Dairy producers and their employees have the opportunity to improve their calf raising skills at the upcoming Calf Health and Management Workshops presented by Penn State Dairy Alliance. This Calf Health and Management Workshop will focus on calf care for animals from birth through 6 months of age. Colostrum management, calf health, vaccines for calves and younger heifers, calf and weaned calf housing, and calf and weaned calf nutrition are among the topics to be explored. Animal well-being issues will also be discussed.

Western States and Albertsons are teaming up to raise both food and awareness during the most challenging time of year for local food banks. The “Dump Hunger” campaign hopes to generate 225,000 pounds of food to support communities across the Intermountain West following the holiday season. Donations to the campaign can be brought to any of the Western States branch locations or participating ALBERTSONS stores.

J.D. Heiskell Holdings, LLC doing business as J.D. Heiskell & Co. announced that on Friday, January 14, 2011 it acquired Hawkeye Gold LLC, an ethanol and ethanol co-products marketing business with offices in Ames, Iowa. Heiskell will acquire all employees and assets of Hawkeye Gold LLC and will continue to operate the business under its current name in Ames, Iowa.

Casey Anderson, manager of the OX Ranch near Bear, Idaho, doesn’t measure the recovery of wolves in the same perspective as federal agencies, which follow merely the number of dens and pups.

Economic demands on feed and oil, international monetary policy, and the growing segment of urban consumers were some of the themes presented at the Intermountain Rangeland Symposium, held Jan. 13 and 14 in Twin Falls, Idaho.

The following producers were chosen by a committeee of industry professionals and dairymen as the newest, most innovative dairy products and will be showcased during World Ag Expo Feb. 8-10 in Tulare, California. Progressive Dairyman asked each of the product inventors or sponsoring companies to discuss how their products fill an industry need. (Click on the title of the product to download a pdf.)

For the first time in 44 years, World Ag Expo is going mobile. Available for both the iPhone and all phones with the Android Market, World Ag Expo's Application gives its users access to everything the expo has to offer. "World Ag Expo 2011 is themed Tools for Agri-Business, and our new app is just that - a tool for success at the expo," said Lee Coito, 2011 Chairman. "Our app adds another free option for our attendees, building on our success in providing tools to help attendees identify in advance the exhibitors and seminars they want to see."

Optimistic outlook for 2011 Click here to download a pdf of the Export Watch department from Issue 2 2011, featuring updates from the U.S. Dairy Export Council.

The focus of the sixth annual I-29 Dairy Conference will be on helping dairy producers provide their cows with the best possible care. The event will be held Feb. 9-10, 2011, at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.