It may not be The Big Cheese for long, but Wisconsin’s identity as home of cows, corn and cheese is firmly entrenched.

More than 10 years ago the state of California captured the top milk production title from Wisconsin. Yet the Midwestern state retained “America’s Dairyland” on its license plates, and they still sport the same saying today.

California may wrest away Wisconsin’s title of top cheese state as soon as next year.

Source: New York Times/ Monica Davey, Sept. 30, 2006
Source URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/30/us/30cheese.html?th&emc=th

On September 28, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture issued a decision that increased the minimum milk price that processors must pay dairy farmers. The decision mandates the payment of a fuel adjustment add-on, as well as the payment of a premium to New Jersey dairy producers for milk from cows not treated with rbST. The over-order premiums became effective today, October 2, and apply to all milk purchased from New Jersey producers.

Source: International Dairy Foods Association/ News Release, Oct. 2, 2006
Source URL: http://www.idfa.org/news/stories/2006/10/statenews_nj.cfm

Following are headlines from some of the news articles highlighted this past week:

• Hood, Dean Go BST-Free in Northeast
• DFA Sells Stake in Southern Belle in Lawsuit Settlement
• Commission Studies Large-Scale Animal Production
• $20-million Dairy Plant Slated for Vietnam

Click to read more of these and other news stories.

"Doc, if I implement your suggestion, I will put more milk on the market and that will lower milk price. What good does that do me?" This is a question I have heard many times over the 23 years I was in practice and the 6 years I have worked in industry. The change we are discussing might be 3X milking, long day lighting, or use of Posilac® (Monsanto Dairy Business, St. Louis, MO). Let's take a closer look at what implementing one of these practices means for the dairy, as well as its effects on milk price and our industry.

Source: Ohio State University/ Buckeye Dairy News/ Mark Armfelt of Monsanto Dairy Business, September 2006
Source URL: http://dairy.osu.edu/bdnews/v008iss05.htm#stress

Now that we have passed the nadir of the summer heat, we are entering a period when milk production and component levels rebound across the country. In this column, I will make a departure from past columns and take a look at the milk production - price cycle relationship in the United States dairy industry. This is a dynamic relationship which I find very informative as I look to the future for price direction.

Source: Ohio State University/ Buckeye Dairy News/ Cameron Thraen, September 2006
Source URL: http://dairy.osu.edu/bdnews/v008iss05.htm#policy

Following are some headlines from market news and analysis from the past week:

• Study: CWT Adds 40 cents/cwt to Milk Check
• How Japan Protects Its Dairy Industry
• UK: Milk Prices Lag Behind Commodity Markets

Click to read these and more market articles.

The objective of this study was to compare the performances of calves fed acidified milk replacer (AMR) or sweet (regular) milk replacer (SMR) at 8% of birth weight.

In conclusion, it is suggested that the growth performance and feed efficiency characteristics of calves reared under the new feeding system with AMR were not adversely affected, but the incidence of scours of the young calves was dramatically reduced.

Source: Effects of feeding acidified milk replacer on the growth, health and behavioural characteristics of holstein Friesian calves. Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences 30 (2): 235-241, 2006. Yanar, M.; Guler, O.; Bayram, B.; Metin, J.

The main aim of this work was to assess factors affecting the secretion of carotenoids in cows' milk.

The concentration of BC explained 58 and 40% of variation in CI of plasma and milk, respectively. These CI appear to be valuable tools for diet traceability (i.e., silage vs. hay).

Source: Variations in carotenoids, fat-soluble micronutrients, and color in cows' plasma and milk following changes in forage and feeding level. Journal of Dairy Science 89 (7): 2634-2648, 2006. Noziere, P.; Grolier, P.; Durand, D.; Ferlay, A.; et al.

Most farms have some sort of a goal for bulk tank SCC (BTSCC). Interestingly, having this goal seldom stimulates a need to understand the math behind the current BTSCC. Each cow contributes a proportion of the cells and the milk in the tank. An individual cows’ proportion of the BTSCC is considered to be her cell contribution (her SCC times her production) / the total cells in the tank (sum of all contribution). While this mathematical approximation of the BTSCC is not exact for test day (because some cows may not be in the tank or errors have occurred in either measuring production or in the laboratory) it is a useful evaluation.

Source: University of Wisconsin/ David Rhoda, October 2006
Source URL: http://www.uwex.edu/milkquality/

Both conventional and organic dairies rely on vaccination programs to help prevent infectious diseases in their cattle. However, it could be argued that maximizing every bit of benefit from a vaccination program is even more crucial in organic dairy operations since treatment alternatives are more limited. Vaccination of organic dairy cattle is allowed for certification. But within that allowance, overzealous vaccination programs are discouraged. Thus, it is important that organic dairy producers consider how they can help stimulate an effective immune response and ensure that that immunity is present during the time of greatest risk to their cattle.

Source: Colorado State University/ Robert J. Callan, September 2006
Source URL: http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/ilm/proinfo/cdn/2006/VaccProgMar.pdf