Dairy Calves - News

Hurricane Ian's Deadly Punch to One Florida Dairy

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 21:36:41 GMT

The Category 4 Atlantic hurricane was both deadly and destructive. It ranks as the second most damaging hurricane, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005, to make landfall. Despite experiencing Hurricane Ian firsthand, Dakin Dairy Farms in Myakka City, Fla., is committed to not only making sure their cows are still well cared for, but they’re also becoming a helping hub for their local community.

Courtney Dakin, the farm’s tour director, says they are taking in donations and sending them out, and she encourages anyone in need to reach out to them.

“Dakin Dairy would like to be a hub for the community. If you have anything you would like to donate, we have the means to disperse it. If you have any needs, please reach out,” the farm posted on its Facebook page over the weekend.

As of Monday afternoon, Dakin says the community is still in dire need of supplies.

“Water, batteries, flashlights, hygiene products, bedding, gas, propane, air mattresses, tarps, water, non-perishables, Gatorade,” Dakin lists. “Whatever you can offer.”

Dakin says they are also in need of help to get donated products to Myakka City.

“We are hoping to help those in much more need in North Port and Arcadia as well,” she says.

The 4,000-cow dairy lost more than 250 cows after Hurricane Ian battered them with 100-plus mph winds. Dakin says the number is likely to rise, as many have developed respiratory problems like pneumonia due to their prolonged exposure to the weather conditions during the storm.

“Feed and water are the No. 1 priorities to make sure our cows are well cared for,” Dakin says.

Despite steel being torn off buildings, the focus is on ensuring the cows that survived the storm are cared for in the best way possible.

“A lot of our power is going in and out,” Dakin says. “We already operate 24 hours a day. Our cows still must be milked, even after a hurricane. We’re doing our best.”

The Florida dairy has turned their café into a donation hub.

“We are collecting as well as passing supplies out,” Dakin says.

Dakin Dairy thanks the entire community for stepping up and lending a helping hand. They shared on their Facebook page that they are grateful for every person that has showed up to help.

For more information on how to donate, go to Dakin Dairy Farms Facebook page.

“Local cash donations can be made in our café,” Dakin adds.

South Dakota Farmers Impacted by a Double Punch of Storms in May

Tue, 31 May 2022 17:55:09 GMT

In mid-May, eastern South Dakota and parts of Minnesota were hit by a derecho – a large-scale windstorm with 90-to 100-mph straight winds. The damage was felt by many farmers throughout the region, with one dairy farm, Global Dairy in Estelline, having to relocate 1,700 cows overnight.

It was no small feat relocating that number of cattle, but Victory Farms in Milbank came to the rescue, taking in all 1,700 cows and housing them on their nearby older dairy facility. The owner, Kevin Souza, stated, “It doesn’t matter how long it takes. Arjan [one of the owners] is one of those guys that is always willing to help others out. So, when he called needing help, it was a pretty easy decision to help him out because he’s that type of person to everyone else.”

The next round of storms hit the same area two weeks later. Over Memorial Day weekend, a series of severe storms that brought strong winds, heavy rain, hail and multiple tornado watches and warnings, impacted South Dakota. Unfortunately, this time, Victory Farms was in the path. And while they report no cows or people were injured, the farm suffered some loss that makes their long days grow even longer.

“Our shop and one calf barn suffered complete loss,” Souza reports.

His wife, Suzanne, posted on Facebook that cleanup started right after the storm passed.

“We were told that it was a tornado that possibly went through our area,” she wrote. “To have damage at farms 7 miles apart is hard to take, but everyone including the cattle are safe. Proud of Kevin, the kids and our employees for picking up and keeping things going with cleaning up and the day-to-day operations. [On] May 12 we moved cattle onto our place to help another farmer who got hit and lost their parlor. We are thankful for their employees that are helping us pick up the pieces. Dairy farmers have a special bond and no matter how near or far, a hand is always available to help out.”

Victory Farms milks 5,500 cows and is currently housing Global Dairy’s 1,700 cows that were displaced due to the derecho. Souza says they were fortunate to not have suffered more loss than they did.

“We feel lucky that we didn’t suffer more loss,” he says. “We moved the calves to another open barn and it’s business as usual here.”

Evan Grong, the transportation and milk procurement manager with Valley Queen, said the Memorial Day storms did not cause any injuries or have an impact on dairy production or processing for area producers or Valley Queen.

“There were some reports of damage to buildings and equipment on area farms. The impacts of yesterday’s storms are still being felt today with several area roads underwater from the heavy rainfall,” Grong says. “Area producers continue cleanup efforts from this second round of severe weather in the region. Valley Queen reminds all motorists to use extreme caution while driving and to watch for downed power lines and flooded roadways.”

What’s Next for Animal Activism in 2021 and What Can We Do About It?

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 21:14:41 GMT

By Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Animal Agriculture Alliance

2020 has taken me so off guard that I am a little hesitant to even attempt to look into my crystal ball and make predictions for 2021. A year ago, I certainly would not have guessed that events and travel would come to a halt in March or that phrases like “mask up” or “social distancing” would be part of our daily conversations. As much as the past year has shown us that being flexible and adaptable is just as valuable as having thorough predictions and plans, I still believe there is merit to taking a moment to reflect on some of the trends we’ve seen this past year and consider how they may impact us moving forward.

The Animal Ag Alliance has remained focused on monitoring animal rights activism this year, and activist groups have not skipped a beat in their efforts to damage the reputation of animal agriculture. Some organizations believe the COVID-19 pandemic is the “tipping point” they need for their messages to go mainstream, and that concept combined with activists trying to take advantage of a new incoming administration means that 2021 could be an even more intense year for activism.

I think we should all be preparing for a few continued trends:

• Activist messaging involving public health and animal agriculture. Activist groups have long claimed that animal agriculture is a threat to public health and the COVID-19 pandemic has added fuel to that fire (despite there not really being any merit to attempting to tie the current outbreak to food production). Unfortunately, this narrative seems to be gaining steam with calls to “reform the food system” to prevent future pandemics. I think we are going to see more and more references to farms as “breeding grounds” for future disease outbreaks and should be focused on debunking that narrative.

• Renewed focus on sustainability. Conversations about the environmental impact of animal agriculture took a backseat for much of 2020, but in the past few months that discussion is heating back up. Restaurant chains like Panera and Chipotle have announced new labeling programs to communicate the environmental footprint of their menu options and we’re starting to hear more about the UN Food Systems Summit coming up in 2021 with an action track focused on “shifting to sustainable consumption patterns.” The animal agriculture community will need to make sure we’re continuing to communicate about our sustainability efforts as we settle into the “new normal.”

• Large-scale protests and demonstrations, including at private homes. Activist groups seem to be upping the ante in terms of protests this year, likely believing that they need to be more and more extreme to get attention. We’ve seen continued protests (despite restrictions on gatherings) everywhere from farms and plants to public health offices, with some involving trespassing and interfering with daily operations. Animal rights activist organizations have also held several protests at the private homes of animal agriculture company and organization leaders, which is a troubling new trend. These continued incidents illustrate that we cannot let farm security slip down our priority list in 2021.

Despite whatever challenges 2021 may bring, know that the Alliance team is here and has your back. Happy New Year!

Read more from Hannah Thompson-Weeman:

Things Animal Rights Activists Say: 2020 Edition

Activists Set Sights on 4-H and FFA Despite Fewer Fairs

Communication Strategy is Critical Part of Crisis Planning