Raw milk is all about risk - health risk to consumers who drink it and liability risk to farmers who sell it. Lately, it is becoming a risk that insurance companies want no part of. The result: Farms that...
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...
"There is more downside risk on 2015 milk prices compared to 2015 feed prices," Peter Vitaliano, economist for the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), told those attending the joint annual meeting...
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,...
The dairy industry is quickly evolving around the nation. That also includes the Northeast. In May 2006, farms that sold over 1.5 million pounds per month represented a mere 13.5 percent of the region's...
When milk production quotas in the European Union (E.U.) end on April 1, 2015, three countries with long and successful dairy traditions won't be standing still when they enter the global dairy export...
Milk substitutes continue to grow their share of the fluid milk market, even though they don't compare to the amount of calcium, healthy fat and protein that comes in a glass of cow's milk. Now, new research...
Two decades have passed since the FDA approved rBST (BST), and it continues to be one of the most highly scrutinized products on the market. Extensive human health evaluations were conducted prior to its...
A group of six Wisconsin-based environmental groups filed a petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate potential groundwater contamination in Kewaunee County, Wis
If you can't beat them, join them. Rather than tearing your hair out trying to rid your farm of pest birds and rodents, why not invite predator birds in to help you do the job?
The next round of genetic evaluations is scheduled to be released December 2. These evaluations will involve a great deal more than just typical proofs, as there will be a base change and updates to $CM...
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...
Surveys of dairy farmers show management and pricing are top priority. by Carolyn B. Liebrand and K. Charles Ling The authors are economists with USDA's Rural Business Cooperative Service. This article...
The original article (printed below) appeared in the July 2014 issue of Hoard's Dairyman. Reader responses were printed in subsequent issues and are shared below. When life turned ugly Domestic violence...
Reader Response: Emotion rules GE feed debate This letter is in response to the "The GE feed debate can finally rest" article in last week's Intel email: I am a big supporter of GE crops and BST injection...
Rather than waiting for monthly results, preliminary genomic evaluations will be available to producers on a weekly basis starting November 11. "The rate in which we are collecting new genotypes has really...
At $246 billion, our nation's farm co-ops posted record sales in 2013. Those co-ops focusing on dairy were among the brightest stars, netting nearly 30 percent of the marketing total. The only categories...
Five hundred robotic milking systems (RMS) are estimated to be in use in the U.S. today. As the total has grown, key management factors have emerged as "must do" priorities to optimize their value and...
