Irv Haidle, the founder and president of the 2010 Montana Family Business of the Year, Agri-Best Feeds, died September 30, 2011, as a result of injuries sustained in an auto accident in Broken Bow, Nebraska.  Irv was in Nebraska promoting the SweetPro and Redmond Natural Trace Mineral products, and was on his way to the national SweetPro distributor’s conference.

Just as that Energy Star tag helps you choose your appliances, a new report says a rating symbol on the front of every soup can, cereal box and yogurt container could help hurried shoppers go home with the healthiest foods. The report urges the Food and Drug Administration to adopt new food labeling to clear the confusing clutter off today's packages and give consumers a fast way to compare choices.

Women involved in agriculture from throughout the U.S. and Canada will head to Wichita, Kansas, Nov. 10-13 for the 36th annual American Agri-Women (AAW) convention. Their purpose reflects the mission of the 40,000-member organization: Gather resources and knowledge to represent the agriculture industry in an educated, professional and passionate manner. Kansas Agri-Women, a state affiliate, is hosting the event. The convention’s theme is “Sharing America’s Harvest.” Download the convention registration form here. Speakers and programs will cover the latest issues in agriculture, including sustainability, marketing, advocacy and more.

Mediators, human resource managers and other interested individuals may obtain a free copy of the 321-page book Party-Directed Mediation by Gregorio Billikopf of the University of California. The focus of the publication is on the mediation of deep-seated interpersonal conflict, so the book may also be of interest to attorneys and therapists. In Party-Directed Mediation the author shares two models: (1) the first deals with contention between co-workers; and (2) the second; for handling differences between supervisors and subordinates.

The Cornell Department of Animal Science and PRO-DAIRY are pleased to announce “Group-Housed Dairy Calf Systems – A Symposium and Tours for Producers and Advisors.” Come join many of the 45 known New York and Vermont herds and their veterinarians at the Group-Housed Dairy Calf Systems Symposium in Syracuse, New York on Dec. 1. Eleven tours spread across New York State will follow the next week from Dec. 7-9.

While natural ventilation and negative pressure mechanical ventilation are the most widely used systems for nursery and growing calf barns, both have problems that can be minimized with supplemental positive pressure tube systems. In this workshop, Dr. Ken Nordlund of the Food Animal Production Medicine Section at the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Veterinary Medicine will present on designing systems to deliver appropriate volumes of fresh air to calves without creating drafts. Problems with fluttering tubes, uneven distribution of air along the tube, and failure to inflate will be reviewed, along with practical ideas for tube location and construction materials. This training aims to equip consultants with the ability to improve air quality in calf barns through improved ventilation and other common management and building design problems that contribute to poor air hygiene and increased risk for calf pneumonia.

Happy Birthday, Accelerated Genetics! That's right, Accelerated Genetics is 70 years young and going strong! Since March of this year Accelerated Genetics has been celebrating its birthday through various means. The theme for this momentus achievement is “Celebrating 70 Years of Innovation.”

Livestock Grain Market News for Oct. 22

Chris Lundgren West Union, Iowa Southern Plains Area Representative at American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc.

People who attend Iowa State University (ISU) football games and who also are interested in beef research have a unique opportunity awaiting them on the date of the final home ISU football game on Nov. 18. ISU’s Iowa Beef Center and beef nutrition faculty and staff are planning the “Beef Nutrition Research Pre-game Showcase” beginning that morning.