Dairy Farming
As Milk Prices Decline, Worries About Dairy Farmer Suicides Rise
In Deep Freeze, How One Farmer Keeps Cows Warm And The Milk Flowing
"Sweet says they don't worry about cold weather until it stays below zero during the day. "If it drops to 15 below and then warms up during the day above zero, you're ok. If it stays below zero it gets harder. The water tanks and everything get more ice build up and it's a little harder keeping the water running in the colder parts of the barns."
"I read somewhere that each cow generates 2,350 BTUs. We have 255 of them in here keeping this barn warm," Sweet said. "It's hard to believe a barn this size there's no heat in this beside the cows." Sure enough, some sources say cows give off 4,500 BTUs per hour. The barn does have insulation in the ceiling and end walls, and the side curtains have an R-value of 2. They leave the equipment they use daily in the barn so it doesn't freeze up."
Manure Spills Reported To DEC
Only about 85 of the 353 manure spills in DEC database could be geocoded, but I thought it still would make an interesting interactive Google Map, recognizing the limitations on the data.
Data: NYS DEC Spill Database, July 18, 2017. Keyword "manure", shown with data.ny.gov geocoding. https://data.ny.gov/Energy-Environment/Spill-Incidents/u44d-k5fk
Cows Flown In To Alleviate Qatar’s Milk Shortage
"After they land, the cows will make a home in the Wisconsin of Qatar "on a site covering the equivalent of almost 70 soccer fields, (where) new grey sheds line two strips of verdant grass in the desert with a road running through the middle up to a small mosque," according to Bloomberg.
Al Khayyat, chairman of a company called Power International Holding, told Bloomberg that he had already been planning on importing the cows by boat. But when Qatar was cut off by Saudi Arabia and four other countries, he picked up the pace. He expects milk production to begin by the end of June and to meet a third of Qatar's milk demand by mid-July. He told the publication that shipping the cows by air raised the transport cost five times over, to $8 million."
Survey Finds That Too Many People Still Think Chocolate Milk Comes from Brown Cows
"First off, 48% of respondents said that they aren’t sure where chocolate milk comes from. Um, guys, it comes from cows – and not just the brown kind. Still, 7% of people – and remember, this survey talked to actual, grown-up adults – still think that chocolate milk only comes from brown cows. Actually, chocolate milk gets its flavor and color from cocoa beans."
Eating Ice Cream For Breakfast May Improve Mental Performance And Alertness, Study Says
" Although an early morning sugar rush may be parents and teachers worst fears, a new study recently found eating ice cream first thing in the morning can actually be beneficial for the brain. The study, published by Kyorin University professor Yoshihiko Koga, said eating ice cream right after waking up can result in improved instances of alertness and mental performance."