Over the past decade the export market has become a viable portion of the U.S. dairy industry. A panel of dairy producer leaders shared their experience in learning more about this growing opportunity. California dairy producer and Dairy Management Inc. board member Jim Ahlem explained how the DMI business model has evolved over the years to increase the impact of each dollar invested by dairy producers.

Everyone seems to have a comment to make about food these days. The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) is encouraging those that spend their days producing food to become a part of the conversation. USFRA is a coalition of more than 70 national, regional and state agricultural groups and their partners committed to continuously improving how food is grown and raised to provide healthy choices for people everywhere.

This article was #8 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2012. to jump to the video. It was published in the March 1, 2012 Extra. Click here for the full list of the Top 25. In the other virtual farm tour video from World Ag Expo, Michigan dairy producer John Verhaar explains his experience in dealing with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He was convicted of hiring and harboring unauthorized workers. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay hefty fines. John believes his challenges in finding qualified labor for his dairy are similar to other producers.

This article was #13 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2012. to jump to the article. It was published in the March 1, 2012 issue. Click here for the full list of the Top 25. For the second consecutive year, the “Cool stuff we saw” article was well read by online readers. This year’s edition featured the ECAlogix System, a hygiene system from Zurex PharmAgra; Cow Vac, a chute-side vacuum marketed by Spalding Laboratories; the DairySource app from Elanco Animal Health; and SawStop, a top new product at World Ag Expo.

World Ag Expo wasn't the only event happening in Tulare, California, on Feb. 18. SPG Solar teamed up with Curtimade Dairy, a 3,000-cow dairy, to provide nearly 30 dairy producers and local farmers with information and a tour of their recently installed solar power system. “This was a good opportunity for producers to see a large-scale system up close and personal,” says SPG Solar Business Development Director Dylan Dupre. “The open house allowed them to get comfortable with the technology.”

From robotic milking to renewable energy and genomics to grazing, producers attending the 2012 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit were offered a variety of topics to stretch their minds. The event was held Feb. 8-9 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Those not able to attend the entire two-day conference in person could participate in the “Core Dairy Track for Dairy Managers,” new to the summit this year.