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Current Progressive Dairy digital edition

1. Market Watch: Cattle: (Organizations); Click a link below to see updates on cattle from a specific issue of Progressive Dairy. 2022 Issue 02, 2022: January 19, 2022 Issue 01, 2022: January 1, 2022 2021 Issue 20, 2021: December 12, ...; Created on 21 May 2021
2. Introducing our new technology test-drivers: (From the Editor); At Progressive Dairyman, we get to see and write about the coolest new technology available to today’s dairy farmers. These advancements often save time, increase revenue, maximize resources – and sometimes ...; Created on 05 February 2014
3. Names in the News: February 7, 2014 issue: (People in the News); Adam Azevedo and his family run a dairy farm in Stevinson, California. With the milk market the past few years making things tight all over, this family has opened up the farm as a wedding venue to supplement ...; Created on 05 February 2014
4. February 7, 2014 issue: Export Assistance Watch: (Industry News); Click here to download a PDF of the latest Export Assistance Watch update, provided by Cooperatives Working Together. PD; Created on 05 February 2014
5. February 7, 2014 issue: Checkoff Watch: (Industry News); Click here to download a pdf of the latest Dairy Checkoff in Action provided by Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) PD; Created on 05 February 2014
6. InFocus: Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association celebrates 60 years of milkshakes: (Event Coverage); The annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, held each January in Harrisburg,Pennsylvania, is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the country. Thousands of visitors flock to the eight-day show to see a ...; Created on 05 February 2014
7. Resolutions for cooperative members: (Management); According to USDA statistics, there were 133 dairy cooperatives in the U.S. in 2012. These 133 cooperatives had 45,100 members. Based on this number, it is estimated that more than 80 percent of the ...; Created on 05 February 2014
8. The best gift you can give your employees: (Management); Put yourself in this situation. Your son, your daughter, another family member or a friend has just decided to become a member of a school or other sports team. As you think of them beginning this new ...; Created on 05 February 2014
9. Just how strong are profit margins for dairy producers?: (Management); Most readers are probably aware that the recent rally in milk prices is historically significant in that the nearly-$3-per-hundredweight (cwt) climb in futures prices is quite rare. The last time we witnessed ...; Created on 05 February 2014
10. Charting producer marketing behaviors reveals biggest risks: (Industry News); As a dairy producer, many different issues and risks are pulling you in a thousand different directions. As you began this new year, you probably assembled a list of priorities, such as a list of things ...; Created on 05 February 2014
11. Don’t overlook the intangibles: Intrinsic, extrinsic motivation: (Management); “My wife tells me I don’t compliment [my employees] like I should, or pat guys on the back. I sit and listen and talk and joke with the guys, but I’m usually pretty serious and feel like we’re always behind. ...; Created on 05 February 2014
12. So it’s time to hire a new employee on the dairy: (Management); Nearly every day, a dairy producer asks us if we know of anyone looking for work. Milkers and herdsmen are in great demand here in the Midwest, and many feeder and manager positions are open as well. As ...; Created on 05 February 2014
13. Build loyalty, reduce turnover: Understand Hispanic culture: (Management); Taking the time to understand the Hispanic culture can build loyalty and cut down on costly employee turnover, according to Cody Heller, Cowz R Us Consulting and Heller Farm Inc. During the 2013 Vita ...; Created on 05 February 2014
14. 3 Open Minutes with Mark Junkin: (People); Canadian farm consultant and mediator Mark Andrew Junkin recently released a new book about how ag families deal with transition and changes in their business. Junkin started consulting with dairy farmers ...; Created on 04 February 2014
15. Milk production dip due to relief feeder: (Management); Every second Wednesday, we recognized a pound or two dip in milk production. We’ve traced back the variance to when the relief feeder is mixing the ration.His feeding records verify mixing inaccuracies. ...; Created on 04 February 2014
16. Say goodbye to flies with 90-day premise spray: (Barns & Equipment); A pest control innovation newly available to dairy producers delivers up to 90 days of fly-killing power in a broad-spectrum premise spray. From the calf barn to the milking parlor, Annihilator Polyzone ...; Created on 04 February 2014
17. Craig Finke to operate most automated dairy in the U.S.: (People); This article was #4 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2014. It was published in the Feb. 7, 2014 print issue. It all began with the need for a new manure-handling ...; Created on 04 February 2014
18. Dairymen to test-drive margin-tracking software: (Management); Two dairymen who will test-drive new Web-based margin-tracking software for one year as part of Progressive Dairyman’s first-ever peer technology user group say they want to know more precisely their ...; Created on 04 February 2014
