DFA Offers Scholarships

News EditorEducation, Industry News, University

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA) has announced a new scholarship program for college students pursuing a career in the dairy industry. Says DFA, “We recognize the importance of developing future leaders in the dairy industry, and are committed to investing in their educations.” Applications are due January 15, 2008 – to learn more visit DFA’s website.

Scholarships are available for the following studies:

* Dairy Herd Management/Production
* Large Animal Veterinary Medicine
* Marketing/Economics/Finance
* Processing/Manufacturing
* Communications/Journalism
* Quality Assurance
* Dairy Nutrition
* Dairy Foods
* Education
* Engineering
* Policy
* Genetics
* Law
* Others

Bucky Badger Promotes Milk

News EditorDairy Checkoff, Education, Industry News

buckybadgerThe Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) has teamed up with Bucky Badger, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s mascot to encourage students to drink milk.

The got milk? Bucky Does! promotional campaign includes school promotional kits and live Bucky Badger appearances at five Wisconsin middle schools. The campaign focuses on the health benefits of milk highlighting calcium and the eight other essential vitamins and minerals found in milk.

“The goal of this campaign is to draw attention to milk in school cafeterias and to make school cafeterias a fun place to eat,” explains Laura Wilford, Director of the Wisconsin Dairy Council, the nutrition education department of WMMB.” It helps us work towards our goal of having every Wisconsin student drink at least one serving of milk at school each day.”

“WMMB is sponsoring Bucky Badger appearances at select Wisconsin middle schools because these students are at a key age for developing life-long milk drinking habits,” explains Wilford.

In addition to the live appearances, over 1,000 got milk? Bucky Does! promotional kits have been sent to schools across the state. The kit includes a life-size Bucky Badger standup along with promotion tips and ideas for school foodservice directors. The cardboard cut-out features Bucky Badger holding a glass of chocolate milk and a glass of white milk to remind students that they need 3-4 servings of dairy products each day for strong bones and good health.

New Dairy Shrine Leader

News EditorIndustry News

The National Dairy Shrine has elected Linda Hodorff, Eden, Wis. as the organization’s new president. Kevin Stiles of Ankeny, Iowa is the new president-elect.

Also elected to the board are Dr. Roy Ax, Tucson, Arizona and Dr. Roger Neitzel, Beloit, Wisconsin. Re-elected for their second three-year term to the board were Corey Geiger, Fort Atkinson; Michele Ruby, Portland, Oregon; Kevin Stiles, Ankeny, Iowa; David Thorbahn, Plain City, Ohio; and Evans Wright, Gamaliel, Kentucky.

National Dairy Shrine brings together dairy producers, scientists, students, educators, marketers, and others who share a desire to preserve our dairy heritage and keep the dairy industry strong. Founded in 1949 by a small group of visionary dairy leaders, National Dairy Shrine now has over 18,000 members encompassing virtually every facet of the industry.

NMPF Comments on Senate Farm Bill

News EditorGovernment, Industry News

National Milk Producers Federation has offered some insights into the Senate farm bill, claiming that they like some of the provisions and dislike others.

Chris Galen with NMPF says the dairy provisions of the Senate bill are similar to those in the House bill with a couple of exceptions.

One difference is that the Senate bill does not assess the dairy promotion checkoff on dairy imports. “We thought we had that fixed with the last farm bill,” says Galen, “Now we’re trying to correct it technically and get it done in this farm bill.” Dairy producers have complained for years that importers benefit from dairy promotion yet importers don’t contribute to that promotion.

The other notable difference in the Senate bill is in the Milk Income Loss Compensation (MILC) program. The House version basically extends the program as it is currently while the Senate version reinstates the original payment rate of 45% and raises the annual production cap from 2.4 million pounds to 4.1 million pounds. Galen also points out that these increases would not be implemented until F.Y. 2009. Of course, “Looking at the futures markets, there are not going to be any MILC payments at least for the next six months.”

