiled the specialty pizzas through its new American Legends™ pizza line. The pizzas, which are inspired by unique tastes found throughout the country, are permanent menu items at the chain’s 5,000 U.S. locations. The pizzas feature premium toppings, including six types of cheese and cheesy crusts:

Honolulu Hawaiian, which consists of sliced ham, smoked bacon, pineapple, and roasted red peppers with Provolone and Mozzarella cheeses on a cheesy Parmesan crust. Customers can add Tabasco® pepper sauce and jalapenos for some extra “fire.”

Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch™, which consists of chicken breast, white sauce, smoked bacon, tomatoes, and parsley with Provolone and Mozzarella cheeses on a cheesy Parmesan crust.

Pacific Veggie, which consists of roasted red peppers, spinach, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and black olives with Feta, Provolone and Mozzarella cheeses on a cheesy Parmesan crust.

Memphis BBQ Chicken, which consists of chicken breast, barbecue sauce, onions, and parsley with Cheddar, Provolone and Mozzarella cheeses on a cheesy Parmesan crust.

Buffalo Chicken, which consists of chicken breast, buffalo hot sauce, onions, and parsley with American and Provolone cheeses on a cheesy Cheddar crust.

Philly Cheese Steak, which consists of steak, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms with American and Provolone cheeses on a cheesy Provolone crust.

Dairy Industry Consortium Launches Initiative

News EditorDairy Checkoff, Industry News, Promotion

innovationcenterThe dairy industry has unveiled a major initiative to help reduce on-farm expenses while meeting a growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products. The industry-wide effort focuses on the fluid milk value chain — from farm to table. It includes a series of projects that will reduce energy, increase efficiency and help dairy producers tap into new sources of income.

The announcement was made by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, an organization bringing together leaders from across the dairy value chain. The industry-wide group includes producer organizations, dairy cooperatives, processors and manufacturers such as Hilmar Cheese Company, Leprino Foods, Dairylea Cooperative Inc., Anderson Erickson Dairy, Land O’Lakes and Dairy Farmers of America.

As part of the initiative, 12 project plans were unveiled that offer a range of solutions for operations large and small across all industry segments. Some of these projects take advantage of existing practices, while others are technological innovations that require longer time frames and financial commitments for research and development.

“During these difficult economic times, it is especially important to address both short- and long-term solutions that ensure the health and strength of our industry,” said Thomas P. Gallagher, chief executive officer of the Innovation Center and Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program on behalf of the nation’s dairy producers. “By identifying practical and effective methods to increase business value and reduce dairy’s carbon footprint, we ensure the viability and sustainability of U.S. dairy producers and the dairy industry,” he added.

The project plans have the potential to create a conservatively estimated $238 million in business value and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 3.2 million metric tons — equivalent to taking more than half a million cars off the road every year.

Solutions include identifying and implementing energy-saving best practices across all value chain segments, removing barriers to the adoption of methane digesters, and implementing pilot programs to test alternatives to thermal pasteurization for raw milk and reduced-temperature clean-in-place technologies.

Read More

Send in Your Applicants for Obie Snider Award

News EditorIndustry News

The All-American Dairy Show is accepting nominations for the 2009 Obie Snider Award through May 30. The award was established to honor a dairy industry leader who follows in the footsteps of Snider’s character, ethics, service, leadership and professionalism. Nominations are due by May 30.

The award will be presented at the 46th All-American Dairy Show, Sept. 19-24, themed “Aiming for the Stars.”

“Obie’s leadership and vision for the All-American Dairy Show set the tone for a high-caliber event that showcases the best dairy animals in North America, and serves a place for dairy enthusiasts to gather,” said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff. “Year after year, the show continues to grow in numbers, along with increased focus on youth activities and improving dairy genetics. Obie would be pleased to see his legacy live on through this show in which he invested so much.”

Past winners of the award are Donald Seipt of Easton, Pa., Creedin Cornman of Carlisle, Pa., David Patrick of Woodbine, Md., Berneta Gable of New Enterprise, Pa., and the 2008 winner was Dieter Krieg of Lititz, Pa.

What Bloggers are Saying…

Amanda NolzGeneral

amanda_nolz1I like to keep up-to-date on the news, trends, developments and consumer perceptions of the dairy industry. I often stop by blogs that are starting conversations about dairy production, and I found one today worth noting. The blog is called A Pictorialist Blog, and the writer is a photographer from Brooklyn, NY. She has just returned to vegetarianism, and is making the next step towards veganism. Here is an excerpt from her latest blog entry, “Milk.”

Pregnancy, lactation…are all of the nine million dairy cows across the country pregnant? For how long are they able produce this milk? Do their lives really only consist of standing in stalls, getting mechanically milked, and giving birth over and over again? I had to find out. Well, with some investigation…I discovered that it is a 12 – 15 month revolving process that includes insemination, birth, and lactation. After the milk stops being produced cows are re-impregnanted over and over again– until they are infertile and die. This just seems wrong. I’m going to farther my efforts to reduce dairy intake, until reaching a completely non-dairy lifestyle. I believe we vote with our money — I vote for soy, and against inhumane milk production.

As dairy industry professionals, it might be worth your time to take five minutes out of your day to leave a comment to this blogger. Tell her about your life in dairy production. Explain to her the reasons behind your practices. Provide her with a few links on dairy cattle and dairy nutrition. Be kind, be respectful, share the science and show your emotions. We could just change this New Yorker’s mind about dairy. Good luck!

