Magazine

Methane mitigation is not a new focus area for the U.S. dairy industry. It has long been recognized as an environmental priority and farmers have a strong track record of implementing practices that reduce its [Read More …]

Building the Next Generation: The Value of Calf Genetic Traits

Few things hurt the heart of a dairy producer more than losing a heifer calf and the potential value she represents. Producers are no strangers to the leading health concerns impacting heifer calves —scours and [Read More …]

Maximizing Cow Comfort in the Summer Months

Changing seasons from spring to summer brings an exciting energy to the farm. Field work is beginning, the grass is getting greener and the weather is getting warmer. However, warm weather can bring challenges along [Read More …]

Keep Calves Free From Respiratory Disease

They might not look like it now, but every heifer calf born on your dairy represents the future of your business. In two short years, they will reach the milking herd and start making a [Read More …]

Where Are We on Agriculture Labor Needs?

Well, the problem has not changed all that much since my previous update in early February. At the dairy cooperative level truck drivers are still in short supply for hauling milk to processing facilities. And [Read More …]

Want to Increase Revenue? Here’s how!

As prices for milk fall (see the prior post) and feed and labor costs continue to increase, what can producers do to increase revenue to stay in business and prosper? Higher component levels will certainly help. [Read More …]

Consistency is Critical to Control Feed Costs

For dairy producers and the cows they manage, boring is bliss. Cows would be completely content if the same thing happened to them every day, at the same time and in the same manner as [Read More …]

Making sure haulers can keep milk moo-ving from the farm

I had a chance to speak to the International Milk Haulers Association during its meeting in Lubbock in early May. This group is a vital part of our industry because it handles the monumental task [Read More …]

Are You Caught in an Uncertainty Trap?

I recently came across a quote from my Business Coach Dan Sullivan, which I feel is appropriate for our current times: “Entrepreneurial confidence lies in the willingness to look for the certainty and uncertainty in [Read More …]

Insect Pests are Active in Corn, Alfalfa, and Small Grains

As Spring progresses, a variety of pests are active in many crop species; Here I consider black cutworm, alfalfa weevil, and cereal leaf beetle. As the growing season gains momentum, insect challenges are bubbling up [Read More …]

DairyBusiness News (USDA, Flickr/Creative Commons)

DNA Has Evolved Milk Quality Diagnosis and Treatment

When it comes to identifying and treating cows with clinical mastitis, time is of the essence. As long as the battle between the immune system and invading pathogens goes on inside the udder, cows won’t [Read More …]

My Heartfelt Appreciation for Dairy Farmers

One of the first things that struck me about my initial introduction to the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy in 2009 was the opportunity to connect with farmers. Certainly, as the past CEO and current [Read More …]

What You Need to Know to Protect Calves from Chronic BRD

A serious disease with lifelong productivity and profitability losses might be lurking in your calves: bovine respiratory disease. BRD, or calfhood pneumonia, is one of the leading health concerns impacting heifer calves, even on [Read More …]

USDEC Reconfirms its Commitment to Latin America

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) today renewed their partnership to bolster cooperation and collaboration between the two groups to promote and harmonize science-based regulations across [Read More …]

Environmental Stewardship and Profitability Strategies when Raising Dairy Heifers

Dairy cattle play a significant role in providing food security for consumers by converting human inedible food such as forage and by-products to human-edible high-quality protein, micronutrients, and essential fatty acids. However, the value of [Read More …]

Canola Meal and Gut Health in Dairy Calves

As dairy producers are aware, calves are the most fragile animals in the dairy enterprise, presenting the greatest risk for sickness and loss until they are passed the weaning period. A recent survey in the [Read More …]

Producer Milk Prices are High! How Long Will they Continue?

Dairy is a business. Like any business, cash flow, revenue, and profits are what keeps a business humming. Producer milk prices are currently high. This post will look in the rear-view mirror, comparing the current [Read More …]

Are You Currently Caught in a Comparison Trap?

It is a fairly common practice to compare your operation with others in your industry to check “how you compare with others.” This is a good idea, but it also has some limitations that we [Read More …]

The Power of Vision: Jessica Little of Sweet Grass Dairy

Jessica and Jeremy Little are second-generation owners of Sweet Grass Dairy, an artisan cheese-making company located in Southwest Georgia. The milk for their cheese is sourced from her family’s fifth-generation dairy farm, which raises barn-free [Read More …]

Evonik strengthens support for U.S. milk and dairy industry by resuming production of Mepron® in Mobile, Alabama

Evonik has resumed operations at its Mepron® plant in Mobile (Alabama, USA) meaning it will once again supply the U.S. milk and dairy markets from a local source. In times of global pandemic and uncertainties [Read More …]

Can increasing forage sorghum berry size improve berry processing and starch digestibility?

As dairy cattle inventory in the southern Ogallala Aquifer region continues to increase, farmers are seeking drought tolerant, quality forages to continue meeting forage demands. Corn silage has historically been the silage of choice, [Read More …]

Graduating class of master cheesemakers dedicated to their craft

Center for Dairy Research and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Whether they followed in their father or grandfather’s footsteps or learned the cheesemaking business from the ground up, the 28th graduating class of the Wisconsin Cheesemaker® [Read More …]

Magazine

What the Governor’s Drought Executive Order Means for New Well Construction in California

Last week, we sent an e-blast to our members of an article published on Water Wrights providing a great overview of Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-7-22 and the concerns it unleased in the agricultural [Read More …]

CEO O’Brien has checkoff on right track

Technically, the honeymoon is over, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Barb O’Brien officially took the reins as CEO of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) last October and the first half of her first year [Read More …]

The Dairy Market Presents A Lot Of Opportunity At The Moment

The dairy market presents a lot of opportunity at the moment as Class III futures for the front two months of the futures curve are currently in the top 10% of the 5-Year historical decile [Read More …]

From Freshening to Dry Off, Implement These Tips to Help Keep Cows Cool

Summer is just around the corner and, with it, heat stress. According to a 2019 Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research study, the U.S. dairy industry experiences $1.5 billion in losses annually due to [Read More …]

2022 DFA Cares Foundation Scholarships

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) recognizes the importance of developing future leaders in the dairy and food manufacturing industry and is committed to investing in their education. Since its inception 15 years ago, the DFA [Read More …]

Milk Production is Down! Why? Where?

Milk production in the U.S. is down versus the prior year. This is unusual and is the reason for tight inventories of some dairy products and the current high milk prices. In January 2022, USA [Read More …]

Are You Prepared for the Great Resignation?

I recently read an article that discussed a trend in the U.S. I don’t know if it will actually come to fruition, but I certainly think it’s worth consideration. What the article suggested was that [Read More …]

Eight best practices for foolproof ear tagging