The 2012 Census of Agriculture is this country’s 28th agriculture census. The first agriculture census was taken in 1840. President George Washington is given credit for seeing the need for an agriculture census. The recently released 2012 census contains hundreds of pages and tables of agricultural demographic, economic and statistical data. Many of you, including me, filled out and returned a census form back in 2012, which is the basis of the census.

If you are making milk these days, then you are making money. It definitely feels good for a change, and optimism that these prices may be around for a while is everywhere. So now that there is some extra cash left over in the bank account, the question is: What to do with it? The answer is: “It depends.”

With each new generation, every family farm is going to grow in a different direction. The question is: How?

Foot-and-mouth disease, salmonellosis, E. coli – these are but a few of the zoonotic pathogens that have frightened consumers and plagued livestock producers in recent years. As threats ebb and surge, local, state, national and international government agencies conduct research and continuously refine their regulations to mitigate disease spread. Standard testing procedures are in place to ensure early detection and elimination. However, what happens when testing supplies run out?

The 12th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis (ICP) was held June 22-27, 2014, in Parma, Italy. It was also a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the International Association for Paratuberculosis (IAP), the sponsoring organization. The ICP brings together veterinary and human medical researchers, educators and livestock industry representatives to share current work on paratuberculosis (Johne’s disease).

Long-term trends suggest the dairy industry has a mixed record when it comes to maintaining the health of our cows. On the one hand, we have seen a substantial decline in somatic cell counts. Improved management, a shift of cows to drier climates and aggressive culling of problem cows thanks to replacement heifer availability and high beef prices deserve much of the credit for this favorable udder health trend.

Respiratory disease is not a threat exclusive to the calf barn. It can occur in adult cows, too. In fact, pneumonia is to blame for 11 percent of adult cow deaths, according to a USDA dairy producer survey. Fortunately, these losses can be minimized with good management and herd health practices.

Dairy farm families have historically called on their veterinarian consultants for prevention and treatment of diseases on the farm. Traditionally, their role has been to look for problems associated with maintaining herd health. And, while this has impacted production, the role of the veterinarian has evolved to have an even greater impact on profitability by helping the farm management team take a broader look to identify potential opportunities for efficiencies on the dairy.