U.S. cattle producers with an interest in strengthening the economic position of their individual farms and ranches and in ensuring the health and safety of their livestock herd would not knowingly support policies that conflict with their own interests and goals.

The herd at the University of Illinois dairy farm provides animals for research projects, as well as an opportunity for students to learn about dairy herd management.

All the feed for the University of Illinois farms — including poultry, beef, dairy and swine — are formulated at the Feed Technology Center.

While bovine viral diarrhea virus presents serious challenges, producers have reliable tools like vaccination, testing and biosecurity to manage it.

People working in the maternity area of a dairy farm provide a specialized type of care for the animals.

Evaluating cattle productivity often focuses on common benchmarks such as body condition, weight and feed consumption.

Not all teat dips are created equal. With milk quality being a constant priority and teat dip being a key input cost on a farm, understanding what sets one product apart is more important than ever.

Purdue University researchers now have developed an innovative, paper-based diagnostic test for rapidly detecting avian influenza, the main cause of recent high egg prices.

It never ceases to amaze me how otherwise rational adults can turn into combative middle schoolers the moment certain hot-button topics hit the table.

We should be back in the sheep barn this year with some lambs my granddaughter is bringing for the 4-H show.

This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture designated 243 veterinary shortage areas across 46 states — the highest number recorded.

Even small Midwestern farms can harness the power of AI to boost productivity without breaking the bank.

A young family from California recently stopped at the Ropp Jersey Cheese store where they shared some of their common along with unique experiences with Ken Ropp.

Chris Hoffman is president of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. He is a first-generation hog and chicken farmer.

“Summertime, when the livin’ is easy.” That line from a well-known song couldn’t be further from the truth.

With the record prices being paid for fat cattle I am trying to get them to eat and gain as fast as possible so we can take advantage of this crazy-high cattle market.

By having the HeatSiecker patches on this year, it allowed for digital alerts of estrus and not having to spend as much time visually observing the cows in person.

Cow comfort, especially in the dry period, is the most important part of mastitis management, said Ben Smith, owner of Cool Lawn Farm.

Farming is all about being resilient, and Mindy Orschell and her family have had to be just that as weather challenges impacted planting this spring.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced strong support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan to build a New World screwworm sterile fly facility at Moore Air Base in south Texas.

The Secure Beef Supply website has been redesigned to better serve the growing number of users seeking new, updated and classic biosecurity resources.

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Program is accepting nominations for its annual FARM Excellence Awards, spotlighting program participants who embody the program’s mission of continuous improvement.

A wise-old rancher told me last year, “I can lead you to knowledge, but I can’t make you think.”

Four FFA students were named Stars over Indiana for their exceptional Supervised Agricultural Experiences.

This is the second in a series of columns featuring conversations with state Farm Bureau presidents about current issues in agriculture.

A biosecurity plan will be different for every cattle operation.

I cannot emphasize enough how wet it is in southern Illinois. The row crop guys were able to jump in and get some planting done, but may be wishing they hadn’t.

This cattle market is crazy good and has me wondering how long it can last.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition has worked successfully through the tension of whether it would still have grant funds for events after the days of DOGE.

Four members with outstanding projects that include cattle, flowers, sheep, auctioneering and hay production were presented the prestigious star awards during the 97th Illinois FFA State Convention.

The Jersey cows are lined up waiting their turn for the afternoon milking as Ken Ropp and Brett Yoder readied the parlor equipment.

The Illinois General Assembly passed legislation that bans carbon sequestration within the Mahomet Aquifer.

Compeer Financial announced 22 middle and high schools across Illinois will receive up to $4,000 each to support agricultural education programs and equipment through its Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant Program.

These students have been selected district winners for the Star in Agriscience award after an extensive process of evaluating the students and their record books.

The Star in Agricultural Placement award will be presented during the Stars Over Illinois ceremony on Wednesday, June11.

Five district winners for the Star Farmer award will be honored on the stage of the Illinois FFA State Convention.

Jason Baldes drove down a dusty, sagebrush highway, pulling 11 young buffalo in a trailer from Colorado to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.

A Delaware animal shelter is trying to care for and rehome thousands of chicks that survived being left in a postal service truck for three days.

If a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak occurs in the United States, the day-to-day operations and how beef producers do business will be different.

Merck Animal Health announced the commercial availability of Armatrex silane quaternary ammonium salt, an Environmental Protection Agency-registered, spray-on antimicrobial solution.

Limiting stress and maintaining a strong relationship with a veterinarian are vital for a rancher’s success in fighting bovine respiratory disease.

This is the first in a series of columns featuring conversations with state Farm Bureau presidents about current issues in agriculture.

The mill has been busy. We have received a lot of new fiber orders and working through the ones already had.

Although U.S. beef producers have met the challenge of reducing injection site lesions in beef carcasses, one issue they have not fixed is eliminating foreign objects.

A lot of growth has occurred in the agricultural department at Peotone High School since Abby Cowger started teaching and advising the FFA chapter in 2018.

Down in southern Illinois we could almost make the claim that it hasn’t stopped raining since December.

May is National Beef Month, a month-long celebration to kick off the unofficial start of summer grilling season and, of course, promote America’s favorite protein — beef.

Cow comfort and herd health are nonnegotiables for achieving higher milk quality and production. Bedding plays a critical role in both, which is why many dairy farms have long relied on sand as their go-to bedding.

Janna Morgan is the fifth generation of teachers in her family.

Heat stress not only impacts lactating dairy cows, it also affects dry cows, as well as first-gestation heifers.