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VOLUME XVII, NO. 2 |
TEXAS DAIRY REVIEW |
FEBRUARY 2008 |
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First Bosque River dairy expansion permit approved by TCEQ The "I' do's" are said, now it's time for the new modular barn Milk Lovers are ready to have a ball EID is critical tool for large east Texas dairy Texas Dairy Review begins 17th year Company moves forward on community biorefinery project Farmland is grand prize winner of 2008 Leadership in School Nutrition |
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First Bosque River dairy expansion permit approved by TCEQ |
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Jewell Alt breathed a sigh of relief accompanied by a large smile when hearing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approve the O-Kee Dairy permit on Wed. Jan. 30, in Austin. She has owned the Hamilton County dairy since 2002 that is operated by Oene Kueuning, a dairy farmer originally from the Netherlands. The TCEQ unanimously approved the permit which is only the fifth one to be approved since the TCEQ adopted more stringent operating requirements for North Bosque River Watershed dairies in July 2004. It is the first permit to be approved for a dairy expansion.
Alt has been diligent in her quest to obtain her permit for the past four years. ‘‘I was committed to what I knew was right and followed that commitment. What is right is to be able to implement the rules and make improvements,’’ she said. Alt resides in Canton and has spent many hours on the road driving back and forth to Austin and to her dairy to take charge of the TCEQ matter. She leased the dairy five years ago to Kueuning. ‘‘He is an excellent operator,’’ she said, adding she has been ‘‘very pleased’’ with his performance and his conscientious efforts to follow TCEQ rules. ‘‘Getting my permit approved could not have happened without his support and the support of the dairy community,’’ Alt said. ‘‘I appreciate all the help.’’ Alt is an inspiration to all dairy farmers who are going through the permitting process at this time. The Texas Dairy Review would personally like to thank her on behalf of all other dairies and commend her for her brave and courageous efforts that she undertook singlehandedly in most instances. It is especially important to note that Alt refused to hire an attorney to oversee her actions. As a widow, she said she simply ‘‘could not afford one.’’ In Alt’s case, persistance and perserverance prevailed and she is to be congratulated. John Cowan, executive director of the Texas Association of Dairymen (TAD) attests to Alt’s persistant and courageous efforts that resulted in a successful permit approval. He also applauds the common sense ruling by the TCEQ. He said TAD filed an amicus brief with the TCEQ in support of the O-Kee Dairy. ‘‘The TCEQ rightly recognized that the City of Waco had no standing to interfere with the permit sought by the O-Kee Dairy, Cowan said. ‘‘TAD hopes the ruling will accelerate approval of pending permits so that the stronger environmental protections can finally be implemented by Central Texas dairies.’’ Under Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) rules adopted by the TCEQ in July 2004, producers in the North Bosque River Watershed must meet more stringent permit requirements than dairymen in other parts of Texas. Yet, almost four years later, only five permits have been issued in the North Bosque watershed and 25 other permit applications for watershed dairies are still under technical review by the TCEQ. Once a permit is issued, a dairy is allowed to proceed with facility improvements to better protect water quality, including construction of larger retention lagoons and the addition of land for nutrient application.
‘‘The Texas Association of Dairymen continues to urge the City of Waco and all parties to work together to get the permits issued for the Watershed so that dairies can operate their businesses with certainty and Central Texans will know that environmental protections are in place.’’ The only individual at the hearing to speak before the TCEQ was state Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van), who appeared on behalf of Alt, his constituent who lives in Canton. He told Commissioners that the City of Waco’s real quarrel is with the TCEQ and the 2004 rules, and it should not be allowed to use the O-Kee Dairy in its dispute with the state agency. ‘‘This is the case of a small business operation that is fully prepared to abide by the rules and requirements of the TCEQ, but faces imminent financial peril, if not complete devastation, if it must endure and finance several hundred thousand dollars to fight a battle for survival in an administrative trial sought by the City of Waco,’’ Flynn said. |
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The "I' do's" are said, now it's time for the new modular barn |
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It was last October when Yme Bosma, a dairyman from May, Texas, marched happily down the aisle to make a lifetime commitment in marriage to Regina, the woman of his dreams. A native of the Netherlands and a near-confirmed bachelor, Bosma was due for a more fulfilling and rewarding personal life. “I’m married to a Texas woman, now,” he said proudly, which somehow has a final and definite ring to it. “But, I did everything at once,” meaning it wasn’t long after he committed to saying his “I do’s” that he began concentrating on a new milking parlor for his 850 cow operation. Amid newlywed bliss, Bosma said the prospects of getting a new barn was weighing heavily on his mind. His cows had outgrown his 13-year old facility and it was time to make some changes. A modern and more efficient barn generally promotes higher production and more profit. The crew from Veterinarian’s Outlet, owned by Dr. Al Harper, seemed to have all the answers to what Bosma had in mind. They offered a new concept in DeLaval modular barns that appealed to Bosma’s needs to upgrade his old Herringbone barn from a double 12 to a double 18.
