Kansas is well known for beef production, but the state’s dairy industry has grown significantly over the past 20 years and Kansas State University’s Mike Brouk expects that trend to continue.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture reminds dairy producers that the deadline to enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage for calendar year 2021 is Dec. 11, 2020. USDA’s Farm Service Agency opened DMC signup in October to help producers manage economic risk brought on by milk price and feed cost disparities.
The Central Plains Dairy Foundation is accepting applications for the Lon and Kathy Tonneson Dairy Leadership Scholarship, Central Plains Dairy Foundation Dairy Scholarships Grant, and Dairy Innovators Grant.
Dairy specialists from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas have developed a new, twice-monthly podcast for dairy producers. The podcast is focused on issues of interest to dairy producers, including economics, animal heath, forage, labor, farm programs and more.
Milk production in Kansas during September 2020 totaled 332 million pounds, up 7% from September 2019, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 171,000 head, 8,000 head more than September 2019. Milk production per cow averaged 1,9…
For almost 100 years, the Dairy Barn on the campus of Texas Tech University has stood as a symbol to the early days of the university and the persevering spirit embodied in all Red Raiders.
The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Team monthly webinar series continues from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 21 and the program “What does this season’s corn silage look like?” features a presentation from Neal Wininger, feed and forage consultant, Dairyland Labs Arcadia, Wisconsin.
editor's pick
Kansas is home to 161,000 dairy cows, and the number grows each year with every large dairy that chooses to relocate to the Sunflower State. For nearly 20 years the Plains has been an ideal relocation point for many dairies looking for the land, feed and social environment to expand their operations.
In Kansas, milk production is now a $1.1 billion industry. Corn and forage farmers have taken notice of the expanded market for their crops. Dairy processors have invested in facilities such as the 267,000-square-foot Dairy Farmers of America plant in Garden City, Kansas—the largest single milk dryer in North America.
And the state’s cattle feedlots have started to see growing opportunities in feeding out dairy, and now dairy composite calves in their yards.
Congressman Fred Keller from Pennsylvania introduced the Giving Increased Variety to Ensure Milk Into the Lives of Kids (GIVE MILK) Act late last month. The legislation aims to increase milk consumption in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children by giving p…
When it comes to mastitis, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of milk, which means even the small things can make a big difference. Preventing mastitis infections in the dry period is your opportunity to set cows up for successful production and good health in the next lactation.
Pasture-raising heifers can offer significant feed cost savings, but these animals may have a new friend from the wrong side of the tracks … or grass, in this case. Millions of parasite eggs are deposited on grazing pastures every year. The moment dairy heifers hit even a well-managed pastur…
University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel is a self-proclaimed “science geek.” She likes pawing through the latest science journals to keep on the cutting edge of dairy research that could improve the bottom line of Missouri dairy producers.
Milk production in Kansas during July 2020 totaled 328 million pounds, up 3% from July 2019, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 167,000 head, 5,000 head more than July 2019. Milk production per cow averaged 1,965 pounds.
Nonprofit regional dairy council Dairy MAX, Grand Prairie, Texas, announced that more than 200,000 gallons of milk have been distributed to regional food banks in a multi-state area since May 2020 through the end of July as part of dairy farmer’s collective COVID-19 relief efforts.
Driving demand for dairy foods through partnerships is critical for the dairy industry’s future. One dairy checkoff tactic has been working together with foodservice partners for over a decade. Partnerships with Domino’s, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and KFC are driving innovation and da…
Midwest Dairy recently hosted the third annual Dairy Experience Forum convening more than 400 members from the entire dairy supply chain to discuss trends, opportunities, innovation and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme, “A Disruptive Forum on Today’s Consumer and Dairy’s Opport…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency on July 7 announced that the May 2020 income over feed cost margin was $5.37 per hundredweight, triggering the third payment of 2020 for dairy producers who purchased the appropriate level of coverage under the Dairy Margin Coverage program.
Milk production in Kansas during May 2020 totaled 335 million pounds, up 2% from May 2019, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 169,000 head, 7,000 head more than May 2019. Milk production per cow averaged 1,985 pounds.
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Restaurants are starting to recover, many grocery stores have stopped limiting dairy product purchases and it appears most states have reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the dairy industry has and will continue to recuperate from the impact of the virus.
Dairy producers now have additional trait insights to help predict potential lifetime profitability. Results from CLARIFIDE Plus genetic testing for Holsteins and Jerseys now include cow-wellness traits for cow respiratory disease and fertility traits for cow abortion, twinning and cystic ov…
As Montanans are turning to locally sourced food in the face of possible disruptions caused by the COVID-19 virus, the Montana Department of Livestock cautions the public against consumption of raw, or unpasteurized, milk and raw milk products.
Milk production in Kansas during April 2020 totaled 334 million pounds, up 4% from April 2019, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 170,000 head, 7,000 head more than April 2019. Milk production per cow averaged 1,965 pounds.
Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa will be offering the federal crop insurance product Dairy Revenue Protection beginning this July.
Dairy producers across Iowa have a new way of receiving information, thanks to a new podcast launched by dairy specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Wheat has long been grown on the Texas High Plains, but fewer producers are taking the crop to grain harvest, opting instead to cash in on diverse forage options for livestock producers, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service personnel.
