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GA Milk Weekly Enews - March 2, 2018
Your weekly update for the Georgia Dairy Industry
Brought to you by the Georgia Milk Producers, Inc.
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Beef & Milk Served Under the Gold Dome This Week
Georgia Milk Producers would like to thank the Georgia Cattlemen's Association for the invitation to attend their annual steak biscuit breakfaqst at the State Capitol this week.
Steak biscuits and milk from Mountain Fresh Creamery was served to over 600 elected officials, staffers and industry affiliates. We appreciate GCA for including us in this event and always welcome the opportunity to educate the public on the livestock industry.
Thank you to Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Agribusiness Council and Georgia Cattlemen's Association for their hard work under the dome this session. Your efforts play a key role in the success of our industry!
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44th Annual Southern Dairy
Conference
Nashville, TN -
March 5th-7th, 2018
Topics for 2018 will focus on: Labor Management, Milk Quality, 2018 Dairy Outlook, Federal Order Updates
To view agenda - click here
Reservations for the event will be made by individual attendees directly with Marriott reservations at
1-855-584-3466
or
615-889-0800
.
Reservation must be received on or before TODAY - Friday
, February 9, 2018
.
To register for the 44th Annual Southern Dairy Conference -
click here
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Using On-Farm Milk Culturing to Drive Treatment Decisions
March 15 10 a.m. Reid Bros. Irrigation Company, Americus
(908 Adderton St, Americus, GA 31719)
March 20 10 a.m. Burke Co. Extension Office, Waynesboro
(715 West 6th Street, Waynesboro, 30830)
March 22 10 a.m. Andy's BBQ Restaurant, Eatonton
(100 Friendship Rd SW, Eatonton, GA 31024)
This series will focus on the use of on-farm milk culturing to quickly identify pathogens that lead to mastitis and how testing can be used to
increase the odds of a full cure on first treatment, reduce the cost of treatments and reduce the use of intramammary antimicrobials. Speakers will review protocols for identifying mastitis cases, milk sample collection, lab sanitation, milk culturing lab methods, organism identification, recording and reporting and equipment care. Meetings are open to dairymen, managers, and employees - free of charge and will be held from 10 a.m. until noon. Please preregister for meal by calling our office at 706-310-0020.
The speakers, Dr. Emmanuel Rollin and Dr. Valerie Ryman, are both from the University of Georgia. Dr. Rollin is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dairy Production Medicine at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. His research interests include milk quality, transition health and milking equipment. Dr. Valerie Ryman is an Extension Dairy Specialist for the Animal and Dairy Science Department at the University of Georgia. Her extension interests focus on mammary health and milk quality, with an emphasis on mastitis prevention and control strategies.
Click here to view meeting flyer
**A drawing will be held at each meeting for one producer to take home an incubator **
Sponsored by Georgia Milk Producers, Boehringer Ingelheim
and UGA Extension
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Sand is considered the gold standard for bedding dairy freestalls. It is commonly used to bed freestalls because it does not support significant bacterial growth, has a low water-holding capacity and shifts with the cow to provide a comfortable surface on which to lay.
However, cows drag several kilograms of sand out of the freestall each time they exit (as much as 20 to 23 kilograms per cow per day).
This sand should be separated from the waste stream so it doesn't fill the waste storage pond, reduce wastewater storage capacity, accumulate in drainage pipes and shorten the lives of wastewater pumps.
Properly managed recycled sand can be used for freestall bedding, thereby reducing the need to purchase additional sand, which reduces operating costs.
Read more
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Heavy losses for Georgia farmers waiting for foreign workers
From Freshplaza.com
Heavy losses for Georgia farmers waiting for foreign workers
Kevin Eason, a blueberry farmer in the South Georgia town of Alma, in January used the U.S. Department of Labor's migrant worker visa system to request 100 migrant workers from Mexico. As of last week, none had arrived.
Russ Goodman in January requested 500 migrant workers from Mexico to arrive at his 600-acre Homerville farm on March 1 to pick blueberries. So far, he has 30. "A week or two is a delay. Two months is you've lost your crop," said Goodman, who estimates he has already lost several hundred thousand dollars.
These farmers are just two of an untold number of Georgia farmers facing millions of dollars in losses as crops rot on the vine due to lack of labor for harvest.
According to an article on
myajc.com
, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the American Farm Bureau Federation say the U.S. Department of Labor is woefully behind on processing applications for foreign migrant worker contracts. Read more
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Upcoming Auction: Ferdia Farms Dairy Dispersal
- Complete dispersal of 700 Holstein cows and heifers
- Tractors, loaders, feed mixers, and 5000 gallon milk tank also selling
- All milk cows selling have been tested in the past 30 days and have a clean test on Staph Aureus and Mycoplasma
- Pregnancy test and vaccinations are up to date
- TB and Bangs tested - health sheets furnished
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As Milk Prices Decline, Worries About Dairy Farmer Suicides Rise
As the nation's dairy farmers struggle through their fourth year of depressed milk prices, concerns are rising that many are becoming depressed themselves. The outlook for the next year is so bleak, it's heightening worries - especially in the Northeast - about farmer suicides.
Agri-Mark Inc., a dairy cooperative with about 1,000 members, saw three farmers take their own lives in the past three years. The most recent was last month. It's a very small sample, but very sharp and disturbing increase.
Read more
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By Wyatt Bechtel, Drovers
Not only has Russia been reportedly sowing seeds of discontent in the U.S. political scene, the country has also been alleged of spreading anti-GMO articles on the Internet.
