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VOLUME XV, NO. 5 |
TEXAS DAIRY REVIEW |
MAY 2006 |
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June Dairy Month activities include golf and DairyFest
United Dairy Women on milk mission |
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June Dairy Month activities include golf and DairyFest |
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Golfers get ready!!!---to tee off at the annual TCAA Golf Tournament on Thurs., June 8, Par Country Club, Comanche, Texas, at 9 a.m. The tournament will be a four-team scramble, shotgun start. Cost to enter the scramble is $75 per person which includes lunch, green fee, and cart. Hole sponsorships are currently available. Reservations for the scramble can be made in advance or must be made by 8 a.m. on day of play.
TriCounty Agribusiness Association (TCAA), sponsor of DairyFest, is asking for help in order to make this year's event a success. This is an opportunity for people to promote their businesses or organizations with signs or banners while providing a fun ag-related activity for kids. Most activities should be free or only recoup associated costs, unless the activities are used as fundraisers for non-profit organizations. Those who attend DairyFest will be able to enjoy all the milk, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream available. Vendor booths for area businesses, organizations, and arts & crafts will also be available at this year's DairyFest. Cost is $50 for a 10 X 10 booth. Last year's event was attended by more than 5,000 people. This year's event hours are from 2 pm to 9 pm. Event Sponsorships are available for businesses wanting to show their support for the dairy industry: $500 Milktown Partner, $250 Bovine Friend, $100 Cow Contributor. All event sponsors will have a sign displayed at their event, will be named in a mailout that goes to all area dairymen, and be recognized on the stage at DairyFest. They will also be recognized in TCAA's monthly newsletters, event advertising and press releases. All proceeds help fund events that promote area agriculture. For those interested in sponsoring an activity or participating as a vendor at DairyFest, contact TCAA, July Danley at 254-965-2406. Call this same number or visit www.tricountyag.com for general information on how to support area agribusiness. |
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Women contribute to ag industry in various ways |
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Agriculture offers a widespread variety of jobs for people who have chosen this field as their livelihood. In recent times, women have become more recognizable in the agriculture industry, holding positions that focus on special interests, research and educational studies. This is especially true of women who have positions in state and federal jobs, in private sectors, or belong to volunteer organizations. In the past few years, women in Texas and New Mexico have become increasingly active in the dairy industry, promoting dairy products and sponsoring numerous charitable events. For instance, this past February, United Dairy Women (UDW) sponsored the Milk Lovers Ball to raise funds that provides 3-A-Day dairy products to area children who reside in childrens’ homes. Another organization, Panhandle Dairy Women, teamed up recently with Plainview Area Habitat for Humanity and Monsanto Corporation to provide a home for a disadvantaged single mother and her three sons. In educational outreach and research, Dr. Tamilee Nennich and Dr.Yoana Newman are two women who are actively pursing their individual interests. They both hold Ph. Ds in agriculture and are employed by the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Stephenville. Nennich, assistant professor and dairy extension specialist, was raised in Bagley, Minnesota on a farm that raised fruits, vegetables and a few beef cattle and sheep. Following an interest in animals, she graduated from the University of Minnesota, at Crookston, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in meat animals and dairy science. She went on to earn a Masters of Science degree at the University of Minnesota at St. Paul, and later, a Ph. D. from Washington State University in dairy cattle nutrient management. “After receiving my Ph.D., I moved To Texas and started my position as an extension dairy specialist with Texas A&M University. I have now been living in Texas for a little over a year and I am loving it,” she said. Nenncih said one thing she really enjoys about the Stephenville area is the proximity of dairies and being involved with Stephenville’s great dairy families. Nennich is married to Mark Talento, a registered nurse in Granbury, and they live in Glen Rose. Newman is an assistant professor and extension forage specialist. She is a native of Maracaibo,Venezuela, and came to the U.S. 10 years ago to attend the University of Florida (UF) in north central Florida. While at UF, she pursued graduate school, earning a Masters of Science degree and a Ph. D. When she completed graduate school, Newman remained there, working as a research associate in UF’s Agronomy Department, up until July of 2005 when she joined the Texas A&M Soil and Crop Science Department. “Stephenville is a neat town to live in. It is the heart of cowboy culture,” Newman