Changes sought in organic livestock standards

Interested parties have until July 13 to make comments on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's proposed rule regarding revised organic livestock and poultry production standards. Mainstream livestock industry groups have had some significant concerns with the rule, while a coalition of animal and environmental protection groups have voiced their support for the changes.

The proposed rule features a number of substantial changes, including changes pertaining to space and property requirements for animals.

The United Egg Producers (UEP) has been actively engaged in reviewing the proposed rule. David Inall, UEP senior vice president, said the organization collaborated with other poultry sectors in a successful effort to extend the deadline for comments. They also requested that USDA undertake further economic analysis using the most up-to-date data available to assess the economic impact of the proposed rule.
Researchers improve beef quality through cloned cattle

Scientists at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) are one step closer to achieving a cattleman's dream: a herd of cattle that consistently produces the highest-quality beef and more of it per animal.

In the beef industry, conventional wisdom holds that the quality of beef suffers as the yield - the amount of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts - increases and vice versa. However, the initial results of WTAMU's research involving cloned cattle demonstrate that it is possible to improve both simultaneously, which means higher-value beef can be produced without wasteful trim fat.

"This outcome indicates that the antagonistic relationship between beef carcass quality and yield can be overcome by crossing rarely occurring animals," said Dr. Ty Lawrence, professor of meat science and lead researcher on the project.
NMPF offers new tools for MPP assistance 

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has updated its Margin Protection Program (MPP) website - www.futurefordairy.com - with new materials to assist dairy producers considering enrollment in the third year of the federal dairy safety net program.

The enrollment period officially opened July 1 and ends Sept. 30, 2016, for coverage in calendar year 2017. Farmers already participating in the program can change their coverage level during this three-month enrollment window.

MPP provides financial assistance to participating dairy producers when the margin - the difference between the price of milk and feed costs - falls below a coverage level selected by the producer. Dairy farmers can insure their farms on a sliding scale between $4 and $8/cwt., deciding both how much of their production history to cover and the level of margin to protect. The program, created in the 2014 farm bill, offers more extensive coverage for low-margin conditions than previous programs.
Benign bacteria block mosquitoes from transmitting Zika

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have confirmed that a benign bacterium, Wolbachia pipientis, can completely block transmission of Zika virus in Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species responsible for passing the virus to humans.

Matthew Aliota, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and first author of the paper - published July 1 in the journal Scientific Reports - said the bacteria could present a "novel biological control mechanism," aiding efforts to stop the spread of Zika virus.

Thirty-nine countries and territories in the Americas have been affected by the Zika epidemic, and it is expected that at least 4 million people will be infected by the end of the year. Scientists believe the virus is responsible for a host of brain defects in developing fetuses, including microcephaly, and has contributed to an uptick in cases of a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome.
ADSA News and Happenings
Senate Passes GMO Labeling Legislation
On July 7th, the Senate voted by a margin of 63-30 to approve legislation that would establish a federal policy on labeling of GMO food products.  The bill, S. 764, would preempt state laws like the one in Vermont that went into effect on July 1st and give the food industry two options for providing GMO related information to consumers.  Under the Senate bill, companies can opt to include an on-package statement about GMO contents, or point consumers to a website for more product information.  Products from animals that consume GMOs would not be subject to any labeling requirements.  The text of the Senate legislation can be found here.
The House passed its version of GMO labeling legislation in 2015, which contains several differences with the Senate bill.  Industry is urging the House to adopt the Senate measure quickly, as the Vermont law is already having an impact on industry and consumers.  It has been reported that some major food companies have already pulled some of their products off of the shelves in Vermont due to the new law. 
 
S-PAC Additions
We are pleased to announce the recent addition of the following proceedings to S-PAC:
  • 2015 North American Conference on Precision Dairy Management
  • 2015 USAHA Annual Meeting
  • 2016 High Plains Dairy Conference
  • 2016 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference
  • 2016 Southern Dairy Conference
S-PAC subscribers now have 24/7 access to 558 proceedings from 59 conferences plus the 2nd Edition of the Large Dairy Herd Management book, the largest on-line database of dairy related conferences in the world.  Visit https://spac.adsa.org/ for a complete list of conferences.  If S-PAC is not already part of you information toolbox, why not sign up today. Are you going to the JAM? If you are, please join us at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday July 20 at the ADSA exhibit booth for the S-PAC Update. 
 
2016 JAM Notes
The 2016 Joint Annual Meeting will be held in Salt Lake City, UT from July 19 to 23 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The 2016 JAM Program is now available online as a .pdf file.

