Christmas is a special time, but even more so on a dairy farm. There’s nothing quite like a quiet blanket of snow covering the pasture, with the lights of the barn during evening chores casting a warm glow that can be seen for miles. There’s a certain feeling in the air on Christmas Eve, causing all of us to slow down and be grateful for the incredible opportunity we have as Canadian dairy producers.

The Red Angus breed – often heralded by commercial producers as a consistent provider of fertility, longevity and overall herd profitability – is increasing its market share across the U.S. beef industry and has experienced two consecutive years of rapid growth.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released new recommendations in early November calling for farmers and those in the ag industry to stop routinely using antibiotics to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals.

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) board endorsed a proposal to change how federal milk marketing order (FMMO) Class I base prices are calculated. The proposal will be one element of a larger package of risk management improvements that NMPF will ask Congress to approve as the House and Senate agriculture committees begin to formulate the 2018 Farm Bill.

October 2017 U.S. milk production grew 1.4 percent compared with the same month a year earlier, picking up the pace after slowing somewhat in September, according to the USDA’s latest Milk Production report.

It’s been a tough year for dairy farmers; milk prices have been low for two years, and in some places like Michigan, a deduction has taken another bite out of milk checks to cover the cost of milk sold at a loss by their cooperative.

Digest Highlights: ‘Flexitarians’ are impacting fluid milk consumption. I-9 Form scam alert issued. Additional salmonella Heidelberg cases linked to contact with dairy bull calves. ACA enrollment deadline is Dec. 15. Find a summary of these and other news here.

As you know, dairy farm operations cannot stop for holidays. You and your employees, however, are members of families and social groups that have holiday expectations, traditions and plans.

This past September, I became a mom … to twins! The husband and I are officially the parents to one little farm boy and one little farm girl. While I have forgotten what “sleep” is, we have never been happier.

Every day, dairy farmers go to great lengths to care for their cows. In this series from Dairy MAX, Anita van der Laan of Van der Laan Dairy in Oklahoma shares her story about caring for a premature calf through a snakebite. Can you relate? Allison was born to a first-time mom on a Saturday morning – about five weeks early. No hair – in February.