There is no one-size-fits-all in feed centers, but all farms can benefit from reduced feed costs realized by measuring and managing inefficiencies. It's no secret that feed costs make up a significant...

Event celebrates the value of food production in our world. Tuesday, March 15 is National Agriculture Day, which marks the 43rd year of celebrating the ways agriculture impacts everyone. This year's theme...

Place yourself in a consumer mindset. In doing so, you'll develop a much clearer dairy conversation. by Mark Rodgers When dairy farmers speak to each other, we often toss around terms such as TMR, DA,...

Adverse economic and environmental impacts would result if genetically modified organisms were eliminated from farming. Technology has given our agricultural industry legs to grow, opportunities to be...

While city cousins may think we just rolled out of bed, nothing could be further from the truth on the farm. I think we can all agree that dairy farming goes beyond being just an occupation. It's a lifestyle...

Approach farm meetings prepared and with a goal in mind. Growing up, my favorite farm meetings occurred around the breakfast table. Specifically, I remember chowing down on some bacon prepared by my grandfather...

Keep your focus so you don't get pinned or pushed out of the ring. By Patti Hurtgen, Hoard's Dairyman Online Media Manager Wrestling can be a bit like dairy farming. Farmers must be scrappy to stay mobile...

Dairy Challenge competitions combine book learning with real-life situations. By Taylor Leach, Hoard's Dairyman Editorial Intern It's the same old routine. You're sitting in a classroom listening to lecture...

A few factors play a big role in the quality of colostrum. While breakfast may be our most important meal of the day, for calves, that first feeding of colostrum is the most critical meal of their lives....

Young farmers need opportunities to develop leadership skills. We all know that dairy farmers wear many hats. I spent the last several days wearing my leader hat. First, while finishing Phase III of the...

Another tight year for dairy producers raises the question, how does one best manage break-even costs? Managing fluctuation is an important part of today's global economy. Farms that successfully direct...

National organization continues to develop skills of young people. National FFA Week concludes tomorrow. This weeklong celebration of FFA happens every February, and in honor of the occasion, I recently...

My daughter, Caitlin, decided to return to the farm after graduating with a degree in diversified agriculture to manage our herd health and reproduction programs

Calf jackets can provide much needed warmth for young animals on cold days. A few mild days in the Midwest made it feel like spring was on the way, but since it is only February, we can be fairly certain...

Learning is a lifelong process and the Young Dairy Leaders Institute helped speed up that process. Today, I hop on a plane to finish Phase III of the Young Dairy Leaders Institute in sunny Phoenix, Arizona....

It's as important in human nutrition as it is in dairy cows. As dairy producers and industry people, we spend a lot of time worrying about the tiny bugs located in our cows' digestive tracts. We focus...

Type and production are partners in extreme production. Last month it was announced that Bur-Wall Buckeye Gigi produced 74,650 pounds of milk. That equates to 8,680 gallons of milk and set the single lactation...

Major renovations will be made to the Oklahoma State University Dairy thanks to a generous gift from a former student. Who would have thought that a love story from years past would lead to new state-of-the-art...

Outside perspectives can benefit your herd in many ways. We recently took my nephew Michael out to our family's dairy barn for the first time. At just under four months of age, Michael couldn't say what...

Farmers need to share their stories with each other, too. As dairy farmers, we hear a lot about sharing our stories with consumers. Stories about why we farm and how we care for our cattle help us connect...