Latest News From DAIRY

John Deere Introduces 326 P-Tier Compact Wheel Loader
John Deere Introduces 326 P-Tier Compact Wheel Loader

John Deere announces the release of its new 326 P-Tier telescopic compact wheel loader. The new telescopic loader offers 16-plus feet of reach while still being compact enough to work in barns or other tight spaces. 

How to Pinpoint Farm Management Issues
How to Pinpoint Farm Management Issues

Consultant Bruce Vande Steeg has found creating a vibrant farm business starts with the leadership.

2024 Ag Economy: What's Causing Rural Bankers To Be Pessimistic
2024 Ag Economy: What's Causing Rural Bankers To Be Pessimistic

This month’s Rural Mainstreet Index marks the fifth-straight month where the index has been below the growth neutral mark.

Farming to Lose the Least Money
Farming to Lose the Least Money

Shay Foulk shares six ways to mitigate loss and plan to pilot through tough years.

At 15-Years-Old, He Worked to Put Money on the Table. Now, This Employee Brings 34 Years of Growth and Experience
At 15-Years-Old, He Worked to Put Money on the Table. Now, This Employee Brings 34 Years of Growth and Experience

Laurenio Vitorino came to America at only 15-years-old. After facing years of hardships and bullying, he found his calling working at a nearby dairy. 34 years later, he continues to bring excellence to the table.

Winter Storm Survival: A Nightmare for Livestock Producers in Western Illinois
Winter Storm Survival: A Nightmare for Livestock Producers in Western Illinois

Despite nearly 24 inches of snow, below-zero temperatures and raging winds that some people are affectionately calling “Death Storm #2,” Illinois livestock producers are finding ways to overcome the horrific conditions.

Leigh Rubin
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On the Lookout for Opportunity
On the Lookout for Opportunity

Bateman’s Mosida Farms in Utah is named the 2024 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year by the IDFA because of their ability to innovate and diversify to better care for their cattle and land.

7 Tips You Need to Know to Keep Employees Warm
7 Tips You Need to Know to Keep Employees Warm

To create a safe and comfortable work environment for your farm employees, it’s important to address the specific challenges posed by cold weather on the farm.

Now Is the Time to Pay Attention to the Weather Forecast: Severe Snowstorm Forecasted to Dump Multiple Feet of Snow
Now Is the Time to Pay Attention to the Weather Forecast: Severe Snowstorm Forecasted to Dump Multiple Feet of Snow

Major winter storms are on the way early next week. With the possibility of blizzard conditions to flooding in the southeast, the impact on agriculture could be two-fold: good news for drought but stress to livestock.

3 Leadership Trends You Need to Adopt in 2024
3 Leadership Trends You Need to Adopt in 2024

For long-term success, farm leaders should regularly assess the landscape of their operation and adjust their strategies accordingly.

Leigh Rubin
‘Rubes’ cartoonist publishes new book sharing secrets on creativity and humor

‘Rubes’ cartoonist publishes new book sharing secrets on creativity and humor

Santa Will Drink More than 5 Million Gallons of Milk This Christmas Eve
Santa Will Drink More than 5 Million Gallons of Milk This Christmas Eve

Whether it’s whole milk, 2%, eggnog or chocolate, Santa sure loves to drink the good stuff – real milk from real, hardworking dairy farm families!

How Feeding Calves Helped This 33 Year Old Farm Mom Recover From a Devastating Brain Tumor
How Feeding Calves Helped This 33 Year Old Farm Mom Recover From a Devastating Brain Tumor

Fifteen years into growing a farm and a family together, everything changed for Ron and Sherri Prins and their four young kids. A diagnosis made the couple lean on their faith and on one another more than ever before.

The Best Livestock-Themed Christmas Trees Full of Memories and Meaning
The Best Livestock-Themed Christmas Trees Full of Memories and Meaning

One of the things I love most about Christmas trees is the power they evoke to simply remember. Here are some special livestock-themed Christmas trees filled with memories to last a lifetime. 

 At Just 31 Years Old, He Bought The Dairy Farm From His Parents. And In The 1st Year, The Growth Has Been Incredible
At Just 31 Years Old, He Bought The Dairy Farm From His Parents. And In The 1st Year, The Growth Has Been Incredible

In just a decade on the farm, Virginia dairy farmer Ben Smith's journey has been one of dedication and innovation, which is what makes him the 2023 Milk Business Young Producer Award winner.

Prevent Quitting: Keep Employees Top of Mind in 2024
Prevent Quitting: Keep Employees Top of Mind in 2024

These 10 steps can help keep your employees from walking away.

