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...
Talking about the federal budget for FY (fiscal year) 2012, which runs from next October to September 2012, seems a little like getting the cart before the horse. After all, Congress still is trying to...
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...
Every five years, the federal government releases updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, making recommendations on servings for the various food groups. Milk and dairy products continue to be an important...
With the recent events of an earthquake and tsunami, the safety of the human food supply in Japan is getting much attention. The World Health Organization official claims the food safety situation is "more...
After completing the most comprehensive study on a genetically engineered (GE) crop in the nation's history, the organic community is still not satisfied with USDA's recent decision to make Roundup Ready...
Even though costs, especially feed costs, are climbing, so are milk prices, and the prospect of higher milk prices have put many dairymen and their suppliers in a more positive mood. That is evident in...
America's dairy industry shrank again in 2010 in terms of both cow and farm numbers, yet produced more milk, according to data released last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Closer scrutiny...
We are quite familiar with the phase, "We all learn from our mistakes." Nothing smacks you in the face as a poor decision, but, once that mistake is made, it is rarely repeated by the same person. We need...
I had a pretty expensive week. First I went to the co-op and picked up new tires for the truck. Then, I went to the dentist for my new crown. Finally, I filled up my truck with fuel! That joke, or lack...
Dairy producers proved they are a resilient lot. Despite tough economic conditions during the past two years, most producers kept milking cows as only 1,805 licensed dairy farms called it quits last year....
Three reports came available recently. So, instead of focusing on one topic, today we will touch on three. Last week, the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC) met in Washington and reviewed a final...
The demand for corn continues to grow due, in part, to the federal government's ethanol mandate and the world's growing population. As this occurs, corn growers are planting the crop on land that is not...
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...
Except for a handful of states primarily in the West, hourly workers across the U.S. aren't in line to get raises this year. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 24 states set their minimum wage...
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?...
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...
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...
Where are land prices headed? They are up everywhere except where dairy cows are found. That's the short answer to a more complicated question. Farmland prices jumped 10 percent during the third quarter...
Biggest change, of course, will be in the House, where the Republicans easily gained control. It looks as if the GOP could gain as many as 50 to 60 seats in the lower chamber when all the dust settles....
