Georgia Hosts 2018 SE Dairy Youth Retreat in Central GA

Over 110 students, industry volunteers and chaperones attended the 2018 Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat this week in central Georgia.   This annual event is a tremendous opportunity for youth ages 8 to 18 to learn about the diverse Southeast dairy industry. This year it was hosted by the UGA Dairy Science Department. 

On the first day of the retreat, youth participants from five southeastern states interacted with professionals from UGA, GA Milk Producers and GA's Mobile Dairy Classroom during several hands-on learning activities at the GA FFA-FCCLA Center in Covington. On Tuesday, they took a behind-the-scenes tour at ZooAtlanta and enjoyed an evening of bowling.  On the last day, participants visited  Godfrey Dairy, WDairy and Rockhouse Creamery and finished the day with a sponsored meal from the Morgan County Cattlemen's Association and a fun-filled relay event ran by the GA Dairy Youth Foundation Junior Board.  Many thanks to the GA dairy farm families, industry volunteers and UGA Extension for investing in our future generation of Ag leaders!! Pictures of this event can be found on their Facebook page here (more will be posted this weekend).


House Leadership has announced they are committed to bring a combination AG Act/ Legal Workforce Act to the House Floor for a vote this month.
 
It is absolutely critical that farmers contact their House representatives immediately to urge them to support legislation to provide a guest-worker program for the dairy industry.

You can find your legislators' contact information here:  https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
 
Wisconsin Leads in 2018 Dairy MPP Payments
By Jim Dickrell, AgWeb

Wisconsin, with the highest number of dairy farms and herd sizes that best fit the dairy  Margin Protection Program (MPP), leads the country in the amount of MPP payments it has received in 2018.

Wisconsin farmers received $36,794,124 to date, according to USDA's Farm Service Agency which posted a  list of state-by-state payments today. That $36 million payment represents just under 24% of the total of   $155,264,926 USDA has distributed thus far. The payment list is current as of 8 a.m., July 11, 2018. 

Chocolate milk may be better than sports drinks for exercise recovery
Athletes who drink chocolate milk during exercise or after a hard workout may recover just as quickly as they would with sports drinks, a research review suggests.

What people eat and drink during intense exercise and afterward can impact how well their muscles recover and how rapidly their body replaces fluids and electrolytes lost during the workout, previous research has found.

Most studies assessing whether drinks with carbohydrates and electrolytes, or with protein, might aid recovery have been too small to draw firm conclusions about which beverages are the best option, the authors of the new review write in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Read more
UGA Seeking Senior Farm Manager for ADS Beef and Dairy Farms in Athens/Eatonton 
The University of Georgia Animal and Dairy Science Department is seeking to hire a Senior Farm Manager to oversee management of all ADS Beef and Dairy Farms in Athens and Eatonton areas.  This position reports directly to the Head of the Animal and Dairy Science Department (ADS). Duties of the position include, but are not limited to, 1) providing budgetary management to ensure that all farm units are operated in a fiscally sound manner, 2) providing direct oversight of all the farming and livestock operations in ADS to ensure that each farm efficiently utilizes all available resources, each farm's infrastructure is properly maintained and each farm's practices are in compliance with current industry, governmental and university standards an regulations, 3) working with faculty and farm staff to ensure that the research, teaching and extension missions are accomplished. For additional information click here.
It's hot, hot, hot outside
By Caitlin Rodgers, GA Dairy Farmer via Hoards.com

We are doing all we can to help our dairy herd during this hottest part of summer.

If you haven't heard the expression, "It's hotter than Georgia asphalt," then you should take a trip to Georgia in the summer and walk across the asphalt without any shoes on. You would end up in the hospital with third-degree burns on the bottom of your feet. I have literally seen an egg fry in a parking lot before.

Needless to say, when it hits July and August, it gets a little hot around here. One of our biggest obstacles in dairy farming is heat stress, and the Rodgers are dairying in the "heart" of the heat.

For the past week or two, the heat index has stayed above 100°F during the day. At times like these, we see behavioral changes within the herds. Cows are not quite as active. Heats are harder to detect. Fresh cows need a little more attention. Overall, the cows just look hot. Read more
New research could banish guilty feeling for consuming whole dairy products

HOUSTON - (July 11, 2018) - Enjoying full-fat milk, yogurt, cheese and butter is unlikely to send people to an early grave, according to new research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

The study, published today in the  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found no significant link between dairy fats and cause of death or, more specifically, heart disease and stroke - two of the country's biggest killers often associated with a diet high in saturated fat. In fact, certain types of dairy fat may help guard against having a severe stroke, the researchers reported.

"Our findings not only support, but also significantly strengthen, the growing body of evidence which suggests that dairy fat, contrary to popular belief, does not increase risk of heart disease or overall mortality in older adults. In addition to not contributing to death, the results suggest that one fatty acid present in dairy may lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, particularly from stroke," said  Marcia Otto, Ph.D., the study's first and corresponding author and assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health.   Read more
Board members of Agri-Mark, a major dairy cooperative in the Northeast, are asking for federal support for the U.S. dairy industry in light of burdensome supplies and tariff wars that have sent milk prices plummeting. The co-op has also scheduled a national meeting for mid-August to consider policy and market options as dairy farmers struggle through another year of below-breakeven milk prices.