said. “The countryside in the Stephenville area is similar to my hometown in Venezuela. Many of the species we have there are the tropical counterpart of what is found here. “For example, in Maracaibo, a common tree is 'Cuji’ which is a type of tropical mesquite. A common grass is buffelgrass, one that has naturalized there, and in South Texas. “As to the differences between my hometown and Texas, I come from a tropical country, so we do not experience the seasons or cold temperatures. There, it is either winter (we call it the rainy season), or the dry period, which is like living in summertime all year round. “The United States is such a big country with many diverse areas and, to me, each has its own beauty. Florida is a beautiful state with all the conifers and subtropical vegetation. Of course, being from Venezuela, a country that has the Caribbean Sea as its northern boundary keeps Florida close at heart because of the coast and beaches throughout the state. “North Central Texas, although landlocked, has the most beautiful sunsets---almost on a daily basis. Also, Texans are very, very, nice, warm and open people with true southern hospitality.” Newman’s parents still live in Venezuela. Both her grandparents were cattle ranchers. “Being exposed to their environment and many pasture walks on their ranches laid the foundation for me to become a forage specialist,” Newman said. She is married to Leo Ortega, an agriculture economist, and they live in Stephenville. They have two children---a teenage son and daughter. |
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Dairy tour focuses on manure values, settling basins & forage management |
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Part of a recent dairy tour that offered DOPA credits for producers was held in April at the Keith Broumley Dairy in Hico and at Horizon Dairy, owned by David DeJong, in Hamilton County. Guest speakers for the tour included Dr. Tamilee Nennich, dairy specialist at Texas A&M Cooperative Extension in Stephenville; Dr. Saqib Muhktar, agricultural engineer at Texas A&M University, College Station; and Dr.Yoana C. Newman, forage specialist, Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Stephenville. Charles McGuire, representing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), spoke to producers at the noon meal held in Hico. While on the morning tour of the Broumley Dairy, Muhktar spoke on solid/liquid separation by gravitational settling, focusing on the settling basin design and functions and the ability of a separator to work efficiently in certain operations. He explained that settling tanks are used to remove settled solids and liquids by agitating and resuspension, followed by pumping. Settling basins are structures designed to separate solids from liquid manure by sedimentation or gravitational settling. He pointed out certain design criteria for producers to go by when considering the use of settling basins. Following McGuire’s presentation during the lunch session in Hico, Nennich spoke to producers about the value of manure. An example of fertilizer values of manure is seen in Table 1. Nennich emphasized that nutrient concentrations in manure can be extremely variable, and that testing manure is important. She also spoke on volumes of manure required for various N fertilization rates. An example is seen in Table 2. Nennich noted that hauling costs for manure can be substantial and need to be considered along with any calculations of fertilizer values. Newman spoke on phytoremediation, which is the use of high yielding forages for management of surplus nutrients in the soils. The direct effect is to increase removal of soil P by increasing the amount of P harvested. The indirect effect is to reduce the importation of feed P by increasing P available to animals through forages, such as forage greenchop. While at Horizon Dairy, Newman pointed out that the dairy is using intensive forage management, producing optimum quality. The dairy harvests what is needed per day with the help of a Schuitemaker self-loading silage wagon that allows the dairy to greenchop on a daily basis more efficiently. "I'm really impressed with the dairymen in the surrounding area and their quest for excellent forage management," Newman said. "They should be commended for that," she added. She said there are ongoing studies in North Central Texas that are looking at different forage species to determine whether, and to what extent, forages can reduce excess soil P from P-impacted sites in the North Bosque River watershed. Some of these forage species being studied include barley, oats, wheat, ryegrass, clovers, vetches, coastal bermudagrass, and Tifton-85 bermudagrass. |
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UDW on milk mission |
