It is hard to believe there is only one month left in 2019. The year started out with milk prices trending up, but still not at a breakeven or profitable price for most Pennsylvania dairy farmers. It looks like we will end the year with some of the highest prices we have seen since 2014….
Generally, government shutdowns are not good for U.S. citizens. However, the shutdown at the beginning of this year benefited dairy farmers because implementation of Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) was delayed. As a result, when DMC enrollment began in June, dairy farmers knew they would receive payments for January through April milk production. If enrolled at…
For the last several years a lot has been reported about declining fluid milk consumption. I do not want to belittle the importance of fluid milk sales to the U.S. dairy industry and what it could mean to milk checks if we can reverse the current trend. But, it is also important to look at…
Daylight saving time ended this past weekend, and we will continue to lose daylight until the Winter Solstice on December 21, when the daylight hours start to increase again. This time of year can be challenging for farming. When the longer days of summer are here, it does not seem like there are enough daylight…
The latest USDA Crop Progress report released on October 28 indicates the Pennsylvania corn crop was affected by the wet spring. The report shows that in the last week of October, only 89% of the corn crop has reached maturity as compared to the 5-year average of 97%. However, harvest is on par with the…
This article may seem strange coming from a native southerner, but I thought I would remind everyone to not let cold weather sneak up on you before you can properly winterize your dairy. I have lived in Pennsylvania since the first part of December 2018, so I have been here in the coldest part of…
The trade disputes with China and Mexico have dominated dairy export talk for much of the last year and a half. Luckily, over the same time period, milk production has increased at a slower rate than recent years, domestic demand for dairy has strengthened, and increased dairy exports to other countries have helped to offset…
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the per capita fluid milk consumption decline, but I also showed that total dairy consumption has been increasing for decades. Total dairy per capita consumption is currently at its highest amount since 1962. If fluid milk consumption is declining, where is it going? Plant-based milk alternative marketing campaigns…
Market fundamentals are indicating that 2019 will end strong and 2020 will begin strong and continue the trend of increasing milk price through much of next year. Just because milk price shows signs of improving through 2020 does not mean that you should overlook available risk management tools to protect your financial risk next year….
Fall is officially here, and harvest around my part of Pennsylvania is well underway. I ask that you pay attention to your surroundings as you move equipment from field-to-field, as you transport your harvested crops back to your farm or customers, and as you work longer than normal hours. In the hustle and bustle of…
