Difficult times lie ahead of ag sector 

Low commodity prices and the resulting 56% collapse in net farm income over the past three years have led to the uncertain lending environment that we are seeing throughout the country. On Tuesday morning, the House Agriculture Committee's subcommittee on commodity exchanges, energy and credit held a hearing to examine tightening credit conditions in farm country.

"This year will be a pivotal year in production agriculture. Given that average net farm income in some regions were the lowest they have been since 1985, a repeat of that in 2016 will cause some agricultural producers and lenders to make difficult decisions before entering the spring of 2017," testified Allen Featherstone, agricultural economics professor at Kansas State University.

Featherstone noted that declining net farm income in 2015 has made for an uncertain agricultural lending environment. "The agricultural production sector and the agricultural lending sectors are intertwined, causing many lenders to be asking the same questions as agricultural producers regarding the future of production agriculture as they make decisions regarding loan restructuring and other normal lending decisions," he said.

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Global Food Security Act advances in Senate 

Both the House and Senate have passed their versions of the Global Food Security Act, which provides the first-ever authorization for President Barack Obama's Feed the Future program. The bill is designed to fix inefficiencies in U.S. global food assistance but also provides assurances that it won't overhaul U.S. food aid programs and allows commodities to still be shipped to those in need.

The House passed the first authorization of the Feed the Future program with a 370-33 vote on April 12. The House legislation would authorize the program for only one year, while a similar bill passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would authorize the program for two years.

The Senate passed its version by a voice vote on April 20. The Senate version authorizes $1 billion a year for agricultural development in the Feed the Future initiative called for by Obama in 2010 and the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) emergency food assistance program.

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Extension services keeping farmers on farm

Federal cooperative extension programs were developed to help researchers in the agriculture industry and, in turn, individual farmers in the U.S. A newly released study shows just how much of an impact the programs have had, estimating that 137,000 farmers would have exited the business in the past 25 years if it weren't for the programs.

In his paper, "State Cooperative Extension Spending & Farmer Exits," Stephan Goetz, director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development and National Agricultural & Rural Development Policy Center at Pennsylvania State University, examined the value of extension services in an era in which fewer farmers are needed to produce food in the U.S. than in previous generations.

"The underlying concern is, if we are losing farmers at too fast a pace, we may not be able to grow our own food," Goetz said.

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Bill addresses gap between seasonal, highly skilled immigrants

The meat and poultry industry faces unique challenges in obtaining semi-skilled workers. A new bill introduce in the Senate looks to create a pilot system to help address some of the gaps that currently exists between temporary visa programs for seasonal workers and the H-1B visa program for highly skilled immigrants.

Sen. Jeff Flake. (R., Ariz.) introduced the Willing Workers & Willing Employers Act, a 10-year-long pilot guest worker program that would admit workers to the U.S. who have less than a bachelor's degree to do year-round, non-farm work.

The bill also creates a flexible cap for registered positions ranging from 65,000 to 85,000 a year to match economic demand. It sets strict requirements that employers must seek an available U.S. worker before utilizing a guest worker under this program.

Flake said the bill would give employers and employees greater portability by enabling workers to change jobs and work for any employer who has tested the labor market and proved that it is unable to hire an American worker for the position.

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ADSA News and Happenings

The LDHM Conference begins on Sunday, are you coming?
The Large Dairy Herd Management Conference will be held May 1 - 4, 2016 at the Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center, Oak Brook, Illinois.  This is a "one of a kind" opportunity, so we hope to see there.  It will be a great conference.  In addition to the cutting edge information that will be shared, networking opportunities will abound.  Over 560 people from across the country (36 states) and around the world (25 countries) have registered. Conference highlights include:
2 ˝ days of sessions with cutting edge information
15 Sections
Each presentation offered 2 times
So, choose from 94 presentations
1-day registration option is available
Registration Includes 90-day free trial for S-PAC®
2nd hotel provides shuttle service / parking at both hotels is free
If you drive, it is easy to get to as it is just short distance from I-88 and I-294.
Complete registration and the latest conference information, including the conference program, is posted on the LDHM website: http://www.adsa.org/Meetings/LargeDairyHerdManagement.aspx
 
