Latest News From Education

Though maternity pens can sometimes feel chaotic to manage, there are additional ways to help minimize stress and create a calmer calving environment for both cow and calf.

The Healthy School Milk Commitment is a pledge by 37 school milk processor to provide healthy, nutritious school milk options with no more than 10 grams of added sugar per 8 fluid ounce serving.

One thing adversity teaches us is how to persevere. Dig deeper. Plow harder. At least this is what dairy farmer, Todd Benedict, has learned when he faced two nightmare situations—a barn fire and losing his milk market.

NBA superstars Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith learned how to hand milk a cow on live television thanks to a Madison, Georgia dairy farm, Big Sandy Creek Farm.

Happy heavenly birthday to my father, Bob. He would also have said that all of you, too, have found success, as you are part of the 2% club that is feeding the world.

The Professional Dairy Producers Annual Business Meeting is set for March 13-14 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Dairy farm owners and managers can expect a lot of networking opportunities.

Are leaders made or born? “Some people are more naturally disposed to being leaders, but it doesn’t mean they’re good at it. To be a really good leader, you're made into one through intention and exposure," she says.

Beef-on-dairy numbers in the U.S. will reach up to 5 million head – roughly 15% of the cattle harvested annually – as early as 2026. The sexed-and-beef model of production will play a prominent role in the process.

It’s important the friends, family, and business professionals close to farmers are prepared and able to effectively communicate in a mental health crisis.

Sometimes a family business's perks can be abused or expanded over time until it creates conflict.

An ‘ah-ha’ moment when young leaders realize the power within themselves to advocate for the dairy industry often unfolds at the Holstein Foundation’s Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI). This year was no exception.

Farmers are protesting across the European Union, saying they are facing rising costs and taxes, red tape, excessive environmental rules and competition from cheap food imports.

All I can say is God bless American dairy farmers. You work hard despite the hardships that come your way. We need dairy farmers to continue to push forward to produce nutritious dairy products to feed the world.

California’s Central Valley will soon be home to a new model in dairy feed production: indoor feed centers.

Two farmers speak up on the importance of addressing stress.

Elle Purrier St. Pierre was fired and fueled to become the best version of herself. The Vermont dairy farmer recently broke her own U.S. record in the women’s indoor mile at a race in New York City.

I encourage you to look at the star players on teams, and when you get to know more about them, more times than not, you’ll learn they learned all they needed to excel in sports from growing up on a farm.  

Whether you’re building a new calf barn or retrofitting an existing structure, there are measures that can be taken to ensure the best possible calf comfort, welfare, and health.

It’s almost time for the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association’s 2024 Annual Conference, and this year the organization heads to a western location in Westminster, Colo. for the 3-day event.

Gene editing has been used experimentally to produce polled calves and calves with lighter-colored haircoats. Now, USDA researchers, have produced a calf with reduced susceptibility to bovine viral diarrhea virus.

Nothing beats a cup of hot chocolate to help shake off winter’s chill. That’s why a dairy checkoff partnership is putting hot chocolate milk into the hands of students during a pilot program.

Is there a drug-free way to improve cattle health, feed utilization, reproductive efficiency, and environmental impact, all at the prenatal level? Researchers at North Dakota State University think so.

Shatto Milk has created its own swag line that includes, “Mahomes Dairy Cow.” Their flagship cow, Casey, has been transitioned into looking like the Kansas City Chief’s quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.

As Foremost Farms welcomes Brenda Dehart, it bids farewell to its current CFO Bob Bascom, who has announced his retirement.

Anyone who works with cows is bound to have “favorite” and “least favorite” based on their dispositions. Those personality traits appear to influence behaviors that can affect their health, well-being, and productivity.

Taken periodically on specific groups of animals, liver biopsies can identify nutritional imbalances that can lead to health and performance problems.

Just over five years ago, Hancock took control of the breeding program at Prairie View Dairy in Muleshoe, Texas. He found that changes needed to be made — fast.

Balancing life can often feel a lot like balancing buckets of milk. Hear how one farmer changed his perspective and metaphorically learned to carry few buckets for a more meaningful and less stressed life.

Steve Cubbage provides insights on the five areas expected to have the biggest impact on agriculture this year.

Use the topics and tools included in The DIRTT Project to jump-start the succession planning process for your operation whether you are just beginning or need to get on track.

For the past 13 years, Cornell researchers have been developing the latest, highly anticipated CNCPS version 7.

Despite efforts to keep its farm doors open, students attending South Dakota State University (SDSU) will longer have a working dairy come June 2024.

Shop around if you’re interested in participating in a carbon program. Just make sure you have a learning mindset and a healthy level of skepticism in order to find the right one.

Droughts, high rainfall and other weather events affecting the corn harvest have made it even more critical than ever to analyze mycotoxin risks across the nation. Here's the latest report from Alltech's analysis.

Where do dairy products fit into the changing picture of weight management?

World Dairy Expo has announced the eight individuals who have been selected to serve as associate judges of Expo’s 2024 Dairy Cattle Show.

While it's easy to immediately place blame on your nutritionist for diet related problems, these three problem solving steps need to be taken before you jump to conclusions.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is no stranger to supporting farmers and is known to hold a special place in his heart for dairy, having served as president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC).

Inulin is a type of soluble fiber found in plants that is not digestible by humans. However, this not-so-talked-about substance is showing considerable promise in enhancing lactating-cow nutrition.

Midwest Dairy, and other promotional groups around the country, are meeting consumers where they are at, to tell them all about dairy’s goodness.

The High Plains Dairy Conference will be March 5-6 in Amarillo, Texas. The conference will explore alternative revenue streams, the future of exports and much more.

Routinely monitoring transfer of passive immunity is an effective way to evaluate colostrum management and identify calves with failure of passive transfer.

A recent survey shows that the likelihood of using pain mitigation for common procedures like dehorning, disbudding and castration was directly linked to the human managers’ perception of pain for the animal.

I challenge you to find another industry that offers the same blessings as the dairy industry. Editing will not only remind you of the goodness, but it also will provide you with the fuel to tackle the year ahead.

Cryptosporidia is one of the most common scours-causing pathogens in preweaned calves, and, unfortunately, it strikes in the early weeks of life when calves are most vulnerable.

Capturing the benefits of socially rearing calves while avoiding the negative effects of cross-sucking is a challenge. An alternative to keep calves busy? Hay.

For long-term success, farm leaders should regularly assess the landscape of their operation and adjust their strategies accordingly.

A consortium of dairy industry leadership groups is bringing the birth of dairy calves to life for consumers in Pennsylvania.

A bi-partisan coalition of U.S. representatives has proposed new legislation to streamline FDA approval of some feed additives.

The first MILK Business Conference award winners were announced and recognized at the 2023 MILK Business Conference held at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.