Various forms of robotic milking are helping sustain small to medium sized dairy farms amid broader industry consolidation and improving labor efficiency for some larger operations according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division. A brief video synopsis of the report, “Automatic Milking Systems: Keeping Smaller Dairies in the Game” is available here and the full report is available at CoBank.com.- The March Dairy Market Report is now available. Driven by a $2.00/cwt. drop in the U.S. all-milk price, the monthly margin under the Margin Protection Program (MPP) fell by $2.27/cwt. over the two months from November to January, to just over $8.00/cwt. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, enacted earlier this year, made significant changes to the MPP and created additional risk management options for farmers.
- Rose Acre Farms, the nation’s second largest egg producer, has contributed $200,000 to Purdue University’s new animal sciences complex dedicated yesterday on the school’s campus. Rose Acre Farms employs several alumnae from Purdue University’s Department of Agriculture and Animal Sciences and works with the institution on research projects involving agriculture and animal welfare.
- Dairy checkoff scientists who work onsite at McDonald’s headquarters have helped the chain launch new items that continue its commitment to elevate dairy and provide customers with great-tasting menu choices. Scientists working for Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff, collaborated with members of McDonald’s culinary team to create McDonald’s Signature Crafted Recipes sandwiches and the Egg White Delight McMuffin, which will now feature sharp white cheddar cheese slices that are more than 30 percent larger than the pasteurized process version previously used. McDonald’s also launched limited-time-offer McCafe Turtle Coffee Beverages, which join a McCafé lineup that offers dairy in 90 percent of its items.
- Eggs in Schools conducted an in-depth interview with school nutrition dynamo April Liles, R.D., S.N.S., who brings a spirit of fun and creativity to the school nutrition program at the Waltham Public Schools in Waltham, Mass. Liles’ advice is presented in a series of blog posts designed to share best practices with school nutrition professionals seeking tried-and-true methods to help increase Average Daily Participation. Find all of the blog posts at aeb.org/blog/eggs-in-school-blog.
- Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) have announced an agreement establishing mutual recognition of the value and importance of each organization’s work and a commitment to foster an increased level of collaboration. In the agreement, USRSB agreed to recognize the role Field to Market plays in defining sustainable production for feed commodities utilized in beef production. In the same way, Field to Market agreed to recognize USRSB’s role in defining sustainable beef production.
