The University of Georgia Dairy Science Club is raising money to start a retirement fund for Charisma, a 13-year-old cow in the university’s teaching dairy herd. The Washington State Dairy Federation disputes state water permit costs. Prairie Farms Dairy and the National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks will team up to sell milk at the Wisconsin State Fair. Richard Denier, retired general manager of World Wide Sires in Visalia, California, will receive the National Dairy Shrine’s highest honor. This and other U.S. region-by-region dairy news can be found here.
To find news in your region, click on its link below.
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Georgia Dairy Science Club raising money for cow's retirement
The University of Georgia's (UGA) Dairy Science Club is raising money on gofundme to start a retirement fund for Charisma, a 13-year member of the UGA Teaching Dairy herd, Athens, Georgia.
"She's been there for years and has been special to several workers, students and professors, and impacted several in finding their passion for dairy and animal science," said Sarah Jane Thomsen, the club's public representative and senior double major in animal and dairy science. "She's one of those cows that connects people."
After her retirement, club members and advisors hope to use Charisma as a tool for public outreach at a variety of events throughout the year.
Contributions towards Charisma's retirement are accepted via her gofundme page or as a check. Checks can be made payable to the UGA Dairy Science Club and sent to 425 River Rd. Rhodes Center for ADS, Athens, GA 30602.
Flaring methane offers dairy farms a mitigation option
Larger New York dairies have an economical option to deal with methane – burn it.
In research funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Cornell University researchers Jenifer Wightman and Peter B. Woodbury found capturing and flaring destroyed the greenhouse gas and provided a feasible emission mitigation strategy.
The study, “New York Dairy Manure Management Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Mitigation Costs,” was published in the Journal of Environmental Quality earlier this year. It suggested flaring would be an economical alternative compared to manure digesters.
The researchers estimated methane emissions from stored liquid manure on New York dairy farms jumped from 487,907 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year in 1992 to 1.3 million metric tons in 2012.
Installing covers with flares could mitigate 1.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year from agricultural methane in the state, at an estimated price of $224 million. The cost would equal about a half-penny per liter of milk, and could be offset by government grants, they said.
Covers and flares have other benefits, including odor control, reduced hauling costs and reduced overflow from extreme weather events.
Read “For dairy farms, flaring methane offers mitigation option” in the Cornell Chronicle.
Pennsylvania CDE Dairy Decision Consultant Program fees waived
Pennsylvania’s Center for Dairy Excellence extended the time period it will waive application fees associated with the Dairy Decisions Consultant Program. The new deadline is Sept. 30.
Introduced in 2009, the Dairy Decisions Consultant Program offers up to $1,750 in funding to provide dairy farm families with professional consulting resources, focusing primarily on business and financial performance.
Fourteen consultants work with farms, conducting visits and interviews, followed by a follow-up visit to present recommendations.
To apply, visit http://www.centerfordairyexcellence.org or call (717) 346-0849.
University of New Hampshire launches silvopasture project
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) has launched a silvopasture project, seeking to see if there are benefits to having livestock graze in wooded areas.
Researchers established a 2.5-acre silvopasture at the UNH Organic Dairy Research Farm. They plan to compare the silvopasture system to a recently established open pasture, a long-term permanent pasture and the abutting forested land. In addition, they are making similar measurements on other farms practicing silvopasture across the Northeast, including North Branch Farm in Saranac, New York.
Specifically, UNH researchers are trying to understand what happens when forested land is converted to silvopasture. They are interested in how much forage can be produced in a silvopasture under the soil and climatic conditions typical across New England; what happens to the nitrogen and carbon that are in the soil and the trees during and after the establishment of silvopasture; and how the establishment of silvopasture affects the movement and quantity of water that moves through the system and the trees that remain.
According to Richard Smith, assistant professor of agroecology, silvopasture is appealing because it allows farms with limited pasture land to expand their pasture land base without needing to completely clear a section of forested land. Potential benefits include shelter and shade for livestock, as well as a source of diversified income from management of timber products.
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WSDF: Washington permit cost estimates not realistic
Washington Department of Ecology (WDE) cost estimates and regulations associated with proposed livestock operation water protection permits substantially understate the costs and add undue regulatory burdens on the state’s dairies, according to the Washington State Dairy Federation (WSDF).
