Milk Quota

Eastern region Land O’Lakes producers headed for quota

While supply management is law north of the U.S. border, in this country cooperatives are self-imposing the practice in times of tight capacity like the current glut in the northeast. Farm Progress first reported that Land O’Lakes sent its eastern region members notice that a quota would be established, effective January 1.

The Land O’Lakes website shows that its board of directors currently has seven dairy regions represented, with one in California, three in the Upper Midwest, and three based in Pennsylvania, but also covering parts neighboring Mid-East states. Three of the 12 dairy division directorships are held in these eastern regions.

A base production value of September 2014 to August 2015 will be assigned to each member, and their production managed by the cooperative with any member producing over-quota milk charged the incremental costs to do so.

While Canada’s supply management system via quota remains intact, the E.U. let their version of supply management expire on April 1 of this year. The state of California remains in a quota system since the 1960s, giving quota-holders, representing about 60% of the state’s farms, additional revenue each month of about $1.50/cwt as distributed from a pool. That quota has not expanded for 20 years, but cooperatives have implemented quota at times within the state to manage supply.

Meetings are taking place in Pennsylvania to inform Land O’Lakes producers of the changes.

Pizza

Black Friday’ delivers pizza promotion

The dairy checkoff’s work with partners such as Domino’s continues to revitalize the pizza category to benefit dairy farmers.

The checkoff’s cheese work in pizza and foodservice has helped move 4 billion incremental pounds of milk from January of 2014 to July of 2015, according to Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff.

Much of this success results from the checkoff’s work locally and nationally with partners such as Domino’s, said Neil Hoff, a Texas dairy farmer and chairman of the United Dairy Industry Association, the federation of state and regional dairy checkoff organizations.

“Pizza consumption was on a steady decline for five-plus years and had been a driver for increased consumption the prior 25 years,” Hoff said. “With that business scenario, we entered the marketplace with Domino’s in 2009 to turn the category around. They said, ‘What can we do together?’ This created a catalytic effect in the pizza industry to put more cheese on the pies.”

The first success came that year with the launch of the American Legends specialty pizza line, which uses up to 40% more cheese than the traditional pizza at Domino’s.

It continued with Domino’s Smart Slice, a kid-approved school pizza that the checkoff helped create. Smart Slice uses pizza cheese made with 100% real mozzarella and meets  USDA’s school meal guidelines.

Local dairy checkoff organizations have worked with Domino’s to serve Smart Slice in more than 6,500 schools, which helps protect dairy’s freedom to operate in a critical environment.

The latest example of how dairy farmers and importers are working with Domino’s is through a 10-day marketing and media promotion starting on “Black Friday” for all pizzas ordered through www.dominos.com.

Domino’s has run a “Cyber Monday” promotion aimed at online shoppers the past few years. This year, it will begin three days earlier (Nov. 27 to Dec. 6) thanks to local checkoff organizations that have helped Domino’s increase its marketing and media work. The promotion will include national Domino’s advertising and digital marketing, plus online conversations from the checkoff.

“Local promotion farmer leaders support this effort because the investment goes directly to markets where people live and we expect it to deliver positive results,” Hoff said. “This is another strong example of local and national dairy promotion dollars working together to increase demand for dairy.”

The partnership between dairy farmers and Domino’s franchisee owners works because they have much in common, Hoff said. Both are local, small business owners that create jobs and have other positive impacts on their communities.

“Our partnership with America’s dairy farm families continues to uncover new ways to deliver more delicious cheese to our customers across the country,” said Domino’s Chief Marketing Officer Joe Jordan. “Our relationship with dairy farmers is a major strength for us, not just on Black Friday but every day.”

Farm Toy

walmart_livestock_truck_toyIf you are thinking of buying this toy livestock trailer from Walmart to put under the Christmas tree this year, we would suggest grabbing it now instead of later.

Why?

It appears that even these toys are not safe from the likes of animal rights extremists.

Yes, you read that right – even toys meant for children are targets of these activists.

