Pa.'s Governor Pleased

News EditorGovernment, Milk, Price

Pennsylvania’s Governor Rendell is pleased with the action of the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board to possibly capture over-order premiums for milk sold out-of-state.

Governor Rendell petitioned the board last year to use its authority to capture over-order premiums in other marketing areas, a move that would boost the profitability of Pennsylvania dairy producers.

The board agreed to consider the part of the Governor’s recommendation that would establish over-order premiums on milk produced and processed in Pennsylvania and sold in states with mandated producer premium. This change, if implemented, will make approximately 6.5 percent more Pennsylvania milk eligible for a premium.

Milk produced, processed and sold within the commonwealth receives a premium above the latest federal order milk price. However, if milk is processed or retailed in another marketing area, producers do not receive that money. Only 15-percent of the fluid milk produced in Pennsylvania is eligible for current premiums. By capturing a larger portion that is available in the marketplace, the state’s producers will increase their income.

Pro-Act Releases Video

News EditorEducation, Industry News, Waste Management

proactmicrobiallogoPro-Act Microbial now has an eight-minute video posted on their website to help dairy producers understand their product and learn more about the benefits of using it on their farms.

The video provides a virtual tour showing how Pro-Act’s system stratifies nutrients, reduces solids and odors, prevents slippery barn floors, provides cleaner flush water, excellent fertilizer and more.

“It’s wonderful for us,” explains Tom Wagner of Wagner Dairy during an interview shown in the video. “The alleys aren’t slippery anymore. Odor is down. Because the nutrients are stratified I can apply top water to fields that already are high in nutrients. Even at the very bottom of the lagoon, I still end up with manure that’s 98% liquid.”

Jersey Association Reminders

News EditorJersey Association

JerseylogoThe American Jersey Cattle Association has sent out a call for applications and a reminder for scholarship applications.

Applications are now being accepted for an Area Representative to serve the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico, in addition to responsibilities as an evaluator for the AJCA Linear Type Traits Appraisal program. This position was announced last Friday. For full consideration, applications should be received no later than June 30.

July 2, 2007 is the postmark deadline to submit applications for scholarships administered by the American Jersey Cattle Association:

Russell–Malnati Scholarship for Advanced Studies ($5,000). Graduate students in program areas specified below, or undergraduate students who have completed at least one-half of coursework credit hours required for a degree in dairy science, animal science (dairy emphasis), large animal veterinary practice, dairy production or manufacturing, or dairy product marketing.

William A. Russell Memorial Scholarship ($1,000). Entering freshman student at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2007.

Cedarcrest Scholarship ($1,000). Undergraduate or graduate student seeking a degree in large animal veterinary practice, dairy production, dairy manufacturing, or dairy product marketing.

V. L. Peterson Scholarship ($950) and Paul Jackson Memorial Scholarship ($400) will be awarded to students who have completed at least one year of college or university work.

Bob Toole Jersey Youth Award ($750). May be applied to college expenses or a well-defined practical experience related to breeding, developing and showing Registered Jerseys™.

Reuben R. Cowles Jersey Youth Award (variable). Residents of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia who are at least high school graduates, but not older than 36 years of age as of January 1. May be used for educational expenses or well-defined practical experience.

Frey Named Center Executive Director

News EditorGovernment, Industry News

johnfreyJohn Frey has a new position with the Center for Dairy Excellence in Pennsylvania. He is now the new Executive Director and is charged with executing the goal’s of the Center, including empowering people, creating partnerships and increasing the availability and use of resources to enhance dairy industry profitability.

Frey brings a broad spectrum of dairy-related experience to the position, having worked both in the production and marketing sides of the business. He was selected by the organization’s board of directors.

“We were very impressed with John’s credentials, as well as his vision for the dairy industry,” said Jim Kennedy, president of the Center’s board of directors. “John is well-placed to carry out the Center’s core mission of working across the dairy industry with producers, allied industry, the Dairy Task Force and the key leadership organizations that work every day to strengthen the interests of Pennsylvania’s agriculture and dairy industries.”

Frey has prior experience in sales, marketing and business management for both Monsanto and Genex/Cooperative Resources International. For the past six and a half years, Frey has worked for Monsanto, most recently as the East Region dairy sales manager. Prior to working for Monsanto, Frey was involved in a family partnership at Fultonway Farms, a high-producing 100-cow dairy operation based in Lancaster County. Frey handled the financial and marketing side of the dairy farm business and helped routinely on the dairy. He has been involved with numerous non-business related boards and organizations. John is a graduate of Messiah College where he received his B.S. degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing. He resides in Lancaster County with his wife Kathy and their two children.

CWT Export Assistance Bids

Chuck ZimmermanDairy Group, Export

Cooperatives Working TogetherHere’s the latest announcement from Cooperatives Working Together:

CWT announced today (Monday) that it accepted six export assistance bids last week for the sale of cheese, butter and anhydrous milkfat.

The first bid was from Dairy Farmers of America for the export of 500 Mt (1.1 million lbs) of anhydrous milkfat to Algeria.

The second bid was from Darigold for the export of 200 Mt (440,000 lbs) of butter to the Netherlands.

