Ah, that new car feel . . . It’s different, better, and exciting . . . all at the same time. As I watched our March webinar, “Making use of all that parlor data,” I instantly made the...

Twenty young 4-H’ers huddled around our leader’s dining room table on a Wednesday night judging the annual Hoard’s Dairyman Cow Judging Contest

When I was a kid, I loved report cards. For me, it was important to measure how I was doing in my classes.Now that I’m a dairy farmer, metrics are just as important

Among farm families, it is more and more common to hear of households that also pursue off farm ventures. A report from USDA’s Economic Research Service shows that there is good reason for that

We have come to a fork in the road here at Hillcrest Farms. Like I have said in the past, we are always trying to keep up with technology and stay at the forefront of our industry

Just about every packaged food item at the grocery store comes with an “expiration” or “sell by” date on the label. My inclination is that most people heed these guidelines

All winter we analyze our calves in anticipation for the next show season. Are they big enough? Are they good enough?

In last week’s blog "Land rich but feeling dirt poor? You have more than you think," I gave an overview of the unfortunate outcomes that can happen when farmers do not have their estate planning

“But she’s light,” my daughter Monika said, her words laced with consternation. We were looking at the Jersey heifer calf in the calf warmer

One of the best ways to get noticed on social media is to use live video – meaning no video editing. It’s in the moment

Is it just me or do the last few weeks of winter seem like the longest? You get a little break, maybe a couple days of gorgeous sunshine, and then the next storm blows in

The National Dairy FARM program is a voluntary program that promotes transparency in the food supply. It began in 2009 and has gained support from producers, milk cooperatives, and food companies

My husband, Glen, and I will celebrate 15 years of marriage later this year. For 12 of those 15 years, we have been dairy farming together

As a young person, people ask what you want to be when you grow up. I remember in the fourth grade that fellow students asked me that very question

For the past 146 years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has entertained families across the country

Nearly every dairy farm features some type of data collection or herd management software. It can range from rumination or activity monitors to simple herd tracking with PCDART or Dairy Comp 305

Calf feeding shifts and early morning lectures never fail to leave me pressed for time when it comes to breakfast. Most days, I only grab an apple and my backpack before rushing out the door to class

If there’s one thing dairy farmers know well, it’s that when prices go up, they’ll surely come back down

On January 20, 2017, we hung up the milkers in our parlor for the last time. Luckily not for the reason that seems to currently plague our industry – having to call the dairy quits

After spending a few weeks in Wisconsin during January, I, too, felt I needed a calf jacket wherever I went. Maybe I was just being dramatic, but I felt much more comfortable the more layers I had on