In routinely denouncing mainstream agriculture and its associated food systems, Chipotle Mexican Grill has become entangled in its own spider web of contradictions. It turns out that it is far easier for...
On-farm technologies have brought an onslaught of information that we're still struggling to mine. While it assists in the decision-making process, ensure automation is your best fit before investing....
I just don't know why my cell count has gone through the roof. It was 250,000 three months ago, and it's now 500,000 and rising fast. I need your help." These were the comments from Mike, a desperate...
I distinctly remember my first veterinary truck. It was a brown, rusted out 3/4 ton 79 Chevy. Back then, it was common practice to "hand down" the oldest truck from the practice owner's fleet to the new...
It's like milk price déjà vu all over again by Mark Stephenson The author is director of Dairy Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin-Madison. As we head into 2016, I can't help but focus...
If consumer advocates have been in an uproar over genetically modified plants, the atmosphere gained substantial energy when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved AquaBounty's application to...
Have you read all 20 issues of Hoard's Dairyman this year? The 41st annual Young Dairymen Quiz features questions from articles that appeared throughout 2015. Starting December 10, these same questions...
The nutrition facts label of your favorite cereal may help in understanding a ration's fiber and starch story. Thinking in terms of a nutrition facts label can help us better understand our rations
As publishers, we appreciate a good action photo as much as anyone. However, the time has come for all media outlets to join together and cease publishing photos of dairy judges slapping champions. Not...
What did your cows eat today? Think of all the steps required to put feed in front of your cows. Your nutritionist formulates a diet, your feeder mixes it, feed is delivered to the cows and they consume...
After the scorching heat wave that gripped California in 2006, the DeJagers doubled down on their efforts to keep cows cool, and it has paid off in cow health and the bulk tank. Art, Renae and Alex DeJager...
Editorial: Firefighters know the dairy farmer's heart After listening in on a conversation between a mix of firefighters and first responders, we thought the respect those emergency personnel have for...
It certainly feels like a "checkbook shock treatment" comparing the milk checks of last year to the lack of numbers showing up now. And that is the way it is in the last of the true supply and demand businesses...
When your milk price falls by more than 30 percent, there is little solace in hearing that it could be worse. But, really, it could be worse. U.S. dairy producers are faring better than their New Zealand...
Striving for optimum herd health is what we desire and try to accomplish. We build well-designed facilities . . . we feed properly formulated diets . . . we spend extra time developing tailored vaccination...
Avoid corn that is too dry when harvesting and storing high-moisture corn that will be later fed as starch to the milking herd. When corn kernels are below 24 percent
What's the farm worth to the next generation? He serves as dairy transitions coordinator for Pennsylvania's Center for Dairy Excellence. Sooner or later, most farm families reach a point where they must...
Corn silage doesn't bring protein to the table When balancing diets heavy in corn silage, don't skimp on the protein. Understanding corn's advantages and limitations enables us to maximize its nutrient...
Fluid milk was once the undisputed king of the dairy aisle. That is no longer the case as cheese passed the milk jug a decade ago. Given the current trajectory, dairy exports could also pass the former...
Milk Check Outlook: It's worse than 2009 by Nate Donnay The author is director of dairy services at Informa Economics, Eagan, Minn. During the first five months of 2015, milk production across the major...