Milestone reached by Shenandoah Family Farms

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Agmoos

By Sherry Bunting, reprinted from Farmshine March 21, 2014

HAGERSTOWN, Md. – “Every day we reach new milestones, and today is one of them,” said Tom Francis, production manager and VIP / media tour-guide Tuesday, March 18 at the dairy plant where Shenandoah Family Farms Brand milk and cream products are made.

The 142,000 square foot facility in Hagerstown, Maryland was idled by Unilever in 2012, then purchased in August 2013 by Valley Pride LLC, a dairy business owned by 21 dairy farmers from the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. This purchase, and the separate formation of Shenandoah Family Farms Cooperative, grew from seeds planted during a 2012 meeting of the five original board members at the Thomas House restaurant in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

“We are excited to be here and look forward to moving forward,” said Randy Inman during Tuesday’s pre-tour press conference. Inman, a Harrisonburg, Virginia dairy producer, serves as vice president of Valley Pride LLC and Shenandoah Family Farms Cooperative.

Over the past 18 months, they have developed a media and social media presence as they prepared for the startup of milk and cream bottling operations at the renovated plant February 24. Soft-serve ice cream mix production began last week, and hard ice cream production will begin after new equipment arrives in April.

To this point, Shenandoah Family Farms has used social media to bring farm families, farm life, farm children — even farm calves, cows, cats and dogs — right to the computers and smart-phones of thousands of customers. Brilliant photography of life on the farm and scenes of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley bring a nostalgic feel to the marketing of natural dairy products prized for their quality, flavor and wholesomeness.

“Our web presence will grow in the next three weeks with the launch of a new website with store locators and profiles of our farmers and staff,” said Shenandoah Family Farms marketing director Jennifer Churchman.

The plant is currently just scratching the surface of the demand and production capacity. The equipment has the capability of bottling 32 gallons of milk per minute, and the largest single-day of production they had since Feb. 24 was 6000 gallons. But Francis said this can be doubled with more shifts, workers and equipment as the demand grows.

To-date, Shenandoah Family Farms milk goes to 170 retail and restaurant establishments along the Route 81 corridor from Shenandoah Family Farm Cooperative’s home base in Harrisonburg, Virginia, through the plant location in Hagerstown, Maryland, and north and west into West Virginia and the Waynesboro and Greencastle areas of Pennsylvania.

“We’re adding 5 to 10 new customers per day,” Churchman confirmed, explaining how end-consumers can fill out product request forms at shenandoahfamilyfarms.com and take them to the stores and restaurants they patronize. The product-request forms have also been the key in developing initial leads for the sales team.

“The more requests that are submitted, the easier it is to get our product on the shelves,” aaid Inman. He noted they are close to getting their products into the local Walmarts.

“We are beginning to reach out to the Washington, D.C., area, and getting a lot of interest there,” said plant manager Fred Rodes, who has 25 years of experience working for three creameries after jumping the fence from dairy farming to dairy manufacturing in 1988 for health reasons. Rodes also said they would be open to doing private label work, but are focused right now on working directly with customers and through distributors to build their brand.

Hagerstown Mayor David Gysberts and other local city and county officials were on-hand Tuesday showing their enthusiasm for the plant’s re-start. “We are happy to see the Virginia farmers bring jobs back to our region,” said Gysberts. One-third of the 44 full time and 4 part time employees worked at the Hagerstown plant under its previous owner, Unilever, which employeed 400 at its peak before idling the plant in 2012.

“The more the community supports Shenandoah Family Farms products, the more products we can make, and the more jobs we can create here,” said Inman. “It’s a snowball effect.”

He explained that Shenandoah Family Farms products come from a small group of farms. Right now that is 21 farms average 130 milk cows per farm.

“The close proximity of our dairy farmers to our market will give customers assurance of fresh dairy products,” added Inman. “We are focused on high quality milk production and the assurance of best management practices for environmental sustainability, heritage farming practices, humane animal care, involvement in our community and involving our customers in our decisions as we grow.”

Inman said the primary goal of this enterprise is to preserve small family farms for generations to come. “We saw this as a way to take some control of our product by building a relationship with our end-consumers and taking our milk from the farm to the consumer, and to see our farmers rewarded for their high quality production with a steady milk price.”

The investment runs deep here – beyond dollars. Inman explained that the farmers and staff “worked hands-on and side-by-side” to upgrade and renovate the facility over the past six months. USDA loan-guarantees helped the group of farmers get the financing to not only purchase but also upgrade the plant and build awareness for their brand.

The facility’s milk silos, large conveyors, pasteurizer, existing ice cream equipment, coolers, and in-wall freezers were all part of the plant purchase. The owners purchased a separator, homogenizer, bottling equipment and new ice cream manufacturing equipment as well as upgrading computers, software and the ability to track milk from farm-to-store. They also upgraded the coolers and chillers and adding other conveyor capabilities throughout the plant.

“We’ve had some delays with equipment arriving and the challenges you would expect with a project like this, but we’re ready. The word is getting out about our products, and the support from the local communities has been quite encouraging,” Inman said, adding that he’s impressed with how his fellow farmers and the plant staff have worked together.

“I’m amazed by the super commitment of the farmers, and their families, to get this up and going, and by our staff as we’ve worked together,” he said.

To be bottling the Shenandoah Family Farms milk and on the verge of beginning ice cream production was described as “overwhelming” by board member and producer Dennis Trissel. “In any business like this, you always hope to put in place what’s necessary to get the product marketed,” he said. “Our farmers know how to make high quality milk and our plant managers know how to make quality products…”

Now the ball rolls into the consumer domain through product purchases and requests where they shop.

“Our store customers need to see that we are capable of being here five years and forward,” said Rodes. “We have good staff and a lot of experience. I grew up on a dairy farm and I enjoy the challenges of running a creamery. I’m willing to work hard for these guys (the farmers) because I know they care about putting out a quality product. Now the rubber meets the road in sales.”

For the sales force Lyndon Jonson and Rich Muldoon, that’s a challenge they are meeting daily – “hitting the road and knocking on doors.”

“The most rewarding thing for me is getting a new account, that’s my high-point,” said Johnson, a former truck driver who is part of the Shenandoah Family Farms sales force.

When hard ice cream production begins next month, the plant will roll out vanilla, chocolate and strawberry and begin adding flavors with 11 flavors planned at this time. They will concentrate on volume packages for grocers and soft-serve mixes for restaurants before adding a line of other types of ice cream products.

“For the most part, our awareness building is getting farmers face-to-face with the end consumers,” Churchman explained how ‘engagement marketing’ is being utilized. “We will utilize all avenues such as radio, television and print advertising, but we are also sponsoring many local events and will have our farmers and staff there. They are important members of their communities and we want them right there with our customers so the customers can be part of how we grow our company.”

The 21 family farm members of Shenandoah Family Farms are all located within a 10-mile radius of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Currently three farms’ milk is going to the plant. Once all 21 farms’ milk is being utilized by the plant, another 12 producers are on-board to be added.

Churchman said they are using “test-market-moms” as an advisory group of moms and families to advise, test, and decide what to put out. “They can use their social media circles to gain additional feedback for us,” she said.

Ice cream lead Charles Evans is glad to be back to work at the plant under the new ownership. Asked what makes the Shenandoah Family Farms ice cream products stand-out in the marketplace, Evans said “the recipe. It was developed by the farmers and Fred Rodes our plant manager. It’s higher in butterfat content, making it rich and thick. Everyone who tasted our soft-serve today enjoyed it and we’re getting very positive feedback from customers.”

Rodes also stressed that the Shenandoah Family Farms ice cream (both soft-serve and hard) is 100% natural and contains no additives. “That’s kind of rare these days,” he said.

Inman said Shenandoah Family Farms is working with other cooperatives on milk supply balancing and they are working with other processing cooperatives and suppliers to combine additional products for their distribution contracts — including cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt, as well as the full line of Turkey Hill teas.

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Micah Showalter, 2, is tasting Shenandoah Family Farms soft serve ice cream with brother Adrian, 8, and sisters Emily, 9, and Erica, 6. Micah and his puppy are the stars of the Shenandoah Family Farms Whole Chocolate Milk label, shown here in poster size (left) on the wall above him, and all four children with a newborn calf at the Showalter family’s Sun Dial Farm-2 are subjects of the Whole Milk label, shown here in poster-size above them (right). The Showalters are among the 21 farmers in a 10 mile radius of Harrisonburg, Virginia, who purchased and renovated the former Unilever ice cream plant in Hagerstown, Maryland. They started bottling Shenandoah Family Farms Brand fluid milk and cream products at the plant on February 24. They began making vanilla soft serve ice cream mix this week and will soon be doing chocolate. Hard ice cream production begins in April with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry and will expand to 11 flavors over the next several months. Photo by Sherry Bunting

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Shenandoah Family Farms milk and chocolate milk were served with homemade cookies at the tour of the creamery Tuesday. Photo by Sherry Bunting

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After Unilever idled the 142,000 square foot Hagerstown, Md. plant in the fall of 2012, it was purchased last August by Valley Pride LLC, a dairy business owned by 21 dairy farmers from the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. In addition to updating the ice cream manufacturing equipment, they have invested in milk bottling, which started February 24. Photo by Sherry Bunting

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Owen Trissel is “over-the-moon” with excitement as he suits-up for the plant tour with his parents Cory and Charity. Owen, 9, and his brother Ian, 4, are the stars of the 2% milk label. One of the features of the Shenandoah Family Farms brand is to engage consumers in farm life through brilliant photography and larger labels. Photo by Sherry Bunting

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Production manager Tom Francis served as tour-guide Tuesday. He said hard ice cream production begins in April. The Shenandoah Family Farms brand offers chocolate milk is offered in whole milk variety, and ice cream is a higher butterfat, simple recipe made with 100% natural ingredients. Photo by Sherry Bunting

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Dairy producers Dennis Trissel (right) and Randy Inman are two of the original five who met in 2012 at the Thomas House restaurant, Harrisonburg, Va., forming Shenandoah Family Farms Cooperative and planting the idea-seed for taking their milk straight from farms to consumers. They are pictured with Shenandoah Family Farms marketing director Jennifer Churchman who says “engagement marketing” is the hallmark of their campaign and plant manager Fred Rodes (left), who grew up on a dairy farm, then spent the past 25 years on the other side of the fence in the creamery world. He loves working with people, building teams, tackling challenges and tinkering with ice cream recipes. Photo by Sherry Bunting

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Shenandoah Family Farms Cooperative vice president Randy Inman welcomed media and Hagerstown, Md. officials to the grand re-opening tour of the plant purchased by the investment of 21 members of the Valley Pride LLC, where Shenandoah Family Farms Brand milk is bottled and made into ice cream. Photo by Sherry Bunting

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Hagerstown Mayor Dave Gysberts and Council member Don Munson were among the 35 suiting-up for Tuesday’s tour of the Shenandoah Family Farms dairy manufacturing facility. They are all smiles as 44 jobs have returned to the site of the former Unilever ice cream plant that once employed 400 people. Now owned and renovated by 21 dairy producers from northern Virginia, the plant began bottling milk last month, started making soft-serve ice cream mix this week and will be ramping up hard ice cream production as early as mid-April. Photo courtesy of the City of Hagerstown.

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The 142,000 square-foot plant has been updated to make Shenandoah Family Farms ice cream and fluid milk and cream products. Photo by Sherry Bunting

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“Want to see where your milk goes?” That was all the encouragement these children needed to check out the conveyor taking crates of bottled Shenandoah Family Farms milk to the cooler where it was being loaded for delivery to 170 retail and restaurant customers — with 5 to 10 new customers being added daily.

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A year of awareness-building through Facebook and other media brought daily photos of farm children, farm life, and farm calves, cows, dogs and cats right to the computers and mobile phones of thousands of consumers. Photo by Sherry Bunting

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Charles Evans is the ice cream lead for Shenandoah Family Farms. He served the soft-style ice cream to local officials and media Tuesday. (I must say it was tasty!) Photo by Sherry Bunting

A life lived in earnest

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Agmoos

Tuesday was a day of significance with many shades to it. The much-debated 5-year Farm Bill got its final Congressional approval in Washington; the day was designated by American Cancer Society as World Cancer Awareness Day and Chevy developed its Purple Roads ad and “purple your profile” campaign to raise funds on facebook. Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014 is also the day the world lost a good and courageous dairy farmer I was glad to call friend. Here are the thoughts I penned for this week’s Farmshine.

Zach Meck pictured here at Meck Brothers Dairy in Berks County, Pennsylvania in August of 2012

Zach Meck fought the fight, kept the faith

Zachary L. Meck, 33, of Womelsdorf, Pa., passed away Tuesday, Feb. 4 after a five-month battle with cancer. In the words of his wife Suzanne (Perdue) Meck, formerly of Whitehall, Md., “Zach saw a full healing as he was peacefully called to his heavenly home.” Over the past few months, she said, the couple felt the prayers and well wishes from around the world, and they were comforted to know so many people care.

In Zach, the world lost a good and courageous young dairyman. 2 Timothy 4:7 is the verse that comes to mind for a life gone too soon, loved by many and lived in earnest. Zach made a lasting impact on not just his family and friends, but also upon the future of the dairy industry he so loved and the solidarity he had with fellow dairymen, as well as the passion he had for the cow herd he and his brother Jeremy built up into a business through sheer determination.

It is not without notice that the next five year Farm Bill passed its final hurdle in the Senate on this same day. Zach had poured time and energy into being part of an effort to shape the future for young dairy farmers within the context of the Farm Bill’s dairy title.

