VOLUME XVI, NO. 3

MARCH  2007

Anybody for fishing above Lake Waco?
Dairy family believes in ties that bind

"Best of Luck" to Bob Whitney

USDA discrepancies brought to light over Canadian cattle imports

APHIS suspends importation of cattle from Campeche, Mexico

The High Ground Tailgaters find success at 2007 World Ag Expo

Milk Lovers Ball Aids Three Area Children's Homes Once Again!

Anybody for fishing above Lake Waco?

Well, what’d you know?

Contrary to some beliefs, a writer for the Ft. Worth Star Telegram in a recent column said sand bass can be found on almost every river system in Texas, but one of the TOP TEN locations to fish the spawn is the BOSQUE RIVER above LAKE WACO.

Writer Bob Hood said sand bass migrate up the South, Middle and North Bosque Rivers above the lake and congregate in various deep holes on the extreme upper ends of these channels. Access is available by boat from any of the public boat ramps on the main lake.

Dairy family believes in ties that bind

In modern times, we see many families become separated and scattered across the nation. Off springs and siblings grow up and often grow away.

OSVE Dairy Family---From left top to front are: Bert and Heidi Velsen and daughter Esmae. Next to them at right are: Joseph and Jennifer Osinga and daughter MaKayla.

But, there are exceptions.

Take a good look at the 11-member Osinga family and you’ll find something very different and refreshing. Although they may not all be in the same location, they are in the “same place” with one another. Like a stamp to a letter, the Osinga family sticks together.

There’s no doubt about it, if you’re talking to one Osinga family member, you’re talking to all of them. Family ties are a fact of life. This seed for togetherness was planted at birth by Hidde and Shirley Osinga, and developed into a perfectly natural habitude where their children are concerned. They genuinely enjoy each other.

Loyality, Pride and Respect

Cousins playing with cousins, sisters and brothers and their spouses all working toward a common goal brings back to mind what families are supposed to be all about: protecting each other; sharing with each other;---and where loyalty, pride and respect run hand in hand.

There’s no argument about it, said Heidi (Osinga) Velsen, who explains that it’s mandatory that you get along with your family members. “My Dad (Heit) says you can fight, scream and holler, but once you get it out---forget it and get over it. It’s family and you don’t hold grudges.”

That’s simply the way it is with the Osingas; hence, the basis that makes it possible for a sister and brother to go into business together. Heidi, 34, and her husband Bert, recently partnered with her brother Joseph, 29, and his wife, Jennifer, to buy two dairies located on Highway 281 south from former owner Mike Schouten. The partners signed final papers on Jan. 26.

The sister and brother team began their new venture with the dairy on the east side of the highway that Heidi aptly named OSVE---for Osinga and Velsen. They soon sold the dairy on the west side of the highway to their brother Frans. Frans has owned a dairy in Proctor for several years. He will begin milking at the new dairy when the current tenant’s lease is up.

OSVE Dairy

These Osinga Girls---can find a lot to get into at the OSVE Dairy freestall barn. Pictured are from left: Mckenna 3; Esmae, 3, Makayla. 20 mos., and Emily, 2.

OSVE dairy is permitted for 850 head. Currently, the dairy is milking 670 head, 3X per day and has about 110 dry cows. Two freestall barns hold 300 head in one and 550 head in the other. The milking barn is a double-24 parallel.

“We couldn’t afford to do this without each other,” Heidi said, referring to Joseph. “It’s given us so many benefits that we didn’t have when we both were running a dairy separately.”

The responsibilities are divided among the family members. Heidi and Jennifer work in the office while Bert manages the fresh and sick cows. Joseph oversees breeding, heifer raising and the heifer facility. He and Jonathan recently earned certifications in embryo transplant. Jonathan, who owns a hooftrimming business, backs up Joseph whenever he is needed.

