After over two years of discussion, industry leaders will publicly share draft documents which could one day guide U.S. genetic evaluations. The first document, known as the Cooperative Agreement, details the conditions that must be met so the USDA's Agricultural Research Service can transfer the industry's national genetic database to the private sector.

Dairy producers will have 30 days to comment on the Cooperative Agreement. We have posted the 15-page document along with a one-page explanation on our home page at www.hoards.com. It can be found as the first article under the Hoard's Digital Online Database icon by clicking on the item: Comment on the Future of U.S. Genetic Evaluations. If you would like a hard copy, call (920) 563-5551, and we will mail you one.

Since the Council of Dairy Cattle Breeding has no website, comments can be emailed to one of the nine voting members. For your convenience, Hoard's Dairyman will also accept comments and distribute them to all nine leaders.

Please note, the Cooperative Agreement is like reading the owner's manual for a tractor. The Business Agreement, which will be completed soon, has all the financial and governance details. It will be the document most breeders will want to sink their teeth into. It, too, will be posted on our website when we receive it.