They come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, but one tool that every dairy farm uses to get jobs done each day is the tractor. From fieldwork to feeding, these machines make chores easier

Certain parts of the country need more training and technicians to keep up with the number of robotic milking systems that are being installed

Keeping crop residue stubble on your fields can provide a multitude of soil health benefits

The first tractor that ever worked the land on our farm is at the core of many of my grandpa’s stories

When it comes to milk quality, there are details I can see now that I couldn’t before we had our voluntary milking system

The world sure has changed over the last one hundred or so years, and we can easily tell that by looking at the progression that has occurred in agriculture

Milking in both our parlor and with the robots provided some benefits, but certain costs recently led us back to milking exclusively with one system

Farm help is on the decline in our area and across the country, and it is a driving force for why some farms are choosing robotics

As the days get longer and the sun gets hotter, hay and planting season are the only things on our minds

Farmers have just as much responsibility, if not more, to make sure everyone arrives home safely

Our calf ear tag numbering and coloring system has gone off the rails due to production and supply chain issues throughout the country

The advancements in dairying the past few decades have been impressive, and with technology, the changes will keep coming faster

Regular maintenance can go a long way in preserving a dairy’s hard working skid steer

They aren’t always perfect, but we know we can depend on our automated milking systems

Agricultural technologies must be shared with consumers willingly for them to include them in their diet

It is fun to envision what automation we may be able to integrate onto our dairy in the future

Harmful sounds can chip away at your hearing ability, but the damage is preventable

Many different minds have come together to make our barn very unique, especially when it comes to cow comfort

Many aspects of our dairy and ways of thinking have changed here at Hillcrest Farms since moving to a robotic milking system. The work is less physical and more mental

As winter turns into spring, we try to catch up on many random projects around the farm