Dairy families honored by University of Minnesota U of M recognized 76 Farm Families of 2012, including several dairy industry families: Carlton County: Newman Dairy Carver County: Heuer Dairy Inc. Kandiyohi County: Carlson Dairy, LLP Mower County: Gene Anderson Dairy Farm Rice County: Joe and Pat DeGrood Bros. Todd County: Lunemann Family's Twin Eagle Dairy Wadena County: Mertens Family Dairy Farm Wright County: Valley View Dairy (Dan & Erica Elsenpeter and Luke & Elizabeth Elsenpeter) —From University of Minnesota news release Scholarships awarded to support future organic leaders Horizon Organic awarded $2,500 scholarships to four students with promising futures in organic agriculture – all children or grandchildren of Horizon’s 600-plus family farmers.

Lynda Foster Fort Scott, Kansas Member National Dairy Promotion and Research Board

Last week, a crowd gathered at Capitol Hill during a Farm Bill Now rally to put pressure on House leaders to pass a five-year bill. But so far, the Farm Bill is still in limbo as the House prepares to end its session this Friday. The House will be on hiatus until after election week. A version of the Farm Bill that was approved by the Senate this summer has not yet been scheduled for a House vote, making passage unlikely before current law expires Sept. 30.

Stephen Sheppard Bad Axe, Michigan National Account Senior Specialist Genex Cooperative

Chad Wethal Madison, Wisconsin Marketing Associate Filament Marketing

Aurora Organic Dairy (“Aurora”) has reached an agreement to settle all claims in the consolidated class action lawsuits pending before the U.S. Federal Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the district court confirmed that Aurora’s milk was at all times properly labeled and sold as organic, and that Aurora’s milk has been certified as organic by a USDA-accredited certifying agent since 2004. As such, the only remaining action in this lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2007, concerned marketing claims made by Aurora and its customers.

Yesterday California dairy farmers staged a protest at the front door of the California Department of Food and Agriculture office. It's the latest move in a continuing battle to get the CDFA to raise Class 4b prices. “We’re hoping to draw attention to what Gov. Jerry Brown and [California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary] Karen Ross are doing to our milk single-handedly,” Jim Wilson, Hanford resident and Fresno County dairy owner, told The Sentinel.

Beef Products, Inc. has filed a suit against ABC News, Inc., three ABC News reporters, and others for knowingly and intentionally publishing false and disparaging statements regarding BPI and its product, lean finely textured beef (LFTB).