RIVER FALLS — Don’t look at an on-farm creamery as a way to save the dairy farm. ... Read more
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is offering a new grant program to help Minnesota dairy producers move from Grade B status to Grade A status and help Grade A producers maintain their status.
Jill Stahl Tyler and Karen Nielsen have quite a bit in common. They both grew up on farms in the Midwest — Jill on a dairy farm in northern Illinois and Karen on a beef operation in northern Wisconsin. They also share a love for dairy, but most importantly, they share a passion to help educa…
PHLOX — Esquirrou, a sheep’s milk cheese from France, captured the grand prize at the last World Championship Cheese Contest.
Allen Merrill, a dairy farmer from Parker, S.D., has been re-elected chairman of Midwest Dairy.
There’s no denying the importance of milk quality and mastitis management. Mastitis management is considered to be most important in lactating cows, but many dairy producers may not have considered how to manage for mastitis in heifers and dry cows.
Don’t be startled if one day a cow comes cruising past you on the highway with a friendly wave and a loud “moooo.”
EAU CLAIRE — A year ago, the Dairy Together Roadshow put a focus on the Canadian dairy supply management system as dairy farmers struggling with low milk prices and an oversupply of milk in the U.S. searched for a solution to the dairy industry’s problems.
RIVER FALLS — From the rigors of becoming a licensed cheesemaker in Wisconsin to educating customers, dairy farmers who have donned the additional hat of being their own processor say it’s not for the faint of heart.
The Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association is accepting entries for the 21st Wisconsin Jersey Spring Spectacular Show set for May 3-4 at the Vernon County Fairground in Viroqua.
Things may be starting to look up a bit for dairy producers. The base price for Class III milk in March, revealed in the April 3 class and component price announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is $15.04 per hundredweight.
University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Dairy Initiative — Central Region will host Dairy Producer Nights Out on Thursday, April 11, at the Greenwald Pub in Greenwald, Minn., and Friday, April 12, at Cabin Fever in Little Falls, Minn.
PLATTEVILLE — Sandy Stuttgen has spent a lot of time around cows. She grew up a dairy farmer’s daughter in Marathon County, leaving the farm to become a large animal, predominately dairy, veterinarian before joining the staff at UW-Madison Division of Extension as an associate professor.
MADISON — These are busy times, hard times, but also exciting times at the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Chief Executive Officer Chad Vincent reported during the organization’s board meeting March 20. Vincent was fresh off a presentation at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin’s Busin…
Dairy farmers will connect directly with state lawmakers on April 10 at the first ever Dairy Day at the Capitol, which is being coordinated by the Dairy Business Association.
PLATTEVILLE — Dr. Nigel Cook of The Dairyland Initiative and the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine has predicted that pair- or group-raising of calves will become the standard practice on dairy farms within less than a decade. Jennifer Van Os, an assistant professor and E…
Farmer cooperatives in South Africa and Peru could improve their profitability, productivity, resilience and competitiveness in the marketplace as the result of a new five-year, $7.7 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Workshop opportunities are set this spring for dairy producers interested in processing and marketing their own milk, cheese, yogurt or ice cream.
Editor's note: Due to space limitations, this article will be divided up and run over the next several weeks, or it can be viewed in its entirety at www.thecountrytoday.com.
World Dairy Expo leaders elected officers at the annual March meetings of the board of directors, commercial exhibitor committee and dairy cattle exhibitor committee. Comprising dairy producers, business professionals and Expo exhibitors, these groups were also charged with setting new initi…
Mikayla Berge has joined the World Dairy Expo team as trade show coordinator. Berge’s responsibilities include assisting with all aspects of sponsorship and trade show management, from corresponding with past, present and prospective exhibitors to floor plan design and sponsor deliverables.
Editor's note: Due to space limitations, this article will be divided up and run over the next several weeks, or it can be viewed in its entirety at www.thecountrytoday.com.
The state of the U.S. dairy economy is putting family farms out of business. Over the last 10 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recorded the loss of about 17,000 dairy herds, cutting the total number of U.S herds by almost a third.
