Eberly Family Farms, Waynesboro
GA Beef Producers Overwhelming Approve Continuation of Georgia Beef Commission Check-Off
From the GA Dept. of Agriculture

Georgia beef producers overwhelmingly voted to continue the $1 per head assessment for beef animals through the renewal of the Beef Commission Marketing Order.  The vote to support the Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Beef was approved with an 80.7 percent favorable vote of the ballots returned.

The marketing order was first approved in 2014 and requires an assessment to be collected on all animals sold for beef in Georgia with a value of more than $100.  The marketing order must be voted on every three years for continuation.

Funds from the assessment are used to fund research, education and promotion projects for Georgia cattle producers. In the three years since the assessment began, over $1 million has been committed to research projects with the University of Georgia and in-state education and promotion efforts focusing on nutritional qualities of beef.
UGA Insect Alert! 

Bermudagrass stem maggot pressure is increasing in S. GA and reports of damaging levels of sugarcane aphids in central GA. 

Be Aware of Drug Testing Changes
By Gabe Middleton, Dairy Herd Management

Preventing drug residues in milk continues to be a key area that dairy producers should focus on, but starting on July 1, 2017, that prevention will develop another layer. The tetracycline screening pilot program will begin, and no less than 1 out of 15 tanker loads of milk will be tested for oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, and tetracycline. The tolerance level for the drug will be 300 ppb.

This testing pilot program represents an opportunity for dairy producers to re-evaluate how the tetracycline class of drugs is used on the farm. Read more

The Trump administration is continuing an Obama-era program allowing so-called " dreamers," young people whose parents brought them to the United States illegally, to stay and work here, handing a big victory to immigration activists who have been battling with the new president on immigrant travel and refugee matters.

The decision, a one-line mention at the bottom of a memo the Department of Homeland Security released Thursday night, is also a reversal of a campaign promise of Donald Trump, who pledged as a candidate to "immediately terminate" protections offered by program.

The memo details the administration's decision to abandon the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents, or DAPA, program, which protected the parents of legal residents and U.S. citizens from deportation. That program has never been in full effect, as it was enjoined by the courts, and the Homeland Security's decision merely formalizes what has been ongoing policy. At the end of the memo, however, the administration offered a notice that may be less-palatable to Trump's political base: "The June 15, 2012 memorandum that created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will remain in effect."    Read more 

The Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg today announced purely plant-based products cannot, in principle, be marketed with designations such as 'milk', 'cream', 'butter', 'cheese' or 'yogurt', which are reserved by EU law for animal products.   Read more 

This is a golden age of beverage innovatio n in America, according to market research firm Packaged Facts. This is thanks to a desire for more healthful products with cleaner labels; the emergence of new ingredients, production processes and technologies; and the coming of age of millennials as the dominant consumer demographic, a group that is adventurous when it comes to trying new things.

After decades of being a rather staid business dominated by only a few major, national brands that were slow to innovate, this confluence of modern trends has unplugged the innovation pipeline for the beverage industry. This includes fluid milk processors, especially those with a strong local consumer base. Read more 
A few months ago we had the opportunity to host our congressman, Representative Jody Hice, at our dairy farm. He had great questions about our operation and asked what concerns we had that he might assist us with. We replied that finding quality labor and accessing affordable health care were at the top of our list.   Read more 
New Research on Antibiotics in Waste Milk

Feeding waste milk is a common practice on many U.S. dairy farms and calf facilities. In fact, the USDA estimates that more than half of all dairies feed whole milk (either waste milk or salable milk), representing more than 70% of the heifer calves raised in the U.S.

Often the reason "waste" milk is designated as such is because it contains antibiotics from treated cows that have not yet met their drug withdrawal period. Dr. Jim Quigley, technical and research manager for Provimi North America, Brookville, Ohio, says the question of antibiotic resistance developing as a result of feeding waste milk is raised often. "As knowledge and awareness of antibiotic resistance has grown, so, too have questions about the practice that might contribute to it in food-animal production," said Quigley.

In a recent issue of  Calf Notes.com, Quigley summarized a study at the University of Barcelona that recently was published in the Journal of Dairy Science. A team of animal science researchers there evaluated preweaned calves on 8 farms - 4 that fed waste milk, and 4 that fed milk replacer. 
Agreement Creates Increased Access to Chinese Market for US Dairy Exporters

The United States and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday 15th June (yesterday) that will increase access to China for more than 200 US dairy exporters in the short-term and paves the way for additional US entrants in the future. The action creates new, sizeable opportunities for dairy farmers and processors, and the milk, cheese, infant formula and ingredients they produce.

