Peaches and Cream Dairy, Bartow
GA Dairy Fall District Continue Next Week! Please join us!!

Montezuma, GA
Georgia Milk Producers and The Dairy Alliance kicked off the first of eight annual fall district meetings this week across the state.  Hope dairy farm families can join us next week in Buckhead, Dalton and Waynesboro. 

During the meetings, these organizations will hold elections; report on industry issues and promotional efforts; and announce upcoming events. Dinner or lunch will be served at each meeting depending on the time the meeting is set to begin. To preregister for your district meeting, please contact The Dairy Alliance at 1-800-343-4693. The meetings will be held:
  • Sept. 17, Monday    Bonner's Restaurant, 1500 Bonner Lane, Buckhead at 7 PM
  • Sept. 18, Tuesday    Western Sizzlin', 501 Legion Drive, Dalton, at NOON
  • Sept. 20, Thursday   Burke Co. Extension Office, 715 West 6th Street, Waynesboro at 7 PM
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Georgia Milk Producers will present a Grand Prize of $500 at the conclusion of all meetings to one lucky Georgia dairy farm family attending their district meeting. Additional door prizes and promotional items will be provided by The Dairy Alliance at each district meeting. Producers will also elect Georgia ADA directors in even numbered districts and all districts for Georgia Milk Producers, Inc.
 
Newberry Recognized by Bibb Co. School System

Congratulations to Benjamin Newberry from Lizella, Georgia, who was recently recognized by the Bibb Co. School System.  Newberry received the VIP Industry Award for his work and dedication to the youth in his local school system.  Newberry Farm has been instrumental in supporting the new FFA program at Rutland Middle and their commercial dairy heifer team.  Thank you for the impact you have made in your community and your commitment to build future leaders for our industry.  Newberry currently serves as a Board member for the GA Dairy Youth Foundation, The Dairy Alliance and Holstein USA. 
Boockoff Named Market Administrator for Southeast and Florida Federal Orders

On August 31, USDA Deputy Administrator for the Dairy Program, Dana Coale, appointed Shawn Boockoff as Federal Milk Marketing Acting Administrator for Orders 7 and 6. 

Erik Rasmussen, Market Administrator for the Southeast and Florida Federal milk marketing orders retired after 44 years of Government service, most within Dairy Program.
Georgia rancher wins legal battle in bald eagle attacks 
From 
George Mathis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Bluffton rancher Will Harris, who's led a crusade for a more ethical treatment of livestock from his fifth-generation farm in southwest Georgia, said he now expects to receive compensation for some of the 160,000 chickens he's lost in recent years to America's flying, and hungry, symbol of freedom. 

The 63-year-old rancher said he's lost more than $2 million in poultry to the eagles, who now live year-round on his 3,200-acre property, White Oak Pastures, the largest USDA certified-organic property in Georgia.

Reached by phone, Harris said he will likely receive the maximum compensation allowed, $125,000, for each year he proves he suffered losses, and may also recover an estimated $100,000 in legal fees.   Read more 
Update on Hurricane Florence's Impact on Georgia 
From 
Gary Kelley, 
Inspector General, GA Department of Agriculture


Here's the 5 AM update on Hurricane Florence and any potential impacts to the local area through Monday. With the center of Florence likely remaining east of the state, overall expected impacts to the local area have again been adjusted downward at this time.
 
What has changed:
  • As of 5 AM, Hurricane Florence is currently located 25 miles ESE of Wilmington NC and moving WNW at 6 mph. Florence will shortly make landfall in the Wilmington area as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 90 mph. 
  • Based on the latest official forecast track, as Florence moves inland and weakens through Sunday, the center will likely remain east of the state with overall expected impacts to the local area further reduced.
Impacts to Georgia:
  • Because Florence will weaken over land and is expected to take a track east of the state, we are now expecting even less in the way of winds across the local area. Far eastern portions of the forecast area could see winds over 15 mph with gusts around 30 mph late Saturday into Sun.
  • Additionally, forecast rainfall amounts have been tapered slightly as well. Currently, 1 to 1.5 inches of rain is possible for areas generally along and east of a Blairsville to Gainesville to Washington line with isolated amounts near 2 inches.
  • Tornadoes continue to appear unlikely based on the forecast keeping the center east of the state.
Below is the latest forecast map from the National Hurricane Center for Hurricane Florence.
Dairy to take $2.7b hit from Mexico, China trade tariffs
Retaliatory tariffs by China and Mexico could lower dairy exports by $2.7 billion and depress dairy farmers' revenues by $16.6 billion over the next several years unless they are rolled back. Moreover, U.S. economic output tied to the dairy industry would fall by more than $8 billion and 8,200 U.S. jobs would be imperiled through 2023.

