Avian influenza has been confirmed in 164 dairy herds in 13 states. Unlike poultry, this virus is not fatal in dairy cattle but can impact milk production. There is anecdotal evidence that H5N1 is more widespread than what is reported, but dairy farmers are reluctant to test for the virus. Minnesota Senator Tina Smith said monitoring for the disease is important. “Let’s be honest. It’s not always that easy to have a bunch of new people coming in and trying to monitor your operation when you are already dealing with a lot as a dairy farmer. We’ve been in close touch with the USDA to make sure that we are getting the data that we need but also not putting an undue burden on producers.”
H5N1 in dairy cows expands to 13 states
Oklahoma is the 13th state to confirm the presence of H5N1 in dairy cattle. This dairy farm collected a positive sample in April, but USDA did not receive it until early July. The herd is fully recovered.
Work the biosecurity plan
Biosecurity is top of mind for dairy and beef producers with the discovery of avian flu in dairy herds. Boehringer Ingelheim veterinarian Dr. Joe Gillespie said that can be as simple as a quarantine period before introducing new animals to the herd. “A written plan is the absolute best but have a plan about how you want to traffic livestock in and out of the facility.” These protocols also include how feed is delivered to the farm. “With the possibility of some sort of pathogen being carried on a truck, if we have a designated way that we move feed and/or livestock in and out of the facility is going to drastically reduce the risk of any pathogen coming in.”
Ranking member criticizes ag committee chair and House GOP
The House Agriculture Committee gathered to review the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory impact on American agriculture, but the hearing began with criticism from Ranking member David Scott. Scott accused Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson and the Republican leadership of playing politics with the farm bill. “Speaker (Mike) Johnson will not bring the bill to the floor for a vote because it was not written as a serious bill. It was written to be used as a campaign slogan, nothing more.” The farm bill passed out of the committee at the end of May. Scott said the clock is running out on this farm bill. “The August recess is right around the corner, we come back here in September and a week is gone there and then the new appropriations year starts three weeks later Oct. 1.” The chairman and ranking member were sitting side by side during Scott’s opening comments. Thompson did not respond to his colleague’s criticism. “There’s a lot I could say, but I’m not going to say anything,” Thompson said.
“We’re going to move ahead with this hearing and stay grounded in reality.”
Congressional staffers pessimistic about farm bill passage
A survey commissioned by Punchbowl News found 68% of senior Congressional staffers do not think the House Agriculture Committee farm bill will pass this year. The survey was conducted June 3-21. Seventy-five percent of Democratic staff members and 62% of Republican staff members believe it is unlikely the farm bill will pass in this Congress.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency proposes changes to feedlot permits
The MPCA has released proposed permits to replace the State Disposal System and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general feedlot permits which are nearing their expiration dates. Minnesota Pork Producers Association Director of Public Policy, Strategy and Sustainability Lauren Servick said these changes could be detrimental to farmers. “I think that will be a significant challenge for folks in those areas who already do the best they can to apply manure following best practice management practices.” The MPCA has a public comment section for feedback on the proposed changes.
Optimizing beef-on-dairy nutrition
Breeding dairy cows to beef bulls has become increasingly popular. To optimize the production of these beef-on-dairy animals, Purina Animal Nutrition Senior Technical Innovation Manager Dr. Olivia Genther-Schroeder believes it requires a new mindset. “A lot of the things we’ve been doing in dairy for a long time are positive; increasing sanitation, making sure we have adequate colostrum, etcetera,” Genther-Schroeder said. “These (beef-on-dairy) calves are generally more efficient and tend to be a bit healthier than a straight-bred Holstein. There is a misconception that we may not need to feed them as much or with lower-quality ingredients, but our research determined it is better to provide high-quality ingredients, higher protein. They will really thrive under those conditions.”
Beef checkoff unveils return on investment study
Over the past five years, each dollar invested in the beef checkoff program delivered a return of $13.41 to the producer. An independent economic analysis was commissioned by the beef checkoff and conducted by Cornell University. The ROI analysis simulated market conditions without the beef checkoff investment. The research found domestic beef demand would have been 8.5% lower each year. The steer price would be 8% lower than the actual results and U.S. beef export demand would have been 11.5% lower.
Honors for Putnam
The Minnesota Association of Agricultural Educators has presented Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Aric Putnam with its Bell Ringer Award. This recognition is for Putnam’s dedication to agriculture and ag education.
Bennett leaves Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation for Michigan
MFBF Director of Public Policy Pierce Bennett has resigned. Bennett has accepted a position as an industry relations specialist for livestock with the Michigan Farm Bureau. Bennett has been with MFBF since 2022 and will begin his new job in Michigan in August.
Trivia challenge
The largest cheeseburger ever made was 2,014 pounds. It was made in 2012 at Minnesota’s Black Bear Casino. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, when is National Cheeseburger Day? We’ll have the answer in our next edition of the Dairy Star.
Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two sons, Tony and Sam, and five grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
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