Georgia Milk Producers Weekly Enews |
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‘Little Madison’ was big winner for exhibitors of first annual Dairyland Classic in Georgia
By Sherry Bunting, Farmshine, October 16 and 23, 2020
MADISON, Ga. — Georgia dairy producers Carol Williams of WDairy, and Jay Moon of Moon Dairy, heard in mid-June of fall show cancellations after already losing the spring shows to Covid, they knew they had to do something. They put together a small committee with Carol serving as show superintendent and Jay as co-superintendent and started raising funds.
“The response from companies was overwhelming,” says Carol. “Once we had the funding coming in, we knew we would have the draw in premiums. The generous sponsorships included some very good premiums and prizes.”
The first annual Dairyland Classic was born in Madison, Georgia — held Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 at the Morgan County Ag Center – and dubbed by exhibitors as ‘Little Madison.’
In addition to cash awards, companies gave semen certificates, services, halters, products… “We got money and goodies for the exhibitors,” Carol explains.
The three-months of planning turned into a big event attracting 80 exhibitors, 222 entries from 8 southeastern states clear up to Pennsylvania — many making it double as a vacation, enjoying the southern charm and historic district of Madison, Georgia with its rich agricultural history.
Carol and Jay say their committee was fortunate to bring in Kevin Lutz of Treasure Chest Jerseys, Lincolntown, North Carolina to judge five breeds — Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein (Black and Red combined), and Jersey. Read more here>>>
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Start Making Plans to Join Us in Savannah this January!
Make plans to join us in-person this January for the 2021 GA Dairy Conference. Our staff is working hard to ensure that safety protocols are in place to minimize the spread of germs during our event. We look forward to seeing you in Savannah, Jan 18-20!! For hotel reservation information, visit our website: https://www.gadairyconference.com/accommodations
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Senators Urge CFAP 2 Payments for Cull Cows
By Progressive Dairy Editor Dave Natzke
A group of U.S. senators has called on U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to make dairy cows culled for beef eligible for payments under the second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2).
Under terms of CFAP 2, announced in September, dairy and beef producers are eligible for payments of $55 per head on bull calves and fed cattle (including dairy steers) but not on breeding animals culled for beef. The payments are based on a producer’s owned inventory of eligible cattle on a date selected by the producer from April 16-Aug. 31, 2020.
In a letter to Perdue, the lawmakers said the provisions in CFAP 2 reversed those in CFAP 1, which compensated dairy farmers and other livestock producers for losses related to meat produced from breeding animals. They said the change was harmful to dairy producers, many who rely on significant revenue coming from the sale of cull cows, and especially smaller, diversified farms, which may have been forced to sell cows due to low milk prices.
“Considering the dairy industry’s traditionally tight margins, USDA’s decision to shift course and arbitrarily exclude dairy farm losses related to meat production is a significant blow,” they wrote.
Should the USDA determine that culled breeding animals are typically worth less than fed cattle, the USDA could establish a separate, lower per-head CFAP 2 payment rate. Congressional approval of funding for the Commodity Credit Corporation, enacted on Sept. 30, provides the USDA with sufficient resources to make the payments, they added.
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The pandemic propelled these dairy categories
By Katelyn Allen, Associate Editor, Hoard's Dairyman
The jumps in dairy sales seen during the earliest weeks and months of the pandemic came quick and fast. Even seven months in now, that momentum has still helped keep dairy products selling above year-ago levels.
What have been some of the big-picture changes dairy has seen over the course of this roller-coaster year? The panelists of the October 21 Hoard’s Dairyman DairyLivestream sponsored by Diamond V shared positive news in regard to retail demand of just about every single dairy product sold at grocery stores.
Fluid milk
This year through August, USDA data indicates fluid milk sales are 1.4% higher than 2019, Cornell University economist Andy Novakovic pointed out. Recognizing that fluid milk was actually experiencing negative growth for many years before now makes that number particularly impressive.
“Interestingly, organic is up 14% and conventional is up 0.6%,” he added. Of course, conventional milk represents a much larger base to begin with.
Cheese
Despite cheese’s wild price swings this year and a drop in food service uses, at the retail level, many categories are still disappearing. Processed cheese reversed its previous downward trend as families looked for shelf-stable foods, explained retail dairy analyst John Crawford. Although some snacking cheese, like string cheese, slowed down, that was mostly made up by growing sales of shredded cheese and processed singles, Kroger’s Dairy Supply Chain Director Mike Brown added. Read more here>>>
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GDYF Apparel Store Open Until Nov. 8th
Check out our Apparel Store!! We love the new logo and the products!!
