Lynne McBride Turlock, California Executive Director California Dairy Campaign

Catharine Kuber Arlington, Virginia Membership Services Manager Animal Agriculture Alliance

Phillip Tobin Des Moines, Iowa Regional Sales Specialist Balchem Animal Nutrition & Health

Note: The following are opinion commentaries. No: The Dairy Security Act of 2011 and other sideshow plans are just another way for everyone to make money off of milk, except we farmers who produce it. We can all acknowledge there is not enough money in milk for everyone who touches it to be rich, so the popular answer seems to have the farmer buy expensive insurance. Picture a pie chart … Now, in your mind, make the circumference of that pie larger (money from insurance claims). Now cut your piece – bigger piece, right? But at whose expense? Yours! Yes, your piece will be bigger too, but don’t forget to deduct the premium you paid to insure everyone else a bigger piece. You lose again.

Faisury Ossa Montreal, Quebec, Canada Research Manager Lallemand Animal Nutrition

Ten young people were honored Nov. 5 for their accomplishments in the National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest. The contest recognizes outstanding achievement by junior Jersey breeders in four areas: work with Registered Jerseys, related dairy activities, relative progress and future goals. They were selected from 17 outstanding youth nominated by state Jersey associations, based on their cumulative record through Dec. 31, 2010.

Rick Roden of West Bend, Wisconsin, has been appointed to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. His two-year term will begin at the AFBF YF&R Leadership Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Feb. 17-20.

Note: The following are opinion commentaries. No: No way can I support the Dairy Security Act of 2011. It is short-sided, basically, for the processor – pay the lowest price, not pay components and give processors an automatic energy adjuster. Where is ours? Mr. Kozak has repeatedly said that it is unrealistic and politically unpopular to expect to get the cost of production for your milk, and that’s how FFTF is put forward. That does not work in the real world. I prefer to support S-1640. It is respectful of the dairy producer. It allows cost of production to be covered plus the ability to cover the dirty five – depreciation, interest, repairs, taxes and insurance – and, just maybe, a profit!