Melissa Hart

Michigan, North Adams

Editor at Dairy Agenda Today

News Correspondent at Farm World

I'm a freelance writer, farmwife and mom of four down on the farm. I'm also the editor for Dairy Agenda Today.

Articles

Dairy Agenda Today - Dairy News

1 week ago | dairyagendatoday.com | Melissa Hart

By Melissa Hart “Let the Good Times Roll” was the theme of Sarina Sharp’s presentation at the 2025 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in February in Mt. Pleasant. Global milk output is down, and there are many barriers to expansion in U.S. and European milk production. The dairy deficit has also propelled prices to multi-year highs — but how long can all this last? Sharp, a market analyst for the Daily Dairy Report, outlined the major areas that impact dairy producers.
Opinion: This historic race now has three divisions and men are allowed in all three

2 weeks ago | farmersadvance.com | Melissa Hart

Odds are, right now there is a young teenage girl pounding a gravel road choking from the dust that a nearby corn planter is kicking up as she trains for a high school track meet or stays in shape for fall cross-country season. She may be a girl who grew up on a five-generation dairy farm or the 4-Her with the hog in her back yard in some small town in rural America with dreams of running in college and maybe even one day winning the Boston Marathon.
What’s the solution to the heifer shortage?

3 weeks ago | agproud.com | Melissa Hart

Dairy heifers are in short supply – and they’re not the sort of commodity we can restock in a hurry. Read about the ramifications of the heifer shortage on milk yields, dairy product prices and livestock values. Darn it! This content is only for registered users with a subscription! Already a registered user? Sweet! Make sure you are signed in. If not, what are you waiting for? It’s FREE. Click hereto register and create an account.
Older Women Are Battling a Loneliness Epidemic

4 weeks ago | damemagazine.com | Melissa Hart

Women over 50 are statistically prone to becoming more socially isolated and lonely. Our writer, who has combatted lifelong loneliness, investigated first-hand on a solo adventure trip designed to cultivate companionship. This article was made possible because of the generous support of DAME members. We urgently need your help to keep publishing. Will you contribute just $5 a month to support our journalism?
Fair history is fun history

1 month ago | farmersadvance.com | Melissa Hart

Melissa HartFarmers' AdvanceWhile doing a little research I found that the oldest county fair in the United States is the Topsfield Fair located in Topsfield, Massachusetts. It began in 1818 and is known as America's oldest county fair. It was originally a one day cattle show organized by the Essex County Agricultural Society. Today, it runs for ten days and features a wide array of attractions including agricultural exhibits, amusement rides, live music, food vendors and various competitions.
Dairy Agenda Today - Dairy News

1 month ago | dairyagendatoday.com | Melissa Hart

By Melissa Hart The Senate Ag committee held a hearing with expert testimony from USDA officials to school nutrition experts to talk about the pros and cons of whole milk in schools. And while my initial intention was to rally everyone to contact their senators and representatives to push this Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act through congress, my mind has gone in a completely different direction.
A calling for cattle: The loss of an aficionado

1 month ago | farmersadvance.com | Melissa Hart

We all know someone with an encyclopedic mind filled with countless pages of cow pedigrees. They can recall generations of this cow or that heifer. They remember who owned them when they were All-American as a fall yearling or where they placed when they were a 5-year-old. They are the people who know who bought what, before it is public knowledge.
The trust of a daughter

1 month ago | farmersadvance.com | Melissa Hart

Does anyone remember the white t-shirt with the red and blue graphic on the front that said, “Proud to be a Farmer’s Daughter” from the 1970s? I believe it was available in the Nasco catalog, and it was the only item that I wanted. Every time a new catalog came, I quickly flipped to that page to make sure it was still available. My mom finally bought one for me and I coveted that shirt.
The passion woven in at creation

2 months ago | farmersadvance.com | Melissa Hart

Sometimes you just need a little inspiration to stay motivated and moving forward. Lately, I’ve been recording podcasts for Dairy Agenda Today. I choose my guests mainly because I want to know more about them. I’m curious about who they are, where they came from and what they think about things. And if I’m curious, then others may be as well. I just finished editing a conversation with a young lady from Indiana, Caroline Egolf.
Which beef is the best? My family's taste test extravaganza

2 months ago | farmersadvance.com | Melissa Hart

Who doesn’t love a taste test? Once a week we have a family dinner. It’s my way of giving my daughters-in-law a break from cooking dinner for their families. But if I were totally truthful, it’s my way of having all of my grandkids at my house one night a week. To break up the wintertime blues, I decided to subject my family to a taste test of beef from local growers. The demand of consumers wanting locally grown food has worked to our advantage.