We visited several dairy producers in the last few days and, of course, feed prices didn't take long to come up. That's entirely fitting, since all that feed prices seem to do lately is go up. What was...
We've talked about it before (see our blog, Wars we wage in dairy and agriculture and our editorial from the June 2011 issue, Keep chocolate milk in schools), but, like heat in the summer, the issue of...
Opposition to the federal government's seemingly single-minded support of ethanol production as a solution to help the U.S. become more energy self-sufficient reached a new boiling point last week, with...
Milk production for 2012 is forecast to climb as the decline in milk cows is expected to be offset by growth in milk per cow, according to USDA's World Supply and Demand Estimates released yesterday. Although...
Can you farm with the best of ‘em? Then let's see it. More than $22,000 in cash prizes is up for grabs in this year's World Forage Analysis Superbowl, the annual contest for forage growers nationwide...
After reading research from their local University of Wisconsin-Extension agent based in Winnebago County, Pete and Charlie Knigge decided to give frost seeding red clover into winter wheat a try. Last...
When commodity prices shoot up, growers face tougher decisions about what to plant. They have to consider their own situations in terms of crop rotations, soil and moisture conditions, recent yields, seed...
Today, we are expecting at least 150 visitors at the Hoard's Dairyman Farm as part of a tour sponsored by M & I Bank for its dairy clients. At the suggestion of M & I loan officers and because of the current...
Today, we are expecting at least 150 visitors at the Hoard's Dairyman Farm as part of a tour sponsored by M & I Bank for its dairy clients. At the suggestion of M & I loan officers and because of the current...
Higher milk prices and the optimism they inspire are translating into a large, positive crowd this week at the 10th Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, Nevada, that concludes today. Total registration...
The Milk-Feed Price Ratio for February was 1.96. That is the pounds of a 16 percent-protein complete ration we could purchase with 1 pound of milk. The ratio for last February was 2.36, higher largely...
Imagine a world where the manure check equals the milk check. No one is saying it is possible, but there is hope on the horizon for profiting from the waste end of the cow, and some are doing it already....
Milk prices will be higher this year, according to USDA's Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook which was released Tuesday. The Class IV price is expected to average $16.70 to $17.50 per hundredweight...
In a ceremonial fly-over, the blasting engine of an F/A-18F Super Hornet took to the skies to help celebrate the opening of the world's largest annual agricultural expo. Pleasant, sunny, moderate temperatures...
Class III futures really took off last week with March climbing to $17.44 and April moving up to $17.10 by last Friday. The momentum continued Monday, as March was up 75 cents to $18.19. April jumped 59...
It is early February and we are just about at the half-way point in the 81st Hoard's Dairyman Cow Judging Contest. So far in 2011, you have seen the Brown Swiss and Holstein classes on our January issue...
Like many of us in the dairy business, our roots are planted deep in history. Not only did Dad grow up on a dairy farm and milk cows daily, but so did Grandpa. That story was true for Bill Payne of Knob...
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....
It's just one state and it may not reflect what is happening across the rest of U.S. agriculture, but it's still good news in an industry that can certainly use some: Farmland values in Indiana are shooting...
The trend has been up for a long time, and yesterday's much-awaited Crop Production and Grain Stocks reports did nothing to cool the feed-cost fire. According to USDA, 2010 corn production totaled 12.4...