As anyone who has recently refinanced a mortgage knows, long-term interest rates are at head-shaking lows. Just as they're an opportunity that is too good for many homeowners to pass up, they're an opportunity...
Your milker Miguel just quit, or you just fired him. He has worked for you for 18 months. Your handbook says employees earn a week (five days) of paid vacation per year, which they start earning after...
Members, delegates, directors and employees of the Associated Milk Producers Cooperative met in Bloomington, Minn., for its annual meeting on March 25 and 26
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...
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
On conventional dairy farms, antibiotics have a place in treating sick animals but never in the milk or meat sold by the farm. Consumers can drink milk happily and safely thanks to the efforts put forth...
After reviewing the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announcement from Tuesday, March 12, it became crystal clear that dairy contributed the largest cost savings for NASS' mandated budget...
"I am not prepared to accept the fact that feet and leg heritabilities are as low as they currently appear. We need to evaluate the trait better," Gordon Atkins, D.V.M., told those attending the 122nd...
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
Inbreeding, and more importantly its consequences, has long been a concern of breeders as it reduces production, lowers fertility, causes more stillbirths and leads to fewer days in the herd. While genomics...
As the landscape of the agricultural farmstead has changed from red barns with a variety of livestock and two-story white farmhouses to more single-focused livestock operations, have the words we use changed...
As we wrap-up our 62nd Round Table series, "Robots milk our herds," the four herds featured in our February 25 issue share advise for others considering robots
Change is one of the great constants in U.S. dairy farming. The industry has been evolving for most of a century, but especially in the last 20 years. Like an ice skater who draws in their arms while spinning,...
Sometimes we are so close to a topic that we often forget the values and assume everyone else is just as familiar with it as those who are so deeply entrenched. My responsibilities include the online content...
Milking and managing cows with robots requires some new management styles. As a follow-up to our February 25 Round Table "Robots milk our herds," these herd owners discuss handling repairs and buying used...
Focusing on "the other bacteria," or emerging mastitis pathogens, Pam Ruegg, University of Wisconsin-Madison, addressed those gathered at the Wisconsin Dairy Field Representative Conference
Milk Income Loss Contracts (MILC) were automatically extended through September 30, 2013, under the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. There is no need for producers to re-enroll in MILC
U.S. Department of Labor numbers show that many more have the opportunity to add value to our food.Who touches your food? We often hear that 2 percent of people have jobs directly related to agriculture....
"Compared to 1944, milk production per cow is up 443 percent," Dale Bauman told attendees at the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Frankenmuth, Mich
