South Korea’s craving for American-made cheese products is helping U.S. dairy farmers.

New York Sen. James L. Seward recently joined senate colleagues to unveil the “Young Farmers NY” plan to address issues related to the advancing average age of New York farmers and to preserve the future of family farming. The initiative will support and encourage a new generation of farmers and help strengthen the state’s leading industry for decades to come.

Chobani's Greek yogurt manufacturing plant in Twin Falls, Idaho, which opened in late 2012, already is seeking to expand.

The USDA has issued a Veterinary Biologics License for Titanium 5 + PH-M, a new vaccine that protects cattle against the viruses and bacteria most associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

The 2014 Farm Bill has given farm owners the opportunity to re-allocate base acres. We asked our online readers if they will elect to make changes on their farm.

What Is the Issue?
Farm businesses’ debt-use decisions can affect their growth and survival, as well as the economic vitality of farm-dependent rural communities. Thus policymakers, agricultural lenders and other farm-sector participants closely follow trends in farm debt.

The Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) has planned the 2014 Reproduction Awards program, which recognizes outstanding dairy operations for reproductive efficiency and well-implemented management procedures. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2014 program.

Five distinguished cattle veterinarians, including two dairy nominees, have been nominated and voting is underway for the 2014 Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame, which was created in 2011 to honor exceptional individuals who have made lasting contributions to the veterinary profession.

The Treasure Valley Classic Junior Beef Show is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, at the Owyhee County Fairgrounds in Homedale, Idaho. 4-H and FFA youth who plan to show registered beef heifers and market steers at summer shows and fairs are highly encouraged to enter.

Michael Gavin, president of PortaScience Inc. (PSI), recently returned from Rwanda where he participated in the educational segment of a program funded by a grant from Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation (FFPI) to commercialize a milk quality test for East African small farms.