Mydairyman.com Articles

Schafer Announces Clark as NASS Administrator
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced the selection of Cynthia Clark as administrator of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Dr. Clark will oversee the agency’s efforts to collect and disseminate data on every facet of U.S. agriculture.
“Cynthia Clark is known as an accomplished statistician, highly respected both here in the United States and overseas for her expertise in survey research and development,” said Schafer in announcing the selection. “I look forward to working with her as the NASS administrator.”
Clark recently directed statistical research and survey methodology for the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics and, prior to that, at the U.S. Census Bureau.
Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Gale Buchanan announced the selection to NASS staff. “NASS’s mission of providing timely, accurate and useful statistics is vital to the entire agricultural community,” said Buchanan. “I’m confident Cynthia Clark’s extensive knowledge and experience will help NASS continue to carry out this mission and lead to new and exciting opportunities for the agency.”
Clark has strong roots in agricultural statistics, having previously spent 13 years working on the Census of Agriculture and serving as the Director of the NASS Census and Survey Division. She has also served in numerous professional positions with the American Statistical Association (ASA), the International Statistical Institute (ISI) and the International Association of Survey Statisticians. Additionally, she is a fellow of the ASA, an elected member of ISI and a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.
Clark will lead NASS’s efforts to conduct hundreds of surveys and issue nearly 500 national reports each year on issues including agricultural production, economics, demographics and the environment. NASS also conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years, providing the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the nation.
National Jersey Leadership Elected at Annual Meetings
Officers and directors for the two U.S. Jersey organizations were elected during the recently concluded Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ).
The business meetings were held on two days, June 27 for NAJ and June 28 for AJCA, at the Crowne Plaza Resort, Asheville, North Carolina.
David Chamberlain, Wyoming, New York, was elected to his second one-year term as President of the American Jersey Cattle Association. He and his brother, Greg, operate the Hi-Land Farms, which includes a herd of over 1,200 Registered Jerseys™ enrolled on the AJCA REAP program.
Elected as Vice President for a one-year term was Libby Bleakney, Cornish, Maine. She is involved in the family corporation Highland Farms Inc., a 250-cow registered herd enrolled on REAP.
Three new Directors were elected to the AJCA Board, succeeding two-term members Dennis Egelston, Fultonville, New York (Second District); Eric Lyon, Toledo, Iowa (Ninth District) and Scott Wickstrom (Twelfth District).
The new director elected from the Second District is Robin Denniston-Keller, Bryon Center, New York. She and her husband Kip own and operate Den-Kel Jerseys, a herd of 90 Registered Jersey™ cows and an equal number of replacement heifers. The 2007 lactation average for this REAP herd was 22,418 lbs. milk, 1,010 lbs. fat and 808 lbs. protein, ranking third for protein and fourth for milk in the U.S. among herds with 40-79 cows. Robin was the 2008 North American winner of a International Young Jersey Breeders Educational Travel Award (JETA), and presented a paper at the International Conference of the World Jersey Cattle Bureau in Jersey on May 21.
Jerry Spielman, Seneca, Kansas, was elected as Director from the Ninth District. He and his wife Sue own and operate Heartland Jerseys Inc. The herd of 350 Registered Jersey™ cows and 265 replacement heifers has been enrolled on REAP since the program’s inception in 1995. The Heartland herd ranks 57th in the U.S. for herd average Jersey Performance Index™ at +504M, +23F and +18P. Jerry is a past director of the Kansas Dairy Commission and Nemaha County DHIA, among other organizations.
The third newly elected Director, from the Twelfth District, is Jim Quist, Fresno, California. He operates Quist Dairy in partnership with his father, Alvin, and breeds Registered Jerseys™ using the Jars of Clay prefix. The 260 lactations completed in 2007 averaged 18,612 lbs. milk, 822 lbs. fat and 666 lbs. protein. Jim is an alumni of the California Ag Leadership Program, and has served on the governing boards of Fresno DHIA and Farm Bureau, as well as the board of the California Jersey Cattle Association.
Re-elected to a second term on the AJCA Board of Directors from the Seventh District was James VanBuskirk, Carleton, Michigan. Jim, his wife Jan and son David own and operate a sesquicentennial farm dated to 1835 that is home to JVB Red Hot Jerseys, a 240-head Registered Jersey™ herd enrolled on REAP.
James Ahlem, Hilmar, California, was re-elected as the President of National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ). He is the owner and operator of James Ahlem Dairy, a 2,000 milking cow herd. Ahlem is also an owner of Hilmar Cheese Company, the twenty-eighth largest dairy processor in the U.S. according to Dairy Field. (2007).
James S. Huffard III, Crockett, Virginia, was elected to the NAJ Board from District 5, and also elected Vice President of the organization. Huffard farms in partnership with his brother John and operates a 400-cow Jersey dairy.
Holstein Board Holds Summer Meeting
The board of directors of Holstein Association USA held its summer meeting June 22-23, 2008 in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, presided by President Doug Maddox, in conjunction with the National Holstein Convention and Annual Meeting.
