The author is the managing editor and covers animal health, dairy housing and equipment, and nutrient management. She grew up on a dairy farm near Plymouth, Wis., and previously served as a University of Wisconsin agricultural extension agent. She received a master’s degree from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
2011_HD_671
Nov. 13 2020
For years, people working with dairy cows have called the drop in calcium around calving milk fever. Ironically, milk fever, also known as hypocalcemia, does not cause a fever at all
Bauer-forage_web3
Nov. 12 2020
As the harvest season comes to an end, farms may find themselves with excess forage, the right amount of forage, or not enough forage to feed their herd in the year ahead
Bauer-transition-cow_web3
Nov. 9 2020
Before and after calving, a dairy cow’s body experiences significant change. This includes the uterus, which can go from carrying a calf, placenta, and fluids down to the size of an adult’s...
Bauer-2021 mediocre_web5
Oct. 29 2020
“2020 has certainly been a roller coaster year,” said dairy analyst Matt Gould, stating the obvious during the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence’s “Navigating the Numbers”...
blog_10-26-20
Oct. 26 2020
Dairy farmers have watched prices for their products climb to surprising highs and fall to devastating lows since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March
Bauer-milk culture_web5
Oct. 26 2020
When it comes to mastitis, milk culturing can answer a very important question: “Are we dealing with contagious or environmental organisms?”
Bauer-calf_web4
Oct. 19 2020
Anyone who works with calves knows they can become sick and dehydrated very quickly
Dry Cow
Oct. 12 2020
There’s almost always a shortage of time and a lack of space on dairy farms. When deciding which animals get the most attention and best resources, the answer is typically the milking herd, and understandably...
Bauer-his mentors _web2
Oct. 5 2020
Matt Bomgardner of Blue Mountain View Farm in Annville, Pa., returned home to the family farm full time in 2005
Bauer-cows_web4
Sept. 24 2020
At calving, cows find themselves in a negative calcium balance. That’s because they are literally drawing from their own calcium stores to put the mineral into milk
Paul Fouts_web2
Sept. 21 2020
When Paul Fouts built a second freestall barn on his Cortland, N.Y., dairy, he chose to build another three-row barn
Cox Abbie
Sept. 14 2020
Some students have known since kindergarten what they want to be when they grow up
Bauer-red-flags_web
Sept. 14 2020
“Conflict is often healthy. It can generate creativity and new ideas, lead to improved decision making, and help people learn and grow,” said Rob Skacel, a business psychologist with True Edge...
Abby blog
Sept. 4 2020
I have two young children, and keeping them occupied and safe can feel like a full-time job in some situations. This gives me a whole new appreciation and admiration for all the farm moms out there who
Bauer-farm-future_web
Aug. 27 2020
Oftentimes, dairy farmers just take it day by day to get the work done. Still, it is crucial that someone in the business has an eye on the future and a plan of what is to come
Bauer-robots_web2
Aug. 17 2020
The number of daily visits a cow makes to an automated milking system has a notable impact on overall milk production
Bauer-gotmilk_web1
Aug. 6 2020
An old friend of the dairy industry has returned. The “Got Milk?” campaign, which ran from 1993 until its retirement in 2014, is making a comeback
Bauer-feed cows when they want
Aug. 3 2020
Some farms adjust their feeding schedule in the summer and deliver feed at night, thinking that cows will eat more when it is cooler outside
Bauer-mixed-pen_web2
July 30 2020
Herd size often dictates how many pens of milking cows are on a farm, but if having multiple pens is an option, consider grouping cows by age
Bauer-cows-day_web
July 27 2020
Sometimes, it seems as if there isn’t enough time in a day to get everything done that a person wants to