The Top 25 most well-read online articles reflect the quality content that Progressive Dairyman provides to its readers, both on www.progressivedairy.com and in print. Many of those Top 25 articles were online-exclusive and had a video component not available in our print publication. Progressive Dairyman wanted to recognize some of the cutting-edge topics and ideas presented in the print magazine over the past year.

Each editor selected 8-10 articles they thought that Progressive Dairyman readers should have read. Out of those selections, here were the winners (in order that they appeared in the publication):

Scroll down or click here to see comments from each editor about their selections. Click an article title to open that article in a new window.

• Title: How much cheese is there in a hundred pounds of milk?
Author: Ben Yale
Issue Date: March 1, 2011
Summary: "Despite this near silence on the part of processors, approximating cheese yield is no secret," wrote Ben Yale. His March article talked producers through the Van Slyke formula which approximates the amount of cheese a given volume of milk would yield.

• Title: Individual cow care to lower lameness in your herd
Author: Jamie Sullivan
Issue Date: March 22, 2011
Summary: Hoof trimmer Jamie Sullivan told dairy producers and hoof trimmers alike that it takes more effort, management and record-keeping to keep cows' hooves as healthy as they can be. He shared his own results with record-keeping, indicating that a change in protocol from a twice-a-year trim across the herd to individual trims brought the lameness incidence from 44 percent down to 9.8 percent in under a year.

• Title: U.S. milk production: Shouting down the supply chain
Author: Jon Hauser
Issue Date: May 2, 2011
Summary: Jon Hauser, who established an online news and analysis service for the global dairy industry, explained that he believes prices must increase in order to get producers to respond. He says that while it's impossible to predict the future, producers can market their milk and products based on past experiences.

• Title: Caring, compassion are the real truths of dairy
Author: Joyce Bupp
Issue Date: June 11, 2011
Summary: Pennsylvania dairywoman Joyce Bupp begins this article by painting a picture of a typical day on her dairy farm. She describes why caring for animals is something that she takes seriously and why dairy producers need to be willing to share their own dairy farm stories.

• Title: Stress testing is for banks … and dairies
Author: Arthur Moessner
Issue Date: June 11, 2011
Summary: Bank of The West Regional Vice President Arthur Moessner provides information on how to preform a "stress test" on a dairy operation, similar to how the Federal Reserve has been performing tests on large U.S. banks. He explains how to examine a dairy's cash flow and borrowing capacity and how to develop a "worst-case" scenario plan.

• Title: Its like deja vu all over again
Author: Mike North
Issue Date: June 11, 2011
Summary: First Capitol Ag Milk Marketing Specialist Mike North expounds upon his theory that the milk market cycle has a tendency to repeat itself and move from low price to low price about every three years. North tells producers how to capture opportunities in the market based on this cycle.

• Title: Separation system removes liquid, saves money
Author: Karen Lee
Issue Date: July 1, 2011
Summary: Minnesota dairy producer Jon Johnson is taking advantage of a unique way to manage manure with sand bedding. He's using a system where the manure is scraped from barns over a ledge into a storage area. From there, the liquids seep toward screen-lined towers where they are drained via pipes into a liquid storage basin. The process occurs by gravity and without any moving parts.

• Title: Fad or future: Monitoring boluses make a comeback
Author: Walt Cooley
Issue Date: September 22, 2011
Summary: Earlier this year, Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley asked himself why the industry had stopped talking about boluses. Representatives from two animal health companies — Techtrol USA and Bella Health Systems — explained how the launch of new products featuring monitoring technology was put on hold, due to funding complications with 2009 milk prices. While it's still at an early adoption stage, monitoring boluses could change the way producers track herd health.

• Title: One year later: Are you better off now than before you were marketing?
Author: Angie Molkentin
Issue Date: September 22, 2011
Summary: Starting in Fall 2009, Deb Reinhart and Dave Geiser were featured in a series of articles exclusive to Progressive Dairyman provided by market consulting firm Stewart-Peterson. The articles detailed the couple's struggles, successes and learning curves with milk marketing. This update provided readers with an opportunity to see whether or not they were happy with their decisions over the past two years.

• Title: Activity monitoring system researcher: ‘This is the right way’
Author: Dario Martinez
Issue Date: September 22, 2011
Summary: In an interview with Doron Bar, chief scientist at Israel-based SCR Engineers, he explains the history behind his company's activity monitor, the use of accelerometer technology and the benefits of this monitor. Although not mentioned in the article, the tag is also able to monitor the rumination data of a cow. This article opens up a series that describes several of the key activity monitoring systems currently available.

EDITORS' COMMENTS

My selection's for Top 10 best articles this year focus on the big picture opportunities and challenges facing forward-thinking dairymen. These include globalization, export potential, margin protection, equity position, planning for the future and utilizing emerging new technologies.

As managing editor, I promise coverage of these topics won't be a one-time occurrence. These are key issues all dairy producers should be constantly mindful of.
—Walt Cooley, Progressive Dairyman Managing Editor, Idaho

Click here to see Walt Cooley's selections.


Six of the top 10 I've selected are either staff-written or authored by a dairyman or woman. So for my preference, I like real-world, current and specific examples. These articles provide images, quotes, information and recommendations from those directly in the dairy industry.
—Alan Leavitt, Progressive Dairyman Publisher, Idaho

Click here to see Alan Leavitt's selections.