House Committee Approves FY 2017 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
On April 19th, the House Appropriations Committee met to consider its version of the FY 2017 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.  The bill provides $21.3 billion in discretionary spending, including funds for agricultural research.  Within the research accounts, the Agricultural Research Service would receive $1.151 billion, an $8 million increase over FY 2016.  The committee bill also includes $99.6 million for ARS Buildings and Facilities to continue funding projects prioritized in the ARS Capital Investment Strategy.  For the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), most accounts were funded at the same level as last year, the major exception being the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), which received a $25 million increase from $350 million to $375 million.  A summary of selected key accounts is listed below:
 
Selected Agriculture Appropriations Accounts
Account
FY 2016 - FINAL
FY 2017 - President's Budget
FY 2017 - House
Agricultural Research Service
$1.143 billion
$1.161 billion
$1.151 billion
ARS Buildings and Facilities
$212 million
$94.5 million
$99.6 million
NIFA Research and Education
$819.6 million
$836.9 million
$832.8 million
                Hatch
$244 million
$244 million
$244 million
                AFRI
$350 million
$375 million (discretionary)
 
$325 million (mandatory)
$375 million (discretionary)
 
$0
(mandatory)
                Expanded 
               Section 1433
$4 million
$0
$4 million
NIFA Extension Activities
$475.8 million
$501.8 million
$477.3 million
                Smith Lever
$300 million
$300 million
$300 million
NIFA Integrated Activities
$30.9 million
$35.2 million
$30.9 million
 
The committee continues to express its concern for animal welfare at ARS research locations.  While the committee acknowledges in its report that some of the claims made in the 2015 New York Times article alleging problems at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center were exaggerated or taken out of context, the committee states very clearly no type of abuse or mistreatment will be tolerated.  The report also contains language demanding that all animals be treated humanely and that the risk of premature death will be limited wherever possible. 

Floor action for the House Bill has not been scheduled at this time.  It is expected that the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee will mark-up its version of the bill in the coming weeks. 
More details on the House committee bill and report can be found at the following links:
 
New JDS Collection, "Lactic Acid Bacteria" Added
A new JDS collection has recently been added, Lactic Acid Bacteria. The collection, compiled by Matthew Renschler and John L. McKillip, Ball State University, Muncie, IN USA, covers selective culturing, isolation, and general characteristics of the bacterial.  Thirty papers are included in the collection.  The JDS collections are compilations of significant papers and research developments within a particular subject area, selected by experts in that area. All papers have been published in the JDS, assuring that the information is high quality peer reviewed work that can be cited with confidence. There are now eleven collections available that cover a wide range of dairy production and foods topics. Visit the Journal of Dairy Science® site http://www.journalofdairyscience.org/ for access to all the collections as well as the Journal.
 
Would you like to help the animal and dairy science community and attend the 2017 ADSA Annual Meeting for free?
Referrals are the most tried-and-true way businesses grow, and the same is true for FASS. Do you know a colleague working with an animal science group that is in need of high-quality, cost-effective support services? Help them out by referring them to Jamie Ritter, FASS Executive Director at jamier@assochq.org .
Help them benefit from the shared resource concept and the 264 years of collective experience the FASS staff have in working with non-profit animal science organizations. If your referral becomes a FASS customer prior to June 1, 2017, ADSA will comp your registration to the 2017 ADSA Annual Meeting that will be held June 25 to 28, 2017 in Pittsburgh, PA.  It's win-win-win. For more information about services offered by FASS, click here.
Are You Part of ADSA® on Linked In
Our ADSA Linked In group continues to grow. We now include 1,527 members from around the world, are you one of them? It's a great place to get information and network with other dairy professionals from around the world.  Check it out here.
Thanks to our Corporate Sustaining Members
                                 We appreciate your ongoing support of ADSA and the Journal of Dairy Science®.
Diamond V Mills 
Kent Nutrition
Grande Cheese Co.
Darling International Research
Quali Tech
Zook Nutrition & Management
DuPont Pioneer
Zoetis
West Central
Lallemand Animal Nutrition
Ag Processing
Renaissance Nutrition
Global Agri-Trade Corp.
Masters Choice
Papillon Agricultural Co.
Nutriad 
Western Pacific Oils LLC 
Calendar of Events
April 27, 2016  1:00-3:00 p.m., Washington DC Area Chapter of ARPAS annual mini-symposium, Antibiotics and Animal Agriculture: Science and Politics, awards ceremony and reception, Building 005, Conference Room #21, USDA, Beltsville, MD. For more information and registration, click here.

