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2 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Karen Bohnert |Rhonda Brooks |Taylor Leach |Maureen Hanson
In recent discussions surrounding trade policies and tariffs, the dairy industry has been notably affected. Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, reflect on how the Trump 2.0 approach closely mirrors Trump’s earlier strategy, aimed at extracting concessions from trade partners. April 09, 2025 03:12 PM ·
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2 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Karen Bohnert |Rhonda Brooks |Taylor Leach |Maureen Hanson
At the heart of rural America lies a way of life that instills values often hard to find in the hustle and bustle of city living. This past fall, my youngest son, Jacob, 14, and a couple of his friends became part of this tradition when I made an agreement with them: I would cover the initial cost of purchasing beef-on-dairy crossbred calves from our dairy, and they would handle the day-to-day care. Once the calves were sold, they would repay me.
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2 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Taylor Leach |Rhonda Brooks |Tyne Morgan |Karen Bohnert
In a Wednesday morning press conference, ahead of Trump announcing his global tariff plan, Sheinbaum says Mexico will “announce a comprehensive program, not a tit for tat on tariffs,” but added, “we have a plan to strengthen the economy under any circumstance.” April 02, 2025 12:01 PM ·
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2 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Karen Bohnert |Rhonda Brooks |Taylor Leach |Maureen Hanson
As dairy producers strive for efficiency and higher profitability, the famed “7 lb. target” has become a focal point in dairy production conversations. According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, butterfat levels have been setting record highs over the past four consecutive years, averaging 4.23% nationally in 2024. Protein content has mirrored this rise, also achieving record levels annually from 2016 to 2024, reaching an average of 3.29% in 2024.
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2 weeks ago | 
dairyherd.com | Karen Bohnert |Rhonda Brooks |Taylor Leach |Maureen Hanson
As the dynamics of the global workforce continue to evolve, so too must the strategies to hire and retain an adequate on-farm labor force in the U.S.The shrinking pool of workers in rural areas is a real concern for farmers, says Richard Stup, senior Extension associate and agricultural workforce specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension.
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1 month ago | 
dairyherd.com | Karen Bohnert |Matthew J. Grassi |Rhonda Brooks |Maureen Hanson
In the dairy industry, the term “cheap labor” often surfaces in conversations, especially when discussing immigrant workers. However, this term is misleading and doesn’t accurately reflect the invaluable contributions of these workers. Let’s explore the realities and dispel some myths surrounding the labor force driving America’s dairy farms. The Backbone of Dairy ProductionMost of today’s dairy producers learned the ropes of milking cows early, often before they even learned to drive.
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2 months ago | 
porkbusiness.com | Jim Wiesemeyer |Rhonda Brooks |Jennifer Shike |Tyne Morgan
In response to President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, Canada announced its own 25% tariffs on $155 billion worth of U.S. imports. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also announced its own retaliatory measures to Trump’s 25% tariffs, but no specifics were unveiled. Canada Strikes Back Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that the tariffs will roll out in two phases, starting Feb. 4 on $30 bil.
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2 months ago | 
porkbusiness.com | Jennifer Shike |Jim Wiesemeyer |Steve Cubbage |Rhonda Brooks
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led 23 states in a brief supporting Iowa pork producers against California’s strict-hog-housing regulations — Proposition 12, the Office of the Attorney General reported in an article on Jan. 29. As the nation’s top pork-consuming state, California has major influence over the whole market.
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2 months ago | 
porkbusiness.com | Jennifer Shike |Jim Wiesemeyer |Steve Cubbage |Rhonda Brooks
In a competitive industry like the U.S. pork business, it’s important to reflect and learn from your experiences. The experts featured each quarter in the State of the Pork Industry Report share four ways they grew from experiences they went through in 2024. 1. We’re in the people business. One thing that Adam Annegers, sow production manager at JBS, is taking with him from lessons learned in 2024 is how to relate to people in the barn. “We all have protocol books. Every company has them.
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2 months ago | 
dairyherd.com | Taylor Leach |Rhonda Brooks |Steve Cubbage |Shay Foulk
Milk production in the 24 major states continued its downward trend in December, totaling 18.0 billion lbs., a 0.4% decline from the previous year. This marks a continuation of the slight contraction seen in November, where revised production figures showed a 0.3% year-over-year decrease. Slight Contraction ContinuesDespite these declines, the overall number of milk cows in the 24 major states increased by 17,000 head compared to December 2023 yet decreased by 8,000 head from November 2024.
