Farming isn't easy by any means, but certain moments make all the hard work worthwhile. As many of you know, milk prices as of late have been entirely too low for a dairy farmer's comfort. It has a lot...
The "truths" told by advertisers sometimes go too far. I was in the Milwaukee airport recently for an early morning flight, and I stopped at a coffee vendor. While in line, I was reading their promotional...
Careful attention during the first three months of a calf's life sets the stage for a lifetime of productivity on Hillcrest Farms. By Caitlin Rodgers, Georgia dairy farmer How important are the first 100...
After completing major chopper repairs at one dairy, a bagger needed substantial repairs a few weeks later, and the mechanical dairyman worked calmly through that issue, too. "I'll be over by 2 p.m." That's...
Thanks to his mechanical talents, this dairyman kept two first-crop alfalfa harvests on track. Near dusk on Sunday, May 22, I set out with our Hesston hay mower to cut the last field of first-crop alfalfa...
Spend some time analyzing your most valuable group of cows those that are so problem-free you almost forget they are present. We are all intimately familiar with our top cows those special ones that outrank...
Top animal welfare expert praises animal care, impressed with newest lameness research. Temple Grandin visits Vir-Clar Farm in Fond du Lac, Wis. "I saw dairy cows who have a wonderful life today." That's...
Friends, food, and funding are just a few perks. I've lived the majority of my adult life in Wisconsin, while all of my childhood was spent in California. Dairy breakfasts were not common in the Central...
Long-term growth and short-term fluctuation are the new norm for commodity markets. In Kansas this past weekend, my relatives woke up to a blanket of snow. Almost 3 inches fell there overnight and greeted...
What other ways can you find to serve the dairy industry? Last week, March 13 to 19, was National Agriculture Week. I had the chance to represent the Oregon dairy industry in a video commercial for a local...
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...
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...
The Central National FFA Dairy Judging Contest was held on Tuesday morning of World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. Four classes are judged and the high school students answer questions on one of the classes
National judging winners share their good-fortune stories. For those competing at the highest level, dairy judging is serious business. Hours and years of practice and preparation go into the one contest...
Over 250 dairy judges and their coaches converged on the Hoard's Dairyman Farm this morning. Two Guernsey cow classes were presented to the contestants in preparation of Monday's national dairy judging...
Over Labor Day weekend, I checked milking in a tie stall barn off my bucket list. Hoard's Dairyman editors stay close to the business of dairying through involvement on their home farms and the Hoard's...
As dairy and livestock producers, many of us consider our animals not just as a source of income, but a part of the family. My Aunt Lois – my dad's youngest sister – had a very special friendship...
