Duration: 10/01/2008 to 09/30/2009

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

Thirty-five (35) years ago a multi-disciplinarian affiliation of southern agricultural economists and dairy scientists with research and extension responsibilities for dairy created the first Southern Dairy Conference (SDC). Over time, that affiliation became institutionalized and evolved into the current Southern Extension and Research Activity (SERA-IEG-15). An annual SDC has endured as the signature product of that affiliation. The SDC fosters relationships between sets of participants with serendipitous outcomes. This document request renewal of SERA-IEG-15. Under the auspices of SERA-IEG-15, its members have planned and implemented five annual SDC. The SDC is a two day conference held in late January or early February in Atlanta, Ga. bringing together a variety of stakeholders in the southern dairy industry in satisfaction of objectives 1, 4 and 5. Stakeholders include dairy producers, dairy industry representatives from both cooperatives and proprietary dairy manufacturing organizations, regulatory personnel responsible for matters impacting the economics as well as the technical and public health aspects of the dairy industry, university personnel responsible for both research and extension dairy oriented activities and representatives shaping state and federal dairy policies. Conference topics and the identification of individuals best suited to address those topics are chosen in the late summer by SERA members via a telephone conference call, sets of e-mails and other modes of communications. The combination of activities surrounding the choosing of conference topics and inviting individuals with recognized expertise in chosen topic to address conference participants works to satisfy objectives 2 and 3. The dynamics of the dairy industry create annual SDC programs featuring repetitive and contemporary sets of topics. Repetitive topics address national and regional dairy situations and outlooks, one or more aspects of current or proposed dairy policy, and the future of the Southeast dairy industry. Frequently presented topics over the last five years include one or more aspects of U.S. and international dairy trade, provisions in federal milk market orders, technological impacts at both farm and manufacturing levels, milk quality issues varying from somatic cell counts to shelf life and environmental protection agency concerns with air quality. Many of the contemporary topics presented during the life of SERA-IEG-15 could be classified under the set of SAAESD Priority Areas for Multi-state Research Activities outlined in the 2006-2011 SAAESD Programmatic Plan. Examples of such topics include milk based beverages, bio-security response plans, immigration, European Union CAP reforms, a national animal identification system, generation of electricity from dairy wastes, obesity and health related issues, Johnnes & Crohn diseases and consumer animal care expectations. Since 1999, SDC presentations have been posted at www.southeastdairyextension.org/, a website maintained by the University of Tennessee. In addition, North Carolina maintains a dairysouth-1 listserve that contains materials created under the auspices of SERA-IEG-15. Annual reports of SERA-IEG-15 can be accessed at http://www.lgu.umd.edu. Activities surrounding and associated with the SDC have created serendipitous outcomes. For example, the South Carolina SERA representative was a principal architect in the conceptualization and implementation of a refundable tax credit program for South Carolina dairymen in 2005. Through participation in the SDC, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federations (LFBF) Commodity Director for Dairy became aware of the South Carolina program. In 2006, the South Carolina representative was invited to Louisiana to explain South Carolinas refundable dairy tax credit program. As a consequence, the Louisiana SERA representative, using methodology and procedures outlined in the South Carolina legislation, created information successfully used by Louisiana dairymen and the LFBF in advocating for a Louisiana Dairy Refundable Tax Credit Program (LDRTCP) in 2007. As a consequence, 207 Louisiana dairymen will receive $1.257 million dollars in refundable tax credits based on their 2007 production in 2008. Since there is no sunset provision in the LDRTCP, Louisiana dairymen can anticipate future receipts of additional refundable tax credits in years of declining raw milk prices. The 2007 merger of the DHIA programs in Louisiana and Mississippi provides another example of a synergistic outcome resulting from the interface between those two states SERA representatives. That merger, in turn, expanded to include the Alabama DHIA program on July 1, 2008. Those mergers probably mean the difference between continuation and demise of DHIA programs in all three states. A southern region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant of $288,000 entitled Using Parasitoids in an Integrated Pest Management Approach to Control Flies on Dairy Farms, 2004-2007 was awarded to SERA-IEG-15 members from Arkansas, Mississippi and North Carolina. The concept for that grant originated out of discussions at a SDC. This grant also includes Cornell. A 2008-2010 SARE PDP grant entitled Organic Dairy Training Conferences and Educational Materials for Professionals between SERA members at Arkansas and North Carolina has been awarded $97,456. SERA-IEG-15 representatives from North Carolina are collaborating with counterparts from Virginia and South Carolina on a multi-year SARE project entitled: An evaluation of pasture-based dairy systems to optimize profitability, environmental impact, animal health, and milk quality. This project also had its origins in SDC discussions. At a minimum, Southern dairy industry stakeholders have benefited from the dialogue and the serendipitous outcomes that have been created at past SDC. The contradictory context of todays southern dairy industry can be characterized as one of shrinking inputs under conditions of increasing demands for dairy products fueled by an increasing population. The declining numbers of input stakeholders need more dialogue to better understand the contradictory context of todays southern dairy industry. The six objectives proposed for the replacement SERA-IEG-15 project facilitate both the creation of dialogue and the involvement of the stakeholders in the discernment of national and regional dairy industry priorities. These objectives are not being addressed in any other way within the region. Because their focus is on the creation of dialogue which entails human interactions, these proposed objectives complement, by promoting synergy among as contrasted to duplicating or competing with, on-going dairy work in the southern region. For these reasons, a SERA is the best mechanism for achieving these objectives because a SERA accommodates the involvement of any individual with an interest in the southern dairy industry regardless of their disciplinary training or defined land-grant responsibilities. The benefits or impacts from the work of a SERA will follow from the dialogue that it promotes among its members. Such dialogue, in turn, is expected to generate serendipitous effects similar to those created by refundable tax credit programs and realizations of SARE grants.

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

The SDC has a history of involving participants from external agencies as their actions impact upon the competitiveness and sustainability of the southern dairy industry. These agencies range from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Dairy Division of the Food and Drug Administration. External groups such as the Dairy Division of USDA, Federal Milk Marketing Order administrators, executives of dairy marketing cooperatives and dairy manufacturing companies will be invited to send representatives to selected SERA activities. Continued SUIDA participation will be supported because it provides that organization with access to a core set of southern dairy industry workers in a common location and time frame.

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

Information/outputs from the SERA-IEG-15 group will be disseminated via www.southeastdairyextension.org/, the dairysouth-1 listserve and at http://www.lgu.umd.edu. One of its principal products, the annual proceedings of the SDC, will continue to be made available at www.southeastdairyextension.org/. At the state level, newsletters and educational programs will be developed and disseminated by individual members as a component of their state Plan of Work.

Organization/Governance

Chair: Dr. Wayne M. Gauthier, Associate Professor Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness LSU AgCenter Vice-Chair and Recording Secretary Dr. Bennett Cassell, Professor Department of Dairy Science Virginia Tech The SERA-IEG-15 group is currently using the Standard Form of Governance. Origin: The following members and/or administrative advisors are responsible for developing the current proposal: Dr. Terry Kiser, Head Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences Mississippi State University Adminstrative Advisor Dr. Jon Ort, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Extension and Engagement North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service North Carolina State University Administrative Advisor Dr. Wayne M. Gauthier, Associate Professor Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Current Chair Dr. Bennett Cassell, Professor Department of Dairy Science Virginia Tech

Literature Cited

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, TN, VA

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions