Digest Highlights

• Dairy-RP activity tops 2.6 billion pounds of milk
• INDUSTRY: FDA approves Experior for reduction of ammonia gas released from beef cattle manure
• Chobani launches campaign to benefit military veterans
• Prairie Farms to add baghouse to Iowa plant, pays penalty
• Saputo enters ultrafiltered milk market with JOYYA
• Kraft Heinz Canada selling natural cheese business to Parmalat
• Darigold names Garth to financial post
• Dean Foods holds quarterly investor call
• POLICY: FarmFirst asks USDA to increase trade mitigation payments for dairy
• Groups endorse agribusiness merger moratorium bills
• STATES: WSDA awards dairy nutrient management grants
• Michigan dairy promotion award nominees sought
• CDE offers dairy advisory team grants
• Minnesota Milk hosting annual Dairy Conference and Expo

Dairy promotion and industry officials say they are exploring all innovation and marketing efforts to build dairy demand in attempt to help dairy farmers through tough economic times.

Citing declining milk cow numbers – which will be partially offset by stronger milk output per cow – the USDA’s November World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report cut milk production forecasts for both 2018 and 2019. However, the outlook for less milk didn’t translate into improved milk price projections for either year.

When dairy producers have valuable genetic and management information but fail to take advantage of it, it might be termed unfortunate. However, think of all the potential information that could be provided but isn’t (yet); these absences are preventing real progress and can be called “missed opportunities.” Obviously, similar situations are pervasive everywhere in life, but fortunately U.S. dairy producers can avoid a few of these missed opportunities, which we’ll detail in this article.

Through the art of lace-making, Dagmar Beckel Machyckova is encouraging an unfamiliar audience to find the common thread between modern calf housing and urban human housing with her hand-spun masterpiece.

It’s open hunting season, and you’re hunting for a buyer. You have some used farm equipment to sell (join the club). Is it as easy as throwing up a message on Facebook or Twitter, or posting on Craigslist? Ha. If only. …