Economics

Tracking the changes in income and expenses related to the dairy farm.


Working smarter, not harder (6/7/2016)
Nigeria's big milk goal looks impossible (12/11/2015)
The average herd size is three cows (12/10/2015)
Dairy outlook for 2016 is "bah humbug" (12/4/2015)
Stop the disappearing feed act (11/24/2015)
MPP-Dairy winners and losers so far (11/20/2015)
Winners and losers in a California FMMO (10/16/15)
California FMMO hearing starts September 22 (8/7/2015)
Temporary price hike in California (7/27/2015)
Feed costs are up 108 percent since 2000 (7/10/2015)
The dairy labor cost trend is not good (7/3/2015)
Shrink those feed losses (6/30/2015)
Sick calves? Check your water (4/10/2015)
The dawn of a new dairy exports era (4/3/2015)
California drought looks worse than ever (3/27/2015)
What To Feed Dairy Cows When Alfalfa's Sparse (2/20/2015)
Margins matter; manage for the cycles (2/11/2015)
Ten ways to control heifer mastitis (1/16/2015)
What your lender needs to see (1/13/2015)
Bank sees a short dairy downturn (12/19/2014)
She sees a Class III low of $15.50 (11/19/2014)
Let's imagine a worst case MPP scenario (10/24/2014)
Cottonseed is cheaper, but for how long? (10/17/2014)
Have you signed up for MPP-Dairy? (10/15/2014)
Feed price outlook for rest of decade: Low (9/12/2014)
U.S. exports are becoming a monster (9/5/14)
Is extra margin protection worth it?(8/15/2014)
China's dairy demand is a growing beast (8/8/2014)
Shopping for grains is fun again (8/1/2014)
Agriculture: the strongest piece of the U.S. economy (6/27/2014)
Brown is the color of money (6/13/2014)
Strong fourth-quarter milk checks restored profitability (6/9/2014)
At last! Dairies were profitable in 2013 (6/6/2014)
In California, it paid to be organic
(6/5/2014)
A scathing indictment about organic food marketing (5/30/2014)
The nation's dairy farms don't fit one mold (5/20/2014)
U.S. filled a world dairy export void (5/12/2014)
It's official: 2013 was California's driest year ever (5/9/2014)
Milk has never been so valuable (5/2/2014)
We are a ground beef nation (4/28/2014)
Hay is over $300 in some Western states (4/25/2014)
It's a good time to be working in ag (4/22/2014)
A no-brainer dairy investment (4/4/2014)
Exports can't be an afterthought (3/25/2014)
Grain markets are twitchy (3/14/2014)
Daily milk production is 11,740 pounds per farm (3/7/2014)
Updates to Dairy Policy E-Source on hoards.com (3/5/2014)
The right heifer herd size for you (2/25/2014)
Water worries low at World Ag Expo (2/14/2014)
What do you think about genomics? (2/7/2014)
Corn is cheaper, so why not distillers? (1/10/2014)
A cow numbers disaster for China's dairy industry (12/20/2013)
Profitability outlook for 2014 keeps getting better (12/6/2013)
"Next year is going to be pretty good" (11/29/2013)
Use genomic data to your farm's advantage (11/26/2013)
Idaho needs to become a huge dairy exporting state (11/22/2013)
Who makes the world's cheapest milk? (11/15/2013)
Global milk production picking up steam (11/4/2013)
Write it down: California will get a federal order (10/25/2013)
Five European countries paid milk quota penalties (10/21/2013)
Another example of why processors bypass California (10/18/2013)
California will fine rustlers, not hang them (10/11/2013)
An opportunity for heifers on greener pastures (10/8/2013)
California raises minimum wage to $10 per hour (9/27/2013)
Calving heifers earlier no guarantee for more milk (9/24/2013)
Political opposition to ethanol ignites in California (9/20/2013)
USDA ready to kick off dairy study (9/17/2013)
$3.25 corn? We'll believe it when it happens (9/13/2013)
Dairy farmers are apparently nobodies (9/6/2013)
Why are dairy numbers growing in Washington? (8/30/2013)
Dairy farmers, your thoughts are needed (8/16/2013)
U.S. dairy exports remain red hot (7/26/2013)
We have an export opportunity (7/25/2013)
55 years of alfalfa research (7/19/2013)
Remember, hot temperatures can kill calves, too (7/12/2013)
Young farmers face financing challenges (7/9/2013)
2012 profit-starved West can only hope for upswing next year (7/8/2013)
Major grain prices hit one-year lows (7/5/2013)
Precision dairy technologies will enhance cow care and management (7/2/2013)
California dairies get a few more price crumbs (6/28/2013)
In a surprising turn, the farm bill does not pass the House (6/21/2013)
New Zealand plays U.S. dairying as a chump (6/20/2013)
Yes, California's pricing system IS killing its dairies (6/14/2013)
The farm bill passed through the Senate last night (6/11/2013)
U.S. dairy exports should remain strong this year (6/10/2013)
Expect cottonseed prices to be higher this year (6/7/2013)
California's dairy production costs rose by double digits (6/3/2013)
First in milk production, last in air quality (5/31/2013)
California holds yet another milk price hearing (5/24/2013)
Hay may be a hot commodity this summer (5/21/2013)
Costs to produce milk keep creeping up (5/20/2013)
California takes another step toward federal milk order (5/17/2013)
Rattling a milk can of worms: Classified pricing (5/10/2013)
Pastures need extra care after a drought year (4/30/2013)
What you don't know can cost you (4/16/2013)
Feed prices: Time to pull the trigger? (4/15/2013)
How would the Dairy Security Act impact your dairy? (4/9/2013)
Top dairy co-op grabs record low refinancing rates (4/5/2013)
U.S. leader in global dairy production (4/2/2013)
California prohibits "use it or lose it" vacation policy(3/29/2013)
Readjusted portfolio gives AMPI Co-op renewed focus (3/27/2013)
Proposed bill could change milk pricing in California (3/26/2013)
New Zealand's woes boost U.S. milk prices (3/22/2013)
2012 was another banner year for dairy exports (3/15/2013)
March 1 federal budget cuts hit dairy, too (3/4/2013)
Twenty years of relentless dairy farm growth (3/1/2013)
2012 was another banner year for Jerseys (2/22/2013)
What is your cost of production? (2/18/2013)
2012 milk prices: good, bad and ugly (1/18/2013)
Ten things we learned in 2012 (1/1/2013)
Chobani has taken Idaho by storm (12/21/2012)
California co-ops renew plea for milk price help (12/6/2012)
Land rents, prices are like a blazing camp fire (12/3/2012)
Dairy cow culling is accelerating (11/30/2012)
Will block cheese hit $2.20 again? (11/29/2012)
Farmers never retire (11/26/2012)
U.S. milk per herd growth has been amazing (11/23/2012)
Corn and milk move hand-in-hand (11/22/2012)
Even a little reproductive performance improvement pays off (11/12/2012)
Feed calves and heifers like you mean it (11/9/2012)
$20 milk isn't special anymore (11/2/2012)
Death is inevitable; estate taxes are not (10/26/2012)
This isn't your daddy's dairy industry anymore (10/19/2012)
$39 milk in January? (10/12/2012)
Would a federal order pay higher milk prices? (9/28/2012)
Whatever you've heard about California's situation, it's worse (9/14/2012)
Milk price fight escalates big-time in California (9/07/2012)
Don't forget about replacements when it's hot (8/31/2012)
2012 dairy exports off to a good start (8/24/2012)
Hang on. A rebound is close. (8/20/2012)
Dairy financial situation is critical in California (8/10/2012)
Smaller cotton crops expected in 2012, 2013 (8/01/2012)
Ignore silage losses at your own risk (7/27/2012)
Evaluate your forage options (7/26/2012)
Record almond crop expected in California (7/20/2012)
The boom is going to bust (7/18/2012)
Uh-oh, they're back (7/13/2012)
Producers vote to allow public shares in the country's largest co-op. (7/05/2012)
California coalition is pushing for higher milk prices (6/29/2012)
Oil is down, so will hauling rates follow? (6/15/2012)
Will the future have room for you? (6/01/2012)
The dairy industry's financial bleeding WILL stop (5/25/2012)
Southern California dairying is fading away (5/18/2012)
Wooing California dairies while they're vulnerable (5/11/2012)
The day after: How does this BSE case compare to 2003? (4/25/2012)
Idaho and Oregon will slash their SCC limit on July 1 (4/23/2012)
Agriculture majors ARE worth it! (4/18/2012)
The squeeze tightens on milk price buying power (4/13/2012)
What's food worth anyway? (4/11/2012)
FDA scrutinizing extralabel and feed drug use (4/06/2012)
