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Current Progressive Dairy digital edition

1. Thanks for the pep talk, Dad: (From the Editor); This June marks 10 years since I began my year as a county dairy princess. I’m struggling with the fact that I’m now old enough to remember something that happened a decade ago. I think back to my year ...; Created on 10 June 2014
2. Do you have enough liquid assets to dairy post-2009?: (Management); The following financial question from a producer at a recent conference caught our attention: “In 2014, what percentage of a producer’s gross income should be in current assets? How has this percentage ...; Created on 10 June 2014
3. Names in the News: Tim Pedrozo: (People in the News); Capital Press recently featured dairyman Tim Pedrozo of Orland, California. Pedrozo Dairy & Cheese Company has been producing raw milk cheese for 15 years. As outlined in the article, Pedrozo is concerned ...; Created on 10 June 2014
4. How Do I Determine?: How do I calculate Temperature-Humidity Index (THI)?: (Herd Health); Q. Why is this a top resource article? "Research continues to focus on ways to alleviate heat stress through genetic advancement and knowledge around genes that are important in alleviating heat load, ...; Created on 09 June 2014
5. It's That Time of Year Again: Summertime calf care tips: (Calves & Heifers); Calves will be cool, clean and comfortable this summer in a new barn at the Hansen farm near Chilton, Wisconsin. Eugene and Maggie Hansen, along with their sons Mark and Dan (pictured), moved calves ...; Created on 09 June 2014
6. Best On-Farm Fixes: Repurposed calf feeder: (Feed & Nutrition); At Rosy-Lane Holsteins LLC near Watertown, Wisconsin, calf and heifer manager Tracy Loos was looking for a better way to keep calf feed dry. She found her fix with a repurposed soap barrel, some left-over ...; Created on 09 June 2014
7. Check Out My ... Robots and racing stripes: (Barns & Equipment); Steve Derksen has some high-performance hobbies, and he has brought aspects from the racetrack to the farm. Last October, the dairyman from Chilliwack, British Columbia, upgraded from an outdated double-four ...; Created on 09 June 2014
8. Checkoff Watch: Farmers, companies team up on ‘Great American Milk Drive’: (Industry News); Florida dairyman John Larson saw the appreciation of the people who were lined up more than a block long to receive a free gallon of milk. Larson was at a kickoff event in Miami for the Great American ...; Created on 09 June 2014
9. Coaching employees is personal: (Management); We default to sports when we think of coaching, and we have many examples of successful coaches with vastly different styles. Bobby Knight, a college basketball coach with more than 900 victories and ...; Created on 09 June 2014
10. Component variation: The billion-dollar lost opportunity: (Industry News); The dairy industry is always changing. Shifting consumer tastes, advances in technology and increasing exports drive the current changes. Less fluid milk is consumed, more cheese is consumed, more Greek-style ...; Created on 09 June 2014
11. Methionine may help mitigate seasonal effects on productivity: (Feed & Nutrition); Are you at risk of losing money? Much attention has been devoted to estimate the economic impact of heat stress on lactating cows; in 2003, researchers estimated that production losses in the U.S. reached ...; Created on 09 June 2014
12. The Power of Habit teaches how to create lasting change: (Management); If you are interested in learning how to create lasting change – either on your dairy, in an organization or even at the most personal level for yourself, you may enjoy reading The Power of Habit: Why ...; Created on 09 June 2014
13. Crystal-clear liners and shells shed light into milking process: (Barns & Equipment); Since the invention of the automatic milking machine, dairy producers have been milking in the dark. Dark liners and stainless steel shells have masked one of the most critical steps of milking – when ...; Created on 09 June 2014
14. From plan to profit: Partnering with financial institutions in the robot-buying process: (Management); The transition into robotic milking requires extensive research. While some producers make the decision within half a year, and others take 10 years, robotic milking is a significant investment in which ...; Created on 09 June 2014
15. Clean Slate: Bieses see ‘bright future’ after blaze: (People); On February 20, 2010, Marvin and Patty Biese lost their big, red barn to a blaze. But from the ashes, the family found the opportunity to rebuild their dreams – bigger and better than before. That day, ...; Created on 09 June 2014
16. For millennials, useful is the new cool: (Event Coverage); The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual Stakeholders Summit was held in May. Every year at the alliance, when it comes to summit planning, we try to determine how to provide the most timely, insightful ...; Created on 09 June 2014
17. Bollingers feel duty to provide smooth farm transition: (People); Going through any transition can bring about emotions that may not have existed prior to the transition. A family business transition is time-consuming and requires a careful and thoughtful planning ...; Created on 09 June 2014
