Dawn at Waldroup Dairy, LaGrange
IT'S FAIR TIME! GA NATIONAL FAIR IS UNDERWAY!

The Georgia National Fair, which runs  Oct. 5-15 , features many exciting livestock competitions and educational agriculture exhibits.  The Georgia Junior National Commercial Dairy Heifer Show will begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday, October 8.  

Volunteers are still needed to help promote Georgia's dairy industry at the Dairy Exhibit at the fair. Please contact the SUDIA office at (800) 343-4693 if you or someone from your farm would like to spend a day handing out milk to fairgoers and sharing the dairy story!

The 2017 concert lineup at Reaves Arena features Brothers Osborne and Granger Smith on Oct. 7 and Trace Adkins and Chris Janson on Oct. 14. Tickets for headline concerts at Reaves Arena are $40 each and include admission to the fair. Advance tickets for the fair are $9 per person per day. Two-day passes are $16 and season passes are $65. Children under 10 will be admitted free with paid adult admission. For more information visit  http://georgianationalfair.com/ . 
Congratulations! SUDIA receives All-Star Award at 2017 Healthy Georgia Awards

ATLANTA, Georgia - Healthy Kids Georgia, the Georgia SHAPE program and the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) recognized the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, Inc. (SUDIA) with the prestigious All-Star Award during the 2017 Healthy Georgia Awards. The presentation and ceremony took place on Oct. 3 at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta. SUDIA was among nine Georgia organizations recognized for their successful efforts in childhood health and wellness.

The Healthy Georgia Awards are given annually by the State of Georgia to non-profits, municipalities and school districts performing extraordinary work to promote and execute youth health and wellness in the state. The All-Star Award recognized SUDIA as an organization "working at the forefront of Georgia's health and wellness movement" and was presented by Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Georgia DPH Commissioner and Director of Health Protection J. Patrick O'Neal, M.D.   Read more
Elanco puts its rBST business up for sale

Late last week, Elanco Animal Health announced that it is exploring "strategic options for rbST, including seeking a buyer for the molecule and its Augusta, Ga., manufacturing facility."

In its statement, Elanco says "the decision will allow the company to bring new products that help farmers protect animal health, enhance animal care and improve profitability."  Read More 
Ben & Jerry's agrees to Milk with Dignity campaign
By  Dan D'Ambrosio, Free Press Staff Writer

After at least two years of discussions and several protests, leadership of the Ben and Jerry's company and advocates for migrant dairy workers said they are on the same page.

The CEO of Ben & Jerry's signed on to the Milk with Dignity program Tuesday afternoon in front of the scoop shop on Burlington's Church Street, two years after dairy workers say the company agreed to participate in the program advocating for their rights,

"This is a program that gives the workers a seat at the table, that provides dignity and a real voice," CEO Jostein Solheim said.

The program was created by Migrant Justice, a Burlington nonprofit advocating for migrant farm workers. Participation will give farmers a "committed team" to solve any issues or problems, Solheim said. Ben & Jerry's will also provide a financial incentive for farmers to participate in the Milk with Dignity program. Solheim declined to specify how much the premium would be, saying it was confidential.   Read More  
AG Water Metering
From GA Agribusiness Council

Georgia's Ag irrigation metering program continued its march forward starting Oct. 1.  Marjie Dickey  serves as the Agriculture Water Project Manager for Georgia EPD and recently announced next steps in the metering program, which keys on  additional meters being scheduled for installation.   Under her direction, the  Georgia Rural Water Association  will manage contracts for the installation of up to 900 new McCrometer meters by March 31, 2018. In addition, work with Albany State University will continue as they provide site assessments and mapping of the new meter installation locations. The new project area will include more than 13 counties in southwest Georgia. Information from Georgia EPD will be mailed soon to the farms that are being reviewed for meter installation.  Advancing this initiative is important for data collection on water use and showcasing the real use of irrigation on our farmland.  The data is also important for future inquiries that may play a role in lawsuits filed by Florida, Alabama, and environmental activist groups that have historically misrepresented the amount of water that has been used on Georgia's irrigated acres.    
EPA WOTUS WEBINAR SET FOR OCT 17

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (the agencies) will hold ten teleconferences to hear from stakeholders their recommendations to revise the definition of "Waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Ag Stakeholder teleconference is scheduled for Oct. 17.    For more information on the webinar click here.  To register for the webinar, click here.
By Dave Natzke, Progressive Dairyman

We're into the fourth quarter of 2017. Looking back to late summer, August might have provided the high point for prices and margins.

August milk prices rise
August 2017's U.S. average milk price of $18 per hundredweight (cwt) was up 70 cents from July and up 80 cents compared to August 2016, according to the USDA's monthly  Ag Prices report. The January-August 2017 average of $17.56 per cwt is $1.96 more than the same period a year earlier.
Among individual major states (Table 1), Minnesota (up $1.20), Oregon, South Dakota and Wisconsin (all up $1.10) and Kansas (up $1) saw the largest increases compared to July.
Compared to a year earlier, August 2017 milk prices were up $2.30 in Florida and $2 in Pennsylvania, and $1.30 or more per cwt in Arizona, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.    Read more   
By  John Newton, AFBF via Hoards.com



3. A lack of a futures contract for beverage milk.

The lack of viable risk management tools for fluid milk puts those working in the beverage market at a significant disadvantage over those working in the product markets - cheese, butter, and powder. And, if as dairy farmers, the idea is to try to get the highest value for their milk, it's probably a good idea to make it that much easier - and less risky - for milk handlers to be in the fluid milk business.    Read more   
The Grocery Industry Confronts a New Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking

The supermarket and grocery business is likely to suffer strong headwinds in the future, due to long-term shifts in consumer behavior. Although many people don't realize it yet, grocery shopping and cooking are in a long-term decline. They are shifting from a mass category, based on a daily activity, to a niche activity that a few people do only some of the time.

