Automatic feeders and group housing are very trendy topics in calf raising today, and for good reason. The opportunity to feed more milk and provide social interaction appears to deliver great benefits...
Not long ago, dairy bull calves were sent to market with low expectations. At times, farms simply hoped calves would be purchased at a price that covered trucking and commission costs. Fast forward to...
Fluid milk sales have been slumping for decades. Value-added products, such as Greek yogurt, cheese and, as of late, butter, are an area we've been able to hang our hat on. Much like blueberries, kale...
Just how important does USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack think the farm bill's new Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) is to dairy farmers? He took time out of his busy schedule to fly to Dallas,...
An estimated 6.5 million fulltime employees in California – including those who work on dairies – will begin earning three days per year of paid sick time off from their employers under the...
Even well-educated parents with access to healthy foods struggle to meet the nutritional needs of their children. The groundwork for a healthy life is built during childhood. Unfortunately, financial limitations,...
Green County Cheese Days recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, earning the title of the oldest festival in the Midwest. Cheese Days is a three-day festival which takes place only in even-numbered...
Frustrated by the clear lack of progress after three years from the "Beef Checkoff Enhancement Working Group," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced he would take matters into his own hands. The secretary's...
When mastitis was detected in the week after insemination, the likelihood of the cow carrying a calf was greatly diminished. A dairy's success or failure hinges on a number of variables, one of which is...
Living and childrearing expenses continue to climb. Family living costs are up for urban and rural residents alike. In a survey of over 1,300 farm families, Illinois farmers reported that their cost of...
Accounting for 15 to 17 percent of all U.S. dairy production in recent years, dairy product exports have been rightfully grabbing headlines as of late. So, too, should cheese and yogurt as they have been...
Across much of the U.S., corn silage harvest is slowly wrapping up. Poor weather conditions during last year's growing season left corn silage inventories tight for many producers. Due to this, there may...
Harvest is finally under way on the nation's cotton crop after being delayed by a cooler summer in many major growing areas. That means what has historically been the best time to shop for whole cottonseed...
Marcie Feine's passion for calves clearly shined through as she spoke at a Land O'Lakes calf event last month. "I have the best job because I get the babies," she said. Marcie and her husband, Glen, are...
Another genetic base change is just around the corner. While a base change is nothing new (genetic bases were updated previously in 1965, 1974, 1984, 1989, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010), the one that will...
It may not seem like it, but times are a changing on the milk price front. After a stellar run in farm-level margins from mid-2013 through 2014, signs are pointing to dramatically reduced margins next...
Driven by a rising appetite for milk, cheese and yogurt, the Chinese dairy market is expected to double in size by 2019, reaching an estimated $70 billion. With this rate of growth, the Asian country would...
by Corey Geiger, Managing Editor Frustrated by the entire beef industry's inability to come together and enhance the Beef Checkoff program that dates back to 1985, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack told members...
World Classic Sale sale averages over $23,000 By Patti Hurtgen, Hoard's Dairyman Online Media Manager The high selling animal at the World Classic 2014 was Lot 19, De-Su 1912-ET at $74,000. She is a Mountfield...
