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Dairy Farming Isn't the 2nd Worst Job in the World After All
Dairy farming was recently ranked as the 199th worst job out of 200 in a CareerCast poll. Why? It's hard work! Being a newspaper reporter was ranked as 196, so Mike Gruss, a reporter for Hampton Roads, set out to learn more about a job that was supposedly worse than his own. In the end, he found out that dairy farming isn't so bad after all.
The first thing her own grandchildren do when they come to visit is run for the goats. In an era where self-sustainability is in vogue, Wright makes her own cheese, yogurt, milk and ice cream. The homemade ice cream has about twice as much butterfat, because of the goat milk, as store brands.
In India, Cows Are Out and Buffalo Are In
Over 55% of the milk that Indians consume is now coming from buffalo, instead of the Indian Holy Cow. Over the past 40 years, there's been a dramatic shift away from using cows to till and fertilize farmland. They're being replaced with buffalo (who produce more milk), diesel-powered farm equipment, and chemical fertilizers.
The most obvious reason for that is milk. An average Murrah buffalo produces 2,000-odd litres over a 300-day lactation period, which is more or less what comparable elite indigenous cattle breeds such as Sahiwal yield. But buffalo milk also fetches higher price, as it contains 7-7.5 per cent fat – almost twice that from cows.
Number of Vermont Cheesemakers on the Rise
The number of milk processing facilities in the state of Vermont has increased 36% since 2001. A milk processing facility is any plant that takes fluid milk and makes it into tasty things like cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. Fifty one of the 79 Vermont state facilities are on-the-farm!
Diane Bothfeld, who grew up on a dairy farm in central Vermont, is deputy secretary for dairy policy for the state’s agency of agriculture. She attributes the growth in cheese making to several factors:
• A market driven by people’s desire to know where their food comes from and who’s producing it;
• For farmers, greater control over the price they can get for their product if they process fluid milk, a phenomenon known as value-added...
Cheesy Grits Nuggets
Finger-food nuggets made from cheddar cheese and grits!
I’ve added a lot of cheese to make them into a decadent yet homey finger food. Serve them for breakfast or dinner, with cocktails, or when you’re watching the game. These nuggets are great on their own but are even better when dipped in Souped-Up Mayo.
Photo by Hirsheimer & Hamilton
Raw Milk Commentary and Reporting on NPR
Edward Schumacher-Matos at The NPR Ombudsman Blog analyzes listener feedback on a recent NPR commentary on raw milk. In said commentary Bonny Wolf described her first taste of raw milk, as tasty and thrilling, and ultimately ended up rubbing some readers the wrong way:
That approving statement—and the commentary that followed—left some listeners feeling as though Wolf did the audience a dangerous disservice.
"How could this qualify as reporting on NPR?," wrote Jo Ann Lutz from Durham, NC. "The article implied that the government is wrong to require milk to be pasteurized and that the nutrients in raw milk are very important."
"Where were the facts?," Lutz added. "What are the illnesses the government is worried about?
Florida Tax Loophole: Rent-a-cow
Florida's greenbelt law was originally put in place in the 1950s to protect farmland by taxing it at a lower rate than other land. But recently, some Floridians have been taking advantage of this tax break by literally renting cows for their land or even hiring ranchers to keep cows on the land.
Other beneficiaries of the law have included Walt Disney World ($1.5 million in savings), as well as U.S. Senator Bill Nelson ($43,000 in savings), who keeps about six cows on 55 acres of land near the Indian River, courtesy of a cattle ranching operation that leases the property for free. Like Nelson, some developers simply offer their land to ranchers for no charge. Others, as the Herald noted, actually pay the ranchers -- hence the loophole's nickname, "rent-a-cow."
Lambing Season in Wales: No Sleep for the Weary
Kate Humble, who's new to farming, recounts the joys and dramas of lambing season on her farm in Wales.
The lamb was beautiful. I had managed to ease her out backwards, and now she was lying next to her mum, being licked and fussed over. I sat there looking on, feeling a bit tearful, like a proud granny. Over the next couple of days we had a set of ram lamb twins and another couple of single lambs, all born on their own without help or incident. Our little flock was growing.
Max McCalman on Riesling and Cheese
Max McCalman compares Riesling to goat cheese in his latest blog post over at Artisanal Cheese. People have a blanket preference for it or against it, and he suggests its worth having another try if you're not a Riesling fan.
if you happen to be someone who is not so fond of Riesling, try one of those stinky wash-rind cheeses with the orange rinds. No other varietal will match this family of cheeses nearly as well. You may become a new fan for Riesling.
The Battle Over Stilton Rights Carries On - Plaque Added to Village Sign
The Cambridgeshire village of Stilton is fighting to use the name "Stilton" on its own version of blue speckled cheese, which currently can only be produced in neighboring East Midlands. Here's the latest development:
A plaque added to Stilton's village sign claims the cheese as its own.
Read the full story with more history here.
Sheep Deaths in UK May Be Linked to Dog Fighting
It's lambing season all over the UK and farmers are aiming to keep their new little ones safe. Last week dog owners in Scotland were told to keep their animals under control around sheep herds. This BBC article reports that the recent rash of sheep and lamb deaths in England could be linked to dog fighting rings. Owners give their dogs a "taste for blood" by poaching easy prey - lambs.
On one occasion police said a gang of up to five poachers with torches was spotted near some sheep but fled when challenged by a farmer in a jeep.
