Tennessee Dairy Producers Association

The Tennessee Dairy Producers Association seeks to be a unified voice for all dairy producers in Tennessee in a manner that will expedite a consistent response to any issue that might affect the short or long range viability of the dairy industry in Tennessee. TDPA will also serve as an unbiased source of information for dairy producers as well as consumers.

 

 


 

Tennessee Dairy Producers Association Annual Meeting

 

Friday, January 26, 2024

East Building, James E. Ward Agricultural Center

Lebanon, TN

 

*CLICK ON THE MEETING IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW THE

ENTIRE MEETING AGENDA AND TO REGISTER*

 

 

 


 

 

Rescheduling of January 18, 2024 MILK Workshop to January 25, 2024

 

Dr. Shelli Rampold and Dr. Carrie Stephens are currently working on a grant with Dr. Liz Eckelkamp at The University of Tennessee. Dr. Eckelkamp has a multi-state grant award focused on several dairy initiatives. One part of the grant is to offer a program in leadership development and issues and crisis communications within the dairy industry. The program is entitled Mastering Individual Leadership Knowledge (MILK) and will consist of enhancing ones leadership, communication, and public relation skills. Dr. Rampold and Dr. Stephens will be offering two free webinars for individuals who are interested in advancing their leadership and communication perspectives.

 

The first webinar will be held from 12:00 – 1:00 EST on January 25, 2024 via Zoom (Rescheduled from January 18, 2024 due to inclement weather). The focus of this webinar will be on team-based leadership, conflict management in business and industry situations, and addressing stress and mental health issues within the dairy industry (financial stress, familial stress, work-life balance, etc.).  The Zoom link for this webinar is https://tennessee.zoom.us/j/81749452554.

 

Sincerely,

Carrie Stephens

Professor

Graduate Coordinator

Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications

2640 Morgan Circle, 114A Mccord Hall

Knoxville, Tennessee 37996

Website: https://alec.tennessee.edu/

 

 


 

 

 

Producer Survey

 

Dear Tennessee Producer:

 

We invite you to participate in a study conducted by University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture researchers along with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The purpose of this survey is to demonstrate the progress Tennessee farmers are making towards environmental stewardship.

 

The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete. Your participation is voluntary. NO personal information or data will be collected.

 

Click here to take the survey

 

Please contact us if you have any other questions about the survey. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to help us! 

 

Dr. Chris Boyer (cboyer3@utk.edu)

Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics

 

UT Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee Knoxville

 

 

 

 


 

Transportation Credit Provisions: Appalachian, Southeast

and Florida Orders

 

USDA has received a proposal from the Dairy Cooperative Marketing Agency to amend the inter-market Transportation Credit Balancing Fund provisions of the Appalachian and Southeast orders and adopt new distributing plant delivery credit provisions for the Appalachian, Florida, and Southeast orders.  Per regulation, USDA has 30-days from receipt of proposal to deny the proposal, request more information, or issue an Action Plan.  USDA’s response will be posted online.

 

The proposal is available at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/moa/dairy/petitions

 

 

Jason Nierman

Market Administrator

Appalachian Marketing Area – FO 5

Florida Marketing Area – FO 6

Southeast Marketing Area – FO 7

Phone: (502)499-0040 ext 2222

Direct: (502)709-7856

http://www.malouisville.com

http://www.fmmatlanta.com

 

 


 

 

Anhydrous Ammonia – What Workers Need to Know

 

Anhydrous ammonia is a valuable farm input that will be applied this November. Safety should be top of mind when transporting anhydrous ammonia to the field and applying it. This message is intended for those that use anhydrous ammonia in their operation and for others to be aware of its characteristics.

 

What Do You Make Sure Workers Know?  Ammonia training and I must add “retraining” needs to be provided to family members, full-time, part-time/seasonal, and especially newly hired employees. Why do I emphasize retraining? The intermittent use of working around anhydrous ammonia can allow us to forget some key details, combat complacency, and keep safety top of mind. Training for anhydrous ammonia aims to reduce “human error” and lower the likelihood that a release will occur. Be informed, be safe, and follow procedures you’ve been taught.

 

Click HERE to read the full article on Anhydrous Ammonia on the news page!

 

 


 

 

 

Full House Committee on Agriculture Review of Farm Bill

Dairy Provisions hearing Wednesday

As farm bill discussions get underway, a Full House Committee on Agriculture 2022 Review of Farm Bill Dairy Provisions Hearing is slated for TOMORROW, Wed., June 22 at 10:00 a.m.
 
The hearing will be live-streamed at
 
Two panels will testify, including Deputy Administrators for Farm Service Agency and USDA AMS Dairy Programs (Dana Coale) in Panel One. Making up Panel Two will be Lolly Lesher, Owner/Operator of Way-Har Farms, Berneville, Pa., for NMPF; Mike Durkin, President and CEO of Leprino Foods for IDFA; Travis Forgues, Vice President of Membership for Organic Valley, La Farge, Wis.; and Marin Bozic, Assistant Professor of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota.
 
The witness list is available at
 
Testimony will be uploaded later at the House Committee on Agriculture website in conjunction with the hearing at
 

American Dairy Coalition | www.americandairycoalitioninc.com

 

Hello all,

 

The Center for Profitable Agriculture in partnership with the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (SDBII), Middle Tennessee State University, and PENN State Extension is offering a free online series of workshops titled Assessing Value-Added Dairy Business Expansion. Each session will run for one hour starting at 11am/CT 12pm/ET. All are welcome to join, including those who are not in the dairy industry. Many of the topics will be useful to anyone interested in all types of value-added agriculture and business expansion. The topics and dates of the workshops are as follows:

 

Wednesday, November 2nd

  • Questions to Consider When Expanding
  • Applying for the Value-Added Producer Grant

Wednesday, November 16th

  • Case Study: Growing a Value-Added Dairy Enterprise at MTSU Creamery

Wednesday, November 30th

  • Tools for Analyzing Feasibility and Profitability

 

You can register to join us by clicking here.

 

For those who attend all three sessions, this workshop series fulfills one Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) special educational requirement in Agritourism, Fruits & Vegetables, or Value-Added. For additional information regarding educational programs for TAEP requirements, please contact Grant Pulse from Tennessee Department of Agriculture at 615-837-5347.

 

The first session is next Wednesday, so sign up today!

 

Best,

Shep Stearns

Value-Added Dairy Extension Specialist

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

345 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

sstearn1@utk.edu

cell: (860) 595-6053

 

Check out the UTValue-Added Dairy webpage for updates and educational resources

 


 

 

 

 

Please see below press release from USDA:

 

USDA Opens 2022 Signup for Dairy Margin Coverage, Expands Program for Supplemental Production

 

Program Enhancements Improve Feed Cost Calculations 

 

WASHINGTON, Dec.  8, 2021 – As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to support dairy farmers and rural communities, today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened signup for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program and expanded the program to allow dairy producers to better protect their operations by enrolling supplemental production. This signup period – which runs from Dec. 13, 2021 to Feb. 18, 2022 – enables producers to get coverage through this important safety-net program for another year as well as get additional assistance through the new Supplemental DMC.

