Dairy & Beef. Corn & Alfalfa. Obsessed with the Macro. Proofreading is for the insecure.
Idaho, USA
Joined January 2012
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Conspiracy theory time:
This is how the corporations turn the beef and dairy industry into what the hog and chicken industry are today. I see the future as 10-30k cow uniformed crossvent dairy barns and no more cow calf guys, and I hate it. What corporations would own the industry? A: The creameries. The dairymen already pay the lobbies which only seem to benefit them somehow. Unless you're big enough to have your own creamery, it will be over. I despise this future, but at this point there is no stopping it.
This 26% is the quiet release valve on the whole tight-cattle story. Everyone watches the beef cow herd shrinking to multi-decade lows, but the dairy herd is backfilling feedyards through beef-on-dairy, so feedyard numbers haven’t fallen as hard as the beef-herd contraction alone would imply. It doesn’t fix the shortage, dairy cow numbers are capped too, but it’s how the supply chain is stretching a short cow herd with dairy genetics. The answer to “where are the cattle coming from” is increasingly: the milking barn.
Most dairymen don't go broke milking cows.
They go broke when the farm is doing one thing and the paperwork is doing another.
Load hits the scale. Invoice shows up a few days later. Milk's gone overnight, solids come in while you're asleep. A feeder runs 97% and nobody notices till payday. Email stacks up while you're under the mixer. Breeding gets treated like one decision when it's really a whole system. Culls get made off memory.
I got sick of that.
So I built a bunch of AI bots that run with me on the dairy. Office side and cow side.
Every morning I take pictures of the barn sheet and the fresh board. The bots read them and enter the cows. They cross-check both: if a cow was fresh on the whiteboard and never showed on the barn list, they catch it. They check last service sire too, so the calf on the whiteboard matches Angus vs Holstein. Same bots build the cull list with me. They pull culture results, solds, headcounts, backups, and breeding lists out of the herd management system. Stuff that used to sit in a portal until somebody remembered. They keep the herd records from going stale and put what matters in front of me.
The bots go through email morning and night and sort it. Simple bills: they enter them into QuickBooks Bill Pay themselves so I just look them over and pay. Messy ones, statements with a bunch of invoices: the bots match each invoice to the scale ticket, then enter them, then I approve. They split and categorize as they go. Loan payments get principal and interest broken out automatically. They pull tank weights, pay price, and ECM into my briefing before breakfast. They enter feed loads so the ticket and the invoice finally line up.
Breeding is broad. It's not just “who do we breed today.” Conception rates change by month. Heat months hit harder, cool months bounce back, so the bots size sexed vs beef by season. They also bake in calf death loss by birth month, because a calf born in June doesn't make the barn at the same rate as one born in January. Goal is a consistent number of springers walking into the barn year-round, not a flat straw count that falls apart when the weather turns. Next step is matching the right bulls to the right cows. Not just grabbing semen and hoping.
Feeder accuracy? The bots pull the mixer numbers every pay period, score each guy, figure the bonuses, enter them, and email it straight to the lady who does payroll. Fully autonomous. I don't dig for it anymore. Same bots pull vacation days off a shared calendar with the manager and send those to her too.
I just don't wake up wondering what fell through the cracks anymore.
And this is only part of what we're working on.
If your Sunday night still belongs to a spreadsheet, that's what AI on a dairy looks like for me. Not a robot milker. A Chief of Staff for the barn.
Anybody else building something like this? Got ideas for what else I should put the bots on? Drop it below.
I've been discussing stable coins since I bought WLFI when they were still in the presale phase in October 2024. I bought into it because I figured if Trump won he would do something with stablecoins, considering he owned a majority of the issuing company.
Then the Genius act proposal started making the news. That is when I realized stable coins were our future.
🚨 THE NEXT MONETARY WAR BETWEEN U.S. and CHINA HAS ALREADY STARTED
The U.S. is betting on Digital Dollars (Stablecoins) while China is betting on physical gold.
Trump and the Treasury just admitted the quiet part out loud.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: We will keep the dollar as the world’s reserve currency and will use stablecoins to do it.
