Vermont dairy producers might want to listen if they receive a “cold call” from their state agriculture department.

Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr said he wants the department to call some of the state’s small dairy producers to gauge their interest in producing organic milk. Although a new study questions the profitability of organic dairies, Kerr believes it could help save small farms.

Source: Burlington Free Press/ Candace Page, Jan. 3, 2006
Source URL: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060102/NEWS01/601020310/1009&theme

This article summarizes the impacts of 2005 Illinois legislation on trespassers who enter agricultural lands. By making parents and vehicle owners civilly liable for damage caused by farm trespassers under 16 who use a motor vehicle (e.g., an ATV) and by stiffening criminal penalties for criminal trespass and criminal damage to property, the Illinois legislature has created three expanded threats to would-be trespassers on certain agricultural property.

Many Illinois farmers believe that trespassing has been a growing problem, especially incidents involving ATVs or other vehicles. In 2005 the Illinois legislature responded by passing two laws that create three new or expanded threats affecting would-be trespassers.

Source: Farmdoc/ University of Illinois/ Donald L. Uchtmann, Dec. 30, 2005
Source URL: http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/legal/articles/ALTBs/ALTB_05-04/ALTB_05-04.pdf

It is New Year’s Resolution time on Rural Route 4, or wherever your farm is. Many of those “character builders” are being made and most will be broken by the end of the week, according to those who keep track of such social goals. It is tough to make and keep our own resolutions for a better life, but it is easy to make resolutions for other folks, so I’ll offer some suggestions to those who produce the food of which we are resolving to eat less. Here is a checklist of Farmer Resolutions that spouses can post on the refrigerator or the shop door.

Source: Stu Ellis/ The Farm Gate/ University of Illinois, Jan. 2, 2006
Source URL: http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/archive/2006/01/a_2006_to_do_li.html

It’s been a decade since Monsanto launched the first genetically modified crops. While much has been gained by companies and farmers using GM crops, the early promises of GM crops have not been fulfilled.

GM soybeans, cotton, corn and canola are among the profit-drivers at Monsanto, and have helped lift the incomes of rival companies such as Syngenta and Dow AgroSciences. The gains primarily are due to broad acceptance of GM crops in the U.S. Many other countries have banned GM seeds amid concerns for human health and the environment.

Even in the U.S. there exists a disparity between food companies.

Source: News.com/ Reuters, Dec. 29, 2005
Source URL: http://news.com.com/Biotech+crops+mark+first+decade+with+wins%2C+losses/2100-11390_3-6012575.html?tag=html.alert

A new report predicts that global dairy prices will moderate over the next several months as international demand has slightly cooled. Yet supplies likely will remain tight this year since Oceania may not hit its predicted production levels due to adverse weather conditions in New Zealand.

The forecasted price drop will offer some relief to food processors that use dairy ingredients, according to USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service. Last year’s global dairy prices stayed high on well-balanced markets, the weak dollar trend, and the world’s economic growth.

Source: Food Production Daily/ Ahmed ElAmin, Jan. 3, 2006
Source URL: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=64830&m=1FPD103&c=kiliywpuldsefex

Therefore, a dairy herd of 448 cows and heifers was surveyed in order to establish the prevalence of Bartonella bovis and B. chomelii infections, the level of bacteremia, and the relationship between bacteremia and age or pregnancy status.

The interval from calving to first AI was shorter and the incidence of placental retention was lower in bacteremic animals than in nonbacteremic ones (P = 0.03 and P = 0.01, respectively).

Source: Effects of Cow Age and Pregnancy on Bartonella Infection in a Herd of Dairy Cattle. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2006, p. 42-46, Vol. 44, No. 1. R. Maillard, B. Grimard, S. Chastant-Maillard, B. Chomel, et al.

A total of 404 yeasts were screened for inhibitory activity against five Listeria monocytogenes strains. Three hundred and four of these yeasts were isolated from smear-ripened cheeses. Most of the yeasts were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Inhibition of L. monocytogenes was clearly pronounced in the cocultivation assay, which simulates the conditions and contamination rates present on smear cheese surfaces. We found no evidence that the unknown inhibitory molecule is able to diffuse through soft agar.

