Legislation authorizing the beginning of federal milk marketing orders started in 1933. Since then, orders have been implemented, amended, terminated, challenged in the courts, tinkered with by Congress, debated, discussed and cursed. Having worked with federal orders a good portion of my life, I am asked many questions regarding them. This article is a condensed version of my responses to some of the common questions categorized in three areas: history, purpose, and future areas of discussion.

Chances are when you were growing up, your parents were a lot like mine ... strict and frugal. The first time my dad took my brother and I fishing on Lake Michigan, we were about 10 or 11 years old. A friend of my dad invited us on his boat that he kept in front of the McDonald’s in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.

The first hearing of the Judiciary Committee in the 113th Congress was held on February 5. With Congress poised to engage in a considerable debate on immigration, opportunities for legal immigration and enforcement of laws against illegal immigration were the focus of the hearing. Here are excerpts of testimony presented by select immigration stakeholders.

Last September, the management board for Dairy Management, Inc. voted in the majority to endorse the spending of check-off dollars by the National Dairy Board to cover the cost of third-party verification for the National Dairy FARM Program. The FARM program is a nationwide voluntary program, administered by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) that addresses dairy animal well-being. It requires dairy farms to follow animal care guidelines and undergo an on-farm evaluation conducted by a trained professional.

Lack of time is the number one reason I hear farmers say they don’t have a preventative hoof care plan in place. However, there are some farmers who have found a way to do all their daily chores plus implement a hoof care plan.