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Check out the new Linder Farm Network Chevy Silverado. Lynn will be on the road with this great new Chevrolet.
Check linderfarmnetwork.com and click on the Chevrolet-GMC logo! |
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MINNESOTA CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES STAFF ADDITION
Shakopee, Minn., May 30, 2008 – Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) recently named Tim Gerlach as new assistant executive director of MCGA and the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council (MCR&PC). Gerlach comes to the corn organizations with more than 15 years of experience in biofuels and environmental work.
“There is nobody I can think of that knows more about E85 and ethanol than Tim Gerlach. It’s definitely going to be a benefit to our organizations and to Minnesota’s corn growers having him taking on this new role,” said MCGA President Roger Moore.
Gerlach, who has most recently served as vice president for clean fuels and vehicle technologies at the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, has worked for a decade as the director of the Minnesota E85 Coalition. Gerlach has also recently served on the Biodiesel Task Force and NextGen Energy Board. Between 1995 and 1998, he managed the U.S. Department of Agriculture-supported National Alternative Fuels Laboratory Program at the University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center.
“We welcome Tim, who has been a familiar face at our corn organization meetings and events for years,” said Jerry Larson, a farmer from Elbow Lake, Minnesota, and chair of MCR&PC. “Tim knows the goings-on at the capitol, he knows our rural areas through his E85 Coalition work and, because we’ve had such a close partnership with the coalition for so long, he knows our organization and our members.”
Gerlach feels that one of the most immediate challenges is to continue the ongoing effort of Minnesota’s corn organizations and others to answer unfair and hyperbolic criticism of farmers and biofuels that have appeared lately in media. Gerlach remains hopeful that people are ready to see past the hype.
“We are starting to see the pendulum swing back to a more positive view of biofuels,” said Gerlach. “Policy makers at state and federal levels understand the importance of biofuels to our economy and our environment. We need all consumers to understand biofuels are a critical tool—not the only one, but one we must continue to develop.”
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Tornado debris is being found in Iowa after the severe storm damage a couple of weeks ago. Dan Burkhardt, Fayette County Extension Director, told us insulation and other debris fell from the sky like hail in some locations.
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-From Reuters---Hundreds of Argentine truckers blocked rural roadways on Wednesday to demand an end to the standoff between farmers and the government over a new sliding scale tax system for grain and oilseed exports.
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From AP—Brazil will seek sanctions against the U.S. after winning a WTO ruling on cotton subsidies, according to a top Brazilian trade official.
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From Reuters- Tyson Foods, the second largest U.S. chicken producer said on Tuesday it would eradicate about 15,000 chickens in Arkansas exposed to a mild strain of bird flu.
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27th Annual Farmfest Starts August 5th, 2008!
Farmfest 2008 is August 5th- 7th at the Gifillan Estate in Redwood Falls, Minnesota
Redwood County, MN (May 22, 2008) Mark your calendars for the 27th annual Farmfest in Redwood Falls, held August 5th, 6th, & 7th, 2008. With an array of new activities, events and pavilions unique to Farmfest, this year’s event is sure to both educate and entertain the Minnesota and surrounding region’s agricultural community.
Farmfest 2008 is proud to introduce two brand new pavilions to our already jam-packed show site. Stop by the new Agripreneurship Pavilion to learn about a multitude of opportunities to generate revenue from your present farm operation. Brought to you by Farm Bureau Financial Services, the Minnesota Farm Network and M.O.S.E.S, this pavilion includes exhibitors representing Alternative Energy, Alternative Animal Farming, Orchards, Organic Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture and MUCH More! Looking to make some home improvements, or cultivate your garden? Visit the Home & Garden Pavilion featuring companies eager to help you redefine the look of your rural home. Located just inside entrance gate #2 at Farmfest, this pavilion displays the latest in home improvements and gardening.
Wednesday, August 6th, marks the 1st Annual Farmfest Auctioneering Championship presented by the Linder Farm Network. Contestants will compete in one of three divisions; professional, adult amateur, and youth. Participants will auction off items donated by Farmfest exhibitors with 100% of the proceeds being donated to the 4-H club.
Don’t miss this once a year opportunity to evaluate the latest and greatest innovations for your farm! Keep up-to-date on Farmfest happenings by visiting www.farmshows.com or calling 800.827.8007. Also tune into the Linder Farm Network and the Linder newsletter for more updates. Farmfest is sponsored by United Farm Credit Services and Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel.
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The National Pork Board will take the next steps in its planning process for 2009 during its meeting this week at World Pork Expo in Des Moines. The board will meet Thursday afternoon at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
The board earlier this year identified five critical issues it will address with resources from the Pork Checkoff during 2009. The board this week will prioritize those issues. The critical issues are:
The competitive advantage for U.S. pork
The safeguard and expansion of international markets
Domestic pork expenditures
The trust and image of the industry and its products
Human Capital - the development of producer leadership and technical advisors and the growth of a quality workforce.
