Dairy

U.S. dairy exports are approaching record levels as consumer demand for dairy products in Mexico continues to outpace the country’s production.

Several environmental groups are suing California air regulators over their recent update of a contentious climate program, saying they failed to address the pollution impacts of biofuels.

This past year marked my second full year serving as executive vice president at the American Farm Bureau Federation and it has been inspiring to see our organization flourish as we serve farmers and ranchers.

The Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council met in December and seated three new board members.

By far the biggest lender to U.S. farmers, ranchers and rural businesses is the Farm Credit System whose four banks and 56 associations hold nearly 50% of all debt in rural America.

The eight individuals who will serve as official judges during World Dairy Expo 2025 have been confirmed.

Why the results surprised anyone is itself a surprise. After the state of California began testing dairy herds for highly pathogenic avian influenza, known also as bird flu or H5N1, in August, it found the pathogen on 645 dairy farms.

California officials have declared a state of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in that state and causing sporadic illnesses in people in the United States.

A genetic analysis suggests the bird flu virus mutated inside a Louisiana patient who contracted the nation’s first severe case of the illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The death of an Oregon house cat and a pet food recall are raising questions about the ongoing outbreak of bird flu and how people can protect their pets.

Greensburg farmer Tim Gauck was reelected as president of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, the state’s corn checkoff program.

America’s farmers and ranchers have such a great story to share, and it’s critical for the public to better understand what goes into growing the food, fiber and renewable fuel that drives our nation.

Dairy checkoff initiatives of 2024 successfully increased dairy access in schools, expanded market share for U.S. dairy products and supported the industry’s longstanding commitment to sustainability.

Dairy replacement heifer numbers have fallen almost 15% over the last six years, reaching a 20-year low, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nominations for the 2025 World Dairy Expo Recognition Awards are now being accepted through Feb. 15.

Two Indiana dairies, Risin’ Creek Creamery and JB’s Barnyard, received funding from the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance for value-added facilities on their farms.

Indiana Farm Bureau announced “Right This Very Minute: A Table-to-Farm Book About Food and Farming” as the 2025 INFB Book of the Year.

The 2025 Indiana Farm Bureau Book of the Year educates children where the food they eat daily comes from in an informative and fun way.

The Christmas tree was a scrub cedar hacked from the edge of the woods that bordered the farm. Big-bulbed lights, strung in barber pole fashion, generated almost as much heat as the nearby wood stove.

Though growth in economic activity was generally small, expectations for growth rose moderately across most geographies and sectors across the Federal Reserve Districts.

Winners of the Hoosier Hay Contest were announced at the 2024 Hay Quality seminar.

A newly formed institute at Purdue University is offering training and development support to agriculture producers with novel food and beverage product ideas.

Focusing on comfort and nutrition for a few weeks before and after calving will help dairy cows with a smooth transition into lactation.

The 2024 Fall Meeting of the Dairy Sustainability Alliance emphasized the industry’s collective efforts to meet sustainability targets through the adoption of new technologies, best practices and measurement tools.

There are lots of options to add prebiotics, probiotics and fermented food into a diet that can provide some health benefits.

The Prairie Farms Caves of Faribault Division won a silver award for Grotto 222 Natural Rinded Gouda and a bronze for AmaGorg Gorgonzola at the World Cheese Awards competition.

For the first time since the end of 2019, farmland values in the 7th Federal Reserve District did not see a year-over-year increase.

Registration is open for the 2025 Indiana Dairy Producers Forum, which will take place Jan 28-29 in French Lick.

The dairy checkoff has launched the Dairy Conservation Navigator, an online resource hub designed to provide farm advisers, stakeholders and conservation professionals with science-based information on sustainable farming practices and technologies.

The dairy checkoff partnered with General Mills to create YoBark, a yogurt-based snack designed to give families a tasty option and expand yogurt’s presence in the snacking category.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service unveiled a new easement option that offers long-term protection of the land and ensures timely transfer of ownership to qualified producers.

Dairy Management Inc., the planning and management organization that oversees the national dairy checkoff program on behalf of America’s dairy farmers and importers, has posted its 2023 annual report.

Prairie Farms Dairy and its joint venture partner, Hiland Dairy, demonstrated their commitment to quality by winning 33 awards at the annual QCS Purchasing Cooperative Conference in Denver.

A University of Illinois project evaluating liquid dairy waste in childcare centers was among 14 grant recipients through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

Just west of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway you can find Freshly Dairy — a small, family-owned farm that prides itself in its mouthwatering milk and long product shelf life.

Federal health officials called for more testing of employees on farms with bird flu after a new study showed that some dairy workers had signs of infection, even when they didn’t report feeling sick.

Illinois FFA members received prestigious awards for the development of their outstanding projects during the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.

As farmers and ranchers, our work is never just about getting the job done, but looking for the best practices and embracing innovation for whatever challenges may lie ahead.

The annual National Milk Producers Federation Dairy Product Judging Contest recently wrapped up and it was a successful year for Prairie Farms Dairy.

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Program released Environmental Stewardship Version 3 supporting the dairy community’s efforts to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.

Benzimidazoles, or white dewormers, are an important tool for managing internal parasites in cattle, but it’s essential to use this dewormer class correctly.

Ron Dykstra knew from a very young age that he wanted to farm.

Agricultural economic activity has been flat to down modestly since early September, with some crop prices remaining unprofitably low.

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. took top honors in the National Milk Producers Federation’s annual cooperative communications contest, winning five categories and the competition’s Best in Show: Writing award.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $58 million available for marketing assistance to eligible organic dairy producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program.

The focus at Schoepp Farms LLC is to keep soil and nutrients on the land.

FFA students can explore future job opportunities at the National FFA Convention, thanks to Career Success Tours.

Dairymen can reduce the methane produced by their cows with the addition of the feed ingredient Bovaer to the ration.

Dairy Management Inc. has launched www.dairycheckoff.com to more effectively communicate the full national and local impact of the dairy checkoff to farmers and importers.

Prairie Farms Dairy announced the acquisition of the SmithFoods manufacturing facilities in Orrville in northeast Ohio.