Northwest alfalfa and timothy producers should remain slightly profitable in 2018, according to the latest Northwest Farm Credit Services’ Hay Market Snapshot report. Exports favor strong alfalfa sales, but low dairy profitability will provide sturdy headwinds.

November 2017 U.S. dairy exports were the highest monthly total in more than a year, paced by record shipments of whey products, strong sales of cheese and milk powder, and improved volumes of butterfat, according to Alan Levitt, USDEC vice president of communications and market analysis.

With the U.S. dairy herd stubbornly near a two-decade high, cow numbers are frequently cited as a reason for excess milk production stretching processing capacity. While latest information from the USDA shows dairy cow slaughter is outpacing year-ago levels and stabilizing cow numbers, there’s also been renewed demand for dairy replacement heifers in foreign markets.

Digest Highlights: California producers approve quota plan. NMPF targets "almond milk yogurt" as doubly deceptive. Holstein Association USA had a record year. December margins weaken as milk class prices decline. Find a summary of this and other news here.

President Donald Trump addressed the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 99th annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday. The president touched on a variety of issues, including tax reform, regulations, rural broadband, the farm bill, crop insurance and trade.

Not a single speaker at the University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms Conference claimed to be in possession of a crystal ball, but that didn’t stop them from hypothesizing about what might be next in terms of nutrient applications. Looking to the future is important because today’s best still isn’t good enough.

Kansas State University’s analytical lab has expanded its services and can now analyze forage samples to give farmers and ranchers a clearer picture of what their animals are consuming.