Dairy Industry Ready to Remind Us Just How Much We Love It

Got milk? Got ice cream? Got grilled cheese? Got nachos?
No, that's not the tagline for the dairy industry, though it is the basic premise of a major new campaign. Dairy companies and organizations are gearing up for their first-ever industrywide push to promote a love of all things dairy.

The "Undeniably Dairy" effort kicks off with a digital campaign May 15 before heating up in June to coincide with the 80th annual National Dairy Month. TV commercials will run in June.

Instead of focusing on a single category, as those famous "Got Milk?" ads did for years, this new push covers all dairy products, including milk, cheese, yogurt, and whey. It also showcases farming, as people want to know more about where their food comes from.    Read more 
Perdue: U.S. Agriculture in 'Dire Straits,' But Trade Can Help
By Andrew Soergel, USA Today

The U.S. farming community is in "dire straits" that could be alleviated by a stronger international trade presence, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told Capitol Hill lawmakers on Wednesday during a hearing focused on the current state of the country's rural economy.

Speaking before members of the House Agriculture Committee, Perdue warned he sees "some challenges ahead" as President Donald Trump - per the initial budgetary wish list he released in Marc h - angles to cut the USDA's budget by 21 percent, or $4.7 billion.

"Our budget situations are challenging," Perdue said Wednesday morning. "We've got to sell our way out of this supply-demand situation that is depressing prices in the U.S. now." Read More
Ranger Nick: Happy Cows Means More Milk
From GA Farm Monitor

Ranger Nick visits Hillcrest Farm, a family dairy in Dearing, Georgia. They have a system for raising their cows that focuses on cow comfort first, and results in more milk production from those happy cows.

Ranger Nick visits Hillcrest Farm, a family dairy in Dearing, Georgia. They have a system for raising their cows that focuses on cow comfort first, and results in more milk production from those happy cows.
All Eyes photo gallery: Hillsborough County's last dairy farm moves on (to GA)

The 160 cows were milked and corralled into four 18-wheelers before the morning light struck the fifth-generation Florida dairy farm. As it traveled north on Interstate 75 - passing one-time farmland that had long ago given way to houses, offices shopping malls - the bovine caravan marked the departure of the last operating dairy in Hillsborough County.

"I really wanted to make it work," said the dairy owner Samuel "Sammy" Busciglio. "They offered them so much money they couldn't afford not to sell it."     Read more 

From exports and fluid milk sales to income margins, dairy farmers received some good news as 2017 moved in May.

The first bit of good news came from the grocery store milk case, where  March 2017 fluid milk sales were up slightly compared to the same month a year earlier.

March 2017 total U.S. packaged fluid milk sales were estimated 4.23 billion pounds, up 0.5 percent from March 2016.

U.S. sales of conventional products totaled 4 billion pounds, up 0.1 percent from the previous year, while sales of organic products, at 231 million pounds, were up 8 percent. Organic represented nearly 5.5 percent of total sales for the month.

In the conventional milk aisle, whole and flavored whole milk sales were up 4.9 percent and 7.3 percent compared to the previous year, respectively. Sales of organic whole milk were up 17.4 percent compared to a year earlier.     Read more 
Trump reassures farmers immigration crackdown not aimed at their workers

President Donald Trump said he would seek to keep his tough immigration enforcement policies from harming the U.S. farm industry and its largely immigrant workforce, according to farmers and officials who met with him.

At a roundtable on farm labor at the White House last month, Trump said he did not want to create labor problems for farmers and would look into improving a program that brings in temporary agricultural workers on legal visas.

"He assured us we would have plenty of access to workers," said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, one of 14 participants at the April 25 meeting with Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.

During the roundtable conversation about agriculture, farmers and representatives of the sector brought up labor and immigration, the details of which have not been previously reported. Some farmers told Trump they often cannot find Americans willing to do the difficult farm jobs, according to interviews with nine of the 14 participants.     Read more 

Dairymen and women appreciate a salesperson that respects their time and needs.

There are some salespeople who call on our farm that I don't mind seeing. Then there are those that I avoid. Which one do you want to be?

As dairy farmers, we depend on our suppliers, vendors, and dairy support industries to help keep our farm operating as smoothly as possible. I know that I need to use the most innovative, cost saving, and magical product that you have discovered, but is it right for me?

Let me give you some tips to get me to listen to your sales pitch and possibly buy the "Bypass to the Udder Magic Unicorn Horn Supplement" or whatever it is your company sells."    Read more
From Reuters

Women in their early 40s with the highest intake of vitamin D and calcium from food sources may have a lower than average risk of starting menopause before age 45, a recent study suggests.

Taking vitamin D or calcium in supplement form had no benefit in the large study of U.S. nurses, the study team writes in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and there may be other substances in dairy foods that also contribute to their apparent protective effect.

"Early menopause can have substantial health impacts for women. It increases their risk of cardiovascular disease and early cognitive decline and osteoporosis," lead author Alexandra Purdue-Smithe told Reuters Health.

In addition, as women are delaying having kids into their later reproductive years, having early menopause can have a substantial impact on their ability to conceive as they wish, which can have psychological and financial consequences, said Purdue-Smithe, an epidemiologist with the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Read more
Why Are Americans Drinking Less Cow's Milk? Its Appeal Has Curdled

Pass the cheese, please.

