The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture is teaming up with Kentucky State University and industry partners to offer a three-day, hands-on Kentucky Cheesemaking School to show producers the basics of making a commercial, value-added cheese product.

As we traveled from cold, winter climates to a warmer central California, we were disappointed by cool, rainy weather that greeted us when we arrived. But as a world of agriculture opened before us, we popped up our umbrellas, determined our shoes could withstand some mud and embarked on a few exciting days at World Ag Expo. The event was held February 9-11 in Tulare, California. With more than 1,600 exhibitors across 2.6 million square feet, it is the world’s largest agricultural exposition.

Dairy producers and industry professionals at the 2010 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit looked for opportunities and strategies to plan for a new year. After reflecting on a difficult 2009 for the industry, the outlook for the future was optimistic. On the schedule were some of the key issues facing the dairy industry now: feeding a growing population, planning for the future of the business, reacting to the media and growing the market for dairy products.

Despite the brisk temperatures during the first week of January, more than 10,000 agricultural producers and industry professionals attended the Keystone Farm Show, held at the York Fairgrounds January 5 to 7.

Last year has been noted as one of the most economically challenging years in the last 30 years. In his last Dairy Day address before retiring as a University of Illinois Extension dairy specialist at the end of the year, Mike Hutjens reviewed lessons learned in 2009 and throughout his extension career. There was some good news for producers in the state. Illinois ended the year with the same number of cows as it had when it started.

Every year, organizers of the Vita Plus Corporation Dairy Summit use a mountain theme to encourage the dairy producers in attendance to set goals and place their operations in a position to obtain those goals. However, from the time producers left the previous Dairy Summit in early December 2008 until this year’s summit, December 2 and 3, the dairy industry shifted so much that in 2009 Vita Plus begged the question “Who moved my mountain?” to set the stage for its event.