Dairy farming can consume every minute of every day if you let it; don't forget to pursue your off-farm passions, too. A wise person once told me, "Be careful how you build your fortress, as you can create...
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...
Building an extensive photo library sets us apart. Hundreds of photos appear within the pages of Hoard's Dairyman, as well as on our website, www.hoards.com, and in our weekly electronic newsletter, Hoard'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...
Youth take a "go big or go home" approach to competition. "You are betting all your points in Final Jeopardy," stated the moderator when speaking to California's Alexandra (Alex) Gambonini. The 120 points...
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....
As the competition began, door guards checked back tags, known in the dance world as competitor numbers, and made final calls for late entries. Tardiness was rarely accepted as 8,057 entries crossed...
Farmers are a lot like baseball team managers, working hard to keep their top performers healthy and "on the field." I like to think of my milking herd groups like baseball teams and myself as the team...
This June Dairy Month, share the steps you take to ensure a delicious and nutritious product. As we say goodbye to May and hello to June, it signals the time to celebrate June Dairy Month. Personally,...
Block, curd, or shredded, put it on your plate. "A can a week is all we ask." That was a very successful marketing campaign for Blue Diamond Almonds decades ago. I saw plenty of those commercials and almond...
The newest book from the Hoard's Dairyman bookstore sheds light on prevention, management, and treatment options for limiting antibiotic use. Antibiotics have been an important part of dairy animal welfare...
Mental health issues are more prevalent in nonmeat eaters. Vegetarians are crazy! That might be the sentiment of those who relish a succulent steak and cannot fathom eliminating beef, lamb, pork, or poultry...
Saturday is World Veterinary Day and our opportunity to stop and say thanks to an integral part of the farm team - veterinarians. "Do you know what that is?" This was the prompt that started many a conversation...
Looking back, the intense fat-related studies of the 1960s and 1970s did not prove that removing saturated fats and replacing them with vegetable oils made people healthier. That was the hope of the research...
Tightly correlated, managing SCC is an important step in limiting antibiotic use. Mastitis remains the most prevalent health problem in dairy herds according to the USDA's Dairy 2014, and it's not one...
Who do consumers trust? Some days we think people are so naïve to believe everything they read. Other times, they are so skeptical of even the most logical and safe practices. I laughed when I read...
Products marketed under a farm name resonate well with consumers . . . but does a name always tell the whole story? What's in a farm name? For some dairy producers, their farm's name has been carefully...
Taking time upfront to bring new employees onboard can save farms time and money in the long run. "You're making an investment when you hire someone," said Trevina Broussard, an associate trainer with...
Attentiveness and observation are still important to success in automated calf feeding systems. Just like many management areas on the farm, calf feeding requires careful attentiveness in order to be successful
