Nominations are now being accepted for the title of the Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year, an annual award co-sponsored by IDFA and Dairy Today magazine. The winner will be honored at the 2008 Dairy Forum, Jan. 20 to 23, at La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, Calif. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 5, and there is no entry fee. The call asks for nominations of active U.S. dairy farms that are improving on-farm efficiency through progressive management practices, production technologies and/or marketing approaches. Nominees will be judged on current methods as well as their positioning to meet future economic and business challenges. For complete award criteria and a nomination form visit IDFA’s website.
Starch in Fermented Grains
Starch in Fermented Grains is the topic of this Forage Forum segment, with information provided by Dr. Bill Mahanna, Pioneer Global Nutritional Sciences Manager. Dr. Mahanna reviews the importance of the form of corn when it is fed, especially to cattle feeders. Additionally, he weighs in on the pros and cons of high-moisture corn, focusing on the fermentation process and the role of inoculants.
Bill Mahanna on Fermented Grains (4:30 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.
Editorial Addresses Buying Organic
A few weeks ago, Jackie Avner from the Denver Post wrote an editorial about her reasons for buying regular goods verses organic goods. Take a minute and read her thoughts and comments on the booming organic market.
I don’t like to buy organic food products, and avoid them at all cost. It is a principled decision reached through careful consideration of effects of organic production practices on animal welfare and the environment. I buy regular food, rather than organic, for the benefit of my family.
I care deeply about food being plentiful, affordable and safe. I grew up on a dairy farm, where my chores included caring for the calves and scrubbing the milking facilities. As a teenager, I was active in Future Farmers of America, and after college I took a job in Washington, D.C., on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee staff.
But America no longer has an agrarian economy, and now it is rare for people to have firsthand experience with agricultural production and regulation. This makes the general public highly susceptible to rumors and myths about food, and vulnerable to misleading marketing tactics designed not to improve the safety of the food supply, but to increase retail profits. Companies marketing organic products, and your local grocery chain, want you to think organic food is safer and healthier, because their profit margins are vastly higher on organic foods.
The USDA Organic label does not mean that there is any difference between organic and regular food products. Organic farms simply employ different methods of food production. For example, organic dairy farms are not permitted to administer antibiotics to their sick or injured cows, and do not give them milk-stimulating hormone supplements (also known as rbGH or rBST). The end product is exactly the same – all milk, regular and organic, is completely antibiotic-free, and all milk, regular and organic, has the same trace amounts of rbGH (since rbGH is a protein naturally present in all cows, including organic herds). Try as they may, proponents of organic foods have not been able to produce evidence that the food produced by conventional farms is anything but safe.
WDPA Hosts Grading Clinic
The Wisconsin Dairy Products Association will host the 2007 Dairy Product Grading and Evaluation Clinic on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at World Dairy Expo, Madison, Wis. The clinic is a comprehensive training program on dairy product grading (cheese, butter, cottage cheese, and whey) led by graders from the United States Dept. of Ag (USDA), Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection (DATCP) and University of Wisconsin.
The Dairy Product Grading and Evaluation Clinic provides an excellent opportunity for dairy industry personnel to sharpen their present grading skills while learning new product evaluation techniques. This year’s clinic will feature an improved grading session format in which expert graders will comprehensively discuss common defects in dairy products, what buyers are looking for and how to properly grade dairy foods. Following this presentation, federal, state and selected industry graders will join attendees as they have an opportunity to evaluate over 40 different samples of cheese, butter, cottage cheese and whey.
In the afternoon, participants will hear informative presentations of issues that impact the dairy industry. The session begins with Tom Leitzke, DATCP and Dave Robbins, Dean Foods discussing the latest changes to state and federal dairy processing rules. Leitzke will highlight the recent revisions to Wisconsin’s processing rules (ATCP 80) and will join with Robbins to focus on amendments to the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance as a result of the 2007 National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments.
Following that discussion, there will be a presentation by Dr. Scott Rankin, UW-Madison, which pertains to a number of cheese issues, such as probiotics, Omega 3 and black spots in Aged Cheddar. The final presentation will be by K.J. Burrington, Center for Dairy Research, on the many unique ways in which whey is being utilized as a food ingredient.
The Dairy Product Grading & Evaluation Clinic will be of interest to all segments of the dairy processing industry – graders, quality and assurance personnel, technicians, salespersons, plant managers, retailers, suppliers, chefs and farmstead operations. The registration deadline is Tuesday, September 25, 2007.
