“Rattlesnakes on the Border.” Some of you might think this is another grim tale about the cartels and gunfights in the Mexican border states. It’s not.Most all of roads coming north to connect with the freeway have a manned border-patrol checkpoint. The object is to deter illegal immigrants and drug smuggling.

Delivering conservation is challenging. The dynamics of both the family farm (the physical attributes) and the farm family (the human attributes) give way to uniqueness and constant change. At a recent farm visit with my NRCS colleagues and a private contractor, the challenge was especially manifest. Here is the field report.

Chris Parreira Certified A.I. Specialist Tulare, California All-West/Select Sires

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) welcomed the introduction on Jan. 9 of the Trade Priorities Act (TPA) of 2014 by Sens. Max Baucus and Orrin Hatch, and Rep. Dave Camp.

Form-A-Feed Inc. (FAFI) has acquired Agri-Nutrition Consulting Inc. (ANC), an animal nutrition consulting company headquartered in DeForest, Wisconsin. The acquisition, which recognizes the need to appeal to the industry trends of large commercial herds, will combine FAFI’s expertise in quality manufacturing and product development with ANC’s diverse team of independent consultants and nutrition programs.

A limited water supply is predicted west of the Continental Divide, according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) data in its first forecast of 2014. The NWCC also predicts normal water supply east of the Continental Divide and will continue to monitor, forecast and update water supplies for the next six months.

Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. is nearing completion of its most recent processing expansion at its facility in Dalhart, Texas. The expansion includes additional capabilities on an existing 40-pound, natural American-style cheese production line, and improvements to a variety of processes to better serve domestic and international customers.

Land O’Lakes Purina, one of the nation’s largest producers of cattle feed, sold defective feed that sickened and killed most of a family’s award-winning dairy herd, a Tillamook County jury found Dec. 18.

Select Sires Inc. has named two of its own to new positions within the company. Dr. Matt Utt has been named director of research, while Marcus Schmelzer has taken on the role of laboratory safety coordinator.

On Feb. 5-6, Perth County – one of the most concentrated dairy production regions in Canada – will welcome more than 11,000 dairy producers from Canada, U.S. and worldwide. The Canadian Dairy XPO in Stratford, Ontario, is set to become the largest dairy event in Canada and second-largest in North America.