In the cattle business, weight is important. The weight of a calf when it’s born through the weight when it’s processed are all values that help a producer to know more about a herd, and make management decisions.

Cattle prices are high, but so is the cost of feed. As the winter months approach, producers can find value in understanding their animals’ nutritional needs and exactly how much is required.

At the fall board meeting of the American Butter Institute (ABI) held last week in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Irv Holmes of Challenge Dairy Products Inc. was elected president of ABI, and two new officers were seated: Dean Van Tuinen of Darigold was elected first vice president, and John Ellenberger of Land O’Lakes Inc. was elected second vice president.

It was more than a decade ago, while attending a conference for newspaper business editors, that I realized technology’s whole premise is to change your expectations of the future.

FarmTek, a manufacturer of hydroponic fodder systems and agricultural products, has introduced a redesigned and more efficient commercial fodder system that provides easy assembly and yields abundant growth.

While conditions in the Southern Plains, Southwest through California and most of the West are improved over year-earlier conditions, most of the areas remain in serious drought. Some areas have had rain over the last few weeks while other areas have deteriorated.

Tractors are common to most farm and livestock operations and are also linked to more than half of agriculture-related deaths.

Wouldn’t it be nice to get up on a cold winter’s morning and not have to worry about starting the tractor to feed the cows? Instead, all you have to do is move a single-strand electric fence a few feet every two or three days. Now that would be living. Well, that is exactly how producers that have adopted bale grazing feed their cows.

A unique student program in Nebraska helps prepare graduates for future roles in the beef industry by providing hands-on experience as well as classroom work.