Additionally, the board will identify desired outcomes from each of those critical issues. When the board completes its work, producer-led committees and Pork Checkoff staff will begin developing tactics to achieve the outlined goals. Those tactics will be presented in September to a group of approximately 50 producers selected by the board to represent the interests of all U.S. producers and importers. That group will recommend a budget to the board for its consideration in November.
Also on Thursday, the board will get progress reports on two major 2008 goals: the Pork on the Move program and the Responsible Pork Initiative.
Pork on the Move, The Other White Meat® Tour, is a mobile marketing tour. Using a 40-foot-long trailer equipped with grills, stoves and display areas, the tour is introducing pork to targeted consumers at 23 high-traffic festivals and events across the country this summer. A second trailer is being used by state pork associations to reach consumers at events in their states.
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MJ Biologics, in conjunction with the University of Minnesota, announces a breakthrough in the control and prevention of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome disease (PRRS), a devastating disease of pigs worldwide. Research conducted by MJ Biologics and the University has led to the decoding of the PRRS virus and the development of a new inactivated subunit vaccine.
Patent-pending Selectigen MJPRRST technology now offers veterinarians and swine producers a new tool in the ongoing battle against the PRRS virus. By breaking the genetic code of the PRRS virus, MJPRRS technology allows the production of autogenous vaccines that are tailored to each unique swine production system. This technology utilizes an innovative method of classifying PRRS viruses based on their immunological properties, allowing for the creation of new custom vaccines as a tool against intra-farm mutations. In addition, the enhanced cross-protection capability helps to reduce financial losses from new strains introduced into the farm.
In pregnant sow control studies conducted by independent veterinarians and the University, the MJPRRS vaccine provided excellent cross protection against heterologous strains of PRRS virus. "By using the vaccine in herds with a history of PRRS virus, we have been able to prevent prenatal losses while stabilizing the herds and simultaneously protecting the sow population against clinical disease outbreaks from 'new' virus strains entering the herd," said Dr. Paul Armbrecht of Lake City Veterinary Service in Lake City, Iowa.
Many veterinarians and swine producers have already experienced the value of the MJPRRS vaccine. According to Dr. Mark Fitzsimmons, recipient of the 2006 Swine Practitioner of the Year, "MJPRRS technology appears to be one of the biggest breakthroughs in disease control across the swine industry in the last 10 years. Finally we have some light at the end of the tunnel in controlling and preventing this devastating disease."
MJ Biologics has teamed with U.S.D.A.-licensed companies to produce MJPRRS autogenous vaccine, which is now available through licensed veterinarians. For more information on MJPRRS vaccine, contact MJ Biologics at (507) 385-0299 or go online to www.mjbio.com.
Mark Whitney, PhD
Assistant Extension Professor
Swine Extension Program Leader
University of Minnesota Extension Service
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-Greg Cuomo named associate dean at University of Minnesota
Minneapolis-St. Paul (5/30/2008) – Greg Cuomo has been named Associate Dean for Extension at the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. His appointment is effective June 9.
In this new role, he will lead University of Minnesota Extension programs related to food, agriculture and natural resource sciences, assuring that interdisciplinary programs are targeted to the public's critical issues. He’ll also provide leadership to internationalize Extension programs, faculty and educators.
“Agriculture and natural resource issues are at the core of the food supply, energy, and environmental challenges facing society today,” Cuomo says. “Extension plays a critical role in providing dependable, unbiased information so that people can make informed choices about their future. I am excited about getting started and working with citizens toward a better future.”
Cuomo has most recently been responsible for capital planning, government relations and renewable energy in the college. Prior to that, he was director of the Rosemount Research and Outreach Center and operations director of UMore Park. He also was head of the West Central Research and Outreach Center at Morris for six years. He has academic degrees in agronomy and range sciences from the University of Nebraska, Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University.
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CWT ANNOUNCES HERD RETIREMENT
Bids to Remove Cows Being Accepted Immediately Through June 30th
ARLINGTON, VA – As dairy farmers suffer from dramatically higher costs of production, Cooperatives Working Together announced Tuesday that it will conduct its latest herd retirement round. Bids are being accepted starting today through Monday, June 30th, with cow removals to start in seven weeks.
“All of the economic indicators and benchmarks that guide CWT’s decisions, including farmers’ cost of production, show that now is the appropriate time for us to initiate this herd retirement,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF, which manages CWT. “In particular, significantly higher feed and energy costs have put dairy farmers between a financial rock and a hard place.”
This is fifth herd retirement round since CWT began operations in the summer of 2003. It is the first that will offer bidding producers the option of including all their bred heifers, for a flat fee of $1,050 per animal.
Detailed information can be found at www.cwt.coop, including a bid application, a calculator to help estimate a farmer’s bid, and answers to frequently-asked questions. All bids must be postmarked by Monday, June 30th, in order to be considered. All dairy producers submitting bids to sell their herds must be members of CWT as of January 2008, either through their membership in a fully participating cooperative, or as an independent member of CWT.
