This month’s VAS DC305 tip of the month is on transition. How well animals transition will greatly affect how they will do in their next lactation.

The European Union first introduced milk production quotas in 1984. At the time, the EU was dealing with a major surplus of milk, and production quotas were just one of the tools utilized to rebalance the market.

The first quarter of 2017 could have been well described by Shakespeare when he penned the famous comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Prices raced higher into the opening days of the year, with thoughts of a production meltdown beginning to unfold in Europe and Oceania amid a growing movement to secure fat.

Calves born to cows experiencing heat stress during early pregnancy experience related effects that continue throughout their lives, according to a new study from the Journal of Dairy Science. 

Digest Highlights: Employee I-9 forms have been revised again. NAFTA renegotiation talks are scheduled. Expanded CRP haying and grazing allowed in Northern Plains. Dairy co-ops donate milk, money. Find a summary of these and other news here.

Growth in U.S. milk production is slowing, but it’s not for lack of cows. The USDA released its June 2017 Milk Production report on July 20, estimating total U.S. milk production up about 1.6 percent compared to June 2016. It’s the smallest year-over-year increase since July 2016.

While the current Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) runs through the end of next year, an amendment included in a fiscal year (FY) 2018 agricultural spending bill could provide a head start for changes in the next farm bill.

A provision to provide dairy farmers with increased access to foreign-born workers has been included in a bill to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in fiscal year (FY) 2018. The amendment, offered by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Washington), expands the federal H-2A farm worker visa program to include year-round employees on dairy farms.

See a need: 2016 consumer trust research by the Center for Food Integrity states that a majority of consumers know little about dairy farming, yet they have a very strong desire to learn more about how their food is produced and where it comes from.

Northeastern U.S. dairy producers have shown remarkable resilience in the face of falling revenues, according to the annual Northeast Dairy Farm Summary. However, sharply declining asset-to-liability ratios and growth in debt per cow are worrisome, according to presenters featured during a recent Farm Credit East webinar summarizing the 2016 results.