In every dairy producer’s ideal world, the norm would be a whole herd of cows that efficiently produces high volumes of milk during several lactations with no transition problems, metabolic diseases, udder health issues or conformation faults leading to an early cull from the herd. In other words, the ideal is a whole herd of “four-event” cows, whose only recorded events throughout a lactation are freshening, a single breeding, pregnancy diagnosis and dry-off.

Advancing Dairy Cattle Genetics: Genomics and Beyond is the theme for an upcoming conference that will address the future of genetic selection, research and application. The three-day event will be held Feb. 17-19 in Phoenix, Arizona. Leading scientists, industry experts and dairy producers are on the agenda as speakers and panelists.

Everyone in the dairy industry is breathing a collective sigh of relief. The drought-induced feed prices are ending, and new-crop corn and beans are flowing to the dairies at substantially lower prices. However, feed costs will still be double what they were just a few years ago, while milk prices are only up 30 percent. Margins will continue to be tight, and management must find every opportunity to maximize performance in order to increase margins and profits. One of the key elements to profitability on the dairy is reproduction.

In 1920, the world began changing faster than ever before. We had just left the horse and buggy for the car, and we were starting to use machines for heavy lifting, moving dirt and building skyscrapers. Research was starting to speed up as well, and with that research came the discovery of how to use oil. We also discovered that we could make many different things from oil that would make our lives easier, faster, more efficient or less expensive. New information was the sign of the times.

In our instant gratification world, where everything is spelled out in HD on the wide-screen television, and problems are shaped and solved in 30-minute increments, it is often difficult for a novice to understand the symbolism of the Bible.

Editor’s note: This blog originally appeared in November 2013 at The Farmer's Wifee. In today’s society, consumers are more disconnected than ever with where their food comes from. There are more than 313 million people in the U.S. and only 1 to 2 percent either claim farming as their occupation or live on a farm. I would venture to guess that the majority of the population has never even set foot on a farm.

After milking, we sat down to a plate of lamb, which is fairly common for lunches on Icelandic farms. Systa, the wife, decided not to prepare the slátur they usually eat on Saturdays – which, in simple terms, is sheep blood (or liver) mixed with fat and oats stuffed in the stomach and often let sit in whey for several months.

• The Dairy Business Association (DBA) awarded Speaker Robin Vos, a Wisconsin state representative, its annual Leadership Award during the 14th annual Business Conference. Vos, the 75th Speaker of the Assembly, was granted the DBA Leadership Award for his focus on improving the state’s business climate to promote job creation and moving Wisconsin’s economy and dairy industry forward.

Someone once asked me, “Tim, what’s the difference between a farmer and a redneck?” It’s simple: As a farmer, I have a truck parked in front of my house. A redneck has a truck parked on blocks in front of his house. If the truck on blocks is your house – you, my friend, are a hillbilly.