June 11, 2021: Post Pandemic Demand
As new COVID-19 cases decline across Pennsylvania and the nation, many states have relaxed or lifted mask mandates and restaurant capacities. On Memorial Day in Pennsylvania, Governor Wolf lifted the...
View ArticleJune 18, 2021: June Dairy Month
My elementary and middle school years spanned the early 1980s to the early 1990s. I always remember how proud I was, as a young kid, to be a dairy farmer’s child when June Dairy Month came around. It...
View ArticleJuly 2, 2021: High Feed Cost
In general, the largest expense on a dairy operation is by far the feed cost. Maybe a grazing herd’s feed costs are lower, but in the Northeast, cows cannot graze year-round and feed cost increases in...
View ArticleJuly 9, 2021: Dairy Production and Stocks
May’s U.S. milk production posted a 4.6% year-over-year (YOY) increase to 19.9 bil. pounds. This was the largest YOY growth in nearly 10 years. With the release of the USDA Dairy Products report July...
View ArticleJuly 16, 2021: Sustainability
Over the last 10 to 15 years, “sustainability” has become a hot topic. However, the definition of sustainability may be different depending on the individual asked. A simple definition prior to 15...
View ArticleJuly 23, 2021: Shifting Utilization
In the two and half years I have been working in the Pennsylvania dairy industry, Pennsylvania has lost over 12% of its dairy farms, but the herd size of those remaining has increased by 6% to 89 cows...
View ArticleJuly 30, 2021: July
The July 26, USDA Crop Progress report shows that the corn crop across the country is progressing on par with last year and, in general, on par with the five-year average: 79% of the U.S. corn crop is...
View ArticleAugust 6, 2021: Margins Sink Further in June
It is never a good thing when milk price falls and feed commodity prices increase. This has been the case for most of 2021. When milk price has managed to increase, feed costs have risen enough to...
View ArticleAugust 13, 2021: Exports Through June
Milk price has been extremely volatile over the last year and a half, making it very difficult across the Northeast for dairy farmers to know what they will be paid for their milk. One bright spot over...
View ArticleAugust 20, 2021: Survey-Based Corn Yield
As we approach harvest season and have a better idea of what yields will look like, USDA starts estimating yields based on actual survey results. The Aug. 12 Crop Production report is the first...
View ArticleSeptember 3, 2021: Fluid Milk Sales
The Coronavirus Pandemic certainly made its mark on the U.S. dairy industry last year, and it continues to influence dairy markets even now. The result of business shutdowns and stay-at-home requests...
View ArticleSeptember 10, 2021: Dairy Product Production
Milk production has grown tremendously this year. Every month through July has experienced year-over-year (YOY) growth. Through July, 3.41 billion more pounds of milk have been produced on U.S. dairy...
View ArticleSeptember 17, 2021: PA Dairy Industry Conference Call
There have been a lot of developments in the dairy industry as it relates to relief payments and changes to the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. On Tuesday, September 14, the Center hosted a Dairy...
View ArticleSeptember 24, 2021: Center Grant Programs
The Vision of the Center for Dairy Excellence is to “Serve as a catalyst for a vibrant Pennsylvania Dairy Industry,” while the Mission is to “Empower and support Pennsylvania dairy families and...
View ArticleOctober 1, 2021: September
Fall is officially here. Cooler weather, a little color in the trees, and a shortening of daylight hours are confirming the season change. Hot weather, drought conditions, and high feed costs have...
View ArticleOctober 8, 2021: 2020 Per Capita Milk Consumption
At the end of August, the USDA released data relative to fluid milk sales. The results from that data were relatively positive with fluid milk sales basically flat compared to 2019. The take home...
View ArticleOctober 15, 2021: Business Planning Roundtables
Each fall, the Center for Dairy Excellence hosts a series of roundtable meetings across the state. With the first of those meetings less than a month out, now is a good time to explain what the topic...
View ArticleOctober 22, 2021
Extreme volatility has hampered dairy farmers across the nation for over a year and a half. However, that volatility has decreased in recent months and Class III and IV milk prices are trading in more...
View ArticleOctober 29, 2021: October
The USDA updated August milk production and cow number data are showing a larger shrinkage in cow numbers that led to even slower growth in milk production compared to what was originally reported...
View ArticleNovember 12, 2021: September Exports Continue Record Pace
September export numbers were recently released. It is the 9th month in a row to experience year-over-year (YOY) growth in volume and value. Growth continued despite continued congestion at major U.S....
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