Proper integration of the farm bill's new insurance program will offer dairy producers meaningful options to reduce price riskThe House Ag Committee was instrumental in creating the revamped dairy policy
Dairy once again proved it can be a divisive issue. Reportedly, the farm bill's dairy provisions were still being hammered out just hours before the final bill was filed with the House Rules Committee....
Long-term trade prospects gathered a lion's share of the attention as marketers from across the U.S. and around the world joined in the conversation at IDFA's Dairy Forum. An in-depth discussion took place...
Popular opinion is hard to dispel, especially following decades of questionable research and misguided advice repeated all too often by medical professionals and nutritionists alike. Despite the uphill...
This year is shaping up to be a very good one for dairy farmers. The reason, without oversimplifying much at all, is this: The entire planet is short of milk, not so short on feed, and the situation is...
The Lifetime Net Merit index (NM$) was introduced in 1994 with revisions made in 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2010. I think we can anticipate another revision to NM$ in the near future and there is some discussion...
It was 20 years ago that BST officially entered the marketplace. Originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late 1993, its entry was delayed another 90 days when a moratorium was...
A meeting with your accountant can occur any time of the year. Generally, it takes place near year-end for tax planning purposes and after the first of the year for the completion of taxes
Antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals are among the most regulated products by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And rightly so, as they do an incredible job of holding bacteria at bay while immune...
Lawsuits are underway against four Yakima, Wash., dairy families that, if successful, will set an environmental precedent that potentially threatens the existence of every farm - dairy or otherwise - in...
December 2013 Hoard's Dairyman Bull List. Click the image or here for the December 2013 Hoard's Dairyman Bull List. This summary appears on pages 809 through 812 of the December 2013 issue
Throughout the year, I keep track of the changing dairy scene and make changes to my nearby forecasts on a regular basis. Those changes are usually minor adjustments based on current events
The world has been the United States' dairy products export oyster in 2013. Droughts and other challenges experienced by others brought great opportunity to our doorstep, and U.S. companies responded with...
The needs of commercial dairy producers, milk utilization and consumer preferences play major roles in the color of our national herd. by Calvin Covington The author is a retired breed association executive...
Because it has been so widely quoted, we have become numb to what was once a sobering statistic: we will need to feed 9 billion people by 2050. For many, this is not a reality we can easily wrap our heads...
Getting a firm handle on farm financials will be critical to long-term business success. If your operation needs to get up to speed, now would be a good time as milk prices are favorable by historic standards...
Agriculture has made great strides in reducing nutrient movement from our farm fields even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relentlessly aims for tighter standards. From our vantage point,...
As consolidation continues, producers who remain in business will need to develop a plan to handle the mounting economic pressures. While processors continue to consolidate, retailing is concentrating...