Dannon to Follow Yoplait Switch

News EditorIndustry News, Yogurt

dannonyogurtDannon announced this week that it will stop using milk from cows treated with rBST in its yogurts by the end of 2009.

Dannon’s decision comes on the heels of rival Yoplait’s announcement that it would eliminate rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) from its product line.

The companies were pressed to halt the use of rBGH milk after more than 200 hospitals around the country — including Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Good Samaritan and OHSU in Portland, Good Shepherd in Hermiston and Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver — pledged to serve rBGH-free products to their patients, staff and visitors.

The rBGH-free initiative was spurred by Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition that promotes ecologically sustainable health care that doesn’t harm people or the environment. The Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility also supported the initiative.

Dairyline Markets In Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review
Cheese prices reversed five weeks of gains the last week of February, likely in response to Friday’s Cold Storage data and lots of product coming to the market. The blocks closed Friday at $1.1750 per pound, down 13 1/2-cents on the week and 89 1/2-cents below a year ago. Barrel closed at $1.18, down 9 cents on the week, and 79 cents below a year ago. Seventy one cars of block traded hands on the week and 25 of barrel. The NASS-surveyed U.S. average on block cheese rose 3.9 cents, to $1.1701. Barrel averaged $1.1965, up 5.2 cents.

Butter closed Friday at $1.15, up 4 3/4-cents on the week, but still 10 cents below a year ago. Sixteen cars were sold. NASS butter averaged $1.0845, up a half cent. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged 81.41 cents, down 0.4 cent, and dry whey averaged 15.91 cents, up 0.4 cent.

Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

Potential Cut to Farm Subsidies Under Fire

News EditorGovernment, Industry News

Top Democrats and Republicans are already shooting down President Obama’s plan to cut farm subsidies, dealing a blow to one of the cost-savings promises he laid out in his congressional address Tuesday night.

“We’ll have to see what specifically the president is talking about, but we just finished the farm bill last year, and I don’t think we’ll open it up,” said Rep. Collin C. Peterson, Minnesota Democrat and chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

Likewise, the ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, said the farm bill, which lasts for five years, “should not be changed midstream.”

“I believe it is premature to make any sweeping changes to the makeup of the farm safety net before we have even had the chance to implement the current farm bill,” said Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia.

The pushback came a day after Mr. Obama called for cutting subsidies to farm businesses in his address to Congress, one of a few examples of how he can save $2 trillion from the federal budget over 10 years, and as other Democratic leaders took issue with what they see as White House moves into their domain.

The president demanded that there be no explicit earmarks in the $787 billion economic stimulus package passed last week, but the same discipline is not carrying over to the regular appropriations bills.

The omnibus spending bill passed by the House Wednesday contains thousands of earmarks, requested by lawmakers of both parties. The specific items funded are almost always for programs, grants or other federal projects directed to the state or district of the lawmakers requesting them.

In his Tuesday address, Mr. Obama said new spending on health care, energy and education would be matched with cuts to “education programs that don’t work,” an end to no-bid contracts in Iraq, and an assault on waste and fraud in Medicare.

But the farm payments pledge was his most specific. “In this budget, we will … end direct payments to large agribusiness that don’t need them,” Mr. Obama said.

The ranking Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Frank D. Lucas of Oklahoma, said Mr. Obama didn’t seem to understand the agribusiness programs he was talking about.

“With the president last night calling for, in essence, what he referred to payments to big agribusiness – I’m not sure he really appreciates or understands the definition of that phrase,” Mr. Lucas said, noting that direct payments go to entities that own farms and grow crops, not conglomerates that process them. “If he’s referring to other things, then that’s not the direct payment program.”

He said Mr. Obama’s comments build on a speech earlier this month by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in which the former Iowa governor urged farmers not to rely on direct payments.

“It’s kind of ironic that the secretary and the president are talking about doing away with relatively small amounts of money compared with [the financial and automaker bailouts] that help assure us of the safest and most abundant food supply in the world,” said Mr. Lucas, who expressed his concern in a letter to Mr. Vilsack late Wednesday.

During the presidential campaign, Mr. Obama had proposed limiting direct payments to only farms with incomes of $250,000 or less. That’s just a third of the current $750,000 farm income limit set in the 2008 farm bill.

Doyle Joins GDP Board

News EditorCompany Announcement, Industry News

richarddoyleGlobal Dairy Platform (GDP), an international non-profit organization that provides direction and drive to the dairy industry, welcomes Richard Doyle, president of the International Dairy Federation (FIL-IDF), to its board of directors.

GDPs members are leading dairy corporations, cooperatives and associations who are uniting to strengthen their interests around the world. Based in Rosemont, IL, a suburb of Chicago in the United States, GDP is focused on sustaining and expanding global demand for milk and dairy products.

Doyle has 32 years of experience in the dairy industry at national and international levels and joined both GDP’s Operational Committee and the full Board of Directors.

“I look forward to being part of GDP’s many initiatives, such as information sharing and activities developed by our respective organizations that benefit the global dairy sector,” said Doyle. “There is indeed much room for a fruitful and constructive relationship, as has been demonstrated recently with a new proposal of work plan of collaboration between IDF and GDP.”