Idaho Dairy

Experts say a temporary measure that extended the life of the farm bill last year is likely to expire at the end of this month.

Federal officials suspect the virus spreads through cows’ milk, but Leibsle highlighted uncertainties like which species of birds might be infecting cattle, the duration of the illness in animals and the length of virus shedding.

Both herds detected for with virus are in Cassia County. But the second one is not linked to any cows that were shipped from another state with a positive case.

About eight cows on a Cassia County dairy farm got sick after the farm imported cattle from a Texas operation, where animals later tested positive for bird flu.

The cows started experiencing symptoms shortly after the farm received a shipment of cattle from an operation in Texas, where animals later tested positive.

CAFOs are not eligible for one of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality’s main water quality improvement grants, so agriculture industry groups lobbied the legislature for a separate program.

The dairy industry, and members of Congress from dairy states like Idaho, have argued for years that writing “milk” on food labels should be reserved only for milk that comes from animals.

Senators Mike Crapo and Michael Bennet were not able to reach a bipartisan agreement on Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

The Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, known as the CAFE project, will include a 2,000-cow dairy and farm fields in Minidoka County, an outreach center in Jerome and a food-processing training program at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has $5 million in one-time funds to hand out to confined animal feeding operations, or CAFOs.