Have you seen the little NIR (near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy) device that fits in your pocket for instant dry matter sampling? I started looking into the SCiO device – commercially known as Reveal – as a replacement to drying every feed sample for an hour twice a week.

This summer, three standout social media campaigns from dairy organizations are aiming to provide food to the hungry. Each has its own special method, but all are utilizing various social media platforms to generate awareness, raise money and create a better future for both farmers and those in need.

Starting a dairy involves long hours, backbreaking work and cool-headedness in unexpected emergencies. And in a market with exceptionally low milk prices, building a dairy from the ground up is no easy feat – especially when you’re in your 20s.

Although concerns over trade and unexpected weather conditions continue to be top-of-mind for those in the agricultural industry, there is always value in farmland. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, average agricultural land values nationwide are trending up. Average farm real estate value has increased 1.9 percent to $3,140 per acre from 2017 values. Cropland and pasture values have also increased over 2017, 1 percent to $4,130 per acre and 3 percent to $1,390, respectively. Gains in land values signal that investors are focused on farmland as a long-term investment and that they may consider trade tensions to be short term.

Whether expanding, starting up a robotic dairy using first-lactation animals, or transitioning parlor or tiestall cows to a robot, many dairy farmers run into the same problem: There are some cows that struggle to adapt to the new system. 

Most Progressive Cattleman readers believe that ag exports will suffer due to the policy to increase tariffs.

Missouri became the first state ever to pass regulations regarding “fake meat” labeling in May when then Gov. Eric Greitens signed it into law on June 1, his last day in office.

Antimicrobial resistance has received much attention in recent years, as human and animal health officials work to understand the issue.

My iPhone buzzed with a text message. It read, “What you decide on chicken coop?” The phone rang an hour later and I sent the call to voicemail. Later, when I read the transcript, it said, “This is, um, Eric – the chickn’ coop guy – um, wondering if I can deliver it today.” There were also two emails, “Wondering if you want this chickn’ coop. Plz respond.”

The Canadian dairy production sector has a great innovation story to tell, from excellence in dairy genetics, continuous improvements in dairy cattle health and welfare, and leadership in sustainable milk production to new research findings supporting positive health outcomes for Canadians.