Dennis Daugaard.jpg
Blog
Feb. 23 2012
Travel the I-29 corridor in eastern South Dakota and you will have found the heart of the state's population. Intermingled along this same stretch of land are the vast majority of the state's dairy cattle...
Steady milk production.jpg
Blog
Feb. 21 2012
The twin combo of more milk per cow and a larger dairy herd pushed up milk production last year. When looking at the year-end statistics released by USDA, cow numbers went up 75,000-head or 0.8 percent...
Blog
Feb. 15 2012
Still learning Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn? Pinterest has come to take its own space on the web. Facebook and Twitter have virtually taken over the world as text-based ways to communicate...
Blog
Feb. 13 2012
In recent weeks, the silence following the October 2011 gathering of the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) was broken when Dave Thorbahn shared a Frequently Asked Questions article with the dairy...
replacements.jpg
Blog
Feb. 6 2012
Higher culling rates have appeared to stem the robust buildup of dairy replacements by trimming inventories 41,000 head in January compared to last year's 4.57 million heifers. While that is welcomed news,...
120125-43-grocery.gif
Article
Jan. 25 2012
Local food is the new "sustainability" trend. Walk into any upscale restaurant and there's a good chance that the menu will be awash with proud proclamations of food sourced from local producers
Blog
Jan. 24 2012
In its 51st year, the National Mastitis Council (NMC) annual meeting continues to look to the future. With the nation's somatic cell count effectively at 400,000 (at least for those with product that has...
Airoso.jpg
Blog
Jan. 20 2012
There are 115 more reasons for dairy producers to attend World Ag Expo February 14 to 16 in Tulare, Calif. – the number of registered Holsteins, Red and Whites, and Jerseys that will sell at auction...
chopping crop.jpg
Blog
Jan. 12 2012
USDA projected a larger-than-expected U.S. corn and soybean crop in their year-end "Crop Production 2011 Summary" released early Thursday. Most market analysts had anticipated that final 2011 corn estimates...
Zuppan quadruplets.JPG
Blog
Jan. 11 2012
The birth of healthy twin heifer calves with a healthy mother cow is a gift on any dairy farm. Multiply that by two, and what do you get? 179,200,000. A normal day at Zuppan Dairy, Orland, Calif., includes...
Hutjens-ss-Jan12
Article
Jan. 11 2012
Hoard's Dairyman Webinar Archives January 9, 2012: "Milk's shrinking carbon footprint" presented by Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois Brought to you by Merck Animal Health. Watch the video they
160810-editorial-comment.jpg
Article
Jan. 10 2012
Add sodium to the growing list of ingredients and foods that are responsible for obesity, poor heart health, and a whole host of ailments. At least that is what some health professionals would like us...
Seth Hoyt.jpg
Blog
Jan. 6 2012
Costs may dip a little, but they'll still be painful for buyers. Alfalfa hay probably won't be as expensive in 2012 as it was a year ago, but don't look for anything close to a repeat of the low prices...
Blog
Dec. 27 2011
Setting goals for your dairy can be done at any time, but take the time this New Year to write them down.Yesterday, I worked with high school students preparing their 2012 livestock project goals. The...
Blog
Dec. 21 2011
By cutting the beginning or ending of a quote, whole speeches can be turned on their head. With video, it's even easier. David Letterman started a now-popular segment called Stupid Pet Tricks in 1982....
11_Nov-milk.gif
Blog
Dec. 20 2011
The dairy industry can be unpredictable at times, but the milk production trend from the major states is one of the most predictable, even at the month level. With genetic progress and new management techniques...
FM_125.gif
Blog
Dec. 13 2011
Shopping for dairy people is not an easy task.It seems to be a struggle to purchase a Christmas gift for those that spend the majority of their life surrounded by cows and calves. They would likely prefer...
Blog
Dec. 1 2011
Twenty years ago, a room full of farmers talking about land prices wouldn't have surprised anyone. But what about a room full of investors? On November 15, we attended the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's...
Graduation_cap.gif
Blog
Nov. 30 2011
College can be expensive and preparing for this large investment begins long before you pay your first semester tuition. Many agricultural businesses and organizations provide scholarships to deserving...