Bids will be reviewed in early July, with field auditors then proceeding after mid-July to visit each accepted farm to begin the cow removal process.
CWT is not targeting how many pounds of milk, cows, or herds will be removed.
“The final tally will be determined by the quality and quantity of the bids,” Kozak said. “As always, we will operate CWT in a cost-effective and frugal manner.”
Unlike past herd retirements, regional safeguard limits will not be utilized and, therefore, CWT bidders will not be competing regionally, but nationally.
Through the herd retirement program, if a farmer’s bid is accepted, CWT pays that farmer for the volume of milk produced by that herd in a 12 month period. The farmer is responsible for selling the cows for slaughter, and he or she retains the proceeds from that transaction.
As in the past, any producer who had his bid accepted in any of the previous herd retirements is not eligible to participate again. Also, those producers who have a financial interest in more than one dairy farming operation must include all their cows in their bid. A dairyman cannot place a bid for just one of his herds, if he has an interest in multiple operations.
For more information on how to participate in CWT’s herd retirement, visit www.cwt.coop, or call 888-Info-CWT (888-463-6298).
Cooperatives Working Together is being funded by dairy cooperatives and individual dairy farmers, who are contributing 10 cents per hundredweight assessment on their milk production through December 2008. The money raised by CWT’s investment is being apportioned between two supply management programs that strengthen and stabilize the national all milk price. For more on CWT’s activities, visit www.cwt.coop.
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JOHNSON ASKS SCHAFER TO EXPAND FARM BILL INPUT
BISMARCK - The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
(NASDA) is urging Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer to give producers
and others involved in agriculture the opportunity to participate in the
implementation of the new Farm Bill.
"As the chief agricultural officers in our respective states and
territories, we are ready to help you and USDA ensure that the delivery
of services to the agricultural community and consumers is effective and
efficient," said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson,
NASDA president, in a letter to Schafer. "Our members understand that
implementing these provisions will be an enormous task, requiring
additional rules, regulations and procedures. We share your commitment
to appropriate planning, coordination and implementation of the new
law."
Johnson asked Schafer to publish implementation plans and to hold
outreach sessions to provide agricultural constituents with up-to-date
information and opportunities to provide input throughout the process.
"The new Farm Bill establishes many new programs and authorities that
will significantly impact farm services, natural resources, nutrition,
food safety, research, disease and pest control, and international
trade," Johnson said. "We believe that by giving farmers, ranchers and
others impacted by the legislation a say in its implementation, the Farm
Bill will be more efficient and will benefit more people."
Johnson said state agriculture departments are eager to use important
new tools and policies created in the new bill.
"Our members are particularly interested in working with USDA on many of
our Farm Bill priorities, such as the disaster assistance program,
interstate meat sales, specialty crop block grants, school nutrition and
energy production," he said. "State agriculture departments have
long-standing cooperative partnerships with USDA, and we would be
pleased to assist you in any way possible during the implementation
process."
NASDA is comprised of the commissioners, secretaries and directors of
agriculture in the 50 states and four U.S. territories.
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ExploreDairy.com Debuts with Information on Minnesota Dairy Events, People and Products
ST. PAUL – From June Dairy Month through the State Fair, summer in Minnesota is bursting with fun things to do. Starting June 1, Minnesotans will be able get details about dairy-related activities and events with just a click of the mouse. ExploreDairy.com is a one-stop resource for all the latest news on family-friendly fun -- and the state’s nearly 5,000 hardworking dairy farm families.
ExploreDairy.com was created by Midwest Dairy Association through the dairy checkoff, and is designed to provide a complete rundown of summertime dairy activities, and give Minnesotans a closer look at what the state’s farm families are up to. It will help consumers find memorable things to do this summer, answer their questions about life on a farm, or learn more about the people who produce the milk, butter, cheese, ice cream and yogurt we enjoy every day.
A searchable summertime calendar of dairy-themed events across Minnesota, from farm breakfasts to malt wagons at county fairs to the Family Farm Festival at the Minnesota Zoo;
-Dairy-related news, including information about the Minnesota State Fair, Princess Kay of the Milky Way, the Dairy Goodness Bar and the world-famous butter sculptures;
-A video tour of Princess Kay Ann Miron’s family farm in Hugo, Minn.;
-A "Dairy Diary," which features behind-the-scenes blogging and photos from some of the state’s farm families;
-Delicious recipes; and
-Videos and articles about Minnesota’s dairy farm families -- the people behind the product.
ExploreDairy.com will be updated throughout the season with the latest news and information about all of Minnesota’s dairy-related events. Dairy farmers who wish to contribute to the Dairy Diary should contact Londa Johnson at 1-800-642-3895 or ljohnson@midwestdairy.com. For more information, visit www.ExploreDairy.com.
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Midwest Dairy Association is a non-profit organization funded by dairy farmers to build demand for dairy products through integrated marketing, nutrition education and research.
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