Over the past five years, Ruedinger Farms Inc. in Van Dyne, Wisconsin, has increased its herd size by 400 head. They now have 1,400 cows and 210 calves.On average, the farm is milking 1,200 cows each day with one double-11 parlor.

As much as I hate to admit it, public confrontation makes me extremely uncomfortable. A slow waitress, an aggressive driver, a misleading store advertisement … all things that I am likely to passive-aggressively tolerate with a smile in public, while inwardly rolling my eyes and shaking my head.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Jan. 12 that more than 23,000 of the nation's dairy operations – over half of all dairy farms in America – have enrolled in the new safety net program created by the 2014 Farm Bill, known as the Margin Protection Program. The voluntary program provides financial assistance to participating farmers when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed costs – falls below the coverage level selected by the farmer.

Aurora Villarroel Application Support Manager, West Afimilk Corvallis, Oregon

U.S. beef export volumes trended lower in November, according to data released by the USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). However, the cumulative 2014 volume totals were still higher year-over-year, with January through November beef exports up 2 percent to 1.1 million metric tons (mt).

Click the links below to learn about new products being presented at World Ag Expo, which will be held February 10-12 in Tulare, California. Progressive Dairyman will once again be featuring virtual farm tours and seminar presentations. Click here to find out more details.

This year, for the first time ever, World Ag Expo will offer guided school tours to students in 9th through 12th grades during the 2015 World Ag Expo.