While legislative and administrative efforts seek to expand dairy options in school lunchrooms, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) likely provide a key avenue to get whole milk back into schools.

Strengthening cheese prices have been helping boost U.S. dairy farmer milk prices, and at least part of that support can be attributed to stronger cheese export sales, based on latest estimates from the USDA and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). Also, the U.S. International Trade Commission estimates small gains in market access for the U.S. dairy sector as a result of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

You’re busy – milking cows, managing employees and making 2019 cropping preparations. With that in mind, Progressive Dairyman looks at issues in the news impacting you and your dairy business.

Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Achieving any significant accomplishment is not the result of luck or chance. The winning Super Bowl team is not surprised they won. They know their reward is the result of great teamwork, good communication and, most importantly, from having a plan that was followed exactly as practiced.

Whether moving weaned calves into a new group or bringing springing heifers into the transition barn, many dairy producers have come to accept that a pen move will likely result in temporarily decreased feed intake, reduced gains or production, and the potential for a few sick or “off” animals.

Michaline (Micki) Tomich’s experience design firm, Mixdesign, assisted Fair Oaks Farms with the recent redesign of their agritourism and educational experiences. The new exhibits opened this spring.