After more than two years of extensive effort by the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC), in close cooperation with the National Milk Producers Federation's policy staff, the US and Chinese governments have reached an accord on dairy trade assurances that will allow more exports from the United States. The dairy organizations worked closely with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China (CNCA) to implement a workable registration process allowing for trade to continue and even expand in the future.    Read more    
Does your restaurant get 5 stars for animal welfare?
By  Zlati Meyer , USA TODAY

For diners who want to know what kind of life the animals on their dinner plates had, there's a new source of insight.

An independent program that certifies restaurants, cafeterias and some packaged-goods companies as meeting certain health and nutrition standards now include certification for animal welfare.

The new service is being provided by Eat REAL, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit that says it is devoted to improving the healthfulness of restaurant fare and the humane treatment of farm animals. It began partnering with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, last month to run the program.

The group's grading is the latest example of how nutrition and the conditions of animals are seen as being important enough to restaurants and their customers that they are reaching past government agencies for assurance.     Read more    
USDA Seeks Nominees to the National Dairy Board
From USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. Nominations must be submitted by July 10, 2017.

The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint 12 dairy producers and one importer to serve 3-year terms beginning Nov. 1, 2017, and ending Oct. 31, 2020. The selected representatives will replace board members whose terms expire Oct. 31, 2017.

Nominations will be accepted from the following regions: Region 1 (Alaska, Oregon, and Washington), Region 3 (Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming), Region 4 (Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas), Region 5 (Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota), Region 6 (Wisconsin), Region 7 (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska), Region 8 (Idaho), Region 9 (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia), Region 10 (Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia), and Region 12 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont).  The Secretary will appoint two members for Region 4 and Region 6, and one for each of the remaining regions and the dairy importer position.

USDA established the 37-member Board under the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983. Since 1966, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards that are industry-funded and empower agricultural industries with a framework to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.  

Yesterday, a federal court in Wisconsin granted Eli Lilly and Company and Elanco US Inc.'s motion for a nationwide preliminary injunction against international dairy conglomerate Arla Foods and its "Live Unprocessed" ad campaign, which makes false and misleading claims about recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST), a proven and safe dairy technology approved by the FDA in 1993.

Chief Judge William Griesbach of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin granted the preliminary injunction prohibiting Arla from continuing to run the recent television and social media ads against rbST, a supplement marketed and sold by Elanco under the brand name PosilacĀ®. As part of the campaign, launched across the U.S. in late April, the company animated a child's interpretation of rbST as a six-eyed monster with "razor-sharp horns" and electrified fur.   Read more  

The Cornell Dairy Executive Program is now accepting applications for its latest class, to begin in December 2017.  This unique educational opportunity, organized by the PRO-DAIRY Program at Cornell University, is a professional educational program in leadership and management principles for progressive dairy executives and agriservice personnel, focused on increasing their ability to run a successful dairy business and enhancing their understanding of the fast-changing dairy industry.  By coming to this program, participants will continue to develop the necessary leadership and business management skills to lead their dairy business into the future. 
 
Timely topics in dairy business management are presented by a team of national experts from within and outside of the field of agriculture through three multi-day sessions over a 12-month period.  Participants attending the program can expect to develop 1- and 5-year strategic business plans through a comprehensive self-evaluation of their business, while building a network of dairy executives and business relationships.  All sessions take place at The Statler Hotel on the Cornell University campus, where a typical day includes presentations, individual study, small group discussions and roundtable discussions with faculty.
 
Detailed information, including an application, can be found online at http://prodairy.cals.cornell.edu/dairyexec/ or by contacting Heather Darrow, Conference Coordinator at (607) 255-4478 or hh96@cornell.edu.  Class size is limited to 30 participants - register TODAY! Registration deadline is October 15.   
Mark Your Calendars:
 
July 9-13: SE Dairy Youth Retreat, Bradenton, Florida
GA Dairy Classifieds


FOR SALE: Kuhn 1014 Manure Spreader for $9,000 - Contact Randall Ruff, Elbert County, at 706-498-4344

FOR SALE: 
20 Calftel Calf Hutches for $200 each - Contact Randall Ruff, Elbert County, at 706-498-4344

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

For 2016, Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. has once AGAIN been named an All Star Award winner by 
Constant Contact, Inc.
, 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.