At the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY they have the Championship Tractor Pull and even here you’ll find “dairy.”
This time as in “Dairy Deere” one of the competition tractors that was on display here today.
You can find a listing of all the drivers who are competing here this week on the NFMS website.
I’m attending the National Farm Machinery Show and doing most of my posting onto AgWired. I was surprised to learn how many dairy farmers visit here in Louisville, KY. This afternoon I visited the WestphaliaSurge booth and talked with Jerry Quellhorst. They’ve got a large exhibit here and he says he spoke with dairymen from states all over the country today. He said about half their crew is here and the other half is out in Tulare, CA at the World Ag Expo which is taking place at the same time.
Jerry says they’ve got equipment on display here that’s so new it’s not even available yet. For example, they have some new automatic detachers which you can see demonstrated.
Listen to my interview with Jerry here: 
Jerry Quellhorst Interview (7 min mp3)
If you haven’t visted Denise Rich’s blog lately (or ever) check it out! She does amazing work, and recently announced a special commission, can’t wait to see it Denise!
I am pleased to announce a special commission by the California Milk Advisory Board. I will be painting the Famous Happy Cows from the Real California Cheese ® campaign. These special paintings will be available early 2007.
The state of Wisconsin is putting the call out for active dairy producers to serve on the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s (WMMB) Board of Directors. Nominees should be interested in serving the state’s dairy industry and directing its future.
WMMB Directors guide the organization’s financial affairs, affirm its mission, develop and set WMMB policies, and serve on one of two standing committees — Cheese Business or Communications and Local Promotions. Directors spend an average of 200 hours per year on WMMB activities. Each year, one-third of the 25-member WMMB Board of Directors is elected to three-year terms. To qualify, a nominee must be an active dairy producer who sells milk into commercial channels and lives in the district where nominated. Each potential candidate also must acquire five signatures from active dairy producers within the district, complete the nomination form and have the “Affidavit of Eligibility” certification requirement notarized. Nominations must be postmarked by March 17, 2007. This spring, the following eight districts will hold director elections:
District 3 Lincoln, Oneida, Price and Taylor counties
District 6 Chippewa and Eau Claire counties
District 9 Menominee, Shawano and Waupaca counties
District 12 Portage, Waushara and Wood counties
District 15 Adams, Juneau and Monroe counties
District 18 Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha counties
District 21 Crawford and Vernon counties
District 24 Dane and Jefferson counties
The second day of World Ag Expo is winding down, and news from the first day is hitting their website. The big headliner was former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, visiting the opening day.
“There is a tremendous amount of innovation here at World Ag Expo,” said Giuliani. “The American farmer is concerned about water, labor and the ability to produce, but also about the environment. The innovation here is a real eye-opener. I’m not an exper on ag policy, but I’m going to learn. I thank you for your contribution to our country.”
Another story about yogurt! I haven’t heard of FAGE USA, but according to their website, they can be found in 20,000 retail outlets in 18 countries throughout the world.
Greek dairy company FAGE USA will build its first and only yogurt plant in Johnstown, N.Y. The $70 million plant will utilize 31 million gallons of milk a year and create about 60 new jobs. Officials said they plan to have the plant up and running by the end of the year for a trial run. It will then be fully operational by 2008.
We don’t always hear a lot about yogurt, but today news came from Dannon that they expect to double their yogurt sales in the next five years.
Dannon director Juan Carlos Dalto explained to the business media that, in order to reach the target, his company plans on doubling the manufacture of yogurt by 2010-2011 by firstly expanding its existing factories in Minster, Ohio and West Jordan, Utah. Dannon also hopes to increase sales of its probiotic product DanActive (known as Actimel in Europe) and has recently launched a reduced-sugar version of the hugely popular Activia yoghurt.
Here’s at true love story for all of you romantics out there, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Tomorrow, Byron Hamilton, a dairy farmer in Maine, will receive a kidney from his wife. The surgery takes place tomorrow – now that’s love!
Most people give flowers or candy on Valentine’s Day. Pearl Hamilton is giving her husband a kidney. Byron Hamilton is a 57-year-old dairy farmer who has battled kidney disease for years. In September, doctors told him he’d either need a transplant or dialysis. His wife didn’t think twice about being the donor. She’s says all that matters is making sure her husband is well.
Post Update: According to Brian Hamilton who left a comment on this post, “Byron and Pearl Hamilton are from Western NY, not Maine.”
Congratulations to Holstein Association Junior member Clayton Wood from Littlestown, Pa.! The Association recently announced Clayton as the 2006 Overall Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Award.
Wood is the 20-year-old son of Steve and Chrissy Wood of Littlestown, Pa. He was awarded the Collinsworth Award at the Premier National Junior Holstein Show at the All-American Dairy Show, Harrisburg, Pa., September 18, 2006. Wood has received many awards, including being named a 2004 Young Distinguished Junior Member Finalist and being the only national member to place in the top three of the prepared public speaking contest in all three age divisions. Currently a sophomore at Cornell University majoring in animal science, Wood has definite plans to stay involved with the dairy industry and Registered Holsteins.
Each winner was selected based on sportsmanship, herdsmanship and level of participation in Holstein activities and awarded $100. The seven winners were invited to apply for the Overall Judi Collinsworth Outstanding Junior Exhibitor Award, a $500 scholarship. The semi-finalists included: Linda Behling, Fox Lake, Wis.; Craig Blough, Goshen, Ind.; Brian Coyne, Spring Valley, Wis.; and Maureen Lee, Johnson Creek, Wis.
This story only has positive points to make about dairy consumption, encouraging everyone, children included, to get three servings of dairy a day!
In the life of a human bone, it’s all downhill after 30. That’s the typical cut-off point for bone-building, so experts say it’s crucial that younger people take in enough calcium and another nutrient, vitamin D, to maximize the skeleton’s potential. After age 30, those same two nutrients are key to slowing the gradual bone loss that comes with age. Calcium isn’t just important to bones, though.
“It’s also important to help prevent colon cancer and for good muscle contraction, including heart muscle,” said Katharine Tallmadge, a Washington, D.C., dietitian and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “It might even be important for lowering blood pressure and helping to burn off fat.” In fact, calcium is so important to so many aspects of health that “if we don’t get enough in our diet, our body pulls it from the bones,” Tallmadge said. “It’s a critical mineral.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommended daily allowance of calcium amounts to about 1,000 milligrams a day for adults ages 19 to 50 years of age and 1,200 milligrams a day for adults over 50. While many people turn to supplements for their calcium, Tallmadge said food is always a better bet.
“I encourage people to get three high-dairy foods per day, each containing about a third of the daily requirement” she said. “That could be a cup of milk, fortified soy milk, fortified orange juice, a cup of yogurt, one-and-a-half ounces of hard cheese.” Lactose-intolerant individuals should still be able to consume skim or lactate-free varieties of milk, or they can turn to fortified non-dairy products. There are also calcium-laden food sources besides dairy products — such as grains and vegetables — but it’s tougher for the body to get enough of the nutrient from these foods, Tallmadge said.
