Old Man Winter’s job performance is again being called into question, as seasonal precipitation is not improving drought conditions in many important hay-producing regions of the U.S.

Nike’s mission statement is: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” In 1988, at a Nike advertising meeting, the slogan “Just Do it” was coined. Their slogan pairs beautifully with their mission, because sometimes the hardest part of getting inspired to put in the work is to put your shoes on and just do it.

According to Art Douglas, CattleFax meteorology analyst, La Nina is to blame for drought conditions impacting about two-thirds of the U.S. “But as we move toward the summer, things are going to start easing up,” he told NCBA attendees in Phoenix.

Americans, and by extension the cattle industry, will receive a boost in 2018 due to the recently passed tax reform bill. Mike Murphy, director of protein research and risk management for CattleFax, told producers at NCBA the new tax policy stands to return $900 per household on average.

Dairy farmers might be overfeeding a large proportion of lactating cows when the same ration is fed to a large group of animals. Diets are normally formulated to provide enough nutrients to the most productive animals, but may result in giving extra nutrients to less productive individuals due to inefficient nutrient utilization.

A couple of years ago, we had certain assumptions about the cost savings robotic milking systems would yield, and where the bulk of those savings would come from. We expected the main advantages would come from reduced labor costs and increased milk production. But has that turned out to be the case? What’s changed in the last two years?

Cows crave consistency. Milking time, udder prep, feed delivery, animal care and handling, reproduction and the nutrients delivered in the ration should be the same day in and day out.

I did it. I finished an MBA. And I’ve finally got my nights and weekends back again. I learned a few things from the journey I hope can be of help to each of you.

Last quarter’s export-assisted sales were the equivalent of 870,209 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

A few years ago, no one had heard of an ice cream called “Halo Top.” In August of 2017, the high-protein, low-fat, low-sugar brand was leading all other ice creams in grocery store pint sales. And your dairy checkoff helped make that happen.