Dairy Dispatch

• Dam-Sourced Colostrum Drops Calf Mortality from 8.9% to 6.2% – Inside the 93-Herd Protocol
  In a 93‑herd study, farms feeding pooled colostrum lost ~20 calves out of 220. Dam‑fed herds lost 14. The only change was which colostrum hit the gut […]
• 76% of Your Dairy Checkoff Funds Cheese and Exports. How Much ROI Hits Your Fluid Milk Check?
  Fluid milk finally rose in 2024, then slipped again in 2025. This isn’t a comeback—it’s a math test for any herd that lives on Class I. Executive Summ […]
• Ted Vander Schaaf’s $147,000 Hit: What the Supreme Court’s Tariff Ruling Means for a 500-Cow Dairy by July 24
  The Supreme Court struck down one set of tariffs and set a 150‑day clock. For a 500‑cow herd, the spread is $147,000. Where does your breakeven sit? E […]
• The $3 Milk Trap: How 2026’s Class III–IV Spread Becomes a $382,000 Hit on a 500-Cow Milk Check
  One month of DMC at $9.50 could pay several years of premiums. The deadline is Wednesday. Have you actually run the math? Executive Summary: Janu […]
• Deep Roots, Strong Branches: Max Prange (1990–2026)
  Max Prange (1990–2026). Fourth-generation roots. A whole life's worth of love in 35 years. Max Prange, age 35, of New Prague, Minnesota, was called ho […]