This Dairy Regional Recap includes information on a North Dakota ballot initiative to allow limited corporate ownership of dairy farms. A Washington state farmers’ inquiry seeks the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s role in an anti-farm campaign. A California dairy methane emission reduction plan comes up short on funding. This and other U.S. region-by-region dairy news can be found here.

Cultural trends wax and wane, as fads and fashions popular with consumers evolve over time. Right now the trendy narrative about the conventional practices common across American agriculture – and why those conventions are supposedly suspect – is presenting a real challenge to dairy farmers and, frankly, all mainstream food producers.

Dean Foods reported lower milk costs and higher profits. Saputo ends use of ultrafiltered milk imported from the U.S. Also, dairy companies from California to New York announced new innovations. This and other U.S. dairy industry news can be found here.

Low commodity prices, including dairy, are affecting land values and credit conditions in major Federal Reserve and Farm Credit System districts. Region-by-region summaries of quarterly banker surveys can be found here.

This guide is a climate specific extension of the summary article “Dairy Cooling: The Benefits and Strategies” (PDF, 478KB), which describes heat stress, its costs and consequences, and strategies for its mitigation.

USDA’s May World Ag Supply & Demand Estimates (WASDE) report raised 2016 U.S. milk production and marketing estimates, adding more pressure on prices. Conditions should improve in 2017.

Every farming family knows that the farm is hands-down the best place to raise children. The list of benefits is endless – from learning compassion, empathy and responsibility at a tender age to the health benefits of an active lifestyle and a stronger immune system.

Agropur Cooperative became the first Canadian dairy processor to halt use of imported diafiltered milk from the U.S. under a temporary national program to encourage the use of Canadian milk in cheese manufacturing.

The U.S. dairy genetics export market showed a little more consistency in March, according to latest trade figures released by USDA’s Foreign Ag Service (FAS).

On our farm, we have an excellent team, many of whom have been here for more than 10 years; however, as we are starting to plan the next stage of our farm, updating our now 25-year-old parlor and freestall barn, we need to think long term about our team.