Successful dairies have healthy cattle and consistent animal care. Dairy welfare audits aim to evaluate both and provide a structure for measuring performance of animal health and cattle care.

It seems there is a concerted effort today to destroy American heritage. Statues of bygone days are being torn down, mottos are being erased, and values are being demolished. The rights of the offended take precedence over time-worn traditions.

The 2019 hay season is shaping up to be a rather challenging one with the seemingly endless rain and lower temperatures across most of the nation.

A significant proportion of my childhood happened in the silence of a tractor cab. There was a brisk manner in which the morning moved from milking to feeding calves to feeding cows, but the afternoon fieldwork was where the day would start to settle out.

Ask a dairy farmer how things are going, and I bet you’ll get a familiar answer: “We’re still holding on,” which is the polite way of saying “It’s really hard right now. We’re struggling to make ends meet. We don’t know how much longer we can do this, but we’re praying something changes soon.”

I hate to sound like that old guy on a bench, drinking free coffee at the hardware store, but remember when things were simpler? The good ol’ days before social media, Uber and Double-Stuf Oreos.

Dairy producers signing up for the highest level of Tier 1 coverage under the 2019 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program are ensured indemnity payments for a fifth consecutive month. The USDA released its latest Ag Prices report on June 27, including factors used to calculate May DMC estimated payments.

Today we introduce a small change with a big meaning. We have removed “man” from our name plate in order for the second part of our name to be as open-minded as the first. With the removal of that three-letter word, our editors reaffirm their commitment to every dairy producer and all the industry professionals who support them.

Despite challenges with late spring planting and hay harvest, dairy producers are signing up for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program in high numbers, according to Bill Northey, USDA undersecretary for farm production and conservation. DMC enrollment began at local USDA Farm Service Agency offices on June 17.

“What is my manure worth?” This is a common question I get once a producer understands what I do and my role with Nutrient Advisors. As any good consultant would answer, I say, “It depends.”