Georgia Milk Producers Weekly Enews
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GA Dairies Located in Hurricane Micheal Disaster Zone Should Prepare Documentation Quickly to Apply for Disaster Aid
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The Georgia Disaster Recovery Task Force, led by Commissioner Gary Black, is working diligently to ensure that Georgia farms impacted by Hurricane Michael in 2018 will receive aid under USDA's WHIP program and special state block grants for each commodity (including dairy). Georgia dairy farms located in the FEMA disaster area should prepare documentation immediately. Once USDA and the GA Dept of Agriculture approve programs for the state and earmarks aid for each commodity, the sign-up period will begin. The signup period will only be for 15 days in order to rush payments to producers desperately needing to plant and repair damaged property. Please feel free to contact our office with any questions at 706-207-0168.
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Federal disaster aid is coming, but S.W. Georgia will have to wait
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Last month, dozens of farmers and local bankers gathered in the South Georgia town of Doerun, a farming community still aching from the damage wrought by Hurricane Michael, to celebrate Congress’ passage of a
long-awaited disaster relief bill
and learn about what’s next. What they
heard from state officials
was a broad outline that help was on the way – but few specifics.
“We’ve got a lot of details to work out, but we believe we have a plan that will work,” state Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black said. “We’re ready to go.”
When President Donald Trump
put his signature
on the $19.1 billion relief package on June 6, he freed up federal dollars for Georgians still struggling to recover from Michael and other natural disasters from the past 18 months. But it will likely take weeks or months — and potentially the better part of a year — for money to filter down to the state.
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Sha Tao’s research at UGA-Tifton helps dairy cattle better deal with effects of heat stress
By
Clint Thompson for CAES News
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When Sha Tao joined the University of Georgia’s Department of Animal and Dairy Science in 2014 to study heat stress nutrition, management and physiology in dairy cattle, Georgia’s dairy producers welcomed the new expert in heat stress physiology.
Five years after joining the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tao is seeing the impact of the research he’s conducting on the UGA Tifton campus.
Research that’s emerged from Tao’s lab helps elucidate the potential impact of heat stress on the development and function of the bovine mammary gland and facilitates the understanding of differences in metabolic and physiological responses and growth performance of dairy calves raised during hot, humid summers and the temperate winter environment in south Georgia.
Heat stress is inevitable in the Southeast, and Tifton’s location in south Georgia provides prime real estate to conduct heat stress research. June, July and August are routinely hot months in Georgia and, this past May, temperatures have already reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
What makes Tao’s job so essential for dairy producers are the negative effects heat stress can have on dairy cows’ ability to get pregnant and produce milk, as well as increasing susceptibility to disease.
Full Story Here>>>
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Millions of dollars yet to be claimed by dairy farmers
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Only a quarter of the more than 21,000 dairy farmers who enrolled in the Dairy Margin Protection Program have utilized repayment funds made available in the 2018 Farm Bill.
USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey says the last report he’s seen included $5 million distributed as cash payments to about 1,400 producers and $14 million for 4,000 producers who have chosen to use their credits to cover the new Dairy Margin Coverage Program premiums.
“I think we’ll likely see both those numbers grow.”
Northey says in some cases, farmers may no longer milk cows but are still eligible for a cash repayment.
Full Story Here>>>
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July Dixie Dairy Report
By Calvin Covington, SE Dairy Industry Consultant
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This issue covers 2019 dairy farm prices, May to May Milk Production comparisons, dairy demand, dairy products sales report prices and class I mover, and projected blend prices.
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Having money versus making money
By Andrew Novakovic, Cornell University, Hoard's Dairyman
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If you’ve got money in your bank account, does that mean your farm is profitable? If your farm is profitable, does that mean you must have enough cash to pay all your bills?These aren’t trick questions. However, the answer is a little trickier than it may sound. The answers also can have implications for the financial decisions you make and how all those decisions made by U.S. farmers collectively add up to impact national milk production.
I’ve lost track of how many times somebody has told me that basic economics doesn’t apply to the dairy industry because dairy farmers produce more milk when prices are high, but they also produce more when prices are low. Despite the apparent contradiction with what economists call the law of supply, this observation is not entirely wrong . . . but it isn’t entirely right either.
Read more here>>>
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By
Beth Newhart, DairyReporter.com
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In a study of overweight adults and their dairy intake, a high dairy diet (HDD) was found to lower blood pressure, which the researchers credited to an accompanying increase in calcium.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published
new research
last week that analyzed the effects of dairy on blood pressure (BP) in overweight, middle-aged men and women. Dairy has traditionally been regarded as unhealthy for adults in excess and bad for cardiovascular health.
