To prevent the spread of H5N1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is testing raw milk. This surveillance will begin in the 14 states where dairy cattle have tested positive for the virus, including Minnesota and South Dakota. “(We need to get) a clear idea of where (it is) in the states that have the virus, whether it is expanded, or whether there are areas of the state that we need to address as far as biosecurity,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. Testing will eventually expand to all other states in a tiered approach. “We’ll test the silos (at dairy processing plants) and if there is the virus we’ll begin the process of going to more specific testing with bulk tank testing on farms so we can identify exactly where the virus might be.” Vilsack said the decision to expand H5N1 testing was made due to recent developments in California and Colorado dairy herds.
H5N1 leads to lasting milk production decline
H5N1’s impact on milk production is noteworthy. “With individual herds, there’s a pretty big dip actually,”said Jim Salfer, dairy specialist, University of Minnesota Extension. The recovery period for affected dairy cows is longer than initially thought. “It seems like even after a couple of months, cows never quite come back to original production levels, so we never quite get that level of milk production back.”
Board of Animal Health downplays RFID privacy concerns
Electronic identification is now the law of the land for cattle and bison farms. Minnesota Board of Animal Health Senior Veterinarian Dr. Katie Cornille said the BOAH will only use the tags in the surveillance of cattle for possible disease. “These tags can’t be read remotely so there’s no way I can remotely collect any information from the tags,” said Cornille. “There’s no way for us to get any private or any kind of information from those tags.”
Running out of time
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is sounding the alarm over the farm bill. “We’re quickly running out of time this fall for this Congress to come together to address the farm bill in a bipartisan way,” Vilsack said in a call with the American Farmland Trust. “Either we have a real bipartisan deal on a new farm bill or at a minimum an extension of the existing farm bill.” The 2018 farm bill expired a year ago but was extended until the end of last month. Most of the farm programs have funding through the end of this calendar year but would be reverted to permanent law in January. That would send price supports back to the parity levels from the 1938 and 1949 farm bills. “Frankly, the longer we wait, the harder it is to get this done.”
A dairy renaissance
Dairy Management Inc. President and CEO Barbara O’Brien believes the dairy industry is experiencing a renaissance. Speaking at a national dairy meeting in Phoenix, O’Brien cited increased consumer retail spending and volume sales for dairy products. The millennial generation is driving the growth. In the year ahead, O’Brien said the dairy checkoff is refining its reputation strategy to target thought leaders and consumers.
Making every drop count
The dairy industry is standing tall against the threat of H5N1 and farm bill delays. National Milk Producers Federation Chairman Randy Mooney made that point at the joint annual meeting for NMPF, National Dairy Board and the United Dairy Industry Association. Changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Order and strong dairy margins were also discussed. Attendance totaled 750 people for the Phoenix event.
Hay prices steady to slightly lower
According to the latest Hay Market Demand and Price Report for the Upper Midwest, hay prices were steady to slightly lower in October. Prime alfalfa hay with greater than a relative feed value of 151 averaged $172 per ton for large squares, $278 per ton for small squares and $114 per ton for large rounds. Grade 1 hay was priced at $120 per ton for large squares and $100 per ton for large rounds. The Grade 2 hay had an average price of $74 per ton for large squares and $55 per ton for large rounds.
Promoting organic dairy products to youth
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has launched the Organic Dairy Production Promotion program investing $15 million to expand access to organic dairy products in schools and youth programs. International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes praised the news. “The Dietary Guidelines for Americans highlights that between 68% and 76.2% of school-age males and between 77.4% and 94.3% of school-age females are not consuming enough dairy.” Dykes encouraged USDA to continue to focus on creative ways to increase the consumption of dairy foods.
Farmers Assuring Responsible Management updates environmental stewardship tool
The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Program has updated its latest environmental stewardship version. The goal is to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050. Version 3 incorporates a whole-farm model called the Ruminant Farm System that includes estimates of carbon sequestration and the ability to analyze productivity.
Environmental Protection Agency OKs NovaGraz for pasture weed control
Corteva Agriscience has announced the Environmental Protection Agency has approved NovaGraz herbicide. “Most producers rely on white clover and annual lespedeza in their pastures,” said Morgan Bohlander, range and pasture portfolio lead. “These legumes can provide forage quality for grazing and haying and offer nitrogen-fixing capability that enhances soil fertility and health. Without effective broadleaf weed control, the harm that weeds cause to forage production and quality can outweigh the benefits that these legumes provide.” NovaGraz will be available for the 2025 application season, pending state registrations.
Krause continues service to the dairy industry
During the National Milk Producers Federation/National Dairy Board/United Dairy Industry Association meetings in Phoenix, a Minnesota farmer was elected first vice chair for UDIA. Charles Krause is part of a sixth-generation dairy farm family at Buffalo.
Minnesotan honored with FFA Alumni Award
The National FFA Alumni and Supporters presented its Outstanding Achievement Award to Fred Troendle of the St. Charles, Minnesota, FFA alumni chapter. Troendle was instrumental in co-founding the President’s Circle Leadership Program.
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation announces 2024 award winners
The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation will be presenting its Distinguished Service Award to three individuals during its annual meeting Nov. 23. The honorees are former Minnesota State Fair CEO Jerry Hammer, former USDA Wildlife Services Supervisor John Hart and former University of Minnesota Extension Outreach Director and farm broadcaster Tom Rothman.
Trivia challenge
Gorgonzola is the blue cheese named after the Italian village where it was first produced. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, what president made Thanksgiving an official holiday? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star.
Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two sons, Tony and Sam, and five grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
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