19. Dairy prepares to turn manure into renewable diesel: (Manure); Just five years shy of their family dairy’s 100-year anniversary, dairymen brothers Bruce and Brad Scott of San Jacinto, California, faced a most terrible “what if” situation. State water quality regulators ...; Created on 04 February 2014
20. 2013 corn crop: Expect the unexpected: (Feed & Nutrition); Making the switch from old-crop corn silage to new-crop corn silage each year can oftentimes challenge milk production, particularly if the new-crop corn silage hasn’t had enough time to ferment. Depending ...; Created on 04 February 2014
21. 2013 U.S. harvest analysis: All samples contained mycotoxins: (Feed & Nutrition); As 2013 corn silage is beginning to be more widely fed, producers need to be aware of the findings from a recent U.S. harvest analysis and the impact it may have on herd health and performance. We recently ...; Created on 04 February 2014
22. What have we learned about using higher-forage rations?: (Feed & Nutrition); Dairy cattle and other ruminants are biologically designed to convert forages and other fibrous feeds into high-quality products such as milk and meat for human consumption. Forages also provide the foundation ...; Created on 04 February 2014
23. Protein, carbohydrate interactions in rumen: The balancing act: (Feed & Nutrition); The dairy industry has made great strides in reducing the amount of protein we feed while improving performance. Not only has this had a positive impact on a farm’s bottom line but also on reducing nitrogen ...; Created on 03 February 2014
24. NDF digestibility – Are we on the right track?: (Feed & Nutrition); Forage is an important ingredient in dairy cattle rations. However, it can be difficult to achieve high intake levels with certain forage-based diets. We have long recognized that NDF digestibility influences ...; Created on 03 February 2014
25. Looking for additional profit per cow? Dial in on-farm moisture: (Feed & Nutrition); High-performing dairy cows thrive on consistency and routine, from a quiet and comfortable pen environment and consistent milking times to a stable and nutritious TMR delivered at the same times each ...; Created on 03 February 2014
26. Role of dry matter determination in management of TMRs: (Feed & Nutrition); The modern dairy cow has an unparalleled ability to consume materials of little to no value for human consumption and transform those materials to food of the highest nutritional value and flavor for humans. ...; Created on 31 January 2014
27. Dairy nutrition lab test variances explained: (Feed & Nutrition); History of NIRS Near-infrared radiation was first identified in 1800 by William Herschel, who was curious as to whether a certain color was associated to the heat of sunlight. It is this kind of curiosity ...; Created on 31 January 2014
28. Guide to basic silage principles for new employees: (Feed & Nutrition); What is silage? Crops such as corn, alfalfa and grass are preserved and stored as silage. Silage inoculants work with the lactic acid found naturally in crops to ferment sugars into lactic and other acids ...; Created on 31 January 2014
29. Which silage facer for your dairy?: (Feed & Nutrition); When we finish a TMR audit, some questions are pretty routine. “Which is the best facer to purchase?” though, is not among them. “Which is the best mixer?” is among them. Yet, both the facer and the mixer ...; Created on 31 January 2014
30. Nutritional intervention for high-producing dairy cattle: (Feed & Nutrition); The high-producing dairy cow in transition adjusts its metabolism to mobilize calcium from skeletal reserves and energy from adipose reserves in a timely fashion, along with up-regulating intake capacity, ...; Created on 31 January 2014
31. Algae: A new energy co-product: (Feed & Nutrition); Cattle were designed to convert low-quality nutrients into high-quality foods, such as dairy and meat products. For the last 15 years, energy co-products (distillers grains) have comprised an increasing ...; Created on 31 January 2014
32. Sorghums from a nutritionist’s point of view: (Feed & Nutrition); With the advent of BMR hybrids, forages like forage sorghum, sorghum-sudan and sudan hybrids have moved sorghums from the “just heifer” feed category to the top of the “dairy” quality feed category (and ...; Created on 31 January 2014
33. Corn co-products: Challenges and changes: (Feed & Nutrition); In the last 10 years, the use of corn grain for feed has been reduced by nearly 30 percent. The emphasis on corn for fuel instead of feed has driven up the competition for corn grain and corn silage. The ...; Created on 31 January 2014
34. BMR corn silage helps cows reach higher peak milk: (Feed & Nutrition); Reaching high peak milk production is key to a successful lactation. Each 1-pound increase in peak milk translates into 213 to 304 pounds more milk throughout the entire lactation. Unfortunately, a cow’s ...; Created on 31 January 2014
35. Keeping pace with forage fiber testing options: (Feed & Nutrition); Advances in forage fiber testing have been rapid over the past 30 years to keep pace with our evolving understanding of nutrient needs of high-producing dairy cows. Forage testing today utilizes a combination ...; Created on 31 January 2014
