During the month of November, the Michigan State University Dairy Club prepared for and held their annual holiday cheese sale. Students take the lead in managing the annual sale from start to finish. The day-to-day running of the sale is a hands-on process, and students find that the duties they’re charged with performing translate into a portfolio of practical career-building and life skills that will prepare them for life after graduation.

It didn't take long for Erin Reynoldson to realize that her flip-flops were not suited for a proper tour of Prairieland Dairy. Luckily, Prairieland Dairy co-owner, Dan Rice, and Jeff Keown, Extension Dairy Specialist from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, who lined up the trip, had plenty of plastic, knee-high foot coverings handy.

Finding a solution for working with sand bedding was the focus of McLanahan’s Sand Solutions Conference this November. More that 120 people attended the event held in Wisconsin. These dairy producers, engineers and consultants not only hailed from the Northeast and Midwest, but also from Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

As the days get shorter and the temperatures begin to flirt with freezing, it is time to start thinking about proper teat dip management for cold weather. In fact, any dairyman who faces cold, wet and windy conditions, whether in New Mexico or Wisconsin, needs to address general teat condition when temperatures fall. It is important to continue an efficient teat dip program on the farm to aid in mastitis control during cold weather, but you also need to take precautions to avoid cold weather effects on the dairy cow’s mammary system.

The Southern Regional Dairy Challenge was held November 18-20 at Mississippi State University in Tupelo, Mississippi. MSU hosted 70 students from 15 universities.

Two of the most internationally respected experts on dairy cattle hoof health — Dr. Jan Shearer of Iowa State University and Dr. Sarel Van Amstel of the University of Tennessee — led 12 dairy producers and one professional hoof trimmer in a three-day educational session on proper hoof care during Tennessee Farmers Cooperative’s Hoof School Nov. 3-5.

Paul Dotterer and Sons Dairy Farm was established by Paul and Jean Dotterer in 1951, when they purchased a 130-acre farm near Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, and began dairying with 15 cows. Paul and Jean raised their six children on the farm, and two sons chose to remain and grow their lives and families there as well. Larry Dotterer became the dairy herd manager, while John Dotterer assumed management of the crops. Now, the third generation is gradually taking the reins. Candice Dotterer (pictured at right), daughter of Larry, oversees the herds’ reproduction, fresh cows, sick-cow care, maternity barn, milkers and milking equipment.