It all started in France. One farmer was complaining to another that he was losing as much as 30 percent of his silage due to pests. In this case, the second farmer did more than just sympathize, he started to ponder solutions, and eventually a product was created and a company was born. The company… Read more »
Category: Dairy
Start-up businesses get leg up through Agropur dairy innovation program
Five businesses in North America will be given the opportunity to reinvent and reinvigorate the dairy sector. Agropur has launched a new accelerator program for the business side of dairy dubbed Inno Accel. The program, which launched last month, will bring together a team of two mentors (one entrepreneur and one Agropur executive) to be… Read more »
Federal government expands area eligible for drought-related tax deferral
In mid September, the federal government announced the list of prescribed regions eligible for drought-related livestock tax deferral. The break was welcomed, however ranchers and producer groups criticized the government’s approach, saying it left out too many drought-affected producers. Announced October 31st, the federal government says it is taking steps to answer some of that… Read more »
Saputo purchases two U.S. dairy processing facilities
Montreal-based Saputo has announced its plan to acquire the activities of F&A Dairy Products, Inc., a dairy processing company with two sites in the United States, for US$85 million. Located in New Mexico and Wisconsin, F&A Dairy employs approximately 170 people. The purchase price will be paid in cash from cash on hand and available credit… Read more »
Crop insurance will have to grind through this brutal Ontario corn harvest
“Brutal” is just one word being used to describe some of the corn coming off in Ontario. While yields are good, a perfect storm of disease-inducing conditions at and following pollination has left a chunk of the 2018 corn crop riddled with myctoxins, most notably vomitoxin. “There is still lots of good corn in Ontario,”… Read more »
Mastitis TV: Dairy farmers, researchers turning to social media for knowledge sharing
When it comes to connecting with other farmers and researchers, there’s no substitute for being there. Just consider attendance at events such as Crop Connect in Manitoba or Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Ontario, and that’s clear. But when producers can’t physically be at an event because they’re tied up with their herd, they can… Read more »
OptiDuo feed pusher makes dairy rations more appetizing
Automated feed pushers save time and reduce workload. These robots can free dairy producers from the constant grind of pushing feed back within reach of their animals. It’s a win/win, as having feed within reach of the animals is just part of the recipe for higher feed intake and great milk production, too, notes Gravin… Read more »
Kingston baby formula plant moving ahead “on schedule”
Reports last week that Kingston’s Canada Royal Milk plant, owned by Chinese company Feihe International, might be in jeopardy following the signing of USMCA, were alarming and confusing, says the head of Kingtson’s economic development corporation. “There is no immediate impact on Feihe Canada Royal Milk’s investment in Kingston or the forecasted job creation,” says Donna… Read more »
A mobile parlour and traveling cows — cheese making in the Swiss Alps
Seasonal milking sure isn’t common in Canada, and it’s limited in the United States, but in some European countries, it’s not just common, it’s a key part of their culture. Marion Studhalter, who normally calls Ontario home, spent the summer making cheese in the Alps. The production system she was a part of is rather… Read more »
Dairy goat industry facing over-supply, uncertainty with processors
It wasn’t that long ago that just about everyone said if you are looking to diversify or get out of cows, you should get into goats. The market for these little milk makers, seemingly, had no where to go but up: major processors were expanding or adding product lines, consumption trends positive, and prices were… Read more »
Change blades in seconds with new mower-conditioner
Looking to cut your hay close, clean, and quick while conditioning it for faster dry down and nutrient preservation? If that’s the plan, it may be time to take a closer look at New Hollands’s new Discbine 209 and 210 disc mower-conditioners. The side-pull mowers were rolled out at the recent Farm Progress Show at Boone, Iowa…. Read more »
Loss of Class 7 — not access — the larger USMCA problem, says economist
There was a tremendous amount of relief, and some consternation, when the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was finally struck. Cleary, many industries are simply happy that things did not get worse. The dairy industry, though, feels that things did get worse for them. Dr. Richard Barichello, professor, food and resource economics at the University… Read more »
Indiana farmer milks 2,200 cows with 36 robots
Can robots effectively milk cows on large U.S. dairy farms? That’s a question Plymouth, Indiana farmer Brian Houin is determined to answer at his family-owned Homestead Dairy operation. Canadian farmers have had tremendous success using robot milkers in smaller dairy operations, but Houin is putting the milking machines to the test on a whole new level. In… Read more »
Wisconsin dairy farmer ponders “managed production” for a brighter future
What a week in Wisconsin. When I arrived at the annual World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, early last week, farmers across the U.S. were still trying to understand the potential impact that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) could have on their farms. Early television reports featured emotional farmers sharing tearful thanks for a new… Read more »
An anthem for the dairy farmer in your life
Let’s face it — when it comes to food marketing and advertising, companies get it so very wrong most of the time. Every now and again, though, companies get it so very right. In case you haven’t seen it, American dairy co-op Land O’Lakes recently released its fresh take on the Old McDonald nursery rhyme,… Read more »