A future characterized by volatility, wild price swings and economic uncertainty is vividly painted in an eye-opening yet prescriptive white paper written by Scott Stewart, president and CEO of Stewart-Peterson Inc. “My objective is to open readers’ minds to the possibilities of what can occur in the decade or more ahead,” writes the 30-year veteran of commodity marketing, whose consulting firm helps grain, dairy and livestock farms manage market opportunities and risks. “The global events we are seeing now and will see ahead have impact right down to the rural community and farm level. More importantly, the way in which individual farmers respond to these events will have incredible impact on our entire nation and the health of our rural communities.”

In recognition of Alltech’s extensive research data on the safety of its flagship brand Sel-Plex, the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has granted notification of GRAS for the use of Sel-Plex as a human food additive. Sel-Plex is a selenized yeast produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3060.

Wells’ Dairy has legally changed its corporate name to Wells Enterprises Inc. The move is intended to better reflect its current product mix of Blue Bunny ice cream and frozen novelties, company spokesman Dave Smetter said in a statement. The Le Mars, Iowa-based company sold its milk and yogurt holdings three years ago.

Summary: This timeless Feed and Nutrition article details four steps for developing a sound nutritional program: 1. Testing forages to determine their nutrient content 2. Balancing rations for heifers, dry cows and milking cows 3. Implementing the balanced ration 4. Evaluating how well the feeding program has worked and implement changes to improve the program, if necessary. Because this article was so popular, we asked Donna Amaral-Phillips a follow-up question: Q: Which of these four steps slips up the most producers? A: Over my career, I have seen farmers, their employees and/or the nutritional consultant slip up on any or all of these critical steps. However, I must say the most common error I observe is related to implementation of step 4 – evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the feeding program.

Dairy science students from five universities recently attended the inaugural Western regional meeting of the American Dairy Science Association-Student Affiliate Division in Fresno, California. The meeting was held March 5-6 and attracted 44 students and advisers, in addition to several industry professionals. The newly-established Western Region focuses on providing educational, leadership and networking opportunities to students in the West.

For the third year, the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) is once again looking to recognize dairy producers through their Reproduction Award Program for accomplishing reproductive efficiency with well-implemented management procedures.

The Pfizer Animal Genetics laboratory in Kalamazoo, Michigan, received Ilumina CSPro 50K certification. The certification reaffirms Pfizer Animal Genetics’ commitment and investment in cutting-edge genomic technology to support livestock producers.

American AgCredit, the nation’s seventh largest Farm Credit Association, announced financial results for 2010. Full-year earnings and net interest income reached record highs, and loan quality remained stable throughout the year. The Association’s overall levels of capital and liquidity remained strong. Dividends paid out to American AgCredit customers in the Southern California region totals $4.57 million.