Update on the 2008 Business Plan
During the meeting, staff presented updates on the 2008 Management-by-Objective Business Plan and year-to-date financials.  From January to May, registration totals increased 16 percent from the same period in 2007. Transfers totaled 33,406 so far this year, up 4 percent from 2007. Holstein COMPLETE enrollment continues to grow, with 1,788 herds enrolled, including 215,610 animals. In comparing May 2007 to May 2008, enrollment has seen a 13 percent increase in the number of herds enrolled, and a 19 percent increase in the number of cows enrolled. Classification is seeing growth as well, with the classification team scoring 99,868 animals in 2,435 herds so far this year.
2008 Financial Update
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Barbara Casna presented to the directors the Holstein Association’s consolidated financial statements as of May 31, 2008 and reviewed the reserve fund report for the same time period. The Association and its subsidiaries show year-to-date profit on operations of $576,000, which is $95,000 more than May 2007. Through the end of May, the Association’s operating revenues increased 1 percent to $7,517,000 compared to the previous year.  For the same period, total operating expenses decreased 2 percent to $6,728,000. As of May 31, the reserve fund was valued at $23,684,000.
Bylaw Amendment Proposals
The board reviewed the two bylaw amendment proposals that will be presented to and voted on by the delegate body at the 2008 annual meeting. Bylaw proposal #1, presented by President Doug Maddox on behalf of the board of directors, would allow more members the opportunity to serve as delegates by counting years delegates are elected, whether or not they served, toward their three consecutive years of eligibility and increasing from one to two years the time period before they are again eligible to be elected. It also increases the time period to withdraw from nomination. Bylaw proposal #2, not supported by the board, attempts to restrict AI organizations from changing the common names of their sires.
Other Board Action
The board adopted a Conflict of Interest policy for officers and directors.
Based on a governance committee recommendation, Executive Director of Association and Processing Services Peter Cole presented a review of the current policy regarding delegate elections and the current governance regions. The board took no action in regard to changing the current system.
Resolutions from the Iowa and Minnesota state Holstein associations were reviewed, with five selected to be submitted to the Constitution, Bylaws and Resolutions Committee to be presented at the 2008 annual meeting. The resolutions addressed premises ID, mandatory animal ID, bovine tuberculosis, Johne’s disease, and country of origin labeling of agriculture products.
Upcoming Meetings
The Holstein Association board will hold its Fall board meeting November 13-14, 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri, and its Spring v March 26-27, 2009 in Brattleboro, Vermont.
Power and Fuel Efficiency Can Go Together
Massey Ferguson® 6400 and 7400 Series high horsepower (HP) tractors with new generation Tier III engines burn cleaner and smarter for greater fuel efficiency. Both the Dyna-VT™ CVT transmission on the 7400 Series, ranging from 100-155 PTO HP, and Dyna-6™ transmission, from 100 to 180 PTO HP, on the 6400 Series deliver power and torque more efficiently and effectively in the field and in transit.
The AE50 award-winning Dyna-VT CVT transmission on the 7400 Series has demonstrated significant savings in cost per acre per hour of at least 15% in fuel savings and 10% in labor costs versus powershift transmissions. “To put it in perspective, on 1,000 acres that’s $10,000 per year,” says Adrian Crisp, Massey Ferguson product marketing manager, High HP Tractors.
In fact, in one trial, a 7400 Series 155 HP tractor only used a quarter gallon of fuel per acre. The tractor was equipped with a CVT transmission while operating a 9 ft. disc mower at 12.9 kph. Crisp adds that this fuel economy may not be average for all operating conditions, but illustrates the fuel-saving focus of these tractors.
“We understand that rising fuel prices have made fuel efficiency more important than ever. These engines and their control systems squeeze the maximum power from every gallon of diesel,” Crisp adds. “However, when extra power is needed, such as when the PTO is engaged, response is immediate.”
The efficient, clutchless speed control on the Dyna-VT CVT transmission reduces fuel use by as much as 40% over competitive power shift transmissions in high speed/low power situations. On models with QuadLink™ suspended front axle, the Dyna-VT transmission delivers infinitively variable speeds from 0 to 31 mph. The operator sets the parameters for desired power, speed and comfort with minimal noise and maximum efficiency. QuadLink also reduces power hop and wheel slippage for increased traction and maximum wheel/soil contact.
