Dairy

Illinois FFA members received prestigious awards for the development of their outstanding projects during the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.

As farmers and ranchers, our work is never just about getting the job done, but looking for the best practices and embracing innovation for whatever challenges may lie ahead.

The annual National Milk Producers Federation Dairy Product Judging Contest recently wrapped up and it was a successful year for Prairie Farms Dairy.

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Program released Environmental Stewardship Version 3 supporting the dairy community’s efforts to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.

Benzimidazoles, or white dewormers, are an important tool for managing internal parasites in cattle, but it’s essential to use this dewormer class correctly.

Ron Dykstra knew from a very young age that he wanted to farm.

Agricultural economic activity has been flat to down modestly since early September, with some crop prices remaining unprofitably low.

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. took top honors in the National Milk Producers Federation’s annual cooperative communications contest, winning five categories and the competition’s Best in Show: Writing award.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $58 million available for marketing assistance to eligible organic dairy producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program.

The focus at Schoepp Farms LLC is to keep soil and nutrients on the land.

FFA students can explore future job opportunities at the National FFA Convention, thanks to Career Success Tours.

Dairymen can reduce the methane produced by their cows with the addition of the feed ingredient Bovaer to the ration.

Dairy Management Inc. has launched www.dairycheckoff.com to more effectively communicate the full national and local impact of the dairy checkoff to farmers and importers.

Prairie Farms Dairy announced the acquisition of the SmithFoods manufacturing facilities in Orrville in northeast Ohio.

Farmers are increasingly turning to high-moisture corn silage, specifically earlage or snaplage, due to its high energy content and easy digestibility.

A cow’s ideal herd management cowcard has just four events — fresh, bred, confirmed pregnant and dry.

Beef production spans generations in the Hanson and Kuipers family in Iroquois County where they operate a forage-based program utilizing a paddock grazing system along with growing corn, soybeans and wheat.

The Dairy Management Inc. New Product Competition for college students is accepting entries for 2025. The competition seeks innovative dairy product concepts and is open to undergraduate and graduate students.

Illinois Milk Producers Association is calling for nominations of individuals to receive formal recognition in 2024 for their outstanding contributions to the dairy industry through leadership, stewardship and overall excellence.

The stories across the Corn Belt’s Federal Reserve Districts mirrored one another in the agriculture sector with concerns over lower commodity prices and favorable crop conditions.

Working as a veterinarian means every day is different — and that’s what Taryn Pfeiffer really enjoys about her career.

Few states put on a show like the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin, where 50,000 visitors from nearly 100 countries will see 1,800 owners exhibiting 2,500 or so of the best dairy cattle in the galaxy.

Dairymen have a new way to continuously monitor the health of their calves with the SenseHub Dairy Youngstock system.

Farmland values for the Seventh Federal Reserve District increased 2% in the second quarter of 2024 from a year earlier, marking the smallest year-over-year gain since the third quarter of 2020.

The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life — encompassing pregnancy through the child’s second birthday — is a critical period for brain development.

A giant cheese sculpture was unveiled and enjoyed by guests at the Indiana State Fair.

The Indiana State Fair celebrated “The Art & Nature of Fun” in collaboration with Newfields.

Livestock managers and owners are invited to join University of Illinois Extension for the Storing Forages: Balancing Cost and Performance workshop on Thursday, Sept. 19.

While the dictionary doesn’t include the word “stockmanship,” most livestock producers know what it means: handling livestock in a calm, quiet manner that results in animals that are healthier and gain faster.

Summer is in full swing on Clay Geyer’s home fields, where he’s on the lookout for — and has already found — some plant diseases and weeds.

College students, clubs and classes are invited to sign up to participate in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 College Aggies Online scholarship program.

Indiana has one of the smallest state agriculture departments in the nation — and Don Lamb would not have it any other way.

Nearly 45% of all agricultural workers in the United States today — 950,000 of an estimated 2.2 million farmworkers — are “unauthorized” migrants working illegally on American farms and ranches.

Small steps go a long way when it comes to protecting your cows, employees and neighbors against H5N1.

For the second year in a row, Midwest Dairy is introducing a Flavor of the Fair ice cream treat that can be found at the Dairy Goodness Bar during the Illinois State Fair.

The more we learn about H5N1, the more we understand that good biosecurity is a critically important path to containing the virus.

The DeKalb County History Center is one of five organizations in the United States selected to host the “Food: Gathering Around the Table” exhibit.

Whether you have a sweet tooth or prefer something savory, the Indiana State Fair has a huge lineup of foods to try.

Midwest Dairy is rewarding five students from Illinois with $1,000 this fall at the college or university of their choice.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture began accepting applications to provide financial assistance to eligible dairy producers who incur milk losses due to highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Program released new versions of the Animal Care and Workforce Development programs, benchmarks for best practices.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced an intrastate testing requirement for lactating dairy cattle participating in livestock exhibitions in Illinois to minimize the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

A fourth farmworker has been infected with bird flu in the growing outbreak linked to dairy cows, health officials reported.

In the last two years, bird flu has been blamed for the deaths of millions of wild and domestic birds worldwide. But it seems to have hardly touched people.

When it comes to ice cream flavors, vanilla reigns supreme. And just in time for summer celebrations, Prairie Farms Dairy is giving people more of what they love — premium vanilla ice cream in a family-size, 4-quart pail.

Teens from around the state gathered for the 95th Indiana FFA State Convention, where they took part in workshops, volunteered and were honored for their accomplishments.

Gene Schmidt will get to enjoy this year’s Historic Farm Days without having to keep tabs on the books.

Clay Geyer, former From the Fields columnist, is back this year to share updates from his farm in northern Indiana.

As the U.S. dairy industry confronts a bird flu outbreak, the egg industry could serve as an example of how to slow the disease, but also shows how difficult it can be to eradicate the virus.

Five new officers elected by the delegates during the 96th Illinois FFA State Convention will be traveling throughout the state during the upcoming year engaging with members to inspire them to achieve their goals.