Dairy customers, brands and retailers have set ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals, including targets to reduce GHG emissions of their entire supply chain beginning at the farm level, in response to pressure from consumers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), investors and regulators to contribute to rapid action on climate change.

Students are back to school and whole milk might be next. For more than a decade, whole milk has been absent from cafeterias participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, stemming from concern over its higher fat content compared to reduced-fat options.

By being informed, involved, raising concerns and asking questions, you can influence changes that may directly impact your revenue stream.

Over the years, blogging went from a way to share one’s feelings in a digital, public diary to a business tool for building brand awareness and selling products.

Fitting the event’s tagline, “Research. Innovation. Solutions.,” the two-day North American Manure Expo featured groundbreaking research and solutions for manure handling and management.

In fact, I’d say the dairy industry leads the way in many aspects of using measurement tools to make decisions. However, there is one area where we can learn from other industries: tracking our own learning and development.

A project recently funded by the University of Wisconsin’s Dairy Innovation Hub set out to explore patterns of costs of production per hundredweight among Wisconsin dairies, and in particular to explore how well the farms do at managing the costs of production over time given the never-ending challenges.  

Strategic thinking anticipates future challenges, prepares to jump on unforeseen opportunities and aligns the farm’s goals. When done well, the farm becomes agile, adaptable while still staying focused on the basics.

The majority of U.S. milk production comes from dairy farms with 500 cows or more. However, that doesn’t mean those who milk fewer cows can’t find a way to be profitable, successful dairy farming businesses.

As a dairy producer, navigating the complexities of financial reporting can be a daunting task. One area that requires special attention is the accounting for leases, particularly with the implementation of the Accounting Standards Codification 842 (ASC 842).

What causes 30-plus years of building a family and a farm to fall apart within five minutes? Well, there are several reasons, but one is borderline personality disorder.

While training takes many forms and varies greatly from one dairy to the next, two common goals among producers are to increase employee engagement and to grow employee skill sets.

Illness and death of animals is frustrating, no doubt. It has been said, “If you’re going to have livestock, you’re going to have deadstock.” While it may be a cliché, it is an unfortunate reality.

Unwittingly, North Carolina has become a leader in youth showmanship and camaraderie while showing – my guess is you’ll hear more from them in the future. 

“Can we address environmental concerns and meet consumer preferences by breeding more environmentally friendly cows?” So far, the answer is “yes.”

There are several ways manure can be properly stored and handled that is safe for cattle, people and soil, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and odor.

Some dairies across the country are using larger inclusion mixes due to lack of feed storage options. Still in other cases, some feed companies are proposing larger inclusion grain mixes to their customers.

Over recent years, it has become obvious the dairy industry is showing increasing growth in the use of automation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) as solutions to many challenges on the farm, particularly as related to labor demands.

Ultimately, return on investment determines the value of any probiotic during a particular segment of an animal’s life or through life cycle feeding. What did we gain by spending the money to feed the effective probiotic or what did we "not lose" by feeding it?

Marcus Hollmann, a consultant based in Wisconsin; and Steve Mayo, a consultant assistant based in Idaho, both with Standard Dairy Consultants, use drones to help their dairy clients with feed management and completing TMR audits. 

During the transition period a lot goes on “under the hood” so to speak that can be a drag on a cow’s efficiency such as inflammation and decreased feed intake.

There are a few areas on a farm that don’t receive as much attention by publications, consultants and even the dairy producers themselves that can have a dramatic impact on farm profitability. 

Precision feeding is not a new concept. However, with increases in technology and information available, the ability to achieve new levels of precision feeding is growing.

Feeding cows is one of the most important jobs on the farm. First, feed is the largest expense on dairy farms. Feeders handle large quantities of pricey ingredients every day, so any mistakes they make can be costly.

“When only 7% of the United States $30 billion spent globally on sponsorships is directed toward sportswomen, we need change,” Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) CEO Yin Woon Rani says.

We have all become more educated on coronavirus in general over the past few years whether we wanted to be or not. However, dairy producers have been dealing with health issues from coronavirus in their herds for quite some time.

Going mobile provides rapid cowside entry and quick access to your herd’s data. It allows you to make decisions instantly – instead of later when entering the data into your herd management software.

Regardless of your type of plan, why do we wait for pregnancy check day to evaluate reproductive data?

Proactively strategize with your dairy’s key stakeholders to maximize cattle marketability in case the time comes to sell the cows.

Breeding strategies today have never been better positioned to tailor to each dairy’s unique regional, climate, cultural milk market and personal preferences for success. See what cows with 200,000 pounds of lifetime milk to date have in common.

In this article, I’d like to share some common concerns I see arise and offer practical solutions. These are things you should consider during the design process whether you’re investing in a new facility or seeking to enhance an existing one.

If you are consistently having problems with your calves, consider having a third party complete a calf hygiene audit and ask about using an ATP meter.

I now view the common risk factors for disease – such as failure of passive transfer, dirty facilities and feeding equipment, cold stress and poor nutrition – as symptoms of a lack of proactive, structured monitoring programs designed to track protocol compliance as well as calf performance.

Less than 10 years after competing on the coloured shavings of World Dairy Expo in showmanship, Charlton will be back to place the Junior competition.

2022 was the first year Sydney Bullard was a dairy youth exhibitor at World Dairy Expo (WDE) and the experience ignited motivation within her to work more closely with the show animals and assist them in reaching their full potential.

Looking for the latest technology and products to help improve your dairy's efficiency? Here's a sneak peek of what you might see around World Dairy Expo this year. 

It’s obvious as Hansen rattles off names of past students and their current professions that he is passionate about those he teaches and coaches. 

It was about 10 years ago when our local young cooperators group from Darigold had the opportunity to visit the corporate headquarters of Starbucks.

Spoiler alert: It did not.
I sincerely thought I had a leg up on the non-farming set of expectant mothers with my experience caring for lactating animals that had the same gestational length as me. I really, truly did.

As I sit here and write this, a very special day is coming up for us soon. It will be our wedding anniversary.

Dairy producers have waited long enough for precision ag to acclimate to their unique and varied operations. While precision farming in row crops has enjoyed exceptional growth over the past 20 years, it’s been slower to take root in hay and forage.

One of my all-time favorite scriptures is: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV)