HD Notebook

USDA's forecast milk production for 2010 and 2011 was raised from last month in the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released late last week. Producers continue to add cows to their herds, and the national dairy herd is expected to increase into mid-2011. The rate of growth in milk per cow also is expected to be higher than earlier thought. Read more

In my elementary school years, one of my favorite days each year was our small parochial school's track meet held every spring. Besides the fun I had spending the day outside with classmates, I always looked forward to the special treat my mom let me get that day: a sports drink. It usually had some sort of name like "Turbo-charge!" or "Endure!" and was colored either neon yellow or blue. Read more

Over 600 people came to Knigge Farms of Omro, Wis., to celebrate the 10th anniversary of robotic milking in the United States. It was in August 2000 that Pete and Theo Knigge, and their son, Charlie, installed a pair of A2, Astronaut robots in their new free stall barn. This May, just three months short of the 10-year anniversary, the Knigges installed the latest Lely robots, the Astronaut A3. Read more

This is one of my favorite quotes. Past National Holstein Association president and dairy producer Doug Maddox of California encourages adults to see the value in giving a young person the chance to work with “their very own” animal. Read more

Slowly, but surely, modest profitability is returning for U.S. dairy producers. Even so, few are relaxing just yet. Read more

Recently released dairy product consumption figures for 2009 are encouraging. Looking at consumption on a per-person or per-capita basis always is informative, because that accounts for changes in the population. Last year, there was per-capita growth in consumption of all products on a milk-equivalent, milk-fat basis. The total was 611 pounds per person, highest in many decades. Read more

For some, that day cannot come quickly enough. For others, there is simply not enough time. World Dairy Expo is the event that so many producers, cattle owners, allied industry representatives, and young adults anticipate all year. "Crowning Achievements - Golden Opportunities" is aptly themed for this year’s World Dairy Expo and is especially true of the youth dairy judging contest. Read more

The deep financial cuts suffered by Western dairy producers last year still have a long way to go before they heal, but attitudes out there really do seem to be getting better.

In recent weeks, we’ve visited producers in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. No one is close to doing cartwheels, but at least some optimism has crept back into their attitudes. It’s an important start. Read more

The most current USDA forecast continues the trend of lower cow numbers that has been more than offset by higher output per cow in 2010. Output per cow is expected to rise by 2.5 percent compared with 2009, pushing current-year production to 192 billion pounds. Read more

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