|
VOLUME XV, NO. 6 |
TEXAS DAIRY REVIEW |
JUNE 2006 |
 |
|
|
Hay Hotline
Texas Panhandle fast-becoming dairy icon |
|
|
Hay Hotline |
|
|
The Texas Department of Agriculture has established a HAY & GRAZING HOTLINE at 877-429-1998 for hay suppliers and buyers or you can access on line at TDA’s website at www.agri.state.tx.us. |
|
|
|
|
|
Celebrate our dairies June 17 at DairyFest |
|
|
DairyFest, an annual family fun event celebrating June Dairy Month, is coming up Sat., June 17, at Stephenville City Park. The purpose of DairyFest is to celebrate the success of the tri-county's largest economic influence, promote its future, and foster a closer relationship between the urban and rural communities in this area through family fun related to dairy animals, products, and services.
Vendor booths for area businesses, organizations, and arts & crafts will also be available. Cost is $50 for a 10 X 10 booth. Event hours are from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Last year's event was attended by well over 5,000 people. 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 the event; named in a mailout that goes to all area dairymen; and recognized on the stage at DairyFest as well as in our monthly newsletters, event advertising and press releases. All proceeds help fund events that promote area agriculture, provide scholarships and educate our youth. TCAA is excited to announce that this year's DairyFest will be held in conjunction with the TexStar Ford Summer Night Concert Series featuring Davin James. Local musicians will entertain the crowd throughout the day at the Birdsong Amphitheatre Stage. If you are interested in sponsoring an activity or participating as a Vendor at DairyFest please contact TCAA @ 254-965-2406. For more information on how you can support area agribusiness, visit us on the web at www.tricountyag.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
TSU dairy center gets "thumbs up" funding |
|
|
Although it’s been a long time coming, Tarleton State University (TSU) and dairy industry leaders have finally consummated a vision that has been in the works for years. This past month, State Rep. Sid Miller announced legislation passed that appropriates more than $35 million in funding for projects at TSU in Stephenville. Of this funding, $11 million will allow for a new dairy research center. "We are very excited about the new dairy center and all of the possibilities it offers in education, research and public outreach,” said Dr. Don Cawthon, dean of the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences. “We owe tremendous thanks to Tarleton President Dennis McCabe who kept the new dairy center on his list of needs for the university, and Rep. Sid Miller for ‘getting the job done’ for the dairy industry and Tarleton. “Of course without the support of the industry, neither President McCabe nor Representative Miller would have known how important and badly needed this facility is for Texas,” Cawthon said. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rated the need for the dairy center at TSU as "high priority" to address the critical needs of the future of Texas students. Based on these rankings, the legislature worked to ensure the issuance of necessary revenue bonds to help complete the needed projects. The dairy center at TSU is a project that Miller has worked effortlessly to achieve. "Dairies are integral to the economics of District 59 and other areas around the state,” Miller said. “Therefore, we need to ensure all methods in the operation of dairies, from the health of the cows to the waste management of the facilities, are the best they can be. Research is a valuable investment. "With the new center, Tarleton will be the one and only institution to offer a state-of-the art, technology-advanced, carousel-type milking parlor; complete with classrooms and research facilities. “The tuition revenue bond will provide TSU with resources to expand the university dairy center. The proposed facility would provide more space for teaching, research, extension and public education on dairy production. Research on ruminant nutrition, dairy management, food science, agricultural economics, waste management and many others will be possible through this revenue bond; this research is not currently possible in Texas or the southwest.” TSU President McCabe said he was delighted to find that the House and Senate approved legislation for a new dairy research demonstration center for TSU. "We certainly want to thank state leaders, Senator Fraser and Representative Miller for their leadership in getting this project approved through this first, and major hurdle." Although site plans for the center have not yet been released to date, Cawthon said he hopes it will be located for easy public access on Hwy. 281 frontage near the TAMU Research and Experiment Center or off Hwy. 8, near the university farm. “Several hundred college students will use the dairy center each year, and we will bring them in from around the state as this facility will support dairy education statewide as a laboratory facility. Several thousand high school students will use the facility each year as part of our FFA Career Development Events during the Spring. We are still planning to have a Visitors Center open to the public, and expect several thousand visitors from metropolitan areas throughout the south.” |
