When the acres of pasture, grass hay, alfalfa, corn and sorgum silages, and grazing wheat in the plains are all added up, forages account for by far the most acreage of any US crop. In fact, land used for grazing is over 780 million acres – equal to 40% of the entire land area of the US and nearly double the land used for other crops of all types. Add to that the 61 million acres of alfalfa, 15 million for corn and sorghum silages, then add in the grass hays and others, and you can see that forages comprise the vast majority of US cropland. And yet, it could be said that forages continue to be neglected when it comes to fertilization.

Michael Jordan had Gatorade, our children have PediaSure, but what about our cows? The creek, a pond, an automatic waterer? Dairy cow hydration is especially critical for production and reproduction, and effective management is more than just making sure there’s water in the tank.

Following two industry presenters on topics relating to robotic milking, two Midwest dairy producers took the floor to talk about their first-hand experience in using automated milking systems.

Some of my co-editors at Progressive Dairyman have been sharing words they’ve chosen to help guide their lives, single words that serve as simple and quick reminders to get and keep them on track.

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and the USDA share a unique and constructive relationship.

Many dairy owners today are trained to manage cows – but not people. This dynamic is complicated further when robots are added to the mix. The skill set for an employee on a modern dairy farm varies greatly from the requirements of just 15 years ago.

While daily responsibilities of farm life make it easy to put off planning for the future, an early start and attention to details are critical to creating and implementing a generational farm succession plan, according to Charlie Gardner, DVM.

Dairy farms everywhere are operating in a tight economic environment, and it is critical to control expenses and maximize income. Labor represents the second-largest category of expense, after feed, for most dairy farms.

The dairy industry has evolved considerably over the last several decades. Major changes in genetics, nutrition, technology and management have reshaped dairy production. Producers have had to adapt to these new techniques and ideas in order to keep their farm competitive.

Themed “One team. Gold dreams,” the 2018 Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) annual conference, set for April 10-12 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will challenge attendees to take their heifer-raising programs to the next level.