It’s become a bit of a tradition for our annual “State of the industry” issue to feature an illustration. I say “a bit” because our 2014 cover used photography, but the three years prior all featured creations ...
Transition cow management presents a unique challenge for dairy owners. Care for these cows requires attention to nutrition and health concerns and spans the dry period, calving and early lactation.
Yet ...
Carissa Itle Westrick is the director of business development at Vale Wood Farms, a family-owned dairy and milk processor in Loretto, Pennsylvania. She became the international face of the farm when ...
Farm liquidity has become a greater issue in recent years because of the increased volatility of earnings and cash flow. While no one knows what the future holds for sure, there are a few things we do ...
Lush, green pastures are just around the corner, but before you open up the gates to turn cows and heifers out on grass, keep a few of these helpful hints in mind. Find out what the experts recommend ...
Event: Tornado Total property damage: More than $1 million Injury or losses to cattle: A dozen cows lost
Location: Orange City, Iowa Owners: Walt Sr., Walt Jr., andArt Vander Waal
As Art Vander ...
Pete Maslyn Dairy Manager, Hemdale Farms Seneca Castle, New York
Robots may be the method of milking cows at Hemdale Farms, but technology has not replaced old-fashioned creativity and ingenuity. ...
Dry weather in New Zealand sent global prices higher in the first two months of the year, but heavy supplies accumulated in 2014 still hang over the market.
Oceania prices for whole milk powder and butterfat ...
Earlier this year, the UDSA released national and state-specific data about the percentage of operations choosing to use the Margin Protection Program for Dairy Producers or MPP-Dairy.The program was created ...
Editor’s note: This text is edited from its original version to fit this space. Visit the Program on Dairy Markets and Policy website to read the paper in its entirety.
This article summarizes and discusses ...
All that glitters is not gold. Especially for Google Glass.
If you have been to an industry meeting or conference this winter, wearable technology is being touted as the “next big thing” in agriculture. ...
For Dr. Luke Miller, the farm manager at Vierra Dairy Farm in Hilmar, California, the answer is yes; cloud-based data storage is right for their dairy. Although the process is not complete yet, Miller ...
If you’re like me and seeing a little more gray on the top or you have an occasional ache or pain you didn’t used to have, you are probably not in the millennial generation.
No, I was not born between ...
In our business, we are continually consulting with dairies to recommend the most energy-efficient equipment on the farm. Many farms are starting to take a closer look at their operations and taking steps ...
A financial study analyzed 2103 data from five millionaire model dairy farms (MMDF) and 10 organic dairy farms (ODF). These farms are located in northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin or northwest Illinois. ...
Brian Houin of Homestead Dairy LLC in Plymouth, Indiana, attributes the operation’s growth and success to smart planning and detailed data collection. Houin, along with Joel Gawronski, Ryan Rogers and ...
Today’s agriculture industry faces a number of new challenges. From global issues such as feeding a growing population to more specific, farm-level issues like how to treat a sick calf, today’s producers ...
It seems to be all the hype today. There are as many seminars as there are questions, each bringing a perspective on ways to transition the family business from one generation to the next. Many individuals ...
When milk quality challenges arise on your dairy, how do you normally respond? By observing milking routines or reviewing milking protocols? Changing teat dip or contacting your veterinarian to discuss ...
Dairy processors are a vital link between the dairy farm and the consumer. Processors take farm milk, then process or manufacture the milk into quality, safe, desirable, convenient and usable consumer ...
When, not if. That’s the word respected economists use to talk about the next global economic crisis. And the coming downturn will last 10 years.
That should catch your attention, no matter what your ...
Raw milk is a polarizing issue, and strong opinions lead to unfair marketing claims to the consumer. Those selling raw milk tend to proclaim conventional, pasteurized milk is devoid of nutrition.Those ...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a study detailing the number of illness outbreaks associated with non-pasteurized (raw) milk from 2007-2012. The study was published in ...
Where there’s a will for small-scale dairy producers to market nutrient-dense raw milk direct to consumers, there’s usually a way; whether that “way” lands those farmers in the heartland of Wisconsin ...
Editor’s note: The author is the lab director at Bob-White Systems Lab in Royalton, Vermont. He also owns and operates a pasture-based beef and lamb farm with his family. They milk two cows and a goat ...
Milk consumption in the U.S. has plummeted to its lowest levels since 1970, according to the USDA. What used to be a serving of 1.5 cups per day in the 1970s is nearly half that today, a mere 0.8 cups. ...
In the dairy industry, 2015 may be the year of the consumer, which brings with it some great news for farmers. While sales of gallons of white milk continue to decline, dairy continues to grow in value-added ...
Elizabeth (Betsy) Fleury and her husband, Steve, spend each Christmas Eve discussing how their year went, and each New Year’s Eve planning for the next 12 months on their farm in Richford, Vermont. ...
After nearly a decade of being widely available to dairy producers, sexed semen is now commonly used across the country. What is interesting about sexed semen, however, is the various ways and reasons ...
Every dairy farmer wants a good hoof trimmer to put his dairy as the top priority when scheduling service. As with any other business, a hoof trimmer will likely place those dairies that have shown some ...
A survey of 59 North American corn silage samples from across the U.S. and Canada from September to November 2014 were tested for mycotoxin contamination through Alltech’s 37+ mycotoxin analysis, finding ...
Dan Bolin New Day Dairy Clarksville, Iowa
“The biggest improvement I’ve seen in the past year in the dairy industry is that when milk prices are high and times seem to be relatively good, we tend ...
A few weeks ago, I was sitting on the stairs with my grandson. He is a cute little blond fellow of about 2 years old just learning to talk in full sentences. I was yawning and said, “Seth, I am so tired.” ...
Wheel loader maintenance is a complex practice because it requires different plans and schedules for a number of systems on the same machine.
For instance, fuel system requirements are completely different ...
National Mastitis Council has named the 2014 National Dairy Quality Platinum Award winners. These producers represent the best in quality milk production. The recipients are Randy and Kathy Bauer of ...
Our fourth-generation family dairy farm produces some of the best milk in the world. Our cows are certified organic, a mix of purebreds and crossbreds, and graze on lush grasses during the warmer months. ...
I had always considered tea an effeminate drink.
I should clarify: hot tea. Surely, hard-working men would have a glass of ice tea in the summer coming in from the fields. Hot tea was, well, girly ... ...
In the movie “Forrest Gump,” the hero is a nice man with a low IQ whose simplistic reasoning usually made sense. His response to anyone who called him stupid was to say, “Stupid is as stupid does.” My ...
In layman’s terms,what does EAA mean?
Essential amino acids (EAAs) are the amino acids that need to be supplemented in the dairy diet. Dairy cows cannot synthesize enough of these amino acids to maintain ...
A good cowboy should have three things; a good horse, a good dog and ————————.
I left the last one blank so you could fill in your own. Some might choose a good woman, others a good banker, a job in town, ...
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part series.
I wrote my first column for Progressive Dairyman in July of 1993. This is my final one. During the space of 23 years, I have written several ...
Location: Fallon, Nevada
Your agricultural background, in a nutshell: My great-grandfather started our dairy in Sparks, Nevada, in 1915. Our family has been sustainably producing high-quality milk ...
Location: Sulligent, Alabama
Your agricultural background, in a nutshell: My grandfather converted his parents’ corn and cotton farm into a dairy in the early 1950s. Over time, it has grown into the ...
Location: Conway, Missouri
Your agricultural background: My wife, Courtney, and I are partners with my parents on our dairy. We milk 70 registered Brown Swiss and Holsteins as well as raise all of our ...
Created on 05 March 2015
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