California ranks last in both housing affordability and availability, compared to the rest of the United States. This is having a major impact on California farm workers who are having to commute long distances to get to work or are otherwise struggling to get by. Watch this brief interview with Michael Miiller from the California Association of Winegrape Growers as they push for legislative support to streamline the permitting process for on-farm ag employee housing. Read more about it in the May issue of American Vineyard Magazine. The post CAWG Pushes Legislation to Streamline Ag ..read more

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program released findings from its Conservation Practice Questionnaire highlighting the leading stewardship of dairy farmers as FARM and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) observe Earth Day. The questionnaire, a voluntary addition to the FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES) Program, highlights some of U.S. dairy farmers’ conservation efforts, including practices and technologies that show effective water, energy and other resource stewardship. FARM ES launched the questionnaire in August 2022 after significant stakehol ..read more

The 2024 National Dairy Challenge Contest and Academy concluded on Saturday, April 6th, 2024. Dairy-focused college students – 212 in total – traveled to Visalia, California, which was the first visit to a western dairy for many students. Over 37 schools attended, allowing students from across US and Canada to visit one of the three hosting dairy farms in California. Dairy Challenge provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in dairy industry management and communication, while networking with other students and exploring industry careers. “I always encourage students to embrace the ..read more

Dairy Council of California, a leader in nutrition education and advocacy, is proud to announce the winners of its fifth annual Let’s Eat Healthy Award. In support of its cause to elevate the health of children and communities through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating patterns, the Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative is honoring seven California nutrition champions. The award recognition program is a highlight of the Let’s Eat Healthy Initiative, which brings together educators, health professionals and community leaders to coordinate, collaborate and co-create opportunities for community health ..read more

Paris will be hosting the International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit October 15 – 18, 2024. It is a milestone event which brings together the entire dairy community. This event provides an opportunity to share success stories with all the different stakeholders (dairy farmers, processing companies etc.) as well as the challenges facing the business (economic and social crises, changing societal expectations from consumers and ecosystems) and join forces to achieve a resilient, innovative and attractive dairy sector. The summit aims to strengthen its members’ resolve to find i ..read more

The Board of Directors of the International Dairy Federation (IDF) has announced the appointment of Ms Laurence Rycken as new Director General as of 1 April, 2024. Ms Laurence Rycken has been serving IDF for the last 12 years as Science and Standards Programme Manager championing for the role of milk and dairy in nutrition security. Ms Rycken is thrilled to extend her contribution to the organisation as Director General. Already bringing with her an in-depth knowledge of the organization, fostering connections with the IDF community and proficiency in dairy, she aims to leverage the current po ..read more

The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) broadened its reach during the 2024 DCHA Annual Conference and Trade Show, held April 9-11, in Westminster, Colo., by offering two Spanish sessions and providing simultaneous interpretation (English to Spanish) for all general and breakout sessions. Plus, the group met in the West, which hasn’t been done for more than a decade. “The Spanish Track sessions provided outstanding information and strategies that demonstrate DCHA’s commitment to our industry’s leadership and dedication to providing high-quality development opportunities for dairy employee ..read more

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) expressed disappointment in the final rule released on April 9th to update the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which maintained the proposed rule’s cuts to dairy in the WIC food packages. WIC is a vital program ensuring that pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children have access to key nutrients that may be lacking in their diets, so decreasing the amount of dairy decreases the nutrients they are accessing through it. “NMPF is disturbed by the ..read more

The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 Stakeholders Summit will feature panelists from Protect the Harvest, American Kennel Club, and CloverLeaf Animal Welfare Systems who will share their experience navigating animal rights activism and how to chart a winning path to continuous improvement in animal welfare – independent of the influence of animal rights extremists. The 2024 event, themed “Ready, Set, Solve! Advancing Animal Agriculture,” is set for May 8-9 in Kansas City, Mo. Register and reserve your hotel room by April 12 to secure discounted rates: https://bit.ly/AAA24. Animal rights grou ..read more

Innovative ice cream and cultured dairy products inspired by bakery specialties and fruity florals were showcased this week at the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) annual Innovative Ice Cream Flavor and Innovative Cultured Dairy Product competitions, co-sponsored by Dairy Foods magazine. The ice cream and cultured dairy product competitions took place during IDFA’s annual, co-located Ice Cream Technology Conference and Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference, which drew a crowd of more than 270 industry professionals to Clearwater, Florida this week. Peanut Butter Overload by ..read more