Under the WDE concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) proposal, most farms with more than 200 mature dairy animals and manure lagoons lined with clay or soil or single-poly liners would be required to apply for the permit.
WDE estimates put total compliance costs required for lagoon inspections, manure and soil testing, and permit fees at between $11,000 and $26,000 per farm.
According to WSDF, however, the estimates either understate or ignore multiple costs associated with the permit. Additionally, the estimates do not include the cost to create 100-foot buffer zones along creeks or irrigation ditches, plus lost production on that land.
“We have tried through innumerable meetings to help Ecology understand the impacts of their presumptions and the consequences of the terms and conditions in this permit. They have listened to some concerns, but the current draft permit seriously undermines the ability of many farms to remain in the business,” WSDF said in a newsletter to farmers. “We are gravely concerned about the massive compliance costs of this permit and the staggering fiscal impact it will have on most farms across the state.”
Public workshops and hearings on the proposal are being held July 26, in Bellingham, and July 28, in Yakima, Washington. A statewide webinar is being held July 27. Public comments are being accepted until Aug. 17. WSDF is seeking additional meetings with WDE staff to provide dairy farmer concerns.
Idaho dairy fined following worker’s death
Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials fined a south-central Idaho dairy for the death of a worker who drowned in a waste pond earlier this year, according to the Twin Falls Times-News.
Ruperto Vazquez-Carrera, 37, of Hazelton appears to have driven a truck into the waste pond early in the morning of Feb. 16, 2016, when it was dark and the water was high from melting snow.
Sunrise Organic Dairy received two citations, with the financial penalty totaling more than $5,000. OSHA said employees performing dairy cow feeding operations at various times during daylight and hours of darkness were exposed to an unguarded, unidentified non-enclosed manure pit. It added that the dairy must put up barriers to identify the location of the manure pit.
Sunrise Organic Dairy cooperated with the investigation and has an opportunity to appeal.
Sun Valley Jersey Farm to be honored with 2016 Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder Award
Bearl and Joanne Seals of Sun Valley Jersey Farm in Cloverdale, Oregon, will receive the 2016 National Dairy Shrine Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder Award. The award will be presented during a banquet held in conjunction with the 2016 World Dairy Expo, Oct. 6, in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Sun Valley Jersey Farm herd consists of more than 500 milking animals that excel in both type and production. Over 98 percent of the herd carries the Sun Valley prefix, and the Seals strive to breed long-living, profitable, functional and eye-appealing cattle.
Bearl and Joanne became partners in his family’s dairy, where they raised their three sons, Tom, Dave and Jeff. The dairy was originally located in Myrtle Point, but by 2000, the family realized that their herd had outgrown its operating capacity. Their sons expressed interest in relocating the herd to a larger farm in Cloverdale. Moving to Cloverdale allowed the herd to join the Tillamook Cheese milk market and continue expanding.
In 2015, Sun Valley Jersey Farm held a lactation average of 16,779 pounds of milk, 849 pounds of fat and 643 pounds of protein.
More than 20 cows in the herd have lifetime production over 100,000 pounds of milk, 4,000 pounds of fat and/or 3,000 pounds of protein. Several animals from the Sun Valley herd have received American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) Living Lifetime Production recognition, topping 200,000 pounds of milk.
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Wisconsin State Fair milk sales benefit youth programs
Prairie Farms Dairy and the National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks will team up to sell milk and raise funds for youth programs during the Wisconsin State Fair, Aug. 4-14, in West Allis, Wisconsin.
The fair’s Milwaukee Bucks Milk House sells more than 160,000 8-ounce cups of Prairie Farms Dairy flavored milk annually. Featured flavors this year are chocolate, strawberry, root beer, banana cream and orange creamsicle.
Proceeds go to the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation, which funds youth and family programs in Wisconsin.
Yahara Pride Farms to host Ag Innovation Field Day
Yahara Pride Farms will host an Ag Innovation Field Day, Aug. 16, at Waunakee, Wisconsin. The event will feature tours and field demonstrations showcasing innovations in sustainable agriculture.
Yahara Pride Farms, a farmer-led 501c(3) non-profit organization, developed an environmental certification program where farms undergo an extensive voluntary audit and feedback process on current conservation practices and areas for improvement.
