A while back, I was scrolling through Facebook. And I came across a video by a large animal activist group. The video was horrible! They used videos, pictures, lies, sad music and anything else they could to play on people’s emotions to convince them of their negative agenda. As I continued scrolling, I saw it again. By then, I was wondering why this was even on my news feed. That’s when I realized it was being shared by dairy farmers! Their captions would read, “Can you believe this stuff?” or “OMG, did you see this?”

Digest Highlights Good news: GDT moves higher for first time in six months October cull cow prices dip What’s in the mailbox? October dairy products report: More cheese STATES: Wisconsin Farm Bureau votes to ‘consider’ dairy supply management Minnesota Milk elects 2018-19 leaders INDUSTRY: Nominees sought for processors’ fluid promotion board Saputo finalizes F&A Dairy Products purchase Chobani investing in ‘kids’ yogurt lineup GENYOUth gala generates over $2 million to support youth wellness programs POLICY: GIPSA folded into USDA Ag Marketing Service

High-producing dairy cows are more susceptible to negative impact from stressors in their feed and in their environment. But what matters for performance and efficiency is how the cows respond. Feeding the right natural bioactive substances can help the animal adapt its response in a way that helps maintain milk quality and component yields. This article focuses on how to adapt to the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) for profitability.

Automatic milking robots can essentially be arranged in one of two ways when it comes to entry and exit of cows. One way we call perpendicular and the other is tollgate.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with information for producers who receive more than one claim form. Eligible dairy farmers have until Jan. 28, 2019, to return a claim form for their share of a class action lawsuit settlement stemming from nonfat dry milk (NFDM) sales more than a decade ago.

Following is a list of events, websites, articles and other resources addressing farm stress. The list is provided as a service to dairy farm families and support teams. It is compiled from information collected from websites and other sources, and supplied by outside sources. Progressive Dairyman attempts to verify all resources listed, but appearance on the list does not represent an endorsement by Progressive Dairyman.

U.S. President Donald Trump joined Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in signing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during the G20 Summit Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov. 30. And, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a 90-day truce in an escalating trade war between the U.S. and China, with the U.S. putting on hold an increase in import tariffs scheduled for Jan. 1, 2019.

ParlorComp (part of the new VAS Platform) and its desktop companion ParlorWatch are at the forefront of dairy production management. These software technologies are capable of improving the quality and consistency of milk production today — but additional advancements now available have the opportunity to further raise the bar on quality and result in less waste/wasted profit.

“Hello…er…what was your name again? Yeah, Pete, that’s right. We’re sure glad to have you starting today, two guys left last week and I did most of the milking over the weekend. Put your stuff down over there, here’s a pair of gloves, let’s get in the parlor.

During times of tight margins and economic uncertainty, investing into your business can seem risky, if not impossible. With lenders and consultants telling you to cut expenditures, it’s tempting to put all capital investments on the back burner.