Latest News From Business

Fairlife Breaks Ground on $650 Million Facility in New York
Fairlife Breaks Ground on $650 Million Facility in New York

Fairlife is known for its value-added dairy products, such as ultra-filtered milk, protein shakes and lactose-free milk. Soon, the company will be producing these popular products at its upcoming facility in N.Y.

DEVELOPING: US EPA Allows Temporary Expansion of Higher-Ethanol Gasoline Blend this Summer
DEVELOPING: US EPA Allows Temporary Expansion of Higher-Ethanol Gasoline Blend this Summer

NEW YORK, April 19 (Reuters) - The EPA will temporarily expand sales of higher-ethanol blends of gasoline this summer.

Goodbye, El Niño. Hello, La Niña? The Big Transition to La Niña is Already Underway
Goodbye, El Niño. Hello, La Niña? The Big Transition to La Niña is Already Underway

There's now a 60% chance La Niña will develop between June and August and an 85% chance it's in effect by November 2024 to January 2025, according to NOAA.

97-Year-Old Illinois Milk Delivery Business Files for Bankruptcy
97-Year-Old Illinois Milk Delivery Business Files for Bankruptcy

Oberweise Dairy, headquartered in North Aurora, Illinois, is a home milk delivery company that delivers milk in glass bottles directly to consumers. Recently, the 97-year-old dairy business has filed for bankruptcy.

Beef-on-Dairy Impacts the Overall Dairy Heifer Discussion
Beef-on-Dairy Impacts the Overall Dairy Heifer Discussion

As long as the beef market is hot, the key for producers will be maintaining the right number of lactating cows going through the parlor and ensuring the right number of replacement heifers can keep that pipeline full.

New CoBank Report says Federal Reserve is on the 'Horns of a Dilemma’
New CoBank Report says Federal Reserve is on the 'Horns of a Dilemma’

Unrelenting inflation continues to weigh down the U.S. economy and agriculture. Still, CoBank says it believes the Fed will stick with its decision to cut interest rates three times in 2024.

USDA is Discontinuing A Major Cattle Report, And it Could Now Spur More Volatility For Cattle Prices
USDA is Discontinuing A Major Cattle Report, And it Could Now Spur More Volatility For Cattle Prices

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced it’s canceling the July Cattle Inventory Report. In the announcement, NASS blamed budget cuts from the most recent appropriations bills. 

Merck Launches New Activity Monitoring Technology, SENSEHUB Dairy Youngstock
Merck Launches New Activity Monitoring Technology, SENSEHUB Dairy Youngstock

The SENSEHUB monitoring ear tag incorporates a blinking LED light so workers can quickly and easily locate those animals and apply appropriate interventions.

Accelerating Efficiency in the Milk Supply Chain
Accelerating Efficiency in the Milk Supply Chain

Tough financial situations unfolding on farms accelerated the pace of farms exiting, and DFA shared that more than 500 of their member farms exited in 2023. They are now planning to have around 5,100 farms by 2030.

More Produce, Less Dairy for Low-Income Families Under U.S. Nutrition Program Changes
More Produce, Less Dairy for Low-Income Families Under U.S. Nutrition Program Changes

Nearly 7 million low-income women and children will be able to purchase more fruits and vegetables but less dairy after the U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized changes to a key federal nutrition program on Tuesday.

Turning Sustainability into Profitability with Carbon
Turning Sustainability into Profitability with Carbon

Three ways to take advantage of dairy's carbon footprint.

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Calf Values Soar, Springers Mostly Steady

Calf prices continue to surge to new heights, with reports of newborn beef-cross bottle calves fetching upward of $1,000 per head.

Will We See a Hard Fall or Soft Landing? It's the Million Dollar Question for the Farm Economy This Year
Will We See a Hard Fall or Soft Landing? It's the Million Dollar Question for the Farm Economy This Year

The Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor is a gauge of economists’ views on the ag economy. While outlooks have grown weaker, it’s the erosion in the future outlook that is sprouting fresh concerns.

WIC Participants Say USDA Cuts to Milk and Dairy Benefits Will Make Their Lives Harder
WIC Participants Say USDA Cuts to Milk and Dairy Benefits Will Make Their Lives Harder

Proposed cuts would make grocery shopping harder for low-income mothers and children and threaten re-enrollment, participants say.

Tillamook County Creamery Association President & CEO Announces Plans to Step Down
Tillamook County Creamery Association President & CEO Announces Plans to Step Down

Tillamook County Creamery Association President & CEO Patrick Criteser announced he will step down later this year. David Booth, TCCA's current EVP of Brand Growth & Commercialization has been appointed his replacement.

