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Current Progressive Dairy digital edition

1. To bring in a new generation, Meadow Vista Dairy expanded: (People); So few young people are willing or able to return to the family farm these days, and those who do are often bogged down with family dynamics and power struggles. The Risser family of Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, ...; Created on 31 October 2010
2. PD POLL: Should federal order reform change classified pricing to less than four classes?: (Industry News); The objectives of federal milk marketing orders (FMMOs) are to assure consumers of an adequate supply of wholesome milk for beverage purposes and to promote greater producer price stability and orderly ...; Created on 28 October 2010
3. The growing national debt and what it means to dairymen: (Industry News); How much is $13,552,485,816,852? Let’s consider one billion first. One billion seconds ago it was 1959. Now multiply one billion by 13,552 and you have our national debt. But don’t stop there – it is constantly ...; Created on 28 October 2010
4. Profit margin outlook remains poor for dairy next year: (Industry News); With the exception of the spot period for nearby Q4 2010, the forward profit margin outlook for dairy producers is unfortunately poor as negative returns are reflected throughout next year. In our last ...; Created on 28 October 2010
5. One dairyman’s opinion: (People in the News); As we enter the fall months of the year, it appears that we finally have milk pricing that would put us in the black once again, but how long will it last? We are already seeing the Class III market on ...; Created on 28 October 2010
6. Life after selling the dairy farm: (People); The day after the auction of the cattle and equipment provides a mix of emotions for a dairyman. There is a bittersweet sense of relief that he is no longer responsible for milking and feeding his herd, ...; Created on 28 October 2010
7. Precision feeding system adjusts on-the-fly for moisture content: (Feed & Nutrition); Research by Dr. David Mertens, formerly of the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center and now retired, indicates that a rain event in a bunker silo can affect milk production by up to 6 pounds of milk per ...; Created on 28 October 2010
8. The case for rumen-protected fats: (Feed & Nutrition); TRENDING TOPIC ARTICLE: FEED & NUTRITION Published: November 1, 2010 print issue of Progressive Dairyman In this past article, nutritionist John Hibma outlined the different forms of fats available and ...; Created on 28 October 2010
9. Year-end considerations for effective business planning: (Management); The extremely volatile economic situation experienced over the last few years underscores the need for effective record-keeping and sound business planning. The time to start is now. I have compiled a ...; Created on 28 October 2010
10. Year-end tax planning and benefit opportunities provided by new tax law: (Management); President Obama signed the new tax bill into law on Sept. 27. This law contains several new provisions as well as extensions of older provisions that were scheduled to expire at the end of 2010. Many of ...; Created on 28 October 2010
11. Business expansion might mean transition of risk: (Management); One thing I like about working with dairymen is they are not afraid of taking risks to be successful. Initially, we were asked to talk about expansion opportunities for dairy operations. While that sounds ...; Created on 28 October 2010
12. Expansion considerations in a volatile price period: (Management); Since mid-2008, we have seen milk prices as low as $10 and as high as $22. Corn, corn silage, soybean meal and other feedstuffs have also experienced significant price volatility. Day-to-day operation ...; Created on 28 October 2010
13. Walking the talk on the road to better marketing: (Management); The road to better marketing continues for Dave Geiser and Deb Reinhart of Gold Star Farms. After choosing a marketing consultant in November 2009, Dave and Deb began their journey toward better control ...; Created on 28 October 2010
14. Controlling abuse of workers’ compensation and disability leaves of absence: (Management); Extended workers’ compensation, leaves and other disability leaves present an ongoing challenge to employers. For dairy producers, these challenges are magnified by the typical dairy’s lack of additional ...; Created on 28 October 2010
15. Create synergy in the dairy leadership team: (Management); Compared with the general business world, our dairy farm businesses are small, even referred to as micro businesses. The business definition of a small business is often one with less than 500 employees; ...; Created on 28 October 2010
16. Return to roots of stewardship and common sense: (Manure); The general public is increasingly concerned about air and water quality, especially as it relates to manure management. In response, governing bodies pass laws and regulatory agencies develop regulations ...; Created on 28 October 2010
