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.

Larry and Gloria Crandall’s family has hosted thousands of toddlers and school-age children at their fifth-generation family dairy farm near Battle Creek, Michigan, over the years. One thing that teachers and day care providers know is that the family practices an open door policy when it comes to answering questions about farming and encouraging visits to the farm to learn about farming firsthand. The Crandalls are the recipients of the 2011 Michigan State University (MSU) Dairy Farmer of the Year Award. They were selected by MSU Department of Animal Science faculty members and MSU Extension educators on the basis of commitment and contributions to the dairy industry and local communities.

Agriculture officials are holding a series of workshops in Tennessee to help farmers use the Internet to grow their business. The workshops are designed to show how farmers can connect with potential customers through social media, customer surveys and other means.