Latest News From FARM BUSINESS

More and more people in the dairy community are struggling because they are overworked or overstressed, have trouble concentrating, feel fatigued, have trouble sleeping, have more headaches and so many other symptoms. 

Patrick Christian life calling was away from the family farm, or so he thought. Eventually, he married his two loves together—education and dairy—and has used that to help push his family’s dairy farm forward.

Dr. Vince Malanga shares insights on the U.S. economic outlook, and what areas demand the most attention.

Corn planting is now 2% ahead of the five year national average, while soybeans are currently 4% ahead, according to the April 22, 2024, USDA Crop Progress report.

Promoting mental health involves fostering supportive environments, reducing stigma, providing access to care and resources and encouraging self-care. Here's how The Maschhoffs is helping their employees manage stress.

Leland Kootstra shares his quick list of the three areas that he sees the most successful dairy farm business owners mastering as they set themselves and their dairies apart and ahead for the future.

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.

The language barrier is often a challenge for dairies, as the owner and employees don’t always speak the same language. Now that barrier is extended as K’iche’ is becoming more well-known on U.S. dairy farms.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

U.S. employers report challenges in finding suitable job candidates with work-ready skills to fill open roles in ag. The AgCareers.com U.S. Skills Survey offers insights, data and trends to address skill development.

Travel to the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, and you’ll meet Hayley and Stephanie Painter who not only made the Forbes 30 under 30 list, but have also created one of the fastest growing yogurt company in the U.S.

World Dairy Expo is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 Expo Recognition Awards. These individuals have made remarkable contributions to the dairy industry and their communities.

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

The key to maximizing the return on investment of a dairy's workforce lies in the management's ability to humanize operations, understand employee needs, and deploy individual skills appropriately.

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

Farm kids have learned to quickly survey what needs to be done and take the lead to get it done. No questions asked. This is one reason farm kids stand out. They have learned to get tough during tough times.

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.

“The single most important tool to predict peak performance is a very well-developed job description,” Dave Mitchell says.

Mark Faust outlines a simple formula to improve profitability and create more value for you and the customer.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, I think of the many strong dairy women we have working on farms all across this great nation. For all of you farm girls out there, continue to shine bright.

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.

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.

Feed-out of new-crop corn silage has begun on most dairies, and it appears this crop may be more prone than normal to silage collapses.

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

What does an incredible leader, filled with so much knowledge and wisdom, who has had his hand in the tremendous growth and advancement of an organization like Milk Source, teach employees?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Are you pulling your hair out because your milking parlor is constantly running behind schedule? This is one of the biggest frustrations and time and money drains for a lot of dairies. 

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.  

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.

Get to know Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. better. A full sit-down Q&A session with David Ahlem, President & CEO of Hilmar Cheese Company.

The barometer reported its lowest reading since May 2023, falling seven points from December and 24 points from January 2023.

Despite rumors of its demise U.S. milk producers expect 2024 to be a profitable year according to the latest report released from Zisk, who has pulled insights from nearly half of dairy herds across the U.S.

Scope 3 is all the buzz lately in the world of sustainability. A company’s emissions are broken down into three scopes. Scope 3 covers indirect emissions from a company’s upstream and downstream supply chain.  

Jim Rothermich of Iowa Appraisals shares what he expects from land values in the year ahead.

In South Dakota, you’ll find a 130-year-old dairy operation that runs on passion, perseverance and a focus on finding the right people. This dynamic trifecta is what makes up the unparalleled culture of MoDak Dairy.

Dairy producers realize that good times don’t last forever. While producers are hoping good times circle again, until then, keeping a close eye on your financials will help you weather the financial storm.