2019 | Oct 4 GMP E Newsletter
Georgia Milk Producers Weekly Enews
Experience GA Grown at the National Fair from Oct. 3-13
The Georgia National Fair is open for business!! Yesterday's opening ceremony was held at the Georgia Grown Building, highlighting Georgia's No. 1 industry as you have never seen it before. The GA Grown building will bring back all your favorites, including the Georgia Grown Baby Barn, a live birthing center and newborn nursery for farm animals. During the 11-day fair, fairgoers will witness the live births of calves and see newborn piglets.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to view the Faces of Agriculture exhibit, shop for locally crafted goodies in the Georgia Grown Pavilion, obtain great new recipes and cooking tips, plus visit Georgia Grown companies from every corner of the state.
And don’t forget all the interactive opportunities available for the whole family, including games and a tour of Georgie's Farm! Visitors will not want to miss these one-of-a-kind agricultural experiences. For more information click here>>>
GDYF Dress-A-Cow Contest at GA National Fair TOMORROW!
The Georgia National Fair along with the Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation will once again host the Dress-A-Cow Contest. The contest will be held on October 5th at 4 pm in the Foster Rhodes Show Arena. Following the contest we will have a raffle for a Yeti Cooler and two other great prizes donated by Georgia Farm Bureau.
   
We can't wait to see the creative costumes! 
Drought Continues To Impact Georgia
From GA Agribusiness Council
As most of the Southeast continues to experience above-average temperatures, precipitation is desperately needed across the region. Here in Georgia, 100% of the State is in some form of a drought or dryness ranging from abnormally dry to extreme drought. As hot weather continues into October, the Drought Monitor shows that 4.5% of the state is considered to be in "extreme drought", 23.8% of the state in "severe drought", 38.4% of the state is "abnormally dry", and 33.3% being classified as in a "moderate drought". We have heard from producers in many sectors of agriculture that are being impacted by the drought. While Farmers and Agribusinesses make adjustments due to the scarcity of precipitation, we will keep a close monitor on the conditions and continue to maintain contact with government officials at the state and federal level to ensure that the impacts of the prolonged drought are addressed.  Click here for more information
Farm Bureau Releases Milk Program Recommendations
From Growing Georgia
The American Farm Bureau Federation today released a proposal for the future of U.S. milk-pricing provisions and marketing-order reform. The recommendations aim to bring more democracy and a more equitable program for all dairy farmers. Although federal milk marketing orders have been a pillar of the dairy industry for more than 80 years, the program has not undergone substantial change in nearly two decades. A working group consisting of Farm Bureau grassroots leaders and other contributors from the Farm Bureau family prepared the report after broad consultation with industry and academia.

The Farm Bureau Federal Milk Marketing Order Working Group recommendations are contained in the report “Priorities, Principles and Policy Considerations for FMMO Reform.”

Key recommendations would:
  • Give every dairy farmer a voice by eliminating the ability of coops to vote on behalf of member-producers on changes to federal milk marketing orders (bloc voting);
  • Improve risk sharing across the supply chain in the product pricing formulas by adjusting the “make allowance” (a fixed deduction or credit for processing milk into finished dairy products) to be variable on a commodity-by-commodity basis;
  • Collect more robust pricing information by significantly expanding the Agriculture Department’s mandatory price reporting survey; and
  • Simplify milk pricing rules in the Southeast by aligning the qualifying criteria for pooling and eliminating transportation subsidies.

Farm Bureau leaders will convene in January to consider and vote on these priorities and policy recommendations. Based on the outcome, Farm Bureau staff will work with stakeholders in the dairy industry and policymakers to advance the recommendations.
The working group was formed in January 2019 when AFBF’s voting delegates recommended the formation of a dairy task force to review methods to restructure and modernize the current Federal Milk Marketing Order system.

Plant-Based Beverages Aren’t The Reason For Fluid Milk’s Decline
By Jim Dickrell, MilkBusiness.com
While plant-based beverages are often cited as the reason for the decline in fluid milk per capita sales, the facts don’t support that claim.

Milk still outsells plant-based beverages by a margin of more than 11 to 1, says Alan Bjerga, senior vice president of communications with the National Milk Producers Federation.