In a June letter to USDA, the  Agri-Mark Inc. board asked U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to set minimum wholesale price floors for butter at $2.30 per pound, cheddar cheese at $1.64 per pound and nonfat dry milk at 81 cents per pound. As part of the program, USDA would purchase any dairy products offered to the government at those prices. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, Agri-Mark markets milk for 1,000 dairy farm families in New England and New York.    Read more  
From Wisconsin State Farmer

A letter coordinated by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau was sent to FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb this week expressing displeasure with the agency's lack of enforcement regarding labeling of imitation dairy products using the term "milk".

The letter was signed by 37 state Farm Bureaus and other agricultural groups including the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Dairy Business Association, Wisconsin Farmers Union and EDGE Dairy Farmer Cooperative.

The groups supporting the missive asked the FDA to address the issue "immediately".    Read more
Continue to transform dairy field
By Martin Wiedmann, Commentary, Times-Union

The dairy industry in New York and across the United States is at a crossroads. Even though cow's milk remains one of the all-time best sources of dietary energy, protein and fat, people in the United States are drinking less of it. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans in 2016 consumed 154 pounds of fluid milk per capita year, down from 200 pounds or 25 percent just since the year 2000.

Along with a glut in milk production and trade uncertainty in global markets for dairy products, the lack of variability in dairy beverage offerings for consumers is placing New York dairy farmers under considerable financial and economic stress - and putting some out of business altogether. The state of New York has lost about 2,000 dairy farmers in the last decade alone, and more than 8,000 in the past 30 years.

It's time for a change. The dairy industry must transform to re-capture consumer interest and spark market demand. Dairy beverages and low-fat dairy products are a healthy, environmentally responsible way to promote and enjoy the local foods movement and support farmers who are close to home.
To keep our local farmers economically sustainable, New York needs to create a new dairy ecosystem that focuses holistically on growth and profitability. This will require innovation across the value chain - reshaping this industry from grass to glass.     Read more 
California's 'got milk?' Campaign Gets a Makeover

California's 'got milk?' campaign is getting a long-overdue makeover starting today, rebranding itself to "You Can Always Count on Milk."

Kicking off the remake are a half dozen 15- and 30-second shots, in both English and Spanish, that humorously highlight how tough it is to be a preteen these days. The ads highlight how these kids drink milk to get through their harried and hectic lives. The spots will be featured on television, social media and digital channels as well as at point of sale.

Viewers will also be directed to the 'got milk?' new website,  https://www.gotmilk.com/, which highlight research-based facts on milk and dairy production, recipes and more.  
GA Dairy Classifieds

For HIRE: Southeast DHIA 
has a position to fill in the 
West Central Georgia area for a 
FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN. 
 Responsibilities include data 
collection on area dairy farms 
during milking time. S
chedule is somewhat flexible 
but the hours are non-typical. S
ome travel and out-of-town 
work likely. 
Applicants should be comfortable 
with computers and software and
have good communication and 
organizational skills as well as 
reliable transportation. Pickup Truck required. I
f interested send a resume to 
 
For Sale:
  8 high quality Holstein heifers due Sept and Oct. AI bred and AI sired. $1400. Ray Ward 706-473-8789.

Private Herd Disperal: Small herd in Millen is dispersing their herd.  100 milk cows, 30 dry cows and additional heifers for sale.  Holstein/Jersey Cross. If interested please email gamilkproducers@gmail.com for more information.

For Sale: 
WW Livestock Systems Hydraulic Head shoot, never used, excellent condition, kept  under roof.  Listed for $23,041 asking $15,000 or reasonable offer.  Call M
aggie 352-507- 
2042 or email:  hartagriculture@outlook.com
 
For Sale: Custom manure application and Dryhill manure equipment sales. 
Contact Edwin @ 478-299-0717 with Agboys Custom Services LLC  - 
New 8"x52' lagoon pump with outriggers $24,000 (Pictured right)

For Sale 3000 gallon Surge/Westfalia milk tank and wash system. Three phase condensers. 2002 model. Excellent condition. John B Gay, 478-494-5107

WANTED: DeLaval Westfalia
 Neck Transponders:  TN Dairy seeking used Westfalia neck band transponders. 
Please contact Bill or Peggy Howell if interested at 423-972-9254 or 423-371-3032.

WANTED: Looking for used pasteurizing and bottling equipment in working condition; Linda and Darrell Rankins, Jr.; 334-745-2357 (best times: mid-day and after 8 p.m.)

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.

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     
Upcoming Events:

AGAware Workshops Scheduled for Summer   
AgGeorgia and AgSouth are pleased to announce the dates and locations locked down for another round of AGAware workshops. Van McCall will present an exciting and fun-filled, educational workshop on farm finance.  The classes are from  9 am until 4 pm with lunch provided and there is no charge to attend. The workshops are certified for FSA borrower credits as well.   Click here for more information . This is a hands-on workshop with actual projects conducted during the training. 
 
For more information about AGAware, contact Christy Smith at  CSmith@AgSouthFC.com or  912-764-9091 or Corey Cottle at  CCottle@AgGeorgia.com  or  478-987-8300 x253.
GA Milk Producers|706.310.0020 gamilkproducers@gmail.com
www.gamilk.org

Georgia Milk Producers has been named a 2017 All Star Award winner by Constant Contact , an  Endurance International Group  company and a leader in email marketing solutions. The annual award recognizes the most successful 10 percent of Constant Contact's customer base, based on their significant achievements using email marketing to engage their customer base and drive results for their organization during the prior year.  GA Milk utilizes the Constant Contact marketing service each Friday with their GA Milk Weekly Enews and has received this award for the last three years. Thank you to our many subscribers!!