May 1-4, 2016     Large Dairy Herd Management (LDHM) Conference, Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center, Oak Brook, IL, For more information click here 
 
May 3, 2016   Wisconsin Cleaning & Sanitation Workshop, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, Wis. For more information,

May 4, 2016    HACCP Workshop, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here. 
 
May 10-11, 2016   Applied Dairy Chemistry, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.

May 10-11, 2016  Dairy Lab for Improved Quality. The Ohio State University. Columbus, OH. For more information, click here.

May 15-19, 2016  "Membrane & Other Separation Technologies" short course, sponsored by Food Protein R&D Center at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. For registration and more information, click here.

May 18-20, 2016   Minnesota Dairy Health Conference, Crowne Plaza Suites MSP Airport - Mall of America, Bloomington, MN, for registration and more information, click here.

May 20-21, 2016  The Dairy Cattle Welfare Symposium: Intersection of Best Practices and Sustainability. Ohio Union at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. For registration and more information, click here.

May 24-25, 2016     Basic Dairy Science & Sanitation Workshop, Online and Cornell University,  For more information contact Kim Bukowski Ph: 607-254-3313 or Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
May 24-25, 2016  IDFA's 2016 Milk and Cultured Dairy Conference, Omni Severin Hotel, Indianapolis, IN. For more information and registration, click here.

June 7-8, 2016     Science of Yogurt & Fermented Dairy Products Workshop (Basic), On-line and Cornell University, For more information contact Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
June 7-9, 2016   Cheese Grading Short Course, Babcock Hall, 2605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.

June 15-16, 2016     4-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference, Grand River Center, Dubuque, IA, contact Jim Salfer, U of MN, salfe001@umn.edu
 
June 20-24, 2016 13th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis*, Nantes, France, For more information click here
 
June 21-23, 2016  Precision Dairy Farming 2016, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. For more information, www.ADGA.org.
 
July 3-8, 2016     World Buiatrics Congress 2016, Convention Centre Dublin, Ireland, For more information click here.
 
July 12-14, 2016     High Temperature Short Time (HTST) Pasteurizer Workshop in association with NYS Agriculture and Markets, Cornell University, For more information contact Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
July 18-21, 2016     Certified Milk Inspector's School in Association with NY State Agriculture & Markets, Cornell University, For more information contact Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098, Course Syllabus  , Required Course of NYS-CMIs
 
July 19-23, 2016  ADSA- ASAS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM)*, Salt Lake City, UT, for more information click here
 
July 24-28, 2016     2016 National Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference (AM/PIC) Little Rock, AR, For more information click here
 
Aug 2-3, 2016  Milk Pasteurization, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.

Aug 15-18, 2016     Food Safety Systems (HACCP) and Implementing SQF, Cornell University, For more information contact Kimberly Bukowski Ph: 607-243-3313 or  Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
Aug 17-18, 2016  2016 Mid-South Ruminant Nutrition Conference*, Embassy Suites, Grapevine, TX. For registration and more information, click here.

Sept 11-13, 2016     NYS Cheese Manufacturers' Assoc. Annual Fall Meeting, Harbor Hotel, Watkins Glen NY, For more information contact Janene Lucia, Ph: 607-227-5833
 
Sept 13-14, 2016   Master Artisan Short Course Series, Babcock Hall, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.

Sept 14-15, 2016     Advanced Fluid Milk Cornell University, For more information contact Kimberly Bukowski Ph: 607-243-3313 or  Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
Sept 20-22, 2016      NYS Association for Food Protection Annual Conference/FDA NE Regional Update, Doubletree Hotel Syracuse, NY For more information contact Janene Lucia, Ph: 607-227-5833

Sept 21-22, 2016  77th Minnesota Nutrition Conference*, Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Prior Lake, MN. For more information and registration, click here.

Oct 3-7, 2016   Cheese Tech Short Course, Babcock Hall Room 205, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here.
 
Oct 4-6, 2016  Introduction to Dairy Processing and Management. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. For more information and registration, click here. 

