American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology (AFACT) has joined the Alliance to Feed the Future to help tell the story of modern farming from the heart of the family farmer. AFACT is comprised of farm families from across the country that seek to help all participants in the food chain to understand the benefits of technology used to produce affordable food with minimal impact on the environment. Misperceptions about how food is produced on modern farms are common, and AFACT farmers want consumers to have access to fact-based information that provides peace of mind about how today’s food is produced.

Holstein Association USA’s Star of the Breed award recognizes a cow that would be many Registered Holstein breeders’ “dream;” a cow that can compete with the best both in the showring and with her milk production. The 2010 Star of the Breed is Scarlet-Summer RB Gwendelyn, bred and owned by Scarlet Summer Holsteins of Muncy, Pennsylvania. Scarlet Summer Holsteins is comprised of Jarrod and Marsha Burleigh, and their two children, Alex, 7, and Madison, 4. Both graduates of Delaware Valley College, Jarrod is a nutritionist with ADM, and Marsha works at the farm full-time.

Genex Cooperative, Inc.’s 1HO07235 Jenny-Lou Mrshl TOYSTORY-ET *TV is now the world’s most prolific bull. He has assumed the honorary title of world leader for semen produced and sold surpassing the official record of 1.767 million units held by the Dutch sire Sunny Boy.

Jason Rowntree from Michigan State University presents a practical guide to determining forage availability and when to turn cows out in the spring.

Plain and simple – each growing season is different. Even if you’ve planted a corn hybrid for silage and gotten consistent results for several years, it’s important to realize weather and environmental conditions in a given year may affect this year’s performance.

Some years it’s difficult to find decent haymaking weather. Sunny, hot, dry and breezy – that’s the prescription for good haymaking, along with using practices that can help the process.

As we approach the spring planting producers might be considering hybrid bermudagrass varieties as a forage option to establish pasture or hayfields. Variety testing at Mississippi State University has shown that although most hybrid bermudagrasses propagate only through vegetative material, they have greater yield potential than seeded bermudagrass, but also require higher fertilization rates.

Between summer rains and baling challenges, making high-quality hay can be difficult. Further, silage production for many small and moderate-sized livestock producers is prohibitive because of the costs of equipment and storage.

Last year, we wrote about a producer from North Dakota who was constantly changing his inflations (see “Time to change the inflations … again,” Progressive Dairyman, September 22, 2010, pg. 85). You may recall … we associated the old Dunkin’ Donuts commercial “Time to make the doughnuts” with this producer’s tedious task of changing inflations. Here’s an update on that “inflation devastation”: The results are a slam-dunk where time, money and milk quality are concerned.