Editor’s Note: This column is submitted by Chuck Nicholson, an adjunct associate professor in the college of agriculture and life sciences at Cornell University and a former clinical associate professor of supply chain management at Penn State University. Nicholson is one of three economists who contributed to the 2017 “Study to Support Growth and Competitiveness of the Pennsylvania Dairy Industry,” commissioned by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Center for Dairy Excellence.

I knew this conversation during milking was going to happen eventually, but when it did, I was not totally prepared. “I think Beth needs to go on the truck,” my husband, Sam, said during Tuesday morning milking. He was referring to Beth, who was the oldest cow in the barn and occupied stall number 45 for as long as I could remember.

With the VAS Platform now available in the U.S., there may be a few questions on how to access data. Two topics which have to do with accessing your data will be covered in this tip: how to access your herd’s dashboard and how to grant access to your herd data to others.

Now more than ever, it is important to make sure each stall on your dairy is occupied by the most profitable cows. One way to improve profit per stall is to change the makeup of your herd and milk a higher percentage of older cows, as they are typically the best producers.

Dairy farmers attending a summit to explore dairy policy and marketing options overwhelmingly supported some method of milk supply management, but worried congressional action might take too long for many of them to survive.

Whether it’s a piece of property or a tractor, once you’ve decided to make an investment in your business, the question then turns to the source of capital to finance that investment. Do you invest your cash? If so, how much?

The USDA plans to purchase $50 million worth of fluid milk for distribution to domestic food assistance programs, the agency announced on Aug. 14. These purchases will be separate from any USDA dairy product purchases under another program designed to provide financial assistance to dairy farmers negatively impacted by the ongoing tariff war with major U.S. dairy export customers.

Every year, Dairy Nutrition and Management Consulting (DNMC) holds a dairy summit. It’s an opportunity for dairy industry experts to meet together in the spirit of learning and community, and to discuss the changes in the business. 

As a dairy farmer, you know the hard work that goes into making that gallon of milk in the grocery store dairy case. Wholesome and nutritious, that gallon of milk represents the culmination of generations of hard work expanding and growing the family business. Milk is what your life revolves around: milking the cows, working the fields, caring for the animals. So, as members of the dairy industry, we take that word “milk” seriously.

Digest Highlights St. Johns, Michigan, selected for cheese and whey production facility California’s share of dairy exports should influence aid distribution Labels, labels, labels September California Class 1 prices improve July global dairy price index weakens USDA releases three-year Chesapeake Bay watershed action plan