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IMPORTANT REMINDER: Comment Needed by Midnight Tonight
Southeast set to lose seat on National Dairy Board;
Comment by July 25th (TONIGHT!!) to PREVENT that loss of representation
(Commenting won't take but a minute - please make an effort - some of you may have already contributed!)
AMS recently announced they wish to realign the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, and reduce the number of seats representing the Southeast (Region 10) from 2 to 1, while concurrently increasing the seats available to Region 8 (Idaho) from 2 to 3. The Southeast serves a consumer base of a much larger area than Idaho, and producers in the Southeast ship a higher percentage of their milk for fluid processing purposes.
The National Dairy Promotion and Research Program is more commonly known as the Dairy Checkoff Program. It is funded by a 15 cts./ cwt deduction from a producer's milk check. 5 cents of that 15 is mandated to go toward the national program, while every state has the option of determining the direction of 10 cts./ cwt.
The original notice of the change was published last fall on Sept. 21, 2021, with an original closing date for comments to be posted by Oct. 21, 2021. Due to several comments submitted supporting keeping 2 representatives in Region 10, the comment period was reopened
If you wish for the Southeast to keep a second seat, you have until midnight, July 25th, 2022 to comment at Regulations.gov. Your voice matters!
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CONSOLIDATION
25% of the Nation's' milk is produced in 13 counties.
50% of the nation's milk is produced in 54 Counties.
So how does the Southeast stack up? Consider this a 'Must Read!'
July 25, 2022: ''One Quarter of the Milk came from 13 Counties,'' by Corey Geiger, for Hoard's Dairyman.
In yet another analysis providing data to consider as the move toward Federal Order Reform and the Farm Bill continues, today Hoard's published a perspective, with some easily understood graphs, on where the nation's milk production is increasingly concentrated. While no surprise to any of us in the southeast or east, these graphic maps illustrate the continued decline of dairy farms in the southeast, where fluid milk is king.
Note: These numbers do not account for Idaho, which is not in the Federal Order system.
Additional graphs can be found here.
The question we need to consider: It appears the Southeast, with over 25% of the nation's population, is emerging into a 'milk desert' of sorts, as far as operating dairies are concerned.
With all of the 'supply chain' and transport issues which are still ongoing, is this a trend that should be allowed to be continued? It's no secret that companies who process a significant amount of Southeast Milk have recently closed some plants or facilities, for various reasons.
SO - What, if anything, can be done to turn this tide of losing farms / processing capacity in the southeast?
And - in a RELATED ARTICLE concerning concentration / consolidation:
July 18, 2022: ''The Trend to Larger Dairy Farms Continues,'' by Scott Brown, for Hoard's Dairyman
'Larger Dairy Operation States' have been defined as those with at least 50% of state (cow) inventory on operations greater than 1,000 cows. 13 states across the country fit that category.
From the southeast, Florida is 8th in the nation with 79.4% of its total cow population in herds of 1,000 cows or greater, while Georgia is 13th. (50.6% of its total cow population in herds 1000 cows and larger)
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SUNBELT AG EXPO FIELD DAY now set for AUG 2
July 19, 2022: 'Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day Postponed Until Aug 2, 2022," by staff of Southeast Farm Press.
The postponement occurs for good reason - RAIN. "We were looking forward to seeing you, but the much-needed rain from a dry spring has left the fields in an impassable condition. Regrettably, we are postponing this year’s Field Day until August 2, 2022, to give the fields and roads some time to dry out,” Sunbelt Expo officials said in July 15 statement.
Top agricultural scientists and industry reps will be available; CCA credits can be earned in the drive-thru format. To learn more, Click Here.
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Who would you nominate as 'Influential in Dairy?'
June 30, 2022: 'Who are the Most Influential People in Dairy?' published at Progressive Dairy.
An announcement explains: ''The Progressive Dairy editorial team is extending an invitation to our readers, asking you to nominate and describe the dairy people who you believe are the most influential in the industry, especially those with the greatest direct positive impact reaching back to the farm.
We’re looking for producers as well as persons in dairy-allied industries, teachers, researchers, marketers, political and organizational leaders, thought leaders, bloggers or others. Their influence can be personal, local, regional, national and even international."
Nominations will close about Sept. 15, 2022 (watch for the specific date.)
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Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation: Calendar Fundraiser
Photo Contest - Submit 3 pics by August 15th!
Help our young dairy enthusiasts and have some fun! They are making a 2023 calendar to sell as a fundraiser, and are having a contest to determine the photos which will appear!
Check out their Facebook and Instagram pages for more information, and for links to submit photos to a Google Account!
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July Ice Cream Month
Atlanta's Ice Cream Festival
3rd Saturday in July (In 2022) July 23rd: Atlanta Ice Cream Festival Did you know Atlanta has an annual Ice Cream Festival? The event was this past Saturday at Piedmont Park. Were any Georgia Dairy Farms or Georgia cows represented? If you went, what did you think?
The festival has a webpage, but on Facebook and Twitter, any posts (so far) were done pre-festival in 2022. However, it looks as if their Instagram page has a bit more information.
Watch this news story from last week before the Festival; Take a look see, and maybe plan some involvement next year!
Mayfield: Official Ice Cream of the Braves
From You Tube: Mayfield is the Official Ice Cream of the Braves! Baseball, Ice Cream, and the BRAVES!
Although the video is from 2017 when the partnership first began, the sentiments still apply!
Many dairy farms of the Southeast can be found through Mayfield at Truist Park, home of the World Series Champions, through Mayfield, the Official Ice Cream of the Braves!
Do you ever get to games? Why not make a photo of yourself with some of the Mayfield Ice Cream? And then you know the drill - post on Facebook Insta, or Twitter!
Oh yeah, the hashtags: #FortheA! Better yet: #CowsForTheA
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Enjoy that Ice Cream, Drink that Milk, and Dairy on!
Julie Walker, for Georgia Milk Producers
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