Ridley Inc. will try to appeal the ruling that allows a mad cow lawsuit against the feed company to proceed. The ruling was made in Ontario Superior Court on Jan. 5.

A judge denied Ridley’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit against the company.

Source: London Free Press/ Canadian Press, Jan. 14, 2006
Source URL: http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Business/2006/01/14/1393234-sun.html

An Iowa dairy association has absorbed the assets and liabilities of another state dairy organization.

Iowa State Dairy Association delegates approved a resolution to acquire Iowa Dairy Product Association at the ISDA yearly meeting earlier this week. Directors from each association agreed the deal was best for both associations. ISDA is the remaining single organization.

ISDA now will have two employees: Erin Vagts will serve as executive secretary and industry relations manager; Norman Moklestad, formerly of IDPA, now takes on the position of industry relations manager assistant.

Source: Iowa State Dairy Association, Jan. 13, 2006
Source URL: http://www.iowadairy.org/

The United States still consumes three times as much grain per person as China and five times as much as India, notes the report. U.S. per-capita carbon dioxide emissions are six times the Chinese level and 20 times the Indian level. If China and India were to consume resources and produce pollution at the current U.S. per-capita level, it would require two planet Earths just to sustain their two economies.

The report calls for broader cooperation between China, India, Europe, and the United States to develop new energy and agricultural systems, maximize resource efficiency, and continue recent progress towards participatory decision-making in China and India. Educational and professional exchanges should also be stepped up. Additionally, it is urgent that China and India be invited into key international bodies such as the G-8 and the International Energy Agency.

Source: Worldwatch Institute/ News Release, Jan. 11, 2006
Source URL: http://www.worldwatch.org/press/news/2006/01/11/

Some think there was nothing diluted about the sentence handed to two Wisconsin brothers who pleaded guilty to selling watered-down milk to a co-operative. But at least one person who was wronged wanted the judge to take stronger measures.

The brothers live with their father at Klenz Brothers Dairy in Brodhead, and milk a herd of Holsteins. The brothers each pleaded guilty to one count of theft by false representation and three counts of selling adulterated milk to the Decatur Swiss Cheese Co-operative. Co-op officials said the business lost $338,000, an amount more than triple the co-op noted in an earlier court complaint, and affected the co-op’s 75 members’ income.

Source: Wisconsin State Journal/ George Hesselberg, Jan. 11, 2006
Source URL: http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=68498&ntpid=3

Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. announced that it has emerged from bankruptcy. The company completed its Chapter 11 reorganization and has introduced a new business strategy that focuses on providing great-tasting portable foods with a unique nutrition advantage to healthy, active men and women. This is a distinct shift from its pre-bankruptcy strategy of educating the population about the benefits of controlled carbohydrate nutrition.

Source: Atkins Nutritionals/ News Release, Jan. 10, 2006
Source URL: http://www.atkins.com/company/press-release/atkins-nutritionals-inc-emerges-from-bankruptcy

The effect of monensin on milk production was evaluated in 58 lactating Holstein cows ( 48 multiparous; 10 primiparous) grazing a mixed-alfalfa pasture and supplemented with a partial mixed ration in a completely randomized design with repeated measurements.

Monensin improves production and reproduction performance of dairy cows grazing a mixed-alfalfa pasture and supplemented with a partial mixed ration.

Source: Monensin for lactating dairy cows grazing mixed-alfalfa pasture and supplemented with partial mixed ration. Journal of Dairy Science 88 (2): 644-652, 2005. Gallardo, M.R.; Castillo, A.R.; Bargo, F.; Abdala, A.A.; et al.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 2 feed barrier systems on feeding and social behavior of dairy cows.

These results suggest that using a headlock barrier reduces aggression at the feed bunk and improves access to feed for socially subordinate cows during peak feeding periods.

Source: Effect of feed barrier design on the behavior of loose-housed lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 88 (7): 2377-2380, 2005. Endres, M.I.; DeVries, T.J.; vonKeyserlingk, M.A.G.; et al.

Many corn and soybean producers in Indiana hesitate to price their crop before harvest because of concerns about not being able to fulfill their contract. Some producers do not buy crop insurance because they feel they have never had a loss large enough to collect an indemnity. Typically, risk management strategies involve giving up some potential return to reduce variability, especially to protect against low returns. However, Indiana producers who do not forward price their crops and carry crop insurance appear to be missing out on the opportunity for both higher average net revenues and lower downside risks.

A recent study analyzed pre-harvest pricing and insurance alternatives for a farm with a corn and soybean rotation in three geographical areas.

Source: Purdue University/ Purdue Agricultural Economics Report/ Ana R. Rios and George F. Patrick, January 2006
Source URL: http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/pubs/
paer/2005/december/rios.asp

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 30, 2005.

January

--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/

--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

--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

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

February

--NEW: Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association Conference and Trade Show, February 1-2, 2006, Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Island, Nebraska. Contact: 402-727-2775 or dvarner1@unl.edu or http://ianrnews.unl.edu/static/0601050.shtml

--NEW: Certified Livestock Manager Training, February 1-2, 2006, Agricultural Center of Union County, Marysville, Ohio. Contact: Kelly Harvey at 614-387-0908, or harvey@mail.agri.state.oh.us

--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

--Dairy Producer Conclave 2006, February 6-7, 2006, Reston, Virginia. Contact: http://www.nmpf.org/newsFlash/index.cfm?sectionsCode=PR&nfID=242

--World Ag Expo, February 7-9, 2006, Tulare, California. Contact: 800-999-9186 or http://www.worldagexpo.com/

--Quality Milk Conference, February 8-9, 2006, Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: 608-263-2008

--“Improving Soil – Enhancing Profit,” Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association 28th Annual Winter Workshop, February 9-10, 2006, Ramkota Inn, Bismarck, North Dakota. Contact: www.mandakzerotill.org

--NEW: "Understanding Animal Agriculture and the Environment," February 15, 2006, Holiday Inn, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Contact: 800-646-2282 or Mindy Spiehs at 612-625-4262 or www.manure.umn.edu/workshops

--NEW: 2005 National Electric Code for Agricultural Buildings, February 15, 2006, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Contact: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news/2006releases/code.html

--Fi Asia-China 2006, February 15-17, 2006, Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Pudong, Shanghai, China. Contact: http://asiachina2006.fi-events.com/

--“Women Managing the Farm Conference,” February 17-18, 2006, Wichita, Kansas. Contact: farmksu@humec.ksu.edu or 1-866-327-6578 or http://www.k-state.edu/farmksu/

Japan and China have reached over the Korean peninsula to shake hands on an agricultural deal. The two countries will promote cooperation in the agricultural sector.

The plan will offer exchanges among workers, and help for China as it pursues technical knowledge.

Source: TMCnet/ Japan Economic Newswire, Jan. 16, 2006
Source URL: http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/jan/1288308.htm