News

From the early 4-H years all the way to graduating from a junior breed association, the dozen years or so that span a junior member’s career are sprinkled with opportunities to learn, compete and succeed. However, some youth get discouraged along the way, or settle for less than what they have the true ability to achieve.

Digest Highlights

• USDA buying yogurt, butter
• Proposal requires ag representation on FAA ‘drone’ committee
• September fluid sales volume dips
• Global Dairy Trade index higher
• USDA extends crop insurance interest deferral
• United Dairy Industry of Michigan accepting promotion award nominations
• Chobani adding oat, dairy-based products

Farm liquidity (availability of working capital) and income are two leading concerns among agricultural lenders completing an American Bankers Association-Farmer Mac survey.

Dean Foods announced that it has received approvals from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas for the “first day” motions related to the company’s voluntary Chapter 11 petitions filed on Nov. 12, 2019. Among those approvals was a motion to pay dairy farmers for milk.

A new federal database listing drug and alcohol violations by long-haul truck drivers won’t likely impact most individual farmers moving milk, cattle, grain or hay to market, but producers and owner-operators transporting larger volumes of ag commodities longer distances could be affected.