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Mielke Market Weekly

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Green & Growing

Green & Growing

MIELKE, from pg. 18

plunged 54.75 cents, largest week-to-week block price fall ever.

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The barrels fell to $1.3075 per pound on Aug. 4 (the lowest since May 11, 2020), but closed Aug. 6 at $1.31. This is down 8 cents on the week and 20.75 cents below a year ago when they plunged to $1.5175 per pound — a record 71.75 cent crash.

The spread expanded to 32.75 cents on Aug. 3. Only 19 cars of barrel were sold on the week.

Midwest cheesemakers tell Dairy Market News week-to-week sales remain strong as product moves quickly into food service and grocery channels. Milk remains available at discounts but not as low as previous week. Bottling demand increases are chipping away at fluid supplies as schools ramp up. Cheese output remains busy and Midwest inventories are not overly concerning, says Dairy Market News.

Western retail and food service cheese markets remain steady and international demand remains strong; but port congestion continues to cause delays.

Spot butter shot up 5.75 cents on Aug. 2, then plunged 8 cents the next day, and closed Aug. 6 at $1.6475 per pound. This is a half-cent higher on the week and 11.75 cents above a year ago. There were 19 sales reported for the week.

Butter plants report cream is still attainable with multiples remaining in the low 1.20s and readily available from western states. Retail sales have picked up a bit following a mid-summer lull but butter market tones are anything but stable.

Western cream production is trailing off. More abundant cream supplies, particularly in the southwest, are supporting busier butter output. Churns are less active in other areas where cream is short or cream cheese production is taking more of the supply. Retail sales are strengthening and food service is steady.

Grade A nonfat dry milk closed Aug. 6 at $1.2550 per pound, down 1.25 cents on the week, but 30 cents above a year ago, with 10 sales reported on the week.

Dry whey fell to 47.50 cents per pound on Aug. 5, (the lowest since Jan. 4), but rallied to an Aug. 6 close at 54 cents per pound. This is up 3.75 cents on the week (the highest since July 2), and 22 cents above a year ago. Seven sales were reported for the week.

A lower all milk price and higher corn price continued the slide in the U.S. milk feed ratio. The USDA’s latest Ag Prices report showed the June ratio at 1.60, down from 1.69 in May, and compares to 2.38 in June 2020.

The U.S. all milk price averaged $18.40 per cwt., down 80 cents from May, but 20 cents above the June 2020 average.

The national average corn price climbed to $6.00 per bushel, up 9 cents from May, after jumping 60 cents from April, and $2.84 per bushel above May 2020.

Soybeans averaged $14.50 per bushel, down 30 cents from May and the first decrease since August 2020, after jumping 90 cents last month, but are still $6.16 per bushel above June 2020.

Alfalfa hay averaged $199 per ton, up $5 from May and $20 above a year ago. n

Looking at the cow side of the ledger, the June cull price for beef and dairy combined averaged $73.90 per cwt., up $3.10 from May, $2.90 above June 2020, and $2.30 above the 2011 base average of $71.60 per cwt.

Milk cow replacements averaged $1,310 per head in July, unchanged from April and unchanged from July 2020. Cows averaged $1,350 per head in California, down $50 from April and unchanged from a year ago. Wisconsin’s average, at $1,480 per head, was down $10 from April but $130 per head above July 2020.

The Aug. 3 Daily Dairy Report points out dairies are also dealing with rising transportation and labor costs. The Daily Dairy Report cited U.S. No. 2 retail diesel for the week of Aug. 2 at $3.37 per gallon, 94 cents higher than a year ago.

The June margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage

See MIELKE, pg. 22

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By EDIE SCHMIERBACH bare earth that remained with grass to Free Press Mankato stabilize the soil. Beauty and bees were

MANKATO, Minn. — Mary Kosberg not priorities. referred to an adage as she showed off Around that time, Mary was paging the garden space she established three through a newspaper when she came years ago to help feed bees and butter- across an article about a pilot program to flies: “The first year, plants sleep; the help nourish migrating pollinators as second year, they creep; and the third they make their way through Minnesota. year, they leap!” The program provides up to $350 to