“We listened to our customers and made changes, big and small, to the powerful 6400 and 7400 Series. Changes that boost efficiency, economy and operator comfort,” Crisp says. “The Tier III Perkins® and SisuDiesel™ engines with their electronic fuel injection systems meet government requirements, but they also meet our customer requirements for increased power, versatility and serviceability.” a

Slaughter begins in Fresno County dairy herd exposed to TB
More than 4,800 dairy cows at risk of carrying tuberculosis are being slaughtered this week in central California, where nearly 16,000 cattle in the country’s largest milk-producing region have been quarantined, federal officials said. Undersecretary of Agriculture Bruce Knight met privately with local dairy operators Tuesday along with the state veterinarian and other industry officials monitoring three new cases of TB recently discovered in Fresno County dairies. Federal and state agriculture officials were still tightlipped about the identities and locations of the three dairies where cows tested positive for the disease, which can be transmitted to humans and other mammals through the air or through drinking unpasteurized milk from an infected cow. “One of the concerns is with trade agreements,” says Ray Souza, president of Western United Dairymen, a trade group that represents 1,100 dairies across the state. “Things like this can be used to re-negotiate.” The owner of one dairy has accepted a USDA buyout of up to $3,000 a head, and his cows are headed for the slaughterhouses. The two other dairies are weighing whether to operate under strict quarantines, which can last for years. One of the affected dairies milks more than 10,000 cows and sells semen and embryos from high-production cows and bulls internationally. The operation faces losing 50 years of genetic development if the dairy operator chooses to slaughter his cattle, said Michael March, chief executive of Western United Dairymen. “It’s tragic when you have that kind of investment and build up that legacy and genetic bloodline,” said Marsh. “He’s facing a very difficult choice.”
To view the complete story, visit www.modbee.com/business/story/354299.html
USDA Releases CRP Land in Flood Regions for Grazing
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced July 7th that he is releasing Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for livestock grazing in counties recently designated as Presidential Disaster Areas because of flooding. The release permits grazing only in counties designated as primary and contiguous disaster areas and only because of flooding.
“We have a crisis situation in the Midwest and other parts of the country that calls for drastic action,” said Schafer. “Major flooding along the Mississippi River and its tributaries came at one of the worst times for agriculture. Flood waters inundated thousands of acres that cannot be salvaged for production this growing season, and it happened at a time of record crop, food and fuel prices. Our CRP land is vital to the balance we promote at USDA between production and preservation. I commit this resource knowing that we must redouble our conservation effort at every future opportunity,” said Schafer.
To be approved, CRP participants must write their county FSA office, obtain a modified conservation plan and receive county office approval before beginning to graze. Participants will experience a 25 percent reduction in their CRP rental payments.
To view the complete story, visit www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/07/0179.xml
National Dairy Council Guides Parents on Revised Milk Recommendations
New guidelines have been released in the July issue of Pediatrics, recommending cholesterol screening of children and adolescents with a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease.
These guidelines, part of a new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “Lipid Screening and Cardiovascular Health in Childhood,” also recommend dietary changes for certain children and reemphasize the importance of following the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and increasing physical activity.
One change the report recommends is to consider the use of reduced-fat dairy foods, such as reduced-fat (2%) milk, for children between 12 months and 2 years of age for whom overweight or obesity is a concern or who have a family history of obesity, dyslipidemia or cardiovascular disease.
“Research continues to show that for infants and children, milk and milk products are fundamental to a healthy diet,” said Karen Kafer, Vice President of Nutrition Affairs/Health Partnerships at the National Dairy Council (NDC). “We are working in partnership with the AAP to educate parents with children of different ages and health circumstances how to choose the milk products best for them. We want parents to understand that milk is more than just an important source of calcium for their children; it also contains eight other essential nutrients that help build and maintain strong bones, muscles and teeth.”
To view the complete story, visit http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080707/aqm510.html?.v=12
FDA prohibits antimicrobial drug in food-producing animals
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a final rule that prohibits the extra label use of cephalosporin antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals, including cattle. According to the FDA, this rule will help protect consumers against antimicrobial-resistant strains of zoonotic food borne bacterial pathogens. By law, the FDA may issue a prohibition order if evidence shows that extra label use of a drug in food-producing animals has caused, or is likely to cause, a public health risk. In this case, the FDA has gathered evidence showing that the extra label use of cephalosporins in food-producing animals is likely to contribute to the emergence of resistance and compromise human therapies.
Given the importance of the cephalosporin class of drugs for treating disease in humans, FDA believes that preserving the effectiveness of such drugs is critical. The agency therefore believes that it is necessary to take action to limit the extent to which extralabel use of cephalosporins in food-producing animals may be contributing to the emergence of resistant variants.
The prohibition of extralabel use of cephalosporin antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals will protect the public health by preserving the effectiveness of cephalosporin-class drugs for the treatment of human infections. Comments on the rule may be submitted until 2 September, 2008, and the rule will go into effect on 1 October, 2008.
For more information, visit www.fda.gov.
