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.

Progressive Publishing is pleased to welcome longtime dairy journalist David Natzke to its Progressive Dairyman editorial team.

Last spring we purchased a 9-month-old heifer, an unusual move for our farm. She was 200 GTPI points higher than anything tested in our herd, positive for all the traits we watch in genetic selection and comes from a cow family we really admire. She came from a farm nearby at a dispersal sale, and she sold at a price we felt was very reasonable given all of this.

In order to strengthen the ongoing partnership between the dairy and beef segments of the cattle industry on animal care issues, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program announced on Feb. 16 they will jointly be offering more training opportunities for farmers and ranchers in 2016.

“I believe in the future of agriculture …” If you donned a blue corduroy jacket during your high school days, those words hit a special place in your heart. They mark the beginning of the FFA Creed, a five-paragraph essay that eloquently explains the mission of one of the nation’s largest and oldest youth organizations, the FFA.

Footbaths are commonly used on dairies to reduce the incidence of infectious claw disorders such as digital dermatitis (hairy heel wart) and foot rot. A common practice on many dairies involves adding chemicals to the footbath and mixing these chemicals within the bath. This can result in poor mixing of the chemicals and is also labor-intensive.

A recently released paper (PDF, 105KB) from the University of Minnesota’s extensive, ongoing crossbreeding study indicates first-lactation cows resulting from a two-breed cross can rival their Holstein herd mates in milk production and outperform them in other key areas.

You can usually tell what a farmer raises just by driving down a farm lane, whether it’s dairy cows, corn, beef, hogs or children. A tree house in the old oak tree, a swing set in the yard, a tricycle next to the garage and a whole slew of miniature farming implements in the barn are all surefire signs that there is a miniature farmer on the payroll.

Super Bowl 50 may be over, but an ongoing partnership between the USDA, National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC) used the big game to kick off a new program to boost school nutrition program equipment funding.

Anne Saeman of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, was recently awarded the National Mastitis Council Award of Excellence for Contribution to Mastitis Prevention and Control. The award, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI), was presented at the 2016 National Mastitis Council (NMC) annual meeting in Glendale, Arizona.