Her pollinator garden is now well- establish green spaces to help pollinators, established and in peak bloom this sum- especially the rusty patched bumblebee. mer. And there’s lots of buzzing and flut- The Kosbergs are among the 850 reciptering going on amid the Russian sage, ients, who over three years, were chosen coneflowers and butterfly bushes grow- by lottery for assistance through the ing in her front yard and in an area program. Shaw said Lawns to Legumes along their property line. is one way Minnesotans may help estab-

The now lush spot is on land city crews lish a network of habitat along migration had to dig up in 2019 to complete a proj- corridors used by pollinators. ect near Woodhaven Lane. “Even small plantings can have a big

“It’s beautiful, it’s great,” said two benefit,” he said. Woodhaven Lane neighbors who stopped Shaw then offered the logic that when to admire the flowers Monday afternoon. multiple residents participate, the bene-

“We’ve received no negative comments,” fit for pollinators will increase. Mary said, describing the reception for New funding recently was approved for her blossoming garden. Lawns to Legumes. The new round of

Friends and neighbors provided for free most of the When they returned to Mankato, they began to grants is likely to begin this winter. pollinator-friendly plants used in the green space. enjoy peaceful moments of sitting on their home’s Shaw recommended gardeners watch for updates Mary also tapped $350 in assistance designed to help upper-level deck and watching for woodchucks and at: bwsr.state.mn.us/bwsr-accepting-applicationsan endangered bumblebee species through the deer to pass through in search of water. The couple’s lawns-legumes-grants. Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources’ Lawns to Legumes program. When she and her husband, the Rev. Steve Kosberg, serenity was interrupted when heavy rains would overwhelm the small, rusty drainage pipe that had been installed many years ago throughout the ravine. Residents with properties that don’t provide full sun should not be discouraged from helping establish pollinator corridor. There are several shade-tolerant purchased their three-story townhome, they were “The water would rise way up to here,” Mary said, plants that attract bees. unaware that below the property’s small hillside was a ravine that had begun to show signs of erosion. as she indicated a point on the embankment. Erosion in the ravine is no longer a pending danger “My property looks like a park,” Maher said. The trillium, wild geraniums and golden rod growing

It was evening when they first looked at the house to the Woodhaven neighborhood, thanks to Mankato’s near the white pine in her backyard are “wonderful they bought in 2014 because of its “good bones.” A water mitigation project that included the installa- examples” of what can be grown in shady areas for short time later, they left on an extended trip to tion of an underground drainage system to efficiently the benefit of pollinator insects. Korean where Steve was assigned to help jumpstart a tiny Lutheran congregation in Seoul. carry away rain runoff. When the project was finished, crews covered with The Free Press and The Land are sister publications owned by The Free Press Media. v

Photo by Pat Christman Mary Kosberg stands near the pollinator-friendly garden she established near a ravine within Mankato city limits.

Dairy Margin Coverage expected to remain under $9:50

MIELKE, from pg. 21

program dropped 65 cents from May to $6.24 per cwt, which will generate a June payment of $3.26 for $9.50 per cwt. coverage, according to National Milk. The feed cost calculation for June was lower by 16 cents per cwt. of milk from May, mostly on lower soybean meal prices, while the all-milk price took a larger than expected drop.

National Milk Producers Federation says the futures-based price outlook indicates that the DMC margin will not rise much above $7.00 per cwt. through the summer and remain below $9.50 through the end of 2021. USDA reported that estimated DMC payments for the 2021 program exceed $543 million as of July 26. n

Checking Capitol Hill, dairy processors praised the approval of a funding bill passed this week by the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. Michael Dykes, President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, called the bill “a win for the health and wellness of all Americans.”

IDFA says, “The Committee voted to triple the amount of funding going to support the SNAP Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Projects as part of the fiscal year 2022 appropriations bill for the USDA, FDA, and related agencies. This program incentivizes SNAP beneficiaries to purchase fluid milk, making it easier for families to get more of the nutrition benefits of milk similar to other programs that encourage purchase of fruits and vegetables. This show of support by the Senate and last week’s vote by the House demonstrates growing awareness in Congress about the important role dairy plays in family health and nutrition especially among our most economically and nutritionally vulnerable families.”

It also preserves school’s ability to offer 1 percent flavored milk to students, says IDFA.

Lee Mielke is a syndicated columnist who resides in Everson, Wash. His weekly column is featured in newspapers across the country and he may be reached at lkmielke@juno.com. v

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