 

Supplemental DMC will provide $580 million to better help small- and mid-sized dairy operations that have increased production over the years but were not able to enroll the additional production. Now, they will be able to retroactively receive payments for that supplemental production. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) updated how feed costs are calculated, which will make the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses.

 

“Dairy Margin Coverage is a critical safety net for producers, and catastrophic coverage is free. These DMC updates build on other efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration to improve DMC and other key USDA dairy programs,” Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie said. “We encourage dairy producers to make use of the support provided by enrolling in supplemental coverage and enroll in DMC for the 2022 program year.”

 

Supplemental DMC Enrollment 

 

Eligible dairy operations with less than 5 million pounds of established production history may enroll supplemental pounds based upon a formula using 2019 actual milk marketings, which will result in additional payments. Producers will be required to provide FSA with their 2019 Milk Marketing Statement.

 

Supplemental DMC coverage is applicable to calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023. Participating dairy operations with supplemental production may receive retroactive supplemental payments for 2021 in addition to payments based on their established production history.

 

Supplemental DMC will require a revision to a producer’s 2021 DMC contract and must occur before enrollment in DMC for the 2022 program year. Producers will be able to revise 2021 DMC contracts and then apply for 2022 DMC by contacting their local USDA Service Center.

 

DMC 2022 Enrollment 

 

After making any revisions to 2021 DMC contracts for Supplemental DMC, producers can sign up for 2022 coverage. DMC provides eligible dairy producers with risk management coverage that pays producers when the difference between the price of milk and the cost of feed falls below a certain level. So far in 2021, DMC payments have triggered for January through October for more than $1.0 billion.

 

For DMC enrollment, producers must certify with FSA that the operation is commercially marketing milk, sign all required forms and pay the $100 administrative fee. The fee is waived for farmers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged, or a military veteran. To determine the appropriate level of DMC coverage for a specific dairy operation, producers can use the online dairy decision tool.

 

Updates to Feed Costs 

 

USDA is also changing the DMC feed cost formula to better reflect the actual cost dairy farmers pay for high-quality alfalfa hay. FSA will calculate payments using 100% premium alfalfa hay rather than 50%. The amended feed cost formula will make DMC payments more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses.

 

Additional Dairy Assistance 

 

Today’s announcement is part of a broader package to help the dairy industry respond to the pandemic and other challenges. USDA is also amending Dairy Indemnity Payment Program (DIPP) regulations to add provisions for the indemnification of cows that are likely to be not marketable for longer durations, as a result, for example, of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. FSA also worked closely with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to target assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program ) and other conservation programs to help producers safely dispose of and address resource concerns created by affected cows. Other recent dairy announcements include $350 million through the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program and $400 million for the Dairy Donation Program.

 

Additional details on these changes to DMC and DIPP can be found in a rule that will be published soon in the Federal Register. This rule also included information on the new Oriental Fruit Fly Program as well as changes to FSA conservation programs. A copy of the rule is available here.

 

More Information 

 

To learn more or to participate in DMC or DIPP, producers should contact their local  USDA Service Center. Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email and other digital tools. Because of the pandemic, some  USDA Service Centers  are open to limited visitors. Producers should contact their Service Center to set up an in-person or phone appointment. Additionally, more information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at  farmers.gov/coronavirus.

 

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit  www.usda.gov.

 

Tennessee Dairy Producers Association
PO Box 1604
Lewisburg TN 37091
Phone: 931-698-0243 / info@tndairy.org

 

Vilsack urges FMMO consensus

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack (left) visited with Anna and Tina Hinchely (right) at their dairy farm in Cambridge, Wis., last week and later addressed questions from other local farmers and farm organizations.

As he spoke with a room of dairy producers and farm organization representatives at a Wisconsin dairy farm last Thursday, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized that if a change is going to come to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders, it must come from consensus within the dairy industry.

 

“The challenge, I think, for us, isn’t so much a willingness to do because we’re willing to try; we’re willing to look for ways to help dairy. The challenge is to make sure we’re doing it in a way that gains consensus within the dairy industry,” he said.

 

“Frankly, I think it’s up to the dairy industry itself to work through this process. Rather than us at USDA trying to dictate what we think the solution is going to be and maybe make a mistake so that Wisconsin thinks it’s great but Vermont thinks it’s horrible, you all need to work at this and come with a plan,” the Secretary advised.

 

. . . Read the whole article here.


 

Media Contact:
Laurie Fischer
314-391-8390

 

American Dairy Coalition applauds Senators Gillibrand, Collins and Leahy on the introduction of the bipartisan Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act of 2021 

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The American Dairy Coalition applauds Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) for introducing the bipartisan Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act of 2021 today in the United States Senate. The bipartisan legislation launches national hearings on Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) pricing methods.

 

Specifically, the bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to initiate the process of holding FMMO hearings within six months on “the views and proposals of producers and the dairy industry on Class I skim milk price, including the ‘higher of’ formula… and any other views and proposals on the Class I skim milk price and such other matters as the Secretary of Agriculture considers appropriate.”

 

“When the dairy pricing system isn’t working for farmers, the economic ramifications are felt across the country. I heard from producers across the industry firsthand during my subcommittee hearing on dairy pricing, and the message was clear — our dairy pricing system is inadequate, out of date, and working against producers. This bill is a great first step, and I look forward to continuing efforts on broader FMMO modernization,” said Senator Gillibrand, dairy subcommittee chair in a statement.

 

Senator Collins noted that “The Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act would help restore some stability to this sector by ensuring that USDA holds public hearings to receive farmers’ input on ways to correct the unintended consequences of a pre-pandemic pricing policy.”

 

Senator Leahy, appropriations chair, noted that “As Congress and USDA help farmers recover from the pandemic’s immediate impacts, it’s a critical time to reexamine the federal milk pricing system and ensure it works equitably for all farmers.”

 

“We are grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her early leadership when seeing the pricing inversions that resulted in net farm milk check losses estimated by Farm Bureau and others at $3 billion — over $700 million on Class I value alone, plus the impact of de-pooling and negative producer price differentials,” said American Dairy Coalition CEO Laurie Fisher.

 

“Senator Gillibrand worked with her colleagues to send a May letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting producer compensation, and in September, she conducted a Senate subcommittee hearing on milk pricing,” said Fischer. “Today, Sen. Gillibrand and her colleagues have introduced this important bipartisan legislation to open the FMMO hearing process.”

 

When the change from the previous ‘higher of’ method to the current “average plus” method for Class I skim milk was made in the 2018 Farm Bill, there were no hearings or comment processes, and most producers were not aware of the change until it failed to perform equitably during disruptive market conditions.

 

“Economists acknowledge that the current Class I method caps the benefit at 74 cents on Class I, which equates to about 20 cents per hundredweight nationally on the all-milk price. However, this “average plus” method has no limits on the downside risk in the equation. Our dairy farmers have suffered through extreme examples of this during the first two years of implementation,” Fischer said, adding that the ADC board is on record supporting a return to the ‘higher of’ until FMMO hearings can evaluate a path forward that is fair to producers and the industry.

 

In a recent ADC poll, responses from producers in 10 of the 11 FMMOs showed a large majority across all dairy size categories experienced negative impacts affecting their confidence in risk management, and an even larger majority favored a return to the previous ‘higher of’ method for Class I pricing until a formal hearing process can adequately review proposals.

