As printed in our November 2012 issue... FARMFIRST DAIRY COOPERATIVE would be the name of the merged cooperatives of Family Dairies USA, Manitowoc Milk Producers Cooperative and Milwaukee Cooperative Milk...
As printed in our October 10, 2012 issue... THE LEADERSHIP IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES did not bring the farm bill up for a vote in September and left for a six-week election recess. WITH NO ACTION, THE...
As printed in our September 25, 2012 issue... GLOBAL PRODUCT PRICES WERE $1.44 per pound in early September trading at the Global Dairy Trade. Those composite index values are up 6 cents since late August...
As printed in our September 10, 2012 issue... COW NUMBERS WERE DOWN 44,000 HEAD this July when compared to April's nationwide peak of 9.27 million. As a result, milk production grew only 0.7 percent, the...
As printed in our August 25, 2012 issue... SOME MAY ARGUE the validity of USDA's Milk-Feed Ratio. However, one thing is clear, feed prices are surging and milk checks are not keeping pace. July's 1.29...
As printed in our August 10, 2012 issue... THE WORST DROUGHT IN OVER 50 YEARS badly damaged the nation's corn and soybean crop as 40 percent is located in severe drought areas. Future contracts traded...
As printed in our July 2012 issue... A BLISTERING HEAT WAVE and dry conditions pushed corn prices up 28 percent in the last two weeks of June. Indiana, Illinois, eastern Iowa and Missouri have had less...
As printed in our June 2012 issue... THE FARM BILL WAS INTRODUCED for consideration on the Senate floor in late May. Debate was expected to begin in early June. It has been reported that Senate Ag Chairman,...
How long do you wait before you start A.I. breeding your cows after calving? That is the very definition of voluntary waiting period (VWP). Setting the duration of your VWP should take into consideration...
As printed in our May 25, 2012 issue... THE GENETIC INDUSTRY has released the first of two documents that will transfer evaluations from USDA to the private sector. To review the ground rules and comment...
As printed in our May 10, 2012 issue... CHEESE BLOCKS WERE $1.52-1/4, at the close. Class III Futures for May through December averaged $15.62, October was the high, $16.25. CLASS III FUTURES DROPPED nearly...
As printed in our April 25, 2012 issue... CORN PLANTING INTENTIONS are the highest since 1937. USDA has projected farmers will plant 95.9 million acres, up 4 percent from last year. Meanwhile, soybeans...
As printed in our April 10, 2012 issue... FEBRUARY MILK FLOW UP 4.3 percent nationwide when adjusted for leap year. Cow numbers rose 9,000 head from January; 87,000 head from the same time last year. The...
As printed in our March 25, 2012 issue... A $17.90 ALL-MILK PRICE is the latest USDA estimate for 2012. The projection is down 80 cents since January due to higher than expected gains in milk production...
As printed in our March 10, 2012 issue... MILK PRODUCTION WAS UP 3.4 percent nationwide over a year ago in January. Cow numbers rose 76,000 head (+1 percent) from last year and 13,000 from December. Nation's...
We attended the Illinois Agricultural Communications Symposium last week, organized in honor of the University of Illinois Ag Communications' 50-year anniversary. The daylong event started off with a...
As printed in our February 25, 2012 issue... CHEESE OUTPUT ROSE 1.7 PERCENT to 10.61 billion pounds in 2011. That marks 20 straight years that production has set new records. DECEMBER'S STRONG FINISH at...
Patriotism shined bright at the Ag Warriors Gala at World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., last evening. It marked the official launch of the International Agri-Center's Ag Warriors Program which will benefit...
As printed in our February 10, 2012 issue... FDA BEGAN ENHANCED ANTIBIOTIC sampling in January. It plans to finish the project by mid-September. Officials expect to release a report by year's end, but...
