The European Union first introduced milk production quotas in 1984. At the time, the EU was dealing with a major surplus of milk, and production quotas were just one of the tools utilized to rebalance the market.

The first quarter of 2017 could have been well described by Shakespeare when he penned the famous comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Prices raced higher into the opening days of the year, with thoughts of a production meltdown beginning to unfold in Europe and Oceania amid a growing movement to secure fat.

I love the radio. More specifically, I love talk radio. I distinctly remember my parents forcing me to listen to talk radio as a kid during long car trips, which, at the time, I found to be very uncool.

There is hardly a component of the dairy that has not been researched. From management, genetics, nutrition, labor, parlor and housing design, equipment engineering and so on, every component of the dairy has been evaluated.

Calves born to cows experiencing heat stress during early pregnancy experience related effects that continue throughout their lives, according to a new study from the Journal of Dairy Science. 

Digest Highlights: Employee I-9 forms have been revised again. NAFTA renegotiation talks are scheduled. Expanded CRP haying and grazing allowed in Northern Plains. Dairy co-ops donate milk, money. Find a summary of these and other news here.

Growth in U.S. milk production is slowing, but it’s not for lack of cows. The USDA released its June 2017 Milk Production report on July 20, estimating total U.S. milk production up about 1.6 percent compared to June 2016. It’s the smallest year-over-year increase since July 2016.

Farming is busy, especially on a dairy farm. There always seems to be something going on, and meal preparation is sometimes the last thing on our minds as we are trying to get hay in before the rain, fix the tractor that has been acting up and treat the cow that just went down with milk fever. 

While the current Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) runs through the end of next year, an amendment included in a fiscal year (FY) 2018 agricultural spending bill could provide a head start for changes in the next farm bill.

A provision to provide dairy farmers with increased access to foreign-born workers has been included in a bill to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in fiscal year (FY) 2018. The amendment, offered by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Washington), expands the federal H-2A farm worker visa program to include year-round employees on dairy farms.