Scientific research conducted through the National Dairy Council (NDC) has been a longtime priority of dairy farmers’ checkoff investment.

Past volatility, and now prolonged low milk prices, have made most want to get off of the roller coaster ride of low prices that has been the industry’s fate of late.

With the recent changes in federal income tax laws (and changes in withholding in many states), as well as modifications to the depreciation schedules for purchased assets, it’s more important than ever to make certain the information you use to calculate federal and state withholding taxes and the system you use to calculate the depreciation on new and used purchased depreciable assets is up-to-date and accurate.

It will definitely be a minority of farms where people wake up in the morning and get excited about the prospects of discussing farm finances within the family – and almost certainly when the discussions involve the next generation.

Last year’s cautious optimism has been replaced by financial concern and worry for many U.S. dairy farmers. Here’s Progressive Dairyman’s “State of Dairy” regional snapshots for early 2018.

A few weeks ago, I was talking with one of my dairy farmer friends. This dairyman is a well-respected and known leader in the dairy industry. He told me about participating in a recent meeting of agriculture leaders.

As the popular HBO television series Game of Thrones starts with an episode titled “Winter is Coming,” the phrase is often repeated and serves as a warning for the impending winter that threatens the seven kingdoms on the continent of Westeros.

Fat and fatty acid (FA) digestion and metabolism in dairy cattle is of considerable interest both to scientists and the dairy industry. The subject has received renewed interest for a number of reasons: First, we now recognize FAs can have specific and potent effects on ruminant digestion and metabolism.

This article is part one in a two-part series on pre-weaned heifer nutrition. Look for part two in a future issue. What is a quality calf-feeding program? For too long, the ideal calf-feeding program has been viewed as one that was low-cost and weaned calves as soon as possible.

Calves are naturally herd animals, but the transition period is often the first time they are grouped with others. This brings about a set of challenges that need specialized attention from calf managers.