Start Talking about the Succession of Your Family Farm Today
Start Talking about the Succession of Your Family Farm Today

The conversation about how the farming business is going to be transitioned from an established generation to the next generation is a conversation these families cannot afford to put off for another day.

Call Out for 2024 Milk Business Award Applications
Call Out for 2024 Milk Business Award Applications

Once again, Farm Journal will be awarding Milk Business awards to dairy producers from whom our readers can learn business concepts, ranging from technology to young producers to employee excellence.

Start Measuring Carbon So You Can Start Managing It
Start Measuring Carbon So You Can Start Managing It

At the Professional Dairy Producers Annual Business Meeting, dairy producer, JJ Pagel, of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, spoke on his journey to measuring his farm’s carbon footprint during a 2023 carbon pilot program.

Rare Human Case of Bird Flu Confirmed. Officials Believe it Began on Texas Dairy
Rare Human Case of Bird Flu Confirmed. Officials Believe it Began on Texas Dairy

The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that a human case of bird flu has been confirmed in Texas and identified in a person who had direct exposure to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with the disease.

Focusing on Protein and Risk Management Will Help in a Year of Volatile Milk Markets
Focusing on Protein and Risk Management Will Help in a Year of Volatile Milk Markets

What’s new and rare for the dairy industry is that we are experiencing nearly a year of weaker global milk supply. What’s not new is that for the seventh consecutive month, milk production has documented a decline.

Jay Bryant to retire as MDVA CEO, Jon Cowell Named Successor
Jay Bryant to retire as MDVA CEO, Jon Cowell Named Successor

Jay Bryant, CEO of Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA) announced he will retire from his position at the end of this year. Jon Cowell, current CFO of MDVA, has been named as his replacement.

Think Inside The Box To Solve Problems On The Farm
Think Inside The Box To Solve Problems On The Farm

Kyle Scheele shares six ways constraints can be a good thing to your operation.

APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies
APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies

The livestock industry continues to grapple with the first confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle, while federal and state agencies continue to assure consumers there's no concern about the safety of the U.S. milk supply.

Success is All in the Details at Kansas Dairy Development
Success is All in the Details at Kansas Dairy Development

Kansas Dairy Development provides temporary housing for up to 80,000 head of cattle — from a few days old to springers nearly ready to calve. Their formula for success is all in the details.

Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat
Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA food safety experts, properly prepared beef is safe to eat and is not a food safety risk to humans.

BREAKING: Mystery Illness Impacting Texas, Kansas Dairy Cattle is Confirmed as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strain
BREAKING: Mystery Illness Impacting Texas, Kansas Dairy Cattle is Confirmed as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strain

USDA says genetic sequencing revealed the mystery illness impacting Texas dairies is the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that's been in the U.S. The virus is carried by wild waterfowl.

3 Strategies to Increase Cash Flow on Dairy Farms
3 Strategies to Increase Cash Flow on Dairy Farms

In the world of dairy farming, maximizing profits and ensuring financial viability is a constant challenge.

Holstein Heifer Prices Finally Make Moves in the Right Direction
Holstein Heifer Prices Finally Make Moves in the Right Direction

As dairy producers employ new breeding strategies to capture more revenue by creating beef cross calves, dairy replacement heifer inventories have taken a massive hit.

DFA Highlights Their One Connected Cooperative Statement at Their Annual Meeting
DFA Highlights Their One Connected Cooperative Statement at Their Annual Meeting

Dairy Farmers of America Board Chair, Randy Mooney, told attendees at the 2024 DFA Annual Meeting that the they are financially strong, as it has exceeded projected earnings for the first two months of the year.

Why Having A Financial Plan Is More Important Now
Why Having A Financial Plan Is More Important Now

Industry experts share what to include in a financial plan and where they'd consider making room in the budget.

Dairy Finances: Being Prepared For Tough Times Has Big Payback
Dairy Finances: Being Prepared For Tough Times Has Big Payback

If there’s any assurance about the economic picture for the dairy industry and agriculture in general going forward in the next few years, it’s that volatility will be a constant.

New York Dairy Processing Plant Moves Forward with Large Expansion
New York Dairy Processing Plant Moves Forward with Large Expansion

The dairy company will increase the plant’s capacity by 10%, or 20 million gallons of dairy products per year.

There's a New Way to Cash in on Your CI Score on the Farm, Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act
There's a New Way to Cash in on Your CI Score on the Farm, Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act

The new 45Z tax credit passed in the Inflation Reduction Act, slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2025, means a farmer's carbon intensity score will soon be worth more, especially if your corn goes to an ethanol plant.