Source: Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by Food-Borne Yeasts. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2006, p. 313-318, Vol. 72, No. 1. Stefanie Goerges, Ulrike Aigner, Barbara Silakowski, and Siegfried Scherer.

Dairy farmers who suspect their cows are not milking as well as expected this winter should check that the diet being fed is not leading to a low rumen pH, according to Rachel Fowers, ruminant specialist with animal feed supplement specialists Frank Wright Ltd, part of the BASF Group.

Commenting on the results of over 10,000 maize and grass silage samples analysed by the company this year, Miss Fowers points out that several factors point to low pH being a possible problem on many farms.

Source: Frank Wright Ltd./ News Release, Dec. 15, 2005
Source URL: http://www.frankwright.com/common/uploaded_files/13000723/1400020_13000723_Website%20-%20FW%20SARA%20Final%20-%2015-12-05.pdf

There are many ways to evaluate whether your feeding program is on track. These include milk production, milk components, metabolic disorders, cud chewing, and particle size of feed fed and refusals. One other monitor is evaluation of manure. It’s a dirty job, but somebody needs to do it. Manure evaluation is not a precise science, but used along with other measures it can help confirm other observations and determine how well cows are digesting their ration.

Every day when walking through the pens, manure should be observed.

Source: University of Minnesota/ Jim Salfer, Dec. 24, 2005
Source URL: http://www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairystar/12-24-05-Salfer.htm

Following is a list of national and international events of importance to the dairy industry. To see events more than a month out, follow the “Click to read more” link. If you have an upcoming event that you would like publicized, please send it to Patt Ligman, pattligman@metafarms.com or MetaFarms, 2980 Commers Drive, Suite 400, Eagan, MN 55121. The next EventTrak is scheduled for January 17, 2005.

January

--2006 North American Veterinary Conference, January 7–11, 2006, Orlando, Florida. Contact: http://www.tnavc.org/Portal/Default.aspx?tabid=144

--NEW: “Managing for Success in 2006,” 10th annual Diversity, Direction and Dollars Agricultural Forum, January 9, 2006, Days Inn Grand Dakota Lodge, Dickinson, North Dakota. Contact: Kurt Froelich at 701-456-7665 or kfroelic@ndsuext.nodak.edu

--Conference on Organic Production, January 11-12, 2006, Interstate Center, Bloomington, Illinois. Contact: http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/asap/orgconf/

--Dairy Forum 2006, January 15-18, 2006, La Quinta Resort & Spa, La Quinta, California. Contact: http://www.idfa.org/meetings/dairyforum2006_agenda.cfm

--NEW: Wisconsin FarmDirect Conference, January 21, 2006, Waukesha County Technical College, Waukesha, Wisconsin. Contact: 262-857-1945 or 262-741-3175.

--NMC 45th Annual Meeting, January 22-26, 2006, Hyatt Regency, Tampa, Florida. Contact: http://www.nmconline.org/

--NEW: Colorado Farm Show - Dairy Day, January 25, 2006, Greely, Colorado. Contact: http://www.coloradofarmshow.com/dairy_day.htm

--Heart of America Grazing Conference, January 25-26, 2006, Cave City Convention Center, Cave City, Kentucky. Contact: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage/

--Wisconsin Corn/Soy EXPO, January 26-27, 2006, Kalahari Conference Center, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Contact: http://www.wisoybean.org/expo06.htm

--Dairy Producer Conclave 2006, January 30-31, 2006, Sacramento, California. Contact: http://www.nmpf.org/newsFlash/index.cfm?sectionsCode=PR&nfID=242

--NEW: I-29 Dairy Conference, January 31, 2005, Best Western Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center, 3200 W. Maple, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Contact: http://agbionews.sdstate.edu/News/newsrelease.cfm?id=2316

--NEW: First Annual Manure Bio-Conversion Technology Conference, January 31, 2006, Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: www.cals.wisc.edu/ccs

February

--Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, February 1-2, 2006, Lancaster Host Resort, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Contact: Georgene Thompson at 717-243-1349

--Dairy Producer Conclave 2006, February 2-3, 2006, Chicago, Illinois. Contact: http://www.nmpf.org/newsFlash/index.cfm?sectionsCode=PR&nfID=242