Oct 4-8, 2016     50th World Dairy Expo, Madison, WI. For more information click here
 
Oct 11-12, 2016  Dairy Ingredient Manufacturing, Babcock Hall, Room 2015, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison, WI. For more information, click here. 

Oct 11-13, 2016     High Temperature Short Time (HTST) Pasteurizer Workshop, Cornell University, For more information contact Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
Oct 19-20, 2016     Advanced Cheese Making, Cornell University, For more information contact Rob Ralyea Ph: 607-255-7643 or Louise Felker Ph:  607-255-7098

Oct 19-20, 2016  HTST Maintenance Workshop. The Ohio State University. Columbus, OH. For more information and registration, click here.  
 
Oct 20-26, 2016     120th IUSAHA- AAVLD Annual Meeting , Greensboro Sheraton Hotel. Greensboro, NC, For more information click here
 
Oct 25-26, 2016   Advance Clean In Place (CIP), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. For more information and registration, click here.

Oct 25-26, 2016     Vat Pasteurization/Basic Cheese Making Workshop, On-line and Cornell University, For more information contact Rob Ralyea Ph: 607-255-7643 or Louise Felker Ph:  607-255-7098
 
Oct 25-27, 2016  Pasteurizer Operators Workshop, Penn State University, Food Science Building, Curtain and Bigler Roads, University Park, PA 16802. For details on the workshop and registration information, click here.

Nov 1-4, 2016    31st ADSA Discover Conference: Big Data Dairy Management,  Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center, Oak Brook, IL, For more information click here

Nov 2-4, 2016   Cheese Grading Short Course, Babcock Hall, Room 205, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison WI, For more information click here

Nov 7-10, 2016  The Science and Art of Cheese Making Short Course, Rodney A.Erickson Food Science Building, Penn State University, University Park, PA. For more information and registration, click here.

Nov 10-11, 2016     2016 DCRC Annual Meeting, Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel, Columbus, Ohio, For registration and more information click here

Nov 14-16, 2016  Symposium on Gut Health in Production of Food Animals*, St. Louis, MO. For more information and registration click here.

Nov 30-Dec 2, 2016   Ice Cream Makers Short Course, Babcock Hall, Room 205, 1605 Linden Dr., Madison WI, For more information click here

Dec 6-7, 2016     Food Safety Plans for Artisan and Farmstead Processors, Online & Hands-On Location TBD, For more information contact Kimberly Bukowski Ph: 607-243-3313 or  Louise Felker Ph: 607-255-7098
 
June 25-28, 2017 2017 ADSA Annual Conference and Tradeshow, Pittsburgh, PA.  For more information click here
 
*An S-PAC Partner Conference
 
If your organization's conference isn't among the ever growing list that contribute proceedings and presentations to S-PAC®, ask your conference organizer to contact Ken Olson for more information about the benefits of participation.
 
If you would like to have an event included in the "Dates to Note," please contact Ken Olson.
 
 
ADSA Membership Benefits                                 
                                           
Did you know that your ADSA Professional Membership provides you with:

*        Electronic access to the Journal of Dairy Science®

*        Joint Annual Meeting at member rates

*        Discover Conferences at member rates

*        S-PAC: Free access to JAM and ADSA divisional abstracts

*        S-PAC subscription at member rates

*        Access to recorded symposia library                                                                       

*        ADSA News (association newsletter)

*        ADSA Dair e-news (ADSA industry newsletter)

*        Access to member directory

*        Peer recognition through ADSA and Foundation Award Program

*        Discounted page charges in Journal of Dairy Science®

*        A strong voice of advocacy for the animal sciences, animal agriculture and agriculture research

*        Broad author recognition through ADSA/Elsevier press release program

*        Linked In and You Tube sites for ADSA

*        Quality networking with academic and industry professionals

*        Travel awards for all graduate students attending Discover Conferences

*        Opportunity to serve peers via committee and officer positions

 
For more information on your benefits please visit: http://www.adsa.org/join.asp
To join now and gain these member benefits, visit: http://www.adsa.org/join.asp
American Dairy Science Association
1800 South Oak St., Suite 100, Champaign, IL 61820
Email: adsa@assochg.org