36. Alfalfa persistence needs good soil, not just good genetics: (Feed & Nutrition); Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), the queen of the forage crops, is one of the most developed and researched forage and pasture crops in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world where it is well adapted. It’s ...; Created on 31 January 2014
37. Should I use a different inoculant on hay silage vs. corn silage?: (Feed & Nutrition); As the 2014 silage season approaches, producers will be turning their thoughts to making sure everything is prepped and ready for the annual battle to ensure sufficient top-quality preserved feeds are ...; Created on 31 January 2014
38. Do corn nutrient recommendations support modern varieties?: (Feed & Nutrition); When I left the university with my master’s degree in 1976 and joined a fertilizer retail chain as agronomist, corn yields averaged about 140 bushels per acre. At the same time in North Dakota, where ...; Created on 31 January 2014
39. Rations 101: Dairy cows don’t have a crude protein requirement: (Feed & Nutrition); The dairy industry has come a long way in formulating and delivering quality dairy diets. It’s really quite extraordinary the level of information dairy producers and nutritionists now have at their fingertips ...; Created on 31 January 2014
40. Just dropping by ... Temptation: (Yevet Tenney); Scriptures are like a rosebud that continues to bloom. Each petal that opens reveals more beauty and depth. At first glance, the scriptures are just interesting stories, but as you re-read and ponder them, ...; Created on 31 January 2014
41. Mechanics Corner: Oil analysis as a diagnostic tool: (Barns & Equipment); Engine oil and hydraulic fluid are literally the lifeblood of your machinery. Selecting the correct oil for your machine and application is important, but are there things that can be learned by using ...; Created on 30 January 2014
42. HERd management: Consider opening up your farm to the public this year: (Guest Blog); There is so much negativity directed at agriculture. Not exactly the sentence I like to use when starting an article, but it’s the truth. People have so many misconceptions about agriculture and are ...; Created on 30 January 2014
43. The Milk House: Venture of solitude: (Ryan Dennis); Several months ago, comedian Louis C.K. appeared on Conan O’Brien’s show, explaining why he didn’t like cell phones. He describes driving down the highway when a Bruce Springsteen song came on the radio ...; Created on 30 January 2014
44. February 7, 2014 issue: Industry Honor Roll: (People in the News); • Paul Ekstein of Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada, was selected by the Klussendorf Association as the fifth recipient of the Robert “Whitey” McKown Master Breeder Award, which recognizes a well-managed breeder ...; Created on 30 January 2014
45. February 7, 2014 issue: New Products: (Products & Services); DSM offers recyclable packaging option for farmers DSM Animal Nutrition & Health now offers the option of packaging premix in low-density linear polyethylene (LDPE) bags. These durable, white-tinted ...; Created on 30 January 2014
46. I belong to... AgChat: Laura Daniels: (People); Age: 38 Location: Cobb, Wisconsin History of your dairy, in a nutshell: My husband, Jarred Searls, and I both grew up on farms and wanted to raise our family the same way. We believe the farm is the ...; Created on 30 January 2014
47. I belong to... AgChat: Ray Prock, Jr.: (People); Age: 39 Location: Denair, California History of your dairy, in a nutshell: My parents founded the dairy in 1972 on a rented facility in Galt, California. In 1974, they purchased an existing dairy in ...; Created on 30 January 2014
48. On the Edge of Common Sense: Cryptorchid is king: (Baxter Black); “In the land of the geldings, the cryptorchid is king.” That seems to be the best way to describe American politics since Reagan or Truman. But we get what we deserve. Politics by nature is divisive, ...; Created on 30 January 2014
49. On the Edge of Common Sense: The Washington Redskins: (Baxter Black); The Washington (D.C.) Redskins have raised the ire of part of the collective descendants of East Asian migrants who crossed the Bering Strait thousands of years ago. n my conversations with some descendants ...; Created on 30 January 2014
50. Knowledge, skills gained at Managers Academy in Sacramento: (Event Coverage); Approximately 100 dairy producers and industry members descended in Sacramento to acquire the knowledge and skill to turn their own challenges into successes. As Governor Brown was contemplating his ...; Created on 30 January 2014
51. The View from Here: New post in New York: (Guest Blog); I am now reporting to you from Walton, New York. The USDA-NRCS has transferred me to Walton, New York, to work as a planner for the New York City Watershed Agriculture Program. I have been here just over ...; Created on 30 January 2014
52. World Ag Expo 2014: Featured new products: (Event Coverage); Click the links below to learn about new products being presented at World Ag Expo, which will be held February 11-13 in Tulare, California. Progressive Dairyman will once again be featuring virtual farm ...; Created on 02 January 2014