The University of Minnesota Extension has a quiz on its website. Designed by Dr. Marcia Endres, University of Minnesota dairy management specialist, the quiz titled, How comfortable are your cows?, helps milk producers think about management practices on the dairy farm to improve cow comfort and automatically gives you a score to measure how you are doing.

Many farm managers in Pennsylvania use QuickBooks financial recordkeeping software for their farm business recordkeeping. Of these, several report in conversations with Extension educators that they do not feel that they get the most out of the program, in terms of financial reports and decision making tools. In order to assist farm managers make the most of QuickBooks software as a financial decision making tool, Penn State Extension has planned a two-part workshop series that will be held in several locations throughout Pennsylvania.

DeLaval and Cornell University announced a new development in their continuing partnership to bring innovative, safe and productive solutions to the dairy industry. The Ivy League School will equip its new teaching dairy barn with DeLaval milking equipment and herd management solutions.

FFA chapters across the country partnered with local suppliers to promote responsible use of animal health products – and 23 chapters earned $26,000 in the process. “Pfizer Animal Health and our partners are longtime supporters of the values and education FFA offers,” says Julian Garcia, group marketing director with Pfizer Animal Health. “This contest allowed us to really get to know individual students and chapters. Not only did these chapters earn funds to help support their activities, but these students made deeper connections to the industry that can help them as they become our future leaders.”

Before you forget about irrigation for this year, consider the following management practices to prepare for next season.

Here are some of the new products or updates to previous products that have been announced as of November 1, 2011. Return to this section of the Progressive Dairyman website periodically to find out what new products will be impacting the dairy industry.

Marin Bozic St. Paul, Minnesota Assistant Professor in Dairy Foods Marketing Economics University of Minnesota