Over the weekend, a Change.org petition was initiated by a vegan activist based in Canada. The petition urges fellow activists to ask C. Douglas McMillon, CEO of Walmart, to stop selling the livestock trucks.

“Normalizing the enslavement and murder of animals to kids is not ok,” the petition stresses.

And people have responded. More than 10,000 people signed the petition in just four days.

Not everyone is persuaded by the petition.

“Why don’t you all grow up? It’s a toy. Not all cow wagons are slaughter rigs, just like not all trains are slave trains, not all ships are pirate ships,” The petition’s top commenter, based in California, wrote.  “And not all of you goody two shoes are all that perfect if you really think about it.”

More of the petition’s critics also pointed out that these trucks are used for more than just transporting animals to slaughter.

It’s unclear how Walmart will respond to the petition, if at all. However, similar efforts in other retail sectors have succeeded in other instances. For example, in 2013, the children’s clothing store Children’s Place removed a t-shirt after the customers complained it sent the wrong message to young girls.

By Angela Bowman, Associate Editor, PORK Network November 18, 2015 | 1:14 pm EST

Natural Food Label

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking public comments on whether the agency should set a definition for the term “natural” on food labels. The comment period opened Nov. 12 and runs through Feb. 10, 2016.

FDA received three citizen petitions asking the agency define the term “natural” for use in food labeling, and one petition asking the agency prohibit the term “natural” on food labels.

The absence of a federal regulation for “natural” or “all natural” claims has resulted in a large number of class-action lawsuits against food companies, according to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). Those lawsuits allege consumers are misled by “all-natural claims” on products containing specific ingredients derived synthetically or from biotechnology.

Currently, there is no FDA regulation that defines “natural” for labeling purposes. FDA has a longstanding policy prohibiting products from being labeled as “natural” if they contain synthetic ingredients, artificial flavors or added color that a consumer would not normally expect in a product.

That policy was not intended to address food production methods, such as the use of pesticides, nor does it explicitly address food processing or manufacturing methods, such as thermal technologies, pasteurization or irradiation, according to the FDA announcement. The FDA also did not consider whether the term “natural” should describe any nutritional or other health benefit.

The policy also does not address the use of the term “natural” to address statements regarding natural cheese, IDFA noted.

Specifically, the FDA is seeking information and public comment on questions such as:

  • Whether it is appropriate to define the term “natural,”
  • If so, how the agency should define “natural,” and
  • How the agency should determine appropriate use of the term on food labels.

How to comment

To comment electronically, go to docket folder FDA-2014-N-1207 on Regulations.gov.

For submissions by mail, use the following address.

Division of Dockets Management
HFA-305
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

Be sure to include docket number FDA-2014-N-1207 on each page of your written comments.

By Dave Natzke November 16, 2015

Small Ruminant Workshop

Small Ruminant Health Workshop

November 5, 2015
Paradee Center
Dover, Delaware
6:30-9:00 pm

Learn to assess vital signs and recognize signs and symptoms of common diseases in sheep and goats

Featured Speaker:
Dr. Wendy Freeman, VMD

Workshop Schedule:

6:30-6:45- Welcome and Overview of the Small Ruminant Health Grant Project
6:45-7:15- Assessing Vital Signs in Small Ruminants

7:15-7:30- Break

7:30-8:45- Signs and Symptoms of Common Diseases in Small Ruminants

8:45- Questions, Evaluation, Adjourn

Fall Workshop Series

Land Leases and Laws
Wednesday, October 28
6:30 p.m.
Presented by Ashley Newhall. Ashley is a legal specialist at the University of Maryland in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, who specializes in agricultural law and its effects on agriculture producers. She will discuss what is necessary to legally lease your land for agricultural use and protect your rights as a landowner.

