This Dairy Regional Recap compares California Jersey and Holstein income over feed costs and analyzes the state’s quarterly milk production costs; summarizes a New Mexico workers' compensation ruling; looks at Pacific Northwest land values; discovers a new dairy in Arkansas; and rides along with Nebraska’s covered farm vehicle designation. 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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SOUTHWEST
Battle of the breeds: California Jerseys beat Holsteins
In a mostly friendly battle of breeds, National All-Jersey (NAJ) is citing California data to prove Jerseys beat Holsteins for income over feed costs per hundredweight.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) annual cost of milk production report summarized financial data voluntarily submitted by 16 Jersey and 82 Holstein herds, including mailbox milk prices and cost data.
Based on 2015 records, Jerseys posted income over feed costs of $6.48 per hundredweight, compared to Holsteins at $5.10 per hundredweight, for an advantage of $1.38 per hundredweight.
Based on California’s regulated minimum prices plus earned premiums, less marketing costs and assessments, the Jersey mailbox price of $18.29 per hundredweight represented a $7.63 drop from 2014. The Holstein price of $15.16 per hundredweight showed a $6.30 drop from the previous year.
Milk component levels reported by the herds averaged 4.76 percent butterfat and 9.37 percent nonfat solids for Jerseys and 3.69 percent butterfat and 8.90 percent nonfat solids for Holsteins.
Jersey total feed costs ran $1.75 per hundredweight more than Holstein. Overall feed costs for Jerseys decreased $0.44 per hundredweight from 2014, while Holstein costs went down $0.54 per hundredweight. Total feed costs represented 56.3 percent of the overall costs for Jerseys and 58.7 percent for Holsteins.
Source: NAJ Equity Newsletter
California Q1 2016 production costs lower, but well above milk prices
California first quarter (Q1) 2016 statewide milk production costs averaged $16.94 per hundredweight, down $0.77 from the same quarter a year earlier, according to the California Department of Food & Agriculture’s July 2016 California Dairy Review. Including an allowance for management and return on investment, statewide total costs averaged $18.44 per hundredweight, down $0.68 from a year earlier.
Q1 2016 costs ($28.57 per hundredweight) and costs plus allowances ($30.65 per hundredweight) were highest in the North Coast region. Lowest total costs ($16.28) and costs plus allowances ($17.77) were in Southern California.
Average “mailbox prices” paid to California producers averaged $14.05 per hundredweight in the Q1 2016, according to CDFA.
New Mexico Supreme Court declares agricultural exemption to Workers' Compensation Law unconstitutional
The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed an exemption excluding farm and ranch laborers from mandatory workers compensation coverage was unconstitutional, according to Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, assistant professor and Extension ag law specialist with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension.
Although the Court agreed that the provision was unconstitutional, it disagreed with a Court of Appeals ruling with regard to retroactive application. Instead, the Supreme Court ruling applies only to injuries occurring after the court’s mandate is issued, and to the two injured employees who filed this case.
For background on the case, read New Mexico Court of Appeals: Agriculture Exclusion to Workers’ Compensation Act Unconstitutional.
Miller to participate in Texas ag leadership program
Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) Southeast member Tom Miller of Sulphur Springs, Texas is among 24 individuals selected for the Texas Agriculture Lifetime Leadership (TALL) program Class XV.
TALL, a two-year program led by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, is an intensive study of agriculture worldwide that equips people in the agriculture industry to become leaders in their fields. The program includes seminars with experts, on-site tours, meetings with business and government leaders.
NORTHWEST
Pacific Northwest ag land values steady, despite pressures
Limited offerings are being met with strong demand, helping hold Northwest agricultural real estate values steady through the first half of 2016, according to the latest Northwest Farm Credit Services "Land Values Market Snapshot.”
Northwest FCS appraisers track market data throughout Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
Sales transactions are well below the average during the past decade, reflecting supply constraints, not weak demand. As a result, average land values of parcels larger than 40 acres are flat in Montana and Oregon, but higher in Idaho and Washington. The averages encompass all land types, including irrigated crop, dry crop, pasture and range, and permanent plantings.
