April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025 Progressive Dairy digital magazine

April 1, 2025

The latest issue of Progressive Dairy magazine is available. To view, make sure you're logged into your agproud.com account. If you do not have access, click "Subscribe" in the top-right corner of agproud.com to add permission to view.

Dairy market outlook: Processing, the presidency and international partners

2024 was a euphoric year for the dairy industry. Can 2025 carry the momentum as processing capacity, international demand and politics will likely create headwinds for the markets?

March 9, 2025

Jenn Coyne

By most all accounts, 2024 was a remarkable time for the dairy industry. The question is, “Can 2025 match last year’s momentum?”

Foundation Watch: Dairy’s Foundation supports all roads to success

March 12, 2025

We each take different paths to the dairy industry, our farms or allied industry businesses. Some were born into a multi-generational dairy farm family and have known it was their calling from a young age. Others had the opportunity to engage in agriculture through 4-H, FFA, college or technical school studies.

Progressive Events: ‘Latest and greatest’ in agriculture innovation on display at World Ag Expo 2025

March 20, 2025

Kimmi Devaney

Sparkling new farm equipment, the latest agriculture technology and a plethora of educational seminars were just a few of the many attractions for the 100,000-plus attendees at the 2025 World Ag Expo, held Feb. 11-13 in Tulare, California.

Checkoff Watch: Building on momentum: U.S. dairy’s path forward in 2025

February 18, 2025

As we continue through the new year, U.S. dairy is entering an exciting phase marked by growth and opportunity. The category is experiencing a renaissance, with public figures – including celebrities and other influencers – championing whole milk.

Are you intentional with your farm business in these areas?

Unity, drive, talent, grit, asset growth and future planning are key areas to focus on to sustain the family business through the next generation.

March 13, 2025

Tim Schaefer

Sustainability is a buzzword we often hear, but what about the sustainability of the family farm? What does it take for a farm to sustain itself generation after generation? Why does it seem so hard?

The silent impact of subclinical hypocalcemia

Cows with subclinical hypocalcemia have an increased risk of disease, decreased reproductive success and decreased production. For these reasons, we consider cows with subclinical hypocalcemia at four days in milk to be dyscalcemic.

March 6, 2025

Jessica McArt and Jackson Seminara

Most cows experience a drop in blood calcium concentrations at the start of lactation. For many cows, this is an example of normal subclinical hypocalcemia. However, most cows overcome this calcium imbalance quickly by activating calcium regulation pathways in the body. The cows that do not are dyscalcemic and can experience negative outcomes.

Tools for a successful forage crop

February 12, 2025

Rebecca Kern-Lunbery and Nick Ward

Discover how selecting weed-competitive varieties, testing soil and irrigation water, adjusting soil pH, monitoring plants, controlling weeds and timing your harvest can have a significant impact on forage quality.

What’s the new normal for clinical mastitis therapy?

December 9, 2024

Andrew Johnson

The treatment of clinical mastitis has dramatically changed in the approximately 50 years of my veterinary career. The major focus has been on the proper and judicious use of antibiotics in dairy cattle and assuring the public there are no antibiotic residues in the milk supply.

Trace minerals boost immune function, reduce mastitis

Mastitis remains a significant challenge in the dairy industry, and while environmental factors have been addressed, improving cows’ immune systems through trace mineral supplementation, particularly via injection, may offer a promising solution for reducing the disease's impact.

March 24, 2025

Craig J. Louder

At freshening, with milk production and the risk of mastitis, the cow finds herself with the lowest levels of trace minerals to support her immune system. Even with properly balanced trace minerals going into the ration, the cow is unable to absorb them quickly enough to return her mineral stores to the levels needed to support immune function in her system and in the udder.

Measure It to Manage It: Feed efficiency data improves culling and breeding decisions

Ryzebol Dairy gathers feed efficiency data and uses it to advance culling and breeding decisions and change ingredients in the ration.

March 20, 2025

Audrey Schmitz

When Ryzebol Dairy purchased a feed efficiency service from Afimilk, its goal was to identify cows not only producing more milk but also converting feed into milk well. The service determines each animal’s feed consumption efficiency based on data that represents the relationship between daily average milk yield and daily average feed consumption. It indicates whether increasing the feed yields more milk.

Tune up equipment to prevent emergency repairs

Plan in advance for milking equipment tune-ups prior to the hot weather season to save time and money and avoid headaches.

March 18, 2025

Jenn Coyne

There are many ways to optimize the efficiency of farms, but one of the most effective manners is by doing so with the equipment already installed on the dairy. And, with hot weather not too many months away, now may be the time to consider equipment tune-ups.

Genetic evaluations: Change is in the air

On April 1, the routine five-year genetic base change will be implemented for the U.S. genetic evaluations produced by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB). In preparation, here is what farmers and industry professionals need to know.

March 31, 2025

Katie Schmitt

On April 1, the routine five-year genetic base change was implemented for the U.S. genetic evaluations produced by the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB). Here is what farmers and industry professionals need to know.

Managing replacement costs

Dairy operations should assess their current practices and strive to reduce cull rates, improve heifer reproductive efficiency, minimize calf losses and optimize genetic strategies to maximize long-term profitability.

March 7, 2025

Lyle Kruse

I have had the opportunity to analyze dairy software files from dairy operations across many states in the U.S., and I still see great opportunities to reduce herd turnover costs within many dairy operations. Here are a few areas to consider as you look at how to plan for your future replacement costs.

Choosing the best irrigation system for your farm

Various irrigation systems are available, but the right one for a dairy is dependent on farm-specific variables, including manure application.

February 27, 2025

Kurt Grimm

High land values, shrinking water supplies, increased regulations and labor shortages are reshaping the way we approach irrigation.

Surviving Hurricane Helene: How Biltmore Farms endured floodwater and power loss through community support

March 31, 2025

Audrey Schmitz

When Hurricane Helene struck on Sept. 27, 2024, Biltmore Farms faced one of its toughest challenges yet after the storm brought relentless rains, howling winds and rising floodwaters that devastated the dairy farm and surrounding areas. Dairy manager Mike Corn recounts the chaos and hardships that unfolded over eight days without power and limited resources.

Calf health and antioxidant cash flow

Feeding calves is like running a business. A business struggling with low revenue is more vulnerable to unexpected costs. A calf with depleted nutritional savings is at greater risk when faced with stress and illness.

March 16, 2025

Tana Dennis

We can think of each calf as its own business. Calves need a consistent flow of energy, amino acids, antioxidants and other nutrients to pay the “bills” like supporting growth, immune function and metabolism.

Faber's Food for Thought: 4-H calves and losing cats

March 31, 2025

Dwayne Faber

Spring is in the air in the Pacific Northwest as we got our first two days of high 50 degrees. This is affectionately known in our area as “fake spring.”

New Hires: Isabelle Bernstein

March 26, 2025

Meet Isabelle Bernstein, Regional Sales Associate, Diamond V

Life in the moment

March 19, 2025

Jayne Sebright

As little kids growing up on the farm, we are always taught to stay busy. My dad used to tell us that if it was light outside, we should be outside doing something. Then, as we became adults working on the farm, we were told to have a plan. “Don’t get so caught up in the farm that you forget to focus on the farm,” they would say.

The Milk House: The 43

March 31, 2025

Ryan Dennis

With each year that passes, it feels less and less likely that full and accurate accountability will ever be reached for the students of the Ayotzinapa Rural Normal School. However, by refusing to allow the world to forget what happen in September 2014, the families of the victims proved that not all heinous acts by those in power can be brushed aside easily.

Just Dropping By: Solutions to the seven deadly sins

March 31, 2025

Yevet Crandell Tenney

When my children were growing up, I tried to instill in them the idea of making crucial decisions in advance and sticking to them. Big decisions you only have to make once if you are committed to keep them.

Can your dairy last another 10 years?

March 31, 2025

Walt Cooley

Think back with me to 2013. Terrorists targeted the Boston Marathon, setting off pressure cooker bombs filled with nails that killed three and injured hundreds. Disney released the animated movie Frozen with its hit song "Let It Go." The current papal leader Pope Francis was elected. And Bitcoin crossed the then-unimaginable threshold of $1,000 in value. (As of this writing, Bitcoin is now worth $85,000.)

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