Designed for people who want to improve their knowledge and decision-making abilities in dairy production and management, the 30th Western Canadian Dairy Seminar welcomes dairy producers, extension specialists, researchers, and dairy service and supply representatives. Each year a wide variety of topics are presented ranging from nutrition and reproduction to dairy policy and challenges facing the dairy industry.

The nation’s two largest breed organizations are reporting steady increases in animal registrations, with numbers in 2011 taking an exceptional jump up from 2010. Once again the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) has broken a number of records, while Holstein Association USA says its all-time registration record set during its centennial celebration in 1981 is within reach.

Late last year, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-New York), ranking member of the House Rules Committee, hosted a briefing where farmers and successful businesses extolled the benefits of tapping into the growing domestic and international demand for antibiotic-free meat. Slaughter is the author of the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA) legislation to ensure we preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for the treatment of human disease. She was joined by a panel made up of Steve Ells, chairman and CEO, Chipotle Grill; Stephen McDonnell, CEO, Applegate Farms; Russ Kremer, co-founder and president, Ozark Mountain Pork Cooperative; and Paul Willis, manager and founder, Niman Ranch Pork Company, a network of more than 676 independent sustainable farms.