The first milk checks reflecting the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) revisions are arriving in producers’ mailboxes, reflecting both benefits and drawbacks of the revisions. At the same time, milk prices are softening after several months of relatively strong performances, perhaps the result of increased cow numbers and expanded processing capacity available in the marketplace now, among other influencing factors.

I mean, I’m a dedicated straw hat member and all, but I’m pretty sure my type of garden works the same way my mirror does: The farther away I am from it, the sure-as-heck better everything looks.

It was hot and muggy in the old middle school gym in Sugar City, Idaho. In the absence of anything that seemed to even resemble a ventilation system – other than the door on the east end of the gym being ajar, courtesy of a big gray garbage can – the air seemed to be thick and stale, a natural byproduct of summer basketball in small-town southern Idaho.

Maintaining optimal hoof health in dairy herds is paramount for ensuring peak productivity and minimizing lameness, a prevalent issue that can severely affect cow welfare and farm economics.

Allowing cattle to graze into late fall and early winter is crucial to maximizing profits. Stockpiling cool-season forages and growing cover crops for forage present opportunities to extend the grazing season.