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.

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.

Lower prices, but more regulations, characterize the crop input picture in the second half of 2016, according to the Northwest Farm Credit Services (FCS) Crop Inputs Market Snapshot.

Although they’re in different parts of the country, Pacific Northwest and Southcentral U.S. agricultural land has something in common: Values are holding despite a multitude of economic pressures.

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.

The U.S. Department of Justice published an interim final rule significantly increasing fines for Form I-9 violations. Members of Congress signed a letter seeking USDA assistance for dairy producers struggling with declining milk prices. Like its Republican counterpart, the Democratic’s platform was light on specifics for agriculture. This and other U.S. dairy policy news can be found here.

Hay supplies generally exceeded demand as August began, pressuring prices lower, based on weekly state, regional and national hay market summaries.

Sixty members of Congress signed a letter to USDA secretary Tom Vilsack, seeking assistance for dairy producers struggling with declining milk prices. Specifically, the lawmakers – primarily Democrats, and Republicans representing Northeast U.S. states – asked USDA to use its authority under the Commodity Credit Corporation to expand and maintain U.S. domestic markets.

The USDA Risk Management Agency’s Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy (LGM-Dairy) program remains one of the better tools to protect dairy incomes, according to Alan Zepp, risk management program manager at Pennsylvania's Center for Dairy Excellence.