Our paths crossed in 2009 when the dairy industry faced the most devastating milk prices ever endured. Zach and his brother Jeremy had built their Meck Brothers Dairy from scratch. They had started with the 4-H animals their late father Ronald bought them as youngsters growing up on their parents’ poultry farm in Lancaster County, Pa. They grew the herd in a rented barn — working all kinds of other jobs – then purchased and renovated a Berks County, Pa. farm they moved into during 2009.

Zach was not one to sit still. Sometimes it seemed he was going in multiple directions all at once. But his efforts were effective. In 2009, he was part of a group of dairymen meeting in two counties, which later became the grassroots beginnings of the Dairy Policy Action Coalition that spread beyond the borders of Pennsylvania as dairymen from various regions talked together about the future of their industry.

He also served as a Land O’Lakes delegate and ran a close race as runner up for a seat on the Land O’Lakes board in early 2013. Zach was a member of the Berks County Farm Bureau, Marion Grange, and Berks County Holstein Club. He graduated from Cocalico High School, where he was a member of FFA and was active in 4-H.

“We’ve been through a lot over the years,” wrote friend and mentor Nelson Troutman in a calendar-of-hope created for Zach in December. “Then came Suzanne, and when you made up your mind, I could tell. It was good. But with these health issues, try not to make sense of it all, it never will. Remember to always look forward and that you are not alone. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).” Wise words he heeded in his short time with his beloved Suzanne.

Having the privilege of writing a story about Meck Brothers Dairy in August of 2012, I could see the respect he and his brother Jeremy had for one another and their passion for what they worked to accomplish – with that edge of always pushing forward to do more to make the cows more comfortable, do more to tell the dairy story to the greater Berks community, do more to get the voice of the young farmer heard, do more to light a fire – even if only to send a smoke signal – that policies need to be changed to consider the context of the young farmer. Zach was impetuous, yet intuitive.

“It’s time to get the younger generation involved in the leadership of their cooperative,” Zach said during a summer of 2012 interview. “Our futures are at stake in the outcome of the decisions that are made. The mechanics of the market should be our focus. We should be looking out for our fellow dairy farmers around us. Large or small, we’re all important. We have to focus on creating opportunities and getting the mechanics of the market right.”

So we come back full circle to that verse, 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Yes, Zach, you surely have.

Born in Denver, Pa., Zach was the son of the late Ronald K. and Joyce (Stoltzfus) Meck. In addition to his wife Suzanne, Zach is survived by his mother Joyce, two brothers Matthew K., husband of Susan (St. Clair) Meck of Denver; Jeremy R. Meck of Womelsdorf; two nephews Jackson K. and Levi C. Meck of Denver; and his paternal grandmother Norma (Zimmerman) Meck of Lititz.

A visitation will be held on Friday, February 7 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and on Saturday, February 8 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Tulpehocken UCC Church, where services will be held at 11:00 Saturday.

Memorial contributions in Zach’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 1274, Lebanon, PA 17042 or Vickie’s Angel Foundation, 511 Bridge St., New Cumberland, PA 17070.

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How dairy farmers dealt with ‘Polar Vortex’

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Agmoos

By Sherry Bunting, Farmshine, January 10, 2014

BROWNSTOWN, Pa. — While some of the photos posted by dairy farmers on their farm Facebook pages and Twitter were downright beautiful, others spoke volumes about the extreme challenges and dedication put forth to care for animals on farms this week during what is being called the “polar vortex.”

LuAnn Troxel captured this beautiful image at Troxel Dairy Farm. Behind the beauty was more snow and extreme temps.

The extreme temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday were the talk of both the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg and of farmers who were able to get away and attend the Keystone Farm Show in York, Pa. this week.

Frozen waterers, vacuum pumps, manure removal equipment and difficulty starting feeding equipment were the most commonly reported concerns shared by producers from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia who were able to get to the show in York.

Further North and West into the lake regions of the Upper Midwest, through Northern Indiana and Ohio into western New York and Northwest Pennsylvania, the “polar vortex” was amplified by the snow storm preceding it.

Thankfully, by the time you read this, warmer temperatures are forecast to prevail and bring relief to cattle and caretakers as well as equipment and transportation.

The mantra this week for farm families was to not only take care of their animals but to communicate what they were doing with their farm and non-farm “followers” on Facebook,

“There are no ‘snow days’ on the farm,” wrote Tricia Adams at her family’s Hoffman Farms page on Facebook. Three generations of the Hoffmans milk 700 cows near Shinglehouse, Potter County, Pennsylvania.

3 generations of the Hoffman family operate the 700-cow dairy.

“The extreme weather makes us feel like we are surviving it and not thriving in it!” she said in an email interview Wednesday, reporting Tuesday’s low at Hoffman Farms was -18 with a high of -4. The mercury fi nally reaching a high of 12 degrees Wednesday. They are thankful to be spared the additional 3-feet of snow that fell just north of them in New York.

As for the polar temps and wind chills, “we run a heater in the parlor to help with frozen milkers but even that was icing up,” said Tricia, adding that the conditions for the cows in the freestall barns were “very slippery.”

The Hoffmans, like other farmers dealing with these conditions, did their best to cope with frozen, caked manure in the walkways, barns and parlor — not to mention frozen waterers, feed mixers and tractors freezing up as the off-road diesel gummed up.

Starting equipment and dealing with manure were difficult in double-digit below zero weather, not to mention the wind chill.

“We changed fuel fi lters and used additives to thin the fuel and keep our equipment running,” Tricia explained. “Winter is tough, and up here we are prepared for it; but when it gets this extreme, you know there is only so much you can prevent. What you can’t prevent you just have to deal with as it happens.”

Much attention was paid to the especially important job of “tricky calvings.” At Hoffman Farms, Tricia used heated boxes for the newborn calves.

Tricia Adams pictures one of the heated boxes for newborn calves at Hoffman Farms

Over in Bradford County near Milan, Pa. Glenn and Robin Gorrell were thankful for the 45 degrees and rain over the weekend to melt the snow at their 600-cow dairy before the sub-zero temperatures arrived Tuesday.

Glenn reported temperatures ranging -10 to -20 depending on location in the hills or valleys.

“I think that we were lucky here and we are always happy the rest of our team helps get us through,” said Glenn in an email interview Wednesday.

“The wind was the killer. It can really drive the cold everywhere,” he said, adding that they had frozen pipes in the employee house for the first time ever.

“In the tie-stall barn we were like everybody else: Bowls on the west side were frozen. The milk house froze for the first time in years. We thought we had all the equipment ready with new fi lters and more fuel conditioner, but we were wrong,” he explained. “We needed to cut more with kerosene and put tarps around hoods of the loader tractor and feed mixer.”

The calves and youngstock at Gorrell Dairy got extra bedding and a little more grain to get them by.

“Robin always has calf jackets on them once it is below 50 degrees anyway,” Glenn reported. “We tried to double up feeding our heifers so we would have less equipment to start in the extreme cold.”

At Troxel Dairy Farm Laporte County, near Hanna, Indiana, conditions were quite severe, with extreme low temps in line with what farmers were seeing in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota this week.

