On a decent number of dairy operations, migrant workers comprise a portion or the majority of the labor force. These are people we have come to depend on day to day to successfully run our dairies
Recent size and landscape changes of New Zealand's dairy industry are worth noting. Even though New Zealand currently produces less than 5 percent of the global milk supply, recent changes in size and...
Do you enjoy money, knowledge or friends? This is not a multiple-choice question, as you can have all three through a prominent dairy charity. National Dairy Shrine is a 17,000-member nonprofit charity...
After over two years of discussion, industry leaders have begun to publicly share draft documents which could one day guide U.S. genetic evaluations. The first document, known as the Cooperative Agreement,...
The National FFA Contest encompasses dairy management into their judging contest. by Hoard's Dairyman staff Many of us began dairy judging in 4-H programs. The younger members started by just filling out...
Common sense and awareness to your surroundings needs your full attention. Whether it was the 15-month-old toddler who crawled in a mixer, and lost his life when the operator unknowingly turned on the...
Did your herd's average somatic cell count drop a little in 2011? Chances are it did, according to USDA and the National Dairy Herd Improvement Association. The annual report by the Animal Improvement...
Within farm nutrient variation, estimates are needed to determine feed sampling and ration re-formulation schedules. by Hoard's Dairyman staff "Good ration formulation is a form of risk management. Diets...
Confirmation reached the Hoard's Dairyman offices that a BSE case had been found in a California dairy cow shortly after 2 p.m. Central time yesterday. Thoughts of "the Christmas surprise" of 2003 (the...
Some farming operations have turned to agritourism as a way to share the value of agriculture with the typical consumer. While a small portion have turned this educational platform into a viable business...
Idaho and Oregon will become the leaders in U.S. raw milk quality in coming months, when maximum somatic cell count limits for farm milk shipments in those states drop to 400,000 and 500,000, respectively
Pennsylvania was the lone state among the top 23 that did not boost milk flow when this March was compared to the same time last year. The Keystone state's reduction was quite small, 0.6 percent. All other...
Milwaukee, Wis., will be the gathering spot as leaders from A.I. companies, breed associations, milk testing organizations, and other aligned sectors gather this week. Their joint mission: to determine...
Many of us in agriculture stay involved in local pro-agriculture organizations. While each has its political tilt or bias, I hope we can all agree that Farm Bureau does a great job promoting the national...
Four teams take First Place honors in Roanoke, Va. For another year, the tension has ended and the 2012 Dairy Challenge Platinum teams have been crowned. Spanning 32 universities from across the U.S. and...
Attorney warns food shortages are possible if agency continues to operate unchecked. Get Washington, D.C. attorney Gary Baise (pictured) started on the Environmental Protection Agency. Please. It won't...
Ignorance on food processing bruises producers, processors, and people.by Hoard's Dairyman staff Recent media hype, by a select few, has drawn an outcry of attention to food safety concerns – concerns...
After losing over 80,028 dairy farms since 1992, it appears the reductions in licensed dairy operations are moderating. In the last four years, losses have ranged from 1,651 to 2,195 with the watermark...
The twin combo of more milk per cow and a larger dairy herd pushed up milk production last year. When looking at the year-end statistics released by USDA, cow numbers went up 75,000-head or 0.8 percent...
