KDDC Supports Dairy Farmers and Distributes Milk to Those in Need

July - August 2020 • KDDC • Page 1
KDDC is supported in part by a grant from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund
Milk MattersJ u l y - A u g u s t
w w w. k y d a i r y. o r g
KENTUCKY
Supported by
Agriculture Seeing Uptick in Consumer Trust During Pandemic
page 6
Show Results
page 16
Dairy Calves Need Water inAddition to their Milk and Starter
page 18
more photos on page 22
KDDC Milk Distribution
Beth Cox and HH Barlow
U
SDA partnered with regional and local distributors,
whose workforce had been significantly impacted by
the closure of many restaurants, hotels, and other
food service entities, to purchase $3 billion in fresh produce,
dairy, and meat. USDA began with the procurement of
an estimated $100 million per month in fresh fruits and
vegetables, $100 million per month in a variety of dairy
products, and $100 million per month in meat products. The
distributors and wholesalers have provided a pre-approved
box of fresh produce, dairy, and meat products to food
banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other
non-profits serving Americans in need.
KDDC has partnered with Borden’s and Prairie Farms to
distribute milk and dairy products. To date KDDC along with
Borden’s and Prairie Farms have given away more than 16,000
gallons of milk, 48,000 14 ounce bottles of flavored milk, 12,000
containers each of cottage cheese, sour cream, french onion dip
and cream cheese.
KDDC’s free milk distribution has been an exciting and very
successful venture. It’s a win, win, win situation helping the
dairy farmer by using a lot of milk. It helps the processor in
moving a lot of product. Most of all, it helps people in need
with nutritious food and helps consumers by introducing a
variety of products to the recipients of the dairy box.
One area that has not been discussed is the volunteers who
have served at every location helping KDDC staff pass out
the dairy boxes. Each box weighs approximately 30 lbs. and
after several hundred boxes, they get heavy. Every truckload
has 1,200 boxes to distribute. We certainly appreciate all the
folks who have helped at each location, including 4-H and FFA
members, Prairie Farm employees, area development district
employees, Farm Bureau members, dairy farmers, food bank and
church members.
One particular volunteer at the Casey County free milk day
needs special recognition. Dr. A. F. Brown is a retired dentist in
Liberty, where he practiced dentistry for 37 years. Retiring in
1999, he has remained active particularly as a local Farm Bureau
director. What caught my attention that day was watching this
elderly gentleman pick up box after box, never taking a break. I
asked his age and he replied that he was 89 1/2. His energy level
was amazing. I asked if I could interview him. He really didn’t
want to talk about himself. He heard about the giveaway and
thought maybe he could help. I asked him his secret for such
good health and longevity. He paused a moment, then proudly
proclaimed he had been a Christian his entire life and was very
active in church. What a great testimony to God and a real role
model for all of us. I also asked if there was any special food
that had contributed to his good health. He said not really, he
just ate what his wife, Mary, put in front of him. I thought that’s
good advice as well.
Thank you, Dr. Brown, for being an inspiration and thank you
to all the other volunteers who have helped.
KDDC would like to thank all the many volunteers for helping
distribute the dairy products and a huge thank you to Borden’s,
Prairie Farms, and Owen Transport.
As of now KDDC will continue the milk distributions through
August.

2020 KDDC Board of Directors & Staff
Executive Committee
President: Freeman Brundige
Vice President: Charles Townsend, DVM
Sec./Treasurer: Tom Hastings
EC Member: Tony Cowherd
EC Member: Greg Goode
EC Past President: Richard Sparrow
Board of Directors
District 1: Freeman Brundige 731.446.6248
District 2: Josh Duvall 270.535.6533
District 3: Keith Long 270.670.1388
District 4: Bill Crist Jr. 270.590.3185
District 5: Tony Compton 270.378.0525
District 6: Mark Williams 270.427.0796
District 7: Greg Goode 606.303.2150
District 8: Steve Weaver 270.475.3154
District 9: Jerry Gentry 606.875.2526
District 10: Terry Rowlette 502.376.2292
District 11: Stewart Jones 270.402.4805
District 12: John Kuegel 270.316.0351
Equipment: Tony Cowherd 270.469.0398
Milk Haulers: Mike Owen 270.392.1902
Genetics: Dan Johnson 502.905.8221
Feed: Tom Hastings 270.748.9652
Nutrition: Dr. Jeffrey Bewley 859.699.2998
Dairy Co-op: Stephen Broyles 859.421.9801
Veterinary: Dr. Charles Townsend 270.726.4041
Finance: Todd Lockett 270.590.9375
Heifer Raiser: Bill Mattingly 270.699.1701
Former Pres.: Richard Sparrow 502.370.6730
Employee & Consultants
Executive Director: H.H. Barlow
859.516.1129
kddc@kydairy.org
DC-Central: Beth Cox
PO Box 144, Mannsville, KY 42758
bethcoxkddc@gmail.com
859.516.1619 • 270-469-4278
DC-Western: Dave Roberts
1334 Carrville Road, Hampton, KY 42047
roberts@kydairy.org
859.516.1409
DC-Southern: Meredith Scales
2617 Harristown Road, Russell Springs, KY 42642
mescales2@gmail.com
859.516.1966
DC-Northern: Jennifer Hickerson
PO Box 293, Flemingsburg, KY 41041
j.hickersonkddc@gmail.com
859.516.2458
KDDC
176 Pasadena Drive • Lexington, KY 40503
www.kydairy.org
KY Milk Matters produced by Carey Brown
President’s Corner Freeman Brundige
A
fter watching our country fight the pandemic for
four months, that seems like four years, one
of the lessons we have learned is that each
section of our country needs different policies and
rules to succeed. I think most of us that have spent
our life in the dairy business realize that this is true
for our industry also! The idea that having a large part
of our milk production under the management of one
large conglomerate has not worked out the way a lot
of us envisioned.
Having dairy farms in central Kentucky grouped with
farms all the way to the Canadian border, and Indiana
farms in with farms to the Mississippi line makes it hard
to find a consensus among producers. Although they are divided into different
“counsels” their lines are not necessarily drawn to match producers needs.
Moving milk around the country looks easy on a computer screen but there is
a large cost in doing so. And guess who pays the bills. No, we cannot stick our
heads in the sand and think our region’s milk is all that matters, all dairy farmers
have some of the same values and for sure the love of caring for our cows. But
all of us deserve a level playing field. To use a term my predecessor used, we
need to find the value of local milk and we need to be fairly compensated for it.
Thanks!
Warren Beeler To Serve On Beshear’s
Agritech Advisory Council
G
rayson County native Warren Beeler
will serve on the inaugural Kentucky
AgriTech Advisory Council.
In an announcement last week, Governor
Andy Beshear said that the goal of the task force
is to help the state become “America’s AgriTech
capital.”
“AgriTech is the future of agriculture, and
Kentucky is uniquely positioned to embrace and
deliver on it,” Beshear said. “Being the global
leader in the AgriTech industry not only will make Kentucky’s farms more
productive and efficient, but also will benefit every citizen and every region of
the commonwealth in creating industry and jobs.”
The governor will chair the committee with Beeler, Agriculture Commissioner
Ryan Quarles, Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman and University of Kentucky
president Eli Capilouto also being members of the 22-person council.
Beeler currently serves as the Executive Director for the Governor’s Office of
Agriculture Policy.
The announcement of the council comes after Beshear announced a
partnership with the Dutch government to help bring AgriTech to the
commonwealth.