Grain Marketing Basics
Wednesdays, November 4, 18, and December 2, 9, and 16
6:30 p.m.
A series of meetings led by John Newhall. John, who has been with the University of Maryland
Cooperative Extension for 30 years, has taught grain marketing, is a registered broker, is affiliated with Allendale Inc. of McHenry, Illinois, and writes a weekly marketing column in the Delmarva Farmer.
Participants of this series are encouraged to bring a laptop.

All programs are FREE and will be held at the Appoquinimink Community Library, 651 North Broad St., Middletown, DE 19709. The workshop series are subject to change based on the number of participants.
Pre-registration is required.
If you have special needs in accessing these programs, please call the office two weeks in advance.

To register or request more information, please call our office at
(302) 831-2506 or email Serena at serenac@udel.edu.
Please register by Friday, October 23.
It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age or national origin.

November 5th Small Ruminant Health Workshop with Dr. Wendy Freeman, VMD

As part of a larger small ruminant health grant, please join us on the evening of November 5, 2015 at the Paradee Center in Dover, Delaware for our initial workshop in a series of health related workshops to focus on vital signs and health assessments and recognizing the signs and symptoms of pre-parturient diseases (diseases of pregnant ewes/does) and diseases in lambs and kids.  Our featured guest speaker for the evening will be nationally recognized expert on small ruminant veterinary care, Dr. Wendy Freeman, VMD.

Dr. Freeman graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School in 1985.  After graduation, Dr. Freeman completed an internship and residency in Field Service at the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center in 1988.  Following her residency, Wendy joined the faculty at New Bolton Center and became Assistant Professor of Medicine and Field Service in 1992, where she worked on developing and directing the small ruminant program.  Dr. Freeman directed the reproductive program and implemented total health care and clinical studies of the teaching flock.  Wendy is one of the most experienced small ruminant specialists in the United States and sees both large and small animal patients at Longwood Veterinary Center in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania on a full-time basis.

The Small Ruminant Health Program is a project developed by University of Delaware extension professionals Susan Garey and Dan Severson in response to a deficiency of veterinarians in the region with the desire to treat small ruminants. As a result, producers need to further develop their skills in assessing animal health and treating common diseases.  A Risk Management Grant Proposal was funded by the Northeast Extension for Risk Management Education Center to develop the project. A needs assessment was completed to determine needs for technical training and skill development. If producers can develop knowledge and skills in assessing animal health, recognizing disease symptoms, determining treatment and performing treatment skills, producers can ultimately reduce mortality rates increase productivity of their flocks and herds.

For questions or to register for this free workshop, please contact Susan Garey, Extension Agent Animal Science, University of Delaware (302)730-4000 truehart@udel.edu or Dan Severson, New Castle County Extension Agricultural Agent, (302)831-8860 or severson@udel.edu  If you have any special needs in accessing this program, please let us know two weeks in advance.

Cooperative Extension Education in Agriculture and Home Economics, University of Delaware, Delaware State University, and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age, or national origin.

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2012-49200-20031

NEW-FINAL-Northeast-ERME-1CWeb_usda_nifa_horizontal_rgb_72

 

 

Click here for the full brochure for the Small Ruminant Health Workshop

 

 

 

 

What do you think?

By Susanna Pilny

 

The California Environmental Agency has announced its intentions to have the active ingredient of Roundup—glyphosate—labelled as an agent “known to the state to cause cancer.” In the upcoming months, it will be added to a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm under the action of Proposition 65. Once this happens, businesses will have to provide “clear and reasonable” warnings before exposing people to Roundup (and other glyphosate products).

Glyphosate goes far beyond Roundup, of course—it’s used in more than 750 different agriculture, forestry, urban, and home products. Further, it’s being used increasingly on genetically modified crops. Ninety-percent of corn and soybean crops were engineered to be resistant to glyphosate, meaning more of the chemical can be used on fields without harming crop yields.

This is potentially problematic, because its widespread use has led to it being detected in air during spraying, in water, in food, and in the blood and urine of agricultural workers—which indicates glyphosate is absorbed and possibly metabolized by humans. Yuck!

