Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Association News

WUD Opens 2025-26 Board Nominations

Western United Dairies is now accepting nominations for its 2025–26 Board of Directors. Half of WUD’s board is elected each year to serve two-year terms, and several seats are open for new candidates. Any WUD member in good standing may run or nominate another member to represent their district. Completed nomination forms must be submitted by Monday, November 24, 2025, either in person or via email to norma@wudairies.com

Download Nomination Form Here

See Election Schedule Here

State News

Water Board Launches CalWATRS to Streamline Reporting

The state water board has launched a new reporting system known as CalWATRS, replacing an outdated database used by farmers and other water-rights holders. The new platform, which went live this month, requires agricultural users to create accounts and link their existing rights before submitting annual diversion and use reports.

Officials say CalWATRS offers a simpler interface, improved accuracy and faster processing for the thousands of growers who report surface water diversions each year. The system is designed to increase transparency and provide regulators with better data for drought and allocation decisions.

Board staff are hosting workshops to help farmers navigate the transition, particularly those managing multiple rights or reporting on behalf of irrigation districts. The board plans to phase out the old platform entirely by early 2026.

Why it matters: Staff anticipate that in a couple years the system will be robust enough to send instant alerts to farmers, clearing them to capture flood flows in their specific areas to use for local storage and groundwater recharge.

Learn More Here

Local Dairy Breathes New Life into Loleta with “Cow-to-Cone” Ice Cream

A small Humboldt County dairy is turning community spirit and California milk into something sweet. The Foggy Bottoms Boys, a sixth-generation dairy family from Ferndale, have opened Jersey Scoops — a handcrafted ice cream shop in nearby Loleta. Using milk straight from their organic dairy, the couple behind Foggy Bottoms is reviving a once-bustling dairy town while adding value to their own farm through direct-to-consumer sales. Backed by grants from the Pacific Coast Coalition, Jersey Scoops makes all its ice cream in-house and has quickly become a regional hit, showing how on-farm innovation can sustain rural communities and diversify dairy incomes.

MARKET UPDATE

Unplanned downtime at some cheese plants is interrupting supply as holiday buying ramps up. That’s helped propel CME cheese prices over $1.80 per pound for the first time since August. But with European prices continuing to drop and soft domestic demand, how long can that last?

• The CME butter market’s up-and-down dance continues. After hitting a new year-to- date low of $1.5450 per pound, the spot price rebounded over the $1.60-per-pound mark. But with inexpensive cream readily available and plenty of product to meet demand, the market couldn’t hold, dropping into the mid-$1.50s.

• In New Zealand, milk powder prices continue to slip. At this week’s GlobalDairyTrade Pulse event, skim milk powder decreased to $1.15 per pound, down 1.0% versus the latest main auction. Whole milk powder dipped 0.6% to $1.61 per pound.

• After falling closer to $1.10 per pound, the CME nonfat dry milk market jumped sharply higher to the upper-$1.10s. While global prices are still declining, analysts

suggest the recent US increases are the market correcting itself after the steep drop.

• Demand for high protein whey is strong, leading to tighter supplies and higher prices. Spot dry whey climbed to 70 cents per pound for the first time since January.

• Reports indicate there’s progress in trade negotiations with China. That was enough to give soybean futures a big bump. The November contract leapt to more than $10.78 per bushel. Corn is also showing strength, following soybeans upward. December futures are in the $4.30s.

• USDA reopened about 2,100 local FSA offices across the country to help farmers access loans, crop insurance, disaster aid and other existing programs.

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