Georgia Milk Producers Weekly Enews
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Easter Blessings to our dairy
farm families across the state.
GA Milk and The Dairy Alliance will host a Dairy Daily Update Zoom Meeting next week at 4 p.m., Monday - Thursday- If you would like to join in please email Farrah Newberry at
gamilkproducers@gmail.com
. Video recordings of the calls are posted at
https://www.gamilk.org/covid-19
. A summary of the zoom meetings are emailed to producers each day and cover producer and promotional efforts
during the COVID-19 outbreak.
We are working at the grassroots level to help add more milk to our school meal programs during the pandemic. ***Does your county need help with securing more milk for their school meal program during the COVID-19 outbreak? Do they have challenges with storing milk? Do they want to increase their milk deliveries??
Click here for more information and how to contact Nicole or Candice for assistance
!!
All families should have access to MILK!*** PLEASE SHARE AND HELP US TO SPREAD THE WORD!
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USDA interactive map finds free meals during school closures -
Not sure where to find a feeding site in your area? The USDA has created an interactive map making it simple to find one closest to you.
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Dumped milk no joke for Georgia dairies
By Jennifer Whitaker, GA Farm Bureau
The Johnsons are among about 50 dairy farms across Georgia from LaGrange on the Alabama line over to Augusta and down to the Florida line that belong to the farmer-owned Dairy Farmers of America Co-op (DFA) according to DFA Southeast Area Chief operating officer Jon Bebermeyer. Nationwide, about 13,000 family farms belong to the co-op that markets about 30% of all milk produced in the U.S.
For DFA’s milk week of March 28-April 3, Bebermeyer estimates DFA had to dump about 10% of all milk produced in the co-op’s Southeast area, which runs from east Texas through the lower part of Missouri over to Virginia down to the Gulf Coast encompassing all or part of 15 states. Milk dumped in Georgia for that period was less than 10%, Bebermeyer estimates.
“That ten percent dumped in our Southeast area is about the same as was dumped nationwide as a whole based on the numbers I’ve been hearing,” Bebermeyer said.
The largest segment of Georgia’s 130 dairy producers belong to DFA, with about 65% of the milk produced in GA going to DFA plants, said Farrah Newberrry, executive director of the Georgia Milk Producers (GMP), which promotes Georgia dairy farmers to consumers with programs such as the Mobile Dairy Classroom.
Read more here>>>
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Trump Vows to ‘Expedite Help’ for Beleaguered U.S. Farmers
By
Mike Dorning
, Bloomberg
President Donald Trump said he has asked his agriculture secretary to “use all of the funds and authorities at his disposal,” to aid U.S. farmers, whose financial peril has worsened in the coronavirus pandemic.
The administration plans to announce an aid package next week, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Trump in a Twitter post on Thursday night said he wanted to “to expedite help to our farmers, especially to the smaller farmers who are hurting right now.”
His tweets did not provide specifics, but the coronavirus relief bill Congress passed last month includes $23.5 billion in aid for farmers. So far, it hasn’t been clear how all of those funds will get doled out.
Read more here>>>
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Central Georgia's dairy farmers hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic
By Suzanne Lawler (WMAZ)
MONTEZUMA, Ga. — Across the state, farmers are struggling right now.
Governor Brian Kemp addressed their plight in his address Wednesday.
Dairy farmers have had to go through some gut-wrenching measures right here in Central Georgia.
Last week, dairy farmers across the state dumped 3.4 million gallons of milk. Just to give you some perspective on that, it's equal to about 70 truckloads. It didn't all go to waste -- some of it fed cattle and some of it fertilized fields, but still, it never made it to the consumer.
Watch News Report Here>>>
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COVID-19 Impacts the Dairy Industry
From GA Farm Monitor
This week, the Farm Monitor spoke with Farrah Newberry, Executuve Director of Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. She gave an update on the Georgia Dairy industry amidst the Covid-19 pandemic
.
Watch News Report Here>>>
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GOVERNOR INCLUDES STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR AG
From GA Agribusiness Council
The Governor's press conference included the following statement regarding the state's concern for Georgia's ag industry. "While I am encouraged by some of the recent data, we still have incredible challenges ahead. Yesterday, I had a call with Commissioner Gary Black and other Ag leaders to reaffirm our unwavering support for Georgia's oldest and largest industry. COVID-19 is hitting our state hard, and it's impacting our farm families in a number of ways.
