Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Cash-strapped dairy farmers who want to take advantage of a second herd retirement aimed at reducing overall milk production will need to have their bids postmarked by July 24.
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) announced the second program, along with its shortened bidding process, July 10. Bid selection will take place shortly after that and the farm auditing process will begin as soon as bid selection is completed, according to Jim Tillison, chief operating officer at CWT.
“Carrying out a second herd retirement right on the heels of the largest-ever herd retirement should give us a double-barreled attack on milk production in a very short period of time, resulting in a farm level price recovery several months sooner than would otherwise occur,” Jerry Kozak, chief executive of NMPF, which manages CWT, said in a prepared statement accompanying the announcement.
As has been the case in recent herd retirements, in addition to submitting bids for their milk herds, participating farmers will have the option of offering all of their bred heifers, at a flat price of $700 per animal. Members of CWT whose herd were retired in any of the seven previous retirement rounds are not allowed to bid again.
Producers whose bids are accepted in this herd retirement will be paid in two installments; 90 percent of the amount bid times the producer’s 12 months of milk production when it is verified that all cows have gone to slaughter and the remaining 10 percent plus interest at the end of 12 months following the farm audit IF both the producer and his dairy facility — whether owned or leased — do not become involved in the commercial production and marketing of milk during that period.
Finally, producers whose bids are accepted in this herd retirement and then choose to opt out will not be eligible to bid in future herd retirements.
All dairy producers submitting bids must be members of CWT effective January 2009, either through their membership in a fully participating cooperative, or as an independent member of CWT.
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