University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton and veterinarian Scott Poock used to repeat one word to students and workers at MU’s Foremost Dairy Research Center. “Intake. Intake. Intake” has given way to “Sanitize. Sanitize. Sanitize.”
University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton and veterinarian Scott Poock used to repeat one word to students and workers at MU’s Foremost Dairy Research Center. “Intake. Intake. Intake.” has given way to “Sanitize. Sanitize. Sanitize.”
The National Milk Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association have proposed a Milk Crisis Plan for the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will address the excess supply in the face of a collapsed food service industry in this COVID-19 pandemic.
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Recent reports of dairies dumping milk while consumers are seeing milk rationing in their local grocery stores has lead many to jump to several inaccurate conclusions. The optics of the situation, at first glance, lead to rumors and Kansas Dairy aimed to clear up several of those in recent days.
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The coronavirus pandemic has been causing a domino effect on just about every commodity market, including the dairy industry.
Freezing offers milk drinkers a way to keep nutritious milk on hand at all times, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel. She works with producers in the heart of southwestern Missouri dairy land.
Youth ages 8 to 18 interested in learning about the dairy industry will want to register for 4-H Dairy Cow Camp, scheduled for June 8 to 10. After more than 20 years at the previous location, the camp is now in its third year at the Lawrence County Youth Fair Grounds in Freistatt, Missouri.
Thousands of milk producers across the country, including approximately 500 producers in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, will receive surveys from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, as the agency collects information for …
Many people are hearing about coronavirus for the first time as the China strain, COVID-19, affecting humans causes concern all across the world. But coronaviruses are not new to livestock and poultry producers, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife veterinary epidemiologist.
Dairy Farmers of America has agreed to buy assets from Dean Foods, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November. While the plan represents a major step for the stabilization of a large component of the U.S. milk processing sector, Cornell University agricultural economist Andrew Novakov…
At the recent 2020 Marketing Vision Convention in Bloomington, Minnesota, National Farmers Dairy Division Director Brad Rach said the country is losing family dairy farms at an alarming rate. In Minnesota alone, he said the state lost 11.9% of its total milk production operations in the last year.
A wet, humid fall not only can delay harvest, it can also set the stage for mold growth and increased risk of mycotoxins. The 2019 harvest was a wet one in many regions of the U.S. Even if the season ended on a dry note in your area, the feedstuffs you buy or raise might have been exposed to…
The Nebraska Dairy Ambassador program has appointed six new student ambassadors for 2020.
Learn how to condition calmness in both humans and animals at the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association's 2020 annual conference in Madison, Wisconsin. On April 9, Don Höglund will teach in a general session and an optional hands-on post-conference session about how animals respond to different …
Midwest Dairy announced the first class of the Dairy Experience and Agricultural Leadership Program, a new initiative that will help develop the dairy leaders of tomorrow. This 18-month program provides an opportunity for young dairy farmers across the region to gain a deeper understanding o…
editor's pick
Everybody says there is no use in crying over spilled milk, but in the case of the dairy farmers of the world, preventing the milk from spilling in the first place could mean the difference between survival and failure of their family farms.
The High Plains Dairy Conference will be March 3 to 4 in the Embassy Suites, 550 S. Buchanan St. in Amarillo, Texas. Conference chairs expect about 300 dairy industry representatives from across the U.S. are expected to attend.
Interest in the use of beef sires on dairy cows to increase calf value is rapidly gaining momentum across the dairy industry, according to two Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists.
Dairy and beef producers are invited to attend one of two advanced calving clinics in mid-February in Edgewood and Dysart. Iowa State University Extension beef specialist Denise Schwab said anyone who attends will learn something new at the clinic regardless of experience with calving out cows.
Borden, one of America's iconic dairy companies, founded in 1857, announced Jan. 5 that it and certain affiliates (collectively, "Borden" or the "company") have initiated voluntary reorganization proceedings in the District of Delaware under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code.
By following new recommendations from Cornell University for smarter, more targeted antibiotic use, New York dairy farmers can save money and have healthy cows while slowing the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But not all farmers are following the new guidelines.
Due to the prolonged and extensive impacts of weather events this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture extended the deadline to Dec. 20 for producers to enroll in the Dairy Margin Coverage program for the 2020 calendar year. The deadline had been Dec. 13. USDA is also continuing to accep…
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach encourages dairy producers to register for the I-29 Moo University Winter Workshop series, “Prosperity of Dairy Calves,” to be held in five locations across the region beginning Jan. 6, 2020.
Research by Penn State University found a 4% increase (6% increase uncorrected) in ECM feed efficiency with Enogen Feed corn silage—with no negative effect on rumen fermentation. The unique Syngenta hybrids, available from NK Seeds retailers, feature an in-seed technology that converts starc…
Break out the hand warmers, wool socks and boot dryers—winter is here. Just as you adapt your winter routine to care for your herd, you should also adjust your routines in and around the parlor. Step into winter on the right foot and ensure udder health, production and operation efficiency d…
The deadline to register for the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Team annual Dairy Discussions Seminar on Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ISU Extension and Outreach Sioux County office in Orange City is Nov. 27.
