Ready or not, as of Jan. 1, 2017, here comes the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD). But what is the VFD? Why is it important to dairy producers? And how can you prepare your dairy operation for it?

The 2016 Women in Dairy Conference, held Nov. 2 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, closed out with a panel discussion on the topic of farm diversification. The panel featured three female dairy farmers who opened up about how they have diversified their family operations.

Who are the people behind the Proud to Dairy blog posts? Let’s get to know Lauren Schlothauer, a college student from New Mexico who has blogged about the passion she has developed for the dairy industry.

Immigration changes are in store for employers this year. In addition to a new president with aggressive immigration enforcement plans, employers will begin using a new Form I-9.

The erosion of milk’s reputation as a healthy food choice is the biggest issue facing the nation’s dairy industry, said the new dairy chair for The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

As we head into the Christmas season, I’ve been thinking a lot about traditions. This is my first Christmas as a wife. My husband, Scott, and I began compromising on family traditions last Christmas as an engaged couple, but this year it feels a little more official.

During World Dairy Expo, Progressive Dairyman editors heard from dairy producers that some thought this year was worse for their farm than 2009.

As temperatures plummet, both people and animals exposed to the cold are at risk for frostbite. According to the Center for Disease Control, frostbite is an injury to the body caused by freezing. When conditions are right, this can happen within just minutes of exposure to the elements.

From schoolchildren to politicians, Vir-Clar Farms hosts a variety of groups looking to learn more about modern dairy production, and the addition of a new visitor center right on the dairy will take that experience to a whole new level.

The case for finding open cows with a touch of technologyPublished: Oct. 19, 2016 print issue Brandt Kreuscher, dairy business manager with Allflex USA – SCR Dairy, encouraged dairy producers to think about the opportunity costs of extended days open and increased culling because of poor reproductive performance. Animal monitoring technologies and early pregnancy diagnosis tools could be the solution to open cows. “I am a big proponent of having the herdsman operating ultrasound on an almost daily basis: heartbeat, then a sex check at 60 days.”—Arthur Welser, New York farmer