The American Rabbit Breeder’s Association or, more commonly, ARBA. If you say ARBA out loud enough, you realize it sounds like a sect. Little did I know – it was an even more dangerous organization.

Rodeos are a showcase for cowboy abilities. Everyday work on the ranch is put on display, including the new guy they dressed up in a clown suit and put in a barrel for his initiation. However, people are not showing up by the busloads purchasing tickets to see farmers’ abilities.

Each day, folks across the country head to the grocery store to purchase food to feed their families. A look in the shopping carts will show Americans love their dairy products, which they should. Study after study has shown these tasty products deliver serious health benefits, yet the industry is at the brink of collapse from a lack of secure, reliable labor.

Water is one of the most important resources on a dairy farm, not only because it is essential for cow consumption, but also because it is heavily used to wash, clean and cool the dairy facility.

U.S. average all-milk price halted a six-month downward trend. California Class 4a/4b milk prices increased from June. The Margin Protection Program for Dairy will pay at the $6 per hundredweight coverage level and above. With slumping milk prices through much of the first half of 2016, U.S. quarterly dairy herd replacement cow prices weakened. This and other U.S. dairy economic news can be found here.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Program on Dairy Markets and Policy launched a new podcast series, “Phone-A-Friend.” The series format is based on a popular U.S. television game show in which a participant is able to call a friend if they’re struggling with the answer to a question.

From the top of the Hopkins Farm Creamery’s 80-foot tall silo, one can see the Lewes Beach coastline. Five miles from the beach and a 10-minute drive by car, tourists and beachgoers stop at the popular ice cream shop after a hot day in the sand and swim on the coast.

The last in a series of five payments to settle a class-action lawsuit between southeast U.S. dairy farmers and Dean Foods is expected by early fall, according to Farrah Newberry, executive director of Georgia Milk Producers Inc.

The Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) will provide indemnity payments to dairy producers with milk income over feed cost margins insured down to $6 per hundredweight (cwt) level, according to the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Rapid, low-temperature heating and cooling of milk after pasteurization can extend the shelf life by several weeks. Dairy Management Inc. promoted Barb O’Brien to the newly created position of president. Texas health officials finalized a penalty agreement with Blue Bell Creameries. This and other U.S. dairy industry news can be found here.