Facebook followers commented that the cows must be “milking ice cream” as they read LuAnn Troxel’s posts about dairying in temps that had fallen to -12 and -17 with wind chills as low as -53 in northern Indiana on the heels of over 1-foot of snow.

The cows were “good sports” but after three days, the extreme cold wore think on man and beast.

Calling the cows “good sports,” LuAnn acknowledged how tough this week has been for man and beast. She and husband Tom and son Rudy, operate the 100-cow dairy.

“Cold weather management is really not too complicated,” said Tom Troxel, DVM, who in addition to the dairy farm has South County Veterinary practice.

“Cows need to have plenty of feed and water, be out of the wind, and have a dry place to lie down. If they have these things, they can survive an awful lot,” he explained in an email interview Wednesday.

“Calves need the same thing, including increased feed (calories),” Tom advised. “But sometimes the threat of scours keeps feeders from increasing milk to calves. There is no question that cold stress can cause younger animals to be more susceptible to scours and pneumonia, but careful monitoring and feeding electrolytes can help a lot.

While it’s tempting to do the bare minimum when temps are -17 with a -53 wind chill and there’s 14 inches of snow on the ground, LuAnn was out feeding her calves at Troxel Dairy farm MORE frequently to keep up their energy reserves. Snow drifts also help insulate and inside the hutches they are cozy warm with fresh bedding.

“It’s more important to increase feed to cold, young calves. Also, try hand feeding starter grain to young calves that are at least 2 days old,” he suggested.

As for cow nutrition during extreme cold, it comes down to “energy, energy, energy,” said dairy consultant Ray Kline, during an interview at the Keystone Farm Show in York, Pa. Wednesday. Ray has retired from the Agri-Basics team of nutritionists but is as passionate as ever about cattle nutrition.

“Feeding calves more often — 3 to 4 times a day — also helps because they do not have a rumen to heat them up,” he observed. “With the cows, the ration can be adjusted for higher energy, but without losing fiber. Cows normally eat more when it is cold, but a more dense ration also helps get more energy to them.”

He suggests picking out the “barometer cows” in the herd and watching them for Body Condition Score to know if ration adjustments to the whole herd are needed. Ray also urged dairymen to pay attention to waterers and keep them running.

“After an event like this, we can see it in the repro,” said Ray. “The cow will take care of herself first; so what she eats will go to maintaining herself through the severe weather.”

The seasoned dairy consultant also noted that “life spins its pattern back to years before.” While the “polar vortex” this week was new for some generations on the farm, others have experienced it before.

“If you look at history, we’ve had winters like this, but you have to go a long way back,” said Ray.

As for the milking equipment and transportation, Gib Martin, general manager of Mount Joy Farmers Cooperative in Pennsylvania noted that milk pickup and transport required more time and labor this week.

“We had some issues with tank compressors and one truck down, but no major interruptions in the flow of milk,” said Gib during an interview at Tuesday.

Ken Weber recommends using a heat lamp to keep compressors going for cooling the milk. Weber is retired from service calls but still works with BouMatic equipment. He suggests paying close attention to vacuum pumps outside.

“They are the last thing the dairyman uses to wash the pipe line and that moisture in there can cause them to freeze up,” he said during an interview at the Keystone Farm Show in York, Pa. Tuesday. “Just take a pipe wrench and work it back and forth to loosen it and consider using supplemental heat like a heat lamp to keep the pump warm.”

‘Dairy Carrie’ is on her way to the PA Farm Show

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Agmoos

The Farm Show opens tomorrow and it’s snowing. If you live in PA, you don’t need the weathermen to tell you that! Below is a story in Friday’s Farmshine and at this writing, “Dairy Carrie” is dodging canceled flights to get here!

By Sherry Bunting, Special for Farmshine

HARRISBURG, Pa. — While not precisely a red carpet, the “Meet Dairy Carrie” signs are ready for posting as the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Penn Ag Industries are putting Wisconsin dairywoman and internationally known agvocate and blogger Carrie Mess (a.k.a. Dairy Carrie) in the limelight during the first few days of the Pennsylvania Farm Show kicking off Friday, Jan. 3 in Harrisburg.

She will have a full itinerary here this weekend at one of the nation’s largest intersections for farm-to-city communication. Not only will she be hosting the “Mommy Bloggers” tour of the Today’s Agriculture exhibit, she will also spend time at PFB’s booth from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 4 and 5.

“I’m really excited to meet the people and see how they interact with the real-life animal housing that is part of the Today’s Agriculture exhibit,” said Mess. “I remember seeing a story about it a few years ago, and I thought it was the neatest idea.”

She also loves rodeos and hopes to catch some of the High School rodeo action while she’s here.

Mess started blogging two years ago when she organized a hay drive from Wisconsin to drought-stricken Oklahoma.

Today, her “Adventures of Dairy Carrie” blog has 11,020 followers — many of them relying on her direct communications for their understanding of agriculture. She’s not afraid to tackle the tough issues and is known for a quick wit and tell-it-like-it-is style. In addition to the blog, thousands more keep up with her “very dairy life” via facebook and twitter.

The rapid popularity of Dairy Carrie still amazes her husband Patrick. “It’s a little unbelievable the scope of people her blog reaches — and how quickly — and the good that has come out of it,” he said during my visit last August to Mesa Dairy near Milford, Wisconsin, where Carrie and Patrick are partners with his parents Clem and Cathy Mess — milking 100 cows, growing crops, and raising heifers on a rented farm nearby. Both generations have cattle in the herd comprised mainly of Holsteins and Holstein x Jersey x Normande crosses.

While her posts address tough farm issues, she also uses social media to agvocate with other bloggers via AgChat. Her posts also tackle broader issues like the Panera Bread “EZ Chicken” campaign last summer. And she gives her followers a taste for the lighter side with recipes, “welcome to the world” photos of new calves on the the farm, and posts that simply extol the virtues of cheese.

Her post, which was a letter to Panera Bread, challenging them on their “EZ Chicken” campaign for its thoughtless portrayal of conventional farmers as “lazy” for using antibiotics when needed, became a movement that resulted in action by the company to remove portions of the campaign last summer.

More recently, her blog and video entitled “Sometimes we are mean to our cows” brought in her largest audience to-date with 370,000 views and untold hundreds of thousand more after The Guardian picked it up on their news feed.

That blog post was a realistic demonstration of the situations farmers face when being what appears to be “mean” is in the cow’s best interest to save her life.

“I am going to let you in on a secret, PETA and Mercy For Animals have shown you some truth in their undercover videos on dairy farms. The truth is sometimes as a dairy farmer I am mean to my cows,” she wrote. “I think it’s time we talk about “down” cows.”

And thus began her post that explained dealing with a down cow in the same matter-of-fact manner as an earlier post about what do cows eat.

Carrie dealt with the issue straight on, answering questions in an elementary fashion: What is a down cow? What causes a cow to go down? How do you get a down cow up?

She explained that “cows are big animals.”

She enlightened: “A down cow is a dead cow.”