"First, much of the demand for Georgia farm products is from our schools and food service industries. With schools shuttered and many restaurants scaling back, our farmers are seeing prices plummet and demand diminish. Farms that use our country's seasonal worker programs are seeing good crops this year, but now have limited markets to sell them. However, these same farmers are still on the hook for paying 75 percent of the contract work they signed for before COVID-19 ever hit Georgia. Coming off generational losses from Hurricane Michael, this is another punch in the gut for Georgia farmers. In the coming days, I will make these concerns known to our federal partners and ask them to keep farmers top of mind when crafting a Phase 4 stimulus package.
"Rest assured, we will continue to fight for Georgia's agriculture industry and the families who feed and clothe the world from right here in the Peach State. Now, more than ever, I hope you will join me in supporting our farmers and agribusiness leaders by purchasing Georgia Grown and Georgia Made products. Every purchase matters. Every dollar spent provides relief.
For a full view of the Shelter In Place Order,
click here
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Georgia dairy farm hit hard due to the Coronavirus
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He says it's more difficult because cows naturally produce more milk in the springtime. They produce less in the summer, which could be an issue when the demand returns as things return back to normal.
"We have a lot of cheese in storage. The cheese processors are not able to run anymore because there's no demand right now. You've gotta do something with that milk. With milk being a perishable item, you've got a short window to get it done," Glover said.
The nonstop production and lack of buyers have caused problems for dairy farmers all across the country.
Many are now forced to get rid of their milk. Some farmers have started dumping thousands of gallons of milk down the drain.
Luckily for Glover and his family, they've been able to sell some of their products at their the store, the Mountain Fresh Creamery.
Glover says, however, they'll need to cut production 15-18 percent soon and they'll likely face a similar fate.
Watch News Report Here>>>
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Dairy Producer: Unsettling Feeling to See Loads and Loads of Milk Going Down the Drain
By Clint Thompson, Southeast Agnet
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Calvin Moody has been a dairyman for more than two decades and has never experienced what he’s had to go through over the past few weeks.
“This is absolutely the first time in my lifetime that we’ve ever had to dump milk. I’ve been in the dairy business for over 20 years and never had to dump milk like this before,” said Moody, who owns Brooksco Dairy in Quitman, Georgia. “It’s certainly an unsettling feeling to see loads and loads of milk going down the drain.”
With restaurants and schools closed amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, milk consumption has been greatly reduced. Just how much milk has been dumped is a more difficult thought to ponder.
“We’re not having to dump any milk for our co-op for the rest of the week, but for this past week, I can’t remember off the top of my head how many loads we as a group had to dump but it was several loads. I’m not talking one or two loads, I’m talking in the 20s and 30s,” Moody said.
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Faith Over Fear
By
Mark Rodgers, Georgia dairy farmer, Hoard's Dairyman
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, milk is being dumped, while exports have disappeared and there is no milk and milk limits in my local stores. People are sheltering in place and practicing social distancing while essential businesses are still running. Excessive rainfall has me wondering how I can get in the fields, and I am searching for dried distillers grains because there are none available. Through it all, I am still farming (#Iamstillfarming).
Wow . . . after the last four years of milk prices and uncertainty, I thought I had seen it all. I was wrong. Last fall and into early winter, I thought life was improving on the farm. The training of the robots, cows, and staff was starting to work more seamlessly. The milk price was improving. It was too wet, but we knew we would get into the fields soon enough.
Then, this novel virus became a concern, and people started hoarding toilet paper like the world’s worst case of winter dysentery was going to strike the human herd. You can have a spring allergy cough while searching for your favorite cheese and people will run from you like you have the bubonic plague. People are smart, but the human herd is easily spooked and will stampede if stressed.
We have been worrying about the milk price, and our ryegrass getting too mature before we could get into our fields, so my brother called a consultant who was very forage and ration savvy, Barry Dye, and asked his opinion. Barry, with a smile, said, “You’re going do what everyone else is going to do. Harvest when you can, do the best job possible, and have a little faith.”
