Fields of wheat are so associated with the U.S. that they’re featured in the song America the Beautiful as “amber waves of grain.” But those amber fields face a big threat: Russian wheat aphids. As their name suggests, these aphids hail from Eurasia. These invasive pests first made their way to Texas in 1986. They’ve since spread to many states …

National Milk Producers Federation — While no one can say with certainty that the slow re-openings across the U.S. mark the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s clear these attempts to return to a more normal existence mark the end of the beginning. The world is an experiment, both of science and of societies. Outcomes will remain uncertain …

Overview The coronavirus pandemic has attacked the U.S. dairy economy in waves. It showed up first via collapsing futures-based price outlooks in March, then prompted an April meltdown in the cash markets, and is now being felt most acutely in the milk checks producers will receive through July. But as of mid-May, cash and futures markets were strongly rebounding, particularly …

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) and checkoff partner Pizza Hut are joining forces to give away half a million pizzas to Class of 2020 high school graduates. “We are so excited to partner with Pizza Hut to help high school seniors and their families celebrate this special milestone in their lives,” said Marilyn Hershey, a Pennsylvania dairy farmer and chair of …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week that the March 2020 income over feed cost margin was $9.15 per hundredweight (cwt.), triggering the first payment of 2020 for dairy producers who purchased the appropriate level of coverage under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. Current projections indicate that a DMC payment is likely to trigger every month …

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s latest China Dairy & Products Semi-annual Report shows that China’s fluid milk production is expected to continue increasing as a result of the expansion of large dairy farms and improved yields. COVID-19 has had a limited impact on milk production but temporarily reduced consumption resulting in a relatively higher ratio of fluid milk being processed into …

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s latest Mexico Dairy & Products Semi-annual Report shows Mexico’s dairy industry to be experiencing a slowdown due to the domestic economic situation and pandemic emergency measures. Even though Mexico’s dairy industry is being hit hard, the forecast for 2020 is not too pessimistic, as production of milk and dairy products is expected to continue with a …

California’s leading dairy organizations have announced the winners of the Dairy’s Future Leaders college student writing contest. The contest asked students to share what sustainability means to them and how they envision their futures as leaders in the dairy community. Genevieve Regli, sophomore at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, received first place honors. Second and third place awards went to Hayley Fernandes, sophomore at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and Andrew Skidmore, junior …

Agricultural producers can now apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The application and a payment calculator are now available online, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff members are available via phone, fax and online tools to help producers complete applications. The agency set up a call …

The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) has partnered with Dairy Council of California to teach ag literacy in an exciting and innovative way that brings the farm experience to students as they learn from home. The Farm to You Virtual Field Trip connects the successful Dairy Council of California Mobile Dairy Classroom assembly experience with a virtual trip to a …