November 7, 2024

November 7, 2024 Progressive Dairy digital magazine

November 7, 2024

Cool stuff we saw at World Dairy Expo 2024

From new technologies and innovations to strolls down memory lane, the 2024 World Dairy Expo had it all. Here is a compilation of cool stuff Progressive Dairy editors discovered at the show.

October 7, 2024

There was a lot to discover at the 2024 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, as companies from all across the globe showcased new innovative offerings for dairy operations and paid homage to technologies of the past. Continue reading to see what Progressive Dairy editors found while attending this year’s event.

Secretary Vilsack outlines strategies to help small to midsized farms

October 21, 2024

Karen Lee

On Friday, Oct. 4, current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack returned to World Dairy Expo to say he accepted that challenge to develop strategies that help small and midsized operations continue to be in business.

National leaders share bullish views for U.S. dairy

Strong protein demand, both domestic and global, is opening more opportunities for dairy products and ingredients.

October 29, 2024

Karen Lee

Four national dairy leaders were featured at the Global Dairy Summit, held by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) on the expo grounds. The panel presentation covered the topics of global dairy product prospects, domestic dairy production and manufacturing trends, consumer dairy product purchasing patterns, and the future of dairy ingredients.

Supply and demand expectations for the top 5 global dairy regions

The U.S., Europe, Oceania, South America and China make up over 80% of global dairy trade. Some of these regions are poised to grow in milk production to meet the world's growing demand for dairy.

October 22, 2024

Karen Lee

At a 2024 World Dairy Expo breakfast event, Rabobank’s global dairy analysts provided an overview of the major dairy regions across the world in terms of their milk production capabilities and trade outlook.

Things that I have learned in my 10 years of full-time farming as a young female in ag

October 31, 2024

Julianne McCormick

At times, I felt that just being a dairy farmer wasn’t enough. It is more than enough. As a full-time dairy farmer, especially a young female in the industry, there are so many opportunities for growth and development, and being able to work alongside family with animals that help feed the world is such an amazing opportunity.

Dairy’s Foundation grants: Clever ways to tell dairy’s story

October 25, 2024

For more than two decades, Dairy’s Foundation has raised funds and awarded grants to support educational and sustainability initiatives for the dairy industry and those impacted by it. As the only public-held national foundation supporting dairy education and initiatives across the entire dairy industry food chain, our local grant program invites organizations around the country to apply for grants to fund critical educational and outreach programs.

Characteristics that will make your business more resilient during times of change

Curiosity generates innovative ideas, math assesses the fit of those ideas for your farm, and perseverance is the grit to make it happen. However, passion for the work you are doing is the characteristic that ties the other three together.

November 5, 2024

Kevin Bernhardt

I’ve been blessed to know many successful farmers, entrepreneurs and business leaders who always seemed to be a step ahead of the herd. What are the common threads among these folks? What core set of traits did they share? I came up with three traits and one overarching theme.

Motivating the next generation to step up

Aside from preparing the next generation with the skill sets they need to be successful in managing the farm, increase the chances of them wanting to come back to the farm by creating work and life boundaries and aligning expectations to help family dynamics at work and home.

November 4, 2024

Tim Schaefer

Running a multigenerational family business is no small feat. Passing on a successful operation where multiple generations are motivated to work, take risks and raise their families is yet another feat. But each is possible, even highly likely, by following this blueprint for motivating the next generation.

Saying yes: Finding balance when opportunities never end

October 24, 2024

Rebecca Shaw Pfeffer

In the hectic world of dairy, we all know there’s only so much bandwidth for saying “yes” in a day. And it seems like the opportunities never end – a new organization to volunteer for, a new task that needs to be completed, and so on and so on.

Balancing automation technology and employee management

The rapidly increasing adoption of milking automation technology has transformed production and employee management practices across the dairy industry. To successfully integrate this technology into your farm, it's important to carefully manage the process while considering the needs of your key employees.

November 5, 2024

Chris Singleton

Milking automation represents not only a technological advancement but a fundamental shift in dairy farm management. While automation simplifies processes, the human touch remains indispensable. Successfully managing employees requires finding the right balance between leveraging the power of technology and nurturing a supportive, engaged work environment.

Challenges, opportunities and the future of AI in dairy nutrition

Thought leaders Chad Jenkins and John Goeser discuss challenges, potential and the outlook of AI in dairy nutrition.

November 1, 2024

Erica Louder

At the intersection of tradition and innovation lies the future of dairy farming, which is increasingly intertwined with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. AI has emerged as a transformative force as the industry responds to marketplace pressures and technological advancements. While integrating AI in dairy practices presents challenges, it also offers significant opportunities.

The dollars and sense of pretty manure

Assessing individual starch sources in the diet is key to determining what’s influencing a suboptimal fecal starch percentage.

October 9, 2024

Nick Uglow

Nobody likes to walk through a freestall pen and see manure laden with flecks of yellow corn pericarp. To any dairy manager, herd manager or nutritionist, “pretty poo” is all the rage – and pretty means consistently fleckless. This pretty manure is not only important to the diet but also a key part of every dairy’s bottom line.

The necessity for a whole-farm approach to sustainability

Small adjustments in feeding strategies can make significant progress toward sustainability goals, demonstrating the importance of a whole-farm carbon footprint assessment in the decision-making process.

