Midwest

Midwest/North: Tips for drylotting beef cows

wmeteer@gmail.com — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

When drought forces tough decisions or expanding herds find themselves without pasture availability, drylotting beef cows may be an option to consider.

Midwest/North: Should I buy hay or grow my own?

wmeteer@gmail.com — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

While cost is the primary factor, there are several reasons to choose buying hay or growing it.

Measure It to Manage It: Rumination data improves feed transitions and ingredient decisions

audrey@agproud.com — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In 2021, Hornstead Dairy took a step toward smarter data-driven care by implementing smaXtec, a health monitoring system initially aimed to improve their reproduction program. What started as a tool for reproduction soon uncovered a hidden culprit.

Midwest/North: Growing summer annual forages

wmeteer@gmail.com — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

With poor profitability projections on most row-crop budgets, planting summer annual forages and using forage mixes for grazing should be considered on marginal acres.

Friendshuh Farms separates corn silage to feed cows better

audrey@agproud.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

When a short, wet 2019 wheat harvest left dairies struggling with expensive and moldy straw, one farm decided there had to be a better way to feed dry cows than their Goldilocks diet. That challenge sparked an idea that would ultimately set the operation apart by separating corn silage into fodder and fines.

Midwest/North: Don't overdo it on spring greenup

wmeteer@gmail.com — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Turning cows out on immature forages can have long-reaching consequences, including permanent damage to grass stands, high risk of grass tetany and a need for supplementation to fill nutritional gaps.

RancHER: Jaclyn Wilson: Working, learning and growing in the beef industry

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Jaclyn Wilson is co-owner of Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch/Flying Diamond Beef, located in the Nebraska Sandhills.

Midwest/North: A little better is still better

wmeteer@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The constant talk of the cattle markets and market volatility has put a lot of anxiety into decision making. I have found myself trying to be a steady voice in consultations with producers, reminding them that a little better is still better.

From vision, GenoSource LLC develops a herd of premium genetics to market worldwide

audrey@agproud.com — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In 2014, a bold vision took shape in Blairstown, Iowa, to build a dairy farm with the goal of creating a modern, efficient cow capable of excelling in freestall environments with few health issues and high feed efficiency. That idea became GenoSource LLC, which stands as a testament to vision, persistence and the power of collaboration.

Midwest/North: When do cows feel the cold?

wmeteer@gmail.com — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

With winter weather and lower temperatures setting in, it is time to talk about when cows feel the cold. The big factors that determine the lower critical temperature for cattle are temperature, wind speed and heaviness of winter hair coat.

Bremer Farms Lights drive-through holiday experience

audrey@agproud.com — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

One blizzardy night nearly two decades ago left sixth-generation dairy farmer Sara Bremer Hewitt stranded in town. Seventeen years later, that spontaneous shopping trip has grown from a small yard display into a magical half-mile drive-through Christmas experience at Bremer Farms in Hastings, Minnesota.

Midwest/North: Breeding season tips for fall-calving herds

wmeteer@gmail.com — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

While general breeding practices are similar to spring-calving herds, breeding fall-calving cows can pose some unique challenges.

Midwest/North: Is it time to bale graze?

wmeteer@gmail.com — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:00:03 -0400

Adding nutrients, organic matter and ground cover to poorly productive lands have some raving about bale grazing.

From abroad to local roots: Wegmueller shares new farming techniques

frances@agproud.com — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

From Wisconsin to Switzerland, Australia and beyond, Dan Wegmueller has built a life and a dairy farm around more than just cows and milk. With a global perspective and deep family roots, Wegmueller is reshaping what it means to be a dairy farmer in the 21st century.

Midwest/North: More grazing days = more profit

wmeteer@gmail.com — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Allowing cattle to graze into late fall and early winter is crucial to maximizing profits. Stockpiling cool-season forages and growing cover crops for forage present opportunities to extend the grazing season.

