Producers throughout much of the southeast U.S. have received above-average rainfall since Hurricane Michael hit last fall. Many of these producers have battled waterlogged soils and cloudy weather that led to delayed plantings or reduced yields of winter annual forages.

The agronomy and farm supply sector will be stressed through 2019, and profitability for ag retailers could face a multipronged threat. Poor weather last fall and so far this spring has combined with stressed farm financials to pressure ag retailer margins and impact farmer decisions that could reduce sales volumes, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division.

Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs

• Producers may make a new election to obtain either ARC or PLC for the 2019 crop year, which also will apply for the 2020 crop year.
  

It’s the big question, right? Which will make my farm more profitable – getting bigger or trimming it down? Ag economists Gregg Ibendahl and Terry Griffin from Kansas State University examined data from the Kansas Farm Management Association (KFMA), which has been helping farmers since the 1930s and has computerized farm records back to the early 1970s, to answer this question.

With the first round of proAction’s animal care assessments concluded, the areas that assessors examine on-farm have gained added attention in the industry: injuries on hocks, knees and necks, as well as lameness and body condition score. Although Canadian dairy farmers are scoring well in these categories and generally raising the bar when it comes to animal comfort, we have gathered information in this article to help you monitor your herd’s success with respect to hock injuries.

The Western Canadian Dairy Seminar kicked off on March 5 with tours of three Alberta dairies, each showcasing new automated technologies. Highlights included the Vector feeding system at Crestomere Holsteins, a robotic bedding unit at Corenco Holsteins, and a newly constructed all-in, all-out climate-controlled calf barn with auto-feeders at Janna Dairy.

Nevermind I’d never strapped on snowshoes or wasn’t physically in shape for the trek. Nevermind I didn’t have ski gear. A spectacular opportunity presented itself – a chance to go with a hydrology team on snowshoes in the mountains as they performed their snowpack survey report at Mores Creek.

Although the calendar says spring, the winter of 2018-19 still has some story to tell, affecting both domestic and export forage markets.