8 Factors Shaping the Rural Economy in 2024
8 Factors Shaping the Rural Economy in 2024

CoBank has released their 2024 outlook report, which takes a look at the key themes the organization expects to shape agricultural and the rural economy in the coming year.

Does Your Farm's Culture Pass This Easy Test?
Does Your Farm's Culture Pass This Easy Test?

Prioritizing culture is often overlooked when it comes to employee management and retention.

Big News: House Passes Bill to Bring Whole Milk Back to School Menus
Big News: House Passes Bill to Bring Whole Milk Back to School Menus

More than a decade after banning whole and reduced-fat milk from being served during school lunches, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in support of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.

No Dryland Crop to Harvest: West Texas Cotton Farmers Open Up About the Harsh Realities of 2023
No Dryland Crop to Harvest: West Texas Cotton Farmers Open Up About the Harsh Realities of 2023

West Texas is the largest cotton production area in the country, but after battling drought and heat, area farmers say the dryland crop is a failure, and the irrigated acres are only yielding half of normal.

John Phipps: The Slow Growth of Going Organic in Agriculture
John Phipps: The Slow Growth of Going Organic in Agriculture

Organic food sales have grown over time, but it's still only accounts for 2.5% to 6% of the food market. How much is organic farming growing year over year? John Phipps answers a viewer's question in Customer Support.

Activist Sentenced to Jail for Conspiracy and Trespassing
Activist Sentenced to Jail for Conspiracy and Trespassing

A California jury deliberated for six days before returning guilty verdicts of conspiracy and trespassing for DxE co-founder Wayne Hsiung. The jury deadlocked on a second conspiracy charge.

Determination is Key to South Dakota Dairy’s Rich History
Determination is Key to South Dakota Dairy’s Rich History

Farming has run deep in the Moes family roots for the past 130 years. Today, the fourth and fifth generations continue to keep their ancestors’ dreams of farming alive.

Fed Eyes Interest-Rate Cuts for 2024 as U.S. Economy Slows
Fed Eyes Interest-Rate Cuts for 2024 as U.S. Economy Slows

Analysts say an initial cut could be made as early as first quarter 2024. One of the key factors the central banking system will consider is whether its inflation rate target of 2% has been achieved.

Simple And Sustainable: Feeding Dairy Cows This One Ingredient Could Reduce Methane Emissions By Up To Half
Simple And Sustainable: Feeding Dairy Cows This One Ingredient Could Reduce Methane Emissions By Up To Half

As global dairy companies set a new goal to trace and reduce emissions, U.S. dairy researchers say feeding a small amount of red seaweed may be the secret to cutting methane emissions from dairy cattle by up to half.

Labor Can Be Dairy Farmers' Biggest Challenge, That's Why This Wisconsin Dairy Is Getting Creative To Keep Employees
Labor Can Be Dairy Farmers' Biggest Challenge, That's Why This Wisconsin Dairy Is Getting Creative To Keep Employees

From English classes to a rideshare program, Vir-Clar Farm is finding new ways to attract employees and make them feel valued.

Rooting For Class III Milk Prices To Move Higher In The New Year? Here's What It'll Take
Rooting For Class III Milk Prices To Move Higher In The New Year? Here's What It'll Take

Both milk supply and demand are down. As the dairy markets remain in uncharted waters, there's one factor that could support better milk prices in the new year.

Twenty Years Overdue? Why Producers Are Pushing for These 7 Major Changes to FMMO
Twenty Years Overdue? Why Producers Are Pushing for These 7 Major Changes to FMMO

The Federal Milk Marketing Orders haven't seen a major overhaul since 2000, and dairy farmers say it's past time for a change.

How Accurate is the Farmers' Almanac in Forecasting Winter Weather?
How Accurate is the Farmers' Almanac in Forecasting Winter Weather?

While the Farmers' Almanac and Old Farmer's Almanac are both backward looking – derived from past data that come close to current conditions. Weather agencies are tending more toward predictive computer models.

4 Tips to Grow as a Leader
4 Tips to Grow as a Leader

Sarah Beth Aubrey shares tips for effective communication and building influence before stepping into a leadership role.

Leigh Rubin
What does a geologist, an obit writer and a rocket scientist have in common?

What does a geologist, an obit writer and a rocket scientist have in common?

USMCA Trade Panel Rejects U.S. Complaint About Access to Canada Dairy Market
USMCA Trade Panel Rejects U.S. Complaint About Access to Canada Dairy Market

A trade dispute settlement panel set up under a major North American free trade agreement has rejected a U.S. complaint that Canada is improperly limiting access to its dairy market.