Within the region, demand and market activity are generally dependent on property type and/or market segment. Many transactions are occurring between landlords and tenants. Additionally, many areas report increased investor interest in agricultural properties.
Land values are holding despite concerns surrounding declining commodity prices and unfavorable weather patterns in select areas. Both irrigated and dry cropland values continue to remain strong.
The market for dairy facilities remains slow, with smaller units typically purchased for their land base, with facilities abandoned or converted to heifer capacity. Larger units are generally purchased by out-of-state buyers or as expansion units for existing operations. Dairy operations continue to compete for land base to expand feed production and nutrient management.
Washington lawmaker introduces bill providing dairy farm exemption from RCRA law
U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) introduced the Farm Regulatory Certainty Act (H.R. 5685), which would exempt dairy and other livestock farms from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Resource Conversation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
The RCRA law was enacted in 1976 to govern solid wastes in landfills. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) believes RCRA has been used to inappropriately target agriculture, specifically dairy and livestock producers, even if they follow approved plans for using manure as a fertilizer.
The measure is in response to a federal court ruling last year in lawsuits brought against several dairies in Washington state. The litigation claimed that farms had inappropriately handled and stored animal manure under the RCRA law, even though RCRA was not intended to focus on farming practices or the management of livestock manure. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington determined the amount of manure deposited exceeded approved limits and constituted environmental and human endangerment.
EAST
Arkansas Discovery Farms Program adds Haak Dairy Farm
The Arkansas Discovery Farm Program is adding the Haak Dairy Farm, a newly constructed dairy operation milking approximately 140 cows in the northwest corner of the state. The farm plans to establish legumes into the pastures in an attempt to decrease nitrogen fertilizer needs. The farm plan is to rotationally graze 11 pasture paddocks, currently a mixture of rye and wheat over bermudagrass.
The Arkansas Discovery Farm Program strives to achieve environmental and agricultural sustainability for Arkansas farming through monitoring, demonstration and research. Public-private partnerships help coordinate conservation program delivery from multiple levels of government, ranging from local county-based programs to federal financial incentive programs.
The 12 farms in the statewide program represent rice, corn, soybean, beef, poultry and dairy farms.
Distinguished Holstein Association USA Junior Member finalists recognized
A New York youth is among six Holstein Association USA finalists in the 2016 Distinguished Junior Member (DJM) competition.
This year's finalists include Kayla Windecker of New York; Lucas Plamann, of Minnesota; and four Wisconsin youths: Matthew Kramer, Nicole Pralle, Elizabeth Sarbacker and Jordan Siemers.
The Distinguished Junior Member recognition is the highest honor a Holstein Association USA Junior member can receive. The award honors Junior Holstein members, ages 17 to 21, who have excelled in their Junior project work, involvement on their farm and in their communities.
Pennsylvania offers Young Dairy Leaders Institute scholarships
The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association and Center for Dairy Excellence are offering up to four full scholarships for Pennsylvania dairy producers to participate in Class 10 of the Holstein Foundation’s Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI).
YDLI is a nationally recognized three-phase leader and communication skills development program for young adults working in the dairy industry, with all breeds of cattle. In addition to the full scholarship, the Dairymen’s Association and the Center for Dairy Excellence will offer a stipend to each recipient to offset the cost of employing help on the farm while attending the program.
YDLI Class 10 will meet February 8-11, 2017, and January 31–February 3, 2018, in Phoenix, Ariz.
The application deadline is August 1, 2016. Applicants must be an active Pennsylvania dairy farmer and have applied for YDLI though the Holstein Foundation.
29 Junior DAIRY LEADERs to graduate
Twenty-nine youth representing New York, Connecticut and Vermont will graduate the Junior DAIRY LEADERs program, Aug. 10, during Empire Farm Days.
The program is for youth between the ages of 16 and 19 with an interest in learning more about career opportunities in the dairy industry. It provides workshops and hands-on experience in veterinary science, dairy nutrition and production management, plus interaction with dairy producers, industry professionals and other dairy-interested young people.
Empire Farm Days, the Northeast’s largest outdoor farm show, is held annually at Rodman Lott & Son Farms, Seneca Falls, New York.