“I never thought we’d have a dairy this big,” Heidi said, breaking out in a big grin. “It’s our life’s dream.” Joseph, sitting close by, smiles in agreement, and you can tell they’re both bubbling with pride.

“But, we would have never been able to do all this without the help of Members Trust,’ Heidi said. “They went all out for us.”

Advice Is Easy To Come By

The dairy business has always been a big part of Heidi and Joseph’s lives. As adults, both have operated other dairies prior to owning OSVE. But, their real dairy tale begins as children when they were raised by their parents on a dairy farm along with their seven other siblings: Jenny, Frans, Dee Dee, Joey, Joy, Jonathan and Esther. (Heidi and Joseph were born between Joey and Joy.)

With so much dairy experience in the family, Heidi said advice is easy to come by. “I can call any of the family anytime and ask them about this or that. I call Heit every day. No decisions are made without my Dad’s input.

“My Mom and Dad have always been there for us. They have both worked very hard---my Mom raised some of us in a playpen in the milk barn! She’s a real sweetheart. If we call her and say we’re on our way for coffee, she’ll ask what kind of cake we want. And then she’ll bake one. That’s just how she is. I don’t know what I’d do without my Mom and Dad.”

A Great Love and Respect

Johnathan , Mckenna and Emily Osinga.

Joseph and Heidi both show a great love and respect for their parents. There’s no question that Heit is the head of the family. They were both anxious to tell their father’s story about coming to America but they had a little problem with the facts. Teasing each other good naturedly over “who’s right,” they finally picked up the phone and called Heit (Hidde) who apparently set them straight.

Hidde’s Story

It seems Hidde transcended the seas from Friesland to American by ship in 1955. Docking in New York harbor, he soon landed a job in upper state New York on a dairy---his life’s business. He met Shirley through a friend and they married in 1960, immediately starting a family which soon included five children. But, Hidde was worried about bad influences and the safety of his children and decided they should go back to Holland to live. So, the family packed up and away they went.

Second Thoughts

In Holland, Hidde and Shirley had four more children, making a grand total of nine. But, years pass and children grow up----and Hidde had second thoughts about America. Some of his children had married and. after 19 years of dairying in Holland, Hidde found himself being drawn back to America.

Dee Dee (Osinga) Stoker and her husband Roel, who own a dairy near Selden, had already moved to Texas. Frans moved in 1991, and Hidde and Joseph came together in 1994. Heidi and Bert had married in Holland, and they soon followed. Shirley and the three youngest children joined the family in Texas thereafter.

The two oldest daughters, Jenny and Joey remained in Holland with their husbands and families where they live today. But, the Americanized Osingas make sure they stay well-connected and have stretched clear across the continent to include their sisters in their daily lives. They traditionally visit with one another at least once a year if possible.

The Ties That Bind

While the dairy business is characteristic of the Osingas, so are the ties that bind. When Hidde and Shirley decided to get out of the business, Frans bought their facility to raise heifers and Joy runs the operation. Ester, the youngest Osinga, lives on the OSVE dairy and attends Tarleton State University (TSU) where she is studying to become a teacher.

Moving Forward

Besides contributing to each other’s lives, the Osinga family has contributed their energy and enthusiasm to a dairy industry that has seen more downs than ups in recent years. “Yes, we worry just like everyone else,” Heidi said. “Milk prices are not good right now, but we have to move forward.”

With a strong gleam in her eye, Heidi suddenly picks up her and Bert’s only daughter, Esmae, and hugs her. Esmae struggles to get back down to play with her cousin Makala, Joseph’s and Jennifer’s daughter. Joseph smiles and then all eyes are suddenly on Jennifer who is expecting another Osinga soon. Everyone laughs and they know that this child will be born into a very special and loving family.

"Best of Luck" to Bob Whitney

The Texas Dairy Review sincerely wishes Bob Whitney, Comanche County Agricultural Extension Service agent, and his family, the “Best of Luck” in his new post to head up a team of university collaborators to teach Iraqi farmers how to improve agriculture production and practices.

