Federal researchers have finished a year-long study tracking the amount of greenhouse gases like ammonia and methane emitted from a corporate dairy operation in the Magic Valley. The U.S. Department of Agriculture study is the first to look at greenhouse-type gas emissions from an open air-dairy operation, and researchers say the data will provide a baseline for potential regulations and developing management tools to reduce emissions from dairy farms.

Rolling Spring Farm owners Charlie and Denise Bean are trying to milk their cows for all they're worth. In order to do so, they've taken a more pampered approach to dairy farming than the many generations before them. The Beans last year built a new, state-of-the-art barn on their more than 130-acre farm in Canal Township that capitalizes on the concept of cow comfort because they believe that, much like people, a happy cow is a productive cow.

GEA Farm Technologies announced the purchase of one of its largest dealerships, San Joaquin Valley Dairy Equipment, Inc. San Joaquin Valley Dairy Equipment has been located in Tulare, California for the past 20 years. It also operates from a second location in Bakersfield, California. Customers served from both locations can rest-assured, they will see very little change in daily operation. The knowledgeable staff and management team that dairy producers are accustomed to working with from San Joaquin Valley Dairy Equipment will continue to be involved as the dealership becomes part of the GEA Farm Technologies organization.

At its June meeting, the NMPF Scholarship Committee selected four graduate students to receive scholarships as part of the 2011 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program. These students are all conducting research in areas that will benefit dairy cooperatives and producers. The 2011 Hintz Memorial Scholarship, given to the top scholarship candidate, was awarded to João Paulo Nascimento Martins, a Ph.D. candidate in animal science at the Michigan State University. His research project is “The effect of enhanced luteinizing hormone pulses during ovulatory follicle development on oocyte competency and subsequent pregnancy losses in dairy cattle.”

The 2011 Michigan Dairy Expo got off to an exciting start last month when the Supreme Champion Dairy animal, exhibited by Parker Hardy of Tipton, Michigan, topped the Michigan Livestock Expo Sale-abration with an impressive bid of $21,000. The buyer of the first dairy lot of the livestock sale was a strong contingency of dairy industry supporters who pooled their money to purchase the winning lot. In total $33,000 was bid on four dairy lots: Supreme Champion; Reserve Junior Champion exhibited by Sarah Michalek, Deckerville, Michigan; Supreme Dairy Showman Brittany Westendorp of Nashville, Michigan; and the Grand Champion Cheese exhibited by the Michigan State University Dairy Plant. The money raised through the selling of the dairy lots goes back into the statewide dairy youth fund of the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund. The 4-H members exhibiting the winning animal receive $1,000 each.

E.I. Medical Imaging (EIMI) announced the release of the 1.07 firmware update for the Ibex family of ultrasound systems. The update (version 1.07) is available now for download for Ibex customers free of charge from EIMI Imaging via the company website. This update underscores EIMI’s commitment to customer feedback and product evolution. To download, simply register at www.eimedical.com for your login account information.

The National Farm-City Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing links between farm families and urban residents, is now seeking nominations for the first annual Charles Eastin Outstanding Service Award, paying tribute to an outstanding individual who has contributed to Farm-City activities as an advocate for accurate communications between rural and urban audiences. The award is in honor of Charles "Charlie" Eastin, DVM, who passed away earlier this year and played a fundamental role in Farm-City activities. A board member for many years, Eastin was especially active in planning and initiating Farm-City events in the Lexington, Kentucky, area.

According to the current USDA data available in 2008, cull dairy cows accounted for just over 7 percent of all cattle slaughtered in the U.S., but were responsible for approximately 90 percent of carcasses in which drug residues were detected. Some of the more common reasons leading to having a carcass condemned for drug residues include: 1. Changing the dose or route for Procaine Penicillin G: The label dose for PPG is only 1 cc per 100 pounds, or about 15 cc total. When a cow is given higher doses or treated subcutaneously (under the skin), the slaughter withdrawal time can increase from the label four to 10 days up to several weeks.