She blurted out the simple truth: “When asking and gentle encouragement doesn’t work, I make myself scary to a cow. I yell and holler. I act aggressive. I smack harder. When that doesn’t work I know that things are going really bad and I have to try harder to get her up. The next step is for me to use the cattle prod.”

She ends with the heartfelt truth: “I love my cows and that means sometimes I have to be mean to them.”

Carrie’s blogging goes well beyond the periodic post… with so many followers following up with questions and comments, she devotes the time to answer the many questions that follow.

“It can be draining,” she confesses. In addition, she works flexible hours “off the farm” and does all of the vet care and pre-vet work with the family’s Mesa Dairy herd.

That’s a tall order for a gal whose farm exposure growing up was horses and donkeys and the FFA. But Carrie is a fast learner.

How did she learn so much in the six years married to Patrick and the farm?

“I figure things out,” she says, and as her grin widened, she confessed: “I annoy our vets with lots of questions.”

That attitude sums up her blog: always asking questions and finding the answers to them — with the kind of zest that draws in the non-farm folk to gain a truer understanding and better appreciation of dairy and agriculture today.

PHOTOS: These photos of Carrie Mess (aka ‘Dairy Carrie’) were taken last summer at Mesa Dairy in southern Wisconsin, where she and husband Patrick love pretty much everything about dairy farming. Carrie blogs about her “very dairy life” to over 11,000 followers at her blogsite “Adventures of Dairy Carrie” at http://www.dairycarrie.com. She will host the “Mommy Bloggers” tour of the Today’s Agriculture exhibit Friday and spend time at the PA Farm Bureau booth this weekend at the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg. Photos by Sherry Bunting

View more photos at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.669018806443872.1073741853.500073020005119&type=1

Triumph in 2013 trumps tragedy in 2012

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Agmoos

‘Amazing return’ for top type and production Jersey, now a 100,000 lb All-American nominee

By Sherry Bunting, reprinted from Farmshine, Nov. 22, 2013

MADISON, Wis. — Wendy Schmidt remembers the kindness of passersby a year when a distracted driver tipped her trailer not far down the road home to Bloomer, Wisconsin after the 2012 World Dairy Expo in Madison.

One animal died. The rest of the show string was traumatized.

“Jersey cows are like people,” says Wendy. She and her husband Jon own and operator Woodmohr Jerseys – home to 40 Jersey cows with a classification average of 91 points and four generations of Godiva.

“After the accident a year ago, it took all of us a while to get over the trauma. For weeks, the cows would follow me around in the pasture. I was their comfort and they were mine,” she recalls. “I got up every night to check on them, and found myself checking them constantly throughout the day.”

Especially ‘Jade Diva.’ She was positioned on the trailer right next to the one cow that died that night.

“Jade Diva had a lot of injuries after the trailer tipped. She had cuts all over and swelling. Her head was even swollen, and she wanted the other cows to keep away from her for days because her head hurt. Our vet prepared us to see issues later with all the animals that were traumatized, and we did see some pregnancy issues,” says Wendy, quite thankful a year later the cows are alive and pregnant or have calved.

Reflecting on that night, she is quick to add her gratefulness to the folks who stopped along the road to help with the cattle. “It was such a relief and we are so thankful,” she says.

Wisconsin dairywoman Carrie Mess, of ‘Dairy Carrie’ blogging fame, was one of the people who stopped that night.

“We just pitched in,” Carrie recalls. “It’s instinctive for any of us, you know? These cattle were pretty shook up. I had lots of Udder Comfort in my car from the Expo, and so once the animals were secured, we just started spraying legs and udders… right there.”

“That was the first thing we did. And if we had not done that for this cow in the accident, we don’t know what would have happened to her,” adds Wendy, referring to GB Jade Diva of Woodmohr — the EX-94 winner of the 2013 NASCO type and production award at the International Jersey Show during the 2013 World Dairy Expo last month.

Jade Diva was third place in the 100,000-lb class before going on to receive this high award in fine show condition just one year after the accident in which she sustained numerous injuries.

“It was amazing to bring her back to Expo this year to get third in production and win the NASCO type and production award,” Wendy says with a smile. “I love working with purebred cows and fell in love with the Jersey breed 20 years ago. These cows are my life.”

Chillin’ with the Meck Bros… How two brothers are building their dairy business in volatile times.

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Agmoos

By Sherry Bunting, reprinted from Farmshine August 22, 2012

Zach and Jeremy lost their father last year just a couple months before this story was published. He would have been proud to read it, and they credit their father with giving them the tools to become first-generation dairymen with their own farm today. Their dad bought them a few project animals for 4-H and FFA and taught them to work hard on the family’s crop and poultry farm where the boys were raised. Here is their story of building a dairy business in volatile times.

WOMELSDORF, Pa. — It was just shy of 100 degrees outside in the shade, but the cows in the barn didn’t mind. Standing in the 170-cow freestall barn at Meck Bros. Dairy near here, was actually comfortable on a visit during the August heat wave.

Despite the extreme temperatures that summer, the Meck brothers say their cows have done better than in previous summers. (Read more about their unique cooling system at the end of this story.)

The Meck Brothers have been farming in Berks County, Pa. since 2008 when they purchased a preserved farm and spent the past four years renovating it. They were attracted to this farm when it came up for sale in 2007 because much of the farmland around it is also preserved.

But their story really begins in Reinholds, Lancaster County, where they grew up on a crop and poultry farm operated by their parents Ronald and Joyce Meck until their father passed away this past spring. Today, they are cropping 340 acres at their own Berks County farm and the 400 acres in Lancaster County that belong to their family.

Why dairy? Zach and Jeremy started their dairy business on their own in a rather unconventional way, but they are quick to point out the impact of their father’s example, and the start he gave them when he bought their first 4-H starter animals.

“We were drawn to cattle in 4-H because of being able to grow the crops to feed the cows and being able to grow our own youngstock,” Jeremy explains.

In their late father’s poultry business, the pullets were raised off the farm and brought to the farm as layers. “We had a lot of land base for the poultry, so we started grazing our cattle there and growing feed to manage the manure nutrients from the poultry,” Zach notes.

They had been building their own dairy herd on rented farms for several years. They started out milking a small herd of 12 cows for the purpose of feeding veal calves they would buy from area dairy farms and auctions.

“During those years, we learned an awful lot about calf care and homeopathic remedies,” the brothers say with a smile as they mention the stinging nettles herbal tea they found helps young calves with scours.

Today, they raise all their own youngstock on area pastures, and are preparing to relocate them to one rented facility nearby. “That will cut down a lot on our run around time,” the brothers relate.

In 2007, they learned of this Berks County preserved farm going up for sale. They bought it and tore down the existing dairy barn, working with Franklin Builders to replace it with a small freestall barn. Zach and Jeremy built the parlor themselves by putting together two used milking systems and buying new stalls from the former Brandt’s Supply. And they did the stonework on the outside with the help of Kurtzcrete.

