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Learn to Fall Forward, Not Back
Learn to Fall Forward, Not Back

I wonder what is the magic formula that will allow dairy farms to continue making it. I don’t have a magic 8 ball that can tell us that, but what I can tell you all is that part of the formula requires resiliency.

Large Herds Share the Big Benefits of Switching to Robotic Milking
Large Herds Share the Big Benefits of Switching to Robotic Milking

Aimed at doing better and gaining efficiency on their operations, producers are determining how they want to milk their cows in the future, and larger herds have leaned into technology and turned to robotic milking.

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Safety Tips for Part-Time Farm Help During a Busy Season

The changing of the seasons means farms will soon be firing on all cylinders to make sure everything gets done. To speed things along, some farms enlist outside help. These lending hands also present safety risks.

How Can We Get Better Dealing with Change?
How Can We Get Better Dealing with Change?

Change is hard, but we live and work in an industry undergoing massive changes. Just as in every major historical upheaval in agriculture, some will survive and come out the other side stronger.

Cashing In On Beef On Dairy? Ag Economists Think It'll Now Be At Least 1 Year Before Cattle Herd Starts to Rebuild
Cashing In On Beef On Dairy? Ag Economists Think It'll Now Be At Least 1 Year Before Cattle Herd Starts to Rebuild

The August Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor asked economists when they think cattle herd expansion will start to take place. The majority think cattle contraction will continue for at least another year. 

“Cave-Aged” Blue Cheese Breaks World Record for Most Expensive Cheese
“Cave-Aged” Blue Cheese Breaks World Record for Most Expensive Cheese

Would you pay $32,000 for "cave-aged" blue cheese?

Rapidly Growing Beef-on-Dairy Segment Holds Promise for All Stakeholders
Rapidly Growing Beef-on-Dairy Segment Holds Promise for All Stakeholders

Beef-on-dairy is arguably the most significant advancement for America’s beef industry in a generation.

EPA’s New WOTUS Rules: What Producers Need to Know About
EPA’s New WOTUS Rules: What Producers Need to Know About

Waters of the U.S. rules have evolved many times in the past 50 years. EPA announced another round of changes on Tuesday, following a May Supreme Court ruling that required EPA to revise the definition.

John Deere 1 Series Round Baler Boosts Capacity and Offers New Tech
John Deere 1 Series Round Baler Boosts Capacity and Offers New Tech

New features focus on making the eight-baler lineup fast and efficient while capturing important bale data.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: When It Comes to Setting a Positive Culture on the Farm
Actions Speak Louder Than Words: When It Comes to Setting a Positive Culture on the Farm

When it comes to farm culture, actions speak louder than words. A leader’s influence sets the tone and establishing a good farm culture is not only essential, but also vital to retain employees.

Consider Planting These Cover Crops After Silage Harvest
Consider Planting These Cover Crops After Silage Harvest

As silage harvest season is underway, don’t let your fall cover crop plans fall to the wayside.

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Well Water Quality Training Now Available to Students in 100 Nebraska Schools

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln kickstarted the Know Your Well Project in 2022 to teach the next generation how to test well water. The EPA took notice and looks to double the program's reach.

Keep Farm Employees Safe Around Large Equipment
Keep Farm Employees Safe Around Large Equipment

Farm employees are a critical piece of our operation and keeping them safe should be every farm’s top priority. However, accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, especially when large equipment is involved.

$19 Billion Ag Trade Deficit Expected for FY 2023
$19 Billion Ag Trade Deficit Expected for FY 2023

USDA on Thursday lowered expectations for both ag exports and imports in FY 2023. The export decline is linked to corn and wheat, while the import decline is correlated with easing prices.

5 Tips to Optimize Your Time and Your Team
5 Tips to Optimize Your Time and Your Team

With the guidance of their consultant Bruce Vande Steeg, DVM, Leiden LLC, Sonya and Johan Koke were able to trust in their team and even take time away from the dairy without worry. 

Cows Will Tell You Whether They're Happy With How They're Milked
Cows Will Tell You Whether They're Happy With How They're Milked

Paul Virkler, DVM, Cornell University, says teat end scoring is a good way to gather insights on a dairy's milking processes and whether adjustments are needed to improve an individual cow's comfort and care.

What Beef on Dairy Cross Has the Best Value?
What Beef on Dairy Cross Has the Best Value?

The beef market is sizzling hot and dairy producers have not only noticed but have taken action to capitalize on securing an alternative profit source to their bottom line.

Milk Powder Prices Sink
Milk Powder Prices Sink

Economic issues and demographic changes don’t bode well for Global dairy demand.