Next up for National Milk, Galen says they will work to get the import checkoff put in the bill on the Senate floor or in the conference committee. “We also want to make certain that the other things we have been fighting for don’t get tinkered with including a revised dairy price support system that shifts the target price to product prices and away from an all-milk price.”

New Yogurt Study Promising

News EditorHealth, Yogurt

A new study conducted by General Mills, the maker of Yoplait yogurt, points to a link between healthier body weight and better nutrient intakes among those who consume yogurt.

The food manufacturer has announced results of a 14-day study conducted by the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition in Minneapolis. The researchers investigated the diets of approximately 3,000 women aged 19 and older. The research found that those women who consumed three or more servings of yogurt over the two-week period had a 15 percent lower body mass index (BMI) than those who did not eat any yogurt.

The initiative opens another health pathway along which yogurt can be marketed. The product is increasingly being proffered to consumers as delivery of friendly bacteria for gut and immune health, probiotics.

“Obesity continues to be a leading health risk for Americans of all ages,” said the research leader, Ann Albertson, senior nutrition scientist at the Bell Institute. “Our findings build on previous studies and offer good news for yogurt eaters.”

The weight management potential of yogurt likely comes from the fact that while it can be high in calories, it is still a relatively healthy snack food that promotes satiety. The study found that the participants mainly eat yogurt at breakfast. Among the women who ate yogurt, 34 percent did so at breakfast, 38 percent at lunch, 19 percent did so as a snack and nine percent at dinner. The women who ate yogurt regularly were also more like to have higher overall intakes for nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, magnesium and phosphorous.

Dairyline Markets In Review

Chuck ZimmermanDairyline, Markets

DairylineDairy Markets Week in Review
The cheese market strengthened the week of October 22, with block cheese closing Friday at $2.00 per pound, up 15 1/4-cents on the week, and 76 cents above a year ago. Barrel closed at $1.91, up 3 1/4-cents on the week, and 66 1/4-cents above a year ago. Twenty eight cars of block traded hands on the week and two of barrel. The NASS-surveyed U.S. average block price fell to $1.8719, down 2.5 cents. Barrel averaged $1.8996, down 2.6 cents.

Butter closed Friday at $1.29, unchanged on the week, but 1 1/2-cents above a year ago. Eleven cars were sold. Cash Grade “A” nonfat dry milk lost 11 cents, dipping to $2.00, on an offer. It was the first price movement since June 1.

NASS butter averaged $1.2734, down 2.1 cents. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged $2.0696, down 1.6 cents, and dry whey averaged 41.51 cents, up 0.5 cent.
Provided courtesy of Dairyline.

Pennsylvania Cracks Down on False Labeling

News EditorGovernment, Industry News, Milk

The state of Pennsylvania has taken an industry-leading step – notifying processors that sell milk in the state that false or misleading labels must be changed. The Pa. Department of Agriculture has authority over food labeling through the Pennsylvania Food Act and the milk sanitation law. Specific to milk and dairy products sold in the state, the department has the authority to disapprove any label deemed false or misleading.

Of the 140 dairy companies whose labels have been reviewed to date, 16 use labels that are considered inaccurate or misleading because they contain claims that cannot be verified or implying that their product is safer than others through ‘absence labeling’ – telling consumers what is not present in the milk as opposed to what is. The 16 permit holders whose products are mislabeled are located in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts and will have until Jan. 1 to correct the labels.

Pa. Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said claims such as “antibiotic-free” and “pesticide-free” are misleading because all processed milk sold in Pennsylvania is tested a minimum of 10 times to guarantee that it is free of such substances, which are illegal for milk to contain.

“Consumers rely upon the labeling of a product to make decisions about what they buy and what to feed their families,” said Wolff. “The department must approve the labels for milk sold in Pennsylvania and we’re seeing more and more marketing that is making it hard for consumers to make informed decisions.”

Label claims that are inaccurate or that cannot be verified are also being seen in the marketplace. For example, some milk labels contain statements such as “hormone-free,” but all milk contains hormones. Some labels also claim the absence of synthetic hormones, but there is no scientific test that can determine the truth of this claim.

