Cattle markets continue to be strong, with all classes of cattle trading above year-ago and five-year average historical prices. High farm gate prices can lead to exciting marketing opportunities across the value chain, but they can also lead to complacency.

Many wise Americans, from poets to presidents, have praised farming as a noble calling. It’s a rewarding endeavor, to be sure, but it certainly isn’t easy.

Progressive Dairy provides monthly online updates of important dates, reports and advice affecting risk management decisions.

Milk prices declined and feed costs continued to rise in July, cutting into monthly dairy producer milk income over feed cost margins calculated under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.

May 2022 “mailbox” prices averaged about 98 cents per hundredweight (cwt) less than announced average “all-milk” prices for the same month.

With the end of another quarter near, dairy producers managing risk through the Dairy Revenue Protection (Dairy-RP) program face a coverage deadline.