By   E. W. Lang

World Dairy Expo entries are due in a day or so. I completed mine today in order that I'm not spending the entry due on 840 numbers and registration paper related issues.

What struck me were the modest WDE entry fees. I have for a year been encouraging these folks to covid inflate the entry fees to at least a Mature Equivalent basis. This is because much like people addicted to drink, tobacco, narcotics and other vice will generally find and put up whatever may be the cost to participate. Showing, too, is habit for most, or at least a vacation that can be deducted.

Fees of $43 to take in a heifer and $50 to enter a cow may be a quarter of what it actually costs to execute the dairy show, even before we accrue anything to the tents and their ancillary electric and water costs. Or pay the 14 judges, most of whom have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy greater intrinsic, professional value from their judging assignment.  Thank goodness there are also 400 unpaid volunteers to staff the event, in addition to a very large contingent of people brought in and paid for 6 to 10 days.

It seems possible for any 4H or FFA member to take two head in and theoretically get through the week for under $100. Booth space and gate passes aren't required purchases. They can clip their own cattle. People can bring their own meals and sleep in the barns. As recently as the 1970s it was common to sleep in the aisles, and a few of the show crew slept in whatever may or may not have been the pickup or straight truck that hauled in their cattle, or so I've been told.  And no one had to pay for night line, as the local university students did this as a service to the exhibitors. Seriously, people, I'm not making any of this up.

One of the major shows last year had $80 entry fees, so Expo seems pretty democratic from a cost standpoint. The Iowa State Fair charges $104 to exhibit two head. The Minnesota and Illinois State Fairs cost less. That being the case, we'll still be hearing a lot of complaining about the cost of pretty much anything and everything.  The exhibitors, however, are still getting good value for the venue, bedding and manure removal (including the trailer parking area) along with international exposure.

Milk-Feed Indices for October, November and December gained 64 cents per cwt. this week, landing at $7.43 per cwt. That's as good a profit number that we've seen in a while, though still low by historical standards.   Class III Milk Futures for September, October and November average $16.75 per cwt. Class IV Futures average $16.49. Block cheese was down two cents per lb. this week. Barrels were down one. Butter gained nine cents, by golly.

The Dairy Margin Coverage program for July was $5.68 per cwt. That triggers a payment for milk signed up at the $6 level of coverage.