A few weeks ago, I traveled with the This Week in Agribusiness crew to Bagley, Wisconsin to hear the story of Fischer Dairy Farm. Todd Fischer is a first generation dairy farmer with a possible unique perspective. In 1990 he started out with just 17 cows. Today, he is milking 900 and says keeping it simple has been his approach. …
Animal Ag Bites 5/7
Cooperatives Working Together has accepted nine requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) and United Dairymen of Arizona. These cooperatives have contracts to sell 1.04 million pounds of cheddar cheese, 262,350 pounds of butter and 923,737 pounds of whole milk powder to customers in Asia and North Africa. New research …
USFRA Unveils New Sustainability Officers Program
Six farmers and ranchers selected by the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance will help to provide food companies with the farmer and rancher perspective when it comes to sustainability in food and agriculture. The new Sustainability Officers Council allows companies to speak with a farmer or rancher before shifting sourcing decisions that could result in fundamental changes in farmers structures. …
Animal Ag Bites 4/30
Hypor, the swine breeding business of Hendrix Genetics, will join a research alliance to end surgical castrations of male piglets. The alliance, announced on January 3, 2018 by Recombinetics and DNA Genetics, is developing a precision breeding technology that results in male piglets born naturally castrated. The National Milk Producers Federation April Dairy Market Report shows the U.S. average all-milk …
A KEENAN InTouch Testimonial
Moloney Dairy in Borris, County Carlow, Ireland was one stop during the Alltech KEENAN Great Green Getaway. Mark Moloney, KEENAN Southeast Ireland InTouch Feeding Specialist, opened his family farm to our U.S. group to share how the recent adoption of the KEENAN InTouch system has yielded quick results. They not only opened their farmgate but their actually home. Gail-force winds …
Perdue Celebrates Anniversary With Senate Ag Committee
Tuesday was the first anniversary for Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture and he spent it briefing the Senate Agriculture Committee on The State of Rural America. “It’s a fascinating job,” said Perdue. “Even more broad and vast and deep and wide and impactful than I could have ever imagined.” Most of the questioning for the secretary revolved around trade …
The KEENAN, Farmer Relationship
Paul McVeigh, KEENAN feeding specialist who covers the Midlands and West Ireland, is in the relationship business. He travels his territory in Ireland getting to know the farmers which enables him to implement a plan of action for complete optimization of KEENAN In-Touch. I was able to learn more about KEENAN Systems on the farm during the Alltech KEENAN Great …
Animal Ag Bites 4/23
The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) is excited to announce, effective May 1, 2018 the association’s management will transition to Gardner & Gardner Communications of New Prague, Minn. The American Angus Association announces the hiring of New Jersey native Christopher Engel as the director of Angus Link, the new Association feeder cattle program, which is set to be unveiled …
House Ag Committee Advances Agriculture and Nutrition Act
The House Agriculture Committee voted along party lines Wednesday to pass the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R.2) out of committee, a new farm bill designed by Republicans to “address the economic challenges facing the nation’s farmers and ranchers, while making historic investments in opportunities for SNAP recipients.” All 20 Democrats on the historically-bipartisan committee voted against the legislation …
Animal Ag Bites 4/16
The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs and the International Poultry Welfare Alliance are conducting a search for an executive director who can provide management duties and leadership for both organizations as they develop and progress. The groups, with the assistance of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, are working with executive search firm Kincannon & Reed to fill …