 

“Our producers have suffered. They have lost confidence in the functioning of the FMMOs and the performance of their available risk management tools – especially in their responsiveness to unexpected marketing conditions,” Fischer said. “This bill responds to producer concerns to get national hearings started. ADC looks forward to seeing this bill become law so our farmers can be at the table on milk pricing that affects their livelihoods.”

 

The Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act has been endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, New York Farm Bureau, American Dairy Coalition, and Maine Dairy Industry Association.

 

Read the full bill text here: https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Dairy%20Pricing%20Opportunity%20Act.pdf

Contact ADC at info@americandairycoalitioninc.com (or simply reply to this email) to be added to the email list for future communications.

 

 


 

 

October DMC margin jumps to $8.77 per cwt

By Progressive Dairy Editor Dave Natzke

 

October milk prices moved to a 12-month high, helping boost the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program income margin to $8.77 per hundredweight (cwt), according to preliminary calculations by Progressive Dairy.

 

The USDA released its latest Ag Prices report on Nov. 30, including factors used to calculate October 2021 DMC margins and payments. In addition to higher milk prices, lower soybean meal and corn prices cut total DMC feed costs, creating the largest margin since December 2020.

Based on monthly average prices, the October DMC margin is $2.52 higher than August’s historic low. It marked the first month in which the DMC milk income margin was above $7.50 per cwt this year.

Dairy producers insured at the top $9.50 per cwt tier I level will see an indemnity payment of about 73 cents per cwt. Read more here>>>

 

 


 

 

Dairy Webinar Wednesday 2021

 

 

Hello everyone,

 

Our next Webinar Wednesday will be Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 12pm EST/11am CST. Caitlin Zaring is a Masters student working with Dr. Liz Eckelkamp at the University of Tennessee in the Department of Animal Science. This presentation will cover how cheeses are classified and general processing steps for this popular product! This meeting will be eligible for Master Dairy Credit. The agenda is also attached. Please register for FREE at https://ww2021.questionpro.com to receive meetings links and additional information. If you have already registered, meeting information will be shared shortly.

 

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

office: (865) 974-8167

cell: (337) 718-9764

 

 


 

 

 

Southern SARE Seeking Communication Specialist

 

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) program is seeking a Communications Specialist to join the staff at the University of Georgia – Griffin campus.

 

The Communications Specialist promotes Southern SARE’s program goals, objectives and grant-making efforts across the Southern region by communicating project results through the development of written articles and educational resources, social media tools, and multimedia efforts. The position also promotes the Southern SARE program through public relations activities at conferences, university field days, regional meetings and other events across the Southern region.

 

Preferred qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in communications, preferably agricultural communications, or a science degree with some writing experience; knowledge of sustainable agriculture; an understanding of the land-grant/Cooperative Extension system; and knowledge using social media and multimedia tools.

 

For a full job description and to complete an application, go to https://www.ugajobsearch.com/ click on “Search Jobs” and search by Posting Number S06968P. The position is open until filled.

 

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status.

 

Published by the Southern Region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Southern SARE operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture to offer competitive grants to advance sustainable agriculture in America’s Southern region.

 

 


 

 

 

 

Media Contact:
Laurie Fischer
314-391-8390

 

American Dairy Coalition defends temporary return to Class I ‘higher of’ milk price formula until USDA hearing process evaluates options

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. – There are several key reasons American Dairy Coalition supports a temporary return to the previous Class I milk pricing formula using the ‘higher of’ Classes III or IV, until a USDA hearing process can evaluate other ideas including a change made in the 2018 Farm Bill to an averaging method plus 74 cents, which was implemented in May 2019.

 

We know calling for a temporary return to the previous Class I formula — while various ideas about Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMO’s) are sorted out — isn’t going to happen overnight, but the process needs to begin. We are also looking futuristic and beyond a recent short-term shift and what the futures markets currently show us because a lot of dairy farmers have suffered severe loss of revenue due to milk being removed from the federal orders. Subsequently farmers have lost confidence in the functioning of the FMMOs and question the value of purchasing available risk management programs under the average of pricing formula,” said Laurie Fischer, CEO of American Dairy Coalition about the ADC Board’s passage of a motion to support returning to the ‘higher of’ temporarily until a long-term solution can be examined.

 

Decisions need to be made on what is sound economically over the long-term, not short-term. Long-term, using the ‘higher of’ is best economically and provides the proper economic signal. If a decision is made solely on short-term economic gains, then there will be constant flipping back and forth — a direction the dairy industry too often takes,” said Calvin Covington, retired cooperative CEO and former breed association executive with vast experience in Class I fluid milk markets, multiple component pricing and FMMO order reforms.

 

The previous ‘higher of’ milk pricing formula allowed us to participate in risk management strategies with the confidence they could help protect our business from market shocks. Under the new ‘averaging method,’ risk management results are no longer as predictable. So, in addition to living with a milk pricing system that is not as responsive to unexpected market conditions, our experiences over the last 18 months have caused us to lose confidence in using these risk management tools,” said Linda Hodorff of Second Look Holsteins in Wisconsin and Broken Bow Dairy in Nebraska.

 

Fischer said ADC has been hearing from producers and collaborating in conference calls for over a year with momentum building months ago for this step as a stop-gap measure.

 

We have known since June that the wide divergences we saw for many months between Class III and IV are now coming together,” Fischer noted. “The future markets at one point predicted this would happen at the beginning of this year, even late last year, but it never materialized until the July 2021 Class I price was announced, in just two weeks of dairy commodity trade which immediately followed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s May 26 announcement that she wanted a hearing on milk pricing.”

 

That hearing was held last week in the Senate Ag subcommittee on dairy, livestock and poultry, chaired by Sen. Gillibrand. Two hours of discussion with six testifiers provided a multi-faceted short- and long-term view which addressed current challenges with the FMMOs including the Class I change.

 

During the Sept. 15 hearing, Sen. Gillibrand cited the over $750 million in Class I losses over a 26-month period, a figure confirmed by National Milk Producers Federation and several dairy economists.

 

Currently, Class I is benefiting from the new averaging method with the 74-cent adjuster,” Fischer explained. “If we include the small benefit ranging 34 to 69 cents for July through September, the net loss across the 29 months of implementation so far is still $720 million, or the equivalent of 67 cents on every hundredweight of Class I milk shipped since May 2019.”

 

Looking at today’s milk futures, the Class III and IV gap could stay narrow across the next six to 12 months of contracts — “but we’re not there yet, and what worries my members is how do they protect their costs of production when they have no way to protect their risk when the market experiences a shock and processors decide to remove milk from the federal orders. Luckily, in the past some processors shared these benefits with their farmer patrons, but unfortunately others didn’t.

 

Right now, Class I does benefit from the averaging of milk pricing method, which can max out at 74 cents on the top-side. But if that gap between Classes III and IV widens again, there is no limit to the losses on the bottom-side,” said Fischer.

 

The Class I change was made quickly without a hearing process to examine it, and farmers were told it would be revenue neutral…. Meaning it would not harm farmers. This didn’t happen, and farmers ended up being harmed by how this change affected their milk checks and risk management strategies during periods of market stress and volatility when they needed them most,” said Fischer. “Beginning the process to return to the ‘higher of’ method is necessary to protect farmers from future distortions as they navigate uncertain markets.”

