If you told me when I was 9 years old that one day I would willingly get up in front of a crowd of hundreds, I would be shaking my head no

It’s July and that means my birthday . . . and National Ice Cream Month. Just a few decades ago, President Ronald Reagan selected this month to highlight America’s dessert

Have you given a farm tour at your dairy lately? Why or why not? I love having visitors at our farm and would give tours every day if I could. But, I know not everyone shares this same level of enthusiasm

Have you ever heard the term “set in your ways”? Well, I have, and I know a lot of people who are. Sometimes this can be a good thing, while other times, not so much

The official first week of summer brought hot summer temperatures to the Northwest. We don’t see major heat waves like many other parts of the country, but it definitely gets our attention when temperatures...

With 167 producing completed cow records, the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm earned the 2016 Commercial Herd Award from the American Guernsey Association (AGA). The herd averaged 22,138 pounds of milk

With 167 producing completed cow records, the Hoard’s Dairyman Farm earned the 2016 Commercial Herd Award from the American Guernsey Association (AGA). The herd averaged 22,138 pounds of milk 4.7...

Calving can be a challenging time for a cow. But the issues go beyond giving birth. Around freshening, the dairy cow is struggling with net energy, protein, and mineral imbalances

A few months ago we had the opportunity to host our congressman, Representative Jody Hice, at our dairy farm. He had great questions about our operation

There has been so much going on around the farm I couldn’t choose a topic to write about, so I’m going to update y’all on a few things

Warm weather, a break from school, and June Dairy Month bring a stir of events on the farm throughout the summer

As Memorial Day passed yesterday, it left me feeling rather reflective and in awe of the many blessings this dairy life provides

A unique aspect of the education system at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo is the “Learn by Doing” approach to educational skills in class

As the old pop song goes, “You’ve got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away and know when to run.”

There are some salespeople who call on our farm that I don’t mind seeing. Then there are those that I avoid. Which one do you want to be?

When it comes to making purchasing decisions, consumers can be difficult to gauge, and traditionally, they vote with their wallets. That makes labels a vital piece of the purchasing decision

Pinching pennies may be old hat to some, but for others changing the way we think can uncover some untapped income opportunities. Mike Hutjens presented “On-farm feed diagnostics”

Two recent experiences with rules and regulations made me realize how much government guidelines need to adapt to changing farming practices

Having a good group of employees is one of the best blessings we have received here at Hillcrest Farms. Yes, we occasionally have the hard to fill position

Social media has almost become a bit of a necessary evil these days. We use it to keep in touch with friends and family, to ask advice, to buy and sell things, and to entertain each other and share