Leigh Rubin
The GOAT Thanksgiving!

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Harvesting the Good Life: Pennsylvania Farmer Continues to Run Silage Chopper at 96 Years Old
Harvesting the Good Life: Pennsylvania Farmer Continues to Run Silage Chopper at 96 Years Old

At 96 years young, Paul Dotterer still runs the chopper during harvest season on his family's dairy farm - and he enjoys every minute of it.

Senator Urges USDA to Take Action on Nation’s Milk Carton Shortage
Senator Urges USDA to Take Action on Nation’s Milk Carton Shortage

Schools across the nation have a crisis on their hands – a milk carton shortage that doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. But could the USDA provide assistance? One U.S. Senator thinks so.

Congress Can't Ignore the Mental Health Crisis Anymore, Costa Says
Congress Can't Ignore the Mental Health Crisis Anymore, Costa Says

More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness. U.S. Representative Jim Costa (D-CA) says Congress cannot ignore the mental health crisis in America anymore. 

John Phipps: What We Still Don't Know About PFAS
John Phipps: What We Still Don't Know About PFAS

Some farming operations have been ruined by PFAS, but there's still things the industry doesn't know, including how PFAS enters the food chain. John Phipps thinks the debate over PFAS may just be getting started.

Milk Carton Shortage Disrupts Dairy Marketplace
Milk Carton Shortage Disrupts Dairy Marketplace

Supply chain issues once again are hitting the U.S. dairy industry. This time, it’s a shortage of milk cartons.

A Hot Meal a Day Helps Their Employees Stay
A Hot Meal a Day Helps Their Employees Stay

One dairy’s unique approach to employee retention.

Overcome Family Dysfunction with the 3 C’s
Overcome Family Dysfunction with the 3 C’s

Succession planning can be a complex and emotionally charged process. Achieving consensus among family members, committing to the plan and understanding potential consequences are vital to secure the future of the farm.

Leigh Rubin
Think Like a Cartoonist! A Celebration of Humor and Creativity

Think Like a Cartoonist! A Celebration of Humor and Creativity

Almost Half of the Largest 100 Cooperatives Are Focused in Agriculture
Almost Half of the Largest 100 Cooperatives Are Focused in Agriculture

For the latest list—based on 2022 data—47 of the 100 cooperatives are in agriculture. In all, 59% of the $319 billion in generated revenues of co-operatives are from those ag-focused co-ops: $187.6 billion.  

Keeping 2023’s Drought in Perspective
Keeping 2023’s Drought in Perspective

The agricultural headlines of 2023 have issued a steady drumbeat of drought – particularly in the Corn Belt, where so much U.S. livestock feed is grown. But just how bad was it?

Young Wisconsin Brothers Break Record for World’s Largest Grilled Cheese
Young Wisconsin Brothers Break Record for World’s Largest Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is a staple food for children across America. But two Wisconsin brothers decided to take their version of grilled cheese sandwich to the next level.

Advice to Farmers: The Do’s and Don’ts of a Line of Credit
Advice to Farmers: The Do’s and Don’ts of a Line of Credit

Leading financial experts underscore the importance of farmers understanding the do’s and don’ts of a Line of Credit that will help producers during the downside of the rollercoaster markets they have gotten to know.

Florida Company Breaks Record for World’s Largest Charcuterie Board
Florida Company Breaks Record for World’s Largest Charcuterie Board

How much cheese does it take to craft the world’s largest charcuterie board?

Walmart Announces Plans to Build $350 Million Milk Processing Plant in Southern Georgia
Walmart Announces Plans to Build $350 Million Milk Processing Plant in Southern Georgia

America’s largest retail store has announced its plans to build a $350 million milk processing plant in Valdosta, Ga.

Leading With Kindness and Courage, Annette Ostrom's Dairy Legacy Will Now Live On at World Dairy Expo
Leading With Kindness and Courage, Annette Ostrom's Dairy Legacy Will Now Live On at World Dairy Expo

Annette Ostrom's legacy will continue to live on at World Dairy Expo by celebrating the show's youth, the future leaders of the dairy industry.

Butter Prices Are On Fire, And Milk Prices Are Now Improving: Is Dairy The Cinderella Story For 2024?
Butter Prices Are On Fire, And Milk Prices Are Now Improving: Is Dairy The Cinderella Story For 2024?

As dairy producers close the books on 2023, analysts see some optimism starting to pour in with a slight improvement in milk prices, but also relief in costs. That's as butter prices hit a new record high this week.