News

The 18th Annual Accelerated Genetics Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest was held Sept. 18 in Viroqua, Wisconsin, with the University of Wisconsin – Madison taking top honors in reasons and overall. The University of Wisconsin – Madison team, coached by Chad Wethal and Brian Kelroy, included team members: Abbey Wethal, Mitch Kappelman, Ryan O’Leary and Genevieve Dryak. They took home the coveted Brown Swiss Canton III Traveling Trophy.

Placing second overall at this year’s contest was the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, coached by Sandra Sawall and Steve Kelm. Team members: Ami Cooper, Sara Larson, Labecca Johnson and Nathan Laska. Rounding out the top three teams was the University of Minnesota in third place, coached by Les Hansen, Scott Ellinghuysen and Alicia Thurk. Team members: David Hanson, Jacob Achen, Jayne Esch and Isaac Salfer.

Dairymaster, an Ireland-based manufacturer and supplier of advanced automated milking, feeding, cooling, slurry and heat detection equipment to dairy farms worldwide, announced that it has tripled its U.S. footprint by moving to a new facility in Cincinnati.

The additional space equips the company to meet growing demand from U.S. dairy producers for its high-performance equipment. Fueling the growth is widespread adoption of Dairymaster’s Select Detect product by dairy producers in the U.S. and Canada. Select Detect is a detection and fertility monitoring system that is sold exclusively in the U.S. by Select Sires Inc., the largest A.I. company in North America. Today, Select Detect systems are installed in 22 states and four provinces, covering herds that range in size from 80 cows to more than 3,000.

Producers and veterinarians looking to make more informed decisions to advance genetic progress in their herds have a new educational resource from Pfizer Animal Genetics. “Using Genetics to Optimize Cattle Performance” is the first of three free e-learning sessions to be made available at www.learncattlegenetics.com to help beef and dairy producers, veterinarians and anyone involved in the cattle industry understand how to use genetic testing to accelerate genetic improvement and mitigate risk.

Deere & Company announced a new sales and marketing agreement with Honda Power Equipment to sell Honda premium power products at participating John Deere dealerships in the U.S. Shipments of Honda inventory to John Deere dealerships will be phased in, beginning in 2012.

Under the terms of the agreement, participating John Deere dealers will offer Honda’s award-winning walk-behind lawnmowers, generators, tillers, water pumps and snow blowers. In addition, Deere said, it will no longer market John Deere-branded walk-behind mowers or walk-behind snow blowers in the U.S., in any sales channel, after 2012.

A strategic partnership between The AgChat Foundation (ACF) and the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) brings together two organizations passionate about keeping today’s American agriculture successful. Through coordinated efforts, the groups will work together to support farmers and ranchers who are sharing their stories about how food is raised.

The AgChat Foundation is one of the first outside organizations to partner with USFRA, a coalition that represents more than 50 of the top farmer- and rancher-led organizations and industry partners from across the country. It wasn’t hard for leaders from USFRA and ACF to realize that their missions connected.