"EPA will destroy this country" (3/30/2012)
You can't fix stupid (3/23/2012)
Dairy business metrics for today and tomorrow (3/19/2012)
Brazil holds big brush in U.S. ethanol picture (3/16/2012)
What we've heard lately from Western milk producers (3/09/2012)
U.S. dairy farm numbers drop by 1,621 - now total 51,481 (2/27/2012)
Many dairy producers still hesitant about risk management (2/10/2012)
Corn versus ethanol: continuing the debate (2/09/2012)
Why on earth would you own dairy cattle? (2/08/2012)
Dairy replacement numbers drop slightly from last year (2/06/2012)
The connection between agriculture and defense (2/03/2012)
2011: the highest milk price year in history (1/27/2012)
Agriculture has been insulated from a down economy (1/25/21012)
Dairy market volatility will be persistent (1/17/2012)
Corn, soybean markets down after USDA's crop report (1/12/2012)
2012 hay forecast sees only slight price relief (1/06/2012)
Net incomes are up for western dairy herds (1/02/2012)
California dairying reinventing itself as a global exporter (12/30/2011)
High hay prices causing dairies to feed less (12/23/2011)
Dairy case observations from Japan (11/17/2011)
Idaho dairies eager for growth and more options (11/11/11)
Flipping an "on" switch for dairy energy attitudes (10/28/2011)
Corn and hay forecasts lowered again (10/21/2011)
Three-times-a-day calf feeding gaining popularity (9/30/2011)
High cull cow prices should continue in 2012 (9/23/2011)
Western milk production costs dropped in 2010 (9/09/2011)
Be thankful for a dairy infrastructure (9/08/2011)
Manure composting: Great benefits don't come easy (09/02/2011)
Forecast sees more corn for fuel than feed (8/19/2011)
Hate high hay shipping costs? This won't help (8/15/2011)
Beef sales could net you even more money (8/01/2011)
Nothing soft and fluffy about cottonseed prices (7/29/2011)
Israel reforms dairy market (7/28/2011)
New Zealand capitalizes on international dairy demand (6/30/2011)
Building for the future (6/24/2011)
Dairy exports above historical levels (6/16/2011)
It will take years to recover from 2009 (6/06/2011)
A new attitude about growth in California? (5/27/2011)
The economic outlook for the Upper Midwest (4/06/2011)
There's a war for acres going on (3/31/2011)
The farmer's share shrinking (3/29/2011)
Events in Japan impact the farm (3/16/2011)
Milk prices stay ahead of feed costsbarely (3/03/2011)
Dairy Financing conference strikes a chord with producers (2/25/2011)
We are beef producers, too! (2/23/2011)
A big manure check (2/19/2011)
Think outside the box for by-product potential (1/18/2011)
Good news from the Heartland: land values rising (1/14/2011)
USDA report reignites feed markets (1/13/2011)
2011 dairy outlook (don't shoot the messenger) (12/31/2010)
A bright spot in a gloomy outloook (12/24/2010)
China, oil, and why feed prices may get worse (12/23/2010)
Cost-price squeeze getting tighter (12/02/2010)
Land values heading up in corn and bean country (11/29/2010)
Worker's comp rates in top 10 dairy states (11/26/2010)
Western Herds show a profit during early 2010 (11/23/2010)
Something consumers have to be thankful for: low cost dinner (11/17/2010)
Feed price worries abound at Arizona meeting (10/29/2010)
Top cooperatives have strong agriculture, dairy influence (10/26/2010)
Corn market - all eyes focusing (10/07/2010)
What will you do when milk hits $20 again? (9/23/2010)
Money grows on trees? (9/21/2010)
Dairy situation better, but no celebrating yet (9/10/2010)
We're seeing signs of optimism in the West (9/03/2010)
Dairies were awash in red ink in 2009 (8/06/2010)
Check-off shake-ups and check-ups (8/05/2010)
Beef supply at 5-year low (7/02/2010)
Financials: better but not good (7/01/2010)
Farms have big local economic impact (6/03/2010)
What's your share of the retail food dollar? (6/01/2010)
Despite lower feed and energy costs, dairy farm losses mount (5/17/2010)
Another California cow courtship is underway 4/23/2010)
Eye-popping beef prices should last a while 4/16/2010)

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