The manure pit and sand settling lane were also installed in stages with the help of a friend (Mark Landis), who works in excavating. They engineered a two-stage flush system for the sand-bedded freestall barn, and put in a sand settling lane that has a third “speed bump” for catching sand before the slurry goes into the pit. A second pit is available for future expansion.

The barn flushes from the center to the end while the cows are in the holding area for milking. Sand is pulled from the sand settling lane and reclaimed for reuse as bedding. The brothers estimate they recycle most all of their sand, and buy two loads of fresh sand a year in the winter.

The Meck Bros. Dairy herd has grown slowly. Before buying the Berks County farm, Zach and Jeremy grew the herd from 12 to 40 to 60 to 120 cows on a rented farm. They were intent on keeping their business as manageable as possible.

“We ran the numbers and realized we would have had to go to 600 cows to afford building everything all new,” Zach affirms. “So we would have needed more land base than what is on this farm. So, we built for 170 cows in this phase.”

They moved into the renovated facilities in 2008 with 120 milking cows, mainly Holsteins, including a few Red and Whites and Brown Swiss. (And the spring 2013 addition of those cute li’l Jerseys.) With high cattle prices that first year in business, they populated the barn by purchasing an economically priced crossbred grazing herd out of West Virginia to get their numbers up to 170.

“Those cows aren’t fancy but they do okay, and we are improving the herd as we breed them and bring in replacements,” Jeremy notes.

Moving the herd to the Berks County farm in 2008 was a welcome relief after the brothers had spent months milking and switching cows at the rented farm in Ephrata at the same time they were working on the new farm and facilities in Womelsdorf.

“We would work down there and then come up here and work some more,” Jeremy reflects. “We worked ahead to get crops in here to have feed here before we moved the cattle.”

Four years later, the brothers have come through some of the worst years in the dairy business. Looking at 2012-13, they have a corn silage crop that looks decent, and they had a terrific harvest of triticale forage this spring, along with hay and haylage. But the coming year will be difficult for them as for all dairy farmers with a moderate milk price trying to cover soaring input costs.

Zach does the nutrition work here, having previously worked for a nutritionist. They feed a high forage ration with 55 pounds of corn silage and 15 to 20 of haylage and five pound of triticale silage. The ration includes less than 12 pounds of total grain per day. They grow the forages and some of the corn, and buy soybean meal and corn distillers, wheat midds and minerals.

“It’s basically a 65% forage diet,” he says. “We double crop a triticale/Italian rye mix that we harvest before planting the corn. We got six to eight tons per acre with excellent protein this spring, and will do that again this fall for next spring.”

For corn silage, they plant Pioneer hybrids, but keep an open mind and check out the trials. “We planted 30 to 40 acres in BMR to fill one bunk as a summer feed for high digestibility,” Zach explains. “The rest is planted to a mixture to keep our seed costs down.”

Today, the brothers farm over 700 acres and milk 170 cows. The herd produces 75 to 80 pounds of milk per cow per day, with somatic cell counts around 200,000. They share responsibilities on the farm, with Jeremy taking care of the breeding, herd health and the finances, while Zach leans more toward the facilities and crops.

They sit down once a month and go over everything together and talk daily as they go about the chores on the farm.

“We started small and just worked and worked,” Jeremy relates. “We could not have done it without the foundation laid by our Dad. He bought us our first animals and lent us the barn to do it, and then he stepped away and let us do it.”

“It has been an adventure,” says Zach, who recently married Suzanne (Perdue). She brought her dairy roots in Maryland to Berks County, Pa.

Jeremy, still single, continues to renovate the old farm house near the milking parlor while living in the house across the road on the other part of the farm. He acknowledges that dairy is a family lifestyle and that being single and tied to the farm has its drawbacks.

“That’s why we both do everything here,” Zach adds. “We both know each other’s jobs so either one of us can take time off. You need to do that.”

With 15 years under their belts dairying since they were teenagers, the adventure for these brothers continues as there is always more work to be done and plans to be made.

As members of the Land O’Lakes cooperative, Zach has been active as a delegate for a few years. He also served previously as a member of the Dairy Policy Action Coalition (DPAC) board and the Berks/Lebanon County Dairy Farmers Voice.

“It’s time to get the younger generation involved in the leadership of their cooperative,” Zach affirms. “Our futures are at stake in the outcome of the decisions that are made.

“There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, when you get half or three-quarters of a milk check — whether you are buying feed or considering the value of the crops going in the cows — dairying has to be sustainable. Where am I at the end of the day in terms of gross profit, that’s the relevant question,” he adds.

If producers here have to reduce production under the proposed dairy market stabilization program, Zach believes it would be a hardship for young and beginning farmers like he and Jeremy. “If we make 80 pounds and are paid for 70, but have higher taxes and a higher basis on our corn and soybeans and a smaller land base, how do we make that work?”

He points to the opportunity in the region fueled by the growth of the yogurt industry and other outlets for milk and consumers along the eastern seaboard.

“Why aren’t we focusing on the mechanics of the market?” he asks. “That should be our focus. We should be looking out for our fellow dairy farmers around us… Large or small, we’re all important. We have to focus on creating opportunities and getting the mechanics of the market right.”

Their Unique Cooling System – www.cowkuhlerz.com

“We love this system,” brothers Zachary and Jeremy Meck agreed as they pointed out the elements of German cooling technology they have trialed in their freestall barn this summer. “It is simple, cost-effective, low-maintenance, and it does a great job of cooling with minimal water use.”

Instead of evaporative cooling by soaking the cow, these intermittent misters are placed in front of the circulation fans to cool the air.

Jeremy points out the conduit are kept high up in the trusses, and the nozzles drop down in front of the fans. This keeps the system out of reach of the cows and equipment so it doesn’t get bumped or broken. It’s also easy to put together and maintain, he says. “It’s a push together system.”

“Dan McFarland wanted us to try this for Hershey Ag before they start using them in dairy, hog, and poultry barns,” Zach explains. “We like the fact that it produces a light cooling mist to cool the air without getting the cows, feed, bedding, and concrete wet.”

“We put one in the milking parlor, too, for the employees, and they love it,” Zach adds. “It’s just like air conditioning.”

Despite the extreme temperatures this summer, the Meck brothers say their cows have done better than in previous summers. “We have seen heats in our cattle that we would not have seen before, and production did not drop off nearly as hard,” Zach explains. “The cows are up eating. Normally we would have high refusal rates in the summer, but no refusals this year. Dry matter intake has been steady.”

Trialing the Aroto-Asi cooler is just one example of how these two brothers continually look for simple and cost-effective solutions to manage their dairy farm.

MECK-BROS 0016

Zach (left) and Jeremy Meck love the new cooling system they’ve been trialing this summer in the 170-cow freestall barn at their Berks County, Pa. dairy farm. They’ve been dairying 15 years since they were teenagers and started out with 12 cows on their parents’ crop and poultry farm in Lancaster County.

