Pretty soon it’ll be Super Bowl party time. I’m betting a lot of people are doing playoff parties. If so, hopefully cheese is on the menu. Apparently it is according to the Dairy Checkoff. With the football playoffs underway, some may be surprised to know that many Americans offer pizza as a key game-day menu item. But in addition to … Read More
Looking Forward to World Ag Expo
The World Ag Expo is right around the corner and to learn more about it I interviewed Shelley Kahl, 2008 Chairman. The Expo is “Where the World of Agriculture Means Business.” For many people who will be participating and attending that means the dairy business. I’ve never been to the show and hope to find a way to do so … Read More
2008 Price Outlook for Milk
At the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasters convention in their Trade Talk session I met Elvin Holland who is Director of Fluid Milk Marketing and Economic Analysis for Dairy Farmers of America. Elvin talked about the reasons for higher milk prices and his prediction for 2008. To start with he says that global milk production has slowed and global … Read More
Value of Starch in Corn Silage
Along with higher corn prices, the value of corn silage has tracked notably higher. The industry used to reference corn silage values at “a penny a pound” or $20 per ton. However, the higher corn market and costs related to silage harvest have boost corn silage values in upwards of $50 per ton, says Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global … Read More
Role of Yeast in Unstable Silages
While yeast is a common ingredient in feed rations, including yeast in silage can cause stability issues, particularly when there is significant variability in the corn crop, says Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional services for Pioneer Hi-Bred. An increasing amount of yeast can impact digestibility and palatability of the silage, but more importantly yeast can “heat up” the … Read More
Sunbelt Milking Contest
The agriculture commissioners from four states were on hand and hands-on at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia last month for the second Commissioner’s Milking Contest – which was a whole lot of fun. The very friendly competition included Tommy Irvin of Georgia, Charlie Bronson of Florida, Ron Sparks of Alabama, and Ken Givens of Tennessee. When it was … Read More
Corn Silage for Heifers
Does corn silage really need to be that much different for heifers versus cows? According to Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional science for Pioneer Hi-Bred, the answer is yes since high fat deposits in growing heifers can cause havoc and production issues down the line. Hear how producers can potentially manage this problem and their crops to reduce … Read More
Guernsey Wins WDX Supreme Champion
The 2007 World Dairy Expo is over and it ended with a great Parade of Champions. You can see pictures of all the action in my photo album. There’s 242 of them in there! Here’s your Supreme Champion, Indian Acres Mm Pistachio Pie, Ashley Elise Sears, So. Deerfield, MA . Jersey was the Reserve Supreme Champion, Llolyn Jude Griffen-et, Peter … Read More
How A Cow Is Like An Ethanol Plant
When I saw a booth that posed the question, “How is a cow like an ethanol production plant?” I had to stop for a visit. Manning the booth is Nick Baker, U. S. Dairy Forage Research Center. Nick says that basically the cow’s rumen uses microbes to break down forage and feed into the energy it needs much like an … Read More
National Dairy Shrine Having Great Year
The National Dairy Shrine is having a great year according to board member Tommy Martin. Tommy is an old friend of mine (he’s not old) from my home state of Florida. He works for Merial. I found him in the trade show this morning and asked him to give me an update on how the National Dairy Shrine is doing. … Read More