“Remember that as new beverages enter the market, the marketplace segments. Consumption of established beverages tends to decline as competitors take up shelf space,” he says. “Despite that dynamic, milk is holding up better than other established beverages.”

For example, milk’s per capita consumption has declined about 20 percentage points since 2000. Orange juice consumption has nearly dropped in half during that same time period.

The beverage that has gained the most in per capita sales and consumption is, believe it not, bottled water. In 2000, bottled water consumption was less than 20 gallons per capita. Today, it is more than double that. Read more here>>>
Milk needed in each of the 11 Federal Orders will increase or decrease based on their mix of the four different classes of milk. Those heavy on fluid milk will shrink with the declining domestic consumption of milk and very limited export opportunities. Those heavy in cheese will grow as the domestic consumption of cheese increases. For review, the four Classes of milk are defined below. All Class I milk must be included in the FMMO pool. Milk in all other Classes can be de-pooled and are then not subject to FMMO pricing or reporting.

Class I - The milk we drink
Class II - The milk used to make soft dairy products like yogurt, ice cream and sour cream
Class III - The milk used for hard cheese
Class IV - The milk used for butter, nonfat dry milk, and whole milk powder

Altogether, the 11 Federal Orders produced 98,337 million pounds of milk through July of 2019. Chart I shows the breakdown by Class. Class III milk for cheese now consumes nearly half of the total milk supply and the category is growing. Class I milk for drinking now makes up only a quarter of the milk supply and that category is declining. Class IV milk for butter and nonfat dry milk make up a healthy 16% and Class II for soft dairy products like ice cream and yogurt is the smallest category and shrinking.
SUNBELT AG EXPO _ October 15-17
The  42nd   Sunbelt Ag Expo  is open Tuesday through Thursday,  October 15-17 , from 8:30 AM to 5:00 (T,W) and 4:00 (Th). Admission at the gate is $10 per person per day. Advanced and discount tickets can be purchased online beginning August 1. The Show site is four miles southeast of Moultrie, GA on Hwy 133. For more information, see the show website at  sunbeltexpo.com
Other Stories to Check Out This Week >>>
Dr. Gordie Jones, a large animal practitioner, dairy consultant and dairy farmer, will serve as one of our 2020 GA Dairy Conference session speakers this January! Jones is at the forefront of many industry-wide innovations on topics including cow comfort, controlled energy dry cow rations (Goldilocks) and now All Season Hybrid Ventilation Barns. Hope you make plans to listen to Dr. Jones on January 21 in Savannah! Learn more about the GA Dairy Conference at  www.gadairyconference.com   #2020GDC
Animal Waste Operator and Planner Certification Training in November
A waste planner/operator certification training will be offered in Athens at the UGA Livestock Arena classroom on November 13 & 14, 2019. All permitted livestock operations (other than dry poultry operations) must have a certified animal waste systems operator and an implemented nutrient management plan written by a certified planner. In previous years this has been held as separate trainings, one to certify farm owners/employees to properly manage animal waste systems and the other to certify people to write nutrient management plans.

This training has been combined into one training with break-out sessions on day 2 for topics specific to each group. Both certifications require completion of this course and passing of the exam. This is the final operator/planner certification course this year. The next training will be in March 2020. Click here for registration form and information>>>
Upcoming Events >>>
GA Dairy Classifieds
TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at [email protected]
UPDATED 10/4/19

The following are FOR SALE from Archie Felder. For more information call 1-803-682-3426 :
Dairy Tech Bag Pasturizer - $4,000
Tidenberg Hydraulic Hoof Table (like new) - $5,000
Hall stall sand leveler skid steer (never used) - $1,000
Mench Sand Trailer - $14,000
McLanahan 20 x 20 sand seperator - $25,000
Chiller Drake 24 hp, dual 12 hp scroll tank pumps, 3 phase - $10,000
Fans 3-phase w/brackets:
54" - $225/ea (18 available)
48" - $125/ea (20 available)
36" - $100/ea (20 available)
3000 Mueller Milk Tank - $5,000
20 springers 7 1/2 - 8 mos. pg - $1,450/ea (24,000 2x herd average)


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

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 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   crumpdairyreplacements.org