DairyBusiness

KDDC and Alltech announced this years “Winter Cover-Alls Dairy Series 2010.”  There will be 11 meetings held across the state, Feb. 16- March 12.  The schedule includes:

February

16 – Lincoln County – Waynesburg Community Family Worship Center

18 – Todd County – Elkton Baptist Church **

19 – Barren County – Barren County Extension Office **

23 – Fleming County – Fleming County Extension Office

24 – Washington Count – Washington County Extension Office

26 – Casey County – Casey County Extension Office Annex

**(Sherry Bunting, FarmShine contributor, will replace Jeffrey Bewley for the Feb 18 & 19 meetings)

March

9 – Adair Count – Adair County Extension Office

10 – Mercer County – Mercer County Extension Office

11 – Shelby County – Shelby County Extension Office

12 – Hardin County – Hardin County Farm Bureau Office

Topics include:

• Milk Quality and Mastitis Economics: Video and Discussion, by Dr. Jeffrey Bewley, UK Dairy Extension Specialist

• Making Silage Sense: Video and Discussion, by Joe Sparrow, Alltech

• Hoof Health, What’s Really Going on Down There: Video and Discussion, by Dr. Jennifer Newman and/or Andi Branstetter, Neogen

The Feb. 18 meeting in Todd County and Feb. 19 meeting in Christian County will have a special guest speaker, Sherry Bunting, FarmShine contributor, replacing Dr. Jeffrey Bewley’s presentation. Bunting is a freelance writer and contributor to FARMSHINE since 1995 and is the secretary for a new grassroots producer organization, Dairy Policy Action Coalition.

Her presentation will highlight many hot topics in the dairy industry: 2010 market update, what can we expect in prices; milk pricing issues, what tools are available in the 2008 Farm Bill but are not being used; milk price discovery, is it being reported correctly; and trade issues, present trade agreements, what may be coming that could have a real impact.

This meeting series is unique because of the virtual video tours for each of the topics.  Producers can see firsthand how these management issues are handled and evaluated on farms, in real life.

Lunch will be provided at all of the meetings.

If you have any questions regarding the meetings and locations please contact you local KDDC Dairy Consultant.

• Maury Cox, Executive Director – 859-516-1129

• Willy Campbell, Eastern Kentucky – 859-516-2458

• Sam Finney, Mid-Central Kentucky – 859-516-1966

• Denise Jones, South Central Kentucky – 859-516-1619

• Dave Roberts, Western Kentucky – 859-516-1409

Bill would establish ‘Tennessee’ milk

A bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Faulk of Kingsport would establish a category of milk called “Tennessee Prime Milk,” of which at least 80% is produced in Tennessee.

It passed the state Senate, 26-0. A companion bill overwhelmingly passed the House last year, and the two chambers must now reach an agreement before the measure goes to the governor.

Faulk says it would give Tennessee dairy farmers a “niche between organic milk, which is very expensive, and the normal milk that you find in the grocery stores.”

More Southeast calendar

• A University of Florida Dairy Risk Management course is starting Feb. 16. The second meeting for the new group will be March 16. Contact Mary Sowerby, (386) 362‐2771, or meso@ufl.edu.

• February 22 is the date for the next University of Florida Dairy Risk Management meeting, to be held in Mayo staring at 7 PM. The following meeting is March 22, again in Mayo starting at 7 PM. Contact Mary Sowerby, (386) 362‐2771, or meso@ufl.edu.

• Contemplating a change to your current dairy production system? Or looking for new ideas to lower production costs and improve efficiency. Either way, plan to join the Dairy Alternatives Tour – High Tech or Low, on March 2, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (the day after the SMI board meeting). The tour will include Sunset Dairy in Dixie, Georgia, where Claus Haaren’s cows have been rotationally grazing since December 2008. In addition, we’ll tour Calvin Moody and Doyle Weltzbarker’s conventional Brooksco Dairy and the under construction (but soon to be completed) Westbrook Dairy near Quitman, GA. Lunch and discussion about both dairy operations will be held at the Books County Extension office in Quitman, GA. There will be a $10 registration fee to cover lunch. For more information and to pre‐register please call Mary Sowerby at (386) 362‐2771 on or before Thursday Feb. 25.

• 59th annual Florida Beef Cattle Short Course, Gainesville, Florida, May 5 ‐ 7, 2010. Program and registration on http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/beef/index.htm.