MIDWEST
Nebraska unveils new farm vehicle designation
Nebraska has a new vehicle designation allowing the state’s farmers and ranchers to move certain farm equipment around their operation without obtaining commercial driver’s licenses (CDL).
Under the law, a covered farm vehicle (CFV) is a commercial motor vehicle that:
• is operated by a farm or ranch owner or operator, or an employee or family member of the farm or ranch owner or operator.
• is being used to transport agricultural commodities, livestock, machinery or supplies to or from a farm or ranch.
• displays a special license plate or other designation which helps enforcement personnel identify it as a CFV.
• meets certain weight requirements.
Farmers and ranchers may now self-declare their CFV through a web-based system, accessing and printing the designation form free. Once the form is completed and printed, it must be carried in the power unit of the vehicle identified to validate it is a CFV and the driver does not need a CDL.
‘Call It Breakfast’ to join Minnesota State Fair’s new foods in 2016
Call It Breakfast ― made with Minnesota dairy farmers’ State Fair-recipe vanilla ice cream or malt, topped with sprinkles, chocolate and latte-flavored syrup and chunks of bakery-fresh doughnuts ― will join the traditional ice cream flavors at the Dairy Goodness Bar at the Minnesota State Fair this year.
The Dairy Goodness Bar, one of the Minnesota State Fair’s most popular concessions, is owned by the state’s dairy farm families and operated by Midwest Dairy Association. The 2016 fair is Aug. 25-Sept. 5 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
South Dakota connects hay and forage buyers, sellers
The South Dakota State University-Extension hosts a Facebook group called "SDSU Extension Feed & Forage Finder,” helping connect suppliers of hay and forage with those in need.
Listings can include baled hay, straw or silage, as well as individuals seeking pasture to rent, custom feeding or custom grazing arrangements.
To access the page, Facebook users should type, "SDSU Extension Feed & Forage Finder" into the search box.
Youth Dairy Camp offered in Iowa
Iowa’s Sioux County Extension is offering a two-day Dairy Camp, July 20-21 at the Sioux County Extension office in Orange City, Iowa.
The camp is designed for children who have completed 4th grade and older. Youths will explore the udderly fantastic world of dairy, travel from farm to table by touring a local dairy farm, uncovering the secrets of a cow's digestive system, and making their own dairy products.
Cost is $20 per camper. For more information or to register, contact Danielle Zuidema or Honna Brown at 712-737-4230 or email them at dzuidema@iastate.edu and hlbrown@iastate.edu.
Metzgers earn ‘Good Farm Neighbor’ award
The Metzger family of Lyon County, Iowa, recently received the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award.
Marv and Joleen Metzger, Dana and Kary Metzger, Reed Metzger, Brett and Melissa Metzger and Evan and Kristi Metzger, and their families, operate Multi-Rose Jerseys dairy farm. The farm was established in the 1940s by Jacob Metzger, Marv’s father. Today, they milk approximately 1,350 cows and raise dairy calves and heifers. The family also raises hogs from wean to finish and raises crops on approximately 1,800 acres.
The family was nominated by Matt Schelling, president of the Western Iowa Dairy Alliance.
The award, made possible through the financial support of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers, recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who care for the environment and their livestock while being good neighbors. It is named in memory of Gary Wergin, a long-time WHO Radio farm broadcaster who helped create the award.
Lauinger named North Dakota Dairy Princess
Heather Lauinger, 17, daughter of Danny and Roxanne Lauinger of Strasburg, was crowned North Dakota’s 69th State Dairy Princess. Lauinger will spend her year serving as the official ambassador for the state’s dairy farmers advocating and educating on their behalf during public appearances that include media interviews, classroom appearances, dairy events and fairs. In addition to the crown, Lauinger received a $500 scholarship from the Midwest Dairy Association.
Ruegg receives international activities award
University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Dairy Science professor Pamela Ruegg received the 2016 College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Excellence in International Activities Award.
Ruegg frequently travels internationally to both give lectures and work directly on farms, and has participated in more than 100 outreach activities and conference appearances worldwide over the last 18 years. She also leads a team of UW-Madison dairy scientists and veterinarians working with the Nestle company on a collaborative project called the Nestle Dairy Farming Institute China’s northeast province of Heilongjiang. PD
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