Dairy Research

April 23, 2012

Research is a big part of helping agriculturalists produce as efficiently as possible.  With growing populations, it is becoming necessary for farmers to be as efficient as possible to keep up with rising demands and changing economies.  Universities and research facilities all over the world are working to formulate feed rations and conditions to maximize production and health of production plants and animals. The results are then passed on to the agriculturalists to be incorporated into their practices.

For example, Penn State has an excellent dairy research facility--most notably in dairy nutrition research.  This research is used to help better understand the functions of a cow's unique digestive system to maximize absorption of nutrients.  Have you heard of cows contributing to greenhouse gas emission with their methane gas release? Penn State is researching this, too! One of my favorite labs in my animal science class was to the PSU research facility because I was given the opportunity to reach my arm into a live cow's stomach.  Rumen fistulas is a research technique implanted in a cow's side that safely and painlessly allows access to the cow's rumen (stomach compartment).  With this access they can observe and test the feed in different stages as it passes through the cow's system.

Rumen Fistula in a grazing cow

 Research is a huge part in the progress of the dairy industry, so I was curious to see if Ireland was making any progress in dairy research.  It turns out that Teagasc, Ireland's Agriculture and Food Development Authority, has research farms all over Ireland to take advantage of different conditions and soil types.

Research Farms
Farm Name	Research Focus	Location	Farm Area (ha)	Cows (variable)
Ballydague	Crossbreed Evaluation	Co. Cork	93	167
Ballyhaise	Regional Milk Production	Co. Cavan	47	97
Curtins	Farm Systems	Co. Cork	48	140
Kilworth	Environmental Research	Co. Cork	93	100
Moorepark	Component Research	Co. Cork	100	300
Solohead	Nutrient Use Efficiency	Co. Tipperary	52	95
Johnstown Castle	Winter Milk	Co. Wexford	30	80

The Johnstown herd, for example, conducts research in maximizing the herd efficiency of nutrition systems, pasture management strategies, and fertility performance of autumn-calving herds since many herds in Ireland are seasonal producers.  Because many herds in Ireland still graze their cattle, I was really interested to see that they are doing research in replenishing and managing their grass systems while also improving their production.  At the Ballyhaise farm, their goal is to maximize profitability per hectare for sustainable pasture-based dairy systems.

Cows grazing at the Moorepark research farm

Citations:

Teagasc: Agriculture and Food Development Authority. (2012). Retrieved April 23, 2012, from Moorepark Research Farms: http://www.agresearch.teagasc.ie/moorepark/researchfarms.asp

Organic Production

April 19, 2012

Organic production of agricultural products has become popular in recent years because consumers have developed a desire to consume foods that they can feel are more naturally produced.  In the United States there are movements to create a more sustainable environment and producing food organically helps contribute to this goal.  Currently, USDA standards dictate that a dairy product produced in the United States can be certified as organic if the animal itself consumed organically produced feed and was not given any antibiotics or hormones.  A lot of farms in the U.S. are converting to an organic production because they can get higher prices for their product.  Demand is fairly high even with a higher production cost, so some dairy farmers are taking advantage of the new market that is interested in organic products.

Recently an agreement was made between the US and EU countries regarding the trade of organic products between the countries involved.  Under this agreement, they will allow organic certified products to be imported/exported with a legal organic certification.  This means that an organic product imported from an EU country would be considered an organic product here, too.  They came to this agreement, effective June 1, 2012, because they felt that their standards for organic certification were similar enough that they could be viewed equally in the consumer's eyes.

 The EU's Organic Certified Symbol

There are a few requirements that will need to be considered, however, because their are a few discrepancies in their certification process.  For example, crops produced using antibiotics in the U.S. cannot be exported to the EU.  Conversely, the U.S. will not accept agricultural products derived from animals treated with antibiotics or aquatic animals from the EU.

For more information regarding the regulations of both certifying entities, please refer to their websites:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOPTradeEuropeanUnion

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/home_en

"The EU actively promotes the growth of the organic sector with a wide variety of policies designed to increase the amount of land farmed organically, including government standards and certification, conversion and support payments for organic farmers, targets for land under organic management, and policies supporting research, education, and marketing. The U.S. largely takes a free-market approach: its policies aim to facilitate market development through national standards and certification and federally funded grants that support research, education, and marketing for organic agriculture. "

This was quoted from the article entitled, EU and U.S. Organic Markets Face Strong Demand Under Different Policies.  I included it because I think it is interesting how different mindsets came to a very similar solution.  Do you think one mindset over the other will help make a more successful conversion to an organic market?

