HD Notebook

Advocacy for the dairy industry and agriculture isn't always easy. It takes courage to stand up to what might not be the popular majority. But, one program for dairy industry enthusiasts is teaching the skills necessary to become a positive advocate for our way of life. Read more

If continued low milk prices weren't depressing enough, there is now an embryo and semen thief in our midst. Based on information that Hoard's Dairyman has learned from four of the five victims, the thief or thieves know exactly what they are looking for — high-priced semen and embryos. Read more

They’re black and white (or brown) on the outside, but these days there’s also a golden glow to cull dairy cows. Read more

Interest in some type of policy to control milk production or manage milk supply growth continues to gather steam. Even some people and some organizations that have been categorically opposed to the concept at least are keeping a more open mind. Read more

Walmart, Wendy's, Burger King, and Subway have all jumped on the cage-free egg bandwagon. Each of these food retailers has made some sort of commitment to providing food products made with eggs from chickens not raised in cages. In fact, making the boldest move of them all, Subway is now implementing a plan to go completely cage-free. Read more

America's top dairy county was host to 30 teams from Universities across North America last week at the annual North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge. In the end it was the home-field advantage Cal Poly along with Cornell, Ohio, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison that were honored with top platinum awards and are shown in the photo Read more

The National Dairy Shrine is again looking for applications for its annual awarding of scholarships. Applications must be completed by May 1, 2010. Official scholarship application award forms are available on the NDS website, www.dairyshrine.org. Available scholarships include: Read more

Anyone who milks cows wants demand for their milk, and the more the better. But as producers saw all too painfully in 2008-09, expanding to meet that demand comes with risk. Recent news from the U.S. Dairy Export Council is encouraging for dairy producers – and a reason to be cautious. Read more

The 37th annual National Ag Day was held throughout the country on March 20 to celebrate the importance of agriculture in our country. As part of the celebration, seventh through twelfth grade students across the country were encouraged to write a 450-word essay based on this year's topic: American Agriculture — Abundant, Affordable, Amazing. Read more

One of the most successful leaders of the purebred dairy cattle industry passed away April 6 just eight days shy of his 93rd birthday. James F. Cavanaugh joined the American Jersey Cattle Association in 1947 and went on to become the longest-serving executive secretary in Association history, heading the organization from 1956 to 1985. Read more