Animal handling guidelines available for dairy producers
In an effort to reinforce the importance of caring for dairy cattle at all stages of their lives, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), along with Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), in early July unveiled a basic educational poster that will be distributed to all dairy producers across the U.S. The poster is printed on a barn-safe plastic sheet in both English and Spanish. The legal-sized poster, entitled “Top 10 Considerations for Culling and Transporting Dairy Animals to a Packing or Processing Facility,” will serve as common industry guidelines for dairy producers to follow when they need to handle, transport, or cull their dairy animals. The document was developed by NMPF’s Animal Health and Welfare Committee, and will be distributed during the month of July through dairy cooperatives to their members. Producers who are not part of a cooperative can order a copy by calling (703) 224-1381 or sending an e-mail request to: poster@nmpf.org.  A copy of the poster can also be viewed at www.nmpf.org a

August 1, 2008
Training for Rehabilitating Injured Farmers and Farmworkers
Offered by: UC Davis California AgrAbility Project and Ergonomics Roundtable of Sacramento
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m..
2275 Gateway Oaks Drive, Sacramento, CA
To register, go to http://www.ergort.org/Meetings.html or e-mail Ann Pudoff at apudoff@brsrisk.com. For more information about the free training, contact Martha Stiles, CalAgrAbility program director at mcstiles@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-2606.
August 2, 2008
Training for Rehabilitating Injured Farmers and Farmworkers
Offered by: UC Davis California AgrAbility Project and Ergonomics Roundtable of Sacramento
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
10 River Park Pl. E., Fresno, CA
To register, go to http://www.ergort.org/Meetings.html or e-mail Ann Pudoff at apudoff@brsrisk.com. For more information about the free training, contact Martha Stiles, CalAgrAbility program director at mcstiles@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-2606.
August 3-4, 2008
International Dairy Food Association Milk Technology Conference
Hilton Salt Lake City Center, Salt Lake City, UT. For more information, visit www.idfa.org/meetings/2008_milktech.cfm
August 7-11, 2008
American Dairy Science Association – American Society of Animal Science
Joint Annual Meeting
Indiana Convention Center – Indianapolis, IA
For more information, visit http://adsa.asas.org/meetings/2008/
August 9, 2008
California Emerging Clean Air Technology Forum
University of California, Merced
For more information, visit www.valleyair.org or call Trina Martynowicz at (415) 972-3474.
August 15-19, 2008
Cattle Industry Summer Conference
Sheraton Denver Hotel - Denver, CO
For more information, visit www.beefusa.org/convsummerconference.aspx
September 7-8, 2008
American Dairy Products Institute 2008 International Whey Conference
Paris, France
For more information, visit www.iwc-2008.org/home.asp
September 9–12, 2008
California Dairy Research Foundation10th Dairy Science and Technology Basics for the Farmstead/Artisan Cheesemaker
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. For more information contact Laurie Jacobson at ljacobso@calpoly.edu
September 28-29, 2008
3rd International Forum for Women in Dairying
Madison Concourse Hotel – Madison, WI
For more information, visit www.dairywomen.com/ or contact Kathy (Kate) Lascala at klascala@food360.com or Liz Matzke at lmatzke@wdexpo.com.
October 14-16, 2008
5th International Symposium on Milk Genomics and Human Health
Sydney, Australia. For more information, visit www.milkgenomics.org

Sarah Clark Woolf
Westlands Water District
In the last month, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of crops have been abandoned and destroyed in California’s Central Valley because there is not enough water to keep them alive. Hundreds of jobs have been lost. Businesses throughout the valley are beginning to close. Families have been displaced. School enrollments are falling. The need for public services is on the upswing for working families who have lost their livelihood.
The drought currently gripping California has caused cutbacks in water deliveries for two-thirds of the state’s residents – all of them dependent upon supplies pumped through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. But the impact is falling most heavily on the state’s farmers. And the problem is not just the result of a natural phenomenon.
The shortages in natural precipitation have been compounded by judicial rulings that ordered severe cutbacks in the delivery of supplies from the state’s water system in order to protect an endangered species of tiny fish called the Delta Smelt. As a result, hundreds of thousands of acre feet of the state’s freshwater supplies have been left to float out into the ocean.
This combination of environmental and economic crises has helped to focus public attention on the need to fix the state’s broken water system. A special blue ribbon task force composed of many of the state’s leading water experts concluded earlier this year that repairing the environment of the Delta and restoring the reliability of the state’s water delivery system are dual objectives that are inseparably linked. We cannot solve one without also addressing the other.
A comprehensive environmental assessment has been launched. And Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California Senator Dianne Feinstein recently announced a renewed effort to pass a major bond package to begin the process of repairing this critical component of the state’s infrastructure.
California has had droughts before. Why is this crisis so much worse than anything we have faced in the past? Part of the answer is population growth. The existing water system was built to serve a much smaller number of people than now live here – and those totals continue to rise every year.
But it is also true that we are experiencing the consequences of a dramatically changed landscape of ecosystem investment and water system operations since the last major drought to hit California and Congress changed the rules for operating the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) 15 years ago.
In that brief period, the Delta has become the focus of a number of significant planning processes that start with the recognition that the Delta is broken from many perspectives. Fisheries are in decline, water supplies that move through it for the people and farms of California are inadequate and unreliable, water quality issues persist, a major earthquake induced collapse is quite likely, and the ecosystem has become dominated by invasive species – some of which are harmful to the food chain and native fisheries.
