Feeding and management practices of dairy calves directly impact not only their survival, but as importantly, their future milk production. Recent studies which have followed calves through their first lactation have shown a positive relationship between early life nutrient intake and first-lactation milk production. In addition, new research has shown additional benefits of proper colostrum intake on calf health.

Management guru Peter Drucker, who helped launch the field of management in 1945 and who died in 2005, is credited with coining the phrase “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Managers make lots of decisions every day, maybe as many as a hundred or more. Some of these are very important, others may be less so. Robert Lewis, a business consultant who spoke of Drucker at the 17th American Dairy Science Association Discover Conference on Dairy Herd Analytics, made the case in his opening presentation to the group that you shouldn’t “trust trusting your gut” when making decisions.

The following statements were recently made as testimony before the Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) public workshops to examine margins at various levels of the agricultural supply chain. “We need the milk pricing system fixed. If we want young farmers to come into the industry they need to be paid a living. Everyone in the chain can adjust their margin accordingly and earn a living except for the farmer. "And if Antitrust Division and USDA doesn’t step it up and ensure that farmers earn a living first, and everyone else adjust their margins accordingly thereafter, the entire system will fail, rural America will fail, our farmers and our nation as a whole will fail, just because our whole infrastructure relies on our farmers who produce 70 percent of the world’s raw material.”

Managing data has never been more important. The volatility of today’s markets demands that dairy producers be mindful of every aspect of their farms. At the Vita Plus Dairy Summit last month in Minneapolis, Minnesota, three dairy producers outlined the management systems they use to keep their dairies running lean. Sam Dilsaver Sam Dilsaver is a managing partner in Hillcrest Dairy located near Elmwood, Illinois. The dairy started in 2007 as a partnership between Sam and a family friend in California. Currently they milk 1,500 cows three times per day at this dairy. The cows are milking between 72 and 78 pounds per day with an emphasis on high components.

The following is a list of the seminars that will be conducted during World Ag Expo this year. Seminars will cover different topics each day. They will be held at the Expo Seminar Center. Individual information is included for the international trade, general agriculture and dairy seminars. For more information, visit www.worldagexpo.com International Trade Seminars Seminar Center, Tuesday, Feb. 8The Center for International Trade Development’s international trade symposium is focused on preparing you for the future in a global marketplace. Experts are here to tell you what your company can do to prepare for tomorrow’s global markets.

The agriculture industry is one of great importance. Today’s agriculture professionals are part of a vital group of unsung heroes that contribute to feeding and clothing the world as they make a positive impact on the American economy. Monsanto Company recognizes the importance of investing in the next generation of hard-working agricultural professionals, which is why Monsanto and the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) are proud to announce an open call for applications for the 2011 Commitment to Agriculture Scholarship Program.