Waste not, want not – that’s what we’re taught. And that’s the sentiment behind a nascent movement for brewers who are playing with leftover whey. Whey, the byproduct of cheesemaking and yogurt creation, often has no other use and is dumped or otherwise disposed of. (One pound of cheese generates ni...

Mastitis changes milk quality, but it is not always caused by the same bugs. Treatment and management decisions should reflect these differences. Most farms have zero tolerance for contagious bugs. Some pathogens like mycoplasma don’t respond to antibiotics, leaving farms no treatment options. This ...

Consumers receive mixed messages about consuming fat from animal products, often from sources they deem credible. Dr. Jana Kraft, associate professor in the department of animal and veterinary sciences at the University of Vermont, conducts research on dairy fat and fatty acids in the context of hum...

Changing cow diets changes the amount of fatty acids in their milk. Fatty acids found in cow milk, which are thought to play an important role in human health, include linoleic and alpha-linoleic (ALA) – or omega 6 and omega 3 – as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). All cow milk, no matter what...

“We’ve seen tremendous growth and adoption of robotic milking within the industry,” Trevor DeVries, Dairy Cattle Behavior and Welfare, University of Guelph, said, estimating that 15% of dairy farms in Canada use robotic milking equipment. The primary reason dairy farmers switch from conventional mil...

UV light is presenting farmers with new opportunities for controlling diseases as a complement to or replacement for pesticides. The germicidal effects of UV-C have been widely known for a century, explained Nick Skinner, a research specialist at the Lighting Research Center (LRC), part of Rensselae...

If a soybean crop isn’t performing as expected, or if yields have decreased over the years, the problem might be a plant parasite nematode (PPN). In many cases, the culprit is soybean cyst nematode (SCN). This pest was formerly a southern issue, but it’s been moving northward and impacting crops thr...

Burger King’s gassy cow video agitates farmers For a company that sells mostly beef, one might guess it wouldn’t want to upset the nation’s farmers. But on the heels of the non-beef Impossible Burger campaign, Burger King has once again angered beef producers by rolling out a provocative video featu...

Generational dairy farms make changes over the years, but Ron Holter has made changes that took the family farm in a new direction. Holterholm Farms was established in 1889, and until recently, Holter operated the Jefferson, MD, farm like many other dairies – raising crops, milking Holstein cows and...