Approach farm meetings prepared and with a goal in mind. Growing up, my favorite farm meetings occurred around the breakfast table. Specifically, I remember chowing down on some bacon prepared by my grandfather...
Keep your focus so you don't get pinned or pushed out of the ring. By Patti Hurtgen, Hoard's Dairyman Online Media Manager Wrestling can be a bit like dairy farming. Farmers must be scrappy to stay mobile...
Dairy Challenge competitions combine book learning with real-life situations. By Taylor Leach, Hoard's Dairyman Editorial Intern It's the same old routine. You're sitting in a classroom listening to lecture...
Young farmers need opportunities to develop leadership skills. We all know that dairy farmers wear many hats. I spent the last several days wearing my leader hat. First, while finishing Phase III of the...
Another tight year for dairy producers raises the question, how does one best manage break-even costs? Managing fluctuation is an important part of today's global economy. Farms that successfully direct...
Learning is a lifelong process and the Young Dairy Leaders Institute helped speed up that process. Today, I hop on a plane to finish Phase III of the Young Dairy Leaders Institute in sunny Phoenix, Arizona....
Outside perspectives can benefit your herd in many ways. We recently took my nephew Michael out to our family's dairy barn for the first time. At just under four months of age, Michael couldn't say what...
Animal activists are becoming bolder in their actions; even events like dairy shows could attract guests with ulterior motives. You've lined up the judge, secured the award sponsors and ordered the ribbons....
A good herdsperson not only observes but takes action. In college, I fielded many questions about my agricultural communications degree that went something like this, "So you're studying to be a cow whisperer?"...
An array of factors help this Illinois dairy farm maintain a below average somatic cell count month after month. When it comes to milk quality, Sycamore, Ill., dairyman Bill Deutsch focuses both inside...
National-winning FFA Dairy Judging Coach talks about preparing a non-traditional dairy judging team. "This was an extremely hard-working bunch of kids," commented coach Bland Baird. His dairy judging program...
Winners hail from coast to coast By Corey A. Geiger, Managing Editor Carly-O Tequila Alley (shown to the far right), the winning senior 3 year old and Intermediate Champion was selected Grand Champion...
Three national contest wins for these college programs. The University of Minnesota and Ohio State University Ag Tech each swept the three major dairy cattle judging competitions this year by winning this...
Empire State continues dairy bowl dominance. With teams from coast to coast, the 36th North American 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl once again fielded an extremely competitive contest. Teams came from as far west...
Three years running and six wins in 11 years. Coach Baird, Tanner Goodlett, Marissa Allen, Jacob Whitely and Ryan Linton Winning the 2015 National FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management Career Development...
Illinois coach builds a "family" of team members. Whether you are a seasoned coach or someone looking to start a quiz bowl team, there are nuggets of wisdom in Becky's words - maybe something you can put...
Recently hired employee also wounded five animals. Four cows were stabbed to death early this month and five others badly injured by an employee at an Arizona dairy who admitted to having used methamphetamine...
The recently signed bill, which goes into effect on January 1, 2018, will restrict the routine use of antibiotics for disease prevention and bans antibiotic use for growth promotion. California has long...
Having grown up working in the dairy industry, I know firsthand how hard dairy farm families work to make cow comfort and safety a top priority. Unfortunately, animal rights groups, with the ultimate goal...
The Merle Howard Award is given to the top junior exhibitor at World Dairy Expo. Given in memory of Howard, the 1954 Klussendorf winner, this award is given to the show's top youth
