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There have been big changes at Holmdale Farms in the last several years, as fifth-generation farmer Todd Holm has gradually assumed day-to-day management, then ownership of the Bruce County, Ontario, dairy operation.
At first, Todd worked with his dad, George, then in 2000 he took over management, and purchased the operation in 2007.
Timely calving – to have first-calf heifers enter the milking string at 22 to 24 months old – is not a stand-alone decision.
It’s not like producers wake up one day and say, “I think I’ll breed my heifers once they hit 12 months old.” This decision needs to take a number of factors into account to capitalize on production efficiencies to have replacement heifers “breeding rod ready” at 12 months old.
Since we’ve started asking questions to dairy consumers and printing their responses in the magazine, I’ve noticed an interesting trend develop around one of our standard questions. Consumers who are distanced from agriculture, and I mean those whose relatives aren’t involved in farming or livestock, respond to this one question nearly the same way every time:
One year into the Civil War, the Union cause was not going as well as the early swagger had promised.
Gen. McClellan failed to take Richmond and gave up an opportunity at Antietam to inflict a heavy blow on the Confederacy. Lincoln had finally given up on his top general and canned him in March of 1862.
Meanwhile, General Lee was still a desk general advising Jefferson Davis in Richmond. But on May 15, 1862, while rebel forces at Drewery’s Bluff successfully stopped the Union navy from attacking Richmond via the James River, Abraham Lincoln signed a statute creating the Department of Agriculture.
A study overseen by Oklahoma State University (OSU) found that cows at one of the dairy farms in that state produced 6 percent more milk when LED lights were used compared with cows under fluorescent lights.
LED technology, which stands for light-emitting diode, uses semiconductor chips to convert electricity. LEDs are more energy efficient than either incandescent bulbs or fluorescent lights.
The discovery was not the main focus of the OSU study.
As I travel across the country and talk with dairymen, there is a growing interest in risk management, and buying put options are overwhelmingly the favorite strategy. Producers are attracted to this strategy because it is flexible but still offers price protection if the market should decline.
Along with producers, I hear a lot of interest in this hedge strategy from lenders, accountants and other industry professionals. In order to give you some perspective on this hedge strategy, below is some historical information.
As I grew up, one of my favorite lunches was a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of alphabet soup. My sister, brother and I used to have contests to see who could spell their name or the longest word with the noodles – lots of fun and good for you too, right?
Well, it seems that the “alphabet soup” of government regulatory agencies is certainly descending on the feed and animal ag industries recently. FDA, EPA, OSHA, DNR, USDA, CVM and FSMA are just a few of the agencies or programs who “know what is good for us.”
But if you had a visit from one of them or an occasion to work through changes due to new, revised or more strictly enforced regulations, I’m pretty sure you would not classify the experience as “fun.”
On March 23, Chairman Frank Lucas continued the House Agriculture Committee’s field hearing series in Galesburg, Illinois. It was the second of four hearings to be held across the country throughout March and April to gather input in advance of writing the 2012 Farm Bill.
Members took testimony from Midwest producers of corn, rice, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, specialty crops and beef. Witnesses expressed the importance of developing policy that appreciates and recognizes the risks involved with growing food and fiber.
They stressed the need for an effective safety net and a choice of risk management tools so farmers can continue to produce a stable food supply and compete in the global marketplace.
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