Digest Highlights

• CDI buying Hilmar Cheese Company milk powder facility
• Some lawmakers want dairy terms allowed on plant-based products
• Plant-based group offers FDA comment analysis
• PFAS Detection Act introduced
• House version of Chapter 12 bankruptcy reform bill introduced
• Wisconsin DBA sets legislative priorities
• California exploring opportunities to ‘export’ manure
• IDF global dairy animal welfare standards updated

Heavy culling and weaker milk output per cow pushed March 2019 U.S. milk production below year-ago levels.

While legislative and administrative efforts seek to expand dairy options in school lunchrooms, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) likely provide a key avenue to get whole milk back into schools.

Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Achieving any significant accomplishment is not the result of luck or chance. The winning Super Bowl team is not surprised they won. They know their reward is the result of great teamwork, good communication and, most importantly, from having a plan that was followed exactly as practiced.

Whether moving weaned calves into a new group or bringing springing heifers into the transition barn, many dairy producers have come to accept that a pen move will likely result in temporarily decreased feed intake, reduced gains or production, and the potential for a few sick or “off” animals.

Michaline (Micki) Tomich’s experience design firm, Mixdesign, assisted Fair Oaks Farms with the recent redesign of their agritourism and educational experiences. The new exhibits opened this spring.