I had started the milking early on Christmas morning so the family wouldn’t have to wait long to open presents. On the way to the parlor, I passed the sick pen. 1225 sat in the dim light, her eyes sunken and her chin in the straw.

Management of any farm is crucial for long-term success. Swiss Lane Farm of Alto, Michigan, may not have found the special sauce yet, but they are striving to “successfully and happily redeem the equity of the three senior partners”.

Christmas 1988 is a Christmas I’ll never forget. It certainly is one of the best ones I’ve ever had. It is such a unique one that every time I think back to it, I can’t help smiling and thanking God for His great goodness to me. This is not your typical Christmas story.

If Santa were a farmer, people might actually believe their food came from somewhere other than the grocery store. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been torn. Now, I don’t want to break anyone’s ideas or tell you Santa actually does or doesn’t exist, but what always makes me curious is: Do you think Santa could be a farmer or not?

Changing weather patterns across the U.S. has meant dealing with more mud for some graziers. Dirty cows are an issue, but University of Wisconsin Extension ag agent Vance Haugen said mud can also have an effect on cows’ feet and legs, somatic cell count – and can even make grasses unpalatable.

This is a story of bureaucratic bungling, a Nobel Prize, three brilliant scientists, two countries, moldy hay and rat poison. I am talking, of course, about the discovery of vitamin K.

The narrative surrounding the environmental cost of producing milk and beef often paints a bleak picture. Because it is more palatable to dictate a reduction in meat and milk consumption to enact environmental change than to reduce fossil fuel use for transportation, agriculture is tasked to solve global climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.

Nitrogen (N) utilization is becoming a central component in ration balancing as dairy producers try to maximize milk protein yields, decrease feed costs and conform to environmental standards. Previously, our nutritional models and research in dairy cows dictated that we feed higher crude protein (CP) levels to achieve optimal performance.

You’ve heard the dilemma, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” A similar dilemma plays out in the cattle industry each year as we start preparing for calving season.

October 2016 U.S dairy product exports rose to their highest value in 16 months, according to Alan Levitt, with the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). Contributing to the strength were improved sales of nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder (NDM/SMP) to Southeast Asia, whey to China, cheese to South Korea and butter to Canada, plus a recovery in world commodity prices.