Trump’s January 2025 order made dollar-backed coins official policy. The GENIUS Act locked the mechanism in: every compliant stablecoin must sit 1-for-1 on cash, T-bills, and Treasury repos.
That’s the escape hatch. America can’t print gold. It can print demand for its own debt.
How it works:
Billions of people who will never open a U.S. bank account can hold a dollar token. Every new token forces the issuer to buy short-term Treasuries.
Dollar demand gets exported on crypto rails.
The reserve currency survives even if SWIFT loses corridors because the world is still holding a claim on U.S. paper.
It’s not a gold standard. It’s a digital T-bill standard wearing a crypto costume.
Meanwhile China is doing the opposite:
The PBOC just posted its 21st straight month of gold buying. Official holdings: ~2,366 tonnes. They’re stacking metal like the clock is running out.
Hong Kong already opened the first offshore Shanghai Gold Exchange vault. The city wants 2,000+ tonnes of storage. More vaults are being scoped for Singapore, Dubai, Riyadh, Moscow. The pitch is simple: hold yuan, convert it to gold you can actually take delivery of.
That’s the old-school play.
Physical collateral.
Offshore vaults.
Yuan contracts settled in metal, not promises.
Two strategies. Same problem.
The London Metal Exchange (LME) Treasury Chief Just Quit London For The Crypto Firm “Ripple” For Tokenized Commodities on XRP Ledger As China Builds a Yuan-Gold Vault Settlement System.
That product is already live. Assetiko gold XAUa and silver XAGa on the XRP Ledger. Swap metal to native XRP on @Trensik_com without leaving the book.
The U.S. is trying to keep the dollar’s privilege by turning private coins into a global bid for Treasuries.
China is trying to leave the privilege by stacking gold and building a vault-and-settlement network that doesn’t need Washington’s permission.
One side is digitizing the debt. The other is hoarding the metal.
Watch which one the rest of the world actually trusts when the next shock hits.
With data centers coming that require significant amounts of both power and water, I would like to remind everyone of NAWAPA. We could have it all.
Idaho Milk Extractor retweeted
The research team observed a group of Holstein cows in Idaho throughout the 2020 Pacific Northwest fire season (July to September).
Based on the team’s defined thresholds for smoke exposure, cows were exposed to wildfire-derived particulate matter for seven consecutive days in mid-September, at levels 10 to 23 times the US Environmental Protection Agency’s 24-hour average air quality limits.
During the seven-day period of smoke exposure, cows produced less milk, which also persisted for seven days post-exposure. Higher air temperature and humidity, combined with greater levels of fine particulate matter, altered protein and fat metabolism and reduced immune cell populations in the cows’ blood.
adsa.org/About-ADSA/About/Wi…
Alternative theory, Iran dumped a bunch of powder during the three days of truce between June 17th and 20th. See comments for more context.
The U.S. milk powder market is hurrying to close the gap between American and international pricing. But the steep drop in U.S. milk powder values is weighing on powder prices around the world, making it harder for the U.S. to win the race to the bottom. 318cf104-c1a1-48fb-a88a-b85b…
Idaho Milk Extractor retweeted
A distinct possibility that we and our great power rivals (Russia, China, Iran, or even North Korea) are shadow boxing with anti-satellite weapons in the strategic high ground of space and we're witnessing the downstream effects of that shadow boxing...
Idaho Milk Extractor retweeted
They will just co-opt Stablecoins instead…
#IYKYK
Beef producers got more outraged at the idea of an incentive for American dairies to cull extra animals into beef than they are about quadrupling imports from Argentina. Wild how domestic cows trigger more anger than foreign beef. 🐄➡️🥩
Idaho Milk Extractor retweeted
Stablecoins will dollarize the world…
This Post is from a suspended account. Learn more
Dairy cow numbers are inflated for a reason: it’s profitable to keep even marginal cows if they’re carrying a beef calf. A few years ago beef producers feared this trend would hurt them—ironically, it’s helped fuel oversupply and pressure in dairy instead.
