Last week, the Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program published the first volume of its Animal Care Reference Manual. The manual assists farmers and ranchers who raise different breeds of male and female calves intended for dairy and/or beef production systems. It encourages calf raisers to approach management decisions with thoughtfulness and an appreciation for the responsibility they have to their animals, …
USDA Unveils New Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced details of the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program. Through the new program, USDA will provide about $350 million in pandemic assistance payments to dairy farmers who received a lower value for their products due to market abnormalities caused by the pandemic. The assistance is part of a larger package including permanent improvements …
Milk Prices Below Expectations, Could Go Lower Next Year
Earlier this month, it was announced that the June margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program dropped 65 cents from May’s margin to $6.24/cwt, which will generate a June payment of $3.26/cwt for $9.50/cwt coverage. So dairy operators are getting the benefits of the DMC program this year, and according to a story from Gary Crawford that may continue in …
2022 Farmers’ Almanac Released This Week
The 2022 Farmers’ Almanac hits store shelves this week and contains 184 pages of helpful tips, calendars, and guides to help you plan your year ahead. It also features weather forecasts for the next 16 months, plus useful advice on ways to take cues from nature to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Editor Pete Geiger states, “we encourage readers to …
Vilsack and Tai to Meet with USDA Ag Policy Committee
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will meet with the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee Friday. Topics include current and new trade deals, trade agreement implementation and concerns within the agreements. The committee, managed by the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, offers advice on U.S. trade policy. The committee consists of six technical …
DMC Margin Drops Again in June
The June margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program dropped 65 cents from May’s margin to $6.24/cwt, which will generate a June payment of $3.26/cwt for the $9.50/cwt coverage. The DMC feed cost calculation for June was lower by $0.16/cwt of milk from May, mostly on lower soybean meal prices, while the June U.S. average all-milk price took a …
National Farmers Market Week Underway
The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture proclaimed this first week of August as National Farmers Market Week. It is a way to champion the direct-to-consumer producers, market managers, and customers that make their communities come alive during market days. According to a story from Rod Bain, highlights of the week are not only the markets themselves, but the innovations that allow these institutions to …
NMPF Urging Senate to Craft a Bill for Essential Immigrant Farmworkers
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Wednesday that highlighted the importance of immigrant farmworkers to our nation’s food supply and rural communities. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) thanked the Committee for holding the hearing. In a release NMPF said, “Immigrant employees are vital to the dairy industry, with an estimated 79% of the U.S. milk supply produced …
USDA Reduces Milk Production Forecast for 2021
USDA is lowering its milk production forecast for 2021. According to a story from Stephanie Ho, the high stocks of dairy products is weighing on prices. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardNovember 14, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 8, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Plays Critical Role To Extend ResearchNovember 7, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Funded Research Impactful …
Avoiding Heat-Related Deaths
A new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) report showed 215 people in Florida died from heat-related causes in the last 10 years. The fact that heat-related deaths happen throughout the year surprised the researchers who wrote the report. Serap Gorucu, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, helped write the report. She and …