Reporting to you from South Sudan, Africa … I am in Yambio, the capital city of Western Equatoria state. South Sudan, the 54th country in Africa and the newest country of the world, is divided into 10 states. I am assigned to three of them: the three southern states of Eastern, Central and Western Equatoria.

The theme at the 2010 ADSA Transition Cow Discovery Conference could have been “Lean Is In.” Jim Drackley from the University of Illinois, Mike Allen from Michigan State University, and Phil Garnsworthy from the University of Nottingham shared some very interesting research results related to energy metabolism.

World Ag Expo will celebrate 45 years of excellence February 14-16, 2012, in Tulare, California. The largest annual agricultural exposition of its kind, World Ag Expo touts more than 1,400 exhibitors who display cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of show grounds. An estimated average of 100,000 individuals from 70 countries attend the Expo each year to learn about the latest advances in agriculture.

It is generally accepted that adequate supervision at calving has a significant positive effect on reducing calf mortality, which has been of increasing importance with the use of larger beef breeds and cattle with larger birth weights.

Two dairy organizations expressed concerns today about the potential impact on U.S. dairy exports of a proposal to consolidate government agencies. President Obama announced last Friday his proposal to reinstate the Office of the President’s authority to reorganize the government. His first proposed use of that authority would be to consolidate six agencies dealing with trade and commerce into one. The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) praised the administration’s effort to ensure that agencies involved in efforts related to trade are operating in the smoothest and most coordinated way possible.

From driving tractors to vaccinating calves, farm families worry that changes to federal laws governing what work youths can get paid to do on the farm could change their way of life. Last fall, the U.S. Department of Labor proposed changes to the rules that prevent young workers from being paid to do certain tasks in the agriculture industry. Those laws, known as agricultural hazardous occupations orders, hadn't been updated since 1970. The intent is to bridge the gap between rules for farms and the more stringent rules that youths not working in agricultural settings have to follow.

From driving tractors to vaccinating calves, farm families worry that changes to federal laws governing what work youths can get paid to do on the farm could change their way of life.

Last fall, the U.S. Department of Labor proposed changes to the rules that prevent young workers from being paid to do certain tasks in the agriculture industry. Those laws, known as agricultural hazardous occupations orders, hadn't been updated since 1970. The intent is to bridge the gap between rules for farms and the more stringent rules that youths not working in agricultural settings have to follow.