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United Dairy Women are on a milk mission. 50 ladies in New Mexico and West Texas are working to promote dairy industry relations and to educate children on good dairy nutrition. In February 2006, The Milk Lovers Ball was a great success. Ticket sales and sponsors, along with DairyMax and SW Dairy Farmers provided funds for 3-A-Day dairy products for 105 children for one year. These children all reside in local children’s homes that do not receive any government subsidies. On May 5th, 2006, United Dairy Women will be walking in the Relay for Life. Margaret Cody from Lone Star Dairy,will be donating ten inches of her lovely hair to Locks of Love (a program to provide wigs for cancer victims). Bret Hobbs from DairyMax will be serving dairy snacks to the participants. SW Dairy Farmers is also supporting this event. June 24th, 2006, is New Mexico’s first DairyFest. We are expecting 5,000 consumers to attend this afternoon of dairy family games, exhibits, contests, food and entertainment. UDW will be serving 3,000 cheeseburgers, 2,000 grilled cheese sandwiches, a huge amount of yogurt, ice cream, milk and water. The entertainment will be THE BELLAMY BROTHERS in concert. Proceeds from the raffle booth will benefit The Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico. Membership in United Dairy Women is extended to any woman who is interested in promoting dairy products and the dairy industry to our communities in a positive manner through educational programs, public relations, and by supporting local charities that involve children and nutrition. Telephone 1-877 LUV-MILK United Dairy Women, reaching out helping hands. |
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Compost facilities contribute to project |
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Compost from Erath County and surrounding compost facilities was recently used in a pilot project that landed the Texas Water Resources Institute the state's highest environmental award. A division of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, the Texas Water Resources Institute earned a Texas Environmental Excellence award for a range revegetation pilot project at the U.S. Army's Fort Hood military installation. "We are honored to receive this award," said Dr. Allan Jones, director of the Texas Water Resources Institute and principal investigator for the project. "It was a total team effort. Our project utilizes the extensive resources and personnel that both TWRI, the Blackland Research and Extension Center, NRCS and Fort Hood have to offer in addressing this complex issue." Training vehicles used for decades on 67,000 acres at Fort Hood created erosion problems, which led to sediment runoff and jeopardized water quality in nearby watersheds. To combat the problem, composed manure from dairy operations in the North Bosque River Watershed was applied to depleted training ground. Approximately 15,000 tons of composed manure has been applied to 600 acres of rangeland. Initial results show increased vegetation and reduced erosion with no water quality issues on the affected acreage. The project will serve as a model to treat other similarly affected areas across the state. |
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Dairy Industry Gives Back to the Community |
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Plainview Area Habitat for Humanity, Monsanto and Panhandle Dairy Women’s Group team up to ready a home for a single mother and her three sons. Monica and her sons will receive the habitat home prepared by dairy industry partners in conjunction with the habitat program. The dairy industry hopes to provide about 40 workers to install the fence and level the yard; final touches to Monica and her family’s new home. Monica has been known to become teary eyed just picking out a light fixture for the dining room according to her coworker. These final touches will surely be appreciated as well. The dairy industry already supports the local infrastructure all dairy farms need, including the services of veterinarians, equipment dealers, feed manufacturers and dealers, consulting nutritionists, lenders and retail services. “We wanted to find a more philanthropic way to reach out to the community as well,” said Ron Welper with Monsanto. Pauline DeVos of Fox Dairy and the Panhandle Dairy Women's Group says she andothers are doing what comes naturally. "Dairy farmers live on or near the land that our families farm and many will for generations," she said. "We understand the importance of working as a community to take care of each other. It's the same kind of interest we show in caring for our animals, for the land and water." Dairy families are investing in new technologies to help protect the environment and provide proper care for their animals. Their commitment to quality also means providing the American public with safe, high-quality milk and dairy foods such as cheese and yogurt. The Plainview McDonald’s will be providing the workers with a lunch of Quarter Pounders with cheese and milk to drink. Dairy Max will provide yogurt and other snacks as well. “The current USDA dietary guideline suggests the need for 3 dairy servings a day for stronger bones and healthy bodies,” states Teresa Wagner, MS, RD/LD, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for Dairy Max , the local dairy council. “Milk, cheese and yogurt offer a powerful package of calcium and eight other essential nutrients for families such as Monica’s to enjoy for just pennies per serving.” So, not only is the dairy industry giving back today but everyday in community support and promoting the health of American families. Thanks to McDonald’s, the workers will receive their 3 servings of dairy and will probably be thankful for strong bones and healthy bodies at the end of the day. |
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