Partnerships Make "Gouda" on USDA's Commitment to Rural America

From USDA:

Posted by Anne Alonzo, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator, on December 19, 2014 at 10:00 AM

With over 11,000 dairy farms, more than a million cows, and over 200 dairy plants, Wisconsin produces more than 25 percent of all cheese in the United States. Photo courtesy of Yelp Inc.

’Tis the season for good cheer, holiday festivities and cheese plates.   There are seemingly endless varieties to enjoy – Gouda, Blue, Cheddar, Asiago, Feta, Muenster and many more.  Hardworking American dairy farmers and cheese artisans make these delicious products. A strong dairy sector not only provides us with delicious food for the holiday table, it also has a great impact on rural America and local economies.

My agency, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), has a long history of working with the dairy industry, state governments and stakeholders to help farmers and producers.  I’ve actually been able to see first-hand how AMS programs services benefit dairy operations.  In August, I toured two Wisconsin dairy farms – Rosendale Dairy, a large farm with over 8,500 cows, and R&G Miller & Sons, an organic dairy farm with about 260 milking cows.

I left with a deeper appreciation for the extensive care and effort that farmers invest in providing consumers with safe milk and dairy products.  They even named a calf after me at Rosendale Dairy!  I also learned how AMS partnerships have helped reinvigorate and restore opportunities for dairy producers in Wisconsin.

In August, AMS Administrator Anne L. Alonzo toured two Wisconsin dairy farms and saw first-hand how AMS programs services benefit dairy operations. At Rosendale Dairy they even named a calf (pictured here) after her. Photo courtesy Rosendale Dairy.

In 2001, AMS’s Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) – which supports research projects that improve the marketing, transportation, and distribution of U.S. agricultural products, including dairy products – awarded a 2-year grant to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to help develop the state’s emerging farmstead dairy sector.  The project focused on practical ways to help dairy farmers, producers, marketers, distributors, and beginning farmers respond to the growing consumer demand for specialty, locally-produced, and value-added products.

It was a big success! The FSMIP project set the stage for the Wisconsin Value Added Dairy Initiative (VADI), which launched the Dairy Business Innovation Center (DBIC) as a non-profit corporation to support specialty and artisan cheese and dairy businesses.  The DBIC provided large and small emerging and existing dairy farmers and businesses with targeted, one-on-one technical assistance. Another important VADI component, the Grow Wisconsin Dairy Team, acted as a catalyst for reinvestment and innovation by focusing on producer modernization, enhanced value in the supply chain, and value-added production.

In all, the VADI helped 1,716 farmers with modernization services.  Milk production rose from 22 billion pounds at the start of the project to a new state record of 27.6 billion pounds, and specialty dairy volume increased by more than 66 percent to 504,099 pounds. By the end of 2013, specialty dairy volume had increased to 611,162 pounds, a 102 percent increase since 2004. During this same time period, 93 processing plants were created or expanded, and Wisconsin dairies produced 73 new products and for consumers to enjoy. DBIC clients also won more than 1,000 awards at various national cheese competitions.

With over 11,000 dairy farms, more than a million cows, and over 200 dairy plants, Wisconsin’s dairy industry is a mainstay of the state’s economic backbone. Today, Wisconsin produces more than 25 percent of all cheese in the United States. This success shows the value of leveraging Federal, state, and stakeholder partnerships to move the dairy industry forward and help revitalize rural America.  It also demonstrates USDA’s commitment to revitalizing the rural economy, creating jobs and supporting American farmers and ranchers.

Cheese makers involved with the Wisconsin Value Added Dairy Initiative (VADI) have won more than 1,000 awards at various national cheese competitions since the project began in 2004. Photo courtesy of Ulterior Epicure.

NIFA Grant Programs Help Fuel Ag-related Job Boom

From USDA:

Posted by Scott Elliott, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, on November 18, 2014 at 11:09 AM

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

The overall job market may go up and down, but things are definitely looking good in agricultural, environmental, and related fields.

