Immigration reform is an ongoing national debate. Those of us involved in the paperwork and potential legal harassment associated with finding capable, willing and possibly foreign workers have considered...
Youth at the Wisconsin State Fair share messages with fairgoers. Showing livestock at the fair can be a hectic time filled with preparing for shows and interviews, as well as keeping up with chores at...
In Raleigh, N.C., North America's finest natural cheesemakers are meeting this week for the American Cheese Society's (ACS) annual conference and cheese competition
To remain a player we cannot remain disinvested in agriculture. Last Thursday we shared some insight from Sonny Ramaswamy the recently appointed director of the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture...
With half of the country now in a drought disaster area, if there was ever a year for dairy farmers to take reducing silage losses seriously, this is it. The most silage you have is when it is standing...
Most dairy nutritionists already have been stuffing cows with as many alternative feeds as they can lay their ration formulas on. If there is less corn or soybeans at harvest time, due to our current...
We have all read stories, seen comments, and observed television interviews that contain less-than-accurate information on our industry and our practices. We get irritated, but wonder if it is worth the...
Clayton Yeutter, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Trade Representative (USTR), opened Monday's "Is this farm boom different?" at the Kansas City Federal Reserve by answering the event's main question
As one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2010, there's no doubt that Temple Grandin is the world's most influential autistic person
While it may no longer be June Dairy Month, educating the public is a year-round challenge. As summer shows and fairs get into full swing, do you take the time to educate the public about your animals,...
We've all heard the benefits of separating our first-calf heifers from their older herdmates. It provides our new cows with a chance to adapt to their surroundings, learn a new routine and, literally,...
On a decent number of dairy operations, migrant workers comprise a portion or the majority of the labor force. These are people we have come to depend on day to day to successfully run our dairies
Gratitude seems to be lost these days. A sincere thank you is replaced with a "Yea, thanks man." While some gestures only need a quick thank you, others might necessitate more. Writing thank you notes...
You may be facing challenges with the availability and expense of common bedding sources such as sawdust or the management of sand bedding. In recent years recycled manure solids have become a more prevalent...
Oftentimes when feed prices rise, your gut reaction is to start pulling high-priced ingredients from the ration. While cows need nutrients and not particular ingredients, rapid dietary changes negatively...
Polls indicate that consumers want foods labeled if they contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). But with no health issues, is it germane? Nutrition labels have been mandatory in their current...
We posted a photo yesterday on our Hoard's Dairyman Facebook page of a well-dressed young man standing at the end of his dairy barn with rose petals sprinkled down the alley. We thought it was a unique...
Use pictures to catch the eye and use your words to catch the mind To build trust, farmers know they must become a familiar face to their customers. From coffee shops to hay sales, farmers have used these...
