While the cold winter may be the small talk at the beginning of every conversation, there is no one who gets the cold quite like farmers and others who work in it every single day. For most, it’s a …
Happy February, everyone. I can confidently say that January went by faster than I would have ever expected. Truthfully, I am surprised. I still believe there is a slow season, especially considering …
The temperatures here in the Northland have plummeted. This development often induces an equal and opposite rise in the levels of domestic tensions. This is not due to the pervasiveness of …
The weaning age and process for calves continues to be debated in the dairy industry. While there remains little agreement on a single best practice for weaning, research generally agrees that …
It has been a theme of my columns lately to write about something I have read recently, and this month is no different. My wife, Emily, read the book “When It All Burns” by Jordan Thomas. She …
My dad would probably tell you his favorite cows are the ones you don’t really notice. They are problem-free milkers, breed and calve easily and go where you need them to go without any effort. …
As I write this column 240 million Americans are in the pathway of a huge deep freeze weather system. The news is all about sub-zero temperatures, ice and snow in southern states and big cities, and …
Lawmakers averted another government shutdown this week by approving a spending bill that passed the Senate after President Trump agreed to Democratic demands for restraint on immigration …
The northern winds pushed me home for a winter visit with my mom to check in and catch up. It also meant hanging out in her kitchen. Mom isn’t whipping up big meals of fried chicken or pot roasts …
Class III milk prices have declined significantly since their 2024 highs. Edge Dairy Cooperative managing director Lucas Sjostrom said a lot of it has to do with oversupply of the solids market. …
Class III milk prices have declined significantly since their 2024 highs. Edge Dairy Cooperative managing director Lucas Sjostrom says a lot of it has to do with oversupply of the solids market. …
Midwest Dairy is committed to developing the next generation of dairy leaders. Each year, we dedicate checkoff dollars to scholarships that support college students with dairy backgrounds or pursuing …
Happy New Year to everyone from your local Farm Services Agency offices. Our staff are working diligently to administer our current programs and preparing for what is forthcoming. Please …
Stones are the bane of every farmer’s life. We curse them as we pick them and grumble as we toss them onto the pile. When we bury them, it’s often with a muttered “good riddance.” But …
As dairy farm profit margins tighten, it is critical to evaluate on-farm nutrition strategies to determine if any potential changes can improve the dairy’s cash flow. Over the past several years, …
Do you ever feel like you’ve hit a brick wall at the full speed of life? You know, you’ve been stopped cold in your tracks and landed on your backside? You’re dazed, confused, feeling lost and …
Every aspect of our lives can be illuminated by numbers. How many years we’ve walked this Earth. How many kids we have. How many acres we farm or how many cows we milk. I’ve often lamented that …
I received an interesting book for Christmas. It is called “Journey for Freedom,” by Peter Vodenka. It is the story of a young man, his upbringing in Czechoslovakia, and eventually his flight to …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture left its 2025 milk production estimate unchanged in this week’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report, but raised the 2026 estimate, based on an …
USDA’s Economic Research Service reports Americans consumed more than 650 pounds of dairy per person in 2024. Butter consumption is at an all-time high of 6.8 pounds per …