As a 16-year veteran of the Comanche County agent’s office, Among other agency duties, Whitney is especially known throughout the area and the state for his expertise and knowledge in the dairy industry. His work with the dairies has been exceptional and appreciated.

His wife, Laurie, daughter, Katie, and son, Marshall, will accompany him on his new endeavor.

Texas A&M is the head university for the Iraq Agricultural Extension Revitalization project. Whitney is team leader for the project and said agriculture is a big part of Iraq’a infrastructure but is in bad need of bolstering and repair. Although Iraq has an agricultural extension service, he said their programs are at least 10-20 years behind.

Iraqi agriculture leaders will visit the project while authorities will rotate in different agricultural areas. Permanent staff members will maintain the headquarters.

Even though Iraq is generally pictured as a large, vast desert, the war-torn country has fertile farm land, much like California’s central valley. Whitney said Iraq is capable of producing huge quantities of wheat, rice barley, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The similarity of Iraq’s farmland and California’s valley is what prompted the University of California at Davis, the state’s top agricultural school, to join the project, Whitney said. The other participating universities include Utah State, Washington State, and New Mexico State.

Whitney’s past experiences working on private international agricultural projects in China and South America are assets that helped to earn him an invitation to participate in the Iraq project. The program will be funded by a $5 million grant for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A new county agent will be named at a later date by Ron Woolley, district Extension supervisor.

USDA discrepancies brought to light over Canadian cattle imports

Writer Stephen J. Hedges with the Chicago Tribune recently brought to light United States Department of Agriculture discrepancies in an article "Canadian Cattle Slip Past USDA Safeguards."

Hedges said hundreds of cattle from Canada which recently confirmed its ninth case of mad cow disease, have entered the United States without government-required health papers or identification tags. He attributes this information t o documents obtained by cattlemen in Washington state. The documents consist in large part of correspondence between state officials and American cattle and meat companies, suggesting problems with numerous truckloads of cattle that are shipped into the this country almost daily.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently launched an investigation into the Canadian cattle trade based on the documents, according to a top department official.

Hedges said many of the documents note that cattle arrived in the U.S. without identification tags, or they had tag numbers that did not match the accompanying health certificates. Overall, the approximately 700 pages of records suggest that officials from Washington and possibly other states are having difficulty tracking hundreds of cattle that arrive from Canada each week.

Ranchers and food safety groups criticize theUSDA, saying it has insufficiently monitored the movement of cattle into the U.S. Lax regulation of the border trade, these critics say, could lead to more mad cow cases in the U.S., undermining consumer confidence in beef.

Ear tags or electronic identification--EID—tags that are supposed to be on cattle entering the U.S. from Canada are meant to track the cattle incase of an outbreak of disease or other problem. Health certificates confirm the health of cattle and also that they are under 30 months old, because young cattle are not thought to be fully vulnerable to mad cow.

Together, the tags and health papers provide the major protection against sick cows coming into the country. The USDA is supposed to work withCanadian agriculture officials to ensure that all incoming cattle have these safeguards.But the documents obtained by the ranchers show that this often is not the case.

*To read the complete story, go to www.mycattle.com

APHIS suspends importation of cattle from Campeche, Mexico

Due to the findings of a review conducted by APHIS in Campeche in which substantial deficiencies in Campeche's cattle tuberculosis (TB) eradication program were identified, APHIS will suspend all imports of cattle from the State of Campeche, Mexico.

Importation of cattle originating from the State of Campeche will be suspended effective February 19, 2007. This suspension of cattle imports will remain in effect until the State of Campeche has been re-evaluated by APHIS. All cattle presented at US ports of entry originating from Campeche must be refused entry beginning February 19, 2007.

VS will begin the process to update VS Notice No. 06-08 "Bovine Tuberculosis Testing Requirements for the Importation of Mexican Cattle" to reflect the current changes.

