Keeping up to date and staying in-the-know is important for all dairy farmers, especially in challenging times of milk prices. John Newton, senior director of economic research at the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), shared a brief snapshot of what the markets did in 2015, as well as what might help protect prices in 2016 during his workshop presentation at FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative’s annual meeting, which took place Feb. 12-13 in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

Nearly 300 companies will fill the Denny Sanford Premier Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the 2016 Central Plains Dairy Expo March 29-31.

Progressive Dairyman Editor Walt Cooley attended World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, Feb. 9-11, 2016. He walked the show seeking out booths that were stopping traffic or displaying something new that might be useful to dairy producers. Below are his thoughts and comments about what he saw.

Milk quality experts representing 28 countries gathered in Glendale, Arizona, for the National Mastitis Council (NMC) 55th Annual Meeting, Jan. 31-Feb. 2.

During the 2016 Wisconsin Junior Holstein Association Convention, this tune took home top honors in the “Bell-R-Ring” contest. The contest challenges each county to come up with a creative roll call response, such as a song or skit. Sung to the beat of a Taylor Swift song, these kids from Calumet and Manitowoc Counties brought down the house with their “cow-showing” version of “Shake It Off.”

The 2016 Dairy Strong event, hosted by the Dairy Business Association, delivered a delightful mix of laughter, education and thought-provoking conversation to the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center Jan. 12-14.

The year 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Though the show covers and celebrates all aspects of Pennsylvania agriculture, dairy had a spotlight throughout the eight-day show.

There is a lot of volatility in the marketplace right now, according to Chuck Nicholson, who spoke on the cyclical nature of the dairy marketplace at the 2015 Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference, hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence.

Producers attending World Ag Expo may be interested in one or more of 19 dairy seminars to be held during the show Feb. 9-11. Dairy seminars will be held in Trailer 1 at the show’s seminar center, which will be located near the southeast corner of the grounds at Gate 16.

Valdivia, Chile, was the host city for the 10th International Conference on Lameness in Ruminants, and what a winner this conference was! Researchers, hoof trimmers, veterinarians and students alike met in South America for the conference held late last year.