In a recent article with Brian Tully, we talked about milk fatty acids and how they relate to feed bunk management – “empty bunk syndrome.” But what was our theory behind using milk fatty acids as a monitor of rumen metabolism? This is an example of serendipity; research can have unexpected spin-offs. How did serendipity play a role in our understanding of how it impacts milk fat synthesis in dairy cows?

We’ve all heard it said, “The proof is in the pudding.” However, the pudding we’re talking about in this article is no dessert fare. It’s actually the final byproduct of rumen and lower tract digestion. And while the absolute proof may not lie in the pudding, it certainly carries some strong evidence regarding starch digestibility.

“Alone at the Top” was how the Pro Rodeo Sports News magazine described the crowning of Trevor Brazile, World Champion All-Around Cowboy, for the eighth time – a world record. It took Sir Edmund Hilary seven weeks to climb Mt. Everest, Admiral Peary 23 years to find the North Pole, Freckles Brown was 46 when he rode Tornado and it took me two tries to pass physiological chemistry in vet school! All monumental achievements. All-Around Champion should come with a prefixed title, some way we could address them properly like: Sir Trevor or Colonel Trevor or King Trevor.

One of the most common injuries in the workplace is an eye injury. It is estimated that over 2,000 people in the U.S. injure their eyes at work each day. The majority of these injuries result from small particles or slivers impacting or abrading the eye (See http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye/). Of these injuries, 90 percent could have been reduced in severity or avoided altogether through the use of proper eye protection (Also see http://www.preventblindness.org/safety/worksafe.html).

During my first month here in Pakistan, I have drawn certain conclusions about agricultural development. In this article I write about one of them, and make the case that one of our greatest attributes in the U.S. is the Land Grant University Extension System (LGUES).

The UW Extension Nutrient and Pest Management Program has produced this instructional video on determining manure application rates as part of the process in determining nutrient credits from field applications of solid and semi-solid livestock manure. Featured in the video is the process of weighing a manure spreader to determine the net weight of a representative load of manure using portable wheel weighing pad scales.