95% of U.S. dairy farms have disappeared since 1970. Today, about 24,000 dairies remain.
While the number has dropped, the average herd size is on the rise. More than 60% of all milk production occurs on farms with more than 2,500 cows.
So, what is driving the changes in the dairy industry?
That depends on who you ask.
A University of Tennessee Dairy Specialist believes that it is tied to the Federal Milk Marketing Order and how today’s dairy producers are paid for their products.
Related Stories
The new AFBF Women in Agriculture survey is accepting responses from women in the industry across the United States now through March 31.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) representative Dr. Dirac Twidwell joins us with the latest on woody encroachment conservation efforts in the Great Plains.
API said it stands ready to work with Congress to develop a balanced approach to E15 legislation that promotes fuel choice, supports investment certainty, and contributes to a stable and fair marketplace for American consumers.
In the meantime, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is asking that farmers be allowed to use marketing assistance loans to help stay afloat.
Beef industry groups seem to agree — market-based pricing, not federal intervention, best supports rancher livelihoods and long-term beef supply stability.
Harvest Pace, Logistics, and Input Costs Drive Fall Decisions