I learned about computers during a time when punch cards, FORTRAN and COBOL were trendy terms. I’m not going to say that I remained stuck in the computerized era of the 1970s and ’80s. After all, I found my way around the Web and I could always email with the best of them. But this Facebook and Twitter stuff seemed to be for a generation of people I simply didn’t feel I needed to – or could – connect with.

Feed prices are at historic highs. Along with this, milk prices have not kept pace, causing extremely tight (many times negative) margins. High feed prices and variability in supplies have created the challenge of utilizing ingredients that give us the best return on the investment.

Renaissance Nutrition, Inc. held its annual company educational conference in late July, with a lineup of 10 nationally recognized speakers from the dairy industry. A total of nearly 150 people from both the U.S. and Canada, including company nutritionists, university dairy extension faculty, veterinarians and allied industry personnel, attended the three-day meeting to learn about the newest information and research on cow management, cow comfort, nutrition and economics. The following summary shares some of the take-home messages provided by the 17 presentations offered at the conference.

There is something new coming to World Dairy Expo this year that you won’t want to miss. Actually, at 26,000 square feet, the New Holland Trade Center will be just plain hard to miss. “I’m really excited about this,” exclaims John Rozum, World Dairy Expo sales manager. “It is the biggest new thing on the grounds since the Exhibition Hall was put up in 1995.” Over the past 17 years, demand for exhibit space at World Dairy Expo has risen steadily. “We’ve been working with a sell-out trade show and extensive wait list for a number of years,” Rozum says. “Plus, there are always existing exhibitors at the show looking to expand their space.”

“Cows” is the common language spoken every year at World Dairy Expo, says the show’s marketing manager, Liz Matzke. Whether in the show ring, on the commercial exhibit floor or online at the expo’s website or Facebook page, “cow” is the talk. The more than 10,300 World Dairy Expo Facebook fans, nearly 300 Pinterest enthusiasts and 1,700 followers on Twitter can attest to the language of Expo because they all speak it, now even more so with the annual show approaching in a few short weeks.

Progressive Dairyman asked several companies exhibiting at World Dairy Expo to highlight a few of the new products that will be on display at the show. Heifer genomics guide With the introduction of its heifer genomics guide, Raleigh-based Dairy Records Management Systems (Booth MC 37, 38) claims to be the first dairy records processing center to offer a DHI report that provides producers who are genomic-testing their herds with a way to evaluate those results.

As a dairy producer, you may think it’s impossible to meet the nutritional needs of your herd with a high-quality corn silage without sacrificing tonnage. But with the wide selection of silage hybrids that are designed for high digestibility and adapted to varying geographies and field conditions, it’s realistic to reach both nutritional goals and yield requirements.

A recent study at the University of Wisconsin Arlington Research Station shows that snaplage can be a viable way to feed dairy herds – but its effect on milk depends on how it is fed. The feeding trial compared diets with snaplage, high-moisture shelled corn (HMSC) or two-thirds snaplage plus one-third dry corn treatments. Sixty cows were included in this study.

California, as the country’s largest dairy state, likes its cows. But it’s also trying to clean up its air quality. So it’s asked dairymen to pitch in. Could the rest of the country someday request the same? In an effort to improve air quality, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District amended Rule 4570 that applies to livestock owners in the central region of the state several years ago.