State milk regulators have requested the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) help enforce the proper use of milk and milk product labeling terms, especially those meant to distinguish between real dairy and plant-based products. That battle may have gained additional support with the release of a new study of dairy and alternative protein sources.

While drought concerns in many milk production areas of the U.S. have been reduced, the long-term need to conserve water has not. Joseph Harner, biological and agricultural engineer at Kansas State University, discussed potential targets for dairy farm water conservation efforts during the 2017 Western Dairy Management Conference, Feb. 28 to March 2 in Reno, Nevada.

An unplanned catastrophe can strike a dairy of any size at any time. A tornado or fire could level facilities and kill livestock in a matter of minutes.

The panhandle of Texas is the heart of America’s largest cattle-feeding area. More than 6.5 million fed cattle are marketed here each year, accounting for 30 percent of the total U.S. production according to the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.

What I love most about the dairy industry is that it truly is a community. From industry events to social media, meeting up with other dairy industry members often feels more like a family reunion.

Would you do the dishes by hand if you own a dishwasher? Or cut your firewood with a crosscut saw when you have a chain saw? Yeah, me neither. I like time- and labor-saving tools and information. Technology should make life easier.

While some producers struggle to stay afloat in what seems to be an unprofitable business, there are plenty of ranches defying the odds.

Location, rainfall, forage species, age of animals and stocking rates are all important factors in developing a strategic deworming plan. The key to a strategic deworming plan is to treat cattle when environmental/pasture conditions are less favorable for worm infection and survival.

In the summer months, cattle will consume approximately 2 gallons of water per 100 pounds of bodyweight. Heat waves may increase this intake by 50 percent or more. If the water source you have is high in iron or sulfur, this represents a dramatic increase in total daily intake of these minerals.

The grazing season is finally here, and grazing irrigated land has garnered some renewed interest due to changing market dynamics. The economics of grazing irrigated pasture can be challenging but often more productive than haying.