March 24, 2008 at 11:11 am
· Filed under Agricultural Biotechnology, Consumer Attitudes About Biotechnology, rbST Public Discussion
John Fetrow VMD, MBA
Professor of Dairy Medicine
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Minnesota
1365 Gortner Ave.
St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
Terry D. Etherton, Ph.D.
Department Head & Distinguished Professor of Animal Nutrition
Department of Dairy & Animal Science
324 W.L. Henning Bldg
Penn State University
University Park, PA 16802
Milk is probably the most pure, wholesome, safe, highly regulated, inspected, and most carefully handled food that any of us consume. Dairy products provide a wealth of nutrients, including protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals. Even the butterfat in milk contains substances that may reduce cancer risks and help prevent obesity. Read the rest of this entry »
February 23, 2008 at 7:22 am
· Filed under The Food System, rbST Public Discussion
Sherry Bunting
Farmshine February 8, 2008
Don’t ever apologize for what you do: be proud. What you do affects everyone from Main Street to Wall Street,”said Orion Samuelson to more than 600 dairy producers and agribusiness representatives, launching the 2008 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit at the Lancaster Host on Wednesday (Feb. 6). Read the rest of this entry »
February 21, 2008 at 7:27 pm
· Filed under Science & Education, rbST Public Discussion
By SHERRY BUNTING
Special for Farmshine
LANCASTER, Pa. – “They’ve heard the lies, now it’s time they hear from the farmers,” said Pennsylvania dairyman Tom Krall during the second day of the Dairy Summit here on February 7. Krall-View Farm, Lebanon County, is home to a 100-cow milking herd.
Krall, along with DairyBusiness publisher Joel Hastings presented information about the new producer organization: American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology (AFACT). Read the rest of this entry »
February 21, 2008 at 7:07 pm
· Filed under Science & Education, rbST Public Discussion
Terry D. Etherton
Protect consumer choice:In the marketplace it is important that consumers have the right to buy milk produced by the most efficient, safe and sanitary methods of dairy farm management practices and production technologies that are available,and priced to reflect these efficiencies. Read the rest of this entry »
February 15, 2008 at 11:54 am
· Filed under Agricultural Biotechnology, Consumer Attitudes About Biotechnology, PodCasts, rbST Facts and Information, rbST Public Discussion
The following podcast features Orion Samuelson of WGN Radio discussing the use of recombinant bovine somatotropn (rbST).
Orion Samuelson is heard on WGN Radio, where he has served as Agribusiness Director since 1960. He and his associate, Max Armstrong, present 15 agricultural/business reports daily on WGN. They also host the hour-long Morning Show and Noon Show, both heard on Saturdays on WGN. Orion is also heard daily on more than 260 radio stations with his syndicated National Farm Report and on 110 stations with his syndicated Samuelson Sez. Orion and Max are seen weekly on rural channel RFD-TV, carried on Dish-TV and DirecTV on This Week in Agribusiness.
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February 15, 2008 at 11:52 am
· Filed under Agricultural Biotechnology, Consumer Attitudes About Biotechnology, PodCasts, rbST Facts and Information, rbST Public Discussion
The following podcast is of an interview with Dr. Terry Etherton on WHYY Radio in Philadelphia. This interview took place on January 15, 2008.
Summary from WHYY: The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recently ruled that dairies that do not inject their cattle with synthetic growth hormone can no longer label their milk as hormone-free. The decision, which has been put on hold until the beginning of February, raises serious questions for consumers, dairy farmers, and retailers. We talk to TERRY ETHERTON of Penn State University.
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January 16, 2008 at 5:35 pm
· Filed under Agricultural Biotechnology, rbST Public Discussion
By TERRY D. ETHERTON, Ph.D.
My editorial reply to the Centre Daily Times, State College, PA
(Published in the January 21, 2008 issue of the Centre Daily Times)
Your editorial (Truth is spilled over milk, published on January 3, 2008) overlooked a lot of truths and passed on a few half truths as well.
The biggest overlooked truth is that the controversy over milk labeling has more to do with company profits than with consumer demand. The truth is that milk companies have forced farmers to stop using recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) so that the companies can imply through advertising that their milk is better than some other company’s milk. This disingenuous advertising — “hormone free,” “no artificial hormones,” etc. – is fully aimed at customers who cannot be expected to know all the facts about rbST. There is a bothersome fact that undermines this advertising strategy: All milk contains hormones —the same hormones in the same amounts, irrespective of whether the cow has been supplemented with rbST. This includes organic milk and milk from cows not supplemented with rbST. Even vitamin D, which is used to fortify milk, is a hormone. Read the rest of this entry »
January 10, 2008 at 5:07 pm
· Filed under Consumer Attitudes About Biotechnology, Science & Education, rbST Public Discussion
Terry D. Etherton
The Case Study
The following editorial on milk labeling, Truth is spilled over milk, was published in the January 3, 2008 issue of the Centre Daily Times (State College, Pennsylvania).
As an educator for almost 30 years, and having given countless quizzes and exams, I thought it would be informative for the readers of my blog for me to GRADE this editorial. Read the rest of this entry »
January 9, 2008 at 2:37 pm
· Filed under Consumer Attitudes About Biotechnology, rbST Public Discussion
Editorial from Hoard’s Dairyman
January 10, 2008 Issue
Kudos to Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff for his department’s announcement that it will not allow dairy retailers to market milk with so-called “absence labels” in the state. Wolff, a dairy farmer himself, said that his department reviewed 140 labels and found 16 of them false or misleading. This announcement covered labels promising milk to be free of certain things such as artificial hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. Read the rest of this entry »
December 21, 2007 at 10:16 am
· Filed under Consumer Attitudes About Biotechnology, rbST Public Discussion
SHERRY BUNTING
Published in Farmshine (December 21, 2007 issue)
The purpose of this column is to discuss news affecting dairy marketing and prices. Before digging in, let’s reflect on the season and the yearend state of the dairy business…
New and value-added products in the dairy case are receiving good demand from consumers. Record exports brought record prices to overseas markets. And dairy farmers received record prices for their milk. 2007 has been a good year: particularly welcome after the abysmal losses of 2006.
But there’s something else 2007 will be known for: unease and potential division based on differences in production practices.
The milk labeling issue – and the uncertainty and controversy it brings to technologies like rbST – are overshadowing what would otherwise be a banner year. Read the rest of this entry »