I think it would be safe to say we were all delivered into this world by our mother – unless you’re Gary Busey or Nancy Pelosi. I’m pretty sure aliens dropped them off. Because they both seem to be from another planet.

A group of southeast U.S. dairy farmers previously marketing their milk independently have formed the Appalachian Dairy Farmers Cooperative (ADFC) and expect to begin operations on June 1.

Each time the dairy industry experiences low milk prices, managers start looking for ways to save money. This is smart and something that all good businesses do. If less money is coming in, how do we cut down on how much money goes out without hurting the business in the long run?

I’ve learned over the years from growing up on a dairy farm and being married to a dairy farmer that dairy farmers tend to live in a bubble. We all hang out with other dairy families. We live in rural communities where most people have a connection to agriculture.

Bankers and salespeople tend to look at the cash flow of milking robotics, but Larry Tranel, Iowa State University Extension dairy specialist, said profitability and quality of life may be the more important factors to consider.

For those of you who read my first blog, you know the excitement I had to become a full-time dairy farmer. If you didn’t read it, long story short, I left an excellent job to come back to a physical job with longer hours and less pay, and I couldn’t wait to get started!

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article stated that Walt Coleman is a dairy farmer and owner of Hiland Dairy. This version has been updated to clarify Coleman’s role in the dairy industry. Progressive Dairyman regrets the errors. There are two major passions for Walt Coleman of Little Rock, Arkansas: dairy farming and football. Coleman was a fifth-generation dairy farmer, part of the Coleman Dairy Company, which became a division of Hiland Dairy Foods – headquartered in Missouri – in 2006. He’s now a controller with Hiland Dairy. Coleman is also a nearly 30-year veteran of NFL officiating, making him the longest current tenured referee in the league. As a result, Coleman has had no shortage of experience working in high-pressure environments – or in being criticized for his actions while doing so.

During the 2017 Southeast Quality Milk Initiative Meeting, the milk quality award winners sat down in a producer panel to discuss how they achieve award-worthy quality milk in the southeastern U.S. When asked if they had to choose the one thing that has led to their milk quality success, all agreed that cow comfort was at the top of the list.

Weak first-quarter 2018 milk prices applied downward pressure on prices paid for dairy replacement cows, but foreign demand for U.S. dairy heifers remains strong.

Digest Highlights: From a price formula change proposal and EU-Mexico trade agreement restrictions to school milk and FDA labeling oversight, find a summary of news affecting dairy farmers here.