Colorado family farmers are worried about a proposal by the U.S. Department of Labor to change child labor laws, saying they could cripple family farms and hurt programs like the Future Farmers of America and 4-H Club. One rule would allow children under age 15 to only work on their parents' farm. Another would keep children under age 16 from driving most power equipment.

What other industries and businesses have reaped the rewards of excellent management, and how can dairy farm businesses learn from them? That’s what dairy producers and other executives will examine at Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin’s 2012 Managers Academy, “Executing Excellence,” Jan. 17-19, Atlanta, Georgia.

Kids who love animals and science can start preparing for their animal health career as early as 8 years old via a veterinary science curriculum that is going online nationwide. “We didn’t have to create an interest for this; it’s already there,” said Dr. Floron “Buddy” Faries. “And that interest has created a demand.” “Veterinary Science: Preparatory Training for the Veterinary Assistant” was written by Faries, a Texas AgriLife Extension Service veterinarian, to meet that demand.

The University of Wisconsin – Madison’s Farm and Industry Short Course invites prospective students and their parents to campus on Nov. 30 or Dec. 1 to preview what the program has to offer. High school juniors and seniors are encouraged to attend. The UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) offers the one- or two-year short course program to high school graduates interested in farming or one of Wisconsin’s many other agricultural industries. The program runs from November to April and has an average enrollment of 135 students. The program’s instructional goals emphasize a combination of cutting edge knowledge and hands-on experience, taught by faculty and staff, many of whom also teach in the four-year undergraduate program.

Becoming a veterinarian hasn't been this exciting since Alf Wight came home to the Yorkshire Dales after World War II. Under the pseudonym James Herriot, Wight chronicled the medical revolution of antibiotics and steroids developed during that war, and the stunning changes they brought to the practice of animal medicine. Today's Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine professors and students – many of them inspired by the famous Herriot stories – are themselves leaping forward, working on new technologies and treatments to heal sick animals, and humans.

On Nov. 2, the Board of Directors of the Animal Agriculture Alliance announced the promotion of Kay Johnson Smith to president and CEO of the non-profit organization. Johnson Smith has served the Alliance since 1994, first as vice president, and later as executive vice president. Previously, Johnson Smith was the executive director of the Alliance’s predecessor association, the Animal Industry Foundation.

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard pledged his commitment to child health and wellness through Fuel Up to Play 60, an in-school health and wellness program that encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The Governor joined Secretary of Agriculture, Walt Bones, a student and program advisor from Robert Frost Elementary School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, South Dakota dairy farmers and members of Midwest Dairy Council to sign the symbolic pledge.

Advanced Dairy Nutrition (ANSC 423) will be offered by the University of Illinois in the spring of 2012 beginning on Jan. 23. This feeding class covers nutrient classes, phase feeding, dry cow feeding and health, and forages. The course will be coordinated by Mike Hutjens and team taught two other instructors.

Select Sires Inc. has announced plans to offer two summer internships at its headquarters facility in Plain City, Ohio, during the summer of 2012. Positions are available within the sales and marketing department, with applications due by Jan. 1.

Foremost Farms USA has internship opportunities available for the summer of 2012. Manufacturing internships are open at any one of its multiple locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota.