FYI on Dairy

More than 50 attendees–farmers and agriculture advocates–gathered this past Monday and Tuesday to refine their social media skills with an eye on reaching the vast majority of our population with no direct contact to food production. Topics ranged from Twitter apps, to blogging tips, to Facebook strategies to message development and video production.

For more than 80 years, Western Growers has been dedicated to improving the competitiveness and profitability of our membership, who at three thousand strong, is based, in the farmlands of California and Arizona. Being the nation's leading agricultural trade association, it is Western Growers' vision to guide our members toward a healthy, sustainable and profitable future by offering quality services and programs that complement their businesses. To accomplish this, Western Growers is dedicated to providing quality services and programs that benefit and enhance the competitiveness of its members in the Arizona and California fresh produce industry. Western Growers is an agricultural trade association whose 3,000 members grow, pack and ship 90 percent of the fresh vegetables and nearly 70 percent of the fresh fruit and nuts grown in Arizona and California, about one-half of the nation's fresh produce. We are proud to grow the best medicine in the world!

Russo, 61, creates programs that help farmers better manage their water use.

Russo, 61, creates programs that help farmers better manage their water use.

Martin, 47, relies on GPS technology to improve efficiency and trim fertilizer use on her family's large cotton operation.

Martin, 47, relies on GPS technology to improve efficiency and trim fertilizer use on her family's large cotton operation.

Jung-Rothenhäusler, 51, uses satellite imaging and technology to help farmers detect and solve field deficiencies.

Jung-Rothenhäusler, 51, uses satellite imaging and technology to help farmers detect and solve field deficiencies.

Morikawa, 55, makes robots that help growers harvest oranges and prune grapevines.

Morikawa, 55, makes robots that help growers harvest oranges and prune grapevines.

Hayes, 27, develops and markets John Deere's GreenStar products, which allow farmers to automate their work.

Hayes, 27, develops and markets John Deere's GreenStar products, which allow farmers to automate their work.

Palmer, 44, works with equipment manufacturers to develop applications using Intel's Atom processors to lend intelligence and Internet connectivity to tractors.

Palmer, 44, works with equipment manufacturers to develop applications using Intel's Atom processors to lend intelligence and Internet connectivity to tractors.

Since 1918, the Seattle-based Darigold co-op has been producing an array of dairy products that keep the region's small farmers in business. The co-op keeps adding products to its extensive line of standards such as milk and cottage cheese. Among the newer products are Crema Agria, a Mexican-style sour cream, and European-style butter, which contains 1 percent air as opposed to the standard 4 or 5 percent.

Since 1918, the Seattle-based Darigold co-op has been producing an array of dairy products that keep the region's small farmers in business. The co-op keeps adding products to its extensive line of standards such as milk and cottage cheese. Among the newer products are Crema Agria, a Mexican-style sour cream, and European-style butter, which contains 1 percent air as opposed to the standard 4 or 5 percent.

These are the first joint Department of Justice/USDA workshops ever to be held to discuss competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. The goals of the workshops are to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with respect to the appropriate legal and economic analyses of these issues as well as to listen to and learn from parties with real-world experience in the agricultural sector.

These are the first joint Department of Justice/USDA workshops ever to be held to discuss competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. The goals of the workshops are to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with respect to the appropriate legal and economic analyses of these issues as well as to listen to and learn from parties with real-world experience in the agricultural sector.

Terry Barr, an economist who heads CoBank's Knowledge Exchange, isn't one of the analysts who's looking for a double dip recession.

Barr expects the U.S. economy to continue growing at a rate of 2% to 3% a year. That won't be enough to create many jobs and unemployment will likely stay above 9% through the end of the year, he said during an interview at the Ag Media Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota, Monday.

Terry Barr, an economist who heads CoBank's Knowledge Exchange, isn't one of the analysts who's looking for a double dip recession.

Barr expects the U.S. economy to continue growing at a rate of 2% to 3% a year. That won't be enough to create many jobs and unemployment will likely stay above 9% through the end of the year, he said during an interview at the Ag Media Summit in St. Paul, Minnesota, Monday.