In the wake of the devastation recently caused by the wildfires in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado, Merck Animal Health has announced it will donate $20,000 to help support communities impacted by the fires.

The April 28 Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) webinar features ovulation synchronization (Ovsynch) programs, the basis for most timed artificial insemination (A.I.) programs in dairy cows in the U.S. Richard Pursley, Michigan State University (MSU) professor of animal science, will provide an update on these valuable pregnancy rate enhancement tools. The webinar starts at 1 p.m. Central time.

During the winter season, most cattle are supplemented with dry forages, grains and coproducts. This ration is balanced and delivered to cattle. Then spring comes along and cattle are put out to grass.

It takes at least three years for a farm to transition from conventional practices to organic, but that transition time can be an important period to gain knowledge and build relationships, said Julia Barton, sustainable agriculture educator with Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA).

The key to a successful dairy farm always starts with creating a positive environment for your cows. With new advancements in technology and efficiency available each day, it is important to be aware of the cows’ needs before making monumental changes to an operation.

Northeast Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) Market Administrator Erik Rasmussen has authorized the temporary pooling of milk disposed or “dumped” at the farm or other non-plant locations during March 1–May 31, 2017.

National Farmers Union (NFU) delegates identified federal policy priorities – including a stronger dairy safety net – during the organization’s 115th Anniversary Convention. Nearly 500 family farmers and ranchers convened for the event in early March in San Diego, California.

Leaders of three major U.S. dairy organizations promised to continue a strong commitment to their time-tested partnership with Mexico’s dairy industry and consumers.

America’s farmers and ranchers will soon have the opportunity to take part in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the census, to be mailed at the end of this year, is a complete count of all U.S. farms, ranches, and those who operate them.

“The overwhelming reality of it all is sinking in,” said Greg Gardiner of Ashland, Kansas, in a phone interview 10 days after the Starbuck fire – which had consumed over 300,000 acres in Oklahoma and nearly 500,000 acres in southwest Kansas – claimed 43,000 of the 48,000 acres at Gardiner Angus Ranch.