Interest in crossbreeding is at perhaps an all-time high among commercial dairy producers internationally. Over the past 50 years, North American Holsteins have steadily increased as a percentage of the national dairy herd in most countries. However, circumstances have changed regarding the historical superiority of pure Holsteins compared to crossbreds.

One-ton bales. That was what the first big bales, 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet long, were called. The problem for the truckers hauling them by the ton was the weight was more like 1,500 pounds per bale on average.

Infinite Time: The way I’ve been able to absorb the concept of ‘No beginning and no end’ is that time must be like a rolling ball. Of course, in my mind, time recycles itself over a long period. Thus, my surprise when I read about the natural gas boom in Pinedale, Wyoming, and the record high price of farmland in Iowa.

I travel in military vehicles only. Our Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) has armored Humvees and armored tactical SUVs. But sometimes I must get out of the weeds. So our operations officer schedules a Black Hawk helicopter, and we go up. There are other kinds of tactical and nontactical vehicles here. But these three take me where I need to go.

I was having a nice visit with the proprietor of Family Meats in his butcher shop in Caloundra, Queensland. His specialties included chopped beef and kidney pie makings, BBQ ronelli and lamb loin chops for A$16.99 a kilo. A sign at the counter said, “Antibiotic and Hormone Free!”

Dairy farms are thought to emit large amounts of ammonia, therefore contributing to nitrogen (N) fertilization of natural ecosystems and providing precursors for particulates that adversely affect air quality and human health. The 2003 National Research Council report Air Emissions from Animal Agriculture made an urgent call for processed-based research to assist livestock producers and regulatory agencies in developing strategies that reduce the emissions of ammonia and other gasses that impair air quality.

Designing a new manure-handling facility is sometimes easier than improving an existing nutrient management facility, but there are some basic components that need to be included in any good manure-handling system. The operation and maintenance of the system needs to be considered at the time of design.

Editor’s note: The following is the first installment of a four-part series summarizing fact sheets written by Wendy Powers entitled “The Power of Smell.”

There are a wide variety of farms. They vary in their resources and their environmental concerns. Some farms have access to more capital, skilled labor, management ability, land resources, water resources and markets than other farms. Different manure treatment and handling methods are needed to match the resources and needs of different farms. Recent studies have shown manure-handling costs on farms can be significant. Figure 1* shows costs collected from western New York dairies in 1996. These do not include storage costs and they do not include additional costs that increased management from the implementation of a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) would require.

I received notice that a friend of mine was having a retirement party. He was only 55. I was abashed! Why, he’s in his prime. He’s too young to retire. He should suffer more anxiety, exhaustion and life-draining challenges; what’s the matter with him? Retiring at 55 is like: