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...

Various authors and studies have likened willpower to a muscle. They have explained that it must be repeatedly practiced before it becomes stronger and the new habit second nature

Farmers do what they do because they love the job, but that doesn’t mean it’s not difficult

As producers, I’m sure most of you have heard pleas from agriculture communicators asking you to tell your story

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

Most of us have heard stories of the Knights of the Round Table. They were characters in the legend of King Arthur’s kingdom

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...

There are a few statistics that are thrown around in the ag community so often that most farmers know them off the top of their head

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...

Ever had a plan for the week? Ever had a week that actually went according to that plan? It’s a familiar feeling for dairy farmers; this need for flexibility

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...

I don’t have kids. I mean, I have 500 Jerseys that are basically like toddlers, so maybe I do? However, I am a farm kid. So, allow me a moment to remind farm parents of

Two months. It’s been just over two months since I made the bold step of quitting my full-time, steady, and equally rewarding job as a youth 4-H educator (which I loved, by the way)

My parents bought a farm that came with a house. The house ended up being a bit of a fixer-upper . . . I’m talking very little siding, negligible plumbing, and small animals in the walls

This tumultuous last week has many feeling a little more than unsteady. The atmosphere in our country as a whole has been polarizing

We know there are so many ways to enjoy the milk we produce — in a glass, on an ice cream cone, as a cup of yogurt, as sour cream on a burrito, or as cheese on just about anything

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...