Midwest/North: Manage your herd, manage drought

wmeteer@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Consider a few animal management strategies to mitigate the effects of drought.

Midwest/North: Focus on the fundamentals

wmeteer@gmail.com — Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

While better cattle prices are a relief to many, it is important not to lose sight of the basics.

Ruth Klossner's Moo-seum of cow items

audrey@agproud.com — Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In a quiet corner of Minnesota, in a home bursting at the seams, lives the Guinness World Record holder for the largest collection of cow-related items. What began as a simple admiration for dairy cows has transformed into a one-of-a-kind collection that spans over 21,805 unique items and fills every room of Ruth Klossner’s house.

Michigan dairy farm gives back through school nutrition program

audrey@agproud.com — Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Motivated by their journey as Belgium immigrants turned American citizens, De Saegher Dairies launched Project FULL – Fuel Up Little Learners, a weekend nutrition program feeding hundreds of local schoolchildren. What began as a desire to give back has evolved into a movement aimed at ending childhood hunger – one backpack at a time.

Federal government drops charges against South Dakota ranchers

carrie.veselka@agproud.com — Mon, 12 May 2025 10:51:40 -0400

Federal authorities formally dropped the charges levied against South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude on April 28, following a nearly yearlong dispute with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) over a 25-acre parcel of land bordering the federally administered Buffalo Gap National Grasslands in South Dakota.

Midwest/North: Hay storage tips

wmeteer@gmail.com — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Proper storage of hay prior to feeding is important to reducing waste, avoiding nutrient loss and maintaining palatability.

A mother-daughter duo: Raising Scottish Highland beef at Forage Girls Farm

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Grit and resilience describe Shawn and Molly Brown, a mother-daughter duo raising Scottish Highland beef cattle at Forage Girls Farm in Wisconsin. While running a cattle ranch has its challenges, the Browns share the rewards ranch life has to offer.

Midwest/North: Breeding season bandits

wmeteer@gmail.com — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 23:00:00 -0400

With breeding season approaching, let’s look at some areas of focus that could be robbing from conception rates. Some factors that I think deserve discussion are cow condition, cow requirements, lush pastures, timing of vaccinations, lack of heterosis, stress and bull fertility.

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

audrey@agproud.com — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 17:20:19 -0400

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.

2025 State of Dairy: Midwest: Improved financial margins bring optimism for 2025

kimmi@agproud.com — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 23:00:00 -0400

Despite political uncertainty, dairy producers across the Midwest are feeling positive and optimistic as we begin 2025, largely due to higher milk prices, improved profitability and a strong beef market.

Progressive Events: DBA commemorates 25 years of policies, practices and priorities

karen@agproud.com — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 09:36:41 -0500

Outgoing Dairy Business Association (DBA) President Lee Kinnard welcomed more than 400 people to the Dairy Strong conference on Jan. 16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The conference featured two keynote presentations and multiple breakout sessions focused on a broad range of topics from sustainability to policy.

Midwest/North: Three cattle handling tips

wmeteer@gmail.com — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Investing time in animal handling skills improves the quality of life, safety, health and performance … for both animals and humans.

Minglewood Dairy combines tradition and innovation for premium milk quality

audrey@agproud.com — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Ever since 1894, Minglewood Dairy has upheld a tradition of exceptional care for their cows and land, evolving significantly over the past 130 years.

Midwest/North: Tips for assisted calving

wmeteer@gmail.com — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Although there are year-round management strategies that can impact calving season success, here are some short-term, in-the-moment calving tips for success this year.

Hansen Dairy’s 'A Very Dairy Christmas' event brings farm fun to the holidays

audrey@agproud.com — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Hansen Dairy’s "A Very Dairy Christmas" is a holiday event like no other, offering families a unique blend of festive cheer and farm life. Set in a cozy winter wonderland on Hansen’s dairy farm, this event goes beyond the typical holiday experience.