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NDC partners with NFL to motivate overweight kids

Dairy farmers, through the National Dairy Council (NDC), have provided child nutrition, research, education, and communications to schools for over 95 years and the newest program is called “Fuel Up to Play 60.” NDC Executive Vice President Jean Ragalie reported in Monday’s “DMI Update” that it’s a partnership between the NDC, the National Football League and USDA.

In its first year it’s already in 60,000 schools across the U.S., according to Ragalie, and is expected to continue to grow. When asked why it’s so popular, Ragalie said it came about at the right time and the right place.

“Kids are fatter, weaker, and wider than ever before,” Ragalie said.“And schools are a critical place for us to get our students and youth eating better and moving more and this program is a one-stop shop for schools to look at nutrition and physical activity.”
One of the “magic formulas,” she said, is that it encourages kids to eat more of the foods that they aren’t eating enough of, which includes low-fat and fat-free dairy products. The program will get even more dairy products into the schools, she concluded, “so kids are eating more nutrient-rich foods than ever before.”

Texas Beef Council works with dieticians
The Texas Beef Council works in partnership with the Texas Dietetic Assoc. and DairyMax to engage dietitians and local media to communicate the benefits of lean beef and dairy in a healthy diet, according to the Texas Beef Council’s Stacy Bates. Bates reported in Wednesday’s DairyLine that they provide accurate, science-based nutrition information to consumers across the state and work with registered dietitians, via the Dietetic Assoc., to reach the media to teach consumers how beef and dairy fit into the diet as a “nutrient-dense food.”

Programs such as the “Creating the Perfect Plate,” and “Making Your Calories Count With Nutrient-Rich Foods” programs give dietitians ways to get those messages to consumers in a way that’s realistic and approachable.

Dietitians are accepting of the information, according to Bates, especially when you consider how nutrient-rich both foods are and they’re willing to communicate that information to people who are “more overweight than they have ever been, but also more under nourished, so they can get the most nutrient bang for their calorie buck.”

When we think about nutrition, we’re really thinking about it differently, we’re thinking about including more nutrient-rich foods like lean beef and low-fat dairy so they get the needed vitamins and minerals for the calories that we’re getting in return.

Cheese prices climb up 4.75 cents
Cheese prices keep climbing, up the fifth week in a row, driven primarily by climbing temperatures around the nation. The blocks closed July 16 at $1.5750 per pound, up 4.75 cents on the week, 43 cents above that week a year ago, and the highest they’ve been since December. Barrel closed Friday at $1.5250, up 2.5 cents on the week, 38.5 cents above a year ago, and a nickel below the blocks. Only one car of block traded hands on the week and none of barrel. The NASS-surveyed U.S. average price of block hit $1.4112, up 0.9 cent, while the barrels averaged $1.4201, up 1.9 cents.

Butter inched higher in an effort to bring sellers to the market closing Friday at $1.7750, up 1.25 cents on the week, 52.5 cents above a year ago, and the highest since December 2004. Only two cars were sold all week. NASS butter averaged $1.7201, up 1.7 cents. The Daily Dairy Report said cream is very tight due to strong Class II production and decreasing component levels in milk. Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed the week at $1.2175, up three quarters of a cent. Extra Grade closed at $1.2250, down a half-cent. NASS powder averaged $1.2336, down 4.8 cents. Dry whey averaged 36.21 cents.

Cheese market strengthens in July
The strengthening in cheese has “been our pattern,” said Downes-O’Neill Dairy Economist Bill Brooks in Tuesday’s DairyLine. “Sellers have moved away from the market and, instead of stepping back in around the $1.50 area where they have been the three or four other times that we’ve seen the price rallies, they’re stepping back even a little bit farther.

He said that’s probably not surprising, given the fact that we’re close to the middle of July and heat and humidity have been prevalent. It’s not been out of the ordinary, he said, but it has been prevalent in the eastern two thirds of the country and impacting milk production a little bit and components so “I guess we’re seeing a seasonal rise in our cheese prices.”

He looks for a peak in the $1.60s, but, given some of the outside factors from an economic standpoint, that might not happen. He quickly added that, even last year’s terrible financial time, we ended up over $1.70 on cheese in December so “the $1.60s is not going to be out of the question and whether it goes any further that may depend on where our economic activity ends up at.”

The other point of attention is butter and Brooks said the price strength is “probably a more true reflection of demand, but it’s also a situation where folks have been holding back and not selling as the market was going higher in anticipation of higher prices.”
He warned however that we’re only a couple months away from the Southern Hemisphere’s production session getting ramped up so that will take away some of the international inquiry that our domestic butter market has been getting. He doesn’t expect that to attract butter imports because the international market is tight enough to take up everything that the Southern Hemisphere will produce but he warned that the higher prices will take away some of the domestic demand because prices are not to a level to attract imports.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Lee Mielke may write to him in care of this publication.

7/21/2010