Sixty-one students from seven western U.S. and one Canadian university traveled to Everett, Washington, for the 8th Annual Western Regional Dairy Challenge, Feb. 28 – March 2, 2013. It was the last of four regional competitions leading up to the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC), April 4-6.

Paying respect to the contributions its farmer-owners make to the global marketplace, Dairy Farmers of America’s 15th Annual Meeting, March 18-20, explored the diverse ways the cooperative and dairy industry are preparing for the future. Nearly 1,500 members and guests convened in Kansas City for the event.

Progressive Publishing’s consistent and positive contributions to the dairy and beef industry were recognized by Alltech Idaho at the Alltech North American Lecture Tour in Twin Falls on Feb. 26. This year’s Industry Advocate Award was received by Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley.

Last winter, a fire damaged Darigold's milk plant in Lynden, Washington, destroying one of the two dryers that turn milk into powder at the facility. Darigold then embarked on a $22 million project to replace the damaged dryer with new technology to improve efficiency. The project should be completed later this month or in May.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has announced that she and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) will introduce a bill to consider new Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMO) proposals and require the USDA to conduct hearings on restructuring the current pricing formulas used in FMMO.

Infectious diseases cost cattle producers millions of dollars each year through decreased performance, treatment costs and death loss.

The dairy industry’s animal care program has achieved an important milestone, with 70 percent of the nation’s milk now participating in the program. With the recent addition of several major cooperatives in the National Dairy FARM Program (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management), more than two-thirds of the nation’s cows will be covered.

The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service will provide an estimate of U.S. milk production each month through September 2013, which is the end of federal fiscal year 2013. The agency will use only various sources of administrative data to establish the monthly milk production estimates rather than incorporating information from the two remaining quarterly producer surveys, as is presently done.

Agricultural Research Service scientists at the Agroecosystems Management Research Unit in Lincoln, Nebraska, have been conducting some very thorough investigations on the microbes that dwell in cattle manure – what they are, where they thrive, where they struggle and where they may end up.