Madison Morning

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral, World Dairy Expo

By the dawn’s early light … over World Dairy Expo is the Wisconsin Capitol building on Saturday morning. This photo sent to us by Lisa Perrin with the Holstein Association.

Hood Blimp Crash Lands

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral

Hood Dairy got a bit more publicity than planned Tuesday when a promotional blimp that regularly flies above Boston’s Fenway Park crashed into a wooded area. The 90-foot-long blimp became stuck atop trees near an elementary school in Manchester-By-The-Sea about 25 miles north of Boston. It took two hours to rescue the pilot who was not injured. The story has … Read More

European Milk Quotas May Be Phased Out

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral, International

Europe’s system of milk production quotas may be phased out to help the dairy industry prepare for their planned abolition in 2014, EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said on Sunday. Created in the mid-1980s to deal with the European Union’s notorious milk surpluses. “I think the milk quota system will be inadequate when we put constraints on the sector … Read More

Manure Roundtable

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral, Waste Management, World Dairy Expo

Manure may not be the most popular dinner table conversation, but it will be the subject of a roundtable discussion at this year’s World Dairy Expo. Pro-Act Microbial is actually sponsoring a series of Manure Management Roundtables during the Expo, giving dairy farmers an opportunity to share experiences and to learn what is working for others. On Wednesday, October 4th … Read More

House Hearing

Chuck ZimmermanDairy Business, General, Government

The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Dairy, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing in Fresno, California on Saturday to review the state’s dairy industry. The Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-MN), heard from a variety of dairy producers and processors representing California’s dairy industry. “California’s dairy producers and processors are among the industry’s leaders, and their testimony … Read More

July Heat Wave Rocks California Dairy Industry

Chuck ZimmermanGeneral

Western United Dairymen officials say that dairy producers in California are still assessing the damage the triple-digit heat wave that lingered in the state during the month of July. More than 20,000 dairy cows were lost in the severe weather. Federal agencies plan to make low-interest emergency loans available to farmers. The estimated value for total livestock losses is $52 … Read More

New Chief at Prairie Farms

Chuck ZimmermanDairy Business, General

Edward L. Mullins is the new Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. Mr. Mullins’ appointment follows Roger D. Capps, who served as CEO of the dairy cooperative from October 2000 until his death on July 15, 2006. Ed joined Prairie Farms Dairy in 1980, working in retail dairy sales. Since September 2003, Ed had … Read More

Snaplage Makes Sense for High-Moisture Harvest

Chuck ZimmermanAudio, Feed, Forage Forum, General, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Podcast

While harvesting snaplage is not a new practice, it is becoming more appealing, says Dr. Bill Mahanna, coordinator of global nutritional services for Pioneer Hi-Bred. A leading reason is the advent of new, large silage choppers utilizing snapper heads with kernel processors. Primary benefits are improved tonnage with very good digestible fiber and high kernel starch. Pioneer has recently completed … Read More