The Bullvine

Who Really Owns Your Dairy? Three Ways to Stop Divorce and Succession Turning Unpaid Spousal Work into a Land Sale
If your spouse runs the books, calves, and fresh cows but isn’t on the papers, divorce or death could cost you a field. Executive Summary: Many d […]
FMMO Pays $1.71/lb for Butterfat Worth $2.95: What USDA’s December Report Tells You About Your Milk Check in 2026
Processors are exporting your butterfat at roughly $2.95/lb while the FMMO pays you based on ~$1.71. Here's how that gap formed — and what you need to […]
$1.6B to Texas and Kansas, 76% of Wisconsin Farms Gone: Scale Up, Go Premium, or Get Out
Hilmar, Leprino, and Valley Queen are pulling milk toward new regions. For producers in traditional dairy states, the math has changed—and so have the […]
Robots Won’t Save Your Dairy If You’re Alone: 5 Hard Truths About Labor and Robotic Milking ROI Under 500 Cows
Under 500 cows and eyeing robots? Before you sign a $1M note, answer this: Who shows up your lane when the barn goes dark? Executive Summary: If […]
GDT’s 6.7% Rally, $14.59 Class III: Head-Fake? Your Call Before April
GDT up 6.7%, Class III stuck at $14.59. Is this rally real—or a head-fake you’ll regret chasing before April? Executive Summary: The early 2026 G […]

A 31-Year-Old Dairy Farmer Died in a Manure Pit. What Wayne County Did Next Is a Playbook You Can Steal. One year after Reed Hostetler's death at L&R Dairy in Ohio, his community is still proving what farm safety and resilience look like when farmers refuse to let one of…
The 143-Hour Week at Clark Farms: The Real Math of On-Farm Creamery ROI and Your Time. Clark Farms operated a creamery for 6 years, serving dozens of accounts. They just shut it down—and kept milking. Here's the math. Executive Summary: Clark Farms, a fifth‑generation dairy in Delhi,…
Holstein Conformation’s $2,678 Gap: How Holstein USA’s Million‑Cow Study Should Change Your Linear Type Strategy Holstein USA’s million‑cow study found a $2,678 lifetime gap tied to conformation. The question isn’t if it’s real—it’s how close your herd is to the wrong side of it. Executive…
“I Get to Be the Funding”: What 96% of U.S. Dairy Farms Owe to the Spouse With the Town Job When the median U.S. farm lost money in 2023, it was the job in town—and the person working it—that kept the lights on. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The median U.S. farm lost $900…
79% of U.S. Milk Runs on Immigrant Labor. If Yours Vanishes, You Have 72 Hours. 79% of U.S. milk runs on immigrant labor. One Idaho dairy lost a third of its crew in 3 weeks—no raid, just fear from one 50 miles away. You have…

Robotic Milking Pays 13% More – After 7 Years of Red Ink
Here's the cash flow math the dealer didn't show you — and the one number that predicts whether your robots will pay E483 Rob […]
Sixty Cows Above the Clouds: How a Tiny Alpine Herd Won Europe’s Biggest Breeding Honor
When Rupert was 10, his parents gave him a calf named Mailand. Last month, his 60-cow herd won European Breeder of the Year. […]
Dairy Calf Nutrition for Healthier, Higher‑Producing Cows
“Reminder: every extra pound of pre‑weaning gain can mean 1,000+ lbs more milk later. Are your calves leaving money on the ta […]
Udder Edema Hits 86% of Fresh Heifers – A $3,500-$16,000 Hit in a $3,000–$4,000 Heifer Market (And a $40/Head Fix)
86% of fresh heifers have udder edema. That's not a cosmetic issue — it's $3,500–$16,000 a year walking out your door. E480 U […]
Diane Hendricks: She Wasn’t Allowed to Milk Cows. Now She’s Worth Over $20 Billion.
She wasn’t allowed to milk cows. She now runs a $22B company. How many daughters is your dairy quietly pushing off the lane? […]

Locked from the Inside: Dairy’s Darkest Crimes and the Weak Spots They Exploited Barn doors locked from the inside. Semen straws filled with dishwater. A $7,500 cow insured for $250,000—and two dairymen dead by their own hands within a week. E472 Locked from…
Where the Robots Hum and the Cows Stay Calm: The Four Oak Farms Way Think robots ruin cow comfort and family time? At Four Oak Farms, the robot hums, the Brown Swiss relax, and the kids still make bedtime. E476 Where the Robots Hum…
Harborcrest Rose Milly: From Pig Money to Holstein Royalty Pig money bought the heifer that his neighbors laughed at. Today, Harborcrest Rose Milly EX-97 runs through every Holstein pedigree in North America. E460 Harborcrest Rose Milly: From Pig Money…
They Kept the Barn Lights On That was a sad day when those eight cows didn't come in the barn in the morning, and you go out and… yeah E468 They Kept the Barn Lights On…
One ICE Raid. 35 Workers Gone. A New Mexico Dairy Learned What Community Really Means. One ICE raid stopped a dairy cold. 35 workers gone. But it also revealed who neighbours really are. E471 One ICE Raid. 35 Workers Gone. A New Mexico D |…