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Georgia Ag Commissioner Extends Farm Recovery Program Application Deadline
(EXTENDED DEADLINE DUE TO COVID)
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black announced today that the Georgia Farm Recovery Block Grant application deadline is extended to April 30, 2020.
“We recognize that normal business operations across the state have been disrupted or altered over the past few weeks,” said Commissioner Black. “We want every eligible producer to have an opportunity to complete their application with full confidence, while continuing the critical work of providing food and fiber during these unsettling
times.”
Georgia farmers and forest landowners in 95 eligible counties who suffered losses to
beef, dairy, fruit and vegetable, pecan, poultry, timber, and uninsured infrastructure are
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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the largest organization of US dairy farmers, and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), have submitted a request for assistance – The Milk Crisis Plan – to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
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Minnesota Milk Producers Propose $9/cwt COVID Payment
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The Minnesota Milk Producers Association (MMPA) is proposing a $9/cwt payment to dairy producers based on 100% of their March 2020 milk production to compensate farmers for COVID-19 market disruptions.
“Minnesota Milk concurs with many of the points of the
National Milk Producers Federation-International Dairy Foods proposal
…. Specifically, we support direct aid to dairy farmers in this time of need, and Minnesota Milk believes [our] Dairy CORE (COronavirus REcovery) Program eliminates many potential pitfalls,” says Lucas Sjostrom, MMPA Executive Director.
“We support a $9/cwt payment based on March milk production to provide an immediate infusion to every dairy farmer in the United States without distorting the market,” he says.
The proposal is to issue a lump sum payment in April. The payment would be based on 100% of March production, but represents a $3/cwt payment for April, May and June. Example: If a dairy farmer shipped 1 million pounds of milk in March, he would receive a payment of 3 X $3/cwt X 10,000 cwt = $90,000. In June, the situation could be reassessed to determine if another round of payments is required for the third quarter.
“If creameries are assured that their producers have received a large, one-off direct payment, they will be more empowered to implement situation-adjusted, effective marginal incentives to right-size their milk supply,” says Sjostrom. “As COVID-19 situation improves in May or June, milk buyers can immediately adjust their milk supply management programs to ensure no supply chain bottlenecks are artificially created by new government programs.”
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Dairy Foods: Back to Basics. What we thought was impossible, is happening!
From Donna Berry, Berry on Dairy
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Happy Easter! Happy Passover! The calendar says it’s “Good Friday.” Let’s make it a great Friday. Don’t let the sad state of affairs regarding the dumping of milk overshadow the fact that retail dairy sales are booming. So is home delivery!
Cow Belle is a home milk delivery service in Pennsylvania. Started by Angie Rondolet in 2016, the business has only experienced steady growth. About three weeks ago, as the pandemic crisis hit the U.S., Cow Belle’s orders skyrocketed. Instead of the usual 120 to 160 deliveries per week, the company is up to around 325 now.
Cow Belle works closely with small local farms and currently can’t keep up with massive demand. This is a stark contrast to the many farms that are sadly dumping milk right now.
Ms. Rondolet had a business plan that included adding a partner over the next year or two. She’s now accelerated the plan and would accept a partner to take over a route immediately.
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Other Stories to Check Out This Week >>>
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59th Annual Convention & Beef Expo Rescheduled for May
From GA Cattlemen's Association
The 59th Annual Georgia Cattlemen's Association Convention & Trade Show and the 22nd Annual Georgia Beef Expo
has been rescheduled for May 28-30, 2020
at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, GA. All current registrations have been transferred for the new dates.
Click here to learn more>>>
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TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at gamilkproducers@gmail.com
UPDATED 3/6/20
For Sale: DAIRY HERD FOR SALE IN WAYNESBORO:
AI sired and bred, 50% in first lactation, milking 75+ lbs 2x, 3.9 BF, SSC 150,000, free stall. For more information contact Kent Hege - (706) 871-3821.
For Sale:
Corn Silage - For more information contact Carlin Giesbrecht at 478-494-4007
FOR Sale:
Stretch-O-Matic Bale Wrapper and Mover. For more information contact Carlin Giesbrecht at 478-494-4007
Bull Calves WANTED:
Competitive pricing with 6 day a week pickup. Brandon Mason Cattle Company 912-632-4490
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 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.
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