Progressive Dairy

Canada's greatest dairy influencers

You don’t have to have a social media account to be an influencer.

July 1, 2023

When I was young, the social event of the summer season was the annual Black and White Show. We had many top-name judges – Heffering, Trevena, Stewart and a young man named Lowell.

JCB Mini Excavators: Built Farm Tough and Farm Flexible

July 1, 2023

This article takes a deep dive into the makeup of the 35Z-1 and the 50Z-1 mini excavators and the unique advantages these machines offer.

Maximizing the beef-on-dairy paycheque

Although they aren’t destined for the milking parlour, beef-on-dairy calves should still be set up for success like replacement heifers. Proper nutrition and care from day one all contribute to a better beef animal.

June 29, 2023

Dale Miller

Beef-on-dairy calves are an investment. These calves should be treated just as well as a heifer calf that will be raised for the dairy. A poor-quality, unhealthy calf not only hurts your bottom line, it also jeopardizes your reputation as a quality calf supplier.

Research Review: From the Journal of Dairy Science: Longevity and feed intake control

June 27, 2023

Pedro Nogueira

Two summaries from the recent articles in the Journal of Dairy Science that look at cow longevity and hunger response.

Women in ag: A lonely hearts club

Advice and resources to navigate starting a life in remote rural areas.

June 22, 2023

Elaine Froese

When you are planted in a remote rural area, or far away from city friends, you must be very intentional about creating a life that aligns with your values and goals.

Going from good to great with fans

Air speed, air exchange, climate conditions, automation and taking into account the needs of the animals housed in the barn are five key considerations when adding fans to dairy barns.

June 20, 2023

Dan Veeneman

Just buying fans and hanging them haphazardly around your barn is not going to be very helpful in your fight against the rising summer temperatures. There are a few key concepts that you need to consider to get it right.

Managing the transition period for maximum success

Avoiding overconditioned cows at time of dry-off and replacing inorganic trace mineral salts with organic trace minerals can help make the transition period successful.

June 16, 2023

Eduardo S. Ribeiro

The impacts of management during the transition period can make or break future lactations and overall herd health, putting at risk investments in genetics, farm profitability and welfare.

Skill building and teamwork highlight YBS trip goals

Six youth from across Canada have earned the privilege to represent the dairy industry in Belgium later this summer.

June 15, 2023

Katie Coyne

After winning a variety of competitions within their respective province, these youth have achieved a longtime goal of representing Canada in European competition where their marketing, judging and showmanship skills will be put to the test.

Dairy Farmers of Canada: UN declares milk products a vital part of healthy diets

June 13, 2023

The role of milk products in health and nutrition has been extensively studied for many years. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) summarized this vast amount of evidence in a recent report, titled "Contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes."

Dairy farms, emissions and the industry's net-zero goal

An efficient dairy farm is a profitable dairy farm. Focusing on reducing emissions on each operation can aid in the industry's goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

June 8, 2023

Murilo Carvalho

The Dairy Farmers of Canada's (DFC) target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 is not a recent development. This objective has sparked queries from producers who initially felt unprepared and uncertain about how to achieve it.