When's the last time you had a glass of cow's milk?

Americans are drinking a lot less milk than they used to. According to the  U. S. Department of Agriculture, the average person drinks 18 gallons a year. Back in the 1970s it was more like 30 gallons a year. We once hoisted a glass with dinner, soaked our breakfast cereal or dipped into the occasional milkshake. This habitual milk drinking was no accident.    Read more   
Gov. Deal Signs Livestock Liability Bill Into Law
From GA Farm Bureau

"This bill was several years in the making," said Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long. "It provides important protection for our livestock owners in situations where visitors to their farms have interaction with animals. We're pleased we were finally able to get this bill passed."
 
Georgia Farm Bureau supported the bill, HB 50, which was sponsored by Rep. Clay Pirkle (R-Ashburn). It was passed in the Georgia House by a 170-3 vote on Feb. 1 and a 50-0 vote in the Senate on March 16. The bill goes into effect on July 1.
 
Henry County Farm Bureau President Ross McQueen participated in the signing ceremony in Deal's office at the state capitol. According to GFB Public Policy Director Jeffrey Harvey, the bill is meant to encourage on-farm participation and promote agriculture education, especially among 4-H and FFA students.
 
Under the law, sponsors of livestock activities are shielded from civil liability as long as they have taken certain measures to protect participants from harm. Livestock activity for cattle, swine, sheep and goats is defined in the bill as any activity in which participants are involved in grazing, herding, feeding, branding, boarding, milking, inspecting, or evaluating livestock. Ultimately, the bill provides similar liability protections for livestock as currently provided for llamas and equines.
 
Registration is Now Open for the 2017 SE Dairy Youth Retreat

The 2017 Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat will be hosted in Bradenton, FL on July 9-13. This annual event is a tremendous opportunity for youth ages 8 to 18! Join the Georgia GDYF delegation for a week-long retreat learning about the dairy industry and meeting students from across the southeast. Registration deadline is May 26!  

Stories - What's the Beef Between 'Organic' and 'Conventional'

So where does the bad blood between organic and conventional farming come from? Why can't everyone just get along? White Oak Pastures Will Harris shares his point of view on the back and forth.
 
GA Commodity Commission For Milk 
Taking Board Nominations
From GA Farm Bureau

The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commissions for apples, blueberries, corn, cotton, equine, milk, peaches, pecan, soybean, tobacco and vegetables will accept nominations to fill several positions for the respective boards. To be nominated, eligible individuals must be an active Georgia producer of the commodity.

Nominations may be made by filling out a Nominee Information Form found  here and sending it to:  Georgia Department of Agriculture, 19 MLK Jr. Drive S.W.,  Room 320, Atlanta, GA 30334.

The form may also be faxed to 404-656-9380, or emailed to  [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is May 26.

The nominees will be certified to ensure they are active Georgia producers of the respective commodities, and geographic representation may be considered when making appointments. Appointments will be made by the Agriculture Commodity Commission Ex Officio Committee in July. Producers with questions may contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture at 404-585-1405.

Agricultural commodity commissions are farmer-funded self-help programs to enhance research, promotion and education. They are authorized by Georgia law under the Commodity Promotions Act.
2017 Precision Dairy Conference

The 2017 Precision Dairy Conference will be held in Lexington, Kentucky from May 30-June 1, 2017. The program will include dairy producer showcase sessions, many industry updates, and talks about how research impacts dairy management. The trade show will be an opportunity to see first-hand what companies have to offer in the growing field of precision technologies and equipment. This event is designed for dairy producers and practical applications rather than focusing on only presentations of research data. In one place, you will be able to virtually visit various farms and see how the University of Kentucky manages multiple technologies.  For more information visit their webpage here
Mark Your Calendars:
 
May 25: GMP Board Meeting, Macon
May 30-June 1: Precision Dairy Conference, Lexington, KY
June 3: State 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Competition, Athens
June 3: Putnam Co Dairy Festival, Eatonton
June 15: UGA Corn Silage Field Day, Tifton 
July 9-13: SE Dairy Youth Retreat, Bradenton, Florida
Upcoming Dairy Stockyard Sales
Athens Stockyard -  ATHENS, TN
723 County Road 255,  P.O. Box 67  Athens, TN. 37371
 
I-75 NORTH  50 miles North of Chattanooga, TN   Exit 52
 
Graded Holstein Steer Sales Thurs @ 7:00 p.m. on  June 15th,   July 13th, and  August 10th
Cattle may be brought the night before and put on hay/water at no charge.   Check our website for a list of all our sales  www.athensstockyard.com
 
For more info contact:  Dean Williams (865) 556-5590 or  Office: (423) 745-3582
Job Opening at State Corrections Dairy Farm

 Farm and Livestock Specialist position available at the Reidsville State Corrections Dairy Unit. This position will support Rogers Farm Operations - Dairy Unit in a supervisory capacity
GA Dairy Classifieds

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  [email protected]     
GA Milk Producers|706.310.0020 |  [email protected] | 
www.gamilk.org

For 2016, Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. has once AGAIN been named an All Star Award winner by 
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, the trusted marketing adviser to hundreds of thousands of small organizations worldwide. The annual award recognizes the most successful 10% of Constant Contact's customer base, based on their significant achievements leveraging online marketing tools to engage their customer base and drive results for their organization.