Maintaining a position in the top 20 in any field is not something that comes about by accident. It takes hard work and dedication, but that is something not in short supply at Dual Lane Farms, where Bill Kloepfer and his four sons live and work.

Genetics and research Vice President Over the last several decades, the dairy industry has gone through major changes and has never been so much in motion.

It was a massive undertaking, and continues to be an ongoing project, but Canada now has its own nationwide numbers to better understand disease prevalence and herd management practices throughout the industry.

Forages are the foundation of all ruminant diets. The fermentation of forages in the rumens of cows, goats and sheep (and the hindgut of horses) is necessary for both meeting the energy and protein needs as well as maintaining a healthy population of microbes in the rumen or hindgut.

Protecting water in the agricultural context means not only the most obvious large and vulnerable bodies of water, such as the Chesapeake, the Great Lakes or the Gulf of Mexico, but also the smallest streams and the groundwater closest to your farm that aren’t distinguished along property lines.

From TMRs and chop length to oxygen exposure and inoculants, a producer’s understanding of silage production and qualitative indicators has never been greater.

Hay producers often ask, “Why are forage quality test results for the same haystack different among laboratories?” There are significant sources of variation, or error, hay producers and consumers should realize.

As I sit here in the barn thinking of what I should write about and reflecting on our annual show, which just concluded, I’m trying to think of a very unique piece of equipment to discuss.