The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, in partnership with Dairy Management Inc, held a press conference this afternoon to detail its launching of Undeniably Dairy, the first industrywide campaign of its kind to grow consumer confidence in dairy products. The call featured dialogue from Amber Horn-Leiterman, Wisconsin dairy farmer and Chair, National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, Barb O’Brien, President, …
Canadian Trade Policy Delivers Blow to Wisconsin Dairies
Over 70 Wisconsin dairy operations are already feeling the blow from a protectionist Canadian trade policy that has slammed the door on American dairy exports, violated existing trade commitments, and left farmers across the state scrambling to find milk buyers. Grassland Dairy Products Inc. informed over 70 operations this week that their contracts with the company will end May 1st, …
Cattlemen and Milk Producers Pleased with Ag Secretary Choice
President-elect Donald Trump officially rounded out his cabinet by nominating former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture just a little more than 24 hours before the inauguration. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association calls him “an excellent pick” to head USDA. “As a lifelong agri-businessman and veterinarian, as well as the two-term governor of a state where agriculture’s the largest …
Ag Groups Step Up Support of Sustainable #GMOs
Agricultural organizations are doubling down on their defense of biotechnology as sustainable, after challenging Dannon for its pledge to eliminate genetically-modified ingredients from some products, citing that it improves sustainability. “There comes a time when we as farmers and ranchers need to step up and challenge when companies misinform consumers,” said U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance CEO Randy Krotz on …
AnimalAgCast Goes Solar with Dairy
On this week’s AnimalAgCast, Lizzy Schultz spoke with Peter Gallo, a third-generation farmer and cheesemaker at Joseph Gallo Farms, a dairy farm in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The operation has been a pioneer in sustainable farming practices and recently made headlines following the decision to install a new 2 megawatt (MW) solar array to supply renewable energy on-site. …
Dannon Responds to Ag Groups’ Concerns
The Dannon Company released a statement Tuesday after being called out by agricultural organizations for its plans to phase out GMOs in some major brands for the sake of sustainability. In the letter sent Monday to Dannon head of U.S. operations Mariano Lozano, the farm groups said that the company’s strategy to eliminate GMOs “is the exact opposite of the …
EU Farm Agenda Would Hurt U.S. Dairy Industry
Surrendering to a European Union (EU) seizure of common food names would cost the U.S. dairy industry billions of dollars, slash domestic cheese consumption and increase prices for consumers, according to an analysis released today by Informa Economics IEG. The European farm policy agenda, which is focused on using geographical indications (GIs) to unfairly grant European food producers a huge …
#Celebrate50 Theme of World Dairy Expo
The 2016 World Dairy Expo (WDE) in Madison, WI is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary. The concept of bringing a cattle show together with a dairy industry expo was once simply a dream; today it is a legacy. The event is known to bring over 70,000 visitors each year with nearly 3,000 international guests representing over 90 different countries. Those attendees …
New @DairyStrong Sustainability Alliance Launched
A diverse group of partners came together this week in Waunakee, Wisconsin for the official launch of the Dairy Strong Sustainability Alliance (DSSA), a collaborative sustainability campaign featuring representatives from every facet of the dairy community, including farmers, processors, retailers, government agencies, universities, and dairy and trade non-profits. The alliance seeks to engage individuals from across the dairy industry together …
Reason for Reform Campaign Launch
Earlier this week, a coalition of Wisconsin business and community leaders came together in Madison for the launch of the “Reason for Reform” campaign, highlighting the need for immigration reform and presenting data about the significant contributions immigrants make to the state’s economy. The event was hosted by the Partnership for a New American Economy (NAE) and the Latino Chamber …
NMPF’s Chris Galen Is ‘I AM USFRA’
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) was one of the founding members of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) five years ago to amplify the voice that dairy producers have in speaking about food production. “Ultimately, a lot of what USFRA is doing is built around communicating messages to people who influence the food marketing environment,” says NMPF Senior …
#Dairy Farmers Questions Prez Candidates
Republican presidential candidates Sen. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump were both asked about immigration and farm labor by Wisconsin dairy farmers during CNN town hall events in that state this week. Wisconsin dairy farmer Jason Vorpahl, asked Cruz about about immigrant workers. Noting the need for an adequate labor force for agriculture, Cruz indicated the answer may be increasing mechanization …
Dairy Strong 2016
The second annual Dairy Strong conference, held in Madison, Wisconsin, began its first full day with an opening address from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Walker’s speech highlighted the value of Wisconsin’s dairy industry, which represents over half of the state’s 80 billion dollar agriculture sector. Walker also addressed a worrisome trend that many agriculture professionals know too well: The demand …
USDA Secretary Addresses Dairy and Meat Issues
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to the joint meeting of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB), and the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) in Orlando this week, highlighting the positives in the face of lower milk prices and discussing the opportunities for the industry to move forward in the future. In an …
Audio on Trans Pacific Partnership
The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) was finalized by 12 nations on Monday, October 5 in Atlanta, Georgia. During a press conference announcing the agreement, there were many comments about agricultural products in the talks, particularly dairy which was the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place early Monday morning. U.S. Trade Ambassador Michael Froman talks about ag benefits …