As people get older, some believe that they have learned all they need to know and forego any further education, whether formal or informal. And with the hectic lives that dairy producers lead, many focus...
Do you watch daily Class III milk futures prices at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange? We do. While it's exciting to see rosier financial prospects for the industry in 2011, we're skeptical . . . and wary....
If you read our most recent issue, you would've noticed an article by Frank Mitloehner from the University of California- Davis who is taking the time to set the record straight on the dairy industry's...
When you're contemplating selections at the grocery store, do you ever stop and consider grabbing an off-brand? After all, its probably exactly the same, right? Now picture this scenario in the dairy case....
What a great kick-off to the 2011 Hoard's Dairyman Webinar Series. Yesterday's program was presented by host Mike Hutjens of the University of Illinois. Over 140 people for the inaugural live presentation,...
Most people would agree that dehorning cattle not only protects animals from each other, but it also protects employees who work with them. While dehorning, the process of removing horn buds from a calf,...
Late yesterday, National Milk announced that it was nearing its goal for the revised Cooperatives Working Together program that will focus exclusively on export assistance. The new CWT payment rate is...
As a new year begins, we wrap up the 125th anniversary celebration of Hoard's Dairyman. In our June 2010 issue, we chronicled how Hoard was instrumental in launching many endeavors far beyond his magazine....
Dean Foods Company will pay $30 million to settle allegations by a group of dairy farmers that it monopolized the Northeast milk market, reports attorneys representing the plaintiffs. The settlement fund...
Rollover protection systems (ROPS) save lives. When ROPS are used with seat belts, 99 percent of tractor drivers survive rollover accidents. And, even if the seat belt isn't worn, 70 percent of drivers...
Between a forecast for lower milk prices and the likelihood of higher feed costs, it's hard to not have a gloomy financial outlook for U.S. milk producers in 2011. Sorry. Amid the dreariness, however,...
Rising corn prices mean higher feed bills for dairy producers, which is why a recent forecast about global oil demand points to the possibility of higher milk production costs in 2011. Connecting the dots...
The holidays are usually spent with family and friends,sharing stories and reminiscing about recent activities. If you have a small holiday gathering with just those you work with, you will likely learn...
Forecast milk production for 2010 and 2011 is little changed from last month, in last week's USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate. In November, the agency forecast 2011 milk production at...
USDA just announced they are set to publish their 2,300-plus page Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in the Federal Register, nearly four years after U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer halted the sale...
Years ago, bunkers were only known as a military hide-out. Those bunkers were safe. The bunkers on our dairy farms can be anything but. Deaths can and do occur because of poor face management, accidental...
Winter is here. . . and so is the cold and snow that can be harmful to those of us who work outdoors with livestock. "Bundle up, dress in layers, put on your hat" are familiar sounds to many children who...
Chinese milk production will reach 67 billion pounds in 2011, up 5 percent from 2010. This is among the forecasts of a USDA Foreign Ag Service GAIN report (Global Agricultural Information Network). China's...
One way that we at Hoard's Dairyman stay up to date on the newest research and tools is to subscribe to extension, research, and producer group newsletters. We gladly pass these newsletters around our...
It is December 7 and sire summary information has been released. It used to be a really exciting time when there were only two sire summaries per year, as the momentum would build in January and July....
