Are you a “people” person? No, not that kind. I mean ... are you a person who focuses a lot of time and energy on finding good people and helping them succeed? Basically, are you a good talent scout? In January, FOX began its 10th season of American Idol. Each week, the goal of the show is to find the nation’s next singing sensation. With the help of viewers across the country, a panel of industry insiders will use their eye for finding talent in order to sort through thousands of young, aspiring superstars.

The parent company of a Vermont cheese producer has agreed to scale back claims about whether its dairy farmers use an artificially produced hormone to help their cows produce more milk, Vermont's attorney general said Wednesday. The Vermont Attorney General's office said that in 2009 and 2010 the Cabot Creamery Cooperative overstated claims that none of its farmers used the artificial hormone known as rBST. The attorney general's office said some of the products made by Cabot cannot be certified as free of rBST.

It’s a soggy day in late spring and four dairy producers from different parts of the U.S. check their positions in the trading simulator, then connect with each other via phone. As is typical, they begin the teleconference by discussing weather and crop progress – or frustrations – in their various locations. Then these dairy producers dive into something they feel even less control over than the weather – the markets. Month after month since February, nine participants keep coming back to two trading peer groups. The groups are facilitated and coached by Mark Ludtke of Stewart-Peterson, and participants use a simulator from the University of Florida to experiment with trades.

Most dairy producers would agree that the adoption and use of technology increases operational efficiencies and, in return, lowers the cost of producing milk. Clear examples include the move from stanchion barns to freestall facilities and milking parlors in an effort to increase labor efficiency, the use of artificial insemination to facilitate greater genetic advancement within a herd, as well as the use of hormone therapy to get cows pregnant earlier in their lactation to reduce total days in milk, which allows for more lifetime milk production. More recent technological advancements include rbST, synthetic feed additives and gender-sorted semen. While some dairy producers find these more recent technologies to be controversial and “bad for the industry,” I find them to be tremendous tools that help lower my cost of production, making my dairy business more profitable.

Minnesota dairy farms made a significant comeback in 2010 after a very challenging 2009. With 557 dairies participating in Farm Business Management (FBM) programs, Minnesota dairy operators are in a unique position to benchmark their operations against a large subset of the state’s dairy operations. Participating farms complete a detailed annual financial analysis of their farm and each farm enterprise. Individual farm results are combined in the FINBIN database hosted by the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota (www.finbin.umn.edu) and made available to the public in summary form. FBM reports are also available at www.fbm.mnscu.edu.

With milk prices higher than they have been since 2008, many producers are finding they have more money left over each month after paying operating expenses and normal principal and interest payments. Many have paid off or drastically reduced operating debts incurred in 2009. Taking advantage of their increased cash positions to evaluate various options which include paying down debt, these operators are generally prioritizing debt reduction as follows: 1. Accounts payable 2. Operating lines/feed lines 3. Intermediate-term cow lines/equipment loans 4. Long-term facility/real estate loans

This article was conceived to be business tips to implement during the economic recovery. Unfortunately, the word “recovery” appears to be misplaced and too optimistic. Recent economic news on the national front and anecdotal news from our clients indicate the economy has not yet reached the stage of recovery. There still appears to be a flat line or even a continuing downturn in the economy. This may continue for some time as the deleveraging cycle continues and the economy continues to be impacted by the mortgage debacle.

In the May 21 issue of Progressive Dairyman, Editor Karen Lee came up with a poll question that sparked much interest: “Should the sale of unpasteurized (raw) milk be legalized in all 50 states?” “Raw milk pairs with the local and slow food movements that are of interest to today’s consumers,” Lee says. “As I researched it, I found that nearly a dozen states were considering or would potentially be considering legislation related to the sale of raw milk this year alone. Progressive Dairyman was curious to see how our readers weighed in on the topic.”

Dear Editor, I could not help but respond to your article about why fluid milk consumption is falling in America. Here is an alternative and objective view of your milk market.

What’s a building block in the food pyramid that’s important for building and maintaining bone mass? It’s milk. Whether it’s from cows, goats, sheep or another mammal, milk and milk products are an important source of calcium throughout a person’s life.