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...
Don't be afraid to answer the call to promote dairy. The dairy industry deserves to be commended for the amazing job it does giving the next generation so many opportunities to grow and learn. From 4-H...
As summer comes to a close, so does the end of an internship. Just like every good book, the story must come to an end. My story was only 12 chapters long, one for each week during my internship here at...
Members of the Hoard's Dairyman staff spent a day on farms to stay in touch with the magazine's roots. By The Hoard's Dairyman editorial team has a long standing tradition of being actively involved in...
It's no easy road, but the Johnsons would rather do nothing else. Ryan and Abby Johnson of Luck, Wis., have shared many nights of little sleep since they started their own dairy in November 2014. They...
It takes careful attention to all details, large and small, to reach the highest levels of milk production. When our milking herd finally broke the 100 pounds of milk per day average, a lot of changes...
What can you learn while pushing up the feed? "Go push up the feed." Those were some of my least favorite words to hear as child growing up on a small dairy. I hated having to go push up the feed by hand,...
When we get out and see other places, we learn more about the industry and pick up new ideas. Sometimes the stars all align, and we find ourselves with some time off of the farm. We always take advantage...
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...
Comforting a child during hard life lessons. Losing a favorite cow at any age can be heartbreaking, but it seems to sting even more when you're young. Not only do you lose an animal, but you also lose...
As the mom of kids who show dairy cattle, I love helping my kids develop into young showmen. So many important life lessons can be learned in the show ring. But as the mom who does her family’s...
Harvest season can be one of the most challenging, yet most rewarding, times of the year on a dairy farm. Let me start out by saying that everyone who grows their own corn for silage knows how hectic harvest...
One Michigan dairyman took a unique approach at romance. You know you're a dairy farmer when . . . You propose to your girlfriend using cow manure. It may sound like a joke you would hear from a Jeff Foxworthy...
This isn't just my work; it's my passion. I recently saw a quote that really struck me and made me think about how lucky we are in the dairy industry. The things you are passionate about are not random,...
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...
How youth activities helped me step outside of my comfort zone. Small, quiet, and shy. Those were some of the words that best described me as a young child. I preferred working with my animals and keeping...
Silage bag slip-n-slide, backyard camping, cow bedding sand piles, and nature exploring all lead to summer farm fun. Dairy farm kids find lots of ways to make their own summer fun. Once their chores are...
Feeding the best possible ration to your herd takes true teamwork between the farmer and nutritionist. I have other dairy farmers ask me questions about the analysis of the rations we feed at our farm....
Learning more about different breeds of dairy cattle can be beneficial. I'm not colorblind, but I only see black, white, and brown on my family's dairy operation. Our 40-cow herd is made up of mostly Holsteins...
