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In fifth grade, I thought Atari computers were cool. Typing my report in green letters on a black screen and printing to a tractor feed printer seemed so advanced. My teachers said they were a blessing for students; they complained about typewriters.
Now...
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Judge grants request to block U.S. government’s plan for illegal immigrant workersA federal judge recently granted a request by labor and civil liberties organizations to temporarily block the U.S. government from proceeding with a program to crack down...
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Editor’s note: The following are available market reports and futures data as of October 19, 2007.
Butter
Price gyrations in the butter market continue. Current pricing levels in the upper $1.20’s are at the lowest point since February. The impact o...
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Editor’s note: California dairy producer Randy Mouw gave the following statement to the House of Representative’s Agriculture Committee regarding the labor needs of agriculture in the U.S. Mouw testified on behalf of Western United Dairymen, Dairy Far...
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Change is inevitable
Transformations go on around us every day on the dairy – heifers become cows, grass becomes hay and fall weather quickly turns to the bitter cold of winter. But, over the last year, we’ve seen even bigger changes in the dairy ind...
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Editor’s note: Jim Tillison submitted the following response after Progressive Dairyman invited him to respond to an open letter from Gary Genske printed in the magazine in September (see Issue 9, page 17).
Both the producer-led CWT committee and the ...
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Owning and managing a family business such as a family farm offers unique benefits and challenges to the family members involved. On the upside, the family farm offers family members the opportunity to cooperate, set goals, develop strategic plans and mak...
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Getting cows pregnant is one of the most important functions on a progressive dairy, perhaps the most important one. The degree of profitability is highly correlated with the velocity of pregnancy creation on a given dairy. This is mainly because a pregna...
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David Albers wishes he could say the reason he’s covering his lagoon and capturing methane is because he had a genius epiphany one day, but instead he says he’ll be producing enough commercial-grade methane to power about 1,200 homes because of persis...
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We’ve become accustomed to the fact that if cows aren’t comfortable in their environment, milk production, reproductive performance and overall herd health will suffer. For instance, Grant et al. estimates 3.5 pounds of milk is lost for each additiona...
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Since the onset of the modern era of biotechnology in 1973, scientists have made impressive strides in developing new agricultural biotechnologies. Biotechnologies that enhance productivity and productive efficiency (feed consumed per unit of output) have...
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Few sounds capture the rhythm of agricultural economies better than the syncopated cadence of an auctioneer echoing across a clutch of farmers gathered around the auction block. This seemingly timeless portrait of economic exchange in rural America has ch...
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The following is the second of a two-part series about design specifications for feed and water spaces in freestall barns.
Water plays an important role in milk production, temperature control and body functions for dairy cattle. Cows may consume 4.5 to...
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Vaccinations are an important key to proper animal health and herd health management. To ensure that vaccination is as effective as possible, proper vaccine handling and administration is very important. The following tips will help get you on the right p...
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Deficits in freestall design and maintenance have long been recognized as significant risk factors for mastitis, hock abrasions, teat trauma and entrapment injuries of dairy cows. Uncomfortable stalls result in less frequent or shorter duration resting pe...
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Grants now available for flooded Midwest farmersOrganic and sustainable farmers and producers can now can apply for up to $5,000 to help cover the uninsured losses received from devastating flooding in the Midwest in August. Applications are being accepte...
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The wind is blowing the clouds in, with the hope of rain or snow. This time of year, you never know. We’ve had the first frost, and the vegetable garden is brown and tangled. We’ve eaten the last cucumbers, and the tomatoes that weren’t killed by th...
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The following column previously appeared in Progressive Hay Grower in December 2003.
Elli, my wife, is about to dispose of every pot and pan in the house larger than the 1-quart size. I like to cook. Maybe it started when at the age of 10, my family mov...
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To: Directors of HSUS, PETA and the Farm Sanctuary
The first step in engaging an issue is to have the ability to understand your ‘opponents’ point of view. I have watched your criticisms as we in animal agriculture have become more productive.
Your ...
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It had been a few years since I’d been to World Dairy Expo. Going there reminds me of visiting the Smithsonian Museum. First of all, I don’t think it’s possible to see everything, no matter how long you stay. Secondly (and without fail), as soon as ...
Re: Free traffic vs. directed-cow traffic in robotic milking barns
Posted on Friday, 17 May 2013 by Jeff B.I quote "In addition, in directed-cow traffic the selection gate should...
Re: Raw milk bill killed twice in Montana Senate
Posted on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 by Laura.Montana small herd producers, tell your Congresspeople to KISS! Idaho...
Re: Five-day E. coli treatment of gram-negative mastitis largely garners favor
Posted on Thursday, 02 May 2013 by IDLaura.Idaho has a Small Herd Exemption program where we can sell...