The science surrounding A.I. programs has advanced tremendously over the past five years. Despite all this advancement in science, getting cows pregnant is still primarily in the hands of your breeders. I wrote an article in El Lechero describing the effort and attitude required for breeders to “get one more additional cow pregnant each day that they breed.” I called it the “art” of getting cows pregnant. Individual breeder attitude, focus, attention to detail and cowside confidence are intangibles that I see make the difference between breeders that get average results compared to the best performers. Your influence is necessary to focus your breeders. They may not need to understand all the details of your Ovsynch program, but they need to know enough to work to the detail necessary to ensure theirs and your success. I suggest you channel your management energy in two areas to maximize fertility results on your dairy through your breeders.

Domino's Pizza is introducing a brand new pizza to its American Legends(R) specialty pizza line that will make cheese lovers rejoice. This is the first new product Domino's has introduced in 2010 - the last being the launch of its 'Inspired' pizza and change to its core hand-tossed recipe, which took place last December. The Wisconsin 6 Cheese is the first extension to the American Legends specialty pizza line, which showcases iconic tastes from across the country, and will feature cheeses from a place recognized by consumers for its expertise in all things cheese. Topped with tomato sauce and six cheeses including mozzarella, feta, provolone, cheddar, parmesan and asiago on a crust sprinkled with oregano - the quality and flavor of this pizza is as fulfilling as it sounds.

I recently returned from World Dairy Expo, cautiously optimistic about the dairy industry in 2011. Plans for dairy policy and pricing reform continue to be discussed. Your opinion on how soft or hard a position the U.S. should take will determine whether you support “market” management or “supply” management for the future. Two very clear sides of this issue are developing. Undoubtably, supporters on both sides will get more and more strident in supporting their causes and opinions. Will partisanship tear the industry in two just like it has U.S. politics? It could. I hope not.

Last fall, we established an internship section on our Proud to Dairy site by reaching out to dairy industry producers, professionals and educators. We are once again hoping to provide college students with a resource for dairy farm internships across the country. If you’d like to get the word out about an internship at your dairy operation, e-mail the following information to Emily Caldwell at emily@progressivedairy.com: