October 1, 2022

October 1, 2022 Progressive Dairy-Canada digital magazine

October 5, 2022

Research Review: How slag filters can be effective, low-maintenance systems to reduce nutrient pollution from bunker silo runoff

September 8, 2022

Carlee Wright, Steven Roche, Julia Saraceni, Andrew VanderZaag, and Merrin Macrae

Dairy Farmers of Canada’s latest campaign a rallying cry for sustainable agriculture

Canadian dairy farmers have been caring about the environment for decades and want consumers to know they have big plans.

September 7, 2022

This summer, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) launched a powerful new advertising campaign promoting an ambitious dairy industry target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Stay safe when working from ladders, heights

Proper fall protection and ladder safety are necessary to prevent serious injuries on the farm.

September 8, 2022

Cheryl DeCooman

Proper fall protection and ladder safety are necessary to prevent serious injuries on the farm.

Make farm fire prevention a priority this fall

Seven tips shared for Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 9-15) to reduce a farm’s risk of fire.

September 9, 2022

Pierre-Andre Meunier

No one person or farm is immune to the threat of fire. The risk is something every farmer accepts but rarely plans for. This Oct. 9-15 marks Fire Prevention Week, and for farmers, it serves as a reminder that farm fire season is fast approaching.

Rising expenses and interest rates: How much can we control?

Steps your farm can take today to combat rising interest rates and take advantage of untapped potential in breeding and at the feedbunk that will yield long-term results.

September 8, 2022

Rene Roy, Simon Jette-Nantel, and Patrice Fortier

If you want good employees, be a good employer: A performance improvement system

Annual reviews have been a common practice for evaluating employee performance. The performance improvement system transforms this evaluation to improve two-way communication.

August 18, 2022

Robert A. Milligan

We have been wondering what the “new normal” after COVID will look like, and when it comes to employment, the picture is emerging. The hiring challenges before COVID are intensifying, and workforce mobility is escalating.

'Overwhelming support': Community rallies around families affected by tragic semi accident

The dairy and trucking communities have rallied around the families of two men who lost their lives in a semi accident in British Columbia in late August.

September 14, 2022

Matti McBride

More than $125,000 has been raised in support of two semi drivers, Tanner Liefting and Brandon Johnson, who lost their lives on Aug. 28 while transporting show cattle from the Western Canadian Classic (WCC) Junior Dairy Show in Brandon, Manitoba, back home to British Columbia.

Help! My parents have loads of debt we don’t want

Debt service plans are an important part of the farm transition process.

September 8, 2022

Elaine Froese

“Every front door looks beautiful” is one of my favourite Irish sayings. It came to mind in Deadwood, South Dakota, where I was listening to the woes of a young ranch couple.

Dairy’s next generation: A retired expert offers advice and hope for the future

After a 40-plus-year career, one expert offers ten reflections on how to succeed in the dairy sector, what challenges lie ahead and areas for growth.

September 8, 2022

Emma Ohirko

After a 40-plus-year career, one expert offers ten reflections on how to succeed in the dairy sector, what challenges lie ahead and areas for growth.

How much ‘dirt’ is in your forages?

July 8, 2022

Dan Schauff, Loren Bailey, and Gene P. Gengelbach

Minimizing soil content of forages should be the goal of every forage producer and dairy farm. This is because soil contamination of forages can add to the total ash or mineral content, which dilutes the energy and nutritive value of forages.

The importance of silage inoculants

Type of crop, dry matter content, feedbunk management and pathogenic load matter when selecting a silage inoculant.

August 16, 2022

Mikayla Baxter

Ensiling or fermenting fresh forage is an effective way to preserve nutrients, allowing us to feed animals year-round. However, the value and quality of silage is dependent on how well it was preserved.

Reconstructing the idea of a retrofit

April 17, 2020

Keith Ortiz

Retrofitting a dairy barn has been a popular choice to make upgrades more affordable than they would be when building new, yet “retrofitting” isn’t unique to the dairy industry. Many buildings today are serving different purposes than the ones for which they were originally built – maybe even serving a different industry.

What would make your ideal feed center?

July 21, 2022

Jon Rasmussen

The evolution of how we make feed for cows is truly amazing. Experienced farmers may remember riding with their fathers to the local mill to have feed ground, mixed, bagged and delivered to a feed room. Fast-forward to today and some farms are building feed centers, which can be thought of as on-farm feed mills.

Putting the puzzle pieces together to build the best barn

July 21, 2022

Amy Throndsen

When you build a barn, it’s like you’re putting together a complex jigsaw puzzle. Since there are many pieces in the puzzle, it pays to spend time looking at the big picture to ensure you have all the pieces and they fit together the way you want.

