The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has selected Validus as the third-party verifier for the National Dairy FARM Animal Care program. Validus is an ISO 9001: 2008 certified auditing and verifying company, with more than 10 years of experience verifying on-farm animal care. Validus documents and verifies socially-responsible animal welfare, environmental, on-farm security, and worker care production practices through audits and assessments, environmental planning, and consulting services.

Pfizer Animal Health announced its new U.S. web portal to better engage and connect with its customers and to create an interactive community for practicing and student veterinarians. The enhanced web presence, www.PfizerAH.com, will serve as a single destination to all users of Pfizer Animal Health products in the U.S. – including veterinarians, producers and pet owners.

Bob-White Systems, the Vermont farmstead cheese and micro dairy supply and equipment company, is expanding and announces the lease of a 2,000-square-foot facility in Royalton, Vermont. Bob-White Systems North is the new location for research, product development, engineering, and manufacturing of the Bob-White Systems Low Impact Pasteurization (LIP) System, which will bring gentle milk pasteurization direct to micro dairy farms. The new facility will also be the location for further product innovations for micro dairy farmers and farmstead cheese makers.

Leigh Walton, supervisory information technology specialist with the Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory (AIPL), will be retiring on Friday, May 13, after 40 years of dedicated Federal service. Leigh began his career at the Beltsville Dairy as an animal caretaker in July 1970 and worked there until joining AIPL as a computer assistant in April 1973. He has continued to diligently work at AIPL over the course of the last 38 years in a variety of positions and has been recognized many times for his superior work and leadership by both the Federal government and dairy industry.

A scholarship from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation is helping grow the next crop of veterinarians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Melissa Haag is this year’s recipient of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Scholarship. A committee selects recipients for the scholarship based on their interest in practicing medicine with large, farm livestock, having a farm background, Farm Bureau affiliation, academics and financial need.

Progressive Dairyman Editor Karen Lee discusses the new standards of care for animals raised on dairy farms released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) with Amber Driscoll, PETA’s corporate liaison. Q. To whom is your new dairy initiative aimed? A. DRISCOLL: Our new standards are directly aimed at the dairy industry from farms to processors and companies like pizza, ice cream and coffee companies that source a lot of dairy products.

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) has been detected in a dairy in San Bernardino County. State and federal animal health officials are working closely with the dairy farmer and his veterinarian to implement control strategies to eradicate the disease. The diagnosis of TB was made after a suspicious mass in a cow identified during routine slaughter inspection was confirmed positive. CDFA veterinarians, in coordination with USDA, have completed tests on the other cows in the herd where the infected cow originated and determined that TB is present. The investigation into the source and possible spread of this slowly debilitating disease will continue.