The DeLaval “ready-to-go” milking parlor manufactured in their Wisconsin plant was especially inviting because it provided one-tenth of the time to install when compared to a conventional barn. It also offered no down time from milking and could be customized to a perfect fit. “This is the second barn of its kind to be installed in Texas,” said Dale Grimes, of Veterinarian’s Outlet. Grimes said the barn can be installed so much faster than a conventional barn that generally takes three weeks or more. “The installation is simple and quick. Everything is pre-built,” Grimes said. He explained the working crew consists of four service technicians and installers who shut down one side of the barn at a time so milking can continue. The shut down side is gutted and the old equipment pulled out. The new equipment, which includes stanchions, meters, milk lines, takeoffs, and pulsators, is installed and instantly ready for use. The dairyman begins to milk on this side while the crew guts the other side. Installation of both sides is completed in about three days. Grimes said the old parlor was measured, calculated for changes, and carefully studied by DeLaval technicians to ensure a perfect fit. Prep time included upgrades on new and reusable equipment, such as the cooling system, and the crowd gate was removed. The old barn remained intact until the modular unit arrived. The unit was shipped in sections on two 18-wheelers and delivered to the dairy site. It was unloaded and wheels were attached for easy transport into the parlor through the holding pin. “The amount of time it takes to install the modular barn and the convenience factor both play important roles in the new DeLaval concept,” Grimes said. He added there is a lot less stress on the cows, and on the dairyman, too. Bosma is very pleased with his new barn. “This is a good way to remodel an old barn,” he said. “I think you get better equipment when it’s built at the factory than built on site,” he said. “This modular barn can be done with a Herringbone barn, like mine, a parallel or parabone barn.” The crew from Veterinarian’s Outlet includes Grimes, Jerry Ragland, Brad Carr, and Ruben Reyna. Veterinarian’s Outlet offers installation, 24-hour service, consultation, maintenance, chemicals, animal health, laboratory, and veterinarian services. |
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Milk Lovers are ready to have a ball |
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The Third Annual Milk Lover’s Ball will be getting underway on Sat., Feb., 2, at the Clovis, New Mexico Civic Center from 6:30 p.m. to 12 midnight. The festive event, where milk lovers actually have a ball, is expected to be sold out this year due to the success of the Milk Lover's Ball in prior years. Dairy farmers, family and friends traveling to the event from California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Idaho, will gather to enjoy a night of activities and entertainment. ‘‘Each year this event has grown and I know it is because it is for such a good cause,’’ said Michelle Heavyside of United Dairy Women of New Mexico.’’We will once again be able to raise enough money for three area childrens homes to be able to have the recommended three servings of dairy each day for the next year.’’ Heavyside reported that last year, the group auctioned off a head table for a scholarship. ‘‘It was a huge hit and it made it possible for us to offer a scholarship in the amount of $2500 that we will be awarding at this year’s Milk Lovers Ball. We have been working with the Dairy Science Consortium and hope to raise enough money at this year’s event to offer two scholarships this coming year,’’ she said. ‘‘None of this could be possible without the support of our sponsors and to each and everyone who has gone the extra mile to help us achieve our goals. I am truly amazed at what we, as a industry, can accomplish when we work together. I sincerely appreciate the Texas Dairy Review in their help in putting the good word out about us and our industry.’’ |
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EID is critical tool for large east Texas dairy |
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The Still Meadows Dairy near Como, Texas, is one of the largest dairies in Texas and one of the few dairies in the nation with an 80-stall rotary parlor. Since building it in 2005, owners Jack Kempenaar and his son, Luut, are excited about how well the entire system is working. ‘‘We used to check milk weights on our cows once a month, now we can monitor production on a daily basis and see how individual cows are doing,’’ said Luut Kempenaar. ‘‘This gives us really good information to make sure everyone is staying healthy.’’ Keeping cows comfortable and happy is good for milk production. ‘‘Happy cows give more milk. If we see a cow that’s producing a fraction of her regular output, we know something’s wrong and we can address it right away,’’ Kempenaar said. Luut is a third-generation dairy farmer who was born in Holland and moved to Texas with his family in the mid-80s. He and his father operate the dairy along with 34 employees. One of toughest things about a large dairy is finding the cows you need when you need them. Whether to check their pregnancy status, to give a vaccination, schedule for breeding or simply to manage inventory, keeping track of individual cows is critical to modern dairy production. The Dairymaster system is a fully integrated individual cow management system which uses Allflex High Performance HDX EID tags to track the Kempenaars’ cows. ‘‘This system gives dairies the tools and information they need to properly manage their operations and the health of their herds,’’ said Mike Piche of Dairymaster. ‘‘Herdsmen can tell the system which cows to find and sort them according to what they need - whether it’s a vet check or hoof trimming - we can use the EID tags to find them.’’ For example, if the vet is coming the next day, Luut can set the system to pull out cows that are scheduled for a vet check or need to be seen because a cow is off production. After the cows leave the parlor, they will be automatically sorted for that purpose. According to Luut, even if a cow loses a tag, the system can give them hint as to where to look. Although he admits that losing a tag doesn’t happen very often.