 

Fischer said the American Dairy Coalition stands ready to collaborate on long-term solutions to this and other FMMO challenges so these federal orders function as intended for all parties — producers, cooperatives and processors — can successfully manage their businesses in a dynamic and changing dairy industry.

 

 


 

 

Tennessee Farm Bureau President Jeff Aiken Announces
Retirement as President

 

 

Columbia, Tenn. September 8, 2021 – Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation President Jeff Aiken announced he will not seek reelection at the annual meeting in December. Aiken, a third-generation beef cattle, hay, corn and tobacco farmer from Washington County, has served as president for the past six years and is only the 8th president in the organization’s 100-year history.

 

“When I was elected as president of the organization, I told everyone it’s because God called us to it, and now, Carol and I believe God is calling us back to the farm,” said Aiken. “The opportunity to serve the incredible farm people of Tennessee has been greater than we could have ever imagined, and we are exceptionally grateful for all we’ve experienced with our Farm Bureau family during these past six years.”

 

President Aiken and his wife, Carol, farm with his two brothers and manage their more than 900-acre family operation in Telford, Tenn. They first became involved in the organization through the Young Farmers and Ranchers organization where he served as state chairman in 1992 and in 1993 he and Carol were named the Tennessee Young Farmers of the Year. After serving for several years as a board member and president of the Washington County Farm Bureau, Aiken was first elected to the state board as director-at-large in 1998. He then was elected as vice president in 2012 before being elected president in 2015.

 

“Being a part of the Farm Bureau family and watching it grow has always been one of my passions,” Aiken says. “Traveling throughout our great state and listening to the concerns of our farmers and members and then seeing us develop policy to protect and promote our industry has been a blessing to Carol and I.”

 

Along with his service on the board of directors for the American Farm Bureau, Aiken has served on numerous boards and state and local committees including the Tennessee FFA Foundation, Tennessee State Fair Commission, Governor’s Rural Task Force, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry and First Farmers and Merchants Bank. He was also selected by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to serve on Tennessee’s Economic Recovery Group to represent interests of the agriculture community when building guidance to safely reboot the state’s economy during the pandemic.

 

TFBF has thrived under the leadership of President Aiken, as membership has grown by more than 35,000 family members to an all-time high of more than 680,000. The influence of the organization and its service companies has never been stronger and his leadership abilities and his passion and dedication for agriculture has strengthened farm and rural communities across Tennessee.

 

“Few are blessed with the amazing opportunity I’ve had to lead this great agricultural organization and represent the hard-working farmers of Tennessee,” Aiken said. “I am grateful for the Farm Bureau staff, leaders and agriculture industry partners I’ve worked with and will miss the day-to-day interaction. Carol and I will forever cherish the memories and friendships we’ve made, but we look forward to returning to our family and farm in East Tennessee.”

 

A new TFBF president will be elected to a two-year term by the voting delegates of the 100th annual meeting in Franklin, December 5-7, 2021.

 

 


 

 

USDA Announces Improvements to the Dairy Safety Net and New Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program

 

I wanted to make sure you were aware of this new program rolling out, the Pandemic Market-Volatility Assistance Program (PMVAP). It is a USDA program but it is going through AMS instead of FSA. The assistance will be distributed by the producer’s dairy cooperative or milk handler.  Because this program is utilizing cooperatives or handlers for payment distribution there is actually no information required to be submitted by producers to obtain this assistance.

 

If producers have questions about PMVAP please direct producers to the following website and email box to either obtain answers to their questions or submit questions for response.

 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/pandemic-market-volatility-assistance-program

 

PMVAP@usda.gov

 

Thanks so much,

Greer Gill

Public Affairs / Outreach Coordinator

Farm Service Agency – USDA

Tennessee State Office

615-277-2615 office

855-494-7764 fax

Greer.Gill@usda.gov

 

 


 

 

 

 

Dairy Webinar Wednesday 2021

 

Our next Webinar Wednesday will be next Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at 12pm EST/11am CST. Dr. Charley Martinez, an Extension Specialist in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department, will be providing an overview of risk management tools available to dairy farmers and their potential successes. This meeting will count toward Master Dairy Credit for 2021. The agenda is also attached. Please register for FREE at https://ww2021.questionpro.com to receive meetings links and additional information.

 

 

 

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS 

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

office: (865) 974-8167

cell: (337) 718-9764

 

 


 

 

Dairy Margin Coverage and Dairy Gauge Workshops

 

Join us for these upcoming workshops on the Dairy Margin Coverage Program offered by the USDA Farm Service Agency and the Dairy Gauge Decision Tool offered through UT Dairy and the UT MANAGE Program. See below for the workshop tour schedule. Register online at: https://dmc.questionpro.com. Please submit registration no later than September 17th at midnight. We look forward to having you join us!

 

PLEASE NOTE: We are monitoring the current COVID19 situation closely and will provide a virtual option if necessary.

 

(Click below to view/download)

     

 

 

Best,

Shep Stearns

Value-Added Dairy Extension Specialist

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

345 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

sstearn1@utk.edu

cell: (860) 595-6053

 

 


 

 

 

Stakeholder Toolkit: USDA Updates Pandemic Assistance for Livestock, Poultry Contract Producers and Specialty Crop Growers

 

 

(Click below to view/download)

 

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is updating the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) for contract producers of eligible livestock and poultry and producers of specialty crops and other sales-based commodities. CFAP 2, which assists producers who faced market disruptions in 2020 due to COVID-19, is part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.

Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has set an Oct. 12, 2021 deadline for all eligible producers to apply for or modify applications for CFAP 2.

 

We need your help. We want to ensure eligible producers are aware of this program and the available resources to apply, including how to contact the FSA office at their local USDA Service Center and FSA’s call center. This toolkit is meant for partners and stakeholder groups to use and share information in their networks. It includes:

 

  • Key messages
  • Newsletter article
  • Social media posts
  • Poster

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found at farmers.gov/cfap/faq. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

 

Thank you,

Greer Gill

Public Affairs / Outreach Coordinator

Farm Service Agency – USDA

Tennessee State Office

615-277-2615 office

855-494-7764 fax

Greer.Gill@usda.gov

 

 


 

 

Hello everyone,

 

Our next Webinar Wednesday will be next Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 12pm EST/11am CST. Dr. Mike Hutjens, an Emeritus Professor from University of Illinois and well-known dairy nutrition specialist, will be discussing “Optimizing Silage Fermentation”. He will be providing an overview of silage harvest and fermentation considerations. He will also discuss silage inoculants, how to use them, and when. This meeting will count toward Master Dairy Credit for 2021. The agenda is also attached. Please register for FREE at https://www.2021.questionpro.com to receive meetings links and additional information.

 

 

 

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

office: (865) 974-8167

cell: (337) 718-9764

 

 


 

 

 

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Beginning today, July 15, dairy businesses in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky are eligible to apply for a new round of funding to modernize and diversify their operations through the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBII) program

 

The first round of funds for this program was made available in 2020 as part of an ongoing grant from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. So far, the University of Tennessee Department of Animal Science in partnership with the UT Center for Profitable Agriculture and Tennessee Department of Agriculture have awarded approximately $165,000 through DBII to Tennessee dairy producers.