Citations:

EU, U.S. sign organic trade agreement. (2012). Retrieved April 19, 2012, from National Dairy Herd Information Association: http://dairybusiness.com/seo/headline.php?title=eu-u-s-sign-organic-trade-agreement&date=2012-02-15&table=headlines

Organic Farming. (2012). Retrieved april 19, 2012, from Good for nature, good for you: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/home_en

United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. (2012). Retrieved April 19, 2012, from National Organic Program: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOPTradeEuropeanUnion

EU and U.S. Organic Markets Face Strong Demand Under Different Policies. (2006). Retrieved April 19, 2012, from Amber Waves: The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources and Rural America: http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/February06/Features/feature1.htm

Milk Marketing

April 9, 2012

Milk marketing functions to help the producer market its product to its consumers without benefiting one farmer over another.  This is important because milk is a commodity and efforts by the individual won't have a significant effect on the market.  These programs help to advertise the nutritional benefits of including dairy in the diet.  It also helps to contribute to the trust in consumers that their dairy products are safe and nutritious and being produced with the utmost care for the animals and the environment.  While many people's habits aren't likely to be changed from the efforts of a milk marketing board, they take some of the hardship away from the farmer.  They are able to communicate and educate consumers so the producers can get their message to the public without losing focus of the farm tasks.

Milk marketing boards spend a lot of their effort teaching consumers how to best utilize their products, but they also spend a lot of time and money on educating youth.  They create programs to help children understand nutrition and from where their food comes.  Their ultimate goal is to help bridge the gap between farmer and consumer in hopes that they will be able to understand and help meet the needs of the other.

I researched Ireland's comparable milk marketing groups and found that they function very similarly to ones that I am familiar with.  One in particular, The National Dairy Council serves nearly identical functions as those in the United States.  One minute on their website and I immediately noticed links to recipes and educational materials, as well as, links to information from health professionals.

Please take a minute to explore The National Dairy Council's website and a Mid-Atlantic Region dairy marketer:
 http://dairyspot.com/
http://www.ndc.ie/

I think these programs are really beneficial, and that's why I would like to spend time in my future career helping producers communicate better with their consumers.

Citations:

The National Dairy Council. (2012).  Retrieved April 9, 2012, from http://www.ndc.ie/

The Mid-Atlantic Spot for Dairy. (2011).  Retrieved April 9, 2012, from www.dairyspot.com

Raw Milk

April 5, 2012

The question of food safety has been a huge part of production agriculture since its beginning.  In EU countries, it is no different and in some cases it may even be stricter than similar regulations in the United States. Raw milk is a huge issue that many people question whether dairy operations should have the right to sell their milk raw.  

Raw milk is the form of the milk straight from the farm that hasn't undergone pasteurization.   This is why people question the safety.  Pasteurization is a process that heats and then cools the milk rapidly to kill any harmful bacteria in the milk.  It ensures that salmonella and other harmful pathogens cannot be passed from the milk to the drinker and it increases the shelf life of the product.  Unfortunately, the process also kills bacteria that could be potentially beneficial to the drinker and it slightly modifies the taste.

The EU recently allowed the sale of raw milk in its member nations, but Ireland's government is questioning whether they want to allow it themselves.  They plan to ban any sale or purchase of raw milk in Ireland.  That's okay for the farmers who drink their milk straight from the bulk tank, but for specialized raw milk cheese producers alternatives will need to be made.

Currently, there is a campaign to help keep the sale of raw milk legal in Ireland.  From my experience in Pennsylvania, raw milk is legal to sell if the seller has a special license and follows specialized regulations.

Personally, I agree with the campaign to keep raw milk sales legal in Ireland.  I grew up drinking milk in its best form--straight from the cow.  My friends always contributed my excellent health to drinking raw milk and sometimes I have to agree.  I much prefer the taste of raw milk and consumers should have a choice.  If they know the potential risks, they should be able to make the purchase.

Citations:
Raw Milk Ireland. (2011).  Retrieved April 5, 2012, from http://rawmilkireland.com/