We’d all like to think we’re perfect. Nobody’s perfect, except for Chris Farley in the movie Tommy Boy. We all make mistakes and, supposedly, we learn from them. So, class: “What have we learned this year?”

I shared the following recently on social media: “I was recently asked what I am most excited for in the new year (2018). I thought; then I thought some more. To be honest, we are currently diving head-first into some of the worst milk prices we have seen since we started farming. I'm nervous. I'm concerned. I'm a tad bit scared. I am not sure how many dairy farms will be left by the end of the year here in the U.S. Who's to say it won't be us. ... You honestly never know.

Where do you draw the line with those cows that are long days in milk? I’m not talking about long-bred cows; I’m talking about the cows you intend to cull after you milk them out. We all have those cows, but everyone has different criteria for what qualifies as a “do not breed” (DNB) and how long she is considered productive.

Three months into the new year, you’ve likely outlined improvement goals for your operation. Depending on the overarching operational goals, the focus could range anywhere from improving pasture utilization to decreasing death loss on high-risk calves.

Applied approach to scientific technology boosts Quarter Circle U Ranch Cattle ranching, as the old idiom might say, isn’t exactly rocket science. But rocket scientists do make great cattle ranchers.

Each and every day, Walt Disney theme parks put on a show for millions of guests across the globe. People dream of experiencing the ultimate Disney vacation, and cast members are taught from day one it is their job not to disappoint the guests.

What does it take for a cow to become a national milk record-holder?

After a few of months of modest gains, January 2018 U.S. milk production picked up steam, jumping 1.8 percent compared to the same month a year earlier. With a 5,000-head increase from December, there were more cows in U.S. herds in January than in any month in 2017.

Digest Highlights: A Missouri program reimburses MPP-Dairy participants. CDC’s investigation into a salmonella Heidelberg outbreak tied to dairy calves is closed. Alan Zepp compares margin protection options. Find a summary of this and other news here.