Columns

County fair memories

County fairs have always been a reason to celebrate and showcase local agriculture. My grandmother was in 4-H, my mom was in 4-H, I was in 4-H, and I can’t wait until my children are old enough to join 4-H.

Drought-stressed alfalfa

For some across the Midwest, recent rain has brought much-needed moisture.

USDA adjusts dairy forecast

In the new U.S. Department of Agriculture supply and demand report, the milk production forecast for 2023 was left unchanged from last month

The old record book

Handwritten thank you notes are making a comeback, so I was rummaging through desk drawers in search of blank thank you cards. Mutters of “I know they’re around here somewhere” filled the house.

Wisconsin wanderings

My great-grandfather Henry Nelson left his home state of Wisconsin in the 1870s, wended his way to Dakota Territory and homesteaded our ancestral farm.

Take a day to do something dairy

The sunsets the past week have been beautiful. The haze that was lingering in the air, clouding the sun, created a stunning, fluorescent orange.

Summer grilling

I was visiting a friend in town late one afternoon when I started to notice a delicious smoky scent floating through the neighborhood.

When I entered practice in 1981, local dairy farms were just finishing the transition from housing wet calves in barns to hutches.

Plotting the inevitable

While writing for Dairy Star, I have met many dairy farmers who want to leave the next generation a well-planned, successful and meaningful legacy through their farms.

U.S. milk output is simmering, not cooling yet and certainly not boiling over, but was nudged higher by stronger output per cow, especially in the Midwest.

Pursuing purpose, perseverance

Summer in Minnesota. We long for it. Dream about it. Count down the weeks and days until it begins during the many months of snow and cold.

Just like that, June is gone and over, and, wow, did it go fast.

A fair mom

A sweet, brotherly text from Peter last Sunday afternoon prompted the title of my column.

Haying with barbecues

The Fourth of July is a fun holiday around our place. Our farm is at one of the highest elevations in our county, so watching firework shows – both professional and amateur – just requires some camp chairs in a pasture.

Demand for dairy continues growth in US

The U.S Department of Agriculture lowered its 2023 milk production estimate in the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report, citing slower growth in milk-per-cow than previously expected. Milk output for 2024 was unchanged.

Dairy margins in the red

Class III milk prices have slipped into the high $15 level, causing problems for the entire dairy industry. AgResource Company president Dan Basse said it is a demand issue: “It’s really a problem in the whey market;

Grounded in gratitude at take off

By the time these words are inked on a page of newsprint, I’ll be at The Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, Scotland.

50 years and counting

The first time I heard the letter combination of DHIA was in Sherry Newell’s office at WJON radio station during June Dairy Month in 1985.

In an era of higher feed prices and lower milk prices, it is hard to argue the value of high-quality forages.

Country living

Living in the country comes with some distinct advantages. For one thing, it’s pretty quiet out here. I might spend the entire day writing, and when my wife gets home from work in the evening …

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