The High Ground Tailgaters find success at 2007 World Ag Expo

The High Ground of Texas organization sent a team of members and regional Tailgate sponsors to the 2007 World Ag Expo on February 13-15. Contacts made from this show will continue to add to the successful recruitment of value-added agricultural projects and the dairy industry into the Panhandle and South Plains region, according to Lori Vincent, executive director for High Grounds of Texas.

The notorious High Ground of Texas Tailgate Party held on Wed., Feb. 14, drew over 600 people and will result in numerous prospect visits to the area. Additional industries were targeted during the show.

The High Ground of Texas also hosted their famous World Ag Expo hospitality event, the 5th Annual Great Texas Food party provided by Lynn Allen of Stratford. Music was provided by Texas Crossroads from Shamrock. It was another great marketing event and the guests got a big dose of our famous Texas Hospitality.

The World Ag Expo is the largest event of its kind worldwide and is held each year at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, California. This internationally recognized event attracted exhibitors and visitors from 50 states and more than 60 foreign countries. Over 2,000 exhibitors and more than 275,000 people attended the show.

In addition to over two million square feet of exhibits, the show also offered 100 seminars on a variety of ag-related topics and hosted the Hi-Tech Heritage Complex, The Farm Equipment Museum, and the Agriculture Learning Center.

Present were veterinary Services, food processing plants, manufacturing companies of ag equipment, implement companies,livestock transportation companies, distribution centers, ag-service suppliers, and much more.

Milk Lovers Ball Aids Three Area Children's Homes Once Again!

The Second Annual Milk Lover's Ball hosted by the United Dairy Women (UDW) on February 17, was a huge success!

More than 400 people attended the Ball held in Clovis, raising over $10,000 to help assure the residents of three area children's homes receive the recommended three servings of dairy products a day for the next year.

Our goal is to see that the childhood routine of consuming three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt each day carries over to healthful lives as adults.

UDW members promote agriculture and the agricultural industry as it relates to dairy, through educational programs and by supporting charities that involve children and nutrition.

UDW started a year and a half ago on a "milk mission" for one of the children's homes, realizing that milk is a luxury for some kids. In just a few weeks, we were able to raise enough money, with the help of Dairy Max to support that home with dairy products for the next year. It was then they realized they could do more. They now support all three children's homes ( New Mexico Baptist Children's Home, New Mexico Christian Children's Home and Pippin Youth Ranch) with dairy products throughout the year. In addition to the children's homes the UDW donated over $47,000 back to the communities of Clovis and Portales in 2006.

Milk Lover's Ball, also marked the first annual table auction for scholarship, raising $4000 to aid any student pursing a dairy science degree. They are working with New Mexico State University and the Dairy Science Consortium to help students achieve their goals and support higher education.

Attendance at the Clovis Civic Center event included families and friends of the dairy industry from the immediate area and as far away as Hatch, New Mexico, Stephenville, Texas , and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Primary sponsors included : Alta Genetics, Dairy Farmers of America who also sponsored the premium butter for the event, Dairy Max who also sponsored all other dairy products as well as the butter dishes for members of the UDW, Select Milk Producers, Southwest Dairy Museum who also sponsored desert glasses for each person in attendance and The New Mexico Beef Council who sponsored the delicious beef filets.ilk Lover's Ball, also marked the 1st annual table auction for scholarship, raising $4000 to aid any student pursing a dairy science degree. We are working with New Mexico State University and the Dairy Science Consortium to help students achieve their goals and support higher education.

Attendance at the Clovis Civic Center event included families and friends of the dairy industry from the immediate area and as far away as Hatch, New Mexico, Stephenville, Texas , and Raleigh, North Carolina.

1521 C Lingleville Road, Stephenville, Texas 76401
800-344-4901 — 254-965-2255 — Fax 254-965-6202 — Cell 254-967-2190
Sherry Webb, Editor

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