By the time you read this, we will have already been through our first “heatwave” here in the Northeast, providing a stark reminder of the impact that heat and humidity has on people, cows, and your wallet. Were you ready to help your cows handle the heat? Core strategies to mitigate heat stress remain unchanged:…
There’s a unique and fascinating dynamic at play in the dairy industry today, fueled by record- high beef prices. For perhaps the first time in modern history, dairy producer margins and expansion appetites are increasingly tied to what’s playing out in the beef market as profits from calves and cull cows balloon.
The chaos that is happening in Los Angeles, California, right now demonstrates how tensions can escalate when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) audits and raids begin happening in local businesses. However, agricultural employers are encouraged to focus on deescalating any potential situation by being prepared and understanding your rights.
Based on April’s USDA Milk Production report, U.S. milk output is strong two months into the “Spring flush.” To start off, March U.S. milk production was revised higher than previously reported by 26 million pounds to 19.1 billion pounds. U.S. milk supplies continued to climb through April, totaling 19.4 billion pounds and up 1.5% since…
In between raindrops, it’s high time to spread manure, make hay and get corn planted. For the casual observer, it looks like the farm comes alive in spring. Milk prices, meanwhile, are acting like they don’t want to miss out on the springtime excitement with third quarter Class III finding support above $19.50 per hundredweight…
Information and data analysis is vast within the dairy industry these days. It can be overwhelming trying to decide which numbers you should be paying attention to and what those numbers even mean sometimes. Whether you’re looking at herd health, breeding data, or nutrition information, it’s all relative and important to your bottom line. In…
After a dry start to 2025, we finally started getting rain in the past month. Unfortunately, it came at the same time when farmers across the state are working to get spring forages off and fall crops planted. Before the rain we got this week, the mid-state got nearly four inches in the past month,…
For the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, the USDA announced March’s margin at $11.55 per hundredweight (cwt). While the margin narrowed by $1.57 per cwt from the prior month’s $13.12 per cwt, March’s margin was still $2.05 per cwt over the $9.50 trigger price for an indemnity payment. We still have not seen indemnities paid…
Looking at the March 2025 USDA Milk Production preliminary numbers, we noticed a slight 1% bump in U.S. milk production year over year. U.S. milk cow herd increased by 57,000 head from March 2024’s numbers to 9.404 million in March 2025.
Greetings all, I hope this article finds you well as spring is in full swing. With consistent warmer weather right around the corner, many who worry about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) may begin to relax a little. It is normally believed that once the average temperature rises consistently above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the chance…