Since 1992, when Congress re-ordered the priorities of the CVP a significant amount of change has occurred for the farmers on 3 million acres of irrigated land served by the project and the five million households served by it:
Over $1 billion has been invested in habitat improvements – primarily focused on salmon stressors.
Over $200 million has been spent on scientific research and monitoring.
Over 46,000,000 acre feet of water from the CVP has been prioritized for fishery improvements. That is about 3.1 million acre feet of water annually that is no longer reliably available to support food production or communities.
Over $200 million has been spent for the benefit of the fisheries.
CVP water and power contractors have contributed nearly $460 million to support these environmental restoration efforts.
At the same time:
The 32 water districts from the CVP that receive water south from the Delta have regularly faced 40% water supply reductions, even in wet years.
This year the CVP faces a 60% shortage and the State Water Project (SWP), which serves 20 million Californians, has a 65% shortage.
In Westlands Water District:
100,000 acres have been taken out of irrigated agriculture altogether.
Cropping patterns have shifted in response to water shortages and higher water costs. Over 100,000 acres of the 600,000 acres in the district are now in vegetables and nearly 100,000 acres are planted to permanent crops-primarily almonds.
In this year alone, another 200,000 acres have been taken out of production, and there may be additional reductions in the months ahead.
This year our farmers will pay about $100 per acre foot for their water from the CVP.
These details demonstrate the commitment to fishery concerns that have been made by farmers and the public water agencies that serve them. There is also a widely held belief that we have ignored or done much too little to address the “other stressors” in the Delta impacting our fisheries. Too few resources have been focused on invasive species, the changing food chain and declining nutrients, and toxics, in particular ammonia from urban sewer discharges that surround the Delta, introduced predators, and some 2,000 unscreened and unmonitored water diversions with a combined capacity that exceeds the CVP.
The efforts now under way to repair our broken water system are driven by two common realities. First, we share recognition that the status quo cannot and will not stand and that we face a choice: either we take action to address the ecosystem and water management infrastructure problems or the system will collapse and we will move directly into an environmental and economic disaster. Second, the existing means of conveying water through the southern Delta needs to be changed for a variety of reasons and a canal around the Delta should be built to a location that can support an effective screen for separating the water for 25 million Californians and 3 million acres of farm land from the Delta fisheries. That’s essential for the best interests of the fish as well as the public. a

More water is flowing to drought-stricken Central Valley farms as a result of new Department of Water Resources (DWR) water transfer agreements. The agreements come after Gov. Schwarzenegger’s State of Emergency proclamation on June 12 for nine counties affected by severe water shortages and his statewide drought proclamation on June 4.
“I continue to push for a comprehensive plan to address California’s water supply issues and the environmental crisis we face in the Delta. The drought has only intensified our need for immediate actions like conservation, increased groundwater storage and financial support for local water agencies and non-profit organizations,” Gov. Schwarzenegger said. “The steps that the Department of Water Resources is announcing today—like expediting $12 million in grants for water conservation—not only represent real action in response to my recent Executive Order, but they demonstrate our unyielding commitment to our immediate water needs and California’s long-term vision to restore the Delta.”
Responding to the Governor’s emergency declaration, up to 50,000 acre feet of groundwater will be pumped into the State Water Project this summer.  This water comes from groundwater wells in the Westlands Water District (WWD) and will be transferred to other parts of the WWD service area that do not have groundwater access.
DWR is lending 37,500 acre feet of water to Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors out of the San Luis Reservoir. An additional 25,000 acre feet is being made available by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California for the benefit of both CVP and SWP contractors.
“Thanks to the Governor’s leadership and the tremendous cooperation between water agencies, Central Valley farms will have more water during the peak growing season for many crops,” said DWR Director Lester Snow.  “These actions will help ease what could otherwise be a dire situation for our farms, our economy and our way of life.”
In addition to the water transfers and exchanges, DWR will expedite $12 million in grants to water agencies and non-profit organizations. The funds can be used for water conservation activities including rebate programs, public education and outreach, leak detection, and retrofit of systems for greater water efficiency.  Of the $12 million, $2 million is earmarked for disadvantaged communities and $10 million for other agencies and organizations.
