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...

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

Thanks to COVID-19 it is looking like all the summer fun has been canceled this year. I was doing alright with the restrictions, after all farm life mostly keeps us at home

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

This week is forecasted to be hot in nearly every dairy producing part of the country. Month-long predictions have much of the same with above average temperatures expected for all of July

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...

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

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!

We know there are so many ways to enjoy the milk we produce — in a glass, on an ice cream cone, as a cup of yogurt, as sour cream on a burrito, or as cheese on just about anything

Dear Jacob, A decade ago I introduced you to the world with my first "Around the Kitchen Table" column

My experience has been that animal activists are the worst. They take tiny grains of truth and twist them into the most spectacular lies. It’s annoying but effective

This time of year typically involves graduation parties and family BBQs to kick off summer. Flowers are in bloom, the grass is getting green, and the corn is growing in early June in the Midwest

I distinctly recall my fifth-grade teacher Mr. Z. He was a fun and interactive guy, and one of his favorite sayings was “until the cows come home.” He would tack it onto the end of any sentence...