My aunt Twila Hancock passed away in August. Her life was one of service and charity. She raised four beautiful children, who in turn raised children to follow in her footsteps.

Editor’s note: The second in a two-part series of articles discussing new Tier 4 emissions requirements and technology to meet them. In this article, we’ll take a look at technology solutions manufacturers are employing to achieve Tier 4- mandated emissions reductions. Agricultural producers should understand the basics of the two technologies being implemented to meet Tier 4 Interim requirements: selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and cooled exhaust gas recirculation (CEGR).

The first few times around the field I watch the disk behind me carefully, being sure to make full use of its width and not miss any spots on the ground. I start off in a gear that is inevitably lower than the one I will finish in.

I recently received a question by telephone about rubber flooring and what it does for the animal. I would like to share this conversation with you – from a hoof trimmer’s perspective. I have to admit that it is a subject with differing opinions, environments, climates and you name it, and that I certainly do not have all the answers to the flooring options available. I would like to start with a statement: “If you have a lot of lameness in your herd and that is the reason you want rubber in your alleys, then you are one station too far.” It is so important to understand the underlying reason for the lameness before deciding on any flooring option.

The USDA recently awarded Washington State University and five partnering land-grant universities $4.1 million for a five-year project to address issues associated with climate change and animal agriculture. The funding comes from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) via its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) competitive grants program. The project will be facilitated through the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center (http://www.extension.org/animal_manure_management).

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, in affiliation with the Dairy Research Institute, announced the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards, a new program to recognize dairy farms, businesses and collaborative partnerships for efforts that deliver outstanding economic, environmental and/or social benefit, thus helping to advance sustainability of the dairy industry. The awards are divided into three categories: dairy farm, dairy processing/manufacturing and energy conservation/generation. Nominations are being accepted through Dec. 1.

A three-part webinar series, offered by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, will run from September through November. “What’s ahead for dairy in 2012?” will be presented by Dan Basse of AgResource on Mondays from noon to 1 p.m. Central Time. The first webinar “The crop report: What does it mean for dairy?” will take place on Monday, Sept. 26. You've heard the crop reports but what do these numbers mean to your business and future? This savvy market analyst who has one of the best track records in the industry will provide an outlook for 2011 U.S. corn and soybean production based on field surveys and summer weather conditions – and he’ll share how the size of the U.S. major summer row crops will impact feed pricing throughoutthe remainder of 2011 and 2012. Participants of this webinar must register this week.

Dairy Cattle exhibitors traveling from across North America will get a warm welcome to this year’s World Dairy Expo. The Dairy Cattle Show, featuring more than 2,500 head of elite animals, will be held Oct. 4 through Oct. 8 in Madison, Wisconsin. Dairy cattle owners and their staff of bovine beauticians will be bringing their best cattle to World Dairy Expo to compete for honors and to network with fellow dairy producers. The owners and caretakers of these top-notch animals will be treated to a tasty Exhibitor Welcome Barbecue early in the week as they pack bedding, feed and settle their cattle in for their week-long stay in Madison. The Exhibitor Welcome Barbecue, for dairy cattle exhibitors only, is planned for Sunday, Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the Estrumate Sale Pavilion. Merck Animal Health has committed to sponsoring this Dairy Cattle Exhibitor event and the Estrumate Sale Pavilion through 2013. Merck’s support of Expo’s Dairy Cattle Show and exhibitors is part of its overall support of Expo as a Five Star Sponsor.