To help communities finance new investments in water management funding DWR has awarded $6.4 million in grant funding to 31 public agencies from the Local Groundwater Assistance Program. Funding will support development of groundwater management plans and programs, installation of groundwater monitoring wells, hydro geologic studies of groundwater basins, development of groundwater models and data storage systems, and many other actions to enhance groundwater management and usage throughout California.  A listing of the agencies and projects receiving grants is posted at: http://www.grantsloans.water.ca.gov/grants/assistance.cfm
DWR and the State Water Resources Control Board will also award up to $58 million to four Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) efforts.  DWR will provide the San Diego County Water Agency up to $25 million and the County of Humboldt up to $2.1 million.  The State Water Resources Control Board previously awarded $25 million to the Santa Barbara County Water Agency and $6 million to the Kings River Conservation District.  The funding will support a wide variety of water management activities including landscape water efficiency projects, recycled water and desalination projects, groundwater recharge facilities, water and wastewater infrastructure improvements, watershed management activities, and design work for new water management facilities.  Additional information about the IRWM program is available at: http://www.grantsloans.water.ca.gov/grants/irwm/integregio.cfm a

The Agricultural Antibiotics Stewardship Project in the state of Washington has been looking at animal welfare practices to maintain healthy herds and improve the judicious use of antibiotics to treat infections. Healthier animals need fewer antibiotic treatments and are more productive through out their lifetime. Preventing disease and decreasing costs associated with antibiotic treatment can enhance dairy profitability and at the same time decrease potential microbial drug resistance.
Effective worker training assists in making sure that workers are properly caring for animals and that antibiotic are used appropriately. The Project is in the process of producing a Spanish-language training video for farm workers about calf care to help meet requests for training materials.
The educational video is divided into three modules that can be viewed separately. The goal of the video is to teach workers how to save calves. Module I covers care of the cow in the maternity pen, care of calf at birth and the collection of colostrum. Module II demonstrates colostrum administration. Module III discusses maintenance of calf environment, cleaning of feeding equipment and observation of calves to detect disease. An English language script will be available with the video.
Other training tools that will be developed include antibiotic stewardship and biosecurity assessment tools. These will be available as both on-line tools and paper form. These tools, along with a Spanish-language educational video on calf care will be distributed to all dairy farms in Washington State later this year.
The project is collaborating with the Washington State Dairy Federation (WSDF) and Washington State University to sustain some of the accomplishments of the project.
This project is funded by grants from Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information: Contact Dr. Kathy Reinbold, DVM, at kareinbold@ritzcom.net or 509-725-5844. a

Retail food prices at the supermarket increased in the second quarter of 2008, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey. The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 basic grocery items in the second quarter of 2008 was $46.67, up about 3.5 percent or $1.64 from the first quarter of 2008.
Of the 16 items surveyed, 14 increased and two decreased in average price compared to the 2008 first-quarter survey. Compared to one year ago, the overall cost for the marketbasket items showed an increase of about 8.5 percent.
Two types of cooking oil and bacon showed the largest retail price increases. A 32-oz. bottle of corn oil was up 47 cents to $3.48, a 32-oz. bottle of vegetable oil rose 38 cents to $3.01 and one pound of bacon was up 22 cents to $3.57.
Other items that increased in price were: flour, up 18 cents to $2.57 for a 5-pound bag; apples, up 14 cents to $1.54 per pound; whole fryer chickens, up 12 cents to $1.47 per pound; a 20-oz. loaf of white bread, up 12 cents to $1.90; ground chuck, up 12 cents to $2.85 per pound; pork chops, up 9 cents to $3.40 per pound; Russet potatoes, up 8 cents to $2.55 for a 5-pound bag; 1 gallon of whole milk, up 7 cents to $3.88; mayonnaise, up 5 cents to $3.19 for a 32-ounce jar; sirloin tip roast, up 4 cents to $3.84 per pound; and a 9-oz. box of toasted oat cereal, up 1 cent to $2.98 per box.
Items that decreased in price were: 1 dozen large eggs, down 34 cents to $1.82 and 1 pound of cheddar cheese, down 11 cents to $4.60.
“Prices of many food items continue to creep upward,” said Jim Sartwelle, an AFBF economist. “Those increases, however, pale in comparison to the huge increases in energy costs – for fuel, natural gas, and electricity – that American families have become accustomed to over the past two or three years.”
Taking a closer look at individual food items, Sartwelle explained, “Cooking oils, flour, and bread prices continue to respond upward to historically tight world stocks of grains and oilseeds.” In addition, “Each quarter that passes just reinforces we are producing and buying food in a global market place.”
As retail grocery prices have increased gradually, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped over time.
“In the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. That figure has decreased steadily over time and is now just 19 percent, according to Agriculture Department statistics,” Sartwelle said.
Using the “food at home and away from home” percentage across-the-board, the farmer’s share of this quarter’s $46.67 marketbasket total would be $8.87.
Tracking Milk and Egg Trends
For the second quarter of 2008, shoppers reported the average price for a half-gallon of regular whole milk was $2.38, down 2 cents from the prior quarter. The average price for one gallon of regular whole milk was $3.88, up 7 cents. Comparing per-quart prices, the retail price for whole milk sold in gallon containers was about 20 percent lower compared to half-gallon containers, a typical volume discount long employed by retailers.
The average price for a half-gallon of rBST-free milk was $3.34, up 4 cents from the last quarter or nearly 40 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.38).
The average price for a half-gallon of organic milk was $3.67, up 4 cents compared to the third quarter, or approximately 50 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half-gallon of regular milk ($2.38).
