On Oct. 22, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved legislation allowing states to increase truck weights so that milk is shipped as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

On Oct. 21, Joanna Lidback, a dairy farmer from Westmore, Vermont, told a panel of senators on Capitol Hill how important biotechnology is to her family’s farm, explaining that the efficiencies of using biotech crops help sustain the business she and her husband own.

Click here to read the stages of anaplasmosis. Bovine anaplasmosis is an infectious disease of cattle that causes destruction of red blood cells and is initiated by the bacteria Anaplasma marginale.

Each year, the Nobel Prize is given for meritorious achievements in chemistry, medicine, physics, economics, literature and peace. This year’s recipient for the Nobel in economic sciences is Angus Deaton, the Scottish-born, Princeton educator known for his analysis of consumption, poverty and welfare.

Under federal law, employers are required to complete and retain copies of Form I-9, which is an employment authorization confirmation, for all employees. This applies whether dealing with a 100-section cattle ranch in Wyoming with 10 employees or a small cow-calf operator in Texas with 10 acres and one employee.

Pasture conditions for most of cattle country have improved compared with last year; however, as of Sept. 8, 2015, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported exceptional drought in the West and moderate to severe drought in eastern Texas.

I often hear, “Young people today are not willing to work hard.” Although sometimes there is truth to this statement, it serves better as a symptom of the incredible changes occurring in today’s workforce and labor market.  

One of the biggest challenges to cattlemen across the country is drought. Most cow-calf producers rely on pasture to feed their cattle, and when that pasture isn’t available, many cattlemen must cut back on their numbers.

Nationwide, family farms are conducting the steps of transferring farms from one generation to the next. More young people are seeing prosperity in agriculture and gaining interest in returning to their rural roots – which is exciting for the future of agriculture.

The new Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) comes into effect in December 2016, bringing all feed-grade antibiotics under vet supervision or prescription without the option of extra-label use. So, by this time next year, you and your veterinarian are going to need a health plan that complies with the VFD.