While June is officially national dairy month, the month of November could very well determine the future of dairy policy in this country.

That's because the congressional "Super Committee," charged with finding $1.2 trillion in savings from the federal budget, must make its recommendations by Nov. 23, the day before Thanksgiving. Various dairy reform plans have been introduced in Congress, but the two receiving most of the attention thus far are the Dairy Security Act (DSA) and the Dairy Advancement Act (DAA).

The Dairy Security Act, introduced by Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson and Idaho Republican Mike Simpson, reflects the key points of the National Milk Producers Federation's "Foundation for the Future" plan. The legislation is also part of an overall farm bill measure introduced by two Indiana Republicans, Sen. Richard Lugar and U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman.

The Dairy Advancement Act, introduced in the Senate by Pennsylvania Democrat Robert Casey Jr., reflects the viewpoints of the Dairy Policy Action Coalition, which is a grassroots dairy producers group, and the International Dairy Foods Assn., which represents dairy processors.

The differences in the two bills are significant. The Dairy Security Act calls for replacing existing safety net programs with margin insurance and production controls, while the Dairy Advancement Act allows producers to choose between direct payments through the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) or receive a subsidy to use individual risk management through a little-used USDA program called Livestock Gross Margin-Dairy (LGM-D). The LGM-D program provides margin insurance between feed costs and milk price.

Read what two dairy producers think about these different plans:

Dairy Security Act (Peterson/Lugar/Stutzman bills)  

Dairy Advancement Act (Casey bill)  

   I was given the opportunity to attend Food Summit 2011, a conference sponsored by The Center for Food Integrity, International Food Information Council, and National Restaurant Association. The theme for this year's conference was "Food Choices - Challenges - Realities." So many of the things I picked up at the conference can be dialed right back to our dairy producers.

   As we have been hearing, it was confirmed again that according to man's predictions the world population will increase by 30% by 2050, less than forty years! During that time, it is predicted that food needs will double because of population increases and diet changes.

   In the US, out of 2 million farms, 46,000 produce 50% of the total production. Agriculture "uses" 70% of the water. One out of three calories produced is wasted or lost (this is mind-boggling to me)! A typical retail supermarket offers 38,000 different items to the consumer.

   Some of the take-home thoughts for me were that we will continue to hear about sustainability and transparency. We have really improved on both of these fronts but that has to continue. One of the speakers, Jill Benson an owner of an egg producing farm in CA, spoke on transparency. They have put cameras in their barn that can be watched live 24/7. Also, it was mentioned that "Trust is Key" and that "people don't care how much we know until they know how much we care." Consumers make food decisions more on how they "feel" rather than on scientific facts. These are all big challenges, but I am optimistic that dairy has a bright future and that IPDP will be a part of that future.

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     Livestock producers looking for the latest information on forages, grazing techniques and pasture management have the opportunity to attend the 11th annual Heart of America Grazing Conference on January 25-26.

The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn in Mt Vernon, Illinois. Registration is $35 per day per person or $50 for both days. Late registration paid after January 13 is $70.

    
Topics being covered include the benefits of grazing and adding clover to pastures, mob grazing, role of novel fescues, grazing for parasite prevention, use of co-products in grazing programs, dairy grazing, pasture management, and cover crops. Download a Conference Brochure by clicking  here.