Everyone knows a livestock producer who’s lost animals to bloat. Because of the risk, some folks flatly refuse to graze their stock on dense stands of clover or alfalfa. Others kind of shrug, saying they’ve rarely lost animals and don’t worry about it much. So … what gives?

Collecting and organizing data is crucial for preparing and planning for the next crop year. For example, data on acreage, yield and expected prices can help estimate gross returns. This information is valuable when negotiating with a banker for a new loan or refinancing an existing one. It’s also useful for setting lease terms with a landlord for the upcoming year.

To quote a famous politician, “The best way to be heard is to use your noisemaker.”—Gus Brackett, famous in Three Creek lawmaker

With a goal to make $15,000 from the steer, all of the Mountain Home chapter members, including Chapter Advisor Kya Vines Bideganeta, were pleasantly surprised when the steer sold for $30,000 at the auction. However, this wasn't even the biggest surprise; the buyer Quanta West donated the steer back to the chapter to be sold again.

Today, Bruce is more than just another steer. He has millions of followers on social media. People around the world follow this Idaho steer on Herrera’s social media channels to see what human foods he will try next and what house pet-like activities Bruce will do with the family. Herrera says Bruce’s fame was truly accidental.

While some university dairies have shut down in the last few decades, others are breaking ground on new research dairies to replace aging facilities or making renovations to update their current ones. Here is an overview of some of the facilities currently under construction.

The first phase of construction of the University of Idaho-led Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Idaho CAFE) – comprising rough grading of open-lot corrals and dairy lagoons and construction of a 60-cow rotary milking parlor – is on pace to be completed by late September or early October.

“I’m getting fatigued on the problem. I want to focus on solutions,” says Jake Stander, a fifth-generation grower near Blackfoot.