An Iowa State University professor of animal science has been awarded the annual USDA Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award. Douglas Kenealy is one of two people to receive the national award, which encompasses all the food and agricultural disciplines.
“I believe that you can push students, whether first-year or upper-class, if you consistently remind them of where they will use the building blocks of their education and how it will enhance future success in the classroom or in their career,” Kenealy said. An Iowa State alum, Kenealy joined the animal science faculty in 1975 and established a record as an exceptional teacher, adviser and a leader in curriculum development in animal science. Throughout his career he has taught or advised more than 13,000 students.
Kenealy received the award on Nov. 11 in Washington, D.C. The award is based on teaching quality, philosophy and methodology; service to the profession and students; and professional growth and development. It requires endorsements by an administrator, colleague and alumnus.
In addition to his significant undergraduate teaching load and graduate advising, Kenealy assists with job placement activities for animal science and dairy science. During his tenure, annual placement rate has never fallen below 90 percent and for the past five years, placement for undergraduates has averaged 97 percent.
12.04.2009
11.16.2009
Milk Price Could be $4 Higher Next Year
The all-milk price is predicted to average between $16.05 to $16.95 per hundredweight next year, according to the USDA’s “World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates” report released Nov. 10.
That would be $4 higher than this year’s predicted range of $12.60 to $12.70 per hundredweight.
“Improved milk prices are expected to more than outweigh higher feed costs and slow the pace of liquidation,” the report said. “Improving global demand and concerns about world supplies of dairy products have pushed international dairy prices higher and are expected to result in higher U.S. dairy exports during the remainder of this year and into 2010.”
“Even though the price projection was raised, the response in the futures market was limited,” says Greg Scheer, dairy analyst with Doane Advistory Services.
However, Scheer notes there has been an uptrend in the futures lately. “Last month, milk traded at $13.80 per hundredweight. Prices should continue to rise and we should get near break-even prices in the first quarter of 2010,” he says.
Another positive note is that cheese and butter prices continue to rally. Scheer notes that cheese and butter prices are the highest they’ve been all year. Export demand has picked up for butter. And, the month of November is the highest month for commercial disappearance of butter.
Source: USDA, Dairy Herd Management
That would be $4 higher than this year’s predicted range of $12.60 to $12.70 per hundredweight.
“Improved milk prices are expected to more than outweigh higher feed costs and slow the pace of liquidation,” the report said. “Improving global demand and concerns about world supplies of dairy products have pushed international dairy prices higher and are expected to result in higher U.S. dairy exports during the remainder of this year and into 2010.”
“Even though the price projection was raised, the response in the futures market was limited,” says Greg Scheer, dairy analyst with Doane Advistory Services.
However, Scheer notes there has been an uptrend in the futures lately. “Last month, milk traded at $13.80 per hundredweight. Prices should continue to rise and we should get near break-even prices in the first quarter of 2010,” he says.
Another positive note is that cheese and butter prices continue to rally. Scheer notes that cheese and butter prices are the highest they’ve been all year. Export demand has picked up for butter. And, the month of November is the highest month for commercial disappearance of butter.
Source: USDA, Dairy Herd Management
10.26.2009
NICC to Hold Consignment Sale
The Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Dairy Science club members will be holding their fifth annual consignment sale at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Fayette County Fairgrounds in West Union.
They will be selling approximately 50 lots, featuring consignments from the top Holstein breeders in Iowa. All animals will be Holsteins, with some Red and Whites. A special feature for buyers this year will be the opportunity to bid on “Picks of Flushes” and embryos.
A unique consignment this year is a pick of the flushes from Cotton, a favorite in the Dairy Foundation herd of many current students and alumni. AI companies are supporting the sale with semen to be used in a silent auction. Select Sires has donated five units of Planet and five units of Alexander; Excaliber has donated five units of Reality and five units of Cade; Genex has donated five units of ToyStory and five of Kolten. Taurus has donated five units of the buyer’s choice, and ABS will also be making a donation.