BUY FOR CHRISTMAS or BIRTHDAY!!
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Impossible Foods recruits scientists to double R&D department in 12 months
From Megan Poinski, Food Dive
At the Tuesday morning press conference, Pat Brown was speaking as if the world were on fire.
As the founder and CEO of Impossible Foods talked to journalists, industry groups and analysts on the Zoom call, a video loop of the Amazon rainforest burning played behind him. Brown, a career scientist and passionate evangelist for replacing animal-derived food with convincing substitutes from plants, was crusading for the company's newest project: Getting career scientists to leave behind whatever they are doing and start working for him.
Impossible Foods CFO David Lee said at the press conference that bringing in more scientists for R&D would bring the highest return on investment for at least the next 12 months, and probably much longer after that. Investors in the company, he said, put their money into the company because they believe in Impossible Foods' mission.
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FARM Program New Hire Checklist
From Maureen Hanson, Dairy Herd Management
Bringing on a new employee requires more than just signing them up and slotting them into a shift. The training and documentation you complete when a new person is hired is important for the stability of your business, and could significantly impact the longevity and productivity of each new hire.
The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, a service of the National Milk Producers Federation, provides a New Hire Checklist among its many Workforce Development tools for dairy producers. Read more here>>>
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In defense of Federal Milk Marketing Orders
By Geoff Vanden Heuvel, Hoard's Dairyman
Who better to set Class I prices . . . the farmers via federal orders or big-box retailers?
Like Rodney Dangerfield, who was a famed actor and comedian, Federal Milk Marketing Orders get no respect. Folks love to complain about them. Critics suggest that they are too complicated . . . too old . . . too focused on Class I . . . a detriment to growth in exports . . . too dependent on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) . . . and generally an outdated relic of the past. That being said, many among us suggest FMMOs need a radical overhaul.
I will address each of these complaints, but first, let us remember why Uncle Sam became involved in regulating milk prices in the first place. The reason the government is involved is because dairy farmers must sell milk every day of the year to a buyer who does not have to buy milk every day. That inherent imbalance in the transactional relationship between dairy farmers and processors is why the government gets involved. Federal officials essentially play the role of a referee — a referee who does not set the price or the terms but discovers the price and supervises the terms. Read more here>>>
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Other Stories to Check Out This Week >>> |
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TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at gamilkproducers@gmail.com
UPDATED 10/23/20
Wanted: Small milk tank (1,000 or 2,000 gallon). Mark Rodgers (706) 829-3141.
Will Raise Heifers for GA Dairy Farms: Hello we are located in Southern Illinois and have an abundance of pasture and cheap feed available looking to contract with a dairy to grow heifers for them, out location offers mild climate and we are just 558 miles from Montezuma Ga. Please contact 817-528-6645 very reasonable daily rates.
For Sale - Productive 360 Cow Holstein Herd For Sale, Parlor/Freestall/AI Sired/Lots of Young Cows/2X 70# 4%F SCC-160K More information at www.kreegerdairy.com or call Chad at 517-294-3484
For Sale- DeLaval 84 Vacuum Pump on Stand, Oil Reclaimer, 10 HP- 3 Phase Electric Motor. New Bearings, New Oil Seal, New Belts. $2000
For sale - Please contact John Felder for more information at 803-682-3425:
- Dairy Tech Bay Pasturizer - $4,000
- Tidenberg Hydraulic Hoof Table (like new) - $5,000
- Mench Sand Trailor - $14,000
- Hall Stall Sand Leveler (new) - $1,000
- Claas Silage Choppers - 960 1875 cutterhead hours, 4WD, 600 orbis, HD300 PU - $190,000
- Fans Cool Aire
- 18 54" $225.00
- 20 48" $125.00
- 20 35" 100.00
WANTED: Peter's Cattle Co. will buy any dairy, beef, and cross, bottle or weaned, bulls, heifers or free martins. Pick up weekly 7 days a week. Chris- 470-255-8515
Bull Calves WANTED: Competitive pricing with 6 day a week pickup. Brandon Mason Cattle Company 912-632-4490
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Farmer to Farmer Support Program Available for SE dairy farmers
Farmers across the Southeast are experiencing uncertain times like never before. All aspects of agriculture have been hit by market losses due to COVID-19, but dairy has reached a level of uncertainty that many have never experienced.
As we navigate through these next few months, dairy producers across the Southeast have come together to introduce the "Farmer to Farmer Support Program." If you find that you need support or would like to talk to a fellow farmer or industry friend, they have several volunteers that are willing and able to help. Georgia Milk Producers has also put together a packet on the program that you can access by clicking here.
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