The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is offering a Dairy Industry Orientation Workbook to help familiarize people with the industry’s main dynamics, including consumer trends, farm production, manufacturing and government regulations. The workbook offers clear and concise descriptions of complex policies and offers valuable insight and analysis. Dairy professionals who are new to the industry or who want to expand their knowledge of the industry will find this workbook useful. The cost is $95 for members and $145 for nonmembers. To order, visit IDFA’s website.
WaWa Goes rBST Free
Wawa, Inc., a convenience store, has announced that the company will only process and sell rBST free milk at its 570 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The artificial hormone rBST supplements a natural hormone cows use to direct the energy they gain from their feed. The Food and Drug Administration has found no significant difference between milk derived from supplemented cows and non-treated cows.
To ensure that all products processed and packaged by Wawa and under the Wawa label are free of artificial growth hormone, Wawa will now only purchase raw milk from farmers who will pledge, and sign legal affidavits, that they will not use artificial growth hormones in their cows. Customers will be able to see this “Farmers Pledge” through a seal on the label of all Wawa dairy products. Wawa is offering this choice to customers who, in recent years, have shown increasing interest in natural products and a greater commitment to overall health and wellness.
“Our commitment to selling the safest and highest quality products goes back to the opening of Wawa Dairy Farms in 1902, when we offered bottled milk that was certified safe from cows that were guaranteed to be healthy and disease-free,” said Howard Stoeckel, Wawa President and CEO. “Offering artificial hormone-free milk furthers our commitment to offering our customers the quality and security they have come to expect from Wawa.”
Regional milk producers are well-positioned to supply Wawa’s demands, said Amber DuMont, spokeswoman for the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association. “We produce 3 billion pounds of milk per year. A significant portion of our milk supply is rBST-free, and the producers market it that way.” While the cooperative takes no stand on the hormone — except that it is legal and FDA-approved — it does accommodate both sides of the debate over its use.
Corn Silage for Heifers
Does corn silage really need to be that much different for heifers versus cows? According to Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional science for Pioneer Hi-Bred, the answer is yes since high fat deposits in growing heifers can cause havoc and production issues down the line. Hear how producers can potentially manage this problem and their crops to reduce starch levels. Bill highlights some of the challenges and potential solutions for managing corn silage when feeding heifers.
Bill Mahanna on Corn Silage for Heifers (4:00 min MP3)
To see all archived Pioneer Forage Forum podcasts, click here.
Previous Forage Forum podcasts are also archived at the Pioneer GrowingPoint website. To access them, go to www.pioneer.com/growingpoint and click “Livestock Nutrition” and “Forage Blog.” Those not registered for Pioneer GrowingPoint website can call 800-233-7333 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT for assistance.
National FAIR Recognized by USDA
And the news from the Holstein Association USA is also outstanding – the Association is one of the first to be recognized by USDA as an official Animal Tracking Database.
A cooperative agreement has been signed between USDA and Holstein Association USA giving National FAIR (Farm Animal Identification and Records) official approval as a compliant Animal Tracking Database under the USDA Animal Trace Processing System (ATPS). The Association is among the first in the U.S. to be recognized by USDA/APHIS as an official Animal Tracking Database.
Through National FAIR, Holstein Association USA has one of the largest animal databases in the world, totaling over five million animals. If an animal health emergency were to occur in the U.S., the USDA would post a request for pertinent animal tracking information. Holstein would query the National FAIR database to determine where the animals in question have been. Information that would be provided to USDA would be the animal identification number, the premises ID and the event type and date. This system will help ensure data is shared quickly and confidentially with USDA only in the time of need.
Jersey Youth Outstanding
Eight Jersey youth have been awarded scholarships totaling $11,450 to support their studies in the agricultural industry. The scholarships are paid from permanent endowments administered by the American Jersey Cattle Association. The scholarships will be presented November 3, 2007, at a banquet concluding Junior Day events at The All American Jersey Show & Sale in Louisville, Ky.
The Russell Memorial Scholarship, was awarded to Claire Laurel Stanley, East Fairfield, Vt. The Russell-Malnati Scholarship for Advanced Studies was awarded to Bruce Flint Richards, Savoy, Ill.
The Jack C. Nisbet Memorial Scholarship Fund was awarded to Tyler Lee Boyd, Parrottsville, Tenn. The V. L. Peterson Scholarship was awarded to Renee Elizabeth Norman, Liberty, Pa. The Cedarcrest Farms Scholarship was awarded to Aaron Michael Horst, Chambersburg, Pa.
The Bob Toole Youth Award was awarded to Jessica Louise Stiles, Boonsboro, Md. The Paul Jackson Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Emily Ruth Waggoner, Pendleton, S.C. The Rueben R. Cowles Youth Award was awarded to John Franklin Hoffner, Mooresville, N.C.
Two Expansion Projects Underway in Wisconsin
Two cheese manufacturers in Wisconsin have announced expansion projects. Masters Gallery and Sartori Foods, both of Plymouth, Wis. are planning $8 million and $15 million expansions respectively. Plymouth has been known for years for quality cheese production, earning the city the well-deserved title of “Cheese Capital” of the world.
Masters Gallery’s expansion will eventually add about 40 new jobs. Sartori’s plans don’t specify just how many new jobs will be added to the local economy, but it’s safe to say that there will be significant economic benefit once both expansions are completed. Masters Gallery and Sartori both expect things to be done by the end of 2008.