 

In this new round of DBII funding, the pool of potential recipients is being expanded to include dairy businesses in Kentucky and North Carolina as well as Tennessee. The scale of projects that can be funded through this phase of funding has also grown.

 

Starting today, applicants in the three states will have the opportunity to submit project proposals for up to $500,000. The program will support projects of many sizes, but those making requests exceeding $150,000 should operate a licensed dairy farm and/or dairy plant and utilize a large portion of local milk. Their grant proposal should include a robust business plan. Those interested in applying or finding out more can visit utdairy.tennessee.edu/value-added-dairy-grant-application/

 

DBII is working in affiliation with North Carolina State University and the Kentucky Dairy Development Council (KDDC) to publicize and evaluate applications for this round of grant funding.

 

Anyone who has questions about the program or about allowable expenses or purchases should reach out to project leader and UT Extension Dairy Specialist Liz Eckelkamp at eeckelka@utk.edu or Hal Pepper, financial specialist with the UT Center for Profitable Agriculture, at hal.pepper@utk.edu.

 

Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.

 

Shep Stearns

Value-Added Dairy Extension Specialist

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

345 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

sstearn1@utk.edu

cell: (860) 595-6053

 

Check out UTDairy for updates and educational resources

 

 


 

 

Value-Added Dairy Conference in
Bowling Green, KY July 21-22

 

(Click flyers below to view/download)

 

 

Hello everyone,

 

If you would like to learn more about processing milk on-farm, please join us for the Value-Added Dairy Conference in Bowling Green, KY July 21-22. Our line-up of speakers includes experts from Kentucky Department of Agriculture, UT Knoxville, NC State, PennState, and the dairy industry. We will cover food safety, business planning, market trends, animal nutrition and more! See below for details. More information to come!

 

Best,

 

Shep Stearns

Value-Added Dairy Extension Specialist

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

345 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

sstearn1@utk.edu

cell: (860) 595-6053

 

 

 


 

 

State of Tennessee employees:

In partnership with Optum, the 4Mind4Body series continues with the next webinar:

Mental Health Matters

Wednesday, May 26

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT

 

This one-hour presentation focuses on the impact of COVID-19 and social unrest. Topics include

 

  • Mental health challenges
  • Social isolation
  • Grief and loss
  • Self-care strategies
  • Recognizing signs and symptoms of underlying mental health conditions
  • What you can do for others
  • Stress, anxiety and depression
  • Available resources

 

(Click below to view/download)

 

 

Click the link in the attached flier to register or click this link below:

 

https://tn.webex.com/tn/onstage/g.php?MTID=e589046b301dc980414ab810d9766c979

 

Registration is required for all webinar sessions. Sessions will not be recorded. If Internet Explorer doesn’t work for you to register, you may need to try a different browser.

 

Find information at tn.gov/PartnersForHealth under Other Benefits > EAP here:

 

https://www.tn.gov/partnersforhealth/other-benefits/eap.html

 

Questions? Email partners.wellness@tn.gov

 


 

 

Upcoming Dairy Grazing Schools

 

Hello everyone,

 

Dr. Katie Mason and I wanted to share an upcoming grazing school opportunity with all of you. On June 1, 2021 and June 2, 2021 we will be hosting Dairy-Focused Grazing Schools at the East Tennessee Research and Education Center – Little River Dairy Unit and the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center. We do plan on having some classroom time, so space is limited (30 max attendees). These Grazing Schools will also be made available to both dairy farmers and extension agents in each area, so we’re planning now for a 50/50 mix (15 farmers; 15 agents/specialists). Registration is required in advance because of the limited space and the agenda for both locations is attached. The link to register is https://dairygrazingschool.questionpro.com. If the event is full before you get a chance to register, feel free to reach out to Katie or I and we can start a waitlist for each location.

 

We look forward to seeing y’all in person!

Liz

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

office: (865) 974-8167

cell: (337) 718-9764

 


 

UT AgResearch Announces Plans to Upgrade
and Refocus Two Facilities

Read the full article – click here

 


 

 

Hello everyone,

 

As a reminder, the third Webinar Wednesday will be next week, April 14, 2021 at 12pm EST/11am CST. You will see there has been a change in our topic for next week. Dr. Charley Martinez will be discussing the third round of the CFAP (Coronavirus Food Assistance Program) as well as some updates on previous rounds of the program. Dr. Martinez is a state extension specialist at UTIA, specializing in agriculture economics. This meeting is eligible for Master Dairy Credit in 2021. Below is the schedule for the next 3 months. The agenda is also attached. Please register for FREE at https://ww2021.questionpro.com to receive meetings links and additional information.

 

 

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

office: (865) 974-8167

cell: (337) 718-9764

 


 

 

AgLaunch Positions Open:

Click on name of the positions below to read more about them and how to apply.

 

Field Research Agronomist

 

Operations & Administrative Coordinator

 

Soil and Ag Data Accountant

 
 


  

 

Tennessee USDA NRCS Application Cutoff Extended
to April 7 for FY 2022 CSP Renewals

(Click below to view/download)

 

 


 

 

Tennessee Farmers Cooperative announces
senior staff appointments

(Click below to view/download)

 

 


 

USDA Disaster Assistance Toolkit for Winter Storms

 

Winter storms create significant challenges and often result in catastrophic loss for agricultural producers, especially for those raising livestock, row crops and vulnerable crops like citrus.

 

Despite every attempt to mitigate risk, many agricultural operations suffered losses. When disaster strikes, USDA is here to help.

 

As agricultural producers move into recovery mode and assess damages, they should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages.

 

In an effort to further amplify disaster assistance programs that can help producers recover, I am sharing a social media toolkit and corresponding graphic images for use as you deem appropriate.

 

Attached, you will find a toolkit document containing suggested messages for use on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Additionally, I have attached image files that have been designed and formatted specifically for use with the each of the previously listed social media platforms.

 

Thank you in advance for any support you can provide in getting these messages to your audiences thorough your social media accounts.

 

Please contact me if you have questions or need additional information.

 

Respectfully,

Greer Gill

Public Affairs / Outreach Coordinator

Farm Service Agency – USDA

Tennessee State Office

615-277-2615 office

855-494-7764 fax

Greer.Gill@usda.gov

 

(Click below to view/download the toolkit)

 

 


 

Review of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Continues

 (Click the image below to read the full bulletin)


 


 

 


 

 

USDA FSA would like to remind our state partners that we offer several disaster assistance options to help producers recover after they are impacted by severe weather, including those impacted by winter storms and extreme cold.

 

Our national office is working on a toolkit with social media posts and newsletter articles, but in the meantime I wanted to send the below link so you all can review the programs that we offer if you get any calls from producers. Just click on “Learn More About How USDA Can Help.”