Teamwork and cow comfort are paramount at Lucky Hill Dairy

An Alberta dairy does not take anything for granted, appreciating luck in all they do, including their breeding achievements and new barn geared towards cow comfort and longevity.

September 8, 2022

Emma Ohirko

Co-owners of Lucky Hill Dairy Ltd. Willem and Joanne van der Linde say lucky is more than just a part of the farm’s name, it is an outlook on farm life itself.

Getting back to cow comfort basics

July 20, 2022

Anthony Loken

Cow comfort. We know how important it is to animal health and dairy profitability. After all, a comfortable cow is a productive cow.

Compost-bedded barns as an alternative housing option for lactating cows

January 11, 2021

L. Paige Bielamowicz and Barbara Jones

Compost-bedded pack barns have become more prevalent in the last few years.

Assessing ventilation in calf barns

July 21, 2022

Courtney Halbach

How do you know if your calf barn is properly ventilated? You may see visual signs such as streaking or cobwebs on the purlins or be overwhelmed with the smell of ammonia and noticeable humidity as you enter the barn, letting you know your calf barn’s ventilation may be lacking.

Cattle bunching on dairy farms: Causes and solutions

July 15, 2021

Brian Dougherty

Bunching of animals is a common problem on dairy farms during summer months. Cows in freestall barns sometimes congregate together in one part of the barn, with ample free space not being utilized.

NASEM nutrient requirements 2021: What is new with fatty acids?

May 25, 2022

Steven Smith

Over the last 20 years, research and the subsequent field application of innovations in dairy cattle nutrition has contributed to greater animal performance and health.

What happens to soluble protein?

Soluble protein analyses are often misunderstood, resulting in higher feed costs and an underestimated value of soluble protein or degradable protein.

September 5, 2022

Brittany Wood and Essi Evans

Protein and amino acids are important parts of the cow’s ration. Meeting the cow’s requirements without oversupplying these nutrients ensures three things: optimum productivity, best-cost rations and sustainable rations.

What does feeding behaviour tell us and how can we use it to optimize nutrition management?

Beyond diet, how cows eat is major factor influencing cow health, efficiency and productivity, which means optimizing nutrition also requires an understanding of cow feeding behaviour.

September 7, 2022

Emma Ohirko

When you consider the ration you feed your cows and the feed additives and nutritional components you invest in, do you also prioritize the conditions under which this feed is consumed?

Trace mineral supplementation in the diets of dairy cows

The impact of trace mineral supplementation in dairy cow diets depends on the source, and a recent study finds organic trace minerals may help optimize herd health.

September 8, 2022

Bruna Mion

Trace minerals are the minerals required in small quantities, normally added in milligrams or micrograms to dairy cow diets. Required trace minerals include cobalt, copper, iodine, manganese, selenium and zinc.

A practical understanding of trace mineral sources

April 15, 2022

Stephen B. Blezinger

Most producers understand that minerals must be supplemented to cattle at all stages of production if they want optimal performance, especially in health and reproduction. At the farm level, different formula combinations for minerals in feeds, supplements and premixes are limitless.

The effect of sugar supplementation on milk urea nitrogen and protein efficiency

Focus on optimizing milk urea nitrogen (MUN) through sugar supplementation to enhance production and animal performance and reduce protein feed waste and nitrogen excretion.

September 8, 2022

Sydney Moore

Focus on optimizing MUN through sugar supplementation to enhance production and animal performance and reduce protein feed waste and nitrogen excretion.

Tim the Dairy Farmer: Pump theory

June 16, 2022

Tim Moffett

They say that “shoes make the man.” My mom used to say to me, “Never judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.”

HERd Management: Your season is coming

May 4, 2022

Melissa Hart

FOMO (fear of missing out) is real and is plaguing people of every generation. It adds anxiety, builds discontentment, robs you of your present joy and steals every moment that would normally bring you happiness.

The Milk House: The plow and the pew

May 24, 2022

Ryan Dennis

Hrönn took me out to the pasture to see their bred heifers. Her parents’ farm, Lundur, was similar to most Icelandic holdings, with cattle, sheep and horses.

Equipment Hub: Five ways to maximize your wheel loader’s telematics data

May 24, 2021

Aaron Kleingartner

Telematics is a useful tool installed in today’s heavy equipment, yet it can be one of the most underutilized assets.

Just dropping by ... Halloween and fear

October 19, 2021

Yevet Crandell Tenney

I was no stranger to terror when I was a child. I remember shivering in my bed watching the curtains billow into the room under the breath of the night wind.

Introducing agproud.com – a dynamic, easy-to-use online ag resource

August 26, 2022

Karen Lee

Have you ever wanted access to a wide range of agricultural information and services without visiting numerous websites?

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