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Executive Director Comments
H H Barlow
W
ho could ever believe block
cheddar cheese could be as
low as $1.00/lb. in early April
and then set an all-time high of $3.00/lb.
on July 13? This is a 300% increase in
three months. These are unprecedented
times. Cheese is the only commodity that has
experienced these lofty price increases.
We here in the southeast have not seen any of these price
increases yet because we face a two-month lag period in our
pricing compared to CME commodity prices and milk futures.
The higher prices WILL COME in our August 15 check
for July milk. Dixie Dairy report predicts at least a $4.00
increase in August and another $1-$2 increase coming in the
September check.
Unfortunately, the roller coaster continues and who knows
what will happen past September if schools do not open and
restaurants close their doors again. I am praying we can soon
put the pandemic behind us.
Let’s focus on some good news. KDDC is having some
fantastic days in late June, July and August. Who would ever
believe you could give away 1,200 boxes of dairy products
in three hours? It is true as KDDC has distributed 12 semi-
loads of milk so far with several more loads scheduled through
August.
It is all made possible through the Coronavirus Food
Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP allocated $3 billion for
food purchases with dairy products getting close to a billion
dollars purchased for free distribution.
I have never been involved in a more humanitarian endeavor
in my life. It creates a new large demand for milk, which helps
the farmer, gives the processor new outlets for products and
most of all, helps the needy and consuming public with great
nutritious food.
The looks on people’s faces and the gratitude expressed by
folks when you place free 30 lb. boxes of dairy products in their
car are priceless.
It has been a collaborative effort between KDDC and
processors—Prairie Farms and Borden’s. They were awarded
the government contracts to process the free dairy products
and they needed help in distribution. This is where KDDC
stepped in as a non-profit organization which made us
eligible for distribution. KDDC staff has set up all of these
free distributions in different locations across the state and
physically handled giving the products away with help from
volunteers, such as 4-H, FFA and area development district
employees.
With all our June Dairy Day events cancelled, it has been
great to have the milk giveaways. The loss of these dairy
celebratory events leaves a void for all of us involved in
dairying. It’s a 365 day/year job and these events have always
Milk — A Roller Coaster Ride

given an opportunity to take a little time to focus on the good
involved with being a dairy farmer.
At this writing, it appears we will have a state fair youth
dairy show. 4-H and FFA members have been showing at
district dairy shows. I say hallelujah!! We have not lost these
events. One recent highlight for me was attending the Barren
County Dairy Show. They have a pre-4-H class with ten little
people holding a halter calf. The future of dairy looks great
viewing this picture.
To continue with the future of Kentucky dairying, KDDC
has six meetings scheduled in early October. These events
are targeted to young dairymen for education and building
excitement for future leaders. Dr. Jeffrey Bewley will be our
featured presenter. Times and places will be published in our
next newsletter.
Thankfully, we have had very few dairy liquidations in 2020.
The CFAP and DMC have provided funding to keep dairymen
afloat during these horrible prices. The future must be market
driven and not more government payments.
Another cancellation was the World Dairy Expo in
Wisconsin. This news was disappointing since KDDC has
sponsored a trip there for several years. To replace the
Wisconsin trip, we are planning to sponsor a trip to the Georgia
Dairy Conference in January. We will tour dairy farms and
attend the meeting in Savannah. Please start making your plans
to attend.
The KDDC MILK Program, as previously explained, has
changed dramatically. The cancellation of dairy processor
support demands we change focus in helping our dairymen
improve profitability and sustainability. Staff and board
members are working diligently to create a new program for
2021-2022.
We at KDDC have not lost our desire to be engaged with
each Kentucky dairyman. We are visiting farms, helping with
energy grants, helping with quality issues and encouraging
dairymen to hang in there.
It does appear the last half of 2020 will have much higher
milk prices. Please keep a positive attitude and hopefully we
can enter a period of thriving instead of just surviving.
It sure is hot so eat plenty of ice cream!!
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Agriculture Producers Seeing Uptick In Consumer Trust During Pandemic
Lisa Tolliver
A
n unexpected benefit of the coronavirus COVID-
19 pandemic for farmers and other agriculture
producers has been the uptick in confidence and
trust from consumers.
The pandemic cast a magnifying glass on the importance of
the country’s food supply and where that supply is generated.
When the pandemic fears reached its peak, consumers found
some grocery store products were scarce. Not only were toilet
paper, soap and hand sanitizer hard to find, but the availability of
meat products were reduced, as well.
Rather than an actual shortage of meat, many large meat
producers rushed to adopt new guidelines to safely operate.
Meat processing companies adapted to protect food supply and
frontline workers to keep employees safe and follow guidelines
established by the Centers for Disease Control to slow the spread
of COVID-19. For consumers, it meant meat at the grocery store
wasn’t always a guarantee.
Consumers turned to farmers for help.
Kyle Turpin with Summitt Meat Processing said beef shortages
at major grocery chains sent consumers to them for fresh beef.
He shared his story during a LAND forum in June that discussed
how COVID-19 has impacted agricultural producers. LAND
(Linking Agriculture for Networking and Development) is a joint
effort between the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA)
and the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM). A series
of forums were scheduled across the commonwealth this summer
to connect agricultural and manufacturing interests.
Turpin said the increase is carrying over into potential business
now at large retailers and new customers at farmers’ markets.
“The pandemic definitely changed the landscape for meats,”
he said.
He’s not the only one seeing the benefits of direct customer
contact.

Small meat processors, like Hampton Meats in Hopkinsville,
are working to capacity right now, slaughtering 60-80 head of
cattle per week. Their customers are farmers who, by law, are
having their beef processed at the USDA facility so they can sell
it directly to customers. Hampton Meats is booked up to capacity
the rest of the year.
Justin Hampton, the second generation to run the family-
owned business, said the recent meat “shortage” was not a
shortage of beef but a shortage of workers to process the meat.
Some consumers also had a difficult time finding dairy
products at the store. A series of dairy giveaways, which began
in June and funded by the federal Coronavirus Food Assistance
Program, helped some consumers tackle this food insecurity.
Milk, including regular, chocolate and strawberry, along with
cottage cheese, cream cheese, French onion dip and sour cream
were products given away during the events.
“This is extremely neat because, in that box, there maybe a
dairy product that somebody might have never tried, so he or
she could become a new customer,” said H.H. Barlow, Barren
County dairy farmer and the Kentucky Development Dairy
Council executive director. Barlow and other KDDC members
helped with the milk distribution at some events.
Non-conventional producers have also witnessed the benefits
of direct consumer interaction. Allison Horseman of Lavender
Farm at Woodstock said they worried they would have to shut
down because of the pandemic. Instead, walk up business and
online sales made for a big spring so far.
“We’ve had a huge uptick in online orders from people who
want to support local,” she said.
Even farmers’ markets are seeing a surge in consumers as
the public focuses on where their food comes from and the
importance of supporting local farmers.
Lexington Farmers’ Market and Community Farmers’
Market in Bowling Green are two examples of markets that are
successfully coping with the current coronavirus pandemic. Both
farmers’ markets moved to larger outdoor spaces, spreading out
their vendors and giving their customers more space for social
distancing.
Lexington Farmers’ Market Manager Josh England said the
change was well accepted by customers, who have rewarded
some vendors with weekly sell-outs.
“Business is actually up, which is not typical,” he said.
During the spring, England said several farms at the market
sold out of their entire vegetable products for several weekends
in a row.
“You usually don’t see sell-outs in early spring vegetables.
Usually people don’t get as excited about baby spring lettuce
as they do about other crops,” he said. “I never imagined it
{pandemic] would be as life changing as it’s been. We’ve been
working to make sure our farmers have an outlet for their crops.”
At the Community Farmers’ Market in Bowling Green,
manager Susan Warrell said while customer count has been
drastically down in the spring, vendor sales were much better
than normal.
“I would venture to say that they are spending the majority of
their food budget on local food here at our market,” Warrell said.
“Our social distancing and reduced foot traffic rules are working.
People aren't loitering around or just walking through looking at
everything. They're here to buy local.”

Value-Added Growth is Key to Some Dairy Operation Successes
Tim Thornberry, KFB
Turning Milk Into Profit-Making, Value-Added Products Is Helping Some
Dairy Farm Families Carry On Multi-Generational Traditions
T
he dairy industry has a long and storied
history in the Commonwealth; one that is
steeped in tradition and can be traced
back for generations. In fact, if you ask any
dairy producer why they continue in such
a demanding sector, they will likely list
tradition as one of their deciding factors.
Taking that into consideration, coupled with
the growth of value-added products and the
local food movement, many dairy farm families
are finding new opportunities by turning their
milk into a variety of dairy products and selling
these products straight from the farm.
Terry Rowlett and his family, who are long-time dairy
farmers in Henry County, have taken the step of creating Rowlett’s
Milkhouse Creamery, finding new uses and customers for their
dairy milk.
“My father and our family moved to this farm in 1974, and it
was a dairy at that time,” he said. “In addition to the dairy, we also
grow about 50,000 pounds of tobacco, about 100 acres of corn for
silage for our dairy, and we cut approximately 1,500 rolled bales
of hay each year for our cows. With what we own and what we
rent and lease, we're farming close to 1,000 acres.”
Most Kentucky farms have operated in a diverse manner for
years, but as the tobacco-growing economy shrank, the need to
find new ways to sustain family farms became more prevalent.
Rowlett is simply adding to an operation that was already
diversified, but this venture brings customers a little closer to
products from the farm; a trend that has seen growth over the
last several years and has significantly expanded in the wake of
COVID-19.
“In December 2019, things started looking up for the dairy
industry, and prices began to improve,” he said. “It seemed like
some of the trade negotiation deals had come through, and we
were moving more milk or dairy products offshore. Plus, dairy
farmers had cut back a little bit.”
But things changed for most of the agriculture industry when the
virus struck, and the economy slowed to a crawl.
However, the decision made about the expansion of their dairy
business by Rowlett, his sister Sharon, who is co-owner of the
farm, and wife Sandra, came well before the coronavirus.
“We decided by the end of 2017 and early 2018 that we had a
choice; we either had to add some value to our milk somehow, or
we were just going to have to quit the dairy,” he said. “For lack of
better words, our bills were a lot higher than our milk
check.”
The Rowletts decided to create an off-farm
store where customers could buy products
like cheese, ice cream, and butter. As part of
that decision, they invested in pasteurization
equipment to ensure they could use the dairy
milk coming straight from their farm.
“We are taking milk that may not have made
a profit and turning it into products that will,”
said Rowlett.
Carl Chaney and his family saw the need to
diversify their dairy operation many years ago and are
continually striving to improve upon what likely turned out to be a
farm-saving enterprise.
“This dairy was started in 1942 by my father, James Riley
Chaney, who milked over 20 cows a day by hand,” he said. “And
over the years, he grew the dairy as technology advanced. He
loved the Jersey breed and won many awards for his efforts in
breeding top Jersey cows.”
That love for the breed and the industry was passed on to
Carl, who bought the herd from his father in 1985. But the dairy
industry hit some difficult times, and Carl, along with wife Debra,
and their three children, all of whom were – and still are – very
involved in the farm, knew something had to change.
“With more housing developments pushing toward the farm,
doing business as usual with the dairy was just not going to be
sustainable, and we felt like we didn't want to have to struggle as
much as we did when we were just milking cows,” he said. “Milk
prices are so cyclical: they're up, and then they're down for quite a
while, and then they're up a little bit, and then they're down again,
and it's just frustrating to work every day, as hard as you work, to
just continue pushing uphill.”
In 2003, the decision to start Chaney's Dairy Barn was made,
which created a farming destination of sorts complete with tours,
local food, and what has now become world famous ice cream.
Since then, the Chaney family has continued to move forward,
first investing in a new barn to optimize cow comfort, then adding
a state-of-the-art Lely A4 robotic milking system. But the latest
change could prove to be the biggest so far.
In 2017, Chaney’s youngest daughter, Elizabeth, made the move
to begin the process of pasteurizing milk on their farm to allow
them to sell fluid milk, make value added products, and most
importantly, provide an ice cream mix to Chaney's Dairy Barn.

This latest investment to the business has yielded great results
so far. Chaney said there have even been times when local
groceries have sold out of their milk.
“We've been so blessed that people have continued to support
us and help us,” he said. “We're open at the Dairy Barn, and
things are going pretty well. We're running about 45 to 50 percent
of the sales from last year because of the situation with the
coronavirus, but we're excited to be open. We're tickled that our
employees have jobs and that they can count on that money to
help with their families.”
Chaney sees a chance for better days ahead with milk prices
on the rebound and the world opening up again, but it has been
the hard work and dedication of his family (and families like his)
that has helped the dairy industry continue to be a vital part of the
Commonwealth’s agriculture industry.
University of Kentucky Dairy Scientist Earns National Recognition
Aimee Nielson
D
onnaAmaral-Phillip’s goal is to educate dairy farmers,
industry personnel, veterinarians and Cooperative
Extension agents on the fundamentals of dairy
nutrition and management. Her efforts recently led the
American Dairy Science Association to honor her with the
2020 DeLaval Dairy Extension Award.
Amaral-Phillips serves as an extension professor for the
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and
Environment in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
The DeLaval Dairy Extension Award was created to recognize
outstanding achievements in dairy extension. The award
recognizes the winner’s valuable and noteworthy contributions
to the dairy industry through extension in the broad areas of
production, manufacturing, marketing and youth work. The
recipient must be active in dairy extension when nominated,
have at least 10 years of work with an educational or public
institution and have been a member of ADSA for at least five
successive years.
Her extension education program centers on applying sound,
science-based nutrition recommendations for replacements and
lactating dairy cows. She often uses hands-on demonstrations
and facilitates farmer-led discussion groups. She was the project
leader for DAIReXNET, a national eXtension-driven dairy web
resource, which provided dairy-related audiences with science-
based, peer-reviewed materials and educational opportunities.
“DAIReXNET illustrated what was possible when extension
and research faculty and county extension educators work
together collectively on a national basis to provide educational
opportunities to end users, such as dairy producers, allied
industry personnel, consumers and undergraduate students,” she
said.
Amaral-Phillips has been a co-coordinator for the North
American Invitational 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl for 32 years. The
national event is designed to increase the knowledge of dairy
foods and production while building life skills in the next
generation of industry leaders.
For more than 20 years, Amaral-Phillips has been actively
involved in the interdisciplinary Master Grazer project,
designing grazing systems for all ruminant species. She is the
editor and author of many articles in a monthly newsletter
for Kentucky Cooperative Extension educators and the dairy
industry. She has authored or co-authored 52 peer-reviewed
extension articles and more than 350 popular press articles.
“Some of my most fulfilling extension work in Kentucky has
happened while sitting around a kitchen table or standing in a
commodity shed and listening to the concerns of farmers and
their families,” she said. “Sometimes my most impactful work
has nothing to do with dairy science, per se, but it is always
related to some aspects of a family’s farm or business.”
Amaral-Phillips has served on numerous ADSA national
committees and has served as president of the Southern division
of ADSA. She has received the Southern ADSA Honor Award
and the UK Whitaker award for Excellence in Extension.
Amaral-Phillips holds a bachelor’s degree from the University
of Connecticut, a master’s degree from North Carolina State
University and a doctorate in nutritional physiology from Iowa
State University. She accepted the DeLaval Dairy Extension
Award during the ADSA’s recent virtual annual meeting.
Amaral-Phillips serves as an extension professor for the UK Department of Animal
and Food Sciences. Photo by Steve Patton

Dr. George Heersche, Jr. Retires
Larissa Tucker
D
r. George Heersche, Jr. retired June 30, 2020 after
serving 45 years as Extension Dairy Specialist. He
has been a member of the Department of Animal
and Food Sciences at the University of Kentucky for 42 of
those years. During that time, he has been a mentor to
Kentucky youth and assisted them in gaining valuable life
skills. He has coached three National 4-H Dairy Judging
Contest winning teams during his tenure and has given
his assistance to the ten National FFA Dairy Cattle Career
and Development Event winning Kentucky teams. He also
serves as the chairman of the management committee
for the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest and
is one of the co-superintendents of the North American
International Livestock Exposition Invitational Dairy Cattle
Judging Contests. He began the dairy quiz bowl contest in
Kentucky and began the North American Dairy Quiz Bowl
Contest. George served as the Kentucky State Fair 4-H
Dairy Show Superintendent for 20 years. Any time youth
dairy events are held Dr. Heersche has been there to help
and support our Kentucky youth.
In addition to his youth responsibilities, Dr. Heersche has
provided expertise in reproduction management. He has
helped farmers trouble shoot reproductive problems in their
individual herds and been an outstanding speaker at field days
and workshops across the United States. Many look to him
for his advice in estrus synchronization protocols and artificial
insemination tips. George has also collaborated on many
research projects and served as a mentor to the graduate student
who teaches the advanced dairy cattle evaluation course.
George and his wife Kathy have been married for 51 years.
They have three
children Scott,
Kimberly, and
Charla Heersche
and two grandsons
Ryan and Sam
Heersche. Kathy
and George served
as foster parents to
13 children. They
are both active
members of Faith
Lutheran Church in
Lexington.
Please
congratulate
Dr. George
Heersche, Jr. on
his retirement and
wish him the best
as he begins this
new chapter. As
a recognition to
George’s many
years of 4-H youth
work, an online giving page has been established to benefit the
Kentucky 4-H Dairy Program. The web page link is https://
kentucky4hfoundation.org/dr-george-heersche-retirement/. The
contributions are going to an account within the Kentucky 4-H
Foundation. An event to honor George will be held at a later
date.
Are You Getting Farmshine??
Farmshine is a popular dairy publication based out of
Pennsylvania. It is a weekly newspaper publication
covering timely and important dairy and agribusiness
news.
KDDC has provided each Kentucky dairy producer
and young dairy producer with a subscription. If there
is anyone that is not receiving a copy of Farmshine
please let your KDDC Dairy Consultant know.

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Contact your local DeLaval participating dealer today to take advantage of this limited time offer.
www.delaval.com
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and DeLaval is a registered trade/service mark of DeLaval Holding AB.
The manufacturer reserves the right to make design changes. Promotion ends November 30th, 2020 and may be discontinued at any time,
without notice.
Includes
3 year
warranty
Program the
detacher settings
using our
VPR200
Simple,
robust &
versatile
Available
for Plastic
or Stainless
retract
cylinder
Applies
towards
MPC130 &
MPC150
Milking Point Controller Promotion
MPC150 FI7
Milk Indicator