Chemical under scrutiny

Many previous studies have given the herbicide a clean report card, but glyphosate has been under a lot of scrutiny as of late. In March, the World Health Organization published a study which lead them to classify the chemical as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The researchers mainly reviewed studies that examined the effect of glyphosate on rodents—they cited multiple studies in which glyphosate induced various types of cancers in mice and rats, as well as skin tumors in mice.

However, they examined a few human studies as well—several of which linked glyphosate to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Further, the herbicide was found to induce damage in the DNA and chromosomes of mammals and in human and animal cells in vitro (which generally is how cancers start).

Monsanto, the creator of glyphosate, quickly rebutted the findings of the WHO. “We are outraged with this assessment,” said Dr. Robb Fraley, Monsanto’s Chief Technology Officer, in the Monsanto press release.

“This conclusion is inconsistent with the decades of ongoing comprehensive safety reviews by the leading regulatory authorities around the world that have concluded that all labeled uses of glyphosate are safe for human health. This result was reached by selective ‘cherry picking’ of data and is a clear example of agenda-driven bias.”

But in August, a new collaborative study out of several European universities and Guy’s Hospital in London added more evidence in favor of the WHO’s findings: When rats were administered an ultra-low dose (0.1 parts per billion) of Roundup over the course of two years, many rats experienced kidney and liver damage, and exhibited over 4,000 alterations in the genes of those organs.

For now, California is only labelling glyphosate as a carcinogen instead of restricting or banning it. Environmental groups are celebrating, however, because while it is unclear whether it is harmful to humans, it has decimated monarch butterfly populations.

As glyphosate is so widespread, it has killed an enormous amount of the butterflies’ only food source—milkweed. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, this has led to populations plummeting by 80% over the last 20 years.
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/1113408605/california-epa-labels-roundup-herbicide-carcinogenic-090815/#SisMGg0epJZesr5i.99

MPP Dairy

Registration for the 2016 Margin Protection Program is currently underway, and the final day for sign up is September 30th. Now is the time to evaluate all of the tools in your risk management toolbox. This will help ensure your operation is adequately protected against declining milk prices and margins.

Four key steps to remember as you evaluate how MPP fits into your operation for 2016 are:

1. Educate yourself. If you didn’t enroll for 2015 but are looking to enroll for 2016, or if you are in need of additional information, check with your local FSA office regarding available upcoming educational meetings. You can also experiment with the updated MPP Decision Tool on the Dairy Markets and Policy website, dairymarkets.org. The decision tools allow you to stress test your dairy operation to see how varying milk and feed prices affect your operation’s financial health.

2. Leverage your network. Meet with your trusted advisors to review your operation’s current financial position, and assess how the MPP can fit into your risk management strategy. Remember, the Margin Protection Program replaced MILC and there are currently no other government safety nets to protect against significant decreases in dairy margins. As a reminder, you are no longer able to have a combination of LGM and MPP for 2016 and enrollment in LGM for any month of 2016 makes you ineligible for the MPP.

3. Evaluate your needs. If you were enrolled in MPP for 2015 and do not elect a coverage level by September 30th, your coverage will automatically default to the catastrophic $4 level. Don’t forget, you can change your coverage level right up until the registration period ends. You can go into FSA and sign up at the $4 level, evaluate projected margin positions based on markets in late September, and then confirm if you are still comfortable with your original selection or need to make a change.

4. Plan for potential expenses. Similar to last year, there is a $100 administration fee due at sign up for all coverage levels. At least 25% of your premium is due by February 1st and the remainder is due by June 1st. Talk with your lender about financing options to cover these potentially large cash outlays.

It is imperative to take some time and assess what risk management strategy is appropriate for your farm, based on your financial position and your appetite for risk. Remember leaving yourself open to the market is not a strategy, it is simply risking unknown margins on 100% of your production.

Steve is a Business Consultant working with the AgStar dairy consulting team since 2012. He grew up on a family farm in north central Wisconsin and received his Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and his Master’s degree in Animal Science from North Dakota State University.