Dairy farmers are reaping the benefits of current high prices for dairy-beef crossbred calves thanks to historically lower cattle placements and strong beef demand. It is not unusual for day-old calves to bring $600 to $700 or more, significantly more than full dairy calves.

For those caught in the hustle and bustle of agricultural life, the hardest part about taking time off may be leaving the farm in the rearview mirror. However, taking a break doesn’t mean neglecting responsibilities.

“Cows are out. Can you give me a hand getting them back in?” That one question told me that he was officially scraping the bottom of the barrel – a man clear out of better options. I am the last person anyone wants to have to call when cattle are involved.

Once I was working at a concession stand when a person ordered a hot dog and then asked, “Are these hot dogs kosher?” “It’s a hot dog! Someone should certainly pray over every hot dog,” is what I thought, but a simple “no” is what I answered.

Standard varieties, like Russet Burbank, Russet Norkotah and Ranger Russet, are still widely grown even with agronomic issues including high input requirements, internal and external defects, lower yields and disease susceptibility. Despite their widespread use, these standard varieties are slowly being displaced by new varieties that have been selected and developed to address detrimental issues and improve grower returns.