this year will go down in the annals of history as one for the ages. Indeed, 2020 had both immense challenges and immense opportunities . . . both are coming to light

What am I most proud about in 2020? That was the question posed by Lucas Lentsch to dairy farm leaders of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), and USDEC

I began my professional career in 1980 just as a number of proven reproductive technologies arrived on the marketplace in North America

Decades ago, rural communities were filled with farmers who knew their neighbors and residents who knew the challenges of living near farmers

The reason the government is involved in Federal Milk Marketing Orders is because dairy farmers must sell milk every day of the year to a buyer who does not have to buy milk every day

U.S. and global dairy markets have been bizarre this year. Looking at the block cheddar cheese market on the CME confirms that story

Cattle have been converting grass and other forages into high-quality milk, meat, and fiber, and used as draft animals, pulling heavy loads for humans, for roughly 10,000 years

With several farms sprinkled throughout the countryside, it is not uncommon to drive down the road and see signs offering “Free kittens.”Farmers know, when there are two cats, many will quickly...

What’s your life’s road map? You know, how did you get from Point A to Point B? Most of us have more than two pins on the map, or at least I do

I first attended the North East Production Medicine Symposium in 1993. Cow comfort was a major topic presented by the late Bill Bickert and a host of colleagues

There are some in our midst who continue to both belittle and bemoan dairy product exports. During a recent conversation, staff members for a rather well-known dairy farm organization went so far as t

The vast majority of our country’s population is several generations removed from farming. Most people are unfamiliar with modern production practices, yet dependent on agriculture and the food supply

When our cows need something, they tell us. Although it is not with words, their verbal communication is easy to understand

As calls for federal order revisions continue to mount, it’s important for all of us to recognize that these provisions perform a critical role in pricing milk across the country

As dairies face low milk prices, their ability to endure and recover from volatile conditions is more important than ever

For nearly every dairy farmer, corn silage harvest season is one of the most important periods of the entire year. As more and more farms transition toward rations high in corn silage, it becomes even

we are all missing our people. Our tribe. Our community. As I write this column, we now are approaching five months of this new normal, and quite honestly, it feels anything but normal

The unthinkable events that occurred in the first six months of 2020 will more than likely have an exceptionally long tail. That tail could be 12 to 24 months out or it may even be years long

Over the last decade, we have heard the phrase “from grass to glass” within our industry

There are two ways to look at the problem facing family dairy farms. The first is that of a “farm income problem.” The second is that of a “farm structure problem.” It is common...