Embryo production in cattle has changed dramatically in the last couple of decades, and its use will likely increase since now producers can better predict animal performance with the use of genomics.

It was not long ago that a 20 percent pregnancy rate (PR) was the gold standard for a productive dairy herd, but today, that bar is being raised beyond what many ever imagined.

Someone sped up the clock. It’s just not right. Christmas comes every other month now, and the rest of the holidays are crunched in between.

They said there wasn’t a horse he couldn’t train. They said the most obstinate animals are obedient to him. They said a horse sensed his authority the moment he stepped in the corral.

As we ring in the New Year, we often look for the future’s possibilities and set our New Year resolutions for the upcoming year. However, I also think it is a vital time to reflect on the past year and everything that has happened within those 12 months.

A famous Hollywood superstar has just declared their New Year’s resolution was to become a farmer. Said person’s reasoning was to enjoy nature, live off only the food they grow for themselves and live a simpler life.

I am proud to say I have been a Wisconsin Farm Bureau member for 15 years, and in those 15 years I have heard many times about using grassroots efforts to make a difference in policy. This past year, for the first time, there was something in our state policy I wanted changed. With a little research and help from fellow members, I was able to pull together people who thought the same as I did to pass a policy amendment changing the current state policy.

In 2015, nearly 600 attendees from nine different states and Canada were inspired and invigorated at the first-ever Dairy Strong conference. Here is what two participants had to say about their experiences:

On Jan. 12-14, hundreds of dairy producers from throughout Wisconsin, the Midwest and the nation will come to the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, overlooking Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, for Dairy Strong – an exciting conference and trade show.

Pankratz Farms built a new calf facility that can raise heifer replacements for a future dairy herd of 400 cows. They currently have a 120-cow dairy herd.