MECK-BROS 9953

This is a long view of the conduit up in the rafters that brings water to the Arato-Asi cooler nozzles parked in front of each fan. This intermittent mist in front of the fans cools the air without getting the cows, feed, bedding, or concrete wet.

MECK-BROS 9980 or 9982 or 0001

The thermostatically controlled mist is barely visible (60 seconds on and 60 seconds off), but its cooling effect to the air in the barn and milking parlor is clearly felt by humans and animals, alike. The system uses very little water.

MECK-BROS 9965 or 9970

Zach (left) and Jeremy Meck own and operate Meck Bros. Dairy, milking 170 cows and farming 700 total acres in two counties with the help of three part-time employees at the dairy in Berks County where they bought and renovated a farm in 2008.

MECK-BROS 0053 or 0032

Jeremy (left) and Zach Meck recently completed the stonework, themselves, with the help of Kurtzcrete, on the milking parlor to match the existing bank barn and farmhouse.

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The Indy-500 milkmen deliver ‘coolest trophy in sports’

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Agmoos

On Memorial Day weekend a year ago, I had the honor and privilege of being one of three agriculture journalists invited to cover the Indy-500 and the milkmen who present the famed glass of milk to the winner. This International motorsports tradition is also an Indiana dairy farm tradition and underpins events for dairy promotion all year. Below is the story I wrote and some of the centerfold photos from last year’s event as we look forward to tomorrow’s run!

By Sherry Bunting, reprinted from Farmshine, June 1, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.–It’s a roar not soon forgotten when the field of 33 drivers rounds the curve to the paddock straightaway and the pace car exits the track. The thrill of the Indy500 is unmatched in motorsports, and the refreshing, replenishing, revered beverage associated with this great race is MILK.

Each year the legend is complete with the winner’s drink of ice cold milk. Last Sunday’s 96th running of the famous 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) was no exception. Milk took center stage for the 76th time as the “coolest trophy in sports” awarded for the “greatest spectacle in racing,” also known as the largest single-day sporting event in the world.

With the two Target Chip Ganassi Team cars topping the field and just 10 of the 200 laps remaining in a race that had thrilled spectators with a record number of lead changes, few cautions, no rain delays, a fast-paced 186-mph average speed, and a record high temperature of 93 degrees in the stands (125 on the track), the announcer energized fans for the finale by stating: “I just saw the American Dairy Association folks with the ice cold milk!”

Dave Forgey of River-View Dairy Farm, Logansport, has been an Indy500 spectator for years, especially since the Milk Promotion Services board began choosing dairy farmers to give the famed bottle of milk to the winning driver each year. After serving as last year’s rookie, Forgey was lead milkman this year. He was assisted by 2012 rookie Duane Hill of MayHill Holsteins, Fountain City.

“As dairy farmers, we bring a personal touch to the award, that brings it to the common level of the fans. At the end of the race, the milk is always first,” said Forgey with a broad grin.

The job of the Indy500 milkmen began long before Sunday, and will continue in venues such as Rotary Club presentations and small town parades, as well as other competitive events that capitalize on the Winners Drink Milk slogan of the Milk Promotion Services of Indiana, Inc. (MPSI).

Forgey described the past month as a whirlwind of preparation, promotion, and parades, along with media interviews and milk toasts at events like the Rookie Drivers Luncheon last Tuesday.

By Sunday, the milkmen were focusing on keeping the milk iced for Victory Circle and promoting milk and dairy farming to race-day fans.

In short, the Indy500 milkmen are charged with protecting the future of this unique sports award ruled tops for its “cool factor” according to Sports Illustrated writer Pete McEntegart, who in his 2005 si.com column ranked milk #1 among the Sports World’s top-10 unique trophies.

“It is certainly a tradition that everyone respects. What else can we do that is this national and international in scope?” Forgey observed. He said he came home to find an email from a friend in New Zealand who saw the whole thing on television.

In addition to pre-race television and radio broadcasts, Forgey and Hill figure they personally greeted and talked with hundreds of fans Sunday morning, not to mention the sheer visual impact of milk in the Victory Circle celebration to several hundred thousand spectators, millions of television viewers, and countless more via the Internet.

“The fans are interested. They wanted to talk about our dairy farms,” said Forgey. When fans realized he was giving the bottle of mlk, they wanted to know how he qualified for the job. When Forgey explained that he and Hill are Indiana dairy farmers, the fans were eager to know more. Of course, they also wanted to see the milk.
Standing by the milkmen in front of the IMS Pagoda Sunday morning, enthusiasm for “the milk” was evident. Fans paused to take pictures, and ask questions.

“There was a lot of excitement for this within the racing fans,” said Forgey. “They know the tradition. They know about the milk. And when we can help them connect it back to the farmer, that generates interest.”

Initiated 76 years ago when the first three-time winner, Louis Meyer, asked for buttermilk to quench his thirst after the grueling 500-mile race, the bottle of milk tradition has endured and evolved. The American Dairy Association of Indiana (ADA) coordinates the promotion, and 38 years ago added to the Indy500 heritage by sponsoring the “Fastest Rookie of the Year” award. The coveted award recognizes the first-year driver who achieves the fastest four-lap average speed from among fellow rookie competitors during time trials.

“The rookies are very interested in the milk and getting their pictures taken with the milk,” said Forgey. He explained that professional videos of the two farms (River-view and MayHill) were created and shared at the Rookie Luncheon. The videos highlighted the ADA “Fastest Rookie” award and promoted the dairy industry with snapshot histories of the farms of the 2012 milkmen.

“It has been very exciting to do this,” said Forgey about his role as Indy500 milkman, where he set a goal to broaden awareness of the event within the dairy industry.

“What better way could we as dairy farmers promote our product than to be out in the forefront of this event, which is so significant worldwide?” said Forgey, who has “appreciated the honor of spending these past two years representing the 1200 dairy farmers in Indiana and 50,000 in the nation that work hard to produce a healthy product.

The bottle of milk tradition and Fastest Rookie award are two Indy500 programs supported annually by the ADA and its Hoosier dairy farm families. Forgey and Hill, both members of the MPSI board, took on the responsibility for continuing one of Indianapolis’ most treasured traditions this year.

“We appreciate the support of this tradition by the Hulman-George Family and recognize the important place it holds in the hearts of everyone who loves the Indianapolis 500,” said Forgey. “This is a tradition the dairy farmers of Indiana uphold each year, and it’s not just for Indiana. People associate the famous 500-mile race with the bottle of milk.”

Today, scientific evidence shows Louis Meyer knew what he was doing back in 1933, when he turned to milk to refuel after a grueling 500-miles.

Dario Franchitti hit the three-win mark Sunday, and continued the Winners Drink Milk tradition.

Part of that ongoing tradition is the list of “mini marathons” and other competitive events in which the Winners Drink Milk slogan is used and chocolate milk is provided as the most refreshing beverage to replenish after exercise. For the Indycar drivers, however, the choice remains traditional. The milkmen keep whole white milk, 2% or nonfat chillin’ for them in Victory Circle.

