In this modern era of dairy farming, it takes more creativity than ever to stay in business. It seems as dairy farmers face an onslaught of forces determined to weed out any but the most efficient, they must be more creative than ever to stay in business. In this article we’re going to mention just a few ideas that many have employed to not only survive in business, but even thrive despite tough economic times. Let’s consider just a few suggestions.

Last year, overall harvested forage acres were significantly reduced throughout the Midwest, according to Progressive Forage, leaving forage inventories lower than usual in 2018. As we look to this year’s alfalfa harvest, it may be more critical than ever to do the little things right to ensure you harvest as much dry matter (DM) per acre as possible.

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin processing Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) payments for participating dairy farmers on June 4, according to a notice sent to state and county FSA offices on May 31. Payments will be issued directly to producers via electronic deposit; there will be no paper checks, according to Wayne Maloney, in the FSA public affairs office, Washington, D.C.

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy’s seventh annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards were presented during a ceremony at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, on May 16.

Interest rates on farm loans continued to increase in the first quarter of 2018, based on quarterly reports from Federal Reserve district banks in the U.S. heartland (Table 1). In most cases, average interest rates on all loan types were the highest since mid-2011 to early 2012.

Often overlooked, water is the most important nutrient for dairy calves. It is required for all of life’s processes including the transport, digestion and metabolism of nutrients, the elimination of waste materials and excess heat from the body, and the maintenance of a proper fluid-ion balance in the body.

Dairy farmers who enroll in the 2018 Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) and elect $7, $7.50 or $8 per hundredweight (cwt) margin coverage are now guaranteed indemnity payments for February, March and April milk production. But, they have until the end of the day on Friday, June 1, to take action.

Digest Highlights: The USDA will buy $20 million worth of cheddar cheese. Kentucky grant benefits struggling consumers, producers. Find these and other news summaries affecting dairy farmers here.

I belong to an internet service called ResearchGate. ResearchGate keeps track of the research articles one has published and who is reading them. As an old school extension person, my list of peer-reviewed scientific publications is not massive, but I have been involved in several interesting research projects.

“It’s not the making of the product; it’s the selling,” says Tim Joseph of Maple Hill Creamery about niche marketing.