Bring Milk Back to the Dinner Table
MilkPEP, funded by the nation’s milk processors, is challenging American families to make milk their beverage of choice – and awarding 25 of those families with great prizes! Families can enter by taking a photo of their family choosing milk or donning the famous Milk Mustache and upload it to the website before August 31, 2007.
As families gather back around the dinner table, what was once a staple of the meal — milk — might be hard to find. Over the past decade, milk at dinner has steadily declined and today nearly 60 percent of children’s dinners do not include milk, according to new findings from The NPD Group. Conversely, nearly one-third of all kids’ meals are served with a soft drink or fruit drink — beverages that are often loaded with sugar and missing important nutrients.
The percentage of overweight American children and teens has tripled in the last two decades and a recent report called What America Drinks suggests that beverage choice may impact weight and the overall quality of the diet. Because of these findings, health experts like registered dietitian Jodie Shield are joining the nationwide Think About Your Drink campaign to urge parents to think about what’s filling their children’s glasses and make milk the “official drink of the family.”
“As parents, it’s important for us to realize that beverage choice may play a part in the fight against raising overweight, yet undernourished kids,” said Shield. “And, family dinner is a great place to start. By swapping your child’s soft drink for milk, you boost vital nutrients many kids are missing.”
Choosing milk at your next family dinner can have a real nutrition impact. Choosing lowfat or fat free milk may help keep your family at a healthy weight. Research shows drinking the recommended three servings of lowfat or fat free milk everyday is an important part of a healthy diet for parents and their kids, and may also contribute toward maintaining a healthy weight.
With Americans currently consuming two to three times the amount of sweetened beverages as they do milk, dinner is an important meal for parents to help control what their kids are drinking. Research shows that the more often a family eats together, the more likely their kids will choose calcium-rich drinks such as milk and shy away from nutrient-void sodas.
In fact, studies on mothers and daughters show that moms’ own food choices may be more influential than any other attempt to control their daughters’ food intake. A mother’s decision to drink milk more frequently and to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains is likely to influence her daughter’s choices.
Cafeterias Improve School Nutrition
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) has released a new study that indicates a positive change in school cafeterias – improvements in the nutritional profile of foods sold.
Over the past two years, there has been a marked emphasis on healthy school environments and increasing availability of nutritious foods, according to School Nutrition Association (SNA)’s School Nutrition Operations Report: The State of School Nutrition 2007. Released last week, the report is an updated version of a similar report issued in May 2005. It was based on a survey of 1,200 school nutrition directors around the US, and benchmarks detailed information impacting school nutrition programs.
The report found that 97 percent of schools offer fat-free or low-fat milk, 96 percent offer fresh fruits and vegetables, 88 percent offer salad bars or pre-packaged salads, and 81 percent offer yogurt and yogurt drinks. In addition, from-scratch baked items are available in 63 percent of schools, and vegetarian meals in 52 percent. The availability of locally grown fruits and vegetables also increased to 32 percent of schools.
Under terms of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, as of July 1, 2006 every school that participates in the school lunch or school breakfast program- the large majority of US schools- was required to have a local wellness policy in place. The policy, designed to address the problem of childhood obesity, requires that schools set nutrition standards for all foods sold in school, including in vending machines, a la carte lines, and school stores. According to SNA, many of the positive changes cited in its latest reports are due in part to the implementation of local wellness policies this past school year.
Jersey Show and Sale Announced
The 55th All American Jersey Show & Sale at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky is scheduled for November 3 to 5, 2007.
More than 700 entries are expected in the open division of The All American Jersey Show. Entry deadline is September 20. Premium lists and entry forms are available online. The open show on November 5 will be judged by Wayne Sliker, St. Paris, Ohio. His consultant will be Brian Garrison, Tiffin, Ohio. The 53rd National Jersey Jug Futurity, offering nearly $10,000 in premiums, will be judged by Alta Mae Core, Salvisa, Ky. Her consultant will be C. Neal Smith, Smyrna, Tenn. The judge for The All American Junior Jersey Show will be Lynn Lee, Smyrna, Tenn. Ryan Lancaster, Ferndale, Wash., will be the consultant.