 

A friendly reminder to producers is how critical it is to keep accurate records to document the losses and illnesses following this devastating cold weather event. Livestock producers are advised to document beginning livestock numbers by taking photos or videos of any losses. Other common documentation options include:

 

  • Purchase records
  • Production records
  • Vaccination records
  • Bank or other loan documents
  • Third-party certification

 

Thank you,

Greer Gill

Public Affairs / Outreach Coordinator

Farm Service Agency – USDA

Tennessee State Office

615-277-2615 office

855-494-7764 fax

Greer.Gill@usda.gov

 


 

 

Tennessee USDA NRCS Sets March 26 Application Cutoff
for FY 2022 CSP Renewals

 

NASHVILLE, February 12, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Tennessee is accepting Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) renewal applications through Friday, March 26, 2021 to be considered for FY 2022 funding.

Current CSP participants who believe they are eligible should contact their local NRCS office on or before the March 26th application deadline.

Participants with existing CSP contracts expiring on December 31, 2021 can renew their contracts for an additional five years if they agree to adopt additional activities to achieve higher levels of conservation on their lands. 2017-1 CSP contract holders will be eligible for renewal in FY22.

 

The full news release can be read by clicking the image below…

 

 

 


 

 

USDA NRCS in Tennessee Announces Application Deadline for FY2021 Conservation Stewardship Program-Classic

Deadline to Apply is March 26, 2021

 

NASHVILLE, February 5, 2021 – The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is encouraging Tennessee agricultural producers who want to enhance current conservation effort to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)-Classic, formerly known as CSP-General.

The full news release can be found attached to this email and on the Tennessee NRCS website by clicking here.

 

Click the image below to read news release

 

 

 


 

We will be continuing the Dairy Webinar Wednesday series in 2021 on the second Wednesday of each month from 12pm to 1pm EST. These meetings will count toward Master Dairy Credit for 2021. Below is the schedule for the first 4 months. The agenda is also attached. Please register for FREE at https://ww2021.questionpro.com.

 

 

Feel free to contact me with any questions,

Liz

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

office: (865) 974-8167

cell: (337) 718-9764

 

 


An Economic Analysis of Appalachian Southeast Marketing

 

 

 

Analysis of Southeast Federal Milk Marketing Orders in Appalachian Regions

 

 

 


 

 

Good morning everyone,

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. You may have already received correspondence from Stan about the upcoming TDPA Annual Meeting on January 22nd, 2021, at the Wilson County Fair Grounds but just in case, attached is the agenda for the meeting. Stan and I have also provided a link to join the meeting remotely for anyone who would like to join remotely. Clicking this link (https://tennessee.zoom.us/j/98609335226) will take you directly to the meeting, no registration is required and the password to join is “TDPA”.  The meeting will begin at 8:30am CST and run until 4:30/5:00pm CST. If you are attending in person, please let Stan know so he can have an accurate lunch count.

 

Click below to view/download the meeting agenda…

TDPA Annual Meeting Program Agenda 2021

 

 

Happy Thursday all!

Liz

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

office: (865) 974-8167

cell: (337) 718-9764

View my availability at https://doodle.com/liz.eckelkamp

 

 


 

 

NEWS RELEASE

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

MILK MARKETING BOARD

 

Click on the documents below to open / download

 

 

 


 

 

Webinars available for TMDP credit:

 

Below are all the recordings of the previous webinars we’ve done since pandemic hit. Viewing the recordings WILL COUNT for Master Dairy Credit. For easy reference, the names and links to the webinars are below. Use this link (https://tiny.utk.edu/TMDP_form) to receive credit for viewing any of the below recordings.

 

Dump Milk: What Can I Do with It? – https://youtu.be/gN8r0JgKUzE

 

Coping with COVID-19: Biosecurity – https://youtu.be/eyRDWEHlXtY

 

Mastitis Diagnosis and Treatment: Less is More – https://youtu.be/xAoJeAGptMw

 

Un nuevo virus COVID19 información para empleados agrícolas – https://youtu.be/wrCzQ8k97V0 Information on the novel virus, COVID-19, for agricultural employees (Spanish ONLY)

 

PCDART Overview and Setting up Timed AI Protocols  – https://youtu.be/tMz-rJbPk2E

 

Understanding and Managing Heat Stress – https://youtu.be/4-CgshUYy5c

 

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Update – https://youtu.be/hnJ76EEPz-w

 

Transition Cow Diseases and Protocols – https://youtu.be/sNx44g2ObR8

 

Guidelines for Silage Storage – https://youtu.be/CZs4VS4RE98

 

Precision Dairy Technology – https://youtu.be/xuBwJoJswII

 

For the February meetings, the recordings can be found below. Use this form (https://forms.gle/PmNY3Lp6bzbrDUQ66) to show completion. Each of these are worth 1.5 hrs of continuing education.

 

Heifer Feeding Programs: One size fits all?

https://mediasite.utk.edu/UTK/Play/03057f82a9ed4c2a9639ffd7b4282cb61d?catalog=5d5f6cf2f2fc432d9ffca6bbe895694a21

 

Forage Analytics https://mediasite.utk.edu/UTK/Play/60fb451b9f244396a07496a76f202c5f1d?catalog=5d5f6cf2f2fc432d9ffca6bbe895694a21

 

We are also doing to the Cow2Cup workshop (1 hour each) and that started in September. We’ll be covering information that is more geared to the general public than dairy farmers and ag agents, but you are welcome to watch that as well. Our next two in the Cow2Cup workshop series will be in October and November. To register for those, follow this link (https://cow2cupworkshop.questionpro.com).

 

Value-added:

Sub-award application should be coming out in October – deadline to submit to TDA will be 60 days after release date. $25,000 maximum award request per application. Will be a rolling enrollment on a monthly basis after first application period. Must have some processing or marketing focus in order to apply.

 

Multi-state sub-award application should come out early spring. Cooperating with KY and NC. Must have some processing or marketing focus in order to apply.

 

2nd Annual Value-Added Conference – December 17, 2020

 

 

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

office: (865) 974-8167

cell: (337) 718-9764

View my availability at https://doodle.com/liz.eckelkamp 

 


 

Farmers Should Not Pay Dean Foods Claims, Milk Board Says…

Read the full article – click here

 


Funding Available for Innovative Partner-Driven Projects Aimed at Improving Water Quality, Wildlife Habitat,
and Soil Health in Tennessee

Application Batching Deadline is January 15, 2021

NASHVILLE, December 1, 2020 – The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering funding for innovative partner-driven projects to improve water quality, wildlife habitat and soil health in two Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) areas in Tennessee.

To be considered for program funding, applicants must operate land within the focus area of the respective RCPP project. The deadline to submit applications for fiscal year (FY) 2021 funding is January 15, 2021.

The full news release can be found attached and on the Tennessee NRCS website by clicking here.

 

 


 

November Tennessee FSA Newsletter

Click here to read…


 

 

Good morning everyone,

To try to increase our survey responses, we have extended the survey for another few weeks (December 18, 2020).  We realize that your time is valuable and we appreciate your time helping us answer these research questions.  In just 15 minutes, you can help us understand the impact of fresh cow diseases on our Tennessee dairy farms.  We are asking dairy producers to help us understand their perspectives of fresh cow care, diseases, costs, and protocols.  We will be asking questions regarding existing fresh cow protocols, disease costs, and barriers to protocol implementation.  This information will be used to develop new training materials, applied research materials, and extension programs.