Dairy commodity prices move higher. All DPSR commodity
prices, except dry whey, increased in June. The leading gainer
by far is cheese, with a historical $0.92/lb. increase from May
to June. The June cheese price is the highest since 2014. At the
CME, block cheddar set seven new record highs in June topping
out at $2.81/lb. on June 23. Higher CME prices will move the
DPSR cheese price higher in July. There is strong demand for
fresh cheese. Consumers are purchasing more cheese to eat at
home, pizza sales are strong, restaurants especially fast food
are reopening, USDA is purchasing large volumes of cheese for
donation programs, and May cheese exports were 8% higher
than a year ago.
Butter and nonfat dry milk powder (NFDM) prices gained in
June as well, but still remain below a year ago. Butter is more
dependent on food service than cheese, and the butter inventory
is at a historical high. We project the butter price will remain
well below year ago prices for some time. The NFDM price was
helped by May powder imports 25% higher than a year ago, and
increased use of powder to fortify cheese production. NFDM
prices should continue to advance, especially if exports remain
strong. The dry whey price is hampered by more product. May
dry whey production was 8.9% higher than last May. Reports
indicate the demand for higher value whey products, used in
nutritional supplements and sports drinks is declining. GNC,
the nation’s largest nutritional store chain and a major seller of
whey-based products, declared bankruptcy and is closing many
of its retail stores. Whey plants are shifting production from
higher valued whey products to dry whey.
Lower milk production. May milk production was 1.1%
lower than May a year ago. This is the first month over month
decline since last May, and the lowest May production since
2016. Cow numbers declined 12,000 head from April. However,
the primary reason for less milk in May was milk per cow almost
1.6% lower than a year ago. Dairy farmers quickly responded to
milk reduction programs implemented by many cooperatives and
plants. Only six of the 24 reporting states increased production
in May. California was down 1.2% and Wisconsin 2.2%. In the
three Southeast reporting states, Florida and Virginia production
in May was flat compared to last May, and Georgia was 1.9%
lower due to less milk per cow.
Milk price inversion. A milk price inversion is when the
Class III price is higher than the federal order blend price. June
will see a “historic” milk price inversion due to the Class III
price significantly higher than the other milk classes. The June
Class III price, due to higher cheese prices increased $8.90/cwt.
from May to June, the largest month to month change in history.
Class II only increased $0.69/cwt. and Class IV $2.23/cwt. Due
to advanced pricing, the June Class I mover declined $1.53/cwt.
from May and is $9.62/cwt. lower than the Class III price.
As a result, June blend prices in the
three southeastern federal orders will be
lower than the Class III price. Outside of
the southeast, all orders except one, use
multiple component pricing. In these orders
the producer price differential (PPD) will be
a large negative number. A Class III price
higher than the order blend, and a negative
PPD leads to large volumes of Class III milk
not pooled on federal orders. Not pooling
Class III milk makes the inversion even
greater. We expect the milk price inversion to
occur again in July. The July Class I Mover
Dixie Dairy Report
July 2020
Calvin Covington
DAIRY PRODUCTS SALES REPORT (DPSR) PRICES *
PRODUCT JUNE 2020 MAY 2020 JUNE 2019 JUNE 2018
($/lb)
Butter $1.7067 $1.3074 $2.3663 $2.3756
Cheese (block) $2.2566 $1.3049 $1.7461 $1.6470
Cheese (barrel) $2.1482 $1.2641 $1.6075 $1.5549
Cheese weighted ave $2.2152 $1.2990 $1.6910 $1.6150
Nonfat Dry Milk Powder $0.9106 $0.8492 $1.0431 $0.8150
Dry Whey $0.3638 $0.3818 $0.3643 $0.3086
* Dairy product prices used to calculate federal order class prices
FEDERAL ORDER CLASS PRICES – MAY AND JUNE 2020 AND
PROJECTED JULY 2020
CLASS MAY 2020 JUNE 2020 CHANGE
($/cwt.) @ 3.5% fat
Class I Mover $12.95 $11.42 -$1.53
Class II $12.30 $12.99 $0.69
Class III $12.14 $21.04 $8.90
Class IV $10.67 $12.90 $2.23
PROJECTED* BLEND PRICES – BASE ZONES – SOUTHEAST-
ERN FEDERAL ORDERS
MONTH APPALACHIAN FLORIDA SOUTHEAST
($/cwt. at 3.5% butterfat)
May 2020 $15.14 $17.29 $15.39
June $15.51 $16.73 $15.90
July $18.99 $20.79 $19.54
August $20.71 $23.10 $21.33
September $19.93 $21.82 $20.41
October $19.63 $21.52 $20.13
* Projections in bold

Milk Prices
FMMO 5
www.malouisville.com
July 2020
Class 1 Advanced Price
(@3.5%BF)
$ 19.96
August 2020
(@3.5%BF)
$23.18
FMMO 7
www.fmmmatlanta.com
July 2020
(@3.5%BF)
$20.36
August 2020
(3.5%BF)
$23.58
increased to $16.56/cwt. However, the July Class III price is projected around $22.00/
cwt. Due to the change in calculating the Class I Mover, implemented a year ago, the
Class I mover does not reflect all of the higher cheese price. The Class I Mover now
is an average of the advanced Class III and IV prices plus $0.74, not the higher of.
Under the previous Mover calculation, the July Class I Mover would be $19.13/cwt.,
or $2.56/cwt. higher. The large difference between the Class I and Class III prices
may create challenges in procuring milk for fluid milk plants.
Blend prices. As shown below the June Florida blend price is projected about
$0.50 lower than May. Due to more Class III milk, blend prices in the Appalachian
and Southeast orders are projected about $0.40/cwt. higher than May. The projections
assume lower volumes of Class III pooled compared to normal. If more Class III is
pooled, the blend prices will be higher. If less Class III milk is pooled, blend prices
will be lower. A large blend price increase is projected in all orders in July, due to a
higher Class I Mover, and a further increase in August.
Dumped milk. Using USDA data published in the June 19, 2020 issue of
Farmshine, we estimate, during the month of April in all federal orders, about 300
million more lbs. of milk was dumped or used for animal feed. This 300 million lbs.
represents about 2.2% of all federal order producer milk in April. Estimated April
milk, dumped or used for animal feed, in the three southeastern orders:
ESTIMATED MILK DUMPED - ANIMAL FEED IN SOUTHEASTERN ORDERS – APRIL 2020
ORDER DUMPED-ANIMAL FEED (MIL.LBS.) % OF TOTAL PRODUCER MILK
Appalachian 4.0 0.9%
Florida 29.5 13.6%
Southeast 12.6 3.3%

Supreme Showman
Tyler Berryman – Jessamine County
Shelbyville
Supreme Showman
Tyler London - Metcalfe County
Southern KY
Liberty
Supreme Showmanship
Elise Carpenter- Russell County

Supreme Cow - Caleb Lipps - Shelby County
Reserve Cow - Brock Ward - Owen County
Supreme Heifer - Emily Goode - Casey County
Reserve Heifer - Virginia Sageser
Supreme Heifer - Tyler London - Metcalfe Co.
Reserve Heifer - Sophie Franklin - Shelby Co.
Supreme Cow Grant Roadcap-Shelby County
Reserve Cow - Temple Strader - Grayson Co.
Supreme Heifer - Kelly Manion- Allen County
Reserve - Bree Russell- Barren County
Supreme Cow - Elise Carpenter - Russell Co.
Reserve Cow - Emily Goode - Casey County

Supreme showman
Lynne Marie Tormoehlen
Tollesboro
Supreme Showman
Tyler Berryman - Jessamine County
Harrodsburg
Edmonton
Supreme Showman
Bree Russell - Barren Co.

Supreme Cow - Lynne Marie Tormoehlen Supreme Heifer - Virginia Sageser - Shelby Co
Reserve Heifer - Caleb Lipps - Shelby County
Supreme Heifer - Taylor Graves - Boyle Co.
Reserve Heifer - Emily Goode - Casey Co.
Supreme Cow - Grant Roadcap - Shelby Co.
Reserve Cow -Haley Butler - Spencer Co.
Supreme Heifer - Tyler London - Metcalfe Co.
Reserve Heifer - Colton Huffman - Metcalfe Co.
Supreme Cow - Caden McIntyre - Metcalfe Co.
Reserve Supreme Cow – Caden McIntyre –
Metcalfe County (lead by Colton Huffman)

Dairy Calves Need Water in Addition to their Milk and Starter
By Donna M. Amaral-Phillips, Extension Professor and Dairy Nutritionist, University of Kentucky
B
y 3 days of age, baby calves should be provided
water free-choice in addition to their calf starter and
milk or reconstituted milk replacer. Depending on the
environmental temperatures and calf health, young calves
may drink a quart or more of water daily. As temperatures
increase, calves will drink more water. Water intake also
increases as calves eat more starter. Generally, calves
drink 4 parts water to every part of calf starter consumed.
Calves drink water more frequently than cows, thus the need
to have water available at all times. In the winter, calves will
drink more water when provided warm versus cold.
Why Provide Water to Baby Calves?
Providing free-choice water is not only needed for hydration,
but also and more importantly, for rumen development.
Providing water free-choice increases starter intake and weight
gain. In a research study, depriving calves of drinking water
decreased starter intake by 31% and decreased weight gain by
38% over those calves provided water free-choice. Remember
that weight gain, especially related to muscle and skeletal
growth, during the first 2 months of life is positively correlated
to first-lactation milk yield. Calves fed water free-choice also
had a lower incidence of scours.
Free-choice water along with a high-quality calf starter results
in rumen development, which allows the calf to transition to a
diet containing primarily forages and other fibrous feedstuffs.
When calves are fed milk, milk does not enter the rumen but
rather the calf’s true stomach or abomasum. When calves nurse
or drink milk, a nervous stimulation results in the closure of
the esophageal groove that allows milk to go directly from
the esophagus into the abomasum, bypassing the rumen itself.
Thus, milk or water added to the milk will not enter the rumen
and provide a moist environment for the bacteria to grow in the
rumen. These rumen bacteria produce volatile fatty acids (VFA’s)
that result in the development of the rumen papillae, which, in
turn, absorb the VFA’s that provide nutrition to ruminants.
Ways to Provide Water:
Calf hutches or individual stalls - Ideally, calves should be
provided water away from buckets containing calf starter. When

starter and water are located side-by-side, calves
often drip water into the starter, thus increasing
the chances of wet feed that can mold. Also, by
providing water at the front of the hutch, labor
efficiency can be improved since the person
replenishing water can walk in a straight line
versus weaving through the hutches (see pictures).
Automatic calf feeders - For calves fed through
an automatic calf feeder, automatic waters are
provided in each pen of calves. These waterers
should be selected and installed such that the
top is no higher than 28 inches from the floor
and provide water that is at least 3 inches deep.
Access to these waterers should be unobstructed to
allow unlimited access to water. Just like waterers
for the milking herd, they should be emptied daily
and cleaned and scrubbed with a brush using a
weak bleach water (1/4 cup bleach in 1.25 gal
water) at least weekly.
Take-home message - Baby calves need water
free-choice for optimum and cost-effective growth.
Cowherd Equipment & Rental, Inc.
For More Information:
Cowherd Equipment & Rental, Inc.
1483 Old Summersville Rd.
Campbellsville, KY 42718
Office 270-465-2679
Tony 270-469-0398
Vince 270-469-5095
Penta 4030
Tire Scraper
J&D Head Locks
Roto Grind 1090
Hagedorn 5440
Manure Spreader
Silage Defacer
Tire craper
Cowherd Dairy Supply
For chemicals, supplies and more
from our dairy to yours, Cowherd’s
has all of your dairy needs.
Cowherd Dairy Supply
1483 Old Summersville Rd.
Campbellsville, KY 42718
Office 270-465-2679
Tony 270-469-0398
Vince 270-469-5095
• Boumatic Milking Equipment and
Chemicals
• Chore-Boy Parts
• BouMatic Coolers
• J&D Manufacturing
• IBA Chemicals
• Mueller Milk Tanks
Penta 4930
BouMatic
Feed
pusher
• SCR Systems
• Up North Plastics Available

Home cooking and the use of dairy in
preparing daily meals may be the standard
for some families but with circumstances
that everyone has had to cope with in 2020,
cooking at home became the normal way of
life for many additional families this year.
Southwest and Southland Dairy Farmers
have worked to develop a campaign that
reaches those who have a long-standing
tradition of cooking at home and welcome
those who are adjusting to a new method
of preparing their daily meals. Share the
Tradition, Share the Nutrition will feature
dairy recipes and cooking tips, nutritional
information and promotional messaging that
focuses on the family and mealtime at home.
We are inviting families to the dinner table
to focus on treasured moments together and
enjoying the goodness of dairy at mealtime.
Share the Tradition, Share the Nutrition
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs). Livestock manure management and water
quality BMPs. Ky Division of Water permitting and compliance. Ben Koostra - Professional
Engineer and NRCS Technical Service Provider - Lexington - 859-559-4662
To place a classified ad, contact any of the KDDC Dairy Conultants or Carey Brown at (859) 948-1256
ClassifiedAds

The Dairy Alliance Partners with Adair County
Food Bank to Provide Milk to Families
D
uring the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are
turning to their local food banks for access to
nutritious foods. However, with a lack of refrigeration
available, these food banks and pantries often cannot hold
enough of perishable items such as milk to meet demand.
Access to fresh milk is vital for families, as dairy products
remain a good source of essential nutrients for our diets. As the
Southeast region’s dairy farmers continue working hard to ensure
the nutritious milk their cows produce is available for consumers
in their communities to purchase and consume, The Dairy
Alliance sought ways to provide this milk to those who need it
most.
To help bridge the hunger gap and nourish local communities,
The Dairy Alliance and the Southeast’s dairy farmers provided
coolers and fresh milk to smaller food banks seeing an increase
in demand. The Adair County Food Bank in Columbia,
Kentucky, is one of these banks to partner with The Dairy
Alliance to provide milk to local families.
After seeing a need for additional milk in the community
following the early effects of the pandemic, The Dairy Alliance
began a conversation with the Adair County Food Bank to
implement a milk program that will provide more families with
milk during the pandemic and beyond. The grant awarded funds
a long-term milk program that provides a customized Undeniably
Dairy cooler, supplies a
one-time purchase of
fresh half-gallons and
gallons of real milk and
connects the food bank
with a processor for a
continuing milk supply.
The grant ensures that
the refrigeration will
only store real milk.
"Adair County Food
Bank is grateful for
the help to serve the
community in this time
of need," said food bank
supervisor Michelle
Fruth.
Since installation in
May, Adair County Food
Bank has moved about
40 gallons of milk a
week through the new
coolers to local families.

S
P
E
C
I
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A
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K
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T
O
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P
O
N
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Allied Sponsors
PLATINUM
Alltech
Ag Central
Bluegrass Dairy & Food
Burkmann Feeds
Cowherd Equipment
CPC Commodities
Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Kentucky Farm Bureau
Kentucky Soybean Board
Shaker Equipment Sales
Southland Dairy Farmers/Southwest
Dairy Museum
GOLD
Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition
Dairy Express Services
Dairy Products Assoc. of Kentucky
Dairy Farmers of America ME
Farm Credit Mid-America
Givens and Houchens Trucking
Mid-South Dairy Records
Select Sires Mid America
Todd County Animal Clinic
Trenton Farm Supply
SILVER
Advanced Comfort
Grain Processing Corp.
KVMA
Luttrull Feeds
Prairie Farms
Owen Transport
RSI Calf Systems
South Central Bank
BRONZE
Bank of Jamestown
Bagdad Roller Mills
Central Farmers Supply
Double “S” Liquid Feed
Genetics Plus
H J Baker
Kentucky Corn Growers
Limestone & Cooper
Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers
Provimi (Cargill)
QMI
Wilson Trucking

176 Pasadena Drive
Lexington, KY 40503
859.516.1129 ph
www.kydairy.org
Non-Profit
US Postage
PAID
AUG 20-30 Kentucky State Fair, KFEC, Louisville, KY
AUG 20-21 4-H and FFA Dairy Cattle Show
AUG 21
The Third Annual KY State Fair Junior Dairy Cheese Auction, West Wing State
Fair, 6:00 P M
SEPT 15 On Farm Best Management Practice Workshop, Barren Co
SEPT 16 On Farm Best Management Practice Workshop, Adair Co.
SEPT 21 KDDC Board Meeting, Adair County Extension Office, 10:00 CDT
OCT 5 Dairy Future’s Meeting, Christian Co., TBA
OCT 6 Dairy Future’s Meeting, Adair Co., TBA
OCT 7 Dairy Future’s Meeting, Barren Co., TBA
OCT 8 Dairy Future’s Meeting, Marion Co., TBA
OCT 9 Dairy Future’s Meeting, Henry Co., TBA
OCT 14 Dairy Future’s Meeting, Logan Co., TBA
NOV 6-10 North American International Livestock Show, KY Fair and Exposition Center
DEC 11 KDDC Board Meeting, Adair County Extension Office, 10:00 AM CST
Calendar of Events

KDDC Supports Dairy Farmers and Distributes Milk to Those in Need

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