HD Notebook

Three reports came available recently. So, instead of focusing on one topic, today we will touch on three.

Last week, the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC) met in Washington and reviewed a final draft of its recommendations. There are 20 some recommendations that will made to the Secretary of Agriculture. Here are some that are most timely in terms of current dairy policy discussions. Read more

If you read our most recent issue, you would've noticed an article by Frank Mitloehner from the University of California- Davis who is taking the time to set the record straight on the dairy industry's greenhouse gas emissions. At one point, the facts were misconstrued by those at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Read more

We’re familiar with the benefits of by-products in rations such as whole cottonseed, brewers grains, and beet pulp. When products like these can be successfully utilized by using all available parts, it is a win-win-win. That’s because the environment wins, too, with little to no wasted end-product. Read more

The demand for corn continues to grow due, in part, to the federal government’s ethanol mandate and the world’s growing population. As this occurs, corn growers are planting the crop on land that is not always ideally suited for the crop. Read more

It’s just one state and it may not reflect what is happening across the rest of U.S. agriculture, but it’s still good news in an industry that can certainly use some: Farmland values in Indiana are shooting up. Read more

The trend has been up for a long time, and yesterday’s much-awaited Crop Production and Grain Stocks reports did nothing to cool the feed-cost fire. Read more

When you're contemplating selections at the grocery store, do you ever stop and consider grabbing an off-brand? After all, its probably exactly the same, right? Read more

What a great kick-off to the 2011 Hoard’s Dairyman Webinar Series. Yesterday’s program was presented by host Mike Hutjens of the University of Illinois. Over 140 people for the inaugural live presentation, and they represented 26 U.S. States, 4 Canadian provinces, and 6 additional foreign countries. Read more

Most people would agree that dehorning cattle not only protects animals from each other, but it also protects employees who work with them. While dehorning, the process of removing horn buds from a calf, has been a long-practiced safety procedure, mounting evidence suggests there are better ways to carry out the practice. Read more

Except for a handful of states primarily in the West, hourly workers across the U.S. aren’t in line to get raises this year. Read more