Summer seems to be the time when farm life can take its greatest toll on our physical and mental health

For the past seven years, I have volunteered at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the New York State Fair. When I get there, I promptly plop myself next to the calf pen, which is normally swamped with people

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

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...

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...

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

When I tell people that my favorite breed of dairy cow is the Brown Swiss, about 85% of the time they laugh, and then ask me why

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...

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

Summer is the time for cow shows. It’s time for training and spending a lot of time at the wash rack. This year looks different, and I know for many people every fair that’s canceled is a blow...

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

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

When I was 2 years old, my parents both worked as herd managers on successful dairy farms in central New York, but then, everything changed

How many times have we all heard as dairy farmers that we should all be online sharing our stories? It seems we get encouragement from every angle and every industry ally

June is coming . . . did you read that ominously, like from Game of Thrones? You should have because June is almost here, and it’s looking like it’s going to be a battle. Online, at least

When I look at my soon-to-be 14-year-old daughter, I often think back to myself at that age. Truthfully, though, Cassie oozes so much more confidence than I ever did as a teenager