Recently released dairy product consumption figures for 2009 are encouraging. Looking at consumption on a per-person or per-capita basis always is informative, because that accounts for changes in the...
The most current USDA forecast continues the trend of lower cow numbers that has been more than offset by higher output per cow in 2010. Output per cow is expected to rise by 2.5 percent compared with...
Two new genomic tests just hit the market. Not only can Holstein breeders test females on the traditional 50K test, but they can also use the just released 3K SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) and
2009 was an awful year for producer milk prices, but another good one for milk quality. According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, average bulk tank somatic cell count (BTSCC) for...
Corn production is forecast at a record high 13.4 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the previous record set in 2009, according to USDA's Crop Production report issued yesterday. Based on conditions as...
When there's producer and grower money at stake –quite a bit of it– there always are strong feelings about who should spend it and how it should be spent. That's why both the beef check-off...
If you have a newly-found love or fascination with yogurt and yogurt drinks, you are not alone. It seems as if your neighbor has picked up on it too, as did European yogurt giant Danone. Earlier this year,...
Dairy markets are beginning to improve according to the Dairy Market News for the week of July 26-30, 2010. Both class and component prices for July 2010 under the Federal Milk Order pricing system are...
Away at college, working on a master's degree, many of my daughter's calls and e-mails now include personal insights into the financial "joy" of being a grown-up. "One day you'll appreciate the starving...
A couple tablespoons of bleach and stainless steel water troughs could be your next arsenal in the fight against Johne's disease. That's the conclusion from Kim Cook, a USDA Agricultural Research Service...
In the past few days, three key reports have been released that provide some insight into what's ahead for dairy markets. They are last Wednesday's Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook from USDA's Economic...
Wisconsin agriculture lost a dedicated leader and advocate on Wednesday, July 21, when Rod Nilsestuen, the state's ag secretary, passed away unexpectedly. Nilsestuen drowned in Lake Superior while in Marquette,...
Forecast milk production for 2010 and 2011 is raised slightly from last month in USDA Supply and Demand Estimates released late last week. Cow numbers have remained higher than expected, and milk per cow...
Tom Lawlor, Holstein USA's geneticist, spoke before a near capacity crowd at the 125th gathering of the nation's Holstein breeders. Based on the crowd size, it was clear breeders still have many questions...
In addition to milk, dairies are also constant producers of beef. This is a huge reason why USDA's latest monthly Cold Storage report should factor into their summer management plans. The June report issued...
Testimony at the third of five USDA-Department of Justice workshops kicked off Friday morning, June 25, in Madison, Wis. These workshops are designed to investigate competition and regulatory issues within...
The Class III price is projected to average $13.95 to $14.35 per hundredweight in 2010, according to USDA's June 18 Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook Report. The 2010 average through May is $13.57....
On a 7 to 1 vote, the United States Supreme Court reversed an earlier ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer that placed a nationwide injunction on planting Roundup Ready Alfalfa and barring USDA...
Eating-healthier-than-thou attitudes tend to float on clouds of perception rather than be rooted in fact. Thus, the bubble burst by a recent research study may do little to convince proponents about the...
Total farm business operating expenditures amounted to more than $187 billion in 2008, according to a recent report from USDA's Economic Research Service. Nearly half of those expenditures were spent locally....