‘‘We hardly ever lose a tag and when we have,
it’s because we didn’t put it in right,’’ said Luut. ‘‘I’ve been most surprised about how great this system works. The tags work really good and we have 100 percent confidence that we’ve got the right milk weights with the right cow,’’ he said. ‘‘I guess I’ll have to work with it a while longer to figure out what I’d change. Right now, we’re real pleased.’’ |
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Texas Dairy Review begins 17th year |
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Dear Readers: The Texas Dairy Review begins its 17th year this month. It’s hard to believe that we have been writing and publishing this paper for that many years, but it is a fact. Throughout the years it has been a pleasure and an honor to serve the dairy industry by writing dairy news and features on dairy families. I personally hope to continue in this same vein for many years to come. I must thank the people who continue to advertise in my publication. I enjoy talking with them and accommodating them in any way we can. Many people have passed through my doors over the years. Students, interns, and employees have helped this paper to become what it is today. Some have gone on to pursue other careers or jobs and I wish them the best. They always have a home at the Texas Dairy Review. In the next few months, the Texas Dairy Review will be undergoing a ‘‘facelift’’ and renovation that will be more aesthetically appealing and provide better advertising opportunities. During this renovation, we will continue to bring our readership the latest dairy news and serve our advertising customers as always. We appreciate our supportive readers and advertisers and hope everyone will like the new and updated look of the Texas Dairy Review. *Editor’s Note: In the hard copy of the Texas Dairy Review, the headline reads: Texas Dairy Review begins 16th year. OOPS! Evidently, we’ve been working so hard for so many years that we don’t know how many years we’ve been working on this paper. |
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Company moves forward on community biorefinery project |
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Alltech is moving forward after receiving approval from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) for financial incentives for its rural community biorefinery project, the first model in North America that integrates feed, food and fuel production. The incentive is the first of its kind to be awarded by the Commonwealth. The incentive will total $8 million, based on a sales tax refund for building and equipment costs, a state income tax wage reduction for new employment and a credit against state income taxes. Alltech will receive the benefits under the Incentives for Energy Independence Act, enacted during the Second Extraordinary Session of the 2007 Kentucky General Assembly. As part of the DOE proposal, Alltech’s rural community biorefinery will be the first in the United States to utilize cellulose, such as switch grass, corn cobs and corn stover, at levels up to 30 percent of its raw material for conversion to ethanol and other value-added products. The facility, estimated to cost approximately $40 million, will be located in Springfield, Kentucky and is expected to employ 93 people when operating at full capacity. In addition to ethanol production, the biorefinery will have an impact on Kentucky’s production agriculture by housing dairy and beef cattle to be branded under the Kentucky Proud label. Such actions could be a significant step toward addressing Kentucky’s $250 million milk deficit and this concept has already drawn interest from the Netherlands, Ireland, South Africa and China. The facility will also have the capability to produce algae, a plant that needs little besides sunlight and carbon dioxide. According to National Geographic, algae can theoretically produce 5,000 gallons of biofuel per acre per year, whereas corn can produce 400 gallons per acre. Additionally, algae can absorb up to 450 tons of carbon dioxide per acre when grown commercially. The biorefinery also presents an opportunity to forge partnerships with regional universities, giving students and faculty the opportunity to be actively involved with the state’s emerging energy economy through research and development. As part of the project’s research component, Alltech will coordinate R&D activities with the University of Kentucky and the University of Cincinnati. Researchers will work to identify and address process improvements, develop economically and environmentally-sound technologies, as well as use process simulation to reduce raw material costs and optimize energy utilization. The business strategy in proposing a Rural Community Integrated Biorefinery is to commercially proliferate the facility and license the technology for the construction of replicate plants in an additional 10 or more geographically separated rural locations. This approach has many other advantages along with the lignocellulosic feedstock conversion, some of these being: (1) The time and technical uncertainty involved in a 10-fold design scale-up are avoided, (2) Replicates of the demonstration facility can be constructed and operational within 18 to 24 months, (3) The small scale, coupled with a process design that is flexible and self-tailoring to a variety of lignocellulosic feedstocks, is conducive to commercial application over a broad geographic area in rural environments; (4) Transportation and other infrastructure requirements are minimized compared with those associated with large-scale facilities. ‘‘This project and technology could have far reaching implications, not just for the state but for the country as a whole,’’ said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. ‘‘Alltech is committed to the future of agriculture and making Kentucky a national leader in that area and this incentive represents a big step toward making that happen.’’ The incentive for the rural community biorefinery was given with the support of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Governor’s Office, the Cabinet for Economic Development and the State Legislature. Alltech also received approval for state incentives in 2006, which led to the construction of the industry’s first Nutrigenomics Center that was due to open in early December. |
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Farmland is grand prize winner of 2008 Leadership in School Nutrition |
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Farmland Dairies T, the makers of the Special RequestT Skim PlusR line of fortified milk products, the number one selling enhanced milk in the New York Metropolitan area, was named as the grand prize winner of the 2008 Leadership in School Nutrition (LISN) award by the National Dairy Council for providing school children with a positive milk-drinking experience across the New York Metropolitan area. Farmland Dairies was presented with the award and a check for $5,000, to be used toward future school nutrition efforts. The presentation took place at the School Nutrition Association’s Child Nutrition and Industry Conference in Monterey, California. ‘‘We are honored to be recognized by the National Dairy Council for our hard work surrounding ‘The New Look of School Milk’ initiative,’’ said Martin Margherio, chief executive officer of Farmland Dairies. ‘‘We look forward to continuing our effort in the hopes of expanding the program into additional school districts and regions as an increase in school milk consumption means a greater nutritional benefit for kids.’’ In September of 2007, Farmland DairiesT, in partnership with the American Dairy Association & Dairy Council, unveiled ‘‘The New Look of School Milk,’’ 8 oz single serve plastic bottles in response to research which found that 51 percent of school children said they would choose milk over other beverage options when presented in a plastic bottle. The survey also found that 67 percent of school children said that the milk in the plastic bottle ‘‘had a better flavor’’ than paper cartons with eighty-six percent adding that the plastic bottle was ‘‘easier to drink from.’’ Available at nearly 150 public and private schools throughout New Jersey and New York, the ‘‘New Look of School Milk’’ effort is being made to have a positive impact on health and wellness and to keep kids from drinking sugary fruit and soda drinks. Since its launch, many participating schools have already seen an approximate 20-25% percent increase in milk consumption. In celebration of the launch of ‘‘The New Look of School Milk,’’ Farmland Dairies, and over 1,300 elementary school children from the Roberts Waters Elementary School in Union City, New Jersey, set a 142 decibel world record by creating ‘‘The World’s Loudest Moo.’’ The event, which was louder than the sound of a plane taking off, garnered national broadcast visibility on CBS’ The Early Show as well as feature coverage on WCBS-TV New York, News 12 New Jersey, New Jersey Network and the Jersey Journal newspaper. For its participation and support of ‘‘The New Look of School Milk’’ program, the Union City School District was also recognized by LISN.
Sponsored by the National Dairy CouncilR, the
Leadership in School Nutrition award was introduced in effort to create
products and programs that offer children appealing, healthy options, so
they ‘‘choose wellness.’’ In support of school wellness goals, the
Leadership in School Nutrition Award acknowledges and promotes these
partnerships, rewarding those who help to enhance the overall school milk
experience. About Farmland Dairies LLC For over 90 years, Farmland Dairies LLC has produced delicious and nutritious fresh and fortified milk products including nationally recognized Special RequestT Skim PlusR. Since 1995, Farmland Dairies’ products have been 100% rBST free and can be found in dairy cases throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia and Florida. Farmland Dairies is also the producer of Welsh Farms, Parmalat and Lil’ Milk dairy products. Farmland Dairies is the largest Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certified milk processing plant in the United States. Martin Margherio is the chief executive officer of Farmland Dairies LLC, which has state-of-the-art production facilities in Wallington, New Jersey and Grand Rapids, Michigan. For more information on Farmland Dairies products, please visit www.farmlanddairies.com. |
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