May 2018 turned in another strong month for U.S. dairy exports, with total sales volumes the third highest on record. However, with retaliatory tariffs on dairy exports now in place, foreign sales, and prices, are already being impacted.

“What would you do differently?” This is a question we were frequently asked after completing construction of our new dairy facility. While you may spend months or even years planning out a new project, you won’t know what you’ve missed until you’re in full-fledge operation.

More and more, we’re beginning to understand and appreciate the importance of cow cooling. It’s easy to see the effects of heat stress in your lactating herd; there will be a milkfat depression, milk yield will drop, cows will stand more often and for longer periods of time, and subsequently, lameness rates will increase.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), philosopher, scientist and author, once opined: “Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.”

Editor’s note: The following commentary appeared in the June 30 California Milk Producers Council newsletter. It is reproduced with permission here. By a vote of 86 to 11, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the 2018 Farm Bill last Thursday, June 28. The House passed its version by a vote of 213 to 211 on June 21. A conference committee of House and Senate members will now meet to reconcile the differences between these two bills and produce one bill that will be considered by both chambers.

Digest Highlights: • Northern Plains, dairy states driving increased alfalfa acreage • Multiple component pricing proposal request withdrawn • U.S. dairy exports face pivotal dates • House, Senate farm bills headed to conference committee • Cows still dry in the Southwest • DFA Garden City plant cited for innovation

May 2018’s Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) margin calculations continued a four-month string below $7 per hundredweight (cwt), meaning dairy producers who purchased coverage at the highest margin levels will receive indemnity payments for a fourth consecutive month.

For some reason, our collective addiction to feed additives and precision feeding has come so far that we tend to ignore some of the basics. We have the ability to add anything we want to any mix and dial in our intakes three places to the right of the decimal point, but what good is all of that if you are mixing the wrong ingredients in the first place?

I tend to gravitate toward movies that delve into the “human condition,” those telling a story about individuals navigating through the challenges of life. No horror movies for me, science fiction either.

Tomorrow’s dairy leaders need training and practice in soft skills and leadership, to network and develop perspective about the dairy industry.