It was so wonderful to visit with my sister, Cathy, and her family. Last week I went back to my roots and visited my hometown of Bend, Ore

“How do you get through the days you don’t want to be at the dairy anymore?” I wasn’t even slightly surprised to get this question from a fellow dairy farmer on Instagram earlier...

Various authors and studies have likened willpower to a muscle. They have explained that it must be repeatedly practiced before it becomes stronger and the new habit second nature

Farmers do what they do because they love the job, but that doesn’t mean it’s not difficult

As producers, I’m sure most of you have heard pleas from agriculture communicators asking you to tell your story

Here at Hillcrest Farms, we take pride in what we do. The good days, the bad days, the hot days, and the cold days

A dairy farm is not in the business of making milk. Say that out loud to yourself. A dairy farm is not in the business of making milk

A year can go by at record speed, or at least that is how it has felt this past year. Often days and nights intertwined, and somehow, the seasons flew to the next without us having much time to hit the...

There are a few statistics that are thrown around in the ag community so often that most farmers know them off the top of their head

For farmers, working with family can be an awesome blessing or one of life’s greatest challenges

Finely tuned rations, stringent milking procedures, and compliance to sound reproductive protocols all lead to well-run dairies. In journalism, the same can be said of a watchful eye that carefully reviews...

There are plenty of “How to” books available on just about anything . . . how to succeed, how to wire a building, how to be a better person, how to be inspiring, and the list goes on and on

It was a success and I still can’t believe it! If you had told me a few months ago that I was going to host a virtual tour for kids who couldn’t see the Dairy Council of California’s...

Ever had a plan for the week? Ever had a week that actually went according to that plan? It’s a familiar feeling for dairy farmers; this need for flexibility

In the span of just over a week, my two oldest cows both passed away. Both developed conditions that sprang up and were treated meticulously — only to no avail

Our wedding anniversary is in June, on Flag Day to be exact, and two of our children were born in June as well. I was even told by my husband, while in labor with our two youngest children, "This isn't...

I don’t have kids. I mean, I have 500 Jerseys that are basically like toddlers, so maybe I do? However, I am a farm kid. So, allow me a moment to remind farm parents of

Two months. It’s been just over two months since I made the bold step of quitting my full-time, steady, and equally rewarding job as a youth 4-H educator (which I loved, by the way)

My parents bought a farm that came with a house. The house ended up being a bit of a fixer-upper . . . I’m talking very little siding, negligible plumbing, and small animals in the walls

It has happened! I taught a child to drive a tractor (supervised, of course)! I am not sure I could be more proud!