Although federal dairy safety net programs have been strengthened, efforts to change dairy policy affecting milk pricing and production have not ended. After a hard winter saw a high number of dairy farm exits, policy meetings and proposals are emerging this spring. 

Legislation prohibiting mislabeling of nondairy foods has been reintroduced in both houses of Congress. The legislation enhances efforts to encourage the FDA to enforce labeling regulations for plant-based imitators of milk, cheese, butter and other products.

Digest Highlights

• Dairy-RP coverage nears 20 billion pounds of milk
• Proposal extends H2-A visa program to dairy
• Cattle TB found on Texas dairy and calf-raising operation
• Georgia will be added as ‘major’ dairy state
• MMPA makes Michigan food bank donations
• University of Florida raising funds to renovate dairy farm
• Minnesota offers dairy farm improvement grants
• Value-added dairy education opportunities coming to Wisconsin
• Zoetis launches genomic test for Jerseys
• Animart merges with Animal Profiling Inc.

There is a widespread misconception that dairies must wait to see financial returns from genomic testing – that cash-strapped dairies can’t justify the investment for potential long-term gains. A close look at the numbers produced from a carefully considered genomic testing plan tells a different story – one of increased efficiency and more immediate returns. But how?

In another installment of Penn State Extension’s Dairy Grazing Management Guide webinar series, University of New Hampshire professor, extension educator and veterinarian Andre Brito discussed the growing popularity of supplementing kelp to cows in pasture-based systems, both organic and conventional.

Pasture is the primary source of forage for grazing dairies. In the northern U.S., this requirement is typically met by a May-to-October grazing season, and profitability depends on pastures that provide a uniform, season-long supply of high-quality forage. However, in the northern U.S., seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation creates a challenge, as the predominant forage plants, which include perennial grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and smooth bromegrass, and legumes such as white clover, undergo a “summer slump” in production.