One of the reasons mental health struggles are running rampant in ag communities is because it’s hard to open up to a professional about our lives when they don’t understand our job

Summer seems to be the time when farm life can take its greatest toll on our physical and mental health

For the past seven years, I have volunteered at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the New York State Fair. When I get there, I promptly plop myself next to the calf pen, which is normally swamped with people

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...

Here at Hillcrest Farms, we take pride in what we do. The good days, the bad days, the hot days, and the cold days

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...

This week is forecasted to be hot in nearly every dairy producing part of the country. Month-long predictions have much of the same with above average temperatures expected for all of July

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...

There are plenty of “How to” books available on just about anything . . . how to succeed, how to wire a building, how to be a better person, how to be inspiring, and the list goes on and on

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

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)

As humans, we often make extra food purposely, so that we have leftovers to eat the next day. That same philosophy doesn’t work for dairy cows, who need fresh feed daily

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

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...