The downturn in California milk production during 2015 is almost unprecedented. For 30 years in a row (1979 to 2008), total output in the nation's largest dairy state went up. Gains were usually large,...

Move over, bacon. Cheese wants to share the spotlight. The widespread popularity and almost cult-like following of bacon makes it an easy choice for sprucing up common menu items at any restaurant, from...

Most times, you'll be hard-pressed to find a dairyman who wouldn't take another 8 to 10 percent more milk per cow. Long-day lighting could help get them there. "In general, milk yield rises 8 to 10 percent...

There is no doubt 92 percent of sales would be considered the lion's share. Where butter exports are concerned, 92 percent of those sales so far this year - 104 million quarter-pound sticks of butter to...

"I need to start by simply thanking the producers . . . what you do each and every single day," said USDA Secretary Vilsack

Of the 154,418 individuals employed on U.S. dairies, slightly more than half are of immigrant origin, noted David Anderson with Texas A&M. "In the last five years, dairy has become more reliant on an immigrant...

When it comes to dry period length, are we aiming for the right target? "Most people will say ‘I dry my cows up 50 days before calving.' But how do you know when she will calve?" Jose Santos from...

The days of $500 day-old bull calves are probably gone for some time. Lower milk prices aren't the only disappointing news forecast for dairy producers in 2016. Foreign imports and continued rebuilding...

"Thanksgiving is a great holiday. It's a great holiday because it's centered around food," noted USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "We bring our families together from all parts of the country...

"We use presynch-ovsynch with cows resynched on Day 14," explained Kevin Collins, who is pictured at the far left. "At 35 to 40 DIM, cows are given Lutalyse on a Monday. Two weeks later, we administer...

Brightly colored leaves hanging from the trees are one of Mother Nature's finest beauties and a sure sign that autumn is here. The fallen leaves can be a challenge for communities to clean up, but one...

Talk about unintended consequences, here is one that lawmakers in the nation's biggest dairy state probably never saw coming: The new ability of illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses has made the...

Ultimately, the goal of most vaccines is to prevent infection. And thanks to the advent of vaccines, smallpox and polio have been all but eliminated in humans. In the dairy industry, we'd welcome a vaccine...

As farmers across the U.S. finalize 2016 Margin Protection Program (MPP) coverage level decisions, "refreshed" MPP participation data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request provides a never-before-seen...

Reader Response: Depression's life lessons Thank you for the Great Depression article. I just had my gravestone installed with the inscription "The Great Depression left lifelong lessons." My dad taught...

At the sixth month cash flow check, milk production trends are mirroring January to June financial data reported by Frazer LLP. Whether on a per head or per hundredweight basis, cash flows have been negative...

It had never happened before in the 129-year history of the Dutch Belted Cattle Association (DBCA) – and perhaps no one ever imagined it would: At last month's classification of Heritage Pride Farms...

Dairymen invest in heifers today in hopes that they become productive members of the herd in the future. Rearing costs vary from farm to farm, and the only way to truly measure that investment is to crunch...

"The milk quality picture in the Southeast is not a pretty one," noted Steve Oliver, University of Tennessee, at the third annual Southeast Quality Milk Initiative meeting

"We feel that nutrition plays one of the biggest roles in sound reproduction success," said Jesse Ayers, pictured second from right in the photo. "We work closely with our nutritionist, Ben Mercer, who...