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In 1988, prezactly 20 years ago, I wrote a column predicting what the livestock industry will be like 50 years later: 2038.
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This issue begins what I hope will be a tradition for our magazine in the future. We highlight how some women in the dairy industry have made a direct impact on their dairy and how motivated women might be able to contribute more both to their dairy and t...
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The six states in the Northeast and Southeast for which the USDA reports weekly data showed the following state-by-state monthly millions of pounds of milk production and percentages of change from the previous year: Florida, 172, -2.8 percent; Kentucky, ...
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Editor’s note: The following are available market reports and futures data as of January 25, 2008.
ButterThe CME cash butter price continues to adjust within a narrow range of the weekly close of $1.2325. Producers and handlers indicate that churning a...
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VIRGINIA
CWT to offer bred heifer option in next herd retirement roundIn the next herd retirement round conducted by Cooperatives Working Together, dairy producers submitting bids to retire their herds of milk cows also will have the option of selling al...
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More milk in South Dakota recently spurred award-winning Davisco Foods, an international company that supplies a major portion of Kraft Foods cheese products, to complete a $40 million expansion project at their Lake Norden, South Dakota, cheese plant in ...
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Dairy farming is undergoing striking changes. In the 1970s, a large dairy farm had a herd of 100 milk cows. Typically, the family operating the farm provided most of the labor and grew most of the herd’s feed on the farm. While thousands of such farms r...
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What is a disaster? The dictionary says it’s “an event resulting in great loss and misfortune.” For business owners, the translation is “an event that affects the ability of a company to survive.” If you are developing plans for a new venture, t...
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Power outages caused by snow, ice and high winds can raise havoc with farm businesses, which rely on electric motors, pumps and compressors to run equipment for milking, feeding, cooling and other tasks. To keep their operations running despite the weathe...
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Imagine for a moment that you are competing against the best archer in the world. He can hit the bull’s eye with one arrow, and then with his next shot, split the first arrow down the middle! Did you know that you could outshoot this archery pro?
“Ho...
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Fostering a teamwork ethic within a dairy operation enhances employee effectiveness. Forming a team is easy, but in reality, actual functioning as a team is a difficult task. Teams are made up of different types of individuals that must bring their collec...
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When we talk about economic resources, three types of resources usually come to mind: land, labor and capital. But a fourth resource – time – may be more important than all the others. A common saying among farmers is, “I already know how to farm be...
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Proper management is the key to success in any enterprise, and the dairy business is no exception. Each successful producer must have records which are accurate and reliable to make sound management decisions. Records of identification and pedigree, produ...
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Selecting an employee is among the most important decisions a manager makes. Getting the right person in the right position is crucial for business success. But how can you do that? How can you tell if someone you hardly know will be a person who can do a...
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Editor’s note: The following opinion editorial was submitted to Progressive Dairyman by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.
Ethanol continues to take hits from detractors both inside and outside of agriculture. An article in an early January...
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If you want to know how important women are to running a dairy farm, just ask farm couples. Six hundred farm couples were surveyed about their roles on dairy farms as part of a University of Wisconsin (UW) study. The research reveals the diversity of wome...
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A lot more women are rising before the sun these days, and it is not to make breakfast, get the kids off to school or clean the house. They are milking cows, feeding calves and doing daily work on a dairy operation.
According to the latest agriculture ce...
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In the early morning darkness, Kathy Fields rises, readies the ingredients to make a batch of cheese, washes and milks the cow and four goats and turns out the horses to graze at her Upper Saucon Township farm in Pennsylvania – all before heading off to...
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Communication, although essential, is not always easy. Individual differences in personality, communication styles and skills and expectations all play a part in how well your family communicates. Sometimes you’ll find it is best to let issues rest befo...
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More than 100 producers, veterinarians and nutritionists gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, to discuss current industry challenges and opportunities, learn from each other and plan for their dairies’ future success and profitability.
The meeting was the ...
Re: Honoring our Women in Dairy
Posted on Monday, 19 November 2012 by SHARON BENESH.I plan on getting a Blog site soon. Is there something I can do to...
Re: HERd management: True confessions of a farmwife: I didn’t love the farm at first
Posted on Monday, 19 November 2012 by Betsy.Wonderful article! I know Holly and Rob and you won't find two harder...
Re: PD POLL: Should routine tail docking be an approved animal care standard on dairy farms? [September 1]
Posted on Thursday, 15 November 2012 by David Crook.Tail docking is an excellent management decision for the cow and...