2020 | Jan 17 GMP E Newsletter
Georgia Milk Producers Weekly Enews
2020 GA Dairy Conference Producer Update
We are 3 days away from the 2020 GA Dairy Conference!! It's shaping up to be our largest conference with over 80 vendor tables in our tradeshow! Here are a few updates:

WIFI Access: Producers have complimentary WIFI in their rooms and can access WIFI in our conference area with the code "MILK2020".


MLK Celebration Parade  on Mon. January 20: For guest and dairymen arriving to Savannah on Monday morning: Please be aware of the 2020 MLK Holiday Parade. The parade will begin at 10 a.m.     Click here for the parade route and map. It will last for at least one or two hours (300+ floats)

Georgia Dairy Farm Families : Georgia Milk Producers will deduct $100/night for two nights from each Georgia dairy farm’s hotel bill at checkout. It’s our way to show our appreciation for your support and to encourage you to attend your annual dairy conference! 
 
Continuing Education Hours : Certified waste operators can receive one (1) continuing education credit (CEU) hour during the Georgia Dairy Conference. To obtain your attendance certificate, you must attend Dr. Deanne Meyer’s presentation, titled “Managing Dairy Manure in the Central Valley of California” on Tuesday, January 21 at 8:00 a.m. Veterinary (5 hours) and ARPAS (10 hours) CEUs are also available for those interested, registration for these CEUs will be available at the GDC registration desk.

Parking at the Savannah Riverfront Marriott: Parking at the Savannah Riverfront Marriott has been reduced to $8 per day for those attending the Georgia Conference.

Dairy Spouses Event: This year, our spouses will fellowship over breakfast, then participate in a DIY Cheese Board Workshop hosted by Brooke Saye of More Cheese Please . The class will include all of the supplies and ingredients to craft your very own take-home (or enjoy there) cheeseboard spread. Saye will share techniques on how to build your board and will provide a take home cheat sheet that you can use to prepare your next charcuterie spread! Please let us know if you plan to participate at the registration table.
Got milk? 2 of country’s top milk producers file for bankruptcy; Georgia feels impact
From WSBTV Atlanta
Two of the nation's largest milk producers are facing hard times.

Dean Foods and Borden Dairy both filed for bankruptcy.

Georgia dairy farmers are also feeling the hurt. Scott Glover's family has been in the dairy business for nearly 70 years.

He said several factors have been hurting the industry.

“When I started milking cows with my wife 20 years ago, there were 340 or 350. Eleven or twelve in this county alone. Now we’re the only one left,” said Glover of Glo-crest Dairy.

There are just 120 still in business statewide, and now, the biggest names in the industry are on the ropes.

A few months ago, Dean Foods, the nation’s largest milk producer, filed for bankruptcy.

A few days ago, Borden Dairy, maybe best known for mascot Elsie the cow, did the same. Read more here>>>
Morgan Co. to Host Annual Dairy Enterprise Meeting on Jan. 27th
The Morgan County Dairy Association invites you to their Annual Dairy Enterprise Outlook Meeting that is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 27, 2020 at Bonner’s Triple B Restaurant, Buckhead, GA. Dr. Tommie Shepherd, UGA Extension Economist will present the annual
dairy outlook for the year and policy changes. Our meal sponsors are Eatonton Cooperative Feed Company and Godfrey’s Warehouse. Thank you for your generous and loyal support to the local dairy industry!

Please make every effort to attend this important meeting as we begin a New Year and plot the course for our organization. Please call the Morgan County Extension Office at 706-342-2214 for meal reservations no later than NOON on Monday, January 27th. Download invite here>>>
Senate Overwhelmingly Passes USMCA
The Senate overwhelmingly approved a new North American trade agreement Thursday that rewrites the rules of trade with Canada and Mexico and gives President Donald Trump a major policy win before senators turn their full attention to his impeachment trial.

The vote was 89-10.

The measure goes to Trump for his signature. It would replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA, which tore down most trade barriers and triggered a surge in trade. But Trump and other critics blamed that pact for encouraging U.S. companies to move their manufacturing plants south of the border to take advantage of low-wage Mexican laborers.

Passage of the trade bill came one day after Trump signed a new trade agreement with China, easing trade tensions between the economic powers. Read more here>>>
USDA Boss ‘Counting on’ Final Tranche of Trump Farmer Trade Aid
By Mike Dorning, Bloomberg
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said he expects American farmers to receive the third and final tranche in 2019 trade bailout payments even after an initial deal with China was signed on Wednesday.

The Agriculture Department hasn’t announced yet whether farmers will receive the payments, in many cases worth about 25% of the assistance package, because the action is still awaiting approval from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, Perdue said in an interview with Bloomberg News.

In a joint interview, Perdue and U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad offered an upbeat assessment of opportunities for American farmers in the Asian nation after the “phase one” deal brought a truce to a trade war that had caused a sharp drop in U.S. agricultural exports. Perdue said he is “98.5%” certain China will meet commitments to purchase an annual average of about $40 billion in U.S. farm products over the next two years. Read more here>>>
A Chocolate Milk Makeover
By Katelyn Allen, Publications Editor, Hoard's Dairyman
Dairy will benefit from McDonald’s new milk option

How long have we heard that fluid milk must innovate in order to combat declining consumption?