John Hager Sales will be assisting the student managers of the sale. For more information call one of the following student managers:
Adam Englert 812-779- 7270
Mark Simon 563-542-1297
Carly Lyons 563-419- 2808
Matt Henkes 563-880- 8614
They will be selling approximately 50 lots, featuring consignments from the top Holstein breeders in Iowa. All animals will be Holsteins, with some Red and Whites. A special feature for buyers this year will be the opportunity to bid on “Picks of Flushes” and embryos.
A unique consignment this year is a pick of the flushes from Cotton, a favorite in the Dairy Foundation herd of many current students and alumni. AI companies are supporting the sale with semen to be used in a silent auction. Select Sires has donated five units of Planet and five units of Alexander; Excaliber has donated five units of Reality and five units of Cade; Genex has donated five units of ToyStory and five of Kolten. Taurus has donated five units of the buyer’s choice, and ABS will also be making a donation.
John Hager Sales will be assisting the student managers of the sale. For more information call one of the following student managers:
Adam Englert 812-779- 7270
Mark Simon 563-542-1297
Carly Lyons 563-419- 2808
Matt Henkes 563-880- 8614
10.08.2009
Vaccination Myth Busters Clinics to be Held
Proper handling and administration of vaccines, along with customized, written vaccination protocols are essential to provide maximum disease protection in successful dairy operations. Are you adequately protected? Because of the importance of this topic, Northeast Iowa Community College and The Northeast Iowa Community Based Dairy Foundation Program Committee will be offering the Midwest Dairy School—Vaccination Myth Busters in two different locations.
Vaccination Myth Busters Clinics
Monday, November 23, 2009
12:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Manchester Livestock Auction
Manchester, Iowa
OR
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Dairy Center Room 115
Calmar, Iowa
*Review the common myths associated with vaccines and vaccine protocols.
*Learn the five possible USDA levels of protection that can be granted and the difference between each level.
*Review proper handling and proper injection technique.
*Where to find the level of protection for a particular vaccine.
*Learn the concept of vaccine ‘stacking’ and how to work around it.
The effectiveness of the Midwest Dairy School – Myth Busters is enhanced with live animal demonstrations at both sites.
Presenters include:
Dr. Vic Cortese - Director of Cattle Veterinary Operation – Cattle Immunology for Pfizer Animal Health, Adjunct professor with U of WI College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Chris Harvey - Northeast Iowa Community College Dairy Science faculty
Dr. Gary Neubauer - Minnesota’s Veterinarian of the year in 2001, Dairy Veterinarian Operations Pfizer Animal Health
There is limited space at both sites. To register for the Midwest Dairy School, please call Northeast Iowa Community College at 800-728-2256 Ext 399. The reduced registration fee of $15.00 includes lunch and refreshments and materials. For more information, call Mary Steen Ext 341 or email Steenm@nicc.edu.
Vaccination Myth Busters Clinics
Monday, November 23, 2009
12:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Manchester Livestock Auction
Manchester, Iowa
OR
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Dairy Center Room 115
Calmar, Iowa
*Review the common myths associated with vaccines and vaccine protocols.
*Learn the five possible USDA levels of protection that can be granted and the difference between each level.
*Review proper handling and proper injection technique.
*Where to find the level of protection for a particular vaccine.
*Learn the concept of vaccine ‘stacking’ and how to work around it.
The effectiveness of the Midwest Dairy School – Myth Busters is enhanced with live animal demonstrations at both sites.
Presenters include:
Dr. Vic Cortese - Director of Cattle Veterinary Operation – Cattle Immunology for Pfizer Animal Health, Adjunct professor with U of WI College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Chris Harvey - Northeast Iowa Community College Dairy Science faculty
Dr. Gary Neubauer - Minnesota’s Veterinarian of the year in 2001, Dairy Veterinarian Operations Pfizer Animal Health
There is limited space at both sites. To register for the Midwest Dairy School, please call Northeast Iowa Community College at 800-728-2256 Ext 399. The reduced registration fee of $15.00 includes lunch and refreshments and materials. For more information, call Mary Steen Ext 341 or email Steenm@nicc.edu.
