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How fewer dairy farms in Texas actually translates to more milk produced
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This has been a tough summer for the Texas dairy industry as the dairy areas of our state have not seen rainfall since June. The heat is finally starting to recede (don’t the 90s seem cool?), and some rain is forecast in the upcoming weeks. If and when rain falls, most dairy producers have their land ready to plant winter forages. To add to their headaches, this summer’s weak milk prices have been well below the cost of what it takes them to produce the milk.
To say that everyone is eagerly awaiting fall is an understatement. Prices are expected to start to improve, but production costs should stay elevated this year with the impact of weather and escalated costs of services and labor.
I had a chance to drive by the Leprino Foods cheese processing plant in Lubbock this month and was surprised how completed it looked. Ground was broken on the 850,000 square-foot plant in June 2022, and hiring is already underway for the opening of its first phase of operations
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Darren Turley, TAD Executive Director
expected in 2024. This plant is expected to take 160 loads of milk per day when it is at full capacity. This will help Texas dairy farmers by providing more options for the sale of their milk. By selling their milk to produce cheese, they also should get higher prices for their milk.
The Texas dairy industry continues to shrink through these tough times, with 300 producers in Texas at the end of July, according to the latest report from the Dallas Milk Market Administrator. This is a loss of 15 producers since the start of 2023, which is slightly more dairy farmers than the state lost in all of 2022. It’s hard to believe that 452 dairies operated in Texas a decade ago. ...
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TAD Board President John Van de Pol, who operates Red Rock Dairy in Amherst, shared his thoughts as a dairy farmer on the federal Farm Bill at a listening tour held recently in Lubbock by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas, a ranking member of the House Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.
Cruz and Boozman made several stops in Texas to hear input from local agriculture leaders about what to include in the 2023 Farm Bill, which the Committee is drafting.
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Around the Texas Capitol
New laws, an impeachment trial and legislator retirements
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August was a relatively quiet month in Austin as legislators finally took a break before the upcoming special session expected this fall on school choice and an impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton that began Sept. 5 in the Texas Senate. The trial could wrap up as early as the end of the week of Sept. 11, before senators (serving as the jury) go into private deliberations to hammer out a verdict on each of the 16 Articles of Impeachment before them.
Sept. 1 marked the start of the state’s new fiscal year and an effective date for more than 774 new laws passed in the spring by the Texas Legislature. That’s more than half of the 1,357 bills signed by Gov. Greg Abbott – the rest had other effective dates, some immediately upon signature. You can find the list of all 774 bills that became law on Sept. 1 here.
Here are a few of the new laws – and laws-to-be – that the Texas dairy industry
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Lauren Fairbanks and J Pete Laney
TAD Governmental Affairs
may find of interest:
Right to Farm
HB 1750: Relating to the applicability of certain city requirements to agricultural operations. This is a right-to-farm bill that protects the right to farm within city limits. Effective Sept. 1.
HB 2308: Relating to nuisance actions and other actions against agricultural operations. This right-to-farm bill protects agricultural producers from frivolous nuisance lawsuits. Effective Sept. 1. ...
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Update regarding the Department of Defense's notifications to agricultural sites on PFAS
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In recent years, concerns related to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination have taken center stage in discussions about environmental health and safety. PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been widely used in various industrial and consumer products since the 1950s. They are known for their resistance to heat, water and oil, making them valuable in applications such as firefighting foam, non-stick cookware and water-repellent fabrics. Often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their persistent nature, PFAS have raised concerns across various industries. The Department of Defense (DOD) has and currently faces PFAS containment and clean up concerns based on decades of use of foam containing PFAS that was used to train with and extinguish fires.
One need not look far to find examples of PFAS contamination and its impact on agriculture. Dairies in New Mexico have faced significant challenges when PFAS
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Sarah Angell
Student, Texas A&M University School of Law
Kyle K. Weldon and Jim D. Bradbury
James D. Bradbury, PLLC
contamination linked to nearby military installations polluted soil and groundwater sources. This contamination has inflicted serious detrimental effects on dairy operations and raised public health concerns, forcing some farms to exterminate their entire herds. The DOD and New Mexico are currently involved in litigation related to the application and requirements of state and federal environmental laws related to the DOD’s cleanup of PFAS. ...