The other four bids were from Land O’Lakes for the export of small amounts of retail-packaged dairy products. These include 6.4 Mt (14,080 lbs) of cheese and 0.3 Mt (660 lbs) of butter to China; and 3.5 Mt (7,700 lbs) of cheese, and 0.4 Mt (880 lbs) of butter to South Korea.

These accepted bids increase CWT’s total 2007 export obligations for cheese to 5,279 MT (11.6 million lbs); its YTD export obligations for butter to 5,314 MT (11.7 million lbs); and its YTD anhydrous milkfat exports to 2,180 MT (4.8 million lbs).

Heating With Propane and No Water Tank

Chuck ZimmermanAudio, Equipment

Mike Peacock and Kirk MorrowThis week I’m attending Propane Days going on here in Washington, DC. This annual event is put on by the National Propane Gas Association and sponsored by the Propane Education & Research Council. I ran into an interesting project that PERC is working on with a company called Rinnai. This is a company that makes gas fired appliances and one thing they’re doing that is real interesting is tankless water heaters.

As you’ll hear in my interview with Mike Peacock (left) and Kirk Morrow, they’re working with PERC on a project with some dairies to showcase how their technology can benefit the farm. Essentially they say it allows the dairy to replace boiler systems that can break down causing the dairy to be without hot water until it gets fixed. Their systems don’t have many moving parts and so they last a long time. Additionally they’re working with the dairies on some other applications like floor heating which would help northern dairies in the winter to keep floors from becoming slick and animals from slipping.

In my interview with Mike and Kirk they also provide some explanation of just how this tankless system works. You can listen to my interview with them here: Listen to MP3 Rinnai Interview

Weighing in on Kernel Vitreousness

Chuck ZimmermanAudio, Dairy Business, Feed, Forage Forum, General, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Podcast

Pioneer Hi-Bred Forage Forum Podcast Issues on ruminant starch digestibility (STRD) include vitreousness—harder starch—vs. soft, floury endosperm in commercial corn germplasm. As part of a series of Pioneer Forage Forum segments highlighting STRD research, Dr. Bill Mahanna, Pioneer Global Nutritional Sciences Manager, condenses decades of research on this topic. His review includes recent conclusions, with viewpoints on how to identify real-world findings and make practical decisions, driven by factors ranging from processing of feed to digestion.
Listen To MP3 File Bill Mahanna on vitreousness and STRD (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.

WMMB Election Results

News EditorDairy Checkoff, Industry News

WisMilkMarketingBoardLogoThe Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) has announced the results of the 2007 Board of Directors election.

WMMB board members supervise WMMB policies and procedures and approve WMMB’s long-range business plan and annual budget. Based on this election, the newly elected board members will serve a term from July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2010.

District 3 – Lincoln, Oneida, Price and Taylor counties; Director: Ed Jasurda of Phillips

District 6 – Chippewa and Eau Claire counties; Director: Patricia Boettcher of Bloomer (incumbent)

District 9 – Menominee, Shawano and Waupaca counties; Director: Don Robaidek of Pulaski

District 12 – Portage, Waushara and Wood counties; Director: Ken Heiman of Marshfield (incumbent)

District 15 – Adams, Juneau and Monroe counties; Director: Mary Cook of Wilton (incumbent)

District 18 – Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha counties; Director: James Stemper of Plymouth (incumbent)

District 21 – Crawford and Vernon counties; Director: Judy Wubbenhorst of Westby (incumbent)

District 24 – Dane and Jefferson counties; Director: Mark Christenson of Lake Mills (incumbent)

Alto Dairy Hires New Field Rep

News EditorIndustry News

Alto Dairy Cooperative introduces Brian Briner as their new Field Service Representative.

Briner brings to Alto a 14 year experience in feed sales and working close with farmers. As Alto Dairy’s new field representative, he will be responsible for working with patrons of Alto to improve and increase the quality and profitability of their product. He will play an essential part in growing our patrons’ success and member relations. Briner will be covering farms in the Wisconsin counties of Clark, Jackson, Oconto, Outagamie, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca, and Wood. Briner has a bachelor of science in Animal Science with an option in Science from Purdue University. Briner grew up on a veal farm in Indiana and is a former employee of LFD, Inc, a feed division of Alto Dairy Cooperative.

AgriLabs Introduces Products That Increase Dry Matter Intake

News EditorAnimal Health, Feed, Industry News

AgriLabs has introduced two new products designed to increase dry matter intake.

AgriLabs has introduced Vita Charge® and Vita Charge Appetite Plus, a family of all-natural products proven to quickly increase dry matter intake and improve performance during times of stress. Vita Charge-brand products combine Amaferm® a proprietary Aspergillus oryzae (a type of fungi) fermentation product with vitamins and minerals, and use a unique mode of action to deliver higher yields of energy and protein from feed. Available in six formulations for convenient individual-animal dosing, Vita Charge maintains effectiveness when used in conjunction with antibiotics.

Vita Charge and Vita Charge Appetite Plus are available exclusively from AgriLabs in convenient drench, bolus, gelcap, paste, dispersible-powder and premix-stress-pellet formulations. Typically, Vita Charge provides at least a 5:1 return on investment.