We invite you to complete the research survey and we appreciate your participation.  You should have already received a paper copy of this survey in the mail with a prepaid return envelope. You may complete either the paper version, or you can follow this link (https://freshcowprotocols.questionpro.com) to the survey, which should take 15 minutes to complete.  Your participation is voluntary and you may decline to participate at any time without any penalty.  If you withdraw from the research study before data collection is completed your data will be destroyed.  Withdrawing from the study will not impact your relationship with the university in any way.  We do not foresee any risks to your participation beyond that encountered in everyday life.  The data you provided will be confidential and results will be presented only in the aggregate.

Your perceptions really matter.  We thank you and highly appreciate your input that we have received so far.  If you have not already, it is not too late.

If you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant, please contact Institutional Review Board, The University of Tennessee, 1534 White Avenue, Blount Hall, Room 408, Knoxville, TN 37996-1529, Phone: (865) 974-7697, email: utkirb@utk.edu.

Thank you,

Arup & Dr. Liz

Graduate Research Assistant

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Department of Animal Science
353 Brehm Animal Science Building
2506 River Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996

asen6@vols.utk.edu
 


 

 

Tennessee Landowners Interested in Improving Natural Resources Encouraged to Apply for NRCS Assistance

Deadline to Apply is November 20, 2020

 

NASHVILLE, October 19, 2020 – The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is now accepting applications from Tennessee producers and landowners who are interested in implementing conservation practices to improve natural resources on their farm or forest land. Funding is available through the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the deadline to apply for fiscal year 2021 funding is November 20, 2020.

The full news release can be found below and on the Tennessee NRCS website by clicking here.

 

 


 

I’ve attached a stakeholder toolkit for CFAP2, and this includes some great information for promoting the second round of relief funding available for producers through USDA Farm Service Agency. If you can do anything promote this program for us, we would sure appreciate it! We hope you can help spread the word to our shared producers to help Tennessee’s agricultural economy.

 

Included in the toolkit:

  • Key messages
  • Newsletter article
  • Social media posts
  • Social media story posts
  • Posters

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT PDF

You can also find information on farmers.gov/cfap. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

 

Thank you,

Greer Gill

Public Affairs / Outreach Coordinator

Farm Service Agency – USDA Tennessee State Office

615-277-2615 office

Greer.Gill@usda.gov

 


 

My grad student Arup will be sending out a state wide survey asking for dairy producer’s feedback on their transition cow programs. We will be sending a mailed version with prepaid return envelopes and there will be an online version as well. We hope to hear from all of you!

 

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

 


 

 

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2
Toolkit for Stakeholders

 

USDA FSA has announced the second round of funding for Coronavirus relief to farmers. Please see attached for our CFAP 2 stakeholder toolkit and news release announcing the program. Please note that the stakeholder toolkit has ready to go social media posts, and we would appreciate your help spreading the word through social media or newsletters to your producers. Please let us know if you see the need for any further outreach on these programs. We are happy to partner in order to ensure that producers take advantage of these funds.

 

Click on the images below to read and / or download         

  

Let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information. Thank you for your help spreading the word!

Thank you,

Greer Gill

Public Affairs / Outreach Coordinator

Farm Service Agency – USDA

Tennessee State Office

615-277-2615 office

855-494-7764 fax

 


 

 

Job Opportunity – Herdsman at Farr Dairy

Mr. Jim Farr is looking for a herdsman for his dairy operation. He’s a dairy farmer in Niota, TN who recently installed robotic milkers. Ideally, he would like an employee who has the ability to artificially inseminate, has experience with technology and computers, and is able to assist/oversee farm responsibilities including: calf care, herd care, and feeding. Salary will be commensurate with experience level. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please contact Jim at (423) 507-4202 or jstevenfarr11@gmail.com

 


 

I hope you are all doing well! We’ve got an exciting opportunity starting next Wednesday that I would like to share with you and the folks in your counties. During my time here, I’ve gotten quite a few questions about dairy cattle care, the pathway of milk, and about the safety of raw milk. To answer those questions, we’ve put together the Cow2Cup Workshop. We’ll be following the pathway of milk from the cow to the cup of you, your family, and your friends! We’ll do this through 3 webinars, each an hour long, once a month this month, next month, and finish up in November. This series WILL COUNT for Master Dairy credit if y’all are still needing any. With opening this up to anyone across the state, we will be requiring registration for these meetings.

Use this link https://cow2cupworkshop.questionpro.com/ to register and receive the meeting details and link to the webinar.

Please share this FREE opportunity with you counties. We hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Liz

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

 


 
 
Agri-AFC, GreenPoint AG, and Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s Wholesale Agronomy Business to Combine to Create Top 7 Agronomy Company
 
Sept. 3, 2020
 

(Decatur, AL)   Agri-AFC, GreenPoint AG, and Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s wholesale agronomy business announce the formation of a joint venture combining their agronomy operations. The combination will include all operations of Agri-AFC, LLC’s wholesale and retail business, GreenPoint AG’s retail business, and Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s wholesale agronomy business. The new venture will do business under the name GreenPoint AG.

The combined GreenPoint AG is owned by three parent companies: Alabama Farmers Cooperative (AFC), Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC), and WinField United.

It will operate 99 retail and wholesale agronomy locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas, servicing 11 crops across 28 million acres. This will make the combined GreenPoint AG a top 7 wholesale and retail agronomy company with over $1 billion in sales.

“We recognize the rich history of our companies and the pride of ownership that exists amongst our member-owners, and we want to enter this relationship with careful thought and consideration of the impact to our farmer-owners, our customers, our member co-ops and our employees,” says Bart Krisle, CEO of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative.

When asked why the parent companies decided to join these three businesses together, Rivers Myres, CEO of Alabama Farmers Cooperative shared, “Even though we are all individually strong, it takes vision and strategic leadership to both remain competitive and to provide exceptional service to our ultimate customer, the American Farmer, and GreenPoint AG will allow for us to do both.”

Jeff Blair has been selected to lead the new entity as Chief Executive Officer. He comes to Greenpoint AG most recently from The Andersons, where he was President of the Plant Nutrient Group. Previous to that role, he held leadership roles at Intrepid Potash, Orica Mining Services and was a Captain in the U.S. Army.

“I could not be more excited for this opportunity,” said Blair. “The leadership teams of all three companies have built strong businesses and I believe this new company is the right company, with the right people and the right strategy to help our farmer and retail members succeed in this ever-changing world.”

Brett Bruggeman, President of WinField United and Executive Vice President of Land O’Lakes, Inc., agrees that the timing is perfect for this type of opportunity. “This organization is positioned for future growth and will be relevant in the marketplace for years to come. GreenPoint AG will be focused on upstream market access predictability and downstream total agronomy solutions, both driven by our digital omnichannel platform.”

GreenPoint AG will be based in Decatur, Alabama, with regional offices in Memphis and LaVergne, Tennessee.

Read more about it on the news page here.


 

CFAP deadline extension to September 11th,
as well as the additional commodities that
have been added to the program. 

Please click on the documents below to find out more about
the programs and how to sign up. 


 

CAFB Fund TDA Press Release

FINANCIAL RELIEF FOR AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY
BUSINESSES ANNOUNCED

 Click the document below to download / read



 

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

Click on the flyer below to view and download

 


 

USDA-Farm Service Agency is working with UT Extension to ensure that all producers eligible for CFAP payments are aware of the program.