The authors said the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of an HDD as compared with a low dairy diet (LDD) in participants, who consumed three meals per day over two separate six-week periods.
Read more here >>>
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JICYMI: A Letter to the Non Ag Community
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Hi,
We need to talk.
Firstly - apologies to you, because we are not always that good at doing this. We all too easily get defensive, up in arms and occasionally confrontational when we are challenged, accused or criticized. The thing is, we get a little sick of being called uneducated and ignorant when we have a lifetime of experience and many of us have qualifications which are similar to (or even exceed) our city cousins. It hurts us when people tells us we are cruel to animals, don't care for the future of the planet and are blasé about food safety whereas for the majority of us the opposite is true. It frustrates us when people with little agricultural knowledge or experience lecture us on social media about the dangers of chemicals, our contribution to a changing climate, soil health, genetic modification and more when we have spent a lifetime working in, studying, experiencing and developing strategies to not only benefit our businesses, families and communities - but also those we produce for that we don't even know.
But we don't always react well to being criticized and challenged. And when we do, we usually find solace in 'preaching to the converted' and sticking to our own rather than seeking to engage in meaningful conversation with those who may either not agree with us, or have a limited understanding of what we do and say. For this, we can only apologize.
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Agricultural operations may not always take the time to do simple background checks or provide employees with the proper initial training that can cause huge issues down the road. Recent news has highlighted what can go wrong when agricultural operations hire employees with limited knowledge of agricultural practices. The University of Maryland will host a webinar focused on proper hiring and training techniques for agricultural operations on July 12 starting at noon (EST).
The webinar will show that taking the time to properly screen potential candidates, properly train those new employees, and provide continuing training for new practices to existing employees, the agricultural operation can limit potential hiring and training issues. This webinar will feature Paul Goeringer, Extension legal specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, who will discuss proper screening and training techniques that agricultural operations should consider.
Read more and register here >>>
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7 Tips for Better Milk Quality
By
Dr.
David A Reid, Dairy Herd Management
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Many years ago a mentor of mine told a summer NMC meeting the half life of milk quality information is “over 50 years.” Milking, clean, dry, stimulated teats certainly is not new. There are a few key management areas that are common to dairies with low bulk tank somatic cell count levels.
The rates of clinical mastitis are also low in these herds so they’re not just good at separating the mastitis cows out of the bulk tank. Based on my experiences, outstanding milk quality herds have several factors that do not vary with the herd sizes or type of operations. Some of these dairies are small, some are organic and some are large, but they all have management focused on producing quality milk.
COMMON THREADS
The key factor is really simple and common to all herds with excellent milk quality; the owners want to have low cell count milk and they make sure all employees (even if all employees are actually family members) are also working every day to maximize milk quality.
These common factors are, for the most part, not expensive, but require diligent attention to detail.
Full Story Here>>>
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The Future Of Food Needs To Focus On Bringing Broadband To Rural Communities, Says Beth Ford
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For people who live in cities, having access to wireless internet is often taken for granted. But for the farmers who live in rural areas of the United States, access to broadband can be a dire and critical need.
“Thirty percent of farmers don’t have access to broadband,” says Beth Ford, CEO of dairy co-op Land O’Lakes. “They are taking their children to McDonald's to sit in the parking lot to get broadband access so they can do their homework.”
With the focus on the future of agriculture, it’s critical to include farmers in the conversation, Ford said in a keynote conversation at the Forbes 2019 AgTech Summit in Salinas, California. Along with the inaccessibility of broadband in rural communities, there’s a shortage of doctors and grocery stores, and ironically enough, food —
78%
of rural counties are indexed as food insecure.
Full Story Here>>>
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Other Stories to Check Out This Week >>>
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UGA Advanced Grazing School
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The 2019 Advanced Grazing School will be held on July 16
th
and 17
th
at the Livestock Instructional Arena in Athens, GA. This will be an intense two day hands on event that will overlap with the Deep South Stocker Conference on the second day. Registration will include coffee and snacks throughout the day, lunch for both days, a large notebook with handouts and supplemental information, and PLENTY of interactive presentations and hands on learning activities.
Tentative topics for the 2019 Advanced Grazing School will include:
Forage Systems for Stocker Cattle: Cool Season and Warm Season Systems
Economics of Forage Systems
Putting an Entire Forage System Together
Regenerative Grazing: Facts or Fiction?
Grassfed Livestock Production
Data Reviews
Supplementation Strategies
Producer Panel
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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.
TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at gamilkproducers@gmail.com
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