In reviewing all of our articles from this past year, I selected those I felt held the biggest potential impact for dairy farms across the country. Whether it focuses on a new technology, understanding dairy markets and business structures, or outstanding farm practices, each one had something nearly every producer could glean information from.

Serving the needs of our readers is what motivates me each day and I hope that our top articles have done just that.
—Karen Lee, Progressive Dairyman Midwest Editor, Wisconsin

Click here to see Karen Lee's selections.

The articles that I have selected encompass topics that in their own way signify the importance of the dairy industry. They provide producers with information they can use as they go about their day-to-day activities.

I believe it is just as important to stay on top of emerging trends and new technologies as it is to learn from our past in order to keep dairying in the future.
—Dario Martinez, Progressive Dairyman Assistant Editor, Idaho

Click here to see Dario Martinez's selections.

Walt Cooley, Progressive Dairyman Managing Editor, Idaho

• Title: How much cheese is there in a hundred pounds of milk?
Author: Ben Yale
Issue Date: March 1, 2011

• Title: U.S. milk production: Shouting down the supply chain
Author: Jon Hauser
Issue Date: May 2, 2011

• Title: Estimating the impact of DMSP on 2009 margins: An apple-to-apple-to-orange comparison
Author: Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley
Issue Date: May 21, 2011

• Title: Stress testing is for banks … and dairies
Author: Arthur Moessner
Issue Date: June 11, 2011

• Title: Its like deja vu all over again
Author: Mike North
Issue Date: June 11, 2011

• Title: One year later: Are you better off now than before you were marketing?
Author: Angie Molkentin
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

• Title: Scenarios of the future: The evolving veterinary practice
Author: Jim Austin
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

• Title: Rebuilding equity: Are you heading down the right path
Author: Scott Plew
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

• Title: Fad or future: Monitoring boluses make a comeback
Author: Walt Cooley
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

• Title: Activity monitoring system researcher: ‘This is the right way’
Author: Dario Martinez
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

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Alan Leavitt, Progressive Dairyman Publisher, Idaho

• Title: Caring, compassion are the real truths of dairy
Author: Joyce Bupp
Issue Date: June 11, 2011

• Title: Corn mill saves Nevada dairy producer thousands
Author: Dario Martinez
Issue Date: July 1, 2011

• Title: Separation system removes liquid, saves money
Author: Karen Lee
Issue Date: July 1, 2011

• Title: Individual cow care to lower lameness in your herd
Author: Jamie Sullivan
Issue Date: March 22, 2011

• Title: Contented cows give better milk: Your people ... your profit
Author: Richard Hadden
Issue Date: March 22, 2011

• Title: New digester operates at low temperatures
Author: Karen Lee
Issue Date: May 2, 2011

• Title: One year later: Are you better off now than before you were marketing?
Author: Angie Molkentin
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

• Title: Fad or future: Monitoring boluses make a comeback
Author: Walt Cooley
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

• Title: TMR audit solves large herd’s production puzzle
Author: Tom Oelberg
Issue Date: April 12, 2011

• Title: U.S. milk production: Shouting down the supply chain
Author: Jon Hauser
Issue Date: May 2, 2011
 

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Karen Lee, Progressive Dairyman Midwest Editor, Wisconsin

• Title: Colostrum: More than just ‘4 quarts equals passive transfer’
Author: Ed DePeters
Issue Date: January 20, 2011

• Title: Evaluate rations to get the most IOFC with higher-priced corn
Author: Tim Snyder
Issue Date: February 8, 2011

• Title: How much cheese is there in a hundred pounds of milk?
Author: Ben Yale
Issue Date: March 1, 2011

• Title: Individual cow care to lower lameness in your herd
Author: Jamie Sullivan
Issue Date: March 22, 2011

• Title: Cheap food: Part of our American lifestyle may be about to go
Author: Art Dawson
Issue Date: March 22, 2011

• Title: What's new in colostrum research?
Author: Jim Quigley
Issue Date: May 2, 2011

• Title: Stress testing is for banks … and dairies
Author: Art Moessner
Issue Date: June 11, 2011

• Title: Fad or future: Monitoring boluses make a comeback
Author: Walt Cooley
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

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Dario Martinez, Progressive Dairyman Assistant Editor, Idaho

• Title: Sharemilking: A viable, exciting business opportunity
Author: Tony Finch
Issue Date: January 1, 2011

• Title: How much cheese is there in a hundred pounds of milk?
Author: Ben Yale
Issue Date: March 1, 2011

• Title: Mechanics Corner: Is web-based machine monitoring for you?
Author: Doug Johnson
Issue Date: April 12, 2011

• Title: Its like deja vu all over again
Author: Mike North
Issue Date: June 11, 2011

• Title: Caring, compassion are the real truths of dairy
Author: Joyce Bupp
Issue Date: June 11, 2011

• Title: Separation system removes liquid, saves money
Author: Karen Lee
Issue Date: July 1, 2011

• Title: Colostrum pasteurization - pros and cons
Author: Jim Quigley
Issue Date: September 1, 2011

• Title: Fad or future: Monitoring boluses make a comeback
Author: Walt Cooley
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

• Title: Activity monitoring system researcher: ‘This is the right way’
Author: Dario Martinez
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

• Title: Rebuilding equity: Are you heading down the right path
Author: Scott Plew
Issue Date: September 22, 2011

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