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On January 9, 2013, the USDA published a final rule on animal traceability. This final rule resulted from several years of the USDA’s attempt to craft regulations that would allow for effective disease monitoring and outbreak prevention, while balancing the impact on farmers and ranchers. The final rule took effect on March 11, 2013.
Estate planning is the process of deciding what should happen to your assets if you should die or become incapacitated – and taking the steps to ensure your decisions will be carried out the way you want them to be.
Not just for the wealthy any more, having an estate plan is an essential part of responsible financial planning for anyone who wants to meet financial goals and provide for loved ones.
The dairy markets are no stranger to price volatility. Since as far back as the late 1980s, when the U.S. government lowered price supports on milk, dairy producers have dealt with mushrooming price uncertainty.
Over the past five years in particular, producers are getting a crash course in that sometimes fleeting fundamental issue of their business: producing milk for a profit.
It’s probably fair to say that you’re busier now than you’ve ever been, right? So what are all these activities that keep you so busy? Now be honest … are all these things really that important?
Precision dairy farming is a recently coined phrase. Chances are you may have heard it; you may even use a precision dairy technology – but do you know what it means, and better yet, what it can do for your dairy?
Preventing animal abuse starts with appropriate training about animal care. Thereafter, reporting inappropriate care is paramount.
A new initiative developed by dairy and pork associations aims to raise awareness that it is the responsibility of all who work with livestock to report the mistreatment of animals.
Wisconsin dairyman Brian Gerrits attended a large-herd dairy management conference just one year after the worst of the 2009 dairy crisis had passed.
When he came home, he said he realized he needed to start better managing his dairy’s margins.
A topic that has garnered attention throughout the past few years has been the nation’s dairy genetic evaluation system and how it would change when control of genetic evaluations transferred to the dairy industry.
The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), a multi-entity organization, began working on a plan to ensure the sustainability and future of the dairy genetic evaluation system.
Reproductive management is the profit engine of the dairy. A strong reproductive program delivers a steady pipeline of replacements, providing flexibility in herd management decisions.
A subpar system is a profitability drag on the dairy, resulting in longer lactations, reduced milk production and the purchase of replacement heifers.
Editor’s note: This is the second article in a series following a Wisconsin dairy farm through the Repro Money program, administered by University of Wisconsin Extension.
The first article appeared in the Jan. 1, 2013 issue of Progressive Dairyman. As a reminder, names have been omitted to protect the identity of the farm.