As of July 20, 2020 there were 147 dairy applications that have been submitted to the USDA-FSA. There are 180 licensed dairies in Tennessee.

Application Deadline August 28th, 2020

Click for more information here.


 


 

 

Thank all of you for the prayers and acts of concern for the Freddy Tilley and Olivia Garner families in the past week.

Our hearts are heavy as we share the news that Freddy’s daughter, Olivia, passed to her Heavenly home on Sunday evening, after complications from heart surgery.  Olivia is survived by her husband, Lucas Garner, and their two small children, a son and daughter, and her mother, Kim Isbill Hall, and her husband, Spencer.

Her passing was announced in a Facebook post by her husband, Lucas Garner.

Freddy and his wife, Sherry, were able to travel to Nashville to see Olivia at Vanderbilt.  Freddy is still being treated for a blood clot, so please keep him and Sherry in your prayers for his continued recovery.

Several family members and close friends had been to visit to support Olivia and the families in the past week, while some of the Tilleys remained home in order to tend to the family’s dairy operation.

Mr. Maurice Tilley, when I spoke with him yesterday, said the family had been overwhelmed and humbled by all of the prayers and offers of help they had received during the past weeks.

We’ll pass along service information for Olivia when it is available.  Please join us in keeping all of the Tilley, Garner, and Hall families in your prayers and acts of kindness in the coming days and weeks, for anything they may need.

 

Prayerfully,

Julie 

 


 

Applications Open for Food & AgTech Bootcamp

 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (June 9, 2020) — AgLaunch, the Knoxville Entrepreneur CenterSync Space and The Biz Foundry are partnering to offer a 5-week virtual bootcamp to develop promising agriculture and food-focused startups. Applicants should be innovators who are interested in growing their agricultural and food startups and working directly with farmers or local food businesses. 

The bootcamp will be held in half-day sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 7-August 6, 2020 from 2-5 pm EST (1-4 pm CST). Teams accepted into the program will experience best-in-class agricultural entrepreneurship programming with engagement from members of the AgLaunch Farmer Network, as well as a national network of investors and mentors.

Companies from across the globe that provide competitive advantages or new market opportunities for row crops, vegetable and specialty crops, livestock, and value-added production in food and beverage and are interested in partnering with farmers and businesses in Tennessee based on the unique nature of Tennessee’s agriculture sector are encouraged to apply.

 

Eligible teams do not have to be located in Tennessee and can include:

– New startups focused on agriculture;

– Faculty/student teams commercializing ag-related technology; and

– Existing agriculture companies exploring new innovation.

We are excited to be partnering with the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center for the fifth year and new partners Sync Space and Biz Foundry to help develop potential startups,” Pete Nelson, Executive Director of AgLaunch, said. “We’re hoping that this bootcamp will give participating teams the opportunity to gain the resources and support they need to be successful in the agriculture industry, particularly for our farmers in Tennessee.”

Participating teams will receive agricultural entrepreneurship programming through AgLaunch connected with business expertise from KEC, Sync Space and Biz Foundry on agricultural markets, investors and mentorship; the framework for organizing, validating and communicating their ideas; and the opportunity to perfect their pitch. Teams will also gain consideration for Innova venture funding and participation in the AgLaunch365 program.

Applications are being accepted through midnight EST on June 21, 2020. Entrepreneurs with an idea or an agtech startup who are interested in the intensive bootcamp can apply here. 

Applications Due June 21

 

Media Contact:

Name: Rebecca Kaufman
Email: 
rkaufman@aglaunch.com
Phone: 501-766-7133 

 

 
 

Good evening all,

Attached is the UPDATED Excel calculator tool (Click here to download) that the econ team has developed to estimate CFAP program payments. This version includes the addition of silage capabilities and a tab for the specialty section of the program. Remember, the application period opened YESTERDAYMay 26, 2020.


As a reminder for dairy, corn silage inventories as of January 15, 2020 may be included to reach the maximum amount for your operation. Cull dairy cows and dairy steers may also be included as beef animals. If you missed our webinar on it last week, a recording can be viewed here (https://youtu.be/YjLLHwHCE-s).

   

It is very important to note that details continue to evolve rapidly on the program. We will continue to provide updates as additional information is revealed. Additionally, the econ team will be releasing short videos with examples on how to input information, to obtain CFAP payment estimates, for a few representative operations.


The videos will be located here  https://tiny.utk.edu/CropsCattleCharley. There will be 3 videos that will cover how to use the calculator for crop producers, beef producers, and dairy operations.


The USDA CFAP website https://www.farmers.gov/cfap has additional details, fact sheets, forms and web tools. The CFAP also has a calculator tool that can be found at https://www.farmers.gov/cfap, under the CFAP application subtitle.


If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact Charley Martinez (cmart113@utk.edu), Aaron Smith (aaron.smith@utk.edu), Andrew Griffith (agriff14@utk.edu), or me.


Thanks!

Liz

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

 


 

USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

 

Are you a farmer or rancher whose operation has been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program will provide direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.

 

Read all about the program and it’s benefits here… https://www.farmers.gov/cfap  and here… https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/faq

 

 

Click the images below to open and download the resources

 

 

 

 


LifeWorks Resource Program

Professional Support – Anytime, Anywhere, always confidential

 

 

DATCP-DNR Emergency Disposal of Milk During
Covid-19 Outbreak

Download Here

 


 

What You Need To Know About Coronavirus 2019
(COVID-19) In Your Dairy

 

Good afternoon all,

Hope you are all staying safe during the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.  Even though our dairies don’t usually have large groups of people on them at any one time, visitors from out of state, employees, and managers/owners can still be at risk for COVID-19. Jorge Delgado of Alltech has put together a fact sheet in English and Spanish addressing COVID-19, it’s spread, and how to protect yourself and your coworkers. Both versions are attached to this email, and are also available in the resources section of UT Dairy

(https://ag.tennessee.edu/AnimalScience/UTDairy/Pages/Resources.aspx).

 

Click here for the Novel Coronavirus Fact Sheet English Version

 

Click here for the Novel Coronavirus Fact Sheet Spanish Version

 

Thank you all, and as always, call with any questions or concerns!

Elizabeth Eckelkamp, PhD PAS 

Dairy Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

Animal Science Department

244 C.E. Brehm Animal Sciences Building

2506 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996

eeckelka@utk.edu

office: (865) 974-8167

cell: (337) 718-9764

 


 

Dairy Farmers of America Strikes $425 Million Deal for
Dean Foods Assets

Click here to read all about it

 


 

What Tennessee Farm Bureau Members Should Consider Regarding
Dean Foods Bankruptcy

*This is not legal advice but things they need to consider moving forward.*

Click Here to read the Notice

 


 

UT Workshop to Help Farmers Identify Value-Added Dairy Opportunities

 


 

Cull Cow & Bull Service

 

Area producers may find they need to move cull cows and bulls. As a continuing service TLP will buy your cull cows or bulls any day you need us!

We will use current market reports to establish price and we will not charge commission outside of sale day.

For more information contact: Josh Woodward – 931-703-9090 at Columbia. Visit their website here.