Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley attended World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, Feb. 14-16, 2017. He walked the show looking for new products and industry trends. Below are his thoughts on what he found.

Hundreds of dairy farmers and agricultural leaders from New England and New York gathered at the 18th annual Vermont Dairy Producers Conference in Burlington on Tuesday, February 21, to hear from a panel of experts about strategies to ensure dairy farms continue to be a vibrant part of the local economy.

U.S. milk production continues to grow steadily, based on USDA’s latest monthly report, released Feb. 21.

Visitors to the 2018 Pennsylvania Farm Show will have a new “must see” stop at the “Calving Corner,” Pennsylvania’s live dairy cow birthing center. More than 500,000 children and adults will be given the opportunity to watch a dairy cow give birth to a newborn calf during the eight-day show.

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing, Feb. 15, as the 115th Congress began laying the groundwork for the 2018 Farm Bill. The hearing primarily focused on the economic challenges facing of U.S. agriculture, including dairy.

Policy changes and media attention regarding the Trump administration's executive orders has heightened concerns among dairy producers who hire immigrant labor. To address some of those concerns, the American Dairy Coalition (ADC) hosted an ”Immigration Update: Preparing for ICE Visits” webinar, Feb. 17.

On Feb. 15, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), along with Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-Pa.) and Rep. John Faso (R-N.Y.), introduced the Young Farmer Success Act in a bipartisan effort to preserve America’s agricultural economy and the security of its national food supply.

In its continued effort to share the compelling story of continuous improvement on America’s dairy farms, the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program has opened participation in its third component, FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES).

U.S. farmland values fell in tandem with lower farm incomes to end 2016. While that trend was expected to continue through the first quarter of 2017, several factors will determine the land value direction in the year ahead, according to Randy Dickhut, senior vice president of real estate operations for Farmers National Company.

An effort to move California into the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) system took a major step forward with USDA’s “recommended decision,” published Feb. 14. Meanwhile, a separate petition from the state’s dairy processors, seeking to adjust manufacturing allowances under the state milk marketing order, was denied.