January 27, 2026
• Milk production in the United States totaled 19.57 billion pounds in December, according to USDA’s latest Milk Production report. That was up more than 4% year-over-year.
• In December, there were 9.57 million head of dairy cows on U.S. farms, and the average milk production per cow totaled 2,045 pounds.
• Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 head or more totaled 11.5 million on January 1, according to USDA’s Cattle on Feed report. That was down 3% from the previous year.
• Get answers to your feeding questions with a hay test.
• Consider these topics for present and future alfalfa stands: winterkill and seed selection.
January 20, 2026
• Woody Lane, livestock nutritionist and forage and grazing specialist, received the Distinguished Grasslander Award at the American Forage and Grassland Council’s (AFGC) Annual Conference last week in Asheville, N.C.
• Also at the conference, two AFGC Medallion Awards were presented to Matt Poore and Johnny Rogers, the director and the program coordinator of the Amazing Grazing Program, respectively.
• The pasture mealybug is on the move, now confirmed in Louisiana.
• Did you establish tall fescue in 2025? Do this in 2026.
• Drones have their pros and cons in pasture systems.
January 13, 2026
• October alfalfa hay exports totaled 161,261 metric tons (MT), according to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. That was up 24% month-over-month, but 7% less compared to last year.
• Alfalfa hay exports to China were down slightly in October at 53,801 MT. Through the tenth month of 2025, China imported 614,289 MT of U.S. alfalfa, 21% less year-over-year.
• All other hay (mostly grass) exports totaled 77,077 MT in October. Major grass hay export markets were Japan with 40,511 MT, South Korea with 23,665 MT, and Taiwan with 7,061 MT.
• Weather uncertainty remains a dominate theme in long-range forecasts for 2026.
• Register now for the 2026 "Focus on Forage" webinar series, presented by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
January 6, 2026
• Beef prices are expected to stay at record highs in 2026, thanks to a historically low national herd size and minimal incentive for farmers to retain replacement heifers.
• Dairy cows across the U.S. produced 9.1 billion pounds of milkfat through November 2025, which was more than what has ever been recorded for that period. While this has powered stronger butter production, it has driven prices downward.
• Michigan State University Extension is calling all farmers with pasture or hayfields in the Mitten State to complete this forage needs assessment survey.
• Consider these timely forage tips for the month of January.
• New Year’s Resolutions aside, winter is a time for setting farm goals.