New to the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) Business Conference, the FreshPicks Stage packages timely topics into quick and convenient 20-minute presentations. Throughout the two-day conference, which will be held March 12-13 in Madison, Wisconsin, a dozen experts will address a variety of timely topics through this format.

This article was #13 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2014. It was published in the Feb. 13, 2014 Extra e-newsletter. On Valentine’s Day, we brought you the fairytale story of dairy farmer Nate Kliebenstein and his wife Morgan, a sire analyst, who found love through an online dating website. With cows as their common bond, dairy was in the air on the day of their farm field wedding, and since then, the couple has been farming happily ever after.

Taking the time to understand the Hispanic culture can build loyalty and cut down on costly employee turnover, according to Cody Heller, Cowz R Us Consulting and Heller Farm Inc.

A pest control innovation newly available to dairy producers delivers up to 90 days of fly-killing power in a broad-spectrum premise spray. From the calf barn to the milking parlor, Annihilator Polyzone from Bayer Animal Health brings effective, longer-lasting fly and insect control to the areas of the dairy that need it most.

“The Sky is the Limit” was the theme for the 2013 Vita Plus Dairy Summit. As Rod Martin, Vita Plus sales manager and a member of the dairy technical services team, pointed out, the sky certainly is the limiting factor for those in the dairy business. Whether it be rain, snow or sunshine, what comes from above impacts crops, markets and attitudes.