Compared to a year ago (second quarter of 2007), retail prices for regular milk in gallon and half-gallon containers rose 12 percent and 7 percent respectively. The average retail price for rBST-free milk rose about 11 percent. The average retail price for organic milk in half-gallon containers went up and down slightly over the year and was 2 cents higher in the second quarter of 2008 compared to a year ago.
For the second quarter of 2008, the average price for one dozen regular eggs was $1.82, down 34 cents compared to the last quarter. The average price for “cage-free” eggs dropped 5 cents to $2.95 per dozen, around 40 percent more per dozen than regular eggs.
Regular eggs increased in retail price by 17 percent between the first quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2008; “cage–free” eggs increased about 33 percent. a

Wheat stockpiles are at a 30-year low and production costs are rising, but what really scares wheat growers is the specter of Ug99, a new rust fungus to which very few of the currently grown varieties of wheat are resistant.
But the seed of a solution may sprout this fall when Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists release the first wheat lines pyramiding two or more genes for resistance to Ug99. One of these lines will be released this fall as a specialty wheat for the eastern United States. Wheat breeders will be able to use the new line along with others to develop new commercial varieties with high yield and Ug99 protection.
ARS has a priority program tackling many aspects of Ug99 with a team of more than 10 scientists, all of whom are keenly aware of Ug99’s growing shadow, which emerged in Uganda and has already spread to Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen, and Iran. The scientists are located at ARS labs at Raleigh, North Carolina; Aberdeen, Idaho; St. Paul, Minnesota; Manhattan, Kansas; and Fargo, North Dakota.
Among their tasks are determining U.S. wheat and barley vulnerability to Ug99, identifying new sources of genetic resistance, discovering molecular markers to speed up breeding for protection, developing rapid detection methods, and nationwide surveillance for Ug99 in the United States.
To support the monitoring work, ARS has established “trap” plots of wheat along known wheat rust pathways throughout the United States.
Of course, the ARS scientists are not going it alone. They’re collaborating with researchers across the country and around the world to find ways to deal with this massive threat to a global food staple.
As part of this cooperation and collaboration, ARS coordinates sending promising U.S. wheat varieties to Kenya and evaluating them for Ug99 resistance. This provides U.S. wheat breeders with a head start on protecting the country’s wheat. The screening is done in partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), based in Mexico.
ARS has already evaluated more than 5,000 U.S. wheat lines in Africa through this program. Results from the 2005-2007 screening showed that Ug99 has overcome even more major resistance genes than previously believed.
ARS also will develop new sources of genetic resistance to rusts from three wild relatives of wheat and make it easier to introduce those genes into commercial wheat varieties.
ARS is a scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. a

Since late May, Rain for Rent has been providing emergency response services to the saturated cities and towns along the fractured Mississippi River. The emergency response situation created by the recent 500-year rain event required immediate action from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the National Guard (USNG), and other local, state and federal agencies.
The USACE called on Rain for Rent, a nationwide liquid-handling solutions company established in 1934, to help them combat the rising waters that threatened homes, farmland, businesses and public service infrastructures. Within a matter of hours, Rain for Rent’s St. Louis branch delivered numerous 4-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch Power Prime™ pumps, hose, fittings, and filtration equipment to the Quincy (IL) National Guard Depot. Dave Veizer, Rain for Rent St. Louis Branch Manager, remained on-site at the Guard’s Depot throughout the equipment delivery.
Mark Bybee, Rain for Rent St. Louis sales representative, coordinated a pump system in the City of Quincy, IL to protect the City’s Water Treatment Plant. The Rain for Rent St. Louis team worked around the clock to install and activate a turnkey pumping system.
The National Guard sent in sheet pilings to keep the floodwaters from the Water Treatment Plant, while Rain for Rent pumped from behind the temporary wall to save the plant’s fresh water from contamination. Rain for Rent’s emergency response, turnkey pumping solution included site preparation to protect both existing and reinforced portions of the levee; provision of all crane, heavy equipment, lighting, and fuel services; and a 24/7 operations, pump watch and maintenance team to remain on site for the duration of the project.
Veizer, Bybee, and many other Rain for Rent employees, worked with 1500 National Guard Troops and countless volunteers to provide emergency flood relief throughout the City of Quincy and its neighboring towns.
In addition, at the request of the USACE, the Rain for Rent Chicago branch provided a turnkey pumping system consisting of large diameter axial flow pumps at the Saylor Ville, Iowa Dam. The equipment and personnel were mobilized and the system was up and running within 48 hours.
The Chicago team also responded to numerous other requests for pumps from commercial facilities, the City of Davenport and the City of Cedar Rapids. Mike Zudycki, Chicago Branch Manager, along with the Chicago based team of Rain for Rent professionals, worked around the clock providing Rain for Rent’s Solutions-based services. They have been complimented by the USACE, USNG, and local and state agencies for their fine work.
