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Are you feeding the same amount of corn you always have? The ethanol industry thinks so.

February 16, 2011

Early this morning I read this blogpost (http://www.ethanolrfa.org/exchange/entry/ethanol-fact-vacuum)from the Renewable Fuels Association: In it, the author claims that "America is still feeding the same amount of corn to livestock it historically has." According to USDA data, feed corn and corn byproduct usage declined from 2008 through 2009. To RFA's credit, total livestock populations on feed during that time were nose-diving and depressed, as was the economy. The latest estimates from last month indicate feed corn use will increase slightly during the current marketing year, spanning Sept. 2010 to Aug. 2011.

Ohio producer takes advantage of technology with robots

February 15, 2011

Jane Sweet

to jump to the article. Summary: In a February e-newsletter, we reprinted an article from Dairy Farmers of America's Mideast Area Council, featuring Joe Ramsier and two recently installed Lely robots on his Rittman, Ohio, dairy. We asked Ramsier to provide some insight on his decision to make the change in his operation. We recently learned that Ramsier's dairy suffered a barn fire in July, resulting in the loss of the main barn, one of the robots, the milkhouse and office, as well as several pieces of equipment. Ramsier remains positive as his family begins to rebuild the operation. "Thankfully no animals or people were hurt or lost," he told us in an email. Because this article was so popular, we asked Ramsier and a Lely representative follow-up questions: Q: What is another example of new technology you're looking to implement?

Project goal? To clean dairy air

February 11, 2011

About a dozen Yakima Valley dairies representing more than half of all dairy cows say they will participate in a one-year pilot project aimed at reducing pollution from their operations. After months of sometimes bitter criticism from dairy opponents, the Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency on Thursday unanimously adopted a plan that proposes a variety of management practices to tackle emissions. The pilot project will test a series of 96 measures to deal with eight types of pollutants, including odors, dust, ammonia, methane, organic compounds, hydrogen sulfide, nitrous oxide, and oxides of nitrogen.

Producers gather in Lancaster for annual Pennsylvania Dairy Summit

February 11, 2011

Sarah Caldwell

Dairy producers found several tools for success at the 2011 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, held Feb. 2-3 at the Lancaster Host Resort and Conference Center. Hosted by the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania (PDMP) and the Center for Dairy Excellence (CDE), the summit offered workshops on several hot topics in the dairy industry.

USDA assistance available to producers to conduct and implement energy audits

February 9, 2011

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the expansion of a USDA initiative to help farmers and ranchers conduct energy audits and improve their overall energy efficiency. The initiative builds on the existing energy audit initiative to also help producers implement the energy conservation and efficiency recommendations that result from an energy audit.

Student scholarships awarded at World Ag Expo

February 9, 2011

World Ag Expo and E.M. Tharp Inc. presented the “We Believe in Growing” scholarship to two graduating seniors from the Central Valley.

Dairy cow lameness is focus of March workshops

February 9, 2011

Managing lameness in the dairy herd will be the topic of workshops offered across Pennsylvania in March by Penn State Dairy Alliance. The Lameness Management Workshop is designed for dairy producers and their dairy employees who want to reduce lameness in their herds. Participants will explore hoof anatomy and pathology to learn more about the metabolic and infectious diseases that cause lameness. Lameness prevention will focus on such factors as nutrition, heat stress, housing and cow comfort, as well as hygiene and foot baths. A hoof trimming demonstration will also be offered.

Twitter takes regional dairy events to new, international level

February 7, 2011

Emily Caldwell Gwin

Last week's episode on the television show Grey's Anatomy highlighted Twitter, the social networking and microblogging website. The characters on the show were using Twitter to showcase procedures being performed to doctors at other hospitals. Chief Webber, who runs the fictional hospital, was appalled that his staff was broadcasting surgeries for the whole world to see. As the episode goes on, Webber finds out that Twitter can be a useful service. When his staff members weren't sure how to deal with a problem in surgery, a suggestion from a Twitter user saved the patient. Webber was also able to reconnect with a former colleague, thanks to tweets and messages.

Senate repeals 1099 reporting requirement

February 7, 2011

Read below for two reports about the 1099 requirements. Senate votes to repeal 1099 reporting requirement The U.S. Senate voted to repeal the 1099 reporting requirement included in the health care reform law approved last year. The 1099 mandate required businesses of all sizes, including dairy farms, to report IRS information on all non-credit card purchases totaling more than $600 or more with any vendor in a tax year. This provision was considered extremely burdensome for small businesses in terms of additional paperwork. The House must now act on the same language or a similar amendment prior to 2012.

A list no responsible livestock producer wants to be on

February 7, 2011

The FSIS Residue Violation Information System List identifies all producers that have marketed food animals which have tested positive for antibiotic residues at slaughter. The list is updated weekly, ranges from 110 to 140 pages and includes the names, addresses and phone numbers of producers who have marketed animals with antibiotic residues and businesses that have purchased their cattle during the previous 12 months. Not only does this list present a negative image for the cattle industry, but it is a target for increased scrutiny from industry critics. The reputation of individual producers and of the entire livestock industry is at stake.