According to researchers at Iowa State University, Russia is trying to influence American citizen's opinions on genetically modified organisms by funding articles shared online. The
Des Moines Register first reported the story, after interviewing Shawn Dorius, an ISU assistant sociology professor who led the study. Also participating in the research and being interviewed was Carolyn Lawrence-Dill, an associate professor in ISU's departments of agronomy and genetics, development and cell biology.
Dorius says Russia's attempts to turn the U.S. or world against GMOs "would have a clear negative effect on an industry in the U.S. and could advantage Russia."
Their research indicates agriculture has jumped to the second largest industry in Russia, behind oil and gas.
Read more
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By Thor Christensen, dallasnews.com
For years, milk was seen as a miracle food -- packed with nutrition, easy to consume and relatively inexpensive.
Then came the milk duds -- the naysayers who argued that humans weren't meant to consume cow's milk and other dairy products. Spurred by 2005's best-selling pro-vegan nutrition book The China Study, a small but growing segment of the general public has turned skeptical of dairy's health benefits.
Last year's Netflix documentary What the Health continued to fan the flames of the anti-dairy movement, though many doctors dismissed the film as grossly inaccurate. On social media, there's no shortage of people taking potshots against "mammal udder juice products" to quote a satiric video making the rounds, "If Milk Commercials Were Honest."
Yet from a scientific standpoint, the anti-dairy movement is -- for the most part -- udder nonsense, nutrition experts say.
Read more
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From Dave Natzke, Progressive Dairyman
The reopening of enrollment for 2018 participation in the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) took on additional urgency with the release of milk price and feed cost information for January. Meanwhile, dairy cows culled in January 2018 were the highest monthly total in five years.
No information on MPP-Dairy enrollment yet
As of Feb. 27, the FSA was still finalizing details before reopening the 2018 enrollment period for MPP-Dairy. Wayne Maloney, in the FSA public affairs office, said USDA staff were putting the final touches on enrollment details and preparing a fact sheet concerning provisions included in a federal budget bill, signed into law Feb. 9. The sign-up period will be for 90 days, but exact dates have not yet been announced.
Read more
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From AgWeb
Today's historically low feed costs have helped the nation's dairy producers deal with low milk prices for months, but many producers are still just barely able to cover costs, or worse yet, are working on borrowed funds. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the margin situation will improve anytime soon. In late January CME futures prices for the first six months of 2018 were predicting Class III and IV prices would average near $13.80 and $13.70, respectively.
No More Cushion
"When prices dipped to similarly painful levels in the first half of 2016, producers drew on the equity they had accrued in the boom years that preceded the bust. Today, for many, that cushion is gone," says Sarina Sharp, agricultural economist with the Daily Dairy Report. "While some producers will lean on their lenders and tough out the downturn, others will exit the business."
Read more
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Certified Nutrient Planner/ Waste Operator Training in March
The Georgia Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia will hold their annual planner/operator certification training in Athens at the UGA Livestock Arena classroom on March 20-21, 2018. Anyone interested in becoming a Certified Nutrient Management Planner or Certified Waste Operator in Georgia must attend this training. This training is only available once a year. Also, those seeking continuing education credit hours are welcome to attend. For more information and to register for the training visit the AWARE website at:
http://aware.uga.edu/downloads/Operator-plannerFlyer2018.pdf
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UGA Spring Dairy Show - April 7th
Mark your calendar for the 2018 UGA Spring Dairy Show. With a long running history (we're on the 55th year) this Spring Show is a great way to bring together all of our registered cattle producers from across the southeast. In addition, this show helps ensure that we have high quality animals ready to go for the Georgia State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest! Please help spread the word as we would love for this year's show turnout to be even bigger and better than last.
Please email jfain@uga.edu or call 706-542-9108 with any questions!
Show information and registration packet available here.
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AGAware Workshops Scheduled for Summer
AgSouth is excited 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
9am until 4pm with lunch provided and there is no charge to attend. The workshops are certified for FSA borrower credits as well.
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Mar. 5-7: Southern Dairy Conference, Nashville, TN
Mar. 20: GDMS Waynesboro - Click here for flyer
Mar. 30: GDYF Golf Tournament, Bishop, GA
April 5-7: 57th Annual GA Cattlemen's Assoc. Convention & Trade Show and 21st Annual Georgia Beef Expo Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, GA
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GA Dairy Classifieds
WANTED: UGA Tifton Dairy looking for a
full time milker with duties to include: setting up the
parlor; milking cows; cleaning free stalls; cleaning milking equipment and parlor
to meet state and FDA guidelines. In addition to milking, the individual will be
assisting staff with routine animal care to include assistance with moving,
FOR SALE: 13 Holstein heifers due Feb and March, 5 with dams over 1000lbs fat , 6 bred to sexed semen. Over 30 yrs AI Ray Ward.
706-473-8789
Eatonton, Ga
WANTED:
L
ooking 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 200 cow dairy in Eatonton, Georgia
; selling choice of 100 head. SCC low 200,000's. Cows mostly AI sired for last 30 years primarily Holstein, few Jerseys and cross breeds. Cows in milk tank average 70 lbs. 3.9 fat test on low input feed. Complete DHIA info. on all cows. Nearly 100 head in first lactation or springing now. Also offering 50 bred heifers to start calving late January thru Summer. Call 423-506-2621
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.
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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
or email at jim@reidbros.com
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.
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