Colostrum management — Time, trash and total
Dairy Herd Management
Newborn calves require special attention immediately after birth to decrease the risk of disease and death during the pre-weaning period, writes Fred Gingrich, a practicing veterinarian and owner of Country Roads Veterinary Services, Inc., in Ashland, Ohio. Gingrich says there is ample scientific evidence that disease and poor growth in calves is well correlated with poor performance during the first lactation. The most important meal in the life of the calf is the first meal. When evaluating colostrum management, he says mind the three T's: time, trash and total.More

As supply dwindles, organic milk gets popular
The New York Times
There is a shortage of organic milk across the country, and it has become so bad in areas like the Southeast that Publix stores from Florida to Tennessee have put up signs in dairy cases anticipating the shopper's frustrated refrain: "Where's my organic milk?" The answer is that there is not enough to go around, and consumers are seeing a sharp jump in price as well.More

Understanding cow behavior leads to changes in dairy barns
Ag Weekly
Researchers have found that dairies that cater to allelomimetic behaviors can increase milk per cow, save more healthy calves and keep their milking cows in the herd longer. Cows are primarily social animals that want to do everything as a part of a stable group. Their needs include having enough bunk space so all of the pre-fresh and post-fresh cows can eat at the same time. If cows can't all eat at once, the cows that eat later will eat less.More

Nestle gains with Heinz as China fears local food safety
Bloomberg
Tainted milk from China's largest dairy company, discovered amid a state crackdown on food safety, is set to be a windfall for foreign companies such as Nestle SA. China Mengniu Dairy Co., which supplies China's astronauts and athletes and is part-owned by the government, faces protests after regulators found toxins in its milk last month. The dairy company's shares have dropped 25 percent in two weeks and its website has been vandalized by hackers. More

Milk futures better than gold in 2011
CNNMoney
The commodity which enjoyed the biggest gain in price last year can be answered with a simple question: Got milk? That's because milk, not gold, oil, or any of the more popular futures contracts, enjoyed about a 35.7 percent rise in price in 2011 to close at 18.77 cents per pound.More

Canadian listeria cheese warnings reiterated in US
FoodQualityNews.com
U.S. health authorities have issued a warning in relation to a variety of cheese and dairy products potentially contaminated with listeria monocytogenes — weeks after Canadian officials recalled the same products.More

Penn State Creamery: From cow to cone
The Pennsylvania State University via Dairy Herd Management
Penn State ice cream: It's a tradition for generations of Penn Staters and their guests. But there's more than meets the eye, or the mouth, for that matter. Every cone begins with cream provided by cows at Penn State's dairy barns only a mile north of the creamery store. More

Study: 'Undervalued' lactose doesn't deserve bad dairy rap
DairyReporter.com
The role milk sugar lactose and its derivatives play in the human diet is often "misunderstood, underestimated and undervalued," according to a new paper. More

New York dairy farms required to report large quantities of water use
Hoard's Dairyman
With a deadline of Feb. 15, agricultural water users are required to register their water withdrawals with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This affects farmers withdrawing an average of 100,000 gallons or more of water per day in any 30-day period during the previous year from any combination of groundwater and surface water sources. The reporting fee is waived for agricultural uses.More

2011 was a wet, wild year in ag
Agweek
Every year is unique for farmers and ranchers on the Northern Plains, but 2011 was one of the most memorable years in recent memory. The rain-soaked spring that prevented millions of acres from being planted is particularly hard to forget.More

Row erupts over Fonterra's plan to ship New Zealand school milk
DairyReporter.com
The New Zealand Green Party says that Fonterra's plan to supply free school milk should be undertaken by the New Zealand government rather than "profit-driven companies." More

Valley dairy operators turn back clock with glass bottles, home delivery
The Fresno Bee
A Tulare County, Calif., dairy operator is planning to open a creamery this summer to bottle his own milk, and he'll do home delivery. While the idea may seem like a throwback, it's one that's getting more attention as Valley dairy operators tap the growing interest in local, high-quality foods and try to create new sources of revenue.More