Progressive Dairy

Jingle all the way: Rockwood farmers Christmas parade

Farmers of Ontario gather to celebrate Christmas and give back to the community.

November 21, 2023

Pine trees, snowflakes, eggnog, gingerbread, Christmas lights and a manure spreader parade down the streets of Rockwood, Ontario, in December.

Cow longevity is a key to dairy profitability

A look at longevity shows a potential for added profitability.

November 17, 2023

Matt Groen

Looking at return over feed numbers is an excellent way to get a quick snapshot of how a dairy farm is performing from a production and cost standpoint, however it doesn’t account for and is not impacted by duration of cows in the herd.

Progressive Events: October 2023 Lactanet open industry session

An online open industry session discussed topics ranging from LPIs to Holstein Muscle Weakness to sexed semen fertility ratings and more.

November 14, 2023

Matti McBride

Industry members gathered online Oct. 10, 2023, to listen to Lactanet’s open industry session.

Extracting stuck tractors and farm equipment safely

Selecting the right recovery tools and following the proper steps can keep a bad situation, like stuck equipment, from getting worse by harming the individuals involved.

November 9, 2023

Cheryl DeCooman

Every farmer from time to time gets their tractor or farm equipment stuck in the mud. Although it may seem inevitable, there are ways to avoid getting stuck; however, once stuck in the mud it is important to get unstuck in the safest possible way to minimize the risk of an injury or damaging the equipment.

Dairy Farmers of Canada: Demonstrating the value of dairy, DFC defends and promotes the hard work of Canadian dairy farmers

November 7, 2023

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is proud to be the national, united voice of Canadian dairy farmers. We strive to defend and promote the hard work that goes into creating some of the best milk in the world, and we are pleased to celebrate these shared wins with you this fall.

Crowdsourcing quick, cost-effective lameness detection

New research develops a comparison-based lameness assessment approach using as few as 10 crowdsourced workers to provide reliable, efficient assessments.

November 2, 2023

Emma Ohirko

Recent research conducted by University of British Columbia’s Dairy Education and Research Centre has produced a method of low-cost lameness detection that can be conducted faster than conventional locomotion scoring.

Be the person your grandmother would hire

November 1, 2023

Karen Lee

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to listen to motivational speaker Dr. Rick Rigsby as he encouraged a room of dairy producers to grow their influence in the industry in a way that makes an impact, not just an impression.

Prioritize safety when using pressure washers

High pressure can cause serious injuries. Before using a pressure washer, wear protective gear, follow guidelines and inspect equipment.

October 31, 2023

Cheryl DeCooman

The most common injury caused by pressure washers are lacerations, followed by bruises, punctures and eye injuries.

Why power of attorney is important

For older farmers, a power of attorney can provide financial protection and peace of mind as they age.

October 26, 2023

Elaine Froese

According to the brochure “What every older Canadian should know about: Powers of attorney and joint bank accounts,” power of attorney is a written, legal document authorizing one or more persons to manage your money and property on your behalf when you are unable to do so.

Research Review: From the Journal of Dairy Science: Cow-calf contact and drying off high-yielding cows

October 24, 2023

Pedro Nogueira

“Interrelationships between cows, calves and humans in cow-calf contact systems – An interview study among Norwegian dairy farmers.”