The pumping efforts continue. Rain for Rent has mobilized specialty filtration systems, temporary liquid storage tanks, and vacuum and roll off boxes to assist with multiple environmental clean up activities throughout the Midwest. a

Rescue/Clean-up:
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is providing veterinary staff to support pet shelters in Iowa as needed.
APHIS staff along with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Iowa Department of Natural Resources are actively involved in efforts to recover and dispose of livestock carcasses.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) workers assessing dam safety, identifying high risk areas and developing plans to reduce risk of additional flood damages.
NRCS National Cartography and Geospatial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, has contacted affected States and offered to provide imagery upon request. This imagery is important for search and rescue, as well as damage assessments.
NRCS is working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture to ensure producers-as well as local, state and federal agencies-have the information needed on suitable locations for disposal of animal carcasses by making soils suitability maps available on line.
NRCS is working with local communities to determine Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) requests. EWP recovery assistance is made available to project sponsors (local sponsors provide 25 percent of the cost of recovery) to alleviate watershed impairments that pose a threat to health, life or property.
NRCS is working very closely with farmers who need repairs to Environmental Quality Improvement Plan conservation practices, local partners, FEMA, and the emergency operations center.
Food Assistance:
As of June 30, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has approved operation of the Disaster Food Stamp Program in a total of 133 Midwest counties declared by the President to be disasters due to recent flooding (37 counties in Indiana, 54 counties in Iowa, 13 counties in Nebraska, and 29 counties in Wisconsin).
As of June 30, $6.3 million in Disaster Food Stamp Program benefits and supplements have been provided to nearly 14,000 new and nearly 6,000 ongoing households in Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) authorized State agencies administering the Summer Food Service Program to waive certain program requirements in disaster areas or where significant numbers of persons displaced by the disaster are being housed.
In preparation for additional flooding, State agencies were contacted that could be affected. States report either no direct impact and/or contingency plan in place to avoid disruption of services.
FNS continues to work with states on requests for Disaster Food Stamp Program assistance.
FNS issued a statewide waiver in Iowa to allow retail food stores to accept food stamp/EBT benefits from food stamp customers in exchange for hot foods.
Assessing commodity inventories in states to be able to respond should congregate feeding assistance is requested.
Housing:
USDA is encouraging residents affected by the disaster to immediately apply for funding assistance under: Rural single family housing loan and grant programs. Funds are available for housing repair, rehabilitation and home purchases; for home financing, USDA will assist with expediting lender approval and approval for access to the Guaranteed Underwriting Services; and offer streamlined loan processing
Individuals needing payment assistance on their existing USDA Rural Development Single and Multi-family loans are encouraged to contact the Centralized Servicing Center at (800) 414-1226.
Community Assistance:
Rural communities in Presidentially declared disaster areas will be given priority consideration for funding through USDA’s Rural Development Rural Community Facilities programs.
Facilities eligible for funding include schools, libraries, childcare centers, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation. Note: Funds are part of regular program funding and are not solely available for disaster areas.
NRCS state operations are working with local communities to determine Emergency Watershed Protection requests in the disaster areas.
Business Assistance:
Rural businesses in Presidentially declared disaster areas will be given priority consideration through the USDA Rural Development Rural Business Enterprise Grant program. Note: Funds are part of regular program funding and are not solely available for disaster areas.
Farmer and Rancher Assistance:
Emergency Programs -
Eligible farmers can apply for Emergency Loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) with at least a 30 percent production loss, or a physical loss to livestock. Applicants must be unable to get credit from other sources and be a family sized farm.
Emergency loans may be used in combination with guaranteed loans or direct FSA loans to assist an eligible farmer in developing a viable financing package to recover from flood losses.
Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) may be made available to eligible farmers in eligible counties to repair land damage and cost-share assistance - up to 75 percent of the cost.
FSA is permitting farmers to move their livestock to conservation reserve program land without penalty and without a reduction in payments for 30 days or July 27, 2008 in 26 Iowa counties.
FSA approved the use of conservation reserve program land in Iowa to spread manure as part of the recovery effort.
Crop Reporting -
FSA sent notice to field offices extending the final 2008 crop reporting deadline to August 15, 2008.
USDA’s Risk Management Agency is extending until August 15, 2008 the deadline for submitting acreage reports for all 2008 crop year spring-seeded acreage in areas impacted by flooding and extreme weather conditions. This additional time applies to spring-seeded crop acreage for all counties in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Producers are encouraged to contact their crop insurance agent for more information.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is assessing the impact on the 2008 crop acreage from the impact of the extraordinary rainfall and flooding in the Midwest.
June 30, NASS released the 2008 Acreage report as scheduled at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
NASS collected most of the acreage data during the first two weeks of June, before the majority of the flooding occurred.
NASS re-interviewed producers during the week of June 23 in affected areas of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. This provided additional information about producers’ harvesting intentions for corn, soybeans and sorghum.
NASS will conduct a more extensive update of planted and harvested acreage in the impacted areas.
The August 12 Crop Production report will contain impact information along with data normally collected from across the country during this time. a