Introducing: Make America More Ground Beef (MAMGB)
MAMGB is a farmer-first USDA proposal that would allow dairy farmers to monetize surplus dairy-origin cattle, while simultaneously increasing domestic beef supply and helping lower grocery prices for American families.
This is not a mandate. It is completely voluntary, open to all U.S. dairy operations, regardless of size or location. If approved, the program could launch as early as this spring.
But to move it forward, USDA needs to hear directly from dairy farmers, and that’s where you come in.
How the Program Works
MAMGB is designed to divert 800,000–1,000,000 additional dairy-origin cattle in spring 2026, adding 900 million–1.1 billion pounds of lean trim to the ground beef market.
That added supply is projected to:
• Lower retail ground beef prices 18–25%
• Increase overall beef demand
• Support packing plants and rural jobs
This aligns with the latest national dietary guidance, which encourages affordable, high-quality protein for American families.
Two Simple, Voluntary Tracks
• Immediate Cull Track
• Cull dairy cows of any age or condition
• $1,600 per head, plus a $200 early-delivery bonus
• Total potential payment: up to $1,800 per head
• Paid upon proof of slaughter (within 30 days)
• Feedlot Beef Track
• Dairy heifers over 400 lbs
• Shipped to approved feedlots for a minimum finishing period
• $1,800 per head, plus $200 early bonus
• Total potential payment: up to $2,000 per head
Payments are on top of normal market sale prices.
Protecting Your Herd & the Industry
This program was intentionally designed with guardrails to protect long-term dairy viability:
• Above-baseline rule: Incentives apply only to additional animals beyond your normal culling levels.
• Example: If your historical average is 10 culls per month, only cow #11 and above qualify.
• Strict dairy-only verification: Breed checks, RFID, and packer attestations ensure only dairy-origin animals qualify.
• Capacity safeguards: Real-time monitoring pauses regional signups if plants reach 90% capacity, preventing bottlenecks.
• USDA-aligned caps: A per-entity payment cap aligns with standard USDA program limits.
Simple Enrollment, Farmer Support
Enrollment would occur through the FSA portal or local county offices, with support from farmer-first organizations, including WUD, to assist with records, baselines, and verification.
Why Your Voice Matters
This is not a handout. It’s a farmer-driven solution to a real oversupply problem, one that turns excess animals into revenue, supports rural jobs, and helps American families afford food.
But this program needs dairy farmers to speak up together.
The dairy industry is often divided. That division works against us. If we unify around a practical, voluntary solution like MAMGB, we can force momentum where it matters most.
Take Action Today
Sign the quick farmer letter (hzmy5ioab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?…) to show USDA that dairy farmers support this solution.
Introducing: Make America More Ground Beef (MAMGB)
MAMGB is a farmer-first USDA proposal that would allow dairy farmers to monetize surplus dairy-origin cattle, while simultaneously increasing domestic beef supply and helping lower grocery prices for American families.
This is not a mandate. It is completely voluntary, open to all U.S. dairy operations, regardless of size or location. If approved, the program could launch as early as this spring.
But to move it forward, USDA needs to hear directly from dairy farmers, and that’s where you come in.
How the Program Works
MAMGB is designed to divert 800,000–1,000,000 additional dairy-origin cattle in spring 2026, adding 900 million–1.1 billion pounds of lean trim to the ground beef market.
That added supply is projected to:
• Lower retail ground beef prices 18–25%
• Increase overall beef demand
• Support packing plants and rural jobs
This aligns with the latest national dietary guidance, which encourages affordable, high-quality protein for American families.
Two Simple, Voluntary Tracks
• Immediate Cull Track
• Cull dairy cows of any age or condition
• $1,600 per head, plus a $200 early-delivery bonus
• Total potential payment: up to $1,800 per head
• Paid upon proof of slaughter (within 30 days)
• Feedlot Beef Track
• Dairy heifers over 400 lbs
• Shipped to approved feedlots for a minimum finishing period
• $1,800 per head, plus $200 early bonus
• Total potential payment: up to $2,000 per head
Payments are on top of normal market sale prices.
