New Kuhn VB 560 5X6 round baler

Every day, it seems, we hear about a new idea, concept, program or way of thinking that will dramatically improve our lives.

It’s not uncommon for purchased feed costs to equal 50% of a dairy farm’s budget. Nearly 20 years ago, Jon Bansen of Double J Jerseys near Monmouth, Oregon, was in the same boat.

Though it never was wildly popular, about a generation ago birdsfoot trefoil began being used even less frequently on dairy farms. Birdsfoot trefoil is a slow-growing forage legume and usually won’t persist when included in a mixed seeding with alfalfa and grass.

On Oct. 20, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) held a virtual press conference to voice their concern at the lack of action by the Trudeau government on its oft-repeated commitment to compensate dairy farmers for the impact of three successive trade deals: the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).