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Current Progressive Dairy digital edition

1. From the Editor - Finding your strength(s): (From the Editor); “Most people think they know what they are good at. They are usually wrong … and yet, a person can perform only from strength.” I came across these words from business guru Peter Decker inside Strengths ...; Created on 06 November 2019
2. Checkoff Watch: Protecting consumer confidence core: (Organizations); I’d like to talk about cantaloupe. Specifically, a 2011 situation when a cantaloupe operation in Colorado was the focus of a deadly food safety crisis. A nasty bug – Listeria monocytogenes – contaminated ...; Created on 06 November 2019
3. Progressive Events: Florida Dairy Production Conference highlights science and social media: (Event Coverage); More than 250 dairy producers and industry representatives gathered at the University of Florida in Gainesville, on Sept. 18, for the 55th Annual Florida Dairy Production Conference. While the morning ...; Created on 06 November 2019
4. What Happened? What's next? - Farm Bureau unveils FMMO reform proposals: (Industry News); You’re busy milking cows, doing post-harvest machinery maintenance and wondering where your winter boots and gloves are hiding. With that in mind, Progressive Dairy looks at issues in the news impacting ...; Created on 05 November 2019
5. 2019 prices up – but not enough: (Management); For decades, our accounting firm has produced quarterly dairy farm cost studies for our dairy clients and others to use for benchmarking and profitability improvement. The accompanying illustrated ...; Created on 05 November 2019
6. What’s in a milk replacer and why?: (Calves & Heifers); Milk secretion is a defining characteristic of mammals. Milk composition varies by species, by stage of lactation, age and there are dietary influences, as well. In developing a product to replace ...; Created on 05 November 2019
7. Benefits and drawbacks of feeding pasteurized milk to calves: (Calves & Heifers); When selecting a liquid feeding program for growing calves, there are benefits and drawbacks to consider, including nutrient intake targets for growth goals, program management, economics and potential ...; Created on 05 November 2019
8. Essential microbial support: A key component of your calf-rearing program: (Calves & Heifers); We often think the weaning period is the only traumatic transition period for calves; however, the entire pre-weaning period consists of many difficult and stressful periods of transition. Following ...; Created on 04 November 2019
9. New insights into feeding programs for Jersey calves: (Calves & Heifers); Jerseys are the fastest growing population among dairy breeds, and it’s no surprise the industry is hungry for more data on how to better feed and manage them. With respect to feeding Jersey calves, there ...; Created on 04 November 2019
10. Feeding heifers from weaning to breeding: It’s all about consistency: (Calves & Heifers); With heifer raising accounting for roughly 20 percent of total farm expenses, paying close attention to heifer nutrition and management is essential for raising quality replacement animals without adding ...; Created on 01 November 2019
11. Feed mixer mom: (People); Balancing hours spent working on a dairy farm with family time can prove to be quite a challenge for many in our industry. With countless farm tasks that need to be completed each day, it can be difficult ...; Created on 01 November 2019
12. Dairy farm wife-turned-ag-vocate: The Idaho Dairy Diva: (People); Picture this: An adorable one-year-old boy donning a red bandana and cow-print diaper nestled next to a dazzling white and black speckled Holstein calf lying in a picturesque green pasture. That’s ...; Created on 31 October 2019
13. Faith gives Springstroh strength to keep dairying: (People); To this day dairywoman Judy Springstroh, age 75, gets up at 3:30 every morning to milk cows alongside her daughter Amber on their 65-head tiestall dairy in Freedom, Wisconsin. Springstroh grew up on a ...; Created on 31 October 2019
14. Celebrating 25 years of dairy apparel and gear: (People); When it comes to commemorating a milestone, what is the best way to celebrate? With cake, of course. The cake to celebrate the milestone in this story is carefully baked, decorated with purple frosting ...; Created on 31 October 2019
15. The future of animal health is here: (A.I. & Breeding); Most humans consider caring for animals a moral responsibility. But for farmers, it is more than this. It is a farmer’s fundamental purpose to nurture and protect animals. Their livelihood depends on being ...; Created on 31 October 2019
16. DCRC reveals updated synch protocols: (A.I. & Breeding); During 2018, Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) members, who are also researchers, reviewed and updated DCRC’s recommended list of estrous synchronization protocols. The updated protocols are ...; Created on 30 October 2019
