Facebook
X (Twitter)
Reddit
Pinterest
Tumblr
Delicious
LinkedIn
StumbleUpon
Posts Tagged: dairy
Local papers paint a colorful portrait of UCCE
Three local newspapers in the state today added a few pieces to the mosaic that portrays the depth and breadth of the UC Cooperative Extension program in the media over time.
Ethnic newspaper reports on new Master Gardener
A community newspaper that serves a mainly African-American audience, the Los Angeles Wave ran a story about a new Master Gardener in South Los Angeles, Beverly Newton. A life-long gardener, Newton was a member of Los Angeles County's 2007 class of Master Gardeners.
“I knew two other people who had gone through the program and I went on their Web site to research the course,” Newton was quoted in the article. “The program taught us how to resource information in order to help other people garden, especially, in the area of growing food. They teach us about pest control, fertilizers, seeds, plants, every aspect of gardening.”
Chinese teens get a taste of America
The Solano Times-Herald made a nice feature story out of a 4-H international exchange program that brought a group of Chinese teenagers to Vallejo.
The Chinese visitors are trying some new foods, including hot dogs and pancakes, in their 4-H host families' homes.
"We don't know what's in it ... but it tastes good," Zhon Ying said.
Chino paper takes on statewide problem
The Chino News and Review ran a story about dairy farmers' efforts to protect water quality. "In a disturbing trend across the Central Valley," wrote reporter Katie Booth, "dairies have come under scrutiny for their wastewater runoff and effects on water quality."
The reporter spoke to UC Cooperative Extension dairy program representative Betsy Karle. Karle said the problem is being addressed across the state, according to the story.
The article said Karle grew up on a dairy farm, received her master’s degree from UC Davis in 2003 and has worked for the cooperative extension for 10 months. Regarding the three Orland dairies recently cited for wastewater runoff, she said they are "doing their best."
According to the story, Karle explained that infrastructure required of dairies is very expensive and profit margins are at a record low. “[Right now, we are] making sure dairy farms can operate in balance.”
NPR's California Report examines raw milk
The Fresno-based reporter for National Public Radio's California Report, Sasha Khokha, put together a story for yesterday's program on raw milk. The piece featured an interview with Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures Dairy, 25 miles west of Fresno.
McAfee is opposed to a new law that went into effect in January requiring raw milk producers to ensure their product meets the same coliform standards as pasteurized milk. He likened the rule to requiring yogurt without bacteria.
Michael Payne, the dairy program coordinator of the UC Davis Western Center for Food Safety and Security, disagrees. And so far court decisions have affirmed his point of view.
"With live yogurt culture, we’re taking very clean milk to start with. We’re adding billions of a single strain of bacteria which we know to be healthful," Payne said in the clip.
He said there aren't any bacteria inside a healthy cow's udder, so the bacteria in raw milk comes from equipment, dirt and manure.
“Would you have your child go ahead and suckle on a cow teat that has just been rolling around inside a pasture?" he asked. "Common sense says no.”
Transgenic goats cause a stir
Not surprisingly, a story in yesterday's Sacramento Bee about goats that have been genetically modified with human genes is generating comments on the newspaper's Web site.
The story was prompted by a UC Davis news service press release by Pat Bailey.
In short, UC Davis animal scientists James Murray and Elizabeth Maga engineered a small herd of dairy goats to produce high levels of a human antibiotic-like protein in their milk. Pigs fed milk from the transgenic goats had significantly lower levels of E. coli bacteria in their small intestines than those raised on regular goat's milk. The scientists feel the results mean the goat milk could one day be used to protect or cure people of diseases, especially in poor regions of the world.
Comments on the story ranged from outraged to indifferent to funny.
"Completely disturbing... on so many levels," said one.
"What's disturbing is the irrational fear," wrote another.
"It might be disturbing, but it sure explains a lot about my mother in law," commented a writer.
Those interested in learning the ins and outs of dairy goat production may wish to attend a workshop May 15 in Merced. UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Deborah Giraud says the market for goat milk is growing due to increasing popularity of specialty goat milk cheese and yogurt. For all the details and registration information, click here.
Dairy goats.
Dairies pinched by high costs and low returns
California dairies are being squeezed between increasing costs for feeds and decreasing return for milk, according to a story in the Marin Independent Journal over the weekend. The story reports that 55 percent of Marin's agricultural income - more than $27 million in 2006 - comes from the county's 28 dairies.
Reporter Rob Rogers spoke to UC Davis CE specialist Bees Butler about dairy economic trends.
"The dairy industries in China and India will start to expand because of the incredible growth in those areas," Butler is quoted. "The high price on the world market is going away. It's not going to go up again."
The newspaper article also reported that organic milk production is not the "guaranteed moneymaker it once was."
"Two years ago, the premiums for organic milk were almost twice what they were for conventional production," the paper quoted Ellen Rilla, director of Marin County UCCE. "That's really dropped. And there's also a cost in terms of production."
Butler said organic farmers are really finding it difficult to find decent organic feed and make organic dairying work.
"Over the last 20 years, the price of milk has averaged between $12 and $13" per hundred pounds, Butler was quoted. "Last year, that price started to increase up to $20. For many dairy producers, that has been a lifesaver, allowing them to catch up and expand after prices were in the dumps for 2005-06."
Yet the conditions that led to those high prices - surging demand for milk in China and India, drought in Australia and New Zealand and a weak U.S. dollar - couldn't last for long, Butler told the paper.
