In recent years, it seems that more opinions have given credence to the notion that raising high-producing cows in freestall barns, storing manure in lagoons, and storing silage in bunkers are all better...
We are all familiar with the daily routine on our own farms and maybe how dairy producers in other regions of the country operate their facilities, but a select few have ventured internationally to learn...
If you are an active online agriculturalist (or "agvocate" as it is termed in pro-agriculture Twitter and Facebook circles like #AgChat), you have probably realized that the New York Times and its associated...
Last week's Cooperative Network Dairy Directors and Leadership Conference slides are now posted. We did mention the Minneapolis Federal Reserve bank's economic outlook last week
The Cooperative Network, a federation of cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin, held their annual dairy policy and leadership conference yesterday and today in Rochester, Minn. On Tuesday, a panel of...
Whole Foods Market is phasing in a new five-step animal welfare rating program for all chicken, beef, and pork products (Click here for their animal welfare page). At the least, all animal products must...
It's that time of year. The snow is about to leave us, baseball games will be televised, and demand for ice cream will increase. In theory, higher milk prices, feed costs, and haymaking season will be...
Just yesterday, President Barack Obama signed into law the first major overhaul of U.S. food safety infrastructure since 1983. The bill, known as the American Food Safety Modernization Act or S. 510, comes...
Building a new barn may seem like a glamorous idea. Eventually, you may end up with a sparkly, beautiful new barn, but not until going through countless stressful decisions. What size will the stalls be?...
As the San Francisco Giants clinched the World Series title, I was ecstatic as most long-time central California baseball fans were! 55 years is a long time to wait for a World Series title – years...
I remember having to write an answer to this essay question in my high school English course. We were asked if we would rather be a second-rate artist or be known for making a first-rate soup. While most...
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...
Okay, so the title may sound like a bit of a second grade playground dare. But, we do want you to take this as a challenge. Dairy Management, Inc. (check-off organization) along with its social media guide...
Clover, which grew in abundance in Kentucky pastures this spring, isn't lucky anymore. Agricultural Commissioner Richie Farmer of Kentucky has asked Governor Steve Beshear to request a disaster declaration...
Yesterday, the National Milk Producers federation board of directors approved a recently formulated proposal that will request a major overhaul of U.S. dairy policy. The group's goal is to better protect...
According to current USDA estimates, 80 cents of every food dollar spent in the United States goes to off farm costs, including marketing, processing, wholesaling, and distribution. This leaves a mere...
More herds will be retired this year - Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has just announced that it will be implementing another round of herd retirements after reviewing a number of economic benchmarks,...
As we announced last week, Hoard's Dairyman has commissioned world-renowned cow artist Bonnie Mohr to update our well-known Foster Mothers of the Human race print. We'll be following along with Bonnie...
This past year has been challenging for dairy farmers across the nation. During the course of the past year, dairy producers have seen the average value of their milking herd drop by $700 per head across...
