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Whether or not you attend World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., you won’t want to miss Catherine Merlo’s daily dispatches from this international dairy show. Starting at the end of September, she’ll share her insights about the event that draws the dairy world’s attention for a hectic week. Visit this blog to read Merlo’s reports on what she sees and hears, who she meets, and the behind-the-scenes discussions that really make Expo worthwhile. As Dairy Today’s Western editor, Catherine Merlo is based in Bakersfield, Calif. She travels widely across the United States covering national and Western dairy issues. Merlo has more than 25 years of experience as an agricultural writer, journalist and photographer.

Joe is a management advisor and business writer with over thirty years experience in agribusiness. He is a graduate of Michigan State and Claremont Graduate University in Calif. At Claremont he studied under Peter Drucker, recognized as the father of modern management, who was instrumental in forming Joe’s knowledge of management as a discipline. This Business Management blog draws on Joe’s management experiences in putting these principles to work. He grew up on a Michigan grain farm still operated by his family and lives in Minnesota with his wife Kathy.

Jeanne Bernick, Top Producer Editor, writes about issues related to agriculture. Jeanne grew up on a beef cattle operation in Southwest Missouri and now writes from the heart of corn country in Eastern Iowa.

Kevin Spafford is the monthly succession planning columnist for Farm Journal, author of Legacy by Design: Succession Planning for Agribusiness Owners, and has been featured in many industry publications and televised segments. Kevin launched Legacy by Design in 2005. As a Certified Financial Planner, armed with an education in agriculture and 25 years of experience in financial services, Kevin guides farmers and agribusiness owners through plans designed to optimize success for the owner, the family and the farm. Speaking opportunities have taken Kevin to major agricultural events, including the Top Farmer Crop Workshops at Purdue University, Farm Journal Media’s Top Producer Seminars in Chicago, and the California Farm Bureau’s Leadership Conference.

Crop-Tech Consulting, Inc. Farm Journal Field AgronomistIn 1990, Ken Ferrie started Crop-Tech Consulting, Inc., which serves farmers in central Illinois. As an independent consultant, Ferrie directly oversees 90,000 acres through farmer clients. At the same time, he works with leading fertilizer dealers to provide agronomic direction for another 250,000 acres. Ferrie, who is Field Agronomist for Farm Journal magazine, puts in almost 150 test plots each year, testing everything from herbicides and varieties to planters and technology tools. Data gathered in the plot research helps fine-tune his systems approach to farming.