2019 | August 9 GMP E Newsletter
Georgia Milk Producers Weekly Enews
Southeast Dairy Stewardship Module 4:Transition Cows in Quitman, August 13th
Please join us for an educational program addressing transition cow nutrition and housing strategies to improve welfare and vaccination strategies to assure a healthy transition period. Experts (Dr. John Bernard, Dr. Izabella Toledo, and Dr. Vic Cortese) and dairy farmers will provide insights on nutritional strategies, environmental conditions, and vaccination protocols critical to assure transition cow welfare, health, and performance. Completion of this program will count towards annual animal care employee training required within NMPF's National Dairy FARM Program.

Drought changes management strategy for Bermuda grass stem maggot
From Clint Thompson, CAES News
Drought-like conditions this summer are forcing Georgia forage farmers to delay treatments for Bermuda grass stem maggot, according to Lisa Baxter, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension forage specialist.

It is normally recommended that farmers wait seven to 10 days after harvest, then apply a pyrethroid insecticide labeled for forages at the recommended rate, then repeat treatment seven to 10 days later.
A lack of rain across the state this summer calls for that treatment timeline to be tweaked, Baxter said.

“The problem is that, in a drought, we don’t have green leaves seven days after harvest. If there aren’t green leaves, there are no adult flies out there and that is what the pyrethroid is killing — the adult flies — not the other stages of the stem maggot,” she said.

For this reason, Baxter is recommending that Georgia forage producers hold off on the first treatment if they are experiencing below normal rainfall.  Read more here>>>
In Case You Missed It: GDYF 2019 Summer E-Moos
In this issue:

  • Report from SE Dairy Youth Retreat in Virginia
  • State Dairy Quiz Bowl Competition
  • Dairy Dawgs in CincinnatiDairy Dawgs in Cincinnati
  • State FFA Dairy Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award
  • Dress-A-Cow Contest at GA National Fair
  • Upcoming Events 

Milk Producers Gain in Second Round of Trade-Mitigation Payments
From Dairy Business
Milk producers will do better the second time around than they did in the first round of  Market Facilitation Program  payments, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced July 25.
The trade-mitigation payments are the key component of the $16 billion aid package the White House has offered, intending to compensate agricultural producers for lost and diminished export markets resulting from the trade policy wars.

MFP payments will be made in up to three tranches, with the second and third tranches to be determined as market conditions and trade opportunities dictate. For dairy farmers, the payment rate is $0.20/cwt., compared to a $0.12 rate used in 2018. The first tranche will include 50% of the total payment, which for dairy farmers should mean an initial rate of $0.20/cwt. on half of their production history. The other 50% will be divided between the following two tranches. If conditions warrant, the second and third payments will be made in November and January 2020. USDA will begin issuing the first payments in mid-to-late August.  Read more here>>>
August 2019 Dixie Dairy Report
From Calvin Covington


This issue covers dairy farm prices, Southeast supply and demand, commodity prices, total dairy demand, Southeast farm numbers and blend prices.
Dean Foods Q2 2019 Earnings: Reports and Follow-up Perspectives
From MilkSheds Blog
The Dean Foods Earnings Call, the public report of the company’s Q2 financial results, took place Tuesday, August 6th, 2019.
Dean Food stakeholders and the financial community had their first widespread engagement with new CEO  Eric Beringause, who assumed the roles of CEO and and President  on July 29, 2019, only a week before the Earnings Call.
Mr. Beringause warmly greeted those on the call, briefly introduced himself and his background, and noted he was still getting to know the company and help determine his thoughts on specific actions going forward. Fair enough, since he had only been on the job a week.
This Call and webcast, relatively brief (38 minutes compared to the normal hour),  yielded no real surprises concerning the challenges  of Dean Foods. The company is still recovering from not only its own distresses, but is a player in a big food sector, which is also facing challenges. Read Blog Here>>>
Dairy looks to ancient technology to manage manure odor, runoff
By  Elizabeth Gribkoff , VTDigger
A dairy farm in spitting distance of Lake Champlain hopes an ancient technology can cut down on odors from manure, and prevent the nutrient-rich runoff that contributes to pollution in Vermont’s waterways.
At the end of June, Shelburne Farms had a truckload of biochar delivered from Quebec to mix into its 350,000-gallon manure pit.

“It created a crust across the pit and then it was like — immediate odor reduction,” said Sam Dixon, dairy farm manager for Shelburne Farms. Other employees of the nonprofit, who likely had more sensitive noses for manure odors, had also noticed the smell go down, he said.

Biochar, which has experienced a  recent resurgence in popularity as a potential way to capture carbon in soil , is produced by burning biomass at high temperatures in a low oxygen environment — a process called pyrolysis.

The technology is far from new: pre-Colombian civilizations added  Terra preta , or dark earth in Portuguese, to low-nutrient Amazonian soils to enhance their fertility.
Ups and downs of tourism
By Caitlin Rodgers, GA Dairy Farmer via Hoard's Dairyman
We have done a few tours over the years for other dairy farmers, federal and state representatives, friends, and our own family. Up to this point, we have never really given tours to the public. We are excited to open up our farm to the community to share our knowledge and experience of what goes on from day to day in the dairy farm world.

