2019 | August 23 GMP E Newsletter
Georgia Milk Producers Weekly Enews
GMP Fall District Meetings Begin September 9th
Dairy producers across Georgia are invited to take part in the annual Fall District meetings for Georgia Milk Producers and The Dairy Alliance. The meetings will be held in seven locations across the state.
 
These organizations will hold elections; report on industry issues and promotional efforts; and announce upcoming events. Dinner or lunch will be served at each location depending on the time the meeting is set to begin. The meetings will be held on:
 
  • Sept. 9, Monday Maguire’s at 7 PM, 42 Main St, Senoia, GA
 
  • Sept. 10, Tuesday The Plaza Restaurant at NOON, 217 S Broad St, Thomasville
 
  • Sept. 10, Tuesday Oasis Coffee House at 7 PM, 2610 Eatonton Rd, Madison, GA
 
  • Sept. 12, Thursday Burke Co. Extension Office at 7 PM, 715 West 6th St., Waynesboro
 
  • Sept. 13, Friday McGill Ag Bldg. at Noon, 136 N by Pass, Washington
 
  • Sept. 16, Monday Bonner's Restaurant at 7 PM, 1500 Bonner Ln, Buckhead
 
  • Sept. 17, Tuesday Western Sizzlin' at NOON, 501 Legion Dr., Dalton

To preregister for the district meeting of your choice, please contact The Dairy Alliance at   1-800-343-4693. Meetings are open to dairy producers, family members, farm managers and industry partners. We look forward to seeing you soon and value the input you share at our meetings!!

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 elect Georgia ADA directors in odd numbered districts.
Georgia court rules against 2015 WOTUS rule
By Jacqui Fatka , Feedstuffs
A federal court said the 2015 waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule is unlawful under the Clean Water Act (CWA) because of its “vast expansion of jurisdiction over waters and land traditionally within the states’ regulatory authority.”

The court for the southern district of Georgia found the Environmental Protection Agency, which was under the Obama Administration at the time, overstepped not just the CWA but also the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which lays out the most basic rules governing how agencies may propose and establish federal regulations.

The Georgia court kept in place a preliminary injunction preventing the rule from becoming effective in the 11 states involved in the lawsuit while EPA finalizes its own repeal and replacement of the 2015 rule. Read more here>>>
Recent heat could impact dairy coming from South Ga.
By Darran Todd, WALB
With South Georgia heat indices reaching over 100, researchers said dairy farmers should be worried.

During the summer days when shopping for things like milk, cheese and butter, do you think about how extreme heat can affect the animal these products come from?

“Heat stress is an issue in the dairy industry more towards cows and our producers because it does influence the cows productivity and the economical return of our dairy producers,” said Sha Tao, a researcher and assistant professor at the UGA Tifton campus.

Tao said that anytime the heat index reaches at least 68 or higher, a dairy cow needs to be cooled off before getting heat stress. Watch Report Here>>>
By Progressive Dairy Editor Dave Natzke
Two federal dairy safety net programs saw increased activity in mid-August.

Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program
The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) updated Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program participation, noting 16,985 dairy operations had signed up for the new program as of Aug. 19. The USDA said year-to-date indemnity payments to dairy operations enrolling in the program for 2019 had hit nearly $220 million.
Fluid Milk Is Cool Again
By Mike Opperman, Dairy Herd Management
The demand for fluid milk has been dropping for many years. Consumers have moved toward other beverages that can offer convenience, better flavor, certain health characteristics or any number of demands. With 34% of the milk produced in the U.S. ending up as fluid milk on grocery shelves, it’s important to identify ways to turn this category around. 

A recent study by Rabobank suggests that those fluid milk products that can differentiate themselves from regular, commodity milk are turning the demand curve upward. During a recent conversation with Chip Flory on AgriTalk, Tom Bailey, senior dairy analyst with Rabobank, shed light on this new trend. Read more here>>>
“Give me a break!” 
By Caitlin Rodgers, Georgia dairy farmer
“Did you check the tanks?”
“Yes.”
“Did you check the temperature charts?”
“Yes.”
“Did you check the sick cow pen?”
“Yes.”
“Did you check the chemicals?”
“Yes.”
“Did you check with your Uncle Andy to see if he needed anything?”
“Yes.”
“What was the dry matter intake?”
“Fifty-four percent.”
“What was the milk average?”
“96.3 pounds per cow.”
“How much did it go up or down from yesterday?”
“Um . . . I’ll have to check.”

This is the same conversation Dad and I have had for the past seven years before heading home for the day. Dad will ask me as many questions as it takes to get to one where I am not quite sure of the answer and have to walk back into the office to check.
Dairy Foods Innovation Opportunity: Prioritize Protein and Portability in Kids Products
By Donna Berry, Berry on Dairy
It’s back-to-school time. And here’s some great news as you market and continue to develop products for kids. Protein currently is parents’ number-one priority when it comes to feeding their school-bound children, according to new research from Three Bridges, a manufacturer of clean-label prepared foods, many of which include dairy ingredients and proteins. 

