As we walk through the barns and pastures to check our cows throughout the day, it pays to watch the cows’ expressions. In a time where people either tend to stare at their phones while going about...

Do you ever sit around your farm shop and listen to the old men talk? I have heard many stories from the second and third generations of the farm, discussing the way it use to be, or things that had happened...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now a consumer buzzword that most of us have heard since the release of ChatGPT4. Now, Google, Facebook, and others are trying to catch up with OpenAI and believe it will...

Apart from visiting a farm, there’s nothing quite like attending a fair for the general public to witness agriculture up close. There are plenty of animals to see, youth and exhibitors to talk with,...

I recently had one of those moments of frustration that turned to humility. As farmers, running 24/7/365 is the life. We have a very high stress job because so many different entities depend on us each...

Summer is coming to an end, and it’s time to go back to school. However, I won’t be going home empty-handed

It is Corn Silage Harvest 2023 here at Hillcrest Farms. This year we have been blessed with rain and a good corn crop

One of the annual summer staples around here — best served up lathered in butter and a good sprinkling of salt, in my opinion — is homegrown sweet corn

The day of a cattle show can be stressful. Having someone follow the cows around with a manure pan is crucial in order to catch any excrement that comes out the back side

Last night, I came home late from ball practice. A few months ago, I started assisting a travel softball team that consists of 8- to 10-year-olds

As fast as agriculture is changing, some things have stayed the same. Most farms — over 90% — are still family owned and operated

Partnering across the supply chain is key to furthering the animal agriculture community’s sustainability progress

The National FFA Organization became a huge part of my life starting my sixth-grade year when my agriculture teacher showed up on my front porch with a form to join

As dairy farmers, our life is lead wide open each and every day

The dairy checkoff is hoping consumers will be thirsty for a glass of milk after watching social media content depicting several ways milk remains a tried-and-true complement to a peanut butter sandwich,...

There is no doubt that dairy judging can be stressful

Between an impending visit from the inspector, Mother’s Day passing us by, and some upcoming events we want to have the farm in top shape for, we’ve been taking any chance we get to do extra...

I took a walk out to our calf hutches last week to begin summer preparations to that area of our farm

One of the reasons I love hanging out with people in the agricultural community, especially dairy farmers, is because it is so easy to start a conversation about all the classic debates

This week, I painted a few brushstrokes of pink and cream paints in our nursery in preparation for the birth of our baby girl in August. While this will be our first child, I will say that I am no stranger...