The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has nationally adopted with deviations four international standards concerning milking machines.

The National Farm-City Council has announced new officers and the chairs of its five standing committees, all dedicated to enhancing links between farm families and urban residents. A non-profit organization, the Council provides local organizations with educational programs about people who grow our food. In addition, it organizes an annual symposium on a significant topic of interest to both farm and city residents.

Progressive Dairyman is excited to bring you a second year of the Ice Cream Flavor Face-Off. This year, 16 competitors battle it out for the title of champion flavor. Learn about South Dakota State Raspberry Cheesecake, represented by Minnesota dairy producer Shannon Seifert, and Blue Bell Buttered Pecan, represented by El Lechero Editor Dario Martinez.

From the top of the main silo at Don Bennink’s North Florida Holsteins dairy farm, all I can see are cows – about 9,000 of them, grazing on some 2,500 acres. To the untrained eye, the scene is innocent and bucolic. But there’s something else going on here that, if not managed properly, can threaten ground water, the aquifer and springs. Cows are prolific producers of manure and urine. In an average day of grazing, milking and just mooing about, one dairy cow can generate more than 100 pounds of manure and urine. Multiply this by several thousand cows and you’ve got a serious potential source of groundwater pollution on your hands. Animal wastes washed directly into surface streams, sinkholes and leached through the soil by rainwater introduce nitrates into the groundwater.

The livestock sector has been reported to be responsible for 18 percent of the total anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a worldwide basis.

TRENDING TOPIC ARTICLE: MANURE Published: May 31, 2011 This article highlighted the AgSTAR National Conference in Boise, Idaho, in 2011, where Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy's Jerry Bingold announced a goal of 1,300 anaerobic digesters to be built by the year 2020. This would mean a digester built every day for four years. to jump to the article. Click here to learn about a new report being developed by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. Bingold explains the development of digesters and why the 1,300 number may no longer be necessary.

The National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) is conducting a first-of-its-kind study on the health and management practices of custom heifer-rearing operations in the U.S. The "Dairy Heifer Raiser 2011" study will include data from custom heifer raisers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

This year’s finalists for the title of Princess Kay of the Milky Way have been named. The 12 young women from dairy farm backgrounds were selected at the conclusion of a three-day event for county dairy princesses held in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Each of the 12 will be sculpted in butter during the 2011 Minnesota State Fair. Princess Kay is crowned each year the night before the State Fair opens.

Mark Kruse will discuss his pasture conversion experiences, his rotational grazing system, organic pasture management, and manure management at a pasture walk on June 22.