17. How much copper are you putting down?: (Manure); “The use of copper sulfate footbaths is no big deal. Don’t worry about it!” Is this what you and your neighbors are saying? Let’s evaluate that position and see if it holds water. First, we need to understand ...; Created on 28 October 2010
18. New flush system opens avenue for modular design: (Manure); The fundamental design for the dairy barn is to provide cow comfort, labor efficiency, economic viability and waste management efficiency. Solving the manure collection and removal problem will result ...; Created on 28 October 2010
19. Solar energy systems provide ‘best green value’ for your dollar: (Barns & Equipment); In early October, construction was completed on a solar energy system at Whitesides Dairy near Rupert, Idaho. This is the first dairy operation to install a solar energy system of this size in the state ...; Created on 28 October 2010
20. Mechanics Corner: Tractor traction: (Barns & Equipment); A few years back, I was working on a big project. I needed to plant 120 acres of triticale for a dairyman. I got everything greased, lubed and fueled up the night before and thought I was all ready to ...; Created on 28 October 2010
21. Compost bays allow for disposal of cattle carcasses: (Barns & Equipment); In 2003, Northern Plains Dairy introduced the practice of mortality composting to Minnesota. As the first dairy in the state to dispose of dead cows via composting, it has refined and replicated the ...; Created on 28 October 2010
22. A cow’s eye on freestall planning: (Barns & Equipment); When planning a dairy cattle freestall housing system, focus on the cow and the freestall where you expect her to spend half her work day, resting and making milk. The size of the resting and lunge areas ...; Created on 28 October 2010
23. Five common parlor mistakes you should avoid to keep somatic cell counts low: (Herd Health); Maintaining a low bulk tank somatic cell count has always been a good dairy management strategy. Low somatic cell counts are associated with improved milk quality, increased shelf life and cheese yield ...; Created on 28 October 2010
24. Protect your herd from chemical residues: (Herd Health); While cleaning up around the farm, it is a good time to take a look for possible chemical contaminants that could impact the health of your animals or the safety of the products they produce. Dairy farmers ...; Created on 28 October 2010
25. ‘You did it. Or you know who did.’: (From the Editor); Speaking with a friend of mine who is a high school teacher, I learned a valuable lesson about how to deal with sudden, messy situations. He told me that while waiting at a stop sign to leave the parking ...; Created on 28 October 2010
26. On the Edge of Common Sense: The horse sale: (Baxter Black); There was a horse sold this summer down in Missouri. Probably the most famous horse in the world…Trigger. RFD-TV paid a lot of money to own the mounted figure of this celebrity equine, Roy Rogers’ Paramount ...; Created on 28 October 2010
27. On the Edge of Common Sense: The right angle: (Baxter Black); It was one of those calving wrecks that just seemed to get worse and worse. Clay’s brother said he had never seen a pickup give birth. The first pass through the calving pasture that morning, they observed ...; Created on 28 October 2010
28. Just dropping by... In the autumn of my life: (Yevet Tenney); The yellow leaves of autumn are sprinkling the trees. Soon they will be full-blown orange and red. The world will be a panorama of beauty. Summer will be forgotten, and thoughts of winter will come with ...; Created on 28 October 2010
29. The View from Here: Sacrifice extends homewards as well as overseas: (Guest Blog); In the many years writing this column, now just a year short of two full decades, I have written of expeditionary work. By my last count, the effort and energy spent in a dozen countries along with situational ...; Created on 28 October 2010
30. Fire the yes-men!: (Guest Blog); The past year has been full of celebrity infidelity and scandal. I’ve always been a news junkie, and it’s amazing to me how tabloid gossip has gained newsworthy status. In one of the “news” stories Tiger ...; Created on 28 October 2010
31. Humpty Dumpty and breaking eggs: (Guest Blog); An egg can support a large amount of weight. Its strength comes from its dome shape. Some research has shown that chicken eggs can handle as much as 17 pounds on the end. This amazingly strong shell ...; Created on 28 October 2010
32. 3 open minutes with Doug Maddox & Gary Genske: (Organizations); This article was #24 in PDmag's Top 25 most-well read articles in 2010. Summary: The National Dairy Producers Organization was established in the early fall of 2010. Doug Maddox and Gary Genske, both ...; Created on 22 October 2010