10.01.2009
Northey Joins Agriculture Officials from Across the Nation to Support Proposal to Help Dairy, Pork and Turkey Producers
“Meat the Need” Initiative would Help Farmers, Make Additional Products Available to Families
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey has joined top state agriculture officials from across the nation to offer the federal government a new proposal, called “Meat the Need,” to help the nation’s embattled dairy and pork farmers.
“Pork and dairy farmers in Iowa and across the nation are hurting, and this proposal is a way to support them during this difficult time and get nutritious and wholesome products to needy families,” Northey said. “Right now these farmers are losing money on every gallon of milk they produce and every pound of pork they raise, that is unsustainable.”
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) put forward the plan as a means to take extra dairy and pork supplies off the market and bringing up prices paid to producers. The commodities will then be available through a supplemental food assistance program to people who could not otherwise afford them.
Meat the Need calls for the federal government to purchase up to three installments of 75 million pounds of cheese and other dairy products over 120 days and up to three installments of 100 million pounds of pork products over 180 days. If the target price of $16 per hundredweight of milk and 49 cents per pound of pork, the average cost of production for each product, is reached before the second or third installment, the purchases would stop.
The plan also includes of a one-time purchase of 100 million pounds of turkey.
The purchased meat and dairy products would be distributed to food banks, school lunch programs and a new SNAP‐PLUS program, as well as into foreign military food assistance.
The SNAP-PLUS program would allow USDA to increase allocations to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and require SNAP beneficiaries to spend the new allocations on meat and dairy products only. Participants would be given separate electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards to purchase the products.
The initiative is projected to cost between $2 and $3 billion dollars and the proposal calls for the funding to come from unspent stimulus dollars.
“I worry that if something isn’t done quickly to help these farmers we could lose a significant number of dairy and pork producers, which could hurt our economy,” Northey said. “A recent study showed that 1 in 6 jobs in Iowa is related to agriculture, so the potential economic impact of these ongoing losses reaches far beyond the farmers raising these animals.”
NASDA is comprised of the commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture from the 50 states. (Source: Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship)
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey has joined top state agriculture officials from across the nation to offer the federal government a new proposal, called “Meat the Need,” to help the nation’s embattled dairy and pork farmers.
“Pork and dairy farmers in Iowa and across the nation are hurting, and this proposal is a way to support them during this difficult time and get nutritious and wholesome products to needy families,” Northey said. “Right now these farmers are losing money on every gallon of milk they produce and every pound of pork they raise, that is unsustainable.”
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) put forward the plan as a means to take extra dairy and pork supplies off the market and bringing up prices paid to producers. The commodities will then be available through a supplemental food assistance program to people who could not otherwise afford them.
Meat the Need calls for the federal government to purchase up to three installments of 75 million pounds of cheese and other dairy products over 120 days and up to three installments of 100 million pounds of pork products over 180 days. If the target price of $16 per hundredweight of milk and 49 cents per pound of pork, the average cost of production for each product, is reached before the second or third installment, the purchases would stop.
The plan also includes of a one-time purchase of 100 million pounds of turkey.
The purchased meat and dairy products would be distributed to food banks, school lunch programs and a new SNAP‐PLUS program, as well as into foreign military food assistance.
The SNAP-PLUS program would allow USDA to increase allocations to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and require SNAP beneficiaries to spend the new allocations on meat and dairy products only. Participants would be given separate electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards to purchase the products.
The initiative is projected to cost between $2 and $3 billion dollars and the proposal calls for the funding to come from unspent stimulus dollars.
“I worry that if something isn’t done quickly to help these farmers we could lose a significant number of dairy and pork producers, which could hurt our economy,” Northey said. “A recent study showed that 1 in 6 jobs in Iowa is related to agriculture, so the potential economic impact of these ongoing losses reaches far beyond the farmers raising these animals.”