Minnesota Dairy Community Crowns 70th   Princess Kay of the Milky Way
Minnesota Dairy Community Crowns 70th Princess Kay of the Milky Way

Emma Kuball, a 19-year-old college student from Waterville, Minnesota, representing Rice County, was crowned the 70th Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony Aug. 23 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. 

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What Is the Best Needle Size to Use When Working Cattle?

Depending on the size of the animal, viscosity of the product and administration protocols, a variety of needles might be needed. Here’s some guidelines to help decide.

Hastings Creamery Closes Its Doors, Leaving Producers Without a Milk Market
Hastings Creamery Closes Its Doors, Leaving Producers Without a Milk Market

Hastings Creamery closed its doors leaving Midwest dairy farmers without a market for their milk. Many producers are not only scrambling to find a new market but also have been left unpaid for their milk.

EPA and Hershey together commit $2 Million to Land O’Lakes Member Dairy Farms in PA
EPA and Hershey together commit $2 Million to Land O’Lakes Member Dairy Farms in PA

The EPA and Hershey announced that $2 million will go towards supporting local dairy farmers. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, in collaboration with Land O’Lakes will use funds to promote environmental goals.

Southern States Suffer Big Losses in July’s Milk Production Report
Southern States Suffer Big Losses in July’s Milk Production Report

The July 2023 USDA Milk Production report spotlighted difficult conditions in the Southwest and California. The report showed a 0.6% decrease in year-over-year milk production. Cow numbers also dropped year-over-year.

Inflation and Recession Pressures: Is Farmland a Good Investment Right Now?
Inflation and Recession Pressures: Is Farmland a Good Investment Right Now?

“If I were picking both from a financial and an emotional perspective, the next place I could put a dollar, I still would favor farmland pretty highly,” Bruce Sherrick says.

Federal Milk Marketing Order Hearing Start This Week, Sign Up Now to Testify
Federal Milk Marketing Order Hearing Start This Week, Sign Up Now to Testify

Beginning Aug. 23 at 9 a.m. EST in Carmell, Ind., the USDA Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) hearing will start considering proposals to amend the uniform pricing formulas applicable in all 11 FMMO orders. 

Select Sires Inc. and STgen™ Sign Letter of Intent to Create New Company
Select Sires Inc. and STgen™ Sign Letter of Intent to Create New Company

Select Sires Inc. and Inguran LLC (dba STgen™) have signed a letter of intent to combine Select Sires Inc.’s and STgen’s production, research and development functions into a new company. 

Keep Farm Employees Safe During the Extreme Heat
Keep Farm Employees Safe During the Extreme Heat

For those whose livelihood depends upon working outdoors or in less than favorable conditions, this week looks to be quite difficult with higher-than-normal temperatures and humidity predicted.

Managing Mastitis Through Changing Environments
Managing Mastitis Through Changing Environments

Somatic cell count averages for 2022 were highest in the year's late fall and winter months. Below are some considerations for managing mastitis as the weather changes.

Farm Kids Grow in More Ways Than One
Farm Kids Grow in More Ways Than One

Time is such a thief of joy, especially when it comes to raising kids. One day, you bring them home from the hospital with all the hopes in the world and then next you realize they become all that you have imagined.

Oat Shortages May Dictate Starter Grain Alternatives
Oat Shortages May Dictate Starter Grain Alternatives

In these tumultuous times of drought, global unrest, and supply chain disruptions, feed grains may not be as plentiful, available, and affordable as we have traditionally enjoyed.

Buckle Up: Dispute Panel Called to Action by US in Mexico’s GMO Corn Ban
Buckle Up: Dispute Panel Called to Action by US in Mexico’s GMO Corn Ban

“Mexico’s decree, which runs counter to scientific findings and is in direct violation of USMCA, is negatively impacting American corn growers,” said Tom Haag, NCGA president.

Effective Ways to Make Employee Training More Engaging
Effective Ways to Make Employee Training More Engaging

Brett Barlass works hard to set a positive culture on his Hilmar, Calif. dairy. The long-term manager finds unique and fun ways to engage with his employees, making meetings more fun and effective.

'Adopt a Cow' Program Brings Agriculture to the Classroom, Registration Closes Sept. 15
'Adopt a Cow' Program Brings Agriculture to the Classroom, Registration Closes Sept. 15

The free program, which impacted 1.2 million students worldwide last year, is a year-long, interactive learning opportunity that gives students an inside look at a dairy farm in the United States.

