Progressive Dairyman has been awarded the James Flanagan Award by peer judges of the Livestock Publications Council (LPC).

We’re often reminded of change this time of year as outdoor temperatures drop lower, leaves change color and shorts and sandals are exchanged for coats and boots. The change in temperature and weather can negatively impact udder health and, if not handled properly, can wreak havoc on teat ends.

Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles discussing milk pricing. In the last issue, we explained how processors in Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMO) pay different amounts into the pool based on whether their milk will be used to produce fluid milk products (Class I) or manufactured products (Class II, Class III or Class IV).

As a result of our just-completed herd retirement program and recently increased activity under our export assistance program, we have received inquiries from a few producer-members asking about the overall operation of the CWT program. Rather than respond to these inquiries individually, I felt all CWT members would be interested in the nature of the questions and our responses.

Dairy producers and industry representatives from around the globe will converge on Madison, Wisconsin, when World Dairy Expo takes place September 30 – October 4. It is, after all, where the dairy industry meets.

Although parents and teachers have told their students, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” some may still wonder why networking is so important. Trust Jean Kummer and Trent Olson, two college graduates who credit much of their career success to the contacts they have made along the way. “Every interaction you have with people who work in your field leaves an impression,” says Penn State University alumna Jean Kummer. “There’s definitely a window of opportunity to meet with potential employers when in school because they’re looking for bright, eager graduates.”

Despite a recent slump in the economy, agricultural students can plan on a “bright future” in the industry, says Eric Spell, president of AgCareers.com. The recruitment website, which started as a newsprint publication 10 years ago, has become the leading online career portal in the agricultural industry. Spell says more than 1,000 employers use the site throughout a year.

In the June 17 issue of Progressive Dairyman this year, our staff published a story about how the dairy industry, and agricultural college students in particular, has been utilizing Facebook.com. As we have come to discover, it’s not just the students who are taking advantage of the social networking site.

Many agricultural college students across the country spent the summer break developing their talents, making industry contacts and preparing for a career following graduation. Meet eight of these hardworking and dedicated youth and learn about how their internship experiences have been both educational and beneficial.

The “best and brightest” students from universities in the Southwest region spent the first half of their summer vacation in Clovis, New Mexico. Eighteen students participated in the first-ever Advanced Large Herd Management program, which ran from May 19 to June 27.