Those are the findings of a study commissioned by the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and conducted by Informa Agribusiness Consulting that estimated the economic impact of ongoing trade disputes on the U.S. dairy industry. The study only examined current tariffs, meaning the damage would worsen if other proposed duties take hold, as China has threatened.   Read more
Details On How USDA Calculated Aid Payment Rates
By Anna-Lisa Laca, Dairy Herd Management

As promised by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA released details on how aid payments were calculated on Thursday. 

The details, which were released by the office of USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson, explain how payment rates for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) were determined. USDA used an approach often used in adjudicating trade dispute cases. They developed an estimate of gross trade damages to set commodity payment rates and purchase levels, according to the methodology report released on Thursday. In the report, USDA cited the U.S. Country of Origin labeling dispute case in the World Trade Organization (WTO) as an example of using this method.    Read more  
   
UPDATE 1-Canada ready to allow U.S. dairy access in NAFTA talks -sources
From Reuters

Canada is ready to offer the United States limited access to the Canadian dairy market as a concession in negotiations to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement, two Canadian sources with direct knowledge of Ottawa's negotiating strategy said on Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said at the White House that trade talks with Canada were going well and that Ottawa wants to make a deal. Chrystia Freeland, Canada's foreign minister, returned to Washington on Tuesday for talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

Canada's protected dairy industry is one of three sticking points in NAFTA talks between the two countries, along with a system for settling trade disputes and cultural protections for Canadian media firms.
Trump has already struck a deal with Mexico, NAFTA's third member, and has said he is prepared to leave Canada out of the revised deal if Ottawa fails to accept terms more favorable to the United States.
Read more 
Changing of the guard: New PMMB chairman sees increased fluid milk demand as job no. 1
By Sherry Bunting, Reprinted from  Farmshine, August 3, 2018

The number one problem needing solved for dairy is bringing back fluid milk demand. Good things are happening in the dairy industry, which makes now the critical time to seek ideas, think outside the box, and be open to seeing - and seizing - opportunities.

That's what came through during a recent interview with Rob Barley in his office at Star Rock Farms. The Lancaster County farmer and dairy producer is having a busy summer as the new chairman of the  Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board (PMMB).

He is also the first dairy farmer to be appointed by USDA to the at-large general public seat on the  National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, which funds the  Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP) for educating consumers and increasing fluid milk consumption. Read more
Why Whole-Fat Milk and Yogurt Are Healthier Than You Think
For years, experts have recommended low-fat dairy products over the full-fat versions, which are higher in calories and contain more saturated fat. Recent research, however, indicates that  full-fat dairy  may actually be  healthier than its reputation suggests , and that people who eat full-fat dairy are not more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes than people who consume low-fat dairy. They may even be less likely to gain weight.

Now,  new research published Tuesday in The Lancet, adds to that body of evidence.

The research suggests that eating dairy products of all kinds is associated with a lower risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease and stroke. "About three servings of dairy a day is associated with a lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease," says study co-author Mahshid Dehghan, a nutrition epidemiology researcher at the Population Health Research Institute in Canada. "We are suggesting that dairy is healthy, and people should be encouraged to consume dairy."     Read here

After a three-year run when annual U.S. per capita dairy product consumption rose from the year before, 2017 yielded a small decline in overall consumption. The decrease was mostly attributed to a continuing drop in fluid milk consumption.

 shows 2017 U.S. per capita consumption of dairy products (on a milk-equivalent, milkfat basis) slipped 2 pounds to 643 pounds (Table 1). The disappointing 2017 numbers followed three years in which per capita consumption had jumped 38 pounds, from 607 pounds in 2013 to 645 pounds in 2016 . Read more
Fast Food's Got a Netflix Problem as Americans Prefer to Dine in
From Bloomberg 

Home cooking would be making a comeback
 if it ever really went away.

Restaurants are getting dinged by the convenience of Netflix, the advent of pre-made meals, the spread of online grocery delivery, plus crushing student debt and a focus on healthy eating. Eighty-two percent of American meals are prepared at home -- more than were cooked 10 years ago, according to researcher NPD Group Inc. The latest peak in restaurant-going was in 2000, when the average American dined out 216 times a year. That figure fell to 185 for the year ended in February, NPD said.

Don't be fooled by reports of rising U.S. restaurant sales at big chains like McDonald's Corp. Increases have been driven by price hikes, not more customers. Traffic for the industry was down 1.1 percent in July, the 29th straight month of declines, according to MillerPulse data.   Read more
Hurricane Florence could flood North Carolina's hog manure pits, taint drinking water
From Associated Press/NBC News

Hurricane Florence's heavy rains could cause an environmental disaster in North Carolina, where waste from hog manure pits, coal ash dumps and other industrial sites could wash into homes and threaten drinking water supplies.

Computer models predict more than 3 feet of rain in the eastern part of the state, a fertile low-lying plain veined by brackish rivers with a propensity for escaping their banks. Longtime locals don't have to strain their imaginations to foresee what rain like that can do. It's happened before.  Read more  
Wisconsin On Pace To Hit Highest Loss Of Dairy Farms In 4 Years
By Hope Kirwan, WPR

Wisconsin lost 47 dairy farms in August, putting the state on pace for its worst year since 2013.

The  latest data from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection shows there were 8,372 licensed dairy producers at the beginning of September. That's 429 fewer than were licensed at the  start of the year.

It's the biggest decline since 2013, when the state lost 434 farms in the first eight months of the year.
Mike North, president of the Dairy Business Association, said it's not surprising given the current market and long-term trend toward consolidation in the industry.

"There's lots of motivating factors in this but it's a trend that's been going on for my entire lifetime," North said

North said  recent price reactions to new tariffs on United States dairy products have definitely motivated some farmers to leave the industry early this year.

But Shelly Mayer, executive director of Professional Dairy Producers, said low milk prices for more than three years just became too much for some farms.    Read more    
GA Grazing School - Sept. 18-19 in Lyons
From UGA 

UGA Extension will host a two-day Advanced Grazing School on September 18-19, 2018 that will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of two key aspects of their grazing systems. The focus areas will be on choosing the right pasture species, designing a grazing system that works best for your operation, and how to profitably fertilize pastures for optimal performance. The classroom portion of the course will be held at the Vidalia Onion Research and Extension Center in Lyons, GA. Then on the second day, the group will finish up the classroom portion before visiting Newly Halter's farm where participants will take a close look at his rotational grazing systems.
 
Cost of the two-day program is $150 per person. This registration fee includes a 250-page notebook full of resources on the subject matter, along with lunches and breaks on each day, and dinner on the first night. Registration is limited and participants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. So, interested persons should register soon. You can register by contacting the Tattnall County Extension Office at (912) 557-6724. 
 
For more information on the Advanced Grazing School program,  click here.
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GA Dairy Classifieds

Heifers for Sale (SC): 
18 Bred Registered Holstein Heifers. Big heifers
4 Due in October
6 Due in November
5 Due in December
3 Due in March
 
50 years in the Dairy business, 
Top herd in South Carolina. 
RHA 25,000, 
Closed Herd, 
All AI Sired, 
 
All AI Bred, and 
Vaccinated. 
Contact: Debbie Glenn at 
864-376-8582

Bull Calves WANTED: Competitive pricing with 6 day a week pickup. Brandon Mason Cattle Company 912-632-4490

For HIRE: Southeast DHIA 
has a position to fill in the 
West Central Georgia area for a 
FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN. 
 Responsibilities include data 
collection on area dairy farms 
during milking time. S
chedule is somewhat flexible 
but the hours are non-typical. S
ome travel and out-of-town 
work likely. 
Applicants should be comfortable 
with computers and software and
have good communication and 
organizational skills as well as 
reliable transportation. Pickup Truck required. I
f interested send a resume to 
 
For Sale: 
WW Livestock Systems Hydraulic Head shoot, never used, excellent condition, kept  under roof.  Listed for $23,041 asking $15,000 or reasonable offer.  Call M
aggie 352-507- 
2042 or email:  [email protected]
 
For Sale: Custom manure application and Dryhill manure equipment sales. 
Contact Edwin @ 478-299-0717 with Agboys Custom Services LLC  - 
New 8"x52' lagoon pump with outriggers $24,000 (Pictured right)

For Sale 3000 gallon Surge/Westfalia milk tank and wash system. Three phase condensers. 2002 model. Excellent condition. John B Gay, 478-494-5107

WANTED: DeLaval Westfalia
 Neck Transponders:  TN Dairy seeking used Westfalia neck band transponders. 
Please contact Bill or Peggy Howell if interested at 423-972-9254 or 423-371-3032.

WANTED: Looking for used pasteurizing and bottling equipment in working condition; Linda and Darrell Rankins, Jr.; 334-745-2357 (best times: mid-day and after 8 p.m.)

For Sale: 
Jersey cows, heifers and calves for sale.  Registered with AJCA, all ages! Contact Matt Holton at 770-718-8271, call or text.  Dawsonville, GA.

FOR HIRE:  Custom Silage Harvesting.  Late model JD chopper. Will travel. Let me put your quality forage up! Nic Haynes, Muddy H Farms, 678-617-3379.

FOR SALE
We have a continuous selection of fresh and springing heifers.
 
Call William at  (706) 768-2857 or visit our website at 
 

Bullcalves Wanted : Looking for Bullcalves to purchase - Barron Tench 864-844-2295 or  [email protected]     
Upcoming Events:

Sept. 10 - 20
GMP and ADA of Georgia Fall District Mtgs.

September 18-19 GA Advanced Grazing School, Lyons


October 4 - 14 - GA National Fair, Perry

Oct. 16-18 - Sunbelt Ag Expo, Moultrie
GA Milk Producers|706.310.0020 [email protected]
www.gamilk.org