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...
Improved system to feed calves To help improve our calf feeding situation, I built a stainless steel vat that holds 20 gallons of milk or milk replacer. Now I don't have to carry heavy pails around that...
Here are a few 2011 Handy Hints from fellow readers. 2011: Handy Hint January 10 Handy Hint January 25 Handy Hint February 10 Handy Hint February 25 Handy Hint March 10 Handy Hint March 25 Handy Hint April...
Low-Cost Bottle Holder We were tired of our bottles and nipples always being in a mess, so we built this holder out of 1/2-inch PVC pipe. We put the bottles on the long pipes and the nipples on the short...
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...
Simple welds secure sliding barn door I made this holder for our pole barn door by first putting a hollow pipe 2 feet long in the ground at the center of the door. Then I took a pipe that fit inside and...
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...
Glove box rack made from old calf pen panels I made this simple and inexpensive glove box holder out of calf panels that were so bent we couldn't use them any more. I cut the pieces to my desired length...
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
Plastic barrel holds entire milking set The farm at Mississippi State University, Starkville, Miss., needed a way to hold milk meters when they weren't using them. They were able to fit over a dozen in...
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