18. Honey, your cell phone’s ringing ... it’s your tractor calling: (Barns & Equipment); Really? Could it be possible that your tractor would be calling your cell phone? Yes. In today’s new information-rich and connected world, new farm tractors and machines can be online and connected. ...; Created on 09 June 2014
19. Every Drop Counts: Ron and Jodi Ditter, Chilton, Wisconsin: (Barns & Equipment); Ron and Jodi Ditter, Chilton, Wisconsin Member producer Ron and Jodi Ditter, producers who ship milk with Family Dairies USA (a division of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative). Facts about Ron and Jodi Ditterâs ...; Created on 09 June 2014
20. The evolution of an organic dairy leader: (People); Organic dairyman Perry Clutts didn’t set out to be a farmer. “I was a bit of an environmental activist in my younger years. I later served time in the restaurant business and was a general contractor ...; Created on 06 June 2014
21. Dry and transition cow management: (Herd Health); BIG Dairy Rickert Brothers LLC Eldorado, Wisconsin 900 milking cows; RHA 28,500 pounds Rick Hartman, herdsman Dry-off For 2-year-old cows, Hartman plans for a 60-day dry period. They are treated with ...; Created on 06 June 2014
22. Kentucky dairy producers overcome high SCC numbers: (Guest Blog); There is likely no tougher agriculture sector in which to be involved than the dairy business, especially for those who have endured during the last few years of market instability and fluctuating milk ...; Created on 06 June 2014
23. La Clare Farms finds niche with dairy goats, champion cheese: (People); The on-site café, retail store and creamery at the Hedrich family’s La Clare Farms is as unique as the flavors of their hand-crafted champion cheeses, thanks to one special ingredient – milk from their ...; Created on 06 June 2014
24. How I celebrate June Dairy Month: (People); We reached out to our HERd management columnists and asked them to share how they celebrate June Dairy Month. Get inspired by their creative ideas. Brenda Hastings Dairy Producer Chardon, Ohio There ...; Created on 06 June 2014
25. In your own words... What do you do to celebrate June Dairy Month?: (People); Ashley Mohn Student, Delaware Valley College Hometown: Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania “Last year, I served as a dairy ambassador for Berks County. Some of my June Dairy Month highlights were sampling dairy ...; Created on 06 June 2014
26. Try a new recipe this June Dairy Month: (Guest Blog); For a special treat for our readers this June Dairy Month, we asked HERd management columnists and social media followers to share their best dairy recipes. Amy Engberson Dairy Producer VMonteview, ...; Created on 06 June 2014
27. Promotions make a difference; labels are key to consumption: (Industry News); All it takes is a walk through the grocery store, and you will begin to realize how important marketing is today. In each food product, there are distinct differences between labels, even when the product ...; Created on 06 June 2014
28. Will they come? On-farm visitor centers draw tourists: (Industry News); “If you build it, they will come.” Yes, it’s a line out of a Hollywood movie. It worked for Kevin Costner’s baseball field in the 1989 film “Field of Dreams,” but will it work for a dairy? If a producer ...; Created on 06 June 2014
29. To be successful in agritourism, you need a passion for people: (Management); A thriving agritourism venture has many elements. The logistics in physically moving people through a farm requires proper timing, safety measures and coordination around daily farm chores.Biosecurity ...; Created on 06 June 2014
30. Seeing is believing: Make it a goal to host a farm tour this year: (Management); Ever get frustrated about the disconnect between farmers and consumers? Why can’t they trust us to do our job? Why do they have to believe everything they hear from our adversaries? As dairy farmers, ...; Created on 06 June 2014
31. Design facilities to handle down cows: (Barns & Equipment); Earlier this year, the dairy industry of Wisconsin witnessed the release of a video by an animal rights organization that was taken on a farm in Wisconsin. As a result of that video, the producer portrayed ...; Created on 06 June 2014
32. Tom Heck: Farmer, husband, father, author: (People); In the fast-paced lifestyle of today’s society, it’s often easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of each day. Wisconsin dairy farmer Tom Heck uses stories from his personal life to remind people to ...; Created on 06 June 2014
33. Life on the family farm under an open heaven: The most fun thing we did: (Guest Blog); It never ceases to amaze me how sometimes my kids will say something out of the clear blue that totally surprises me. Such is what happened here a while back. I was working in the barn with Catherine one ...; Created on 06 June 2014
34. Just dropping by ... Grandparents’ Path: (Yevet Tenney); Lately I have been thinking about my heritage and how lucky I have been to have parents and grandparents who left a clear path to follow. They were devout Christians who came from the roots of strong pioneer ...; Created on 06 June 2014
35. Mechanics Corner: Calibrating your sprayer for top performance: (Barns & Equipment); I know am I preaching to the choir when I tell you that making the most of every input is paramount to the success of a farming operation today. Folks that cannot control costs (at least those outside ...; Created on 06 June 2014
36. HERd management: Blue collars are important too: (Guest Blog); When I graduated from high school, I was ready to go to college and rock the world. I was going to have some amazing job in the dairy industry where I was going to make mountains of money and just be ...; Created on 06 June 2014
37. I belong to... Landmark Services Cooperative: Dan Truttmann: (People); Age: 45 Location: New Glarus, Wisconsin Your agricultural background, in a nutshell: My family has farmed here since 1899, and I’m the fifth generation to operate the dairy. Since joining the farm ...; Created on 06 June 2014
38. The Milk House: The custodians of culture: (Ryan Dennis); I was able to come to Iceland by convincing the U.S. and Icelandic governments to let me write about what it means to be a dairy farmer on the island.As the end of my time draws near, I’m forced to reflect ...; Created on 06 June 2014
39. National Farm Machinery Show: Product review: (Products & Services); RoGator 700 AGCO (877) 525-4384 Looking to capitalize on a mid-size sprayer? AGCO introduced the RoGator 700, a 700-gallon sprayer with lighter chassis for ease of operation. It features smart drive, ...; Created on 05 June 2014
40. Letters to the Editor: Dairying shouldn’t be any riskier than other types of farming: (From the Editor); Dear Editor: I read your editorial, “Dairy is a risky business, and you’re OK with that” in the May 7 issue. Risk taking is a great American phenomenon. However, there is no reason dairying should be ...; Created on 05 June 2014
41. The Manure Spreader: Medium rare: (Tim Moffett); On my farm, the worst day of the year for milk production is the first day of summer. That’s when the cows have noticed I dragged out the old grill from the barn. Older cows know that grill stays fired ...; Created on 05 June 2014
42. Dairyman to test-drive nutrient-tracking software: (Manure); California dairyman Brian Medeiros, who will test-drive new web-based nutrient management tracking software as part of Progressive Dairyman’s ongoing peer technology user group, says he hopes the software ...; Created on 05 June 2014
43. How relevant is subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA)?: (Herd Health); Advances in forage genetics, harvesting, ensiling, management practices and forage analysis – in addition to dynamic ration balancing software – have allowed dairy farms to progressively feed increasing ...; Created on 05 June 2014
44. Controlling digital dermatitis: A hoof trimmer’s perspective: (Herd Health); As a professional hoof trimmer, primarily dealing with dairy cows, the last two decades have afforded me the opportunity to see and work with an extremely wide range of problems relating to mobility ...; Created on 05 June 2014
45. Timing of insemination depends on method of heat detection: (A.I. & Breeding); Heat detection is often cited as the most costly component and, undoubtedly, the major limiting factor to the success of A.I. programs on many dairy farms. Incorrect detection of estrus is related to ...; Created on 05 June 2014
46. Implement tire selection and care are keys to productivity: (Barns & Equipment); There’s no question that proper tractor tire selection and care can greatly impact performance. The right tire at the correct level of inflation will provide benefits such as reduced soil compaction, ...; Created on 05 June 2014
47. Will you have a virtual veterinarian?: (Herd Health); As I squatted over the opened carcass and exposed organs of a necropsied calf recently, much like a vulture attracted to roadkill, it struck me that in another way I was also emulating my Roman ancestors. ...; Created on 05 June 2014
48. The arguments for social stability in transition cows: (Herd Health); “The only thing that should happen at calving time is that the cow should deliver a live, healthy calf.” All too frequently, the transition period is a tumultuous time for our dairy cows: Changes in diet, ...; Created on 05 June 2014
49. On the Edge of Common Sense: The price of ivory: (Baxter Black); On the north side of Denver abides Commerce City. There, last fall, U.S. officials dumped millions of dollars worth of ivory tusks, carvings and jewelry into a steel rock crusher and pulverized it into ...; Created on 05 June 2014
50. The View from Here: Sustainability of the milk industry: (Guest Blog); The milk industry is dynamic. Yet in the popular press, one can find a plethora of articles written from the perspective that parts of the industry are not sustainable. I read this Modern Farmer article ...; Created on 05 June 2014
51. The unpleasantness of a residue violation and tips to avoid one: (Management); Our industry has a reputation for producing safe and healthy dairy products for consumers around the world. From my perspective, this is due to the rigid testing of all meat and milk sent to market, coupled ...; Created on 05 June 2014
52. Partnerships between producers, processors, universities: (Industry News); Strong partnerships that grow demand for dairy have always been a driving force behind the success of the industry. While producer and manufacturer efforts move the industry forward, support groups such ...; Created on 05 June 2014