The art and science of cheese production, packaging and distribution has changed dramatically over the years and Plymouth cheese makers — including Sargento — have been the leaders. While the milk these manufacturers use comes from Wisconsin cows, the cheeses they make wind up on tables, in food products and in restaurants around the world.
Expansions, such as those at Masters Gallery and Sartori, allow companies to keep pace with changing technology and meet the demand of a worldwide marketplace. The rise in demand for specialty cheeses — and the ability of Plymouth cheese makers to meet it — has no doubt led to the expansion decisions.
The future is bright for Wisconsin and cheese making.
Wisconsin made a record 2.5 billion pounds of cheese in 2006, accounting for 26 percent of the national cheese market. And Wisconsin cheese exports are on a record pace through the first half of 2007. At this year’s United States Cheese Championships, Wisconsin manufacturers accounted for 60 percent of the best-in-class awards.
Butter Institute Elects New Officers
The American Butter Institute (ABI) elected new officers at its annual meeting held this month in Arizona.
ABI’s new president is Rich Stammer of Agri-Mark in Methuen, Massachusetts. The ABI first vice president is Deborah Van Dyk of Schreiber Foods, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and ABI’s second vice president is Kris McFarland of California Dairies, Inc., Artesia, California.
ABI’s immediate past president, Jim Bleick of Graf Creamery, was presented a plaque for his two years of leadership that ended with the selection of Stammer as the incoming president.
ABI Board members, in addition to officer elections, conducted several other items of business at last week’s meeting, including reviewing ABI’s finances, getting an update on economic and market outlook, learning about butter promotional programs, and reviewing potential labeling and standards changes.
ABI’s next meeting will be held April 27-29, 2008 at the Marriott Downtown in Chicago, IL.
CWT Export Assistance Bids
Here’s the latest announcement from Cooperatives Working Together:
Cooperatives Working Together announced today that it accepted two export assistance bids last week for the sale of whole milk power.
The bids were from Humboldt Creamery of Fortuna, CA, for the export of 250 metric tons (550,000 pounds) of whole milk powder to the Bangladesh, and another 60 tons (132,000 lbs.) to Mexico. This is the first CWT-facilitated export of to Bangladesh.
CWT will pay an export bonus to the bidder, only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.
This accepted bid increases CWT’s total 2007 export obligations for cheese to 5,595 metric tons (12.3 million lbs.), its YTD anhydrous milkfat export obligations to 4,385 tons (9.6 million lbs.), its YTD export obligations for butter to 10,975 metric tons (24.1 million lbs.), and its YTD export obligations for whole milk powder to 560 metric tons (1.23 million lbs.).
Pa. Cheese Plant Powered by Biogas
The Fairview Swiss Cheese Plant soon will be partially powered with biogas made from its own waste products.
The plant, owned by John Koller & Son Inc. broke ground on the renewable energy project, which converts food waste into gas, said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff. The $2.2 million project involves constructing an anaerobic digester that will use cheese whey from the plant and cone batter waste from the Joy Cone Co. to make 40 million cubic feet of biogas annually — the equivalent of 28 million cubic feet of natural gas.
“The Fairview Swiss Cheese Plant is just one more exciting example of how Pennsylvanians are developing ways to tap into a growing renewable energy market,” said Wolff during the ceremony. “This project will not only save the company money on energy bills, it will help decrease overall dependency on foreign oil.”
Wolff said this renewable energy project falls in line with Governor Edward G. Rendell’s Energy Independence Strategy, which is designed to cut the commonwealth’s reliance on imported oil and support development of homegrown energy sources.
The biogas will be used in a boiler to produce steam and electricity for processing milk into cheese that in turn will offset the purchase of fuel oil and electricity produced from fossil fuels. The wastewater from the digester will flow to a treatment facility where the solids will be removed and clean water discharged.
DBA Holds Annual Conference
Sounds like the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association conference will have something for everyone. The 8th Annual DBA Business Conference, “Transforming the Dairy Industry,” will be held November 28 – 29, 2007 in Madison, Wis. at the Marriott West. Visit DBA’s website for full conference details, more information about DBA or to register for the conference, visit
Highlights include a presentation from Dr. Terry Etherton, Department of Dairy and Animal Sciences Chair at Penn State University, about rbST-free milk labeling and how false and misleading information on product labels impacts consumers and producers. Trent Loos, a popular radio broadcaster and well-known agriculture advocate, returns to the conference this year to present the environmental impact of DHMO.
DBA will hear from DATCP Siting Coordinator, Mike Murray, about the challenges, but also all of the successes of siting legislation and David Jelinski, also from DATCP, will present some of the lessons learned by local government and producers. Attendees will receive an immigration update from Jose Olivieri of Michael, Best & Friedrich and a political update from Bill McCoshen of Capitol Consultants, Inc.
Dennis Frame, co-director of Wisconsin’s Discovery Farms, will moderate a panel discussion exploring the NE Wisconsin Karst Task Force Report. Panelists include Maureen Muldoon, from UW Oshkosh; Fred Madison, from UW Discovery Farms and Kenn Buelow, a DBA dairy producer. Panelists will speak to the specifics of the hydrology, geology and manure recommendations cited in this report.
David Crass of Michael, Best and Friedrich will provide a candid overview that will address the Midwest Environmental Advocates’ (MEA) agenda and their unrealized role in helping to mobilize the dairy industry against radical activists, such as themselves. David Crass will also facilitate a presentation by Jeffrey Voltz of WDNR about DBA’s Green Tier Advancement Project.