DEFOREST — Wisconsin-based AQUA Innovations has worked with many high-profile companies like General Motors, Pepsi and Harley-Davidson on wastewater solutions. But it was in the early 2000s when the late Richard Heins, a former UW-Madison professor, challenged engineers to develop a manure m…
GREEN BAY — Good things come in small packages.
GREEN BAY — Wisconsin cheese makers dominated the 2019 United States Championship Cheese Contest, earning Best of Class awards in 57 of the 115 classes and placing 10 entries among the top 20 finalists nationwide.
GREEN BAY — Marieke Penterman’s fancy footwork took center stage at the United States Championship Cheese Contest.
Two people from Wisconsin, along with two others from California and the Dominican Republic, will be recognized in October at the 2019 World Dairy Expo for their contributions and excellence in the dairy industry and in their communities.
Ruben Lema sees his future in the dairy industry.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has awarded more than $50,000 in grant funding to 30 Minnesota schools and early-education programs to boost the amount of dairy offered to students. The organizations will be using the grants to add milk coolers to their nutrition programs.
GREEN BAY — Several factors should be taken into consideration when determining which manure technology options would benefit your farm.
Ten Wisconsin dairy companies have been named recipients of Dairy Processor Grants through a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection program intended to foster innovation, improve profitability and sustain the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s dairy processing fac…
More than 2,500 entries competed at the United States Championship Cheese Contest on March 5-7 in Green Bay. Every maker of cheese, butter or yogurt manufactured in the United States was eligible to compete in the 20th biennial contest, hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. For …
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy has announced it will host food safety workshops that are taught by industry professionals for the benefit of the entire industry.
LUCK — Like most Wisconsin communities, family dairy farms and small creameries once dotted the countryside surrounding the small Polk County town of Luck.
The base price paid to dairy farmers lost some desperately needed ground last week with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announcement of the Class III milk price for February.
MANITOWOC — Kurt and Sarah Loehr wasted no time making a name for themselves in the Holstein industry.
MANITOWOC — Mike and Valerie Holschbach are no strangers to receiving accolades.
John Rettler of Neosho was re-elected president of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative during the cooperative’s seventh annual meeting held Feb. 22-23 in Onalaska.
Bifrost Farms Creamery in Boyceville has received a $2,500 Capacity-Building Grant from Food Animal Concerns Trust, a national nonprofit promoting the safe and humane production of meat, milk and eggs.
More than 2,500 entries will vie for top honors at the United States Championship Cheese Contest on March 5-7 in Green Bay.
MADISON — In 1965, there were just more than 1 million dairy farms in the U.S. That number has been exponentially declining since then, with just fewer than 40,000 dairy farms across the countryside today.
Extension offices in Barron and Chippewa counties will host Manure Applicator 101 Trainings on Monday, March 4, in Room 003 at the Courthouse in Chippewa Falls and Monday, March 11, in Room 110 at the Government Center in Barron. Both sessions will run from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Registration opens …
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is awarding up to $50,000 in Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation grants to eligible institutions to increase the use of Minnesota dairy in their nutrition programs.
Marketers of plant-based foods designed to mimic standardized dairy foods, such as almond beverages, have been “playing fast and loose” with lightly enforced federal labeling rules for far too long, says Tom Balmer, executive vice president of the National Milk Producers Federation.
Holstein Association USA announced the top Holstein Breed Age Average herds for 2018 classifications.
Education, agritourism, rural broadband and funding of local roads are among key issues being tackled by the Wisconsin Dairy Task Force 2.0’s sub-committee on Dairy and Rural Community Vitality.
Michel Wattiaux, professor of dairy science at UW-Madison, has been named interim director of the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, effective March 1. In this role, Wattiaux will provide continuity of leadership for the center, which operates a multi-disciplinary research and outre…
Professional Dairy Producers is inviting dairy farmers, agribusiness and allied industries to the 2019 PDPW Business Conference set for March 13-14 at the Alliant Energy Center, Madison.
FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative will host Producer Discovery Workshops as part of the cooperative’s 2019 annual meeting Friday, Feb. 22, at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Onalaska.
The Wisconsin Brown Swiss Association is accepting applications for the 2019 Wisconsin Brown Swiss Queen. Applications are due Feb. 25.