Planting cover crops is not just a fad; a packed house at the 2022 Winter Wisconsin Cover Crop Conference held in mid-December represented the growing interest in this agronomic practice.During the me

“Efficiency is where it’s at right now. We’ve got to make sure every dollar invested in feed works for us,” said Steve Martin, a nutritionist who works with dairy farms across the...

Labor management may be one of the most difficult, yet relevant, tasks on dairy farms. As a generalization, the “80/20 rule” applies on many farms, meaning that 80% of the problems are associated

“Forward thinking will make the artificial insemination process go smoothly and allow us to retain the fertility inherent in the straws we purchase to generate those pregnant cows and heifers we...

Dealing with a standalone year of high fertilizer prices means one thing when trying to balance costs with soil health and fertility. Following that up with another year of expensive fertilizer means

When it comes to the collective dairy community, all involved are doing their part to ensure that milk meets the highest safety standard and that antibiotic resistance is held at bay.How do we know th

Over the past 12 months, 18.2% of U.S. dairy exports have gone to China. The world’s most populated nation is the second-largest destination for U.S. dairy after Mexico, which absorbed about 22.8%...

For businesses such as farms to remain healthy, they must be resilient. This means having the ability to adapt to changing circumstances in a way that keeps the operation running smoothly and profitab

One major difference between a stack of manure and a compost pile is that the composting process takes place under controlled conditions. “That is the key distinction,” said field ag engineer...

In the winter months, people often take extra precautions against illnesses like the flu or the common cold because they understand the benefits of staying healthy. Every farmer knows that simple on-f

In a cow’s perfect world, over 80% of rumination should occur when the cow is lying down. The technical terms would be sternal recumbency and recumbent rumination. Resting with the sternum, or breas

In 2021, cheese and butter absorbed 60.5% of all dairy fat in 2021. Cheese topped the list, according to USDA data, at 42.1%. Meanwhile, butter accounted for 18.3% of all dairy fat coming from U.S. da