The Dairy Margin Coverage Program is a voluntary risk management program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). DMC offers financial assistance when the margin between the national all-milk price and average feed costs falls below a coverage level selected by the producer. The program has changes, including up to 6 million pounds of production coverage and 25% for a six-year lock-in. Hear about these changes and other upcoming programs during this webinar.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) isn’t just a poultry issue—it can impact dairy operations, animal health, and farm employees. Understanding best practices now can help protect your herd, your workforce, and your business. This free webinar brings together leading experts to share practical steps for monitoring, prevention, and response.

Expert Presentations: Learn from leading experts including Douglas Reinemann, Stephanie Plaster, and Carolina Pinzón from the University of Wisconsin; Jim Salfer from the University of Minnesota; Larry Tranel from Iowa State University Extension; and industry professionals

Key Topics: Discussions will cover AMS profitability, labor efficiency, herd health impacts, data-driven diagnostics, welfare, and key considerations before transitioning to robotic milking systems.

Producer Panel: Hear firsthand experiences and lessons learned from dairy farmers who have implemented robotic systems.

Networking Opportunities: Connect with industry experts and peers to share insights and strategies.

Robots and automated tools can be a valuable, labor‑saving investments on dairy farms, but there are important considerations before making the leap. One of the best first steps is visiting other farms and talking directly with producers about their experiences.

In effort of providing more research-backed information on Automatic Milking Systems (AMS), the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension Dairy Program has organized an AMS Field Day to give you that opportunity.

The event offers a chance to see robotic milking systems in action and ask questions about management, performance, and return on investment.

3rd Tuesday of each month from 11 am - 12 pm CT

A Clearer Picture: Using Ultrasound to Detect Respiratory Issues in Calves

Dr. Theresa Ollivett, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, will dive into the hidden challenges of respiratory disease in young dairy calves. On-farm lung ultrasounds reveal that pneumonia often lurks beneath the surface—even after treatment—impacting calf growth, welfare, and profitability. In this session, Dr. Ollivett will discuss the critical questions producers and veterinarians should be asking and demonstrate how lung ultrasound can provide answers. She’ll share practical applications for identifying risk factors, detecting problems early, monitoring treatment effectiveness, and tracking disease trends to improve herd health and performance.

Hay There! Let's Talk Feed Centers and Inventory

Managing feed inventory and waste is a critical nutrition practice. Hear from dairy farmers Grant Grinstead, Jake Peissig and Ryan Shultz talk about how their farms built a feed center to reduce waste and save them money. The UW-Madison Extension Dairy Team will also give a walkthrough of a free tool you can use to calculate forages needs and track inventory.

Please make requests for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to educational programs as early as possible preceding the scheduled program, service or activity.

For communicative accommodations in languages other than English, please contact oaic@extension.wisc.edu.

For communicative accommodations based on a disability, please contact Heather Lipinski Stelljes at: heather.stelljes@wisc.edu for the public.

Raising dairy calves and replacement heifers is a major expense for Wisconsin dairies; tracking these costs and benchmarking against peers supports better management decisions. Periodically, Wisconsin Extension Educators have collected farm level data to track these costs. Extension is currently seeking this information and needs your help.  If you are interested in having a dairy educator reach out to you, please provide your contact information by clicking the button below.

Information gathered includes average costs for the last complete month related to:

All hay prices quoted are dollars per ton FOB point of origin for alfalfa hay unless otherwise noted. The information presented in this report is compiled from public and private quality tested sales and reports in the Midwest. 

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This program is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension with special support from the following Extension Educators: 

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.