Culling Continues, Springer Heifers Remain Steady
Culling Continues, Springer Heifers Remain Steady

Holstein springing heifer values have held together in the past month despite a noteworthy contraction of the national dairy herd.

Tips to Determine the Right Number of Replacement Heifers for Your Dairy
Tips to Determine the Right Number of Replacement Heifers for Your Dairy

Raising too many heifers can be costly for producers, which is why David Erf with Zoetis recommends producers to check their cattle inventory numbers as much as they do milk prices.

Dairy Report: Profit Margins Continue to Look Bleak
Dairy Report: Profit Margins Continue to Look Bleak

Milk prices have improved slightly, but dairy producers continue to face difficult profit margins.

New Bill Excuses Illinois Youth from School Absence to Attend 4-H and FFA Events
New Bill Excuses Illinois Youth from School Absence to Attend 4-H and FFA Events

Just in time for school to start, in the midst of the Illinois State Fair, students across the state will no longer be penalized for participating in a 4-H or FFA event.

Technology: "Let Cows be Cows"
Technology: "Let Cows be Cows"

The best and most effective technologies in dairy production today are not necessarily the ones with the most bells and whistles. Rather, they’re the ones that simply “let cows be cows.”

Market Analyst Offers Insights into Dairy
Market Analyst Offers Insights into Dairy

Alyssa Badger with HighGround Dairy shares that producers have felt the whiplash milk prices have delivered, swinging from record highs last spring to extreme lows this summer which was caused by a combination of events.

Try to Keep Dry to Prevent Crypto
Try to Keep Dry to Prevent Crypto

The Cryptosporidium parasite is endemic to even the tidiest dairy farms, and is especially threatening to calf health. But it can be kept at bay in the calf management system with one simple and consistent approach.

John Phipps: Is There Really a Shortage of Truck Drivers?
John Phipps: Is There Really a Shortage of Truck Drivers?

In early 2022, a possible trucker shortage grabbed headlines, but John Phipps says even today, there isn't much hard data to substantiate that alarm.

Michigan State University Copes with Mass Shooting with Cow Cuddling
Michigan State University Copes with Mass Shooting with Cow Cuddling

In the aftermath of a mass shooting earlier this year on the campus of Michigan State University, the university’s dairy has served as a place for comfort by inviting students to de-stress by petting MSU cows and calves.

It’s Cool to Protect Vaccine Integrity
It’s Cool to Protect Vaccine Integrity

The most precious cargo in a barn fridge is most likely the biologics you purchase to vaccinate your herd to prevent diseases. How are you protecting them?

Managing Pain at All Life Stages is Key to Cow Welfare, Productivity
Managing Pain at All Life Stages is Key to Cow Welfare, Productivity

Pain can impact cow health and productivity at all stages of life. Management practices to avoid or minimize painful experiences can deliver benefits to animal welfare, productivity and consumers’ perceptions.

Want to See Garth Brooks in Concert? Register for the 2023 Milk Business Conference
Want to See Garth Brooks in Concert? Register for the 2023 Milk Business Conference

Dairy producers and industry professionals who register before Sept. 30th for the Milk Business Conference will earn a chance to win three concert tickets to see Garth Brooks live in concert at Caesar’s Palace on Dec. 1.

The proposed Nebraska law would make it easier for farmers to move heavy implements on Nebraska highways.
Smooth Criminal: 3 Targets Thieves Look for on Your Farm

Austin Kings, rural crimes investigator for Missouri Highway Patrol, takes a look at how a criminal might view your farm and home—what they see that producers don’t, and how producers can prevent becoming a target. 

Give Your Farm Employees the Boost They Need
Give Your Farm Employees the Boost They Need

Reshaping how we view training can give employees the boost they need. Producers should take a broader view to reenergize and empower the workforce.

Drought No More, Farmers Watch Western Kansas Corn Fields Get Hammered by Hail
Drought No More, Farmers Watch Western Kansas Corn Fields Get Hammered by Hail

What’s often called the “white combine” is hammering western Kansas this year, an ugly reality for an area that’s finally receiving rain after nearly five years of drought.

IDFA Opens Nominations for Annual Industry Awards
IDFA Opens Nominations for Annual Industry Awards

IDFA is seeking nominations for four top awards presented annually to leaders in the dairy industry, including the 2024 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year Award. Nominations open today and will close on Friday, Oct. 27.

Drought-stressed Corn Silage Produces Nutritional Changes
Drought-stressed Corn Silage Produces Nutritional Changes

With drought bearing down on much of the country this summer, the incoming corn silage crop is going to require some close nutritional evaluation.