17. Three ways IVF technology helps dairies remain competitive: (A.I. & Breeding); As dairies seek to mitigate financial risk, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is moving to the forefront as a tool to capitalize on the best genetics in their herds through timely pregnancies, shorter calving ...; Created on 30 October 2019
18. Health traits: What are your options?: (A.I. & Breeding); No two dairies are exactly the same, but one belief is consistent worldwide: Healthy cows are more profitable and more enjoyable to work with. In the last 10 years, we have seen a significant push ...; Created on 30 October 2019
19. Protect limbs and life with PTO safety: (Barns & Equipment); Reality check: John has worked on his family’s farm since he was 12 years old. He is 38 years old and has three children. John had just finished loading silage into the silo and was approaching the tractor’s ...; Created on 30 October 2019
20. Market Facilitation Program update: Alfalfa-mix acreage doesn’t qualify for payments: (Industry News); The USDA has clarified that acreage seeded to alfalfa-and-grass-mixture forage crops is not eligible for federal payments under the Market Facilitation Program (MFP). The MFP is part of the 2019 Trade ...; Created on 30 October 2019
21. Just dropping by ... To glory in adversity: (Yevet Tenney); “Every adversity, every failure, every heartbreak carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” — Napoleon Hill I have followed the thread of adversity through my life and find Napoleon ...; Created on 30 October 2019
22. HERd Management: How I became a dairy goal digger: (Guest Blog); Being a goal-oriented person has never been a “thing” I would normally associate myself with. This was something I acquired recently in my life. I am a full-time farmer, a mother and a part-time gelato ...; Created on 30 October 2019
23. The Milk House: Swanky Steaks: (Ryan Dennis); I tend to be a quantity-over-quality type of guy. Instead of a nice pair of jeans, I’d rather have three cheap pairs of Levis to take the pressure off washing. Rather than a Ferrari, I’d take a dented ...; Created on 30 October 2019
24. The Manure Spreader: We’re here!: (Tim Moffett); My grandpa always had a saying, “There is no house big enough for two families.” And that’s why he was the greatest single-wide trailer salesman ever. He also would say, “This ain’t no Motel 6. The ...; Created on 30 October 2019
25. Reboot your heifer vaccination program to elevate herd health: (Calves & Heifers); Disease risks on the dairy farm constantly change. Therefore, it’s important to evaluate and update vaccination protocols regularly with your veterinarian to protect heifers and cows against the challenges ...; Created on 21 October 2019
26. Cool things we saw at 2019 World Dairy Expo: (Event Coverage); It’s become a tradition for the Progressive Dairy team to scope out new products, ideas and innovations to share with readers following World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The 2019 show, with the theme ...; Created on 08 October 2019
27. What is on your semen straw and why should you care?: (A.I. & Breeding); Let’s be honest. Whenever we eat something, do we always check to see if it’s FDA or USDA approved? No. We may have a quick look if we care and have the time. Maybe we see the marketing labels and check ...; Created on 23 September 2019
28. It’s time to build resiliency into your operation: (Management); Due to the cyclical nature of the industry, resiliency is a valuable trait for dairy operations. But it’s especially important as operations return to profitability. It’s easy to fall into the trap ...; Created on 20 September 2019
29. From the ground up: Pros and cons of various calf hutch foundations: (Calves & Heifers); Houses. Relationships. Businesses. What do all three have in common? They all are built from a solid foundation, and calf hutches are no different. The type of hutch foundation you choose can impact ...; Created on 05 September 2019
30. The $100 million mistake: (Guest Blog); Keith Cunningham went from zero to $100 million and lost it in a period of 3.5 years. Emotions, excessive pride, greed and arrogance slipped into the way Cunningham ran his business, and he lost it all. ...; Created on 19 August 2019
31. Michigan artist draws inspiration from century-old dairy farm living: (People); “I think cows in general are beautiful creatures. I easily get inspired by personalities, coloring, spots, wrinkles or folds, if they have fluffy ears or long eyelashes, droopy eyes or nose freckles – ...; Created on 17 June 2019
32. Refresh your auto-feeder program for stronger returns: (Calves & Heifers); Whether you’ve had auto-feeders for five months or five years, you know how important it is to make sure your investment is paying off with improved calf performance from the start. One area to capture ...; Created on 15 May 2019