The Meeting App that gives access to the most up to date JAM 2016 information is also available. You can create a personalized schedule, browse abstracts by topic or speaker, view maps of the meeting locations, receive special announcement notifications, and more. This app is compatible with all apple, android and window mobile devices. If you have not registered yet or would like to add ticketed events, it is not too late. https://asas.org/meetings/jam-2016/home
 
Sponsorship Opportunities for Large Dairy Herd Management (3rd edition, e-book)
 Nonprofit organizations, companies, and individuals are invited to take advantage of the opportunity to sponsor one or more of the remaining available sections of the Large Dairy Herd Management (LDHM) e-book currently in development. Sponsors will receive recognition for a three-year period as the e-book is used throughout the dairy industry worldwide. The ADSA® Foundation is publishing this extensively revised and updated edition of the book in early 2017.
 The third edition (98 chapters) will be available in e-book format (designed to allow for convenient updating) with completely new content. It will be sold at ADSA member, nonmember, and student rates and distributed directly by ADSA. 
Anticipated users of the e-book include dairy management professionals, progressive producers, extension educators, consultants, upper-level university students studying dairy science and management, and allied industry representatives. The book is written in a practical application style but reflects the scientific rigor of the Journal of Dairy Science®.
As an e-book sponsor, you will receive international recognition for supporting the delivery of up-to-date, peer-reviewed dairy management information to the global dairy industry. Initial e-book section sponsors will have right of first refusal to renew after the initial three-year period of recognition. For information on sponsorship and the worldwide recognition it will bring, please contact Larry Miller at largedairyherdmanagement@adsa.org
 
Michael Socha, PhD, PAS, DPL ACAN
ADSA Foundation Chair
 

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 1,552 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®.
Ag Processing Inc.
Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition
Dairy Nutrition Plus
Darling International Research
Diamond V
DuPont Pioneer
Global Agri-Trade Corporation
Grande Cheese Company
Kent Nutrition Group
Kraft Heinz Foods
Lallemand Animal Nutrition
Masters Choice
Nutriad, Inc.
Papillon Agricultural Company
Quali Tech, Inc.
Renaissance Nutrition Inc.
Western Pacific Oils LLC
Zoetis
Zook Nutrition & Management Inc.
Calendar of Events
July 11-13, 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
July19-23, 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 2-4, 2016
Preventive Controls for Human Food - Individual training, Cornell Dairy Foods Extension, Genesee Community College, Batavia NY  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 6-8, 2016 
Preventive Controls for Human Food - Individual training, Cornell Dairy Foods Extension, FDA Regional Field Office, Jamaica NY, For more information click here
Sept 7- Nov 23, 2016
2nd Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research Certificate in Dairy Processing short course. For registration, directions and accommodations please visit: https://www.cdr.wisc.edu/shortcourses/certificate_dp_9_16
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 11-14, 2016
WATER Technologies Short Course - Process & Reuse Water, Wastewater & Desalination, TIPS building, Texas A&M University Campus, College Station, TX For more information click here
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 15-17, 2016
American Association of Bovine Practitioners*, 49th Annual Conference, Charlotte, NC, For more information and registration click here
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
Sept 27-29, 2016
2016 International Symposium on Milk Genomics and Human Health, UC Davis Conference Center, Davis, CA  For more information 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, Ohio. For more information and registration, click here.
Oct 4-6, 2016
Preventive Controls for Human Food - Individual training, Cornell Dairy Foods Extension, NYS Dept. of Ag & Markets Office, Albany NY , For more information 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 205, 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 13-19, 2016
120th IUSAHA- AAVLD Annual Meeting, Greensboro Sheraton Hotel, Greensboro, NC, For more information click here.
Oct 18-20, 2016
78th Annual Cornell Nutrition Conference for Feed Manufacturers, Doubletree Hotel Syracuse, East Syracuse, NY, For more information and registration click here
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, Ohio. 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 - 26, 2016
Advanced Clean In Place (CIP), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. For more information and registration, click here.
Oct 25-27, 2016
Pasteurizer Operators Workshop, Penn State University, Food Science Building, Curtain and Bigler Roads, University Park, PA  16802, For detail on the workshop and a registration information click here.
Oct 25-30, 2016
American Dairy Goat Association Convention, Hilton Austin Airport Hotel, Austin, Texas. For more information contact ADGA, PO Box 865, Spindale, NC 28160, 828-286-3801 www.ADGA.org.
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 9-10, 2016
Pennsylvania Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop*, For more information 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
Jan18-19, 2017
Pacific Northwest Animal Nutrition Conference*, Red Lion Hotel-Richland, Richland, WA, For registration and more information click here
Feb 21, 2017
Vermont Dairy Producer's Conference*, Sheraton-Burlington Conference Center, Burlington, VT, For registration and more information click here
Feb 28-Mar 2, 2017 
Western Dairy Management Conference*, Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, Reno, NV, For more information and registration click here
Mar 7 10, 2017
35th Western Canadian Dairy Seminar*, Sheraton Red Deer, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, For more information and registration click here
Apr 17-19, 2017
Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, Grand Wayne Center, Fort Wayne, IN, For more information and registration click here
May 10-11, 2017
California Animal Nutrition Conference (CANC)*,  For more information click here
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