In addition, Wolff said some of the mislabeled products cost more than those labeled correctly. This has become a degrading factor for low-income families who want to buy safe food for their children but cannot afford more expensive milk that is misleadingly or inaccurately marketed as a safer product.

“Consumers are concerned or confused about product labeling,” said Wolff. “It’s a subject the department continues to receive many calls about.”

Warm Winter Expected

News EditorGeneral, Industry News

According to AccuWeather chief long-range forecaster, Joe Bastardi, much of the U.S. will experience a very warm winter, with only the Northwest receiving average or above average cold and snow.

“November into December and March and April will be closest to what we consider winter weather, with the chance of cold and snowy conditions. But once we’re into the heart of winter, from mid and late December into February, we may see one of the top-10 warmest winters ever recorded for the southeastern U.S.,” Bastardi says, adding that the core of the warm weather will be centered over the Tennessee Valley and the Carolinas.

In fact, the 2007-08 winter may be as warm as the winters of 1998-99 and 2001-02, both warmer-than-average seasons. “More than 75% of the days this winter may have temperatures above normal in most of the nation, southeast of a line that runs from the Great Lakes to the Southwest. Only the Pacific Northwest should experience cooler-than-normal temperatures,” Bastardi says.

AccuWeather.com believes that the combination of what may be a top-five La Niña event combined with a cycle of warming water temperatures in the Atlantic are the key signals to the coming winter season.

Restriction of Dairy Foods Threatens Bones

News EditorHealth, Industry News, Nutrition

Starting as early as 10 years of age, self-imposed restriction of dairy foods because of perceived milk intolerance is associated with lower spinal bone mineral content values, according to the results of a study published in the September issue of Pediatrics.

“Increasing evidence indicates that the development of osteoporosis is in part related to inadequate calcium intake and that high calcium intake may slow the loss of bone mass observed in postmenopausal women,” write Leann Matlik, MS, RD, from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and colleagues. “The purpose of this study was to determine associations among lactose maldigestion status, perceived milk intolerance, dietary calcium intake, and bone mineral content in early adolescent girls.”

“These results suggest that, starting as early as 10 years of age, self-imposed restriction of dairy foods because of perceived milk intolerance is associated with lower spinal bone mineral content values,” the authors write. “The long-term influence of these behaviors may contribute to later risk for osteoporosis.”

“Individuals who perceive themselves to be milk intolerant and therefore limit their consumption of high-calcium products are compromising their bone health,” the authors conclude. “Because early adolescence is a period when calcium intake has a significant effect in increasing bone mineral accrual in girls, PMI [perceived milk intolerance] and its consequent effects on calcium intake and BMC [bone mineral content] at this young age are especially threatening for bone health.”

Fresh Cow Advice From Pfizer

News EditorAgribusiness, Animal Health, Industry News

Pfizer Dairy WellnessPfizer Animal Health has some advice to help producers develop prevention management practices. Using systematic and comprehensive monitoring programs for facility layout, animal flow and employee training can dairy producers increase profits.

“A good fresh cow management program is critical to the success and profitability of a dairy,” says Mark Kirkpatrick, DVM, Manager, Dairy Veterinary Operations, Pfizer Animal Health. “When fresh cows are kept healthy and comfortable, dairy producers also benefit from increased performance and revenue.”

Kirkpatrick says early diagnosis and treatment are critical to preventing serious fresh cow health problems and avoiding economic loss. He recommends that proper treatment protocols are followed consistently and producers work with their veterinarians to set up a fresh cow program that fits the needs of the individual dairy. Simple steps used when evaluating fresh cow health include:

* Allocate fresh pen space exclusively for fresh cows and stock at no more than 80 to 85 percent of total stocking density;
* Lock up time should not exceed two hours a day – according to Nigel Cook, MRCVS, University of Wisconsin – Madison;
* Avoid moving fresh cows in and out of the hospital pen