Average farm real estate, cropland and pastureland values were higher in 2013 for many parts of the country. Farm real estate, cropland and pastureland values in the United States have all gone up this...
There are opportunities to develop a more export-focused market, but planning is required. In 2009, the U.S. began to truly enter the arena of global dairy marketing. Since this time, an ever-growing share...
In late lactation, forage substitute, high byproduct diets can support the milk production in the short term. For anyone who tracks the dairy industry, it's no secret that feed prices have left many producers...
New dairy farm technologies were center stage at the Precision Dairy Conference last week. Just as cellphones are slowly phasing out landlines, some current mechanics and methods of operation on dairy...
Despite many promotional efforts, fluid milk consumption has been on the decline since the 1940s. Promotion efforts like the "Got Milk?" campaign and the "Fuel Up to Play 60" program are supported by dairy...
2013 Farm Progress Hay Expo had plenty to see and learn about. For hay and forage enthusiasts, the 2013 Farm Progress Hay Expo was the place to be. There were numerous equipment line-ups and demonstrations...
Rather than low prices, a top cheese maker believes the reason is the system itself. by Dennis Halladay, Hoard's Dairyman Western Editor Not since the dairy farmer revolt in the mid-1960s that led to creation...
With approval by the Senate, more pressure is now placed on the House to reach an agreement on the farm bill yet this summer. On Monday evening, the farm bill passed through the Senate by a bipartisan...
Transition cows need more than just a separate pen during this time of weakened immune response. On dairy farms, we tend to group our animals in an attempt to offer more specialized care. For example,...
With record-low hay stocks, many farms will need to stretch their forage supplies. by Abby Huibregtse, Hoard's Dairyman Associate Editor The USDA recently released estimates for hay in storage, and it's...
Some are already gone. More will follow. The big question is, how many can be saved? The greatest milk-producing machine the U.S. dairy industry has ever seen is breaking down. Doomsday feed prices and...
Does it still benefit farmers or does it discourage product investment and innovation? I don't have the answer, but because exports now account for more than 13 percent of all milk solids made in the U.S....
Producers have options for identifying ketotic cows, but some methods are better than others. Cows that do not adapt to the negative energy balance experienced after calving are candidates for developing...
While genomics is new to Ayrshire breeders this April, and it has gradually made inroads in Brown Swiss circles, the DNA-based science has completely transformed how we mate and market Holsteins and Jerseys
When is chocolate milk not "milk"? I must admit when I first read blog posts that indicated aspartame could be added to milk and hidden from consumers, it both irritated and confused me at the same time....
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...
Mastitis has severe economic consequences costing, on average, $200 or more per case. The disease also impairs cattle well being. While prevention is preferred, there are a number of technologies that...
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,...