4 Ways to  Focus a Tech  Audit
4 Ways to Focus a Tech Audit

When deciding what technology serves your goals, and to get the most bang for your buck, determine if you need to grow business revenue, increase productivity, reduce costs and/or stabilize daily operation.

Robotic Technology is a Long-Term Investment, But Potentially a Great One
Robotic Technology is a Long-Term Investment, But Potentially a Great One

Chad Huyser with Lely says often the question isn’t so much if producers want to invest in big technology, the question is more of when. Especially as producers wade through a tough financial dairy outlook.

A Software Love Affair
A Software Love Affair

Integrating new software into your team can feel like a blind date. Worse yet, a speed date followed by an arranged marriage. This shotgun arrangement may not end well.

Midwest Dairy Announces New Chief Executive Officer
Midwest Dairy Announces New Chief Executive Officer

Midwest Dairy, the checkoff organization representing over 4,000 dairy farmers in a ten-state region, officially announced that Corey Scott of Marine on Saint Croix, Minn. has been named its new Chief Executive Officer.

Walmart Makes Plans to Build Third New Milk Processing Plant, This Time in Texas
Walmart Makes Plans to Build Third New Milk Processing Plant, This Time in Texas

America’s largest retail store has announced its plans to build a third milk processing plant, this time in Robinson, Texas.

Fallout From Falling Net Farm Income and Stubborn Interest Rates: Ag Economists Reveal What’s Now at Risk in 2024
Fallout From Falling Net Farm Income and Stubborn Interest Rates: Ag Economists Reveal What’s Now at Risk in 2024

The latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor projects a major drop in net farm income this year. Economists are also growing more pessimistic about the potential for interest rate cuts in 2024.

Will Milk Prices Rebound? 8 Important Market Signals to Watch
Will Milk Prices Rebound? 8 Important Market Signals to Watch

Dairy producers wonder what it will take for the market to turn around, as we wade out of this volatile economy. Phil Plourd shares fluctuating signals that are a telltale sign if milk prices will rebound in 2024.

DMC Delivers its First Strong Payment of 2024
DMC Delivers its First Strong Payment of 2024

Milk protected at the $9.50 level will receive indemnity payments of $761.56 for each one million pounds enrolled.

Smokehouse Creek Fire is Officially the Largest in Texas History
Smokehouse Creek Fire is Officially the Largest in Texas History

While the Smokehouse Creek Fire rapidly became the state's largest in history, four other wildfires are burning in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle area. (Additional images contained in story.)

65% of the Nation’s Dairy Herd Lives On 1,000-Plus-Cow Operations
65% of the Nation’s Dairy Herd Lives On 1,000-Plus-Cow Operations

While dairy operations with less than 500 cows make up 80% of the nation’s dairy farms, the majority of cows within the nation’s herd reside on farms with 1,000 animals or more.

Select Milk Producers Partners with Westrock Coffee to Make New Milk-Based Coffee Product
Select Milk Producers Partners with Westrock Coffee to Make New Milk-Based Coffee Product

Select Milk Producers has recently entered a letter of intent to form a partnership with Westrock Coffee, a leading coffee, tea and extracts provider, to create a milk-based coffee product.

Producers Can Now Enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage for This Year
Producers Can Now Enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage for This Year

USDA has announced that the 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage sign-up will open Feb. 28 and run through April 29.

Danish Farmers Concerned Carbon Tax Will Lead to Lower Livestock Production
Danish Farmers Concerned Carbon Tax Will Lead to Lower Livestock Production

Denmark's farmers on Wednesday voiced concerns that plans to levy a carbon emission tax on farming as part of efforts to meet Denmark's ambitious climate goals would force them to reduce production and close farms.

Uniting Technology with the Youngest Herd Members on Your Farm
Uniting Technology with the Youngest Herd Members on Your Farm

Producers have embraced technology for their mature herd, and now more dairies and calf ranches are exploring how to use it to streamline management for the youngest members of their herd – calves and heifers.

How These Three Dairies Went from Good to Great
How These Three Dairies Went from Good to Great

Success is often shaped by values, found through hardships and the stimulus for momentum. If we learn anything from our 2023 Milk Business Award winners, it’s there is no cookie-cutter formula to achieve success.

Springers Mixed Despite Lower Inventories
Springers Mixed Despite Lower Inventories

The total U.S. dairy replacement heifer herd is down about 14,000 head compared to the start of 2023.

New Methane Digester Complete at Tri-Cross Dairy, Begins Supplying RNG
New Methane Digester Complete at Tri-Cross Dairy, Begins Supplying RNG

Tri-Cross Dairy has recently completed a new renewable natural gas (RNG) production facility with Clean Energy and is expected to supply 1 million gallons of negative carbon-intensity RNG annually.