Grazing the Net: Danke, cows!
A German comedian sings techno to cows and dances in a dairy. Sounds like the start of a bad joke, but it is actually a funny video featuring a YouTube star named Flula.
For the fourth episode of "Acres and Avenues," Dairy Management, Inc. pairs up German actor Flula Berg with Florida dairy farmer Lindsey Rucks to add a little quirky humor to promoting dairy and explaining life on a dairy farm.
While on the farm, fanny pack wearing Flula eats yogurt with the calves, milks a cow like he is "touching his grandfather's thumb" and hosts a tour for school children. Flula has more than 770,000 YouTube fans and his latest videos shot at Rucks family farm in Okeechobee, Fla., should make some traction with consumers across the globe.
Friday Funnies
Fun stories we're stumbled upon while composing this week's GTN.
- PETA asks POTUS not to Run with Bulls
- Top 10 Problems with the 160 Acres You Just Bought
- Hamburger Dispute Leads to Rampage in Maine
- Once Labeled Invasive, 'Rock Snot' Algae Now Deemed Native
- Bear that Walks like a Human is Back
- Minion on a (Grain Silo) Mission
Cattle buyer accused of fraud
A cattle buyer from southcentral Kansas has been indicted on 14 counts of wire fraud by federal prosecutors. According to investigations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Randall Patterson of Anthony, Kan. allegedly inflated prices on multiple occasions while doing business with JBS Five Rivers and other cattle feeding companies.
"Five Rivers would notify Patterson of a maximum delivered price and Patterson would purchase cattle at sales barns in Kansas and Oklahoma," says The U.S. States Attorney's Office. "The sales barns would prepare invoices showing the price paid at auction." If convicted, Patterson could serve a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and pay up to $3.5 million in fines.
Hot weather could help increase cattle prices
Beef demand unlikely to slip, but weights could fall amid heat.
Rumors of beef demand slipping have caused speculation the market could drop, but Ted Seifried, vice president for Ag Hedge Group, believes cattle markets are going to be in a holding period, possibly even increasing. Seifried shares with AgDay he believes the summer heat could slow cattle weight gain and lead to a lower supply, leading to higher prices.