November 7, 2024

Gabriela Acetoze

Addressing dairy sustainability goals through a comprehensive and holistic approach and taking into consideration the entire operation as the active unit mitigating environmental impact is the ultimate way to ensure all initiatives fulfill the true definition of sustainability.

Using automation and data to catch mastitis early

Mastitis is a common condition which, when undetected or addressed too late, can have a significant impact on herd health and a dairy’s bottom line. Increasingly, automated milking systems offer producers an advantage in detecting even subclinical cases of mastitis before they become clinical and spread to the herd.

October 3, 2024

Sara McBurney

While it is impossible to eliminate cases of mastitis in a dairy herd, automation can help producers save time, money and resources, ensuring their cows get the best and most timely care possible.

The power of pathogen-based mastitis treatment

Identifying the type of mastitis pathogen plaguing your cows is the first step in creating a healthier herd. Understanding the infection and creating a plan for your team is imperative to reducing mastitis flare-ups.

October 21, 2024

Linda Tikofsky

Knowing the classification of a mastitis case can help you choose which animals to treat, saving you money and improving judicious antibiotic use.

Strategies for applying manure for the best economic return

Dragline application is the most efficient method of manure application. Optimize equipment and hose selection to create the best economic return on this method.

October 28, 2024

Katie Kelderman

Manure application is a fast-growing industry, with more farmers looking for alternatives to commercial fertilizer. Manure is proven to be a balanced nutrient product for farmers. Not only does it supply nitrogen needs for a crop, but in the same application, it supplies phosphorus and potassium needs as well.

Advice for applying manure during winter

Utilizing best practices for winter manure application will help dairy producers get the most from their manure resources while protecting the water around them.

October 30, 2024

Daniel Andersen

As winter approaches, the challenges associated with cattle manure application become more pronounced. Adopting best practices that maximize nutrient utilization and safeguard water resources is crucial. What follows are critical considerations for cattle manure application in the winter.

Shaping success: The role of fat and muscle in transition cows

Recent research efforts explore how muscle amount and mobilization impacts transition success and early lactation performance.

October 29, 2024

Kyrstin Gouveia

One factor that plays a role in the success of the transition period is the cow’s body composition, more specifically the fat and muscle of the cow. Both fat and muscle tissues are mobilized during the transition period to compensate for the negative nutrient balances and provide precursors for milk and milk components.

Embryo quality plays a critical role in bovine fertility success

Pay attention to embryo quality ratings to increase reproductive success.

October 23, 2024

Jeremy Howard

Dairies that rely on embryo transfer often achieve success rates similar to artificial insemination (A.I.). Plus, in times of heat stress, pregnancies resulting from embryo transfer may exceed those of A.I., with some dairies reporting pregnancy rates as much as 10 or more percentage points higher for embryos. Yet, positive outcomes are not possible without a commitment to quality – of embryos and transfer techniques.

Every pregnancy has a purpose

Determining the purpose of each pregnancy is imperative to generating a profit. Whether creating beef-on-dairy calves or replacement heifers, females should be bred with a plan in place.

October 18, 2024

Adrianne Trennepohl

Every pregnancy has the purpose of generating revenue. Today, let’s dive into the concept of increasing the profitability of each pregnancy by deploying the right genetics on the right portion of the herd. The semen you choose on breeding day determines the path of that pregnancy: an investment for future profitability or a positive cash flow calf check.

Perspectives from the Frontlines – Key themes from 2024 animal activist conferences

October 21, 2024

Grace (Platte) Simpson

As we enter the final stretch of 2024, there has been a notable increase by animal rights activists against agriculture, especially focusing on farms, food production systems and consumer perceptions. For dairy farmers and those working within the dairy community, understanding the strategies being employed by activists is essential to staying ahead of potential threats and challenges.

3 Open Minutes with Jamie Leifker

October 24, 2024

Jenn Coyne

Progressive Dairy Editor Jenn Coyne spoke with Jamie Leifker, president of Truterra, to learn more about industry efforts to support sustainable dairy farming practices and reach goals within the dairy supply chain.

Faber's Food for Thought: Presidents and blue jeans

November 7, 2024

Dwayne Faber

I was getting ready to go out on the town the other day, and Mrs. Faber was not impressed with my attire.

The Milk House: Preparing for post-animal

November 7, 2024

Ryan Dennis

While lab-grown, or “cultured,” meat has been studied since the 1950s, research and investment in the field has grown exponentially since the turn of the millennium.

Just Dropping By: Gettysburg Address for us

November 7, 2024

Yevet Crandell Tenney

On Nov. 19,1863, Abraham Lincoln stood looking over the rows and rows of crosses commemorating the graves of over 50,000 soldiers; he must have been overwhelmed at the sight. More than 50,000 lives of American soldiers from the North and the South: fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, uncles and cousins who loved freedom.

Barb Petersen: 5 things I can't do without

November 6, 2024

I grew up on an 80-cow Holstein dairy family farm cropping corn, alfalfa, soybeans and wheat in eastern Iowa. I am putting the animal science (2005) and DVM (2009) degrees I earned at Iowa State to good use by focusing on the basics of cattle husbandry.

A tale of shortcuts and shortcomings

November 7, 2024

Jenn Coyne

“A calf on the loose!” Those were the words my son Declan hollered one evening just before bedtime.

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