Protecting Your Herd & the Industry
This program was intentionally designed with guardrails to protect long-term dairy viability:
• Above-baseline rule: Incentives apply only to additional animals beyond your normal culling levels.
• Example: If your historical average is 10 culls per month, only cow #11 and above qualify.
• Strict dairy-only verification: Breed checks, RFID, and packer attestations ensure only dairy-origin animals qualify.
• Capacity safeguards: Real-time monitoring pauses regional signups if plants reach 90% capacity, preventing bottlenecks.
• USDA-aligned caps: A per-entity payment cap aligns with standard USDA program limits.
Simple Enrollment, Farmer Support
Enrollment would occur through the FSA portal or local county offices, with support from farmer-first organizations, including WUD, to assist with records, baselines, and verification.
Why Your Voice Matters
This is not a handout. It’s a farmer-driven solution to a real oversupply problem, one that turns excess animals into revenue, supports rural jobs, and helps American families afford food.
But this program needs dairy farmers to speak up together.
The dairy industry is often divided. That division works against us. If we unify around a practical, voluntary solution like MAMGB, we can force momentum where it matters most.
Take Action Today
Sign the quick farmer letter (hzmy5ioab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?…) to show USDA that dairy farmers support this solution.
Idaho Milk Extractor retweeted
There are advanced discussions underway aimed at improving balance and stability in the beef and dairy markets nationwide. One proposal receiving strong consideration is a $1,500–$1,800 per-head incentive for dairy cull cows, alongside payments for dairy heifers sent directly to feedlots. These measures would accelerate placements, increase beef throughput, and expand the effective beef herd in the near term, while also improving price signals that support longer-term cow-calf expansion. For the dairy industry, the program would immediately strengthen cash flow, raise cull values, ease replacement pressure, and provide meaningful relief to producers operating under sustained margin stress.
Idaho Milk Extractor retweeted
“Government cheese,” produced in the 1980s to offload a massive dairy surplus, was stored in Missouri’s underground caves and given to struggling Americans. The surplus stemmed from 1970s farm policies that left the government with over a billion pounds of cheese.... 🇺🇸🧀
As dairy farmers faced economic turmoil in the 1970s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created price supports and subsidy programs to stabilize the industry. These programs required the government to buy milk when market prices fell too low, but instead of discarding it, much of the milk was processed into cheese, butter, and powdered milk. By the early 1980s, the surplus had ballooned into a logistical nightmare, billions of pounds of dairy products were piling up in refrigerated warehouses and abandoned limestone mines across the Midwest.
To address both the waste and public hunger, President Ronald Reagan’s administration launched a distribution initiative, giving away blocks of processed cheddar through food assistance programs. “Government cheese” became a staple in low-income households and food banks throughout the decade, often recognized by its distinctive orange hue and plain cardboard packaging. Though mocked for its rubbery texture, it symbolized both the excesses and the safety net of the American agricultural system.
Today, the so-called “cheese caves” in Missouri remain in use, now largely operated by private storage companies. They serve as a reminder of how economic policy, industrial agriculture, and hunger intersected during a turbulent chapter of American history.
Added fact: The caves that once stored government cheese were part of a larger underground network originally carved out for mining limestone, today, these same caverns also house data centers, office spaces, and even cold storage for wine.
Price support — A government policy that sets minimum prices for agricultural products, ensuring farmers receive a guaranteed income regardless of market fluctuations.
© History Pictures
#archaeohistories
There are advanced discussions underway aimed at improving balance and stability in the beef and dairy markets nationwide. One proposal receiving strong consideration is a $1,500–$1,800 per-head incentive for dairy cull cows, alongside payments for dairy heifers sent directly to feedlots. These measures would accelerate placements, increase beef throughput, and expand the effective beef herd in the near term, while also improving price signals that support longer-term cow-calf expansion. For the dairy industry, the program would immediately strengthen cash flow, raise cull values, ease replacement pressure, and provide meaningful relief to producers operating under sustained margin stress.