From high school to college to continuing education opportunities, we must continue to grow and develop our talents. In order that I may inspire some other youth, I've decided to share how my education...
The Peterson Farm Bros. put their agriculture advocacy efforts to music in a string of parody videos. With one YouTube video, the Peterson Farm Bros. became an overnight sensation. Before bursting into...
We can change our attitudes by changing our thoughts. Without a doubt, I am an optimistic person. My glass isn't just half-full - it's overflowing. I think dairy farmers, in general, are optimistic people....
Who do consumers trust? Some days we think people are so naïve to believe everything they read. Other times, they are so skeptical of even the most logical and safe practices. I laughed when I read...
Living in a rural community is no guarantee that your neighbors understand farming and where food comes from.When you're engaged to a large animal veterinarian and your job is tracking and responding to...
While a new barn and robots may not be the answer for every dairy, this new era will improve our future lifestyle, overall business consistency and cow care. This week was very exciting on our farm as...
Products marketed under a farm name resonate well with consumers . . . but does a name always tell the whole story? What's in a farm name? For some dairy producers, their farm's name has been carefully...
Electrical fire serves as wake-up call. Fire. There might not be another word so capable of quickly igniting fear in the hearts of farmers. I'm sure you can imagine the level of panic we felt after smelling...
Students who grow up on dairies stand out on scholarship applications. College, as we all know, can certainly cause financial stress on a family. Especially to those who grew up on a small dairy farm such...
Turning adversity into opportunity. Like other dairy farmers who enjoy showing cows, we develop special relationships with our show cows. They're the ones who always want their heads scratched or come...
While city cousins may think we just rolled out of bed, nothing could be further from the truth on the farm. I think we can all agree that dairy farming goes beyond being just an occupation. It's a lifestyle...
Keep your focus so you don't get pinned or pushed out of the ring. By Patti Hurtgen, Hoard's Dairyman Online Media Manager Wrestling can be a bit like dairy farming. Farmers must be scrappy to stay mobile...
Dairy Challenge competitions combine book learning with real-life situations. By Taylor Leach, Hoard's Dairyman Editorial Intern It's the same old routine. You're sitting in a classroom listening to lecture...
A few factors play a big role in the quality of colostrum. While breakfast may be our most important meal of the day, for calves, that first feeding of colostrum is the most critical meal of their lives....
Young farmers need opportunities to develop leadership skills. We all know that dairy farmers wear many hats. I spent the last several days wearing my leader hat. First, while finishing Phase III of the...
National organization continues to develop skills of young people. National FFA Week concludes tomorrow. This weeklong celebration of FFA happens every February, and in honor of the occasion, I recently...
Farmers need to share their stories with each other, too. As dairy farmers, we hear a lot about sharing our stories with consumers. Stories about why we farm and how we care for our cattle help us connect...
Young calves demand much care and patience. My two siblings and I grew up showing Holsteins, and from the time I was pretty young, I seemed to be the one who always ended up showing the flighty animals....
Jim Baird, gifted Hoard's Dairyman Art Director, passes on We would consider ourselves lucky to be really good at one thing – something that truly symbolized the essence of our being. But to be...
One million children have already learned safer living An ounce of prevention . . . When the idea to host events to teach children about farm safety began in 1995, I doubt the Progressive Agriculture Foundation...