I've spent two decades consulting extensively for consumer packaged goods companies. Early in my career I gathered some data for a client on cooking. This research found that consumers fell into one of three groups: (1) people who love to cook, and cook often, (2) people who hate to cook, and avoid that activity by heating up convenience food or outsourcing their meals (by ordering out or dining in restaurants), and, finally, (3) people who like to cook sometimes, and do a mix of cooking and outsourcing, depending on the situation. At the time, the sizes of the three respective groups were about 15% who love to cook, 50% who hate to cook, and 35% who are so-so on the idea.

Nearly 15 years later I did a similar study for a different client. This time, the numbers had shifted: Only 10% of consumers now love to cook, while 45% hate it and 45% are lukewarm about it. That means that the percentage of Americans who really love to cook has dropped by about one-third in a fairly short period of time.    Read more
U.S. Treasury Withdrawing Proposed Estate Tax Regulations
By Sara Brown, Drovers.com

The U.S. Department of Treasury issued a report late Wednesday to comply with  Executive Order 13789 from President Donald Trump, detailing eight tax regulation changes.

Most notable for farmers and ranchers is the withdrawal of the proposed regulations under ยง2704, which would have put more restrictions on estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. In addition, the Treasury announced that the  IRS would be reviewing all IRS regulations, in coordination with the Treasury Regulatory Reform Task Force.

Comments submitted after the proposed regulations were issued noted the requirements were unclear and that their effect on current case law was uncertain.

Still, there are many unanswered questions remaining concerning farm taxes, says Patricia Wolff, American Farm Bureau Federation's tax expert.       Read More  
October 2017 Dixie Dairy Report  

 

This issue includes a report on milk production, blend prices, price projections for 2018 and comparison of plant beverage sales vs. cow's milk sales.
5th Annual SQMI  Meeting will be November 8-9 in TN

The 5th Annual Southeast Quality Milk Initiative (SQMI) Meeting will be hosted by the University of Tennessee and held at the Inn at Opryland, Nashville, on November 8-9, 2017. SQMI is a USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative funded grant designed to enable dairy farmers to move profitably toward production practices compatible with the concept of a sustainable dairy industry in the Southeast. This program is being developed by milk quality professionals from six Southeast Land-Grant Universities and targets challenged dairy farms and those operations producing superior quality milk as demonstration herds. To accomplish this, we have integrated outreach, education, and research initiatives to improve milk quality and contribute to lower costs and greater revenues on-farm.  
Registration is now open for the 2017 AG Labor Relations Forum

 
The latest updates for growers, shippers, processors and other agricultural professionals regarding labor relations matters. Hear advice from industry experts to help you comply with new labor laws.  Click here for more information
GA Dairy Classifieds

For Sale:  Jersey cows, heifers and calves for sale.  Registered with AJCA, all ages! Contact Matt Holton at 770-718-8271, call or text.  Dawsonville, GA.

HELP WANTED:   Farm and Livestock Supervisor for the Georgia Corrections Industries Dairy
located at the Rogers Farm Operations, Reidsville, Ga. Overview of duties include but not
limited to managing a farm and livestock operation. Supervise staff and inmates. Perform
administrative duties and oversees land, equipment and vehicles. For a more complete detail
of the job and how to apply please go to gdcjobs.com., Georgia Corrections Industries.

FOR SALE:  
TRIOLIET  SOLOMIX 2 1600 ZKT
  • TANDEM AXLE
  • DIGI STAR 3600V SCALE
  • RIGHT-LEFT-REAR DOORS
  • NEW HARD FACING ON AUGERS
  • NEW KNIVES
For information contact Jim Reid at 
229-924-2474 
or email at jim@reidbros.com

FOR SALE:  
Coastal Hay for sale.  $50 for 4 x 5 round bales or $6 a square bale.  Contact Ryan Keith in Waynesboro at 803-627-0762.

WANTED:  Looking to purchase 300 to 500 lb Holstein heifers. Please call Ray Ward  at 

FOR HIRE:  Custom Silage Harvesting.  Late model JD chopper. Will travel. Let me put your quality forage up! Nic Haynes, Muddy H Farms, 678-617-3379.

FOR SALE: 
We have a continuous selection of fresh and springing heifers.
 
Call William at  (706) 768-2857 or visit our website at 
 

Bullcalves Wanted : Looking for Bullcalves to purchase - Barron Tench 864-844-2295 or  barron.tench@gmail.com     
GA Milk Producers|706.310.0020 |  gamilkproducers@gmail.com | 
www.gamilk.org