With such a dynamic marketplace, it seems that simple white milk is sometimes lost in the shuffle. Instead, it’s creativity that has been behind some of the most stimulating dairy successes of the past decade, like ultrafiltered milk and Greek yogurt. Thanks to those products, we see that putting a spin on classic dairy products can resonate with consumers.

That’s why it’s exciting to see a product revamp from the largest fast food dairy customer in the country. This month, McDonald’s will launch a new and improved chocolate milk that has 25% less sugar and is low-fat (the previous chocolate milk option was fat-free).
The kids’ menu at McDonald’s currently features only low-fat white milk. Chocolate milk, as well as cheeseburgers, was officially dropped from the menu in 2018 in an effort to cut calories in kids’ Happy Meals.

A checkoff partnership with Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) allowed the restaurant to develop a dairy beverage option to put back on the menu for their kids’ meals. DMI first supplied information on consumer trends and preferences. They then worked with the McDonald’s team and provided support from food scientists to make the new chocolate milk a reality. Read more here>>>
GAC SPONSORS FIRST RURAL CAUCUS AND DISCUSSES RIGHT TO FARM LEGISLATION
From GA Agribusiness Council
The Georgia Agribusiness Council was proud to sponsor the first Rural Caucus meeting of the 2020 legislative session alongside our friends at GFB.

Dairyman  Adam Graft  from Americus, GA spoke to the packed roomed of legislators about how his family is being impacted by frivolous lawsuits from activists groups. His story is very similar to what we are seeing across the state and country as environmental activists attempt to overthrow long standing laws and farming traditions through the court system.

Georgia's current  Right to Farm  laws are in need of updating, as other states with similar laws to our current legislation have proven inadequate in front of some juries, and would be greatly strengthened with  HB 545 . The bill was passed in the House in 2019 and is being carried in the Senate by Agriculture Committee  Chairman John Wilkinson . Chairman Wilkinson has been working throughout the off-season to ensure that HB 545 can pass in the Senate and ensures the protections that have been intended by the state to farmers since the early 80's are still in place, as billboard attorneys continue to seek loopholes in the courtroom to override the legislative process.

Please contact your State Senators and ask that they help push this much needed legislation through as they are receiving plenty of opposition mail from these well funded and organized groups.
Dean of UGA School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to resign in June
By Lorna Ramage, Red and Black Newspaper
Samuel Pardue, the Dean and Director of the University of Georgia’s School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, announced his resignation from the university to come this June.

The decision came in response to multiple personal reasons and challenges, Pardue said in an email to The Red & Black.
By Jeffrey Bewley for Progressive Dairy
Compost-bedded pack barns have grown in popularity in many areas of the world as an alternative to stall-based housing systems for dairy cows. Compost-bedded pack barns are loose housing barns that rely on composting manure and organic bedding to provide resting space.

What differentiates a compost-bedded pack barn from a traditional-bedded pack barn is that the bedding is tilled or stirred frequently to enhance the microbial activity that leads to composting and the drying of bedding. Stirring the bedding two to three times a day is recommended for optimal composting.
Other Stories to Check Out This Week >>>
Rachael Kent, Project Manager with JGM Dairy Design Engineers, will talk about Robotic dairy farming in the Southeast and her experiences with designing barns to accommodate this new technology. Join us on Tuesday afternoon to listen to Rachael at the Georgia Dairy Conference! Less than a week away! For more information visit our website:  http:// www.gadairyconference.com/   #2020GDC
Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium in February
The 31st Annual Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium will be held at the  Best Western Gateway Grand , Gainesville, Florida on February 3 to February 5, 2020. 

Georgia Agencies Partner to Host Feral Swine Workshops
From Southeast AgNet
Feral swine have become increasingly detrimental in Georgia, causing significant damage to agricultural crops and natural resources around the state. The economic impact of damage caused by feral swine in Georgia last year is estimated at $150 million.
So a group of agricultural and natural resource organizations, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s  Natural Resources Conservation Service  and the  Georgia Association of Conservation Districts , have partnered to host some of Georgia’s top experts on feral swine in a series of educational workshops for farmers and landowners. There will be eight workshops and trapping demonstrations throughout the state, four in Southeast Georgia and four in Northeast Georgia.

The first workshop will be held Jan. 30 at University of Georgia Extension in Lakeland, Georgia.

Topics will include disease issues, swine biology, water quality issues, effective control techniques, transport issues, public health and regulations to be followed by a question-and-answer panel of experts. There is no cost to attend the workshops, but space is limited and preregistration is required. More details and registration information is available at  GACD.us/events .
Upcoming Events >>>
GA Dairy Classifieds
TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at gamilkproducers@gmail.com

UPDATED 1/17/20

The following are FOR SALE from Archie Felder. For more information call 1-803-682-3426 :
40 ready to breed heifers - 14 to 15 months old

40 yearlings - 12 to 13 months old
(24000 2x, AI Sired)

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.

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