The Yahara Watershed includes southern Columbia County, Dane County and northern Rock County in Wisconsin. In 2015, participating farmers reduced phosphorus delivery to Madison lakes and the Yahara River by 8,642 pounds. Since 2012, farmers have documented a total phosphorus delivery reduction of 15,872 pounds.
The event is free, but online RSVPs are required.
Illinois Milk Producers' Association tour showcases dairy technology
A Dairy Technology Showcase, sponsored by the Illinois Milk Producers’ Association (IMPA), will be held July 28. The annual tour will feature dairy consultant Dave Fischer and two Livingston County dairy farms.
• Lynn Schaffer Dairy, owned and operated by Schaffer and his sons, Luke, Logan and Lewis, near Fairbury, Illinois. Schaffer and his sons milk 100 Holstein cows, and also manage a custom forage harvesting operation.
• Kilgus Farmstead, also near Fairbury. The farm is owned and operated by Paul and Carmen Kilgus and their sons, Justin and Trent, and Matt and Jenna Kilgus. They milk 150 Jerseys.
University of Illinois dairy specialists Mike Hutjens and Phil Cardoso will also be on hand.
Participants may attend one or both of the tours, and are not required to register. Lunch will be available for a fee between noon and 1 p.m. at Kilgus Farmstead.
For more information, contact IMPA manager Jim Fraley at (309) 557-3109 or jfraley@ilfb.org.
Michigan key dairy performance indicators analyzed
Using Dairy Records Management Services’ DairyMetrics program, records from Michigan dairy herds enrolled in the Dairy Herd Information Association (DHIA) program were analyzed based on average milk production level and herd size.
• Production: The herds were divided into three groups based on milk per cow per year – less than 23,000 pounds, 23,000 to 26,999 pounds and more than 27,000 pounds.
The highest production group had the highest average pregnancy rate (24 percent), the lowest average days to first service (80 days), and the highest average percentage of heats observed (60 percent). The highest production group had the lowest average somatic cell count (157,000 cells per milliliter).
• Herd size: The herds were divided into three groups based on cow numbers – less than 200 cows, 200 to 499 cows and more than 500 cows.
The largest group had the highest average pregnancy rate (25 percent), the lowest average days to first service (77 days), and the highest average percentage of heats observed (63 percent). The largest group had the lowest average somatic cell count (163,000 cells per milliliter).
These trends should not be considered a cause-and-effect relationship between milk production and the other key indicators, said Kathy Lee, with Michigan State University Extension. More likely management factors that positively influence milk production also have a positive impact on other aspects of herd performance.
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Denier named National Dairy Shrine Guest of Honor
Richard Denier, retired general manager of World Wide Sires in Visalia, California, will receive the National Dairy Shrine’s highest honor during a banquet held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo. Denier will receive the Guest of Honor award on Oct. 6, in Madison, Wisconsin.
The award, presented annually, recognizes a contemporary dairy leader for outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the dairy industry.
Denier dedicated 27 years to World Wide Sires, where he served as an area director of marketing from 1974-1986. He eventually became general manager in 1986, serving in that capacity until 2001.
He retired to return to farming with his brother Fred on Cal-Denier Dairy in Galt, California, where he is a co-owner. Cal-Denier Dairy is a top-producing Holstein herd with one of the top milk production per cow averages in the state.
Ranchers’ agricultural leasing handbook available
Advice for Southwest farmers and ranchers seeking information on leasing agreements is now available online.
The guide, titled “Ranchers’ Agricultural Leasing Handbook," covers a variety of issues related to leasing, and includes checklists of what parties should consider when preparing grazing, hunting and livestock leases.
The handbook was produced following a series of workshops on agricultural leases throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Funding for the workshops and the handbook was provided through a grant from the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center and USDA.
Download a copy of the handbook. PD
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PHOTO: Charisma, the cow, works at the University of Georgia Teaching Dairy just outside of Athens, Georgia. She has worked on the farm for almost 13 years, making her the dairy’s oldest cow! Now that she's older, she's ready to retire but needs some help with her retirement fund. UGA is asking for donations so that Charisma may not only live out the rest of her days on the UGA Dairy, but also officially become the UGA Dairy Science Club Public Relations Cow. Photo provided by University of Georgia Teaching Dairy.
