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

American Angus Association honors individuals who improve and advance the Angus breed

1 month ago | farmersadvance.com | Melissa Hart

While being inducted into the Saddle and Sirloin Club is an impressive milestone for any livestock specialist, that is just one of the places Dr. Harlan Ritchie was recognized for his contribution to the beef industry. Each year, the American Angus Association (AAA) honors individuals who have made a significant contribution of their time, knowledge and efforts to improve and advance the Angus breed.
Dairy Agenda Today - Dairy News

1 month ago | dairyagendatoday.com | Melissa Hart

By Melissa Hart When the National Brown Swiss Convention tour buses roll in the driveway at Northkill Creek Farm at Bernville, PA, they will be on the soil of a farm first homesteaded in 1888 by the Balthaser family — where the sixth generation now works day in and day out. Randy and Traci Balthaser and their daughter, Hannah, do the lion’s share of the work on the dairy with help from their son, Mark, Randy’s retired father, Wilson, and two employees.
Dairy Agenda Today - Dairy News

1 month 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

1 month 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?

2 months 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

2 months 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

2 months 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

2 months 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

Mar 26, 2025 | 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

Mar 19, 2025 | 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.