Bovance has chosen Brent Sexton from Rockwell City, Iowa, as the winner of the first Bovance Scholarship Contest. Sexton, along with 15 other applicants, chose one of five topics about cloning and genetic preservation to write an essay.

A new dairy farmer will be all ears at a pasture walk scheduled for Wednesday, April 27 at the John Berlage farm near Ridgeway, Iowa. Berlage started milking in February of 2010 and is currently milking 16 cows in a small parlor with freestalls. The closed herd of registered Holsteins goes back to his initial 4-H project. He started grazing last year with limited success but has made improvements with information learned at various pasture walks. Berlage is eager for suggestions and ideas from the pasture walk attendees.

Supporters of the Cal Poly Dairy in conjunction with the Tulare Sales Yard have teamed up to kick off the 2nd Annual Cull Cow Fundraiser. This fundraiser has been fueled by the passion of Cal Poly alumni and supporters to improve the Cal Poly Dairy Farm and maintain it's financial stability. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly toward purchase of current and long-term forage needs for the Cal Poly Dairy.

Registration is now open for the 9th Annual Dairy Business Association Dairy Classic Golf Outing taking place on Thursday, June 23 at Fox Hills Resort in Mishicot, Wisconsin. One of Wisconsin's finest 36-hole golf facilities, Fox Hills Resort offers championship golf at its best.

Several dairies were recognized at the recent Nebraska Dairy Convention. Distinguished Dairyman – Warren and Merry Snodgrass. They operate O & W Dairy, milking 500 cows and farming 2,100 acres. The family began milking cows in 1966, and since then has achieved numerous production and quality awards. They frequently host tours, and both Warren and Merry have played an active role in community and dairy activities.

Employees at Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.’s (DFA) plant in Zumbrota, Minnesota, were recently recognized by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for excellence in wastewater operations during 2010. Honorees were recognized at the 74th annual Wastewater Operations Conference on March 24.

The annual 2011 Ag Machinery Conference (AMC), a three-day agriculture engineering and education conference, will be held May 2, 3 and 4 at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in downtown Waterloo, Iowa. New for 2011, the Ag Machinery Conference will hold its opening ceremony at the Cedar Valley TechWorks on the Monday, May 2. The evening’s events will kick off with comments by 2011 AMC chairman Jim Evans of John Deere, and the mayor of the city of Waterloo, followed by a tour of the National Ag-Based Lubricants Center.

A special report just issued by the Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) group indicates the consequences of the earthquake and tsunami to Japan’s agricultural and food industry could be dire. While the full impact of the earth quake and radiation are not yet understood, the report—which estimates the potential impact on six major sectors of Japan’s agricultural industry—projects that food safety concerns and supply shortage will limit exports and cause imports to rise.

The positive trend for U.S. beef exports continued in February, with an increasingly large portion of total U.S. production going to international customers while returning more revenue to America’s red meat industry, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

The annual 2011 Ag Machinery Conference (AMC), a three-day agriculture engineering and education conference, will be held May 2, 3 and 4 at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in downtown Waterloo, Iowa.New for 2011, the Ag Machinery Conference will hold its opening ceremony at the Cedar Valley TechWorks on the Monday, May 2. The evening’s events will kick off with comments by 2011 AMC chairman Jim Evans of John Deere, and the mayor of the city of Waterloo, followed by a tour of the National Ag-Based Lubricants Center.