One quick glance is usually all it takes to distinguish the difference between colostrum and milk; the consistency and color of colostrum typically give it away. However, we know that this first secre

Consider for a moment the total dollars of investment you are trusting to your feeders to correctly implement toward the feeding of your cows. Feed has always been a big part of the total variable cos

Enhanced by historically high spot butter prices, butterfat notched its fifth straight monthly record in producer milk checks. October’s butterfat price was $3.6557 per pound. That was nearly 8 cent

Traditionally, October, November, and December are the months shoppers spend the most on specialty cheese, butter, and other dairy products. Because 90% of Wisconsin’s milk is made into cheese, and

With the highest milk prices in years, or even decades, 2022 has been exhilarating for dairy farmers. Yet, margin volatility is still a major concern despite the high milk price. The figure below depi

The dairy products our industry produces are easy to promote because they are full of important nutrients. Getting a balanced diet of those nutrients and more is critical for people of all ages to be

U.S. dairy exports have been riding high in the saddle as of late, but will that trendline continue?Food and agriculture consultant Betty Berning believes it will. Berning, operator of Betty Berning C

“We’ve had a record milk price year,” stated Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). “It’s great to have a year when the per hundredweight...

Drainage water management is a conservation practice that can help reduce nitrogen (N) losses in tile drainage from crop fields. Drainage water management, also known as controlled drainage, has been

Respiratory disease has consistently been one of the top two causes of both illness and death in preweaned and postweaned dairy calves for decades. Perhaps more than any other calfhood disease, an ani

The word sustainability comes with many definitions. Right now, in agriculture and food manufacturing, the focus is on protecting natural resources and reducing greenhouse gases. These are honorable a

Diesel is the fuel of both business and commerce. The question is, “Will the U.S. have enough of this all-important fuel?”In late October, National Economic Council Director Brian Deese commented

Coming out of the 2021 growing season, starch levels were up in corn silage despite similar moisture measures when compared to the prior year. In theory, more grain equates to more energy. However, ma

A lot has happened this past year. We continue to see the effects of the pandemic, logistic challenges that hit the global market and were created in part by labor shortages, which spread across

Although we might desire to sometimes, is impossible to operate within a bubble in today’s interconnected world. Global societies, markets, and governments are readily linked together with everythin

Most would agree that pretty cows are nice to look at, but a recent study showed cows with positive conformation traits appeal to both the eyes and the checkbook.Using nearly 20 years of linear classi

“Our biggest ally is the consumer. Dairy product consumption is at the highest level since 1959. That’s an incredible endorsement,” shared Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National...

Corn silage harvest is often a waiting game, as farmers carefully watch whole plant moisture in an effort to chop corn at the ideal dry matter level. The general goal is to ensile feed that is at 65%

As unpredictable as any day on a dairy farm can be, there are a few things that we can typically count on happening. Because of the changes a cow’s body goes through around calving and the transitio

“First of all, sustainable is a pretty big word; it means a lot of different things,” Cornell’s Chris Wolf said in introduction to his answer regarding how consumers understand sustainability...