|
|
|
|
|
Texas Panhandle fast-becoming dairy icon |
|
|
The Panhandle of Texas, familiar to all for it’s unmistakable handle-like shape, is fast-becoming a dairy icon throughout the country. With a conglomerate of small towns, two or three large cities, and lots of wide open spaces, dairy producers can’t seem to get there fast enough. Several Panhandle communities began to envision dairies as an economic benefit as far back as the mid to late 90s. Communities such as Amherst, Littlefield, Muleshoe, Plainview and Hereford were some of the first to take hold, soon followed by other communities that joined the dairy entourage. Before long, the familiar beef cows in the enormous area feedyards were not the only “cows on the block.” The black and whites were beginning to make their dairy debut on a whole new frontier. Several small towns have initiated economic development corporations to promote and recruit dairies to their areas. David Moore of the High Plains Dairy Council said this private organization concentrates on the northwest portion of the Panhandle which includes Dallam, Hartley, Sherman and Moore counties. Moore said the dairy council was instrumental in getting Hilmar Cheese Plant to build a $190 million state-of-the-art cheese factory in Dalhart. The plant is expected to begin receiving its first loads of milk in the fall of 2007. Dalhart is located in both Dallam and Hartley Counties. In the four county area, there are approximately eight operating dairies averaging 2400 head each. The area has approximately 19,200 milking cows. New dairies under construction are expected to open soon. Janet Claborn, director of Muleshoe Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) in Bailey County, pointed out that communities working together to achieve goals is the “West Texas way.” MEDC and Parmer County recently partnered to make available the use of industrial revenue bonds for Lariat Dairy located in southern Parmer County, seven miles northwest of Muleshoe. Lariat Dairy, owned by John Visser and managed by Tom Verhoeven, has two 72-head carousel milking parlors. The dairy plans to begin milking June 1 and will be milking 4,000 head when at capacity, providing 30-40 new jobs. MEDC has approximately 10 dairies in their marketing area with several new sites under contract. Claborn reports Ben & Jennifer Dickman from Buckeye, Arizona, will begin moving dirt on their site (four miles north of Muleshoe) in approximately 45 days. “The young couple has bought a home in Muleshoe and are in the process of updating it. Their site is permitted for 4,000 head,” Claborn said. Friona, located in Parmer County, has approximately seven dairies, totaling 15,550 milking cows, and six new dairies under construction. Plainview, located in Hale County has four dairies, with approximately 21,000 milking cows. Dimmitt, located in Castro County currently has eight working dairies with two more nearing completion. The newest and largest dairy is permitted for 4,500 head. Three more are in the process of obtaining state wastewater permits. Hereford, located in Deaf Smith County has 11 operating dairies with one more due to open in the fall of this year. The county has approximately 22-25,00 milking cows. On a different note, one of the most recent developments in Hereford is an ethanol plant being built by Panda Energy Group. Editor’s Note: We realize that all Panhandle dairy information may not be covered in this story. If anyone would like to submit information about dairies in your areas, please email to tdeditor@texasdairy.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
Indictments for smuggling fake animal drugs |
|
|
Although it’s a pretty good stretch from the West Coast to Texas, nevertheless, dairy industry ties are evident---and in some cases, a lot closer than one may think. Producers in Texas should take notice of the recent arrest and federal grand jury indictment of three persons for the unauthorized manufacture and distribution of animal health products by Veterinary Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (VPI), based in Hanford, California, and Animal Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in Yakima, Washington. VPI operates a warehouse and distributorship in Proctor, Texas, about 20 miles from Stephenville. Harold Des Jardins, 65, president and chief executive officer of VPI; James Mann, 60, manager/purchasing agent, and Marilyn Bracey, 52, office manager, pled not guilty to the federal charges in late May. The three individuals were indicted for conspiring to smuggle misbranded and fake animal drugs into the United States over the past eight years and selling them to dairies and ranches throughout the country. The indictment also charges the three with committing mail fraud and money laundering. These charges involve several injectable antimicrobials being misrepresented as Nuflor, Excenel, Baytril, Naxcel, Micotil, and Ivomec. According to the Fresno Bee newspaper, the three individuals are named in a 24-page criminal complaint filed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Bee said the federal complaints outline a complicated scheme in which the injectable antibiotics used for ranch and dairy cows were smuggled across the US-Mexico border at Calexico in Imperial County inside cattle-filled trailers. The drugs were then placed in a mini-storage and brought to Hanford by Mann, and sold as FDA-approved drugs. "Beef and dairy products produced from the animals that were being treated with these untested drugs ultimately make their way into the human food chain," the indictment said. Schering-Plough, manufacturers of NUFLOR Injectable Solution, recently posted a letter on their website to their customers regarding their concern about the counterfeit drugs. The company said they began to work closely with regulatory authorities when counterfeit drug complaints were brought to their attention. NUFLOR’s website, www.nuflor.com/announce.html provides information on detecting whether the injectable solution is authentic or adulterated. The Bee reported that Fresno attorneys representing Des Jardins and Mann dispute the government's case and it contains several inaccuracies. They contend that any products that VPI received from Mexico are less than one-half of 1% of the products they sell and that 100% of the products they received from Mexico are legitimate. They stated the drugs purchased from Mexico were what they were represented to be and that Des Jardins or Mann never crossed the border to pick up any drugs the company bought. According to The Bee, none of the three indicted could be reached for comment. The investigation into VPI and the actions of Des Jardins, Mann and Bracy were detailed in paperwork filed last month at U.S. District Court in Fresno by Jim Burkhardt, special agent with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations. Burkhardt's criminal complaint said VPI received counterfeit drugs from Grupo Protasa, located in Mexicali, Mexico, and then smuggled them across the border. Grupo Protasa is also known as Vet Del Noroeste, according to the indictments, which also details alleged incidents from this past spring. The Bee said VPI's history dates back to 1999, when the company agreed to federal demands in U.S. District Court in Fresno that it stop selling adulterated and misbranded veterinary drugs. That lawsuit also named Des Jardins and Mann and said the FDA had collected samples of VPI products, revealing bacterial contamination or use of preservatives contrary to labels stating that the products were sterile and free of preservatives. The current investigation dates to June 2004, when a salesman for Animal Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Yakima, Wash., contacted the FDA to report his company was selling counterfeit animal drugs from Mexico. That eventually led to an October 2005 search warrant for Animal Pharmaceuticals. During the search, agents seized animal drugs later determined to have none of the active ingredient or having an amount of the ingredient well below what was stated on the label. Agents took shipping records and other documents showing Groupo Protasa, located in Mexicali, Mexico, as the source of the counterfeit animal drugs and that they came to Animal Pharmaceuticals via United Parcel Service after being stored at a Calexico mini-storage facility. Further investigation found that Des Jardins was a principal shareholder in Animal Pharmaceuticals from 2000 through mid-2003, owning half its stock, and that between 2001 and 2005, the company sold around $2.5 million in counterfeit animal drugs, then laundered around $1.6 million by wiring it to people at Groupo Protasa, the complaint stated. Last October, Burkhardt searched the mini-storage location in Calexico, where more counterfeit drugs were found. Groupo Protasa rented the storage unit, the manager told Burkhardt, the complaint said. The following day, Des Jardins called the pharmaceutical company Pfizer,making inquiries about the ministorage search and then buying Excenel -- an animal-health medication -- from the company. It was Des Jardins' first buy of that product from Pfizer in three years. At the time Pfizer suspected Des Jardins was counterfeiting Excenel and had hired a private investigator, the complaint says. Securing the private investigator's report, agents subsequently interviewed three unnamed "cooperating witnesses"--- two of whom were employed by Veterinary Pharmaceuticals and a third, who had a "long-standing relationship" with some of VPI's principals, the complaint said. The cooperating witnesses said Des Jardins was involved in counterfeiting animal drug products for years and that Mann and Des Jardins had made several trips to Mexico to discuss the counterfeit animal drugs. Also, Mann brought drug deliveries from the mini storage to VPI in his pickup, the complaint said.. One of the three said Des Jardins was one of Groupo Protasa's owners. Two of the three said Bracy was aware the drugs were illegal. Editor's Note: Portions of this story were reprinted with permission from an article written by John Ellis, Fresno Bee Newspaper, Fresno, CA. |
