If you could pick one word to describe what is going on in the world of agriculture, it would be volatility. With a shorter news cycle, constant availability of new data and, of course, quick policy shifts, volatility has increased exponentially. We all get that the world of agriculture and commodities is cyclical, but the increased volatility is frankly more challenging to deal with on all fronts than in previous cycles. With that in mind, what are some strategies we should

It’s no secret that dairy heifers are in short supply, and their prices are high. An early 2025 USDA-estimated inventory of just 3.914 million head of dairy heifers over 500 pounds marks the lowest population of dairy heifers in the U.S. since 1978. Meanwhile, the U.S. beef cattle herd is the smallest it has been in 64 years, ramping up incentives for dairies to produce more high-value beef-cross calves. The financial upshot: today it is common for Holstein springers to fetch

The dairy industry is evolving, and producers are finding new ways to diversify their operations. For Ken McCarty of McCarty Family Dairy in Kansas, one big innovation has come through the rapid rise of beef-on-dairy practices — transforming what was once considered low-value into a substantial source of income. “We remember the days when we were trying to sell Holstein bull calves, two for $5, and you couldn’t get rid of them,” McCarty recalled on the U.S. Farm Report live t