Joe Gillespie, DVM, was honored as the 2010 Dairy Quality Center’s Veterinarian of the Year at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and Academy of Veterinary Consultants joint meeting. Merial, a world-leading animal health company, Duluth, and the Dairy Quality Center (DQC) co-sponsor this annual award, designed to recognize veterinarians who help dairy producers implement quality management practices within their operation.

In recognition of his commitment to the animal-health industry and for inspiring others in veterinary medicine, Ken Leslie, D.V.M., M.S., University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College professor, received the Mentor of the Year Award from the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) and Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. The Mentor of the Year Award honors individuals who have dedicated their careers to educating, mentoring and advancing the careers of students in the field of bovine veterinary medicine. Leslie was honored with a commemorative plaque during the AABP annual meeting Aug. 21 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also received an all-expenses-paid trip to next year’s AABP conference in St. Louis, Missouri.

Five men, whose vocations included veterinarians, managers and professional hoof trimmers, participated in Iowa State University's Master Hoof Care Program in July. The course took place at the ISU Dairy in Ames, Iowa. Dr. Jan Shearer of the Iowa State, College of Veterinary Medicine, VDPAM was the main instructor for this course.

This summer, NutriDense Silage held its “Web Moo.0” Contest to highlight how the dairy industry is using social media to positively “agvocate” to consumers. Dairy producers were invited to submit videos, photos or blog posts describing their efforts, and fifth-generation Michigan dairy producer Ashley Messing took home the top prize.

Burke and Lisa Larsen of Scottville, Michigan, were selected as the state winning 2010 Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperators (OYDC). They represented Michigan Milk Producers Association’s (MMPA) District 11 and the Muskegon Local in the annual OYDC conference held Aug. 18-19. Scott and Alissa Ferry of Litchfield, Michigan, were selected as runners-up. They represented Michigan Milk Producers Association’s (MMPA) District 1 and the Hillsdale-Litchfield Local. The Larsens and Ferrys were selected to participate in the program earlier this year by fellow dairy farmers in their district.