Two sales, both managed by Jersey Marketing Service of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, will occur that same weekend. The 55th All American Jersey Sale, the premier showcase for Registered Jersey™ genetics in the United States, will offer approximately 75 lots. A total of 32 Registered Jersey™ heifers will be offered to youth between seven and 20 years of age in the 50th Pot O’Gold Sale. Cow’s Match® Jersey Blend is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2007 Pot O’Gold Sales.
Saturday, November 3
8:00 a.m. The 54th All American Junior Jersey Show, Freedom Hall
4:00 p.m. 50th Pot O’Gold Sale, presented by Cow’s Match Jersey Blend, Newmarket Hall
7:00 p.m. All American Junior Banquet, South Wing Conference Center
Sunday, November 4
12:30 p.m. 53rd National Jersey Jug Futurity, Freedom Hall
3:45 p.m. Pre-sale sponsored social
4:30 p.m. All American Jersey Sale, West Hall B
Monday, November 5
8:00 a.m. The 55th All American Jersey Show, Freedom Hall
Indy Cheese Sculpture
Race fans at the Indiana State Fair have been able to enjoy a unique sculpture made out of cheese that commemorates the American Dairy Association of Indiana’s involvement with the Indianapolis 500.
Cheese artist Sarah Kaufmann unveiled her masterpiece entitled “Winners Drink Milk” on Aug. 13. The finished sculpture depicts a race winner drinking milk surrounded by an IndyCar Series car and the sculpture’s title. The piece, complete with milk dripping from the lips of the victor, took 67 hours to create.
The sculpture is made of Indiana cheddar cheese and weighs nearly 1,300 pounds. It took two blocks of cheese weighing 640 pounds each to create the sculpture. The ADA commissioned the sculpture to celebrate the tradition of the Indianapolis 500 winner drinking milk in Victory Circle.
Kaufmann, a Wisconsin native known as “The Cheese Lady,” has sculpted cheese to resemble 1969 Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti and Rahal Letterman Racing co-owner David Letterman.
“Winners Drink Milk” will be on display in the Our Land Pavilion until the end of the Indiana State Fair on Aug. 19. After the State Fair, the cheese sculpture will be processed into feed for Indiana farm animals.
Dairyline Markets in Review
Dairy Markets Week in Review
Cash cheese saw little change this week. Block closed Friday at $1.96 per pound up 2 cents on the week, and 72 cents above a year ago. Barrel closed at $1.89, down a penny, but 64 3/4-cents above a year ago. Four cars of block traded hands on the week and three of barrel. The NASS-U.S. average block price inched up to $1.8891, up 0.4 cent. Barrel averaged $1.8725, down 2.3 cents.
Butter closed at $1.38, down a dime on the week, but 9 1/2-cents above a year ago. Twelve cars were sold. NASS butter averaged $1.4799, down 1.3 cents. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged $2.0497, up 2 cents, but dry whey continues to weaken, averaging 63.33 cents, down 2.2 cents on the week.
Provided courtesy of Dairyline.
Pa. Students to Discover Dairy
Pennsylvania teachers will have a new tool when the 2007 school year begins, a free Web-based lesson series that teaches third and fourth graders about the dairy industry in the Keystone state. Called “Discover Dairy” the five lesson series was funded by the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program and developed in a partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence.
“Discover Dairy… Beyond the Refrigerator” is a series of five online lessons using video, classroom activities, interactive games and formal instruction to showcase dairy farming in Pennsylvania. The Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program are focused on enhancing dairy product demand. The ‘Discover Dairy’ lesson series meets both objectives by showing children the commitment dairy farmers have to producing a quality product, and encouraging them to make good choices – one of which is to include milk and dairy products in their diets.
The five lessons focus on animal health, milk safety, the environment, the economy and dairy nutrition, and each meets Pennsylvania educational standards for third and fourth grades. The lessons include a downloadable four-minute video clip, a formal lesson with prepared overheads and teaching instructions, a hands-on classroom activity that teaches the lesson concepts, a student evaluation worksheet and an interactive Web-based activity to reinforce the lessons.
The video clips were filmed on three Pennsylvania dairy farms to give students a real-life view of dairy farming practices using today’s technology to care for the animals and the environment. The three farms featured in the videos are Moo Echo Farms, which is owned by the Hertzlers in Loysville; Star Rock Dairy, which is owned by the Barleys in Conestoga; and Vista Grande Farm, which is owned by the Bitlers in Fleetwood.