On Aug. 31, legal action was filed in the Superior Court of California – San Bernardino County, stating that the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) failed to follow the law in refusing to bring California’s Class 4b price into better alignment with the prices being paid by cheese manufacturers around the country. The writ was filed on behalf of the Milk Producers Council, Dairy Farmers of America, Security Milk Producers Association and California Dairy Campaign.

The dairy checkoff has launched a new website, www.DairyGood.org, to help tell dairy’s story among consumers and thought leaders. The site reinforces the U.S. dairy industry’s important role in a safe, affordable and abundant food supply by focusing on:

Penn State Department of Animal Science Senior Project Associate Rebecca White talks with Progressive Dairyman about the DairyCents mobile app. Find out what makes the app unique. PD

Shawna Martinho Visalia, California Western Region Channel Sales Manager Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition

Click here to download a pdf of the latest Dairy Checkoff in Action provided by Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI)

The USDA recently completed an analysis of potential economic and productivity impacts from changes to the availability of farm labor. Their results found that dairy would be one of the sectors most affected by changes. Although the study did not review one specific policy or any proposed legislation, the model does seem to compare the potential outcomes of mass deportation of unauthorized workers, the expansion of a guest-worker program for agriculture and doing nothing. Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley followed up with the study’s authors.

Earlier this week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 523 by Republican Assemblyman David G. Valadao into law. AB 523 modifies the existing California Ethanol Producer Incentive Program (CEPIP) to ensure that any funding provided for the program beyond its existing expiration of July 1, 2013, cannot be used for corn ethanol projects.

Last week, the Sacramento Superior Court of the State of California rejected claims by PETA to discredit communications from the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) about how California dairy farmers care for their dairy herds. The Court determined that “the Department [of Food and Agriculture] and CMAB members have extensive experience and knowledge that provides strong evidentiary support for the claims made by the challenged marketing statements.”

On Sept. 11-13, the 19th edition of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show (COFS) will be held at Canada’s Outdoor Park in Woodstock, Ontario. The COFS team and its exhibitors have worked tirelessly planning demonstrations and events for the 40,000+ attendees – including two major field demonstrations. "Our field demonstrations provide a unique opportunity for our exhibitors to showcase their products in a field of competitors," says Paul Roper, COFS exhibitor sales and demonstrations coordinator. "This year, we are excited to run two major field demonstrations for moldboard ploughs and solid manure spreaders."