CAPTION INFORMATION:
Driving for the Target Chip Ganassi Team, Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon swept the top two spots in the 96th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27. Legends were celebrated from 101 years of racing against a backdrop of Memorial Day honors for U.S. troops, including a tribute to last year’s Indy500 champion Dan Weldon, who was later involved in a fatal crash during the final 2011 Indycar race last October. Franchitti, Dixon and third place driver Tony Kanaan were all close friends of Weldon. Sporting his trademark white sunglasses, they crossed the finish line nearly three-abreast as the Indy500 ended its 200th 2.5-mile lap under the yellow caution flag, with the winner determined in the 199th lap.

“Winners Drink Milk” is the slogan imprinted on the bottle of milk awarded to the winning driver at the Indy500 each year. The slogan and bottle are used by the American Dairy Association of Indiana as shown in the milk float during the Festival of Indy parade Saturday.

Franchitti celebrated his third Indy500 win Sunday with the bottle of milk tradition started in the 1930s by Indy’s first three-time winner Louis Meyer (above right). After Meyer’s second victory in the grueling 500-mile race, he requested buttermilk to quench his thirst.

Pictured in the white and black cow-cap is 2012 Indy500 milkman Dave Forgey. The Logansport, Indiana dairyman was selected by his peers to deliver the legendary bottle of milk to the winning driver in Victory Circle this year. The “Winners Drink Milk” campaign is funded by Indiana dairy farmers through the ADA.

In traditional fashion, Franchitti celebrated his victory with the milk drink (and dunk) to the cheers of the crowd and throngs of photographers as well as national and international media.

MORE CAPTION INFORMATION:
The “Winners Drink Milk” float was a main attraction at the Festival of Indy parade Saturday in downtown Indianapolis.
“Milkmen” Dave Forgey of Logansport (left) and Duane Hill of Fountain City kept a bottle each of whole, 2% and nonfat white milk chilled (with backup of course) for Victory Circle.
Indy 500 legends are commemorated on milk bottles lining shelves at the gift shops.
All 33 drivers were surveyed for their preferences before the race, and this race fan checked the sheet to see what his favorite driver prefers (whole, 2% or nonfat).
For racing fans like these folks from Wisconsin-the bottle of milk is a revered tradition, and the Indiana farmers who served as milkmen were treated as protectors of the celebrity-MILK-as they greeted Indy500 fans on race-day in front of the Pagoda at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Link

“Are you takin’ a picture?

On a blue sky morning, the last thing you want to do is paperwork at a desk. So I paused to re-view a “foodographic” video sent to me by a friend last winter for a story I was working on for the newspaper.

The profound words of the Rachel Eppley song were put to a slide show of mobile uploads from my friend Lorraine Lewandrowski through the various seasons of dairy farming on Honey Hill in Herkimer County, New York.

Whether you are a ‘farmer’ or an ‘eater’ on this beautiful Sunday, please enjoy and feel free to share this view of everyday life as captured on farms in New York’s Mohawk Valley.

NY-FARM-TO-CITY FIRST! Telling Milk’s Story at “Just Food”

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Agmoos

My friend TAMMY GRAVES wrote the guest post for my FOODOGRAPHY blog today. It also made the cover of today’s Farmshine newspaper, telling how she and dairywomen Deb Windecker and Lorraine Lewandrowski of Herkimer County NY had the rare opportunity to present a 75-minute workshop telling milk’s story at the JUST FOOD CONFERENCE in New York City. Great Job Ladies!

NEW YORK, N.Y. – For the first time, New York State dairy farmers were on the workshop list at the Just Food Conference March 29-30 in New York City. A 75-minute presentation entitled “Introduction to the New York Milk Shed” was prepared and offered by Herkimer County dairy farmers Lorraine Lewandrowski and Deb Windecker of Newport and Schuyler, respectively. Tammy Graves, a dairy farmer advocate from Otsego County also contributed by explaining the mutually dependent relationship between consumers and dairy farmers.

“We provided faces and stories about our milk for attendees. Many more conversations still need to occur, but it was a huge step in bridging the gap,” Deb Windecker reported. “So many people think there are antibiotics in our milk. We are pleased to report that we dispelled that myth by explaining the penalties and protocols that are in place at the farm, at the processing plant, and with our regulators, to ensure that never occurs.”

The presentation provided answers in four parts: 1) Where is dairy farming in New York State? 2) Why should you care about a Milk Shed and/or dairy farmers? 3) What does a dairy farmer do? 4) Why should you eat real dairy products?

Our message was “Milk is clean and safe. Milk is water. Milk means healthy cows. Milk is Local. Milk is a life’s work.”

Part One of the workshop for Just Food consumer advocates summarized the facts and included a visual overview of the NY Milk Shed: 5100 dairy farms, 610,000 cows, 113-cow average herd size. A pictorial tour of the milk regions (Lower Hudson, Upper Hudson, North Country, Mohawk Valley and Western New York) was the background for discussion. The discussion included a look at the diversity among NY dairy farms in terms of cow breeds, farm size by acreage, herd sizes and strengths and prominent resources by region.

Part Two illustrated the long-standing connection New York City has had with dairy farmers, highlighting the 1939 milk strike. As a result of the milk strike, then NYC Mayor Laguardia was an advocate and influencer for achieving adequate farm milk pricing at that time. Cheese pack boats, milk trains and today’s tractor trailers carrying 150,000 glasses of milk were mentioned.

Additionally, Lewandrowski emphasized why the average New Yorker should be concerned about the state’s dairy farms. A series of photos accompanied her points regarding economic development, food security, open space, watershed protection, floodplains, biodiversity, rural tradition, and the diversity of people working in New York’s dairy industry.

Part Three of the presentation evoked the most questions from attendees as it gave a micro-view of the cycle involving a dairy cow, a dairy farmer and soil. Growing seasons, equipment costs, feed storage were discussed, in addition to milking procedures and newborn calf care.

Part Four explained that buying real dairy products translates to eating food that most closely mirrors the clean and safe milk that dairy farmers put into the milk truck. Attendees were very appreciative to learn that not all brands or types of cheese and Greek yogurt are created equal.

“The experience provided us with invaluable insight to perspectives and beliefs of individuals that are keen on food topics,” the presenters reflected after the event. New York City residents who attended left with a better understanding. One member of the audience approached the presenters about the possibility of chartering a bus to bring New York City food and farm-interested people to visit dairy farms upstate and to spend a day at the Fair.

Ag Moos

Tag Archives: dairy

Milestone reached by Shenandoah Family Farms

A life lived in earnest

How dairy farmers dealt with ‘Polar Vortex’

‘Dairy Carrie’ is on her way to the PA Farm Show

Triumph in 2013 trumps tragedy in 2012

Chillin’ with the Meck Bros… How two brothers are building their dairy business in volatile times.

The Indy-500 milkmen deliver ‘coolest trophy in sports’

Link

NY-FARM-TO-CITY FIRST! Telling Milk’s Story at “Just Food”

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