The Class III roller-coaster cycle we've come to hate will eventually swing back to $20. Count on it. Every down has been followed by an up, so it's important to plan for the inevitable recovery that's...
The results are in, and all gasses are accounted for. Yes, today, the industry-supported group, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, has officially announced the completion of an unprecedented life cycle...
Last week, I received a newsletter from my local bank giving parents financial tips for their college students. Some of the items were common sense, but, if their children have never had to handle a budget,...
Despite the higher-than-normal temperatures experienced in many areas, U.S. milk production in August shot up 2.7 percent over a year ago. During August, there was a 2.9 percent rise in milk per cow over...
In my elementary school years, one of my favorite days each year was our small parochial school's track meet held every spring. Besides the fun I had spending the day outside with classmates, I always...
Slowly, but surely, modest profitability is returning for U.S. dairy producers. Even so, few are relaxing just yet. Both of the major financial barometers they watch – Class III milk and 40-pound...
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...
All too often we hear of tragic accidents in our industry that not only claim the life of a loved one, but the head of a dairy farm business. On August 26, Brian Krull of Lake Mills, Wis., was killed in...
In the rush of the end of summer, most of us find ourselves at some sort of fair or another. For Minnesotans, it usually means the State Fair - twelve days of fun that always end on labor day. During the...
There is a lot of concern about dry-down rates of the forage and grain in this year's corn silage crop, according to Joe Lauer, corn agronomist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Some people are concerned...
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
As the Hoard's Dairyman editorial intern, you have the opportunity to dabble in many aspects of the dairy and publishing worlds. From being a regular contributor to the magazine, to visiting dairies around...
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...
How deep a financial hole did milk producers dig in 2009? It was "Lassie, go get help!" deep. It was a horribly serious situation whose magnitude was simply absurd. High feed costs and a collapse in milk...
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...
Taking the nation as a whole, milk production was up 2.4 in June compared to a year earlier. In the top 23 states, milk output was up 2.7 percent. Milk production has been on the rise since February, but...
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,...
For over 40 years, Mark "Bud" Kerschensteiner diligently worked for the company that his great grandfather, Governor William Dempster Hoard, founded in 1870. With his passing, an era comes to a close,...
