Last month brought some fairly significant changes to our genetic evaluation system that will have long-term impacts on genetic selection opportunities for dairy producers. The two largest changes involve...
Delegates to the biannual National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) once again defeated a proposal to reduce the Grade A somatic cell count (SCC) limit from the current 750,000 cells per...
In moving beyond the current government-sponsored dairy safety net, margin risk insurance would consider milk prices and feed costs. That combination would offer the greatest assistance when producers...
As Europe prepares to transition towards a free market dairy economy void of production caps by 2015, we still have our doubts. While the taxpayer-funded quotas may be idled, European leaders are electing...
Mastitis control during hot summer months is important to the health of mammary glands and milk quality. In northern Europe, "summer mastitis" occurring during July, August and September is associated...
Food, water and energy are among the major resources required to satisfy mankind's basic human needs. Ensuring there is enough of these to go around was the focus of a well-publicized United Nation's Food...
California's pricing system is killing its dairies Some are already gone. More will follow. The big question is, how many can be saved? The greatest milk-producing machine the U.S. dairy industry has ever...
Don't make rash changes based on a single ingredient analysis. Repeated sampling teases out if this is true variation or an error. Feed and forage nutrient composition
To ensure the dairy industry will thrive, we must focus on transferring vital knowledge, developing the proper skills and providing valuable experiences. There was a time not long ago when the major concerns...
Farm milk prices are in great flux this spring. Nationally, milk supplies remained above last winter's levels, despite high feed prices coupled with limited supplies of forage in many areas
Dairy has been long governed by a series of rules known as "standards of identity." While these federal requirements have protected our products from imitations, the rules have also stymied innovation...
The three c's of farming: Character, capital and conditions are critical considerations for anyone who wants to farm in the future. The dream of farming has become a reality for thousands around the world...
Children start out as avid milk drinkers. Then consumption plunges as youth approach their teen years and flock to other beverages. While many reasons could be at play, we can't help but think packaging...
We're creating cow islands Our milk production is moving west, north and away from populations. But the trend west is slowing, and more areas are losing milk than gaining
New possibilities emerge for innovation, alliances and joint ventures to reshape dairy's flagship product. The gallon jug is part of our future. However, to grow beverage sales, we must expand beyond it
Inbreeding, and more importantly its consequences, has long been a concern of breeders as it reduces production, lowers fertility, causes more stillbirths and leads to fewer days in the herd. While genomics...
If we use a multi-prong approach to better hoof health - much like our udder health plans - we can see less disease and lameness, paired with more milk. by Gerard Cramer, D.V.M. The author is owner of...
Domestic markets to face slower growth Over the next decade, the majority of new opportunities in dairy product sales will come from Asia and other developing markets