Youth compete in a variety of contests like dairy judging, dairy bowl and cattle exhibitions. They are known to put in hours of preparation during team practices or train their cattle in the yard for weeks....
Contestants get some final practice before tomorrow's national contest. It was a beautiful morning in Fort Atkinson. Over 150 students and coaches arrived at the Hoard's Dairyman Farm in preparation for...
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...
Patriotism shined bright at the Ag Warriors Gala at World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., last evening. It marked the official launch of the International Agri-Center's Ag Warriors Program which will benefit...
For the first eight months of 2011, the average somatic cell count (SCC), for all months, has remained under 260,000. Traditionally, the highest SCC month is August. This year, August came in at 260,000
A recent special occasion created an opportunity to educate consumers about dairying.Last month my sister got married to a nonagricultural young man. He loves being on the dairy, helping feed calves, tossing...
It's fall and that means World Dairy Expo! Exhibitors are on the grounds preparing for the show – setting-up displays, shaking straw, and hanging signs. Cattle, too, are settling into their new homes...
What can photos tell us? A lot, when we discuss pedigrees and breeding. On Wednesday, September 14, Hoard's Dairyman pictured 14 of the farm's best Guernseys. The day began early, with two staff members...
It is our responsibility to provide a safe, nutritious food supply. The recent recall of ground turkey and an E. coli outbreak in Michigan are recent examples of food making people sick. They remind us...
Summer always meant fairs and shows as a youngster. As an exhibitor, I looked forward to the shows, especially showmanship – where my ability to work with my heifer or cow as one team could be put...
"Wow, the Holsteins here are smaller than the ones back home!" I said while walking to work with a co-worker. "You must be American. Those black and whites are Friesians, not Holsteins." This was one of...
Lowering the somatic cell count (SCC) limit has received a lot of press lately, but reducing SCC has many benefits for dairy producers regardless of regulations. Higher premiums and improved cow health...
USDA just announced they are set to publish their 2,300-plus page Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in the Federal Register, nearly four years after U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer halted the sale...
Once upon a time, all cows were milked by hand and the job got done just fine. Then one day technology brought a new tool for dairy producers to consider: milking machines. The evolution of technology...
The job of the milker to keep teats clean and dry to prevent infection is a daily battle on every farm; yet the task is simple in thought. Today at the Hoard's Dairyman Farm, a Hispanic milker training...
One of the most successful opportunities to get nonfarm youth excited about the dairy industry we've witnessed is leasing programs through 4-H, FFA, or breed groups. These leasing programs give youth without...
The 37th annual National Ag Day was held throughout the country on March 20 to celebrate the importance of agriculture in our country. As part of the celebration, seventh through twelfth grade students...
Consumers have become all too familiar with E. coli 0157:H7, one of the most common culprits behind foodborne disease outbreaks in recent years. Blame for illness and media scrutiny fall first on tainted...
