This is the story of a curious cow who lived on Mr. Marvin’s farm in the kingdom of Kansas. Her name was Yvonne.

The other day I heard the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing the traditional Thanksgiving song “Come Ye Thankful People Come.” Tears of gratitude filled my eyes as I thought of the glorious harvest we have gleaned this year.

I am sure you have heard the old saying, “Variety is the spice of life.” Most agree that meeting new people, learning new ideas and having interesting experiences makes life more delightful. There is also good evidence that people who live fulfilling, interesting lives are more productive.

Forages are an integral component of the ration for dairy cows. The quality and consistency of the forage can have a significant impact on the production, profitability and health of the dairy cow. Forage quality can be extremely variable, based on hybrid or variety, area where grown, soil conditions, weather, harvesting, storage and feedout conditions.

In the years since the formation of the Newaygo Dairy Testing Association, the first Cow Testing Association (CTA) that started in America in the fall of 1905, production records have become the foundation for herd improvement. This was noted in the early years by the fact that the name was changed nationally in 1927 to the Dairy Herd Improvement Association or DHIA.

Production agriculture is unique because raising replacement animals is a normal part of day-to-day business operations and are commonly treated as operating expenses. The replacements are also an asset on the balance sheet and, for most dairies, become the primary productive asset of the business.

In our effort to plumb the depths of humiliation and bad taste, television producers have now invented a reality show based on pitting races against each other. They have chosen Whites vs. Blacks vs. Asian vs. Latinos, leaving out the obvious – Cowboys vs. Indians vs. French vs. Cows.

Reporting from Bagram, Afghanistan…

A dairy herd’s reproductive program is one area that often leads to large profit losses. This [article] takes a look at the economic considerations associated with reproduction.

Many small and mid-sized dairy operations need to upgrade their milkhouse wastewater systems. Producers want systems that perform reliably, meet environmental regulations, fit their management practices and are economical to install and operate. This [article] reviews some of the available options.