A plethora of both informational literature and seminar-style workshops have emerged in recent years on the topic of technological advances as they relate to a reduction in workforce.

I meet very few people that enjoy change and more that actually resist it. Not sure why that is, as in my years of being a veterinarian, I have had minimal impact on the changes that continue to impact the dairy industry.

Communicating is still not easy, even with all of the modern options technology has given us. Mobile phones, Skype, text messaging, video conferencing – the list goes on and I’m sure they will continue to expand rapidly in this tech-savvy age. We have no reason not to stay in touch with all the gadgets.

The continuous waves of change in technology can at times be frustrating: As soon as you have a new software program nailed, another version is released, sending you on yet another quest for proficiency.

On a recent visit to the heart of the swine industry, a producer and I were talking about the importance of biosecurity on his finishing operations. He was frustrated and was focused on doing more to keep diseases out of his barns.

You continue to see it in articles and hear about it at meetings … Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD). They say the virus causes all kinds of problems and costs ranchers of money.

In the cattle industry, there continues to be a lot of confusion and discussion about what procedures and processes actually produce a “premium” at the market.

The cows are preg-checked, being fed and we are in that unhurried phase of the year, waiting for that first calf needing assistance or care. For veterinarians, this is the time for contemplation, reflection and strategic thinking. What occurred in our geographic region and in the U.S. as a whole in 2011 that impacted and will continue to impact our industry? On a global level, what circumstances are altering the way we practice?