There is a lot of misunderstanding among consumers when it comes to dairy farming. The main reason, in my opinion, is lack of knowledge for animal agriculture. The majority of people are many generations removed from the farm. Most people have never stepped foot on one. It gives us pride to be able to provide the experience to our community and surrounding communities. Read more here>>>
Should we take federal orders back to the basics?
By John Newton, American Farm Bureau Federation
The Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) pool, specifically the financial benefits of the Class I beverage market, has often been described as a golden goose. For decades, the returns from the Class I market have been used to pay higher prices for milk that is typically intended for manufacturing classes of milk — effectively preserving a reserve supply of milk. The economic benefits of these revenue-sharing pools, however, have changed due to mounting milk supplies and lower utilization of fluid milk.

Through the first five months of 2019, U.S. dairy farmers produced nearly 92 billion pounds of milk. More than 70 billion pounds, or nearly 80 percent, of this milk was pooled in FMMOs. A large majority of this milk was used for manufacturing purposes, with slightly more than 17 billion pounds, or 25 percent, used to produce beverage milk products. Read more here >>>
Survey: Consumer expectations make it tough to be a farmer
By AGDaily Reporters
Add conflicting consumer expectations to the list of reasons farming is a tough row to hoe. In its  new global study , Cargill found consumers had a hard-to-satisfy wish list for those who put food on our tables — with most claiming to feel knowledgeable about how our food is raised.

Farmers should care most about “providing safe, healthy, abundant and affordable food,” said a majority of survey takers. Yet those same respondents would prefer their food come from smaller/specialty, local or organic farms — which can’t necessarily compete on cost. Read more here >>>
Generation Z was born somewhere between the mid-1990s and about 2015 (years are still to be decided). It’s the world’s youngest and largest consumer group and they have real food and beverages likes and dislikes. This is so much more than not wanting to eat their vegetables. 

They are a tech-savvy, culturally diverse and experience-focused generation. They research foods and beverages in social media and directly impact household spending when they are not buying product themselves. Yes, they shop! Many parents let their youngest household members access the online grocery shopping account to select their preferred foods. (When my kids were little, the rule was it had to be on sale and I had to have a coupon. Today, sales and coupons are often irrelevant for many foodie households.)

A few weeks ago, Midwest Dairy and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin hosted a Dairy Experience Forum in St. Paul, Minn. The event brought together dairy farmers, industry experts and partners with the goal of sparking disruptive innovation to drive the industry forward. The group focused on getting into the consumer mindset of Gen Z in order to keep dairy foods relevant.  Read more here >>>
Other Stories to Check Out This Week >>>
Register Today for the Florida Dairy Production Conference
From Southeast AGNet
Producers are invited to attend the 2019 Florida Dairy Production Conference, Wednesday September 18, 2019 at the Straughn IFAS Extension Center (UF Campus), Gainesville, Florida. The program starts at 9 AM and some of the topics discussed include dairy calf and heifer management, selecting replacement heifers critical aspects for improving reproductive success, nutritional manipulations to improve health and fertility, along with addressing animal welfare concerns in dairy farming and engaging and educating the public about dairy practices. They also will have a session talking about dairy farming and social media. For registration and further details,  click here .
Upcoming Events >>>
GA Dairy Classifieds
TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at gamilkproducers@gmail.com

Registered Brown Swiss dairy cows(6) and heifers(3) for sale. 7 X 24 2004 Featherlight trailer with tack area and 2 cuts $12,000.00 and an Artic 22 semen tank (has a few straws of beef semen inside) $450. Please contact Beth Gearhart, Waynesboro, GA, 352-603-2629 text or call

For Sale: 2016 Tatoma Vertical Twin Screw Mixer. Equipped with Front Discharge and Side Discharge Extension - $35,000.00. Please contact Jim or Stephanie Waite 334-222-7957 for more information. 

Calves wanted:  Competitive pricing with a 6 day a week pick up. Will buy bulls and heifers of all ages. Peter's Cattle Co. 470-255-8515

Young Stock Supervisor wanted -  Hart Agriculture Waynesboro GA
Grazing 500-1000 animals,   Must be familiar with rotational grazing and breeding. Please contact Maggie 352-507-2042 or   maggie@hartagriculture.com
 
Dairy Manager wanted -  Hart Agriculture Waynesboro GA
300-700 milking cows,   60 bale rotary, New Zealand style grazing system. Please contact Maggie 352-507-2042 or   maggie@hartagriculture.com

Bull Calves WANTED:  Competitive pricing with 6 day a week pickup. Brandon Mason Cattle Company 912-632-4490

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   brian.winters@dhicoop.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

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   crumpdairyreplacements.org   

Bullcalves Wanted :  Looking for Bullcalves to purchase - Barron Tench 864-844-2295 or  barron.tench@gmail.com    

TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at gamilkproducers@gmail.com