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Calcium bolus supplementation
to dairy cows after calving
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Juan Piñero, DVM, MSc, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Dairy Specialist - Stephenville
Douglas Duhatschek, DVM, Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University
Introduction
Giving oral calcium supplements to cows after calving is a practice adopted by many dairy farms. However, its value remains uncertain. Statistical analyses from eight studies, a meta-analysis, suggests that a blanket treatment approach for all postpartum cows would not result in increased milk production or enhanced reproductive performance. Furthermore, limited scientific evidence suggests that, at most, a subpopulation of postpartum cows might benefit from prophylactic oral calcium supplementation. This article will review the classification and preventive strategies of subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows.
Definition and classification of hypocalcemia
Compared to a couple weeks prior to calving, calcium requirements of cows increase more than threefold and feed intake decreases by 30% after calving. Consequently, there is a negative calcium balance due to a lower consumption and increased secretion of calcium by mammary glands resulting in reduced blood calcium concentration. The severity and persistency of this decline in blood calcium concentration will determine if cows develop clinical or subclinical hypocalcemia. ...
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Dairy MAX and San Antonio ISD collaborate with Culinary Health Education Program to launch smoothies for school menus
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Dairy MAX, a leading dairy council, and the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) are excited to announce their partnership with CHEF, a Culinary Health Education Program, to make smoothies available on SAISD menus. This innovative collaboration aims to promote healthy eating habits, provide students with valuable culinary skills, and encourage the consumption of dairy products as part of a balanced diet.
The CHEF program aligns well with the goals and values of Dairy MAX, focusing on the belief that food is medicine and promoting healthier eating habits among children and families. Recognizing the importance of nutrition education and the impact of school meals on student health, Dairy MAX and SAISD joining forces with CHEF brings a fun and interactive culinary health education program to the district. As a part of this initiative, smoothies made with dairy products will be incorporated into the school menus, offering students a delicious and nutritious beverage option.
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Mandy Johnson
Dairy MAX Manager, Public Relations, Texas
CHEF provides students with hands-on learning experiences, teaching them about the benefits of consuming dairy products and the role they play in a healthy diet. Students will have the opportunity to participate in culinary lessons, where they will learn how to prepare smoothies using fresh ingredients, including dairy products like milk and yogurt. These lessons will not only enhance their culinary skills, but also empower them to make informed food choices. CHEF's program offers nutrition and culinary education through physical education classes, emphasizing the importance of healthy eating and providing practical cooking skills. ...
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USDA: Milk loss assistance available for dairy operations impacted by 2020-2022 disasters
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The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Milk Loss Program (MLP) assistance for eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed, without compensation, from the commercial milk market due to qualifying weather events and the consequences of those weather events that inhibited delivery or storage of milk (e.g., power outages, impassable roads, infrastructure losses, etc.) during calendar years 2020, 2021 and 2022. Administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), signup for MLP began Sept. 11 and runs through Oct. 16.
Eligibility
MLP compensates dairy operations for milk dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk
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market due to qualifying disaster events, including droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), and smoke exposure that occurred in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 calendar years. Tornadoes are considered a qualifying disaster event for calendar year 2022 only.
The milk loss claim period is each calendar month that milk was dumped or removed from the commercial market. Each MLP application covers the loss in a single calendar month. Milk loss that occurs in more than one calendar month due to the same qualifying weather event requires a separate application for each month. ...
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FSA: Drought assistance available to Texas livestock producers
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USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds drought impacted producers that they may be eligible for financial assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Haying and Grazing on Conservation Reserve Program to provide financial assistance to eligible producers for 2023 grazing losses due to a qualifying drought or fire and provide water for impacted livestock.
"Producers across Texas have been faced with another significant drought year causing considerable economic hardship as they go to great lengths to provide adequate feed, forage and water for their livestock,” said Kelly Adkins, State Executive Director for FSA in Texas. “Producers who are eligible for the much-needed disaster recovery assistance are encouraged to contact their local FSA office to schedule an appointment to apply.” ...
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Southwest Dairy Day
Make your plans to attend on Oct. 18
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Reminder: Southwest Dairy Day will be Oct. 18 at Del Rio Dairy near Bovina. The event will highlight anaerobic digesters and automation technologies in rotary milking parlors.
The day starts at 8 a.m. at Del Rio Dairy at the intersection of County Road 11 and Texas State Highway 86, two miles east of Bovina. Bus tours will depart every 30 minutes to the dairy with three different stops at a Saudi barn, rotary milking parlor and anaerobic digesters. Lunch will be provided
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For more information about Southwest Dairy Day, contact:
Juan Piñeiro, juan.pineiro@ag.tamu.edu, or
Jennifer Spencer, jennifer.spencer@ag.tamu.edu .
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