|
|
|
|
|
Lagoon cleanup product rates high with dairymen |
|
|
In today’s era, wastewater management of livestock operations is becoming more of a priority for owners and managers than ever before. As stricter environmental regulations from local, state and federal agencies become more prevalent, now is the time for the livestock industry to gain control of manure storage and odor. High Country Enterprises has developed a business that helps livestock producers combat the ever-changing regulations that are imposed on the livestock industry today. With 25 years experience in the livestock industry, the company has teamed with the nearly 50 years experience of ROEBIC Laboratories, Inc. to offer a wide selection of microbial products to solve wastewater treatment problems. These microbial products help in manure liquefication, sludge reduction, manure crusting, and elimination of harmful gases and odors. “We know the diversity of operations within each sector of the livestock industry whether it is beef cattle, dairy cattle, or swine. This allows us to treat each customer individually and solve specific problems for that operation,” said Doug White, owner of High Country Enterprises. Having been in the owners’ seat of livestock operations, High Country Enterprises understands that budgets and keeping expenses low allows operations to stay in business. ROEBIC Laboratories, Inc. understands this as well and has developed a full line of microbial products that are unmatched in both efficiency and economics. The ROETECH product line is the new cutting edge of microbial remediation. Dairy farmers and livestock producers all over the country can attest to the efficacy and economic feasibility of using ROETECH in their facilities. For example, a large dairy in Tulare, California, was having problems with manure and mucous packing in his freestall alleys, which was causing excessive crippling of cows due to slippage. The dairy used the ROETECH products for 45 days and has had a significant reduction in the loss of cows. "My mats and alleys look brand new, and I have saved thousands of dollars not using equipment, manpower and harmful chemicals for cleaning," said the dairy manager. Other dairies have had similar experiences. "I am your poster child,” said Dennis Marsh, owner of a 3000 head dairy in Oklahoma. “Finally the bacterial product we all have been looking for is in the form of ROETECH." A 200-cow dairy producer in Decatur, Texas, was equally pleased with ROETECH products. “I’m very satisfied,” said Bobby Downe. “I’ve been using their products now for maybe six weeks and it has gotten rid of all the solids in my lagoon and the smell is gone, too,” he said. Downe explained ROETECH sales representative Mike Lloyd initially treated or “shocked his lagoon” with ROETECH 106, and now he is treating it himself with the 106 packets. “It’s convenient and the cost is very reasonable,” Downe said. Roetech products are designed to clean up lagoons, pits, sediment basins, ponds, leech fields, slurries and virtually any type of animal waste collection facility. It also eliminates harmful gases such as Ammonia Sulfate and Hydrogen Sulfate that affect the respiratory systems of animals and employees, thus reducing sickness and medical costs. This all too important commitment by Roetech to make a safe and more comfortable environment for employees and neighbors is a Roetech product line advantage. |
|
|
|
|
|
TEXAS CHEESEBURGER, Anyone? |
|
|
A Competition Cheeseburger Cook-Off & Festival is scheduled for July 15, 2006, at Friona, Texas at Friona City Park. The competition is open to both local and visiting CHEESEBURGER enthusiasts. Both professional & amateur chefs are welcome. All contestants must complete a short course in food safety preparation the morning of the contest. Each team is responsible for preparing 40 additional burgers. For registration fees, rules, and schedule of events, please contact Friona Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture at 806-250-3491. Come join the fun. Sponsored by Friona Chamber of Commerce and Agricul6ture and Texas Cooperative Extension of Parmer County. |
|
|
|
|
|
All internet content of this site are
Copyright © 2005-2006 TDR Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. |
