The National FFA Organization and National FFA Foundation have entered into a new, strategic alliance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Council for Agricultural Education designed to develop agriculture students’ skills, leadership qualities, personal growth and career success.

to see a related statement from NMPF. And to see talking points from Dairy Management, Inc. that you can use when speaking with consumers. Plus, check out this blog post from Brenda Hastings in Ohio about what the FDA's plan would mean for the nation's dairy farmers. New York Times articleEach year, federal inspectors find illegal levels of antibiotics in hundreds of older dairy cows bound for the slaughterhouse. Concerned that those antibiotics might also be contaminating the milk Americans drink, the Food and Drug Administration intended to begin tests this month on the milk from farms that had repeatedly sold cows tainted by drug residue.

Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley discusses with New York Farm Bureau Director of Public Policy Julie Suarez the future of the dairy industry in the Empire State and national issues that are impacting its producers. This article will appear in Issue 3 of Progressive Dairyman, due in mailboxes February 8. Q. Early this year, news outlets reported legislation would be introduced in your state that would make non-therapeutic antimicrobial use a misdemeanor offense.Is New York the first state to see such a bill? SUAREZ: It would not surprise me to hear that other states are also considering similar legislation, particularly in the West Coast, but I am unaware of any other state only bills at this point. New York’s tremendous representation in the Legislature of people from New York City is a particular challenge to us.

Farmers generally minimize feed costs by producing high yields of high-quality forage. Some farmers strive to long stand life, but many take advantage of short rotations with forage to gain rotational effects and nitrogen credits, thereby increasing yield of the following corn crop for either grain or silage.

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is reintroducing to the United States market the Vista® vaccine line, which provides beef cattle veterinarians and producers with the most complete protection available against the most common and costly bovine respiratory and reproductive diseases.

Feb. 28 is the date and the people side of business transition is the topic of the next PDPW World-Class webinar. Leading the “Compensation: Why Pay is a Critical Business Strategy” presentation will be Dr. Donald Jonovic, Family Business Management Services. The Monday, Feb. 28, PDPW World-Class Webinar will begin at noon CST and last for 60 minutes.

National Dairy Shrine is again seeking nominations for its most prestigious awards: Guest of Honor, Pioneer, Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder, Progressive Dairy Producer and Graduate Production Award.

The sixth annual Dairy Business Association's (DBA) Expansion Symposium will be held Feb. 24-25, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The simple goal of growing Wisconsin's dairy industry is the charge DBA is leading at the 2011 Symposium. Following two years of low milk prices and increasing costs for corn and fertilizer, farmers need the skills necessary to help protect and grow their livelihoods. This year's Expansion Symposium will give attendees the information they need to keep their dairies progressive and profitable.