If you’ve ever seen the movie The Internship and are familiar with the World Wide Web, you probably were laughing at the scene where Vince Vaughn’s character kept saying “on the line” rather than “online.” It demonstrated the generational, technological gap that exists in today’s culture, albeit it can be argued that is changing. Many young dairy farmers are spending time online for a variety of reasons, using this large source of information to benefit their businesses and also to connect with colleagues.

Taking a few minutes to calculate heat stress losses and their impact on your dairy’s bottom line can help you strategize for better heat abatement, which could mean more milk, improved fertility and even healthier calves.

Need help training your parloremployees about milk quality andmastitis? This poster might do thetrick.

2014 will be one for the record books. Never in history has a year started with Class III milk above $20 per hundredweight (cwt) and Class IV milk just shy of $22 per cwt. It is a start that many have been praying for. It is a start that many have needed. But we have seen similar starts like this before.

“I think Henry Ford once said, ‘If I asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me a faster horse’,” noted Steve Jobs. He went on to say that we are in the beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for people, as remarkable as the invention of the telephone.

As hidden camera investigations have been used to heighten public attention on animal care issues, the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) created an Animal Care Review Panel to engage recognized animal care specialists to examine video and provide expert perspectives for food retailers, the dairy industry and the media. Since its formation in 2012, the ACRP has reviewed and offered their independent analysis of nine videos, including two of dairies, six of pork production and one of an egg farm.

In an age when evolving technology is at everyone’s fingertips, undercover videos may threaten those in agriculture. Just one unsavory headline and accompanying snapshot can transform fortune to failure. Recognizing this hazard, Charlie Arnot, chief executive director of the Center for Food Integrity (CFI), hosted a webinar titled, “How to Survive an Undercover Video” on Dec. 3.

Who doesn’t admire age and longevity? I certainly do. Raised in New England amongst Yankees, I am accustomed to homes, towns and farms that are centuries old. Whether a centenarian, an animal or a farm family, the ability to stand the test of time and weather adversity demonstrates the possession of traits well suited to survival.

February is not your typical “discuss silage safety month.” However, in light of recent silage-related injuries and fatalities with pile management, this month’s safety article is focused on hazards associated with managing silage in bunker silos and drive-over piles. Silage injury or fatality statistics are not easily collected; however, silage-related fatalities continue to be reported in local media outlets.