According to studies conducted at Purdue University, the nation is in the midst of a job creation boom with nearly 54,000 openings per year for those who hold bachelor’s or higher degree in food, renewable energy, and environmental specialties.  Most of those positions will be in business and science areas, while the remainder will be in production, education, communication, and government services. 

For those considering such careers, especially for those in underrepresented communities, the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has a program that helps level the playing field for college students preparing to make career decisions.  

Recently, NIFA announced the recipients of its 2014 round of grants to Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs).  Awarding 18 grants totaling $9 million, NIFA is partnering with 13 institutions in five states and Puerto Rico to help prepare their students to enter the agricultural workforce. 

NIFA’s Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Education Grant Program helps HSIs attract, retain, and graduate outstanding students to enhance the nation’s food and agricultural scientific and professional work force.  HSIs are colleges and universities with total enrollments that are 25 percent or more Hispanic.  Projects that qualify for HSI grants include those that support curriculum development, experiential learning, equipment and instruction delivery systems, and faculty development. 

Last year, 48 HSIs from eight states and Puerto Rico submitted 78 applications to fund projects.  From those applications, NIFA’s competitive, peer-reviewed panel selected 19 to share in $9.2 million in funding.  About 350 students who benefitted directly from last year’s HSI grants are in line to graduate at the end of the current school year.

 NIFA has produced a publication to highlight a number of students who have participated in previous HSI-funded collaborative programs, such as the one sponsored by UTSA.  Two of these students, Anabel Rodriguez and Abigail Compos, are examples: 

Rodriguez, who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in plant science major from California State University – Fresno, spent two years calibrating sprayers and spraying field plots with pesticides.  She aspires to obtain a doctorate in weed science or nematology work for USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.  Campos illustrates the type of “non-agricultural” jobs that are available within the field of agriculture.  Campos, who last June earned a master’s degree in public administration from San Diego State University, learned through her internship experience about project management and various programs and services that are tied into the U.S. Forest Service and sees herself 10 years from now with a PhD program and continuing to work for USDA. 

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education, and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.

Accenture Grants Plan International an Additional US$3.65 Million to Equip Young Adults in Thailand and Indonesia with Skills

Press release:

September 06, 2012

Accenture Grants Plan International an Additional US$3.65 Million to Equip Young Adults in Thailand and Indonesia with Skills

 

Award is part of Accenture’s global corporate citizenship focus, Skills to Succeed

 

NEW YORK; September 6, 2012 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Plan International today announced that Accenture and the Accenture Foundations have awarded Plan International an additional grant of US$3.65 million – distributed over a three year period – to help provide approximately 7,100 disadvantaged young adults in Thailand and Indonesia with the technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills necessary to find employment or build a business.  This grant brings Accenture’s direct support to Plan to more than $5.5 million since 2011.

 

As part of Accenture’s global corporate citizenship initiative, Skills to Succeed, which will equip 250,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business, this grant will help Plan International increase its ability to provide highly marginalized young people with vocational and entrepreneurship training as well as the job placement support necessary to find employment.

 

“Supporting Plan International helps bring to life Accenture’s commitment to building skills,” said Adrian Lajtha, chief leadership officer at Accenture. “We share Plan’s commitment to making a lasting impact on the economic well-being of individuals and their communities by connecting young people with programs and skills that will enable them to be successful.”

 

“Despite the rapidly growing economies of both Thailand and Indonesia, many young people continue to enter the job market lacking relevant skills and experience,” said Nigel Chapman, CEO of Plan International. “Accenture and Plan are working together to help ensure that young people have the skills and support to actively participate and share in the benefits of these growing nations.”

 

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.  Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.  Through its Skills to Succeed corporate citizenship focus, Accenture is committed to equipping 250,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business. The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

 

About Plan International

Founded over 70 years ago, Planis one of the oldest and largest children's development organisations in the world. We work in 48 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty.  Its website address is www.plan-international.org.

 

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