NASDA is comprised of the commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture from the 50 states. (Source: Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship)
9.23.2009
NEW ANALYSIS FINDS THAT 1 IN 6 IOWANS EMPLOYED BY AGRICULTURE
Iowa agriculture puts healthy, affordable choices of food on the table for today’s consumers and brings jobs and economic development to the state according to a just-completed economic analysis sponsored by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF).
The tally of agriculture’s impact, based on 2007 Census of Agriculture data, reveals farming is tightly linked to many Iowa industries. Production agriculture and ag-related industries directly and indirectly employ one of every six Iowans (or 17 percent of the state’s workforce). They’re also responsible for adding $72.1 billion to the state’s economy, or 27 percent of the state’s total. This represents a two percent increase over a previous analysis utilizing 2002 Census of Agriculture data.
That’s good news during a time of economic adversity and shows Iowa agriculture continues to grow. In fact, the strong presence of ag production, processing and manufacturing in Iowa helps buffer the state from the severity of national economic downturns. Iowa’s unemployment rate is 6.1 percent compared to the national total of 9.4 percent.
“What impresses me,” says Dan Otto, Iowa State University extension economist who helped prepare the study, “is that when you consider the growth and diversification of Iowa’s economy over recent years, agriculture is still a very dominant player. For certain counties, it is the dominant industry.
“The diversification of farming has made agriculture the leading industry in more than a quarter of the counties in our state,” he adds. “One could say that this study shows Iowa is as dependent on farming as Detroit is on car manufacturing.”
Craig Floss, chief executive officer of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and CSIF board president, says the purpose of the study was to find out how much the state’s current economy is being helped by farming today. The findings are good news for Iowa.
“It’s clear that farming, food and feed processing, and every other area agriculture touches, is critical to Iowa,” he says. “The continued support and growth of farming is vital to the long-term economic health of our state.”
The CSIF-sponsored analysis shows that farming and ag-related industries in Iowa account for nearly $23 billion in value-added, (19 percent of Iowa’s total), which takes into account the process of producing and converting agricultural commodities into products suitable for use by consumers both in and outside Iowa.
The study also reaffirms the importance of livestock and poultry farming’s contribution to individual families. Statewide, livestock and poultry production contributes nearly $1.1 billion to household income. Raising livestock and poultry alone generates 43,324 jobs in Iowa. When meat processing is factored in, research shows a contribution of 80,278 jobs to the state with a total economic value of $19.5 billion in Iowa.
The analysis included a review of data from several sources including the 2007 Census of Agriculture, the U.S. Bureaus of Economic Analysis and Labor Statistics, the Iowa Department of Workforce Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the IMPLAN economic modeling software.
Additional details, including a complete county-by-county breakdown of the analysis results (including jobs and household income), are available at the CSIF website, www.supportfarmers.com. (Source: The Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers)
The tally of agriculture’s impact, based on 2007 Census of Agriculture data, reveals farming is tightly linked to many Iowa industries. Production agriculture and ag-related industries directly and indirectly employ one of every six Iowans (or 17 percent of the state’s workforce). They’re also responsible for adding $72.1 billion to the state’s economy, or 27 percent of the state’s total. This represents a two percent increase over a previous analysis utilizing 2002 Census of Agriculture data.
That’s good news during a time of economic adversity and shows Iowa agriculture continues to grow. In fact, the strong presence of ag production, processing and manufacturing in Iowa helps buffer the state from the severity of national economic downturns. Iowa’s unemployment rate is 6.1 percent compared to the national total of 9.4 percent.
“What impresses me,” says Dan Otto, Iowa State University extension economist who helped prepare the study, “is that when you consider the growth and diversification of Iowa’s economy over recent years, agriculture is still a very dominant player. For certain counties, it is the dominant industry.
“The diversification of farming has made agriculture the leading industry in more than a quarter of the counties in our state,” he adds. “One could say that this study shows Iowa is as dependent on farming as Detroit is on car manufacturing.”
Craig Floss, chief executive officer of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and CSIF board president, says the purpose of the study was to find out how much the state’s current economy is being helped by farming today. The findings are good news for Iowa.
“It’s clear that farming, food and feed processing, and every other area agriculture touches, is critical to Iowa,” he says. “The continued support and growth of farming is vital to the long-term economic health of our state.”
The CSIF-sponsored analysis shows that farming and ag-related industries in Iowa account for nearly $23 billion in value-added, (19 percent of Iowa’s total), which takes into account the process of producing and converting agricultural commodities into products suitable for use by consumers both in and outside Iowa.
The study also reaffirms the importance of livestock and poultry farming’s contribution to individual families. Statewide, livestock and poultry production contributes nearly $1.1 billion to household income. Raising livestock and poultry alone generates 43,324 jobs in Iowa. When meat processing is factored in, research shows a contribution of 80,278 jobs to the state with a total economic value of $19.5 billion in Iowa.
The analysis included a review of data from several sources including the 2007 Census of Agriculture, the U.S. Bureaus of Economic Analysis and Labor Statistics, the Iowa Department of Workforce Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the IMPLAN economic modeling software.
Additional details, including a complete county-by-county breakdown of the analysis results (including jobs and household income), are available at the CSIF website, www.supportfarmers.com. (Source: The Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers)
8.28.2009
Iowa State Dairy Association President Meets with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
On Wednesday, August 19, Wayne Dykshorn, President of the Iowa State Dairy Association (ISDA), spoke candidly with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. Vilsack made a stop at the Iowa State Fair as part of his USDA Rural Tour.
“I wanted to speak to Secretary Vilsack about the crisis in the dairy industry,” says Dykshorn, “I am appreciative for what has been done so far but it isn’t enough.”
Dykshorn says the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) and increasing support prices in butter, powdered milk and cheese have helped but more must be done to aid dairy farmers.
“I’m glad I had the opportunity to reiterate the dire situation that we, dairy farmers, are in,” says Dykshorn.
Earlier this week Dykshorn also had the opportunity to speak with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey. “I encouraged Secretary Northey to hold a commodity summit in the near future so all agriculture groups can work together to grow agriculture in Iowa and throughout the United States and the world,” says Dykshorn. “Secretary Northey seemed very receptive to that idea.”
A recent study by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers proved that agriculture is crucial to the state of Iowa. It found that farmers and their products directly or indirectly employ 17 percent of Iowa’s workforce which is one out of every six Iowans. Farmers are also responsible for 27 percent of Iowa’s total economy, equaling $72.1 billion.
“Agriculture, including the dairy industry, is extremely important to Iowa and everything possible must be done to ensure that agriculture has a future in Iowa,” says Dykshorn. (source: ISDA news release)
“I wanted to speak to Secretary Vilsack about the crisis in the dairy industry,” says Dykshorn, “I am appreciative for what has been done so far but it isn’t enough.”
Dykshorn says the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) and increasing support prices in butter, powdered milk and cheese have helped but more must be done to aid dairy farmers.
“I’m glad I had the opportunity to reiterate the dire situation that we, dairy farmers, are in,” says Dykshorn.
Earlier this week Dykshorn also had the opportunity to speak with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey. “I encouraged Secretary Northey to hold a commodity summit in the near future so all agriculture groups can work together to grow agriculture in Iowa and throughout the United States and the world,” says Dykshorn. “Secretary Northey seemed very receptive to that idea.”
A recent study by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers proved that agriculture is crucial to the state of Iowa. It found that farmers and their products directly or indirectly employ 17 percent of Iowa’s workforce which is one out of every six Iowans. Farmers are also responsible for 27 percent of Iowa’s total economy, equaling $72.1 billion.
“Agriculture, including the dairy industry, is extremely important to Iowa and everything possible must be done to ensure that agriculture has a future in Iowa,” says Dykshorn. (source: ISDA news release)
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