There is something about saddling up a fresh horse on a cool spring morning, trailing cows into the corrals and getting ready to brand slick calves that compares to nothing else. Early morning jitters from lack of sleep finally give way to good morning hellos and laughter among the help.

Midwestern U.S. milk marketing cooperative Family Dairies USA implemented a temporary “base” program, effective May 1, to help manage growing milk supplies.

Deere & Company announced it was informed by Monsanto Co. that it has chosen to terminate a 2015 agreement for Deere to acquire the Precision Planting LLC business.

Most Progressive Dairyman readers go straight to the barn first thing in the morning.

My mom laughed at me on my way out the door this morning. I was late for work. I had on my boots, arms loaded down with the usual cup of coffee, keys, hat, sunglasses and purse on my shoulder. “You don’t have enough clothes on!” she yelled as I flew out the door. “I’ll be fine!” I snapped back at her. Turns out she was right; I dashed back into the house and grabbed an extra jacket.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public comments regarding both the proposed California Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO), and procedures to be used if the proposal goes to a producer referendum.

With lower milk prices and tightening income margins, early spring provided more clouds than sunshine in the 2017 dairy picture.

The decision to return to the family farm is one of the most thought out and deliberate choices a person can make. Navigating through the logistics, weighing the pros and cons, and ultimately deciding the course for your life is a big undertaking. However, the future holds a few more obstacles to overcome being the new, young face joining a farm.

Water quality can affect land and cattle productivity. Let’s face it, cattle are naturals at drinking as long as there is a water source and access. What else is there to think about? The importance of water deserves the time and attention of cattle producers. Cattle simply cannot be healthy and gain well without good quality water. What’s more, ensuring pastures have a high-quality, sustainable and uncontaminated water source is a key component to environmental stewardship.

Agriculture is a leading industry in Texas, with the recreational land industry—rec land—following close behind. It’s a fact that new AgAmerica Correspondent Lender, Jordan Shipley, knows very well. As a native Texan, Jordan grew up immersed in two of Texas’s favorite pastimes: outdoor recreation like hunting and fishing, and football. In college he played for the Texas Longhorns, and he was later drafted in the NFL.  After playing for the Bengals, Buccaneers and Jaguars, he turned to his love of hunting and fishing as a host of “The Bucks of Tecomate,” a hunting show on the Outdoor Channel. Below he discusses his time with the NFL, rec land and agriculture, and his new role as a Texas land lender for AgAmerica.