Back to school means different things for different people, but one thing that parents can’t help thinking about is how, when and what to feed their kids. We need to make sure dairy is part of their plan, even if it's dairy protein delivered through juice!

The Three Bridges research found that two-thirds of parents say that food prep during the school year stresses them out. In fact, thinking about breakfast and lunch meal prep is so top-of-mind that 74% of parents try to get ahead by starting to pack their kids’ food the night before.

What about priorities when it comes to the types of food products parents are looking for at the store? Two out of five (44%) cite nutrition as the driving factor for purchasing decisions, followed by convenience (32%) and price (24%).

Here are parents’ top-3 priorities: 
  • Supplying protein (37%)
  • Minimizing sugar intake (30%)
  • Giving their kids something they enjoy (19%)

'The bleeding hasn't stopped yet' for U.S. dairy farmers
By Adriana Belmonte , Associate Editor for Yahoo Finance
As  U.S.-China trade tensions  continue and the  United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement  (USMCA) awaits ratification, American dairy farmers are hurting.

“It’s not been easy,” Patty Edelburg, vice president of the National Farmers Union, told Yahoo Finance. “We’ve lost a lot of farms in Wisconsin. Last year, we’ve lost close to 7,000 farms. We see the numbers haven’t stopped. The number of farm bankruptcies and the number of farm sell-outs in Wisconsin just hasn’t stopped. The bleeding hasn’t stopped yet.”

Total U.S. dairy exports have been down since trade tensions ramped up over the last year: As of June 2019, total exports were down 8.1% year-to-date compared to 2018, according to data provided to Yahoo Finance by U.S. Dairy Export Council, and exports to China dropped by over 7%.

“Since the tariffs were first imposed, U.S. dairy product exports have plummeted 43%,” a recent note from Wells Fargo Securities Economics Group stated. “With exports down so sharply, many farms have run into trouble.” Read more here >>>
Non-Dairy Milk Alternatives Are Experiencing A 'Holy Cow!' Moment
By Brian Kateman , Forbes
A decade ago (even more recently in some places), coffee shops had, at most, one non-dairy milk alternative, and it was usually soy. Other alternatives existed, but if you wanted them, you probably had to haul to the nearest health food store.

Things have certainly changed. Nowadays, a trendy coffee shop might offer soy, rice, oat, almond, or coconut milks – or a choice of the above. You can even get almond milk at Dunkin’ Donuts (alongside  a Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich ), which proudly brands itself as the everyman’s coffee chain. 

The global dairy alternative market was estimated at a value of  $11.9 billion as of 2017 , and its rapid growth has gotten the attention of those in the food industry, as has its profitability – plant-based dairy alternatives are displaying 6% better returns than traditional dairy products. Consumers are driving this trend: In Britain, for example,  25% of people  are choosing plant based milks - with figures being as high as 33% for the young adults market (16-24 year olds). Read more here >>>
Other Stories to Check Out This Week >>>
Register Today for the Florida Dairy Production Conference
From Southeast AGNet
Producers are invited to attend the 2019 Florida Dairy Production Conference, Wednesday September 18, 2019 at the Straughn IFAS Extension Center (UF Campus), Gainesville, Florida. The program starts at 9 AM and some of the topics discussed include dairy calf and heifer management, selecting replacement heifers critical aspects for improving reproductive success, nutritional manipulations to improve health and fertility, along with addressing animal welfare concerns in dairy farming and engaging and educating the public about dairy practices. They also will have a session talking about dairy farming and social media. For registration and further details,  click here .
Upcoming Events >>>
GA Dairy Classifieds
TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at gamilkproducers@gmail.com

Registered Brown Swiss dairy cows(6) and heifers(3) for sale. 7 X 24 2004 Featherlight trailer with tack area and 2 cuts $12,000.00 and an Artic 22 semen tank (has a few straws of beef semen inside) $450. Please contact Beth Gearhart, Waynesboro, GA, 352-603-2629 text or call

For Sale: 2016 Tatoma Vertical Twin Screw Mixer. Equipped with Front Discharge and Side Discharge Extension - $35,000.00. Please contact Jim or Stephanie Waite 334-222-7957 for more information. 

Young Stock Supervisor wanted -  Hart Agriculture Waynesboro GA
Grazing 500-1000 animals,   Must be familiar with rotational grazing and breeding. Please contact Maggie 352-507-2042 or   maggie@hartagriculture.com
 
Dairy Manager wanted -  Hart Agriculture Waynesboro GA
300-700 milking cows,   60 bale rotary, New Zealand style grazing system. Please contact Maggie 352-507-2042 or   maggie@hartagriculture.com

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 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   crumpdairyreplacements.org