DAIReXNET and the National Association of County Agricultural Agents is hosting a webinar titled “How Low Can We Go: Nitrogen In Dairy Rations.” The webinar is free to the public and is geared toward bringing pertinent information to extension educators, allied industry professionals, veterinarians and dairy producers across the U.S.

Join the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) on Thursday, March 10, or Friday, March 11, as Mike Apley, DVM, PhD, Kansas State University, one of the world's foremost experts on antibiotic use in cattle, talks about the realities of residues in bob veal calves and the issues related to resistance to antibiotics that may develop due to our use in calves.

Western United Dairymen member Richard Michel, Waterford, California, has been elected chairman of the California Milk Advisory Board, which promotes products under the “Real California” label. Michel, a third-generation dairyman, milks 1,200 Holsteins and is a member of the California Dairies Inc. processing cooperative.

As harsh winter weather gripped much of the nation recently lifestyle celebrity and media personality Martha Stewart posted a message on Twitter voicing concern about the plight of farm animals. The tweet presented an opportunity for the agriculture community to communicate with a diverse audience about why most livestock and poultry farmers today choose to raise animals indoors. Encouraging farmers to use such a forum to connect with a population that has little understanding of today’s food system is the goal of a new web-based resource from the Center for Food Integrity (CFI). It’s called the Farmer Resource Center and it offers a variety of tools and advice to farmers and others in the food system interested in engaging with peers and the media on food related topics.

The Teagues of North Carolina, the Mahaffys of Oregon and the Beidlers of Vermont are the top three winners of the Stonyfield Organic Farmers Grant-a-Wish Program, which will fund a total of six innovative organic farming projects in the U.S. Consumers voted online for the winners after watching short videos about each one. All recipients are farmer-owners of Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative, the organic farmers’ cooperative that has supplied Stonyfield with organic milk for more than 15 years.

Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) recently took home top honors from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) annual meeting, being named the 2010 Plant of the Year by Dairy Foods magazine. The award caps off an exciting year for the plant, which recently completed a two-year, $62 million renovation project.

Alpharma, LLC, the makers of Deccox (decoquinate), a medicated feed additive, is now offering a way to help producers, feed manufacturers, and veterinarians determine medication mixing rates and how to better manage expenses associated with coccidiosis. The easy-to-use, interactive tool, found here allows producers to get the most out of their Deccox animal health investment.

Milk and other dairy products already rank top-of-mind for many consumers when they make nutritional food choices for themselves and their families. In fact, milk is the No. 1 item sold at supermarkets across the country, and buying dairy products is often the primary reason shoppers visit their local store. Now, a recent consumer study from the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) shows that consumers generally prefer the taste and would change their shopping habits to buy fluid milk with enhanced nutrition, opening new revenue doors for retailers and processors.

Raised on a dairy farm in Johnstown, William Wailes graduated from Colorado State University (CSU) in 1969 and joined the Marine Corps, spending nearly eights years serving. But within a few years of leaving the Navy, Wailes was back at CSU and today is the department head of animal sciences. He's worked as an extension specialist and as manager of the university's dairy research facility.