“Looking at the big picture . . . excessive rainfall had a huge impact on both hay crops and corn silages this year,” said Mike Rankin

Earlier this month, I was on the West Side of Chicago to volunteer my time rejuvenating a rundown park. A group of 300 volunteers mulched trees, planted greenery, and picked up trash

My daughter, Cassie, age 13, standing in front of one of the 9/11 memorial fountains during our trip to New York City in June. Earlier this summer, my daughter, Cassie, and I were in New York

We began planting corn on the third of June, nearly six weeks later than we originally planned

Most of our Saturday mornings might include feeding calves, chores, or if we’re younger, maybe watching some cartoons to kick-off the weekend

I’m getting old. I used to be able to pull all-nighters with ease, but this past week has proven that those days have seriously passed

It is no secret that the politics in California are a joke. For decades, California’s politics have haunted the agricultural community, but over the past few years we have been able to watch its...

Personally, I love the word “sustainability” because it can be a great description of what dairy farming is, but I do think it is a word that is hard to understand if not put into context

Every family farm should sit down annually and discuss each family member’s goals in business and their goals personally. Bring in an independent consultant if needed

The California landscape has always been evolving but recently the change has expedited dramatically

The anticipation, joy, excitement, and laughs we have shared over the years on these walks to the World Dairy Expo showring are worth more than the ribbons to me

After it was all said and done, our farm didn’t experience too much serious damage from Hurricane Irma. We were blessed that there wasn’t too much damage

It’s July and that means my birthday . . . and National Ice Cream Month. Just a few decades ago, President Ronald Reagan selected this month to highlight America’s dessert

Fourteen grams of protein and satisfies my sweet tooth? Count me in! Yogurt is one of my favorite foods and preferred dairy product because of its great taste and high nutritional value

Out with the old and in with the new. That’s the nature of food fads. Perhaps one of the best examples of this truth is the explosion in popularity of Greek yogurt

Most would consider working 365 days a year a curse rather than a blessing. Waking up in the early hours of the morning and working well into the night is not a feat that most are willing to take on

Block, curd, or shredded, put it on your plate. "A can a week is all we ask." That was a very successful marketing campaign for Blue Diamond Almonds decades ago. I saw plenty of those commercials and almond...

California's dairy industry highlighted during annual event. It was the first time in the 127 year-history of the Rose Parade, the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) had a float entry. The organization...

To beat the heat, the nation's cows are concentrated in more temperate regions of the United States. know that cows tend to seek out the coolest places on the farm: beneath shade, under sprinklers and...

Kraft's "Lunchables Uploaded" is more than a meal in a box. They got me. After reading this week's Hoard's Dairyman Intel about the best new food products of 2014, I decided to try the chart topper "Lunchables...