U.S. average milk prices held fairly steady in January, while moderately higher feed prices took a slightly larger bite of income margins.

President Donald Trump directed the U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to review the “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule, which dramatically expanded the number of federally protected waterways under the federal Clean Water Act.

The congressional journey to develop the 2018 Farm Bill moved to Kansas, where the Senate ag committee held its first hearing on Feb. 23. The Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) was again a featured topic.

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) withdrew a proposal seeking increased milk pooling flexibility in the Northeast federal milk marketing order (FMMO 1). In a letter to Northeast Market Administrator Erik Rasmussen on Feb. 17, Elvin Hollon, DFA vice president of fluid marketing/economic analysis, said the request to withdraw the proposal was due to a lack support from other dairy organizations.

I recently heard a story (from a pulpit) regarding the deadly nature of the hippopotamus. Due to their territorial nature, hippos are extraordinarily aggressive. Depending on which list you read, hippos rank fourth to sixth among mammals in terms of taking human lives (other humans not included) worldwide.

The Dairy Business Association’s (DBA) annual “Dairy Strong” conference was held Jan. 18-19 at Madison, Wisconsin.

U.S. milk production continues to grow steadily, based on USDA’s latest monthly report, released Feb. 21.

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing, Feb. 15, as the 115th Congress began laying the groundwork for the 2018 Farm Bill. The hearing primarily focused on the economic challenges facing of U.S. agriculture, including dairy.

Policy changes and media attention regarding the Trump administration's executive orders has heightened concerns among dairy producers who hire immigrant labor. To address some of those concerns, the American Dairy Coalition (ADC) hosted an ”Immigration Update: Preparing for ICE Visits” webinar, Feb. 17.

U.S. farmland values fell in tandem with lower farm incomes to end 2016. While that trend was expected to continue through the first quarter of 2017, several factors will determine the land value direction in the year ahead, according to Randy Dickhut, senior vice president of real estate operations for Farmers National Company.